Posted by Momus | 4 Comments

Friday Update: Imperial Agent Progression Video, and Two Chapters of Revan!

Imperial Agents, your wait is over! The Imperial Agent progression video has been released… makes a Republic loyalist pretty jealous!

After a cryptic Twitter message, you now have your orders! Carry them out!

Also included in this Friday’s exciting update, are Chapters Three and Eleven from author Drew Karpyshyn’s upcoming novel on the hero (or villain) of KOTOR, Revan!

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Posted by Lethality | 6 Comments

Friday Update: Final HoloNet Tab Revealed – The Galaxy Map!

In the earliest Friday Update I can recall, and this one  is a doozy – the final, fabled HoloNet tab as been revealed – The Galaxy Map! How didn’t we see this coming?

The Star Wars™ galaxy is massive and you will be able to visit numerous worlds during your travels in the The Old Republic™. To give you an early taste of what the experience will be, we’ve added a new feature to the website, allowing you to explore the Galaxy Map for yourself. You’ll get to see the five major sectors of the Known Galaxy, check out profiles of the planets, and even examine interactive models of the player Starships.

And it’s not just a flat 2-dimensional map… no sir. It’s explorable in a 3D multimedia format, and doesn’t just include details on all of the planets, put also a section on the starships we’ll all be using to travel to them!

Head on over and check out this awesome feature, and we’ll update this post with more as we dissect it!

 

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Posted by Lethality | 4 Comments

Friday Update: Companion-palooza – Developer Dispatch + William Wallace Dev Blog

It’s a good week if you’re a fan of companions!

Yesterday, GameSpot gave us a sneak preview at part of today’s Friday Update in the form of a brand-new Developer Dispatch video. The video takes is through the importance of companions in Star Wars: The Old Republic and goes into some detail about their abilities and customization as well.

Many BioWare devs make an appearance including James Ohlen, Daniel Erickson, Jeff Dobson and forum super-hero Georg Zoeller. It is of course a must-watch for any fans reading these words.

Today, BioWare capped off the the Friday Update with a new Developer Blog from the legendary William Wallace, Senior Game Designer at BioWare. It’s been a while since we heard from Mr. Wallace, but he does not disappoint.

We get a sneak peak at Mako and Khem Val appearance and armor progression, which shows off some of the customization that was first disclosed during San Diego Comic Con.

 

Further, Wallace goes on to take us through the experience evolution of Corso Riggs, the first companion you come across when playing the Smuggler class. He takes a dive into how the abilities of the companions come into play and grow over the course of leveling and teases us with companion AI as the topic of his next blog:

William Wallace: We believe with these recent updates to companion abilities, we add another dimension to companion characters, really making them come alive in combat as well as conversations. In my next blog, I’ll explain how companion AI works, as well as giving more details on their roles in a group.

There are also some great video examples embedded in the page, so be sure to head over to the new Developer Blog to check ’em out!

 

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Posted by Momus | 3 Comments

Friday Update: A Three-For-Friday – Smuggler Armor Progression, Alex Freed Dev Blog And PAX Prime Highlights!

Today’s late Friday certainly makes an entrance, and I think every Scoundrel and Gunslinger would agree that it was worth the wait!

First we have the Smuggler Armor Progression video – it features a variety of good looks for all the scruffy nerf-herders out there. Aside from the Eastwood look, the Subzero-esque look for the Scoundrel was a nice touch, and one I don’t think we’ve seen before.

Couple fun notes: the dropping of the copious amounts of weapons while being held up was a nice touch – and in addition to an Indiana Jones-esque moment, we also saw a Han Solo moment as well – all in all, a good and tastefully comical look at the Smuggler class.

Courtney Woods chimes in:

As your character progresses through the saga of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, you will see them advance as you unlock new skills and acquire or craft superior gear.

Whether running blockades to deliver vital supplies or evading Imperial patrols, the Smuggler must rely on his wit and guile just as much as the blaster at his side. As the price on his head rises and his enemies grow more dangerous, the Smuggler will have to acquire new skills and utilize more powerful weapons and armor to survive.

Get a look at some of the ways the Smuggler can progress and see just a small fraction of the weapons, armor and abilities that become available to him.

We also get a new Developer Blog from Senior Writer Alexander Freed, where he talks about writing Star Wars: The Old Republic material outside of the game:

The first thing that any potential tie-in to Star Wars™ and The Old Republic should do is answer a series of questions: What does this story contribute to mythology of The Old Republic? What does a reader get from this story that changes the way he or she experiences the game? Does it give the reader a new perspective on a character? Does it explain a mystery that isn’t resolved in the game? Does it explore the setting and the timeline in new depth?

As for the last part, it’s the PAX Prime Highlights video. For those of us who could not attend, it offers (perhaps!) your final glimpse of SWTOR at a convention prior to release!

As always, make sure to “Like” Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ on Facebook or follow on Twitter to receive updates!

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Posted by Momus | 11 Comments

Friday Update: Gamescom Highlight Video!

After a whirlwind of information and conventions over the past two weeks, this week we’re treated to a relatively low-key update of a highlight video from Gamescom! Of particular note are the fan reactions, which were positively ecstatic and gushing. Of course, this weekend’s beta testers will possibly say the same…grumble, grumble…

New Assistant Community Production Coordinator Courtney Woods (that title is a handful!) had the honor of posting today’s update. A belated welcome to her from all of us at Ask A Jedi!

We had an incredible experience at this year’s GamesCom, with Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ winning the 2011 GamesCom Award for Best Online Game as well as being a huge hit with everyone that attended! The air was electric from the excitement as fans and journalists filed through our booth to get some hands-on time with both Origin Worlds and Alderaan Warzone PvP! The reaction from the fans at the show left us feeling incredibly grateful for having such a passionate and dedicated community.

Knowing that not everyone could make it to Cologne for the show, we wanted to share our experience with all of you. Thank you for all of your continued support and enthusiasm for the game!

As always, make sure to “Like” on Facebook or follow on Twitter to receive updates!

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