SWTOR Video to wet your whistle:

Thanks to spigyboy for this unreal Video!

"Bioware...Bioware, where would we be without you?

Here is something I've been working on (on what little time I have) while waiting for this game. I love both Bioware and Star Wars so this was a no-brainer for me :)

I wanted to make something that would resemble an actual launch trailer so I went for both Cinematic and Game footage.
Unfortunately, I needed the Consular update to finish this and Bioware already released a similar video, but I hope you guys will still enjoy it nonetheless.

The main track is Black Blade by Two Steps From Hell. Which you can have by purchasing their public album.

Comment, Rate, Enjoy!"

BioWare announces launch date for Star Wars: The Old Republic

BioWare and LucasArts are pleased to announce that Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will launch on December 20, 2011 in North America and on December 22, 2011 in the European Launch Territories! The announcement was first made by BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk during their keynote address at the 2011 Eurogamer Expo in London, England. Speaking to a packed room of press and fans alike, Dr. Muzyka acknowledged the weight of the moment and the patience of the fans.
“This is an incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts who have dedicated their lives to build this extraordinary game. We appreciate the patience from the millions of fans who have been waiting for the game’s release.”

Each copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic will come with 30 days of subscription time, after which you have the option to continue playing with one of the following monthly subscription fees:
1 Month Subscription: $14.99 (£8.99/€12.99)
3 Month Subscription: $13.99 per month (one-time charge of $41.97/£25.17/€35.97)
6 Month Subscription: $12.99 per month (one-time charge of $77.94/£46.14/€65.94)

Those who have pre-ordered the game and entered their pre-order code onStarWarsTheOldRepublic.com are eligible for Early Game Access. If you haven’t yet reserved your copy of the game, be sure to visit our Pre-Order page and secure your place in the Old Republic now!

We want to thank you for your continued passion, dedication and support. Though one part of this incredible journey is coming to an end, we are confident that you all share our excitement for this new beginning. Be sure to check back to StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com as well as ourTwitter and Facebook pages for all the latest news and updates on Star Wars: The Old Republic.

William Wallace Developer Blog Companion Characters part 1

The Man William Wallace Senior Game Designer filled us in on whats going on with Companion Characters in part 1 of this Developer Blog

From Minsc and Boo to Urdnot Wrex, companion characters play an integral role in all BioWare stories. The same is true for Star Wars™. From Chewie to R2-D2, the heroes in the movies are often accompanied by a trusted partner.

Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is no different. Each character class unlocks unique companions throughout their storyline; companions that fight alongside players in battle against AI and other players in Open World PvP, aid in crafting and non-combat missions through Crew Skills, and provide commentary on environments and engage in conversations.

As you advance your story in Star Wars: The Old Republic, you build relationships with your companion characters based on the decisions you make throughout the game. How you treat each companion and how you act when they are in your presence determines how your relationship with them evolves. The writing team has done a fantastic job of bringing these companions to life with compelling stories and backgrounds. They add an emotional layer to the experience in the same way that such memorable characters as Bastila Shan and HK-47 did inStar Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic®.

From a combat and systems perspective, though, which is what my team is tasked with, bringing BioWare-style companion characters into a massively multiplayer setting is a daunting task with many hurdles:


How do you make each player’s companions unique in a world where other people are experiencing the same story with the same companions?
How do you make companions a critical part of the player’s combat without stepping on the usefulness of other players?
How can you make a companion character that is easy to control for players who don’t want to micromanage abilities, while also offering complex options for players who enjoy that style of gameplay?

Read On 

Friday night fun and Songs

Thanks to Kerry Amburgy-Dickson for this Fridays funny's!
Star Wars themed parody of Bohemian Rhapsody.


And a good one for Friday drinks! A light-hearted Star Wars parody of Margaritaville, starring Han Solo.

Funny Geek Friday

Some Lols for you all this Friday! Enjoy! Are you tired of the daily grind? The Lich King is. There are many ways Arthas' tales should have ended. Here is how he got away from it all. Keep an eye out for some extra special guests (back by popular demand)! Be on the look out for new content every THURSDAY! Come back for behind the scenes, deleted clips, and more. Leave us a comment and spread the love by subscribing to our channel and/or give us a 'thumbs up'! And a Star Trek parody video Lust on the Bridge!

Developer Dispatch designing your companions

How good is Blizz? I know he will be fun in game! This is a cool video you have to watch!

SWTOR Face Q&A

Want to know a little more about SWTOR Face? Check out this interview with the owner/main blogger, John Gatt.

Site name: SWTOR Face

URL: http://www.swtorface.com/

Your name: John Gatt

Started: July 2011

Type: Blog, news feed, community focus

In your words, how would you describe your site? Do you have a particular focus or interest?

The hardest thing about finding news on a particular game is that it’s often spread across many sources. Some sites specialize in particular classes and others might have a guild focus. But sometimes you might find a gem of information on a site that you might not normally visit. Not only do we provide a regular blog on the latest official information, we also have an extensive list of current, active SWTOR sites and an extensive active RSS feed that links the latest news from all of those listed sites. This makes it extremely easy to see a snippet of all the latest news across all the sites covering SWTOR.

