flashpoints
Latest
Star Wars: The Old Republic launches the Legacy of the Rakata
The Rakata are kind of a big deal in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Their influence is everywhere in both the leveling game and in the overall lore, and finding out what their deal is kind of trumps other priorities of the week. So the new Legacy of the Rakata flashpoint that's just been added to the game should be of particular interest to lore hounds, as well as anyone looking to the completion of the game's Forged Alliances storyline. The flashpoint sees players exploring the ruins of Rakata Prime, learning more about the Star Forge with Agent Theron Shan and Lord Lana Beniko, and exploring the ruins with smuggler Jakarro. It's a tactical flashpoint, as well, which makes it that much easier for players to explore and discover more of the story while leading into the next major expansion storyline. If you're interested in seeing what the Rakata left behind, you can log in now and try the flashpoint out.
SWTOR's Game Update 2.7 is live
BioWare has published Star Wars: The Old Republic's 2.7 update. It includes a new story arc spanning two new level 55 flashpoints: Assault on Tython and Korriban Incursion. The story "will continue to be expanded through the year culminating in an incredible finale," the company says. Other additions include the Quesh Huttball Pit warzone, Dread Fortress nightmare mode, a new Galactic Starfighter domination map called Denon Exosphere, and "a plethora of bug fixes."
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO dungeon?
I've been running a lot of flashpoint PUGs in Star Wars: The Old Republic lately, mainly because I'd like to finish my story quests but I can't bear to level via the usual FedEx-this-and-kill-that paradigm any longer. I've never been a dungeon crawler, but the SWTOR variants I've done thus far have been pretty enjoyable, mainly because of their nods to Star Wars lore. What are some of the dungeons you've most enjoyed over the years? Did you enjoy them due to the mechanics, the story, or both? What's your favorite MMO dungeon? 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!
Star Wars: The Old Republic is looking for corporate troubleshooters on the test server
Sometimes, being a corporate troubleshooter means that your job is identifying weak points in a company and strengthening infrastructure. Other times, such as in the Star Wars: The Old Republic update available on the test server, it means that your job is shooting trouble. Seems that Czerka Corporation has sort of lost control of an important test moon, and that means that player characters will need to visit a new daily hub as well as two new level 55 Flashpoints. These Flashpoints aren't the usual fare; they feature both a Hard Mode and a Story Mode, with the latter allowing any combination of roles to clear the flashpoint for shorter queue times and a more relaxed experience. You've also got two new reputations to explore, one for the daily hub and one for the upcoming Bounty Broker event. If you've done all there is to do on Makeb, the patch means you'll have plenty more to do soon. There's also a new Companions 101 piece on Corso Riggs, but really, a new patch is a bit more interesting.
Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition
I am beginning to wonder whether I just don't like the leveling process in Star Wars: The Old Republic anymore. In Mike B's video The 12 days of Smack Talkin', Darnell called all the extra NPC talking "98 minutes of unnecessary commentary." The story definitely had an impact on me the first time I ran through it, but this was the third time I've run through the Balmorran storyline on the Republic side, and truth be told, I was never a huge fan of it. This time, on my free-to-play character, it was definitely 98 minutes of unnecessary commentary. Of course, once I started the featured adventure through the tremendous story that was bugtown, I had to find a way around that compositional trainwreck. My character is a Smuggler, not an exterminator. Mind you, I've yet to actually smuggle anything, but that's beside the point! I figured the best way around that insect hole was to level through flashpoints. To my surprise, it actually worked.
Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, closing chapter one
It's been a couple of weeks since I've covered anything dealing with my Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play experiment, so I should do a quick rundown of the rules. I believe that it is possible to play SWTOR from beginning to end, including endgame, without paying for anything. The SWTOR cash shop (Cartel Market) and auction house (Galactic Trade Network) are directly connected in a way that allows for nearly everything sold in the cash shop to be sold to other players with in-game credits. There are enough people who have more real-life money than time to support those who have more time than money. So during my experiment, I vowed I would not take any gifts from other players or my alts and I would buy all of my unlocks off the GTN. So far, I've noticed little change from level 1 to 10. However, Coruscant started to get rough. I also learned that leveling alongside a subscriber turned out to be disappointing. Yet in general, the leveling process seemed to be right on par with the planet I was on. It was my theory after leaving Taris that although there is a F2P experience penalty, my XP placed me on-level with each planet. Subscribers had an advantage of rising above the recommended level for each planet. Then I ran into Tatooine.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR consolidates comms
Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rise of the Hutt Cartel hit the public test server last week, prompting a lot of players to rush to see the latest changes to this Star Wars MMORPG. Unfortunately, the majority of content slated to come out with this expansion has not been released publicly -- namely, the new planet of Makeb. Fortunately, we did get a sneak peek into the new gear progression as well as the Scum and Villainy operation. Gear progression is a common subject for this column and with good reason. Although there is skill involved when playing SWTOR, gear is the great equalizer. As in many themepark MMOs, a player's gear greatly determines whether or not he can defeat specific instances or bosses. Because of this, how a player earns gear and which gear happens to be the best at any given moment becomes top priority when new content comes out. With an additional five levels being added with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, gear becomes especially important. Let's examine how everything breaks down.
Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR awards
The Oscars were given out two nights ago. Celebrities, actors, and film crews dressed in their red-carpet best to be handed a 13.5-inch golden statue of a naked bald man. As I heard these writers and directors give thanks to various loved-ones and talent agencies, I thought about Star Wars: The Old Republic. (Sad. I know.) SWTOR contains some of the best writing and storytelling in all of MMOs. In my opinion, it's better than some of movies represented on that stage. Sure, it didn't impact the world like Zero Dark Thirty, but it did impact my world, and I'd like to recognize some of the best parts of this MMORPG.
Star Wars: The Old Republic kicks off meeting the developers with Jesse Sky
Like every MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic is not a game produced by a single person. The community team behind the game has kicked off what promises to be a series of articles introducing the developers, starting with the lead Flashpoint and Operations designer Jesse Sky. Like BioWare's similar articles for other franchises, the interview is a mix of questions about Star Wars: The Old Republic and questions about who Sky is as a person. Sky goes on record as mentioning that he sees designing Flashpoints as similar to designing an adventure for a tabletop game, with the story choices having a major impact on how the instance is paced out. There's also a science to making sure that the encounters are designed to be challenging while at the same time not insurmountable. If you'd like to know more about one of the minds behind the game's content, check out the full interview, and perhaps throw a few more questions into the official discussion thread.
Hyperspace Beacon: Gear grinding is unfun
If you have been following me for the last few years on this column and some of the podcasts that I've done, then you are aware that hardcore progression raiding and PvP are not my thing. You will also know that I don't fault players for having their own fun, but the MMO industry often assumes raiders and PvPers are the ones game developers need to target and pursue. It could be that they are the loudest, the fastest, or maybe just the most competitive. I appreciate the players who blast through content. They are usually ones who make the guides that the slower players use to fight the "unbeatable boss." Unfortunately for developers, these are not the players who stick to the game. BioWare made a lot of naive mistakes with Star Wars: The Old Republic, but one of the biggest is that it listened too much to the vocal minority instead of attempting to make a game that caters to the long-term player. I consider myself and my guild long-term players. We play SWTOR for a multitude of reasons, ranging from basic Star Wars fanboyism to exploring new content to engaging in intense PvP battles. But one thing that is consistent among all of us is that we don't like to gear grind. Don't get me wrong; I understand that there need be a carrot for the players who complete high-level content, but I believe that SWTOR, along with other MMOs, is doing it wrong, and frankly, it's not fun.
Star Wars: The Old Republic's guide to the group finder
In a perfect world, all Star Wars: The Old Republic groups would be composed of several friends working together. But sometimes your friends aren't online or just have other things to do, and for those times, there's the Group Finder tool. But why is it that you can select a role you can't perform? Why do you queue up as healing or damage but always get picked for healing? How does the whole daily reward work? For answers to these questions and more, production team member Toni Phillips has put together a rundown of some of the Finder's more esoteric features. Phillips explains that daily rewards require you to complete the final step of the Flashpoint mission rather than simply clear the last boss, which usually involves clicking on an object at the end. Role selection, meanwhile, is determined by what your advanced class can do rather than what you're currently able to do, and if you select multiple roles, the finder will tend to pull from the rarer roles first. For more information and a more thorough breakdown, take a look at the full guide.
