The Old Republic

GDC 2010 Wrap up

2010-03-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

With GDC last week, even though Star Wars: The Old Republic had no specific presence, there were a number of interviews and details popping up all over the web. In particular from the off-site event that LucasArts held where the press got some hands-on time with a Trooper.

Over on the official forums Sean Dahlberg made a post listing a lot of them (some of which I already reported on before):

While there were no panels this year specifically related to The Old Republic during Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2010, there are a few panels that consisted of BioWare developers.

There was also an off-site event specifically for The Old Republic that various press and fan sites were invited to. None of this information will show up till early next week so keep your eyes peeled for that.

We will be updating the list in this post as more articles and threads appear and we plan on having a wrap-up article next Friday.

GDC 2010: Gordon Walton (SW:TOR Dev) on MMO Retention
Hands on [Eurogamer]
GDC10: Hands-on with Star Wars: The Old Republic [Massively]
LucasArts' Jake Neri on BioWare's James Ohlen, Endgame & Intertwining Pillars [Darth Hater]
Interview: Story In-Depth With Daniel Erickson [Darth Hater]
GDC: Trooper Hands-On & TOR Game Play Impressions [Darth Hater]
STAR WARS: The Old Republic Preview [1Up]
GDC: Facial Animation & More Aliens! Session Breakdown
Star Wars: The Old Republic: GDC 2010: Hands On With The Trooper [MMORPG]
Trooping Through The Oblivious Enemies of The Old Republic [Kotaku]
GDC 2010: Video Preview of SW:TOR's Troopers [ZAM]
GDC 2010: Hands-On with SW:TOR's Trooper Class [ZAM]
Star Wars: The Old Republic PC Games Interview - Daniel Erickson Interview [IGN]
Star Wars: The Old Republic Hands On [IGN]
Preview: Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO [G4]
Hands-on: Star Wars: The Old Republic's Trooper class [Joystiq]
Shawn Schuster from Massively dishes the dirt on his secret trip to Lucas Arts to see Star Wars: The Old Republic! [GameBreakr]
Set Blasters to Question: A Star Wars: The Old Republic Interview [GameSpy]
GDC 10: Grabbing a bomb in Star Wars: The Old Republic [Destructoid]
Star Wars: The Old Republic [GameDaily]
We Get A Deep Look Into Ranged Combat [GameInformer]
Star Wars: The Old Republic: GDC 2010 Jake Neri Interview [MMORPG]
Check out Star Wars: The Old Republic on X-Play as Adam Sessler covers GDC2010, Wednesday, March 17th @ 6:30 PM ET

He didn't get everything yet though; here's a couple more he missed so far:

Star Wars: The Old Republic Roundtable [GameSpy]
Star Wars: The Old Republic Updated Hands-On - The Republic Trooper [GameSpot]
Hands On: Star Wars: The Old Republic [The Escapist]
What Are They Hiding at Lucasarts? [The Escapist]

EA are looking to get 2 million subscribers for SW:TOR

2010-03-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

IndustryGamers reports that, according to one analyst, EA are looking to get 2 million subscribers when Star Wars: The Old Republic releases next year:

Between major successes like Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2, BioWare has quickly become one of the most important studios throughout all of Electronic Arts since the publisher acquired the RPG specialists. EA has already indicated that the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO is the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company,” and it's quite clear that expectations for this title are huge.

Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia recently came away from a meeting with EA and reported that although "earnings are somewhat depressed due to ongoing expenses of the Star Wars MMO, management has high hopes for this and believes 2M+ subs is possible." He added that a little over 1 million subscribers is needed to reach the break-even point, but the ultimate goal is to get several million subscribers.

Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't the only Star Wars MMO in development.

2010-03-19T04:47:00.000-07:00

According to GamerVision Star Wars: The Old Republic isn't the only Star Wars MMO in development. They say that "trusted sources" confirm that Sony Online Entertainment is working on a Clone Wars MMO. This is not the first time that we've heard this rumor. Here's what they had to say on it:

Thought EA's The Old Republic was the only Star Wars MMORPG in development? Think again. Trusted Gamervision sources have confirmed that there is a second MMO in development by Sony Online Entertainment, the creators of once awesome, now less-than-awesome Star Wars: Galaxies. Supposedly called Clone Wars Adventures and due by the end of the year, it's to be a browser-based game aimed at a much younger demographic than The Old Republic. Namely pre-teens, the same audience for the popular Clone Wars television show, and far away from those who might even consider subscribing to BioWare's RPG.

So far that's all the information we have, though I'd be surprised if there wasn't an official announcement fairly soon. We're still waiting on details involving the gameplay and pricing model, as any specifics are still unknown, though thinking it's going to be modeled after Free Realms, Sony Online Entertainment's free-to-play online RPG, isn't a stretch. Odds are it will follow a similar pricing model, built on microtransactions instead of a costly monthly subscription. Either way, we expect to hear more information soon, and will be sure to keep you up to date on the other Star Wars MMORPG. Odds are it's going to be much, much different than The Old Republic.

Planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic - Belsavis

2010-03-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Belsavis was a planet in the Ninth Quadrant, which was a region of the Bozhnee sector. Ice-covered, its average temperature was in the -50s. It was located on the Belsavis Run.

History

Old Republic era
At some unknown point in the past, the planet became one of the many worlds that belonged to the Rakata Infinite Empire. During that time, the Rakata made use of the world as a prison colony where they placed many dangerous prisoners that remained trapped for the millennia. It entered an ice age around 5,000 BBY. Its inhabitants dwelt in three volcanic jungle rifts.

During the Great War, the Republic used Belsavis’ prison to confine dangerous Sith lords and war criminals.

Plett's Well, was settled 88 BBY by Jedi Master Plett, and came to be called simply Plawal. The main Republic colonization of the planet occurred 20 BBY, with many plants and animals being imported from Ithor.
Settlements on the icy surface of Belsavis

The bounty hunter Jango Fett was once captured and imprisoned in an underground labyrinth on Belsavis. Although pursued by kretch insects, he managed to escape by figuring out the internal logic of the maze.

In 19 BBY, Plett hid a number of Jedi younglings in Plett's Well from the Great Jedi Purge, but the Galactic Empire sent the Eye of Palpatine to bombard Plawal. Fortunately, Jedi Knights Callista Ming and Geith sabotaged the Eye, but Plett and the Jedi younglings were forced to flee the planet regardless. Some of the younglings, such as Roganda Ismaren, were captured by the Inquisitorius.

Around 6 BBY, the Imperial Governor stationed a few tariff police on the world to deal with increased smuggler activity. Around 0 BBY, Brathflen Corporation and other fruit-companies established domes around the world. At the time of the Battle of Hoth, Mara Jade visited to the world to investigate the rumors of the Jedi fugitives.

New Republic era
In 12 ABY, a large shipment of Tenloss Disintegrator rifles was to be shipped to Belsavis, but the cargo was stolen on Nar Shaddaa. New Republic Intelligence was informed of the thief, but were unsure why the munitions were heading there in the first place.

The planet allied with, but did not join, the New Republic, maintaining independence. Later in 12 ABY, Roganda Ismaren later attempted a coup against the New Republic on Belsavis, attempting to make her son Irek Ismaren the new Emperor with financial backing from treacherous nobles from the neighboring Juvex Sector and Senex Sector, using Irek's abilities with mechu deru to control the Eye. Roganda was foiled by Luke Skywalker, Callista, and Leia Organa Solo.

From the holonet:

Ancient galactic prison

Republic knowledge of Belsavis predates the Great Hyperspace War, but for centuries, the planet warranted little attention. With the exception of some unusual volcanic activity, the planet was deemed, in all ways, unremarkable. Belsavis was added to the star charts then summarily dismissed as nothing more than another curiosity of the Outer Rim.

Fifty years ago, while investigating the planet’s tropical rifts that seemed to defy the ice shelves in completely unnatural ways, Republic scientists stumbled upon an ancient prison constructed by the Rakatan Empire. Behind the force fields and ultra hard metals were the most terrifying prisoners in the galaxy. Republic efforts to explore and secure the dilapidated network of vaults were impeded by ferocious alien species, and nearly unstoppable droids.

Realizing it was only a matter of time before the vaults and stasis chambers containing the worst of these prisoners failed, the Republic committed a force to maintain the complex, and establish a new Republic prison on Belsavis’ unused surface. In secret Strategic Information Service meetings it was decided that this new prison, dubbed “the Tomb”, was only to be used in cases where execution was impractical or impossible.

Once the Great War erupted, the Tomb’s population rapidly increased. Mandalorians, Sith Lords, and creations of Sith alchemy were sent to Belsavis for containment. As rumors of the Tomb’s existence spread, Imperial Intelligence began searching for the legendary super prison. Despite Republic efforts to keep its location a secret, the Empire learned of the operation on Belsavis and sent strike teams to liberate all the imprisoned Sith.

In the short time since the Imperials arrived, the prison grounds have been transformed into a labyrinth of battle and chaos. The Empire has discovered that extracting its loyal subjects from among their violent fellow inmates will not be easy, and even though the Republic is rushing to restore order, the threat of the mysterious evil breaking loose from its ancient prison is becoming all too real.

IGN Video Interview with Daniel Erickson

2010-03-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's fairly brief at two-and-a-half minutes and has Daniel Erickson talk a little about the Trooper.

"A lot more of the game, really soon" is what caught my attention most, though that's probably referring to E3.

[link] to video interview with Daniel Erickson at IGN.

SWTOR Hands On @ GDC

2010-03-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

The Game Developers Conference was held last week and several sites had an opportunity to get a “hands on” with Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Both 1UP and Eurogamer were afforded the opportunity to check out the game. Here a couple excerpts from their reactions:

1UP:

Story Driven Experience

When playing a story mission in Star Trek Online, it’s all text delivered through a little dialog box. More times than not, it’s usually an alien race harassing a Federation colony, and you need to step in and blast them out of the stars. From the little that we’ve seen of The Old Republic so far, this much is certain: you will have many different story arcs available to your character available out of the box on day one. Recently we saw some of this in action as we got a taste of the Trooper’s story arc, and what it was like to be a part of Havoc Squad (a mercenary group, essentially). The mission assignment itself was simple: infiltrate a base on Ord Mantell and obtain a secret weapon known as the ZR-57. Though, during this mission, we interacted with other members of our squad, talked with the locals to pick up side-missions along the way, and even decided the fate on some of the guards in the base — all with spoken dialog for every character (even ours). Adding that level of immersion in an MMO is huge; it felt like we were playing Knights of the Old Republic all over again (that’s a good thing).

Eurogamer:

It seems to have been rebalanced somewhat in the last few months – or at least, the Trooper is a little less destructively overpowered than the Inquisitor was. I don’t die, but my health bar gets whittled down dangerously low by extended scrums with four or five of the separatists I’ve been sent to fight. “We don’t want you to have to wait until you hit the level cap to feel powerful,” Jake Neri, a producer for the game on the LucasArts side, tells me. “We want you to feel heroic and powerful right from the get-go.

Be on the lookout for more hands-on articles coming this week!

