I don't dislike the Sorcerer gear. Those antenna and the triangle OPs referring to could be a bit smaller though. They stand out too much. I like what's going in with the shoulders

I certainly don't recall paying $9.99 for a WoW expansion. This one doesn't seem to be AS big as a full fledged expansions that you're used to seeing in other MMOs but it's reasonably priced for what you're getting.

Exactly. I've read quite a few of these "reviews" and they're very childish in nature. They're nothing more than biased click-bait for the bandwagon of SWTOR, MMORPG and F2P haters. But this one starts off just like the rest but ends with what seems the most perfect conclusion when it comes to this topic. He points out that Bioware could've planned for the long-term by implementing a more favorable F2P system, to first focus on attracting new and old players and go from there. "Instead, BioWare seems to have tried to find a way to get the most money in the immediate present. I don't know how well it will work. I certainly don't expect it to work well in the long term. There's an expression out there: don't burn your bridges. I guess BioWare wants to invent a new one: If you're going to burn your bridges down, you may as well sell tickets to the show." I agree with the conclusion 100% and it's undeniable that the current F2P system has a lot of flaws, too many flaws, that need to be start to get fixed RIGHT NOW and it kinda blows my mind that some people here are accepting it. Like he author says, the window of opportunity is closing fast. I believe this window will be open for about 3 months (if nothing is done about F2P, the hype will die down within 3 months). It's IMPERATIVE that this game continues to attract new players month after month while keeping old players happy as long as possible. This game is F2P for a reason and that reason is because it was dying, no player here should blindly accept the F2P system we have because Bioware can do better. Bioware COULD come up with something amazing. It's not impossible to make the come back of the decade. Bioware needs to shift their focus from short-term to long-term. Not saying giving everything away is the answer but they could come up with something way more reasonable that increases interest and spending in the game. Now's the time to discuss it together with players to come up with the best system possible.

Yeah all of that is nice but I personally don't feel so secured. They're adding content and in a timely matter but that alone won't be attracting new players, nor will it keep everyone from leaving. They don't just have to focus on content but they have to focus on tweaking cartel market and F2P/Preferred because making people feel like they're getting their money's worth and making outsiders feel like this game is worth playing and not punishing to them is important. Attracting new players should be top priority as well as adding new content.

We've already seen the backlash this F2P has received. Right from the start it's nickle and diming the very people the future of this game depends on. The moment you create your first character the game is all up on your face telling you you can't have this or that and that you have to subscribe to get it or buy coins. If I hadn't subscribed to this game I would've stop playing it altogether a couple of weeks ago. There's new people who will stop after finishing one story. There's new people who aren't even bothering to try this game based solely on the punishing F2P system. The list goes on and on but my point is that behind every new player's reason for not continuing the journey or not starting it at all is the F2P system. Right now there's people like me who have joined the game because of the new attention the game has received due to going F2P but soon all of that will fade away and once again, the game will start hemorrhaging more players than it gets in like it was doing months ago. They're making profit now... for the short-term. But just watch if they do nothing about tweaking the system. I'm not saying they should give everything away because there is quite a few things I agree, but I feel that new players would be more comfortable with chipping in money if it didn't mean they first have to pay for the bare essentials in an MMO - like cargo access, crew skills, inventory, item equipping, quickbars, revives. Some players might even pay for piloting training so they get it faster (don't underestimate how better it feels to know you have the option of waiting or paying to get something faster as oppossed to having no option but pay). To make up for all that they should work at putting more items in the cartel market to encourage these people to buy coins. Of course they should priced reasonably because few people already consider a 1200 CC recolored set to be worth the coins. I'm probably gonna get flamed for saying F2P people (or Preferred) should get more but whatever. If nothing is done you'll remember this post in a couple of months.

More reasonable prices

Wonderful. Just what every prospective new player interested in a MMO would want to hear. /s

Unlike those other MMOs, this game has been shown to struggle to keep subscribers since it came out but nope, EA/Bioware wanted to be picky and designed a F2P system that is quite terrible, alienating and overall it turns off a lot of potential new players. If nothing is changed then this game will go back to struggling to maintain subscribers and within 2-3 months the F2P hype for this game will have lost steam so you'll be getting even less new players. I'm DEFINITELY not feeling very confident about the long-term prospects which is why I've stopped buying any more coins. It makes me question if I even want to continue supporting a game that will eventually go down because of a company that clearly has learned absolutely nothing the past few months.

Oh boy this ship is really going to sink then . If the main reason to subscribe is to avoid those annoying restrictions then don't you think it's a bit dumb to have a F2P system at all? Think months ago. Months ago the game was losing subscribers at a pace of tens to hundreds of thousands every month. If a new player wanted to be paying for a subscription don't think you they all would've done it months ago?? If people were despising paying $15 a month in the past, let's not fool ourselves and believe for a second that new players will automatically fork over $100+ to be able to have SOME stuff.

And isn't the Investigator set a recolor of another set too (one that was already in the game)? I can't even comprehend how they expect people to drop 1200 CCs for those sets. 1200 CC would be reasonable for a brand new set that isn't a recolor and isn't in the game. People would buy more coins if they tweaked the cartel market.

