It is very strange with SW ToR pvp premades and their devastating effect on causing imbalance in a pvp match. In World of Tanks for example I can form a platoon or just pug and face off against a team with a well formed platoon and it never feels like there is a guaranteed faceroll for the team with premade plattoon no matter how skilled because WoT mixes up team composition really well (and there are no healers). So whats my point; apples and oranges right? Well judging from the dozens of threads (probably more) about the problem of premades it all comes down to team composition and then skill as a secondary factor. A premade (especially ranked) will make sure to have a competent healer in their group. Merc/Commando healers will often be socially abused for puging in a ranked match by hardcore elitists and hardly ever accepted into a group of hardcore players in ranked. So a premade will often include a competent healer that will be looked after which pretty much makes all the difference in my opinion. Going on at this point I'm just beating a dead horse as none of this is new to anybody but we need some kind of solution. I suggest that like World of Tanks team composition is evenly matched so that each team has a balanced ratio of healers/dps/tank. Would it really be that hard for the matching system to be able to do this? And please absolutely do not nerf heals. We have all read our share of qq threads about heals but they are not the problem, its team composition that is crucial in my opinion.

I hadn't considered the forums not being representative of the player population as a whole and you have some other good insights as well. Particularly your mention of an in game poll sounds excellent; I wonder if your idea has ever been brought to the attention of the devs. The players guiding the devs on where to take the game next seems like a win/win. We get what we want and the devs don't have to stress too much about what will make their players happy.

I think Dec 2nd was the last day to take advantage of the offer. Assuming you did re-sub Dec 2nd for example then you will not be billed again until jan 31st. I hope I'm clarifying this correctly.

I really sympathize with your post a lot and its sad just regular nice people like you get the social abuse that you described from the "hardcore elitists" out there. It would be a very cruel blow against commando/merc spec healers to be nerfed in any way and the social condemnation they face in ranked matches (such as the abuse you suffered) pretty much proves the point.

Allowing players to unlock datacrons at the Legacy level sounds like a perfect solution for everyone. I can imagine that would cost a small fortune though if the unlocks are not global and character only.

Great poll. I hope this helps guide the devs into some insight for what to work on next for us.

Could it be a gunship hitting you? Just remember a defensive maneuver will never break an instant hit from a gunship at 15k range and depending on upgrades those buggers hit through your shielding. Missiles also have travel time which actually cost a lot to upgrade to improve their travel speed while gunships are instant travel from the start.

You sir have countered the simple "re-spawn as scout and kill the gunship easily (insert long winded strategy that really doesn't work as described in actual gameplay)" . So many good points and I especially liked your suggestion that the railgun needs to have a travel time.

Can you imagine how awesome the PvE raids could be for space content? We would probably be going up against things like the Star Forge!

Thank you for speaking up for the silent majority and well said.

I love the gunship because it is sort of like having the power of a tank destroyer in WoT but with the defense of a heavy tank and range of an arty. Of course that powerful combo would be instantly nerfed. Maybe the devs could make a true "stealth" fighter class for the sole purpose of countering gunships instead of just nerfing them. I agree though that something needs to be done about the insane power and utility of the gunships class ship (especially when fully upgraded).

I never played SWG but from what you describe about melding with the ground game would be awesome to see something similar done at some point with Starfighter.

Galactic Starfighter is more similar to World of Tanks/Warplanes than a traditional mmo and could perhaps learn a few things from them in terms of balancing the pay to win aspect. World of Tanks/World of Warplanes may not be perfect mmos but I feel they have pretty much perfected the balanced in terms of free to play versus pay to win. The premium tanks in WoT don't offer any major advantage than the regular unlock able tanks and people can buy "gold rounds" which is probably the biggest pay to win aspect of the game but still not overpowered in my opinion.

World of Warplanes is mouse based and that worked out fairly well in my opinion. The sensitivity and speed in Starfighter are far more emphasized though but of course that is what you would expect I guess comparing WW2 technology to space fighters. Its taking some getting used to for me at least.

Excellent idea. You are proposing would let the strategic types have full control over their companion groups. I imagine solo players out there would really enjoy challenging themselves with companion groups rather than being forced into a human group. Bioware would have to love the fact this gives incentive for replay value because many players would be motivated to gear up multiple companions.

