LAST UPDATED - 15/04/12

Hello there everyone!

I was recently invited to the Star Wars: The Old Republic beta test weekend. During this weekend I have picked up my fair share of useful tips and tricks to get you started right away and to make sure you don't get left behind on release!

This guide is for newcomers and veterans alike, so if you are unsure about reading it I suggest you have a quick look through as you might have missed something you didn't already know about!

If you want to learn more about crew skills and companions specifically then check out my other guide here

If you want to learn more about making credits then look at my other guide here

So without further delay, I present you with...

[aname=anchor0]Guide: Newcomers[/aname]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• [jumpto=anchor1]GENERAL[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor2]SERVER TYPES[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor3]FACTIONS AND CLASSES[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor4]THE USER INTERFACE (UI)[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor5]QUESTING & LEVELING[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor6]LOOTING[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor7]GROUPING[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor8]THE STORY[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor9]PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER (PVP)[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor10]COMPANIONS[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor17]TRADE[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor11]CREW SKILLS[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor12]STATS[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor21]GUILD[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor19]LEGACY NAME[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor18]STARSHIP[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor13]CHAT, COMMANDS & SHORTCUTS[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor14]ABBREVIATIONS[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor15]MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS[/jumpto]
  
• [jumpto=anchor16]RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS[/jumpto]
  

USEFUL WEBSITES AND THREADS

WEBSITES

• TORHEAD - A databse showing items, missions, abilities, crew skills, achievments and npc's!
  
• WIKISWTOR - A community made database, you can contribute too!
  
• The Old Republic on Twitter - Stay up to date with the latest information!
  
• The Old Republic on Youtube - Watch the latest videos of SW:TOR
  
• BioWare - Keep an eye out for the latest games and information BioWare has to offer
  
• EA - The latest on EA products and services
  
• LucasArts - The latest on LucasArts products and services
  

STORY

• - All the info you need on the events leading up to the games current time.
  
• - Watch the fight at Coruscant as Empire troops lay waist to the Jedi Temple
  
• - Watch the republic troops fight back against the wrath of the Empire
  

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MUST HAVE TIPS!

[aname=anchor1]GENERAL[/aname]

• The in-game currency is called Credits. The symbol for this currency is:
  
• The level cap is 50
  
• You choose your specialization at level 10. e.g. Jedi Knight can become a Guardian or Sentinel.
  
• Note that once you pick your spec you can not change it later on at all. Though you can respec the talents of the skill set at any time for credits.
  
• Mounts are obtained at level 25 for a total price of 48'000 credits. (40k for the license and 8k for the vehicle) note: if you have Digital Deluxe Edition or the Collectors you are given a mount for free so its only 40k total.)
  
• You obtain your ship when you finish your class quests, usually around level 16
  
• Log off or spend time in a cantina to obtain rested experience. Rested exp increases the amount of exp you get for killing enemies for a certain amount depending on how long you have spent in the cantina
  
• As you progress through the game you will unlock a number of titles. To select a title go to the character panel 'C' select the arrow beside your name and a drop down list will open of all available titles.
  
• The name of your current location will be displayed on the top left corner of the screen, followed by the number of people also in the same location. E.G. Tython 147 means you are on planet Tython and there is a total of 147 players there.
  
• You can see your latency by hovering your mouse over the four signal bars below your minimap (located on the bottom right of the screen).
  
• You can see your current FPS (frames per second) by pressing [CTRL+SHIFT+F] at the same time. It will be displayed in the far bottom left corner of the screen in green text.
  
• To split a stack of items (say you have 20 crystals) simply hold [sHIFT+RIGHTCLICK] then drag the cursor into an inventory space. Enter the amount you want and it will then place the split stack into an empty inventory space.
  
• To link an item in the chat simply [sHIFT+LEFTCLICK] it
  
• Some items in the world can be modified. Modifying is simply upgrading your item so it performs better or looks different. You don't need a General Enhancement Station to perform this you can simply [CTRL+Right Click] the item to begin modifying. Drop the modification into its designated slot and click 'apply' for the modification to take effect.
  
• When you receive an item which is modifiable there will already be some modifications in it
  
• You can also remove modifications from current weapons, simply drag and drop them back into your inventory
  
• Flashpoints are the equivalent of "instances" for most people. Composed of a team of 4 players or less.
  
• Operations are the equivalent of "raids" for most people. Composed of a team of either 8 or 16 players. Difficulty varies accordingly.
  

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[aname=anchor2] SERVER TYPES[/aname]

• Choosing one server type from another doesn't forbid you from taking part in other aspects of the game. PvE players can still PvP and vice versa.
  
• PvE is short for player versus environment, the players here focus mainly on getting through the story content whether it be quests or group raiding.
  
• PvP stands for Player versus Player, this server has strong emphasis on faction combat and will 'flag' you for PvP. This means enemy players can attack you whilst you are questing so you should always be on the look out. You will find more guilds centered around battlegrounds here. Though many and most still go through regular PvE content as well.
  
• RP stands for Role Play. Roleplaying is a way of playing the game where you pretend to be the character you are playing. One usually creates a back story for their character which influences how they deal with quests, how they talk to other characters and how they behave in the game's universe. These servers usually come with their set of rules e.g. naming policies and more. RP is usually followed by another tag such as RP-PvE or RP-PvP, see above for what each means.
  

