So what you're saying is, the solution (and yes, you proposed a solution - stay in school) is to /ignore people and never go into a warzone. We call these solutions the "smahrts". RP servers are enforced in many other games. Names are also "Expired" after being inactive for a year+ in many games. Your concept of "right thing" is overtly selfish and most likely self centered. You're not a unique snowflake. Get over yourself and your teeny portion of the world. There is a million others who play the game. Bring up an applicable and salient response. Bottom line: Either its an RP server or a PvE (or PvP) server. BW needs to pick one and enforce it. This has always been an issue with MMOs, people who save names and cut out the ability for others to use them. They may play the toon one day, they may not. But they want to be the first come first serve to it. It's just like URL jacking. At what point is it fair to say "No, you're just name jacking, give it up"? It's a tough call, but most games put either an inactive account or inactive toon warning when they have name issues. At least you're honest about the multiple level 1s holding names. However, the bulk of the discussion is not on name-jacking, it's over RP servers being RP servers. People will be all "I have to use a gamer tag cause all the names are on level 1 characters never played" and thats utterly false. The cool names may be, but theres plenty of names out there.

The ERP is typically really, really bad on a level of attention (BLEEP)ing, and I either ignore emotes entirely or actually roleplay back at them appropriately and they eventually shut up after I refuse all their duels. Really it comes down to - BW needs to support or enforce RP, or get rid of the RP description on the server. I intentionally joined an RP server hoping to do more RP and not see QQ in general. Theres a few good RP guilds I'm told. Im in a PvP RP guild but were mostly busy in wzs or storyline leveling, but we also have an RP specific channel. Dunno, I just picked out a guild I saw in wzs a bunch that played well and asked how to join. Seems most either slide towards RP or do heavy RP. I'd suggest trying some out, or just sticking to general ANYWHERE but the Fleet. Fleet is a good place to ask about and discuss who does RP in what factions and get some invites though.

Gear does play a part. Two days ago: Level 43-45, my gear was level 39. I was outperforming the low 40 to mid 40s, outperforming the below 40s, and keeping up with or outperforming the 50-55 crowd. Yesterday: 45, my gear was updated to 45 blues and 43 Purps. Same results, just more damage. Seriously, if you're one of the faceroll overgear people that can't play well crying about how you're not pwning everything because you farmed gear that keeps my teams down (as there were several last night), get out. I'd like to have more than 20 wins on my record. It's sad when the undergeared lower level people contribute and try harder than the lazy full 50+ armor people do. Having bagged on the ill-played 50+ crowd, I can say there is a good amount of well geared and really well played people out there in the 50+ crowd. Hats off to you guys, you're a ton of fun to fight and a ***** to kill.

You just like twisting things to your viewpoint and putting words in peoples mouths to win an argument on the internet...right? I would hope the poster (and thats what I read) is saying that Expertise in itself adds an un-needed layer that complicates things more than needed for good PvP.

Mostly this. I'd agree with the level tiers if there were more people queuing for warzones. However, I do like going after gear, its good motivation to spec out. I actually like the idea of PvP centric gear vs PvE centric gear. Either they need to implement a system that works for balance and makes sense (most importantly, not exploitable), or get rid of Expertise. Other games do fine without a PvP centric stat. Bolster honestly keeps the PvP instances fun, and it comes down to more skill than gearing. Group PvP has always been about Numbers first. That was taken out of the equation. Next would be a baseline of gear. Bolster done correctly takes that out of the equation. After that is individual skill and group coordination. Lastly is proper classes/specs. If Bolster is fixed, thats what PvP will come down to - and I'm fine with that. It would be nice to have a proper class/spec fix, but I think that can be done with gear swaps and field respecs just fine. Outnumbered overgeared PvP blowouts are boring as hell. The QQ I can't faceroll nubs people are pathetic, however the exploitable Bolster and lack of meaning to PvP gear concerns are valid.

I've done long strings of pug queue solos in the evenings and weekends (5, 10+ in a row). I've ended up with 6 healers and no tanks, 0 healers and being the only DD, etc etc. It's gotta be first come first serve utterly random. Pre-mades seem to be squaded either with each other on one side vs a full pug, or pre-mades vs pre-mades.

