The CE Statue We Really Wanted!

Shae Vizila - Oh What Could Have Been....

Joking aside we probably would have paid more for a statue of Shae Vizla in the CE than BioWare's boy Malgus.  Shae was seen in the 'The Return' trailer blasting republic soldiers and for a few seconds in 'Hope' trailer.  It's that hot bad-ass bounty hunter that everyone loves.

Don't get us wrong Malgus is pretty dang impressive with his arm pointing out towards all the people he wants to kill.  But the dude is 80% ugly and 20% Darth Vader armor.  I don't think we need kids or spouses asking that question - "Good lord who is that on your desk?  Vader without his mask?".  Instead we want to hear ... "What's with the hot red head and can I get her number?".  BioWare/EA oh it would have been great to have the option between Malgus or Shae.  Maybe even a Republic type option.

Shae just like Malgus is made by the guys at Gentle Giant LTD.  And you can find out more about the statue as well as add yourself to the waiting list at their site.  Shae will cost you about $80 and while that does not include her phone number it could still be a good buy for the average collector.

PAX PLUS PRIME Post-Game

So what have we learned.....

The following is a collection of notes from various sites and the podcast 'The Republic'.  And all of it just sounds jaw dropping amazing.....  So huge thanks to DarthHater.com and The Republic.  Two sites we can't function without and their amazing coverage of this game.

PvP News
1.  Groups of 4 can queue for a PvP battlegrounds at launch.
2.  Open world PvP planet - Illum. Both sides fighting for control of either buildings on the planet or the planet itself.  Probably both.
3.  Combat is very visual - leading to eSports.
4.  At lunch there will be battle rings.... ?

Point 3 and 4 lead us to believe that there could be open spectator games/events.  Ladders and leagues to come etc.

Raid News - Specific to Eternity Vault 
1.  5 bosses in total to challenge you.
2.  3 hours total to run the entire instance.
3.  Split between ice, jungle, lava, prison, etc....  So a wide range of areas.

Character Information
1. It looks like the '-' can be used in a character name.  This is just from a beta shot so its not confirmed.  Thanks to The Republic for this one.

2. Mod-able gear - "Take a 10th level jedi knight robe and mod it from content at the highest level to make it just as good" - James Ohlen

3.  With the best gear - you will only be 10% better then those at your level.  Which implies the game is not based primarly on gear but on skill.

Beta Weekends! September
It's finally coming! For those of us that have been sitting on the sideline forever begging to get in.... Well we might just finally get to cross the line.


Release Date - Probably not the most important to some, but every important to many....  EA and BioWare are hoping to give the actual release date for the game after the September Beta Testing!  If everything goes well.

Fan Friday is Epic Eternity Vault Day

In what appears to be a mega showing of footage from BioWare but at the same time similar to what has already been released we get a much more detailed view of the Eternity Vault.  For those that just started to pay attention to this game the Eternity Vault is one of the two end raids in the SWTOR.

It's possible the footage was taken from the BioWare raid team that performed in Germany a few weeks ago.  Regardless Dallas does a good job as usual to walk us through the events.  And while he looks like he has had more sleep then normal someone needs to iron his shirt next time :)

Gameplay Movies = Happy Times!

You asked for it you got it!!!  Good lord.... its almost as if the NDA has been lifted.

Of the movies we have found this is our favorite.  PvP Warzone footage of a trooper.   In fact this was more enjoyable then many of the pre-canned movies made.  It's also a good example to other fan sites (Yes 'Darth Hater' i mean you!) of how to do a game play movie.  The commentating never gets annoying and makes us want to fly to Austin, TX and beat down BioWare's door.  It also makes us a tad more interested in the class.

But it gets better....   The following is the Sith warrior play through of the first mission or two on his origin world of Korriban.  It shows us basic combat and abilities with some minor intro into the classes story.  With a great running Q&A.

And here is part 2 that begins to show us the plot thicken....  While some may wish to not be spoiled we could not help but watch.  Honestly it did not cover enough of the story to ruin it for anyone on release.

ENJOY!! And huge thanks to the sites able to post this information.

Facebook Wednesday With Rockjaw Bonus!

It's Wednesday.  And its the one day of the week we have to load up facebook.  CURSE YOU FACEBOOK!!  But here it is...

The Jedi Shadow stands alone after an intense battle inside an Imperial encampment.

Now the Shadow is actually one of the classes we really want to checkout.  It almost sounds like some kind of stealth ninja mage.  But don't let us try and explain it. Please take a look at BioWare's description:

A Shadow serves the Jedi Order by being a silent observer and, when action is necessary, a subtle hand. To avoid rash decisions on the part of the Council, Shadows go unseen, gathering information and quietly thwarting those who seek to threaten the Jedi order. Employing Force techniques that cloud enemy minds, Shadows slip into hostile territory,and when necessary, they strike enemies down with deadly efficiency.

