Early Access for SWTOR begins today. If you previously pre-ordered the game, you’ll get access within the next 7 days, depending on when you redeemed your code: those who redeemed it as early as possible will be able to play first.

Stephen Reid, BioWare’s Senior Community Manager tweeted a few things about the early access, including the exact start time: Early Game Access officially starts at 4AM PST / 6AM CST / 7AM EST / 12PM GMT / 1PM CET on December 13. Emails will be sent around then.

Additionally, here’s a few other questions answered related to the early access:

• Emails will go out after that point in in waves. Yes, we’ll tell you when the emails will get sent via Forums/Twitter.
• No, not *everyone* will get in tomorrow. We are strictly allowing people admittance by when they redeemed pre-order code.
• All server types will be live tomorrow (PvP, PvE, RP-PvE, RP-PvP). All servers available to all (no EU-US or guild restrictions).
• If you’re in a pre-imported guild, no, that doesn’t get you priority access- but your guild server will be there when you get in.
• No, don’t ask when you get in. We will let in a *lot* of people tomorrow – but not everyone. If you’re not in Day One, don’t explode.
• The Forums will be back up for all who have redeemed a pre-order code just before 7AM EST (AKA, Early Game Access start).
• Servers you’ll see up tomorrow are NOT the final list. We’ll be adding more during Early Game Access.
• I’m afraid I have no further updates on retailers and shipping, but it’s moving about at very high levels. More tomorrow on that.

Additionally, the new community forum is now up and running! All previous threads from the beta have been wiped, so you can be sure you’ll now only get new and updated information there. You can use it to discuss anything from classes to crew skills.

I’d also like to remind those who are still undecided with their class, race or other choices to check out some of the information on this site as well:

• Classes: If you still don’t know which one you want to play, see this!
• Races: A breakdown of all playable species
• Planets: Take a look at which Star Wars planets you’ll level up on
• SWTOR System Requirements: If you need to upgrade your PC, now’s the chance
• Crew Skills: Take a look at our guide on professions and find out which ones are best for your class
• Strategy Guide: You can also get this leveling and strategy guide to help you with The Old Republic

Remember, if you redeemed your pre-order code you might not get your game access immediately, so don’t get too frustrated. We’ve all been waiting for this game for years, so another few days won’t make much of a difference.

And so it begins. But really, how long have you been waiting for this game?

Similar Posts:

• Beta Testing Weekends FAQ
• Beta Testing Weekends Announced
• Grab Free Killerguides SWTOR Strategy Guides
• Release Date Announced – December 20
• SWTOR Collector’s Edition Contents Leaked

Early Access Begins, New Forums Launched is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

We still have a couple of months until The Old Republic is out. While many of us are occupied watching countless gameplay videos and reading crafting and class stuff as much as possible, some are busy with writing player guides which will help you learn the details of that, and more. One of those are the writers behind Killerguides, a publisher with experience in writing guides for over 20 different online games. We got a deal with them helping you score a few free copies of their SWTOR strategy guide once it’s released, so read on to find out what you’re getting and how.

Killerguides is still working on polishing this guide and it’s not ready to be released just yet, but you can already preorder it early and ensure you don’t miss out on this opportunity. SWTOR game preorders have now reached over 700,000 in US alone, so no doubt someone is interested in some detailed non-official information straight from beta testers who have had the chance to test the game top to bottom. I haven’t been able to read this guide just yet, but I did check out strategy guides for several other MMORPGs from the same publisher and I can say they are quite worth it.

There’s a lot of content planned for this strategy guide, and most importantly it will include a leveling guide to help you reduce those 200+ required hours of gameplay to reach the level cap to much less. A leveling guide for Star Wars: The Old Republic is definitely most helpful and will show you how to complete missions quickly by giving you their overview, descriptions, locations and more. Class-related missions will also be covered, and there are plenty of them for sure. Those are the ones you don’t want to miss as they usually give the best equipment, lightsabers, companions and even ships.

There’s also information on all available classes in this SWTOR strategy guide: we do our best to provide you with as much information as possible right here on this site, but it will probably never be as comprehensive as this premium guide. It’ll include class strategies, group tactics, abilities, skill tree builds, crew skill recommendations, info on companions, PvP tips, equipment recommendations and more. Basically, an all-in-one reference to your favorite class which you can fire up whenever you want and find out everything you need to know without having to search for it on different fansites. You could even fire it up on your iPad for ultimate coolness.

