They're supposed to fix the companion terminal tomorrow so you can get all your old ones back before having to wait on them for the story aspect in KoTFE. As for the free 60...I really wish they hadn't locked you into KoTFE and simply had a big pop up like when you made your legacy that says "Would you like to explore content before jumping into KoTFE?" with two options. It'd be nice for new players to at least get to talk to their companions and get some back story before jumping into KoTFE. I've played most classes to 50 (still getting my Snuggler up to 50,) but now that they've tied companion conversations to progression and not affection, it's really nice to be able to talk to the companions I never really used much as see how they impact the story in different ways.

This. Original SWTOR was trying to be too many things to too many people and suffered for it. Needed to be a heavy story based almost single player esque game with some mmo elements....not the other way around.

They're pretty strong at low levels but higher up the effect isn't as noticeable and it really does help the quality of life for players that want to play as they want versus having to take X companion or Y/etc. Loved leveling as my Guardian and my Juggernaut, didn't have to worry what companion I had out....but soon as I picked a healer or a squishier DPS it got REALLY annoying super fast when you don't get the right companion right off or want to take another one but they don't compliment your skills and get you killed (or were dumb as a brick.) It's also nice they don't hit like wet noodles anymore.

This is definitely what I wanted, more story. 1-50 was plagued by too much senseless running around for no damn reason except be a time sink and while the stories had their good parts, lot of it was "Oh no, another super weapon, go do something and kill X people." The presentation is always slick with the conversations but having a more streamlined effort lets them put better emphasis on characters as well as making a much more cohesive and in depth story. I've never personally been a fan of SWTOR pvp, and while it's flash points can be fun (as well as some of the operations,) the story is why I wanted to play in the first place. If anything SWTOR should have been more of this from the beginning. Have one story per side instead of 8 and use the extra time for things like pvp/raids/flash points others want, too. Less fetch this and that and make the planets actually mean something instead of being 99% empty. I quit SWTOR shortly after participating in the beta and early access and didn't return until a few months ago to try out Shadow of Revan (don't remember why, just glad I did.) This new expac is great and I hope it continues like this.

I really enjoy it, I don't mind the dialogue wheel or talking but I think this helps tie it to old games and gives them an easier time adding stuff besides the main story.

This might be due to the differences in ideologies, it's a BIG thing for the Jedi but for the Sith it isn't a thing, Valk wouldn't be surprised nor would he care if you cheated later....it'd kind of be somewhat status quo for a Sith

I like Lana and Kira both as favorites (most of my other characters are all ending up with lana with only one or two exceptions,) but I ended up staying with Kira. Hoping the new LI showing up has Bioware keeping them involved ever so often even if it's in the new 'classic' convo types only (barring a few appearances in the main story.) It's kinda too bad Seyna isn't romanceable. In any case, I hope we can earn her armor, it's amazing looking!

The flirting pre KoTFE doesn't count for anyone and Bioware made sure that you had a heads up when it did start counting in KoTFE. I believe this was done because they didn't give the old companions any new dialogue or screen time in the old expacs and didn't want to hobble you due to them failing to include your old romances, and for that I'm thankful that they thought of it. It takes you out of the scene a bit when the box pops up, should have had the new romance mention the old one or whatever (or given you a dialogue option with a warning next to it,) to be a little bit less intrusive but overall it works. Ah well, I can always cheat/etc on an alt or live vicariously through someone else on youtube once it starts circulating, My romance matrix is probably going to look like: Jedi Knight / Kira Jedi Consular / Lana (female consular, couldn't romance Nadia so didn't romance anyone...can't stand male consular's voice.) Trooper / Torn...like Elara enough but my head canon backstory for my Trooper has a dead wife who was a Jedi and figured Lana would pick up on it/fill that void for him. Smuggler / Lana Sith Warrior / Not sure, Jaesa's fine but Lana fits his ideal more Sith Inquistor / If only Seyna was romanceable.....but Lana again. Ashara bugs the hell out of me. Bounty Hunter / Mako Imperial Agent /EVERYONE! I mean...uh....

Scorekeeper sees you! I didn't think I'd care about Qyzen but he's an awesome companion! I think I finally decided to stay faithful to Kira. I did this thing in the Mass Effect games where I romanced Ash first but ended up with Tali but the break up scene with Ash was so bad....I remade my entire game and did a run through of the first game with no romances so I wouldn't be a cheater lol. Can't really do that here with so much time invested even though Lana's probably a more compelling/interesting character. I can't imagine Kira coming back and being like "I believe for 5 years I'd see you again," only for her to find me with Lana, can't get over that! Bravo Bioware

I'm assuming they're holding them for more impact later in the story (and so you have a chance to betray them with new companions ) and it's just unfortunate that we have to wait longer to actually see them. It's rough, once my sub runs out in a month I am unsure if I'll resub or wait until the new chapters hit. It's not because the expac isn't good, just hard to wait so long for some companions to return

Actually...

So far, anyway, don't know if more will be added later or not

Yea, swapped to my Sith Juggernaut and am going through the story with him, just sucks I can't finish on my Knight Don't really plan on taking all my alts through KoTFE, at least not right now, probably going to romance the new companions with them since none of the other romances really gripped me (Kira wasn't the best but, Knight's my main and she fits.) Going to be fun to see how my different choices pan out

Well, not a ton of chapter's left unless they pick up speed putting LI's into the story, hasn't been an overwhelming number of regular companions (though all have been well used, imho.) Problem is I like both Kira and Lana, Kira I made a promise to (or my knight did, anyway,) and romancing a sith also seems pretty interesting while being a Jedi Knight (and Lana's well written.) Making a mountain out of a molehill probably, I guess I should be so lucky I actually care about a decision instead of immediately knowing what to do all the time.

Ended up having to log out of my Knight because I can't make the decision. My other characters have no qualms because I don't consider them my main (and they don't hold their romances in as high a regard.) I'll have to sleep on it, see if I can forego the extra content right now for maybe a non crappy payoff later.