As mentioned, you can do class story missions to the exclusion of all else and level at a really fast clip. As an example, I had a Warrior sitting at level 4 on Korriban (since release) and took him out last night. Just doing the class story and a couple of sides along the way (Jedi Doljin, for example), he wound up at 14 when he did the final quest (completely skipping levels 7, 9, and 11). When he got to the fleet, he immediately dinged 15 (almost 16) so that the first crafting trainer he clicked on, dinged him 16. I was at work so didn't have the time/focused attention to do any of my higher leveled alts but I was happy with those results. Of course, I'll probably be in the level 24 range when I get my ship but *shrug* I dunt care.

Oh I love me some Jaxo. I'd want her as a companion. Alternatively, I'd also pay for the ability to murder or maim an existing companion (as possible in beta). With Treek and HK-51 available, the reasons for removing that functionality are mitigated to a large extent. And rash people ("I didn't know it was permanent") deserve what they get but would have the opportunity to at least replace the companion they killed. Heck, I'd pay 10,000 CCs just for the ability to kill Jorgan (as an account wide unlock). I love the Trooper story and, for example, would love to see what happens if I choose , but the first 24 levels are interminable because of the companion. One that you're forced to use on several occasions.

Disney owns the IP. They could have strongly suggested the changes not be made. Marvel also retains veto rights with regard to scripts (Avi Arad's legacy, post first (2003) Hulk debacle) so they could have had a say. This isn't a case of Marvel tossing its properties (the only thing of value they had, post-bankruptcy, since the publishing arm don't make nine/ten figure money) to the highest bidder and letting them do whatever they want. Sony couldn't turn Peter Parker into a playboy (ala Tony Stark) when the entire fanbase knows him as a socially awkward geek who (by his wife's own admission) "hit the jackpot" and married out of his league. Doesn't really matter who's making the movie when another entity owns the subject matter. Marvel allowed the changes to be made and some people will attribute that to Marvel's owner.

Either works for me. It would be even better if it was cross-faction also. Maybe then I'd play Trooper again (I despise Jorgan more than almost any other character in this game. Even more than Quinn but not as much as Skavak). Heck, put Jaxo in there too.

My Sorceror would disagree with you on this. Wholeheartedly. The point of my saying that (and pointing it out) is that what you state is wrong within the context of the game's stories. You're using a real life cliché to illustrate an ingame notion. The dead can do whatever the heck the writers say they can. Quinn could've been killed and reanimated or had his consciousness transferred into a droid body (as someone here has done) or any number of things. And then you have the absurdity that Dalek pointed out where the very next conversation, he's asking you to do him a favor. SAY WHAT? The fact remains, he betrayed the SW and was allowed to live without repercussion, without regard for the player's desires. In the context of a game built on decisions having an impact, that's bad writing. You can hand wave it any number of different ways, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a glaring sore spot in what was a pretty good class story (all things considered).

Doing so would be a bit of a fool's errand since the choices you're presented with don't always convey the tone of what you actually say. There have been many occasions (on all classes) where I've made a choice and then wondered how the hell it correlated with the choice I was given. Then I find out (after ESCing out and retrying) that another choice fit the tone and impact I was looking for. Karkais, I mean no offense but your responses prove that you don't really know what manipulation really is. Married men know what it is (even if they can't name it) because it happens to them almost daily. Anyone in sales or politics knows what manipulation is. It happens every single day in every walk of life. Just because you don't recognize it as such does not mean it's not happening. You don't have to be evil to manipulate people and manipulating people does not in and of itself make you evil. If either of these were the case, then every wife, fiancée, and girlfriend on the planet is textbook evil Sith. When you went to see 'Sex Tape' instead of 'Hercules' because she wanted to see the former (as an example), you got got (so to speak). The old cliché "Happy wife, happy life" is manipulation! It's conditioning you to acquiesce. Inquisitor storyline is one of the best in the game, for better or worse (there are a few really BAD ones). But if you're looking for the stories to somehow directly link up to the various portrayals in the films, you're going to be disappointed.

