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Star Wars: The Old Republic - All News

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Saturday - January 27, 2024

SW:TOR - Looking back

by Hiddenx, 11:00

SWTOR Strategies looks back at Star Wars: The Old Republic:

Decade of SWTOR: Celebrating the Epic Journey of Star Wars: The Old Republic

Step into a universe where the echoes of epic space battles mingle with the whispers of ancient Jedi and Sith lore. This is the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR), a realm that has captivated gamers for a decade with its rich storytelling and dynamic gameplay. As we celebrate the ten-year anniversary of this iconic game, let’s embark on a journey through time and space, exploring the evolution, impact, and enduring legacy of SWTOR.

In this article, we’ll navigate through several key aspects:

  • The Launch into a New Era: Reflecting on SWTOR’s grand debut and its initial impact on the gaming community.
  • Expansive Galaxies: How major updates and expansions have continually reshaped SWTOR’s universe, keeping it fresh and engaging.
  • The Heart of the Galaxy: The role of the passionate SWTOR community in shaping the game’s journey and its unique culture.
  • Adaptation and Survival: Examining how SWTOR has kept pace with the rapidly changing landscape of online gaming through innovation and adaptation.
  • Peering into the Future: Speculating on what lies ahead for SWTOR, including potential new stories, technological advancements, and evolving gameplay.
  • A Legacy Beyond Gaming: Understanding SWTOR’s place in the larger Star Wars narrative and its impact on pop culture.

As we delve into these topics, we will uncover not just the story of a game, but the saga of a community, the evolution of an online world, and the enduring magic of the Star Wars universe in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

Sunday - November 05, 2023

SW:TOR - A Decade later...

by Hiddenx, 07:24

SWTOR Strategies looks at the current state of Star Wars: The Old Republic:

Star Wars: The Old Republic – A Decade Later, How Do Its Visuals Hold Up?

It’s been over a decade since the release of “Star Wars: The Old Republic” (SWTOR), a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that transported players to a galaxy far, far away. With its expansive universe, intricate storylines, and memorable characters, SWTOR quickly became a staple in the gaming community. But as with all games, especially those in the MMO genre, the question arises: How well have its visuals aged over the years?

A Trip Down Memory Lane
When SWTOR first launched, it was lauded for its cinematic storytelling, voice acting, and immersive environments. The game’s graphics, while not cutting-edge even for its time, were competent and served the narrative-driven gameplay well. The character models, animations, and world design were detailed enough to immerse players in the vast Star Wars universe.

Comparing to Modern Standards
Fast forward to today, and the gaming landscape has seen a significant evolution in terms of graphics and visual fidelity. Modern titles boast near-photorealistic graphics, intricate details, and dynamic lighting that can make older games like SWTOR seem dated in comparison.

However, it’s essential to consider the context. SWTOR was never about pushing the boundaries of visual technology. Instead, it focused on delivering a rich, story-driven experience set in the beloved Star Wars universe. And in that regard, it succeeded immensely.

[...]

Thanks Couchpotato!

Sunday - March 06, 2022

SW:TOR - Legacy Of The Sith Review @ Screenrant

by Hiddenx, 07:56

Screenrant checked out the SWTOR expansion Legacy Of The Sith:

SWTOR Legacy Of The Sith Review: An Expansion (And Galaxy) Divided

Star Wars: The Old Republic released Legacy of the Sith to mark the game's tenth anniversary, but its short story and UI changes are unsatisfying.

Star Wars: The Old Republic, developed by BioWare and published by EA, recently released its tenth-anniversary expansion: Legacy of the Sith. Despite consistent advertisement from BioWare, the latest addition to the Star Wars MMORPG is unimpressive and sabotages some of the game’s greatest strengths. The final product also suffers from lingering bugs and glitches that hamper overall enjoyment and undermine its narrative potential for both Republic and Imperial players.

[...]

Unfortunately, BioWare has some work to do to bring Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy of the Sith expansion to the same quality level as previous expansions. The product’s delay failed to address many glitches and bugs, and developers appeared to ignore community feedback throughout PTS servers and beta testing. As a result, the story’s short length is underwhelming for an expansion celebrating the game’s tenth anniversary, but hopefully future updates will fix existing bugs as time goes on. Players who enjoy SWTOR’s core gameplay and stories may be satisfied with Legacy of the Sith but shouldn’t expect to receive as much content for their money as previous expansions offered.

Wednesday - February 16, 2022

SW:TOR - Legacy of the Sith is Live

by Redglyph, 12:18

BioWare announced that the Legacy of the Sith expansion was now available. Please follow the link for further details on the content.

The ‘Legacy of the Sith’ expansion is live!

The new Star Wars: The Old RepublicTM – Legacy of the Sith expansion brings you to uncharted parts of the galaxy while pursuing Darth Malgus.

Explore two new planets, a new Flashpoint, earn new rewards during the new Galactic Season, and more!

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[...]

Monday - November 22, 2021

SW:TOR - Legacy of the Sith Preview and Q&A

by Redglyph, 16:57

Wccf Tech shares more information about the next expansion.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – Legacy of the Sith Preview and Q&A

It's been ten years since Star Wars: The Old Republic launched. That's impressive, in all reality, especially when you consider the fact that Bioware and EA didn't even want to keep Bob Dylan alive for more than ten minutes. In the buildup to this anniversary and the upcoming Legacy of the Sith expansion, I was able to get a sneak peek of the Livestream shown to everybody. I heard a little more from the developers and was part of a Q&A involving myself and others.

Before that, let's have a quick look at the 10-year celebration montage because this is where I'd generally put an image, but I want something flashier this time.

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[...]

 

Saturday - November 06, 2021

SW:TOR - The Next Expansion

by Redglyph, 19:19

Polygon discusses Legacy of the Sith, the next expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The next Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion builds on a decade of tough choices

The next expansion is a doozy

Sometimes, a role-playing game hits the player with a choice that is legitimately tough. It can be a moral quandary, or a question of what to sacrifice. Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMO with a strong focus on narrative content, and so the game has many tough choices designed to make the protagonist sweat. While the galaxy’s politics can change over time, and new enemies appear or are vanquished, the core of the game remains making those tough choices.

The Old Republic developer BioWare Austin has been faithfully updating the game since it was first released in 2011. The next expansion, Legacy of the Sith, introduces new endgame content in which players chase down a rogue Sith Lord to the watery planet of Manaan. The expansion also includes lots of important changes in the early game. For example, new character creator options allow players to mix and match between their abilities, weapons, and stories they experience, instead of funneling down one of eight roads with stricter guardrails.

“We’re continuing a storyline that kicked off with our last expansion, and even before that with a plot,” said Charles Boyd, creative director on Star Wars: The Old Republic, in a call with Polygon. “There’s a lot going on with [Darth] Malgus, and he’s going rogue a bit. There’s also a storyline where there’s a civil war brewing among the Mandalorians.”

[...]

Legacy of the Sith is currently set to be released before the end of 2021. It will also kick off The Old Republic’s 10th anniversary event, which runs throughout 2022.

Sunday - January 22, 2017

SW:TOR - Review @ PC-MAG

by Hiddenx, 08:48

PC-MAG has given Star Wars: The Old Republic an Editor's Choice Award:

Star Wars: The Old Republic (for PC)

Star Wars: The Old Republic is Bioware's latest entry in its ongoing PC game series. For the uninitiated, The Old Republic is a small part of the Star Wars extended canon that takes place thousands of years prior to the events of A New Hope. Everything in SWTOR feels very different when compared to the established Star Wars universe, but it retains an air of the familiar. This gives Bioware the freedom to craft an exciting new story, such as the recently released Knights of the Eternal Throne expansion, set within the established Star Wars universe. This liberty, combined with Bioware's wonderfully dynamic dialogue system, thrilling combat, and extremely generous free-to-play model, has produced a truly epic game that shines as one of the genre's defining titles. SWTOR is nothing less than a MMO achievement, and a fantastic continuation of the Old Republic legacy that Bioware first established in 2003.

[...]

The Circle Is Now Complete

Bioware has truly outdone itself with what has quickly become my favorite MMO to date. Star Wars: The Old Republic will seem familiar for genre fans, but its refinements of established concepts make for some of the best original content bearing the Star Wars license in a long time. The universe's substance and style, along with elements built around a fantastic, narrative based progression system, greatly ease the anxiety of those who would otherwise be intimidated by the genre. Whether playing alone or with friends, Star Wars: The Old Republic has content substantial enough not only to pique your interest, but to keep you invested long past your trial subscription.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a game that has grown substantially since its inception. Bioware has blessed the game with a remarkable amount of post-release content, and has nurtured it into a MMO that others aspire to be. To pay proper homage to a legacy as grand as Star Wars is not a feat to be taken lightly, so this makes Star Wars: The Old Republic an experience not to be missed—and an Editors' Choice award-winning video game.

Pros

Amazing story-driven gameplay. Flexible character classes. A generous free-to-play model. Fast-paced, rewarding combat. Exciting, new content built around the Star Wars canon.

Cons

Iterative of existing MMORPG concepts. Microtransactions restrict access basic level content, even for subscribers.

Bottom Line

Fans of Star Wars and MMORPGs alike will find a tremendous amount of enjoyable content in The Old Republic. It's an immersive world that boasts a satisfying narrative, exceptional combat, and rich character building. The Old Republic is the MMO standard.

Monday - May 16, 2016

SW:TOR - The Bioware Story- Video

by Corwin, 02:03

Don't know how we missed this one, but many of you should find this extremely interesting.

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Thursday - May 12, 2016

SW:TOR - Lead Designer Interview

by Hiddenx, 21:41

Alrik spotted this Venturebeat interview with Charles Boyd - Star Wars: The Old Republic’s lead designer:

Star Wars: The Old Republic’s lead designer: Players want to do more in less time

[...]

GamesBeat: How is the MMO space different today than when TOR launched?

Charles Boyd: Great question!  We are seeing a couple of interesting trends in the industry. Players want to do more in less time, advance at their own pace, and plan ahead — players today are leading busy lives, and they want to maximize the opportunity to have fun and get rewarded every time they play.

This was a big factor in our move to an episodic storyline as it allows players to experience the story the way they want to and with maximum flexibility. Players are even more savvy now, and they want to know that there is a next chapter coming and appointment set for when — so we actually started announcing our “next” chapter the week after the current chapter releases to meet that goal.

[...]

Sunday - April 19, 2015

SW:TOR - How BioWare Built Enough Content

by Couchpotato, 05:25

Gamasutra is hosting an old GDC 2011 video where ex-BioWare Designer George Zoeller talks about how the developer made enough content to fill The Old Republic.

Designing and operating a massively multiplayer online game is a Herculean effort in itself -- but how do you rapidly pack it with enough stuff to do that your players don't get bored?

In a talk recorded at GDC Online 2011, now-departed BioWare designer George Zoeller uses Star Wars: The Old Republic to explain how spatial analysis can be used to support a rapid content iteration process during the late stages of MMO development.

He reveals how BioWare's homegrown 'HoloProjector' spatial visualization toolkit is used in day to day development to surface user behavior metrics to The Old Republic's developers for decision making and content validation, then discusses lessons learned by the team and provides information on how to get started with the topic on your own game.

Friday - February 20, 2015

SW:TOR - Choose Your Path Trailer

by Couchpotato, 04:05

BioWare Austin released a new trailer for SW:TOR called, "Choose Your Path."

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Watch the new Choose Your Path gameplay trailer and be the legendary hero or epic villain in your own Star Wars adventure in Star Wars: The Old Republic!

Wednesday - February 11, 2015

SW:TOR - Producer’s Road Map 2015

by Couchpotato, 04:18

Bruce Maclean the Senior Producer of BioWare Austin posted the Roadmap for 2015.

