Massively^™

The Test Center server was updated yesterday with patch notes for the fourth Game Update to Star Wars Galaxies. This time around Commandos, Officers, and Smugglers are all looking at fairly significant changes. All three classes are popular (as popular as class without a lightsaber can be), but needed some serious overhauls.

Officers now have toggleable group buffs instead of timed ones, making one of their core functions far more utilitarian. They also have two types of rally points now, one offensive and one defensive. Commandos received a rework almost from the ground up, remaking their abilities to be more effective and understandable. Stackable element-based DoTs, all new expertise options, improvements to existing abilities ... GU4 is definitely Commando Christmas.

Smugglers snagged across-the-board tweaks, making their abilities generally mesh more cohesively, and even Bounty Hunters pulled down a few useful changes. Officers, Commandos, and Smugglers will receive free respecs when they log in, allowing them to make use of their new abilities. The update includes a number of smaller tweaks, supporting both the new DoT mechanics and the wearable equipment concealment code. There's even a brand new weapon for the reworked Commandos, the CC-V 'Legion' Cryo Projector. It's always nice to get new toys.