subscription-fee
Latest
The Old Republic interview on patch 1.3 covers LFG, perks, and gear
Star Wars: The Old Republic is gonna get some mighty fine updates with the onset of patch 1.3. Game Designer Daniel Erickson had a chat with PC Gamer to shed some light on the changes in the upcoming patch. Players in SWTOR don't like standing still. As Erickson says: "You can craft on the move, run [war zones] from anywhere, and basically never slow down -- except when looking for a group." To put an end to that difficulty, 1.3 will include a LFG interface that players can use to find a pick-up group to run with (except for Hard Mode Operations, which aren't really designed for uncoordinated PUGs). The tool won't work cross-server, but that's because the dev team is looking to move to servers with a much, much higher population cap in the near future. The patch will add new perks to the legacy system, most of which are aimed at customizing the way players level their alts. With a high enough legacy and enough credits, players could use XP perks to skip side quests altogether, although Erickson points out that that there are perks for Bonus Series quests that may tempt players to visit planets they've previously left alone. The last bundle of tidings of great joy for the patch is directed at gear. There's a fine balance between freedom of dress and the importance of visual distinction, and SWTOR aims to find it by allowing "social gear" to be worn anywhere. Additionally, "almost every single item in the game" will get customization options thanks to augment slots. Players can use augment slots on gear to add, well, augments, which will allow them to further customize their character and playstyle.
Analyst says no one is buying MMOs after SWTOR fizzled
Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has a dim view of MMO assets following the lukewarm performance of Star Wars: The Old Republic. "Nobody is buying MMOs after Star Wars fizzled," Pachter told Joystiq. The context surrounding the statement involves the valuation of 38 Studios in the wake of its Copernicus melt-down. "There is just no demand for game assets right now, as THQ proved when it tried to sell the Warhammer MMO. I think [Electronic Arts] could step in, since they are the publisher, so you might see some alternative way to get 38 some bridge financing," Pachter said.
Star Wars: The Old Republic hit with layoffs [Updated]
BioWare doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka have posted a blurb on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website confirming the downsizing of the game's development team. The update is short on details and long on superlatives relating to the sci-fi MMO's successful launch, so we're not sure who was laid off at this point. The docs say that it's business as usual going forward for SWTOR and that the game will continue to grow over time. "We still have a very substantial development team working on supporting and growing the game, and we feel we are in a strong position, with your continued involvement and feedback, to continue to build Star Wars: The Old Republic as one of the most compelling and successful online experiences in the world today," the statement reads. [Update: SWTOR Community Manager Stephen Reid has today changed his LinkedIn page indicating that his tenure with the studio ended in May 2012, suggesting that he might be one of those affected by these layoffs. We'll keep you posted as we learn more.]
SWTOR patch 1.3 bringing group finder, legacy perks
A long time ago on a server far, far away, the Imperial forces BioWare prepared a Star Wars: The Old Republic update to rule the online world: patch 1.3. Called Allies, patch 1.3 will usher in a group finder, character transfers, and legacy perks. The group finder will aid in banding together interested adventurers to tackle operations and flashpoints. Lead Designer Daniel Erickson said that the time is ripe for the feature, as players are spread out in levels and are rolling plenty of alts. Saying that BioWare wants to "respect the communities" that have formed, Erickson reports that the group finder will not be cross-server. He also revealed some of the other key features for patch 1.3. Additional perks to the Legacy system will allow players to customize their experience; we'll see new ports, earlier access to mounts, and bonus XP modifiers for PvP. The patch will also change social gear to fit the armor type of the class using it, server transfers, and the ability to add augments to any crafting items. Looking past 1.3, Erickson promises a "return to big content" with patch 1.4. If you're a fan of the SWTOR novels, you'll also be delighted to hear that Drew Karpyshyn announced that his next novel, Annihilation, is scheduled for November 13th. You can watch the patch 1.3 preview video after the jump!
