Tag: SWTOR

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Blog Star Wars The Old Republic

Commentary on the Spring 2018 Road Map and State of the Game

Keith Kanneg, Game Producer for Star Wars The Old Republic, finally revealed a Road Map for just the next couple of months. I’ve written an overview that cuts out the fluff and gets straight to the good stuff.

Instead of getting Road Maps that give us information for the next few months, they’re just going to be trickling out information when it’s ready. I’m not too sure how I feel about that. As long as they’re consistent with the flow of information and communication it should be good. But we know from past experience that they haven’t always been able to keep up with consistently releasing information.

I honestly had pretty low expectations going into this Road Map. Not because of any of that ‘game is dead’ bullshit but rather due to their limited resources. There is so much we want to see them do with the game. But realistically, they are limited in what they can do. Unless there’s a dramatic increase in the player base, that isn’t going to change.

Road Map Commentary

I didn’t find them deciding not to do Master Mode content for all the Gods of the Machine Bosses all that surprising. In reality, it’s a waste of time for them to be doing MM of the bosses that so few players will ever do when they could potentially just work on a new Operation instead. It is going to be nice to finally have a complete new Operation though, right?

More Companion returns were expected. Mako is the only one that interests me but I still haven’t even finished KOTFE on my Merc so I won’t be able to get her anytime soon anyway. The most exciting thing about Companions though is the Arcann Romance! I was honestly overwhelmed with joy when I first read the definitive date for its release. I am very much looking forward to romancing Arcann on my Marauder!

The Conquest changes look good so far. I’m not that fussed either way as it’s been a very long time since I’ve even done Conquest. But new Decorations hype right? We should be learning more about the upcoming Conquest changes soon.

I’m glad that we have more story coming–I guess. I’m not going to lie, I’ve lost interest in Theron since the betrayal arc started. I’m hoping that maybe the conclusion to his betrayal arc on Nathema will change my mind. But I’m feeling quite nervous about it. I’ve never liked the direction they’ve taken Theron and I’m slowly losing hope for a good conclusion.

I don’t really like the idea of adding yet another tier of Augments. I feel like at this point it’s just a way of giving us ‘gear progression’ without giving us more gear progression, so to speak. It gives players yet another grind to pass the time. If they make the current top tier of Augments (236) significantly easier to craft, then it might make this new tier of Augments a tiny bit more palatable. Either way, we should hopefully be finding out more about the new tier of Augments soon.

As for the possibility of an Expansion, I wasn’t expecting one until the end of the year at the earliest (based on comments made a few weeks ago). Given what Keith said in the Road Map though, we may not even get another Expansion. He insists that he prefers content to come out more consistently rather than be lumped into an Expansion. I say why can’t we have both? But then again, the resources issue comes up. Perhaps since we’re not getting a full MM GotM, they can give us a full Operation by the end of the year that will be the ‘centrepiece’ of an expansion? I feel an expansion is a good way to build up hype and bring people back to the game as opposed to just little updates here and there that don’t necessarily appeal to all types of players (Chuck also commented on this on Bad Feeling Podcast Episode 188).

Looking Beyond

Truthfully, I’ve been spending little time playing the game these days so I’m not too bothered by the lack of ‘substance’ in this Road Map. Less investment in the game means I don’t care about the lack of things to do I guess? I have other games to play while I wait for them to give me stuff that interests me anyway. They are making plans for PvP for the summer so maybe that’ll get me back into the swing of things.

When it comes to PvP ‘content’ though, I would prefer them to work on the ‘quality of life’ stuff over giving us a new Warzone (or Arena) map. A new map won’t be enjoyable if the same old issues PvP has had for years remain unchanged (the new Yavin Map ‘hype’ waned pretty fast, to be honest). Matchmaking in regular Warzones and cross-faction Arenas (both ranked and unranked) would be a step in the right direction in improving the quality of PvP. Unfortunately, neither of these things will be happening anytime soon. More class balancing would help too (which they have said they’re doing in 5.9). It seems all we’ll likely get in summer is the end of Season 9 and the Rewards that go with it which doesn’t interest me in the slightest (I haven’t actively done Ranked since the Furious Weapons were a reward).

I’ve discussed this before but I’ve made my peace with the game. That’s probably why I have such a chill attitude about the state of the game. It is what it is and there’s not much I can do to change that. I’ve had my fair share of frustration with the game over the years (and still do) but bitching and wailing at them isn’t going to help in the slightest. I don’t think I could ever go back to playing the game every single day and it being my sole addiction like it used to be. All I can do is enjoy the game when I can in the doses I can handle. There isn’t much that I want to do in the game right now and that’s okay. I’ll still continue to support the game regardless. I still have hope for the future despite all the doom and gloom that’s been dragging the game down of late.

