Massively Speaking http://massively.joystiq.com This is the Massively podcast http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Massively SpeakingJoystiqMassively Speaking<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: The roleplayer's guide to SWTOR event planning]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/hyperspace-beacon-the-roleplayers-guide-to-swtor-event-plannin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/hyperspace-beacon-the-roleplayers-guide-to-swtor-event-plannin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/18/hyperspace-beacon-the-roleplayers-guide-to-swtor-event-plannin/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon Roleplayer's guide to event planning in SWTOR
Amidst the critiques and patch reviews, the reasons I stick with Star Wars: The Old Republic sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Despite being irritated by the way BioWare handled specific parts of this Star Wars MMORPG, I still find the setting and the storytelling to be superb. These interwoven tales of adventure and chaos provide an incredible platform for my favorite thing to do in an MMO: roleplay.

I've covered several topics about roleplay in this column. From breaking into the community to an RP wishlist to resolving RP-related conflicts, I've might have covered everything except for one of the most basic of roleplay elements: How do you host a roleplay event in SWTOR? Although Star Wars: The Old Republic varies in its presentation and tools, the types of events you can throw are pretty similar to the ones you can throw in any other MMOs. The tiny details vary, but the three basic type of events can be narrowed down to social, PvE, and PvP.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The roleplayer's guide to SWTOR event planning

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The roleplayer's guide to SWTOR event planning originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecampaigneaelectronic-artseventsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playguideguide-to-eventsguide-to-roleplayhyperspace-beaconin-game-eventslucasartsopinionplayer-run-eventsroleplayRolePlayingscenariossci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: The summer of SWTOR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/hyperspace-beacon-the-summer-of-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/hyperspace-beacon-the-summer-of-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/11/hyperspace-beacon-the-summer-of-swtor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon Summer of TOR
Every time I listen to the BioWare developers talk about Star Wars: The Old Republic, I am impressed with how passionate they are about the game. When Producer Bruce Maclean, Executive Producer Jeff Hickman, and Community Manager Eric Musco spoke to us yesterday, they sat on the edge of their seats because of how excited they were about telling us about the next updates coming to their game. Despite the game being a year and a half old, these three appeared to be riding the same hype-train the game launched with.

Although these three BioWare employees suggested that the majority of the conversation on the livestream would feature discussion about Game Update 2.2, they ended up highlighting features and events taking place beyond the next patch. The questions they answered, filtered from the forum, Twitter, Facebook and the chatroom, jumped all over the place, but I believe they can be narrowed down to three major categories of concern: events, PvP changes, and the valued subscriber.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The summer of SWTOR

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The summer of SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebruce-macleancantina-tourcatharcommunity-q-and-aeaelectronic-artseric-muscoeventsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playfuture-eventsGame-Mechanicshyperspace-beaconjeff-hickmanlivestreamlucasartsopinionpvpracesrakghoulrakghoul-plaguesci-fispeciesstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstuckstunlockswtorthe-old-republictorvalued-subscriberTue, 11 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/hyperspace-beacon-the-swtor-f2p-experiment-flashpoints-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/hyperspace-beacon-the-swtor-f2p-experiment-flashpoints-edition/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/06/04/hyperspace-beacon-the-swtor-f2p-experiment-flashpoints-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints
I am beginning to wonder whether I just don't like the leveling process in Star Wars: The Old Republic anymore. In Mike B's video The 12 days of Smack Talkin', Darnell called all the extra NPC talking "98 minutes of unnecessary commentary." The story definitely had an impact on me the first time I ran through it, but this was the third time I've run through the Balmorran storyline on the Republic side, and truth be told, I was never a huge fan of it. This time, on my free-to-play character, it was definitely 98 minutes of unnecessary commentary.

