Rise of the Emperor

Game Update 3.2 – Rise of the Emperor goes live today. My game is patching as I write this and I can’t wait for the servers to come up. I dabbled with this update on PTS, and I think overall it’s pretty good. Here are some things I most look forward to in 3.2.

Ziost

I enjoyed the Revan story, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. I steered clear of the story on the PTS because I wanted to keep it fresh. I’m hoping the Empire and Republic are once again at odds, and that there is more class specific bits in the story.

The Outfit Designer

I played around with it on the PTS and I like it. I get that it conflicts with the current system of maintaining your current gear by swapping out the mods., but this is better. It works with more than just moddable gear, and prices have been reduced from where they started on the PTS. This system is just plain fun. I just hope BioWare takes the time to make it work for weapons and companions.

Getting Around

I’m big on quality of life changes, and this updated is loaded with them. Honestly, I’m not sure there is much else they can do to make traveling around the galaxy more convenient. No more cooldown on quick travel, and no more forgetting to unlock quick travel points.

The End Game

I’ve avoided the end-game thus far. I’ve run exactly one hard-mode flashpoint and killed a couple of bosses in ToS, but that’s it. Mostly this has been due to time constraints, but I think it’s time to give the group finder a serious look. I’m a wee bit scared though.

My game is patched is now. See you when the servers come back up. In the meantime, enjoy some yummy patch notes.

 

Highlights

New Planet: Ziost! The Imperial planet Ziost is the focal point of an escalating crisis. Level 60 players who have completed the Shadow of Revan storyline can now join in the fight against the former Sith Emperor!

New Feature: Outfit Designer! You can now have up to 16 outfits created and saved with your unique look! This new feature can be accessed on the right hand side of the Character Sheet.

Ranked Arena Season 4 has come to a conclusion, and Season 5 has begun! Congratulations to all the reward winners! Winnings have been distributed to qualifying characters. Ranked stats have been reset and the Leaderboard for Season 4 has been archived.

Relics of the Gree is back! The Gray Secant has been spotted on Ilum, which means only one thing: the Relics of the Gree Event is back and now available for Level 60 players! From May 12th at 4:00PST/12:00 GMT to May 19th at 4:00PST/12:00GMT, Black Bisectors are called upon to lend a hand!

Bounty Contract Week Returns! Hunt wanted criminals in this returning event. The event begins May 19th at 04:00 PST/12:00 GMT and ends May 26th at 04:00 PST/12:00 GMT.

