Darth Hater

Recently, the Star Wars: The Old Republic community noticed an unusual lack of information from Sean Dahlberg, leading to a great deal of speculation. Joanne Laroche, Senior Community Coordinator for BioWare, made an official post today clearing up the mystery.

Hi Everyone

Sean Dahlberg has recently left BioWare. We would like to thank Sean for doing a great job building the TOR Community and we wish him well in his future endeavors!

Best,

The Star Wars: The Old Republic Team

All Darth Hater staff, and behalf of all associated with our community, wish Sean Dahlberg the absolute best well wishes for continued future success in anything he pursues. You can read Sean's thoughts on his personal blog.

This week's Friday update is now online:

Whether you're looking to dominate the galaxy in the name of the Empire or rescue it from darkness as part of the Republic, you wont get very far without a starship. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, your starship will be your base of operations, and it might even be your best friend. Ship models are specially designed to match the needs and tastes of each of the class types, so even though all the starships are outfitted for traveling the galaxy, each has its own character.

Study the style and specifications of the various Starships by accessing the HoloNet now!

You will notice these Starships have been dissected from the Space Combat Video that came out earlier this week. As well as Starships there are new polls available for your perusal. The poll questions are:

• Which feature are you most looking forward to in STAR WARS: The Old Republic?


• Have you played Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR)?

As always, we look forward to seeing the results of the new polls.

There is also a Fan Friday featuring artwork from community members Wraloa and Kiuas, a fan-created video from Tukor, a showcase of a community RP thread, and more new avatars.

But most importantly, the Developer Corner outlined everything announced during our Gamescom presention about Advanced Classs (where we failed the "let's see how many data points we can write down in 20 seconds and if we can read our own handwriting" test -- self-depreciating humor there folks, but you can now see why we had some stuff missing), and new concept art that seems to show HK-47, or at the least a model of his same type.

Aurebesh translations after the jump.

PC Action, a German Magazine, released new information today on Space Combat from a demo that was shown to the press leading up to GamesCom. To say that the information has blown up the Star Wars: The Old Republic Official Forum would be an understatement. Sean Dahlberg replied after stating:

As announced during Comic-Con International...

First, thank you to all of you who participated in our Comic-Con Reveal mission! While we didn't quite make the numbers, we definitely saw how excited the community is about this and how everyone came together. After all of that, there's no way we could hold back with our special reveal at Comic-Con!

If you've been following the news coming out of the Star Wars: The Old Republic panel at Comic-Con International, you've heard the announcement that we will indeed have Space Combat as part of the TOR experience! But what does that mean? Space combat is an alternative gameplay experience to the primary game of storytelling, questing, and ground-based combat. In space combat, you fly your personal ship to various hot spots on your galaxy map. From there, you will blast your way through asteroid fields, enemy fighters, frigates, destroyers, and a variety of other obstacles that will evoke memories of some of the great Star Wars space battles.

To learn more, pick up the October 2010 edition of PC Gamer which hits newsstands starting August 17th for screenshots and an exclusive interview or check back with us in the weeks to come.

Check out the cover of PC Gamer's October edition here:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/07/23/st...led-in-pcg-us/

There is an article about by the PC Action magazine that gives more details about Space Combat. There is a translation for this posted by a few users but I ask that everyone keep the discussion of the topic to this thread. Keeping the conversation within a (single) thread is easier for the team to look at consolidated constructive criticism and feedback instead of having to search all over and reading numerous short threads.

While discussing this, as always, be courteous to your fellow community members.

UPDATE[1]: To clarify, Space Combat is not a Turret Shooter (this is probably obvious after seeing the screenshot but some people were mentioning it in the other thread).

UPDATE[2]: Added the poll from a community member's thread.

For details on the information that was released today, check the community thread on the Official Forum linked below. Hat tip to Chris and Jamis on the heads up. You can find our community discussing the news on our forum.

This week's friday update is a Fan Friday which includes some nice screens of Cathars, new avatars, new polls, and fan art from the Star Wars: The Old Republic community:

Take a look at the incredible creations were spotlighting from the Star Wars The Old Republic Community and check out the Developer Corner to see new content the team wants to share with you!

