Five Awesome Features in Patch 1.3

The newest update for SWTOR, patch 1.3, is upcoming and while there is no new content to be found, there are some awesome features sure to make players happy. Some of these features are brand new innovations and others are in response to what players have been asking for. These new features that are coming in patch 1.3 will hopefully make SWTOR more enjoyable and playable for all the deskbound Jedi and Sith out there. Swtorhub.com takes a closer look at five awesome features found in patch 1.3

Group Finder

The biggest feature in patch 1.3 is the introduction of the group finder and is a feature that players have been clamoring for a long time to be introduced. Everyone has endured the hassle and frustration of trying to get a group together to do their favorite flashpoint or operation. Besides, who wants to waste hours hanging around the fleet station in the hopes of finally getting a group together? (As a pure DPS player, I have become quite accustomed to waiting. To kill time while waiting for an invite, I repair droids for fun and profit.) With the new group finder feature in place, you can now roam through the vast galaxy of SWTOR and be able to jump into a group.

Is anybody there?

Not only does the group finder work for instances and flashpoints, but also for open world grouping. While the details of said grouping aren't known at the present time, it's nice to know that BioWare is going full bore on the group finder. In addition, players will be treated to getting extra rewards for doing random dungeons, according to Damion Schubert, as a further inducement to join a random group.

Legacy Perks

Another great feature on our list for patch 1.3 is legacy perks. These new perks will unlock some new abilities depending upon the player's playstyle. Overall, there are four categories of legacy perks coming up in SWTOR:

• Advancement - These perks increase xp from flashpoints, space combat, and warzones.
• Companion - These perks increase affection gain from gifts or conversations, increased chances of crafting criticals, and having companions sell junk items faster.
• Travel - Players will be able to get increased sprint speeds and being able to use level 25 speeders at level 10.
• Convenience - These perks will allow players to summon repair droids in the field, having increased health when respawing at a medical center, reset your skill tree, or summon a mail box in the field.

These new legacy perks will have a good, but not game-breaking, impact upon SWTOR. Being able to customize how your character interacts with the game environment is a plus. I believe the biggest draw for legacy perks will be getting to use speeders at level 10. Players hate to waste time walking around when they can be moving faster on a speeder.

Can't wait to have these new legacy perks unlocked.

Adaptive Armor/Social Gear

While patch 1.2 introduced new armor such as Legacy Armor (Inheritance, Birthright, Renowned, and Exalted), there are no new sets in patch 1.3. However, a new feature for SWTOR is the introduction of Adaptive Gear, which means that social gear will scale to the armor needs of the player. If your Bounty Hunter has a twisted sense of humor and wants to wear slave girl or sand people attire, then will now be able to do so.

Personally, this is probably one of my favorite features in patch 1.3. I love being able to wear whatever gear I want and have it be useful to me. The more customization I can do to my character's appearance, the happier I am. Hopefully one day BioWare will introduce Death Star Trooper armor to SWTOR and my life will be complete. Yes, I know that SWTOR takes place long before the events of the original trilogy, but a nerf-herder can dream.

Server Transfers

Outside of the new group finder feature, the other huge feature in patch 1.3 is server transfers. SWTOR launched with a vast number of servers, which has led to the player population spreading out too much. Some servers have a great population, such as The Fatman, but others are virtual ghost towns. Personally, I have been on some planets on a role-play server where I was the lone inhabitant. The server population woes have been discussed thoroughly and it is nice to see the needs of the players being addressed. Nobody wants to play on a low population server. It's hard to find a group, there are few people able to offer tips and advice, and it's just plain not fun. Every player wants to feel that they're playing in an online world that's filled with other players; hence the MM in MMO.

New Augment System

Last on our lists of awesome features in patch 1.3 is the new augment system. Players in SWTOR will now be able to add a new augment slot to a piece of equipment that is green level or higher. This is done by using an augmentation kit and spending credits at a Item Modification Table. No longer will players have to rely upon critical results in crafting to get an augment slot. Now they will be able to easily add one to a piece of gear provided they have the money to do so and an augmentation kit. The kits are BoE and can be crafted by players who have either Armstech, Armormech, or Synthweaving. This is a great new feature that will allow players to beef up their gear through a method that guarantees results as opposed to one based on chance. Now only if I could augment my armor to flash "Big Nasty" in bright neon as I walk around Nar Shaddaa.

Time to do some item modification.

Patch 1.3 for SWTOR looks to add some really awesome features to the game. Player needs will definitely be answered with the new group finder and server transfers, so you'll be able to play on a large population server and be able to group more quickly. Gameplay gets a boost with the new legacy perks, adaptive armor, and the new augment system. While not as galaxy shattering as the group finder and server transfer, these other features will enhance the gaming experience of the average SWTOR player. All in all, there are some great things coming in patch 1.3.