SWTOR Game Update 1.2 Patch Notes: Companion Characters

Now some goodness on companion characters:

Companion Characters

General

  • Companion gifts are now stackable.
  • The cooldown associated with giving companions gifts has been removed. Giving a gift now has a 3-second activation time.
  • Several game areas where Companion Characters would not reliably follow the player have been fixed.
  • The C2 Droid Corporation and their competitors, the 2V Droid Corporation, have developed a series of new sensors for their products, the C2-N2 and 2V-R8 that significantly improve the Droids’ Crew Skill efficiency and critical success chances. These products may be purchased via the Legacy Repair Astromech unit on the player’s ship (once unlocked).
  • Additionally, the C2-N2 and 2V-R8 Droids have had their personality matrices upgraded with an experimental emotional response chip, allowing them to accept gifts and tokens of appreciation. The Crew Skill performance of these units will increase upon acceptance of these goods.
  • C2-N2 and 2V-R8 have been reprimanded and now vocalize less frequently on personal starships.
  • Tooltips for the companion abilities “Burst,” “Aimed Blast,” “Swipe,” “Wild Energy,” and “Blaster Sweep” now correctly reflect ability functionality.
  • All companion marriages are now removed appropriately if the marriage ends.
  • Corrected an issue that caused weapons to display inappropriately beneath some Droid companions (like T7).

Companions

Akaavi Spar

  • The Codex entry for this companion now lists the companion’s correct primary weapon.

Aric Jorgan

  • Corrected an issue that could allow a female trooper whose romance with him had ended to receive an additional romance conversation.
  • New companion skins for Aric Jorgan are available as reward choices in the game.

Ashara Zavros

  • Corrected issues that could prevent players from gaining or losing affection in the conversations related to the missions “Peace is a Lie” and “Silent Treatment.”

Doc

  • Crazy Talk: Male characters can now consistently complete this conversation.

Elara Dorne

  • Strange Circumstances: Corrected an issue that could prevent players from gaining or losing affection during this conversation.

Ensign Temple

  • Some mission rewards intended for this companion that could not be used have been corrected.

Jaesa Willsaam

  • Jaesa now uses the correct battle cries for her alignment (light or dark).
  • Jaesa no longer teleports to her target if she uses Force Leap while wielding a double-bladed lightsaber.
  • Jaesa now has the ability “Purity of the Light Side” or “Passion of the Dark Side,” which passively increases armor by 30%.

Kaliyo Djannis

  • Storm now has a 30-meter range and roots targets.
  • It is no longer possible to break up with Kaliyo and still be eligible for romance conversations.

Khem Val

  • Khem Val’s Lightning Punch sound effects now terminate appropriately.

Kira Carsen

  • Kira now has the ability “Purity of the Light Side,” which passively increases armor by 30%.

Mako

  • Corrected an issue that allowed players to remain eligible for unlocked romance content after losing romance status with Mako.

Qyzen Fess

  • New companion skins for Qyzen Fess are now available as reward choices in the game.

Nadia Grell

  • Nadia now has the ability “Strength in the Force,” which passively increases armor by 30%.

Tanno Vik

  • The Codex entry for this companion now lists the companion’s correct primary weapon.

Vector

  • Time to Think: this mission now properly rewards experience.

Xalek

  • A Son’s Duty: Corrected an issue that could prevent players from gaining or losing affection during this conversation.

SWTOR Game Update 1.2 Patch Notes: Classes and Combat

Onto classes and combat for 1.2:

Classes and Combat

Game Update 1.2. contains a significant number of changes and improvements to the overall class balance and combat gameplay in PvP and PvE based on player and guild feedback, focus testing, and more than two months of combat interaction data from our servers. Our overall goal is, as always, to create a level playing field for our players while ensuring that classes retain their unique playstyles and identities.

These changes are not limited to class abilities and skill trees, but also involve modifications to the underlying combat math (for example diminishing returns, additional augment availability, etc.), which has an impact on combat that is hard to capture in a list of patch notes.

Since our changes involve a number of skill changes for many classes, we are refunding all skill points to the affected Advanced Classes so players can adjust the distribution of their characters’ skills as they see fit with the new changes in mind. As a reminder, players can reset any character’s skill points in the Combat area on their faction’s fleet for free once per week (additional respecs cost credits).

Based on community feedback, we have also added a number of improvements to combat gameplay, such as more reactive animations for certain abilities, better visual and audible cues for important effects, and quality of life changes such as more useful combat revival abilities.

For enthusiasts interested in the detailed mechanics of combat and optimizing their own character, we have added a combat logging feature, which writes a machine-parsable file to disk that can provide detailed insights into what really happens during a combat engagement.

General

  • As a result of game balance efforts, many classes have had their skill tree layouts modified. Affected characters will have their skill points refunded on login.
  • Visual effects for persistent ground-targeted player attacks now reflect the target area of effect more accurately.
  • “Rest” abilities, such as Meditation and Recharge and Reload, are no longer interrupted by taking damage if the player is not currently in combat.
  • The movement visualization when observing players with lower performance has been improved.
  • Combat Training Dummies have been added to the game. Level 50 and 50+ Training Dummies can be found on the Gav Daragon and Ziost Shadow. Level 20, 30, and 40 targets can be found on Coruscant and Dromund Kaas. Level 10 targets can be found on Origin Worlds. Players can unlock Training Dummies for their personal starship through the Legacy System.
  • In-combat revival abilities (Resuscitation Probe, Hearttrigger Patch, Revival, and Reanimation) now revive the target with 25% health (up from 5%) to make them generally more useful for their intended purpose.
  • Several ability tooltips have been updated to include the correct values and information (these tooltip changes do not reflect changes to the ability; tooltips that previously displayed incorrect or incomplete information have been corrected).
  • Several areas throughout the game that have had line of sight-related problems (“cannot see target”) have been corrected.
  • An issue that could prevent dual wield visual effects from playing correctly has been fixed.
  • Fixed an issue that would occasionally cause players to become stuck and unable to move after the expiration of a stun debuff.
  • Corrected an issue that could cause players to appear to continue to be dead after being revived.
  • The diminishing return formula for several stats (including expertise) has been adjusted.
  • Special abilities for several classes have been updated to emit light based on their actual weapon color crystal.
  • Minimum and maximum damage ranges now display correctly on the character sheet for all classes.

Combat Log

  • Players may now choose to view victory and defeat messages in the chat window. This feature can be enabled in the new “Combat Logging” section of the preferences menu. This must be enabled for combat messages to appear in the chat window.
  • The “Combat Logging” section in the preferences menu also allows players to stream all combat interactions originating from or directed at their character to a machine-parsable file. When this option is enabled, time stamped log files are written periodically to the Star Wars – The Old Republic\Combat Logs directory in the My Documents folder. Warning: This is an advanced feature. Constant combat logging may use a significant amount of disk space, and players may need to periodically delete old logs.

Jedi Knight

General

  • Awe no longer costs Focus to activate.
  • Dispatch can now be used on targets at or below 30% of maximum health (up from 20%).
  • Force Kick no longer costs Focus to activate.
  • Master Strike can no longer be interrupted.