Why I Play: RIFT
Is it possible for a top-tier MMO to come out of nowhere and bowl you over? Considering that I follow these games not only for a hobby but as a writer for Massively, I always assumed the answer to that was "no." Until it happened, that is. Until RIFT. It's not as though RIFT was a big secret or anything, but up until the late hours of 2010, it was very low on my -- and many of my friends' -- radars. I often got it confused with TERA, for Pete's sake! It wasn't until I got my hands on it at PAX that year and then saw how huge the beta got that I realized there was more to this supposedly generic fantasy title than I'd assumed. It truly felt like it came out of nowhere, and before I knew it, I was enjoying what became one of my favorite games of 2011. So why did I play RIFT, and why do I still log in on occasion today? Trust me, it's not for the Elves.
BioWare prepping another SWTOR free Weekend Pass
Star Wars: The Old Republic tire-kickers, this weekend's for you. BioWare is putting on another of its free Weekend Pass shindigs, and you're invited if you haven't availed yourself of a previous pass yet. The festivities kick off on Thursday, May 17th, and run through Monday, May 21st. As with the preceding promotions, no credit card is required. Your characters will carry over should you choose to convert to a full account, and you'll be able to experience SWTOR's first 15 levels as well as all the character classes and origin worlds. PvP warzones and flashpoints are yours for the taking too, so head to the official website to learn more and get started.
Star Wars: The Old Republic answers questions on companions and modifications
Companions are one of the main features of Star Wars: The Old Republic, but they're also sometimes very limiting. Depending on your class and spec, you can find yourself with only one or two companions with useful abilities. But that's partly by design; according to the latest community Q&A, the distinctiveness of companions is both a result of their abilities and their personalities. The team has no plans for making companions more interchangeable, at least for the moment. If you were hoping for better news, don't fret, as the other answers are a fair bit more positive. The technical hurdles preventing some classes from having a modifiable offhand are being looked into, and the answers also delve into the details of adding a new augment slot to existing modifiable items. There's also a discussion of the different rates of gear acquisition for players on the PvE and PvP progress tracks, along with a variety of other answers for players of several stripes.
Star Wars: The Old Republic releases Episode I of the official podcast
Amidst all the other news from Star Wars: The Old Republic, it's easy to overlook the fact that the game's staff has been at work on an official podcast for fans. The first episode of that podcast is now available. Hosts Brooks Guthrie and Eric Musco have made the podcast available for listeners on YouTube, and the inaugural episode features plenty for fans to enjoy, starting with an interview about the recently released patch 1.2 as well as future content for patch 1.3. The interview covers a number of topics regarding both the present and future patch, including elements such as the refinements to the guild bank system and some of the unexpected additions to the Legacy system (including rocket boots and the brawling system). Community coordinator David Bass also talks about the team's presence at PAX East 2012 as well as the team's convention plans for the rest of the year. So if you're a fan, be sure to give the podcast a listen just after the break.
Analyst: SWTOR caused Dragon Age III delay
There's been a lot of discussion following the recent EA earnings report in which the company announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.3 million subscribers, down from its previous 1.7 million mark. We've heard from the fans, the critics, and the studio itself -- now it's time for the analysts to contribute their side of the conversation. According to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, EA's investment in SWTOR has caused a delay in other projects at BioWare, particularly in Dragon Age III's case. The analyst noted that Dragon Age III's expected release window was delayed, and he says this is due to the enormous undertaking of SWTOR. "We believe that a significant portion of the BioWare team responsible for the game was reassigned to Star Wars in order to create content and fix bugs to keep the game's audience engaged," Pachter said. Delay or no, Pachter is upbeat about EA's future, especially in light of the earnings report's news that the company turned a profit. He says that the company will continue to grow, make money, and be a good bet for investors.
