Highlighted Guild
- Impetus Norvegicus – Sith Empire Guild
There are things in SWTOR a person might not like, but one area Bioware did get from the beginning was the worldwide appeal of Star Wars. They know their base is not just North America, like I sometimes forget. A great example on this was at the Guild Summit. They invited several guilds from around the world, including the Norwegian guild, Impetus Norvegicus. It never ceases to amaze me just how many people worldwide are truly dedicated Star Wars fans. That is one thing that really struck me about this guild…they really do love Star Wars. We will meet Aalen and find out how this devotion led to their guild and how they play SWTOR.
More from our Nordic friends in Impetus Norvegicus after the Jump…
- Guild Q&A
How did Impetus Norvegicus get its start as a guild? Is this the only game the guild is a part of?
Initially we were two RL friends who back in December 2009 first came across an MMO based in the Star Wars universe. “SÅ SINNSYKT KULT” got yelled pretty loud over Skype. In English that is (“HOW FREAKING AWESOME”).
Not long after we decided that this game would deserve being spent A LOT of time caring about and doing something else with than “just” playing. What better way to care about a game than to create a guild of RL buddies? The bunch of people rapidly expanded past our RL friends, and when the game launched on December 20th we were a 250 player strong all-norwegian guild, where most of the players we had never met in real life.
For now, Impetus Norvegicus only exists in SWTOR but we do not rule out branching into upcoming games in the future. We have managed to gather a rather awesome group of people and I think most of us share the opinion that it would be great to enjoy other games together as well (we already do to some extent, a good example is the multiplayer part of Mass Effect 3 where a few of us have done a good few matches together).
What server and faction is Impetus Norvegicus in SWTOR? Why did the guild decide to go with those choices?
Impetus Norvegicus is a Norwegian Empire Guild situated on the server “Bloodworthy EU PvP”
PvP was always going to be our choice. Since the day we established that we would act as the Norwegian SWTOR community’s (the late “Star Wars Norge”, now known as “MMO Norge”) official Empire Guild, we had to keep every type of player in mind. PvP servers have the most versatile set of rules and give all kinds of players the opportunity to play the game just like they want to. It of course encourages PvP, but is also open for everything. We (the guys that made the guild) are huge fans of PvP, either as a casual activity or as the main focus.
Before we knew how big of a number Empire players would represent, the idea of playing the “bad guys” appealed to us a lot more than playing the light side, creating a community for players who wanted to dive deeper into the lesser known Dark Side philosophy and general system was more important than embracing the Light Side of the Force and the well known Galactic Republic.
Pre-launch we made use of the “Adversary”-system and had an open dialogue with other Nordic guilds to make sure we’d end up on the same server shard once the game went live, however the guild deployment program placed us on different servers at launch and we realized that our coalition of guilds had been split.
To remedy the situation we all joined in on a huge online meeting which included guild leaders and officers representing all the major Nordic guilds we had previously been in contact with. Together, we decided to move away from where Bioware’s deployment program had assigned us to and go for the Bloodworthy server shard.
This was the first incident where we really experienced a united community. Good times!
This guild is all about Operations. How does the guild keep its large membership involved while focused primarily on this type of content? How do you encourage members to get involved in Operations?
First I’d like to correct the notion of our guild being “all about Operations”. While it may seem true to some, it is not the primary intent of the guild. The management has always been committed to making sure we uphold a good environment and atmosphere for all kinds of players, be it social, casual or hardcore raiders, or PvPers. Our Operation teams were established after launch when we had enough people at level 50 who intended to raid, which eventually led to us having one 16-player team dedicated to bleeding-edge progression and one team which had a more casual approach to Operations.
