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Hyperspace Beacon: E3 -- extravagant extraterrestrial exhibition
The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic. We have been teased, taunted, and tantalized this week before the Electronic Entertainment Expo, so much so SWTOR fans don't know topsy from turvy. In this Hyperspace Beacon, released just hours before Electronic Arts' press conference at the Expo, I will hopefully give you the lowdown on the latest news and perhaps help you appreciate the magnitude of the startling reveals. On the surface they may seem like hyped-up teases with very little to latch on to, but I believe they have exposed quite a bit. As Massively reporters packed their bags to head to Los Angeles, Bioware did not stop tossing tidbits at its diligent disciples. First, we were treated with a hands-on walkthrough from Gamespot detailing the beginning quest for most of the starting classes. Twi'leks and chiss were cited as playable species in this revealing report. Also, Gametrailers.com probed the path behind producing an exciting E3 trailer. Besides touring Blur studios, the interview taunted us with a brief look into this year's animated short story. Continue on after the break to find more insight into the extravagant extraterrestrial exhibition that is this year's E3.
SWTOR reveals the Emperor in webcomic
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the Empire Strikes Back. Just as in that monumental movie, the newly-revealed Emperor gives deadly instructions to his kneeling servant in Star Wars: The Old Republic's issue #3 of Blood of the Empire. Bioware's ingenious marketing campaign of webcomics drags us to the edge of our seats again. The issue begins explosively as Sith Warrior Teneb Kel faces off against his former Master, one he claimed to love as a father. This frantic and fear-filled lightsaber duel is cut short by the Sith Council just before Kel removes his Master's head, although this does not end Kel's trials for the day. A white-robed Emperor awaits with a final test: Exal Kressh. You may recall her in the last issue as the "pure blood" Sith. Her connection to Kel is yet to be revealed, but there is no mistaking the shock on his face when the yellow-eyed Emperor asks him to kill her. The pacing and art of this whole comic captures the audience much better than the Threat of Peace, but information just is not being revealed fast enough for the fans. To judge for yourself check out this week's edition.
Blood of the Empire may reveal the secrets of The Old Republic
The always-analytical team over at Darth Hater have turned their attention -- and magnifying glasses -- on the new TOR webcomic in the hopes of discovering hints for the MMO. The first issue of Blood of the Empire, entitled "Shades of the Sith," went up on The Old Republic's website a couple weeks ago, and as with the previous Threat of Peace comic, BioWare's cooperation with the project may be a subtle delivery mechanism for TOR secrets. So what have they uncovered so far? As with any exercise in speculation, maybe something, maybe nothing. The comic mentions "cacophinzer rounds" as a type of ammo that lightsabers cannot block, which may provide a logical excuse why lightsaber-wielding players may not always be able to deflect blaster fire. Darth Hater also points out the use of Teräs Käsi, an unarmed combat form that some Jedi use, which could have a role in the game. Above all of these details, they note that the comic seems to reinforce the BioWare edict that "choices matter" -- choices in quests, choices with companions and choices with conversations. Head on over to Darth Hater for the full read!
Environmental effects and new comics for Star Wars: The Old Republic
The big announcement out of Star Wars: The Old Republic came ahead of time this week, with the release of a surprise video documentary detailing combat. On the other hand, the game isn't only about combat. Having completed the Threat of Peace storyline in comic form, the site has launched a new comic to continue exploring the game's lore in more personal terms. Blood of the Empire has gone live, taking the exact opposite approach to the prior comic by focusing on a young Sith during the conquest of Republic worlds for the growing empire. True to form, the comic presents the Sith in the most straightforward fashion possible, leaving plenty of room for the moral ambiguity that classically defines BioWare's games. If that doesn't quite grab your fancy, the team's fan roundup has gone live, along with new concept art and a short trailer for the game. The former shows off some of the technology designs at work, while the latter highlights environmental effects from sparking generators to rippling water. It's a somewhat more contemplative look at Star Wars: The Old Republic compared to non-stop lightsabers and laser blasts, and it might prove a welcome contrast after the earlier announcements
Threat of Peace issue #23 goes beneath Dantooine
In the newest entry of Threat of Peace -- the webcomic prequel to Star Wars: The Old Republic -- it seems like Jedi and Sith will fight just about anywhere. They'll even make battle under Dantooine, especially if there's some degree of revenge involved in the fight. To be fair, Sith Lords Baras and Master Dar'Nala aren't simply fighting in a cave, they're fighting in ancient crystal caves that make for a much more spectacular setting. Of course, none of this would even be happening if the Jedi didn't blame the Sith for upsetting the peace treaty. Ah, Jedi, always blaming the Sith for their problems. Well, at least it makes for great showdowns beneath Dantooine! If not for that, well... we're not really sure what these comics would be about. Jedi picnics?
