In an onslaught of DevTracker activity, BioWare detailed a few of the changes coming to Star Wars: The Old Republic with the new expansion Rise of the Hutt Cartel. The developers discuss everything from the new skill points coming with the increased level cap, the story behind Makeb, and the size of the planet. For the responses in whole, hit the jump.
-
-
BioWare Answers Questions Regarding the Cartel Market
After yesterday’s update to the Public Test Server, BioWare responded to a few questions regarding the Free-to-Play Cartel Market. Since most of these will not fit in our columns, we decided to make the responses available here in this singular post. In the first, BioWare answers queries on the mysterious timer on the bottom of Cartel Market items.
I can clarify that the item will not disappear after the timer is over - after that time period, the item is no longer bound to you and can be traded!
The items do not disappear after 5 days; after the timer expires, they are no longer bound to the player and can be traded. Please also remember that we are currently testing the new features, so report any issues you encounter and please provide your feedback in the PTS forum. Thanks!
Howdy everyone!
Thanks for pointing this out; the current temporary bind durations for Cartel Market items are indeed incorrect for Subscribers. Subscribers will find a much shorter duration on the binding from Market items.
I've seen some discussions on the test server wondering why we even have the binding rules in place. To be blunt, it's to limit fraud. Allowing players to trade items they buy from the Market, to give gifts, and to sell them on the Galactic Trade Network is core to our plans for the Cartel Market and an experience we only want to improve!
We will be reducing the bind duration time by the launch of 1.5, and will be following feedback closely to ensure we're making everyone's experience as positive as possible!Some subscribers are viewed as F2P even though they subscribe.
Thanks for the reports - this is not currently working as intended and we are working on a fix!
There are some status-related access issues that aren't functioning as intended on the PTS right now; we'll definitely be addressing these. Thanks for the reports!
Misunderstandings regarding subscriber access to Section X and HK-51.
Just to make sure this is clear, players who are subscribed will not have to pay to unlock Section X and HK-51. There has been some confusion about this due to an issue on PTS that does not make it appear unlocked to players there.
If you have any other questions for BioWare that you would like to see answered, head on over to the official thread created yesterday specifically for that.
-
Column: PvP (9/25/12)
Welcome back to yet another installment of the Darth Hater PvP column, where we’ll collect and update the news about PvP that matters to the PvP community. This thread will be updated periodically as necessary throughout the week, so you can refer back to it for new information. If you have any tips on current content that should be featured, or if you think your PvP video or PvP guild should be featured in a future column, send them to darth@darthhater.com.
-
DevTracker Hightlights For The Week of July 5, 2012
This week’s DevTracker highlights are a bit light because of the holiday, but the hints of what might be coming in 1.4 continue. Community Coordinator Allison Berryman describes the status of several crafting bugs and gives advice when using the group-finding tool. Senior Designer Jesse Sky explains why Denova Nightmare mode is taking longer than expected. Hit the jump to see all the highlights.
-
DevTracker Highlights For The Week of June 15, 2012
With all the hubbub about server transfers, this week’s DevTracker highlights are thin with information. Nonetheless, Senior Game Designer William Wallace covers Legacy travel perks and their non-cost. Development Director Antonia Phillips adds a correction to her post about the Looking for Group tool. Community Coordinator Allison Berryman refreshes players on the limitation of item bonuses attached to armoring, and explores how BioWare selects questions for their Community Q&A. Systems Designer David Hunt gives an update on maximum level Augment slots. Hit the jump to see all the highlights.
-
Character Transfer Details Revealed
With the 1.3 game update now available on the PTS and the long awaited Group Finder in full testing mode, the next big question was about server transfers. BioWare has made a post on the official site with some details on how the transfers will work and when to expect to see them. The transfers will be limited to specific source and destination servers and will be carried out in a staged approach starting on next Tuesday, June 12, 2012.
In a previous Community Q&A we talked about character transfers, and announced that they were coming in early summer. Character transfers are a complex process, but we're almost ready to go. Starting next week on June 12th, 2012, we’re allowing character transfers to occur between selected servers in order to provide a better gameplay experience for our players by ensuring population balance across the service.The full post can be found after the jump.
