munitions-trader
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Test patch notes posted for Star Wars Galaxies Update 5
We've had a lot of lead-up to this GU and finally it looks like it's here. Yesterday the Test Center patch notes for Star Wars Galaxies Game Update 5 hit the official forums. From the inclusion of Vivox voice chat to heavy structural changes to the Beast Mastery expertise, you'll find all the information you need if you're planning to check out the content early. With the festivities surrounding the fifth anniversary, there's been some preview activity surrounding this patch already. To just run down the biggest changes: Vivox voice chat has been added to the game, with a number of new UI and supplemental elements. There's a new in-game web browser now as well, which can be accessed via the /browser command. The 60-month veteran reward is being added in, a one-person hoverchair vehicle. Beastmaster tweaks are mostly quality of life issues, with eggs now using their type name to identify them in inventory and the ability to stuff a beast added to the game. The process to craft all weapons has been updated, completely changing how Munitions Traders play. Cores are new crafted subcomponents used to select the level of the weapon the trader is crafting. These cores can be mounted into any 'shell', meaning the Munitions Trader can customize a weapon for a customer based on look and level both.
Preview of Star Wars Galaxies Game Update 5
The Game Updates to Star Wars Galaxies are all about filling in the cracks, making the game experience as a whole better for the players. It's great, then, to see previews for Game Update 5 already on the official SWG forums. This patch looks to be improving the game for Munitions Traders (just one of the Trader variations), and folks making use of the Beast Master expertise system. What the devs tackled for this patch was partially dictated by the suggestions of the community and the representative Senator for that profession.The Trader Senator identified basic economic viability as the biggest weakness of the class; looted weapons are generally much better than crafted weapons, and level requirements ensure that the class is essentially useless until the very highest levels. Even then, the lack of upgrades and tweakability makes for a lackluster experience. In response the developers are introducing an experience more like that used by Traders specializing in armor. Weaponsmiths can put any level 'core' into any weapon appearance, allowing for endlessly customizable and specifically-aimed products.The Beast Master Senator had similar concerns, given the extremely long time it takes to get a pet to an appropriate level. The developers are going to be reexamining the leveling curve in response, and (much appreciated by me) they're going to consider allowing newly made pets to be stuffed and mounted as decorations for player housing. We'll follow this patch as it moves along its path to the live servers.