For many, the start of the year is a time for setting goals and planning for the future. This is something we have been focused on here at BioWare Austin. 2014 was an amazing year for the team. We delivered two expansions, an overhaul to the class system, and regular story updates through Flashpoints. I’m proud of what the team has accomplished, and we would not have been able to do it without your support – thank you. I’m excited for what we have in store for you in 2015.

Some of you might remember before launch, we talked a lot about the “four pillars” of RPGs – combat, exploration, progression and story. Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is an MMO, but it’s also a BioWare game. Three years ago, we set out to deliver a product that contained the best of two worlds – the immersive story experience from a single-player RPG and the vast array of systems and social connection from an online multiplayer game. Since launch, we have mainly focused on the latter, adding Galactic Strongholds, achievements, legacy perks, reputation tracks, and Galactic Starfighter. But with the success of the Shadow of Revan expansion, we think it’s time that we return to our roots and what truly makes our game unique: story.

Shadow of Revan was just the beginning. In 2015, we are committed to bringing you more character-driven adventures in the Old Republic universe. You’re going to see a unified story, with a focus on themes that unite our eight classes – everyone is a veteran from the Galactic Civil War with a complicated past and an uncertain future. You’ll see a greater emphasis on your character’s personal history, and on the choices you make. I don’t want to say too much more since we are still in the midst of development, but what we have planned really gets back to the Star Wars™ fantasy at the heart of our game.

Our plan is to deliver two major updates with this new story direction later this year – one in the summer and the other by the end of the year. But what’s happening in the meantime, you ask? Below is a list of some of what you can expect in the first half of the year. As always, please keep in mind that all of this is subject to change. We reserve the right to adjust our plans if we feel it is necessary.

Thursday - February 05, 2015

SW:TOR - Game Update 3.1 Details

by Couchpotato, 04:21

If any of you still play Star Wars: The Old Republic here is news about the next patch.

Rally three of your most trusted allies and return to the dangerous pirate haven of Rishi to fight through Level 60 Hard Mode versions of the two newest story-driven Flashpoints from the Shadow of Revan Digital Expansion, Blood Hunt and Battle of Rishi. Plus, compete for glory and new rewards in PvP Season 4 – all in Game Update 3.1: Conflict on Rishi coming February 10th!

Prove your prowess & get rewarded with valuable mounts, decorations and more:

  • Tower over your enemies aboard an impressive Imperial KX-7 Command Walker or the Republic BA-2 Command Walker.
  • Collect the Massassi Gear Set, inspired by the fearsome Massassi Warriors of Yavin 4.
  • Use your new Illumination Probe Crate decoration to light the path in front of you as you take a stroll around your Stronghold or show off visually mesmerizing with the new Multi-state Mainframe Terminal.

Saturday - January 10, 2015

SW:TOR - Cyan Sphere & Gree Events

by Couchpotato, 03:16

Bioware posted more information on the Cyan Sphere & Gree Events for SW:TOR.

When we started the Life Day event, we got questioned on two things almost immediately. Where is the Gree event and why is the Cyan Sphere on this vendor without it? Two valid questions. As I mentioned before the end of the year, it is our intent that the next time you see the Gree event it will be scaled to level 60. I am here to deliver news on both of these fronts!

First, it is our plan right now that the Gree event will return end of February/March timeframe. We are still working out the exact timing but we will update that information on our events page when we have it. Second, I know there was concern around the Cyan Sphere and its cost. We are going to be moving the Cyan Sphere vehicle onto the Gree event vendor with 3.1. Also, just to make sure the vehicle can be attained by both the Gree and Life Day participants, you will find two separate ways to buy the vehicle. You can either buy it with a mix of Snow-covered Parcels and Grey Helix, or just Grey Helix alone. This way regardless of which event you tended to participate in, it is still accessible to you!

Again, we will update more specific timing when we have it and you will now find the Cyan Sphere on the Gree vendor with 3.1.

Friday - January 09, 2015

SW:TOR - Current Exploit “Going Around”

by Couchpotato, 00:31

Eric Musco of Bioware posted information about a new exploit gamers have used to cheat in SWTOR. So if you still play he MMO game it might interest you.

Normally when an exploit exists, it is our policy to remain quiet until the issue is fixed. The reasoning behind that policy is that if we talk about or acknowledge an exploit, it can create a situation where we draw more attention to it. This can include people who didn’t previously know about it and can unintentionally make the issue more widespread. Without being specific, there is an exploit which has been present for a couple of weeks, that unfortunately has become more widespread than we typically see. It is being openly discussed in-game as well as other channels. We have been receiving quite a few questions about it and due to the wide nature which it is being discussed, we thought it best to address it.

First, we are definitely aware of the issue! It is our plan to have a fix in place for it next Tuesday. We have received a lot of questions of what, if any action will be taken against those who have used this exploit. While I cannot going into specifics about that, it has and will remain our policy that any use of an exploit can lead to action being taken against your account up to and including permanent suspension.

If you believe you have discovered an exploit, or you hear of an exploit taking place, this is the best course of action to take:

- Do not “test” the exploit yourself. Even a single occurrence of using an exploit can lead to action being taken against your account.

 - Report the exploit immediately and privately. First, use the /bug command in-game to send in a ticket about the issue. Secondly, please send the details to any member of our community team via a private message, here on the forums. Rest assured, even if we do not respond, we read all of our messages and will escalate exploits accordingly.

- Do not post on the forums with any reference to, or explanation of an exploit. These posts are against the forum rules and will be removed. We also highly recommend you don’t post on other forums or social media channels explaining any aspect of the exploit.

In summary, we are aware of the exploit taking place and we will be taking appropriate action against those who have abused it. It is our current plan to implement a fix for this issue next Tuesday, January 13, 2015.

Sunday - January 04, 2015

SW:TOR - BioWare's Comment on Lag Issues

by Couchpotato, 05:24

Gamer Headlines has information about a problem with the new expansion Shadow of Revan. It seems it caused players to suffer lag issues, and here are the details.

Today, BioWare have finally commented on the lag issues which have been plaguing Star Wars The Old Republic for some players since the release of the Shadow of Revan expansion on December 9th.

Many players have been reporting frame rate issues, connection lag and significant ability delay on the official forums. One particular thread has received forty nine pages and counting of players reporting issues.

BioWare community manager Eric Musco has today commented on the issue via an official developer post on the Old Republic forums:

"Here is what I can tell you. We definitely have not forgotten about this and the team is still assessing what the cause is, and how we can begin to address it. What I am going to do is to work with the team to get a status update with as much detail as I can, by next Friday (although hopefully before then!)."

Saturday - December 20, 2014

SW:TOR - Where Were You Three Years Ago

by Couchpotato, 05:09

A fan site by the name of SWTOR Strategies has information about Bioware asking on the MMO games forum where were you three years ago when the game launched.

What do you know… This upcoming Saturday, Star Wars: The old Republic ( SWTOR) have been around for 3 years. I still remember when I started this blog about the game back in 2008, right when I heard about the game the first time.

Now BioWare want’s you to share where you were 3 years ago when we launched. Or, share a happy memory of yours from the past 3 years! We will also have devs, other members of the community team, etc. swinging into the thread to share there memories!

I still cant believe the game is turning thee years old as everyone said it was doomed.

Tuesday - November 18, 2014

SW:TOR - Sentinel, Marauder Changes Revealed

by Aubrielle, 21:56

Bioware is making a few changes to the Sentinel and Marauder skills in the upcoming patch for SWTOR.

No, Sentinels and Marauders, BioWare hasn't forgotten you. Star Wars: The Old Republic's latest class-based dev diary went live today and it's focused on -- you guessed it -- Sentinels and Marauders. More specifically it outlines how your favorite dual-saber class will play after December 9th's Shadow of Revan expansion.

More information.

Source: Massively

Saturday - November 08, 2014

SW:TOR - Update 3.0 Class Changes

by Couchpotato, 05:18

Bioware posted a preview of the class changes that will take effect in the new expansion called Shadow of Revan, and the games next major update.

Welcome to the first of our Disciplines blogs! For the month of November, we will be covering all of the Advanced Classes.

The Game Update 3.0 class changes for the Trooper and Bounty Hunter set of classes are, overall, the most drastic changes received by any class set in the 3.0 update. The term “class set” refers to the base class (in this example, the Trooper) along with its advanced classes (Commando and Vanguard, continuing with this example). The purpose of this blog is to inform Troopers of the major changes that are coming in the 3.0 update, but this blog is not a comprehensive list of every single Trooper change. Also, please note that the content described in this blog is still under development, so anything mentioned throughout this blog is still subject to change (especially any exact numbers or percentages that may be mentioned).

Many Trooper abilities have had their resource costs and damage values slightly adjusted to make Energy Cell resources more manageable. Usually, this means the cost of an ability was slightly reduced along with its damage or healing, but for some abilities, the opposite may be true. For example, many abilities that formerly required 16 Energy Cells now require only 15 and damage or heal for slightly less, but many abilities that formerly required 8 Energy Cells now require 10 and damage or heal for slightly more. The 3.0 changes to channeled abilities have also aided Troopers with their Energy Cell management. Since channels now charge resources with each tick of damage or healing, that means Troopers can begin using channeled abilities at lower Energy Cell levels without slowing their resource regeneration rate.

Sunday - October 26, 2014

SW:TOR - Shadow of Revan Details

by Couchpotato, 04:27

Swtor Strategies posted new information about the Shadow of Revan Expansion.

Massively, Hyperspace beacon, MMORPG and Ten Ton Hammer were treated to a unique opportunity by Bioware recently. During a livestream, lead writer Charles Boyd, producer Bruce MacLean and Game director James Ohlen shared more information about what’s coming to the latest SWToR expansion.

Some of the highlights included:

  • There will be a Patch 4.0 – there are more stories to be told (and probably more expansions in 2015)
  • SWToR development is speeding up – expect to see more exciting announcements after the release of Shadow of Revan
  • Patch 3.0 might expand to other locations other than Yavin IV and Rishi
  • Togruta will be the next playable race and will be a Cartel Market item
  • Solo flashpoints confirmed – A droid companion will be available to carry players through tough fights
  • Class missions return – you can now play your unique class mission story

Thursday - October 23, 2014

SW:TOR - What The Game Could Have Been

by Couchpotato, 05:31

A YouTube member by the name of Kid Lee posted a new video where he talks about what SW:TOR could of been like before the content was removed from the beta version.

What things were removed from the game? In this video Kid-Lee takes a walk back in time to look at some of the things that were removed in Beta.

Sunday - October 19, 2014

SW:TOR - History & Lore of Revan

by Couchpotato, 03:28

Swtor Strategies posted a new video that shares the history & Lore of Revan for TOR.

Vulkk have uploaded an excellent video about on History, Lore & Facts about one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars Universe – REVAN. The video also includes Biographies of Theron & Lana prior to SWTOR 3.0.

Monday - October 13, 2014

SW:TOR - New PVP Content & Coin Bundle

by Couchpotato, 13:07

SWTOR Strategies has two new articles with information for the MMO game. The first article is about a new Cartel Coin bundle on Amazon. You also get an exclusive item.

If you are looking to get some cartel coins, it’s always better to buy in bulk. Now EA has put out a deal that you don’t want to miss. It was just released at the end of September and we don’t know if it will be permanent or something they only offer for a short time but it does come with a cool, unique, exclusive in-game item.

The second article is about new PVP content in the next patch.

We have heard a lot of talk about SWTOR and the new content coming out recently. Fans are hyped up about all the good stuff coming with 3.0 but one player on the forums asked something that I was also thinking: Can we expect to see any PvP content or news any time soon. While SWTOR isn’t marketed as a PvP game, it does still have those elements to it and some players really like it so it would be great to see Bioware do a little more in this area to keep things fun and interesting.

