Mistress of Mordor

Translating Corellia - Part 3

2012-01-28T09:15:00.000-06:00

I only have three this time. The 'welcome' sign was a bit hard to read because of how blurry it is (that's how it appears in-game) but I think I got it correct.

How I Came Up With My Legacy Name

2012-01-26T15:51:00.000-06:00

A while back, I revealed this logo I had made for my Legacy.

No one asked about it, no one probably cares, but I'm going to explain how I came up with it just because I feel like it and because I'm the type of person who is curious about these things, as I know others are.

First off, if you can't read Aurebesh it says The Senithesh Legacy there in the center (the other words are Empire, top, and Republic, bottom). I struggled with the decision of how I wanted it spelled when written in Aurebesh and this is what I settled on. Now on to how I got to Senithesh.

It's actually quite simple but creative, in my mind; I used the following Aurebesh letters:

Get it? :)

Now, when writing the name in Aurebesh, I decided I wanted to use the combined letter for 'sh' instead of individual letters for aesthetic reasons.

So there you have it, the simple yet creative way of how I came up with my Legacy name.

Translating Corellia - Part 2

2012-01-26T15:15:00.000-06:00

A few more signs gathered from playing this morning/afternoon; one is a sign also seen on Coruscant and has a typo. Another image is a better angle on a sign so i could read the bottom line.

A Neat Find in SWTOR

2012-01-25T22:02:00.000-06:00

So how's this for coolness, I finally looked at some screenshots I took of the scrolling screen on an Alderaan jukebox and it's a list of songs from the game and then some, there's even a KOTOR mention.

Translating Corellia - Part 1

2012-01-25T06:30:00.000-06:00

I finally made it to Corellia last night and all of the signage in just the starting area kept me busy for while, taking screenshots and reading. Sadly, I again found a sign with a typo unless they wanted to spell Corellia as Correlia. I bugged it, of course, just to be safe. As always, I try to type them exactly as they appear but sometimes I take liberty by not capitalizing or, in the case of the 'farwan glott' sign, I just did a copy/paste of the 'ae' which happened to be caps instead of lower-case. In the case of the Galactic Basic sign that has an (or) on it, BioWare likes to mix capital and lower-case letters (and even turn them sideways/upside-down) and there's two letters that look like the other depending on which you use; that's why I put both options I could think of. For the 'celestial' sign that talks about 'love the hype', I had trouble reading both screenshots I had so I did the best I could with that one. The sign with the face on it, which can be seen in a few of these, I haven't found a good angle on it yet to be able to read it and take a good screenshot. I also couldn't read all of the letters in the bottom word of the 'stellar drive shipping' sign. I'm sure I'll take more screenshots as I progress through the planet so expect another post (or more).

'A Woman After My Own Heart'

2012-01-16T21:36:00.000-06:00

I knew she couldn't resist me...

If you are wondering, the title of this post is a line my Warrior said during the class quest on Belsavis when he and Jaesa were talking to a Jedi (video isn't uploaded yet).

Flirting with Jaesa Willsaam

2012-01-15T12:07:00.000-06:00

Videos of conversations with Jaesa.

Legacy Logo or Coat of Arms

2012-01-11T17:33:00.001-06:00

I thought I might share the logo I made for my Legacy. I might change it up a bit, but this was the version I liked best of the three I made. The image of the two symbols along with their respective names was something I made a while ago, all I did was was add the center text and the profile buttons to make the logo; it's just a coincidence that the faction names 'line up' with the faction characters.

In Case You Didn't Notice, I'm an 'Alien'

2012-01-08T17:54:00.001-06:00

This Sith Lord makes me /facepalm.

She's talking about her disgust of the Jedi training Force-sensitive aliens....to an alien. Oh yeah, I'll be seeing you again, Lord Sharoleigh, on my Pureblood....you know, another 'alien'.

I See the Signs

2012-01-07T16:26:00.000-06:00

I've been so busy playing and editing videos that I neglected to post more translations of signs I've come across. And yes, there are more mistakes as well as more gibberish.

Let's start on Coruscant, where I found the White Hand of Saruman.

On to Nar Shaddaa, where signs are backwards, upside-down, and all kinds of crazy just to make them look cool.

To Alderaan...

and Tatooine...

Zombie Squad gets around

and, finally, Taris.

Jaesa Videos

2012-01-02T15:14:00.000-06:00

The Jaesa videos, as I'm calling them for this post.

Join the Dark Side, We Have Sweet Rides.

2012-01-02T06:41:00.000-06:00

I had been getting frustrated with myself because I was pushing to hurry up and unlock my Legacy, something I shouldn't have done because it was ruining my fun. Alas, I was able to get the Legacy unlocked, my Lord title, as well as picking up a sexy new companion. Tonight's play session was quite a bit of fun at least. I got to kill some Jedi, a noble of Alderaan, and Jaesa's parents. I also got to turn Jaesa to the Dark side. I've got videos to put together but they'll have to wait because I do occasionally sleep.

I can't tell you how giddy I was when this came up, being given free rein to kill is wonderful. Many times, I had to hold back due to Baras's wishes.

That's right, Sith, you don't interfere with my mission.

So there!

Hey baby...

...come to the Dark side, we have sweet rides.

That's a good girl.

Hey there...
[less than 10 minutes after boarding Klor'el's Fury]

...yeah.

Aren't we a sexy bunch.

Photo albums.

Videos.

An Unexpected Dance Party

2011-12-28T11:17:00.000-06:00

I have no clue who the male characters are or why some of them were running around with their shirts off. The weirdos decided to join us in dancing and I decided to record it.

A Shiny New Yule Horse and Four More Maps

2011-12-26T16:56:00.003-06:00

I had to log in to pick up my lottery winnings so I ran over and grabbed the new Yule Festival horse, as well; his name is Snowball.

I forgot about the maps, so I'm editing this post to include them, this brings you to 17 of 21 if you 'collected' all of the previous maps.

When Writing a Review, You Should Have Some Knowledge of the Subject and You Should Check Facts

2011-12-23T17:02:00.000-06:00

Someone posted a link to a SWTOR review on The Guardian's web site and I would not have bothered to read the review if not for the comment posted with it. I have to wonder what game is this reviewer playing because it's surely not the game I've been playing.

"Admittedly, you can distract yourself with mini games like speed racing for credits – as seen in Knights of the Old Republic..."

Really, we have speed racing? Since when? Where? The only 'race' I came across was on Ord Mantell during my Trooper's questing and I don't even know if you could actual bet on the 'racing' because I took the Light side option to scold and rat on the soldiers holding the 'races'. Note: the 'race' was betting on refugees running through a minefield or running it yourself, though like I said, I don't know if you could actually do/bet on the race.

"Your first key choice is whether to opt for the Light or Dark side of the Force, each with sharply divergent story-arcs. You then choose between four classes, making a total of eight main character/story types."

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Your first choice is Republic or Empire, which is wholly separate from choosing Dark side or Light side; that comes as you play whatever class you created. You can have a Dark side Republic character just as you can have a Light side Empire character, or you can walk the Gray path. Also, don't confuse Sith with the Empire just because it's currently called the Sith Empire, Sith are Force-sensitives citizens of the Empire just as Jedi are the Force-sensitive citizens of the Republic. No, the author didn't make this mistake, I just wanted to point it out here because I do see people confuse the terms.

"I chose the Jedi path, meaning most of the players I encountered were perhaps more prone to cooperation, although even here I was just as often challenged to duels as offered recruitment opportunities"

I'm sorry, what? Are you saying that because people choose to play the Empire side that they are more prone to being jerks and not grouping? I can tell you, that has not been my experience so far. I've done a few pugs while playing my Sith Juggernaut and I always see people grouping up. Also, did the author make the mistake here of confusing Jedi with Republic or did they play a Jedi Knight or Jedi Consular, who are the only Jedi on the Republic side just as Warrior and Inquisitor are the only Sith on the Empire side.

"You also get your own NPC companion characters, who follow you around to help out in fights, negotiations and even earning credits – although they never match the value of a human teammate particularly when facing off against tough bosses or larger groups of enemies."

While companions can't replace the social aspects of grouping with another actual player, they do extremely well with mobs of most types. It probably depends on the companion and, of course, it will depend on if you're been upgrading their armour, but I can say my companions all handle themselves just fine even against Elites. Heck, I've even had a companion tank a Champion mob so I could grab a lore object that it was guarding. Now, of course, we couldn't solo the mob at our level but we did damn good (got it down pretty far) and probably just as good if it had been me and another player who didn't have healing capabilities. Still, if I could choose to run with a friend I would choose that because it's just more fun.

"...a rather cumbersome manual targeting system that plays havoc with the camera if you lose lock in the heat of battle."

I'm not exactly sure what experience this reviewer is having here. What manual target system? You mean the one that all MMO's have where you have to either click or tab target, or the auto-target that I talk about next? Do people not realize that there's also an option in the settings to automatically select the next enemy? I have that checked and sometimes I select an attack but my companion kills the mob I'm on so it automatically switches to the next mob and the attack goes off, your character automatically faces the mob you attack without turning the camera. At least, this has been my experience. So yes, I'm lost as to what this person is talking about.

"And melee combat is not the only weapon in SWTOR's arsenal; once you earn the credits and experience to buy your own ship, massive multiplayer skirmishes in deep space beckon. It's certainly a powerful incentive to keep playing."

Okay, this is inaccurate; I have been given my ships as part of my class quests. I am told that only the Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are not given ships, that the Bounty Hunter has to 'acquire' one (which I take to mean not by buying it). I haven't played my Bounty Hunter at all and my Smuggler is only level 3 but the Smuggler arrives in their own ship, which is stolen so I assume (don't hold me to it until I get a response) that we re-acquire it later. As for multiplayer space skirmishes....um, where? We have what people call 'on rails' space combat and that's it for now unless there's some secret multiplayer space combat hangar somewhere, though I'm not knocking it because I love the space combat.

In closing, I think this reviewer needs to learn more about the game before trying to write a review. Do I know everything about the game? Heck no! But I apparently know more than this reviewer.

*I'm not a reviewer but my statements above are accurate, to my knowledge and from experience, and if something I said is inaccurate, I'll come back and fix it.

Heroics, Hammer Station, Black Talon, Oh My!

2011-12-22T03:13:00.002-06:00

I spent nearly all evening grouped up while playing, something I haven't done in a long time in any game and it's also only the second time (well, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc) that I've grouped in this game. All I can say is I had a blast!

I started off the day doing some daily space combat missions, which I thoroughly enjoy.

Then I headed to Dromund Kaas to see what Heroics I could solo, which ended up being one because I decided to join a group looking for one more for one of the three I still had to do. I'm grateful to the group, but a little disheartened at the behaviour of two of the people. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but I feel you should say something before dropping group and running off. These two just dropped as soon as the conversation was done, not a word from them. The other person was cool and we said goodbye and parted ways. By this time, the new friend I had made Monday before the servers went down was on and I almost missed a tell (whisper, as they're called here) from him because there's no sound notification. Anyway, we hooked up and he helped me with the other two Heroics I had, while also picking up the one I had soloed earlier. After he helped me, I helped him with the Flashpoints.

Hammer Station

This was the first time doing Flashpoints for me, and I had fun. We duoed Hammer Station up to Battlelord Kreshan with several deaths along the way as we learned the layout and everything. We died two or three times at the first boss but we prevailed, obviously, in the end. I don't think we died at the second boss because I had layed out a strategy before hand and we were able to execute it. The last boss, Kreshan, we almost had him beat the first try but he got us. I think we tried him three more times before finding some help (we had asked previously but not gotten an answer so went back in just the two of us); we ended up with two people and they were awesome. I walked away with some nice additions to my gear from both runs but I lost my cool Malgus-wannabe respirator look (had to hide my new headgear).

Hammer Station

We also ran Black Talon because I was really close to leveling, and I hadn't done it yet. That was a lot of fun, too. Malice kept winning a lot of the roles, but we were choosing the same many of the times.

Black Talon

So the group I pugged Hammer Station with after my friend went to bed....*shakes head*. The leader of the group obviously just wants to get things done for theirself and move on. The lowest level person, playing a Marauder, had never been in there before so, just like me a couple of hours before, they didn't know what to expect. I'm fairly certain he just followed my lead since we were both Sith Warriors (me Juggernaut, /rawr!). We did pretty good, though. He and the level 19, I think it was, both died at the first boss. He also died trying to cross the bridge because he ran behind the other two, who crossed as it was about to go out, before I could type anything. The leader of the group made a pretty rude comment about it, which was totally uncalled for. If you've never been in there before and you didn't take the time to watch what happens, well, you wouldn't know what happens. Anyway, he made it back and finally the leader gave a bit of instruction on the final boss. After we were done and the conversation, which the two didn't join (it was just me and the level 18), was over the other two just left without a word. Me and the level 18 at least thanked each other before parting ways. Right after, I saw the leader looking for a group for another Flahspoint, one I need but I don't really want to group with people who don't really seem interested in grouping. It's not nice to use people to get what you want like that (ah, the irony of that statement when I'm playing a Sith but one is fantasy and one reality).

Hammer Station

Anyway, I still had a wonderful time and the groups were good at getting the job done even if some weren't very social.

Hammer Station

Edit: I forgot to mention that this is the first time I've tanked on an actual tank in a game. Not that it was really any different, just that I had a taunt to pull aggro instead of relying on my DPS output pulling aggro.

More Translations From Around Coruscant

2011-12-20T13:46:00.001-06:00

I found a couple more typos as well as some gibberish but I still translated it.

This one has a typo

This one is just random letters upside-down

this one is missing a letter in 'all'

This one uses a mirrored image to complete it, so letters on the right are backwards

Aurebesh and Galactic Basic Translations

2011-12-19T23:49:00.004-06:00

I just did some more translations from screenshots taken during early access at various locations. While I try my best to be accurate, copying exactly what I see, I may make mistakes. Such as this first screenshot, I don't know if they are using one of the 'M's backwards or just using it as a design instead of letters; I went ahead and put them as 'M'. Also, the misspelling of 'voyages' is on their end, not mine.

