Finis

The new cartel, Finis, is now live. So far, a handful of Knights have jumped over. In light of this new endgame cartel, I decided to create a blog for Finis. You can find us at our new base, here.

Remember, active players are encouraged to come and join us! Good hunting!

The Plan

While I realize my previous post expressed my desire to go down with the proverbial -- proverbail? -- ship, I also realize that Knights of Bail began as a cartel in a highly populated game with a bright future. Sadly, those days are over.

As I've also expressed in previous posts, I play Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, and I intend to start a guild in the near future, which is akin to a cartel in Uprising. Before a GoH guild goes live, however, we still have nearly 2 months of Uprising gameplay left.

So, I'd like to share my plan for the future:

1. Start a new endgame cartel in Uprising called Finis.

Anyone who wants to hang out, have fun, and crush Uprising until the bitter end is welcome to join. This includes those who read this blog and aren't currently KoB members. We'd love to make some new friends!

That said, join requests will require approval, only so that I can keep track of who jumps from KoB and, hopefully, who joins us from other cartels. The only requirement is that you equip Cartel Savvy as soon as possible. If memory serves, the cartel will receive Cartel Ops at level 20.

I plan to start this new cartel because, as I mention above, Uprising's bright future is over. Many KoB members will stop playing, if they haven't already. A new cartel gives us the opportunity to regroup -- both literally and figuratively. And maybe we'll find a few new friends along the way.

I'd like to leave Knights of Bail in the hands of Winter Vos, but cartel Mastership automatically falls to the next Officer in line, which is Zevish Wulf. Tag, you're it, Zev! Please keep the cartel message intact! Winter will stick around with KoB to ensure a smooth transition, then join us in Finis when the dust finally settles next week.

Finally, I thought to begin Finis on Monday, after the upcoming Sector Battle, Raid map refresh, and promised game changes. Real life sometimes gets in the way, though. I'm traveling all day on Monday. Spotty airport Wifi and major cartel changes don't play together well. So, I will begin Finis in the next 24 hours.

As for the KoB blog, I'll continue to post here regularly, even after Finis begins. This blog is our base.

2. When the Uprising lights finally go out, start a GoH guild.

Heroes is very different from Uprising. I suggest that you give it a try sometime soon. I only tinkered with the game for a few weeks before I started to play regularly, in fact.

As for a prospective name, I wanted to use Moof Milkers, which is my favorite Han Soloism in The Force Awakens.  Of course, that name is taken. That said, I haven't started anything yet, so if you've got a name suggestion, let me know!

As I mention above, I'll begin the GoH guild after we get Finis off the ground, and I'll certainly post an announcement here. My GoH username, by the way, is the same: Herodiade.

So. This is the gist, knights. Feel free to leave a comment or use my contact info in the sidebar! And, again, if you plan to stay active in Uprising, I encourage you to apply for Finis membership!

Update on Monday Changes

I've a few things brewing that I'll post about soon, but for now here's the latest update from Kevin Kabam about the changes scheduled for Monday:

Our Daily Login rewards on Monday had better be staggeringly awesome. There's already enough vitriol in the forums to poison Anoat all over again.

More soon.

Going Down With The Ship

I had an interesting convo with Nura today. Both distraught by the news about the Uprising shutdown, we came to the conclusion that a good captain goes down with the ship. So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I plan to continue playing. I'll do what I've always done in facing the Empire in Uprising: Fight'em till I can't.

On that note, here's Kevin Kabam's latest update on game changes that will take place this coming Monday, 9/25:

I still feel strongly that they should mail us all a package of event crystals to spend, but this is at least a step in the right direction.

More soon. Until then, good hunting.

Uprising Shutdown Imminent

Well, this is a fantastically enthusiastic message to receive when signing on today:

Here's the Kabam Q&A explanation, posted on the forums:

So, November 17th is the last day of Uprising. Despite some warning signs, this really does come as a surprise. I just posted on the forums, "Uprising Shutdown: A Parting Gift," that suggests Kabam issue every player 100 6* Event Crystals so that we can ALL have some real fun before the inevitable end. I highly doubt this will happen, but who knows?

In any event, I'd first and foremost like to say to everyone that it has been an absolute pleasure playing Uprising with you. You really did make the game worthwhile. Knights of Bail is a fantastic cartel with great people. I won't soon forget it.

That said, I'll still sign on every day until the end. Hopefully I have the opportunity to speak with each and every one of you before we sign off for good.

But this doesn't necessarily have to prove the end, so to speak.

I know that myself and Budder both play Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. In fact, Budder is an absolute monster over there! Stay tuned for a switch to Heroes, which has Guilds rather than Cartels, but the premise is the same. I'll post about this switch soon.

Thank you, Knights.

