Discussion Topic: Game Update 5.4 and the Next Roadmap

[Kaldron_Fell]

My $0.02 on the gear requirement for master mode flashpoints:

 

If you can't do a HM in 230 gear with augments there's no reason believe you can do it in 242s as it is. Gear is not the problem, skill is. HM should be for players who know their stuff. Gating by gear does not make sense because having good gear doesn't qualify you as knowing your stuff.

 

I have >= 244 gear on all my toons I choose to outfit, simply because my two mains have their cargo holds full of the unused 244-248 stuff and can share with alts. I'm still against this. It will not help, it will only reduce the number of useful people able and willing to play HM FPs in a way that earns them proper CXP.

[LordTurin]

My $0.02 on the gear requirement for master mode flashpoints:

 

If you can't do a HM in 230 gear with augments there's no reason believe you can do it in 242s as it is. Gear is not the problem, skill is. HM should be for players who know their stuff. Gating by gear does not make sense because having good gear doesn't qualify you as knowing your stuff.

 

I have >= 244 gear on all my toons I choose to outfit, simply because my two mains have their cargo holds full of the unused 244-248 stuff and can share with alts. I'm still against this. It will not help, it will only reduce the number of useful people able and willing to play HM FPs in a way that earns them proper CXP.

 

This. BW really needs to put some kind of meter in game that shows what your dps/hps/threat looks like, along with what the "minimum" required numbers are so you can see if you are the problem or if others are. It doesn't need to be public, but just something for people to see for themselves if they are doing the right thing or not.

[BradTheImpaler]

I'm curious about this: Will this be a train that has simply multiple panorama options, or a train that is actually constantly just animated to move on a railway system like the one during the season 4 Clone Wars Episode?

 

However, I'd really like a discussion topic on decorations at this point. I appreciate that we are getting so many new strongholds, but I think this really makes a discussion about decoration acquisition necessary. So many simple decorations are horribly overpriced at this point, and I think having a discussion about how this acquisition should be handled would be greatly appreciated. A little example: I can't even buy a simple bartender decoration or a simple spacer kitchen because they range from anywhere between 5-10 million on the Progenitor. Alright, admittedly I easily could, but a ten million price for something so basic as a kitchen decoration is absurd. At this point, buying a new stronghold is slightly "unfavourable" because I can only fill it with basic chairs, soldiers and tables anyway.

 

Is there any way that we could see more "direct" stronghold bundles on the cartel market, and preferrably with some different decorations? A staff bundle, a basic appliances bundle, and so on?

 

I approve this message. I love the idea of new strongholds, but I would hope to see decoration variety and cost appropriately adjusted.

 

Furthermore, adding hooks is great, but we can only toss so much of the same decoration on the floor for the sake of maximizing a stronghold bonus (literally---some decorations are capped).

[everclearisalive]

I do everything with my guild, minus OPS. I love Hammer Station, it was my first flashpoint ever. I like the classic OPS like KP and Terror from Beyond, but still i wish i knew where's my padawan, Nadia Grell. Don't get me wrong, i do not dismiss group content, it is an important part of this game, but not the most important one, at least not for me. What attracted me to this game in the first place was the story : light,dark,honor,apprentices, romance stories.. that "something" missing in other games.

 

I agree. I miss nadia. I've said before, if they won't give us our companions back with new stories, let us have new companion storyline tab on galactic command so we can re-visit the storylines inc romance ones to remind us of why we love the comps! Surely that can't be too hard to implement? I'd like a new planet but i suppose as someone else said, solo players have had kotet etc. Which btw for me are just solo flashpoints, rather than planetary mission stories, which I'd prefer. I think they could look at making planets worth re-visiting for group content, outside of fp's/heroics, maybe like rewarding/improving world boss battles. Right now, and I'm positive about the roadmap ideas, this game feels less like a pure mmo rpg, even less like it's star wars.

[MissilyMilcasia]

I absolutely, wholeheartedly disagree with the restriction on Master Mode GF to 242 gear. There isn't a flashpoint or operation in this game that can't be cleared in entry level (230) gear by a really skilled player. The gear checks in this game have been nonexistent forever. It has and always will be about skill and practice. So I don't get why this system is being applied. Gear DOES NOT equal skill.

