I agree with a good chunk of what you just wrote, but not all of it. You say medics should die first but then say most Mob packs can just be AoE'd. Concur that medics should die first -- or Acolytes / Lorekeepers -- as they are called in SoV, but that by definition means you don't just mindlessly AoE. Sure, you can probably still grind the pack down with just AoE, but I find SoV goes much faster when singularly targeting the Medics / Healers first. Seeing as most of the Mob packs have 1 healer (many have 2), I find this makes the run go much more smoothly on Story and Vet (haven't done MM). Edit: I should clarify what I meant about "pulling other Mob packs" -- I didn't mean you can stealth through them. I meant that sometimes if a player is not aware of positioning, it is easier to pull an additional Mob pack; e.g., the room beyond the kitchen where the Droid with the adorable chef hat is cooking. Also agree with @SteveTheCynic that some players have formed their perceptions of SoV based on its initial incarnation. It wasn't difficult per se -- but it was tedious, very tedious. Not sure how you change that perception amongst the masses. Dasty

I would combine what @DeannaVoyager and @SteveTheCynic wrote and agree with the sentiments they both expressed. I can only speak to Story and Vet mode, though I recognize you are talking about Group Finder only in this thread, but the same basic issues apply. I didn't find the bosses overly difficult (though far more difficult than, say, Secrets of the Enclave where Bioware took it to the other extreme and made it steamroll easy), but found the trash mobs irritating with stuns and knockbacks. In terms of difficulty, it requires more situational awareness than other Flasphoints b/c it is far easier to pull other Mobs if someone in the group isn't paying attention. You also actually have to pay attention to kill order in SoV unlike most other Flashpoints. As it turns out, Bioware did actually decrease Mob density in SoV about six months after it was released, which definitely made mitigated the level of tedium. Dasty

True -- they don't speak Basic -- but saying they are not "good enough" is a subjective opinion. You are assuming that speaking Basic is the deciding factor. For many, it is obviously not since I see many players using Cartel Market Droids and Beasts / Creatures. I even use Broonmark as my main Comp on one of my Sith characters, use Yuun on of my Troopers, and use CM Companions on others. That they don't speak Basic is irrelevant to me and obviously others. Moreover, the GS Companions are possible to insta-level to 50 once you reach a certain stage in the season on at least one (sometimes two) character(s). Keep in mind the GS Companions can also be sent out on crafting missions. I fully appreciate the view that there are tons of (some say too many) Companions; hence the reason I proposed the option to shove them deep behind a Hide tab. Edit: I should add that I always click on the Conversation Icon under Chat Settings so when Non-Basic Companions do speak it is translated into Basic in written form. Dasty

I think a healthy compromise is as follows: I don't mind having lots of Companions per se so I'm fine with Broadsword providing us tons of Companions through Galactic Seasons / Story (e.g., eventually Arn, Tau, Krovos, Ravix, Rass Ordo, etc.) but (and it's a big ole Hutt Butt)... 1) Allow us to move Companions to a Hide Tab so we can focus on / prioritize and only see the ones we use. (Ditto for Recruitment Alerts). Obviously, we can move Companions back and forth as we see fit, but allow us to customize that screen. And... 2) Allow us to customize which Companions appear on our personal Starships. This may be more difficult to do coding wise (I wouldn't know.) Dasty

@AussieAlan (and others), I agree with everything that @kgaydos and @DeannaVoyager wrote regarding Op currencies. Over a few months I gathered roughly 600 Op currencies so went ahead and did the Hyde and Zeek Ilvl 340 Rakata quest to have the option to buy the Ilvl 340 purple Enhancements. I don't regret doing so since I had the currency to spare but keep in mind... The difference between Enhancement Rakata (purple) Ilvl 340 gear and Supreme Decurion (blue) Ilvl 340 gear is very, very small. It essentially just flip-flops Endurance and Power stats -- it does not change the main stat. By way of example, let's compare the Initiative (Accuracy) Enhancements: Advanced Initiative Enhancement 101 (Purple Ilvl 340): +413 Endurance / +614 Accuracy / +452 Power Proficient Enhancement 105 (Blue Ilvl 340): +452 Endurance / +614 Accuracy / +413 Power That's an almost infinitesimal difference and the overall same Stat pool. Since it sounds like you are (mostly) a solo player, one could even make the argument that the tiny boost to Endurance is equal if not better. As I said, I went ahead and did the quest, but you have to decide for yourself whether that flip-flop of Endurance and Power is worth an extra 100k credits per Enhancement. Dasty

