Makes you wonder if they already had that in mind, eh.

I do believe you're reading a fair bit into the responses here. To my mind by far the most 'rabid' group (if you really feel the need to use a term like 'rabid') is the group that jumps up and down on anyone even slightly defending the game and calling them a 'fanboi' and summarily dismissing every kind of input they have. I just read a thread in the customer support forum where someone asked if people were sure the problem being encountered was just the game, and said that submitting bugs was a noble pursuit but that blaming the game without evidence (which I have most certainly seen people do) is unconstructive. She immediately got branded a 'fanboi' and she wasn't even defending the game. She was just making a point about what is and is not constructive feedback. In any case, irrespective of who is or isn't 'rabid', Bioware are running a game in which they have a global audience. Asking for information beyond 'it'll be a post-launch feature' is a fair enough sort of request, and given how wide their target audience is it's not terribly surprising that they'd get a lot of people asking for this information. ----- For my part I'm not overly worried how they implement it as long as they do. At one point, a while ago now, a Bioware developer slapped down a gamer who said that he felt all non-OG content should be removed from Bioware games and I admit that when I read it I cheered. Bioware is progressive and we need more companies out there like it making this content. A lot of people dislike how they implemented same-gender relationship options in Dragon Age 2 (usually without considering that bedding down with someone who has the same genitals as you might just be flat-out more accepted in Thedas than our world), but I say that irrespective of how well or badly it was done at least it was there. I'd like it, for personal reasons, to incorporate the existing companions. I've become fond of Kira, and in beta testing I likewise became fond of Mako. But even if they say 'all existing companions are straight - or are straight/bi/gay but don't like your species,' and they then put in new characters that we can interact with, at least the content will be there. Then if you like it, pursue it. If you don't like it, don't. And if Doc comes on to you in the hold of your ship you still have the option of slapping him down (even if you have to do it twice to cool his ardour).

Personal opinion can be a fascinating thing, though. I haven't actually found a story I didn't find at least somewhat engaging, both the class stories and the faction stories. I think they're all written very well. My main is level 45, a Jedi Knight, so that's the story I'm most familiar with but I've played all the classes through at least a little way (12-20). The main thing that will get people's attention for any given story, I think, is the type of story you're playing through and - if you're inclined to consider it - your character's motivations. There's considerable variation with every class, I think, in terms of how you get to react to the story in question and that can prompt some very interesting and at times amusing reactions from the NPCs. I found the Smuggler missions very funny, in different ways as a male Smuggler than a female Smuggler. I found the Bounty Hunter story to be edgy and quite satisfying. The little I saw of the two Sith classes seemed to be very much 'You are bad, be bad, yo' storylines so it's quite arguable that they're just as 'boring' as any Republic story - I think it depends on what kind of story you like and how much you think about why your character is doing what your character does. If you like stories about independents then definitely, Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are arguably the 'best' stories for those. If you like stories about characters within a military order you might find the Trooper - and perhaps the Imperial Agent - to be more fun. Should you then throw in the twist that you're playing a character in a military structure who happens to be the best in his/her field but also resents (or at least struggles with) the command structure then you've got a potentially different story on your hands. Sure, the events are pretty much the same but how you react to them - and the feedback you get from the NPCs - can make all the difference between a yawnfest and a truly enjoyable time. Back to the original question, though, I have to disagree. I don't find the Republic stories boring. I can see how some people would but I take time to think about my character's background and for me (yep, personal opinion) that in-character motivation is all part of the fun. It's part of what makes a story rich - after all, it's an interactive story. You might not have had a hand in writing it but you're certainly helping tell it.

Really..? I don't get upset. Cancel away, be my guest. Then again I don't consider myself a 'fanboi'. I consider myself a person who's finding enjoyment in something and paying a subscription fee for it. Some people will find enjoyment in it, others won't. That's the joy of people being different, you see. There's lots of stuff out there for everyone. I'd rather pay for a game I'm enjoying, enjoy it, and then enjoy it when all the improvements come through bit by bit - which is, in fact, what I'm doing. No big deal. Just different opinions.

