Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Starfighter

The second Digital Expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic is Galactic Starfighter, which was initially announced on October 8, 2013, with a planned release to the general public in February 2014. The concept for Galactic Starfighter arose soon after The Old Republic's launch, but before the developers could fully realize the expansion's design, the project was temporarily shelved to prioritize additional content and the implementation of the Free-to-Play model. It wasn't until August 2012 that the developers resumed efforts to define their approach to space content. Fan feedback and requests played a role in these discussions, leading the developers to prioritize two key elements: free-flight space combat and ship customization. Instead of creating a vast, open world with story content and large capital ships, the developers chose to focus on player-vs-player combat, and the expansion's development began.

When creating the levels for the Galactic Starfighter Digital Expansion, the creative team first collaborated to brainstorm the type of environment they wanted, often drawing inspiration from iconic movie locations and scenes. For instance, the Lost Shipyards map was conceived with the idea of navigating through asteroids and flying through an incomplete capital ship. The next step was to create the basic map layout, with scaling being a critical factor: since the ships in the expansion are smaller than player characters, the developers could create larger environments relative to the players to maximize the available space. Designers then created a 2D map of the environment, marking the locations of points of interest and spawn points, and different ship types were tested to ensure a balanced experience. Artists then expanded on the map to build the environment, adding visual effects and sound design to enhance immersion. After another round of ship testing within the environment, the levels underwent extensive playtesting, during which developers adjusted or removed environmental objects to improve the overall level design.

Galactic Starfighter was initially teased as the "Super Secret Space Project" before its official unveiling. It was first mentioned during the second LiveStream Event on November 29, 2012, and was described as "something that is a departure from our normal space game." It remained unmentioned until August 2013, when a teaser video was presented at the Community Cantina Tour in Seattle. The video, presented as surveillance droid footage from space accompanied by an audio report from a Shroud agent to the Shroud, detailed the agent's discovery of Republic and Imperial naval force gatherings. A Republic fleet attacks an Imperial shipyard, and the video showcased gameplay footage of Liberator-class starfighters and Mark VI Supremacy-class starfighters engaged in dogfights before the surveillance droid was destroyed. No additional details regarding the feature or its release date were provided during the Cantina Tour.

Early Access to Galactic Starfighter was granted to active subscribers on December 3, 2013, coinciding with the release of Game Update 2.5. Preferred Status Players gained access on January 14, 2014, and the expansion became available to Free-to-Play players on February 4, 2014. Subscribers also received exclusive paint jobs, two pilot suits, two titles, and the highest available leveling and progression benefit, which could also be obtained through the purchase of a Starfighter Pass in the Cartel Market. Preferred Status Players received two pilot suits and an exclusive title, and players who subscribed by November 1, 2013, received an exclusive Gunship unlock with custom paint jobs.

Galactic Starfighter brings player-versus-player space combat to the forefront through 12v12 dogfight matches, accompanied by various features that enhance the core combat experience. The gameplay and user interface differ significantly from both ground gameplay and traditional space combat. Initially, three starship classes were announced for Galactic Starfighter: the Scout, Strike Fighter, and Gunship. A fourth class, the Bomber, was introduced with the expansion's full launch in February.

