• Novel Review: Annihilation

    Players who have completed the existing story content found within Star Wars: The Old Republic have been eagerly awaiting the next chapter. Drew Karpyshyn’s latest novel, Annihilation, is that next chapter. Picking up where things leave off at the end of SWTOR’s current story, Annihilation follows several familiar characters as they plan and execute a key Republic mission. It also looks deep inside the Republic and Imperial leadership as both sides continue to engage in a full-blown war.

    Note: The following article contains spoilers, both for the story as found in SWTOR and the Annihilation novel.

  • Short Story in Star Wars Insider Magazine

    As the one year anniversary of the launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic approaches, new hints and indications about the direction the story will take are being revealed. A few weeks ago, a tidbit at the end of the Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia gave us a glimpse of what is to come. Now comes a short story found in the latest issue of Star Wars Insider magazine. Alexander Freed writes the story, author of The Lost Suns comic book series and the Imperial Agent storyline found in the game. Entitled The Last Battle of Colonel Jace Malcom, the story bridges the gap between the events that have occurred within SWTOR up until this point and the next chapter as it will be told in Drew Karphyshyn's next novel, Annihilation.

    The 6-page story follows the final mission of Jace Malcom, the Republic trooper who battled against Darth Malgus in the Hope cinematic trailer and has the scars to prove it. Colonel Malcom accompanies a squad of soldiers on the planet Kalandis Seven as they attempt to take out Imperial forces remaining on the planet. Recent events have the Imperials withdrawing from several worlds across the galaxy and the Republic forces are there to help speed along the process by forcing them out. Original artwork by David Rabbitte accompanies the piece.

    To read the full story pick up the latest copy of Star Wars Insider magazine, issue #137. An online digital copy is also available for purchase through the Titan Magazines website. 

  • SWTOR Encyclopedia Trailer

    A new video was recently made available featuring the Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia. A hardcover book to be released on October 12, 2012, the encyclopedia promises to provide detailed looks into several aspects of SWTOR. Several of the BioWare writers who worked on SWTOR are credited as authors of the book, including Hall Hood, Joanna Berry, Charles Boyd, Ian Ryan, and James B. Jones.

    Amazon

    Since its release in 2011, the massively multiplayer online role playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic has captivated thousands of gamers and Star Wars fans alike. Now comes the ultimate in-depth guide to the turbulent and fascinating world featured in the game — The Old Republic.

    Created in full collaboration with LucasArts, this in-depth companion covers the spectrum of characters, weapons, vehicles, events, and planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic. More than just an encyclopedia, it is the ultimate guided tour of the dangerous and mysterious universe found in a galaxy far, far away.

     The video can be found after the jump.

    Speaking of SWTOR related books, it's worth noting that Drew Karpyshyn's novel, Revan, became available in paperback this week. The book has several tie-ins with events found in-game and is a must read for players interested in the lore surrounding Revan.

  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation Novel Cover and Interview

    Today, BioWare unveiled an interview with writer Drew Karpyshyn and cover on the upcoming novel Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation.

    Drew Karpyshyn
    Drew, can you tell us what Star Wars: The Old Republic fans can look forward to in your new book?

    Annihilation gives readers a closer look at several characters that will play important roles in future updates for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Satele Shan, head of the Jedi Order; Jace Malcom, the Supreme Commander of the Republic military and Darth Marr, senior ranking member on the Dark Council are all featured in the novel, along with Jedi Master Gnost-Dural and of course Theron Shan, Satele's secret son.

    For the full interview and cover, hit the official site.

    Caution: It contains spoilers.

  • New SWTOR Novel Details Revealed

    As players anxiously await the next chapters of the story within Star Wars: The Old Republic, author and former BioWare writer Drew Karpyshyn has updated his website with some details regarding the next SWTOR novel he is writing. Entitled Annihilation and due out November 13, the second novel focuses on Theron Shan from The Lost Suns comic book series and picks up where game events currently end.

    Drew Karpyshyn

    Republic agent Theron Shan and his Twi’lek compadre, Teff’ith must contend with a Sith Empire counter-attack against the Republic, spearheaded by the lethal apprentice of Darth Malgus. Satele Shan and Jace Malcom co-star in what will be a fast-paced and tension-fraught tale based on the award-winning video game from BioWare and LucasArts.