SWTOR in PC Gamer UK Magazine

2010-03-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

When I dropped by the supermarket this weekend I noticed that one of the magazines had a familiar Sith Warrior (this one) on the cover. And indeed, what I found was PC Gamer UK's April 2010 issue, which they've labeled "The MMO issue". And indeed it is, with articles looking at WoW: Cataclysm, a number of future MMOs, rating a number of current MMOs against each other, a free trial for EvE Online on the cover DVD and a number of other articles. But the main article of interest is a six-page article, titled "Tour de Force" looking at Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Not that there's much of any new information in it. Considering when the magazine was published it can't even cover the presentation given last week during GDC. Though it's still a nice read.

I won't include scans of the article because I'm sure they'd not be happy with that. But I can briefly walk you through it and highlight what it talks about.

The article starts off talking about how you can make story decisions as in previous BioWare games, but this time you can bring friends and discuss the big decisions. The article notes how incredibly huge the game is, including a quote from James Olhen on how they're "creating more content than Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 1, Dragon Age, and Knights of the Old Republic put together, and throw in Baldur's Gate too." It also mentions how it has more dialog already than both Mass Effect games put together, and how when it's done it'll have more recorded dialog than all their (17, including expansions) games combined.

The article then goes on how, with so much story and voiceover, it is tempting to think that The Old republic will be a "pseudo MMO" much like Champions Online, relyign heavily on instancing. But according to James Olhen The Old Republic doesn't work that way. "Our public areas are part of one contiguous world," Olhen says. "Not just our cities -- 90% of the game, actually, will be a public area where you can run into other players." According to the article James compares server size with WoW servers, noting that some instancing is used for the more complex and stories and personal missions. "But missions that are group-oriented, that you can do with your friends, those'll take place in public areas."

As the article goes on to explain one should probably see it more like your traditional WoW-style MMO, except that instead of boring text boxes with quest descriptions you get Mass Effect 2-style cinematic conversations. In fact, ME2's lead cinematic designer Armando Troisi is on the ToR team now.

The article goes on a bit more about the cinematics and story telling, noting how every class has its own story. Olhen compares it to Dragon Age's origin stories, only going all the way through the game. It also talks about how you can recruit NPCs to fight by your side (though it doesn't mention that you can only take one of them with you at a time). You'll be introduced to one early in the game, but will meet others you can recruit later on. These companions have their own personal stories which, because the companions are unique to your class, can tie in to your class' story as well.

Olhen also talks about whether you might run into another player with the exact same companion. "it was one of our concerns early on in design," Olhen admits. "But you're not going to have identical companion characters. We're thinking of ways to make sure you can customise them so you don't get confused, so you don't get the Chewbaccas mixed up."

It then talks about how your class determines your story, your voice, your companions and your abilities, but that you get choice further down the line in your abilities. At oen point you can evolve into one of two more specialized classes. The example given is for the Sith Inquisitor; either a Darth Maul path with the dual-bladed lightsaber or the Emperor Palpatine path concentrating more on Force powers. A sidebar also mentions the choices for a Jedi Knight; either a tougher heavy armor warrior or a damage dealer with two lightsabers.

The article talks about how even after that choice of path you can still customize your abilities further; "There are certain powers that you can unlock or have locked away from you as you level up."

The thing that the writer of the article seems to be most worried about is the visuals of the game. He likes the style of the environments, but finds the characters "rather ugly" and "plastic-wigged, big nosed". Which has been my main complaint with the game as well. The article blames it on the amount of content that they'll have to create, particularly since the team is apparently not that much larger than the Mass Effect 2 team was. "it's not like we're double."

it talks a bit about the combat and how it's pretty much just "whittling people's hitpoints down -- like most MMOGs, but unlike other BioWare games". it points to the developer walkthrough video to let you judge for yourself. It talks about how fighting and questing is going to be 90% of the gameplay, and how BiOWare isn't commenting much on the other 10%, though they note that it includes open world PvP, more structured PvP, crafting and endgame. The last one is said to include classic systems, but also something brand new "that hasn't been done in an MMO before". They still want you to be questing at endgame though as they don't want it to be completely different from what you've been doing.

The article concludes with how they're hoping for an MMO that doesn't ape WoW, and that The Old Republic might just be it.

There's also a sidebar on voice acting, with a picture of Jennifer Hale (who voiced Bastila in KotOR and female Shepard in the Mass Effect games). In The Old Republic she'll apparently be playing a Republic Trooper (and it doesn't say whether that's an NPC or whether she'll do the voice for the player character). The sidebar also notes how they've pretty much tapped out Hollywood and how they've got voice talent from England as the Imperials all have to have a British accent.

And that's pretty much it. The only thing I glossed over a bit is the opening paragraph. Not that it includes any details at all, but I just though that it was hilarious. I hope that PC Gamer doesn't mind me sharing that bit with you; enjoy.

You remember the scene: Luke severs Darth Vader's hand in a stroke of poetic justice, but pauses before the kill. He could rid the galaxy of a villain, or give his dad a chance at redemption. He hesitates.

The emperor cackles. He hesitates. Vader looks around nervously. He hesitates. A crowd of stormtroopers gather, shuffling uncertainly. He hesitates. His eyes glaze over.

Somewhere behind the scenes, Harrison Ford is tapping away furiously to Mark Hamill.

"dude just kill him already lol"

"stfu he's my dad"

"cmon man we've been on this quest every night this week, lets just turn it in and hit the vendors"

"i need the lightside points, dick, im like this close to getting Force Heal"

"heal? ur kidding, right? dude when i roll jedi imma be all about the LIGHTNIN. LIGHTNIN, bro."

"u think i dont need heal? ok, hands up who lost their hand. oh thats right, i can't put my hand up CAUSE I LOST MY HAND."

"u got robo hand, thats like +5 STR. whats the matter, too cold for Luke's private time? u know the dark side always has Force Grip for that ;)"

"stfu"

"im nailin ur sister"

* Mark Hamill has disconnected.

:-)

Thanks Tom Francis for writing that.

May the schwartz be with you: Spike TV - Star Wars ads

2010-03-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Unless you've been stuck upside down in a wampa cave, you probably have heard that Spike TV was airing the entire Star Wars saga, back in April 2008. In case anybody missed the news, Spike was telling the world about this television premiere with some head-turning outdoor ads, starting at Penn Plaza in New York City. Check it out:

Along side the billboard adds Spiked TV also ran some Genius TV ads. Most people I know have only seen the first one that was aired, but here is a collection of all them:

Edit: Here is a few more:

See below for the press release from prnewswire.com:

Spike TV Enters a New Galaxy With the Complete Star Wars(TM) Saga

Features The Broadcast Premiere of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and the Basic Cable Premieres of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones Feel The Force Beginning Friday, April 4 at 8:00 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Force is with Spike TV this April as the complete Star Wars Saga comes to basic cable. Airing Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6, and Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13, the two-weekend event includes the broadcast premiere of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and the basic cable premieres of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Spike TV's Star Wars presentation marks the first time that all six movies will be presented together on a basic cable network.

Spike TV's presentation of the Star Wars Saga will feature digitally re-mastered versions of the films, shown uncut and presented in HD where available. Throughout each weekend, Spike TV viewers will be treated to special Star Wars features provided by Lucasfilm Ltd., including a behind-the- scenes look at the making of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Spike TV will also premiere an exclusive clip of LucasArts' highly anticipated new videogame, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, which is scheduled for release this summer.

Spike TV's Star Wars schedule is as follows:

-- Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999, PG*) Premieres Friday, April 4 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT; Encore Saturday, April 5 (5:00 - 8:00 PM, ET/PT) & Sunday, April 20 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT & 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM, ET/PT).

Stranded on the desert planet Tatooine after rescuing young Queen Amidala from the impending invasion of Naboo, Jedi apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Jedi master discover nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker, a young slave unusually strong in the Force. Anakin wins a thrilling Podrace and with it his freedom as he leaves his home to be trained as a Jedi. The heroes return to Naboo where Anakin and the Queen face massive invasion forces while the two Jedi contend with a deadly foe named Darth Maul. Only then do they realize the invasion is merely the first step in a sinister scheme by the re-emergent forces of darkness known as the Sith.

-- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (2002, PG) Premieres Saturday, April 5 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encores Sunday, April 6 (4:30 - 8:00 PM, ET/PT) & Sunday, April 27 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT & 11:00 PM, ET/PT & 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM, ET/PT).

Ten years later, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi named Count Dooku, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. When an assassination attempt is made on Senator Padme Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, twenty-year-old Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect her. In the course of his mission, Anakin discovers his love for Padme as well as his own darker side. Soon, Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan Kenobi are drawn into the heart of the Separatist movement and the beginning of the Clone Wars.

-- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith (2005, PG-V) Premieres Sunday, April 6 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encore Monday, April 7 (4:30 - 8:00 PM, ET/PT).

Three years after the onset of the Clone Wars, the noble Jedi Knights have been leading a massive clone army into a galaxy-wide battle against the Separatists. When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker is seduced by the dark side of the Force to become the Emperor's new apprentice -- Darth Vader. The Jedi are decimated, as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Master Yoda are forced into hiding. The only hope for the galaxy are Anakin's own offspring -- the twin children born in secrecy who will grow up to become Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa.

-- Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope (1977, PG) Premieres Friday, April 11 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encore Saturday, April 12 (5:00 - 8:00 PM, ET/PT).

Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire. Although Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, his former apprentice, Luke proves that the Force is with him by destroying the Empire's dreaded Death Star.

-- Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (1980, PG) Premieres Saturday, April 12 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encore Sunday, April 13 (5:00 - 8:00 PM, ET/PT).

Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Imperial forces continue to pursue the Rebels. After the Rebellion's defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda, who has lived in hiding since the fall of the Republic. In an attempt to convert Luke to the dark side, Darth Vader lures young Skywalker into a trap in the Cloud City of Bespin. In the midst of a fierce lightsaber duel with the Sith Lord, Luke faces the startling revelation that the evil Vader is in fact his father, Anakin Skywalker.

-- Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi (1983, PG) Premieres Sunday, April 13 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT); Encore Monday, April 14 (5:00 - 8:00 PM, ET/PT).

In the epic conclusion of the Saga, the Empire prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star while the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts his father Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor. In the last second, Vader makes a momentous choice: he destroys the Emperor and saves his son. The Empire is finally defeated, the Sith are destroyed, and Anakin Skywalker is thus redeemed. At long last, freedom is restored to the galaxy.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS(TM), and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & (C) Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

About Spike TV:

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is http://www.spike.com.

* Ratings are TV ratings; MPAA ratings of each film differ.