Categories
Star Wars The Old Republic

Spring 2018 Road Map Overview

Keith has finally given us a Road Map (of sorts). It is different from the previous Road Maps by Keith. It focuses on the content we’ll be getting over the next couple of months.

If you want to know more about specifics types of content mentioned in the Road Map, you can jump the gun and read the content summaries:

Or if you prefer to know more about the upcoming Game Updates, you can skip ahead to these summaries:

Keith’s Introduction

He started by discussing their Road Map process, how long it is and how they’ve decided to do things a little differently this time around.

Hey everyone,

 

I think for all of us, this Roadmap process we started last year could stand a bit of improvement. Instead of providing information every 90 days or so, it’s taking six weeks or longer to get you any information about what we’re planning, and honestly, that needs to change. I’m still reticent about communicating details beyond 90 days, but I do want you to be comfortable with our direction and where we are headed.

 

With this in-mind, we’ve decided to use the Forums as the means to get you the information about the next couple months versus waiting for a Roadmap. This will allow us to be more responsive to your questions, address your concerns, and maintain a better dialog going forward. It also helps us (especially me) to stay available and not make it seem like we’ve disappeared into the ether.

Content

Operations

Izax, the final boss of the Gods of the Machine Operation will be coming out in Game Update 5.8 (13th March) in Story Mode and Master Mode (NIM).

Unfortunately, they will not be bringing out any of the other existing Bosses (Scyva, Nahut, Aivela/Esne, Tyth) out in Master Mode.

This also means we will not be offering a full Master Mode for all bosses in the Operation. This was an especially difficult decision for me to make, as I have loved the interaction between developers and our raiding community. Yet, based on what we’re planning for this year and beyond, it’s better to focus on the upcoming group content.

They will also be running a special event for those worthy enough to defeat Izax in Master Mode (Hardmare). Everyone who does will have the opportunity to receive a:

  • New Achievement
  • Special and unique Title
  • A new and very enticing Legacy-based reward.

The title and reward will be delivered when Game Update 5.9 launches in April.

Companions

The highly anticipated (at least by some of us) Arcann romance will be coming out on the 13th of March in Game Update 5.8! It will be an Alliance Alert that will require you to have finished KOTET and have him as a Companion.

Arcann Romance – Everyone’s favorite former villain has had a change of heart and may be more “available” than he was previously.

The following Companions will be returning over the next couple of months:

  • Vector (March 13th)
  • Ashara Zavros (March 13th)
  • Felix Iresso (April)
  • Mako and Akaavi (April)

Vector – Imperial Agent

Companion Return: Vector – Imperial Agents will see the return of Vector Hyllus! Easily the best member of the Killik hivemind.

Ashara Zavros – Sith Inquisitor

Companion Return:  Ashara Zavros will return to the Sith Inquisitor’s side. How will things go with her former master?

Felix Iresso – Jedi Consular

Companion Return: Felix Iresso – The Jedi Consular’s loyal soldier has had a rough time these last few years – can the Consular help him?

Mako and Akaavi – Bounty Hunter and Smuggler

Companion Return: Mako and Akaavi – Bounty Hunters and Smugglers are reunited with this duo, who’ve been working together during the players’ absence.

Commander’s Compendium

A new Companion Gift is being introduced to the game that will instantly increase your Companions Influence to 50. It will, however, require a bit of work to purchase.

  • It’ll be expensive.
  • Require some crafting (likely as part of purchase cost).
  • Requires the completion of Personal Conquest Objectives.

The Gift will be purchasable from the new Conquest Vendor coming in Game Update 5.8.

Conquest

They are making substantial improvements to the Conquest system with the aim of making Conquests consistently fun for Guilds and individuals.

  • A new interface.
  • New daily objectives.
  • New missions
  • And more.

They have also rewritten the backend system to ensure we benefit from our weekly efforts. Additional Information will be released in an upcoming blog or forum post.

There will also be a new Conquest Vendor. It will initially have decorations and a new Companion Gift item.

Flashpoint

The new Flashpoint coming in Game Update 5.9 (April) is set on Nathema and will likely conclude the Theron betrayal story arc.

This year’s story (KOTET?) has shown the final ramifications of the path that Valkorion first chose when he devastated Nathema, so it’s only natural that we go there to bring that story to its exciting conclusion.

There will also be a new tier of Augments coming out in Game Update 5.9. The schematics to craft these Augments will drop randomly from bosses or mobs in the new Nathema Flashpoint. The schematics will be either BoP or BoL.