That big letter eating Coruscant is the 'M' for market

This one I need to bug next time I'm on, they spelled 'personnel' wrong.

Galactic Basic is new to me, and this is mixing upper-case and lower-case, making things more confusing. I did the best I could.

This one is the same text as another one I posted a while back but it's a different computer station. I don't know if the spelling of 'seizmic' is intentional or not.

A Few More Translations from SWTOR

2011-12-16T20:02:00.000-06:00

I have a few more translations of signs I came across in the last couple of days. Two of them had me baffled because I'm used to seeing Aurebesh but these appeared to be a bastardized version or something. I finally figured out a little while ago that they are Galactic Basic, which I thought was the same as Aurebesh but I guess not? I was actually able to figure out the Galactic Basic signs because the letters are based off of the Aurebesh, I just wasn't positive until I found that web site. Anyway, I picked up the Galactic Basic font here.

I wrote the above two in all uppercase because that is what the font says. When you use lowercase letters, they are actually different; they are upside down. Also, the guy who made them says not to mix uppercase and lowercase unless you're doing it just for looks.

This one is going to be bugged once I log back in later.

SWTOR Cast List

2011-12-13T18:31:00.002-06:00

PDF of cast list as found in the online game manual. The file should be downloadable but I'm not used to using Google Docs so I'm not positive.

Here is the English cast list, the PDF file has EN, FR, and DE casts listed. Sadly, the voice I wanted to know about is listed under 'additional voices' so I still have no clue who this wonderful voice belongs to.

English Cast

Bounty Hunter Male

Tom Spackman

Bounty Hunter Female

Grey DeLisle

Imperial Agent Male

Bertie Carvel

Imperial Agent Female

Jo Wyatt

Jedi Knight Male

David Hayter

Jedi Knight Female

Kari Wahlgren

Jedi Consular Male

Nolan North

Jedi Consular Female

Athena Karkanis

Sith Inquisitor Male

Euan Morton

Sith Inquisitor Female

Xanthe Elbrick

Sith Warrior Male

Mark Bazeley

Sith Warrior Female

Smuggler Male

Smuggler Female

Trooper Male

Trooper Female, Master Satele Shan

Jennifer Hale

Akaavi Spar

Stacy Haiduk

Andronikos Revel, Baron Deathmark

Aric Jorgan

Ashara Zavros

Corso Riggs

Doc

Doctor Lokin

Elara Dorne

Ensign Raina Temple

Georgia Van Cuylenburg

Felix Iresso

Gault Rennow

Guss Tuno

HK-47/HK-51

Jaesa Willsaam

Kaliyo Djannis

Kira Carsen

Lieutenant Pierce

Adam Leadbeater

Lord Scourge

Joseph Gatt

Lord Zash

Jen Cohn

Lt. Talos Drellik

M1-4X/Narlock

Mako

Malavai Quinn

Nadia Grell

Risha/Holiday

SCORPIO

Sergeant Rusk

Skadge

Tanno Vik

David Anthony Pizzuto

Tharan Cedrax

Jamie Elman

Torian Cadera

Johnny Yong Bosch

Vector Hyllus

Ifran Meredith

Vette

Catherine Taber Interview

Xalek

Zenith

Ardun Kothe

Bengel Morr

Braden

Commander Harron Tavus

Darth Baras

Darth Jadus

Darth Malgus

Darth Revan

General Garza

General Var Suthra

Maurice LeMarche

Jace Malcom

Kevin Michael Richardson

Keeper

Master Orgus Din

Master Yuon Par

Needles

Overseer Harkun/General Rakton

Tim Watson

Overseer Tremel

Paul Darrow

The Voice of the Emperor

Doug Bradley

Watcher Two

Mary Stockley

It Has Begun

2011-12-13T10:12:00.002-06:00

Today marks the first day of early access invites and people are clamoring and foaming at the mouth, and there's those complaining as usual. But that's not what this post is about, this post is to give a little information. They released nine music tracks, all of which can be found on my music page and on the calendar linked above. Of course, you can always find them all on SWTOR's official facebook and youtube pages. To check the status of servers, click here. System alerts page is here. To view the server list post, click here.

SWTOR Sims 3 Shirt Mods

2011-12-10T19:52:00.001-06:00

They're not all that great but here are some SWTOR shirts I made for Sims 3. I was too lazy to do any real editing and resizing today, I was mainly just refreshing my memory on how to do this.

This one is made specially for Shawna.

This one is made specially for Georg.

SWTOR & The Mummy Online Sims 3 Mods

2011-12-09T22:21:00.001-06:00

This is my first SWTOR mod for The Sims 3, it's also the first one I've made in several months (plus using a new program) so I'm a little rusty.

I did the SWTOR Empire image in a different object and I made one for The Mummy Online. The Mummy Online one got a bit too blurred for my taste while resizing but it's not horrible. The SWTOR Empire post looks much better in a poster frame than the wood frame.

I can't get the object I prefer to use to open in the new program, sadly. It's the object I used for the LOTR posters you see and it's the one I like best because there's no frame. I may eventually make some SWTOR-themed shirts, but that's a big maybe.

Merry Sithmas

2011-12-09T21:14:00.001-06:00

It's not my best work, oh well.

Friday Update

2011-12-09T15:42:00.001-06:00

Today we have the Sith Inquisitor progression trailer.

and we have launch date 'parties' for four cities; Austin, London, New York, and Paris. We also have the new community blog. announcement.

Some other odds and ends of note are the site maintenance

On Saturday 12/10, the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Forums and SWTOR.com will be undergoing extended maintenance.

At 5:00AM CST (11:00AM London, 12:00PM Paris/Berlin), SWTOR.com will be down. We expect the site to be back up at 4:00PM CST (10:00PM London, 11:00PM Paris/Berlin).

The Forums will be unavailable beginning at 12:00AM CST (6:00AM London, 7:00AM Paris/Berlin) and will remain down until Tuesday 12/13.

Thank you for your patience!

UPDATE 12/9 5:00PM CST (11:00PM London 12/10 12:00AM Paris/Berlin) - Tomorrow's maintenance has been delayed. SWTOR.com will be unavailable beginning at 8:00AM CST (2:00PM London, 3:00 PM Paris/Berlin), and we expect the site to be back up at 5:30PM CST (11:30PM London, 12/11 12:30AM Paris/Berlin).

and a post about guild import.

We will let you know when the import is complete and how you can check the status of your guild. It will be before Early Access begins, assuming all goes well.

As always, the music tracks they are releasing daily are posted on my music page as well as in my calendar, both found at the top underneath the banner. Oh, and thanks to a little hiccup with the site earlier when they were enabling the community news feature, I spied a server status page as well as a system alerts page that will be part of the new site. Of course, these two pages have nothing on them yet.

Turbine's Free Sample Codes and Sales for the Week of Dec 9th

2011-12-08T17:04:00.001-06:00

Use code SDCPT6 to receive a free Tome of Defence. Limit one per an account. Good through Dec. 15th.
You'll also find sales on Creeps and Creep-related purchases.
The Yule Festival begins Dec. 20th
Update 5: Armies of Isengard launches Dec. 12th

Use code WLL2GF to receive a Light SP Potion X10. Limit one per an account. Good through Dec. 15th.
You'll also find sales on Armour, the Drow and Warforged races, and Universal Tokens.

Start of SWTOR Early Access Moved Up Two Days

2011-12-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

Per this announcement and this one:

Early Game Access may begin as early as December 13, 2011, 7:00AM EST (Pacific: December 13th, 4:00AM PST; European: December 13th, 12:00PM GMT, 1:00PM CET).

Starting December 13, 2011, 7:00AM EST (Pacific: December 13th, 4:00AM PST; European: December 13th, 12:00PM GMT, 1:00PM CET), The Old Republic will begin emailing invitations to start your Early Game Access. Invitations will be sent throughout the Early Game Access period offering rolling access to the game in the order in which you redeemed your Pre-Order Code, so be sure to check your email inbox! To see your Early Game Access status, log in to swtor.com and visit My Account >> Pre-Order.

Stephen Reid says, "Early Game Access *starts* on December 13th. Emails will be sent on the day you get access."

An updated FAQ.

If I pre-order Star Wars: The Old Republic but don’t purchase or obtain the full version of the Game, may I continue to play past the Early Game Access period?

The Game officially launches on December 20th, 2011 at 12:01AM EST (Pacific: December 19th, 9:01PM PST; European: December 20th, 05:01AM GMT, 06:01AM CET). There will be no ‘grace period’ post launch in which those who are in Early Game Access will be able to continue to play the Game without completing the following required steps for launch:
1. Fill out your contact information
2. Set up minimum 3 - maximum 5 security questions to protect your SWTOR account
3. Redeem a Product Registration Code (This is different from your Pre-Order Code. Your Product Registration Code is the code tied to the official Game.)
4. Sign up for a recurring subscription or enter a Pre-Paid Game Time Code
You will have the option of completing these steps during the Early Game Access period so that you are ready to play upon the Game’s official launch.

When does Early Game Access begin?

Early Game Access will begin on December 13th, 2011 , 7:00AM EST (Pacific: December 13th, 4:00AM PST; European: December 13th, 12:00PM GMT, 1:00PM CET), seven days prior to the official launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The length of your Early Game Access period will vary depending on the order in which you redeemed your Pre-Order Code. The speed of your download of the Game may also affect when you start playing.

When does Early Game Access end?

Early Game Access will end shortly before Star Wars: The Old Republic officially launches on December 20th, 2011, at 12:01AM EST (Pacific: December 19th, 9:01PM PST; European: December 20th, 05:01AM GMT, 06:01AM CET). We will be bringing down all servers for a short period of time before the launch of the Game. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to launch.

This post will be updated as needed.

Unnecessary Censorship for Games

2011-12-05T13:19:00.001-06:00

I saw the Skyrim one a few days ago but I just now watched the two for L.A. Noire and they are hilarious. If I did it right, this will play all of the videos in the playlist; or you can visit their Youtube page.

Cello Wars: The Phantom Cellist

2011-12-03T21:46:00.001-06:00

I already pimped this video out on FB, G+, and Twitter this afternoon so, hey, why not here as well? If you go to the video page, there is a link to download the song...sound effects and all.

I love Darth Vader playing the cantina song on the accordion then getting Force pushed by both sides...and he yells the infamous Nooo!!!!! Well, I love the whole thing but that part cracks me up.

The Music of SWTOR - Song 3

2011-12-03T11:03:00.001-06:00

Today's song is Yesterday's Jawa, composed by Steve Kirk. Be sure to check the music page I have set up as it contains all of the download links in one, convenient location.

This music plays in the cantinas, can you see the Twi'leks dancing? I can.

A Very Sith Xmas

2011-12-03T01:32:00.001-06:00

I went and defiled Malgus and I shall be punished. But before that punishment begins, I will share with you this heartwarming episode of A Very Sith Xmas.

SWTOR Friday Update

2011-12-02T14:49:00.001-06:00

This week we have the announcement for the overpriced, yet kind of cool, Razer peripherals; I already posted this on G+ the other day and TORWars had a post about it as well.

And we have another Choose Your Side video, this time for Jedi Consular vs. Imperial Agent.

The Music of SWTOR - Song 2

2011-12-02T13:50:00.001-06:00

Today's Track

Today we bring you a new music track from STAR WARS: The Old Republic, Korriban, The Homeworld composed by Mark Griskey.

Beta Faces at TORWars

2011-12-02T13:00:00.001-06:00

Check out that sexy red-skinned gal!

I wanted to celebrate and commemorate this with a simple gallery of faces so I have been out collecting pictures .
These are the tiniest fragment of the thousands of our peers who can say with us:

We were there, we tested Star Wars: The Old Republic:

Turbine Codes for the Week

2011-12-01T15:46:00.001-06:00

Use code C1D1C8 to receive a One Minute of Time. Limit one per an account. Good through Dec. 8th.

Use code DMGCDC to receive a Scroll of Lesser Craft Acceleration. Limit one per an account. Good through Dec. 8th.

This is also the last week to purchase the Steed of the Guardian.

The Music of SWTOR - Song 1

2011-12-01T14:38:00.001-06:00

Today, SWTOR announced the following on their Facebook page:

As we are on our final stretch to launch on December 20th, we have a special treat for all of you! Starting today, and continuing every day until launch, we will release one music track from STAR WARS: The Old Republic right here on Facebook! Spread the word and don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook so you don’t miss a single track!We will also have a special playlist available on YouTube which is updated with each new track everyday www.YouTube.com/SWtheOldRepublic ! We hope you enjoy our original score from STAR WARS: The Old Republic. May the Force be with you.”

The first song is up, as well and it's a great one.

Today we bring you a new music track from STAR WARS: The Old Republic, The Mandalorian Blockade composed by Mark Griskey, Wilbert Roget II, Gordy Haab & Lennie Moore.

If you don't want to head to Facebook, follow this link straight to the MP3 file instead.

Ah, here, the post on the official forums that also has a link to the download. And the mass of whining from people who can't comprehend what they read, if they read it at all, has begun.

Last SWTOR Translations For Now

2011-12-01T00:38:00.001-06:00

Map Kiosk in Kaas City

Darth Skotia's Bunker

I do believe these are all of the screenshots I currently have for translating. I put all of them into this album for convenience. The orange text on the last two computer consoles is too blurry for me to read.

Like a Kid in a Candy Store or As Giddy As a Sith Slaughtering Jedi

2011-11-29T17:38:00.001-06:00

There be spoilers here.

