Players just can’t stop finding ways to exploit on Ilum despite the changes made with BioWare’s first big game update. Luckily BioWare’s PvP man, Gabe Amatangelo, hopped on the forums to give everyone the rundown on the issue at hand.
It seems that players would capture the control points and then camp in the opposing faction’s medcenters in order to keep enemies from leaving their base in order to recapture control points. The original game design had enemy players instantly dying when they entered the enemy’s base, much like in warzones, but this feature was not working properly after the 1.1 update. Bioware is pushing out an Emergency Patch to fix this issue and is scheduled to begin at 8AM CST (6AM PST/ 9AM EST/ 2PM GMT/ 3PM CET) on 1/19 and end at 12PM (noon) CST (10AM PST/ 1PM EST/ 6PM GMT/ 7PM CET). Until then the population cap on Ilum has been reduced, taxis that lead into the area have been disabled, and the developers are encouraging players to avoid Ilum until the patch is released.
Associate Community Manager Joveth Gonzalez also made it clear that BioWare was well aware of the individuals who to advantage of this exploit and will be evaluating the situation and taking action as necessary. We will be keeping an eye on this situation as it develops and will bring you any updates as they unfold.
UPDATE: This maintenance period is now scheduled to begin at approximately 9:30AM CST (7:30AM PST/ 10:30AM EST/ 3:30PM GMT/ 4:30PM CET) on 1/19 and end at 1:30PM CST (11:30AM PST/ 3:30PM EST/ 7:30PM GMT/ 8:30PM CET).
I can mount a gun to shoot Zombies!
Today we saw the something that marks a milestone for SWTOR, Bioware released what they are touting as the first major game content update 1.1 which comes in at just over 200mb and adds a new flashpoint named “Kaon Under Siege” triples the size of the “Karaggas Palace” operation, and a slew of other features and game fixes. One of the major things this game content update does however is that it introduces new lore with that flashpoint and creatures (rakghouls) content to the game world and for a MMO that is technically a couple of days under a month after launch that sets a precedent that I hope they plan on continuing.
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After being delayed for a day to finish working out some bugs SWTOR’s forsi content patch, Rise of the Rakghouls, is up and ready for everyone to dive into. Big updates include a brand new flashpoint, “Kaon Under Siege”, as well as expanded content for the Karagga’s Palace Operation. The new operation content promises new bosses, new loot, and a chance to confront the Hutt himself. The patch also includes a slew of bug fixes to help make the game even smoother.
It’s important to note that this is only part one of “Rise of the Rakghouls”. Developers have stated that we can expect the second installment in March which should include, among other things, a new planet, a new warzone, a new operation, Legacy System updates, and the much anticipated Guild Banks.
What do you think of the new content? Let us know in the comment section below!
Today we were supposed to have access to the first content update for SWTOR since the game went live at release. This content update is aptly named 1.1 It is thematically named “Rise of the Rakghouls” in honor of its main content upgrade and additions. However it has been delayed as per the statement from the patcher from Bioware and the announcement blog on the forums,
Hello everyone!
Because we care about ensuring that Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ provides you with a consistent and quality game play experience, we will be postponing weekly maintenance this week. Downtime was originally scheduled for Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 from 2AM CST (12AM PST/3AM EST/8AM GMT/9AM CET) to 10AM CST (8AM PST/11AM EST/4PM GMT/5PM CET) and will now occur at a later date due to issues requiring additional testing that have been discovered with the Game Update 1.1 content on the Public Test Server.
These issues were primarily brought to our attention by the diligent players on the Public Test Server Forums. Your participation in testing helps to improve the game as a whole, and we appreciate your discussion and feedback. The bug reports you provide are a valuable part of the development process. Thank you!
We’re working hard to bring you Game Update 1.1: Rise of the Rakghouls and are working hard to ensure your overall experience with Star Wars: The Old Republic is spectacular! The maintenance window for Game Update 1.1 will be rescheduled for some time within the next few days, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. When there’s a definite time, we will post here on the Community Blog as well as on the Official Forums. Please keep your eye out for updates, and we will provide information as soon as it’s available.
So if you were waiting on this content today you will have to wait a little longer it seems as the people who are playing on the public test server helped Bioware determine some issues that required further testing. We here at SwtorLife are glad to see Bioware take this so seriously in an effort to make sure that the content they distribute to us is as bug free as possible they are willing to postpone its launch in order to get it right the first time.
I am also glad to see the public test server be so useful to them in identifying these issues, that lets me know that the hours i log there in an effort to make the game better by testing new content actually matter! 🙂
We will be sure to let you know first thing when we find out when this content will be going live so until then hang tight folks!
Zombies in my SWTOR!
To coincide with the release of the new content addition dubbed 1.1 “Rise of the Rakghouls” on this Tuesday, David Bass from Bioware sent us some pictures to publish and I decided to gather up what info I have been seeing on the internet about it for you to read as well. A new flashpoint is a very exciting thing when talking about new content being added to the game because they are very fun from my experience. They are a great diversion from all the other outstanding features that Bioware has in SWTOR from the story, the crewskills and crafting, the PVP, and on with many other great things they have in store for you.
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Hot off the presses comes word on one thing that has crossed my mind while I have been playing the game so far since launch and that is the question of whether or not Bioware is going to be as aggressive as other companies have been in getting control of their in game economy via banning or suspension. As my inbox fills with spam, power leveling advertisements, offers to sell me credits and such, I have been wondering this for sure.
On average as it is now I get about two whispers a day and a in game email, I report them all and ignore them but they do not stop. While this does not seem like an insane amount I have to wonder when factored in among all the players of the game just how big of a problem this is. I have seen in the past in a MMO just how bad things like this can become and just how much damage they can do to a in game economy. That is why I was very glad to see them address this issue as to some of the steps they have been taking to fight things like exploiting a in game mechanic to farm credits.
