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In-Depth with Eternity Vault

August 28, 2011 By

This week, from Star Wars: The Old Republic, we have a developer walkthrough the Eternity Vault, a high level Operation (raid) for both Imperial and Republic players.

The video that Bioware released today is the Imperials’ try at cracking the Eternity Vault, so better luck next time Republic players.

The walkthrough starts off with Dallas Dickinson, Director of Production for SWTOR, giving a short summary and intro for the Eternity Vault.

The walkthrough begins with four Imperial players being briefed by General Threnoldt, he warns them of the dangers of the Eternity Vault.  “We uncovered a new section of Belsavis prison during a bombing run; it’s been sealed for 20,000 years. The Rakata called it the Eternity Vault, it’s where they kept the prisoners and technology they could never afford to release.”

As General Thenoldt is warning the group of the prisons dangers,  its defense systems target the destroyer and cause the party to evacuate using escape pods. As the escape pods crash on the hostile frozen surface of Belsavis, it becomes clear that there is more than just four Imperial players crashed on the prison’s front door.  The Imperial players meet up and begin assaulting the prison. The main tank (a Sith juggernaut) and a Sith assassin, the off tank, rush into battle to draw attention off the rest of the group from the two large turrets and a swarm of droids. The raid group destroys the droids and takes out the two turrets with relative ease. Now the “Infernal One” kicks it up a notch with an Annihilation Droid. The Annihilation Droid is very large boasting a gnarly knock-back AoE and a brutal rocket firing arm. During the battle with this monstrous droid the party struggles a bit, first losing a Sith Marauder, who is quickly re-animated. Again towards the end of the fight the raid group sees that they have the droid’s health low so they rush him. About five out of the eight players go down, but the Annihilation Droid is demolished. Now keep in mind this entire battle takes place before the raid group ever enters then Eternity Vault – what lies in store within is the real challenge.

This is one of the first times we see a Sith Assassin tanking. He seems to be an avoidance/parry tank. Throughout the video it seems like the Assassin takes a little more damage than the Juggernaut, but could possibly be dealing more damage.  This video also shows off the Imperial Agent as a healer and he does a decent job. The main thing that healers should be excited about from this video is the customizable HUD which has a raid health bar that makes it MUCH easier to see your team’s health. (And possibly force/ammo/overheating.)

This is a level 50 Operation, and although Bioware has shown most of this info off before, there is a few things at the end of the video in a montage that look very new. Puzzles and a boss fight where in between the rocks you’re standing on lava is flowing freely. This could be environmental hazards. The montage also shows what could possibly bring the total of bosses for Eternity Vault up to five which isn’t a bad raid at all.

Be sure to check out the entire video:

[Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With:

Huttball and PAX 2011: Bring ‘Em On

August 21, 2011 By

This week Star Wars: The Old Republic released an update on the newest addition to the PvP game modes lineup, Huttball. Huttball is played by two teams put together at random, meaning each team can have both Republic and Empire faction players.

The only reason mixed teams are possible is the fact that Huttball is exclusive to Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler’s moon. The game looks to be very similar to a single flag capture-the-flag match in most games. Huttball is played in an arena filled with deadly fires, poisons, and traps. So you’re not just worried about death from an opposing team, but also from the arena itself. The arena also contains power-ups such as speed boosts and Jump-Pads allowing you to leap from level to level.

Once a team has the Huttball you can pass to your teammates but, be careful as your throw can be intercepted. If the player holding the Huttball is killed, the ball does not reset or drop – the player who killed the ball holder now has control of the Huttball.

The video Bioware put up today is a great montage of combat and gameplay from Huttball. Be sure that you watch the video hereon SWTOR’s official site to see all the action.

Bioware also announced they will be attending, with Lucas Arts, PAX 2011:

Throughout the weekend of PAX those who visit us at Booth 914 will be able to play through content from each of the four Origin Worlds. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get some experience with Player-vs-Player combat in the Alderaan Warzone, where Republic and Imperial teams clash in an effort to control and hold three different points on the battlefield.

Bioware

They’ll also be hosting Panel starting at 2pm on Saturday August 28th where fans will be able to see all the new reveals and have a Community Q&A session with the minds behind SWTOR. Also at the panel Bioware will be showing some gameplay from Eternity Vault, a high level Operation taking place on Belsavis.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: , ,

Flash Point 14: Synthweaving My Jockstrap Before Huttball

August 20, 2011 By

It’s been a busy news week so there’s no shortage of stuff to dissect. We also manage to work in some Mario Kart, Rollerball and Luke Skywalker’s inappropriate erections!

Points of discussion:

- Huttball PvP
- Eternity Vault Operation
- Crew Skills update on SWTOR website (link)
- Guild testing program and a plug for our Oceanic Guild Listing
- First guild blacklisting
- Pre-order copy limits
- Bioware too heavy handed in SWTOR forum moderation?
- Star Wars Books: we pick our faves
- Cool Star Wars T-Shirts from New Zealand with a 10% discount for TOROZ readers / listeners (check the link for the code you’ll need to use)
- Shout outs for our forums, Facebook page, Oceanic Guild listing, and Twitter account.

Listen via iTunes or right here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:02 — 53.6MB)

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: ,

Guild testing program announced: Oceanic access possible?

