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SWTOR: Starship operator's guide
Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of an actual, factual, interstellar starship! Or you soon will be, assuming that you're planning to play Star Wars: The Old Republic. Starships have captured the imaginations of Star Wars fans for over three decades now, as the Millennium Falcon, Luke's X-Wing, Boba Fett's Slave-1, and Knights of the Old Republic's Ebon Hawk have become geek cultural icons. It's not Star Wars without the stars, after all, which is why BioWare will be handing you the keys to your very own starship as part of your SWTOR journey. But what does that entail? There's a lot of confusion and misinformation swirling about starships, which is unfortunate. SWTOR's starships are part player housing, part combat vehicle, and part story platform, and that combination lacks an easy analogue in other MMOs. That's why you've got this handy holocron with all of the starship "must knows" to aid your initial voyage to the stars! Coordinates for the jump are plotted. Punch it, reader!
Star Wars: The Old Republic opens up pre-loading for early players [Updated]
It's almost the time that many players have been waiting for -- the opening of the gates for Star Wars: The Old Republic. According to the most recent news posts, mail will be sent out starting on December 13th to notify players of when their early access period will begin. But why wait that long when you can download the client now, making sure that you're patched up and ready to go when your early access goes live? The pre-order page for player accounts now includes a link to download and install the client, assuming that you've entered the code you received when you ordered. Curiously, this latest announcement says that players can receive up to seven days of early access, although that may well be a typo. If you'd missed previous announcements, players who took part in a beta weekend prior to November 24th will need to reinstall the game, so go ahead and download the updated client and get ready for the early launch in a few days. [Update: Darth Hater has collected several forum and Twitter posts that confirm the December 13th date is not a typo and is "different from previously advertised." Early-early-access, here we come!]
SWTOR lead designer explains item mod changes
If you're concerned about tweaks to Star Wars: The Old Republic's item modding system, you'll want to have a look at a lengthy post that just showed up on the game's official boards. The piece was written by BioWare associate lead designer Emmanuel Lusinchi and it clarifies a few things that raised fan eyebrows as the feature underwent various changes. Lusinchi's wall o' text is more than we can fully relate here, since it pretty much sums up the entire history of SWTOR's item mod mechanics. Lusinchi pays a little lip service to the original iteration of the system, but he also calls it "less than stellar" despite fond remembrances of it among members of the testing community. The ultimate goal of all the changes, Lusinchi says, is a polished system that preserves the concept of customization from earlier versions without sacrificing game balance. "To put it simply, we want moddable items to offer an alternate and optional loot system that allows players to customize their look and their stats with more freedom and without penalty for doing so," he explains.
Lock and (re)load: BioWare preps us for The Old Republic's launch
With 15 days to go before Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch, it doesn't seem like there's much time to get everything stocked and ready before the year's biggest release happens. Fortunately, BioWare's helping us to run down the preparation list with a series of informative forum posts. First on the list is to make sure that SWTOR players have the latest version of the client installed on their computers. BioWare says that if you played the game prior to November 25th, you'll probably need to install a completely new client; if you played since, you should be good. There are instructions on the forums as to how you can check which version you have. Pre-orders are wondering about early access, which BioWare says is the same between the three editions of the game -- it only matters when you added your pre-order code, not which edition you purchased. More information about the early access program is coming later this week. Finally, BioWare is preparing to make major changes to SWTOR's forums following a December 10th outage, during which all posts and PMs will be erased (as will infractions!). New forums, including those covering crew skills, story, lore and PvP, will be added, and guild forums will be expanded significantly. Those just starting to learn about the game will appreciate the new player help forum and community blog that's coming with the update.
GAME announces exclusive SWTOR CE contract, Walmart accidentally cancels 'nearly all' pre-orders
Whenever a major MMO nears launch, tensions and anxieties grow to a fever pitch among players -- particularly in regard to their pre-orders. There are worries that a game won't install right, ship on time, or allow proper access to one's account. Today, there are a few more issues to be concerned with in regard to Star Wars: The Old Republic if you've pre-ordered it. Over in the UK, GAME (and Gamestation) has announced that it will be the sole retailer for SWTOR's physical Collector's Edition in the region, even though EA previously said that companies such as Amazon, Play.com, Zavvi and ShopTo were going to be selling them as well. UK players can also purchase non-CE versions of the game through EA's Origin service. In other news, several players who secured their copy of SWTOR through Walmart found that their orders -- both regular and CEs -- were canceled over this past weekend. A Walmart customer service representative appeared on the SWTOR forums to say that this happened due to a "data error" that forced the company to nix most of the pre-orders. SWTOR's Stephen Reid said that BioWare is investigating the situation, but he confirms that any players who have already added their pre-order codes into their accounts will have locked in early access for the launch.
