The Star Forge SWTOR Podcast

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

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Episode 34 -  A History of Xpacs Part 5: Onslaught

We are covering the history of expacs as a series!

⭐ Knights of the Eternal Throne

Mal: Welcome to part 5 of our History of Xpacs series and we have finally hit good old patch 6.0: Onslaught. I feel like this is what most people are going to remember best of all these xpacs because it was so recent and so recently overridden hahahahah! If you don’t want your spoiler-free brain overridden with our spoiler discussions for Onslaught the exits are marked overhead. 

Scya: This expansion’s story release was actually quite interesting. So they released Ossus, which was quite story-rich and was a pretty expansive planet, but more importantly, was not launched as an expansion - it was just a big content update, and it came in December 2018. Although players were of course hoping for a full expansion, I think people were pretty happy with how much was on Ossus.

Mal: But then we didn’t get the actual expansion until October 2019! Almost a full year later, with only a small story update on Dantooine in-between. 

Scya: Once Onslaught actually launched, Ossus was rolled into it, and you had to catch up with story content on Ossus if you hadn’t done that prior to this patch, you could not skip it on your ship. The story brought us two new planets, Onderon and Mek-sha, a new flashpoint, a *GASP* New Operation, Dxun.

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News

• If you are listening to this Podcast on the date it was released Bounty Contract week is happening right now and runs until August 2nd. 
•  7.1 is slated for August 2, 2022

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 33 - A History of Xpacs Part 4: Knights of the Eternal Throne

We are covering the history of expacs as a series!

⭐ Knights of the Eternal Throne

Mal: Here we are again friends, this is the 4th major xpac in SWTOR and it is called Knights of the Eternal Throne or as the people call it KOTET. Early access was November 29, 2016. If you have not played KOTET and you do not want to hear spoilers turn us off now, re-listen to an earlier episode, or go see shit you can’t make up in an EV HM. Always something new there. So Scya what is the elephant in the room here? 

Scya: So this xpac was once again free to subscribers as with the last expansion KoTFE, but the bantha in the room here? This was released at the very end of 2016 so at this point it had been almost 2 years since SWTOR released major story and game updates. This felt especially long to end game players because there were no new Operations released with KoTFE so now it has been almost 3 years with no new end game content, and this fact was actually a big turning point in how I engaged with the game. We’ll talk more about that later, let’s quickly list what we did get. 

Mal: When 5.0 launched we got new story: 9 fully fleshed out chapters when the patch dropped. Two new planets Iokath and Nathema although you don’t really go to Nathema so that’s kind of a weird thing for them to promote. The level cap went up to 70, all your 65 gear now garbage. Uprisings were introduced in this patch as well, we’ll talk more about those later because Scya and I feel differently about those. 

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News

• Update 7.1 -  targeted mid-summer
• Bounty Event - Level 15+ - Jul 26 - Aug 2, 2022
• Nightlife Event - Nar Shaddaa Casino - Confirmed to be coming this year

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 32 - A History of Xpacs Part 3: Knights of the Fallen Empire

We are covering the history of expacs as a series!

⭐ Knights of the Fallen Empire

Mal: We are back again with the 3rd xpac in SWTOR, Knights of the Fallen Empire or as we call it KOTFE. Early access was October 19, 2015 and general admission started October 27, 2015. If you have not played KOTFE and do not want to hear spoilers you should turn this off now.  

Scya: Talk about this and then, the price of the xpac was very different. Kotfe was not a direct buy, you gained access to KOTFE instead by subbing to the game for 1 month. No extra money required. 

Mal: This is a huge departure from the past 2 xpacs and it is probably due to the fact that I think a lot of free to play people were playing the game, a lot of people who had subbed to the game had unsubbed due to a lack of end-game and other content. They clearly wanted free-to-play people to start subbing and older players to come back and remaining subscribers to feel like they were getting something shiny and new for free. 

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News

• Update 7.1 -  targeted mid-summer
• Pirate Incursion Event - Dantooine, Level 20+* - Jul 12 - 19, 2022 
• Bounty Event - Level 15+ - Jul 26 - Aug 2, 2022
• Nightlife Event - Nar Shaddaa Casino - Confirmed to be coming this year

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 31 - A History of Xpacs Part 2: Shadow of Revan

We are covering the history of expacs as a series!

⭐ Shadow of Revan

Mal: Alright people lets talk about the 2nd big xpac in SWTOR history, wait who is this one about again?

Scya: REVAN! Lets talk about that guy Mal doesn’t know again.

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News

• Update 7.1 - PTS is up, 7.1 targeted mid-summer 
• Gree Event - Level 50+ - Jun 28 - Jul 5, 2022
• Nightlife event is coming

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 30 - A History of Xpacs Part 1 Rise of the Hutt Cartel

We are covering the history of expacs as a series!

