Star Wars: The Old Republic

    SWTOR Announces Newest Class: The Imperial Agent!

    BioWare and Swtor.com have announced the latest class in the game: The Imperial Agent!

    The Imperial Agent is heavily inspired by several classic Star Wars characters such as Zam Wessel and Grand Moff Tarkin. Imperial Agents work behind the scenes to get the work of the Empire done. Specializing in high-tech gear, the Imperial Agent always has the right tools at the right time. They use abilities of subversion and subterfuge to infiltrate and assassinate enemies of the Sith Empire with deadly efficiency. Players who choose to be Imperial Agents in The Old Republic (TOR) will see the underbelly of the Empire in a whole new light.

    Stay tuned for the Imperial Agent’s HoloNet update next week. In the meanwhile, join the speculation on the Imperial Agent’s class forums!

     

    SW:TOR Beta Test Signups Open and More

    Our friends over at BioWare have been busy little bees, and today we got sent a note about several updates to their webpage for Star Wars: The Old Republic that you might be interested in. The major announcement is that beta signups have begun, so you can now submit your information to be considered for beta testing. 

    But that's not all. A new story on the Sith Warrior's creation has been posted as well as the full gameplay demo from this summer's convention season. Check the details below, and be sure to keep an eye on this upcoming hot title!

    Don't forget we've got a Curse Network site dedicated to SW:TOR at SWTORCore.com!

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    The Story of the Sith Warrior
     
    Writer Neil Pollner shares a little bit of insight in crafting the unstoppable force of darkness, the Sith Warrior.
     
    “Think back to when you first watched Star Wars™: A New Hope™ — to the moment when Darth Vader enters the besieged Republic ship, surveying the carnage, single-mindedly hunting his target, Princess Leia. If you were like me, your eyes bulged and you thought, “I wanna be that guy.”

    Now, maybe I was alone in that visceral response. Maybe it reveals something disturbing about me, I don’t know. On subsequent screenings, I seem to recall hearing a chorus of hisses and boos when Vader emerges. So maybe most of the Star Wars™ fan community are Luke lovers, or Solo sycophants . But something tells me there are more of me out there. And all these years, like me, you’ve been waiting for the opportunity to express your inner Vader.

    Well, I’m here to tell you, our time has come.”
     
     
    And if you missed it earlier this week…
     
    Sign up to test STAR WARS: The Old Republic!
     
    We are excited to announce that we are now accepting tester applications for STAR WARS: The Old Republic!
     
    Developer Walkthrough Disclosed!
     
    Didn’t get a chance to see The Old Republic at E3 or GamesCom? Then here is your chance to see the entire gameplay walkthrough! The video is now available for viewing and downloading on the official website.

     

    Bioware Reveals Star Wars: The Old Republic's Coruscant

    The good folks at Bioware sent us a couple of notes about their weekly Fan Friday updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The latest of these is a high quality version of the reveal of Coruscant, one of the many planets players will get to explore in the game. In addition to this interesting footage, We were reminded of last week's update regarding the Star Wars: The Old Republic timeline, where Jedi Master Gnost-Dural uncovers more of the lore and story behind this anticipated title.

    Check out the detail below, and be sure to check out all the latest at the Star Wars: The Old Republic website!

     

    Discover Coruscant, Capital of the Republic

     

    Coruscant. A symbol of power, prosperity, and innovation for civilization. The capital of the Republic serves as a hub of cultural influence and home to hundreds of alien species and from across the galaxy. Still recovering from the Sith attack during the Sacking of Coruscant, the planet has set out to rebuild what they have lost. Though the pristine skyline continues to grow, the lower level districts of Coruscant have developed troubles of their own.

    Access the HoloNet to learn more about the history of Coruscant and the struggles facing the citizens as they rebuild the planet after the attack.

    This year at the Penny Arcade Expo, attendees were treated to a special sneak-peek of the Republic capital world of Coruscant! For anyone who was unable to attend, or anyone who would like to relive the video in higher quality, we invite you to check it out!

     
    And if you missed it last week…
     
    The Empire Changes Strategy

     

    Jedi Master Gnost-Dural has entered a new holorecord in the Jedi Archive. After a thorough analysis of the evidence, Master Gnost-Dural has discovered that the Mandalorians’ return to the galaxy and alliance with the Sith was no coincidence—it was the result of years of shadowy machinations by the sinister agents of Imperial Intelligence.

    BTC 14 – Frustrated by a series of Republic military victories, the Empire began exploring alternative strategies in its drive to conquer the galaxy. Despite the tantalizing offers of Imperial Diplomats, members of the galaxy’s notorious underworld refused to swear allegiance to the Sith Empire.

    Thus, Imperial Intelligence began laying the groundwork to win the underworld’s loyalty through other means. Infiltrating the gladiatorial arenas of Geonosis, Imperial agents fixed the fights to cultivate the rise of a new Mandalore—an Imperial puppet who would call forth some of the galaxy’s most proud and independent warriors to unknowingly aid in the Empire’s dark designs.

    Watch the fourth Timeline holorecord, The Empire Changes Strategy, narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.

     

    SWTORCore.com Interview From PAX 2009!

    During the PAX 2009 Convention our team from SWTORCore.com spent some time with Dallas Dickinson and Tim Temmerman to find out more about Star Wars: The Old Republic! Before the show we asked users of SWTORCore.com what they'd most like answers on and did our best to fit those questions into our interview with Dallas and Tim.

    Here's a portion of the interview, for the full version read our PAX 2009 SWTOR Interview:

    SWTORCore: How about we start by having you two introduce yourselves and tell us a little about what you do.