UPDATE: Joveth Gonzalez and Allison Berryman have posted some clarifications on the official forums regarding how transfers will work. Among the details of note, they explain that source servers will only have one single destination server available. Full quotes after the jump.
-
Community Update 5/31/12
Online Community Manager Joveth Gonzalez posted a new update today on the Community Team and their transition into a new restructuring. The update outlines how each member of the Community Team will pair up with an appropriate developer in their area of focus, such as PvP, Operations and Crew Skills, to help relay better and more accurate information to players.
Many of the team members might be familiar names if you’ve seen their posts in the DevTracker, but check out the entire post past the jump to see them all and which class they’re currently playing.
-
DevTracker Highlights For The Week of May 10, 2012
This time around on DevTracker, Joveth Gonzalez talks improvements to the GTN, Amber Green seeks input on the UI changes ushered in with Update 1.2, Courtney Woods details the return of Fan Friday, David Bass gives his take on the changes to the Warzone Daily mission, Daniel Erickson mentions tweaks to instance portal restrictions, Eric Musco ushers in the first ever Star Wars: The Old Republic podcast and Allison Berryman sets her keyboard afire talking Reverse Engineering, forum hostilities, the "Allies expansion pack" and much, much more. Hit the jump to catch up on a week's worth of highlights.
-
DevTracker Highlights For The Week of December 29, 2011
It’s been a week since launch, and though BioWare is still addressing launch issues as needed, they found time to provide feedback to players in this week’s DevTracker Highlights. Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller covers skill respecs, the number of low-level abilities, and the thought behind Trauma. Community Coordinator Allison Berryman expands on the possibility of new forum sections in the future. BioWare co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk assures players that the BioWare Live team is working hard to reduce queue times to allow more people to play, and thanks the already over one million registered players for a successful launch. Senior Writer Alexander Freed shares glimpse into the process for creating new content with such a heavy focus on voice acting. European Community Manager Chris Collins affirms that shared maintenance times for both US and EU servers will create less downtime as the lifespan of the game grows. Hit the jump to dig in and see all the highlights.
-
DevTracker Highlights For The Week of December 8, 2011
This week’s DevTracker Highlights covers everything you need to know for the less-than-a-week-away Early Game Access and launch. Senior Online Community Manager Stephen Reid reminds players that MMOs change, gives the status of a Walmart system error, and reveals details about Early Game Access. Senior Community Coordinator David Bass illustrates the kind of achievements that will be available in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Community Coordinator Allison Berryman details upcoming forum changes for launch and how to determine if you have the right game client for when the game goes live. Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller covers the challenges around balancing for one on one and group combat. Hit the jump to dig in and see all the highlights.
-
New Official Forum Features, Launch Client Install Update
Two important news items came via the official forum today having to do with the Launch Official Forums and the Launch Install Client. In the first, Allison Berryman unveils exciting new changes to the Official Forums for the game’s release.
First of all, we'll have many new forums available where you can discuss all aspects of the game, from Crew Skills to PvP. The Guild Hall forums will be expanded significantly and will include new "Looking for Guild" forums, class forums will contain sub-forums for each Advanced Class, and we'll introduce a new Story and Lore forum for discussion of the game's setting and story. To encourage constructive community building, you'll also notice a "New Player Help" forum and a Community section that includes areas for regional check-ins and meetups, all kinds of fan creations and role-playing, and forums for server event organization. These are just some of the new forums we'll be introducing. We're looking forward to all the great discussion!
Another new feature we're implementing is our Community blog, which will appear at the top of www.SWTOR.com/community. We'll use this blog for important community announcements, updates, and to post articles of interest to our community members, so make sure to check it out frequently!
The launch Forums will be a fresh start: all threads, posts, and private messages will be removed and warnings and infractions on your account will be deleted. If you have any special posts or private messages that you would like to save, please do so now! When Early Game Access begins, only those who have redeemed their Pre-Order Code will be able to post on the forums, though everyone will be able to view them. Then, when the game officially launches, only those who have active game time will be permitted to post.Due take note that if there are any posts or threads you want to keep, make sure to back them up before December 10. For those that racked up a series of infractions, it looks like you are receiving an Imperial Pardon.