Only because few new people have joined so there's not much pressure on the servers (I've yet to see one go FULL). Most of the people I've seen leveling are alts. You can see the evidence here in the forums that old people have subbed. It's only a matter of time before things go back the way they were months ago when this game was struggling to keep people subscribe. It's been proven that the current F2P system is a turn off to a lot of potential new players and telling them to sub is not the answer.

It's funny that 4 months ago you had to be a subscriber to play the game. Nowadays if you want everything you have to subscribe anyway. Doesn't seem like anything has changed besides the fact that now there's a shop to get you to plop down more money. If this game was sinking before F2P, it will start doing so again in a few months.

A big concern of mine is the current system doesn't hold any potential for long-term growth. At the very least I'd wait to see if they decide to tweak things a bit before putting so much money in because there's a chance you'd waste your money if their priority continues to be short-term over long-term. I say this because I seriously doubt that just because it's F2P that people will continue joining 2-3+ months from now, or that some people will remain subbed. All over the internet you can see people want to play the game but feel alienated by the restrictiveness of the system, it gives little incentive to play this game over any other and if they're forced to subscribe they might as well subscribe or buy any other MMO that their friends play. New people are coming in but only because F2P is new but soon enough the hype will lose steam and this game will go back to hemorrhaging subscribers. It's important that they modify their current way of doing things so people feel convinced to stay and join in. I'm with you on adding more items to the cartel market because as it is, the market might as well be renamed to Pack Market. I've bought a few coins but to me nothing seemed worth it besides the packs. IMO (and I'm not alone on this) 1200 CC for a set that is a reskin is too much and it's high prices such like those that will/is keeping some people from buying more coins. Honestly, if people felt they get more bang for their bucks they would buy a lot more coins. I know I would. You can't forget that this game is where it is now because it lost a ton of subscribers over the past months so a focus on long-term is very important and everyone should take concern in this rather than just accept what EA/Bioware are doing. The way they're handling things is partly okay but they can do a lot better and come up with something that benefits every party. I don't feel much confidence or any security and I've stopped dipping any more money coins until I see something more positive.

People like OP are just encouraging their current behavior. Isn't anyone thinking about the long-term? You can't seriously think this game will keep growing if things don't change. It's alienating to some subscribers and F2P (new) players. The people who are okay with everything are like a minority right now. IMO EA/Bioware can do better. They can certainly come up with a better system that would attract more players and make more people happy. You have to consider that in a couple of months the new F2P hype will have lost steam. Selling packs and forcing new people to buy unlocks isn't healthy for a long-term and satisfied community. I'm okay with packs and with unlocks but not in the way they're doing it so. I think they could come up with a more forgiving F2P system. They could also turn the cartel market into one that gives incentive people to spend on just about everything instead of just packs. No one should be okay with the current trend because EA/BW really can do better. A better system will benefit everyone not just players.

Curious question, if they're doing that wouldn't it be better to dump the subscription system and focus on giving close to everything to Preferred people (and F2P be treated as more of a trial - be left as is)? What I've gathered is that subs are buying a good bulk of coins already and that by letting go off subscription system, people would have more money available to buy coins and those who weren't buying coins would be more open to that idea since they don't have to pay subscription on top of dropping money for coins. It would also attract more players, new and old, who would be more willing to spend since they wouldn't feel forced to spend $60+ on unlockables. Of course this would only work if they added new items to the CM more often and at more reasonable prices since few people want to pay 1200 for sets already. I'm pretty confident that some people would continue to buy coins to get legacy perks faster, get piloting faster, get boosts, etc.

Because it's important to the long-term future of this game. If they keep with the same trend of milking people with packs, selling reskinned sets for 1200 that no one buys and keeping the same f2p/preferred system this game isn't staying afloat for long.

The problem with that is that ZERO new f2p players are expecting to play something as long term as 5 months, so it's hard to justify a $60+ purchase on a game that has been struggling to grow for months . EA/Bioware can't be picky considering their reputation with the game over the past 12 months. Even as a new sub I'm not expecting anything more than 3 months because EA/Bioware are showing no signs of changing their current trend of milking subs and veterans with packs only. They're not being clear if they plan on doing anything about F2P but more importantly, if they plan on doing something about their cartel market prices (which no one is falling for, 1200 cc for a reskinned set really?). I'm not confident in their ability to keep this game out of the water by just selling packs. They need to diversify and put in place ways to entice people to buy more cartel market stuff and just packs and one way to do that is with reasonable prices that are accessible to more people. They need to put in place a better F2P system that can guarantee new players every month because the current isn't and WILL NOT do it. This game will not remain afloat with the current population (especially since some people will eventually get tired of packs). They need to act pronto before the attention the F2P shift brought fades away.

