New SWTOR Content Coming

Alongside the announcement of SWTOR going Free to Play in the fall, five new bits of content are coming up. Dates have not been announced yet.

New operation: Terror from Beyond

A raid raid takes us to planet Asation to fight a variety of new bosses and to stop the rise of the "Dread Masters". This operation is one of the things that you will need to be subscribed for to experience. I've been having a lot of fun helping new players complete operations over the past few weeks. Sitting back and experiencing the story backbone of the operation is far more gratifying than blasting through content in an attempt to be first on the server, for me at least.

New warzone: Ancient Hypergate

That new planet, Asation, features here again. With the promise of "new game mechanics" the addition of another warzone is greatly appreciated for anyone who loves PvP. The benefits that Free to Play willbring to PvP are exciting. More players means more time fighting and less time in queues.

New space combat missions

This is a Godsend for anybody who likes space. I find space combat missions to be a great way to make credits ingame. Unfortunately, until now, there have only been a couple of viable missions at level 50. All the lower level missions don't make anywhere near enough credits to bother spending your time on. With 10 new level 50 missions this will no longer be an issue. If you're a Cybertech crafter, start stockpiling ship parts now!

HK-51 Assassin Droid Companion

HK-51 has been hiding in game files since before the game was launched. Players will finally be given the opportunity to participate in an epic story line with this awesome droid as a reward.

Cartel Market and Coins

Although at this time we don't know who is running this Cartel ... is it the Hutts, Bounty Hunters, or do the Jawas have their act together ... but cartel coins will be rewarded to subscribers, for subscribed players, the amount being based on how long you've played for. That's right, if you been a subscriber since launch, you will be paid for every month you subscribed for. Prepare to deck out your toons with some sweet gear.

SWTOR Free to Play This Fall!

With this surprising announcement this morning from EA, the biggest questions are, how will it effect the current subscribers, and why is SWTOR going free to play?

Obviously many people will come to the conclusion that the game must have failed. As an active subscriber, with multiple toons, I can tell you that the population is healthy. Although it's not booming, it's greater than a lot of other MMOs out there. So why go free to play?

The free to play system is what we in sales and marketing refer to as a "puppy dog close". This type of close, as in the end pitch of a sale, is designed for products that a sales rep is confident that the consumer will love once they experience it. And once they have invested time into the game, they'll be more than happy to pull out their credit card and finalize their commitment. Now the free to play system that BioWare are launching for SWTOR gives you full access to the character story line, but only gives you limited access to flashpoints, races, auction houses and other crucial game elements. It also gives you no access to end game operation (raid) content. After you have invested hours with your beloved character, if you want to participate in end game content you will have to subscribe.


After experiencing more than 50% of the class story lines, I can tell you that this is a very strong sales pitch. There is no risk up front for any Star Wars fan to pick up this game. Free to play is going to increase server population and it has the potential to increase profit margins for BioWare. Higher populations means more PvP action and even more people in queues for flashpoints. This provides a greater experience for subscribers. Obviously subscribers will have certain advantages due to access to end game content that the freebies won't, giving them lots of easy kills in PvP - and who doesn't like feeling like a legend?

Rather than trying to cram everything into this one post I will explore the changes that Free to Play will bring to SWTOR over the coming weeks. Here is the official Press Release from EA:

EA Expands Award-Winning MMO Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ with Free-to-Play Option This Fall

New Free-to-Play Option Will Open Up the Critically-Acclaimed MMO from BioWare and LucasArts to Millions of Additional Star Wars™ Fans and Gamers Worldwide

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

BioWare™, a Label of Electronic Arts (EA), announced today that it will be expanding the story-driven, massively multiplayer online game Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ by adding a new Free-to-Play option this fall. This option will give players access to each of the eight iconic Star Wars character class storylines, all the way up to level 50, with certain restrictions*. Unlimited game access, including new higher-level game content and new features, will be made available through individual purchases or through a subscription option.

“Players want flexibility and choice. The subscription-only model presented a major barrier for a lot of people who wanted to become part of The Old Republic™ universe,” said Matthew Bromberg, GM of BioWare Austin.

Jeff Hickman, Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Old Republic added, “Since launch, we’ve been listening to feedback from our fans and adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace. We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.”

