Wednesday, December 14, 2011

5 Quick Tips for Playing SWTOR

1. Always bind. These stations can be discovered and are used with your Quick Travel skill. Unlike in other MMOs, you are not bound to a specific location. You can use the Quick Travel skill to travel to any of the stations you've found. The icon on your map for these stations looks like the universal power symbol. You can also see the location of these stations by using your Quick Travel skill, pulling up a handy map.


2. Cantinas are your friend. These are rest zones and give you rest xp. You can usually find a binding station inside.

3. You cannot enter story phases in combat. Remember this and it may save you some heartache.

4. There are only benefits to excess light or dark points. I learned the hard way that playing neutral doesn't get you far. Instead, you'll be jealous of all your friends when they get nifty gear and titles when you're stuck at 500 light and dark.

5. Hero story bosses are much easier to solo when you're their level. So don't get frustrated if you're not able to solo them otherwise.

Happy gaming!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

SWTOR Jedi Knight Full Companion List and Gifts

To say T7-01 annoyed the crap out of me in Beta in an understatement! He had (it's now gone) this action called grapple that would pull what he was attacking to him. So I would jump to a NPC with force leap, then he would grapple it and I would have to run back after it. Man I wanted to stick my saber through his motorvater! As soon as I was joined by Kira (my second Companion) I never looked back; with my avatar semi tanking and her DPS killing stuff, was a blast! There is something about 2 Jedi out fighting side by side that I love!

Check out our full list of Jedi Knight Companions here:

SWTOR 10 points about getting in game this week!


Hot form Rockjaw Stephen Reid on twitter 

First: Early Game Access officially starts at 4AM PST / 6AM CST / 7AM EST / 12PM GMT / 1PM CET tomorrow. Emails will be sent around then.


Second: emails will go out after that point in in waves. Yes, we'll tell you when the emails will get sent via Forums/Twitter.
16 minutes ago

Third: No, not *everyone* will get in tomorrow. We are strictly allowing people admittance by when they redeemed pre-order code.

Fourth: All server types will be live tomorrow (PvP, PvE, RP-PvE, RP-PvP). All servers available to all (no EU-US or guild restrictions).

Fifth: If you're in a pre-imported guild, no, that doesn't get you priority access- but your guild server will be there when you get in.

Sixth: No, don't ask when you get in. We will let in a *lot* of people tomorrow - but not everyone. If you're not in Day One, don't explode.

Seventh: The Forums will be back up for all who have redeemed a pre-order code just before 7AM EST (AKA, Early Game Access start).

Eighth: Servers you'll see up tomorrow are NOT the final list. We'll be adding more during Early Game Access.

Ninth: I'm afraid I have no further updates on retailers and shipping, but it's moving about at very high levels. More tomorrow on that.


Tenth: As a community, you're the craziest, most passionate, most devoted people I've ever had the pleasure to work for. Thanks.

SWTOR Full Datacron Locations List

This is a list of Datacron location waypoints you can find using your map in SWTOR as you venture through the galaxy. Every planet will have a set number of Datacrons that will add permanent attributes to your avatar like +4 to Strength as seen in this screenshot.

Update: The information int his blog post is being re-posted, planet by planet in a more reader friendly format and including embedded video guides. As we release each of these posts we'll add a link here. Here are the posts available so far for the following planets (more to come):


Tython
Ord Mantell
Korriban
Hutta

If the planet you're looking for information about is not on the above list yet, take a look at the information below.

Credit for the tips in this list goes to the members of the SWTOR Forums. This post was wiped with the forum reset. The original list of waypoints was sent out to beta testers via email. From what i can tell, the waypoints were still correct up until the final days of beta testing.



There are several different types of Datacrons:

Green: +Endurance (secondary stat for all characters)
Orange: +Cunning (Smuggler / Imperial Agent primary stat)
Purple: +Willpower (Jedi Consular / Sith Inquisitor primary stat)
Red: +Strength (Jedi Knight / Sith Warrior primary stat)
White: +Aim (Trooper / Bounty Hunter primary stat)
Yellow: +Presence (secondary stat for all characters)

Shard Datacrons: Shard Datacrons give you a Matrix Shard instead of a stat buff. Matrix Shards can be used to create relic slot items. There are four different colors of Shard Datacrons: Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow.

As seen in this screenshot you can see Datacrons from a distance due to the beam of light emanating from them.


Read on for the full list of Waypoints.

Note (15 Dec 2011): This list is from Beta but having played in the release game for over 24 hours now I can report that they all still seem to be the same.

Tython (Republic only)

1) Datacron (Willpower +4), X: -641 Y:36 Z:-7*, Map area: The ruins of Kaleth.

Description: To get here you need to use a huge tilted pillar that forms a bridge to a hilltop. The Datacron is just to the left of the hilltop at the base of a statue.

2) Datacron (Blue Matrix Shard), X: -91 Y:93 Z:920*, Map area: The Forge Remnants
Description: To get here you have to follow a the path starting at X: -113 Y:88 Z:819 past a few fleshraiders, through a two story ruin and into a small settlement.
The matrix shard is to the right with a kneeling shaman in front of it.
3) Datacron (Endurance +4), X,Y: (600, -85). Map area: Tython (on the road between the Jedi Temple and The runins of Kaleth)
Description: To get here you have to follow the road around the mountain and jump down to an entrance at (620, -25). Take the tunnel, fight the few monsters and there is the datacron!
4)+4 End -if I remember correctly- (-33,-102) You have to go through the mountain pass (entrance -29,13)

Old Mantell (Republic only)

1) Datacron (Red Matrix shard), X: 777 Y:8 Z:199*, Map area: Mannett point.
Description: To get here just follow the beach up north. There is a lvl 8 elite guarding it, and the Datacron is down a little hole in the sand just next to him.

2) Datacron (Presence +4), X: -976 Y:201 Z:8, Map area: Main map (West of volcano).
Description: To get here Simply head along the beach from the Volcano Camp. The Datacron is resting behind some rocks, near a small lake.

3) Datacron (Aim +4), X: -656 Y:44 Z:-574*, Map area: Savrip Island (West of Oradam Village)
Description: To get here head to the group area, it is on a hill there. Use the hill to the west of it to get to it.

Korriban (Empire only)

1) Korriban Red Matrix Shard X: -54 Y:378, Map area: Tomb of Tulak Hord : The Ruined Atrium
Description: To get here you need to run to the end of the southern most catacomb on Korriban. Room full of elites and the Matrix Shard.