BioWare closes SWTOR's pre-launch guild registration
Hopefully you've gotten your Star Wars: The Old Republic ducks in a row when it comes to finalizing your launch-day guild plans. If you haven't, well, better luck next game since this weekend marks the end of early registration, according to a report at fan site Darth Hater. Qualifying guilds will get email notifications about joining in-game, checking guild status, and server assignments over the next couple of days. "BioWare also stated that while [it] will try to ensure all your allies and adversaries will be assigned to your same server, [it] cannot guarantee it," the report says. More info is available at the official SWTOR website.
EA-BioWare acquires KlickNation, rebrands it BioWare Social
All the cool kids are into social gaming these days, so it should come as no surprise when some of the bigger gaming firms start testing the waters. BioWare looks to be next on that list according to a report at GamesIndustry.biz that details Electronic Arts' acquisition of KlickNation. KlickNation operates social games including SuperHero City and Six Gun Galaxy, and while the company's monthly active user base has declined from 1.3 million to 400,000, EA and BioWare see it as a growth opportunity. KlickNation's expertise in building innovative and compelling RPGs for social platforms makes them a seamless tuck-in with the BioWare team at EA," says Ray Muzyka. The new unit has been renamed BioWare Social, and thus far the company has not announced any concrete plans relating to new or existing titles.
May the score be with you: SWTOR releases one music track a day until launch [Updated]
A long time ago in a boombox far, far away... your MP3 folder was growing dusty from disuse and laughable with its lack of coolness. The IMPERIAL COMPOSERS of BioWare stepped in to quash your pitiful musical rebellion by offering you a FREE soundtrack piece every day until launch. Also, the evil gangster JABBA THE HUTT is immune to Jedi mind tricks, FYI. This is true: As a special treat to its fans, BioWare is doling out one music track from its Star Wars: The Old Republic score every day, starting today and going until the December 20th launch. These tracks are available on both on the SWTOR Facebook page and official YouTube channel. The first track is called The Mandalorian Blockade and is composed by Mark Griskey, Wilbert Roget II, Gordy Haab & Lennie Moore. Give it a listen after the jump! [Update: It looks like music is not the only thing the BioWare folks have in store for you in the lead up until launch. Apparently, the team is doing at least one more round of beta testing starting tomorrow, so check your inboxes!]
'Little risk of failure': Analysts predict SWTOR will turn a healthy profit
Worried that Bobby Kotick has the right of things and that Star Wars: The Old Republic won't make bank for Electronic Arts? Market analyst Michael Pachter disagrees, saying that he not only predicts that EA will cover the costs of SWTOR's development, but come out just fine even with LucasArts taking its share. Pachter says that LucasArts will claim 35% of SWTOR's revenue: "The revenue split is around 35 percent to LucasArts after EA earns back their investment. That means EA keeps most of the revenue from disc sales (they have marketing expenses and need to staff up the server farms), so they should earn a nice profit there. Keep in mind that EA expensed the development cost when incurred, so much of the disc sales revenue will be profit." Pachter's predictions for the title are sizable yet reasonable; he thinks that SWTOR will get 1.5 million subscribers. This translates to $270 million per year in revenue, $80 million of which will be pure profit for EA after LucasArts and operating costs take their share. Even if SWTOR only draws in -- or sustains -- merely 500,000 subscribers, Pachter says the game will be sitting pretty. Other market analysts, such as EEDAR VP Jesse Divnich, support the notion of SWTOR's profitability. "Based upon user commentary and consumer surveys, the profit potential for The Old Republic is high. We see little risk of failure for The Old Republic," Divnich stated.
The Soapbox: The absurdity of the NDA
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. So Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA dropped. Now the entire world (officially) knows the skinny on BioWare's new themepark, and I'm hard-pressed to think of a more anti-climactic NDA death. Even if you weren't following the game over the past few months, you knew exactly what to expect -- provided you weren't a Star Wars or a BioWare virgin. This complete lack of surprise is one reason why the whole MMORPG NDA thing is a joke, and TOR is just the latest in a long series of punchlines.