Message of the Day

Despite a number of members on the shelf this SB -- myself included, for the most part -- we ranked 88th and secured Major Influence on BKonn once again. Great fight, everyone! As always, enjoy the buffs while you can.

Since the first IB of each cycle occurs on the previous SB planet, we'll have to defend our influence sooner rather than later. Consult the schedule in the sidebar and keep your eyes open. As it turns out, that schedule is, unfortunately, only a guesstimate.

The bad news is that we lost yet another SB. As per my previous posts about Raids, I'm fairly certain that Kabam doesn't have the resources at hand to do anything about these consistent losses, but one can at least hope that they've put the problem on their ever-growing To Do list. Member Slumpert -- sorry, Super  Member Slumpert -- recently posted on the forums that it will take 3 1/2 years to collect 10 8* event crystals. And that's at 31K PR. In other words, Kabam has to step up and make some changes to the game at some point. It's not like we can't do the math.

Speaking of which, in a late August post titled "Force Powers Update," I noted that Kabam Support said to keep "an eye out for in-game announcements as more information about changes to the game should be coming soon." This reply, given 3 weeks ago, was specifically about Kabam's review of abilities, although it does suggest that other broad based changes may occur with an update. Keep your eyes open for this, too.

So, you know, the message of the day is basically stay awake, people! 

Good hunting!

Taking a Break From All My Worries on BKonn

While the latest Battle of BKonn is well underway, I thought to take a break and check the General Discussion forum posts. So glad I did. When you need a breather, check out the "Uprising Confessions Thread." It's a doozie so far.

Good hunting!

Open Letter to Our Favorite Calrissian

Dear Lando,

Listen, I keep getting humped by Tae Nunb. Where'd you find this moof milker, anyway?

Remember that last buddy of yours I saved from Imperial prison? Well, after that job, I realized you'd slipped me 185 Gunslinger holos this month. Sounds fair, right? Errr, here's what those contraband crates got me:

4* Event Crystal x2
4* Defense Crystal x3
5* Desh x2
5* Noble Crystal
4* Syndicate Crystal
4* Weapon Crystal
7* Desh

aaaaaand 1 lousy fragment of a dead Purge Trooper's helmet. Who I probably killed, by the way.

I thought Numb Numb's business was rare  goods. By rare, I guess he means bloody. Bloody awful.  I mean, I'd score better swag by wandering down some dark alley in Mos Eisley. You know the kind.

Anyway, I'm not pulling off any more prison breaks until the payoff makes this Twi'lek squee.

But seriously. I'm through, Lando. My time's worth more than Tae Nunb can cough up. He knows I'm a Warrior for every faction in this sector, right? What a piece of desh.

XO,
Zoj

P.S.
You're still my favorite Calrissian, but c'mon.

Fragged: Heroic Raids & Grinding For Gear

After venting for several days about an array of subjects, I thought I might actually post something useful to gameplay. Call me a pragmatist, what can I say? One significant issue that will arise for many KoB members -- if it hasn't already -- is the grind for that first piece of Raid gear.

You may ask, well, Zoj, why the hell even bother with a mind-numbingly repetitive grind for Raid gear? Well, the quick and dirty answer is PR. Consider the comparison below. Thanks to a friend, Commander Aiea Thullett:

The Uprising Enforcer Legs that Aiea has equipped easily overshadow my Sab Legs. That's +1468 PR! You'll also note that the Uprising Enforcer gear, like the standard T1 Enforcer gear, grants a Melee Damage bonus, which proves especially useful for anyone who carries a lightsaber and plans to use it.

Obviously, a higher PR will allow you to not only run deeper into the Heroic Raid map, but also, and more importantly, surpass the 27,000 PR cap for the Heroic Bonus Node missions that yield guaranteed fragments. When you finally grind these guaranteed fragment missions, full pieces of gear will add up quickly. Aiea is the perfect example, who has practically a full set of Enforcer gear equipped.

The question, then, is how to earn that first piece of Raid gear. While I'm still in the hunt for that elusive first piece, I do have a general plan of attack, which I'd like to share. Hopefully, it will help you formulate your own. Let's look at the present Heroic Raid map on Hoth for a moment:

That glowing Bonus Node reads 42 seconds left on the timer. I took this screenshot after completing 3 Bonus attack runs. If you're quick about it, you should be able to run 4 in total. Since there are 4 drops per run, that means each time a Bonus Node is triggered you have 16 chances at a fragment drop. So far, I've triggered this node twice. My luck is awful, however. I'm 1 for 32. Yes, 1 shard out of 32 chances so far. Whew. That said, my luck was much better on the previous map. I'm two shards away from two different pieces of Uprising Enforcer gear.