Of course, once I started the featured adventure through the tremendous story that was bugtown, I had to find a way around that compositional trainwreck. My character is a Smuggler, not an exterminator. Mind you, I've yet to actually smuggle anything, but that's beside the point! I figured the best way around that insect hole was to level through flashpoints. To my surprise, it actually worked.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, flashpoints edition originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon The SWTOR F2P experiment, closing chapter one
It's been a couple of weeks since I've covered anything dealing with my Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play experiment, so I should do a quick rundown of the rules. I believe that it is possible to play SWTOR from beginning to end, including endgame, without paying for anything. The SWTOR cash shop (Cartel Market) and auction house (Galactic Trade Network) are directly connected in a way that allows for nearly everything sold in the cash shop to be sold to other players with in-game credits. There are enough people who have more real-life money than time to support those who have more time than money. So during my experiment, I vowed I would not take any gifts from other players or my alts and I would buy all of my unlocks off the GTN.

So far, I've noticed little change from level 1 to 10. However, Coruscant started to get rough. I also learned that leveling alongside a subscriber turned out to be disappointing. Yet in general, the leveling process seemed to be right on par with the planet I was on. It was my theory after leaving Taris that although there is a F2P experience penalty, my XP placed me on-level with each planet. Subscribers had an advantage of rising above the recommended level for each planet.

Then I ran into Tatooine.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, closing chapter one

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, closing chapter one originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 28 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon Does SWTOR's F2P work
Those of us who have played through the middle planets of Star Wars: The Old Republic know that chapter two is rather blasé. And as far as the free-to-play experiment is concerned, I really don't have anything new to report this week, or at least, not enough to fill a whole column. I will certainly have an update for you next week.

This week, I'd like to talk about SWTOR's free-to-play model in general. Although the design team has received a lot of heat from fans and haters alike, the system does have merit along with legitimate flaws. I do like SWTOR, but I'm not ignorant enough to believe that everything the game designers have done is perfect. I am also not one to hate because the game wronged me a year and a half ago. No matter the game, I understand, given my three years reporting in the industry and many other years playing video games, that there will always be people who hate a game no matter what developers do to appease them. At the same time, there will always be those who love a game no matter what stupid thing the developers do and will see no wrong no matter what you say to try to convince them. I try to put myself somewhere in the middle.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Does SWTOR's F2P work?

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Does SWTOR's F2P work? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebusiness-modelsdallasdamion-schuberteaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playhyperspace-beaconlucasartsopinionsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubscriberssubscriptionswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 21 May 2013 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's customization cash kitty]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-customization-cash-kitty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-customization-cash-kitty/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-customization-cash-kitty/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon SWTOR's customization cash kitty
It's a hard thing to admit when you're wrong. But I admit that I was wrong about Star Wars: The Old Republic Update 2.1: Customization. Even as late as last night on The Republic, I believed that things like the new Appearance Designer might not cost players Cartel Coins to use, but now that the update has arrived, I admit that is certainly not the case. Had I known that it would cost CCs to so much as use the Appearance Designer, I would be in the camp of players upset about this update containing only Cartel items. If you define an expansion or DLC as additional content that costs money, then that is exactly what this update is.

I'm not against BioWare making money, and to be completely honest, I'm not upset about the company making money on many of these items. Perhaps through my own misunderstanding, I feel a bit cheated with the update. Let me break down the Update 2.1 items for us. I'll point out the good and the bad, and maybe you will understand my perspective, even if you don't agree.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's customization cash kitty

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's customization cash kitty originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 May 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon The SWTOR F2P experiment, group leveling
With the last bit of Update 2.1: Customization revealed yesterday, I can talk about an item that will change the free-to-play side of Star Wars: The Old Republic. After the next update, F2P players can withdraw credits from escrow with Cartel Coins. Although I will not have a way to find out whether this will actually affect the prices on the Galactic Trade Market until it goes live, I think it's safe to say that prices will initially go up.