Hard pass / resounding no for me on this one, at least the way you framed and presented it. If I'm playing an alt, regardless of faction, and not on your friends list, that is b/c I don't want to be on your friends list with that character. It doesn't mean I don't like you -- it simply means I want to be left alone and go about my business, potentially with others, on that particular character. The last thing I want is someone, even a friend, whispering me when I'm playing the opposite (or even same) faction pestering me along the lines of: "Dasty, we need one more for X activity. Can you stop playing Imperial and join us on a Republic character?" Even if you give an opt-out (or in) option, I don't want to have to explain to someone why I don't want my entire legacy to be on their friends list, which can all too often lead to awkward conversations I don't want to have in the first place. Dasty

Some good news. As of a few months ago, you can now trade Warzone and Operation currencies for Tech Fragments. The conversion rate is 200 WZ and OP currencies, respectively, for 200 TFs. The OP currency vendor / trader is located in the Supplies section of the Fleets. The WZ currency vendor / trader is located in the Combat Training section of the Fleets. It's not much, but it is better than nothing. Dasty

Of course. But if they catered to your "wants" vs. your "needs" the game wouldn't survive. This is pretty basic. Dasty

Your friend can gain a mount by completing the easist Flashpoint for free. Your friend doesn't "need" to play Space Barbie. Your friend can play the game like many of us did and earn our neat outfits. It's that simple. Dasty

I have not slithered into the swamp that is the ongoing debate about how to handle the transfer of characters, legacies, credits, etc., to Shae Vizla for a simple reason: I live in the USA and am very, very happy on Star Forge. I think it would be pretty obnoxious, dare I say arrogant, for me to tell APAC-based players what should happen to / with their regional server when the outcome doesn't impact me in the slightest. All of my equities lie solely within the geographic confines of NA servers and Star Forge specifically. Read into the above paragraph what you will. Suffice it to say, the moment there is the announcement of any type of credit wipe / asset deterioration / even an escrow fund, is the moment I pilot my fabulous pleasure barge into a Sarlacc Pit at light speed, hit the 'unsubscribe' button and never look back. Dasty

I have no Strill (which is very different from a Dog) in this discussion other than to poke a little fun @Nee-Elder... In order for your idiom to make sense, you should have said: "I have some sand to sell you on Tatooine." Regards, Dasty

