“Republic or Empire?” I stared at my friend with a look that only a rage face could express. “What shirt am I wearing?” “Oh…Republic…” We stood in silence for a while. “What class?” “Consular. Jedi Sage to be exact.” Last week as many of you know the press NDA was lifted for levels 1-16 for The Old Republic testers. So this week we’ll be going over the Jedi Consular, and it’s advanced class the Jedi Sage. We’ll try and cover all of the classes before release, but there is a lot to do so let’s dive right in shall we? Story: The Jedi Consular’s story is rumored to be the best one in the game. The story starts you off by doing various padawon duties, until your master falls ill and you find yourself thrown into the status of Jedi and stumble upon something much greater than you had anticipated….
Electronic Arts 2Q FY12 Earnings Call Recap
Electronic Arts held its Q2 2012 earnings conference call today and here they discussed with their shareholders as well as industry analysts the predictions of potential revenue from SWTOR. Now that we have a definite release date for SWTOR of December 20, 2011, there is more to be talked about in the earnings call. Past earning calls were not able to pinpoint the exact launch date, leaving some things uncertain. COO Peter Moore talks about the SWTOR launch and testing plans: “This is inarguably the most anticipated game of the year, an epic MMO that makes each player the hero of their own Star Wars saga. The Old Republic is in Beta right now and players are blown away by the immersive story, dynamic combat and authentic Star Wars feel.” In regards to testing he said: “In the coming weeks we’ll invite hundreds of thousands of players into our biggest…
SWTOR Impressions from IGN: Setting a Scene
IGN had another great SWTOR update for us today. It was all about “setting a scene” and “finding depth in the Star Wars universe”. So far, their impressions of the SWTOR game and story have been some of the most intricate we’ve found on any of the media sites since the embargo was lifted. While you might not always agree with the gamers/reviewers over at IGN, you still have to respect the way they present the facts- and in a way that gamers can understand and appreciate. Their impressions hold weight, even when you disagree with their opinions and that’s why we’re happy to bring you the most recent update from them. The Old Republic: Setting a Scene- Nick Kolan begins with some basic info on Star Wars The Old Republic and the scene that BioWare is trying to set within the game. “. It’s a place where entire planets…
EA Downplays Old Republic Shortage Fears: Will You Get Your Copy?
Don’t have your pre-order copy of SWTOR yet? Are you worried about not being able to get a copy due to the shortage fears that have been going around? Well, you might not need to worry so much after all. While it’s true that EA said they would be rationing/limiting the sale of the game, they have reassured gamers that they are set on a very ambitious launch. “We’re using our beta test to inform us of what scale that we can handle. Our pre-order campaign is tailored towards how we’re going to do that.” EA Labels boss Frank Gibeau told investors. “We’re looking at a rollout plan that is fairly ambitious. We don’t feel like we’re going to be leading too much demand behind at launch but we definitely are going to be very cautious and thoughtful about how many people we bring on and in what order,” he…
No New SWTOR Game Testing Build This Weekend
While those who had been game testing anxiously await news of when the servers will be back up with the new build, Senior Community Coordinator, Allison Berryman eased the anxiety and let the game testers know that they might as well find something else to do this weekend. There will be no new build over the weekend (October 28th, 29th and 30th). So now that you know it’s official, you can stop refreshing the beta forums over and over and find something else to do. Why don’t we ponder for a bit on what this new build might entail? How close do you think the new game testing build will be to the final version of the game that will launch in less than 60 days? You don’t have to be testing the game right now to join us in speculating what might be in the new build. These are…
Friday Update: Voidstar Warzon
This weeks Friday Update is out and it brings with it a new systems page on the official SWTOR site. TheWarzone Systems page contains details on all three of the available PVP confrontations including a brief description and accompanying video. Those Warzones are: The Voidstar, an assault style Warzone set upon a derelict Imperial Battle Cruiser. One faction attempts to fight its way to access the ship’s data core, while the opposing faction defends the ship and attempts to prevent the other side from reaching the data core. The factions are then switched, with the attackers becoming the defenders. Huttball, an highly tactical Warzone set in a pit-like arena. Teams battle for control of a ball which appears in the center of the arena. The team which collects the ball must run with it, pass it, or use whatever means necessary to carry it across the opposing team’s goal line,…
SWTOR Release 5 Days before Christmas- a Genius Idea?
