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Hyperspace Beacon: 'Twas the night before Sithmas and all through SWTOR...
If you've not been in game since last week, then you don't know about the snow problem that Carrick and Vaiken station have had since the Master of Ceremonies stopped by Star Wars: The Old Republic. Everyone, for no good reason at all, has been pelting each other with snowballs. They all think they are special snowflakes or something -- something I knew I was before this event began. But perhaps I should start at the beginning. The Life Day event actually started when the Cartel Market began selling Life-Day-related items on the week of the 10th. The items were the exact same items that were on sale last year. Many people, including me, were concerned that the whole event (if you could call it that) would be a complete recycle of last year's. Of course, we had the tensile bomb, the Life Day orb, the Life Day robes, and everyone's favorites, the festive snow-blowing speeder. (That was sarcasm, in case it didn't come through the text.) Fortunately, this year's SWTOR Life Day festivities didn't end there.
Massively does Geek Week: Take a scenic tour of SWTOR
As MMO players, we know all about being geeks; we're the geekiest video gamers around! Join in the fun today as we celebrate Google's Geek Week with a series of MMO-flavored videos to introduce fellow geeks to our favorite games: Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, The Secret World, and more! Despite its struggles since launch, Star Wars: The Old Republic retains a mighty playerbase. In fact, its subscription numbers easily place it in the top five MMOs! No doubt many players stick with the game because of its incredible and iconic vistas and locations. So why not live vicariously through our SWTOR columnist and virtually visit some of those destinations in a humorous flythrough recorded especially for Geek Week? Visit the haunted halls of the Sith Dark Temple on Dromund Kaas, tour the ruins of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and explore the war-torn wastes of Ilum. But whatever you do, don't mention what happens on the Bounty Hunter's D5-Mantis starship. We're still trying to block that from our minds.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR PvP rant 2013
I will not pretend that I see the whole picture. All I can see is the situation presented to me. And from my perspective, PvP in Star Wars: The Old Republic is broken. This decision doesn't come lightly. I don't believe that I'm making a hyperbolic statement, either. The flaws within SWTOR PvP exceed and trample on the positive parts of the PvP game. Despite being one of the most balanced and fun parts of the game in December of 2011, changes to the system have caused this part of the game to become less and less fun over time. What happened? If PvP used to be enjoyable and now it's just a drag, what changed? The unfortunate answer to that question isn't a simple one. We can't point to one action or one flaw that broke the system that everyone used to enjoy. I went so far as to say that the team at BioWare needs to stop working on PvP because it's taking the team away from expanding on the things that actually work. In fact, PvP changes ruined high-end PvE for some classes like Shadow/Assassin tanks. From my perspective, the team working on PvP is focused on the wrong aspects of the game. I will break it down the best I can.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR reinvents the Ilum wheel
For about a year, Star Wars: The Old Republic fans have been waiting to see how the BioWare design team would reinvent Ilum. The first incarnation discouraged PvP by making the objectives give no PvP incentive. It was easier, faster, and more beneficial for players to just ignore enemy players. The second incarnation failed even harder. At the time, there was a major disparity between the two factions, so the larger faction would easily overpower the smaller faction. This did not actually encourage PvP either because the smaller faction just stopped showing up and only the larger faction benefited from the zone. At that point, BioWare decided to remove all objectives from the area and work on a revamp. Last Tuesday, players were introduced to the third incarnation of the Ilum PvP zone. This time around, the zone contains a mix of group-on-group PvP, world bosses, and of course, PvE fetch/kill quests. How does it stack up to the previous incarnations? How does the reputation grind and Gree event fit into this equation? Should former players return to the game to try out the changes?