Let's talk about this and group leveling in this week's SWTOR free-to-play experiment.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, group leveling

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, group leveling originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 07 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon The SWTOR F2P experiment, Coruscant
I was asked last week why I chose The Ebon Hawk as the server on which to run my Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play experiment, especially since it's my home server. Some people believed that the experiment would be flawed because I would have many people to call on to help me out in different areas. This is only partially true. I do have some people to call on if I absolutely need it, but remember that I play on the Imperial side normally; this test character is Republic-side. My guildies and friends do not play Republic characters on a regular basis. And I have already said that I will not take gifts from other characters. The only thing that they can offer me is a partner for leveling, and currently, no one that I know is the same level as my Smuggler. I won't catch up to any of them until I hit level 35.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, Coruscant

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR F2P experiment, Coruscant originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon The SWTOR freetoplay experiment, week one
The complaints about free-to-play and Star Wars: The Old Republic have been itching at me. Although I'm sure there are legitimate issues that players have with BioWare's F2P model, but with all the vitriol, it's hard to tell the difference between which problems are caused by BioWare and which are misconceptions generated by a dissatisfied playerbase. So I aim to challenge those perceptions. One way or another, we'll find out which side is telling the truth.

For this project, I created a new Smuggler on The Ebon Hawk server. However, I made this character on a brand-new account with none of the perks of my real account. I plan to take this character all the way to level 50 without subscribing. Then, to top it off, I plan to play endgame as well, all without playing a dime. I believe it will be difficult, but I don't think it's impossible. My hypothesis: A player can get what he wants to play SWTOR effectively without paying any real money but by using the GTN and other in-game means to get items from the Cartel Market.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR free-to-play experiment, week one

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR free-to-play experiment, week one originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon I don't do SWTOR's new GSI dailies
Nobody likes doing dailies. Dailies are a grind. Dailies are just something game designers use to keep players occupied until new content comes out. I've heard all those phrases before, and if dailies fall into one of those general categories, I don't do them. It is possible, however, that if doing dailies will help me acquire a significant reward (such as credits to buy that lightsaber hilt I've been eyeing), then I might overlook the grind to do the dailies anyway. But the key factor has to be time. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, time is your biggest investment. Despite what some players will tell you, there's a multitude of things to do at endgame. Unfortunately, a single player cannot do all of them all the time. You have to choose, and time to completion (or better yet, time to fun) weighs heavily in the decision-making process.

Let me help make one of those decisions for you: Don't do the GSI dailies.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Why I don't do SWTOR's new GSI dailies

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Why I don't do SWTOR's new GSI dailies originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredailieseaelectronic-artsexpansionf2pfeaturedfree-to-playGalactic-Solutions-IndustriesGSIguidehutt-cartelhyperspace-beaconlucasartsopinionrise-of-the-hutt-cartelrothcsci-fiseeker-droidstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 16 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Shroud lifted [updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-shroud-lifted/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-shroud-lifted/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/hyperspace-beacon-swtors-shroud-lifted/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon SWTOR's Shroud lifted
I've been covering Star Wars: The Old Republic for going on three years now. My first full-time MMO was Star Wars Galaxies, although I had played a bit of Ultima Online before that. I have also played nearly every major MMO after SWG's launch, ranging from World of Warcraft to Lord of the Rings Online to City of Heroes to DC Universe Online. Although all those games had aspects that I really enjoyed, I was not able to stick with any of those other MMOs for more than a month.

But when I first started playing SWTOR regularly during beta, it had me hooked. Sure, there were many aspects that I didn't like; some areas made me question the strength of the game as an MMO, but I continued to play. Some people would say that it's the lightsabers that have kept me there. I would agree the hiss and buzz of a laser sword is part of the appeal. I have played through many of the class stories to a high level, and I've also watched every class story multiple times on YouTube to catch all the endings. I have personally played through the Sith Warrior and the Sith Inquisitor story twice -- not just to level up but to watch the story again. Some of the dialogue is shaky, but in my opinion, there had never been this level of storytelling in an MMO before. And I will continue to play as long as there is still story to experience.