Sentinel

  • Due to changes in the Sentinel skill trees, Sentinels have had their skill points refunded.
  • Crippling Throw’s “Trauma” effect can no longer be cleansed.
  • Force Camouflage now additionally reduces all damage taken by 50% while active.
  • Pacify no longer has a Focus cost and is no longer limited by the global cooldown.
  • Transcendence now affects all Operation Group members.
  • Zen (while in Ataru Form) now additionally reduces the Focus cost and global cooldown of Cyclone Slash.

    Watchman

    • Focused Pursuit has been replaced by Focused Leap, which increases the Focus generated by Force Leap.
    • Force Fade no longer grants damage reduction while Force Camouflage is active. It now increases the duration of Force Camouflage by 1 second per point and increases the movement speed bonus of Force Camouflage by 10% per point.
    • Inflammation now applies a 50% movement speed reduction (up from 30%).
    • Valor is now located in Tier 1 of the skill tree.

    Combat

    • Ataru Form damage effects (procs) now deal weapon-based damage instead of Force-based damage. The overall damage of these effects has been increased by approximately 10%.
    • Ataru Form now correctly triggers when fighting very large targets.
    • Fleetfooted now additionally increases the movement speed bonus granted by Transcendence by 15% per point.
    • Temperance has been replaced by Stagger, which increases Force Leap’s immobilize effect.

    Focus (Sentinel)

    • Felling Blow is now a 3-point skill with the same overall effect. The effect now lasts 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Force Exhaustion’s cooldown has been reduced to 18 seconds. Its overall effect is unchanged.
    • Gravity now specifically affects Leg Slash and Force Exhaustion.
    • Inner Focus has been redesigned. It now requires 2 points in Singularity and causes Zen (while in Shii-Cho Form) to immediately grant 2 stacks of Singularity per point.
    • Master Focus now increases the damage of Master Strike instead of affecting Force Stasis.
    • Singularity’s buff effects now last 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Swelling Winds is now located in Tier 1 of the Focus skill tree. It increases the damage dealt by Force Sweep and Cyclone Slash and reduces the cooldown of Force Sweep.
    • Unwavering Focus has been removed from the game.
    • Zealous Leap now immobilizes the target for 1 second.
    • Zephyr has been replaced by Zephyrean Slash, which allows Slash critical hits to have a chance to refund 2 points of Focus while the Sentinel is in Shii-Cho Form.

Guardian

  • Due to changes to the Guardian skill trees, Guardians have had their skill points refunded.
  • Added Forceclap, a new passive ability granted at level 10 that causes Force Leap to stun the target for 2 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
  • Added Focused Defense, a new ability that allows the Guardian to spend Focus to lower threat. While active, one point of Focus is spent each time damage is taken to heal the Guardian for a small amount. This ability is usable while stunned and is not limited by the global cooldown.

    Vigilance

    • Commanding Awe is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree. It increases the Guardian’s damage reduction while Focused Defense is active.
    • Single Saber Mastery is no longer restricted to certain stances.
    • Stagger is now located in Tier 1 of the Vigilance skill tree.
    • Sundering Throw is now located in Tier 6 of the Vigilance skill tree.
    • Zen Strike now generates 2 points of Focus when it is triggered.

    Defense

    • Blade Barrier is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree.
    • Blade Storm no longer consumes stacks of Courage while the Momentum buff is active.
    • Command no longer reduces the cooldown of Challenging Call and is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree.
    • Dust Storm is now a 3-point skill that provides the same overall effect.
    • Guardian Slash now generates 50% additional threat.
    • Momentum is now a 2-point skill that provides the same overall effect.
    • Pacification is now a 1-point skill with a slightly reduced overall effect.
    • Shield Specialization is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree.
    • Stasis Mastery is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree.

    Focus (Guardian)

    • Felling Blow is now a 3-point skill with the same overall effect. The effect now lasts 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Force Exhaustion’s cooldown has been reduced to 18 seconds. Its overall effect is unchanged.
    • Gravity now specifically affects Freezing Force and Force Exhaustion.
    • Inner Focus has been redesigned. It now requires 2 points in Singularity and causes Combat Focus to immediately grant 2 stacks of Singularity per point.
    • Master Focus now increases the damage of Master Strike instead of affecting Force Stasis.
    • Singularity’s buff effects now last 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Swelling Winds is now located in Tier 1 of the Focus skill tree. It increases the damage dealt by Force Sweep and Cyclone Slash and reduces the cooldown of Force Sweep.
    • Through Peace, a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6, has been added. It reduces the initial activation cost of Focused Defense by 1 Focus per point.
    • Unwavering Focus has been removed from the game.
    • Zealous Leap now immobilizes the target for 1 second.
    • Zephyr has been replaced by Zephyrean Slash, which allows Slash critical hits to have a chance to refund 2 points of Focus while the Guardian is in Shii-Cho Form.

Sith Warrior

General

  • Disruption no longer costs Rage to activate.
  • Intimidating Roar no longer costs Rage to activate.
  • Ravage can no longer be interrupted.
  • Vicious Throw can now be used on targets at or below 30% of maximum health (up from 20%).

Marauder

  • Due to changes to the Marauder skill trees, Marauders have had their skill points refunded.
  • Deadly Throw’s “Trauma” effect can no longer be cleansed.
  • Force Camouflage now additionally reduces all damage taken by 50% while active.
  • Obfuscate no longer has a Rage cost and is no longer limited by the global cooldown.
  • Predation now affects all Operation Group members.
  • Berserk (while in Ataru Form) now additionally reduces the Rage cost and global cooldown of Sweeping Slash.

    Carnage

    • Ataru Form damage effects (procs) now deal weapon-based damage instead of Force-based damage. The overall damage of these effects has been increased by approximately 10%.
    • Ataru Form now correctly triggers when fighting very large targets.
    • Erupting Fury has been replaced by Stagger, which increases Force Charge’s immobilize effect.
    • Unbound now additionally increases the movement speed bonus granted by Predation by 15% per point.

    Annihilation

    • Ferocity has been replaced by Enraged Charge, which increases the Rage generated by Force Charge.
    • Phantom no longer grants damage reduction while Force Camouflage is active. It now increases the duration of Force Camouflage by 1 second per point and increases the movement speed bonus of Force Camouflage by 10% per point.
    • Seeping Wound now applies a 50% movement speed reduction (up from 30%).
    • Short Fuse is now located in Tier 1 of the skill tree.

    Rage (Marauder)

    • Decimate is now located in Tier 1 of the Rage skill tree. It increases the damage dealt by Smash and Sweeping Slash and reduces the cooldown of Smash.
    • Dominate is now a 3-point skill with the same overall effect. The effect now lasts 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Force Alacrity has been replaced by Overpower, which allows Vicious Slash critical hits to have a chance to refund 2 points of Rage while the Marauder is in Shii-Cho Form.
    • Force Crush’s cooldown has been reduced to 18 seconds. Its overall effect is unchanged.
    • Gravity now specifically affects Crippling Slash and Force Crush.
    • Obliterate now immobilizes the target for 1 second.
    • Ravager now increases the damage of Ravage instead of affecting Force Choke.
    • Relentless Fury has been replaced by Berserker. It requires 2 points in Shockwave and causes Berserk (while in Shii-Cho Form) to immediately grant 2 stacks of Shockwave per point.
    • Shockwave’s buff effects now last 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Unbreakable Rage has been removed from the game.