Game Updates

Game Update 5.8 – March 13th

Operations
  • Izax the Destroyer – The 5th and final boss from the Gods from the Machine Operation.
    • There will be two modes with Izax; Story and Master mode.
    • The already released Bosses will no longer be getting a Master Mode.
  • Special Event – Everyone who defeats Izax will have the opportunity to receive some rewards which will be distributed in Game Update 5.9:
    • New Achievement.
    • Special and Unique Title.
    • New and very enticing Legacy Reward.
Conquest Revamp
  • Substantial Improvements including:
    • New Interface
    • New Daily Objectives
    • New Missions
  • The backend system has been rewritten to ensure we ‘benefit from your weekly efforts’. More details expected in upcoming Forum or Blog Post.
  • New Conquest Vendor – only for those who complete their personal conquests each week.
    • Initially, it will have Decorations and a new Companion Boost called ‘Commander’s Compendium’ (it’ll increase active Companion’s Influence to 50). More details below.
Companions
  • Arcann Romance
  • Companion Return: Vector (Imperial Agent)
  • Companion Return: Ashara (Sith Inquisitor)
  • Commander’s Compendium – a new Companion Gift, purchasable from Conquest Vendor (mentioned above) that can immediately raise the influence of your companion.
    • It’s expensive.
    • Requires some Crafting.
    • Requires completion of Personal Conquest Objectives.
Cartel Market
  • Additional big changes are coming starting in Game Update 5.8. More details will be revealed closer to March 13th.

Game Update 5.9 – April

Flashpoint
  • Located on Nathema.
  • New, powerful Augments are being introduced. The Flashpoint will drop both BoP and BoE Crafting Schematics that will randomly drop off mobs and Bosses.
    • Details on materials needed to craft the Augments will be coming soon.
Operations
  • Izax will offer a new Reward.
  • New Vendor – Special items for players who earn an achievement for killing Izax.
Companions
  • Companion Return: Felix Iresso (Jedi Consular)
  • Companion Returns: Mako and Akaavi  (Bounty Hunter and Smuggler)
Class Balance Changes

There will be utility changes for some classes as well as measures to address ‘skank tanks’. More details will be shared closer to Game Update 5.8 release.

Beyond April

Keith reminisced about the content we’d gotten in 2017 and implied that we’d be getting much of the same in 2018.

As we look back to 2017 and now beyond the conclusion of the traitor storyline, we are planning to continue delivering content in the same manner throughout 2018.

He went on to list all the content that was released last year.

When you look at the total year, you received a wide variety of both multi-player and solo activities including a new story, Strongholds, Starfighter updates, a new Warzone, two new Flashpoints, and a new Operation, along with many Quality of Life improvements.

On whether we’ll be getting a traditional style expansion or more regular content releases, Keith had this to say:

We heard feedback from some of you indicating you missed having a more “traditional” expansion and you’d rather wait so it all comes at once. I like having updates released regularly versus waiting long periods of time in-between patches. Although this remains our current plan, we are also laying out what we’ll include in a 6.0 Game Update. We’ll keep you informed of our summer, fall and winter plans throughout the coming months.

Keith (Musco) will be around in the thread answering questions about what was announced about Game Updates 5.8 and 5.9 as well as maybe discussing future plans.

As often as we can, we will be around in the thread to answer your many questions about those updates. Looking forward to having some good discussions.

— Keith

Musco has answered a few questions on the forums relating to the Road Map. He addressed some PvP stuff in particular including:

  • Season 9 Ranked end date – sometime in the Summer.
  • Warzone matchmaking – on their radar as a QoL change, fairly large undertaking but they know we want this.
  • Cross-faction queues in Arenas – same as above.
  • Ranked PvP cheating, backfilling etc. – something they constantly monitor (as they’ve mentioned 1000 times already) they are looking into backfilling in particular currently.

I’ll keep this article updated as additional information comes to light.

What did you think of the Road Map? Is there anything you’re looking forward to?

Categories
Blog Star Wars The Old Republic

Spring 2018 Road Map Predictions and Wishlist

The next Road Map for Star Wars The Old Republic is due to be published within the next couple of weeks. Keith Kanneg, SWTOR’s Game Producer, confirmed last month that they were actively working on the Road Map and revealed roughly when to expect it.

Eric Musco, SWTOR’s Community Manager, also recently gave an update on what was happening with the Road Map and what the Developers are up to.

As for what is going to be in the Road Map, the Developers are understandably remaining tight-lipped. But we can surmise a few things based on the previous Road Map as well as major points of discussion from last year (Companion Returns).

