Combat Upgrade Blurb

[Syban]

This update is intended to give you a very high level overview of where we are headed and what our goals are. We are open to significant shifts during the hands-on testing opportunity alpha testing gives us, so we don't want to communicate specific details that may end up being completely erroneous after the alpha testing period is completed.

This will be the first of many updates. We look forward to sharing more information with you though it may not be an "every week" frequency at the start. Prepare yourself for a whole lot more fun, flash and interactivity.

High Level Purpose

The SWG combat upgrade is intended to create more exciting combat. The goals for the Combat Upgrade are:

1. Make combat more interesting, diverse, hands-on, and less repetitive.

2. Create character inter-dependences that facilitate group tactics.

3. Make combat feel more like Star Wars

Feature Summary

Here are some of the new features we have added to bring you a more exciting combat experience. More news will be provided as the new combat system shakes out.

1. Make Combat More Interesting

• New HAM System

* Separate special action costs from damage – no more dying from using your special actions!

* Special action cost adjustments – more variety and tactics in gameplay, special actions now cost time instead of health.

* Context sensitive abilities – Exciting new visual effects allow you to make tactical decisions based on changing situations – you can "see" what others are shooting you with while in combat.

• Profession and Character Upgrades

* New abilities to help professions – each of the combat professions will be given a specific role in combat to fulfill.

* “Mind” stat Balance - it won’t be the all-important stat in combat that it is now.

* Make all species viable in combat – Different species will have different advantages based on their stats.

* Dramatically reduce probability of “first strike” always determining victory.

• Improved Visuals

* Enhanced weapon effects - more effects all around.

* Counter-move and Recovery effects – You now have ways to recover from attacks - no more one sided combat!

* State (DoT, Diseased, etc.) effects - new state effects and dots balanced with moves and counter moves.

* Hit reaction effects - new visual effects increase the feel and pace of combat so players can react.

* New Weapons Types - Added weapon types with their own visuals.

2. Create Interdependence

• Improve Professions

* Professions now have unique roles in a group and make all roles useful.

* Profession archetypes are more likely to be special and sought after.

• New Death and Incapacitation Rules

* Change to the way HAM interacts with death - group with friends to increase your overall stopping power.

• Weapons and Armor Interaction

* Profession specific benefits for wearing armor based on Profession - new roles for different armor types to prevent any one set of armor from being "the best".

* Armor types are affected differently by different weapons. – there should no longer be a “best” weapon.

• High End Content

* Tough NPCs and creatures will require groups to take them down.

* Buffs and HAM drain/regeneration put back into balance.

* Players can still solo character advancement.

3. Make Combat Feel More like Star Wars

• Look and Feel

* Added new faction armor – four new armor sets.

* New weapon balance makes all the Star Wars weapons usable in combat

* Stormtrooper armor is now viable in combat – wear it with pride!

• Ranged Combat

* Make ranged combat more interesting and important - we are working to extend combat range.

* Prevent ability to make one’s self immune to range damage - No more unbeatable stacker templates.

* New ranged weapons – more blasters, more blasters!

Kurt "Thunderheart" Stangl

Community Relations Manager

[FadingMoonlight]

Nice that they will finally be making some much-needed changes. How exciting!

[chouch]

Wonder if I should make an all combat alt...