This film was created by the students of the Dave School.
http://www.daveschool.com/
Full SWTOR Companion List
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.
Know your lore
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
Tips, tricks and knowledge from SWTOR Beta
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.
How to Create a SWTOR Guild In-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
Complete Datacron Location List
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 #
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
While we wait for the old republic: Star Wars: The Solo Adventures
This film was created by the students of the Dave School.
http://www.daveschool.com/
Friday, August 27, 2010
Gamescom 2010 Wrap-Up
Today's official update consists of another issue of Blood of the Empire... and that seems to be it. Luckily I've also still got the Gamescom wrap-up to do, so I'll add that as well to spice things up. But first the comic; here's the official news:
As for Gamescom, I felt that The Old Republic didn't have quite as strong a presence as I was expecting. Maybe it didn't stand out as much anymore after its E3 presence, but to me they (and every other MMO, not to say every other game) seemed to be rather steamrolled by Guild Wars 2's exceptionally strong presence at the expo (not that surprising considering that GW2 was showing gameplay for the very first time). Either way, there were a number of things here and there.In the tenth issue of Blood of the Empire™, a battle between Republic and Imperial fleets rages over Korriban as Teneb Kel chases down his foe. The fate of the Sith homeworld and the Children of the Emperor is in the hands of one young acolyte and his slave--but duty and patriotism aren't the only forces guiding them...
Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!
- [link] to interview with James Ohlen at Darth Hater.
The always excellent Darth Hater had an interview with James Ohlen during Gamescom. I thought that they had more Gamescom interviews, but seems I was wrong. Anyway, here's an excerpt:
Can you explain the philosophy behind how the skill sets in each advanced class work? Is it to give you further options to extend the ways you play one role in groups, does it open up additional roles, or is it best described as a combination?
James: Each of the advanced classes does allow you to modify the role you play as a group. For example, if you are a Sith Warrior and you decide to go down the Juggernaut path then you will be wearing heavy armor and wielding a single lightsaber. You are much more of a tank character. However, if you decide to go with the Marauder path, then you get to wield two lightsabers and you are dealing a lot of damage. You are much more of a dps character; you are gonna be the guy dealing the damage instead of taking it. So those are two very different classes, but you are still a Sith Warrior; you are just playing a different role in the group.
- [link] to Space Combat reveal video interview at GameSpot.
GameSpot has a video interview with Daniel Erickson about the recenty revealed space combat. it's a nice interview that goes beyond just space combat onto a few other things. The most interesting thing for me was where they talked about giving your companions 'kits' to help specify what role you want them to play. I don't think I'd heard that before. Anyway, here's the video:
- [link] to Sith Inquisitor hands on article at IGN.
Over at IGN they played the demo at Gamescom as a Sith Inquisitor and they wrote a relatively short article about their experience. Here's an excerpt:
Back to my Inquisitor character, he was initially tasked with proving his worth by finding a certain NPC located nearby the starting area on Korriban. By roaming outside I found myself in a red rock valley along the sides of which were carved huge, ominous figures. I trotted around and checked out the skill bar. It wasn't very full yet, the character was very low level, but could still pull off a few useful attacks. Saber strike could be triggered at close range for a boost in melee damage played out across a flurry of strikes. Shock functioned as a simple ranged electrical attack, and lighting drain was a channeled ability that damaged, restored force, and slowed targets. If a fight proved to be especially tough, there's also the option to meditate to quickly restore health and force over time. With a cooldown of one minute, it seems like this ability is meant to be used pretty often, keeping downtime between battles to a minimum.
- [link] to article at TenTonHammer.
Ten Ton Hammer has a fairly short article about a press demonstration that BioWare gave, talking about advanced classes and space combat. Here's an excerpt:
If the player wants to be a character like Darth Maul, they would select the Sith Assassin specialization from the Inquisitor class. This would allow them to wield a double bladed sword and provide a stealth element to their gameplay. The contrasting specialization for the Inquisitor is the Sorcerer. As a Sith Sorcerer the player would be more like the Emperor and have ranged abilities like force lightning.
- [link] to off screen gameplay video at GameTrailers.
GameTrailers also played the demo, if I'm not mistaken as a Trooper, and they pointed a camera at the screen as they did. The resulting video is below:
- [link] to wrap-up article at MMORPG.
MMORPG.com didn't go to Gamescom (as I understand), but they did look at all the information that's been released and wrote an article considering their thoughts. The article is mainly about the advanced classes, but also mentions space combat. Here's an excerpt (I might've missed it, but I don't recall hearing anywhere that the Jedi Shadow can use stealth so I wonder what their source for that is):
The Jedi Consular’s Advanced Classes stirred the SW:TOR community into a tizzy over the past few days. Options for the Jedi Consular include the hybrid controlling/healing/damage dealing “Jedi Wizard” Advanced Class, as well as the saber staff wielding MDPS Jedi Shadow. Fan reaction to the Consulars “Jedi Wizard” class name was understandably negative, I’m not sure what Bioware’s thinking was here and I suspect that this may be changed. Yes, Ben Kenobi was referred to as an “old wizard” by Owen Lars in Episode IV, but that is pretty obscure and there are plenty of other possible names that could have been used here. This just seems like a lazy attempt to attach a familiar fantasy class name to one of SW:TOR’s “mage” classes. The Jedi Shadow, as its name would imply, interestingly makes use of stealth mechanics.
