Author: Vulkk

SWTOR ExtraLife Event with Many Rewards

Greetings, everyone! I will have the honor to host the first few hours of the SWTOR ExtraLife Live Eventon my Twitch channel Live. Start is ~16GMT or 8AM Pacific. It is organized by Unholy Alliance / Wookiee Mistake and PC_Podcast. The number of rewards, big and small, is unbelievable! For those of you who donate to the good cause more than $20, you will have a chance to win the incredible Sphero BB8 Droid, a real live toy, app-controlled. The requirement for Sphero was a $1000 total amount of donation to the team and it was already met! Next goal is $2000. If… no… WHEN this happens, a new item will be rolled again among the $20+ donations. You will have a chance to win an awesome huge SWTOR Custom Cartel Mega Pack 31 packs (contains packs from all 8 Cartel Store shipments). That’s not where Unholy Alliance and Wookiee Mistake draws the line….

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SWTOR 4.0 Class Changes: Inquisitor and Consular

In the following 2 videos you can see and hear the details about the recent changes Bioware announced today for the Sith Inquisitor and Jedi Consular Classes in Knights of the Fallen Empire, the next Digital Expansion of SWTOR. Narrated and recorded by Vulkk. In a nutshell, players receive 1 new ability at lvl 61, reshuffle of active and passive abilities gained through leveling with no change of their effects (for now) and 3 new Utilities, 1 for each tier. Bioware’s short message and reasoning for these changes: With 4.0, we wanted to give Assassins and Shadows a better way to stealthily approach or return to their enemy target, and their new ability was specifically designed to do just that. For Sorcerers and Sages, we wanted to give them an additional way to escape peril, so we made Phase Walk available to them. All of the following notes are subject to…

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SWTOR 4.0 Class Changes: Bounty Hunter and Trooper (Video Overviews by Vulkk)

In the following 2 videos you can see and hear the details about the recent changes Bioware announced today for the Bounty Hunter and Trooper Classes in Knights of the Fallen Empire, the next Digital Expansion of SWTOR. Narrated and recorded by Vulkk. In a nutshell, players receive 1 new ability at lvl 61, reshuffle of active and passive abilities gained through leveling with no change of their effects (for now) and 3 new Utilities, 1 for each tier. Bioware’s short message and reasoning for these changes: Whether you prefer bullets, missiles, or just plain fire, Bounty Hunters and Troopers have something for you! In Game Update 4.0, we wanted to give all Powertechs/Vanguards a quick way to jump into the thick of combat or instantly catch back up to a fleeing target. To accomplish this, we made Jet Charge/Storm baseline for all Powertechs/Vanguards. Getting up in the enemy’s face isn’t something…

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SWTOR 4.0 Imperial Agent and Smuggler Changes (Video Overview)

In the following 2 videos you can see and hear the details about the recent changes Bioware announced today for the Imperial Agent and Smuggler Classes in Knights of the Fallen Empire, the next Digital Expansion of SWTOR. Narrated and recorded by Vulkk. In a nutshell, players receive 1 new ability at lvl 61, reshuffle of active and passive abilities gained through leveling with no change of their effects (for now) and 3 new Utilities, 1 for each tier. Bioware’s short message and reasoning for these changes: In Game Update 4.0, we wanted to increase the mobility of these formidable combatants in order to allow them to realize their full potential on the battle field, and to make them more difficult to kite. The new Knight/Warrior ability – Blade Blitz/Mad Dash – emphasizes this design intention, and Knight/Warrior players will find that they have an easier time staying on target…

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SWTOR 4.0 Knight and Warrior Changes (Video Overview by Vulkk)

knight and warrior changes

Video Overview and Analysis of Knight & Warrior Changes by Vulkk Bioware finally began releasing information about class changes in the next upcoming digital expansion Knights of the Fallen Empire. It’s scheduled for the end of October. In the embedded videos below you will learn more about the changes for Patch 4.0. In the Marauder and Sentinel video there is a slight note of personal opinion. This is my main class and I am 100% familiar and proficient with it. Knowing all current abilities and the state of the class, now and stretching way back to the pre-launch times of the game, does help a bit 🙂 Enjoy and don’t forget to leave a comment with your personal opinion for your favorite advanced class and discipline.