 

In addition, this is then getting limited to people who have done a serious amount of Hard and Nightmare raiding, which has become such a small fraction of the player base. Even smaller are the people who have a mix of gear that averages 242. That means you need a full hardmode set or some mix of nightmare quality gear. Even if it was just moved down to 236, you'd significantly widen the amount of people able to queue.

 

And how is gonna work for group finder? Are people who want to do MM's but don't have the gear rating gonna be ineligible for the GF daily?

 

I get you wanna fix the range of quality you can get in a GF queue, but this is not the way.

 

Ps. Umbara will be a great stronghold, but please take the suggestions for improving the Manaan stronghold under advisement and implement a few

[DarthZaul]

While I like the idea in theory of restricting HMFPs so elitists can do them in peace without being bothered by scrubs there are many reasons that's a completely stupid idea.

 

1) 242 is way too high, you only need 236 for HM raids.

2) Veteran flashpoints are harder then hard mode anyway because simply having a tank and healer makes it easier than 4 DPS.

3) Veteran/Master uprisings need much more knowledge and tactics than flashpoints do. Flashpoints really are very easy.

4) The queue will be so long with only 242+ in it you might as well just not have a queue like master uprisings.

5) People in lower gear wont be able to get conquest points for a random HMFP any more.

 

You would be much better addressing the games skill problem directly by actually telling people how to play. The discipline window should have a basic rotation guide in it. Most people don't even know what a rotation is and just press abilities with animations they like.

Edited July 21, 2017 by DarthZaul

[JIMNMGC]

What abut introducind DX 11 and 64 bit systems?

[funnypat]

I seriously hope you want to buff OP/Scoundrel heals and not nerf them - If not please make one, get it to 70 and queue for ranked, enjoy the hate you get when your whole team is dying and you can do nothing against it (except you are veeery lucky and get opponents who think autoattack is the very best awesome skill in the world).

 

And yeah sorcs are awfully bad now - i get it - no they are not - i still know healing sorcs that can easily heal 6 - 7 mio per wz - which is still at least 1 mio more than i can do on medicine - dunno about hps but when i still see sorcs boasting about how they still can reach 9k (certainly not on my server but possible i guess) and i'm stuck with 6 to maximum 7k if i'm really good, than they really don't feel that weak.

 

Can't see what you want to do about concealment too - true it CAN be very good but only really in 1 vs 1 situations and only if you know exactly what you're doing - or your opponent is just more incompetent than you are - but besides that?

That class is really just all about picking 1 lonly opponent stab stab stab - stealth - stab stab stab - run and hide - as soon as it comes to skrimishes where there are 4 vs 4 - or something like that your dps will suffer greatly because you need to get very close to use your knife and standing right in the middle of the fight is a sure way to die.

 

I will admit that concealment CAN feel very annoying - but only in certain situations and only if people know what they're doing. And as for concealment - there is a reason you really never see any in operations - or well - almost never i guess some people work for charity i guess xP

 

So feeling better now, needed to tell that somebody, enjoy your day! o/

[everclearisalive]

I'm curious about this: Will this be a train that has simply multiple panorama options, or a train that is actually constantly just animated to move on a railway system like the one during the season 4 Clone Wars Episode?

 

However, I'd really like a discussion topic on decorations at this point. I appreciate that we are getting so many new strongholds, but I think this really makes a discussion about decoration acquisition necessary. So many simple decorations are horribly overpriced at this point, and I think having a discussion about how this acquisition should be handled would be greatly appreciated. A little example: I can't even buy a simple bartender decoration or a simple spacer kitchen because they range from anywhere between 5-10 million on the Progenitor. Alright, admittedly I easily could, but a ten million price for something so basic as a kitchen decoration is absurd. At this point, buying a new stronghold is slightly "unfavourable" because I can only fill it with basic chairs, soldiers and tables anyway.

 

Is there any way that we could see more "direct" stronghold bundles on the cartel market, and preferrably with some different decorations? A staff bundle, a basic appliances bundle, and so on?

 

Do these class changes include the long-awaited utility changes, or are these only number adjustments? And furthermore, if the first is the case, why is Sage not on that list?

