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[Column] Star Wars: The Old Republic: Game Update 2.0: A Hive of 'Scum and Villainy'

BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
in News & Features Discussion

BioWare recently pushed Game Update 2.0: Scum and Villainy to Star Wars: The Old Republic's public test server and we're breaking it all down for you in this week's SWTOR column.

Probably of interest to most players, Game Update 2.0 brings the level cap up to 55 and introduces a new skill for each of the game’s Advanced Classes. There have also been major changes to SWTOR’s talent trees and even an overhaul of the Alacrity stat that should make it a highly desirable stat for just about everyone. If you’re curious, Alacrity now buffs your resource regeneration rate and reduces the activation time of all abilities, including instant abilities.  It even affects the GCD if your Alacrity value brings the cast time of an ability (instant or otherwise) below the 1.5s GCD. It sounds like I’m definitely going to want to stack some of this stuff once the update goes live!

Read more of Michael Bitton's Star Wars: The Old Republic: Game Update 2.0: A Hive of 'Scum and Villainy'.


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Comments

  • azzamasinazzamasin Member UncommonPosts: 3,105
    Sounds like the F2P transition was a financial success.  Good for them.
     

    Sandbox means open world, non-linear gaming PERIOD!

    Subscription Gaming, especially MMO gaming is a Cash grab bigger then the most P2W cash shop!

    Bring Back Exploration and lengthy progression times. RPG's have always been about the Journey not the destination!!!

    image

  • RyowulfRyowulf Member UncommonPosts: 664

    This update will be free then?

    The lvl cap is going up to 55, so I assume new storyline and voiced quests are also being added?

  • MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
    Originally posted by Ryowulf

    This update will be free then?

    The lvl cap is going up to 55, so I assume new storyline and voiced quests are also being added?

    The update itself is free. The level cap bump and Makeb content is what is paid for, IIRC.

  • birdycephonbirdycephon Member UncommonPosts: 1,314
    Originally posted by Ryowulf

    This update will be free then?The lvl cap is going up to 55, so I assume new storyline and voiced quests are also being added?

    Tbe update will be free, but that doesnt include expansion content, which you will still have to buy.

  • KarteliKarteli Member CommonPosts: 2,646

    Interesting changes to alacrity.  I imagine it will have some pretty stiff diminishing returns and a hard cap, because reducing the Global Cooldown is extraordinarily powerful.

     

    I see some incoming complaints and an eventual nerf down the road :-)

    Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
    Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.

  • catlanacatlana Member Posts: 1,677
    The Alacrity buff will be nice as well as the commendations change. I am kinda of worried about the pvp split thou. 10 - 29 is a range of levels you pass through pretty quickly, but some pvp xp is helpful.  
  • MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
    Originally posted by catlana
    The Alacrity buff will be nice as well as the commendations change. I am kinda of worried about the pvp split thou. 10 - 29 is a range of levels you pass through pretty quickly, but some pvp xp is helpful.  
     

    Yeah, this point was raised and it sounds like BioWare is open to changing it if necessary.

  • Scott_JeslisScott_Jeslis Member RarePosts: 628
    Indeed. Like I've said here before I recently started my first Empire toon and the starting zones have been mucho busy, not really any issues finding groups for Heroics, etc. even at Midnight CST on a weekday!
  • tiefighter25tiefighter25 Member Posts: 937
    Personally I think it's kind of premature to comment on content on a test server that may change; and more importantly, no one really knows how it will mesh with the Makeb x-pack.
  • MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
    Originally posted by tiefighter25
    Personally I think it's kind of premature to comment on content on a test server that may change; and more importantly, no one really knows how it will mesh with the Makeb x-pack.
     

    Developers tend to put stuff on test servers because they are looking for feedback and help finding bugs. ;)

    As for me, it's part of my job to comment on all this stuff!

  • firefly2003firefly2003 Member UncommonPosts: 2,527
    The Planetary Commendations are nothing new back in Closed Beta this use to exist and for some ridiciouls reason they changed it to per planet commendations which was a huge mistake on their part , and their just now reversing that decision ?

  • tiefighter25tiefighter25 Member Posts: 937
    Just saying, for anyone, especially a journalist, it must be odd to comment on what may or may not be included in 2.0 without the ROTHC x-pac. (As you've pointed out in other replies.)
     
    *edit* THis was supposed to be a direct reply to Mike B., but apparently I can't into replying.
  • Unknown

    to anyone interested in the new op, i suggest checking out darth haters preview of it.  they werent able to complete but from what they got through, sounds like alot of fun and pretty long

     

    http://www.darthhater.com/articles/feature/23310-operations-preview-scum-and-villainy

  • RedMachine72RedMachine72 Member UncommonPosts: 154
    Lets hope they give Jedi tanks some lovin on the gear side so that the available sets at low levels  don't make them look like troopers carrying a lightsaber.
  • bingbongbrosbingbongbros Member UncommonPosts: 689
    the most exciting part of the 2.0 update is the lvl 55 warzone bolster buff! my juggernaut has 990k health and i do about 200k damage with saber throw.

