Star Wars: The Old Republic announced

[Daehawk]

Fan art female bounty hunter

[CeeKay]

more fan stuff.

[Rumpy]

Assuming that's what he meant, that's about what I expected. If they weren't recording voice lines for every single line in the game, maybe this year would've been feasible. I feel good if they aren't rushing it.

Yeah, I'd rather see that they take their time with it rather than rushing it like Cryptic has done with STO.

[Blackjack]

Assuming that's what he meant, that's about what I expected. If they weren't recording voice lines for every single line in the game, maybe this year would've been feasible. I feel good if they aren't rushing it.

Yeah, I'd rather see that they take their time with it rather than rushing it like Cryptic has done with STO.

Oh, C'mon. Let's push up the SWTOR beta to next month! With only 2/3 of the voice lines done! Missing quests! Missing features! Missing classes - they'll add the rest in DLC! $300 lifetime subscription with 'guaranteed beta access' for Mass Effect 3*! Yeah! It'll be awesome! (I'm kidding... I think)

*Fine Print Disclaimer: Mass Effect 3 is not guaranteed to exist. You are not guaranteed spot in closed beta. You are not guaranteed spot in first day of open beta. You are not guaranteed spot in open beta in a timely fashion. If you whine about that like a bleating goat, you are not guaranteed a timely response, and we will not refund your money. We're a heartless corporate organization, not a bleeding heart club! And why are you reading 5 pt. type? It's bad for your eyes!

[rshetts2]

Well I am disappointed that this is still over a year away but Id rather they get this thing done right than push it out the door early and incomplete ( Im looking at you STO )  While not many games will have a chance at kicking WoW in the jublies, this game may just have the pedigree.  The fantasy MMO thing is getting tiresome and a future/ space based MMO may be just what we need.    Now just implement some small ship space combat along with the planet based stuff and Ill be ecstatic.

[Rumpy]

Assuming that's what he meant, that's about what I expected. If they weren't recording voice lines for every single line in the game, maybe this year would've been feasible. I feel good if they aren't rushing it.

Yeah, I'd rather see that they take their time with it rather than rushing it like Cryptic has done with STO.

Oh, C'mon. Let's push up the SWTOR beta to next month! With only 2/3 of the voice lines done! Missing quests! Missing features! Missing classes - they'll add the rest in DLC! $300 lifetime subscription with 'guaranteed beta access' for Mass Effect 3*! Yeah! It'll be awesome! (I'm kidding... I think)

*Fine Print Disclaimer: Mass Effect 3 is not guaranteed to exist. You are not guaranteed spot in closed beta. You are not guaranteed spot in first day of open beta. You are not guaranteed spot in open beta in a timely fashion. If you whine about that like a bleating goat, you are not guaranteed a timely response, and we will not refund your money. We're a heartless corporate organization, not a bleeding heart club! And why are you reading 5 pt. type? It's bad for your eyes!

So, in other words, just like KOTOR 2, right?

[CeeKay]

a new timeline trailer, this time about the Onslaught of the Sith Empire.

[CeeKay]

Taris.

didn't they blow up the planet?

[Rumpy]

Taris.

didn't they blow up the planet?

Yeah, though I guess one could say it wasn't completely destroyed, and only part of the planet was affected.

[CeeKay]

sorry Starshifter.

[CeeKay]

some new fan art and the fan site kit has been released.  now Blackjack can make his 'I <3 the Old Republic Sith' fansite he's always wanted to make.

[Blackjack]

Return to Taris (now w/ video and interviews):
http://www.swtor.com/media/trailers/developer-dispatch-6?sourceid=eag1545
Cool environs. Can't wait to see how many 'Kill 20 Bantha Rat' quests they fill them with.  

I was into fan sites when it involved using HTML (for a years, I actually felt I was learning something). I don't know what the heck people use today. Everything's scripted to death. I don't think my old copy of Homesite (put out of its misery by Adobe last year in favor of the $400 Dreamweaver) would do much today.  

Most of what I fan-sited for (Incubation, Darkstone, the PS2 game Ring of Red, and some lost bargain shooters) really needed fan site support. I've always enjoyed shining a light on something underappreciated or underseen.

The omnipotent, all-devouring Bioware Multimedia PR Machine for SWTOR needs no fan support at all.  

[Wargus]

Very cool, I'm very much into this game.  I've always been a huge Star Wars fan.

[Razgon]

Return to Taris (now w/ video and interviews):
http://www.swtor.com/media/trailers/developer-dispatch-6?sourceid=eag1545
Cool environs. Can't wait to see how many 'Kill 20 Bantha Rat' quests they fill them with.  

I was into fan sites when it involved using HTML (for a years, I actually felt I was learning something). I don't know what the heck people use today. Everything's scripted to death. I don't think my old copy of Homesite (put out of its misery by Adobe last year in favor of the $400 Dreamweaver) would do much today.  

Most of what I fan-sited for (Incubation, Darkstone, the PS2 game Ring of Red, and some lost bargain shooters) really needed fan site support. I've always enjoyed shining a light on something underappreciated or underseen.

The omnipotent, all-devouring Bioware Multimedia PR Machine for SWTOR needs no fan support at all.  

saw the video - very interesting, and I cant wait... One thing though - they talk about making you as a player decide what happens with Tarsis... How do you make a choice in an MMO that effects the way that a planet will continue?? Unless its a singleplayer MMO?

[Wargus]

I can think of a few ways: either you go the shifting allegiance way where one side or the other builds 'points' in some way (taking keeps, completing specific quests in a day, etc..), or you use those points over time by each side & who has the most at a certain point wins, or you can use GM sponsored events, etc...

