They aren't, they're slightly below average, it would lag beacuse the engine wasn't designed to handle it properly. See what bioware can really do when they optimize for a system far less powerful than even aged PCs http://download.xbox.com/content/images/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d5307e8/1033/screenlg15.jpg

I am, I too love the game's core, but all the stuff surrounding it is not so great. The above plus bugs during conversations was the deciding factor for me. Act 2 Trooper was really bad and its turning me off leveling my alts. Jedi quests seem very bad as well (Not sure how air killed someone, but I've used my air staff quite a bit on my Shadow).

Why play through the stories now? I finished up Chapter 2 on my trooper with basically every conversation bugged in some way (Missing weapons, black screen while talking, characters changing armor during conversation, etc...). Nothing that stopped me from playing, but its hard to take the story seriously when it looks like a gag reel for an animated film. The core game is awesome, but the surrounding is pretty bad. I've cancelled, but I'll likely be back in 3-4 months when they've fixed these issues.

So you're saying the people were able to see the content and fail at it prior to the tool. So how would the tool increase their complaints if they were already seeing the content? An LFG tool will happen in SWTOR beacuse it gets more people into content they weren't in before.

Its needed for people not in guilds. Spamming fleet chat is only catching a subset of the player base and on the later planets with their orbital stations is just a PITA to travel to. My high~ish level healer can't get groups anymore as most high level players are running with their guilds. Planets are basically empty even at prime time (~40 players on Hoth) I've run a number of groups as DPS in WoW via LFD, my good runs outnumber bad runs 10 to 1. If you're tank/heals that number should be higher as you have more influence on the group. I don't see bad groups as a significant barrier to block a LFG tool in SWTOR.

The higher levels (35+) do seem to be tuned for above average gearing. I'm guessing they'll get a nerf bat at some point in the future.

Are you using any social items or items that start without any mods in them? I noticed my Jedi in full social doesn't get stats from the equipment until I un-equip and re-equip. But yea, another bug.

Yes, x100. Biggest PITA of the game right now is the hassle to get on/off your ship.