Crew skills are also covered, giving you an overview of all crafting, gathering and mission skills from someone who actually tried them all. You’ll get plenty of info on all aspects of professions, such as where to learn them, how to level them up, how to easily gain materials, which companions to take to increase your crew skills stats, etc. It’s also intermingled with a guide on making credits, which will teach you exactly how to make the most money out of all this. The credit making guide is actually quite comprehensive and goes well beyond crew skills, as all aspects of credit making are covered, whether you prefer flipping items on the auction house, grinding, doing missions, flashpoints, or something else.

Considering Killerguides has authors who are professional gamers and have the experience necessary to compile a guide like this, it will no doubt be a success. The guide is currently scheduled for release on the same date as SWTOR itself, but as I previously mentioned you can pre-order and secure your copy in advance: the guide is scheduled for release on the same day as the game, December 20: perfect. There’s also a huge number of other SWTOR guides they offer so I really suggest you at least check out what they have to offer.

For those of you looking to grab a free copy of Killerguides SWTOR Strategy Guide, all you have to do is post a comment below telling us why you think this guide will be awesome. We’ll choose the best 3 comments after a few days and forward your info (just make sure to type in a valid email in the required field) to Killerguides staff so they can set you up with the guide.

Edit:

We picked the winners! Wasn’t easy since there appears to be a lot of cool comments about this guide, but we chose the 3 most creative ones, at least we think:

1. JabbawantsGuidance
2. Sephlyn
3. Raving

Congratulations, your contact info will be forwarded to Killerguides. They’ll set you up with the guide as soon as it’s released. Everyone else, you can go ahead and preorder it.

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• SWTOR Crew Skills (Crafting) Overview
• Early Access Begins, New Forums Launched
• Can SWTOR Sell 3 Million Copies?
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Grab Free Killerguides SWTOR Strategy Guides is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

First of all, SWTOR’s release date is now globally set to December 20, meaning players from Europe will get to enjoy the game on the same day as those from the US. Note however that TOR still won’t release in countries not in the list here. More details on that will hopefully come soon.

The official site has received a slight update with the addition of Operations (raids). No big news there though. We also recently found out there will be more than 10 flashpoints (instances) available at launch, and it’s certainly good to know they’re not sticking with the five we know about so far. Now we have a confirmed number of 15 Flashpoints (instances), which will be spread throughout your leveling experience: each new one will be available every few levels. Also all of these Flashpoints will have level 50 versions as well, which is undoubtedly great news for everyone worried about the endgame content.

Thanks to TorWars, we also have some other random bits of info:

• Random: 200,000 posts per week on official forums
• Only 1 game & no secret game in the background. 100% dedicated to TOR
• New Operation involving the Hutts!
• The 3 confirmed Warzones are Alderaan, Huttball and Voidstar
• Collector’s Edition has access to VIP club at the respective fleets
• Expansion is already under way (via comment by Daniel Erickson)
• No “dungeon finder” re-confirmed
• Extreme light/dark side points will affect appearance, but not abilities – for now
• No player bounties, but has been discussed

Lastly we have another amazing (aren’t they all?) trailer called Signs of War, showing us a few planets, classes, PvP combat and what looks to be Ilum. Be sure to watch it below:

So tell us what you think of these new updates: is the trailer any good? Would you like to see more flashpoints and operations added at launch? Are you already excited more by the announcement of the expansion than the game itself? Discuss below.

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• New E3 Trailer Released
• SWTOR E3 2011 Wrap Up
• New SWTOR Release Date Info, Testing in Europe Starting Soon
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NYCC Updates: Global Release Date, Flashpoints & More is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

Finally, after months and even years of anticipation we have the official release date for Star Wars: The Old Republic!

Bioware co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk announced the launch date at 2011 Eurogamer Expo in London. Just a few days ago there was still speculation that SWTOR might slip into next year, and this announcement may be a reaction of sorts to the news that Diablo III will be released in March next year.

Nevertheless it’s the news we’ve all been waiting for, and here it is again in bold: Star Wars: The Old Republic will officially release on December 20, 2011 in the United States, and December 22, 2011 in Europe. Update: launch date now globally set to December 20.

Additionally we know the pricing details as well:

• 1 Month Subscription: $14.99 (£8.99/€12.99)
• 3 Month Subscription: $13.99 per month (one-time charge of $41.97/£25.17/€35.97)
• 6 Month Subscription: $12.99 per month (one-time charge of $77.94/£46.14/€65.94)

Retail copy of the game gives you 30 days of free game time as well. Currently there’s no yearly subscription options, and unfortunately no lifetime subscriptions either which is quite surprising. The following table will give you a quick overview of how much you can save by subscribing for 3/6 months:

Bottomline: if you subscribe for 3 months, you’ll get (almost) one free month yearly, and if you choose the 6 month subscription you’ll get (nearly) two free months per year. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which is worth it.