Having the guild open for virtually every kind of player, we always have people online doing various stuff (leveling alts, running flashpoints, PvPing, crafting, “farming” the trade network, et cetera). Some of these players are also members of the Operation teams and share their experiences from doing that type of content which in turn inspires others to try it out. This is where our model of having two “levels” of raiding really shines. If an inexperienced player wants to raid, he/she can join up with the casual raid group(s) and have a go at it. If they like it and want more they can become a regular member of the casual raid team. Eventually, if the roster situation allows it and the player wants in on the hardest content, they can step up to join the 16-player progression team.
Initially we were not primarily focused on operations and PvE, and we had a more versatile set of players. Until now the game hasn’t offered many possibilities regarding focused pvp. We do also have loads of players leveling up either alts or their first characters. I think we’ve succeeded in rewarding those who wants hardcore endgame progression and the more casual player.
Can you explain the two types of Operation levels the guild has and what they both involve or require?
We have a 16-player progression group called “Nebula”. This team requires total dedication and focus, and may be referred to as being “hardcore” although we do not like that term.
Being a part of this team can consume a huge amount of time and demands a lot of commitment from all its members. No boss shall be left standing and no achievement shall be left undone, and the team does make an effort to create a balanced gear level among all members.
Team Nebula – 16 man Nightmare Mode taking down SOA:
Our casual yet serious Operation team is called “Quasar” and is raiding either 8 or 16 player content, whatever the sign ups for any given gamenight allows them to do. This team focuses on progression just like “Nebula”, but has a more laid back approach to the whole ordeal and allows new players to join in on the fun without requiring the same level of dedication from their players as our progression team does.
Your guild sets requirements for each member to meet. What are some of these requirements and how does the guild use them to strengthen the guild?
To be given entry into Impetus Norvegicus you’ll need to be able to speak Norwegian and 18+.
Being known as a very mature and polite guild is extremely important to us, contrary to whiners and impolite attitudes. Therefore we make every member read and agree on certain terms regarding behavior in both chat and as a character in a virtual world. When it comes to chat for instance, we tell members not to speak any other language than English in general chat. Ninja-looting and such is frowned upon and will be treated as a serious violation. Having these types or guidelines has definitely help creating a very mature and helpful community, which helps both veterans and newcomers. As much of cliché that may sound, it’s actually true.
Impetus Norvegicus was at the Guild Summit. What did you all think of the Guild Summit?
The Summit was way beyond any expectations! For a developer to have their feet planted so firmly on the ground and actually genuinely interested in what the community thinks/feels about the game deserves a huge round of applause. They did get a lot of applause at the summit…maybe too much of it when it comes to the game though. Not that the game doesn’t deserve applause, but Bioware has some issues with certain aspects of the game that could benefit from more constructive criticism. We wish the present representatives of the community would have made more comments about what they think Bioware should change or tweak significantly. That includes us from the Nordic community.
Along those lines, what is the guild most looking forward to in the next big update, Patch 1.2? What are some concerns?
Game Update 1.2 is a “make it, or break it” kind of deal for a lot of our members. Bioware stated that this is how they wanted to game to be at launch, however many of us are a bit worried that it is too late to make it up to the players. Time will show!
The content in this game update that’s most appealing to our members is the new Operation (“Explosive Conflict”), along with the new expanded PvP system and new WarZone. Our progression raid team quickly cleared the Nightmare modes presented in Eternity Vault and Karagga’s Palace and is more than ready for a new challenge.
At launch we had plans to establish regular PvP teams, but that was put on ice until improvements were made to the PvP system. Now that 1.2 is presenting us with a ranked WarZone system and pre-season rankings, we have resumed our work on establishing regular premade groups. Currently we have managed to gather 16 players to form one “primary” team and one “backup” team, each with their own team captains, setups and game nights. It will be very interesting to see how it all plays out and how well our teams will perform against the competition. We have a lot of faith in our PvP players and we think we should be able to give any other team a run for their money. Look for us on the battlefields!
