Patch 9.0 brings a host of exciting changes, fixes, and additions to enhance the gaming experience in Star Wars Galaxies Reckoning. This update covers various aspects of gameplay, from bounty hunting to combat, crafting, and professions, offering a more seamless and immersive experience for all players. Below, we’ll dive deeper into each major update, detailing the improvements made in this highly anticipated patch.
Bounties
Bounty hunting has received a significant improvement with Patch 9.0. Previously, there was an issue where a player-placed bounty reward would not always be given. This bug has been addressed and fixed, ensuring that when players place a bounty, they can expect the reward to be issued correctly. Additionally, a new feature has been added that monitors when a player-placed bounty expires. This change removes the need for a login or logout event to trigger the bounty expiration process, creating a smoother and more reliable system for players. Lastly, the Bounty Hunter (BH) group mission payout has been fixed, further improving the experience for players who enjoy the bounty hunting profession.
Cities/Structure
Several quality-of-life changes were made to cities and structures in Patch 9.0. The ability to choose the color of merchant tents, a feature that was previously problematic, has now been fixed. Players can once again customize the appearance of their merchant tents to fit their desired aesthetic. In addition, the number of citizens required to reach city ranks 4 and 5 has been reduced. The number of citizens needed for rank 4 is now 20, down from 25, while rank 5 now requires 30 citizens, reduced from 50. These adjustments make it easier for cities to progress, allowing more players to enjoy the benefits of higher city ranks.
Combat
Patch 9.0 makes a number of crucial fixes and changes to combat mechanics. One of the key issues addressed was the lightsaber block not properly applying the block state. This issue has now been fixed, ensuring that lightsaber wielders can properly block incoming attacks. Additionally, several issues related to experience caps and combat logging have been resolved. The experience cap for players with default caps higher than their skill box cap has been fixed, and combat log damage now properly reflects food and Jedi armor mitigation. Other fixes include adjustments to food damage mitigation, armor mitigation combat spam values, and fire DoT (Damage over Time) wound calculations, all of which help to balance combat in the game.
Crafting
Several fixes and additions were made to the crafting system in Patch 9.0. Ranged weapon component crafting appearance selection is now working as intended, and the visible components of ranged weapons now accurately reflect their ingredients. Additionally, a new feature has been added to crafting stations: the Ingredient Hopper. This new addition allows for a more streamlined and efficient crafting process, making it easier for players to manage their ingredients and craft their desired items.
Droids/Pets
In this patch, pets have received a much-needed upgrade. Now, when a pet enters the water, it will properly receive the swimming state. This means that pets can swim alongside their owners, adding a new level of immersion to the game. Additionally, pets can no longer attack while swimming, preventing any unfair advantages. Mounts also received a fix for being stuck at slowed combat speed, while droids have been improved to respond to band commands as intended. These fixes ensure that players’ companions behave more realistically and in line with the game’s mechanics.
Force Ranking System (FRS)
The Force Ranking System has undergone several improvements in Patch 9.0. Skill boxes are now properly revoked when players are removed from the FRS, ensuring that players who lose their FRS rank are appropriately penalized. Additional FRS ban checks have been added to further monitor players’ standings and ensure fair gameplay.
Galactic Civil War (GCW)
Patch 9.0 brings a major overhaul to the Galactic Civil War system. The addition of the Probot scanning feature enhances the gameplay experience by allowing the Probot to actively search for players and contraband. When a Probot detects contraband, it triggers the landing of a Lambda shuttle, which performs a more thorough scan. If the scan reveals contraband, the Lambda shuttle will call in reinforcement troops to deal with the situation. The reinforcements, including soldiers from the Imperial and Rebel factions, will attack players on sight, making GCW battles even more intense and engaging. Several new landing points have been added for Lambda shuttles, including Corellia, Naboo, and Tatooine, alongside new spawn points for containment teams. Additionally, contraband scans can now occur in the wild, and faction NPCs are now more actively involved in performing scans. These changes make the GCW more dynamic and interactive, encouraging players to engage with the system in new and exciting ways.