August 17, 2011 By

In what seems like good news even from an Oceanic viewpoint, Bioware have announced a guild testing program for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Already underway, further eligible guilds have the opportunity to take part. It’s another step in the progression toward launch, and it’d be an understatement the say the announcement has garnered some attention from the SWTOR community.

The geography question has raised its ugly head again, but I think it’s worth reading the initial announcement first before getting too concerned. Here’s David Bass’ announcement:

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.

How do I sign my guild up for Guild Testing?

All you need to do in order to have your guild considered for Guild Testing is to have an active guild with at least 10 members registered in our Guild Headquarters. We also recommend creating a recruitment thread on our forums, but please make sure you are following the Recruitment Guidelines we’ve set forward. Guilds that spam recruitment messages after multiple warnings, for example, will not be considered for Guild Testing.

How are guilds selected for Guild Testing?

In general, guild testing is done randomly from all eligible guilds (that is, those with at least 10 registered members in the Guild Headquarters). Throughout the program, we will 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.

How do I know if my guild has been selected for Guild Testing?

Guild leaders will be contacted directly with detailed instructions when their guild gets selected for testing. It’ll be their job to pass the appropriate information to the rest of their guild in order for everyone to be sent testing invites.

What is involved in Guild Testing?

Guild Testing works the same way as Game Testing does, however by being invited as a guild, you gain the advantage of being in the same testing group and being on the same server, allowing for more coordination amongst the guild for testing group content. You’ll still be a part of the general Game Testing population as well, and will have access to the general testing forums as everyone else does.

Are European guilds eligible for Guild Testing?

European Guild Testing will begin at the same time the European Testing Program begins in the near future.

If you have any other questions about the program, feel free to post in this thread or email us at guilds@swtor.com. Again, please do not contact us asking for Guild Testing consideration or your guild may not be considered for testing.

My take (and it’s not one confirmed by Bioware) is that if you have an Oceanic guild of ten members registered on the official guild headquarters on a US server then you have an equal chance of being selected. There’s certainly no mention of restrictions based on pre-orders and the like so if you’re keen, you could do worse than start with our own Oceanic Guild listing.

Over to you: anyone excited about taking part?

Filed Under: Guilds, News Tagged With: ,

More Eternity Vault goodness at Gamescom

August 17, 2011 By

As you’re probably aware, the Bioware are at Gamescom in Germany giving the German public a taste of Star Wars: The Old Republic.  One of the videos I love best (with thanks to reader Chris) is this one. It shows the Eternity Vault Operation in more detail, played live by eight Sith players. There’s much more to see than previous reveals and like the previous info it looks rather impressive.

Have a gander for thyself:

So – do you like what you see? The highlight for me was seeing the 8 players unable to get past the first ‘boss’: it shows the challenge required and without that there’s nothing really.

Filed Under: Machinima, News Tagged With: ,

Love the lost Twi’lek!

August 14, 2011 By

This week we have a Fan Friday Update and Details about GamesCon 2011 from Star Wars: The Old Republic, as well as some very interesting posts on the Dev Tracker.

The Community Creations from this week’s update are stunning. A rendering of a Twi’lek lost on the moon of Endor is the first picture show and is amazing. The Rendering was done by community member “JenFX”. The second picture shown is of a Republic military propaganda poster aply named “Join Us”. The poster is also amazing and has the phrase “Healing is our daily job but destroying the enemy is our priority.” The stunning image was created by French community member “norzeele”. Inspired by Bioware’s Tatooine Developer Walkthrough, one of the forum members “Alliant” created an excellent painting of an environmental view of Tatooine’s barren landscape.  “Alliant” also created a series of iPhone and iPad wallpapers for both Jedi and Sith players.

Bioware also released a series of wallpapers based on the “Return” Intro Cinematic from E3. The first wallpaper depicts Malgus moments before he ends his Sith masters life, gaining the title of Sith Lord. The second wallpaper depicts Jedi Master Kao Cen Darach fighting off the Sith Lord Vindican. The last wallpaper is Malgus Smashing through debris mid-air jumping into his final duel with Kao Cen Darach.

Bioware finally released “Forum Phrases” that allows community members to post words and small phrases in the Star Wars universe’s basic written language, Aurebesh. “Use the Force” and “Great Update” are just two out of the twelve usable words and phrases. Members can use the Aurebesh phrases by clicking in the Smilies “More” section then scrolling down to the appropriate response.

Be sure to check out the entire update Here on Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Offical Site.

There was also an update on The Old Republic at GamesCon 2011. GamesCon is taking place on August 18th through August 21st in Cologne, Germany. GamesCon is one of the largest video game conventions in the world, and Bioware and Lucas Arts will be there in full force to allow European gamers the chance to get some hands on action with Star Wars: The Old Republic. Bioware and Lucas Arts will also be revealing new information about the game. Community members who signed up on the forums will get a chance to test out a PvP Warzone on the planet of Alderaan.  Bioware will be running a demonstration of small areas of the high level Operation or “Raid” Etenity Vault”. If you follow the link it will lead you to the trailer for Eternity Vault.

Be sure to check into the Community Forum throughout the week of GamesCon to keep up-to-date on the info, or wait till Friday and I’ll sum it up. :)

Filed Under: Community, News Tagged With: ,

Position wanted: for Emperor Palpatine

August 10, 2011 By

Thanks to Axzaril on our forums, we’re pleased to bring you this 2006 piece of comedy gold:

Admit it, you even laughed at the frying dog didn’t you!

Filed Under: Humour Tagged With:
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