Star Wars: The Old Republic - Part 1

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your very welcome

SWTOR is working on a new warzone and fresh monthly content

December 11, 2015 21 Comments


BioWare Community Manager Eric Musco hit the Star Wars: The Old Republic forums this afternoon and dived into the hellishly long discussion thread that’s been rolling since the livestream earlier this month. In response to complaints about the perceived lack of PvP and group PvE content updates, he wrote,

We know you are looking for more information on the timing of future group content. Although I cannot go into any details yet I will say this… We are actively working on a new Warzone, and we are looking to start revealing details in February (Insert my usual disclaimer of all things are subject to change). On the PvE side, we do not have anything specific to announce at this time but we will certainly share more information as we have it.
The team is hard at work on the 7 remaining Chapters in Season 1, as well as additional content, which you will get monthly starting in February. For us, it is important that all of the our content, group content included, ties into the storyline of Fallen Empire and connects to your character’s story. Story is what sets The Old Republic apart and it is important for us to deliver your personal story across all aspects of the game.
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Star Wars: The Old Republic : KotFE Free Through January 4 For Former Subscribers

Posted Dec 12, 2015


Former Star Wars: The Old Republic subscribers are being invited back by Bioware to check out Chapter 1 of the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion.

From now through January 4 former subscribers who opt-in for an e-mail newsletter will instantly receive a level 60 character that can begin Chapter 1, "The Hunt", for free.

• Create your new Level 60 character now and jump right in!
• Experience a return to BioWare-style storytelling.
• Confront a powerful new enemy, The Eternal Emperor.
• Make choices that matter and recruit Companions into your Alliance.
• Subscribe at any time to continue your saga - Knights of the Fallen Empire is free for Subscribers!

Find out how to activate your free trial by visiting the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.
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Lastly

The Stream Team: An anniversary stroll through SWTOR — with snowballs!

December 19, 2015 Leave a comment




SWTOR turns four years old tomorrow, and MassivelyOP’s Larry and MJ are celebrating. And what constitutes celebrating more than pelting people with snowballs? These two Imperial hooligans will be sharing stories while shooting snowballs and hunting down droids to nab new Life Day Holo-Trees. Rumor has it Larry also has some interesting dev quotes to share! Join us live at 12:00 p.m. to take part in the Life Day activities while reminiscing about four years of TOR. What: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Who: Larry Everett & MJ Guthrie
When: 12:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 19th, 2015
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source: Massivelyop.com/& MMORPG.com

 

[zenith16]

sorry every one i seem to have missed this when it was posted.

Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR predictions for 2016

December 29, 2015 34 Comments


“Difficult to see. Always in motion the future is,” Yoda explained to Luke Skywalker on Dagobah when the boy had a vision of his friends in Cloud City. So when I make predictions for the future of Star Wars: The Old Republic, I know that I am trying to predict something that even the developers might not know. When I interviewed three of the developers last week, they consistently mentioned that it was the Shadow of Revan expansion that led them to create Knights of the Fallen Empire. For those of you playing at home, SoR didn’t release until December 9th last year, which was only 20 days before I made last year’s predictions. And since game studios like to take a lot of vacation in December, it’s likely that the developers didn’t even know for sure that they would be making KOTFE in 2015.
That being said, this is will be a fun experiment. I’m going to look at last year’s predictions and compare them to the actual outcomes, and then I’d like to make a few predictions for 2016.
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source: Massivelyop.com/

 

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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Anarchy in Paradise to Launch on February 11th

Posted Jan 07, 2016



The first in a series of seven chapters from the Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion called Knights of the Fallen Empire will launch on February 11th. Called "Anarchy in Paradise",

the content expansion will introduce a new ally named Firebrand as well as a new story arc involving her with the express mission to destroy the Eternal Empire.
Subscribers will receive Anarchy in Paradise for free for the duration of their subscription.

BioWare also announced a new Subscriber Rewards program offering players a series of unique monthly in-game reward items themed to the HK-55 Assassin Droid:

• Players who are Subscribers on January 11, 2016 will receive HK-55 as a permanent personal Companion.
• Those who are Subscribers on the first of each month, from February through August 2016, will receive an in-game reward item themed to HK-55’s gear and weapons along with two-day Early Access to the chapter releasing that month.
• Subscribers as of February 1, 2016 will receive the HK-55-inspired Jetpack Mount, built to withstand the harshest of conditions as players hover their way through the galaxy.
• Players who stay subscribed through the period of January 11 to August 1, 2016 will be invited to play a bonus chapter in which they can play as HK-55!

Learn more on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.

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Read more at http://www.mmorpg.com/newsroom.cfm/page/2#6wgKLdEz6hvh3VEP.99


source: MMORPG.com

 

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SWTOR runs January events to make up for December’s problems

January 11, 2016 39 Comments



There were a lot of events planned for Star Wars: The Old Republic in December. Sure, they were the game’s usual repeating events, but there were still a lot of them. Unfortunately, due to various unexpected problems, the events failed to trigger correctly and players missed out on some of those events, with the Rakghoul Resurgence being the most notable omission. As such, January’s event schedule has been updated and expanded in the hopes that everyone can get some time in with these events before they head off once again. The current schedule has the Relics of the Gree event starting tomorrow and running through the 19th, with the Rakghoul Resurgence running from the 19th through the 26th, followed by the Bounty Contract event from the 26th to February 2nd. That’s a full week of events with rewards, reputations, and some third thing that starts with the letter “R.” If there’s more stuff you want to accomplish in any of those regular events, start planning for the rest of the month.

