The Republic government was also completely overhauled after the Battle of Ruusan, to the point where the Republic of the prequels era is considered a separate entity from 'the Old Republic.' Hence Palpatine mentioning that the Republic had stood for a thousand years when the Old Republic had been around for around 25,000 years. The post-Ruusan Reformation Republic was around a thousand years old. The Grand Army of the Republic was the first army of the Republic established after the Ruusan Reformations. In that thousand year period there were either no wars, or only small scale wars fought with local militias or mediated by Jedi rather than a galactic army.

To OP: Mainly because SWTOR is not a platformer or a physics based game. It's a hotkey MMO where the extraordinary ability of player characters are represented by their specific skills and powers rather than by their basic controls.

I'm not quite at endgame yet, but I'm close. Level 48 Sith Juggernaut. This is the third or fourth MMO that I've paid for (FFXI, WoW, Everquest 2, LotRO), but the first where I've gotten anywhere close to endgame. Primarily because the others couldn't hold my attention do to lack of story and/or poor storytelling. Thus far, the class stories I've played have mostly lived up to my possibility space. I'm certainly interested in seeing how my story will conclude and how they'll carry on the class stories with additional content. The areas where the game hasn't yet lived up to my possibility space? Little quality of life things. I'd like there to be more useable seats in the game, or at least a /sitchair emote. I'd like pazaak and sabacc minigames. I'd like cosmetic customization of my starship. I'd like the ability to 'gut' any green or blue armor to make it a 'blank' moddable item. I'd like my guild to have a personalized frigate or destroyer. I'd like some sort of multiplayer functionality for the space minigame. Ultimately though, these are all little improvements or additions I'd like to see and not game breaking (or making) in and of themselves. I'll be happy to see some added over the lifespan of the game (pazaak and guild capital ships have been mentioned). Others I don't expect to see. As is, I'm quite happy with the game I'm playing.

I'd like to see different lightsaber variants brought in for new advanced classes. Something like. . . Jedi Champion (Jedi Knight) - Proto/Retro Saber Jedi Watchman (Jedi Consular) - Lightsaber Pike Sith Praetorian (Sith Warrior) - Lightsaber Pike Sith Alchemist (Sith Inquisitor) - Sith Sword

The actor who played Palpatine is actually Scottish. I wouldn't describe his accent as any sort of American.

And Santa never gave me a spaceship. . .

I like to think of him as Darth 'Looked-Way-Cooler-in-the-Web-Comic.'

I thought it lost a lot of steam after that, but I'll withhold judgement until I finish my class story. On topic. Jedi: Okay, I admit. Black is really flattering on you. Sith: And honestly, brown is totally your color.

The only things I seriously dislike about TCW? Like many, I really didn't like the three episode 'Mortis' arc. It just felt. . . entirely out of place. Also, Jar Jar episodes. If an episode looks like it's going to be Jar Jar centric, I skip it.

It only showed up in one novel, but I'm still rather enamored with the Night/Knight Hammer. An Executor class star dreadnaught equipped with stealth armor? Yup.

That's basically the climax of the Sith Warrior's first chapter if you go light side XD

A car is a necessity in most cities in the United States. You require one to get to work, fetch groceries, etc. It takes a lot of special consideration to get by without one. Also, if it malfunctions while you're driving, it has a decent chance of killing you. A video game is a luxury. I don't require one to get by. If it doesn't run as smooth as cream, odds are it won't negatively impact my health. If it crashes, it won't take me down in a fireball of doom and destruction. I don't find it at all surprising that the development standards for a necessity and a luxury are different.

My Sith Sorcerer is named 'Levinous.' Levin is a Middle English word for lightning + the Sith-y -ous suffix. Legacy name 'Guile' comes out with a pretty cool full name. Levinous Guile. Worst name I've seen. . . I've seen a few characters named after venereal disease on Republic-side Thana Vesh. Keep it classy internets.

I've yet to have someone ask me to skip conversations (and I watch every conversation in Flashpoints). The worst experience I've had in a FP was the group leader complaining the entire time about nothing dropping for his class. . . to which he said "I stand corrected" when the last boss dropped the chest piece and lightsaber for his AC.

They tend to drop a little more often from mobs in Heroic (group) areas. Once you're level 8ish and have your companion, you should be able to solo those parts of Hutta.