Hyperspace Beacon: Givin' SWTOR props
All MMOs could use improvements, but that doesn't negate what they have done right. And despite the negativity, SWTOR is doing well. In fact, in a recent forum post Systems Designer Damion Schubert said that the free-to-play push was working quite well: "The success of the market (and it has been quite successful) has given us the time and resources to do some ambitious things on Makeb and plan some very ambitious things beyond." Without even looking at the specific numbers, I can tell that the Cartel Market cash shop is working really well because of the sheer number of items I see on the Galactic Trade Network (auction house). As much as I hate to admit it, if the Cartel Market does well, so does the rest of the game. I also see other hints that BioWare might be changing up its game a little bit. Direct discussion with the community appears to be on the rise, and BioWare has also admitted and is attempting to properly fix its mistakes. In the wake of Stephen Reid's departure, direct communication had become lax, and besides Ilum, I don't remember BioWare ever truly admitting to mistakes. Let's take a look at a few of the changes BioWare has already made this year. Maybe it will give us a clue as to where SWTOR is going in the near future.
Hyperspace Beacon: Easy money in SWTOR
Players have complained about Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy system's being a huge money sink. Why would I want to blow 275,000 credits to gain 30% extra XP? I'm not sure that the return is worth the investment unless you want to level multiple alts or level strictly through PvP, but I can understand BioWare's thinking regarding this sink. True, at the guild summit, we were told that the vast majority of level 50s have less than 500,000 credits in the bank, but I think you will agree that the money sink is needed when you see just how quickly money can be earned in SWTOR. I've been asked multiple times by other players, "What is the fastest way to make money?" Well, just as in any other MMO, there isn't any way to make money superfast from zero. But doing daily quests can certainly help you out with most money struggles. What if I told you that you can make nearly 200,000 credits in less than two hours? That 30% PvP XP increase doesn't seem so far away now, does it? Because any amount of credits can be instantly sent to any of your alts on the same server (including ones of the opposite faction), you can make this fast money on your level 50 and ship it quickly to the alt you wish to power level.
This Week in MMO: Beta weekend edition
It's Friday, and that means it's time for the traditional recap of This Week in MMO. What's that, you say? Why, it's the weekly videocast roundup over at Gamebreaker, of course. Gary Gannon is your host, and he's joined by series regulars Mike B. and Mike Schaffnit. The trio discuss anything and everything relating to popular MMOs, including Star Wars: The Old Republic's Ilum-related troubles, Sony Online Entertainment's noises about selling user-generated content, and the upcoming Guild Wars 2 beta. The guys also get around to talking about Blizzard's ongoing Titan project, and more specifically, the speculation surrounding in-game advertising. The full show is yours after the break.
This Week in MMO: Hey guys have you heard about Ilum? edition
Another week is drawing to a close, and that means it's time for yet another This Week in MMO. On this edition of the show, host Gary Gannon, along with guests Mike B and Mike Schaffnit, takes a more-than-adequate amount of time reminding players of the blistering failure that is Star Wars: The Old Republic's Ilum and ponders whether or not any corrective measures will be too little, too late. Meanwhile, En Masse Entertainment is gearing up for the impending beta test and subsequent release of its newly westernized action-focused MMO, TERA. Is the beta test going to be enough to eradicate the vaporware mindset many of the game's fans have gotten into, or will it take more than that to convince players that the game is going to see the light of day sometime in the next couple of millennia? We'll just have to wait and find out. For all this and more, hunker down and click past the cut for this week's installment of This Week in MMO.
SWTOR's new patch makes a mess, BioWare looking into it [Updated]
Welp, Star Wars: The Old Republic's 1.1 patch has arrived, and it's brought a bit of baggage with it. Imperial PvPers have been taking advantage of faction imbalances to farm hapless Republic players on the level 50 world of Ilum, and BioWare has responded to the resulting outcry with a discussion thread and a plea for sanity. "We're currently investigating potential issues related to the Ilum open world PvP area post-1.1. We understand that this is a topic of much discussion and we ask that you please direct all discussions to this thread," writes Joveth Gonzalez on the official SWTOR forums. The devs adjusted both daily and weekly missions to require the killing of factional enemies, and they also increased the PvP currency rewards for doing so. As of right now, it's anyone's guess what the fix will entail, and we'll keep our eyes on it as the situation develops. [Update: BioWare has issued a formal statement, which we've posted in its entirety after the break.]
