As we announced on last week's livestream, we are opening our Public Test Server (PTS) so players can give us initial feedback on the updates we're making to Combat Styles, and the first round of PTS will focus on the Jedi Guardian. Before we get into the details of how players can access this content, we wanted to share some of the philosophy behind our changes to the Jedi Knight.
In the Jedi Knight's current state, there is quite a bit to learn and memorize--you need to understand active abilities, passive modifiers, selectable utilities, and how they all work together. Our goal is to make these relationships clearer and easier to understand, while also ensuring that the class retains its identity.
To achieve these goals, we are identifying key aspects of the Jedi Guardian, and understanding how players both perceive and utilize the class's abilities. Our focus is to equip the player with knowledge and understanding of these abilities so they can make impactful choices when it comes to ability upgrades and customizations. To make the class feel less encumbered and customization more concise, we are working to reduce the quantity of abilities but ensuring that the class remains distinct and unique.
This round of PTS is a high-level first look at the Jedi Guardian, so it's not a super deep dive, and there is a limitation on what will be available to play and customize at this time. While you will be able to see the full scope of customization of the Jedi Guardian in a later PTS, you will only be offered default choices for this initial phase.
The main question we want players to focus on is "does this feel like a Jedi Guardian?" We want to make sure that the foundation is strong and everything we build on top of that is in line with our goals for Combat Styles and giving players a sense of new but familiar. Check out our forum post for details on how to access PTS. For Steam players, visit this page.
This first look into the Jedi Guardian kicks off a series of PTS that will be coming in the following months, all leading up to the arrival of Legacy of the Sith. Stay tuned for more in-depth details on future PTS opportunities!