BioWare announced an unscheduled maintenance on the official forums today. Community News posted: We will be performing an unscheduled maintenance this Thursday, July 26th, 2012. After the maintenance, there will not be a new patch to download. The servers and SWTOR.com will be down for four hours on Thursday, July 26th, 2012 from 2AM CDT (12AM PDT/3AM EDT/8AM BST/9AM CEST/5PM AEST) until 6AM CDT (4AM PDT/7AM EDT/12PM BST/1PM CEST/9PM AEST). All game servers will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than four hours, but could be extended.
SWTOR
Alloy Inc Pursuing Copyright on SWTOR Videos
A company by the name of Alloy Inc is claiming copyright on SWTOR videos, particularly those shared on YouTube and as such, creating a stir in the SWTOR community. Several users have posted in the forums and on Reddit about these claims of copyright ownership and there was no official word from EA/BioWare on the matter. This leads to speculation and even more speculation which has some players believing it’s all a scam and others who think the company is trying to shut down user videos of SWTOR. Why would EA do this when the players are promoting the game for them (and for free)? Well again, it leads to loads of questions but we also have to remember that if Alloy Inc is under legal contract from EA to handle marketing for sites like YouTube, then they may have reason to claim copyright on the videos since they can…
Anonymous BioWare Employee Rumor- Are Fans to Blame?
By now, you’ve probably heard about the anonymous BioWare employee rumor circulating the Internet yesterday. We saw it but I wanted to dig up some more information before bringing it to you. As a journalist, I’m not one for spreading rumors with no basis to the source. This article on Bettor.com claimed that an anonymous BioWare employee blamed the fans for the current state of SWTOR. The author, Gordon Miles says: A Bioware Austin employee has lashed out at fans regarding the state of the recently launched massively multiplayer online (MMO) Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) according to GamerTechTv. SWTOR or ‘Tortanic’ is being called one of the biggest blunders of this generation as Electronic Arts (EA) has thrown away over $500 million of development and marketing funds for the project and will now have to make it free to play because of the rapidly decreasing player count. The…
Leveling Guide 1 through 400 for Armormech
The patterns in this leveling guide for Armormech crafts are only available from an Armormech Trainer. After you complete a step, train for the next level by visiting the Armormech Crew Skill Trainer. The Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, Imperial Agent and the Trooper are the classes that can use Armormech crafts armor. The primary gathering skill used in Armormech is Scavenging using Compunds and Scavenged Metals. The secondary mission skills needed are Underworld Trading and Underworld Investigation and they allow players to collect items needed to make blue and purple gear. When choosing the secondary mission skill you’ll need to use, you have to take into consideration the class that will be using the armor you craft. Underworld Investigation is used for armor for the Imperial Agent and the Smuggler. Underworld Trading is used to make armor for the Bounty Hunter and the Trooper. Reverse engineering is an option you can…
Build of Master Satele Shan’s Lightsaber
How would you like to own Master Satele Shan’s lightsaber? To me that sounds like just about the coolest thing on the planet! I’m not the only one who thinks so because this guy made one for his wife. That kind of sets a new precedent for husband-to-wife gifts, don’t ya think? It wasn’t an easy task but boy is it awesome! If you’re not familiar with Sloth Furnace, he creates some amazing pieces of functional art/props. These lightsabers don’t just look pretty- they are exact replicas and they work with lights and sounds. On average, he says it takes him 6 months from conception to completion on one of these. He details the entire process in photo with captions of how he created this fantastic lightsaber, down to each and every detail. It’s pretty fantastic. It’s all from the minds and the hands of Bradley W. Lewis, video game developer…
SWTOR Scapper Smuggler PvP Guide- Understanding Stealth
If you’ve played a stealth character in other MMOs, expect things to be a little different in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The main difference is in the way you engage your target and in the stealth detection. At first, it may seem a little awkward and harder but once you understand the concept, you’ll probably enjoy the gameplay even more, especially if you like a real challenge. Engaging Your Target The way you engage your target is much different from what you’re probably used to. When you engage a single target and they die, you can restealth immediately as long as you have not attacked another target and no one else has attacked you. In this scenario, you’re considered “out of combat” when you send out the deadly blow. However, if you engage someone else or if anyone else engages you before the cool down period is up, you’re…