Via: Massivelyop.com/
Source: Official Site; thanks to Bob for the tip!

 

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The Stream Team: Show me the SWTOR money!

January 13, 2016 3 Comments




Are you tired of only pulling lint from your SWTOR pockets when you need copious amounts of credits to buy those swanky mounts, cool cosmetic outfits, or adorable pets? Then this is the stream for you! As promised, MassivelyOP’s Larry is going to demonstrate how to rake in the big bucks. Grouping with MJ and a few other friends, he’s going to show you how to get one million credits in about 45 minutes to an hour. Tune in live at 1:00 p.m. as Larry shares his (almost) patented money-making scheme. What: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Who: Larry Everett & MJ Guthrie
When: 1:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 8th, 2016
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source: Massivelyop.com/

 

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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Eternal Championship Solo Challenges Introduced

Posted Jan 15, 2016

The January Star Wars: The Old Republic Producer Live Stream took place on Thursday and the community team has posted a nice wrap report that includes some interesting nuggets of information including the Eternal Championship,

a solo challenge of ten encounters that counts towards weekly missions reward progress, can include rare drops and a Recruitment Mission for a new companion named Bowdaar.
Also revealed:

• Crafting skill will increase to 550 with new materials, new craftable gear and mods, missions will be reorganized
• New warzone located on Odessan with a new King of the Hill game mode with multiple hills that spawn randomly

You can read the full wrap report on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.
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SWTOR is plotting new companions and solo arena fights

January 15, 2016 84 Comments



There’s a lot of stuff coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic in 2016. Not all of it was ready to be discussed during yesterday’s livestream; the archived version is just below, and within the first few minutes viewers are told that the team isn’t ready to talk about new group content being added to the game for players who have seen all of the old content and want something totally new. But players who want new crafting, new storytelling, new companions, and new challenges? Oh, you’re getting exactly what you like.

Chapter X of Knights of the Fallen Empire will bring with it new companions to recruit (including Blizz recruitment) along with an increase to the crafting skill cap up to 550. That means new materials, crafting mission revamps, and new crafting recipes with new appearances. A lengthy forum post detailing the changes is due before the end of the month. The team is also planning on unveiling the new Eternal Championships, a set of challenging solo arena fights, with the launch of Chapter XI. There’s also a new warzone coming on Odessen with a release date sometime in the next six months. You can check out all of the details in the archived stream just below.
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source: MMORPG.com& Massivelyop.com/

 

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SWTOR shakes up crafting and instant-60 gear for Update 4.1

January 26, 2016 25 Comments

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We anticipate some very mixed emotions from the announced changes to gear and crafting in the next big update for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Crafting itself will change drastically to increase its relevance, and the gear given to an instant level-60 will no longer be bind-on-legacy. In an effort to make crafting an “important alternative to Mission and Operation gear,” the BioWare developers will overhaul much of the crafting system in 4.1, raising the skill cap to 550 and introducing Grade-9 schematics and materials. The long and short of the 1800 word post on the subject is that a great number of items such as 216 and 220 gear will now be able to be crafted by players to be promptly given away or sold on the Galactic Trade Network.
You know that pretty gear that you get from an instant level-60 character? Well, according to a post by Community Manager Eric Musco, players who create new level-60s just to get the sweet, sweet gear have “created a negative impact on the data side.” This means that BioWare feels forced to change the instant-60 gear to bind on pick-up. But there is hope: All the gear will be able to craft or drop from Alliance crates in 4.1. Some of it is still faction-specific, but the devs are working on fixing that.
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http://massivelyop.com/2016/01/26/s...-crafting-and-instant-60-gear-for-update-4-1/
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SWTOR is putting lockboxes inside of other lockboxes

January 27, 2016 174 Comments




Star Wars: The Old Republic apparently couldn’t stand to see RIFT hogging the business model drama spotlight today and has issued a new proclamation about the “Grand Packs” currently for sale on the game’s Cartel Market cash shop. After February’s patch 4.1, the packs will have a chance to drop a Grand Chance Cube in place of one of the usual ridable or decorative drops. BioWare writes,

“Now you are asking, what is the Grand Chance Cube? Think of it as the ultimate Grand Pack. Inside a Grand Chance Cube you have a chance to receive any available Cartel Market Pack item, including from the current Pack. Also, the Grand Chance Cube acts as a Grand Pack in that if you open an Armor Lootbox, it will contain the entire armor set, not just a few pieces.
This change allows us to place more emphasis on the Silver and Gold items in each pack, as we are no longer building new Bronze items. Now, in place of Bronze items you will receive a Grand Chance Cube. This Cube can contain the rarest of Cartel Market selections, giving you a second chance at highly-desired items.”
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“Yo Dawg, we heard you like lockboxes in your lockboxes!” quipped one commenter. You might even call it… lockboxception.
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http://massivelyop.com/2016/01/26/s...-crafting-and-instant-60-gear-for-update-4-1/