Juggernaut

  • Due to changes to the Juggernaut skill trees, Juggernauts have had their skill points refunded.
  • Added Crash, a new passive ability granted at level 10 that causes Force Charge to stun the target for 2 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
  • Added Enraged Defense, a new ability that allows the Juggernaut to spend Rage to lower threat. While active, one point of Rage is spent each time damage is taken to heal the Juggernaut for a small amount. This ability is usable while stunned and is not limited by the global cooldown.

    Vengeance

    • Deafening Defense is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree. It now increases the Juggernaut’s damage reduction while Enraged Defense is active.
    • Rampage now generates 2 points of Rage when it is triggered.
    • Single Saber Mastery is no longer restricted to certain stances.
    • Stagger is now located in Tier 1 of the Vengeance skill tree.
    • Sundering Throw is now located in Tier 6 of the Vengeance skill tree.

    Immortal

    • Battle Cry is now a 2-point skill that provides the same overall effect.
    • Crushing Blow now generates 50% additional threat.
    • Force Grip is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree.
    • Force Scream no longer consumes stacks of Revenge while the Battle Cry buff is active.
    • Heavy Handed is now a 1-point skill with a slightly reduced overall effect.
    • Quake is now a 3-point skill that provides the same overall effect.
    • Shield Specialization is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree.
    • Sonic Barrier is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree.
    • Thrown Gauntlet no longer reduces the cooldown of Threatening Scream and is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree.

    Rage (Juggernaut)

    • Decimate is now located in Tier 1 of the Rage skill tree. It increases the damage dealt by Smash and Sweeping Slash and reduces the cooldown of Smash.
    • Dominate is now a 3-point skill with the same overall effect. The effect now lasts 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Force Alacrity has been replaced by Overpower, which allows Vicious Slash critical hits to have a chance to refund 2 points of Rage while the Juggernaut is in Shii-Cho Form.
    • Force Crush’s cooldown has been reduced to 18 seconds. Its overall effect is unchanged.
    • Gravity now specifically affects Chilling Scream and Force Crush.
    • Obliterate now immobilizes the target for 1 second.
    • Ravager now increases the damage of Ravage instead of affecting Force Choke.
    • Relentless Fury has been replaced by Empowering Rage. It requires 2 points in Shockwave and causes Enrage to immediately grant 2 stacks of Shockwave per point.
    • Shockwave’s buff effects now last 20 seconds (up from 15).
    • Through Passion, a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6, has been added. It reduces the initial activation cost of Enraged Defense by 1 Rage per point.
    • Unbreakable Rage has been removed from the game.

Jedi Consular

General

  • Deflection’s visual effects are now more noticeable.
  • The Unity ability has been removed from the Jedi Consular class. A similar ability can now be unlocked through the Legacy System.
  • Force Slow visual effects now begin and end at the correct times.

Sage

  • Due to changes to the Sage skill trees, Sages have had their skill points refunded.
  • Corrected an issue with Force Armor that prevented its appearance from refreshing when its effects were reapplied.
  • Rescue now modifies threat by the correct amount.

    Seer

    • Confound now refreshes properly when Weaken Mind is refreshed.
    • Conveyance no longer unintentionally allows its buff to be applied to more than one healing ability. Its effects have been slightly redesigned. It now increases the critical chance of Benevolence by 60% and reduces the Force cost of Deliverance by 30%.
    • Egress now requires Preservation instead of Valiance.
    • Resplendence no longer removes the health cost from Noble Sacrifice.
    • Salvation’s tooltip now correctly mentions that this ability affects a maximum of 8 targets. The ability’s functionality has not changed.
    • A display issue that caused the first and second tick of Salvation to appear on top of each other has been corrected.

    Telekinetics

    • Inner Strength now correctly affects Weaken Mind.

    Balance (Sage)

    • Critical Kinesis now increases the critical chance of Telekinetic Throw and Disturbance by 3% per point.
    • Empowered Throw now increases the damage dealt by Project, Telekinetic Throw, and Weaken Mind by 2% per point.
    • Presence of Mind now affects Disturbance and Mind Crush only. Mind Crush’s periodic damage now benefits from the 20% damage bonus when it is used to consume the Presence of Mind buff.
    • The Force in Balance no longer heals the caster if no targets are hit.

Shadow

  • Mass Mind Control: Updated this tooltip to correctly state that the ability does not break Stealth. The ability’s functionality has not changed.

    Kinetic Combat

    • Kinetic Ward’s appearance now refreshes properly when reapplied.

    Balance (Shadow)

    • Force Synergy’s activation effects are now more visible.
    • The Force in Balance no longer heals the caster if no targets are hit.

Sith Inquisitor

General

  • Deflection’s effects are now more noticeable.
  • Electrocute’s visual effects now occur more quickly after activation.
  • Energize’s effect now triggers a sound effect when it occurs.
  • Force Lightning now correctly plays its sound effects when the initial application of damage kills the target.
  • Force Slow visual effects now begin and end at the correct times.
  • The Sacrifice ability has been removed from the Sith Inquisitor class. A similar ability can now be unlocked through the Legacy System.
  • Shock sound effects have been polished.

Sorcerer

  • Due to changes in Sorcerer skill trees, Sorcerers have had their skill points refunded.
  • Corrected an issue with Static Barrier that prevented its visual effects from refreshing when its effects were reapplied.
  • Extrication now modifies threat by the correct amount.

    Corruption

    • Force Bending no longer unintentionally allows its buff to be applied to more than one healing ability. Its effects have been slightly redesigned. It now increases the critical chance of Dark Heal by 60% and reduces the Force cost of Dark Infusion by 30%.
    • Conspiring Force now refreshes properly when Affliction is refreshed.
    • Fadeout now requires Efficacious Currents instead of Dark Resilience.
    • Force Surge no longer removes the health cost from Consumption.
    • Revivification’s tooltip now correctly states that the ability affects a maximum of 8 targets. The ability’s functionality hasn’t changed.
    • A display issue that caused the first and second tick of Revivification to appear on top of each other has been corrected.

    Lightning

    • Electric Induction now correctly affects Affliction.

    Madness (Sorcerer)

    • Disintegration now increases the critical chance of Force Lightning and Lightning Strike by 3% per point.
    • Calcify now increases the damage dealt by Shock, Force Lightning, and Affliction by 2% per point.
    • Wrath now affects Lightning Strike and Crushing Darkness only. Crushing Darkness’s periodic damage now benefits from the 20% damage bonus when it is used to consume the Wrath buff.
    • The Force in Balance no longer heals the caster if no targets are hit.