- [link] to off screen gameplay video at IGN.
IGn also has a (very short and soundless) off screen gameplay video with what looks to be a Sith Warrior. For a while I thought that the character's lightsaber was horribly bugged as it looks like a normal stick, but I think now that that's supposed to be a training weapon or such. Can't really fault them for not trusting acolytes with lightsabers (and it's fun for players to earn them). Here's the video:
[link] to video interview with James Ohlen at SWTOR-Station.
The German site SWTOR-Station also has a video interview, this one with James Ohlen where they cover a variety of topics (and some interesting answers). The link above has, next to the video, also a summary of points (be sure to click the English flash in the top-right if you're getting it in German and prefer English). I'm glad to have confirmation that twi'leks can be more than just Smugglers (I'm still hopeful that it's a species that can be every class, considering how iconic to Star Wars the species is). Anyway, here's the video (via YouTube):
- [link] to off screen gameplay videos at Leakerz.
[link] to more off screen gameplay videos at Leakerz.
[link] to even more off screen gameplay videos at Leakerz.
I'm not going to embed all the videos, but the gaming blog Leakerz has a whole load of off screen videos showing (well over an hour of) TOR gameplay. Unfortunately most of them are without sound (ostensibly because of the noise on the show floor), but they still give a detailed view of the gameplay. If you can't get enough off screen demo footage then it's certainly worth a watch.
And that's about it. I'm sure that there are sites and articles and such that I've missed, but that should give a fairly decent view of TOR's presence at Gamescom this year.
Next up is PAX.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
May the schwartz be with you: Luke & Leia: The Truth
Every journey has a first step. Every saga has a beginning. Every epic starts with a hook-up between a brother and a sister who happen to have Force powers...
Sith Warrior Gameplay Compilation
In my next addition to a developing series of gameplay compilations, I've created a mash-up of the skills and acrobatics of the Sith Warrior class. As with my previous Jedi Knight Compilation, not all of the titles for the abilities are necessarily accurate. Any constructive criticism is, as always, welcomed! Feel free to leave questions or comments, and you may view the video below:
Monday, August 23, 2010
While we wait for the old republic: A Light in the Darkness Part 1
Plot
A Light in the Darkness’ main action takes place approx. 1 year BBY on a small planet in the Outer Rim. A young boy watches the Jedi who saved his people be killed by the very clones who once fought by his side. Years later, as a member of a small insurgency against the empire he and his team hatch a new plan to take back their planet by drawing the attention of the newly formed rebel alliance.
Armed with the fallen Jedi’s light saber, he and his team battle to strike fear into the local imperial garrison, and overthrow their despotic governor. Their silent attacks give birth to a legend, and the people speak of a phantom Jedi whose spirit has returned.
As the story spreads they manage to draw attention to their forgotten corner of the galaxy, but who will arrive first, the rebel alliance or the empire?
Creators
hen Celebration V announced it was coming to their hometown of Orlando, FL, creators PJ Tamayo and Fed Wetherbee saw this as their catalyst. A Star Wars fan film was the perfect project to put their talents to work as well as challenge them to go beyond their comfort zone.
PJ Tamayo and Fed Wetherbee met several years ago in an MMA class. After punching and kicking each other for several weeks they started talking and discovered they had similar careers and aspirations. They had been looking for a project to work on together and began working on A Light in the Darkness in early 2010. Meeting the deadline of the Atom.com Fan Movie Challenge was daunting, but they were able to finish principle photography and editing in time to release a trailer.
Finalists
A Light in the Darkness’ trailer is now a finalist in the 2010 Fan Movie Challenge on Atom.com. All finalists will be screened at Celebration V on August 12th. Awards for various categories will be given on that night.
Visit the creators website here
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Gamespot Interview with Daniel Erickson – GamesCom 2010
As we continue our coverage of GamesCom 2010, Giancarlo Varanini from Gamespot interviewed Daniel Erickson about space combat and the advanced classes. Lot's of new tidbits were revealed including:
- Space combat may not be entirely optional
- There will be access to rewards and other things through space combat
- Advanced classes are “total class systems” not just little offshoots
- Described advanced classes as very much “works in progress” (no word if that means the names as well)
- Companions will factor in a big way into your class built
- Companions may be assigned their abilities by “kits” you give them – for example, any companion can be a healer with the right kit
- Daniel remarks that the Force is not magic, which makes the choice of the name Wizard for one of the Jedi Consular advanced classes all the more curious
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Starships of Star Wars: The Old Republic
The official SWTOR website continued with its ‘space’ theme by revealing more details for the starships you can use in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This time revealing both ships that we have already seen – The Sith ‘Fury’ and Republic ‘Defender’. The sharp eye would notice there are 4 more slots for additional reveals over the coming weeks.
