Once a player has dedicated all of their skill points to their Force skills they will be able to begin the Jedi Knight Trials. There will be two quest series to choose from, one for the Light Side and one for the Dark Side. Completion of the Trials will give the Jedi a Force Rank of zero as well as a new robe and will allow them to begin the progress through the Jedi Ranks to become one of the most powerful Light Jedi or Dark Jedi in the game. This is the end of the Jedi PvE advancement series. A Jedi may choose to remain here if they wish. Existing 4-4-4-4 Guardians will begin the game where this path ends.

Jedi Force Rankings
The Jedi Ranking System is an entirely new level of Jedi vs. Dark Jedi PvP gameplay that is above and beyond what existed in the old system. Now, upon completion of the Jedi Knight Trials, a Jedi will be flagged permanently Overt members of their faction; Light Jedi will be flagged Rebel faction and Dark Jedi will be flagged Imperial faction. These changes are part of a new type of experience created for PvP encounters as Light and Dark Jedi clash in exciting battles in order to gain or hold Force Ranking. Killing members of the opposite faction will increase this Force Ranking number, yet killing the same person over and over will only yield experience for the first kill. To maintain a balance in the Force, there is a decay timer that must complete its duration before the dueling Jedi can again get experience for killing that same player.

Along with the PvP Force Ranking experience requirement, Jedi will have to compete with each other for dominance within their respective light and dark Jedi hierarchies. As part of this distinction between light and dark Jedi during the galactic civil war, each Jedi will need a gathering place to carry out the business of their respective Orders. We have created Jedi Enclaves for this purpose. Jedi Enclaves are hidden places where Jedi gather for anything from Force Ranking battles to role playing underground councils. One Enclave will be implemented as a gathering point for Light Jedi and one for Dark Jedi. These Enclaves are off limits for any player who has not completed the Jedi Knight Trials. Based on your rank within the system the Jedi will gain additional skill multipliers but no additional skill boxes. Rank will also determine where you physically sit as well as how far into the Enclave a Jedi may go. For example, an unranked Jedi Knight may not go into the council chambers, while high ranking members may sit in the council chambers. The Enclaves will be patrolled by sentinels to protect their integrity and keep away the unranked Jedi and non-Jedi.

Light and Dark Jedi will each have separate Force Ranking trees with predefined PvP experience requirements; however, the method of advancing will be different for both sides. Light Jedi will advance through the use of player politics in the form of voting. Dark Jedi must advance through the higher ranks by embracing the dark path and dueling for rank. Due to the advanced power levels of the Jedi within these ranks, there will only be a limited number of players per rank, per server. Because of the limited numbers in this Force Ranking system, it is very fluid and based on constant conflict. Ranked Jedi on each side will posses incredible multipliers to their Force and lightsaber abilities. Should a Jedi lose rank they will also lose these skill multipliers. An example of Rank multipliers would have something similar; Force Healing will heal more and cost less Force for ranked Light Jedi, whereas Force Lightning will deal more damage and cost less Force for ranked Dark Jedi.

Old System to New System Conversion
A very difficult part of this revamp was to determine a fair and equitable way to handle converting old Jedi into the new system. Change is sometimes difficult, but we have worked very hard to create a way for everyone to transition into the new system by creating fun and exciting ways for players at all levels. Players who have not attempted the Jedi path will be able to go through The Jedi Trials in publish 10. Players who have completed many profession masteries will be ranked according to how many professions they have completed and based on that information, they will be able to rapidly advance through the "Jedi Trials". Existing Jedi will be transitioned into the new system in Publish 9: "Secrets of the Force." As part of this transition, we have taken into account the need to provide fair and accurate placements of previous Jedi within the new system. We also believe the new system provides more overall fun and provides a sense of purpose to our Jedi players.

Existing Jedi will login and find themselves credited Jedi skill credits based on how far they are in their current skill trees. They will then purchase the skills they desire within the Force Skills and spend leftover skill credits on non Force Skills. Remember you do have to surrender basic skills to make it up to the Jedi Knight level! All existing Jedi will login with the Padawan Trial completed as well as the item rewards that stem from the Trial. Based on how far into the current Jedi system they are is how many of their skill points will be credited to the new Jedi system. Jedi Guardian 4-4-4-4's will login with the Padawan Trial completed and 100% of the possible Jedi skill points. This will enable them to immediately begin the process of the Jedi Knight Trials and may choose to join the Force Ranking system.

Jedi Robes
Long awaited are the Jedi robes! Gone will be the days of Jedi running about in armor. The Jedi robe will provide a hidden toughness value that will protect the Jedi, similar to armor, but providing more of a Jedi feel. These robes will be issued to you as you advance through the quests and the Force Ranking system; each have their own look based on rank. Should you lose rank, your robe will be stripped from you and the appropriate level reissued.

