Well Bioware took away the 10K affection I spent credits to build up on one of my C2-N2's (to use with the old +Cybertech droid item). So much for Bioware's assurances.

My sub and cartel coin grant (which I've already received and verified in game) are both dated 8/1 even though it is not yet 8/1 PDT even as I post this. It appears that the account info displays only GMT time/dates regardless of your account's Time Zone setting. I suppose this is why they also included the GMT time in the fine print: "...account must be in a Subscriber status as of 11:59PM PDT//6:59AM GMT..."

Tait, is the 30 minute (up from 25 minute) default Quick Travel cooldown fix also included in that patch? Fixing the legacy perks is nice, but if the 30 minutes isn't changed back to 25 minutes, the lowest we'll get with perks is 15 minutes instead of the 10 minutes we had before this patch.

If I remember correctly, wasn't the default cooldown 25 minutes? Each of the 3 legacy unlocks removes 5 minutes. The only way to get down to 10 minutes (which is what I had before this "patch") is 25 - (3 * 5) = 10. So it appears this is 2 bugs. Legacy unlocks not applying and an increase of 5 minutes to the default cooldown. Will the cooldown increase also be fixed I wonder,,,

The Preview window doesn't display this bug (which has apparently existed since at least July!) FIX!!! I'm tired of my robe dragging along the ground.

After finally getting a successful False Emperor run, my wife was only one part away from finally getting HK. She recently started an Empire character to get that final part, but after today's patch *poof* all the parts are gone. She has put in a ticket as you suggested. but I can tell you that her desire to even look at SWTOR at this point is zero. I really hope "CS will take it from there". Bioware, this is really unbelievably bad form.

I'm sure to be in a tiny minority, but if I wanted the expansion, I would've purchased it. I deliberately haven't purchased it yet because I'm not done experiencing level 50 content on level. Perhaps if the expansion were a store item that I could claim at my convenience... Also, while I know expansions are very often reduced in price and eventually (after years) given away, it seems giving it away after only 6 months is very premature. I'm sure it will have some measureable negative impact on purchases of the next expansion as some players opt to wait for it to be made available for free.

Ugh. Can't stand the new Sentinel fx. Ugliest, brightest, eye-strain-iest fx in recent memory. Wish I could turn the effect completely off. As is, I'm constantly right-clicking my Centering off if I'm not planning on using it in the next 2 seconds.

Oh, I completely understand how you determine what goes in the list and when. What boggles my mind is the fact that it's taken, what, 10 days to even acknowledge this? I have tons of schematics on lots of characters. Have I been losing schematics during the past 10 days? I had no idea to even look at it! An official thread should've been started as soon as a few reports were verified. That thread should've started with exactly the kind of post you posted here which would of course show up in the dev tracker. Btw, this is why posting these problems in General makes more sense than posting them in the "appropriate" forum (Crew Skills in this case). Visibility is apparently near zero for the devs as well as the playerbase. I guess I'll need to start taking screenshots of my crafting panel prior to each patch from now on. How tedious.

We pay to beta test this game and have done so since December. Devs just toss stuff out to Live to see what breaks. Another bug I encountered yesterday was while my wife and I were grouped and looting boxes for Vandrayk's Tuning Apparatus. With autoloot on, whoever looted first would get two copies of an item, such as a Receiver. Since these are mission items, they aren't tradeable. We had to turn autoloot off to each properly get our copy of the item rather than just one of us getting both copies. Such a simple thing to test for. BW QA, if it exists, really should be ashamed. Btw, the answer to this problem is to utilize a long term, player populated, closed (permanent NDA) beta program.

You know, once upon a time I would've believed that my bug reports were important. However, in the past couple of days as I've started leveling some new alts, I've rediscovered some Tython bugs that I reported way back during closed beta. The issues are still not fixed. I'm sorry, but 8 or 9 months is plenty long enough to fix these things, even in a complex project such as an MMO. I keep track of every bug I report and there are plenty of bugs that simply aren't being addressed. Some even impact the ability to play the game and yet I only get a "thanks, we've passed it on..." response and nothing ever comes of it. I wish it weren't true, but inaction speaks louder than words. I read patch notes looking specifically for fixes to bugs I've reported. Sure, some bugs are (thankfully) addressed, but it is extremely frustrating for me as a player to keep encountering the same bugs time and again on every character I decide to level. 8, 9 months and nothing? To be honest, I feel like I've been paying to beta test the game all this time, so recently I decided it's just not worth my time to report bugs.

