I don't think it's quite a circular discussion. Actually, the fact that different aspects of the game increase the level of character investment for different people ties in with your point that this is not a niche game - it's one that has a wide variety of items. While I mentioned a few things that can increase character attachment, there are others - a person who enjoys raiding will be more attached to a character they've taken through top level ops, for example. Improving the diversity of gameplay should (I would think) improve the attachment levels of a wider variety of players. One note on this. Scaling operations and support to whatever size of player base you happen to have doesn't guarantee profit. You still have to make a decent game, although I suppose there will always be those who will find something to enjoy in even the most awful game. Perhaps I should have asked what swtor should do to maximize their profits, because, as #97 of the Rules of Acquistion state, 'Enough...is never enough.'

I think it's hardly a radical concept that games are about profits. This game makes money through subs and through the cartel market. These two income streams are not exclusive, since many subscribers also spend extra through the CM. However, people will not subscribe or buy items through the CM if they don't like the game. In order for either one (and hopefully both) of these income streams to be successful, you have to have players playing the game and engaged enough to spend their money. I'm curious to see what people think the focus should be in order for this game to be profitable for a long time to come. In my opinion, increasing the amount of attachment players have with their characters is one way, as players are less likely to abandon a character they have sunk time, money, and creativity into. This can be done by extending the storyline including companion story arcs, adding more options for character customization, and adding customization items to items such as ships. Another, even better, IMO, way is to increase the connections players have with each other, since most players stay because of the other people. Giving guilds more robust tools, improving roleplaying items (which are fun even for non-roleplayers), including social mini-games, and so forth, would improve this aspect. YMMV, and I hope it does. Curious to see what others think they should focus on in order to become/stay profitable.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure you can straight up buy ISK. I haven't played EVE myself, so I'm not 100% on that, but I think that's the way it runs. Edit: nm, clarifications have been made by other people.

I was stealing Aric's gear for Elara and suddenly was like

Class story expansion Companion conversation continuation Class-specific dailies Mini-games SSSP Sittable chairs More warzones

I believe I explained before that having this set be accessible only through a questline and search grind provides it with a level of rarity that makes it a fun item for players who enjoy that type of gameplay. That, to me, is a good reason for it not to be a CM item. You may disagree, of course, but that's my view on it.

You can't fight City Hall? Really? Anyway, let me rephrase. In my opinion, I can't currently think of a good reason why a questline like this should not be in the game.

Yes it is a rare item that stays that way. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing to have in game. And keep in mind that there's a distinction between vanity items like this, like rep grinds for mounts or pets or whatever, and your typical gear ladder that you get with flashpoints and ops. People who expect their top level raid gear to always be unique are going to be continually disappointed, but there's no real reason why a questline like the seeker droid one can't continue as is, leading to the sets continuing to be somewhat rare (less rare as time goes on and more people get it of course).

You're missing a key thing here. The fun isn't just in "playing dolly dress up." It's in having something rare. And the fun just isn't when you got the piece, it continues as long as what you have is rare. That means they're still enjoying it, still having fun...until it's not rare anymore.

People have different reasons for playing the game, and different things that they find fun. Some find it fun to spend extra unnecessary time to get a rare reward. This is nothing new. These types of tasks have been around for a long long time. And the fun isn't in the grind, it's in walking around with something rare, something you spent some extra effort to achieve that other people didn't. It may not be something that's fun for you, but it's fun for other people. People enjoy different things and *gasp* some enjoy having something rare. Not sure why people think that's a bad thing, but chastising people for wanting something like this in game is really not cool. At any rate, this "controversy" has been cleared up.

No more undershirt!!! Woot!!

Missed yours. Yes, voice of reason. I think you understand where I'm coming from though. Lot of people all too ready to jump down each others throats at the slightest provocation without any solid reason.

^ This is the only voice of reason in this thread. Get some facts before you all start freaking out on each other. Jeesh.

I'm pretty sure there's a few bug fixes for collections listed in the patch notes. Not sure if it covers all the issues, but there should be a few less on your list.

Does this mean what I think it means?!?!?

Smuggler on Coruscant - "Is that a hairstyle or did a womp rat die on your head?" That's my girl, snarking out on the Bieber cut.

I wouldn't be surprised if they only commented on things on Makeb. They seem to have spent a good deal of time making sure every companion had comments there, whereas there's a lot of other spots that are hit or miss.

WHAT?!?!? OMG!! This is...what if there are more? Edit: Update in for...well, I can hardly believe it.

Thank you. This exactly.

Honestly, when the devs said they heard us about how some of us felt our subscription was being devalued, I thought maybe we'd get some more...oh I don't know...value added. The extra ccs are nice, but I'd much rather see long-term value added to our subscription. - Subscribers get a credit-only option for the appearance designer. - Subscribers get option to rip dye modules out for a credit fee. - More content. We're seeing some of this coming, but additional flashpoint, warzone, and op content adds value to our subscription since we get unlimited access to this.

Trolling trollishness!! Trolly trolly trolly! Entitled hater of...er something? What side am I on? I forget.

Wait...I think I might be able to do this... That's such a terrible argument, you don't even believe it! Clearly a straw man eating a red herring...er...something like that. Oh... (nearly forgot the winky face)

Thank you for this insightful guide! I knew I was doing it wrong!

*reads thread called "Call me greedy...entitled.. all you want..."* *sees OP "report" people for calling him/her "greedy" and "entitled"* Right. You know, you're entitled to your opinion, you're entitled to voice it, but you're going to get a lot more people to take you seriously if you don't come out of the gate swinging at everyone and looking for a fight. Might it have been nice to receive a unique subscriber-only item? Sure. Would everyone have been happy with it? No, not by a long shot. Not everyone was going to be happy with what they did no matter what they did, but I'll bet you that most are pretty pleased with this direction. You don't have to bow down to BW. That would be silly. But it is customary to say thank you when you receive a gift instead of ranting about how it's not exactly what you wanted.

Regardless of my opinion of the source of your quote, I think that the question of casual and hardcore players is an interesting one. From what I've seen, hardcore players are a minority, but I think they play an important part in the community. In a lot of ways the value the hardcore players add (as guide writers, content testers, and organizers) is well worth the time investment put in by developers to appeal to them. Based on what I've seen (I have no hard numbers), hardcore players are more likely to lead guilds, organize group activities, and assist more casual players. In this sense they provide the framework within which casual players are more likely to enjoy themselves. That said, there is always going to be a portion of the hardcore audience who churn through content at an exceptional rate, even for hardcore players. It is unlikely that these players can be catered to on a consistent basis at the level required by their rate of play by most development studios. So, I don't think hardcore players can or should be ignored, but there is a practical limit to how much the developers can send their way.