Have you ever asked yourself what Blizz from SWTOR would sound like with a human voice? Okay, maybe not but now is your chance to know. It’s the voice of Fred Tatasciore and the video shows clips that have been slowed to a point where you can recognize his actual voice if you’ve heard it before. He’s a very talented voice actor, well known for doing creature and monster voices. As we’ve mentioned in a previous post, it’s very interesting to learn more about the voice actors behind some of our favorite and most loved Star Wars characters. As for Fred Tatasciore, he is the best of the best. He’s done voice acting for many very popular movies, television shows, and of course, video games. You may know him from the Gears of War series as well. He’s had voice acting parts in all of the following Star Wars related games: Star…
SWTOR
Player Harassment in SWTOR – Inaction and Consequences
We’ve talked about player harassment here before. It’s an issue in SWTOR. It’s an issue in MMORPGs. It’s an issue in video games. It’s an issue on the Internet. But what can be done about it? Now that is a question that has a lot of different answers. When we look at all the different ways in which harassment can occur, it becomes and even more complicated issue. So let’s look at SWTOR alone for the sake of this post. How can player harassment in SWTOR be handled better? There are some players who will say the current system in place is working as intended and that you just need to get used to it and move on if you encounter problems while playing the game. Then there are others who will disagree and say that more needs to be done about player harassment in the game. Xam Xam has…
An Open Letter to the Creators of the SWTOR Cartel Packs
Hyperspace Beacon has a few things to say to BioWare. Actually, they have a bit of a bone to pick with the SWTOR team. And he’s not alone in this one. There are many people out there who agree, as the comment section will show and I have to say that while I am a fan of the game and have been since the beginning, he makes very valid points on this one. There are some seriously annoying flaws with Cartel Packs and while this isn’t the first time it’s been said, the points are presented rather well. So what’s the beef? Well, here’s part of it: “I am disappointed by the execution of the latest cartel packs on many, many levels. It was difficult enough for me to accept these lottery boxes in the first place. It concerns me that the best looking and most desired items in the…
Twi’leks in SWTOR and Rebels Have Something in Common
Twi’leks are a loved race in all of Star Wars. Did you know that they actually have something interesting in common in Star Wars Rebels and SWTOR? They share a voice actress. Vanessa Marshall voices Hera in Rebels and Alauni in SWTOR. Catherine Taber voices Numa in Rebels and Vette in SWTOR. Also, if Taber’s voice sounds familiar, it’s because she was also Padme in The Clone Wars. She was also the voice of Mission Tao in KOTOR. See here:p View post on imgur.com As you can see, the voice actors of Star Wars games are a close knit group. There are definitely cross overs and not just with Twi’leks. But this was a happy little coincidence that we just had to bring to your attention (if you didn’t already notice). One thing that many Star Wars fans love is knowing the people behind the characters and behind the voices. It really…
The Academy Ep 3 Tells Us How Hardmode Flashpoints and Operations Work
Swtorista has a new episode of The Academy out for your viewing. This is the third video in the series that is a part of her being a guest on Ootinicast’s weekly podcast. It’s all about roles and ops and will cover all the basics you need to know about doing these group events in SWTOR. It’s simple and straightforward and it contains all the basics you need to know. In the interest of keeping it short, she doesn’t go fully into details of everything but it’s definitely a great foundation. “I want to do a hardmode flashpoint or operation. How do they work?”” The Academy is a series focused on the basics of SWTOR. If you want to listen to more, tune in to Ootinicast’s latest episodes. She says the next video will be about class and which one you should play. And next they will be recording one…
SWTOR – The Biggest Comeback in PC Gaming History?
