A/V The Old Republic MMO: The New Official Thread

I wonder if season 2 will be an another story or continuation of KoTFE. Maybe it will be about the secret empire hidden in another empire!

Short story with Nico Okarr: http://www.swtor.com/info/news/blog/20150707

No, they have presented demo to the press. I did not found any videos from it. Maybe they will show something during upcoming community cantina in San Diego.

Nah, I still believe that Vitiate is Valkorion.

 

Found a clarification of this in the FAQ:

9. What if I unsubscribe from Star Wars: The Old Republic after October?
If you unsubscribe after October 27, 2015, you will keep the first 9 Chapters of Knights of the Fallen Empire, but will not receive any additional Chapters when they are released.

http://www.swtor.com/support/helpcenter/7418

 

I'm still remaining cautious in terms of how they do this. Either way, I'm trying to wrap up as many stories as possible (especially the Rishi class quests, have been busy for a while and they were relative low priority) before October, in case they break too much stuff. I'm expecting more info at Comic-con and maybe Gamescom.

The Nico Okarr story is particularly interesting. The reveal isn't surprising, but the age is. Even in the story itself its brought up that Nico looks far too young (considering he was there when Satele and Jace first met, and now their son is a grown man and secret agent). I was wondering about how much time had passed (the game itself is a bit vague on many war matters, and not like Satele looks that that old, compared to some of the old concept art), but looks like there will be a story there. Even when they announced Nico as a companion (and his gear as a pre-order bonus or something like that), I was expecting something like the GSI droid that was along for Shadow of Revan prelude flashpoints- there just to provide extra damage, and not much story.

The simple answer is that he's not human but another species that looks human and ages slower. As for more complicated answers, well, I'm guessing either he's secretly from Zakuul (doesn't sound like the planet/civilization itself is evil, based on some of the character quotes already posted), or something else, guess we'll see. Though on the official forums, being frozen in carbonite was brought up as an idea, but I doubt its that simple.

 

I think it could be that simple. Remember, your character is freed from carbonite, too. Maybe if you get Nico it's just a matter of "He was another prisoner we freed at the same time as we freed you."

 

It seems like he hasn't aged since the start of the first Empire-Republic war, though.

 

I've always been bothered by how common it is for people to be frozen in carbonite.

"We only use this facility for carbon freezing. If you put him in there it might kill him."

Filoni's explanation worked best, but still it seems like it's not really something that would have enough utility to be as ubiquitous as it has become. It's like, "usually a ship that small doesn't have a cloaking device." *meanwhile no large ships are ever shown with a cloaking device*

 

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kolcta

Maybe the character in mind is making heavy use of this. It's war so they'd want to keep as many people alive as possible, and this could potentially give you biological immortality.

 

What goes into crafting the new expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic - Knights of the Fallen Empire?

Creative director Jesse Sky takes things back to the beginning.

Back to basics

Last year, I decided to re-watch The Empire Strikes Back® and write down everything that shocked the audience back in its original theatrical run. It’s a very long list.

That film packs a real emotional punch—it’s full of twists, betrayals and revelations the entire way through. I’ve wanted to tell a Star Wars™ story like that ever since the first time I saw it.

When we began conceptualizing Knights of the Fallen Empire, the story was our first priority.

We decided very early on that we wanted to get back to our roots as a BioWare roleplaying game. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the game that made me want to work for BioWare. It showed me just how immersive cinematic storytelling can be.

In its best moments, Star Wars: The Old Republic captures the same magic, but we want the whole experience to feel that way. That’s why we’re revisiting the early gameplay experience to focus entirely on the story, in addition to crafting a brand new epic storyline.

Choices and consequences

People want choices that matter, and they want companions to play a bigger part in the story.

The hard part is recreating the magic. A huge element of successful storytelling is mystery, and that often means straying away from what the audience knows or expects.

In Knights of the Fallen Empire you are the main character, and it’s really an origin story. As the Outlander, you have a chance to take control of your destiny and reshape who you are.

The villains in this story aren’t just out to conquer the galaxy—they’re after you, personally. You’ll be tempted by the Dark Side and that’s going to have a huge impact on what you eventually become.

