In case you missed our Primal Matrix Deep Dive livestream or have been living under a girrok the past couple weeks, we want to give everyone a more in-depth look at the new character progression system coming in the next major content update[www.wildstar-online.com]. At its core, the Primal Matrix unlocks the latent power in every hero on Nexus, allowing for additional advancement at level 50. Through Drusera you’ll be able to further increase your power by way of Primal Essence—an element that’s collected in and spent through the Primal Matrix interface—allowing you to customize and unlock your newfound potential, including new class abilities.
Keep in mind that this content is currently available for testing on the PTR[forums.wildstar-online.com]. Some details below are subject to change before the Power of the Primal Matrix content update is officially released. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to hop on the PTR and help us test!
Navigating the Matrix
When viewing the Primal Matrix, it’s helpful to understand how it’s arranged. Six color-coded nodes form each hexagonal node cluster, Violet nodes bridge those clusters, and the clusters themselves are arranged in tiers—the central cluster is tier 1, the three clusters connecting to center are tier 2, and the outer ring is tier 3. The further you work your way from the center of the Primal Matrix, the more costly it becomes to unlock nodes, and the more power you gain for doing so.
All players will begin their Primal Matrix progression in the central node cluster. After the first node is unlocked, it’s up to you to choose the path you take around the matrix, based on which stats and abilities most appeal to you. The color of each node on the matrix corresponds to the type of Essence needed to unlock it. There are three Common Essence types (Crimson, Cobalt, and Viridian) and one Rare Essence type (Violet). Common Essence is spent to unlock the nodes in each cluster, and Violet is used to unlock the nodes that bridge clusters. Spending Common Essences will boost stats—some individual nodes have multiple tiers, allowing you to place additional Essences in them to further boost their benefits—while each Violet node grants you AMP Points, Ability Points, or one of two new abilities for your class, as well as boosts to those new abilities.
Here’s a look at some of the new class abilities you’ll be able to unlock:
Black Hole - Engineer
Nano Spike - Stalker
Fusion Probe - Medic
Locus of Power - Esper
Rive - Warrior
Magnum - Spellslinger
The Essence of Essence
[cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com]Primal Essence is collected by engaging in a wide variety of content, including instanced PvE, PvP, Daily Quests, Contracts, and throughout the world itself. The most lucrative way to attain Primal Essence is to use the Content Finder (default ‘N’ hotkey) and complete the objectives found in the new Bonus Rewards tab. Here you’ll find content options that offer Primal Essence with reward multipliers, meaning you’ll get extra Essence of a given type for completing that content. These bonuses are on a steady rotation and there’s a refresh timer to let you know when they change. The various Essence rewards also rotate, so you don’t have to worry too much about doing a type of content you don’t want to do in order to collect a particular color.
Signature members will also gain a significant bonus to their Essence gains—in addition to all of the other bonuses Signature Membership offers[shop.wildstar-online.com].
Ever-Exchanging Colors
[cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com]In the event that you do run short on a particular Essence type that you need to advance through the Primal Matrix, there’s an Exchange button toward the top right of the Primal Matrix interface that allows you to exchange Essence types for a Service Token fee. Common Essences (Crimson, Cobalt, and Viridian) can each be exchanged at a 1:1 ratio, while exchanging any Common Essence for Violet Essence is 20:1.
I Need a Hero(ism Rating)
[cdn.edgecast.steamstatic.com]On every node of the Primal Matrix you’ll see an assigned Heroism Rating value. Unlocking the node grants you that value, and your cumulative Heroism Rating is reflected at the top center of the interface. This stat is important, as it’s a reflection of your character’s power derived from the Primal Matrix. As you attempt to tackle Prime Dungeons and Expeditions with scaling difficulty settings, you’ll first probably want to have reached the recommended Heroism Rating reflected in the Content Finder.
TLDR
- Run content to gain Primal Essence.
- Spend Essence to gain more power and new abilities in the Primal Matrix.
- Increase the difficulty by bumping up Prime Level difficulty settings to get even better rewards and further increase your power.
- Flex.
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