You guys seriously have to publish at the very least the rank tiers way earlier than you have been. This is absolutely ridiculous that we still have no idea what our toons have to be at to get Gold tier.

Hey everyone,

 

[*]Companion Customization – Senya Tirall can now have her weapons and armor customized. Also, Lana, Koth, and Senya’s hairstyles are available for purchase to customize your character.

 

 

I have a question about this. Lana and Koth have different "head sculpts" if you remove their "Traditional Armor" customizations", while Koth looks the same as he did for the most part, Lana looks totally different than she did in KotFE/KotET. Was that intended? I liked Lana's look in KotFE/KotET, but thought it was time she got out of that gray outfit, but I didn't want to change her apperance, just to change her armor. Will the same happen for Senya's head sculpt if we remove her "Traditional Armor customization?

So Sage/Sorc will be expected to continue on with not one viable discipline now.

 

Healers just took a huge nerf, but to do it you nerfed base class skills as well, and Healer was the only really viable end-game discipline.

 

Can you please explain why you chose to Nerf the ONLY end-game viable build for Sage/Sorc BEFORE buffing one of the other builds?

 

Are those of who us main a TK Sage or Lighning Sorc (I do both) getting some form of compensation for being non-viable for over half a year, because of deliberate choices by Bioware?

 

 

All The Best

Considering that good madness sorcs can now compete with virulence snipers and arsenal mercs and people still consider those viable, I think madness sorcs can be considered viable especially when people completed NiM Ops prior to 5.3 as a DPS Sorc already.

So no new operation boss with 5.4?

Oh well, thanks for the update as always!

 

Not yet sure how I feel about the "average gear rating". First of all, can you please detail how this is calculated? For example, do you include setbonus, augments and color crystals in the rating? Also, will the average gear rating be publicly visible in the character screen, or just visible to yourself?

My fear is that this will lead to more hostility in SWTOR. In WoW, where AIL has been used for a long time, players frequently have to include their AIL when responding to LFGs. It is too early to tell what impact this will have in SWTOR.

But I do know that most (or all?) MM flashpoints are beatable without 242 gear. I always like to run MM flashpoints outside of raids and carry new players through them. I fear this will no longer be possible post-5.4; there will be even fewer players queueing for them.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Jerba

No changes to dps pt's defenses? It will continue to die in 5 seconds in both ranked and unranked?

 

I also hope you are not planning to nerf concealment dps since its dps is already BAD, this spec has good survivability but very low dps. On the contrary, ruffian is indeed a bit opped i think, but i dont think that it needs huge nerfs

 

And wow, touching the most balanced class in the game(marauder)? They didn't need any adjustments, it is a perfect balanced class.

 

WHERE is legacy wide Unessembled components? You promised us that!

 

So sorcs are close to being op, yet maras and concealment are fine/bad? Not sure how you get to that thought, but it certainly wasn't through logic.

Will you address clipping and Carnage and put a long standing issue to rest on whether the spec will be balanced around allowing it or not allowing?

So no new operation boss for 5.4?

Oh well, thanks for the update as always!

 

Not yet sure how I feel about the "average gear rating". First of all, can you please detail how this is calculated? For example, do you include augments and color crystals in the rating? Also, will the average gear rating be publicly visible in the character screen, or just visible to yourself?

My fear is that this will lead to more hostility in SWTOR. In WoW, where AIL has been used for a long time, players frequently have to include their AIL when responding to LFGs. I guess we will see what impact this will have in SWTOR; right now I'm not too sure on the pros and cons of it.

 

It's not like it is that hard right now to find out someones gear rating by looking at them anyway. Not to mention, just by looking at HP you can have a pretty good idea in any content that doesn't have bolster.

This is going to bring back a lot of good old memories from clone wars adventures having my Umbara lot come back but hopefully better!!

However, was really hoping this update would be earlier as the scheduled date is when I'll be heading home from out of state 😭

Another thing to notice , if we are going to have an Umbara stronghold, you need to increase the amount of strongholds a guild can have.

Considering that good madness sorcs can now compete with virulence snipers and arsenal mercs and people still consider those viable, I think madness sorcs can be considered viable especially when people completed NiM Ops prior to 5.3 as a DPS Sorc already.

 

Not really, compete yes, but a perfectly played madness sorc does about 300 dps less on average to sniper or IO merc. And sustained dps on single target fights, given the variable of crit rng is basically around TK/Lightning levels still. Oh and Deathmarks is bugged so theres that. I guess it's good on add fights Corruptor Grobthok Bestia etc but on serious single target fights ie Styrak, Firebrand+SC it's gonna have to be carried.

