I love how nowadays people assume a person's "tone" (aka now i'm "being mean" apparently lol) through typed words over the Internet. Anyways, i read your post and hear you...However: Answer me this: Why then, if my point-of-view (as a still paying customer) is so off-base, did TOR lose so many players in not even a year of release? Why then is this so called 'WoW killer' already going Free-to-Play? Why then did hundreds of Beta-testers like me point out all the many inherent flaws in TOR over a year ago, specifically Endgame, and now here we are (as predicted) with the very same issues still unresolved? Why then are people like You so resistant to just SOME small sense of 'sandbox' elements, which would be completely optional btw (just like, say, Operations are) , but would provide the more sophisticated player (of which there are many more than you and EA realize) something within this "great star War" to strive toward? Why then, if TOR is so perfect as it is, are subscription numbers continually decreasing each month? BioWare listened to all of 'you' from the beginning, didn't they? And look where that's gotten us. I say it's time for BioWare to start listening more to a different crowd, one that craves much more than fleeting "content", on-the-rails hand-holding, and daily grindfests. And remember: My subscription is worth the same as yours.

And umm...When might these 'pets' become more than just vanity? When might they become as USEFUL as actual Companions? (the 'system' is already in place, obviously) When might there be ohhh i dunno some sort of long-term Endgame galaxy-encompassing pursuit, whereby players could scour the planets looking for (and sampling) rare spawns of certain Creatures whose combined DNA might 'unlock' even more rare & massive types of Companions w/ special attacks, skins, resources, etc. etc. Oh what's that? You don't want to "copy" off SWG's Creature-Handler & Beastmaster systems? Really?! Yet you can copy off WoW's everything else?! lol okay then You guys & gals at BioWare haven't a clue as to what keeps paying customers subscribed for YEARS, do you? Hint: It's not another Operation that can be completed & memorized in a week. Get some serious sandbox-type Endgame ASAP BioWare...Or your game will end, seriously. We've only been telling you this since Beta.

Correct. I agree. But... BioWare doesn't. Nor does most of the 'playerbase'. And, at this point, neither one of them cares. Therefore, TOR is what it is. And it'll never be what "we" want it to be.

Nope, just the end of their subscription(s) .

Thats NOT what the OP is suggesting, nor is it what me (and thousands of other players like me) wish for TOR going forward. All we are saying is: More of a *balance* between the currently dominated 'themepark' style and the more classic long-term oriented 'living sandbox' style. Just more of a balance. That's all. Is that so difficult to comprehend, Mr. YAAAWWWWWNNNNN?

gee thanks but umm i am neither "glum" nor do i have a "lesser constitution". All i did was post about a VIDEO GAME lol. One that i actually still play and even today for 3 hours...and get this: I enjoyed it. Is it really that difficult for all you extremist TOR-lovers to comprehend enjoying the game yet at the very same time wishing it were *better* (and therefore acknowledging that it not only could have been better but should have been) ...?? I hope, for Star Wars sake, that BioWare does indeed have some 'master plan' to restore the integrity, promise, & challenge to this game. But we'll all find out soon enough, won't we?

I not only read the entire OP but also *agree* with it 100% . Unfortunately, 'we' are in the perceived minority. To all those who didn't read and/or disagree: BioWare was warned about all this in early Beta, but they wanted it their way (aka EA's way) or no way (instead of a true balance of sandbox & theme-park) , consequently they and those of you who are content with this potentially good but ultimately squandered opportunity of a game will hopefully realize when it's FREE-TO-PLAY? That's what happens when you cater to the "masses" too much and dumb-down your game for the lowest-common-denominators. Servers get merged, subscriptions get lost, industry respect gets diminished. Oh well, there's always Star Wars 1313 and maybe SWG-2 someday. At least BioWare/EA made a profit though...right? umm...right?

As far as i'm aware, all of 'us' from Giradda the Hutt are now on 'The Shadowlands' server. For the better, i might add (obviously helps in an MMO to actually have "massive" multiple players online 24/7 ) . Of course, it's also pretty sad imo that TOR servers became "dead" & merged in only 8 months as compared to SWG's similar fate after 8 years. Oh well...Star Wars 1313 might be cool.

Exactly , QFE this post Very logical, calmly written, and imo: very accurate. Remember all you "hardcore" PVP'ers: The cream (aka 'skill') will always rise to the top. .

Now THAT is a helpful reply. Thank you for the tip and i'm now pissed at myself for not thinking of it.

It's a 2.2 cast-time. Do any of you know what happens in 2.2 seconds during say oh i dunno any of the Boss fights on hardmode Lost Island or hardmode Denova Coast? Are you guys seriously telling me that you find Deliverance "useful" , i mean REALLY useful (as in as much as Healing Trance) , against the Bosses in those instances?! Oh and are u guys seriously telling me that you find Deliverance equally useful, as much as our other skills, in oh i dunno say PVP?!! Please, enlighten me... And then explain to me why, unless it Crits, it's actual healing-power is a mere 3k health and yet its supposedly our "most powerful" heal???? .

Why? I just don't understand it. Either increase the healing power of Deliverance to 5k or decrease it's activation-time by 1 second. I just find it baffling that BioWare devs either aren't aware or don't seem to care that we have such a practically useless skill. Please explain the logic...or please explain to me how & when i'm supposed to best utilize this "skill". Seriously lol.

yep , we tried it last night with *1 tank, 1 healer, 1 ranged dps, & 1 melee dps* and we must have wiped 20 times lol Then, tonight, we ran it with tank/healer/2 RANGED dps'ers and passed it on our 2nd try. No fault of the melee-player of course, just that imo BioWare hates melee dps'ers (and healers too lol) Anyways, was a really fun challenge on hard-mode...as is the last boss fight.

