Hi everyone, my name is Ranvier, and this is a new blog about Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Back around late August early September time of 2011, I received an e-mail from Bioware inviting me to join the beta test program for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Unable to contain my excitement I quickly called over my friends to show them the e-mail. They were envious of what I had received. Later that Monday night, I arrived home and downloaded the Client. Then I waited about 8 hours for the client to download the actual game.

Fast-forward 24 hours later, I am on the server creating my first Jedi Knight: Arkantos. Engulfed with utter excitement, I am quickly arriving on Tython greeted by a Jedi Knight requesting my help with some Flesh Raiders. From that point, everything else is history. Vague memories of that first Jedi Knight still flash through my head on occasionally. By the end of that build, I just landed on Corellia at level 45, getting ready to see what the evil Sith Empire had in store for my Jedi Knight and the Republic.

Thoughts on the Beta, and Being a Tester:

This is the second time I actually managed to get into a beta test. The other time was during the Halo 3 multiplayer beta. I spent more time in the Old Republic Beta than the former. Over the course of the 3 months I spent in testing, several builds came and went. I never finished an entire Class Story, which are both disappointing and a little rewarding.

Not seeing the full stories of the Jedi Knight, Sith Warrior, Trooper, and Bounty Hunter allows me the opportunity to replay those classes in the live game with the expectations of a new player. Having some insight as to what is to come is beneficial, but not knowing the full scope of everything leaves plenty of room for surprise.

The bad thing about being in the Beta is that some content has spoiled me. I already know what story lines are going to be interesting, and which ones I will not like. A lot of mystery is not exactly there. It is as if someone told me what chapters to read in good book and which ones to avoid. I also miss the first Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior toons I created, not because they were high level, but because of the intimate stories, they unfolded.

The live Game:

Well, now the game is live. When Beta was over, I told myself to roll the Bounty Hunter class first. When I got into the game however, I rolled another Jedi Knight. All of the enthusiasm of re-rolling this class still felt new. Taking those first steps on Tython, performing my first Force Leap, and earning my first Light Saber felt so epic, simply because the game is live.

Instead of spec'ing a Dual Saber wielding troublemaker, I opted to follow in the footsteps of the iconic Master Zallow (See the Sacking of Coruscant trailer), and became a Jedi Guardian. Being tank class can actually make the game more difficult without a healer at your side 24/7. (SPOILER WARNING: At the beginning of Chapter 2, Jedi Knights will receive a Healer Companion Class)

Moving On:

Moving on, since most of us are already well into this game (if you are not, you had better catch up, I hear there is some great PvP stuff coming), let us talk about where I am at now. I am a level 40 Jedi Knight Guardian. I have some great PvP gear on, photo's will be up soon, and I am enjoying the game for the most part, mainly due to the Republic Mercy Corps. This guild has given me an entirely new outlook on the game. Completing flashpoints, heroics, PvP, and my ****Questing with these people has made re-playing the Jedi Knight from level one not only easier, but also more entertaining.

Bugs:

To be fair, MMOs are big games. Bugs in a game this big are caused by many variables. Also to be fair, playing this game does not just require a one-time purchase. It requires a monthly subscription. In return for that monthly premium, quality is a priority that should be put above all else.

Big Bug #1: Broken Quests Lines, Chains, and Conversations

In a game where progression is dependent on Quest Lines, it is unreasonable for a single one to be broken for any reason. This is an epic fail, specifically when the broken quest occurs right at the end game. (For spoiler reasons, I will not go into detail). The Bounty Hunter quest chain gets broken if the ****Quest at the end game closes with a dark side option.

Big Bug #2: Broken Companions

Many players like myself will certainly roll the Jedi Knight before any other ****(the numbers do not lie, for a game that has sold over 1,000,000 copies; we have 810,000 Jedi Knights, and 850,000 Sith Warriors). During Beta, the Jedi Knight ****was probably the first ****rolled by most of the testers (correct me with proof if I am wrong). In which case, nothing revolving the Jedi Knight should have any issues (with the exception of PvP balancing, as this takes time to establish).