Fall Road Map

Based on some of the hints we got from the Fall 2017 Road Map, we can pretty confidently say that we will get some elaboration on the following things (assuming they haven’t changed up their schedules).

A Look Ahead to Early 2018

And, just a few tidbits about what’s right around the corner:

  • The conclusion to this chapter of the story is coming where the Traitor reveals his true plan once and for all via a new Flashpoint.
  • The final bosses and details about Master Mode for ‘Gods from the Machine’ Operation.
  • An upgraded Conquest system and new Daily Activity system with great rewards.
  • More multiplayer gameplay experiences for both PvP and PvE.
Gods of the Machine Operation

We are now only one Boss short of a complete Operation! The final boss will be Izax. We’ll likely hear about when we can expect him to come out and possibly mention of when we’re going to get the Master Mode (NiM) version of the Operation.

Theron Story Arc Conclusion

For those anxiously awaiting to see his fate, we should hopefully learn exactly when it will be or if not a rough idea of when to expect it. Some hints of future story plans beyond this arc would be a nice bonus.

Upgraded Conquest System

Hopefully, we’ll learn what this will all be about. But any improvements made to the system to help smaller Guilds be more competitive would be appreciated. Some new objectives to do for Conquest certainly wouldn’t hurt either or even increasing points acquired for content that’s less played (World Boss kills, GSF). In reality, it could be something as simple as a UI change and/or a couple of new Quality of Life tweaks.

Also considering the issues they’ve been having with distributing Conquest Rewards of late, they could possibly end up incorporating some kind of brand new method of rewards delivery (if they have the means).

New Daily Activity System with great rewards

While we did recently have an overhaul of the Group Finder UI in Game Update 5.6, the Fall Road Map seems to indicate that there could there be more stuff incoming. In the Fall Road Map, Keith did outline 5.6 Group Finder changes while also mentioning this new Daily Activity System in the ‘Look Ahead’ section.

From the Fall Road Map:

This is indeed what we got in Game Update 5.6. Since the Daily Activity System is mentioned separately from the new Activity Finder UI we got in 5.6, I believe it’s safe to say that it’ll be some kind of brand new additional thing and/or it could be tied into the upcoming Conquest System Changes.

More Multiplayer Gameplay Experiences for both PvP and PvE

There might be some elaboration on this, but realistically it’s quite vague and could refer to just about anything. I highly doubt, for instance, that they’ll be mentioning a new Warzone so soon after just releasing a new one. It’s likely we’ll be getting another Flashpoint (as this is how the story is delivered presently) at the very least.

Companion Returns

On the Fall Road Map Developer Livestream (starts ~5:40), Charles Boyd revealed that they were working on, at the time, the stories for the return of nearly all Companions who are still ‘missing’ as well as an Arcann Romance arc. Since then, voice work has also been done for, what we can gather, companion returns as evidenced by tweets from Charles Boyd and a couple of Voice Actors. Also in Bad Feeling Podcast Episode 183, Cinematics Designer Katie Johnson (starts ~26:18) mentions that she got to work on Companion Return Cinematics and talked about working on cinematics for Arcann’s Romance Arc.

All this information put together means that it is inevitable that the Arcann Romance and a lot of remaining Companion returns will happen in 2018. We recently had three Companion Returns in Game Update 5.7. All of these were Class-based and it seems to be how they’re going to handle at least the remaining romanceable companion returns.

So hopefully we’ll learn some specifics about Companion returns (at least the ones that may be scheduled over the next few months) and when we’ll get to see Arcann’s Romance Arc.

What I’d like to see on the Roadmap

Here are some of the things I’d like to see at least mentioned in the Road Map but highly doubt will be. Let’s call it a wishlist.

The end date for Season 9 of Ranked PvP

I mean this could be in the Road Map. But I’m not going to hold my breath.

8 v 8 Ranked

Yes, I’m still keeping the dream alive. Obviously, if 8 v 8 were to come back, it’d have to be implemented differently to how it was and have a solo queue option for starters.

Class Balance Changes

Yeah, I know…

Open World PvP Content and Incentives
  • Greater rewards for doing Dailies in the PvP Instance.
  • Adding Titles to existing Open World PvP Achievements (think Oricon) like they should’ve done with Iokath.
  • Mimic the Gree Event Dailies in other parts of the galaxy and rotate them around with unique achievements and rewards for each location.
  • A chance of getting a small amount of Unassembled Components for killing a player. I think having it only a chance (albeit a small one) decreases the likelihood of farming tactics.

Just some random ideas.

