I would have rather seen merges than transfers. It was obvious within a few weeks of launch that they didn't need the amount of servers they had. Although I can imagine the outrage and I'M UNSUBBING BW SUX!!!!!!!!!! they'd have gotten when you ran into naming conflicts in the merges, so it's possible they just can't win no matter what. Merges would be more complete, instead of leaving select people who simply will not transfer, and will bellyache about it for the next 5 years. I'll see what kind of plans they have in store for it before I really get on a podium for or against it though. But I must say I'm not fond of this overly cryptic news style that game companies seem to adopt these days.

Because fun.

SW has more evil potential. Half of the SI's choices seem boneheaded and silly. If you're looking to play something that eventually becomes kind of peevishly evil, then SI is good. If you want to play a menacing Star Wars villain, SW is definitely the way to go.

It's totally like that, in the sense that, y'know, it's not like that at all. I did laugh heartily at the picking of random skills that the class 'revolves' around and comparing them to old pally abilities that were similar in precisely 0 ways though. I'm not sure if this was a troll, or from someone who did not actually play a pally until 3.0 or later, and is merely referencing OMINOUS OLD MMO TRAGEDY they only know about second or third hand, to try and generate some quick e-cred so their statements sound more legit. Good pick-me-up though.

I flirted with Jaesa 0 times, but apparently there's an unavoidable confrontation between her and Vette for my affections anyway. Whee. Seems kind of like Jorgan, I guess (for the record, I totally wuv Jorgan). It isn't really just a SWTOR problem. BioWare in general seems to have trouble moderating. In fact, at least the dudes in SWTOR actually hit on your female toons, since in most of the other games it's only female party members that will flirt with the male protagonist if you don't initiate it first. Anyhow, tangent. It seems like your choices are either romance them (if an option), never ever talk to them, or be super mean about avoiding a relationship (honestly, I had one playthrough of Mass Effect where I romanced Liara totally by accident, having only ever talked to her once; I just felt like it would have been mean to throw her out). I would like the option of letting romance options down without tearing out their heart and stomping on it though, so put my name in that hat. Hey, Corso, I like you and all, but I just don't think...no wait, that's not on the dialogue wheel here. What I meant to say is I HATE YOU I HATE YOUR FAMILY YOU'RE UGLY YOU'RE STUPID YOUR GIFTS ARE WORTHLESS SPIT SLAP GROINKICK. Why you guilting me into this BioWare. =(

I'm sure that that BioWare dude on the forums is absolutely 100% responsible for the ticket bug in game. In fact, I'm thinking the entirety of BioWare is actually just one person, and it's probably that guy, so let's totally lynch him. They're obviously reading these forums. Considering that BW is in general one of the more receptive companies when it comes to what players ask for, I don't know why talking about things that are wrong in a semi-constructive manner seems to go out the window so fast. Although the OP is nigh-unreadable, the point that Tracer Missile and Heatseeker Missile -- and whatever the Trooper equivalents are -- seem to have completely broken damage (even if it was just a brain fart on the tooltip) could certainly do with restatement. I don't feel THAT weak, though then again, I don't raid at the highest level eihter, so grain of salt and all that.

I don't like my ship droid, per se, but I certainly geared it out on my Sniper, and he got some decent time in the rotation before I got my healer. They should allow you to customize its looks though, if only a little. I also geared it out on my Trooper, because hey, it uses Aim just like the rest of us. That's enough to make it a brother in my eyes. He is totally Havoc Squad too, despite his protestations.