Rakghouls and raging Hutts with SWTOR's Gabe Amatangelo
A month after Star Wars: The Old Republic began its official journey in the public eye, the developers of this game-changing MMO are ready to extend the story, which they call the fourth pillar of the MMO genre. In patch 1.1, which also brings the usual round of bug fixes, players will be introduced to a brand-new level 50 flashpoint as well as a completed version of the Karagga's Palace 8-to-16-man operation. In the official press release for 1.1, BioWare founder Greg Zeschuk notes, "A month ago when we launched the Early Game Access program for Star Wars: The Old Republic, we promised our fans that this would just be the beginning of our journey together." That's all well and good, but we want details. So we rang up BioWare's Gabe Amatangelo to discuss the new flashpoint, Karagga's palace, Ilum, and the future of SWTOR PvP. Be aware that there will be some minor spoilers, but we'll warn you in advance!
Hyperspace Beacon: Cheating vs. poor design
Recently, Ilum took center stage in an argument about exploits, and I honestly cannot say which side of the fence I'm on. When do the intentions of the designers take precedent over the players taking advantage of poor design? Well before Star Wars: The Old Republic even crossed the mind of BioWare's creative brain-trust, exploiters have been taking advantage of unintentional game design. Even more interesting about the situation with Ilum was that the design was not exactly flawed; instead, players did not respond to the designs the way the developers intended. The game was "working as intended," but the players weren't. At what point do we blame the designers? In a game as large as SWTOR, we know that if someone is allowed to do something, he will. At the same time, players are lazy efficient when playing the game: They will find the fastest and easiest way to level or gear up despite the intended path. Designers should know this. I remember in Ultima Online when players would raise skills by poking each other with low-level swords for hours on end. I am sure the designers intended that players would earn skills by actually battling each other, but the simplest solution was to prod one another with a dull stick. I honestly don't know if that was ever fixed, but I certainly don't remember a GM tossing out a ban hammer for it.
BioWare responds to SWTOR's Ilum exploits
The Star Wars: The Old Republic open-world PvP zone of Ilum is intended to be an area where high-level players duke it out for planetary control. However, many players spend their time just standing around and not actually engaging each other. Some even go so far as to use their low-level alts of the opposite faction to cap nodes and help their mains gain PvP currency. Recently, some of these players were surprised to find their accounts temporarily suspended. Normally, we do not contact gaming companies because of bans, but there was some confusion in the community regarding a section in the rules of conduct that states: "You may not engage in any conduct or practice that results in an Account containing items, objects, currency, character attributes, rank, or status that are inappropriate for the level or rank of the character contained in the Account, i.e., 'item loading.'" Community Manager Stephen Reid pointed us to a forum post he created after we contacted him, in which he comments about the suspended accounts: It's important to remember that our Terms of Service team is extremely careful and thorough in their investigation of any potential exploit or unusual activity in-game. Working closely with the development team and using extensive metrics based on player activity, they are able to determine what is normal player activity, what is unusual and what is exploiting. Our goal is always to ensure a fair game experience for all players while also protecting the rights of individuals, and if people are disrupting the play experience for others action will be taken. In the post, Reid clarifies that only accounts suspected of gold farming were actually banned. Only a small number of accounts were temporarily suspended for the Ilum exploit, and also any action taken against an account may be appealed.
Hyperspace Beacon: More beacons
Hyperspace beacons guide a space traveler safely to places in the known galaxy. As Han Solo curtly explained to Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie, "traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations, we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" Hyperspace beacons were used to communicate the navigational computer on starships so that trips weren't ended "real quick." Now, Han Solo's Millennium Falcon didn't use the beacons, but ships around the time of Star Wars: The Old Republic did, hence this column's eponym. Last week, we took a trip across the Star Wars galaxy discussing the different planets in the Core Worlds and the Outer Rim. Most of those planets should be partially familiar to you because of the Star Wars movies. However, today's territories may be a bit less familiar to those who have not played other Star Wars games or read Star Wars books. After the break, I will take you on a tour of these worlds, but if you have any questions, I invite you to post them in the comments at the end of the article. In the words of Admiral Ackbar, "All craft, prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark." Three... two... one... mark!
