Expansion officially announced...

[Corvinius]

There we go:

The Expansion is announced!

Seems 3.0 will give us a HUGE overhaul of the game.

They just announced we will say bye-bye to the skill trees.

Instead we will gain DISCIPLINES.

Claiming to be more flexible and with more combination possibilities.

http://www.swtor.com/info/news/blog/20141006

And here comes the official announcement from Bioware:

http://www.swtor.com/info/news/press-release/20141006

Seems beginning of December will give us level 60.

And early access for those who Pre-order the explansion.

[Corvinius]

http://youtu.be/1AE1dqIpJ7k

And here we go with the announcement trailer!

Seems we get - YAVIN as the new planet!



Looks like it is something to look forward to.

Though I am a bit unsure if I like where the skill change to "discipline" goes.

Especially what it may do to rotation or balance to the game.

But that remains to be seen.

What IS sure it will be a major shakeup for the game.

Hope that does not mean it goes more casual as WOW became on the way of expansion...

[Raiah]

Question is how much the disciplines can really change. They'd probably want to keep each advanced class and the three disciplines to feel and play mostly like before or they'll upset a lot of people that they've changed their classes.

Maybe they'll take this chance to give is support for multiple specs and maybe a advanced class respec though...

Here's hoping the story and quests will be better than that of Makeb. Makeb was a beautiful planet, very well done, but the quests and story were not up to the same standard.

[Corvinius]

Well, as for the "Disciplines" there will be a one hour livestream today.

21:00 MEST to 22:00 MEST

Here is the link.

http://starwars.gamona.de/2014/10/07/sh ... ore-106166

Well, I certainly will take a look at that...

[mistaahh]

I can't, but, do a quick summary afterwards, please, because I think hybrid tree players will be annoyed.

Also, level cap to 60, useless to grind for gear now, right? x_x

[Corvinius]

Well - there we go.

Seeing the discipline stream I can say certain things:

- Skills are pretty much "casualized" (going the WoW way - giving you preset skill you reach at certain levels)

- Hybrids?

They are indeed dead - no possibility to pick or mix up the classes

Quote:"Hybrids mess up the way damage works. We do not have time to check every possible damage combination in a skill tree system."

Kinda right - but it makes "classes" more like boring clones fixed on one tree.

And giving you a few perks (now 7 for level up 60) to adjust if you for instance "get more healing" or "get more force" will still mean differences are...minimal.

And is in my opinion very lame.

- no mixing of skill trees anymore:

You will now get certain "core abilities" from the skill tree and no possibility to pick some from other trees.

- Are stances still usable if you go for example from tank spec into dps stance?

Yes - will still be possible.

But if you do not change the tree to dps you will be pretty much a liability meaning only a broken dps.

- There will be major changes to healing and how healing works

Major important infos by now from the stream:

- DOT can not be cleansed anymore

- Stuns will be cleansable

- Cleanse will have higher cooldown

Many more changes will be announced later.

So seeing this I am quite annoyed how they rip the soul from the skill part of the game "because balancing is nearly impossible when adding levels higher and higher if players can choose from other skill trees and combine "weird combinations" which skill points."

So it will be a major change to the worse in my opinion - pressing you in ONE role with giving you some cosmetic differences like "more healing", "higher shielding" etc. and some minor tweaks.

As for other questions the stream was wholly about disciplines only - with some shreds of informations about some other changes strewn in (like the DOT non-cleansable info etc.)

Seems indeed I will feel more like a clone trooper from Star Wars more and more and that my only "difference" from other players will be fancy clothings.

Ah, well maybe a bit gloomy but seeing this definitely gives me NO good impression from the skill overhaul.

But that is a personal opinion only.

[Lisszia]

My greatest fear is that is that it well make me unable to play. I work a certain odd way.. I do not switch roles, I have different scoundrels for different trees, because I can not. I build my chars up for level 1 and learn using them that way. Now I will have 10 level 55 chars I can not use and 12 more already far form level 1, no slots on this server. I'll stick to Rp , but probably that is all for me after changing the system. At least for a very very long time.. ... If I delete my old chars and restart them.. then I loose unlocks on single char and crafting , learnt plenty schematics and so on.. So not even that is an potion I want to take... I'm definitely not happy with this change. I'll probably delete my non crafter and restart them .. those who do not have any unlocks for them only in pets, pets mounts ETC.. but that is also only 1-2 chars and some of my lowbies... But as Corv a said I'm gloomy and it is my problem.. that I can not learn new things only one by one while building up a char. So we will see.

[mistaahh]

Saw that one coming. I'm not really a hybrid player, but still very pissed off at this change.

The hybrid trees were beautiful marvels of creativity. And now we're wasting that creativity and ingenuity.

Well done, EA. Well done.

[SethAltair]

I kind of understand how adding levels and skill points could majorly upset class balance. I mean, if things remained how they were, people could probably attain some overpowered combos, or if some skills were moved higher up the tree, it'd mean players would only get some important skills much further in the game than they needed them. I suppose it is a question which we'd rather have...

I don't have many hybrid characters, but I am a bit disappointed by the seeming lack of customization this change will cause. However, I'm not quite yet sure how it will work, so I'm witholding judgement for now. How majorly healing will change is a big question mark.

[Corvinius]

Still something to tease the players with.

A return of a little bit of class stories...

"For the most part, yes, what you will play is one singular storyline which is being told from two different sides, as player-characters of both factions have the same goals in the storyline (as in Forged Alliances). Additionally, each player class will be given one unique Class Story Mission as part of the storyline; these are entirely different from one another.

Thanks!

-eric"

Remains to be seen if it gives you the unique class story feel or is more a small throw in mission.

But that sounds nice at least...