The Jedi Consular's Chapter 1 is godawful. Like, seriously, I'd like to use a bunch of swear words to adequately communicate how painful it is, but BioWare is like NO, and it would just be a bunch of asteriks. But that works too, I guess, if you imagine the asterisks are like braille or something, and it would just say something like aaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaa aaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, which is kind of what you will be doing inside your mind as you play through it. If you switched from the JC story (to ANYTHING), it's going to look amazing. In actuality, the SI story is almost the same -- it's just presented better, because (imo) Zash is more interesting than Yuon Par, and the fetch quests on each world are just different enough to not make you horribly impatient, whereas the JC story is literally comprised of almost nothing but OOPS JUST BARELY MISSED THAT PERSON YOU WERE LOOKING FOR moments, the 'mystery' is childish (you will have solved it by early Tatooine), and the Consular and his companions are pretty boring. The JC story DOES pick up after Chapter 1. It took me months to build up the willpower to finish Chapter 1, but now I'm very interested in what's going on. It feels like what a Consular SHOULD be doing, instead of running around tackling an endless procession of Jedi Masters so you can suck Light Side Points out of their souls. I'd at least recommend finish Ch 1, and Balmorra, just to see if you like the change in flavor. The SI story on the other hand, except for a few high spots, never really gets better. You may still like it, but remember not to play a Sith Warrior or Jedi Knight before you finish the class story, or you may get disillusioned.

Mako is my favorite, easily. I like that she's light sided, but also likes being a smart ***. Vette is somewhat the same, but Vette...I dunno, she just seems kind of grim and almost like she's constantly annoyed with you no matter what. Plus Vette seems more spiteful than Mako, with the whole Empire hatred thing (not that it isn't justified, but still, it makes her less pleasant). I had something like 8.5-9k affection with her by the end of Chapter 1, got a total of 5 minuses from her the entire game, and I didn't use a guide (except for BT, which I ran once as a level 40, just to max her out). She fits the whole 'RPing through Firefly' feel of a predominately LS Bounty Hunter. She has a very complementary role to my dps BH. I like the banter. Honestly, I may have missed out on a lot of other cool companion moments, because she was literally with me for every inch of the game except for one bit with Torian (end of Taris class quest), and Skadge during that part where you HAVE TO bring Skadge. I saw no reason to replace her. She also has what I like to call 'Mako luck,' in that hella epics dropped for her (when I hit 50, she had 5 mid to high 40s epics, and 4 epic mods, none of which I bought), and at points I'm pretty sure she outgeared me. Which was funny, if slightly annoying. Don't remember any funny lines, though I know I laughed several times. I just happen to have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to quotes. :/