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[aname=anchor3] FACTIONS AND CLASSES[/aname]

• The game has two factions to choose from
  
• Each faction has a number of races and four classes to choose from
  
• Each class has two specializations to choose from, unlocked at level 10 after a quest
  
• The below list shows the classes belonging to each faction and their starting planet.
  
• Each class on the list shows both specializations and links to their talent trees. Followed by their preferred weapon and role in group
  
• If you want to level with a friend right from level 1 make sure you pick a class with the same starting planet!
  
• Every race has its own unique racial ability. However these are non combat and don't give any advantages whatsoever. (this was done to stop people from choosing a class merely for the racial instead of one they like the look of)
  

• The two factions are currently at war with each other even though there is currently a "peace treaty" active. This link will explain the story so far and show you some neat video clips!
  
• The specialization you choose will influence your gameplay greatly and can't be changed once picked
  
• After you have chosen your spec, you will be awarded a skill point
  
• To spend your skill points, open the skill window 'K' and choose a branch to place it.
  
• Skill points are granted at the rate of 1 skill point per level
  
• You can place skill points in all three branches if you desire
  
• You can re-spec your skills for free once per week by visiting a class re-specialisation trainer in your faction fleet (additional respecs cost credits)
  

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[aname=anchor4] THE USER INTERFACE (UI)[/aname]

• To reset the UI press [CTRL+U] twice (helps if it freezes)
  
• To hide/unhide the UI press [ALT+Z]
  
• Enter UI editing mode by pressing the 'Edit Layout' button in the main menu (reachable by hitting ESC), or by hitting the small button next to the quickslots and choosing "edit layout".
  
• Whilst in editing mode, click, hold and drag your cursor on certain UI elements to drag them around the screen.
  
• You can resize and flip some elements of the UI while in edit mode. Elements can be resized individually, or grouped and resized together.
  
• You can modify the UI of other game mechanics by using the drop down list to select another aspect of gameplay (e.g. space combat).
  
• You can choose to save and load UI profiles so they can be used by other characters.
  
• To change the max distance you can zoom out, head into options (esc), then into preferences and then use the slider to increase or decrease the amount.
  
• You can create new chat tabs or edit current ones by right clicking on the general tab or any other new tabs.
  
• You can modify the opacity of the chat window background in options and under preferences
  
• You can drag the chat panel to a desired location by left clicking and holding on the general tab and then dragging
  
• You can access all the emotes and commands from the top left corner of the chat panel
  
• To minimize the chat panel, simply click the arrow located in the far upper left corner of the chat panel
  
• You can zoom the mini map in and out by placing your cursor over the map and using the mouse wheel
  

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[aname=anchor5] QUESTING & LEVELING[/aname]

• You can enable auto loot in preferences in the game menu, simply right click to take everything instantly
  
• You can enable area loot in preferences in the game menu, when you loot you will take everything from the target and all around it
  
• NPC's that have 3 orange lines above their head in the form of a triangle means they have a quest for you.
  
• NPC's that have 3 grey lines above their head in the form of a triangle means they have a quest for you but it isn't available to you yet due to your level or progress with other quests.
  
• NPC's that have three orange lines above their head in the form of a triangle and a glowing green centre means the quest is completed, talk to them for a reward.
  
• Make sure to make use of your out of combat heal every time you finish a tough fight, this will help you progress faster
  
• Use the map 'M' to see where objectives are located in the world and work out the fastest route to get there, or the most scenic. Whatever floats your boat!
  
• Hover over objectives on the map to see a more detailed description and sometimes the area you need to be in to find the enemy.
  
• When you come to a new town or location always visit the taxi service to unlock it for future travel and visit the binding plinth to enable fast travel to that location.
  
• Class Trainers are visible by the orange arrow they have above their heads, if there is a green star underneath it means there are new skills to train
  
• Once you reach level 10 and do the quest which will place you in your desired branch, new tabs will unlock on the bottom of the skill trainers window. For example a Jedi Consular who has picked Sage will have a Consular tab which gives abilities to both the sage and shadow but you will also have a tab called Sage with more unique spells the Shadow cant obtain and vice versa. I managed to go through 6 levels before realising this.
  
• Make sure to REPAIR every time you go to a vendor, there is a button once you open up a trade window to 'repair all' in the bottom left corner. This will keep you progressing smoothly
  
• Keep fully stocked on MedPacks, it is easy to get overwhelmed on this game and you never know when you will need that extra boost of HP to win a fight.
  
• When you obtain your first companion, its always best to send them in first on difficult fights as you can simply pick them back up once the fight has finished
  
• You can move your companion out of harms way of special enemy AoE attacks by setting them as passive and moving away from the target. This is done in the companion window and can help against really tough foes!
  
• Kill the weakest first! If you are about to jump into a fight with one elite and four minions, then try to CC (crowd control, hold, stun, snare etc) the Elite and dispatch the minions as quickly as you can before the Elite has time to attack
  
• Make use of your terrain! You can Force push enemies off cliffs and they will die on hitting the ground
  
• Often on your way to a certain area there might be enemies on the way, although attacking these enemies isn't needed you can often trigger a bonus quest to kill 5 or so for more exp.
  
• Try to complete bonus quests whenever you get the chance, it usually doesn't take long and the reward is great
  
• Keep an eye out for Lore Objects throughout the world. Simply interact with them to gain a new piece of lore and some tasty experience as well!
  
