OotiniCast – A Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) podcast

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Oni returns this week with Hyp to join Chill and Teo to discuss the revelations coming from E3 about what’s coming beyond Game Update 1.3. We also talk about the sudden revelation that server transfers would begin next week on Tuesday (12 June).

1. Introduction

2. Question to the panel

3. Trivia question

This week’s challenge is carried over from last week: what do the following Star Wars terms have in common:

• Palpatine
• Mon Mothma
• AT-AT Walkers
• Sandcrawlers
• Slave One
• Ewoks

Hints:

1. The fact that the terms are all from Episodes IV-VI is not the answer; a similar list could have been compiled for Episode I-III
2. It has nothing to do with grammar or spelling
3. The following terms would NOT be on the list: Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, Landspeeders, the Millennium Falcon, Wookies

If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for a Tauntaun Fawn code, please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

4. The Holofeed

• Patch 1.2.6 was deployed during Tuesday’s regular maintenance.
• Dr Ray Muzyka, CEO and co-founder of BioWare, gave a 3 minute presentation as part of the EA (Electronic Arts) press conference at E3, being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This included a trailer which was later made available on YouTube. SWTOR’s existing achievements were described, and then Dr Ray gave some glimpses of what was to come over the next year:
  • Level cap increase
  • New planet: Makeb
  • New operation: Terror from Beyond
  • New companion: HK-51
  • New warzone: Ancient Hypergates
  • New race: Cathar
• Dr Ray also announced that the unlimited free trial, up to level 15, is coming in July.
• Elaboration on the E3 presentation was provided to game journalists in behind-closed-doors press conferences, including DarthHater.
• Game Update 1.3 (patch notes) has arrived on the PTS!
• Gamespy had a great interview with Daniel Erickson, including some the best indication yet of what’s coming for the upcoming evolution of the space game!
• There was yet another Community Q&A (June 1) this week.

5. Force Feedback

• We discuss tweets from @weihanthekidsun, @CaptainCheebra and @ForceChuckle.
• Masticon emailed us with a clear description of the bug that causes companions weapons to be readied when out of combat, and (if you so desire) how to get your companion to put it away.
• Carlo Cravatzo emailed us with an explanation on what we were doing wrong in the final encounter in Cademimu: our DPS was simply too high, triggering the next rocket firing sequence (which is based on percentages of the boss’s health) before the previous had completed, thus filling all four quadrants with fire. This has been fixed in Game Update 1.3, to ensure that there’s at least 15 seconds between each time the rockets fire, regardless of the boss’s health.

6. The Sarlacc Digest

Sooner than we expected, BioWare announced (Character Transfer, Server Populations and You) that character transfers will commence next week on Tuesday, 12 June. Plenty of BioWare answers were provided in the discussion thread in the forums to the questions that inevitably followed.

We discuss the mechanics of the process, and what this will mean for the SWTOR community, and for us. Will we be gently herded off Space Slug? Are they going to salt the Slug?

7. Outro

Thanks to Oni (@Freakin_Ninja) and Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week.

You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! Subscribe to us on iTunes, and watch for us in your Bind on Equip feed.

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Hyp once again joins Chill and Teo to go over the detail revealed this week about the upcoming Game Update 1.3. We also discuss the layoffs at BioWare Austin affecting the SWTOR team, and what this means for the game.

1. Introduction

2. Question to the panel

The UI setting that takes the pain out of having multiple windows open is accessible in the main window of the Interface Editor:

Ensure that checkbox for “Enable Movable Secondary Window” is set, and all will be well!

3. Trivia question

From last week’s challenge, here is the entry sent in by Visaan and Chong:

Vis and Chong dancing on the datacron!

This week’s challenge: where in the game can you find a Hutt frozen in carbonite?

If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for an in-game prize offered on Space Slug (either faction), please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

4. The Holofeed

• There was no maintenance this week, and no patches deployed.
• BioWare released a trailer for Game Update 1.3 (also on YouTube).
• The trailer included a couple of teaser images for what’s coming after Game Update 1.3; make of them what you will!

