Last straw. This has clearly been being reported as broken in multiple ways and above all zero fun since *last November* and still nothing has been done to fix any of it. Like an earlier poster, I run on Story mode due to physical and visual impairments - there's just no way I can handle this (half the time I can't even make out what is happening on the screen as it is too 'busy' and messed-up. If fixing something as bad as this isn't a priority (and, clearly, it isn't - even though just the trivial act of removing the timer would make a huge difference) no wonder we are losing so many players that server merges need to be forced again. I've been a subscriber since Beta, but I see no reason at all to continue as the game company seems to equate 'person who gives us money' as 'idiot who should be screwed over'.

The *invisible* timer, no less This is where I (and my two servers full of characters) quit. Clearly this disaster area of a quest is never going to get fixed (I'm seeing it reported all the way back to January), and the only reason it isn't being sorted out that I can think of is 'we can't be bothered, we get your money anyway'.

THIS, a million times.

One follow-up question, with apologies in advance if I am again being thick. The game already tracks the number of decoration *unlocks*, which is displayed as 'you have unlocked X/100' of any given decoration. I'm unclear why the number of unlocks cannot be used to easily show how many items you 'should' possess. Unless the game doesn't distinguish between unlocking an item (clicking on an unbound one) and 'copying it'?

Today , 02:32 PM | #26 OP here - just wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time and trouble to reply. I do understand better now that there is some rhyme and reason involved, whereas before I didn't (the only server transfer I ever experienced up to now was when Trask Ulgo was forced to merge with Progenitor, and Strongholds were not ofc an issue back in those ancient days!). Although I still feel that the effect being forced on people is unfun and unfair, - and definitely agree with others that Bioware could have been a lot clearer about this - at least it no longer feels like a rather random bit of meanness/thoughtlessness - and I find that helpful. So thanks all

OP here - just wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time and trouble to reply. I do understand better now that there is some rhyme and reason involved, whereas before I didn't (the only server transfer I ever experienced up to now was when Trask Ulgo was forced to merge with Progenitor, and Strongholds were not ofc an issue back in those ancient days!). Although I still feel that the effect being forced on people is unfun and unfair, at least it no longer feels like a rather random bit of meanness/thoughtlessness - and I find that helpful. So thanks all

But we *haven't* chosen to move anything anywhere - it's being forced on us. It isn't a case of 'move if you want, but it will cost you some of your stuff' - it's a case of 'we are moving you and taking some of your stuff'. I'm still confused as to how taking items away can in any way be described as 'not impacted'. I'm not obsessed with the number 15 any more than I am obsessed with Basic Metal Chairs, I promise. I just want to know how it is fair to *force* me to give up items I actually paid for and seriously wonder why there isn't a different way to handle this - it feels kinda like being punished for having spent money, time and efffort on the game - 'thanks for your efforts, here's a kick in the teeth just to rub salt into the wound of forcing a server merge on you'.

So in fact they ARE affected, because using your own example someone who previously owned 19 of an item will now own only 15 - this seems very unfair to me. We pay for those decorations, sometimes on the AH and sometimes with actual real money on the Cartel Market. We craft for some of them too. And you think it's OK to just take some of them away? I think it would be fairer to add them together, as long as that would not exceed the 'maximum allowed out of 100' that most decs have. Otherwise you seem to be saying to me "Hey, we just took away those expensive 2 [whatevers] you bought on Red Eclipse, because you had 3 of them on Progenitor. If you want to have 5 again, you can just spend those Cartel Coins or credits all over again." Not very friendly, is it? I do understand that I can 'keep' them all if I put them down and never ever move them again, but that seems pretty harsh also as they are then not available in any really useful way (eg, I couldn't take them out of one stronghold and put them down again in a new one).

Groooooooooooooooooup hug!

And I'm going away happier after seeing the official response that came up while I was cross-posting

And I will agree with you and stop posting also. If a 60+ page thread hasn't alerted BW to the fact that their communication on this issue was a massive fail, and that many customers (on both 'sides' of the old/new divide) are very unhappy with the way this has been handled, I'm not sure what else we can do. The utterly simple suggestion of offering a choice of 'look' to those people who already have altered/corrected items bound to them, given that programming for both looks already exists, has been made many times and in several threads. The looks could then be sold as different sets in the future. I for one hope that will happen (and BW ought to realise it could give them happy customers AND make them MORE money for very little effort), but I'm going to go away now, have a cup of tea and wait to see what happens.

