Just this morning, the official Star Wars: The old Republic twitter account, tweeted:

We are excited to announce that we are now accepting tester applications for STAR WARS: The Old Republic! http://tinyurl.com/y9fywkz

This was very exciting news to everyone. So exciting that the whole internets broke the poor little webserver.  5 hours after the initial announcement, they tweeted with this:

We are making adjustments to the site due to the overwhelming response to the testing announcement. Please be patient and check back later.

But still, the web server is still down.  Was anyone of our readers able to get through today and sign up for beta access?  If and when the server comes back up again for sign up’s, we’ll let you know. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: ITS UP! http://www.swtor.com/tester GO GO GO! It’s still kinda slow, so good luck.

Star Wars The Old Republic, the better Star Wars MMO, is shaping up to be one of the better looking MMOs with a few things we’ve never seen on any existing MMOs out in the market today.

One of the special features in SW:TOR is the ability to change gameplay based on the dialogue you use.  Just like the Mass Effect franchise. Depending on what you say or how you act could effect the number of enemies you fight or the types of enemies you fight.

Another special feature is that it is the first MMO to use actual voice actors for all of the dialogue in the game.  That’s gotta be hundreds of hours of sound data.

And finally, a cover system during blaster battles.  You can hide behind a tree, wall or rock. Just like numerous games out there.  But this is definitely a first for an MMO.

Bioware took this game to a whole new level that made me VERY interested and opened my eyes. Enjoy the video above to see what I mean.

You can almost hear the epic John Williams music.

First things first, if you haven’t seen the new cinematic trailer for The Old Republic then watch it here.

It’s enough to make any Star Wars fanboy large in the pants. However the trailer reveals little about the actual game. After a behind closed door game play demonstration and interview with LucasArts I can report on some nerdgasmic details about the game.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a PC exclusive, MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe 3,700 years before the events of the Star Wars movies. Bioware (developer) and LucasArts (publisher) have stated that the game will be heavily story-driven. Each line of dialog between characters will be fully voiced, a first for an MMO. Not having to read quest descriptions or conversations really enhances the cinematic feel of the game.

Along with a fully voiced game, LucasArts revealed that each class in the game will be faction specific and have their own unique story line. As of now only three classes and two factions have been officially announced. The smuggler will be aligned with The Republic and the bounty hunter and the Sith will be aligned with The Empire. Other than humans, there is no official news on playable species. However word on the street is that Wookies will be an option. Stick that in the rumor pile for now.

Live out your Boba Fett wannabe fantasies.

Bioware and LucasArts have confirmed four planets that will be visitable:  Korriban, a Sith inhabited planet, Ord Mantell, home to smugglers and mercenaries,  Nal Hutta, a Hutt controlled planet, and Tython, a Jedi homeworld where The Force was discovered. With the expansive size of the Star Wars universe expect many more planets to be announced. LucasArts has also stated that space travel will certainly be part of the game, however details are scarce.

Tython, where The Force was discovered

The game will also include your standard MMO elements such as guilds, raids, crafts, and PvP. Perhaps we will get to play massive Jedi vs. Sith battles like in the trailer? I certainly hope so.

LucasArts is being tight lipped about subscription fees, level caps, and a release date. Rumors have been circulating about a possible one time price for a life time subscription but that is unconfirmed. With no official release date, don’t expect to see Star Wars: The Old Republic in stores anytime this year.