Some of you who have been around with us since the very beginning (pre-launch even) will know that SWTOR today and SWTOR then are like two different games. Sure, the premise and many of the elements are there, but it’s different in a variety of ways, all of which we think are for the better. This is just one more way that BioWare shows they listen to the players and also that they want to make great games that people truly enjoy. If something isn’t working, you tweak it until it does. They don’t just abandon their projects like many will do. BioWare really came a long way with SWTOR and we’re very glad it’s still with us today and we’re happy to have been with it since the beginning. PC Gamer is calling it one of the biggest comebacks in PC gaming history. Here’s a snippet of a piece…
SWTOR Odessen Warzone Mechanics explanation
BioWare have posted a short explanation about the Odessen warzone. Apparently there have been a lot of confusion about the mechanics of it. Odessen Warzone Mechanics | 02.26.2016, 08:52 PM Hey folks, We have seen quite a few questions around some of the mechanics in the Odessen Warzone. Here are some points of clarification. Control Points Spawning At the start of the match 2 control points spawn at random Control Points last for one round, a round lasts for 75 seconds The amount of Control Points active increases as more rounds occur There are 8 rounds in total (though a team can win before the 8th round starts) Round 1,2,3: Two Control Points active Round 4,5,6: Three Control Points active Round 7,8: Four Control Points active After Round 1 Battle Mods spawn, Battle Mods have different impacts on points depending on which Mod you have. Capping a Control Point Control Points…
The Correct Way to Give Out Unique Codes for SWTOR
If you have unique codes for SWTOR that you want to give out to others, great! You’re a fantastic person and we all appreciate you for it. That said, here is a word of caution: you may not want to post those unique codes openly. If you simply post them on a forum or website, they are most likely going to be bot-mined, which means no real humans are going to get your codes and be able to play an enjoy. Instead, bot accounts will use them for gold farming/selling and other exploits. If you want normal, real people to get the codes, you’re going to have to give them out directly. Does that sound like a lot of work? Well don’t worry because it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ideas for giving out your unique codes for SWTOR: Host a contest and give the winners the codes…
SWTOR 4.3 PTS online today
Tait Watson just informed the community that BioWare are working to bring the 4.3 PTS online today. Expect servers to be up around 11AM CST Game Update 4.3 PTS | 02.25.2016, 09:10 AM Hey everyone! I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that we are going to be working to bring the 4.3 PTS online today. We are aiming for around 11AM CST, but that could change depending on a few different variables. Right now, I don’t imagine it will change. Character Copy is currently offline, but will be available once the PTS is. Keep an eye on the PTS Forums, as any further news and updates will go there. Thanks, and see you out there! -Tait Character Transfers are now available!
New Side Project In Case You’re Bored in SWTOR
Every now and then we come across something that just really gets your giggles going. This is one of those types of posts. User djcecil2 posted to Reddit about how he had found a new side hobby in SWTOR, complete with pictures. Of dead players… See for yourself: I’ve found a new side hobby while playing the game. Taking pictures of dead people. It’s really quite hilarious! More than one commenter noted the dead faces’ resemblance to “O faces” which will probably lead you down a path of NSFW imagery and links. But honestly, it is pretty funny. How many times have you seen a dead player in a hilarious position? Sometimes it’s just the way the corpse falls and other times it can be an actual glitch in the game, like a body falling partly through the scenery, but it always makes for some laughs. I know this is such a…
SWTOR Livestream Updates
SWTOR Community Manager Eric Musco, just made an update about changes coming to BioWares Livestreams. Apparently the users over at the official Star Wars: The old Republic Forums, don’t like the story Livestream hosted by Charles Boyd. There for team is shutting it down and will try to do a vblog that will be hosted on youtube instead. Check out the full story below: Livestream Updates | 02.24.2016, 01:16 PM Hey folks, Thanks to all of you who have posted feedback on our Livestreams. Based on your feedback we have some changes planned. The monthly Producer Livestreams, scheduled the second Thursday of each month have been well received as we are able to address community concerns and offer information into what is coming – so that is going to continue in its current form. The Story Livestream hosted by Charles Boyd, offers insight into the upcoming story chapters. Unfortunately, this…
Is Star Wars Rebels Making Old Republic Canon?