Know your lore: Saul Karath

2010-03-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

Saul Karath was a Human male born on Corellia who served the Galactic Republic's Navy as an admiral during the Mandalorian Wars. In 3,963 BBY, Karath was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral after keeping the Mandalorian forces at bay for six weeks at the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line. When the fugitive Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick—who was fleeing from his Masters after being framed for the Padawan Massacre of Taris—attempted to warn Karath of Serroco's destruction, Karath assumed that Carrick was a Mandalorian spy. Shortly after the Mandalorians razed Serroco's surface, Karath participated in the Adasca Affair, which was Adascorp leader Arkoh Adasca's failed auction of exogorth superweapons. Karath also played a role in the events of the Covenant Affair, in which the secret Jedi cabal known as the Covenant was destroyed. Later that year, the Jedi Knights Revan, Malak and their Jedi faction entered the war, and Karath became the Jedi's subordinate. In 3,960 BBY, Revan and Malak led the Republic to victory against the Mandalorians in a final battle above the Sith world Malachor V.

After the battle, Karath was one of the few among the Republic forces that did not follow Revan and Malak into the Unknown Regions to search for the ancient Rakatan Star Forge space station. A year later, Revan returned to the Republic as the new Dark Lord of the Sith, with Malak as his apprentice, igniting the Jedi Civil War. In 3,958 BBY, Karath transferred his allegiance to Darth Revan's Sith Empire, bringing his flagship Leviathan to Revan's service. In order to test Karath's loyalty, Malak ordered the Admiral to destroy the planet Telos IV. Karath killed millions of civilians on Telos, and earned the wrath of his former friend and protégé Carth Onasi, who served with Karath during the Mandalorian Wars. After Malak betrayed Revan during the Jedi and Republic's attempt to capture them, Karath continued to serve the Sith forces under Malak's command. In the war's final year, Malak captured the ecumenopolis of Taris and ordered the Sith fleet to blockade so that the Sith forces could search for Jedi Knight Bastila Shan. Karath was eventually ordered by the Dark Lord to destroy the planet so as to prevent Shan's escape, and Karath bombarded Taris.

Shortly after Taris' destruction, Malak and Karath were informed by the bounty hunter Calo Nord, who survived the Sith's bombardment of Taris, of Shan's escape from the planet. Nord also told them of Revan's survival and involvement in Shan's escape. Malak and Karath hired Nord to capture Shan, but Revan, now a partially retrained Jedi, killed Nord during his search for the Star Forge. After Revan located a fourth Rakatan Star Map—which was needed to find the Star Forge—and killed Malak's Shadow Hand Darth Bandon, Karath captured Revan's starship Ebon Hawk. Karath tortured Revan, Onasi, and Shan in an attempt to find out what their mission was. The two Jedi and Onasi eventually escaped the detention area and headed to the bridge in order to confront Karath and disable the tractor beam, so that the Ebon Hawk could escape the Leviathan. When Revan, Shan, and Onasi made it to the bridge, Karath offered to ask Malak to be merciful if the Jedi and Onasi surrendered. The two Jedi and Onasi refused, and Karath and his forces attacked them. After a heated firefight, Karath was grievously injured. Karath told Onasi about Revan's true identity as the former Dark Lord, and mocked his former friend before he succumbed to his wounds.

Biography

Early life and career
Saul Karath, a Human male, was born on the Core world Corellia to journeyman laborer Craddock Karath. The eldest of five children, Karath was forced into adopting a paternal role toward his siblings due to his father's frequent absences and supported them by working double shifts at a weapons factory. In 3,996 BBY, when the Sith Lord Ulic Qel-Droma and Mandalorians under Mandalore the Indomitable attacked the shipyards at the world Foerost, Karath's father died in the assault after the Republic officer Dace Golliard fled the battle. Karath left his job at the factory and volunteered his services to the Navy of the Galactic Republic against which Qel-Droma's Sith Master, Exar Kun, was fighting. Karath was too young to serve the Navy officially and, because of his tough upbringing, the young Corellian did not possess the connections to enter the Naval Academy. Nevertheless, Karath won the attention of Fleet Captain Orley Vanicus, who allowed Karath to serve as a non-commissioned captain's steward on his ship Reliance I.

For every success Karath gained, a setback followed. However, due to the fact that he considered the Navy his family, the young man never lost faith in the institution. Eventually, Karath was promoted to the rank of captain and given his first command aboard the frigate Reciprocity. During this time, Karath was successful in defending convoys against pirates. At one point, when the Reciprocity was in an engagement with enemies, Karath recognized the Republic pilot Carth Onasi's skills. When Karath was promoted to the Inexpugnable-class tactical command ship Courageous, he invited Onasi to serve with him aboard the warship, bestowing the nickname "Fleet" on the pilot.

Mandalorian Wars

Battle of Vanquo
In 3,964 BBY, at the onset of the Mandalorian Wars—the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders—Karath helped organize the defense of the Outer Rim ecumenopolis Taris and its nearby systems against the Mandalorian armada. From his flagship Courageous, Karath managed to halt the Mandalorians' progress at the system of Suurja through four large-scale battles, thus keeping the Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line, a boundary between the Republic and Neo-Crusader forces, intact. Not long after, Karath was sent to defend the trade post of Vanquo from the invading Mandalorian fleet. As he had predicted, the attack on Vanquo was only part of Mandalorian leader Mandalore the Ultimate's plan for invading the Republic; while Karath's forces were busy at Vanquo, the Mandalorians assaulted the remainder of the Republic fleet at Taris. Karath saw this development as a positive, as he was certain that when an important world like Taris was threatened, the Republic Senate would put more troops into the conflict.

During the Battle of Vanquo, Karath was informed by Lieutenant Dallan Morvis that a junk freighter was fleeing the battle. The ship, called the Last Resort, belonged to the elderly Arkanian scientist Gorman Vandrayk, who was assisting the fugitive Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick. Carrick was on the run from his Jedi Masters, having been accused of carrying out the Padawan Massacre of Taris. The Last Resort was speeding away from Vanquo and entering hyperspace into Mandalorian territories. When Morvis informed Karath that it was Carrick's ship, the captain immediately suspected that Carrick was a Mandalorian spy. Karath vowed to deal with Carrick personally, provided that he survived the battle.

Devastation of Serroco
In 3,963 BBY, Karath was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. After he was transferred to the planet Serroco, Karath toured the local Republic camp on Serroco's surface. Zayne Carrick—who was working under the alias Shad Camper at the supply carrier and restaurant Little Bivoli—accidentally spilled a tray of food on Karath, who ignored him. Carrick was immediately reprimanded by Dallan Morvis.After having a vision through the Force of the Mandalorians destroying Serroco's surface, Carrick told his partner and the head of the Little Bivoli, Marn Hierogryph, that he needed to warn Admiral Karath. Carrick then sneaked on Lieutenant Carth Onasi's ship Deadweight; after he was discovered by Onasi, the Jedi convinced Onasi to take him to Karath.

When Onasi brought Carrick to the Admiral on the bridge of Courageous, Karath congratulated the lieutenant, and proceeded to accuse Carrick of being a Mandalorian spy. Karath interrogated Carrick, who denied knowing Mandalore and the accusations of being a spy, and asked Karath to allow Onasi to try to get in contact with the Jedi Knight Alek, known to Carrick as "Squint". Karath instructed Onasi to go the the command center, contact the Jedi Council, and see if they could locate "Squint". At that point, the Mandalorian ships dropped out of hyperspace, and launched nuclear missiles towards the Republic fleet. Karath attempted to counter the attack, but instead of heading towards the fleet, the missiles continued towards Serroco's surface. The missiles destroyed the Stereb cities, and inflicted heavy damage to the human settlements. As Carrick wept over the planet's destruction on the Courageous's bridge, Karath knew that it was time to rethink their strategies against the Mandalorians. Karath promised Carrick that he would hand him over to the Jedi, as the Admiral knew that what the Jedi would do to Carrick was far worse than anything he could ever do. Until then, Karath had the Padawan sealed in a cell.

When Mandalorian shock troopers boarded the Courageous, Karath was forced to abandon ship with Lieutenant Onasi and Commander Morvis. Karath reluctantly agreed to take Carrick along with them as they fled to Onasi's ship Deadweight. After escaping the Courageous, Karath filed a report with the Admiral of the Fleet concerning the disposition of his forces, which were under pursuit on the hyperspace lanes from Serroco to the banking world Telerath. Karath also hoped to make it to Myrkr or the Ryyk Nebula, where they could meet with the Tremendous fleet. In his report to the Admiral of the Fleet, Karath noted Onasi's and Morvis' performances during the battle.

The Adasca Affair
Shortly after escaping the Legacy's destruction, Karath complimented Onasi on the quick escape from the Mandalorians. After Morvis managed to reach communications with Arkania Command, Karath told Carrick that while he could not turn the Padawan in to the custody of his former Jedi Master Lucien Draay, who ordered the Padawan Massacre, Karath would get another chance to do so. When the Deadweight was in transit to Arkania, Karath received a transmission from the Duro Eejee Vamm—a servant of the medical corporation Adascorp, which was headed by Lord Arkoh Adasca—requesting Karath's presence at a meeting onboard Adasca's flagship Arkanian Legacy. After being informed about the exogorths, space slugs which Adasca's scientists modified to be superweapons, Karath ordered Onasi to redirect the ship to the Legacy. When they arrived, Karath told Onasi, Morvis, and Carrick how old spacefarers talked about the exogorths, and that he had originally thought the slugs were a myth. The four prepared to board the Legacy.

Karath tells Mandalore the Ultimate to step away from Jedi Knight Alek.

When Karath disembarked the Deadweight, Adasca greeted him, stating that he felt Karath was the perfect Republic representative for the meeting. Adasca asked Karath if he was able to negotiate on the Republic's behalf, and Karath attempted to inquire as to what Adasca meant. As Carrick was disembarking the Deadweight with Onasi and Morvis, Jarael—the female Arkanian offshoot who helped Carrick elude the Jedi Masters on Taris—noticed Carrick and kissed him. Karath asked Adasca if his forces could find a detention area to imprison Carrick, and Adasca had Vamm move Carrick to the ship's detention area. Later in the observation dome, Karath was listening to Adasca talk about the exogorths and how they could be operated as weapons capable of destroying entire star systems. After Adasca finished, the Jedi Knight Alek, who was representing the Jedi Knight Revan's faction of Jedi at Adasca's meeting, expressed his horror and disgust. Karath asked Adasca what exactly he wanted; when the Mandalorians led by Mandalore the Ultimate arrived at the meeting, Karath told Adasca that he had gone too far. Adasca stated that his corporation was now a galactic player, and that they sought allies, not contracts.

After Mandalore boarded the Legacy, Alek attacked Mandalore, but Mandalore hit the Jedi with a battle axe constructed from the wreckage of the Courageous, which knocked Alek down. Karath pointed his blaster at Mandalore and told him to back off, and Mandalore taunted Karath. While Mandalore was having a conversation with Mandalorian Rohlan Dyre, Alek tried to convince Karath to arrest Adasca, but Karath refused, citing their outnumbered position. A short while later, Adasca commenced with a test of the exogorths, and Onasi became disgusted at what he witnessed. He asked for Karath's permission to return to the Deadweight, which the Admiral granted. When Mandalore commented that he wanted to keep the exogorths out of Republic or Jedi control, Karath retorted that they were one and the same. Mandalore expressed his disbelief at that statement, and Karath asked Mandalore why he did not just take the exogorths. When Mandalore offered to make Adasca weaponsmith of all the Mandalorian clans, Adasca commented that the senate seat Karath had offered him seemed petty in comparison. Karath began to grow desperate, and asked Adasca if he wanted his own territory.