But let's back up a bit. I triggered the Bonus Node both times without trying to do so. On this map, the northernmost node, The Ravine, boasts a 20% Bonus Mission Chance:

This percentage is the best that I can run at my current PR. So, what's a Zoj to do? The attack plan:

1. Finish every Heroic Raid Node possible with earned Raid Points, which includes the Question Mark Nodes.

2. While doing so, collect as much chromium as possible.

3. Rerun The Ravine repeatedly with earned Raid Points to trigger the Bonus Node. Again, the chance to trigger is 20% or 1-in-5.

4. When Raid Points are no longer available to earn, spend chromium to rerun The Ravine to trigger the Bonus Node.

5. Each time the Bonus Node triggers, run at least 4 missions for 16 chances at frag drops.

6. Rinse and repeat with each new Raid Map in the sector.

Finally, there is the matter of spending chromium. I do not suggest that anyone spend real money, since you'd spend money only to earn the chance for a fragment drop, which is crazy!  I might feel differently for guaranteed drops.

To earn chromium, level up useless gear and run Daily Opportunity missions offered by Soussho. Remember, Soussho shows up for you and  for any of your Alt Heroes with whom you share chromium and scrip. Also, Crew Runs often allow you to earn chromium, so keep your eyes open.

Obviously, chromium's rare, so use it only to earn your preferred gear.  Personally, I'm saving chromium to grind future Raid Maps. I've never been keen on Commando gear.

There you have it. My attack plan. The first piece of Raid Gear will prove a genuine pain in the ass to finally get, I'm sure. But, to do so will open up new gameplay opportunities. So, good hunting!

Keeping Up With the Joneses in the Anoat Sector

I've thought a bit lately about the general consensus on the forums that Uprising is now on "autopilot," and I unfortunately have to agree. Although, to say so requires some sort of explanation, right? Right. Uprising is a MMORPG and, as my previous post suggests, the MMO half of such an equation has fallen relatively flat. But what about Uprising's RPG characteristics? RP what now? Oh yeah, story. 

In my previous post, I touched upon the lack of multiplayer Raids with the release of 3.0, as well as the end of the cartel competition and the "meh factor" of current SBs and IBs. Maybe Daniel Erickson's "M" refers to Massively "Meh" Online game? In all seriousness, there are also other issues to address, which I've posted about numerous times in the past.

For instance, while the Lando Missions are cursorily a unique and interesting tie to the Star Wars universe, the missions themselves are lackluster at best, if only because the rewards are generally garbage.  Which is a technical term! Personally, I haven't taken out the trash for Lando in awhile. As far as I can tell, however, the real problem lies in the lack of new story content.

Obviously, the engine of any RPG is story content. At times compelling and at times nonsensical, the storyline of Uprising has been an interesting one to date. In fact, I've written about the Hero arc of Uprising in "The Story So Far." Be that as it may, Kabam missed a significant opportunity to genuinely expand upon story content with both the Raids and the Lando Missions.

But there's something bigger and badder at stake here, and it's a point that Erickson, the Senior Director of Game Design, touches upon in the aforementioned "Behind the Scenes..." article. In a nutshell, the problem begins  with the players. Let me explain.

In the article, Erickson expresses nothing but enthusiasm for Endgame players. And rightly so. But have you ever wondered why, for example, the Raids are tiered in a manner that makes progress so  terrifically difficult? The answer is Endgame players.

While there are many 100 level players around, Endgame players -- who, by the way, mostly populate the top 50 cartels -- are many  cycles of development ahead of everyone else. Why? Well, they've been playing longer. It's as simple as that. Keeping this in mind, the Raids seem specifically designed to challenge Endgamers, many of whom already  have full sets of 7* Raid gear. So what does any of this have to do with story content?

Generally speaking, the main interest of Endgame players has been consistently twofold. First, beat the game. And second, beat the game faster than any other player. In short, they want to win, to finally finish that last piece of 9* Raid gear that completes their final set. While such a desire is far from ultimate fulfillment, the Raids must  keep Endgamers grinding away in circles.

Keep in mind, storylines are generally linear, not circular.  If given the opportunity, Endgamers would simply devour any new story missions with mechanical efficiency, hit the end of the line, then clamor for more. Raids keep them occupied. They wont be clamoring for more Raid content anytime soon, I can tell you that much. They're all quite busy keeping up with the Joneses.

Again, I'm speaking generally. I've met plenty of Endgame players who are genuinely interested in exploring the use of Force Powers, for example. But the above explains why Uprising seems stuck on "autopilot." While a sadly understaffed Kabam scrambles to develop new content, their prodigal children, the Endgamers, have plenty to accomplish before they ever hit the 9* wall that's so far away it seems unimaginable.

A Bad Feeling About "M"

I recently discovered an article, "Behind the Scenes with 'Star Wars: Uprising'...," which appeared just before the game's release. While the article itself isn't notably stellar, I found it interesting in light of Uprising's present state, especially since the article features Daniel Erickson, the Senior Director of Game Design.