Today, BioWare launches the next chapter in the story of Star Wars: The Old Republic, Rise of the Hutt Cartel. The majority of the story takes place on the Hutt-controlled world of Makeb, but we have also been given two major quest that take us all over the galaxy. Today, I would like to talk about one of those: the Shroud.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Shroud lifted [updated]

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: SWTOR's Shroud lifted [updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon Six reasons Rise of the Hutt Cartel makes SWTOR better
I don't work for BioWare, and I definitely don't believe that Star Wars: The Old Republic is the greatest, most ambitious project in videogame history. However, I do believe that SWTOR is a great game, and its expansion Rise of the Hutt Cartel only makes the game better. It's not because Makeb has waterfalls. (Sure, a concept artist said that, but did that really need to make it into the final promotional video?)

I think fans forget that Rise of the Hutt Cartel is not just Makeb. There are multiple additions to the core game, like new armor sets and questlines. Over the past month, I've had the opportunity to play through all of it. And for the first time in a long time, I can't wait to play through the single-player questline. Let me give you the highlights of my experience and what I believe are the best parts of RotHC.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Six reasons Rise of the Hutt Cartel makes SWTOR better

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Six reasons Rise of the Hutt Cartel makes SWTOR better originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyperspace Beacon A wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 2
Thankfully, we can all stop wondering when the expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic is releasing and get down to the business of preparing our characters for the new content. Part of preparing for Rise of the Hutt Cartel is knowing what you're getting into when it comes to the new operation. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to run Scum and Villainy with Memories of Xendor, one of the top guilds in the game. You might remember these guys from my Hyperspace Beacon about the tools of the raid. This group created the real-time combat parser that my own guild and I use regularly.

Last week, I reported that the first three bosses were just the calm before the storm. That storm begins right away with the Operations Chief, thunders mightily with Olok, gusts onward with the Warlords, then reaches its pinnacle with Dreadmaster Styrak.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: A wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 2

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: A wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 2 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarecartel-warlordsDreadmaster-Styrakeaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playguideguideshyperspace-beaconlucasartsmemories-of-xendormoxolokoperationoperations-chiefopinionraidrise-of-the-hutt-cartelrothcsci-fiscum-and-villainystar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorTue, 26 Mar 2013 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR, a wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 1]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-a-wretched-operation-of-scum-and-villa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-a-wretched-operation-of-scum-and-villa/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-a-wretched-operation-of-scum-and-villa/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon SWTOR a wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 1
Sometimes it's good to be me. When I mentioned that I had not had a chance to test out the latest operation in Star Wars: The Old Republic Rise of the Hutt Cartel on the public test server, one of my Twitch followers known as Jedi Consular put me in touch with the Memories of Xendor guild. You might remember that guild from my column about the tools of the raid. Its members made the real-time parser that I use all the time. MoX invited me to join a 16-man Scum and Villainy operation last Thursday. When we started the raid, I was shocked to find out that we were running hardmode. My groupmates told me they don't even run storymodes anymore. They skip right to the most difficult.

I want to give a big thank you to Tensa, Jedi Consular, and MoX guild for helping make this article possible. Because of this group of awesome gamers, I experienced the complete raid. From Dash'roode to Dread Master Styrak, we fought every boss.

SWTOR has expanded as a raiding game; each boss has its own merits and shows the game's growth from the previous raids. Read on to get my breakdown. However, I will warn you: There are major mechanics and story spoilers.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR, a wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 1

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: SWTOR, a wretched operation of Scum and Villainy, part 1 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowaredash-roodedashroodeeaelectronic-artsendgameexpansionExpansionsf2pfeaturedFirst-Impressionsfree-to-playhyperspace-beaconimpressionsjedi-consularlucasartsmemories-of-xendorMOXoperationopinionpveraidraidingreviewrise-of-the-hutt-cartelrothcsci-fiscum-and-villainystar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtortensathe-old-republicthrashertitan-6titan-sixtorTue, 19 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/hyperspace-beacon-examining-the-gear-of-swtor-2-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/hyperspace-beacon-examining-the-gear-of-swtor-2-0/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/hyperspace-beacon-examining-the-gear-of-swtor-2-0/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon Examing the gear of SWTOR 20
The developers at BioWare turned a corner when they redesigned the commendation system for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Most players seem to welcome the simplicity and practicality of the new system coming with 2.0. Reducing the number of comms players have to track allows players to focus on playing the game and not on managing currency.