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source: Massivelyop.com/
http://massivelyop.com/2016/01/26/s...-crafting-and-instant-60-gear-for-update-4-1/

 

[zenith16]

The RPG Files : SWTOR - Less MMO, More RPG Than Ever Before

Posted Feb 05, 2016



Hot on the heels of The Force Awakens, Chris jumped back into Star Wars: The Old Republic to see how it holds up. It’s half the MMO it used to be and a much better RPG because of it! Read on to find out why.
Plus, in the Quick Hits, we have impressions of The Division, Darkest Dungeon’s roadmap from launch, a new character and the possibility of a new demo for Final Fantasy XV, free content for Shadowrun: Hong Kong, and more!
Read more of Christopher Coke's The RPG Files: SWTOR - Less MMO, More RPG Than Ever Before.

After two weeks off celebrating a new baby, it’s good to be back talking about RPGs with fellow fans. Over my break, I actually took a break from RPGs. Or so I thought. Instead, high on The Force Awakens, I re-downloaded Star Wars: The Old Republic. What I found was startling: There is a whole lot less MMO in this MMORPG.


Before we go any further, let me explain. You can play SWTOR like a traditional MMORPG, Bioware just doesn’t want you to -- at least in the old world content I’ve been re-leveling through. Aside from the occasional flashpoint, SWTOR is now a game you can safely treat like a single-player RPG. If the tagline of the latest expansion, “a return to Bioware storytelling,” is anything to go by, that’s exactly what Bioware has in mind.


Let that sink in: one of the most successful subscription/high-pressure F2Ps out there allows you to ignore multiplayer the vast majority of the time. Now, we could say that’s also true of many themepark MMOs, but unlike, say, World of Warcraft, the best parts of SWTOR are single-player. The highlight of most themeparks are dungeons and end-game raiding; playing with your guild. In SWTOR, the highlight is the story, and you can experience almost all of it without ever joining a guild, typing a message in chat, or really bothering to be social in any way. Many games lock their best stories behind raids. SWTOR does that too, but that story is only one of hundreds that lead you along the way.

And you know what? The game is better for it.
The single-biggest issue I had with SWTOR when it launched was the absolute inundation with MMO trash quests. This coming from a guy who loves MMOs and can find the joy in a healthy amount of mindless grinding. But SWTOR was different because it insisted on presenting these throwaways as something more than they were. Full voicing was wonderful, except when that four hundredth sergeant comes out with the latest cut-and-paste inanity and you’re ready to pull your hair out. It insulted the intelligence, pushing these quests into their own silly cutscenes. It was even worse because the whole time all you’re really wanting to do it get back to the main quest.
Then The Force Awakens came out and I decided to spend a little more time in a galaxy far, far away. (It’s a pretty popular story right about now).
So imagine my delight when listening to The MMO Show podcast, I hear Braxwolf and Shannon talk about dramatically sped up leveling, even without the pre-expansion XP boost. And how much greater was my surprise was when I read Bioware’s blog on Core World Changes, which essentially amounts to making all of that, every standard MMO kill quest, entirely optional. You can now level all the way to the latest expansion doing only story quests, whether you’re a subscriber or not. That’s an incredible and positive change.
The net result is that SWTOR feels much more like an RPG in a living world than a standard MMORPG or SRPG. I realize how conflicting that sentence sounds, but it’s true. Leveling up, all of the MMO stuff I love is there. There are other people who make the world feel alive. There is chat if I want it, guilds if I’m lonely. Flashpoints and Operations when the time comes; PVP and a space combat mini-game that reward ridiculous amounts of experience. But at the core, I have my own story I’m working through, and because of the dialogue system, I’m actually roleplaying and not just skipping through quests. The vast majority of the time, I’m enjoying the ambiance of other players but not their actual company.

It might sound odd to be happy about an MMORPG becoming that much more single-player. In this case, I think it’s what The Old Republic was meant to be. Bioware probably had high hopes for an online RPG, and are now realizing their most skilled when they stick to what they know, “Bioware storytelling.” The result, honestly, taps into the best of MMO and RPG worlds. Things may change as my leveling continues, but for now, SWTOR has become a pretty damn good RPG.
Christopher Coke / Chris has been a fan of MMOs since the mid-1990s when he cut his teeth on MUDs. These days he scours the internet for the latest and greatest multiplayer gaming experiences.
Author: Christopher Coke
Created: February 05, 2016

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source: MMORPG.com

 

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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Anarchy in Paradise Patch Notes Released, Subscribers a Go

Posted Feb 09, 2016


Star Wars: The Old Republic players interested in checking out the Anarchy in Paradise patch notes can head to the official site to see what will be packed in the v4.1 update that continues the story set forth in Knights of the Fallen Empire. Anarchy in Paradise will be launching on February 11th for all players,

while those who were subscribers as of February 1st can start the journey today.