Whether you’re looking to dominate the galaxy in the name of the Empire or rescue it from darkness as part of the Republic, you won’t get very far without a starship. In Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, your starship will be your base of operations, and it might even be your best friend. Ship models are specially designed to match the needs and tastes of each of the class types, so even though all the starships are outfitted for traveling the galaxy, each has its own character.
Study the style and specifications of the various Starships by accessing the HoloNet now!
Here is the Space Combat trailer once again for your viewing pleasure.
Advanced Classes
A few days ago we reported about the new advanced class details that was given to us during Gamescom. Although alot of detail was still vague, the official SWTOR website has now updated us with the latest.
The main goal of the Advanced Class System is to allow you to customize your character according to your play style. So far, we’ve announced the Advanced Classes for the Sith Warrior and Jedi Knight. Today we’re letting you in on the names and specializations of the remaining Advanced Classes! Please be aware that since the specific class details are still under development, the information provided below may be subject to change.
We’ll, be updating the class pages with more information in the months to come, so be sure to check back for our future Friday updates.
TrooperCommando
Scoundrel | Bounty HunterPowertech
Sith Juggernaut |
To say that people are unhappy with some of the names is an understatement. Particular "Jedi Wizard" is drawing a lot of fire. In fact the first thing anyone who sees that list tends to say can be best summed up as "WTF, Wizard? Are they serious?" Of all the names listed everyone I've talked to (without mentioning anything in advance) singles out "Wizard" is seeming an extremely poor fit.
In fact, I don't think I've heard anyone say that they think that it's the best possible name; the closest anyone defending BioWare here will come is saying something like "it's just a name". It might be just a name, but it's a name that anyone who wants to play the class will be referred to for as long as they play the game. It seems so incredibly ill-fitting for Star Wars (and in particular for Jedi) that all it can do is constantly sour the experience playing. It does the exact opposite of making you feel like a Jedi and instead calls to mind settings like Warcraft, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, casting fireballs and teleporting and turning people into sheep.
In fact, ever since the announcement of that name I've got this recurring thought of Luke waking up in Ben Kenobi's cave with the old man hovering over him saying "you're a wizard, Luke". He then goes off to the school for Jedis and Wizardry under the tutelage of Professor Yodalore where, together with his friends Herleiame and Han Weaslo he fights the evil Lord Volpatine and his Darth Eaters. And don't get me started on Chewbacca in this nightmare. Wizard indeed.
Those defending the name say that the word "wizard" has actually been used in the movies and thus is part of canon. They're referring to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in which Uncle Own says "That wizard is just a crazy old man" about Old Ben Kenobi. People have already pointed out that this is said in derision, but I think it's more than that. To me that sentence shows Owen's complete and utter ignorance as to what a Jedi is by calling Obi-Wan something he's exactly not. The rest of the movie then lifts Luke out of the ignorance of his upbringing (represented by his aunt and uncle) as he discovers what a Jedi really is.
It would be utter irony if BioWare's designers show such utter ignorance as to what a Jedi is by adopting that exact name. And that's rather worrying for the rest of the game as well; if they get this so incredibly wrong then what else, something that's possibly of much larger consequence, will they get wrong?
The only ray of hope here is, as the news article mentions: "Please be aware that since the specific class details are still under development, the information provided below may be subject to change." If there's any chance at all of BioWare ever listening to the reactions of its fanbase, then they will indeed revise the name as the rage on the forums over this is quite strong. If they don't listen to this, then I don't think they'll ever listen to anything the community says. And numerous suggestions for a better name have been made (my personal favorites being "Sage" and "Mystic"), though at this point pretty much anything is better.
And though I'm singling out Wizard as, by far, the worst offender in non Star Wars sounding names it's certainly not the only one. Other that have drawn ire include Sorcerer (though, while I'm not enthusiastic about it, I think there might be a bit more precedent for it being used by certain Sith), Shadow (yeah, Consulars are definitely getting the short end of the stick name-wise) and Powertech (which indeed sounds also absolutely ridiculous).
The fear I have here as well, next to these names appearing in SWTOR, is that with these names apparently being approved for use it's just a step away from them becoming officially part of the lore. Thus letting the Star Wars franchise slip even further into mediocrity. Star Wars has always walked a precarious balance between science-fiction and swords-and-sorcery, but this would tip the balance too much.
Star Wars Rarities: John Williams Conducts for ‘Star Wars’ Ballet
Cinematical dug up this old clip of Galina and Valeri Panov dancing to a beautiful tribute to Star Wars accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by legendary composer John Williams.
