The real problem is not "new ops or not new ops", it's deeper than that: they are not staffed for that!
In fact, they don't even have the basics such as QA, otherwise how to explain how you can release a NiM mode that does not drop the proper gear (after all, it's just a formula) or the redesigned "invisible" flames on Torque?
But that's only the beginning, because after they finally acknowledge that there is an issue, even the basic ones, it takes them ages to fix it!
And don't get me wrong, I know that some bugs are really bastards to fix. I'm talking about easy fixes (ex: you put back online the "old" flames while you take the necessary time to fix the redesigned ones...).
So, i seems to me that the bulk of their staff is on CM stuff, because that's where the money come from, and the rest is below expectation level...
As for PR, sorry but that's just crappy work: we just had Eric Musco saying in a post something like "Hello guys, we know there is a problem with NiM loots, it's just a formula problem but we will not fix it now, we'll just take our time and anyway stop complaining cos for the gear you have the highlighted HM ops and for NiM mode you'll have titles and vehicles that many of you already have." (I'm barely paraphrasing) ...
When someone tells you "we know we have an issue, it's a simple thing to fix (adjusting a loot dropping formula should be an easy thing to fix for them by now... just saying) but we are just going to wait to fix it for no apparent reason", what do you really understand? Well, for most of us, we understood "Hello raiders, go f$#% yourself" even if it might not be the intended message, hence many peoples getting angry and fed up and quitting...
And it's a pity because it was a good game but now they are slowly removing all the multiplayer aspect of the game (or at least rendering it really boring): this is not really a MMORPG anymore, just a ORPG... tbh, if this game was not Star Wars themed, it would have died some time ago, so BW (and dear ol' EA too): you are lucky to have a SW franchise here and don't try that with some random MMO theme, because I'm guessing that you would loose a ******** of money....
PS: bad PR is not a new thing: anyone remember "Sorc are easy to play but hard to master, just LoS, H2full and make them pay!" or "elect class reps, tell what must be fixed in term of balance so that we can ignore all the good work you did to break it even more that it was"?
PPS: sorry for the wall of text
Not really the point: it was said that they would clean a bit the crafting schematics to avoid the half DPS/half tank stuff. They did it on the earpieces and implants for the Jugg/Guardian tanks and PT/Vanguard tanks but not the Assassin/Shadow tanks. Either it's broken/bugged, or there is a (****ed-up) logic behind that. Personally, I think it is the former. Unfortunately it is always the same: we have all these little (easily avoidable) crappy details that lessen the quality of any release and because you have bigger bugs, they only get fixed 2 years after, even though they should be easily fixable (let's hope I'm wrong). It is a pity because I'm really enjoying the Skills & Discipline revamp they did.