Never played DDO. Didn't think it'd appeal to me. Not everyone likes every game. That stuff with the store will happen and I agree it can be annoying. Since I'm not a LOTRO F2P player, I'd rather not see any of it anywhere, but like many annoying things in life, I accept that's the way it is. Kind of like all those commercials I always skip through on my DVR. Maybe when I get to make my own game someday... Not to say I don't give appropriate negative feedback when required. A recent addition to LOTRO, cosmetic outfit dummies (apparently a player suggestion) are really just in game advertisements for stuff that is sold in the store. These dummies resulted in a good amount of negative feedback from the playerbase. Based on the constructive negative feedback, the dummies are going to be removed from some locations and de-emphasized in locations they remain at. Players spoke, Turbine listened. My point is, it's an ongoing process. It's the price of having a game you enjoy sticking around. Based on the rate SWTOR is shedding subs, F2P was likely inevitable and is likely the right long-term decision. I certainly wouldn't have said that before LOTRO went F2P, but this isn't 2004 or even 2010.

/shrug Sounds somewhat like I was back then, although I certainly wouldn't have worded it the way you did. Would I have preferred that LOTRO stayed sub-only? Absolutely! Especially since I'm a Lifetime Founder. But given the circumstances, economy, increase of "free" games, FB games, etc., I realize now that Turbine made the right decision. It's better to have a game that has a F2P option than no game at all. Also, I've done the math. Added up everything I've spent on LOTRO over 5+ years, specific TP packages when on sale, etc. I'm already nearly halfway to that figure in SWTOR after only 7 months! And for what? A broke game that I've been paying to beta test for months now (and frankly, I'm a bit tired of that). And since you brought up WoW, aren't they only now, with Panderia, finally going from 10 character slots to 11? I remember having 10 slots way back when I played WoW for a couple of years (since vanilla launch). Still only 10 slots? After nearly 8 years? Yep, that monthly sub really pays for expanding those game features. You know what? I admit I like having the option of purchasing additional character slots years earlier rather than to have to wait all those years... for a single added slot... when the developer deigns to grant me my request. I can have up to 17 slots in LOTRO right now. And believe me, I can earn way more Turbine Points with a single low level character in less than a week than it costs to add that character slot to the account (yes, it's account wide therefore I get that extra slot on all servers). Net TP gain with zero dollars expended if I want. I just choose to pay $ (when deeply discounted) since I have the money. Even then, LOTRO still hasn't cost me anywhere near $15/month even when adding in the various expansions. Less than half that actually. But believe what you will. If enough players here provide appropriate feedback (and trust me on this, I am quite forceful when Turbine tries certain things with their store, and they actually do listen, sometimes; can the same be said here?) then F2P will be successful and SWTOR will have nice updates in a respectable timeframe for the next decade or so. Keep hollerin' it's the end of the world, and it will become a self-fulfilling prophesy because those on the fence won't stick around to see the transition through.

From my perspective as a LOTRO lifetime subscriber since release and extremely severe F2P doubter (borderline hater early on), I can honestly say that LOTRO F2P has been extremely successful. Content is great and in many ways has improved, server populations are very healthy, the game didn't get near as many WoW-rude folks as I feared, and fun, free-to-all content is still being added, such as the brand new Farmer's Faire going on now. And I get to purchase tons of goodies that I always wanted and probably never would have had without F2P: Extra character slots (up to 17 currently), tons of extra vault storage (never have enough!), cool cosmetic outfits (LOTRO's cosmetic system trounces TOR's sort of system) and cosmetic outfit slots, extra legendary item slots, milestones, cooldown reductions, on and on. Now, I'm not 100% thrilled with everything about F2P, but it certainly didn't turn out to be the Great Evil I thought it would be. In hindsight, I'm extremely happy that Turbine went in that direction. I think overall the game is better for it. I was really hoping SWTOR would be the Next Big Thing as I extensively tested the game during closed beta. It wasn't and it isn't. It is bleeding subscribers (including myself and my wife after our current subs are done; our son quit months ago). I can guarantee you that we'll all be back under a F2P model IF they aren't overly restrictive. And I guarantee you that we'll be spending some amount of money to get things we really want. You see, even though I have a lifetime sub in LOTRO and therefore never have to pay any sub fee ever again, since F2P, not only have I purchased each expansion with cash (altho I waited for Isengard to go on sale) as I would've under a sub-only model, I've also purchased 25K Turbine Points over the years for myself and another 15K for my wife. Those Turbine Point purchases equal cash money in Turbine's pocket, cash money they would never have received without F2P. And I'm one of their more stingy customers, always waiting for sales, etc. If Bioware handles this right, they can actually increase revenues while increasing server populations. Time will tell, but I honestly think it's either a successful transition to F2P or limted to no content updates time (maybe even shut down). So for everyone reading this, if you want The Old Republic to be around for years and years to come, I'd suggest providing useful feedback as details are revealed and then welcoming Free Players when it's time.

