I already went for the full package: THE ULTIMATE EDITION!!!!!

NO REGRETS!!!!

Only rebel scum do not pre-order Star Wars games.

Btw, how do I get that "I pre-ordered the game" badge on my forum profile?

Sweet

The following is a message from StarWars.EA.com

OCTOBER 20, 2015

The Heroes of Star Wars Battlefront: Leia Organa

Lead Rebel teammates to victory against the Empire playing as Princess Leia



Playing as a Hero or Villain character in Star Wars™ Battlefront™ is not only about charging fearlessly into battle and laying waste to enemy troopers; it is also about defensive tactics and supporting your team. But why choose between the two? Playing as Princess Leia Organa, you'll experience it all.

This legendary royal will be a powerful asset to your Rebel team - and a menacing sight for Imperial troops. Here to provide you with detailed plans of the design process of Leia is Lead Hero Designer Jamie Keen.

"Leia is a character that succeeds through her fearless, strategic mind.  We can all remember moments when her quick-thinking blaster fire helped the Rebels out of trouble. Our goal for all the Hero characters has been to capture their essence and spirit from the original Star Wars™ film trilogy, and then convey that through gameplay. Doing that is more straightforward with characters wielding Lightsabers and Force abilities; it's obvious how to build gameplay around those things. Leia was trickier in that regard since she doesn't have a specific, favorite weapon, so we had to represent her in another way.

It's clear that Leia is a leader, so in Star Wars Battlefront she's very much about support play, buffing team members, and holding positions. Furthermore, players spawning close to her will spawn as Alderaan Honor Guards. That said, she's got a lot of offensive output as well. Just look at the original Star Wars trilogy: you'll notice that when Leia shoots at stormtroopers, she kills them quickly. We've based one of Leia's abilities on this: Trooper Bane.

A hard-hitting, boosted blaster shot, Trooper Bane is designed to be fired in single bursts. Now, this packs a real punch if you hit your target. A stormtrooper will get killed in one blast by Trooper Bane, and against Villains it will both deal a lot of damage and temporarily stun them.

A more defensive power is the Enhanced Squad Shield. This works like the regular Squad Shield Power Card but is far stronger: it can stop some Force abilities and Leia can even shoot out of it with Trooper Bane active, which ground troopers cannot. The Enhanced Squad Shield is ideal if you want to own a certain area of the map, such as an Uplink Station in Walker Assault. Simply deploy the shield and you can securely hold these key areas as a group thanks to Leia's cover.

Then there's Supply Drop, another power that will make Leia a key asset for Rebel forces. Activate this ability to drop a variety of power ups for ground troopers, or health boosts for other Hero characters. This can really help your team out, so make sure to use it as often as you can.

All these abilities provide a really powerful overall package. As Leia, you'll be buffing, healing, providing cover, and also be on the offensive a lot. If you use her right, she could be the most powerful Hero character. So how's that done? You should hang back and pick your ground. Use the map's natural cover together with the Enhanced Squad Shield, and force enemies to come to you through the channels you create.

Another good tip is to stay mobile when facing off with dangerous foes. If you're chased by someone like Darth Vader, use a hit-and-run tactic. Deploy your shield, fire off a Trooper Bane shot, and then try to shake your enemies. When the cooldown period is over, just set up shop again, and continue the fight.

That about covers it for Leia, but I'd like to leave you with one other tip that's applicable for all the Heroes and Villains in Star Wars Battlefront. Make sure to try the Hero Battles mission. This is a really good testbed, where you'll get a sense of the playstyle of Leia and all the other iconic characters. You'll learn the characteristics and timing of abilities and you'll get a feel for how different ones work together and how you should combine them."

Learn more about the Heroes and Villains in Star Wars Battlefront


Source: http://starwars.ea.com/starwars/battlefront/news/the-heroes-of-star-wars-battlefront-leia-organa

The following is a message from StarWars.EA.com

OCTOBER 20, 2015

The Heroes of Star Wars Battlefront: Han Solo

Take on the Empire as the galaxy's most legendary smuggler



As you know, Star Wars™ Battlefront™ lets you step into the shoes of many iconic characters from the vast Star Wars™ universe. Having covered off Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett, we'll now turn our attention to the world's most beloved smuggler: Han Solo.

Helping us out is Lead Hero Designer Jamie Keen, who will tell you all about the notorious but heroic scoundrel and his role in Star Wars Battlefront.

