Dead Men Walking

The 6 week update cycle is going live...

QuoteHey everyone, just to be clear on what was said during the presentation - Terror from Beyond, a new Operation, is on its way next month, and we have more content updates coming after it, including the new Warzone and Space Combat Missions. We have lots of exciting new content coming!

Here's one about the new Tier of Gear:

QuoteI talked to David Hunt (Systems Designer), and he shed some light upcoming gear. He said that (for PvE), Terror from Beyond's Hard Mode will include a new set of gear that is a sub-tier of the larger tier that started with Campaign gear. It will also have non-slot restricted armornings. Nightmare Explosive Conflict will speed up the acquisition of the new set and provides new challenges for Operation groups.

For PvP, new mainhand and offhand items will become available from the PvP vendors when Terror from Beyond is released. These will be included so PvP players don't feel the need to get the hilts and barrels from PvE items to get the highest weapon damage in some cases. The rest of the set will release when Ancient Hypergates becomes available. We also have plans to release a new Recruit MK-2 set.

And the new Video.. which looks cool B-)

[video=youtube;4R-VCtcNoIc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R-VCtcNoIc[/video]

does look great

Interview with Gabe Amatangelo:



During the first day of GamesCom, we had the opportunity to get a quick interview with BioWare’s Gabe Amatangelo. For this interview, we focused on a few of the key areas BioWare showed off at the event including the Ancient Hypergates Warzone, future Operation content, and more. To read the interview in full, hit the jump.


First of all, you’re showing Ancient Hypergates at GamesCom right?
Correct. Yes.

It's the first time for many of the fans seeing it so it’s somewhat of a mystery. Give us the general idea of the Warzone and its gametype if you can.
So the Gree technology, you know the Gree race, they are sort of a super-advanced technological race. They have these things called hypergates that allow quick travel from the far-reaches of the galaxy, uncharted areas in the universe, etc. And actually the next Op we have coming up ties into this as well. So, both the Empire and Republic are trying to get control of one of these hypergates, and the idea is that there’s these two pylons on the map, and if you get control of both of the pylons, they will channel energy into your hypergate to try to charge it up. The first person to charge up their hypergate, their fleet can come through. And when their fleet comes through, they annihilate â€" they finish off the other team, and you win. That’s the idea, that’s the sort of context of it.
What we’re showing here for the first time, and the first time we’re letting people play it as well, is â€" all of it, except for the finale. We just don’t have the finale on what we’re showing here. Obviously when it goes live that’s the intent. You can see the hypergate open as it gets charged more, and more throughout the match.
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The game mode is a deathmatch, two point objective hybrid. So the way it works is, you rack up points for every kill, and when you get both objectives, you cash in on those points. So it’s like if you have 200 kills, there’s a little PiP on the bar that says you got credit for 200, but you don’t actually get it until you get both of the objectives, and then it charges in, so the deaths if you will, supply part of the fuel to charge up this hypergate. But you have to channel it in to your hypergate ultimately to get it charged up.
So, it’s not wholly deathmatch, but it is a deathmatch two point objective hybrid. Now, of course if neither side captures both objectives for the entire match, then it will literally be decided by who has the most kills. The points you get for the kills are not 1-to-1, it progresses as the time goes on. It starts off with you getting 2 points per kill, then 4 points, 6 points, etc. It progresses as the match goes on in different stages.

Sounds like it will be a lot of fun!
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It’s going to be fun for everyone because the big punch line that I forgot to mention is that when you get control of both of the objectives and they’re channeling into the hypergate, they will overload and they will blow up. It’s a slow moving expanding explosion that everyone has to run out of the way of otherwise they die. You get people snaring, and trying to knock people back into it, etc.

So that counts as a kill too?
That counts as a kill too, but it counts as a kill for the next charge up because that sort of happens at the end of both objectives, so that counts toward the next objective. But yeah, so it is, if â€" for anyone who’s played Warhammer Online, it’s very much inspired by Khaine’s Embrace, but the map is a bit more symmetrical than Khaine’s Embrace. Khaine’s Embrace was a hybrid-deathmatch two point objective capture. So basically when you get both objectives the objectives reset after an explosion, and the center area is the only safe area, so everyone kinda tries to run while looking over their shoulder to get to the safe area.

So the idea is that the center area will be a general melee?
Exactly, and it brings everyone together where just mayhem ensues. And that’s where you know, tanks obviously play a big part in controlling the center at that point in the game. Healers, they always have a part in healing.

Ok, that covers the first question. Second thing which was a huge thing on the internet was free-to-play, and so, with F2P on the horizon, what limitations are there for F2P players concerning PVP?
Sure, they’re only going to be able to do like one Warzone a day or something like that. We’re still sort of hammering out the specifics on what is restricted for that F2P option. With the F2P option, you can get to level 50 but you can only do some content like, it’d be like some of the older operations, maybe just Eternity Vault, and we’ll give you a taste of Warzones, like you can play one a day or something like that. Flashpoints, maybe one a week, two a week, I don’t know.
Those are the types of things that we’re sort of seeing what that option entails. That kind of sums it up, it’s basically content restrictions, though you can effectively get to level 50.

How about ranked PVP?
No you can’t do ranked PVP; you can’t do the new Ops. We’re going to be doing frequent updates that they’re not going to have access to all of the stuff in the new updates. Oh yeah, there’s going to be a lot of incentives to still be premium, and then we have the whole cartel coins, and that whole system.
Everyone who has been a subscriber or already has the game, and for every month that they have subscribed before the F2P launch, they will be racking up a bunch of these cartel coins. And then even after, if you’re a subscriber you will get a stipend, but it’s not going to be as much as you rack up right now. So if you really want to stock up on those coins, this is the way to do it. And the things that you can purchase with the coins are going to be things like boosts, new kind of like cosmetic things. It’s not going to be the sort of thing like purchase super lightsaber weapon to annihilate everyone in one shot, there’s not going to be anything ridiculous like that if I have anything to do with it. It’s not going to be a pay-to-win, it’s going to be a pay-for-content. It’s pay for content, pay for access, but it is, it’s kind of like a trial that allows you to see the whole story for the game, as opposed to just a little section.

Next question, Nightmare modes, any update on Nightmare modes, and when they are out for Denova, or even Flashpoints?
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Nightmare mode for Denova, it’s going to be soon, one of the sorts of quick updates, the monthly updates that we’re doing. I mean we’ve got the majority of the work done for it, so it’s a matter of when it comes out is down to the testing thing, I can’t give an exact date, but soon, very soon.

“Soon” meaning?
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s shortly after Terror from Beyond comes out, which is in the next update.

Next one, very recent, yesterday The Grand Acquisition Race came online. Anything you can tell about world events? Are they coming more often or, just every few months, every year?
Our long-term plan is to get the world events to be really frequent, and we’re going to continue to add them to the game. In the immediate future, we have this one, and then we’ve got another one that is actually going to be â€" so we’re going to have, what we want to do, is in January, what we’re targeting to do, this may or may not happen, so you can’t hold me to it. But what we’re targeting to do, is have a fun anniversary to the Ilum shenanigans that happened. An alien race might invade, and they might crash into Ilum and there might be some new activities that happen on the planet. We’re targeting that for, January is when we’d like to see it, but we’ll see when it happens, you can’t hold me to that! I know how everyone does, and then I’m going to have the Executive Producer on me saying “you said a date!” and it’s like “no, no” but that is our target, because that’s when we’d like to have it because of the spirit of, and just sort of laughing at what happened.

Sounds nice for PVPers Last question, Jeff Hickman told us that there will be a six week schedule for new content, but next one should be â€"
Oh great, see they don’t tell me â€" I know all the stuff, but I don’t know what I can talk about, so if Hickman said it! Then there you go.

