Yet if you are not using the companion in the flashpoint, then it is not an extension of your character because it is not being used. It is no different than the "alt" argument of people who want to roll on loot for their alt equally with those in the group. Your alt isn't there doing the content, so why should they have a roll? If you are going to say that it is still a need when it isn't contributing, then this is what leads to the logic of those who need everything because they claim that even if they vendor the item, it makes them money and they need money. Sure, in a strange missing the point type of way, it would be a valid position, but then the result is simply... need by everyone for everything. If you are ok with that, well... fine... but rarely have I met those who would accept the fact that someone rolled on something they really needed simply to vendor it for a few extra coins. In fact, I have never met a person that did. Usually they were all about them rolling need with obscure reasoning and when they lost an major item due to such, they threw a tantrum. In the end, my friends and I don't deal with people like that. We run the groups, we make the rules and if people don't like it, they can solo that 4 man heroic when it is grey. /shrug

Were you using your companion in the flashpoint? If so, you have an argument as your companion was providing a role within the group. If not, then keep in mind that your companion was not helping the group, the players present were and so only those who contributed should be claiming need within the group. You could always ask if anyone would mind, but expecting to have equal roll on an item for a character to which had no part in the success of the group is absurd. Your argument is centered around your "soloing" and the fact is, the group running the flashpoint has no concern for what you do outside of that group, nor should they be concerned. It is a group mission, not a solo one. Group dynamics should be the governing factor of the loot.

Character development in RPG's is often the "entertainment" of such a game, otherwise the game would simply be an adventure game without stats to which you went around exploring the story/world and then moving on. When you introduce a complex character development system such as this game has (crafting alone in this game has multiple complex trees for tailoring a style of play for a character, not to mention the numerous commendation vendors and the fact that you have an entire party of companions to gear up), the development focus and point of the game becomes that progression. That is, for many who play these types of games, the entire point is the progression of that character as such. So, level pace becomes extremely important as if you don't have time to experience the depth of the content, then there is no point to all of the depth. As I said, at 50 it isn't an issue as you have plenty of return for the effort you put into the system, but the 1-50 game is simply a waste of complex content due to the pace of leveling. Even if you stop questing and simply grind grey missions for cash to obtain all that the system has to offer, as soon as you go back to normal questing progression, you have invalidated your gear within a couple days of play. That is, you can't experience the game through normal progression. You either gimick the game to keep from leveling with boring grinds or you play normally and bypass all of it until you get to 50.

That would be horrible. The problem is people. You can not change people. They will be as they will be. What you can do is be selective with those you group with and set requirements for those that group with you. This limits the problems here through a player agreed system. Grouping with another person is a social venture that requires some means of ability to deal with both the good and bad of such a venture. You can not simply lock up people with rules because the people you may choose to group with are socially immature. Now it would be reasonable to ask for better group loot tools with more options, but demanding the system be completely changed because of your poor experience with other people is like dealing with a crying baby by throwing it out the window, it is simply an overly dramatic and absurd solution.

You think they got leveling right? Leveling is completely imbalanced. SWTOR has an extremely in-depth crafting and gearing system through multiple tiers of reverse engineering gear for varied effects and focuses. You have multiple companions to which you must also outfit as well. The crafting process is extremely costly and a time lengthy process, yet putting any real attention to "properly" gearing up your characters/companions as you level results wasted effort due to the exp being far too quickly obtained. In many cases you have to power up the crafting far above the level and then begin working on gear well above your level as well in order to have any remote chance of the gear being level appropriate when you complete it. The main problem with the current leveling pace is that the chance to gain recipes through reverse engineering can be very unforgiving. This would be fine for a level 50 process, but as I said, the leveling is so fast that most of the time you spend your time making a few blues and moving on as if you put the time and effort to really gear yourself and your companions up, you are far above the level of that gears usefulness by the time you finish. Since the most efficient means of making money is to quest (space and normal quests) and the money required can be enormous at times, it becomes rather a pointless endeavor as the exp gained from such is extremely large. So, "leveling" as you say is by far the worst of these games, though I think I see based on your evaluation what you place as a priority considering Rift also suffered from too fast a pace of exp to fully experience the content. With SWTOR, the one of two things needs to be done. 1) Lower the exp gained allowing content to be experienced at a more even progression or 2) increase the rate of return as to which that content can be experienced (higher or a more even chance of obtaining the gear). Personally, I prefer extending the time that it takes in leveling as all of the depth of the system seems rather pointless due to the pace and there seems more than an adequate supply of questing content to achieve this. The point is, your "evaluation" contains very specific subjective evaluations that while may fit your desire, do not fit others. Since you do not properly explain your complaints of the issues, it leaves people with the impression that you are throwing a tantrum while you demand the game be made exactly to your subjective specifications, which many have fled previous games due to their attention to such dramatic complaints leaving those previous games to be watered down pointless grinds. My suggestion is that if you want to be taken seriously, you outline your complaint about the game and provide reasoning as well as a solution. This way, people can see "why" you are complaining and if it is an actual valid complaint. This game is far from perfect, it has numerous bugs and issues, but stomping your feet and throwing around demands is only deserving of the response of "go to your room child". So think about it next time and respond accordingly.

I agree with the aspect of keeping out complex macros that allow a player to one button something, but personally I think macros should be in the game (though limited in their function and purpose). For instance, there should be chat macros as this is extremely important for organizing certain calls to the party (incoming heals, abilities, etc...). Also, I think there should be a more robust targeting macro system (that or a more flexible UI). The current UI is painful in its customization and targeting can be a bit wonky/counter productive. The focus modifier key is a good start (though it seriously has issues of resetting on every phase change, target death, randomly, etc...). This can be solved either with a better UI or allowing macros for targeting calls. Aside from that though, I agree. While Rift was a different monster that urged macros to be productive, this game is a bit better balanced in that area with no real need for creating action key macros. Most of my complaints though center around the UI. Once that is made more customizable (scaling, moving, and better association to hot keys), I think the only really "needed" macro tools would simply be chat only macros. It would be nice to be able to attach a call to an ability firing off.