About
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With Torhead and Ask Mr. Robot closing/no longer supporting Star Wars: The Old Republic, there are no true databases left for Items, NPCs, and Missions in the game. Our team has decided to build and maintain these databases to fill the void and further enhance our already-established fansite, TORCommunity. Unlike other MMO companies like Blizzard (Battle.net API) or Sony Online Entertainment (Census API), Bioware has no APIs for Star Wars: The Old Republic, which makes the construction and maintenance of fansites and databases especially challenging.
Currently, our server hosts both TORCommunity and TORParse, costing roughly $230 per month to maintain. If our Kickstarter is successful, we will not only be able to fund both projects for many months, but will also be able to create Items, NPC, and Mission databases, further expand our server capabilities and performance, and be able to create and release new tools and features at a much faster rate.
Thanks to swtor_miner, swtor_potato, the other members of our team, and the existing TORCommunity framework, we have the ability to create fansite databases for Star Wars: The Old Republic (something that Bioware should have made themselves) - now we just need the funding to host the server and to code the site frontend and infrastructure to display them. We're pretty much doing the database creation work for them, and we're making it available to everyone for free.
SWTOR Items Database
Our first priority is creating an interactive items database of all items in Star Wars: The Old Republic to replace TORHead and Ask Mr. Robot. The frontend will be searchable with the ability to filter by item category, stats, type, bind properties, level, rating, and all other assigned in-game attributes.
SWTOR Item Tooltips
To accompany our Items Database, we will have Item Tooltips that you can embed on any website. These will allow you to link items so that a small box with stats, the item image, and other item attributes will popup when someone hovers their mouse cursor over the item name.
SWTOR Gear Editor/Character Builder
One of the best features of Ask Mr. Robot, the gear editor/character builder allowed users to choose gear from the SWTOR items database for their characters, pick specific armorings, mods, enhancements, and augments for each piece, and have it display stats and other information that you could then share with friends or embed on your website. We're developing our own version of this, with added integration with our beta Chracter Profiles, PvP Records, Achievement Tracker, 3D Model Viewer, and various other site tools and features.
Interactive SWTOR Maps
Already far along in development, our interactive SWTOR maps will allow you to view entire planet maps in zoomable high resolution with overlays for lore objects, bestiary objects, MCR-99 droids, datacrons, champions, vendors, mission start points, NPCs, taxis, quick travel points, and much more. You can view a live demo of one of our work-in-progress interactive maps here: Balmorra Interactive Map.
Leaderboards and Guild Management
We are close to releasing several new "Leaderboards" features that will rank players based on all sorts of categories ranging from PvP Records (things like biggest hit, highest DPS, etc.), GSF Records, Guild Progression, Achievement scores (released this week!), and much more. We are drawing from our TORParse roots and Yusi's excellent TOFN and TRE Records system to have a modular framework for all future leaderboards, coupled with the ability to track your guild's progress in clearing SWTOR content.
TORCommunity and TORParse already have many tools, guides, galleries, resources, and other features available for the community to use. You can view a comprehensive list using our Sitemap feature.
If we meet our initial funding goal, we have several "stretch" funding goals planned for additional updates and features.
Stretch Funding Goal 1: $1,380
- Fund TORCommunity + TORParse for 6 months
Stretch Feature Goal 1: $2,000
- Interactive Collections/Cartel Market Database + Tracker + Completion Leaderboards
Stretch Funding Goal 2: $2,760
- Fund TORCommunity + TORParse for 1 year
Stretch Feature Goal 2: $3,000
- Multilingual support (French, German, etc.) + Codex Database
Stretch Funding Goal 3: $5,520
- Fund TORCommunity + TORParse for 2 years
Stretch Feature Goal 3: $8,000
- Integrated 3D Model Viewer for Simple Items/NPCs
Hayward - Founder of TORCommunity, he is a biologist-turned-engineer with a passion for web design and computer programming. He does most of the site interfaces/design work along with organization and project planning, and created numerous tools, guides, and features such as the site framework, 3D Model Viewer (with swtor_miner), Interactive Maps (with Melodie), and Combat Proficiency Builder/Discipline Calculator (with Yusi).
Ohnoto - Founder of ForceTremor, he joined forces with TORCommunity to help with new guides, tools, and features such as the Character Profiles, Forums, and Event Calendar.
