Star Wars Galaxies: Spy Update Part Two

Shadowbrak is back with some new information on the upcoming Spy Update:

We have been working through the server exception reports in our continued effort to improve server performance. #1 offender this week is an unresolved player ID in the ai combat frame. We narrowed that down to an AI getting stuck in combat with a player they could not attack. The cause of which being venomous ploy, the odd man out as the only offensive ability usable without breaking stealth. The AI wants to reset at this point but the exception was killing that process, five times per second multiplied by the number of mobs a the spy was grinding down.

How this issue gets resolved. First, we changed the setting on Venomous Ploy which will halt the problem at the source. And second to correct how an AI handles invisible players.

After trying out VP in PvP, I can see the appeal of sowing hate and discontent among the enemy ranks; notably more so if you have the expertise that makes VP a root. Might be worth it to add more abilities along these lines at a later time. So we are changing VP back to be usable from stealth.

The code fix will remain though. An AI will handle an invisible player as an invalid target. This means they will exit combat when there are no valid targets on their hate list, and they will not enter combat if there are no valid players on their hate list.

- Copied from the First Post -

Reduced Action Cost for: Stealth, Smoke Bomb, Reveal Shadows, Decoy, Burst of Shadows, Preparation, Run It's Course and Avoid Damage.
The re-use timer on these abilities is a sufficient throttle, so the action cost was reduced to make their use more tactical rather than strategic.

The Expertise "Decoy" and the extender "Diversion" were complete changed. The ability "Decoy" will create a copy of the spy; this copy will taunt all attacking NPC's and attempt to intercept damage from attacking players. The copy will not fight back and will last for 10 seconds or until killed.
The first rank of Diversion will apply a flanking debuff to any targets that attack the copy, this debuff increases critical hit vulnerability by 15%.
The second rank of Diversion will place the Spy in a 10 second stealth.

The Expertise "Glancing Armor" and "Avoid Damage" have had their effects changed from glancing blow to dodge.

The Expertise "Quiet Steps" reduces the targets chance to block, dodge or parry attacks made out of stealth by 5%. The increase is +2%, +3% for a total of +5% against Block, Dodge and Parry. Essentially a +15% hit buff.

Flashbang Grenade has also seen an update.
Flashbang Grenade changed to 6% strikethrough vulnerability and 15% glancing blow vulnerability from -80 agility.
Flashbang Grenade debuff duration lowered to 10 seconds from 20.
Flashbang Grenade re-use increased to 20 seconds from 7.

In non-spy specific news though it still applies; there was an issue causing all of the special attack specific critical hit bonus expertise to not receive their full benefit. Included in this list are Initiative and Deadly Toxins. In addition special attack value added damage will now be applied before critical and glancing blow adjustments are made. These two changes should bring Ambush and Snipe back to the level we expect them to perform.