Companions, ripping out mods. They need a round robin and to have the instances drop enough actual loot for all 4 members. Also there's about 12 other posts on this. Hopefully a mod can just merge them (And if they can't, holy 1990 forums batman)

The level 1 thing is kinda a meh. However other games had solutions with that - email warnings, etc. Use the toon or lose the name. Why are you holding the name? Just because? Also, I'm gonna be direct here and say flat out: Your solution is not only unworkable and not well thought out. If I was to /ignore everyone I see with a gamer tag instead of a name on an RP server, I'd never see the inside of a warzone again. You may think its ridiculous to dictate what names people should have, but I imagine your mommy explained how you're a pretty snowflake and should do whatever makes you happy. The real world disagrees, good luck on your career if you continue with that attitude. You're part of a community, not a stand alone single player console game. You're not alone though, every MMO has people like you - and they're rarely monetary or in game contributors to the health of the game. Flaming aside, BW should enforce/support RP servers or get rid of the name "RP" on them. It's just like PvE and PvP server behavior. Either support your label or get rid of it.

I did 10+ wzs last night. Each one had at least 2 gamer tags on my side. 2 of them had ALL gamer tags except me. Different people each one of those wzs too. I caught about 2-3 gamer tags on the opposition side per wz. TBH It's hard to watch while blowing people away and trying not to die. I found a perfectly fine RP name, and I started almost 3 weeks ago. So lack of names available aren't an issue (not to mention, it suggests names). (Of note, the Imperial side sucked last night. Won a whole two matches. I'm gonna hit 1000 kills with like, 25 wins....)

I have more years of experience in MMOs. I opened EQ and did beta for many games, and actual real "beta testing" (ie, not the closed or open general access for most of the neckbeards out there) for friends who work in the industry. You're not playing right. Or you're a really funny troll who suckered a few of us into responding.

Tanks take forever to find. And when you find one...they don't tank and have no idea what they're doing (ranging from pulling, aggro, and/or damage taking). I actually tanked nearly the whole FP once on my DPS sorc because the tank was that bad. Boss included. Luckily I had a good healer. Worst yet, is when I heal better on my DPS Sorc than a healer spec'ed class. With how bad the healers are, I'd be terrified to play a tank in a FP, as I'd expect to not get any support or heals. I tried out group finder again recently, and gave up when I was in the queue for 40 minutes. When I finally get field respec I'll debate doing the heal switch role - but honestly with how bad tanks are, I'm better off avoiding it altogether. (The hangover analogy is perfect) Guild runs are amazing, though. Never had an assassin tank before, it was great, they kept aggro nearly the whole time until I got some lucky crits. The whole group also thanked me for bubble - apparently DPS sorcs normally don't bubble anyone?

500k subscribers ain't bad. The double revenue profit is from initial cash shop investment. If they do not focus on driving people to continue to play (Be it storyline, PvP, Gearing, replay value), this drops off and dies shortly. If they focus on packs, only the die hards will be left who want the gear from them. If they focus on customizations, they will get more casuals. If they focus on content, they get more gamers in general. Unfortunately, packs is the cheapest to produce, and looks the best income wise. However, it does not lead to long term stability. There are more games than I can count on my hands that have shown this over the years. Unfortunately producing a long lasting, good game =/= bean counter short term goals. Either EA/BW wants this to be a long term game, or they are going for the short earn kill. GW/GW2's short term play and borefest really exemplifies the short term money making goal. Unfortunately most of the industry is focused on the short term make money and get out - the devs, designers, etc expect games to last 12-24 months and die. Subscription only failed because the game is too short and the replay isn't worthwhile. I'll be 50 in 3 weeks of moderately casual play with about a 3rd of my time spent screwing around. If I had not learned how to deal with boslter in PvP I'd be cancelling if I did not find another class I'd enjoy storylining through.

Really they need name enforcement and RP enforcement. Have an OOC channel, for the random non RP stuff. I play on an RP server, I've seen RP in general once in the last two weeks that stayed as RP. Last night I did some in Belsavis, one out of the 6 people in general "Got it". But yea the amount of "Ihealzjoo" and "AwesomeSith" names are about 40-50% of what I see overall. ~50-75% depending on the time of day in Warzones. And no, the "Jhoria Pryde" stuff would be fine. The "I'Pwn"Like'McDonalds" shouldn't be. I would have went to a regular PvE server if I wanted to see that all day.

You read my mind, already saved. The whole Bolster problem has kind of turned me off from level progressing and gearing up - as it seems going in PvE gear is about even or outdoes the PvP gear, which is fail. I was close to just finishing the storyline and giving up and cancelling sub. PvP is fun except in cases where the Bolster issue/exploit is obvious (Then its like, why bother and just leave the instance). Thank you for the clear-ish guide Now to decide if I want to enjoy some Bolstered wzs with lowbie levels or go out and level.

Gear up Khem. He may die, but you should be able to Barrier through it with Recklessness and Polarity Shift DPS.