Yes we're still around...on REPUBLIC side at least. Republic side, my guild (along with a 'coalition' of 5 other prominent guilds i formed a Chat Channel with) is still very *active* in Ops, FP's, and PVP (albeit on a PVE server) . However, due to BioWare's (or EA's?) ridiculously awful decisions lately (and the communication of said decisions, or lack thereof) our Giradda the Hutt server is essentially "dead" (not my word) during most of the week-day 'off peak' hours. Weekends are fine though and I'm still having fun regardless of the 'hour', and of course i'm keeping hope alive that maybe somehow BioWare can *fix* things soon (I can't believe how far this game has fallen in only 4 months. So much hype, so much potential...yet just like SOE: so many blunders. Therefore, so much disappointment. ) Maybe *server merges* will help? If so, maybe we'll all end up on the same server again lol

QFE, consider it *confirmed* Same issue been happening with my companions since 1.2 patch. One wonders if the day will ever come when "fix one thing, break 10 others" won't ever apply to MMOs.

QFE Now i know i mainly play on a PVE server, but since Day 1 my toon is 'overt' 24/7 (i enjoy the "paranoa" lol ) and anyways 3 of the 5 most exciting most memorable experiences i had level'ing up to 50 were random World PvP encounters in 'shared quest zones'. It's a very simple formula imo, to promote more "random World pvp" type scenarios to occur more often. And as long as there are multiple options/routes in & out of said shared Locations, then no one can cry about not being able to progress in their storyline because of "forced pvp" (not to mention the fact that being 'overt' is a *choice* )

Bingo. ./bonk BioWare Looks like not even 'they' can avoid the same old foolish traps. All that $money$ can't buy vision nor innovation nor a simple PLAYER-DRIVEN Economy. Doesn't mean i'm not enjoying this 'game', because trust me i am lol, but it does mean that I & many others could be enjoying it even more (and more often) past level 50.

Well, to steal from the infamous ever " /licking " Kismet: Shadowfire ain't comin back. However, both of the Guilds i lead on Giradda the Hutt server have quite a few Shadowfirans (in addition to other former SWG players mixed in with the new TOR people i've met/invited over the past few months) . Additionally, on another alt i've noticed many of the more prominent Shadowfire 'vets' on the Saber of Exar Kun server. Either way, you're more than welcome to join either of my guilds on Giradda the Hutt anytime. Feel free to PM me but my main toon there is: Nee (Republic side) and: Neevil or Neetoo (Sith Empire side)

Not sure to whom you're so eloquently referring but: 1) Don't do that. and 2) Personally, i've also been slowly level'ing a character on Saber of Exar Kun. You know, the PVP Server, aka the apparent "right" Server lol Funny thing is: I don't see much of a significant difference, post level 50, between each type of server. Oh, except of course even more whiners complaining about how "awful the pvp is in this game!" So yeah, i think i'll stick with the umm "wrong" server for now. .

****QFE!!!!!**** Wish the Mods could speak the truth like that to all the detritus lurking on these Forums.

Always happy to help. Here's my current Info... Server: Giradda the Hutt In-game name (Republic side: Nee In-game names (Sith Empire side: Neetoo or Neevil Guild website: http://www.teamflip.guildportal.com ------- Also have a couple of 'recruitment' threads on swtor.com .... For *Sith Empire* side: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=300827 And for *Republic* side: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=300798 ...Feel free to PM me with any further questions or just hit up our guild website yep (it's linked within those two threads) regards, Nee http://www.teamflip.guildportal.com

I have an 'alt' on a PVP Server , but all my *main* toons are still on Giradda the Hutt (the original server i started on Day 1) I have 2 Guilds (1 on each side) and we're slowly but surely growing them with quality players (including former Shadowfire people) . Looking forward to the big April 1.2 Update...

Best "long" post i've read on these Forums in a while. ./salute, very well stated indeed As an 8+ year Vet, I've "moved on" from SWG but one never forgets their 'first love'...nor should they. Here's hoping the BioWare Devs employ a similar sense of Community (and living/breathing environments) with TOR soon, to make it just a bit less of a "game" and just a bit more of an *experience*.

If you haven't gotten your *ship* yet, then the '_____wants to speak with you aboard your ship' is a BUG (Goto any Cantina safe zone, and if your Companion doesn't get a little 'icon' over his/her head, then you know it's a bug. It's a very pesky bug that has been around since BETA testing. ) As far as your 'Advanced Class' goes: Only you can decide that and imo its never a wise idea to let other people tell you what/how to pick your Class. Just do your *research* on each 'skill tree' and Class type, so you can make the best most educated decision possible (since there's no going back) . Good luck.

What server did you end up on Omega? Let me know and i'll be there to back you up anytime ole friend! /deep-bow, Nee p.s. I love the PVP in this game so far, although i haven't been to Ilum yet (random encounters with opposite Faction in the OPEN-WORLD while i'm Questing has been truly awesome and fun. Open-World is where its at imo. Warzones are okay but imo any PvP that's based mainly on 'acquiring shinies', aka 'gear', is a recipe for disaster. )