    It’s a bit vague, but that’s the problem when you try to stay spoiler free. But I think I can add a bit more without ruining anything. It’s a stand alone story – it has no connection to Revan, and it doesn’t tie in directly with any of the storylines from the SWTOR video game, though it is set in that era. It actually takes place just after the events of the game, and the novel will reflect the Empire and the Republic as they stand at the end of the game’s storylines. (I won’t say anymore to avoid spoiling people who play the game but aren’t finished.)

    More information about the novel can be found after the jump.

  • Next Drew Karpyshyn SWTOR Novel Revealed

    Despite Drew Karpyshyn recently announcing his departure from BioWare, the author of Revan continues to work on a new novel set during the era of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Up until now, not much had been known about the book. Thanks to a post on the DelRay Facebook page, some interesting tidbits have been revealed. The title of the book is Annihilation. It will feature several well-known SWTOR characters and delve deeper into the war between the Republic and the Sith Empire.

    DelRay
    First, DARTH BANE and REVAN author Drew Karpyshyn is cranking away on his next novel, STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC: ANNIHILATION. Republic agent Theron Shan and his Twi’lek compadre, Teff’ith (from Dark Horse Comics’ STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC: THE LOST SUNS) must contend with a Sith Empire counter-attack against the Republic, spearheaded by the lethal apprentice of Darth Malgus. Satele Shan and Jace Malcolm co-star in what will be a fast-paced and tension-fraught tale based on the award-winning video game from BioWare and LucasArts.

    Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation hits store shelves on November 13. Look for coverage of the book here as we get closer to its release.

  • Drew Karpyshyn Leaves BioWare

    Drew Karpyshyn, Senior Writer for Star Wars: The Old Republic, announced in a blog post on his website he left BioWare to pursue other creative projects, such as his Children of Fire novel series. Karpyshyn was instrumental as a writer during the development of several BioWare games including Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, and Mass Effect 2. He wrote numerous books including the Darth Bane trilogy, three Mass Effect novels, the recent Darth Revan novel, and is the process of writing another novel set during the Old Republic timeline. All of us here at Darth Hater wish Karpyshyn the best success in his future projects.

  • Castles And Cooks Interview With Drew Karpyshyn

    In an interview with Castles and Cooks, BioWare Senior Writer Drew Karpyshyn talks about what it's like to write in the Old Republic setting. Among the items discussed are developing Revan as a fully defined character, the differences between writing for video games and novels and what Star Wars stories he would love to be able to write if given the chance.

    Castles And Cooks
    CnC: With Revan, you were really going to be establishing the character for the first time. All of the personality, inflection ,mannerisms – the real soul of the character had been created by thousands of gamers. How hard was it to craft the canon of a character that existed in thousands of different permutations? What influences did you drawn on and what was your process like? The same was true, though to a lesser extent, for the character of the Exile.

    Karpyshyn: Obviously tackling a character as beloved yet undefined, as Revan or the Exile is an incredible challenge. It would be impossible to create a version of Revan or the Exile that felt “right” to every gamer, so instead of going down that road I had to work with the version of each character that I felt worked best with previously established canon for their respective stories story. Using that as a foundation I was able to mold and shape Revan and the Exile as they appeared in the novel into what I felt were interesting and compelling characters that embodied the spirit of the original games.

     For more be sure to check out the full interview at Castles and Cooks.

  • Revan Interviews and Excerpts

    Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan hits store shelves next Tuesday. With the release less than a week away, facts about the novel are rapidly becoming more available. Jay Shephard and Chris Wyman had an interview with the author, Drew Karpyshyn, in their latest episode of The ForceCast: Jedi Journals. During the interview, they discuss Drew's previous Star Wars books, Revan, and the Dark Side. Drew also revealed that his recently announed SWTOR book will take place after SWTOR's in-game story. The episode is available on the podcast's website, as well as iTunes. The intervew begins at 1:14:41 and runs just under 30 minutes.

    If you cannot wait for Revan to release, Drew also compiled a list of websites that have posted other interviews and excerpts from the book.