2) Datacron (Endurance +4) X: 375 Y:77, Map area: Korriban.
Description: On the way to the offworld transport to the left on a small platform.
The same? : +4 End : 127,77 (near the shuttle)

3)+4 Wis : 529,65 (You have to come from the west side of the cliff)

Hutta (Empire only)

1) Datacron (Aim +4), X: -97 Y:21 Z:861*, Map area: east of Evocii renegade village.
Description: To get here you have to go to the swamps and jump upon a destroyed pipeline to go up on the hill – there you can find it hidden on the right side of the hill underneath
the top.

2) At the NE corner of the map(945,-128) is a little island with a datacron on it. To get there walk along the pipeline leading to that island.
The NE Hutta one it gives +4 presence location x,y. 649,-108

3) Datacron (Blue Matrix Shard), X: -10 Y:-12 Z:324*, Sewer Maintenance System (Group Area)
Description: It is located to the right behind the B3-4T Disposal Droid (Bossmob) – you have to defeat it first. Way is guarded by several elite mobs and other nasty critters.

4)Datacron (Presence +4), X,Y: (650, 13). Map area: Hutta (Island in the norh-west above “The Rusty Yards”) Galactic History 2: Ancient Civilisations
Description: To get here you have to follow the pipeline at X,Y: (496,12).

Coruscant (Republic only)

1) Datacron (Presence+4), X: 2319 Y:472 Z:1051*, Map area: Old Galactic Market.
Description: To get here just go to the highest platform, and you will see it.

2) Datacron (Cunning +4), X: 1022 Y:-1036 Z:-3970*, Map area: Old Galactic Market.
Description: This one is a little tricky. (Begin at X:1034 Y:-1062 Z:3979. To get here First you need to jump on some crates, all the way up to a pipe. Run along the pipe,
and them jump opwards, from pipe to pipe. Then you run to the end of the top pipe, and just on the huge pipe to the left of you. Then jump on the lower pipe and run to the
final platform. The Datacron is ontop of a brown container. (need to revisit to confirm Eretrios cords (“Justicar Territory” map at (X=1289 Y=3969))

3) Datacron (Endurance +4), X: -3626 Y:-1293 Z: 151*, Map area: Black Sun Territory (on a platform left of the Silent Sun Cantina)
Description: This one is a little tricky. (Begin at XYZ –adding in an hr.) First you need to jump up to the first platform on crates, then run to the broken pipes, jump on the first on,
run to the balcony on the right, then take the second pipe back to the platform, then jump onto the top of the sign (careful not to get stuck), then jump down to the next platform and
there is your datacron!

4) Datacron (Strength +4)
Map area: Jedi Temple – Mezzanine (X: -3005 Y:3030)
Description: Just access the mezzanine area using the broken giant column. Then follow the wall unclockwise till you get to Darth Sith Anev Xydes. Then jump down to the broken arch where the holocron is.

5)Datacron (Yellow Shard), X,Y: (3744, -4473). Map area: Coruscant : Worker (cursor coord)
Start : 1341 4415 (cursor coord)

Dromund Kaas (Empire only)

1) Dromund Kaas Yellow Matrix Shard X: 609 Y:1729, Map area: Top of Waterfall.
Description: You have to enter a hidden path from X: 780 Y:1700

2) After leaving the starport keep huging the left wall, you should arrive at a narrow passage through the mountains. Follow it to the end and a + stat datacron awaits.

3) In the area where the crazy droid researching sith, search the north eastern part of the compound, you should find a passage through the mountains. Don’t remember what datacron it was.

4) Southeast of the above area, there is an area with a lot of wild beasts. In the southwestern part, there is 2 pens with bosses in them and a beast handler. Near that spot is a path through the mountain that leads to another boss and a datacron

5) Before entering the tunnel leading to the camp in front of the dark temple, turn arround and follow the road. Keep an eye on the left side, there should be a datacron on a rock.

Taris (Republic)
1) Datacron (Aim +4 ) X: -1513 Y:-272 Z:-255*, Map area: Republic Resettlement Zone
Description: This one is a little tricky: (Start cords: X: -1365 Y:-195 Z:-215*). Follow the narrow path along the wall on your right passed first platform passed second platform, and jump down on the ship (the orange area), jump down on the pipe on the other side. Run to the end of this one and jump down on the platform underneath. Now run around with the wall on your left, until you can see the Datacron behead you to the left though at hole in the structure. Jump down. At this point just head down to the datacron.

2) Map : The Sinking City (X: 4, Y: -200)
Accessed is from Ruins of Dynamet General (X: -77, Y: -376). An emergency exit is hidden behind some crates.

3)Datacron RED GLOW Gal History entry 24(Cunning +4), X:1048 Y:-189 Z:453 . Planet Taris Map area: The Tularan Marsh Seen from Brejiks Run outpost. Republic.
Description: A bit of running and jumping to get here:P Start Loc is X:1042 Y:-190 Z:453
Jump up on the big oranage pipe behind scavanger base. Run on the brown part untill the end, here is a little tricky jump on to the thicker grey bit. Now walk off to the very end of pipe and you should see a little area where you can squzze up. Just Nudge yourself up there. Jump on to the Platform over the pipe and go around the wall’s corner to the next platform. You should now see the red glow from the datacron. Walk to the edge next to you so you almost face the water tower and jump down on the platform before you… if you look at it you will see its kind of U shaped run now, just follow all the way to datacron.  Enjoy your New Galactic history entry 24 and +4 cunning.

Taris (Empire)

1)Datacron (Cunning +4, to be verified)

Map: The Tularan Marsh (x: 1440, Y: 445)

Starting point is X: 1570, Y: 250, climb up the giant pipe to the higher level. Head left on the platforms path. Follow the wall in front of you, heading right. You should soon see the red holocron on your right. But to get it, you will have to do a big circle. Keep following the path along the wall, till you can jump down to another giant beam on your right. Rest of the journey should be obvious

Nar Shaddaar

1)Nikto Sector Position -3361/-3313 way starts -3305/-3399

2) Datacron (Presence +6)
Map : Red Light Sector (Nar Shada) X: 3520, Y: -3290 (look up on the hanging platformsfor the green datacron) Access to this one is inside the G4 quest Nar Shada Blood Sport map. I’ll have to return there to note the cords of the starting point (It’s where you can hear the well known holocron sound). You have then to climp up a box, then go up on the curtain. You can now exit the instance with a special elevator which leads to the upper part of the starting zone where the holocron is.

3)industrial sector->upper office atrium->lower office atrium->network security / 1795 / -1577 / 3108

4)Strength +6 X: 2364 Y: 3105, Map area: Shadow Town (You can see it though a gate).
Description : Starting point is X: 2395, Y: 3056, in front of a tank. Goal is to access an elevator which is on a upper platform on your left, across the street. From the tank, jump to the beam, then a small tank, than another beam. Follow the beam along the wall. Jump to the pipe and follow another pipe to cross the street.
Head back on another pipe to finally access the platform where the elevator is.

