Thanks Damethian, that's actually really helpful!

No, but they do get to play. Which I think is the key difference. Excessive difficulty makes it so that I am unable to play (without help). You could also look at it as someone that gets to play sports, but with people way out of their league skill wise. Not fun for the person that's getting rolled. What happens? They quit. OR... they join an easier league while their skills develop. See what I did there? For now, I can continue up until the next class quest roadblock. At which point I will again lean on others to help me out.

I found some people that have been stuck with a class quest bug, unable to progress their main for 3 weeks. With no word from CS. Not trying to derail, just sayin'...

Many class quests handcuff you to a particular companion. You don't get to make a choice.

I don't follow your comparison. The model for school is: "I give you money, you teach" The model for recreational activity, like this game is: "I give you money, you entertain me". The only similarity I see is that you would not pay someone who is a bad teacher, just like someone wouldn't pay for something that doesn't entertain.

fix't

Sometimes! I turn to down to easy if I get sick of it. I play games mostly for the story, honestly.

My issue has progressed into something different now in light of the show-stopping bug I'm now experiencing, but you said something that I think merits discussion. You said, How are "these people" going to get better. The real question is why should we have do get better? These are mandatory quests. I can't get around them. I don't want to be stuck for ages on it, have to out-level it by grinding dailies and space missions or pvp or whathave you. In most games I would just turn down the difficulty and move on. I can't do that here. Although, obvious end-run is to just group up like I did. Might make this whole discussion moot. (is it moot, or is it mute? anyone know?) How about this: I'll keep my badness out of your operations groups. You keep your excessive difficulty out of my storyline. Deal?

Tried that. No dice.

Update: I successfully grouped with a friend several levels higher than myself, killed Angral, but the quest bugged out. Says travel to Tython. I did. The quest still says, "Travel to Tython". Google says that I'm not the only one with this issue (http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=73017) /facepalm.

Wait, seriously?! ... I feel like I should have been told. Like somewhere in big, bold typeface. Or maybe on the cancellation screen. Something like "LOL, U BAD BRO? Try inviting a friend! Yes, even on a class quest!"

Ah, the one specific one I'm referring to is the Darth Angral encounter where you fly out to the middle of nowhere on your ship. People not on the quest can't even fly there.

Unfortunately, for class quests this is near impossible. Mostly because only member of your same class, that are on that same mission can group with you. The one time I did pull it off, the quest bugged out and I had to re-do it solo this time. Also, @ Onyx, you're right! And Mushroom, that's exactly what I did. :-P

I cancelled my subscription today, and it expires around the end of next month. I did it for one big reason: This game isn't fun. It's frustrating. I will be the first one to say that I am not very talented at video games. Some people might even call me bad. I would prolly agree with those people. I know a few things, like what interrupts are for, and I have a good idea of which skills are the best bang for my buck in terms of resources and cooldowns, but that's about it. That said... I die. I die a LOT. Most notably, (and frustratingly) I die on class-specific quests a lot. (Darth Angral I'm looking at you) This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that these class quests effectively "gate" the rest of the game. Sure, I can finish all the solo quests on Alderaan, but I can't progress any further, go to any new planets, or take any new quests. Heck, even my prospects for out-leveling the quest difficulty are a little limited. I don't like that mandatory quests are so hair-pullingly difficult (and that's before they handcuff you to a companion which you may not have used in ages...). I get that difficulty is a requirement of a game. The issue is WHERE you put the difficulty. Let the folks that want difficulty go look for it. Don't let it sneak up behind me, beat me up, then take my lunch money. Dying isn't fun. Dying is annoying. I don't play this game to be annoyed, I play it for a pleasant distraction. In exchange for a pleasant distraction, I am willing to pay a monthly fee. Why won't you take my money?