Random healing with the incumbent sound effects could be annoying. Of course, I buff everyone who walks by me at all times, so I'm probably just as bad.

32 / Female / Portland, OR.

This thread keeps getting better!! I have noticed a lot of people (not just in this thread) who love to point out that this is not the "WoW-Killer" or "MMO Messiah" or "Everything the movie was to me when I was a child." I would say that if this was your expectation, of course the game did not meet it. Sometimes people get so caught up in the hype and their own expectations that nothing could possible measure up. Please understand, this is not an attack post. I had my own expectations, and not all of them were met. The game does have bugs, like any game. BioWare is a name with a lot of credibility with a lot of gamers, and I know a lot of us (including myself) hoped for 'better'. That being said. This game is not a 'WoW killer' or 'the MMO Gamechanger" it is Star Wars: The Old Republic. Nothing more and nothing less. And I'm very grateful for that. If the devs had focused on that, I don't think it would be a game I want to play. Hopefully it can survive on it's own merits, and not on the scale of how much competition it gives any other game. TL/DR: No game, including TOR is going to be a "WoW-Killer." Pandas and Pokemon will do that. And that is a GOOD thing.

I have always used a simple strategy to avoid download frustration. Start the install, go to work. By the time I get home 10 hours later, it's done.

I like the brown fog. I just imagine it's a giant mob of Jedi in their brown robes. That way I don't feel like I'm the only one playing Republic side.

I completely agree with the out-leveling the area thing. I know I have found most of my datacrons by following the level 20 in the level 10 zone, so I fully encourage waiting.

I just completed this quest today. I was level 9, so no Mortar Volley. The guys in the room do hit hard and have more health than anyone else in the Compound, but it was by no means undoable. I didn't die. I came close once, but never had to use a pot. This is not an L2P response at all; just wondering what I may have done differently.

I think the name 'Cautionary Tale' is appropriate. After all, my girl trooper got "The 'Clap'", and as a result, her only romance option is a bitter, angry cat-man. Moral: A mis-spent youth will result in becoming "The Crazy Cat Lady" later in life.

Thank you for this one, Belchie! I have noticed this hyper extremist, everything I want now and nothing you want ever mentality has pretty much won over our culture in general. "Scream loud enough, and be as unreasonable as possible. This will get you your way." This is why I'm so glad I found this little Oasis in these forums. Actual intelligent, rational insights, and (mostly) well reasoned opinions!

I am extremely happy with this game as well. I just remember a rather noteworthy experience regarding someone trash-talking EA in the DA:2 forums, and being unable to register and play the game for a week because his account was banned. But I digress. I love this game. And I don't despise EA.

I understand what you two are saying, but I have to disagree as I do not want our Corporate Overlords to ban my account for agreeing. So I don't. TL/DR: Don't ban me EA!!!! I love you. Even Sims Medieval. Honest.

I do understand where you're coming from, and although my experience has been great, I know others' have not been. That being said, from another perspective: Thankfully, this is a video game. It is not an oil pipeline, or a nuclear reactor. Nobody will die if a fix takes a few days. Heads would roll if a nuclear reactor came online and only irradiated 1% of people in the community around it, but with a game the bugs are thankfully less critical. It is a matter of scale. We do pay for the game, and actually do the developers a service when we point out bugs and make suggestions, but only if we do so constructively. Just as it would do no good to call the oil company and say "you have an oil leak. Fix this right now" and provide no information regarding location, it does no good to say "ugh! Buggy game! Fix it now" without providing information on when and how you encounter it.

It can be a little lower for several reasons, but most likely because it is a PNY branded card, which are 'generic' or 'bargain' cards It depends on the mobo. A google search of the model number shows least one PCIe port on the board. The port is more or less what matters as far as what cards you can install. Please note: I do not recommend specific cards, because everyone has an opinion, and it's usually a strong one. They are easy enough to research, though.

Observational failure. -1 internets for me! Carry on.

It's listing 2 because one is integrated, one is PCIe. But again, the video card (GPU) on a laptop is integrated into the motherboard, so you cannot swap it out.

Laptop video cards are integrated into the motherboard. This means it cannot be removed. If you purchase the system from your friend, you can get several fairly good cards for around $100.

