In a few weeks, Star Wars: The Old Republic celebrates ten years of continuous development, with the Legacy of the Sith 7.0 update providing some much-needed modernization to the beloved Star Wars MMO. As video game technology advanced over the years, many developers of live service games (such as Elder Scrolls Online or SWTOR) have evolved with the times. Social, economic, and cultural shifts have also occurred throughout the last decade, with many video games adapting to new audiences and embracing more welcoming environments. Disney’s purchase of Star Wars left the game’s canon muddled, but BioWare’s team continued to develop the in-game world and improve the MMO’s gameplay and roleplaying experiences.
Star Wars: The Old Republic’s Legacy of the Sith expansion begins during an invasion of Manaan. The planet is vital in the Star Wars universe by exporting kolto, the life-saving medical compound, to all sides of every conflict. Though Manaan has remained neutral in disputes between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire, the latter’s military forces have launched an invasion to control kolto production and distribution. Imperial players must lead their invasion force to victory, while Republic players work with the local populace to defend Manaan from further destruction. While the two sides battle, Darth Malgus lingers in the shadows, concocting his own schemes for the future.
Though Star Wars: The Old Republic is nearly ten years old, its stories have consistently delivered fresh Star Wars adventures in the Old Republic for Imperial and Republic players of all classes. Unfortunately, some of its systems have become outdated over the years, falling behind with graphics, UI, and in-game systems that determine crucial SWTOR gameplay details. BioWare has overhauled several systems to make SWTOR a more enjoyable MMO title to counteract the game’s age and produce satisfactory experiences for all players. All players can access these improvements, though BioWare may hide the full extent of the changes behind the subscriber paywall.
SWTOR’s Advanced Classes Have Become Combat Styles In Legacy Of The Sith
When Star Wars: The Old Republic first launched, players could unlock Advanced Classes corresponding to their base class. The Empire and Republic both offer four options, including two Force Users and two non-Force users. Advanced Classes were more suited to specific combat roles, split between Tank, Damage, and Healer. This mechanic restricted many players to undesirable playstyles and prevented a significant section of character customization that RPGs are known for. Thankfully, SWTOR’s Legacy of the Sith 7.0 update will adjust the Advanced Class system for deeper levels of character customization. This allows classes to explore new armor classes, abilities, and combat roles for co-op activities. For example, Dark Jedi can access Force Lightning abilities, while Bounty Hunters can explore a Mandalorian setup and utilize Snipers.
With Legacy of the Sith, BioWare has redesignated Advanced Classes to Combat Styles. All Force users can share interchangeable abilities and classes, with non-Force users doing the same. Combat Styles are available shortly after character creation and can explore new combat roles, attacks, and skills for existing classes. Unfortunately, players with existing characters cannot change their current Combat Style. According to Charles Boyd, SWTOR’s Creative Director, this is an issue that BioWare’s team is working on for the future.
Thankfully, current players can access Combat Styles in a different way to enjoy new systems in Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy of the Sith. SWTOR subscribers can choose two Combat Styles for their character and switch between them at will. This means players involved with Guilds can now occupy different combat roles in Operations or Flashpoints, without logging out to switch between Tank, Healer, or Damage characters.
SWTOR’s Legacy of the Sith Limits RNG
Star Wars: The Old Republic had a kinder RNG system than most games, with random loot boxes or mission rewards offering the choice between generated equipment and items available within the Cartel Market (microtransactions), allowing players to purchase specific items. Unfortunately, RNG still existed within Flashpoints and Operations, some of the more intense activities in-game. SWTOR designated a Want, Need, Pass mechanic to coordinate drops more fairly. Players that selected ‘Need’ indicated an immediate use for the item and received RNG priority, while players that chose ‘Want’ had a lesser chance of receiving that item. Meanwhile, party members that selected ‘Pass’ weren’t considered at all. It’s unknown how much this system survived in Operations and Flashpoints, but Legacy of the Sith thankfully removed RNG while leveling up.
Traditional MMO elements feature a vertical progression advancement with gear, but SWTOR didn’t always accomplish that. Thankfully, Legacy of the Sith encourages a more efficient way to level characters up and collect various armor pieces. With the updated Combat Styles featured in SWTOR, a more direct progression system encourages players to explore different builds more efficiently. RNG can enable more replayability in certain games, but the sheer number of storylines and activities in SWTOR has already accomplished that.
SWTOR’s Legacy of the Sith Updates UI & Kickstarts The Next Decade
The UI, or user interface, in Star Wars: The Old Republic has seen severe changes between launch and now. Over the years, SWTOR's development team added new mechanics, abilities, items, and more for players to use on their adventures. This resulted in an overcrowded UI that occupies a good portion of the screen. Though subscribers can customize their UI and create different arrangements, Legacy of the Sith intends to modernize the UI and make it more user-friendly. Legacy of the Sith is likely to introduce more mechanics, which will hopefully fit BioWare’s updated UI in a less cluttered way.
The most exciting addition of SWTOR's Legacy of the Sith is what it means for SWTOR’s future. BioWare’s continued dedication to its role-playing series has created an astounding legacy, and the Star Wars team hasn’t stopped yet. While Dragon Age 4 and Mass Effect 5 are in development, SWTOR fans have received regular, sizable content updates over the years that place their characters at the center of the galaxy. With the Eternal Empire chapter closed, the Republic and Empire’s next enemy remains a mystery. Darth Malgus’ plots throughout the universe are shrouded in mystery, though the Legacy of the Sith trailer suggests he may be breaking the cycle between the Light Side and the Dark Side. Developers Keith Kanneg and Charles Boyd confirmed Legacy of the Sith would be the starting point for the next decade of SWTOR adventures.
SWTOR is a constantly evolving Star Wars MMO exploring new regions of the galaxy and new chapters of history. Both Galactic Republic and Sith Empire players tend to experience different campaigns (except for the Galactic Alliance expansions), meaning Legacy of the Sith is two story campaigns in one. BioWare has developed three new areas, new gear, and new characters to meet and battle in Legacy of the Sith, introducing significant content to SWTOR. Star Wars: The Old Republic Legacy of the Sith releases with Update 7.0 on December 14, 2021, for subscribers.