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Stay on target: SWTOR's guilds begin to align with phase 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic's release may feel like it's always going to be in a "galaxy far, far away," but at least BioWare is giving guilds something substantial to do in preparation for launch. Following up the first phase of guild formation, today the studio announced that guilds can now progress into the second phase: alignment. During this phase, guild leaders can establish up to three guilds as their Allies or Adversaries (depending on the target guild's faction). Not only will this help to cement friendships and rivalries, but BioWare says that these connections "will have the highest chance of being placed in the game together, allowing these guilds to coexist on the same server." This won't happen if the guilds have chosen different server rulesets, however. Another new feature that's come with this phase is the ability for leaders and officers to begin inviting people to the guild by email. The SWTOR website has a helpful FAQ for all three phases of guild preparations. The third phase, deployment, is scheduled to occur shortly before launch and will begin placing guilds on servers if these guilds have met certain criteria.
The agonizing wait for Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch date continues [Updated]
The multi-million dollar question that's been on every Star Wars: The Old Republic fan's lips can be summed up in one word: When? While we still don't know a precise date, we may be a step or two closer to finding out today. SWTOR fansite Darth Hater combed through a recent EA Q&A session with investors to pull a few pertinent details from CFO Eric Brown. When asked about the launch date for The Old Republic, Brown replied, "We haven't given a street date yet. We won't do so for some time, possibly at our next upcoming earnings call towards the end of October." This earnings call will take place on October 25th. EA also continues to stand by its backup plan of a launch delay if SWTOR isn't ready, giving the title room to possibly slip from holiday 2011 to early 2012. Brown explained the conditions that would trigger such a slip: "We did hold out a slight possibility that it could slip to our March quarter. And the factors that would cause a slip is, for example, us not being completely satisfied with the scalability testing, and wanting to tune it for several extra weeks." [Update: SWTOR's Stephen Reid has posted on the forums urging fans not to read too much between the lines of investor calls. "We are still very much aiming to ship in the holiday 2011 window (AKA, before the end of the year)," he says.] [Update#2: The transcript was actually done by Darth Hater, which Ask a Jedi copied and pasted. The correct source is now linked.]
BioWare devs talk SWTOR combat animations, answer PvP questions
Grab yourself a tall glass of blue milk, Star Wars fans, as BioWare has released a lengthy new edition of its Studio Insider feature to carry you through your Friday afternoon. The update features principal lead animator Mark How talking about -- wait for it -- animation! To be more precise, How tells us all about The Old Republic's combat animation, and he even tosses in an interesting video clip that features different stages in the development of a Jedi force leap and a Republic trooper full auto firing animation. How also gets into the challenges inherent in melding the lightsaber battles from the Star Wars films with the design limitations of an MMORPG. "Players do not enjoy having character control taken away from them because of an action or animation," How explains. "It was particularly challenging to develop animations that allowed for visually appealing combat while still allowing the players complete control over their characters." How successful were BioWare designers in this regard? That remains to be seen, but you can get a feel for their approach by reading How's blog. Finally, this week's Community Q&A feature continues the combat focus, and lead PvP designer Gabe Amatangelo has the answers to a few burning questions from the TOR faithful.
The Soapbox: Why MMO combat sucks, and how BioWare could've made it suck less
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 hate MMORPG combat. It's not because I'm a carebear. It's not because I'm bad at it. It's not because I dislike parsing, being a min/maxer, or solving equations and comparing spreadsheets when I'm supposed to be having fun. OK, maybe it is because of those last four things. Mainly, though, it's because MMORPG combat completely and unequivocally sucks. MMORPG combat is not combat. It's high school math. And it's the same in every damn MMORPG. Twenty years into the genre here, guys, aren't we ready to grow up even a little bit?