Your companions also now have minds of their own. If they don’t like what you’re doing, they may leave. The choices matter. This is an ongoing story, and your choices may have surprising consequences down the road.

Keep your friends close

Companions are one of the things that set Star Wars: The Old Republic apart. We have a new cast of characters joining you for the main storyline, and we’ll be bringing back many fan favorite companions as major characters in post-release story chapters.

You’ll have a chance to recruit even more companions once you complete the story chapters at launch. We’re also overhauling the companion system so that they’re more useful and more fun to use in general.

You’ll see older companions returning as major characters, more shocks and twists, and the consequences of your choices will really start coming into play. We’ll be building towards a season finale late next year.

Whether you start at Level 1 or Level 60, the game is going to feel a lot more like a traditional BioWare title. You won’t need any knowledge of the game to play the new story, and we aren’t going to pollute your story with needless grinding or travel. You can just focus on the parts of the game you like.

If you tried the game at launch and enjoyed the story, now is a great time to come back.

SOURCE: http://livetoplay.ea.com/article/crafting-the-next-story-of-star-wars-the-old-republic?sf39241645=1

 

So what they intended to do at launch, until the beta testers who cried and made them turn it into another WoW clone where your choices didn't matter. Hopefully if they stick to their guns this time it might make the RPG part of the MMO feel more important.

 

This concerns me, because how do you define fan-favourite companions? There's only a few that are even close to universally disliked, and many that have really split players as to who likes them and who doesn't. I suspect I'm going to be annoyed at who they choose to come back (and more so who they choose not to bring back) regardless so I'll just be over here, living in my own world.

 

Operations and Flashpoints in Fallen Empire

I’m George Smith, Senior Designer in charge of Operations and Flashpoints and I am here to talk to you a little bit about what Knights of the Fallen Empire has in store for you.

First, a little bit of a backstory about the current state of group content in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. As you level your character, you have the opportunity to play through quite a few Flashpoints for gear and a break from your story. As you continue to play and progress in the game and pass the level range of those Flashpoints, you no longer play them, as they become obsolete. Similarly, due to the nature of gear progression or an increased level cap, as we release new Operations we continue to make older Operations obsolete. What this means is that we have a situation where we have a lot of group content, that many players don’t get an opportunity to play through. We believe that all players should be able to enjoy all the content in the game, and have exciting experiences available to them every week, and that is what we intend to bring you with Knights of the Fallen Empire!

Flashpoints

For Flashpoints, we have made quite a few changes to give you more options on what to play, and how to play them. For starters, all of the Flashpoints which are important to the core story have had a Solo Mode added, similar to what we did for the Forged Alliances Flashpoints. Also, those Solo Modes are repeatable, so you can play through them again if you want! These Solo Mode Flashpoints use a new level sync system that lowers your character’s level and power to the level of the Flashpoint, ensuring that you’re experiencing the content at the difficulty level intended - you never have to skip story content because you’re over-leveled for it!

Next, most of our Story Mode Flashpoints have been converted to Tactical, meaning you can play them at any level between 10 and 65! These Flashpoints also bolster your character, so you never have to worry about being under-geared or under-leveled, and can play with friends of varying levels. As an added bonus, each player can also receive loot specific to their Class and their non-bolstered level, so running these Flashpoints is always beneficial.

Hard Mode Flashpoints are getting love as well! All Hard Mode Flashpoints, including the Red Reaper for the first time, will be available starting at Level 50 up to Level 65. There will be a small Bolster to allow different level ranges to play together, but you’ll need to bring a balanced group with a Tank and Healer just as with Hard Mode Flashpoints currently. Just like the new Tactical Flashpoints, each player can get their own individual loot suited for their class from entirely new sets of gear. This will provide the perfect jumping off point for getting you ready to tackle Operations!