Now that we finally have a release date for SWTOR, people are talking about the choice of that date. With December 20th, 5 days before Christmas set for launch, could BioWare be onto something special here? Why did BioWare choose this date anyway? We know the launch date was of super importance when it comes to SWTOR but we almost never see blockbuster titles out so close to Christmas, or even in December at all. So what was EA thinking with this decision? The guys over at Mad Tang have a theory on this topic. A snippet: “It doesn’t matter when the game is released there will be a line out the door to pick up every copy. People are going to do whatever they have to to get a copy of this game. Nerds will fight other nerds during the last minute Christmas rush in epic battles to get…
Abbreviations and Acronyms for SWTOR: Do You Have Your SWTOR Dictionary Handy?
The much-anticipated launch of SWTOR is on the way in less than 2 months now- are you ready? If you don’t know all the lingo, then you might not be as ready as you thought you were. Maybe you thought you already knew all there was to know about SWTOR but if you’re new to the game, there is one thing you will notice- the lingo is full of abbreviations and acronyms. This is pretty typical of an MMO or any video game for that matter, but if you want to know what’s going on and avoid looking like a SWTOR newb, then you need to crash course on what the big ones mean (unless you plan on pulling out the SWTOR dictionary each time you play). Luckily, someone has already done all the hard work for you and compiled a full list of SWTOR and MMORPG abbreviations and acronyms…
SWTOR Guild Ranking and Progressions
Is your guild registered for SWTOR? Do you know what you will be playing? What type of server will you be on? Will servers be faction balanced? These are all great questions for anyone looking to play SWTOR. With less than 2 months to launch, we can expect to learn a lot of the data that is out now and how that will change once release comes. A lot of people are still decided on what they are going to play so the hopes are that the sides and the classes will balance themselves out more post-launch. However, early figures we have seen from multiple sources are showing a clear imbalance on sides and there is a website set up that shows this perfectly. There are some interesting statistics found on SWTOR Progress about guilds and who will be playing what. World stats show 39,370 people as “Undecided Empire” and…
SWTOR Game Testing Forums to Merge to One Forum
While SWTOR game testers wait around for the servers to be back up once again, they check the forums regularly for any updates. Some, I’m sure, are obsessively refreshing their browsers, awaiting the news that the newest game client will be ready and they can once again resume playing their favorite game before official launch. Today, there was news in the beta forums but it wasn’t about the servers being back up. Instead, Allison Berryman, Senior Community Coordinator, had news about the SWTOR game testing forums and upcoming changes. She made this post, explaining that while the new build is not here yet, there will be changes to the testing forum structure. From the time the new build is available (which it isn’t yet), all testers will share the same testing forums. This means all players will see English, French and German testing forums. This might actually be good news…
Random House Releases Revan Novel Excerpt
Good news for Revan fans today! Random House posted an excerpt of Chapter One from Revan, Drew Karpyshyn‘s upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic novel. This is an add-on from the synopsis we previously reported this week. The book, which goes on sale November 15, 2011, is a must-read for SWTOR lore fans or anyone who follows Star Wars story or Karpyshyn’s work. Here in the excerpt, you can learn more about the environment and the people of Dromund Kass, and learn more about Lord Scourge. The novel synopsis is also available here, along with a bio of the author if you’re not familiar with his work. Check it out for a sneak peek at Chapter One and let us know what you think. Visit the Random House site to read the full excerpt. More from us about Revan: Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan Revan Mini Excerpts Drew Karpyshyn…
A New SWTOR Flashpoint – The Hammer – Has Been Released
