AT-ST changes on Test Center

[Borg]

Good eeeeevening.

I just wanted to give a heads up while we are still in the testing stage.

As many of you know, the AT-ST is a faction pet and the new Publish is going to be bringing some changes to pets in the grand scheme of things. Among the many changes to the game world in this publish are going to be the Creature Handler Profession changes and the Creature Balance changes. Both of those changes will have an impact on pets in general and there will be additional improvements after this first pass. I’ll be doing a more detailed post on the creature balance and you can find information elsewhere on the Creature Handler changes in the development forum, but in the meantime, I wanted to go over the AT-ST changes that you’ll be seeing right away.

With the Creature Handler Profession changes, Creature Handlers will be able to have more than one pet (up to 3 pets) and everyone else will be able to have a single pet. In the wake of this change, any factioned Imperial who is not a Creature Handler will only be able to have one pet. I know some of you are used to having three pets out, but the reason Creature Handlers are being re-balanced is because players can get the combat benefits of the Creature Handler Tree for the skill point cost of 2 trees (essentially all the benefit for half the skill point price) and having three pets out is a major perk for Creature Handlers. If everyone can do it, then its not a perk. The reasoning is that if you really want to have and control three pets, a player should make a commitment to the profession. For example, Teras Kasi Artists and all melee combatants commit themselves to the challenge of playing a short-range game on a playing field where most of the advantages are long-range. Crafters commit their skill points to crafting disciplines and are at a greater risk while searching for resources in the wild and maintaining their harvesters. All professions have to make hard choices at some point - - that is what defines them and makes them interesting.

The next overall change that will effect AT-ST’s is the Creature Balance. The Creature Balance definitely needs a post all to itself, but as it pertains to the AT-ST’s, it is currently a pet. Pets are part of the creature system and creatures overall needed to be balanced. What I mean by “balanced” is that there are lots and lots of creatures in the game world and in the overall view of things, it’s a great system, but there are certain aspects that are out of alignment. That is to say, when armor, hit points and resistances are compared against HAM costs, weapon and damage types, there are some instances where combat with creatures is too easy and instances where it is too difficult. Some creatures have poor armor and high resistances and low hit points and are glass-jaw targets and fall in combat too easy. Other creatures have high armor, high resistances and high hit points and they are too difficult. In the interest of making the game fun and challenging across the board, places where combat with creatures was too easy was stiffened up a bit and made to be more difficult and where the game was too difficult, the numbers were loosened a bit so the system should make more sense and be more fun. As part of this change, AT-ST’s have less armor and Hit Points went up.

Another aspect of AT-ST’s that has been changed has to do with PvE combat. In my original AT-ST thread, the majority of players wanted to remove AT-ST’s from PvE, except in cases of Faction Missions and we agree with you. That change has been implemented. Our reasoning was pretty much in line with yours in that for the most part, Imperial Soldiers don’t have free reign with their equipment and shouldn’t be off shooting womp rats and collecting money from settlers for doing odd jobs. AT-STs are war machines and should be off fighting the war. Sure this is an MMO and players get a lot of leeway to do what they want, but in the greater scheme of things, AT-ST’s should be chasing down rebels and not farming pelts.

Some other changes that also effect AT-ST’s are the DoT or Damage-over-Time effects. AT-STs are now only effected by Fire. DoT effects (bleeding, poison, etc.) will no longer effect the AT-ST’s and DoT’s won’t cause pets in general (including AT-ST’s) to randomly aggro on nearby PvP enemies.

Now, with all this being said, there are people that are going to love the changes and some that hate the changes. Currently, AT-ST’s are on Test Center, so if AT-ST usage is very important to you, then I would encourage you to log onto Test Center, get some faction points and pick up an AT-ST or see some Imperial Allies and play with them. See what you like, see what you don’t like and get involved. Go check ’em out and then post your feedback here and pass it along to our Galactic Civil War Player Correspondent, JEST3R.

For those of you that don’t have a character on TC and don’t have a lot of Faction points, I’ll be working with Jester to get a Faction Point Terminals we can get more of these armored beasties in action.

Summary of AT-ST changes in Test:

Less armor, more hit points

Non-Creature Handlers can have 1 pet (ie, 1 AT-ST)

AT-ST’s can only fight PvE when they are on Factional Missions

DoTs that can effect AT-ST’s are only Fire.

SOE Thunderheart

[Kasrm Jadouweh]

I'm looking forward to this change. I always thought it was retarded that people could have 3 AT-ST and hunt Krayts. Also it will benifit my TK/CH

Now they just need to stop being racist against us sexy Wookies

[Chris]

(1) I agree with taking away the ability to use 3 faction pets at once.

(2) There should be bonuses in Squad Leader that allow them to use more faction pets just as Creature Handlers get bonuses allowing them to use more creatures.

(3) If faction pets are limited to pvp only they should have permanent death removed and be able to be healed when not engaged in combat. Currently, most are unwilling to risk an AT-ST in pvp because the risk of doing so far outweighs the reward.

(4) Making faction pets pvp-only could cause hardship to many who are not Creature Handlers since creature handlers often stick to soloing or just take one or two people with them and leave everyone else with no options for damage-absorbers.

(5) I see no reason why total number of faction pets a player can have in their datapad should decrease. The ability to have more out at once is the real issue.

(6) It would be interesting to try improving something to balance it rather than nerfing the other thing involved.

(7) A realistic reason why faction pets would engage in pve: Doing so aids in the training of troops and the acquisition of resources to aid in the war effort. The quality of training and equipment provided to an army directly affects their chances of victory. If a soldier observes their leader being attacked, they will join the battle to save their comrade even if the attackers were not designated by command as targets.

[Syban]

Threading a needle with a jackhammer again...