Friday Update: Choose Your Side video, Beta Test Weekend, SWTOR at Dreamhack 2011
This week brings a trio of updates to the Star Wars: The Old Republic community. Like the previous “Choose Your Side” video between the Jedi Knight and Bounty Hunter, this week’s video pits the Republic Trooper against the Sith Inquisitor.
Been wanting to get into testing for Star Wars: The Old Republic but feel like you’re never going to be chosen? Well the wait will soon be over. If you signed up for testing before November 11, you should have already received a game testing invite for a future weekend. This upcoming test will be seen as a stress test, so BioWare is inviting as many participants as they can. If you didn’t receive an invite from the official site, you can enter to win one at several gaming websites. Please read the FAQs on the upcoming testing weekend for more information.
Lastly, Star Wars: The Old Republic will once again be at Dreamhack in Sweden this year. This will give fans the chance to play the game before the game’s launch in North America and Europe. Dreamhack will be November 24 – 27. Let us know if you will be there!
Choose Your Side: Inquisitor vs. Trooper
In the new 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 ambushes the stalwart Republic Trooper. (Official Forums)
Beta Test Weekend Announced
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. (Official Forums)
The Old Republic at DreamHack Winter 2011
Held each year at the Elmia Fair in Jönköping, Sweden, DreamHack is far and away the largest “LAN party” in the world. BioWare and LucasArts will be attending the event this year to give people the chance to play Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ before its worldwide launch on December 20th.
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. (Official Forums)
Facebook Image of the Week: November 9, 2011
This week’s Facebook Image sees Republic Forces engaged against an ancient battle droid guarding a lost prison on Belsavis.
Republic forces do battle against an ancient battle droid guarding a powerful evil buried deep inside a lost Belsavis prison.
Class Focus: Bounty Hunter
Fact Sheet
- Species: Human, Rattataki, Zabrak, Chiss, Cyborg
- Starting World: Hutta
- Combat Type: Ranged Damage Dealer, Ranged Tank
- Weaponry: Blaster, Flamethrower, Wrist Rockets
- Armor: Heavy Armor
- Ship: D5-Mantis
- Famous Bounty Hunters: Boba Fett, IG-88, Dengar, Bossk, Steve Blum
Summary
Armed with the best weaponry and armor available on the black market, as long as the price is right the Bounty Hunter will take on any mark. Freelancers by nature Bounty Hunters aren’t usually picky about where their next paycheck comes from, but the Empire seems to be paying the most for their services. Once a price is put on a mark’s head it isn’t a matter of if but when the Bounty Hunter will make an appearance. No mark is too difficult, Smuggler, Trooper or even Jedi; the Bounty Hunter has the skills and equipment to take them down. Although mostly independent Bounty Hunters belong to an ancient brotherhood and co-operation to take down a tough mark is not unheard of. Experts with blasters and always carrying a few tricks up their sleeves with the latest in gadgets and firepower, the Bounty Hunter is a fearsome foe in combat and a nightmare to those that find themselves wanted by the Empire. Read more»
Early Game Access will be up to 5 days
Since pre-order information was released, fans have been speculating on how long early access to Star Wars: The Old Republic would be. Stephen Reid has said in the past that it will be a matter of days, not weeks. Now we know that the earliest players with pre-orders will receive access is 5 days in advance of the game’s launch, or December 15 in both North America and Europe.
One of the benefits to pre-ordering Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ is that you will gain Early Game Access before launch on December 20th. This is a chance to start your epic Star Wars saga early, as you’ll be able to create and play your character ahead of the official live game launch.
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.
Friday Update: Imperial Agent Character Progression, Revan novel preview
The Friday Update this week gives us a new trailer in the form of the Imperial Agent’s character and armor progression. Take a look at how the Agent’s abilities and armor sets change as he levels up and chooses an advanced class.
Additionally, there is another preview of the upcoming novel Revan available. Previously, chapter 1 was available to read online; now chapters 3 and 11 are also available to read before it comes out. Revan is released November 15 and you can pre-order at Amazon.
Imperial Agent Character Progression
As you progress in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, your character will gain experience, growing more powerful and discovering new skills while also acquiring more advanced gear.
Through cunning, stealth, and ruthless tactics, the Imperial Agent has no shortage of ways to complete his objectives. Even so, as the complexity and importance of his missions increase, the Agent will have to acquire new skills and equipment to help him combat the ever-growing threat to the Empire. This video shows you a sampling of the many different armors and abilities the Imperial Agent can obtain as he travels the galaxy. (Official Forums)
Exclusive Preview: ‘Revan’ Novel
On November 15th, fans of Star Wars™ will finally learn the answers surrounding the mystery of what became of the redeemed Jedi Revan after the events of the first Knights of the Old Republic™. Drew Karpyshyn’s Revan picks up immediately after the events of the game, and follows the former Sith Lord as he travels beyond the Outer Rim to confront a danger that he can’t quiet remember, yet cannot forget.