Weapons in Outfit Designer

They previously discussed wanting to do this. But, last we heard it got put on the back burner.

New Guild Features 
  • A Guild Calendar.
  • Mass mailing system for Guild Masters.
  • Being able to see chat of each Guild you’re in regardless of faction.
  • Guild achievement score system that unlocks bonus CXP and XP grants for content, or just bonus CXP grants for group content etc.

Anything to make being a part of a Guild more meaningful.

A new Event

I recently commented on Twitter about how stale the current line up of cyclical Events (Gree, Rakghoul, Bounty Contract) are. A new Event would definitely be a very welcome change from the current drag.

A new Stronghold

There are plenty of locations and places in the game to inspire more Strongholds.

  • Alderaan Palace – Who doesn’t want their own Alderaan Castle with gorgeous grounds and a vast interior inspired by House Organa and House Thul to make their own?
  • Dread Palace – The Dread Master’s home, sounds great right? You could turn it into your very own humble abode full of death and decay or kittens and rainbows (I’m not one to judge). This would make a great reward for Raiders and something that could be gradually obtained by everyone else.
  • Rishi Private Island –  A nice Pirate hideaway on your own private island with waterfalls, streams, beaches, maybe even a cave with Grophets and Orobirds wondering around. Retirement bliss.
  • Copero Villa – A lovely Chiss Villa with breathtaking ocean and mountain views, palm trees, a hot spring, sounds lovely right?

Are you looking forward to the Road Map? What would you like to see on it?

Categories
News Star Wars The Old Republic

SWTOR’s Game Producer Sets the Record Straight

After tenuous allegations that EA was considering shutting down Star Wars The Old Republic, Keith Kanneg, SWTOR’s Game Producer, came onto the forums to hint at future plans for the game and even an Expansion.

Hey all,

 

As Musco mentioned in the Live Stream yesterday, we’re busy working on an update to the Roadmap which should be available in mid-February. Keep in mind, we’ve just released Game Update 5.7, so expect the Roadmap to give you insight about the next 90 days or so.

 

I’m not ready to discuss all of the summer events and beyond that we’re planning. And, I definitely will not provide any information on what’s included in 6.0 . So, as always, hang in there, and we’ll provide you with what’s going on with SWTOR!

 

For the many of you who have asked privately, yes, I’m doing great, but December and January are typically very busy months for us with all the planning activities. Personally, I’ve been playing quite a bit, and am focused on crafting Superior Augments for my characters. Hopefully, I’ll reach Elite Warlord on my 2nd character, very soon, and to be honest, I’m pretty happy with all the changes we made this past year for Galactic Command.

 

Will update you soon,

 

Keith—

So no, the game isn’t dead or dying as Kotaku would have you believe. They’re planning and creating content for this year. Does that sound like a dead game on the verge of being shut down to you? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

What did we learn from Keith’s comments?

  • December and January are busy months for planning content for the game hence the minimal communication.
  • The next Road Map is coming mid-February.
    • It’ll cover the next 90 days or so of Content.
  • Summer Events are being planned but not presently being announced.
  • Confirmation that 6.0 is happening (probably sometime after the summer). So yes, there will be another expansion!

There is nothing to worry about. This year. SWTOR is doing fine and in good hands. I for one look forward to learning what content they have in store for us.

You can read more about my thoughts on the recent controversy in my article For the last time, SWTOR is not Dead or Dying.

Read my article What Content to expect in 2018 in The Old Republic for some speculation as to what Content we can expect this year.

Categories
Blog Star Wars The Old Republic

For the last time, SWTOR is not Dead or Dying

There has been ample talk of late about the state of Star Wars The Old Republic. The minimal communication from the Developers of late and the slow content release cycles has gotten many players increasingly concerned about the future of the game.

To add more fuel to the fire, Kotaku recently published an article about Bioware doubling down on its new IP, Anthem. The article confirmed what I have suspected for some time in that the majority of Developers at Bioware Austin were now working on Anthem. This isn’t something new for Bioware Austin. As the article alluded to, Bioware Austin stuff were pulled from other projects (ie. SWTOR) to work on Dragon Age Inquisition and Mass Effect Andromeda before they were released. SWTOR survived those instances and it can survive Anthem too.

But one paragraph, in particular, has really riled up the SWTOR community.

BioWare has also discussed ending development on the multiplayer online game Star Wars: The Old Republic, those sources said, although one person familiar with the studio told me recently that plans are still up in the air. – Jason Schreier

This paragraph seems to imply that there was discussion recently about ending development on SWTOR. Honestly, this conversation has probably happened a few times over the years and with the stakes being really high for Anthem, it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise.