5)Datacron Green GLOW (pressece +6), X:- Y:- Z:- . Planet Nar Shaddar Map area: Redlight District. Republic. Description The entry to this one is in a totally different place its actually located in a area called Gauntlet Gang Area you go here to do the 4man quest Blood sports. When you hit Cords X:3685 Y:-1521 Z:1341 You jump on the railing then up on a container. from container you jump up some cloth and run up on it to the walkway as you are there there should be some elevator looking door and one of them you can actually use. Get to Stripwalk i think it was called and when you exit the doors you should see the green glowing Datacron infront of you pick up and enjoy thanx to Jimmy/Indoria for tips.

6)Start in Duros Slum on Nar Shaddaar (Empire) at X:1618 Y:-3176 Z:-2682 Jump on the crates to the top then on the girders to the first platform. Then on the thing which looks like a roof to the 2nd platform. You’ll find an elevator, take it. Then on your left, close to the wall, jump on the edge and follow it, you should see the Datacron from here. Small jump to pass the corner. Jump on the other girder when you are above it.And finally, the hard jump to the final girder to the Datacron. Datacron Presence +6

Tatooine

1) Datacron (Aim +6), (Map cords broken at datacron actual location, but it is in The Dune Sea)

(Start cords: X,Y: (-726,862), Map: Jundland). Follow the path up though the Transport ship Crash site (Group Area). Hug the wall to your left until you get to an overview point of The Dune Sea. You will see some broken parts next to the edge (-1083,707). Looking over the edge you will see the datacron laying on rubble halfway down the mountain. Jump down and grab it.

2+3) Two Datacrons (+X stat and +X stat) X,Y (-3200, -637) – This is by fare the most time consuming one I have found. Have you seen the Jawa balloon flying around The Dune Sea? Jup, you need to board it fly to all the way around the map until you finally are above the Sand crawler with the datacron.

Then you just jump down and grab them! You board the Jawa Balloon at (-3168,774) the roof of another sand crawler. Then you just sit back and enjoy the ride and the scenery. It takes a while. 5 minutes to be exact. Enjoy!


4) Anchorhead, veritying now (Rep only)

5) Datacron (+6 Cunning) X:-403, Y:-3910 (on a roof). Description: To get up on the roof tops you started out at X:-684, Y:3877.

6) Tatooine

1480 ; 33
-1901 ; -634 (*2)
7)Tatooine: 624, 199 (Map area: Jundland?) To get there, jump of the cliffs at: 625,349 and take a long walk through the dungeon. Should give +6 Willpower I think.

Alderaan

1) In the northern part of alderaan(first empire area) there is a dam(ENE partof the map). You should be able to see the datacron really easy in the middle of the damn, just walk arround the damn and drop down from top. Was + str i think. (suspect this is empire only)

2) Middle map of alderaan(i.e. east of the palace with the endboss). In the middle of this map is a lake, and in this lake is an island with a +10 aim datacron. To get there you need to take the broken lift going there form the mountains. The jump to get on the lift can be tricky.

3)+6 presence loc : 1537 ; -280 You need to ride a Thranta, she will fly to her lair, where you find the holocron.

Thranta loc : 1187 ; -220 Maybe imp only because all thranta are tagged imp

4)Alderaan, Map: Kaamos Territory, Map Location: 2192, 380, -2019, Strength +10 Description: Jump down the damn from the top.

Balmorra (Republic)

1)Rep side, on Balmorra, there’s a datacron in the Colicoid Queen’s nest, behind the big Colicoid Sapper. I have no idea how to reach it as it’s behind a ledge.

I managed to pass the ledge and I got to the Datacron. I entered an area called The Maintenance Tunnels, the datacron itself gives +3 endurence.

It’s located: Cursor (over it) = -410, -292 / Player (next to it) = -446, -292 (height:-43).


Balmorra (Empire)

1) Southern map, in the SW is a warehouse. In the basement is a forcefield with 2 switches. Get 2 players to use the switches at the same time and you can reach the matrix

shard datacron behind it. Matrix shard: Gorinth Canyon, Neebray Warehouse

Coords: (-500, 2038), in the basement needs 2 players,…

2) Northern Area, the one with all the bugs. Leave the imperial camp heading east, crossing that lake. You should find a path leading into the mountains.

You will find a junk trader, buy the 5k credit key item form him. Head back to the imperial camp, go north and search the bridges there for a chest. With the key you can open it.

NOTE: It might be enough if one person buys the key. If you want to buy my key, send me a tell/mail.

3)Balmorran arms factory – Power center: (190,183)

It’s under the bridge with the shuttle on it. gives +4 cunning.

4)+ 4 Stat Bonus: Bugtown

Coords: chest(448,-335), vendor with key(736,-161)

Quesh

1) +10 end (1121,775), in a cave, entrance at (1346, 790)

2) +10 pre (1300, -135), to get there find the hole in the fence on the northern side

3)Datacron (Cunning +10), (X;Y): (1317;-140). Map area: Quesh (It is located within a fenced off area, and the entrance can be found on the northern side)

4) 555,163 Strength +4  get up and follow the wall round start at 461,147 (in live)
Hoth

1)On Hoth, on the far right side of Hoth, at one point Republic players will have to go to the wreck of the Star of Coruscant. In the area “Fore Section”, at the end of the big hangar you will find a very slow elevator that lifts you up to the highest level of the room where there are lots of containers, including some moving ones hanging from the ceiling.

You gotta jump from one moving container to another in a pretty hard path (if you miss a jump you gotta start again) and the containers move VERY slowly.

The Datacron itself gives +10 Cunning. It glows orange.There is no location there, the X/Y aren’t working. I can only give my personal location: X:3144, Y:-12, Z:475. EDIT: the upper level is considered to be in the general map of Hoth, I can give the location from the lower level. It’s cursor: 3214, 475. But very high up when you enter the room.

You hear the specific datacron sound when you enter the big hangar anyway.

Belsavis

1)Found one on Belsavis, Area The Tomb. Position(-1691;-2234), +10 Aim

Description: This on is inside a volcano. To the east of the volcano you can climb up onto the edge. From there you should be able to see a small transparent walkway running to the island with the datacron. If you want to exit without teleporting/dieing, there is a teleporter on the island that leads to a cave north of the imperial camp in the SW. So activate that one before you go there. Note that you need to finish the a quest to unlock the teleporters.