 

EDIT: Same goes for Arsenal, it's dps is simply too low now for a few Nim fights, but hey at least Merc has IO which is ok in that department, unlike the sorc specs where both dps are still pretty much in the sub 9,5K range in bis at that and lucky crits.

Edited July 22, 2017 by ottffsse

So whats the story with the Legacy UC's?

 

Will GSF also get some UC boosts like PVP?

Keith,

 

One suggestion please please let us know the price of the new stronghold early since a lot of us just brought one and if we will be able to have 7 strongholds. Thanks.

 

Regarding the access to the stronghold, I don't have a problem doing the flashpoints a few times but can we gain access by doing the story/solo one or do we have to do a different one.

Edited July 21, 2017 by casirabit

Hey everyone,

 

We are quite a few weeks away from publishing the next 90 day update for our SWTOR Roadmap. We solidified our content plan and release schedule, so I’ll include all those details in the update. But, as you know, we’re really trying to provide you with more insight than ever before, and I’d like to know what other information you’d want to see in the Roadmap. Obviously, I can’t promise to include everything, but will do my best to address a wide variety of your requests.

 

Many of you read the SWTOR roadmap (http://www.swtor.com/info/news/news-article/20170531), and realize I had left you with an elusive “and more to come…” in the Game Update 5.4 section. I thought this would be a good time to let you know what will be released on August 22nd with the next game update. Here’s a few highlights of what you can expect:

 

• Crisis on Umbara – Our story will continue in a new Flashpoint coming on the planet of Umbara. This Flashpoint will launch with all 3 difficulties, Story, Veteran and Master. For Umbara’s Master Mode we are trying something new, and depending on how well it goes, we may do something similar for all Master Mode Flashpoints. Specifically, a player will need to have an average gear rating of 242 to use Group Finder. We won’t prevent pre-made groups from going in directly, but this will prevent under-geared players from slowing down your group. We’re adding a new average rating identifier on your character window which will be based on the items you have ‘equipped’.
  
• Umbara Stronghold – This is the most unique stronghold yet, as you will be able to decorate your own moving train. You’ll need to complete the flashpoint a few times to gain access to the stronghold. Look for more details about the Stronghold in an upcoming post.
  
• Companion Customization – Senya Tirall can now have her weapons and armor customized. Also, Lana, Koth, and Senya’s hairstyles are available for purchase to customize your character.
  
• Quality of Life – Companions can now be summoned while moving.
  
• A new feature on the in-game Preference screen has been added for higher graphic settings to improve the realism of contrast and shadows.
  
• Class balance – The following Disciplines are receiving changes (details will follow in the next few weeks):
  
  • Lethality / Ruffian
    
  • Concealment / Scrapper
    
  • Medicine / Sawbones
    
  • Fury / Concentration
    
  • Carnage / Combat
    

  [*]Season 8 will be coming to an end! We will post the full breakdown of rewards with screenshots in the coming weeks but in the meantime… the top rewards include a full weapon set and a new Ember Makrin Mount.

  [*]We are making changes to daily and weekly mission rewards for PvP with the intent of substantially improving Unassembled Component gain for players who complete both Ranked and Unranked missions.

 

Back to the Roadmap update for a moment as I’d like to provide some guidelines about the feedback. Be concise and specific. Think how it will affect other players, fairness, progression, impact, to help us truly understand and weigh your thoughts against the entire plan/direction.

 

Keep in mind, our goal for this year was to put us on a track of providing new and challenging multi-player content, while addressing all the gameplay systems in SWTOR. It does mean spreading content out over the year, but I still believe having access to content sooner is more desirable than having to wait a year to get it all at once.

 

Chat with you all soon.

 

Keith

 

Regarding class balance what happened to addressing utilities? Are you trying to tell me that PT, merc, snipers and sorc are now "balanced" or that you need additional 8 month now? If trauma regulators make it one more patch the way it is you guys really should reconsider letting go of the entire "combat team" (if there is such as thing).

 

Also, for marauders please tell me whoever put "fury" as quasi burst has nothing to do with class balance, cuz he/she know absolutely nothing about the game basics.

 

In addition, I very strongly recommend against the game trying to determine my avg "gear rating" cuz the weight of gear is not equal. Someone with MH and OH 248 and 240 gear has better stats than someone in 242 gear across the board by at least 3-4%. Relics too have much better weight than all other non-weapon gear. 230 armoring with set bonus are way more important 246 without set bonus. I could go on and on. This is a formula for disaster.