For those of you wondering about cash shops or similar, nothing has yet been announced. Additionally, Early Game Access dates are also currently not known, but in case you haven’t preordered the game yet, the sooner you do the better.

This is going to be a great holiday season indeed.

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• Beta Testing Weekends Announced
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• SWTOR Collector’s Edition Contents Leaked

Release Date Announced – December 20 is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

1. What’s the difference between Early Game Access, Beta Testing Weekends, Guild Testing and Game Testing?
2. As part of Beta Testing Weekends, will the Game Testing Agreement (specifically, the Non-Disclosure Agreement) be lifted or modified?
3. Will Beta Testing Weekend invites be sent in the usual way Game Testing invites are sent?
4. After a Beta Testing Weekend is over, will I get re-invited to a future Beta Testing Weekend?
5. I previously participated in Game Testing, but am no longer participating. Does that omit me from being re-selected, either for a Beta Testing Weekend, or Game Testing generally?
6. Will future Beta Testing Weekends be three days long?
7. I got an invite to a Beta Testing Weekend, but can’t test during that weekend due to other commitments. Can I postpone my invite to another weekend?
8. Will those invited to Beta Testing Weekends be playing on the same servers as those in Game Testing?
9. Will extra time be given to download the SWTOR game client before a Beta Testing Weekend starts?
10. Can I use the same game client in testing and then at launch?
11. Do those invited to Beta Testing Weekends get access to Forums to talk about their experience and give feedback?
12. Are invites to Game Testing still random?
13. There used to be a ‘System Scan’ function on the website as part of Game Testing sign-up, and now it’s gone. How does this affect me?
14. When does Game Testing for EU-based players start?
15. As EU players are being invited now and other players have been testing for longer, will feedback from EU players make a difference to the game at launch?
16. As part of Guild Testing, will guilds be invited to Beta Testing Weekends?
17. I have infractions on my Forums account. Does that prevent me from being invited to Game Testing?
18. I pre-ordered The Old Republic; does that allow me access to Game Testing or Beta Testing Weekends?
19. I live outside of the initial launch countries for Star Wars: The Old Republic; will I be able to take part in Game Testing in any way?

1. What’s the difference between Early Game Access, Beta Testing Weekends, Guild Testing and Game Testing?

They are four different ways to get access to play The Old Republic. Details are as follows:

1. Early Game Access: Available to everyone who pre-orders any edition of Star Wars: The Old Republic and redeems their Pre-Order Code. Essentially a head-start, it will begin before the formal release date/launch day of the game. The final release client will be used to play. Exact duration will be revealed closer to our release date.
2. Beta Testing Weekends: Large scale, short-term testing. We will be inviting registered testers to play the game in greater invite numbers than ever before. The first Beta Testing Weekend started on September 2nd. They will continue beyond September and will not necessarily occur every weekend.
3. Game Testing: The ongoing testing program. We continue to invite those who have registered for Game Testing into the program on a regular basis. Those selected will generally test the game for an extended period of time, as opposed to a Beta Testing Weekend.
4. Guild Testing: We are selecting guilds who are registered on our Guild HQ for inclusion into general Game Testing (see above). Invites to a guild do not necessarily extend to all guild members.

2. As part of Beta Testing Weekends, will the Game Testing Agreement (specifically, the Non-Disclosure Agreement) be lifted or modified?

No. The Game Testing Agreement is still fully in effect for Beta Testing Weekends. As before, you may tell others that you are part of the Game Testing Program (or that you have been invited to a Beta Testing Weekend). However, you may not reveal any other details about your game testing experience, including any aspect of the testing process, any details of the client, or any assets from the game (including text). Even after the Game Testing Weekend is over you may not detail your experiences.

Any breaches of the Game Testing Agreement at any time will result in your potential immediate removal from Game Testing and/or prevent you from being invited to any future testing.

3. Will Beta Testing Weekend invites be sent in the usual way Game Testing invites are sent?

Yes. Those invited will receive an email to the email address they have registered on their SWTOR account. The email will come from no-reply@bioware.swtor.com. Ensure you have that email address registered in your email whitelist so that the email does not go into your spam folder. If you think you have deleted the email by mistake, you can check to see if you have been invited by logging in to the SWTOR.com web site at www.swtor.com/tester/. If you are unsure of an email’s authenticity, we strongly advise you to login to the website to confirm. If you are still unsure, please email support@swtor.com

4. After a Beta Testing Weekend is over, will I get re-invited to a future Beta Testing Weekend?

At this time, we are not planning to re-invite those who are invited to a Beta Testing Weekend to future Beta Testing Weekends. This may change in the future.

