Darth Hater

BioWare recently revealed a new section of the HoloNet titled Inhabitants. This section of the Star Wars: The Old Republic official site is dedicated to the NPCs and mobs we will encounter in-game, broken up into three subcategories: Creatures, Droids, and Humanoids. In addition to new screenshots and animations, each entry contains few paragraphs dedicated to the mob's defining traits and features. We took a closer look at the writing on these pages (both English and Aurebesh), picking specific statements that inspired gameplay speculation.

Sean Dahlberg alerted us to a new tab on the HoloNet: Inhabitants.

If you've been waiting for information about the colorful creatures, species, and droids that populate the galaxy, make sure to check out our new HoloNet expansion - Inhabitants! In this section you can find new information and media about the galactic inhabitants that will entertain and challenge you in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Inhabitants will be updated regularly, so be sure to check back often to get the latest updates and information!

Darth Hater consensus speculation is none of the described Inhabitants are playable so far, including both Humanoids.

Plus, we were informed about three more characters we may see in game:

We've expanded the Biographies section of the HoloNet to include more of the exciting figures you will meet in Star Wars: The Old Republic!

This update includes profiles of three of the most influential people in The Old Republic era: Galactic Republic Special Forces commander, General Garza; the fierce warrior and sole ruler of the Mandalorians, Mandalore; and the star of the Deceived cinematic trailer, the ruthless Darth Malgus!

This is just the second in a series of regular updates to the Biographies section so be sure to check back regularly!

Aurebesh translations and dissections after the jump (keep checking back; we're updating this on the fly).

Voss was recently announced as the 12th planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This planet is a unique addition as next to nothing was known about it prior to last weeks Friday Update. BioWare appears to be using that void to weave a new story and display their willingness to add to the IP. The information supplied on the Holonet reveals much more than just an interesting story; it also hints at the possible gameplay elements that Voss could offer.

Here at Darth Hater we are constantly examining any media released for Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Holonet, in particular, quickly became one of our most valued resources in this endeavor. Framed by the ever important fourth pillar, each new release on the official site slowly increases our knowledge of the people and places we will encounter when players finally get their hands on the game. In light of the recent addition of a biographies section, we thought it might be a good idea to look back over the Holonet and find all the people we have been introduced to over the past year and a half.

Note: This article will be updated over time as we include new items to the dissection.

A few weeks ago Belsavis was revealed as the 11th planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Although this planet isn't very well known, it offers a chance for BioWare to showcase their abilities at developing a unique story. A quick glance at the available lore helps to showcase this fact and helps to highlight BioWare's interesting choice in planets.

A new Star Wars: The Old Republic HoloNet tab was revealed today: the Biographies section. It gives a background on various individuals such as Nemro the Hutt, Satele, and Grand Moff Kilran. Sean Dahlberg announced this while mentioning Rob Chestney's short story on starwars.com:

Curious about some of the characters you've seen in Threat of Peace, the Developer Walkthrough, or the Deceived cinematic trailer? Now you can find out all about them

We are thrilled to introduce a new expansion to our HoloNet archives: Biographies Now you can view profiles of several of the galaxy's most notable figures. Each entry highlights someone you may meet, travel with, or fight alongside or against as you help determine the future of the galaxy in Star Wars: The Old Republic

Just like the Classes, Planets, and Timelines sections, the Biographies archives will be expanded regularly, so check back often to make sure you get the latest updates.

He also hinted at updates prior to E3:
Biographies is the foundation for something more... what exactly that is, I can't tell you quite yet. All I can say at this time is stay tuned; E3 2010 isn't that far away and we actually have some exciting (and new) updates for you before then.


Those following Star Wars: The Old Republic may recognize Grand Moff Kilran from the Sith Warrior Flashpoint dialog sequence, Satele Shan from Threat of Peace webcomic, and Nem'ro the Hutt from the Bounty Hunter demonstration on Hutta.

Aurebesh translations and newsletter hints after the jump. (Thanks to RogueJedi86 for the translation.)

Last Friday, Taris became the tenth announced planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Taris is an iconic and special location for fans of BioWare, first seen in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Taris was mentioned in numerous books and other video games, such as Star Wars: Empire at War. Perhaps by understanding how Taris evolved into abandoned ruins, we can understand why the Republic would wish to start anew.

