Greetings, everyone! I will have the honor to host the first few hours of the SWTOR ExtraLife Live Eventon my Twitch channel Live. Start is ~16GMT or 8AM Pacific. It is organized by Unholy Alliance / Wookiee Mistake and PC_Podcast. The number of rewards, big and small, is unbelievable! For those of you who donate to the good cause more than $20, you will have a chance to win the incredible Sphero BB8 Droid, a real live toy, app-controlled. The requirement for Sphero was a $1000 total amount of donation to the team and it was already met! Next goal is $2000. If… no… WHEN this happens, a new item will be rolled again among the $20+ donations. You will have a chance to win an awesome huge SWTOR Custom Cartel Mega Pack 31 packs (contains packs from all 8 Cartel Store shipments). That’s not where Unholy Alliance and Wookiee Mistake draws the line….
SWTOR
SWTOR Fallen Empire Companion Influences Guide
SWTOR Fallen Empire Companion Influences Guide on getting influences for returning and new companions. Updated for Patch 5.0.1 Updated with 5.0.1: Wampa, K1-Z3N Updated with 5.0: Arcann, Shae Vizla, Mawvorr, TY-4N, Exoboar, Master Ranos Updated with 4.7.1: Z0-0M, Rusk, Skadge Updated with 4.7: Bogstalker, ISO-5R, Guss Updated with 4.5: Broonmark, Bowdaar, Torian, Vette, Gault, Ginx, Annihilator T4-1D Update with 4.3: Ak’ghal Usar, K’lor’slug Soldier, Q0-77 have being added. Update with 4.1: Kaliyo, Blizz and Personal Warbot have been added. Note that Kaliyo as an agent companion as different gift preferences compared to Kaliyo as an alliance companion Update with 4.0.3: Artwork gifts are now called Delicacies and Consumable gifts are now called Maintenance. Update with Patch 4.0.2: This patch changed the way some companiions react to gifts. They now all have at least one gift type they love (max affection). How Influence Works With Fallen Empire, affection has being changed to influence. Instead of a max of 10,000…
SWTOR 4.0 Class Changes: Inquisitor and Consular
In the following 2 videos you can see and hear the details about the recent changes Bioware announced today for the Sith Inquisitor and Jedi Consular Classes in Knights of the Fallen Empire, the next Digital Expansion of SWTOR. Narrated and recorded by Vulkk. In a nutshell, players receive 1 new ability at lvl 61, reshuffle of active and passive abilities gained through leveling with no change of their effects (for now) and 3 new Utilities, 1 for each tier. Bioware’s short message and reasoning for these changes: With 4.0, we wanted to give Assassins and Shadows a better way to stealthily approach or return to their enemy target, and their new ability was specifically designed to do just that. For Sorcerers and Sages, we wanted to give them an additional way to escape peril, so we made Phase Walk available to them. All of the following notes are subject to…
Drew Karpyshyn Returns to Star Wars: The Old Republic!
I can honestly say I never thought I’d be writing this post after Drew left SWTOR but he has recently posted some very big news on his blog. In true Drew fashion, he packed THREE big updates in this one post and if you don’t follow him or managed to miss this, here is the part you might be most interested in: Speaking of full circle, here’s the second piece of big news: as of this past week, I am back working at BioWare again! For those who don’t know, I spent over a decade with BioWare working on many award winning and fan-beloved games like Mass Effect 1&2, Knights of the Old Republic and the Star Wars: The Old Republic Online MMO. A few years ago I left BioWare to focus on my Chaos Born novels, but now that the trilogy is finished, I’ve decided to come back into the…
SWTOR 4.0 Class Changes: Bounty Hunter and Trooper (Video Overviews by Vulkk)
In the following 2 videos you can see and hear the details about the recent changes Bioware announced today for the Bounty Hunter and Trooper Classes in Knights of the Fallen Empire, the next Digital Expansion of SWTOR. Narrated and recorded by Vulkk. In a nutshell, players receive 1 new ability at lvl 61, reshuffle of active and passive abilities gained through leveling with no change of their effects (for now) and 3 new Utilities, 1 for each tier. Bioware’s short message and reasoning for these changes: Whether you prefer bullets, missiles, or just plain fire, Bounty Hunters and Troopers have something for you! In Game Update 4.0, we wanted to give all Powertechs/Vanguards a quick way to jump into the thick of combat or instantly catch back up to a fleeing target. To accomplish this, we made Jet Charge/Storm baseline for all Powertechs/Vanguards. Getting up in the enemy’s face isn’t something…
SWTOR 4.0 Imperial Agent and Smuggler Changes (Video Overview)
In the following 2 videos you can see and hear the details about the recent changes Bioware announced today for the Imperial Agent and Smuggler Classes in Knights of the Fallen Empire, the next Digital Expansion of SWTOR. Narrated and recorded by Vulkk. In a nutshell, players receive 1 new ability at lvl 61, reshuffle of active and passive abilities gained through leveling with no change of their effects (for now) and 3 new Utilities, 1 for each tier. Bioware’s short message and reasoning for these changes: In Game Update 4.0, we wanted to increase the mobility of these formidable combatants in order to allow them to realize their full potential on the battle field, and to make them more difficult to kite. The new Knight/Warrior ability – Blade Blitz/Mad Dash – emphasizes this design intention, and Knight/Warrior players will find that they have an easier time staying on target…