[Read more]

More after the jump.

Sean Dahlberg, Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Manager, posted in the official forum today, giving us a heads up about three new pieces of content for this Friday. This massive update includes a Developer Dispatch, a Developer Blog, and a new issue of the Blood of the Empire webcomic.

Sean Dahlberg sends word of a special reveal possibly being at Comic-Con, if the community should meet the terms:

Comic-Con International is almost upon us! You already know about the Beyond Solo panel being held on Friday, but we have something extra we want to announce during it. You're going to work for this one, though. If we get at least 200,000 Likes on our Facebook page and 30,000 Followers on our Twitter page by Friday, July 23rd, 2010, we will bring you this cool reveal!

Only time and community involvement will tell what this special reveal is.

Update: On a sidenote, the HD version of the E3 Multiplayer Gameplay Video is now available for download. Hat tip to Haplo

Sean Dahlberg, Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Manager, officially announced the start of game testing today:

Game Testing for Star Wars: The Old Republic is underway! Those selected to test will gain access to the game and be able to provide valuable feedback to help us tune particular areas of gameplay and begin the process of balancing and tweaking our content.

Game Testing is an on-going process being rolled out in several phases. These phases began with smaller, more focused tests with community members from North America, and later will expand to other territories. Users selected for the test program will be notified via email with more information on accessing the Game Testing Portal. If you've not been chosen yet, you may be selected in the next wave!

If you haven't signed up already, its definitely not too late! If you're not already a member of the Star Wars: The Old Republic community, click here to become one today! Be sure to check the box to indicate you are interested in becoming a tester. If you're already a member, go to the Game Testing Portal to begin the sign up process. Note that you must be at least 18 years of age to accept the Game Tester Agreement.

Please keep in mind that there are no guarantees that you will be selected once you have completed the sign-up process. For more information about testing Star Wars: The Old Republic, take time to read the Game Testing FAQ.

Were looking forward to your help in making Star Wars: The Old Republic a success!

Sean Dahlberg sends word that Star Wars: The Old Republic won the Best RPG category on the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 list:

Quote:
Game Critics Awards - Best of E3 2010
The 31 voting publications for the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 are proud to announce the following winners for 2010

And if you look down to Best Role Playing Game you will see Star Wars: The Old Republic! This is definitely an honor and a privilege for us to be on the list and to win the award for Best Role Playing Game is amazing!

You can view the full list of winners at:

http://www.gamecriticsawards.com/winners.html

Congratulations to BioWare and LucasArts on the award.

Sean Dahlberg just unveiled the plans for Star Wars: The Old Republic at Comic-Con International:

Comic-Con International is coming to San Diego, California! Meet up with The Old Republic team at the panel entitled Beyond Solo: Crafting the Multiplayer Story in Star Wars: The Old Republic on July 23rd from 1:00 to 2:00pm in Room 7AB. Morgan Webb (G4s X-Play) moderates a discussion with James Ohlen (Studio Creative Director and Lead Designer, BioWare), Drew Karpyshyn (Principal Writer, BioWare), and Alexander Freed (Managing Editor, BioWare) about the creation of the multiplayer, planet-spanning story in Star Wars: The Old Republic. While much attention has been paid to the unique individual stories of each of the eight classes in the game, the team is excited to share their approach to the broader stories players will experience in The Old Republic.

Other things going on at Comic-Con for The Old Republic:

• Blood of the Empire signing by Alexander Freed at the Dark Horse booth


• Hope Cinematic Trailer displayed at the Star Wars booth

And don't forget, Friday, July 23rd is Star Wars Day! Arrive dressed as your favorite class or character from The Old Republic to show your support!

Stay tuned for more details!

Comic-Con takes place on July 22-25, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. You can find ticket and event information at the official Comic-Con website.

Update: In another Tweet, Sean Dahlberg seems to confirm SWTOR's presence at PAX as well:

@Kyle_Pants If you're looking for Star Wars info in general, #SWCV is definitely the place to be. If more #swtor, I'd recommend PAX.

This week's friday update is the E3 Multiplayer Game Play Demo:

During E3 we gave live demos of multiplayer game play in The Old Republic for the press. Now we want to share the demo with the community! This demo shows how a diverse group of players use their abilities to complement one another in battle.