When it comes to things that don't seem to go together, Star Wars and ballet would be pretty high up on my list. Sure, Lightsaber duels have a certain choreography to them, but full on ballet?
That's what viewers are treated to in this old clip featuring performers Galina and Valeri Panov dancing an elaborate tribute to Star Wars accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra -- conducted by none other than John Williams. I'm not sure when this event happened, exactly, but you know it was in the distant past because once the segment ends they toss it to George Burns.
I'm no expert on ballet, but this was impressive. And while I still don't really see the connection between the adventures of Luke Skywalker and this performance (they're not even dressed like Star Wars characters), you do have to admire the athleticism on display.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Star Wars: The old republic GAMESCOM Day 2
Below is a Google translated snip from the article plus the movie:
In Cologne on the gamescom there is Bioware's highly anticipated online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic to Preview. Michael Graf has looked at the demo, and played in the video with a Trooper - even if he had to create for themselves a real Storm Trooper. Michael's impressions and the video with the scenes, see below or in our gamescom area..
Source
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Star Wars: The old republic GAMESCOM Day 1
Darth Hater reports the names of all the advanced classes were revealed and they are:
Republic:
- Jedi Consular – Shadow (double-bladed lightsaber) and Wizard (healing / single lightsaber)
- Trooper – Commando and Vanguard
Sith:
- Imperial Agent – Operative and Sniper
- Sith Inquisitor – Sorcerer and Assassin
- Bounty Hunter – Powertech and Mercenary
The German Fan Site (they have an English translation button) swtor-station.com had a good 15 min. of playtime today, were they gathered heaps of information. Amongst a detailed list of stuff, they confirmed that the Zabrak trooper was seen as a playable race. Here is a list of what they gathered:
- 36 people can play at the booth at the same time.
- The Jedi classes are not playable yet, but the remaining six classes are.
- Character creation could not be seen, there are predefined characters.
- We saw a Zabrak trooper. It looks like this species will also be available for this class to choose.
- There are thin and big characters. It looks like body weight is going to be adjustable.
- Voice.overs are completely in English at the booth.
- The characters start right at the beginning and you can go as far as you can in 15 minutes.
- If you open the map (via M) and continue walking the map becomes transparent so you can easily navigate to your next target
- There are bonus quests which start automatically. If you reach a certain point on the map, a quest appears in your log. For example you have to kill K’lor slugs in the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban. Bonus quest give experience points once you finish them, you don’t have to bring them to an npc.
- There are “Bind on Equip” items
- There’s a system implemented, which allows you to bind you to a location to return quickly
- There are class trainers, who allow you to buy new skills once you gain a certain level
Following hot on the heals of yesterdays big ‘Space reveals’, we have some tasty screenshots of combat and classes – Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Space Combat trailer!
If you are curious about Star Wars: The Old Republic's space combat (let's face it, who isn't?), BioWare has posted a space combat trailer that will feed your need!
Just as expected from the information that has been floating around the net, space combat does appear to be fast paced mission scenarios meant to give players a taste of something a little different than typical ground combat. While SWTOR won't be releasing with the option to explore space in any sort of open format, BioWare has stated some possibility of future space gameplay.
Check out the SWTOR space combat trailer and let us know what you think! Will you be hunting down these missions in game to get your chance to pew pew your way through space? Share your thoughts below.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Star Wars Celebration V: Fans in Costume
(MTV’s Liz Lee smooches a lucky Gamorrean Guard guard)
words: Bonnie Burton
photos: Bonnie Burton & Jenny Elwick
It wouldn’t be Star Wars Celebration without seeing a Gamorrean Guard guard wandering through the crowds or a tiny Jawa waiting in line for nachos.
The beginning of Star Wars Celebration already seems like giant photo op with all our favorite characters. Here’s a roundup of some of the coolest costumes we’ve already seen in Orlando.
The cutest Jedi you’ll see all day. 
In a parallel galaxy, Darth Vader fears these two.
Bossk would like a word with you!
Han Solo, Chewbacca and Slave Leia = 3 x the cool!
A clone trooper rainbow!
Utini!
Thirst first. Empire second.
Look out behind you, Yoda!
A Whole Lotta Hans!
Darth Maul takes romance very seriously!
Indiana Jones strikes a pose by the ATMs.
photos: Bonnie Burton & Jenny Elwick
It wouldn’t be Star Wars Celebration without seeing a Gamorrean Guard guard wandering through the crowds or a tiny Jawa waiting in line for nachos.
The beginning of Star Wars Celebration already seems like giant photo op with all our favorite characters. Here’s a roundup of some of the coolest costumes we’ve already seen in Orlando.
The cutest Jedi you’ll see all day.
In a parallel galaxy, Darth Vader fears these two.
Bossk would like a word with you!
Han Solo, Chewbacca and Slave Leia = 3 x the cool!
A clone trooper rainbow!
Utini!
Thirst first. Empire second.