Once upon a time, Kevin Kabam posted on the forums about the decision to release the 3.0 update with non-multiplayer Raids. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find that post again to reread it. [And I did after this present post went live. You can read Kevin's explanation here.] In any event, Erickson makes a number of insightful comments about Uprising, which, coincidentally, have a lot to do with the social aspects of the game, such as the potential for multiplayer Raids. For instance:

That’s the magic that Erickson hopes fans come to find in Uprising.  The mentality that a group effort breeds group rewards. “Having a goal where the entire player base got together and said, ‘You know, we are going to push the borders. We are going to open up this game. We are going to decide what is happening in our world.’ [Our driving focus is on] making the ‘M’ part of the MMO much clearer and much more a part of the core game.”

The view Erickson articulates makes me wonder, too, about the recent demise of the cartel competition, as well as Kabam's general unresponsiveness to obvious issues with Sector Battles, arguably the  major social event of Uprising on a weekly basis. If the "'M' part of the MMO" is supposed to prove "more a part of the core game," then I wonder what precisely happened to Erickson's vision, since, more and more, "the core game" entails merely leveling up gear with no clear teleology. What's more, the Kabam Game Team has ultimate control over the entire MMO Battle system, not the players, as I surprisingly found out.*

All of this is as much to say that Erickson's original -- and really quite remarkable -- vision for Uprising has indeed changed. As it stands, the game is part of the Star Wars universe, and it's unfortunate that, despite a staggeringly high degree of potential, Uprising's part in that universe has contracted rather than expanded after the 3.0 update. Which "M" did Erickson refer to again? Apparently not to "Multiplayer," maybe "Massively"? Perhaps Uprising is now a Misguided Multiplayer Online game? Sheesh. I've got a bad feeling about this.  

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* At Starwars.com, the ad for SWU tells potential players that they can participate in "massive Sector Battles to dictate the expansion of in-game content." While not false, it's unquestionably questionable. 

1 Year Anniversary

Star Wars: Uprising was released a year ago on September 9. There was much buzz on the forums about what kind of celebration Kabam had in store for its trusty player base. There were many speculations, including the release of a new Vanity set, akin to the Scout Trooper set that Kabam gave to players a long long time ago in a galaxy no so far away. Others suggested that they would be happy with a simple communication from Kabam, especially on the forums.

So why am I posting all this several days late?

Well, I have to admit I was so disappointed that Kabam did absolutely nothing  for the anniversary that my only response was to shrug and sigh. Uprising is a fantastic game, but the recent radio silence from Kabam has been deafening. In a recent conversation with another Uprising player, I was told that a Support representative wouldn't even confirm or deny any kind of anniversary event when answering a ticket about the matter. At this point, Kabam seems a real embodiment of this guy:

Governor Adelhard IS Kabam.

While the optimist in me says that we shouldn't give up hope for Kabam to do something truly special for the anniversary in the fairly near future -- something cool -- my pessimism keeps telling me that hope is for suckers. One way or the other, we'll all find out if Kabam has something in the works. For the moment, I'll play the sucker.

Hoth SB

We just can't win against these things.

I should just copy/paste my last post on the last Hoth SB! Although, in this battle, we ranked 81 with 15,679,620 VPs. Great effort, everyone!

And, again, the ultimate battle was lost. Kabam needs to do something  about this, sooner rather than later. Although, with their current skeleton crew, I doubt any changes will happen ever.

Anyway, I might as well note that, for the last three SBs on Hoth, I've received dupe Snow Trooper gear. Ugh. Anybody have an extra pair of gloves so I can finish the set? lol.

Keep your eyes open for future posts on the use of Alternative Heroes, also known as Alts, as well as Attacker ability builds. Until then, good hunting!

Anoat IB Update 4

At long last, I finally received a fairly clear answer from Kabam about the internal structure of IB and SB triggers. As you may recall, I was less than enthusiastic about the last response from Support about the recent change to the IB trigger schedule. As a follow up, I asked a quick question: "Can you tell me *how* SB/IB clock triggers change according to battle results?" The reply:

You'll note that the reply doesn't actually answer my question in full. I mean, how does the Game Team make this "internal decision"? More pointedly, not only is the schedule determined by the Game Team, but also the rate  of IBs and SBs. Which means, of course, that Kabam controls the entire Sector Battle system. And all this time we were under the mistaken impression that running assaults on particular planets to trigger a SB -- or earning  planetary Freedom Ratings, for that matter -- actually mattered.  

