From what I understand (now) the new gear for solo players which comes from conquest rewards will be inferior to the current BiS gear in damage/heal output, but you'll have more hit points... so that's more survivability. Also high level companions (affection) make life a LOT easier. I recommend rank 50 companions purely because they make all the difference. Oh and fyi: I have multiple mental issues among which two personality disorders. Last year I got diagnosed with brain cancer, had my tumour removed and got epilepsy as a result from the operation. I also lost strength in my left arm due to the operation I and have difficulty with the fine motor skills. So whenever I get more tired than I already am my left arm loses strength again and I can't really do anything with it as far as fine motor skills are concerned. Between the anti-epilepsy meds, the operation and being constantly tired I'm just glad that I can game at all but not the harder content that I used to do, so I'm effectively a solo player now.

I agree with the general sentiment of your post, but I was also mistaken about this last part. Apparently the gear that comes from conquest rewards is the gear that is meant for solo players. It's top rating at release with 7.0 is 328. What I didn't realize (and I was corrected on that) is that level sync also will change and because of that the 328 gear will be worse in below level 80 content (where most of the solo content takes place) than the current optimized 306 gear. I'm sure it'll be good enough to play with since optimized 306 gear is overkill for solo content, but I would consider this to be a mistake if it goes on the live servers like this. I mean progressing through gear levels that are worse than what we have now, doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Well so are your comments. Of course when I made the comment about the entitlement, I wasn't aware yet of the level sync being changed in 7.0. The thing is though that there is a sense of entitlement. That's been the way for years now by solo players who wanted BiS gear and got it at the cost of progression raiding for raiders. I'm a solo player now but I have no such sense of entitlement because I know that whatever gear I can get will be good enough for the content I will play. What I will say is that I think that BW is making a mistake here. Why because they gave in to the sense of entitlement for years now and suddenly they're turning it around and, as I understand now, with worse gear than what we currently have. Now, I'm sure it will still be good enough for solo content, but it's a bit stark of a difference and that's why I think they're making a mistake with this. So let's hope that by the time it hits the live servers that the base gear for any progression conquest, FP, PvP or Ops is better than the current gear. However, I have a feeling they won't do that because the crafting changes won't come with 7.0 and I suspect that they wanted crafting to stay sort of relevant still until they can get around to that. It's a bad reason but I think that's at least part of the reason. So let me explain just to make it clear what I mean with entitlement: when you feel you deserve the same as other players that actually need that gear to complete harder content. This doesn't extend to how the conquest gear is actually not as good as current gear because of how they do the level sync. The idea is that each type of content would get a progression model, but that for solo players it's actually inferior than current gear is simply bizarre. Again, I'm sure it's good enough but I think they miss their mark with this conquest gear.

I learned indeed that level sync works differently now so I'll accept that I was wrong on that. I'm not telling people to "be happy with the scraps I think they deserve". They will get gear that is plenty good for solo content still. It might do less damage than the 306 gear fully optimized that we have now but that's just now at start and there will be more endurance on there. So that's what BW saw happening in the last couple of years. I mean how much dps do you need in solo content? There is already a sense of overkill especially with our companions being very powerful. Perhaps survivability is the more necessary thing in solo content. What I am saying is that solo players (like me) really don't need the kind of gear that raiders need and if you do want that without doing raids then in my view you're being entitled. Sure I did group content in the past but due to health reasons I haven't been able to do that in recent years. So I'm also saying whatever you think I'm saying to myself.

I wasn't here for a few days so I couldn't find our discussion back so I didn't see your reply there, so my apologies for missing that and calling your comments lies. Regardless, that was bad form of me. I won't need to go to the PTS to believe you. If level sync works differently in 7.0 then all my info is useless on the topic and I don't doubt it is, you've convinced me of my mistake. I do wonder what Chris said in the Discord. Did he give any reasons for conquest gear not being as good as the current top gear? I mean they might've felt that for solo content the issue was not how much damage people do cause that would be more than fine (in their view) but how many hit points people have was a thing so they have more survivability or something like that. I mean clearly with more stats even in level sync this gear would give you a lot more hit points I would think. Not what you want for group content but that would be the point cause group content has its own gear.

Well, that's sad indeed but it's sort of water under the bridge. Like class stories that are the best and unique selling point of SWTOR they've changed so many things back and forth in gearing that they can only really change the gearing within that same format because anything else would cost too much. They're taking away the set bonuses from armor altogether and are sticking them on legendary implants. It's yet another simplification that makes it better for them, but then trying to maintain 50 sets with different bonuses of which only a handful were actually good wasn't a good idea either. This game was dubbed WoW in space from the start. I think that hasn't changed too much over the years. Though they did copy some stuff from GW2 here and there.

Ahh thx for that. Either it's true that they wanted to use crafting for the celebration or the celebration is being used to postpone the crafting changes. And either way I suspect that this means that major crafting changes are coming next year because otherwise they would've done it right at 7.0. It's disappointing that it's not on release but the crafting changes will come, I'm sure of that. Instead of this I guess we'll be able to use crafting for whatever they've got planned for the celebration.

You're right, but they must've seen FFXIV already growing and growing and it's the most popular MMO next to WoW. It might even be on the way of passing the current subs of WoW. And what does that game have that this one doesn't? Meaningful group content for one. So the WoW exodus probably only strengthened their resolve

Deleted for a mistake on my part.

There was no conquest at launch so these are not "vestiges" the game started with. Conquest came with 2.9 in August of 2014, so almost 3 years after the game released. I fear you're given to hyperbole. I for one am looking forward to these changes, though I haven't seen anything official on crafting yet so I would be obliged if you could tell me the source for your complaints about crafting.