He said it in an interview that there will be new content every six weeks is that something you think the team can stick to?
Yeah, we’ve got a lot of stuff in the pipeline, and you know, at least, you can’t sit here and say a year from now, everything that’s lined up, but I can say with a pretty high level of confidence that definitely for the next foreseeable future, we’ve got a lot of stuff to release on a regular pattern. Six weeks in fact. So we’ll see the Terror from Beyond, and then shortly after, probably HK-51, or something in the Belsavis area, and then the new warzone, something along those lines.

A new Flashpoint was mentioned, I think, just last Q&A?
We have a new Flashpoint in the works, I don’t know what was promised in the new Q&A

Just a Flashpoint.
I can’t say anything specifically about that. The only things that I can talk about specifically are the Ancient Hypergates, Terror from Beyond, and the HK-51 on Belsavis. Also we talked about how we’re doing a whole new planet with a new level increase.

Makeb?
Makeb, yup. That’s going to be continuing a massive amount of story content. We’re really excited about that as well.

What do you think about Gamescom? Any difference to E3, are you enjoying it?
This is my second year at the Cologne Gamescom, last year I had something like 80 presentations, and I had to conserve my energy. I couldn’t go to any of the parties, I couldn’t really sort of, you know â€" I had fun on the stage. This year I’ve got back up, Cory Butler is going to be helping me with some of the presentations, so I hope to explore a little bit of Cologne. Gamescom itself, last year â€" today’s preview day, so it’s hard to judge. But last year we had, it was insanity. It’s kind of like what E3 was ten years ago when E3 was open to the public. It’s a lot like that, except there’s more space. If I remember correctly there’s something like 20-30,000 people that couldn’t get in to the convention hall last year. So, it can be crazy!

Well enjoy yourself and thanks for the interview!
Thanks!

Developer Update â€" Terror from Beyond


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Terror from Beyond is a new Operation that takes us to Asation, a remote planet in the Gree Enclave. Asation is a swampy, wetland world that was terraformed by the Gree thousands of years ago. It is not a Gree homeworld, but it does house some incredible technology assembled long ago by the Gree crafter caste. Key among this technology is the Hypergate, a massive device capable of transmitting matter from across the galaxy. The Dread Masters have sown chaos on Asation by activating the Hypergate, letting through untold horrors and monstrosities. It’s up to players to cut a path through these creatures, defeat the agents of the Dread Masters, and deactivate the Hypergate at any cost.


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Terror from Beyond offers five new major boss encounters that will challenge even the most highly-coordinated groups of players. In keeping with previous Operations, Terror from Beyond includes one “puzzle” encounter that really steps outside of the bounds of what you normally see in a boss fight. To defeat this new enemy, players will need to work together to repair a massive, ancient Gree computer from within the machine itself. Unlike previous puzzle encounters where the solutions were relatively easy to figure out, this one has players leveraging their particular group composition to control a chaotic situation. It’s very different from the things that we’ve done in the past, and I’m excited to see what players think.
In addition to strange creatures and agents of the Dread Masters, players will run into a familiar face on Asation. No spoilers, but here’s a hint: he’s not going to be very happy to see you.
The final encounter in Terror from Beyond pits players against a creature of unprecedented scale in Star Warsâ,,¢: The Old Republicâ,,¢. It’s easily the most visually striking encounter we’ve ever built. In Explosive Conflict, we took a gauntlet-style approach to the final boss, which worked very well in the context of a military operation. This is totally different. You get to fight something that is huge and otherworldly. The difficulty is highly execution-based, and the mechanics are very positional and fun.


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This Operation introduces the next tier of progression in Star Wars: The Old Republic, including a new set of PvE gear. The hard difficulty mode for Terror From Beyond is balanced for players wearing a full set of Campaign gear, which can be acquired from Operation:Explosive Conflict. Augments will become increasingly more important the deeper you get into Terror from Beyond. Story mode will be available for players who just want to see the sights, but it’s no walk in the park.
Terror from Beyond will be available in Game Update 1.4!
Jesse Sky
Lead Operations & Flashpoint Designer

lookin good! any eta on the release?

Quote(...) Terror from Beyond, a new Operation, is on its way next month (...)

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It was on Gamescom sooo it's coming in September B-)

Class balance changes in 1.4

 (http://www.swtor.com/info/news/blog/20120904)http://www.swtor.com/info/news/blog/20120904


Developer Update: Class Changes and Balance in Game Update 1.4

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Hello again everyone. My name is Austin Peckenpaugh, and I’m a Senior Designer on Star Warsâ,,¢: The Old Republicâ,,¢. My job here is to create, maintain, and balance class gameplay in The Old Republic. As such, I’m here to shed some light on the upcoming changes to classes in Game Update 1.4 to give you all a sense of what’s to come and why it’s coming.
For Game Update 1.4, we wanted to address several key issues with class gameplay usability and balance. Foremost among these are adjustments to crowd control and the Resolve system, the subsequent class changes made to harmonize with those control adjustments, and a reevaluation of stealth spec gameplay.
Crowd Control and Resolve Changes

Our goal for crowd control in The Old Republic is to provide abilities that allow the player to take control of a fight, turn the tables, and feel great for taking charge. We know that this can be improved, so I want to explain our philosophy and our motivation for change before going into detail on the changes themselves.
Prior to Game Update 1.4, it was simple to control a target from a great distance and do so instantly, often as a surprise opener or from an unseen location off-screen. The way control abilities were designed encouraged this behavior, and the resulting gameplay could be frustrating.
In Game Update 1.4, we’ve made adjustments to the range of control abilities under a new philosophy. We want control to be something more readable, more predictable, and less chaotic in effect. To achieve that, control needs to require a setup, an activation time, or be close range such that the controller must overextend or broadcast their intentions in some way.


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In Game Update 1.4, you’ll notice the following changes:

• Electro Dart and Cryo Grenade now have a 10-meter range.
• Electrocute and Force Stun now have a 10-meter range.

Whirlwind and Force Lift still have an activation time and still have a 30-meter range. Plasma Probe and Incendiary Grenade still require an effect and still have a 30-meter range. Mind Trap, Mind Maze, Sleep Dart, and Tranquilizer still require stealth and still have a 10-meter range. Dirty Kick and Debilitate still have a 4-meter range and still have the shortest stun cooldown in the game. Flash Bang and Flash Grenade still have a 30-meter range and are exceptions to this philosophy, as they provide essential gameplay for the Sniper and Gunslinger.
In addition, while Overload and Force Wave make for great escape abilities, they have done so previously at a cost to the overall PvP experience. What we want for these abilities is to create distance between you and your target(s), but what frequently occurs is a bad experience for incidental nearby enemies that aren’t your intended target(s). Jet Boost and Concussion Charge behave similarly, but they are limited to the Mercenary and Commando. Changing them has a less effective impact on the game, and those Advanced Classes play better with a stronger ability on a longer cooldown.

• Overload and Force Wave have been redesigned. These abilities now knock back all targets within a 15-meter 120-degree cone in front of you. Furthermore, these abilities now knock back all potential targets instantly; they no longer wait for an animation note at the end of the ability animation.