Gundarks, Guns, and Money

In less depressing news than Kabam's general ineptitude, Captain Winter Vos has a recent post in the Uprising Forums, "Gundarks, Guns, and Money: Force Powers, Standard Abilities, and Melee Play." In his post, Winter reiterates two key concerns that -- if you recall -- he expressed to the Kabam Game Team awhile back; namely, that 1) Force Powers are "merely alternatives to Standard Abilities" and generally aren't as effective against Bosses, and that 2) a Rank 1 Standard Ability Set for ranged combat works almost as effectively as a very pricey Force Power melee build.

Winter's bigger point, though: "As far as I can tell, the larger issue at stake is that Uprising has hardly ever been kind to melee players." If I've made this point once, I've made it a million times over the past year or so. You're welcome, Winter! What's particularly on point about this larger issue, though, is his suggestion that Force Powers "should prove more powerful than they are currently." I absolutely agree.

But this isn't about making Force Leap do more damage or extending the range for Dark Poison. "I mean to suggest," Winter explains, "that Force Powers should give players significant melee and block bonuses when equipped." Good point. Such a change would not only begin to bridge the obvious gap between ranged and melee play, but it would also incentivize the investment in Force Powers above and beyond any cool factor.

Think about it. Doesn't it make sense that budding Jedi receive melee bonuses from equipped Force Powers, especially considering that they're finally ready to put down that blaster and really use their lightsaber as a primary weapon rather than merely carry it around for the PR increase?

Anoat IB Update 3

Well, I finally heard back from Kabam about the recent change in the IB clock on Anoat. Here we go again:

A few things. First, the "schedule themselves"? Really?

The sentence should read: "The schedule itself can fluctuate depending on the varied results of Battles." Though, which "Battles"? Just IBs? SBs too? Wtf. I've been playing this game for nearly a year and this is the first I've heard that present battle results will change the clock triggers for future battles.

Next, there didn't "appear to be a pattern," there was  a pattern. Big difference. And that's "for some time," not "at some time." Whew. It's like I'm talking to a child who insists that the cookies are called Pig Newtons, not Fig Newtons.

What this response really  says is that Kabam can do whatever they want, whenever they want, for whatever self-justificatory reason or reasons they can dream up, without warning and without accountability.  Did my last post mention fascism?  

Hoth SB

Once again, congratulations are in order. The last I checked, we ranked 73rd on the leaderboards, which, as you know, kept our Major Influence on Hoth intact. Well done everyone! Very impressive. We own Hoth. 

Once again, however, the ultimate battle was lost. We'll have to gear up to defend our influence on Hoth for the next IB, which should have a 1 hour trigger. I've yet to hear official word back from Kabam about additional changes to the SB/IB schedule, but when -- that is, if -- I do, I'll post immediately.

Good hunting!

That Moment When You Try To Play True Melee In Uprising

Brought to you by Han Solo's alter ego:

If you've ever tried to play just melee in Uprising, then you know you're the dude in black.

Knights of Bail

While lightsabers and Jedi skills are cool, we've plenty of members who not only embody their own cool, but crush the Uprising every day, too. So, I put together a quick montage. More to follow, I'm sure!

Left to Right: Neph, Mara, Ioz, Budder, Jit, Red, Kira

Jedi Knights of Bail

While waiting for a smart reply from Kabam about the apparently revised IB schedule, I thought it time to have a little fun with the "cool factor" of Uprising. Rather than wait around for Kabam to do something interesting, I thought I'd build upon not only what they've done, but also what our members have accomplished. So, say hello to the ever evolving Jedi Knights of Bail:

Alpha, Winter, and Nura

Zoj and Mike

Pretty cool, no?

Anoat IB Update 2

Wow. I'm flabbergasted.

I just checked the original complaint thread about the Anoat IB timer change, posted by member Ellaina77. Not only did the Suggestions & Feedback thread disappear -- my assumption is that Kabam deleted it -- but, additionally, the repeated thread in General Discussion was closed down. That much I knew. However, look at the bottom of the original post:

That's right. The Kabam moderator also edited  the original post.

Now, I understand that it is entirely within Kabam's rights, in accordance with TOS policy, to behave in this manner. But this smacks of fascism, pure and simple.

Again, stay tuned.

Anoat IB Update

As I wrote in my previous post, I sent in a ticket about the latest IB on Anoat. Kabam's response has me scratching my head:

It's interesting that Samantha directed me to Suggestions & Feedback, since there was already a thread started by another player. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, I don't say "was" lightly. Kabam deleted the S&F thread and closed  a repeated thread in General Discussion. This behavior is worrisome, to say the least.  

Here's my reply to Samantha:

If Kabam bothers to send me the appropriate information, I'll then surely let you know. Stay tuned. This may get absurdly interesting. 

Anoat IB

Yes, for those of you who noticed, there was an IB on Anoat today at 1pm EST, which triggered an hour earlier. And, yes, you're right. This IB was not supposed to have a 1 hour trigger.  Which means that practically none of our crew was online to compete.