At this point, even if Keith Kanneg (SWTOR’s Lead Game Producer) did come out and address player concerns about the state of the Game, I doubt it would do much to satiate the player base. Only announcing new content and releasing a Road Map will do that. But that doesn’t mean the player base shouldn’t be held accountable (more on this later).

We also have to consider the money, time and resources that went into United Forces (Server Merges). As I’ve said before, why spend all that money on merging the servers if you’re going to stop development on the game a few months later?

As part of this rollout, we have made a substantial investment in hardware, software, and network infrastructure to dramatically improve our service and make your experience awesome. – Keith Kanneg, Fall Road Map 2017

Another thing mentioned in the Kotaku article I found of interest was how the extreme toxicity about EA in the gaming community as a whole has had a negative impact on morale within Bioware studios. This the second article I’ve read recently which has mentioned increasing player toxicity having a negative impact on Developers. An article by a Developer Morgan Jaffit published on Polygon also discussed player toxicity and abuse becoming an increasingly common concern among developers. Player negativity, abuse and toxicity has indeed been getting far worse over the last couple of years in particular.

Negativity about EA has without a doubt had a negative impact on SWTOR. I am getting increasingly concerned about the ever-growing negativity surrounding SWTOR’s future and the impact it will have on the game. It has become more than just a meme now. People are shouting it from the rooftops turning away potential players for fear of sinking with the proverbial ‘TORtanic’.

I understand it’s getting harder to stay optimistic with no new content announced for the year just yet (beyond what we got in 5.7) for SWTOR. But we know they have the right vision for the game. Their focus is back on the ‘MMO bits’ (haha) and creating content for all aspects of the game. We just have to give them a little more time to carry out that vision. Implementing United Forces took up a lot of their time and resources last year. So this year, hopefully, we’ll get more of the content we all love.

I went on a bit of a Twitter rant at the start of the year about ‘dead game’ rhetoric and how dangerous it is. Part of the thread that pertained to SWTOR is embedded below.

Yes, we’re barely a month into 2018 and this rhetoric is already exhausting. That offhand paragraph in the Kotaku article has only made things worse in the SWTOR Community. The Community can and should do better. Ultimately we should be asking ourselves, do we want the game to succeed? Because the way much of the community has been behaving, they don’t want it to.

The game has undoubtedly had its ups and downs but does it deserve to be burnt to the ground when the Developers are actively (albeit slowly) making the effort to bring things back on track? No.

We just had Game Update 5.7 come out this week. It shouldn’t be too much longer until we hear more about what content the SWTOR Developers have in store for us this year.

Update: Keith came onto the forums recently and hinted at future plans for the game including an Expansion. You can read more about it in my article SWTOR’s Game Producer Sets the Record Straight.

What did you think of the Kotaku article? Do you remain hopeful for SWTOR?

 

Categories
News Star Wars The Old Republic

Game Update 5.7 Maintenance and Patch Note Highlights

The Patch Notes for Star Wars The Old Republic’s Game Update 5.7 ‘Legacy of the Creators’ have been posted.

Scheduled Maintenance for Game Update 5.7 will occur:

Date – Tuesday 23 January 2018
Time – 5:00AM – 9:00AM PST (1300 – 1700 GMT) 

Double XP is also returning after Maintenance. It runs from the 23rd January – 2nd February.

Highlights

  • New Operation Boss: Scyva – Known as the Mother of Sorrows, Scyva is a nigh-indestructible threat – your team will have to take advantage of every resource at hand to prevail!
  • Returning Companions: Risha and Corso – The Smuggler’s old allies emerge from the shadowy galactic underworld to help out their old captain once more.
  • Returning Companions: Andronikos – After plundering ships across the galaxy, Andronikos finally comes face-to-face with the Sith Inquisitor he once served so faithfully.
  • The price-per-unit listing on the GTN will now be rounded to the nearest whole number.
  • The respawn time for Valen Korik on Dromund Kaas has been greatly reduced. Defeating him is an objective for the Heroic Mission, Possessed Hunter.
  • The Yavin Ruins Warzone will no longer pop at a higher frequency than other Warzones.
  • The following changes are being made to the Solo PvP Ranked Daily Mission:
    • Mission will reward 40 Unassembled Components (up from 30)
    • Mission will reward 150 Ranked Season 9 Tokens as intended (up from 0)
  • The following changes are being made to the Solo PvP Ranked Weekly Mission:
    • Mission will reward 250 Unassembled Components (up from 200)
    • Mission will reward 1,000 Ranked Season 9 Tokens as intended (up from 0)
    • Mission now also rewards 3 Charged Matter Transubstantiators
  • Players who are not wearing Augments or who have Augments below item rating 208 will now have Bolstered stats as if they were equipped with item rating 208 Augments (up from 150).