Starting this fall, there will be two different ways to play Star Wars: The Old Republic:

Subscription – A service designed for players who want unrestricted access to all the game features via ongoing subscription or by redeeming a Game Time Card. In addition to gaining access to all game content as our current subscribers do now, subscribers will receive ongoing monthly grants of Cartel Coins, the new virtual currency that will be introduced later this fall. Cartel Coins can be used to purchase valuable in-game items including customizable gear and convenience features that will enhance the game play experience.

Free-To-Play – 

The first 50 levels will be Free-to-Play, with restrictions on access to new content and advanced player features. Some restrictions can be “unlocked” with Cartel Coins.

As the first step towards adding the new Free-to-Play option this fall, Star Wars: The Old Republic will go on sale in August for $14.99 USD, including one-month of free subscription.

Current and former players will also find additional benefits as part of this program. BioWare will be increasing the frequency of game content updates, with the first of many new releases coming in August. In addition, current subscribers will receive Cartel Coin grants and qualify for access to special in-game items. Even former players who re-activate now will qualify for special benefits. To learn more about these rewards, please visit www.StarWarstheOldRepublic.com/FREE.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most critically acclaimed MMOs of all time, having won MSNBC’s “Game of the Year” award in 2011, “Editor’s Choice” awards from IGN, PC Gamer and “Best MMO of 2011” awards from Game Informer, GameSpy, AOL Massively, Ten Ton Hammer and more. The game is set thousands of years before the classic Star Wars movies, with the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire locked in the middle of an epic, galactic war. Players choose one of eight iconic Star Wars character classes, including the Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Trooper, Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Agent, becoming the hero or villain of their own personal Star Wars saga.

Game Update 1.2 "Legacy" Video in HD

Star Wars Game Update 1.2 "Legacy" Video in HD

This Video looks at:

WarZone: Novare Coast
Operation: Explosive conflict
Flashpoint: The Lost Island
Expanded Legacy System
Legacy Family Tree
Legacy Abilities
Legacy Unlocks
Legacy Species Unlocks
Advances Options
UI Customization
Improved Character Textures
Appearance Customization
Mission Tracker Useables
Warzone Rankings
New Corellia Daily Missions
New Mini Pets
Guild Banks
New Gear

Flashpoints: Do's and Don'ts

Hey guys and gals, just thought I'd list a few of the basic rules when looking for Flashpoints and getting into a group to do them.

First of all what are Flashpoints?  For the most part Flashpoints are important story line sequences which offer a social and entertaining side line away from your normal missions. Flashpoint couriers usually take the form of Droids on the Imperial or Republic Space stations and are also scattered around various planets as well.

Flashpoints are level based. The first one is found as you leave your starting planet where you have learned the basics of combat and how to play your character.

Do's

1) Try to get into a balanced group, for example a tank, healer and a couple of dps. The beginning one is reasonably easy and will give you a basic understanding of group encounters.

2) Try to be understanding of new players and be as helpful as possible.  These encounters are not the standard "dungeons" that most WoW players are used to and the roles required by each player can change during a Flashpoint. Sometimes a player will be needed to off-tank or interrupt special abilities; other times they might just need to do as much dps as possible.

3) Listen to the story lines and enjoy them.  Obviously repeated occurrences of the same Flashpoint will make you want to skip through options but be courteous to players who haven't done the Flashpoint before and want to listen to the story line.

4) Asking people if they would like to join should never be a problem. Most likely you will notice in the general chat multiple people asking for members to specific encounters. Sometimes people tend to ignore this chat and sometimes getting asked to come do a Flashpoint can be a nice breather from missions etc.

5) Enjoy yourself.

[Editor's addition 6) don't go AFK without at least informing the group if an emergency comes up.]

Dont's

1) Be rude or overbearing. Obvious reasons.

2) Actually most people should know how to behave so I won't go into these issues of etiquette.

3) Don't be scared to ask questions on how to better play your character in an encounter. Some people will no doubt not expect this and may act rude or unaccommodating but the majority of people will see this as an opportunity to try and work together.

4) Don't be afraid to try new things.

[Editor's addition: 5) don't start a Flashpoint if you know you won't have the time to finish it, unless you've cleared it with the group first]

These listings are pretty much commonsense but one important thing I've noticed about all of the Flashpoints I've done so far is that they are far more geared towards the social aspect of the game with gaining social points and unique pieces of gear, than that of gaining or farming experience. Quite frankly some of these encounters are very long and you should only do them if you have the time and want some unique entertainment and social activity. [Editor's addition: be prepared to set aside up to two hours]