People like you are painful. Stop suspecting some hegemonic power wielding a crystal ball and enforcing an oppressive state over the rest of the so-called down-and-out paupers. It's SOOOO easy on this game to make credits. Literally. You weren't making much money from mats before? Pick up a craft... What is this? Do you honestly expect something for nothing? I'd also like alternate options on everything. PVE gear, PVP gear, in fact, I don't want to lift my finger for more than a few clicks to achieve anything in this game. Do you seriously believe it's an acceptable situation that gambling machines have nullified every single gathering crafting craft in this game? That our advice going forwards to new players would be "Don't bother with crafting, get yourself a slot machine."

Because you're unable to do it, it must be impossible.

Oh dear.

Decorations from the vendors in the Stronghold section.

This is really what gets me. I'm not the slightest surprised that people are doing it, but far more surprised that people are surprised to hear people are doing it.

Just go and get proof. It is happening, but that's because I'm convinced by my cynical nature. If something can be macroed, it will be macroed. There is really no "if" but "when" for these types of things. That said, why are you trying to convince others without proof? If they don't wish to believe it, or are unconvinced, what does it matter to you?

I'm not questioning you bud. I'm just saying how you can prove it. I think the slot machines were a horrendous thing to introduce in their current state, and find it even worse that the issue was not immediately patched out.

For proof, stand in front of the slot machine and move about. You'll find a spot where the person, if they are macroing, ceases to click, as their preset fixed position macro will be clicking on your avatar instead. Make them stop and start 3 times and record it for proof.

But the sample size is still too small to accurately reflect the 20%... it has to be a larger size to account for RNG.

RNG. I've done that for three years. Good weeks and bad weeks.

How can you not get this. Who are we deliberating against? The suggested price is not an arbitrary number, but one set against the cost of crafting missions. If it is not adjusted, crafting missions will never be ran again as they are more costly and entail increased risk. I have to ask: is this something you want? When a new player comes onto the game and asks which of the gathering selects he should select to make money you simply say "Don't bother, it's slot machines or nothing."

You must feel embarrassed a lot. His findings reflect many players, including my own, with approximately 65-70% of the revenue being made back directly through selling rep items, and a similar number of purple items. I can also take screenshots, but you've got your tinfoil hat on (or there''s a simpler reason as to why you're committed to being wrong). They've already said they plan to review the drop rates.

Precisely. It's motivated by the same self-preservation that, ironically, they accuse crafters of, who have taken months to accumulate materials that others have now obtained within an hour of botting.

They're grown embittered by their inability to afford things without doing anything to change that. Now they can afford it, due to Bioware's oversight, they feel self-righteous and empowered, and are eager to make out that the change is simply a natural change of playstyle, rather than an overwhelming simplification of the crafting system. We'll see how much of this is reversed come Tuesday, when they make the change to the jawa loot. One thing you can guarantee in all walks of life, lazy people will always blame some power hidden from their eyes for making their lives worse, rather than simply doing something to change their fortunes. Why haven't they been able to afford purple augments before? Because crafters are greedy. Of course.

Scanning through this mostly inarticulate block of text, I noticed that you say you spent almost 10mil on coins, at a cost of 500 credits each. You later say the slot machines are fun. Realistically, the chance you sat and clicked two machines a total of 19,800 times without botting are so incredibly slim. This is the future of the game and the economy if this doesn't change. Assuming you did bott (which I do), how exactly are these machines fun?

Exactly.

I seriously hope the Devs are smart enough to not listen to 90% of players in this thread. The machines have broken the current state of the economy, fact. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it simply has. Gathering missions are no longer worth it, especially those such as Treasure Hunting and Underworld Trading. For those saying that only rich players could afford to make money out of the pre-slot machine climate... what are you talking about? It required 2k-3k per mission? Just go slicing and guarantee break even with full affection companions, with the chance of making +80k per mission round. The current system has replaced work with no work. The only players remaining poor before were those too lazy or not bothered about alt switching to control multiple crafts. With these machines, why would anyone take the time to send multiple companions on different alts off to do missions, when the slots are statistically guaranteed to produce better returns... I understand the wish for a different status quo, but what you're really advocating is replacing a system that required some degree of effort with one that requires absolutely none. You are destroying the spirit of crafting in SWTOR. Slot machines should never, ever be the number one way of mat farming... I feel so stupid writing that on an MMO forum. If you thought the mats were expensive before, controlled by certain players, what was stopping you from picking up the craft yourself? Making an alt and having multiple missions running at once? Quite literally nothing other than you were not prepared to do it. Community makes me laugh.

I love how all the trophy pictures are the same. Honestly, how long did that take to develop? Take screenshot, C and P

Incoming rage! Oh man, all those terribads with 600 ESO actually get a title that says 'Professional' and all rewards. Simply put, no matter how bad you are, you still get rewards. It doesn't get more carebear than this.

I'm with you now. I still think there must be something going in (possibly in party groups) because I get less EXP per mob kill from double EXP weekends than I do from rested EXP. And that's not just me being derpy - I saw it before and tested it again this time. I do appreciate the help though. My opinion towards Bioware on this remains the same, however. I still solidly believe that a well-explained post could have cleared this up. But as another poster pointed out, not ducking their heads underneath the table would have meant explaining why boost returns are not as advertised etc. It's more annoying that so much input was given to the other thread, which was in turn entirely ignored. As I said, it's either an ability to articulate the above or a reluctance to admit certain inaccuracies in the previously provided formula.

I'm tired and much of what you say is going over my head, but I appreciate the attempt to explain. But am I right in thinking you mean to suggest that boosts are not affected by these double EXP weekends? The original idea, as proposed by Eric, was for a straight double on the boosts used and then that new % increased applied to the new base. So 25% would be 50%, and legacy would become 60%. Then these values were applied to the base.

Again, what? What do you mean a rule of thumb? This is why the communication on these issues is so poor. The only resource or evidence we have is what was originally stated prior to the first weekend. That said that these are, in fact, multiplicative (and obviously in ALL scenarios a major 25% will stack with say the 30% from flashpoints). I'm not talking about 25+25, I'm talking about 25+30 (legacy). If we go off their base, then how do you come to 150% :S. If the base is 100%, then 200%... Surely?

This seems wrong. There is a 25% different in EXP between F2P and sub, not 50%. Whichever way you take it. If they are 75% then we're 100%, meaning there's a 50% different with this, then add the % differences from double bonus. If you take it as 100% v 125%, same deal. It's a much greater different than you're suggesting - and more importantly, it isn't properly factoring in the boosts from either consumable or legacy. Whichever way, it needs competent clarification from somebody (if that person exists) who actually understands it at Bioware.

Go look at the original post advertising these weekends. If it no longer functions that way, or if they've decided to alter it, an explanation / clarification would be useful. However all their replies so far have suggested a lack of knowledge, rather than a reluctance to clarify.

It explained nothing? It provided categories of samples which were too few and flawed, as was stated by the many posts after. It never got another reply. What was the purpose of pointing me there? :S