Voss

1) Near Voss-KA +10 WP. Very easy to reach. When you fly back from the east of the map to Voss-ka, the fly crosses a tunnel. If you are not AFK, at the end of the tunnel you can quickly see a vry bright light that seems to be a Datachron. And it’s one !

So once landed. Step back and try to get down jumping on the cliff rocks without dying. I’m not a mario hardcore and i did it ok on 1st trial.

If you have any edits or extra information please post it in our comments ad we will add it to this post! 

SWTOR Sith Warrior Full Companion List and Gifts

Sith Warriors will have to wait for their second companion to get a healer. Don't let this discourage you though! The first companion Vette, is at least mildly entertaining and brings decent ranged dps, making her a nice balance to a juggernaut specialization. While at first, I found myself disappointed I had a crazy blue chick following me around, I found myself loving how fast each enemy went down with her added dps next to my marauder. Looking ahead, I can't wait to play with Broonmark the Talz tank!
Check out the full list of Sith Warrior companions, including their gift preferences,here:

SWTOR Guilds Servers Are Out!

From SWTOR.com:

Member Of: Squad
Assigned to Server The Harbinger

Thank you for your participation in the Pre-Launch Guild Program. At this time, guilds can no longer be created or modified on the website.

If your guild qualified for deployment, it has already been imported into the game. Server assignments can be found by visiting your guild's homepage. If your guild did not meet the deployment requirements, your guild was not imported into the game. Guilds can be created in-game at the Imperial and Republic fleets.

All web support for guilds will be removed by 01.03.12, and we encourage you to save any important data you wish to keep before that time.

For more information, check the Guilds FAQ.

See you at launch!
The Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Team

So if you looking for us in game please say hi! We will be taking new members in game too!

Monday, December 12, 2011

SWTOR Companion Gifts: An Explanation

From SwtorfaceIt's getting close to Christmas, the time of gift-giving. In SWTOR, the benefits reaped from giving gifts to your companions are immense. Not only do gifts grant extra reputation with your companions, and possibly unlock romantic interludes, but every new level you reach with your companion unlocks a series of very simple quests which are often just a conversation. These conversations can grant massive amounts of experience really fast. I found myself jumping through half a level in five minutes when unlocking a series of companion quests. There are multiple levels of gifts which grant multiple levels of companion reputation and you can either purchase these companion gifts from vendors in major cities or you can acquire them through crew missions from professions like Treasure Hunting. Make sure you give your companions the rights gifts though. Every companion has particular preferences. Some gifts will grant lots of reputation and others will grant no reputation at all. You will waste a gift if you give it to the wrong companion.

Read on

SWTOR Advanced Space Combat Guide Video

Advanced space combat is hard! This video gives you an Advanced Space Combat Guide and runs through two full level 45+ missions and shows you how to use high level upgrades like the Electronic Warfare Pod Power Conversion Module and the level 50 Proton Torpedo Tube.






For basic space combat please see this video:

SWTOR Companion Gifts: An Explanation

It's getting close to Christmas, the time of gift-giving. In SWTOR, the benefits reaped from giving gifts to your companions are immense. Not only do gifts grant extra reputation with your companions, and possibly unlock romantic interludes, but every new level you reach with your companion unlocks a series of very simple quests which are often just a conversation. These conversations can grant massive amounts of experience really fast. I found myself jumping through half a level in five minutes when unlocking a series of companion quests. There are multiple levels of gifts which grant multiple levels of companion reputation and you can either purchase these companion gifts from vendors in major cities or you can acquire them through crew missions from professions like Treasure Hunting. Make sure you give your companions the rights gifts though. Every companion has particular preferences. Some gifts will grant lots of reputation and others will grant no reputation at all. You will waste a gift if you give it to the wrong companion.

Gifts are easily identified in the game as companion gifts. They come with a deep purple label and a category:

Weapon
Military Gear
Courting
Luxury
Technology
Republic Memorabilia
Imperial Memorabilia
Cultural Artifact
Trophy
Underworld Goods

For each category there area variety of different items. I discovered the hard way ingame and wasted a lot of credits giving my companions the wrong items. If you use the gift system through leveling, it will help you get to 50 a lot faster as it will unlock easy quest storylines.

For every companion I have listed which categories of gifts they each like or are indifferent to. They are listed on the Companion List pages. Check it out here.

SWTOR Bounty Hunter Full Companion List and Gifts

Bounty Hunters really scored big when it comes to companions. Their first companion, Mako, is a pleasant enough companion who gives you ranged healing or even a little bit of DPS right off the bat. They also get Blizz; I mean who doesn't want a Jawa tank hanging out with them?! On top of that, they get a Devaronian. If that doesn't say bad-ass when you enter a room, what does?! The companion combination alone makes we want to play Bounty Hunter early on. I got to mess around with it a bit in beta and I loved the gameplay style. I have no doubt that we'll see our fair share of Bounty Hunter players in the galaxy.

Check out a full list of information about the companions for Bounty Hunter, including the gifts that do and don't work for them, here:


Sunday, December 11, 2011

SWTOR Full Trooper Companion List and Gifts

The order in which Trooper's gain access to their companions gives them a lot of gameplay style options early on. The first companion is DPS and the second heals, which allows the player to settle into a gameplay style by around level 15. Using a DPS/tanking companion provides a very different gameplay than tank/DPS healer. DPS/tank with a healer might take a little longer to get through quests and mobs, but you definitely die a lot less, whereas using two DPS or even a semi-tank/DPS combo might allow you to kill things faster, but there are a lot of circumstances where you're waiting for the resurrect timer due to miscalculations or accidentally attacking more than one elite.

The Trooper companion line-up has good variety and there is a hot chick as the healer which is great for players wanting a romance storyline with a female character. Not only does companion affection help your relationship with that companion, it also unlocks valuable conversations which grant a lot of experience. I didn't learn the value of gifts to companions until I had already reached high level 40s on beta.

Check out a compilation of everything I have been able to gather about Trooper companions and their gifts here:


New Face Joins SWTORFace Say Hi To Natassia


I'm excited to join SWTORFace and can't wait to contribute to the site. I have been an avid gamer for the past 15 years, playing both PC and console games. I've played my share of MMOs starting with Legends of Kesmai and including but not limited to EQ, AoC, Anarchy Online, LOTRO, CoH, WOW and DCUO. A born Star Wars fan (early memories include Star Wars trivia during car rides with Dad), I'm stoked for SWTOR. What Star Wars fan wouldn't love a Bioware Star Wars MMO? I'm always up for good conversation so feel free to circle me on google + or email me at natassia@swtorface.com.

From John: I might need to get a female face now?

