each class will be able to get a total of 5 companions through out the game. Each companion will be able to do different types of damage or play different roles in a group. Each companion will also give different bonuses to your crew skills.
Star Wars is an expansive universe. You' will be playing the game, you will be fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Here we make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind Star Wars: the old republic
With more people playing SWTOR beta and game testing now, we are seeing more info coming out about it. While these players are still bound to the NDA, it is to be expected that some general knowledge will come out about the game.
If you will be playing SWTOR with a group of friends, it makes sense to form up your own guild so you can all play together and take advantage of any guild perks and benefits right from the start. Here is how to
Datacrons are part of the codex system in Star Wars The Old Republic. They are placed throughout the worlds for the players to find, usually in hard to reach places. As a reward for this exploration ingenuity, if a player successfully reachs and interacts with certain datacrons, one of the player's character stats will be increased -- permanently. Here is the complete list of Datacrons, rrdered by codex entry #
At long last, we have Chapter Two! And, as many others have commented, it was WELL worth the wait. Once more, Blacksheep has reminded us why they are considered Legends in the Fan Film universe, so much so that no one was ever truly willing to give 'em hell over the time between productions, for in the end their brilliance would shine through.
And so it has.
On behalf of Star Wars fans across the globe as well as Imperial Loyalists, I salute and thank you, sirs. Here's to Chapter Three on the distant horizon!
P.S. Anychance you guys would be willing to put in some face, or rather voice, time with Jason Swank and Jimmy Mac over at the Force-Cast? It would be awesome to get some verbal behind the scenes info as well as plans for the future.
The Primary Responsible Parties are: Eric Hilleary, Dave Max, Caleb Skinner, Nathan Pata, Pete Evans, Dave Marshall, Bill Hay and Andy Garfield. Please see the Credits and About Us pages for a complete list and more information on the Website: http://impstherelentless.com
Originally this project was to be the sequel to “Troops” but over the course of writing and production, it evolved into something entirely different. "Troops2" was the working title of the production until the script was completed, and the project assembled. Chapter 1 of IMPS, “The Rail-Runners - Davenport Gateway” acts as a bridge to take us from the ‘COPS’ format to the soldiers of the many branches of the Imperial military. Since the military does actually act as peace officers in many cases, we thought it would be appropriate. As we delve into further Chapters, and the men and women who work as Imperial soldiers, we seek to learn who these characters are, how they came to be here, and what their responsibilities are, etc. This is why we now call it I.M.P.S. - The Relentless.
The Primary Responsible Parties are: Eric Hilleary, Dave Max, Caleb Skinner, Nathan Pata, Pete Evans, Dave Marshall, Bill Hay and Andy Garfield. Please see the Credits and About Us pages for a complete list and more information.
Inspired by notorious characters such as Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, the Sith Inquisitor and Sith Warrior take different approaches to their rise to power. The Sith Warrior achieves victory through pure aggression and might while the Sith Inquisitor excels by cunning ambition and Force manipulation.
From storyline, to art style, to combat tactics, each design decision was made to support the dark side themes of power, domination, and destruction.
Watch Developer Dispatch: Designing the Dark Side, and learn how Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ developers created this dominating force.
Troops is a mockumentary film by Kevin Rubio, which made its debut on the Internet in 1997. The film is a parody of COPS, set in the Star Wars universe. In the film, Imperial stormtroopers from the infamous Black Sheep Squadron patrolling the Dune Sea on the planet Tatooine run into some very familiar characters while being filmed for the hit Imperial TV show Troops.
The film jump-started the modern fan film movement, as it was one of the first short films to bring fan films into the digital age, taking advantage of internet distribution and affordable production and special effects equipment, as well as fans with movie-quality costumes.
Rubio finished the film while working at the Fox Kids Network, and was able to use well-known voice talent in his cast, including Jess Harnell, Cam Clarke, and announcer Bill Farmer.
The film has proven incredibly popular with Star Wars fans, and was awarded the inaugural Pioneer Award in the Lucasfilm-sponsored 2002 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards.
Fan Films Quarterly listed Troops as one of the 10 most pivotal moments in fan film history in its Summer 2006 issue
Korriban, originally known as Pesegam during the reign of Xim, was the sole planet in the Horuset system, located across the galaxy from Koros Major. It was the original homeworld of the Sith species and a sacred planet for the Sith Order, housing the tombs for many ancient and powerful Dark Lords of the Sith, and containing tremendous dark side power.
After the Hundred Year Darkness, the remaining Dark Jedi interbred with the Sith species and ruled the Sith using their Force powers. After the Great Hyperspace War, Korriban was abandoned and became a barren world. It was the site of two Sith Academies, and became the headquarters of the One Sith.
It was close to Bosthirda and was located on the Nache Bhelfia and Kamat Krote hyperspace lanes.
History
Infinite Empire
This remote, forbidding planet was the original homeworld of the Sith species. The Rakata invaded Korriban in an attempt to integrate the world into the Infinite Empire, intending to harvest slaves from the planet to be used for Rakatan projects, such as the Star Forge (30,000 BBY). The sole artifact to survive this era was the ancient Star Map, around which the tomb of Naga Sadow was later built.