Do you know how you can tell I'm a reseller? Simple, I'm telling you openly I'm a reseller. And, frankly, I don't give a womp rat's behind if you think I'm a thief, a grifter, a credit seller, the Grinch, Scrooge, or a greedy Hutt. Other players are free to say that the GTN should be a form of charity and items sold on it should have low prices to help those for whom (in their mind) said item was intended. Personally, I have a very different target audience in mind -- the player / buyer who will maximize my profit. I make zero apologies for that and feel no shame. As it turns out, I also thinks my actions help keep SWTOR afloat. I concur fully with @Darkestmonty that Cartel Market purchases are instrumental in keeping this game afloat. I absolutely would not purchase items on the Cartel Market if I felt that selling them should be viewed as an act of charity. To wit, just yesterday I purchased several of the new armor dyes which I'm going to hold in my bank for a while in case of a rainy day and sell on the GTN if needed. Don't like my actions -- too bad -- don't buy them. I save my charity for guildmates and friends, not strangers on the GTN. I don't do much flipping / reselling largely because I find it boring, but there are others who obviously enjoy this aspect of the game and are well within the ToS to do so. And, more importantly... Hate us whales all you want (although you don't even have to be a whale to be a reseller / flipper), but we are a large reason the lights are still on in a galaxy far, far away. It is shocking to me that some think newer players are entitled to low prices for cosmetic items. The only items on the GTN that increase your in-game power are Augments -- and even those can be made without spending anything on the Cartel Market (i.e., it's not pay-to-win). It is hardly "theft" when a newer player chooses to voluntarily pay what someone views as an exhorbitant price for a cosmetic item. And, as noted correctly above, reselling is absolutely one of the best credit sinks available, particularly under the new system. There is overwhelming evidence to support this point. Put bluntly: Don't hate me because I'm rich -- hate me because I'm rich, smart and, most importantly, faaabuuullllooouuuussss. Dasty Edit: Surmising that someone has a newer account implies nefarious action and therefore banned in the past is tacky and pretty low. I left in in early 2013 after Ilum PvP debacle. I returned in December 2016 b/c EA couldn't find my old account. If you think my original account had action take against it -- you would be be sorely mistaken.

I am squarely in the "no" camp. My friends and I started at launch on Jung-Ma (RP-PvP server). We left after about 12-15 months for a myriad of reasons: a) Leveling was a slog; b) No meaningful end game content; c) Far too many QoL issues, notably gearing and confined companion roles. The final straw and the reason we all quit in late 2012 / early 2013 was after the Battle (or as I say Debacle) for Ilum PvP release because it was simply unplayable. Several of us rejoined in December 2016, though I'm the only who remains on a (mostly) consistent basis -- I went on hiatus after the disastrous 7.0 release for several months and returned for 7.1 given, how shall I put this nicely, changes. One could argue that it would be possible for a Classic server to fix some of the aforementioned QoL issues but still maintain the essence of a so-called Classic server. But therein, said the Bard, lies the rub: Doing so would require resources and a staff commitment to design -- something I don't think Broadsword has in abundance at the moment. Bottom line: In a galaxy far, far away of scarce resources, I far prefer said resources go to developing new content, which is scant enough already. Dasty

I have this neat little trick I employ when I feel the way about a game as you do about SWTOR. I play a different game. I guarantee it works 100% of the time. Lifetime warranty included! Dasty

You do realize you are necroing a 9-year old thread that is no longer applicable because SWTOR now has shared tagging beginning with 7.0. Dasty

On the Live Stream, Keith very wisely announced that 7.5 and 7.6 are still planned (obviously that can change). But he wanted to inspire us that SWTOR isn't done yet. This makes sense since MMORPGs are an investment in characters unlike, say, an FPS where each round is pretty much new. With that said, I think for 2024 we are still attached to Malgus and Heta Kol. If there is an 8.0 I hope that brings a completely new story arc. I anticipate 7.5 will be released in summer and 7.6 next holiday season. That tracks with the current cadence of release dates. Keep in mind, Malgus was reintroduced in December 2018 (5.10). Heta Kol was introduced in December 2020 (6.2). While their story arcs are now connected, we have been living / playing with them for a long time now. Don't get me wrong, I like both of them...but it is time to move on. I very much enjoyed 7.2 (Ruhnuk), I thought 7.3 was okay. Ditto with 7.4...still more breadcrumbs. It is time to wrap this story up otherwise Old Buzzy and WayoftheWarrior will shove him (meaning Malgus) out an airlock. But it was very, very wise for Bioware / Broadsword to introduce a Mando theme. They took advantage, smartly, of a very popular new series -- a great business decision. Dasty

You have an interesting way of defining "like a year or so ago." /snicker As to the main point of thread... I wouldn't have a problem with a name purge, particularly for characters under level 10. If they are above level 30 or so, I would have more of an issue depending on how long the actual account has been inactive. Also agree there should be plenty of advance notice so players can reactivate characters they have allowed to wallow in dormancy. As for how many years inactive? I would say at least 4-5. Dasty