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SWTOR Basics: The DOs and DONTs for Beginners

A SWTOR Basics Guide, dedicated to Beginners, who just start their adventures in the game’s vast world. Leveling tips to make your experience smoother and easier. The video explains the most basic and primal things one should be concerned when starting their very first character and Playthrough in the massive SWTOR universe. The suggestions and ideas are global and most of them apply to both F2P and subscribers. There’s a little for everybody – PvE, PvP, exploring, crafting, gearing and more. Read the Blog Post about this video. It was published a few days earlier, giving you insights and some sneak-peaks into the script (adapted for a blog post, of course). First few minutes are for Class and Story choice and Crew Skills, after that we continue with the swtor basics of gearing, outfitting, GTN profits and in the end there is a little bit about colour crystals and PvP. If…

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Improve SWTOR Performance by Installing DirectX 9

Installing the old DirectX 9 on Windows 10 may sound weird at first, but let’s see what the reason is, shall we? It will very likely help Improving a lot your SWTOR Performance and FPS. Windows 10 comes packed with the newest edition of DirectX 12. Our favorite game SWTOR is created and still used only Directx 9. In order for it to display its beauty, the system needs to emulate al the DirectX 9 effects, which may slow it down and result in a poor performance. By installing the DirectX 9 package manually, we stop that process of simulation and allow our PC to use the original files the game is designed for, thus, in theory at least, speeding the process up. This installation wont make SWTOR run smooth and flawlessly, but it will likely boost it at least a bit. I have done this since the game’s launch in 2011 on multiple…

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SWTOR 3.3 Yavin 4 Stronghold Tour & Overview

In the video linked below you will have a chance to explore the full unlocked Stronghold of Yavin. It was released with SWTOR’s Patch 3.3 on July 22nd. The initial purchase is 2.5 mill credits or 2500 Cartel Coins. You can unlock 9 more rooms and areas for a total of 10. The price for all is 13 mill credits or 20 500 Cartel Coins. There are 16 hooks for a big decoration (centrepiece) and 2 starship hooks. Each room costs between ~500k and 2.5 mill credits or 2000 Cartel Coins, they also add between 25 and 50 new decorations for a total of 750. The initial unlock grants 250 decorations. To unlock this new Stronghold for your guild, you will have to pay the much higher price of 15 mill credits.

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SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire – Flashpoints and Operations in 4.0

Today Bioware released a new Blog-post on the official website. The information about upcoming changes to Flashpoints and Operations was not exactly the most welcomed one, but we can only hope it is for the best! Here is the post. If you are interested, check Vulkk’s analysis and overview of this article in the video attached at the end. Operations and Flashpoints in Fallen Empire I’m George Smith, Senior Designer in charge of Operations and Flashpoints and I am here to talk to you a little bit about what Knights of the Fallen Empire has in store for you. First, a little bit of a backstory about the current state of group content in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. As you level your character, you have the opportunity to play through quite a few Flashpoints for gear and a break from your story. As you continue to play and progress…

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STAR WARS History & Lore – THE GREAT GALACTIC WAR (Part 1)

This is a Part 1 of a 3 episodes miniseries by Vulkk, explaining everything there is to know about The Great Galactic War, one of the most significant events in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. The war is seriously embedded also into Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR). For the narrations Jason or as everyone knows him Teo from OotiniCast has made yet another appearance on a Lore video by Vulkk to do the narrations. Here’s the intro in a written form. The rest you can hear and see in the video, attached in the bottom. The Great Galactic War, known as the Great War during the conflict and in the years afterward, was a war between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic between 3681 BBY and 3653 BBY, lasting for a total of 28 years. Also known as the Republic–Sith War, the conflict was ultimately the culmination of a…

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SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire Announced – Trailer Overview, Analysis and Opinions

The EA’s appearance in E3 2015 lasted more than 1 hour. The special moment for Star Wars: The Old Republic was short, but intriguing enough. Without sharing any specifics or exact details, Jeff Nickman managed to light up the spark in all of us, the loyal SWTOR fans and makes us hope for a better future of our favourite game. The new web page or a sub-page reveals important information of how to get the expansion, what is needed to earn early access, what will players receive when they subscribe, bonus subscriber program with rewards and the most important – THE RELEASE DATE – 27th Octobe 2015. Early access will likely begin on 20th October 2015, a week earlier In the following 2 videos you can explore the brief announcement from E3 and hear Vulkk’s opinion on the upcoming changes to the game.