• When you complete a quest that gives you an item as a reward but your inventory is full, you wont receive the item right away. Simply sell some goods then look at the quest tracker on the upper right corner of the screen. You will see something along the lines of '1 quest completed' click it, then claim your reward!
  
• Sometimes when you are on a quest you will be given a device or an object to use. To find mission items, open your inventory (I/B) and swap tabs to Mission Items. Here you will find all the quest items you pick up in your journey.
  
• Mission Items will be removed upon completion of the quest, or quest chain.
  
• Heroic Areas - Are areas on the map with powerful enemies. Often quests take you to them and a teammate is needed to help progress through. Though soloing is possible.
  

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[aname=anchor6] LOOTING[/aname]

• You can enable auto loot in preferences in the game menu, simply right click to take everything instantly
  
• You can enable area loot in preferences in the game menu, when you loot you will take everything from the target and all around it
  

• Defeated enemies with a light blue vertical beam protruding from them have common loot (grey, white items and credits)
  
• Defeated enemies with a green vertical beam protruding from them have premium loot
  
• Defeated enemies with a dark blue vertical beam protruding from them have prototype or custom loot
  
• Defeated enemies with a purple vertical beam protruding from them have artifact loot
  
• Defeated enemies with a yellow vertical beam protruding from them have loot which contributes to your quest or commendations
  

• CHEAP Items are junk and should be sold to a vendor for cash
  
• STANDARD Items generally have a use whether it's a crafting material or an equipable item
  
• PREMIUM Items are uncommon items, rarer than white items and have better stats
  
• PROTOTYPE Items are rarer than green items and have better stats
  
• ARTIFACT Items are epic items and have higher stats than blue
  
• CUSTOM Items are items which are fully modifiable, more info below!
  

• Items increase in the following order: CHEAP -> STANDARD -> PREMIUM -> PROTOTYPE -> ARTIFACT
  
• [CUSTOM] can't be placed in the above rankings as they could theoretically be better or worse depending on their mods.
  
• When a monster drops an uncommon item and you are in a group, everyone will be eligible to 'roll' for the item. Rolling is completely random and whoever rolls the highest, wins the item.
  
• There are four loot options for when such an event occurs, need, greed, reverse engineer or pass.
  
• Need - You should only click need if you can use the item which is up for grabs and only if it provides better stats than your current gear. If a crafting material drops and you think you need it, ask the group first because others that also may have needed it may have clicked greed. If you are unsure, always ask the group if they don't mind you needing an item. usually they will say go ahead. The same goes for companion gear, don't need it if a real player needs it. If everyone has selected greed, ask you group whether it's ok to need.
  
• Greed - You should click greed if the only reason for wanting the item is to sell it, to reverse engineer it or give it to a friend/alt. Crafting items you can't use should always be greeded.
  
• Pass - Clicking pass in the loot panel will drop you out of the roll. Meaning you won't have a chance of getting the item. Many people do this because they don't want to fill up their inventory with things they don't need. Or they are just being kind.
  
• Reverse Engineer - If a player in the group has the required crafting skill for the item and a high enough skill level, there is an option to reverse engineer the item. If this player wins the roll the item will then be destroyed and the winner will receive crafting materials. (see crew skills - reverse engineering for more info)
  
• Abusing this system (needing everything) will often get you kicked from groups and a bad reputation will follow. When you do 'need' everything you will be branded a ninja and many people will avoid playing with you.
  
• Some items (green and above) will bind to you upon equipping them (BoE). Once this item is equipped it can't be sold or traded to another player. It can still be sold to a vendor or reverse engineered however.
  
• Some items will be bound to you as you pick them up (BoP). Meaning you can't trade them to anyone else in the group, so make sure you use need or greed carefully! These items can also be sold to a vendor or reverse engineered.
  

1. Never need an item you can't use if another player in the team needs and can use it
   
2. Never need an item for the sole intent of wanting to sell it to a vendor
   
3. Never need an item for your companion if there is another player in the group who can use it and also needs
   
4. Never need an item for yourself if the item is several levels above your own and someone else in the flashpoint can use it
   
5. If any of the above occur and you feel you want it, the best thing to do is 'Greed' or ask if anyone else wants it and ask whether you may need.
   

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NEW - CUSTOM ITEMS

• CUSTOM items are the new item rarity within the game
  
• The idea behind custom armour and weapons is so you can have the gear you find aesthetically pleasing ("looks cool" in layman's terms) and it will still be viable in combat by modding the items regularly.
  
• Any items shown with an orange border are fully moddable
  
• These new fully moddable orange items came from old PROTOTYPE items (blue) and their colours where swapped
  
• This was done to create a more unique identity for fully modifiable items
  
• Remember orange items do not mean legendary!
  
• Custom gear is fairly common in the game
  
• It can be obtained through class quests around level 8, as social gear, as space quest rewards and as light side / dark side gear.
  
• Custom gear is also the typical gear found in flashpoints as rewards for heroic missions
  
• Several pieces can be obtained through using planetary commendations
  

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[aname=anchor7] GROUPING[/aname]

• 
   
  
• To talk to your group type /p
  
• The maximum number of people you can have in a single group is 4 players (including yourself, so 3 players and you)
  
• You can turn your group into an 'ops' if you are the party leader. If you are simply right click your portrait and use the menu to select turn into ops.
  
