I honestly don't have that much of a problem with the new layout, except that we don't have a way to view threads we started or posted on unless we choose to subscribe to them! WHYYYYY? Freaking RUNESCAPE forums are better and easier to use than these!

Just an idea I had while talking with the general chat on Iron Citadel. Hit Adora up if you have any responses. How about for the next event, you give certain players (one at a time, call it something along the lines of the Darth Malgus thing- trying to take over the empire) boss abilities and offer rewards for killing them? Give them boss health of around 1.5m, boss buffs (increase their damage and prevent them from being moved by different players (so they couldn't be pulled into a hazard), interrupted, or stunned), and restrict them to certain planets (more than one). This would cause a galaxy-spanning hunt, with a ton of pvp as both factions try to slaughter each other and get the prize. The ingenuity of the individual players would also come into play, as they could choose any number of locations to set up and defend themselves. Obviously areas inaccessible to other players would have to be disabled or changed temporarily so that other players could access them (like their ship for traveling and such). This whole concept would be completely new to the MMO community, creating a huge increase in interest for swtor. It adds to the pvp element for one, and would be completely fun and amazing for the other. Just set up a date and time with each player given the boss status so you can be sure they'll stay on or something. thoughts, comments, improvements?

According to the latest reports from the most reliable of sources, Yahoo, Obi-wan Kenobi was arrested earlier for causing a hit and run 5 car pile up! http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/obi-wan-kenobi-arrested-hit-run-202349276.html#more-4437 Succumbed to the dark side, has he!

2 companions at once is OP. It would make questing far too easy, and pvp on worlds with companion usage a joke. The tiniest trick to pvp on those worlds is to make your companion directly attack the player instead of his companion (the default response). If a player had two DPS companions out and made them both target the enemy player, the fight would be over in 3 seconds tops.

Should I buy full recruit (the set costs 330k) and work my way up to BM, then WH? Or just shoot straight for BM first?

Yes, I actually did my research on this point as I may or may not have too much time on my hands... After talking to a 42 year old friend of mine, who happens to be a criminal defense lawyer, it's arguable in court (and therefore a plausible and reasonable "not guilty" plea) that a minor's negative experience in a mature guild is a decision that was not upon the minor themselves, but their parents/guardians. It is, simply put, negligence on the parents' part if they let their son/daughter participate in something they don't approve of. To sum it up? Hypothetically if a minor's guardians happened to hear something they disapprove of, it's their fault. They're responsible for choosing which environments their children are allowed to become part of. My opinion on this= Yes, kids defy their parents all the time. If a minor obtains a fake ID and uses it to purchase age-specific substances, the business owner is not liable for the result. The guardians' inability to control their child is entirely to blame. EDIT: Depending on the maturity shown by the child, they can be adjudicated and judged as adults for the crimes committed.

I admit, I'm a little confused as to what you mean. Two companions out at the same time? Or two companions total in the game instead of the usual number?

That's a personal decision that I respect. This thread is about the exceptions, whether you personally have come to know one or not. Personally, most of my RL friends are in their mid-twenties; but I also like to listen to and learn from older adults. I choose to spend time with older people than I in an honest effort to learn from them and gain a little more insight on what life is like for people so drastically different from myself. I consider it a personal achievement to be accepted by them, not necessarily as one of their own, but as a friend nonetheless. More than that, my biggest source of satisfaction is when I can be a friend to someone else. Again, your personal decision is your own, and I respect that.

I very much appreciate that invitation, but I'm sticking with my 50 Sorc on Iron Citadel. Rated War Hero gear is too much work to just abandon your quest to gear in it, and restart somewhere else. I honestly feel terrible about the lying on my application about my age, so I left that guild after apologizing (people were SHOCKED to find out how young I am) and owning up to my actions. I'm now in Lethal Logic, with people of all ages who accept each other for who they are. No, they don't put up with immature BS. I found this guild to be the embodiment of what I'm trying to communicate in the thread. The requirements to join are limited to level, gear, schedule freedom, and general maturity/responsibility. We recognize that guildies can become upset and talk some trash (I do it too), therefore we communicate that it's the responsibility of the members to leave the vent room or hide the chat window if they or their guardians become uncomfortable. (though regardless of the lack of age-specific requirement, I think I'm the only minor anyway). Yes, that's a huge amount of responsibility especially for an outsider who just wants to "fit in", but that's part of what being an Adult truly is. It's all about choosing the appropriate response for a situation, and if you don't have one, then remain silent.

Based on that view, would you say there could be a "don't ask don't tell" policy that would effectively ensure plausible deniability? expanding on that idea, have a more vague set of requirements to join? The US government for example has an entire third of it's power invested in "interpreting the law". As a leader of a guild however, it is only a democracy if you say it is (no matter what happens you're still the one with all the buttons). Therefore, you're the entire government if you so choose to be. You interpret the rules. Basically, this would mean that for no reason whatsoever you may decline a request to join, kick, or otherwise manage every aspect of the guild. Obviously how you choose to utilize that power will determine how many members you actually have in the guild, but with absolute power comes absolutely no responsibility. Wait... I think I may have misremembered that last sentence.