SWTOR's Friday update features a Jedi Consular video
BioWare's PR team must've missed the memo about long Thanksgiving weekends, as there's a new Star Wars: The Old Republic video up for grabs on the game's official website. The Jedi Consular is the star of the day, and the class is "both a revered ally to the Republic and a dangerous adversary to the Empire," according to BioWare's marketing blurb. If you've been following the game for a while, the clip probably won't tell you anything you don't already know. For new and/or hopelessly addicted fans, though, there's a good amount of in-game footage and some glimpses of the class's advancement paths.
The Daily Grind: Have the post-NDA testimonials changed your mind about SWTOR?
It's been a half a week or so since BioWare hit Star Wars: The Old Republic's NDA with a Death Star-sized superlaser, and boy have the spaceships hit the fan. Massively readers, fansite operators, forumites, Tweeters, podcasters, and the entire cantina at Mos Eisley have piped up with impressions, thoughts, analysis, and opinions as to whether this MMO has lived up to expectations or not. While we cannot stress enough that a beta is a beta and not a launched product deserving of a full-range judgment, many curious players have taken this opportunity to soak up the information, particularly if they have not been in the beta as of yet. Others might have dipped their toes in the beta but are interested to hear what some of the long-time vets have to say at this juncture. So what about you? Has anything you read or heard about SWTOR following the NDA drop changed your mind? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Analyst downgrades Blizzard stock in anticipation of SWTOR launch
Zomg, the sky is falling in Azeroth! OK, not really, but World of Warcraft is heading for troubled waters if you believe an analyst at Lazard Capital Markets. According to a report at Gamespot, Atul Bagga downgraded Activision-Blizzard's stock from "buy" to "neutral" due to the results of a recent online survey that pointed to restlessness among a certain subset of WoW players. Whether the perceived wanderlust has to do with the game's age (it turns seven this month) or the deafening hype bandwagon that is gathering steam due to next month's Star Wars: The Old Republic debut, the numbers indicated a possible loss of between 900,000 and 1.6 million WoW players following TOR's launch.
SWTOR lifts NDA and reveals Legacy system, new flashpoint, art book
Do you hear that? That's the sound of a million voices who were silenced suddenly freed to share their experiences with Star Wars: The Old Republic. That's because BioWare has officially lifted the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) allowing testers to talk about the game. BioWare VP Greg Zeschuk posted the announcement just minutes ago on the forums: As of now, the non-disclosure portion of our Game Testing Agreement is officially lifted. While all players must still accept the Game Testing Agreement, from this point on testers may now freely talk about their experiences this past weekend in the game, as well as post screenshots and gameplay videos of their testing experiences. We encourage you to come join us on the official Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Forums to share your experiences! The Star Wars: The Old Republic community site will have a copy of this message on the forums and it will also appear in the Patcher. Players may not talk about nor reprint posts from our testing forums as they are still fully covered by the confidentiality portions of our Game Testing Agreement. And all players who want to participate in the upcoming Beta Test Weekends still have to accept all terms of the Game Testing Agreement. So, other than that, free feel to talk about and share your experiences in Star Wars: The Old Republic. If all that wasn't exciting enough, the dev team also released articles covering the flashpoint Bringing Down the Hammer, the book, The Art and Making of The Old Republic, and the Legacy system, which allows for a family last name shared across characters.
SWTOR's Outlaw's Den is a hive of scum, villainy, and all-out PvP
There's open-world PvP, and then there's open-world PvP that puts hair on your chest and then rips it out with a vengeance. Tatooine has the latter. At the recent fan site summit in Austin, TX, Star Wars: The Old Republic's Lead PvP Designer Gabe Amatangelo revealed nirvana for PvPers with Outlaw's Den. Outlaw's Den is a PvP free-for-all (FFA) area on Tatooine for players crazy enough to risk certain death to congregate, fight, and struggle for rewards. Because there are no rules in the area, members from the same faction can harm -- and kill -- each other, and there are no restrictions on what goes on in that space. Apart from the excitement of "anything goes" PvP combat, Outlaw's Den sports several attractive elements that make it worth visiting, including top-tier crafting materials, vendors that sell rare mounts and social gear, an auction kiosk, and a pit reserved for to-the-death duels. One of the most interesting aspects of Outlaw's Den is that even NPCs are susceptible to being killed, opening up the possibility for individuals and guilds to kill vendors in order to keep them out of others' hands. However, nobody can capture the zone, so the fighting will extend indefinitely.
