This is my theory - I've been able to post anywhere as preferred each time I've unsubbed (which I am again). I did not, however, log out of the site.

<--- Unsubscribed back in late January/early February (have also uninstalled the game completely now). Still able to post here....

/shrug Must admit, I've never noticed any difference to the graphics after the 'update'. Everything just looks the same as it did before.

Given the extremely high level of technological sophistication in the SW universe (starships, lightsabers, droids, plasma blaster bolts, ergonomic chairs etc), you'd think they would have at least invented a Roomba....

Yes!! So much truth to that video!! BG3 has absolutely shone a light in the darkness of extremely mediocre, microtransaction-focused game development that is absolutely bedevilling the industry now. And why indeed should not players' expectations be raised?? Talk about lazy thinking and writing, coupled with maximising returns on minimal funds invested (which is what's driving the p*ss-poor product offering we are being fed and expected to pay top dollar for (and for which we should be SO grateful), while being ripped off) .

Yes, it is - based on D&D 5ed. Took some getting used to, but you can swap perspectives to your companions and play as them, allowing you to be VERY strategic in fights, including ungrouping to give precise control over your party. If I know a fight is coming up, I can ungroup then move each member of the group into position to give me the best coverage (rather than having them follow my character around)....you do have to think quite a bit about how you play and composition of your party, which makes it challenging. The only thing I really don't like is the movement mechanics. Still getting used to that.

Yes, and no - I was in beta, and there were major issues right at the start, some of which have never been fully resolved. The vanilla game, with all different storylines and companion choices etc, certainly had a similar feeling. But there was always a certain 'clunkiness' somehow - technology has moved ahead and BG3 looks and feels vastly different to how SWTOR did in the beginning. "...and if we meet again, well - we will have....met again..." cracks me up every time.

I am! Due to being told to stay away from Fleet over the silly event period if I didn't want to participate, I took the advice and tried a new game - BG3. It's SO good, fantastic story, fantastic writing - I'd forgotten what a joy it is to have developers and writers who actually give a rat's behind (it shows in their product). I'm having so much fun, trying out different builds and different storylines with different companions, that I've cancelled my SWTOR sub.

Ok, so you won't even consider any possibilities that don't fit a specific narrative. Can you truly speak for EVERY APAC player and determine that no, summer holidays has (have?) no impact on player population at all? You certainly don't speak for me. How utterly unreasonable is that position?

Is it perhaps possible that a reason why group content has all but died could be due to the fact that it's currently summer holidays in the APAC region, and people may well be away or doing other things than being stuck inside playing a video game (things like socialising with friends and families, having BBQs, going to the beach, going to the holiday house and relaxing, going overseas for holidays, etc)? Anyone from the Northern Hemisphere will tell you how population always drops off June/July/August - their summer.

There's also the Xoxaan's Armour set: https://swtorista.com/armor/xoxaan

If a game were to be developed and released where the seasons match those for where I live, I'd probably play it in a heartbeat (so long as it wasn't mandatory PVP). Games do, however, seem to be solely Northern Hemisphere-centric. Right now, it's the middle of summer for me and other APAC players. Where I live, it doesn't snow at any time during the year - ever. I'm in my mid-50s and have never touched snow. Or better yet, a game where there are NO seasons that attempt to match or tie up with what's happening in the real world timeline. That would be a whole lot less jarring, for sure.

All good, I was just thinking about what DWho said about huge player mounts, and it sort of morphed from there.

We already have the ability to show/not show various nameplates as our personal preference on what we want to see on our own monitors, so it's not a huge leap to think that perhaps a similar "show player mounts" toggle could also be incorporated? Similarly, one that toggles whatever the wording for snowflakes or sparkle bombs or whatever else you don't necessarily want to see could also be done in a similar way. I'm no dev, so no idea if this is viable or not, but it seems a little odd considering we already have this for nameplates in our preferences.

Well, this is pretty condescending: "...and stop expecting everything to be about you and your personal level of comfort (helps in life as well)." I'm certainly not trying to "shame" anyone with a reasonable request. If the visual effect is not evident to me, I don't care how many snowballs get hiffed at me. Fill your boots! I'm not asking for the snowballs to stop being thrown, just for something that removes the visual effect for me (as in, not visual to me on my screen - however it appears to others is nothing to do with me). I have no idea what happens in chat, as I have it turned off while on fleet. Frankly, if people are indeed saying that sort of thing, they are setting themselves up for more of the behaviour.