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New Star Wars: The Old Republic dev blog dishes on advanced classes
Ready for another Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday feature? Whom are we kidding, of course you are! BioWare's Georg Zoeller is happy to oblige via his new dev blog that focuses on TOR's advanced classes. His previous entry laid the groundwork, whereas today's exercise is all about the details. Players will choose their advanced class at level 10, and each base class offers two advanced class choices (i.e., the Smuggler will need to select either the Gunslinger or Scoundrel as her advanced class). Each advanced class provides two exclusive skill trees and shares a third tree with the other (non-selected) advanced class. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, since Zoeller goes into quite a bit of detail in terms of the various skills, skill trees, and even decision-making and testing metrics (and of course, it's all sprinkled with a liberal dose of pretty pictures). Devour all the details on the official TOR website.
The Perfect Ten: Predictions for The Old Republic
I'm going to share with you a deep secret about the Massively staff: Pretty much all of us hate Larry. Oh, as a person he's likable enough, and he showers regularly, so no complaints there. He even saved the President's dog once and earned the Merit of Patriotic Pooches. Women swoon at his feet, and men occasionally throw their billfolds at him just so that he can afford to live the luxurious lifestyle that he obviously deserves. No, we hate him for a different reason entirely. You see, Larry gets the privilege and honor of being the Star Wars: The Old Republic reporter in these here parts, which has earned him no end of envy from the rest of us. Whenever we're all talking about TOR, Shawn will come in the room and tell all of us to cut it out -- except Larry. "Larry, it's your job to talk about The Old Republic. Keep on truckin', pal! You're the best!" And then Larry sticks his tongue out at us and makes pretend lightsaber noises for an hour or so while we grit our teeth. But then I remembered: I have a top ten column! In which I can talk about anything! And if that subject so happened to be TOR, then for one glorious week I could actually talk about BioWare's upcoming MMO without fear of reprisal from upper management! So today is all about my predictions for The Old Republic. Nine of them will come true; one will not. Have fun guessing which one!
PAX East 2011: Hands-on with SWTOR's Taral V
Star Wars: The Old Republic was an obvious hit at PAX East. Fans stood in line for hours just to get a chance to touch one of the most anticipated games of this year and to catch a glimpse of Taral V, the first publicly shown Flashpoint. The excitement to be one of the first to get hands on SWTOR group content was palpable. Our contributing editors Larry Everett and Eliot Lefebvre scored that opportunity to play the game last Saturday. Read on as our intrepid reporters showcase their experiences in the Star Wars universe. Draw your blaster and ignite your lightsaber as we head to a galaxy far, far away... Larry Everett: There are many things that can distract you from actually playing Star Wars: The Old Republic. Who wouldn't be distracted by the incredible layered scenery? I'd think the spot-on animations would make you want to attack more, although it is possible that you could attack the wrong target. Perhaps it was the vivid facial expressions that would cause someone to not make a dialogue choice. These have to be the reasons behind the fact that the Jedi Knight on our team completely failed to do his job in one of the most incredibly polished games and easy-to-slide-into games I have have ever played.
Woman tries, fails to smuggle 44 iPhones into Israel
Sigh. We don't know whether to congratulate the enterprising spirit of this venture or to bemoan the sad state of a world where a 60-something-year old lady feels compelled to turn into an iPhone smuggler. Either way, Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport has given us a pretty good reason for the use of full body scanners, which revealed the woman in question was strapped with 44 iPhone 4s all around her body. Dressed in traditional Georgian attire, the lady had some struggles walking around, which raised suspicion and got the officials to run her through the machines. Guess this gives us a whole new definition to the phrase "stocking stuffer," eh? [Original image credit: buystoreshelving.com]
Hyperspace Beacon: 2010 Retro!
Wow... 2010 is almost over, and Star Wars: The Old Republic is not released yet. OK, I had speculated at the beginning of this year that we would not see it until 2011. But if you had asked me in October of 2008 (when the official site was launched), I would have told you that the launch was at the end of 2009. There was no way in my mind that a company would launch its website that early. Boy, was I wrong. Little did I know at the time that I would be sitting here at the end of 2010 (the year new life was to begin on Europa), not playing what I hoped would be my favorite game ever. However, this has all given me time to think back about what SWTOR has given us this year. The year 2010 was the year of SWTOR reveals. Some have questioned whether too much has been revealed -- or rather, hyped. We have had group combat videos, designers switching games, CEOs retiring, opinionated play-throughs, and many other news items. Would you say we have had a plethora of SWTOR news this year? Oh yes, we have had a plethora, El Guapo. I have my favorites and my not-so favorites. Let's explore a few of them in this little retrospective.