#1) Mako - Seriously, maybe I appreciated her more than most because I came from Inquis/Consular where the early game companions are flat as pancakes, but Mako is amazing. She actually has relevance to the central story, and I love her relationship with the BH (whether romantic or platonic), as well as her attitude (I had 8500 affection with her by the end of Ch 1, with almost zero gifts given, so to say she fits my personality would be an understatement). She really feels like your sidekick/partner. #2) Aric Jorgan -- I really, reeeeally disliked this guy when we first met (it didn't help that I knew he was the romance option, and he's a weird cat dude), but I was surprised by how much I ended up liking him in a short time. He's a cool guy. Also, not for nothing, but he's the closest thing to a Garrus analogue we get. #3) Jaesa Willsaam -- First of all, you get to decide her alignment. Why is she the only companion this is the case for? This immediately makes her character (somewhat bland LS character, or ultra psychotic evil lady) seem cooler, with no extra work done, because you get to see returns on your player input. Plus she seems to wreck Vette in terms of dps (not to mention it's a lot easier to get gear for her). #4) Kira Carsen -- Mako's attitude, minus the mild credit fetish, augmented with a lightsaber. Plus, she's a big part of the story. Didn't feel much like a 'Padawan,' but I always got the impression that that was more a formality to allow her to run around and do stuff. I like Laura Bailey's voice. #5) Ashara Zavros -- I think a lot of people don't like her. I understand. As a pretty heavily LS Inq, she fit me fine, but going through the story again and trying things different, she immediately seems ridiculously out of place. She's high on the list because I like the aspect of the romance path where she more or less 'redeems' the SI because she's so relentlessly good. Not something done a lot (nor are there a lot of romance companions that almost feel like they're 'in charge'). Would have appreciated more customization though, or even more reasoning for why she joined you if you tried to turn her to the dark side ('I may as well' is not a very good answer). Iffy companions: Nadia Grell -- She's pretty cool. Actually feels like a Padawan. But by the time you get her, the game feels practically over (and it is; just Voss and Corellia left). I do like the story bits she had, though I think she should have joined sooner. Vette -- If you are a DS Sith, but not DS enough to keep her in a slave collar and torture her endlessly, what is her motivation for staying with you? I actually like Vette, but I always found this a hang-up. She will hate everything you do, very loudly, but will never simply leave. Companions I hated: Khem Val -- His entire personality is that he doesn't like nice things. At least Kaliyo and her ilk have character. Khem Val just didn't get enough hugs when he was little. Oh, and he looks stupid in his little loincloth (by the time I discovered the customizations that make him look decent, I had long since resolved that I was done with him). Malavai Quinn -- That one part. If you've done it, you know what I'm talking about. I REALLY LIKED Quinn before that. Also, for the record, I'm less peeved that it happened, and more peeved that I can't replace him afterward. Lord Scourge -- I don't read novels-as-videogame-supplements. Many of them suck, infamously. So anyway, I have no appreciation for whatever adventures this guy had with you-know-who. I can say that I have have no pity for that guy though, because Scourge is just annoying. Most of his points are inane, and we seemingly really hate one another. Nonetheless, I can't kick him off my ship. The rest I am either neutral on, or have no real experience with (SCORPIO for instance, seems a lot like Khem Val, but to be honest, I used her for about 5min, then put her away and haven't brought her out since, so I don't really know). I could compile an extensive list, but I wouldn't have reasoning for some of the somewhat arbitrary placements, so I don't think it would really have much value, even as entertainment (because honestly, maybe you hate walls of text, but who wants to see a list that has no reasoning or context whatsoever?).

Nautolan. Particularly for the Republic, as their current species spread includes human, human with blindfold/mask, human with machine implants, slightly greenish human with face tattoos, and Twi'lek. And the lame version of Zabrak. Voss. They look cool. No deeper reason.

Presumably because they play the class/spec you are talking about, and they have no other coherent response when it even maybe sorta looks like you might, kinda, under particular circumstances (if you squint), completely indirectly, be calling their skill into question, or insinuating that they may not, in fact, be the best pvpers on the planet. Personally, I feel like Pyrotechs do better against them than Marauders, but keep in mind that I don't play a Mara, so this is just coming from observing them in bgs.

