This is the wrong metric to use. Or it might be better to say that it doesn't prove what you think it proves. It shouldn't matter how much of the game companions are used in - it should matter how much of MY game companions are used in. If a player spends most of their time playing with a companion, it really doesn't matter how much of the game they're missing - it's a big effect on them. You'd expect someone who spends all their time PvP'ing to have a larger claim on solid PvP gear than someone who might do a warzone once a week, right? PvP is the same amount of the game no matter what. Likewise, it doesn't really matter how often someone could potentially use companions - what should matter if how often they DO.

I think part of the issue here is that some people seem to have different ideas of what exactly qualifies as a "restriction". For example, if Bioware put "Marauder" in the name they obviously meant for it to be used only by Marauders, even though they didn't actually restrict it to Marauders, or even Sith Warriors, right? A few people seem to think so. Personally, if you can put it on an Agent, then it's meant for an Agent. I think people will catch up eventually. This is a different game, and lots of players have a very tunnel-visioned view of "need" from other games. Companions especially throw a wrench into it, and it's one people haven't adjusted to. Can people abuse it? Yes, and I disagree with the "Roll for everything" mentality. I also disagree with the "Then selling it gives me credits so that's an improvement so I can need it!" Well, we've spent 80 pages arguing over what Need means without looking at the other - Greed. Greed means "I can't use this so I'm going to sell it." But I'm not going to tell someone in a group what they Need, or force them to justify it. I run with Vette sometimes and Quinn sometimes, so I'll roll on stuff for them. I really don't care if you think it's not enough of an improvement for me to justify it - just as it's not my job to decide that you needing on something that'll raise your Cunning from 493 to 495 isn't worth it.

Haven't you been claiming that the majority supports your views? Hmm...

Honestly, I think it's because SWTOR introduces a lot of different "needs" that people aren't accustomed to dealing with. Whether it's an appearance-only option, or gearable companions, there are far more potential uses for items than people are used to. Historically, most items pretty much fell into a single "Best for Class X" bin, with potentially an acceptable "Acceptable for Class Y". That made the definition of "need" easy. It isn't any more, and the commonly-established norms haven't quite caught up yet. Of course, a lot of them also feel that their priorities should overrule and apply to everyone else, many to the point of threatening to blacklist people if they don't adhere to THEIR priorities. It's really ironic that they're the ones calling others rude and selfish.

Random side note: It's really sad just how far we've defined down 'ninja looter'. Used to be that meant someone waiting for you to kill a mob, and then looting it before you had a chance to, without ever having contributed. That was actually stealing. Now, it means that you fight and contribute to killing something just like everyone else in the group, but take an even roll chance of claiming an item that someone disapproves of your intended use for. And I'll say again that that's what we're talking about here: Player A disapproves of the use Player B plans for an item, and thinks it's not as important as the use they'd put it to. Having a wife who plays with me, trust me - to some players, appearance is way, WAY more important than the stats. You sitting there and telling them what uses are and aren't acceptable - or, to borrow a phrase, that they're playing wrong - is what's really rude and selfish.

Seems like the real issue is people applying a very selfish definition of 'need'. You can't 'need' something just because you like the looks! You can't 'need' something for you companion! ...and on and on Looks are more important to some people than stats - just because you're a stat whore doesn't mean your preferences are more important. If something's a +2 damage improvement for you you can need it, but if it's a +20 damage improvement for Vette (which will have a much greater impact) I can't need it? <shrug> I'm sure there's plenty of people who think their limits on what I can need are fine and I should live by them, and may not ever group with me again. Honestly, they're doing me a favor. Nobody throws a fit if someone who'd see a +2 improvement from an item rolls when someone else in the group would see a +10. If the deepest your thought can extend to is "Ugg need Cunning, Ugg most important, you no take Ugg's shiny clothes!" then I'm just as happy not to have to play with you. Edit for clarity: "Need" should be an option for claiming something that improves your character. Whether that item is something that makes your primary stats better, makes your secondary stats better, makes you like your character's look better, makes your companion hit harder or makes your companion look better - they're all ways to improve your character. IMHO trying to decide which improvements are and aren't worthwhile for my character is the selfish thing - not prioritizing my looks over your stats.

So, wait... Our resource mechanic is actually requiring some management? And... that's a problem? Why have Rage - or Force, or Energy, or Heat - at all, if you just want to be able to spam your biggest and best without ever having to worry about it? You aren't asking them to change the mechanic, you're asking them to remove it. I really wouldn't hold my breath on that. Plenty of people seem to be managing it fine. Either your character is bugged () or you're doing something wrong.

To the OP: Thanks for someone finally saying this. The number of people who seem to think the purpose of slicing was to give them free money is astonishing.

<shudder> Please, for the love of all that is holy in software code... Put the keyboard down, and slowly back away.

No, you're not. Software engineering is defined as an attentiveness to process. If you knew the first thing about software process you'd know that 10 minutes of code - if it even is 10 minutes of code, which is laughable anyway - requires requirements changes, design changes, documentation changes, code review, and QA testing. You are, at best, a wannabe hacker who's probably never worked on a serious project, probably never worked with a team bigger than you and two buddies, and definitely doesn't deserve to call himself an engineer. Programmer? Maybe. Developer? Unlikely. Engineer? You don't even know what the word MEANS.

Actually, people who have no idea how complicated ANY code is, whether it's modern, MMO, or not.

You're completely right about this! Maybe they could fix the problem by adding the ability to keep two targets selected at once, and let you easily throw and ability at the second target. I'm not sure what we'd call it, but since you're focusing on one target while you dynamically select another, maybe we can name it something like that. Yes, I'm some someone beat me to the "Learn the UI before you complain about it" reply, but I wasn't hunting through 30 pages of whinging to find out, and this deserved comment.

I just got off the phone with a WalMart rep. I ordered from walmart.com in early November and my CE has shipped. FedEx tracking number and everything. I did standard shipping, and it's due to arrive on the 22nd, which should be fine with the new grace period. I talked to several reps over the last few days, and none of them were the least bit helpful. The one I talked to today even told me it would ship on the 20th, then dug a little more and told me it shipped earlier today. No idea if/when their website will update - mine still just shows Processing, and no tracking number - but if you call they may be able to confirm the shipping. And the flood of hell I just unleashed on their poor CS reps may be enough to make up for the misery they've caused me the last few days