This weekend, I was totally like a kid in a candy store. I progressed further in the game than my previous beta, which was hampered by technical difficulties that prevented a lot of people from being able to play until late on the second to last day. Last beta, I made it to level 12 whereas this beta, I made it to level 22 and Dark Side I. Both times I played a Pureblood Sith Inquisitor Sorcerer and I love it; the one this past weekend was nearly identical to the last, though I think I had a different head. Previous beta on the left, this past weekend on the right.

While playing on Korriban, it took me a while to find one of the Holocrons because it was moved slightly from where I saw it in the previous beta. The other one I knew of was still in the same location and you can see it when you have to take the taxi over the ridge. I made a few different choices this time around, though some may have not been done on purpose because I honestly can't remember all the details from my previous beta weekend. One that I made sure to choose differently I did so to avoid getting Light Side points; in the previous beta, the points did not show up for the quest and what I thought would get me Dark Side points got me Light Side instead. In the previous beta, I finished Korriban (not counting the Heroics) early in level 9. This time, I think I was mid-way or higher through level 10. I tend to level up to two before I even begin questing because it helps me figure out controls and get comfortable with everything.

There were so many changes between the two builds I got to play. We had titles this time, there were different options in the settings, we got different armour rewards, we got to use our pre-order crystal, and I'm sure there's others I have already forgotten. I mentioned armour. In the previous build, by the time I left Korriban I had a nice, hooded outfit similar to the one Ffon wears. This time, that reward came later, on Dromund Kaas. But that's okay because the armour I was getting before that was quite nice with the exception of the bugged legging that were, well, invisible; I heard this was the same on Republic side as well. My beginning outfit was also different than in the previous beta. About the pre-order crystal, I actually kept re-using it all the way up to the end of beta. It's not the greatest colour in the world, but it wasn't as bad as I thought once I saw it for myself in-game.

Anyway, back to the point of this post, if there is one. My first squeal of excitement came when I was to meet Lord Zash at a party and she received a holocommunication from Darth Thanaton...Darth Thanaton! I loved him in the web comic Blood of the Empire, so I was happy to 'see' him in-game. Yes, I knew he was in the game but experiencing it is different than knowing. It's interesting how discovering/experiencing something in a game is just as exciting as if it happened in the real world.

My second wave of excitement came after I finished questing on Dromund Kaas and I was heading to my new ship that Darth Zash gave me. I stopped by the droid and watched the holocommunication from my absolute favorite character, Darth Malgus. I was filled with much excitement at 'seeing' him. I would 'see' him again later in another holocommunication while on Balmorra.

Even more excitement filled me when I reached my destination after listening to Malgus: my very own Fury! I really, really love the look of these ships and I was so excited to get mine.

Then I tried out space combat. I saw a lot of complaints about space combat though I never actually read what the complaints were, I just saw the thread titles. Anyway, I try out space combat and it takes me three times doing the Jabiim Escort to get the hang of it but I had an absolute blast! This was the first time I've really enjoyed space combat in a game. The only thing I didn't care for was the random comments my character makes. While I love the voice and some of the comments are entertaining, I found them mainly to be annoying and unnecessary. I also wish the laser sounds would stay when you do continuous fire instead of only when you press the button. Still, I just loved the three space combat missions I had.

More giddiness hit me when I was questing on Balmorra and I got to kill some Jedi along with a lot of Republic scum. I killed at least one Padawan and three Jedi. Here's one of the Jedi I killed, I didn't get screens of the Padawan or other two Jedi.

Unlike many people, it seems, I really didn't experience much lag; just on occasion and mostly while on Balmorra. There were a few times that the lag was annoying because it was, well, I don' t know exactly. It's like the game and my computer stopped communicating for several seconds but it wasn't enough to get me killed and it only happened a few times that I can recall (once on Dromund Kaas while fighting near the Colossus). It gave me a great opportunity to get a couple of nice combat screenshots while fighting an elite, though, and I'll share one now. This mob kicks quite a punch and I learned very quickly to stay out of it's melee range and let Khem Val do the majority of the fighting while I healed him.

Back to the topic of titles, titles were in this build and I had a few by the time it was all said and done. I was particularly fond of Conqueror of Balmorra so as soon as I noticed that title, it's the one I wore replacing the Vicious. Something that bugged me about titles was that I never knew when I got one, I just would happen to check every so often to see if I had any new titles. I don't know if I missed an alert somewhere or what but it sucked not knowing.

Another thing I quite enjoyed was the Revan joke while doing the Revanite questing line on Dromund Kaas. I have not read Revan and I've only begun playing KOTOR recently but I had read about Revan on Wookieepedia when I was gathering knowledge in preparation for SWTOR.

There's many fun things to be found in the game and if you've played or read my other posts, you'd know that already. This one is one of the many emotes.

This is the icon Khem Val gets when I punish him and make him cry. I specify Khem Val because he's the only companion I used, I didn't bother with the silly, ass-kissing droid.

One thing I have slight trouble with is combat. I'm not used to global cool-downs so I often times hit the key before I'm allowed but I'm sure I'll get used to it the more I play. Still, I'm glad they did it this way because I do enjoy watching the full animations.

I have to say, I can't wait for my early access to begin even though I got kind of down after reading some spoilers. I'm still a bit sad/angry/worried over some of the stuff but playing the game puts all that out of mind pretty quickly. I have had quite a bit of fun in the two beta weekends I've been in and I look forward to playing at least a few months, though I hope for much longer than that (financial reasons).

SWTOR Beta to Live

2011-11-29T17:35:00.001-06:00

Because everyone wants to know, I decided I'll also post this here (posted it earlier on G+).

"FAQ: if you played this weekend you do NOT need to uninstall the #SWTOR client. We are planning to patch it to Early Game Access / Live." - Stephen Reid

SWTOR- Monday's Screenshots and Videos

2011-11-29T01:45:00.001-06:00

For today's (well, yesterday's now) graphical adventures we have a translation, some scenic shots, some more dialogue shots, some video clips, and me saying auf wiedersehen to my Fury. Highlights of play time were I got to kill some Republic scum and a few Jedi. As always, you can view my full album here.

Saying auf wiedersehen to my Fury /tear

Fun dialogue

Finally, the videos.

I love how Malgus' respirator moves with his mouth.

Sunday's SWTOR Videos & More

2011-11-27T23:06:00.001-06:00

Today, I discovered space combat. Oh man, was that FUN! It took me three runs of the first mission to get the hang of things but I had a blast. One thing I could think that would make it even better is to get rid of the stupid comments my character tosses out every so often. Sure, I love her voice but the comments are just stupid and unneeded. I also did some more translations since I finally visited another planet, Balmorra.

We have some Sith killing fun.

Space Flight Clips (just because I'm in love with my Fury)

Space combat

Twi'lek Dancers

A bad-ass Sith making a cool entrance.

And some more fun dialogue.

SWTOR Videos From Sat Into Sun

2011-11-27T04:17:00.001-06:00

Being the nature of things, there be spoilers here.

What a Day It's Been!

2011-11-27T01:55:00.001-06:00

I just uploaded 97 screenshots to my SWTOR album. Yeah, I take a lot of screenshots, it's virtual photography for me and I love photography. Today, well, technically yesterday, I was like a kid in a candy store. I was so freaking giddy when I got to see Darth Thanaton and Darth Malgus through the holocommunications. And I got my Fury; it goes plaid. I had such a blast this play session. Below you will find a few of my favorite screenshots. I also have some videos I took but I need to look through them to see if any are for sharing or if they're just personal use.

I shouldn't have to say it but don't look at these if you don't want spoilers of any kind because some of the dialogue reveals things.

I did some more translations.

I took some scenery shots.

I took several self-portraits. Part of it was to look at my eyes and part of it was just because.

Here's some for you Revan/KOTOR fans.

Here's one that's just funny. I decided to be a bitch to Lord Zash and not reveal details of how my quest went.

More of me being me.

/swoon Darth Thanaton (Teneb Kel) and Darth Malgus! ❤

Some funny ones.

My Fury!!!!!

More Translations Plus Screenshots and a Fun Video

2011-11-26T01:57:00.001-06:00

Poster in Kaas City

Sign outside cantina in Kaas City

Sign on Vaiken Spacedock

Poster in Kaas City

Screenshots album is here.

Translating Korriban

2011-11-25T19:02:00.001-06:00

Edit 11/25 9:52pm: Added another image, one of the plaques on Korriban. The one outside the Dark Council chambers says the same thing.

While I am once again stuck on the loading screen, I decided to translate a couple of screen-shots I took around Korriban.

Yes, I know seismic is spelled with a 'z' here; I'm hoping it's intended because of the way the word sounds.

Drinking, Killing, Lifting Curses...All Part of a Normal Day in Hyboria

2011-11-23T23:10:00.001-06:00

I played some more AoC this evening, and I claimed my new cape. I don't have it visible while playing but I had to take some screenshots to share; it's a rather hideous thing but it was free and it's supposed to get me free drinks.

I was doing the quest line to free the trapped spirits from that cursed skull of Xanthia's and I was shocked when I got transported from the Rum 'N Rumble, I wasn't expecting it and I thought the game had crashed on me at first; I ended up in a pretty cool place, though.

Nice kitty

Here's the cursed spirits in Genzio's basement, I did that part of the quest yesterday evening.

Dungeons & Dragons Game Bundles

2011-11-23T18:43:00.001-06:00

Man, if only I had the money...

D&D Anthology Get it now for ~$20

"Experience the richest collection with the greatest D&D titles to ever be published in a single package – the ultimate RPG package for the ultimate D&D fan."

Bundle Includes:

Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2 + Expansions

Icewind Dale 1 & 2 + Expansions

Planescape: Tormen

The Temple of Elemental Evil

D&D Neverwinter Nights Complete Get it now for ~$40

"2 Game of the Year winners, every expansion, and average metacritic score of 89%, all for $29.99. Includes exclusive pack-in parchment map"

Bundle Includes:

Neverwinter Nights + 3 Expansion Packs

Neverwinter Nights 2 + 3 Expansions Packs

Coming to an Inbox Near You...

2011-11-23T14:39:00.001-06:00

"Emails with #SWTOR weekend test timing are sending over next 12 hours or so. Invites are for Friday or Saturday, 10am CST (4pm/5pm GMT/CET) The email will be from swtor@email.swtor.com- check your spam if you don't see one by tonight. Your /tester page will NOT display the time. Whatever day you get invited, you'll be able to test through until Monday 28th at 11:59pm CST." - Stephen Reid via Twitter

Also, they are well aware of issues with the site and are asking folks to have patience.

Turbine's Free Sample Codes for Nov 24th - Dec 1st.

2011-11-23T14:15:00.001-06:00

Use code XNDTQH to receive a Wand of Detect Secret Doors. Limit one per an account. Good through Dec. 1st.

Use code XIMGVN to receive a Simple Rally Horn. Limit one per an account. Good through Dec. 1st.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Turkey

2011-11-22T16:38:00.001-06:00

Today's Google Doodle allows you to, in a limited fashion, create your own turkey doodle; so I made a couple of Sith turkey.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

The Sith Turkey sought revenge for years upon years of their brethren being eaten.

Massive Nerdgasm Incoming - Book of Sith

2011-11-22T13:13:00.001-06:00

IGN has revealed the Book of Sith Deluxe Edition. Click the link to read about it on their site, as well as to view more images.

"Encased in a Sith Holocron, this massive book details the lost secrets of the Dark Side and even includes seven Sith artifacts that any fan will appreciate."

Here are pre-order details from Amazon.

"The black-and-red pyramid-shaped Sith case appears innocuous. But with the touch of a button, the door of the case lifts, accompanied by lights and Star Wars sound effects. The secrets within are revealed—the Book of Sith slides into view."


One Ruler One Empire

Delia, How I Love Thee

2011-11-20T20:26:00.001-06:00

I logged on to AoC with the intent to grab the Hyborian Dungeoneer pass and I ended up playing my Dark Templar for a little while, getting her up 3 levels. I also decided to be silly with the screenshots I took and make a weird, little story. The screenshots aren't in their original order, with the exception of the two decapitations, but they fit well like this.

There's nothing like a good bloodbath to soothe the soul.

I do advise that when taking off your enemy's head, you remember to leave yours intact.

As always, I had to find time to mess with my favourite Red Hand guard, Delia. I gave her the reach around...

...but I don't think she enjoyed it as much as usual.

That's okay, all is well between us; Delia knows she makes me hot. Oh hey buddy, how's it hangin'?

And then there's Casilda, such a tease! Why haven't I bedded her yet?

After getting Casilda's blood, I went to say goodnight to Delia.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it...for now. :)

Feeling Conflicted

2011-11-20T10:07:00.001-06:00

Pureblood Sith Inquisitor

I have been having a hard time ever since the NDA for SWTOR was lifted and I read some spoilers. Spoilers themselves don't really bother me or else I wouldn't have visited the spoilers forums. What I am having trouble with is the information I learned and I'm going to try to explain why, which means there will be spoilers here. I will see if I can find a way to shield specifics so you can still read the post and have it be your option of reading the spoilers.

First, some generics and explanations. Stories, whether they are for books, games, movies, or television, are meant to evoke emotions. The whole point is to get you involved in the story, to get you to feel something for the characters, for what's going on. Without this, stories would be nothing. Think about it, why else do you read a book, play a game, or watch a movie/show? You do so because you like it. Well, why do you like it? You like it because you feel something for the story, the characters, the setting, whatever it may be. A writer knows they've done a good job when people get worked up over what happens in the story.

Take, for instance, Revan from the Star Wars universe. I never played the Knights of the Old Republic games so I'm just going off of what I've read. People who played the games enjoyed the story, enjoyed the character, and got emotionally attached. They wanted to know what happened to Revan after those games' ending. Now they have their answer and many are upset the way it was handled. I see others badmouthing those who are upset and I can't help but think these badmouthers are conflicted similar to the way I often am. After all, it does seem odd to have feelings for something that isn't real and yet, many people do; just look at religion.