New Alliance Alert: Arma Rasa! Players who were subscribed on January 11th will find a new Alliance Alert on February 9th which will enable them to acquire the recently-restored HK-55!
New Alliance Alert: Little Boss! Help Blizz and his new crew defeat a rival gang to bring him into your Alliance!
Crafting Update! With the release of 4.0 we made a pass at focusing and streamlining Crew Skills and with 4.1 we are continuing this effort. Higher Skill, new Materials, Schematics, Missions and more! See below for the full rundown.
​

Read the full update notes on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.

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source: MMORPG.com

 

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Trooper companion headlines SWTOR’s Chapter 11: Disavowed, due March 10th

February 18, 2016 57 Comments


BioWare has announced that since the launch of Knights of the Fallen Empire, players have logged over 900 million minutes of Star Wars: The Old Republic. More than 27 million light- and dark-side choices have shaped players’ experiences since the latest expansion release. Now, the creators of the MMORPG in a galaxy far, far away would like to reintroduce you to Aric Jorgan, who’s coming back to us on March 10th in Chapter 11: Disavowed.


Jorgan guided the Trooper class storyline from beginning to end. He was the Trooper’s first companion, and Jorgan stuck with the Trooper until he was frozen in carbonite for five years. This Cathar represented everything that was honest and true about the Republic military, and we get to meet him again as he and the new members of Havoc Squad lead you, the Outlander, on a deadly mission behind enemy lines.
We’ve got images and the teaser video showing off some of the upcoming content below.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Chapter 11 - Disavowed to be Released on March 10th

Posted Feb 18, 2016 by Suzie Ford


Bioware has sent word that the next chapter in the Star Wars: The Old Republic - Knight of the Fallen Empire saga will be released on March 10th.

Called "Disavowed", the story follows players and introduces a new companion named Major Jorgan, commander of Havoc Squad.
Subscribers on or before March 1st will receive Disavowed for free and will have a two day early access period to enjoy Disavowed. In addition, subscribers will be gifted an in-game helmet that gives players a 'legendary likeness to HK-55'.
You can find out more by visiting the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.


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source: Massivelyop.com/& MMORPG.com

 

[zenith16]

sorry wrong thread.

 

[zenith16]

SWTOR Chapter 11: Disavowed is here, and Aric Jorgan has returned

March 9, 2016 16 Comments



Players’ companion rosters in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be getting one stronger tomorrow, as Trooper companion Aric Jorgan joins the alliance for Chapter 11: Disavowed. Apparently you can tag along as Jorgan and his friends go on an infiltration behind enemy lines. Of course, if the Zakuul Empire has taken over the galaxy, isn’t everywhere technically behind enemy lines?




Semantics aside, the patch notes are up for this major monthly update. Subscribers as of March 1st are already welcome to try out the patch, while anyone who subbed after that date will need to wait until tomorrow for the new story.




The patch also reactivates both the Relics of the Gree and Bounty Contract Week events. It’s truly great to hear that Jenny Craig has expanded into a galaxy far, far away: “Blizz went on a crash diet and lost all of his Life Day weight, and is now at his correct size.”


Via: Massivelyop.com/
Source: Patch notes, Chapters page

 

[zenith16]

Two articles


Star Wars: The Old Republic developers expound on Eternal Championship and companion delays

March 10, 2016 56 Comments




Another month has arrived, another story chapter has gone live for Star Wars: The Old Republic, and another producer’s livestream has happened. You can watch the full archived stream below, but if you can’t watch the video or simply don’t want to watch a half-hour video to get information, there’s a handy summary available from Dulfy placing all of the information in straightforward text. PvP players in particular can look forward to the game’s next warzone and arena arriving with Chapter XII on April 5th.


The Eternal Championship was originally planned for this patch, but it was held back due to the major issue of just not being sufficiently fun to play; it’s expected to be up on the test server by late March, with a launch date announced on the next producer’s stream. The team also reiterates that the delays of reintroducing certain companions is a matter of making sure that the companions you deal with have story and impact behind their returns. The full stream archive, as mentioned before, is embedded below.
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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Knights of the Fallen Empire Chapter 11 Goes Live

Posted Mar 10, 2016


Bioware has sent word that the Star Wars: The Old Republic - Knights of the Fallen update has gone live.

Called "Chapter 11: Disavowed", the content includes a new companion and a new story arc for players to experience.

As the Outlander, how will you lead the Republic’s most elite Trooper squad in the war against Emperor Arcann and his Eternal Empire? What life and death decisions will you make fighting in this dangerous mission? Play Chapter 11: ‘Disavowed’ – now live!
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Read more on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.

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source: Massivelyop.com/& MMORPG.com

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[zenith16]

Two articles from different places

Hyperspace Beacon: Should you resub for SWTOR: Disavowed?

March 15, 2016 78 Comments

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Hello, friends. I hope you don’t mind my calling you that. I do respect my readers. Thankfully, most of you are rational and thoughtful. And I do my best to be the same.

Many of you are also fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic, or at very least want to be fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic. And I know for certain that BioWare has made it difficult for you to want to play the game recently. The lackluster launch of Chapter 10 made some of you question if you shouldn’t just completely give up on the MMORPG all together. I can certainly see your point, although I would recommend giving it another chance to win you over… next month, not this month.


