Welcome to the Star Wars: The Old Republic Super Duper Thread buds. The mission of this thread is basically to share insight among the PC community. Information was collected from multiple resources to carry out the Galactic mission. I take no credit for this thread. So lets get to it shall we?

Star Wars: The Old Republic, currently in development by BioWare Austin, is an upcoming massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) based in the Star Wars universe. Later announced on October 21, 2008, at an invitation-only press event. SWTOR is currently being release for Microsoft Windows.

Star Wars: The Old Republic represents a new approach to online entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat, and groundbreaking companion characters. The game takes place in the Star Wars galaxy approximately three hundred years after the events of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Star Wars: The Old Republic will grant thousands of players to adventure, explore and engage in a single game session.

Three Thousand Years Before The Rise of Darth Vader...

The Galactic Republic stood for generations as a bastion of peace in a galaxy of warring star systems. Protected by its stalwart Jedi guardians, the Republic held the greatest hope for the progress of civilization and galactic unity.

Deep in unknown space, however, a mighty Sith Empire was forged, led by dark Sith Lords who dreamt of galactic domination and vengeance against their ancient Jedi enemies. After centuries of preparation, the time came for the Sith to make their return.

With a massive fleet and an awe-inspiring army of fearless troops, the Sith Emperor launched a surprise assault, quickly capturing dozens of worlds in the Outer Rim, and sparking a war unlike any other in the galaxy's history.

From the frozen wastes of Ilum to the desert plains of Dathomir, violent battles killed untold millions. Despite its avowed neutrality, surface structures on the water-covered world of Manaan were completely destroyed, forcing the Selkath to retreat to their ocean underworld. Other star systems fared worse-some destroyed, others left uninhabitable. The carnage concluded with the Sith Empire sacking the Republic's capital planet of Coruscant and forcing the Republic Senate into the controversial Treaty of Coruscant.

In the years since the treaty, fear and uncertainty have gripped the galaxy, enabling the Sith Emperor to pursue his own mysterious purposes while the Republic has made efforts to rebuild its infrastructure and adjust military priorities to the new galactic landscape.

Now, tensions between the Republic and the Empire are running high, and a series of border skirmishes and proxy wars have broken out, even on planets as historically peaceful as Alderaan. The uneasy truce established by the Treaty of Coruscant is quickly tearing apart at the seams, and a return to all-out war has begun in all but official terms.

A new generation of heroes, both light and dark, emerges to face the difficulties of these chaotic times, and fight for the fate of the galaxy in this most desperate age.

Knights of The Old Republic

Four thousand years before the rise of Darth Vader, two Jedi Knights defied the Jedi Council by engaging in the brutal Mandalorian Wars. Treading a dangerous path, the two Jedi completed their fall to the dark side while pursuing the remnants of the Mandalorian armies into deep space. Adopting Sith names, Darth Revan and his apprentice, Darth Malak, began to search for the ancient Star Forge, an artifact which would help them destroy the Republic and establish their rule across the galaxy.

Darth Malak was not content being second-in-command, however, and betrayed his Master, leaving Revan for dead at the mercy of the Jedi. Desperate to stop Darth Malak's ruthless campaign, the Jedi Council made an unconventional decision. Hoping to use Revan to defeat his former apprentice, the Council wiped Revan's memory and re-trained him as a Jedi. Unaware of his past, Revan joined Jedi Knight Bastila Shan to trace his own dark footsteps and find a way to stop Darth Malak.

Traveling the galaxy together and with additional companions, Revan and Bastila were ultimately successful, defeating Darth Malak and destroying the Star Forge. In the process, Revan discovered the truth about his past, but never recovered his full memory. Nonetheless, he was plagued by shadowy recollections of a darkness in deep space, and after Malak was gone, Revan disappeared, never to be heard from again.

Knights of The Old Republic II

Within years of Revan's disappearance, a new threat emerged-a triumvirate of Sith Lords who hunted down and destroyed all the Jedi in the galaxy. After successfully exterminating all but a handful of Jedi, the leader of the triumvirate, Darth Traya revealed her greater and much darker plot-to destroy the Force itself.