Tuesday - October 07, 2014

SW:TOR - Shadow of Revan Expansion

by Couchpotato, 00:50

Seems I was correct in the last news-bit as the new expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic is about the return of Revan . Here are the new details from Bioware.

THE SAGA CONTINUES IN Star Wars: THE OLD REPUBLIC WITH SHADOW OF REVAN, AN ALL-NEW DIGITAL EXPANSION

Revan Returns in a New Story-Driven Expansion with Five New Levels of Adventure - Launching December 9. Pre-Order by November 2 to Secure Early Access and Exclusive Grand Statue of Revan

AUSTIN, Texas – October 6, 2014 – Prepare to face Revan, one of the galaxy’s most revered characters, in the latest story-driven adventure from Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), and LucasArts have announced a brand-new digital expansion, Shadow of Revan, coming December 9, 2014. Shadow of Revan offers five new levels of story-driven missions, an increased level cap of 60, new worlds to explore, high-level multiplayer Flashpoints and Operations to join with friends in dynamic challenges and much more. Plus, for a limited-time, all Subscribers who pre-order receive a Class Experience Boost, offering players 12x experience gain through Level 55 with the opportunity to immerse themselves exclusively in exciting class story missions, but only through December 1, 2014.

In Shadow of Revan, a long-hidden sect of extremists has emerged from the ongoing war between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. This group is led by Revan, the former hero of the Jedi Civil War. These fanatical “Revanites” are gathering an army with an apocalyptic plan that will leave the Republic and the Empire in ashes. Players will prepare to face Revan and adventure alongside a host of intriguing characters, including Theron Shan, Lana Beniko, and Jakarro the Wookiee.

Thank you Alrik for the link.

Thursday - September 18, 2014

SW:TOR - The Return of Revan

by Couchpotato, 01:18

Bioware teased the return of Revan in Star Wars: The Old Republic in a new trailer released this week. More information will be revealed at the end of September.

Thursday - August 14, 2014

SW:TOR - Galactic Strongholds Trailer

by Couchpotato, 02:31

BioWare released a new trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic Galactic Strongholds.


Watch the Galactic Strongholds GamesCom Trailer and see how you can get your own Stronghold on four iconic planets including Tatooine and Coruscant! Express your creativity and personal style by customizing and showing off your Stronghold to friends. Plus rally your guild aboard your own Guild Flagship and conquer planets across the galaxy in the new Free-to-Play Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Digital Expansion: Galactic Strongholds!

Subscribe today and move into your own Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace early when you join Subscriber Early Access beginning August 19th. Welcome Home!

Saturday - July 19, 2014

SW:TOR - Earned $165 Million Last Year

by Couchpotato, 05:35

GamesIndustry has a new interesting article with information that Bioware/EA has made $165 million last year for the F2P Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO.

Bioware's MMO remains strong, World of Warcraft still leading MMOs with subs by a wide margin. Star Wars: The Old Republic remains one of the top five subscription MMOs in the world, according to new research from SuperData.

EA's ambitious MMO, which launched with a subs-only model but eventually integrated freemium options, made $165 million in revenue worldwide last year. That figure is from subscriptions, expansion packs and microtransactions, and it makes Bioware's MMO the fourth biggest in the world in terms of earnings.

As expected, Blizzard's World of Warcraft remains the global leader by a wide margin, with just over $1 billion in revenue. The first game in NCSoft's Lineage series was a distant second with $253 million in revenue - a truly remarkable amount given that it was launched in 1998. Indeed, NCSoft games occupied four of the top ten.

Wednesday - July 09, 2014

SW: TOR - Introduction to Galactic Strongholds

by Couchpotato, 09:54

Bioware has finally released the new Galactic Stronghold update for SW:TOR, and posted a new development update with details on the strongholds.

PREAMBLE

Have you ever dreamed of having a home in the Star Wars™ galaxy? I mean a real home – a place you can look forward to returning to after a long journey through the cold depths of space. A place that you can retreat to in times of darkness, to meditate on your next move or to plot your revenge. A place you can share with your closest friends or flaunt to your rivals. Above all, a place of power and significance that you can customize and call your own.

We share that dream, and we intend to make it a reality with our next free digital expansion: GALACTIC STRONGHOLDS.

INTRODUCTION TO STRONGHOLDS

As you reach level 15 and wrap up your mission on Coruscant or Dromund Kaas, it’s clear you have become an important player on the galactic stage – notable enough to attract powerful friends… and dangerous enemies. You need a fortified location to consolidate your power base – a platform from which to expand the influence of your legacy. What you need is a Stronghold – a customizable bastion of military might and personal luxury.

You will encounter a holo-projected advertisement on the Fleet (and on the capital worlds) which extolls the virtues of Stronghold ownership. This will begin an introductory mission which leads you to a Stronghold Directory, which is a terminal that allows you to view other players’ strongholds or purchase your own. For example, Coruscant Stronghold Directory is where you can purchase the Coruscant Apartment.

You can purchase a Stronghold with credits or Cartel Coins, and the Stronghold will be unlocked for your entire Legacy. For example, once you purchase the Coruscant Apartment, all of your Republic characters will have access to it. You can travel to and manage your Strongholds from the Stronghold Management window, which is a new tab in the main interface.

Each Stronghold has a unique floor plan which is composed of 8 to 12 rooms – for example: large living spaces, small rooms, a garage, a balcony, and so on. By purchasing a Stronghold, you will automatically have access to the first room. You can expand your Stronghold by clicking on locked doors, which will prompt you to unlock the attached room using credits or Cartel Coins.

Monday - June 09, 2014

SW: TOR - Rumors on The Future

by Couchpotato, 05:35

SWTOR Strategies talks about a few rumors that might be in store for future of the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. Here is a sample of the article.

What could happen in the future of SWTOR? That’s probably a question that all fans could speculate on and the truth is, most of us never would have guessed SWTOR would end up where it is now from those early beginnings and pre-launch info. It’s no surprise then that fans like to speculate on what the future might hold for our game and how it could change in coming months or even years. The truth is, we don’t actually know for sure. One poster on Reddit claims to have inside knowledge about the future of Star Wars: The Old Republic but as always, take this info with a grain of salt. We have no proof that this is real insider info and even if it was, companies often change the plan when sensitive info is leaked. What we do know is that it’s fun to speculate so here we go!

Thursday - March 20, 2014

SW: TOR - Galactic Stronghold Expansion

by Couchpotato, 03:49

BioWare and LucasArts announce a new expansion called Galactic Strongholds for Star Wars: The Old Republic. They included a new video and some game details.

In Galactic Strongholds, players can live on multiple planets and customize their prestigious apartments. Players can live in the heart of their faction’s capital world, live in style among the high-rollers of Nar Shaddaa, or even both by owning multiple Strongholds. Hundreds of unique decorations will be available for players to express their own personal style, as well as to boost their Prestige score to compete for top ranking in the Stronghold Directory. Friends can be invited and transported to a player’s Stronghold from any in-game location to socialize. At official launch, Guilds will also be able to launch powerful Guild Flagships where members can meet, plan, and strategize for their next adventure.

Thursday - February 06, 2014

SW: TOR - Starfighter Expansion for All Players

by Couchpotato, 00:44

BioWare has a new press release with information on the Galactic Starfighter Expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic being available for all players.

Now You Can Customize and Pilot Your Own Starfighter in Space PvP Combat in the Star Wars™ Universe – For Free

AUSTIN, Texas--Today, BioWare™ a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), and LucasArts announced the new Free-to-Play Star Wars: The Old Republic Digital Expansion, Galactic Starfighter, is now available to all gamers. Early access was previously granted to Subscribers and Preferred Status Players, but now everyone can jump right into the intense 12v12 Player-vs-Player (PvP) dogfighting combat. With no character level requirement, new players can jump into Galactic Starfighter and into battle quickly. Personalize your Starfighter to suit your play-style with a variety of unique customization options and join others in intense Star Wars space battles.

“Space combat is an iconic Star Wars experience that adds another level of excitement and immersion within The Old Republic universe”

To celebrate the official launch of the new Digital Expansion, all players will be able to access Galactic Starfighter along with new gameplay being added today, including:

  • New Gameplay Mode: Team Deathmatch – The goal is to destroy the most enemy players and acquire power-up items to turn the tide of battle.
  • New Starfighter Role: The Bomber – Decimate enemies playing as the Bomber, featuring the strongest hull of any Starfighter, and launch proximity mines and automated drones to defend your team.
  • New Tactical Flashpoint: Kuat Drive Yards – Join your friends to fight through a highly contested orbital shipyard with one of the most prolific warship manufacturing facilities in the galaxy. Available to players Level 15+, this new ‘Tactical Flashpoint’ is balanced for any type of group, comprised of any combination of the four class roles, ensuring you can get into the action quickly. Combat scenarios can change with each play-through and players can earn valuable rewards like the "KDY Orbital Lifter" mount, unique Starfighter Paint Jobs and more!

Plus, players who join Star Wars: The Old Republic will receive two Pilot Suits to customize their character further.

“Space combat is an iconic Star Wars experience that adds another level of excitement and immersion within The Old Republic universe,” said Jeff Hickman, Vice President, General Manager of BioWare Austin. “Galactic Starfighter shows that BioWare is committed to giving fans, new and old, the high quality Free-to-Play Star Wars experience.”

Monday - January 13, 2014

SW: TOR - Old Republic Insider Video

by Couchpotato, 04:14

Bioware has released a new video with information about the upcoming updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Watch the latest Insider Video, now live, as producers offer an inside look at exciting Galactic Starfighter updates, new Kuat Drive Yard Flashpoint missions, the next round of Cartel Market items and more coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Thursday - December 05, 2013

SW: TOR - Starfighter Expansion Available

by Couchpotato, 03:12

BioWare annouces in a new press release that the Starfighter Expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic is available for subscribers.

Early Access to Galactic Starfighter Digital Expansion Available to Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Subscribers Today

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The journey to become a legendary Starfighter pilot begins now! Today, BioWare™ a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), and LucasArts granted early access for current subscribers to the new Free-to-Play Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Digital Expansion, Galactic Starfighter. The second Digital Expansion introduces 12v12 intense Player-vs-Player (PvP) free-flight dogfighting and fierce factional battles as the war between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic explodes into space. Players will compete and advance to earn experience, in the form of “requisition” to unlock awesome new weapons, powers and abilities to customize their ultimate Starfighter.

“We are so excited for players to experience all the incredible new content in Galactic Starfighter, while still gaining additional XP and credits to give their ground game characters a boost,” said Jeff Hickman, Vice President, General Manager of BioWare Austin. “Free-flight space combat is a feature the fans have been asking for, and Galactic Starfighter really delivers on that feeling of heart-pounding fast-paced dogfighting action that you expect in a Star Wars™ game.”

Anyone who becomes a subscriber will be able to jump right into Galactic Starfighter and become part of the factional combat and free flight PvP experience (no minimum character level requirements apply). In addition to gaining early access to Galactic Starfighter, subscribers will receive exclusive rewards, including custom paint jobs, two pilot suits and two titles ("Test Pilot" and "First Galactic Starfighter"). Preferred Status Players* will be granted access to Galactic Starfighter on January 14, before the Digital Expansion becomes available to the public beginning on February 4.

For more information on the Digital Expansion: Galactic Starfighter, please visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/galactic-starfighter. Join the conversation by visiting the official Community Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.

Saturday - November 16, 2013

SW: TOR - Domination Trailer

by Couchpotato, 03:34

Bioware released a new trailer  showing off the new space battles from the new expansion Galactic Starfighter being released in December.

Watch the latest trailer and get ready to dominate your opponents in intense PvP space battles in the new Free-to-Play Digital Expansion, Galactic Starfighter, coming to Star Wars™: The Old Republic. Beginning December 3rd, Subscribers get early access as well as exclusive Scout and Strike Fighter "Valiant" Paint Jobs, Pilot Suits, and in-game titles!