Unfortunately, the gear progression is a bit more like separating M&Ms, making you wonder why there are more yellows than blues and whether there's really a difference between dark brown and light brown. Not to mention that SWTOR proves once again that MMO designers have no idea how to make a decent helmet. PvP gear also has me wondering what returning players are going to think about having to regrind again so soon after a major change with Update 1.6.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Examining the gear of SWTOR 2.0 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.0armorbiowarechartseaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playgearhyperspace-beaconlucasartsopinionPvEPvPraise-of-the-hutt-cartelrothcsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstatsswtortabletablesthe-old-republictorTue, 12 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR consolidates comms]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-consolidates-comms/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-consolidates-comms/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-consolidates-comms/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon SWTOR consolidates comms
Star Wars: The Old Republic's Rise of the Hutt Cartel hit the public test server last week, prompting a lot of players to rush to see the latest changes to this Star Wars MMORPG. Unfortunately, the majority of content slated to come out with this expansion has not been released publicly -- namely, the new planet of Makeb. Fortunately, we did get a sneak peek into the new gear progression as well as the Scum and Villainy operation.

Gear progression is a common subject for this column and with good reason. Although there is skill involved when playing SWTOR, gear is the great equalizer. As in many themepark MMOs, a player's gear greatly determines whether or not he can defeat specific instances or bosses. Because of this, how a player earns gear and which gear happens to be the best at any given moment becomes top priority when new content comes out. With an additional five levels being added with Rise of the Hutt Cartel, gear becomes especially important. Let's examine how everything breaks down.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR consolidates comms

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: SWTOR consolidates comms originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.0biowarecommendationsdailieseaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedflashpointsfree-to-playgearguidehyperspace-beaconlucasartsoperationsopinionrise-of-the-hutt-cartelrothcsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorSWTOR-2.0the-old-republictorTue, 05 Mar 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR awards]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/hyperspace-beacon-the-swtor-awards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/hyperspace-beacon-the-swtor-awards/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/26/hyperspace-beacon-the-swtor-awards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon the SWTOR awards
The Oscars were given out two nights ago. Celebrities, actors, and film crews dressed in their red-carpet best to be handed a 13.5-inch golden statue of a naked bald man. As I heard these writers and directors give thanks to various loved-ones and talent agencies, I thought about Star Wars: The Old Republic. (Sad. I know.) SWTOR contains some of the best writing and storytelling in all of MMOs. In my opinion, it's better than some of movies represented on that stage. Sure, it didn't impact the world like Zero Dark Thirty, but it did impact my world, and I'd like to recognize some of the best parts of this MMORPG.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR awards

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR awards originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alexander-freedawardsbest-ofbest-of-swtorbiowarecharles-boyddungeonseaelectronic-artsesselesf2pfeaturedflashpointsfree-to-playhall-hoodhyperspace-beaconimperial-agentinstanceskaraggas-palacelucasartsoperationsOperator-IXopinionpuzzle-bossraidsRishasci-fismugglerstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorwritingTue, 26 Feb 2013 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR reinvents the Ilum wheel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-reinvents-the-ilum-wheel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-reinvents-the-ilum-wheel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/19/hyperspace-beacon-swtor-reinvents-the-ilum-wheel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon SWTOR reinvents the Ilum wheel
For about a year, Star Wars: The Old Republic fans have been waiting to see how the BioWare design team would reinvent Ilum. The first incarnation discouraged PvP by making the objectives give no PvP incentive. It was easier, faster, and more beneficial for players to just ignore enemy players. The second incarnation failed even harder. At the time, there was a major disparity between the two factions, so the larger faction would easily overpower the smaller faction. This did not actually encourage PvP either because the smaller faction just stopped showing up and only the larger faction benefited from the zone. At that point, BioWare decided to remove all objectives from the area and work on a revamp.

Last Tuesday, players were introduced to the third incarnation of the Ilum PvP zone. This time around, the zone contains a mix of group-on-group PvP, world bosses, and of course, PvE fetch/kill quests. How does it stack up to the previous incarnations? How does the reputation grind and Gree event fit into this equation? Should former players return to the game to try out the changes?