I wonder if these changes have anything to do with the WoW-exodus. Most of these players are going to FFXIV because there they actually have meaningful group content. It can't have gone past the attention of EA/BW that SWTOR has had a sub-par influx from WoW players. I mean there are still some but I bet these changes also serve to entice more ex-WoW players to come here.

How is this not solo friendly? You still get gear plenty good enough for doing solo content but because you're green with envy you want even better gear that only raiders would need because their content is much harder to do? You're entitled, no matter how you want to shill it.

That's why they allow for upgrading gear in any category. The problem is that people who beat harder challenges should be rewarded for it. It's normal to reward achievements, but also progression gearing is a very enjoyable thing to do. I get that not everybody understands how progression gearing is really rewarding and fun for raid groups but they've failed to replace that with something else and that is why not. Well just because of one fiasco is no reason for such a change. The fiasco would've happened regardless of gear. Also the fact that they use FPs for the main story lines is just a bad idea. That's the real problem in my view.

Well with that stipulation, then yes, though I do wonder what SM FPs will give in that regard.

Right so that's not an argument because we're still at least a month away from release. Well no augments might actually be a good thing, but I had not read this so far. When did they say this? Well, crafting is about a lot more than just augments. It'll be interesting to see but there will be a market for crafted gear I would imagine, especially if the optimization would be better. We'll see indeed. I expect we'll see something about crafting yet

Which might be the reason why they will put a stat floor and ceiling in PvP in 7.0

They're not though. You just think they are and that belief is a self-fulfilling prophecy. All you need to do is to not feel entitled to BiS gear and poof, this feeling of being forced disappears entirely. In the end, you will get gear that is plenty good for what content you will be playing. Just adjust your goals to the max level gear you can get in the content you play and you'll be fine.

Well your wife can be at ease. There will be a stat floor and ceiling in PvP so even if raiders have better gear it won't matter in PvP because of the stat cap. And well, if you want BiS gear for solo players...they tried it and it failed apparently so then I say, well, this is not the game for you. I'm in the same boat as you mind you. I used to raid the highest difficulty content but can't anymore for health reasons. I might still do SM Ops but that's where it ends and I'm mostly a solo player now. I just don't feel this entitlement for BiS gear. I'll see what content I can do and then base my goals on the max gear I can achieve in that. The gear will easily be good enough for that content. /shrug

Based on what info? I'm genuinely curious or is it based on the fact that they haven't said anything yet about crafting and therefore you assume the worst?

Don't act like optimization is really relevant for people playing casual PvE. That's what conquest gear is for I would imagine. There is enough mastery extra to make up for having essentially the same amount of power. Currently there are hard caps on endurance and mastery in level sync and a fixed amount of power. So it doesn't make a difference how much power your gear actually has. Well perhaps you should read the blog better. It states there: PvP Warzones and Arenas will feature both a statistical floor and ceiling. This allows a wide range of participants to join, gives a clear gearing and upgrade path exclusively through PvP activities if desired, and will stat cap anyone joining with higher rated gear than allowed So there's your answer. Even if raid gear can be optimized better this statistical ceiling will take care of that difference.

Well FPs and Operations seem to drop them as well according to their blog and not just the weekly ones. And I imagine crafting up to a certain point will as well. And although I'm personally not going to be able to get BiS gear anymore because of health reasons, I do appreciate that they're going to reward beating harder challenges again. For the content I will play (if I'm going to stick around that is) I don't need BiS gear so I'll go for whatever is max for the content I'll be playing. I have no issue with that. Also the fact that they're removing amplifiers is a big deal to me and the fact that they're removing a lot of the RNG altogether is a good thing to me. That's not true. From their blog on itemization: Flashpoints will continue to drop crafting materials and vanity rewards, as they do today. In addition to these, Flashpoints will also drop upgrade currency or gear that can be disassembled into upgrade currency. Players can trade the following to upgrade gear: Flashpoint upgrade currency, daily/heroic currency, conquest currency, credits, and a piece of gear they choose to be upgraded. So there will be various currencies, not just credits. I suggest you read this blog with great care https://www.swtor.com/info/news/article/20211102

There is an inconsistency in this argument. For example, dps have too many dcd's as you say. I can get behind that. But even tanks have to reduce their dcd's to pretty much to the same degree. And jugg tanks or skanks can do higher dps perhaps but not like other dps. They don't have all the dps abilities after all and some defensive stats are in order. So this sounds more like a pvp issue and that's a very small segment of the game to make such a general statement. I mean If it were true people playing raids/ops would be all over it with the survivability of a tank and the same dps, they do have skanks fill the role of a tank sometimes but not as dps. All that needs to be done is to disallow DPS gear for tanks and boom the DPS issue is gone. They have different coloured mods anyways and the set bonuses can also be marked for dps or tanks. I think that DPS having less survivability might be a good thing but then it would increase the need for tanks and there is a problem with that: not many players like to play tanks and this is exacerbated by the fact that you don't need tanks in most content so the current generation of players isn't used to tanking mostly. And now that tanks will have less survivability as well I'm really not sure what their overall goal is. You see, the problems you describe can be partly resolved with ability pruning but there are a lot of abilities that don't get pruned that people don't use a lot and a number of them where you go, but why? I mean tanks losing so many dcd's is one of those. Why would they need to pick between 3 dcd's that they all have now? And keep in mind that DPS get this reduction as well. Why not just reduce 3 to 2 and be done with it. Those choices are fake choices anyway. People will figure out which one is best and that's the end of that choice. And a lot of these issues come from other areas like content being made a lot easier and pvp being chronically imbalanced and they try to do both in one go, but I don't think this will work without addressing other issues. One upside though, it could make leveling content more challenging...nah, they won't do that. They'll make sure it doesn't.

Maybe this still works? https://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=871077

ahh, another armchair developer.

Well that's not really ironic though. Different strokes for different folks and all