Society frowns on these things, this having feelings for fictional characters, and so we try to hide it away by whatever means. I'm guilty of this myself even though I fully understand that there is nothing wrong with it, that feelings are an automated process. How you act upon the feelings is another matter. About two years ago, I got very attached to a character in a video game; so much so that I still have trouble dealing with anything involving this character and her story. My reaction may have been a bit more extreme than normal because I was in a vulnerable position at the time, and I punished myself for having the feelings, but it is perfectly normal to feel a sadness for a character who dies after having suffered so much. That right there tells everyone that the writer(s) did an excellent job with that particular storyline. Others may not have felt the same way, or as strongly, about that storyline but that's okay because not everyone feels the same way about everything. We don't control how we feel about something, though we can try to suppress the feelings.

Amarthiel

As most of you know, I recently became rather obsessed with SWTOR and, more specifically, the Sith side of things. I am by no means a new Star Wars fan, I just never got into the expanded universe stuff, partly because I didn't know it existed beyond comic books (I don't really like comics). So I got sucked into SWTOR, watching the cinematics often, reading articles to further my knowledge; just generally learning anything I could to help enhance the game. One thing that always bothered me a bit was the use of Ven Zallow's image considering he's dead and not in the game, unless they do a ghost or something. I just couldn't figure out why you would use a dead guy to advertise the game. Everything else, the cinematics, the collector's edition figure, the conventions, built up Malgus as the main spokesperson of the game; making it appear that he is a force to be reckoned with in the game, that he is one of the main characters somehow. I was quite happy when I had confirmation that Malgus is, indeed, in the game. Then I learned the truth and my heart was broken into billions of pieces.

There be spoilers below.

So now I am torn on if I want the game or not. Why exactly would I want to play a game where many of the important figures in the story on the side I had planned on playing are killed before the first expansion?! Now, I kind of had a feeling that Lord Zash would be killed because we, as Sith Inquisitors, become her apprentice and as is custom, the apprentice kills the Master (though I'm not positive on how she dies other than screwing up trying to possess us or something). I also understand from reading Blood of the Empire that the Emperor is secretly trying to create some kind of army, his children, and that at least one Sith thinks this is bad (you learn more in the game). What I didn't expect is for the Emperor to be killed off...before the first expansion; this apparently happens in the Jed Knight storyline. Malgus actually may not be dead, according to the people who have played that story, because he gets tossed into a pit; here's hoping he's not gone. From reading the spoilers forum, the Empire side loses several people (I think the whole Dark Council was mentioned) while the Republic side loses maybe two? Honestly, I can't wait to put a red hot saber through Satele and watch the life drain from her eyes.

All of this also leaves me wondering where the hell are they going to go with the game? Yes, I know a new Emperor could come to power or a new Dark Council (since they'd been running things anyway) but why get rid of everyone so damn soon? And why not kill more on the Republic side as well? Some speculate it's because the Empire will pull a strikes back, and this may be true, but I am so soured right now that I don't know what to think. You may be wondering why this bothers me so much. The story. The game is story-driven and here they are pulling a Game of Thrones* by killing some of the major players on one side right away. Some people don't have a problem with this while others do. I know you can't please everyone and I am not asking for that. I'm just trying to figure out why go through the effort of building a great story just to kill the character right out of the gate. In a way, I'm glad I read the spoilers so maybe it'll hurt less when I experience it in the game after getting sucked further into the story. Yeah, I had fun playing during my beta time but seeing as there is more to the game than just mindless hack and slash, I'm conflicted.

*I have neither read nor seen A Game of Thrones, I just know the author likes to kill off main characters.

Something else that goes right along with this is being attracted to art*. I always found it strange when people talked about art such as drawings, whether CGI, cartoon, or whatever, as being attractive. But if you think about it, it's actually not that odd. Just like written stories, art draws on emotions. I have a Witchblade figure that I quite like partly because it's a representation of an attractive person. I don't go kissing on it or anything like that because that is just weird, but looking at the figure and thinking 'that's an attractive person' isn't bad at all no matter how much I tell myself it is. Some people see a photograph of a serene ocean with bright blue skies and they feel happy and relaxed; maybe it brings back a memory, maybe it's just the image's effect on the psyche. Whatever it is, it's just another mystery of our minds and it works with all things sensory. We surround ourselves every day with things we find pleasing, even if we don't understand why we find them pleasing. The sad thing is that society, again, puts pressure on people to make them think there is something wrong with them if they find specific pieces of art pleasing.
*I couldn't think of a better way to say this, but it encompasses all things such as drawings, figurines, etc.

In other words, don't feel ashamed to get drawn in by a story or an image; the feelings aren't bad, it's the actions you take that could turn it into something bad. And, do as I say not as I do because I'm real bad about shaming myself for my feelings.

[This post has been a long-time in the works, or at least in my mind thinking about writing it. Reading the SWTOR spoilers is what pushed me to finally write it, though with some alterations probably.]

Hi-ho Silver!

2011-11-19T16:42:00.001-06:00

I finally logged in and purchased /mountrearup on my Huntard; being a horse fanatic, I just had to have it. I haven't decided about the other two as of yet.

Comparing the Game Cinematics to the Released Versions

2011-11-18T15:03:00.001-06:00

I guess I'm now free to talk about the different cinematics, the ones used for the game as opposed to the ones which were released. Yes, that's right; when I had my beta in early October two of the cinematics had different narration.

I must say that I much prefer the released version of the Deceived cinematic to the one in the game for one reason, Malgus' voice. I think they were trying to make his voice sound more menacing but it just doesn't sound right to me. The words themselves, I'm torn on that because both have good points.

The narration for the Hope cinematic...I don't know, I think I like the released narration better; the words, I mean. I do kind of like the final words: The long night is finally ending. I also like the part about the Sith Empire exterminating everything and having no remorse but that's because of my bias towards the Sith. Other than that, I prefer the released version.

Released Hope Cinematic

For centuries, Alderaan stood as a beacon of hope in the Republic.
But the Empire came.
And with one savage strike, brought Alderaan to their knees.
Now, time is running out, as few are left to face the enemy.
For those that remain, there is but one choice.
We must fight to victory or death.
For the Republic!

Jace Malcolm: Let's go, move it out.
Jace: [Strike out?]

While the sacrifices are heavy, we fight knowing that, a single spark of courage, can ignite the fires of hope.
And restore peace across the galaxy.

Game Hope Cinematic

Enough is enough!
Republic is the galaxy's only hope for peace and justice, it must not fall.
The Sith Empire exterminates everything in its path.
The enemy has no remorse for the worlds it destroys.
Everything we value will die unless we hold the line.
This war isn't about politics or resources
We fight for survival, for freedom, for the Republic!

Jace Malcolm: Let's go, move it out!
Jace: [Strike out?]

With every battle, there are fewer of us to keep up the fight.
Those who remain pay a heavy price.
But we know the Force is with us
We will never surrender and we are not alone.
The long night is finally ending.

Released Deceived Cinematic

Our time has come.
For three hundred years, we prepared, we grew stronger.

[Darth Malgus and Eleena walking to Jedi temple entrance]
While you rested in your cradle of power.
Believing your people were safe, and protected.

[Malgus and Eleena walking inside Jedi temple]
You were trusted to lead the Republic.
But you were deceived.

As our powers of the dark side have blinded you.

[drop ship crashes into Jedi temple]

You assumed no Force could challenge you.
But now...finally, we have returned.

[Darth Malgus kills Master Ven Zallow]
You were deceived.
And now, your Republic shall fall

Game Deceived Cinematic

Revenge.
That is what brings us here.
To the heart of our enemy.

[Darth Malgus and Eleena walking to Jedi Temple entrance]
To the brink of war.

[Darth Malgus and Eleena walking in Jedi temple]
The Emperor's plan is in place.
Our allies are strong.
The Jedi hunted us, drove us into the darkest reaches.

[drop ship crashes into Jedi temple]

They thought they had banished us forever.
But now, finally!
We...have...returned

[Darth Malgus kills Master Ven Zallow]
Rage gives us power.
We will feed on vengeance.
Until the Republic lies in ruins.

Sith Images

2011-11-18T13:41:00.001-06:00

I just uploaded most of my beta weekend screenshots.

They Blew up the NDA!

2011-11-18T13:12:00.001-06:00

Link here.

Folks,

As of now, the non disclosure portion of our Game Testing Agreement is officially lifted. While all players must still accept the Game Testing Agreement, from this point on testers may now freely talk about their experiences this past weekend in the game, as well as post screenshots and gameplay videos of their testing experiences. We encourage you to come join us on the official Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Forums to share your experiences!

The Star Wars: The Old Republic community site will have a copy of this message on the forums and it will also appear in the Patcher. Players may not talk about nor reprint posts from our testing forums as they are still fully covered by the confidentiality portions of our Game Testing Agreement. And all players who want to participate in the upcoming Beta Test Weekends still have to accept all terms of the Game Testing Agreement. So, other than that, free feel to talk about and share your experiences in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

My thanks go out to everyone who has beta tested and continues to beta test the game. It has been with your help and feedback that Star Wars: The Old Republic is where it is today. We really appreciate your efforts.

May the Force be with you!

Greg Zeschuk
VP, Electronic Arts, BioWare Austin, General Manager

Press Embargo Lift + Friday Update

2011-11-18T10:47:00.001-06:00

Updated with Legacy System announcement.

Here it is again, another Friday upon us and with Friday comes the Friday Update; fancy, isn't it? Let's see what they have in store for us today.

Fist off, we have some stuff that is not part of the Friday update but comes with the latest press embargo lifting. Apparently this allows for some live streaming so if you are into watching that kind of thing, go for it but make sure it's an official press site.

TORWars reveals the PvP zone, Outlaw's Den.

Outlaw’s Den is an open world, non-instanced, free-for-all PvP area found on Tatooine.
Amatangelo began the presentation by saying that Outlaw’s Den is a place where “Guild can fight guild and parties can fight parties.” Guilds will want to organize events here and face off against their rivals.

Red Rancor takes a look at Directive 7, a high-level Flashpoint.

At the Second Fan Site Summit in BioWare Austin we had the rare opportunity to play an end-game Flashpoint called Directive Seven. Directive Seven is tuned for level 50 players, and Red Rancor teamed up with TOROCast to blast our way through every boss in the entire Flashpoint!

Darth Hater has also posted on Directive 7. They also have a live stream and a lot of other articles they're now allowed to post.

There are three main bosses in the Directive 7 Flashpoint.

And now for the Update.

The Art and Making of the Old Republic.

Chronicle Books has released a new book which highlights the process of creating Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. Co-written by former Star Wars Insider editor Frank Parisi and BioWare Writing Director Daniel Erickson, this book chronicles the creation of the game, with over 150 pages of conceptual artwork and interviews with various members of the development team.

Hammer Flashpoint.

The ‘Hammer,’ a powerful prototype battle station developed by the Republic, was thought to have been destroyed in the war, but it has mysteriously reappeared in the possession of the expansionist Advozsec.

James Ohlen has announced the Legacy System.

Hey Everyone,

This build has our first iteration of the Legacy System! At its core the Legacy system is about allowing players to create a family tree of characters. Family is pretty important to the Star Wars universe, with the Skywalker family having one of the most interesting dynamics in movie history. This version is just the foundational components that we will use to build upon in the future. Here are the features of this iteration:

Once your character has completed their Chapter 1 storyline, they will be able to choose a Legacy Last Name. This Legacy Last Name must be unique and is shared across all characters on that server - so choose carefully!
Once you have unlocked your Legacy, any and all characters on that server will now contribute to that player's Legacy Experience Points. Much like normal experience points, when you reach certain Legacy thresholds, you will increase your Legacy Level.

We already have plans for how we will expand the functionality of the Legacy System in one of our major post-ship patches. This will include being able to shape your Legacy's family tree, and give you a reward for all those Legacy Levels.

We look forward to reading your feedback on the Legacy System!

--James

Now I have to decide if I want to use my last name or not because I was going to use it as one of my character's first names like I did in beta.

Lightning Strikes the DC Universe

2011-11-17T20:49:00.001-06:00

DCUO has announced their second downloadable content, Lightning Strikes, featuring the Flash.

SAN DIEGO – November 17, 2011 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) will soon launch its second Downloadable Content (DLC) pack for DC Universe Online with the worldwide release of Lightning Strikes, later this year. Launching simultaneously on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC, Lightning Strikes introduces Electricity Powers – the game's eighth power set – and a new adventure starring the iconic speedster The Flash.

Read MMORPG's article here.

‘Lightning Strikes’ is the second DLC pack for DC Universe Online and will focus on iconic DC speedster The Flash. You see, the Pied Piper and Abracadabra are messing with hero and villain origins, and it will be up to players to make sure that Barry Allen becomes, well, The Flash! If you’re wondering why villains would want to help The Flash come to be, SOE explained that Flash villain Professor Zoom would also never come to be if The Flash’s origin is messed with, so it is in his interest (you are working for him as a villain) that Barry becomes everyone’s favorite speedster.

You can read Massively's article here.

One of the key features being introduced with the new DLC is the new Electricity power set. Electricity-focused heroes will fill a hybrid role as they rain deadily lightning attacks upon their enemies and rejuvenate their allies with refreshing electric shocks. The healing mechanic available to characters who choose the power set is being termed Rescue Healing. Players can place an electrical charge on an ally, and when the target drops below a certain health threshold, the heal will kick in and shock the player back to good health. This fire-and-forget style of healing strikes a balance between the current healing power sets, allowing Electricity-powered players to fill a whole new niche. It's important to note that due to the number of issues that took place during the introduction of the Hard Light power set during the last DLC release, players will not be receiving a respec token with which to switch to the new power set. If you want to try Electricity out, you'll have to roll a new character from the ground up.

Here you can read a short article with a Q&A from Game Hunters on USA Today.