The Legacy system is a huge deal in 1.2 as well, introducing features never before seen in an MMO. The potential in this system is great and it will certainly be interesting to see where it’s at 6-12 months down the road. We think it will encourage players to put in more gametime in SWTOR to level alts, but we also worry a bit about our members creating characters on the opposite faction and effectively contributing to us seeing fewer members online and less overall activity. Currently we are seeing some inactivity in our guild, but we believe it is the calm before the storm that is Game Update 1.2 as people are holding off leveling new alts or playing the current endgame until the new stuff has arrived.
Has your guild been involved any of the Public Test Server? If so what has really stood out as a big improvement and what do you think still needs some fixing?
Our progression raid team applied for Operations testing on the PTS for 1.2, but sadly did not get selected. A fair few of our members have rolled new characters on the PTS to sample the new stuff for themselves, but we have not made an organized effort to play together on the PTS as of yet. Easter holidays are coming up this week, so who knows maybe we will jump in and wreak havoc in the new warzone!
How you think Bioware is doing with their Customer Service and overall game experience in Europe? What would your guild like to see improved?
We’ve had some issues with how relatively small violations of forum rules has been treated and handled, though it seems that the company who is doing much of the financial backing, EA, might have something to do with this.
Opening the new center in Ireland seems to have paid off, because Europe is certainly being treated as just a valuable area. Except for the well-known queue problems the first week after launch, servers are as stable and open as possible.
What are you and your officers’ current main character’s name, level, class/advance class and any alts in the works?
- “Aalen” – Lvl 50 Sith Sorcerer Healer. I’ve already created my own legacy – RP-wise, that is. “Aalen Val” is Khem Val’s unknown brother, their daddy is a weak Sith Inquisitor Assassin, and their mother a strict Bounty Hunter. They also have a brother who turned light, whom we do not speak of.
- “LXXII” – Lvl 50 Bounty Hunter Mercenary, dps/healer-on-demand. Many alts will be made!
- “Visper” – Lvl 50 Sith Inqusitor Sorcerer, healer. Currently enjoying endgame PvP on my 50 Sith Warrior Marauder as well, and planning to level many more alts once the Legacy system is in effect!
- “Sitfog” – Lvl 50 Sith Inquisitor Assassin, dps. Primary focus on endgame PvP, no alts planned as of now.
Is Impetus Norvegicus currently recruiting? Are there specific classes/advanced classes the guild needs?
Currently recruiting, but we do expect thorough and detailed applications.
Any type of ranged dps and healers for our casual raid team “Quasar” is in demand at the moment.
Speaking of recruiting, here is a video by Impetus Norvegicus made for just that. Although I cannot translate it, the idea of having your own voice-over work and actor while edited segments of the famous SWTOR cinematic trailers are faded in the background and of course Star Wars music…bottom line no translation is needed to see this is a great video.
How is the best way for those interested in joining your guild to contact you? What steps do they need to go through in order to join Impetus Norvegicus?
We do require applicants to read through our set of rules and fill out a form. The rules and application information can be found at this link on our website. (If you do not read Norwegian, use Google translate and then copy and paste the link)
Any player who is interested in joining Impetus may also contact the management in-game on one of the following characters:
“Aalen” – Guildmaster – General questions
”Visper” (alt: “Visperia”) – Officer – PvE and technical stuff (web/voicechat/media)
”LXXII” (alt: “L’xxii”) – Officer – PvE and endgame progression
“Sitfog” – Officer – PvP and upcoming PvP teams
I want to thank all of Impetus Norvegicus, especially their guildmaster Aalen for all help and sharing their guild with us here on Guild Checkpoint. This was an extra challenge will the language barrier, well at least on my end lol. I appreciate the guild helping get the needed info for the article. All the best to the members of Impetus Norvegicus!
Are you in a guild or a leader in a guild and would like to share it with the community? If so please contact me and see if we can tell the community about your guild. Just submit your guild’s website and some basic information in an email to me at, jason@corellianrun.com. Look forward to highlighting more guilds here at Corellian Run Radio. Thanks and see you next week!