    Playing: Smite, Marvel Heroes
    Played: Nexus:Kingdom of the Winds, Everquest, DAoC, Everquest 2, WoW, Matrix Online, Vangaurd, SWG, DDO, EVE, Fallen Earth, LoTRo, CoX, Champions Online, WAR, Darkfall, Mortal Online, Guild Wars, Rift, Tera, Aion, AoC, Gods and Heroes, DCUO, FF14, TSW, SWTOR, GW2, Wildstar, ESO, ArcheAge
    Waiting On: Nothing. Mmorpg's are dead.

  • kevjardskevjards Member UncommonPosts: 1,452
    "A hive of scum and villiany"..almost sound like an advertisement for EA.On a serious note seems like the game is doing well..i hope that continues for all the players .
  • vadess40vadess40 Member UncommonPosts: 38
    Originally posted by gaou

    to anyone interested in the new op, i suggest checking out darth haters preview of it.  they werent able to complete but from what they got through, sounds like alot of fun and pretty long

     

    http://www.darthhater.com/articles/feature/23310-operations-preview-scum-and-villainy

     

    My raid group ran through the SM version of the ops. I'll be honest it is a tough operation that will require a lot of strategic planning. However, it was tonnes of fun and really makes both my character and how to do ops fresh. 

    One thing I'll say is that there are 5 main bosses in the ops that count towards your achievement system,  and 2 mini-bosses. Though the 2 mini bosses might as well be main bosses because they are toughies, sometimes more so than the main bosses. It will be interesting to see how different groups do the giant puzzle for one of the mini-boss fights.

  • catlanacatlana Member Posts: 1,677
    Originally posted by vadess40
    Originally posted by gaou

    to anyone interested in the new op, i suggest checking out darth haters preview of it.  they werent able to complete but from what they got through, sounds like alot of fun and pretty long

     

    http://www.darthhater.com/articles/feature/23310-operations-preview-scum-and-villainy

     

    My raid group ran through the SM version of the ops. I'll be honest it is a tough operation that will require a lot of strategic planning. However, it was tonnes of fun and really makes both my character and how to do ops fresh. 

    One thing I'll say is that there are 5 main bosses in the ops that count towards your achievement system,  and 2 mini-bosses. Though the 2 mini bosses might as well be main bosses because they are toughies, sometimes more so than the main bosses. It will be interesting to see how different groups do the giant puzzle for one of the mini-boss fights.

    I am glad to hear that Bioware decide to make the operation tough. PVE content without challenge gets boring very fast.  

  • MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
    Originally posted by catlana
    Originally posted by vadess40
    Originally posted by gaou

    to anyone interested in the new op, i suggest checking out darth haters preview of it.  they werent able to complete but from what they got through, sounds like alot of fun and pretty long

     

    http://www.darthhater.com/articles/feature/23310-operations-preview-scum-and-villainy

     

    My raid group ran through the SM version of the ops. I'll be honest it is a tough operation that will require a lot of strategic planning. However, it was tonnes of fun and really makes both my character and how to do ops fresh. 

    One thing I'll say is that there are 5 main bosses in the ops that count towards your achievement system,  and 2 mini-bosses. Though the 2 mini bosses might as well be main bosses because they are toughies, sometimes more so than the main bosses. It will be interesting to see how different groups do the giant puzzle for one of the mini-boss fights.

    I am glad to hear that Bioware decide to make the operation tough. PVE content without challenge gets boring very fast.  

    Yeah, my original crew pretty much quit because the launch OPs were a bit on the easy side.

  • shavashava Member UncommonPosts: 324

    Frankly Armor has a lot of interesting orange sets but all of the Synth sets look like Franciscan monks of various parts of the middle ages.  *YAWN*  So if they didn't give Armormech any new orange sets, no big -- I could really see them just giving Synth the extra love.  Bop over to Tor-Fashion and check out the armor sets if you don't believe me.  It's a dramatic difference.

    Not that the folks who do armor design for SWTOR couldn't learn something by hiring some fashion entrepreneurs from Second Life (which I believe AO did and it really improved their couture...heh...  Either that or they just copy-botted a bunch of designs, which would make me sad... ;).

    But yeah, armor design in SWTOR?  NOT THEIR STRONG POINT.  omg.  Hire a RISD grad boyz.  My ghod.  What is wrong with you people?  I come from several generations of both engineers and master tailors and military -- and I could at least supervise better designed better aesthetic progression-oriented "cool" mix-and-match paperdoll/ragdoll clip-averse meshy flexi whatever sorta gear within canon than your folks are putting out and I can't draw. (but ok, yeah, been doing interactive graphics since 1978-ish...;)

    But yes, I want better armor choices, and I want re-skinnable armor via the cash shop er cartel market!  And LOTRO-style outfit panels would be awesome too... And...and...

    Sigh...GW2 is looking less and less like my backup game... (not that I get any of that there either...but at least I don't feel like I'm paying to not have it... with the less and less time I have to game right now...)

  • vikhalfhandvikhalfhand Member Posts: 1
    i have a level 30 and a level 50 toon in swtor. saving the world every level got old quick. having must do quests that require qroups to do when they are supposed to be soloable i found to be irritating. i found the new pay to play or free to play quite schocking
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