Additional Jedi Consular Information

But not only did we get a facebook image.  Mr Reid himself gave us a glimpse of their upcoming PAX Prime.

PAX! Wish we could go :(

Probing the PODS: The Cantina Band

We have a new POD that requires listening.  These guys are nothing short of interesting in a sea of bland boring SWTOR pods.  None of which we will name here.... 

Moving into our short list of PODS to listen too along with Darth Hater, The Republic, and TwoTORGamers, these guys have managed to grab our interest.  It's odd - but we think it has a lot to do with their level of excitement.  It's a positive listening experience from people that you would probably drink a beer with at your local.  In addition they had Scott Johnson from FrogPants Studios. 

Why is this great!?  Well Scott has the pod process down to a WoW.  Intro, schedule, quality sound and humor.  Humor being the key for us.  They also take the view of common sense.  And by that it appears they want all the information before making a call.  The voice of reason if you will.... something "The Instance" is known for among the WoW community. 

The show is hosted by Brian Brushwood and Adam Paulauski.  They do a great job and we recommend checking them out.  We also hope Scott makes a regular appearance on the show.  For more info head over to The Cantina Band.

Once Again BioWare Clears the ORIGIN Air....

To those that for some odd reason hate competition in an industry that always needs it and only want to use one product to download games Mr. Reid has a little to say in a thread called "EA has crossed the line".

Regardless of what other games may choose to do in their integration with Origin's desktop client, here's what our situation is:

You are not required to use the Origin desktop client to download, patch or play the game client for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

This applies whether you purchase The Old Republic via Origin.com or from a retailer in boxed form. You will not be forced to install the Origin desktop client.

There are still various consumer benefits to the client itself, but it's not required for The Old Republic.


This info of course has been released a few times.  Hopefully its the last time we have to talk about this service.  It's only used as a device to download the game.  Or for those that want to play BF3 and the next COD. 

Hopefully we can move forward and Mr. Reid can comment on the Sept Beta, or plans for release, or why the smuggler is going to face own the Bounty Hunter.  Things of IMPORTANCE PEOPLE!!!

EU Beta Q&A

To our friends in Europe Mr. Reid had something to say... rather he had a lot to say! 

So without much waiting..... Mr Reid, if you would please:

ou guys and gals have been busy. As have we; Gamescom was a very big and very busy show. Now I'm back Stateside (and nine hours removed from Germany) I can answer a few questions.

You may not get all the answers to your questions here, but we will hopefully be able to answer all of them in time. Thanks to Shingara for gathering together a bunch so I can answer concisely.

I will say that the one big question you probably all have ("When do Beta Testing Weekends actually start?") won't be answered for a little while, but we're working on that.

Stephen has of course elaborates in his wall of yellow.  Not the wall of crazy we so often hear from BioWare, but a wall of yellow text!  Honestly head over to the EU Beta thread for a ton of great information.  We have a few friends on the other side of the pond and we can only hope this helps. 

Fan Friday is Fan Foozball!

Well we did not see this coming at all.  Huttball.  It's a faction mixed warzone on the planet of Nar Shaddaa.  But before we dive into Huttball - Dallas Dickinson is finally looking ok!  Healthy and happy.  No more bags under his eyes or the look of a man with the weight of the LucasArts and EA sitting on his shoulders.  So Kudos to Mr. Dickinson!

A new event has captured the hearts and minds of the citizens on the Smuggler’s Moon of Nar Shaddaa. Known as “Huttball,” two teams clash for the amusement of the masses and to win favor with the famed Giradda the Hutt in this new video that highlights just one of the Player-vs-Player (PvP) Warzones in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™!

This offers a lot of promise as a fresh approach to MMO battlegrounds.  We also hope that we will see other ideas very different than the standard fair found in todays MMO battlegrounds. Kudos to Daniel Erickson and his brain child:

Hey Folks,
Totally fair question. I wrote Huttball personally and gave it my big stamp of approval. Huttball came from a request by the pvp team to have a mode that could mix sides in the event of unbalanced factions. So it's not Empire vs Republic playing insane death sports, it's anyone who wants to win some prizes and flex their muscles going to Nar Shaddaa, gambling center of the galaxy, and blowing off some steam. Story is important but so are alternate, setting-appropriate activities that give some depth and variety to the world and the gameplay experience. There is a crazy Hutt that likes running huge arena events for his amusement. Your choice if that's the way your Bounty Hunter enjoys spending his downtime.

