Apparently some guilds in SWTOR use something called squelch abuse. The squelch system works as an anti-spamming system, that automatically revokes all chat/mail privileges for a player if someone were to send out the same message repetitively – Think credit sellers etc. This system has also been expanded to reporting spam, and apparently people are coordinating to abuse the system to report non-spammers of spamming to trigger the system to grief players they don’t like. Eric Musco went on the forums to post Bioware’s stance on it: Sucks to be Squelched | 03.21.2016, 12:59 PM Hey folks, Let’s talk a little bit about our squelch system that is in the game. This system was implemented quite some time ago as a method for players to not only avoid filling up their /ignore list, but to also help in getting a lot of those pesky Credit Sellers out of chat. This has been very…
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SWTOR: Server Downtime: 22 March 2016
All servers will be unavailable on Tuesday, March 22nd while BioWare perform back end maintenance. DATE: March 22nd, 2016 TIME: 5AM PDT – 9AM PDT (12:00 – 16:00 GMT) VERSION: N/A DOWNLOAD: N/A Timezone(s) Start Time End Time UTC Offset Wellington March 23, 2016 01:00 am March 23, 2016 05:00 am +13:00 Australia/Sydney March 22, 2016 11:00 pm March 23, 2016 03:00 am +11:00 Australia/Adelaide March 22, 2016 10:30 pm March 23, 2016 02:30 am +10:30 Australia/Brisbane March 22, 2016 10:00 pm March 23, 2016 02:00 am +10:00 Tokyo March 22, 2016 09:00 pm March 23, 2016 01:00 am +09:00 Australia/Perth, Hong Kong March 22, 2016 08:00 pm March 23, 2016 12:00 am +08:00 Mumbai March 22, 2016 05:30 pm March 22, 2016 09:30 pm +05:30 Moscow March 22, 2016 03:00 pm March 22, 2016 07:00 pm +03:00 EET March 22, 2016 02:00 pm March 22, 2016 06:00 pm +02:00 CET…
Changes to the SWTOR Cartel Market — Tuesday March 15 2016
Here are the weekly cartel market items on sale for the week of March 15 – March 21 2016 . Price Change Old Price New Price Percent Change Normal Price Helpful links APPEARANCE OPTION: AFRO 25 100 +300% 100 EMOTE: CHILLY 50 200 +300% 200 X-3 TECHMASTER ARMOR SET 600 1200 +100% 1200 EMOTE: FREEZING 50 200 +300% 200 UNLOCK: CARGO HOLD ACCESS 200 475 +137% 475 STRONGHOLD SPACER’S DECORATION BUNDLE 1280 800 –38% 1280 ORLEAN LE-5 1500 750 –50% SITH RAIDER ARMOR SET 1200 600 –50% 1200 MAJOR WARZONE XP BOOST BUNDLE 180 45 –75% 180 APPEARANCE OPTION: DREADLOCKS 100 25 –75% 100
SWTOR Mod in Progress for Empire at War 2
Do you play Empire at War? If you’re a Star Wars fan, then here is some news you might really enjoy. This is a mod for Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, based on the Star Wars the Old Republic era and online game. Birb & Bean and its founders, Barcuda13 and elfenvy, are hard at work and hope to bring a new look to the Old Republic and the Forces of Corruption modding community with this project. It’s called The Old Republic: Ultimate War and it sounds pretty cool. You can learn more about it here. Here are some basic updates/info: RELEASE DATE: The mod is planned to be released sometime in late 2016. Already released is the Space Alpha, which is a small preview of the mod. It has a few Space skirmish maps and some units we have coded in already. We plan to update…
The Academy, Ep 5 -“How Do Companions Work?”
Another episode of The Academy is out and this time we get to learn about companions. I’ve told you before how much I love these videos. They are actually recorded from a podcast and then set to video which is why especially in the first few, you also hear another voice talking with her or saying “mhmm” now and then. But anyway, they are really great, useful videos for anyone new to the game. If you have a friend or family member you’ve been trying to get into the game, or someone you know who has just started to play SWTOR, you definitely want to turn them on to these videos. So here in Episode 5, Swtorista talks about one of the most unique features of SWTOR – the companion system. Companions can do a lot for you in SWTOR but if you’re new to the game, you might have…
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…
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 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…
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: 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…
SWTOR Season 6 PvP Statistics
Are you curious about how SWTOR PvP went along in Season 6? You know how we love bringing you player-based graphics, videos and other goodies? Well, here’s a good infographic that gives us a ton of interesting stats about Season 6. You can see the best solo PvP classes, some notable players like Sirox and Fitvelkiz, the best NA and EU servers and a graph of their ratings, and the links to more figures. It’s fairly simple and I would love to see even more data in there but overall, it’s a pretty decent chart. I love data so I’m all about seeing more but as I said, it’s still pretty interesting. If you want the actual figures, you can find them here. It contains much more data about class-specifics in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This spreadsheet really got my interest even more than the infographic because I just…
Star Wars: The Old Republic Deserves a Second Chance
We are not the only ones who think SWTOR deserves a second chance from those who gave up on the game early on. While launch was a bit rocky, it’s come a long way since then and the “hate” online seems to have died down some in recent months. Still, from time to time you’ll see comments from people bashing on SWTOR who have not even given it a legitimate chance recently. I get it, first impressions are incredibly important. First impressions can really make or break a game sometimes. I’ve been there myself (many times). But SWTOR is truly a game that deserves a second chance if it’s been some time since you last tried it (or if you know someone who quit and you think they might like it now). This opinion piece from Philip Kollar at Polygon expresses it all quite well. Philip was a WoW nut like me,…