 

Though a higher FPs are a great idea, doing Athis with slightly magnified numbers does not add any additional difficulty. It just becomes a gear gating that you can only pass through grinding. If you will not create additional mechanics, this will also be pointless.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Ottoattack

It's not like it is that hard right now to find out someones gear rating by looking at them anyway. Not to mention, just by looking at HP you can have a pretty good idea in any content that doesn't have bolster.

Yes, but it would be much faster to see an average gear rating, than having to manually go through each gear piece.

 

I just want to know how they want to implement this feature. In general, it is a great idea but they details on how they implement it are important. Just like Galactic Commando which was nice in theory but was balanced incorrectly, and I fear that the average gear rating will also have some serious flaws.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Jerba

[*]Class balance – The following Disciplines are receiving changes (details will follow in the next few weeks):

• Lethality / Ruffian
  
• Concealment / Scrapper
  
• Medicine / Sawbones
  
• Fury / Concentration
  
• Carnage / Combat
  

 

Oh goody, more nerfs.

Hey everyone,

 

We are quite a few weeks away from publishing the next 90 day update for our SWTOR Roadmap. We solidified our content plan and release schedule, so I’ll include all those details in the update. But, as you know, we’re really trying to provide you with more insight than ever before, and I’d like to know what other information you’d want to see in the Roadmap. Obviously, I can’t promise to include everything, but will do my best to address a wide variety of your requests.

 

Many of you read the SWTOR roadmap (http://www.swtor.com/info/news/news-article/20170531), and realize I had left you with an elusive “and more to come…” in the Game Update 5.4 section. I thought this would be a good time to let you know what will be released on August 22nd with the next game update. Here’s a few highlights of what you can expect:

 

• Crisis on Umbara – Our story will continue in a new Flashpoint coming on the planet of Umbara. This Flashpoint will launch with all 3 difficulties, Story, Veteran and Master. For Umbara’s Master Mode we are trying something new, and depending on how well it goes, we may do something similar for all Master Mode Flashpoints. Specifically, a player will need to have an average gear rating of 242 to use Group Finder. We won’t prevent pre-made groups from going in directly, but this will prevent under-geared players from slowing down your group. We’re adding a new average rating identifier on your character window which will be based on the items you have ‘equipped’.
  
• Umbara Stronghold – This is the most unique stronghold yet, as you will be able to decorate your own moving train. You’ll need to complete the flashpoint a few times to gain access to the stronghold. Look for more details about the Stronghold in an upcoming post.
  
• Companion Customization – Senya Tirall can now have her weapons and armor customized. Also, Lana, Koth, and Senya’s hairstyles are available for purchase to customize your character.
  
• Quality of Life – Companions can now be summoned while moving.
  
• A new feature on the in-game Preference screen has been added for higher graphic settings to improve the realism of contrast and shadows.
  
• Class balance – The following Disciplines are receiving changes (details will follow in the next few weeks):
  
  • Lethality / Ruffian
    
  • Concealment / Scrapper
    
  • Medicine / Sawbones
    
  • Fury / Concentration
    
  • Carnage / Combat
    

  [*]Season 8 will be coming to an end! We will post the full breakdown of rewards with screenshots in the coming weeks but in the meantime… the top rewards include a full weapon set and a new Ember Makrin Mount.

  [*]We are making changes to daily and weekly mission rewards for PvP with the intent of substantially improving Unassembled Component gain for players who complete both Ranked and Unranked missions.

 

Back to the Roadmap update for a moment as I’d like to provide some guidelines about the feedback. Be concise and specific. Think how it will affect other players, fairness, progression, impact, to help us truly understand and weigh your thoughts against the entire plan/direction.

 

Keep in mind, our goal for this year was to put us on a track of providing new and challenging multi-player content, while addressing all the gameplay systems in SWTOR. It does mean spreading content out over the year, but I still believe having access to content sooner is more desirable than having to wait a year to get it all at once.

 

Chat with you all soon.

 

Keith

 

Weren't all melee classes, Guardian and Juggernauts included, also supposed to have their classes addressed? Or are we now on the back burner? I thought all melee classes were supposed to get a 5% DPS boost through adjustments, among another things.

 

Maybe I'm wrong here, and I just need to roll FOTM/FOTY Merc/Commando and L2P.

Weren't all melee classes, Guardian and Juggernauts included, also supposed to have their classes addressed? Or are we now on the back burner? I thought all melee classes were supposed to get a 5% DPS boost through adjustments, among another things.