Look out behind you, Yoda!
A Whole Lotta Hans!
Darth Maul takes romance very seriously!
Indiana Jones strikes a pose by the ATMs.
Celebration V: The Old Republic Panel Report
- The Old Republic panel starting. David Collins ask Jedi fans to cheer, followed by Sith. Sith dominate the audience. Hope trailer being shown today.
- Concept art being created as panel runs.
- Concept art drawn by TOR artist as panel continues.
- RT- avgoins- “You will be playing as the best smuggler who has ever lived. Han Solo would just shake his head and retire” - Drew K.
- RT- avgoins- Smuggler will have a special move called The Dirty Kick. “Use your imagination.”
- A lot of “we can’t discuss that yet” as the answers to audience questions at the TOR panel.
- There are a lot of species exclusive to classes. Some species do overlap.
- Final concept art from the panel!
- The best part of working on TOR is the flexible release date. This allows them to continuously improve the game.
- Music from TOR was playing when we walked in. It sounded great!
- One of the artists called TOR one of the best Star Wars experiences.
- Q: Number of ships? A: A lot.
- Q: How do you decide the timeline of the stories? A: We wanted to carry on the legacy of KOTOR while having original content.
- Q: Will the music change base on what you do? A: Yes. There’s a record-breaking amount of music. 5+ hours of original music.
- Q: Are there story arcs specific to space battles? A: We can’t reveal anything about that at this time.
- Q: Multiplayer info? A: Playing with other people is fun. You can experience both personal and shared stories together.
- Shared stories will be similar to the movies. You’ll be together, but you’ll occasionally split up for a while.
- Q: Are species only tied to specific classes? A: There’s both class-specific and non-class-specific species.
- Will repeat play throughs of the same class feel very different? A: Story complexity will be similar to KOTOR.
- More to come! Stay tuned for UPDATES!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
New Droid Companion! Meet T7-01
T7-01 was created as a repair and pilot droid, but his extensive experience have given him abilities that he can use in combat. The little guy can take care of himself, he survived the destruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for The Force's sake.
To find out more about T7-01 check out his twitter page or the The Old Republic website.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
While we wait for the old republic: Return of the Jedi deleted scene
The scene shows Luke Skywalker building his Return of the Jedi lightsaber. It gave me goosebumps, and I hope it gives you some too!
Oh... and by the way:
"RT @starwars: Lucas reveals that the six movie Star Wars saga box set is coming out on Blu-Ray in 2011. Will feature deleted scenes. "Awesome news! Spread the word!
Friday, August 13, 2010
BioWare's Daniel Erickson Talks on Star Wars History
Creating a MMOG for a franchise such as Star Wars is likely to be quite the balancing act. For the writers of Star Wars: The Old Republic, they must draw their knowledge and inspiration from so many sources and you can be certain that if a mistake is made, one of the many SW fans will find it!
So where does a SWTOR writer get their inspiration? Techland.com interviewed BioWare's Daniel Erickson, the Writing Director of SWTOR to learn more about his Star Wars background and what it's like to write for a game with such a rich storyline.
Writing for Star Wars is always a delicate piece of surgery. We must carefully carve out the archetypes, rhythms and overlaying themes of the movies and then place them in a completely new body of work. Players want to feel what it's like to live as Han Solo did but they don't want to be constrained to his experience or attitudes. The miracle of the MMORPG is that we can allow them to do just that by making their own decision and crafting a very personal story.
You can read more of this interview with Daniel Erickson by visiting Techland.com!
SWTOR Updates Vital Info on the Jedi Knight
Confirming what you may have already heard on the Star Wars: The Old Republic's Jedi Knight, BioWare has finally updated the holonet to include specialization and companion information for this deeply iconic class.
The Jedi will be able to choose between the heavily armored tank-like specialization aptly name the Guardian or the more limber and offensive specialization of the Sentinel.
To assist you on your journey through the brutal worlds in the Star Wars universe, you can choose a T7-01 droid to accompany you. With centuries since its last memory wipe, this droid would be a valuable asset of knowledge!
You can learn more about the Jedi Knight, their specializations and known associates by checking out the freshly updated holonet on the official SWTOR website.
A symbol of hope in dark times, the Jedi Knight stands for the legacy of the Jedi Order—more than twenty-thousand years of protecting the Republic and keeping the peace across the galaxy. Though Jedi Knights have served as generals, guerilla fighters, and warriors for generations, their legendary combat prowess faces its greatest test during this age.
Through years of disciplined training and meditation, the Jedi Knight hones body and mind into perfect harmony. Combining the foresight of the Force with unrivaled reflexes and practiced physical precision, the Knight turns combat into an art form, gracefully executing acrobatic feats in tandem with elegant lightsaber tactics.
This video captures the experience of the Jedi Knight in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™.
Also this week, Blood of the Empire #9, a Star Wars web comic, is now available!