• Scouts are characterized by their high speed, exceptional maneuverability, and boost ability, equipped with both Rocket Pods and blaster cannons. Team-focused Scout ships, such as the Republic's default NovaDive or the Empire's default S-12 Blackbolt, can utilize devices like a Slicing Device to disrupt enemy navigation systems and pinpoint their location, or a Sensor Beacon to aid in tracking enemy movements. Other Scout ships, such as the Flashfire and the S-13 Sting , are designed for direct ship-to-ship combat. They trade some maneuverability and speed for increased firepower, featuring Rapid-Fire Laser Cannons and Cluster Missiles to overwhelm enemy fighter shields, along with access to Blaster Overcharge and Booster Recharge systems. The A-wing and TIE interceptor served as inspiration for the Scout Class Starfighters. [13] The IL-5 Ocula , also known as the IL-5 Skybolt for the Republic, is another Scout model obtained exclusively through the Cartel Market. [12]
• Strike Fighters are designed to engage both stationary targets and other starships, striking a balance between firepower and maneuverability. These ships rely on the ability to equip and switch between either two primary or two secondary weapons, depending on the specific ship class. The default Strike Fighters, the FT-8 Star Guard and the F-T6 Rycer , can both swap primary weapons, including Quad Lasers and Ion Cannons, and secondary weapons, such as Cluster Missiles and Concussion Missiles. Some Strike Fighters also feature Directional Shields that can be toggled to specific directions. The primary threat to Strike Fighters is being disabled by Interdiction Drives or Sabotage Probes deployed by enemy Scouts and Gunships. [14] The F-T2 Quell and FT-6 Pike , available for purchase with Fleet Requisition, carry two different types of missiles, while the TZ-24 Enforcer /Gladiator model can be acquired in the Cartel Market. [12]
• Gunships represent the third ship class, with each featuring at least one long-distance Railgun equipped with a zoom firing mode. Certain Gunships can switch between different Railguns: the Ion Railgun drains enemy power, the Plasma Railgun deals significant damage over time, and the Slug Railgun penetrates enemy shields. Gunships are most effective when concealed, as they cannot move while using the Railgun, although they can still rotate and strafe. They also have access to various shields, including the Feedback Shield, which charges the ship's shields with energy and releases it upon enemies when hit, and the Fortress Shield, which doubles a ship's shields but immobilizes the ship. Rotational Thrusters allow Gunships to quickly rotate under fire, while the Interdiction Drive enhances a ship's speed and impairs the enemy's speed, facilitating escapes. [15] The GSS-3 Mangler and SGS-45 Quarrel are the only gunship models currently available for the Empire and Republic, respectively. [12]
• Bombers, the fourth ship class, were introduced with the full launch of Galactic Starfighter in February 2014. [11] The Empire's B-4D Legion and the Republic's Warcarrier both carry drone turrets and missiles, while the Empire's M-7 Razorwire and the Republic's Rampart Mark Four are designed as minelayers. Both models became available for unlocking with Fleet Requisition in February. [12]

Components form the fundamental building blocks of a starfighter, with each ship capable of equipping five major and four minor components. Major components provide weapons and active combat abilities, while minor components offer passive boosts to various statistics. Ships begin with one default component in each slot, but numerous unlockable options are available for each slot, with each ship having a unique set of equippable components. Components feature three to five tiers of upgrades that can be purchased to enhance their effectiveness or add functionality. Major components offer two different improvements in the higher tiers, allowing players to create customized ships. All unlocks and upgrades are purchased with Requisition, a new currency earned by participating in Starfighter battles. Participation is rewarded with Requisition, with the winning team receiving a substantial bonus, and individual actions also contributing to Requisition gains. Each ship in a player's hangar has a daily Requisition pool, similar to rest experience gained in cantinas or safe zones, which doubles the rate at which a ship earns Requisition until the pool is depleted. Once a ship has been fully upgraded in each component, it is considered Mastered and earns Requisition at an increased rate. Requisition is divided into Ship Requisition, which is tied to specific ships, and Fleet Requisition, which can be used on any of a player's ships. Ship Requisition can be converted into Fleet Requisition by spending Cartel Coins.

Galactic Starfighter also introduces Crew Members, companions who operate players' starships. Each faction has four unique Crew Members, and players can also use their class companions as Crew Members. For a Requisitions fee, players can unlock the companions of other classes as well. Crew Members serve as Copilots and Support Crews. Crew Members assigned to a player's Support Crew work on ships when they are not in combat, and each Crew Member occupies one of four slots: Offensive, Defensive, Engineering, and Tactical. Each companion or Crew Member has a specialty, granting a unique combination of two passive bonuses when assigned. Copilots are selected from the four Crew Members on the Support Crew, and each copilot provides a different active ability in addition to their passive bonuses when chosen as the copilot. The four Imperial Crew Members are Aven Geth (Engineering), MZ-12 (Offensive), Salana Rok (Tactical), and Writch Hurley (Defensive), while the Republic Crew Members are Ashy (Engineering), B-3G9 (Offensive), Kendra Novar (Tactical), and Oro Wogawa (Defensive).