• The trailer was initially released as part of an IGN exclusive (Star Wars: The Old Republic’s 1.3 Patch Revealed), which included an interview with Daniel Erickson.
• Daniel also did an interview about Game Update 1.3 with Ten Ton Hammer (SWTOR Patch 1.3 Interview with Daniel Erickson) and PC Gamer (The Old Republic’s Daniel Erickson talks Legacy system update, group finder, and adaptive gear).
• Teo spotted what appears to be a major reveal in the PC Gamer interview, where a response from Daniel indicates that SWTOR is moving towards merging their current servers into “super-servers”. Follow the discussion in the Reddit post he started.
• Teo also finds that referring to himself in the third person is just a little weird.
• The Inquisitor’s Roadhouse blog published an entry (Patch 1.3 Crew Skills Changes: Q&A with SWTOR Systems Designers David Hunt and Patrick Malott) that reveals a lot of detail about how exactly the Augment Stations will work in Game Update 1.3.

5. Force Feedback

We discuss tweets from @ForceChuckle, @IRBountyHunter (Arron Thornton), @John_K64 (John Kuntz), @cypher_x (Cypher) and @lesman72 (Les).

Cypher suggests that the following Star Wars-themed bed, though sadly it remains only a concept at this point. As Hyp suggest, perhaps this warrants a Kickstarter project?

6. The Sarlacc Digest

Early this week, the BioWare doctors announced that their Austin studio was restructuring, which would result in a number of layoffs. While no further details were released about who was let go, we’ve subsequently found out that Stephen Reid (Senior Community Manager), Brian Arndt (Senior Video Editor), Tina Wall (QA) and David C. Simon (Writer) lost their jobs.

We attempt to remain objective as we discuss what this could mean for SWTOR. Our consensus is more or less that it’s too early to tell, and that we simply have to wait and see what impact the reduction in the size of the development team has on the rate of content production and its quality.

The hosts of the show wish those affected the very best in finding alternative employment, and offer our sincere thanks for the wonderful work they’ve done in helping to create the game that we continue to enjoy.

7. Outro

Thanks to Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week.

You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! Subscribe to us on iTunes, and watch for us in your Bind on Equip feed.

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Chill and Teo are joined by Hyp and Oni to go over the latest news. We also discuss how easy (or hard!) it is to gear up a new 50 to catch up with an established raid group.

1. Introduction

2. Question to the panel

3. Trivia question

This week’s challenge: Some of the best LucasArts films, other than the Star Wars movies, are the three Indiana Jones movies (yes, there are only three). What you may not know is that each of the three movies has a Star Wars reference hidden somewhere in it. Name two out of three.

If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for an in-game prize (this week not limited to characters on the Space Slug server), please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

4. The Holofeed

• Patch 1.2.3 was deployed during Tuesday’s maintenance.
• Episode 1 of the official SWTOR podcast has been released, which includes details about the upcoming patch 1.3.
• SWTOR was discussed in EA’s Q4 FY12 financial results investor call.
• To celebrate the unofficial Star Wars Day (“May the Forth be with you!”), BioWare brought back Fan Friday.
• BioWare warns that using game codes purchased from dodgy sites (which apparently are buying those codes using stolen credit cards) will result the account being banned, due to such codes now being used primarily by credit farmers.
• We discuss the community Q&A published on 4 May.

5. Force Feedback

We discuss tweets from @weihanthekidsun (Weihan Sun), @ozgamersleague, @cypher_x, @bytorsnowdog (Snowy), @shotgun_burger, @Freakin_Ninja (Oni), @D_Willoughby (DeWayne Willoughby) and @OriginalBioZed.

Lesman emails in to ask whether we believe SWTOR will eventually switch to a free-to-play business model.

6. The Sarlacc Digest

Chill is already one of our raid group’s regular tanks on his Vanguard, but is thinking he’d prefer to tank on a Jedi Shadow, which he’d just levelled to 50. He talks about his own experience in getting the Shadow raid-ready, with suggestions on how to do this quickly and efficiently.