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR reinvents the Ilum wheel

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: SWTOR reinvents the Ilum wheel originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playGreehyperspace-beaconIlumimpressionsin-game-eventk-lor-sluglucasartsopen-world-pvpopinionPvePvPsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorwampaTue, 19 Feb 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: Making a deal with the Hutts in SWTOR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/hyperspace-beacon-making-a-deal-with-the-hutts-in-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/hyperspace-beacon-making-a-deal-with-the-hutts-in-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/hyperspace-beacon-making-a-deal-with-the-hutts-in-swtor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon Dealing with the Hutts in SWTOR
Hutts. When you say that word to a layman, he probably thinks that you're talking about grass-topped houses, but if you say that word to the Star Wars fan, the image that springs to his mind is Jabba the Hutt. The giant green and yellow slug was mentioned all the way back in 1977 when Star Wars was first released. In fact, he was supposed to show up in that movie, but due to budget restraints, the special effects department couldn't mask over the late Declan Mulholland. The scene was later added back in for the special edition, but it really nullified the mystery of Jabba and made the Hutt appear to be more of a joke than the dangerous gangster that he should have been.

Hutts. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, Nem'ro is the central figure to both the Bounty Hunter and the Imperial Agent storylines for the first 10 levels. On the Republic side, you run into an overarching story on Nar Shaddaa involving Bareesh the Hutt and Republic Ambassador Averdon, one that pits you against warring criminal organizations. These gargantuan blobs are central to both the Republic and Imperial stories on Quesh and the endgame operation for Karagga's Palace. And now, the first SWTOR expansion will center around the Hutts and the planet of Makeb.

Hutts. Where did they come from? How did they come to power? Are they different in TOR than they are in the movies? Let's take a moment to explore these criminal overlords.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Making a deal with the Hutts in SWTOR

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Making a deal with the Hutts in SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareeaelectronic-artsf2pfeaturedfree-to-playhuttballHuttshyperspace-beaconlorelucasartsopinionrise-of-the-hutt-cartelroleplayroleplayingsci-fistar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicstoryswtorswtor-expansionthe-old-republictorTue, 12 Feb 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: What would you like added to SWTOR's cash shop?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/hyperspace-beacon-what-would-you-like-added-to-swtors-cash-sho/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/hyperspace-beacon-what-would-you-like-added-to-swtors-cash-sho/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/05/hyperspace-beacon-what-would-you-like-added-to-swtors-cash-sho/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Hyperspace Beacon What would you like added to SWTOR's cash shop
I wondered for a long time whether western MMOs could survive a free-to-play transition, especially since many of them were bent on having both a cash shop and subscription fee. Star Trek Online is a key example of this. You couldn't even play that game without a subscription, and yet it still had a cash shop. Then you also had hybrid models like EverQuest II and Lord of The Rings Online, which didn't require subscriptions but seemed to force players into one. And despite my initial thinking, even these games thrived -- STO especially surprised me. Now, Star Wars: The Old Republic has picked up a similar model, and despite the negativity from the comments on gaming news sites, Electronic Arts says it is pleased with the results. In fact, SWTOR was listed as a major contributor to the company's $185 million in F2P revenue.

As I've stated before, I don't really spend money in SWTOR's cash shop. But at the same time, I don't have any moral opposition to it. Plus BioWare is giving me 600 Cartel Coins a month thanks to my subscriptions and security key. It's just easier for me to buy items from the Galactic Trade Market, and no item on the Cartel Market has excited me enough to buy it right away. I know that eventually everything will end up on the GTN, so I just wait.

However, since this model seems to be working well for the game, I thought about where there could be an item that would compel me to immediately buy it from the Cartel Market. I also asked some of my friends whether there are any items that they would immediately buy if they were to appear on the Cartel Market. I received some very interesting results.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: What would you like added to SWTOR's cash shop?

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: What would you like added to SWTOR's cash shop? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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