BioWare details incoming SWTOR features

By Fred Dutton Published 20 January, 2012

Guild Bank, Legacy system, new PvP warzone.

BioWare has showcased a handful of new features coming soon to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Speaking in a new video clip, which you can check out below, game director James Ohlen started out by confirming that the second part of update 1.1's Rise of the Rakghouls story is currently in the works and can be expected soon.

There's also a new PvP warzone in development, as well as a new feature that lets you rank yourself to track how you're performing against other players.

Also incoming is an updated Legacy system that lets you join a family tree, gain benefits and unlock abilities and powers you otherwise wouldn't have access to.

Additional Guild support is on the way, with Guild Banks planned for a future update.

Finally, Ohlen promised new customisation features that will let you tweak the appearance of the user interface to suit your tastes.

"We're going to be listening to the community to see what they want in the game," he concluded.

"We're always listening to the community - you're the people who decide what kind of changes we need to make to the game."

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 4 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dizzy #1 4 months ago

    Good stuff... looking forward to part 2 of KUS and the guild features.

  • PenguinJim #2 4 months ago

    What about a "close account" feature? Seems to be missing that one at the moment.

  • Antsy #3 4 months ago

    I'm loving my time with SWTOR. It's a fantastic game to play with some mates. Most of the negativity I see towards it seems to revolve around its likeness to WoW (and as someone who has been playing mmo's since '97 that just makes me laugh) and yet ironically when I see players complaining in game its because it isn't an exact WoW clone.

    This game is a lot of fun and has a lot of potential, hopefully it'll get the time it needs to grow.

  • Rogueywon #4 4 months ago

    Curious about how the legacy abilities will work - just new emotes, gestures and "social" abilities, or will they have some actual clout? It'll be nice to see legacy xp actually used for something - but I would like the option of opting particular characters out of a legacy if I want - for role-playing reasons.

    Guild banks will be useful. However, I was disappointed to see that my own big bug-bear doesn't seem to be on their radar; the auction house interface, which needs some serious reworking. There's also a need for a decent lfg-tool for flashpoints - using the chat window to look for groups is just so very Burning Crusade.

  • bigjimbeef #5 4 months ago

    It's also worth pointing out that that video features a Miraluka (weird blind race) Sith, which implies that the legacy system will allow race/class combos which aren't currently available. Pretty damn cool if you ask me.

  • Shikasama #6 4 months ago

    Holy shit! A Guild bank!? Madness!

    How a modern 'next gen', 'innovative' MMO can launch without such basic things is beyond me. Like customisable UIs

  • SweetMrGibs #7 4 months ago

    @Shikasama

    Yep, I'd like to be able to customise the UI too. The current one takes up way too much space for my tastes. I like to keep the screen as clear as possible.

    I'd also like the option to write macros, and see DPS meters (in fact, those two features would come above the ability to customise the UI).
    Edited by SweetMrGibs at 20/01/12 @ 15:26

  • Rogueywon #8 4 months ago

    SweetMrGibs: DPS meters are ok, but what I really want is a visible threat meter - ideally as part of the base UI, rather than as an addon. While there are a good number of WoW veterans playing, I've also run across a lot of people who are brand new to MMOs. During group missions, I've had to explain the concept of threat on quite a few occasions, just so we could get past a particular boss. I don't actually mind this - it's good to see new people getting into the genre - but it would be a lot easier if threat was actually something that people could access a visual representation of.

  • xuiton #9 4 months ago

    can someone tell me if people are already at max level?

  • SweetMrGibs #10 4 months ago

    @Rogueywon

    Definitely. A threat meter would be right up there, too. Right now, I'm flying blind... no idea how much aggro I have at all. Presently I'm dropping aggro via Countermeasures every once in a while - but I have no idea if I'm doing it too often, how much aggro does down by or indeed *when* I should be using it.

  • Arsecake_Baker #11 4 months ago

    "We're always listening to the community - you're the people who decide what kind of changes we need to make to the game."

    Still no mention or update on the framerate issues, an issue dogging thousands of users. Horrid FPS is on it's 11th incarnation and the forums are rife with complaints.

    Stock is dropping.