The Major Jedi Knight issue at hand: (SPOILER WARNING) In the quest titled "The Defector" players are granted a Dark Side option to flirt with Kira Carsen. If the option is selected, it will end future conversations with the companion character. Affection is still earned, but conversations will not ensue until this has been patched. A work around is suggested, which is simply do not chose the DS flirt options after that mission, but that fixes nothing if players are past the point. Bioware has yet to correct this issue for players who have experienced this at the time of this writing.

Prior to the issue being semi-patched last week, this issue should have been resolved during beta, as the issue was encountered during several phases in the beta. Bioware has fixed the cause of this issue for new Jedi knights, as they will not encounter this bug (she will open up if you've accumulated the right amount of affection at the end of act 1), however; if you've been afflicted by this, the only options are to wait for a new patch, or re-roll your Jedi Knight.

That is it for the bugs, for now. Down below is a link to the known issues thread on the official forum.

EPIC GRIPE:
Now, Bioware has been communicating a lot with the community about this game. Certainly, they listen to some of the feedback they received in beta and applied it. One thing though that I am not understanding at all is why they removed the search function from their forums. This makes their forums suck beyond sucking, and practically useless.

Well folks, that is all for now. Look for my review sometime after I hit level 50, which should be around 1 to 2 weeks from now.

Links:

known issues thread

Republic Mercy Corps

Patch Notes

Hey Folks - I will be resuming this blog on a regular basis. Blogs will be about Star Wars The Old Republic predominantly, and gaming in general.

I will also start doing video blogs recording live in game footage of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

In my first blog, I will be discussing The Old Republic in depth. I've beta tested the game for about 3 months prior to it's release, and I'll be speaking about known issues about the game, and good things about the game.

So Microsoft has begun recruiting its development team for the next generation XBOX. This news is exciting and I would figure that I would post a list of things I would like to see in the next generation XBOX.

1. 99.9% Guarantee that the unit won't FAIL

2. No Disk Tray

3. Wireless Controllers that ship with rechargeable battery packs

4. 200gb+ Hard Drive with no mark up

5. Upgradable Hard Drive

6. Netflix support at no extra cost other than a Netflix subscription

7. Quieter Unit (Liquid Cooling solution)

8. Built in Wi-Fi a/b/g

9. Zune/Windows Phone 7/iPhone support out of the box (no downloads required)

10. Built in KINECT (Or new product) support shipping with the Console

11. Access to GAMEFLY

12. 1080p Video Streaming with surround sound

13. Game Calendar (Track Release Dates, Events, this would be an excellent marketing tool)

14. Full backwards compatibility

15. Account Sign in on Any XBOX360 – Importing an XBOX Live account at a friend's house to track achievements is annoying, and then it's even more annoying to import it elsewhere

16. Give me back Clan Options – Build this into the Dash. Friends are friends, but teammates shoot straight.

17. Create a more personalized gaming profile

18. New releases are digital

19. DRM not restricted to time zone on Digitally Distributed Games (On PC, if you pre-order and download early, you have to wait until midnight of the time zone of the publisher, not the time zone you live in)

20. No dongle video cables/connectors, all connections should be built into the unit

Today I was wondering why on earth am I still using multiple devices. I carry a 120gb Zune and 16gb 4g Evo. This means that when I leave the car I have to leave with two devices and return with two, it's annoying. Now, you're probably wondering why my music isn't on my phone. It's because I use the damned Zun service.

"Well why don't you get a Windows Phone 7?" Because it doesn't have an App marketplace like Android or iTunes.

"Well why don't you just use iTunes and get an iPhone?" Because iTunes charges $1.00 per song and Verizon and ATT plans can't even come close to what Sprint Offers. I'm not leaving Sprint. I'm 100% satisfied with the service I pay for. The competition can't beat the price and offer me the same thing I'm currently getting. Not even close. Unlimited Mobile to Mobile across all US carriers, unlimited Data and Text, and 4g for $75.00 a month. That's after taxes and a nice discount, which none of the other carriers can match as well...

"Why don't you use Raphsody?" I did. The software sucks in both windows and droid. It's too much of a hassle.

"What's the solution?" I don't know. This blows!

If iTunes were supbscription based, I'd use iTunes and sync with droid (3rd party apps are available), or I'd even consider buying an iPhone if it came to my Carrier...

Haha, I get to play ME2 before everyone else does.

