Darth Hater

Star Wars: The Old Republic News, Interviews, Media & Podcast

  • SDCC 2011: Warzone Impressions

    Darth Hater wraps up our coverage of San Diego Comic Con with our impressions of Star Wars: The Old Republic's Alderaan Warzone before we set our sights on Cologne, Germany for the annual Gamescom convention. We first encountered the Alderaan Warzone at the Fan Site Summit back in April. BioWare gave fans without access to San Diego Comic Con an opportunity to get in the thick of battle at BioWare Base, an offsite location within the Hilton Gaslamp, and we had Orionark, Mako, Infamous, and Misensus contribute their impressions of their PvP experiences.

  • GameStar Magazine Interview With Gabe Amatangelo On Operations

    In this month's issue of GameStar magazine, there is an interview with Gabe Amatangelo on operations, PVP, and more. As part of the interview, Gabe Amatangelo gives us some new insight on the operation sizes players will have a chance to take part in The Old Republic.

    Each Raid has 2 sizes, for 8 and 16 heros, as well as ajustable [sic] difficulty levels. The quality of the loot is based on the difficulty setting of the instance." After every bossfight EACH player gets a bag of Rewards", says Lead designer Gabe Amatangelo. "Inside that Bag you can find class specific Items, or Badges which can be used to buy items. You don't have to fight for your rewards."


    Credit on the quote goes to Cebo and his thread on the official forum. We'll alert you on any translation updates regarding the magazine as they happen.

    Update: More translated for the article on PVP:

    There will be no companion characters in PvP fights, at least not in the Warzones, where teams of both factions battle each other. The game modes in pvp will be along the lines of classical pvp variants such as capturing and holding control points and Capture the flag. Thus far we have seen four and eight player warzones.Although there are tests for mass pvp fight going on Georg Zoeller didn't comment on mass pvp fights at that moment.

    Furthermore BioWare is working on a warzone where players from the same faction can fight faction each other, but only as a backup solution in case the enemy can't provide enough players. There will also be open world pvp fights in which each faction can pursue missions objectives. Several planets will offer special pvp assignments, which could be something like capturing enemy buildings or eliminating enemy leaders.According to Zoeller this ensures that pvp oriented players can focus on certain areas and it gives them a bit more structure. The question concerning armed combat vehicles, Georg Zoeller answers with a promising maybe... So, chances are the players might be able to ride into combat in vehicles, maybe not in open world pvp but in Warzones. Apart from this, players will be able to fight against other players during some of their regular quests, similar to Warhammer Online, where some quests lead intro enemy territory making an pvp encounter more likely.

    Credit to Shellcracker on the translation. There are also three new exclusive images from GameStar - one showing off combat in the Eternity Vault, another showing the inner walls of the Eternity Vault, and an active lava flow area.

  • The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of PvP



    Player-versus-player gameplay is an integral part of most modern MMORPGs. However, even some of the most experienced MMORPG players may have reservations when it comes to participating in this facet of the game. There are several factors that make PvP an entirely different (and sometimes very intimidating) experience, and in some of the worst cases, players who traditionally focus on PvE may feel completely alienated by a game's PvP mechanics. By examining some of these dynamics and BioWare's proposals regarding how they will be handled, perhaps we can make PvP in Star Wars: The Old Republic a little less intimidating and a lot more appealing for players who typically wouldn't participate otherwise.

  • Community Pulse: The Solo Endgame



    The scope of games in the MMO genre draws players of every ilk by offering a plethora of play experiences. Be it PVE or PVP, Solo or Group, Casual or Hardcore, people commonly gravitate to a particular style and are known to defend their affinity vigorously; the Star Wars: The Old Republic community is a perfect example of this diversity. This week, we take a closer look at those who prefer a very solitary style, and what they hope to find once they reach endgame content.

  • Fan Site Summit: Gabe Amatangelo Interview



    Many improvements and changes made their way into various PvP systems since we last spoke to Star Wars: The Old Republic's Gabe Amatangelo. Last month's Fan Site Summit provided an opportunity to catch up with BioWare's Lead PvP Designer to discuss Warzone reward systems, what we can expect if we choose to use PvP as our leveling method of choice, the favorite topic of crowd control in PvP, and much more after a small skirmish with the third rail of interview topics:

    Gabe Amatangelo: I want to touch on open world PvP. We're going to have PvP servers, and on the PvE servers there will be designated PvP areas. On a PvE server, you aren't going to flag unless you want to flag yourself, or unless you go into a designated PvP area that is going to be completely isolated from quests and story lines and that kind of stuff. Now, we're not talking about the goals inside those areas today, but we are saying that it is there. People can go and fight each other there.

    Are these Open World PvP areas guild- or faction-based?

    We're not talking about the goals of those areas. I know Darth Hater and all the people who follow you are really group conscious. You guys are guilds. We want to do everything we can to accommodate that type of game play.

    Today we're focusing on a few systems that we haven't talked about before. The focus of them is promoting a good, healthy PvP community and allowing players to play the role they want in PvP. There are a number of systems that roll into those two points.

    Hit the jump for more interview PvP.

  • Fan Site Summit: PvP Information Learned

    Following the tradition of being on the lookout for new tidbits in the game, we now have PvP Information Learned. During the Fan Site Summit, we were able to pull out a few items of interest for fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Since this is the first time we could PvP at a hands-on event, many of the concepts and mechanics are new to us on the battlefield. Join us by hitting the jump to learn more on the PvP in The Old Republic.