I think that's pretty accurate. Or those of us who are resubscribing simply aren't so bothered by the issues that we're quitting. To each their own. When it really comes down to it those who are resubscribing are enjoying it. Those who aren't, well, aren't.

The answer to both points in your post is one word: Story. Of course not everyone's playing the game for the story content but still. That's why some people play mirrored classes and why some people are altaholics already.

Hmm, MMO burnout. Now there is an interesting thing. Lots and lots of players of TOR come from other MMOs, thoroughly burnt out for whatever reasons. It's an important thing for people to remember that their issues with the game might not actually be due to the game being inherently flawed, the management lacking or whatever other issues people have with it. I come from another MMO and I was utterly burnt out on it. Disgusted with the direction the game was taking I ditched it just in time for TOR, which I partially beta tested. Now, I'm finding the same as some others. I have to guard myself against doing too much all at once and unintentionally burning myself out again. But Bioware isn't responsible for my issues, right? It's not their fault I got here after burning out on another game. So if you need to take a break to keep it fun, take that break. It's nobody else's fault if you don't and it's a sign of maturity, I think, to know yourself well enough to know how to avoid overdosing on a game and burning out before a month is up. And if it's just not your game, okay. That's fine too. Bye.

I will keep playing. I enjoy this game. I actively and honestly enjoy it. There are very few aspects of TOR that I don't like, and most of those are being addressed at later dates. The following is not a spoiler, I'm just long-winded and many people might not want the TL;DR version. Short version: Yes, I will keep playing. Why? Because.

I hope - dearly and sincerely hope - that there are some 'do over' options in place for people who've gone past the normal flirt points in a character's development. I'm both tremendously impatient and also quite willing to wait, too. Yes, it's Conflicted Central in here. This will be a very positive addition to the game. If they can manage to throw in some companion mini-missions to actually establish a relationship further down the track I'll be very happy. If not, well... I'm not sure what to do. I really like the Kira Carsen character and if the option was there for my female Sentinel I'd have pursued it immediately. By contrast I just really... don't like Doc that much. I can see his appeal but I'm not that crazy about the character and, importantly, he's absolutely not the kind of guy my Sentinel would go for. By contrast my male Guardian just... isn't interested. At all. In anyone. There's already an option for not having a relationship with any companions (ie. not choosing flirt options) so that's fine, he's set. So my boy Knight wouldn't pursue the option. My female Knight would but as she's well past the flirt option points she might not get to. A series of mini-discussion missions - or even just one - would solve this. Importantly, it'd solve it for ALL relationship options irrespective of gender. The option to 'change your mind', effectively, about whether you want to pursue a relationship would be an absolute boon. Particularly if it were something tied to, say, an item in your ship's bedroom. You're sitting in your ship, thinking about things, and then suddenly decide to approach Whoever about your feelings... the ones you've been trying to hide... (Mechanically, you choose to trundle over to an interactive item in your ship and pick up a mission - one that's not available until all other flirt option points have passed - that'll start the long process of romancing your chosen companion.) <shrugs> I think it'd work quite neatly. It'd require a but more work, sure, but it'd provide the option. Then people who've been dedicated enough to play like crazy for this intervening time, even though their chosen RP options haven't been included, wouldn't feel they're missing out.

You want to put same sex relationships in the same box as offensive language, yet you've made no such suggestion to do the same with ALL relationship options. You are stating, outright, that same sex relationships are offensive and straight sex relationships are not. I can honestly see the point of applying a flag to remove ALL romance options from the game. For those people who really don't want to see those options at all, well, there's the option to completely not see it. Having said this, here's why - even though I SEE the point - I don't support it. Romance is a mature concept. So is running into battle and slicing someone limb from limb with a giant glowing stick of plasma. If you aren't mature enough to be able to avoid an apoplectic fit every time you see the word (Flirt) next to a dialogue option that involves a fictional, digitised character then you simply are not mature enough to be playing this game without some serious adult supervision. Saying you don't want to see obscene language is one thing. Claiming that same sex relationship options are so offensive to you that you want a mechanical in-game option to completely ignore the existence of same-sex relationships is another thing entirely. It's been stated that 'the majority will not like' these options. I think that's false. I think that the majority of people will either be in support of the option or, alternatively, just won't care. I think the minority will be horribly offended and, well, that's their bad luck. The feature's coming. Deal with it.