Hands-on with SWTOR's next book: Deceived
The Star Wars universe probably has the richest and most collaborative lore of any fictional world. Literally, thousands of artists and authors have taken George Lucas' creation and turned it into the books, movies, paintings, comic books, and video games we know today. Paul S. Kemp, an author and corporate lawyer from Michigan, added his name to that list with his first Star Wars book, Crosscurrent. On March 22nd, 2011, Kemp's second Star Wars book will hit the shelves. Deceived will also be the second book to deal directly with the lore leading up to LucasArts' and BioWare's MMORPG (maybe you've heard of it): Star Wars: The Old Republic. The wildly popular Deceived trailer for SWTOR shows us how a Sith named Darth Malgus led the assault on the Jedi Temple during the Sacking of Coruscant. Darth Malgus and his Twi'lek companion rather quietly walk through the front doors of the temple to be surrounded immediately by Jedi who are rather uncertain about what to make of the situation until a stolen transport full of Sith warriors comes crashing through the main hall. A battle of light and dark ensues, which culminates with Maglus facing off with and killing Jedi Master Ven Zallow. As with everything Star Wars, we only get a piece of the actual story with the trailer. This four minute trailer is the spark which eventually turns into the forest fire. Deceived tells the immediate and personal effects of this battle on Darth Malgus, his Twi'lek companion, a Smuggler, and a Jedi Knight. The novel hardback will retail for $27 U.S. ($31 Canadian) when it releases, but Massively received an advanced copy of Deceived. Continue reading to scoop up our impressions of the latest in what looks to be a series of SWTOR-related novels. (Oh, there maybe a couple of spoilers to tease you in there, too.)
Newly "smuggled" information from Star Wars: The Old Republic
Just when we think there isn't anything more that can be revealed about the smuggler class, BioWare proves us wrong. The Old Republic website just launched a slew of screenshots, advanced class data, and videos about Han Solo's favorite Republic class. Let's see if we can break this down into bite-sized pieces. First, we know the smuggler's duck-and-cover combat techniques are not new, but we now have an official breakdown of the advanced classes. The scoundrel advanced class is all about sneaking in, hitting hard, then getting out before anyone notices. The stealth belt, med pack, and single blaster are his equipment of choice. The gunslinger advanced class controls the enemies' movement as well as packing a nice DPS punch. All the gunslinger needs is two blasters and perfect aim -- if you bust an enemy's knees or blindshot him, he ain't gonna move. Secondly, we have one of the smuggler's companions: Bowdaar. This Wookiee is most likely picked up on the Smuggler's Moon, Nar Shaddaa, since he is a gladiator in the arenas there. Although he uses few -- if any -- weapons, this strong-armed companion has never been defeated in battle. This sets him up well to be the tank to the smuggler's healer or crowd control role. Plus, what's a smuggler without a Wookiee partner, right? Lastly, what would a smuggler be without a starship? The Corellian XS Stock Light Freighter serves at the smuggler's transportation of choice. As with most Corellian-designed vessels, the XS Stock Light is perfect for cargo transportation, crew accommodation, and pirate defense. Everything your smuggler will need to find consistent work throughout the galaxy, plus a few added features to hide not-so-legal items. Check out more information about this sneaky class on the official site, and don't forget to visit our gallery for some awesome screenshots. %Gallery-103218%
Mmmmmm... SWTOR smuggler video
In case you missed it last week, Machinima.com gave the world an exclusive look at the Star Wars: The Old Republic smuggler class. "When the Republic needs someone to get the job done, they always call me," the narrator snorts smugly in the video. He has the best ship in the galaxy, a sneaky set of abilities, and moral compass that allows him to do things the Republic would rather not be made public. Plus, he's got all the best connections to the underworld, right? Do you have what it takes to dual-wield pistols or slip past guards undetected? Maybe you just like to be a smart aleck to people in authority. BioWare wrote the smuggler class for you. Dodge past the break and catch a glimpse of the smuggler's snarky class video. Don't miss the the shots of SWTOR's stealth and cover systems in action nor the Millennium-Falcon-type interior of the smuggler's starship. And was that a quick glance of a Wookiee companion at 1:01? Judge for yourself.
Hyperspace Beacon: Testing the SWTOR waters
If you didn't know already, just over a week ago three writers from Massively, including me, traveled to Seattle, Washington for PAX Prime. During that time, besides catching the flu, we were able to catch a glimpse of some of the games that have yet to be released. We were able to play games like TERA, The Force Unleashed II, Guild Wars 2, RIFT, End of Nations, and many, many others. Some were pretty good; others, not-so-much -- but most seemed very polished and perfect for presentation. Of course, you all know I was there to see Star Wars: The Old Republic. I caught a lot of it. There were six of the eight classes available for demo at the gorgeous LucasArts booth. (BioWare did have a booth there, too, but the team was displaying some small game it was trying to get off the ground called Dragon Age 2.) Visitors had a chance to try out the smuggler, trooper, agent, bounty hunter, and both Sith classes. Because of the enormous lines that constantly encircled the booth, I was only able to play three of the classes: smuggler, trooper, and Sith inquisitor. For this edition of the Hyperspace Beacon, I will give you my impressions of the gameplay for those classes. However, I want to take a slightly different look at them. At E3, Massively's editor Seraphina Brennan was able to give her impressions of the smuggler class -- she covered the mechanics and so on. Although I will touch on the combat mechanics, I have decided to focus on some of the features BioWare is famous for: cinematics, character development, and overall storytelling. Follow after the break, and I will give you an honest breakdown of how SWTOR measures up to its predecessors.
