[New expansion killing/limiting Solo players??]

The renown system honestly didn't really do anything anyway for solo players, or any players for that matter. Every level you get 1 or 2 random items that likely aren't 306 rating or the thing you want. But, it was nice having something. That was the one saving grace of galactic command, not the gearing side, but the extra little things it gave you. Having renown levels that give new currency + tech frags and companion gifts for e.g. would have been awesome - but instead the system is being removed for no real reason.

 

It doesn't do much, but it is psychological. The renown system lets me know that anything I do, regardless or where, has a chance, albeit very small, to contribute to my gearing. It's usually junk in a box, but if I got it from killing mooks on Korriban at lvl 75 I shouldn't be super upset about that.

 

Renown and conquest to me are a unified system that ensures all of the content of the game at any point in a characters progression is worth investigating. They provide a layer of infinite replay ability that is being excised and replaced with nothing, even if that layer is mostly in ones perception. +I just like seeing exp numbers rolling in and levels increasing, makes me feel like the game isn't over...and now those things are gone too.

[New expansion killing/limiting Solo players??]

How are they limiting solo play?

 

To me the removal of the renown system and gutting of the conquest system seems like they have invalidated/removed the vast majority of content in the game. Where previously ANYTHING I did contributed to my advancement, now only a couple things do, and only one of those things actually leads to the peak.

[How were master mode chapters received]

This thread is vaguely encouraging me to finish the story before heading out. I've been wondering why there isn't actually challenging single player content? I mean we have the companions? Could you imagine FPs being balanced to use more than one?

[Risk is not the reason people dont do OPS]

2) In my almost 20 years of MMO gaming (starting with Star Wars Galaxies back in 2003), I can count on ONE HAND the number of progression raiding guilds I have been in that lasted more than 6 months to a year, and that were FUN -- filled with fair, emotionally-stable adults who treated raiding as a game and not a job.

 

Invariably, one or two (or five) key role-filling players has something come up in real life and needs to leave the game. Then comes the tedious downtime searching for a replacement, but not just any replacement -- one that also fits personality-wise with the rest of the "team". Or raiding guilds that descend into cliques. And that doesn't even take into account the sheer number of raiding guilds I have been in that were SO unsuited to me personally because they were filled with toxic, 1337-SP34K, "get gud bruh" players.

 

As someone said above, it's frikkin exhausting just trying to find a raiding guild that you enjoy playing with!

.

 

I second every word of this and is the main reason I am against OPs only gearing. If they came out with harder solo content that had a bigger reward, I wouldn't object because then I'd still be playing a game instead of navigating a social media website.

[Medal of Commendation, and Aquatic Resource Matrix Cap per week.]

I'm curious what the justification for capping it is. Given you aren't farming for the highest tier gear through conquest and they cut the exp/renown/credit rewards out.. Has conquest gained...anything?

[When did flashpoints become so chill?]

On Star Forge. 4 years ago was the last time I was pugging flashpoints with any real frequency (been doing them with pre-assembled groups a decent amount between then and now tho). It was not forgiving to error. Groups would vote to kick someone who erroneously aggro'd adds even ONCE. If you died on a boss fight, you could rest assured you were gonna be kicked and saddled with an activity finder lockout.

 

Started pug queuing for FP's again just in the past couple months, and wowee are things different. If someone dies on a boss or gets knocked off a ledge or does something else clumsy, the group just laughs about it/ the dead player tries to boost the morale of their teammates who are still in the fight.

 

When did casual players replace all the perfectionists in the FP queue? Not complaining by the way; I like getting FP's done in a timely manner, but I'd rather have a group that takes it lightheartedly than a bunch of wannabe Type-A's who get their panties in a bunch at the slightest mistake.

 

I would say 1 in 16 people is still a *******. I base this on (2) completion cycles of Veteran and master weeklies, However, most people are just quiet and seem to expect you to know whats up. And the smallest group the people who talk are just the best.

[I'm feeling 7.0 is the end]

I guess I always wind up being the contrarian, but I don't really have much to complain about with 7.0. I'm not excited for the gearing system, but it's far from the most egregious form this game has had and, I mean, it's not a big deal regardless. I like most of the changes coming down the pipeline (Even the pruning!) and, I dunno, I just don't get the doom and gloom.

 

For me it simple, there is far more being removed from the game than being added. If I thought the game was worth a subscription before, I'm struggling too now when there is just less for me in the newest patch.

[Ops-Centered Gearing Hasn't Been a Focus in 5 Years]

As raiders love to point out, it's not needed for the rest of the game. What good is it then?

 

I see this a lot and it feels disingenuous every time.

 

Why do you need better gear as a raid reward for raids? What happened to all the challenge and skill raiders keep talking about? Why do you want a reward that permanently reduces how much of those things are required for the content that you play? If thats true, why does everyone need to be on discord? Why do you expect people to have read guides for content they haven't even experienced? The first time you play a raid is the hardest it will ever be.

 

I don't see any raiders saying, we want a super hard instance, with interesting mechanics, fun boss callouts and a title that says Best Raider that doesn't offer any new stat upgrades. No, they deflect about skill and challenge and difficulty to cover for their lust, not only for their own gear progression, but for other people to have none. Limiting solo/non-group players increases the difficulty and challenge of your raids, how exactly? Why is your thirst for gear progression more valid than a solo players?

 

These people are being dishonest as far as I'm concerned.

[Ops-Centered Gearing Hasn't Been a Focus in 5 Years]

every solution you mention would've kept my sub.

 

I waited to see the itemization post and then desubbed. I have no interest in my ability to get gear being gated behind other players. It's not that I dislike raiding, it's that I dislike people management which is the route of all raiding. Get on discord at a specific time, make sure everyone is there, wait 15 minutes for late people, oh your MT has wife aggro? Good luck with you backup you don't have. Oh your two best healers are having a spat and won't raid together? Sure hope you have more. Oh man, your best DPS had a power/internet outage, well, hopefully that guy sitting on the Bench showed up on the off chance he actually got to participate. Raiding is not about skill, never has been, it's about management.

 

I see all these posts on reddit about challenge and skill expression being a justification for better gear. Except those things are permanently reduced every time you get top end gear. So that argument feels like raw deflection from just wanting something to lord over other people who don't want to jump through social hoops.

 

I just got this game and absolutely love the freedom, that's why I subbed in the first place. But now, I'm not sure I even see the point of continuing to play until the expansion is released since I have no desire to go through the social crucible required to participate in the game.