The Rakata were eventually forced off the world after the Sith King Adas led his people against them. Adas died in the battle, and thus, despite this victory, the Sith society crumbled, and, in the ensuing centuries of strife, the Sith relocated to Ziost, leaving Korriban as a graveyard world.
Sith Empire The Sith Empire was founded in approximately 6,900 BBY by exiled fallen Jedi fleeing the Battle of Corbos, which concluded the Hundred-Year Darkness. The fallen Jedi landed on Korriban.
Using their training in the Force, the fallen Jedi amazed the Sith and elevated themselves to god-like status on Korriban, becoming the rulers of the Sith people. As years passed, and interbreeding occurred between the Fallen Jedi and the Sith, the term "Sith" came to mean not only the original inhabitants of Korriban, but also their fallen Jedi masters. Until the rise of Naga Sadow, the existence of the Sith Empire was unknown to the Galactic Republic.
Under the pall of Sith magic, this desolate world became more hellish and dangerous.The Sith Lords erected huge palaces and burial complexes to honor their fallen Dark Lords. Circa 5,000 BBY, the planet became an endpoint of the newly-formed Daragon Trail hyperspace lane, when it was discovered by Gav and Jori Daragon. This event triggered the Great Hyperspace War. After the fall of the Sith Empire, the planet lost much of its prominence in the galaxy, eventually falling off the galactic starcharts for a thousand years.
Old Sith Wars Korriban was resettled prior to 3,993 BBY by Dark Jedi survivors of the Exar Kun War, and was home to the new settlement of Dreshdae and a Sith training academy. In 3,993 BBY, as part of the Great Hunt, Duron Qel-Droma and Shaela Nuur died on the planet, failing to cleanse it of terentateks. The planet became the sector headquarters of the Czerka Corporation. Darth Revan and Darth Malak visited the planet on their quest to discover the Star Forge. After losing his memory, Revan visited the academy again in 3,956 BBY on his quest to re-discover the Star Forge for the good of the Republic. Seeking the Star map in Naga Sadow's tomb he passed the tests and then confronted Uthar. With the death of Master Uthar Wynn, the academy's headmaster, and Darth Malak himself at the hands of Revan in 3,956 BBY, the Sith Order collapsed into a civil war (which took place 3,956-3,950 BBY) which decimated the Sith Order.
It took the Republic a couple of years to send an expeditionary force to Korriban (around 3,954 BBY) in order to deal with any potential Sith who might attempt to take up the mantle of Dark Lord. They found a planet nearly in ruins—barren and lifeless as a result of the then unknown civil war. It was assumed by the commanders of the Republic task force that the remnants of the Sith turned on each other, vying for what little power remained. It was also said that Revan had always intended to return to Korriban one day to subdue any would-be Sith insurgents, but he then disappeared. However, the Republic discovered evidence that several Sith Lords did manage to escape the planetary conflagration, fleeing to remote corners of the galaxy.
After the fall of Darth Malak, the ancient tombs within the Valley of the Dark Lords were plundered by grave-robbers. Each tomb was once infused with history and heritage of the old Sith Empire, containing great mysteries and powerful relics of the Force. Many broken, charred corpses littered the plains of Korriban during this time, virtually all that remained of the Sith who once inhabited the world. However, their malignant spirits remained, ready to confront any who disturb their rest by way of their guardian-familiars, the Hssiss.
In the chaos following the Jedi Civil War, which nearly destroyed the Jedi Order, Jedi Master Lonna Vash used Korriban as a hideout. She was eventually trapped and killed by Sith Lord Darth Sion in the ruins of the academy, and then used as bait to lure the Jedi Exile into Sion's hands. After escaping the trap, the Exile discovered the long lost tomb of Ludo Kressh.
Retaking Korriban was a priority for the Sith Empire, when it re-emerged during the Great War. They retook the planet and re-established the Sith Academy.
Fauna
Due to the planet's harsh terrain (or the power of the dark side), Korriban's native fauna was both vicious and cunning, such as the fierce terentateks. The bat-like Shyracks lived in great numbers in caves on the planet. Tuk'ata, sometimes called Sith hounds were also fairly common, particularly in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Dark side dragons, or Hssiss, could be found on Korriban, though as semi-aquatic creatures, they were quite rare. Wraid were also found on Korriban. There is evidence that, at one point, the planet was home to an ape or primate-like species, although by the time of Naga Sadow the species was long extinct. Though it is possible that the primate-like species was somehow connected to the Sith species, no conclusive link between this species and the Sith species was known. The highly venomous pelko bug was an insect native to the planet—its venom had a potent numbing effect and was used in Sith training sabers by the Brotherhood of Darkness during the end of the New Sith War.
Behind the scenes
Though Ziost was established as the original Sith homeworld in The Golden Age of the Sith, many sources described Korriban as the Sith homeworld. It was the "public" capital world of the Sith Empire during the era of Darth Revan, but was a mausoleum-world for millennia beforehand and would return to such a state not long after.
The controversy was put to rest in the article Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties by Abel G. Peña, which clearly established the Sith originating on Korriban and relocating the capitol to Ziost before the arrival of the Dark Jedi exiles during the Hundred Year Darkness, though the Dark Jedi exiles themselves landed on Korriban.
