That is really the best you can do? No possible way to make up for this "inconvenience" that some people were undoubtedly planning to participate in at some length over the Christmas holiday? I imagine deviating off the schedule would even be worse than sticking to it at this point? I mean staying on the schedule just rolls out broken content at this point, so I imagine rescheduling the event sooner or making up for it with something else would just cause even more problems?

I like the fact that it was nice to see developers recognize and acknowledge that emergent gameplay should trump designed gameplay sometimes, especially in an MMO. It's encouraging to see every now and then.

Which leads to a question: If you intend for people to be geared prior to entering and engaging in the challenge, what level gear? Because does it make sense for the gear level required to be 216 and the mods that are dropping are 208?

One of the most basic things I think is that taking down effectivity of comps down across the board 75% is not well thought out response; it appears reactionary and not proper level of response. Especially considering this is an MMOG and seemed like the majority of the fan base actually liked it. So first consideration is that not every situation is the same. Fights with a tank as a PC and a DPS as PC and NPC as heals is slightly different. The HPS for a DPS is way higher to do something than the HPS necessary for a tank to do the same goal (more heavier hits landing at greater percentage). Now of course the tank will take much longer doing it, but this is the tortoise metaphor. Having said that, to your request for input... Level: 65 Roughly Average Item Rating: 200-208 Discipline: Combat Sentinel Companion: T7 Companion role: Heals Companion Influence level: 20 Which Mission or Star Fortress are you playing (Solo Mode? Heroic Mode?): H2 Star Fortress (Forget which one in particular, think Tatooine) Your personal experience while playing this content: Not much change for anything outside of the Star Fortress (which begs the question was this crushing nerf put in just for people doing H2 Star Fort Solo?). But within the Star fortress itself, I noticed something different. I'll preface with that I'm fairly decent player and respected player on my server. I earn my guards. But try as I might, I could not get the first and only Paladin I tried. Interrupts, Def CD's, heroic buffs, heroic abilities...nothing. Kept dying over and over getting "close" him down to 15% at one point. but T7 just could not keep up at his best. Another question is: why do you need us to tell you things like that? You have a great number of metrics at your fingertips. You can tell how many of each mobs were engaged. You can tell the outcomes of all fights. You can see the deaths from what encounters. You can track trends of these deaths. So are you just asking us if we do die more whether we consider that an enjoyable "personal experience" or not? My thought? Having companions finally useful was kind of fun. Did I care they were OP? No. sorry, I didn't. It was my solo play. It wasn’t effecting anyone else. Now they are back to being slightly more useful than a medpac. The reasoning was that they were effectively better than great players in great gear. Ok, so the response was taking their effectiveness down 75%? So what are they now? Horrible players in no gear? That's the goal here? Why do we even bother having them? Give us better/longer HOT medpacs and be done with it. Is it story considerations? I look around and think these guys are horrific now, from a story point of view. They are unqualified at best, and incompetent at worst. Sorry, getting a little snarky, but it’s frustrating to FINALLY after all these years to really have something you wished the whole time to happen actually happen and then it nuked right out of game before you could even really enjoy it. Isn’t there room to make them maybe not a fantastic player in great gearing, but maybe a decent player in decent gear? Is that such a bad thing?

I'm no fan of SWG (any iteration, actually), and I realize it's an imperfect metaphor in this instance, but there was another instance where the developers ignored it's player base, and made unpopular changes that they said they wanted for "their"game.

It wasnt really a counterargument. A suggestion was made, and of course, someone came in with the thoughtful "you don't have to do it" response. Which is always an option in life, so it goes without saying, but seems to always be said by someone for some odd reason. Awesome, I guess all people should stop suggestions because this could apply to any suggestion to game alterations or enhancements. Didn't assume a thing. Made a suggestion: one that others have also made in this thread.

I know the internet is all about e-lawyers and people here to tear apart semantics for the sake of being right or arguing, but the question and point stand. They are making companion uniformity the least path of resistance. If you are going to companion only gear, why not companion only mods? That way you keep the mods out of the player base (which is the thought behind the companion only gear), and you make customization the least path of resistance. Plus, you have another money sink.

Why not companion only mods? People spend tons of time working on the look of their companions. This kind of incentivizes forgoing that and moving away from customization.

Yep, 92 and climbing on Yavin 4 for imps, only one instance.

I understand the desire for more lightning, but to tell the truth, I don't conjure images on lightning when i think of Vader. Vader to me is all about the Force Choke. Although I wouldn't turn down if they offered more lighting (), what i personally would love is there to be more emphasis on Choke. I mean, Christ, they based an entire class on lightning, and choke, which to me is arguably the more iconic move, is very much relegated to much lesser skill. Maybe AoE choke, or maybe something else, I don't know, Just seems like it wouldn't be wrong to emphasize it a tad more for the Juggs.

Yes, I have. And it still changes nothing about the fact that the empire is always depicted as a alien unfriendly, xenophobic exclusionary society. Again, False Emperor, the entire Ilum quest line, countless references both Empire and Republic dialog. Not so obvious or they wouldn't have been so staunchly opposed to Malgus' ideas. And as for new species: there are always going to be plenty of near humans to introduce in as playable species. That will never be an issue. Which is a straw man seeing how I never even hinted that the Ewoks magically materialized in 4ABY. It qualifies as a retcon because they had to write in that about establishing a republic base. And for having a republic base on that moon for thousands of years, they sure are surprised and ill prepared for the indigenous species when they encounter them in 4ABY. Jeez,, C3-P0, who knew just about every language in the known galaxy (supposedly due to programming based on Old Republic knowledge data), wasn't even familiar with it: he had to piece it together from other languages. Or did that 3500 year old established base on Endor just not communicate and report it's findings to the rest of the republic? So yes, retcon. Listen, it's a marketing ploy, nothing more. You can come up with an infinite rationalizations, just like other people can come up with an infinite replies: but it wont sit well with some people because retcon normally doesn't. It's just retcon to interject something that is seen from the movies into the game.

Because, as per the norm of the Empire's political ideals, the Empire is an alien hating, xenophobic organization bent on exclusion and domination of said alien species. And the Republic stands for inclusion. That's why. One of the reasons Malgus' ideas were so offensive, other than his heresy against the Emperor, were his views on aliens and where they belonged in the Empire. Run False Emperor, or the Ilum quest line, they flat out tell you that. I'm sorry, I just don't feel they (ewoks) belong in this era (seeing how it's retcon), and especially don't belong attached to the Empire.

I can see this on the pub side, but on the imp side? Not as much. Is it too much to ask for a better choice for a healer for a SW than a teddy bear and a traitorous suck up? Oy,

Unconscionable. Why can he not be banished somewhere i never go like the meeting room and have Vette, or someone else of my choice on my bridge? Which brings up, I should be able to put these comps and other things like the mailbox where I want them on my ship.

Well, as mentioned previously, the option to kill certain companions was in beta, but they removed it due to negative feedback because people couldn't live with thier consequences (which is ironic seeing how the game was billed and advertised as choices that matter...). But not on that.... ...then George came to the forums and talked about not killing them, but carbonizing them. Which personally, i loved that idea/compromise with a huge loss of affection. Alas, not even that came to fruition. Just an empty promise or unfulfilled tease there.