As someone that has played since Beta, the Vanguard shield spec was designed as a Ranged Tank. In fact that was the description. It was not always meant to be a melee character. A melee character is just what it has become. If it is supposed to be a Melee character, then why is Storm a level 60 ability? The main difference between the Vanguard Tank and the Guardian Tank now is the Vanguard can't deal the damage, and isn't very good at holding threat (in comparison). On the other side of the coin the Vanguard has lots of low damage AOE, so in situations where you can't use AOE, Tanking the two armored vehicle fight, in Explosive Conflict as an example, the Vanguard Tank is at a serious disadvantage. Why would I want to play a Vanguard or Powertech when I can play a Guardian or Juggernaut?

Once they started pulling the range from the Vanguard, I stopped playing my Vanguard, though I just started again, to get it to 70. It has just gotten worse since then. All the Cinematics use a sidearm instead of the rifle anyway. If this is truly going to be a melee class, then make Storm level 5, ditch the rifle altogether, go with Pistol, Chainsword and Jump Pack and do it right. If you want it to act like a 40K assault marine, arm it like one.

I achieved not one of my objectives in this story arc. Not one. Companions that betrayed me are alive. The people that imprisoned me are alive. The throne is in the hands of a character that betrayed me twice. I still have not reacquired all my companions from the first 50 levels. Even the "romance" hasn't gone anywhere. The was no achievement. There was no victory. Add to that, none of the story arc was designed, in an MMO, to be played cooperatively. What a waste.

Except you can't join a group for the story content. I don't care if others don't want to group. That doesn't affect me one bit. Why does not being allowed to group, and have fun as a group a good thing?

You aren't going to get the majority to agree with you. The 12x XP was a horrific idea, yet they kept it and now made it effectively for everyone. Now we have people that go through the entire game and never learn to play their toon. Instead of learning to play their toon, they scream it needs to be easier. Don't believe me? Group finder was the easy indicator.

Massive Multiplayer Online the full is MMORPG. You don't want to group, OK. Why does that mean it needs to be taken away from those of us that do? I have never played WOW. It still doesn't interest me. I have played quite a few other MMO's though.

When I started playing SWTOR, in the initial beta, before launch, I thought to myself, these guys have got it right. The story is great, and you can play, without repeating sections, as a group. Grouping gives bonuses so is encouraged. Take a Trooper and a Smuggler and starting on Ord Mantel you and your friend can play all the way through Makeb as a team. (Or Warrior and Inquisitor, or Knight and Counselor, or Agent and Bounty Hunter.) It was fun, it was cool. Get off the starting planet and you can go all the way from the home planet through Makeb and you can play with 3 friends. Now along comes Shadow of Revan, and you have to split up for the conversations. Not as much fun, but most of the action was not in the sections where you are together. Manageable. Knights of the Fallen Empire? Not a chance. Almost the entire story is required to be soloed. There is no real reason for the computer to even be connected to the Internet, except you are made to do so and the resulting slowdown. This is no longer an MMO, it is now a single player game with some team or PVP play bolted on. And the rich fully voiced story? That goes away after you get done with the first section. After that it is repeat, repeat, repeat for each toon you bring up, after Makeb it is the same story regardless of what faction you are in. I am definitely disappointed.

So what single target ranged attack should a Ranged tank be using? Is there another class without a single target channeled attack?

My Shadow has a channeled single target damage ability, my Guardian has a channeled single target damage ability, My Vanguard does not. If you are going to take it away from one, why not all three? What is wrong? PVP players don't know their toon enough to be able to use interrupts or break line of sight?

I have been vanguard tanking since before launch. While it is true that a tank's primary job in a group is not to do damage, but to grab the attention of the mobs and keep them focused on the tank. The Vanguard Tank is a "ranged tank" with no ranged single target damage ability, other than hammer shot, how is that ranged? Why does everyone but me have a channeled ability? I don't see anyone taking ravage from my Sith Juggernaut or Master Strike from my Guardian. What happened a bunch of wimp PVP players that don't know how to play their toons not understand the concept of breaking LOS? I am not always in a group. I sometimes have to do damage to a single target. My Storm does have a cool down, unlike my Guardian's force leap. When I want to play a Melee Tank I play my Guardian. I want my ranged tank to have ranged abilities, is that really so hard to comprehend?

If you play a tank right, even in an OP, you only need to hit your taunt rarely, usually because a DPS doesn't understand threat dump or because of an op mechanic.

12x XP is the worst thing this game has ever done. We already had people that couldn't play their class. 12XP comes along and group finder has been fragged ever since. Gear? What is that? What do you mean I have to actually know how to play my toon, I am Level 60. Bad idea, should be relegated to the ash heap of history, where it belongs. I don't care how many toons you already have or if you are a sub or not, it is about playing the toon you are on. Double XP with a boost running is bad enough already.