Without Adas' unifying influence, wars once again raged for rule of the Sith people, with the reigning combatants arrogantly claiming the title of Sith'ari, and eventually forcing a relocation of the Sith capitol to the planet Ziost. Eventually, almost two-dozen millennia after Adas' death, a proper successor to Adas seemed to come at last. Known in Republic space as the Exiles, traitorous Jedi defeated in a galactic war called the Hundred-Year Darkness arrived on Korriban and cowed the Sith people with their astounding Force abilities, lightsabers, and superior technology.
The word korban means sacrifice in the Hebrew and Malay languages. It is used in the Torah or Old Testament when referring to the fiery sacrifices the high priests made to God. This may be a connection to some of the violent sacrifices the Sith Lords made to gain and in attempts to gain power.
Carth Onasi is one of the main playable characters in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Voiced by actor Raphael Sbarge, Carth's character has the game attributes of a basic human soldier. His martial talents lean towards the use of blasters, and his skill level allows him to brandish two guns at once. If the player of KOTOR chooses a female player character, then the possibility of a romantic storyline between Carth and the main character is possible. Carth's son is revealed to be alive if certain quests are undertaken in the game.
When young Carth Onasi signed up to join the Galactic Republic military, he fully believed in the strength of the institution. A loyal soldier, skilled pilot and superior tactician, he operated with distinction in both small border skirmishes and in major engagements.
Though the events of the Mandalorian Wars forever cemented Carth's reputation as a hero, their aftermath dealt a fatal blow to Carth's idealism. In the Sith resurgence that targeted a weakened Republic, the evil Darth Malak sundered Carth's homeworld of Telos. Carth's young wife was killed, and Dustil, his son, was missing.
Compounding this tragedy was the betrayal that further fueled the Sith conquest. Some of the highest-ranking officers of the Republic were seduced by the Sith, including Carth's trusted mentor, Admiral Saul Karath.
Once, honor and loyalty drove Carth to fight the Sith. Vengeance and hatred threatened to replace these laudable attributes, as Carth made it his life's goal to bring Karath to justice.
Carth found himself unable to trust anyone, particular the inscrutable Jedi he was often teamed with in his missions. He still carried out his duty, escaping from the Endar Spire over Taris and freeing the captive JediBastila Shan before that world was also destroyed by the Sith. He accompanied Bastila and a special Jedi initiate in their mission to uncover the mystery of the Star Forge. On this quest, Carth had his chance at revenge, killing Karath on the bridge of the Leviathan.
During the search for Darth Malak, Carth was a 38 standard years old. He was a handsome man with brown hair. He typically dressed in fatigues and flight jacket, and favored blaster weaponry. He most often piloted the Ebon Hawk during this mission.
The Star Wars universe is an expansive universe. You're playing the games, you're watching the movies, you know the how, but do you know the why? Each week we make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind Star Wars: The old Republic
Affirmative Action: The Republic has always been a leader in providing good jobs to non-Basic speaking races and shown particular acceptance to those races who mangle the language by confusing word order or inserting an annoying "sa" at the end of every pronoun. This tolerance even extends to droids who communicate through a sophisticated system of beeping and shoving. All the human player characters will be required to have at least one non-human or droid sidekick that doesn't speak any Basic but is still able to understand and be understood by everyone else in the game. To keep these sidekicks in their proper place as defined by the traditions of the Star Wars universe, their promotion opportunities will be limited by the so-called "cockpit glass ceiling," leaving them stuck as co-pilots and completely unable to find work as main characters.
Duality is one of the most popular Star Wars fan films ever made. It was quite an acheivement in it's time, and is still regarded as a model of achievement for the quality of the CG work in the film. The film was filmed entirely against a blue screen at Alamo films. Duality was made as a follow-up project to Duel, and has even sired a parody call Two-ness.
The story is basically this: two Sith apprentices are set against each other as a final test to determine which one will serve at their master's side. And so it is that Darth Oz watches as Darth Blight and Lord Rive battle to the death.....
The script was first written by Mark Thomas, with Dave Macomber devising the fight. Filming took place at Alamo Studios in Santa Barbara, California in September of 2000. A teaser trailer was released in November 2000, which featured a slightly different Sith ship and chamber entrance.
Post-production was split between Thomas and Macomber. Thomas primarily handled the digital backgrounds, 3D models animations. Compositing the footage and the lightsaber effects went to Macomber. Lastly, Thomas edited the sound and made the final cut.
Crew of Two's site featured extensive break-downs of the process.
The first cut of the film featured copyrighted John Williams music (mostly from Phantom Menace). A later release had all-new music by Alan Derian. The Juxtaposition movie features the John Williams track.
Fan reaction to Duality was mostly positive since its release. Many fan film directors, such as Nick Hallam, have since cited it as inspiration for their own films. If nothing else, it proved that film-level special effects could be produced by the common fan.
Duality has been featured in articles in Apple.com, and Entertainment Weekly.
In another big news in what seems to be end endless series of them it seems that BioWare Austin have decided to include the most boring and over-used planet in the entire Star Wars setting in the MMO as well, namely Tatooine. And the planet they promised to unveil today happens to be that one. Great.
