Category Archives: Pets of the Old Republic

December 17, 2024 · 9:01 am

Pets of the Old Republic: #5: M4-Y7 Astromech

This month I would like to spotlight the first (but not last!) pet in this series that is not a creature made of flesh and blood but rather of circuits and sparks. One of the numerous droid pets in the game, thet M4-Y7 Astromech is a perfect choice on account of its seasonably and Santably appropriate color scheme.

There are many Astromech pets in SWTOR, and it is tradition in the game to award players who log in during the Star Wars “holiday” of May the 4th with a droid companion; until recent years it was an Astromech of varying colors. Other Astromech pets can be found on the cartel market and for sale on the GTN and from the Galactic Seasons token vendor, but this particular version is no longer available.

R2-D2 and T3-M4

Astromechs or Astro-droids are the most iconic robots in Star Wars, and the first of these, Artoo-Detoo, is undoubtably the most famous robot in pop culture. Despite, or perhaps because of being only able to communicate through beeps and whistles Artoo instantly became one of Star Wars‘ most beloved characters. Astromechs in Star Wars lore have many variations including the red, ill-fated R5-D4 from Episode 4: A New Hope, the squat, surly and patched together C1-10P “Chopper” from Star Wars: Rebels and the orange, roly-poly BB-8 from the sequel trilogy.

When it came to establishing the Old Republic, Astromechs would also play important roles. T3-M4 was a key companion to Revan and Meetra Surik in both Knights of the Old Republic games, and players of Star Wars: The Old Republic will, of course, be familiar with the redoubtable and resourceful T7-O1, who eventually joins every character in their adventures across the galaxy.

T7-O1 and M4-Y7

Both T3 and T7 are designed to suggest that they are early iterations of the famous Astromech design, with boxier shapes and fewer attachments and built in accessories. I’ve always liked the fact that T7 seems to be wearing a backpack; it is certainly stuffed with ammo, spare parts and snacks for himself and his companions.

The most striking design difference between Artoo-Detoo and his Old Republic counterparts is that his legs are angled backwards but the legs of the Old Republic droids lean forward, and their third (or fourth) “feet” are attached to the rear of their chassis. This change reminds me of two things, first of all, animals. The design of T3, in particular, echoes the profile of a sitting dog, something very appropriate for Revan’s best buddy. But this change in angle of the droid orientation also brings to mind other associations, specifically that of an Olympic sprinter getting ready to race out of the starting blocks. If R2-D2 seems laid back by comparison, then good ol’ T7-O1 and M4-Y7 are clearly raring to go!

Dewey and Huey

The origin of these droids extend back even beyond the first Star Wars movie. George Lucas has said that part of the inspiration for R2-D2 came from the “service drones” Huey, Dewey and Louie from the little remembered 1972 science fiction movie Silent Running, directed by special effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull. From this starting point, Ralph McQuarrie created several designs that would eventually become the Astro-droids of Star Wars.

There is one last element of the Astromech worth mentioning: R2 units both in the movies and in the Old Republic tend to have a single, large glowing eye, not unlike the unblinking HAL-9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s seminal 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey.

HAL, totally not spying on you

Now, look, I’m not saying that M4-Y7 is plotting to kill you, but if you happen to encounter the Astromech on a flight deck, perhaps it would be wise, especially these days, to be mindful of whether you’ve been naughty or nice this past year.

For my part, I want to wish all my readers a happy, healthy and warm holiday season. I hope everyone gets to ring out the end of the year in good company with good food. Look for the next Pet of the Old Republic on New Year’s Day!

 

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November 19, 2024 · 9:01 am

Pets of the Old Republic: #4. Orosquab

To mark the arrival of Life Day and Thanksgiving, the next featured entry in the Pets of the Old Republic had to be, of course, the most turkey-like of SWTOR’s pets, the Orobird.

Orobirds have a long history in Star Wars: The Old Republic, debuting in the game’s first major update after its launch. The first two Orobirds introduced into Star Wars lore were the Orochick, which could drop as loot from Gargath, a World Boss found on Hoth, and is also now available from the Light Side Token vendor on Fleet, and the Orokeet which hatches from eggs found by players exploring hidden corners of Alderaan, Republic Taris and Imperial Balmorra. The third Orobird pet, the Orosquab, subject of this post, debuted shortly thereafter as a rare reward from the flashpoint Lost Island. The fourth and final Orobird pet, the Crested Orokeet was later added to a vendor in the Cartel Bazaar of both fleets. If you want an Orobirb of your own as a pet, you won’t need to spend a single cartel coin, and if you’re willing to seek them out yourself, three of the four won’t even cost you a single credit.

Players first encountered fully grown Orobirds in the wilds of the planet Rishi during the Shadows of the Empire expansion. In addition four varieties of Orobird mounts can be acquired from the Cartel Market and the GTN for players to roost upon. If you have sufficient reputation with the Underworld Exchange, you can purchase the Fawn Orobird mount for a handful of credits and a pair of Cartel Market Certificates on the Cartel Bazaar deck of the Fleets.

