[2021] Sage, Scoundrel, Vanguard and Legendary Items on PTS!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our sixth phase of PTS featuring the Sage, Vanguard, and Scoundrel Combat Styles. In case you missed it, we go through a bit of the philosophy behind the updates we’re making to Combat Styles in this article.

As with the previous Combat Styles that have been released through PTS, we are still focused on streamlining ability sets in order to enable more player choice and maintain the unique identity of the class. All the constructive feedback we have been receiving from players who dove into PTS has been helpful in identifying what experiences are crucial to players.

Alongside the Sage, Vanguard, Scoundrel Combat Styles available for testing, please note the following that will also be available/have been updated for this phase of PTS:

• Legendary Items are available for testing. Please read here for details on what these are and how they are used. Note: Vendors will be available for Legendary Items, Conquest Gear and Upgrades, Flashpoint and Operations Upgrades.
• The leveling path in which abilities are granted has been updated for a smoother experience.
• Shared Tagging is available for testing. Please read here for details on what this entails.
• Old Operations have been balanced

Special note: A preview of the new Character Sheet/Inventory window has been updated, however it is not ready to be fully tested at this time.

• The Character Window (“C” key by default) has had a visual upgrade. Note that temporarily, pressing “C” will pop both the old and new window up to allow workarounds for any known issues below.
• The Character sheet now includes an inventory panel.
  • Note: the “I” key will still bring up a standalone inventory window if you wish to use it.
• The Character window now includes a Fullscreen toggle in the upper-right for those who’d prefer a larger window.
• The “Ability” window and “Discipline” windows are now found in the “Combat Styles” tab of the Character window.
• The “Ship” equipment screen is now its own separate window, found in the “Explore” dropdown of the main menu bar.
• Known issues regarding the character window are listed here.

PLEASE READ: Below are details on how to obtain and upgrade gear in this phase of PTS. We will be going further into detail about how Itemization works in 7.0 early next week.

Spoiler In this PTS, you can obtain starting gear at the 318 Gear Vendor on the Fleet. Once you have this gear completing Conquest, Flashpoints, Operations, Heroic Mission, and Daily Mission will provide players with gear or materials for upgrading gear.

When completing Flashpoints and Operations, bosses will have a chance to drop a piece of their gear set or upgrade materials. Gear that drops will be an equal item rating to gear you already have, or at the minimum item rating which is currently 320 for all content.

Weekly Missions for Flashpoints and Operations reward the player with a crate containing a guaranteed upgrade. This crate will scan your equipped gear and give you an upgrade for the slot with the lowest item rating, up to the item rating cap for that content.

Gear is upgraded using vendors in the Spoils of War section on the fleet. These vendors will only offer upgrades for items you currently have equipped or in your inventory, so if you see “NO ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE” make sure that:

• You’re speaking with the correct vendor.
• You have base gear that can be upgraded. Conquest base gear is purchased from the vendor, Flashpoints and Operations base gear are earned within Flashpoints or Operations.
• Note: Vendors will check your inventory and equipment for upgrade costs, no need to take the gear off! If you use an equipped piece of gear to pay for an upgrade, that upgrade will automatically be equipped.

Things to know:

The primary source of gear and gear upgrades will come from completing Weekly Missions instead of defeating bosses.

• Look for these Missions on the Priority Missions Terminal on the Fleet

Gear progression has been divided into content types to provide progression no matter your preferred difficulty. The following gear sets are available:

Decurion Set

• Purchased from Vendor with Medal of Commendations
• Upgraded with Medal of Commendations

Noble Decurion Set

• Obtained from Veteran Flashpoints
• Upgraded with Decurion Isotope Stabilizers

Elite Decurion Set

• Obtained from Master Flashpoints
• Upgraded with Decurion Isotope Stabilizers

Tionese Set

• Obtained from Story Operations
• Upgraded with Hazardous Matter Catalyst

Columi Set

• Obtained from Veteran Operations
• Upgraded with Hazardous Matter Catalyst

Rakata Set

• Obtained from Master Operations
• Upgraded with Hazardous Matter Catalyst

Important Materials:

Medal of Commendation:

• Medals of Commendation are earned through most in-game activities but primarily come from Conquest completion. Medals of Commendation are used to purchase Decurion Gear and are a requirement for upgrading gear.

Aquatic Resource Matrix

• Aquatic Resource Matrices are earned primarily by completing Daily Area and Heroic Missions but can be earned in smaller amounts in various activities. Matrices are required for gear upgrades.

Decurion Isotope Stabilizer

• Decurion Isotope Stabilizers can be earned by defeating bosses in Flashpoints and completing Weekly Flashpoint missions. More stabilizers are given for clearing on higher difficulties.

Hazardous Matter Catalyst

• Hazardous Matter Catalysts can be earned by completing weekly Operations missions and by defeating Operations bosses. More catalysts are given for clearing on higher difficulties.

As always, please read over the status update/known issues list as it has been updated, before hopping into PTS,.

How to access the PTS server

First, ensure you are on the PTS server by following the steps here.

Though character copy is available for all the currently available Combat Styles, note that all PTS characters have been deleted in order to ensure 7.0 compatibility.

Steps for players not using character copy:

• Create a new Sage, Scoundrel, or Vanguard.
• Follow the same paths as in previous PTS phases to find the PTS Fleet Transport Droid
• Speak to the droid, and select yes to travel to the Fleet.
• Head up to the main Fleet level
• Go to the Combat section
• Talk to the CD-3 Combat Specializer Droid
• Press K to select your Discipline and go through selecting your abilities/passives from the Ability Tree. (Please note the WIP markers)
• Talk to all of the vendors to gear your character
• Talk to the Onderon Dreams: Travel Agent Droid to travel to Onderon
• Head to the Onderon Mission Board (-725, -291). Special Note: Speeder Piloting Level 3 is granted through this terminal.
• Because you may not have a ship, there a droid next to the Onderon Mission Board that will teleport you back to the Fleet

If you are using character copy, head straight to the fleet, select your Discipline and gear accordingly.

Please let us know if you experience any issues.

Your feedback on the new Combat Styles and game scaling will help us determine if we are on the correct path to achieving our goals of making the class feel less encumbered and customization more concise.

• Please note that all feedback threads that have been created up until now have been compiled into one post for convenience. The entire list (including the newly available Combat Styles) can be found here.
  
• Game scaling feedback can be left here.
  
• Legendary Items feedback can be left here.

Hi all,

Wanted to call attention to additional known issues that we will be adding to the status update/known issues list.

• PvP gear loop is not available with this build but will be there in a future build.
• Phase scaling for Operations and Flashpoints are not working properly.
• Elite Decurion right-side gear is not upgrading properly on the vendor. Workaround is having the Columi gear in order for the vendor to show the upgrades.

Jackie