To prepare you for the release of Revan, we are excited to present you with an exclusive look at chapters three and eleven of the book! (Official Forums)
Georg Zoeller on Trooper Combat
Another blog focused on an individual class, RepublicTrooper.com, had some questions about the Trooper’s combat abilities, and who better to ask than Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller? Zoeller outlined how they went about designing the class to be a ranged tank, Trooper stats and abilities, and what each spec focuses on.
One especially interesting bit learned is that all-Trooper Flashpoints and Operations are viable in the game.
Absolutely possible. The screen might get a bit busy from all the gunfire, but other than that, there’s nothing that would prevent you from doing this. You’d obviously have to bring team members from both Advanced Classes (Vanguard and Commando) to cover all bases.
Read the entire interview at RepublicTrooper.com.
Guild Phase 3: Deployment Beginning Now
The final phase for finalizing pre-launch guilds is upon us, with Phase 3: Deployment now in process. Previously, guilds were allowed to choose their allied and adversary guilds in Phase 2: Alignment. Now it is time for guilds to make sure they meet the pre-launch requirements before transferring to live servers at launch. To meet the requirements, at least four members of your guild must have pre-ordered the game and redeemed their code on the official site. After meeting these requirements, your guild will be guaranteed to be transferred to a server at launch. You can check whether your guild meets the requirements at the Guild HQ.
Last month we expanded our Pre-Launch Guild Program with the implementation of Phase 2: Alignment, where guilds could designate other guilds as allies or adversaries. Now, as Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ moves ever-closer to launch, we are excited to announce that we have initiated the first part of Phase 3: Deployment!
Phase 3: Deployment will see any guild that meets the pre-designated criteria be transferred into the game for launch. Before we begin this process, though, we want to give all of you who are in guilds the opportunity to make sure your guild meets the following requirement for transfer:
Four members of the guild must have pre-ordered the game and redeemed their Pre-Order Code at the Code Redemption Center.
(NOTE: We have removed the additional requirement for the guild leader to log in to the website and verify that their guild remains active and wants to be imported.)
Additionally, David Bass has now fully detailed all server types that will be available for guilds to select from. They include PvE, PvP, RP-PvE, and RP-PvP. You can read the full details in this forum thread.
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).
Facebook Image of the Week: November 2, 2011
This Facebook Image of the Week shows off part of the interior of the Senate building on Coruscant. See all previous Facebook images here.
The Senate on Coruscant has played host to countless diplomats from every corner of Republic space.
Daniel Erickson talks Sith Inquisitor
Recently the blog The Sith Inquirer was able to get some answers out of Lead Writer Daniel Erickson about the storyline for the Sith Inquisitor. While the Inquisitor’s story was written by former BioWare employee Rebecca Harwick, Erickson was the one to help flesh out all the loose ends. Topics Erickson covers include inspirations for the Inquisitor’s story, companions, and even revealing the voice actors for the class: Euan Morton and Xanthe Elbrick for male and female characters, respectively. Check out an excerpt below.
Rebecca Harwick was the writer for the entirety of the Sith Inquisitor. She’s gone on to her dream of getting a masters in ancient Byzantine history (yes, really) but as I helped flesh out all the stories I can speak to this one. First and foremost was the Emperor/Palpatine inspiration. To be just bat-**** insane or to be subtle and clever. On top of that there was a bit of Raistlin Majere, some Moriarty and just a smidge of Dr. Belloq. You’re the one who knows what’s really happening, who has seen enough of the galaxy to grow wise or insane.
Check out the entire interview at The Sith Inquirer.
Class Focus: Jedi Consular
Fact Sheet
- Species: Human, Mirialan, Miraluka, Twi’lek, Zabrak
- Starting World: Tython
- Combat Type: Utility, Healer, DPS
- Weaponry: Lightsaber
- Armor: Jedi Robes
- Ship: Defender
- Famous Consulars: Yoda, Kit Fisto, Nomi Sunrider, Satele Shan
Summary
Like the Sith Inquisitor the Jedi Consular is more well renowned for their knowledge and skills with the force than for their abilities in melee combat. Do not be fooled though, the Jedi Shadow can turn his knowledge of the force into a viciously effective weapon when needed. True to their stereotype however, they can also use the force to heal and strengthen their allies in combat and perhaps nothing is feared more than a legion of troops supported by a skilled Jedi Sage. Able to use his knowledge of the force, natural wisdom and charisma the Jedi Consular makes for an outstanding adviser to diplomats and friends of the Republic. Able to turn the tides of war equally through words as well as actions the Jedi Consular is an invaluable asset to a team looking to take on the might of the Sith Empire. Read more»