EA bosses weigh in on SWTOR sub number drop
Yesterday we told you about Star Wars: The Old Republic's official 1.3 million subscriber headcount. Electronic Arts has weighed in on the number, with CEO John Riccitello stating that the game's player numbers are "very much in line with our original assumptions." EA's Frank Gibeau says that TOR's 400,000 subscriber drop from its February peak is a result of casual players deciding not to renew after a billing cycle. Eurogamer reports that TOR falls within EA's top 10 most profitable franchises but comes up short of the Battlefield, Medal of Honor, The Sims, and Madden franchises. Riccitello also addressed TOR's high profile in both fan and media circles. "So while I understand there's an enormous amount of interest, I don't know that it warrants as much as what we're seeing right now. But we love the franchise, we're going to grow the franchise," he explained.
Star Wars: The Old Republic has 1.3 million active subs, new content packs coming
We all know that the Star Wars: The Old Republic galaxy is a huge place, but thanks to some new numbers from EA's 4th quarter financial reports, we now know exactly how huge it is. According to the report, SWTOR is home to 1.3 million active subscribers (down from 1.7 million as announced in March). On top of that bit of information, the report also reveals that two new content packs will be available for players sometime in the first financial quarter. We don't know a thing about these content packs yet, except that they're (at least tentatively) titled Legacy (presumably the current Legacy patch) and Allies, so conspiracy theorists, start your engines. Let the speculation begin!
SWTOR on the rise and planning more PvP, endgame content
Star Wars: The Old Republic's moon (that's no moon...) is waxing, not waning, says Daniel Erickson. BioWare's lead designer on the project said that rumors of the game's demise are incredibly premature -- and outright wrong. Following Update 1.2 and the Rakghoul Outbreak live event, Erickson reports that player activity in the game is increasing. He said that the studio is working hard to keep its customers happy: "The community has generally been excited about the direction the game is going as we finish up our last must-have quality of life features (group finder, etc) and can start concentrating full-time on creative things like the world events." Erickson said that the live event was kept a surprise to make it "feel organic" and not spoil everything in this age of instant internet sharing. He said that the team took a cue from World of Warcraft's Corrupted Blood plague that swept through the game in 2005; the devs tried to channel players' actions to fun rather than griefing. He says that the team discovered that SWTOR had a huge PvP community and has since "turned a huge amount of resources" to developing more content for that side of the game. BioWare's also shifted several team members over to creating more endgame content as the players chew through the stories at an increasing rate.
The Daily Grind: Does fighting multiple mobs at once make you feel heroic?
One of BioWare's stated goals with Star Wars: The Old Republic was to make players feel more "heroic" by having them wade into packs of mobs more frequently than one-on-one encounters. The thinking here is that movie heroes often fend off whole groups at a time to showcase their prowess and tenacity, so why not game heroes? SWTOR isn't alone in tossing players into enemy packs and seeing how it turns out. Most of the superhero MMOs are notorious for doing this, but if a Batman can't lay waste to entire street gangs at once, why does he wake up in the morning? So we want to hear from you on this: Does fighting multiple mobs at once make you feel heroic? If you accidentally pull more than expected and live to tell the tale, does it fill your inner ego banks and make you flex and go, "Oh, I am bad, you know it, you know it!"? 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!
SWTOR preps character transfer service for this summer
Feeling grounded on a particular Star Wars: The Old Republic server while your friends are hyperjumping on a different one? BioWare says relief for player segregation is in sight, as the studio is preparing for character transfers in SWTOR starting "in early summer." According to Senior Producer Dallas Dickinson, the service will be made available in waves. The studio will begin by offering free transfers to and from specific servers, but later on there will be a more widespread system that will allow anyone to transfer to the server of their choice. The service should help alleviate issues with low population servers by offering transfers to high-pop ones. It's important to note that while some of these transfers will be free, others will require a real-world fee. SWTOR recently released in new territories including the Middle East and has plans for additional playable races for later this year.
