Patch 2.9.0

Patch 2.9.0 is the tenth major update for the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion. This patch includes a new event, early access to strongholds, guild flagships, conquest events, a new flashpoint, Depths of Manaan, and the conclusion of Ranked Arena Season 2. This is the seventeenth content update since release.

Highlights

 * Galactic Strongholds Early Access! Subscribers can now purchase a Galactic Stronghold on Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Dromund Kaas, and Coruscant by visiting the Stronghold Directory on the Fleet or on the Stronghold's planet.
 * Guild Flagships now available! Guilds can now purchase a Flagship and use it to compete with other guilds and conquer the galaxy! Visit the Flagship Directory on the Fleet for more information.
 * Battle for control with Conquest! Conquest events are now available in the Mission Log! Each week a new Conquest event will become active with new objectives. Complete your personal point target to earn special rewards – or if you're in a guild with a Flagship, invade a planet and compete with other guilds for planetary domination. Special perks are available to those who conquer a planet by placing at the top of the Guild Leaderboard at the end of the event.
 * New Flashpoint: Depths of Manaan! Continue the Forged Alliances storyline with a new Level 55 Tactical Flashpoint set on the water-covered planet of Manaan.
 * Ranked Arena Season 2 has come to a conclusion! Congratulations to all the reward winners! In preparation for Season 3, Ranked stats have been reset and the Leaderboard for Season 2 has been archived.

General

 * The GSI Satellite Support Service is now in open beta testing on Makeb. Once registered with the GSI support satellites, GSI will track your every move and provide you with the following support services:
 * Gear is now bolstered to a 156 rating while on Makeb, increasing all stats!
 * When combat is detected, a Medical Probe will be deployed to administer long-lasting, refreshing Kolto, healing you for 2% every 3 seconds while you remain in combat.
 * There is now a 250% boost to exploration Experience while on Makeb.
 * Pets now occasionally make noises.
 * Victorious Battler Headgear now has voice modulation.
 * The Czerka Executive Speeder now tilts appropriately when turning.
 * The World Map window now blocks right-click interactions like other windows.
 * Oricon's Galaxy Map appearance now accurately reflects that the moon is actively on fire.

Cartel Market

 * The first Stronghold Packs for Shipment Five - The Builder's Stronghold Pack and The Gatekeeper's Stronghold Pack – are now available in the Cartel Market!
 * Shipment Five Reputation – Binary Star Realty – available now!
 * Decorations and Decoration Bundles are now available for purchase!
 * Corrected the Rarity Icons of several Cartel Market items.

Galactic Strongholds

 * Galactic Strongholds on Nar Shaddaa, Tatooine, Dromund Kaas and Coruscant are now available to Subscribers.
 * Strongholds can be purchased by going to the Stronghold Directory on either Fleet or on the respective Stronghold planet.
 * An introductory Mission that grants a set of starter Decorations is offered by the Stronghold Commissioner, who can be found on either Fleet or on either Capital planet.
 * Mounts, pets, and companions can be placed as decorations in your Stronghold.
 * Guildmasters can purchase a Guild Headquarters at any Stronghold Directory. This purchase requires a Guild Bank with enough credits.
 * Decoration items can now be donated to your guild through the Guild Bank interface (this will consume the decoration unlock). Decorations that cannot be physically donated may be purchased for your guild through the decoration collection window (you will not lose the decoration).
 * Guildmasters can now purchase a Guild Flagship by visiting the Flagship Directory on the Fleet.
 * Flagship room expansions can be unlocked with a combination of credits and Framework items:
 * Frameworks come in three varieties: Engineering, Command, and Logistical.
 * They can be obtained either by crafting and exchanging Dark Projects at the Flagship Commissioner, by earning the guild reward in a Conquest Event, or by defeating enemy Sith and Jedi Commanders on planets across the galaxy.
 * Conquest events are now accessible in the Mission Log!
 * You can view the current Conquest event in the Conquest tab of the Mission Log.
 * Each week a new event will appear with a new set of objectives and contested planets. You can participate and earn rewards even if you aren't in a guild.
 * If you are in a guild with a Flagship, your Guildmaster can choose to invade one of the contested planets and compete on the guild leaderboard! The top guild on each leaderboard will take control of the planet at the end of the event. Guild members who meet their point contribution target and place on the leaderboard will earn special guild-exclusive rewards. You will control the planet until your guild conquers another, or until another guild conquers it when it next becomes contested.
 * Conquering planets will earn your guild special privileges. Your guild will be advertised in a banner on the planet, your guild members will be displayed as ‘Conquerors’, your Flagship Orbital Support will have its effect doubled, and you will have access to special equipment, including the Commander Walker mount!
 * New Schematics are available on all Crew Skill trainers, under the "Strongholds & Conquests" category.
 * Industrial Prefabs can be crafted by Armormechs, Armstechs, and Cybertechs.
 * Synthetic Prefabs can be crafted by Artificers, Biochems, Synthweavers.
 * Universal Prefabs and their material components can be crafted by any crafting profession.
 * Prefabs are divided into three tiers: MK-1, MK-2, and MK-3. These schematics may be trained at skill levels 150, 300, and 450 respectively.
 * War Supplies are a new type of crafted item used to earn points in Conquest events. They may be exchanged for special decorations, Conquest equipment, and Flagship items. Each type of War Supplies may be crafted by the professions that specialize in the associated materials. All crafting professions may train the Invasion Force and Dark Project schematics.
 * Prefabs may be exchanged at the Fabricator Droids in the Strongholds & Crew Skills quadrant of either Fleet for a wide variety of Decorations.
 * Decorations now drop from every Flashpoint and Operation.
 * Many Flashpoint and Operation Achievements now provide special Trophy Decorations that can be placed on the walls of your Stronghold. You can view them in the Achievement Reward Window. These Decorations will be automatically unlocked when the Achievement is earned. You can also right-click the item icon to unlock it once the Achievement is earned.
 * Decorations may be purchased for Warzone Commendations and Fleet Commendations at the Starfighter & PvP Decorations Vendor on either Fleet.
 * Jawa scrap materials can now be obtained by earning Conquest rewards.

Flashpoints + Operations

 * Nefra, Who Bars The Way has a new "Frustrated Howl" ability, and now deals damage to all players participating in her Dread Fortress encounter if she reaches 80% health and is unable to reach a target.
 * The Achievement "Defeating Colonel Vorgath" is now properly granted when defeating him in 8-Player Story Mode Explosive Conflict.

Missions + NPCs

 * The density of enemies on Makeb has been reduced.
 * The Jedi Knight Mission "Doomsday” has had its difficulty reduced.
 * The Jedi Consular Mission "Chaos and Harmony" has had its difficulty reduced.
 * The Trooper Mission "The Battle of Corellia" has had its difficulty reduced.
 * Corrected the items that the Jawa Scrap Vendors have available, and they no longer sell unused Materials.
 * Group scaling has been removed from the following Missions, and the difficulty of the boss encounter no longer scales based on the number of players in the group:
 * Stealing Thunder (Imperial)
 * Revenge of the Archon (Imperial)
 * Hitting the Hutts (Republic)
 * Taking on Toborro (Republic)

Warzones

 * It is no longer possible to escape behind the series of pipes in the Tatooine Canyon Arena.