To start off, PvE questing with someone is way more intimate than doing a flashpoint or op with someone. Trust me. My husband and I do everything in SWTOR together and we have a ridiculously high social because of it. I wouldn't do quests/missions with anyone else because, frankly, they'd annoy the fire out of me. However, I do the occasional flashpoint and op with others because players often focus better in those situations. Secondly, social points should be received for everything. People shouldn't have to be grouped to received them because, and I understand this, not everyone wants to group. "But Pam," you say, "they're not being SOCIAL if they're not in a GROUP!" Untrue. We're in an MMO so other players are ALWAYS around. Even a solo player has to be around others and be impacted by them. Whether or not he's talking to or working with these other players, this solo player is directly affected by others. It may not be "social" but this solo player deserves something for having his experience altered by the presence of others. Finally, regardless of what you think of my first two points this is the point I really want to make. Especially while in a group, players need to get a constant drip of social points. If you're on the fleet or something this should probably turn off, but while in the field, in a flashpoint/op, in a warzone, etc. players in a group should consistently receive social points. These points shouldn't be limited to NPC conversations since they require another player to receive. The drip can be very slight, probably to combat AFKing for it, but even it was one point every 30 minutes, at least you'd be rewarded for your grouping efforts. Of course all of this is moot since social points are worthless. They're worthless, mainly, because social gear is light armor only (vehicles notwithstanding). Those of us that understand and love the custom/orange armor system are greatly hurt by this fact every day! /river of tears

It's got to be intended for combat considering their mod capabilities. I adore the custom (orange) system in this game and it's a shame my social level is going to waste! I would be very pleased if the social gear gets updated to be of use for medium and heavy wearers. Until then, I'll shake my fist in anger because that gear looks great...

Just because something comes from a Social vendor doesn't mean that it's for a "social" occasion. This armor just happens to be a reward for being social. A lot of the social gear, and I'm getting the feeling that most of you don't realize this, is actual armor. It's not all dresses and bikinis (love the social III armor, and I'd but it right now if it were for a medium wearer). Social vendor armor often really looks awesome, is of custom quality, and of course utilizes the mod system. It's not just elegant wear on Coruscant. The mod system is amazing in this game and it's a shame that only light armor wearers benefit from this system when it comes to the social vendors. It doesn't matter if you think getting custom pieces from a social vendor makes the gear only social or not, the simple fact is that a certain type of class is benefiting from the vendor while medium and heavy wearers are not. Honestly, if you're going to act like someone's genuine complaint is ridiculous at least do them the courtesy of knowing what they're talking about. Also, try to look at the issue objectively instead of providing non-constructive comments that are purely bias. Long story short: My social is pretty high and I want to be rewarded for it. Right now, there's nothing really for me since I'm a smuggler. Just because this armor comes from a Social vendor doesn't mean it's not for battle. After all, I do battle in order to get my social level up!

Honestly, a slicer should never lose money. Slicing is only good for returning money (augments notwithstanding). A slicer should "fail" by getting a vastly smaller profit margin. For example, an "unsuccessful" slicing mission should net the player a 5% return. A normal successful attempt should about double the player's money. A successful crit could triple his money. Those are just out-of-my-butt values, but you get the idea. And don't give me the "There are other ways to make credits" speech, that's not the issue. This is a near-worthless gathering skill. It serves no purpose since the patch; it's not really worth taking over one of the other gathering skills right now. Putting it in "balance" with the other other gathering skills probably made it a little worse. SHOCK... that happens a lot with MMOs. The "crits" make a little bit of cash (870 to send, 2473 return) and that's a decent return, but those are extremely isolated. No, slicers don't need to make triple their money every time, but they should never lose money. It's all they have to gain.

I'm a non-slicer and I approve of this post. What good is slicing now? It servers NO purpose considering its sole purpose is to return money. I'm watching my husband test the new slicing and he gets a profit every now and again. Sometimes he doubles his money, but most of the time he loses cash. Yes, this makes slicing more like the other gathering skills but that has a serious adverse consequence on the market. Slicers were actually buying other gathering goods with their money. Now, I don't know who is going to buy my mats (scavenging). Everyone will either just take the gathering they need (since slicing is worthless), or they won't have enough money to even think about using the market. Did slicing make a little too much money? Probably. There were some giant returns on rank 1 missions. Those definitely needed to be nerfed. The whole gathering skill did not. You might as well get rid of slicing if it stays this way. Just remove it from the game if you're not going to think about what you're doing.

slicing was the only thing that made swtor crafting bearable. i can't believe it got changed so quickly. for the record, i don't even have slicing. my husband does and it was the only way we made money between the two of us. it worries me that they’ll make live changes without thinking about the consequences. instead of nerfing slicing to make it blow alongside the other gathering skills, the other gathering skills should have been improved. if someone wants to make their money through gathering skills, freaking let them. there is an investment to it and there is a risk as well. there’s virtually no other way to make money in the game; especially at lower levels (for example, no one wants your grade 1 metals). if there is a way tell me. and keep in mind that i want to level my crafting as my gain my personal levels. crafting is a part of the game and, thus, should be a viable past time to level while your character is leveling. making all the skills be so hard on the wallet might make the game "balanced" but it sure as crap doesn't make it fun. crafting, in general, won’t be viable until you’ve made some money elsewhere. what’s the point, then? nerfing something just because people complain about it being “too good” should make you look at what’s bad. changing the good thing so quickly really worries me. is this how bioware is going to handle minority complainers on their forums? if so we’re looking at a very rocky set of patches until they grow a pair or gain some direction.