In our July Legacy of the Sith announcement stream, we shared some high-level information about Combat Styles and Loadouts. With several Combat Styles now available on our Public Test Server and the introduction to Legendary Items, we wanted to dive further into how gearing and itemization will work in 7.0. The feedback that players have provided over the years has always helped us shape the future of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, so we are excited to talk about what to expect with Legacy of the Sith.
Philosophy
Our philosophy for gearing and progression in 7.0 is to ensure that players have the gear they need to play the content they want and that they can grow their power over time. Whether a player is here for the story or to take on the most powerful challenges in the galaxy, we want there to be something a player can look forward to that makes their characters stronger.
Legacy of the Sith (7.0) will be reintroducing the vertical progression path for gearing. This type of progression is not new to the game; however, 7.0 will offer players new experiences and ways to obtain gear. Within a game update, a player can regularly work toward getting stronger and know that more power is on the horizon.
Another key component of our philosophy is to remove randomness (referred to as RNG) from the equation as much as possible. When RNG is used often, it causes a variety of issues, such as inflation in the game’s economy, bloat in a character’s inventory space, and removal of player control in acquiring and equipping gear. The Renown system was meant to mitigate issues caused by RNG by providing alternate opportunities to earn gear; however, it wasn’t effective in that goal. Issues caused by RNG can lead to a frustrating gearing experience, and we want to remove these hurdles.
There are two points players should keep in mind when it comes to upgrading their gear in 7.0. The first is that weekly content will be the fastest and most efficient way to obtain upgrades. Secondly, risk is rewarded. If a player chooses to complete content on a higher difficulty, they will be rewarded with better gear.
Gaining Power
The majority of gear upgrades will be offered through weekly mission rewards or by trading in reward gear to purchase an upgrade. When a player receives an upgrade as a mission reward, that upgrade will affect the player’s lowest rated equipped piece of gear. If it is being traded in, the player can decide which piece of gear to upgrade instead.
Instead of dealing with a large quantity of drops from bosses, players will receive one of two possible progress rewards: a type of currency that can be traded to a vendor as part of the gear upgrade flow or rewards that can be used towards an upgrade.
What does this mean for the randomness component that players are used to experiencing? As mentioned above, RNG and the RNG associated with the Renown system did not have a significant positive impact on the experience of the player. To support our philosophy about RNG, we are removing Renown and nearly all RNG in the 7.0 expansion.
Furthering our efforts to build a fulfilling experience for our players, we will be featuring different content on a weekly basis in 7.0. This content will rotate on a schedule to prevent farming of one specific piece of content, which has a negative impact on a player’s overall experience.
As an example, Group Finder will only feature a limited set of Flashpoints and Story Operations each week. Players who queue for this random set will earn a guaranteed upgrade mission reward to their lowest equipped gear slot as their weekly Group Finder reward. Players can run the content multiple times per week, but the guaranteed upgrade will only be awarded for the first three runs. Beyond the first three runs, players will receive currency that can be used towards upgrades.
With this updated flow in mind, let’s expand on what’s known as the gearing ceiling. New and more powerful gear will be released with each new major update, but game balance will remain the same throughout 7.0 patches. Content that may have been too difficult or intimidating at launch will eventually be out-geared, giving players an opportunity to level up to higher difficulties and also learn the mechanics of the content at their own pace. As expansion updates get released, we will also raise the “floor,” or the power of base gear, so new players who happen to join the expansion at a mid-way point aren’t left behind by this power growth.
Let’s take a look at what this could look like with example item ratings:
Players will start earning gear with a 308-318 item rating from levels 75-79. In 7.0, once a player reaches level 80, the base progression gear rewarded will be item rating 320. Gear obtained via Conquests can be upgraded up to item rating 326. In a future update, the base gear rewarded in that same content would be 322, and the upgrade limit raised to 330. These specifics are subject to change as we go through additional testing and feedback.
Nearly all gear that is rewarded and upgraded will be static and non-moddable to allow for a more convenient upgrade path for the player. Comparing stats and upgrading gear will greatly improve and become easier to understand. Players will still be able to use moddable gear, but this type of gear is not required for players to be effective in any content in the game. Access to a moddable gear vendor will be granted at item rating 334, which is the highest possible gear rating attainable in the major game update following 7.0. We plan to provide that additional layer of stat customization to those players who prefer to min/max their characters between major updates.
You may be wondering how aspects of customization, other than mods, are impacted by everything we discussed above. In short, Amplifiers did not add value to the player experience, so we are removing the system from the game. We are reevaluating how to handle stat customization post-7.0, which may include bringing back Amplifiers in a different form. This evaluation will take into consideration the behaviors we see in-game and player feedback.
We want the gear upgrade experience to be as smooth as possible, so we will be keeping the existing Augments at 7.0 launch. As we stated above, we’re taking a closer look at how to handle stat customization going forward, including improving the interaction between stat customization and other systems, such as crafting. For the time being, the existing Augments and Augmentation Kits will still be usable on 7.0 gear.
All of that being said, how does it fit into the various types of content in the game? Below is a breakdown of how gearing will work with playable content, including an expected flow for each type.
Flashpoints
Running a random Featured Flashpoint via Group Finder each week will yield a guaranteed upgrade to the player’s lowest equipped slot, unless the player is already equipped with fully-upgraded gear. In this scenario, players will receive gear that can be disassembled into currency that can be used for future gear upgrades.
Flashpoints will continue to drop crafting materials and vanity rewards, as they do today. In addition to these, Flashpoints will also drop upgrade currency or gear that can be disassembled into upgrade currency. Players can trade the following to upgrade gear: Flashpoint upgrade currency, daily/heroic currency, conquest currency, credits, and a piece of gear they choose to be upgraded.
Specifics and exact numbering are likely to change when 7.0 is live, but for the sake of example, if the base item rating of level 80 gear for 7.0 is 320, then Veteran Flashpoint players could upgrade their gear all the way up to item rating 324. Master Flashpoint players could upgrade their gear up to item rating 326. Essentially, gear dropped in either mode will be different and not identical to one another as in the past.
In a future update, this max would increase to item rating 328 for Veteran players, and item rating 330 for Master players.
Conquests
Players who wish to enjoy a solo-only experience will mostly upgrade gear by completing Personal Conquests. Using our example numbers above, if the base item rating is 320 in 7.0, upgrading via Conquests can get players to a max item rating of 326. In a future update, this would increase to item rating 330 for Conquest players.
PvP
The PvP gearing structure is similar to the Flashpoint gearing flow discussed above. Weekly Missions will award guaranteed gear upgrades, and crates for match completion will award upgrade materials and sidegrades that can be disassembled into upgrade materials.
PvP Warzones and Arenas will feature both a statistical floor and ceiling. This allows a wide range of participants to join, gives a clear gearing and upgrade path exclusively through PvP activities if desired, and will stat cap anyone joining with higher rated gear than allowed. At 7.0’s launch, PvP activities will award base gear starting at item rating 316, and allow for upgrades up to item rating 326. The floor and ceiling of gear earned via PvP Warzones and Arenas will all rise over time. We will share these details at a later time.
Operations
Operations will be divided into two categories: Legacy Operations and Current Operations.
Legacy Operations, or all Operations not introduced in the Legacy of the Sith expansion cycle, will allow upgrades with item rating caps determined by difficulty.
Current Operations will operate a bit differently. Gear tokens will drop directly from bosses and will be tradeable among the group. For example, after defeating one boss, a player may be awarded with a token for Pants with an item rating of 328. They could then either turn in the token and choose their piece of gear or trade it to another player. We believe allowing players who participate in large group content to gear up others quickly mitigates changes in the group dynamics when leaving or joining the group and is a crucial piece of this type of gameplay.
Based on the item rating examples discussed in the previous sections, Veteran Legacy Operations will allow upgrades at 7.0 up to item rating 326, while Master Legacy Operations will allow up to item rating 330. The Story difficulty for the R-4 Anomaly Operation will drop item rating 328 gear. The Veteran difficulty for the R-4 Anomaly Operation will drop item rating 330, 332, and 334 rated gear. Over time, as new difficulties or Operations are introduced, new, more powerful gear will also come with those updates.
We are excited for the possibilities the new systems in Legacy of the Sith will provide us and our players in terms of improving gameplay, customization, and overall experience with SWTOR. We look forward to sharing more information as we build up to celebrating both the launch of 7.0 and our 10 year anniversary!
Now on PTS: First look at the Sage, Vanguard, and Scoundrel Combat Styles!
Players can now test and give initial feedback on the updated Sage, Vanguard, and Scoundrel Combat Styles on our Public Test Server (PTS). The following Combat Styles are also available on the PTS:
Guardian
Sentinel
Sniper
Operative
Assassin
Sorcerer
Mercenary
Powertech
Juggernaut
Marauder Combat
In the Jedi Consular, Trooper, and Smuggler’s current state, there is quite a bit to learn and memorize--you need to understand active abilities, passive modifiers, selectable utilities, and how they all work together. Our goal is to make these relationships clearer and easier to understand, while also ensuring that the class retains its identity.
To achieve these goals, we are identifying key aspects of the Sage, Vanguard, and Scoundrel to understand how players both perceive and utilize the classes’ abilities. Our focus is to equip the player with knowledge and understanding of these abilities so they can make impactful choices when it comes to ability upgrades and customizations. To make these classes feel less encumbered and customization more concise, we are working to reduce the quantity of abilities but ensuring that these classes remain distinct and unique.
As this round is a high-level first look at the Sage, Vanguard, and Scoundrel, you will be limited on what will be available to play and customize. For each class, the main questions we want players to focus on is “does this feel like a Sage, Vanguard, and Scoundrel?" and “what abilities make these classes unique?” We want to make sure that the foundation is strong and everything we build on top of that is in line with our goals for Combat Styles and giving players a sense of new but familiar.
In addition to these Combat Styles being featured, we will also have Legendary Items available on the PTS. Please read the Legendary Items article for further details on how this system will work in 7.0.
For more details on what is currently available on PTS, check out our Legacy of the Sith Status Update forum post.
For details on how to access PTS and to leave feedback, read here.
Other updates will also be available to test on the PTS in the following weeks, all leading up to the arrival of Legacy of the Sith. Stay tuned for more in-depth details on future PTS opportunities!
Please note that PTS is provided in English only.
Introducing Legendary Items!
Along with the changes to Combat Styles, we wanted to give our players an inside look into one of the big updates coming to gearing in 7.0. Introducing Legendary Items, a new way to customize the play style of your character! Following the philosophy of allowing players more opportunities to personalize their gameplay, we want to dive into how these will be implemented in Legacy of the Sith.
Legendary Items are Implants that have a Legendary bonus on them. This bonus can only appear on these items. Previously, you would see these types of bonuses when you collected set bonuses, which were previously gained by collecting two, four, or six pieces of specific armor.
Starting in 7.0, you now only gain these bonuses on Legendary Items and not sets. By having these appear on single item slots, you will have greater customization of the bonuses you receive. We will be able to provide a broader range of options, including some older fan favorites. When we get closer to testing out Legendary Items, we will be asking the community about their favorite set bonuses from previous game updates. More on that to come!
How do Legendary Items work?
Players will be able to equip two Legendary Items at a time. Each piece of Legendary gear will have a unique effect that will enhance and improve various playstyles, and affect your stats in the same manner that gear does today. No more needing to stack multiple pieces of gear in order to get a set bonus’s effect since it will be rolled into a single Legendary Item!
These items will be obtained at a lower item rating (non-max level) and can be upgraded to higher levels. Essentially, you can increase a Legendary’s item rating over time as they do not need to be replaced like current gear does.
We want players to be able to experience a variety of Legendary Items, so they won't be inherently difficult to obtain. While you may get them at a lower item rating than some of your other gear, you will have the ability to increase a Legendary Item’s Rating directly.
What about current gear?
Set bonuses as they stand today will be gradually phased out. If you are a returning player, you will find that your current set bonuses will be deactivated upon reaching level 76. Note the stats on those pieces of gear will still be applied to your character, only the set bonuses will cease functioning at that time. Rather than having to collect up to six pieces of armor for a Legendary affix, you can focus on obtaining one or two. Being freed from the restriction of set bonuses will also allow you the freedom to mix and match armor to your heart’s content, allowing you to customize your characters more than ever before and without losing the effects and abilities you were accustomed to having previously.
More details on Itemization in Legacy of the Sith will be provided in the near future, so stay tuned!
Cosplay Kits: Lana Beniko
We are ecstatic to announce that we are building out cosplay kits for our community members who want to bring SWTOR characters to life. There has always been a strong cosplay presence in the SWTOR community, and we wanted to take the opportunity in providing this part of our community with these kits prepared by our Art team. Whether you have been cosplaying for several years or just starting out, these kits will be helpful in building your creations. Beginning with Lana Beniko, we will be releasing a variety of character kits throughout the rest of the year.
These kits will focus on several different details on the build of each character including close up high resolution images, a 360 turnaround, references for materials, and color palettes.
A little bit more about Lana:
With her serene and considerate manner, one might mistake Lana Beniko for a Jedi. She is, however, a Sith Lord of great wisdom and strength who has impressed many of her peers in a considerably short period of time with her keen insights into the nature of the Force.
It was Beniko’s treatise on the perceived moral parallels of Jedi and Sith in battlefield settings--as well as her passion for unraveling the truths and secrets behind the Jedi--that brought her to the attention of Darth Arkous of the Dark Council. She has since become his most trusted advisor.
Find the Lana Beniko Cosplay Kits here and stay tuned for more cosplay kits on the horizon!
First look at the Mercenary, Powertech, Juggernaut, and Marauder Combat Styles!
Players can now test and give initial feedback on the updated Mercenary, Powertech, Juggernaut, and Marauder Combat Styles on our Public Test Server (PTS). Note that the Jedi Guardian, Sentinel, Sniper, Operative, Assassin, and Sorcerer Combat Styles are still available for players to experience on PTS.
In the Sith Warrior and Bounty Hunter’s current state, there is quite a bit to learn and memorize--you need to understand active abilities, passive modifiers, selectable utilities, and how they all work together. Our goal is to make these relationships clearer and easier to understand, while also ensuring that the class retains its identity.
To achieve these goals, we are identifying key aspects of the Mercenary, Powertech, Juggernaut, and Marauder to understand how players both perceive and utilize the classes’ abilities. Our focus is to equip the player with knowledge and understanding of these abilities so they can make impactful choices when it comes to ability upgrades and customizations. To make these classes feel less encumbered and customization more concise, we are working to reduce the quantity of abilities but ensuring that these classes remain distinct and unique.
As this round is a high-level first look at the Mercenary, Powertech, Juggernaut, and Marauder, you will be limited on what will be available to play and customize. For more details on what is currently available on PTS, check out our Legacy of the Sith Status Update forum post.
For each class, the main questions we want players to focus on is “does this feel like a Mercenary, Powertech, Juggernaut, and Marauder?" and “what abilities make these classes unique?” We want to make sure that the foundation is strong and everything we build on top of that is in line with our goals for Combat Styles and giving players a sense of new but familiar.
For details on how to access PTS and to leave feedback, read here.
Other updates will also be available to test on the PTS in the following weeks, all leading up to the arrival of Legacy of the Sith. Stay tuned for more in-depth details on future PTS opportunities!
Please note that PTS is provided in English only.
Steam PTS When PTS is available, there will be a new prompt on our storefront page. Clicking the link there will start the process to getting the PTS installed!
Mission Abstract: Investigate link between Darth Malgus and the planet Elom
ATTENTION: Task Force Nova Command SUBJECT: A recent discovery could provide information on Darth Malgus and his plans
MISSION BRIEF
Travel to the planet Elom and examine a connection between ancient Sith ruins and a relic stolen from the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Due to the historical nature of the discovery, my archaeological experience, and my work on Ossus, I was chosen to assemble a team and lead the investigation.
BACKGROUND
I’ve always said, to prepare for the future, we must look to the past. Little did I suspect how portentous this guiding principle would turn out to be.
As reported to Task Force Nova in recent months, Darth Malgus has emerged from hiding and stolen a curious selection of tomes, artifacts, and ancient documents from multiple sources. His recent theft from the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine was a relic so obscure that it was nearly forgotten by history and indeed, unremarked upon in our own records. What he took and the role it plays in his plans remains a mystery. Only through the diligence of Master Vinyor Tesh and Jedi Arn Peralun do we have a lead at all. They learned the relic belonged to a Sith known as “Darth Nul.”
Intrigued, we attempted to delve deeper into this mysterious figure and found little else in our review of the records. The absence of corroborating accounts of their life and works suggests a campaign of secrecy and manipulation of documents. Undeterred, we continued our search for more information on the missing relic.
We looked at the space the relic occupied within the storage archives (a common procedure in field work for estimating historical context) and made an additional discovery. By analyzing the dust and debris that remained we found an exact match to soil samples collected centuries ago on a routine scouting mission to the planet Elom in the Sertar Sector.
There can be no mistake; these humble fistfuls of dirt are a beacon to help us find where this “Darth Nul” spent time and where Malgus hopes to find the answers he seeks. Something lies buried in the cold soil of Elom that someone wanted the galaxy to forget. What can it be and what does Malgus hope to gain from learning its secrets? I won’t guess--I would know. Our exploration of Elom should begin at once.
ELOM
It is not a welcoming place. The planet resides within the Sith Empire and old scouting reports have indicated extensive architectural remains of previous occupation. If developed, Elom could prove to be a fair mining resource and a modest hub for additional travel within the Outer Rim. For now, it remains galactically insignificant.
Much of the surface is covered in a sea of frozen, hard-packed sand and dark stone overshadowed by mountains spotted with tenacious patches of crimson-colored grass. Even the scattered indigenous people have traditionally avoided contact with outsiders and have not been particularly welcoming to those who do arrive. Fortunately, the area of our investigation is far from any significant population center and with luck, our work should remain entirely unknown to the local population.
Scouting droids have returned images of a long spine of rough, blunted mountains across much of the region where our investigation is centered. I’ve named this vast range the Charred Divide in reference to the arresting combination of black rock and red streaks of flora stretching down to the plains.
THE SITE OF INTEREST
The soil sample used in our testing comes from an area that is both remote and unremarkable in valuable natural resources. Despite these natural hardships, we will undoubtedly find remains of Sith occupation. The exact purpose of our site is unknown, but I will infer by the choice of location that privacy and isolation was a primary goal; perhaps a place of contemplation or the study of something more insidious, away from prying eyes? We shall find out.
Should a permanent research team be needed after our initial inspection, they would need to bring sufficient supplies and create a self-sustaining base due to a lack of convenient resources. With the added challenges of the planet’s location in Sith territory, only the most skilled survivalists, or those with generous backing, would find success here without regular off-world support.
Any field personnel should be aware of at least one local predator: the ranphyx, a large feline hunter, covered in thick fur and particularly well-suited to the cold, wind-swept plains at the foot of the mountains. I advise a sufficient combination of defensive measures and, as a last resort, weaponry to ensure camp security and safety.
Note: additional information is needed before a more complete list of natural hazards present on Elom can be catalogued.
RECOMMENDATION
The above cautions, combined with centuries of Sith occupation, have no doubt left many unknown dangers in place to punish the unwary. To ensure our best chances of securing the data we need, the forward team will include only those with the right combination of experience and skills. My padawan, Sa’har Kateen, is well-trained to assist me in overseeing the mission. The following are my key personnel who will submit their own staff recommendations as needed:
Find the secure holocom channel and datapad tracking enclosed for progress updates.
May the Force be with you.
--Denolm Orr, Jedi Master
SWTOR In-Game Events for October
Pirate Incursion Date: October 5 - 12, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT) Requirement: Level 20+
The remote planet Dantooine has been thrust into the center of escalating hostilities between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Spurred on in secret by covert Imperial forces, the Nova Blade pirates have staged an all-out attack on the pastoral Republic world. As the Republic scrambles to defend this key territory at the edge of Imperial space, the Empire plans to capitalize on the chaos and deal a major blow to the longtime Republic bastion.
FEATURED REWARDS:
Nova Blade and Dantooine Homesteader Armor Sets
Ugnaught Companion
Walker Mount
Kath Hound Mount
Kath Hound Mini-pet
Dantooine-inspired Stronghold Decorations
…and more!
Feast of Prosperity Date: October 12 - November 2, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT) Requirement: Level 20+
Over the years, the Hutt Cartel’s reputation has taken a hit. The once powerful organization no longer instills respect and fear. To restore the Cartel’s influence, two up-and-coming Hutts, Gaboorga the Abundant and Duuba the Magnanimous, are throwing the most lavish “charitable banquet” in history for the galaxy’s underprivileged. And if the Cartel happens to advance their business interests during the Feast, everyone wins!
If Gaboorga and Duuba can cooperate, they could rocket the Cartel back into the upper echelons of the galactic underworld. But the Hutts’ conflicting priorities means they’re constantly undermining each other. Each week a new Story Mission will unlock to progress this storyline, leading to the climatic choice during the third and final week: Gaboorga or Duuba? Only one Hutt can win, and the fate of the Feast of Prosperity is at stake. Choose wisely!
For players that participated in the event when it previously ran, you'll be able to immediately jump into the Daily Missions and mini-games! If this will be your first time experiencing the event, each week a Story Mission will unlock - progressing the conflict between Gaboorga and Duuba.
FEATURED REWARDS:
NEW Feast Trader's Armor Set
NEW Roast Scyk Belly and Feast of Prosperity Poster decorations
Feast Attire and Feast Preparation Hat
Feast Ingredient Transport Mount
Hairless Mudhorn and Earthen Thurrb Mini-pets
Feel the Groove and Toast emotes
Overstuffed Backpack and Food Launcher Toys
... and more!
Double XP Event Date: October 12 - November 2, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT) Requirement: None!
Starting October 12th and lasting until November 2nd, there will be a Double XP event! Enjoy multiple weeks of Double XP, Valor, Renown, and more.
Bounty Contract Week Date: October 19 - 26, 2021 (BEGINS AND ENDS AT 5:00AM PST/12:00PM GMT) Requirement: Level 15+
For a limited time, the Bounty Brokers Association has opened its doors to anyone willing to take on their dangerous contracts, offering an opportunity for both seasoned and rookie hunters to prove their skills and bring crime syndicates and violent gangs to justice!
Each day, you can sign up for one standard Henchman contract and one high profile Kingpin Contract, and each may take you to a separate planet. Complete five standard contracts to unlock Kingpin missions with bigger loot! Head to the fleet now, invite your friends and visit representatives of the Association to get started on your contracts!
FEATURED REWARDS:
Reputation with the Bounty Brokers Association
Bounty Tracker’s Armor Set and Contract Hunter’s Armor Set
Assassin’s Bowcaster and Elite Tracker’s Bowcaster weapons
Lobelot, Swamp Kell Drake, and Drink Server Probe Mini-pets
BH-7X Custom Hunter Mount
… and more!
The “Best View In SWTOR” Contest
Our 10-year anniversary is only a few months away! For such a momentous occasion, we wanted to do something special to celebrate with our players.
Every year around the launch anniversary for Star Wars: The Old Republic, we have an in-game anniversary event to celebrate. To commemorate the occasion, we add new rewards to a vendor that only appears during the event. As this upcoming anniversary is our 10-year celebration, we want to do something memorable: this year, players can help choose some of the rewards we add to the celebration!
Starting today, players can submit screenshots taken anywhere on ten select SWTOR planets. Take a screenshot of a scenic vista, a vibrant forest, a peaceful stream… and we’ll choose the screenshot that we feel captures the essence of that planet. One winner will be chosen per planet for a total of ten winning submissions.
The winning submissions will then be turned into Stronghold decorations and distributed by the 10-year Anniversary event vendor in-game! The ten eligible planets for this contest are:
Hutta
Korriban
Ord Mantell
Tython
Tatooine
Makeb
Yavin 4
Zakuul
Ossus
Mek-Sha
Since this is an event celebrating ten years of SWTOR, the team wanted to include planets that represent every era of the game’s history.
How to Enter
If you’re interested in participating in this contest, you can enter by submitting your screenshots to contests@swtor.com. You’re more than welcome to submit a screenshot for multiple planets, but please limit all submissions to only one planet per email, and please only submit one image per planet. All image submissions must follow certain guidelines:
No Player Characters in screenshot (NPCs are allowed).
The in-game UI needs to be turned off. The default command for this is Alt+Z. This includes having nameplates turned off.
Screenshots of cinematics do NOT qualify.
No additional editing done to screenshots. For example, no filters added or editing done by external tools.
Camera settings must be within intended in-game parameters. This means not using external tools or editing game files to exceed in-game settings.
Graphics settings at Very High or Ultra
Image Size: 1920x1080. The team will crop the chosen screenshots to a 4:3 format.
Image Format: JPG
In addition to those image requirements, we ask that your email include the following information:
Subject line clearly states the name of the contest and the specific planet where your screenshot submission was taken. Example: "The Best View In SWTOR Contest - Tatooine Submission".
Account Name.
Name of an existing character on the listed account.
Server the listed character resides on.
Rules and Regulations
Players have from now until 11:59pm CDT on October 5th, 2021 to submit their screenshots! In addition to the above mentioned criteria and required information, there are a few additional rules players must follow in order for their submission to qualify:
Qualifying accounts must have been created by August 31st, 2021.
Accounts need to have a clean standing, both in-game and on the forum. No record of in-game suspension since September 1st, 2020 and no forum suspensions since June 1st, 2021.
Character names must abide by our ToS rules.
Screenshot submissions without the required information (Account name, Character name, and Server name) provided in the same email as the screenshot will be rejected.
Each account is limited to one submission per planet. If you want to submit a screenshot for each eligible planet, please send a separate submission per planet.
Submission emails that have more than one image attached will be disqualified.
Email subject lines must follow the “The Best View In SWTOR Contest - [insert planet name] Submission” format.
Failure to adhere to the above guidelines will result in your submission being rejected. In the event that several people submit the same, or very similar, screenshots, the screenshot submitted first will be selected as the winner, so don’t wait to email us!
Results Announcement
After the SWTOR team selects the winning submissions, we’ll publish an article announcing the winners before our upcoming ‘Legacy of the Sith’ expansion launches. In this announcement, we’ll reveal the winning screenshots, and credit each player (Character Name / Server) who submitted a winning screenshot.
While the winners are credited outside of the game, they will receive something special in SWTOR; a gilded version of the screenshot they submitted! While the normal versions will be available to everyone via the 10-year Anniversary event vendor as soon as the event starts in December, the gilded versions will be distributed shortly after the event starts.
We look forward to seeing what screenshots the community comes up with!
A full breakdown of the official contest rules can be found in this article on our main website.
Now on PTS: First look at the Sorcerer and Assassin Combat Styles!
Following the Jedi Guardian, Jedi Sentinel, Sniper, and Operative, we are now in our fourth round of Combat Styles updates. Players can now test and give initial feedback on the updated Sorcerer and Assassin Combat Styles on our Public Test Server (PTS). Before we get into the details of how players can access this content, we wanted to share some of the philosophy behind our changes to the Sith Inquisitor.
In the Sith Inquisitor’s current state, there is quite a bit to learn and memorize--you need to understand active abilities, passive modifiers, selectable utilities, and how they all work together. Our goal is to make these relationships clearer and easier to understand, while also ensuring that the class retains its identity.
To achieve these goals, we are identifying key aspects of the Sorcerer and Assassin, and understanding how players both perceive and utilize the classes’ abilities. Our focus is to equip the player with knowledge and understanding of these abilities so they can make impactful choices when it comes to ability upgrades and customizations. To make the Sorcerer and Assassin feel less encumbered and customization more concise, we are working to reduce the quantity of abilities but ensuring that these classes remain distinct and unique.
As this round is a high-level first look at the Sorcerer and Assassin, you will be limited on what will be available to play and customize. For more details on what is currently available on PTS, check out our Legacy of the Sith Status Update forum post.
For each class, the main questions we want players to focus on is “does this feel like a Sorcerer and Assassin?" and “what abilities make this class unique?” We want to make sure that the foundation is strong and everything we build on top of that is in line with our goals for Combat Styles and giving players a sense of new but familiar.
For details on how to access PTS and to leave feedback, read here.
Other updates will also be available to test on the PTS in the following weeks, all leading up to the arrival of Legacy of the Sith. Stay tuned for more in-depth details on future PTS opportunities!
Please note that PTS is provided in English only.
Steam PTS When PTS is available, there will be a new prompt on our storefront page. Clicking the link there will start the process to getting the PTS installed!
Game Update 6.3.2a Patch Notes
Kai Zykken, the Merchant of Mystery, is now available all days of the week to sell Unique Items to players.
The following Izax and Dxun decorations are now tradeable:
Commemorative Statue of Red the Pack Leader
Commemorative Statue of Predator Droid
Commemorative Statue of Mutant Trandoshans
Commemorative Statue of Kronissus
Commemorative Statue of Hissyphus
Commemorative Statue of Titax
Commemorative Statue of Greus
Commemorative Statue of The Huntmaster
Apex Vanguard Statue
Commemorative Statue of Izax, the Destroyer
The following Objectives are now correctly progressing:
Crafting: Inventor
Crafting: Inventor 2
The descriptions in the PvP tabs of the Activity Finder window are no longer missing.
It is no longer possible to edit the descriptions of the Activities in the Activity Finder window.
The “True Apex Predator” Title has been temporarily changed to the “Apex Predator” Title to fix it appearing as blank. The correct title will be restored in a future update.
Bosses are no longer only dropping crafting materials for low-level characters (56-60) in the following Flashpoint - Story Mode:
Maelstrom Prison
Assault on Tython
The Black Talon
Fixed the following issues on harvesting nodes:
Players now correctly receive their loot after harvesting a node while in a group.
Harvesting nodes now correctly appear as fully looted after being harvested.
The following issue has been previously fixed with a hotfix deployed on September, 1st:
Items that were already 'Bound by Legacy' are no longer showing a bind timer.
