Never design what you can steal.

Because a sense of accomplishment necesscarily precludes some players which goes against the "I want it all and I want it now" mentality of too many players.

Exactly. WoW existed long before it really took off several years later. It wasn't just released and instantly gained 10 millions subscriptions. So who stuck with the game all that time and created sites like thottbot, wowwikki and elitist jerks? Certainly not the casuals because most of them arrived during WotLK. This game doesn't have much (if any) community because short of rolling alts there's no reason to stick around and make one.

Because creating player guides, boss tactic videos, optimal talents specs, profession power levelling guides, levelling guides and PUG raids is just one slap in the face after another for casual players.

Kids are allowed to drink alcohol from the age of 5 at home - you just can't buy it until 18.

I imagine that if you ask the people who think LFG ruined the game that what they actually dislike is the X-realm aspect of it. People say LFG ruined server communities, well no, the fact that it grouped you with people you would never meet again ruined the community. If a server wide LFG was put in why would that impact on the social aspect of the game? If you meet someone you like add them to your friends and all of a sudden you get groups that much faster. I don't see why people would be adverse to mods. Maybe the "must have 11k DPS" aspect put them off but the customisable UI is pretty basic.

Hardly; the more competition in the MMO market the better as it results in higher quality due to them having to compete with one another. If people want to enjoy the game then that's fine and I'm not going to say that they're wrong. It's people like you who tell others that they're wrong when they criticise the game that's the problem because it always results in blind loyalty and factionalism. I haven't played a single MMO where there weren't at least some people so enamoured with it that they defended it at all costs. This game has problems. Bioware has had all of Beta and three months since launch to fix them. Yet what's actually changed since launch? Well there's a 50 PvP bracket which somehow manages to be even more imbalanced than the 10-49 one. The UI flashes a lot more than it used to and most worringly of all classes have been nerfed meaning they prioratise cosmetic PvP balance rather than core issues like faction imbalance. I've already said the game is average but nothing special and people can disagree if they want. However there's a distinct lack of game plan on Biowares behalf; are they focusing on content? balance? bugs? They just seem to focus on short term patches rather than long term goals. I guess that's fine if you only play a few hours a week but for a lot of people they wanted a new MMO they could call home and play reguarly - this game simply isn't it.

Nobody is forcing you to read, reply or in any way engage with my posts. Equally I could say to you "well if you like the game go and play it rather than wasting your time on the forums." Bioware isn't going to break down into tears if I tell them I think their game was launched too early and they don't need you to protect them for the big bad internet trolls. Equally you still aren't answering my questions with anything other than "don't like it then leave." If you're going to tell people their opinions are wrong because the game is new then at what point does the game stop being new and those opinions become valid?

That's just evading the question. You're dismissing other peoples complaints about SWtoR because it will get better over time, but you don't say at what point enough time will have passed before those complaints become valid. You're right, nobody is keeping me here and perhaps in a years time this game will have caught up with games of today. Of course by then a new bunch of MMOs will be available and SWtoR will have to catch up all over again. No this isn't the worst MMO I've every played - DCUO was way worse - but at the same time it's just average and doesn't do anything new. It's the same gear treadmill MMOs have been using for the last decade, the same tank/healer/DPS class setup and the same questing that WoW was using 8 years ago. Even if you have no interest in other upcoming MMOs that doesn't somehow gloss over all the flaws of this game because you're choosing not to look at other games.

And at what point can you judge an MMO? At release? No, too early. After several months? Still to early. A year? Maybe but patch 1.5 is bringing in a load of new stuff - too soon to tell. If MMOs are never finished then then can either never be reviewed or you just have to put aside future development and review what's currently available. What's currently available in SWtoR is less than what's currently available with other MMOs both new and old.

Then general release should have been delayed whilst issues brought to light during Beta were addressed. When the games released people aren't going to care if it took a few months longer but was of better quality than if it was rushed out the door with its shirt unbuttoned and trousers still unzipped. Like it or not MMOs have a window of opportunity that are there to establish a player base. MMOs which work are ones which quickly establish a player base from launch and keep them playing rather than relying on a steady stream of new customers. Launch will always have the highest influx of new players and the developers should have realised that. This game does have a declining population - the extent is unknown but people are leaving. Therefore because launch was almost 3 months ago there won't be enough to people joining to replace those leaving. That's the problem with this game and no amount of "well in a few months time it'll be fine" will fix it.

Well that's the problem with this game in my opinion - it's trying to compete with WoW by imitating it. Look at some of the other successful MMOs like EVE and ask why are they so whilst all the WoW clones inevitably fail? Because if people wanted to play WoW they would, whereas if people want to play spreadsheets in space there's EVE. I don't find EVE fun but from a development perspective I respect it because it knows what it is, who likes it and caters to them rather than trying to steal other MMOs subscribers. It's a niche game and fills it very well. As was WAR with its large scale RvR. What niche does SWtoR fill? For people who like a story? Then why not play a single player RPG like Fallout with a much better story?

People usually compare it with WoW deliberately because they know a new game can't be as polished as one with around 8 years refinement. Try comparing SWtoR to a new release like Rift and see that it fares much the same. It's not that SWtoR is poor in comparison with WoW, it's just poor.

Plus 7 more levels and 4 more characters to their 30s sure. But of course nobody is allowed to talk about the game unless they have valor rank 100 and beaten everything on nightmare mode with 8/8 classes. No wait, then they're elitists who don't appreciate the game because they burn through it to fast. Same old MMO attitude of progression: <-------------------------noobs----------------->me, perfect as always<---------elitists-------->

This is the problem with people like you; if someone insults the game and quit early it's always "well you haven't played enough to know." Whereas if you play enough to know it's "well you obviously like it enough to play."