Meanwhile, Zayne Carrick and his former Jedi Master Lucien Draay—who had been ordered by Haazen, a co-founder of the secret Jedi cabal known as the Covenant, to investigate Adasca —met up with Onasi and Dyre and worked together to put an end to Adasca's scheme. Both Carrick, who was in the armor that Mandalore had given to Dyre earlier, and Onasi made it to the observation dome, and started a diversion. This caused Karath and Mandalore to attempt to control the two, but when Carrick ignited his lightsaber, Draay stormed the room and Alek prepared to attack. Mandalore immediately accused Adasca of treachery. Karath, along with Carrick, Draay, Onasi, Jarael, Dyre, and Morvis, participated in the ensuing battle. Karath was injured during the battle, and Morvis ordered Onasi to capture Carrick while he escorted the Admiral back to the Deadweight. However, Onasi let the Jedi escape, believing that Carrick was innocent of the charges levied against him. Karath, Onasi, and Morvis successfully escaped the Legacy's observation dome as the exogorths under Gorman Vandrayk's command devoured it, killing Adasca.

After Karath, Morvis, and Onasi reached the galactic capital Coruscant, Karath filed his resignation to the Admiral of the Fleet due the loss of Battle Group Serroco and the Courageous. However, the Admiral of the Fleet refused to recognize Karath's resignation, and met with Karath, Onasi, and Morvis. After this, the Admiral of the Fleet publicly commended Karath. While the Admiralty did not immediately assign a posting to Karath, the Admiral stated that he appreciated the public's support, but that he wanted those in his position to have a chance to see their families, "in the name of those who did not make it home". Karath also confirmed Arkoh Adasca's death, although he declined to speak of the events that transpired.

The Covenant Affair
Sometime after the Battle of Omonoth, Karath was given command of the capital ship Swiftsure. He was then assigned by the Jedi Master and newly appointed Council member Lucien Draay to the planetary defense of Coruscant. Not wanting Carrick to expose the Covenant to the Council, Draay told the Admiral that Carrick would be aboard the Moomo Williwaw—the starship of the Ithorian bounty hunters Dob and Del Moomo—and also warned Karath that the fugitive would attack the planet on behalf of the Mandalorians. Because of the Khil Jedi Master Xamar's experience with the Republic Navy, the Covenanter was assigned to the Swiftsure by Draay to ensure that Karath did not take Carrick as a prisoner. When Xamar met with Karath, the Admiral assured the Jedi that nobody would get through without going through the defense. Karath ordered the initiation of the Vanjervalis Chain, a sensor package that not only predicted enemy movements and adjusted strategies, but linked multiple Republic cruisers under a single command. Xamar asked Karath how Carrick seemed when he met him, and Karath replied that the Padawan did not always make sense and that Carrick was absolutely sure he was right.

Karath aboard the Swiftsure during Sith Acolyte Haazen's insurrection against the Jedi Order.

When the Moomo Williwaw approached Coruscant, Xamar expressed his concern that Carrick would be able to break through the blockade. Karath suggested that the Jedi get in a starfighter and join the other Republic fighters' efforts, assuring the Khil that his forces would not accidentally shoot the Jedi. This startled Xamar, because of his vision that prophesied that he would be killed by the Republic fleet in friendly fire. After Xamar left the Swiftsure, the Moomo Williwaw crashed in the ship's docking bay. Karath and his forces managed to get the bay doors open; when the Moomo brothers and Carrick's companion Jarael disembarked their ship, Karath told the Arkanian that she was in trouble, and ordered his forces to search for Carrick and Hierogryph. When they could not find them, Karath began to ask Xamar to find the two fugitives, but he found that the Jedi was not there. Xamar stowed away on Carth Onasi's ship Deadweight when Carrick and Hierogryph used the ship to escape to Coruscant.

Eventually, the Vanjervalis Chain's tactical system was taken over by the Covenant co-founder and Sith acolyte Haazen during his insurrection against the Jedi Order. Haazen used a remote located on his Sith device, the Gauntlet of Kressh the Younger, to fire at the skybridge near the Draay Estate. This killed Master Xamar, who had turned against the Covenant, and many Jedi Knights attacking the estate. Karath asked Dallan Morvis, now the captain of the command ship Veltraa, why the Republic fleet was firing on the surface, and Morvis told the Admiral that someone sliced in their systems. A Republic officer told Karath that an incoming signal had bypassed their fail-safes, which prevented them from attempting to jam the signal or move out of range. Karath ordered all non-essential personnel off the Swiftsure while they tried to figure out a way to disable the security breach.

When Lucien Draay and Zayne Carrick allied to stop Haazen, Draay managed to recover the remote and directed the fleet's fire on the Draay Estate, killing Haazen and restoring control of the Vanjervalis Chain to the Swiftsure. Days later, Karath publicly announced that the Mandalorians were responsible for the bombardment and vowed he would take the fight to the Mandalorians. The Republic and the Jedi agreed to have the true events of Haazen's insurrection covered up, and Carrick and his companions were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Capturing Dace Golliard
Shortly after Haazen's failed insurrection, the Jedi Knight Revan, along with fellow Jedi Knight Malak, formerly known as Alek, officially entered the Mandalorian Wars as a Republic mercy corps with the sanction of the Jedi Council. Under Malak's command, Karath and his forces retook the planet Omonoth from the Mandalorians long enough to recover the Arkanian Legacy's remains.

Karath captures Republic fugitive Dace Golliard.

Eventually, the Defense Ministry received an anonymous tip—which was given by Zayne Carrick—about a full-scale Mandalorian raiding force set to arrive in the Ithor system. Karath led a Republic force consisting of the Swiftsure, the Veltraa, and the Testament to the Ithor system, and waited for the Mandalorians to exit hyperspace outside of an asteroid field. After the Mandalorians led by Cassus Fett exited hypserpace, the Republic forces prepared to engage them. However, the Mandalorian ships went around the fleet, and re-entered hyperspace. As Karath was expressing his surprise, the Swiftsure was hailed by Carrick. The former Jedi informed the Admiral that there were pirates in the asteroid field near the Swiftsure's starboard flank. Before Karath could respond, Carrick told him that the pirates were being led by Dace Golliard, who fled the Battle of Foreost during the Great Sith War, resulting in Karath's father's death. Karath immediately spotted Golliard's ship, the Gladiator. He instructed the Swiftsure's crewmen to capture Golliard's ship by crippling it with their lasers and bringing the Gladiator aboard the Swiftsure via tractor beam.

However, Golliard escaped the Gladiator aboard an escape pod, and headed to a mining site in order to find a shuttle. Carrick activated the control panel aboard the Gladiator that activated the skyreaper drones—which were used by Golliard to capture slaves for the Crucible slavery organization—and the drones captured Golliard. After being brought aboard the Swiftsure, Karath taunted Golliard and had the former Republic officer taken into custody. After this, Carrick attempted to ask Karath to help him and Marn Hierogryph in reaching the planet Osadia. The Admiral gave the former Padawan credit for his nerve, even after all Carrick had put Karath through. Carrick interjected, citing the Repubic's coverups for the events that Karath participated in over the past few months, which portrayed the Admiral as a hero. Carrick stated that some might say that those reports were not true, and finished by saying that he would never tell anybody the truth, although he implied that he would. After this conversation, Karath ordered Telettoh, the captain of the Testament, to take Carrick and Hierogryph where they needed to go.

Jedi Civil War
During the Mandalorian Wars, the Jedi Knight Revan eventually gained full control of the Republic fleet. Revan and Malak liberated Taris, fought Mandalore's primary strategist Cassus Fett at Jaga's Cluster, and defeated much of the Mandalorian forces at Althir. In 3,960 BBY, Revan forced a final confrontation with the Mandalorians over the Sith world Malachor V, and led the Republic to victory against them, defeating Mandalore the Ultimate. After the Mandalorian's final defeat at Malachor V, Karath was not among the Republic forces who followed Revan and Malak into the Unknown Regions. The two Jedi claimed to hunting down surviving Mandalorians; however, Revan and Malak were searching for an ancient Rakatan space station called the Star Forge. A year after their disappearance, Revan returned to the Republic as the Dark Lord of the Sith and, with Malak as his apprentice, declared war against the Jedi Order and the Republic, igniting the Jedi Civil War.

Saul Karath is ordered by Darth Malak to destroy the planet Taris.

In the year 3,958 BBY, Karath declared the Republic unworthy of his loyalty and defected to Darth Revan's Sith Empire. He attempted, and failed, to convince his protégé and friend Carth Onasi to join him against the Republic. Karath's first act of betrayal was to give the Sith codes which enabled the Sith to bypass a Republic Navy docking bay's scanners. This allowed the Sith to sweep in and destroy over half of the docked ships before they had time to react. Karath brought the Interdictor-class cruiser Leviathan and several other ships with him into the Sith's service. At some point after this, Revan promoted Karath as the commander of the entire Sith fleet. Not long after, Karath led the Sith fleet to Carth Onasi's homeworld of Telos IV. After the planet refused to surrender to the Sith, Darth Malak ordered Karath to destroy Telos, in order to test the Admiral's loyalty to the Sith. Karath complied, destroying the planet's surface and killing millions. During the Jedi Civil War, Karath intimidated hundreds of strategically important military worlds by threatening to destroy their cities by way of bombardment.Karath continued his service under Revan up until Malak seemingly killed Revan during the Jedi and Republic's attempt to capture them both. Karath continued serrving the Sith Empire under Malak's command.

Destruction of Taris
In the year 3,956 BBY, the Sith fleet attacked the Endar Spire, which was the flagship of the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, above the planet Taris. Shan was being pursued by Malak because of her power with Battle Meditation, a Force power that enabled her to strengthen the Republic forces' resolve and coordinate their fighting effort while sapping the will of their enemies. Shan managed to escape to the Tarisian surface aboard an escape pod. After Malak's forces captured Taris, Karath was in command of the blockade over the planet while the Sith forces searched the planet for Shan. Karath was eventually ordered by the Dark Lord to destroy Taris in order to prevent Shan's escape. At first, Karath did not want murder the billions of people on Taris, including the Sith troops still on the surface. However, Malak reminded Karath what happened to his predecessor, and after Karath positioned the fleet, he began the bombardment.

