In case you haven't heard: Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion is now for preorder.

 

I am tempted to just pay the $10 but I would really like to know details first. Mainly as it pertains to PvP. TBH; I'm not really interested in what sounds to be generic, universal stories that might fit all classes. I might be interested in each of my characters specific stories being expanded but not sure. All I really am interested in for sure, is how it affects PvP.

 

It makes me wonder how the PvP brackets will be set up with 5 additional levels, and if you require to have the expansion to get the next 5 levels. What does it mean to endgame PvP gear?

 

/discuss

/speculate

Edited December 18, 2012 by Technohic

I play SWTOR only for the PvP.

 

I already preorder because I love this game. The cap rise will maybe bring some balance in few class here with the new skills. This will definitely affect the PvP.

 

I wouldn't be surprise to see few Overpower skills at the start of this expansion, but I'm sure they will tune this over time.

 

A good news for the community.

Are we sure that the 5 new levels requires the expansion pack?

 

I suppose it might as well. Need to level up 5 levels with XP somehow.

 

Still wonder about the brackets. Wii it be a sub-55 bracket now with bolster?

 

 

(Not that you have the answers just thinking out loud.)

Edited December 18, 2012 by Technohic

I would imagine that you will need the expansion to unlock the new level cap (I mean its bioware). If that is the case then expect to see 10-49 50 and 51-55...just my guess but who knows this is a long ways out and still no word on 1.7 yet which I also am thinking will be heavy on class balance.

If there's a new gear set for level 55 PVP.. no real incentive to min-max EWH now.

 

If there isn't a new level 55 PVP set.. I wonder how the level 55 PVE gear will compare.

 

/not excited at all

Edited December 18, 2012 by xhii

My friends and I have been speculating what new abilities they will add to classes for quite some time now.

Operatives possibly getting something that can allow them to use Hidden Strike without stealth... still thinking of more.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Ovan_Oh-One

idk where. but i am pretty sure i read they will put world pvp in makeb

 

http://torwars.com/2012/12/08/swtor-community-cantina-new-orleans-a-fans-perspective/

Edited December 18, 2012 by LUCASCASADEIS

TTK dropping even further?

 

More stuns? lol

 

Oooo. An extra CC breaker!

 

 

I still am really curious about how they will do the brackets. Can't suddenly do a level 10-34 then 35-545 with bolster as you would have 50+ with a ton of expertise the lower level players don't. I guess 50-55 bolstered queue, then current 50 regular and ranked becomes level 55 but not sure how many people that would piss off.

 

I did decided to pre-order. All said and done, I do like this game and am having fun. As long as I find things I enjoy to do here, $10 is not breaking the bank and will be well worth it.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Technohic

If people get more skillpoints, expect all the smashers running fullspec + unremitting.

I haven't a clue, having been lazy keeping up with it. That said I preordered I'd get it just for the PVE but definitely want to see PVP goodies. We need more, much more.

 

Ilum 2.0 or substitute? (inb4 hero engine sucks too much)

New WZ?

 

Gear yeah... Should be something but 1.6 just leveled things off a bit. I can't imagine them dropping in Super Supreme War Master a few months later with big stat increases. But, given gear history I wouldn't be shocked.

I haven't a clue, having been lazy keeping up with it. That said I preordered I'd get it just for the PVE but definitely want to see PVP goodies. We need more, much more.

 

Ilum 2.0 or substitute? (inb4 hero engine sucks too much)

New WZ?

 

Gear yeah... Should be something but 1.6 just leveled things off a bit. I can't imagine them dropping in Super Supreme War Master a few months later with big stat increases. But, given gear history I wouldn't be shocked.

 

Especially when you consider they are adding a new level grind. Wondering how that might pan out. They might make those 5 levels take longer or might not so we don't really know if there will be a grind there.

I wager there will be a 50-54 and a 55 bracket with some new kinda gear. Unless, at that point, they have already equalized expertise ratings. Then I think they will just make it 50-55.

 

The skill trees are going to be interesting though. Even five points will open some pretty interesting builds, wonder what they will do to keep things from getting out of hand balance-wise.

IThe skill trees are going to be interesting though. Even five points will open some pretty interesting builds, wonder what they will do to keep things from getting out of hand balance-wise.

