The primary flaw in the old system was that there were eight or nine possible combinations of stats, but only one or two were truly desirable from that tree. For me - as a dedicated crafter - it was incredibly frustrating to get the completely worthless schematics: i.e. a tank ear piece with alacrity or a healer implant with shield rating, etc. The secondary problem was the RE chance back then. It was 20% or 10% so one could spend a ton of time and credits crafting lower level stuff to try to get the one schematic they want and feel like they'll never get it. Sure, it was beneficial for those of us that got that one desirable schematic quickly, but let's be honest that initial benefit did not last; eventually a majority of crafters got that one great schematic, supply rose, demand dropped, and value dropped. I think what you want is something that SWTOR simply does not offer: a way for a crafter to be unique; to be that ONE crafter (or one of a extremely limited set) that can provide the galaxy with that ONE item "everyone" wants. That's just not how SWTOR's crafting system works. Even bringing back the old system won't sate that craving.

Would not surprise me if the ratios presented on the PTS stick around. They REALLY do not want players using scrap to buy their way to the crafting skill cap. In expansions past, top grade materials were not even available for jawa scrap at new tier launch. If they are available at all at 6.0 launch, they will be expensive to deter mass purchase. Then at some point in the life cycle of the expansion the cost will come down. The 1 scrap per level thing is new, and that is probably due to the overabundance of the jawa "currencies".

I am a person who was a subscriber since day 1, who finally ended their sub in June 2018 (honestly, stopped playing in April 2018). When I heard about the expansion I made the decision to re-sub for the expansion and here I am. I do not think this game has improved much at all. I think it has the same problems it has had for several years now. First let me say though that I completely accept the one-story-for-all model. I know that to maintain 8 stories was impossible; if they tried we'd probably still be in the RotHC era. That said, It's been two full years since the last expansion, with a drip of new content throughout. GC at 5.0 launch was a factor in the mass exodus, but not the sole problem. They expect us to play through the same content 50 times over and like it. They tout "choices that matter" that in the end don't. The F2P/sub model has too many limits/punishments on the former instead of enticements/rewards on the latter. Chances are that my 60 day sub will come and go, during which time I will do the story a few times and maybe raid a little, and then I will go back to preferred status and play the story on alts until the next big expansion...probably two years from now. EA/Bioware will get $30 from me and no more.

As others have suggested go to Dulfy: http://dulfy.net/2017/02/05/swtor-5-0-arsenal-mercenary-pve-guide-by-sabz/ Arsenal is the easier of the two merc dps specs. Innovative Ordinance does more damage but is significantly more challenging to get the rotation right (and there is no guide on Dulfy for it or it's commando mirror)

How about... No. #1 the story as is is not as bad as you think. Go into it with the right attitude and it plays very well. #2 more technical...BW will NEVER rewrite ANY story in this game. So why even bother trying to suggest it.

While I do agree that they should not have skipped grade 8, and yes one of the rationales behind the system was for us to utilize older materials, strongholds and prefabs schematics came out when grade 7 (after RotHC but before SOR) was the top of the line; so there is precedent for prefabs requiring the use of top end materials. Heck, when it launched they "skipped" (as in did not include at all) grade 1 mats.

This. And let's be honest, it's the "whales" that do buy the CCs to purchase these items that help this game along, 5500cc is $40...nearly three months of subbing. Also have you checked GTN pricing of said lightsaber. Sure it might be 150 million credits, but all that takes is time to acquire.

The problem is that there is zero incentive to do MM FPs. But this is not a "limited to 5.x problem" at launch and through 3.x FPs were a gateway to Ops; you had to run FPs to get some gear drops or at worst comms/crystals to buy gear so you could participate in Ops (if you wanted to). 4.x was the beginning of the end for that paradigm; when HM EV and HM KP dropped 12 of 14 BiS gear pieces (when they were the "priority operation"), any idiot could be carried through those Ops and geared up (heck I remember in my guild, some events we did offered prizes where the leadership would get the winner a character full set 224 by carrying that character). 4.x did have other incentives like decos and character specific achievements. So there was still some interest in participation. Then 5.x hit and now any content could produce BiS gear given enough time. The ROI of running MM FPs became nil; why run a MM FP where failure is a possibility, when I can run three VM FPs and get more CXP in the same time frame? And they all but removed the decos (still a chance but EXTREMELY small), and made achievements legacy wide. But even with all that, there is another problem that has been since launch: at the end of a given content cycle's life, a player has gotten all they can from FPs, so the only reason to do them is because they feel like it. Even in 1.x 2.x and 3.x there came a point where we would be "converting" comms/crystals into credits (buying an item, waiting for it to bind, then selling it for credits), because we all already had the best available, so even then there was no reason to run MM FPs unless we felt like it. My point is, that what you are experiencing is not limited to 5.x. Incentive to participate in any aspect of play becomes moot at the end of a content's life cycle. When 6.0 hits, there will be a bump in participation in all aspects of play...including MM FPs.