My supposition at this time is that we've lost Major Influence on Anoat due to Kabam's ineptitude when it comes to communicating with their player base. They posted no information about a change to the SB/IB schedule in advance, or else I would have reposted it here.

I found out about this IB accidentally. I simply signed on to run my Daily Op. I'd already sent out crew because, well, the trigger was supposed to be 6-7 hours. Needless to say, I was upset. And I sent the following ticket to Kabam.

If Kabam replies with anything other than a premeditated response, then I'll surely let all of you know. For now, don't get disheartened. I suspect Kabam did this on purpose to shift player attention away from Hoth and towards Anoat instead. In theory, we should have the opportunity to earn Major Influence again on Anoat in the fairly near future.

Force Powers Update

If you follow this blog, then you know that I very recently posted an update about Force Powers, specifically about the Light Side Force Power called Whirlwind. One of our Officers, Winter Vos, not only invested in Whirlwind, but also contributed a post to describe it. This is only the beginning of the story.

Whirlwind is a Force Power that uses the lightsaber to stun all nearby enemies and, in turn, inflict some damage to add injury to the insult. Winter invested in this Force Power thinking that it would stun all nearby enemies, including Bosses who are generally immune to stun. He was wrong. And he posted about this on the forums, which, at last count, had 700 views. 

As it turned out, Winter also sent in a ticket to Kabam about this issue. To make a long story short, he asked the Kabam representative to pass along a note to the infamous Game Team. Thanks to Winter for sending his note to me as well, which I reprint here:

Dear Game Team, 

I have a concern about Force Powers that stun enemies. If a player invests 26 6* electrum in the following Light Side build, they will be practically helpless against Bosses who are immune to stun: Whirlwind 2, Cloud Mind 2, Force Pull 2, and Debris Barrier 2. While this example is hyperbolic, it certainly isn't beyond the realm of possibility. 

The player might as well use a Standard Ability build, e.g., Berzerk 3, Holographic Decoy 3, Durasteel 3, and Think Fast 3. This build requires no electrum, arguably works as effectively against most enemies, and unquestionably works more effectively against Bosses. 

Given the cost, why invest in any Force Power that stuns? This is a particularly important question when it comes to a Directional Force Power. Should Bosses be immune to Force Power effects? 

Thanks for listening! 

Humph. Good point, Winter. Apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so, either. The Kabam representative had a very interesting -- if not worrisome -- reply. I reprint this reply in part:

They [the Game Team] are reviewing all of the information that you have provided. They have also indicated to us here in Support that they are reviewing all Abilities within the game. I would also recommend that you consider keeping an eye out for in-game announcements as more information about changes to the game should be coming soon.

I'm not sure if I should jump for joy, or cringe in terror at the phrase "reviewing all Abilities," which usually means "we're gonna nerf everything." One thing is clear, however. Kabam listened Winter's issue. I truly do hope that the change to which they refer has to do with general Boss immunity to Force Power effects, such as stun.

While I can  imagine that they'd make Standard Abilities weaker to make Force Powers seem  stronger and, thus, more attractive, that would turn out to be yet another move that distances their long-term player base. And I'm pretty sure Kabam knows they can't afford such a move. So, for now, we can only speculate about what changes are in the near future. Let's hope against hope that these changes help make Uprising the coolest Star Wars game ever.

Hoth SB

Congratulations to everyone yet again on a strong Sector Battle. We ranked 79 with 18.6mm VPs and we secured Major Influence. Woohoo!

Which is as much to say, in fact, that an ultimate defeat on Hoth was not our fault. At all. We showed up to grind. And grind we did.

Let's hope Kabam takes notice of the low SB turnouts lately and that, moreover, they take steps to correct the issue.

Good hunting!

The Cool Factor

In my recent "rant," I proposed that Kabam change the game in numerous aesthetic ways to make the game more various and, thus, interesting. To their credit, Kabam has achieved this with the new Dread Omen Raid maps, which are cinematically wonderful. It feels  like I'm playing Star Wars while running through the different destroyer nodes, even if, as it has been pointed out to me, the Mess Hall looks more like another control room than a cantina -- bring on the Chef Vader Boss, already! Who? Well, this guy:

"I find your lack of salt disturbing."

All joking aside, Kabam has made aesthetic changes that do, unquestionably, make the game visually exquisite. I mean, Uprising is essentially a cartoon. And for a cartoon, these new Raid maps look great. But, what other changes could they make? Aye, there's the rub -- as that famous British playwright, Billy the Kid, once wrote.

Why propose any changes at all, though?