BioWare confirms no SWTOR beta this weekend
Those of you hoping for a fun time during BioWare's much-anticipated Star Wars The Old Republic beta weekends might want to look at plan B. In a post on the official boards, community manager Stephen Reid confirms that there is indeed no beta test this time around. So that's the bad news. The good news is that future events are coming, and they're likely going to be on a much grander scale (meaning you, yes you, might even get an invite). "We rolled out this previous weekend as a relatively small scale event; from now we will do bigger and bigger events, but that doesn't mean it happens every weekend. When we do resume, we'll be inviting many more people in," Reid explains. He also hints at a comprehensive beta FAQ in the works, so keep your eyes peeled and your browsers pointed at Massively for the latest details as they become available. [Thanks Ren54!]
Star Wars: The Old Republic is keeping a close eye on World of Warcraft
From the interface to the design, many people have commented that there's a certain degree of similarity between Star Wars: The Old Republic and World of Warcraft. So it probably comes as no real surprise to learn that Electronic Arts is studying WoW when it comes to SWtOR's upcoming launch -- but not in the way you might think. The company isn't concerned as much with the mechanical side of the equation, but with the question of what happens post-launch and how to increase player retention. This might not seem like terribly relevant information, but a lot of attention is being paid to the game's content release schedule, the speed at which experienced players will go through new content, and the game's post-launch foci. It also extends to an emphasis on smooth networking code to ensure that players can log in and experience the game quickly rather than having to fight off latency. It's no secret that WoW is influencing other games, but SWtOR seems to be designed with an eye toward more than just gameplay.
BioWare delaying Star Wars: The Old Republic's European testing
International issues with Star Wars: The Old Republic started cropping up more or less as soon as the pre-order began, and they're apparently persisting. It's recently been officially announced that European testing invitations have been delayed, missing the initial weekend and being postponed for an unspecified length of time. Fortunately for the players who are no doubt sore over the delay, an explanation was included with the announcement, which kicks off by pointing out that a new build and an associated character wipe are on their way for later in the week anyway. The new build will require testers to re-download the entire client, and with the client requiring a 27 gig download, it was suspected that any players presently invited might finish the download only to have to start an entirely new download immediately afterward. Localized French and German versions of the game will be included in the new build, which further contributed to the decision to ultimately hold off on the European testing. It's cold comfort to would-be testers left out of the game, but at least it isn't without some logic.
SWTOR launch date hinges on fan beta reaction
Speculation about Star Wars The Old Republic's launch date is reaching a fever pitch lately, with fans hanging on every word from BioWare and Electronic Arts staffers and chomping at the bit to experience the title's September beta weekends. The latest release-related blurb comes courtesy of EA bigwig Frank Gibeau, who told CVG that while EA-BioWare does have a date in mind, fan reaction to the beta will ultimately tell the tale. "It [the launch date] is definitely tied to the beta test feedback that's ongoing and so far, so good. We feel good about the date that we're heading towards but you're right, you could have a Crazy Ivan show up in the September/October beta test and be like, 'wow, I've got to fix that,'" Gibeau said.
'Irrational Interviews' pairs Ken Levine with the BioWare docs on latest episode
When we tipped you in the past about Irrational Games' ongoing series of podcasts, dubbed "Irrational Interviews," we may not have been emphatic enough about becoming an ongoing listener. To date, not a single episode has been less than interesting, and this week's episode with the BioWare doctors goes far beyond that all-too-general adjective. The trio cover everything from their disparate, non-game industry backgrounds, to the myriad difficulties involved in growing a studio, to the requisite "where is the industry going" conversation (unfortunately, even these folks don't know for sure). And clocking in at around half an hour, you can easily fit it in while your significant other watches another episode of the Jersey Shore. [Image credit: Flickr user 'richcz3']
PAX 2011: SWTOR Alderaan PvP session captured on video
Darth Hater has posted a new Star Wars The Old Republic clip direct from this year's Pax Prime. The clip was captured on a hand-held camera, so the quality isn't the greatest, but we do get a good long look at the Alderaan warzone PvP (as well as some dancing Sith Inquisitors, if you're into that sort of silliness). The video runs for around 10 minutes, and we get to see quite a lot of action as well as a good bit of the layout of the Alderaan warzone. Also of note is TOR's unique take on respawning after death. There's no annoying countdown timer like in your standard online PvP match. Instead, you'll spawn on your ship and have to fly a speederbike back to the battle zone in real time, which gives you a tactical view of what's going on as well as the feeling of still participating in the game as opposed to watching a clock for several seconds. Check out the clip after the cut. Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 26-28, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2011. Whether you're dying to know more about SWTOR, Guild Wars 2, City of Heroes, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
Global Chat: Choosing your path edition
Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat! This week's comments have proved to be all about decisions. Where do you want to go in a game that you purchased when you often have a broad variety of choices available? What game should you support in the hopes that it will succeed? Should you hope for another game to die so that your favorite one might live? Will you go down the creepy forest path or run back to the car? OK, maybe that last one wasn't in the comments this week, but the rest of them were. Jump on past the break to see some of the choice comments from the past week's articles.