I just ordered my new rig, and I'm pretty satisfied with it.

So here is what I ordered:

Intel Core i7-920

EVGA X58 SLI LE

OCZ Gold 6gb (3 2gb) DDR3 1600 Ram

BFG GeForce GTX 285 1gb

Sound Blaster X-fi Titanium

Lite-On 4x Blu-Ray Reader

Pioneer Blu-Ray Disc (DvD/CD) writer

Samsung 1tb 7200rpm SATA 3.0 HDD

Thermaltake Xaser VI black

I wanted to get another tb and set up a raid config, but I had to watch my budget.

I also wanted to buy another Video card, but again, budget. I originally wanted a GTX 295, but it was sold out. I can always SLI and Tri SLI the card in the future though.

I'll be provided my own Operating System :) and I'll be carrying over the PSU that I'm currently using which is 1000w.

I wish I was rich so I can really load this thing up, but I'm on a budget :(. I can't wait for the parts to get here.

Hey everyone, I'd like to wish you all a happy new year.

Unfortunately I'm stuck at work until midnight, so I won't be having any fun until around 12:30.

Anyway, I'd like to provide an update on what I'm looking forward to for next year. It isn't much, and will probably change, but I can't wait for the new year to start and new titles to roll out.

First of all, I plan on building my new machine by April, using my tax refund of course. I'll be using an Intel i7 of course, and I haven't decided on which video card to put in there at the moment, Any recommendations would be appreciated. Of course, I want to use 1 single card, with the option of Crossfire X or SLI open to me. The minimum size of course will be 1gb. Price on the card isn't a factor.

As far as games go, I can't wait for Mass Effect 2, Halo: Reach, and of course, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is the reason why I'm building a new machine. Me and a co-worker have already decided on what roles we'll be starting the game with. I'll be a Jedi Knight of course, and he'll play as a smuggler. It's going to be great.

Anyway, everyone have a safe and wonderful new year, and drink responsibly.

Happy New Year!

It's been a while since I've keyboarded and miced my way around a video game world. My old machine, which featured a 64bit CPU, 1gb ddr Ram, and a 6800gt, just couldn't keep up with the demanding PC Gaming Market. So, I opted over to my consoles, the XBOX 360, and the PS3. With an HDTV and Surround sound system, everything met my needs.

Over the past week or so, I came across a machine that was very similar to my old PC. A few differences though, it's running Windows Vista 34bit, with a 64bit CPU(single core). It has 4gb ddr ram, dual layer burner, and 2 evga 7800gt 256mb cards running in SLI. I bought it, and decided to make a few upgrades. I installed a new sound card, a creative labs sound blaster of course (x-fi), a new PSU at 1000w, and a 1tb storage drive.

I'm thinking to myself, Half Life 2, F.E.A.R and COD 2 ran great on my old machine, what can the new one do?

So, I headed over to my local gamestop. I was dumfounded when I found just a handful of PC games worth playing. The majority of these games, with the exception of Crysis, were already available on the consoles... I asked myself, what happened to PC gaming?

Then I looked online, and I realized that the machine I spent Saturday afternoon updating, was out of date. Quad Core Prcoessing, Quad SLI, and DDR3, are now new craze. I then thought to myself though, where are the games? I know, I know, what can be found on the consoles can be found on the PC, but I'm talking about games like Crysis for crying out loud.

I know a lot of these FPS games are greater on the PC, but I'm used to them on the consoles... Crysis, and Crysis 2 for that matter, aren't inspiring to buy a new board, with an i7 cpu and 2gb video card now.

What happened to the PC Gaming community? Have we lost love in the machines that play video games the best?

I'll be back soon. Look for my reviews of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Grand Theft Auto 4 by mid June. I've been busy, so to the one or two of you who read my stuff, please accept my apologies.

My Year End Review

So, the year 2007 has finally come to an end. It was a fun ride, I must say. Thanks for the memories 07' as you'll be missed. I'm looking forward to 08', but I'll be fond of 07' more than 06' and 05'.

This year, I've played many games. Here's the rundown list of the games covered in this review.