  • NYCC 2011: Second Drew Karpyshyn SWTOR Novel Coming Fall 2012

    At New York Comic Con during the Del Rey Star Wars Books Panel, Drew Karpyshyn revealed that he will pen a second Star Wars: The Old Republic novel in Fall 2012. Unfortunately, Drew did not give any details on the subject of the book or its name. When more information becomes available about the novel, you can be sure we will bring it to you as it happens.

    On another note, Drew stated that when fans pick up the Revan novel on November 15, it will include details on how Revan turned to the dark side. He also stated players want the full Revan experience in SWTOR will have to play the Republic and then Empire.

    Update: Full audio of the panel is now available for stream and download below.

  • DevTracker Highlights For The Week of October 6, 2011



    Why scour the official forums when you can get this week's DevTracker Highlights right here. Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller talks about the Jedi Consular's Project ability, naming policies for roleplay servers, Force Leap tactics, global cooldowns, and class design. Senior Community Manager Stephen Reid announces RP-PvP servers for launch. Senior Writer Alexander Freed discusses planet locations in Star Wars: The Old Republic. Writer Drew Karpyshyn explains some decisions he made with the upcoming novel Revan. Hit the jump to see all the highlights.

  • NYCC 2011: Tentative Panel Schedule

    The tentative schedule for New York Comic Con recently went live on the event's official website. Unfortunately, there is not much to say about them, as the details surrounding the panels are scarce except on the timing of them.


    • Star Wars: The Old Republic - Main Panel: Friday, October 14, 2:30 - 3:30 PM EDT

    • Star Wars: The Old Republic - Q&A Panel with MMORPG.com: Friday, October 14, 6:30 - 7:30 PM EDT

    • Del Rey Star Wars Books Panel: Sunday, October 16, 2:45 - 3:45 PM EDT



    The description, date, time and location of each BioWare session follows the jump. For the full schedule of all speakers and panels, please visit the New York Comic Con website.

  • Revan Excerpt in Star Wars Insider



    An excerpt from Drew Karpyshyn's upcoming novel, Revan, was published in the latest issue of Star Wars Insider. The excerpt features Revan in the Ebon Hawk as he navigates the ship down to land. Canderous Ordo gets a mention among others as well. For anyone looking forward to the novel, the excerpt should tide them over.

    Star Wars Insider issue #127 will be available on shelves July 26, but you can order the full digital copy now at Zinio Digital Magazines for PC, iPad, and Mac. Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan will be available on November 15, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon.

    Update: Del Ray Spectra publishing schedule for Comic-Con went up and includes the cover for the upcoming Revan novel.



    Make sure to check out the PDF on their website for a high resolution version of the cover.

  • Drew Karpyshyn Details Revan Novel

    Drew Karpyshyn, Senior Writer on Star Wars: The Old Republic took time out to detail some of the points fans will be reading in the upcoming Revan novel. Among several points that were elaborated on were the differences between the players version of Revan in Knights of the Old Republic and Revan's importance.

    To put it bluntly, Revan in the book will not be the uber-powered death machine you controlled at the end of the video game. You might have min-maxed your character to smack Darth Malak down in seconds without breaking a sweat, but in a book that battle would have been a brutal, hard fought affair spread over multiple pages. In a video game it's fun to kill hundreds of Sith Masters, but in a book that would just be boring. It would suck out any drama or conflict or tension, and as an author I have no interest in writing that.

    Now, I suspect some of you are already getting worked up about how Im ruining SW canon by nerfing the Revan from the game. Well, tough. The game was a game the powers and abilities you had in it were ways to make the game fun. They were representative of Revans power level versus enemies faced in the game, but they weren't a blueprint of his abilities in the persistent fiction of the Star Wars universe.

    That doesn't mean Im going to ignore Revans accomplishments as detailed in the game. The high level events and history are canon. Revan did defeat Mandalore and Darth Malak. He was an incredibly powerful Jedi. But a powerful Jedi in story terms (films, TV, books) is very different from a powerful Jedi in game terms.

    To catch more of the article, make sure to visit Drew's blog. Pre-orders are also available via Amazon should you be interested in picking up the novel later this year.

    Update: According to Del Ray, the Revan novel release date was shifted to November 15th.

    STAR WARS: CHOICES OF ONE moves back to July 19, 2011
    STAR WARS: HEIR TO THE EMPIRE 20th Anniversary Edition moves to September 6, 2011
    STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC: REVAN moves to November 15, 2011

    Hat tip to DarthNii on the heads up on the change.