Main is a Vanguard and I put him on the shelf for a while because the Trooper story is boring and idiotic, in almost equal parts. Apparently, Havoc Squad is the only competent group of soldiers in the entire Republic military. I play my Trooper as a snarky ******** who always does the 'light' thing in the end. The sheer idiocy at the top of the chain of command is mind boggling. Now, I know that not all COs are bursting with operational talent (I'm ex-Navy, I've seen some dumb COs) but Garza is...wow! if Norman Schwarzkopf was as stupid and clueless as she is, we would've wound up surrendering to the Iraqis at the end of the Gulf War. I'm content to let the people in the clean, starched and pressed uniforms play with their army men on the tabletop board while my crew actually gets **** done. I don't like the Smuggler story (up to Chapter 2) because from the very beginning, you're a chump. You let someone steal your ship and then you chase him to get your ship back and then you let him hoodwink you again When you finally corner him, the fight is so anti-climactic, they could've just skipped it and had someone like Rogun kill him offscreen. I think I went through my rotation twice before I heard Corso ("That's right, I got you"). Now that we're getting housing, I think he should drop his head so I can mount it in my crib and spar with it when the mood strikes me. My highest Consular is a Sage at 17 and the whole plague thing is ehhhh. From what I've read, it's a lot of talky talky and much less action than its mirror class. And there aren't any NPCs in it as cool as Zash (but that's the case with most class stories. Besides being the rare body type 4 NPC, Garza is DULL in comparison).

Because "people" don't listen to calm, rational, coherent statements. They also don't respond to them. In order to get responses, you pretty much have to post a ridiculous, over the top statement from a myopic point of view. At least then people (like you) will respond, if only to point out how ridiculous, over the top, and myopic it is.

I don't see how they stole the idea "from us" (or from this game in particular). Is this the first MMO with NPC companions? Or player housing? About the only 'first' I can think of is the companions having unique stories of their own that open up as the player character develops. Actually, the way the feature is initially being described, it seems closer to Star Trek Online's duty officer system than TOR's companions.

Yeah, I don't see this happening, especially not for popular primary colors (Red, White, Black, Blue). What would they put in dye packs or cartel packs? Of course, they could always put the schematics for those colors in there and create a greater demand for the pack as a whole. But I might be overthinking it.

It's a pre-emptive measure. Not that I'm surprised that many of my countrymen have no idea what's going on in their elected bodies, but there's a measure being bandied about by Congress to tax ALL online sales, even for virtual goods. Thus, some companies have begun collecting taxes and sending them to states in advance of being mandated (pre-emptive compliance, I think the term is). Previously, it was a way to take the wind out of the sails of the movement ("Why pass a law when we're doing it already/the status quo is working?"). But now, with some online giants like Amazon on board, the measure has regained its prior momentum so it's likely to pass (probably buried in some other bill). The Senate has already passed it so once the House gets theirs together and the two bills are reconciled, the President can sign it (and he WILL sign it. Sales taxes are low hanging fruit). Previously, retailers only had to charge tax if they had a physical presence in a state (distribution center/warehouse, offices, etc). All companies don't collect sales tax (it's not required). But some do because a few states have become sue-happy over the last few years. A few years ago, Amazon sued my home state (NY) and a few others, to get out of having to collect sales tax when they don't have a physical presence in the state. But apparently, Amazon likes the language in the House's version so they're behind it now. This seems like a CYA measure on the part of EA and other companies collecting the sales tax.

Yes. The fear is that, whereas in the past you wanted a Mara in each group for BT, now that it's raidwide, you can cut the others and just roll with one Mara (replacing the others with, what exactly?). In order for that fear to be valid though, you'd have to have another class that could produce the same/better numbers than the "extra" Marauders.

Maybe she's a tomboy. Or one of those types of women who have tons of male friends but almost no female friends? And to fix it, it has to be acknowledged to be an anomaly. Two years in, I don't think that's the case. If it is a bug, it has enough seniority to be promoted to 'feature'. Cordarn, that still doesn't change the fact that, unlike most (all?) of the other LIs,