5. I previously participated in Game Testing, but am no longer participating. Does that omit me from being re-selected, either for a Beta Testing Weekend, or Game Testing generally?

Currently, if you have previously been selected to test Star Wars: The Old Republic, you will normally not be re-selected for future testing. (This applies whether you were selected previously for Game Testing, a Beta Testing Weekend, or any other testing access.) That may change closer to launch, but we want to get as many fresh eyes on the game as possible.

6. Will future Beta Testing Weekends be three days long?

Most Beta Testing Weekends will last roughly from a Friday evening to Sunday evening. In some cases, we may choose to extend the time available at our discretion.

7. I got an invite to a Beta Testing Weekend, but can’t test during that weekend due to other commitments. Can I postpone my invite to another weekend?

You may choose, if you wish, to decline a Beta Testing Weekend invite. If you do this, you will be put back into the general ‘pool’ for potential future selection. However, your selection in the future is not guaranteed; you will be picked randomly.

8. Will those invited to Beta Testing Weekends be playing on the same servers as those in Game Testing?

For the first weekend, those invited will be playing on a separate server. This will probably be the format for future Beta Testing Weekends, but if our requirements change, we may invite people to specific servers (or potentially allow them to choose from multiple servers).

9. Will extra time be given to download the SWTOR game client before a Beta Testing Weekend starts?

Yes. Invites to Beta Testing Weekends are generally sent out a few days before the weekend to allow time to download the client. However, because of internet download speeds and the invite schedule, we cannot guarantee you will have the game client downloaded and installed before the weekend starts.

The size of the game client is currently approximately 27Gb.

10. Can I use the same game client in testing and then at launch?

We cannot guarantee that you will not have to re-download and re-install the game client at any point before the start of Early Game Access. Periodically addditional content patches may be required during any period of Game Testing.

11. Do those invited to Beta Testing Weekends get access to Forums to talk about their experience and give feedback?

Yes. Specific Forums for Beta Testing Weekends will be opened from when invites are sent out for that weekend, until a short period of time after the weekend’s testing is over. These will only be accessible to those invited to the specific Beta Testing Weekend.

12. Are invites to Game Testing still random?

Yes. Those invited to Game Testing – of any kind – are still currently randomly selected from those who have opted-in to be eligible for Game Testing.

13. There used to be a ‘System Scan’ function on the website as part of Game Testing sign-up, and now it’s gone. How does this affect me?

We no longer require potential Game Testing applicants to perform a ‘system scan’. If you have previously scanned your PC and have since upgraded it, don’t be concerned. You’re still eligible for selection to Game Testing.

14. When does Game Testing for EU-based players start?

Game Testing for EU-based players is imminent, and will include localized French and German versions of the game. Future phases of Game Testing for EU players will happen on EU-based servers. Beta Testing Weekends will also begin specifically for EU players in the same timeframe.

15. As EU players are being invited now and other players have been testing for longer, will feedback from EU players make a difference to the game at launch?

Yes. Every piece of feedback from a tester is potentially useful. Even if a piece of feedback is not acted upon before launch, it may be used to change the game in some way in the future.

16. As part of Guild Testing, will guilds be invited to Beta Testing Weekends?

Guilds are generally invited to the main Game Testing program. Individual guild members, through random selection, may be invited to Beta Testing Weekends, but guilds will not be selected for inclusion in Beta Testing Weekends as part of Guild Testing.

17. I have infractions on my Forums account. Does that prevent me from being invited to Game Testing?

No, it does not, although accruing enough infractions could lead to a Forums ban. If you are banned from the Forums, you would also be removed from Game Testing.

18. I pre-ordered The Old Republic; does that allow me access to Game Testing or Beta Testing Weekends?

At this time, pre-ordering The Old Republic and redeeming your Pre-Order Code ensures you gain Early Game Access.

19. I live outside of the initial launch countries for Star Wars: The Old Republic; will I be able to take part in Game Testing in any way?

We’re hoping to extend Game Testing to many more countries before launch, but we have no estimate on exactly when that will happen.

Hopefully this answers most of your questions. If you have any other concerns let us know in the comments below, perhaps we can dig up an answer!