Hyperspace Beacon: More nuna bites
Like just about everyone else watching the PAX coverage, I was expecting something big to come from Star Wars: The Old Republic. However, aside from a release date, I really didn't know what the team could give us that everyone would find important. At this point, you either like what you see or you don't. Nothing short of actually playing the game is going to make a difference. This oversaturation of information is a direct consequence of starting a marketing campaign three years ago. This long campaign results in news being regurgitated a few times over, as if it were new info. Take for instance the same-gender romance arc -- that was a topic we covered two years ago. As I did in the last nuna bites segment, I'd like to take a moment to discuss some of the smaller bits of news that you may have missed. At the same time, I would also like to weigh in on the same-gender-romance-arc subject because it is important, and I would like others to feel comfortable about expressing their personal viewpoints on the subject too.
Hyperspace Beacon: Nuna bites
If you happened to be in San Diego this weekend then you may have noticed a large gathering of geekery known as Comic-Con. Usually, this mecca of nerdom focuses on comic book related publications. Although Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't exactly comic book gold, Dark Horse comics rose through the ranks of pulp royalty because of its vast library of Star Wars-related publications. It only seems right that TOR presents itself to this audience. Besides the panel in Comic-Con proper, BioWare developers hosted three separate question and answer sessions focusing on Star Wars: The Old Republic. As with most Q&As, the majority of questions asked have been answered already in the past. If you were hanging out in Darth Hater's Ventrilo server like I was during the live broadcasts, then you heard a lot of "We knew that already." That being said, there were some pieces of juicy meat tossed to the crowd that we had not heard before. I will call them nuna bites, and you can find your slice after the break.
Hyperspace Beacon: Killer colors
The lightsaber is the most iconic tool of the Jedi in Star Wars. "This weapon is your life," Obi-Wan Kenobi said to Anakin Skywalker as the master handed back the lightsaber his student lost while chasing Zam Wessel. Without a lightsaber, the Jedi are just another group of wizards with fancy quotables. But as soon as you put the glowing laser sword in their hands, they become something more; they become the warriors whom every child has imitated in one way or another. Just what about that blade makes it special? Well, I can't tell you the reason people are intrigued by the illuminated weapon, but I can tell you that, according to lore, the crystal is the heart of the blade. In the movies, we have seen four different colored blades: red, green, blue, and purple, but other colors exist in lore. The Lead Writer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, Daniel Erickson, made a statement at PAX when questioned about saber crystal colors at the SWTOR presentation: "There is a broad spectrum of crystals available out in the galaxy. We have not made final plans on some of the more esoteric ones. They all have specific canonical connotations -- as to what they represent and how they came to be." Which raises the question: What are these canonical connotations? What do the colors of the crystals mean? I took a trip through Star Wars lore to uncover the answer to that question. Follow me after to break to find out more.
SWTOR's Ilum a crystal-clear win for the Sith
While Hoth may take the spotlight whenever someone wants to interview a winter-bound planet in the Star Wars universe, the scrappy planet of Ilum is out to make a name for itself. Star Wars: The Old Republic's 16th announced planet is a remote ball of ice that just so happens to be a major source of lightsaber crystals. Ilum used to be owned by the Republic, but the Sith have since made great headway in conquering the planet and hogging all of those saber-licious crystals all to themselves. BioWare's also hinted at a mystery that goes well beyond a mere resource grab. Although we hate to invoke Hoth in comparison, if you liked the Rebel's base in The Empire Strikes Back, then you're going to feel right at home in Ilum's ice-and-crystal outposts. You can read up on Ilum at TOR's Holonet, and watch the quick flyby video after the jump.
