But... there ARE only four classes instead of eight. The storylines are the major aspect of SWTOR. The creative content is what identifies classes in this game more than anything else. And the creative concepts are the same for any advanced class for a single major class. Though the mechanics aren't that different either. Only a few advanced classes like the Sorcerer/Assassin have some noticeable differences. Most have very few. Armor type and single/dual wielding weapons is not at all a major difference. And combat roles? You can already switch them if one of your trees happens to be a healer/tank tree while your DPS or vice-versa. Who in their right mind would play two different advanced classes of the same major class unless they were the last person left on Earth after an apocalyptic scenario and were bored out of their minds?

I was playing a single player game. PvP is a joke: 8 vs 8 is the exact opposite of massive online multiplayer. And PvE is boring to hell: they totally gave up on any creativity after the first flashpoint and made all the others bland, uneventful wastes of time where you run from one boss to another with maybe one single cinematic convo, which isn't really a convo but a "ZOMG DRAMATIC CHOICE" to kill some enemies or let them live, and that's not mentioning the utterly bland boss mechanics. I love the storylines and plan on playing several other classes, but I can't bring myself to play the same class with the same storyline and same companions all over again...

The problem with that is that SWTOR does everything in its power to prevent making many alts. Because of the story driven nature of the game, there is absolutely no reason to ever make more than one of any major class. Once you've played one major class, that's it, you will never play it again because going through the same exact storyline on top of the same exact non-class missions all over again would be totally mindnumbing. That's another reason for why I don't understand the lack of advanced class respec. The game provides no freedom in the leveling process whatsoever. It's an entirely linear experience, so there's absolutely no incentive to replay it, especially as the same class.

The advanced classes aren't that different. Sure, some are a bit far apart, like the Sorcerer/Assassin, but for the most part, the major classes are what determine the feel of a character. Not to mention that the storylines are the same for any advanced class. Why trap players in such a way?

So it recently hit me with the force of a thousand trains how badly I screwed up choosing my advanced class. The Sith Warrior was my first character in SWTOR. It still is the only character I've leveled. I chose the class because of the dynamic abilities that other warrior classes in other (medieval fantasy) MMORPGs don't possess: Force Charge (instead of a ground charge with terrible pathing and boring animation) and Force Choke. But recently, once I hit level 49 on my Sith Warrior, I suddenly realized the huge mistake I made... My intention was to play the Sith Warrior class because of how fun and dynamic it is. To have a bunch of fun, dynamic abilities for CC, movement, etc. -- basically abilities that really make you stand out on the battlefield. To my shock and awe, I decided to compare my chosen Marauder advanced class to the Juggernaut advanced class just out of curiosity after having watched the Republic intro cinematic again and being curious about all the single light saber wielding Sith Warriors on the battlefield in it: http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/101/class/1/level/1-50/sort/level,name vs. http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/100/class/1/level/1-50/sort/level,name And that's when it hit me... the Juggernaut advanced class has all the fun, dynamic abilities the Marauder possesses (Force Charge, Force Choke) but on top of that has several other awesome CC abilities and movement-based abilities that the Marauder lacks. I was then hit again, this time nearly knocking me out, by the fact that the Marauder advanced class is pretty much some sort of WoW-like raid spec: bunch of buffs and debuffs along with pure damage dealing attacks, just standing there beating on enemies, debuffing mobs and buffing the party/operation. So now I'm sitting here completely lost... I've spent 49 levels already as a Sith Warrior and seen most of the Sith Warrior storlyine. I can't bring myself to going through all that all over again, yet there is no way to switch my advanced class. So my question is: why not have an advanced class respec option in the game? Now don't get me wrong, I have no intention of whining and sounding entitled, but I just can't think of a reason for why someone trapped in a situation like mine shouldn't be able to switch advanced class.

So this hit me like a train recently and I'm not sure what to do about it... I realized that the Juggernaut advanced class for the Sith Warrior has all the fun abilities while the Marauder is like some sort of castrated WoW Warrior raid spec, consisting entirely of buffs/debuffs and lacking all the fun and dynamic CC/etc. abilities the Juggernaut posseses. http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/101/class/1/level/1-50/sort/level,name vs. http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/100/class/1/level/1-50/sort/level,name I just don't know what to do now... The reason I went for the Sith Warrior as my first character is because of how awesome Force Charge and Force Choke are, but only now, after I leveled my warrior to level 49, have I suddenly realized that I chose the wrong advanced class for what I wanted: lots of fun, dynamic abilities that include movement, CC, etc. -- exactly what the Juggernaut advanced class has. And now I can't change it... Anyone else find themselves in this predicament?

The level 46+ Medium Armor helms are hilarious and disturbing at the same time. I don't play a Twi'lek but I make sure to outfit my Vette companion thoroughly. Those 46+ fully encompassing helms totally remove the lekku, encompassing only the skull very tightly, as if the lekku were never there to begin with or were painfully, surgically removed for the helmet to fit. It's unsettling... But then I go and either remove the helmet or replace it with a helm that lets the lekku out and... the lekku TWITCH even while Vette is standing totally still, apparently due to the physics applied to them. Twi'leks have got to have the most demented implementation in the game.

Clearly, you haven't played a single PC game since 2000 or so if you think lack of a hardware cursor is a made up complaint.

Wha...? I don't need to know her specs. I know there's no hardware cursor option in the game. It's not present in the settings menu. No hardware cursor = laggy mouse input. It's really not debateable.

That's also a valid idea. I still can't stand people doing heroic end-game dungeons with me in any MMO while wearing PvP gear. It's absolutely ludicrous. So they get to have fun in PvP, which is new and fun every time, then use their gear in PvE, yet when I have fun in PvE and want to try out my new gear in PvP, I suddenly have NO CHANCE whatsoever. How is that fair?