⭐ Rise of the Hutt Cartel

Mal: Lets go back to April 2013. SWTOR launched about 1 and a half years ago and now we have the first big Thing and it cost $19.99 ON TOP OF a monthly subscription fee. What do you think about that Scya? This xpac cost CASH MONEY, 2.0 CASH MONEY!

Scya: At the top I just forked out my money happily and continued eating Noodle in a Cup because that’s all I could afford as a student! At the time it felt really normal to pay for subscriptions and expansions - the idea of true free to play games being king was only starting to really float around.

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News

• Update 7.1 - PTS is up, 7.1 targeted mid-summer 
• Gree Event - Level 50+ - Jun 28 - Jul 5, 2022
• Nightlife event is coming

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 29 - Great Expectations (7.1)

• ⭐ Group Topic: What do you do when you are bored?
• ⭐ Can't Make This Sith Up: (None Today)
• ⭐ Flying Solo: What do you do when you are bored solo

⭐ Disappointing Other People

New operation, R-4 Anomaly

• Should any group of 8 people with organization be able to beat story modes with some organization, or should there be harder ones?
• How much gear SHOULD you need for story mode?  
• Do you think our more skilled team will enjoy a challenging story mode?
• What do you think about the new gear being gated behind the new operation, otherwise inaccessible?

⭐ Flying Solo

New Manaan Daily Area

• Mal, since you daily a lot, what are you looking for or hoping for from a new daily area?
• Should daily areas be hard?
• If a daily area doesn’t have a specific reward you want, will you still work on the reputation? And will you grind it?
• Is there any type of mechanic or quest type you’d like to see in a daily area, that you haven’t seen before, or would really like to see again?

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News

• • Update 7.1 - PTS end of May, 7.1 targetted mid-summer 
  • Swoop Event - Level 20+ - May 31 - Jun 7, 2022
  • Gree Event - Level 50+ - Jun 28 - Jul 5, 2022
  • Rakghoul Event - Level 50+ - Jun 14 - 21, 2022

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 28 - Star Wars Celebration 2022

Mal: So today we are going to drive the spaceship into the real world here as Scya recently took a trip to Star Wars Celebration 2022! So I’m 99% sure people already know what this is all about but just for kicks Scya tell the people what IS “Celebration”?

Scya: ANSWER

Mal: That being said, the first stop on our tour is going to be your cape! Now I was lucky enough that you actually shared this project with me about a month before it was actually made so thank you for that. Scya tell me about this cape! 

Scya: IS AWESOME CAPE I HAVE!

Mal: Tell me next about a few things you got to do because you are you. Here you are Scya but mostly you are known as the one, the only Swtorista and you got to do a ton of very special things including an Old Republic panel! Give me the details

Scya: Answers

Mal: And did you get to visit any other panels that really interested you that you were not the star of? 

Scya: (Dave Filoni & tales of the Jedi panel, Behind the Scenes ILM & Mando panel)

Mal: I also heard you left there with a special and very exclusive present from a certain bag company that I personally freaking love (I actually just got my backpack zipper fixed on the one I own and love). Tell me about your trip to Loungefly!

Scya: (Has a free Revan bag you lucky lady!)

Mal: Speaking of the perfect bag for cosplay, lets talk about cosplay! I hear there was a Cosplayers of the Old Republic booth and a photo shoot! 

Scya: Tells all about that

Mal: I find this fascinating because I did cosplay way back in 2015 and it was wild because about 300 people had signed up to do it at a cantina event but only 8 people actually showed up and now it’s crazy how popular this has become. Besides the Old Republic cosplay what other good outfits did you see? 

Scya: (Talks about the billions of star wars costumes you saw)

Mal: Lets loop back to SWTOR here for a moment– I feel like they were very well represented at Celebration, did you get a chance to sit in on any SWTOR dev talks? Did you meet anyone working on or who had previously worked on SWTOR? 

Scya: (Dev talks, Darrin DePaul yes? What else go on girl)

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News

• • Update 7.1 - PTS end of May, 7.1 targetted mid-summer 
  • Swoop Event - Level 20+ - May 31 - Jun 7, 2022
  • Gree Event - Level 50+ - Jun 28 - Jul 5, 2022
  • Rakghoul Event - Level 50+ - Jun 14 - 21, 2022

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 27
 - Imp v Pub

“Back in my day” you played Pub side or Imp side and there was no co-mingling at all. They didn’t even share GTN via fleet, the GTNs all had factions!!!! You couldn’t even send mail to yourself on another side, we used to have to go to a “neutral” GTN on Nar Shadda and then list an item for a ridiculously high price and then swap characters and buy it on the opposite faction. Hilarious! No legacy bay either, no sharing of gear etc. You really did pick a side and that is where you played because the game made it so hard to do otherwise.