It would be nice if they were not trying to have their cake an eat it. We are being told 'well it's your fault, you should have relied on box promo art not the actual items/previews.' Buuuuuuut. Then they say 'Um, yes, well, Dancer's/Reveller's outfit mix up. You see, we ... um... sort of accidentally put the picture of one of those on the promo art of the Cartel Pack it isn't included in....and included the other one...but yes, you should always rely on our box promo art....'. Pick one, please.

Seconding that. Fixing this in a fair manner also makes good financial sense in the long term, as you do need to keep a certain element of trust if you want people to keep giving you all their shiny pennies.

Those of us who were perfectly happy with the look of our purchased items have been told off in more than one thread today along the lines of "well you never posted saying you had no problems, so this is your own fault". That just might have something to do with the current noise levels you are seeing from usually quiet people.

With respect, that is your personal opinion, based purely on your personal taste. Other purchasers have the right to differ. The boots have completely changed in look from sleek and simple to 'daft-looking mini-rockets on the side'. No offence to anyone who likes mini-rockets, but they are now not even remotely what I paid for.

Thirded...

I am bewildered by the people saying "Look, it's your fault for buying Cartel items, even if you bought them on the GTN and so only saw the item preview." No one makes anyone buy Cartel items, but BW certainly WANT us to. They want our money. And they also want an in-game economy to flourish. Which means showing us some consideration, unless they are confident new buyers are going to be pouring in every month. Unless you are confident your company can **** money, it's quite a good idea not to **** on your customers. Is the suggestion that no one should buy anything? I think what's been coming over in several threads is, yes, BW can change the appearance and performance of anything they darn well please, whenever it pleases them. A separate question for them to consider is: is that good practice? Good marketing? Is it likely to persuade people to buy more stuff/have confidence in the game economy if they keep doing it due to simple mistakes?

And a lot of posters in that thread appear to be saying 'no, please, I like what I have bought just the way it is'. And that's the only thread being cited as The Reason For The Changes. So who exactly is BW aiming to please/be fair to here? This isn't some abstract "I spotted a mismatch between promo art and executed product. so fix it to make things aesthetically correct" thing. That sort of mismatch is one that should have been caught in development, way before anyone bought anything. It is such a basic mistake, it should never have made it into gameplay. But it did. And once it did, things change. We aren't in the realm of 'what in isolation looks most likes X's idea of this thing?' any more once that happens. Because people begin to buy and trade. Once people have invested in items, the scope of the issue very much widens.

Forums represent exactly such a miniscule percentage of players, yet we are being told one small forum thread of complaints (people complaining the gear matched previews rather than artwork) was the reason for all these changes being implemented. We are given no information as to whether these complainants had bought the gear in question and were disappointed or merely disliked it and so would not purchase, and would like the 'artwork look' to be available. I think that is what has a lot of us baffled. It very much seems to suggest those of us who had been quietly bumbling along playing the game should start shouting on the forums instead.

Responsible practice would have been to pull the affected items from sale as soon as a problem was flagged up and unspecified future changes decided upon, until they had been fixed. Having failed to do that, and so created this mess, BW should make more effort to sort it out to the satisfaction of everyone caught up in it.

They didn't say that about the Trailblazer set.

This. EA/Bioware seem totally unaware of the obligations and expectations involved in introducing a real money aspect to the game. Which given that such an aspect features in many other games and could have been studied by them is..bewildering.

And please offer this option where other changes have been made - Trailblazer, Spymaster... After all, the programming of both 'looks' has been done, so what reason would you have for not keeping ALL your paying customers happy? If you are in any doubt that your customers want this, have a glance at this (currently) 47-page thread http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=583086&page=47

No one has said anyone was MADE to buy anything. Many people, on the other hand, have said that people who bought something had a reasonable expectation (by reasonable, I mean 'at point of sale') that their purchase would not abruptly be re-modelled into something they would not have chosen to spend money on. A bit like if you bought a TV and a month later the vendor took it back and forced you to have a kettle.

Yes, that would be a MUCH better idea. And simple to do, as programming for both looks has now been done. Still waiting for an explanation as to why they are not offering this.