This is a decision made by some executive to try and boost utilization numbers of under-played parts of the game. Instead of investing in new content that draws players in, we get a foolish scheme that failed WoW. Does anyone expect this to do anything but aggravate players here? I'm not going to jump through PvP hoops I have 0 interest in to get augments. I'll either make due without them, or play something else.

I sank a good chunk of the horde of basic commendations you get into Khem's gear, and I've had no issues.

A sound effect would probably be annoying if it wasn't subtle. It's not hard to machine-gun yourself and your companion with Roaming Mend via Reconstruction procs.

This. Jedi are more commonly associated with light sabers. You never really see dedicated offensive light-side Force specialists outside of video games.

Leveling heals will be slower than DPS; you aren't going to burn guys down as quickly and you will be healing a tank and/or DPS companion (or yourself, due to aggro generation with the later) during combat. However, it's still fun, and I've noticed an increase in speed since the expansion's launch. Since Shadow of Revan released, I used the copious Basic commendations to deck out Khem Val in low-tier raid-quality gear, and upgraded mine, and I haven't had problems. Most involve Force Storm for weaker mobs, or a cycle of dots and direct damage with some healing and shields to keep Khem topped off. I spent more time healing during a boss fight, but that's to be expected. Even when more powerful healing is needed, with the addition of Roaming Mend, I've been juggling Reconstruction procs between it and Innervate, keeping everyone healed and my character's Force bar high. I'm waiting to see how free Dark Heals will round out the Corruption powers.

I'm fine with dailies (and precursor dailies) having no cinematic. After the first run through, it's a waste, and they're still voice acted, which is a nice touch.

Something to remember is that the way Star Wars is built, the Jedi are the unequivocated good guys, while the Sith are the ultimate bad guys. While there are plenty of ways for Jedi to be evil or Sith to be good, you won't see that in most of the material surrounding Star Wars, because Lucas didn't design it that way.

It's not hard to piece together, however, especially for a member of the Dark Council. I'd imagine they'd at least suspect that her apprentice as involved in creating Zash's alibi and Skotia's death, which can be more than enough if you're worried about upstarts.

Note that there's nothing in the Sith code that prohibits being a moral individual; overall, it's a rather amoral set of beliefs. My LS SI is simply compassionate and wants to help others; having been raised from the slave pits, he wants to build a more equitable Empire, one that isn't driven simply by a need to conquer and wield power, but one that promotes power in all of its citizens, so it becomes more powerful in turn. Happiness through excellence and action, etc.

Workable, but more difficult with Light Side Sith -- starting an internal conflict during a war, as pointed out, isn't good for the Empire. It could have been worked so the SI was given no other choice, but self defense generally seems more morally agreeable.

It comes down to a lot of different factors. The Jedi are generally shown as the heroes, while the Sith are shown as the villains; then again, running around hewing off limbs isn't exactly a nice thing to do, and the Jedi are rarely shown in their diplomatic and peace-making roles because it's not exiting and doesn't make for a good game/movie. The same could be said for Sith as well. What it comes down to is that the Jedi try to sacrifice everything of themselves for everyone else, while the fallen Jedi who became the Sith try to sacrifice everything else for themselves, which has been the general theme of Star Wars. Can you have Sith motivated by compassion, hope, or love, as well as or instead of anger, fear, or hate? I don't see why not, any less than you can have a detached, methodical Jedi reason that sacrificing a few lives for the greater good is entirely reasonable. While the archetypes aren't presented as such, it's certainly possible. Each order doesn't support that character, who would normally be brought to heel or destroyed in normal times, but the possibility exists. Now, there's the difference between Sith Lords and Jedi's overall roles; Sith are rulers, and while I agree slavery is wrong, so is massive bureaucratic corruption and self indulgence. Considering the state of Coruscant when the game starts on the Republic side, you can find many deep issues within the Republic's government as well. Is a system that condones slavery for their weakest members but gives them rights and social mobility when they've demonstrated they can take care of themselves be better than a self-interested and corrupt democracy that caters only to the powerful and leaves it's citizens trapped and helpless? While that's not the default setting for Star Wars, it shows how just because we're more comfortable with the inequities of one system doesn't mean that it's automatically better than another system.

Given how the Sith revel in power, whether or not Thanaton is a hypocrite is meaningless. Dark siders sacrifice anything else they need to get what they want and maintain their power. Tradition is a trapping and an excuse to to maintain that power, because if the Sith and the Dark Council are calling the shots and have been calling the shots for centuries, you don't want that to change, and you don't want some upstart Lord threatening your position. Darth Thanaton makes perfect sense from the perspective of a power hungry Dark Council member who personally enjoys history and tradition, but is still ultimately a distant secondary consideration to himself.