The Soapbox: The Republic must stand, the Republic must fall
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 there's a game coming out called Star Wars: The Old Republic. Maybe you've heard about it once or twice. It's no secret that a lot of people are excited to see what BioWare's long-anticipated title will do once it's finally released. The title has had a huge amount of time and money poured into its production, extensive voice acting, countless demos and revelations and debates... all without having yet amassed a substantial playerbase. What happens when it gets released will have a huge impact on MMOs as a whole for years to come, and even if the developers aren't calling it a World of Warcraft-killer, a lot of players are expecting just that. And for the good of MMOs as a whole, it needs to be just that -- but at the same time, for the good of MMOs as a whole, it needs to fail.
Massively's guide to Gamescom 2011
If you've never been to Gamescom before, let's simply put it this way: It's big. Really, really big. Forget most any convention you've attended; this is likely to be even bigger. Billing itself as the world's largest games event, Gamescom sees well over a quarter-million fans, journalists and exhibitors crowd into the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany to check out hundreds of games and companies. Due to its size and worldwide prominence, Gamescom is a significant event for anyone following the MMO genre (and video games in general). There are plenty of MMO studios gearing up to share first looks, exclusive reveals, detailed Q&A sessions, and exciting hands-on demos for attendees. Naturally, Massively will be paying close attention to all of the news coming out of Gamescom this week. For those attending the convention or merely looking to keep abreast of all of the games, studios, and information forthcoming, we've compiled a guide to the hottest tickets at Gamescom as well as a comprehensive exhibitor list of MMO studios after the break.
Gamescom 2011: EA and BioWare announce Warhammer MOBA [Updated]
If you've always wondered what Warhammer would look like as a MOBA, EA and BioWare have your answer. Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes was just announced at this year's Gamescom, and the fantasy title will feature three-team PvP with six players per side. Another new wrinkle highlighted in the game's press materials is the ability to swap heroes on the fly and "confound your foes and dominate the battlefield," according to BioWare. The gameplay looks fast, frenetic, and accessible, and EA is positioning the title to capture a piece of the burgeoning free-to-play MOBA market. GameReactor also reports that the new game's scenarios will be built around pre-existing scenarios from Warhammer Online. We'll bring you more on Wrath of Heroes in our Not So Massively column, and in the meantime you can watch the preview clip after the cut. [Update: You can also sign up now for the beta on the official site!]
SWTOR's Daniel Erickson: 'The mix of anticipation and fear is huge'
For most people, having the game you're working on break every pre-order record your parent company has ever seen would be enough to give you a breather and a sigh of relief. Not so with Star Wars: The Old Republic's Daniel Erickson, who admits to being on pins and needles nevertheless. Talking with Videogamer.com, Erickson says, "At least for myself, nothing short of shipping and actually being successful will alleviate that worry. I've watched this game grow since before day one and as with any creative project you pour your heart into, the mix of anticipation and fear is huge. We'll relax after the game is out, running beautifully and our fans are having a blast." In the interview, Erickson used the opportunity to clear the air over a misquote concerning SWTOR "lasting decades," explain why he doesn't fully trust outside industry analysts, and talk about why the dev team stayed with the tried-and-true hotbar for combat. Erickson also thinks that the subscription model isn't going anywhere, but will be applied mostly to "top tier" MMOs. "I expect to see a small group of games compete for the subscription dollar," he predicts, "and a larger group take on the F2P market with smaller, faster produced games that try to establish a core market then use the revenue streams created from that small market to improve and expand their game."
