Thank you for pming the Devs!! I think this thread has such good points for the Devs to review, and as everyone is talking about, it’s realistic. It respects all of the companions and players while not forcing choices on anyone Also, I really love the idea of wedding DLC or something like Treek had. I really miss talking to my companions close up. It was always fun and sweet I think fans of Lana or Theron or Koth would like to have that too as they never really got to have those deep talks! One last thing I would like to add is I have always wanted a wedding dress/tuxedo for this game! The majority of MMOs have this in their cash store, and I have always wanted one for this game!! Ala Vader’s wife Padmé Amidala or something. I think it would do the game well for the Cartel Market to add some items for companion lovers Not just story, but items and outfits that would add to the fun!!!

Great thread! Teamwork makes the dream work I agree with the points made by the OP of this thread!!! You should be able to keep romancing Lana and Theron or whomever if you want too. I do think EVERYONE (yes, including Lana ) should be killable with the caveat that once companions are killed for those who chose to not kill them they still need to pop up with romance and more story. People have mentioned what happened to old companion type stories? Lots of people like the intimacy of those quests. Different people like different things; for example, my favorite romance is Doc. Yes, that’s right! With the way things are going I expect to either not get him, or find him lying in a ditch somewhere addicted to some stimpack he created with only a kill option. That’s great that everyone but me and like two other people hate him, but I love him. (What can I say? I love compliments ) So I get loving Lana or whomever, I really do. Honestly, the fact that once a companion is killed off they don’t do anything just shows the story is NOT driven by the players. Use the old companions to lead the new story! As others have said it’s been like 5 years with Lana and Theron. I really need a break from them. What other MMO has the same two people being the main focus (because Darth Vader knows it’s not MY character) of every expansion?! That in itself is ridiculous! I romanced Theron and love him, and I STILL feel this way!! Expansions are supposed to be fun and new, but we just get that same old thing! I have supported this game since launch, and I feel that the player base gets ignored on big issues. The writers wanted the outlander, not the players. We wanted more attention, heck just SOME attention for our companions, but now it’s like Danganronpa for them!! I feel like the only part of the story we control is hitting the kill button, but other than muting that companion forever, it is still a paint by the numbers story. I cannot stress enough how badly the companions have been handled and how disappointed I am with this matter. It’s not hard to respect the companions. For example, my juggy hates Quinn, but I also have an alt who forgave him. I want my alt to still be able to romance him. I don’t like where the story is going and who is in it anymore. If the player base was listened too, this could change. Like OP said, let us choose who we take around for questing. I am fine with Lana and Theron living for those who want it, (as I love Theron, and I know Lana has a big fan base aka the writers I kid! I kid!!) but I really can’t take them driving the plot anymore. Allow them side quest, like the old companions have and let them grow that way. Let Kira (when we get her) or Jessa or whomever lead us. I want change. Or has this game really become Lana and Theron Wars with special guest my character?!

What are some plans for the next expansion to be more like a traditional MMO? I read Keith’s producer letter, and I really appreciate the vigor behind it, but having read through this thread, I think I and a lot of other players would like more definitive answers. I enjoyed the last two expansions’ stories, and Bioware is truly talented with writing stories that always move me That said, something really bothered me when I was playing the last two expansions: why was the play button added and open world exploration dropped? SWTOR is a MMO, not a visual novel, which is the vibe of the last two expansions. I really think it was a mistake for the long-term health of the game. I would like an open discussion about what more traditional MMO aspects will be added to SWTOR. New planets we can explore with side quests, dailys, flashpoints and raids. All of these areas need new content and features, along with adjustments to current content to make them more appealing to players. Flashpoints should have more incentives for doing them. I also think raids should have progression within each tier. If all the raids are the “same” difficulty at each tier, all of the raids will not be played. As a subscriber since launch, I would like more detailed reassurance that this game will be treated like an MMO as it moves forward. What are some clothing items that can be added to SWTOR to give it that cosmic Star Wars feel? First, I want to say that there are some outfits in SWTOR that I just love. Like Vaylin’s first outfit was so beautiful, with dark nail polish that my characters (and many other players) crave still to this day! I think the talent of the graphic artists at Bioware is amazing. Something I have noticed though in the last couple of packs is that almost all the outfits cover the character head to toe!! I used to generally buy one hypercrate when new packs came out but, honestly, I haven’t had any interest for months due to this unrealistic direction the clothing in the packs have taken. Bioware is big on diversity, and I think clothing should be no exception. There should be beautiful, ugly, pretty, scary, cool, sexy, cute, handsome, and frigid outfits. Not every character in the whole Star Wars universe would be completely covered! Rey shows her shoulders off in her cool outfit Also, far too often the fashion has very similar pieces; for example, many of the outfits have a long sleeve shirt with a t-shirt over it. I would like just a long sleeve shirt sometimes. There should be more variety as your player base is very diverse!! I would also like a wedding dress ala Padme Amidala. I know other players have very particular Jedi and Sith robes they want! Yes, the fashion in SWTOR has moved on from the Shredder shoulder pads I had to wear as a corruption Sorcerer back in the day but I think it could move even more forward! Most importantly, there needs to be diversity in cut of the clothing. Could a discussion take place where we as a player base get more insight into the what Devs plans are to expand the fashion of Star Wars so that it feels truer to the IP?