Groups
The group system has been improved with the addition of a feature that prevents loot permissions from being revoked when a pet leaves the group or when the group disbands. This change eliminates the frustration players experienced when their loot permissions were unintentionally reset.
Vehicles
Vehicles have received a major update in Patch 9.0, with the addition of multiple-passenger functionality for several speeders. Now, players can share the ride with one or more passengers in vehicles such as the AB-1 Speeder, AV-21 Speeder, Flash Speeder, and several others. This update allows for a more social and collaborative experience, as players can travel together in style. Special thanks are given to Blake and Halyn for their contributions to the code and .tre additions for multi-passenger functionality.
Items and Loot
In terms of items and loot, several fixes have been implemented. Repair tools now have five uses and come with their own SUI window for a more streamlined user experience. Resource crates now properly sort resources, and Jedi robes now correctly display their examine stats. Additionally, volume and content attributes are now correctly displayed on volume containers. Several changes have also been made to loot tables, such as the addition of the polearm staff janta to Janta loot tables and the removal of the Ewok crossbow.
Miscellaneous
A variety of miscellaneous changes have been made, including missing battlefield markers being added to various planets. Players can now propose unity with equipped and unequipped rings, and when proposing unity, the asking player is forced to kneel if not already doing so. Unity rings are now auto-insured and will not decay. The landing time at Starports has been reduced from 15 to 10 seconds, and the time a shuttle remains landed in a Shuttleport has been extended from 180 to 300 seconds. These small but significant changes improve the overall quality of life for players and make the game feel more polished and responsive.
Mission/Themepark/Quest
Several fixes and improvements were made to missions, themeparks, and quests. Lair names on destroy missions are now correctly displayed, and Nyms Themepark Jinkins and Kole no longer require drag-and-drop for quest items. Geo Cave respawns and quests have been fixed, ensuring that players can continue their adventures without encountering unnecessary roadblocks. The Pfilbee Jhorn Endor painting mission now requires all targets to be killed before completion, further enhancing the questing experience.
Mobs/NPCs
Various mobs and NPCs have received updates in Patch 9.0. Several commoner and quest NPCs have been updated to use new dress groups, and new NPCs have been added to multiple cities for city patrolling. Additionally, new checks have been added for NPCs and creatures healing their lairs, improving the way NPCs behave in the world. Missing Tatooine Big Game Hunt Krayt spawns have been added, and the Giant Cavern Spider Recluse now uses the correct name string.
Profession Updates
Several professions received adjustments in Patch 9.0. The Combat Medic profession now correctly applies disease and poison abilities via their respective commands, and the ability to specify which attribute to apply poison/disease to has been fixed. Damage done by Combat Medic DoTs now applies towards equipped weapon XP, further improving the profession’s balance. The Dancer profession has also been adjusted, with experience rewards now better aligned with those of the Musician profession.
The Doctor profession received a fix to prevent the default time from preventing heal enhancements and wound queue delays from going below 6 seconds when skill mods and food are used. Entertainers saw fixes for some effects not triggering indoors, and Jedi professionals received multiple fixes related to Force abilities and saber combos. Lastly, the Squad Leader profession received improvements to XP gains in extreme terrain and adjustments for group members, ensuring a smoother experience for players in this role.
Server Stability and Performance
Finally, Patch 9.0 includes numerous server improvements aimed at enhancing stability and performance. These optimizations ensure that players can enjoy a smoother and more reliable gaming experience, especially during large-scale battles or high-traffic moments. The improved server performance allows the game to run more efficiently, reducing lag and providing a better overall experience for all players.
With these numerous updates and fixes, Patch 9.0 is one of the most significant updates in Star Wars Galaxies Reckoning to date. Whether you’re a bounty hunter, a crafter, or a member of the Galactic Civil War, this patch brings something exciting for everyone. The changes and improvements not only enhance gameplay but also contribute to a more immersive and engaging experience across the board.