Teneb Kel awakens from his vision with a new understanding of the danger he faces--but is there still time to stop Exal Kressh's plot against the Emperor from coming to fruition? And meanwhile, what's going on with Maggot and the Jedi Padawan...?
Catch up on previous issues and get the latest Blood of the Empire here.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
May the schwartz be with you: Grand Moff Tarkin and Count Dooku (pic)
Pre expanded universe mash up, but Check out the 1958 Hammer version of "Dracula" to see Cushing as Van Hellsing and Lee as Dracula. Or check out the Hammer film "The Curse of Frankenstein" to see Cushing as Dr. Frankenstein and Lee as Frankenstein's monster. OR check out the Hammer film "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell" to see Cushing as Dr. Frankenstein and David Prowse (aka Darth Vader) as Frankenstein's monster.
They appeared together in many films, mostly by Hammer.
They appeared together in many films, mostly by Hammer.
May the schwartz be with you: Vaderex
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Space Combat Details
It seems that the German magazine PC Action has been released with details on the space combat in The Old Republic. And to say that the official forums have exploded over it is probably an understatement.
The gist of it is that it seems that space combat in The Old Republic isn't the X-Wing, Tie Fighter or even the Jump to Lightspeed type gameplay that everyone was hoping for, but rather more of an on-rails shooter meant for the more casual gamer.
SWTOR-Station has the (translated, you might have to click the English flag first) details both on Space Combat as well as some further class details (nothing shocking there though). Here are the space combat details from SWTOR-Station:
Understandable people are disappointed as they were hoping that "space combat" meant free space exploration and combat much like Star Wars Galaxies' Jump To Lightspeed. In fact, as I've said before, whenever people mention "Space Combat" it always felt to me that that's what they're talking about and that just any combat in space won't do.
- Sprace Combat reminds of Rebel Assault
We call this gameplay "tunnel shooter". That means there are especially designed levels which make you follow a certain path. The player has a range of weapon systems to choose from to use against his enemies. You will receive a quest beforehand. If you're in space you will automatically receive side quests.- Missions are supposed to be a few minutes short and are more of an "action snack".
- There won't be any PvP space combat at launch, but it's a possible feature for a later state of the game.
- PC action played a mission, which included fighters, corvettes and cruisers. There task was to shoot 20 fighters and destroy the enemy's capital ship.
- Missions are well-staged/designed, there won't be any flying around doing nothing.
- Space combat is single-player for now, the hotspots are chosen from you space ship's bridge.
- Escort missions are planned.
- Space combat missions are completely optional for now, if you don't want to do them, you don't have to.
- There are six different types of space ships. Smuggler, Bounty Hunter, Agent and Trooper will have their own type of ship. The two Jedi and the two Sith classes will have to share a type.
Then there are further disappointments (to me) like there only being six ships. At the very least they could give each class a separate ship instead of giving both Jedi (and both Sith) classes the same ship. But then I've got the feeling that your ship doesn't really matter that much in the end; they'll all end up being the same with just a different skin.
Anyway, I could go on but I'm sure everything is already being said on the forums. The developers are concentrating all discussions into one thread now. Sean did make a very small comment on the content of the discussion though:
UPDATE [1]: To clarify, Space Combat is not a Turret Shooter (this is probably obvious after seeing the screenshot but some people were mentioning it in the other thread).Personally the only thing that interested me about 'space combat' wasn't the combat, but the free exploration of space. Since we're not getting that the whole thing leaves me cold. I know that The Old Republic isn't Star Wars Galaxies, but it would've been nice if they didn't dismiss the good along with the bad from that game. Maybe they'll add what people really want out of space in an expansion (as, to be fair, SWG did as well and I still believe that they're much better off concentrating on making a good ground game and leaving space for later), but I'm not really holding my breath.
I guess we'll see.
[UPDATE]
I've also since read the PC Gamer article which pretty much confirms everything from the PC Action article above. Specifically they compare Space Combat to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, saying that you move along a fixed route with no control over direction or speed, but that you move around the screen's X- and Y-axes shooting things and avoiding asteroids. They say that BioWare expects most people to die or not complete the "main quest" the first few times and that later missions are "complex and difficult". Mostly the point seems to be (my interpretation) giving players a 'cinematic experience' while they get to shoot some stuff.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Timeline trailer 9: The Mandalorian Wars
Star Wars: The old republic Timeline trailer 9: The Mandalorian Wars, has just been released. Since the last timeline told us about Revan and Malak and the events of Knights of the Old Republic, we are now presented the bloody wars, which were responsible for KotOR events: the Mandalorian Wars.
In this timeline Bioware basically made everything that happened in Kotor 2 Vapor-Ware and made their own story canon. So Exile didnt really do anything with Malachor V, it was all Revan. Carth Onasi Also get a mention in this timeline trailer though.