This type of large, flightless bird appears to be very common across fantasy settings from the Axebeak of Dungeons and Dragons and the Chocobo from Final Fantasy, and the reason for that is because they are all based on extinct varieties of creatures colloquially known as “Terror Birds” from the Earth’s distant past. The “Terror” in that name is apt because many could tower over a human and, based on their fossilized remains alone, all must’ve been impressive sights to see! SWTOR‘s Orobirds seem to have been based in particular on species known as the Phorusrhacos and Dromornis.

Phorusrhacos

Although not all Terror Birds are believed to have been meat eaters, I cannot imagine any of them would be safe to encounter outside their enclosure in an out of control dinosaur theme park or by a time traveller stranded millions of years in the past. Indeed their modern descendants should not be trifled with either! The Cassowary of Australia, which seems to be the direct inspiration for the Crested Orokeet is notoriously dangerous to provoke. And even the wild turkeys of North America are prickly and ill tempered. I myself have encountered them both in the dark woods of Vermont and on the mean streets of Boston. I once walked out the front door of my apartment and came upon a half-dozen Turkeys pecking around my front yard. I turned around and went back inside. It was their yard now.

Boston Turkeys

So know that if you adventure in the Star Wars universe with an Orobird at your side, you are protected by one of the fiercest creatures in both a galaxy far, far away and the one significantly closer to home!

Next time: Your plastic pal who’s fun to be with.

 

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November 1, 2024 · 9:01 am

Pets of the Old Republic: #3. Fiery Grophet

With the Feast of Prosperity event active in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Thanksgiving season in full swing in North America, I decided the next subjects to depict in my Pets of the Old Republic series ought to be seasonally appropriate and perhaps even delicious!

Grophets were introduced to Star Wars during SWTOR’s Shadow of Revan expansion as wild animals found on the planet Rishi. Grophets are omnivores that combine the qualities of the wild pigs, the size and temperament of hippopotamuses with a dash of armored dinosaurs like the Ankylosaurus. Grophets are renowned as delicacies in Hutt cuisine, but they have proven difficult to domesticate. With their long sensitive ears and reinforced skulls, grophets are stubborn and formidable enemies, difficult to approach and dangerous to provoke.

The most notable grophets in SWTOR are the only know named examples in the lore: Straugh, Wudd, and Breck, three very large, rare spawns necessary to unlock Rishi’s datacrons. These grophets are named after the building materials used in the fable of the Three Little Pigs. If you’re curious who the bad guy is in SWTOR’s version of this story, well, it’s us. We’re the Big Bad Wolf.

If you need proof, look no further than the expression on the tiny grophet in my portrait. It is not the product of my imagination. Get close to any grophet and you’ll see they do not ever seem to be in the mood to be trifled with. Grophets are mad as hell, and they are not going to take it anymore.

The reason for that rage could very well stem from SWTOR’s Galactic Command gearing system from the Knights of the Eternal Throne expansion. Galactic Command was, in my opinion, SWTOR’s worst gearing system, so absolutely egalitarian that it frustrated casual players, hard-core raiders, sweaty PVPers and everyone else in between. Among the wardrobes of useless gear we acquired from the Galactic Command loot boxes, were occasional cosmetic items like pets and mounts. Players who advanced their Command level to the highest tier could loot this week’s pet: the Fiery Grophet.

If you were like me, you probably quickly ran out of characters to whom to give these orange space piggies. Unwanted loot from Command Crates could be converted into Command points towards more Crates, and many players were all too eager to “recycle” their poor unwanted grophets. But not me. I just couldn’t do it. Every single Fiery Grophet I received was saved. During KotET, I rescued nearly one thousand pets from the Galactic Command incinerator. Over the years I’ve given many away or auctioned them off to good homes, but I still have dozens and dozens left.

If you are on the Star Forge server and would like a Fiery Grophet of your own, leave a comment below with your character name (be mindful of spaces and special symbols) and faction, and I will mail you one free of charge. This offer is good while supplies last and I don’t expect my supply to be exhausted any time soon!

Sadly, I cannot extend this offer to players on other servers, but there are other grophet pets available from the Rishi reputation vendor and the Cartel Market; the Fiery Grophet itself can still be acquired using tech fragments and 75,000 credits from the Spoils of War Pets vendor on both Fleets.

Finally I want to give thanks to the great and powerful Shintar who suggested the Fiery Grophet and my co-guild leader Galaxiya who would taunt me every time she’d grind a grophet into CXP. I still wake up in the dark and hear the screaming of the grophets.

Next time: birds of a feather.

 

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October 15, 2024 · 9:01 am

Pets of the Old Republic: #2. Deep Wriggler

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought the next pet to feature really should be one of the creepiest, crawliest ones in my stable: the Deep Wriggler.