SWTOR 4.0 Knight and Warrior Changes (Video Overview by Vulkk)
Video Overview and Analysis of Knight & Warrior Changes by Vulkk Bioware finally began releasing information about class changes in the next upcoming digital expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire. It’s scheduled for the end of October. In the embedded videos below you will learn more about the changes for Patch 4.0. In the Marauder and Sentinel video there is a slight note of personal opinion. This is my main class and I am 100% familiar and proficient with it. Knowing all current abilities and the state of the class, now and stretching way back to the pre-launch times of the game, does help a bit 🙂 Enjoy and don’t forget to leave a comment with your personal opinion for your favorite advanced class and discipline.
Do You Save Your Game Boxes?
A player posted this on Imgur and got me thinking about something: Do you still have your original SWTOR case? I very clearly remember the countdown for the game. Some of you will know already that we spent years here writing about SWTOR even before the launch so it was a very exciting time to finally have the game coming out. Looking back on that game box image makes me think of those early days and the anticipation, combined with our excitement to finally be playing the game. It also brings up some thoughts about game boxes in general. The topic of SWTOR game cases/boxes reminds me of a conversation I was having with a good friend recently. We were reminiscing on how we always saved our video game boxes back in the day. I had Collector’s Editions of everything I played when it was offered and I often kept the boxes…
SWTOR and Windows 10
Most of us know that the new Windows 10 upgrade is now available and many are anxious to see what it’s like and if it has any problems. Recently, Vulkk from Vulkk.com installed Windows 10 and upgraded from Windows 8.1 Pro. Here are the steps he took and why. Step 1: The first part of the upgrade is downloading the ISO and upgrade from inside Windows. He chose to keep all of his preferences, settings, and programs he already had installed. Windows registers each PC by their ID when they either purchase a new computer or download a new version of Windows. So, if you change too much hardware the copy of Windows 10 will become obsolete and you will then lost the product key for the same PC and then you will have to install the 7/8 version again and upgrade. After he downloaded the new version, his LAN…
SWTOR Rewards for Buying Battlefront
Here we have an overview of Hoth-Inspired Rewards from the SWTOR and Battlefront Teams! If you purchase Battlefront, you can gain access to some neat rewards for SWTOR. In fact, you may have noticed these items already on the Cartel Market. Here’s an overview. “Thank you for purchasing Star Wars™: Battlefront and for being part of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic community! To celebrate the launch of Star Wars™: Battlefront, you have received the Ashfall Tauntaun and Thermal Retention Suit, available for use at Level 10. From the icy planet of Hoth to the sands of Tatooine, battle your way through the galaxy in style with this Hoth-inspired mount and suit! You can claim your in-game rewards by right clicking on the items below to accept it into your inventory.” Ashfall Tauntaun Thermal Retention Suit Thermal Retention Jacket Thermal Retention Goggles Thermal Retention Leggings Thermal Retention Gloves Thermal Retention Boots…
Improve SWTOR Performance by Installing DirectX 9
Installing the old DirectX 9 on Windows 10 may sound weird at first, but let’s see what the reason is, shall we? It will very likely help Improving a lot your SWTOR Performance and FPS. Windows 10 comes packed with the newest edition of DirectX 12. Our favorite game SWTOR is created and still used only Directx 9. In order for it to display its beauty, the system needs to emulate al the DirectX 9 effects, which may slow it down and result in a poor performance. By installing the DirectX 9 package manually, we stop that process of simulation and allow our PC to use the original files the game is designed for, thus, in theory at least, speeding the process up. This installation wont make SWTOR run smooth and flawlessly, but it will likely boost it at least a bit. I have done this since the game’s launch in 2011 on multiple…
SWTOR 3.3 Yavin 4 Stronghold Tour & Overview
In the video linked below you will have a chance to explore the full unlocked Stronghold of Yavin. It was released with SWTOR’s Patch 3.3 on July 22nd. The initial purchase is 2.5 mill credits or 2500 Cartel Coins. You can unlock 9 more rooms and areas for a total of 10. The price for all is 13 mill credits or 20 500 Cartel Coins. There are 16 hooks for a big decoration (centrepiece) and 2 starship hooks. Each room costs between ~500k and 2.5 mill credits or 2000 Cartel Coins, they also add between 25 and 50 new decorations for a total of 750. The initial unlock grants 250 decorations. To unlock this new Stronghold for your guild, you will have to pay the much higher price of 15 mill credits.
