Star Wars: The Old Republic Developer Blog

There’s a new developer blog penned by systems designer David Hunt up on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic website, during which he takes us through some of the changes they’re introducing crew skills and items within the game’s forthcoming v1.3 game update. Topics include adaptive gear weights, the addition of augment tables, and flashpoint loot distribution changes:

Prior to Game Update 1.3, it was only possible to create an Augmented item through a critical crafting success. Augmented items have an additional mod slot, conveniently called an augment. Some of the most valuable items in the game right now are orange shells that have been crafted with an augment slot unlocked, because they have exceptional stat potential with their full complement of mod slots. While these items are cool, they are indicative of a systemic inequity between different types of items. That’s where Augment Tables come in.

Although we call them Augment Tables, it’s actually just an update to all the Item Modification Stations you can already find spread throughout the world. These stations provide a new way of adding an augment slot to an item. Since lots of questions come up whenever Augment Tables are mentioned, I’ll try to explain the system by providing those questions and their answers:

What’s the goal of the system?
The goal of the system is to reduce the disparity between gear, making modifiable gear throughout the game statistically viable while providing another means of stat customization and growth for endgame players.

What can you augment?
You can augment any equippable item of at least Premium quality. This is pretty much everything in the game except some low level junk loot.

How do augment slots work?
Augment slots are tiered, ranging from MK-1 to MK-6. Augments have a required minimum Augment Slot MK-# based on their level. Any Augment Slot MK-# can be applied to any item.

How can you unlock an augment slot?
1. Critical craft an item. It will receive an augment slot matching the level of the item.
2. Add an augment slot to an item at a Modification Station.

You can also upgrade an augment slot to a higher MK-# at a Modification Station.