It’s no secret that Legacy of the Sith is changing things for classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic, but those who are interested in learning just what that means in terms of class balance might be interested in a Vullk interview with Gameplay Designer Chris Durel, who talks about the team’s philosophy and goals for class balance.
Durel discusses the decisions around changes to burst DPS and DoTs and how tactical items modify those kinds of skills, a shift away from designing around Operation utility, and the rationale behind making things like DPS defensive abilities and reactive damage abilities something that players have to choose. He also discusses tank balance matters and how different disciplines offer easier or more challenging rotations.
“Our priority for 7.0 as far as balance is concerned is retaining effectiveness for each class while highlighting what makes them unique,” says Durel in the piece. “That usually translates to keeping as much functionality on the classes as we can, paring down what we no longer consider integral, and adding or modifying functionality that highlights the class fantasy.”
Another change coming with Update 7.0 is the removal of certain items, which have been listed in a forum post. Players who have any of the items in question will receive 100 Credits per item, while those who want to keep the contents of Renown Caches will want to open them before 7.0 launches.