You were probably hoping chapter 11 of Knights of the Fallen Empire would outshine chapter 10. And if I am completely honest with you, it does. It’s a better chapter, and the connection between game mechanics and storytelling is tighter. But I’ll get more into that later. The bottom line is that you, my friend, are waiting for the chapter to really pull you back into the game with a story that’s exciting and impactful. And the unfortunate truth is that Chapter 11: Disavowed is another chapter full of setup and exposition.




Let me break that down into the good and the bad and let you decide for yourself if you think this is a good time to come back to the game.
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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Eternal Championship Delayed, QoL Improvements in April

Posted Mar 15, 2016

The latest Star Wars: The Old Republic live stream took place last week with a pair of interesting news items of interest to players.

The team revealed that the much-anticipated Eternal Championship feature would be delayed and, as of the recording, is still not firmly dated. Devs believe that it will land on the PTS at the end of March along with a blog post to provide more details.

The April update should see a number of requested Quality of Life improvements in SWTOR including stronghold limit and decoration limit alterations, updated server select UI, guild improvements, updated naming conventions that will allow for spaces, social window improvements and more.
The team is also working with the community on the new Odessen Proving Grounds warzone and have been running events to solicit feedback. Both Odessen and the Rishi Arena are expected to launch on April 5th.
You can read the full synopsis of the stream on the Star Wars: The Old Republic forum.
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source: Massivelyop.com/& MMORPG.com

 

[zenith16]

BioWare is fixing the SWTOR sub cartel coin allotment bug

March 28, 2016 5 Comments




Observant Star Wars: The Old Republic players have been noticing that cartel coins granted to subscribers haven’t been accruing properly over part of the past year, sometimes shorting players by a few days every month, thereby adding up to the loss of a month’s worth of coins in a 10-month period.

Our own SWTOR columnist Larry Everett confirmed his allotments were off by a few days some months as well.


But there’s no need to panic: BioWare Community Manager Eric Musco addressed the situation on the forums earlier today. “Since August of last year an issue creeped into our granting system which caused Cartel Coins to be granted every 33 days, instead of every 30 days as intended,” he confirmed, telling players a fix is on the way next week.
Read more




source: Massivelyop.com/
http://massivelyop.com/2016/03/28/bioware-is-fixing-the-swtor-sub-cartel-coin-allotment-bug/

 

[zenith16]

two articles same place


Star Wars: The Old Republic launches Visions in the Dark with its latest update

April 5, 2016 23 Comments



Are you of the mind that Emperor Valkorion in Star Wars: The Old Republic is an enormous jerk, or are you more in the “rah-rah-rah, this emperor isn’t so bad once you overlook the horrible stuff he does all the time!” camp? Because the newest chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire promises to make that stance quite relevant, what with a deadly mission to the heart of the Eternal Empire. If you were subscribed by April 1st, you get to start playing that chapter today; everyone else will have to wait a little bit to play the chapter on April 7th.



Even if you have to wait a bit, there’s still stuff in the patch to explore, including the new Focus option to switch between PvE and PvP instance types on a given server and a brand-new cross-faction warzone. Players can also unlock and use all 5 existing Strongholds on a single Legacy. Even if you have to wait a couple of days to enjoy the big story update, you’ll still have stuff to do when the game’s maintenance finishes up and the patch is ready (the current projected timing is noon EDT).
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SWTOR launches heist chapter ‘Profit and Plunder’ on May 3rd

April 5, 2016 20 Comments





If you have early access for the latest chapter in the continuing saga of the Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire, then you are likely playing that right now. But if you’ve finished and are now champing at the bit for Chapter 13: Profit and Plunder, you will have to wait no further than May 3rd for early access.




According to the Producer Livestream today, the next chapter will feature a heist and two former companions many players have been asking for: Vette and Gault — although people might have been asking for Gault so that they could finally kill him. The Creative Lead Designer Charles Boyd said on the stream that Chapter 13 is “definitely a more humorous chapter” because of its inclusion of these two characters.
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source: Massivelyop.com/

 

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The Stream Team: Starting SWTOR’s Shadow of Revan

April 14, 2016 6 Comments




It’s time to move on. MassivelyOP’s Larry helped MJ work through Makeb, and now her Agent can finally delve into the Shadow of Revan expansion. What new decisions lurk ahead, and what alignment will the viewers choose this time?

Tune in live at 2:00 p.m. to sway the vote. Who knows, there may even be chances for !vote flirt in this story line! What: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Who: Larry Everett & MJ Guthrie
When: 2:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 14th, 2016
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http://massivelyop.com/2016/04/14/the-stream-team-starting-swtors-shadow-of-revan/
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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Profit & Plunder Coming May 5th

Posted Apr 14, 2016


Bioware has revealed the release date of the next chapter in the ongoing story that is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Knights of the Fallen Empire.

Called Profit and Plunder, the next chapter unleashes the Outlander in an effort to turn the tide against the Eternal Empire.
Players will also have a chance to enter the Eternal Championship to take on Zakuul's warriors for prestige and reward.