I suggest you determine WHY your Sith is Light. What is it about his/her personal philosophy that aligns to Light? A surprisingly soft heart? Take the moral high ground and claim that your fellows might want to give both the Jedi and the Imperial people more reason to hate the Sith and eventually overthrow them, but s/he'd rather not, thanks. Does s/he not really care about people's lives, but simply believes it's not necessary? Just shake your head when others do Dark Side things and claim (if you speak up at all) that they're wasting perfectly good energy that they could be spending on more constructive matters. The more arrogant they get, counter it with your own self-assuredness. If they truly cared about obtaining power they wouldn't be wasting it on killing people with little to no chance of putting up a fight, would they? Sith can have honour. There's no honour in killing plebs who don't have a chance of standing up to you. Subtly imply that your fellows reveal their weaknesses when they prey upon the weak instead of saving their energy for the powerful fights.

I might be wrong but wasn't Mara Jade a Lightsider working for the Emperor? From what I've heard (I haven't read the books she's introduced in) she truly believed that working as she was, helping maintain balance and order in the Galaxy, she was doing good work.

it depends on how you want to play it, I guess. If someone's a reasonable and nice person most of the time but channels dark energy by focussing on the rage and anger s/he feels at seeing how unfair and vicious the world around is, would that person be a Light Sith or a Dark Jedi?

I'm playing a Light inclined Bounty hunter too (I wouldn't call her 'good' or 'nice' by any stretch) and I'd like some more titles but I confess I'm not sure what would be appropriate. 'The Unexpectedly Merciful'? 'The Really Quite Reasonable'? 'The Misunderstood'? 'The Merciless But Only If You're A Complete Douche And Happen To Have A Price On Your Head'? <shrugs>

Just read this in another thread about the same subject, Daraco. Very true, and it's my 'familiarity' point above. People want Star Wars to be Star Wars-y.

I don't know if this should have spoiler tags around it but I've never used them so I now will. Yay!

From what I gather there's no LGBT options but they do plan on including them in the future. Very much looking forward to it.

You could make it a part of your story. Walking a line, disinterested in either extreme, your character is forced to make do with what he can, relying less on equipment and more on sheer nerves and raw skill due to the tendency for manufacturers to produce tools that don't gel with his mindset... That could be pretty cool, actually.

I think the biggest difference is actually the prevalence of cortosis weave (due to the corresponding change in the number of Jedi and Sith). With fewer people wielding lightsabers it becomes far less important to weave cortosis into armour - and all the more dramatic and devastating when someone wielding a lightsaber DOES make an appearance.

I like the plateau view, but I think it's a combination of the need to keep the whole thing 'feeling' the same, and also a matter of the very wide view. We're seeing a few points along a very long time frame. Fashions, technologies, ideals, wars, skirmishes, preferred sporting events, parenting trends, teaching trends, ideologies, leaders, population counts - these things are all likely to change dramatically a little bit at a time over the thousands of years between the snapshots we're getting. There might be a series of technological down-swings in which (for example) certain materials stop being available for a time, or certain copyrighted technologies are wiped off the galactic map by industrial mishaps (or, indeed, industrial 'mishaps'). Shifts in thought might become more paranoid, a cult of anti-droid fanatics might get someone secretly into the Senate and wipe out that technology for a few years (until people remember that the droids do all the stuff the sentient biologicals don't want to), and the Republic might spend a lot of the intervening time digging itself into a new hole or climbing painfully out of one. Alternatively, the 'throw-away technology' view we humans have might simply not be practical, and technology might habitually be designed to last for a REALLY long time. This is all speculation, of course, and the 'true' answer might just be 'because it makes it familiar' or 'because it's easier this way'. Or both. Or all of them.