Since the Disney buyout of Star Wars, there is one thing that’s been bothering fans and that is the direction of the story line. Many Star Wars stories have just been thrown out completely. Some of the real classic stories are still around under Legends but so many good stories are just gone. There’s so much more that could be done with Star Wars and it seems like Disney isn’t interested in changing that. There is one exception to this rule, however: Star Wars Rebels. It looks like Rebels might be bringing back the most beloved EU story canon – Knights of the Old Republic. Nerd Union has written a great piece about this. Here’s a few of the reasons they give: The ships in the holo when Princess Leia brought supplies They Keep Developing the Mandalorians The Great Scourge of Malachor For the full reasoning behind these hints, read the full article,…
How BioWare Makes Use of Livestreamers for SWTOR
You might remember when BioWare was promoting KotFE that they brought in several well known live streamers and live video people to help promote the new expansion. They had YouTube content creators as well as popular Twitch streamers talk about SWTOR to their own fanbase. They also seemed to talk to outside streamers from other games about trying SWTOR and also introducing it to their audiences. It’s not a bad strategy, honestly. It’s something that most companies will do in a time like this but some will say it failed for BioWare in this scenario. It doesn’t look like it paid off how BioWare would have hoped because they aren’t using that tactic anymore. It’s common practice for companies to experiment with different marketing tactics to see what works and this wasn’t a bad idea in theory. I work in marketing and I know the power behind brand ambassadors and…
The Academy: How to Make Your Character Look Cool in SWTOR
There are many reasons to love MMORPGs and SWTOR has all of these features packed into one great Star Wars themed game. Of these, character customization is an important one. Sure, there are many other important elements, such as those that affect gameplay, but when it comes down to it, looking cool is important to many players. When you’re rolling characters in a role playing game, there is usually a part of you that wants to get into the character you’re playing. You want your character to reflect parts of your personality or of the personality you are role playing. Now if you want to learn how to make your character in SWTOR look cool, this great video from SWTORista’s Academy series will help you. In the video they explain the outfit designer, which is a pretty cool feature. I remember when WoW first got a feature like this. It…
Curious How BioWare Created SWTOR Classes?
If you’ve ever wanted to know how BioWare created the SWTOR classes, you’re in luck. There is a special guest post series on StarWars.com from SWTOR lead designer, Michael Backus that tells you all about it. You can see Part 1 here, which talks about the Republic. Blakus has been on the SWTOR team for seven years now and if you’ve ever had any interaction with him, you know that he is really passionate about what he does and it shows. So it’s great to see that he is the one doing this guest post series because I’m sure it’s going to be good. Here’s a snippet from part 1: “So I’m going to do just that. I’m going to talk about the different classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic, but more importantly, about each class’s story arc. And by this, I don’t mean spoilers about their plots, but really, what…
SWTOR Maintenance: 18 February 2016 Patch 4.1b
BioWare will be taking the servers offline in order to apply Patch 4.1b on Thursday, February 18th. Details: DATE: February 18, 2016 TIME: 5AM PST – 7AM PST (13:00 – 15:00 GMT) VERSION: 4.1b We will post patch notes as we get them. Timezone(s) Start Time End Time UTC Offset Wellington February 19, 2016 02:00 am February 19, 2016 04:00 am +13:00 Australia/Sydney February 19, 2016 12:00 am February 19, 2016 02:00 am +11:00 Australia/Adelaide February 18, 2016 11:30 pm February 19, 2016 01:30 am +10:30 Australia/Brisbane February 18, 2016 11:00 pm February 19, 2016 01:00 am +10:00 Tokyo February 18, 2016 10:00 pm February 19, 2016 12:00 am +09:00 Australia/Perth, Hong Kong February 18, 2016 09:00 pm February 18, 2016 11:00 pm +08:00 Mumbai February 18, 2016 06:30 pm February 18, 2016 08:30 pm +05:30 Moscow February 18, 2016 04:00 pm February 18, 2016 06:00 pm +03:00 EET February 18,…
February SWTOR Producer’s Livestream Coverage
Here is the total coverage of yesterdays Producer’s Livestream. Eric Musco joined by Ben Irving. The official recap can be found here. Below recap was put together by dulfy over at the SWTOR sub reddit. Agenda State of the Galaxy Chapter X Chapter XI: Disavowed Eternal Championship New Warzone (also something special for PvPers) Quality of Life Improvements coming in April State of Galaxy Not smooth sailing. Downloading issues on Tuesday and now. Few bugs go out with Chapter 10. Key bugs fixed with today’s patch, still some connectivity issue this afternoon. Should be ironed out shortly. Anarchist’s Cartel Market Pack – People not happy with the changes. Please keep the feedback coming. We are continually making the changes. February Subscriber Gift All subscribers who opt in to email by Feb 14 will receive 1050 cartel coins (it is a code you can give anyone). Opt in via your account settings on the forums….
Feb 11 Patch 4.1a Maintenance for SWTOR
You all know how it goes. A new patch and all hell breaks loose. There for BioWare is taking down all SWTOR servers on Feb 11 5am to 7 am PST from for Patch 4.1a maintenance. Maintenance: 11 February 2016 | 02.10.2016, 08:17 PM Hey everyone! We will be taking the servers offline in order to apply Patch 4.1a on Thursday, February 11th. Details: DATE: February 11, 2016 TIME: 5AM PST – 7AM PST (13:00 – 15:00 GMT) VERSION: 4.1a This patch will address a few issues: missing Crafting Schematics, unusable Alliance Alerts, Chapter X area lag, the Outlander gear that changed color schemes, and an issue that caused Chapter X to not be pushed to all eligible players. Thank you for your patience as we maintain Star Wars™: The Old Republic™!