In the second, Allison Berryman gives an update on the Launch Client of the game for players involved in the game testing program.
If you participated in our Game Testing Program before November 25th, we recommend that you uninstall the game testing client (refer to instructions below) and then download and install the launch game client. We’ll update this post with more instructions when they’re available. You will need 27GB of free space to install the launch game client. The actual size of the game client is approximately 19GB (without additional languages installed).For the full details on the Launch Client Update, visit the official forum post. On a side note, the mixup in Walmart's account system that caused a bit of grief over canceled pre-orders for Star Wars: The Old Republic is now solved.
-
DevTracker Highlights For The Week of November 10, 2011
This week's DevTracker Highlights are like the main course of a full-course meal; small in comparison, but full of meaty goodness. Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller talks about different classes going head to head in PvP combat, and illustrates how each class brings their own flavor to the battle. Community Coordinator Allison Berryman lets players know that despite what they may have heard, Star Wars: The Old Republic will not require Origin in any fashion. Hit the jump to dig in and see all the highlights. -
Beta Test Weekend #3 Coming
Allison Berryman has just announced on the official forums that it's time for another round of beta testing. The test will be for the weekend of the 11th through the 13th of November. Good luck to all, and don't forget to check the tester site if you have any doubts about your email.
Read the official DevTracker post after the jump. -
DevTracker Highlights For The Week of October 13, 2011
After you read this week's DevTracker Highlights, be sure to check out our coverage of Star Wars: The Old Republic at New York Comic-Con and BioWare's presence at this year's GDC Online. Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller talks PvP incentives, the pitfalls of translations, and out of date gameplay. Community Coordinator Allison Berryman discusses iterative development and how feedback plays it's part. Writer Charles Boyd clarifies details about companions and their motivations. Hit the jump to see all the highlights. -
New Regional Testing Invites Sent
The official Star Wars: The Old Republic game testing thread was recently updated with new information. Allison Berryman provides the details concerning a very specific regional based test.
Update! We're sending out some testing invites today. Here's the information about them:
Sent Oct. 11: California Data Center Test
This test is a small, limited-time test including testers from New Zealand and Australia. Data from this test will be used to inform decisions about the launch of the game in Oceanic regions. We currently have no updates regarding the launch of the game in these or other territories, but will provide information as it becomes available.- Who was invited: Testers from the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia
- What was sent: California Data Center testing invites
- Server locations: West Coast USA
- Invite status: All invites in this batch are now sent
This marks the first time, that we know, of invites sent to regions outside those the game will launch in. As always, you can be sure that when more information becomes available on game testing that we will bring it to you as it happens. -
Friday Update: Fan Friday, Studio Insider, and Fan Site Summit Report
This week's Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday Update is a Fan Friday. Senior Community Coordinator Allison Berryman posted two new polls: Which companion character are you looking forward to meeting most? and What is your favorite area of the HoloNet?
Kelzak, Nick of Time and SteveTwo's fan art, new avatars and new icons round out Fan Friday. BioWare also included new concept art for Hutta. BioWare featured SWTOR-Life in this week's Fan Site Spotlight. BioWare announced their schedule of events for the next convention season. Check it out on their Events page.
Also in this week's Friday Update, Audio Designer Scott Morton guides us through the process of creating the perfect mix of music and sound effects to complement the combat experience, from the initial conceptualization to the final implementation. Check out the Studio Insider for more details. Additionally, BioWare created a new thread for community members to submit questions for the next Q&A. The topic of next month's Q&A is sound and music in the Old Republic.
Lastly, BioWare provided a new video from last month's Fan Site Summit.
Official DevTracker posts follow the jump. -
Friday Update: Fan Friday, Studio Insider, and E3 Event Listing
This week's Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday Update is a Fan Friday. Senior Community Coordinator Allison Barryman posted two new polls: Have you joined a guild for The Old Republic yet? and Which species are you most looking forward to playing?
KazeKats, Mezzidriels and Ardenyr's fan art, new avatars and new icons round out Fan Friday. BioWare also offers an update to the fan site kit. Corellian Run Radio is featured in this week's Fan Site Spotlight.
