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SWTOR's Vanguard, Powertech discipline changes detailed
Did you catch yesterday's Star Wars: The Old Republic dev blog about update 3.0's changes to Mercenaries/Commandos? Good, because now we're on to Vanguards and Powertechs. If you're just joining us, SWTOR's talent trees are going bye-bye in favor of disciplines when Shadow of Revan launches early next month. Click through the links below to learn what's becoming of your favorite class!
Hyperspace Beacon: All SWTOR classes are useful in Huttball, part two
A few weeks ago, after many weeks of seeing new players in Star Wars: The Old Republic warzones, I thought it would be a good idea to post a little guide on the basics of winning Huttball. Interestingly, that article birthed a conversation about how some classes were better suited for the game, but more importantly, some players had given up on the warzone because they felt that their particular class didn't work in Huttball at all. Admittedly, certain classes do have more utilities that make them a better fit for the game, but I believe every class has its role in this particular arena. And more importantly, I believe that every class can have fun and feel useful. However, some players need a bit of training. Two weeks ago, I covered the Sith Warrior, Jedi Knight, Imperial Agent, and Smuggler classes. In this week's coverage, I'm going to take a look at two SWTOR classes that seems to be built for this game and two others that have more surprises than you might think: the Sith Inquisitor, Jedi Consular, Republic Trooper, and Bounty Hunter.
Powertech Ultra Slim outlet expander brings USB ports to your wall outlet
There's always a few unexpected devices to be found, and we just caught a glimpse of one such device at CES Unveiled this evening from an OEM called Powertech Industries. Called the Ultra Slim, it's an outlet expander that gives any regular electrical outlet a pair of USB power sockets -- without the wiring required of more permanent solutions like FastMac's U-Socket. The Ultra Slim is just that, as it's only about half inch thick, and has a unique folding collapsible plug on the back to keep its trim figure. Its thin profile is also able to accommodate the depth of regular plugs with extending sections in the back. The adapters we saw were prototypes, though production will begin in earnest this July and Powertech plans to find a retailer willing to rebrand and sell them to the public for an as-yet-undetermined price. A full gallery of pics of the adapter awaits below. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
Star Wars: The Old Republic reintroduces the Bounty Hunter progression
Those wondering whether Mandalorians would be involved the in the Bounty Hunter storyline need look no further than the latest progression video released for Star Wars: The Old Republic. In it, the BioWare community team displays the class armor progression but also shows us parts of the Bounty Hunter story. Based on the image above with the Mythosaur-like skull, it could easily be said that Mandalorians throw some sort of tournament for your character to participate in. You can decide whether this is a class story you are interested in by watching the character progression video after the break. Also, as with all the progression videos TOR as released thus far, we see five possible looks for the character beyond the initial set of armor. Most importantly, we bear witness to many of the powerful gadgets in the Bounty Hunter arsenal. Powertechs appear to specialize in short-ranged AoEs like the carbonite blast and flamethrower, whereas the Mercenary is clearly about ranged power with his dual pistols and wrist-rockets. The full progression video follows after the break, and to read more about the Bounty Hunter, be sure to visit the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website.
The Old Republic clarifies advanced classes' roles, unveils first two combat ships
Whether you're a groundpounder or a space jockey, The Old Republic is gunning your way, big-time. Fans of either (or both!) aspects of the game have a little more to look forward to this week, as BioWare released additional information on the advanced classes and rolled out the first two starfighters for the public to see. In its recent Fan Friday, BioWare clarified the 16 class specializations by listing each of their top three attributes. For example, bounty hunter players have the choice between powertech or mercenary paths. Powertechs will assume more of a tank role, with flamethrowers and defense shields at the ready. Mercenaries, on the other hand, are to be the ranged DPS version of the class, dealing out the pain with dual guns and missiles. If the recently revealed space combat has you itching to jump into the cockpit, you can check out the first two starships (out of six) that will take pilots through the midst of adrenaline-pumping battles. The Fury is an Imperial interceptor (which looks like a predecessor of the TIE Interceptor), designed with speed and firepower in mind. Its counterpart, the Defender, is a standard Republic corvette that's been upgraded with turbolasers and shields for quick combat missions. Hopefully, we'll find out the remaining four fighters before too long!
Gamescom 2010: BioWare reveals 10 new advanced classes for TOR
We've known for a while now that Star Wars: The Old Republic is planning to offer players two different specializations for each class, but up until now we've only heard of a couple of them. Today at Gamescom, however, BioWare unloaded the names and loose descriptions of ten advanced classes. The best part? No Bothans died for this information. Darth Hater reports that imperial agent characters will have the choice between specializing as snipers (long-range DPS) or operatives (who use stealth and short-range weapons to get up close and personal). If a bounty hunter is more to your liking, then the choice between a powertech and a mercenary should get your imagination racing. Over on the Republic side, troopers will sign up for either commando or vanguard training. Commandos are the tanking line, although we don't know much about vanguards yet. SWTOR-Station spied a Zabrak trooper at the BioWare booth, indicating another possible race for the class. Force-users are also in store for powerful upgrades. The villainous Sith inquisitors choose their path between a more Force-happy sorcerer or the twin lightsaber-using assassin. Their counterpart, the Jedi consular, has a similar decision to make: that of a shadow, who can use double-bladed lightsabers, or a wizard, who uses a single lightsaber but can heal. Are Star Wars fans ready for wizards and sorcerers in their MMO? Somehow, we think so.
