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Gamescom 2014: SWTOR boasts over a million monthly players
"Every month, more than a million players are logging in, playing with their friends, and embarking on their own personal Star Wars Saga," EA claimed today at its Gamescom press event. If you're one of those million players, then you'll also want to know that Galactic Strongholds will release next Tuesday, August 19th, for subscribers. We've got the new trailer from Gamescom that quickly demonstrates the expansion's selling points, including its player housing system, guild flagships, and plantary conquest. What are you waiting for? You can bask in its glory after the jump! [With thanks to Hagu.]
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR guild ships and Rakghouls
This weekend was full of space zombies and capital ships in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I ended up dividing my time between the live servers hosting the Rakghoul event on Tatooine and attempting to make the most out of having a guild ship on the public test server. Unfortunately, my guild's capital ship fell victim to the Bermuda Triangle bug that makes ships completely disappear, and I wasn't even able to buy a new one. I chalk that up to testing. And I certainly will not cry foul because of it. Besides, the ship was eventually restored, just not in time for my guild to really make any headway in the conquests for this week. However, I did get to experience the ship some because I was on the SWTOR official livestream last week, and I also created my own guild on PTS to test out the capital ship features. But first, let's talk about Rakghouls.
The Daily Grind: Do you adjust your in-game routine for events?
I coughed my way through a couple hours of Star Wars: The Old Republic gameplay this weekend. When I say gameplay, what I mean is standing at the AH and playing the market while waiting for my companions to finish crafting. And since BioWare's rakghoul plague event is currently a thing, I contracted the exploding green goo glowy eyes disease multiple times courtesy of the people who love to pass it around on Fleet. Eventually I wised up and acquired a stack of those anti-infectants, but not before I thought "hey, I can probably turn this into a Daily Grind!" So, here you go. Do you stop your normal themepark routine to participate in in-game events? Which ones are your favorite? 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 Rakghoul Resurgence event is back
Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rakghoul Resurgence event is back, and as of this morning it's live on Tatooine. Dulfy reports that it will likely run through August 12, and she also has an extensive guide for navigating the event's mess of dailies, rewards, and rare spawns.
Hyperspace Beacon: First impressions of SWTOR's Galactic Strongholds expansion
It's been an exciting weekend: I've spent many hours just absorbing the contents of the new expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Of course, the largest part of Update 2.9 is Galactic Strongholds. I'll come right out to say that the SWTOR livestreams do not do it justice. I'm finally glad that I could get my hands on it to see exactly what the hook system feels like, where I can find all the furniture, and mostly importantly, how much it is going to cost. Beyond the strongholds themselves, BioWare also introduced a new planet and flashpoint this weekend. I took some time to also visit Manaan, and I know I'm going to sound like a fanboy when I say that it blew me away. I was absolutely not expecting something that gorgeous for a simple flashpoint. We have a lot to talk about, and if you've spent some time on the SWTOR PTS, I'd like to read your opinions in the comments. But first here are a few of my thoughts.
SWTOR will charge a cool 50 million credits for guild ships
We hope Star Wars: The Old Republic players have been saving up their credits for a rainy day because that rainy day is here and it wants its money. BioWare Community Manager Eric Musco announced on today's livestream that guild ships, expected in next month's Galactic Strongholds expansion, will cost a whopping 50 million credits, making it arguably the most expensive single item in the game as it surpasses the cost of the ST-7 Recon Walker and Dathomir Rancor. Massively's SWTOR expert Larry Everett notes that while it's not uncommon for a lone player to have a tenth that amount and the 'wealthy' title is granted for amassing 10 million credits, small guilds might struggle summoning the funds for these ships.
SWTOR's lead writer teases future story updates
BioWare writer Charles Boyd has posted a blurb on the Star Wars: The Old Republic website that talks about the game's story and how it will move forward. Boyd says that the first chapter of the next major storyline is currently available via the Assault on Tython and Korriban Incursion flashpoints. This three-part Forged Alliances arc will lead "directly into our next major story expansion, our largest since Rise of the Hutt Cartel," Boyd teases. He says more info will be coming soon.
Leaderboard: How much time do you spend customizing avatar outfits?
