Tales From TOR - Bye For Now

Hey Everyone,
We wanted to thank everyone that has taken the time to visit this site.  We loved working on it while following the creation of the game Star Wars: The Old Republic.

We're still playing the game and spending as much time in the Star Wars Universe BioWare has created.  While we have some issues with content, ships, and guild functions, we know the game is just going to improve from this point out.

BioWare we have faith and look forward to all the work you have going on for the game.

So from TALES FROM TOR! Good bye for now.  Hopefully one day we can return to blogging about this great game.

-Jedi27

TOR Hangout Update and R2!

Everyone loves R2-D2!! And the community has received the idea of the 'Tor Hangout' very well!! So why not combine both!?!?!

When you have time head on over to R2-DB sign-up for an account and start to follow the TOR Hangout!

You can also follow the TOR Hangout through these other sites:
TOR Hangout on Google +
TOR Hangont out Youtube.com

Also checkout the most recent episode!!  TOR Hangout 11 - Troll-b-Gone Coming to a Forums Near You!

It's probably the best and only community drive product for SWTOR!  We love it.  The show is live on Monday's at 7:30 BioWare time.  You can catch the feed on good old Twitch.tv.

12 Day Grudge Match

Yes YES ... we know its been a long time since our last post.  The beta, work, and well Christmas, has had us pinned down. 

But finally - we have time, motivation, and well something.... damn cool. 

GameBreak.tv - Does the 12 days of Christmas



And well its pure comedy.  After watching we honestly did not feel it was sligted towards either game.  Just a good bash on both.  Great humor.  Thanks GameBreaker! 



TOR Hangout 8 - Beta Weekend Withdrawals

For those interested in a community based TOR show checkout the TOR Hangout!  It's a small crew from the G+ SWTOR community that get together every Monday and talk about SWTOR.  The event is run by the GM from Redeemed.  The hangout also includes other people from the community to voice their opinion.  If you're interested in attending checkout the G+ page for the TOR Hangout.

This weeks show reviews the highlights the most recent beta weekend without crossing over the NDA too much.  They also cover the new book from Drew, the Trooper vs Inquisitor, and other great subjects.

If you have time check it out!!! We love it.

BioWare Hates Thanksgiving

We have been thinking about shutting down the site given our lack of content updates.  But after seeing the latest news from BioWare via Twitter, Facebook, forums posts, other news sites, and an email from some guys mom that was clearly not intended for us.... we had to post about it.

Where is everyone!?! ...oh playing SWTOR

We are targeting November 25-28 for our upcoming Beta Testing Weekend – our biggest testing weekend yet! If you haven’t got your code already, pick one up from the sites listed in this news article!

Well that's just crazy and awesome for those that have not played this game.  So basically anyone that wants to play is going to get their chance.  Those that played last weekend are probably wanting more.  For those that get to play JUST AFTER THANKSGIVING (more on that later) will have that fresh hook inserted into them for this game.

It's pure genius!!  Blizzard did something similar with their open beta just prior to the launch of WoW.  Everyone got the chance... they enjoyed it and all wanted more.

And to top off this marketing move.... they're going to destroy Thanksgiving and Christmas.  They want people to play just after Thanksgiving and before Christmas!!! OH THOSE EVIL EVIL PEOPLE!!!!  Two great American holidays TROLLED by the power of StarWars and BioWARE!!!  gg BioWare GG.

TOR Hangout 6 - Epic Beards

TOR Hangout is a weekly round table discussion held on Google+ We use the G+ Hangout feature to get together and talk about Star Wars The Old Republic...

The Hangout is hosted by the GM of Redeemed an up and coming RP guild on the West Coast. They have 70+ members strong.

That latest episode is of course Halloween themed with the girls dressed up looking great and the guys sporting some epic beards! And one cowboy.

The show dives into the most recent PvP update from BioWare, Q&A, and even a special question from Mr Zoller himself.

It's a great show with a strong community presence.

The Republic.... PvP Episode 63

Following up from BioWare's PvP Friday - The Republic's latest episode reviews the Voidstar and other PvP elements from SWTOR.

They have a special guest from their Rift series Ed “Taugrim” Park from "The Sanctum".  Ed has a great deal of experience playing PvP in Rift and other games.  And it was refreshing to get perspective from someone that has not been on the show before.

Larry Skywalker

Welcome once again to a galaxy far, far away! Gamebreaker.TV hyperjumps its way from the Star Wars: The Old Republic universe to your living room. This totally wizard episode features guest host Ed “Taugrim” Park from The Sanctum. Of course, our regular hosts Gary Gannon, Justin Lowe, and Larry Everett all weight in on today’s topic of PvP.