I can verify that patch 7.4a fixed the issue perfectly. I just completed the Republic side of the story (enjoyed it!) and everything is now fine. Pleasantly surprised Broadsword got this fixed so quickly. Dasty

Are you clicking on the purple triangle underneath the "Kessan's Landing" banner? Clicking on the name "Kessan's Landing" doesn't work. Edit: If you are in your Stronghold but traveled there from Kessan's Landing, you can also just exit directly back to Kessan from the SH terminal. Hard to provide specific answers b/c we don't know what stage of quest you are on. Dasty

Forgive me for being blunt... This is one of the most ill-conceived quests I have ever encountered in any MMORPG. Having thirty people racing to a click a mandatory quest progression item with a lengthy respawn timer is extremely poor game design. The argument that I should wait until the crowd thins out is inane given how excited many of us were to play the new story, which is now a royal pain in a womp rat's behind. Guess I'll wait a week. 😏 Dasty Edit: Per Otowi's point, I'll give the Empire a go. I should have specified I was playing Republic.

Avematic, I think your suggestion would be a tremendous waste of resources and serve little to no purpose. As someone who takes RP somewhat seriously, there would need to be a mechanism to make their background identifiable. And, even if it were identifiable, would that necessarily define them as a character? To wit: I have several Chiss characters on the Republic side even though they are typically aligned with the Empire. I am perfectly capable of head canoning their defection, even those who use the Force which is rare in the Chiss Ascendancy (e.g. Valss from Traitor Among the Chiss / Vinn Atrios from Nathema Conspiracy). Far better to allow players to define characters as they see fit as opposed to presupposing immutable attributes. You seem to be triggered b/c some people are asking you to refine your suggestion to make it feasible. That is all Steve and Shoony were trying trying to do. FYI... 1) I'm not autistic; 2) I'm not in High School; 3) I'm not a boy; and 4) I'm not a girl. And, FYI, your post was insulting to autistic people, to boys, and to girls. Your misogyny isn't just readily apparent -- it is obvious. Dasty

The correct answer is Tuesday, Dec. 12th (Austin, TX time). This date affords Broadsword the opportunity and ability (hopefully) to fix any absolute game-breaking bug(s) in 7.4 before Christmas. That is all, Dasty Edit: The deco reward should be a picture of Dasty the Hutt (yours truly) figure skating in Central Park, NYC, with a beautiful red-dyed nerf hair scarf.

Two or three times a year FlatTax will enter and derail a thread about Pay-to-Win. It happens and will continue to happen as long as Planet Earth circles the Sun. I'm not suggesting that FlatTax is doing anything against the Code of Conduct, but she, he, or non-binary has been writing about "creeping doom" now for years (yes, literally, and those are FlatTax's words, not mine). FlatTax will continue to make the same facile argument about Crystals (🙄) and Augments -- features that have been in game now for years. Has it "creeped" into other facets of the game? No -- and that is empirically and demonstrably provable. Still, I admire FlatTax's perseverance. At risk of trying to get this thread back on course of original topic... I agree there should be some allowance to APAC players to transfer characters even legacy with a discount back to Shae Vizla. I say this because many of them migrated to the U.S. based servers when the APAC servers were shut down. I can't speak to how this will impact Satele Shan for the simple reason I don't have the numbers. With that said, if they are going to offer discounted transfer fees to Shae Vizla (which I support), they should offer a similar discounted transfer from Satele Shan to Star Forge. But I acknowledge and respect that some players like a smaller, less populated server. Hey, who am I to judge? As one of the greatest philosophers in centuries, Ru Paul, said: "If they ain't paying your bills, pay them ******* no mind!" Hugs Dasty

Fortunately, "they" -- however you define them disagree with you. Dasty

Fine, just understand I don't care less why you want us to progress. You simply confuse that SM players = Solo players. That's on you and has nothing to with effort and is, frankly, insulting. Dasty