Tuesday - October 22, 2013

SW: TOR - Podcast @ PodOmatic

by Couchpotato, 00:36

PodOmatic has a new podcast for SWTOR from the NYC Community Cantina Q&A.

JD discusses his opinions on the latest and greatest happenings in the world of SWTOR. This is a very special episode containing the audio recording of the NYC Community Cantina Q&A and analysis of JD's discussions with the likes of Damion Scheubert, Andrew Horwitz and Eric Musco.

Thursday - October 10, 2013

SW: TOR - Galactic Starfighter Expansion

by Couchpotato, 00:08

Bioware announces the next digital expansion Galactic Starfighter for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

AUSTIN, Texas – Oct. 8, 2013 – Join the battle and customize the ultimate starship to become a legendary Starfighter pilot in the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ universe! Today, BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA), and LucasArts announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic is adding Player-vs-Player (PvP) combat in the Free-to-Play Digital Expansion: Galactic Starfighter. With a variety of unique starships, a wide set of customization and upgrade options, multiple battle zones and gameplay modes, Galactic Starfighter brings the thrill of epic 12v12 space battles to Star Wars: The Old Republic for the first time.

Active Star Wars: The Old Republic subscribers will be offered Early Access starting December 3 and Preferred Status Players* on January 14. Galactic Starfighter will be offered as a Free-to-Play Digital Expansion available to the public beginning on February 4. Each group will also receive special in-game items as part of this Early Access opportunity (detailed below). As a special benefit, active subscribers as of November 1 will receive an exclusive Galactic Starfighter early Gunship unlock and custom Gunship paint jobs.**

“Our goal with Star Wars: The Old Republic has always been to immerse players into their own Star Wars adventure and huge space battles are a vital part of fulfilling that fantasy,” said Jeff Hickman, General Manager of BioWare Austin. “Galactic Starfighter will be a deep experience that will continue to grow over time. We can’t wait for both our current and new players to get their hands on it soon.”

Players who subscribe to Star Wars: The Old Republic by November 1 will receive an exclusive Galactic Starfighter early Gunship unlock and custom Gunship paint jobs. Starting December 3, subscribers are eligible to receive special reward items along with the Early Access opportunity.

Subscriber Early Access Rewards (Subscriber Early Access opens December 3, 2013)

  • Early Access to Galactic Starfighter on December 3
  • Exclusive Paint Jobs***
  • Two Pilot Suits
  • Two Titles (“Test Pilot” and “First Galactic Starfighter”)
  • Subscribers get the maximum leveling and progression benefit (a Starfighter Pass will also be available for purchase in the Cartel Market beginning January 14)

Preferred Status players will receive:

  • Early Access to Galactic Starfighter on January 14
  • Two Pilot Suits
  • Exclusive Title (“Test Pilot”)

Sunday - October 06, 2013

SW: TOR - Using MMO Systems @ GDC Vault

by Couchpotato, 00:13

The GDC Vault has a new video from GDC Online 2012 about using MMO game systems to tell BioWare stories.

 Bioware has a unique way of telling stories - their world-famous recipe of narrative filled with choices and consequences has made them internationally recognized for bringing story to gaming. So what happens when these concepts are introduced to an MMO? In this presentation, Damion Schubert talks about bringing these core concepts to Star Wars: The Old Republic, and some of the startling discoveries and daunting design challenges made along the way.

Thursday - October 03, 2013

SW: TOR - Update 2.4: The Dread War Launches

by Couchpotato, 00:07

Bioware has finally launched game update 2.4: The Dread War.  Here is a new video showing what the update adds, and changes.

Full details:

- Rescue survivors and withstand the fires of Oricon, a new story mission area where the Dread Masters plot to torment the galaxy from their ancient fortress compound.
- Fight your way through Level 55 Operation: The Dread Fortress and face powerful servants as well as one of the Dread Masters in person.
- Continue through Level 55 Operation: The Dread Palace and brace yourself for the epic finale to the Dread Masters’ saga that started on Belsavis.
 - Compete for fame and glory in three brand new 4v4 Player-vs-Player Warzone Arenas, a new form of gladiatorial entertainment that’s drawing spectators galaxy-wide.

Monday - September 16, 2013

SW: TOR - Update 2.4, The Dread War

by Couchpotato, 00:22

Bioware announces the next update for Star Wars: The Old Republic called The Dread War. This should be a good update for those of you who love PvP.

CONFRONT THE DREAD MASTERS AND COMPETE IN THE WARZONE ARENAS OF DEATH!

Get ready to team up with allies to confront the powerful and terrifying Dread Masters, and prepare to compete in new arenas of death coming in Game Update 2.4: The Dread War!

- Withstand the fires of Oricon, a new story mission area where the Dread Masters plot to torment the galaxy from their ancient fortress compound.
- Fight your way through Level 55 Operation: The Dread Fortress and face powerful servants as well as one of the Dread Masters in person.
- Continue through Level 55 Operation: The Dread Palace and brace yourself for the epic finale to the Dread Masters’ saga that started on Belsavis.
- Compete for fame and glory in three brand new 4v4 Player-vs-Player Warzone Arenas (ranked and unranked), a new form of gladiatorial entertainment that’s drawing spectators galaxy-wide.

Check back for more details in the coming weeks!

Come Test Game Update 2.4! FIND OUT MORE.

Thursday - September 12, 2013

SW: TOR - Podcast & Rise of the Hutt Cartel For Free

by Couchpotato, 00:50

TorWars has a new podcast discussing the new space ship comabat as well as the latest patching fiasco.

Hello TORWarriors! Over the last couple of weeks we’ve had some interesting happenings in the world of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The most exciting of all is the rumors and video featuring what looks like the infamous Super Secret Space Project.

We grab our main man Werit as a guest on this weeks episode and discuss this hot topic. We hope you like the show. Be sure to leave us comment expressing your thoughts in the comments section after this post. In the meantime, here’s the show notes!

Also Bioware has news that Rise of the Hutt Cartel is now free for subscribers.

Beginning September 12, 2013, active Subscribers will receive the first Digital Expansion: Rise of the Hutt Cartel free of charge as a newly added benefit to the Subscriber Rewards Program! Rise of the Hutt Cartel offers the breathtaking planet of Makeb, five new levels of story-driven missions increasing the level cap to 55, and exciting technology devices which unlock valuable rewards.

Additionally, players who have already purchased Rise of the Hutt Cartel and are an active Subscriber on September 12 at 4:00AM PDT / 11:00AM GMT will receive a new title, “The Risen,” via in-game mail on or before September 25, 2013 as our appreciation for the purchase.

Finally, Subscribers who purchase Rise of the Hutt Cartel between August 11, 2013 and September 12, 2013 at 9:00AM PDT / 4:00PM GMT will be granted 1050 Bonus Cartel Coins in appreciation for their recent purchase of Rise of the Hutt Cartel. The 1050 Bonus Cartel Coins will be granted by September 13, 2013 at 9:00AM PDT / 4:00PM GMT.

Friday - August 30, 2013

SW: TOR - Building the Scalable Platform

by Couchpotato, 00:19

Gamasutra has a new video from the GDC Vault this time with BioWare's Dave Moore.

At GDC Online 2012, BioWare's Dave Moore reviewed how his team set up Star Wars: The Old Republic's platform to allow new players in as seemlessly as possible.

Thursday - August 08, 2013

SW: TOR - Titans of Industry Update

by Couchpotato, 01:02

BioWare has released the next update for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Along with the update is the new Titans of Industry.

WE ARE THE GALAXY’S MOST TRUSTED BRAND

For centuries, Czerka Corporation has led the industry in weapons design, Droid manufacturing, biological research, and much more. Here at our facilities on the private moon, CZ-198, we consider ourselves the heart of the Czerka Corporation. With state of the art labs and dedicated, robust R&D teams, CZ-198 continues the Czerka tradition of excellence in innovation. We are extremely proud of our people, our products and our work:

  • - CZ-198 singlehandedly owns half of the industry’s patents.
  • - Our scientists consistently rank in the top 10% of their graduating class.
  • - We push the limits of engineering innovation, earning numerous product and research awards each year.

We aim to leverage our passion and expertise to deliver you advanced solutions for your most difficult challenges.

Thanks for visiting our corporate site and please check back for new information about our people and services in the coming weeks!

Thursday - July 18, 2013

SW: TOR - Game Update 2.3 Bounty Contract Event

by Couchpotato, 02:42

JustPushStart has an early preview of the upcoming game updates for SWTOR.

When SWTOR Game Update 2.3 launches next month, one of the additions many are looking forward to is the new Bounty Contract event that is held every month. According to BioWare, the event will be a week long and will always come back every month.

To those who are wondering what type of content the Bounty Contract event will have, we have decided to give you a preview as to how it will work. Below is the procedure in completing one bounty mission. Please take note that this preview is based on the build that is now available on the Pubic Test Server. Anything can change when the content is pushed to live servers sometime in August.

Monday - July 01, 2013

SW: TOR - Update 2.3 Adds Ewok Companion

by Couchpotato, 03:17

You either hate them or love them. As part of update 2.3 a cuddly furry murderous Ewok is being added to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

The new companion character is called Treek. He is a heavy armor user with both heal and tank stances, and lets not forget an adorable wittle furry face.

Dulfy.net has the details on Treek including a couple of spoilery cutscenes.

You will need to have 1 million credits for each character you wish to unlock this companion on and legacy level 40 to purchase a mercenary contract that will unlock this new companion. Go to Cartel Bazaar on the south end of the fleet (north end for Republic) once Patch 2.3 arrives on live servers. You will see  a droid that sells you a mercenary contract for 1 mil credits (requires legacy level 40) and using it will bring up a short conversation where you are introduced to Treek.

Sunday - June 09, 2013

SW: TOR - Farewell APAC/Oceanic Servers

by Couchpotato, 00:02

There was a few hints from BioWare about more server shutdowns and merges. Well, it seems that there is a confirmation email that is being sent out by BioWare to all of their APAC/Oceanic server players.

Here you have it straight from my email box.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM STAR WARS™: THE OLD REPUBLIC™

Asia Pacific Server Consolidation / Free Character Transfer

Greetings ,

We wanted to inform you that we are preparing to consolidate our Asia Pacific servers into our current West Coast North American servers. This will occur sometime in the next few months.

Each of your characters on an Asia Pacific server is now allowed a free one-time transfer to any non-Asia Pacific server. Any characters remaining on an Asia Pacific server when the consolidation takes place will be moved to a West Coast North American server in order to provide a better overall gameplay experience.

Please follow the instructions below to begin your free character transfer:

- Go to your “My Account” page by clicking on your username in the top right corner of SWTOR.com
- On the left hand side, scroll down to Character Transfer
- Once there, select your current APAC server and then the character you wish to transfer
- Now select your destination server (where you want to move your character)
- Press the transfer button

All remaining characters will be consolidated into the following servers in a few months:

- Dalborra -> The Harbinger
- Master Dar’Nala -> The Bastion
- Gav Daragon -> Bergeren Colony

May the Force™ be with you,

The Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Team

Monday - May 27, 2013

SW: TOR - Summer Updates

by Couchpotato, 00:11

Bruce Maclean the Senior Producer of BioWare Austin announced all the changes, and events for STAR WARS: The Old Republic  this summer.

My name is Bruce Maclean and I am a Senior Producer here at BioWare Austin. I know there have been a lot of questions around the forums about what kind of content you can expect from us this year and so I’m here today to give you all a bit of information about what we’re working on bringing to you this summer!

We’ve seen a lot of requests for a rerun of our Double XP weekends. Well, okay! We’d like to help you stay cool in the heat of the summer with three weekends starting June 22nd and continuing through July 7th. The third and last weekend will actually start early on Thursday the 4th of July, in case you are enjoying a long Independence Day weekend.

