It would be neat but aren't our companions skills tied to their weapons (IE animations too... much like our classes)? I mean if they could fiddle with it so it didn't matter what we equipped on them... it would be interesting to see no doubt. I'm trying to picture Lord Scourge going, "Nah, who needs this Lightsaber... when I've got this." *pew* *pew* *pew*

This is something the game could use more of to be sure. I can't remember just a ton of off quests that actually took your class into consideration... as more of them really were generic to the planet rather than taking into consideration what class you were playing, or race you were, when you rolled up on them (but this is a good example). Instead of Generic overall storyarcs (FEET) that pigeon hole all classes on the same generic quest. How about more Quests that at least react to what players are (class/race) as long as it does have to be generic based due to just not having the budget to do 8 Class Stories anymore. That seems more doable especially if they'd do some in house voices like old game studios used to do instead of it always being dependent on major contract renewals. I'm somehow sure they could do it either way though. Put some of this kind of love back into the game. Make our classes go... Oh, yeah, we're still here... instead of... this is the same thing that other class just did.

Seems to be the 1 million credit question on a lot of player's minds.

*shares some popcorn* As one of those SWG people that came over I can 100% confirm they were very vocal about not making SWTOR anything like SWG. So, I'm not sure where this catering to SWG players is coming in. But, yeah, this is gonna be a fun thread.

There are some of us, and the age group isn't pinned down because it's pretty wide-spectrum, that simply can't play FPS styled combat games. IE... we actually need the traditional mmorpg controls. Free cursor combat. It isn't always about being able to zoom out in third person. We actually need the free cursor because it is one of the contributing factors in our gaming motion sickness. Sounds like a joke, I know. But I'm 100% genuine when I say that is why some of us play this over those other games and we might even be over in those other games if we could play it like this. Now having said that, I'd be happy to meet FPS-favored combat players half-way and say... there honestly isn't any reason developers can't create UI that allows players to pick how they play the game in this fashion. And I do believe there are a couple of Eastern mmorpgs experimenting with this to include The Repopulation here in the West. We'll have to see if it catches on. However, to add FPS styled combat to SWTOR at this point would probably require an Engine overhaul. And that isn't easy... you essentially have to make a new game when you're dealing with changing the game engine. SWTOR would have to shut down probably for a year minimum for them to implement it... or at least that much work on a private server before dumping it on us. I get where you're coming from though since the majority of the gaming industry is dominated by FPS players. Plus, I'll give you kudos for not saying New Game Enhancement... because that would've been bad.

Following the release of the Anthem game which has at least some people from SWTOR tied up into it as well from the sounds of it... I'm hoping the Roadmap announces that they'll have a larger team working on the game again. That's like #1 on The Road Map because it allows for other things to happen. What I want to see on it more than anything now though is... An expansion announcement. SWTOR is at a point that we do need something big. It doesn't have to be crazy with the story cut scenes... but it does need to be sizable in repeatable content and things to keep us busy. Tiered Unlocking Content perhaps? Umbara at least did that right. Do the content... get an in game item. We need lots more of that.

I just renewed using the Amazon Bundle because I'd never used it before. I don't think I'd want to be able to use that "more often" though. I don't think I need to explain how it's better if players are subscribers versus being F2P though in order to really support further game development. But how do they turn things around? Well, they've got to flesh out those ideas on The Road Map more. I'm at least still a little optimistic or I wouldn't be giving this 90 more days. I do think we've got to see some kind of results happen in game to build on what is in the foundation right now though. Basically, I'm seeing more X-faction play being possible with... I'm hoping better attention to amount and quality of content coming. Nothing drastically crazy... but there has to be follow through and crystal clear communication. Having said that, we pretty well do need an expansion. Something huge... or we'll be limping along at the same kind of pace SWG had towards year 7 and 8. And it's got to be better than Deathtroopers or we're pretty well looking at the game's decline into an even smaller community before this new year is out. Now after you get that new content out. Real Makeb sized meat on the bone stuff... then you could do a free month for old accounts that haven't played in a long time and see what happens. With the right tweeks.... SWTOR could run at least up till the EA contract renewal. But it's going to take some serious devotion on EA's part and listening to the entire playerbase to correct mistakes already made and not liked. That's just my two credits.

I'd love one if that is the case... but I'm not seeing a particular thread where people are giving them away in. ><

Trust me, we'll get at least one more Star Wars mmorpg. The question just remains... will it happen under EA at an attempt to extend their contract? Or, will Disney opt for another third party option if they don't reopen a game studio of their own or simply buy one out/rebrand it as their own in coming years? As to what it'll be like... SWTOR, SWG, something completely different? Who knows? But I do think there is now a set of fans that would very much like to play around in the new movie universe setting regardless of how the films are being received by audiences and gamers alike.

It actually would've been nice had LS/DS choices reflected in your end skills. I'm guessing it was a little coding heavy to have it though. They'd have to have it adjust with your LS/DS decisions on the fly *and* not be buggy... and I'm sure they'd want it so that if you shifted from LS 1/DS 1 back and forth a lot... that you wouldn't have to update your toolbar (IE... have the mirror skill icon morph on your toolbar). But, yeah, that would've been pretty neat! Dead giveaway in story terms too though. If I could reinvent SWTOR I'd simply borrow more of what did actually work from all the incarnations of SWG and combined it with some stuff from what we wound up with... and some things from WoW... namely cross server queues at launch to curb the need to wind up with the server merge mess we wound up with.

I mean, I'd gladly welcome one for free since it was nVidia that botched up the contest. But I simply refuse to pay credits for one. My offer would be of a genuine thank you and, who knows, maybe making a friend? Here is hoping they do another give away of these at any rate... or at the very least put the package on the CM.