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We’ve also made adjustments to the Resolve system in Game Update 1.4. We’ve adjusted the gain logic of Resolve such that simultaneous and overlapping control effects no longer linearly add together their Resolve gain values. Instead, using a crowd control ability on an already controlled target now applies reasonable Resolve gain values by comparing the incoming control effect to the greatest of existing control effects.
As a result of these Resolve changes, unorganized teams will no longer pay huge penalties for overlapping control effects at critical moments. For example, it can frustrate players when pickup groups accidentally make a Marauder immune to Control because two or more teammates tried to stun him at once. The resulting unstoppable wrecking ball that the attacker transforms into made for a pretty poor experience for players trying to escape him. Additionally, we don’t like it when a Huttball ball carrier gets “fed” full Resolve by a disorganized pickup group trying to stop him from scoring by simultaneously landing multiple Control effects.
Ability Changes

We’re confident that these changes create a more predictable, readable, and ultimately enjoyable PvP experience. However, none of these changes are possible without next addressing the “holes” introduced to existing class gameplay. Obviously, reducing the range of stuns and turning Overload and Force Wave into cones demands some buffs to classes that relied on those abilities to escape attackers.
Mercenaries and Commandos:

• Mercenaries and Commandos now have a 30-meter interrupt, Disabling Shot. This ability interrupts the target's current action and prevents that ability from being used for the next 4 seconds. This ability can be trained at level 18.
• Afterburners/Concussive Force: Rocket Punch/Stockstrike now immobilizes the target for 4 seconds instead of knocking it back. Damage caused after 2 seconds ends the effect. The knockback previously caused by this skill generated enough Resolve that it was actually detrimental to the Mercenary/Commando’s ability to further escape the attacker.
• Tracer Lock/Charged Barrel: Now each stack additionally reduces the activation time of your next Healing Scan/Advanced Medical Probe by 20% per stack.
• Kolto Residue: Now additionally snares enemies struck by your Kolto Missile/Kolto Bomb by 50% for 3 seconds.
• New Bodyguard/Combat Medic skill, Peacekeeper/Frontline Medic: While protected by your own Kolto Shell/Trauma Probe, firing Rapid Shots/Hammer Shot at an enemy triggers your Kolto Shell/Trauma Probe to heal you on a separate 3-second rate limit.

Sorcerers and Sages:

• Force Speed now has a 20-second cooldown (down from 30) for all Consulars and Inquisitors.
• New Sorcerer/Sage ability, Unnatural Preservation/Force Mend: Heal yourself for a moderate amount. Only usable on yourself. Instant, costs no Force, 30-second cooldown. This ability is trainable at level 18.
• Dark Resilience/Valiance: Now additionally increases the healing dealt by Unnatural Preservation/Force Mend by 15% per point.
• Fadeout/Egress has been redesigned. Now causes Force Speed to remove all roots and snares and grant immunity to roots and snares for the duration.
• Polarity Shift/Mental Alacrity now additionally grants immunity to interrupts for the duration. Improved visual FX to demonstrate this effect.
• Backlash/Kinetic Collapse: The incapacitation effect caused by this skill no longer breaks on damage.

Stealth Gameplay Adjustments

Prior to Game Update 1.4, stealth classes and specs had an “infiltrate and eliminate” focus that effectively served solo or small team gameplay, but the specs that focused on stealth (Infiltration/Deception, Scrapper/Concealment) weren’t valued very highly for group gameplay.
In PvE, Infiltration/Deception’s burst wasn’t highly valued, and Scrapper/Concealment had difficulty moving quickly between targets. In PvP, the community has made it clear that they want more from stealth specs than “lone wolf” gameplay. In the case of Infiltration/Deception, the spec’s fragility was of great concern to many players, insofar as it didn’t encourage the spec to contribute well to lengthy fights or lend support to teammates.
Scoundrels and Operatives:

• Disappearing Act/Cloaking Screen now has a 2-minute cooldown.
• Energy Screen has been renamed to Ghost. Fight or Flight/Ghost: Now this skill finishes the cooldown on Sneak when you exit stealth mode. Furthermore, this skill allows Sneak to be used out of stealth mode, increasing movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds. This skill still removes the healing done and healing received penalty caused by Disappearing Act/Cloaking Screen.
• Flee the Scene/Advanced Cloaking now additionally reduces the cooldown of Sneak by 7.5 seconds per point. Now reduces the cooldown of Disappearing Act/Cloaking Screen by 15 seconds per point (down from 30 seconds per point).

Shadows and Assassins:

• Force Cloak now has a 2 minute cooldown.
• Infiltration Tactics/Duplicity: Now when triggered, your next Shadow Strike/Maul deals 30% more damage and costs 75% less Force. This cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds, but each rank after the first reduces this rate limit by 3 seconds.
• Celerity/Avoidance now additionally reduces the cooldown of Force Speed by 2.5 seconds per point.
• Masked Assault/Darkswell: Now additionally finishes the cooldown of Blackout when you exit Stealth mode. In addition, Masked Assault/Blackout causes Shadow's Respite/Dark Embrace to reduce all damage taken by 25% while active.
• Fade now additionally reduces damage taken from area effects by 15% per point. Kinetic Field/Entropic Field no longer provides this effect. Now reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 15 seconds per point (down from 30 seconds per point).
• Kinetic Field/Entropic Field has been redesigned. Now critical hits cause you to build a Kinetic/Entropic Field, increasing damage reduction by 1% per point per stack. Stacks up to 3 times.
• Humbling Strike/Magnetism is a new 1-point skill. Causes the target of your Spinning Kick/Spike to be slowed by 70% for 3 seconds when the knockdown effect ends.
• Clairvoyant Strike/Voltaic Slash: Using Project/Shock no longer consumes the buff provided by this ability. This change was made to better synergize with Spinning Strike/Assassinate during execute phases.

Future Game Updates

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As previously stated, classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic will continue to undergo constant evaluation. Many future changes will be similar in scope and purpose to what I’ve described in this blog â€" to address usability issues, improve quality of life, and make the most non-invasive changes we can to correct emerging balance issues.
As far as any specifics go, nothing for future Game Updates is locked down well enough to comment on. However, I hope the information I could share with you today has helped shed some light on our processes and our motivations. Thanks to all of our players for your dedication and feedback!
Austin Peckenpaugh
Senior Designer
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Gabe Amatangelo interview from http://www.gamebreaker.tv/mmorpg/swtor-star-tour/:

At PAX, we got the chance to sit down with Star Wars: The Old Republic (http://www.swtor.com/) Principal Lead PvP Designer Gabe Amatangelo for an exclusive interview. We covered a wide range of topics, getting an insightful look into the inner workings of BioWare (http://www.bioware.com/)‘s controversial MMO.

On future content releases:
We’re going to be having a faster cadence of delivering content and features. There’s going to be around a six-week cycle where you’ll see something new, like there’s going to be the new operation, the new warzone, the new HK-51 Belsavis area, things of that nature.

On layoffs:
You have different needs in development when you’re going to launch as opposed to after launch. A lot of it lies in the formation of the tools. You put a lot of work and effort toward getting the tools and you get more efficient with them. It’s kind of this sliding scale â€" you need more people when you’re not as efficient, but as the technology and tools develop, you become efficient.
That’s just the nature of the beast. After World of Warcraft (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/) released back in 2004, Blizzard had layoffs. It’s sort of a sad situation, but that’s how it is.

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On free-to-play:
We’ve got the tech in and we’re fine-tuning it. But ultimately it comes down to is putting the variables into a data table and we can do that at the eleventh hour. Internally, we’re discussing things like, “Is it X per day, X per week?” Or do we limit it at all? Or do we do something like the rewards are limited instead of the content?
There are different points of view at the office â€" and we debate in a friendly way â€" but we’re far enough along with the tech to get that feature enabled. We’d love to hear from the players what their point of view is on it. Personally, when I’m developing stuff, I leverage what the community speaks up about, and I use that to influence some of those debates.
Free-to-play is something EA (http://www.ea.com/)‘s been talking about forever. Even before we launched, we were talking about it internally. Obviously we couldn’t do something like League of Legends (http://www.leagueoflegends.com/) does, rotating what advanced class you could play each week [whew!], but it’s the future of online games. It’s just what it is.