SWTOR Community Management Team Hit with Layoffs
I brought you the story of layoffs at BioWare Austin yesterday. This was the second set of layoffs for the company this year and it seemed to come as a big shock, even to those affected. What would you do if you showed up for work one day like usual and were told to pack it up and go home? In this economy, there are probably many readers who can relate. Layoffs were first confirmed by developer Ben Marshall, who wrote the following in a status update on Twitter (the update has since been deleted): “Anyone know of a web developer position open in the Austin, TX area? Second round of layoffs at BioWare Austin and my name was on the list…” We also told you just recently about Georg Zoeller’s departure from the company. BioWare has yet to a announce replacement for Vogel as executive producer. Also announced today: EA to…
New Layoffs at BioWare and Rich Vogel is Gone, Too
It seems there has now been another big rash of layoffs at BioWare Austin, which truly saddens me. These are members of our community here in Austin and hard working people just like those of us who enjoy playing the games that they help to create. A big portion of the community team was laid off: https://twitter.com/VivoEstSomnio https://twitter.com/PhoenixRed https://twitter.com/MarkDouville https://twitter.com/JustinJKruger https://twitter.com/PariahLoki https://twitter.com/_Chanell_ https://twitter.com/Dalmarus One Redditor who goes by the name ‘pandas_mom’ says her family is being affected by these layoffs: My husband was one of the ones that got laid off today. Bioware moved us in April with our 3 kids from DC, we put every penny we had down on a fixer upper house, and now this. I am scheduled for 3 major surgeries on Friday, my husband just had a slew of MRI/MRA tests Friday to look for a suspected brain tumor, and our middle son who has…
HK-51 Revealed!
SWTOR/BioWare had some exciting news to reveal today. In this update at SWTOR.com, they tell us about HK-51. Buried deep beneath the icy surface of Belsavis rests an army of the deadliest, most feared machines in the known galaxy. Thought to have been lost when an Imperial freighter was destroyed, they have recently been rediscovered by a group of renegade Sith Lords. Now both the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic seek to control these dangerous weapons for themselves. Those who are brave enough to venture into the wreckage will emerge with a powerful new ally. We are excited to unveil the dangerous assassination droid HK-51! Cold, calculating, and ruthlessly efficient, HK-51 will stand by your side and loyally follow your command as you and your allies continue your journey. Journalists were given a brief preview of HK-51 at E3, but now we are happy to be able to show everyone…
A Balance Sage SWTOR PvP Guide
What the balance Sage lacks in glamour and color, it makes up for by being one of the deadliest DPS on the field when played correctly. The developers describe the Sage as a perfectly balanced class because you can contribute to the gameplay in a positive way no matter what type of situation you end up facing. This awesome class is hard to catch or kill and it’s very fun to play. PvP Balance Sage Playstyle As a balance sage, you’ll need to use a combination of techniques when in a PVP setting in order to come out on top. This includes using snares and other forms of crowd control (CC) while kiting until your enemy stops in their tracks, which is when you’ll want to start nuking them. If your sage is being used as a healer, you should also use these techniques to help keep your opponents at bay…
SWTOR Course of the Force Machinima Made by Bioware
Remember when we told you about Course of the Force the other day? “Course of the Force concludes at The Balboa Theatre in San Diego as Chris Hardwick, Ashley Eckstein, Alison Haislip and Alex Albrecht live stream the lightsaber making its way to it’s final resting spot.” BioWare has a great fun lightsaber relay race where they have taken characters in the game of SWTOR and programmed them to run the relay. We see Satele Shan a shifty Smuggler, Darth Malgus and more. But that’s not all… the video also checks in with Matt and Johan from the Nerdist podcast. Ever wonder what they’d be up to in game Then Alison Haislip and Alex Albrecht talk about the Jawa Pleasurebarge, the King of Fast, and more. And of course, there is a highlight reel for those of you who were not there who want to catch up on everything that happened at Course…
Reminder: Lapsed Players have until July 17th to Check out the Game for Free!