Assassin

  • Mass Mind Control: Updated this tooltip to correctly state that the ability does not break Stealth. The ability’s functionality has not changed.

    Madness (Assassin)

    • Raze’s activation effects are now more visible.
    • The Force in Balance no longer heals the caster if no targets are hit.

Smuggler

General

  • Dirty Kick can now be used while moving.
  • Players can now “Crouch” (but not roll into cover) while immobilized.
  • Smugglers can no longer be pushed out of cover via the “cover integrity” mechanic, which has been removed from the game.

Gunslinger

  • Due to changes to the Gunslinger skill trees, Gunslingers have had their skill points refunded.
  • Flourish Shot now additionally inflicts trauma, reducing all healing the target receives by 20% for 9 seconds.

    Saboteur

    • Hot Pursuit has been redesigned. It is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree and makes Quick Shot cost no energy for 6 seconds after leaving cover.
    • Incendiary Grenade has been improved. It now deals more of its damage in the first few seconds and snares affected targets. If the initial hit strikes a target affected by your Shock Charge, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.
    • Pandemonium is now located in Tier 2 of the skill tree.
    • Sabotage’s range has been increased to 60 meters.

    Sharpshooter

    • Burst Volley has been redesigned. It now triggers from dealing damage with blasters and increases Alacrity and Energy regeneration for 10 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds.
    • Deadeye is now a 3-point skill that provides the same overall effect.
    • Holed Up is a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage taken from area attacks by 60% while Hunker Down is active. This change allows the Sharpshooter to remain in cover more often in situations that force other classes to rapidly change locations.
    • Snap Shot’s tooltip now correctly mentions that its effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds. Functionality has not changed.

    Dirty Fighting (Gunslinger)

    • Bombastic now correctly requires Shrap Bomb.
    • Hemorrhaging Blast no longer has an Energy cost.
    • Hold Your Ground’s cooldown reduction for Pulse Detonator has been reduced to 2.5 seconds per point.
    • Holdout Defense now increases Blaster Whip damage by 4% per point.
    • No Holds Barred now increases critical chance by 1% per point.
    • Reopen Wounds now increases the critical chance of Wounding Shots and Speed Shot by 4% per point.
    • Wounding Shots now costs 25 Energy (down from 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but bleeding damage remains unchanged.

Scoundrel

  • Due to changes to the Scoundrel skill trees, Scoundrels have had their skill points refunded.
  • Back Blast now has a 12-second cooldown and deals approximately 5% more damage.
  • Diagnostic Scan’s tooltip now displays the full amount healed over its duration.
  • Shoot First now has a 7.5-second cooldown.
  • Tranquilizer now gives an appropriate error message if used on Droids.
  • Upper Hand no longer triggers a “grunt” sound effect when it occurs.

    Sawbones

    • Emergent Emergencies now additionally increases the maximum stack limit of Upper Hand by 1.
    • Healing Hand now also increases the duration of Upper Hand by 2 seconds per point.
    • Homegrown Pharmacology now additionally reduces the Energy cost of Kolto Cloud by 2 per point.
    • Kolto Cloud has been rebalanced. It now has a 15-second cooldown, heals over 6 seconds, and heals for approximately 10% more than before.
    • Patient Studies now additionally increases the speed at which Diagnostic Scan channels by 15% per point.

    Scrapper

    • Brawler’s Grit is now a 2-point skill.
    • Flanking is a new 1-point skill located in Tier 3 of the skill tree. It reduces the Energy cost of Back Blast by 5.
    • K.O. no longer experiences a delay in its knockdown effect.
    • Sawed Off now increases the damage dealt by Back Blast. It is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree and requires Flanking.
    • Sucker Punch now costs 10 Energy (down from 15) and deals approximately 10% less damage.
    • Turn the Tables has been redesigned and is now a 2-point skill. It no longer increases damage dealt to bleeding targets, but increases the Energy gained by Pugnacity and the damage dealt by Sucker Punch and Flying Fists.
    • Underdog no longer increases Energy gained by Pugnacity. This effect is now part of Turn the Tables.

    Dirty Fighting (Scoundrel)

    • Hemorrhaging Blast no longer has an Energy cost.
    • Holdout Defense now increases Blaster Whip damage by 4% per point.
    • No Holds Barred now increases critical chance by 1% per point.

Imperial Agent

General

  • Debilitate’s tooltip now correctly displays its stun duration.
  • Players can now “Crouch” (but not roll into cover) while immobilized.
  • Agents can no longer be pushed out of cover via the “cover integrity” mechanic, which has been removed from the game.

Operative

  • Due to changes to Operative skill trees, Operatives have had their skill points refunded.
  • Backstab now has a 12-second cooldown and deals approximately 5% more damage.
  • Hidden Strike now has a 7.5-second cooldown.
  • Sleep Dart now gives an appropriate error message if used on Droids.
  • Tactical Advantage no longer triggers a “grunt effect” when it occurs.

    Concealment

    • Culling has been redesigned and is now a 2-point skill. It no longer increases damage dealt to poisoned targets, but increases the Energy gained by Stim Boost and the damage dealt by Laceration and Collateral Strike.
    • Inclement Conditioning is now a 2-point skill.
    • Flanking is a new 1-point skill located in Tier 3 of the skill tree. It reduces the Energy cost of Backstab by 5.
    • Laceration now costs 10 Energy (down from 15) and deals approximately 10% less damage.
    • Meticulously Kept Blades no longer increases Energy gained by Stim Boost. This effect is now part of Culling.
    • Waylay now increases the damage dealt by Backstab. It is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree and requires Flanking.

    Medicine

    • Medical Consult now also increases the duration of Tactical Advantage by 2 seconds per point.
    • Medical Therapy now additionally reduces the Energy cost of Recuperative Nanotech by 2 per point.
    • Patient Studies now additionally increases the speed at which Diagnostic Scan channels by 15% per point.
    • Recuperative Nanotech has been rebalanced. It now has a 15-second cooldown, heals over 6 seconds, and heals for approximately 10% more than before.
    • Surgical Precision now additionally increases the maximum stack limit of Tactical Advantage by 1.

    Lethality (Operative)

    • Corrosive Microbes now functions correctly.
    • Lethality now increases critical chance by 1% per point.
    • Razor Edge now increases Shiv damage by 4% per point.
    • Weakening Blast no longer has an Energy cost.

Sniper

  • Due to changes to the Sniper skill trees, Snipers have had their skill points refunded.
  • Shatter Shot now additionally inflicts trauma, reducing all healing the target receives by 20% for 9 seconds.

    Marksmanship

    • Imperial Assassin is now a 3-point skill that provides the same overall effect.
    • Siege Bunker is a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage taken from area attacks by 60% while Entrench is active. This change allows the Marksman to remain in cover more often in situations that force other classes to rapidly change locations.
    • Snap Shot’s tooltip now correctly mentions that its effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds. Functionality has not changed.
    • Sniper Volley has been redesigned. It now triggers from dealing damage with rifles and increases Alacrity and energy regeneration for 10 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds.