On the type of player they’re trying to attract:
Leading up to the launch, we always talked about SWTOR as being a fully featured MMO. That means a broad player base. It’s like we’ve talked about, we’ve got a new raid coming out, a new warzone, and there’s crossover with the players there, but they are different types of players.
We also talked (back at E3) about how we’ve got a new planet, Makeb, with new story, so we’re kind of rotating between the player types, if you will. But we do incentivise a lot of cross-play, and that’s where the accessibility of the different features come into play.
Like, we see people playing warzones, a lot of people who aren’t necessarily “PvP players,” as our stats define them. But a lot of people get into them because they’re really accessible, especially as people are leveling up.
So we’re focusing on all fronts. On the PvP front, we’re focusing on trying to get a better cadence with the new power progression so there’s not as much of a gap, and the ranked warzones, tournaments, things of that nature.
With the operations, we’re always trying to do new mechanics, new exciting, thrilling encounters that are wrapped in story but really focus on the gameplay features. We’re continuing to go on with that puzzle kind of staple that we established in Eternity Vault, trying to continue that style of gameplay as well.

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On the PvP gap at max level:
I talked about before launch how I wanted a 20% gap [between a “new” level 50 and a top-geared player], and we did not hit that for a number of development reasons; I could get into the boring details, but the goal and the intent is still a 20% gap.
One way we’re going to handle that in the future will be a level 50 bolster. We’re going to introduce a recruit gear, mark II in the next patch, but a level 50 bolster will also bring things closer to that 20% gap.

On ranked warzones:
We’re making good strides on that. We’ve got a lot of exciting developments going on, but I’m not allowed to give details at this point. It’s something everyone at the studio is really amped about, and we hope to start dropping hints and teasers about that soon.
We want to do more than simply “turn on” ranked warzones for season one. We’re looking into other PvP modes, as well. I can’t give exact dates, but it’s likely that free-to-play will come online slightly before ranked warzones.

On Ilum:
It was one of those last features we tried to tackle before launch, and when you’re launching a major MMO, emergent issues arise and resources had to be pulled from it. It was unfortunate, and we were never able to get Ilum to the design spec that we wanted.
At this point, what we’re wanting to do is an event that revitalizes it. It’ll have something to do with an alien race crash-landing into it, and we’re targeting a January timeframe, which is when update 1.1 happened this last January.
In addition to revitalizing the open-world PvP, we’re also looking at the obvious issues like faction imbalance and things of that nature, though I can’t get into the details of our approach right now.

(http://wac.7725.edgecastcdn.net/807725/website/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Terror-From-Beyond.jpg)
 (http://wac.7725.edgecastcdn.net/807725/website/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Terror-From-Beyond.jpg)
On Nightmare modes:
We have them done on our development charts. It’s the near future, very Soon^TM. We’ve got the Terror From Beyond and then Nightmare mode for Explosive Conflict, and we’ll have a new set of gear for PvE split between those two modes. So you’ll have two operations for that tier of gear, as opposed to all of it crammed into one operation.

On his greatest challenge:
As we’re moving into this faster cadence and the new development structure and tools we have, you’ve got to get your ducks in a row, so to speak. How long is it going to be on public test, when is there sufficient QA for the release, things like that. It’s lining all those things up to have the assembly line going with that process. Shifting process around is a big challenge.

On revisiting old planets:
It’s something we want. I mean, that’s part of the Star Wars fantasy. Even at max level, you want to go to Tatooine or Voss for something â€" and we’ve been speccing out some other systems internally to make use of those other planets, like bounty-hunting missions or other events.

(http://wac.7725.edgecastcdn.net/807725/website/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SWTOR.jpg)

1.4 is up on PTS with some nice changes! :)

They've nerfed the hell out of Denova Story mode which i'm thinking they'll prolly put in the LFG tool.

I'll paste all patchnotes in the next post and highlight the most important ones in my opinion.

All patchnotes are available here:

http://www.swtor.com/test-center/patchnotes

Highlights

• Terror from Beyond, a new Operation, is now available! Travel to the remote planet of Asation, where the Dread Masters have commandeered an ancient Gree Hypergate in order to unleash untold horrors upon the galaxy. Terror from Beyond features 5 powerful new boss encounters that can be challenged in 8- and 16- player Story or Hard Mode, offering some of the most challenging group content yet!
  
• A new set of PvE gear is available! Dread Guard gear is now the most powerful PvE equipment in the galaxy. It can be acquired from deep within Terror from Beyond (Hard Mode).
  
• Significant changes have been made to crowd control to address the amount of control a player can be subject to at once. See the Classes and Combat section for details.

Classes and Combat

• General
  
  • The crowd control gameplay has been adjusted to address the amount of control a player can be subject to at once. The majority of this change comes from reduced ranges on a number of crowd control abilities, as well as some adjustments to area of effect knockback abilities. To complement these changes, some small Resolve system tweaks (found in the PvP section) have been put in place to polish the system as a whole.
  • The ground targeting reticule is no longer cleared when a channeled ability completes channeling.
    
  • Players no longer receive the error message "You cannot cast while moving" when moving, stopping, and then immediately using a ground-targeted ability.
    
  • When a player is defeated immediately after applying a damage over time effect to another character, the player is no longer occasionally put back into combat after being revived.
    
  Jedi Knight
  
  • General
    
    • Force Sweep's timing has been adjusted; the ability now executes more quickly.
    • Force Stasis has a new animation.
    Sentinel
    
    • Guarded by the Force now lasts 4 seconds (down from 5 seconds).
    • Zen (Shii-Cho Form) has been redesigned. Now, while Shii-Cho Form is active, using Zen consumes 1 charge every .5 seconds, generating 2 Focus for each charge consumed.
    • Valorous Call can no longer be activated when you already have 30 stacks of Centerin.Focus (Sentinel)
      
      • Zephyrean Slash has been redesigned. It now gives Strike, Zealous Strike, Slash, Blade Storm, and Dispatch a 50% chance per point to reduce the active cooldown of Force Sweep and Zealous Leap by .5 seconds per point.
      • Swift Slash now additionally affects Dispatch.
      • Saber Strength now additionally affects Dispatch.
      • Singularity: Stacks of Singularity now additionally reduce the Focus cost of Force Sweep by 12.5% per point per stack.
      • Shii-Cho Mastery's armor penetration has been increased to 15% per point.
    Guardian
    
    • Focus (Guardian)
      
      • Zephyrean Slash has been redesigned. It now gives Strike, Zealous Strike, Slash, Blade Storm, and Dispatch a 50% chance per point to reduce the active cooldown of Force Sweep and Zealous Leap by .5 seconds per point.
      • Swift Slash now additionally affects Dispatch.
      • Saber Strength now additionally affects Dispatch.
      • Singularity: Stacks of Singularity now additionally reduce the Focus cost of Force Sweep by 12.5% per point per stack.
      • Inner Focus now additionally causes Combat Focus to generate 2 Focus per point.
      • Shii-Cho Mastery: Armor penetration has been increased to 15% per point.
  Sith Warrior
  
  • General
    
    • Smash's timing has been adjusted; the ability now executes more quickly.
    • Ravage's audio now plays reliably when the ability is used.
    Marauder
    
    • Undying Rage now lasts 4 seconds (down from 5 seconds).
    • Berserk (Shii-Cho Form) has been redesigned. Now, while Shii-Cho Form is active, using Berserk consumes 1 charge every .5 seconds, generating 2 Rage for each charge consumed.
    • Frenzy can no longer be activated when you already have 30 stacks of Fury.Rage (Marauder)
      
