That's helpful info. I'm not planning to play ranked, just curious about the differences before I pick up one or the other. I think I'll go with Descent to start.

Just looking for some feedback from someone who has actually used the set bonuses Descent of the Fearless and Force Bound. Is the DPS drop for Force Bound that much more powerful? I'm assuming there's not that much difference between the two in regs, where wiping out the other squad's DPS every 45 seconds or so is not as big of a game changer.

Stickied! I guess not so pointless after all.

I guess it depends what LF wants for that concession, and whether EA is willing to make that deal.

EA’s deal with LF could require them to actively promote the game in specific regions and those servers satisfy that requirement.

If they were going to give everything rating, I think they should include 8s but make wins in 8s count less due to the balance issues. Then have one giant combined queue, everyone gets a rating. Make ratings below a threshold invisible, say 1300, or somewhere well into ranked territory. That way the regstars and casuals can avoid the pressure, but ranked folks get a better population.

I don’t know. I would try it before I stopped PVP altogether, and if it wasn’t like that, I don’t see why I would stop playing. Although nothing but arenas would suck regardless. I can’t live without Huttball.

Weird double post. I think I hit back too many times.

I’m reluctant to play ranked because I don’t want to deal with the grief when I noob and cost someone some ELO. I get their frustration, but I don’t want this game to be a source of stress. So, if everything became ranked, and I was constantly dealing with the atmosphere that seems to result, I think I would stop playing PVP altogether. I don’t know how typical my point of view is, but it’s not a question of better rewards. It’s a desire to avoid the experience.

If I had a nickel for every update that's been predicted to KILL THE GAME...I'd be broke. We need more updates.

How do we ask the devs to pin this, so there's a chance they might see the request? This info is good for any level of PVP, and it's going to fall off the front page pretty soon.

The ability to swap loadouts and classes will be nice, but not nearly as nice as it would have been before I had an example of each advanced class on both factions. At this point it'll just be a time-saver in terms of further leveling, gearing, etc. I'm torn on the whole dumbing down thing. I think SWTOR has some ability bloat, and it would be nice to slim down the combat system a bit - provided they can balance it correctly. If the changes are smallish, maybe we do okay. If they get ambitious...I'm just hoping they don't get ambitious.

I doubt that, because if it is, you'll unsub, right?

I didn't say there is no reason. I said we don't know yet. I think Keith has done a good job, in stark contrast to what came before. And I don't think these changes are as drastic as the rest of you do. So, I am cautiously optimistic.

I'm not telling anyone to hold back on feedback. I disagree with the general sentiment that these changes will be the death of the game, and that's where every one of these threads ends up. Those who are the most passionate about the game talk a lot and think the worst based on the past. It may be understandable, but it's not productive. I think the devs just tune out when that happens. I know I would.

I've never said that those who don't want the changes are fools. Quite the opposite. I don't want them either, but as we both agree, they are coming. You are looking for an argument that isn't there. What I don't agree with, and what I won't keep quiet about, are the predictions of the game's imminent demise. I simply don't see it, because I don't think the serious players are their main source of revenue. If they were, they would not be making these changes. They would be pumping out content for the existing system. I think this game lives off of Space Barbie, the hype from the movies and shows, and the fact that it's the only game in town, so to speak. It's the only reason it's survived the past mismanagement, and I don't think that's going to change. The IP is simply too strong.

I bow to your omniscience, oh great one.

And that is melodramatic drivel, which is exactly why I say "reserve judgment." We've seen early builds of 6 out of 24 specs, with no opportunity to test them against the vast majority of content in the game. I don't think shrieks of "DOOM" at this stage constitutes meaningful feedback, so we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

I agree, but that's kind of what I've been saying all along: we don't know enough yet, so it makes sense to keep checking out PTS and reserve judgment until they're done. I personally think they should have focused on making more actual content as opposed to revamping the combat system's framework, but there is no chance they will change course on that now. Whether it ends up good, bad, or middling, this is what we're gonna get.

Beat me to it. We also may be able to pick/choose from various DCD/utility combinations for specific fights (i.e., a Loadout) that will let skilled players complete this kind of content. In other words: we don't know enough yet to conclude that the game is DOOMED.

It's not that I think they'll rebalance everything perfectly. It's more that I don't think these changes are going to have as big an impact as folks are assuming, for the vast majority of content most people play.

This isn't intended spitefully, but if this is what you think, then why continue subscribing? They might scale this back after launch, and likely will if they lose a bunch of subs, but we all know they're not going to unring the bell. I assume some will say they are hoping to influence and change this. If so, you may succeed in small ways, but you won't change the bigger picture. The only thing that will do that is a loss of income. Why not play that card now? And believe me, I don't want anyone to leave. I'd like to keep playing the game, and it's hard to do that with less people. I'm just saying, if folks really believe this is the death of the game, why bother at this point?

I understand the sentiment, but the reality is these changes aren't going to kill the game. Some vets will call it a day, fed up with One Nerf Too Many that impacts end-game in severe fashion, but that is a very small percentage of the playerbase. This game is not known for its combat, or its engine, or its end-game encounters, and so you don't have many players engaging in those activities. If there were, they wouldn't be making these changes. They would be making more of that content because it would make them money. The reality of this game is that the engine is a joke, the original combat designers left long ago, and this game tends to copy mechanics established in other, more successful games. What keeps the game going is Space Barbie, hype from the movies and TV shows, and the fact that it's the only Star Wars MMO experience in town. None of these changes are going to change that.

Cease's first video has a google doc with notes related to the video, haven't checked the rest yet. It's got some great info/discussion/analysis re the game in addition to the notes, so a nice bonus if you prefer to read. Thanks for putting this up, Prum. Great info.

My suggestion was so you could avoid swapping toons, loading stuff into legacy, swapping back.