"It's been incredibly fun to work on Han Solo for Star Wars Battlefront. He's such a likeable character, and turning his unique persona into gameplay features is a thrill when you're a Star Wars fan. We've also witnessed the love for this character in our playtests. Han's sardonic lines and emotes seem to put a smile on everyone's face.



Gameplay-wise, Han Solo is a gunslinger mainly designed for lone wolves and, echoing the beginning of the original Star Wars trilogy, he's not very dependent on others. Similar to a  Rebel trooper, but with a greatly boosted arsenal, Han Solo might be the easiest Hero character to get into. Offensive output, damage, and mobility – that's what this guy's about.

Han Solo has three useful abilities to even out the odds fighting the Empire and the first one is called Rapid Fire. Active for a few seconds, this lets Han fire his Blaster as fast you can pull the trigger, without having to worry about overheating. Try this out when taking on compact groups and mow down those stormtroopers! Rapid Fire is also really good for when villains like Darth Vader approaches. Use it at the right time and you'll lay down a ton of damage.

Han Solo has an element of fortune around him and that's where Lucky Shot, Han's second power, originates from. This is a "build up and release" power that hits really hard and is effective against vehicles. Lucky Shot works for infantry as well and is mighty enough to break Darth Vader's block.

Last but not least is the Shoulder Charge power. Remember the Star Wars™: Episode IV: A New Hope™ scene where Han charges into a group of stormtroopers? Then you'll know what to expect. Shoulder Charge is both an offensive and defensive move and can be used to quickly get in to battles – but also out of them.

Playing as Han Solo, you will run into equally famous and deadly characters. Some tips might be useful. Take Boba Fett for instance: he has a vertical advantage over Han thanks to the Jetpack, but Han's Lucky Shot can be used to take Boba out of the sky. If you manage to close in on Boba you can then finish him off with Rapid Fire.

As you know, hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster. That said, you shouldn't get cocky if you're facing Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine. These two will want to get in close, so go for a hit-and-run tactic. Use Shoulder Charge to quickly get in and out of situations and the evasive Combat Roll move to reestablish range and gain some precious time.

So there you have it. Whether you'll be defeating iconic adversaries in Heroes vs Villains, stopping AT-ATs in Walker Assault, or playing any other mode featuring Han Solo, we hope your time with him will be memorable."

Source: http://starwars.ea.com/starwars/battlefront/news/the-heroes-of-star-wars-battlefront-han-solo

The following is a message from StarWars.EA.com

OCTOBER 20, 2015

The Villains of Star Wars Battlefront: Emperor Palpatine

Crush the rebellion with Force Lightening and supply drops



The dark side of the Force™ is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be... unnatural.

The playable Villains of Star Wars™ Battlefront™ we've shared with you so far, Darth Vader and Boba Fett, are truly menacing characters that will strike fear into any they encounter. But as we reveal the final Villain, we'll touch upon pure evil itself – and how you will get a taste of it. It's time to talk about Emperor Palpatine.

Lead Hero Designer Jamie Keen is here to tell us about a character who's deceptive, immensely powerful, and shocking in more than one way.

"Based on how he's been characterized and how he plays, Emperor Palpatine might be my personal favorite character in Star Wars Battlefront. But getting to that point has been a challenge.

We wanted many different things with the Emperor. We wanted him to be very mobile, but also about deception and fooling people that he's fragile and weak. As you've seen in the original Star Wars™ trilogy, Palpatine pretends to be a weak old man, when he in fact is extremely powerful. That two-faced side was something we wanted to convey in gameplay and the Emperor's abilities.

Palatine's main attack is the iconic Force Lightning, which does a lot of damage to troops within reach. The lightning also comes in the more powerful Chain Lightning form, which is an area of effect ability dealing damage to enemies around you in all directions.

Another power is called Force Dash and is (pun intended) shocking in another way. When Palpatine activates Force Dash he'll move extremely fast in his current direction, which can be a real nasty surprise for Rebel soldiers. We've seen some players get really startled when they have been aiming down the sights at Palpatine and suddenly see him right up close.

In contrast to these abilities, Palpatine is also the Empire team's support Villain, capable of providing powerups for others and himself. Thanks to his command of the Empire, Palpatine can use the Imperial Resources ability to hand out powerups to team mates and health boosts to other Villains.

So is there a good strategy playing as Palpatine? A hit-and-run tactic is always good: get in close but don't get stuck. Jump into fights, be aggressive with your lightning attacks, and then jump out again using the Force Dash. Just be careful where you jump in, since running into five or more enemies spells trouble.