If you have time checkout the show.  These guys do a great job and are always interesting to follow.  It's probably one of the better SWTOR productions out there today.

Two TOR Gamers.... Over

TwoTOR Gamers was an extension of Guild Beskar

Some odd/sad news today in the world SWTOR and podcasts.  Easily one of the most popular pods out there for TOR has ended.  Having survived 6+ months the show has called it quits.


Two TOR Gamers bids you farewell...

We're shocked and surprised after some 26 episodes.  These guys had all the right pieces.  Energy, information, and good pod personalities.  They did their best to attend the events for more information.  We wished they had used another format other then youtube to broadcasting their product but oh well....

To Blur - we wish you all the best! Good luck and please return to the world of pod-casting soon.  Good like your in your adventures with The Old Republic

100 HATER PODS!

darthhater.com

This is actually pretty impressive news.  The guys over at Darth Hater released their 100th episode of their pod back on 10/25/2011.  That's 2+ Years of Dedication to the community with their show and their website.

While this is not our favorite pod to listen too they do the best job of presenting the news.  They also have more information about the game than any other pod out there.  We hope they continue to provide coverage for SWTOR long after the release of their game.  It's great to have such a strong non-media powerhouse website providing news for the community.

Hopefully they will be here for another 100 episodes!  And we will always continue to listen.

Henry the VIII and SWTOR....

We all love Mr. Abs, the lead writer for (the very popular in production that few have played featured on the hottest Sci-fi IP) Star Wars: The Old Republic.  Daniel Erickson on Friday the 28th gave us this great nugget via google+:

New build and it's silky smooth from home. All moments not spent dressed up like Henry VIII this weekend will be spent testing my new sniper.

Daniel after reading this epic line one has to wonder.... Henry the VIII?  Really?  With those abs you wanted to go as The Defender of the Faith? 

played by Daniel Erickson...?

One can only hope that Daniel pulled it off along with the 6 wives...  

Fan Friday is Warzone Friday!

Lets Do this.... with Glow STICKS!

BioWare continues its Fan Friday run with a hug for all the PvP fans.  Featuring screen shots from all 3 of the initial warzones for the game.  It's one site for their major short movies giving you an overview of the zones.  It's a great preview for those that have wanted to learn more about the PvP aspects of this game.  However it does leave us wondering if BioWare plans to follow Blizzard with its warzones/battlegrounds approach. Will there be an arena for others to compete in?  1v1, 2v2, etc?

We look forward to more information from BioWare on this subject.

A Sith Parking Garage

"Warzones in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ are instanced areas where Imperial and Republic forces battle each other in objective-based Player-vs-Player combat. Eight players from each side enter the Warzone and then compete to defeat other players and accomplish the mission they’ve been assigned."

And for those fans that just don't enjoy reading or just want a little extra - VOIDSTAR.  BioWare provided a very short movie showing off the last of the three revealed warzones.  It's a bust the next gate style warzone.  The Republic forces move through the ship trying to access the core while Imperial forces have to stop them.  What will be interesting is that BioWare have setup their PvP to be either Republic vs Republic or Empire vs Empire depending upon the queue.  So for the lore nuts - why would two Republic groups fight over it? Or you look at it for what it is.... a game.  And who cares? :)

What did you say about my Mom?

VOIDSTAR - How does it compare to the others?  For us its so so.  It's a great idea and we have seen it done in that other MMO but with more gates.  Right now we have more interest in the other two.  They seem very different then anything else we have played.  But we will give the Void its due when the game releases on the 20th.

The Republic: Beta Reveal

For those that have missed Gamebreaker.TV's coverage of the recent media NDA drop might want to check out the show 'The Republic'.  It's one of our favorite news sources for the The Old Republic.

Their first episode can be found here:  Embargo Lift Special.  The follow-up is located here:  Beta Reveals.  The first episode has the main crew covering Larry's initial impressions of the game.  The second show Larry was in a position to give his impression after some period of reflection.

Checked out The Republic for a great source of SWTOR info.  They cover the game with humor, information, and common sense.  They also have a great deal of knowledge about the game which other pods and sites lack.

Keep in mind Larry was only allowed to report up to level 15 on the Republic side.  Larry's focus was on the smuggler and consular.

TOR Hangout 5 "WOW With Lightsabers?"

Number 5 is ALIVE! 

While we follow a few pods here and there (see below) it's great to get some perspective from the community. Or rather a larger portion of the community where there is no bias of any kind, lame sound effects, silly commercials, or scripted material.