• Ops groups can have up to 16 players maximum in them and are used primarily for operations
  
• When you are invited to a group you will be asked whether you would like to join the same instance as the person who invited you. Click yes otherwise you won't be able to see your teammate. If their instance is full they will be asked to join your instance instead.
  
• To leave a group, right click your character portrait, select group and click 'Leave Group'
  
• To add a player that you can see to the group, simply select them and click on the purple plus (+) icon above their character portrait.
  
• To add a player that you can't see to the group, simply type /invite Goshee (replace Goshee with the name of whoever you are inviting)
  
• To promote someone as the new Group Leader simply right click their nameplate and select 'Make Group Leader'
  
• To remove someone from the group, right click the persons nameplate you want removing and select 'Kick From Group'
  
• Grouping with players can award you with special 'Social Points'. Social Points are rewarded when you win a conversation roll against other players in your group who are part of the same conversation.
  
• Social Points are also awarded when you complete group content or view a private instance as a spectator
  
• You also gain half the amount of social points when you lose the roll.
  
• Winning a social roll against another player in your team means you will talk to the contact and whatever you chose to say will be said.
  
• Rolls are completely RNG (random number generated)
  
• Social Points can be spent at special 'Social Vendors' for goodies!
  
• You can pick up defeated group members at anytime, provided you are out of combat. Simply run over to them and right click.
  
• If a teammate is in a different instance than you, when they talk it will display which they are in on the chat panel beside their name. Alternatively you can look at the map 'M' and in the bottom right corner will display your area. Use the drop down menu to locate friends, guild and group members. To change simply click which one you want to join.
  
• Swapping instances incurs a 30 minute delay before you can use it again.
  
• Flashpoints - (instances) Every Flashpoint takes a group of Imperial or Republic players through its own self-contained adventure, culminating in one of several outcomes based on player choices. You won’t have to miss out on any of the story, though – Flashpoints exist in specially instanced parts of the galaxy and can be repeated as often as you’d like. Flashpoints feature enemies that require skill and cooperation to defeat, and are much more challenging than single-player missions, but they offer valuable loot and rewards. Gather up your allies and get ready for explosive multiplayer action in Flashpoints!
  
• Operations - (raids) are large-scale multi-group missions where you will join your Republic or Imperial allies to confront the most dangerous threats in the galaxy. Each story-driven Operation is available to both factions and is designed to challenge groups of either eight or sixteen players to use their skills, wits, and teamwork to ensure that they successfully complete the mission while still being accessible to newcomers to the genre.
  

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[aname=anchor8] THE STORY[/aname]

• To skip through dialogue simply hit the space bar
  
• Most of the time 1 means light side, 2 is neutral and 3 is dark side. However you should always pay attention just in case it swaps around.
  
• Subtitles can be added to all chat dialogue in the options window under preferences
  
• When you are in a party you can choose to either talk to a contact separately or with the rest of your group. To talk with your group a member must right click the contact and wait until all party members have also right clicked the contact. Green ticks will be shown by the portraits of those who have accepted. Once all have accepted or you are tired of waiting hit start conversation.
  
• If a group mate is far away from the contact but you are near your group mate will be given the option to use the holocom to talk to the contact. Though remember, this requires at least one of you talking face to face.
  
• Throughout the story, once in a while you will be only given two options to choose from. A lightside choice and a dark side choice. If you can't tell which is which, you can hover over each option and a small icon will display in the centre.
  
• Choosing between Dark Side and Light Side options will increase your Light and Dark rating in the form of points. You can view your current alignment in the character window 'C'
  
• You can go up and down the meter SIMULTANEOUSLY so you aren't forced to stay with one alignment for your character. Meaning if you are primarily a Light Side character and gain Dark Side points, these points aren't taken from your Light Side score, rather they just add to your Dark Side score.
  
• Each alignment has ranks. You start neutral and the amount of points required to get to rank 1 of the Light Side is 1'000. Rank 1 of the Dark Side is -1'000.
  
• The amount of points between each rank interval remains consistent for both sides. Meaning it isn't any easier to pick one over the other.
  
• Some equip-able items in game require you to be at a certain rank within the Dark or Light Side. For example a red crystal for your light saber is forbidden to rank 1 or above in the Light Side.
  

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[aname=anchor9] PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER (PVP)[/aname]

• To talk on the PvP channel type /2
  
• To 'Flag' yourself for PvP use the small icon under your character portrait (your icon will be either empire or republic)
  
• If you are flagged a red circle will be highlighted on your icon
  
• Being flagged means anyone on the opposite faction can attack you. If you are on a PvP server this icon is always on above level 10 (need confirmation)
  
• To participate in a PvP battleground all you have to do is click the small icon in the bottom right corner of the minimap. The icon should be of your faction, republic or empire.
  
• At the end of the BG you can choose to re-queue automatically once you leave by selecting the re-queue upon exiting checkbox
  
• You can also select the MVP (most valuable player) in your team once the match has finished. The MVP will receive extra rewards.
  
• Getting killed in our outside a battleground by an enemy player has no real penalty. You don't lose any credits and you don't lose your gear. You only lose a little pride .
  
• Take your time to look at the map and understand the objecives on the loading screen. It will take a few runs before you start getting the hang of things.
  
• As always, go for the healer first!
  