Jedi Lightsabers
Also provided is the new lightsaber system. Jedi gain the ability to tune crystals and pearls and place them into their lightsabers. Color will be provided by a special color crystal. Tuned crystals and pearls will only work for the Jedi who tuned them and weapon stats will only be displayed on them after they have been tuned. Crystals will also provide much nicer stats depending on the level of NPC they come from. As part of this new system, the level of skill in the lightsaber skill tree will provide schematics for higher generation lightsabers which have more damage crystal slots. No more will a Jedi have to worry about lightsaber decay. Instead, the crystals and pearls placed within will take a random decay hit based on use of the lightsaber. When a pearl or crystal decays, just tune a replacement! This also provides the ability to carry the different styles of lightsabers and just swap the damage and color elements between the two. The lightsaber values of lightsabers have been put in line with the damage outputs of our combat balance values. We have also lowered the maximum potential of crystals and pearls to be more in line with the new scales of the combat system. The numbers may appear to be a bit low to what current Jedi see on their lightsabers now, but don't worry! We will apply behind the scenes values so the new lightsabers will deal the same amount of damage as pre-patch values until we push the combat balance live.

What types of lightsabers will I be able to use? 
Based on the skill trees a Jedi purchases, different lightsaber styles will become available. The further a Jedi advances, the better his or her lightsaber can be.

What will happen to my existing lightsabers?
When the Publish goes live, these lightsabers will not be able to be equipped anymore. Existing Jedi with lightsabers will have the option to "break down" their existing lightsabers into their un-tuned components. They may then re-tune these components to their new lightsabers. The values may appear lower, but we are maintaining the level of lightsaber power behind the scenes. These power levels will then be adjusted again accordingly when the combat balance is pushed to servers.

Existing lightsabers will be able to be broken down, but all existing pearls in the world will be worthless? This means that Jedi should craft lightsabers pre-patch just for the sake of being able to break them down and not totally lose their pearls?
When the Publish goes live, old lightsabers and pearls will not be usable anymore. They will need to be converted automatically. Pearls will convert automatically the moment you login. Each pearl will become a new "un-tuned" pearl with a quality set based on the existing stats of the pearl. Existing lightsabers will not be able to be equipped anymore. They will have the option to "break down" their lightsabers into their un-tuned components. Jedi may then tune these components to use in their new lightsabers. The values may appear lower but we are maintaining the level of lightsaber power behind the scenes. These power levels will then be adjusted accordingly when the combat balance is pushed to servers. Keeping the pearls or using them should not make much of a difference in the transition from the old to new systems.

At what point does a player gain the ability to wield a lightsaber? Lightsabers are the most visible aspect of Jedi-hood, and I don't think we want to see people breaking them out all over the place. I'm hoping Jedi will stay hidden and not become the focal point of non-Jedi activities everywhere in the galaxy. Otherwise it seems we would get very far from the feel of the game.
Crafting your first lightsaber is part of the Jedi Padawan trials. Any player who has reached the point where they can use Force Powers will be able to wield a lightsaber. We realize that this may lead to lots of characters with varying amounts of Force abilities wielding lightsabers. We're sensitive to the continuity, but we're also trying to make a fun game in which many of you can fulfill your destiny and become lightsaber-wielding Jedi.

One thing to keep in mind though is that players who can wield a lightsaber will generate visibility and be at risk of getting on the Bounty Hunter board if they choose to use their lightsaber. This will affect a player's choice and will ultimately discourage casual lightsaber use.

What will happen to Jedi Death?
The Jedi death system will alter again and be more similar to lost XP based on each death.

Will player Bounty Hunter Missions still happen?
Yes, a player will start generating visibility as they use the Force at the Padawan level.

Could you explain how the second slot works?
Players must complete the Force Sensitive Quests (Publish 10) to unlock the extra slot if they have not done so already. Any and all players who put in the effort to complete the quests can gain the second slot and if a player has a second slot already, that slot will not be affected. Players may choose to develop one or both of their character as Jedi.

Once I've gained my second character slot, both character slots are immediately eligible to gain force sensitive skills and become Jedi?
No. The new character slot will be a standard character. You can choose to go through the Force Sensitive quests again to allow that character to advance their Force abilities, but the entire quest line will need to be repeated with all the normal restraints.

If I pursue the Light side and find the "regulars" retaining their rank through agreed upon voting in the council, I am basically blocked from any further advancement it would appear on the whim of others.
At this level of gameplay, this is a PvP arena and Force Ranking will have to be aggressively held and any "regular" will only remain a regular as long as they regularly play.

The voting system for Light Side Jedi is going to be an immediate concern for most players. Many more people will go Dark Side just for this difference. I think both sides should be ranked on dueling, Dark Side to the death, and Lightside to incapacitation.
The Light Side progression is definitely different. It's much more a "Social PvP" vs a "Killer PvP". There are a couple things to keep in mind. Ultimate progression for both sides starts with Jedi vs Dark Jedi PvP experience. Light Jedi will still have to hunt down and kill Dark Jedi. The Voting System and Dueling System reflects more of an internal politics of each respective side. If two Jedi have proven an equal worth, who gets to move up the rank? That is what Light side Jedi will vote on.

Will Force Regen be balanced between Light Jedi and Dark Jedi?
Yes, we will make the baseline Jedi values similar.

If I am a Light Guardian now, can I become a Dark Jedi after the publish?
Yes, you will decide which side to align yourself while doing your Jedi Knight Trials after the Publish. Once completed, you may always go back and redo the Trials to change to the opposite side, but it will take time.

This completes Volume II of the Jedi Archives.
May the Force Be With You. Always.

Go to Jedi Archives Volume 3 | Return to Jedi Archives Volume 1