So where can one go to enjoy such interesting conversation....  Every Monday night (while not trying to compete with The Republic) the GM for Guild Redeemed conducts a SWTOR Q&A Hangout using Google+. The hangout features fans of the all over the world who are trying to build a strong SWTOR community.

The 5th episode is posted below and runs about an hour long.  There is no NDA breaking just good SWTOR conversation.

Thanks and Enjoy!!!

Cantina Band is Back!

What!?  We had no idea!  And we're very very sorry.  Our lack of involvement in the SWTOR community due to certain events has caused us to miss out on one of our favorite pods.

While there are a few we love like TWOTORGAMERS and the usual Darthhater.  This one as we have said before comes at you with energy and a degree of common sense.  They also do some of their home work as well.  Combine that with quality and not as many silly sounds effects makes for a good listen.

Again though - our major drawback is the frequency in which they record.  We also hope they get Scott Johnson back for future shows.  And we have to admit the sponsor section is a little...long.

This episode is great.  Given that we found out about it 16 days too late.  They still cover a good amount of information with positive comments.  Subjects .... Release Date, Marketing, Pre-Orders, PvE vs PvP(which their coverage on this subject is great).  Their special guest is from PC Gamer and provides a good degree of perspective from the industry standpoint.  Which we have not seen on other pods before.

You won't be upset with following this pod and we hope they continue their work.  They're back! And we're very happy!!!

NDA - Don't Do IT

In an effort to avoid being negative and argumentative on the subject of the NDA.  We wanted to provide people a list of reasons why its a bad idea to break the NDA....

First though - we're sorry for the break and lack of news.  Our last news post was just so amazing we wanted to wait.  And well... we have been busy :)

So the NDA...

There has been this constant outcry from the community for BioWare to lift the NDA.  Reasons being...

• We feel we're entitled to know whats going on.
• We want to see gameplay and game movies to make an informed decision about buying SWTOR.
• We want to learn more about the game.
• We want to see game mechanics and story mechanics played out.
• We want to understand the flashpoint system so we can prepare our guild.
• We want to learn more about the user interface...

The list goes on and on and on.  Well people we're hear to give you some perspective on why its a bad idea to drop the NDA.  And to give those that are currently breaking the NDA some reasons to stop.

BUGS!  BioWare have admitted many times over there are still bugs in their product.  Daniel Erickson on a live webcam from E3 even showed a few examples.  If game footage is released with these bugs it could deter those from buying the product.  It also sends the wrong message about the quality of the game.  

FINISHED?   BioWare are still tweaking the way combat works, the way story elements work, the way parts of the game we don't even know about work....  BioWare are still probably making major decisions about how companions work in the game.  Examples - Companions going from not being able to customize to having a slew of customization options.  Then the addition of new forms of companion orders.  

STORY.  There are people out there that don't want to know.  The plot, story elements, characters, companions.  Imagine if someone had ruined the 'WTH' moment in KOTOR before you made it there.  Or someone ruined the popular HK-47 character for you.  

BIOWARE.  It's BioWare!  They know what their doing.  They have made many different games before that all have varying levels of interest.  From Neverwinter Nights to one of my all time favorites - Jade Empire.  We have to trust them and more importantly we have to respect them.  

Please don't break the NDA its there for a reason. 

So It Begins...

BioWare has done it.  Their most recent build out, Beta Weekends starting backup soon, and the knowledge that Blizzard is going after Q1 2012 with Diablo 3.  Star Wars The Old Republic has a release date....

London, England – September 24, 2011 – Today during their keynote address at the Eurogamer Expo, Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk, co-founders of BioWare™, a label of Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced that Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will launch in North America on December 20, 2011 and in Europe on December 22, 2011. Set thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader, Star Wars: The Old Republic is a massively multiplayer online game challenging players with epic quests, featuring dynamic combat across iconic worlds in the Star Wars™ galaxy such as Tatooine, Alderaan, Hoth and more. Each of the game’s eight primary classes will enjoy their own unique trilogy of storylines, all of which are fully voiced with a sweeping musical score. Anticipation for the award-winning MMO is at an all-time high as Star Wars: The Old Republic has broken EA pre-order records and won over 95 industry awards and accolades from game critics worldwide.

And here at Tales From TOR we're overjoyed!!! We had expected a November release date but with so many games coming out in November it seems like December is a logic release month.  In addition it gives BioWare just a few more weeks to test and prepare the game.

You can read all about this incredible news at SWTORs main site.  In addition we also have the not so surprising price model.  They're not going after World of Warcraft so they can't out price their main rival. 