Sean Dahlberg introduced us to Taris, another planet included in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Once home to a thriving civilization, Taris was razed by the Sith Lord Darth Malak 300 years ago during the Jedi Civil War. As a symbol of hope, redemption, and defiance, the Republic has begun an unlikely effort to re-colonize Taris. To do so, they will have to deal with the toxic soil, dangerous pirates, and ferocious rakghouls the only survivors of the Sith bombardment. Determined to overcome the challenges, Republic and Jedi leaders are moving forward with the effort. However, Imperial intelligence has other plans

Access the Holonet to read about the history of Taris and the re-colonization of this ruined world swarming with rakghouls. Also, see the scarred surface of Taris in this video and visit the media section for exclusive screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers

Aurebesh translations after the jump.

Dromund Kaas was recently announced as the ninth planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Although this planet isn't fairly well-known, Dromund Kaas embodies the idea of the dark side; its corrupting power, its intrigue, and its deadly nature. Identifying how this planet is connected to the Sith Empire helps to understand why this planet belongs in game.

A new planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic was revealed today on the Holonet: Dromund Kaas.

Colonized and built upon by the Sith Empire, Dromund Kaas is home to the Emperor and his Dark Council. Almost completely forgotten for over a thousand years, the rediscovery of this world prompted the Sith surprise attacks that plunged the entire galaxy headlong into war. Despite being off the map by comparison to more heavily visited planets, such as the training world of Korriban, Dromund Kaas is very much the center of the Empire. Although the Emperor himself seems to have fallen silent recently, his Dark Council may have awakened a dangerous, hidden power within the planets jungles and ruins.

Access the HoloNet records to learn more about the mysterious past, and uncertain future of Dromund Kaas. Also, explore Dromund Kaas in this planet flythrough video, and be sure to check out the media section to see the latest wallpapers, screenshots, and concept art

Along with the new planet was the release of Threat of Peace #23. Have fun going through all of the new data to find out new facts on the game.

Update: According to Xanamiar and Zenkou the holonet page says "Revans Disappearance" in Aurebesh.

After reviewing many of our recent speculation articles, we felt it was time to take a step back and reveal the core foundation of the logic that drives our conclusions. We strongly believe BioWare is approaching game design in a significantly different manner than what we see in other MMOs: instead of simply copying primary game elements and introducing a few new ideas, we believe the core principle at BioWare is to completely avoid significant MMO flaws through design innovation that wont negatively affect other areas of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Therefore, we believe these design innovations will compliment each other and integrate seamlessly throughout the game.

When attempting to solve common MMO problems such as stale character progression, faction or class imbalances, BioWare must use the Star Wars universe itself to creatively consolidate their design innovations. We think BioWares fourth pillar of Story actually has to permeate even further into the other pillars of Combat, Progression, and Exploration and these pillars are intertwined in such a way that they seem to solve these issues from the outset.

Tatooine's announcement as the eighth planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic should come as no surprise to Star Wars fans. It has been featured in a multitude of previous video games ranging from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to Star Wars Galaxies. It has been featured in all of the Star Wars movies, though only mentioned in Empire Strikes Back. Although it is a familiar planet, it is still worth re-examining its lore, geography, and overall purpose.

The Sands of Tatooine and Threat of Peace #22 were both announced today for Star Wars: The Old Republic via Sean:

The twenty-second issue of Threat of Peace takes us to the long-abandoned Jedi Enclave on Dantooine, where Lieutenant Tavus meets the true culprit behind the efforts to undermine the peace treaty. It seems Master Dar'nala survived her Imperial captivity after all, and everything thats happened since has been all part of her plan. Despite his doubts, Lieutenant Tavus agrees to assist Master Dar'nala in completing her plan by slaying the Sith mastermind, Lord Baras.

Check out the latest issue of Threat of Peace now.

Far in the Outer Rim, the sands of Tatooine bake beneath the glare of two bright suns. Small pockets of barely civilized communities dot the desolate landscape, surrounded by the endless expanse of barren dunes and rocky canyons that have silently slain so many of those who ventured out into desert. Among the small shantytowns and settlements that persist, travelers may find shelter from the brutal climate, but trust is as rare as water on this lawless world. Visitors and locals alike must constantly watch their backs in Tatooines townships.

