Until a few weeks ago I hadn't even heard of Funcom's upcoming MMO, The Secret World. I have been too wrapped up with what has been happeing in Star Wars The Old Republic and Diablo 3. Maybe I had blinkers on, or maybe I had just missed the original hype when this game was announced.
When I first saw the trailors I was intrigued. Here is an MMO that offers a variation to the leveling grind that most other MMOs force you into. Not only that, the setting is the very world we live in. You can be you, with super powers. That was enough to make me want to play this game.
I'm not the type of gamer who creates characters they want to look at as they play (like guys creating sexy, skimpily clad Night Elfs). All my characters over the years have been avatars of myself, although in most cases, a little bit more buff! Here I am in The Secret World.
The Secret World gives you the choice of three different factions (Dragon, Illuminati and Templars) but all factions give you the same character creation options. So apart from the background setting of the character creation screen, the faction doesn't make any difference to the type of character you can create and how they look.
Hello everyone, we wanted to let you know that we will be performing scheduled maintenance for four hours on Tuesday, June 26th, 2012 from 2AM CDT (12AM PDT/3AM EDT/8 AM BST/9AM CEST/5PM AEST) until 6AM CDT (4AM PDT/7AM EDT/12PM BST/1PM CEST/9PM AEST). All game servers and SWTOR.com will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than four hours, but could be extended.
Game Update 1.3: Allies introduces new features for all Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ players including a Group Finder tool, Legacy Perks, Ranked Warzones, and Adaptive Gear! Now you will be able to quickly find groups to take on Flashpoints, Operations, Warzones, and Planetary Heroic Missions. The Legacy System incorporates new bonuses including Advancement Perks which allows you to customize your leveling experience. With Adaptive Gear, social gear can now be used in combat, by fusing it with corresponding armor bonuses and creating slots for modifications. These are just a few of many exciting features of Allies! Learn more about Game Update 1.3 here!
After this maintenance is over, restart the game launcher to patch to Game Update 1.3.
Scheduled Maintenance
Date: Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
Time: 2AM CDT (12AM PDT/3AM EDT/8 AM BST/9AM CEST/5PM AEST) until 6AM CDT (4AM PDT/7AM EDT/12PM BST/1PM CEST/9PM AEST).
All game servers and SWTOR.com will be offline during this period. This maintenance is expected to take no more than four hours.
Thank you for your patience as we maintain service for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.
I finished the last one Jedi Knight last night and I love the way it all turned out. Our companion pages get thousands of hits a day and optimizing them has been a big job. I am still working on "the looks of" for all our lady companions and hope a new one this week.
This will be my first beta weekend in The Secret World (TSW) and I must admit that I am really looking forward to it. I'm really hoping TSW will be a refreshing break from the classic leveling system found in so many MMOs and I'm not locked down to any one particular class from the get go. All players get to choose 7 passive and 7 active skills and you get to pick those 14 skills out of 500. The variety of skills cover everything from magic spells and shields, right down to a basic shotgun and ax use. The system actually kind of reminds me of what Star Wars Galaxies was like at the start. It allowed you to mix and match a variety of different abilities. The Secret World seems to take it to a completely different level, giving you unlimited access to all 55o skills and not locking you into any particular sets like the class system does. Imagine taking all your favorite skills from your WoW hunter and combining them with your favorite skills from your Druid and Warrior to make one uber cat tank with a pet. That's kind of the idea the developers have in The Secret World.
I love playing around with Adobe, and wanted some new backgrounds for my new PC, so I took a break from gaming and this is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy them! One for my Rebel friends and two for you Sith scum! :)
Right click and open in new window to get the full size image.
Ryan from West Coast Customs reveals Darth Vader’s ride to the team at Industrial Light & Magic. This thing is Amazing! Check out the video for more on this car!
Gold post on Transfers This will help a lot of players and will fix the PVP on lots of servers.