The Emperor also plays a support role for his team. It's tempting to simply run towards the center and use Force Lightning to fry everything that moves, but try to play a bit more defensively and use your support abilities. Other players can also spawn close to Palpatine as the more powerful Shock Troopers, a tactic you should have in mind and utilize. Master all this, and your team will be quite safe from your pitiful Rebel enemies.

I hope you will have as much fun dealing out Chain Lightning and Imperial Resources as we've had developing Emperor Palpatine. Use the tips in this post wisely and you'll be the unstoppable force of the Galactic Empire when Star Wars Battlefront arrives."

Source: http://starwars.ea.com/starwars/battlefront/news/the-villains-of-star-wars-battlefront-emperor-palpatine

I already bought the ULTIMATE EDITION!!!!

@WusiBabyEater: The RAM requirements are exaggerated. I played the Alpha with 8Gb 1600MHz RAM just fine. All of the other requirements make sense though.

@BlackScorpion: No, the game will not be DirectX 12 Compatible

HOW TO BETA

Star Wars Battlefront Beta Guides by JACKFRAGS

If anyone here has questions about how the Star Wars Battlefront beta will play out, and what you should do in-game, I have the answer for you. Long time YouTuber, JACKFRAGS, has released several tutorial videos today regarding the beta. JACKFRAGS is most known for his many videos providing helpful tips and secrets of the game Battlefield 4, and more recently, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. He has an impressive track record of providing useful information on video game mechanics, and he won't fail you now.

Recently, he had the opportunity to try out the Star Wars Battlefront Beta early and record footage for viewers to enjoy. Below is a list of some short guide videos that will teach new comers adjust to the gameplay style of the beta. Watch then, learn, and familiarize yourselves with the game.

See you on the Battlefront.

• Full Beta Playlist:
  

• Hero Guide: https://youtu.be/nvvzsFN9JvI?list=PL3Z0xw5JKEcmGr7w27KumTqigUdMGQbuc

• Walker Assault Guide: https://youtu.be/qLDyByNcOCg?list=PL3Z0xw5JKEcmGr7w27KumTqigUdMGQbuc

• Drop Zone Guide: https://youtu.be/HQznf24h6vA?list=PL3Z0xw5JKEcmGr7w27KumTqigUdMGQbuc

• Survival Guide: https://youtu.be/f_MzTUpqAYE?list=PL3Z0xw5JKEcmGr7w27KumTqigUdMGQbuc

I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH JACKFRAGS OR HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL. I AM NOT TRYING TO PROMOTE HIS CHANNEL AS ADVERTISEMENT OR REQUESTING ANYONE TO SUBSCRIBE TO HIM. I FOUND THIS INFORMATION TO BE VERY USEFUL FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW LITTLE TO NOTHING ABOUT THE STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT BETA AND THIS IS THE BEST SOURCE OF ACCURATE INFORMATION I COULD FIND.

Get ready. The beta is going live in 4 days.

5280x1050. A Triple Monitor Master Race.

EA has sent out Email Notifications of this message last Monday, September 28, 2015.

Great work. More people need to see this.

Quote from: chameleon on September 24, 2015, 07:45:20 PM
As of now, I already know that my computer will not handle the game, even without testing it.
I couldn't even run the Frostbite 2 Engine when I owned Battlefield 3.

My computer is on the decline, and its going fast. Normally I get 20-30 FPS in CS::GO. which isn't good, but it dropped to 10-15 FPS tonight.
At the moment, lowest settings on any game newer than 2007 isn't even going to run smoothly.

As I speak, I'm in the process of uninstalling lots of games and preparing this computer to become work-orientated for a short time until I'm ready to buy a gaming laptop.

There is one more setting I forgot to mention. In "video options" on the bottom  portion of the left-hand side panel is a slider labeled "Resolution Scale". This is more of a last resort graphics option. What it does is scale up or down your resolution in-game. Your monitor will remain at whatever resolution you set it to (720p), but the game will render the game at a different resolution. If you increase the Resolution Scale, the game will look much better, but it will KILL performance. If you turn it down, on the other hand, the game will look very pixelated, but it will run very smooth.

So if you are having terribly low FPS even with all of your graphics options turned to the lowest, try turning Resolution Scale to 25% (lowest). This will give you a 20+ FPS boost, so you will be able to play the game, but your gonna have to forget about shooting at long range. By doing this, I have been able to play Battlefield 4 and Hardline on very old PC's that don't meet the minimum requirements, and I am able to play the games at 720p, res scale 25%, lowest settings, and get an average of 45+ Frames Per Second. Give it a try. If you are a Close Quarters kind of person, this will not effect you one bit.

