Recent bombings have destroyed several major waste processing plants on the planet of Balmorra, giving the war-torn world new problems to worry about.

A direct result of the constant bombardments and skirmishes that mar the planet's surface, the waste processing plants which were destroyed have caused mass amounts of toxic waste to flood the environment, poisoning wildlife and killing flora in huge patches of land. Experts say the effects on the planet's delicate ecosystem could be catastrophic.

Given its highly industrialized nature, Balmorra has always produced large amounts of toxic waste. Instead of simply dumping the waste and wantonly harming the environment as many worlds do, the Balmorran infrastructure was always focused on employing relatively safe methods of waste disposal. This cautious approach to a delicate issue can be seen in the planet's underground hazard vaults which were designed to keep mass quantities of sewage and toxic material locked away in secure facilities.

Now that the planet's flora and fauna have been exposed to several decades worth of toxic material, environmental experts predict a grim future for the parts of the planet that have been most contaminated. Drastic measures need to be taken to clean up the waste, but due to the contested nature of the planet, the manpower required to complete such efforts has been rerouted to attempting to keep the main cities safe.

SND Report | Space News Daily
[Balmorran Pollution]

After months of waiting, speculation, teasers, and testing, game update 1.2 is finally slated to hit live servers Thursday, April 12! Thursday morning, at 1:01 AM EDT, all servers will go offline for an eight hour maintenance period as the update is applied. Updating our launchers may take quite a bit after the update; according to the devs, the patch may be up to 1 GB in size.

Among TOR players, update 1.2 has somewhat infamously become known as "what the game should have had at launch." This is due to the sheer amount of game changing tweaks and new features this long-awaited patch brings to the table. To summarize all of them is something best left to the patch notes (which will be released Thursday morning on the official site), but among them are: a new Flashpoint, big PvP changes with new gear, a new warzone, and a warzone ranking system, an overhaul of the crafting system, improved textures, color matching, new fashion pets, new gear, and numerous UI improvements and customization options.

Of course, Legacy--the feature 1.2 has most prominently advertised--is not to be ignored either. Now that purple bar beneath your experience bar will actually mean something, and we will be able to buy account-wide content, including some goodies specifically meant for RPers!

There is certainly something for everyone in this patch. What are you most looking forward to with the implementation of 1.2? Have you been waiting to roll alts to play with the Legacy system, or do you just want a cute tauntaun pet or to try out the new crafting and PvP systems? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

One of the first things we do in an MMO is decide what species out character will be. For the average gamer, the considerations in species choice are primarily limited to class restrictions and what the player finds aesthetically pleasing. But for roleplayers, species consideration tends to go a bit deeper than that, at least in many cases.

Characters can be defined by their species in a number of ways. In a universe as diverse and teeming with species lore as Star Wars, a character backstory would more than likely differ depending on what species that character is. A Twi'lek bounty hunter working for the Empire would probably have a different outlook than a human with the same job. In addition to unique cultural traits, a character's species may force them to react differently to their environment due to physiological differences, or deal with discrimination and scorn for being too "alien."

So, why did you pick your character's species? Did you want a lithe dancer-like fighter and feel a Twi'lek was the best representation, or did you always want to play a serious Chiss spy due to their society which was well-developed in lore? Or did you not give it a thought, and just make a Mirialan because you think green people look awesome? Likewise, do you incorporate your character's species into their RP in any way other than their appearance?

Tell us what you think in the comments below!

VOSS, HUTT SPACE -- Voss, a planet relatively obscure to the rest of the galaxy due to its closed-off nature and brewing political struggles, was the host to a small group of adventurers this week past. This group, comprised mainly of Jedi and other Force-sensitives, roamed the planet’s surface with the intent to observe Voss culture, explore ancient sites of archaeological interest, and engage in friendly philosophical debate about their origin and purpose.

The group of archaeologists met in the Voss-Ka cantina and, after engaging in pleasantries, set off on rented speeders for the first site of interest. The first stop was a large stone set prominently upon a stone dais, located on a small island in the Nightmare Lands—an aptly named locale given the strange creatures and legends surrounding the ability to walk in dreams which prevail in the region. 

NAR SHADDAA, HUTT SPACE -- The promenade of Nar Shaddaa, normally filled only with milling sentients as they travel to and from their business locations, played host this past weekend to an open air market. This market, sponsored in part by the Republic Parcel Service, drew buyers and traders from multiple sectors and factions which all had one goal in mind: commerce.