By July 9th Ops groups will have had four weeks to cut their teeth on Nightmare Mode Terror From Beyond. That’s when we will launch Nightmare Mode Scum and Villainy as a part of Game Update 2.2.2! New mechanics and unique loot for you.

July 23rd look for a return of the Relics of the Gree Event for a nice two week long run. Per community request the Event will scaled up to level 55 on this next run!

August 6th is our target date for Game Update 2.3, which we are working on right now and will be our biggest update since 2.0. Some of the bigger parts of this update are:

New Flashpoints
New Daily Area
New Recurring Event
Significant graphical upgrades

 

 


Thursday - May 16, 2013

SW: TOR - Game Update 2.1 Customization Released

by Couchpotato, 00:07

BioWare has released Game Update 2.1: Customization for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The update brings new dye mods, appearance kiosks, and collections. Check out the launch trailer.

Howdy from Austin, Texas! We are thrilled to release Game Update 2.1: Customization today. This update introduces many highly requested and anticipated features to Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. As the name indicates, Game Update 2.1 is all about giving players the freedom to customize their characters to fully immerse themselves in their personal Star Wars™ saga.

What types of customization and convenience options are now available for purchase, you ask? Well, players will be able to change their Character, Legacy, and Guild names with new Cartel Market consumables. And if your character’s look doesn’t quite match their new name, then swing by one of the Appearance Designer Kiosks located on both Fleets and Capital Worlds and adjust almost anything about your character’s image. This includes body type, face, scars, tattoos, hair style, eye, hair, and skin color. You can even change your character’s species! For a completely fresh look, I would suggest trying out our brand new species, the Cathar! Subscribers can expect a permanent discount on these items.

Game Update 2.1 also introduces Dye Modules, which can be purchased as consumables on the Cartel Market, with in-game credits at the Security and Collector’s Edition vendors, as well as through crafting. With our new Dye Mods you’ll be able to recolor almost any piece of gear in The Old Republic. You can mix and match colors on each individual piece of gear, or you can choose to Unify Color for a more classic look.

Tuesday - May 14, 2013

SW: TOR - Dye Modules

by Couchpotato, 00:02

You read the title right if you ever thought your character needed more colors your in luck. Bioware released a preview video of the dye modules that will be available in the customization update.

Thursday - May 09, 2013

SW: TOR - Revenue "More Than Doubled" Since Going Free-to-play

by Couchpotato, 00:27

EA and Bioware annnouced that Star Wars: The Old Republic has more than doubled it's income since going F2P. Polygon has all the details.

Monthly average revenue for Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare's massively multiplayer online role-playing game, has more than doubled and subscriptions have increased since adopting the free-to-play model last year, Electronic Arts president of labels Frank Gibeau revealed in an earning's call today.

EA announced that the MMO would adopt a free-to-play model last July, and the transition took place in November 2012. Since then, Gibeau said the game has grown significantly.

"Since it was induced in November, we've added more than 1.7 million new players on the free model to the service," Gibeau said. "And the number of subscriptions has stabilized at just under half a million.

"The really interesting thing that's happening inside the service right now is monthly average revenue for the game has more than doubled since we introduced the free-to-play option. And as we look forward, we're going to continually invest in new content for the service and for players every six weeks or so."

Wednesday - April 17, 2013

SW: TOR - Rise of the Hutt Cartel Launched

by Couchpotato, 00:13

BioWare Austin's Rise of the Hutt Cartel, the first digital expansion pack for Star Wars: The Old Republic is now avaiable.

LucasArts announced that the first digital expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Rise of the Hutt Cartel, is now available for players worldwide. Available for $19.99 (USD), or at half price for current Subscribers ($9.99 USD), players can extend their personal Star Wars™ saga, with exciting new playable missions, new features and a striking new planet, Makeb. Playing through Rise of the Hutt Cartel will raise the game’s level cap to 55 and allow players to access a host of new, higher-level group content in the recently released Game Update 2.0: Scum and Villainy.

“We’ve worked hard over the last year to ensure we were listening to player feedback and acting on it. This month, we’re not only adding hours of new story-driven content and features with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, but we are also adding depth and content to the end game with our latest Game Update 2.0: Scum and Villainy,” said Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic. “All of this new content, combined with a much larger, more active and engaged community since the addition of the Free-to-Play option last year, makes this the best time to join or return to The Old Republic!”

In Rise of the Hutt Cartel, players will explore a new storyline on the beautiful and exciting new planet of Makeb. Here players will continue their faction storylines as they fight against a nefarious new threat, the Hutt Cartel, attempting a take-over of the planet and all its resources. As players progress through the new levels they will earn new gear and abilities, along with access to new Elder Game content. As part of the experience, players will also be able to acquire new technological gear including Macrobinoculars and Seeker Droids, which take players on galaxy-spanning new missions to unlock valuable rewards.

Monday - June 28, 2010

SW: TOR - Greg Zeschuk Interview @ Eurogamer

by Magerette, 14:26

For those keeping up with Bioware's Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, Eurogamer posts an E3 interview with Greg Zeschuk which is primarily concerned with the latest hardware tech developments and the various platforms out there.

Here's a more general snip:

Eurogamer: How is SWTOR coming along?

Greg Zeschuk: It's going really well, actually. We've been very busy getting it ready for more people playing it, so it's largely about polishing the experience, and getting it to feel like how it'll feel when you play the finished game...
Eurogamer: Have you had any negative feedback?

Greg Zeschuk: Not really. The interesting thing is there's a surprise factor. One thing I heard was that up till now people never really got a taste for this whole story thing we've talked about. We've talked, talked, talked about it, and made it a big deal, but you couldn't actually experience it.

The feedback I'm getting is that now people have finally been able to play it, they get it completely. For us, that's very much a win condition because being able to experience and understand how the story is interwoven with the multiplayer experience is the whole point of the game. Just from playing for 30 minutes, it's evident that's really powerful.

 

Source: GameBanshee

Friday - October 02, 2009

SW: TOR - Developer Blog

by Myrthos, 21:39

Writer Neil Pollner talks about the Sith Warrior in the Star Wars: The Old republic developer blog.

Think back to when you first watched Star Wars™: A New Hope™ — to the moment when Darth Vader enters the besieged Republic ship, surveying the carnage, single-mindedly hunting his target, Princess Leia. If you were like me, your eyes bulged and you thought, “I wanna be that guy.”

Now, maybe I was alone in that visceral response. Maybe it reveals something disturbing about me, I don’t know. On subsequent screenings, I seem to recall hearing a chorus of hisses and boos when Vader emerges. So maybe most of the Star Wars™ fan community are Luke lovers, or Solo sycophants . But something tells me there are more of me out there. And all these years, like me, you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to express your inner Vader.

Wednesday - September 30, 2009

SW: TOR - Beta Sign-up

by Myrthos, 22:08

Time to sign up for the beta of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Monday - September 14, 2009

SW: TOR - Interview @ Ten Ton Hammer

by Myrthos, 21:50

Ten Ton Hammer sat down with producer Jake Neri from LucasArts and producer Blaine Christine from BioWare Austin to talk about Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Ten Ton Hammer: What was your biggest hurdle in making the move to an MMO? (Annache)

Blaine Christine: I think really it comes down to scope. Obviously it’s much, much bigger; we’ve talked a lot about how each class has their own story and each of those stories is essentially a full game. It’s literally 100s of hours of story, questing and all of the secondary activities. So when you factor that in with 8 different classes it’s a massive, massive undertaking. And that’s not just about the voice-over obviously. You’ve also got to think about all the different styles of play that people have as well.

One of the great things about our studio is that we have a lot of people with a lot of experience working on other MMO titles, so that’s invaluable. We have a lot of people that were from BioWare Edmonton that actually came to Austin and then we have a lot of people that were pulled from the Austin community as well. And as you know there’s a lot of MMOs that have been developed there, so that’s helped out a lot.

Jake Neri: I think the other thing too is that [BioWare] have a really sound process that just makes good games. So some of those hurdles that some companies might have, I don’t think that they share because they put a value on constantly playing the game – everybody in the studio has to be on it – and that flushes out a lot of things like balance issues.

So I think that when people think about the challenges of going from single to multiplayer its like, holy crap, what happens when you get all this new stuff mixing and matching? That makes those things even more important; the constant play testing, the constant feedback loops. That in itself has really cut down on a lot of the risk there. There are obviously challenges, but I think we’ve got good experience under our belt now since we’ve been doing this for a while and we’re starting to see those go away. We’re really at the point of “what’s the fun?”

From day one we really focused on why would this be fun? Why would it be fun for singleplayer, multiplayer, large groups or small groups? Once we nailed that fun it becomes a matter of just iterating on that.

Friday - September 11, 2009

SW: TOR - Discover Coruscant

by Myrthos, 22:56

The holonet has been updated with information and screens about Coruscant.

Coruscant. A symbol of power, prosperity, and innovation for civilization. The capital of the Republic serves as a hub of cultural influence and home to hundreds of alien species and from across the galaxy. Still recovering from the Sith attack during the Sacking of Coruscant, the planet has set out to rebuild what they have lost. Though the pristine skyline continues to grow, the lower level districts of Coruscant have developed troubles of their own.

Saturday - August 29, 2009

SW: TOR - The Sith Warrior

by Myrthos, 00:13

The holonet at the Star Wars: The Old Republic site has been updated with information about the Sith warrior.

An unstoppable force of darkness, the Sith Warrior is entrusted with the task of destroying the Empire’s enemies and enforcing Sith domination across the galaxy. The Warrior channels the destructive emotions of fear, anger, and hatred to purge weakness from body and mind and become a being of pure, brutal efficiency.

Destined to eradicate the incompetent chaos created by the Jedi, the Sith seek to rule the galaxy through power and intimidation. The armies of the Sith Empire are trained to accomplish this task, but they require the leadership of bold Sith Warriors—loyal and mighty overlords—who will drive them to conquest and victory.

There are also some wallpapers here.

Saturday - August 15, 2009

SW: TOR - Playable at GamesCon

by Dhruin, 13:33

Alrik sends news that Star Wars: The Old Republic will apparently be playable at GamesCon in Cologne next week, according to StarWars-Union.de.

Friday - August 07, 2009

SW: TOR - Creating the Smuggler

by Myrthos, 21:00

At the Star Wars: The Old Republic site Senior Writer Hall Hood shares a little bit of insight in creating the spirited adventurers of the Republic known as the Smuggler.

Of all the stories in our game, the Smuggler ones are specifically written with an emphasis on humor and romance. If you’re playing this class, you get to say the funniest things (usually at the least appropriate times), and are always on the lookout for people who find charming rogues irresistible. You’ll be flirting with or laughing at the most exciting personalities in the galaxy: crime lords, gamblers, Bounty Hunters, senators, nobles, spies, Jedi and even Sith.

It’s not all witty one-liners and romantic conquests, either. Smugglers lead lives of high adventure, taking on jobs no one else is crazy enough to do and answering to no authority but their own. They also don’t have to risk their necks for free. Unlike pious Jedi or duty-bound Troopers, Smugglers are never out of line demanding a fee for their services. The Republic needs rogues to hit Imperial convoys? Sounds like fun, if there’s profit in it. The Hutts want illegal technology slipped past military blockades? No problem, as long as they pay in advance.

Saturday - July 18, 2009

SW: TOR - The Voice of the Old Republic

by Woges, 13:20

Bioware reveal more on TOR's VO efforts, and show some of the E3 gameplay footage in their latest news article.

As revealed during E3, Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will be a fully voiced massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. Watch our third Video Documentary where we explore how voice-over conversations deliver a deeper level of immersion and connection to the story and characters. Every playable character and every non-playable character in the game will be brought to life by voice actors - resulting in several thousand speaking roles and hundreds of thousands of recorded lines of dialogue!