 

This! We have so few decorations that makes a new stronghold idea seem pathetic. I love the SH's. I'm in favour of them, but we need more crafting options for decorations, better GTM search mechanics for decorations, more vendors on fleet or reputation, better drops i.e put them in command crates which can be sold on GTM if not wanted, flashpoint, PvP, ops drops, and lastly bundles on the CM. Specific bundles as said, a staff bundle with new alien staff, plants/tree bundles, art/wall item bundles, lighting bundles, ship bundles, centrepiece bundles etc. I can't be the only one who looked at manaan and thought, "I ain't about to line up my my 50+ companions in a long row next to the fountains, for the sixth SH time. And I've no idea what to put on all those centrepiece hooks. it's not like I can buy a Defender never mind a Millenium Falcon on the GTM.

I have a folder of screenshot items that I would love to have in my stronghold, 20 ish, all in-game, all I assume usable for a bundle or craftable by crew skills. The decoration pack was took off CM way too soon. The Manaan pack seems pricey but a step in the right direction.The GTM is empty, and nobody wants what's on there, we've all got the same items in our SH. The new SH, timing seeming a bit off with Manaan being released seems like a good idea. I just won't bother if it's placing the same items over and over. That doesn't seem like fun.

[MotherCrusher]

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

 

whats the problem if it has story mode?

[cyrusramsey]

Go away go away go away go away go away!!

 

What the hell!?

 

242!?

 

This is my single favorite activity. 'master mode' flashpoints, and I agree that it is generally a bad idea to rely solely on bolster when playing with randoms, which is part of why I was so incredibly frustrated with 5.0 gearing, which made it impossible to pug a lot on many characters.

 

Since 5.2.2 I've finally had the means to quickly gear up ~50 characters to 230, after half a year since 5.0, and now you want to make them all useless again and I'll have to go on your GRIND GRIND GRIND GRIND machine some more just to have more than one be viable!?

 

GO AWAY!!!

[JakRoanin]

Dear Devs, while I love SH news, story, and Quality of Life news, (most importantly customization) what about those of us with crappy computers where the graphics are crappy and boring! I hate to say it, but there's no interesting visual effects. The game is an Atonal, nightmare. The value of colors, are static, and there are no reflective surfaces, everything is opaque. Have you seen the trees lately?

 

Also what's the point of so many SH's if the decos are flat and reskins?

 

I hate to sound like a whining idiot, it's just.... You guys are so darn good, but it's like you're imaginations need fuel. May I suggest a visit to Deadlystream, and binge watch Bob Ross on Netflix.

[MotherCrusher]

Appears the 242 item rating isn't required for a premade, just for GF I think.

 

Also its 242 item rating, so you could have high gear in some areas and low and others, just as long as it averages out to 242.

 

that does not matter, it does not grow on trees, i do random FPs constantly and tier 1 is enough for most, i shouldnt be forced to grind tier 3 just to get the conquest points for something doable with tier 1

[everclearisalive]

How about Unassembled Components for PVE'ers????

 

yes please. Seems only fair.

[PennyAnn]

Keith:

I appreciate the information about what is coming in 5.4 and have the following feedback:

 

1. Update Ranked PvP rankings. I don't even care about ranked PvP but it is obvious that those that do suffer from a severe lack of attention. The rankings aren't even updated and haven't been in ages. The lackluster rewards and almost after-thought way in which ranked PvP is handled in this game is really unfortunate, but there is no point in ranked PvP if you can't even update the ranks with some frequency better than once or twice for an entire season.

 

2. PvP Components Legacy Wide. This needed to happen last patch, and should be made a priority for the next patch, especially if you are about to add gear requirements to flashpoints. Give people a chance to upgrade their gear on ANY of their characters, certainly if you're going to start requiring gear to queue for things.

 

3. ALL "Currency Tab" currencies Legacy Wide. You've proven you can do it, so all currencies should be included, but especially the Dark/Light tokens given the alignment requirements to even purchase items from those vendors. It is not right that I can earn these tokens on characters that will never be able to spend them due to my alignment choices. Remember that "choices matter" slogan you guys pushed so hard? Prove it. Don't punish people by making them unable to spend certain currencies due to that choice they made about their character's alignment.

 

3a. If you aren't willing to make the Dark/Light tokens and other currencies legacy-wide, then remove the alignment requirements to spend these tokens.

 

4. Help guilds! The guild UI is abysmal. It is buggy and unmanagable if you have a guild of anywhere close to the 1,000 person cap. I needs an overhaul in a BIG way, including fixing the bugs that do not allow you to use chat while it is open (you will instead open every window with a keyboard letter shortcut like it's a 1990s internet pop-up menu party). It really also needs to be exportable for the sake of true guild management - exporting the guild list information to excel or some other type of online tool (google sheets, anything) would make the job of running big guilds immensely easier.