General

  • New Feature: Outfit Designer! You can access this new feature by opening your Character Sheet from the Menu bar of the “C” key by default. All players start with the first tab unlocked. You can assign the appearance of an item to a particular slot by dragging the item from your Inventory and dropping it into the appropriate slot. This does not consume or otherwise “equip” the item – it can be used for multiple appearance tabs.
    Once you’re satisfied with your outfit, clicking the “Commit” button at the bottom of the screen will save that Tab’s appearance. To use this outfit, click “Apply” at the top of the window.
    If you wish to unlock more tabs, simply click on the tab to the right of the Character Sheet and purchase it with Credits or Cartel Coins.
  • Made improvements to client performance across numerous game systems.
  • A number of mounts have been converted to Adaptive and can be used at any Speeder Piloting rank and their speed will increase depending on that rank. For a full list, please see this post.
  • All Taxi Destinations are now available to all players.
  • All Quick Travel Bind Points within a map region are now automatically discovered when the region is revealed.
  • The cooldown on the Quick Travel ability has been reduced. For Subscribers and Preferred players the cooldown is now 6 minutes, and for Free-To-Play players the cooldown is now 26 minutes.
  • The Legacy Travel I, II, and III unlocks now reduce the cooldown of the Quick Travel ability by 2 additional minutes each.
  • The cooldown on the Emergency Fleet Pass ability has been reduced. For Subscribers and Preferred players the cooldown is now 90 minutes, and for Free-To-Play players the cooldown is now 180 minutes.
  • The Legacy Fleet Pass I, II, and III unlocks now reduce the cooldown of the Emergency Fleet Pass ability by 30 additional minutes each.
  • Cooldowns have been removed from the following Legacy Perks:
    • Priority Transport: CZ-198
    • Priority Transport: Capital World
    • Priority Transport: Fleet Vanguard
    • Priority Transport: Oricon
    • Priority Transport: Outlaw’s Den
    • Priority Transport: Rishi
    • Priority Transport: The Black Hole
    • Priority Transport: Yavin 4
  • The speeder at the Ghost Cell Training Camp on Tatooine has been removed from the Taxi Network. Interacting with the Speeder now teleports players directly to Outpost Zaroche instead. The exhaustion zone separating the Ghost Cell Training Camp has been removed, allowing land access to the area. The camp may still be teleported to by using the crate in the first part of the “Assassin’s Fortress” quest.
  • The base cooldown on the Priority Transport: Personal Starship Legacy Perk has been reduced to 6 minutes. Each Improved Priority Transport: Personal Starship unlock will reduce that cooldown by an additional 2 minutes.
  • The Planetary Modification and Equipment Vendors have gone through a large rework: The vendor’s stocks have been adjusted to have a better variety of Modifications at a lower Commendation cost. In addition, the title of the NPCs has been changed to reflect the level of the items they sell.
  • All Class Missions that previously rewarded 1 or 2 Basic Commendations now reward 8 Basic Commendations.
  • Group Finder Operations now require 8 Players instead of 16.
  • Level 55 Operations are now available through Group Finder at level 60. A new Operation will be available each day.
  • Group Finder rewards and associated Weekly Missions have had their Commendations adjusted. Please note that this list only encompasses changes to what they currently drop, and any Commendations that are not listed are not being changed from their current state:
    • Group Finder Story Mode Flashpoints:
      • Level 10-54: 20 Basic Commendations
    • Group Finder Tactical Flashpoints:
      • Level 10-54: 20 Basic Commendations
      • Level 55-59: 30 Basic Commendations
      • Level 60: 14 Elite Commendations
    • Group Finder Hard-Mode Flashpoints:
      • Level 50-55: 40 Basic Commendations
      • Level 55-59: 40 Basic Commendations
      • Level 60: 6 Ultimate Commendations
    • Group Finder Story Mode Operations:
      • Level 50: 16 Ultimate Commendations
      • Level 55: 16 Ultimate Commendations
      • Level 60: 16 Ultimate Commendations
    • Weekly Missions:
      • [WEEKLY] Tactical Flashpoints now grants 20 Elite and 10 Ultimate Commendations.
      • [WEEKLY] Galactic Conflicts now grants 24 Elite and 14 Ultimate Commendations.
  • Operations bosses and associated Weekly Missions have had their Commendations updated. Please note that this list only encompasses changes to what they currently drop, and any Commendations that are not listed are not being changed from their current state:
    • Level 50 Operations:
      • 8-Player Story Mode bosses now drop 4 Basic Commendations.
      • 8-Player Hard Mode bosses now drop 6 Basic and 4 Elite Commendations.
      • 8-Player Nightmare Mode bosses now drop 6 Basic and 4 Elite Commendations.
      • 16-Player Story Mode bosses now drop 4 Basic and 2 Elite Commendations.
      • 16-Player Hard Mode bosses now drop 8 Basic and 6 Elite Commendations.
      • 16-Player Nightmare Mode bosses now drop 8 Basic and 6 Elite Commendations.
    • Level 55 Operations:Terror from Beyond + Scum and Villainy
      • 16-Player Story Mode bosses now drop 1 Ultimate Commendation.
      • 16-Player Hard Mode bosses now drop 2 Ultimate Commendations.
      • 16-Player Nightmare Mode bosses now drop 3 Ultimate Commendations.

