Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[SWTOR patch 1.3 bringing group finder, legacy perks]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/swtor-patch-1-3-bringing-group-finder-legacy-perks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/swtor-patch-1-3-bringing-group-finder-legacy-perks/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/swtor-patch-1-3-bringing-group-finder-legacy-perks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

SWTOR
A long time ago on a server far, far away, the Imperial forces BioWare prepared a Star Wars: The Old Republic update to rule the online world: patch 1.3. Called Allies, patch 1.3 will usher in a group finder, character transfers, and legacy perks.

The group finder will aid in banding together interested adventurers to tackle operations and flashpoints. Lead Designer Daniel Erickson said that the time is ripe for the feature, as players are spread out in levels and are rolling plenty of alts. Saying that BioWare wants to "respect the communities" that have formed, Erickson reports that the group finder will not be cross-server.

He also revealed some of the other key features for patch 1.3. Additional perks to the Legacy system will allow players to customize their experience; we'll see new ports, earlier access to mounts, and bonus XP modifiers for PvP. The patch will also change social gear to fit the armor type of the class using it, server transfers, and the ability to add augments to any crafting items. Looking past 1.3, Erickson promises a "return to big content" with patch 1.4.

If you're a fan of the SWTOR novels, you'll also be delighted to hear that Drew Karpyshyn announced that his next novel, Annihilation, is scheduled for November 13th.

You can watch the patch 1.3 preview video after the jump!

Continue reading SWTOR patch 1.3 bringing group finder, legacy perks

MassivelySWTOR patch 1.3 bringing group finder, legacy perks originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 21 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1.31.3-patch1.3-updateadaptive-gearalliesannihilationaugmentsbiowarecharacter-transfercharacter-transferscraftingdaniel-ericksonDrew-Karpyshyndungeon-findereaelectronic-artsgroup-finderinterviewlegacylegacy-perkslegacy-systemlucasartspatchpatch-1.3people-finderpreviewsci-fiserver-transferserver-transfersstar-warsstar-wars-the-old-republicsubsubscription-feeswtorthe-old-republictorupdateupdate-1.3videoMon, 21 May 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Drew Karpyshyn set to pen another Star Wars: The Old Republic novel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/drew-karpyshyn-set-to-pen-another-star-wars-the-old-republic-no/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/drew-karpyshyn-set-to-pen-another-star-wars-the-old-republic-no/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/drew-karpyshyn-set-to-pen-another-star-wars-the-old-republic-no/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's probably not set on Taris, but doesn't the planet look kind of pretty from this art?
Drew Karpyshyn, a lead writer for Star Wars: The Old Republic and the author of the tie-in novel Revan, is no longer with BioWare. That's old news. What might be somewhat more surprising news is that he is still penning novels for the game, with new information about the second novel having finally surfaced from a Facebook posting by Del Ray Books. If you've been eagerly awaiting more details about the bridge between Knights of the Old Republic and the MMO's setting, it's your lucky day.

Titled Annihilation, the novel will focus on agent Theron Shan and his companion Teff'ith as they investigate an Imperial counterattack spearheaded by an apprentice of Darth Malgus. The posting goes on to confirm that the novel is currently on target for release on November 13th of this year. So if you can't get enough of your story in the game, it looks like it won't be too much longer until you can get even more story out of game as well.

MassivelyDrew Karpyshyn set to pen another Star Wars: The Old Republic novel originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowarebioware-austinbioware-mythicbooksdel-ray-booksdrew-karpyshyneaea-biowareelectronic-artsfictiongame-fictionsnewsnovelsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictie-in-novelstorWed, 29 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioWare links SWTOR and KOTOR in a new novel]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/bioware-links-swtor-and-kotor-in-a-new-novel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/bioware-links-swtor-and-kotor-in-a-new-novel/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/22/bioware-links-swtor-and-kotor-in-a-new-novel/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Just about everyone who has played Knights of the Old Republic wants to know what happened to Revan after the game was done. After all, he was the main character for 60-plus hours of gameplay. Who wouldn't be attached? BioWare announced today that those fans will get their wishes fulfilled. Drew Karpyshyn, a principal writer for Star Wars: The Old Republic and author of the Bane novels, has set his pen to another Star Wars book. This one simply titled after its primary protagonist: Revan.

