BioWare and EA are offering a free weekend pass to PC gamers who aren't already sucked into Star Wars: The Old Republic. The "Weekend Pass Free Trial" begins Thursday, March 15 at 12:01am CDT (1:01am EDT) and ends Monday, March 19 at 2:00am CDT (3:00am EDT). The trial is available only to players in territories where Star Wars: The Old Republic is available, and to those who have never had an active SW:TOR account.
BioWare warns that the PC game can take several hours or more to download and install -- this is probably why the "weekend" starts tomorrow so that gamers can get the MMORPG up and running before the weekend really kicks in. Purchase of the game itself is not a requirement, nor will players need to enter any payment details or redeem a Game Time Code.
Gamers will be able to assume the role of any one of the eight classes, and play on their Origin World, Capital World, the Fleet, all Warzones, and in their first Flashpoint. A message box will appear if a character attempts to go outside of these areas. The character also cannot exceed level 15 (paid characters reach level 50), thus trial players will be notified via in-game notifications and chat message once they have hit the maximum level.
"A Weekend Pass Free Trial character will not be able to use general chat, trade chat, or PvP chat," reads the FAQ. "The character will only be able to use local chat, group chat, guild chat, and reply to whispers." It also adds that all server types will be available (PvE, PvP. RP-PvE and RP-PvP), and that there are no plans to immediately delete the character after the Weekend Pass Free Trial concludes.
Once BioWare and EA have you hooked into the new Star Wars MMORPG, the Standard Edition via Origin will cost $49.99 whereas the Digital Deluxe Edition, which features additional digital items, will cost $79.99. The game's website also features the $149.99 Collector's Edition (PC physical version) which is jam-packed full of goodies. A 1-month subscription costs $14.99 whereas a 3-month subscription costs $41.97 and a 6-month subscription costs $77.94.
For those unsure about taking the plunge into another Star Wars MMORPG, this is a good time to test the waters. To learn more about the weekend pass and to create an account, head here.