New features include moods for your character and customization for your companion

Sep 21, 2012 18:21 GMT  ·  By

BioWare has started detailing the upcoming update 1.4 for Star Wars: the Old Republic, confirming some of the big new features and changes that are coming to the online role-playing game, ranging from a Group Finder Teleport system, to delayed binding for items or moods for your character.

Star Wars: The Old Republic was released at the end of last year and, while it drew in quite a few players, its monthly subscription, coupled with the lack of interest from regular gamers, forced BioWare to confirm that the online title would become a free-to-play experience this fall.

Besides working on this upcoming transition, the studio is also working hard on a new major update for the game, in the form of patch 1.4.

Besides the changes detailed in a previous video, BioWare has now confirmed some of the new features that will be implemented in the upcoming patch, from a group finder teleport option, to moods for the playable character and customization elements for companions.

Check out the new things included in update 1.4 for Star Wars: The Old Republic below.

Group Finder Teleport Back - The top complaint about the Group Finder when we shipped it was that it did not send you back to where you were originally adventuring when you completed the content. After much discussion, design came up with a compromise that we think will work pretty well. Starting in Game update 1.4, when you leave the Flashpoint by any means, you will be offered a teleport back to your adventuring location IF you have killed at least one boss in that Flashpoint (or in some cases, hit a significant checkpoint). This will be presented in a menu - players can choose instead to jump to the entry of the Flashpoint (in case you want to just jump to the Fleet to repair, for example).

Delayed Binding - Ever accidentally roll greed by mistake? Ever spend your commendations on the wrong item at the token vendor? In Game Update 1.4, players will be able to address this issue. Bind on Pickup and Bind on Legacy items will now have a 2 hour limit in which they can be exchanged. If they were a loot item, you can freely give the item to any party member who was in on the kill and therefore eligible to loot the item. Similarly, if you buy something from a commendation vendor, you will have 2 hours to return the item to any vendor and get a full refund of commendations.

There are limitations. This does not apply to stackable items or mission items. Adding or removing mods and augment slots will permanently bind the item (prematurely ending the timer), as will opening a lockbox. If the item is a Bind on Equip item you get from a vendor, then mailing, trading, listing the item on the GTN, or placing in the guild bank will also prematurely end the timer.

Moods - Here's something fun: in Game Update 1.4, you can set your character's mood - i.e. his facial expression. As an example of this, try typing /alarmed or /cheery. This will set your character's facial expression permanently (although it will be overwritten in conversations when the dialogue calls for a specific animation there). The full list of moods you can choose will appear in the emote browser attached to your chat window.

Companion Customization Improvements - Finally, starting in Game Update 1.4 players will be able to hide the helmet, or unify colors to chest, for their companion's gear. No more mismatched, silly outfits (unless you like them that way)! As of yet, however, update 1.4 for Star Wars: The Old Republic doesn’t have a concrete release date.