Star Wars: The Old Republic Game Update 1.3 Released

BioWare Austin’s Star Wars: The Old Republic has been updated with its ambitious Update 1.3: Allies content patch as of this morning, and that’s prompted both a welcome letter from game director James Ohlen and a full press release from EA. First, a bit of what James had to say:

llies makes it easier than ever for players to group up–our server transfer system was just the first step, and with this update we’re introducing the Group Finder tool. Group Finder helps you quickly form groups to take on the many Flashpoints and Operations in Star Warsâ„¢: The Old Republicâ„¢. Select your preferred role within a group, the type of content that you and your friends want to tackle, and be automatically matched with group mates and start facing down enemies.

In addition to the Group Finder, Allies expands the Legacy system with Legacy perks. These perks, which are unlocked as you increase your Legacy level, provide a wide range of bonuses for your character. Some perks allow you to gain additional experience from taking part in Flashpoints, Warzones, or Space Missions. Other perks give you the ability to call repair droids, improve your relationship with your companion and much more.

And then the press release:

STAR WARSâ„¢: THE OLD REPUBLICâ„¢ GAME UPDATE 1.3: ALLIES – AVAILABLE TODAY!

BioWare and LucasArts announced today that the latest free game update for the award-winning MMO, Star Warsâ„¢: The Old Republicâ„¢, Game Update 1.3 Allies, is available now. Allies delivers many of the game features the community has been asking for, including Group Finder, Ranked PvP Warzones, Adaptive Gear, new enhancements to the Legacy system and more.

(We are living up to our commitment in setting a new bar for what players should expect from a premium MMO service,) said Matthew Bromberg, General Manager of BioWare Austin. (In just six months, we have already released three major game updates that have added new content and game features that have addressed the feedback from our fans. And we are just getting started. By the end of this year, we are adding more Warzones, more Flashpoints, more Operations, more updates to the Legacy System, new companions, new storylines and more. We are very excited about the future.)

Game Update 1.3 – Allies includes the following new features:

‘¢ Group Finder will make it much easier for players to join up with others in the game. This feature allows you to connect with other players who want to tackle the same Flashpoint or Operation that you do while also ensuring the group is filled out with combat disciplines that complement each other. Together you’ll be better prepared to take on the more advanced challenges in the game.
‘¢ Ranked Warzones make PvP more challenging and more rewarding. You can now create a group, compete in ranked warzones, and then track your personal performance and measure your skills against other players.
‘¢ Legacy Character Perks perks give you the opportunity to customize the leveling experience for your Legacy characters. You can focus on the parts of the game you like best, whether that’s space combat, PvP,or Group Missions and Flashpoints, you can choose which activities earn the most experience. The perks give you other bonus opportunities as well, like piloting a vehicle at level 10, earning bonus affection with companions, and even being able to reallocate your skill points in the field.
‘¢ Adaptive Gear allows you to wear your favorite social gear into combat while still enjoying the bonuses you receive from your best combat gear. We’ll almost certainly be seeing more eccentric-looking groups tackling high-level operations, but that’s part of the fun.

Star Wars: The Old Republic went live last December to critical acclaim around the world. Prior to today’s release of Allies, BioWare has already released two major free game updates. Game Update 1.1: Rise of the Rakghouls went live just one month after the launch of The Old Republic and introduced a new Flashpoint and the conclusion of the Karagga’s Palace Operation. Game Update 1.2: Legacy was one of the largest free content updates in the history of subscription MMOs, with a new Flashpoint, Operation, Warzone, new game features like the Legacy System and the game’s first live event, the (Rakghoul Outbreak.) Recently, BioWare has made character transfers available, seeing a huge engagement from the community as server populations become more balanced, improving the overall gameplay experience.

For more information about Game Update 1.3, please visit www.StarWarstheOldRepublic.com,  follow the game on Twitter® at http://twitter.com/swtor or (Like) Star Wars: The Old Republic on Facebook® at http://facebook.com/starwarstheoldrepublic. Press assets for Star Wars: The Old Republic are available at www.info.ea.com.