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Yavin 4 Stronghold and Togruta Reveal First Look – SWTOR Dev Stream Recap

On 3rd of June the SWTOR Developer Stream showed to the gamers for the first time the new playable Species coming with Update 3.3 – Togruta.  They also walked us through the new Stronghold on Yavin 4. Here are some of Vulkk’s notes. For more, check the video below. * The event was hosted by Community Manager Eric Musco and the Designer Tobby * There will be male and female Togruta. At this point the team is not ready to show Character Creation and details. * Togruta is targeted for release in Patch 3.3. Its date for now is 21st July 2015. * The new Yavin 4 Stronghold is very very big. Has decoration slots both inside and outside and many, many hooks. * The limitations related to GSH remain the same, meaning players with 4 Strongholds will have to deactivate one if they want to have Yavin 4. *…

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SWTOR GUIDE – Marauder Annihilation and Sentinel Watchman (Patch 3.2.1)

Greetings, Ladies and Gentlemen This is the 3rd Guide for Sith Marauder Annihilation and Jedi Sentinel Watchman Disciplines I make in a never-ending struggle to always cover the latest changes with my favourite class. We all know Patch 3.2.1 can easily be called “The Broken Marauder and Sentinel”, but in every evil and sadness, there’s goodness and positivity! In this over 35 minutes long video I have shared everything I could think of. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be added or maybe even corrected in the future if test results show better approach. I have structured it in 3 major parts:  – Overview of the Changes to the Advanced Class in Game Update 3.2.1 – Gearing and Stat Priority, Skill Priorities (rotation is a bad word :P) – Personal Opinion, Analysis, Suggestions, Tips and Tricks It is the longest video guide I have ever produced. Even though some of the basics…

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SWTOR Basics – Gearing for Leveling, Basic Comms Usage, Fleet Vendors

SWTOR Basics guide for newer players. How to use the Basic Commendatinos, Gearing tips for leveling, Fleet Vendors location and contents, 12x vs Normal Leveling plus many more Tips and Tricks to help and guide you through your journey. Since this is a “Basics” video most of the things you will see and hear may be familiar to the veteran players. However, if you have a few minutes, stay around, watch and listen. You may discover a fact or trick you didn’t know or perhaps add to the information I shared. Some of the bullet-points covered in the video are: ♦ Location of the Basic Comms vendors on both fleets ♦ Vendor names and changes in Patch 3.2 ♦ How to best use basic comms for gearing with and without 12x ♦ Difference between orange shells and normal gear. How and what to use ♦ Crafted gear vs vewndor mods ♦…

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SWTOR Ziost Ending and the 2 New Boss Encounters

Today after a little bit of a delay Bioware launched the 12x Epic XP Boost. A bit earlier the remaining Story content on Ziost became available for players to explore and complere. Players now have access to: ♦ A couple of new  Cinematic Cutscenes showing the end of the Patch 3.2 Ziost Story Arc and a daily area on the new planet with a few quests; ♦ New World Boss called Worldbreaker Monolith; ♦ New Operation Boss called Colossal Monolith with Story and Hard Modes available for both 8 and 16 players. In the videos below you will see the updates through the eyes of Vulkk (Sentinel, Republic Light Side). Ziost Republic Story ENDING Apocalypse on Ziost. The Emperor Vitiate is determined to eraze every creature or plant standing on his way. This epic conclusion of the Ziost Story Arc builds up the tension and prepares us for the greatest…

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SWTOR 12X Event 2015 – How to Best Use It (Tips and Suggestions)

On May 4th 2015 the 12x Class Mission Experience Boost is returning to SWTOR. To fully and best benefit from it, you need to know a few simple and not so basic things. How to gear up your character – at which level to visit the vendors for upgrades, which classes fair better if you want a speed leveling or rather slow and careful playthrough. Who is best suited. How much is this event beneficial for new players and what are the possibilities of it being helpful or harmful to the personal experience with the game. Having gone through the first 12x XP Class Boost event in late 2014 helps a lot to prepare for the upcoming Summer Leveling Madness. Watch and hear what Vulkk has to share. Hopefully, you will find the ideas, suggestions and tips useful. If you have something more to add, don’t hesitate to leave a…

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SWTOR Celebration Cantina Live Stream Recap and Overview (Star Wars Celebration 2015)

This Saturday a special Panel aired live for ~52 minutes on Twitch. Bioware live streamed the SWTOR Community Cantina event from Celebration Anaheim 2015.The video linked below is Vulkk’s recap of the SWTOR Community Cantina Event from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2015. Did Bioware drop the ball with lack of new information or we got the awesome news we were dreaming for? Alongside the event notes, you will hear also his personal opinion and overview of the event.