Did you quit SWTOR but now you want to check it out again? Have friends playing and talking about the new stuff but you let your account lapse? All you have to do is log in through the launcher! Now you have some time to check out the game for free and see if it’s worth getting your subscription going again. This post on SWTOR Facebook explains: “Haven’t checked out SWTOR since Game Update 1.3? With Group Finder, Ranked Warzones, and higher population servers, the gameplay experience has never been better! Returning players can check out the game for free up to July 17th (provided that you left on or before June 20th). Just start up the SWTOR launcher and log in now! For more information, check out this handy Help Support page. What are you waiting for? Try it for free! Be sure to share this status and spread…
Synthweaving Leveling Guide 1 through 400
The patterns in this leveling guide for Synthweaving are obtainable from a Synthweaving Trainer only. After you complete a step, train for the next level by visiting the Synthweaving Crew Skill Trainer. The Sith Inquisitor, Sith Warrior, Jedi Consular and Jedi Knight are the classes that can use Synthweaving crafts gear. The primary gathering skill used in Synthweaving is Archaeology using artifact fragments and power crystals. The secondary mission skill needed is Underworld Trading with underworld metals and luxury fabrics. As of now, there are no specific level requirements needed before you can learn and level the patterns to the maximum. The requirements that you’ll find here are the ones needed to use the gear that you craft. Reverse engineering is an option you can use on anything you make. It will allow you to use about 20% fewer materials for this craft than what you’ll find listed in this…
SWTOR: True Server Merge Coming Later this Summer?
While they are still not saying “merge”, it seems a true merge is incoming later this summer. Many people are talking about a server merge on a greater scale and while BioWare is not actually using that terminology, it does seem like this might be what’s happening coming soon. And will it be such a bad thing? Seems like all the players I have talked to say if it makes the game better and gives them more people to play with, they’re ok with whatever BioWare needs to do. In a blog on the official servers, BioWare explains more about the Free Character Transfer Service, server populations and what that means to you and me: Hi everyone, We want to thank all players that have participated in our Free Character Transfer Service. With strong destination server populations, we hope that you’re enjoying the improved gameplay experience and are excited about…
SWTOR: New mount reveal and continuous free trial
As we told you yesterday, BioWare made some big announcements yesterday. Announcements to show that they are serious about bringing new subscribers to the game and also keeping current SWTOR players happy. The first of the great news is that their Free Trial program no longer has a time limit. It will be a continuous free trial so you can download and play up to level 15 for free for as long as you want. You can play all of the game’s eight classes up to level 15 for free to see what you think of them. This is similar to the perpetual free trials other MMOs offer. Also like other games, there are some restrictions on these free accounts: access to the Galactic Market ability to use in-game chat can’t send and receive mail from players However, they will receive in-game mail such as the messages and rewards sent by…
Pachter: “Subscription MMOs have peaked. If Star Wars couldn’t do it, no-one can do it.”
Industry analyst Michael Pachter says that MMOs have peaked. He says that if Star Wars couldn’t make it happen, no one can. It’s an interesting theory from one of the biggest experts in the field but is it true? PC Games explains more: “”I thought Star Wars: The Old Republic would make it big, but it didn’t. It looks like subscription MMOs are as big as they’re going to get – there are only 6-7 million people willing to spend $15 a month. If Star Wars couldn’t do it, made by Bioware, then no one can do it.”” He continues to explain the reasons he believes EA’s stock is dropping. Supposedly, he candidly tells John Riccitiello why no one is buying their stock. I told him: ‘the reason your stock is in the toilet is because you’re in the fifth year of a three year turn around’ says Pachter. He…
James Ohlen Interview about fans, free to play and more
In a fascinating 2,500 word interview, James Ohlen tells Games Industry all about SWTOR fans, the subscriptions and free to play to level 15. We’ve seen interviews with James before but this one is really a lot of fun. It comes across like two pals chatting and you’re really learn a lot more about James and SWTOR from this interview. Here is a snippet from the very thorough interview: Q: You’ve worked on so many epic, single-player games for Bioware where you’ve had almost free reign to produce entire worlds – switching to an MMO in one of the best known universes out there must have been a huge change, and a huge challenge. James Ohlen: Well the great thing is that I had experience of working in the Star Wars universe before, when I worked on the Old Republic. So I’ve had worked in the Old Republic era too. I…
SWTOR on Sale until the 10th- Great Time to Join!