The Mandalorian Wars included some of the bloodiest battles in the Republic’s history. Mandalore the Ultimate’s relentless campaign to goad the Jedi into open conflict cost the lives of millions. Though the entrance of a Jedi splinter faction into the war is perceived as the factor that turned the tide against the Mandalorians, the perseverance of Republic soldiers and pilots like Carth Onasi cannot be underestimated. Jedi Master Gnost-Dural’s historical investigation analyzes the conflict with the perspective of modern events, highlighting the implications for the war against the Sith Empire.
BTC 311 – Too often, the Mandalorian Wars are characterized solely as a prelude to the Jedi Civil War, but the events surrounding the conflict itself bear close examination. When Mandalore the Ultimate called together the clans and began augmenting his armies further with Neo-Crusaders, his intention was to pull the Jedi Order into open conflict. As is the tradition in their culture, the Mandalorians sought to establish themselves as the most powerful faction in the galaxy by defeating the faction they considered to be their greatest rivals. Though the Jedi Council resisted the Mandalorian challenge, the splinter group led by Revan and Malak eventually joined the fray and won the war. Though there has never been a hint that the Sith were involved in the Mandalorian Wars, new analysis from Jedi Master Gnost-Dural suggests that the influence of the dark side was involved. The bittersweet victory in the Mandalorian Wars took a toll on the Republic for which the price is still being paid to this day…
Watch the latest Timeline holorecord, The Mandalorian Wars narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Jedi and Sith Species Announced for Star Wars: The Old Republic
The Star Wars: The Old Republic website has announced that all classes in the upcoming MMO will include different alien species to play as. Aside from Chiss, Rattataki, and Twil'lek, fans haven't heard a lot about the playable races in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Now Players can look forward to becoming a Sith Pureblood, a Miraluka, a Mirialan, or a Zabrak.
So far we’ve only dropped hints about the range of playable species in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. You may have heard about the Rattataki Bounty Hunter, Chiss Imperial Agent, or the Twi’lek Smuggler, but we can tell you now that all classes will include optional non-human species.
Sith Purebloods are "the red-skinned descendants of such notorious Sith Lords as Naga Sadow and Marka Ragnos." SW:TOR is the first video game allowing players to choose the original Sith as a playable race. Sith Purebloods originated on Korriban and later settled on Ziost and were enslaved by exiled Dark Jedi.
Sith Pureblood
Next, the Miraluka are available as Jedi Knights since their race uses the Force to see the world. The Miraluka actually only have vestigial eye sockets and come from a world with no visible light waves. They see the world "entirely through the Force." One of the most well known Miraluka's was Visas Marr from KOTOR II. Their adopted homeworld was Alpheridies, a planet the Miraluka migrated to when their original homeworld was rendered uninhabitable. A colony world of the Miraluka named Katarr was stripped of all life by Sith Lord Darth Nihilus in approximately 3,952 BBY, during a Jedi convocation.
Miraluka
The Mirialan option is open for players wishing to be Jedi Consulars. This green-skinned race often has facial tattoos and is known for being extremely agile. "They are also respected for their patience and insight." Mirialan is native to the planet Mirial. The Mirialan people were religious and practiced a primitive understanding of the Force. They believed each individual's actions contributed to their destiny. A Mirialan would place a unique, often geometrically repeated tattoo on their face and hands to signify that they had completed a certain test or task, or achieved sufficient adeptness at a certain skill. The number of tattoos would thus often act as a good indicator of how mature and/or skilled a Mirialan was.
Mirialan
Finally, the Zabrak can become Sith Inquisitors. They are "self-reliant and aggressive" making them ideal candidates for intimidating everyone around them. The species is native to Iridonia, an unforgiving and inhospitable planet. They are a race known for having a fierce sense of self-determination and an equally dominant need for independence.
Zabrak
These new races, along with the previously announced playable races, only make up a fraction of the races players will see in SW:TOR. Keep an eye out here and on the official site for more details on SW:TOR and its diverse playable races.
Among the most exciting character types you’ll be able to choose from is the Sith Pureblood. For the first time ever in a video game, Players can choose to be a member of the original Sith Race, the red-skinned descendants of such notorious Sith Lords as Naga Sadow and Marka Ragnos. The rage of these fallen ancestors of the Sith Pureblood lives on in the Sith Warriors who dominate the battlefield with their intimidating presence and aggressive tactics.
A near-human species with unrivaled strength in the Force, Miraluka can become powerful Jedi Knights. Hailing from a homeworld with no visible light waves, the Miraluka evolved to see their surroundings entirely through the Force. To cover their vestigial eye sockets, they wear veils and blindfolds that range from colorful to austere. Miraluka Jedi Knights charge into battle with the Force guiding the graceful attacks of their Lightsabers to always hit home.
As one of the most wise and mystical species in the galaxy, the green-skinned Mirialans can become powerful Jedi Consulars. Mirialans are known for their symbolic facial tattoos and natural agility. They are also respected for their patience and insight. Mirialan Jedi Consulars lead Republic Forces into battle with assurance and harness powerful Force energies to defeat their enemies.