Galactic Starfighter launched with two game modes: Domination and Team Deathmatch. Domination involves capturing and defending a series of objectives, with teams earning points for maintaining control. Team Deathmatch pits teams of players against each other, with the team achieving the highest kill score by the time the match ends or the score limit is reached winning the match. Team Deathmatch maps also feature Power-ups.

Galactic Starfighter's content revolves around the main menu, accessible by pressing the H key or clicking an icon on the minimap, featuring five tabs: Ships, Components, Cosmetics, Crew, and Launch. The Ship tab organizes ships by type, with 14 ships available during Early Access and 10 additional ships planned for release in February. The Components tab allows players to select and install unlocked components for their starship, while the Cosmetics tab allows players to customize the ship's appearance, such as paint jobs and weapon discharge colors. The Crew tab allows players to choose which Crew Members or companions they want to use as their Support Crew, and the Launch tab queues the player for a match. The in-combat heads-up display is similar to the basic ground gameplay interface, but the minimap is relocated to the upper right corner, displaying the entire battlefield regardless of the player's position. Next to the map is the scoreboard, which also features objective icons. The icon's color indicates which team controls the objective, and dots around the icon represent the remaining turrets around the objective. The firing arc is centered on the screen, with orange, purple, and blue curved bars on the left and right sides of the circle. The orange bar on the left indicates weapon power, while the purple bar on the right indicates engine power. The blue bar on the right displays the ship's speed, and a smaller circle, the missile targeting reticle, is located within the larger firing arc. Players must keep enemy ships within the smaller reticle to fire missiles and within the larger circle to target them with cannons.

In the bottom left corner of the screen, a circular display shows an icon of the player's ship surrounded by two rings. The rings, divided into two sections for forward and rear shields, change color to indicate damage taken. Depleted shields will not regenerate. The ship icon in the middle represents hull integrity, changing color based on the ship's damage level. To the right of the display are three bars representing power conversions, which can be switched between Blaster, Shield, and Engine power conversions using the F1, F2, and F3 keys. At the bottom of the screen, a simplified quickbar with six buttons provides access to the ship's abilities. Slots 1-4 are mapped to the number keys 1-4, and the remaining two abilities are mapped to the left and right mouse buttons. Abilities vary between ships and components, but the left mouse button is always blaster fire, and the right mouse button is for missiles, rockets, or railguns. Distant enemy ships are framed by small square boxes with the player's name above them, and manually selecting them or using the tab button to lock on displays a targeting reticle and a circle indicating their projected flight path. Once the enemy is in missile range, the targeting reticle turns red, and if the enemy is in blaster range, both the targeting reticle and circle turn red. Gunships have sniper-like scopes for their railguns, indicating the railgun's charge level.

Movement is controlled by the keyboard: the W and S keys accelerate and decelerate, the A and D keys roll left or right, the X key stops the engines, and the space bar engages afterburners. Holding the Shift key with W or S strafes up or down. The camera can be shifted to various modes: holding F engages the free-look camera without moving the ship, while holding Z frees the mouse cursor from the camera. Holding C shifts the camera to look at an enemy target, and the Tab button cycles the targeting system through nearby enemy players. The E key allows manually targeting an enemy near the mouse cursor, and R targets the enemy player who just hit the player. Sensors play a key role, with four sensor attributes whose range varies between different ships: Sensor Detection, Sensor Dampening, Sensor Communication, and Sensor Focus Range. Sensor Detection determines how far away an enemy ship can be detected, while Sensor Dampening reduces the distance from which an enemy can detect the player. The range of an enemy's Sensor Dampening is subtracted from the player's Sensor Detection to determine the actual range of the player's sensors in regard to that enemy. Sensor Communication determines how far away friendly ships can broadcast detected enemy ships. Friendly ships within an ally's Sensor Communication range can see all of the enemy ships that the ally has detected.