Can you describe what the new DLC will bring to the game?
DC Universe Online's DLC #2 is called Lightning Strikes and features a new adventure starring The Flash. Available later this year, it adds some exciting adventures inside and outside The Flash Museum in Central City. Players will have new bounties, and solo and group content to participate in, as well as be able to interact with The Flash-themed characters and content with new maps and features.

Turbine Free Samples for 17 Nov

2011-11-17T13:26:00.001-06:00

Use code 4UU4VL to receive a Soberys Spirit Cake. Limit one per an account. Good through Nov 23rd.

Use code FRCNQY to receive a 15 Min +5 Hope token. Limit one per an account. Good through Nov 23rd.

Hey Baby, How You Doin'?

2011-11-17T05:40:00.001-06:00

Originally Posted by StephenReid
Official statement follows:
Due to the design constraints of a fully voiced MMO of this scale and size, many choices had to be made as to the launch and post-launch feature set. Same gender romances with companion characters in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a post-launch feature. Because The Old Republic is an MMO, the game will live on through content expansions which allow us to include content and features that could not be included at launch, including the addition of more companion characters who will have additional romance options.

I haven't been thinking on it too much but the thought has crossed my mind a couple of times, do I roll a male Sith Warrior so I can romance Vette (you can't deny the hotness of blue chicks with wiggling lekku, right?) or do I wait until same gender romances are added not knowing when that would be? I definitely wouldn't want to re-roll beyond a certain point so that's out of the question. And depending on how many character slots they give us, having two Sith Warriors may not be viable for me either. So what to do?

I have absolutely no qualms about playing characters of either sex. In fact, one of my main Freeps in LOTRO is male. I really don't care if people play the opposite sex because it's just a game and there doesn't have to be any deeper meaning behind it. Seriously, a lot of us grew up with games where there was little choice, if there was one at all, to play female characters. When I played the original Mortal Kombat, I played males (was Kitana even in the original or was it just Sonya Blade?). The various Mario Bros. games were males (considering the name) with the exception of Super Mario 2 where you could play the Princess (I don't believe you could play her in any others since you're usually rescuing her). Altered Beast, male. Street Fighter, male (I don't recall any females in the original but that was long ago). I think you get the point, maybe; and I'm not complaining at all because I don't look at games that way. I never looked at a game lacking playable female characters as anything other than a game.

It's my understanding that BioWare has same gender romance in Dragon Age and Dragon Age II, at least for a couple of the characters, so it's probably no surprise to some that they would talk about adding it for SWTOR. I have no experience with the Dragon Age games so I only speak of what I've read from others. Anyway, I was going to say that since they have used it in previous games that it surprises me they wouldn't have it in for launch of SWTOR. But, as the quote above points out and as common sense dictates, choices have to be made and one was to delay adding same gender romance. Frankly, I'm happy they're considering it at all because, with the exception of Fable II, I've never played a game where you could romance someone, let alone someone of the same gender. Yes, I was quite the slutty widow-maker in Fable II because it was something new, it was funny, and I enjoyed shooting my husband in the back as he ran away from me (that's only how one died).

So yes, I look forward to this romance option (just not with Khem Val, ick!) because it is something that's still new to me and I'm interested to see exactly how it works and what you can do (I doubt I have to worry about STDs like I did in Fable II).

Your Date Has Arrived

2011-11-17T04:44:00.001-06:00

The date that folks have been waiting for has been announced, SWTOR says they are targeting November 25th-28th for the massive beta stress test. As a reminder once more, if you were opted-in for beta testing on or before November 11th, you DO NOT need to get a code from one of the participating web sites because your account will automatically be flagged to test. If you were not opted-in for testing, you can grab a code from one of the links in my other post.

Everything Looks Better in Aurebesh

2011-11-16T15:20:00.001-06:00

Just because everything looks better in Aurebesh...

Cover

I'm no artist, as you can easily observe, I just tried my best to make what I was able to look original. I didn't feel like trying the words on the cover that are on the purple background.

Here a Key, There a Key, Everywhere a Key

2011-11-14T15:24:00.001-06:00

First off, let me place these reminders here:

"Just a reminder that if you were a registered member of our (SWTOR) website on or before November 11th, 2011, you will be invited to the future weekend test. Regardless of whether you received an email last week or not, please do not take beta keys off of any external websites if you are already a registered member of our site. Let's leave them for the more needy, please."

"I have previously tested Star Wars: The Old Republic. Will I get invited to the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend? Yes, you will. Every person that is signed up and opted in for Game Testing before November 11th will be invited to the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend."

So if you were already opted-in to testing (signed up for beta), then DO NOT GRAB A KEY!

Now on to the good stuff.

Gamesradar has some beta codes.

Beta testing codes will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Soenter now and enter quickly to snag your spot for the next beta phase and helpBioWare stress test servers.

Massively has seventy-five thousand beta keys for folks who are not already opted-in to testing on swtor.com as stated above.

Now just grab a key from our giveaway page linked below and redeem it as soon as possible. This batch of beta keys MUST be redeemed by this Friday, November 18th, at 12:59 p.m. EST, at which time they will expire.

Ten Ton Hammer has twenty-five thousand beta keys.

To get your Beta Key, just click on the droid below and follow the instructions on the following page. But remember, if you’ve already been invited to the beta weekend there’s no need to get another key. Enjoy!

Curse has beta keys for EU countries.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun has twelve thousand beta keys.

It’s first come, first served, and we recommend you click below right away before the rest of the internet gets wind of this.

NowGamer also has twelve thousand beta keys.

While the date of the upcoming beta weekend is yet to be revealed, but you can confirm your exclusive access by signing up for a beta key through NowGamer.

Computer and Video Games has thirteen thousand beta keys.

Today we'll be giving away the first half of our Old Republic beta key batch, with another chance to grab the remaining 6,500 going up later this week.

VideoGamer has twelve thousand beta keys.

The test is specifically designed to help BioWare stress test its servers in preparation for the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

PCGamer has twelve thousand beta keys.

We’ve got 12,000 Star Wars: The Old Republic beta keys to give away.

IGN has beta keys through their paid Prime service, though it does mention getting a key with a free trial of the service.

MMORPG has over twenty-three thousand beta keys left.

You must get the key from us, redeem it on the official site no later than Nov 18, 2011 @ 11:59CST and wait for the email from the SWTOR team which will give you specific testing and client download details. Please do not contact MMORPG.com about this email or status of the beta test, since we do not know these kind of details.

Zam has twenty-five thousand keys to give away.

BioWare really wants to start stress testing their servers, so they've released a huge batch of beta keys for us to give away (25,000!).

Spill.no has some beta keys.

Årets mest etterlengtede onlinerollespill heter Star Wars: The Old Republic, og lanseres noen få dager før jul. Men du trenger ikke vente så lenge med å få tak i det, vi i Spill.no har nemlig fått tak i en bunke betanøkler til spillet som vi gjerne deler med våre lesere

Buffed has beta keys.

buffed.de bringt Euch in die Beta zu Star Wars: The Old Republic! Bereits vor wenigen Tagen hat Bioware ein großangelegtes Beta-Wochenende angekündigt, bei dem unter anderem die Belastbarkeit der SW: TOR-Server getestet werden soll. All jene, die sich vor dem 11. November auf swtor.com für eine Teilnahme am Beta-Test angemeldet haben, erhalten am vor-angekündigten Test-Wochenende garantierten Zugang.

GameStar has sixteen thousand keys for their readers.

Für den geplanten Betatest zu Star Wars: The Old Republicverteilt GameStar.de in Kooperation mit Electronic Arts 16.000 Beta-Keys. GameStar-Premium-Kunden haben dabei natürlich eine erhöhte Gewinnchance- wie bei allen Betatests auf unserer Website.

OnlineWelten has twelve thousand beta keys.

Dazu seid ihr natürlich ebenfalls herzlich eingeladen und müsst euch lediglich bei uns einen von insgesamt 12.000 Key sichern, die ihr bis spätestens Freitag, den 18. November, um 23:59 Uhr unter www.swtor.com/de/betacodeeinloesen eingelöst haben müsst.

Gamekult has fifteen thousand beta keys on their site.

Gamekult distribue en partenariat avec Electronic Arts pas moins de 15.000 clés pour participer à cet exercice grandeur nature.

JeuxOnline has ten thousand beta keys.

Nombre de joueurs inscrits sur le site officiel ont déjà reçu des invitations, mais pour les autres, nous distribuons quelque 10 000 invitations à rejoindre le bêta-test privé du MMORPG de Bioware. Cette phase de bêta-test durera environ quatre jours.

JeuxVideo has fifteen thousand beta keys.

C'est une distribution de clés exceptionnelle que nous vous proposons car ce sont 15.000 accès à la bêta de Star Wars : The Old Republic que nous avons l’opportunité de vous offrir grâce à EA et Bioware ! Alors si vous souhaitez participer à la bêta de ce MMORPG très attendu qui sortira en magasin le 20 décembre prochain, il va vous falloir être dans les 15.000 premiers à vous rendre sur cette page pour obtenir le précieux sésame et vous lancer dans cette grande épopée !

Millenium also has fifteen thousand beta keys.

Une fois en possession de votre code, rendez-vous à cette adresse, connectez-vous à votre compte SWTOR ou créez-en un nouveau, et validez votre code bêta. Vous devrez être inscrit au programme de test et avoir signé le « Game Testing Agreement ». Vous devrez également avoir entré votre code avant le samedi 19 novembre 2011 à 5 heures du matin, après cette limite, il ne sera plus valide. Vous recevrez votre invitation en temps voulu depuis l'adresse no-reply@bioware.swtor.com, aussi assurez-vous qu'elle n'atterrisse pas dans votre boite de spam.

You can always check the list on SWTOR's web site for yourself for your corresponding country. Daily Rush and FZ don't appear to have their beta give giveaway up yet.

To the Edge of the Forest

2011-11-14T09:31:00.001-06:00

You can read Ten Ton Hammer's interview about Update 5 here. There were a few things I felt like commenting on as I was reading it and that's what this post is.

The Instance Finder is the next step in this process.
"We're going to have a brand-new interface," Aaron said. It will allow players to queue up for instances, either individually or with a group. "Everyone who's opted in for that, everyone who's looking for a space right then, in your level band, et cetera, in the right roles, it will automatically match you and send you into the space."

Not too keen on an instance finder but as long as I don't have to use it then I'll live with it. It should make some folks happy, though, as I always see people complain about having trouble finding a group. Although, I don't see how this helps because you could be queued for an instance for a long time if no one else is running it, you still have to wait for other players who want to do the same instance.

"One that's exciting to me is a 3-person called 'Fangorn's Edge.' Basically, you're going to be going in to the edges of Fangorn Forest for the first time, traveling through a really heavily-trafficked area full of orcs and trolls and other nasties who are working on burning down the forest, cutting down the edges of it.

I foresee a lot of happy dances, I know a lot of folks were hoping to see Fangorn. Sure, you're only going to see a little and only if you do the instance but it's something.

The raid, called "The Tower of Orthanc," should prove very challenging - "In that, you're going to fight your way through, ultimately challenging Saruman himself. You're actually going to face him in battle." Lore purists may have an issue with this - there is no official account of any force actually breaching the tower to confront Saruman directly, even during the uprising and assault by the enraged ents of Fangorn Forest - but it should prove very interesting to actually come face to face with such an iconic and powerful villain.

I'm definitely not a lore purist (I don't know all the lore) but I do take issue with this just as I did with being able to fight the Lt of Dol Guldur. I understand the need for awesome content people will enjoy but there are some things that shouldn't be done.

These new items will be purchased with barter tokens, but, as Aaron explains, "We're actually going to be taking the step of consolidating some of our currencies as well, so we're going to have raid currencies and dungeon currencies. Basically, rather than looking at different kinds of tokens coming from each of the spaces you're in, we're going to do it more like a system where you have these new medallions or items coming from top-tier raids, and another set of tokens coming from dungeon spaces or other instances for 3 and 6 players. And then of course, skirmishes have their own currency, but there are a lot of them, so we want to make that process simpler."

More consolidation, this should have been done to being with. They've been adding more and more barter tokens the last few years and at the same time they have been consolidating other items; it never really made sense to me.

These Aren't the Forums You're Looking For

2011-11-13T20:19:00.001-06:00

I posted this on G+ a couple of hours ago, and I feel like putting it here as well. Just having a fun jab at several folks who are posting beta stuff in the general forums.

Now begone before Darth Maul gets lame on you're ass. (sorry, I watched some clips of the fighting scenes with Maul the other day and they were rather lame; but he looks cool, all red and black and evil)

War in the South?

2011-11-13T16:53:00.001-06:00

Alright all you wonderful Oceanic people, listen up. Weta has posted the following in their Facebook page:

Hey gamers of Middle Earth - great news! The new Lord of the Rings game, War in the North will be released on November 18th here in New Zealand, and we have free giveaway of the Special Collector's edition, complete with the XBOX 360 game & steelbook, a snow troll figurine, a War in the North Art Book, and the Music of the War in the North CD. Enter here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dDlNNWFTWGFOWW9SUzdxX3hEUDVLS0E6MQ#gid=0

I don't see any rules listed so not sure what, if any, the age cutoff for entrants is. I'm sure you know usual giveaway rules in your respective countries so have at it and good luck.

Return to the Mistakes

2011-11-13T14:21:00.001-06:00

I finally remember to go back and read the Aurebesh writing in the hanger for the Return cinematic because I've been curious about it. So I convert the writing and...either the whole image is reversed or they screwed up a number. I'm thinking HT-4 makes more sense than 4-TH but what do I know.