Star Wars: The Old Republic gives an official reveal of Tatooine
Despite being an obscure planet on the outer rim in Star Wars: The Old Republic, everyone knew that the desert planet Tatooine was going to be in the game. No, really, everyone. It's like Hoth, it shows up all the time, probably because the first movie in the franchise started on it. BioWare has thrown us a few curveballs, but to think they wouldn't send us to a well-known and iconic planet in the franchise would be silly. And sure enough, today's update to the official site is details on the sprawling desert wasteland with occasional pockets of civilization. There's plenty to do in the desert, however, even if the traditional stomping of tusken raiders doesn't appeal to you. The official page details the aftermath of the Czerka Corporation's meddling with the biosphere and with unfettered weaponry, which the Sith Empire is attempting to reclaim. There's the promise of something truly horrible under the sand as well, which should provide players of Star Wars: The Old Republic plenty of searching around dunes. Take a look at the official page on the planet, and if that doesn't sate your need for the game's universe, the newest installment of Threat of Peace is also available for your reading pleasure.
Star Wars: The Old Republic universe expanded with tie-in books
If the unique, fresh setting of BioWare's upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic interests you, you may want to check out the three books just-announced books, which will offer additional stories in the game's universe. Star Wars: The Old Republic Volume 1: Threat of Peace, out this April from Dark Horse, is a collection of Threat of Peace webcomics originally posted on The Old Republic's website. It'll be followed in July by a hardcover novel (of the non-graphic variety), Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance by Sean Williams. Paul Kemp is planning another novel.If the game turns out to be a hit, this "Star Wars" storyline invented for it could turn into a big multimedia franchise! With its sci-fi action and "light sabers," we could see this turning into a decent movie series.[Via Big Download]
Everybody loves a good cantina fight in Threat of Peace, issue #20
And so the plot thickens, as the identity of the man attempting to dissolve the peace treaty between the Republic and the Empire is now closer to being revealed. Yes, this week BioWare continues their free online comic Threat of Peace with issue number 20, which largely focuses on the Bounty Hunter known as Braden. The developer's propensity for seeding hints at future in-game content through this series continues, and in that statement we mean to say Nar Shadda is most likely going to be a playable planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic. We also wouldn't be surprised to see Dantooine become an in-game destination as well, since it's both a classic location and apparently the future site of some intrigue for Threat of Peace readers. We suppose it'd be easy enough to assume most planets featured from the movies and previous KOTOR games will end up in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Nonetheless, it's fun to play the guessing game when it comes to a highly anticipated MMO. We're hoping the next official planet announcement goes to Nar Shadda, as it's just such a lovely place to visit.
Star Wars: The Old Republic fills up the city planet
Think for a minute about what it means to have a city taking up an entire planet. No, really, think about it. Think about the scope involved, the huge numbers of people involved, the sheer scale of any kind of project or even the most humble buildings. It's a massively dwarfing concept, which makes it all the more interesting to see the latest trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic which discusses the creation of Coruscant, capital of the Republic and home to a single, massive city.In the trailer, the designers mention many of the issues that they faced with designing the planet, chief among them the absolute lack of any terrain on the planet due to its nature and the difficulty of relating it to real-life places and things. It also discusses the events that lead into the beginning of Star Wars: The Old Republic -- the Sith sacking of Coruscant that leaves some portions of the planet still damaged and rebuilding. Coruscant is being set up to help establish the role of the Republic and the Jedi in the larger galaxy, a symbol of everything positive in the galaxy. We also see still more vistas of the city, which retain the polish that Bioware has been long known for.On the very real chance you're hungry for more visions of the universe after the trailer, the latest installment of Threat of Peace has also been added to the site. But that's only enough to whet our appetites for what's shaping up to be a truly massive and immersive game.
