[1.3] What we know so far:

[Deewe]

There are two things we absolutely need, and you should use all your resources to focus on them instead of adding more useless or incomplete features as you did with the legacy:

 

- WZ xserver.

- At least an interesting new feature to keep playing.

 

If you keep giving the priority to other things, prepare a server merge.

Could be in. There are mentions about it but nothing official yet.

[Ortagos]

Patch 1.3 Crew Skills Changes:

Q&A with SWTOR Systems Designers David Hunt and Patrick Malott

http://inquisitorsroadhouse.com

 

Q: On the official SWTOR podcast, we heard that Augment stations were going to be added to the game with Patch 1.3. Could you talk a little bit about what they are and how they will work?

 

A: Our goal with the modification system has always been to allow players to use any gear they choose and have it function at maximum statistical efficiency. Most of the major itemization changes we’ve added have been moving towards this goal, such as moving set bonuses to mods and allowing extraction on endgame items. Augment tables are the next step in this process.

 

With the introduction of Augment Tables, you can interact with all the previously useless Item Modification Stations spread throughout the world and use them to add an augment slot to any wearable item of at least green quality – which is basically everything except some junk loot on the origin worlds. Previously, this slot was only available for crit-crafted items, and in 1.2 it means that a very limited selection of the items are statistically ideal. When you open up the Item Modification window, you’ll notice a new “Add Augment Slot” button. The new button is greyed out unless you’re interacting with a station. Fortunately, the way augment tables work allows us to apply this to all items, unlike the set bonuses where the ability to transfer them only applies to mods introduced in 1.2 or later.

 

http://inquisitorsroadhouse.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/1.jpg

 

Adding an augment slot has a cost that scales up for the level of augments you want to be able to use. Unlike other mod slots, the augment slot is now tiered. This means you can add a slot that supports low level augments for substantially less cost than a high level augment slot.

 

http://inquisitorsroadhouse.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/2.jpg

 

If you choose to apply a lower tier augment, you can upgrade it later. As a side bonus, we’re making a few quality of life updates to the modification window, but you’ll have to wait until 1.3 reaches the public to see those.

 

http://inquisitorsroadhouse.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/3.jpg

 

Q: What kind of pricing are we looking at?

 

A: There are two costs to add an augment slot: credits and an Augmentation Kit. The current cost progression starts at 4,500 credits and ends at 50,000 credits, while the kits come in the same MKs that match the types of slots you can add to an item.

 

Kits are acquired through three crew skills: Armstech, Armormech and Synthweaving. There is no difference in the kits they make, and they can find the recipes on the trainer. In order to create a kit, you need 10 Augmentation Slot Components of the appropriate MK. You receive one component whenever you Reverse Engineer a piece of crafted gear. Note that this is a non-random addition on top of the other returns you already get from RE, meaning that every 10 consumed items will reliably give you the components for one kit. This helps counteract bad luck dealing with randomness and crafting crits, as you’re guaranteed to be able to get the primary limiting component for an augment slot after 10 crafts. Note that since you get the component for the level of the item you’re making, you don’t need to try to craft the expensive purple 10 times. Just make one, then if you don’t crit you can make cheaper items to get the components necessary to create an augment kit.

 

Q: Given that the crit crafted augmented gear is going for 75-100k per item on servers, how do you think the addition of the ability to add an augment slot to any item will affect the in game economy for crafters?

 

A: Since augment slots have always been the domain of crafters, we are funneling the Augment Tables through them to avoid shifting demand in the wrong direction.

 

The price changes will vary depending on the level of the item. The price of some of these items will shift down, others will go up. For items made after 1.3, the crit augment slot matches the level of the item. That means that lower level items won’t get as much inherent value from crits as higher level items. While we expect to see a shift in the value per transaction for many of these items, the cash flow should continue to go in the same direction. The value of non-augmented gear will improve, as it’s actually a viable item now, where previously everything except the crit craft was scrap. Improved value does not guarantee it a market however, especially since that value will have to factor in the cost of adding an augment along with the desire to RE it to create components for an Augmentation Kit. Personally, I’d be more likely to buy non-augmented lower level crafted gear because I’m going to want to upgrade the augment to MK-7. And in some cases, you just can’t get the appearance with the Augmentation Kit, so that gives some value to the kits aside from the individual items.

 

Q: So, that means if I craft a level 39 custom piece and it crits, its augment slot will only be able to accept augments up to whatever tier corresponds with that item level?

 

Correct.

 

Q: Could you share what the item level tiers will be for the augment slots?

 

A: (Note: “Level” below is item level, not player level)

 

Slot - Level Min - Level Max

 

Augmentation Slot MK-1 - 10 - 16

 

Augmentation Slot MK-2 - 17 - 24

 

Augmentation Slot MK-3 - 25 - 32

 

Augmentation Slot MK-4 - 33 - 40

 

Augmentation Slot MK-5 - 41 - 48

 

Augmentation Slot MK-6 - 49+

 

Q: Can you share with us your thoughts on gear itemization and how that was actually playing out in game versus what you intended that lead to this change?