 

Maybe I'm wrong here, and I just need to roll FOTM/FOTY Merc/Commando and L2P.

 

It was never "all melee classes are getting a 5% buff". It was melee sustained is supposed to be 5% above target dps. If they are currently doing 8% above target dps, they will get nerfed approximately 3%. If they are at the target dps, they will be left alone, and if they are 5% under target dps, they will get buffed approximately 5%. So a class like lethality, which is much higher than the target dps, will be getting nerfed in 5.4.

Specifically, a player will need to have an average gear rating of 242 to use Group Finder. We won’t prevent pre-made groups from going in directly, but this will prevent under-geared players from slowing down your group. We’re adding a new average rating identifier on your character window which will be based on the items you have ‘equipped’.

 

This will prevent Master FP from poping at all. Cut all under level 70, and cut off who knows how many level 70 characters from the group finder, and we will have to play OPS/PvP to play FP, because 242 does not grow on trees. Master FP group finder is as dead as it is now, and you will just kill it even more. Goodbye daily Master FP. Goodbye all Master FPs if this spreads outside of Umbra FP. If only Veteran FPs could give us a currency that we can use to buy Master FP gear, only then this update would make sense.

 

Now I am not against idea group leader having option to customize the requirements needed for his group finder. But massive genocide against Master FP players is what I am strongly against. They are doable in 210, and some bellow that rating. Because they come with a bolster. And include level 50+. Please reconsider giving more reasons to players to play Master FP, rather than giving them reasons not to.

Also, Lana, Koth, and Senya’s hairstyles are available for purchase to customize your character.

 

3.0(SoR) Lana hair, or 4.0(KotFE-KoTET) Lana hair?

"new and challenging group content" .. oh come on, enough with huge droids and forced group missions! no one does OPS, no one does uprisings, no one wants elitist flashpoints! new planet, why? Why not add some heroics on Darvannis? on Iokath? on Zakuul? on Manaan? why introduce something from Rebels into an Old Republic -based game? grrr i couldn't care less about "big league" group content, i want my class companions back.

Here's an idea...

 

Create 8 new level 70 class story's all based around Kashyyyk. 4 for the Republic side and 4 for the Imperial side.

 

Make it full class story's too like the old style but for level 70. Include the exploration missions. No CLASSIC STYLE either PLEASE.

 

You guys really need to go back to 8 class story missions again.

 

Sorry for the cross post. But I want to make sure it's posted in a place were Keith and the devs will see it.

 

This could be a way BW could makes future expansions for SWToR. Introduce new Planets or Zones with Full Class Missions. The story can be continued and can be relevant to each class and faction once again. Do this instead of the Grand Expansion you have done since SoR. Please go back to the 8 story's. Do them one planet or one zone at a time. That will give everybody NEW places to explore and the our class story's can progress and have meaning once again.

 

Going back to the 8 Stories would be great and I bet lots of people would like to see it happen once again.

 

That is why many of us play.

 

To live the life and story that is. Star Wars.

Regarding class balance what happened to addressing utilities? Are you trying to tell me that PT, merc, snipers and sorc are now "balanced" or that you need additional 8 month now? If trauma regulators make it one more patch the way it is you guys really should reconsider letting go of the entire "combat team" (if there is such as thing).

 

Also, for marauders please tell me whoever put "fury" as quasi burst has nothing to do with class balance, cuz he/she know absolutely nothing about the game basics.

 

 

Yeah that's the irony of it. They put carnage in the burst spec area when it's burst is conditional and can be easily shut down. You do your hardest hitting attacks outside the burst window and the damage they do goes down massively. Carnage has three second window and so it's burst is very dependant on skill and good reflexes.

 

Fury is the burst spec. Thier burst is frontloaded and unconditional. You can't screw their rotations up because they don't have to stick to a ridged rotation like Carnage does. Carnage got the extra attack that it didn't need and this effected it's resource managment and basically made it hard to play.

 

I'm not saying Fury shouldn't get some love, it definately should, but Fury is the burst spec, Carnage's burst is now as reliable as Fury. A delay for Fury does not have the same impact on it's DPS as it does with Carnage.

 

They did the same exact thing to snipers. They put one of it's specs in the wrong category.

 

Both pure DPS classes. I doubt that's a coincidence seeing as how Marauders have been considered the most balanced class through out 5.0.

 

Adjustments are fine, but they nerf Carnage DPS and up Fury's making it have better DPS than Carnage. I'm done with this game.

 

Not like they're going to give Marauders a defensive buff, so, if anything they'll nerf ruthless agressor.