You can buy several types of PvP gear from various vendors. Here are the two methods of obtaining PvP gear.

Method 1: Saving up your commendations to buy the items

Method 2: Looting an unassembled item then trading it to a PvP vendor for a real item

An unassembled item is an item that can be traded in to be assembled. Say you receive an unassembled champions boots. You can visit the champion vendor and buy a pair of boots with them. You get to choose what boots, but they can only be boots and nothing else. Make sure you pick an item with the right stats because you can't get a refund.

Here is a small list showing you the type or PvP vendor, followed by level range of the item and the type of commendations needed to buy the gear. 1 is the lowest gear tier, 4 the highest.

1. PvP Armor [20][40] [warzone commendations]
   
2. Centurion [50] [centurion commendations]
   
3. Champion [50] [champion commendations, unassembled champion gear]
   
4. Battlemaster [50] [unassembled battlemaster gear]
   

You can also buy other commendations with commendations. For example, if you visit the 'PvP Items' vendor you can buy 10 mercenary commendations for 30 warzone commendations.

Your primary focus will be wanting to buy the Recruit set, a new entry-level PvP set (for level 50 players), for credits.

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[aname=anchor10] COMPANIONS[/aname]

• For a list of all companions and their traits please look at my other guide here
  
• You can view your companions abilities by looking in your own skill sheet and selecting the companion tab.
  
• Companions can be sent to sell all the grey items in your inventory. Simply hit 'N' to open up the companion window and click the icon below the orange head. You will then have to confirm and it will take your companion approximately 3 minutes to complete.
  
• Companions can be sent to gather resources and other items from your crew skills. They can however fail and come back with nothing. To do this open your companion window, select the skill and choose a mission to send it on. It will cost a small amount of money and take 3 minutes or more.
  
• Companions can have their weapons and armour upgraded just as you can. Be sure to keep your companion up to date with the latest gear in order to progress quickly. In order to change your companions setup your companion must be by your side. Open up the character sheet and select companion tab along the bottom.
  
• To revive your companion after defeat simply walk over to it and right click the corpse. You must be out of combat.
  
• You can assign your companions skills to your action bars if you click the small '+' icon on your companions character pane.
  
• Often your companion will want to talk with you in private. Head to a Cantina or your space ship to initiate the chat
  
• Companions gain and lose affection during story scenes depending on what choices you make. If there is an easy way to see how this happens, I havent seen it. For now you will simply have to make an educated guess based on your companion's personality. If they are aggressive they will often react positively to the darkside choices and vice versa.
  
• A positive companion affection, as far as I'm aware, only decreases the time of crew skill tasks and opens up some side quests.
  

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[aname=anchor17] TRADE[/aname]

• The channel for Trade is /3
  
• To link an item in the chat simply [sHIFT+LEFTCLICK] it
  
• To split a stack of items (say you have 20 crystals) simply hold [sHIFT+RIGHTCLICK] then drag the cursor into an inventory space. Enter the amount you want and it will then place the split stack into an empty inventory space.
  
• Trading with players can be done only when the player you want to trade with is in range.
  
• To trade with a player simply select the player you want to trade with and right click his player portrait and select Trade.
  
• The player will then receive a message asking whether he would like to open trade with you, once he accepts you can trade items (provided they aren't soulbound) and credits.
  

• The GTN is the place you go to place bids or sell items with people across the galaxy.
  
• As a buyer you can either place a bid or buy it out. If you choose to place a bid you must enter your buying price (which must be higher than the previous) and select submit.
  
• Placing a bid does not guarantee you will receive the item as another player can out bid you. If you are out bid you are refunded your money through the mail and you can choose to place another if you wish.
  
• Bids last for a set duration defined by the seller. Once the period ends, the person with the highest bid receives the item through the mail system.
  
• The buyer can cancel the bid at any time, the highest bidder will then be refunded.
  
• You can only buy-out a bid if the seller has allowed you to do so. The buy-out price is a set price determined by the seller.
  
• Once you buy-out the item for sale, all (if any) bids are cancelled and you receive the item through the mail system.
  
• A seller can place a buy-out option and auction it off at the same time, they can also do each separately.
  
• Always check the price and quantity of the item before buying something to make sure you aren't getting ripped off.
  
• GTN's only work with players who are on the same faction as you. So Empire players can't sell to Republic players UNLESS you visit an independant/neutral trade hub which caters for both.
  
• These neutral trade hubs can be found on Nar Shadaa
  

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[aname=anchor11] CREW SKILLS[/aname]

This section has moved to another thread due to its size.

Please click here to learn about Crew Skills.