SWTOR 3.3 Togruta Overview – Appearance, Customization, Unlocks (Female & Male)
In the video linked below you can see all possible customization options for both Female and Male Togruta species, available as of 22nd July 2015 and Patch 3.3. The unlock costs 600 Cartel Coins and even subscribers will have to pay for the chance to play it.
“How I Blew 100M Credits in SWTOR”
If you’re looking for a cool way to blow a ton of credits, check out one player’s personal project: Jidiaderriphan’s Imperial Sanctuary You can see from Jidiaderriphan’s Imperial Sanctuary that there are many customizations that can take place in the game if you have the credits, dedication and willingness to invest the time to such a project. You know how we love seeing cool stuff from fans and this is one awesome stronghold! Could you do the same thing on a budget? Mostly likely so if you were looking to craft things on your own and save some credits, and if you were not in a rush to build. Either way, we think it’s awesome and if you’ve done something similar, we want to see it too! Breakdown of costs (from the creator) These are estimates of where I’m getting my costs: x50 imperial standard flags: (80k each) -4M x50 imperial…
SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire – Flashpoints and Operations in 4.0
Today Bioware released a new Blog-post on the official website. The information about upcoming changes to Flashpoints and Operations was not exactly the most welcomed one, but we can only hope it is for the best! Here is the post. If you are interested, check Vulkk’s analysis and overview of this article in the video attached at the end. Operations and Flashpoints in Fallen Empire I’m George Smith, Senior Designer in charge of Operations and Flashpoints and I am here to talk to you a little bit about what Knights of the Fallen Empire has in store for you. First, a little bit of a backstory about the current state of group content in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. As you level your character, you have the opportunity to play through quite a few Flashpoints for gear and a break from your story. As you continue to play and progress…
EA’s Fallen Empire Preview with Creative Director Jesse Sky
EA posted a snippet on the official EA site, of a preview with Creative Director on Star Wars: The old Republic Jesse Sky, on the upcoming Fallen Empire expansion coming in October. BioWare goes back to its roots for: Knights of the Fallen Empire What goes into crafting the new expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic – Knights of the Fallen Empire? Creative director Jesse Sky takes things back to the beginning. Back to basics Last year, I decided to re-watch The Empire Strikes Back® and write down everything that shocked the audience back in its original theatrical run. It’s a very long list. That film packs a real emotional punch—it’s full of twists, betrayals and revelations the entire way through. I’ve wanted to tell a Star Wars™ story like that ever since the first time I saw it. When we began conceptualizing Knights of the Fallen Empire, the story…
Star Wars the Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire Reactions
As you know, fans of SWTOR are excited for Knights of the Fallen Empire, present company included. It’s definitely time for something new and exciting to the game and we think this expansion is going to bring a lot of that. In fact, we expect it to also bring in new players as well as old players who have quit and decide to return. Of course, that is one of the purposes of a video game expansion and it’s an important part of a good game marketing strategy but that doesn’t mean it’s always effective or executed correctly. This time, we think Bioware has really put the right talent, time and attention into this expansion. Carbonite time skip, new story, new gear, new options… there is a lot to immerse yourself in with this one and people who play Bioware RPGs are most often looking for that story. They want…
STAR WARS History & Lore – THE GREAT GALACTIC WAR (Part 1)
This is a Part 1 of a 3 episodes miniseries by Vulkk, explaining everything there is to know about The Great Galactic War, one of the most significant events in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The war is seriously embedded also into Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR). For the narrations Jason or as everyone knows him Teo from OotiniCast has made yet another appearance on a Lore video by Vulkk to do the narrations. Here’s the intro in a written form. The rest you can hear and see in the video, attached in the bottom. The Great Galactic War, known as the Great War during the conflict and in the years afterward, was a war between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic between 3681 BBY and 3653 BBY, lasting for a total of 28 years. Also known as the Republic–Sith War, the conflict was ultimately the culmination of a…
SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire Announced – Trailer Overview, Analysis and Opinions
The EA’s appearance in E3 2015 lasted more than 1 hour. The special moment for Star Wars: The Old Republic was short, but intriguing enough. Without sharing any specifics or exact details, Jeff Nickman managed to light up the spark in all of us, the loyal SWTOR fans and makes us hope for a better future of our favourite game. The new web page or a sub-page reveals important information of how to get the expansion, what is needed to earn early access, what will players receive when they subscribe, bonus subscriber program with rewards and the most important – THE RELEASE DATE – 27th Octobe 2015. Early access will likely begin on 20th October 2015, a week earlier In the following 2 videos you can explore the brief announcement from E3 and hear Vulkk’s opinion on the upcoming changes to the game.
