Though it does not show up too often in the extended universe, Tython is one of the most important locations in all of Star Wars. The reason for this is simple. Tython is the planet where the Jedi Order was first founded and where the natures of the Light and Dark side of the force were first explored. From this planet emerged the beginnings of what can be considered the most influential and powerful group to exist in the known universe. Yet despite this, Tython has not been explored in great detail by the various lore weavers who have built the Star Wars universe into what it is. Starting planet of both the Jedi Knight and Jedi Consular, it has had less information revealed about it than any of the other Origin Worlds. Today we are going to dive into what info is out there in the final installment of our four part series featuring the Origin Worlds in The Old Republic. Continue Reading »

After a week of hiatus due to me moving into a new place TOR Lore is back! This week I’m walking you through the history of Nal Hutta, capital of Hutt space and starting world for the Bounty Hunter and the Imperial Agent. Though it was not the original home planet of the Hutts, it is now the one they call home to their species and where the Hutt Cartel hold their meetings. Its swampy, bloated terrain matches the form of its masters, and it is part three in our look at the origin worlds in SWTOR. Continue Reading »

Star Wars: The Old Republic is slightly less than two months away. This is great news in many ways! But for many people, it can also be a source of frustration as more and more Old Republic related books are released. Let’s face it, TOR isn’t cheap and the current world economy isn’t exactly the best right now. I am sure that there are many people out there who may have had their financial reality make the choice of the version of TOR they are getting, rather than what they actually wanted. And forget buying the novels, graphic novels and other items.

If you haven’t played Knights of the Old Republic, or its sequel yet, both can be found for relatively cheap online in most cases – but there is an even cheaper method of getting your hands on all of this stuff that you may not have considered. Your local library. I know, for books, it is like saying, “Did you know that water is wet?” But stick with me a moment. With the internet, many people have stopped thinking about their local libraries, which is a shame. I already have Revan on hold at my library for when it comes out. Sure, if I can buy or win a copy, that will be a lot better – but until that happens, at least I know that I will be able to read the book not too long after it comes out.

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Ord Mantell is the starting world of the Trooper and Smuggler classes. Though it is technically under Republic control, there must be a fair amount of fighting going on there given the deployment of Republic forces on the planet. Known equally for its natural beauty, its general state of lawlessness, and as a safe haven for smugglers, bounty hunters, and pirates; the planet is a prime example of the many worlds in the Outer rim territories under the control of the Republic. It’s also the focus in part two of our four-part series featuring the starting planets of SWTOR. Continue Reading »

The starting planets in SWTOR are pretty important locations. As the player’s introduction to the game, the experience they deliver will heavily influence how a player will expect the rest of the game to play out. In an effort to familiarize players with the history behind these starting planets, Swtor Life is offering the first of a series of articles focusing of the four starting planets in the game. First off, we will take a look at Korriban, the staring world of the Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor.

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One of the things that I loved most about the original Knights of the Old Republic game was the deep, rich story it weaved. It took a virtually untouched area of the Star Wars timeline and created a setting just as touching and moving as the original movies themselves. One of the things that made this story so great was the introduction of a species that traveled the stars and ruled the galaxy long before the creation of the Republic. I speak of the Rakata and their Infinite Empire, a species that had a drastic impact on the galaxy and whose history is the subject of this week’s TOR Lore.

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Not long ago, the developers at BioWare hinted at the fact that pursuing romance options in The Old Republic will result in the player receiving dark side points. Almost immediately afterwards a debate broke out on the forums between those who didn’t agree with that decision and those who attempted to defend the developers’ choice on the matter. Those who argued against it pointed to well known Jedi relationships, such as the one between Revan and Bastilla, as proof that Jedi can be in a relationship without succumbing to the dark side. The opposing faction was quick to respond with the classic example of Anakin and Padme as evidence of how the relationship of a Jedi can be a huge determining factor of that Jedi falling into darkness. Today we will take a look at the history of the “no relationships” rule within the Jedi in an attempt to make sense of BioWare’s decision on this matter. Continue Reading »

There are some alien species within the Star Wars universe that anyone can recognize. You could show a picture of a Twi’lek, Wookiee, or Rodian to just about any random person on the street and they will be able to tell you that have seen them before, even if they can’t tell you their name. Yet there exists, in The Old Republic, several species that even some of more dedicated fans may have little to no prior knowledge of. Today we are going to take a look that the history behind one of those species, the Sith Pureblood. You will never see a Pureblood in the movies, and they don’t show up in very many of the games or stories in the expanded universe. Despite this, they are, in my opinion anyway, one of the most interesting species in TOR as their history is tied to the very beginnings of the Sith faction.

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Let me go ahead and say this right up front, I am a lore nut. To me the idea of spending an evening surfing the pages of Wookieepedia to add even more knowledge to my arsenal is an evening well spent, so I am very interested in how lore is going to affect The Old Republic once it is released. And don’t kid yourself; it is going to affect how the MMO plays out, and not just through the story. Like it or not, lore is going to affect gameplay in this title. It’s impossible to get around it; the lore behind the Star Wars universe is too massive and too important to fans for Bioware to sweep it under the rug when making decisions about gameplay. At the end of the day lore will probably be trumped by gameplay, but if you think it is not going to be taken into account you are sadly mistaken. Continue Reading »