Not gonna happen. Bioware has already said that any same sex connections will most likely be with new companions, not the existing ones. There's an eleventy billion page thread on this in another subforum. I don't much mind Ashara, though I would complain about having the ability to turn her. To me, she's what is often erroneously called in pro wrestling, a 'tweener'. She's like the ex of mine who was an avowed atheist but yelled "OH MY GOD" during "the act". Chalk it up to figure of speech but how many people yell "OH MY SANTA CLAUS" (or other fictional beings they don't believe exist)? In my mind, Ashara is a real person. Real people often say one thing and do another. Real people call themselves "hard workers" even though they push paper for a living and are constantly looking for ways to get out of working. Real people are more gray than black or white. Think of how many people can quote scripture and yet act as wicked as you can imagine. That's Ashara! She goes on and on and on about the Jedi Code and Jedi teachings....and then is complicit in murders and massacres. Making it so she officially joins the group associated with those deeds doesn't really matter much. Do you need to be a Crip or a Blood or a Latin King to engage in gang violence? When people think "evil" in SW lore, they often think 'Sith'. When people think "Organized crime", they usually think "the mafia". In both cases, you can be evil or an organized criminal without being part of their iconic organizations. But maybe the best way to do it for Ashara would be adding two missions. One mission in which you turn her and one "fade to black" mission where she goes to Korriban to complete the transformation. Preferably, after the player acquires Xalek (as that could trample on his story).

As an aside, I would pay for the option to mute the ship droids. Yes, I know they were toned down previously but I want the ability to make the bootlickers shut up altogether.

What if I'm not interested in finding it? What is he, a Tootsie Roll pop? Let me explain my thought process. My Trooper, being the absolute best and brightest prospect in the entire Republic Armed Forces, gets assigned to the best squad the Republic has. I could see Jorgan being jealous of that, especially since his field work was woefully limited (the others didn't consider him part of the team, which is why he got 'switchboard operator'/secretarial duties). I don't care if he's redeemable. You see, part of being a successful manager (in any line of work) is knowing how to get the most out of the people below you. Some people respond to the drill sergeant BS by working harder. Others (the so-called 'self starters') will come into conflict with that approach because you can't possibly apply as much pressure on them as they put on themselves. Jorgan sucks as a manager and thus, he finds himself blind to what's going on around him. I think every adult has had a boss at some point of their working lives who was a clueless wonder and was LESS capable at doing the job they're expected to manage others for than many of the people they're managing. The Republic Trooper, by all accounts, is infinitely more capable than Aric Jorgan. By the time it's all said and done, the PC Trooper has a squad full of people who would jump on a grenade for them (NAKED!) while Jorgan's taciturn personality led to him separating from one unit (I don't think his departure from the Deadeyes was amicable) and missing the signs that something was amiss within the team. We're not talking about Risha here, who, while cold initially, never ventures into a-hole territory and actually has a personality (she can quip with the Smuggler). We're talking about a catman with a few decorations who tries to play bully on 'the new guy/girl' and finds himself licking the boots of that new guy/girl not long after. I don't think there's a single companion with as caustic a personality as that chump. Until I got Treek, I swore to never roll another Trooper because it meant spending 24 levels with that idiot. What's funny is, it's been YEARS since I've literally despised an NPC in a game (Vivec in Morrowind), then I play TOR and find two (Skavak & Jorgan).

I'm in the same boat. I even think the Ashara romance is done well (opposites attract/Ashara as the naivete the Inquisitor lost by necessity long ago). I plan to use the double xp weekend to finally get through the Consular story.

The old saying is true: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The rest of the team were really cool (Wraith was kinda cold but that's Wraith), Jorgan was the only a-hole. How's that for a first impression? Garza insists he remain on the team but she didn't say we had to use him in any capacity.

There are a couple of accepted truths in MMOs, from what I've been told (from half a dozen community managers for major titles as well as several designers). One is, the majority of the playerbase never posts on the forums. The second, and most important in some circles (which might be a corollary to the first), is that the vast majority of people who cycle (or 'churn') through your game, will never tell you why they left. They'll ignore exit surveys and just stop paying and playing. So you're left with listening to a subset of players who do communicate (in a manner of speaking) with you. The loudest of those people are the so-called "haters". Then you have the "fanboys" who love to blow (indo) smoke up yer arse. The smallest group are those who will give you solid, detailed feedback that you can sift through and investigate. What I'm saying is, you're advocating listening to a group that often comprises less than 1% of a game's playerbase. City of Heroes players might remember Arcanaville, who was perhaps the best example that comes to mind. Detailed feedback with examples that could be demonstrated ingame (in the case of wonky mechanics). If you're only listening to 1% of your player's feedback, you'd be missing out on HUGE opportunities. Even the haters betray their passion for the game, if only in their disappointment. But this is where a strong community team comes in. They sift through the detritus. They stick their hands in the elephant dung to pull out the semiprecious gem. Or, at least, that's what they typically do if they're good. The community team is the filter. So while all feedback can be useful, it'll only be as useful as the people collecting it.