Hope that helps,Daniel Erickson

Kiting SUCKS! - The Life of A Smuggler

We wanted to cover some quick interesting points about the Smuggler in a little bit longer then normal post.  First off.... Don't KITE!

• Try kiting a Sith Warrior, who can force charge up to 30 meters and can throw their Lightsaber.
• Try kiting a Sith Inquisitor, who has powerful control effects and the ability to enter Force Speed for a few seconds, with greatly increased movement rate.
• Try kiting a Bounty Hunter, who may have the ability to use their jetpack to catch up to you or use a grappling hook as well as good range with their blaster rifle.
• Try kiting Imperial Agents why may have a sniper rifle with long range equal or better than your own.

It just does not seem to be the best option.  In fact it does not sound like an option for any of the classes:

There's certainly the option to make use of environment/line of sight and advanced players will find that for example Warriors can be made miserable by a Smuggler dodging around in their dead zone (out of melee range, not yet in Force Charge range), hitting hard with the scatter gun (15m range) - but kiting overall in our game isn't simple due to the wide range of utility all classes have.

I have to admit - this sounds amazing.  I have never liked the concept in WoW being stuck unable to have full movement while looking at another class that is picking me off. 

So why would you want to play a Smuggler?  Come on you get that classic Wookie Side-Kick!  Or we let Georg Zoeller handle this one for us:

• A Smuggler can be a Medic, healing and supporting his allies.
• A Smuggler can be a marksman, entrenched in cover and decimating the enemy with devastating single target attacks.
• A Smuggler can be an explosives specialist, leaving craters and blown up Imperial squads in his wake.
• A Smuggler can be a stealthy mid range scrapper, approaching enemies unseen and hitting them hard with his scatter gun.
• A Smugger can be a daring risk taker, running and gunning into close range and finishing enemies with a few good kicks into places where it hurts.
• A Smuggler can be a Smuggler, delivering his group behind enemy lines unseen.

Well that's a damn good summary for us. 

Faction Talk AKA Faction Trash Talk



Cross Faction Pointing is out...Trash Talkin IN!

Ever wanted to have that nice friendly chat with the Sith you where about to kill?  Or maybe as a Bounty Hunter you wanted to get to know that Smuggler that was about to go down.  Well the guys at BioWare feel you should have such an opportunity.  And why not.... we all speak english 'Basic'.

Nothing has changed since San Diego Comic Con.

As discussed at SDCC, the decision was made to separate the general chat channels by faction. However, this decision ONLY affects the planet-wide chat channels such as "General Chat." If you're standing next to another player (local chat), you can talk to them regardless of what faction you're part of.

The only thing we removed, as already mentioned at Comic-Con, was the ability to communicate with the opposing faction across the entirety of a planet to avoid the issues (like griefing, abuse, and other factors which led to a very unpleasant experience) which we saw way too often in testing.

We discussed the option of hiding the global chat and defaulting it off, but ultimately the ratio of negative incidents was too high to justify that. The reasoning here is simple: We really didn’t want to create a game option that essentially says "[x] Give me an 80% chance of having an infuriating and annoying chat experience," and putting the onus on the user ("you can just /ignore them") is not our idea of a quality game experience.

Removing planet-wide cross-faction chat radically reduces the amount of reach a misbehaving player has before account action can be taken. We’ll likely add the ability to filter local cross faction chat as well.

Hopefully that clears it up a bit.

Thanks Z-man aka Georg Zoeller aka The Newly Installed King of Trash Talking!  As always you can find more on this topic in the forums.

Dromund Kas Wednesday

Our dislike for facebook.com continues.  But once again like all prior Wednesday's BioWare gives us the goods.  And this time the goods are "Most Impressive" (that never gets old).

The Dark Temple on Dromund Kaas holds ancient and powerful secrets that Sith Lords have sought to unlock for centuries.

While the text is as always some what Star Wars cheese, its over powered by the sheer quality of this weeks image.  One of our favorites by far. 

So impressive is this image is the need to post other Dromund Kas pictures:

Stop The Press!! GUILD BETA!!!

You pretty much have to less Bass (davidbass) do all the talking with this one:
We are very pleased to announce the start of Guild Testing for STAR WARS: The Old Republic! This program will allow guilds to be considered as a whole for inclusion in the Game Testing Program, allowing us to gather important data regarding how guilds play The Old Republic, as well as how organized groups deal with various mechanics and systems in the game. The program is already underway, as we’ve invited the first wave of guilds into testing, however we’ll be adding more over the coming weeks alongside the general Game Testing invites.