Watch Voice of The Old Republic now!

You can see the latest news letter here.

Friday - July 10, 2009

SW: TOR - VO Dev Blog

by Woges, 18:11

Bioware blog on the large scope of TOR's voice overs.

And so began the crazy odyssey of voice-over (VO) production for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. It would be a joint effort between BioWare and LucasArts. BioWare would write all the scripts, create the schedule and be responsible for the tracking and integration of all VO assets. The LucasArts Audio Department, led by Darragh O’Farrell, would handle recording the voice talent and sending the VO assets to BioWare.

I was excited for the chance to work with the LucasArts Audio team. They had done the VO for a previous BioWare game, Star Wars™: Knights of the Old Republic™, before I joined the company and it had been very well received. In fact, when I joined the world of VO production for games, my goal was to match the KOTOR quality bar.

But – The Old Republic would have at least ten times the lines of dialogue of KOTOR. Since neither BioWare nor LucasArts had experience on a project of this magnitude, this was an exciting and intimidating challenge. BioWare would be responsible for providing the reams and reams of scripts, as well as, managing the writing/VO production schedule. The LucasArts team would be responsible for finding the actors, recording and post processing the dialogue.

Sunday - July 05, 2009

SW: TOR - Return of the Madalorians Video

by Myrthos, 21:05

A new video from the Jedi archives has been put online on the Star Wars The Old Republic site.

The Keeper of the Jedi Archives has entered a new holorecord. Continuing his investigation, Master Gnost-Dural delves deeper into the history of the galaxy after discovering that the blockade that Hylo Visz helped end was a result of the actions of the new Mandalore.

BTC 8 – During a Republic resurgence in the Great War, a bold young warrior rose to fame in the Gladiatorial arenas on Geonosis. Adopting the ancient and infamous title of Mandalore, this young leader amassed an army of Mandalorian mercenaries and bounty hunters. The new Mandalore led his forces to form a blockade and challenge the Jedi Order, effectively turning the tide of the war back in the Sith Empire’s favor.

Watch the third Timeline holorecord, The Return of the Mandalorians, narrated by actor Lance Henriksen (Millennium).

Saturday - June 20, 2009

SW: TOR - E3 Highlights

by Woges, 01:36

TOR's friday update lists a ton of previews from Bioware's E3 showing of the game, an overview of highlights, and awards won.

The Development Teams at BioWare and LucasArts would like to thank the press, fans and community for all of their support. We plan to have even more new and exciting updates for you as we progress on our journey of creating Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Check out some of the E3 highlights from the perspective of the attendees:

Friday - June 19, 2009

SW: TOR - Play it Cool

by Woges, 21:02

Gamasutra interview Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Muzyka.

How do you rise above the sheer volume in the MMO space, which is constantly growing? Do projects like EA's own Warhammer, which possibly hasn't done what it intended to, or Star Wars: Galaxies, which is obviously the previous attempt at a Star Wars MMO, worry you at all?

GZ: We don't really worry so much about that. We worry about making a great game, creating a unique experience -- fulfilling the goal of giving people the ability to experience their own Star Wars saga online. If you're betting on Jedi [in terms of MMO subject matter] versus orcs, that's a good bet.

There's always competition. I think with all of our games over the years, there have been great games launched against them. We focus on building something great, supporting the fans, giving something they want, and building long-term value. That's pretty straightforward.

Tuesday - June 16, 2009

SW: TOR - More E3 Previews

by Woges, 13:30

Eurogamer & Giant Bomb are both impressed by TOR's showing at E3.

From Eurogamer:

As you can tell, on its narrative side, The Old Republic is still asking far more questions than it's answering. When it comes to combat, we can be clear: it's standard MMORPG stuff, but it's faster, and there's more of it.

Specifically, BioWare's aiming for many-on-one combat, and not in the traditional MMO sense of gangs of players contending with single tough enemies. The Bounty Hunter was shown dealing capably with three or four enemies at a time on his own, and when paired up with the Sith, numbers just increased further - until the two had to take down a Jedi Padawan and Knight in succession (the Sith looting a second lightsaber for his trouble). Enemies fall fast and come quick, and the pace of action is consistent.

From Giant Bomb:

In general, though, The Old Republic is looking surprisingly complete for an MMO that's so far from release the developers won't even publicly pick a year yet. This was of course a controlled demo, so who can say what the rest of the game world looks like at this point--but the environments and characters BioWare did show off looked good enough to be included in a shipping game. The company has clearly taken a page from the World of Warcraft playbook by giving the art design a highly stylized nature, making the characters look a little cartoon-like in the interest of looking good on lesser PC hardware. But I was impressed and a little surprised by the technical detail in the world, too.

Saturday - June 13, 2009

SW: TOR - Interview @ MMOGamer

by Myrthos, 22:48

An interview with James Ohlen and Daniel Erickson, the Lead Designer and Lead Writer of Star Wars: The Old Republic that can be found at MMOGamer.

The MMO Gamer: Now, I just sat through the demo, and I have to tell you, I was very impressed by it.

I was impressed, primarily, with the storytelling aspects of the game. I’m sure many people would agree that storytelling has been a major neglected factor in the MMO genre over the years; where the story in most games can be boiled down to why Farmer X wants you to go kill ten rats.

Obviously, BioWare is a company steeped in storytelling tradition. But, just for people who are complete novices to your games, could you talk a little about the philosophy with regards to story that’s going into The Old Republic?

Daniel Erickson: Sure. Really, we tried to take the same storytelling traditions we’ve used in the rest of the games. A Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game is exactly what it sounds like. It’s just a role-playing game that you’ve taken, and allowed a lot of people to play in a large social space.

We always talk about the four pillars that create RPGs: You’ve got exploration, you’ve got progression, you’ve got combat, and you’ve got storytelling.

When we said, hey, we’re going to do our first MMO, the obvious one to talk about first, even though none of the pillars can stand without the rest of them, and none of them are more important than the rest of them, we’re talking about story first because story is the delta. It’s the thing we’re doing that other people have not done.

We’re approaching it the same way we’ve always approached storytelling in games, which is that you need to have a heroic, unique experience, with choice that affects what you do.

In fact, the MMO has given us a place to actually be able to do more unique storytelling than we could in an RPG, normally.

Baldur’s Gate is a great example. With Baldur’s Gate you had a huge, epic story, it’s awesome, but guess what? It’s a fairly every-man story. Because you might have rolled a Druid, and somebody else might have rolled a Warrior, and they had the exact same story, right? We had to make it work for everyone.

Because we did all class-specific stories for The Old Republic, we’ve allowed ourselves to basically make, “Knights of the Old Republic: The Smuggler,” its own game. Everything in there, when you’re playing a Smuggler, you feel like a Smuggler.

The adventures are crazy, and madcap, and you’re flying by the seat of your pants, and there’s romantic stuff, and you’re spouting off crazy one-liners, etc., etc.

Then, when you’re playing as a Sith, it’s a completely different game. Everything is from that perspective, you come from a very dark world, you’re on Korriban, you’re dealing with Sith politics, you’re dealing with some very, very dark people who are allowed to do anything they want.

It completely changes the way we do storytelling.

SW: TOR - E3 Impressions @ MMORPG

by Myrthos, 22:44

The impressions the staff of MMORPG got while looking at The Old Republic can be found here.

The Old Republic looks and feels far more like a single player RPG than an MMO. The quests they showed could have been straight out of Mass Effect. They were fully voice acted – in fact the entirety of The Old Republic is voiced – and cinematic in nature. This includes the player character, who responds with a dialogue wheel, virtually identical to the on Bioware used in Mass Effect.


The dialogue choices people make are important too. The entire E3 demo was set up to make each group through take a divergent path.

In each demo, they’d run through a quest on screen. The players, on the dark side, were on a ship that had been ordered to undertake a very dangerous, likely suicidal mission. The captain of the ship had refused, so the players were tasked with changing his mind.

Through dialogue, the players could either try to convince the Captain to do the right thing and listen to his superiors, or just simply kill him and take over the ship.

Each group had to decide whether to kill or convince the Captain and according to the Bioware guys, this totally changed the course of what happened next. Of course, they only showed each one side. In our group, people voted to spare the captain (I didn’t!) and he was convinced to change course and enter the battle, which eventually led to a nice duel with a Jedi.


While the dialogue system looks and feels a lot like Mass Effect, it is important to note that it is expanded for MMOs. In that demonstration, there were two members in the group and both had chances to talk, and presumably shape the outcome of the conversation. They’ve made dialogue multiplayer.

Friday - June 12, 2009

SW: TOR - Offical Smuggler Page Up

by Woges, 23:26

Bioware html jockies have completed their Smuggler offering.

Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ reveals the next playable class, the street savvy, credit seeking Smuggler.

Making a profit from the desperate needs of a war-torn galaxy is how the Smuggler earns his credits. Transporting contraband, stolen goods, and highly sought-after fugitives through treacherous trade routes is in high demand, and more and more Smugglers are taking advantage of this opportunity.

Any self-respecting Smuggler must be able to shoot or charm his way out of the most complex predicaments. They must be incredibly quick-witted, able to bargain with the underbelly of society, and most importantly, they must be able to deliver… their lives depend on it.

Find out more about the Smuggler.

Sunday - June 07, 2009

SW: TOR - E3 Impressions @ Shacknews

by Woges, 14:30

Nick Breckon seems mightly impressed with what he saw of TOR's gameplay.

The Jedi combat in The Old Republic is perhaps the most engaging combat I've seen in an MMO yet. Showing off moves directly translated from the recently released cinematic, the Sith jumped forward and backward, deflecting laser blasts and blocking melee attacks. Finishing moves and saber flourishes were carried off at a perfect pacing.

The demo culminated in a final battle between our demo operators--playing the Sith and a Bounty Hunter--and an NPC Jedi Knight. The dynamic potential of party combat was highlighted as the duo went to town on the good-guy. At one point the Sith force-choked the Jedi Knight, with the Bounty Hunter stepping up to use his flamethrower on the hovering victim. At the end, the Knight killed, the Sith looted him, took his lightsaber, and equipped it for a dual-saber build.

The take away? A lot of money is being spent on this game, and it shows. And though it may not have the broad fantasy appeal of World of Warcraft, this is the first game that I can see challenging it. It's hitting a different genre, it's doing things that Warcraft is not, and it will still have all the MMO conventions--PVP, crafting, guilds and raiding are all planned.

SW: TOR - Developer Blog

by Myrthos, 01:28

At the Star Wars The Old Republic site principal Lead Combat Designer Damion Schubert talks about creating the Trooper class.

It was a tense day in the combat design pit. We had completed the first pass of our new character class, the Republic Trooper, and had made it available for the team to play. As part of the process of class development, we run internal playtests and gather feedback from volunteers who offer their time. After our first such playtest with the Trooper, we anxiously gathered around a computer, watching survey results trickle in. We were somewhat nervous. The Trooper is a true design challenge. He has no Force powers to lean on; he doesn’t have a wide array of sexy lightsaber moves. While heavily armored, we didn’t want that armor to provide the Swiss army knife flexibility built into the Bounty Hunter’s power suit. The Trooper is simpler–he has a really big gun and a variety of ways to wreak havoc with it. How would people respond?

They responded well–far better than we imagined, in fact. The scores that day were the highest we had seen to date. It turns out there are a lot of people who like to blow things up. And that’s what the Trooper does best.

Friday - June 05, 2009

SW: TOR - E3 Demonstration Report @ Massively

by Myrthos, 12:50

Massively have a write up on the Star Wars: The Old Republic demonstration given at E3.