Well, Aaron Loeb at Kabam likened the life of a mobile game like Uprising to that of television shows. Core audiences keep the show -- or game, in this analogy -- afloat. How do long-term players become long-term? Well, they're invested, simply put. Now, as we know, The Force Awakens  was put in the very capable hands of a guy you may have heard of, J.J. Abrams. And he did a terrific job! More to the point, Abrams and his go-to company of writers understand that audiences want more than simply a good story. They want cool.  In the final season of another J.J. Abrams project, a television show called Fringe  that ran on Fox for several years, two main characters break the fourth wall and discuss the issue of cool.  Ostensibly, this brief scene was a nod-and-wink to the core audience of the show:

As an interesting footnote, go listen to Governor Adelhard's little speech about the Anoat Sector that plays in the background at Konn-Nevos Spaceport. Sound familiar? If that isn't the voice of actor John Noble, who plays the character of Walter on Fringe  depicted above -- and who, coincidentally, did voice work for the mobile game Infinity Blade -- then it's an excellent impersonation.

Anyway. The propositions I make below aren't simply pragmatic in character. In my opinion, they'll increase the Cool Factor of Uprising. Of course, the more complex the change or addition to the game, the higher the Cool Factor tends to, ahem, rise. Why do I want Kabam to step up their game? In a word, because a Star Wars MMORPG should be cool.  If all you want is a high PR, in other words, then I gently suggest that you stop reading this post and go grind a Raid map or two.

So, rather than simply complain, as I did in my aforementioned post, I compiled a quick, spitball list of potential changes ranging from "easy" to "keep dreaming," and not necessarily just  aesthetic ones. Let's start with the easy changes first and then discuss those of the difficult ilk.

Cartel Banner Borders

As I've previously discussed, the great strength of a post-Cycle 5 cartel is its social character. An essential characteristic of cartels is rank. Each CM (Cartel Master) has their own, individual way to determine cartel member rank, but, at the end of the day, this rank shows some kind of personal achievement within the group.

With this in mind, I'd like to see borders added to the cartel banners that reflect the rank of a given player. A gold border for CM, a silver border for Officer, a bronze border for Regular, and no border for Recruit. It would be a nice touch.

Pragmatically speaking, players would immediately see their ranks in CC (Cartel Chat) as well as GC (Global Chat). As far as our cartel goes, newer low-mid-level players would know outright who to ask about gameplay, since that's one Officer responsibility. As far as GC is concerned, if I want to discuss any aspect of running a cartel with another CM, for instance, then I'd know who to PM.

Cartel Messages

I began this blog because, in the main, cartel communication in-game stinks. The only way that a CM can send a message to every member at once is in the cartel header. That's dicier than Twitter. So, I propose that Kabam devise a way for CMs to message all members in a single communication, ideally as mail that would appear in our inbox. Perhaps the addition of a Cartel Inbox would work nicely. While not strictly an aesthetic change, this could potential prove very useful.

Barring an inbox message, how about an alternative to the PM (Private Message)? A Public Message that every member received would prove invaluable. For instance, what time is the next IB, again? From a CMs perspective, a reminder might stimulate gameplay. And I'm sure Kabam is all for that.

Lando Again

I've posted a lot about the Lando missions, so I'll keep this one brief. In light of the new Dread Omen Raid maps, I propose several different new maps for the Lando missions. Of course, Kabam would have to implement this on its given tier system. Each tier would expand to, say, three different maps, each with unique features. Running the same mission every time is yawn. Make the Lando missions cool. 

Time Zone Bullets

Ever wonder what time it is for another player? I propose that Kabam add a small bullet or clock icon next to the time stamp in both CC and GC. Color code the icon according to time zone, and add a time zone legend in-game. I'd hope that this presumably simple addition to the game would promote social play.

Bev Plar Faction Missions

Thus far, we've seen Imperial and Kouhun missions offered by Bev Plar. I propose mission crates for every Faction. But wait, there's more. As a Best Reward, offer Faction Reputation and Silver Faction Currency instead of gear or crystals. Anyone who runs Best Reward missions probably needs neither of the latter.

What's more, rather than require chromium for these Faction Missions, require bronze Faction Currency instead. Essentially useless bronze Rebel medallions suddenly become useful again, for example. Additionally, such Faction missions would bolster a player's Faction Rank. Doesn't this make sense?

Greater Variety of Species

Anyone who has given the forums even a cursory look eventually comes across a post or two about expanded Species for Uprising. NPC Rodian and Mon Calamari characters already populate social areas where player avatars appear, for example, so why not add these species for player characters? Rodians play a consistent role throughout Uprising's storyline, in fact. What's more, Sullustan seems easy enough to add, too. How cool would this be!?

