I still cannot change the size which is the main issue for me. With addons just someone would have to write an addon doing this. Still worse to quickbar addons in various games. Neither can I set up a 24x1 bar (moving two bars besides each other is clunky). And the way to set up the keyboard shortcuts is also clunky compared to the Dominos Addon (where you just clicked an icon on the TitanBar on top of the screen and then you just hovered over the quickbar slot to be edited, pressed the key in question, and done - no need to go into a special settings mode - It made re-editing your keyboard layout VERY easy). >More buff customizability would be welcome, and they've stated at a cantina event that that is something they are Did they already say what will change and when? I think this is more needed than a new operation or whatever ^^ >looking at. Currently, you can get something similar to the image you posted for buffs, abilities, etc, if you use the >timers feature in Parsec. You can even set it up to have it play a sound when the buff runs out. I do not understand why you are against addons and pro Parsec. Parsec is NOT what was done by Bioware! So if you are against addons you would need to be against Parsec as well. Even more, as an external executable is a more clunky way (and risky way, installing an exe...). Do not get me wrong, I find Parsec is great (I just found out about it by your post ^^) but I think a real addon system would be BETTER. With external exe's you need to run in window mode, the UI might not be directly integrated, and you need to start up two exe's always. Yes, the end result is maybe the same, but why not then implement addons already? ^^ >I absolutely DO NOT want them to ever allow mods in SWTOR. I would much rather them stay in control of Why? Personally I think for the "splitted" opinions in SWTOR on this issue instead a "conservative" addon approach like the authors of LOTRO did would be perfect. No over-powerful features for addons, but all the basic stuff is possible to do! >Unless you are a programmer/developer on THIS game, you have absolutely no idea how difficult it would be to >offer an API into the game that allows for one type of mod, but not another. Just because another game has UI- Actually not that hard. An Addon can only access functionality which gets exported through the addon interface. If you for example do not offer a function "give me the name of the ability creature with name xy is casting right now" then NO bossmods are possible. Assuming you also do not offer functions to access the combat log (both is done like this in the LOTRO Addon interface - but an addon which controls your OWN Buffs with a better displaying is still possible with this). It is the least customizable UI I have seen in an MMO so far. I like the game, but - if there is one game which really needs an addon interface then it is SWTOR. The reason for my question was maybe they have noticed in the meanwhile that they need an addon interface and have reconsidered while I was not playing (only restarted recently) ? But seems that not. Kesitah

It is a daunting task - but not one done the first time. When LOTRO was released it did not have an addon interface, and none was planned. Due to the high demand for it, they DID create such an addon interface (they used lua, the same freeware scripting language WoW uses, though they did their own implementation, not the one from WoW). They introduced it slowly - at first only very few functions were supported. To avoid too powerful addons. And some things NEVER were supported (for example creating a bossmod or a damagemeter - at least one which shows more than your own damage and the damage enemies attacking yourselves - is impossible with the LOTRO Addon interface, it lacks the functions to do so). I think this would be the model for SWTOR. How is the situation for SWTOR right now? People create independent executables like Parsec which effectively ARE Addons. Just it is more complicated to install (with an addon, the addon functionality is launched when you start the game!), the risk to get something "evil" installed much higher due to the exe format (not in case of Parsec, but principially), and the new UI is not the ingame UI. So what the Enemies of addons don't want STILL HAPPENS, just in a more user-unfriendly way. Why not then just implement addons, to do it in a cleaner way, and also much more in control by the game manufacturer? Anyways - as LOTRO shows, it IS possible to add Addons later (I don't remember exactly anymore, but I think this was with the first game addon, that addons were included). Could be done the same for SWTOR. Kesitah

Not really, as: 1. The main issue for me is not transparency, but the scalability. 2. Not good that you have to enter the options, there should be a chooser at the map. Check this: http://www.curse.com/addons/wow/omegamap# It is hard to see from the screenshots, but you can scale it, and there is an icon with which you can set the transparency to a different value, and you can switch to different maps or zoom out to the world map (which would be the galaxy map in SWTOR). Most important thing is the scalability though (thanks to it, I really often run around with map displayed, perfectly find a way, but do not feel like "walking blind" - in SWTOR currently I often walk without seeing the map, then display the map for a moment, to correct where I go, walk a bit again, again flip the map for a short moment, and so on... not good...). Kesitah