OK, I'm spending entirely too much time customizing my avatar outfits in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I originally re-upped my sub in order to polish off my last couple of class stories, but now I've gotten sucked into crafting and, by extension, the substantial outfit collection minigame. Which is bizarre because in meatspace my fashion sense boils down to the first pair of jeans and corresponding t-shirt/sweatshirt that tumbles out of my closet. What about you, Leaderboard readers? How much time do you spend customizing your MMO avatar outfits? Vote after the cut! Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
The Daily Grind: Do you craft for fun?
Yesterday I spent an hour or so crafting a full set of gear and mods for one of my Star Wars: The Old Republic alts. I guess I could have farmed slightly better equipment in the lowbie flashpoints, but it would have taken longer and relied on the RNG gods, so it seemed more satisfying to hop on my main(s) and trick out the new guy with homemade armor mods, enhancements, stims, and weapons. Plus, I just like to make stuff, you know? What about you, Massively readers? Do you like MMO crafting enough to do it for fun? 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!
Report: SWTOR fourth biggest sub MMO, Elder Scrolls has over 770k subscribers
Market intelligence firm Superdata says that Star Wars: The Old Republic earned $165 million in worldwide revenue last year. This would make SWTOR the fourth biggest sub MMO in the world (behind World of Warcraft, Lineage, and TERA). Superdata's report also says that the pay-to-play MMO market has been in a constant decline since 2010, with monthly active worldwide subscribers bottoming out at 23.4 million. "Despite the overall decline, this category has so far managed to maximize their ability to monetize a shrinking yet loyal player base," the firm says. Finally, Superdata says that Elder Scrolls Online has a subscriber base of 772,374 while WildStar is seeing "four to five times" as many concurrent users as it saw during open beta. Superdata's information is purportedly "pulled directly from publishers and developers."
SWTOR's legacy storage detailed
BioWare community manager Eric Musco has highlighted some details of Star Wars: The Old Republic's legacy storage on the game's official forums. The system will debut with the Galactic Strongholds expansion, and players will obtain legacy storage for free by completing the introductory stronghold mission. Legacy storage will also be craftable and it will appear in the game's cash shop. The storage default is one 80-slot bay, with additional unlocks available for purchase with in-game credits or cash shop currency.
Massively Liveblogs: SWTOR's Galactic Strongholds
The upcoming expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic has the potential to completely change player perception of the game. Galactic Strongholds gives players the ability to own and decorate a home on four different planets: Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Coruscant, and Dromund Kaas. Last week, the developers showed off the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace; today, we see the Coruscant Skyrise Apartment. Over the next couple of weeks, developers have promised to answer questions, including, "Who can visit your stronghold when you're not looking?" and "How many people can visit before your skyrise topples to level 1313?" They also said that they will give an in-depth tour of the prestige system and the legacy bank. We are liveblogging right now in the comments as the developers are speaking, so join us!
I saw a real Jedi in Star Wars: The Old Republic
Let me tell you about this Jedi Guardian named Nayelii. She lives on Star Wars: The Old Republic's Ebon Hawk server. She could actually be a he, but the avatar (and the name) seemed female, so that's the pronoun I'm going with at the moment. I say "seemed" because Nayelii was wearing hooded robes, it's fairly dark through most of the Kuat Drive Yards flashpoint, and I tend to play dungeons with my camera at max range. Anyway, that's all beside the point because last weekend Nayelii put on what is unequivocally the best tanking performance I've seen in all my years playing MMORPGs.
Hyperspace Beacon: 250 reasons you don't want to miss SWTOR Galactic Strongholds
When I first hopped into MMOs way back when Ultima Online hit the scene, I believed that the best thing about the game wasn't the gamey side. I wasn't interested in the monsters that I could kill nor the mechanics of taking down a daemon or a lich lord. I was most interested in living in the world of Ultima with Lord British and the town of Trinsic then. Although my tastes have changed in the 14 years since, I still feel the longing to live in the world created online. The next expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic gives me nostalgic feelings of when I first stepped into Ultima. True, owning a house in UO was more complicated than what Galactic Strongholds gives us, but there is a great level of complexity all the same. In the livestream last week, the developers gave us a tour of the Nar Shaddaa stronghold and layout many of the decorating tools. The "hooks" on the floors, walls, and ceilings can be configured into many different configurations of large, medium (column-like), and small areas, with a couple of large exceptions, like centerpiece and starship hooks. Developers Troy McCall, Jack Wood, and Eric Musco dropped many items on the floors, walls, and ceilings of the stronghold, showing over 250 items in the various menus. Even if you watched the livestream as it was happening, you couldn't have caught all 250+ items. Let's look at some of the most interesting.
