the-old-republic
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PSA: SWTOR double XP week starts tomorrow
Ladies and gentlemen, Star Wars: The Old Republic's Kuat burnout week double experience week is almost here. This means that yours truly will be queuing for KDY flashpoints until my fingers bleed in an attempt to bypass that godawful planetary grind and get a couple more class story alts to 50. The XP extravaganza starts July 1st at 2:00 p.m. EDT and runs through July 7.
Hyperspace Beacon: Fixing SWTOR's community representation problem
You might be aware that I was once a community representative for Star Wars Galaxies. The player governing body was called the Senate. I don't remember who started it, but I do remember the formal revamp during the time Kelly "Valara" Knox served as Community Manager. It was during that period that I represented the roleplay community in the SWG Senate. Because of my time serving as an MMO community representative and my vested interest in the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, I can say that the representative system employed by BioWare is ineffective. But I don't solely blame the BioWare community team for its shortcomings. Indulge me as I discuss how it could be better and how we could better utilize the current system.
The Daily Grind: Have you ever come back to a game for the double XP?
I logged into Star Wars: The Old Republic this weekend and came to a sad realization. I really don't want to play it any more. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, so I usually find something to like about the game even though themepark mechanics and eternal gear grinds aren't my first choice. Lately I lack the desire to keep leveling, though, which is unfortunately at odds with my goal of seeing all the cutscenes for all eight class stories (again, Star Wars fan, completionist, can't help it). Fortunately for me, there's a double XP week starting July 1st, at which point I will be blasting through levels like a man possessed on as many characters as I can! I feel a sense of urgency because I doubt I'll be leveling again in SWTOR until its next double XP event. And really I'd love to just check the game off my MMO to-do list and uninstall as soon as I've viewed the stories and taken a few screenshots. What about you, Massively readers? Have you ever come back to a game specifically for the double XP, or am I sailing alone across my own personal ocean of crazy? 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 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.
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!
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.
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!]
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!]
One Shots: You won't believe what color this horse is
Let's start our time together today by playing a game! The game is this: You have until you hit the "continue reading" button to figure out what color this horse (well, technically a unicorn) is. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. This picture comes from reader Becca: "Here is my EverQuest 2 Fury, Sarense, riding her mighty steed. I spent a few hours grinding out candy hearts to get this mount, which shoots hearts out of his eyes and hooves (unfortunately not captured here). He's a hardcore stallion. Look at his cocky stare. He knows that you know he's a badass." My apologies in advance for our colorblind readers who think that this game is unfair. I'll tell you the answer to be fair: It's purple. Shh! Don't tell the rest of our readers, OK?
Star Wars: The Old Republic brings changes to second PvP season
While Star Wars: The Old Republic is currently on a break between PvP seasons, the dev team has a few words to say about what awaits in Season 2. A new dev blog posted today outlines the changes that Season 2 will bring. These include a shorter season length of three months, quicker rewards, slower rollouts of new gear sets, and daily and weekly PvP quests. The team is also going to hand out a unique reward to the top 96 PvP players. Season 2 will commence with Update 2.7.1.
