Star Wars: The Old Republic previews Galactic Command and unified gearing

When Star Wars: The Old Republic launches its next expansion, you can say farewell to the old rules about gear progression. The Galactic Command system is a new system that incorporates everything you do at the level cap into a unified progression mechanic. Playing through anything earns Command Experience, which improves your Command Rank, and every time your rank goes up you earn another crate of valuable items. More importantly, you also get more powerful gear from those crates as your Command Rank goes up.

Forum posts detailing the changes to PvE gearing and PvP gearing further clarify that this system is meant to wholly replace the existing system of gearing. Bosses at the level cap are no longer there to drop gear; instead, raiding in the hardest modes is the fastest way to earn Command Experience rather than the only way to earn that gear. Continuing to earn up Command Rank and get better gear outside of raids is eminently possible. It’s a big change to how gear has worked in the game since it launched, but it also means that progress is becoming that much more universal and straightforward.