If you’ve been thinking about finally joining SWTOR or maybe you want a second account or an account for a friend or family member, then there is no better time than now. There are great new additions to the game, free to play up to level 15, server transfers to increase server population and so much more. And now, for a limited time only, you don’t even have to pay full price for your copy. SWTOR on Gamestop on Sale If anyone was thinking about jumping in, Star Wars: The Old Republic is $19.99 at GameStop until the 10th. SWTOR on Amazon on Sale And if you prefer to make your purchases from Amazon, it’s also $19.99 on Amazon currently but it doesn’t say how long it will stay at that price so buy it now while you can. Remember Free to play up to level 15 starting the 10th of…
1.3 Augments: How to Add Augment Slots to Gear
It’s a common question going around now because everyone wants to do it but it’s not as easy or as obvious as you might think at first. How to add augment slots to gear? Once you figure it out, you’ll say “duh!” but let’s do a quick little overview of the process. What gear slots can be augmented? All of them! How do you do it? Well, you know Dulfy has a guide for that! Here Dulfy gave us the overview (from PTR): Hey everyone, I am sure you all know by now that there is a new way to add augment slots to gear in 1.3. I am going to walk you through the process currently on PTS right now so you will be well prepared once 1.3 lands on the live servers. What is happening to my current augmented gear? Your current augment slots on existing gear will…
Reddit, SWTOR and an Autistic Student Who Needed Help
With some students, it takes a teacher willing to go the extra mile to really reach them and help them. In a truly heart-warming story, we see just how far one teacher would go to try to connect with a new student. When Lyobel got news of a new student with little time to prepare, we see how an entire Internet community came together to help via a video game and Reddit. BioWare, first to respond to the post, also sent some signed posters to the teacher and student. What a wonderful memory they will always have together! This post on Reddit gives the full story: Hoi! Some of you might remember me, if that is the case I congratulate you on excellent short-term memory! I am, for those who don´t, a special education teacher, who got a new student dumped on me without much time to prepare. What I…
Can You Level as a Pair in SWTOR?
For many years now, my husband and I have played games together as a couple. Many games are designed to be played this way but even those that are not, we find a way to enjoy the experience together. In SWTOR, we leveled several characters as a team and in some ways, it was more difficult than in other games. It seems many aspects of SWTOR are designed for solo RPG-like play. However, there are many great ways to enjoy leveling as a pair in SWTOR. If you have a spouse, partner or friend you want to play with, you can begin from level 1 and go to 50 together. Here’s a mini-guide on how to do it. First, consider your class pairings. Some will work better than others because you start on the same planet or because your skills pair up well. For some your companion skills will work…
SWTOR Scheduled Maintenance June 19th
Reminder: Tuesday scheduled maintenance is coming so here’s your chance to get some play time in before the servers go down. Scheduled time is only 4 hours and most of us will be sleeping during this period anyway. Last week’s update brought us server transfers and this update will bring us one step closer to 1.3. Learn more about what’s coming with game update 1.3. What do you do during maintenance? From the SWTOR Community News team: Hello everyone, we wanted to let you know that we will be performing scheduled maintenance for four hours on Tuesday, June 19th , 2012 from 2AM CDT (12AM PDT/3AM EDT/8 AM BST/9AM CEST/5PM AEST) until 6AM CDT (4AM PDT/7AM EDT/12PM BST/1PM CEST/9PM AEST). All game servers and SWTOR.com will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than four hours, but could be extended. This weekly maintenance is…
EA plan on being in the SWTOR business “for a long time”
With all the talk about server merges and the possibility of a free to play format in the future, some are getting the impression that SWTOR is a sinking ship but there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Honestly, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense for a company like EA to put that much work and effort into a game like this and then just scrap it when things don’t seem to be going as well as they would like. My guess is that they will continue changing, adding and reworking things to keep the interest in SWTOR alive. No game ever sees a perfect launch and while some are more rocky than others, SWTOR wasn’t that bad at all. In fact, it was met with a successful launch but the problem came in when players loved the game so much they seemed to blow right through…
How Awesome Would it be if SWTOR Goes F2P?
There have been rumors about it from the start and some experts even predicted that SWTOR might be the last pay-to-play MMORPG. Now that they are offering a free 15 levels of play and have hinted at the possibility of microtransactions, there is a new rumor on the scene- will SWTOR go free to play? Thanks to a story from UK magazine GamesTM, the rumor mill is abuzz again. In the article, BioWare’s associate lead designer, Emmanuel Lusinchi said: “The MMO market is very dynamic and we need to be dynamic as well,” he says. “Unless people are happy with what they have, they are constantly demanding updates, new modes and situations. So we are looking at free-to-play but I can’t tell you in much detail. We have to be flexible and adapt to what is going on.” So this has players wondering if they are going to switch to…