Perhaps. But it is offered up as the 5th Anniversary event. It's like your wife handing you a plate of monkey poo, then telling you, "This is your 5th Anniversary dinner, honey. Enjoy!" Perhaps she didn't go out and get monkey poo specifically for your anniversary. Perhaps she just happened to have some leftover monkey poo in the fridge and reheated it on a night that happened to coincide with your anniversary. Either way, you're eating monkey poo on your anniversary.

I am genuinely sad at the reaction an RPer would get today in a PUG HMFP. I agree that running content in-character can be fun. I just rarely ever see anyone do it. though, it would have made leveling Thor very difficult ... he is a curmudgeonly pacifist healer who refuses to use the Force to harm other living things. Not sure he would have made it past that first Flesh Raider mission on Tython with that attitude.

That is the most unreasonable and RP-phobic statement ever made in the entire history of unreasonable RP-phobia. You act as if these characters into whom we invest such creative energy and emotion can be blithely tossed aside like last week's .... stuff ... stuff that was blithely tossed aside. And you denigrate the true RPer's dedication to his/her craft when you suggest that players can ... or should be able to ... nonchalantly turn our RPing "on" and "off". It's as if you think when I send my cadre of crafters' companions on crew skills, I don't do so "in character." To the contrary, each of my crafters' companions have their own backstories and motivations for fetching me that piece of Desh. Qyzen and I share stories about his great Slicing hunt and the many foes he overcame to return with the prize ... we share stories ... in my head. This event ... and your pernicious, perfidious perspective on role-playing is an /emoted "slap in the face" to RPers.

As I've often said, one's commitment to any MMO should be no greater than one's commitment to relationships. That way, if your MMO has "put on some unsightly pounds," it's easier to move on. A monthly subscription makes perfect sense for a MMO ... and for a boyfriend.

This is how I know there is no one left at SWTOR with a sense of humor ... There is no Victor tier in the event that awards the "Victor Victor" title.

Well, since "Legendary Victor" is taken, I suppose they could change "Destined Victor" to ... um ... "Legated Victor." Yeah, that'll work. Or, they can change the title of that tier from "Legacy" to "Destined".

I call shenanigans. First, any quandary over the event's impact on role-playing presumes that one actually RPs during missions. As an avid RPer ... as in, RP is my primary activity in any MMO I play ... this is, in my experience, a very rare occurrence. But even if a player does insist on "RPing" during missions ... which, is what exactly? Tossing in a few gratuitous emotes before and after convos? ... simply choose to RP a character who is all Light. Then choose to RP a character who is all Dark. As I understand the event, we have to use new characters, right? So, make one all ebil-sauce and another who is goody-two-shoes. In nearly 40 years of role-playing, I have certainly developed a favorite "type" of character. But I still manage to RP other types as well. Role-playing is role-playing. You know the end game ... Light V and Dark V ... role-play your way there.

{I consulted with my nine-year-old nephew on this issue. He assures me that, contrary to the implication in this thread's title and OP, you ... it turns out ... are not the boss of me. Trust me, I was as surprised to learn that as you will be. As for the likely outcome of the event, if we assume most participants are new players, then I see no reasonable chance for Light to win the race. New players are drawn to the dark. We all know this. The only reason they play a game like SWTOR is to unleash their inner Sith Lord. Let's face it, if they were interested in the Light Side, they'd spend their time helping old ladies cross the street or reading to the blind ... not playing a videogame.}

This thread reminded me of the following sequence from Monty Python's Life of Brian: Brian: Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't need to follow me. You don't need to follow anybody! You've got to think for yourselves! You're all individuals! Crowd: [in unison] Yes! We're all individuals! Brian: You're all different! Crowd: [in unison] Yes, we are all different! Man in crowd: I'm not... Crowd: Shhh!

How can anyone be so morose when it's Chimichanga Night at my house tonight? The worst case for veterans is that EA/BW gave us nothing to do this summer. If a bunch of new players race around doing this event and acquire all that swag, I will not feel cheated. Just like I don't feel cheated when other players earn rewards doing anything else in SWTOR I cannot stomach (yeah, I'm looking at you PvP!). I don't enjoy OPs and, hence, will never get those rewards. So what? I still enjoy the game. This event is just one more activity that holds no interest for me. Besides, did I mention it's Chimichanga Night!?

Depends on your major.

Well, duh. New players are that hot girl that moved into your building who seems really cool and approachable and stuff. Old players are your current girlfriend, with whom things have grown a little bit stale, despite the fact that she put you through Chainsaw Carving School, has consistently chosen to stay with you rather than run off with other, better guys, and even paid to fix the muffler on your crappy car after you spent your last dime installing new speakers so you can "Blast that bass, baby!" I thought this was common knowledge.