Free the Bounty Hunter in Threat of Peace issue 12
It's not always the best idea to bet on a Bounty Hunter when no money is involved, but such is the case in the newest issue of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Threat of Peace. We suppose freedom is payment enough for this particular Bounty Hunter, assuming he doesn't get caught up in something else.Besides, by freeing the Bounty Hunter we get to see his awesome Tie Fighter-like ride, as seen above. Meanwhile, our Empire droid and Jedi seem to have fumbled their way into being saved from their tight spot adrift in the depth of space. Although, not everything is as it seems.Unfortunately, there aren't any signs or hints at a new class this week, as has been the case in previous installments. No, this week just moves the story along. We could experience a dry spell of really exciting information up until PAX, but our hope is that won't be the case.
The price of peace in SWTOR's latest Threat of Peace webcomic
The eleventh issue for Star Wars: The Old Republics' ongoing free webcomic Threat of Peace is out now, and full of Rodian and Jedi strife. Rodians get left out in the cold and hard times have fallen on the Jedi since the Sith Empire came down hard on Coruscant. Unfortunately, their plan of forcing the Republic into a cease fire worked, sorta.Now the war rages on behind closed doors, through political maneuvers and inside torture sessions. It's bound to become quite grizzly from here on out. But such is the price of peace, and of course it should make for some great storytelling, which is the whole point. Oh and in case you missed it, the latest video showcasing plenty of gameplay and voice work is out as well. It's definitely a good week to be a Star Wars fan. Here's hoping for another class reveal soon!
The Old Republic's free online comic Threat of Peace begins act two
Well that didn't take very long. The second act for Star Wars: The Old Republic's Threat of Peace is now live over at the official BioWare site and it starts off with a classically delicious Jedi vs Sith fight. The comic is still adhering to the four pages per installation approach but at least this week they're really good pages. You can never really go wrong with lightsabers and a battle.Ever since the series first began several weeks ago we've noticed that forcing the creators into four pages sometimes caused odd panel transitions. That doesn't seem to be the case here, as the story is well conveyed from start to finish. It seems like the writer and artist are finally figuring what works in this small space, so it should be interesting to see how act two develops over time.
SWTOR's Comic-Con agenda
Those attending Comic-Con 2009 will have a chance to get up close and personal with some of the developers of the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic, and the team has now filled in the details of their visit: Their panel will be called "Behind the Scenes: The making of Star Wars: The Old Republic", taking place in room 7AB on Friday the 24th of July, from 1:00PM to 2:00PM. This will feature the most SWTOR devs of the show. Signed "Threat of Peace" comics will be given away from Thursday through Saturday at the Lucasfilm booth (booth #2913) and Dark Horse Comics (booth 2615). The "Deceived" cinematic trailer will be shown at the Lucasfilm booth (booth #2913) on Saturday and Sunday, at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm. The Star Wars Spectacular special event, hosted by Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira from G4, will happen on Friday the 24th of July at 5:15PM to 6:15PM in Hall H. The show is about everything Star Wars, so it won't be entirely SWTOR, but it will definitely be included. Comic-Con International goes from the 23rd of July through to the 26th. Although the show is currently sold out (and no passes will be sold at the door), you can find more information about the event at the official website.
SWTOR's Threat of Peace concludes its first chapter
This weekend begets the final chapter for Star Wars: The Old Republic's ongoing Threat of Peace free online webcomic. If you haven't seen many -- or any -- now would be the perfect time to read through the entire series, as the story should feel much more cohesive without being cut off every four pages.We'd just like to mention that it would be very cool if the Sith Empire droid Espee continues to make regular appearances in forthcoming issues. We love Espee, almost solely because he's a quirky and strangely well meaning Sith Empire droid.With the end of chapter one, we're curious to see whether future chapters continue with the same schedule and page count. It's also possible that the comic's creator seats could rotate, much like traditional comic books. Nothing has been announced or clairified yet, of course, so this is pure pie-in-the-sky pondering on our part. Still, it'd be nice if BioWare kept things fresh and experimented a little to find out what works best.