06.06.2012 Character Transfer, Server Populations and You
In a previous Community Q&A we talked about character transfers, and announced that they were coming in early summer. Character transfers are a complex process, but we're almost ready to go. Starting next week on June 12th, 2012, we’re allowing character transfers to occur between selected servers in order to provide a better gameplay experience for our players by ensuring population balance across the service.
Game Update 1.3 is focused around group content, with the Group Finder designed to help you enjoy Flashpoints, Operations and Heroic Missions in groups. However, we know that a Group Finder can only work when there is a large pool of players to draw from on a server. That's why the new Character Transfer Service is important: it will improve the overall player experience by facilitating maximized server populations across the service.
How will it work? Initially we considered allowing players to transfer to any server they wished, or to a variety of different servers. However, on a massive scale, this free-for-all approach causes potential problems. Players who are anxious to ensure they end up on a heavily populated server will naturally flock to what is perceived as the 'biggest' server, potentially over-populating that server. This eventually leads to the exact situation we're trying to move away from. Our aim is to maximize server population across the entire service and to enhance the gameplay experience for our players.
Therefore, we made the decision to strictly limit the initial phase of the Character Transfer Service to only allow transfers from selected groups of origin servers (where you're moving a character from) to selected individual destination servers (where you choose to move a character to) based on the player populations of the origin and destination servers. In some cases, a large number of origin servers will be eligible to move to a single destination server. In others, very few origin servers will be transferring to existing high population destination servers. Remember, the goal here is to push almost every destination server to an active population that's higher.
This process will be gradual and staged over time. Despite huge improvements being made to the Character Transfer Service by our server team, there are millions of characters to be moved and there is a limit to how many can be moved daily. We want your character to be transferred as quickly as possible, but we will need you to be patient as the process completes. Once your transfer starts we estimate it will complete in a few hours, but with the potential volume of transfers occurring, you may find your character is queued for transfer for a while as we deal with the high volume.
We're sure many of you are interested to learn which servers are eligible for outgoing transfers and which servers are eligible to receive transfers. However, because the process will be gradual, we cannot provide that information in advance. Depending on the number of characters transferred, the destination and origin servers eligible for transfer may be altered during the process. We don't want to promise a destination in case it may change. Listings will become available as servers become eligible for transfer. We can tell you that all server types and languages will be respected. You will not find your PvE characters transferred to a PvP server, or vice versa!
There are also some restrictions to this character transfer process , which will be more fully detailed in a forthcoming FAQ. For those who have unlocked Legacy abilities, your Legacy will be transferred to your new server and your unlocks will be available there too. If you have already unlocked your Legacy on your destination server, the higher level Legacy will take precedence. For guild members and masters, you will not be able to transfer your guild as a whole to your new server; instead you will need to reform it. If you have a guild bank, it will be re-granted to your new guild on your destination server by Customer Service. This is not an automatic process and you will have to contact Customer Service directly. If your transferred character’s name conflicts with an existing name on a destination server, you will be asked to rename your character. In the case of Legacy names, unless you have unlocked your Legacy on your destination server, you will need to rename your Legacy upon transfer (although you may pick the same Legacy name as on your origin server, if available).
The next step We believe that by carefully allowing character transfer between select origin and destination servers, players will have a healthier gameplay experience. With the Group Finder available in Game Update 1.3, we intend for players to be able to easily assemble full groups for all sorts of content.
We understand that some of you may be looking to consolidate characters from a variety of origin servers onto one server, and others may be anxious to move to a specific server to be with friends. With the restrictions of this initial service, that may not be possible. We still believe that you will enjoy playing on a higher population server and hope you'll take advantage of the service, but you won't be forced to transfer. Future versions of the Character Transfer Service may allow more options in your choice of destination servers and may require a transfer fee. While we do not have a scheduled time frame for the launch of such a service, we are committed to making improvements to the Character Transfer Service over time to provide players with a great gameplay experience. Stay tuned to www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com for more details!