They also have a comic, which I must admit having lost all interest in as well (in my opinion it's drawn badly and the story doesn't seem to go anywhere). Anyway, here's the official news:
The twenty-second issue of Threat of Peace™ takes us to the long-abandoned Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where Lieutenant Tavus meets the true culprit behind the efforts to undermine the peace treaty. It seems Master Dar’Nala survived her Imperial captivity after all, and everything that’s happened since has been all part of her plan. Despite his doubts, Lieutenant Tavus agrees to assist Master Dar’Nala in completing her plan by slaying the Sith mastermind, Lord Baras.
And here's the official news for the planet; you can just hear them struggling trying to make the planet sound even remotely interesting:
Far in the Outer Rim, the sands of Tatooine bake beneath the glare of two bright suns. Small pockets of barely civilized communities dot the desolate landscape, surrounded by the endless expanse of barren dunes and rocky canyons that have silently slain so many of those who ventured out into desert. Among the small shantytowns and settlements that persist, travelers may find shelter from the brutal climate, but trust is as rare as water on this lawless world. Visitors and locals alike must constantly watch their backs in Tatooine’s townships.
Access the HoloNet records to find out more about the desert wasteland of Tatooine, and the mysteries buried in its scorched sands. Be sure to check out the Media section to get the latest screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers depicting this harsh, desert wasteland.
Anyone else shaking their head over how this nothing of a planet always seems to be at the center of pretty much every major event in the Star Wars history? Just because a planet happens to feature in the movies doesn't mean that you have to include it in your game as well. Part of what made Tatooine interesting, once upon a time, that it was such a remote corner of the universe that where the Star Wars sage (and I'm talking original trilogy here) started. But every time it's included in another Star Wars story it makes the original story less because now apparently it's the planet where everything always happens.
There are other "desert planets" in Star Wars you know; ones you can actually do something interesting with.
The one good thing to come out of this is that they've got a wallpaper of the planet as well; after all your desktop is kind of supposed to be boring, right?
I'm sorry for being so negative, yet again. But I was hoping that for once Tatooine would not be included in a Star Wars game. And it seems as if my hopes for this game are getting dashed one by one.
Over at Darth Hater they have an interview with some of the LucasArts guys responsible for the sounds and music in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The interview is split into three part; music, sound fxs and voiceovers. Here's an excerpt:
DH: The original score by John Williams became an integral part of Star Wars culture. How did the audio team approach creating new pieces with such iconic shoes to fill?
JH: We’ve assembled a team of composers for The Old Republic who are all well-versed in the language of John Williams. Mark Griskey, whose previous Star Wars work includes both KOTOR II and The Force Unleashed, is returning as our lead composer on the project. Joining him are composers Lennie Moore, Gordy Haab, and Wilbert Roget, II. Lennie comes to us with a diverse background in games, TV, and film. Gordy recently worked with us on Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings and Wilbert wrote new music for the recent DLC levels for The Force Unleashed. In addition, we’ve also hired composer Peter McConnell (Grim Fandango, Brütal Legend) to compose 90 minutes of original cantina music for us. We’re deep in the heart of writing material for the game right now and things are sounding fantastic.
DH: When will we find out about a Star Wars: The Old Republic Official Soundtrack and how can I preorder it?
JH: All of the details are still to be determined but we’ll have more info on that soon!
Some new details to be gleaned from that, including that each class will only have two voice options (male and female). Of course I still feel that the player character shouldn't be voiced at all as voicing the player takes away player ownership of the character. But ah well.
Balmorra was a factory world that was located within the Nevoota system, situated in the Colonies region at the border of the Core Worlds. Wide plains surrounded the planet's capital, Bin Prime.
Balmorran metal parasites feasted on metals in the urban areas of Balmorra.
During the settlement of Balmorra, while the Republic was still in its infancy, Balmorra quickly established itself as a haven for renouned weapon and battle droid manufacturers. While determined to remain independent of the Republic, they became strong alllies supplying the Republic and the greater galaxy with advanced droids and weapons.
Republic era
During the Great Galactic War the Sith Empire resolved to seize Balmorra due to their military manufacturing plants and strategic location close to the Core Worlds. The Republic immediately sent soldiers to prevent that from happening. As the Great Galactic War continued and the Sith Empire's control continued to spread, the strained republic began removing forces from Balmorra for redeployment to more important conflicts. This continued until the Treaty of Coruscant was signed.
The Republic base designated 11A had been established on Balmorra and was still under Republic control until the Treaty was signed. The commander of the base, General Buryn was assigned to leave the base with his troops as per the terms of the Treaty. General Buryn wanted to fulfill his orders, however the Jedi Fortris Gall insisted that the Republic team that was held captive by the Sith, Demolitions Squad 419, had to be freed first. The Jedi traveled to the Troida Military Workshop, where the soldiers were held hostage, without the permission of Buryn. Buryn chose to remain on planet after the Treaty's enforced deadline and waited for Fortis. Master Orgus soon joined the General and Jedi Fortis, to convince them both to leave the planet in an attempt to prevent further battles with the Sith, and to begin following the terms of the Treaty.