Bug Fixes

  • The Dark vs Light tracker will no longer clip outside of the Galaxy Map.
  • Players are no longer blocked from progressing through Kuat Drive Yard’s cutscenes.
  • Master Mode Operations now reward the correct quantity of Unassembled Components.
  • The Bonus Missions for A Traitor Among the Chiss will now grant Command Experience as intended.
  • Imperial players will no longer go to the Republic version of the Rakghoul Tunnels if they quick travel there.
  • Players who complete the Scientific Endeavors Mission on Belsavis will no longer be blocked from completing Belsavis Reborn.
  • Achievements which are earned in the Yavin 4 Warzone will no longer reset.

Full Game Update 5.7 Patch Notes

Highlights

  • New Operation Boss: Scyva – Known as the Mother of Sorrows, Scyva is a nigh-indestructible threat – your team will have to take advantage of every resource at hand to prevail!
  • Returning Companions: Risha and Corso – The Smuggler’s old allies emerge from the shadowy galactic underworld to help out their old captain once more.
  • Returning Companions: Andronikos – After plundering ships across the galaxy, Andronikos finally comes face-to-face with the Sith Inquisitor he once served so faithfully.
  • Double XP is back! Enjoy double experience, Command Experience, and more for one week. This event will run from 1/23 – 2/1.

General

  • The Dark vs Light tracker will no longer clip outside of the Galaxy Map.
  • Right clicking on a character in the Guild Window will now change the player’s selection to that character.
  • When entering a random group via Activity Finder, the group leader will now be assigned based on criteria such as character level and Command Rank.
  • In the Activity Finder if a player selects an activity within a filter, that category will now be selected automatically. EX: A player goes into the filter for Story Uprisings and selects Crimson Fang, Story Uprisings will now be checked for queue in Activity Finder.
  • The price-per-unit listing on the GTN will now be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Flashpoints + Operations + Uprisings

Flashpoints

  • Players are no longer blocked from progressing through Kuat Drive Yard’s cut scenes.

Operations

  • Master Mode Operations now reward the correct quantity of Unassembled Components.

Missions + NPCs

  • The Bonus Missions for A Traitor Among the Chiss will now grant Command Experience as intended.
  • Imperial players will no longer go to the Republic version of the Rakghoul Tunnels if they quick travel there.
  • Players who complete the Scientific Endeavors Mission on Belsavis will no longer be blocked from completing Belsavis Reborn.
  • The respawn time for Valen Korik on Dromund Kaas has been greatly reduced. Defeating him is an objective for the Heroic Mission, Possessed Hunter.

Warzones

  • The Yavin Ruins Warzone will no longer pop at a higher frequency than other Warzones.
  • The following changes are being made to the Solo PvP Ranked Daily Mission:
    • Mission will reward 40 Unassembled Components (up from 30)
    • Mission will reward 150 Ranked Season 9 Tokens as intended (up from 0)
  • The following changes are being made to the Solo PvP Ranked Weekly Mission:
    • Mission will reward 250 Unassembled Components (up from 200)
    • Mission will reward 1,000 Ranked Season 9 Tokens as intended (up from 0)
    • Mission now also rewards 3 Charged Matter Transubstantiators
  • Achievements which are earned in the Yavin 4 Warzone will no longer reset.
  • Players who are not wearing Augments or who have Augments below item rating 208 will now have Bolstered stats as if they were equipped with item rating 208 Augments (up from 150).
Categories
Star Wars The Old Republic

Ranked PvP Leaderboards Down in SWTOR

Eric Musco, the Community Manager for Star Wars The Old Republic, recently addressed player complaints about the Ranked Arena Leaderboards. The Leaderboards were not updating correctly. Bioware finally looked into it and discovered that there was something wrong and have taken the Leaderboards down for the time being.

Hey folks,

 

Quick update. We are seeing some incorrect data being pulled into the season 9 leaderboards, so we are going to disable them for the time being while we investigate. It doesn’t look like it will be fixed today, I will let you know of any updates early next week. This has no effect on Season 9 in-game.

 

-eric

Categories
Developer Tracker News Star Wars The Old Republic

Scheduled Maintenance – 23rd January

Maintenance has been announced for Game Update 5.7 occurring Tuesday 23rd January.

Hey everyone!

 

We will be taking the servers offline on Tuesday, January 23rd in order to apply Game Update 5.7. The website will also be unavailable during this time.