It's not mouse smoothing. It's lack of a Hardware Cursor option. Just another one of the countless options that EVERY GAME IN EXISTENCE today has but SWTOR lacks. Seriously, amateur indie game devs who live off Ramen and work from cold, dark basements don't make these sort of mistakes and omissions.

PvP gear shouldn't exist. It's completely unimaginative, retarded, worthless, take your pick. It doesn't come from any creative content whatsoever, and creative content is what any RPG is all about. And it separates PvP from everything else in the game like it's some separate multiplayer game. This idea is grand, and if SWTOR would implement it instead of the demented resilience idea WoW has, which would thus allow me to use gear acquired from creative, fun content in the game world and be viable with it in PvP, then I'd actually switch from WoW to SWTOR. This really is a brilliant idea, and I have no idea how I never thought of it myself. Sure, I personally don't see anything "overpowered" about PvE items in PvP, but if that's what people who only play PvP in an MMORPG think (why would you do that?), then fine, implement this idea and the problem is solved without forcing EVERYONE who wants to stand any chance in PvP at all into separating their PvP experience from the entire rest of the fantasy game world and donning sickeningly unimaginative and forced gear.

Except they aren't. The Bounty Hunter class is a joke. The single unique element in gameplay terms that makes the class stand out from other classes is only used for some special effects to cast abilities that could just as easily be case while standing on the ground or on higher terrain for a few moments. The moment I found out the jetpack does absolutely nothing I was put off from ever playing the class. It's a carbon copy of all the other pistol wielding ranged classes, unfortunately.

I actually took forever to make this recent jedi of mine. Was afraid that I was going to get kicked from the character creator at any moment due to how long I was taking. As such, the impact of having my elderly jedi depicted as a young padawan was that much stronger after such a lengthy and intricate character creation process.

Barbershops in WoW are free. Paid only with in-game gold and in tiny amounts of it. You're thinking of changing your character entirely, including name, gender, body type, etc. etc. etc., which is a paid service in WoW. A barbershop doesn't change any of that. It only serves to change superficial traits like facial hair and complexion. Being able to change that seems like a must to me, since you really are fitted into a very narrow mold at the start of most character storylines. The jedi knight storyline beginning seems to be the most glaring in that regard. You are a young padawan, and if you don't look the part, everything feels demented.

So I would never advocate dual specs because I believe it's important that people play one character at a time instead of a whole array of characters in one, but as far as appearance customization, I believe there is a serious argument in favor of an in-game barbershop that allows you to change your character's appearance (not body type or facial type, but the more superficial traits). I'll illustrate it with my recent experience in-game: I started a jedi knight character and made him look elderly, aged, wise, etc. I then began playing and... everything instantly went sour. My jedi was still a padawan, and not just any padawan, but a "young padawan" as stated in the intro scrolling text, who arrived on Tython to become a jedi knight... all the while looking like an aged and experienced old man. I hope the problem here is obvious. Now for the solution... It's obvious that the storylines for the classes cannot be changed, but character appearances can be changed. So I believe barbershops that allow you to change your character's superficial facial traits is a must have in SWTOR unlike in any other MMO on the market. This is because you are forced into a certain mold at the start of your character's life cycle, so for your character's appearance to make sense and remain immersive, you need to look the part; however, later, as your character grows throughout the story, his appearance can change to reflect age/wear & tear/etc. In short: a barbershop would allow players to make characters that don't fit the mold at the start of the class's storyline by changing them throughout the leveling process. Anyone else of the same opinion?

I dunno. I'd rather see a refined and sophisticated Quinn in his Imperial uniform than... well, this.

Nah. I caught him a second time the same day but later: http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6439/swtor2012011913383717.jpg I think it might be because Vette is the only companion I ever use in combat. Quinn has been stuck on the ship for ages now. Must be going iffy in the noggin.

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/4991/swtor2012011912172634.jpg Logged in today and did some missions where Malavai Quinn holo called me from my ship. I distinctly recall giving him strict orders to stay dressed, but alas, his rampant nudist tendencies just could not be quelled. Oddly, he only became this obsessed with his hatred for his armor since the latest patch. I wonder why...

All I hear from that dev post is: YOU WANT HIGH QUALITY TEXTURES?! YOU CAN'T HANDLE HIGH QUALITY TEXTURES! Why it isn't made an option, which is, you know, optional, is beyond me.

No different from WoW/RIFT/etc. You sit in your capital (fleet) and do heroic (hard mode) dungeons (flashpoints) and an occasional raid (operation).

I'm the most relaxed player out there and I'm already at 43. They rushed the game out half-broken technically for Christmas. Of course people will be 50 over the holidays. But with the hilarity that are 8 vs 8 warzones and the delay and the various other issues, what's there to do once you do get to 50? They really didn't think it through.

More like some (or all) investors are greedy bastards who don't understand that the creative industry/gaming industry can't be worked in with only money on the brain. It's why we get nothing but WoW clone after WoW clone nowadays. As for the OP, you forgot sound issues, including a static low number of sound channels, which makes sounds not play when there are a mere 12 or so mobs/player characters in your vicinity, and the horribad music management without a looping music option, and the lack of ambience in some places all together, which leads to sometimes being in TOTAL silence, which is ridiculous. The RPG is there, but the technical product was rushed out for Christmas as a botched pile of scrap.

So basically... you are purposefully removing the ability to use high quality textures... instead of having an OPTION to use or not use them? How does that make any sense?

You've still failed to name any AAA title that has had these specific issues, ever, in the existence of the universe. Nor have you named a single developer, ever, who has allowed these specific, amateur level issues to exist at launch. Your argument is an attempt to sway the conversation in a different direction. As such, your argument is invalid. Good day.