      Dread Fortress + Dread Palace

      • 16-Player Story Mode bosses now drop 1 Ultimate Commendation.
      • 16-Player Hard Mode bosses now drop 2 Ultimate Commendations.
    • Level 60 Operations:
      • 8-Player Story Mode bosses now drop 8 Elite Commendations.
      • 8-Player Hard Mode bosses now drop 10 Elite Commendations.
      • 16-Player Story Mode bosses now drop 10 Elite Commendations.
      • 16-Player Hard Mode bosses now drop 12 Elite Commendations.
    • Weekly Missions:
      • The Level 50 Operation Weekly Missions now grant 12 Elite and 6 Ultimate Commendations.
      • The Toborro’s Courtyard Weekly Mission now grants 12 Elite and 6 Ultimate Commendations.
      • The Level 55 Operation Weekly Missions now grant 18 Elite and 10 Ultimate Commendations.
      • The Level 60 Operation Weekly Missions now grant 24 Elite and 14 Ultimate Commendations.
  • Guild Flagships can now travel to Ziost.
  • Companion Gifts and related subcategories has been added as a searchable category on the Galactic Trade Network.
  • The animation for the /tap emote has been changed.
  • The Rishi Docks are no longer invisible upon landing on Rishi.
  • The Smuggler Mission “Party Crasher” now grants the Codex entry “Drooga the Hutt.”
  • The Achievements “Elite: Hardened Defender” and “Elite: Hardened Invader” now give the correct reward.

General

  • Fixed an issue with Bolster that was preventing characters from being granted the correct amount of stats per level.

Jedi Knight
Guardian

  • Removed the Stagger Skillful Utility.
  • New Skillful Utility: Unremitting. Force Leap grants Unremitting, granting immunity to movement-impairing effects and effects that push or pull you around for 4 seconds.

Focus

  • Singularity is now a single effect, rather than a stacked effect: While Shii-Cho form is active, Combat Focus and Force Exhaustion grant Singularity, increasing the damage dealt by your next Force Sweep or Focused Burst by 15% and making your next Force Sweep or Focused Burst consume no Focus.
  • Swift Slash now additionally causes Guardian Leap to remove movement-impairing effects from the Guardian.

Vigilance

  • Unremitting has been redesigned as Robust: While in Shien Form, Force Leap grants Robust, granting immunity to interrupts, stuns, knockdowns, and incapacitating effects for 4 seconds. Additionally, during this time, damage reduction is increased by 20%.

Sentinel

  • Healing from Zealous Ward can now occur every second (down from 1.5 seconds) when attacked while Saber Ward is active.
  • Rebuke can now deal damage to attackers once every second (down from 1.5 seconds).
  • Jedi Crusader can now generate 1 focus every 2 seconds (down from 3 seconds) when you are attacked while Rebuke is active.

Concentration

  • Koan is now a single effect, rather than a stacked effect: While Shii-Cho form is active, Zen and Force Exhaustion grant Koan, increasing the damage dealt by your next Force Sweep or Focused Burst by 15% and making your next Force Sweep or Focused Burst consume no focus.
  • Gravity Defiance has been redesigned as Gravity Vortex: Force Exhaustion grants Gravity Vortex, granting immunity to interrupts and all controlling effects for 6 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds. Additionally, Zealous Leap and Force Exhaustion each consume 1 less Focus.

Sith Warrior
Juggernaut

  • Removed the Stagger Skillful Utility.
  • New Skillful Utility: Unstoppable. Force Charge grants Unstoppable, granting immunity to movement-impairing effects and effects that push or pull you around for 4 seconds.

Rage

  • Shockwave is now a single effect, rather than a stacked effect: While Shii-Cho form is active, Enrage and Force Crush grant Shockwave, increasing the damage dealt by your next Smash or Raging Burst by 15% and making your next Smash or Raging Burst consume no rage.
  • Brutality now additionally causes Intercede to remove movement-impairing effects from the Juggernaut.

