In any case I don't have current issues that match this thread anymore, so I'll open something new about the problem on the older system, once I get around to explore it further. A simple rerun of the install exe was not enough anyway.

Well, I had to use it to make my fresh install on my brand new system work.

Sorry about that, the link I used to fix my new setup was actually https://cdn-www.swtor.com/sites/all/files/webassets/launcher/LauncherRepairUtilityU2021.0.27.exe. I got the wrong link when I attempted to fix the older system...

Nope, the repair utility did not work this time. For the record, this is the link: https://cdn-www.swtor.com/sites/all/files/webassets/launcher/LauncherRepairUtilityU2021.0.25.exe

My direct download launcher on my older system no longer starts either now. It seems to me that the devs simply dropped support for the direct download launcher. Let's see if I can bring it to life with the repair workaround suggested in some thread somewhere as it worked for the new system at least. Strangely, that is not mentioned in the launcher troubleshooting article, only in some forum post drowning out there...

Has this blocker been open for two years now?? I was going to play some on my new setup with an Intel i5-13400F, but the launcher won't start at all. I suppose that is the bug covered in this thread? Who is doing triage on the launcher bugs over at EA/Bioware/Broadsword? A cat? After digging through the forum I found that one can get a startable launcher by downloading a repair utility, but why would that step be needed in a fresh installation of the launcher? How are new players supposed to know this stuff?

Rebooted and it works. Impossible to tell if the reboot was related, but happy to have it working.

I had the same issue, but the launcher starts properly now.

My launcher is stuck on "Verifying 0%". Related?

It didn't happen that way. They changed the process, as he said.

Guys, there is obviously some issue with transferring characters if you are logged in to the game, and they won't add more servers until they secured it. Is that really worth all this whining? I can't believe all the complaining going on here, things like that bring out my inner fanboi Mental note: if any MMO maker offers me a job...RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

I believe it's called 'testing' And if the system melts down because of that, they really want to know it yesterday.

It didn't work for me either. Can someone who got the character copied confirm that the forum name, and not the email address used for login, is what should be put in the field saying forum name? I submitted a new entry using the email address instead, to test the hypothesis next time copying is done.

Didn't note when, sorry. Not everybody had so many issues with playing. Most things important to me works most of the time. My main concern right now is that a larger population on my server would make teaming up and PVPing easier, and the world would be more "alive". It will be interesting to see the new server structure. Certainly, they wouldn't be able to sell to a million of you (or would they?), but we are all different. Anyway, to answer the question why they expanded: easy, to earn more I've been looking around to estimate the layoff size, but I can't find any good data. Where did you get your figures? I don't believe so, as it does not seem to be how EA thinks about this business. They see the big earnings in the subs, and their efforts are directed at maintaining subs. At least, that is what I gathered by reading their financial reports. My personal guess is that the design did not work. If the design does not work, things can take time to get right. Also, since the ranked warzones coming in 1.3 are for premade teams, a sufficient server population is needed to make the idea work well, and we all know that too has taken its time, becoming available along with 1.3.