Access the HoloNet records to find out more about the desert wasteland of Tatooine, and the mysteries buried in its scorched sands. Be sure to check out the Media section to get the latest screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers depicting this harsh, desert wasteland.

As the news coming out of Austin continues to pick up speed, mining information is becoming much more exciting. The response to our recent speculation articles inspired us to delve deeper into what we were previously told about Star Wars: The Old Republic with surprising results. We used our recently acquired knowledge to give context to older news items, and realized BioWare was giving us hard facts all along.

As we touched on in our previous article, we believe all the developers public statements solidified BioWare's direction of class design. We searched high and low looking for clues, kicked around hypotheses, made charts and graphs, followed several threads in the Character Class section of the Star Wars: The Old Republic official forums and we discovered that the answer to every class two paths were possibly outlined plain as day in the Holonet.

The Sith Inquisitor Holonet is now officially live after a short delay. As Sean posted the following in the Star Wars: The Old Republic official forums today:

The history of the Sith Empire is fraught with scheming politics and dark secrets' the lifeblood of the Sith Inquisitor. Treachery hides around every corner in the Empire's dark corridors, and survival depends on an individual's natural cunning and the will to manipulate and defeat enemies and allies alike. The Inquisitor experiments with forbidden powers to not only survive in this cutthroat environment, but to excel and seize authority.

Access the latest HoloNet entry now to see a full profile of the Sith Inquisitor, including footage displaying the destructive powers of the dark side Also, be sure to visit the Media section to get downloadable screenshots, concepts, and wallpapers

If you are looking for more information on the Sith Inquisitor, there is our article covering our hands on time with the class as well as a speculative piece regarding a little class controversy.

Update: Next week is a planet reveal according to the Star Wars: The Old Republic newsletter -

The holonet for the second to last class, the Jedi Consular, is now up:

Channeling the power of the Force for strength and wisdom, the Consulars of the Jedi Order cut to the truth of any complicated situation as cleanly as their double-bladed Lightsabers cut down an army of Imperial foes. Whether unlocking long forgotten mysteries of the Jedi, raising armies to fight for the Republic, or engaging in mortal combat with Dark Lords of the Sith, the Jedi Consulars deep attunement to the Force gives them all the power they need to rise to any battle with poise and balance.

Access the HoloNet to read archived reports on the mystical Jedi Consular and to see footage of the Consular in action Also, be sure to check out the media section for new downloadable screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers

Sean also said in another thread that the Sith Inquistors page will be going up next week. Go check out this new Jedi class, and have your worries about having to wear a funny hat, put at ease. The latest issue of Threat of Peace was also released today. Have fun reading and searching for clues

Another Friday and another news release from BioWare. Sean Dahlberg lets us know on the official forums that everything was up and running for us to look at.

Outfitted in the smartest, sleekest, high-tech gear, the Imperial Agent always has the right tools at the right time. Using their abilities of subversion and subterfuge, these covert operatives infiltrate and assassinate enemies of the Empire with deadly efficiency.

Access the HoloNet to read the intelligence reports on the Imperial Agent, view videos, screenshots, and concepts. Pledge your allegiance to the Sith Empire by outfitting your desktop with our Imperial Agent wallpapers.

Stay tuned to Darth Hater and we'll keep you up to date with all the info on this new addition to the Star Wars: The Old Republic roster.

Exciting news this morning for fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Imperial Agent class was revealed at a European press event, and is currently popping up in Google alerts across the internet. We first noticed news from Now Gamer about the reveal. Shortly after, Sean Dahlberg made the official announcement on the TOR forums.

And the next class reveal is:

For those of you who may have attended or read reviews from the Electronic Arts European Press Tour that happened earlier this week, you already know the answer to this. Its 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 Agents HoloNet update next week. In the meanwhile, join the speculation on the Imperial Agents class forums

Star Wars: The Old Republic has garnered a rabid fan base since it's official announcement over a year ago. This community has eagerly awaited each new reveal BioWare has prepared, however, not everyone has been patient enough to wait for Fridays to roll around. Some industrious individuals have taken it upon themselves to sift through the official site, attempting to ferret out any content clues hidden within the website architecture.