In the new gladiatorial Eternal Championship challenge, Knights of the Fallen Empire players brave enough to enter will face the most notorious and skilled warriors Zakuul has to offer with the chance to earn exciting rewards. Those who conquer all ten bosses gain the ultimate opportunity to convince the Wookiee gladiator and fan-favorite Companion, Bowdaar, to join their Alliance.
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Read more on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic site.[FONT=arial !important]

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Read more at http://www.mmorpg.com/newsroom.cfm#wXWVLivSElr61k2X.99

source: Massivelyop.com/ & MMORPG.com​

 

[zenith16]

BioWare says ‘SWTOR is absolutely being supported into the future’

April 19, 2016 96 Comments


BioWare Producer Ben Irving has a new letter out for Star Wars: The Old Republic players reassuring them of BioWare’s committment to the game. “Is SWTOR going to receive ongoing support?” he writes.

“The answer is absolutely yes.” Irving apologizes to fans for bugs and reminds everyone that BioWare has stepped up its content cadence during the past expansion cycle, to the point that he declares that “Knights of the Fallen Empire is the most successful expansion we have ever produced.”

“In the eyes of all of our partners, SWTOR is a huge success. BioWare supports this game. EA supports this game. Lusasfilm supports this game. Disney supports this game. In fact, for a game that has been live for almost 5 years, we are receiving an incredible amount of support from all of our partners.



It’s both amazing and humbling. If there is anything I would like people reading this to take away it’s this: SWTOR is absolutely being supported into the future. We have a lot of content coming over the next few months and even more exciting things to talk about later this year. All of us here at BioWare appreciate your ongoing support and we are committed to providing the best experience possible.”
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source: Massivelyop.com/
http://massivelyop.com/2016/04/19/bioware-says-swtor-is-absolutely-being-supported-into-the-future/

 

[zenith16]

Check out SWTOR’s upcoming weapon effect customization

April 21, 2016 45 Comments


When Chapter 14 Profit and Plunder takes over Star Wars: The Old Republic next month, players will be getting a new weapon customizing system in the form of what BioWare is calling “weapon tuning.” Players will find they can tunings to the tuning slots on select weapons, like any ol’ boring mod, but then the weapon will take on a new graphical effect,

“Weapons that have a Tuning Slot come from many different sources including the Cartel Market, PvP, Operations, Reputation Vendors, Flashpoints, Heroics Missions, and Crafting Recipes. […] Next, you’ll need a Weapon Tuning. They are currently only found in Cartel Market Packs. The first Weapon Tuning, Lightning, is available in the Plunderer Pack which launches alongside Chapter XIII: Profit and Plunder.
“Once you’ve got a weapon with an open Tuning Slot and a Weapon Tuning, combining the two is as simple as making any other modification to your weapon. First, CTRL+Right-click the item to open up the Field Modification window. You can also take it to an Item Modification Station. Then simply drag the Weapon Tuning into the open Tuning Slot and hit Apply. Your Weapon will automatically begin using the effect created by the Mod!”
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And yeah, that great disturbance in the force you just felt was Reddit reacting to the part where tunings come only from gambling lockboxes.


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source: Massivelyop.com/

 

[zenith16]

May the Fourth be with Star Wars: The Old Republic


April 28, 2016 10 Comments

Play SWTOR for free

If the world around you seems especially nerdy on May 4th every year, it’s because Star Wars fans have embraced that date as a de facto holiday. May the fourth be with you, and all that. Hey, a pun is just as good an excuse to throw a party as anything else!

Star Wars: The Old Republic isn’t immune from the fun of this geek holiday. As in previous years, BioWare has prepared some goodies for players who log in during this time. Currently through May 4th, any players who touch foot in the game will get a free astromech droid pet.



This will be followed up by a couple of weeks of bonus XP from May 3rd through the 10th, then again from May 26th through the 30th.


BioWare is also hosting a speedrun contest through Knights of the Fallen Empire’s new eternal championship. The grand prize for the contest is a trip to Star Wars Celebration Europe for you and three of your best friends.
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Via : Massivelyop.com/
source: SWTOR

 

[zenith16]

Star Wars: The Old Republic : May The Fourth Be With You

Posted May 01, 2016


Star Wars: The Old Republic players will have an opportunity to celebrate Star Wars Day on May 4th as well as participate in other celebratory activities.

Between now and May 4th, players who log in can claim the Astromech Droid pet that will be delivered on May 5th. Players can also take part in the Eternal Championship Solo Speedrun from May 3rd to 17th that could see players heading to Europe to meet up with the Bioware team at a special Star Wars event.

For those looking to level alts or mains, two Double XP events are planned. The first running May 3rd through May 10th and the second from May 27th through May 30th.
Lastly, a free trial of Knights of the Fallen Empire is being offered. Players can activate a free trial prior to May 30th, gain access to a level 60 character and check out Chapter 1: The Hunt.

Read the full details on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.