SWTOR Alderaan warzone playable at Gamescom
It's no secret that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be making a big splash at this year's Gamescom. What we didn't know prior to today, however, was the fact that one of the title's PvP warzones will be playable in a dedicated area "away from the rest of the hustle and bustle of the show floor." BioWare's Chris Collins gives us the details on the official SWTOR boards, and you'll need to sign up via email ahead of time if you and your mates want to get in on the action. The warzone matches will feature eight vs. eight teams and will pit Republic forces against their imperial counterparts in the Alderaan Civil War scenario. Whether your taste runs to the clumsy randomness of a blaster or elegant weapons from a more civilized age, you'll need to get your signups in by Monday, August 8th.
Dragon Age 2 abducted from Steam, EA points finger at 'restrictive' terms of service as the culprit
The mysterious disappearance of Dragon Age 2 from Steam this week, just before the launch of the game's latest DLC, is yet another thorn in the side of EA's relationship with Valve's Steam digital distribution game service. As many had assumed, the game wasn't removed due to the recent (re)launch of EA's own digital distribution service, Origin, but in fact because DA2's latest DLC doesn't play nice with the Steam Terms of Service. As the DLC -- named "Legacy" -- is delivered via an in-game store, rather than via Steam's own client, the game was removed. "Unfortunately, Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to sell downloadable content," EA senior VP of global online David DeMartini noted in a statement. He also pointed out that the game is currently available on a variety of other "major download services," from GameStop to Direct2Drive, and that he hopes "to work out an agreement to keep our games on Steam." It's not clear why EA refused to deliver the DLC via Steam's client, but it appears the company won't be changing its stance just yet.%Gallery-127945%
BioWare hopes SWTOR lasts for decades
Those of you worried about The Old Republic's longevity (all three of you) can rest easy according to BioWare. Game director James Ohlen told Comic-Con attendees that the company hopes the game will stand the test of time. "And our goal -- this being an online game that we're hoping is going to last for decades -- we're going to be, obviously, adding more to the galaxy map as the game progresses," he said. Ohlen went on to say that BioWare plans to add lots of content over the game's lifespan. "In 2025, we'll hopefully have 500 worlds," he remarked. Star Wars: The Old Republic officially unveiled its pre-order packages last week, and the game is expected to release before the end of 2011.
The Daily Grind: Did BioWare make the right call?
BioWare made something of a stink last week with its decision to limit Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-orders (both in terms of total numbers and in certain regions around the world). Here at Massively, we received dozens of angry emails entreating us to take up the cause of the common gamer. While limits on digital goods do seem a bit artificial, it's also worth noting that recent popular MMO releases were beset with server overcrowding and lengthy login queues (we're thinking of both Aion and RIFT here). BioWare ruffled quite a few fan feathers with its actions, but from the outside looking in, it's difficult to determine what the company could have done differently. That's where you come in, and this edition of The Daily Grind is all about your reaction to Star Wars: The Old Republic pre-orders, load limits, and regional publishing. Do you think BioWare made the right call? 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!
Beta test weekends are set for Star Wars: The Old Republic in September
If you're one of the many eager players of Star Wars: The Old Republic jumping all over this morning's pre-order, there's more good news on the way. According to TOROcast, an investor report from Electronic Arts shows that the game will be opening up special "beta weekend" events for players to get a glimpse of the game starting in September. This looks like the perfect opportunity for players to start jumping in and playing in advance of the launch date (which presumably would not be until at least a little after September, naturally). While the report doesn't say if these tests will be open or closed, they certainly bring to mind the beta weekends that RIFT popularized, with a limited number of players, but a great deal of freedom in access. Seeing as how these will be tests, however, it's unlikely that this will constitute the early access set forth in the pre-order bonuses -- so if you're looking forward to the game, ordering now is still advisable.
