Your optimism would have reasonable in 2014....maybe even 2015. But, the "big" decision on this game's direction was made around that time and nothing has changed since then. Of course...every now and then there's an attempt to exhume Humpty Dumpty and forensically reason him back together. Yet, we all know there's no sense in further torturing that poor soul. Personally, I exhumed Humpty Dumpty enough times in 2016 to cover us all. Let the egg rest.

The main issue for many of us isn't the gear situation. It's the fact that there's nothing to gear for.

As for frequently switching between roles, which I do(did)...you make the concession that you will have a few wasted points of accuracy (in your dps role) by employing the mastery stim. It's a simple exercise of deciding which stat you want to sacrifice...knowing that we're talking about inconsequential differences in output. Bant's numbers should make that easy. Regardless, Bant's main theme is to provide the "optimized" number and this scenario is obviously not optimal. In fact, if the gearing system wasn't so cumbersome..and one truly cared about having the exact optimized set of gear for both...you really should employ different sets of gear/stims for each role. But, that's not really realistic in this environment so you just run an "un-optimized" set. In the end, we're really talking about fractions of fractions...so it really doesn't matter. RIP Psy-Ops...we fought the good fight, and had a good run.

Scrappy Doo.......poof.

I can confirm that it does exist. Check out the Sorc threads.

If "clear" means by their actions...then yes. If "clear" means by their words, then no.

I think a key thing that is being missed is the use of the word "hope." The sum total of this is that there is no promise or even a deadline set here to "have more specific updates on what is to come." It's just a "hope." In short, it's the hope to have an announcement of an announcement. And, given what we know about the task of generating Ops similar to those previously experienced in this game, they would already have to be far along in the process to have anything remotely ready for 2017. They may well start to refocus on group content after KoTET drops. But, please don't fool yourself into believing this "refocus" will yield actual playable results anytime soon. I can understand why they wouldn't say anything like this to us....but someone needs to say the cold truth here. Sorry.

Nailed it.

Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was "Oh no, not again."

These are both reasonable and logical counterpoints...which may or may not share a common denominator. A highly flammable, oil-dipped on use relic might not be the smartest thing to carry around in one's tanking pocket. It also might explain a lot. Fortunately, fashion doesn't have to make sense.

Only the cool PT's run the Shrouded Crusader. It's a fashion choice anyways...

Just nuke everyone to unarmed combat. That'll learn'em good.

Agreed to the buggy nature, but at least you're not stuck with Translocate.

Because a dingo ate your baby?

The Dulfy tank guides...including the pre-4.0 ones...are very good primers. Everyone has said the proper things, the only thing I would add is that if you are new to running ops then you will need to study the mechanics of each boss and become comfortable with them (and the terminology)....before you run whatever Op you have chosen. Unfortunately, there is little (general) patience for a tank who doesn't know the mechanics. So...to make your experience less trolly...study up. It really helps. Even better, you have a wealth of material now to learn almost every fight, every mechanic, and all the cheese. If you are running a Jugg/Guardian, absolutely read this thread: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=831874 Good luck!

Oh the NY Cantina. Should be interesting.

Flawlessly executing PVE content is like a great guitar solo. Flawlessly executing a Nim raid is like a transcendent symphony. Both are music...and one can appreciate both equally. But, one is far harder to pull off than another...even if you label both "difficult." And that's assuming one agrees the difficulty is the same...which I don't. But, I'm just trying to point out that one cannot reasonably minimize the group aspect when comparing difficulty between solo and group content...specifically Nim raiding.

Great post. And...not to mention that you don't ever hear from or even see most serious Nim raiders. We're far to busy working on content to expend free time on forums or fleet chat....or even pugs. But, in my one raid group: One guy has developed a gearing chart that is perceived to be the current penultimate guide to gearing. He spent countless hours creating it, updating it, and offering friendly advice to anyone who asked in his thread. Another guy wrote a guide for his class that is now both on Dulfy and here. He also spent countless hours creating it and offering advice to anyone who would ask...not to mention those who whisper him constantly for advice. Another guy (who seemed somewhat surly to me at first) turned out to be someone who has been helping out literally hundreds of players on these forums...in a most respectful manner. The rest of us are a mixed lot, but not one of us is an "entitled, whiny jerk." You simply don''t hear from us or ever see us. We have jobs, families, lives...and the only free time we spend is with our friends here. That's my personal experience. And, the news today is potentially devastating to all of us. We all love this game. We all want to continue doing the thing we love...while being decent, good people. Sadly, if the news is true, it may be somewhere else...because we can't do it here anymore. Entitled? Whiny? That couldn't be farther from the truth. It seems to me that anyone who would laugh at our group's pain might be misinformed...or just plain cruel.

They did that with the Shadow of Revan expansion...most likely conceding your point.

Consider yourself lucky.

Based on what I just read, there will be no new Ops anytime soon. RIP. I'll channel Robert Frost to express my feelings: Nature’s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. All I can say now is that the NY Cantina Event on 10/5 has now become a watershed event for many current raiders/raiding guilds/subs...if they last that long. I guess our "*&!#*&% warrior" wiped. Probably should have rolled a Sorc...

And this is the crux of the issue. Attempting to find some balance between a PVP and PVE tank via the same gear/mechanics is a flawed exercise that has only been exacerbated over time. It would take a ton of effort to fix it. Sadly, it's not going to happen. Heck, I'd settle for a 224 B-mod and call it a day. There's a ton of work to be done on balancing/optimizing endgame content and gear. It's not just tanks either. Regardless, at this point, most of us are just hoping for some new content. Beggars can't be choosers...and we certainly have become the former. When a "fat suit" (credit to Bant for the term) tank is even remotely optimal, is when you know something is very, very wrong.

I reserve judgement on it to deem it "actual content." There's a better chance it will include a few irrelevant cutscenes, a host of scripted no-stealthing mob pulls, and a boss your companion will solo-obliterate. I don't hold much hope that it's worth all this trouble. Now, if some actual "group content" was....moment of silence for the dearly departed. That would be a different animal altogether. Regardless, I'm fairly apathetic on the whole HK shooting match. This whole last year has made me feel about as involved and in control as my description of "actual content."

Yeah...I kinda perceived it as a reward to suffer through it.... Also, can you imagine the backlash from the subbers if they announced "Errr....nevermind...HK's for everyone!" right after HK drops? I don't really have any strong feelings about it either way, but I do know a Pandora's Box when I see it.

Just gonna re-quote this to troll my co-tank. Because of reasons...