Senior Environment Artist Robby Lamb discuses the work of environmental artists and their contribution to TOR. Lamb said, "This is important to the environment artists as well as the writers and designers whose story we are telling through art."
Senior Game Designer William Wallace answers some questions from the community regarding the classes. Until April 22, members can ask questions through Facebook, Twitter or in the forums new community Q&A section regarding the Art of the Old Republic. BioWare listed E3 on the Events page. Check the Events page for more details as E3 draws closer to find out what is in store.
Be sure to check the jump for the Official DevTracker posts. Working Aurebesh Translation in the Media Gallery below. -
Friday Update: Jedi Knight Progression Video
Today's Friday update is all about Jedi Character Progression, as it details both skills and gear in a video. The trailer demonstrates how both the Jedi Knight's Advanced Classes perform, and we get a good look at single saber Guardian moves and double-saber Sentinel action.
The Dev Tracker post and a small working dissection is available after the jump. We say small because Sado is busy at Miami's Ultra seeing some kind of dead mouse perform (we're all jealous), and he'll yell at us for whatever we point out when he gets back. -
Reminder about Game Testing scams
Today BioWare posted an announcement via their Official Forum once again alerting people to Game Testing scams. It has been some time since the last warning we gave to the community regarding this specific issue and we thought it would be a good thing to bring it to the forefront again due to its current prevalence.
It has come to our attention that there are multiple individuals and sites claiming to sell testing accounts, beta keys, or other offers of access to our Game Testing Program. All of these offers are false. BioWare is not issuing invites to Game Testing via any method other than those we outline here on SWTOR.com.
We must caution you that these offers are often scams designed to steal your money, credit card information, or identity. While we understand that you are eager to participate in Game Testing, your security is extremely important, and attempting to participate in these offers could put you in very real danger.
Furthermore, the sale of accounts with access to the Game Testing Program is strictly prohibited by the Game Testing Agreement. We closely monitor the activities of all accounts involved in the Game Testing Program, and are quick to notice accounts that change hands. In the event that an account in the Game Testing Program does change ownership, we immediately take action to the fullest extent possible, including permanently banning the account from the Service.
You may also encounter e-mail scams that indicate you have been invited to the Game Testing Program. If you are invited to the real Game Testing Program, you will receive an e-mail with instructions from no-reply@bioware.swtor.com. Any other e-mail address claiming to offer an invitation is likely to be a scam. If you receive an e-mail and are in doubt or are concerned about its validity, please forward your concerns to bwacommunitysupport@bioware.com. If you do receive a genuine testing invitation from us, you will also be able to view the invitation and testing information at www.swtor.com/tester.
If you discover a scam pretending to offer access to the Game Testing Program, please forward all relevant information to us at bwacommunitysupport@bioware.com. Your security and the security of your fellow community members is important to us, and we appreciate your help.
Normally something like this would appear in DevTracker Highlights but due to its importance we have separated it out for an individual post on the subject. -
Friday Update: Bounty Hunter Update, PAX East Details Revealed, and Deceived Novel Trailer
For this week's Star Wars: The Old Republic Friday Update, BioWare announced additional updates for the Bounty Hunter class. Additional information on the Rattataki species is now available, as well as an analysis of the Kuat Drive Yards D5-Mantis Patrol Craft, and Mako the Bounty Hunter's Slicer Companion receives an update as well. Lastly, the Mercenary and Powertech specializations were added to the Bounty Hunter Holonet page. BioWare also revealed details for PAX East via the Official Forum for fans eagerly waiting the convention.
Yesterday's Dissection of the Bounty Hunter Video is already available for those interested. Aurebesh Translations, Screenshot Dissection, and Screenshots/Concept Art from the update are contained in the Media Galleries below. Hit the jump for official yellow posts, video embeds of both of the trailers, and more after the jump.
Update: Stephen Reid's update-and-a-half comment was right with the announcement of the Deceived Novel Trailer. The post features details on the upcoming Deceived Novel as well as a tidbit of what looks like a new cinematic trailer in the making. Deceived will be available on March 22nd in US Retail Stores but if you are looking to seal your copy you can preorder the book online via Amazon and an assortment of others listed in the article.