The entire presentation laid a significant emphasis on story and story elements. Right from the beginning, the developers lay out it: RPGs have four primary elements. Exploration, combat, progression, and story. The story element is the one most overlooked in MMOs, and The Old Republic intends to address that head on. They intend to embrace story right alongside the other RPG elements. It will be a major player, and not something just used to justify the other elements.

The presentation switched to live footage of the Bounty Hunter class that we've seen before. Again, the development team sets the stage: Your are a Bounty Hunter on Hutta, trying to gain entry into the Mandalorian Hunt, the contest in which the Mandalorians search for the greatest Bounty Hunters in the galaxy. The presenter laid out some of the design goals with this campaign: Make the Bounty Hunter feel true to the universe. The bounty hunter's drive is a personal one, and their actions are mercenary in nature.

When this scene began, we were given a firsthand look at what BioWare meant by a "fully voiced" MMO. Each and every character has dialogue, and they speak back and forth in a natural way. Player characters and NPCs alike speak to one another for story events. Right off the bat, all of the characters that are introduced have an obvious personality. There is no dry quest text, it's all cinematic in nature. The Bounty Hunter is faced with some of his first decisions, and the point is made once again that your decisions will impact how characters treat you down the road.

 

Wednesday - June 03, 2009

SW: TOR - E3 Demo Report @ Ten Ton Hammer

by Myrthos, 22:18

The staff of Ten Ton Hammer got to see the demo of Star Wars The Old Republic while they were at E3 and had, amongst others, this to say:

Our first look at the game while at E3 2009 began with a trailer of the sacking of Coruscant. Fast paced and action packed, the Sith make it clear they are here to wreak havoc with the Dark Side as their ally. As is the case in all BioWare games, story and character choices make all the difference in the world. TOR will be one of the first MMOs to use full voice over capabilities. Your responses are in text but only briefly and help to drive the story line in the game. BioWare uses its classic cut scene format to give players a heroic journey in the Old Republic.

We got a first look at the planet Hutta, home of the notorious gangsters the Hutts. The Bounty Hunter class was shown off and the team was quick to explain that they want players to truly feel the badass storyline, which can definitely draw some parralels Boba Fett. The class has great features to blast foes, use jump packs, rockets, and even fire a deadly flame thrower that works as a crowd control device. We later saw the Bounty Hunter working in full effect with a Sith as they took on an Imperial ships entire crew after the captain disobeyed a direct Grand Moff order. Team work counts, but the two classes made some nasty work of any opponents.

 

Tuesday - June 02, 2009

SW: TOR - Deceived Cinematic Trailer & Smuggler Class Reveal

by Woges, 11:45

Bioware have released a cinematic trailer for the Sacking of Coruscant.

The Sacking of Coruscant. It was the crowning achievement of the Sith Empire’s ambitious military strategy and the moment that changed the history of the Old Republic forever. You may have read about it before, but our first cinematic trailer captures this event with breathtaking action and beautiful detail.

Republic leaders have traveled to Alderaan to engage in promised peace talks with the Sith Empire. The most powerful Jedi have accompanied them to safeguard against an Imperial deception. The Empire’s real motive, however, was simply to lure the Republic’s strongest defenders away from Coruscant and set the stage for an audacious attack. Under the command of Lord Angral, the Sith fleet approaches the Republic’s capital planet for the first time in centuries. In advance of the fleet, the strongest Sith Warriors have flown a stolen Republic ship into Coruscant’s orbit. Their mission is critical – to destroy the planet’s defense grid mainframe hidden in the heart of the Jedi Temple.

Gamespot have the exclusive look at the Smuggler that reveals full voice acting for the game, and an active cover system.

Dallas Dickinson:We are showing a lot of "MMO Firsts" at E3, the biggest of which is the fact that we are the first-ever fully voiced MMO (both players and non-player characters have full voice throughout the game). This is one of the largest voice-over projects in the history of games--we're taking storytelling in MMOs to the next level, with real cinematic conversation. We're also giving the first in-game look at a couple of classes (the bounty hunter and the smuggler) and a few planets (Hutta and Ord Mantell). The smuggler class utilizes a dynamic cover system in combat, which is also a first for the MMO space. Finally, we're going to show one of our "flashpoints" to demonstrate the amount of real-player choice that we offer in The Old Republic.

Saturday - May 30, 2009

SW: TOR - Creating the Republic Trooper Video

by Myrthos, 00:45

The Star Wars: The Old Republic site shares some information about the creation of the republic trooper by means of a video.

 

Friday - May 15, 2009

SW: TOR - Timeline 2: The Mandalorian Blockade is Broken

by Woges, 18:31

Bioware have released the next timeline voiced by Lance Henriksen.

As part of his accounting of recent events in the galaxy’s timeline, Master Gnost-Dural, Keeper of the Jedi Archives, has entered a new holorecord on the subject of the Mandalorian Blockade.

BTC 7 - A Mandalorian blockade is positioned along the Republic’s primary trade route resulting in famine and unrest amongst the colonies. A daring smuggler known as Hylo Visz attempts the unthinkable, to take down the intimidating fleet of Mandalorian ships and deliver the much needed goods to the people of Coruscant.

Watch the second holorecord entry, The Mandalorian Blockade is Broken, narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.

Friday - May 08, 2009

SW: TOR - Trooper Class Revealed

by Woges, 18:01

Bioware reveal the next playable class for TOR. There is also a Q&A on the class at Gamespot.

We are excited to reveal the next playable character class in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – the Trooper!

The Trooper is an elite combat specialist in the Republic military armed with heavy blaster rifles and nearly impenetrable armor designed by the military’s top engineers. Trained to beat almost any odds, the Trooper battles deep behind enemy lines to carry out precise, hard hitting strikes against the enemy, with a barrage of blaster-fire and a few carefully aimed firebombs. Even Sith Lords are wise to think twice before engaging in combat with the Trooper—this is what it means to be one of the Republic’s finest.

Learn more about the Trooper class and check out the latest Trooper inspired wallpapers!

Sunday - May 03, 2009

SW: TOR - Diverse Worlds

by Woges, 14:36

Latest video preview is up with a look at previous announced planets.

Majestic forests, toxic swamplands, desert landscapes, and hazardous war zones – the worlds that make up the Star Wars™ universe are unique and enriched with compelling storylines. Watch Developer Dispatch: Diverse Worlds and go behind the scenes to find out how the developers are bringing the worlds of Tython, Korriban, Hutta, and Ord Mantell to life – a few of the many playable worlds in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.

Wednesday - April 29, 2009

SW: TOR - Apology

by Woges, 15:45

Following up on the homosexual debate, Sean Dahlberg apologises to “Elikal” and any others that were offended. Thanks to Ellie Gibson, once again, for pointing this out.

I would like to personally apologize to “Elikal” and anyone I may have offended. My intention was not to demean anyone but simply to help promote a community that could discuss topics in a mature fashion. When I first built the word filter list, I added a variety of terms to the word filter that have been used numerous times in derogatory messaging. There were some words added to the filter that should not have been – we corrected this today. I apologize for the confusion that this has created but I would like to be clear that there was never any intent to limit discussion. That said, I have overstepped my boundaries in my original statement and I sincerely apologize for doing so.

-Sean

Source: EuroGamer

Tuesday - April 28, 2009

SW: TOR - No Homosexuality

by Woges, 12:09

Ellie Gibson writes up on some forum rules on the offical TOR forums, funny, considering GL's strange lolita ideas.

BioWare has banned users of the Knights of the Old Republic forum from discussing the subject of homosexuality.

Some threads had been set up discussing the potential issues around gay relationships within the game. The threads have since been locked, and the words "homosexual", "lesbian" and "gay" are censored on the forum.

Even discussions of the ban are being locked. At the bottom of the thread "GLBT discrimination in forums?", community manager Sean Dahlberg wrote, "As I have stated before, these are terms that do not exist in Star Wars. Thread closed."

Saturday - April 18, 2009

SW: TOR - Ord Mantell

by Woges, 15:35

Bioware previews the planet Ord Mantell for SW:TOR.

Get to know Ord Mantell, the latest planet revealed in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. Plagued with civil war between the Republic military and Separatist guerillas, Ord Mantell is a hazardous planet with a story riddled with battle and political conflict.

Read more about the history of Ord Mantell and how the former home to an advanced military depot and popular spaceport base turned to a breeding ground for rebellion.

Make sure to check out concept art and screenshots from the game depicting Ord Mantell’s war-torn scenery.

And don’t forget to outfit your desktop with a new downloadable Ord Mantell themed wallpaper!

Saturday - March 28, 2009

SW:TOR - Timeline 1: The Treaty of Coruscant

by Woges, 14:48

Narrated storyboard by Lance Henriksen for Bioware's in development MMO.

Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is set during a unique time period in the galaxy’s history. Decades of war concluded with the Sith Empire sacking the Republic’s capital planet, Coruscant, and forcing Republic Senators and the Jedi Council to agree to a painful peace treaty.

In the years following the treaty, the Jedi Council tasked Master Gnost-Dural, Keeper of the Jedi Archives, with re-examining the galaxy’s history in light of recent events. In his insightful reports, Master Gnost-Dural established a new galactic timeline that became an educational reference for years to come… the very same years in which Star Wars: The Old Republic takes place.

In his first entry, Master Gnost-Dural recounts the events immediately prior to the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant – the turning point in the Republic’s recent history.

Watch Timeline 1: The Treaty of Coruscant narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.

Saturday - March 21, 2009

SW:TOR - Fettish

by Woges, 02:40

After the Bounty Hunter inspired doc 2 video, Bioware have the produced the lowdown on the class.

We are proud to announce the first playable character class revealed in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, the Bounty Hunter.

An infamous mercenary of the Star Wars™ universe, the Bounty Hunter’s journey is ruthless yet rewarding. Deadly missions and assassinations are just part of the dangerous tasks involved in choosing the Bounty Hunter career path. With missiles and flamethrowers at arm’s reach, the Bounty Hunter uses the latest in advanced armor and weapon technology to carry out these assignments - gaining not only money, but notoriety as a reward.

Access more data about the Bounty Hunter! And make sure to deck out your desktop with our newest wallpaper!

Monday - March 16, 2009

SW:TOR - Community Focus @ RPG Vault

by Dhruin, 21:04

BioWare Austin's Community Manager Sean Dahlberg writes about the field of community management at RPG Vault, although the letter has little to do with SW: ToR directly.

Saturday - March 14, 2009

SW:TOR - Video Documentary #2

by Woges, 20:09

New video doc of the story and setting of SW:TOR.

We are excited to release our second Video Documentary for Star Wars™: The Old Republic.

Set 300 years after the events of Star Wars™: Knights of the Old Republic™ and thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader, the setting of The Old Republic is a relatively unexplored timeframe in the Star Wars™ canon. This allows a significant amount of freedom to create an epic storyline that will allow players to make ethical decisions and become immersed in their personal Star Wars saga.

Watch as the LucasArts and BioWare teams reveal how Story and Setting will enhance the player experience.

The second part of the online comic is out also.

The second issue of Threat of Peace™ take us to the frontlines in the Sith Empire’s assault on Coruscant. After destroying the planet’s satellite security stations, the Sith armada begins its attack on the planet’s surface. Lord Angral personally leads a strike team to confront some of the Republic’s bravest defenders and assault the Senate Tower. Meanwhile, Sith warships begin their bombardment of the Jedi Temple.

Check out the latest issue of Threat of Peace now.

Friday - February 27, 2009

SW:TOR - First Issue of Web-Comic Released

by Woges, 16:34

Bioware have started to release their on-line comic for SW:TOR.

Check out the first issue of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ online comic, Threat of Peace™. Dark Horse has joined forces with LucasArts and BioWare™ to create a new comic series, published online, to introduce fans to The Old Republic. The comic features action-packed, character-driven episodes written by BioWare’s Rob Chestney and published by Dark Horse.