Hyperspace Beacon: Finally 50
I see you there -- you've made a name for yourself in Star Wars: The Old Republic, but where do you really fit within these wars? I know what you're thinking: What is this guy trying to sell? Stick with me for a moment; I'm not just a used-speeder salesman (speeders are way over-priced, by the way -- it's 570 thousand creds just for licensing, and the Empire's making a killing on that). I wanna talk to you about what you do after you conquer the galaxy Of course, you've taken a bit of time to explore this wondrous universe. If you're a space explorer extraordinaire like I am, then you've danced with your share of Twi'leks on Nar Shaddaa. It's a good thing they have enough Twi'leks to balance out the Hutts, amirite? Hoth was cold, of course, but there's nothing like a war and a couple of Wampa battles to warm the blood. And what's up with the Voss? People who wear such funky make-up shouldn't be that stuffy. Still, it does make me think: How many Voss can fit in a speeder? The galaxy is yours, and you're now a Darth or a Moff or something. Do you sit back and twiddle your thumbs? Of course not! A new game begins. It's a vastly different adventure than the one you just finished, but the features are still shiny.
Know your path with this handy SWTOR infographic
Are you playing Star Wars: The Old Republic? Are you a completionist who wants to ensure that you don't miss a thing? Well, thanks to this handy chart from the folks over at OldRepublic.net, you don't have to worry about that again. The flowchart gives the planetary leveling path for both Empire and Republic players and includes all of the flashpoints currently in-game and at which point in the game they should be tackled. Now you'll never accidentally skip over another flashpoint again (but that won't make Balmorra any less harrowing, unfortunately). For the full chart, just click on through the link below to OldRepublic.net
Star Wars: The Old Republic highlights upcoming Kaon Under Siege flashpoint
Despite only having launched about a month ago, Star Wars: The Old Republic is already gearing up for its next content update. As BioWare ramps up to release the update, it wants its fans to be getting excited for it as well. In that vein, the studio has released a new video highlighting Kaon Under Siege, one of the new flashpoints in the upcoming patch, The story behind this flashpoint continues the game's current storyline, this time giving players a glimpse at the Tion Hegemony sector of the galaxy. Prior to the flashpoint, the Rakghoul plague has spread across multiple world in the system, killing the lucky and transforming those less fortunate into Rakghouls themselves. A few lucky survivors on the planet of Kaon have managed to hold out against the Rakghoul menace, and of course both the Empire and the Republic wish to rescue these survivors, eradicate the Rakghoul plague, and ultimately negotiate an alliance with the Tion Hegemony. For the full video preview of Kaon Under Siege, just click on past the cut.
SWTOR: Grouping up for flashpoints
We are all familiar with dungeons in most MMOs -- they're areas that usually require more than one party member to complete, and they're often (though not always) instanced off from the rest of the game. In the early games like Ultima Online and EverQuest, it would literally take an army of people to get to the bottom of most dungeons. Since those days, the definition of a dungeon has really expanded far beyond the idea of a cave or underground fortress, and the mechanics of dungeons have changed as well. Dungeons in many games no longer require a huge group of people to complete them, but your success or failure greatly depends on whom you bring with you. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare has expanded the definition of dungeon to the point that that word no longer makes any sense. BioWare devs call SWTOR dungeons flashpoints. Starting at level 10, both the Imperial and Republic factions begin their journey through flashpoints. These hour-long instances tell one-off stories and give you, the player, a greater understanding of what is happening in the greater galaxy. During these adventures, you play a role in the stories of the galaxy's most famous figures. Grand Master Satele Shan, Darth Malgus, and maybe even a person or two from past games all make a appearance in these stories. At the same time, these instances require strategy. Beyond the break, I will outline the first three flashpoints: the Black Talon, the Esseles, and Bringing Down the Hammer. Also, pay attention to the tips -- they may just make your first runthrough a little easier.
Star Wars: The Old Republic talks instanced regions and hubs at NYCC
Last weekend's big convention, New York Comic Con, hosted another panel on Star Wars: The Old Republic. And perhaps to the surprise of the fans, this panel was all about numbers. Specifically, it was all about the numbers for upcoming content in the game, such as Flashpoints, Operations, and Warzones. Stephen Reid took his time to lay out what players can expect from this content and how many different areas players can expect, starting with 15 different Flashpoints at launch. The Flashpoints will not all be story-focused, according to Reid, with some focused more heavily on the puzzle or gameplay aspects. All of them, however, can be replayed at higher difficulties in the endgame. In addition, Reid showed off the upcoming fleet hubs for the game, the central gathering areas for players that feature vendors, auction systems, and a special "VIP Lounge" for people who purchased the Collector's Edition. With only a little over two months remaining until the game's launch, there's not much more time before these promised features become a reality.
