We were also introduced to the changes in the skill system, as represented by the disciplines.
They said that they “love data” and have tons of numbers they use to make their decisions – one good example was that only 1.4% of free players hit the cap on their weekly warzone limits – so if you don't like the idea of the solo-ification of SWTOR, I guess you only have yourself (or other players) to blame. Is this the right direction for an MMO to go? I suppose SWTOR has to be even more “solo-friendly” than most MMOs, considering its roots, and the team needs to adapt the game for how people are playing it, not how they want them to play. In addition to the two new flashpoints, four Forged Alliances flashpoints will also be converted to solo play. It felt like a longer story mission and it would make for a decent substitute if you can't find a group and want to progress in the story or if you just want to fully treat SWTOR like a single-player game. I tried Blood Hunt this way on my commando and it was a solid experience. Both are available to be played as a solo player, and you'll get a combat droid to help you along, in addition to the companion of your choosing. If you're having trouble finding a group for the flashpoints, you're in luck. According to MacLean, you should be able to “jump right in” as soon as you hit 60. Other than leveling, what else will you find on those new planets? There are two new flashpoints: Blood Hunt and the Battle of Rishi, and an operation, the Temple of Sacrifice, where you'll square off with Darth Revan himself in what MacLean calls “the toughest fight we have made.” There's also no gear grind to prepare yourself for the operation.
I was told that that was something they had in mind this time around (and for the future), but I'll want to see how it all plays out before making a final judgment. The level cap's being raised from 55 to 60, as well, and as someone who still has the taste of SWTOR's early grindy leveling in his mouth, I asked pointedly if there was a conscious effort being made to “maximize the fun while minimizing the filler.” The team is certainly aware of this complaint, and it was a major reason for the 12x leveling boost handed out to pre-purchasers of the expansion, so they could experience the story missions while skipping most of the other leveling content. Your travels will take you to two new planets: the tropical pirate hideouts on Rishi and the habitable moon Yavin 4, home of the Massassi warlords and where other stuff would happen much later in the Star Wars saga. And yes, the canonical Revan is a “he.”) I'm hopeful that what we saw was just a taste of what's to come, and that the “real” Revan won't be a cookie-cutter bad guy he clearly deserves more. The cut scene we viewed of him seemed to play against that, with him giving the usual platitudes about wiping out his enemies, ruling the galaxy, and so on. If you're familiar with the KOTOR storyline, Revan isn't your simple “kill 'em all” Sith lord, and the team promised that he wouldn't be your everyday villain. As such, you'll work alongside a descendant of Revan, Theron Shan, and a strangely cooperative Sith Lord, Lana Beniko, to confront him. So what's in the expansion? The Revan storyline obviously takes center stage, and the threat of the Sith lord and his followers, the Revanites, is something both the Republic and the Empire need to take seriously. Overall, the Revan story is something the team has been working on for nearly eight years, well before the launch of the game, and their giddiness at finally being able to reveal it stood out more prominently than Princess Leia's hair buns. “The centerpiece is your role in Revan's story,” added Senior Producer Bruce MacLean. “It's something players have asked for since Rise of the Hutt Cartel,” said the General Manager of BioWare Austin, Jeff Hickman, during a press summit last week. That's something the team is looking to correct with Shadow of Revan. While the last two expansions, Galactic Starfighter and Galactic Strongholds, have added lots of new mechanics, the game's initial calling card – that polished BioWare story experience – has been notably lacking. But for fans of Star Wars: The Old Republic, it also brings back something that's been missing from the game for a while: story. For players of the original Knights of the Old Republic single-player game, it re-introduces the protagonist of that beloved game. Shadow of Revan is shaping up to be quite the nostalgia trip.
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