Seeking out a younger woman known as the Jedi Exile, Darth Traya began manipulating events to achieve her dark intentions. The Jedi Exile had fought at Revan's side during the Mandalorian Wars and had subsequently lost her connection to the Force during the final battle on Malachor V. Darth Traya established a bond with the Exile, and began rekindling the Exile's Force powers. Ultimately, her plan was to the Exile as catalyst to destroy the Force.

When Traya's dark motives became clear to the Exile, she defeated the other two members of the Sith triumvirate, and then destroyed Darth Traya herself on the ravaged planet of Malachor V. During the process, the Exile discovered clues left for her by Revan before his disappearance. When Darth Traya was defeated, the Exile followed the clues into deep space, where she also, was never heard from again.

300 Years have passed...

While ultimately the fates of Revan and the Jedi Exile remain a mystery, what is known is that in deep space, there was a greater darkness. It was this darkness which played a role in Revan and Malak's fall to the dark side, and it was this darkness which influenced the actions of the Sith triumvirate...

This is the darkness that now returns full force...

Korriban

The earliest Sith lived on the red, dusty planet of Korriban, determined to grow strong despite the inhospitable climate. Their success culminated in a bold civilization, made stronger when dark Force-users arrived and interbred after being driven out of the early Jedi Order. This ancient Sith civilization eventually became a superpower and challenged the Republic during the Great Hyperspace war. Their defeat drove a handful of survivors into deep space where they regrouped and rebuilt, determined to return.

Over time, the new Sith Empire lost its way back to Korriban, until a visit a few centuries ago by two Jedi returning from the Mandalorian wars. Turned to the dark side, the two Jedi, Revan and Malak, attempted to reclaim the Sith's legacy in the known galaxy, but turned on each other and self-destructed.

The true Sith Empire, governed by a thousand-year-old Dark Emperor, wisely waited, and returned to the known galaxy only when completely prepared to defeat the Jedi and the Republic.

Retaking the holy planet of Korriban as a top priority, the Sith re-established the glorious Sith Academy and began training a new generation of Sith to inherit their dark legacy and seize their birthright as the true rulers of the galaxy.

Tython

Mystical scholars gathered on the harsh and mysterious world of Tython millennia ago to begin the first studies of the Force, but controversy among the scholars' ranks created a cataclysm which nearly destroyed the planet. A small group of survivors fled to another star system, put their dark past behind them, and founded the Jedi Order.

Thousands of years passed, and the true legacy of Tython was forgotten.

Rediscovering the planet early in the Great War, the modern Jedi began exploring the mysteries of Tython's history, and learning much about the earliest Force users.

When the Empire sacked Coruscant and destroyed their long-standing Temple, the Jedi Council chose to rebuild the Temple on Tython and train a new generation of Jedi to battle the Sith menace. They soon discovered, however, that Tython's mystical power carried its own dark legacy, a pervasive taint of unknown origins...

The Sith Empire

The true origins of the Sith remain shrouded in mystery. The Sith race was, in fact, largely unimportant until three thousand years ago, when Dark Jedi exiles arrived on Korriban and subjugated the Sith beneath their rule and their philosophy.

As the years passed, the Dark Jedi intermarried with those they ruled, and within generations, the word "Sith" took on new meaning. This powerful new civilization began expanding rapidly, led by a growing population of ambitious dark Force-users. Fifteen hundred years ago, the Sith civilization's boundaries reached the Republic, and the Great Hyperspace War began.

Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow led his armies in an aggressive campaign to destroy the Galactic Republic. Though the Sith were successful at first, the Jedi Order rallied back to defeat their dark counterparts, systematically destroying the Sith civilization on Korriban.

Unbeknownst to the Jedi however, the last Emperor of the Sith managed to escape the carnage and fled into Deep Space with his most trusted Dark Lords.

These surviving Sith began rebuilding their society on a distant planet, hoping to one-day return for revenge.