Commander Narlock readies his troops for an Imperial assault. As he does, all four Republic classes; a Jedi Consular, Jedi Knight, Smuggler, and Trooper join together to assist in fighting off the attack. Watch as each player does his or her part to take on the enemies, and beat the Imperial Troopers and Imperial Breach Droids.

See how group combat will be a thrilling part of The Old Republic in this Multiplayer Game Play Demo.

The downloadable and localized versions will be available next week.

Sean Dahlberg gives further insight about the video:

This is indeed another take of what happened during E3. In here you have Brian Arndt as the Smuggler, Rob Chestney as the Trooper, Cory as the Jedi Knight, and I played the Jedi Consular.

This was something shown during E3 on G4 but we wanted to give you a version that had no cuts from start to finish, where you got to hear the VO, and saw the same setup tackled in a slightly different way.

Working Dissection after the jump.

Last Updated: July 3 @ 1:22 PM EST

This week's DevTracker Highlights discuss what the developers prefer to play, video capturing, hints on upcoming videos, and more after the jump.

Today's long awaited Star Wars: The Old Republic update is Blood of the Empire Act 2 Issue 2:

In the sixth issue of Blood of the Empire, Teneb Kel fights for his life as Lenico Colony Blue collapses around him. The Emperor's apprentice has proven vastly more powerful than anyone realized--it will take all Teneb's skills and resources to survive, let alone complete his mission. But can he rely on his closest ally in his moment of need, or will he face betrayal?

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

Mentions of Ambria, Glitterflies, and more information about the Emperor abound in this issue.

Update: Chino alerted us to a website that appears to have Act 2 Issue 3 online already. To us it looks legit. SWTOR-Station has the comic translated into English for those interested in reading it. Hat tip to DarthAgony for the heads up on the translation.

Sean Dahlberg, Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Manager, informs the community that tomorrow's update will be a late one:

Just wanted to let everyone know that tomorrow's update will be running late tomorrow. How late? Hard to say at this point but I should have some more info early tomorrow (that is, early my time). I'll update this thread (and the first post) with such information.

That all said, instead of camping the F5 key, I'd suggest following us on the social networks we are a part of since we post the updates there as soon as everything is ready.

UPDATE [11:20AM CDT]: Nothing really new to tell at this time; we do not have an eta on when today's update will be posted. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

FINAL UPDATE [6:05PM CDT]: Just to let everyone know, we will be putting up the latest issue of the Blood of the Empire within the hour. We thank you for your patience and understanding and definitely check back in next week.

More from the DevTracker after the jump.

Sean Dahlberg, Star Wars: The Old Republic Community Manager, posted a clarification of the Game Testing Agreement this morning:

We have seen many questions about the Game Testing Agreement and we want to clarify a few things.

1. Per the Game Testing Agreement, a user can state there is a Game Testing Program.
2. Per the Game Testing Agreement, when someone is selected for testing, they can disclose the fact that they are a member of the Game Testing Program.

That is the extent of it and anything else would be a violation of the Game Testing Agreement. Users that are found to post or even repost confidential materials will be permanently removed from the Game Testing Program and subject to discipline up to and including permanent removal from the service. This is not limited to screenshots of the game but taking "screen grabs" or sharing of confidential documentation and materials.

If you have any questions pertaining to this, ask them here.

We are intrigued regarding the use of the term "permanent removal from the service" language after stating removal from the Game Testing Program itself; this may indicate that BioWare and LucasArts are taking steps to permanently ban violators from subscribing to the retail version of the game.

Further clarifications after the jump.

BioWare's Sean Dahlberg soothed some community worries about class-restricted species, wrapped up the reveals of the week, and waxed poetic about the ups and downs of E3:

Hey guys,

I got up at 4am this morning to get back to Austin so I'll make this short and sweet instead of rambling on as I tend to.

Sean Dahlberg's twitter page contains an interesting tidbit of what could be a possible timeline video for tomorrow's update:

Ever wonder why the heroes of the Mandalorian War turned to the dark side? Find out tomorrow

This brings up the possibility that Revan could be related to the update. If you look at the Timeline page, the next in the series states:

A fallen Jedi Knight named Revan redeemed himself by defeating Darth Malak in his efforts to take control of the galaxy.