    Engineering

    • Calculated Pursuit has been redesigned. It is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree and makes Overload Shot cost no energy for 6 seconds after leaving cover.
    • EMP Discharge’s range has been increased to 60 meters.
    • Plasma Probe has been improved. It has new visual effects and now deals more of its damage in the first few seconds and snares affected targets. If the initial hit strikes a target affected by your Interrogation Probe, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.
    • Stroke of Genius is now located in Tier 2 of the skill tree.

    Lethality (Sniper)

    • Corrosive Microbes now functions correctly.
    • Cull now costs 25 Energy (down from 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but poison damage remains unchanged.
    • Hold Your Ground’s cooldown reduction for Cover Pulse has been reduced to 2.5 seconds per point.
    • Lethality now increases critical change by 1% per point.
    • Razor Edge now increases Shiv’s damage by 4% per point.
    • Razor Rounds now increases the critical chance of Cull and Series of Shots by 4% per point.
    • Targeted Demolition now correctly requires Corrosive Grenade.
    • Weakening Blast no longer has an Energy cost.

Bounty Hunter

General

  • Ability Heat costs are now displayed in skill tree and trainer windows.
  • Death From Above now has a 5-meter radius to bring its range in line with other Bounty Hunter Area of Effect abilities and it now begins dealing damage sooner after activation.
  • Hydraulic Overrides now has improved audio and visual effects.
  • Incendiary Missile audio has been improved.

Mercenary

  • Cure now generates 8 Heat (down from 16).
  • Jet Boost now triggers snare visual effects on affected targets.
  • Power Shot has been rebalanced. It now generates 16 Heat, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.
  • Tracer Missile and Fusion Missile’s animations have been exchanged by popular demand from the community.

    Arsenal

    • Barrage: the chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly.
    • Heatseeker Missiles’ damage output has been increased by approximately 10%.
    • Jet Escape now reduces the cooldown of Jet Boost by 2.5 seconds per point.
    • Muzzle Fluting no longer reduces Heat costs. It now reduces the activation time of Power Shot and Tracer Missile by .5 seconds.
    • Power Barrier now provides 1% damage reduction per stack.
    • Tracer Missile has been rebalanced in order to encourage more active gameplay rotations. It now generates 16 Heat, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.

    Bodyguard

    • Critical Efficiency now reduces the cost of Rapid Scan by 8 (down from 16).
    • Cure Mind no longer reduces the cost of Cure. It now causes Cure to heal the target for a small amount.
    • Hired Muscle now increases critical chance by 1% per point.
    • Kolto Missile now affects up to 4 targets (up from 3), improving reliability in group and Operation situations.
    • Kolto Residue now increases all healing received by 3% (down from 5%).
    • Kolto Shell now builds 16 Heat when activated.
    • Supercharged Gas now vents 8 Heat (down from 16) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Missile now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%).

    Pyrotech (Mercenary)

    • Prototype Particle Accelerator now requires Combustible Gas Cylinder to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds.

Powertech

  • Due to changes to the Powertech skill trees, Powertechs have had their skill points refunded.
  • Quell no longer generates Heat.

    Shield Tech

    • Ablative Upgrades: the Absorb amount gained from this skill has been slightly reduced.
    • Empowered Tech is now a 3-point skill.
    • Heat Blast is no longer limited by the global cooldown. Its damage has been reduced by approximately 15%.
    • Heat Screen is a new 2-point skill that causes Flame Burst and Heat Blast to build a stacking buff that increases shield absorption.
    • Oil Slick is no longer limited by the global cooldown.

    Advanced Prototype

    • Charged Gauntlets now triggers from damage dealt such that the bleed caused by Retractable Blade can trigger the buff. It now has a visual effect.
    • Kolto Vents has been replaced by Hamstring, which causes Retractable Blade to slow the target by 30% for 6 seconds.

    Pyrotech (Powertech)

    • Prototype Particle Accelerator now requires Combustible Gas Cylinder to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds.

Trooper

General

  • Full Auto’s attack animation now begins more quickly to improve reactiveness and faction balance.
  • Mortar Volley’s animation has been updated. In addition, it now has a 5-meter radius to bring its range in line with other Trooper Area of Effect abilities and it now begins its damage sooner after activation.

Commando

  • Concussion Charge now triggers snare visual effects on affected targets.
  • Charged Bolts has been rebalanced. It now costs 2 Energy Cells, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.
  • Cure now costs 1 Energy Cell (down from 2).

    Gunnery

    • Charged Barrier now provides 1% damage reduction per stack.
    • Curtain of Fire: the chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly.
    • Demolition Round’s damage output has been increased by approximately 10%.
    • Grav Round has been rebalanced. It now costs 2 Energy Cells, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.
    • Muzzle Fluting no longer reduces Energy Cell costs. It now reduces the activation time of Charged Bolts and Grav Round by .5 seconds.
    • Tenacious Defense now reduces the cooldown of Concussion Charge by 2.5 seconds per point.

    Combat Medic

    • Field Training now increases critical chance by 1% per point.
    • Field Triage now reduces the cost of Medical Probe by 1 (down from 2).
    • Kolto Bomb now affects up to 4 targets (up from 3), improving reliability in group and Operation situations.
    • Kolto Residue now increases all healing received by 3% (down from 5%).
    • Psych Aid no longer reduces the cost of Field Aid. It now causes Field Aid to heal the target for a small amount.
    • Supercharge Cells now restores 1 Energy Cell (down from 2) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Bomb now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%).
    • Trauma Probe now costs 2 Energy Cells to activate.

    Assault Specialist (Commando)

    • Ionic Accelerator now requires Plasma Cell to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds.

Vanguard

  • Due to changes to the Vanguard skill trees, all Vanguards have had their skill points refunded.
  • Fire Pulse’s visual effect more accurately represents its functionality.
  • Riot Strike no longer costs Energy Cells.
  • Animation timing issues with Energy Blast have been addressed.
  • The hit timing delay on Explosive Surge has been improved.

    Shield Specialist

    • Ceramic Plating: the Absorb amount gained from this skill has been slightly reduced.
    • Counter Attack is now a 3-point skill.
    • Energy Blast is no longer limited by the global cooldown. Its damage has been reduced by approximately 15%.
    • Power Screen is a new 2-point skill that causes Ion Pulse and Energy Blast to build a stacking buff that increases shield absorption.
    • Smoke Grenade is no longer limited by the global cooldown.

    Tactics

    • Combat Tactics now triggers from damage dealt such that the bleed caused by Gut can trigger the buff. It now has a visual effect.
    • Kolto Recharge has been replaced by Hamstring, which causes Gut to slow the target by 30% for 6 seconds.

    Assault Specialist (Vanguard)

    • Ionic Accelerator now requires Plasma Cell to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds.