Following the treaty and the beginning of the Cold War, the Republic was forced to officially end its support for Balmorra. However a small underground Republic force was left on the planet to aid in a resistance against the remaining Sith Empire. However, most Balmorrans shared the view that they had been abandoned by the Republic. Surprisingly, the remaining underground resistance prevented the Sith Empire from ever taking complete control of the planet. A number of years after the treaty was signed, with the fragile brokered peace between the Sith Empire remaining, the Republic began reintroducing Republic forces to the planet and while the Balmorrans were receptive to the assistance, their resentment of being abandoned in the past remained. At the same time, the Sith Empire attempted to escalate their presence on the planet in a further attempt to claim Balmorra's battle droids and weaponry.
GameSpy has a preview article up for Star Wars: The Old Republic. This looks to be from the November press event where they unveiled the Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor (and the Imperial Agent IIRC). Here's an excerpt:
Before delving into the gameplay demo proper, BioWare unveiled the final list of classes. The approach that the developers are taking with class design eschews the traditional roles you've seen in most MMOs, where a balanced party is comprised of an aggro-generating tank, damage-dealers, and a healer. Instead, the intent is to allow players to live out their Star Wars fantasies, presenting familiar but flexible character archetypes. The eight playable classes are as follows, with noteworthy inspirations from the Star Wars universe.
It's a fairly brief article without anything new that I've noticed. In fact, some of their points are questionable (such as their list of iconic characters with each class; I would've thought Qui-Gon Jinn to be more of a Consular and the developers have already said that the Inquisitor has a Darth Maul-type spec; making Darth Maul an Inquisitor instead of a Warrior... though that probably just shows how the Sith/Jedi classes don't have distinct enough icons in the Star Wars movies; if someone said that Palpatine was a Sith Warrior because he was also one of the greatest lightsaber wielders then I would've completely believed that).
In non Star Wars: The Old Republic related news, the game industry announced lots of new projects at the Vidoe Game Awards, including a sequel to one of the most successful Star Wars games ever - "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed".
The Story in "The Force Unleashed 2", takes place between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope.
Official site and higher quality version can be found here
Broken Allegiance is a fan film that made its debut on the internet in April 2002, created by Australian fans of the Star Wars franchise. It is a live-action drama set in the Star Wars universe, taking place a few weeks between the events in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. It tells the story of two Sith apprentices, Ruan and Calis, who have escaped the Empire by fleeing Coruscant in a stolen transport. They must fight for their freedom when Darth Vader sends the vicious bounty hunter Korbain Thor to track them down.
The film started pre-production in January 2001, and was shot both in studio and on locations around Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Broken Allegiance cost approximately $5,000 AUD to make, mostly spent on raw materials for sets, props, costumes, catering and equipment rental to make the film. The film was made entirely with volunteer cast and crew.
In a departure from most fanfilms, Broken Allegiance features an original symphonic score by composer Rich Johnson, which was performed by the Johnson Film Orchestra.
Upon release, the film garnered major media coverage and was screened at numerous local and international film festivals to great response. Since its release, the film has been downloaded worldwide in excess of 1 million times. A sequel project was announced in 2003, but was cancelled in 2005 when the director decided to pursue an original feature film concept.
The film won the Audience Favorite Award in the 2003 I-CON Film Festival, and was a finalist in the 2002 Australian Effects and Animation Awards.
A Word from the Director One of my very first memories is of my parents taking me to see Star Wars as a four year old. I was overwhelmed by the experience and so thrilled by George Lucas's ground breaking film that from that very moment, I knew I wanted to be a film maker.
I began with Super 8 at the age of nine, and eventually moved into video. Every school holidays I'd be out somewhere shooting my latest blockbuster with friends, usually ending with a lounge room premiere.
After high school I studied filmmaking and media for a few years. Bit by bit I began to learn the craft, always dreaming of one day directing my first feature film as I slogged it out on student short films in every crew role going.
For the past ten years I have worked professionally in the film and TV industry in various production roles, from sound and camera to producing and directing independent documentaries and shorts.
Broken Allegiance, based around the Star Wars universe, is my most ambitious project to date. As producer and director, it involved over a year and a half of around-the-clock planning to produce a work that is ultimately a homage to the films that inspired me all those years ago to pick up a camera.
Working with a dedicated cast and crew, it has been our aim to produce a quality fan film, not only with stunning visuals but also substance to its story and characters.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, game developer BioWare, a studio founded by two medical doctors on the foundations of nerdy swords-and-sorcery role-playing, made the jump to deep space with Knights of the Old Republic, a Star Wars-themed role-playing game that told a story that predated the events of the motion pictures by several centuries. Some years later, the developer is now working on a massively multiplayer online game in the same universe--a game that will let you play as a Boba Fett-like bounty hunter, a Han Solo-like smuggler, or a Mace Windu-like Jedi Knight…among others. We recently had a chance to get a bit more insight on the game from its developers, and we also had our first chance to play the game using the Sith inquisitor profession, which we'll discuss shortly.
There's at least one inaccuracy in the article though; I'm fairly certain that the Dashade companion for the Sith Inquisitor isn't "a Sith inquisitor whose powerful lighting-based abilities provide excellent ranged damage" but in fact a melee character who is particularly resistant to the Force.
Anyway, the HoloNet page on the Sith Inquisitor should be up later today.