SWTOR flashpoints playable at Comic-Con [Updated]
Several weeks ago we told you about BioWare's plans to stage a public demo of its Star Wars The Old Republic MMORPG across the street from this month's San Diego Comic Con. Today, MMORPG.com has picked up on the news from the official forums, pointing out that the demos will feature the game's first two flashpoints. Interested players will get to work their way through the Black Talon and Esseles instances beginning Thursday, July 21st at 7:00 p.m. Pacific and running through Saturday, July 23rd. The sessions will last approximately one hour and are open to the general public. You'll want to get there early, though, as spots are limited and interest in BioWare's sci-fi opus is ramping up in anticipation of a possible 2011 release. [Update: Apparently, this isn't open to the public. There's a lottery to get in. Good luck with that!]
The Old Republic's Cory Butler talks flashpoints, testing and launch
With all of the buzz surrounding Star Wars: The Old Republic these days, some fans may be frustrated that they've yet to be accepted into the hallowed halls of game testing. However, soaking up interviews and developer diaries is an acceptable distraction from the wait, which is why we're glad that the folks at Darth Hater grabbed some face time with Associate Producer Cory Butler to talk about TOR's flashpoints and testing progress. Butler is pleased with how BioWare is raising the bar for instances by including a gripping tale to enrich the experience: "Every Flashpoint begins with an exciting story and contains difficult decisions which have meaningful impact on the challenges you'll face, the enemies you'll fight, and the outcome of the Flashpoints." Butler said that testing is in full swing and BioWare's gathering great feedback from the process. While he declined to disclose the amount of current testers, he did admit that "it is a bunch." As The Old Republic grows nearer to launch, how does Cory Butler envision the launch day happening? "Honestly, our hope is that as important and exciting as it is, Launch Day is another day at the office for us. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to downplay how significant a smooth launch of the game is to us. It is just that we are working on plans and backup plans and backups to the backup plans for quite some time now, so we're ready to execute all these plans at launch."
A smattering of topics from Star Wars: The Old Republic
Fridays mean new updates for fans eagerly waiting on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and while last week saw the kickoff of PAX East and a hands-on demo (which we played), this Friday sees discussion on a wide range of different aspects. For starters, the latest Fan Friday feature has been posted, showing off new concept art and a fansite spotlight as well as a few new Sith avatars for forumgoers. A new developer diary is also available, which discusses cinematic animations, one of the major selling points for the game. Certainly the motion capture helps, but as the diary notes, it's not quite as simple as suiting up some capture actors and getting their raw data. Even for a simple scene, there's some fairly elaborate work necessary to make the animation and overall environment feel convincing. The end of the entry is devoted to several community questions regarding flashpoints, fresh in everyone's mind after the aforementioned demo at PAX East. If you're curious about how loot will be balanced in a dungeon with multiple storyline options, take a look at the full entry to get a clearer picture of how the system will be implemented in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
SWTOR dev builds mini-movies in Flashpoints
We all know BioWare is acclaimed for the presentation of its games. Single-player games like Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and DragonAge have a way of capturing a player and immersing him in the world. How many of you have ever wondered what it would be like to invite your friends along for a ride on a BioWare game, too? This could be the key reason BioWare decided to make Flashpoints in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Jesse Sky is a world designer at BioWare Austin. In the most resent developers blog for SWTOR, he details what it takes to build a Flashpoint. He explains that it's not all about getting to the next boss fight: "Fighting through legions of enemies is part of what makes the cooperative gameplay feel heroic, but we find it helps if your enemies do more than just stand around waiting to be attacked." According to Sky, many players have run dungeons that have them wondering why they are there, with no sense of purpose. "We want you to feel like you are the heroes in a Star Wars action sequence, but we also want to give you opportunities to roleplay with your friends." Sky indicates again that SWTOR's emphasis is not only making a great game but also making a great story. Be sure to read the whole developers blog on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website.