1. I think respondents are misinterpreting your question. To put more clearly: why is item X posted at 10m when there are a dozen other postings of item X at 10k? While those who have responded are correct in what they have said, there is another possibility: "gold sellers"; people (or enterprises) that sell in game currency for real life money; one method of exchange is the buyer posts something on the GTN that the "gold seller" buys. 2. it all depends on what you want. If you would like to use the nexu as your companion then maybe you should use the unlock, if you like the decoration and feel it would be a good fit in one of your strongholds then keep. If not, then sell them.

The problem is that one should not HAVE to read the books to get that better understanding. And this coming from someone that has read the books. How would the MCU have gone over if viewers HAD to read the comics to better understand the situations they were put into? Just my opinion, but I think Rian Johnson saw all the "fan theories" spring up from TFA and basically said to the audience what Luke said to Rey and Kylo: "Everything you said...is wrong." I think we can all agree that TFA was greatly influence by homage to ANH. Obviously, Rian Johnson and Disney did not want TLJ to be an homage to ESB, and IMO if all the fan theories had been proven correct, it would have been. So they went a different way. But TLJ did need to be ESB-esque in that the Resistance had to fall down. Like all good "hero's journey" stories, the hero at some point...loses. So much so that an average person would simply give up. But the hero and those around them push through those failures to eventual success. Getting back on topic... Like all MMOs that are not WoW (WoW is the exception), SWTOR is dying. However, the IP alone will keep it on life support for a very long time. It may very well go into true "maintenance mode" (lights are still on but no new content at all), or (IMO more likely) the content stream will hit a plateau, much slower than what most players can accept, but fast enough to get regular bumps in revenue so that the lights stay on AND the dev team continues to exist. That said, it may not be BW Austin as the dev team. If Anthem fails, BW Austin is shutting down. If Anthem succeeds then more resources will go to Anthem.

SteveTheCynic is absolutely correct. Game engines are toolboxes that allow building games in a certain way, and you cannot just change toolboxes. (this is an over simplified example but) It would be like trying to work on a car that has imperial measurement (inches) nuts and bolts and using metric (millimeter) tools. Sure the metric toolbox has wrenches and sockets to loosen and tighten nuts and bolts, but none of them fit the nuts and bolts in the car. The only way to get the metric toolbox you work on the car would be to replace all the Imperial measurement parts with metric measurement parts; dismantle and re-assemble the car. A video game built with a particular engine is stuck with that engine unless it is completely "disassembled and re-assembled." SOE sort of did this with EQ1 and EQ2; separate games different engines. FF14 had this done to it: the game launched, had all sorts of problems, it was shut down quickly, rebuilt, and relaunched. Would you be OK with EA/BW shutting SWTOR down for a couple of years while they rebuild the game with a new engine (the FF14 model)? Would you be OK with EA/BW developing a completely new game with a new engine that would not accept existing SWTOR characters (EQ1/EQ2 model)?

Four comments: #1 there is only one companion that will EVER leave you for making choices they don't agree with . No matter how much any other companion "disapproves" of your choices they will not leave you. #2 different companions approve of different things. Granted you do not know a companion's leanings until you get to know them better (and some might even surprise you; ), but once you learn which companion is best aligned to your way of thinking, just use that companion. #3 When "affection" became "influence" they changed how the numbers work. With affection, a companion not liking a choice you made negatively impacted your affection with the companion; your rating went down. With influence, rating ALWAYS goes up, just not as much when a companion "approves". So a companion can disapprove all day long and you still gain influence with the companion. #4 gifts are a cure all. Companion gifts are the best way to get a companion's influence rating higher. My overall point is, you really need to break that habit . Choose a personality for your character and make conversation choices based on that personality. So what if a companion "disapproves" or the conversation does not go the way you thought it would; in my opinion that is what makes these stories memorable, the unexpected twists and turns. The ONLY time I use the escape key is when I accidentally make the choice I know I don't want (premature clicking or fat fingering a number key). I get what you are saying but there are legitimate reasons for this difference. The Jedi being knighted right away is explained in the intro: they are on Tython for their final trials. You are an adult (probably in your mid 20s to early 30s), you've been trained your whole life. Tython is the end of apprenticeship. On the other hand, Korriban is just the final crucible in a long line of crucibles. Prospective Sith are not trained, they are thrown to the wolves. Only if you survive are you sent to Korriban where a Sith Lord or Darth chooses you to be their apprentice, and only then does your "training" begin. Also a Jedi does not have to kill their master to be "knighted", where Sith typically do. So for the Sith it is more like "you will always be an apprentice until you find the right moment to betray your master. only then will you be made a Sith Lord" (which happens at the end of chapter 1 )