Over the course of the next thousand years, the Sith Empire recovered its strength. The Emperor developed a massive Imperial military, a fleet of advanced warships, and undertook dark rituals which prolonged his life and his undisputed rule.

When the time for vengeance arrived, the Sith began infiltrating star systems in the Outer Rim, sowing seeds of discord and making secret deals with local criminals and warlords. With all the pieces perfectly in place, the Sith launched an enormous offensive which caught the Jedi completely off-guard. In the first wave alone, the Sith succeeded in seizing control of several star systems in the Outer Rim, destroying the Republic's shipyards in the Sluis sector, and strangling the popular Rimma Trade Route.

After the initial crush, the Emperor's brilliant strategies continued and the brutal force of the Imperial military slammed the Republic time and time again, from the deep sinkholes of Utapau to the tall forests of Agamar. Though it seemed the Empire was capable of waging war indefinitely, the Emperor surprised the Republic yet again.

While the Emperor's Dark Council engaged Republic leaders in peace talks, several Sith Lords and an elite Imperial army sacked the Republic's capital planet.

Destroying the Jedi Temple and holding the planet hostage, the Sith left Republic leaders no choice but to surrender several outlying star systems by signing the Treaty of Coruscant.

Since the treaty, the Emperor has withdrawn to pursue his own mysterious goals, deferring control to the Dark Council, and setting the stage for a brutal power struggle. In the political vacuum, the strongest and most cunning Sith and Imperial leaders are rising up to assume authority, consolidate the Empire's dominion and crush its enemies.

The Galactic Republic

For more than twenty thousand years, the Galactic Republic has been the most civilized and advanced power in the known galaxy. Governed by the Galactic Senate with representatives from hundreds of star systems and planets, the Republic has been the center of peace and progress, a bright beacon in the darkness of outer space.

The revered Jedi Order has sworn itself to defend the Republic, to battle the darkness, and to bring peace and balance to the greater galaxy. The Jedi have served for millennia in this capacity, and in that time they have earned themselves the admiration of their allies, and the hatred of their enemies.

Less than a century ago, the greatest of those enemies returned...

The onslaught of the Sith Empire caught the Republic and the Jedi completely by surprise, and during a long and arduous war, the Republic was broken. After the capital planet of Coruscant was ravaged by the Sith's Imperial forces, the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate were forced to sign the painful Treaty of Coruscant, which required the Republic to withdraw its support of several long-standing allies, including the ever-loyal Bothans.

Struggling with a wave of withdrawing star systems, an insurmountable supply crisis, and chaos on the streets of Coruscant, the Senate has become paralyzed in the years since the treaty.

The bitter and divided nobility of the Core Worlds disputes every decision, damaging the morale of the Republic's already discouraged citizens. Blaming the Jedi for the failures that led to Imperial domination, the Senate has distanced itself from the Republic's legendary guardians.

The Jedi remain committed to protecting the Republic, but the Jedi Council has moved from Coruscant to the ancient Jedi homeworld of Tython.

The Republic has trained up new squads of Special Forces, disciplined teams capable of working together with near-perfect efficiency. These elite troopers still work often in conjunction with the Jedi, but in many places, the troopers have taken the prominent role in providing the Republic's defense.

Despite a post-war economic depression and the continued expansion of its enemies, the spirit of the Republic remains independent, brave, and strong. New leaders are stepping forward even now to stand against the dark Sith Empire, liberate the galaxy, and restore the Republic to its former glory.

I know some are thinking why should I even bother or even care for a mmo, "While there are some tasks that cannot be completed without the cooperation of others, the majority of the game can be accomplished by playing alone. Star Wars: The Old Republic will be similar to other MMOs but with several key innovations. Traditionally MMOs are built on three pillars; Exploration, Combat, and Progression. We at BioWare and LucasArts believe there is a fourth pillar: Story. Our mission is to create the best story-driven games in the world. We believe that the compelling, interactive storylines in Star Wars: The Old Republic are a significant innovation to MMOs and will offer an entertainment experience unlike any other."

