Not all of us play to be challenged. I quit the game a year or so after release because everything was too much of a slog for me. Feel free to challenge yourself with removing your equipment or playing without your companion.

It also doesn't help that the Oricon, Seeker Droid, and Macrobinocular storylines may as well not exist for many of us since there are neither solo nor group finder options for us to finish them. I know I'm not the only one who ignores them completely.

There is a hooded version on the CM. Sadly, no unhooded one. And I finally broke down and made a new female SW just in case we get a Rivix romance. (Though I hope that it wouldn't be restricted to just female characters.)

Yes, I think it's just the suits upstairs who are telling them to add the grind. I guess they need the "metrics" or whatever to justify spending money on this game. And I wouldn't worry too much, because I'm sure that there will be a second combat style unlock token on the CM at some point.

Happy Birthday, OP! My 59th birthday is on the 22nd. I started playing in open beta. I live on the east coast, and at the time I was visiting my aunt and uncle in California. Thankfully they're still around and doing well. I'm hoping that I'll get to visit them sometime soon when it's safer to do so.

The new UI hurts my eyes, and because of this, I may not be able to play when it goes live. So yes, for me this is the worst expansion ever. Can't they just rehire the artists who made the original UI to adapt it for the new features?

Have you ever been stalked in real life? I have, and I had to get the police involved. And as I've said, I've been playing MMOs for almost 27 years. And yes, since I am female, that includes a lot of harassment. Unsurprisingly, creepers do still use all the same tricks. I'm not going to read this thread anymore, since it has turned into a meeting place for those with no empathy for those who are different from themselves or who have had different experiences. And really, it is a microcosm of what the industry looks like these days. It's not pretty. OP, if you're still here, I understand, and I stand with you. Hopefully more can be done in the future.

Thanks for the information. *yawn* Just more content for me to ignore.

And another person with questionable reading comprehension. To be clear: I have no problem with someone paying a compliment. I do have a problem with someone paying a compliment just because they expect something in return. "cute character" "thank you" "what set is that?" or some other similar response is fine The following are unacceptable responses: "do you RP" -- based solely on a (female) character being "cute", because we know what kind of RP they are after "give me money" etc Also, if the response was, "do you RP" with a qualifier to explain WHY they wanted to RP with me, that would also be fine.

I think you're missing the point. Yes, of course I will respond with a "thank you" when someone compliments me on my character customization choice. That is it followed by "do you RP" is not the usual thing. Why would a "cute" appearance be the only reason for starting normal RP? As a female gamer who has played MMOs since 1995, I can spot a creeper a mile away.

Who woulda thunk that post-menopausal facial hair would become fashionable?

I'm not sure BioWare can do much about it, other than to make sure our /ignore lists are huge. The latest I've experienced is some rando saying, "cute character", and if you reply, even with a nice "thank you" they will ask if you RP. The first time I just put them on ignore, and the second time I just couldn't resist replying with "no ERP for you, creeper" and then putting them on ignore.

I also don't know where Darth Krovos comes from, and I haven't played Republic in ages so I don't know Admiral Aygo, either. What pissed me off the most is that we're supposed to know Acina, but most of us just skip the bait and switch questlines these days because we know we'll never get to finish the storylines. (Seeker Droid, Macrobinoculars, and Oricon.) Hey devs, if you're going to bring a character back, please make sure that one does not have to group in order to meet them the first time,

Go play on the PTS, my friend. Unless you're like me and the new UI hurts your eyes.

"Social pressure" is something that a game shouldn't be interested in curing, as it cannot. People not thinking for themselves is a societal issue these days.

I agree with this. While my SI does want to be empress, she sure doesn't want to have to sit on a throne all day listening to underlings bicker.

I can't even play on PTS because of this. I'm really hoping that I can still play when it goes live.

All my female characters are BT 1. I love the "tiny woman is in fact extremely dangerous" trope, because I am a tiny woman. (Or was, before menopause basically ruined my life.)

The new design of the character creatior and UI is so bad that it makes me want to vomit. This is certainly a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Why could they not just rework the original design direction? I really hope that I can get over it once it goes live. I am not playing the PTS because the new UI hurts my eyes and makes me very uncomfortable. It is flat and huge. I don't mind the skill pruning as long as they do it thoughtfully and in a way that allows us to still be able to solo the game without issues.

I've had this happen while using the Steam version of the PTS. Go to the Steam page and click on the wheel, then verify local files. This is what fixed it for me.

I hope we find out what Scourge's real name is, or at least be able to give him a new one.

This very good news for everyone, whether you like Torian or not. It means that any beloved companion can be brought forward, even if they have had an option to be killed. (And I fully realize that Torian is important right now because of all the Mandalorian stuff, in game and out.)

When I first read your post, the "ergonomic chairs" guy came to mind. Then I realized that was not who you were talking about.

I never said that they were logical. The thing is, I don't think many Dark Side characters are logical at all, and some, like my Darth Occlus, are extremely unbalanced and prone to whatever whim comes along.

My Dark Side Jedi hate Sith with the fury of a thousand suns. So yes, they would kill her in a heartbeat just because they were forced to work with her.