SWTOR Combat Log detail revealed

Now that SWTOR update 1.2 has hit the public test servers, we’re able to give some more in-depth information on the long awaited Combat Log. It’s format isn’t the prettiest yet, but it sure packs in a lot of information. Let’s look at the first section of a battle from a Sith Sorceror’s perspective, where he/she (Khantni) is getting ready to start:

[03/01/2012 14:19:04] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Safe Login {973870949466112}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Safe Login Immunity {973870949466372}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:19:18] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Safe Login {973870949466112}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Safe Login Immunity {973870949466372}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:30] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Sprint {810670782152704}] [Event {836045448945472}: AbilityActivate {836045448945479}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:30] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Sprint {810670782152704}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Sprint {810670782152704}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:24:30] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Innervate {1104395005591552}] [Event {836045448945472}: AbilityActivate {836045448945479}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:24:30] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [] [Spend {836045448945473}: Force {836045448938502}] (36)

[03/01/2012 14:24:30] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Force Surge {808677917327360}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Force Surge {808677917327360}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:24:30] [@Khantni] [@Khantni] [Innervate {1104395005591552}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Heal {836045448945500}] (1393*)

The display of that data can be a little overwhelming at first, so this key provided by BioWare’s Georg Zoeller helps quite a bit:

(Click here for the full-size image)

See how it makes a little more sense now? Let’s look at a sample log, this time from a Jedi Guardian’s perspective:

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [] [Restore {836045448945476}: focus point {836045448938496}] (1)

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Leap {812105301229568}] [Event {836045448945472}: AbilityActivate {836045448945479}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Momentum {2530075039760384}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Momentum {2530075039760642}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Unremitting {1280849441980416}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Unremitting {1280849441980416}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [ {2695018963795968}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Vindicator {2695018963796231}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Force Leap {812105301229568}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Immobilized {812105301229840}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Force Clap {2848585519464448}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Stunned (Physical) {2848585519464704}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:50] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [] [Restore {836045448945476}: focus point {836045448938496}] (3)

[03/01/2012 14:23:51] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Force Leap {812105301229568}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (698 energy {836045448940874}) <698>

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Master Strike {812139660967936}] [Event {836045448945472}: AbilityActivate {836045448945479}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Master Strike {812139660967936}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Unshakable {812139660968471}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [@Idrurrez] [Ranged Attack {813449625993216}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (261 energy {836045448940874}) <261>

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [@Idrurrez] [Ranged Attack {813449625993216}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (273 energy {836045448940874}) <273>

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [@Idrurrez] [Ranged Attack {813449625993216}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (276 energy {836045448940874}) <276>

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Master Strike {812139660967936}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (874 energy {836045448940874}) <874>

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Force Clap {2848585519464448}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Stunned (Physical) {2848585519464704}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:52] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Master Strike {812139660967936}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (904 energy {836045448940874}) <904>

[03/01/2012 14:23:53] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [@Idrurrez] [Melee Attack {813445331025920}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (488 kinetic {836045448940873}) <488>

[03/01/2012 14:23:53] [@Idrurrez] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [Force Leap {812105301229568}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Immobilized {812105301229840}] ()

[03/01/2012 14:23:54] [Elite Tastybobble {846623953387520}] [@Idrurrez] [Melee Attack {813445331025920}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Damage {836045448945501}] (241 kinetic {836045448940873}) <241>

So there you go, once you spend some time reading through these logs, they get easier to decipher. There’s no doubt they’ll be invaluable for those guilds tackling challenging content and wanting to identify weaknesses in combat.

Beyond that though, is it something you’d use? Let us know in comments!

SWTOR Game Update 1.2 Patch Notes: Highlights

Well here it is. Update 1.2 is now on the PTS and the patch notes have been posted. We’ll be breaking them down into key areas as they are so comprehensive. Those key areas are:

1. Classes and Combat

2. Companion Characters

3. Crew Skills

4. Flashpoints and Operations

5. Items and Economy

6. Missions and NPCs

7. PvP

8. Space Combat and Legacy

9. User Interface and Bug Fixes

First, let’s start with the highlights:

Highlights (New Features)

  • Players can now unlock a wide variety of rewards by leveling characters and reaching new Legacy levels, including buffs for your characters, unlocking additional Species choices for every class, and upgrades for your personal Starship. Build your own Legacy with the new Family Tree!
  • Lost Island, a new Flashpoint, is available for play! Having uncovered the sources of the Rakghoul plague outbreak in the Tion Hegemony, players must travel to Ord Mantell and confront Dr. Lorrick, the mad scientist who engineered this horrific biological weapon.
  • Explosive Conflict, a new Operation, is available for play! The Trandoshan mercenary warlord Kephess has seized the planet Denova, a world rich in resources valuable to the war effort. Players must assault his war camp, situated atop a mountain in densely-wooded terrain, fighting Imperial defectors and heavy war machines along the way. 8- and 16-player Story and Hard Modes are currently available for this Operation.
  • Novare Coast, a new objective-oriented Warzone on the planet Denova, has been added to the game. This Warzone, like Huttball, supports same-faction matches if there are not enough members of the opposing faction to be found.
  • New repeatable high-level daily missions are available in a new area on Corellia, the Black Hole!
  • Guilds now have access to a shared Guild Bank, accessible on the Fleets, with expandable storage.
  • A new tier of gear has been added for both PvP and PvE.
  • Ranked Warzones are here! Players can now queue up and participate in PvP matchups to rank themselves against the competition.
  • Players can now customize their User Interface by moving and resizing UI elements!
  • A new level 50 World Boss with a challenge for a well-coordinated 16-player Operation Group has been sighted in the Nightmare Lands region on Voss.
  • Players can now leave comment on entires in the Friends List in the Social Window.

General

  • The Imperial Transportation Authority and the Galactic Republic Safety Council have authorized the use of vehicles in Orbital Space Stations and Spaceports.
  • In-game rewards will be available to players who participate on the Public Test Server. Players will receive a title if they attain level 10 on PTS, and another if they complete Chapter 1.
  • A new preference, “Character Texture Atlasing,” is now available. Enabling this option increases the texture quality used when rendering character models.
  • A new “Customize” option now appears on the character sheet. One of the features this button enables is the ability to color coordinate any individual piece of armor with the equipped chestpiece.
  • A new preference, “Awareness Radius,” allows players to adjust the number of characters displayed on-screen. Reducing this setting can improve performance in crowded areas on low-end machines.
  • On planets with an Orbital Station, players can now travel directly from the planet shuttle on the surface to their ship.
  • The Sprint ability is now available at level 1.General Bug Fixes
    • Cinematics throughout the game have been polished. A large number of cinematics have been improved to address incorrect camera angles, smooth out animation issues, and to correct Companion Characters that appear in the wrong gear or at the wrong time.
    • Cinematics and mission phases have been updated for consistency. For instance, several occurrences of NPCs appearing alive in a phase after a cinematic in which the player chose to kill them have been corrected.
    • Corrected many instances of misplaced geometry, visible seams, and incorrect collision with world objects throughout the game.
    • Many locations where player characters could become stuck on world geometry or fall through the world have been corrected.
    • Some visual effects and animations have been adjusted and fixed in instances where they played incorrectly.

Over to you: anything in there that’s surprised you? Something missing you wish wasn’t? Let us know!