In the screenshots, you can see that my Frame Rate is a around 110 FPS average. If I play the game with my normal, High, settings, with a res scale of 100%, I normally get 60 FPS average. If I just play on the lowest settings, same resolution, and res scale of 100%, I will get about 80 FPS average. But, when I turn the res scale to 50% and 25%, you can see that I gain about 30 FPS. So just play around with the resolution scale, until you find a good middle ground between performance and quality.

Quote from: chameleon on September 24, 2015, 05:52:03 PM
For somebody like me who unfortunately won't be able to actually run the Beta, I'm very excited for this. The "Drop Zone" game mode sounds especially cool, and I'm sure I would enjoy that if I had the chance to play it.

Thanks for the update, Jacob!

Your welcome. What are your PC specs? Do you have a next Gen Console?
Here is a current test you can try to see if your PC will run Star Wars Battlefront:

What you need is a copy of Battlefield 4 or Battlefield Hardline. If you do not own either, you can get a free trial of Battlefield 4. I will provide steps on how to do so below.

This test is to find out if your PC can run Battlefield 4 on old-Gen Console settings (bare minimum graphics), at a resolution of 720p (1280x720) and still retain an average FPS (Frames Per Second) of 30 or higher.

I am using Battlefield 4 or Battlefield Hardline for the test, because they both run on the same game engine as Star Wars Battlefront and all three of these games have the same performance. Whatever settings and frame-rate you get in Battlefield 4 / Hardline,  you will get the same in Star Wars Battlefront. I know because I played the Alpha and tested the graphics settings.

If you already own Battlefield 4 or Battlefield Hardline, skip to step 10

1) Go to Origin.com and install Origin onto your PC. https://www.origin.com/en-us/download
2) Create an account on Origin/Log into your Origin account
3) Go to the "Store" page, then click on the "Free Games" Tab
4) On the drop down list, select "Game Time"
5) Scroll down the Game Time page and look for "Battlefield 4"
6) Click the download button to install Battlefield 4
7) Go to your "My Games" page and click on "Battlefield 4" to play your Free 168 hour trial.
8 ) Go to Battlelog.com and log in with the same account you used for Origin. http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bf4/
9) Go play the Campaign or the Test Range
Here is where the test starts
10) Once in the game, go to "Options", then click on the "Video Options" tab
11) Select the "Low" preset option for overall graphics, or manually turn all of the options on the right-hand side panel to "Low" or "Off".
12) On the Left-Hand side, set your resolution to 1280x720
13) Turn "V-Sync" off
14) Turn "Motion Blur" all the way down
15) Turn Off "Weapon DOF"
16) Apply and Save your options
17) Exit out of the options menu and go back to the game
18)Open the console in Battlefield 4 with the tilde key (~). Once you opened the console, you need to type in:
perfoverlay.drawfps 1
19) Go around and play the game, but keep an eye on the FPS counter in the top right corner.

You want the number to be 60 or higher. An average of 45 is OK, but 30 is the bare minimum. If the number is constantly below 30, your PC does not meet the minimum requirements to run the game properly.

So, if you can run Battlefield 4 on the lowest settings with 30FPS minimum, you should be fine for Star Wars Battlefront. However, 30FPS is the bare minimum of a playable frame rate. You want at least 60 FPS, so invest in a good PC.

If you want the best gaming PC for under $500, go watch this video This is very low priced and you will be able to run Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield 4 / Hardline perfectly fine.

Good Luck.

The following is a message from StarWars.EA.com

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

The Star Wars Battlefront Beta is Coming October 8th

Get ready to be taken to a galaxy far, far away!



The Star Wars Battlefront Beta is Coming October 8th

Get ready to be taken to a galaxy far, far away! Today, we are happy to reveal that the Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Beta will be available for PlayStation®4, Xbox One and on PC via Origin players between October 8 and October 12. The Star Wars Battlefront Beta is a technical test and will give Rebels and Imperials alike just a small taste of the Star Wars™ battle fantasies you can expect to live out when the game launches on November 17.

The Beta will let you experience three modes spread across three iconic planets including:

• Walker Assault on Hoth: Fight in epic 40-player battles as a Rebel to destroy the Empire's onslaught of AT-AT's by calling in Y-wing bombers. Or, side with the Empire and protect your walkers while utilizing their mighty weaponry to crush the Rebel objective.