7. Outro

Thanks to Hyp (@Hypknotoad) and Oni (@Freakin_Ninja) for joining us this week.

You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! Subscribe to us on iTunes, and watch for us in your Bind on Equip feed.

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This week, Agi and Oni join your hosts Chill and Teo to go over the latest news, including our own experience with the Rakghoul Outbreak. We also discuss the new gear added in Game Update 1.2 and how to get it.

1. Introduction

2. Question to the panel

3. Trivia question

This week’s challenge: The following real things had real implications for Star Wars design. What Star Wars people, places, or things were based at least in part on these items? 5 of 6 correct will be enough for an entry.

• An outboard motor
• Einstein’s face
• A radar dish
• A spray bottle
• A hamburger with an olive next to it
• NASA’s crawler-transporters which were used to bring the space shuttle to its launch pad

If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for an in-game prize (this week not limited to characters on the Space Slug server), please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

4. The Holofeed

• On Thursday night, we had unexpected downtime to deploy patch 1.2.0c. Patch 1.2.1 was deployed during Tuesday’s regular maintenance.
• The free transfers to the Oceanic servers have begun! Teo’s had already been processed by the Wednesday morning (Australian time) following maintenance. All went perfectly, with his legacy level and unlocks from Space Slug being successfully transferred to Dalborra.
• Daniel Erickson has been busy: in another interview published by NowGamer, he mentioned how awesome the next iteration of the space game would be, without giving any details. He was extremely forthcoming on all kinds of subjects in an interview with Zach on Mos Eisley Radio.
• We discuss the community Q&A published on 20 April.
• As of patch 1.2.1, there remains a bug with slicing missions, where the lock boxes returned have less credits than they should. Best stick to the Sliced Tech Parts missions until it’s fixed!
• Some melee classes (particularly Sith Marauders and Jedi Sentinels) may be doing too much damage to the training dummies, due to them currently being unable to “dodge or deflect attacks”; a fix is in the works to make them a little less dumb!
• Georg Zoeller explains why the TTK (time to kill) in PvP as of Game Update 1.2 appears to be significantly lower that it was previously. It boils down to the Expertise stat mattering a lot more than it did, some buffs from Legacy unlocks adding more than BioWare expected, and stacking debuffs from multiple players on a single target being a little too effective.

5. Force Feedback

• We discuss tweets from @thehatfield, @shotgun_burger, @MuskokaJ, @wrxlvr, @D_Willoughby, @killacayne and @PaulDemars.

6. The Sarlacc Digest

We discuss itemisation in Game Update 1.2, based on a post by Georg Zoeller. Some of the key points:

• The stats on the original tier of gear—Tionese (126), Columni (136) and Rakata (140)—remain unchanged. While the armoring mod on these items can now be removed, the set bonus (if present) is associated with the item shell, not the armoring mod.
• You can now get Columni from all bosses (except the last) in the new Lost Island Flashpoint; its last boss drops Rakata.
• Rakata items can also be obtained from bosses in the new operation, Explosive Conflict in story mode.
• There are two new sets of PvE gear in the next tier: Campaign and Black Hole.
• Campaign items share the same set bonus as the original tier, but this bonus is carried on the armoring mod, and thus may be transferred to any orange item. Note that these armoring modes are “bind-to-slot”, and so can only be inserted into a like item (e.g., an armoring mode from Campaign gloves can only be placed in an orange gloves).
• Campaign items are obtained (via tokens) from the operation Explosive Conflict in hard mode and the new world boss on Belsavis.
• Black Hole items have a different stat distribution to Campaign gear, and no set bonus. They items can be purchased via Black Hole Commendations. They also drop from bosses in Explosive Conflict on all modes.
• For PvP, a new entry-level set of blue items, purchasable with credits, has been added for level 50s wanting to get into PvP. Due to the increased value of Expertise in PvP, this set may be more effective than Columni in warzones.
• The existing Battlemaster gear no longer has a valor rating requirement, and may be purchased via Warzone Commendations.
• War Hero is the new tier of PvP gear. It has no valor rating requirement, and is purchased via Ranked Warzone Commendations, which may only be obtained at the moment by exchanging Warzone Commendations (at a 3:1 ratio).
• In Game Update 1.3, a crafter-friendly way will be providedto allow an augment slot to be added to an orange item that doesn’t already have one. Currently, an augment slot is only present if the orange item was crit-crafted.
• No higher level augments will be added in Game Update 1.2 (and probably 1.3) beyond the current highest, which have an effective level of 49.
• There is a known bug that prevents crafted orange items from being reverse engineered.
• Hopefully Game Update 1.3 will bring social gear that will adapt its armour type to that of the character’s Advanced Class, rather than being only light armour as it is now.