• THE BEGINNING SEPARATION
• THE ATTITUDES OF PLAYERS ON EACH SIDE
• “MIRROR CLASSES” AND GEAR
• THE SOUND/VIBE OF EACH SIDE
• THE ABILITY ANIMATIONS AND ICONS

You Can't Make This Sith Up

This week in You Can’t Make This Sith Up: saying you are ready when you’re not. In a recent trip to Rishi a healer, who was content to remain nameless and hoover up tech fragments in a quick story mode Ravagers, found herself with an angry pug. The op was going by lightning fast, the group was in a jet engine being powered by a 2 big dps, 1 amazing tank, 1 power-lifting healer, 1 nameless lazy healer, and 3 pugs.. When it came time for Master and Blaster someone threw out a ready check and 2 of the pugs said they were not ready. “Ready” one of them typed into chat. Another ready check was thrown. This time just 1 said not ready, which was quickly followed up with a “sorry ready” in the chat. One more check was thrown JUST to be sure. “The Group is Ready!” announced the game –3-2-1 go! As soon as the pull began, one pug died immediately. The slacking healer sighed, clicked their name and looked for the body. Not in the corners. Not in the middle of the map. Not by the fence. Oh well, she thought, it is just story mode. After another death she realized she was going to have to stop being lazy and actually help, but this body was located quickly and returned to life once again, nothing to see here. When the fight was over, the first dps who died began typing in chat “Can someone PLEASE rez me, I’m outside the door”. Why would they be outside the door? The now tired healer wondered. She gave them a rez and instead of ‘thank you’ they said “I died because you pulled without me”. Perhaps this dps did not understand the function of a ready check and were confused by the pop-up question. Perhaps this was their first time doing this fight and they thought it would start 200 meters away from the boss. One can only wonder at this phenomenon and offer the following advice: when presented with a ready check and you are not, in fact, ready don’t fucking click yes. 

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News

• Bounty Contract Week: May 17th - May 24th, 2022
• The All Worlds Ultimate Swoop Rally: May 31st - June 7th
• Star Wars Celebration May 26 - 29

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 26 - Revenge of the Sixth

Mal and Scya discuss their favorite Sith in the Old Republic!

Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday

You're listening to the Star Forge podcast with Scya and Mal, two nerds who  have a lot to say about Star Wars: The Old Republic and all its 'features' - rest assured, the podcast is working as intended.

⚠️ This podcast is rated E.S. for extremely silly and may contain bad words bad jokes and other bad content that is not suitable for children maybe it is we don't know we're not their parents.

✨✨🛰️ ✨✨

Episode 25 - 7.0.2 Updates

Disappointing Other People

7.0.2 changes

You Can't Make This Sith Up

This week in You Can’t Make This Sith Up: the pug raid leader. In a recent trip to the Eternity Vault a very good but very sick dps (who shall remain nameless lest she spread her disease to the rest of the galaxy) pulled up to the first boss with a group of 16 people– one of whom was a pug. It started on the 1st boss, a heal marker placed under the feet of the annihilation droid. Okay, sure, the dps thought. A good place to gather for AOE heals. While waiting for a speeder to the 2nd boss another marker appeared by the speeder. Yes, obviously, thats the speeder to ride. On the way to the 3rd boss more markers appeared. One at the foot of a cliff used to bypass trash. Another farther down the road to lead the way. Uh huh. Then more markers appeared on the terminals for the pylon boss and at this point people were annoyed. “Who is putting down all these markers?” someone asked. “Oh…it’s the pug!” someone else answered.  On the way to the last boss someone wondered if the pug would again place markers on the ground to lead the way and, sure enough, they did! THANK YOU SO MUCH the coughing dps typed into Ops chat. She then proceeded to place upwards of 20 markers on the platform in various and sundry spots. At this point everyone else in the group joined in and soon there were markers everywhere, much to everyones delight. On the last floor the tired, sniffling dps made one last ditch effort– she placed markers around the entire lower ring and told the group “These are where the mind traps might spawn so please be aware”. After Soa was defeated, the sick dps pulled up the parser to find she was doing overall 2 times the damage of the pug. Perhaps this pug thought that this was our first time in Eternity Vault. It is, after all, only 10 years old. Perhaps they thought the group needed guidance and direction for this extremely challenging operation. This reporter can offer only the following advice for pugs doing bad dps in a very large group: shut the fuck up and get carried.

Flying Solo

Little changes in 7.0.2

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Social

• Starforgepodcast.com
• Twitter @starforgecast at https://twitter.com/starforgecast
• Listen at Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher
• Or on Swtorista’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/swtorista
• New Episode Every Friday