Shortly after Taris' destruction, the bounty hunter Calo Nord—who was on Taris for business with the Exchange crime lord Davik Kang—was introduced by Karath to Darth Malak aboard the Leviathan, after Nord escaped the Sith bombardment. Malak was informed by Nord that Shan had successfully escaped Taris; although, Nord was unaware that it was Revan, Malak's former Master, who assisted in Shan's escape. Malak hired Nord to track down Shan and capture her alive. However, Nord was killed on the desert world Tatooine by Revan—who was now a retrained Jedi Padawan searching for the Star Forge. Karath received news of Nord's failure and informed Malak, asking the Dark Lord to forgive him. Malak told Karath that while the penalty for failure was death, the failure was Nord's, not Karath's. When the Admiral asked Malak about hiring another bounty hunter, the Dark Lord replied that no bounty hunter could stand against a Jedi. In order to not to repeat this error, Malak sent Darth Bandon, his Shadow Hand to capture Shan and kill Revan. However, Revan slew Malak's Sith apprentice after the Jedi located a fourth Rakatan Star Map, which was necessary to determine the Star Forge's location, on the Selkath homeworld Manaan. Sometime before Revan located that Star Map, Malak attacked the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. The attack killed many Jedi and destroyed the Enclave. However, the local Jedi Council was able to escape.

Downfall
As Revan and the Ebon Hawk's crew were en route to the Sith necropolis Korriban, which had a fifth Star Map, they were captured by the Leviathan. While the Ebon Hawk was being brought in via tractor beam, Revan and his companions were discussing a means of escape, and Revan chose a member of his party to escape the Sith and save them from capture. Revan, Shan, and Onasi were put into force cages, and were questioned by Karath. After Onasi swore he would kill Karath for the deaths on Telos, the Admiral said that Darth Malak was far more interested in Shan and Revan. When Revan swore he would not betray the Jedi, Karath found that Revan did not know of his former identity. The Admiral suspected that he would not succeed in the interrogation, stating that Malak would torture them for information and for his own twisted pleasure. However, Karath knew that at the time Malak was in another sector, and that it would a while before Malak arrived at the detention area. Karath began interrogating the Jedi and Onasi through means of torture.

Karath tortures Revan, Shan, and Onasi.

Knowing that Revan cared for Shan, Karath made her suffer each time Revan refused to answer his questions. Karath used this to test Revan's loyalty when he asked the Jedi where the Jedi Enclave was, but Revan still gave no answer to the Admiral. Karath revealed that the question was only a test, for Malak, having been trained at the Enclave, knew its location and had already destroyed the Enclave. Karath left the three alone until Malak would arrive. Both Shan and Revan felt a disturbance in the Force, and they knew that Karath had sent a message to the Dark Lord regarding their current location. Meanwhile, the Ebon Hawk crew member that Revan had chosen to free the rest of the crew managed to deactivate their force cages. Feeling Malak's presence approaching, the Jedi devised a plan to escape, which involved going to the bridge and disabling the tractor beam. Revan sent the Mandalorian Canderous Ordo and the rest of the Ebon Hawk's crew to the docking bay so that they could deal with the guards.

Revan, Shan, and Onasi fought their way to the bridge and confronted Karath, who was guarded by two Dark Jedi and a group of Sith troopers. Karath offered to ask Darth Malak, who was on his way to the bridge, to be merciful when he arrived if the two Jedi and Onasi would surrender their weapons. After Onasi refused, Karath went on the attack, remarking that Onasi always liked doing things the hard way. Revan, Shan, and Onasi slew the Sith troopers and Dark Jedi bodyguards, and struck Karath down, leaving him mortally wounded. Before he died, Karath asked Onasi to come closer so that he could speak with him. In a whisper, Karath told Onasi about Revan's former identity of Darth Revan. Karath taunted Onasi, telling him to remember the Admiral's words whenever his former protégé looked at those he thought were his friends. Karath then succumbed to his wounds.

Legacy
After Karath's death, the Sith Admiral Varko was promoted to Karath's former position as the Sith fleet's commander. Malak planned to conquer the Core worlds in order to crush the Republic permanently. However, Revan and his companions managed to locate the Star Forge, and the Republic fleet engaged the Sith forces around the Star Forge above the surface of Rakata Prime as Revan boarded the space station. Revan managed to redeem Bastila Shan, who became Malak's Sith apprentice after being captured aboard the Leviathan, and killed Malak in a lightsaber duel. The Sith forces were routed after the Republic destroyed the Star Forge. At the end of the Dark Wars five years later, before the Sith Lord Darth Traya succumbed to the wounds dealt to her by the human female known as the Jedi Exile, Traya predicted that the planet of Telos would eventually be restored through the efforts of the Ithorians led by Force adept Chodo Habat, who led the Telos Restoration Project. Traya also predicted that Telos would forget the devastation brought by Saul Karath when he bombarded the planet.

Karath lies fatally wounded on the Leviathan's bridge.

Personality and traits
When the Human male known as Saul Karath lost his father, Craddock Karath, at the Battle of Foerost during the Great Sith War, he enlisted in the Republic Navy. After starting his military career, Karath tried every duty on a flagship at least once. He eventually grew to be a skilled pilot and capable tactician. Karath was known for acting on quick judgments, which were sometimes viewed as reckless. His bureaucratic abilities were not as developed, which led to a number of setbacks in his career. However, Karath was known for his ability to survive and thrive, and considered the Navy his family.

Karath never told anybody that his father's death had caused him to join the Republic Navy. Because a former Jedi and the Mandalorians were involved in his father's death, Karath did not trust members of either group. When the fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick attempted to warn him of Serroco's coming destruction, Karath wrongly assumed he was a Mandalorian spy. During the Mandalorian Wars, other Jedi were prone to similar receptions from Karath. Karath was a man who respected firepower. He trained many of the soldiers and officers in the Republic fleet, including Carth Onasi. Onasi and Karath shared similar backgrounds and a habit for making quick, if not reckless, judgments. Onasi's career path was also similar to Karath's, explaining why the Admiral took an interest in the pilot. Karath would not usually set up military defenses that would potentially endanger civilians, such as the defenses on Serroco shortly before its destruction.

A year after Revan and Malak came back from the Unknown Regions as Sith and attacked the Republic, the Republic Navy was devastated, and Karath was faced with the loss of his troops and command. In an attempt to save both, Karath declared the Republic unworthy of his allegiance, and brought his flagship Leviathan and a large amount of troops to Revan's service. Because he was the first officer of an important rank to join the Sith, other Republic officers followed his example and betrayed the Republic, not wanting to fight against a foe who knew all their tactics and strategies. After Malak betrayed Revan and assumed his mantle of Dark Lord, Karath thought that Revan's apparent death would make his command easier. However, Karath discovered that serving Malak was not as easy as he had hoped, but Karath would not abandon his position as the highest-ranking officer in Malak's navy. To Karath, keeping his forces intact overruled all other concerns. When Malak ordered Taris' destruction in an attempt to kill Bastila Shan, Karath tried to intervene for the billions of innocent people and the Sith troops on the surface. However, Malak threatened him, and Karath obeyed the Dark Lord's orders. When Karath tortured Revan, Shan, and Onasi after capturing Revan's ship Ebon Hawk, Karath attempted to justify the bombing of Telos IV to Onasi, stating that in war even the innocent had to die.

Aside from Basic, Karath could speak and comprehend a variety of languages, including Durese, Khilese, Sullustese, Mando'a, Bothese, Zabraki and Kuat. Karath owned a prototype energy shield of Verpine design, using it for extra protection during battle. During his time serving the Sith, Karath used a Sith Assassin blaster pistol. He also owned a code cylinder and an encrypted comlink. Karath wore a Republic officer's uniform during his service to them. After joining the Sith Empire, Karath wore a Sith officer's uniform.

While we wait for The Old Republic: Betrayal

2010-03-13T05:26:00.000-08:00

As The Clone Wars rage on, the thirst for power is causing entire Star Systems, along with many of the Jedi, to change sides. Count Dooku, using his knowledge of the dark side as a lure, is causing many to leave the Jedi Order.

An award winning short film set in the Star Wars universe, Star Wars Betrayal deals with a Padawans reoccuring dream about his past and his doubts about his current mission assigned to him by his mentor, Jedi Master Allouben.

New SWTOR Webcomic, “Blood of the Empire”

2010-03-13T01:24:00.001-08:00

Friday Update features a new webcomic.

BioWare™ and LucasArts have once again teamed up with Dark Horse to create this original comic series published entirely online. Blood of the Empire features a new perspective and strong character-driven story written by BioWare’s Senior Writer Alexander Freed and published by Dark Horse.

Set in the years before the Treaty of Coruscant and the establishment of peace between the great galactic powers, Blood of the Empire sets the stage for The Old Republic with new heroes, new villains and new revelations about the inner workings of the Emperor’s cabal.
Be on the lookout for the release of the first issue of Blood of the Empire coming soon on the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ website. Get a sneak peek at the series below!

Source: SWTOR

New SWTOR Planet! Belsavis

2010-03-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

Hey guys... Today they just announced a new planet that will appear in Star Wars: The Old republic!

This planet is going to be awesome.. As you will read below, this planet is where many Sith Lords, Mandalorians, and creations of Sith alchemy were sent to be imprisoned during the Great War. The Imperial forces will give it their all to free them but the Republic is going to do THEIR best to keep the evil forces contained..

Read on!

Republic knowledge of Belsavis predates the Great Hyperspace War, but for centuries, the planet warranted little attention. With the exception of some unusual volcanic activity, the planet was deemed, in all ways, unremarkable. Belsavis was added to the star charts then summarily dismissed as nothing more than another curiosity of the Outer Rim.

Fifty years ago, while investigating the planet’s tropical rifts that seemed to defy the ice shelves in completely unnatural ways, Republic scientists stumbled upon an ancient prison constructed by the Rakatan Empire. Behind the force fields and ultra hard metals were the most terrifying prisoners in the galaxy. Republic efforts to explore and secure the dilapidated network of vaults were impeded by ferocious alien species, and nearly unstoppable droids.

Realizing it was only a matter of time before the vaults and stasis chambers containing the worst of these prisoners failed, the Republic committed a force to maintain the complex, and establish a new Republic prison on Belsavis’ unused surface. In secret Strategic Information Service meetings it was decided that this new prison, dubbed “the Tomb”, was only to be used in cases where execution was impractical or impossible.

Once the Great War erupted, the Tomb’s population rapidly increased. Mandalorians, Sith Lords, and creations of Sith alchemy were sent to Belsavis for containment. As rumors of the Tomb’s existence spread, Imperial Intelligence began searching for the legendary super prison. Despite Republic efforts to keep its location a secret, the Empire learned of the operation on Belsavis and sent strike teams to liberate all the imprisoned Sith.

In the short time since the Imperials arrived, the prison grounds have been transformed into a labyrinth of battle and chaos. The Empire has discovered that extracting its loyal subjects from among their violent fellow inmates will not be easy, and even though the Republic is rushing to restore order, the threat of the mysterious evil breaking loose from its ancient prison is becoming all too real.

[link] to article at swtor.com

Check out what fans are saying from the article source:

"This planet looks amazing, very interested in its dark story and cant wait to explore its terrain." - DarthPhenex

"This planet looks awesome. I want the next one to be Manaan." - JacenD

"Excellent another planet :) It looks like Bioware are really pushing the boat out with this game with regards to content (quality and quantity)compared to other MMO's at release. Fingers crossed for a some space action at some point but I guess the amount of planets and different class storylines will keep me amused for a fair while after release as it is." - AidenCast

Plans for endgame in place

2010-03-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

Not really that surprising, but BioWare's Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk noted that they have plans for The Old Republic's endgame in place, as noted by VG247:

BioWare bossman Ray Muzyka has told VG247’s US editor Stephany Nunneley that plans for what happens after you finish Star Wars: The Old Republic are in place.