Sith Inquisitor: Rylee Dray, one of the cult leaders from Nar Shadaa. You can already pursue a short pseudo-romance with her as a male. She's ambitious and resourceful (both gone over in the storyline), and seems to have a kind of puppy love for a male inquisitor. Maybe you could mold her alignment, and turn her into the perfect little assistant. That's something the Inquisitor lacks. You know what else the Inq lacks? Something that's actually Sith (philosophically), A pure sith companion might be cool, and might actually help me pretend I'm actually supposed to be someone powerful. Bounty Hunter: Ki-Ta Kren. The Abyssin guy you fought on Hoth. You know, the one everyone had trouble with? Assuming you let him live and did the other stuff. He was tougher by a long shot than Reneget Vause, and the Abyssin are not nearly represented enough. He also kind of has force powers, without actually being Sith, which would be kind of cheesy (the only sith companion that I can think of that would make sorta-sense would be some random one assigned to you by Tormen). On second thought, a Sith being assigned to you by Tormen would be pretty cool. Could even be romanceable, and play the subplot 'have you made them loyal to you, or are they doing it all just to keep tabs on you?' Imperial Agent: None struck me in particular. Watcher Two isn't a fighter. Having a companion that ACTUALLY SEEMS LIKE AN AGENT would be cool though. Ensign Temple is probably the closest, but she's not quite there. Sith Warrior: I liked the SW's companions, although I'd like the option to replace Malavai Quinn. With anything, really. Any random soldier. The charred cybernetic corpse of Draahg. A fence post. Jedi Consular: ANYBODY. PLEASE JUST SAVE ME FROM QYZEN AND THARAN. The damn game is murder until you at least get to Zenith. Or maybe a DS companion? One that won't -160 me if I say Yuon Par smells? Trooper: Garrus Vakarian. Yeah, I said it. A cool sniper, who is a pretty good guy, but chafes under rules and regulations, with a bit of a vigilante streak. Obviously, he wouldn't be Turian, or named that. But it's a good compliment to the Trooper, and it further fills in the Commander Shepard vibe. Also, it's another person with a gun. Don't know enough about the other storylines to really comment on them. Things the game in general could use: - More love interests for female characters. Every female companion in the game is romanceable. Every. Single. One. On the flip side, male romance companions often seem half-finished, or come late and get little development, or they give you a boring one while dangling a much cooler one in front of your face (Iresso vs. Zenith). I have very little interest in most of the male love interests in this game. Most of them lack anything distinguishing enough to grab your attention, or there is some giant WTH attached to them (Vector, Malavai Quinn). - Chiss companions. Seriously. Chiss are awesome. - Choices, when it comes to companions. Companions fulfilling the same function, with different alignment than companions you already have. For instance, I personally love Mako, but I'd probably hate her guts if I wanted to play a DS BH. Why not be able to recruit a more DS healer? You could part ways with her after Chapter 1 if you wanted to, and bring the new one in. There are other examples like that, for nearly every class. Once they are no longer plot relevant, you should be able to drop them for something that fits you better, so you don't have to balance how much you want them to dislike you over how much you feel like switching companions every time you start a conversation. You could also fulfill the above by simply being able to change the roles of each companion freely. Like M1-4X but desperately need a healer? Hey, switch something, and he heals now.

I agree with this entire post. SI was the first thing I played, then I played SW, and it does EVERYTHING better, including the intrigue (which should be an Inq's bread and butter, as I've probably posted countless times before). The Sith Warrior feels like an indomitable b-dass that rips through the galaxy. The Inquisitor feels like a shmuck that is mostly propped up by the people around you. There is very little that feels Sith-like in the entire story. Even some of the cutscene force lightning uses feel peevish, rather than effective for anything.

I'm not a guy, and the fact that you can't turn her to the Dark Side is silly to me as well. I don't know if torture would be the real Inquisitor method. Based on theory, the Inquisitor should be the one seducing people the the dark side with the honeyed words (which the Sith Warrior does). In actual gameplay and story however, all your effective convincing is done by shocking people. So whichever, I guess. Either would fit. For the record, I like Ashara's character. I just want to make our first interaction, which consisted of me persuading her to kill one of my fellow Sith to try to lure her to the Dark Side, actually make some kind of SENSE. Because lady, you followed me pretty much without a complaint after I did that and then killed your masters. Even if I am pretty neutral on the LS/DS thing, how are you not at least a little bit iffy about this whole set up. If anything, it seems like Ashara should be the MOST malleable of all the apprentices. Also, that scene you described would be pretty awesome.

4/10 I have experience with every story (except Smuggler) at least up to Act 3, whether playing it or watching someone else because I was leveling with them. The Inquisitor storyline had some pretty good bits (end of Chapter 1, most of Corellia), but you really see how weak it is when you play other stories, or consider what lore mechanics suggest it should have been. It's not bad, per se, but it's certainly disappointing.

Tormen choked me exactly 0 times throughout the entire story. I actually kind of liked working with the dude (and I'm a primarily LS Bounty Hunter). What choices result in this? If he had choked me at any point, I'd have totally killed him dead instead of being like 'business finished, later bro.' (if anyone still requires spoiler tags and is on page 3 of this thread, I have no pity)

8/10 Not as climactic the others, but for most of the story I was hooked. Also, having come from an Inquisitor and Consular, I very much appreciated the way your companions actually factored into quests and important dialogue scenes (and the fact that they didn't suck).