Among the slaves serving the Sith Empire, there are many aliens with Force potential, but few species have the grit to join the ranks of the Sith. A proud species from an inhospitable world, Zabraks are among the few with the determination and ferocity to become Sith Inquisitors. Sporting horns and facial tattoos, these fierce aliens are self-reliant and aggressive. Zabrak Sith Inquisitors intimidate both their enemies and their colleagues with their fighting prowess and ruthless command of the Force.
As excited for these playable species as we hope you are, the list is not yet complete. We look forward to announcing further options in the coming months. We will also have additional details on the species above, so check the Inhabitants section regularly to make sure you get the latest information available.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
George Lucas joins other billonares in “Giving Pledge”
My pledge is to the process; as long as I have the resources at my disposal, I will seek to raise the bar for future generations of students of all ages.
I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education. It is the key to the survival of the human race. We have to plan for our collective future – and the first step begins with the social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children. As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt – as educators, storytellers, and communicators our responsibility is to continue to do so.
The “Giving Pledge,” spearheaded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, is intended to set an example of the importance of philanthropy.
E3 Interview with Greg Zeschuk
How stuff works: Teräs Käsi
Teräs Käsi, enabled a user to develop extreme speed, and an aptitude for anticipating strikes, most notably shown by clone assassins. In addition to this, Teräs Käsi taught non force sensitives how to close their minds to Jedi and Sith, thus protecting themselves from mental based attacks. Teräs Käsi also had a developed set of fighting skills, and Nine Edicts. Some lightsaber duelists used Teräs Käsi techniques in combat, most notably Darth Maul. Jedi Master Anoon Bondara was also a master of Teräs Käsi techniques, which he coupled with his lightsaber ability to duel. Jedi Knight Joclad Danva was also a Teräs Käsi practitioner. Jedi Master Plo Koon was believed to be a Teräs Käsi practitioner as well, since he was a master at hand-to-hand combat. It is not known how Jedi could have been trained in Teräs Käsi, as the Followers of Palawa did not appear to be on friendly terms with the Jedi.
Many of the techniques and attacks of Teräs Käsi were named after various animals around the galaxy, suggesting that practitioners of the martial art took inspiration from the way animals moved.
This article uses material from the "Teräs Käsi" article on the Star Wars wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike Licens
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Star Wars: The Old Republic nears completion
The massive multiplayer online role-play game (MMORPG) Star Wars: The Old Republic is nearing completion.While the Canadian developer BioWare would not be drawn on an exact date, it said that spring 2011 "was not unrealistic".
"It's getting closer, it's coming down the pipe," the firm's founder Greg Zeschuk told BBC News.
At present the MMORPG market is dominated by World of Warcraft, which boasts more than 10m players.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is set 4,000 years before the events in the movies, which gave the developers almost a free hand in creating a unique persistent Star Wars universe.
"The only requirement Lucas Arts gave us when developing the game was not to blow up any planets that appear in the movies," said Mr Zeschuk.
Read the full interview here
The Escapist Magazine has a video interview with Jake Neri up. There's not really anything new in it, they only talk story story and more story. Here it is anyways:
While we wait for The Old Republic: Spaceballs
Spaceballs is a 1987 American science fiction parody film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks. It was released on June 24, 1987, and earned only modest returns, but has gone on to become a seminal cult classic on video and probably Mel Brooks' most popular film. Its plot and characters contain numerous parodies of elements primarily from the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as Star Trek and other popular science fiction films, like Alien.
The film received mixed reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 62% of critics gave positive reviews based on 20 reviews with an average rating of 6.2/10. At another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 46%, based on 14 reviews. Many critics agreed that, while it was funny, doing a Star Wars parody ten years after the original film had been released seemed slightly pointless. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film 2.5 stars out of 4 remarked "I enjoyed a lot of the movie, but I kept thinking I was at a revival. (Spaceballs) should have been made several years ago, before our appetite for Star Wars satires had been completely exhausted."
In spite of this, Spaceballs is one of Brooks's most popular films, and maintains a strong cult following. On the Rotten Tomatoes Community site, users gave the film an 80% approval rating based on 1,117 reviews.
Breaking the fourth wall, the possibility of a sequel was already included in the film itself, with Yogurt's quote: "God willing, we'll all meet again in Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money," a play on the film title Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. In September 2004, news about a sequel, parodying the Star Wars prequel trilogy, appeared on the internet. It was rumored that there was going to be a sequel entitled Spaceballs 3: The Search for Spaceballs 2, but the sequel turned out to be a hoax.
In January 2005, it was revealed that Spaceballs would be turned into an animated television show. On September 21, 2006, Mel Brooks announced that he was developing an animated TV series based on Spaceballs, which debuted in September 2008. The series, Spaceballs: The Animated Series, premiered on the Canadian Super Channel and the American cable channel G4.