Also you need to be some what helpful in the community.... A very interesting concept:

ll be looking to let in both large and small guilds, so as long as your guild meets the minimum requirement, you have an equal chance of being invited to testing. In addition, we may, at our discretion, choose a few select guilds that are active and helpful in the community, since we could use that sort of helpfulness in-game and on the Testing Forums. Note that this will be done in rare circumstances, in order to reward our dedicated community members. Please do not contact any BioWare staff requesting access to Guild Testing, or else your guild may be removed from consideration.

For all the info head over to David Bass' post on the subject. 

In addition if you spend a lot of time at Shacknews.com.  Their guild can be found:

PvP Guild - Giant Sith Meatbags
PvE Guild - Bad Motivator Units

Fan Friday is Fan Arts and Craft Day

Woah! What's this.... Art's and Crafts! Hell yeah!!  Before we dive into this weeks update....

HEY TOR FANS! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A HOME RUN EVERY FRIDAY!!!

So back to our update.  It was great to get an update that will only add to our rotating wallpaper in Windows7.  The bonus for us was in the form of some very talented artists that are following TOR.

With each Fan Friday, we feature creations from some of the clever members of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ community. This time around we’re shining the spotlight on some of the incredible artwork done by our fans.

Good old Alyson Bridge.  We think she does a smashing job putting up the Friday updates.  And then in dealing with the abuse of some fans.  We have to be honest here - we enjoyed this update.  We did not expect much today at all given the amount of content that has come out in the last few weeks.  If anything the last few weeks have been great.

So for those that want to update their PC's with some amazing work.  Check out some great fan work of Tatoonie by Alliant.  Our favorite:

If you felt the need to avoid using your PC until the game comes out and want to just update your iphone.  Alliant has a great selection of backgrounds. Our favorite:

And if that is not enough for you!!!  BioWare themselves added three great wallpapers from their 'Return' trailer. 

So while nothing earth shocking in information given the amount in art that we have received is equally impressive. 

Be patient TOR fans! 

Wednesday Wonder Land

Like every Wednesday before this Wednesday a screen shot was bestowed upon the community*.  And this Wednesday was of course no different.  BioWare released this beauty today.

The planet Voss is steeped in war between its native species, the Voss and Gormak.

I am a big fan of this shot.  Something about it.... the planet in the backdrop.  It looks pretty dang amazing.

Good job BioWare.  Hopefully this is some sort of indication of what we will see on Friday.  PvP anyone?

Darth Malgus - Made To Order

Rebelscum.com: San Diego Comic-Con 2011

More from #SDCC!  Rebelscum has a selection of impressive pictures of the Darth Malgus statue that will be included in the CE package of the game.  Retail $150.  You can also get two shots of the $80 Shae Vizla statue.  From what we can tell this Shae statue is very hard to acquire.  As in you can't right now...

But take a look at Malgus.  Not bad at all...

Fan Friday Follow-up: Picture Perfect

Just in case you wanted more from the impressive Consular Fan Friday from last week.  We are posting the screen shots released from BioWare.  Most people usually click right past these.  And while we looked at them we just could not find any love or time for the green skin jedi's that graced this set:

 Honestly... why Mirialans!!?  We wanted Rodians!!! 

The $150 Battle - Malgus vs Alduin!

Malgus The Jedi Eater?

So what does $150 get you in the game world today?  How about three cases of Bawls (we recommend the G33k B33r) or perhaps a new gaming headset?  Turtle Beach maybe? The EarForce set can cost at or above $150.  But if you spend time following The Old Republic and some of the other games coming out this year you have a pretty good idea of what $150 will get you.

So how does Malgus stack up against the most recent announcement from Bethesda?

Elder Scrolls® V: Skyrim™ will be available for Xbox 360, PS3, and Games for Windows and can be pre-ordered now through participating retailers in North America, Europe and Australia. Like the regular release of the game, the Collector’s Edition will be available on 11.11.11

Their announcement included an impressive $150 Collectors Edition which includes the following items:

• Alduin Statue: Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector’s only statue stands 12” tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modeled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater. He stands perched atop one the game’s many dragon walls that teach the player the lethal language of dragons.
• ‘The Art of Skyrim’ Official Art Book: Featuring over 200 pages of striking, full-color illustrations, sketches and models, this stunning 9 3/8” x 12 1/8” coffee table book showcases the characters, creatures, environments, and weaponry of Skyrim. With a foreword by game director Todd Howard and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists, readers will be guided through the game’s iconic visual style.
• ‘The Making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ DVD This documentary DVD contains exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with the Bethesda Game Studios team as they take you from concept to creation and provide insights into the story, gameplay, setting, legacy of the Elder Scrolls franchise, and much more.