      • Overpower has been redesigned. It now gives Assault, Battering Assault, Vicious Slash, Force Scream, and Vicious Throw a 50% chance per point to reduce the active cooldown of Smash and Obliterate by .5 seconds per point.
      • Brutality now additionally affects Vicious Throw.
      • Saber Strength now additionally affects Vicious Throw.
      • Shockwave: Stacks of Shockwave now additionally reduce the Rage cost of Smash by 12.5% per point per stack.
      • Shii-Cho Mastery's armor penetration has been increased to 15% per point.
    Juggernaut
    
    • Rage (Juggernaut)
      
      • Overpower has been redesigned. It now gives Assault, Sundering Assault, Vicious Slash, Force Scream, and Vicious Throw a 50% chance per point to reduce the active cooldown of Smash and Obliterate by .5 seconds per point.
      • Brutality now additionally affects Vicious Throw.
      • Saber Strength now additionally affects Vicious Throw.
      • Shockwave: Stacks of Shockwave now additionally reduce the Rage cost of Smash by 12.5% per point per stack.
      • Empowering Rage now additionally causes Enrage to generate 2 Rage per point.
      • Shii-Cho Mastery: Armor penetration has been increased to 15% per point.
  Jedi Consular
  
  • General
    
    • Force Stun now costs no Force and has a 10-meter range.
    • Force Speed now has a 20-second cooldown (down from 30).
    • Force Wave now costs no Force and affects targets in a 15-meter cone in front of you. This ability now executes more quickly.
    Sage
    
    • Force Mend: This new ability allows you to heal yourself for a moderate amount. It costs no Force, is instant, and has a 30-second cooldown.Seer
      
      • Valiance now additionally increases the healing of Force Mend by 15% per point.
      • Egress has been redesigned. It now causes Force Speed to remove roots and snares and grants immunity to roots and snares for its duration.
      Telekinetics
      
      • Mental Alacrity now additionally provides immunity to interrupts for its duration. It has improved visual effects to demonstrate this effect.
      • Telekinetic Effusion no longer reduces the cooldown of Force Speed.
      • Telekinetic Wave has a new animation.
      • Kinetic Collapse: The Incapacitation effect caused by this skill no longer breaks on damage.
    Shadow
    
    • Force Cloak now has a 2 minute cooldown.Kinetic Combat
      
      • Elusiveness has been redesigned. It now requires Double-Bladed Saber Defense and increases the Force recovered by Double-Bladed Saber Defense. Successful shielding, parries, and deflects now reduce the active cooldown of Resilience by .5 second per point. This effect cannot occur more than once every second.
      Infiltration
      
      • Infiltration Tactics: When Find Weakness activates, your next Shadow Strike deals 30% more damage and costs 75% less Force. This cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds, but each rank after the first reduces this rate limit by 3 seconds.
      • Celerity now additionally reduces the cooldown of Force Speed by 2.5 seconds per point.
      • Masked Assault now additionally finishes the cooldown of Blackout when you exit stealth. In addition, Masked Assault causes Shadow's Respite to reduce all damage taken by 25% while active.
      • Fade now additionally reduces the damage taken from area effects by 15% per point and reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 15 seconds per point (down from 30 seconds per point). Kinetic Field no longer provides this effect.
      • Kinetic Field has been redesigned. Critical hits now cause you to build a Kinetic Field, increasing damage reduction by 1% per point per stack. This effect stacks up to 3 times. This skill is now located in tier 5 of the skill tree.
      • Situational Awareness is now located in tier 6 of the skill tree.
      • Deep Impact is now a 2-point skill with the same overall effect.
      • Humbling Strike is a new 1-point skill in tier 6 of the skill tree. It causes the target of your Spinning Kick to be slowed by 70% for 3 seconds when the knockdown effect ends. It requires Subduing Techniques.
      • Clairvoyant Strike: Using Project no longer consumes the buff provided by this ability. This change was made to better synergize with Spinning Strike during execute phases.
      • Clairvoyant Strike now correctly increases Project's damage with 1 stack.
  Sith Inquisitor
  
  • General
    
    • Electrocute now costs no Force and has a 10-meter range.
    • Force Speed now has a 20-second cooldown (down from 30).
    • Overload now costs no Force and affects targets in a 15-meter cone in front of you. This ability now executes more quickly.
    Sorcerer
    
    • Unnatural Preservation: This new ability allows you to heal yourself for a moderate amount. It costs no Force, is instant, and has a 30-second cooldown.Corruption
      
      • Dark Resilience now additionally increases the healing of Unnatural Preservation by 15% per point.
      • Fadeout has been redesigned. It now causes Force Speed to remove roots and snares and grants immunity to roots and snares for its duration.
      Lightning
      
      • Polarity Shift now additionally provides immunity to interrupts for its duration. It has improved visual effects to demonstrate this effect.
      • Lightning Effusion no longer reduces the cooldown of Force Speed.
      • Backlash: The blindness effect caused by this skill no longer breaks on damage. The visual explosion effect now plays on the correct target.
    Assassin
    
    • Force Cloak now has a 2 minute cooldown.Darkness
      
      • Lightning Recovery has been redesigned. It now requires Lightning Reflexes and increases the Force recovered by Lightning Reflexes. Successful shielding, parries, and deflects now reduce the active cooldown of Force Shroud by .5 second per point. This effect cannot occur more than once every second.
      Deception
      
      • Duplicity: When Exploit Weakness activates, your next Maul deals 30% more damage and costs 75% less Force. This cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds, but each rank after the first reduces this rate limit by 3 seconds.
      • Avoidance now additionally reduces the cooldown of Force Speed by 2.5 seconds per point.
      • Darkswell now additionally finishes the cooldown of Blackout when you exit stealth. In addition, Darkswell causes Dark Embrace to reduce all damage taken by 25% while active.
      • Fade now additionally reduces the damage taken from area effects by 15% per point and reduces the cooldown of Force Cloak by 15 seconds per point (down from 30 seconds per point). Entropic Field no longer provides this effect.
      • Entropic Field has been redesigned. Critical hits now cause you to build an Entropic Field, increasing damage reduction by 1% per point per stack. This effect stacks up to 3 times. This skill is now located in tier 5 of the skill tree.
      • Resourcefulness is now located in tier 6 of the skill tree.
      • Cracking Blasts is now a 2-point skill with the same overall effect.
      • Magnetism is a new 1-point skill in tier 6 of the skill tree. It causes the target of your Spike to be slowed by 70% for 3 seconds when the knockdown effect ends. It requires Static Cling.
      • Voltaic Slash: Using Shock no longer consumes the buff provided by this ability. This change was made to better synergize with Assassinate during execute phases.
      • Static Charges now correctly refers to the damage dealt by your next Surging Charge's Discharge.
      • Voltaic Slash now correctly increases Shock's damage with 1 stack.
  Smuggler
  
  • General
    
    • Defense Screen: This ability's tooltip now mentions that it absorbs damage up to a moderate limit and that it does not break stealth.
    • Flash Grenade no longer has an Energy cost.
    • An issue that could prevent players from taking cover correctly has been corrected. This issue could cause the error "Unknown Effect Result" to display.
    Gunslinger
    
    • Scrambling Field has a new icon.
    • Pulse Detonator's timing has been adjusted; it now executes more quickly.Saboteur
      
      • Hot Pursuit: This ability can now only be triggered once every 20 seconds.
      • Incendiary Grenade's appearance no longer incorrectly displays 2 grenades in the air. Some timing issues with the throwing animation have been addressed.
      Sharpshooter
      
      • Trickshot is now usable within the 5 seconds immediately following Charged Burst, Aimed Shot, or Quickdraw.
      Dirty Fighting (Gunslinger)
      