More big news about SWTOR from IGN; a new flashpoint has been released and they are here to tell us something about it. IGN writes today about The Hammer, SWTOR’s newest flashpoint and what we can all expect from it: “The Hammer, a separate Flashpoint set on an Empire-controlled superweapon, is more focused on the cooperative aspects of group play. The Flashpoint is set on a massive weapon designed to fire gigantic asteroids indiscriminately at planets, and you have to shut it down.” If you want to learn more about The Hammer and dungeon runs in SWTOR in general, you will love this 1,000+ word write-up from IGN. They give us a complete, honest walk-through of The Hammer. If you’ve had an opportunity to play a flashpoint already, we’re curious what you think about the potential of the newly announced The Hammer, as well. Spoiler Alert: If you don’t want…
‘Oh Lisa’ Interviews Cory Butler at NYCC
Here is a slightly different view from some of the other stuff we covered on NYCC and if you have not seen it yet, it’s worth the four minutes to watch it. ‘Oh Lisa’ Interviews Cory Butler at NYCC Lisa Oh! Actor, host and voiceover artist brings us a fun interview with Cory Butler (Bioware producer) from NYCC and in addition, some interesting and fun feedback on her website about her experience at NYCC and her dive into the world of MMOs with SWTOR. Cute girl- first MMO – fun interview- and apparently she’s going to blog/vlog her path from “MMO Newb to Competent Gamer”, sounds good to me! Lisa says she’s never played an MMORPG before and that she’s excited SWTOR will be her first. She writes: “As part of my jedi training, I went to New York Comic Con to play the beta version of TOR, listen to…
Clever SWTOR Guild Names
Do you think your guild has the coolest name for SWTOR? Is your guild name clever, a play on words, a Star Wars pun or something else you deem awesome? Anexxia over at Inquisitor’s Roadhouse says: “Every so often, as you are traveling about in a game world, you come upon a guild name that makes you giggle, or even laugh out loud. Inevitably, if I am able to quickly stop and do so, I tweet out the cool guild name and then go about my business.” To this, I wholeheartedly agree but just like Anexxia, I also agree that Tweets get lost in time and it’s a much better idea to have all of your great SWTOR guild names in one list in one location so you can see, gloat, laugh and admire them all at once. And that is exactly what Anexxia has done in this blog post….
Species of Starwars: Jawa
Jawas are diminutive humanoids from the rim world of Tatooine, often described as “rodent-like”, and speaking in a randomly variable language that is very difficult for outsiders to decipher, when they want it to be so. Little is known of their physiology, but they are believed to be natives of Tatooine, along with the larger “Sand People” (also known as Tusken Raiders). Some xenologists have theorized that Jawas have human origins. The normal body temperature of a Jawa is 116 degrees, and the only feature usually seen of a Jawa is a pair of glowing amber eyes peeking out from under its cowl. They are best known as scavengers of the desert, traveling in huge, lumbering machines known as sand crawlers, legacies of an earlier era when Tatooine was home to massive mining operations — When the corporate mining operations closed, the tracked mining/processing vehicles were left behind, and claimed…
SWTOR Impressions from a Veteran MMORPG Player
I’ve mentioned before that I have played a lot of MMORPGs. We’re talking years of games- free to play, subscription based, betas and more. I’ve tried every MMORPG I can get my hands on and surprisingly, really enjoyed some of the oddball ones that my friends had never heard of. Since we’re coming up on SWTOR release soon, I thought it was a good time for a write-up on SWTOR compared to other MMORPGs. A lot of my friends and guidlies keep asking me what I think so here we go. The sci-fi genre of MMORPGs takes up a very small piece of the pie compared to your typical medieval genre. This fact alone sets SWTOR apart from the sea of other games out there today. So what other aspects set it apart and in what ways is it similar to other MMORPGs? TOR is not so far different from…
Ultimate SWTOR Trailer Remix by Awall, ft. Atlas Plug
Today we have a special treat for your visual and audio senses. A great SWTOR trailer remix from Awall- excellent for SWTOR fans. It’s 5 minutes of awesomeness you’re going to want to play again and again.
Facebook Image of the Week #35
It’s wednesday again and BioWare have added a new screenshot to the official Star Wars the old republic Facebook page. This time it’s a really interesting screenshot as we get to see how the jedi temple looks like ( from the out side) after the Sith had fun with it – remember the first cinematic trailer from back in 2009? Once home to the Jedi Archives, the Jedi Temple on Coruscant now lays in ruin years after the Sith’s sacking of Coruscant.