• Drop Zone on Sullust: Escape pods are crashing down and you and your team must fight to control them. With its frantic 8v8 matches, Drop Zone is sure to put your combat and strategy skills to the test.



• Survival Mission on Tatooine: Play alone or with a friend via co-op or split-screen as you battle to hold off waves of Imperial forces including AT-ST's, TIE fighters, elite stormtroopers and more.

In addition to the Star Wars Battlefront Beta on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and on Origin for PC, you will also get a chance to try out the Star Wars Battlefront Companion experience. Available during the Beta only at www.StarWarsBattlefront.com, the Star Wars Battlefront Companion experience features the strategic card game Base Command, and lets you earn in-game Credits that unlock Star Cards, weapons, and more in Star Wars Battlefront. In addition to Base Command, the Companion also lets players check out game stats and progression, customize load-outs and appearance, connect with friends, and more.

Whether you look forward to crushing the Rebel scum or feel like you can take on the whole Empire by yourself, we look forward to seeing all you in the Star Wars Battlefront Beta on October 8th.

Be sure to sign up for the EA newsletter at http://starwars.ea.com/starwars/battlefront/newsletter to get all the latest information on the Star Wars Battlefront Beta and other EA games.

STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT F.A.Q.

What is the Star Wars Battlefront Beta?

• The Beta is an opportunity for the team at DICE to test various aspects of the game and its online infrastructure. Because of this players may experience interruptions to their gameplay during the Beta period.

Do I need to register for the Beta?

• The Star Wars Battlefront Beta is open to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Origin for PC players. There is no need to register. The Star Wars Battlefront Companion is available during the beta to all players with an EA Account at www.StarWarsBattlefront.com.

When is the Star Wars Battlefront Beta?

• The Star Wars Battlefront Beta and Companion will be available on October 8 and will end on October 12. The Beta and Companion is open to players around the world, so everyone will get a chance to live out their Star Wars battle fantasies.

What time will the Beta and Companion be available on October 8?

• Time will vary by platform and region. Please come back and visit the Star Wars Battlefront Beta hub or follow us on Twitter for all the latest information.

When will the Beta and Companion end?

• The Beta will end on October 12. Exact times vary by platform and region.

Where can I find the Beta?

• For PlayStation 4, the Beta will be available in the PSN Store. For Xbox One, players can find it in the Xbox Live Marketplace. On Origin for PC, it will be under the Demo & Betas section of the Origin store.

How big will the Beta download be?

• On PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the download will be around 7GB. On Origin for PC, the download will be close to 11GB.

Can I pre-load the Beta?

• You can pre-load the Beta on Origin for PC beginning at 1am PT/10am CET on Wednesday, October 7th. Check https://www.origin.com/store/free-games/demos-betas on October 7th at 1am PT to start your pre-load.

Is there a level cap?

• The Beta level cap with allow you to advance to level five. Once you hit the level cap you will no longer be able to progress to higher levels, though you will still be able to unlock items in the Beta.

Do my stats and progression carry over to the main game?

• Stats and progression will not carry over to the final game or the final companion experience.

How many players does each mode support?

• Walker Assault supports up to 40 players, 20 per side, with Drop Zone supporting 16. The Survival Mission can be played by yourself or with a friend via online co-op or local split-screen. Local split-screen is available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One only.

Will there be a mobile app for the Companion?

• During the Beta, the Companion will only be playable via browser at www.StarWarsBattlefront.com. Prior to the release of Star Wars Battlefront, the Companion will be available on web and in the Apple App Store™ and Google Play™ store.  Note that stats and progression earned during the beta will not carry over to the final Companion experience.

What browsers does the Companion support?

• The latest version of Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge, as well as Internet Explorer 11.

BETA PARTICIPATION REQUIRES A PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION, THE ORIGIN CLIENT TO REMAIN IN ONLINE MODE (FOR PC PLAYERS), AND IS GOVERNED BY THE TERMS OF THE BETA AGREEMENT. GAMEPLAY PROGRESS, ACHIEVEMENTS, CHARACTERS, CHARACTER DATA AND/OR ANY OTHER VALUE OR STATUS INDICATORS ACHIEVED THROUGH GAMEPLAY IN THE BETA WILL NOT TRANSFER TO STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT MAIN GAME OR STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT COMPANION. BETA IS PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE, MAY CONTAIN ERRORS/DEFECTS AND IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY.
Source: http://starwars.ea.com/starwars/battlefront/news/the-star-wars-battlefront-beta-is-coming-october-8th