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Call of Duty 3
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Pokémon Fire Red Version
Forza Motorsport 2
Crackdown
Pokémon Diamond
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion: The Shivering Isles
Spider - Man 3
Halo 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Bioshock
Assassin's Creed
Mass Effect

Uno
Aegis Wing

Yes, I have many new memories with these games. Some of them were bad, but most of them were good. I'll remember 07' because of these titles. One of them is even my GOTY choice. But, before I hand out awards, let me tell you about my year, and how these games were part of it.

WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 started me off suplexing, kicking, punching, chair swinging, throwing people off of cages, quite well. I'll remember winning that world title for the first time against Kurt Angle. I made that prick tap.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas is probably the game I've logged the most hours on. Yes, here I started my own clan with my brothers and various people we've met online. We're an exclusive group, so you can't join us. We kick ass like America kicks ass baby. We'll spank you while you're still in the womb. Of course, as the story goes, we're still a team; however I'm no longer the clan leader. Luckily I called parlay.

Call of Duty 3: I've played every single one of them. This was the first one I played on the console. Yes, it felt stale winning WW2 again. It was fun though. Being on the last magazine, hundreds of enemies to shoot just had me on the edge of my seat.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: The only Wii game I played this year. I bought my Wii thinking that this was a new, great way to play games. After beating this game twice, and believe me, that was no easy task due to the length of the game; my sword swinging arms were tired. Thanks for the memory, but the Wii isn't for me. I traded the system in a few months later.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance: Yes, this game, and 3 other buddies were great. Kicking but with friends is just astounding. I'll remember the choices I made, the ones that let certain characters die, and certain characters kill other characters. I'll remember the team of Iron Man, Wolverine, Johnny Storm, and Spider Man as we went from SHIELD HQ, to outer space, and finished it all off in Doctor Dooms castle. Yes, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be dearly missed.

Pokémon Fire Red Version: Pokémon has always been one of my favorite franchises. I loved reliving my childhood with this game. It was in full color, and had a crap load of new monsters. It compliments my Pokémon Emerald version well. Hell, it was even useful when I got my hands on Pokémon Diamond.

Forza Motorsport 2: I call this game Gran Turismo on the XBOX 360. The only thing is that it's way ahead of Gran Turismo. In fact, it's about to lap it. Forza 2 has something the best racing imaginable. Every aspect of this game is great. Of course, it wouldn't be so memorable if it wasn't for all the naked ladies painted on the cars of the Auction House. In the words of Duff Man, "Oh Yeah!"

Crackdown: Yes, this game wasn't Crack. It took the GTA formula and applied to law enforcement. I loved it. Wasn't the best game, but it wasn't a busted game. I just got tired of searching for the Agility Orbs just so I could complete the game. I stopped playing after cleaning up only one city, but having the game packaged with the Halo 3 multiplayer beta made it all worthwhile.

Pokémon Diamond: Yes, this game was so great. I've always wanted to play Pokémon online. It just felt a little too late. It was still fun though. A lot of new monsters to mix and match teams with. Including my old monsters made it even better. The breeding, the battling, the catching, and the journeying, all made thisold schoolRPG worthwhile.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion: The Shivering Isle: This expansion pack brought new life to by copy of Oblivion. Yes, I remember meeting the god of Madness Sheogorath. He's possibly one of the coolest characters ever written. I won't spoil what happens between you and him, you'll just have to take my word and play it.

Spiderman 3: This game is the black sheep of my list. It received my lowest score this year. Based on the crap film which was hit, it sucked beyond sucking. I regret even playing this mess of filth. I shall say no more of it.

Halo 3: Yes. It came. It didn't exactly satisfy, but it didn't disappoint. It felt great to finally put closure on such a long and epic tale. MC ended the journey by taking a well deserved nap. So did the XBOX 360 he took that journey on. After finishing this game, my 1st XBOX 360 met its end. Now I own Elite.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: I'll remember this game for a long time. One Sot, One Kill, has to be the best levels ever designed. Escaping Chernobyl will be something I'll truly remember. I'll also have fond memories of Sergeant Jackson, who died on his mission to save the world from tyranny. COD4: MW - You rule!

Bioshock: I'll always remember Rapture. Rapture is my dream city. I've envisioned what scientists can do without government, and religious restraint. If Rapture is the end result, I'll not long dream it. I'll remain a scientist though. Rapture failed me, but Bioshock didn't.

