It's very possible that these posts inspire internal discussions amongst the developer staff- actually, most assuredly since it basically gives them a free QA forum of sorts. The devs can't possibly initiate dialogue with the players regarding every forum topic, otherwise it would consume their entire day and still not fulfill every players' desire for attention to a specific topic. Also, they have access to internal metrics that either corroborate or disprove player comments- particularly in regards to class/spec balance. So many players are eager to dismiss the developer responses (or lack thereof) with "they don't care" etc. I find this difficult to believe, as developer paychecks and future resumes depend on their performance. Also, no player wants to admit it (myself included), but their perspectives regarding game issues and imbalances are provided solely from their own experiences- simply from a mathematical standpoint we each have access to less than .0001 percent of the information provided by continuous player activity, yet so many of us claim to be "experts". Sure, some of these postings are also fueled by the need to vent, a plea for attention, or even something so simple as a desire to belong to a community.

The ranked game community is a tiny fraction of the playerbase- ranked participation was so anemic they had to add endgame crafting materials just to entice participation. So considering that, why use a spec's performance in the ranked arena to suggest change when those changes will affect all other aspects of the game? Ranked performance should never even be a factor in consideration of future changes to any class, spec or ability- why should the overwhelming majority yield to such a small component of the playerbase? Nor should anyone suggest a ranked participant has any better grasp of class performance than a player of equal intuitive capability and experience gained in other facets of the game. Its not an esport. No huge tournaments with cash prizes. No livestream performances garnering massive audiences. Just good ol' dumb fun. If anyone is so dead serious regarding performance issues in a competitive environment, why aren't they where the hardcore competition is?

Everyone that posts in this thread is spending money on swtor- as is required to do so for forum privileges. So essentially many are broadcasting the notion that "this game isn't receiving the support it needs yet I'm still paying". Why on earth would this have any effect on the current stance of EA devoting more resources to a new game currently in development? As long as you're granting them money for one of their products, they're happy- just like any business.

They should reinstate pvp-specific gear for one particular purpose: balance. To avoid potential balance issues affecting pve status in a negative fashion, the buffs/nerfs necessary for proper pvp balance could be applied directly to the pvp gear, instead of across the board as they have done in the past. The potential to do so already exists, as gear sets are already used to provide certain ability buffs.

Some of the suggestions listed by the OP are good, but the harsh reality (according to dev posts in the past) is that many of these will never go into effect, simply because they aren't willing to sacrifice fast queue activity. Maybe consolidate them into fewer suggestions. As far as the typical "if you don't like facing premades, make your own" response, it makes me wonder: "Why isn't your premade queuing for ranked pvp instead of regs?" Another case of "mad cuz bad" perhaps?

Ridiculous stereotypes as illustrated above is the main reason discussions such as the topic of this thread exist. For example, on a personal & professional level I know 3 carpenters, 1 plumber and 3 individuals associated with IT or the technology industry. The carpenters/plumber act much more mature than 15- as a matter of fact, I would wager that most individuals that manage or work in those fields act very mature, as they represent said business and are responsible for its success. The three tech specialists are a mixed bag. Two seemed very professional, yet one I hired short term was lazy, immature and whined constantly. This doesn't lead me to believe that all IT specialists are lazy and/or immature, just a brief illustration of how everyone is different. I am a farmer. I have a college education. I hate country music (actually, I'm very much a metal and jazz fan.) I live/work on a 1300 acre farm, consisting of both beef cattle and grain operations. When I ride a horse (whether in a work-related situation or for leisure) I never wear cowboy boots or a cowboy hat. These details describe how I, like most others, tend to fit outside of generalizations and stereotypes. Now consider the effect this concept has on feminism, sexism & exploitation. Everyone has differing views of each and where the boundaries exist for each. Is it sexist when Kate Beckinsale or Scarlett Johansson wear tight and/or revealing clothing when cast in action movies? Some think so. Or do you consider the empowerment and diversity of the new age when decades before only men commanded such roles and the fame and wealth accompanying those roles? Is it sexist when Kevin Sorbo or Arnold Swarzenaggar fulfill action roles while bare chested? Regardless, whether male or female a certain degree of sex appeal has been consistently intertwined with action roles- both in cinema and now in video games. TL/DR: Everyone will have their own view of feminism and sexism in today's environment. Everyone is different.