I have played through all eight stories at least once, most twice. I liked them all...for what they were. Many will say that the agent story is the best of the bunch, and I do agree (it was the only story I really wanted to play again right away, although I didn't). So I think part of your problem is that you've experienced the best there is and everything else does not match up. However, IMO it is also a matter of perspective and setting the tone. The Republic stories do tend to lend themselves toward LS choices, and if playing a "goody goody" is not your thing then you will have issues with all the Republic stories. So as someone else suggested play more neutral or DS and you may get more enjoyment. That said, none of the stories (imp or pub) are all that great if you go full LS or full DS (there are a lot of choices that are utterly moronic). What you need is a bit of a backstory for any character that helps define their personality and then make conversation choices based on that personality; turn off the LS/DS indicators and use the number keys to choose responses rather than seeing what the LS and DS (and maybe neutral) choice would be by mousing over the options. Get into the character more.

There is no official trade forum here; there is no message board for hawking wares, and I would not advise doing so on random forums as it could construed as spam. Most who want to sell stuff just post it on the GTN. If you are trying to craft something and trade it for materials, fleet is the most common place for that. If you are looking for someone to craft something for you, then your best bets on these forums are the Server forums (specifically the server that you play on), or the Crew Skills forum. Alternatively, in game you can ask on fleet. You can also find what you want on the GTN and attempt to chat up one of the sellers (via /whisper) and ask to craft something for you (least likely to be successful as most players dislike random /whispers from strangers).

You missed the point. whether overbolstering to 252 or downbolstering to 220, you remove the "carrot". And IMO a carrot is needed if for nothing else than to encourage participation. Without a carrot, PvP would most likely only be "dedicated PvPers" As for alternative "carrots" I like the idea, but my fear is that they would just end up on the CM eventually. Think back to the original rancor mount...it was PvP only. But the population made enough of a stink that CM rancor mounts became a thing. Granted not identical to the ranked PvP rancor mount, but if someone broke out that season 1 rancor mount to show off, no one would care.

While I agree with your sentiment I disagree with your assumption and implementation. In my long experience in MMOs and gaming in general ALL players want some sort of progression; they want a carrot to chase. Sure, PvPers "need" that carrot less than PvEers but they still want the carrot. But I do agree that gearing in PvP is making for a large portion of the imbalance, therefore my suggestion would be to set the bolster to be the "second best" rating not above "the best" Right now that would mean 246. The difference between 246 and 248 is minimal but it would be enough of a carrot to chase.

All true. Basically any companion that returns through the alliance alert system needs to be influence rank 10 to be able to bypass the recruitment mission. But the system gives you the option. Depending on the companion and the recruitment mission, you can choose to "order" the companion to rejoin you, or you can go through the motions of recruitment anyway. For example if you enjoy PvP you might want to do the 20 WZs mission required to recruit M14X or Pierce; or maybe you already have all the materials for Lokin so scrounging them up is not a big deal; or maybe your guild is going to do a bunch of world bosses and so Qyzen will be appeased, etc.

A hypothesis I have been thinking about regarding this... We've never seen nor read about a character in Star Wars dying of old age...other than Yoda. What if Yoda, and Yaddle, and Oteg are just very old humanoids? There is nothing that I am aware of in lore that specifies how long any species live in the Galaxy far far away. We assume they live roughly as long as we do, but what if we are wrong? What if in Star Wars, humanoids, are simply EXTREMELY long lived and a function of aging is shrinking/compressing. Heck it could be a function of the Force; all three examples are Jedi. So long as they are not "killed", Jedi can live to be 900 years. Just a hypothesis that popped into my head a few years ago.

At this point in time the question becomes what do "we" want more: playable content or playable species? Limited resources (specifically man power and money) necessitates these sorts of choices. I don't like it anymore than anyone else, but it is a fact. No amount of pleading, complaining, whining, ************, etc is going to change it. EA is not going to invest in this game any more than it has to. That said... Three rules: MUST speak basic MUST be human size MUST have roughly human facial features Wookies and Trandoshans definitely break two of those rules and trandoshans break the third. Sorry not gonna happen. And the facial features rule is not just about the "kissy parts"; the face of a playable species has to fit on the "skeleton" so that the lips move "properly" when dialogue is happening. A Rodians snout would just sit there; chin and cheeks would be moving and dialogue would come out, but the snout would not move. Heck there might even be significant clipping problems; the snout floating in space. The height requirement is for cut scenes as well. NPCs would be talking into a wookie's/trandoshan's chest and over the heads of species like jawas, ewoks, and "yoda species". Furthermore, in some scenes a taller species' head would be above the frame and a smaller species would be below the frame. The speak basic requirement is also about dialogue and using the existing VA and wireframe to portray the player character. It is NOT as simple as replacing that dialogue with different speech; that is unless you are OK with the "foreign language" not being in sync with the mouth movements of your character. It would be like watching a dubbed movie. While I would like to see them introduce more playable species (I have no personal favorite), I have accepted the fact that the chances of getting any new species is slim to none.