The Music of Star Wars the Old Republic Preview

If you haven't noticed, BioWare has been giving us a sample each day of the music from Star Wars the Old Republic since December 1st.


These tracks can be found here :
http://www.youtube.com/user/swtheoldrepublic

While being an avid fan of musical scores from movies and video games, I can say I was quite impressed with what we have been given to listen to thus far. The music, while not composed by John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jaws), follows in much of the same tradition. I have always believed the music is one of the most important parts to telling a story in the form of a motion picture, or even a video game. It can set the tone and feeling throughout the story and almost push the dialogue out of perspective.

The track titled The Mandalorian Blockade, which was composed by Mark Griskey, Wilbert Roget II, Gordy Haab, and Lennie Moore, sets a very fast paced tone much like we would expect from an action sequence in the Star Wars saga. It has a very epic overtone to it and can be quite inspiring. I noticed much of it was used during combat sequences in the game.

http://www.youtube.com/user/swtheoldrepublic#p/u/15/F5MoBb8-75E

Coruscant, the Capital, composed by Lennie Moore, sets the tone to our complete feeling of being overwhelmed by thousands of cars in flight, scurrying from building to building at a frenzied pace. The mood then turns into a bit of a melancholy feeling as we realize there is much corruption on the planet from the storyline, leaving us with a warm tone at the end leading us to believe there is light at the end of the dark tunnel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/swtheoldrepublic#p/u/4/cAWDeWTlMjc

My personal favorite is a track titled Korriban, the Homeworld, composed by Mark Griskey. It has a very dark overtone to it that reminded me of Anakin Skywalker's turn to the Dark Side of the Force we saw in Episode III on the planet Mustafar. It has a very eerie feel to it, paying homage to themes used by John Williams when we were introduced to scenes featuring Emperor Palpatine. When I walk around in game as my Sith Warrior, I would like this music to be playing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/swtheoldrepublic#p/u/14/heuveUxnLkA

Each day, until December 20th, one more track will be added. BioWare has also stated that these scores WILL NOT be included on the soundtrack featured in the SWTOR Collector's Edition. They are available for us now to enjoy and they may inspire you.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

SWTOR Launch Party Invites

If you are in Austin Texas, New York, Paris or London then there is a SWTOR launch party event that you can attend, where developers and other key peeps from BioWare or Lucasfilm will be on hand to sign free swag. If I had my pick of any of the four I'd head to Oxford St in London, which is handily the same location of the infamous Lonely Planet mega Sci-Fi memorabilia store.

Full details here.

SWTOR Friday Update: Last One

For this week's Friday update, BioWare have given a link to their community blog. Essentially the blog will replace the Friday updates, now that the game is about to go live. You can find this new official SWTOR blog here. This will save you from having to filter through fifty sites all posting the same news every Friday. There have been a lot of fansites out there that have been replying on the Friday updates as their sole source of news; this new blog will force some of them to produce their own content or fade away.

Also in this Friday update is the character progression video for the Sith Inquisitor. I got to play around with a Sith Inquisitor, up to around level 20, in Beta. The storyline is awesome. I chose Assassin as my Advanced class. Check out the progression video below:

SWTOR Full Sith Inquisitor Companion List and Gifts

Sith Inquisitor has a different layout of Companions than its counterpart of Jedi Consular. As a Sith Inquisitor you don't get access to a Companion healer until the planet Hoth, which is at around level 35-ish. Some of the bosses that you will have encountered before then are quite a challenge without a healer Companion. A sith Inquisitor has to rely on being a healer for themself and using a tank companion, or using a Companion like Ashara Zavros and relying on burst damage to take opponents down quick. Playing with a healer Companion is very different than playing with a DPS Companion. The other challenge for Sith Inquistors is that if they play a male character and they want to play around with the Romance options with a Companion, the only female Companion option is Ashara Zavros and she doesn't like dark side choices. She can be bought over with gifts. I highly recommend not trying to romance Khem Val ... could be a little freaky!

I have put together details about the five Sith Inquisitor Companions and all their preferences for gifts right here:



Friday, December 9, 2011

Full SWTOR Companion List on SWTORFace.com

From www.swtorface.com

Companions are going to play a massive part in your experience in SWTOR. Whether you use your companion to craft, or gather, or to tank for you, or even heal you, you'll never be alone. Much more than a simple pet, companions will share their opinions during your experience and judge you on your decisions.


You'll be able to customize their look and all their armor and weapons in the same way that you can customize your own look and gear. During your journeys in SWTOR you'll even get custom items for specific companions.


Every character, by the time they've finished the main story line, will have access to five companions in total. Every class has five different companions which are unlocked as you progress. Whether you choose to journey with a companion because of their special skills, or just because you like their company, it's totally up to you. Some players may even choose their main character's class based on the companions connected to a class, but the five different companions attached to each class represent one from each of the five skill sets (DPS, tank, heals, etc).



Click on the images below to see full details of Bounty Hunter, Jedi Consular, Smuggler, Jedi Knight , Trooper, Sith Inquisitor, Imperial Agent and Sith Warrior companion stats and gifts.












Qyzen-Fess Planet: Tython Qyzen Companion Gifts: Theran Cedrex Planet: Nar Shaddaa Theran Companion Gifts: Zenith Planet: Balmorra Zenith Companion Gifts: Lt Iresso  Planet: Hoth Lt Iresso Companion Gifts: Nadia Grell Planet: Belsavis Nadia Companion Gifts: Corso Riggs Planet: Ord Mantell Corso Companion Gifts: Bowdaar Bowdaar Companion Gifts: Risha Risha Companion Gifts: Akavi Spaar Akavi Companion Gifts: Guss Tuno Guss Companion Gifts: T7-01 T7-01 Companion Gifts: Kira Planet: Courscant Kira Companion Gifts: Doc Doc Companion Gifts: Sargent Rusk Rusk Companion Gifts: Lord Scourge Planet: Empires Palace Scourge Companion Gifts: Aric Jorgan Aric Companion Gifts: Elara Dorne Planet: Taris Elara Companion Gifts: M1-4X M1-4X Companion Gifts: Tanno Vik Tanno Companion Gifts: Yuun Yuun Companion Gifts: Khem Val Planet: Korriban Khem Companion Gifts: Andronikos Revel Planet: Tatooine Andronikos Companion Gifts: Ashara Zavros Ashara Companion Gifts: Talos Drellik Talos Companion Gifts: Xalek Planet: Voss Xalek Companion Gifts: Kaliyo D'jannis Planet: Hutta Kaliyo Companion Gifts: Vector Hyllis Planet: Alderaan Vector Companion Gifts: Doctor Lokin Lokin Companion Gifts: Ensign Raina Temple Planet: Hoth Raina Companion Gifts: Scorpio Planet: Belsavis Scorpio Companion Gifts: Vette Planet: Korriban Vette Companion Gifts: Malavi Quinn Planet: Balmora Malavi Companion Gifts: Jaesa Willsaam Planet: Hutta Jaesa Willsaam Light side Companion Gifts: Jaesa Willsaam Dark Side Companion Gifts: Lieutenant Pierce Planet: Taris Pierce Companion Gifts: Broonmark Planet: Hoth Broonmark Companion Gifts: Mako Planet: Hutta Mako Companion Gifts: Gault Rennow Planet: Tattooine Gault Companion Gifts: Torian Cadera Planet: Taris Torian Companion Gifts: Blizz Blizz Companion Gifts: Skadge Skadge Companion Gifts:

Full Jedi Consular Companion List and Gifts

I just finished SWTORFace's Companion list and today we will look at the Jedi Consular Companion List. Knowing what your companion likes and hates will help you a lot ingame. We have a full list of gifts with every companion too. I found Nadia Grell to be a good companion but my God, her complaining! It was like dating a dumb chick in high school ...


Companions are going to play a massive part in your experience in SWTOR. Whether you use your companion to craft, or gather, or to tank for you, or even heal you, you'll never be alone. Much more than a simple pet, companions will share their opinions during your experience and judge you on your decisions.

You'll be able to customize their look and all their armor and weapons in the same way that you can customize your own look and gear. During your journeys in SWTOR you'll even get custom items for specific companions.

Every character, by the time they've finished the main story line, will have access to five companions in total. Every class has five different companions which are unlocked as you progress. Whether you choose to journey with a companion because of their special skills, or just because you like their company, it's totally up to you. Some players may even choose their main character's class based on the companions connected to a class, but the five different companions attached to each class represent one from each of the five skill sets (DPS, tank, heals, etc).

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Early SWTOR Game Access Now December 13th

Big news from the Devs. Some of us (people who pre-ordered SWTOR) will be getting into the game on the 13th of December instead of the previously planned date of 15th of December. I think my heart just started beating a bit faster with excitement!  It's like Christmas is early!!


The rub is that it's a case of first in best dressed - those that re-ordered first will get access first. Here's the official announcement ...



Early Game Access* for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is only a few days away! Starting December 13, 2011, The Old Republic will begin emailing invitations to start your Early Game Access. Invitations will be sent throughout the Early Game Access period offering rolling access to the game in the order in which you redeemed your Pre-Order Code, so be sure to check your email inbox!

To ensure that players can get into the game as quickly as possible when their Early Game Access begins, we are now allowing everyone who has redeemed a Pre-Order Code at our Code Redemption Center to pre-load the game to their computer.

In order to download the game client before Early Game Access begins, you need have already logged into your account and redeemed your Pre-Order Code. Once you have done this, you can download the game client by clicking on “My Account” in the upper-right of the window and then click “Pre-Order.” On your Pre-Order page, click the large button that says “Download Game Client” to begin download of the game!



SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: Hot Alien Babes

One thing SWTOR is not short of is Star Wars sex appeal. The Dev team go above and beyond the call of duty in the design of Hot Alien Babes in SWTOR; some of them will make your heart melt!


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Crafting and Missions With Companions

This is a video guide that shows how to use the crafting system in SWTOR and also explores the best use for inactive companions, missions, and resource collection. Demonstrating all this at Lvl 50 this guide shows you the full workings of the crafting system. This guide was done using the 12/1/11 patch.


SWTOR Game Cards Now Available For Purchase!

Amazon has a 60-day game card for $29.99. $15 a month is a sweet deal! This will be a good idea for a Christmas gift for any SWTOR fan!

If you have pre-ordered then you have 30 days subscription but that will only see you through until mid-January, so this is worth considering. I hadn't seen any official pricing on the monthly subscription before this and it's good to know that it will be $15/month. Most likely it will be cheaper with bulk subscriptions once they become available too. I'll leave a link in the border to the game card so it's there for when you need it.

SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: A player's ship is his home

It's nice to have a place in the game that is just yours and I hope one day we can customize the inside of our ships to make them feel more unique! I got to spend a lot of time on this baby; she is a sweet ride!  


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: a scene no Jedi will forget

Crafting your saber in SWTOR is a magic moment and I think the best scene in the game all the way to 50!
With the update to crafting and orange items, I'm excited that I will get to keep my first saber all the way and even raid with it!


Monday, December 5, 2011

SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: End of Beta

Saying goodbye to my Beta toon is not easy; I've spent hundreds of hours with this guy ingame and editing videos looking at him and although I'm not finished with videos that I have shot with him, it's still sad saying goodbye. SWTORFACE the Jedi Consular will live on and continue to teach 1000's of Jedi as they stumble through the world that is SWTOR! Look out for him over the next 10 days in some new and helpful videos.


Saturday, December 3, 2011

Big Profit Expectations for The Old Republic

As December has gotten underway, we’ve already been lucky enough to enjoy a few beta testing sessions ahead of The Old Republic’s highly anticipated release on the 20th. With a number of positive reviews in thus far, there has still been a bit of objectivity levied from a few, including Activision’s president Bobby Kotick, who is said to believe that Electronic Arts won’t benefit much from the holiday release. This assessment has little basis on the game play and selling numbers that are expected, but it’s still a bit misguided. 

Just this past week, Eurogamer was lucky enough to speak with a few major industry analysts who see strong profits on the horizon for both LucasArts and Electronic Arts. One of the analysts spoke of an expected $300 million in revenue generation, which would result in an excellent take home for both Star Wars the Old Republic developers. 



Because Electronic Arts will be taking home about 30 percent of the total revenue for The Old Republic, they would stand to take in nearly $80 million if numbers came anywhere close to what some analysts are predicting, which would surely be a very good achievement. Subscriber totals are expected to be the driving force behind the possible revenue for both developers.

Subscriber estimates are ranging anywhere from 1.5 to 3 million expected in the early months of 2012. If The Old Republic can garner in subscribers anywhere near 3 million in total, the end revenue could possibly reach the height of $500 million, which would be outstanding for both LucasArts and Electronic Arts.

Early doubt, especially that from Bobby Kotick has been totally based off the revenue and license share levels between Electronic Arts and LucasArts. Game play and the early reviews have been positive for the most part, especially after strong responses to the game play and storyline following the initial beta testing sessions, which saw over one million hours logged by hundreds of thousands of gamers.

With the strong initial reviews in hand, expectations have grown with the fact that the game will be released during the core of the holiday gift buying season. Many families are choosing to take advantage of this timing by pre ordering the game, instead of waiting to purchase it after the wide release on December 20.

