Figured this would be a flame thread. And back when I use to raid and group...I probably would care that my skill tree was optimal. At one point, I put some thought into it. Now, I just want to log in...have things set up the way I left it, and play with what little time I have. If later I change my mind and want a full respec...then I spend the cash I have to spend to get it done...I've already made the decision I didn't want the free one. Kind of like going into an ice cream shop. When I use to care about optimizing the taste for my pallet, I'd read the menu. Now I just want to drive in, order vanilla and sit at the same table I always sit at. If it's at all possible, and maybe it's unavoidable...but can't we offer some vanilla? Give me the option to deny a respect? That's all I was asking for.

One things that really irks me is when I log into the game to find all my skill points have been refunded to me. I just want to log in and start playing...but instead, I have to spend time trying to remember what skills I chose and why...and then try to remember what abilities they make and where I had them placed on my bars...multiplied across alternate toons. Time not well spent. Constructively...wouldn't a better option be that I log in...get notified that I'm being offered a chance to respect my skills and say "no thanks"? I would appreciate that option. /rant off

On a bright note, I think I misread the requirements to get the title. I thought you had to do one of each: flashpoint, hardmode easy/hard, and an operation (and thus require a 50). However, it appears that you just have to do one 8 times. With that in mind, I rolled a new toon...never tried an operative. It was quite fun until the final cutscene on Hutta stopped working. What a pain. So now I sit trying multiple methods of the dreaded repair "feature" to see if I can get the game to operate properly. Bitter sweet I suppose.

Obviously I'm one of the people that didn't get copied, or else I wouldn't be in this thread. But what I don't quite understand...is why the term "correctly" keeps getting flown around. There are three parts to the survey: Forum Name, Server, and Character Name. Seeing how I have graduated kindergarten, I would think I know how to at least spell my name...correctly. So that basically narrows it down to knowing where my character lives...which seems simple enough to look up and verify if I've forgetten. So I'm a bit confused about this "correctly" statement. Is it to say that players don't know how to spell thier name or is there more to it? Surely there must be some error between the interface that the player sees to fill out and the database the information is sent to.

I was wondering why I could want to buy a customization item if my companion is wearing a helmet and I'll never see the benefit of the item.

"Shut him up or shut him down..." or "plug the professor into the hyperdrive".

There are some companions that are harder to gear up than others. Droids are in a niche by themselves...so hand-me downs don't work. Take that into consideration if you're budgeting your credits for something else like a speeder. And for Troopers, upgrading Tanno Vik's weapon is a pain...as well as Yuun's weapon. I never see anything on the GTN for thier weapon type that has Aim. If they ever do show up, I expect they will be very expensive because how rare they are. But not all is lost. Once you get to Voss, there is an optional quest in the second area that rewards one weapon choice for all companions. I chose to upgrade Tanno Vik...although it would have been nice to also get a weapon for Yuun. All the other companions have an assortment of weapons throughout the game. I've heard that the Jedi Consulor has an issue with upgrading Qyzen Fess's weapons. That quest on Voss should give you the option to get him a decent 45+ weapon.

I don't mean this in a flaming way...but I think your perception is skewed. The game is already tailored to soloing. Granted...there are some group-only activities in the game...but the majority is solo. I'm just about 50 myself...and for the most part, I've done it mainly by soloing. I've completed all the class quests solo. Most of the planet main story lines were completed solo...but sometimes I ran into someone at the same point as me and we teamed up to do it quicker. Note...I could have soloed all the content...but being a MMO, might as well interact with other players. Now, if the quest says heroic...well, at the higher levels you'll need to group. I've never run into a heroic quest that needed to be complete for either a class quest or a planet main story line. They have all been side optional quests. The rewards are pretty standard as well...usually 3 commendations or a lotto chest. Granted...I've only played a handful of different classes. So perhaps I haven't played your particular class. But for sure a Trooper Commando has no issues getting to 49 solo and hitting all the main content. If you are struggling...change your strategies. Sometimes different companions can make all the difference. I frequently pull out a different companion based upon the type of mob I'm fighting. One companion doesn't fit all encounters equally.