I don't believe it's uncommon for videos to be backwards but it's usually unnoticeable or they make sure to flip them before release. With this cinematic having so many mistakes, though, it's hard telling but the reversed image theory can partially explain why the drop-ship and Smuggler's ship change locations. I won't even get into details of the constantly changing debris and drop-ship, things I didn't go in-depth on in my other post if I even mentioned them at all. There is more writing to the left of this image but I couldn't get a clear enough shot, because of the angle, to read it; I only got a partial on the bottom 'sentence'.

Anyway, I'll just leave this here. I still have a post on the Deceived cinematic that I'll get to eventually. I think I have all of the images I need for it but I want to be sure.

Trooper vs Inquisitor - Choose Your Side

2011-11-11T19:37:00.001-06:00

Along with the debut of my final new logo (for now, anyway), SWTOR has posted a new video (which I'm currently downloading).

Choose your side: Republic Trooper vs. Sith Inquisitor.

In the video series “Choose Your Side,” members of the Star Wars: The Old Republic team plead their cases, highlighting some of the many skills and abilities that set each class apart from the rest. In the second video of the four-part series, two of the most iconic classes in the Star Wars™ universe face off as the Force-wielding Sith Inquisitor battles the stalwart Republic Trooper.

A Horse for Every...Class?

2011-11-11T18:24:00.001-06:00

Many people predicted with the addition of the Steed of the Hunter that we would see a horse for every class. Well, now you can all pat yourselves on the back because Sapience has confirmed that is the idea. Start stockpiling those Turbine Points now.

P.S. that's another of my new logos. :)

SWTOR Next Beta Testing Weekend - FAQ

2011-11-11T16:22:00.001-06:00

Like another player has done, I, too, will copy the FAQ here in the event the SWTOR site goes down again. You can view my original post on this announcement here. Also, I can use this opporutnity to debut my second of three new logos.

Does this announcement mean I can play Star Wars: The Old Republic this weekend (November 11th to 13th)?

No it does not, unless you have a previous testing invite - either to this weekend (November 11th to 13th) or to general Game Testing (ongoing). The Beta Testing Weekend we are referring to will happen within the next few weeks.

When will the Beta Testing Weekend start?

It will happen in the next few weeks. We'll have an announcement on the exact timing closer to the weekend's start.

Will this be the final Beta Testing Weekend?

Currently, we expect it to be.

Will I be able to download the game client in advance of the weekend?

Yes, we will be sending out invites to download the game client in advance of the upcoming weekend.

I have previously tested Star Wars: The Old Republic. Will I get invited to the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend?

Yes, you will. Every person that is signed up and opted in for Game Testing before November 11th will be invited to the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend.

I have previously tested Star Wars: The Old Republic and already have the game client. Will I need to re-download the client for the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend?

Yes. The game client has changed substantially since earlier Game Testing phases, and you'll need to re-download it for the upcoming Testing Weekend. If you have been invited to the 11-13th of November Beta Testing Weekend, you will need to patch the game client for the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend.

Will I need to re-download the game client after the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend, or can I use it during Early Game Access?

You may have to re-download the game client. This will be confirmed after the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend.

What if I do not live in a launch country for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

As long as you are signed up and opted in for testing, you will be invited to test in the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend.

What if I have not signed up, or opted in for testing by November 11th?

We are partnering with a number of games media sites worldwide to give away Beta Test Weekend Codes. They are listed in this article. If you receive a code from any of these sites, you will need to sign up on StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com to redeem that code. Further instructions are listed in the post directly below this one.

Should I try and get a key from a media partner, just in case?

If you were already signed up for testing before November 11th, you do not need an additional key. By taking a key, you'll deny someone else a chance to test the game - so please do not apply for a key you will not need!

If you have further questions, please ask them in this thread and we'll try to answer them.

These instructions only apply if you have secured a Beta Test Weekend Code from a media partner site. Click here for the list of participating sites.

Congratulations on getting a Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta Code for our upcoming Beta Testing Weekend! Now you need to redeem your Beta Code before 11:59PM CST on Friday, November 18th to get into this Beta Testing Weekend! To help you along, we’ve provided these easy-to-understand steps that will guide you through the process of redeeming your code:

Navigate your web browser to www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com
Login to your www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com account by clicking the “Login” button at the top right corner of the website.
a. If you do not have a StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com account, click “Sign Up” and fill in the appropriate information.
Sign up for our Game Testing Program by going to http://www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/tester, and accept the Game Testing Agreement. This will enable your account for the Beta Testing Weekend.
Ensure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements to run Star Wars: The Old Republic. You can see the minimum system requirements for yourself in our Frequently Asked Questions.
Make your way to www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com/redeembetacode and redeem your Beta Code.

Congratulations! Your account is now ready to take part in our Beta Testing Weekend. We want to thank you for taking part in this Beta Testing Weekend, and we hope you enjoy your time playing Star Wars: The Old Republic!

Updated the original post with a couple of more FAQ answers from this thread.

To answer other queries: for those of you who have been emailed this afternoon, as the email says, you have been selected to test in an upcoming Beta Test Weekend (which this FAQ refers to). You will be invited - and be able to download the client - closer to the upcoming weekend.

In other words, there are two Testing Weekends currently on the calendar. This weekend (11th-13th of November) for which invites have already been sent. You can tell if you have an invite to this weekend by the fact that the email has those dates in it.

Everyone who is signed up to test is eligible for the upcoming Beta Testing Weekend, and notification on when you can download the game client will be sent closer to the weekend's start.

Where Will You Drink Your Coffee in Middle-earth?

2011-11-11T13:04:00.001-06:00

As many of you are already aware, the tease that Sapience gave a few weeks back about something in crafting that would make the folks on Landroval happy is coffee. That's right, coffee has been added to crafting in Update 5.

Normal

Crit

I think you're really going to like the fact that not only is it in the game, but it's part of crafting. Cooks make Coffee, and Farmers grow the beans. There are other blends as well. - Sapience

SWTOR Update for Friday, Nov 11th.

2011-11-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

Today's update includes a short blurb about SWTOR being at DreamHack.

The DreamHack event begins at 8:00AM CET on Thursday, November 24th and runs, non-stop, until 8:00AM CET on Sunday, November 27th. Members of BioWare’s European Community Team will be on hand throughout the weekend.

Plus a huge announcement about beta that should placate some of the whiners while, undoubtedly, making others whine (can never win).

When we started our Beta Testing Weekends, we told you that each weekend would include more testers than the last. We’re excited to announce that later this month we will be conducting our largest Beta Testing Weekend yet, specifically designed to help us stress test our servers in preparation for the launch of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.
How can you take part in this coming Beta Test Weekend? Well, for starters we are happy to announce that anyone who has signed up for our Game Testing Program prior to today, November 11th, will get invited! Invites will be sent in the coming weeks.

For people who haven’t signed up for our Game Testing Program, you can also get into the Beta Stress Test Weekend through a series of promotions.

Click the links above for more and click here for the beta test weekends FAQ.

Edit: Adding some info from the email as well as from Twitter.

Greetings,

Your account has been selected to participate in an upcoming Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Beta Weekend Test. If you have previously tested or are currently participating in an ongoing test, you will be invited again. Additional details for this upcoming test will be announced soon.

As part of this test, we will be partnering with games industry sites to distribute additional beta codes as necessary. This will help ensure we meet our population goals, so we can effectively stress test our servers in preparation for launch. Please do not acquire and redeem one of these codes as it could jeopardize your ability to participate in this test.

As a reminder, should you choose to participate, everything associated with this test (game information, process, forums communication, etc.) is confidential and may not be discussed outside of the Game Testing forum. Additionally, your participation in the Game Testing Program is subject to the Game Testing Agreement.

May the Force be with you,
The Star Wars: The Old Republic Team

Some tweets from Stephen Reid.

"Yes, SWTOR.com is currently down. You guys with your clicking!"

"If you got an invite to the upcoming #SWTOR Testing Weekend today, you'll get another email with download details later."

"If you received today's #SWTOR Testing Weekend email, you will NOT need to get a code from a site that's giving them away."

"Looking for a code to get into our upcoming Beta Test Weekend? Keep your eyes on the #TestSWTOR hashtag!"

"We will be using #TestSWTOR to draw attention to Testing Weekend code giveaways from our media partners. http://bit.ly/s9h2Fy"

EverQuest II Announces F2P

2011-11-11T01:21:00.001-06:00

On 10 Nov 2011, EverQuest II posted a FAQ for their upcoming switch to F2P; a switch with only an estimate of 'early December' at this moment. The membership comparison chart can be found here. I've copied a few of the FAQ here, ones that are probably of the most interest to folks but you should still, obviously, go read the whole thing.

We do not have an exact date at this time, but we are anticipating releasing EverQuest II as Free-to-Play early December 2011.

2. How much does EverQuest II cost to play?
Basic access in EverQuest II is free! This includes access to a large portion of the game. However, there are also paid memberships that grant access to different content that are also available. Free membership gets access to seven years worth of gameplay and diverse zones released from EverQuest II's launch through EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate. Free members will not have access to the most recent expansion packs EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious and EverQuest II: Age of Discovery. However, both Destiny of Velious and Age of Discovery are available for purchase.
You can play all the way up to level 90, the highest level available in the game. You have access to the game's eight character classes, and four of the most popular races in the game from which to create your character. Additional choices can be purchased both a la carte and with memberships.

8. I used to play as an EverQuest II subscriber before it became Free-to-Play. What does this change mean for me?
If you are currently paying for an active monthly subscription in either EverQuest II or EverQuest II: Extended, you will automatically be rolled into a Gold membership, with full perks and privileges. This conversion will be seamless and no change will need to be made by the player. Membership will continue to recur as originally specified by the subscription.
Previous EverQuest II subscribers who did not have an active subscription during the Free-to-Play conversion will automatically be converted to a Silver membership. Certain restrictions are placed on this membership level.

11. Will I need a credit card to play the game?
A credit card is not required to play EverQuest II as a free member. You can log into the game without entering any payment information. If you do decide to purchase a Silver or Gold membership or buy items from the Marketplace, you will need to fund your Station Cash wallet through one of the available methods of payment (including using a credit card, a Station Cash card – available at most large retailers, or SMS).

14. I have previously purchased EverQuest II expansion packs. Will I still have access to that content?
Yes! Any EverQuest II expansion that you previously purchased will continue to be available to you, subject to your current EverQuest II membership limitations. Free members will be able to access all previous content up to and including the "Sentinel's Fate" expansion. "Destiny of Velious" and "Age of Discovery" are both available for purchase.

17. What if I already had a Platinum membership in EverQuest II Extended?
We will no longer be offering a Platinum membership plan. Current Platinum members can continue to retain their Platinum membership status for as long as they continue to pay their subscription. If there is a lapse in payment, a new membership tier must be selected.
A Platinum membership included everything in Gold plus the following:
- Full access to the game, including the "Destiny of Velious" expansion
- Ten character slots
- 500 Station Cash per month

18. What if I currently have both an EQII subscription and EQ2X memberships?
If you currently have both an EQII subscription and EQ2X Gold or Platinum membership, these accounts will be combined at the time of the Free-to-Play switch (early December 2011). Any unused game time will be credited to your account.

21. What happened to Live Gamer?
After careful consideration and review, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and Live Gamer (LG) have mutually made the decision to discontinue auction services currently available in EverQuest II (EQII), Free Realms and Vanguard. Beginning on December 7, 2011, SOE will suspend exchange services for all three games. For EQII, SOE will merge the LG exchange-based servers with its existing game servers, specifically Vox will merge with Nagafen and The Bazaar with Freeport. LG continues to be a valuable partner to SOE for a variety of e-commerce services. SOE and LG will be updating the FAQs from time-to-time to help answer questions you have regarding the discontinuance of the auction services.
Below is a timeline of the changes to Live Gamer:
- November 21, 2011: Last day to transfer items from game to your LG holding area.
- November 22, 2011: Players will no longer be able to post items, characters, or coin to Live Gamer Exchange in EQII
- December 13, 2011: This is the final day for players to return or claim any items, characters, or coin to their accounts
- December 14, 2011: Live Gamer Exchange is suspended in EQII
We anticipate the merges will occur on or about December 15, 2011. We will keep you updated on dates and details via the EverQuest II forums!

22. What will happen to my characters when I have to transfer from the Live Gamer servers?
The Bazaar server will be merging with Freeport and Vox will be merging with Nagafen. In some cases, this may mean that your character totals are more than what is included in your membership plan. To avoid any problems, you will want to log in as your favorite characters right before the server merges so that they are at the top of your character queue list. If you want more character slots, you will need to purchase them in the Marketplace.

This next one kind of sucks, they should have an escrow instead and let you purchase a permanent coin increase.

26. With Free and Silver memberships there are character coin limitations. What happens to the coin I earn once I reach the limit?
Any coin earned beyond your current coin limit is lost. You can continue to earn items and experience, but coin will no longer be accumulated. The only way to increase the amount of coin you can collect is to upgrade your membership. If you are a Free or Silver member who comes back after the Free-to-Play transition, your coins will be locked as per your current subscription plan, but not gone.

¹ Full Access consists of game world access through EverQuest II Sentinel's Fate®. You will always maintain access to any expansion that you have purchased.
Access to content and features of Destiny of Velious and Age of Discovery is only available with the purchase of those expansions. For example, the Beastlord class is only available with the purchase of the Age of Discovery Expansion.
² Four free races included with FREE and Silver Membership are: Human, Erudite, Barbarian and Half-Elf. The Freeblood race is only available via the Marketplace.
³ Eight free classes included with FREE and Silver Membership are: Swashbuckler, Brigand, Wizard, Warlock, Guardian, Berserker, Templar and Inquisitor. The Beastlord class is only available with the purchase of the Age of Discovery Expansion.

I'll let you read the rest on their site.

LOTRO & DDO Announced Changes to World Character Transfers

2011-11-11T00:33:00.001-06:00

The thread was updated Nov 9th but was only brought to my attention today via someone on Twitter.