Vengeance

  • Unstoppable has been redesigned as Brawn: While in Shien Form, Force Charge grants Brawn, granting immunity to interrupts, stuns, knockdowns, and incapacitating effects for 4 seconds. Additionally, during this time, damage reduction is increased by 20%.

Marauder

  • Healing from Blood Ward can now occur every second (down from 1.5 seconds) when attacked while Saber Ward is active.
  • Cloak of Pain can now deal damage to attackers once every second (down from 1.5 seconds).
  • Cloak of Rage can now generate 1 rage every 2 seconds (down from 3 seconds) when you are attacked while Cloak of Pain is active.

Fury

  • Destruction is now a single effect, rather than a stacked effect: While Shii-Cho form is active, Berserk and Force Crush grant Destruction, increasing the damage dealt by your next Smash or Raging Burst by 15% and making your next Smash or Raging Burst consume no rage.
  • Gravity Manipulation has been redesigned as Gravity Vortex: Force Crush grants Gravity Vortex, granting immunity to interrupts and all controlling effects for 6 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds. Additionally, Obliterate and Force Crush each consume 1 less rage.

Trooper
Vanguard
Plasmatech

  • Rain of Fire has been redesigned: Kinetic and energy attacks deal 5% additional damage to burning targets. Additionally, Pulse Cannon spreads your periodic Incendiary Round effect to the targets it damages, as long as it damages a target already affected by your Incendiary Round.
  • Pulse Generator now only has 2 stacks (down from 3 stacks), with each stack increasing the damage of your next Pulse Cannon by 25% (up from 15%), causing it to slow affected targets by 45% (up from 30%), and making Pulse Cannon immune to interrupts.
  • Burnout now additionally reduces the energy cell cost of Plasmatize by 5.
  • Insulated Augs now increases elemental and internal damage reduction by 5% (up from 2%).

Bounty Hunter
Powertech
Pyrotech

  • Rain of Fire has been redesigned: Kinetic and energy attacks deal 5% additional damage to burning targets. Additionally, Flame Thrower spreads your periodic Incendiary Missile effect to the targets it damages, as long as it damage a target already affected by your Incendiary Missile.
  • Superheated Flame Thrower now only has 2 stacks (down from 3 stacks), with each stack increasing the damage of your next Flame Thrower by 25% (up from 15%), causing it to slow affected targets by 45% (up from 30%), and making Flame Thrower immune to interrupts.
  • Burnout now additionally reduces the heat cost of Scorch by 5.
  • Insulated Mats now increases elemental and internal damage reduction by 5% (up from 2%).
  • Fixed a set bonus bug that caused the Combat Tech’s Critical Bonus buff to not be consumed by Immolate.

Smuggler
Scoundrel

  • Blasters Blazing now additionally increases the area damage of Thermal Grenade by 50%

Ruffian

  • Feelin’ Woozy now reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for the full duration of Shrap Bomb (up from 6 seconds).
  • Blaster Volley no longer requires an Upper Hand to be activated. The damage of Blaster Volley has been reduced.

Gunslinger
Saboteur

  • The damage dealt by Scatter Bombs has been drastically reduced, however a single target can now be struck by all 5 bombs. Additionally, Scatter Bombs now immobilizes affected targets for 3 seconds.

Dirty Fighting

  • Feelin’ Woozy now reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for the full duration of Shrap Bomb (up from 6 seconds).

Imperial Agent
Operative

  • Skirmisher now additionally increases the area damage of Fragmentation Grenade by 50%

Lethality

  • Adhesive Corrosives now reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for the full duration of Corrosive Grenade (up from 6 seconds).
  • Carbine Burst no longer requires a Tactical Advantage to be activated. The damage of Carbine Burst has been reduced.

Sniper
Engineering

  • The damage dealt by Scatter Bombs has been drastically reduced, however a single target can now be struck by all 5 bombs. Additionally, Scatter Bombs now immobilizes affected targets for 3 seconds.