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[aname=anchor12] STATS[/aname]

PRIMARY:

• Aim - Affects bonus ranged damage and bonus ranged crit & tech healing
  
• Cunning - Affects bonus tech damage and bonus tech crit & tech healing
  
• Endurance - Affects bonus health and health regeneration
  
• Strength - Affects bonus melee damage and bonus melee crit
  
• Willpower - Affects bonus force damage and bonus force crit & force healing
  

BONUS PER POINT:

• Aim +0.2 Ranged damage
  
• Cunning +0.2 Tech damage
  
• Endurance +10 Hit Points
  
• Strength +0.2 Melee damage
  
• Willpower +0.2 Force damage
  

• At level 50 every 140 primary stat points you gain 1% Crit
  

SECONDARY:

• Absorption - Reduces the damage taken when an attack gets through your shield
  
• Accuracy - Hit Rating and spell penetration
  
• Alacrity - Reduces cast and activation times
  
• Armor - Reduces Physical and Kinetic Damage taken (Tech and Force are both Kinetic unless stated otherwise)
  
• Crit - Melee, Ranged and Healing critical chance
  
• Defence - Increases Parry & Deflect chance
  
• Expertise - PvP Stat Reduces damage taken and increases all damage and healing
  
• Power - Increased melee, force and tech damage/healing
  
• Presence - Affects companion bonus healing, extra companion health and extra companion damage
  
• Shield - Increased chance for shield to activate upon attack
  
• Surge - Increased critical damage and heals
  

CLASS PRIMARY STATS

• Jedi Knight - Strength
  
• Jedi Consular - Willpower
  
• Trooper - Aim
  
• Smuggler - Cunning
  

• Sith Warrior - Strength
  
• Sith Inquisitor - Willpower
  
• Bounty Hunter - Aim
  
• Imperial Agent - Cunning
  

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CONTINUED

[aname=anchor18]STARSHIP[/aname]

• You will gain your starship after you finish a major class quest at your capital city (usually around level 16 or 17)
  
• Your star ship comes with its very own bank or "cargo hold" though they act as the same thing
  
• If your companion wants to talk to you and you are in your ship, now is the time to do it!
  
• To travel around the galaxy, visit your galaxy map
  
• Choosing a destination will cost fuel, the number of credits required to get there will be displayed along the bottom in green
  
• After your destination has been chosen, your ship will auto-align to the planet then jump-drive will be initiated
  
• Your ship will remain in Orbit around the planet until you use the ship's exit, a cutscene will then show you landing on the planets surface
  
• Any systems with current quests will have their quest name beside them, making them easier to locate.
  
• You also have a mission terminal beside your galaxy map which will give you new space missions
  
• Space Missions are done in the form of a railgun style shooter. You follow a set path and have to shoot enemies along the way.
  
• Space Bar to do a barrel roll ^^
  
• Left clicking will activate your primary weapon (laser for example)
  
• Right clicking will activate your secondary weapon (rockets for example)
  
• Lasers have infinite ammo whereas rockets can only hold a certain amount
  
• You can upgrade your ship by visiting your character screen 'C' and clicking the 'Ship' tab
  
• Simply drag and drop modification into the designated slots for them to take effect
  
• The crafting skill cybertech can create space ship mods. Slicing also has a chance to get them and their schematics.
  

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[aname=anchor19]LEGACY NAME[/aname]

• A legacy name is a server-wide surname used by all (current & future) characters on your server
  
• A legacy name is granted after you complete Act 1 (usually around level 30)
  
• After you finish Act 1 a new window pane will open asking you to choose your legacy name
  
• If you close this window, you can find it under the Skill Tree (K) and the Legacy tab along the bottom
  
• Be careful with what you pick, for once you choose you can't change it in any way (so far)
  
• You can use apostrophes (') and hyphen (-) symbols
  
• You can't use a space
  
• If you use a symbol, all letters after the symbol will be lower case, example: typing Lo'Saki would actually end up as Lo'saki
  
• After you pick a name you may choose to display it differently, this can be done in the preferences menu under social and the legacy subheading
  
• You can choose between one of three ways:
  

• HIDDEN - The Legacy Name will be hidden to you and all other players
  
• SURNAME - The Legacy Name will appear after your current name e.g. Goshee [legacyname]
  
• TITLE - The Legacy Name will appear underneath your name The [legacyname] Legacy
  

The legacy system has been updated with patch 1.2

• If you reach level 50 with a certain race you will 'unlock' it and can then use that race for any class/faction in future characters
  
• Achieving more legacy levels will give you access to unique powers and bonuses as well as fittings for your ship
  

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[aname=anchor21]GUILD[/aname]

• A guild is a group of individuals who have joined forces under the same flag to achieve common goals
  
• A guild can be created at your capital city, Coruscant or Dromund Kaas
  
• If you are Republic look for Lieutenant Kyndern (-1143, 1417) Who can be found at the desk behind the Galactic Market Kiosks in the Senate Commercial District
  
• Locate and talk to the guild registrar in the main city to form a guild
  
• You must have 4 players (including yourself) in your party to create the guild
  
• Once created all 4 members will be part of the new guild, the person who created it will be the guild leader
  
• To invite more members to your guild type /ginvite [name]
  
• To quit your current guild type /gquit
  
• To talk in your guild channel type /g
  

Guild Functionality – Guilds are important to the long term health of any MMORPG. We have a huge list of guild centric features. This will be an ongoing effort that will probably never end. Guild banks are the first thing we’ll be delivering in our plans for increased guild functionality. Eventually we even want to deliver on the promise of the long hinted at “Guild Capital Ships”. - James Ohlen, Game Director

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[aname=anchor13]CHAT, COMMANDS & SHORTCUTS[/aname]

SLASH COMMANDS

EMOTES

All emotes can be accessed in game by clicking on the little waving man icon in the chat panel on the top left

NOTE: All emotes in orange have animations

PATCH NOTES - 1.0.2 Patch Notes 1/4/2012

• Players can now use emotes while riding a vehicle.
  

