swtor
Latest
SWTOR devs say Star Cluster prices and rarities are working as intended
A minor brouhaha has been, well, brewing in Star Wars: The Old Republic's community since the release of the game's Star Cluster cash shop packs. Players have been complaining about everything from emote unlock prices to item rarities (it's currently unlikely that you'll be able to collect a matching set of the pack's new armor given the scarcity of certain pieces). BioWare community manager Eric Musco took to the game's forums this morning to clarify the company's stance on the issues. "Those prices are intended. Collections prices are something that is not completely static from one pack to another and can shift," Musco wrote. "Similarly, many of you might notice that in the Star Cluster pack there are different amounts of items at different rarities than normal (more rares, less commons, etc.). With the Star Cluster pack, we were trying out some new things. I can tell you that the team has heard your feedback around both the rarities and the collections pricing and will adjust accordingly in future packs."
The Daily Grind: Are you in tune with your MMO's latest update?
I've been slowly working my way through a couple of Star Wars: The Old Republic class stories in recent weeks, and while I'll occasionally duo or pop into a Flashpoint PUG to close an XP gap, I haven't really been paying attention to what else is going on with the game. Case in point is this week's 2.8 update. I guess the main feature is the new stupid tax (a.k.a. gambling) along with increased rewards for Galactic Starfighter matches. Neither of these activities appeals to me in the slightest, so while I'm kinda pleased to see SWTOR getting any sort of update, this particular one rates somewhere between meh and huh-they-actually-spent-dev-time-on-that? What about you, Massively readers? Are you in tune with the latest updates in your MMO of choice, or are you doing your own thing? 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 launches update 2.8
Do you like to gamble? Do you like video games? Do you like to gamble in video games? If so, you'll be super happy with the latest event coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic today, giving players a chance to spin the wheel and win on Nar Shadda. Yes, that's sort of what you do when downing a boss and hoping for loot anyway, but this time it's with an actual slot machine, complete with themed gambling outfits as a reward. If you don't like gambling, though, there's still plenty of events coming in that will tickle your fancy, ranging from increased Galactic Starfighter awards to the next round of doubled experience. Players can also queue up for story-mode Operations without worry over the minimum item levels, allowing you to jump in and experience the content. It's plenty of events for anyone playing the game, and you can hop in and experience them now.
SWTOR's Spoils of War update offers casinos, tweaks group finder
In Star Wars: The Old Republic's most recent dev blog, designers Chris Schmidt, Alex Modny, and George Smith discuss the major game systems headed to servers with the 2.8 Spoils of War update -- specifically, the Nar Shaddaa Nightlife event, PvP tweaks, and the story mode ops group finder. Nar Shaddaa casinos will feature slot machines that award special buffs, weapons, armor, cosmetic abilities, and mounts -- like a ridable Rancor -- to lucky gamblers. Participants in Galactic Starfighter matches and Warzones will begin receiving double rewards, and two new ship variants, the Assault Bomber and Skirmisher Gunship, will become available. In an effort to reduce queue time, the group finder will utilize the 16-man story mode difficulty for operations and bolster gear rating for all players. Rewards will also be increased. Read the full dev blog at the official site.
One Shots: Agents of S.W.O.R.D.
Ugh, every time I see a great Champions Online screenshot I lament to the universe how such a good-looking game flopped so hard. Shouldn't have been that way. Or maybe it's not; maybe it's the best-kept secret in MMOs and I don't know it. Reader Sean sent in this picture of his team, the Agents of SWORD: "I used to play quite a bit of this game from closed beta through about four months after launch. Before the dark times. Before the patches. At any rate, I loved this game with a deep passion--mostly because the costume designer was near limitless. But then I was also able to run the game at max settings at 1920x1080 and it was glorious." We have more gloriosity (go with it) for your starved eyes after the break!
Take a tour of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Coruscant Skyrise
Looking for a new apartment in a galaxy far, far away? Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Strongholds: Return of the Colon wants to move you into a spacious Coruscant Skyrise this summer. In a new video released today, SWTOR shows off some of the looks and amenities of the Skyrise player apartment. As long as you don't have a strong fear of heights, it could be perfect for your character. Check out the trailer after the break and see if this is the pad for you!
Last Week on Massively: On your marks, get set, WildStar!
This post originally appeared on Massively from Jef Reahard. At the end of every week, we round up the best and most popular news stories, exclusive features, and insightful columns published on Massively and then present them all in one convenient place. If you missed a big MMO story last week, you've come to the right post. WildStar's headstart kicked off this weekend, and apart from the DDoS attacks, all appears to be going... exactly as most AAA launches go. Some people are irate, some people don't care, and some people are too busy forgoing sleep in favor of playing. Prior to the early access period, Carbine dangled some account security incentives, released an official server list, and unveiled the final pre-launch trailer. Click past the cut for the rest of this week's top MMO stories.