Summary We've been working as fast as we can to create a viable Character Transfer Service and we appreciate your patience as we've worked to create it. The good news is that the wait is almost over. We're in the final stretch of testing the service, and our release is now June 12th, 2012. Game Update 1.3 will be along not too long afterwards. We hope that the character transfer and the Group Finder will help everyone experience the full array of content available in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.
What follows are facts about the datacrons to be found on Dromund Kaas. These datacrons, available to Sith Empire only faction players, can be found above a walkway, gaurded by a boss, on top of a mountain and past a few elites. All in all there are five datacrons to be found on Dromund Kaas.
Galactic History 18: The Hutt Cataclysms
Stat/Reward: Strength +2 Waypoint: X: 855, Y: 643 Tips: This datacron is located in a hangar, the southern end of Dromund Kaas spaceport. Take the lift to ‘Docking Bay D-61’ and from there you have to go up a ramp to the walkway above and look for steel bars along the wall that you can jump on, which will lead you to the datacron.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
What follows are facts about the datacrons to be found on Dromund Kaas. These datacrons, available to Sith Empire only faction players, can be found above a walkway, gaurded by a boss, on top of a mountain and past a few elites. All in all there are five datacrons to be found on Dromund Kaas.
Galactic History 18: The Hutt Cataclysms
Stat/Reward: Strength +2 Waypoint: X: 855, Y: 643 Tips: This datacron is located in a hangar, the southern end of Dromund Kaas spaceport. Take the lift to ‘Docking Bay D-61’ and from there you have to go up a ramp to the walkway above and look for steel bars along the wall that you can jump on, which will lead you to the datacron.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
Since its victories against the forces of the Tion Cluster, the Hutt Empire had continued to expand its influence. It now controlled dozens of systems, and the Hutt criminal enterprises extended even into Republic space.
But the greed of the Hutts was insatiable, and their long life spans meant grudges could be carried for centuries. Rivalries became open hostilities, until their entire empire was embroiled in the "Hutt Cataclysms," a series of conflicts that saw devastating weapons unleashed on Hutt-controlled worlds.
When the cataclysms ended, the Hutt homeworld of Varl and hundreds of Hutt colonies had been rendered lifeless. Seeking a new homeworld, the Hutts began relocating to the planet Evocar, slowly buying parcels of land from the Evocii people. Eventually, the Hutts owned the entire planet, which would later be called Nal Hutta--or more often, simply "Hutta," the "Glorious Jewel."
Galactic History 19: The Pius Dea Crusades
Stat/Reward: Presence +2 Waypoint: X: 581, Y: 798 Tips: The moment you exit Dromund Kaas Spaceport you will be able to go up a path to the left. Look for pink ‘glowing’ mushrooms and you’ll find an entrance/path between the rocks. This path takes you up a hill, which leads to datacron. There is a Gundark Lifetaker boss guarding the datacron, which most players seem to have no problems with when using their companion.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
The Republic had been established on principles of free speech and tolerance for all sentient beings. Unfortunately, these principles also allowed the growth of fringe groups. During the term of Supreme Chancellor Pers'lya, a fanatical pro-human religious sect calling itself "Pius Dea" emerged.
Many dismissed Pius Dea as just another cult, but the group's intentions were much more sinister. Through political maneuvering, the members conspired to have Chancellor Pers'lya impeached and their own man, Senator Contispex, put in his place. Through Supreme Chancellor Contispex, Pius Dea exploited tensions within the Hutt Empire after the Hutt Cataclysms. Eventually Contispex sanctioned an invasion of Hutt Space, beginning the Pius Dea Crusades.
Over the next thousand years, Contispex's descendants--biological and ideological--would inherit his position, continuing to wage war against various alien factions until growing unrest brought Pius Dea's rule to an end. A new Chancellor was elected, free of Pius Dea's influence, and the Pius Dea "Supreme Temple" was destroyed... but the tensions created between the Core Worlds and the Outer Rim persisted for centuries to come.