SWTOR beta participants log one meeeeellion hours of testing
If it seemed like everyone and their dog got in on last weekend's Star Wars: The Old Republic beta event, well, they did. BioWare invited tens of thousands of Star Wars fans to the TOR testing party, and probably a few Star Trek fans and the blue glowy spirits of dearly departed Jedi Knights as well. The mass invites are designed to strain the servers prior to the game's December 15th launch date, and BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk says this is just the beginning. "One crazy number is we had over a million hours of testing over the weekend. It was a huge test, and there are even bigger ones coming. The key thing is for us to take those learnings, apply them and make the service really stable. We're happy with the game," Zeschuk told Eurogamer. Zeschuk and his BioWare cohorts aren't exactly raising pinkies to lips like an overconfident supervillain, though. "Everyone's cautiously optimistic. We're all very paranoid," Zeschuk said, before going on to explain how BioWare will carefully control TOR's launch availability to ensure a smooth experience.
The Soapbox: Defining the WoW-killer
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. I haven't written much about World of Warcraft. There are many reasons for this. For one, Massively rarely pays WoW more than the bare minimum lip service (due to the game's being fairly exclusive to our WoW Insider sister site). For another, I don't look at Blizzard's behemoth all that fondly, and the sum total of my time in Azeroth amounts to about 20 hours spread over six weeks. As it does for everyone else who makes a living off of MMORPGs, though, WoW looms over my shoulder like a billowing dust cloud after a titanic explosion, reaching relentlessly for the heavens and effectively blotting out the sun. There's really no way to measure how influential this one game has been on not just MMORPGs but gaming in general. There are the population numbers, of course, and even though WoW has been shedding subs in bushels of late, it could continue to do so for the better part of a year and still dwarf the second largest subscription title by a considerable margin. That kind of success cannot be planned, nor do I believe that it will be replicated. WoW was a happy accident for Blizzard, a perfect storm of polish and timing the likes of which the MMO industry will not see again.
SWTOR pits the Trooper against the Inquisitor
The second of the four-part Choose Your Side video series has been released over at Star Wars: The Old Republic, and this time it creates a hypothetical showdown between the Republic's Trooper and the Empire's Inquisitor. In it, four BioWare devs jaw about who would win in a fight and what each of these classes has going for it. These videos are proving to be a great way to get a better feel for classes' strengths and weaknesses, particularly in a PvP setting. On one hand, the Trooper is said to have an advantage in terms of health, armor and range, with plenty of tricks to keep the Inquisitor at bay and, er, dead. On the other hand, the Inquisitor's Force powers and double-bladed lightsaber may make for a completely unfair fight against the Force-less Trooper. The devs reveal a few tidbits about the two classes' philosophy while they're calmly laying out the smack talk. The Trooper comes off as a "shoot first and ask questions later" type of character, while the Inquisitor is portrayed as a mastermind pulling the strings from behind the stage. You can watch the full video after the jump!
The Old Republic opens the beta blast doors for its final testing weekend
On the Massively staff there are the Haves and the Have Nots of the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta. The Haves use their glorious position to grind the morale of the Have Nots into the dirt, leaving these poor saps weeping while the Haves go to a bar and high-five each other with Wookiee paws. It's enough to make you feel like you're in a high-tech trash compactor of emotions. If you're like our Have Nots and have yet to get into the SWTOR beta, BioWare has good news for you today. The next beta testing weekend, which is scheduled for sometime later this month, will open up to everyone who's applied before November 11th. If that's not you, there's still a good chance you can get in, as BioWare will be handing out additional beta keys via sites like Massively in the near future. According to an additional FAQ covering this event, this will probably be the final beta testing weekend for the MMO prior to its December 20th launch. Even if you're not in a SWTOR launch country, as long as you have signed up or get a key, you'll be invited to test this season's hottest ticket. BioWare also announced that SWTOR will be available to play at this month's Dreamhack gaming event, from November 24th through the 27th.
BioWare sending out SWTOR weekend beta invites
Tired of heathen game journos getting their unworthy mitts on Star Wars: The Old Republic before true fans like yourself? Well, take heart young apprentice, as BioWare is sending out invites to TOR's latest round of weekend previewing beta testing. A new post on the game's official boards says that some invites have already been sent, and more will be forthcoming throughout the evening (i.e., check your inboxes and spam folders). In other SWTOR news, Darth Hater has you covered when it comes to the latest fan site summit in Austin, Texas. The website has a couple of staff members on location to "gather the latest news and details about SWTOR for the community."
