After eleven years,Star Wars: The Old Republicis finally moving to 64-bit code as part of the ongoing modernization efforts.Star Wars: The Old Republichas continued to survive as a niche but profitable endeavor for EA and BioWare, continuing to release updates and new content at a sporadic pace.
The Old Republic’s eighth expansion was released in February of this year following a two-month delay dedicated to polishing the experience. However, whenLegacy of the Sithdid eventually arrive, players were disappointed with its length and available content. A new Operation,The Old Republic’s version of raids which can include either 8 or 16 players, was delayed until August alongside a repeatable Daily Area for the planet Manaan. Fortunately, the year seems to be ending at a high point for the MMO, receiving patch 7.2 last week which arguably contained as much content as the expansion’s initial launch.
RELATED:Ubisoft is Hiring Playtesters for Its Star Wars Game
Furthermore,The Old Republicannounced a 64-bit version was available for players to try on the Public Test Server (PTS). BioWare has utilized the PTS frequently in recent years, typically allowing players to opt in and test out upcoming features before the official launch. As of today, the PTS is “open for players to experienceStar Wars: The Old Republicin 64-bit,” and will contain “the content that is included in Game Update 7.2.“For any interested in starting theirOld Republicjourney, avoiding the PTS until one is max level and have experienced the majority of existing content at least once is highly recommended.
It is a significant update for an often criticized engine that is believed to hold back development. Despite stark improvements to character models and cinematic animation that began with2015’sKnights of the Fallen Empireexpansionand is gradually progressing to this day,The Old Republicespecially struggles to maintain consistent performance when trying to accommodate large groupings. The migration to 64-bit means “players can use more memory and aren’t limited to 4GB per process,” and also lessens the restrictions developers face when it comes to “how much content can be placed in each area.”