But speaking at GDC alongside fellow head of the studio Greg Zeschuk, the pair wouldn’t go into specifics as to what would be coming.

“We have plans for end game, but can’t be more specific,” said Muzyka, before teasing: “Actually, we can, but we won’t.

“But soon actually, it’s nice to be able to reveal things a little bit over time.”

“It’s been a long cycle, but we knew that going in and we’ve been very thoughtful about details. People who play MMOs want details,” added Zeschuk.

That said, there will be stuff in the game from the go that will keep you occupied for a long time.

“We have a story in place that will keep people playing and having fun for a really long time, and you should see the pillars we have describing to us what makes a great MMO or RPG for that matter, as they’re very similar kinds of pillars,” said Muzyka.

“We look at narrative and story, we look at combat and conflict, progression, customization, all those have aspects that transcend the primary main game and all of them have place in the end game too.”

The MMO was announced back in October 2008, with a release set for spring next year. Wont be out before April, though.

As I said, nothing really shocking yet. But thought it was nice to hear the bosses' thoughts.

[link] to news article at VG247.

SWTOR is EA's "largest ever" project

2010-03-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

Though this should come as no surprise to anyone, Eurogamer is reporting that Star Wars: The Old Republic is EA's largest ever project. Their text:

BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic is the most expensive game ever created at EA.

The publisher's chief banker Eric Brown described the MMO as the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company".

He said a packaged game usually costs around $30m to make at EA, but "any MMO costs significantly more than that".

When asked by a member of the Wedbush Morgan Securities audience in New York today how the cost compared to World of Warcraft, Brown said Blizzard spent "$100 million, perhaps more" to ship the game in 2004.

"That's lifetime [research and development] to actually ship it and obviously then there's maintenance subsequent to ship and expansion packs," Brown added.

These days, WOW makes around $100m a month from subscriptions. EA no doubt hopes SWTOR will recoup costs in a similar fashion.

"MMOs are sizeable undertakings," quipped Brown.

EA is steering Star Wars: The Old Republic towards a spring 2011 release. Take that with a pinch of salt, as these things slip.

I can see how that might make one nervous; developing a triple-A MMO is clearly risky business.

[link] to article at Eurogamer.

Endgame is "Brand New System"

2010-03-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

ComputerAndVideoGames, the digital arm of PC Gamer magazine, has posted a message noting that James Ohlen told them that the endgame content in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a combination of classic MMO systems and something new. Here's their article:

Bioware has revealed that end game content in Star Wars: The Old Republic will mix the classic MMO system with "something brand new".

The 'endgame' content offers players incentives to stay in the game once they've reached maximum level.

Speaking to PC Gamer in its new 'MMO issue', the game's creative director James Olhen said:

"We're looking at classic [endgame] systems, but we're also doing something brand new that hasn't been done in an MMO before. So we're going to mix those two together."

Olhen then got hushed by the game's product manager, but added that Bioware was keen for players to continue questing after hitting maximum.

"We want to make sure the endgame isn't completely different to what you have been doing," he said. "So there will be a natural progression... We want to make sure that when people play ToR they feel like they never run out of content... that it's an epic story."

As I understand it the magazine has the complete interview, but since I don't have access to that I can't tell you anything more than I've already quoted above.

Even so, sounds intriguing. I wonder what they've got cooked up. Though I rarely make it to the endgame (in fact, has only happened in one MMO to date).

[link] to news item at ComputerAndVideoGames.

May the schwartz be with you: Episode III alternate ending

2010-03-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

Hey guys this is a hilarious video! I laughed for like 20 minutes when I first saw it..

It just comes out of nowhere and is kind of unexpected!

Enjoy!

Know your lore: Zaalbar

2010-03-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Zaalbar (pronounced /'zɑlbɑɹ/), also nicknamed "Big Z", was a male Wookiee who aided the former Sith Lord Revan in his quest throughout the galaxy to find and destroy the Star Forge superweapon . Originating from the Mid Rim Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, Zaalbar was the son of Wookiee Chieftain Freyyr, but had been exiled from his homeworld. Zaalbar was considered in Wookiee culture to be a madclaw, a title of dishonor, as he had attacked his brother Chuundar with his climbing claws, violating a Wookiee code of conduct. Despite his brother's deals with slavers, which had led to their fight, Zaalbar's father did not believe his accusations against Chuundar. Leaving Kashyyyk, Zaalbar traveled to the planet Taris where he encountered and befriended the Twi'lek orphan Mission Vao. Zaalbar and Vao traveled everywhere on Taris together. The two protected one another in the absence of any other companions and a close bond was forged between them. Also, the duo affiliated themselves with the Lower City gang known as the Hidden Beks.

When the amnesiac Revan traveled to the planet alongside Republic soldier Carth Onasi and began a search for the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, whom they needed to find to aid the Republic war effort against the Sith Empire, they encountered Vao and Zaalbar. After Zaalbar was captured by Gamorrean slavers and held prisoner in the sewers of the Undercity, Vao turned to Revan and his companions for help in rescuing the Wookiee. With their combined abilities, Revan and his party were able to do so. Escaping Taris with Revan and his companions after the orbital bombardment of the planet that resulted in the destruction of Taris, Zaalbar agreed to travel around the galaxy with Revan and his companions to search for the ancient Star Map artifacts which would lead them to the Star Forge. As one of the Star Maps was located on Kashyyyk, Zaalbar returned to his homeworld with Revan in search of it. With Revan's help he cleared his name and liberated his homeworld from the slaving operations of the pan-galactic Czerka Corporation. He parted ways with Revan after the defeat and death of Sith Lord Darth Malak.

Biography

Early life
A son of the Wookiee Chieftain Freyyr, Zaalbar was born on the Wookiee home planet of Kashyyyk prior to the Jedi Civil War. Zaalbar's tribe came under the attention of numerous slaving organizations across the galaxy, such as the unscrupulous Czerka Corporation. After Zaalbar discovered that his brother, Chuundar, was making deals with slavers to sell Wookiees to them, he went mad with rage and attacked Chuundar. During the fight, Zaalbar broke an important Wookiee code and used his claws as weapons. Though Chuundar survived the attack, Zaalbar was consequently branded a madclaw and exiled from his village, Rwookrrorro, and Kashyyyk as a whole.

During his exile, Zaalbar traveled to the planet Taris. Upon his arrival, the Wookiee got into trouble in Taris' Lower City; a few gang members of the Black Vulkars, a swoop gang of Taris, began trying to fight the lone Wookiee. Although Zaalbar did not allow himself to be goaded into fighting, a young Twi'lek orphan, Mission Vao, who was observing the altercation, believed Zaalbar to be in danger. Vao attacked one of the Vulkars, but he knocked her down. Big Z retaliated by grabbing the Vulkar who had done so by the throat, scaring the others off. After that, Zaalbar and Vao became inseparable, traveling everywhere together. Zaalbar's strength allowed Vao to gain physical protection against swoop gangs and local thugs, while Mission's abilities to break open locks, as taught to her by her brother Griff, were able to benefit the Wookiee. Zaalbar and Vao then affiliated themselves with the Hidden Beks, a gang based around the swoop racing sport popular on Taris at the time.

Revan
When the amnesiac Jedi Knight and former Sith Lord Revan served on the Republic ship Endar Spire, the ship came under attack by the forces of Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Malak. After the Sith forces overpowered the Endar Spire, and the Republic was forced to call an evacuation order, a multitude of Republic escape pods fled to the planet's surface. One of the pods contained Revan and Republic soldier Carth Onasi. Upon landing, they searched the planet for Jedi Knight Bastila Shan. Shan was another refugee from the Endar Spire, and Shan was considered an important asset for the Republic in battles, due to her ability to use the Force power battle meditation. Zaalbar encountered Revan and his companion when Zaalbar was part of the Hidden Beks. Zaalbar and Vao first saw Revan in Javyar's Cantina. In the cantina, Zaalbar was scaring off a group of Black Vulkars who were harassing Vao.

Zaalbar and Vao ignored Revan upon first meeting him and his companion. Later, however, Zaalbar was captured by Gamorrean slavers, and taken to the Undercity sewers on his way to be sold on as a slave. Vao enlisted Revan's help to rescue Zaalbar from the Undercity sewers where he was being held. Revan proceeded to enter the sewers and subsequently attack and kill a number of the Gamorrean slavers, liberating Zaalbar from his confines. Zaalbar, during his imprisonment, had not been fed, and the only nutrition had received was when he had bitten a piece out of one of the arms of one of his Gamorrean oppressors. In the wake of his rescue by Revan, Zaalbar swore a life debt to the former Sith Lord, a Wookiee vow which meant he pledged his life to the protection of Revan. As a result, Zaalbar became a member of Revan's crew and joined him in his quest to find the Star Maps, maps that would lead to the superweapon called the Star Forge. Wherever Zaalbar went, Vao swore she would follow, so she joined Revan's party as well.

Return to Kashyyyk
When Revan and his companions arrived on Kashyyyk—where Zaalbar's brother Chuundar had seized power from their father—Zaalbar was imprisoned by his brother for not honoring his exile as a madclaw. Revan learned that Chuundar had sold a number of his fellow Wookiees as slaves to Czerka Corporation, but only a few in the tribe knew this fact; the rest saw Chuundar as a great hero. Chuundar asked Revan to kill another madclaw Wookiee exile who had taken up residence in the Shadowlands, the dangerous area beneath the planet's trees, in order for them to be allowed to leave with Zaalbar. Revan, having seen in a vision the location of the Star Map on the forest floor, agreed, as he felt he would be able to search for the Star Map at the same time. After journeying to the Shadowlands, Revan and his companions discovered that the exile was Freyyr, father of Zaalbar and Chuundar.

Instead of killing Freyyr, Revan helped the old Wookiee retrieve Bacca's Ceremonial Blade, a vibrosword of great importance to the Wookiees, which had been embedded in the skin of a terentatek beast. Freyyr then led a revolt against Chuundar and Czerka Corporation, resulting in Chuundar being killed. In the wake of Chuundar's death, Freyyr resumed his position as chieftain of the tribe, giving Bacca's Ceremonial Blade to his son, Zaalbar. This indicated, in Wookiee culture, that his son would succeed him as chieftain. Zaalbar accepted this gift, but told his father that he had to honor his life debt to Revan, and follow him on his quest around the galaxy. Zaalbar told his father that he would return to Kashyyyk when their quest to find the Star Maps was complete, and the Star Forge destroyed.

