You’ve probably yearned to explore the galaxy as a lightsaber wielding Jedi for quite some time now – traveling from planet to planet, setting things right that were once wrong. Or, perhaps you’ve always wanted to join the Dark Side ever since you realized that having Dark Vader’s “choke” power every time you went to see your mother-in-law wouldn’t be the worst of scenarios. Nevertheless, your bank account is looking barren. That’s okay. BioWare announced today that Star Wars: The Old Republic will allow new players to the popular MMO to try the game out for free, including all eight character classes, up to level 15.
Such a level will probably see you getting off of your origin planet, forcing you to decide whether or not to throw down the cash for the full version of Star Wars: The Old Republic to continue your character’s story. Nice play, BioWare. Newcomers will also be able to participate in all PVP Warzones as well as in the co-op Flashpoints.
There is a host of restrictions, however. Players using the free trial cannot send or reply to mail, nor can they use the general or PVP chat. They also cannot use the Galactic Trade Network or trade with other players. Additionally, these users will only be able to reach a Crew Skills ranking of about 40 and will not earn Legacy XP.
In implementing a F2P version for Star Wars: The Old Republic, BioWare joins Blizzard and World of Warcraft in the realm of MMOs that are available to play for free up to a certain point and level cap. WoW Starter Edition characters for example, are capped at level 20.
If you’re eager to be consumed by the Force, you can sign up for a SWTOR account and download the game here.