I have a feeling this is a case too. While I dislike the microtransactions in mmorpgs it does behoove one to learn a little about the thing they don't like. Usually you have separate design teams working on "Market" designs and actual "Game" designs. This may, or may not, be the case for SWTOR. If they've answered this before... I've never retained the answer or possibly just skipped over that bit. That's how it worked in SWG though and in other mmorpgs I've played. A separate design team will work on any of the microtransactions portion of the game than the, as you put it, bug fixing Dev work portion of it. Now it may be that the Art department for SWTOR just designs a bunch of stuff and it's prioritized for CM and Game drops... but that still has less to do with in game stuff as it's usually, again, a separate team. In my honest opinion, it still leads to less quality in mmorpgs though but I won't rehash that here. Indeed, the likely culprit now is just the fact that a lot of the SWTOR team... it seems at least... are pulling double duty on EA/Bioware's Anthem project as well as SWTOR. Hopefully that works both ways and we'll see some of that refocused on SWTOR in the coming year.

Utinni!!! One and All! May you have an OYA worthy Holiday!

There some back end stuff going on today. Should be back up in about 2 hours from this post.

As someone that has been against letting microtransactions into the mmorpg industry from the beginning, I do at least support this idea over the current method. I'd rather see it gone completely and the items added into quests like old mmorpgs used to do it though. At least for me, I might be more inclined to spend more money on CCs again in addition to tentatively keeping a subscription going. However, they'd also have to drastically reduce costs of DS items. Example: I just don't think arbitrarily calling a lightsaber skin being worth $40 (or equiv currency) is remotely sane. If no item were above, say, $10... you'd see people utilize it more. Maybe even reasonably? Just my two credits at any rate.

Even if it does gets worse around here this is most likely the more accurate statement in this thread. SWG kind of taught us this one already. Although, there could be a brief downtime between shut-down and launch of a new one. But as long as it turns a profit basically.

I won't deny I think the game hit another "we're in a bad place again" bump while trying to get to implementing that Road Map to help save it and turn around game opinion. Bottom line though, and it doesn't matter how many of these threads continue to get made or how often it gets asked... The answer is the lights will be kept on so long as it turns a profit. SWG was in horrible condition (playing populous wise) for most of it's 8 years and it was kept going... only being killed by SWTOR in the end. I know where this doom and gloom is coming from though and it too isn't a new story here. EA has had a horrible reputation with mmorpgs. In fact, EA has closed down more mmorpgs than it has created or kept going at this point in the company's history. So, when players see things as going badly.... this happens. Thanks to SWG I'm from an older group of mmorpg players though and see SWTOR as still running a marathon after the game is over. That is to say... the standard physical (game box selling) life of a mmorpg was once stated to be about 5 years. Each year the game continues here is really a gift to the playerbase no matter if we like, or don't like, what is going on with the game. They've still got me at least a little into the New Year to see if they can pull off some of that Road Map stuff. Best answer this player can give you.

Well, I've waited through SWG and SWTOR... and I've only barely got to see what I want of Ryloth and Csilla. So, I guess those two would be number one on my list.

There is a lot I don't like about SWTOR that goes back to Beta. My favorite aspect of the game though is simply that it is a Star Wars IP mmorpg.

Eh, The Road Map remains promising. I just think they need to work on their handling and clearer communication. It is the Holidays right now though... so I doubt we get too much feedback till January. I'm still in a bit of a love/hate relationship with my hopes for SWTOR atm. There is always a silver lining too. The only way to go is up... once you hit bottom. I'm not saying that is where we're at... just that it is a nice thought.

CS has gotten worse and worse. I think it just depends on who you're lucky enough to get handling your ticket. My recent irk with them involved my Legacy name. I had Storm on The Ebon Hawk for years... with absolutely no problems. I ticket it after buying a Legacy Name token and it telling me I couldn't use it post-merge. A CS Rep actually did tell me they logged into my account and try to manually change it... essentially only bothering to do what I had already done on my end and telling me the same thing instead of fixing the issue. I log in a couple days ago and see right in front of me on the Star Forge... someone displaying The Storm Legacy on their toon... and I wanted to flip my lid. They don't know what they're doing. I wound up just using Storm in Mando'a. But the point is... CS isn't very top notch when it's a RNG gamble on if you're actually going to get your issue solved.

I just assumed it was a problem with Iokath itself or the design of those quests. But I've noticed the same thing.

Wooo, I needed a good laugh today! Not at you, OP. Just... I too find it humorous how much "easier" this is.

At this point we're just beating a dead horse, OP. I'm sure they're aware of it now. This promotion was poorly handled. Many players do have a right to be ticked off about it. And many players do have a right to view complaining as unjustified since players that actually do play the game finally did get some codes. At this point, your best bet is to give feedback on your Geforce Experience over at nVidia as I'd assure you we've been heard loud and clear on this end. It isn't going to change the outcome of the multiple codes being handed out and the bid wars for a code here now... but it might make them pay a little more attention with how they handle promotions in the future. Given enough time... the promotional items will likely be made available to the wider playing populous after it loses it's luster. If SWTOR can bounce back over the next year. Consider this another bump in the rocky road we've been on.

Trying to remember back to promotions done during SWG... I can only assume that it has more to do with Disney, perhaps, not really having anything directly to do with this game insofar as to say, "Hey, we're making this new movie-- make sure you put some stuff in your game to spread awareness of it!" Whereas back in SWG just about every time you turned around they were trying to cram some sort of Prequel thing down our throat with promotions while we were begging for more stuff to be added from EU content relating around the original trilogy items. Given things going on? I'd say doing movie tie-in products hasn't been a priority. But probably would be if they were making an Old Republic movie or series. Then you'd see more stuff like that. As others have said though, they did put the kylo saber up for sale on the CM for the week. That is about the best you can hope for right now.