SWTOR announces Han Solo's future home as a playable planet
Corellia, the primary planet of the Five Brothers in the Corellian system, has just been announced as the next planet for you to explore in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Who doesn't know Han Solo? This famous smuggler will be born on this pivotal planet in some 3,500 years after the in events in SWTOR, but that does not stop this luscious world from being an important spot in The Old Republic. Corellia is an apex of trade, so its political influence is vast and powerful. Although the citizens adore their independence, the planetary loyalty has never been in question. So, when Corellia's communications were suddenly cut off from the rest of the Republic, the whole galaxy was in shock. The few holo-vids which have been extracted from the planet show extensive terrorist acts and destruction across the planet. We can only assume this is an attack from the Sith Empire. Wasn't the Treaty supposed to protect this planet from such issues? Stay tuned here at Massively for more updates on this senseless violence.%Gallery-101920%
Hyperspace Beacon: The bald and the blue
As some of you may be aware, I love the whole idea of roleplaying and storytelling in an MMO setting. Also -- which should be more than evident -- I am a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise. As a roleplayer, I always like the idea of being able to do whatever I want in an MMO -- truly creating my own story. I like it when a developer gives me the blocks, and I stack them the way I want to. I build my castle the way I envision it. So you can imagine when I heard there were class restrictions on races in Star Wars: The Old Republic, I said (and I quote), "LOLOMGWTGDairyQueen-LOLOMGBBtheQ!™" I thought it was a really, really bad idea. How was I going to make my pink, cybernetic, Nightsister Wookiee? Then I realized that particular Wookiee would totally be unimmersing, which is exactly what I despise about a good chunk of MMOs. So after dealing with my temporary bout with insanity, I realized immersion was more important than my desire to play with blocks, but I still wanted to make these characters the best they could be. Now it was time to find out as much as I could about the species I will be able to play. Follow me after the break to see what I found. ™ LOLOMGWTGDairyQueen-LOLOMGBBtheQ! is the trademarked (not really) catch phrase of Morte of the Oxhorn Brand Machimina
Hyperspace Beacon: Blaster at my side
Hey, kids, the name's Han Solo. I've been asked to step in here because I know a thing or two about smuggling. I know many of you are lookin' to jump into this line of work, and I'm going to tell you right now: it ain't gonna be easy. You gotta live by your guts, kids. You hav'ta be smooth, and you can't let crazy green Rodians get under your skin. In fact, if a Rodian does come lookin' for you, I suggest you shoot him first. It'll save you some trouble in the long run, but don't forget to pay for the mess. Maybe I should start with some of the greatest smugglers out there. That should help detour you from the insanity of this profession. Although none of 'em is as good as I am, Lando Calrissian, Dash Rendar, and even an old smuggler named Hylo Visz made their marks on history. Their lives were wrought with risky maneuvers, near-misses, and some damned good luck. So I guess if you think you've got what it takes, keep reading -- I'll meet you after the break. [Thank you to Lois van Baarle for letting us use her artwork for the main banner. You can see more of her work at Loish.net.]
E3 2010: Hands on with The Old Republic's smuggler class
What's the oldest profession? If you answered smuggling, then you're wrong, but you're totally on track for what we're going to cover in today's hands-on! At this year's E3, I had the pleasure of smuggling for fun and profit as I found my ship stolen out from underneath me in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I spent a decent amount of time learning about the game's world, the game's combat and quest system, and how cover works for the smuggler. I also got to witness a bit of multiplayer combat, to get a feel for how the game works in a party. Was it revolutionary? Was it solid? Was it a piece of junk that could do the Kessel Run in an odd measure of distance instead of time? Follow after the break for all of this and more!
Nearly 20min worth of SWTOR gameplay video
If nearly 20 minutes of Star Wars: The Old Republic gameplay footage narrated by BioWare developers themselves is the kind of thing you get excited about, then today is a very exciting day for the both of us.IGN is hosting the video that's so huge it comes in four parts. Here's where it gets awesome: It'll show you lengthy gameplay for the Bounty Hunter, Smuggler and Sith Warrior classes in addition to some of the game's planets. Plus, BioWare gives you something of a director's commentary of what's happening with each of the classes. In effect, it's almost pure nerdnip.Even at almost 20 minutes long, we found ourselves feeling like it all went by far too quickly and there's a definite possibility we may re-watch it again. That seems like a good sign of things to come, at least for BioWare and not so much for our social lives. Check out all four videos after the break.