 

A: Although the details weren’t decided until recently, all the post-launch itemization systems in SWTOR have been things I’ve wanted for months. Especially with 1.2, I wanted something like augment tables but we didn’t manage to get a system in to go along with the changes to open up mods in the endgame. It sucks when you have an expansive stat customization system and then we throw out caveats like, “Oh, it only works on this small subset of items.” The more freedom and consistency, the better. Player feedback to Public Test for 1.2 indicated to us that there would be strong support for a system that opened up more viable gear, and we felt that augment tables aligned with both our goals and the needs of the playerbase. That feedback helps us get it expedited to try to get it ready ASAP. It might have been cool to get this out between Public Test 1.2 and live 1.2, but the scope of the system meant it would need much more time to do it right.

 

Along with the feedback we’ve received, the way itemization has played out on live has encouraged us that embracing the full mod route is the right decision. While it may not be apparent, many of the complaints players have had about itemization are concerns we share and are working on addressing. While item mods existed in beta for quite a while, some of the fundamental tech pieces didn’t exist until shortly before launch. Internally, mods make our items inordinately more data-complex and intensive than the items in the average item heavy game, and those complexities are compounded by a live environment.

 

Q: Any other crafting or itemization surprises up your sleeves for 1.3 that we should be looking out for?

 

A: We’re reducing extraction costs and improving the quality of many of the level 50 flashpoint drops to support Group Finder.

 

Thanks so much for this great preview of the 1.3 crew skills changes to augment slots!

 

 

http://inquisitorsroadhouse.com/2012/05/16/patch-1-3-crew-skills-changes-qa-with-swtor-systems-designers-david-hunt-and-patrick-malott/

[Deewe]

Once again Ortagos hits us with very valuable info.

 

Thanks to him!

(updated the OP)

[Galbatorrix]

sigh...you can't walk to an instance?

 

I'm going to say "no" to this. If I'm questing in Hoth and I'm plopped into a FP group, it's going to take me a good 10 or more minutes to get back to fleet. The FPs and Ops are all instanced anyway. There's absolutely no reason for it not to port you into the zone itself. As far as obtaining the quest for the FP first, all they'd have to do is add the quests into the queuing menu and have it come through your comm. Once you kill the last boss, have everyone's comm go off so the group can complete the quest.

 

 

You can check my post history, I'm super duper positive about this game and I really do love it. But, they seriously need to make the LFG feature cross server (or at least make cross server and same server an option) and also, they have to make the tool teleport the group into the FP.

 

 

If all it does is puts 4 people in a group based off role and then makes everyone have to run all the way to fleet... well.... I don't even know what to say about that....

 

Also, they could also take away the fleet pass cool down altogether. Then everyone could just teleport themselves once the queue popped. Either that, or have the tool give each player a one time special fleet pass once the group is formed. Though I could see people abusing this.

 

Either way, porting you to the FP/Op is an absolute must.

[oncura]

Tbh if they dont add a lvl 80 valor gear and ranked wz's..this is gonna flop. Thats what alot of ppl unsubbing want, including me even tho i havent unsubbe di still play.

[hankart]

Sounds to me like if 1.2 wasn't bad enough, 1.3 will be the death blow! Edited May 19, 2012 by hankart
i want to

[AshlaBoga]

Here's all I have to say:

 

"reducing extraction costs" YES! OH GOD YES!!!!!!!:):D:D:D:D:D:D

[Phinion]

Hey Deewe!

 

Thanks for this great thread! This is exactly the kind of helpful and constructive threads we like to see.

 

Was a good thread. Question is shouldn't BW ( you guys ) be the ones making it.. subject to change of course.

[cs_Kimmo]

Thanks for the list, now I don't feel like I'm missing a thing when my subscription the next weekend. Have fun y'all!

[Sammm]

Sounds to me like if 1.2 wasn't bad enough, 1.3 will be the death blow!

 

When you say "death blow", what do you mean exactly? Also, could you write your arguments supporting your statement. It'd interest me a lot. Thank you.

[Aerevan]

How could it be?. From what I've read, it's only an easier/more automated version of the existing LFG functionality. It isn't an "LFD". it (apparently) only assists in forming a group, and doesn't (apparently) actually do anything else (like move you to an instance, or where the heroic is, or where the mission NPC is, or any of that). How would grouping up with people on different servers help any?

 

That's bad news then. One of the mayor problems for FP's is that it's a major timesink; especially on load heavy planets like Alderaan or Tatooine, it takes ages to go back and fro. They should make it the same way as WoW has, just not X realm. That works great.

[Shukan]

I like what I have read so far for the upcoming release but I really do hope they will add more characters to play like the Cathar species in the new release. I would also love to see more advancement beyond lvl 50 so we dont' keep repeating ourselves over and over.

[Deewe]

I like what I have read so far for the upcoming release but I really do hope they will add more characters to play like the Cathar species in the new release. I would also love to see more advancement beyond lvl 50 so we dont' keep repeating ourselves over and over.

