All Settled In.

Now that we have had a few weeks to get used to Patch 1.2 I thought it would be a good time to look at the Legacy System. So what does this new fandangled innovation to the MMO market really offer? Well that really depends on what type of player you are….

The End Game Elitist.

This is the player who only really wants to run Operations and/or Warzones. This is also the player that will gain the least from the Legacy as it stands now. The Legacy system is not really designed to provide to many heavy bonuses that can be used in End Game content. I believe this is actually a wise decision on the part of Bioware, as having Legacy Unlocks that could affect Ops and Warzones on a large scale would screw with game balancing and force guilds/players to focus on unlocking those parts of the Legacy. This type of player is not always into creating and leveling half a dozen characters, so many of the superficial / cosmetic Unlocks are useless to this player. One thing this player should look at doing though, is maxing out the Companion Affection to finish their Personal Missions. The bonuses for doing this are small bonuses to your characters Accuracy, Crit, Surge, Max HP and Healing Received. I believe these  are permanent improvements to all characters in a Legacy and they should be achieved by someone who wants to really maximize their potential. Read more…

Around this time tomorrow…

…The servers will all be down and Patch 1.2 will be there in all its glory the next time we log in. As  we all know, Patch 1.2 will be bringing vast improvements to the Legacy System (which is currently just an experience bar), a new Warzone, Flashpoint and Operation. There is also User Interface Customization, Crew Skills changes, Companion, Mission and General Bug Fixes. One thing that is not coming though, is Ranked Warzones.

What? No Ranked Warzones?

That’s right, Bioware announced that they are pulling the Ranked System Pre-Season from Patch 1.2 a matter of hours before the maintenance is supposed to start. This is a move that many would call brave at the very least. Personally I think Read more…

Is there anybody out there?

I don’t know about you, but I have been a bit lonely these last few weeks. When I jump into SW:TOR I can almost see the tumbleweeds rolling through the planets and hear the echos of an empty guild chat window. I am often on alone now, and when I do see a guildy they tell me how they have also often found themselves alone in guild over the last few weeks. When I have asked where everyone is,  the answer is always the same: Mass Effect 3. Read more…

Patch 1.2 Incoming.

So the big one is coming. Dubbed “The Jesus Patch” by some, 1.2 will bring a bucket load of new content, a whole lot of customization, and some heavy balance changes. Another thing coming with 1.2 is the “expansion” of the Legacy System. This is a bit of a tinny statement as currently the Legacy System is pretty much just an experience bar, but without nitpicking the wording to much, this Legacy expansion looks pretty interesting. The basic design of the Legacy System looks to be the good old “The more you play, the more you get” approach. Each character you level up to 50 will unlock additional perks and bonuses for all your characters in your Legacy. Read more…

GavsGuide.com are giving away a couple of FREE copies of their new leveling guide, to celebrate the launch of the Complete Step By Step SWTOR Imperial Class Leveling System.  To find out more visit our facebook page where competition details are already posted.

BioWare developers said each class leveling time would be over 300 hours.
GavsGuide.com can get you from 1-50 in under 100 hours
(that’s less than a 1/3 of the recommended played time).

That’s without rested XP, grinding or anything illegal.  Just plain good old fashion well planned out missioning.  Also, companion points are well maintained with the use of conversation options while you level.  This reduces time spent trying to make them happy with Gifts. Information on gearing yourself, companions, combat rotations and skill set builds specifically tailored to help you level faster is also included with the guide.

The only thing making this guide better would be if it were free…..  hang on, it can be, just enter the competition found on our facebook page. =)

Happy leveling, and I will see you at 50

-Johnny.

Busy, Busy, Busy.

It has been a month since my last blog post. I have been so busy that I didn’t even noticed how long it had been until now. But enough about me. The news right now is that Bioware have confirmed the de-red-zone-ification (yes, I just made that word up) of some of Asia and the South Pacific.

The Next  Step In Global Domination.

That’s right, Star Wars: The Old Republic is officially launching in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore! The launch date is set for the 1st of March and pre-orders are already available at:

Read more…

Did That Seem Fast To You?

Less than one month since the official launch of the game and we have our first content patch. That seems rather fast in my opinion. For the last three years one of the biggest concerns raised by the “Hardcore” community has been the fear of slow content release from Bioware. Hopefully this patch will ease those fears for a little while. With four new bosses in Karagga’s Palace and a new Level 50 Flashpoint (Kaon Under Siege) available in Normal and Hard Mode,  those already at the end game now have even more to keep them busy.

Balancing changes to Class Abilities are of course a part of this patch. If you are new to MMO Gaming, this is something you should get used to now. Every game of this type is constantly balancing their Classes throughout the entire life of the game. This is a necessary process and not something to worry about. If all of the changes look a little daunting to you, just focus on learning the changes to the Class (or Classes) you play.

PvP Gameplay is not immune to the almighty patching process. On top of a bunch of minor bug fixes and general improvements, there is also a couple of significant changes. Firstly, Ilum now gives the player more incentive to attack the opposing faction and defend what your faction is holding. This is a relief, as many players seem to avoid combat on Ilum,  and a PvP Planet where people avoid PvP is pretty much the definition of redundant. From the looks of it this patch could change that. Secondly, There is now a separate Warzone Bracket for Level 50 Players. As great as it is to have players of all levels competing in Warzones together, the gearing difference at Level 50 is rather significant, so this change is very much required.

There is also the standard string of bug fixes that is to be expected with an MMO. Even MMO’s that have been running for years have bug fixes in pretty much every patch, so no big surprises there. One thing that is listed that I am personally looking forward to though is this: “Companion healing abilities no longer apply a permanent green effect on the character.” It may seem superficial, but the Perma-Green Glow was getting on my nerves a bit.

For a full list of Patch Notes you can check out this link to Torhead.

An Unrelated Matter…

Something else I wanted to mention was a new Bill that could be passed in the USA soon. I could rant and rave about the effects this will have on the internet, America, and eventually the whole world. Ok, so I did rant and rave, then thought better of it and deleted it. This video shows the true impact better than my monologue and hyperbole ever could.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

-Gav.

A Happy New Year To You All!

I hope the holiday season has treated you well. It is always a time of family, friends and food for me. But now the family has left town, the friends have gone back to their daily lives and I’m sitting here in my pants with the elastic waistband regretting all that food.
I also hope you are ready for a year full of some people hyping up doomsday prophesies and conspiracy theories while other people systematically shoot them down. Personally I have never been a big believer in such things, but just to be safe I have been re-reading my copy of The Zombie Combat Manual (by Roger Ma). I really wanted to revisit Fallout: New Vegas as well, but I just haven’t had the time. Why that book and that game? Well, let’s face the facts here people. If there is some form of “Apocalypse” it will be brought about by mankind, most likely through either nuclear warfare or due to some scientist accidentally reanimating the dead. The boy scout in me demands that I prepare for these outcomes. Read more…

Merry Christmas everyone, and happy gaming for all of us who have now got the game! (or have been playing it)
And for those still waiting.  Get ready for it…..

Gavs Santa Giveaway.

We are giving away our 1st installment of the Sith Warrior Leveling Guide.

Available for anyone who signs-up for our newsletter.  This is a fully comprehensive leveling guide from 1-17 for the Sith Warrior.
This is for a limited time only, so don’t miss out.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

~ Gav, Johnny & Zell
Gavs SWTOR Guide