Hyperspace Beacon: Beating the system in the new SWTOR event
I'm not a huge fan of gambling in general. "The house always wins" isn't a motto, it's the truth. But if you have fun while you're doing it, then it's fine that the house wins. However, I don't have fun playing most gambling games, especially the overly simplistic ones like slot machines. Some gambling establishments will claim to have the loosest slots in the business, but I can tell you that the slot machines in Club Vertigo and the Star Cluster Casino are not that loose. But there is a best way to play the game. On June 10th, Star Wars: The Old Republic launches Update 2.8: Spoils of War, and the casino event called the Festival of Splendor along with most of the patch already resides on the public test server. Over the last week or so, Voidmynx (a.k.a Laura Williams from Gamebreaker's The Republic and HSB Sci-Fi MMO Show) and I have tried multiple methods to beat the slots. And I believe we've found a decent one.
Perfect Ten: The MMOs that influenced me greatly
Every one of us has an "MMO resume": a list of titles that we've played, whether briefly or extensively. Some of those are just games, casual flings that meant nothing. But others can take a more meaningful role in our lives, influencing how we experience and view MMOs. I would scarcely say that my resume is one of the most robust you'll ever see; I'm sure plenty of you have played more than I. However, I like to think that I've had a journey over the course of a decade or so that's shaped who I am as a gamer. Since it's my birthday today, I'm going to share 10 of those influential MMOs with you and what they've done for me. You're going to get me cake.
Star Wars: The Old Republic housing will not disappoint, devs promise
Housing in a galaxy far, far away will be "nothing like any system" we have seen in MMOs before, say the devs. At a recent Vancouver Star Wars: The Old Republic cantina community event with the devs, McSleuth Gaming took down detailed notes from the Q&A session and intermingling that followed. One of the questions probed the type of housing that Galactic Strongholds will offer, to which a dev replied, "I will say though it is nothing like any system in any other MMO out there right now; it is completely different and a new style. I promise you, as a fan of housing you will not be disappointed in how our works. Seriously. We have put a lot of thought into making it customizable." If you're hoping for looser free-to-play restrictions, well, don't hold your breath. "Every time something new is added for F2P it actually is simultaneously taking something away from subs perks," the devs hedged. "So there needs to be balance and that is something we are always looking at changing." Meanwhile, Massively's Larry has several pictures of the new casino event and stronghold construction coming to the game, so check them out! [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
One Shots: Chubby chocobos on parade
Whenever your game gets a goofy mount or pet, it's an inevitability that populated areas will be swarmed by them. So it came to pass in Final Fantasy XIV, as the fat chocobo mounts became the hot new thing that all the hip young kids wanted to ride. Reader Connor brings us this parade of chubby chocobos from his recent adventures: "This was when the new mount got released a few weeks ago. Everyone stood around AFKing in the high level hub, but eventually we formed a miltia and sallied forth." Chubby chocobo, you look beautiful and amazing just the way you are. Also, delicious. Like a giant Peep. OK, we need to hit the jump to see the rest of this week's screenshot submissions before I start trying to eat my monitor.
The Daily Grind: What are your four pillars of MMO gaming?
A few weeks ago, Massively's Star Wars: The Old Republic expert Larry Everett proposed that "ownership" or perhaps the broader term "immersion" should be considered one of the real four pillars of MMO gaming instead of the four that BioWare picked (combat, exploration, progression, and story). This sounds like a fun mind-challenge to me too because I don't think combat is actually essential to MMOs, I couldn't care less about stock progression, and I don't think any MMO can run a good story from the top down unless it's run by gamemasters. Surely we can come up with some better pillars. Stickiness would be my first pick; games need to keep people coming back because they want to come back, not because they feel they must. Community would make my list as something developers should develop intentionally rather than hope it happens offscreen. Setting to me is far more important than story since how seriously a studio takes its setting determines how invested players will be in their own stories. Customization would round out my quartet; our ability to take charge of our character's development, appearance, home, and activities is crucial to keeping us around. Taken together, those four echo Larry's column -- they're all about ownership in a game, something BioWare's pillars just don't address. What about you? If you were tasked with coming up with the four pillars of MMO gaming, what would they be? 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 Insider previews future updates
Do you want to know what the future of Star Wars: The Old Republic looks like? The latest installment of Star Wars: The Old Republic Insider hosted by community manager Eric Musco is all about that, covering the upcoming Galactic Strongholds expansion as well as what players can expect in terms of PvP and community events. If you've been avidly following every bit of news about the game, you've quite possibly seen some of what the game has to offer, but if you've been a bit out of the loop it's a great chance to check out the new features of strongholds and the refinements made to PvP. Check out the full video just past the break.