EMOTION

GENERAL

GREETING

TACTICS

SOCIAL

ACTION

MOVEMENT

• W - Move Forward
  
• A - Turn Left
  
• S - Move Backwards
  
• D - Turn Right
  
• Q - Strafe Left
  
• E - Strafe Right
  
• / - Toggle Walk/Run (on the keypad next to numlock)
  
• SPACE BAR - Jump
  
• NUMLOCK - Auto Run
  

SHORTCUTS

• R - Chat Reply
  
• T - NA
  
• Y - NA
  
• U - NA
  
• I - Inventory
  
• O - Social Pane
  
• P - Ability Pane
  
• G - Guild Pane
  
• H - NA
  
• J - NA
  
• K - Skill Pane
  
• L - Mission Log
  
• Z - Sheath/Unsheath Weapon
  
• X - Sit
  
• C - Character Pane
  
• V - Show Cover Points
  
• B - Inventory
  
• N - Crew Skills Pane
  
• M - World Map
  
• / - Open Chat
  
• ' - (apostrophe) Toggle Companion Expanded Bar
  
• ENTER - Open Chat
  
• ESC - Close Interface Windows, Access Options Menu, Clear Target
  
• HOME - Self Target Modifier
  
• END - Focus Target Modifier
  
• Page Up - Chat Page Up
  
• Page Down - Chat Page Down
  

COMBAT

• TAB - Target Next Enemy
  
• F1 - Target Self
  
• F2 - Target Party Member 1
  
• F3 - Target Party Member 2
  
• F4 - Target Party Member 3
  
• F5 - Target Party Member 4
  
• 1 - Use Quick Slot 1
  
• 2 - Use Quick Slot 2
  
• 3 - Use Quick Slot 3
  
• 4 - Use Quick Slot 4
  
• 5 - Use Quick Slot 5
  
• 6 - Use Quick Slot 6
  
• 7 - Use Quick Slot 7
  
• 8 - Use Quick Slot 8
  
• 9 - Use Quick Slot 9
  
• 0 - Use Quick Slot 10
  
• - - Use Quick Slot 11
  
• = - Use Quick Slot 12
  
• [sHIFT + MOUSE WHEEL] - Change Quickslot Page
  
• [sHIFT + UP/DOWN ARROWS] - Change Quickslot Page
  

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[aname=anchor14]ABBREVIATIONS[/aname]

General

• SWTOR - Star Wars: The Old Republic
  
• BW - BioWare, the company who made the game what it is today
  
• EA - Electronic Arts
  

General Chat

• AFK - Away From Keyboard, someone who is leaving their computer for a time
  
• AFAIK - As Far As I Know
  
• AH - Auction House
  
• ASAP - As Soon As Possible
  
• ATM - At The Moment
  
• BRB - Be Right Back, someone who is leaving their computer for a short moment
  
• BIO - Biology, often used when someone needs to use the bathroom
  
• CIAO - Ciao is an Italian word for goodbye or hello and isn't an abbreviation but people think it is so I have included it
  
• FTW - For The Win, if something is for the win it means it is good
  
• FTL - For The Loss, if something is for the loss it means it is bad
  
• FYI - For Your Information, FYI... I stole your credits
  
• GG - Good Game, often used after a fight or duel has finished
  
• GJ - Good Job, used to applaud someone for their efforts
  
• GTG/G2G - Got To Go, the person is leaving
  
• IDC - I Don't Care
  
• IDK - I Don't Know
  
• IIRC - If I Recall Correctly
  
• IMO - In My Opinion
  
• IMHO - In My Honest Opinion/In My Humble Opinion
  
• IRL - In Real Life, someone referring to events outside of the game world
  
• JK - Joke
  
• NP - No Problem
  
• NPC - Non Player Character
  
• NM/NVM - Nevermind
  
• OIC - Oh I See, OIC you have a Tank already
  
• O'RLY? - Oh Really?
  
• OP - Original Poster, used in forums to refer to the starter of the thread
  
• OP - Over Powered, used to describe something with incredible strength and power
  
• PL - Power Level, leveling as fast as possible
  
• PvP - Player Versus Player
  
• QQ - Crying, stop the QQ! = stop the crying! for example
  
• TBH - To Be Honest
  
• THX - Thanks
  
• TY - Thank You
  
• WTH? - What The Heck?
  
• YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary
  
• YW - You're Welcome
  
• YQW - You're Quite Welcome
  

COMBAT

• AoE - Area of Effect, AoE attacks hit multiple opponents often in the form of a cone shape or 360 degree attack.
  
• BUFF - A buff increases your stats to improve your performance
  
• DEBUFF/DUFF - A debuff decreases your stats to decrease your performance
  
• CC - Crowd Control, abilities which hinder the movement of enemies, roots, holds and slows for example
  
• ST - Single Target, attacks which only effect one opponent
  
• DPS - Damage Per Second, a form of measuring how much damage you deal every second
  
• DOT - Damage Over Time
  
• HOT - Heal Over Time
  
• XP - Experience Points, Experience points are gained to level your character through completing quests and killing enemies
  
• INC - Incoming, used when enemies are approaching
  
• PROC - Special Procedure, refers to an event triggered under particular circumstances. My Lightsaber might have a 10% chance to do 15 extra damage.
  
