Sep 9, 2011

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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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Sep 1, 2011

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PAX 2011: A Conversation With Gabe Amatangelo

One of the highlights of running a fan site is going to all of these conventions and having the privilege to be able to interview some of the developers, designers, writers and artists that are working on our favorite upcoming game.

During PAX last weekend, I was excited to have a chance to speak with Lead End-game Designer Gabe Amatangelo. While I first met Gabe at the Fan Site Summit in April, we never had a chance to do a one-on-one interview with him.

I sat down with Gabe to talk about some end-game Operation topics, as well as some reader-submitted questions. The interview went great, Gabe was able to provide some answers, and I left the booth happy, headed off to the hotel room to edit some video!

And then it happened.

I discovered that I had not one but TWO equipment malfunctions! Not only did the video camera shut off about halfway through, the lapel mic that Gabe was using wasn’t ever turned on! So, without any of that backup, I can only recall parts of our conversation from memory.

But that’s ok, because some of them really stick out, and I feel are some important points of clarification! Read on for a quick recap of my conversation with Gabe…

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Aug 28, 2011

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PAX 2011: Open World PvP Announced

Today during the big Star Wars: The Old Republic PAX panel, the big reveal was the announcement of open world PvP systems and objectives. While we all knew that some way, some how there would be open world PvP, this was the first time it was addressed by BioWare officially.

You’ll see Gabe talk about Ilum as one of the planets that has world PvP objectives and we get to see a few of them in action. Not only is the environment impressive, the combat looks great!

There are no more words I can say that this video doesn’t show better! Enjoy!

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Aug 28, 2011

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PAX 2011: Beta Testing Weekends Begin September 2nd

If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you’ll be playing Star Wars: The Old Republic next weekend.

If you haven’t already heard, BioWare today revealed that the Beta Testing Weekends announced back in July are beginning on September 2nd. And in case that didn’t click for you – that’s this coming weekend!

Senior Live Producer Blaine Christine said they’re adding a brand new testing server and inviting a whole new group of people. He mentioned specifically if you don’t get in next weekend “you should be getting in very soon.”

This means that in order to get all of this weekend’s testers downloaded and patched up, they’re likely to begin that process during the week. So keep a close watch on your inbox!

And if for some reason you’re not actually signed up for the Game Testing program yet, waste no time, because you gotta be in it to win it!

Good luck everyone, looks like this thing is real after all!

Senior Live Producer Blaine Christine delivering the good news!

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Aug 28, 2011

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PAX 2011: Gabe Amatangelo Interview w/ Totally Rad Show

Alex Albrecht from The Totally Rad Show spent a few minutes with Lead End-game Designer Gabe Amatangelo to discuss some of the finer points around Flashpoints and Opeations, including the stance behind not having a “dungeon finder” tool, at least for launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Gabe also discusses a bit about Ilum, the “solo” end-game planet that is a constant state of conflict between the Empire and Republic. It’s worth a watch, check it out!

 

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