Assassin's Creed: I've watched this game since it was announced. I've pondered it. I've played it. I loved it. Assassin's Creed has to be the best stealth-action game ever made. It's easy to play. It's fun to play. Playing it will be remembered.

Mass Effect: I haven't had so many memories from one game since KOTOR. This game has so many options it is ridiculous. Apart from all that though, the best part about this game is the story. The amount of symbolism in this game can't be matched by anything else. The characters, the factions, the locales, are all amazingly spectacular. This is the RPG you must play for this year.

So, those are the games I've played this year. Many memories, many tears, many hours, all accumulated because of these games.

So this year is over. What else happened revolving around my gaming experiences? Well let's see. I purchased my 2nd XBOX 360, my 2nd PSP and my 3rd DS. Both handhelds broke once again. My new 360 is working fine, so let's hope that at least last until this console generation is over.

On to the Awards

These citations are my opinions and not anyone else's. Should you disagree, feel free to leave your comments as to why. Please refrain from using insults. Thank you!

Best FPS: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - This game has the best shooting experience you can find in 2007. Halo 3 came close, however COD4 just felt fresh and new. Multiplayer is solid as well.

Best Action Game: Assassin's Creed - This game is so approachable and fun. Playing it is like eating the last piece of cake ever to be made,

Best Role Playing Game: Mass Effect - Yes, the game may have ****cal flaws. However, you don't go to level 50 if the story wasn't worth it.

Best Graphics: Halo 3 - Halo 3's graphical presentation is amazing. The scale is daunting compared to other games.

Best use of a License: Marvel Ultimate Alliance - I'm certainly not awarding Spider Man 3 anything simply out of spite. Besides, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is like a comic book orgy.

Best new IP: Portal. Portal maybe running on an old game engine, but the concept behind the portal gun is unparallel to anything else.

Best Sound Design: This is a Tie -
Halo 3 and Mass Effect
both games have spectacular voice acting. Halo 3 has impressive sound effects, but the amount voice work used in Mass Effect matches all of that.

Best Driving Game: Forza Motorsport 2 - I didn't play any other driving game.

Best Value: This is a tie between
Halo 3
Mass Effect
Call of Duty 4
Rainbow Six Vegas
The Orange Box

These games all have excellent value. Halo 3 puts closure to the epic battle between Master Chief, The Covenant, and the Flood. It also has what is arguably one of the best multiplayer experiences available. Mass Effect is an amazing RPG with an extremely high replay value. COD 4 puts together a solid single player campaign, albeit short, still fun, and then backs it up with an impressive multiplayer. Rainbow Six Vegas has an interesting campaign, most of all though its cover system is truly dynamic. Multiplayer is great, but it does have a few falls. You simply can't overlook the package though. The Orange Box is what it is. Half Life 2 is Half Life 2. It comes with two expansion packs, Team Fortress, and Portal, which possibly the best thing in the entire box. The over price for this is well worth it without question.

Game of the Year: The one award you two or three avid readers are biting for. Yes it's time I present this prestigious award to my choice game. The one game that shines above all else in 2007 will receive this award. Yes, we know why this game deserves it. It stands alone as the truly the best game of the year. Nothing else released this year can match it. What is game of the year? Are you waiting? Do you want to know?

Nominees:

Bioshock

The Orange Box

Mass Effect

Assassin's Creed

Forza Motorsport 2

Pokémon Diamond

The Runner Up: Pokémon Diamond - Yes, this game was so close. I'll always have fond childhood memories of playing Pokémon. However, I'll always remember that my dreams were fulfilled when this series made it online. While it was just enough, it was too late. Pokémon Diamond will always have a special place my heart.

Now: My 2007 game of the year is: Mass Effect - This is one of those games that just have so many things to remember. It has the story, the game play, and the characters. The universe in this game is just that, the universe. I'll be playing this game four years from now, like I've played through KOTOR twice this year. Mass Effect is that awe inspiring, ethics and moral code questioning game. It goes there, without going there. Yes, Mass Effect is my 2007 game of the year.

Thank you all for reading. Enjoy the New Year, and Happy Gaming.

NOTE: This year end review is consisted of games I played this year, not what was released this year.