      • Wounding Shots has a new animation.
    Scoundrel
    
    • Disappearing Act now has a 2 minute cooldown.Scrapper
      
      • Fight or Flight has been redesigned. It finishes the cooldown on Sneak when you exit stealth and allows Sneak to be used out of stealth, increasing movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds. It still removes the penalty to healing done and received caused by Disappearing Act.
      • Flee the Scene now additionally reduces the cooldown of Sneak by 7.5 seconds per point. It also now reduces the cooldown of Disappearing Act by 15 seconds per point (down from 30 seconds per point).
  Imperial Agent
  
  • General
    
    • Flash Bang no longer has an Energy cost.
    • An issue that could prevent players from taking cover correctly has been corrected. This issue could cause the error "Unknown Effect Result" to display.
    Sniper
    
    • Ballistic Shield has a new icon.
    • Cover Pulse's timing has been adjusted; it now executes more quickly.Marksmanship
      
      • Followthrough is now usable within the 5 seconds immediately following Snipe, Ambush, or Takedown.
      Engineering
      
      • Calculated Pursuit: This ability can now only be triggered once every 20 seconds.
    Operative
    
    • Cloaking Screen now has a 2 minute cooldown.Concealment
      
      • Energy Screen has been redesigned. It is now called "Ghost." It finishes the cooldown on Sneak when you exit stealth and allows Sneak to be used out of stealth, increasing movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds. It still removes the penalty to healing done and received caused by Cloaking Screen.
      • Advanced Cloaking now additionally reduces the cooldown of Sneak by 7.5 seconds per point. It also now reduces the cooldown of Cloaking Screen by 15 seconds per point (down from 30 seconds per point).
  Trooper
  
  • General
    
    • Hold the Line now has more noticeable visual effects.
    • Cryo Grenade now has a 10-meter range.
    Vanguard
    
    • Tactics
      
      • Pulse Generator: Each stack now causes 20% additional damage. This can stack up to 3 times.
      • Shock Absorbers now additionally reduces damage taken from area effects by 15% per point. Damage reduction while stunned has been increased to 15% per point.
      Assault Specialist (Vanguard)
      
      • Sweltering Heat's snare has been reduced to 30%.
      • Incendiary Round's range has been reduced to 10 meters.
      • Assault Plastique's range has been reduced to 10 meters.
    Commando
    
    • Due to changes in the Commando skill trees, all Commandos have had their skill points refunded.
    • Disabling Shot is a new ability that interrupts the target's current action and prevents that ability from being used for the next 4 seconds.Gunnery
      
      • Concussive Force: Stockstrike now immobilizes the target for 4 seconds instead of knocking it back.
      • Cover Fire: This ability's snare has been increased to 70%.
      • Charged Barrel: Each stack of Charged Barrel now additionally reduces the activation time of your next Advanced Medical Probe by 20% per stack.
      Combat Medic
      
      • Kolto Residue now additionally snares enemies struck by your Kolto Bomb by 50% for 3 seconds.
      • Potent Medicine is now a 3-point skill with the same overall effect.
      • Frontline Medic is a new 2-point skill. While protected by your own Trauma Probe, firing Hammer Shot at an enemy now triggers your Trauma Probe (this can only happen once every 3 seconds). This does not trigger if your health is full.
      Assault Specialist (Commando)
      
      • Sweltering Heat's snare has been reduced to 30%.
  Bounty Hunter
  
  • General
    
    • Electro Dart now has a 10-meter range.
    • Unload has a new animation when used with a single blaster pistol.
    Powertech
    
    • Advanced Prototype
      
      • Prototype Flame Thrower: Each stack now causes 20% additional damage. This can stack up to 3 times.
      • Stabilized Armor now additionally reduces damage taken from area effects by 15% per point. Damage reduction while stunned has been increased to 15% per point.
      Pyrotech (Powertech)
      
      • Sweltering Heat's snare has been reduced to 30%.
      • Incendiary Missile's range has been reduced to 10 meters.
      • Thermal Detonator's range has been reduced to 10 meters.
    Mercenary
    
    • Due to changes in the Mercenary skill trees, all Mercenaries have had their skill points refunded.
    • Disabling Shot is a new ability that interrupts the target's current action and prevents that ability from being used for the next 4 seconds.
      
    • Arsenal
      
      • Afterburners: Rocket Punch now immobilizes the target for 4 seconds instead of knocking it back.
      • Pinning Fire: This ability's snare has been increased to 70%.
      • Tracer Lock: Each stack of Tracer Lock now additionally reduces the activation time of your next Healing Scan by 20% per stack.
      Bodyguard
      
      • Kolto Residue now additionally snares enemies struck by your Kolto Missile by 50% for 3 seconds.
      • Warden is now a 3-point skill with the same overall effect.
      • Peacekeeper is a new 2-point skill. While protected by your own Kolto Shell, firing Rapid Shots at an enemy now triggers your Kolto Shell (this can only happen once every 3 seconds). This does not trigger if your health is full.
      Pyrotech (Mercenary)
      
      • Sweltering Heat's snare has been reduced to 30%.

Companion Characters

• General
  
  • Players can now use "match color to chest" for their companions, and can choose to show or hide companion head gear.
    
  • Companions no longer have their weapons drawn on the player's starship.
  Companions
  
  • Gault
    
    • Memento Marketing: This conversation is now only available on the player's ship.
    Lord Scourge
    
    • Legends: Affection gained during this conversation is now properly granted to Lord Scourge (instead of Rusk).
    Tallos Drellik
    
    • The conversation for "Failure" now grants affection gains and losses correctly.
    Vector
    
    • Agents on the conversation "The Lost Colony" now properly receive affection rewards for the dialogue.

Crew Skills

• General
  
  • Several gathering nodes that were previously inaccessible (for instance, some that were underneath terrain) can now be harvested.

Flashpoints and Operations

• Flashpoints
  
  • While participating in a Flashpoint conversation, using Esc to cancel a conversation and then pressing the "x" button to close the window no longer causes the player to exit the Flashpoint instance.

Operations

• General
  
  • [WEEKLY] Deadly Operations now awards 30 Daily Commendations.
    
  • [WEEKLY] Galactic Operations now awards 10 Daily Commendations and 8 Black Hole Commendations.
    
  • [WEEKLY] Galactic Crisis Points now awards 10 Daily Commendations and 8 Black Hole Commendations.
    
  • Explosive Conflict now awards 10 Black Hole Commendations and crafting materials.
    
  Eternity Vault
  
  • Annihilator Droid XRR-3 can now be attacked more reliably with abilities that require standing behind the target.
    
  • Characters no longer occasionally become invisible when moving through the lava tunnels.
  • Corrected the location of a misplaced Ancient Power Source during the Soa encounter.
  Explosive Conflict
  
  • Ugnaut Engineers' "Firebomb" now correctly displays visual effects on the ground for the full duration of the effect.
  • The console that deactivates Colonel Vorgath's minefield is now positioned in a more accessible location.
    
  • Damaging Toth and Zorn too quickly no longer causes their health threshold mechanics to overlap (in all difficulty modes).
    
  • Chests in Explosive Conflict no longer contain Black Hold Commendations. They now have increased amounts of credits and crafting materials.
    
  • Bosses in Hard Mode Explosive Conflict now drop 5 Black Hole Commendations each.
    
  • A number of changes have been made to Explosive Conflict's Story Mode in order to make it more accessible for pick-up groups.
    
    • Toth and Zorn
      
      • Frenzy now increases damage less per stack.
        
      • Toth now waits longer before using area of effect abilities after jumping.
        
      • Fearful now increases damage taken by a lower amount.
        
