When Apple started selling the iPhone, it was their first attempt at making phones. They put together a very popular product that a lot of people wanted to buy. This is what Bioware could have done if they were successful. They could have been the iPhone of MMOs. Make something new, something revolutionary, something that everyone really wanted. However, Bioware puts out something that isn't polished, that is full of bugs, and doesn't satisfy very many people. If Apple hadn't been successful, do you think it really would have done any good to compare the first iPhone with a 7 year old Nokia and say "well, when it came out, it had bugs!" This is Bioware's first MMO. They should have waited until it was completely ready before launching. Some companies get it right on the first try. Bioware didn't. Now they have to compete with what's available NOW, with what features are standard NOW.

It's a sure sign that the game was pushed out too early just to make it in time for the holidays. It's also a reason to question it being a "triple A game."

I played the quests for the early level Jedi area. At one point you go talk to some twilek village that doesn't like the Jedi. My wife was playing a human, I was playing a twilek. We weren't grouped, and she went through that area first. I was hoping that when I went through, I'd get a different dialog response. Something based on my race being the same as theirs. No difference. Very disappointing. I've played a number of different races and classes, and have yet to see anything in quest dialog that indicates the NPC knows what race I'm playing.

They said in an interview that they had to farm out the development to so many different groups. I think their UI department was a high-school programming class somewhere.

And if it's easy to get people into the group, they'll just kick the players that aren't ready. If you're going to join the dungeon finder knowing that it won't put you at the entrance for you, then people that aren't ready to go will just get kicked. It will be the next big forum argument. "Don't kick me for not being ready!" V.S. "Be ready or be kicked." People don't like waiting on others to get their act together.

They're both on the same shelf in the store. They're both asking for 15 bucks per month. Why shouldn't I compare what's available for the same price, right now?

You've actually proven my point. If the only impact that race has is the aesthetics of their heads, then what's the point? There's no lore, no story, no quests, nothing that separates you from any other members of your class once you've picked your race. Except, as you mentioned, what your head looks like. And that's just plain lazy.

Must be why I see so many helmets.

That's true. I just don't feel 'connected' enough to the other WZ players. IT'S DESTROYING THE COMMUNITY!!!!1

Once you put on a hood or some kind of face mask, you can't tell the difference between any non-twilek race.

That's racist to non-humans. Also, exactly how 'connected' do you get when you see someone's name in a /who list, and you click on them and hit 'invite to group'? If I whisper someone and say "BT?", and and invite window pops up, are we now BFFs? Do I need to send them Christmas cards? Just how connected do you need to be before running a dungeon with these people? Do you want to have a 'get-acquainted' session with them to ensure that you share the same types of values and beliefs? Do you have some sort of application form that you'd like people to fill out prior to your acceptance of them?

Races don't matter one bit in this game. In That Other MMO, you start in an area dictated by your race. You learn about the history of your race, find out about the politics of how your particular race became part of the faction that it's in, and why it has the classes that it does. Race also dictates a few different in-game abilities that actually affect the performance of certain class/race combinations. In SWTOR, race means getting a silly social action. That's it. All that matters is your class. Nobody ever mentions what race you are, no special race-related quests... just class. What's the point of more races when the races already don't matter one bit?

Magic.

I vote no on your subscription to the game.

I can receive money through my phone. I've transferred money from person to person on my phone, yet I can't receive credits without a stinkin' mailbox in TOR.

A little droid can fly in and rez me, but can't bring me some mail? I can check my auctions on ebay on my phone, but my star warz character can't check their auctions on some 3d holographic thingy?

Yeah, but their numbers were going up... Something that this game's numbers is not likely to do.

I don't see why companies bother to actually release the game. There's so many people willing to pay to beta test the game *and* ravenously attack anyone that doesn't completely adore the company at the same time. P.T. Barnum was completely right...

They don't get the benefit of the doubt until they earn it.

I'm in a guild. Half of us are quitting. My rating: 4/10.

I didn't ask for any of that. I wanted some of the bugs fixed.

Sad, desperate company is desperate.

I see what you did there.

"initial sales appear to be below expectations" That's pretty sad.

Too late... The investors are spooked. The game sold poorly than expected. Higher churn rates than expected. This game is not going to succeed, and the fanboys can't deal with it...