I thought The Last Jedi was a great movie. Perfect? Nah, but a grand spectacle nonetheless. It just seems many people go out of their way simply to find things to criticize- and that's okay, but don't expect all others to agree. Lets touch a few of the most popular criticisms: "Rey is too powerful"- Well, it was established fairly early that Rey had ample experience with melee weapons, so it sure doesn't seem out of the question that the expertise would translate to the use of a lightsaber. Plus, we've already had the "padawan training" stories with both Anakin and Luke, and it seemed pretty obvious that pupils in Force training demonstrate varying aptitude- and that's just from two examples. "The Anticlimactic Death of Luke"- Do we really want to see yet another main SW hero die to a lightsaber? Sure, there have been some epic clashes in the series, but its also become a cliché when considering Kenobi, Quigon, Han and others died in pretty much the same fashion. Besides, introducing new concepts regarding the use of the Force should be applauded for just that reason. Sacrificing his own life energy to fuel an illusion to save the last remnant of the Rebellion is heroic to say the least. "Lightspeed Collision Physics"- Trying to apply any sense of logic to a completely fictional and/or theoretical science is just silly. Regardless of whether it was the weaponization of a starship in lightspeed or any other fantastical aspect of the movie (such as new facets of the Force), those are some of the reasons that make science fiction and fantasy so magnificent- to suspend all disbelief simply to encourage acceptance of a grand story.

Lets face it: the only reason any type of arena or ranked pvp even exists in this game is because if it didn't there would be that vocal minority requesting it perpetually- just like in every mmo with any degree of pvp. Its not an esport. No massive tournaments with sponsors and huge cash prizes. No livestreams garnering massive audiences. No (or very little) semblance of class balance to maintain competitive balance. Just some good ol' dumb fun. The very notion that mats or some other form of extra incentive to promote activity simply illustrates that few are interested in the activity. So may as well leave it as it is- this way those who do enjoy the activity benefit from more consistent queues, and those attracted to the incentives have yet another outlet to collect those materials.

People argue in just about every online outlet that allows that type of behavior because it helps them fulfill two very basic human needs: the feeling that they have some sort of contribution to a community and the need for attention. Those who fail to meet these needs in their ordinary lives- whether it be at work, school, etc- attempt to fill those voids in the new era of online communities. Coupled with the virtual anonymity provided by the online community environment, they are free to seek out attention and forms of contribution without regard of simple courtesies usually required in irl situations. Sad but true.

Every mmo that has a class/classes with perma-stealth will invariably have any owpvp potential become extinct. Rift. Wildstar. SWTOR. The list continues.... I remember when Jung Ma (old pvp/RP server) had a robust population and Yavin IV became available. For about 2 to 3 months there was plenty of available owpvp prospects, and then it swiftly dried up. Why? Because invariably every period of owpvp eventually degenerates into stealthed players exploiting respawns, popular quest areas/gathering nodes, etc. Stealth is the ultimate pvp utility in every game its available. Having the ability to choose when, where and how to engage an enemy- or avoid confrontation altogether- is such an advantage that any engagement against an unsuspecting opponent allows absolutely no excuse for failure. And the majority of playerbases tire of this eventuality and avoid the activity or transfer to servers that don't encourage it. TL/DR: Any game that allows perma-stealth as an available ability in pvp will never, ever achieve any semblance of "balance"- and this is most accurately reflected in the absence of owpvp activity in the games that do so.