Also: fill in out Reader Survey and go into the draw for a TOROZ T-Shirt 

SWTOR Update 1.2 about to hit the PTS

BioWare have thrown out an announcement on the imminent arrival of Game Update 1.2 on the Public Test Server:

Please be advised that the Public Test Server will be unavailable at 6:30PM CST (4:30PM PST/ 8:30PM CST/ 11:30PM GMT/ 12:30AM CET/11:30AM AEST) while we deploy Game Update 1.2. Once the server is up and running, we will post PTS Patch Notes.

With time zone conversions that means the server is down now and we’ll have the full 1.2 patch notes and more once the PTS is back up. So stay tuned 😉

Heavy Damage: Tanking The Esseles

Heavy Damage is our weekly Tanking column – if you have suggestions of what you’d like covered, drop our resident Tank, Alec Bailey a line.

The Esseles is the first flashpoint you encounter after leaving your starting planet. Upon entering The Esseles you’ll meet Ambassador Assara in disguise as a common ship passenger – an Explosion rocks the ship and you rush off to see what can be done. The explosion was caused by the Imperials, demanding that Ambassador Assara be turned over. You refuse and this is where the fun begins.

As you leave the command deck heading for the docking bay, you’ll run into some standard and gold mobs, with a group of four they should be no trouble. As you arrive at your destination you find a Mon Cal issuing orders to a squad of Republic troopers, when the blast door is blown open and the first Boss of The Esseles comes running in. Lieutenant Isric is a level 10 boss and he spawns trash mobs that tend to attack the healer so be ready to burn them down. Isric has a cone AoE blaster attack and a knock down ability so be ready for it.

After your defeat of Isric you head back to the Command deck that has been captured by Mandalorian mercenaries. Their leader is known as Iron Fist and will be your second boss encounter. Before you can fight Iron Fist you must first unlock the blast door. To unlock the doors you are faced with the option of sacrificing the crew or taking the long road and manually resetting the reactors.  This is your first Lightside or Darkside choice of the Flashpoint. Sacrificing the crew grants 150 Darkside points, and manually resetting the conduits, 150 Lightside points. Taking the Lightside option also grants you the chance to get a chest – it’s sitting behind the middle conduit.

After your decision with the engineering crew, you’re ready to fight Iron Fist. Like Isric, Iron Fist will spawn adds throughout the encounter. The best way to handle Iron Fist is to tank him, let your damage dealers burn the adds, and once the adds are down everyone gang up on Iron Fist. Iron Fist has three abilities that he’ll use during the fight: a Rocket Punch used as a gap closer, an AoE knock back, and Missile Salvo, which launches rockets onto a blue reticle (this can be avoided so try to keep an eye out for the reticle and move.)

The next boss is a large Guardian Battledroid named ISS-7. This fight is a very simple tank and spank although he will occasionally drop aggro and pick up a new target. Just watch for this and you’ll be fine. Immediately after your fight with ISS-7 you’ll have the opportunity to fight another boss if you hit the switches on either side of the room. The second boss in this area is much tougher, named ISS-994 Power Droid and he’s a force to be reckoned with. Starting out, he’s your standard Tank and Spank encounter, but he’ll use an ability that causes him to turn purple and crackle with lightning, so start kiting him. His damage is highly buffed during this phase, but his speed is lowered. He will do a lot of damage if he gets a hold of you, so watch what your doing when he has the damage buff up.

The final boss of The Esseles is a Sith named Vokk. Vokk is hard to tank because he’ll use Saber Throw and Force Choke on a random party member , both of which are unblockable. His third ability is Lightning Storm, and can be avoided by staying away from the purple reticle it leaves on the ground before activation. He also possesses an AoE knock back, so watch for that. Vokk is difficult because he has a lot of non-tankable damage, so this is a boss where you need a decent healer to pull off.

After Vokk’s defeat you’ll be faced with your second Lightside/Darkside choice – leaving Assara behind. If she’s left you’ll gain 100 Darkside points and if not 100 Lightside.

The Esseles is not a hard Flashpoint with a full group of level 10 players. I will be doing all the Flashpoints in order of level (at least the order I tanked them in),  so if you have any input or suggestions about the Flashpoints, leave a comment and I’ll look into it!

As always Stay Frosty and may the Force be with you!

SWTOR Patch 1.1.5 notes

In what could be seen as a very encouraging sign, the notes for SWTOR patch 1.1.5 have been posted and it’s a much shorter list of changes this time. Read on for the whole shebang:

 

Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – 1.1.5 Patch Notes

Because development is ongoing during testing, it should be noted that all changes and updates listed in the patch notes should be considered incomplete and are subject to change or removal before release to the live servers. The Public Test Server patch notes will be provided in English. The final release notes will be provided in English, French, and German when the content is moved to live servers.

General

  • Players can now use the command /roll or /random to generate a random number between 1 and 100. This command will also accept a range (example: /roll 20-40) or a die value (example: 2d6).

Classes and Combat
Sith Warrior

  • The French version of the “Darth” title is now correct.

Flashpoints and Operations
Operations

General

  • Bosses in Operations now drop the correct amount of loot when the group is using the Master Looter loot distribution setting.

Eternity Vault

  • The “Duel of the Fates” and “Penalty of Destiny” effects are now properly removed when the Infernal Council encounter resets.

Items
General

  • New high-level black-yellow color crystals can now be purchased from the Pre-Order Vendors on the Imperial and Republic Fleets.
  • Several high end speeder models have been temporarily reduced in price until Game Update 1.2.
  • A vendor that sells a variety of previously unavailable endgame crystals has been added temporarily to the Imperial and Republic Fleets until Game Update 1.2.
  • The Portable Holo Dancer once again displays the correct visual effect.
  • Dark/Light requirements present on some color crystals have been removed.

Missions and NPCs
Missions

Republic

  • Chaos and Harmony: Corrected an issue that caused Children of the Emperor to disappear and reappear during the final boss fight, making the encounter more difficult that intended.

PvP
World PvP

Ilum

  • To improve Ilum performance, the two large defense turrets outside each base on the Western Shelf no longer fire lasers into the air.

UI

General

  • The Shader Complexity preference now supports a “Very Low” option.

 

Anything in there that takes your fancy? If so post away in comments. And yes, be honest if you’re excited about the portable holo-dancer fix.

How to Solo Ilum’s Poisonous Strategy Quest

Aussie gamer Xterminatz has made three nifty little videos showing you how to solo (with your companion of course) the Level 50 Heroic quest Poisonous Strategy. Have a look for yourself:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Quick Start Guide: Maps and Navigation

BioWare continue to trickle out their video Quick Start Guides, this time covering maps and navigation. These are very much aimed at new players, so don’t expect too many revelations. It covers the bases of current map functionality but it again highlighted for me the shortcomings of the current feature set – something we’ve covered before. I’m sure map improvements are on the development roadmap for SWTOR – there’s too many enhancements for there not to be work being done.

Watch the Quick Start Guide on maps for yourself here if you like – hopefully these guides will continue to expand and be a key part of the game’s initial learning curve.