My guess is there won't be new playable species as it's supposed to be a light content patch.

 

BTW did anyone see any new info on 1.3 yet?

[Nyoro]

I've got a bad feeling about this patch, seems like it's going to miss the mark by a long shot.

 

I want to be positive but time has shown me that when push comes to shove, they always fail to deliver in this business.

Edited May 20, 2012 by Nyoro

[Aus_Jedi]

The 1.3 update coming doesn't feel like a full update? I would call it 1.25. As it is an incremental update. Unless we are going to see some new content in the game as well.

[Varteras]

The 1.3 update coming doesn't feel like a full update? I would call it 1.25. As it is an incremental update. Unless we are going to see some new content in the game as well.

 

They've said that it will be "content light". Somehow, somewhere, someone got this idea in their head that meant "absolutely no new flashpoint or operation or warzone or anything of the sort". Ofcourse it doesn't help that Darth Hater reported as such in their primer guide with no Bioware source for their claim (despite quoting sources for everything else) and people are accepting it as truth.

[Deyjarl]

[*]No substantial UI changes

 

Are there more substantial UI changes needed at this point?

[limenutpen]

Here's all I have to say:

 

"reducing extraction costs" YES! OH GOD YES!!!!!!!:):D:D:D:D:D:D

 

Yes in one interview they said it will be done. 50% less may be.

[Deewe]

Are there more substantial UI changes needed at this point?

Well ... yes

 

Among others:

• Client side choose the in game font (actually too bold so not convenient to read)
  
• Separate buff bars from vitals
  
• More quickslots bars (&& bartender options)
  
• Ability to move companions skills in any quicslot bar and even unlock companions skills in their bar
  
• Integrate chat in editor tool
  
• Doc UI elements one to other and dock to an edge of the screen
  
• Group UI elements and apply settings to all of them
  
• Manually edit scaling parameters
  
• Move UI frames with arrow keys
  
• Save/load character key bindings
  
• Hide portraits
  
• Have nameplates located at the character/npc emplacement vs them being in front of all game elements
  
• Key bind abilities without needing to set them in quickslot bars
  
• Change Key binding UI to [skill] [key_1] [key_2] (because we read from left to right and up to down.. vs Chinese/Japanese)
  
• Totally revamp the map UI: consistent scaling, being able to browse it seemlessly, resize the frame, move it, mouse zoom in/out, different icons nodes for resources, add fleet and space port markers, show all mailboxes icon not only the ones nearby, players map notes, squared minimap option, show/hide minimap key binding.
  
• Resize + zoom in/out character preview window, preview weapons
  
• Hotkey to show/hide head slot.
  
• Sort, filter & search for bags/bank (&& Arkinventory)
  
• Lock items in inventory == not sellable
  
• [modifier_key] + space to skip dialogs to dialog choices
  
• Revamp mods UI especially for comparison with already equipped on all companions at once and make it less click fest to change mods
  
• Revamp the GTN in first Wow one then improve it in Auctioneer.
  
• Mouse look toggle (it hurts btw)
  

 

 

Engine related:

• Draw distance slider
  
• AA multiplier setting
  
• Hot key to swtich between 2 graphic presets (ex Illum and instanced)
  
• And much much more™ settings (cf Lotro)
  

Edited May 21, 2012 by Deewe

[Roxinius]

Adding a bit of make up on a corpse......

 

way to post constructively

[Deewe]

way to post constructively

 

Updated the OP

[Aloro]

Was a good thread. Question is shouldn't BW ( you guys ) be the ones making it.. subject to change of course.

 

They do so, every patch. Once they've determined what's likely to actually BE in the patch, they post the patch notes on the PTS forum. Those are then generally updated with each PTS build until the patch is ready, and a final version is posted.

 

Why don't Bioware post the patch notes earlier? They don't yet know what bugs and design flaws will prevent things from being implemented, and gamers have proven conclusively that we cannot, collectively, be trusted with detailed advance information. Many gamers treat any insight into what a developer hopes to implement in the future as a promise hewn in stone, unalterable and sacred, and then FREAK OUT if anything doesn't make it into the patch.

 

If you've ever had experience with shipping software products, you'll have learned that things change. Great ideas sometimes prove to be unworkable and flaws that nobody foresaw can become massive problems that block everything else. Generally speaking, in this kind of environment, it's best to underpromise and overdeliver, which is what Bioware is trying to do.

[Deewe]

OP updated.

[VassagoOmega]

Wow!! An LFG tool!! That's a content patch all in itself!!! I'm pumped, this is one thing I was really hoping for in the near future.

 

They also mentioned some open world quests, and companion quests in some of the interviews, so that sounds interesting too. I'm a happy camper!!

[JediPartisan]

This is a great thread. Thanks.

I kind of understand why BW doesn't do this, but i just wish they e-mailed us notifications of changes a week or even a few days in advance.

I found out when 1.2 was coming out the day of.