This thread had me thinking for a while about the concepts of MMOs and how I would attempt to create one that would be successful. Looking at it in the terms of research by doing things like the 5 whys...it made me think about beginning concepts like that is the purpose of MMOs...or atleast what should the focus be on MMOs. By classifying the focus and ensuring that all design is based around it can really change how a game is developed. Without wasting too much time, I'm going off memory here to think about what Blizzard's vison statement is for WoW. And I could be mistaken...but it's something about developing the most epic game ever. And then when I think about what does a MMO offer over single-player or multi-player games...the term epic always surfaces. But what should be epic? And here is where I think the problem arises. You can't rely on people. The reason EQ seems to get quoted so much is that they had nothing to reference...not even the fans. And games like EQ and notably SWG turned for the worst...is because developers started listening to players...when in actuality they should be referencing thier development documents to ensure what players are asking for is in line with thier doctrine, vision, and mission. Any successful sfotware development will have had plenty of effort in creating the plan...why reject it after launch? Surely a lot of thought went into class balance and major issues such as that. But I regress...the main point I wanted to get back to was the term epic. And my perception of what games focus on to be epic in my opinion is misplaced. Thier focus is on making people feel that thier character is epic...the hero. Especially look at TOR. Your character is the savior of everywhere he goes...every planet...every outpost...every farm. This is what is rediculous becuase your heroism doesn't change the environment...it just gains you experience points. So I question...what should be epic? The world? The community through guilds? The risk/reward through actual feats? This focus on what is epic is making MMOs bland. Games are listening to players who want to be epic...and there lies the problem. Max level is short periods of time. Quests that don't change environment. Armor issues. Class balance issues. Get the focus right in development...issues fall away. -2 cents-

This is why MMOs today have an accelerating leveling system and risk vs reward doesn't compare. Because developers see the need to attract new people to the community and get them up to speed with the current community. If people can't get current, then they'll quit. So games today revolve around end-content and look forward to the next expansion. In order to make that work...the focus of the game needs to change...which is what we call the next-generation of MMOs.

This... I believe it was 5 years after EQ2 playing that I went back to EQ, and then remembered why I looked so forward to EQ2 coming out. But still...no other game be it DAOC, FFVI, EQ2, or WOW have stories I remember as fond as EQ. The mechanics of the game weighed risk vs reward higher than anything that has come after it. Combined with it being so new, community had to come together more to help make it succeed. But now that some of those wished for innovations are realities...games can't succeed without them being implemented at launch. I guess it's kind of like life...people remember the good times of high school or college, but would never wish to return to that age to repeat it.

Under 4X's traits...the game states that he has +5 Scavenging Critical. However, the last few times I've logged off, I've had 3 of my companions all go out on the same leve Scavenging missions. When I log back in, all of them has some amount of goods...except for 4X...he has a total failure and returns nothing. Perhaps his skill should say -50 Scavanging Critical.

I agree...I would really like to be able to gather while in combat. Atleast...if I haven't actively engaged in attacking or healing my group during an encounter, I shouldn't be toggled as in combat. Many times I'd be half way through the gathering process (not in combat), just to have other members of my group engage in combat...result, I can't gather. Very stupid. If I'm not actively in combat...then I shouldn't be toggled in combat just because someone in my party wants to rush ahead. Not fair for the gatherer, and not fair for the people that want to move along. As it stands, it's a lose lose.

The more I think about this word balanced and people either for or against slicing being where it should be...the more I realize that we can't know until we do studies on other gathering skills. We're comparing one gathering skill to it's pre-nerf status...or in my case, to itself. If we want to consider the slicing in the sense of balance...we need to do in-depth studies of the other skills and compare in like units. Slicing provides a good baseline for a start, as I believe the optimal comparison would be in credits...but actually anything common will do. As it stands now...mission are fine to employ crews full-time, but the real profit is from gathering. There really is no need to search for that perfect circle. When adventuring in both Tantooine and Alderaan...there were plenty of nodes to keep me busy and really slow down my actual adventuring. Especially on Alderaan...many times I didn't even have to fight to collect a node. Combine slicing with another gathering skill...and you'll never find time to fight if you are concentrated on gathering every node you see...as there is practically a node always on my radar in those two zones alone.

The overall goal that I started with was not to show which missions were the most profitable...but to prove the nerf was too strong (of which now I'm undecided). To that end...I'd need to collect more data and parse it out differently to answer you question...because my setup isn't necessary built for you question. However, right now I'm just enjoying the game and not doing any more research. Holiday is over for work and my graduate classes are starting back up. On another note. Might as well just send all your companions out when they are available. Cutting them short on thier missions doesn't net any credit lose. You should notice that when you cancel a mission, the credits to fund the mission are returned back to you. Atleast, that is what I have noticed. But then again, I've seen other strange things in this game as well...such as selling something on the auction house for 7K and gaining 8.4K for the sale. Must be tips.