And people wonder why this game has been dying and is going F2P. Arena is a big draw, and the lack thereof is a HUGE reason that WoW players went back to wow. PvP in this game blows as it is, why not spice things up with arena? Maybe it would actually be fun, unlike what we have now.

I guess I should take a step back from degrading the idea of having fun through gear rewards. If that's your thing then so be it. I guess what I am saying is that in order to accurately rate the quality of the core PvP gameplay and mechanics, then one must remove the dynamic of enjoyment through gear acquisition in that calculation.

A simple question to ask yourself: "If gear progression was removed, would I still play?" If the answer is yes, then you are playing the game because you are having FUN, and truly enjoy the strategy, action, and/or gameplay. If the answer is no, then you are playing the game because you are following BASIC BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY. Its no secret that the world of mmo development is hugely concerned with behavioral psychology and manipulation. If you hate doing the actual grind, but do it anyway because you want/need the gear, then what are you really playing for? At what point does the actual PLAYING become FUN? How many people have driven themselves to grind out full top tier sets only to find themselves suddenly bored and unmotivated once they have it? Just open your eyes and ask yourself why your really playing. Whether or not this game's PvP is any good should become clear.

Everyone already knows that Deception is better DPS than Dark. Its the lack of being survivable enough to put out that damage with pure deception that people have issue with.

I believe the nerf is intended to kill very specific specs such as: 21/12/8: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#200rcrozrsZhGbMZf0c.1 This spec revolves around spamming shock with the combination of Electrify, Energize, Induction and Chain Shock. You have massive force regen with the combination of Blood of Sith, Dark Embrace, and Lightning Reflexes. There is also the similar build: 18/14/8 (1 point left over): http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#200rcrozMcZhGbMkZf0c.1 Basically your giving up 15% shock damage for Dark Swell and Deceptive Power. With DP's extra 10 force and the other force regen talents, you can Maul 4 times in a row if properly stealthed first (or by popping Dark Swell). These builds offer huge force regen that allow you to spam thrash and shock endlessly while being specced into nearly every major utility talent to increase survival. I believe this is what they are trying to nerf.

Had it happen to me and a friend as well.

Q-E-R-F-Z-X-C-V-B-1-2-3-4-5-6 SHIFT+Q-E-R-F-Z-X-C-V-B-1-2-3-4-5-6 CON+Q-E-R-F-Z-X-C-V-B-1-2-3-4-5-6 Thats 45 hotkeys and your hand never leaves WASD. I'm maining SIN Assassin (tank spec) and nearly every ability I have has its use depending on the situation. If I have an ability that is similar or feeds off another ability then it gets bound to either the SHIFT or CON modified hotkey, with the most used/best abil on the unmodified key, which makes it all very intuitive. I never have to look away from combat except to check cooldowns, and it doesnt feel like its taken that long to get to the point where I instinctually know which of those 45 hotkeys I need to hit without a glance. Yea...the ability snowball is a lot to deal with, especially if your new to the scene, but you can definitely manage it with some planning.

Why do I get the feeling that when all of these people who are defending the right to "Need" for companions are grouping with friends/guildies, their rolling habits change drastically?? I flat out do not believe that your friends and guild mates tolerate you rolling Need for an item outside your player class that is applicable to another player's character in the group. P.S. Why do we have to "roll" against each other at all? I've always preferred player segregated loot where everyone receives their own rewards. God I miss that about DDO. Might be about the only thing...