If you haven't seen it yet, the trailer for the Hero's Saga has been released and you can watch it below.
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Read more at http://www.mmorpg.com/newsroom.cfm#JVtkRC5EWzWJjehW.99

source: MMORPG.com​

 

[zenith16]

Star Wars: The Old Republic game update 4.4 brings Eternal Championship, weapon customization, and more

May 2, 2016 12 Comments


Ladies, gents, and Wookiees, make sure you have your bowcaster strapped securely, for Star Wars: The Old Republic is embarking on Game Update 4.4 tomorrow. The update brings a new chapter to the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion story.

Chapter 13: Profit and Plunder puts the focus on the companions Vette and Gault who are staging a heist to end all heists. When you get finished with that, you can try your hand at the Eternal Championship, a PvE arena that pits you against the galaxy’s toughest foes.


Reportedly, 4.4 contains the new weapon effect customization system, although mention of this is strangely absent from the patch notes. BioWare is reactivating the Bounty Contract Week and Relics of the Gree event today as well.
You can log in this week to get your free astromech droid pet and enjoy a few other promotions for “May the Fourth Be With You” celebration.


Via : Massivelyop.com/& via Dulfy

Source: Patch notes

 

[zenith16]

Waxing philosophical about SWTOR companions with BioWare’s Charles Boyd

May 5, 2016 6 Comments


Just in time for this week’s May the Fourth festivities, I spoke to Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Charles Boyd. He currently holds the title of Lead Designer — Creative, but he likes to refer to it as Creative Lead. It makes it easier to remember and say in front of his name. Essentially, he has creative control over the story and the direction of the game, specifically the narrative of the game. “I have unlimited power!” he exclaimed in his Emperor Palpatine impression. This only makes sense that a writer would hold this position given that it’s a BioWare game and he was big part of the development of Knights of the Fallen Empire back when he bore the title Lead Writer. As I spoke to him about his job and the stories that he’s written over his almost 10 years at BioWare, the conversation took a philosophical turn toward the game’s companions, especially in how they reflect on the player and the characters that the players are puppeting.




There will be some minor spoilers about previous Knights of the Fallen Empire chapters, but I’ve tried to keep them to a minimum. But if you like to talk about storytelling in BioWare games or games in general, read on regardless of spoilers.
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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Chatting All Things KOTFE and Beyond with Charles Boyd

Posted May 05, 2016


We recently caught up with Star Wars: The Old Republic lead designer Charles Boyd to chat about the current state of Knights of the Fallen Empire, the future of episodic story content in SWTOR, and how the game fits into the overall Star Wars universe under Disney.
Read more of Mike Bitton's Star Wars: The Old Republic - Chatting All Things KOTFE and Beyond with Charles Boyd.

MMORPG: While Star Wars: The Old Republic is not official canon, we've seen Legends content become canon through media such as Star Wars Rebels. For example, we saw the inclusion of Malachor in season two of the show. How does SWTOR fit into the big picture of Disney's plans for the Star Wars universe? And is there any possibility we'll see SWTOR story elements, characters, or locations show up in canon content such as the new TV shows, comics, or books?
Charles Boyd: I loved seeing Malachor in Rebels! We’re all obviously huge Star Wars™ fans so anytime we see some of The Old Republic references in new stories, we’re just as excited as all of you. That said, we don’t have any insight into other unreleased Star Wars storylines or projects, so we’ll find out when everyone else does.?[YT]JzqGZEWLl78[/YT]

MMORPG: You've just released Chapter 13 of the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion, can you tease players on what's to come in the remaining 3 chapters? What can we look forward to?
CB: Coming up next, Chapter 14: Mandalore the Avenger, will focus on Shae Vizla and the Mandalorians, one of my personal favorite groups from Star Wars lore. As we move forward, the battle against Arcann is really going to come to a head in the following chapters, with players’ choices coming back to haunt or reward them in significant ways. There are also a few major twists and turns coming that will totally reshape The Old Republic galaxy and lead to more difficult choices and payoffs down the road.
MMORPG: What has your team learned from putting out your first episodic story expansion? What's worked really well? And what hasn't worked out as well as you'd hoped?
CB: Releasing the story via an episodic chapter release cadence has been a fascinating journey so far. We love being able to see the storylines play out over time and watch as players react to it and theorize about what will come next. The most rewarding part for the team is being able to constantly give players new adventures to enjoy. As you can imagine, it’s a very aggressive plan to execute, so we’ve learned a lot about how to optimize our processes and ensure we utilize best practices to deliver the quality our players expect from Star Wars™: The Old Republic. Building a story that has the level of depth, capable of driving this level of story momentum with increasingly expanding choices and consequences has definitely made it one of the most interesting creative pursuits we’ve attempted.
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MMORPG: Can players expect another episodic story expansion following the conclusion of KOTFE? If so, roughly how soon after are you looking to kick that off?
CB: We aren’t ready to discuss our plans after Knights of the Fallen Empire just yet, but rest assured that our players’ stories, choices, and consequences are far from finished. ? We have some amazing plans for the future that I can’t wait to share!
MMORPG: What can you share about your plans for future non-story content? Many players in the game have been looking forward to new Operations for some time now.
CB: We’re constantly exploring different types of experiences to include in our updates – the Eternal Championship is one great example that’s going live alongside Chapter 13 this month. There’s definitely a story around it, but the real goal of that area it is to introduce players to some of the game’s more challenging gameplay mechanics and encounters to ease them into more high-level encounters like you mentioned. We’ve definitely heard our players’ requests for more of this type of gameplay and while we don’t have anything specific to announce right now, we’re taking those requests to heart as we develop for the future!
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Michael Bitton / Michael began his career at the WarCry Network in 2005 as the site manager for several different WarCry fansite portals. In 2008, Michael worked for the startup magazine Massive Gamer as a columnist and online news editor. In June of 2009, Michael joined MMORPG.com as the site's Community Manager.
Article By: Michael Bitton
Created On: May 05, 2016