After the Star Maps led them to the uncharted planet Lehon, Carth Onasi was able to give the location of the Star Forge to Republic Admiral Forn Dodonna. Dodonna brought her ships to Lehon, triggering the Battle of Rakata Prime. Zaalbar, Revan, and the rest of Revan's companions had been led to Lehon after finding Star Maps on the planets of Dantooine, Tatooine, Manaan, Korriban and Kashyyyk, with the maps directing them toward Lehon in order to find the Star Forge. A team of Jedi alongside Revan and his companions, including Zaalbar, boarded the Star Forge. Under Sith resistance, including that of the captured Bastila Shan, who had turned to the dark side and was aiding Malak, Revan's party eventually reached Shan and redeemed her. Subsequently, Revan defeated and killed Malak, before destroying the Star Forge. Following the destruction of the Star Forge, Zaalbar was given a medal, the Cross of Glory, by the commanding Republic officer Admiral Forn Dodonna, along with the rest of Revan's crew. Afterward, Revan left the galaxy for the Unknown Regions, leaving Zaalbar behind with the rest of his former party.

Personality and traits
Zaalbar was a shy Wookiee of few words, preferring to let the street-smart Mission Vao do most of the talking. He was very protective of the young Twi'lek, and would sacrifice himself for her without hesitation. Still, even as he trusted her, and trusted Revan, he found it difficult to express certain aspects of himself and of his culture, feeling they were private and not for outsiders to know. An important trait of Zaalbar’s was his loyalty, and a strong sense of Wookiee honor and tradition, as shown by his dedication to his life debt. Zaalbar also maintained keeping his past life secret from even those he trusted most, as he found it painful to discuss and share it.

Zaalbar also appeared to have a low opinion of himself. When asked by Revan if he could help him with a problem, Zaalbar expressed his belief that he would be of little use unless, of course, he needed something to be bashed open.

Zaalbar also took care of his appetite. During his capture on Taris, he was so hungry that he even tried to bite off a Gamorrean guard's arm. When the Ebon Hawk''s food supply started getting low, he was the first one to notice it. Revan might have suspected him at first, of stealing and eating the supplies, but it turned out to be a young girl who had sneaked on board. Vao was also constantly teasing Zaalbar about his bad breath and appearance.

When Zaalbar discovered that his companion was in fact Revan, he showed indifference to who Revan had once been and pledged to continue his life debt, believing Revan to be a changed man.

Talents and abilities
Zaalbar's skills lay in physical combat, and a strong constitution. Zaalbar was a dedicated warrior and fighter, able to wield a number of weapons including melee weapons, such as vibroblades, to the weapon called the bowcaster, which was favored by Wookiees. Dangerous when angered, this was demonstrated by Zaalbar’s choice to tear a chunk out of the arm of a Gamorrean slaver who was keeping him prisoner with his bare teeth. Zaalbar was also a strong guardian, protecting the young Mission Vao in the Undercity of Taris. Zaalbar's strength was also evident from his ability to easily pick up foes, as he did with those who were attacking him when he first met Mission. He was also able to do this on Tatooine, where he was able to pick up Tusken Raiders.

Zaalbar terrorizing two Tusken Raiders on Tatooine

In terms of abilities of construction, Zaalbar was capable of making grenades for Revan and his party, doing so on numerous occasions. His personal possessions included a custom-crafted bowcaster and later, the sacred Bacca's Ceremonial Blade after the Wookiee rebellion on Kashyyy In terms of linguistic skills, Zaalbar was able to understand the languages of Basic, Ryl, Huttese and Shyriiwook, being able to speak the latter.

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

DEVELOPER BLOG #10 : making the Jedi Consular

2010-03-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

This weeks Friday Update features a Developer Blog by writer Joanna Berry as she brings to light some thoughts behind making the Jedi Consular.

My favorite Star Wars™ film has always been The Empire Strikes Back™. But while the battle of Hoth will keep me glued to the screen for that second when the AT-ATs appear out of the snow, the film’s defining moments are on Dagobah, while Luke struggles and trains with Master Yoda.
Before that, the Force was just a word that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader used, for a power whose glory days were long over. But on Dagobah, with Luke, we saw the Force differently; not as some simple trick that made Imperial Stormtroopers look the other way, but something greater. The Force™ is a living energy binding the galaxy as a whole. It is something that, in the hands of a master, could raise a lost X-Wing from the depths of a swamp. And after the cave where Luke faced his greatest fears, we understood the most important lesson for a Jedi: you can’t solve every problem with one stroke of your Lightsaber.
The Jedi Consular knows that lesson better than anyone. Trained in the arts of the Force, driven by curiosity and the search for knowledge, the Jedi Consular sees that through the Force, all things are connected.
As a Jedi Consular, your journey begins among the ruins and forests of Tython, still full of dangers and secrets after so many centuries. But the business of the Jedi Order is never confined to one world. You may find yourself inching through ancient ruins seeking proof of lost cultures, discovering and mastering forgotten Force techniques, planning an assault on an enemy base with Republic armies waiting on your unique insights, or even representing your order to a strange alien culture, whose first question is: “What’s a Jedi?”
And as your knowledge and experience grows, so does your reputation. The Jedi Council will entrust you with its most dangerous and delicate missions. Among the Sith, there will be whispers in the highest circles of a powerful new enemy. Maybe you’ll even get the chance to teach a new generation of Jedi, just as your master taught you.
But the Jedi Consular, more than any other Jedi, constantly walks a fine line. The Force has two sides; truly mastering it requires an understanding of both darkness and light. And a Jedi Consular’s natural curiosity can often lead him or her into trouble. Walking the balance between light and dark can give a Consular incredible power… but that’s when the treacherous thoughts begin creeping in. Don’t worry about falling to the dark side. You’re so smart and powerful, you can resist petty temptations. And even if you discovered some ancient secret that could make you stronger… surely you, with your superior intellect and understanding of the Force, know what’s best?
When developing the story for the Jedi Consular, these were themes we wanted to address – power and wisdom, how Jedi face the dark side, and how they work toward the ideals of the Republic. But the key element of the Consular’s story is mystery, using intelligence and courage to seek the truth. We wanted to capture the journey of Obi-Wan Kenobi – someone who begins with unusual insight and talent, but who is still growing into those powers, learning about the galaxy, and choosing what path to take in life.
For me, the challenge – and the fun – of writing the Jedi Consular is keeping a sense of balance between intelligence and arrogance, between what’s right and what could win the war against the Empire. A Jedi Consular must sometimes accept the grayer path, the less perfect choice. He or she must make the decisions the Republic can’t, in order to save it.
Will you delve into the greatest mysteries of the Force, to master abilities few Jedi ever dream of? Maybe you’ll be driven by a hunger for the past, to explore new horizons and reclaim long-forgotten lore for the Jedi Order. Or you could look to the future, rubbing shoulders with ambassadors and heads of state, and fighting alongside the Republic’s boldest generals.
Then again, perhaps you’ll seek power for yourself, use your wisdom to bend others to your will, and mercilessly destroy all threats to the Republic… even knowing what the cost of victory might be someday.
The choice is yours, Jedi Consular.
Joanna Berry

While we wait for The Old Republic:Tales of the New Republic

2010-03-04T01:17:00.000-08:00

Tales of the New Republic was a film released with much anticipation on May 25, 2007. There was a lot of speculation at the time that this film was a trailer for The Clone Wars 2008 series. It was actually a class project at The Digital Animation & Visual Effects School in Orlando, FL and I am sure it was done to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars. The film plays like an animated trailer for a possible new series and is very well done. A must see!

Star WarsThe Old Republic: What are YOU most excited about?

2010-03-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! This website has been running since 2008 and we thank you all for supporting us thus far. We have seen some major advancements with the game and we will be posting some more content from the developers themselves! We have been talking and we really want to get into touch with the visitors of our site. We definitely want some more interaction so expect to see some interactive posts in the coming future!

So the question I want to ask to you all today is this, what are YOU most excited about for Star Wars: The Old Republic?

Is it the awesome gameplay that we will experience?

Is it the questing?

Which class are you most excited to play in?

How much time will you spend trying to master the game before others do? :)

Tell us ANY of your thoughts!

There is so much to look foward to in SWTOR! I was posting in the forums earlier today and I was talking about how its going to be so exciting to see that screen start up for the first time when we insert the game into our CPU's! Sighs... Oh well, the wait continues...

So we really want to hear your responses so please post your comments below!

Taris Developer Dispatch Dissection

2010-03-01T03:19:00.000-08:00

Here is Darth Hater’s dissection of the latest Developer Dispatch from Star Wars: The Old Republic, which focuses largely on the recently revealed Taris. As in thair prior dissections, they add new content in as they find it, so keep checking back.

Taris Developer Dispatch Dissection

Fully functional T3-M4 in real life video.

2010-02-28T21:21:00.000-08:00

This is GREAT! DarthMoose made a real life version of T3-M4.

Well I finally have him all together now and just need to prep for paint.
This is the newest video I have of him with all his moving parts....

You can see more cool projects at www.R2-CM.com

Know your lore: Mission Vao

2010-02-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Mission Vao (pronounced /'mɪʃɪn 'veo/) was a female Rutian Twi'lek who lived as a street urchin on the ecumenopolis of Taris during the Mandalorian Wars and the first half of the Jedi Civil War. She preferred speaking Galactic Basic Standard rather than her people's native language and was the closest friend of the Wookiee Zaalbar.

She joined the crew of the Ebon Hawk following her encounter with Revan and the destruction of Taris, and was awarded the Cross of Glory in 3,956 BBY, at the age of 14, for her part in locating the Star Forge and the triumph of the Galactic Republic over the Sith Empire at the Battle of Rakata Prime. She parted ways with Revan after the defeat of Darth Malak.

Biography
Childhood
Mission grew up as an orphan, having never known her parents, with just her elder brother Griff to look after her. Griff was a scam artist, a gambler, and a drinker, always borrowing credits for his schemes of easy riches which regularly failed, leaving him in debt and on the run. Mission was only five years old when they escaped to Taris, smuggling themselves inside a packing crate in a star freighter's cargo hold, barely having enough supplies to make the trip.

On Taris, Griff and Mission had to live in the Lower City due to the alien ban that restricted access to the Upper City. Around 3,963 BBY, her brother Griff was a member of one of the Lower City's swoop gangs known as the Hidden Beks. People were still reeling from the consequences of the murders of the four Jedi Padawans that were to help rim-worlds such as Taris mantain law and order, when the Mandalorians invaded. Zayne Carrick, who had been framed for the murders, came back to Taris to try to help the resistance against the invading Mandalorians, and found the Hidden Beks' secret hideout.

Mission introduced herself to Zayne after he was through talking to Marn Hierogryph, and developed a crush on him, despite her brother's warning to stay away from the accused murderer. She then told him that she "knew a secret" and brought Zayne to see her brother's pet, which she thought was what Griff was feeding in secret. While they were spying on him, Gryph found them and inadvertently gave away their position to Griff. Meanwhile, Brejik attempted to kill Zayne with a vibroblade. Zayne was struggling to disarm Brejik when Mission bit his leg, causing Brejik to drop the blade. When he did, Griff came up behind her and pulled her away from the fight. Brejik then pulled out a blaster pistol, telling Zayne that he would tell everybody that he was killed "trying to escape".