Recently, in this forum post on the official forums, Stephen Reid had this to say about steps they have recently taken to try to combat this situation:
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GameSpy.com powered by IGN has released it’s video games of the year awards and SWTOR has been chosen by them as “MMO of the year for 2011”.
While this is no surprise to us the fans that have followed SWTOR since it’s initial announcement over three years ago, there really was no question for us. SWTOR was always our “game of the year” and has been for the last three years!
Still, it is nice to see Bioware recognized by the big sites in the gaming community and given their due for a truly awesome game and a stellar launch. So far in my experience SWTOR has had an amazing launch and has done very well and based on the performance of so many other MMO’s in the last few years it looks like SWTOR is here to stay.
Here is part of what GameSpy.com had to say about SWTOR you can see the full article here.
We’re still logging hours in a galaxy far, far away to bring you our full review, but this award should give you an idea how we feel about BioWare’s long-awaited Star Wars MMO. From day one, the renowned RPG studio said it would set its game apart from the competition with story, voice, and choice — and we’ll be a scruffy nerf herder, BioWare has delivered.
Whether playing as a member of the Republic or the Empire, as a Jedi, Sith, or any of the other classes, our staff was sucked into SWTOR by its well-written storylines — storylines we likely would have glossed over if they weren’t delivered with a staggering amount of recorded dialogue. Add in BioWare’s signature dialogue trees and the element of choice, and we’ve become fully immersed in SWTOR unlike any MMO before it.
So what do you think at this time of reflection, when you look back on the last year you spent with SWTOR? Is it your game of the year? Was the time you spent following, reading about and playing it worthwhile?
The first maintenance update has come and gone since SWTOR has released. Even though there was a lot of QQ-ing about the length of the update and that it went beyond the planned downtime schedule, I still see it as a success. There were a lot of things they addressed in this first update that had been giving players fits in game and it shows us that they indeed are listening to the feedback they are receiving via the forums and I am assuming through their in game ticket system.
You can find the posting of the patch notes on the swtor.com site here, now lets look at these and see from a player’s perspective some of the changes they have made and how they affect us.
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It seems a large number of players are having issues with logging into the game today. There are several reasons this might be happening but the most common is that you have not set up a subscription on your swtor account properly. For those of you getting the error “no active subscription” or that your “account requires additional activation steps before you can log in” that probably means you did not complete the setup of your account properly. The proper steps to set up your account for play (now that the early access and grace period are over) are:
- Complete your contact information
- Create/setup three to five security questions on your swtor.com account page
- Redeem an official Game Product Registration Code (you got the code when you bought the game – on the box or in the email if digital copy)
- Sign up for a subscription! (you will have to enter your credit card number and choose a subscription plan. you will NOT be charged until the first 30 days are up. This is standard procedure for all subscription based MMORPG games)
All of these can be completed at the “My Account” page on swtor.com. Be warned that it seems a lot of people did not read the instructions when they were setting up their account and now a lot of them are trying to log into their account and do the steps above. If you are greeted by a page that asks politely to wait until you log in, just wait for a few minutes and you will be able to log in. I tried it and it really is about a one minute wait.
Your account should look like this once you do all the steps above:
If you are still having problems please check out these official sources for possible solutions
Facebook Q&A page
swtor.com blog entry on Activating your account
It appears Bioware has heard the uproar from their fans and have decided to allow SWTOR purchasers that may not receive their physical copy of the game by the 20th a small grace period in which to be able to enter their code. Here is the latest from Dr Greg Zeschuk!
Thank you Bioware for listening to your fans and customers!
Hello everyone,
While we’ve worked closely with our retailers in the launch territories to ensure copies of Star Wars: The Old Republic are available from our launch date of December 20th, we understand that for those of you who’ve pre-ordered, there may be a concern about getting your copy on time. We’ve heard you want a ‘grace period’ where you can continue to play without having to enter a final product registration code (AKA ‘game code’).
We’ve been listening, and after doing another deep review of our platform infrastructure, we’re taking action. Today, we’re announcing a two day grace period for Star Wars: The Old Republic customers.
This means that everyone who pre-ordered and is in the Early Game Access program has forty-eight hours from launch in which to enter their product registration code, which will be found inside the physical Standard and Collector’s Editions of the game; for digital editions of the game from Origin.com, the registration code will have been emailed to you after December 16th and will arrive before December 19th at 11:59PM EST. After December 22nd 12:01AM EST, you will be required to have a valid payment method and a product registration code registered to your account to continue to play. We strongly recommend that you register your product code as soon as you are able to do so (rather than waiting until the last minute) to ensure a seamless entry into the game, a smooth experience on the account website and to collect any special gifts and items you may be entitled to based on the version of the game you purchased.
We understand that for some, your copy of the game may still arrive on or after December 22nd. Unfortunately, we cannot extend the grace period any further. We suggest you contact your retailer to discuss shipping options, if this is a concern.
You may be wondering if your 30 days of game time (included with your purchase of the game) will be affected by the grace period. The answer is no. If you redeem your product registration code during the grace period, and add a valid payment method to your account, you will begin your billing cycle from then, and you will be entitled to 30 days of game time. If you redeem your product registration code before December 20th, your billing cycle will begin on December 20th at 12:01AM EST (the official launch date and time of the game).
We know this has been an issue for some of you, and we apologize for the concerns. We’re looking forward to welcoming all of you to the official launch of Star Wars: The Old Republic!
Thanks,
Ray and Greg
(This post is available in French here, and in German here.)