 

5. Strongholds/Decorations/Cartel Market Certificates. As someone with one of the highest prestige scores in the entire game, I appreciate the addition of new strongholds. The problem as expressed by many here is the prices for things to put IN those strongholds and the relative availability of those items. Specifically, the cartel certificate vendor on the fleet. If you are not going to make Cartel Certificates more available in the game, you should convert this vendor to credits, as the others have been. There should be more decorations dropping from all sources, much the same way as you have event tokens for Nightlife currently dropping. It should be considered as something that crafters can directly make: Synthweavers making unique rugs, wall hangings - Artifice making unique statues, crystals, and other decorative items - Cybertech making unique tech gadgets, machines, terminals, and other such items, etc. There is an easy fix to the severe lack of available and accessible decorations in this game, and it would be a huge bonus to fix that, now that you are adding strongholds that require additional decorations.

 

Those are the main areas that I have feedback for currently, for what it's worth. I feel like class balance and all those other items are something that cannot be assessed until they are ALL complete. I do feel like Mercs did not need a DPS nerf, but rather a review of their defensive cooldowns. When a Merc can survive better than a tank in most HM and above raids, there is a problem. But I'm willing to wait and see the end result before I judge the job that has been done in undertaking "balance". So far, I haven't seen much balance so much as further imbalance, but again... I feel like the results cannot be judged until they are complete.

 

Thank you for your time!

[Kyuuu]

Im not sure I want to see what you do to carnage your post about classes dps said it dps is where it should be so if the is dps nerf, im gona want to know why you say one thing then few weeks later say something else Edited July 21, 2017 by Kyuuu

[Darthanimus]

Lets hope concealment/scrapper gets the massive nerf to survivorbility that it needs!

[IntegrationArch]

What abut introducind DX 11 and 64 bit systems?

 

Yes Keith or BW owes us if this surgical client modernization is being implemented to look forward too either HeroEngine & 64bit servers & DX11/DX12 😊😊😀😀😁😆😉😂🤣😃😄😎or if BW is frozen SWTOR to XP & DX9. 😣😣😣😣😐😥😣😣🤔

 

.

[Kyuuu]

Yes Keith or BW owes us if this surgical client modernization is being implemented to look forward too either HeroEngine & 64bit servers & DX11/DX12 😊😊😀😀😁😆😉😂🤣😃😄😎or if BW is frozen SWTOR to XP & DX9. 😣😣😣😣😐😥😣😣🤔

 

.

 

I think hell will freeze first, they adding new level of graphics or so they say i wonder how much more that is gona push the engine to that point where it has heart attack the been adds graphics more then then been address this issue with engine.

 

I would kill for proper Multicore support and or for most graphical rendering to be offload to the GPU, instead majortiy of depending on the CPU and 1 exe to run the game

Edited July 21, 2017 by Kyuuu

[IntegrationArch]

I think hell will freeze first, they adding new level of graphics or so they say i wonder how much more that is gona push the engine to that point where it has heart attack the been adds graphics more then then been address this issue with engine.

 

I would kill for proper Multicore support and or for most graphical rendering to be offload to the GPU, instead majortiy of depending on the CPU and 1 exe to run the game

 

Current branch of HeroEngine is DX11.x on its way up to DX12 with Physics (Microsoft Direct Physics) offloading.

 

If the client has 8 or 12 hypertheading cores and 8 GPU cores mostly idle, DX11/DX12 client would reinvent the game performance. ALL Client cores could be brutalized at once.

Plus map a path to permit PS4 / Xbone / Mac bootcamp swtor gaming.

 

 

 

Keith has repeated its not the engine limitations its the db design layout.

Edited July 22, 2017 by IntegrationArch

[azamba]

Are Annihilation/Watchman and Deception/Infiltration going to receive changes later or are they at their target dps already?

 

Yeah, what about Deception? Its a build that is in the same category as IO/Eng and is doing way more atm. I know Anni is supposed to be 5% higher than Deception/IO/Eng so its still a bit off but not far from where it is supposed to be. But Deception needs a good nerf to be in the same level as the other builds in its category. Carnage will be getting a nerf and is doing the same as Deception atm.

 

So what gives?