The Engine

HeroEngine is a 3D game engine and server technology platform developed by Simutronics Corporation specifically for building MMO-design/genre games. Originally developed for the company's own game Hero's Journey, the engine won multiple awards at tradeshows, and has since been licensed by other companies such as BioWare Austin (which is using it for their Star Wars: The Old Republic game) and Stray Bullet Games (for an as yet unnamed project).

The engine has won awards for its unique ability to allow collaborative work between many game developers at the same time. For example, one developer can be creating a house and the entities inside, while another works on the landscaping and terrain around it. Each sees the other's work in real time.

NalHutta (Evocar)

In Huttese, the name translates into "Glorious Jewel", and the planet more commonly called Nal Hutta is considered a paradise to the gluttonous tastes of the Hutts. To anyone else, though, the planet is a living nightmare-a disgusting and dangerous place to visit, and an unthinkable place to live. Current Underworld slang has shortened the name to a simple 'Hutta'-a place where more civilized people threaten to send their children if they misbehave.

Before the creation of the Republic, Hutta was controlled by the native Evocii, a relatively primitive race who made the mistake of engaging in extensive business deals with the Hutts, ignoring rumors of their legendary greed. Centuries later, the Evocii realized their mistake too late-their entire civilization was mortgaged. When the Hutts' home-world of Varl later became polluted and uninhabitable, the Hutts collected on the Evocii's debts, becoming rulers of the planet.

In the thousands of years since, the Hutts have subjugated the Evocii-they live in slavery and squalor while the Hutts' insatiable pursuit wealth pollutes the planet. Hutta has become the breeding grounds for the powerful Hutt families who control competing crime cartels that operate across the galaxy. Though petty vendettas keep them in constant conflict with one another, the Hutts have remained neutral in the long-running war between the Republic and the Sith Empire, keeping their world exactly as they like it.

The Hutts are the lords of Hutta's demented society, and all other races, even official foreign emissaries, are seen as expendable fodder in the Hutts' bloated, wormlike eyes. Even the most infamous bounty hunters are hesitant to venture on the Hutts' home-turf, and no sane person would ever come to Hutta willingly without the most crucial need.

The SithLords

The true Sith have spent centuries building their strength in the depths of unknown space. The Sith Emperor patiently planned for the day when his Sith Empire would repay the Jedi for the humiliating defeats of the past. In that time, generations of Sith have come and gone, working hard and devoting their lives to the dream of vengeance.

With dark discipline and meticulous execution, the Sith's first assault on their enemies succeeded to near-perfection. They sliced through the Jedi and their defenses as if they weren't even there. Though their aggressive advances were eventually slowed, the Sacking of Coruscant settled any questions about whether the Sith were victorious.

In the years since the treaty, the twelve-member Sith Dark Council has overseen the consolidation of the Empire's new domains and the restructuring to put practical matters in the hands of the Imperial military so the Sith Lords can plan for the future. The Sith Lords' focus has now turned to recruiting and training new acolytes to increase the Empire's power. When the final battle with the Jedi comes, the Sith Lords plan to be prepared. There will be no mercy.

In the vaulted halls of the Sith Academy on Korriban and in the deep tombs of the great Dark Lords of the past, potential Sith must face arduous tests to prove their worthiness. Even if they survive this deadly training, though, their greatest challenge lies in the cruel competition of their fellow acolytes, as each vies for the favor of their Masters. Ultimately, only the strongest will become Sith; the others will simply die trying.

The Jedi Order

The Jedi have been the noble peacekeepers and diplomats for the Galactic Republic for 22,000 years. While law-abiding citizens look to the Jedi with respect and inspiration, the Galactic Republic's enemies regard the Jedi with suspicion, fear, and anger.

The success of the Sith Empire's military campaign during the Great War saw the deaths of thousands of Jedi. During the sacking of Coruscant, six Masters of the Jedi Council were killed, and in the time since, the Sith have started their own recruitment campaign to seek out Force-sensitive children around the galaxy.