BioWare and LucasArts are pleased to announce that Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ will launch on December 20, 2011 in North America and on December 22, 2011 in the European Launch Territories! The announcement was first made by BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk during their keynote address at the 2011 Eurogamer Expo in London, England. Speaking to a packed room of press and fans alike, Dr. Muzyka acknowledged the weight of the moment and the patience of the fans.

“This is an incredible moment for everyone at BioWare and our partners at LucasArts who have dedicated their lives to build this extraordinary game. We appreciate the patience from the millions of fans who have been waiting for the game’s release.”
Each copy of Star Wars: The Old Republic will come with 30 days of subscription time, after which you have the option to continue playing with one of the following monthly subscription fees:

• 1 Month Subscription: $14.99 (£8.99/€12.99)
• 3 Month Subscription: $13.99 per month (one-time charge of $41.97/£25.17/€35.97)
• 6 Month Subscription: $12.99 per month (one-time charge of $77.94/£46.14/€65.94)

Those who have pre-ordered the game and entered their pre-order code onStarWarsTheOldRepublic.com are eligible for Early Game Access. If you haven’t yet reserved your copy of the game, be sure to visit our Pre-Order page and secure your place in the Old Republic now!

We want to thank you for your continued passion, dedication and support. Though one part of this incredible journey is coming to an end, we are confident that you all share our excitement for this new beginning. Be sure to check back to StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com as well as ourTwitter and Facebook pages for all the latest news and updates on Star Wars: The Old Republic.

This is a great day for TOR fans a great day for Star Wars fans and a great day for MMO fans in general!  We can't wait!!!

Companion Luvin

Star Wars: The Old Republic - Developer Dispatch - YouTube:

This was too amazing to pass up and post tomorrow. This in our opinion is by far the most interesting of the developer series movies from BioWare. And it covers one of the biggest reasons we really want to play this game. Woven into the story of SWTOR our the companions for each major class. And they help drive the story and the game play experience.

The Republic: EP 56

We have not been linking to their show lately.  Mostly due to time and well I don't think they need the help from such a small site like this one.  However their last episode might just be one of the best shows I have seen on their network so far.

BIOWARE says same sex relationships are in, The PvP Q&A, your questions, and more!

SO much so we need to call it out.  It was pretty much pure comedy from beginning to end.  And Gary as always does a good job of keeping the jokes flowing.  If you have not checked this one out .... do so!

Get To Know a Dev: Georg Zoeller

Mr. Z! The Man!

Get To Know a Dev: Georg Zoeller

Everyone's favorite BioWare game developer has done a short piece with Force Junkies. It's a good short read that covers a lot of interesting facts about Mr. Z.

Can you explain what you do for BioWare and what a typical day might be like?

My business Card says Principal Lead Combat Designer, which means I act as the ‘Product Owner’ for everything related to Combat and makes me responsible for requesting and organizing the assembly of all the individual components of the game (systems, art, animation, etc) that make the final combat experience based on the Game Director’s vision. 

I also manage the Combat Design team which handles design and implementation of classes, combat balance for PvP and PvE, companions and all those hostiles you encounter in your travels through Star Wars: The Old Republic. A part of this job also involves collaboration with our Live team which handles game testing and analysis of tester feedback and metrics.

Huge thanks to Force Junkies for the great read.  Rocket launcher armed Jawas....?  Really!?  NICE!

Guild HQ - Round 2

BioWare has started its second stage of 'Guild Alignment'.

Back in March we initiated our Pre-Launch Guild Program, where members of the Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ community could search for already established guilds or register one of their very own through the Guild Headquarters page. We are thrilled to announce that we have begun the second phase of our Pre-Launch Guild Program!

With Phase 2: Alignment, we are introducing new features which allow guilds to set their allegiance with other guilds in The Old Republic. Now a guild leader, along with members who have the proper permissions, can select up to three guilds as either Allies or Adversaries, depending on their faction affiliation. Qualifying guilds that are marked as Allies and Adversaries of other guilds will have the highest chance of being placed in the game together, allowing these guilds to coexist on the same server.

Another feature being implemented with Phase 2 is the ability for guild leaders and members with the proper permissions to invite friends to join their guild via email. You can start recruiting new members today!

To learn more about guilds in The Old Republic, check out the Guilds Game System page for details, and to search for or join a guild, visit the Guild HQ now! Also be sure to visit the Guilds FAQ for answers to commonly asked questions.

So what does this mean for you and me?  Well not much unless you're in a guild.  And if you want to make sure you land on the same server with a guild you have strong ties too.  So overall an interesting move by BioWare. Not something we can remember any other game doing in the past.

Some things to remember though - You must have at least 4 accounts in a guild with a pre-registration code.  It's one simple rule that will allow your guild to be pre-created on a server at launch.