Which means the effort is not equal. Getting PVP gear is time consuming but easy, top PVP gear should be an indication of skill, which is what WoW attempted to do with its arena rating system (which I'm not advocating, but it's certainly better than SWTOR's system). SWTOR PVP system is nothing but a grind where an AFKer can become a BM. PVP stats are developer's admitance of failure to balance gear progression in all aspects of the game. If effort and skill required to achive gear in PVP and PVE is similar, people will choose to participate in what they enjoy most, as it should be. People choosing to grind gear in one aspect of the game to use in another is an indication of design flaw, i.e. failure to balance gear progression. Kind of how crafting is currently absolute garbage in comparion to PVP or raiding. Get rid of expertise and tie PVP gear to a level of skill, same as PVE.

The difference is that someone who just hit 50 is not forced to right away tackle hardest PVE content. They are not forced to participate at the same level as that geared 50. Instead they can progress up the PVE ladder at their own pace, gearing themselves and tackling harder encounters as they do. In PVP they don't have that choice, they are forced to go up against "hardest" PVP encounters immediately, i.e. people already decked out in BM gear. The problem will only get worse with time. A year from now a fresh 50 will enter a WZ where 90% of his oponents will be wearing Warlord gear. The stats themselves already create enough of a discrepency, adding expertise on top of it is just plain stupid. Removing expertise and equalizing PVP and PVE gear would give a fresh 50 an option of gearing themselves through other means.

What an idiotic justification for a flawed system. If lack of endgame content is the reasoning, then extend the grinds in each, don't punish the person that wants to enjoy both aspects of the game by making them grind twice as much as those who choose to participate in only one.

The only way that raider would be wrecking your face due to gear is if you have not achived the same level of gear through PVP that he has achieved through PVE. The key is keeping the achievable PVP and PVE gear equal.

The same reason a PVPer could have the best PVE gear. If the best PVP gear is same as best PVE gear, the playing field is equal whether you prefer to PVP or PVE, or do a bit of both. Why shouldn't the gear earned in one aspect of the game not be viable in another? Should craftable gear not be usable in PVP or PVE either then? Should Biochem/Cybertech consumables not be usable in PVP either? This whole notion of separating PVP and PVE as if they're two distinct games within the same game is a primitive and outdated idea, and has been proven a failure repeatedly.

That's exactly what your gear should be. PVP and PVE gear should be equal (set bonuses could still favor the type of gameplay they originate from). Same goal, two path to reaching it. It's the dev's job to make sure the paths are equally difficult and time consuming.

Agreed, but I think the effort to balance that is worth the benefits, and it would solve so many other problems that it would free up development time to dedicate to balancing gear acquisition in different aspects of the game. Besides, balancing gear progression in all parts of the game should be done regardless. Currently, as a solo player, it seems easier to obtain top PVP gear then PVE, because even a solo player who continuosly fails at WZs can eventually reach his goal. It may be more time consuming, but it's just a grind, it doesn't require skill or other people. Being skilled and having friends will just get you there faster.

The problem with this suggestion that keeps getting brought up, is that it still creates segregation of players and a requirement to have separate sets for PVP and PVE. I see so many people saying it's the way it should be (and bringing up other games as if their similarly flawed system is a good example), yet none of them give a good reason as to why it's necessary to be this way. I see no reason why PVP and PVE cannot give equivalent gear (doesn't have to be exactly the same, set bonuses can be oriented more to what they're intended for). This would open up the game to everyone and would allow people to participate in both PVP and PVE, without forcing to focus on either if they don't enjoy it.

Not at all. If anything, more raiders may take part in PVP to supplement their PVE gear with some PVP gear as well, which is a win for PVPers too. People should have the freedom to play all parts of the game without penalty. Freedom is a wonderful thing. Ron Paul 2012

But then they wouldn't have an advantage over people who don't pvp all day long. It's not about skill, it's about gear!

Then there's no problem removing it from the game. amirite? or you just trolling?

Don't be dense. If expertise stat didn't exist, your gear would be equivalent to raid gear. And then everyone could progress their gear by playing whatever aspect of the game they enjoy most (pvp, flashpoints, raiding, questing, etc.), and could at any point choose to take part in any other part of the game without penalty.

That's fine. At least everyone will have an equal opportunity to better their character. PVE encounters are static, they don't care if you leveled to 50 first week of the game, or joined the game a year after release. PVP on the other hand get progressively harder to get into for fresh 50s. If the only source of competitive gear for PVP is actual PVP due to special PVP stat, most new players will just stay away from it, and game will continue to bleed PVP players faster then replenishing them. PVP and PVE gear progression should be nothing more then two paths to same goal. And to comment on your "leetness". In current system, if you go up against an equally skilled player who's decked out in PVE gear of equivalent quality to your PVP gear, you will win by default. Likewise if you both go into a raid, he will out DPS you. I see no reason why things should be this way. If you both put in equal effort in different aspects of the game, you should be equally viable in all aspects of the game. Special stats just discourage people from taking part in all aspects of the game. You shouldn't want to keep "PVE noobs" out of your PVP, you should welcome the new blood. Fact is, some of them will enter with their "carebear" gear anyway, so the fact that they're at a disadvantage puts you at a disadvatage as well if they're on your team.

If top PVP gear = top PVE gear, there is no need for special PVP stat. Special stats just create segregation of player base, which is never good for the game. There is no reason why someone who enjoys both PVP and PVE can't wear a mix of PVP & PVE gear. Forcing people to focus on one aspect of the game is not good for anyone. And to all the PVP-only people in the thread against this idea, if you think you're hot sh*t, then you shouldn't need a special stat advantage to beat a "PVE noob". Besides, this isn't WoW, if anything PVP gear is superior to PVE gear atm. PVP is so much more enjoyable pre-50 because it's more about skill then gear.