I use an HD 5700 Series as well, and can say unless the card is failing, it is not the card. I would recommend checking that your drivers are up to date, however. Also, reading over your dxdiag, I'm curious how much RAM you currently have installed. If you don't know, you can check this by clicking Start > Right click 'Computer' > select Properties.

I'm enjoying this thread! But I do have one more very important piece of advice for DPS: If you pull aggro, do NOT run towards me in a panic hopping up and down and screaming "HEALS!!! HEALS!!!" Instead, calmly go to the TANK, so they can more easily pull aggro off you. the added benefit of this is that I guarantee the tank is in my LOS and range, so it will be easier to heal you.

CoolJaZ, you kind of hit the nail on the head with one part of your statement, that having the same hardware (ie. consoles) makes development easier. I would like to give you a slightly different perspective on this, if I may. PC gaming for a long time was a very niche market, and video gaming in general was dominated by consoles. If you're as old as I am, you'll remember the early 90s glut of side-scrollers and top down adventures. It was only after the PC gaming market started growing, and the gaming industry at large started seeing the innovative gameplay PC games were offering, that the console industry started moving off tried-and-true formulas and design. Case in point, MMOs, 3d worlds and FPS games (ugh) were all pioneered on PC years before they hit consoles. This means that while PC games are harder to develop because of the hardware mix, you likely owe those brave enough to do it for the game styles you enjoy. For me, and a majority of the long-term PC gamers, it has always been worth the bugs for the variety. TL/DR: PC games are harder to develop, but offer more variety and innovation. If occasional bugs bother you, consoles are a more stale, yet stable option for you.

+1. I agree also. I would only add this: As a healer my priority is the tank, as the tank keeps us all alive, especially me. Don't panic if your health gets a little low, as I am probably healing the tank, who is again, keeping us/ME alive. I will get to you as soon as I can.

I have to say, I'm EXTREMELY pleased to see an intelligent post for rational discussion on this issue. Having worked in large scale software development and support (not games, business software) I laugh whenever I see people say "this CAN'T be that hard to implement" or "why isn't this fixed NOW?!?!?!?" Sometimes a bug is tied to other systems, so fixing one bug could create 3 more issues in previously stable parts of the game. Sometimes multiple issues can cause the same symptom. With the hundreds of thousands of lines of code in a game like this, tracking down and implementing a solid fix can be a HUGE process. That being said, having played multiple MMOs from Beta or from Launch, I can say my experience with this game has been far smoother than any other MMO I've played. I've been extremely impressed. And rather than complaining in the forums when I do encounter a bug, I submit a bug report, with a DxDiag and as much information as possible. Remember what your Grandmother said, "If you aren't part of the solution..." TROLL DISCLAIMER: Note in the previous statement I said "my experience." Your experience may vary, but mine is no less valid.

For me, as dumb as it sounds, I rolled Republic because I don't like doing evil or cruel things. Even in video games.

I personally have always liked the idea that content nerfs over time until most players can see it. However, I do think it would be nice to leave a mode for the original content, at the difficulty level it was originally launched. These 'original difficulty' raids could have some sort of non-game changing 'epeen' reward, like a pet, title, or slightly different looking (but same stat) gear drops. Casuals can then see all content, and hardcores get the challenge and prestige they are looking for. Then as close to everyone as possible is happy. (Some people are never happy, no matter what you do. The majority of them post "This game sucks because..." threads on the forums.)

If it helps, I use a Razor Naga, but a normal (ish) keyboard... I have the Naga 1-12 mapped to the normal 1-0,-,= skill bar. The bar below that I have mapped to shift+1-0,-,= And the left bar mapped to alt 1-0,-,=. Then, I group similar skills or skills I use in combination a lot on the same numbers, but with the modifiers. For example, on my Jedi Guardian: Force Leap is on number 4, force push is shift-4 and Guardian Leap is on alt-4. That way I can hold alt, click the 4 Naga key to Guardian Leap, release alt and hit it again to force leap back to the mob, hold shift and hit the key to push the mob, then release shift and hit it again to force leap to the target, all without moving my thumb. Works for me, but as everyone else says, you will find a setup that works for you.

Do you ever wonder why so many people have such an investment in the game not doing well? I mean this seriously.