The eighth and final (not counting any possible expansions and whatnot) class reveal, the Sith Inquisitor:
The history of the Sith Empire is fraught with scheming politics and dark secrets—the lifeblood of the Sith Inquisitor. Treachery hides around every corner in the Empire’s dark corridors, and survival depends on an individual’s natural cunning and the will to manipulate and defeat enemies and allies alike. The Inquisitor experiments with forbidden powers to not only survive in this cutthroat environment, but to excel and seize authority.
Access the latest HoloNet entry now to see a full profile of the Sith Inquisitor, including footage displaying the destructive powers of the dark side! Also, be sure to visit the Media section to get downloadable screenshots, concepts, and wallpapers!
Ord Mantell was a planet in the Bright Jewel Cluster. It was located near Anobis in the Mid Rim. It was originally settled in 12,000 BBY as an Ordnance/Regional Depot.
Geography
Ord Mantell was known as the Heart of the Bright Jewel since it orbited the blue star Bright Jewel at the center of the Bright Jewel system. The planet was famous for its thick, outer cometary cloud, which glowed with a pinkish cast when viewed from space, ensuring its place as the site of the Blockade Runners Derby for nearly 100 years.
Two large moons and thirteen other satellites orbited the planet (to which was added the Jubilee Wheel), and the cloud cover was tinged with pink when viewed from the planet's surface. This collection of natural wonders made Ord Mantell something of a tourist attraction, despite its seedier side. It was also the homeworld of the Mantellian Savrips and Mantellian flutterplumes, whose sapience was largely unnoticed or ignored.
Mountains and islands were the distinct features of Ord Mantell's terrain. Almost every land mass on the planet was dotted with mountain chains. Ord Mantell's continent of Worlport boasted a sprawl of cities along its southern shore and it is this part of Ord Mantell that many spacers regarded as a safeport, famous for casinos and for tourists, of which it attracted almost one billion annually. Other metropolitan areas lacked address markings and were considered not intended for outsiders. The thinking behind this was that if you don't know where you're going, then you don't belong here.
Outside of the urban sprawl, the narrow equatorial band of starports and the volcanic islands, Ord Mantell remained largely rural and low tech. Its extreme reliance on fossil fuels kept the planet quite barren, huge robotic coal yards remained to fuel the planet's cities and an immense junkyard littered a large portion of the planetscape.
History
Ord Mantell was settled in circa 12,000 BBY by Corellian colonists as an advanced military outpost for the Galactic Republic in the Outer Rim. It was one of several Ordnance/Regional Depots, lending to its 'Ord' name. The settlers became mostly farmers.
Over time, more wealthy planets and better hyperspace routes diminished Ord Mantell's strategic importance, and it became something of a free port for all manner of freighters and cargo ships. Despite the planet's diminishing stature, it remained a popular stop for traveling ships.
Old Republic
During the Cold War in 3,653 BBY, a corrupt admiral sold off the local fleet, and so the military all but abandoned the planet, leading to the lawlessness Ord Mantell eventually became known for, and the haven for mercenaries, exiles, murderers and smugglers. After the Treaty of Coruscant, the corrupt local government decided to stay loyal to the republic, however separatist residents attempted to break away. This lead to an armed civil war in an attempt to achieve independence, and a military buildup assisted by local government supported crime syndicates and Galactic Republic forces destabilized the world further.
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a two-hour television special (including commercials) set in the Star Wars galaxy. It was the first official Star Wars spinoff produced. It was directed by Steve Binder. It was broadcast in its entirety in the United States only once, on Friday, November 17, 1978 on CBS-TV from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST). In the story, Chewbacca and Han Solo visit Kashyyyk, Chewbacca's home world, to celebrate Life Day. Along the way, they are pursued by agents of the Galactic Empire who are searching for rebels on the planet. The special introduces three members of Chewbacca's family: his father Attichitcuk, his wife Mallatobuck, and his son Lumpawarrump.
The main storyline of the film, which occurs two years after the Battle of Yavin (2 ABY), takes place on Kashyyyk. During the film, scenes also take place in outer space and in spacecraft including the Millennium Falcon and an Imperial Star Destroyer. The variety-show segments and cartoon introduce a few other locales, such as a cantina on the desert planet of Tatooine and a gooey, reddish ocean planet known as Panna.
The program also features brief appearances by other Star Wars characters, including Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2, Darth Vader, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa (who sings the film's "theme song", set to the music of John Williams's Star Wars theme, near the end). The program also features a cartoon produced by Toronto-based Nelvana that officially introduces the bounty hunter Boba Fett.
The film is notorious for its negative reception. Anthony Daniels in a documentary promoting the worldwide tour of Star Wars: In Concert notes with a laugh the Star Wars Universe includes "The horrible Holiday Special that nobody talks about". George Lucas had limited involvement with the film's production, and he was unhappy with the results. David Acomba, a classmate of Lucas's at USC film school, had been selected to direct the special, but he chose to leave the project, a decision supported by Lucas. The special has never been re-aired or officially released on video.
Generally, The Star Wars Holiday Special has received a large amount of criticism, both from Star Wars fans and the general public. David Hofstede, author of What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, ranked the holiday special at number one, calling it "the worst two hours of television ever." Shepard Smith, a news anchor for the Fox News Channel, referred to it as a "'70s train wreck, combining the worst of Star Wars with the utter worst of variety television." Actor Phillip Bloch explained on a TV Land special entitled The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments, that the special "just wasn't working. It was just so surreal." On the same program, Ralph Garman, a voice actor for the show Family Guy, explained that "The Star Wars Holiday Special is one of the most infamous television programs in history. And it's so bad that it actually comes around to good again, but passes it right up."