Chemayla - Founder of SWTOR Styles, she joined forces with TORCommunity to help with image galleries for all items in the game.
swtor_miner - Creator of the tools used to generate many of our site resources, he is heading up the creation of the new databases.
swtor_potato - Co-developer and code optimizer of future updates to swtor_miner's tools, he is helping with the creation of the new databases.
Yusi - Founder of SWTOR Arenas, TRE Records, and TOFN Records, he works with Hayward as a web developer for tools and features such as our Achievement Tracker and Combat Proficiency Builder/Discipline Calculator, and will be working closely with the others on development of the new databases.
Penther - Linux administrator in charge of our server management, he is also a lead developer for the TORParse project.
Lyynk - Founder of TORParse, he is back from a year-long absence to continue development and restoration of TORParse to its former glory.
Snave - SWTOR Live Streamer / Vlogger / Podcast Personality / Kind of a Big Deal, he is in charge of the TORCommunity Stream Team and live event planning.
Xam Xam - SWTOR Blogger and Vlogger, she creates weekly video commentaries and assists with our social media presence.
Maebeebuzz - SWTOR Blogger and Vlogger, she creates weekly video commentaries and assists with our social media presence.
SWTOR Economics - Blogger and SWTOR GTN Market Analyzer, he runs a site dedicated to monitoring price changes in server Galactic Trade Networks, which he will integrate with our items database.
Melodie - Founder of Melodie's Codex Maps, she's helping with the creation of interactive world maps from her static ones.
Seraphyne - Graphic Designer/Artist who also manages our PvP Records and Guild Progression databases, she will draw two top tier donators custom character artwork of their choice.
Ilayas - Graphic Designer/Artist, she will draw two top tier donators custom character artwork of their choice. Examples of her work can be seen on her DeviantArt profile and in the images used in this Kickstarter.
Yuuzhan - Co-manager of our PvP Records databases.
JP - Global forum moderator and manager of our moderating staff.
Copyright and Disclaimer
TORCOMMUNITY, TORPARSE, AND RELATED PROPERTIES ARE TRADEMARKS OF TORCOMMUNITY.COM. © 2008-2015 TORCOMMUNITY.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
LUCASARTS, STAR WARS AND RELATED PROPERTIES ARE TRADEMARKS IN THE UNITED STATES AND/OR IN OTHER COUNTRIES OF LUCASFILM LTD. AND/OR ITS AFFILIATES. © 2015 LUCASFILM ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LTD. OR LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
BIOWARE IS A TRADEMARK OF EA INTERNATIONAL (STUDIO AND PUBLISHING) LTD.
THIS KICKSTARTER IS NOT ENDORSED OR AFFILIATED WITH LUCASARTS, BIOWARE, EA, AND ALL RELATED AFFILIATES IN ANY WAY. ALL MONEY RAISED WILL BE USED FOR SERVER HOSTING AND PROJECT CODING COSTS. WE DO NOT MAKE ANY PROFIT ON TORPARSE OR TORCOMMUNITY. ALL DATABASES CREATED AS A RESULT OF THIS KICKSTARTER WILL BE FREE TO USE AND NO SWTOR ASSETS WILL BE SOLD OR REDISTRIBUTED IN ANY MANNER. THIS KICKSTARTER IS FOR THE CREATION AND CODING OF A GENERIC DATABASE FRAMEWORK AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED FOR MANY INFORMATIONAL AND-NON PROFIT PURPOSES.
ARTWORK ON THIS PAGE WAS DRAWN BY ILAYAS (VIXEN11) AND IS USED WITH PERMISSION.
* VIEWS/ENDORSEMENTS OF THIS KICKSTARTER BY KEPHESS ARE SPECULATIVE, AS HE WAS UNAVAILABLE TO BE REACHED FOR COMMENT.
Risks and challenges
This project carries few risks. TORCommunity has been online since the announcement of Star Wars: The Old Republic (November of 2008) and we have no intention of closing it before the game servers are permanently taken offline. Work is already underway for the new databases, although it will take significantly longer to complete them without additional funding.
Our team uses Github for excellent source control and development management, and we currently have over 15 people contributing to the project from around the world.
Hosting costs are always worrisome, but with the proper funding they should not be a problem using a scalable site infrastructure.
The lack of official tools and API support from Bioware is a significant hurdle, but something we feel we can overcome (see our current tools and features for examples of how we've worked around this).
Overall, we think the odds of this Kickstarter becoming a success are better than the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field.
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Funding period
- (30 days)