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)
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.
Facebook Image of the Week: October 19, 2011
The featured screenshot on Facebook this week depicts a Trooper Commando going solo towards an enemy base. See all previous Facebook images here.
A lone Trooper storms towards the command center deep inside The Gormak King’s Hall.
Class Focus: Trooper
Fact Sheet
- Species: Human, Zabrak, Mirialan, Cyborg
- Starting Planet: Ord Mantell
- Combat Type: Ranged Damage Dealing/Tank
- Weaponry: Blaster Rifles/Blaster Cannons
- Armor: Heavy
- Ship: BT-7 Thunderclap
- Famous Troopers: Commander Cody, Delta Squad
Summary
The Troopers are the core and strength of the Galactic Republic military. Battle-hardened, intimidating and fearless, the Trooper stands as the ideal soldier in the fight to maintain order in the galaxy. Whether the Republic needs someone to lead the charge into battle or hold the line against overwhelming numbers, the Trooper is always up for the task. Boasting unrivaled firepower and the best battle armor available, the Troopers of the Galactic Republic are a force not to be trifled with. When push comes to shove, the Trooper will be there to retaliate with a rifle butt to the face. Read more»
Friday Update: Trooper Character Progression
Similar to the previous Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior character progression trailers, in this week’s update we are given a video showing off what the Trooper’s potential gear and abilities will look like as they advance in level and choose an advanced class. Check out the video below to see what the Commando and Vanguard have to offer.
As the elite Trooper rises through the ranks of the Republic military, there are several ways he can specialize his training, and several sets of armor and weapons to match. Watch this video to get a small sampling of the many different armors and abilities that your Trooper can acquire through the course of the game.
Developer Blog- Trooper Class: Happiness is a Warm Gun
Principal Lead Combat Designer Damion Schubert has updated the official developer blog with a new entry entitled “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, detailing the creation process for the Trooper class.
Here’s a snippet.
The Trooper has evolved over time since that first playtest, but at the core he remains the same: a dedicated soldier who believes in military precision, tactical superiority and above all, a whole lot of firepower. With his impressive arsenal of assault rifles and grenades, the Trooper is the best ranged damage dealer the Republic has to offer.
Read the full Blog entry here.
New Dev Dispatch Details Trooper
In the latest Developer Dispatch, The Old Republic developers take us behind the scenes to see what went in to the development of the newest announced class, the Trooper.
Watch the video above, or check it out at the official site!
Trooper Class Revealed!
The official site has today revealed the next playable character class in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – The Trooper!
The Trooper is an elite combat specialist in the Republic military armed with heavy blaster rifles and nearly impenetrable armor designed by the military’s top engineers. Trained to beat almost any odds, the Trooper battles deep behind enemy lines to carry out precise, hard hitting strikes against the enemy, with a barrage of blaster-fire and a few carefully aimed firebombs. Even Sith Lords are wise to think twice before engaging in combat with the Trooper—this is what it means to be one of the Republic’s finest.
Learn more about the Trooper class and check out the latest Trooper inspired wallpapers!
In conjunction with this announcement, GameSpot recently conducted an interview with Principal Lead Writer Daniel Erickson and Lead Combat Designer Damion Schubert.