Indeed more than one companion will allow the large silent majority of solo players out there more options to explore in their game. You would have motivation to gear grind for multiple companions which keeps people occupied and subscribed. Everyone wins. Hopefully this can be worked in through the legacy or new rep system. 1.7 looks interesting and I think its fair to say SW TOR is a healthily evolving mmorpg.

Hardcore players will have an advantage by grouping with other human players instead of their own companions. Anyone would gear up faster with a group of humans than companions. A human player is far superior than a companion so why not let solo players summon their companions for a full group in heroics and flashpoints. I'm sure there are people with enough strategic skill and patience to gear up their own group of companions and figure out a way succeed by themselves.

The large population of solo players out there who avoid the social pressures demanded by community norms such as having to know a fight, being geared, hitting spacebar etc could have an alternative by being allowed to summon more than one companion to form their own full groups for flashpoints and Heroics. This would have the great benefit of giving solo players motivation to grind for more content to gear multiple companions and provide challenge in new experiences.

Well here we go again folks. I'm very excited about what I've read in regards to the reputation system. Solo players who do not want to enter the world of grouped flashpoints to grind for top tier gear are given an alternative by grinding for reputation rewards. Entering the world of flashpoints new 50s are often given little patience for not knowing every fight, being geared, hitting the spacebar etc. Solo players who want to pursue a path for end game rewards without subjecting themselves to having to grind with a group through flashpoints have such an option now through the reputation system hopefully. Finding a way to turn previous planetary content solo players can challenge and grind through is the same to me as grinding flashpoints. A grind is a grind. Let solo players who do not want to grind in groups grind content that can in fact be done solo with a companion such as previous content. Bioware could also perhaps make a much needed legacy or reputation perk for allowing us to summon more than one companion for flashpoints so solo players can form their own full group. 1.7 looks quit promising Bioware. I'm looking forward to it.

A sorc has infinite energy (force) for their main dps skill and for their healing at the same time because of two skills. Two skills need to be completely nerfed "force surge" in the healing tree and "Sith efficacy" in the madness tree. As it stands now a sorc can be specced in both at the same time, which I am on my sorc alt. With a couple points in madness for infinite energy for force lighting and points in the healing tree up to force surge which lets a sorc use consumption without any side effects. This allows the sorc to have infinite energy (force) for both DPS and healing at the SAME TIME! The sorc has absurd utility because of this. This is not even to mention what the community has brought up time and again of how much cc and overall utility the class has. Just nerf the two skills for sorc "Sith efficacy" and "force surge" and you will see sorc utility be brought into line with other classes and not have an infinite resource pool.

Raid marking sorc/sage healers is the only way for pugs to counter how overpowered that class is right now. A sorc has infinite energy (force) for their main dps skill and for their healing. With a couple points in madness for infinite energy with force lighting and points in the healing tree up to force surge which lets a sorc use consumption without any side effects. Granted I discovered the godly abilities of a sorc playing one as an alt myself and enjoy it but the class is far too easy to be godlike without skill and way too much utility. They need raid markers put on them so we can kill the heal specced gods as soon as possible. The other healing classes actually have to worry about resources like Bounty hunter/heat or operative/energy. Sorc gets infinite energy (force) for both DPS and healing at the SAME TIME! I know because that is how my sorc alt is specced right now. Two skills need to be completely nerfed "force surge" in the healing tree and "Sith efficacy" in the madness tree. As it stands now a sorc can be specced in both at the same time, which I am on my sorc alt. I tell yo there is nothing better in pvp right now that murdering sorc/sages in warzones as they desperately spam their infinite force pool to stay alive.

The problem with saying this is you will likely get a response about how much money they actually have and how big their six figure salary actually is and how beautiful their wife or girlfriend is, how many friends they really have etc. All you're doing is inviting lies, semantics, and other general BS. At least you didn't go into the "mom's basement" insult.

No one really fears an operative. They gas out quick after their opener in pvp. Just look at how much they suck in pve side of the game as well where no one wants an op in hardmode or nightmare because they have the worst sustained damage of any class, worst healing spec, and no gap closer. Being so useless in pvp and pve the question should be do we pity an operative?

^^^ So true.

Exactly. Anyone knows from enough pvp experience that healer supporting another healer with tank switching guard is not so uncommon and a beast to deal with. The mark simply gives us a heads up as you said which is more than fair I think.