Mildly interesting (only mildly) until I found out I wouldn't be able to finish due to the event's short length. You know, many people have real life responsibilities that trump gaming; family, work, school, etc. Look to other MMO's (WoW, LOTRO, etc.) for event durations. Weeks minimum. One week tells me that there is a definite lack of concern for players of my playstyle and available gaming time. That by itself killed it for me. In addition, having an event on a mid-level planet where it was necessary to kill cap-level bosses just isn't fun in my opinion. Never could get into a group. Adverts were always "level 50 please!" and I'm not 50 yet. The rakghoul event only left me with a feeling of frustration and disappointment. Lesson learned. If this is the way Bioware will be running their events, then I won't even bother to participate from now on.

Speeder materials costs are steep but probably fine if selling them. The perk to Cybertechs should be having a BoP version of the speeder that has significantly reduced materials costs. For example: BoE version: 10x Mando Iron 22x ciridium 22x zal alloy 12x thermalplast flux 32x durasteel BoP version: 2x Mando Iron 4x ciridium 4x zal alloy 2x thermalplast flux 6x durasteel This is how all crafting with signifcant materials costs should be handled (minimum). The crafter should always get a break on materials costs for items they themselves will be using.

I read it all. You have written so much that I was trying to articulate myself. In my opinion, crafting should at least match hard-mode FP's and good, starting-level PvP gear. Crafting should be capable of launching players on to greater deeds. Just not there right now and without it there's no demand and no reason to pursue it. And BoP in crafting should die (with possible exception of my suggestion in my previous post). I wish I could comment on so many points you made, RE Roulette, the Crafting Grind to Nothing Useful, the attempt to out-WoW WoW. But time is limited and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to post. Bioware should read your post and take serious note. I actually have a high tolerance for pain in MMO's. I even dabble in STO now and then having purchased a lifetime account a while ago and that's hardly a perfect game (although it is much better than at launch). With TOR I find myself in an unusual situation. This is the first time, ever, that I'll not be going directly from my free month into a paid sub. I'm sticking this one back in the oven until it's done. Bioware is exceptional at storytelling, but I've come to the realization that much of the game just doesn't come close to the level that the storytelling does. Especially crafting which is a huge part of my fun-factor in MMO's. (I won't even address the bugs, including ones that I reported in beta 5 or 6 months ago, the UI, the many other design decisions that Bioware has made that has led me to my decision regarding TOR.) In the end, if story is the primary and nearly only positive, well, I can get story from reading a book, for less money, and a lot less time investment and frustration. I'm sure I'll finish the storylines I'm interested in eventually (main only made it to level 27, which is actually quite good for me), but after dropping the cash for CE's (and regretting it now), I just can't justify paying still more to play at my normal, casual MMO pace. Crafting could've been a reason to stay, but it isn't in its current state. I'll save the stories for vacations, etc. when I have more free time on my hands. I just wanted to highlight this part since I can verify your assessment. I've been playing LOTRO since open beta in 2007 and I still play it today (going on 5 years). That's years longer than I played WoW. I raided in WoW and I left that game. I don't raid in LOTRO, so what has kept me playing there? Story (I admit TOR has the upper hand there) and crafting. Crafting is useful and I enjoy doing it. While I don't raid, I have crafted for folks that do raid and what I craft is useful to them. I certainly like LOTRO's crafting better than WoW's crafting and TOR's crafting is even worse than WoW's.

If by "end game content" you mean group gated end game content, then count me against. I have no evidence either way, but it probably is since "that's how WoW does it" and Bioware too often insists on emulating the bad from WoW. Furthermore, even if the recipes are available via solo end game (Bioware did add that as promised, right?), but are BoP, then count me against again. If I get a recipe to drop, but it isn't for the crew skill that my current character has, I should be able to pass it to an alt, family member, guild member, someone who can get use out of it. I don't agree with BoP for anything crafting (see exception below). End items, materials, recipes, nothing should be BoP. I don't know of anyone, manufacturer or craftsman, who makes anything in this world, but they alone are able to utilize it. BoP != rewarding. BoP recipes and materials are extremely frustrating to me as a crafter. BoP recipes and materials gated by group content are especially egregious. Now, to be constructive, I have to propose solutions and I am here to do just that so read on Bioware. The way I'd address the current "BoP items make crafting rewarding" view is if those BoP items were the same as normal BoE items but were crafted using drastically reduced materials costs. For example, take those BoP speeders that Slicers make. That's a lot of mats! Keep those mats as is (removing any BoP mats of course), change the speeders to BoE, but add an option to recipes that severely cuts the mats at the expense of making it BoP. Then Slicers can craft themselves that nice speeder for very little cost. This makes crafting "rewarding" while allowing crafters the ability to trade (or give away) ALL their wares to other players, not just the next to useless items. Imagine, as an Artifice I can craft you a nice lightsaber using up all these materials, but I can craft one for myself for next to no mats. I can craft you color crystals, hilts, and enhancements, but I can craft the same things for myself for half (or less) the mats. Note that this change would require that these special "BoP" crafted items couldn't be reverse engineered thus keeping the material usage for crew skill leveling as currently intended. Bioware, try knocking that idea around a bit or use it as a starting point. Try to come up with something different than what some other game did. I'd like to see the system improved. I will monitor posts and patch notes in the coming months in the hope that improvements (including removal of the current, in my opinion flawed, BoP restrictions) are imminent.