There is only a minor risk of failure expected for The Old Republic, especially after the beta testing sessions throughout the month of November. Developers have set goals for The Old Republic to compete in long term users and sales with other MMO mainstays like World of Warcraft. Even though this level of success still remains questionable, the game looks to have a strong combination of inviting factors. If it is able to appeal to both casual gamers and the dedicated Star Wars fans, expect the franchise to assert itself as an MMO powerhouse in 2012 and beyond.

By : Justin Taylor

Update To Upgrading Armor And Mods In SWTOR Video

Using the 12/1/11 patch this is a guide that shows the difference between weapons of different levels and what you can do with upgrading the mods in weapons. We take a close look at the stat changes on multiple lightsabers, and show you the raw hard facts. This guide is designed to help you understand the weapon upgrade system in greater detail. The weapon upgrade is done by a level 49/50 Jedi. Footage was taken from SWTOR Beta and is subject to change.

8 Year Star Wars Galaxies Veteran Gets His Feet Wet in SWTOR (Finally)


In June of 2003 I began playing Star Wars Galaxies. Having been fascinated by the Star Wars Universe since I was a child, and being a very avid console game player, I had played just about every Star Wars console game title released to that point. PC games were still quite new to me however, as most of my gaming had been done on the Sega Genesis, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Sony Playstation. The thought of playing an online game where I would interact with others was very new and exciting to me.

At the recommendation of a friend, I decided to give Star Wars Galaxies a try. Being a console gamer, I had no idea Star Wars Galaxies was even in development, let alone set to be released soon. I had played games like StarCraft and Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds, but this was my very first experience in the MMORPG world, and the first game that actually had a monthly subscription attached. It was Star Wars, I simply had to be there I told myself. To my delight, I was completely amazed with the game itself and seeing hundreds of other players in just one area, moving about like ants, doing their missions, forming massive battles. I was very impressed. I spent countless hours and endured alot of sleepless nights attempting to unlock my Jedi character slot, which I finally accomplished on Mother's Day of 2004.


Throughout it's very checkered history due to unwanted changes in the combat system, a massive player exodus when World of Warcraft was released, the shutdown of SOE services for nearly two weeks due to intrusion by hackers back in April of 2011, and countless game updates attempting to restore the game to it's former glory, I had maintained 5 accounts until the very end. September 15th, 2011 was the last day subscriptions to the game were accepted.

I cannot even begin to list all the people I met during that time from all over the globe. I even learned that one of my cousins in Australia had been playing it for years as well. The game was simply amazing. I had put much time and effort into my characters I had created, which equaled thirteen in total in the end.

June 24th, 2011 will be forever remembered as one of the most depressing and disappointing days of my life. Sony Online Entertainment released a statement that all Star Wars Galaxies services would be closing down on December 15th, 2011. I was simply heartbroken. My characters had become an extension of myself. I knew of Star Wars the Old Republic long before the shutdown was announced, but I simply did not want to abandon the work I had done in Star Wars Galaxies, even though the writing appeared to be on the wall already when SOE has laid off their entire Denver Colorado office staff on March 31st, 2011.

I resisted. I became one of the very vocal players who voiced their unhappiness with the decision to shut down SWG. I posted on the SWG forums, Lucasarts forums, SOE's Facebook pages, and even helped circulate a petition that was created by another player in an attempt to alter this decision to shut down the game. We had reached close to 5,000 signatures, but it became apparent that our efforts were falling upon deaf ears. I became angry and frustrated, and even voiced my displeasure towards Star Wars the Old Republic, blaming it as the main cause for the game I loved being taken away. My friends and guildies stopped logging into SWG, perhaps sharing my frustrations, and the game lost alot of what had made it so special to me.

In July of 2011, Pre-Orders were started for SWTOR. I had come to the realization that the best way to continue on was to take my legacy and guild to another game. I pre-ordered the collector's edition for SWTOR. I came to terms with reality and accepted the fact that SWG would not be around forever.

While waiting as patiently as I could, in August 2011 the same friend who had introduced me to SWG asked me to try World of Tanks with him, a free to play battlefield type game with World War II tanks. It helped pass the time perfectly, and I still am playing it to this day. It is a very quick and action packed game which reminded me of some of the console games I had played in earlier years. My best description of it was "Twisted Metal with WWII tanks". My guildies and friends started playing it as well. There was video game life after SWG I realized.

After months of checking through my email, and very jealously listening to a guildie who was in the permanent beta describe the game, I finally recieved an invite to the beta test Star Wars the Old Republic last weekend, which began on November 25th, 2011.

I was not disappointed. I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of things to do in the game. It really did make Star Wars Galaxies seem very small and redundant. People had said the graphics were "cartoon-like" and "outdated" which I fully disagreed with. I heard that the questing became tiresome, which I did not find to be the case either. I was also concerned how the game would run on my PC, being that it was a little bit older. Smooth as silk I found when I logged in the first time.

By Friday evening I was completely hooked on the game and very engrossed into my character's storyline. Each day I played I kept learning new things about the game and progressed to level 22. I tried the other classes for a short time to get a small feel for them but simply could not stop wanting to play my Jedi Knight. No need for 5 account subscriptions, as the game allows a total of 8 characters to be made on any given server. This alone made the game seem so much more rich to me with content.

I am now a firm believer that everything in life happens for a reason. Star Wars Galaxies was on the decline for years. My guild which used to consist of hundreds of members who would log in on a regular basis, became just a shell of it's former self, with under 20 people logging in regularly. I was losing touch with them all and the game had lost it's appeal to alot of people.

Star Wars the Old Republic will be around for quite some time, and I suggest that any Star Wars fan completely embrace it for what it is. The music, while not composed by John Williams, follows in the same tradition of the movies. It has that very epic Star Wars tone to it and I am very happy that I will be getting a copy of the soundtrack as well with the Collector's Edition.

The combat is much more complex than I had ever thought, almost to the point of being on par to some of the console fighting games I had played like Namco's Tekken series. There are counters, combos, and enough of a challenge to make me keep wanting to come back for more.

The character story kept making me want to see what happens next, with enough side quests to keep my progression on par to handle alot of the content on my own, while I was overwhelmed at the amount of Group Missions and Heroic Encounters that I would need to call upon my guildies to complete. None of which seemed necessary to pass a certain point and I never got stuck to the point where I could not progress. There is so much to do that I could not possibly squeeze it all into one weekend, or see everything it has to offer.