The event, known to shoppers as the Market Exchange, is reported to be a monthly occurrence, with markets organized and hosted towards the end of each month. Judging by the success of the first event, it stands to reason future markets will only grow in size and popularity as more traders and buyers become aware of their schedule. The first Market Exchange lasted for approximately three hours, with crowds lingering to talk and show off their new purchases long after the vendors had cleared out.

The lower promenade was filled with the sounds of traders shouting the praises of their wares and buyers having to raise their voices to be heard over the clamor of the crowd. Armor pieces, fashionable clothing, weapons, oddities, and food were all available from the vendors, and there were even rumors of less-than-legal items being sold under the proverbial table. While the majority of shoppers seemed to be neutral in behavior and appearance, there were even Jedi and Sith spotted at the market.

Star Wars fans are a very opinionated bunch; in fact, it is sometimes hard to find two fans of the franchise that can agree on much of anything. The deservedly infamous Star Wars Holiday Special seems to exist outside of this bubble of conflicting opinions, though; pretty much everyone agrees it is really, really bad. The cult classic has a reputation for being embarrassing, hilarious, and horrifying in various degrees. But are all Star Wars holidays destined to be so campy and pointless?

In-game holidays are a staple in many MMOs. Perhaps the most extreme example is World of Warcraft, which manages to replicate just about every real world holiday with corresponding in-game events, such as themed items to collect and special quests to complete. Star Wars: Galaxies was also host to many Star Wars-themed holidays over its long run, such as Life Day (Christmas) and the Ewok Festival of Love (Valentine's Day).

In a game like World of Warcraft, which is filled with pop culture references and doesn't take itself too seriously, holidays are normally well-received within the community as an added bit of fun. But in Star Wars: Galaxies, there was very much backlash from players--especially roleplayers--about how silly and out of character some of the events seemed. At the same time, many would argue that in-game holidays are meant to be taken as something fun and lighthearted, which means they are not necessarily part of the epic main storyline that a game presents.

Is there really any harm in having holiday events, even if they are a little bit silly or nonsensical? Would you prefer holidays were kept completely out of The Old Republic, or do you eat them up? Do you only enjoy more "serious" holidays, or are the silly ones just as fun? Make your voice heard in the comments!

Among fans, there is little doubt that BioWare has given us a game packed with story and adventure. When you play your class story in The Old Republic, it is easy to get swept up in the grand scope of your character's journey. But for the sake of this Force Reflection, I am looking beyond the predetermined storylines we have been given, and at the mechanics of PvE gameplay itself to ask the question: How do you involve PvE gameplay in your roleplay?

There are many opportunities to group up with other players, either to run through quests on the many varied planets or to run Flashpoints or Operations in a group. But have you ever thought to do this content in-character? While the social points dialogue options are always a fun way to play out what your character would do, what other steps do you take to bring gameplay to life in your character's world? Do you pause after dispatching some enemies to write out an emote about your character cleaving a droid in two? Do you strive for efficiency first and run through a flashpoint, only using /say to talk for your character? Or do you take the time to walk through the whole thing and enjoy the roleplay experience more than gameplay speed?

Conversely, if you choose to never do game content in-character--why not? Do you balk at the fact you will have to take the quest story with a grain of salt (everyone can't defeat the same Darth)? Would your character not be out shooting or stabbing things to begin with, or do you just prefer to roleplay in cantinas or other freeform environments?

Whatever your preference, share your thoughts! We can pick up ideas by looking at the game preferences of others, and maybe even find some new friends to beat up baddies in-character with.

BioWare promised to give us an authentic, heroic Star Wars experience, and many players of The Old Republic feel they made good on that promise. But what does this mean for roleplay? If every character in The Old Republic is a galactic hero according to their class story, does that mean nobody will be playing the average citizens of the galaxy? What happens to the little guy?

While Bounty hunters, Smugglers, Sith, and Jedi may be some of the more iconic Star Wars archetypes that come to mind, they are not the only types of characters represented in the universe. The galaxy is filled with normal, everyday people--dancers, traders, bartenders, doctors, and everything in between. While it's understandable BioWare chose to focus on the exciting rather than the mundane, that doesn't mean the normal characters have to be ignored in roleplay.

Just think of Uncle Owen. His character is established immediately as a hard-working, grumpy moisture farmer with secrets and motivations of his own. He has just as much character as the story's heroes. While it certainly isn’t for everyone, it can be just as rewarding and filled with character development to drop a mundane character in an extraordinary universe. Of course, playing such a character means one would have to view their heroic class story as mostly or entirely out-of-character, but many roleplayers are willing to go that extra step.

So, what do you think--is there a place in your roleplay for normal characters as well as heroes and villains? Do you plan to play one of these characters yourself, or do you just like seeing them around? If you don't like non-heroic characters--why not? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!