Pardon me for injecting roleplay as a possible deciding factor while playing a MMOR(ole)P(lay)G. I will have to disagree. I also play LOTRO, BoP for crafted end items isn't a factor in crafting (only certain high-end crafting guild LI relics are BoP; however, they are the same and available for every single crafter), and crafting is done by casuals and leet raiders alike. But, whatever. Bioware's intentions for this game have become clear enough.

My ship. My ship. And, oh, I guess my ship. In real life, I can shop from my home using my computer. In game, I can speak to people from my ship via holo across the known galaxy, but I can't connect to the GTN? Also, I should be able to send my companions (via crew skills) to put items on the GTN or pick up items/mail, just like I can send my companion to sell my grey items while questing. Frankly, part of C2's duties should be to ensure my mail is picked up at each planet I visit. He should retrieve it and stack it neatly in the inbox located in my bedroom. It's not a stretch here. While we're at it, while questing I should be able to send my companion to my ship's hold to store stuff I'm wanting to keep, but I realize that's a taller coding order.

I can't take what you say here seriously at all as long as you continue to have BoP and "requires 400 skill to use" crafted items. I can drive my quite complicated car quite well without knowing how to build one tyvm, so why are crafted speeders BoP? Nothing in crafting should be BoP (either materials or final products btw) or have skill gates. As long as you have BoP or skill gated crafted items, decisions about which crew skill to choose will be heavily or solely based on those items instead of "what would this character enjoy doing." It will happen just as healing priests in WoW (when I left that game) had to be tailors to craft certain gear or else they couldn't raid. If you're going to mimic a WoW system then expect negative WoW results.

Congratulations to you folks that don't have issues. I don't either, but my wife and son do. I'm posting here since Bioware seems to think that fewer posts means fewer problems. They were willing to wait it out, but patiently waiting apparently adds to the perception they don't have a problem. It is a problem and, although I doubt it is a majority of players, it should be addressed by Bioware. Trivializing those that have problems doesn't resolve those problems. Bioware's deafness to that trivializing just adds to the perception that fewer players have problems because it reduces the likelihood that those players will post. They simply don't want to get flambéd. Nor me, I think some people are just mean-hearted. I've often wondered if they saw a person get hit by a car, would they run up to try to help them or to kick them in the head?

My son plays Battefield 3, Dragon Age 2, Deus Ex HR, Rage, Portal 2, Batman Arkham City, etc. just fine on his machine tyvm. It's not his machine. It's Bioware's client.

Seems to me that the rare color crystals should be crits off the various crystal purple recipes. Using blue crystals as an example: - start making blue crystals using the green recipe - reverse engineer those crystals to learn the blue recipe - make blue crystals using the blue recipe - reverse engineer those crystals to learn the purple recipe - make blue crystals using the purple recipe - when you crit voila! purple crystal (BoE tyvm ) That keeps them rarer and yet accessible. Crafting has so much potential but oversights like this, raid/hard mode FP BoP crafting mats (an abomination imo), other BoP crafting nonsense (such as Cybertech speeders, synth armor, etc) just kills it for me. I'm a huge crafter and my long term payment decision will be about 50% based on the state of crafting.

Or "many" people are simply putting up with the performance issues, like my wife and son, without putting in a CS ticket or posting here about it (consider my post adding two players with performance issues if you'd like). Don't assume that the numbers of "forum posts and CS tickets" that you have represents the entire population of folks with performance issues. Some folks just figure they'll wait it out since Bioware "says" they're working on improving things. The amount of trust Bioware is burning with issues like this surprises and dismays me. However, I will pass on to my wife and son that they must put in CS tickets in order for their voices to be heard thus adding to the already overwhelming volume of CS tickets (I mean, really, days to respond to tickets? DAYS?!) for all the good it will do. It's not like it will get fixed any faster. Btw, my son plays Battefield 3, Dragon Age 2, Deus Ex HR, Rage, Portal 2, Batman Arkham City, etc. just fine on his machine tyvm. It's not his machine. It's Bioware's client.