Get closer to The Old Republic's Smuggler class
BioWare's latest Star Wars: The Old Republic dev blog gives us a look into their thoughts and reasoning on the creation of the Smuggler class. Frankly, we're smitten with the idea that as a Smuggler we could romance a Jedi Knight. Yep, it's been decided. We're going to spend most of our time tallying up romantic conquests and witty one-liners when this game finally arrives.The rest of the dev blog takes a look at all the various aspects of being a Smuggler, such as combat, companions, loyalties and snappy dialog. BioWare also touches on the different varieties of Smuggler that exist in their lore. It's a fun look into what makes the class tick, so if you're considering wielding a blaster and potentially donning a cape that even Lando would be jealous of, we think you'll enjoy the read.
What are SWTOR's three final classes?
Looking at the official Star Wars: The Old Republic class page reveals four slots on both factions, with three total filled thus far. Of course, you'll notice that Jedi and Sith aren't shown here, but it's a forgone conclusion that they'll be filled sooner or later. While nobody but BioWare can be sure what the final classes actually, half the fun is trying to figure them out before they're announced.So with that said, it's time to take a few educated guess stabs at potential classes, and formulate our wish lists. I'm sure you've all got ones of your own as well, so feel free to share!
The Digital Continuum: SWTOR turns up the heat
E3 2009 has come and gone, with it came new information on Star Wars: The Old Republic -- and fresh concerns. To call BioWare ambitious would be an understatement of vast proportions. Every NPC receiving full voice acting ratcheted up my curiosity as much as it did my eyebrows. We may need a new word to describe the depths of this game's ambition.As if the voice acting news wasn't enough, BioWare revealed a cinematic trailer that reminded me how powerful this property can truly be, in the right hands. The excitement was so immediately potent that it caused some people to cry "over-hyped!" in the few short minutes between the trailer's beginning and ending.I think it's time to asses the current situation, and maybe ponder a few things about Star Wars and BioWare.
E3 2009: Star Wars: The Old Republic demonstration
The trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic blew nerds around the world away, and has managed to build some of the greatest hype possible for an MMO in just a few short days. The question has been asked whether or not a trailer which contains absolutely no gameplay footage should be producing that sort of hype, but that trailer wasn't all that we saw of the upcoming MMORPG at E3. A panel dedicated to The Old Republic had much more to say.The panel opened up with the stage being set: The Old Republic begins 3,000 years before the rise of Darth Vader, 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, which would give BioWare an excellent opportunity to define and expand upon key events of Star Wars "pre-history."The entire presentation laid a significant emphasis on story and story elements. Right from the beginning, the developers lay out it: RPGs have four primary elements. Exploration, combat, progression, and story. The story element is the one most overlooked in MMOs, and The Old Republic intends to address that head on. They intend to embrace story right alongside the other RPG elements. It will be a major player, and not something just used to justify the other elements. %Gallery-35033%
SWTOR classes are getting smuggled after all
We love magazines, because they sometimes feature interviews which reveal information before it's actually released online -- it does happen! Kotaku has discovered that Edge Magazine's newest issue contains an interview with James Ohlem, director for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and within said interview he reveals the Smuggler classes' existence. Giving the scanned image featured above, we can only assume Smugglers are a Republic class -- that there's a Trooper standing next to him.According to the Ohlem, via the scanned image, "Ord Mantell is a war-torn world and it's where the Smuggler starts off, when his ship gets stolen. He's pretty angry; imagine what Han Solo would've been like if the Millennium Falcon got taken." Sounds like a good place to start for the law-bending, blaster toting class.Chances are good this will be a part of next week's E3 2009 news, so keep a lookout for more official details when that time comes. Until then, we'll be dreaming of blockades ran and witty lines read.
Hints of the Smuggler class in new SWTOR timeline update
Who broke the Mandalorian blockade on Coruscant? Why, it was those wily Smugglers, that's who! The Sith weren't expecting the Galactic Republic to find assistance with that particular criminal aspect, but find it they did -- and you can learn all about it through the latest Star Wars: The Old Republic timeline update.Of course, if this second update doesn't just scream, "Smuggler class!" then we're not sure you were paying close enough attention. Then again, BioWare could just be trying to throw us off the trail by making the Smugglers such an obvious component to the back story. The problem is that, either way, you really cany have Star Wars without these guys somewhere in the story. Who knows, maybe they'll be called Scoundrels instead?And of course there's the possibility that Mandalorians will be featured as an Empire class, or at least the new update seems to loosely imply as much. Either way, we should expect some kind of shady character classes to be announced sometime in the near future.