Threat of Peace issue 8 could be dropping hints
Star Wars: The Old Republic's free online comic, Threat of Peace, has reached issue number eight and finally introduced one of those lovable droids. It's safe to say that so far throughout this storyline, many of the prominent characters and their prospective races featured in this comic have the potential to be in-game racial options. Humans, Twi'leks and Wookiees have all been popular thus far, and now it looks like droids may in fact be a possibility. It's positively delightful!Of course, races that have seen the limelight in Threat of Peace aren't the only signs of things to come. Bounty Hunters and Troopers both received notable attention. Whether or not this sets any kind of reasonable precedent is something we'll leave up to you, however.
Two sides of Sith in Threat of Peace issue seven
This week's three page update to Star Wars: The Old Republic's free online comic, Threat of Peace, spotlights the Sith and how there's more to them than just being bad guys. It's an important message that BioWare needs to make as much as possible. It's good to see it happening early on, and hopefully future updates will do the same.It may not be much, but the short bursts of illustrated story are surely if slowly fleshing out the backstory to Star Wars: The Old Republic. We're already at issue seven, and in a couple more months who knows how much more will be revealed about the events leading up to the heated standoff between the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire. Moreover, who knows what kind of knowledge we'll gain about classes and features, especially with E3 2009 coming up right fast.
A Trooper featured in Threat of Peace issue six
BioWare seems to have planned the announcement of their newest class for Star Wars: The Old Republic at just the right time. A character -- presumably a Trooper himself by his appearance -- in the latest issue of the free online comic Threat of Peace proves that the class is quite up to the task of dealing with strong enemies in its own right. While the newest issue is a little light on story, the message is still clear: Troopers are cool, m'kay?The few-pages-every-week-or-two free online comic structure isn't an entirely new concept, but it's proven to work fairly well and seems to be doing the lore of Star Wars: The Old Republic decent justice. Now we've just got to sit tight for more of those voiced archives for the real meaty info while we get our visual fix from Threat of Peace.
Let the Wookiee win in Threat of Peace issue #5
When creating an "Awesome Star Wars Meal" make sure you remember to add in a heaping helping of Wookiees, explosions and Bounty Hunters. Do this, and you'll have a winning formula to keep your readers/watchers/players interested in whatever it is you may be planning for their entertainment future.Of course, make sure that you deliver on this stew with a main course that really packs of satisfying punch. You wouldn't want the rapid anger of a Star Wars fan to leap onto and assault your body in a fit of moist, fisty rage. Most, if not all of these cases do not end well, and require severe levels of ultimately fruitless medical attention.Nobody wants that.You can find issue five (and it's previous issues, of course) over at the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website. Enjoy.
Threat of Peace issue #4, need we say more?
The Sith have strange ways about them; strange but effective means of getting exactly what they want. This is why when Coruscant came under siege by the Sith Empire just as they were beginning peace talks with the Galactic Republic, we had a feeling there was an deeper motive beneath the obvious. It all becomes clear in this week's issue number four of BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic webcomic, Threat of Peace.Beyond here things should only get more interesting. We're hoping for a timeline update next week along with issue five, because at four pages a pop the cliffhangers can sometimes be a real pain in our geeky butts.
The Old Republic's Threat of Peace issue #3 roils with opposite of peace
And so the plot moistens. We say moisten because much like a moist and delectable cake, the third issue of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Threat of Peace webcomic is filled with sweet, sweet filling -- otherwise known as lightsaber battles and political intrigue.Between these weekly free comic updates and the newly revealed (and immaculately voiced) historical timeline, we're likely to overdose on this MMO even before we get our hands on it. Speaking of which... when do you suppose that'll be BioWare? We heard PAX was a pretty great place to let people try out cool games. And you know, the people of Seattle are almost cousins to Canadians!Check out the third issue right here, and while you're enjoying that we'll continue to keep our eyes trained for any other updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic.