 

So looks like lose/lose.

"new and challenging group content" .. oh come on, enough with huge droids and forced group missions! no one does OPS, no one does uprisings, no one wants elitist flashpoints! new planet, why? Why not add some heroics on Darvannis? on Iokath? on Zakuul? on Manaan? why introduce something from Rebels into an Old Republic -based game? grrr i couldn't care less about "big league" group content, i want my class companions back.

 

Luckily, the Devs think a bit different.

Please please do something legacy based with Unassembled Components

Personally, one of the main things I would like to see worked on is RP functionality. Some nods towards it, open spaces and planets to RP in, tools for GMs, maybe even the ability to make more customizeable areas, if the latter'd be more of a pipe dream, I imagine. Beyond that would be things like expanding Kaas City and Coruscant's non-mission areas to make them feel more viable as hubs

 

In addition to the commonly wished for hood options and speech bubbles.

 

Any plans towards species diversity would be great too. Kel Dor and other more alien aliens.. as well as the very simple ones that are humans with different skin tones such as Zeltrons.¨

 

5,4 is looking great though!

Hey everyone,

 

We are quite a few weeks away from publishing the next 90 day update for our SWTOR Roadmap. We solidified our content plan and release schedule, so I’ll include all those details in the update. But, as you know, we’re really trying to provide you with more insight than ever before, and I’d like to know what other information you’d want to see in the Roadmap. Obviously, I can’t promise to include everything, but will do my best to address a wide variety of your requests.

 

Many of you read the SWTOR roadmap (http://www.swtor.com/info/news/news-article/20170531), and realize I had left you with an elusive “and more to come…” in the Game Update 5.4 section. I thought this would be a good time to let you know what will be released on August 22nd with the next game update. Here’s a few highlights of what you can expect:

 

• Crisis on Umbara – Our story will continue in a new Flashpoint coming on the planet of Umbara. This Flashpoint will launch with all 3 difficulties, Story, Veteran and Master. For Umbara’s Master Mode we are trying something new, and depending on how well it goes, we may do something similar for all Master Mode Flashpoints. Specifically, a player will need to have an average gear rating of 242 to use Group Finder. We won’t prevent pre-made groups from going in directly, but this will prevent under-geared players from slowing down your group. We’re adding a new average rating identifier on your character window which will be based on the items you have ‘equipped’.
  
• Umbara Stronghold – This is the most unique stronghold yet, as you will be able to decorate your own moving train. You’ll need to complete the flashpoint a few times to gain access to the stronghold. Look for more details about the Stronghold in an upcoming post.
  
• Companion Customization – Senya Tirall can now have her weapons and armor customized. Also, Lana, Koth, and Senya’s hairstyles are available for purchase to customize your character.
  
• Quality of Life – Companions can now be summoned while moving.
  
• A new feature on the in-game Preference screen has been added for higher graphic settings to improve the realism of contrast and shadows.
  
• Class balance – The following Disciplines are receiving changes (details will follow in the next few weeks):
  
  • Lethality / Ruffian
    
  • Concealment / Scrapper
    
  • Medicine / Sawbones
    
  • Fury / Concentration
    
  • Carnage / Combat
    

  [*]Season 8 will be coming to an end! We will post the full breakdown of rewards with screenshots in the coming weeks but in the meantime… the top rewards include a full weapon set and a new Ember Makrin Mount.

  [*]We are making changes to daily and weekly mission rewards for PvP with the intent of substantially improving Unassembled Component gain for players who complete both Ranked and Unranked missions.

 

Back to the Roadmap update for a moment as I’d like to provide some guidelines about the feedback. Be concise and specific. Think how it will affect other players, fairness, progression, impact, to help us truly understand and weigh your thoughts against the entire plan/direction.

 

Keep in mind, our goal for this year was to put us on a track of providing new and challenging multi-player content, while addressing all the gameplay systems in SWTOR. It does mean spreading content out over the year, but I still believe having access to content sooner is more desirable than having to wait a year to get it all at once.

 

Chat with you all soon.

 

Keith

 

So are you guys going to take a smarter approach to your class balance changes and release them on the PTR to see how they would actually affect more than just one aspect of the game(this requires you to actually take our feedback)? Or are you just going to nerf nerf nerf and call it good making content slowly more difficult to complete(more so than it already is since you basically have to have certain classes that were untouched in order to meet the current dps checks)?

 

I see you guys changing a lot and just throwing it in our face instead of asking us, the community, what we think of the changes and how maybe some should be switched.