 

Also, no buff to Madness? Its still under performing in comparison with IO/Eng.

[Kyuuu]

Keith has said, while others have devs said it it the engine and engine can be fix and they are stuck with just like player, so excuse me if I dont believe him

 

Hero engine might but able to this but this engine Heavily modified verison of very old version of heroengine,

 

So much so that creator of heroengine even said they have no clue what bw did to engine cause it should have much better performance, I mean really EVEN 6700k is not strong enough to brute force 60 with 16 players on the screen in wz, and that is mostly due to fact GPU is probably at 25% usage in, The game barely use 1 core correctly and usual not the same core it jumps from core to core at that.

 

If not the engine they need to prove us ALL wrong that engine can do proper multicore threading and actual offload of work on to gpu. cause it hasnt been able do that at all.

 

I have seen mmo with 64v64 server battle that keep 30 fps and look better then this game on it lowest setting, if they tried to do 64v64 server battles with this engine we will have the ilum slide show of 5 fps happen again, which why ilums open world pvp was removed in first place, and one still around from then remembers that slide show it was with just just 2 16 man ops going at it.

 

engine can even keep 60fps in 8v8 wz with out have some super beefy cpu pair with gpu just as beefy

Edited July 22, 2017 by Kyuuu

[xeraphyne]

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

 

 

Like people really need anymore help getting geared out through PVP. How about you stop focusing on PVP and help out those that actually do your hardest content in the game and rely on your crappy ultra rare RNG to get a legendary piece of 248 gear. It's ridiculous that PVE'rs are pretty much required to submit themselves to PVP to be able to gear themselves out and min max their gear because the only way to get unassembled components is through GSF and PVP, while Master Mode raiders get horrible blue gear drops and the RNG possible 246 drop until the final boss fight.. You state the intention was to focus on the new operation to be able to gear out PVE 248 legendary pieces, but there's TWO bosses... REALLY!?!?!?!? Please stop overlooking your gearing system for those that choose to do PVE instead of your PVP components.

[J_McSkill]

I apologize for the harshness of the remainder of this post but this update is unacceptable. Back in the thread titled "Season 8 Rewards" (http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=924525) we were promised: "In the next few weeks we will work on getting you an exact list of what each item is along with screenshots. As a reminder, the season will be ending with Game Update 5.4. Let us know your thoughts!"

 

We have not been given that at all. That thread was from 6/13, which was 5.5 weeks ago. That is not a "few weeks" by anyone's measure. We have not been told the reward tier rating requirements. The leaderboards have not been fixed/updated. Ranked PvPers have absolutely no idea where they stand for top three titles or reward tiers.

 

And the season ends in almost exactly a month. Now you are saying "We will post the full breakdown of rewards with screenshots in the coming weeks". So, we will have what, a week or two to get our ratings in the right place once we actually have a clue what the tier rating requirements are?

 

It really makes us feel like you do not care about the ranked PvP community as this information has been put off and put off and put off again. And now we have almost no time left and you're still putting it off. Please, if you care at all, tell us all of this very important information NOW!

 

I most definitely second this!

[Kyuuu]

Like people really need anymore help getting geared out through PVP. How about you stop focusing on PVP and help out those that actually do your hardest content in the game and rely on your crappy ultra rare RNG to get a legendary piece of 248 gear. It's ridiculous that PVE'rs are pretty much required to submit themselves to PVP to be able to gear themselves out and min max their gear because the only way to get unassembled components is through GSF and PVP, while Master Mode raiders get horrible blue gear drops and the RNG possible 246 drop until the final boss fight.. You state the intention was to focus on the new operation to be able to gear out PVE 248 legendary pieces, but there's TWO bosses... REALLY!?!?!?!? Please stop overlooking your gearing system for those that choose to do PVE instead of your PVP components.

 

you know you get 242/248 gear from hm/nim yes? granted nim might only do 248 for last boss, it perfectly doable now as opposed to pre 5.3 where there was not gear loot from ops at all.

 

As for the new OPS it is joke and even more of joke they making use wait half year to year to get all of it. which basicly tells me they had no OPS and this was last minute thing.

 

spending basicly 2 years on solo content was there first mistake follow by saying we would never go a year with out a new ops and alot of remeber them say thisyet we went 3 year with out a new one, and it might be another year before it actual done, which one main reason majority of raiders left the game, only ones left are die hard starwars fans.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Kyuuu