The goal of encouraging players (old and new) to try aspects of SWTOR they have overlooked or rejected is a worthy goal. The goal of artificially ginning numbers in those activities over a four-month period so quarterly reports reflect a skewed image of how players spend their time ... not so worthy. I'm not sure which is EA/BW's true motivation in this event. If the former, then there is no reason to require veteran players to replay the content they already played. They did not "overlook or reject" that content. They played it. They achieved that achievement. I confess to remaining intentionally ignorant of the details of this stroll down memory lane, but does the speed with which one accomplishes these tasks matter (within the four-month window)? Does the first player on each server to tackle the final tier get a Space Pony or something? If so, then, the event makes some sense. If not, then the head start veterans have over new players is meaningless. I'm not participating in the event. Heck, I'm not even playing SWTOR these days. And I'm not complaining. But there is a fragment of my gamer soul that sort of wishes this event had been intriguing enough to drag me back to SWTOR a couple of months early. Oh well.

I have no interest either, and shall not participate. But I understand the rage. I'm not saying I agree with the rage ... but I understand its sources. 1. Frustration over no new <insert your favorite type> content. We're now told that the fun, cool way to spend our summer is to repeat old content. Of course, being told to rehash old content is ... well ... old hat in MMOs. But this event serves as a stark reminder to those who long for new imaginary stuff to do. 2. Frustration over adding new rewards for content veteran players have already achieved. When I graduated high school, my parents gave me a hug. When my younger brother graduated high school several years later, they gave him a car. This event is like telling me all I have to do is repeat high school and they'll give me a car too. Some players are happy to repeat for the swag, but other players aren't. Some players feel that they deserve to be rewarded at current rates of swag for past accomplishments. 3. Frustration over potential devaluing of real money purchases. I've seen people post that some of the rewards available via gameplay in this event were previously acquired using CCs. Making those items "free" to players now allegedly devalues one's investment of real cash spent on CCs to buy the items on the CM. Players tend to bristle when someone makes their CC expenditure moot. 4. Frustration over the developers being goof-head-stinky-pants-churls. Some players will simply crucify the developers for deciding to part their hair in the right rather than the left. TLDR: Frustration over perceived injustices.

Agreed. I may begin advocating a new Forum rule ... all posters in a thread must share a group hug every five posts ... just to take the edge off. It's hard to verbally snipe at someone you're hugging. It seems we are witnessing a fungoid blooming of "Negative Nancys", while the voices of "Fanboy Freds" seem to be waning. A handful of "Whiteknight Wilmas" remain, but they are constantly marginalized. I fear the day will soon come when the norm on the forums will devolve into a cacophony of "Vitriolic Velmas" and "Disparaging Dannys", with nary a "Positive Pete" to offer a counterargument. I, of course, remain steadfast among the "Ambivalent Andys" and "Apathetic Alices."

The rewards offered in this event are not worth my time and trouble to acquire. However, I checked in the mirror, and I see no handprint on my face. I feel irrelevant, not insulted. Which is fine. This event does not cater to me. I accept that SWTOR is allowed to target other demographics.

I don't write reviews of restaurants where I have not eaten. I won't "rate" this event other than to reiterate that it has not inspired to cut short my summer SWTOR vacation. I don't plan to "vote with my wallet" ... I remain subbed during my breaks. But I shall vote with my time. A devalued currency, these days, to be certain. Assuming I would not resume playing SWTOR before my scheduled return, this event could have had two possible effects on me: (1) Wow, what a great event. I wish I was participating and I will regret not getting all that cool swag! or (2) Meh. I'll miss out on the swag, but it's just not worth the effort. Oh well. It's shame they went with #2, but it ain't the end of the world ... or the end of the game. No Groundhog-Day-Mageddon for Thor.

All this, plus anything else you think you need. Pre-craft (or pre-acquire) earpieces, implants, etc. We must stock the bunker for Groundhog-Day-Mageddon!

Oh, you will. It will be waiting for you after you go back and finish high school again. ADMISSION: That is not my best work. I was looking for some generic analogy to satirize the LS/DS event offering most veteran players rewards only if we go back and re-attain certain achievements (with a small "a"). The idea being SWTOR paying their alleged shill only after he makes new jumps through old hoops. But, hey, some people would love to go back to high school. Some players will love this event. It's hard to assess the event without knowing its intent. If the intent is to get new players off their KOTFE insta-60s and into old (new to them) content, mission accomplished. If the intent is to motivate veteran players, not so much.