      • The amount of time before Toth and Zorn enrage when one dies has been increased.
        
      • The enrage timer for the encounter has been increased to 6 minutes 30 seconds.
        
      • Damaging Toth and Zorn too quickly no longer causes their health threshold mechanics to overlap.
        
      Firebrand and Stormcaller
      
      • The activation time of Incinerate Armor, Double Destruction, and Defensive Systems has been increased.
        
      • Incinerate Armor no longer increases damage taken in addition to its armor debuff.
        
      • Shield generators can no longer be damaged by players.
        
      Colonel Vorgath
      
      • Probe Droids no longer use Cleave.
        
      • The enrage timer for the encounter has been increased to 4 minutes 30 seconds.
        
      Warlord Kephess
      
      • The time before Baradium Bombers explode has been increased.
        
      • The damage for the Pulsar Power Droids' rail shot has been decreased.
        
      • Kephess' damage in the final phase has been decreased.
        
      • The damage from the Trandoshan Warrior's reflective shields has been decreased.
        
      • The enrage timer for the encounter has been increased.
        
      
      
    Karagga's Palace
    
    • Bonethrasher can now be attacked more reliably with abilities that require standing behind the target.
    • Proximity Pulse Mines no longer spawn during the G4-B3 Heavy Fabricator encounter in Story Mode.

Group Finder

• Players participating in a Group Finder group now have the ability to teleport to the Group Finder instance at any point.
  
• Players who leave an active Group Finder instance can now be returned to the location they were in when they used the "travel now" dialog option to travel to the instance.
  
• Once players reach a checkpoint or defeat an Operation boss, they may choose to exit at the normal area entrance when leaving.
  

Items

• General
  
  • The majority of offhand items can now be modified. Shields, Generators, and Foci accept Armoring modifications, and Vibroknives and Shotguns accept Barrels. Additionally, they can contain Color Crystal, Mod, and Enhancement slots (though the Color Crystal slot does not currently impact the visuals of the item). Note that there are some exceptions â€" not all offhands can be modified. Due to this change, previously damaged offhand items will be fully repaired, but items on the GTN or in the mail will have their durability reduced to 0 and will need repairs.
    
  • Bind on pickup and Bind on Legacy items can now be traded for up to 2 hours between players that were eligible to loot the item.
    
  • Items purchased from a vendor can now be sold to any vendor for full purchase price (in commendations) for up to 2 hours. Stackable items and mission items cannot be traded or sold back for full value. The 2 hour time is terminated if a mod is added or removed or an augment slot is added. Bind on Equip items cannot be refunded (in commendations) if they are traded, mailed, put in a guild bank, or listed on the GTN.
    
  • Lockboxes' 2 hour timer terminates when the lockbox is opened.
    
  • The formula that determines extraction costs for modifications has been adjusted. Costs to remove Premium and Artifact quality modifications have been reduced substantially. The cost to remove Prototype modifications has been decreased slightly.
    
  • The Heavy Sonic Disruptor can now be drawn correctly by characters.

Missions and NPCs

• GeneralWorld MissionsClass MissionsNPCs
  
  • Several cinematics throughout the game have been improved. In many cases, animations have been cleaned up and missing or extraneous characters have been addressed.
  • Some instances where the player would enter or leave a mission phase unexpectedly have been corrected. This could, in some cases, cause a player to become stuck.
  • An issue that could cause a glow effect to be applied to a player’s starship holoterminal several times has been corrected.
  • AlderaanBalmorraCorelliaHothIlumKorribanNar ShaddaaOrd MantellQueshTarisTatooineVoss
    
    • Hive Mined: Imperial Mine Inspectors now run away and despawn correctly when freed.
    • Paladins: Players can no longer accidentally attack Duke Charle Organa while fighting the Wolf Baron.
    • Revenge Served Cold: Line of sight issues with the Thul Cryo Dragoon have been corrected.
    • Thwarting House Thul: Looting Deral Thul's Cybernetic Implant now works properly when the player is in a group.
    • Big Guns: Mission indicators now direct players to the correct locations.
    • Coms Away: The post-mission ambient dialogue from Fixer 66 now properly relates to the player's choices.
    • Data Corruption: This mission no longer progresses if the player cancels the action while uploading the virus.
    • Flush out the Snipers: Enemies for this mission's objective now have an appropriate name ("Resistance Sharpshooter" instead of "Gold Neerbray Commando").
    • Salting the Fields: Each player in a group must now use the Soil Devastators separately.
    • Storming the Front: The medical supplies item is now displayed in the mission tracker during the step "Heal the Wounded Republic Defenders.
    • Wild Fire: The mission log text now correctly instructs players to return to the Troida Military Workshop Hangar.
    • The item "Anti-rad Injector" associated with Glow and Counter Eco-Terrorism now properly removes stacks of radiation poisoning from a character over time.
    • Asset Liquidation: Usable objective items and enemy NPCs related to this mission now respawn more quickly.
    • Coronet Shipping Invasion: More Imperial forces in the Coronet Shipping Docks now count towards completion of this bonus mission.
    • Counter Eco-Terrorism: Objective items related to this mission now respawn more quickly.
    • Criminal Crackdown: Usable objective items and enemy NPCs related to this mission now respawn more quickly.
    • Forced Labor: A Drall Engineer no longer runs through the force field when rescued. Usable objects related to this mission now respawn more quickly.
    • Imperial Interference: This bonus mission is now the appropriate level (previously, it was lower level than its main mission).
    • Razing the Ice Fortress: The step "Speak to Seeker Kabath" now directs the player to the correct location.
    • Darkness on Ilum: multiple encounters related to this mission can no longer be activated at the same time.
    • Allegiance: Players can now consistently complete this mission while in a group.
    • Back Alley: This mission now correctly provides a lockbox in its reward choice.
    • Recruitment: The Jedi Master now spawns reliably.
    • Zero Protocol: The step "Return to Commandor Stron" now has an appropriate map link.
    • Take Back Drelliad Village: Separatist Defenders and Separatist Heavy Gunners now grant credit towards the objective "Dispatch the Separatist Forces.
    • The Republic Commando and Medical Officer on Quesh now properly show mission indicators if a player is the appropriate level for Quesh.
    • Bashun's Bodyguards: This bonus mission now activates correctly for Imperial Agents. It is a bonus mission for the mission Cathar Assassination.
    • Shields Down: Players now receive kill credit for Shielded Mark V Junk Droids if their companion deals the killing blow.
    • A Selfless Act: Log entries for this mission now reflect the proper mission steps.
    • Dark Rites: Dark Mastery: This mission now correctly awards affection points for Companion Characters.
    • March of Time: Monument text now remains on screen for a longer period of time.
    • Signal Fires: Gormak Tower Guards no longer pre-emptively despawn during this mission.
  • Jedi KnightSith WarriorJedi ConsularSith InquisitorSmugglerImperial AgentTrooperBounty Hunter
    