Operations

Operations are a larger change, in that every single Operation in SWTOR will be raised to level 65! Every Operation will drop a new tier of Elder Game gear, as well as new vanity rewards such as Mounts, Vehicles, and Decorations for your Stronghold. Story Mode Operations will be playable from Level 50 to Level 65, and will grant a Bolster to ensure everyone in your group is prepared! Soa will once again be the ancient Rakatan Warlord who threatens to take over the Galaxy, with the challenge to match!
We are also making several Quality of Life improvements to Operations in the Group Finder to make a better, more engaging experience. Each day, a new Story Mode Operation will be available in Group Finder, and will all drop relevant gear for your character.
Nightmare Mode will also be available for all the Operations that had it previously, and will reward the same as the highlighted Hard Mode, as all as all the unique mounts and titles available currently.

For Hard Mode Operations, one Operation per week will be highlighted to give even greater rewards! Ultimately, the goal is that you will have a reason to visit all of our Operations and will feel rewarded for doing so.

We know that many players love our Operations and look forward to the introduction of new challenges, however with Knights of the Fallen Empire there will not be any new Operations. We felt it was important to first address some of the issues with our Elder Game before moving on to new content. These changes will allow us to be more flexible with how we release new content, as the content no longer needs to be tied to a new gear tier or level cap increase. Even without new Operations, though, you will have a whole lot of content to play at the level cap. Let’s go over everything you will be able to play in Knights of the Fallen Empire!

Solo Mode Flashpoints

These Flashpoints are repeatable, and made to be played solo or with a Companion. Your character will be adjusted down to the appropriate level so that you are experiencing the Flashpoint at the level and difficulty that is intended.

• Black Talon
• Esseles
• Boarding Party
• Taral V
• The Foundry
• Maelstrom Prison
• Battle of Ilum
• The False Emperor
• Assault on Tython
• Korriban Incursion
• Manaan Research Facility
• Legacy of the Rakata
• Blood Hunt
• Battle of Rishi

Tactical Flashpoints

These 4-Player Flashpoints are available from level 10-65. Your character will be Bolstered so that friends of any level can play together!

• Hammer Station
• Athiss
• Mandalorian Raiders
• Cademimu
• Red Reaper
• Kuat Drive Yards
• Czerka Labs
• Czerka Core Meltdown
• Korriban Incursion
• Assault on Tython
• Depths of Manaan
• Legacy of the Rakata
• Blood Hunt
• Battle of Rishi

Hard Mode Flashpoints

These Level 65 Flashpoints are designed to present more of a challenge to players. They provide a small Bolster, but still require a full 4-Player group, including a Tank and a Healer.

• Black Talon
• Esseles
• Boarding Party
• Taral V
• The Foundry
• Maelstrom Prison
• Kaon Under Siege
• Lost Island
• Battle of Ilum
• The False Emperor
• Hammer Station
• Athiss
• Mandalorian Raiders
• Red Reaper
• Cademimu
• Kuat Drive Yards
• Czerka Labs
• Czerka Core Meltdown
• Korriban Incursion
• Assault on Tython
• Depths of Manaan
• Legacy of the Rakata
• Blood Hunt
• Battle of Rishi

Operations

These 8 and 16-Player Operations are all available at level 65 in both Story and Hard modes. A different Story Mode Operation will be available in the Group Finder each day.

• Eternity Vault (5 bosses)
• Karagga’s Palace (5 bosses)
• Explosive Conflict (4 bosses)
• Terror From Beyond (5 bosses)
• Scum and Villainy (7 bosses)
• Golden Fury (1 boss)
• Dread Fortress (5 bosses)
• Dread Palace (5 bosses)
• Ravagers (5 bosses)
• Temple of Sacrifice (5 bosses)

As you can see, while leveling your character, and when your character reaches level 65, there is a whole Galaxy out there available to you. So whether you want to take the journey alone, or with 15 of your closest friends, we can’t wait for you to get your hands on Knights of the Fallen Empire!

May the Force™ be with you!

George

SOURCE: http://www.swtor.com/blog/operations-and-flashpoints-fallen-empire

 

Mixed feelings about some of this...

On one hand, I love the idea of Solo Mode for Flashpoints, whereas on the other hand, lowering your character's abilities to the level the Flashpoint was designed for might actually make some of the soloing harder, as even the easiest Flashpoints like Black Talon would now be a genuine challenge...