• HP - Health Points
  
• KS - Kill Steal, said when another player takes the final blow or attacks an already attacked target
  
• OP - Over Powered, used to describe something with incredible strength and power
  
• REZ - Resurrection, the act of bringing someone back to life
  
• RNG - Random Number Generator, same as rolling a dice. Often used in terms with PROC
  

TRADE

• WTA - Want To Auction
  
• WTB - Want To Buy
  
• WTS - Want To Sell
  
• WTT - Want To Trade
  

GROUP

• LF - Looking For, LF Healer or LF Lightsaber as examples
  
• LFG - Looking For Group
  
• LFM - Looking For More, LFM Tanks for example
  
• LF1M - Looking For 1 More, LF1M DPS or LF6M DPS as examples
  
• SPOT - For example "1 spot left!" means there is space for one more group member
  
• Tank - Tanking, the tank is the one who takes the hits for the groups
  
• DPS - DPS are the damage dealers, generally do more damage than the tank but cant take as much
  
• Healer - Healers are there to heal their group and provide support, mainly healing the tank but also other members in case things go wrong
  
• Buffer - A player who specializes in increasing the stats of himself and his teammates
  
• DeBuffer - A player who specializes in decreasing the stats of his opponent
  
• SP - Social Points, awarded from completing group content and winning conversation rolls. See 1st thread for more info.
  

ROLE PLAY

• RP - Role Play
  
• IC - In Character, a roleplaying term used when someone is roleplaying their character
  
• OOC - Out Of Character, a role playing term used when someone is speaking out of their character
  
• ((text)) - Double brackets around words means someone is talking OOC
  

CREW SKILLS

• DIP - Diplomacy
  
• TH - Treasure Hunting
  
• UT - Underworld Trading
  
• ARC - Archaeology
  
• RE - Reverse Engineering, the process of deconstructing items to gain materials and sometimes recipes. Destroys item in process.
  

FACTION

• IMP(S) - Imperial/Empire
  
• REP(S) - Republic
  

CLASS

• INQ/INK - Sith Inquisitor
  
• SI - Sith Inquisitor
  
• BH - Bounty Hunter
  
• SMUG - Smuggler
  
• JK - Jedi Knight
  
• JC - Jedi Consular
  
• SW - Sith Warrior
  
• IMP - Imperial Agent
  
• IA - Imperial Agent
  

• AC - Advanced Class
  
• SIN - Assassin, an Inquistor specialisation
  
• SORC - Sorcerer, an Inquisitor specialisation
  
• MARA - Marauder, a Sith Warrior specialisation
  
• SENT - Sentinel, a Jedi Knight specialisation
  
• JUGG - Juggernaut, a Sith Warrior specialisation
  
• VAN - Vanguard, a Trooper specialisation
  
• COM - Commando, a Trooper specialisation
  

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[aname=anchor15]MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS[/aname]

In order to play Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, your computer must first meet the minimum system requirements that are required to run the game.

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[aname=anchor16]RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS[/aname]

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Hey guys thanks for the feedback! If you have any questions don't be hesitant to ask and I will try answering them as accurately as possible.

If you think you have any ideas to put in the guide please let me know!

Edit: The small icons don't seem to be working, will have to see whether they are fixed or not.

A great guide, but I think that they've ammended item colour status:

green -> blue -> purple

With any moddable things higlighted as orange.

A great guide, but I think that they've ammended item colour status:

 

green -> blue -> purple

With any moddable things higlighted as orange.

Oh is that true? Thanks for the info, I will look into it before I make any changes ^^

What? No comprehensive guide on in game pets, companions or pvp items?

What about the history of the Star Wars universe?

All sarcasm aside, nice job.

This is a fantastic guide!

Some quick feedback:

According to Zam's "SWTOR for the WoW Player" guide, a few things have changed since you wrote this (The color of the beam when looting enemies, as well as the name and order of the loot tables). You may want to check it out to help further polish your guide.

Keep up the great work!

This is a fantastic guide!

 

Some quick feedback:

 

According to Zam's "SWTOR for the WoW Player" guide, a few things have changed since you wrote this (The color of the beam when looting enemies, as well as the name and order of the loot tables). You may want to check it out to help further polish your guide.

 

Keep up the great work!

Thanks for the info I will look into it now :3

Hey i'm lagging hard in game especially inside buildings. I've upladed a picture of my dx diag to imgur see link below. Just wondering what is making me lag so much and how to improve it. (laptop)

http://i.imgur.com/C95Me.png

Hey Flaky!

I'm by no means a computer expert but I will have a look and see what I can figure out.

Seems you are running Windows 7 - 64 bit on 3 gigs of Ram.

From what I know 32 bit Operating System run better on 3 gigs of ram, anything over than that is wasted as it won't use it.

64 bit can run hundreds more gigs of Ram so, to me, It looks like you are sort of overkill on your Operating System.

I don't know much about graphics cards, though all I can suggest if to try update your ATI drivers

• Right click my computer
   
  
• click manage
   
  
• system tools
   
  
• device manager
   
  
• Display adapters
   
  
• Double click on your graphics engine
   
  
• Click the driver tab
   
  
• Click update driver and see if that helps things ^^
  

Oh you could also be running alot of other programmes

Go to start

Type "run" in the star search and open it

Type "msconfig" without the brackets in the run window

Go to the startup tab

If you have loads of programmes running on startup I suggest you disable them. I have one running on startup... Microsoft Security client.

Try disabling all then restart your pc and see if you perform any better.