In an interview on the official SWTOR website, Karpyshyn gives us a tease as to how this novel will relate to the new MMORPG.
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.
Although he does not mention an exact date for the book's release, we do know that it will come later this year. This reporter hopes that it is before the release of SWTOR.

MassivelyBioWare links SWTOR and KOTOR in a new novel originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BioWarebookdarth-revandel-reyDel-Rey-BooksDrew-KarpyshynEAElectronic-ArtsKnights-of-the-Old-RepublickotorLucasArtsnovelprequelRevanStar-Warsstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorthe-old-republictorFri, 22 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyperspace Beacon: Community guide to SWTOR]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/hyperspace-beacon-community-guide-to-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/hyperspace-beacon-community-guide-to-swtor/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/05/17/hyperspace-beacon-community-guide-to-swtor/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The Hyperspace Beacon is a weekly guide and discussion by Larry Everett about the yet-to-be-released game of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Welcome, Massively readers! You, too, must be itching like a freshly shaved Wookiee for the latest news about the greatest thing to hit the MMO world since Al Gore invented the internet: Star Wars: The Old Republic. This game hopes to be the pinnacle of modern storytelling and gameplay. Of course, you can count on me -- along with the rest of the Massively team -- to be on the lookout for the latest news and producer propaganda. But the Hyperspace Beacon will take you beyond the hype and hoopla and delve deeper into the story behind the story, the people behind the production, and the meaning behind the mechanics. (Is that enough alliteration for you?) So if you're ready, angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to lightspeed.

Hyperspace beacons are unmanned outposts in space which freighters and other starships use to traverse the reaches of the known galaxy in Star Wars. Just like one of those buoys in the black, this first installment will guide your Internet-class cruiser past the space debris to what I believe to be some of the best places to find the SWTOR information currently available for your consumption. Okay, Chewie, punch it.

Continue reading Hyperspace Beacon: Community guide to SWTOR

MassivelyHyperspace Beacon: Community guide to SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 17 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alyssa-gobelleBioWarecommunity-linksdamion-schubertdarth-haterdeborah-shindevelopers-blogdonna-priorDrew-KarpyshynEAElectronic-Artsfeaturedguidehyperspace-beaconknowledge-baselucas-arts-mmoLucasArtsroast-gorntsean-dahlbergStar-Warsstar-wars-mmostar-wars-mmorpgstar-wars-the-old-republicstar-wars-torstephanie-bayerswtorswtor-stationthe-old-republictwitterwookieepediaMon, 17 May 2010 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars: The Old Republic senior writer talks about writing the Jedi Knight]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/08/star-wars-the-old-republic-senior-writer-talks-about-writing-th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/08/star-wars-the-old-republic-senior-writer-talks-about-writing-th/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/08/star-wars-the-old-republic-senior-writer-talks-about-writing-th/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Drew Karpyshyn is the senior writer for the Star Wars: The Old Republic team with plenty of experience writing characters from the dark side, but now he's stepping out of his comfort zone to take a walk on the Jedi side. The fun he's having writing the Jedi Knight class comes through clearly in Friday's developer blog entry: "Nothing says Star Wars like a brown-robed figure brandishing a shimmering energy blade of righteous destruction."

Exploring the Jedi Knight class meant delving the Jedi Code and how it works in theory vs. how it works in practice. What happens when you take that code and mix in a hefty dose of "what if?" is a recipe for all kinds of possibilities, and Karpyshyn is having a great time exploring them. His experience writing the dark side gives his version of "what if" a little edge, exploring thoughts of renegade Jedi Knights who are willing to bend the rules for the greater good.

It's a fun read, with a great look into Karpyshyn's thoughts on the class -- you can take a look at the full entry on the official site.

MassivelyStar Wars: The Old Republic senior writer talks about writing the Jedi Knight originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biowareclassesdeveloper-diaryDrew-Karpyshynjedi-knightlucasartsnew-titlesstar-wars-the-old-republicswtorSun, 08 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST