Avian Gamers Network

<@Brannoc> and feel free to begin sending questions concerning the Combat Upgrade to [QT]Brekkee OR [QT]Phineus
<@Brannoc> Welcome to another great Stratics house of commons chat with the developers of Starwars Galaxies! Tonight will be focusing on the Combat Upgrades so please try to focus questions around this. And don't forget that the Anaheim Fan Fest tickets are now on sale at http://events.station.sony.com/fanfest/
<@Brannoc> Please send those questions to [QT]Brekkee or [QT]Phineus - to do so type /msg [QT]NICK My question here. (Replacing nick with their name.) Please only send questions to our QT's as those sent to myself or the developers will not make it into the lineup.

<@Brannoc> The full logs will be posted on http://swg.stratics.com after the chat. We'll begin with a quick intro from our guests...now would be a good time to send in those questions!
<@Tiggs> Hello, Tiggs here, Director of Community and resident pouncer!
<@Jfreeman> Hello. I'm Jeff Freeman, I'm working on the Rage of the Wookiees expansion and with pet issues in Combat Upgrade.
<@LECTtemmerman> Hello. I'm Tim Temmerman. I'm the Lead Tester at LucasArts for Combat Upgrade.
<@Keldarin> Hi there! Keldarin here. I'm the Lead Systems Designer on the CU.
<@dirt> Hi, I am dirt. My primary task for CU is to enhance the AI.
<@Malakaren> Hi! I'm James Pratt. I am the user interface design lead.
<@Rogue_5> Hi! I'm Rogue_5 and I am the Project Manager for Combat Upgrade.
<@Chrysalide> Chrysalide here. Designer, primarily responsible for healing systems, buff systems, new food and new spices
<@Helios_SOE> Helios here (Kai in the real world). CU designer focusing mostly on all things weapons, powerups and commando powers in general.

<@Brannoc> *Denath* Question 1: have the issue with Lairs been discovered and fixed?
<@LECTtemmerman> The issue with Lair's not being attackable was found by our test team and addressed. Expect to see the fix for it soon.
<@Rogue_5> The fix for lairs is actually going out to the test server right now.

<@Brannoc> *Jade_Falcon* How will the new armour certs effect across skills?For instance a Master pistoleer and MCH would give you both Recon and battle certs.If I use battle armour would i lose my pistol skills and specials?
<@Helios_SOE> There is no penalty for being certed for both. You would be able to use both certs with both skill sets.

<@Brannoc> *TheLateAnakinSolo* Hey, I'd just like to give you guys a shout out about how well you balanced professions in the CU. I do, however, have a question for you. The new 'level' system is an extreme change to the 'feel' of SWG. Are there any plans to remove the level system, or not make it so dominate in combat?
<@Keldarin> SWG has always had a level system it's just been hidden. We decided to to expose the level system and base the balance more heavily on those levels to make combat easier to understand and learn and make the game more fun and tactical.

<@Brannoc> *|DKP|RoughRyder* How is the skill point respec going to work when the curb goes live?
<@Keldarin> We are trying to make the skill respec as fair and balanced as possible. You will be able to switch around any of your combat related skills, though we are trying to keep Novice skill points only tradeable for Novice skill, Elite skills for Elite skills, etc.

<@Brannoc> *Mistrider* In the new system, will existing characters start at lvl 1? If not, what determines their level?
<@Rogue_5> An existing character's level will be determined by what combat skills that character has. We will have have a respec system available so that you can try out some of the new roles before commiting to your final choice.

<@Brannoc> *Swor* Will current charcters get the chance to respecify their race?
<@Jfreeman> Not as a part of the combat upgrade.

<@Brannoc> *Caylin* As Feign death on the Tc-EP3 server does not currently work, Smugglers have no idea what to expect with this ability. On the February 24th patch, Feign death in a pvp setting (not to mention a few NPC encounters) was made worthless. So many players would like to know What changes to the feign death skill players can expect with the Combat Upgrade, if any?
<@Keldarin> We are still working on fixing the Feign Death ability. This particular ability is tricky as it needs to be useful and fun without being overpowering. This is very tricky considering the PvE and PvP implications but we will do our best to make it as balanced as possible.

<@Brannoc> *RRR187* How will crafters place harvesters on planets now, since creatures kill low level characters so quickly?
<@Helios_SOE> If you wish to gather resources in dangerous areas, you should either get a PSG or you could also hire some other players to protect you in the wilds.

<@Brannoc> *Kimi_Kauri* Under the new system, what will be the cap of melee/ranged defense? Because of the high SP cost, will ranger be given more of these mods and an increase in combat level/HAM?
<@Keldarin> We're constantly re-evaluating our design decisions and listen carefully to player feedback. We changed our stance on Rangers contributing to combat level and will be adding that into the calculation. In the near future you will see your Scout and Ranger skills add to your Combat Level. =)

<@Brannoc> *seanlute* Are there plans to implement holsters/scabbards/sheaths?
<@Chrysalide> We have no plans to implement holsters, scabbards, or sheaths for Combat Upgrade

<@Brannoc> *Phaelyn* Quewstio: Seeing as there is a lot going on with Testing and creating Fixes, etc - Is there any plan to implement a "What we are working on Today" type thread so we know better where our testing efforts lay?
<@Jfreeman> Our ep3 producer to maintaining a Dallas Diary as we get closer to launch for the episode three expansion.
<@Jfreeman> That'll be a great source for "What we're working on now" type updates.

<@Brannoc> *Anon258* Some people have been saying that the Combat Balance is going to be a nerf to solo fighting so my question is how will solo fighting be handled in the Combat Balance, I do not like group fighting at all and would feel out of place if I would no longer be able to fight without a group
<@LECTtemmerman> You'll be able to play a full solo game if you wish, and be self-sufficient. If you don't feel like grouping, you can still play through solo and master a profession. That said, there still are some intense dungeons and rare creatures that will require a grouping effort (they are optional to your character progress).

<@Brannoc> *Mistrider* since they cant get high quality resources on TC, what happens when the CU hits live and the max quality weapons are too powerful?
<@Helios_SOE> Weapons will be brought into line with were they should be based on the new, post-CU target values. This means some weapons will be brought down while others will be brought up. We have implemented measures to ensure that out-of-balance weapons can no longer be created.

<@Brannoc> *psychopyro80* Are they going to address any further the issues to people who have color blindness issues?
<@Malakaren> We are working hard to design the interface so all forms of color blindness are addressed in the SWG interface, particualrly where graphics need descrimination. Trying to balance fun game information with vital tactical information is our goal. We will be optimizing the interface elements for accessability continually.

<@Brannoc> *Caylin* In the Smuggler Skill set on the TC-EP3 server, there are several unarmed modifiers, yet there is nothing within the smuggler skill set that uses them other than the prerequisites. It's as if these modifiers exist simply for Teras Kasi to dabble in. Do the developers have any plans to make these unarmed modifiers useful to the Smuggler profession, rather than one dabbling in it? Or is the intention to keep them mostly
<@Keldarin> There's a change that will be coming very soon to TC that changes the way weapon certifications. Soon many weapons will be certified strictly by Combat Level and not necessarily by actual skill boxes. This means that many unarmed weapons will be usable by Smugglers allowing them to se those skill-mods. We are going to be preserving certain weapons, particularly quest rewards and rare signature weapons that will require specific skills as we

<@Brannoc> *JavelinCatcher* CU Question: Currently the maximum number of players allowed in a group is 8 on TC-EP3 instead of 20 like we have on Live. Is this intended? If so, why?
<@Keldarin> We changed the group size to 8 to allow better balancing of the game. We can craft a more fun and tactical experience when we have a reasonable limit to the size of player groups.

<@Brannoc> *Degwin* Three changes in the combat revamp have really been bothering me. 1. One is the horrible sound effects to weapons. These effects aren't like anything in the movies. On live servers (without the CU), sounds were taken from the movies, and gave weapons a wonderful feel. But in the CU, they sound like rubberband launchers. Is there any plans to change the sounds back? Why were they changed? 2. The next thing that bothers
<@LECTtemmerman> The sound effects for CU are still coming in and being hooked up. As you play you should begin to hear guns and weapons having more fitting sound effects, other than the 'rubber band' sound. Also, have a listen to the new music that was just added.

<@Brannoc> *mike91012* I would like to know about how the Jedi's in the Post CU are going to be able to Defend against PvE and PvP without the DEFENDER lines of Jedi.. because i know a lot of Jedi that use Powers and Lightsaber, and thats the only Skill Masters ???
<@Keldarin> It is true that Jedi will require defensive and offensive abilities. We've been doing a lot of work to make Defender and Enhancer viable options for those defensive abilities as well as making Powers and Lightsaber viable options for offensive abilities. The Jedi skills should be more balanced and allow for more flexibility of template setup.

<@Brannoc> *Ludo* Considering the dramatic changes the CU brings, how much freedom will be given to veteran players to change their templates, skills, or even species?
<@Keldarin> The special Lightsaber damage type was causing significant balance issues and needed to be removed. We've adjusted the saber damage amounts to compensate. This should create a more balanced and engaging combat experience.
<@Rogue_5> When Combat Upgrade goes to the live servers, veteran players will have the ability to "respec" their character. Players will be able to modify their skills to try out different roles for a period of time before being having to commit to a new template.

<@Brannoc> *Keldarin's answer was to this question: *Cergo* when are we going to see some word on the saber elemental damage and what kind of impact the new energy sabers will have on armor that will have energy resists?
<@Brannoc> Rogue's answer was to Ludo's

<@Brannoc> *Kampher* Are we going to be able to switch between the old and new interface? Many people dont like the new icons, and would like to switch back to the old ones. Will this be possible?
<@Malakaren> No.

<@Brannoc> *Le_Jedi_Fou* Hello devs. Question : with the new CU, it's very hard to start another combat profession when you're already have a Combat Level. Fighting a mob level 3 unarmed with Novice Brawler will grant no XP because your combat level is too high (Master Carbineer). What is your plan about that ?
<@Keldarin> The new weapon certification system should also help alleviate this problem. Once you have leveled to a certain point with a given profession you will be able to use a comparably leveled weapon from another profession. You would not be nearly as powerful as the same level player from that profession but it will help greatly in earning experience for the new profession.

<@Brannoc> *Colbius* According to the polls on the SWG forums there seems to be a dislike for the new system are you getting similiar results from the feedback?
<@Rogue_5> We are not seeing that level of aversion to the communicated changes. What has actually been pleasantly surprising is that the in-game exit polls and the forum polls have continued to move to the positive every day. It appears that most of what was driving the negativity at first was just that it was a 'change' to the current game-play systems that we all know so well. Once people continued to play through it and joined with friends w

<@Brannoc> *Seriah* if you have been monitoring the expansion boards on the forums, then you have seen the dabate on the BARC speeder. could you clarify this for us please? Seriah-EH Karrde from chilastra and TC-EP3
<@Tiggs> Yes, the BARC Speeder will be an exclusive item that you can only get if you buy the retail box that hits the shelf at the end of May. But, it will be tradeable in-game, so it will still be possible to pick one up if you are really interested in getting one. The Varactyl, our new mount, is the exclusive item tied to the Digital Download and is also going to be tradeable so it is up to the player to figure out what they want and go fo

<@Brannoc> *Smuggler_Ragnaar* Question: What was the reasoning behind changing XP types for non-combat to combat for Smuggler and Squad Leader? Did you feel that the newly added combat mods trumped the original skill set (Slicing, Ledering)?
<@Keldarin> We needed to change the Smuggler and Squad Leader experience types to work better with the new combat balance. Because these professions are now more fully qualified combat professions this should be a reasonable and fun change.

<@Brannoc> *Qualar* Is there any plans to change the XP rewards? I'm curious as to why we get less when grouped. I'm also curious as to why group members enjoy a large damage reduction. This would seem to be something that perhaps should be a benefit of Squad Leader, not merely for grouping random players together?
<@Keldarin> Group experience should always be better than solo experience. The difference in xp amount while in a group is due to player level difference. The correct amount of experience is given based on the player receiving the experience. It's important to note that XP is a group is never split, you will always receive your full xp reward as long as you participated in the combat.

<@Brannoc> *vamparm* will jedi get a different force bar now we are going to suffer action/mind costs too when the CU hits?
<@Tiggs> Folks, we are sticking with just CU questions please
<@Keldarin> Jedi will now use both their Force Power as well as Action and Mind. Action and Mind use will affect individual combat engagements while Force Power will limit a Jedi on a longer term. The balance should allow Jedi to have interesting and exciting tactical combats.

<@Brannoc> *Sortileger* When will we be able to test the bio-engineer abilities?
<@Chrysalide> Bio-engineer cloning will be available for testing soon. The rest of the BE abilities should be ready for testing right now.
<@Tiggs> Player Name: Krun'al Dev Question: How fast will the Varactyl mount be exactly? As fast as an X34 landspeeder? As fast as a swoop? Slower? Faster?
<@Tiggs> It will be one of the fastest mounts in the game.

<@Brannoc> *Sutarion* With the decrease in the number of members per group, how do you plan to change the space grouping rules so that we can still have parties on our Yachts?
<@Rogue_5> We have implemented a new system that will allow you to keep larger groups on the yachts and other large ships. You will now be able to invite anyone that is nearby the space terminal when launching your ship regardless of if they are in your group or not. There will still be a cap of around 20 players.

<@Tiggs> From the forums:
<@Tiggs> How will Jedi fit in the combat level system check for PVP and PVE ?
<@Tiggs> Now that power is mainly determine by your combat level, are you not afraid highest level char will rule the server (pvp, high level loot...)? Will ranked Jedi also gain more combat level while progressing in the rank?
<@Tiggs> With all the new goodies given at the rank for Jedi, will the FRS be reset to give a new fresh pvp start, and the Issue with 20 kill only limitation resolved?
<@Tiggs> Jedi follow the same leveling scheme as all other combat related professions. We are carefully considering the exact level maximum for a completely advanced Jedi but have not determined exactly where that should be yet. The Force Ranking system has not been adjusted with the Combat Upgrade a should not change significantly, though a Force Ranked Jedi may be required to revoke all Force Ranks before being able to respec their characte

<@Tiggs> Player Name: Mizraal Question: Can you explain why there is a damage multiplier against lower level targets?
<@Tiggs> Balance in a mixed PvE & PvP game is very tricky. Some aspects of the game balance are shared between the two playstyles while others are completely different. The relative level balancing that we do allows a power progression that is fun and meaningful in the PvE game while still being balanced and fair in the PvP game resulting in a more tactically exciting and fun game for all players and gamestyles.

<@Brannoc> *Le_Jedi_Fou* Is there a real difference except look between different sets of armor of the same kind ? Like Tantel, Ubese, Mabari and Scout Trooper armor (all Recon type)
<@Keldarin> Armor of the same category with different appearances will have the same stats. Armor category cores are created which define the stats regardless of the actual appearance they are placed in.

<@Brannoc> *sXe|Astyana* Will Fencers and Pistoleers be able to dual wield their respective weapons?
<@Chrysalide> Dual Wield will not be implemented with Combat Upgrade.

<@Brannoc> *Degwin* How will cybernetic limbs be handled? Will they be customizable (stlye/color)? Can we equip more then one?
<@Jfreeman> The cybernetic enhancements are specific quest-rewards in the episode 3 expansion. There are different types,
<@Jfreeman> which grant different specials and skillmods. You can't have more than 2 installed at a time.

<@Brannoc> *JetSeb* how will we able to change our skill points when the CU will be live ?
<@Keldarin> There is a complete new respec UI that will allow you to switch around your combat related skills and try them out for a while before commiting to your new skill template.

<@Tiggs> From the forums
<@Tiggs> Player Name: Krun'al Dev Question: The Combat Upgrade will be the foundation of everything else. Will we see new dungeons, new creatures and maybe even themed publishes in the publishes following the CU? Or will it be months of bug fixes and tweaks?
<@Tiggs> After Combat Upgrade we will definitely continue to put new content in the game including game features, systems and all kinds of fun new items similar to what you were seeing right before Combat Upgrade.

<@Brannoc> Alright folks, that does it for this one. Thanks for joining us here on Stratics IRC and be sure to come by again next time. The logs will be posted shortly on http://swg.stratics.com
<@Brannoc> Remember that #Starwars will remain open for chat!
<@Tiggs> Take care folks!!! See you on the boards =P
<@Helios_SOE> Thanks for coming out!
<@Rogue_5> Thanks folks!
<@Keldarin> Thanks for coming everyone!
<@Jfreeman> Goodnight, all.
<@Chrysalide> Bye everyone!
<@LECTtemmerman> See you in TC!