Exactly. There's no sign that they're doing anything about cartel market prices or F2P system (which it being so restrictive is clearly keeping a lot of people away). I bet they're not even selling many sets but it's obvious there's interested parties who would want them but not at the outrageous prices. A combination of a more lenient F2P system and sets at prices that are accessible to most would more for the long-term growth (and profit) of this game. Right now they're just milking the veterans while not getting many new players so eventually (at least 2 months from now) people will start to jump ship. I would like to o see some reassurance that they plan to support and develop this game long-term. Milking subscribers with packs isn't a long term solution, it's a short-term cash grab. I wouldn't drop a penny until we hear something more concrete than "We want you to know that this is an ongoing dialogue."

If the current trend is something to go by, there's no clear plans of anything long-term. Right now they're just fishing for cash with the packs but the cartel sets are still overpriced and they keep introducing overpriced stuff. Seems like they just want people to gamble their money away if they want anything decent. F2P remains the same restrictive system that's keeping most people from even looking at the game so who knows how they plan to attract new people. I'd be happy to continue supporting the game but as is they're not being very convincing.

Investigator chest still doesn't match the advertized color. It's like they don't even care about all the stuff in the cartel market but the packs. Might as well rename it to Pack Market. Cartel market sets are just reskins that do not warrant their 1200 CC cost. They're purely relying on selling packets to make money off of the market. How about putting some decent items in the market for people who don't want to gamble? 1200 cc would be fine if it was a brand new set with models not found in game but for a reskin? Should probably be half that or 65% of that.

Yeah and with the current trend they'll soon stagnate or start losing profits once again. They can't keep that up by only selling packs all the time. People's eyes are starting to open. If they wanted to make profit they'd do more in terms of what's sold in the Cartel Market. From what I've seen, people don't consider anything but the packs to be worth getting. In the last 2 weeks I've only seen two people wearing cartel sets but many pack stuff. A 1200 cc set isn't worth buying in the market (and I say this as a person who has more than 1200 cc), a reskin is not worth $12-15. Sets need to be price reasonably and according to whether or not they are new sets or reskins.

Buy packs* since no one else is really buying the overpriced sets. Cartel market? More like Pack Market. This game won't last long at this rate if the only thing inticing people to buy are packs.

I agree with you OP. But don't any of you think of the consequences the current trend will have? How long do YOU plan on forking over money for packs? How long do you think people who aren't buying things will keep their subs? How much longer will the surge of new players last and how much longer will they put up with forced to spend to buy even the most basic of features (or be forced to subscribe)? I joined when F2P started and I've had high hopes for the game and the F2P system. But now I'm starting to lose hope because they don't seem to keep doing more about the F2P system. This game is now F2P because it was dying, it was forced upon EA/Bioware to do it or see the game crumble down but for some reason they continue to do a terrible job at it. I've seen two people wearing sets from the cartel market. One had the Investigator and the other had the newer pilot suit. What this tells me is few people are buying the sets so basically EA/Bioware is relying solely on the packs. People know these sets are just reskins and like new players, see the outrageous price. If you really want to see this game grow and succeed you have to stop accepting what they're doing them and push for reasonable prices on reskin sets and brand new sets as well because a brand set going for 2000 CC won't fly with anyone either. Push for a better and more lenient F2P system that relies on incentive rather than force people to spend. Telling new people to subscribe is not the solution. Telling me that I don't have to buy 1200 CC sets or that I can just buy them off the GTN is not the solution. Being a player who is okay with the current F2P system and trend is being part of a small minority (and I don't base this solely on forum threads); a minority that can't keep the game alive on its own. Putting up with the current trend is not the solution. You need new players and more people spending but you can only achieve that with better prices and a better F2P system. Your pack stuff will mean nothing a year from now if things don't change and you can say goodbye right now to all those features you keep wishing. As hopeful as I am and want to continue being, all I see here is a ship that is slowly starting to sink again.

If the current trend continues there'll be less subscribers and less new players in the future. What they're doing with the packs and unlocks is a quick cash grab that is not gaining them any fans. It's unhealthy in the long term. But I'm not saying they should stop with the packs, but rather they should stop solely relying on packs to get people to spend money. People want to buy some of this stuff straight from the cartel as well (and at more reasonable prices not 1200 coins) and people want to see NEW stuff not repainted items that probably took someone 5 minutes to do. I'm not saying this as an opposer but a new player and subscriber who wants to continue having hope that the game won't start sinking 2 months from now. They can continue doing whatever they're doing now and you can continue to agree with everything but eventually people will lose patience and outsiders will forget about the game once again (the attention the shift to F2P has gathered will not last long if F2P stays the same).

I've had high hopes that they'd turn around and redevelop F2P system into something better but I'm slowly losing hopes. It seems the whole point of is to force new people to subscribe or buy all these unlockables and to make subscribers spend in the cartel. They're putting out this overpriced stuff and mainly relying on packs to intice people. IMO they're going at it the way wrong way and eventually they'll lose the respect and hope of players. They keep going backwards instead of forward. That being said, I don't think I'll be buying coins again if they don't take the initiative to modify F2P and stop relying solely on packs to wring money from subscribers. I mention F2P because the success of this game will ultimately lie on what they do with F2P. If they continue with the same I don't expect to see any growth after February 2013. Why should people be expected to dip any more money in this game when ultimately this game will sink due to the bad decisions of EA/Bioware? Ha! I love it First time I hear it in an MMO forum.