The only aspect of the special which has been generally well-received is the animated segment which introduces the bounty hunter Boba Fett, who would later become a popular character when he appeared in the Star Wars theatrical films.
George Lucas himself has rarely commented on or even acknowledged its existence, except to friends and co-workers. He is thought to hold a low opinion of it. For instance, Tom Burman, one of the costume designers for the holiday special, has said that Lucas once told him that he was very disappointed with the final product.
At one Australian fan convention he reportedly said "If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I would track down every copy of that show and smash it." In an online chat with fans, he reportedly said: "The holiday special does not represent my vision for Star Wars." In an interview with Maxim magazine in May 2002, Maxim asked the question, "Any plans for a Special Edition of the Holiday Special?" Lucas responded with "Right. That's one of those things that happened, and I just have to live with it."
Later, in a May 2005 interview with StaticMultimedia.com, Lucas was asked if the film had soured him on working in television: He replied: "The special from 1978 really didn't have much to do with us, you know. I can't remember what network it was on, but it was a thing that they did. We kind of let them do it. It was done by... I can't even remember who the group was, but they were variety TV guys. We let them use the characters and stuff and that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, but you learn from those experiences."
The official Star Wars site states that the holiday special "delivered mixed results," but explains that the highlight of the special was the Boba Fett animated segment. The official site also says, when referring to the fan interest in seeing the Wookiees on screen, "the 1978 Holiday Special didn't cut it." When asked at a fan convention, "So, you don't like it (the holiday special) either?", Lucasfilm head of content and fan relations, Steve Sansweet replied "No. I mean, I like the ten minute introduction of Boba Fett, but that's about it." The official site also refers to the Boba Fett animated segment as "a cult classic.".
On February 8, 2006, Harrison Ford made an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and during the interview, O'Brien brought up the special, and began asking various questions regarding it, such as inquiring whether he remembered making it. Ford said nothing, but looked away and shook his head nervously, then saying he had no memory of it whatsoever and it, therefore, "doesn't exist." The audience responded with laughter and applause. O'Brien then asked Ford what he would think if he played a clip of the special on the show, Ford jokingly grabbed him, then said that "[he'd] never seen it, maybe it'll be nice." Humorously acting anxious and distracted, Ford suffered through the clip (which featured a scene showing Ford as Han Solo telling Chewbacca and his wife that they are "like family" to him), and then muttered a gruff, sarcastic "thank you" to O'Brien, before continuing with the interview to promote his then newest film, Firewall.
It seems that today we get one class reveal, with the last one seemingly reserved for in a week or two. But first, they also have another issue of the comic. Here's the official news:
The twenty-first issue of Threat of Peace™ begins with Lord Angral returning to Korriban in full fury. Based on the message from Master Dar’Nala, Angral accuses Lord Baras of secretly ordering the recent attacks. Meanwhile on Dantooine, Jedi Knight Satele Shan reacts to the accusations against Baras with surprise and skepticism
Channeling the power of the Force for strength and wisdom, the Consulars of the Jedi Order cut to the truth of any complicated situation as cleanly as their double-bladed Lightsabers cut down an army of Imperial foes. Whether unlocking long forgotten mysteries of the Jedi, raising armies to fight for the Republic, or engaging in mortal combat with Dark Lords of the Sith, the Jedi Consulars’ deep attunement to the Force gives them all the power they need to rise to any battle with poise and balance.
Access the HoloNet to read archived reports on the mystical Jedi Consular and to see footage of the Consular in action! Also, be sure to check out the media section for new downloadable screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers!
The screenshots and concept art is also listed on the Holonet page, but they've also added two wallpapers:
I hope that as a Consular you're not forced to use the double lightsaber to be effective, because I find it an decidedly silly weapon (I really wish that they would've just stuck to one kind of lightsaber where, at most, you might be using two at once. But I guess the double lightsaber is a staple now). So far I'm utterly underwhelmed by the class, and I generally like the more peaceful, meditative, negotiating style.
The guys at Giant Bomb have thrown up a ten minute long video interview with BioWare's Blaine Christine that covers topics ranging from details on the Jedi Consular and Sith Inquisitor to how companion characters work in grouping situations. Much of the new info is blended into stuff that's already been covered, but it servers as a nice refresher course on Star Wars: The Old Republic with some new stuff peppered in for good measure.
More than anything else, it sounds like the Consular and Inquisitor are support classes with some offensive capability. The notion makes a lot of sense, considering the Trooper and Bounty Hunter likely perform quite well as ranged DPS classes. Of course, until BioWare begins revealing specific abilities of the classes the best we can do is guess.
And as I predicted there's a lot more articles from the press event that BioWare held in November. But instead of quoting each one of them here I'll just refer to Sean's post:
As some of you already know, we had two press events last month; one in Europe and one in the United States. Today, articles from various websites (and magazines) are being released based on information collected at these two events.
We will keep a list of the articles and update this post as new ones arise.