It would have taken something truly interesting to cut short my annual SWTOR sabbatical. This event is not interesting. Thus, I shall not participate ... and shall "not participate" without complaint. I don't complain when my favorite restaurant makes eggplant the daily special. I simply eat somewhere else that day. Right now, I'm getting my full of MMO meals at the WoW Café and see no reason to come back to SWTOR to eat eggplant. To be clear ... I am returning to SWTOR ... eventually. Probably this fall. I like to take long breaks from MMOs. It gives games time for shakedown cruises of new content and helps reignite my pilot light of motivation. I always have a blast when I return to a game ... any game. About every two or three years, I break out old PS1 and PS2 console RPGs ... my favorite is Legend of Dragoon ... I would pay mad ducats for someone to update that game to modern standards. My interest in this LS/DS event was limited to deciding whether it intrigued me enough to abandon my abandonment of SWTOR. It does not. Really, all I needed to learn was that actively attempting to complete the event requires that I re-plow ground I have already fully cultivated. I like playing SWTOR ... and I like making new alts. I just hate playing SWTOR and making new alts that are Troopers, Smugglers, Agents, Warriors, or Knights. So, I hope everyone who participates in the event enjoys it. I'll be back in a few months. In the mean time, I will continue to send you postcards from WoW Summer Camp.

Yeah, I almost cut short my scheduled SWTOR sabbatical to return for this event. Then I learned that doing so would require re-plowing ground I have already fully cultivated. Not that I mind "having to" level new alts from 1 to 50. I just mind that some of those alts must be Troopers, Warriors, Knights, Smugglers, and Agents. I did that once to get Legendary ... not doing that again. As for crafting ... I love crafting. Also, I have more than enough mats stored to level every craft from 0 to 550 in one sitting. And I never really need an excuse to level up an alt's crafting skills. But I hate feeling like I was told I must do so. Chances are that, at some point, I will make new crafters in all trades and cap their skills. I just bristle at feeling like it was someone else's idea. So, no early homecoming for Thor. See you as planned in the fall.

I've noticed that, until around 50ish, the discrepancy between crafted blue mods and blue reward armor is moot. I'm usually so over-leveled by then that the gear hardly matters. I used the free sets of Legacy Gear we get at level 1 to make a series of Legacy Sets equipped with crafted mods (some sets even have augments) ranging from level 7 to 65. I upgrade to a better set every 4-6 levels. I only play DPS and Healers, so they can use the same sets for basic questing and leveling. Since I created those armor sets, I only have to craft mods for weapons and off-hands. I still need to craft implants and earpieces. The unification of stats into Mastery and the advent of outfit tabs made this possible for me.

This is pretty much the same as asking which is better: Left Twix or Right Twix. Which, of course, depends on whether one prefers (a) soft caramel dripped on tasty cookies and covered in delectable chocolate or (b) chewy caramel drizzled on tempting cookies concealed in delicious chocolate. Some people prefer (a); some can't live without (b). I've played both Male and Female Sith Warriors ... both Marauders. The Pureblood guy Warrior turned out to be a stereotypical mean pain in the arse. The Human chick Marauder turned out to be slightly crazy ... she wore a pink dress and used pink crystals in her sabers ... and she liked to dance and twirl. They've both been long-deleted.

It really is this simple. Before claiming the current model is "flawed," one must consider the purpose of the subscriber incentive program. I see no flaws in the current model. It appears quite apt at producing its intended result ... elevating subscription numbers at specific milestones. Now, that doesn't mean SWTOR cannot also choose to offer some reward for long-term loyalty. The two systems are not mutually exclusive. I would suggest that SWTOR, in fact, already rewards long-term subscribers. At least, I feel rewarded ... every time my new alt receives the 30+ mailings at character creation with all the swag I've earned by being subbed at specific times in the past. I don't really need or expect anything more than that. Or ... SWTOR can follow LOTRO's example. As a "Thank You" to the players, at the anniversary of LOTRO's release in April, 2007, my characters get a new character frame thingy (a pretty border for my character portrait ... it works like a graphical title). As a nine-year veteran of LOTRO, I get the prettiest frame ... the Ninth Anniversary Frame. A player who has only started LOTRO within the past year gets the First Anniversary Frame. Eight years from now, that new player will get the frame I got this year. I.e., the quality of the Frame you get is a function of how long you've played. I think it would fine if SWTOR did the same thing with character titles. Reward long-term subscribers with titles based on how long they've subscribed. If a player has earned the title for subbing for two years, he can get the Three Year Subscription title next year ... and so on and so on ....

I've advocated making greater use of "ignore" rather then "/ignore" for quite some time. I rarely receive SWTOR spam, but when I do, I don't really recall it. There are many aspects of SWTOR I cannot control that cause me consternation. To use Jay Z's vernacular ... "I have 99 problems, but a spam ain't one."