Character Customizations

With the introduction of fragments -- or shards -- into Uprising, you have to wonder if Kabam simply took a page from the Star Wars: Heroes playbook, which bases character creation and development on a shard system. When it comes to character appearance, I'd like to see Kabam borrow from not only Heroes, but also, and more specifically, the aforementioned mobile game, Infinity Blade 3. In the latter, you can customize your character's stance. Why would I want to do this? Well, characters in Uprising all stand the same. In a word, it's boring. The antithesis of cool. I'd like our characters to have individually developed stances. Heroes does this, too, but in a different way. Take a look at the distinct looks of these Heroes characters:

Darth Sidious got his robes at The Sith's Wearhouse.
You're going to like the way you look. They guarantee it.

While similar in stance, each character has its own unique twist. You can see this most readily with Luminara Unduli and Princess Leia. Uprising could utilize a change of stance feature to allow players a higher degree of individualization. Speaking of which, let's move on to our next and most implausible of all changes.

Dazur Dar Crates and New Side Story Missions 

First, the Dazur Dar crates are terrible for high level players. A 100 Holodisc Contraband crate just dropped 50,000 credits and a 4* crystal for me. Really? The rewards for these crates either need an update, or Holodiscs should be easier to come by. Add full pieces of Legendary Vanity Gear to the 300 Holodisc Contraband crates, for instance.

Now for the insanity.

If Kabam really wants to ratchet up the Cool Factor of Uprising, they not only need to do something about the stances of characters, but their appearance as well. In general, many players don't bother with appearance because it costs precious resources to obtain Blueprints for any usable gear set above the 5* level. The ones who do are generally Commanders and Generals who collect Vanity Gear like candy. But, not all long-term players have the time to earn these ranks and thus the cool vanity sets. I propose that Dazur Dar help rectify this lack of cool for many long-term players.

Kabam could develop new Rumor crates that serve to forward the Force Power side story quests. What might these entail, you ask? Well, there are a number of potential routes:

I. New Trainers. Of course, this means new Force Powers, too. Thus far, however, we've yet to see Combat Passive and Non-Combat Passive Force Powers. How about a Combat Passive Force Power like Knight Speed that upgrades Hit & Run Rank 3? Or how about a Non-Combat Passive Force Power like Mind Trick that rewards the player with Major Influence buffs wherever they go?

Oh, and by the way, why the hell isn't Force Lightning a Directional Force Power yet? How about a Targeted Force Power that freezes enemy attacks, as Kylo Ren uses in The Force Awakens? Like I said, the goal here is not just pragmatic, but cool. 

II. New Swag. Why not offer a number of different Rumor crates to let the player explore varied missions that yield a variety of Vanity Gear pieces? Luminara, pictured above, serves as a great example. If Jedi left behind a lightsaber, albeit a broken one, then other Jedi gear potentially exists in the Anoat sector, too. How about a cool set of robes that aren't necessarily even Jedi gear? A lot of characters in the Star Wars universe wear robes, the majority of whom are just extras in the films and television shows. They shouldn't be that hard to come across.

And what about, on the other hand, a Rumor crate that yields a Vanity Gear set for Tanks and Attackers? At this point in the story, the Clone Wars are long over. But what about an Imperial Rumor crate that leads to a dark, dusty Imperial warehouse filled with not only outmoded clone gear and weapons, but also some nasty Security Droids? Heck, that's so cool even I might run the mission, despite my lightsaber! Or, what about a Diplomat Rumor crate that rewards the player with a Leia-like appearance? You, Kabam, have Solo and Skywalker appearances covered already, bros.  My point here, of course, is that such Rumor Crates would introduce an new, cool element of choice into the storyline of the game.

III. Lightsaber Mods. If you think the above is crazy and that I should keep dreaming, well, hang on to your lunch. While I doubt Kabam will ever  do anything this cool, I've got to suggest that, again, they borrow a page from Star Wars: Heroes and introduce Mods, or modifications, for lightsabers. This would require as many Rumor crate missions as they could imagine into existence!

Since the lightsaber begins at 5* broken and ends at 9* maxed, I propose that a player can begin to make Tier 1 Mods to the lightsaber at 7* maxed. This would include basic aesthetic features. Players could finally change their blade color. They could, at Tier 1, also change design elements. How about a longer, slightly curved hilt?

8* sabers maxed reach Tier 2 Mods, which would upgrade Ranged Protection, Block Chance, and Crit Chance. No need to add anything additional. Mods only enhance the properties of the lightsaber that already exist. Now, here's where this pitch becomes very interesting.

9* sabers maxed reach Tier 3 Mods, which would upgrade Attack Rating, Utility Rating, and Armor Rating. The genius of this modification system is that, once a player reaches Tier 3, the Mods replace the need to ever level up the lightsaber again.  In theory, a player could continue to modify their lightsaber by running Rumor crate missions that drop RNG modification mats forever.   You hear that, Kabam? Forever.  Talk about long-term!

So these are just a few ideas off the top of my head. What do you think would make a cool change to Uprising? Feel free to comment in the box below!