    Oh and this: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of Electronic Arts Inc. fell nearly 3% to $17.75 on Thursday morning after an analyst with Brean Murray Carret & Co. cut his price target on the stock to $22 from $28, citing concerns about the recently released online multi-player game "Star Wars: The Old Republic." In a note to clients, analyst Todd Mitchell wrote that "creeping concerns" about the performance of "Star Wars" -- which was released in late December -- is causing him to trim his earnings estimates for the 2013 fiscal year. "Specifically, initial sales appear to be below expectations, and casual observation of early play is causing us to rethink our churn assumptions," Mitchell wrote.

    I can understand the fanboy/girl reaction to most of the problems, but there are problems and lots of them, a significant amount of the user base on my server are not re-subbing after game completion and most seem to look upon it as KOTOR 3 with multiplayer elements.

    This is not an attack on the game so the regular TOR fanboys put your handbags down.

    EA/Bioware have got a lot of rough water ahead with this title, i would love to see it work in the long run, but in all honesty i can see it becoming F2P in the not to distant, i have finished three classes all storylines and done a decent amount of pvp, all whilst struggling on an overpowered pc with Horrid FPS, imo great game, but just that, great, it feels far to much like a single player experience and it's very difficult to equate it with the term MMO.

  • Flipper79 #12 4 months ago

    'If' I hadn't cancelled, although maybe I'll resub in the future, I'd be a bit worried about the 'unlock abilities and powers' part of the legacy system. Cool vanity stuff sure, but stuff that could improve the effectiveness of your character, if that's what he means, would be a very bad idea. It can be daunting enough for a player that started late once they get to endgame, but to add a massive legacy grind on top just to be on par isn't really gonna make it fun when you hit 50 for the first time.

  • Zozzilla #13 4 months ago

    @Rogueywon There is a LFG tool, a basic one anyway. Think it's in the Party menu but I'm not at home to check so don't quote me on that.

  • FortysixterUK #14 4 months ago

    What about an auto group system that stops you having to shout LFG for 3 hours at a time....and tart the gameplay up a bit, I found it all a tad dull after a while.
    I'll re-sub in 6 months time, see how it's going.

  • hjarg #15 4 months ago

    Ehhh... listening to the community, are we? Then this tiny part of community asks for a LFG tool! Pretty please!

  • anomagnus #16 4 months ago

    @Arsecake_Baker

    Yesterdays news. As of RIGHT NOW, those stocks have already begun rising again. Up 2.34% since the markets opened two hours ago.

    I'm not sure if you are aware, but stocks go up and down every day. Its called the stock market.

    If you're going to link the stocks going down to the lack of work, are yoou linking the stocks going up because of the work they have been doing?

    Or are stocks only of use to prove a negative point?

    http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:EA#

    EDIT:

    Rife with complaints?!

    I'm just on the forums right now, and the over whelming trend on the general board is that the community is far better now that a lot of hating whingers have had their first month expire.

    The two biggest issue threads are the character responsiveness threat, and the 'unbind the / key' thread

    Jesus, another example of people just hyping shit up to try and prove their points.

    Edit 2:

    Analysts are beyond useless. Please never quote them to me again. People paid to have a fucking opinion based on nothing. Its a pity the worlds analysts didnt detect the financial collapse.

    And how do you know that a significant number on your server are not re-subbing? How many is significant? How many have you personally spoken to? 1? 2? 10? 1000? Since there are no server forums, where are you getting your info? Do you have access to the blizzard sub numbers? If so, that means you have access to my confidential information. How did you manage that?
    Edited by anomagnus at 20/01/12 @ 16:08

  • afrogeez #17 4 months ago

    @xuiton Yes, lots, doesnt take long. I dinged 50 just over a week ago, but i quit because its still not worth the monthly fee.

  • SweetMrGibs #18 4 months ago

    @hjarg

    Yeah, I'd *love* to see a LFG tool too (rather than just tools in LFG ;) Having said that, I mentioned the lack of an LFG in SWTOR to a guildie and he mentioned that it ruined Rift. I thought nothing of it, then I heard it again from someone else. Apart from the anonymity which LFG affords (and therefore giving Asshats the ability to act like... Asshats), I don't see any disadvantages to LFG. What happened in Rift? Anyone know?

  • SweetMrGibs #19 4 months ago

    @endgameRO

    How is SWTOR single-player?

  • xuiton #20 4 months ago

    @afrogeez that is what I thought. if this game actually took some time to ding to max level, like 2 to 3 months then it would be worth it.

  • Arsecake_Baker #21 4 months ago

    @anomagnus

    Defend away anomagnus, but i guarantee you i'll be the first person on this website saying.