These catastrophes have damaged the Galactic Republic's faith in its legendary protectors, but they are far from defeated. Overwhelmed but fearless, the Jedi have returned to their ancient homeworld of Tython, recommitting to their timeless principles and looking to the future, hoping to restore balance to the Force and peace and justice to the galaxy.

Despite their intentions, the Jedi Order's search for serenity on Tython has been strained. Among the ancient Tythonian ruins, mysterious Force energies abound, and the legacy of a long forgotten darkness has re-emerged. With the arrival of a Twi'lek pilgrim clan determined to settle on Tython in violation of Galactic Republic law, delicate and dangerous trials have arisen for Jedi Padawans in training and for the Order itself.

Threat of Peace

Star Wars: The Old Republic, Threat of Peace is being developed as a joint venture between BioWare, LucasArts, and Dark Horse comics. Written in conjunction with the BioWare writing team working on Star WarsTM: The Old RepublicTM and produced by the comic experts at Dark Horse, the comic will offer readers a dramatic introduction to the Old Republic time period and many of the characters who appear in the game. Stay tuned and follow the storyline to its dramatic conclusion setting the stage for the players' entrance into the game. Issues of the comic will be released twice a month

The Comic can be found at http://www.swtor.com/media/webcomic

Developer Dispatch: The making of the Tython

Video Documentary #1

Video Documentary # 2

Video Documentary # 3

Developer Walkthrough

Jedi vs Sith Cinematic Trailer HD- Jedi vs Sith Cinematic Trailer SD

View More TOR Films Here...

The Concepts

Art technique is often considered one of the most important aspects of a gameplay experience. Done well, it tells a story all by itself, and evokes the mood that immerses you into the character and the environment. Since the announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic, there has been a great deal of interest regarding the game's visualtechnique We'd like to share some more behind-the-scenes information with you and show how our Art Team came to develop what we have come to call "stylized realism".

The overarching goal of the art for Star Wars: The Old Republic is to bring concept art paintings to life in 3D. This goal has led the artists to forego the use of photographs for surface textures in favor of hand-painting every asset. The concept art also drove the game art to match its heroic and idealized proportions of the characters and environments. Part of remaining true to theoriginal big screen vision of Star WarsTM is not only to look like it, but also to ensure that the art feels like it on the small screen. There is a fine line to follow in being true to the realistic expectations that we inherit from the movies while making technique choices that will play well on the computer screen. This distillation of the Star Wars vision through a painters eye and a fan's heart forms the core of the visual direction of the game.

The stylized realism approach has many advantages. For instance, Star Wars: The Old Republic will have a unique and instantly recognizable appearance which will continue to look great as it ages. Being on the bleeding edge graphically is a lot of fun for artists, but as that edge moves forward, games that were once living at that frontier of graphics tend to look dated as technology improves. We want to achieve visuals that look great at the lower-end computers, knowing that if they look great there, they will look great on all machines, both now and in the future.

One of the visual technique choices made for Star Wars: The Old Republic is a modeling technique we refer to as the "crease". The crease can be described as the lines you would make when drawing a character in ink. Each line creates and defines the shape of a surface and is often seen in modern industrial design. It helps define surfaces and works very well with the in-game lighting.

Color is a critical component in stylized realism for evoking mood in an environment. The Art Team conducts a color study for each planet to determine its mood and compares it to other planets so that each newly visited planet has a unique feel. This applies to character design as well. The Jedi tend to have a softer, more colorful palette, while Sith gravitate towards darker colors with higher contrast. These colors are great in evoking Light Side and Dark Side affinity in the Star Wars universe.

When it comes to designing characters, the entire team has placed a heavy emphasis on the bigger picture of costuming as part of both the Star Wars and MMORPG experience. The Art Team has a large board of wearable designs, customized to both level andc lassfor comparing every new costume to all the others. From Design to Art, everyone involved in creating the game agrees on the importance of characters looking and feeling like their respective c lasses. A character should look like the role that they play. Keeping an eye on the bigger picture also allows us to better understand the importance of advancement for characters. Sophisticated Robes, intimidating armor, and other impressive signature items will be earned at higher level. If you see someone with the signature Jedi robe or Sith Lord cape, you know they have earned it.