7. Outro

Thanks to Agi (@Agitarsi) and Oni (@Freakin_Ninja) for joining us this week.

You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! Subscribe to us on iTunes, and watch for us in your Bind on Equip feed.

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Chill and Teo are joined by Hyp and Agi to discuss Game Update 1.2 which, while certainly fantastic, has had its accompanying trials and tribulations.

1. Introduction

Teo’s initial foray into UI redesign. Note that he’s got his ship droid with him because the rest of his companions are on slicing missions!

2. Question to the panel

3. Trivia question

This week’s challenge: Tatooine is rightly a famous planet, not because of its location, which is always described as backwater and off the main space lanes.  It is famous because it is the homeworld of Anakin and Luke Skywalker.  It appears in most of the six Star Wars movies.  However, it is never seen in one movie, and never named in one movie.  Which one or two movies?

If you are interested in being entered in the random drawing for an in-game prize offered on Republic-side Space Slug, please send your answer to ootinicast@gmail.com.

4. The Holofeed

• Game Update 1.2 – Legacy (patch 1.2.0) was deployed on Thursday night, requiring 8 hours of downtime.
• It had actually been accidentally made available for download in a 15 minute window the day before; anyone who tried to login during that time had their game installation corrupted, requiring a full reinstall. All those affected will be granted 3 free days of gametime.
• It was followed by patch 1.2.0a on Friday night, needing another 4 hours of downtime.
• Unfortunately, this didn’t go so well: many things had reverted to their pre-1.2 state. The servers were then taken down an hour or so later for repairs, coming back up 6.5 hours later. As compensation, all players will get a free day of gametime.
• BioWare announces that to celebrate the release of Game Update 1.2, everyone will get a Tauntaun Ram. In addition, anyone with at least one level 50 and/or have achieved legacy level 6 will get a month of free game time, and anyone who has cancelled their subscription can come back for 7 days for free!
• We discuss the community Q&A published on 6 April.
• FORCE Junkies provides a most helpful pair of infographics to interpret the somewhat obscure icons used to identify the various classes and ACs.
• Hyp refers us to the Kickstarter project Plastic Galaxy: A Documentary About Star Wars Toys.

5. Force Feedback

• We discuss tweets from @Rrubb (Rub), @weihanthekidsun (Weihan Sun), @Praemorior (Henri Huittinen), @bytorsnowdog (Snowy), @thehatfield (Hatfield), @Rippthedeceiver (Ripp), @sterlinglee38 (Sterling), @wingthequick (Wingy), @PaulDemars (Paul Demars) and @Lexx_Sylveste (Sylv).
• Here’s the Rebel Bass (sic) that Hatfield found:

• BenC tells us that cybertech is extremely viable at the moment, particularly when selling earpieces with and without an augment slot. He’s making some serious credits!
• Jedidiah refers us to Ask Mr Robot’s database of items to help sort out what’s new in Game Update 1.2.
• We discuss Eric’s idea for providing some community-driven direction for players to help fill out currently under-populated servers.

6. Outro

Thanks to Agi (@Agitarsi) and Hyp (@Hypknotoad) for joining us this week.

You can email questions and comments about the show to ootinicast@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter via @OotiniCast. Check out our website, ootinicast.com, which has links to our presence on Google+ and Facebook. We are a proud member of the TOR Syndicate! Subscribe to us on iTunes, and watch for us in your Bind on Equip feed.

Thanks for listening. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in Star Wars: The Old Republic!