Waiting Anxiously For Star Wars: The Old Republic Patch 1.2

The Star Wars: The Old Republic (SW:TOR) servers are now offline for maintenance and Patch 1.2 is installing smoothly onto my computer. As a player who has a year of closed beta play and has been a full time, hard core player since day one of early access, I am hoping and praying the long awaited new content will live up to expectations.

Patch 1.2 offers players a new warzone, a new world boss, a new raid operation, a new flashpoint, new daily quests and all sorts of other goodies to bring more excitement to the game. It also offers many of the improvements that players have been begging Bioware to implement since closed beta. Foremost among the improvements is the much needed customizable user interface that will finally allow players to adjust their UI to their own preferences and play style.

Among the many other improvements to be found in Patch 1.2 will be a new tier of armor and weapons, the ability to color match gear and a much requested combat log. The patch will also include a slew of bug fixes, a whole host of changes to existing content and an updating of the various planets that comprise the SW:TOR universe. The developers have promised to correct any problems in the existing instances, warzones and flashpoints, in order to improve the overall flow of gameplay.

There will also be improvements to crafting, the Galactic Trade Network, space combat, crew skills and the companion system. However, for many players, the most exciting part of the patch will be the expansion of the Legacy system. To quote the patch notes: “Players can now unlock a wide variety of rewards by leveling characters and reaching new legacy levels, including buffs for your characters, unlocking additional species choices for every class and upgrades for your personal starship.” All in all, there is probably not one aspect of the game that has not been changed, expanded or improved in Patch 1.2.

There is one disappointment with Patch 1.2 and that is the announcement that the Player vs. Player (PVP) ranking system, that was to be a big part of the new game content, has been dropped from the patch. A Bioware spokesperson said that they needed more time to hone the PVP ranking system to perfection and it would be added as part of a future update. Many players have years of experience with online gaming and would much rather wait until the ranking system is fully developed instead of it being rushed into service. There are very few gamers who have not encountered the buggy disasters that have occurred with other games when content was released before it was ready and we commend Bioware for its honesty and diligence.

While much of what is being done with Patch 1.2 is a necessary part of expanding an MMO over the course of its online life, players expect a constant flow of new content for their $15 a month. Frankly this patch may well be a make it or break it moment for SW:TOR. Many players have already played all of the existing content and geared their main characters to the max. A large number players have completed all the raid operations on nightmare mode, many times over. It is not uncommon to hear complaints from friends or read comments on forums, that people are getting a bit bored and that they wish there was something new to do in the game.

My own guild, Starforge on the Port Nowhere server, like many other guilds, has simply put guild activities on hold until patch day. The guild has suspended raiding until the patch is released and many of our members are leveling alts instead of playing their main characters. We are just treading water until the new content is available and some of our members have even let their accounts lapse until they see what the new patch has to offer.

It remains to be seen how many former players will return to the game but if the patch lives up to its promises, it seems likely they will all be running back to enjoy more Star Wars goodness. After all, what can be more fun than the hum of your lightsaber or blaster as you cut down a hated enemy? Most of us love the game and would like to see it have a long, successful run. We have great expectations for Patch 1.2 and we all want Bioware to hit a home run with their first major release of new game content.