At some point though, no matter how sheltered, a 17 year old WILL be exposed to any number of things. The ability to purchase rated M games and R movies alone would be as compromising or potentially worse than anything one could listen to or read about, as those are joined by visual aids. The very worst rating for a movie is NR-17, which contains strong and graphic sexual content, alcohol abuse, drug abuse... you name it... is still available to 17 year olds. So why isn't the line to join a guild 17+? I've been in quite a few adult guilds with quite a few "tipsy", "high", "flirtatious", and downright "potty-mouthed" members. Even the incredibly sexual conversation was nothing I had not heard or seen before, thanks to the media and other resources available to me. I did indeed become uncomfortable with the situation, so I left the vent channel. I did not bring up that I was underage and that the conversation was wildly unacceptable, and if my guardians had overheard any part of the conversation and reacted poorly, they still couldn't do anything about it. First amendment. I understand being chewed out is annoying, so a suggestion would be to take the time to find out more about a person's situation than just ask "are you 18 or older?". Like myself, there are SOME* 17 year olds who do not live with a guardian. I have total control over what offends me and what does not.

The ESRB doesn't regulate content out-of-game, but if it did then even the M games would be appropriate for someone my age. Being a 17 year old I'm considered old enough for exposure to this content. Rated "M" games- Titles in this category may contain more blood and gore than the Teen rating would accommodate, sexual themes/content/references and vulgar language. This content is strong in impact. Most retailers do stock games with this rating, but have a policy of not selling them to people under 17 without parental approval. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board

This whole thread was created for constructive feedback on an idea of mine. In no way am I telling anyone what they should do; I'm simply offering a suggestion. Food for thought. I proudly believe that as humans we are given the right to do as we please, within the limitations of it affecting others' rights. Please do not take this as a demand for you to change your ways, because again it is simply an idea.

It would be under the condition that the only requirement relative to this subject were maturity levels. A pre-existing rule setting an age limit can be maintained, revised, or even removed. If a guild were to do one of these, then if I were a guild leader I would inform my members of the change. Please see my next post, I want it to be seperate and more visible.

You missed the point, my suggestion was that it wouldn't be lying in the first place. As a sin of ommission, which is not a sin at all unless the information is pertinent, it would simply be with-holding information. You do not share your address with guildmates unless you know them in person, and even then you would probably use some other form of contact to communicate that info. What line is there between with-holding your address and with-holding your age? They're both contact information.

Ahh but the reason for the hypothetical emancipation would of course not be for access to a game. Obviously the courts would throw it out. However, in the case that an adult under the age of 18 were emancipated for other, more legitimate and most likely extremely personal reasons, they would have legally had their rights "activated"; effectively making them a legal adult. Therefore, the minor protection acts would not pertain or apply to them. Yet they would still be under the age of 18.

A sin of ommision? Practically speaking, not all information is prudent to all situations. An example- criminal investigations are closed to the public until the case is closed. Just because someone is a citizen of your country or a member of your guild does not mean you need to share everything with everyone, because the results can be unnecessary or even harmful.

What about emancipation?

Hypothetically, If I had joined your guild before you enacted the age restriction and behaved similarly to the adult members of the guild, would you remove me after the other underage people messed it up?

When I led that union we came across that rule-bending problem. It comes down to judgement. Yes, in theory they could keep using the "it's close enough" vicious circle to lower the requirements to the point of irrelevance; in practice it's another matter. You make exceptions to the rule, not replacement rules. If you consider 17.8 to be close enough, that does not mean you also consider 14 to be enough.

That approach is dependent on the GM and his officers' decisions. It comes down to bad leadership if everything you described were happening. More or less, want I really would like to see happen is that younger individuals be given at least a trial period chance. Only the officers would know his/her actual age; therefore it wouldn't affect the rest of the guild. I can say that for one, out of the last 3 or 4 guilds I've joined, not a single person suspected me of being underage. I'm no try-hard actor, but I'm no instigator either. If one thinks before they speak, it makes a world of difference.

Expanding on that... what invisible line determines who is a kid and who is not? A law from a country you live in? (I happen to also live in the US, just making a point). And what about time periods? Why has the of-age requirement risen over the course of time? People were mature enough to be married and govern countries at age 15 at one point in time. (specifically I'm referring to "Henry the young king", who was crowned in June 1170 AD).

I disagree. For one, I graduated early; I'm a college student majoring in Business Administration right now. I live on my own (well, with a roomate but still outside of my parents' house). I work 35 hours a week, which is reasonably close to full time, and I pay my own bills. They're in my roomate's name, but I pay them on time and the full amount. No I don't grasp what it is to be a parent, but neither do most 18 year olds- yet they're allowed into the guild while I'm not. To be honest, I myself don't even talk about my personal life. The game is my... escape. No stress of work and classes and homework and car maintenance and bills (etc). I prefer to talk about anything and everything other than the reality I'm trying to take a break from.

Supremacy Why yes in fact I was being a try hard!

I cracked up too the first few times I watched it. Someone else posted a better vid tho, I found it in a previous forum post.