Wading into IntPiPoMo #3: Six Obscure Codex Entries and How to Find Them

This is something which I was actually planning to turn into a video series of sort, but I think realistically it's probably better to make it a one-time text post, mainly because my voice doesn't suit the whole "here's how to do a thing!" format.

Plus, at least with a text post it's easier to go back and pick up from where you left off without getting 'lost'.

Codex Entries are recurring themes of several of BioWare's games. They're often used as a means to provide information for people to study and provide background without needing to dive into 'serious' vocal exposition.

Then there are those which are there 'just because'. They add largely nothing to the relevant story and are just there for a bit of world-building and nothing else. SWtOR specialises in these when it comes to finding them in the open world, and most of these can just be come across as a corpse, a holocron, interesting bits of technology, or weaponry.

Very few of them are actually so obscure that you need to know how to look for them, but there are six in particular which stand out to me as the most obscure Codex Entries of all time. I decided to dedicate an IntPiPoMo post to this because, heck, there are a lot of screenshots, so why not? It can be fun to turn one idea to suit another sometimes.

Let's get started!

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#1: CZ-198

• Codex Entry: CZ-198
• Category: Locations

Starting with everyone's favourite (?) Czerka outpost, CZ-198! It may surprise people to know that this actually has a Codex Entry which can be earned on the moon, since there seemingly isn't a lot to do there except for the Dailies and a hidden quest chain to acquire a miniature Droid pet.

This one requires the Macrobinoculars, so if you don't own these yet I suggest that you go and start the Shroud questline to pick the temporary pair up. They'll also come in handy later on.

When you go to CZ-198, stay in the landing area and position yourself so that you can see this faint building in the background.

Activate your Macrobinoculars, and you'll see that the building will begin to flash. Normally, hovering the binoculars anywhere over such an item will enable you to zoom in and activate the scanning function, but for some reason this building on CZ-198 is not so amenable. To get around this, simply focus your Binoculars on the bridge between the two buildings. This will enable you to zoom in and scan the building, although for some reason the Binoculars still play silly buggers and the targeting reticule refuses to turn orange.

Rather buggy, but there it is.

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#2 - #4: Yavin IV Temple

• Codex Entries: The Massassi War: Parts I - III
• Category: Lore

Yavin IV has eight hidden Codex Entries in its lore section. Five of these can be found around Temple of Sacrifice (and are very obscure in their own right, but cannot be acquired by one person alone), whilst the remaining three actually exist within the Yavin IV Stronghold. 

Once again, these Entries will require the Macrobinoculars, but they won't be required for the last planet. 

Two of these Codex Entries can be scanned from the first area without much issue, but the third one is an absolute pain if you don't have easy access to a fully-unlocked version of the Stronghold (although this can be solved by visiting the Public Listings).

These three temples right here can all be scanned using the Macrobinoculars, with each revealing part of the history of the Massassi under Naga Sadow. The complete history does make for some interesting reading, and so uncovering each piece is well worth doing in my books.

That third temple is an absolute pain because you can physically see the blasted thing from various parts of the map, but the Macrobinoculars refuse to scan it until you try scanning it from the Watchtower or from the rocky outcrop just beneath it. The second temple also plays up when trying to scan it from the entrance, but it can be done if you focus roughly around the top-right corner.

There's also the issue of cost. In order to access all of these Codex Entries by yourself without appropriating another Player's Stronghold, you'd need to drop at least five million, five-hundred-and-fifty credits to access the temple grounds. Maybe not an issue for some, but a complete turn-off for others.

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#5 - #6: Ziost

• Codex Entries: Galactic History 94: The Sacking of Coruscant and Galactic History 95: A Cold War Begins
• Category: Lore

Immediately, people well-versed in the various Codex Entries will look at the above names and go "Oh, Galactic History! Aren't they usually reserved for Datacrons..?" The answer is yes, up until this point all prior 93 Galactic History Codex Entries have come from the Datacrons. I don't know what will happen if they ever introduce any more new Datacrons, but we'll have to wait and see on this front.

The first Codex Entry is relatively simple, but is technically encountered after the second, so we'll start with Galactic History 95.

This one is done in two parts. You need to find two Data Files and take them back to the starting area to be processed by an Astromech Archive Droid. 

The first Data File can be found down this ominous pathway right next to the starting area. Follow it until you reach the rather bizarre front of this building:

I do have to wonder whether the people in Carbonite have managed to survive Vitiate's purging of the land or not. All logic points to probably not, but it is possible that it managed to act as a 'preservative' of sorts...

Anyway. That open crate contains our first Data File.

Next, proceed to the area where the final Sign of Life for Death of a World can be scanned from. Here is the location pointed out on the map:

At this location can be found a tent with a broken computer terminal inside. Located on the main body of the terminal is a small file. Seriously, this thing is absolutely minute and you wouldn't stand much chance of coming across this accidentally.

Calph for scale.

Now that you have both Data Files, take them to the building where you turn in the From Ashes Daily, and to the side of the holotable there should be a deactivated Astromech looking very sorry for itself.

Clicking on the Droid will cause it to activate and piece together the two data files, and boom! There's a Codex Entry. 

The second Codex Entry can be found in the Worldbreaker Monolith's area. Here's a map pointing to the location for those who have never been up there:

In the image of the Monolith itself, a walker can faintly be seen off to the left-hand side. This is our means to access the next Codex Entry.

Walking up the slope next to the cockpit of the walker, you'll notice that there are a couple of exposed wires. Connecting them couldn't possibly cause anything to happen, right?

Oh. Who'd have thought that that could happen?

Miraculously, the walker's blast has uncovered a holocron! Clicking on this will grant you the Codex you were looking for.

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As I say, I personally believe that these are some of the most obscure Codex Entries in the entire game. You do have slightly more precedent to search for the Ziost ones since unveiling both of these will grant you a hidden Achievement called Ziost Archivist, whereas there is no such Achievement for either the Yavin Stronghold or CZ-198.

If you haven't gained any of these Codex Entries, then I hope that this post was useful. If you've got them all, feel free to scoff haughtily in my direction. I probably deserve it.

In other news, in serving the primary purpose of being an International Picture Posting Month post, this has brought my total dangerously close to the 'advised' challenge limit of 50. I'll keep going, though, and probably get at most two more posts done before I call it quits.

Image Count: 48 (+19)