I loved the first chapter, chapter 2 was more of the same, but after that it felt like the BH was more like an "imperial trooper" than a true "bounty hunter" Chapter 3 of the original class story, RotHC expansion, SoR expansion, and even the first chapter of KotFE, you are doing what the Empire tells you to do. It is only after you have been frozen in carbonite for five years, that you can finally break free of that yoke, only to have another put on you: "commander of the alliance" and/or "Emperor"; after class story chapter 2 there is no more "bounty hunting".

This.

While you are correct, check the date of the thread...last post was over a year ago.

According to wookieepedia http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Adegan_crystal and http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kyber_crystal. The short version is that... Adegan crystals come from the Adega system. While there are other star systems where force users can acquire focusing crystals for their lightsabers - like Ilum - Adegan crystals are special. However, the phrase "adegan crystal" is often used as the name for ALL focusing crystals, even though not all crystals are Adegan crystals. This is akin to real world brand naming for generic items. When someone has a headache or other pain they ask for Tylenol or Advil not Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. When someone has to blow their nose they sometimes ask for a "Kleenex", they are not asking for the specific brand of facial tissue, they are just asking for facial tissue. So in the Ilum story when they are talking about "Adegan Crystals" on Ilum there are a few possibilities: #1 - like someone asking for Advil, the NPCs are using the "brand" "Adegan crystals" like Tylenol to represent all lightsaber crystals #2 - they may have encountered deposits of focusing crystals on Ilum that are indeed special like the focusing crystals from the Adega system. However the most likely answer is... #3 - BW (randomly) decided that Adegan Crystals are the ancient form of Kyber Crystals; that 3500 to 3000 year BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) Jedi and Sith used Adegan Crystals. And then later at some point before the PT, the Jedi discovered "Kyber Crystals" and started using them because they are more abundant than Adegan crystals. From a game mechanics standpoint... At launch there were far fewer variations of color and they would have different stats. However, this lead to "problems with lore and immersion"; too often (while leveling) a color crystal with "better stats" would drop but it would be an "undesirable" color; e.g. a Jedi would get a red crystal with "better stats" than the green crystal they were using, from a game mechanics perspective it was beneficial to use that red crystal but a LS Jedi running around with a red lighsaber was "weird". or vice versa: a sith would get a blue/green crystal that was "better stats" than the red they wanted to use. I vividly remember my LS5 JK Guardian (tank spec) using a Red endurance crystal and Scourge having a Blue power crystal, and I laughed my ***** off So with one of the expansions - I forget which one - BW made the decision that all "color crystals" for weapons would all have +41 to a stat and would only require level 10. Furthermore all weapons come with a generic no stat crystal (so they can function). This allowed the player to choose a color they liked and be able to stick with it; From a game mechanics perspective the "color crystals" for weapons are purely cosmetic; they are not Adegan nor Kyber crystals from lore

In your situation I too would have had a blast running that FP. However, the problem is the statement I highlighted. There are some - but not as many as most would think - that are unwilling to take that kind of time to run a single FP. And it is that segment of the population that want to "get in, get it done, and get out" and will rage quit at the first wipe, or auto quit because the random FP they got is "too long" that ruins the experience for the rest of the group. We all know why tactical/veteran mode FPs were introduced (just in case someone does not know... there have been and always will an overabundance of DPS and a shortage of tanks and healers), but IMO it was the incorrect choice. What BW should have done was kept the trinity, but encourage players to queue in underrepresented roles; give players incentive to queue as tank or healer instead of DPS. Blizzard did it with WoW to eventual great success. And all they had to do was offer the chance at rare items and players jumped at it. Most of the time the "reward" for queuing and completing a dungeon in an underrepresented role amounts to little more than crafting materials and/or some potions and the like. But there was always the chance to get something special: a mount or a pet. Sure, initially there were players who were not suited to tanking and healing queuing in those roles, but they were few, most (who I grouped with in that game) found the roles not nearly as bad as they envisioned and some took a real liking to their new "non-DPS" role. And it cut the queue times for DPS in half.

I like this idea : every achievement should unlock a new achievement to reach for. Personally, I could care less. If I get an achievement great, if I don't so be it; I have NEVER sought any achievement in ANY game I have EVER played. I understand why they exist, but I do not fall into that category of player. Most of the players I know are either like me or they want specific achievements for the specific rewards they confer, but only a few actively seek to hit that mystical 100% mark.