In SWTOR, Wrigglers are also known more generally as “larva”, and are almost exclusively found on the planet Asation in the Operation Terror from Beyond, although a few wander the frozen world of Hoth in the southern, Dreadseed corrupted reaches of the Crystal Wastes. As the name “larva” suggests, Wrigglers are an immature form of truly frightening monstrosities from outside our known universe such as the Writhing Horror and apparently even the Terror herself. Maybe Lil Wriggly will grow up to be a cosmic horror the likes of which the mortal mind cannot fully comprehend, but for now this slimy baby is all smiles (literally!) and, from the look in its eyes, it adores its adoptive parent. So maybe I’ll be spared when the universe is cast into madness and chaos upon the return of the Great Old Ones.

For those looking to acquire a Wriggler themselves, the Deep Wriggler pet can be found as loot from the final boss of Terror from Beyond on its Veteran Mode, but Lunar, Stellar and Striated Wriggler varieties can be found on the Cartel Market and up for auction on the Galactic Trade Network.

I want to take a moment to thank the dozens of people who entered my pets raffle. I hope everyone will enjoy this silly side projector. I’ve already planned out the additions through the end of the year, so suggestions will start appearing next year. If your suggestion is appropriate for a particular season, look for it then! For now the plan is to spotlight a new pet at the beginning and middle of each month. Not surprisingly next month’s pets are Thanksgiving themed (and delicious!).

Finally, I will be returning to SWTOR commentary soon, and of course will eagerly check out Aurebesh and other languages as they appear in the game!

 

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October 1, 2024 · 9:01 am

Pets of the Old Republic: #1. Opal Vulptilla

Today marks the ninth anniversary of This Week in Aurebesh! Each milestone my little project reaches leaves me pleasantly surprised and thankful for all the visitors I have received over the years. I started this blog as a bit of a lark, but it’s taken on a life of its own, and I’m always amazed to see what it continues to inspire in me.

To mark the occasion, I’m starting a new project to draw portraits and highlight just a few of the many, many pets available to players of Star Wars: The Old Republic. The genesis for this came from a pair of tweets from Swtorista and Kal from Today in the Old Republic. Swtorista posted a funny screenshot of her pet Kell Dragon climbing on the furniture, and in response Kal drew, in what must be MS Paint, a quick picture of the dragon. Likewise, I added my own quick version. It was all very silly, but I had fun with the drawing, and I’ve decided to keep it going. Ever since I bought a White Kitten from Lil Timmy during my very first visit to Stormwind in World of Warcraft, I’ve enjoyed collecting pets and that passion has continued into SWTOR.

Number One in this series has to be the Opal Vulptilla Puppy. This version of the pet has been available to players as giveaways from SWTOR and members of its Content Creator Program or as a reward for participation on the game’s test server.

This little fellah is completely adorable. I’m certain he loves scritches, but be careful where you pet him, because it’s not all soft and fuzzy! I like the creature’s mix of textures with its floppy ears, thick fur and iridescent crystal mane.

Vulptillas are available to players as both pets and mounts aside from the Opal presented here. Check the Cartel Market or the GTN for the original Blue pet and mount or the infernal red mount.

SWTOR’s Vulptillas are, of course, inspired by the crystal foxes from my favorite Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. The foxes in the movie are called Vulptices and share some traits with the Vulptillas but they are not identical. The crystal fur of a Vulptex is much finer than the large shards found on the Vulptilla, and the Vulptex has a leaner, longer frame than the much larger and broader mature Vulptilla.

There is not yet any lore in SWTOR concerning Vulptillas, but it is reasonable to assume that the two foxlike creatures are related. Can Vulptillas also be found on Crait? Or perhaps Vulptillas are natives of Ilum? Given that we have seen at least three different colors of Vulptillas, it leads me to wonder if their crystalline manes are somehow related to the Kyber crystals of the Jedi and Sith.

What Pets Would You Like to See?

My goal for this Pets of the Old Republic project is to create over the next year twenty-five portraits of some of the cutest, grossest, silliest, most loveable pets from the history of the game. I have a list to start on, but I would love to add some suggestions from you!

Is there a favorite pet you’d like to see me draw? Leave a comment below! The pets with the most votes will be added to the queue. In addition everyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a raffle for an Opal Vulptilla pet. And if you have one, already let me know and I’ll send you 450 cartel coins instead. I will select up to 12 winners from among all entries.

Here are the rules:

To enter, leave a comment below with the following information:

  • Your character name (be mindful of spaces and special symbols!)
  • Your faction
  • Your server
  • Which pet you’d like to see me illustrate
  • Would you prefer an Opal Vulptilla pet or 450 cartel coins?

That’s it! I will accept entries for two weeks from this posting and will randomly select the winners on October 17 at 1 PM ET.

If you prefer not to comment publicly, I will also accept entries via email at twia@generic-hero.com, or through Twitter or Bluesky.

There are no country or server restrictions on any of the prizes that will be awarded.

This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with LucasFilm Ltd, Broadsword or Electronic Arts Inc.

We’re on the honor system here, so one entry per person, please.

Good luck, and you can keep it if you remember to feed, walk it and clean up after it!

 

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