WORLD CHARACTER TRANSFER
$24.95 €21.95 £18.95 2995 TP

Turbine is happy to announce that World Character Transfers may now be purchased using Turbine Points!

World Character Transfers, including Monster Transfers, may be requested from the support website. This form now has an option (at the bottom of the page) to pay with Turbine Points or a credit card. The form still requests card information for verification purposes if one is on file. If you do not have a credit card on file, simply enter “none” for the card holder name, and “0000” for the last 4 digits of the card.

We are also happy to announce that NA World Character Transfers are now available for transfer between ALL North American servers as of 9th November, 2011!Yes, you may now transfer TO Brandywine, Crickhollow, Dwarrowdelf, Elendilmir, Imladris, Landroval, or Riddermark!

The EU World Character Transfer service is available for transfer between all European servers.

Transfers between North American and European servers are not currently available.

DDO also made some announcements regarding the DDO Store.

Turbine is happy to announce that Character Renames are now available in the Turbine Store!
This new In-Store service has options to change your character’s first name (995 TP), your character’s last name (495 TP), or your pet’s name (295 TP)!
Any character rename requests currently in the system will be closed and sent notification of this change. No charge will be processed for these requests.

World Character Transfers may now be purchased using Turbine Points!
$24.95 €21.95 £18.95, 2995 TP
World Character transfers between all of the English (EN) servers may be requested from the support website. This form now has an option (at the bottom of the page) to pay with Turbine Points or a credit card. The form still requests card information for verification purposes if one is on file. If you do not have a credit card on file, simply enter “none” for the card holder name, and “0000” for the last 4 digits of the card.

Turbine's Free Samples, Point Codes Announcement, and a Look at the Upcoming Steed of the Guardian

2011-11-10T15:55:00.001-06:00

LOTRO: Enter code NHQGZR to get a +20% Monster and Quest XP (3hrs). Limit one per an account. Offer good through Nov 17th.

DDO: Enter code 3Q549R to get a Wand of Charm Person. Limit one per an account. Offer good through Nov 17th.

Turbine points codes are now in the Turbine Web Store. You know, that one run by Digital River where you had to pre-order RoI. DDO, LOTRO.

LOTRO has also announced a new store-exclusive horse, Steed of the Guardian. It look a little better than the Hunter one, in my opinion, but I don't think I'll be getting it as I can find other things to spend points on.

Extremely Preliminary Thoughts On DCUO

2011-11-10T04:53:00.000-06:00

I took my first foray into DCUO this morning. If you think about it, you can probably tell the inspiration for my character. ;) The strangest thing, though, was I couldn't use the name I was going to; it told me invalid on both spellings. Another name I tried was taken, which I knew it would be. I ended up settling on a Tolkienesque name because of what it means and the meaning fits the character well.

Character Creation Screen

I had a hell of a time finding the menus because 1) I was tired and 2) I'm used to other games. I just started going through keys to see what did what, not even thinking about using Esc to bring up the main menu. I got there eventually and went about setting my keybinds to something that resembled functional. I was rather disappointed, to put it nicely, with the movement. Spending nearly five years using the mouse to steer made it exceptionally difficult to transition to the way DCUO works, which is barely steering in my book. I did finally realize that my character stays on the target even if my camera is not facing the correct way; maybe this is the target lock feature I turned on? I also had a heck of a time with flying because I'm not used to the 'steering' and because, damn, she can move!

I do rather like the pace of the combat, being able to attack as fast as my arthritic fingers could press the buttons. I was beating the hell out of the droids and I was not taking names. Before I go any further, I should mention that I like the character creation options. I actually had a little trouble deciding on what I wanted, though it's not near as bad (hard to decide, that is) as CO. I really like having tattoos on my characters, but the outfit choices here made it difficult to find something I liked that still showed them off. I also originally had some really cool pants on but with the trench-coat on, it completely defeated the purpose of having the tattoo skin. I was also torn on hood or no hood because I gave her really nice red hair but you can't see it with the hood. Obviously, the hood won out because it's just awesome and it fit with my idea of what I based the character on.

I only played a few hours but I got highly frustrated trying to learn the controls. Besides not being able to steer with the mouse the way I'm used to, you don't interact with objects like other games. You don't click on them like normal, you have to walk right up to something then hold the right mouse button down for the interact to take place. I'm used to either just clicking on the object/person (LOTRO, AoC) or pressing a key when close enough to interact (Cryptic's games). Using Shift to block and break CC, while I'm still not used to it, is at least familiar to me because of the Cryptic games. Looting reminds me of Fable II, where you press a button and the bubbles fly to you.

This game is just set up completely different from any others I have played and it will probably take a lot of frustrating hours to get used to it. My overall first impression is AAAHHHH!!!! :) I can't really say much else yet since I only did the intro sequence, logging out when I went to the vendors room. It seems like it could be fun, once I get used to the controls, but I really can't say since I haven't experienced questing yet. Something I would like to be able to do, adjust my breasts. Yeah, I know how people are traditionally drawn in comics but seriously, those things ain't right (probably has to do with my twisted stance).

After I was done, I had a hell of a time finding where the game saved my screenshots. I was checking the usual places and never even noticed the new My Games folder that appeared because I was looking for SOE, Sony, DC, or something along those lines. I asked Google and found an answer but that answer was incorrect, though it did point me in the right direction (obviously or you wouldn't be seeing screenshots here). Anyway, I'm sure I'll eventually play more at some point; have to experience questing and all that.

Circe loading screen

Paul S. Kemp Facebook Q&A

2011-11-09T23:59:00.001-06:00

I posted this on my G+ page, but I'm going to put it here as well just in case someone is interested.

I needed something to do while waiting for DCUO to install so I decided to 'transcribe' tonight's Paul S. Kemp chat from the Star Wars Books Facebook page. The only editing I did was to remove links, bold the names, and remove comments that weren't really relevant. Basically, I weeded out what wasn't Q&A though I did throw in a couple of comments from Mr. Kemp and SWB. I'm not real familiar with Google Docs so I don't know if you can download this or not, but I do have the PDF (and original file I used to make it) on my computer in case anyone does want it and can't get it from the link.

"LETS CHAT: Please welcome Paul S. Kemp, author of the novels STAR WARS: CROSSCURRENT, STAR WARS: RIPTIDE, and STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC: DECEIVED. Have a question for Paul? Simply write it as a comment to this post. Be sure to refresh your browser to keep current with the chat as it unfolds in the comments below. Welcome Paul. (ES)"

And here's the link: Chat 'transcription'

Turbine Pumpkin Carving Contest 2011 Winners

2011-11-09T18:58:00.001-06:00

It took a while but we finally have the winners and their pumpkins announced.

Winners are here, congrats to them.

You can view some other entries here.

I rather like this one of Isengard, as well as a few others.

Dying in The Old Republic

2011-11-09T02:24:00.001-06:00

Unless things change, there is no harsh death penalty in SWTOR. As with all things, there are those who like this and those who don't; count me among those who like it.

I remember the first time I died in Everquest, it sucked. First, I had to learn that I had to go back to my body to retrieve all of my stuff. Second, I had to try to find my body. This was my first time playing and I really didn't know much about the game and I didn't know my way around. I ended up asking one of those classes who could track bodies for help after I learned of their existence.

The next MMORPG I played was LOTRO and the death penalty there is much more tolerable. I can handle a little dread or pop a token to remove the dread if a Minstrel can't do it for me. No worrying about losing items or having to find my corpse, thank goodness, but I do have to worry about repair bills from combat death.

Enter Age of Conan. I dislike the death penalty here, though it's not as bad as it could be so I somewhat tolerate it. This one is a little closer to the dread effect in LOTRO except you can remove the penalty by claiming your headstone, which isn't always easy to do or you wouldn't have died in the first place. I can't speak to if there are any penalties in DDO or CO because I have never died in those games.

Now, one of the reason I don't care for certain death penalties is because these are games. Games are meant to be fun, something you choose to do instead of reading a book, watching tv, doing homework; something you choose to do for relaxation. It is not fun to spend part of your free time, which may be limited, running back to your corpse or headstone. What is fun is running around killing things, exploring, reading story lines, etc.

And this brings me to the other reason I dislike death penalties: suicide. I'm a hugely suicidal game player. Your game has a pit with no invisible wall blocking access to it? I'm jumping in. Your game has a cliff with no invisi-wall? I'm jumping. Your game has a tower I can climb on top of with no surrounding invisi-wall? I'm jumping. If there is a place I can jump from, jump into, whatever...I'm doing it. People like me are the reason LOTRO added a Blind Leaper hidden deed inside Moria. I even have a video from the Mines of Moria beta dedicated solely to me jumping into various pits and crevices inside Moria.

Anyway, I am glad there will not be a death penalty like those mentioned because I have no doubt there will be some good jumping spots considering the setting for the game. I do wonder, though, if 'misadventure' deaths will results in repair bills. Not a big deal if they do, I'm just curious to know.

Source links: One, Two, Three

Gamers Read? No Way!

2011-11-07T23:10:00.001-06:00

A cross-post, of sorts, for some stuff I put on my other blog.

Collecting Revan A compilation of preview links, interview links, and mini-excerpts.

Star Wars The Old Republic: Threat of Peace – A Review My personal opinion of the web comic.

Star Wars The Old Republic: Blood of the Empire – A Review My person opinion of the web comic.

Crushing Hope

2011-11-07T03:21:00.000-06:00

Here is my next entry in the cinematics goof category, this time we are picking apart Hope. The first entry was for the Return cinematic.

The Hope cinematic has one major goof that I have noticed and it's after Jace sets off the grenade while locked fist-to-fist with Malgus. Here we see Jace land next to a tree after getting blown back from the grenade. You can clearly see the tree by his left foot (duh), the rocks, and what looks like a fallen tree by his right foot.

Yet when we see Jace again, as he comes to, the scenery has completely changed. That is one hell of a Houdini act he pulled off while unconscious.

My final entry, when I get around to it, will be for Deceived.

Little Malgus

2011-11-05T13:40:00.001-05:00

I headed to Google to grab an image I will need for an upcoming blog post on my other blog, when I stumbled upon something which drew my attention; it was an image of a little Malgus figure that someone was making. Curious, I clicked on the image and was taken to this blog post from Aug of this year. This guy has done a pretty darn good job with his Malgus figure and I can't wait to see the final result with all the paint and everything. Make sure you check out his Flickr album dedicated to the Malgus figure, as well his other albums. Also, the main page of his blog has some updates from Sept on the Malgus figure, and some other figures he's been working on.

One of his images from the Sept post, it links to the Sept entry.

More Fun With Fonts

2011-11-04T23:04:00.000-05:00

I gave in and updated Firefox this evening and when I opened my browser back up, the font looked off to me. So I decided to set the font override and then I proceeded to find what I wanted to use...but I got distracted and ended up trying out Aurebesh and Dwarf Runes just for shits & giggles. You can't see it in the screen captures because I cropped them, but this also changed the font of my sidebar app, Yoono, so that tweet I sent out about not being able to read a damn thing was written in Aurebesh.

Aurebesh

Dorf Runes

Imperial Agent Tidbits from Georg Zoeller

2011-11-04T20:05:00.000-05:00

Georg Zoeller has been posting some good, and fun, tidbits in the Imperial Agent - Sniper PvP thread. I thought I might pull a few and post them here since I don't follow most threads (too many to wade through) and the Dev Tracker is unreliable. I may add more quotes to this as I find them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarakaO
Two people can EASILY take down an IA. Long cast times and CC limited to one person mean that one person can get CCd while another runs up and melees them to death.

"This is pretty much true for any class assuming all involved are of equal skill level.

Some classes might have better ability to flee than others, but such is life. If all classes were the same in their capabilities, things would be terribly boring. 3 equally skilled players going 2:1 should always result with the 2 players winning in my book.

And you are correct, a stealth characters are probably your worst enemy as a sniper. Take a scoundrel: They have stealth, have absolutely devastating close range moves and have the ability to eject you from cover and prevent you from reentering it for a short time.

When they get close to you, you are going to go through a lot of hurt if you are alone. Time to hit that stun grenade in their face, legshot them or use that vibro knife attack to stun them and run like hell.

Shadows are painful too, their forcespeed makes it almost impossible to lose them once they are on you.

Which brings me to another point: Snipers are also not great as lone wolf players, as they lack mobility needed for guerrilla style gameplay. They are very much group characters that get their full potential from quickly picking off those engaged with others on their team, using their defensive setup to protect the healer or deploying their defense screen around your groups position, securing that objective.

If you have dreams about moving behind enemy lines, alone, picking off lonely targets, that's doubtful. People can and will use chat in the game and even if you find a lone player to kill, they'll be back with friends and as a sniper without backup, things will go dire at that point.

As mentioned several times before, Sniper, especially with the Marksman spec has a very unique playstyle not found in most other games. When you get the hang of it, you can be a very devastating weapon in your factions arsenal and a crucial element in warzones.

However, we're under no illusions about the class being something everyone will just pick up. People that prefer mobility and fighting in the heat of the battle will find other specs much more to their liking."

***

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damhooligan
A Warrior can still Force Leap onto a Sniper in cover right when they get within 30 yards but it does not have the same effect as players who are not in cover? I mean a Warrior should still be able to leap to close distance but the stuns etc that might follow may not be effective since the Sniper is in cover?

It would not be like the Sniper being in cover has some incredible ability to prevent the Warrior from leaping towards him, but a Sniper being fortified in cover would not suffer the same penalty as another type of toon being lept on who did not have cover?.

A Sniper being in cover should not have the ability to completely block a force leap. Protected from the after affects of the force leap sure, but to stymie it completely seems off. How could the Sniper in cover block the distant actions of a Warrior ability on a passive basis? Otherwise a Warrior is left having to run 35m to engage a Sniper? How is that balanced?

"It's much worse than you think.