I'm hoping that the way that they use is more RP than less (i.e. GM events).

[Razgon]

Ah, true - but then its not really "you" or "your choices" that decided the fate of the planet, but the faction you are in, right?  I guess we'll see, but I'm very wary of game designers telling me I have meaningfull choices in MMO's....

Also, its not a permanent change, but something that might change 15 minutes after you play your part

[CeeKay]

want NOW!

[CeeKay]

finding balance in the Force. 

[Rumpy]

Ah, true - but then its not really "you" or "your choices" that decided the fate of the planet, but the faction you are in, right?  I guess we'll see, but I'm very wary of game designers telling me I have meaningfull choices in MMO's....

Also, its not a permanent change, but something that might change 15 minutes after you play your part

Well, what I'd like to see is NPCs do something based on what you say, that does have an impact on you and the world around you, so due to selection of choices one has on a conversation, the more people select a choice, the more impact it would have. And then you'd have this change affect battles or other events. In this way, it's not direct, but you would have a chance to make a change.

[CeeKay]

most expensive EA game evar!

[Elmo]

Tried making an account to sign up for beta.  After filling out the form it said I "wasn't eligible".  WTF?!  No explanation, nothing. 

[CeeKay]

Tried making an account to sign up for beta.  After filling out the form it said I "wasn't eligible".  WTF?!  No explanation, nothing. 

no Ewoks allowed.

[Elmo]

no Ewoks allowed.

Their loss.  Seriously though, how can anyone over 18 be ineligible to make an account?

[Destructor]

Tried making an account to sign up for beta.  After filling out the form it said I "wasn't eligible".  WTF?!  No explanation, nothing. 

I could've sworn I heard that the site has severe incompatibilities with Firefox. Or at least the beta signup page when it first launched.

[Blackjack]

Tried making an account to sign up for beta.  After filling out the form it said I "wasn't eligible".  WTF?!  No explanation, nothing.  

I could've sworn I heard that the site has severe incompatibilities with Firefox. Or at least the beta signup page when it first launched.

There was an issue initially (don't think it was related to Firefox) that the "system testing" tool wasn't properly sending in your test results or something.

As far as signing up, I'm assuming Elmo registered as a SWTOR community member and that he checked the box indicating he was interested in testing:
http://www.swtor.com/tester
Also, I've also found testing app forms sometimes throw various "do you agree to this" blah blah, and on occasion I've forgotten to check something, or I misread it and checked it when I didn't want to:

To be eligible for consideration and possible selection as a game tester, you must be a registered member of the Star Wars: The Old Republic community and be 18 years of age or older. There are confidentiality and license restrictions as well as other terms you must agree to in the Game Testing Agreement in order to complete the tester application process.

But if he's tried repeated times, then my theories are shot.  

The budget numbers are about what most fans expected. And it's clear EA isn't rushing them the way they would just about any other dev in their stable. But the MMO market's full of mega-budget titles that flopped badly or didn't come near the projected subscriber-bases. If succeeding as an MMO just meant throwing millions of dollars at the project, the industry would have a bunch of other games with multi-million subscriber bases. So we'll see...

I think the biggest advantage WoW had to this day is it didn't have to compete with or be compared to in subscriber base to... WoW. Everquest had a pretty big base but nothing remotely comparable to WoW today.

[Elmo]

I used Firefox so that might be it.  I tried multiple times.  No big deal.  I'll probably have a couple of years to keep trying. 

[CeeKay]

Belsavis, the Republic super max prison.

[Blackjack]

TTH video interview with SWTOR's Lead Writer on blah blah blah
http://www.tentonhammer.com/events/gdc2010/swtor_erickson

[Blackjack]

I watched the TTH interview video. There's no shocking revelation, but you do get a little better understanding of a few things.

Also, he mentioned that one of their lead designers was the lead designer of Shadowbane and Meredian 59.

I'm guessing it's this guy, Damion Schubert:
http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,41468/

=============
TTH also had a smattering of new Republican Trooper screenshots (other sites posted it as well, it's not an exclusive per se, but is new):
http://www.tentonhammer.com/events/gdc2010/TORscreens

[Blackjack]

I get a growing sense EA is shoveling too much expectations upon SWTOR (as they did before with Warhammer, imho):

BioWare and EA expect 2+ million subs, potential pricing model 'twists'
http://www.massively.com/2010/03/19/bioware-and-ea-expect-2-million-subs-potential-pricing-model/

Some big MMOs like Age of Conan have "crested" past the million subscriber mark at launch, but retention is a whole other ballgame.

[ydejin]

The Sarlacc Enforcer class.  Make sure to watch the videos and see the Sarlacc Enforcer in action.

[Daehawk]

Funny stuff. I can see the opposite class as a giant bottle of Pepto.

[CeeKay]

awesomeness.

[CeeKay]

the Third Element.

it's not as cute as the Fifth.

[Daehawk]

the Third Element.

it's not as cute as the Fifth.

or

[CeeKay]

now if she had force powers she'd be the perfect woman.

[Wargus]

now if she had force powers she'd be the perfect woman.

Some womanly curves would be nice too.

[CeeKay]

Peace for the Republic?

yeah, right, and I got some beachfront property for sale on Tatooine.

[rshetts2]

I almost hate seeing these teasers as the game is still about a year away but damn it has the potential to be one kick ass mmo

[Blackjack]

I almost hate seeing these teasers as the game is still about a year away but damn it has the potential to be one kick ass mmo

I think you can paste that pull quote in on every MMO released in the last 10 years.