Alduin the Dragon is a World Eater --- OUCH!

"Most Impressive" Bethesda.  Most Impressive, indeed.  So how does this compare to the Darth Malgus Stomping CE from BioWare?

For $150 over in the BioWare camp you receive the following along with a cool box:

• Exclusive Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue
• Game disks collectible metal case
• The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural as annotated by Satele Shan
• The Old Republic galaxy map
• Custom Security Authentication Key
• Music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD
• High-quality Collector's Edition box

Ignoring some of the fluff from marketing and the digital in-game items.  First we wanted to compare the actual substance.  Which leaves us with the the following:

• Exclusive Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue
• The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural as annotated by Satele Shan
• The Old Republic galaxy map
• Custom Security Authentication Key
• Music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD

Both statues probably range from $80 to $100 at retail.  The books in each associated package could retail for $15 to $30 depending on their quality.  Both items are perfect for either fan.  Now each CE goes down its own path with additional content.

Bethesda offers up a DVD about the making of their game.  For those paying attention at E3 the game looks very impressive.  But how interested are people in a making of DVD?  And how often will you watch this DVD?  BioWare has opted to include the standard sound track, galaxy map, and Security Device.  Other then the size of the map we don't have many details.  If its comparable to say a Blizzard map included in one of their CE's it may not be bad at all.  The sound track - yes most will only listen to a few times but its always been a nice touch from other CEs.  And the security device will save others an additional purchase plus shipping.

Looking at the bigger picture and ignoring that this is a Fan Site for The Old Republic we have to tip our hats to BioWare.  As far as substance goes they're on par with a few minor additional items.  BioWare has also added in a collection of digital items as well.  Some of these items seem.... soft but still server as additional content.  And the 'Making of DVD' does not seem like an item we would be interested in.  Overall - both sets of fans should be very happy.  I want an Alduin standing over my Malgus!  Just not eating him...

Skyrim CE Information:  Bethesda Blog
SWTOR CE Information: SWTOR.com
Additional info from Shacknews.com

Fan Friday Is Fan Librarian Day!

Finally! The news 60% of the republic based players have been begging for!! The new Jedi Consular information has been released.  And we have to admit - we did not see this coming at all.  How else can you top off an epic 13 minute segment of game play footage?

I come In Peace...

Well BioWare had the answer....

The Republic fans can finally relax and stop accusing BioWare of hating the Republic side.  People have been actually posted those very insane comments.  CRAZY!

BioWare have once again outdone themselves this week.  And what has been a quiet week with a lackluster Facebook Wednesday.  So kudos to the guys that never sleep and feel the pressure of LucasArts and EA sitting in their backyard staring at them.

In addition to the class video we picked up some new/existing tidbits:

• Meet Qyzen Fess, a mighty Trandoshan hunter who joins the Consular’s cause
• Find out more about the mystical Mirialan, wise Force-sensitives who often become Jedi Consulars
• Take a tour of the Jedi Starship, the Corellian Defender-Class Light Corvette; it’s perfect for diplomatic missions, but well-equipped for combat if negotiations go sour.

This is a great Fan Friday update for the Republic and SWTOR.  I bet BioWare hates the empire now...

Update:  HD version can be found here.  Thank you BioWare.

Two TOR Gamers: SDCC Coverage

We're POD picky here at TalesFromTOR.  Very picky!  We've tried a ton over the last year or so.  Off and on with some PODS just to give them a fair shake down.  However we have started looking forward to 'Two TOR Gamers'.   It's a youtube only based pod which goes against our preferred method.  But that should give you an indication of how much we like these guys. 


The POD features two gamers from the guild Beskar.  The two hosts Blur and Blueneko bring to the show great energy and excitement.  In fact their energy and excitement for the game is probably the primary reason we enjoy their podcast.  It's not just a review of the big news its a review of the big news with energy and excitement from that fan prospective. It's a very colorful view point instead of the over analyse conducted by other podcasts.  


Their most recent show covers #SDCC.  Blueneko and her husband made it onsite and found themselves in a position to talk to the  BioWare team.  It's a great show with a huge focus on the warzones and flashpoints people could play. 


Our only draw back to this pod is again its only on Youtube.  They also break it down into parts instead of being one long stream.  Some minor drawbacks but well worth the listen.  


Contact Info:
You can follow Beskar on twitter.  Or visit the Beskar website.
You can follow TwoTORGamers on twitter.  And their youtube site.
You can also email them at twotorgamers <> gmail.com