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Star Wars Galaxies Game Update 5 goes live
It's been the better part of a month in testing, but finally Star Wars Galaxies Game Update 5 is ready for live release. The servers went down this morning for the patch, and returning players should find a host of tweaks and changes. The final live patch notes are available in the official SWG forums. Integrated voice chat and an embedded web browser are two of the most substantial new additions. The arrival of Vivox services in an SOE game has been some time in coming, but it has finally arrived - with more Vivox integrations planned very soon.Other GU5 additions include an entirely revamped weaponsmithing system, the 60-month veteran reward, Beast Master tweaks, UI tweaks, and (of course) the brand new commemorative in-game paintings from the Create A Painting contest. Make sure to visit Navari Trik outside of the Mos Eisley cantina soon - they're only available for a limited time!
Star Wars Galaxies site feature explains new Weaponsmith core tech
The official site for Star Wars Galaxies has up a guide to the brand new Weaponsmith 'core crafting' system, coming soon in Game Update 5. Smiths can now essentially mix and match level, power, and look to any weapon - customers can custom-order a weapon to fit their power and personality. This is accomplished by crafting weapon cores, subcomponents that set the level of the weapon to be crafted. Cores range in level from 18 - 90, and the level of the weapon determines the item's stats. Each core has a level range of even levels. Basic cores create weapons level 18-40, standard cores are level 42-72, and advanced cores are 74-90.Choosing what the weapon looks like is as easy as selecting an appearance from the wide array of skins available in the game. The only 'catch' is that certain weapons are restricted by class. The skin for the Indimidator blaster pistol, for example, is only usable by Officers. All weapons created by the 'smith require that the owner 'bio-link' (bind on equip, essentially) the item. There are a number of additional elements to the new system as well, allowing subcomponents that add elemental damage, stat boosts, range increases, and damage increases. The guide even details breaking down old weapons for use in the new system - your favorite old gun isn't obsolete, essentially. It's a really interesting new addition to the game's crafting mechanic, and well worth exploring.
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.
Star Wars Galaxies' new producer hints at future content
Just yesterday we noted that Star Wars Galaxies has a new producer, as long-time friend of the game Lorin Jameson moves into a directorship position for SOE-Austin. The new producer, Christopher "Dotanuki" Field, sat in with the forum-goers last night to answer a number of their resulting questions. Here are some highlights: They are aware of player concerns over server population, and have something in the works right now to address it. Hoth (coming in Chapter 11) is planned as a strictly PvE experience, and at the moment they don't plan on space combat to be a part of the instance. More on Hoth: It will be both indoors/outdoors, and "There are going to be things in Hoth that you've not seen before in Star Wars Galaxies." Droid Commander is right now slated for Chapter 12. They're already at work on a new holiday for the year, something we haven't seen before. A fan asks if the Hoth battle means they're advancing the gameworld's timeline, to which Field responds: "We're not changing the timeline. It's going to be very self-contained and not linked to the game world like our other Heroics." Spy additions/changes are planned for Game Update 6, as are issues with the City system. Five year veteran rewards will be coming with Game Update 5 (coming next week to TC). They're working on some more new weapon models for the game, especially welcome given the new Weaponsmithing system coming in GU5. Before signing off, Field answers a fan who asks what SWG should offer players: "SWG should offer players compelling Star Wars content that makes them feel like they're part of the Star Wars universe. Most of all, it should be a fun game to play. I would hope that SWG has something to offer for all play styles. Whether you enjoy leveling up, Heroics, crafting, casual play, etc... it should always be enjoyable."
Star Wars Galaxies producer DeadMeat moving to SOE-Austin director position
Lorin "DeadMeat" Jameson has been a big part of the new wave of communication between the players of Star Wars Galaxies and the folks at SOE who make it. It's therefore very much worth noting that Jameson is moving out of his production role on the project, to a development directorship at the Sony Online Entertainment - Austin studio. This announcement comes in Jameson's semi-regular producer's letter, which otherwise recaps the last few weeks since Chapter 10 hit the live servers.Christopher Field is stepping into his position as Producer on the game, and generally notes his enthusiasm for the Star Wars IP in his first address to the players. Aside from his new position Jameson also notes that while Game Update 5 will be on the Test Server next week, Update 6 is going to be delayed. "The team is now pretty much focused on the Battle for Echo Base and I have to say that this is one of the most ambitious chapters we have attempted to date. The Hoth terrain and battlespace is huge and the features that are being added to support this classic Star Wars moment are incredibly exciting. In fact it is such a large undertaking that we will be delaying Update 6 until we have more of the pieces in place to ensure that we truly deliver on this encounter. Once we have broken up some of the larger development rocks for this chapter we will be able to pick up on the update tracks again."
Star Wars Galaxies Beast Masters getting a revamp in Update 5
Thomas "Hanse" Eidson, designer on the SOE title Star Wars Galaxies, has released another developer diary detailing his latest efforts to improve the game. The upcoming Game Update 5 will tackle the Beast Master expertise system, a sort of alternate advancement path every class can use to tame and train fearsome beasts. It was introduced in Chapter 6, and in this newest patch will see a number of usability and game design tweaks. Many of them are simple quality of life issues; you'll be able to call you beast in combat, for example, and there's a new dye system in place the will allow you to recolor your pet even after it leaves the cloning vat.Eidson also notes some major 'under-the-hood' revamps. The way a beast's happiness worked was arcane and hard to understand, both from a player perspective and in the code. Beast happiness has been refactored, with the end result being that beasts can be made happier, more easily. From the player perspective, this will result in beasts doing more damage and earning experience more quickly - a much requested feature. Additionally beasts can now be stuffed, their movements should be more in-line with player expectations, and eggs and enzymes are more informatively named. An interesting look behind the scenes - expect Game Update 5 on the live servers soon!
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.