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Star Wars: The Old Republic : Profit & Plunder Update Brings New Content

Posted May 05, 2016

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been updated with the Profit & Plunder content expansion that brings the Eternal Championship online, a new Alliance Mission, and the new Plunderer Cartel Pack ​

Players can also take advantage of the free trial offer that runs through May 30th and comes with a free level 60 character and access to Knights of the Fallen Empire: Chapter 1 - The Hunt.

• New Game Mode: Become the Eternal Champion as you take part in a new gladiatorial challenge and take on the most notorious and skilled warriors in Zakuul. Earn unique rewards as you fight your way through ten deadly bosses in the Eternal Championship, each of which are progressively more difficult to defeat.
• New Alliance Mission: Join forces with the loyal Wookiee Bowdaar, as he plans to end the brutal blood sport with citizens of Zakuul. If he’s going to be successful however, Bowdaar needs a brave gladiator to enter the Eternal Championship and gain the respect of his fellow fighters.
• New Plunderer Cartel Pack: Inspired by the latest Chapter, the new ‘Plunderer’ Cartel Market Pack offers players the opportunity to get rare heist-themed items, including Gault’s Triumphant Predator’s Armor Set, Vette’s Shadow Corsair Armor Set, and much more!

Find out more on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site.[FONT=arial !important]http://images.mmorpg.com/images/newsImages/192016/SWTOR.JPG[/FONT]
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Read more at http://www.mmorpg.com/newsroom.cfm#sPy80hWZOhk7IZtF.99​

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Read more at http://www.mmorpg.com/newsroom.cfm#sPy80hWZOhk7IZtF.99​

source: Massivelyop.com/ & MMORPG.com

 

[zenith16]

Star Wars: The Old Republic announces Mandalore’s Revenge, coming June 3rd

May 11, 2016 50 Comments



BioWare has just announced Mandalore’s Revenge, the next chapter in Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Knights of the Fallen Empire storyline. More than that, the studio has confirmed just who the Mandalore is, something we suspected but didn’t know for sure.

“The newest chapter in the Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion gives the Outlander an opportunity to confront Emperor Arcann with an army of ruthless Mandalorian warriors. Enlist the help of the infamous bounty hunter

Spoiler

as you and your Alliance move to seize control of the most powerful armada in the galaxy – the Eternal Fleet. Prepare to brave the harsh desert world of Darvannis and survive its brutal enemy forces in a desperate attempt to save the galaxy from the Eternal Empire forever – and earn the loyalties of

Spoiler

and unyielding Mandalorian warriors!”

Spoiler

Spoiler

So who's the Mandalore? Click here to reveal the name we've censored above. As usual with these chapters, subbers gain access to chapter 1 through chapter 13, while freebie players who’ve not subbed for the storyline at all will be able to jump into a trial of chapter one and potentially snag a level 60 character boost upon activating. Those subbed by June 1st will also find their accounts granted an Eternal Empire Patroller vehicle. “Subscribe by June 1 to receive Early Access to Chapter 14: Mandalore’s Revenge on June 1 and Chapter 15 coming later this [summer],” BioWare suggests. [Update: BioWare has since clarified to MOP that both chapter 14 and 15 will release in June.]
Watch the teaser trailer below — just note, it’s also got spoilers!
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source: Massivelyop.com/
http://massivelyop.com/2016/05/11/s...announces-mandalores-revenge-coming-june-3rd/

 

[zenith16]

Hyperspace Beacon: Going to war with SWTOR’s new Mandalore

June 2, 2016 13 Comments


Do I have to turn in my Star Wars fanboy card if I admit that I don’t like Mandalorians? It’s not that I think that they are poorly written. Karen Travis’ book sales should be an indication that she did something right.

I guess I find the honor and the whole warrior culture trope tired. Battle for the sake of battle doesn’t really interest me. Knowing how I feel about Mandalorians and that whole culture does that mean that if I found the 14th Knights of the Fallen Empire chapter just OK, then for the Mandalorian fan, it will be amazing? That’s probably a big issue that these episodic updates to Star Wars: The Old Republic have run into.

They might include some great chapters that people who are not fans of the base source material will find just average or horrible.
Having just finished playing through the content of this latest SWTOR update, I’d say the material is still fresh on my mind. So let me tell you what I liked and didn’t like, then you can tell me in the comments whether you thought it was any good — or not.
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source: Massivelyop.com/