Secondly, we are about the community. Who is behind the blogs? What are the news sites about? Who is that person in the podcast I listen to every week? Knowing whose advice you’re getting is get as important as the advice itself. To that end we’ve started contacting bloggers and site owners and providing them with this Q&A, which we will publish on SWTOR Faces, so that readers can get to know a bit more about them.

What’s your role on the site?

Webmaster and blogger.

How many people work on your blog/site (including writers, editors, webmaster, etc)?

Two.

When did you start blogging (about any topic)?

1998. My first blog was on a site called Rogue Squadran, following the X-Wing vs Tie-Fighter and then X-Wing Alliance. My site was then taken over by a large corporation called PlayNow where I blogged for about a year, mainly covering Star Wars related gaming. I had a break from gaming for a few years while I was running a hardware website called VIAArena.com. About three years ago I started a new gaming site called Gaming Face, which I still run. SWTOR Face is a focused version of Gaming Face.

When did you start blogging about SWTOR?

I mentioned SWTOR a few times on my Gaming Face blog in mid-2010 and started to focus fully on it in July 2011 when I launched SWTOR Face.com.

What, if any, MMOs have you played?

My first MMO experience was Star Wars Galaxies. I purchased Galaxies during an extended stay in San Francisco. I was away from home for five weeks and had lots of time in the evenings. I became one of the first Jedi in the server I was playing and spent over five years in the game! I, like many other SWG gamers, was very disappointed with the direction Sony took with the NGE. I then went on to play Word of Warcraft. I spent about three and a half years in WoW, a lot of that time as a guild leader and uber-dps huntard. It wasn’t Star Wars, but it’s definitely a universe I appreciated and became fond of. Over the last few months I have tried out Rift and even gone back to WoW, but I am really only just killing time, waiting for SWTOR.

Are you attracted to SWTOR because of the gaming experience, Star Wars, or both?

For me it’s Star Wars. Yes, I do love MMO games, but I am a massive Star Wars fan. I met my wife at a Star Wars fan club 17 years ago. I have two children named after Star Wars characters, Mara Jade and Teneniel Djo and I have the Rebel logo tattooed on my right arm!

What is your most memorable experience in gaming?

I’d have to say in the early days in Star Wars Galaxies, just after I unlocked Jedi, spending hours grinding experience, only to have Bounty Hunters attempt to gank you. The thrill and rush I got then, knowing I could lose days and even weeks of experience, was unbelievable. I don’t think my heart has ever pounded so much with any other game! No other gaming experience has come close to the whole initial Jedi experience and grinding up to Knight and entering the Force ranking system. When Sony introduced the combat upgrade and the village it definitely changed the whole feel of becoming a Jedi. Even being a Jedi in the SWG world was a different experience. Before the combat upgrade, even pulling out your lightsaber gave you a temporary enemy flag, allowing any player to attack you. It was quite an adrenaline rush.

What was your first Star Wars experience?

In the back of my Dad’s Ford station-wagon at the drive-in. It was 1978, I was 7 and we had gone to see Clash of the Titans and the second movie was this odd flick called Star Wars. I was instantly hooked.

Republic or Empire?

Definitely Republic. I have the Rebel logo tattooed on my arm and I played Rebel all the way through SWG. I love X-Wings and everything to do with being a Jedi. Yoda is the man.

What excites you most about SWTOR?

The story. Being a massive Star Ward fan I am truly excited to hear and read some of the stories. I’ve read some of the comics from this era and it’s fascinating. Not only will I be able to play a game style that interests me, it will provide me with an invigorating storyline.

SWTOR Face Your News Now!: Stage 2 Guild Alignment Begins !

SWTOR Face Your News Now!: Stage 2 Guild Alignment Begins !:

Back in March we initiated our Pre-Launch Guild Program, where members of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ community could search for already established guilds or register one of their very own through the Guild Headquarters page. We are thrilled to announce that we have begun the second phase of our Pre-Launch Guild Program!
With Phase 2: Alignment, we are introducing new features which allow guilds to set their allegiance with other guilds in The Old Republic. Now a guild leader, along with members who have the proper permissions, can select up to three guilds as either Allies or Adversaries, depending on their faction affiliation. Qualifying guilds that are marked as Allies and Adversaries of other guilds will have the highest chance of being placed in the game together, allowing these guilds to coexist on the same server. Read on

Pop Culture an Amazing Game Video

This is real cool stuff! Wish I could edit videos like this! enjoy.

Jabba the Jedi in this week's screenshot

An interesting screenshot from SWTOR this week ... we get to see a porky Twi'lek Jedi Padawan fight off something called a Guid near the Kaleth Ruins on Tython.

This screenshot gives us a better idea of the customization available in SWTOR. You will not be limited to sleek fit body styles and you will have the option to make your Jedi look more like most of us MMO gamers! WH00T! We can have 1000s of unfit geeks with sabers ingame! If you pick a fat Jedi, can you put him on a diet?