    Tim: I’m Tim Temmerman I work with LucasArts, I’m the Associate Producer on The Old Republic.

    Dallas: I’m Dallas Dickinson, I’m the Senior Producer at BioWare.


    Core: The game has been anticipated for a long time but only finally revealed recently. What is the most excitement you’ve seen from people about the game itself so far?

    Dallas: Each time we’ve been able to reveal something people have been pretty excited about it. When we first actually announced and confirmed the rumors, there was a big amount of excitement then but actually the reactions we got when we were actually able to show off some of the action and gameplay at E3, that was pretty huge just to see people react to it.

    Tim: And the trailer was really cool! And PAX will really be our next biggest excitement point.

    Dallas: Yeah, we finally get to have actual players in the room checking out the gameplay in this demo. We’ve been demoing to a lot of press and a couple crowds in Germany, but this is the first time to actually really be talking to the players.

    To read this interview in full please visit the PAX 2009 SWTOR Interview page at SWTORCore.com!

    SWTORCore.com Asks What You'd Like To Learn From PAX 2009!

    SWTORCore.com asks what you'd like to find out from the PAX 2009 Convention!

    SWTOR is rumored to be showing a playable demo at PAX 2009 and SWTORCore.com will be on the ground doing your bidding!

    Here's a look at the thread where you can ask your PAX 2009 SWTOR Questions:


    PAX is almost here and it's still supposed to be the first playable demo of The Old Republic.

    We wanted to give everyone an idea of the type of coverage we have planned and get your comments, questions, and direction regarding what information you'd like to see!

    We'll be interviewing members from the team and want YOUR questions!

    Post questions about the game in it's current state, future state, ask about mechanics, aesthetics, or whatever you want! We'll take your questions and do our best to get them answered at PAX 2009!

    Post questions in this thread and we'll check back often and post what we find out at PAX 2009!

     

    SWTOR New Video Documentary - The Voice of the Old Republic

    BioWare and LucasArts are hard at work on Star Wars: The Old Republic! A newly released video shows off the extreme level of voice-over capability and the sheer number of unique voice-overs available in the SWTOR universe!

    During the video you'll hear bits and pieces of information about how massive the voice over project really is, and exactly how much attention is being paid to developing something unique for SWTOR!

    Here's a look at the SWTOR Video Documentry:

     

     

    SWTOR New Gameplay Footage and Lore Video!

    Star Wars: The Old Republic had an excellent showing at E3 and offers players and fans a very unique game experience. While the game is still a ways off we recently stumbled across some new gameplay footage of the game being played in early alpha. It looks incredibly good for a game this early in development - we expect big things from this title! There's a second video about the Treaty of Coruscant and should familiarize you with the lore behind where SWTOR will commence!

    Here's a look at the SWTOR Video:

    Here's a video about the SWTOR Timeline which includes The Treaty of Coruscant:

    New SWTOR Video on the Trooper Class!

    SWTOR has released a video on the Trooper class! The video highlights some of the thought behind the design and processes that created this class, and how the class will be played. There's a great segment about motion capturing and how they used data obtained there to affect some of the actions and movements in game when using heavier weapons. The video also highlights some of the unique abilities and technology available only to the trooper!

    SWTOR hasn't entered beta yet but is beginning to release more content and showing the game off a little more - hopefully we'll be able to play it soon!


    Here's a look at the Trooper Highlight Video:

     

     

    Star Wars: The Old Republic Cinematic Trailer

    If you missed out on the Electronic Arts E3 Press Conference, then you missed out on quite possibly the best cinematic trailer ever produced for a video game. Check out the first ever Star Wars: The Old Republic cinematic trailer below!

    SWTOR: Dark horse comics, and Hutta Planet announced!

    Dark Horse and LucasArts have come to an agreement about a new comic series for the upcomming MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic. The new comic series will be entirely online and will focus mainly on introducing the new MMO.

    From the Official press release:

    "War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire has gripped the galaxy for generations, but the sacking of Coruscant and a subsequent peace treaty are changing everything. As the Republic scrambles to re-establish order, the Sith Empire moves quickly to consolidate power within its new dominion. Behind closed doors, however, individual Sith Lords engage in a quiet but deadly power struggle, and discord breaks out among the Jedi as they wrestle with the moral implications of the new galactic balance. During these chaotic days, the stories of several critical characters interweave as they pursue their passions, stand up for their convictions and ultimately lead the galaxy back to the brink of a catastrophic conflict."

     This should be great for those loreseekers who wish to know what has happened in the 3 decades between the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, and the beginning of SWTOR. You can go here for a preview of the comic:  http://www.swtor.com/media/concepts/threatofpeace

     

    Bioware has also announced their next playable planet for SWTOR: Hutta!

    We’re thrilled to announce the next playable planet in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, the Hutt homeworld known in The Old Republic timeframe as Hutta. Nowhere in Star Wars™ lore has Hutta been so richly realized, and players will be able to explore the first true interactive realization of the “Glorious Jewel”. Read more about Hutta and its rich history including the long standing tension between the rebellious Evocii natives and the greedy, power-hungry Hutt Empire. View the concepts of Hutta’s harsh, polluted environments and see how the development team brought Hutta to life in these screenshots.

     

    "In Huttese, the name translates into "Glorious Jewel", and the planet more commonly called Nal Hutta is considered a paradise to the gluttonous tastes of the Hutts. To anyone else, though, the planet is a living nightmare—a disgusting and dangerous place to visit, and an unthinkable place to live. Current Underworld slang has shortened the name to a simple 'Hutta'—a place where more civilized people threaten to send their children if they misbehave."

    Read more here: http://www.swtor.com/info/story/hutta