No, a Sniper in cover cannot be charged with Force Leap. Yes, your warrior will have to move into melee range to engage the Sniper (or use ranged abilities like saber throw).

Marksman specced snipers specifically are a very defensive class.

You rarely see them leading the charge onto an objective, but they are masters of area denial. It's not just that you have to bridge 35 meters to them, with them getting the alpha strike. They got tools that will temporarily root you (Leg Shot), the force of impact from their Ambush ability pushes close range enemies back and their cover generator is fitted with the a pulse detonator that pushes attackers out of melee range (Cover Pulse). They can also become faster and faster the more they hit you (Sniper Volley). And did I mention that they can call down a powerful orbital satellite strike to protect the area around them?

You really don't want to charge these guys head on. Just like what I said about a Sage going into close range combat with a Melee DPS class, charging a good sniper head on alone will likely result in you dead on the ground and the Sniper mildly irritated.

How is it balanced? Carefully... We force you to be smart about moving into the area protected by these guys. If you're not smart about it and think you can charge into the fray, that's the wrong class to try that on. Their weakness is the fact that their most powerful abilities require them to be entirely static, that they have little ability to kite or establish range against a close range attacker.

You want to sneak up on them, distract them or eject them from cover (there's a very limited number of abilities that can do that), utilize environmental features to avoid line of sight, hit them with long range DOTs and wear them down, or gang up on them. If you manage to catch them close range without having lost too much of your health, they are in a lot of trouble and without Stealth generator or any kind of active escape ability, they are likely dead."

***

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamoRn
From what I've read and i can't remember the source off the top of my head the sniper's cover is a counter for force leap, as it cannot be used on us in cover. As far as dancing in and out of the range of the sniper's abilities it's a double edge sword because if in cover i believe snipers take little or no damage from ranged attacks. Eventually your healers going to run out of mana/energy/force points etc, leaving you the opportunity to burn them down. Also remember were going to have at least 1 stun or cc ability to help keep whoever were fighting within range for a bit longer.

Remember snipers crit a lot and do huge burst damage!

"Correct. Cover protects from Force Leap, being pulled via grapple, etc.

Using Entrench (An ability increasing the effectiveness of cover temporarily) will also make the Agent immune to any other kind of control (CC),. They become an unmovable object that cannot be charged, pushed, lifted, frozen, Force choked or in any other way incapacitated."

***

SWTOR - Early Access

2011-11-04T18:47:00.000-05:00

Early access details have been revealed.

"Many of you have been wondering how long Early Game Access will last, and we are now happy to announce that depending on when you redeem your Pre-Order Code, you will gain Early Game Access up to five days before the official game launch date."

"Early Game Access is staggered over five days to ensure a quality experience for players at launch. Staggering access aids server stability and a gradual increase in player population through the game."

SWTOR - Friday Update

2011-11-04T17:14:00.000-05:00

The Friday update is finally here, not that I was waiting but you would think the world was ending by the many posts on the official forums of people wanting to know where the update is (every week). Rabid fans.

We have the Imperial Agent progression video and we have an exclusive preview of Revan. Enjoy.

I decided to embed the video, just in case that's easier for some. You can also download it from the above link, like I did with all of their videos, to watch without having to worry about buffering.

Great Cinematics but Too Many Mistakes

2011-11-04T00:26:00.000-05:00

It's sadly amusing to watch the 'Return' cinematic because that's the one with the most glaring mistakes (light sabers changing hands, a ship changing sides of the bay, people looking in the wrong direction, bodies moving, a gun moving, Satele standing up completely opposite from where she was thrown, probably others I'm forgetting). Seriously, did no one proof the cinematic before approval? I still love it for the time being, though, because it has awesome fight scenes, cool music, and, of course, Malgus. I'm such a dork. The others have mistakes as well, just not as many.

The most obvious one for the 'Hope' cinematic is when Jace detonates the bomb and gets thrown back he lands with his feet near a tree but the scene where they show him getting up, the tree is not there; basically, he's not where he landed.

'Deceived' has some minor ones that are probably only noticeable in slow motion and one that I don't know if it's intentional or not. When the ship crashes into the temple, we all know Malgus is standing in front of it (not sure where Eleena went to because she disappeared between the over-Malgus'-shoulder shot of Ven and the over--Malgus'-shoulder shot of the ship, probably not brave enough to stand there with her man). When they switch to the scene with everyone running towards each other, where's Malgus and Eleena? Did the Jedi just stand there while Malgus repositioned himself in the middle of the Sith or was it a goof?

Then, of course, we have two models of Malgus, one for walking and one for fighting, in all three of the cinematics. The first time I saw the cinematics I was trying to figure out how his cloak was suddenly smaller and tucked under his shoulder guards.

Like I said, I still really love the cinematics right now, it's just a shame there's goofs that should have been spotted before finalizing.

[Note: I wrote the above yesterday and the below today because I wanted to use screen captures to illustrate the goofs.]

So here it is, a break-down of sorts for the 'Return' cinematic.

When Satele and Kao are running into the hangar, there's an Imperial soldier that Kao runs past seemingly killing. In other scenes showing that location, there is no body.

When Jace and the other Trooper get blasted, the other Trooper's big gun does not land near his body.

The scene where Jace is picking up the big gun, he is still standing over the other Trooper's body.

The dead Trooper's body moves slightly, and the Imperial soldier's body disappears.

When everyone is in the hangar, the Smuggler's ship is what I will call 'to the right'. When they look at his ship, they are looking slightly to the right.

When the Fury carrying Vindican and Malgus comes into the hangar, Kao and the Smuggler look to the left, yet the ship is landing in front of them. And then they run their separate directions, the Smuggler runs to the right while Kao runs to the left.

All of the scenes afterward, the Smuggler's ship is now on the left side of the hangar and it appears more debris or something is suddenly behind and next to the Fury.

When Vindican uses Force Lightning on Satele, she flies backwards towards the back of the hangar. When they show her standing up, she is towards the front of the hangar with Kao (the Fury is behind them).

I already said the Smuggler's hip has moved to the other side of the hangar so when we see it flying out, it's on the left (of the hangar) instead of where it was originally on the right. This scene is to illustrate that the Fury gets turned at least 90 degrees when hit.

After the Smuggler's ship crashes into the Fury, the next scenes with the Fury in the background it has not been turned, nor does it appear to be damaged.

When Malgus takes Vindican's saber, he wields it in his right hand up until the point where he lands in front of Kao after jumping through the tank. At this point, it is suddenly in his left hand and his own saber is in his right hand.

Since this post got rather long because of the screen captures, I'll do a write-up for the other two cinematics separately.

Turbine's Free Samples for the Week

2011-11-03T14:17:00.001-05:00

Free sample for the week of Nov 4th through Nov 10th: Lesser Skill Deed Boost with code BXSDKE, limit one per an account.

Free sample for the week of Nov 4th through Nov 10th: Secret Door Divining Rod with code YEQGS6, limit one per an account.

SWTOR Announces Server Types and Rulesets

2011-11-03T11:02:00.001-05:00

One of many things people have been foaming at the mouth about has finally been announced, server types and rulesets for SWTOR. Oh, and Stephen Reid posted "We'll be giving everyone an update on Early Game Access quite soon" so that's another thing people have been dying to know about. They also announced the final phase for the Guild stuff.

PvE (Player vs Environment) – Players will have to manually flag themselves if they wish to engage in PvP outside of designated Warzones and Open World PvP areas.

PvP (Player vs Player) – Players are automatically flagged for PvP outside of the designated 'safe' areas (such as Origin Worlds, Capital Worlds, and the Republic/Imperial Fleets; see below for more info).

RP-PvE – Players are encouraged to roleplay and act ‘in-character’ while playing on an RP-PvE server. Players must manually flag themselves if they wish to engage in PvP outside of designated Warzones and Open World PvP areas.

RP-PvP – Players are encouraged to roleplay and act ‘in-character’ while playing on an RP-PvP server. Players are automatically flagged for PvP outside of the designated 'safe' areas (such as Origin Worlds, Capital Worlds, and the Republic/Imperial Fleets; see below for more info).

PvP server rulesets

We also wanted to expand on what the PvP server ruleset means in The Old Republic. The obvious overarching rule is that in general, if you see a player of the opposite faction, you may immediately engage them in combat.

The exception to this rule is sanctuaries, which are large areas where PvP may not take place, regardless of whether you are flagged or unflagged for PvP. Examples of this are the Origin Worlds (Tython, Ord Mantell, Hutta, and Korriban), the Capital Worlds for both sides (Dromund Kaas and Coruscant), and the Republic/Imperial Fleets.

So there you have it, enjoy.

Fun with Fonts

2011-11-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

Note: You do not have permission to reuse any images I post. All images are copyright, trademarked, whatever by their respective owners but I especially would be pissed if someone took one of the images I've altered for promotional use in my blog posts, such as the two SWTOR images below. If you want to use one, try asking first.

I couldn't resist downloading a TrueType font for Aurebesh since I have one for Dwarf Runes. You'll notice I changed my Runes at the top (that were a quote from The Hobbit) to Aurebesh (something found on the Sith Inquisitor Holonet page). Of course, if you don't have either of the fonts installed you probably just see the regular translation but that's ok.

If you want the Aurebesh font, this is where I got it.

fivefEt high Te dor and TrE may wolk abreast

If you want the Runes one, I got it here.
While trying to find where I got the Runes font from just now, I came across this site; it has some cool Tolkienesque fonts I might try out.

Sith Obsession by Kurgan Nazzir

2011-11-02T00:26:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I'm behind the times but so what. Anyway, I've been doing some more research today and I visited the site of the company who made the awesome cinematics for SWTOR and I thought I'd share some links. This link takes you to their page for the Hope cinematic, they have the video and some images uploaded. And this link will take you to the video and gallery for the Deceived cinematic. Blur also worked on stuff for Batman: Arkham City, Avatar, DC Universe Online, Fable II & III, and more

I've also seen who the model for Satele Shan in the trailers is but I have yet to find out any of the others, the ones I really want to know about. It's funny reading the forums with all the people drooling over this Sno person. Obviously, we all have our own opinions and my personal opinion is that she's not the least bit attractive in person nor in the cinematic. To each their own.

While I don't much care for having to traipse all over the internet to get information, someone posted this in the official forums the other day and made me such a happy camper:

"Our Sith Inquisitor male is played by Euan Morton and our Sith Inquisitor female is played by Xanthe Elbrick."

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know who the voices behind the characters are. I'm really hoping that they put out an official cast list somewhere after the game launches.

Some other (hopefully) cool stuff I found was this set of ebooks that are available for free download. I haven't read them yet since I just downloaded them last nite, but I hope they're good. I've been semi-following the miniscule excerpts that are being posted on Facebook for the new Revan book, after having read the chapter excerpt on the Random House site, and so I visited the Star Wars Books Facebook page to have a look around; that's how i ended up finding the Suvudu site. I have to say, that excerpt on the RH site makes me want to read that book when it comes out.

Oh, my adventures today (well, it hit midnite while typing this so my adventures yesterday) also lead me to getting all of the Star Wars soundtracks onto my computer and marking which ones were used for the SWTOR cinematics. I'm so happy I finally found a thread on the forums which listed the songs, though I actually prefer the cinematic mashups better; they're more dramatic and they're also where I first heard the music. I will always associate those bits of music with the cinematics, not that it's a bad thing.

On Saturday, I got inspired by a fellow G+ user and I made some 'buttons'. I started off with images from SWTOR but then I added a few others, I even made a Yoda one at request. I wasn't sure what the point of the buttons was until I re-read what the guy had said about using them as icons. Duh, icons for your computer. I didn't make mine as icons, though I can with the program I use; I just made images I thought were kind of cool.

I also did a nice disservice to my Lords while playing with the Halloween image stuff and I created this monstrosity, I look forward to being punished by Darth Malgus. In case you can't tell, I gave Vindican red eyes as well.

I have also taken stock of my obsession, kind of. I have over 670 images related to SWTOR and most are being used as a lovely dynamic wallpaper that changes every ten seconds. I can't imagine what the number will be once the game launches and I start adding in-game screenshots to the mix. For comparison, my LOTRO folders have over 7K files (mostly screenshots but some wallpapers and other things) but that's from nearly five years of playing.

On that note, I leave you with an album posted on Facebook of the Halloween party at BioWare Austin.

Pumpkin Carving Contest Winners - Champions Online

2011-10-31T20:29:00.000-05:00

CO announced the winners of their pumpkin carving contest today. Sadly, one of the winners stole a picture off of the internet and used it as 'their' entry; some people are pathetic that way. Thankfully, someone noticed and a new winner has been chosen; one with a great pumpkin, I might add.

Congratulations to the winners, those are some nice-looking pumpkins!

Die, Republic Scum! a.k.a Warzones in SWTOR

2011-10-28T17:29:00.001-05:00

Today's update brings us information, as well as a video, on Warzones. People were going nuts on the boards wondering what today would bring, now they have their answer. Sounds like it could be fun with them being limited on how many people can enter, and that you have an objective besides just beating the crap out of each other.

Warzones in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ are instanced areas where Imperial and Republic forces battle each other in objective-based Player-vs-Player combat. Eight players from each side enter the Warzone and then compete to defeat other players and accomplish the mission they’ve been assigned.

The Warzones page also talks about Huttball and Alderaan. I have some reading to do now...

Turbine's Free Store Samples for the Week Starting the 28th

2011-10-27T14:22:00.000-05:00

Battle Potion of Restoration with code LZ92TL. Limit 1 per an account. Good through Nov. 3rd.

Draught of Midnight with code T5VB8D. Limit 1 per an account. Good through Nov. 3rd.

MSNBC Review for SWTOR

2011-10-26T14:12:00.002-05:00

I loved this video review. The dude getting kicked in the nuts, the Sith showing off only to be shot (forgive me, My Lord). Good montage all around. I wonder who the Darth is (name), though.