'Summer of SWTOR' plans updated
BioWare Senior Producer Bruce Maclean took to the forums today to give an updated plan for the "Summer of SWTOR" that's coming to an MMO near you and to a galaxy far, far away. The updated schedule for the next few months of the game are as follows: June 10th: Game Update 2.8 arrives with a playable Nar Shaddaa Casino, double PvP currency events, a double Starfighter currency event, an overhaul to groupfinder operations, a nightmare mode for Dread Palace, an update to the nightmare mode for Dread Fortress, two new starfighters, and various tweaks. June through August: BioWare will cycle through all of its major in-game events, one after another, between the launch of 2.8 and the arrival of 2.9. August 19th: Game Update 2.9, also known as the Galactic Strongholds expansion, will unlock for subscribers. This will include the Forged Alliances storyline. Maclean also teased that his team has "a lot of folks working on something very big for later this year that [he has] yet to give details on."
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite fast travel gimmick?
Fast travel is ubiquitous in MMOs nowadays, but not every game goes the extra mile to make it an immersive experience. Star Wars: The Old Republic does, at least in my opinion, and I rediscovered as much when I logged in for a few minutes over the weekend. I picked up my Imperial Agent on Corellia where I'd left off some months before, but I'd forgotten about that spiffy sci-fi tram that speeds you to and from the planet's various quest districts. It's almost like a cutscene, and there may be some zone loading going on in the background, I don't know, but it's much better than a static transition screen with an image. What about you, Massively readers? Do you have a favorite fast travel gimmick? 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's double XP weekend starts at 2:00 p.m. EDT
If, like me, you've got an account full of Star Wars: The Old Republic characters who still haven't seen the other side of level 50, you'll want to take advantage of this weekend's accelerated experience gain. And hey, if you're already maxed, you can still enjoy double Legacy XP. The promotion starts at 2:00 p.m. EDT and runs through Monday at 3:00 a.m. EDT. Full details are available at the official SWTOR website.
SWTOR releases Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace video
Housing: It's the year's MMO buzzword, and Star Wars: The Old Republic is getting it come August. BioWare has just released a new video narrated by producer Jack Wood, who previews the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace due out with this summer's Galactic Strongholds expansion. We've embedded the new (albeit short!) trailer below.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's plan to survive 2014
Star Wars: The Old Republic launched successfully but ran into issues shortly thereafter because of its unpolished endgame. Despite this, even the loudest haters agreed that the personal story held the game together. Although thousands of people played through the same questlines, players latched onto these stories because they felt personal and unique to the individual player. Unfortunately, the MMO could not retain that individual feel for a number of reasons, including a focus on larger storylines and a considerable staff reduction. This year in particular, BioWare wants to turn things around so that it focuses on core ideas that made the game enjoyable in the first place. But how does the development team plan on doing that without creating new personal story arcs? Are there ways to keep the players connected and immersed without class stories? BioWare is going to give it a shot.
Star Wars: The Old Republic handing out free astromech pets
The internet and geek culture sure love its made-up holidays, doesn't it? And so, as we are on the verge of Star Wars Day ("May the fourth be with you"), Star Wars: The Old Republic is preparing to celebrate by giving away adorable blue astromech droid pets to its playerbase. Players who log in any time from April 29th through May 4th will be able to claim the MT-4T droid minipet. SWTOR will also be hosting a double-XP weekend starting Friday, May 2nd, at 2:00 p.m. EDT and ending on Monday, May 5th, at 3:00 a.m. EDT.
SWTOR's Galactic Strongholds early access delayed for more features
Star Wars: The Old Republic senior producer Bruce Maclean has penned a new producer's letter focused on the upcoming Galactic Strongholds expansion. He states that for GS to truly feel like an expansion, "it needs to include the full set of features including those originally coming later in the year." As such, BioWare is delaying the start of subscriber early access from June 24th to August 19th. Maclean says the additional time will allow the devs to add conquest events, expanded guild flagship functionality, the Tatooine Homestead stronghold, and the ability to place vehicles, mounts, pets, and companions as player housing decorations. BioWare has also moved the deadline date for subscribers who are looking to get early access rewards. It's now July 15th instead of May 11th, meaning that you'll need to sub up by the former date if you want the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace with three additional rooms and the other promised goodies. After the August 19th subscriber early access period, preferred early access and the official launch will follow in September and October. [Thanks ninjonxb!]