SWTOR E3 Livestream Recap and Summary
The EA livestream begins at 1PM PT (4PM ET) today, June 15th. This post will serve to recap all SWTOR coverage. First you will see a timeline of the E3 livestream and down below you will find more details of the SWTOR-related portions of this event. 4:00 PM – EA CEO Andrew Wilson takes the floor 4:05 PM – “Need for Speed” coverage 4:15 PM – Jeff Hickman, Studio General Manager, Bioware Austin, takes the floor [Expansion is announced, trailer is revealed, full recap below.] 4:20 PM – “Unravel” coverage 4:25 PM – “Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2” coverage 4:35 PM – “NHL 15” coverage 4:36 PM – “Rory McIlroy PGA Tour” coverage (first EA game using Frostbite Engine) 4:38 PM – “NBA Live 16” coverage 4:45 PM – Mobile Gaming coverage 4:48 PM – “FIFA 16″ coverage 5:00 PM – “Mirror’s Edge” Coverage 5:05 PM – “Madden NFL…
Announcing Knights of the Fallen Empire [Official] and Trailer
While news leaked out early about the new expansion, official word came today from SWTOR.com. As always, we’re here to bring you updates as we see them and we were anxiously awaiting the trailer (scroll down to see for yourself). We are happy to announce our brand new digital expansion: Knights of the Fallen Empire! Knights of the Fallen Empire marks a renewed focus on BioWare-style cinematic storytelling in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. Your character will become the Outlander, a veteran of the Great Galactic War who comes face-to-face with a new threat to the galaxy: the Emperor of the Eternal Throne. This expansion also raises the Level cap to 65, and includes the option to create a Level 60 character! This allows you to start fresh in Knights of the Fallen Empire and jump right into the new story content. We are also delivering this story content in…
SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire LEAK
For a brief time, SWTOR.com accidentally displayed a page that was not meant to be shown yet. Be warned that the information you are about to read and see might contain spoilers. For those still interested in reading, we introduce you to Knights of the Fallen Empire! “A man can have anything if he’s willing to sacrifice everything.” A new expansion is coming to SWTOR and this just might be the thing to revive the existing player base and bring old players back to the game once more. A third faction emerges and we will see some new content, new story arcs and much more. Beginning on October 27th, you will have access (free to all subscribers) to The Outlander, a vet of the Great Galactic War. You can experience a new player-driven story arc from the Bioware team. Knights of the Fallen Empire will feature Here is a screencap…
Yavin 4 Stronghold and Togruta Reveal First Look – SWTOR Dev Stream Recap
On 3rd of June the SWTOR Developer Stream showed to the gamers for the first time the new playable Species coming with Update 3.3 – Togruta. They also walked us through the new Stronghold on Yavin 4. Here are some of Vulkk’s notes. For more, check the video below. * The event was hosted by Community Manager Eric Musco and the Designer Tobby * There will be male and female Togruta. At this point the team is not ready to show Character Creation and details. * Togruta is targeted for release in Patch 3.3. Its date for now is 21st July 2015. * The new Yavin 4 Stronghold is very very big. Has decoration slots both inside and outside and many, many hooks. * The limitations related to GSH remain the same, meaning players with 4 Strongholds will have to deactivate one if they want to have Yavin 4. *…
SWTOR GUIDE – Marauder Annihilation and Sentinel Watchman (Patch 3.2.1)
Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen This is the 3rd Guide for Sith Marauder Annihilation and Jedi Sentinel Watchman Disciplines I make in a never-ending struggle to always cover the latest changes with my favourite class. We all know Patch 3.2.1 can easily be called “The Broken Marauder and Sentinel”, but in every evil and sadness, there’s goodness and positivity! In this over 35 minutes long video I have shared everything I could think of. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be added or maybe even corrected in the future if test results show better approach. I have structured it in 3 major parts: – Overview of the Changes to the Advanced Class in Game Update 3.2.1 – Gearing and Stat Priority, Skill Priorities (rotation is a bad word :P) – Personal Opinion, Analysis, Suggestions, Tips and Tricks It is the longest video guide I have ever produced. Even though some of the basics…