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Beta Testing Weekends FAQ is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

The videos show both male and female character creation and customization options. For those of you too lazy to scroll you can quickly jump to your favorite species with links below:

• Zabrak – Male, Female
• Twi’lek – Male, Female
• Sith Pureblood – Male, Female
• Rattataki – Male, Female
• Mirialan – Male, Female
• Miraluka – Male, Female
• Human – Male, Female
• Cyborg – Male, Female
• Chiss – Male, Female

Zabrak

Male:

Female:

Twi’lek

Male:

Female:

Sith Pureblood

Male:

Female:

Rattataki

Male:

Female:

Mirialan

Male:

Female:

Miraluka

Male:

Female:

Human

Male:

Female:

Cyborg

Male:

Female:

Chiss

Male:

Female:

If you want to learn more about different races, including their brief history and racial traits, be sure to see our playable species page.

Similar Posts:

• Playable Classes for Species Revealed
• Imperial Agent
• Sith Inquisitor
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Character Creation Videos is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

Admittedly the already insane popularity of Star Wars: The Old Republic and the hundreds of thousands of pre-ordered units do give us a hint that this is going to be one massive game. A recently released MMORPG Rift sold over a million copies and it wasn’t nearly as hyped as SWTOR is.

The biggest questions is whether The Old Republic can really deliver a great gaming experience and keep most of the buyers subscribed. From what we know of the game so far it’s better than any other MMO released in the past few years, but still there are many unknowns and whether the players will stick with it is to be seen.

I for one think SWTOR can sell 3 million copies of the game within the first two months after release. With the growing anticipation, EA’s marketing and Bioware’s skills in making great games I can certainly see it happening. However I’m not sure they can keep 2 million subscribers engaged in the game for one year; about 1 million seems much more reasonable estimate to me. But, as with all predictions, I may be completely wrong.

What’s your opinion?

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• SWTOR a $300 Million Failure?
• SWTOR Has 1.5 Million Beta Subscribers
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Can SWTOR Sell 3 Million Copies? is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

It’s nothing new and we have a whole lot of other info on the site right here, but hopefully you’ll find it useful if you’re looking for a quick overview and maybe something you can share with your friends when they ask about this awesome new game.

If you have any suggestions or thoughts be sure to let us know!

–

The image will be updated soon with stats from the polls below!

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SWTOR Classes, Advanced Classes and Roles Breakdown is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

“As anticipation grows, BioWare also proudly announced today that Star Wars: The Old Republic will open “Beta Test Weekends” starting this September. These weekend play sessions will be open to selected players worldwide and create an opportunity for fans to get a sneak peek of the epic stories, worlds, quests, battles and characters in the game”

So in a few months most of you will be able to experience SWTOR first hand. Although there will no doubt be countless players getting into the beta testing I’m confident we’ll be able to give out a few beta keys to you via this site as well, so be sure to keep an eye on that as well. Those of you who did or will preorder the game will most likely have access to all these beta weekends (it has been stated players who pre-order will get early game access, although it wasn’t specified if these beta weekends are in play).

One additional piece of great news from this report is that the targeted release for Star Wars: The Old Republic is this year’s holiday season:

“We are targeting Star Wars: The Old Republic to be one of the biggest launches of holiday 2011″

Unfortunately yet again we don’t have an exact date, but this is as good as it gets.

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• SWTOR Has 1.5 Million Beta Subscribers
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Beta Testing Weekends Announced is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide

The collectors edition contains the following items:

• Exclusive Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue
• Star Wars: The Old Republic game discs in collectible metal case
• The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural annotated by Satele Shan
• Old Republic galaxy map
• Custom Security Authentication Key (i.e. Authenticator)
• Exclusive Music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD
• High-Quality Collector’s Edition Box

Additionally, these digital items are included:

• Flare Gun: Fire flares into the air
• Training Droid: Hovers at your side for combat assistance
• HoloDancer: Project your own holographic dancer
• HoloCam: Keep visual records of in-game adventures
• STAP: Sleek and unique in-game vehicle
• Exclusive Mouse Droid: Spun-ky droid to join your adventures
• Exclusive Collector’s Edition Store: Unique in-game vendor with a dynamic assortment of items

Note that none of this information has yet been officially confirmed! The good news is we may finally find out the release date when the preorders are officially announced. You can expect an update of this article as soon as we hear anything concrete.

What do you think, is $220 $150 too much for a collector’s edition of the best MMORPG ever?

Edit: A pre-order page briefly appeared on GameStop with the price of $149,99 with the same bonuses as above. Hopefully we’ll know the exact details tomorrow from the San Diego Comic-con.

Another edit: Pre-orders are now official. You can view details of it here!

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SWTOR Collector’s Edition Contents Leaked is a post from: SWTOR Leveling Guide