Del Moomo then appeared from behind and pinned Brejik to a wall before he was able to kill Zayne. Mission, Zayne, and Gryph then discovered that the "pet" was not a pet at all; inside the container where Griff dropped the food were the missing children of Constable Noana Sowrs. After they got the two children out of there, they brought them back to the Hidden Beks' leader, Gadon Thek. Mission then helped feed the two children. While Gadon was enraged at Griff and Brejik for kidnapping the children, it gave the Hidden Beks an opportunity to open up negotiations with the "True" Resistance, and then eventually join them.

Griff and Mission were regulars of the Lower City cantina when Griff met Lena, a Twi'lek dancing girl, and started dating her. Lena, however, used to date Tarisian nobles, and Griff could never give her the kind of lifestyle she was used to. Eventually, he had to leave Taris, escaping his debts once again, this time together with Lena, and he left his twelve-year-old sister behind. He told Mission that Lena didn't want his little sister tagging along, but promised he would return as soon as they earned enough credits, and that then they would all live like royalty. Believing she made her brother forget about her, Mission hated Lena, and thought of her as a "busty, credit-grubbing cantina rat." She had no doubt their relationship wouldn't last long.

Encounter with Zaalbar
After her brother Griff deserted her on Taris, Mission got by on her own, until one day she made friends with Zaalbar, a Wookiee outcast from Kashyyyk. Zaalbar was being hassled by members of the Black Vulkars, a major Lower City swoop gang, when he attracted her attention. The sight of thugs picking on a lone Wookiee overwhelmed by a strange environment made her lose her temper, and she charged at them. She was smacked down by one of the Vulkars, but then the Wookiee got angry and yanked him a meter up off the ground, scaring the others away.

Despite such unusual circumstances of their meeting—or perhaps because of them—Mission and Zaalbar would stick together ever since, looking out for each other in their own way. She nicknamed Zaalbar "Big Z". For two years they got by in the Lower City, never hearing anything from or about Griff, and often seeking adventure in dangerous spots like the sewers of the Undercity, where Gadon used to tell her not to go. Mission never asked Zaalbar too much about his past, because he didn't like to talk about it, and she accepted that, dismissing the matter with the conclusion that he was the strong, silent type. The Wookiee would still talk a bit about his homeworld, about the big Wroshyr trees, and how he had "seen paradise destroyed by the greed of outsiders," which though Mission didn't understand at first, referred to Czerka Corporation and their slaving operations on Kashyyyk.

Entanglement with Revan
In 3,956 BBY, near the end of the Jedi Civil War, decorated war hero and legendary soldier Carth Onasi was stranded on Taris with an amnesiac Revan following the attack on the Endar Spire, a Republic warship under the command of the Jedi Bastila Shan. The entire war effort against the Sith relied on her skill with Battle Meditation, making her the Republic's only hope, so as soon as possible Carth and Revan made for the Undercity, where her escape pod had crashed. They passed by Javyar's Cantina where they found an unusual pair—a Wookiee, and a fourteen-year-old Twi'lek girl who preferred speaking Galactic Basic Standard rather than her people's native language. Revan watched as Zaalbar scared away some Black Vulkars picking on Mission.

Mission Vao stalking Gamorreans in the Taris Undercity.

Seeing that Revan was a newcomer in the Lower City, Mission provided him with information about the city, the swoop gangs, local Exchange boss Davik Kang, and the bounty hunter Calo Nord, who had just walked out of the cantina leaving a few corpses behind. She also spoke of the Hidden Beks as a more honest and reliable gang than the Black Vulkars, which were now led by Brejik, and she mentioned that Davik had recently acquired a new ship for his smuggling operations, the Ebon Hawk, which he supposedly kept in his estate. Mission and Zaalbar then left the cantina to seek more adventures in the Undercity.

At the Hidden Bek Base, the leader of the gang Gadon Thek made a deal with Revan, agreeing to provide sponsorship in the Tarisian Season Opener in exchange for the retrieval of a prototype accelerator that was stolen from him by the Vulkars. Revan was to break into the Vulkar base, where the swoop upgrade was being kept, and Gadon suggested that Mission could be able to get him in the back way. He then gave Revan authorization papers needed to get past the Sith guard at the elevator to the Undercity in exchange for the Sith uniforms he had used before as a disguise, and promised to let Revan use the accelerator to win the race and get Bastila back, who was being offered as a prize by Brejik, in his game to take over the Lower City. Once off the gates of the Outcast village of the Undercity, Revan ran into a very distressed Mission. She explained that her friend Zaalbar had been caught by Gamorrean slavers in the sewers and agreed to show Revan a secret entrance into the Vulkar Base if he helped her free the captive Wookiee.

Revan saved Zaalbar from the slavers, and as customary to his people, the Wookiee swore a life debt to him. Mission was not about to part ways with the only family she had since her brother left, so she too joined Revan. They followed him aboard the Ebon Hawk, which Revan stole from Davik, just in time to escape the destruction of Taris. Although Mission was shocked to see her homeworld destroyed before her eyes, she told Revan she would find a way to deal with it, and that whatever help she could offer him against Darth Malak and the Sith she would. Because of her age, Mission was often looked down upon by Revan's other companions. Carth Onasi was particularly disgusted at first about a fourteen-year-old living by herself in a dangerous area and occasionally the two found themselves at odds in a father-daughter fashion.

Travels on the Ebon Hawk
After the destruction of Taris, Mission accompanied Revan and his companions aboard the Ebon Hawk and assisted Revan in his journey to destroy the Star Forge.

During these travels with Revan, Mission encountered Lena, who explained what had happened after she and Griff left Taris. She had dumped Griff, leaving him on Tatooine, where he was working for Czerka Corporation. She also said that she had actually wanted Mission to come with them, and even offered to pay for her ticket, but Griff told Lena that Mission wouldn't leave Taris. In reality, Griff had lied to them both and even though Mission wouldn't believe Lena at first, she realized that she had been misguidedly idolizing her brother.

Mission still questioned the validity of Lena's statements and when Revan took the Ebon Hawk for a landing on Tatooine in search of the Star Map, they found Griff had been taken prisoner by Tusken Raiders. In the enclave where he was being kept, a conversation ensued that allowed Mission to realize the truth in Lena's words. Even after his liberation, Griff didn't give up his half-baked business projects—his latest one, in which he tried to use tach glands collected by Revan to brew Tarisian ale, also failed, and he also got himself into trouble with the Exchange.

Mission was angry with Griff, especially after witnessing him continue his get-rich-quick schemes. Eventually she realized, though nobody was perfect, her brother was a little less perfect than most for he never learned from his own mistakes; therefore instead of fruitlessly trying to "improve" her brother, she learned to accept him as he was. Mission was happy that her brother was alive, but now she didn't feel as though she owed him anything anymore.

After escaping the Leviathan, Revan revealed his former identity to the crew. Though shaken, Mission found that he was now a completely different person, and therefore stood by him. She followed Revan to the end of his quest, even to the monstrous Star Forge. She was present at the celebration of the Star Forge's destruction and the Republic's victory over the Sith, where Revan's companions were proclaimed as saviors of the Republic and were each awarded the Cross of Glory. When Revan departed for the Unknown Regions, Mission did not accompany him.

Personality and traits
Despite her harsh upbringing and abandonment, Mission was a sunny and optimistic girl. She believed the best of people most of the time, and was the first to rally to Revan's defense after he was revealed as the former Dark Lord of the Sith in the skirmish aboard the Leviathan, as she had been convinced by Revan's actions over the course of their mission that he was a true friend. She was initially at a loss for words, much like the rest of the crew of the Ebon Hawk, but seeing how he didn't remember anything about being the Dark lord she concluded that it didn't really matter anymore, much to the chagrin of the paranoid and distrustful Carth.

As a child, Mission was very curious, spying on her brother and often playing with the personal effects of Gadon's bodyguard Zaerdra, who would get mad at her elder brother for not keeping Mission away from her stuff. One trait she shared with her brother Griff was smooth talking, and she was known to be forward with boys she considered attractive, such as Zayne Carrick.

She had a strong sense of fairness, as evidenced by her anger with Wookiee Chieftain Chuundar and Czerka and their treatment of the Wookiees, and by her loyalty to the Hidden Beks after Brejik's betrayal. She was easily influenced, however, and not only by Revan. She would let Kandon Ark twist her mind and seed animosity between her and Gadon, and there was little that Revan could not talk her into. She was also courageous and impulsive, charging three Vulkars by herself to try and save Zaalbar, or mouthing off at – and trying to bite – armed Sith troopers. Her chief annoyance, however, was when people dismissed her on the basis of age. This earned her several arguments with Carth and Bastila, the latter using the Force to trip her when Mission retorted to a crack about her age. She also constantly teased Zaalbar like a bratty little sister, suggesting he take a bath, brush his teeth, dye his hair, or even wear a suit.

Talents and abilities
After Mission joined Revan's fellowship, she had the chance to apply her knowledge and skills to different ends from what she was used to in the streets of Taris. Her fine sleight of hand gained Revan entrance to the Black Vulkar Base from the sewers of the Undercity, for which she had picked the codes off the pocket of a Black Vulkar.

She was a good slicer and was proficient with Stealth field generators. When the Leviathan captured the Ebon Hawk, and Revan had to choose a member of the crew for a rescue mission, she volunteered her skills with security systems, claiming she could slice her way out of any security cell. She could speak Basic and understand Shyriiwook, Rodese, and possibly other languages she may have grown accustomed to during her time on the Coruscant of the Outer Rim. She could also play Pazaak.

Can BioWare Put The RPG Back in MMORPG?

2010-02-28T04:47:00.000-08:00

You can’t help but wonder whether BioWare’s upcoming MMOG, Star Wars The Old Republic, will be able to port the same roleplaying aspect their successful single player games are known for to a new platform. Tentonhammer Have an excellent editorial about this:

With story based MMOGs, I had hoped games would give us direction and purpose without losing the ability to make choices. Alas this was not to be--most current quest-based games give you little more than a choice between taking a quest or not taking a quest. I want to take a quest to kill a target and then be faced with the decision whether to actually kill them or let them go. Either way, there could be consequences for my actions. Let me piss off an NPC and have to face him or his minions later. Let me refuse to take a quest from an NPC vendor and then be forced to pay higher prices from then on. I want the quests I do to have some impact. It doesn’t have to be some world shattering impact like in single player games, but let me make a choice that affects me. In most MMOGs right now, nothing I do affects anything other than my XP bar.

You can read the full article here.

While we wait for The Old Republic: Makazie One

2010-02-27T01:32:00.000-08:00

Makazie One is a fan film that made its debut on the Internet in September of 2009. It is a great film that features the voice of Jay Laga'aia. As with most fan films, be sure to watch additional footage after the credits. You can visit their website for more information.

Set in the Star Wars Universe during the time period between Episodes 3 and 4, an elite soldier has been sent to track down and destroy a known threat to the Empire through intense ground battles and haunting imagery of death that surround the environment. The unsuspecting enemy to the Imperial Order has no idea what he is up against when the two finally meet for an action packed surprise ending.