The space combat was very action packed and fast. It did remind me of StarFox for the Nintendo 64, like many people have said, which I always had loved. After a few upgrades to your spaceship it should be alot of fun and enough of a challenge to make you want to come back for more.

Another thing I noted that was unlike SWG was that there was nothing your character did to leave a lasting impression on the server. There is no player housing to be tied down to, or player cities. While I did not like this idea at first, I come to realize now that when the game launches there may be close to 50 servers running for the game. Who knows what might happen say maybe five years from now. It should be a very painless transition should they have to merge servers, close servers, or introduce character transfer. Many of my frustrations in SWG were rooted in real estate squabbles, not finding enough room for my structures, or simply getting there too late to take advantage of resource spawns or prime spots for housing. Not to mention also that some of the less populated servers became ghost towns, before SOE finally allowed free character transfer to a more populated server of our choice. This service was previously charged at a whopping $50 or more per character, depending on whether you wanted to take your items with you or not.

Every game ultimately is defined by how well the Player vs. Player aspect is done, and how much content there is after reaching maximum level. While I myself did not try any of the Player vs. Player Warzones, the jubilence of my guildies who did participate in them over our Teamspeak server assured me that this game has gotten it right in pretty much every aspect.

I very much look forward to the game's launch and sharing my experiences with you all. It's going to be a very fun ride. Star Wars Galaxies was indeed a very good game for years and years past, but I feel we are in good hands with BioWare and Star Wars the Old Republic.

May the Force be With You!

Stephen Cefai
Goji-Phen
Guild Leader of Eternal Empire

Friday, December 2, 2011

SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: Hello, can I eat you?

So, I finally made it to level 50 and found my new favorite creature in the game. You have to agree, this guy is uber-cute. Too bad he was looking at me in my stealth mode, trying to work out how he could eat me. This guy wanders the frozen wastelands of the planet Ilum. You'll get to know him and his buddies really well, as it's where you'll end up doing a lot of your dailies.


SWTOR Advanced Class Re-specs in the Future?


The discussion is raging on again about the lack of a re-spec option in the current build for Advanced Classes. Read the latest post from the developers below if you need to catch up.

Let me start off by saying that I totally disagree with the proposed option of being able to re-spec a character with an Advanced Class already established. The reason is that what a lot of people don't realise is that your Advanced Class IS your class if you compare it to a game like WoW. Using WoW as an example, should a Rogue be able to re-spec to a Hunter? No! Within your Advanced Class you have the ability to have three very individual builds, just like a Rogue in WoW. I think that people are upset because they haven't got past the way it has been named in SWTOR.



The class system in SWTOR allows you to get the feel for your character and the game before making your final decision on your actual class. You play until level 10 with a generic set of skills and the flexibility to try different things. Then you decide on your Advanced Class. In WoW by comparison, you start as a Hunter and you have three trees and you choose to put your points in one of those skill trees. In SWTOR you don't get skill points until you reach level ten. You then choose your Advance Class and are at that point given three trees to put skill points in. These three trees provide you with three very different playing styles which you can re-spec in the current build. The way the system is that the moment just prevents one character from being able to do every job in the game. Most Advanced Classes give players the option for two different play styles: Healer/DPS or Tank/DPS.   The other Advanced Classes optimise damage output but give you choices of play styles, as in burst DPS or sustained DPS over long periods of time. If one Advanced Class is able to be a Healer, Tank or DPS it could potentially imbalance the game, with players being forced into roles they don't want to play.

A perfect example is the game Global Agenda. Most people in the guild I was in had one of each class as it doesn't take very long to level. Even though I hate the role of healing, every time I logged in on a Raid night I was left with one choice: heal or don't Raid. I have seen this happen in WoW with Palladins and Druids too. I've even had friends quit the game because they have hated healing or tanking but were forced to do it.

I plead with BioWare to truly think this through before considering it in the future. I do beklieve though that once more players have got to level 50, like I have, they'll understand why the need to re-spec an Advanced Class is not necessary or a good option for the game.

Gold post from SWTOR.com forums:
Folks, please don't overreact about the possibility of something happening in the future. Advanced Class switching (or re-speccing, take your pick) was, at one point, potentially going to go into the game. Right now, it's not in the game. It could potentially be added after launch. Like, frankly, anything else. To quote Georg "we reserve the right to change our minds based on feedback and testing". This thread is feedback. It'll be taken into account by the developers, along with the usual metrics we look at. I'll say this much - any sort of Advanced Class changing is not under discussion for launch, or even right after launch. Absolutely anything in the game is potentially open to change in the future. That's part of what an MMO is about. Your feedback on those changes is absolutely welcome, but just because we say that yes, something may potentially happen in the future... that doesn't make it a certainty.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

SWTOR Beta: A Video Tour of Corellia

One of the coolest things in this video and on Corellia itself is the bullet tram system. It's fast. The planet itself has been devastated by war and the scenery is what you expect from any major city in a war zone, right down to escaped zoo animals running rampant.

With this video, I've uploaded in high definition 1080p. Is this something people want, or do most people watch at 720p? The reason I ask is that there is about a 3 hour difference in the upload time.



All Screen-shots are 1920x1080






SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: Carbonite is Common

Freezing people in carbonite is common place 3000 years before Han Solo got cubed by Vader and Fett in the Empire Strikes Back, it looks like it might be a bit of a shock to the system too! I would get them to tie my hands up so some fool didn't break one of them off when I was frozen! But then again hand cuffs didn't work on Han right? How the hell did he get out of them? Han Houdini! This screenshot is of one of the many people you'll find frozen on carbonite throughout the galaxy in SWTOR.


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

SWTOR: Guide to Upgrading Weapons with Mods Video


There are multiple threads in the Beta forums at the moment, discussing stats on weapons and the difference mods can make. due to limited time some people have had in Beta, there are a lot of miss-conceptions about what you can and cannot do with the weapons upgrade systems. So to help people out I've done this advanced video guide showing the facts on weapons upgrades ingame at level 47.

SWTOR Beta Screenshot of the day: Amazing Horizons

One thing an Alien galaxy has that never ceases to impress me, is the variety of horizons. Everything from multiple moons, large planets and asteroids can be found rising or setting on the horizon line. It certainly sets the scene for the game. This particular show was taken on Voss, a level 40-45 planet.


When Will SWTOR Bata Be Back Online?

It looks like I get no space combat with my coffee this morning :( 

I got up at 6 am thinking, yeah servers will be up, but when I opened SWTOR this is what I found! This week? THIS WEEK? WHAT!! NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo......  

It looks like they might be getting the servers ready for guild deployment on the 2nd of December! I don't know if we will be playing on the to-be Live servers or not but it would make sense with only 2 weeks to go, well 16 days.