The Daily Grind: Are there any long-term MMO goals that you plan to complete in 2014?
I managed to finish another couple of class stories thanks to Star Wars: The Old Republic's double XP week. Though the game has been out for nearly three years, getting through all eight arcs is taking a while since I dabble in so many other MMOs. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, though, and I think that even without another double XP event, I'll finally be finished before the end of the year. What about you, Massively readers? Are there any long-term MMO goals you plan to complete in 2014? 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!
The Daily Grind: What untried portion of an MMO have you been playing lately?
So it's double XP week in Star Wars: The Old Republic right now, and I'm pretty sick of the Kuat Drive Yards flashpoint. I popped into a Galactic Starfighter queue out of sheer boredom, and while it's a far cry from the space sims I love, it was a pleasant diversion. What about you, Massively readers? What previously uninteresting or untried portion of an MMO have you discovered of late? 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!
Take a video tour of SWTOR's Tatooine homestead
Yep, it's time for another housing-focused Star Wars: The Old Republic news story. BioWare has released a new video of the Tatooine homestead stronghold and while it's incredibly brief, the clip offers quick glimpses of the sprawling setup as well as a few examples of how you might use its decorating hooks. Dulfy also has a still image breakdown of various shots from the trailer. Click past the cut to have a look!
SWTOR stream reveals the secrets of galactic housing
Star Wars: The Old Republic has been touting its next expansion, Galactic Strongholds, for months, but the studio hadn't revealed how decorating will work. During the latest livestream, all that changed. Decorators, prepare yourself; it's better than you might think. We've compiled a list of the highlights: Guilds will have both a capital ship and a headquarters. Sitting, lying down, and leaning are not tied to a specific item; they're slash commands. Multiple groups of people (up to 70 on the livestream) can visit your stronghold. You can place jukeboxes (four were shown) in your stronghold for ambient music. Your stronghold can be decorated only by you. Guild headquarters and ships can be decorated by different people within the guild. You can place your starship (among other large vehicles) on the landing pad. There's no rent or maintenance for upkeep. Strongholds can be bought with both credits and Cartel Coins. Dueling is an uncertain possibility. NPCs can be placed in multiple spots around the stronghold. The legacy bank is an item. Twi'lek NPC table-dancing has been confirmed! If you have an hour, the whole livestream is available after the break; otherwise, stay tuned next Tuesday for the Hyperspace Beacon's impressions and detailed breakdown of the SWTOR livestream.
SWTOR's housing, decor acquisition explained
BioWare is revealing more of its Star Wars: The Old Republic Galactic Strongholds content today via a new dev diary. The piece details everything from decorating hooks to the decorations themselves, which will be available as loot drops or from crew skills, reputation/PvP grinds, or the game's cash shop. Unlike previous unlocks, decor is available across your entire Legacy by default. Crafters have some part to play in the process, too, as BioWare says that tradeskillers "of all levels will provide the components required to obtain these decorations."
SWTOR announces new Galactic Living stream series
If you love Star Wars and spend way too much time mentally designing your dream home while watching HGTV, then rejoice because Star Wars: The Old Republic's new Galactic Living Twitch Series will combine my your two weird passions. Your. We're talking about you here, not me. Yeah. Beginning July 2nd and continuing on Wednesdays thereafter, the BioWare devs will dust off the official SWTOR Twitch channel to preview the houses arriving in the Galactic Strongholds expansion this August. From live tours of the various strongholds like the Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace to a behind-the-scenes look at the decoration items and tools, get an inside preview of all the ways you'll be able to customize your own stronghold in the new Digital Expansion, Galactic Stronghold[s]. The first show starts at 4:30 p.m. EDT tomorrow.