G4
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Star Wars: The Old Republic Hands-On Preview BioWare has just released Dragon Age: Origins... Mass Effect 2 is on the horizon... but there's a third game in development at the RPG mega-studio and it is none other than Star Wars: The Old Republic, the company's foray into the MMORPG genre. X-Play's Matt Keil recently got to check out the game's final two classes, the Jedi Consular and the Sith Inquisitor, and was kind enough to write-up his impressions:
Star Wars: The Old Republic Hands-On - The Sith Inquisitor Star Wars stole the limelight at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. There, the creative forces of BioWare and LucasArts revealed some juicy new information about their upcoming sci-fi online role-playing game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. In addition to unveiling a mouthwatering cinematic trailer at the show, the developers gave us a taste of the smuggler and bounty hunter character classes behind closed doors. Since then, we've seen the Sith warrior, Jedi knight, and Imperial agent. At a recent EA showcase in London, BioWare revealed the remaining two classes: the Jedi consular and the Sith inquisitor. We got the chance to play through an inquisitor quest during the event and talked to the development team.
Kotaku
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Star Wars: The Old Republic Preview: The Space Inquisition I played through about 95% of a quest we'll call "The Tomb of Tulac Horde" because I'm not sure what its official name is, but that just about sums it up. I was in the role of a Sith Inquisitor acolyte with a nice rack and red hair — and I was role playing her with an attitude problem that somehow didn't get her Force-choked even once during the play through. The quest involves going into a tomb to collect three tablets and returning to your Sith master. Additionally, you could accept a quest to activate something in the tomb called the Red Machine for some other dude standing outside the tomb.
Darth Hater
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December 3rd Information Extravaganza Today is the day! The Information Extravaganza has begun! Below you will find links to all of the articles posted on December 3rd pertaining to what we learned at LucasArts about Star Wars: The Old Republic. This includes information regarding the Jedi Consular, Sith Inquisitor, Smuggler class trees, second part of our interview with Jake Neri, other general information learned during the hands-on demo, and our take on the four force users debate.
GameSpot UK
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Star Wars: The Old Republic Hands-On - The Sith Inquisitor Our hands-on with the game featured a combat-heavy side quest on the Sith homeworld of Korriban--which was also featured in Knights of the Old Republic II. The area that we saw was certainly a desolate place, featuring red dirt and rock formations and some dangerous alien life-forms. Our character, a level eight Sith inquisitor, had come to Korriban to study the lost laws of the Sith and to be trained in their ways. After talking to a shady quest giver called Ephram Zell, we needed to enter a Sith tomb and acquire an artefact known as the Red Engine. This mission also served as a test for would-be dark lords like us, as we needed to kill the monsters that lurked within the tomb before collecting the device and returning to Zell.
Joystiq
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Hands-on: Star Wars: The Old Republic While navigating the corridors of the planet's sprawling, temple-like fortifications on our way to the dig site, we were approached by another Sith. She informed us that some Jedi had been captured and were being held prisoner on Korriban, and wanted us to interrogate them. Knowing our time was short, we left this for later, having seen what will likely be only the beginning of multiple, intertwining quests for each class.
Eurogamer
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Star Wars: The Old Republic You can't fault BioWare and LucasArts' showmanship, but when you're working with what they're working with, it's almost too easy. At a recent EA press event, we were shown and allowed to play their Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, behind closed doors. We suspect this was only so they could have a hydraulic octagonal door to put the game behind, with a Stormtrooper guarding it, quacking officiously at loitering journos. Cheesy? Perhaps, but it's impossible to stop a little genuine excitement slipping into your cynical smile.
Blaine Christine: They're not meant as replacements. If you're in a group, each one of the group members could still have a companion character. It's an augmentation, but that works with the solo game as well. So really they're there for you to be used when and how you see fit. Similar to other BioWare games, we don't necessarily force companion characters on you. It's a way to augment your play style.
IncGamers
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Star Wars: The Old Republic Interview IncGamers: I've had the chance to play and get my hands on The Old Republic today, and I have to say it does feel quite different to other MMOs. How did you actually approach developing it and designing it and making it different?
James Ohlen: Well, there's two major differentiators for our game, we feel. One is story, and the other is combat. Well, I guess there's a third if you count Star Wars, because Star Wars allows us to kinda be fantasy without being fantasy - you know, you have to differentiate yourself and so many people are just in the fantasy genre, so Star Wars is big.
It sounds like a recipe for guaranteed success: the most renowned RPG developer in the industry with a license for the biggest IP in the history of the world, takes on what has proven to be one of the most profitable mediums in gaming… potentially, at least. As much as we hate to trivialise Star Wars: The Old Republic, we still feel obliged to put the question of whether The Old Republic will just be a standard MMORPG in a Star Wars skin to the man in charge of the project.
Ten Ton Hammer
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Not SO Far Far Away - A Preview of Star Wars: The Old Republic I have been fortunate enough, in my short career in the gaming field, to be able to meet some great people and travel to some interesting events, but none of them ever instilled in me that pit-of-the-stomach anxiousness, which borders just this side of uncomfortable, until I was invited to LucasArts HQ in San Francisco to gets some hands-on time with Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The only thing that I will put here is IGTV's interview video as it is the longest:
There will probably be more articles over the coming day(s). And it wouldn't surprise me to see Holonet pages for the new classes tomorrow, but we'll see.
