Greetings fellow travelers! It’s been too long since my last article. The holidays are just murder on a Sith these days.

Over the holidays I observed a common theme in Flash Point, players couldn’t read their group members. Reading your group is essential to making your FP run efficient and fun. The observation points I go over can apply to almost any situation in SWTOR.

For the sake of our discussion we are going to assume that you have a working knowledge of SWTOR combat mechanics. If you need refresher, check out my Healing, DPS and Tanking Primers.

Read on for an overview of spotting player types and how to deal with them.

Today we received a second episode of the official SWTOR podcast. It comes complete with a glimpse of some behind-the-scenes philosophies on flashpoint and operation design, along with some previously-recorded footage about Game Update 1.3.

Hello everyone! My name is Eric Musco and I, along with Brooks Guthrie are happy to bring you episode two of the official Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ podcast, “Nightmare Mode”. You can listen by using the embedded player, by downloading and listening on your preferred MP3 player, by subscribing and listening on iTunes or check it out on our YouTube channel.

In episode two, we sit down with Jesse Sky and George Smith to talk about the design philosophy behind some of our existing Operations and what the future of Operations and Flashpoints looks like for SWTOR, including Nightmare mode. We also talk with William Wallace about some of the great new character perks that you can unlock through the Legacy system now that Game Update 1.3 is live. As always, if you have any questions or comments about the show, feel free to stop by this forum thread and let us know.

Thanks for listening!

Give the podcast a listen here. There’s even a transcription available!

Now that you’ve hit level 50, starting furiously farming your dailies, hit up the GTN for some cheap gear, and finally gotten around to steamrolling that Alderaan Bonus Series, you might be wondering: what’s next? Sure, gear is great…but where do you put all those shiny Artifacts to good use?

Hard Modes. Classic flashpoints reimagined with the level 50 health pool and damage capacity in mind. Hard Mode Flashpoints are where you stop hiding behind your healing companion and put yourself to the test. As a reward you can earn various commendations, Tionese (or Energized) gear, and a chance at a Columi token. That’s right folks, Hard Modes drop comparable loot to Normal Operations, so let’s get cracking.

A good place to start for both Republic and Empire is also the last place you’ll be as a fresh 50: Darth Malgus’ Space Station and The False Emperor flashpoint. In order to start the flashpoint in Hard Mode, simply speak to the quest giver right outside the instance portal and select the Hard Mode option. Unlike some Hard Modes, having completed the flashpoint on normal isn’t a requirement.

With early release just a few short days away it’s time to show what the Empire has in store for level 10 characters. The Black Talon flashpoint can be done with 2-4 players (2 players and 2 companions will work just fine!) and is full of twists and turns. This video shows off player dark side / light side choices, social points, interactive environments, and the first boss battle.

If you’ve been following Star Wars: The Old Republic lately, you are probably aware of the fact that Bioware has officially lifted its NDA. Thanks to this announcement, a tidal wave of information has been flooding the internet. From crafting to companions, sites are reporting on many of the key features that exist in SWTOR. One of those features is Flashpoints.

For those who are unfamiliar with what a Flashpoint is, it is the SWTOR name for a dungeon or instance. Typically, a group of two to four players is needed in order to complete a Flashpoint due to its higher difficulty level.

The first Flashpoint that Republic players will encounter is The Esseles, a two player Flashpoint.

Here is an official video from Bioware detailing the flashpoint Hammer Station.

The ‘Hammer,’ a powerful prototype battle station developed by the Republic, was thought to have been destroyed in the war, but it has mysteriously reappeared in the possession of the expansionist Advozsec. Determined to assert their new power, the Advozsec have been using the weapon to conquer neutral worlds in the Outer Rim. Now, before the Hammer can strike again, both the Galactic Republic and Sith Empire have set plans in motion to the station down.

This flashpoint is mean for players in their mid-teens, around level 16.

Seasoned WoW player Alex Albrecht reviews the upcoming Star Wars MMORPG, The Old Republic. But what we really are interested in is the specially-created endgame content, and we’ve got all the details!