    • Vault of the Gormak King: Players can no longer re-enter the Gormak Vault phase once this mission has been completed.
    • Weapon of the Jedi: Players who did not properly receive the "Jedi Weapons" Codex entry will find it unlocked.
    • Ambush: A Republic Strike Droid in Darth Vengean's Flagship no longer becomes invisible.
    • An Army of One: Players can no longer destroy Commander Naughlen’s barricade before they reach the mission step to do so.
    • Bringing up the Rear: The map note for the task “Defeat the Imperial Rear Guards” now displays correctly.
    • Choke Point: The map note related to the mission step “Rendezvous with Lieutenant Dargus” now displays correctly.
    • Distress Call: Halidrell Setsyn now has a mission indicator on the appropriate mission step.
    • General Durant: The conversation with General Durant is no longer forced upon completion of the mission step "Confront General Durant." Lieutenant Pierce no longer enters combat during this mission.
    • Power Play: The fight with Darth Vengean now only resets if Lord Draahg is killed.
    • Deep Cradle, Dark Heart: The conversation with Sophia Farash now triggers correctly.
    • Nightmares: The step "Find Doctor Kerrian" now directs players to the correct location.
    • Old Blood: The mission step "Enter Bekvalen Hall" now has an appropriate map note. Hollow Voice now uses the correct language.
    • The Dark Council: The step "Defeat Darth Thanaton" now points the player to the correct location.
    • Eco-Terrorists: This mission now correctly provides a Premium Skill Barrel 8 in addition to the reward choice.
    • Heist of the Millennium: The Droid head now has the appropriate model, and it is now more obvious that players are removing a piece of it.
    • Into the Fire: The conversation with Lokir-Ka no longer auto-triggers again if the player uses Esc to end the conversation.
    • The Endless Abyss: This mission now correctly provides a Prototype Artful Mod 14 if you do not keep the blaster.
    • Imperial Agents who are simultaneously on the "Travel to Nar Shaddaa" step of Kaliyo's mission "What You Do for a Partner" and the "Closing the Deal" class mission can now satisfy both mission steps by traveling to Nar Shaddaa.
    • The Assassin's Prize: Players can no longer accidentally leave Denri Ayl's mission area.
    • The Sky Burns: Players no longer see this mission progress until the beacons are fully planted.
    • Public Relations: Sergeant Jaxo can no longer die during one of the steps requiring the player to speak with her. Re-opening the door after closing it during the bomb sequence can no longer cause this mission to become blocked. Players can no longer infiltrate Port Raga until they have spoken to Jaxo.
    • Welcome Party: Colonel Gaff's conversation no longer begins automatically when the player approaches.
    • Electrocution: Jicoln's electric floor now properly stuns players, and its debuff has an appropriate icon.
    • Honor or Glory: The conversation with Toran is no longer forced if the player uses Esc to cancel the conversation.
    • Meeting the Admiral: The last step of this mission no longer directs you back to Hangar Bay 59 if you helped the Admiral.
    • The Alderaan Target: All companion affection changes during this mission are now properly applied at the end of the mission.
  • The Nightmare Pilgrim can now be respawned every 30 minutes (down from 2 hours).
    
  • Intelligence Officer Breerdin no longer treats all alien characters as Chiss.
  • Corsec Blaster Droids on Corellia are no longer invisible.
  • Members of the Black Sun and Coruscant Security now engage in combat appropriately in several areas on Coruscant.
  • Several common NPC Boss encounters have had their loot adjusted to be more in line with their rarity.
  • Conquest Droids on Balmorra no longer attack other Imperial NPCs that enter their range.

PvP

• General
  
  • Level 50 daily Warzone missions (No Quarter and March Them Down) now only require 4 Warzone completions (down from 6). Winning a Warzone still counts as an extra completion.
    
  • The Resolve system has been adjusted in the following ways.
  • When a player becomes immune to control due to Resolve, his Resolve meter will not start decaying until after all the current controlling effects expire (instead of decaying immediately after the immunity begins).
  • Players under the effects of a control ability now build less Resolve for other control abilities that target them. The exact amount of Resolve the player builds is based on the time remaining on the ability currently controlling the player and the relative strength of that ability's effect. If two stuns of similar strength (such as Electrocute and Debilitate) target a single player at the same time, the second ability would generate very little Resolve. However, if the two effects were applied so that the duration of their effects overlapped very little, each effect would grant its full (or nearly full) Resolve to the target.
  • A new Codex entry can be found in the Game Rules section to help players who are unfamiliar with the details of the Resolve system.
  • New Recruit MK-2 gear is now available. This gear replaces the Recruit set, which is no longer available.
    
  • Unranked Warzones now backfill empty player slots more frequently.
  Warzones
  
  • General
    
    • Leaving a Warzone queue from the queue window now properly closes the "join Warzone" dialog.
    Huttball
    
    • Frogdogs now hear voiceover when they score their second point.
    • The maximum time limit in Huttball has been reduced from 15 minutes to 13 minutes.
    Novare Coast
    
    • The fire rate for each of the turrets has been increased from 8 seconds to 9 seconds.
    • Players are no longer required to press Spacebar to exit the loading screen before this Warzone.
    Voidstar
    
    • In the event that neither team breaches the first set of doors, the winner of the match is now the team that scored the most kills.

Space Combat

• Items that grant repeated upgrades of the same type are now correctly accounted for.
• Power Conversion Module abilities now appear in the correct quickslot during Space Combat Missions for Imperial Agents.

UI

• General
  
  • The title row in panels such as the Guild Roster and who list no longer occasionally disappear.
  • The "inspect" window now closes when the inspected character is too far away.
  • The "promote" and "demote" buttons are now more visible in the guild UI.
  • Players can now set their moods, altering your character's facial expression. You can find these moods in the emote browser near the chat window.
    
  • Activating multiple UI panels in very rapid succession no longer causes the game to become unresponsive.
    
  • Players can now use shift+right click to equip an item directly on their active companion.
    
  Chat
  
  • PvP messages (such as becoming flagged) can now be toggled off in chat tabs.
  • The description of the chat preference "Group Awareness Ping" now more accurately describes its effect. The tooltip now reads: "Plays an audible tone when your name is said in a Group chat channel. If you have heard an audible tone in the last 30 seconds, you won't hear one.
  Maps
  
  • The accuracy of the Promenade map on Nar Shaddaa has been improved.
  • The map for the Dark Temple Approach on Dromund Kaas now better reflects the world.
  • Several areas where the map would incorrectly transition to a new map have been corrected.

Miscellaneous Bug Fixes

• Jedi Consulars arriving on Balmorra are no longer facing their ship door upon entering the spaceport.
• The Dromund Kaas Nexus Cantina rest zone has been slightly adjusted.
• The Fernell Research Facility on Balmorra now displays the correct name.
• Trees and large moving objects now cast animated shadows in the game world. Shadows are smoother, and players will notice improved self-shadowing. Additionally, the shadow system has been optimized to increase performance. Players utilizing AMD Crossfire or Nvidia SLI options will see a boost in performance. To see these changes, the shader settings and shadow settings must be set to "high."
• Several minor art issues, like floating objects, seams in the terrain, and issues with disappearing geometry have been corrected.
• Many places in the world where players could get stuck have been fixed.
• Several typographical errors have been corrected.
• An issue that could cause display problems after changing a video card out has been addressed.
• Players performing certain emotes while riding the Jawa Balloon on Tatooine are no longer teleported back to the balloon's start position.
  
• Changes to the Grass Quality slider in the options now apply immediately when the player presses "OK" or "Apply."

i've marked the most important ones

Quote from: voyak;358221i've marked the most important ones

Nice info bud :)

1.4 is tomorrow! (26.09.2012)

http://www.swtor.com/blog/scheduled-maintenance-game-update-1.4-september-26th-2012

beat me too it, i was just about to post this!

we need to do EC HM first

I tried it the other day with a random group..

totally different

we only beat zoth and torn (or whatever there names are) the tanks are ridiculously hard

nah, the Story Mode of Terror From Beyond requires same gear that EC SM does :)

been doing terror from beyond today, good SM

SM drops rakata apart from last boss who like EC SM drops 1 rakata gear

see dulfy for droplists and guides:

Guides (http://dulfy.net/2012/09/26/swtor-terror-from-beyond-tfb-operation-boss-guides/)

drops (http://dulfy.net/2012/09/26/terror-from-beyond-tfb-loot-table/)