One Shots: Warped
Massively reader Johanis delivered today's One Shots image, which features one of TERA's pegasi in flight. He tells us, Here is a shot of Honeynut, my TERA Archer, who was exploring during last weekend's open beta. While flying from one destination to another, she suddenly warped through one of many travel gates, and it was gorgeous. She emerged into a beautiful land just waiting to be explored. Enjoy Johanis' entry alongside a few others past the break!
The Road to Mordor: Is LotRO's questing system over the hill?
There's a good chance you're not reading this column right now but instead are fully immersed in the weekend beta for Guild Wars 2: Guild Harder. That's OK. I won't hold it against you -- I may even be playing it as well. Oh, those ArenaNet folks. They make such lofty promises, don't they? They're going to rewrite MMOs as we know them and show us once and for all that we've been playing with Tinker Toys when we could have fully functional jetpacks and whatnot. I don't harbor any ill will against Guild Wars 2; in fact, I'm quite looking forward to it. But as everyone's focused on the game's excising of traditional questing as popularized by World of Warcraft, I thought it would be worth examining just how dated Lord of the Rings Online's questing system has become, if at all. In an era of dynamic events, public quests, full voice-over, and other techniques designed to get us away from the text box questing model, will LotRO hold its ground against these fads or is it truly becoming a relic of the past? Let's dig in!
Star Wars: The Old Republic answers a new set of community questions
The Legacy update is live, the Rakghoul Plague is contained for the time being, and Star Wars: The Old Republic fans are eager for more content and more news. The latest set of community questions and answers doesn't really deliver any new content, but it does deliver tantalizing promises, such as the fact that players can expect to roster of playable races to expand this year. There are also promises of an overhaul to the Achievement system and more Legacy-wide rewards, potentially including datacrons. Not all of the news is good, however, with dual spec confirmed to not be included in the the upcoming patch 1.3 (but hopefully in the following patch). There are also a few in-depth answers about crafting and the necessity of finding a crafter for optimal item modifications. Players can also expect to see future spontaneous world events, although the team doesn't want to precisely replicate the Rakghoul Plague with a new skin. Take a look at the full list of questions, and if you want something answered that isn't there, submit it for the next round.
SWTOR is launching in the Middle East and select European countries today
Star Wars: The Old Republic is finally coming to the Middle East and Europe today. Wait a minute -- hasn't the title been on sale in Europe for some time now? Well, yes, but not in countries like Iceland, Bulgaria, Croatia, and a dozen others. BioWare is making a standard and deluxe version of its story-based MMO available both online and via select retailers (the former must be purchased through EA's Origin platform). Subscriptions are available in one-, three-, and six-month varieties. Hit up the official SWTOR website for a full list of countries where you can buy the game. [Thanks to Sgt Barone for the tip!]
BioWare strikes back at reports that SWTOR's subs are declining
Last week Cowen analyst Doug Creutz ruffled a few fanboy feathers with his prediction of declining subscription numbers for Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare lead writer Daniel Erickson responded by saying that subscriptions are not dropping but that the number of concurrent users at peak times has gone down. "Nothing is off the table when it comes to making sure our communities are strong and active on each server," Erickson said. He told PC Gamer that BioWare is doing "anything and everything" to help its numbers. Creutz claimed that SWTOR subcribers reached a peak of 1.7 million in February, and he estimated that populations would drop to 1.25 million by March of 2013.
One Shots: City of who?
Massively reader Torch Light has a theory that someone at Paragon Studios is a Doctor Who fan, and I think he might be right -- and not just because the game boasts a Time Manipulation power set. Torch Light sent in today's featured image from City of Heroes' VIP testing servers along with this explanation: The beta for Issue 23 of CoH has just gone live with a new parallel world of spookiness. While exploring around, I saw a familiar (yet strangely colored) police box. Looks like Paragon called in an expert to help fix those wibbly wobbly timey wimey problems. The image isn't bigger on the inside, but it is after the cut alongside two more reader pics!