Which is nice in the sense that it'll actually reward decent loot, presumably some XP and reputation points, etc, but a part of me hopes they still let you enter the original instance solo as well, as if all you care about is the story-- which is all I did for some of these-- it's probably faster without the level conversion.

More disappointed, though, that they aren't including any Solo Modes for the Operations, as I'd consider things like the Dread Masters storyline just as important as some of the story-oriented Flashpoints that they've singled out for Solo Mode variants, and I've always wanted to try out some of those Operations, but have no desire to actually join a raiding group as my skill at TOR is spectacularly bad, and I've no desire to be that noob that gets moaned at because he is there for the story more than helping everyone else get some new Elder gear from the boosted loot table for the new Lvl65 Operation variants.

 

Yeah, the swtor forums are going ballistic over this, mainly hearing that there won't be any new operations or flashpoints when KotFE is released.

As for hearing about all this stuff being upscaled, not entirely sure how I feel. Some of the cutscenes on those flashpoints were slightly interesting, but its operations stories that I sometimes found more interesting. As Zorrixor said, I would prefer to watch those cutscenes sometimes, but I'm already usually the newbie or guest party member on the raid team, so I don't feel too good about delaying the raid to watch cutscenes over and over. When I'm playing solo I like to watch them a few times.

And as I still have that Oricon quest lying around unfinished, it would be nice to play through the Dread Master ops solo, but that would probably be too much of a change for them, considering how much operations are built around having multiple players. Otherwise old operations would be easy to complete by yourself, but usually most mechanics require at least a few other players.

If HK-51 was still that hard to get, solo mode Flashpoints would be appreciated, but going through old lvl 50 flashpoints with a lvl 60 character is easy now. I also hope they still leave the original low level version, but they might now, with how some comments have been about revamping the original core game. Updating every flashpoint to be either tactical and/or with bolster (similar to how Kuat has been since launched) might just be their intention, for better or worse.

Never really cared for flashpoints too much anyway. Not just because they're group content, but because they take quite a long while. Some mechanics are fun, some are annoying, and if it was just fighting bosses that wouldn't be too bad, but most flashpoints are usually at least half running around to get from boss to boss.

 

wait is HK-51 easier to get now

was he hard to get when I got him

I had to scan stuff and then go through a ship and then another ship in space and then back through the first ship (I think)

 

Well, HK-51 is still very time-consuming to get, since you have to scan several planets. Just that way back when he was first introduced, it required several Flashpoints (False Emperor and Maelstrom/Foundry I think) as well to get necessary parts, and that usually required either very high level gear or at least a few other people (and sometimes its hard to get a group together). By now those flashpoints are old and just time-consuming for max-level characters. But based on this most recent announcement, sounds like they're going to bump up the difficulty of all the old stuff again.

 

Oh yeah I did those flashpoints too

 

Hard mode Maelstrom/Foundry. I only just got SoR a few weeks ago, and at 55 with pretty good gear I couldn't manage the HK flashpoints solo (both being rated for 50s) but at 60 it was easy. So I only just got HK-51 because I got stuck on the flashpoints.


Sent from my X-wing via R2-J6

 

I think I found a PUG of people all after the HK parts.

 

A what of people?

Do the parts spawn more or at least in a more central place?

 

pick up group

I meant for the flashpoints

IIRC they do appear in the same area if you coordinate with people on the planets but I don't remember for sure

 

When I went looking I usually found at least one other person also searching for the part so we grouped in order to cut down the time/space, and any number of people can collect it from the same spawn (it sticks around 1-2mins). But once found, it respawns somewhere else in the area and you have to search again. And it's in a different place in each instance, as well.

I could never get the group finder to pop for those flashpoints, nor could I find anyone on fleet (everyone on this server is rude) and I'm not in any guilds, so I gave up and tried to solo them and did pretty good, considering I'm just... not that good at this game.

 

I accept the way some of the boss fight mechanics work is probably part of the problem, yeah, as even with them letting you take more than one of those solo mode support droids like SoR let us use, it could be that you still require two players to simultaneously activate two switches or something (I've no idea, never done an Operation...).

It would be nice, tho, if they still later go back and spend some time just omitting some of those sort of mechanics for some solo modes.