My main pet peeve regarding swtor pvp are those requests to class balance in regards to their performance in ranked games. We all know all specs are viable in unranked pvp- which is good. Yes, some may seem inherently better in some ways, but we've all seen players take so-called "subpar" specs and dominate with them. But those who maintain that the opinion of a ranked pvp participant should trump the opinions of others in regard to class balance seem to forget one basic concept: that the "ranked community" is a fraction of a minority of the swtor playerbase. Sure, swtor pvp can be fun. Yet.... Its not an esport. No massive tournaments with huge cash prizes and sponsors. No livestreams garnering massive audiences. Just good ol' dumb fun. So for those that choose to don an air of superiority regarding pvp- prove it. Go play a game with tens of thousands of players competing for real bragging rights. And quit whining about skank tanks, the current metas, and why you think your particular spec warrants more attention than every other aspect of the game. Remember, those focused on ranked pvp are a fraction of a decimal of a percentage of those affected by such changes. Unless of course if you add mats to the mix- making ranked participation much more active- giving the original ranked "community" yet one more item to bicker about.

There is no conventional method of applying or understanding marks on players in pvp, and for good reason. Every match is different. Not every healer warrants the attention of needing a mark. I they're an established/well known player or has proven to be an effective healer, then sure- a mark would be appropriate. If they're just not that experienced yet (or seem to be a pocket healer for a player who represents little threat, etc) why waste the time and/or effort issuing a mark on them when a dps or tank represents a larger threat to the team and/or objectives related to that particular match? In a basic sense, the mark system encourages one simple concept: that the player/s marked represent a threat, and warrant special attention. Not everyone will use a mark when needed nor will everyone utilize discretion when choosing an appropriate target for a mark- that's just another facet of individual gameplay experience. Best solution: if you use a mark and/or marks, indicate in the chat why it is there, particularly if there are more than one target.

I would love to entertain the idea of initiating a premade queue/matchup system for regs, but it seems many continue over the years to use the "we don't have the population- it would slow queues" argument. However, simply for the sake of maintaining ANY degree of competitive environment, the current rehashing of premades stomping pugs is not only prevalent, but overstates the lack of "balance" in general. Well, I guess we will just have to endure the current meta. Its just sad that pvp groups don't want a competitive environment, otherwise they would be adding their own potential solutions.

The most prevalent complaints/concerns regarding swtor pvp over the years seem to be among the following: premades vs pugs, ranked participation, win traders, trolls throwing matches, hackers, faction imbalance and class imbalance. Some of these would require extra attention (class imbalance and hacking for example) yet some may be solved with easy streamlined solutions that shouldn't impact the queue times in a negative fashion. Regs Solo Queue Only: Yes, the regular warzones should simply have a solo queue only. This should enable easier matchmaking (if ever implemented) and also quells the "I don't like playing with pugs against premades" conversations which continue to this day. I certainly don't want to eliminate premade pvp, so this will be handled as illustrated below. For those potential teams who want to develop team chemistry prior to entering the ranked arena, use the Tatooine pvp zone or pvp instances for that reason- those areas need more activity anyway. I would certainly encourage the developers to add a premade matchmaking system instead, but since that's been suggested often with little interest from BW, the aforementioned seems to be the simpler solution. Team Ranked/Premade Queue Only: Limiting ranked participation to teams should limit/eliminate many issues such as players complaining about imbalanced teams in solo ranked, win traders and trolls throwing games intentionally. It also should encourage robust team ranked participation without the need for mats and the like to draw participants that otherwise have no interest in ranked gameplay. Regs Cross Faction Implementation: Yes, why not make all regular warzones cross faction? For those who maintain an "RP perspective" of desiring the traditional Imp vs Pub structure, is there much difference between a pub character and a lightside aligned Imp character? From an RP perspective, I wouldn't think so. And if enthusiastic roleplay doesn't influence your perspective, why would it matter anyway? Lets face it, we all want quick queues, balanced (as much as possible) teams, and a more enjoyable pvp experience for both casual/new and experienced/veteran players. These suggestions may assist in providing solutions for those issues with very little effort from a developer standpoint.

The Mandalorian Armors book trilogy, which continues the story of Boba Fett immediately after The Return of the Jedi. Great story.