Personally, I had a lot of fun playing KotFE and KotET. I think Bioware does such a great job with character writing, and these last two expansions were no exception. I think the writers did an amazing job with Arcann and Vaylin, making me really care about both of them. I still do in fact! Is it possible for Vaylin to come back as a companion? I still view her as being stuck in my head! Reading the datapads, my heart really went out to her. She was greatly abused, and I would like to see her atone for her actions. I mean, we already lost Marr and Malgus, so it seems like we lose too many villains. Inclusion should also include villains The class stories are all about your character’s POV, where the last two expansions really took a step away from that in my opinion. Showing the Valkorians alone and scheming was a new story telling element not used in this game before, and from reading peoples’ comments, I think it was jarring for some people. As some have stated previously, by choosing this method of storytelling it removes a lot of the mystery from the villain and makes the game feel more disconnected from the class stories. I guess moving forward I would advocate going back to how the class story handled villains and allowing new characters to grow through our interactions with them. A lot of people said they felt like they were watching a movie, and while I enjoyed the story, I do think our character does not interact enough with the story going on around them. When I think of Bioware I think of the choice wheel as your symbol, use it!! While I enjoyed the big scope of the story, I didn’t like the monolithic aspect of the Outlander. I miss the clash between the Republic and Empire. I hope in the future we can get two stories again, and it really adds to the replay value. Also, I love the two sides of the Force. To me it came off hollow when ghost Marr was telling me about how the third option of the Force is awesome. His explanation really made my light side Sorcerer see the true power of the Dark Side I know the middle or third option was always there, (my boyfriend always plays that way), but I felt Marr was trying to push it onto my character. Let the third side exist sure, but I don’t feel it should be treated as the only option or better than the light or dark side of the Force. Another aspect of the expansion I would like to touch on is Theron and Lana. I think they are both well fleshed out characters, but they have been my tour guides for years now. I really need them to resign! As others have stated in this thread, I would like a new direction with some new faces being game changers or perhaps returning companions. Change is a good thing, and I think it is way past time for Theron and Lana to move to the background. For the next expansion, I really would like new planets where we can drive our mounts on and explore. Others have mentioned this, and I fully agree I miss walking around! And yes, I am typing this as I sit here with my legs propped up. I did not enjoy having my character walk one foot then… BAM! Story starts. I want to be in control of that. I like looking at my inventory and crafting. Also, I miss questing with my boyfriend doing side missions, and watching him die trying to get to the quest point through the quickest route possible. I didn’t get to explore the last two expansions with him, and I miss that. One final thought for the time being-I loved the bonus chapter. For me, it was laugh out loud funny. ZO-OM is so funny and sweet. I feel like we don’t get a lot of bubbly characters, so it was a real treat to meet her! Others have said they would like a chapter like that for Marr, and I agree! Or dare I hope Malgus who is still alive?!! Come on, villains need some love with the storytelling I think; the whole dying thing has been done so many times! It boggles my mind that the Empire has lost so many amazing heroes when Satele Shan is still lumbering around

I think it’s obvious that both the player base and the Devs are very passionate about this game. Which, if I remember my Sith code right, is a good thing. I think this thread is a good idea as both Devs and players should feel respected. Inclusion is a big part of Bioware, and inclusion of diverse ideas will only make this game that we all love so much better. The forum community is full of people from all different walks of life who all have something to offer…ideally Thank you for the improved communication, Keith! As they say, anything worthwhile having requires work, and I can tell as a long time lurker that just having you and Charles talk to us more on the forums that people seem more engaged. Eric has been with us on the forums forever and it’s great that he is posting more too, as I enjoy his unrelenting obsession with Kai Zykken. My suggestion to help improve communication would be to have more posts like the ones Eric and company have done in the past about their favorite memory from the game going live, etc. lighthearted but meaningful thread ideas. I think threads like that offer the community something fun to talk about together and allow us all to get to know each other better. I think it also allowed positivity, which is important because the forums can become toxic without some kind of structure. That’s not to say I don’t welcome open discourse with a variety of opinions, but I think the forums also sometimes need some sunshine from the Devs too I am really excited about where the game is headed thanks to you guys making the player base feel more involved. I have been with the game since launch and have never talked on the forums, but I felt really inspired seeing Charles, Keith, and Eric communicating more. Please keep doing it! Would one of the graphic artists Devs ever be willing to talk to the forum? I would love to hear what goes into designing outfits, mounts, and other things for this game!! I also always enjoyed watching the streams and feeling part of the community; are those coming back anytime soon? If so, will the fireplace background be replaced by a beach theme?