It is looking to be an eventful Friday for Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Star Wars: The Old Republic official update this week is the Blood of The Empire's fourth issue:

In the fourth issue of Blood of the Empire, Teneb Kel begins his quest to find the Emperor's apprentice and learn the reason she betrayed her master. But a war-torn galaxy isn't always friendly toward Sith, and without a squad of Imperial soldiers to back him up, Teneb must rely on his wits and his lightsaber for protection. Also: what role does the Republic play in Exal Kressh's machinations?

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

In reference to hints contained in webcomics, BioWare's Sean Dahlberg said the following:

While we can understand some people may be frustrated, I want to say the vast majority of people will forgive us after E3 2010.

Also, there is information about the game in the comics (both in TOP and BotE) - in response to a comment above. While there isn't a plethora of meta-gaming details in there, there are some story elements you will run across when you play the game and some other morsels of info that some day you'll go "oooooooh" when you see it in-game.

Sean Dahlberg sends word about this week's friday update, Blood of the Empire issue #4:

Hey everyone, we're quickly approaching E3 Expo 2010! In fact, we have just about a week and a half until we're there! We have some great things we'll be sharing with you throughout the week and the team is working to make sure that everyone has a great experience (those who are attending E3 and those who will be following us here from the web that couldn't be there).

This week's update, though, will Blood of the Empire #4 which we will be publishing at our normal time tomorrow morning.

Just wanted to give all of you a head's up.

As previewed yesterday, BioWare's Sean Dahlberg announced Hoth as the thirteenth playable planet for Star Wars: The Old Republic:

Along time ago in a galaxy far away...

Thirty years ago to the day, Star Wars: Episode IV The Empire Strikes Back opened in movie theaters, forever changing the cinematic landscape. Bursting with action-packed battles, fast paced dialogue, and characters faced with complex choices, the echoes of this landmark film are still felt today. From toys, to fashion, to punk rock, its influence is everywhere. The Empire Strikes Back has not only changed how we relate to our favorite movies, but has made a lasting contribution to our very culture.

To commemorate this monumental continuation of the Star Wars story, we are proud to reveal the ice world of Hoth -- the latest explorable planet in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Access the HoloNet to learn more about the pivotal battles in the history of Hoth -- and to understand why both the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire are interested in the planet. Check out this video to see Hoth's brutal blizzards and unique wildlife. Don't forget to visit the Media Section for never-before-seen screenshots, wallpaper, and concept art showing this barren, desolate landscape.

Plus, the third issue of Blood of the Empire webcomic is available, which contains a first glimpse of the Emperor (or possibly something else):

The third issue of Blood of the Empire chronicles two formidable confrontations--one between Teneb Kel and his former master, Lord Calypho, and another between Teneb Kel and the Dark Council! And what plans do the Emperor and his mysterious apprentice have in store for Teneb? The mission to determine the future of the galaxy begins here.

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

UPDATE: A late Fan Friday was added to this week's update. It includes the usual community artwork, as well as the Bounty Hunter screenshots from the recent European press event. This week's Developer Corner is a short dialogue video showing the depth-of-field effect in action. There are also a few new avatars to choose from on the official forums.

Welcome to Fan Friday! Today we're giving you a look at some inspiring creations from the Star Wars: The Old Republic community and sharing an inside look at some work-in-progress content from the Development Team.

In addition, we'll be following up on the Electronic Arts European Press Showcase held in London last week, as well as releasing the latest series of official polls and avatars.

Aurebesh translations for Hoth's HoloNet page after the jump.

BioWare's Sean Dahlberg confirmed there was a press event in the UK the past day or two:

Star Wars: The Old Republic participated in the EA UK Press Event in London over these last few days. Starting 9am UTC/GMT tomorrow [That's 2am PDT, 4am CDT, 5am EDT], the embargo on this event will be lifted and you'll begin to see various updates across the web pertaining to this.

Feel free to post and discuss articles you find in this thread and I'll update the first post as often as possible.