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….
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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…
“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 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.
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…
New SWTOR Dev Post – Upcoming Dev Livestream June 3rd
Earlier today Eric Musco announced that the BioWare developers for Star Wars: The old Republic, will be showcasing the Yavin Stronghold and Togruta on a developer livestream on Wednesday June 3. Here are the details: Upcoming Dev Livestream – June 3rd | 05.26.2015, 01:08 PM Hey folks! I want to let you all know about our next planned developer livestream which will be happening on Wednesday, June 3rd from 4-5PM CDT. You can check out the livestream on our twitch channel,here. What we will be showing over the course of our one hour stream is some of the new content we have talked about which is coming this year. First up, we will be walking you through the entirety of the new Yavin IV Stronghold! Second, we will be doing all of that as a Togruta. So tune in as we showcase the new Stronghold and playable Species coming to…
New Dev Post – Update on Win-Trading in Season 5
Eric Musco just posted on the official SWTOR forums regarding Season 5 PvP Win Trading. Apparently this practice saw a 90% decrease in win trading activity and 50% decrease in trolls. Update on Win-Trading in Season 5 | 05.21.2015, 07:22 PM Hey folks, I am here to give an update on win-trading and ranked “trolls” for Season 5. As of earlier this week we sent out another round of warnings and action against players who were participating in win-trading or being trolly in ranked play. I did want to provide some additional information besides just letting you know timing of action going out. Many of you requested that we be more up front about the action we were taking against players, and you were right in asking for that! Our aggressive action against these players along with being up front and transparent about has led to a fairly substantial change, let…
SWTOR Game Update 3.2.1 Patch Notes
Here is an early draft of the SWTOR Patch Notes for Game Update 3.2.1 scheduled to deploy next week on May 27 after maintenance. These notes are not final and are subject to change. Check it out below: Highlights Nar Shaddaa Nightlife makes a glorious return! Head to Nar Shaddaa between June 9th, 2015 at 12GMT and August 25th, 2015 at 12GMT to test your luck on Smuggler’s Luck and Kingpin’s Bounty slot machines to earn unique prizes! General Right-clicking selected Utilities before resetting them no longer displays an incorrect number of available Utility Points. Dye Module Tooltips for the Outfit Designer now appear properly in German clients. The typo in the Season 4 Top 96 titles has been corrected. Emergency Fleet Pass and Quick Travel cooldowns for Preferred players now match the Subscriber cooldowns as intended. Modifying a Dye in an Outfit Slot now clears the slot’s Color Unification setting….
SWTOR Basics – Gearing for Leveling, Basic Comms Usage, Fleet Vendors
SWTOR Basics guide for newer players. How to use the Basic Commendatinos, Gearing tips for leveling, Fleet Vendors location and contents, 12x vs Normal Leveling plus many more Tips and Tricks to help and guide you through your journey. Since this is a “Basics” video most of the things you will see and hear may be familiar to the veteran players. However, if you have a few minutes, stay around, watch and listen. You may discover a fact or trick you didn’t know or perhaps add to the information I shared. Some of the bullet-points covered in the video are: ♦ Location of the Basic Comms vendors on both fleets ♦ Vendor names and changes in Patch 3.2 ♦ How to best use basic comms for gearing with and without 12x ♦ Difference between orange shells and normal gear. How and what to use ♦ Crafted gear vs vewndor mods ♦…
SWTOR Ziost Ending and the 2 New Boss Encounters
Today after a little bit of a delay Bioware launched the 12x Epic XP Boost. A bit earlier the remaining Story content on Ziost became available for players to explore and complere. Players now have access to: ♦ A couple of new Cinematic Cutscenes showing the end of the Patch 3.2 Ziost Story Arc and a daily area on the new planet with a few quests; ♦ New World Boss called Worldbreaker Monolith; ♦ New Operation Boss called Colossal Monolith with Story and Hard Modes available for both 8 and 16 players. In the videos below you will see the updates through the eyes of Vulkk (Sentinel, Republic Light Side). Ziost Republic Story ENDING Apocalypse on Ziost. The Emperor Vitiate is determined to eraze every creature or plant standing on his way. This epic conclusion of the Ziost Story Arc builds up the tension and prepares us for the greatest…
SWTOR 12X Event 2015 – How to Best Use It (Tips and Suggestions)
On May 4th 2015 the 12x Class Mission Experience Boost is returning to SWTOR. To fully and best benefit from it, you need to know a few simple and not so basic things. How to gear up your character – at which level to visit the vendors for upgrades, which classes fair better if you want a speed leveling or rather slow and careful playthrough. Who is best suited. How much is this event beneficial for new players and what are the possibilities of it being helpful or harmful to the personal experience with the game. Having gone through the first 12x XP Class Boost event in late 2014 helps a lot to prepare for the upcoming Summer Leveling Madness. Watch and hear what Vulkk has to share. Hopefully, you will find the ideas, suggestions and tips useful. If you have something more to add, don’t hesitate to leave a…
SWTOR Celebration Cantina Live Stream Recap and Overview (Star Wars Celebration 2015)
This Saturday a special Panel aired live for ~52 minutes on Twitch. Bioware live streamed the SWTOR Community Cantina event from Celebration Anaheim 2015.The video linked below is Vulkk’s recap of the SWTOR Community Cantina Event from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2015. Did Bioware drop the ball with lack of new information or we got the awesome news we were dreaming for? Alongside the event notes, you will hear also his personal opinion and overview of the event.