War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire has gripped the galaxy for decades, but the sacking of Coruscant and a subsequent peace treaty are changing everything. As the Republic scrambles to re-establish order, the Sith Empire moves quickly to consolidate power within its new dominion. Behind closed doors, however, individual Sith Lords engage in a quiet but deadly power struggle, and discord breaks out among the Jedi as they wrestle with the moral implications of the new galactic balance. During these chaotic days, the stories of several critical characters interweave as they pursue their passions, stand up for their convictions, and ultimately lead the galaxy back to the brink of a catastrophic conflict.

Issues of the comic will be released twice a month. Stay tuned and follow the storyline to its dramatic conclusion which sets the stage for the players’ entrance into the game. Read the first issue of Threat of Peace now!

Source: Blues News

Saturday - February 14, 2009

SW:TOR - Hutta

by Woges, 04:27

Bioware's latest preview is on Hutta: the world of the Hutts (no less).

We’re thrilled to announce the next playable planet in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, the Hutt homeworld known in The Old Republic timeframe as Hutta. Nowhere in Star Wars™ lore has Hutta been so richly realized, and players will be able to explore the first true interactive realization of the “Glorious Jewel”.

Read more about Hutta and its rich history including the long standing tension between the rebellious Evocii natives and the greedy, power-hungry Hutt Empire.

View the concepts of Hutta’s harsh, polluted environments and see how the development team brought Hutta to life in these screenshots.

Sunday - February 08, 2009

SW:TOR - Online Comic

by Woges, 01:47

Bioware announce a Dark Horse online comic that depicts critical events before the start of the game. Read the full announcement here.

FEBRUARY 6, NEW YORK – Dark Horse has joined forces with LucasArts and BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), to create a new comic series, published entirely online, to introduce both the gaming and comics worlds to the upcoming massively multiplayer online game Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. Debuting this month, Star Wars: The Old Republic - Threat of Peace will feature action-packed, character-driven episodes written by BioWare’s Rob Chestney and published by Dark Horse. The stories will span the three decades from the pivotal signing of the Treaty of Coruscant to critical events at the beginning of the game.

War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire has gripped the galaxy for generations, but the sacking of Coruscant and a subsequent peace treaty are changing everything. As the Republic scrambles to re-establish order, the Sith Empire moves quickly to consolidate power within its new dominion. Behind closed doors, however, individual Sith Lords engage in a quiet but deadly power struggle, and discord breaks out among the Jedi as they wrestle with the moral implications of the new galactic balance. During these chaotic days, the stories of several critical characters interweave as they pursue their passions, stand up for their convictions and ultimately lead the galaxy back to the brink of a catastrophic conflict.

Monday - February 02, 2009

SW:TOR - The Making of Tython

by Woges, 22:02

Bioware update the offical site with The Making of Tython.

Join us for our first Developer Dispatch: The Making of Tython, with developer interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and breathtaking, never-before-seen concept art. Journey through Tython, the planet where the first Force users assembled and the Jedi Order was established. Discover how writers, artists, designers, and other developers came together to create one of the most essential planets in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.

Make sure to keep an eye out for more Developer Dispatches in the future! We’ll continue our tour through the BioWare Austin Studio and give you a deeper look inside the production of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Friday - January 23, 2009

SW:TOR - Media Update

by Woges, 22:01

Bioware have some new screens up on the offical site.

This week we’d like to show you some of the action on Korriban and Tython. Our brave Jedi fights an Acklay while elsewhere a Mon Calamari confronts a Gran traitor. Check out the new screenshots.

Sunday - January 11, 2009

SW:TOR - Concept Art and Forum Avatars

by Myrthos, 22:42

On The Old Republic site some concept art can be found for the various creatures that will be part of the Star Wars game, including some that can be used as forum avatars.

Sunday - January 04, 2009

SW:TOR - Stylized Realism

by Myrthos, 23:15

The official Star Wars: The Old Republic site has an editorial on what they call 'stylized realism', which shows some of the artwork that is being used in the game.

The overarching goal of the art for Star Wars: The Old Republic is to bring concept art paintings to life in 3D. This goal has led the artists to forego the use of photographs for surface textures in favor of hand-painting every asset. The concept art also drove the game art to match its heroic and idealized proportions of the characters and environments. Part of remaining true to the classic big screen vision of Star Wars™ is not only to look like it, but also to ensure that the art feels like it on the small screen. There is a fine line to follow in being true to the realistic expectations that we inherit from the movies while making style choices that will play well on the computer screen. This distillation of the Star Wars vision through a painters eye and a fan’s heart forms the core of the visual direction of the game.

Sunday - December 28, 2008

SW:TOR - 8 Screens @ Worthplaying

by Magerette, 19:07

I don't venture over onto this side of the fence very often, but our MMO staff is having a well-deserved holiday. Just so you know you haven't been forgotten over here, here's a link to what I hope are some new screenshots for Bioware's MMO in progress, Star Wars:The Old Republic.

Friday - December 12, 2008

SW:TOR - Video Documentary

by Woges, 22:45

First early in game footage of SW:TOR.

BioWare® and LucasArts™ share the vision for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ in our first video documentary, complete with new concepts, new screenshots, and real-time pre-production gameplay video. Hear about the approach to storytelling straight from The Old Republic’s Creative Director and Lead Designer James Ohlen and Principal Lead Writer Daniel Erickson, and watch Art Director Jeff Dobson discuss the aesthetic appeal of stylized realism. Watch the latest video documentary and experience the “look and feel” of Star Wars: The Old Republic now!

Saturday - December 06, 2008

SW:TOR - Story

by Woges, 00:09

Bioware have updated their offical site with a piece on story-telling in MMOs.

Creating great stories in video games is a hallmark for both BioWare and LucasArts. Star Wars: The Old Republic marks the beginning of a joint effort between these two companies to bring epic storytelling into a massively multiplayer online game. We believe that there are four pillars of the roleplaying experience: progression, exploration, combat, and story. Achieving a high degree of quality in each of these will create a rich, challenging, and emotional gameplay experience. Among massively-multiplayer online games, story hasn’t always received the same level of attention given to the other pillars. Star Wars: The Old Republic brings a new dimension to the MMO experience by putting story front and center.

Friday - November 28, 2008

SW:TOR - James Ohlen Interview (part 2) @ Inc Gamers

by Woges, 21:03

The second part of Inc Gamers interview is up.

Considering the combat system, is it correct to say it's works a bit like the Matrix Online system where the game shows you the result of your actions?

We haven’t talked much about the combat system so far, and there’s certainly no specific combat system that I’d compare it to at this time, but I will say that we’re focused on creating a really dynamic, visceral combat experience. We want every battle to be really fun, and I think we’ve already created a really impressive system, but we’re not done refining it. One other point I can make about combat at this time is that we want it to look very “Star Warsy”. When you swing your lightsaber at an enemy, they’ll either block it, dodge it, or it’ll make contact and that contact will be very attention-getting. What we don’t want are instances where the only way you can tell what’s going on in combat is by looking at the numbers, the animations and effects will show you what’s happening. When you see some gameplay video, you’ll see that combat is not only exciting to take part of, it’s also stunning to simply watch.

Source: GameBanshee

SW: TOR - Screen Shots on Offical Site

by Woges, 15:48

Bioware have some new screens for TOR up.

Take a sneak peek inside Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ with the latest batch of gameplay screenshots. We’ve added seven new images including Sith and Jedi battles, companion characters, and the scenic environments from the planets of Tython and Korriban. Enjoy!

Thursday - November 27, 2008

SW:TOR - James Ohlen Interview @ Inc Gamers

by Woges, 15:49

George Lucas has given feedback on the game that'll probably have Smugglers and Bounty Hunters.

So far only the Jedi and Sith classes have been announced, but in the fact sheet you also mentioned the new elite troopers of the Republic. Are those going to be a third class? And if they are, what are they going to be like? I imagine them a little bit like a Jango Fett kind of class.

We haven’t actually announced any specific classes yet. We have said there will be Sith and Jedi classes, but we haven’t given details yet. With all the classes, though, we’re trying to make them representative of the heroes from the movies. We want you to experience your Star Wars fantasy. That fantasy may not be to become a Jedi or Sith, but there will be a role in this game for you, whether Han Solo is your idol or Boba Fett. What we said in terms of Republic elite military forces is only that since the Jedi have withdrawn from Coruscant, a new breed of Special Forces has risen up to take the lead as the official defenders of the Republic. Whether these soldiers are a playable class… you’ll have to wait to find out.

Source: Blues News

Monday - November 10, 2008

SW: tOR - Preview @ CVG

by Asbjoern, 23:39

CVG have made PC Zone's revelation of BioWare's MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic in its 200th and 201st issues available for online reading.

Space will exist in some fashion too (rather than being a mere swooshy loading screen between locations), but again BioWare aren't keen to lift the lid on exactly how it will be implemented. One thing is certain, and that is that there'll be times when you'll be flying in space. If that's not enough information for you, well I honestly don't know what to say.
You'll be visiting all of Star Wars' most iconic worlds, in care-free Han Solo-esque romps across the galaxy. 
If you think this is sounding more like a single player RPG than a persistent online game, that's because it really does, The Old Republic is deeply rooted in BioWare's experience in offline adventuring. Even the company's morality system has survived the genre transition, pegging you as a light or dark character based on your actions, regardless of your chosen faction. Even in the first few hours of the game the quests will have multiple outcomes based on player choice. Those outcomes will impact on the story, something no popular MMO has ever attempted.

Source: Blues News

Saturday - November 01, 2008

SW:TOR - Daniel Erickson Interview @ Gamasutra

by Woges, 01:04

Bioware Austin's lead writer interviewed on Gamasutra. Confirms once again that this is bigger than all of Bioware's previous games content put together and the writer count is past the previous twelve stated.

Internally is that how you guys are thinking about this game?

DE: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, that's the goal, right? We want people to play this game and say, "Wow! I never thought there would be story in an MMO, and there is and I love it and I'm going to play this story forever." That's the big exciting part, right?

Like we have all these classes, and all these classes have their own content, and all this content connects together as you're playing through the different classes. Now you're getting to see and understand different parts of the world that you might have not understood previously.

So by the time you're playing the third class, you can say, "Oh, I get that! That's because of such and such." And you feel smart and you understand the mythos and the world. And hopefully, it will create something that just amazes people and they've never even considered before.

And on the other side, for people who are like, "Wow, God, I really wanted another BioWare game," they have just gotten a little slice of heaven.

Thursday - October 23, 2008

SW:TOR - Q&A @ TTH

by Woges, 17:52

There's a Q&A with a few insights into SWTOR at TTH.

You stated that you're brining "Star Wars combat" to the MMO space. Does that mean you're bringing combat from other games, like Jade Empire or Mass Effect, to the genre?

James: Basically, when we call it Star Wars combat, what we want to bring to the MMO space is combat that feels like it's coming from the Star Wars movies. Typically, MMO combat is very slow and is really caveman combat where you run up to a creature and hit the creature over the head with your weapon.

As you saw from the gameplay movie, we're leaning more towards combat that looks much more visceral and that it could've come from the movie. You've having lightsaber duels and blaster-like combat that is fast-paced and also heroic.

One thing that we don't want to have happen in our game is the situation where you get a bunch of players together to beat up one guy. That's just not very heroic and it's something that we don't want to have happen in our game. We're looking for much more heroic battles where you're the group that's outnumbered. If you think about the movies, the heroes are the ones that are heroic because they're fighting against the odds.

Information about

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Developer: BioWare

SP/MP: Single + MP
Setting: Sci-Fi
Genre: MMORPG
Combat: Real-time
Play-time: Unlimited
Voice-acting: Full

Regions & platforms
Internet
· Homepage
· Platform: PC
· Released: 2012-12-11
· Publisher: LucasArts