Galactic History 20: Chancellor Blotus
Stat/Reward: Cunning +2 Waypoint: X: -1222, Y: 214 Tips: This datacron is located in the ‘Dark Temple Approach’ - the heroic 4 quest area. To get to it you will need to go around the mountain and climb on top of it, then jump down over a few rocks to get it.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
After the Pius Dea Crusades, the Republic stagnated, forced to rebuild alliances Pius Dea had damaged. However, during the Rianitus Period, the Republic began to enjoy prosperity again under a new Supreme Chancellor, Blotus the Hutt.
Blotus had been the administrator of a network of mining worlds that split from the remnants of the former Hutt Empire. He and his worlds applied for Republic membership, and although tensions between Hutts and the Republic remained, Blotus proved both competent and popular in the Galactic Senate. He was eventually elected Supreme Chancellor by an overwhelming majority, and his position was solidified when his tax breaks for independent traders brought Coruscant into an economic boom and improved trade throughout the Core Worlds.
Blotus served a 275-year term and died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 912. His rule would be remembered with affection for centuries; even today, his favorite chair in the Senate tower's lounge is traditionally left empty.
Galactic History 21: The Birth of the Mandalorians
Stat/Reward: Yellow Matrix Shard Waypoint: X: -193, Y: 1663 Tips: This one is not hard to get to, but you have to get past a few elites.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
The culture of the gray-skinned Taung species had always been defined by conflict, even before their days battling the Battalions of Zhell on Coruscant. For millennia, striking out from the world they called Mandalore, the Taung explored and conquered new worlds, seeking new opponents to test themselves against.
Over time their philosophy of battle grew and changed, and a new cadre of elite warriors emerged. Known as the Mandalorian Crusaders, these warriors were honed by years of battle and guided by a strict code of honor. Wild stories began to spread throughout the Outer Rim of soldiers who could disappear into forests, face terrifying beasts without a trace of fear or even capture an entire planet in a day.
These tales were the first time the name "Mandalorian" became widely known. Although the Taung themselves went into decline and eventually disappeared, they left behind followers trained as they were. Ever after, the Mandalorians were a people to be respected, and feared.
Galactic History 22: The Second Great Schism
Stat/Reward: Endurance +2 Waypoint: X:-790, Y: 1449 Tips: This one is not hard to get to, but you have to get past a few elites.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
The Jedi Order had already faced one great schism in its history, against the fallen Xendor and his Legions of Lettow. Although Xendor had been gone for centuries, there were uneasy stirrings in the ranks. A group of Jedi had learned to use the Force to shape living beings, twisting them into horrific monsters.
These Dark Jedi were swiftly exiled, but they retaliated by raising an army of their monstrous creations and unleashing them against the rest of the order. The Jedi fought back, finally driving the Dark Jedi to a last stand on the planet Corbos.
Victory would not have been certain even then, but the Dark Jedi had begun to turn against one another. Without a united front, they were overwhelmed and scattered. Although the Jedi cheered their victory, it was later discovered that many of the Dark Jedi had fled Corbos, leaving no trail for anyone to follow.
What follows are facts about the datacrons to be found on Hutta. These datacrons, available to Sith Empire only faction players, can be found hidden behind a pipe, in the midst of the mob and on an island. There are three datacrons to be found on Hutta.
Galactic History 01: The Architects
Stat/Reward: Aim +2 Waypoint: X: -96, Y: 861 Tips: The datacron is located up on a small hill that you can climb a pipe up to get to it that is leaned onto the hill. The datacron is a bit hidden under some tree branches, but it is down to the right after having climbed the pipe and made your way up.
Codec description: This datacron holds unheard of power and knowledge collected by an ancient race. You access its power and discover writings which are clearly only one small piece of a massive galactic history:
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