 

This I'm really curious about. Will be interesting to see how it goes on PTS. Rise of the Commandos and Mercs perhaps?

New builds will be fun. One example, with Discharge, Wither and Deathfield Assassins can become AoE powerhouses.

 

They'll have to put something very tantalizing at the top of the trees.

Got to have new gear, which means bigger stat budgets than the lvl50 gear. initial levelling gear probably won't match high-end level50, but you will once you get endgame 50 stuff.

 

Be interesteed to see if they change current endgame PvE content (not that I play it), as an increase in level cap otherwise trivialises it and makes its gearing rewards pretty worthless.

 

For PvP: they can't take all the high-expertise gear off people, so I don't see them expanding the current lowbie 10-49 up to 10-54. Anyone under 50 would be destroyed, no point. So options are to go for a 50-55 bracket; or a pair, 50-54 and 55.

 

I experienced queueing for ages on low-pop servers so I don't like having multiple low-pop brackets (pretty sure 50-54 would be), but it may be the split is necessary - that way you don't have the added headache of trying to engineer endgame PvP so that characters of less than max level can play on a roughly even field.

 

Having said that, I remember Rob Hinckle saying that they were looking at equalising expertise across gear tiers and just increasing the normal stats on better gear: maybe that would allow a 50-55 bolster system to work and so keep only two brackets?

 

As regards mechanics changes, without more information on their feelings about class balance guesses about changes to classes or mechanics would just be an exercise in speculative wish-fulfilment. Other than they're undoubtedly going to buff scoundrels. And nerf operatives, of course.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Wainamoinen

In case you haven't heard: Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion is now for preorder.

 

I am tempted to just pay the $10 but I would really like to know details first.

 

/discuss

/speculate

 

At current rate of introducing brand new bugs on every patch/maintenance i doubt that game will be playable when this expansion will go live.

If there's a new gear set for level 55 PVP.. no real incentive to min-max EWH now.

Why not? It's not as if the expansion is coming out two weeks from now.

honestly, i am worried that this is going to split the pvp population to people with the expansion and people without it. so, until we get more details about the expansion, my $10 is going into beer rather than swtor

 

ps, i hope you can buy this with $10 of CC. i have plenty of that burning a hole in my pocket

Edited December 18, 2012 by ForsakenKing

1-49 and 50-55

 

Non subs get stuck at level 50. If they QQ they can sub.

 

This will be the way of it.

I dont want pay more than I pay for my sub.

 

If this expansion will be not avaible for subs - good luck, good point to quit game. I'm and now enough frustrated with premage/pug problem on warzones, faction imbalance, BW imperial favoritism and - main reason - after 1.4 patch constantly game client crashes to desktop, every 2-3 hours. Its absolutely frustrated, each patch after 1.1.5 just add new ridiculous bugs.

5 extra talent points will allow my Arsenal Mercenary to get 'Power Shield'.

 

Energy Shield now further decreases ability activation pushback by 30% and makes you immune to interrupts.

Yeah, I wonder how they will deal with the brackets and the PvP gear. Will you be able to wear the PvP sets 50-55 or only at 55? Are the brackets going to be 10-49, 50-55 or 10-54, 55 or something entirely different?

 

I think the biggest effect will be the opportunity for much needed class balance. 5 more levels probably means 5 more abilities for you class/advanced class. That means Bioware can get to work on helping the classes that need help the most. I suspect 1.7 if the rumors are true (it's supposed to be a major class update) will show us where they plan to bring the skill trees. I think the new abilities in the expansion will only build upon it.

 

Then there's the question if there will be more skill points...I know a few classes that may reach a new level of overpowered if they were given 5 more skill points.

5 extra talent points will allow my Arsenal Mercenary to get 'Power Shield'.

 

Energy Shield now further decreases ability activation pushback by 30% and makes you immune to interrupts.

 

Good spot, that would be interesting.

What they do with the 5 additional skill points will be interesting. They will either finish all sense of balance into the ground of they will fix sit and make it more diverse.

 

Here is to a Watchman buff!

Edited December 18, 2012 by JustinxDuff

The new expansion is expected to go live at 31, May, 2013.