Virulence

  • Adhesive Corrosives now reduces the movement speed of all affected targets by 30% for the full duration of Corrosive Grenade (up from 6 seconds).

Temple of Sacrifice

  • Reduced the health of the Lurkerlings in the Story Mode Underlurker encounter.
  • Increased time to react to Unstable Aberrations in Revan’s final phase in Hard Mode, and decreased the rate at which they spawn.
  • Reduced damage done by Quartermaster Bulo in all difficulty modes.
  • HK-47’s Handful of Grenades and Pseudorandom Violence animations have been optimized for better performance.
  • Sword Squadron has been reworked:
    • Reduced damage done in all modes.
    • The Squadron now utilizes low smoke emitting ammunition, reducing smoke during explosions and increasing visibility.
    • Further reduced the damage of the Rain of Missiles ability in 16-Player Story Mode.
    • There is now a 30 second grace period after killing one walker before the other walker enters its enrage phase in Story Mode, this is reduced to 5 seconds in Hard Mode.

The Ravagers

  • Coratanni now uses stealth instead of running in order to more reliably reach the escape pod.
  • Reduced the damage of Quartermaster Bulo’s Scatter Blaster ability in 16-Player modes.

Blood Hunt

  • Hard Mode Kyramla Gemas’rugam’s health and damage output has been reduced.
  • Jos and Valk Beroya now deal significantly less damage during their Hard Mode encounter.
  • Players outside of the arena can no longer be affected by Torch’s abilities.

Assault on Tython
Hard Mode

  • The Mark VI and Mark VII droids during the Master Liam Dentiri encounter are now immune to damage while using their Safety Override ability.

Cartel Market

  • The “Black and Deep Purple Dye Module” now correctly states that it is the “Black and Dark Purple Dye Module.”
  • The “Holographic Weapon Display (Rifle)” Decoration now sits central to the hook it is placed on.

Items + Economy

  • Baron Deathmark’s Furious Walker can now be placed as a Decoration.
  • Decorations have been added to the Fleet Starfighter & PvP Decoration vendor (found in the Strongholds & Crew Skills section of either Fleet):
    • Frogdog Banner
    • Rotworm Banner
    • Frogdog Wall Logo
    • Rotworm Wall Logo
    • Makeb Canopy
    • Quesh Huttball Pit Chandelier
    • Voidstar Bomb
    • Ancient Hypergate Energy Orb Stand
    • Custom Huttball Stand
    • Makeb Pergola
  • Massassi Mender’s MK-2 Implant has been renamed to Massassi Mender’s MK-2 Relay to better reflect that it goes in your ear.

Missions + NPCs

  • [WEEKLY] Czerka Dissolution and [WEEKLY] Czerka Takeover no longer require completion of the two Czerka flashpoints. Instead, a new daily Heroic 2+ mission has been added to the mission terminal on CZ-198. Progress on this mission has been reset.
  • [WEEKLY] Terror from Beyond, [WEEKLY] Scum and Villainy, [WEEKLY] Dread Fortress, and [WEEKLY] Dread Palace now require the final encounters in those Operations.
  • Executor Krannus and Sergeant Bedd will no longer constantly evade when fighting each other during the Jedi Knight Class Mission “Holocaust.”
  • The Mission “Forged Alliances: Part 3” now grants Credits on completion.
  • The Unique Rock Formation, Cybernetic Skull, and Anchored Rock on Rishi now spawn more consistently, and more frequently.
  • Thera Markon now acknowledges Bounty Hunters who offer to do the job for free during the Mission “The Ones Left Behind.”
  • Players completing the Rishi Mission “The Slavers” will no longer see multiple Therons and Lanas.
  • Revan’s Force Barrier immunity is now correctly counted as a buff on his Target Portrait during the Mission “The Enemy Within.”
  • The Revanite Commanders required to progress during “The Enemy Within” now have a shorter respawn time.
  • All Mission Reward mail that had Planetary Commendation rewards have been updated to give Basic Commendations.