@OP. Look at the forums for any one of those classes, and watch them complain about how their class was the most victimized in 1.2 the same way people do here, and that no one should ever make another. Powertech/Vanguards are fine. Commandos are okay. Not as good as they were, but the core of the class is still the same, so if you had fun (or would have had fun) playing it before for any reason other than being a blatantly overpowered healer, you still will. If you're asking yon forums about what you should play, the likelihood that you're in the kind of guild that would cut you from its elite roster because of your class rather than your play is pretty low. I have a Vanguard and a Commando (Mercenary), and I still have more fun on the BH than I do on the Trooper. Then again, I don't do much Nightmare stuff. So take that for what you will.

I'm pretty sure the purpose of that quest is to actually make you facepalm, and consider how, if you are a massive Light Side goober, you are really kind of playing Stupid Good, and not necessarily a heroic champion of the light. Imperial side has plenty of the opposite (horribly stupid DS choices). It fits in with BioWare's theme. I suppose it's also meant to demonstrate how silly and inefficient the Senate is, and how flawed its members are. You spend half the planet doing/uncovering evil deeds linked to the Senate. It fits in with that too.

What kind of weird server are you on? I have a friend who is an obsessively LS Operative, and no one has ever given him grief (beyond saying 'booooooo' once when he won the roll in some instance). Sending you mail about it? Like, wut? I play the majority of my characters as LS, and I'm Imperial. Some of them are less patient than others, but most of the DS options just make you seem like a sadistic twerp (I have one character that is pretty evil though, as that is what I'm shooting for), not some kind of evil genius ******, which is what I might be more attracted to playing. Hey, let me kill or torture everyone who ever associates with me for mostly no reason. That sounds like a fantastic way of building a power base and winning future allies. Flock to me, my children. Ignore the enormous body pile outside the door.

I understand railroading you companion-wise for certain story purposes (such as forcing Quinn down your throat for 'that one scene,' making you keep Vette for awhile because wth are you going to do until at least the end of Dromund Kaas without a companion, etc.), but they really need to add more companions, or extra features, that allow you to fire/kill companions once they are no longer story or gameplay necessary. I feel like that would mitigate MASSIVE amounts of the hate companions get (and every class has at least one). Let people recruit based on their alignment (or on their whim), or allow character roles to be swapped, such as turning Vette into a healer, or w/e. Like, honestly, I was never a fan of Quinn, and barely ever used him, but wut. Yeah, you I guess you can still run my ship and be privy to all my secret plots. Just call me Darth Moron. Even if I'm not allowed to kill the dude, why can I not at least requisition a replacement for him from Imperial Command?

Because fun. Also, it's somewhat hard to believe that, regardless of 'genetic predisposition,' every single member of a race to ever exist throughout history was evil, or even that there couldn't be turncoats (who might still not be good, but are playing for the other team), or etc. At least it might semi-justify the absurd amount of red lightsabers on the Republic side! And I think that being as I think the whole point is that they are supposed to be related to your other characters (this is how it was advertised in the video), I'd be more up in arms about the physiological impossibilities involved, rather than a race displaying force sensitivity where before they had none.

Dudes. I level in tandem with a friend, we often have different playtimes, and not a whole lot due to work, school, and other obligations, and we have 50s. And even if I didn't, I would still file this in my 'I don't care' bin. The wording of the notice was kind of hilariously stupid ('our most valued players'), but that's it. I'm far more incensed about the Mass Effect 3 ending than I am about saving $15, or getting a virtual backpat as a 'most valued player.'

Not everything about it is perfect, and I shudder to play my Juggernaut, but I think overall it was a pretty good patch. Like the customization options, legacy stuff is interesting, and thank the freaking baby jesus that you can apparently unlock the races with credits if you don't want to/haven't leveled them to 50, because that is a ton of work to only benefit one server. If people whine loud enough (which they will), I'm sure they will undo anything they break anyway.