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Star Wars Lore – THE RAKATA (Part 2)

Greetings Star Wars lore junkies. I’m Vulkk and working on this video took me insane amount of time and effort. I am glad it is finished finally. If you enjoy it, that will be my biggest reward. Part 2 of the RAKATA History and Lore will tell us about their First encounter with the Je’daii, explain the reasons for the Empire’s Collapse and what happened to the Remnants of the once mighty Infinite Empire. The Rakata (also known as the Builders) were a technologically advanced race that developed early in galactic history, even developing some early hyperdrive technology. Long term use of the dark side of the Force corrupted their society and turned them into a race of merciless warriors. The Rakata used their potent Force-powered technologies to conquer and enslave every other species they came across throughout their known galaxy. During the reign of theirInfinite Empire, they were characterized by…

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SWTOR Basics – How to Install PTS and Copy Your Character

Installing PTS is usually a very simple tutorial, but it would take you hours. Depending on your internet connection and the BW servers’ condition, it will take you between a couple hours to many, many hours. The live game is ~25GB, the Game with PTS is ~52GB. If you have the game already installed, you can add PTS on top of it. At this moment it is not possible (possible, but not easy or recommended) to install PTS on a separate Drive or Partition. To install and access PTS, follow these steps (or check the video linked below): 1. Download the game client from swtor.com and install it 2. Log in to the client and install the Live game 3. From the button in the bottom left corner open the settings window and make PTS available 4. Wait for the client to download and install PTS 5. Every time when you open…

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SWTOR 3.2: Rise of the Emperor – Outfit Designer Overview

In this video Vulkk takes a first look and an overview of the new tool coming to SWTOR with Game Update 3.2 – The Outfit Designer. There are still a couple of bugs and one of two features appear to be broken or not working as intended. It offers upto 16 Outfit slots, which can be unlocked with Credits or Cartel coins. Prices are likely to change for the Live version of this update. Modifying any part of an outfit will cost credits too. The few restrictions in relations to what items we may slot are as follows: If our class uses light armour, we can slot light armour items or adaptive ones, but not medium and heavy. If our class is can wear Medium armour, such items will also be available to be sloted into the designer tool for outfits. Heavy armour classes can outfit any and all armours. Legacy…

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SWTOR 3.2: Rise of the Emperor – First Preview

The Developer Stream on Twitch has just ended and Vulkk has narrowed down and sifted out the more important information about the upcoming Game Update 3.2. It bears the epic name “Rise of the Emperor” and will include a new planet (Ziost), a new In-Game tool (Outfit Designer), new quality of life improvements, class changes and more great Bioware story. In the video you will find new screenshots, more detailed information about the Outfit Designer, the rewards for players in the next few months, Biowars’s plans for future Dev Streams, Cantina Tour Events, what SWTOR is planing for Star Wars Celebration and let’s not forget that PTS is live and Update 3.2 is available for testing!

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SWTOR 3.1 Flashpoint GUIDE: COMMANDER MOKAN – HM Battle of Rishi Bonus Boss

This is Vulkk’s Video Guide on the Bonus Boss in Battel of Rishi Hard Mode Flashpoint. In this relatively short fight we have quite a few mechanics, which are all simple, yet very deadly if not performed 100% correctly. Commander Mokan is one of the best boss encounters inside a Flashpoint Bioware have designed since the first and original version of Lost Island in early 2012. If  you have different tactics or suggestions for players, who have not yet done this, share them in the comments below. The boss is not something unseen, but is a fresh and interesting encounter compared to all the other tank and spank opponents. It can be done in many different class combinations and is one of the few very well designed and balanced fights. It may not have an awesome 100% loot drop, but is worth doing just for the achievement and the good feeling…

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