 

Details:
DATE: 23 January 2018
TIME: 5:00AM – 9:00AM PST (1300 – 1700 GMT)
VERSION: 5.7

 

Patch Notes will be available on Monday, here.

 

Thank you for your patience as we maintain Star Wars: The Old Republic!

 

-eric

Categories
News Star Wars The Old Republic

SWTOR Maintenance – Friday 12th January

The Star Wars The Old Republic servers will be going down for some brief maintenance on Friday 12th January.

Hey everyone!

We will be taking the servers offline on Friday, January 12th for some quick back-end maintenance.

Details:
DATE: 12 January 2018
TIME: 6:00AM – 7:00AM PST (1400 – 1500 GMT)
VERSION: N/A

Thank you for your patience as we maintain Star Wars: The Old Republic!

-eric

Categories
News Star Wars The Old Republic

SWTOR Announces Game Update 5.7

Eric Musco, the Community Manager for Star Wars The Old Republic, recently announced Game Update 5.7 and gave us our first hint of a new upcoming Road Map.

‘Highlighted’ text done for emphasis.

Hey folks,

Since we are formally in 2018 now, Happy New Year to all of you! We know there have been some questions about what is coming next, so we wanted to give you some details. The big “what is coming” type question will be addressed as always in Keith’s Roadmap, which is being worked on now. I would expect a few more weeks before you can read that. However, before the roadmap is in your hands, let’s talk about the next Game Update!

Game Update 5.7 – Legacy of the Creators

Release date: January 23rd

 

  • New Operation Boss: Scyva
    • Available in Story and Veteran Mode
  • Returning Companions! (these Missions will be Class-specific)
    • Risha & Corso
    • Andronikos
  • New Cartel Market Pack
  • Various bug fixes / updates

Although we will save the specifics for the Roadmap, beyond 5.7 you can expect additional Companions returning, a new Flashpoint, and more! Thanks everyone, we are looking forward to an exciting 2018.

-eric

Musco also responded to some queries on the class-specific nature of the companion returns and if they are going to be Alliance Alerts. Musco’s responses are bolded and italicised.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrutchCricket 

Neat.

What does class specific mean in this context though?

Class-specific means that only the Class that those Companions are originally from will be able to get them. So in this case…

  • Risha & Corso – Smuggler only
  • Andronikos – Inquisitor only
Quote:
Originally Posted by DuchessKristania 
So are all the returning companions going to be class specific from here out? I hope not, I made a smuggler clone of my agent and I’d like to be able to get Vector for her.

Many of them will be, but not all. It depends on the story we are telling with that particular Companion returning. I will make sure we note that for the future returns so you know which is which.

-eric

Quote:
Originally Posted by uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu 
You still haven’t answered the most important part for me…. IS THIS GONNA BE AN ALLIANCE ALERT? Will it be VOICED? Will it have a dynamic camera? Or is it the much maligned setup that the other alliance alerts share?

Yes, it will be an Alliance Alert. However, it will be a cinematic and not a “KOTOR-style” conversation like the other alerts.

-eric

He also responded to forum user wingheart’s the idea of having class-specific companion returns available for all classes via a terminal but with no dialogue.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wingheart 
Would any consideration be given to being able to claim these companions from a terminal if we want them for another character? No new lines would need to be recorded and it would be no different immersion-wise from running with Shae/Hexid/etc before you meet them in the story. I won’t speak for anyone else, but I’m fine with using my imagination to fill in the gaps. There are definitely certain companions I was looking forward to getting on other classes.

Good question. Right now it is not planned that you can access these Companions via the terminal on other Classes. However, I passed the suggestion on to the team as something we could possibly implement down the line.

Thanks!

-eric

I would personally like the option to get rid of companions that I do not want. I don’t know how others feel but I’m personally frustrated by how many companions I have. It could be something as simple as a UI fix that allows us to ‘hide’ companions that we don’t want to see on the list so it’s easier to summon the ones we want.

The writer of all the upcoming Companion returns, Samantha Wallschlaeger (who no longer works at Bioware Austin), tweeted her excitement about the announcement.

As for the Road Map and beyond 5.7, all the stuff Musco mentioned was already hinted at last year as I discuss in my article ‘What Content to expect in 2018 in The Old Republic‘. The Flashpoint, in particular, is obviously going to be the conclusion to Theron’s story arc.

The name of the update ‘Legacy of the Creators‘ does possibly hint that there could be more to 5.7 then they announced (at least we can hope).

What do you think of the announced companion returns? Were any of your favourites announced? Do you think there’s more to 5.7 then was announced?