The Achiles heel of level-based games is life for non-PvP content really starts at max level. Once instituted, the Dev Team has little incentive to "improve" non bug-related low and mid level content, as characters progress relatively quickly- especially alt toons. It's just the nature of the beast as larger and larger portion of the player base achieve highest levels and BioWare is constantly pressured to come up with new and more entertaining end game content to keep subscribers and their monthly fees.

You mean my $15 a month doesn't entitle me to voice my opinion and to lobby for what I want in the same way you foam at your mouth for yours? This might surprise you, but life doesn't work that way. Here's a clue for you; the best tool in the world is worthless if few people use it. I know it's not fair, but it is what it is. Let's try this again... The Ford Edsel, New Coke, the Chevy Volt, the SWTOR LFG tool. See a pattern? If people don't like something, it doesn't matter if it's the best thing since slice bread, people will shun it. My, we do go on, don't we. Humm... let's see now... if I like features from other MMOs I've played, would I want SWTOR to add them if it makes sense to do so...? Humm... let me see... let me see. This is a for-profit enterprise and their lifeblood is monthly fees from subscribers. If BioWare honestly believes giving every player s Death Star will propel SWTOR to 10 million subscribers, then there'll be 10 million Death Stars. It's fun and games to us, but it's just business to BioWare's major Investors.

By that do you mean min gear with 116 rating?

Nor we for yours.

Agree with OP, set server times would be nice.

Agreed! The so called "community" is fantasy since they associate with their crowd and really aren't affected by the rest of "community."

You do understand you're free to not pick up loot, right...?

You know what, Bud? You pay your $15 bucks a month and you're entitled to play and argue for the style you like. The rest of us also pay $15 bucks a month and guess what?! Our money also entitle us to play and argue for what we want. It may not be what you like, but you just have to suck it up and go with it. Alternatively, don't let the door hit your hindquarters...

Don't worry, cross-server LFG tool will happen and the only variable is time. All the QQ about ninja looting aside, BioWare will make decisions based on sound business and majority preferences. Money is what makes the world go round and round.

Look at the most popular MMO games, and they all have LFG tools. Heck, even SWTOR has a good LFG tool- for PvP. If people hated cross-server LFG UIs, then Developers of MULTIPLE MMOs woulnd't waste a plugged nickel to implament them. By the way, are you against cross-server PvP LFG tools too?

Fine, that's you and you're entitled to your opinion. The vast majority of MMO subscribers either like cross-server or don't reall mind it. The direction of the MMO Industry is to move toward easier grouping and social utilities, not the other way around. It sucks for a small segment of the player community, and that's too bad, but for-profit businesses like BioWare must cater to the paying masses or they go the way of dinosaurs.

I thought I saw a post by one of the Devs saying SWTOR is getting more popular and not less, so how could server populations be smaller...?

11 million subscribers disagree with you.

When I first read your topic title, I thought *oh great, another one of those...,* but after reading your post, I agree with what you said. SWTOR is better served if the game has content for all styles of players, including people that like to accomplish very challenging missions, instances, and raids. Like you, I think the "normal mode" should be designed with the average in mind and tuned to a level where the vast majority of players can do them, but "heroic" should be just that, heroic.

So BioWare was right after all, the lack of a good LFD UI is building a community after all. I bet the Devs didn't count on the community throwing rocks at them instead of roses.

Don't make the mistake of excusing a SERVICE PROVIDER in providing bad serivces. SWTOR's LFG tool is not at all user-friendly, and in today's MMO environment, players simply wouldn't tolerate clunky social UIs. You could call people names if you like, but the onus is on BioWare if they offer features paying customers don't like.

Yes, I've tried to use the LFG function in the Social window of the UI. You list yourself there and you may enter some information and grouping preferences. After listing yourself, you get a purple icon next to your name. You then have one of two choices; either go back to the Social page from time to time and see who else listed themselves on the social ledger (shades of Logan's Run...?), or you could wait around and hope someone sends you a tell and see if and when you want to group. The system is clunky and not at all user-friendly. Compared with all of the popular MMO games of today, SWTOR's LFG tool is right out of the Stone Age. BioWare's *reasoning* for their substandard UI is even more bizzarre: to build community. If we take the Devs at their word, then the game designers purposely made it harder for people to team up and enjoy game content so they would spend more time spamming "LFG Directive 7 FP" to build community...? Just what the heck kind of "community" BioWare expect frustrated players to build?

The so called “community” you dream of is a mirage. I say this because even in a large guild of over 100 people, most don’t regularly speak two sentences with their fellow guild mates. Taking shots at WoW might be fun for fodder, but baseless in the real (business) world. WoW evolved into the system they have today through seven years of trial and error to become the most successful MMO ever. So don’t kid yourself about every other MMO out there wanting to be the next WoW. I’ll bet you dollars to donuts SWTOR Executives would walk over hot coals to have anywhere near 11 million subscribers.

This is one of the most succinct, eloquent, and above all, accurate description of most of the Guilds and Raids I’d ever seen! Also, the total absence of rants and l33t-speech are greatly appreciated. Kudos!

So instead of using it's creative genius to design a decent "flag the a-hole" system in a LFD tool (and yes, no system is perfect and any system could be abused... bla, bla, bla), the Devs give us no LFD tool and called it "community" building? But wait! What about the great queue system in PvP? You mean to tell me those players don't need "community?" Why do they have a LFD tool?

You mean to tell me spamming LFG Red Reaper for 20 to 30 minutes doesn't build "community" in your view?

What's the point of numerous Heroic 4+ if few players do them? Having contents few bother to do is worse than not having them at all.

BioWare said it didn't implament a LFD system for PvE because it wants to "build community." So, it's for the good of the PvE player community. Of course, BioWare doesn't feel the need to build "community" for PvP players, because they have a cross-server LFD utility. So suck it up, PvE players, no-LFD is for your own good.

So BioWare wants the players to build dice-rolling communities...? What am I missing here? Is BioWare coming out with a paper and pencil SWTOR RPG game soon?

You did a bang up job of tooting your own horn. Kudos. So how do you feel about instituting a LFD system? A modicum of logic and reason is appreciated.