  • Fan Site Summit: Gabe Amatangelo Q&A

    While in Austin for BioWare's Fan Site Summit, the developers treated us to several question and answer sessions. With the second embargo now over, we are able to unveil the last session in the series featuring Lead PvP Designer Gabe Amatangelo.

    Hit the jump for the audio embed as well as the full transcription of the session.

  • PAX East: James Ohlen Interview



    The last time we spoke to James Ohlen, Star Wars: The Old Republic Creative Director, it was back at last summer's Gamescom in Germany. He granted us an opportunity to catch up with him at PAX East, and we discussed a bunch of topics ranging from Game Testing and Space Combat to Advanced Classes... and blowing up Alderaan.

    Hit the jump for more.

  • Community Pulse: Player Rating System



    We recently suggested a few fan crafted pieces in our new Smuggled Cargo article that we thought warranted a nod. Today, we are starting another community feature focusing on the many open discussions taking place both on our forum and the official site. In these new Community Pulse articles, one member of the Darth Hater team will dissect an active forum thread and add in their own personal two credit point of view. Hit the jump for our premier issue focusing on PvP player rating systems.

  • DevTracker Highlights February 10, 2011

    BioWare does not disappoint in their post count for this week's DevTracker Highlights. Lead Writer Daniel Erickson talks vague narrative timelines and how the Sith don't see themselves as evil, but everyone else does. Principal Lead Combat Designer Georg Zoeller dives into Flashpoints, weapon flourishes, the use of instancing on planets, misconceptions about base class and advanced class abilities, and the MMO design with concerns to testing and feedback. Lead Systems Designer Damion Schubert explores how real world economics translates to in-game economies. All this and more continued after the jump.

  • Friday Update: Fan Friday, Studio Insider, and Community Q&A



    This week's Friday Update brings a Fan Friday and a Studio Insider. The Fan Friday features a good selection of avatars, wallpaper, emoticons, and other goodies, while the Studio Insider goes into depth about the design of Coruscant.

    The second Community Q & A thread also opened, and once again questions are open, so feel free to head over and ask the developers about whatever parts of The Old Republic you want to hear about. With the opening of the second Q & A thread, the first one has closed, and some of those questions have been answered in the Community Q & A section of today's Studio Insider. More than a few hot button issues were answered in the Q & A, most notably one on PVE and PVP servers. DevTracker posts after the jump.

  • Updated: Gabe Amatangelo on PvP & Warzones



    During this year's EA Winter Showcase, the United Kingdom received wonderful information from the developers about the Crew Skills system and PVP Warzones. During the Jedi Immersion Day the following week, we got a similar presentation with copious amounts of information on both game systems. One of these presentations came from Lead PvP Designer Gabe Amatangelo. After teasing us with clues about the forthcoming derelict starship Warzone -- including that it uses an Assualt-based scenario -- Amatangelo spoke in-depth about the Alderaan Warzone. After his presentation, we were able to sit down with Amatangelo to ask some questions about PvP.

    Due to popular demand, we received answers to some additional questions and expanded answers after the initial publish. Even if you read through this earlier, it warrants a second read after the jump.

    You mentioned the derelict starship Warzone would feature a version of an Assault-style objective. Can you describe what "Assault" means for those who may not be familiar with that kind of PvP scenario?

    Gabe Amatangelo: Staged objectives where one team defends the active objective and the other attacks it. For example: the attacker attempts to set a bomb to blow a door down in an attempt to advance to the next room where they would have a new objective, while the defender would be trying to prevent the bombs placement and then maybe diffuse it in the case it was placed.

  • Stephen Reid Responds to Recent Official Forum Chatter

    A recent post on the official forums has been the focus of debate, stemming from two recent articles in Gamestar Magazine. BioWare Online Community Manager Stephen Reid responded to a few points from the articles, specifically regarding open world PvP and NPC diversity. Read the full quote from Stephen after the jump.

  • Details on SWTOR Warzones and Crafting Revealed



    Yesterday, Electronic Arts presented its annual Winter Showcase in London, and Darth Hater was there to watch for news on Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare revealed the Imperial Agent at last year's showcase, so our expectation bar raised a few notches. With information on both PvP Warzones and the eagerly anticipated crafting system, this European event did not disappoint.

  • PVP Specific Stats in MMOs

    At this year's PAX Prime Expo in Seattle, members of the Darth Hater team were lucky enough to get some additional hands on time with Star Wars: The Old Republic. Among the numerous observations, we noted a slew of character statistics and stat modifiers recorded on both gear and character sheets. While these included many ability stats considered to be standard MMO fare, one particular category stood out. Each of the character sheets contained a unique set of stats under a drop-down entitled PvP. Hit the jump for a closer look at the pros and cons of PvP specific stats in MMOs.

  • Gamescom: Interview with James Ohlen

    It appears that August is interview season for those of us following Star Wars: The Old Republic. We recently had some excellent face time during Celebration V, and this trend continues in Germany with James Ohlen. In our first interview from Gamescom, James gives us insight into why there are advanced classes, who they are designing PVP for, and what we can expect from space combat.

  • TOR Community Beat: Players Take on PvP

    This week the Official SWTOR forums have been ablaze with debate surrounding PVP. A thread titled Why do People hate PvP? has been the focal point of this debate amassing an astonishing 1,018 responses at the time of this writing. As the title alludes, the thread poses the question as to why some members of the community are PvP averse and seem to speak specifically towards Open World PvP.
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