• Endgame Gearing Without Operations

    Despite its unprecedented focus on story and character development, Star Wars: The Old Republic is at its heart, still an MMORPG. That means, beyond all the storytelling, decisions and emotional moments there are stats to push higher, equipment to enforce, and weapons to make more deadly. Following in the mold of more traditional MMO titles, SWTOR puts the most straightforward path to this goal through large group encounters, but that is not the only way to achieve the goal of gearing up at endgame. Read on as we discuss the various methods of acquiring “the best” gear available to players who, for whatever reason, cannot participate in Operations.

  • Jason Attard Speaks on Endgame Mods

    Endgame modifications have been a touchy subject for quite some time now due to a variety of reasons. To address some of these concerns, BioWare’s Senior Game Balance Designer Jason Attard took to the forums to speak on the subject.

    Jason Attard

    Our goal is that a highly-skilled player can complete content without needing to swap mods on their gear, but spending the time and credits necessary to optimize the mods should still make a noticeable difference.

    When we generate mods for endgame gear, we generate all the mod variants at a given item level and then run a process that combines the mods with endgame shell items to create the items needed for an Operation. This process helps us ensure that the stats are useful for Advanced Classes and roles, but it doesn't generate gear that is completely optimal for every spec. We always manually check the results and tweak items where necessary.

    We have had some problems in the past with gear that stacks a single rating too much and with incorrect armorings being assigned to some items (high Endurance gear should go to tanking items, Aim/Cunning/Strength/Willpower should go into DPS and healing items), and we're continuing to refine the processes we use to make more useful gear. In future tiers, you'll see many issues with mod allocation corrected!

     For the thread in full, head over to the official forum.

  • PvE Basics: Getting an Early Endgame Belt

    As you start to get gear from Hard Modes, you will find that there are no available endgame belts that drop. That’s because there are no Tionese belts and the Columi belt can only be received through the token dropping in Karagga’s Palace, an Operation which you probably won’t be geared enough for until you get some Columi set pieces, or from a random set drop against mini-bosses in Hard Mode Flashpoints where you have no control which type of belt will drop. However, there is a quick solution to get a decent and role-appropriate belt early into your PvE adventures. Hit the jump to find out more.

  • Community Pulse: The Solo Endgame



    The scope of games in the MMO genre draws players of every ilk by offering a plethora of play experiences. Be it PVE or PVP, Solo or Group, Casual or Hardcore, people commonly gravitate to a particular style and are known to defend their affinity vigorously; the Star Wars: The Old Republic community is a perfect example of this diversity. This week, we take a closer look at those who prefer a very solitary style, and what they hope to find once they reach endgame content.