    Update 2: Drew Karpyshyn confirmed the shifted release date as the official one via Twitter just moments ago.

    Website updated. I'm a day late with the Tweet, so I figure I owe you something else: the official release date for Revan is Nov 15!

  • Friday Update: New Karpyshyn Novel



    Today Star Wars: The Old Republic announced Drew Karpyshyn is authoring a new novel titled Revan. An in-depth interview with Karpyshyn is also available on the official site.

    Q: In what ways will readers who have read Revan benefit when playing Star Wars: The Old Republic?

    A: I think the novel will give them a much better understanding of the Sith Emperor and the Empire, for one thing. The Old Republic Sith Empire is very different from what people know from the movies, or even from the Great Hyperspace War comics that focus on characters like Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh.

    The novel will also give them some very direct background and detailed information that ties in directly with key Flashpoints in the game. I can't say too much, of course, but like any great prequel the books will give you the details of what came before to add an extra layer of depth to the experiences in the game    .

    As you might expect from the title, the main character of the forthcoming novel is Revan of the Knights of The Old Republic series. While that sets the novel some 300 years before the time of the game, Karpyshyn let us know that there will be some significant characters [in the novel] who appear in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

    The book will be available "later this year," which surely bears some relationship to "soon." Hit the jump for the official announcement.

    In other news, if you are in the Austin, TX area tomorrow, Austin Books & Comics is hosting a Star Wars Day featuring autograph sessions with Star Wars: The Old Republic comic authors Rob Chestney and Alexander Freed. Details about appearances from film stars and schedules available here.

  • Third TOR Novel Due in October

    According to the Random House 2011 Fall Catalog, Drew Karpyshyn is penning the third The Old Republic Novel. The book currently falls under the name TOR #3. Title reveal occurs on April 15 and the cover reveal will happen in July at Comic Con in San Diego. The catalog lists the release date as October 18, 2011 and 352 pages in length in hardcover format.

    This seems to be the secret project that Drew Karpyshyn was referring to on his personal website when he stated, "Its done! The secret book project Ive been working on (and that I still cant really talk about) is finished! Well, the first draft is finished. But its a long and winding road to the bookshelves"

    Update: Drew Karpyshyn confirmed that he is indeed writing the novel and also confirmed the release date as October 15th in his latest blog post.

    There is something I can confirm about the book, however. As was hinted at earlier, the novel is a tie-in with the SW:TOR game. And, on April 15 we will be officially announcing the title once that happens, Ill be able to talk a bit more about this project.

    But wait, theres more! The release date has been announced as October 15 (though that might shift slightly), and at Comic-Con International in San Diego in July were going to preview the cover and release an excerpt of the novel.

  • Interview: Drew Karpyshyn on The Jedi Knight

    As an addendum to yesterday's reveal of the Jedi Sentinel and Jedi Guardian, we were about to wrangle some additional details about the Jedi Knight class from Drew Karpyshyn, BioWare's Lead Writer.

    Read on for the follow up to our Comic-Con interview with him to find out his take on what went into creating the Jedi Knight, and debunking the perceived Sith bias in BioWare and LucasArts' marketing efforts.

  • Darth Hater at San Diego Comic-Con

    Darth Hater will bring you coverage of Comic-Con all throughout the day. Keep your eyes peeled and F5s stomped for incoming news on Star Wars: The Old Republic. Our Comic-Con schedule includes live blogging of the 1:00-2:00 PM PST Beyond Solo: Crafting the Multiplayer Story in Star Wars: The Old Republic panel, featuring BioWare developers James Ohlen, Alex Freed, and Drew Karpyshyn.

    DH Comic-Con Content:


    External Comic-Con Content:

  • Drew Karpyshyn's and Star Wars: The Old Republic Schedule at Comic-Con

    Drew Karpyshyn, writer on Star Wars: The Old Republic, posted his schedule for Comic-Con San Diego. The "Beyond Solo: Crafting the Multiplayer Story in Star Wars: The Old Republic" should sound familiar for those following the Dev Tracker as Sean Dahlberg mentioned it as one of the events for Star Wars: The Old Republic at Comic-Con however Drew Karpyshyn's list includes some that may be new to you. The list is contained after the jump for those interested.