    "I told you so"
    Edited by Arsecake_Baker at 20/01/12 @ 16:48

  • SweetMrGibs #22 4 months ago

    @Arsecake_Baker

    I equate your comments to a monkey in the zoo, throwing it's own faeces at passers-by in a vain attempt to get some attention.
    Edited by SweetMrGibs at 20/01/12 @ 16:57

  • acehotshot #23 4 months ago

    How about just fixing all the crap that's really broken instead?

  • TriggerHippie #24 4 months ago

    Certainly it can be played single player if you dont want to play with others. Personally I find that getting 2-3 friends to play with me makes it a fantastic experience. Horses for courses I suppose.

  • afrogeez #25 4 months ago

    @endgameRO Same as me, i unsubscribed on day 1. If i could have it offline to level my alts for free i'd be happy.

    Edit - neg'd for saying my opinion without saying anything negative about the game. Classy.
    Edited by afrogeez at 20/01/12 @ 18:04

  • afrogeez #26 4 months ago

    @xuiton Well it depends on the person and how much you play, i played a lot but there's still plenty of people who haven't reached the cap.

  • Climhazzard #27 4 months ago

    I'm enjoying everything about this game apart from the PvP. Needs sorting.

  • anomagnus #28 4 months ago

    @Arsecake_Baker

    Interesting. I never defended the game. I pointed out that your facts about the stocks, while correct at one time, didn't reflect anything to do with the game.

    I pointed out that the forums aren't 'rife' with complaints.

    I pointed out this site's community has made frequent mockery of analysts and their predictions.

    And i asked you to back your claims up.

    In short, i attacked your attack, and you've come back with 'i'll tell you so....'

    Look arsecake, i'm not trying to be a prick. But i'm getting sick of people posting shit about the game.

    If you don't like it, ok, cool, that's good. You've mentioned you want an LFG tool. Thats a valid request. You don't think it'll succeed, fuck it man, you could well be right. I've never once said this game will or will not do well. I've said it stands a good chance, but i can't predict the future. No one on this forum can.

    If you've got something good to say, i'll back you up. But your first post was tosh, internet rubbish of the highest order, which i tore apart.

    So yea, i've made it my business now to take apart wild claims around SW:TOR. Ta-DA!

  • darkmorgado #29 4 months ago

    Agreed. Most of the crap being spouted about this game on the site is utter rubbish with no truth behind any of it, and sheer hyperbole and I'm sick of it.

  • bengaming #30 4 months ago

    In less than a year, SWTOR will go free2play, in order to draw in more players, while offering subscribers additional benefits as an incentive to pay.

    Less than a year after that, the game servers will be announced to be shutting down.

    Less than a year after that, a Korean company will relaunch the game and you'll be able to get your very own rainbow-colored dual bladed lightsaber + free bonus Ewok pet, for only 5 JediCoins.

    When this happens, remember this post, that you voted down. Search your feelings, you know it to be true. "Your overconfidence is your weakness", you might say to me. "Your faith in Bioware is yours", I reply.

  • varkdm #31 4 months ago

    @xuiton I've been playing 6 weeks, it took 5 solid days of gameplay for me to make level 50 with my trooper (125 hours), and that was towards the end of last week. Im still playing through the tail end of the questing content, have barely done any of the flashpoints and played 1 pvp match to see what it was about. I will be doing a lot more of all these things over the next few weeks. In that time, they have already introduced a new content update.

    I have jsut started an alt character to experience a completely different playstyle - instead of my light side trooper tank, im going dark side consular dps. Enjoying making that character. asume it will take another 80 hours or so to get her to 50, taking into account know a lot more about what im doing now.

  • SweetMrGibs #32 4 months ago

    @bengaming

    Actually, I think your small penis is your weakness.

  • Hellion83 #33 4 months ago

    Post deleted at 20:12:17 01-02-2012

  • KanePaws #34 4 months ago

    "We're always listening to the community - you're the people who decide what kind of changes we need to make to the game."

    Translation: we used WoW's ideas and now we need someone else's - please tell us what to do!

    Regardless, I'm putting a petition together to force the implementation of Wookie-on-Ewok mating, not because I want to see it for itself, but because I want them to have to implement it. After all, we're the people who decide, right? And the playerbase always knows what's best for balance, cohesion, and longevity.