SWTOR Patch 1.1.4 notes

Time for another patch! 1.1.4 is about to hit the public test server.Read on below for the list of changes – it’s encouraging that the list of fixes seem to be getting shorter – or am I dreaming?

Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – 1.1.4 Patch Notes

Because development is ongoing during testing, it should be noted that all changes and updates listed in the patch notes should be considered incomplete and are subject to change or removal before release to the live servers. The Public Test Server patch notes will be provided in English. The final release notes will be provided in English, French, and German when the content is moved to live servers.
General

  • The key formerly bound to /bug can now be mapped to any action and no longer opens the /bug window. The command is no longer able to be bound to a quickslot, but player can still type /bug in chat to open a new bug report.

Classes and Combat
General

  • Using abilities with indirect targeting (such as area of effect abilities) will no longer cause players to be flagged for PvP if a PvP-flagged player from the opposing faction is within the ability’s range, and the ability will have no effect on the PvP-flagged player.

Imperial Agent
Operative

  • Medical Therapy: Kolto Probe and Recuperative nanotech will now properly benefit from this skill.

Bounty Hunter
Powertech

  • Carbonize: PvP armor for Combat Tech will no longer prevent this skill from stunning enemies.

Flashpoints and Operations
Operations
Eternity Vault

  • Casting Mind Trap will no longer cause Soa to lose threat against his primary target.

Karagga’s Palace

  • G4-B3 Heavy Fabricator now has fewer hit points in Normal Mode.

Items
Vendors

  • “Show Usable” now properly filters to only show equipable items.

Missions and NPCs
Missions
Republic

  • Unlikely Allies: Resetting no longer requires players to abandon and re-acquire the mission in order to complete it.

PvP
Warzones
General

  • Fixed a queue interface exploit that allowed players to bring additional players into a warzone. While imbalances can still happen under specific circumstances, the issue can no longer be intentionally triggered by players in this way. *UPDATED*

Alderaan Civil War

  • The Eastern Turret no longer fires twice under some circumstances when it is captured by the Imperials.

UI
General

  • Added a /version command.
  • Added several new preferences for cooldown appearance:
    • Show Ready Flash: Toggles a bright flash when an ability finishes cooldown.
    • Show Global Cooldown Ready Flash: Toggles a bright flash when an ability finishes global cooldown.
    • Cooldown Style: Changes the art style for the cooldown graphic.
    • Global Cooldown Style: Changes the art style for the global cooldown graphic.
    • Show Cooldown Timer: Toggles cooldown time text on top of the ability icon in the quickbar.

Bug Fixes

  • Sorting will now function properly in the Guild Window.
  • Items placed in a quickbar are no longer removed when training abilities.
  • Using Shift + Right Click to split a stack of usable items will no longer cause the item to be used.

Miscellaneous Bug Fixes

  • Players will no longer experience occasional disconnection when purchasing Crafting Materials from the GTN.

SWTOR Patch 1.1.3 hits the public test server

Patch 1.1.3 hit the public test servers overnight, so read on to find out if you’re impacted by any changes. I like a couple of the companion fixes myself, good stuff!
Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – 1.1.3 Patch Notes

Note: Because development is ongoing during testing, it should be noted that all changes and updates listed in the patch notes should be considered incomplete and are subject to change or removal before release to the live servers.The Public Test Server patch notes will be provided in English. The final release notes will be provided in English, French, and German when the content is moved to live servers.

Classes and Combat
General

  • Surge rating has been re-balanced. It now reaches diminishing returns the same way as other damage ratings, and its per point damage contribution has been reduced by approximately 10%.

Bounty Hunter

Mercenary

Arsenal

  • Stabilizers: Correctly adds pushback resistance to Unload.

Trooper

Commando

Gunnery

  • Steadied Aim: Correctly adds pushback resistance to Full Auto.

Companion Characters
General

  • Some taxis that failed to re-summon companions upon reaching their destination now properly re-summon them.
  • Companions no longer indicate they wish to speak with you when you are not yet eligible for their next conversation.
  • If a player is invited to a nearly full group and declines, that player is no longer prevented from summoning a companion.

Crew Skills
Crafting Skills

  • Non-stackable crafting materials are now refunded if the crafting assignment is canceled.
  • The number of non-stackable crafting materials a player has is now correctly reflected in the crafting UI.

Biochem

  • Exotech schematics will now function properly. – Updated 2/10
  • Crafting Exotech consumables now results in three items with a chance of one additional item on a crafting critical.

Flashpoints and Operations
General

  • Conversation rewards like Social and Alignment Points and Companion Affection are gained more consistently during Hard Mode Flashpoints.

Flashpoints

Boarding Party

  • In Hard Mode, players are no longer blocked from re-entering the Flashpoint in some circumstances when the group is defeated during the encounter with Jorland.

Kaon Under Siege

  • Expulsor Droid now drops the correct loot.

Operations

Karagga’s Palace

  • The chest in 8-man Nightmare Mode now spawns properly after defeating Karagga.

Items
General

  • Unique items can no longer be traded to a player that has the maximum number of that item in their inventory.
  • A confirmation dialog is now displayed when purchasing items with commendations or tokens and when purchasing expensive items.

Legacy

  • A confirmation dialog is now displayed when choosing a Legacy name. The UI has been updated to better communicate Legacy name decisions.

Missions and NPCs
General

  • Small amounts of Social Points are no longer lost in some circumstances (rarely at the beginning of a Flashpoint or in some mission conversations).
  • Bonus Series missions on Tatooine (Republic and Imperial) can now be abandoned.

Missions

Imperial

  • Eve of Destruction: This mission progresses properly even if the player does not immediately travel to Corellia.

Republic

  • Need to Impress: Resolved a dialogue issue with Ambassador Jannik that blocked progress in this mission.
  • Rapid Response: This mission can now be failed if the player leaves the mission phase while attempting to destroy the Bomb-Carrying Droids.
  • Taris Bonus Series: The cinematic for the objective “Return to Storm” now completes properly even if the player has not finished Reconstruction Efforts.

PvP
General

  • Fixed an issue causing players to not receive Warzone Win mission credit upon winning a Warzone match when the first player to enter the zone leaves the zone before the match concludes.

World PvP

Ilum

  • Players are now notified when they kill a player but do not receive credit due to rate limits.

Miscellaneous Bug Fixes

  • Players are no longer occasionally disconnected from the game when interacting with a mailbox.
  • Players no longer lose mouse click functionality in some circumstances after pressing multiple mouse buttons.

 

Over to you: anything if note for you in this list?

SWTOR Quick Start Videos: first one released

BioWare have started to push out some tutorial videos to further flesh out their help / support offering. The first one is a brief look at logging in for the first time and creating your character. Being the cynical, world-weary SWTOR veteran I am, I initially thought this would be a pretty tedious video even for someone starting out with the game.

I’m here to say I actually learnt to things from the video – you can preview your character’s voice before choosing it, and you can lock individual facial elements before randomising others. I obviously rushed through the character creation screen!

Have a look for yourself:

[Read more…]