Things SWTOR Can Learn from Other MMOs
MMOs are not new and as such, there are many things that one can learn from another and we often see those features that are really working being carried over from one game to another. Such is the case with SWTOR also. There are some elements of SWTOR that are typical of a Bioware game and there are also elements that we can see are modeled after other games that have done well. This is actually really common in the industry but let’s look at some ways it might be beneficial for Bioware to take some lessons from other games. Some fans over on Reddit had their own suggestions about things SWTOR could learn from other MMOs. Here are some things that made the list: Warframe: Community communication. I think the key to Warframe’s community success is that the developers and the producers are one and the same. They have…
SWTOR Patch 4.1 Maintenance Delayed due to External Networks
BioWare are having trubles with SWTOR Patch 4.1. SO far the maintenance has been delayed due to external network issue. There is currently no ETA on when the servers will come online. Maintenance: 9 February 2016 | 02.09.2016, 05:28 PM Hey folks, We are nearing my “best case scenario” of one hour. We are not ready to bring the servers live yet, but we are still looking good. We are continuing to push the update out across our live servers, where we will then test these changes again. Assuming at that point, that everything looks good, we will bring the servers online. I am being told that it is possible that all of this can be complete within an hour. So, another best case ETA of one hour from the time of this post, or 6:30 PM CT. Thanks everyone. -eric Maintenance: 9 February 2016 | 02.09.2016, 04:33 PM Hey…
SWTOR: No Conquest for the week of Feb 2-9
Due to bugs, conquest for the week of Feb 2-9 is cancelled. Hey everyone, The team has finished looking into what has caused this week’s Conquest to not start properly. Unfortunately, the issue is a bit more complex than we have experienced in the past with Conquests. Due to this, we will be implementing a fix for this with Game Update 4.1 next Tuesday. This means that there will not be a Conquest this week, as we work to address the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience. -Tait
January SWTOR Story Livestream Notes
BioWare posted a video yesterday featuring Charles Boyd and Alexander Freed. The video go over the story in Knight of the fallen empire, and upcoming content we can expect with chapter 10. KoTFE Recap Storytelling in games has the unique of challenging of having players able to see and know the villain without placing players in the same room as them as they would be dispatched quickly by the player.You need to get the villains upclose to the players to be a significant presence in their life. It would be hard to imagine Star Wars Ep4 told from only Luke’s perspective. Vader would just be a random Tie Fighter pilot. Vaylin is an unpredictable villain. She is difficult to pin down, you never know what she is going to do next. You got lots of serious figures like Arcann being very stoic. So seeing her and Arcann act entirely different…
Star Wars: The Old Republic at “Highest Subscriber Level in Three Years”
In the Electronic Arts Reports Q3 FY16 Financial Results, it is mentioned that STAR WARS: The Old Republic grew to its highest subscriber level in nearly three years in Q3 last year. It was also mentioned that Star Wars battlefront was performing strong. REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) today announced preliminary financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2015. “This holiday season we connected millions of players through amazing games across multiple platforms,” said Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson. From the stunning visuals and gameplay of STAR WARS Battlefront, to the anytime, anywhere competition in Madden NFL Mobile, players are deeply engaged across the increasing depth and breadth of the EA portfolio. “It was a great quarter with non-GAAP revenue and earnings that exceeded our guidance,” said Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen. Our results were driven by strong performances from STAR WARS Battlefront,…
Details about the comming Eternal Championship Arena in SWTOR
Bioware has posted a lengthy list, outlining most of all the details of what to expect with the Eternal Championship Arena coming with Chapter XI. Gear Rewards from Eternal Championship | 01.22.2016, 08:46 PM Hi everyone, I’d like to share some additional details on the Eternal Championship with you. This will touch on several topics as follow: What is the story behind the Eternal Championship? The Eternal Championship is the latest trend in entertainment among Zakuul’s decadent upper class, who happily “tour” the lower levels of their capital to watch their social underlings engage in brutal death matches for fortune and glory. More details regarding the backstory will be revealed next week in the Developer Live Stream with Charles Boyd! Leading up to the launch of Game Update 4.2, we’ll also post a Developer Blog about the Eternal Championship. How does the Eternal Championship work? You start the Eternal Championship by…