Making robes and capes in real-time 3D is one of the most challenging technical aspects of character creation, but an important one! You can't really have Jedi without the iconic robe or Sith Lords without a cape, can you? Armor also has a very important place in the Star Wars universe, of course, so we have definitely done some work on that as well. More garments, including armor, will be shown on the website as character c lasses are announced.

From mountains, to temples, to the smallest gadgets, much research and thought has been put in to the details to give each environment its own personality and to create a living, breathing world. Art Director, Jeff Dobson says, "The Art Team spends a lot of effort thinking through the right choices on the little things because we know that they will add up to a greater whole. You might never notice them, but you will feel it when you get that sense of immersion in Star Wars: The Old Republic."

Character Section

Bounty Hunter

An infamous mercenary of the Star WarsTM universe, the Bounty Hunter's journey is ruthless yet rewarding. Deadly missions and assassinations are just part of the dangerous tasks involved in choosing the Bounty Hunter career path. With missiles and flamethrowers at arm's reach, the Bounty Hunter uses the latest in advanced armor and weapon technology to carry out these assignments - gaining not only money, but notoriety as a reward.

Countless enemies stand in the way of the Sith Empire's drive for domination. The Empire spares no expense eliminating these threats, offering massive bounties to employ the galaxy's most lethal hunters. Earning a death mark from the Empire means a life spent in fear, constantly looking over one's shoulder. It's never a question if a Bounty Hunter will find you... only when.

Both infamous and anonymous at the same time, Bounty Hunters are far more than mercenaries for hire-they're heirs to a professional legac y-an ancient brotherhood with a glorious history. Tracking elusive targets across multiple star systems requires expertise, especially when the targets can be prominent, powerful, and often prepared for confrontation. Thrill seekers from all walks of life set out to become Bounty Hunters, but only the most hard-boiled survive in this competitive and deadly business.

View More Character Selections Here...

Balmorra

ON THE EDGE OF ALL-OUT WAR

Few places in the galaxy have seen the peace promised by the Treaty of Coruscant so thoroughly cast aside as the world of Balmorra. Fiercely independent, this long time ally of the Republic has led the galaxy in advanced droid and weapons manufacturing. Now Balmorra's workers live and suffer under a full Imperial occupation force.

Soon after Balmorra was colonized, in the infancy of the Republic, it became a haven for some of the most prolific manufacturers of fearsome weaponry and battle droids in the known galaxy. These terrible military assets, combined with the planet's strategic location close to the Core Worlds, kept Balmorra in a constant state of war. Setting its sights on the weapons of war manufactured on the planet, the Sith Empire resolved to take Balmorra, and in answer the Galactic Republic sent soldiers to aid the Balmorrans in their fight to preserve their independence.

As the war tore on and continued to spread, the strained Republic could no longer afford to spend its forces on Balmorra. Wave after wave of Republic troops were pulled off of the world for redeployment elsewhere in the galaxy, until finally, in accordance with the Treaty of Coruscant, the Republic was forced to officially end its support of Balmorra. A small, underground Republic force was left on the planet to aid their Resistance, but the Balmorrans knew the truth of it; they had been abandoned. Even so, the Empire was still unable to take full control of Balmorra.

Now, years after the treaty, a regrouped and rebuilt Republic is testing the limits of their fragile peace with the Empire, sending back the reinforcements they had pulled off the planet years before. Although the Balmorrans are accepting of Republic help, they do little to hide their resentment at having been abandoned years before. Meanwhile, the Sith Empire is escalating their presence on the planet, determined to claim Balmorra's weapons, and put an end to this conflict once and for all.

More info will be added...

Sources:

http://torwiki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

http://www.swtor.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_3

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

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M ay the Force grow strong, always... Later buds.