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Star Wars: The Old Republic -- Warzones and Wizard's rename
A few months back at Gamescom, BioWare announced the names of all the advanced classes for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and one name in particular stood out to fans for all the wrong reasons. A Jedi Consular sub-class was called Wizard, and fans decided that the name was not Star Wars-y enough because SWTOR is a science-fiction game, not fantasy. However, the creators at BioWare wanted to stick to the name by justifying the name on the official forum and in interviews. But now, it seems they have caved. The ranged and healing sub-class will be renamed to Jedi Sage, Jedi Seer, or Jedi Adept. The best news is that you, the fans, get to choose. Head to the SWTOR forums and place your vote for your favorite name. Continuing the trend of giving the fans what they asked for, BioWare created a new video of Warzone ingame footage. For those who are unfamiliar, the Warzones are the PvP areas announced at E3. Alderaan is the only planet we know of that has a Warzone, so they weren't shy about showing some of that off in the new trailer. The Imperial forces have invaded a Republic outpost in an attempt gain control of Alderaani skies. Will you help the Republic or the Empire? Catch the video after the break.
SWTOR finds a companion for the Jedi knight
In SWTOR's Deceived trailer, there was an odd shot of the Jedi leader giving a signal to an astromech droid. Per usual, the writers at BioWare do not put anything into their trailers without a specific reason. This past Friday, that little droid was revealed to be a companion for the Jedi knight class, named T7-O1 (tee seven - oh one). This little bot calls back to both T3-M4 of Knights of the Old Republic and, of course, R2-D2 of the Star Wars movies. In fact, his attitude is very similar to R2-D2's. According to the companion page on SWTOR's official site, he considers his owners to be more like partners and less like masters. T7-O1 was activated over two centuries before the Treaty of Coruscant and has yet to be memory-wiped in that whole time. He remembers every organic he has ever worked with, from the petty smugglers, to Senator Oodora of Manaan, to Captain Nico Okarr, and to Jedi Master Ven Zallow, whom we witnessed being killed by Darth Malgus in the previously mentioned trailer. For your Jedi knight character, you can expect this droid to be an invaluable source of information. His surveillance, cartography, and data-slicing skills are unmatched. BioWare has not revealed where your Jedi knight will meet T7-O1, just like every other companion mentioned for this game, but rest assured, he's waiting for you somewhere in that galaxy far, far away.
The official, official SWTOR game testing announcement
You've heard the rumors, you've seen the forum posts, but now it's official. Star Wars: The Old Republic has started game testing. SWTOR's Community Manager Sean Dahlberg made the announcement for this week's Fan Friday feature. Dahlberg expressed the developer's purpose in game testing in a post made on the official SWTOR forums: "Being able to have the community help us test The Old Republic is very important and valuable to the development process. The Game Testing Program allows community members to give us quality feedback so we can make adjustments and have a highly effective service and entertaining experience when we do launch." The announcement briefly explains that testing phases will be conducted, in small focused groups from North America, then later expanding to other areas. Sorry, Aussies and Euros, you will have to wait. If you are selected, an email will come to the address you entered in your swtor.com profile. Although we have not heard it from an official source, we have been told by others who are currently testing that just because you were chosen to be a part of one testing group does not mean you will be a part of the next testing group. So jump on that email as soon as you get it. If for some silly reason you have yet to sign up for testing, hop over to swtor.com now and do it right away! [Minor Update: Bioware is calling these sessions Game Testing not beta testing. We have updated the article to reflect that.]
Finally, Bioware unveils a SWTOR multiplayer combat video
You have got to be kidding! Star Wars: The Old Republic is a multiplayer game? It is! Bioware has finally given us a taste of what that multiplayer action feels like. In this first-glimpse video Dallas Dickinson, the Director of Production, examines the core roles for SWTOR group missions. Dickinson explains the possible functions each class can have: the Trooper can be a tank, the Jedi Knight as an off-tank, the Jedi Consular works primary healing, with the Smuggler covers the DPS and alternate healing. This video shows us that SWTOR does, in fact, contain the elements of your typical MMO, but there are also tiny hints that each classes does not have to serve the same role in every battle. If you watch the video closely, you will notice as leader of the group begins to speak to the Mon Calamari trooper, a green ring encircles a wide area, and the whole group steps in. This is the first video to expose this little tidbit of information. The ring transports the group into the dialogue instance. This way no other people in the area interrupt the dialogue sequence by jumping up and down like a rabbit on speed, over the NPC who is talking. (You know what I'm talking about, don't lie.) The most extraordinary part about this dialogue instance system is the lack of noticeable transition. Watch the full video after the break, and let us know: Is the Force with SWTOR group combat or does it fall to the Dark-side?
Complement your Star Wars: The Old Republic character with companions
What would Han be without Chewie, Luke without R2-D2, Robin Hood without Little John, or Hall without Oats? Pretty darn boring if you ask Bioware. This is the key reason for adding companion characters to Star Wars: The Old Republic. A lot of MMOs like to build the adventure around one lone character conquering the big bad. In a world with a lot of people who are all the best, why would anyone need anyone else? Bioware's Creative Director and Lead Designer, James Ohlen, tells IGN in an interview today, "Companion characters have a significant impact on the player's experience. They are integral to the player's storyline." So other characters can play a significant role in storyline progression and plot. What about combat? Sure, a lot of games have characters you can talk to and interact with, but they aren't important to battling the enemy. "Each companion has a specific role, whether it be additional DPS, tanking, healing or crowd control. Companions also have special abilities that can be activated to significantly change what's going on during a battle," Ohlen says further in the article. Read more of the article on IGN. Then let us know what role you think companions are going to play, and how you would like to see them used in SWTOR. [Update] the official site has been updated to include companions. In KOTOR tradition they have a blue twi'lek: Vette.
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.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Fan Friday introduces MS Paint and CYOA
Star Wars: The Old Republic's Fan Friday is back with another week's worth of fan-tastic goodness. Given the enduring legacy of the Star Wars franchise (and we're not just talking films and games here), it's no surprise that Lucas' creation is still one of the pinnacles of sci fi.But back to The Old Republic. As part of the latest Fan Friday segment on the official site, this week's showcase of what the community has been up to is actually quite revealing. There's a Choose Your Own Adventure and a really interesting tutorial showing how to create your own artwork using (of all things) MS Paint that really shows what this much derided freebie program is capable of. Finally there's a new official poll and a peek at some Trooper avatars.