I think you're lost, JimG. Logic has no place here, Stranger in a Strange Land.

I believe EVE was the first major MMO to do this (with PLEX). SOE phased out this ability because their marketing department didn't know their (butt) from their elbow and wound up losing the company a ton of money (triple station cash promotion + Wal Mart game card that gave 2000 base station cash (1500 base + 500 Wal Mart exclusive bonus) + annual subscription that cost something like 6000 station cash = people buying a year's sub for less than $50 or something like that). I don't think that problem would exist here since BW doesn't run periodic promotions for bonus CC (and they don't have an exclusive deal for bonus CC gamecards).

This only applies if your sole definition of a romantic relationship revolves around sex. There are many people who believe that, but it doesn't fit this discussion. The OP is talking about the complex manner in which romantic relationships develop and that doesn't always denote purely physical coupling. Specifically, if you read the post (which is admittedly longer and more well thought out than your typical MMO forum post), what s/he is talking about is how the portrayals of those relationships (that don't revolve around sex, remember) seems to be developing in games that include or feature them. We seem to be moving beyond the 'insert coin' type of portrayal to something a bit more complex. Whether you agree with it or not, games (like music) are art. Even the stodgy old coots in the Supreme Court see that. Art has been known to push boundaries and make people uncomfortable at times. I will say that I agree with an earlier poster in that I don't think this change is a lasting one. We'll snap back to the status quo because that's what the audience has demonstrated that they want. As someone else said, there is risk inherent in going against the status quo and Bioware's overlords don't like risk. So even if Bioware remains the 'artsy' division of EA, it's still going to be on a leash.

This. Most games don't even allow these special characters in names. You type the shortcut (say alt-0243 for ó) and nothing happens (there is no output) because the game doesn't allow it. eartharioch, whether you understand people's reasons or not is immaterial. There are people who burn over others playing Dark Jedi or running around in 'Republic/Imperial Dancer'-like outfits but it's allowed so people are going to do it. I don't understand how people with zero power to change anything rage (or even passive-aggressively advocate) against what other people do in a multiplayer game. But again, it's allowed so people will do it.

It doesn't always mean budget. The size/stature of the game's IP can give it the 'AAA' designation. Also, focus and scope can also contribute to (or detract from) a game's perception. As an example, SOE's DC Universe Online is considered AAA whereas Gazillion's Marvel Heroes, is not. In fact, nowadays, it seems the IP makes a game AAA (well, except Champions. That was designated based on the studio's previous work and what Champions had been (the aborted Marvel MMO)). EVE is considered AAA and it cost like 75 cents to make (well, compared to the games of the day. Remember, WoW was in development when EVE shuddered to its launch, as were EQ2 and Lineage II). Other examples abound, games whose budgets weren't questioned or speculated about but still managed to be called AAA (Age of Conan, Warhammer Online, etc) and others whose (relative) quality would seem to indicate large budgets but aren't mentioned when people name off AAA MMOs (FreeRealms, for example, which is where 'scope' comes in). But for the most part, it's budget (real or perceived). Objective quality of an MMO comes from how well its systems work (together and individually. Like, most of City of Heroes' perceived quality came from its customization level and the sidekicking mechanic, by and large). But judging whether an MMO is 'good' or not is a deeply personal thing. Heck, an MMO can be 'good' regardless of its systems if all your friends/family plays it and there's nothing a developer can really do about that.

1. There are cosmetic booths (Appearance Designer) on Coruscant and the fleet that allow changes like that. On Coruscant, it's two booths down from the Jedi Consular trainer in the commercial district (downstairs). Costs CC though (792 for a race change for my 15 Sentinel - just checked). 2. Dyes can be crafted by Artificers but most of the ones you'll see will come out of cartel packs. They won't be cheap, even if they are crafted though (at least not the more desired colors). 3. Yes and no. It means you can use that crystal on THAT character as much/often as you want. If you want to open it up to all of your characters, you have to pay. Log in to another character, open their inventory, hit the Collections tab on the bottom of the inventory window and navigate to Color Crystals. Once you find the crystal in question, there's an option you can choose to open it up to your entire account (all servers). 4. No. It's for that mount. 5. I believe the HK customizations are only available on higher level planets (Oricon has one. 250k, requiring Hero rep) but I'm not sure if they're tradable. Not too sure on the rest but hope this helps some.