SWTOR Strategies Turns 3 Years Old
Will you be around to celebrate with us on November 3rd? We’re having a birthday here soon as the site turns three years old! This is our very first post ever on the site- have you read it yet? Back then, we were talking about the announcement of SWTOR. Details were still coming in and we didn’t know a lot about it yet. All we knew was the title and obviously, the theme and that it would be an MMORPG. After what many people considered to be the failure of Star Wars Galaxies, gamers were super pumped about SWTOR. Do you remember when you first heard about SWTOR? Where did you hear about it? What did you think? My first thought was “I’m so excited!” and my second thought was “I hope they don’t screw it up!” Three years later, we are nearly there to launch date and so…
What will you be playing to level 50 first?
Most everyone planning to play SWTOR is asking the question, “What will you play?” I know I get asked pretty regularly on my Twitter and Facebook and by real-life friends and buddies from other games. The big question is “Are you playing SWTOR?” followed up with “What are you going to play to 50 first?” A poll on the official forums asked this question and some of the results are not that surprising. Is this because gamers are just that predictable or are certain classes more appealing than others? Let’s take a look at what classes took the top slots for votes. Is it what you would think? Taking the top of the poll is Sith Sorcerer with nearly 14% of the votes. Next in line is Sith Juggernaut with 10.01%. Next is Sith Assassin with Jedi Guardian right behind. At the bottom with the least votes were Gunslinger and…
Star Wars: TOR: Revan Mini-Excerpt part 2
A few weeks ago, we reported that Star Wars Books on Facebook presents their a mini-excerpt from Drew Karpyshyn’s upcoming Darth Revan novel. Now Star Wars Books on Facebook presents their second mini-excerpt from the book: “It’s not enough to secure your silence through threats and blackmail. When we finally move against the Emperor, I want you on our side.” “And how do you intend to convince me?” … “Have you ever heard tales of the Emperor’s childhood?” Scourge shook his head. “I don’t even know what planet he’s from.” “Few people do. He’s hidden his past, because if the truth came to light none would follow him.” The book is scheduled to be released on November 15th, 2011 from Del Rey Books. No official reviews are up from the book yet, but we will keep you informed as they show up.
Jedi Shadow PvP Footage
Russian MMORPG website innrey.ru just released some fresh Jedi Shadow PvP Footage. The video is 20 min long and shoves quite a few interesting find I personally didn’t know yet. Stuff like a Marauder can use a viborblade: Anyways. Enjoy this Solid footage of the shadow/assassin class. Personally this is seriously making me consider rolling one of these for PvP purposes.
Here’s That Phantom Menace 3D Trailer You Haven’t Been Waiting For
Lucasfilm apparently snuck a trailer for their 3D rerelease of Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace into theaters this past weekend, where it played in front of such not-screened-for-critics fare as The Three Musketeers 3D. (Sadly, I missed Musketeers because I was at Paranormal Activity 3 instead, thinking not so much about that movie but rather about the lady who had brought an incessantly screaming infant to a movie made up of little more than cheap jump-scares.) Here is is: It’s a weird trailer, but if you’ll allow me to get even geekier than usual for a second, it’s interesting to see how it takes a very different approach from Episode I’s original trailer (which I still think is pretty impressive, and which I still have fond memories of watching over and over in a friend’s dorm room on her slow-ass computer, looking at every goddamn frame for evidence of how…
Hall Hood and Chris Collins interview
Swedish website bobafett.se had the chance to talk to Hall Hood and Chris Collins, when the guys was in Stockholm for the Nordic Immersion Day Event a few weeks ago. The website is in Swedish but the interview is in English, so it’s definitely worth checking out. Here is a snip: I have to ask about the story itself, what is your favourite story ingame?Hall Hood: I cant choose. I know all the stories and they are great. The reality is our game is such that every class has it’s own unique story. It fulfills its own different fantasy of the Star Wars setting and fills a different niche. So a lot for me depends on what mood I am in on any given day what story I want to play through. That said, I am a smuggler guy. so that is what I want, that is what I enjoy. If push comes to shove I want…