Hello! For some specs (for example shadow tank) certain abilities are only used if the count of a specific buff reaches a specific value (3 in this case). This currently requires "staring at a tiny icon" or alternatively counting how often you use a different ability - which is a very user-unfriendly way of handling this. My suggestion is to add an optional "Eth's Buff Bars" like Buff/Debuff Display. Here is a screenshot of "Eth's Buff Bars" (an Addon for the MMO "Secret World"): http://media-curse.cursecdn.com/attachments/thumbnails/71/843/190/130/59c9c324dfdb8bed5a5c45b83e9c0eb5.jpg With this system you can type in the name of buffs and debuffs you want to see "in big" and where on the screen you want to see them (as well as how many stacks they have). You even can separate the location for buffs/debuffs on players and on enemies. And by specifying the names provide buff/debuff filtering. And also have a much clearer display on how long these buffs/debuffs run. Actually most MMOs I know have this sort of buff/debuff display (admitted, in most of them in form of a user-generated content). But it would be actually cool if this would be implemented to SWTOR as optional UI thing, alternatively to the "tiny icons" Buff/Debuff options. Kesitah

Hello! Currently when running around if you need the map you do not see anymore where you are running. In another MMO I saw for this purpose a fully scalable map (where you can for example set the map size to 50% of screen size or smaller, together with fully customizable alpha value of the map it was possible to set the map in a way to use it while running without hurting your view of the environment. This is one of the features I miss most in SWTOR. Would be cool if this could be implemented at some point. Kesitah

Not true. In LOTRO and Secret World, where Mods exist since a looong time no exploiting in any form exists. The only addons existing are addons enhancing the UI (partially due to the mod interface of both games being "limited", for example the addon interface of LOTRO does not allow you to access too much information about what enemies or other players are doing). What you say is just wrong. The fact that addons exist for those two less known games exist for a looong time and none of your claims are true for them proves this. Neither do I know of any problems created by addons in those games. And, seriously, the game could only profit from things like a"Eth's Buff Bars" like Buff/Debuff system (maybe also including black/white filtering - Eth's is basically a white filter, you enter the names of buffs and debuffs you want to display that way, and you can separate the location where player and where enemy buffs/debuffs appear). It is one flaw in SWTOR that you have to "stare at tiny icons" (for example for the Shadow Tank you use a certain ability only when a certain tiny icon shows a stack of 3 - or alternatively you count the amount of debris-launch ability you do, and use the ability every time your count reaches 3 - that's as bad - a good visible Eth buff Bars like display would be much better regarding playability. Steffen

What I really would like: - A mod for a good map (something like OmegaMap/AlphaMap), which would be scalable, so you can run around with your 30% size map on the screen (currently if you want to run while the map is present the map hides the actual screen) - A more customizable action bar (where you can especially set the number of buttons per bar) - a Buff/Debuff Addon, something like "BuffBars" for LOTRO or "Eth's Buff Bars" for Secret world (looks like this: http://media-curse.cursecdn.com/attachments/thumbnails/71/843/190/130/59c9c324dfdb8bed5a5c45b83e9c0eb5.jpg). I think this is something which would be REALLY great instead of looking for some tiny icons! Maybe even with some popup text when the cooldown of an ability is ready (configurable). The Buff/Debuff Addon would actually be the most important thing for me. Note that Addons do not have to be about "making content easier". Check how Addons were done for LOTRO for example, they limited what Addons can do SEVERLY. All the things mentioned above by me are doable with the LOTRO interface (the map with some "problems" only ), but for example a damage meter (asides from one that only shows your own damage) is not possible, and raid addons are also not possible (due to you not being able to access too much data on what enemies do with the addon interface). So it IS possible to do an addon interface which is only about UI enhancements. Not wanting people to trivialize the content is NOT a valid argument against addons ;-) Is there BTW *anything* new from Bioware on this addon issue? Were there any official statements in the last months? Steffen

Hi! I think a big issue in (PvE) Class Balance currently are "unique buffs" in SWTOR. I would suggest this: - Give 2 more specs a skill similar to the Scrambling Field of the Gunslinger (at least one of them a DPS), to remove the "whatever we take, one of the people HAS to be a Gunslinger. Also to balance this my suggestion is to have the bubble apply a debuff to players so that for the length of the Cooldown the player cannot profit from another Scrambling Field getting activated (to remove the advantages for "Gunslinger-stacking") - Give 2 more specs the "Inspiration" of the Jedi Sentinel, to avoid "if we take a melee, one of them HAS to be a Sentinel". Also add a debuff as suggested above, so that 2 sentinels does not mean "double the time of Inspiration-uptime for the group". - Make the armor-debuff of Commando and other specs non-stackable to get people away of "just stacking these specs". Especially it should be ensured that every "alternative" to these classes (especially relevant in case of Tanks I think) has something other "unique" to offer. Personally I think this should be done in 1.2. Recently we had an operation when our Gunslinger was not available. It was noticably harder, not because of the player (though he is a very good player), but simply - because he was a gunslinger (and the other guy who joined instead wasn't). I think one should go more into the direction of "Bring the Player, not the Class". And these three abilities hurt this principle majorly. It is more like "Bring the Class, not the Player". Kesitah

The thing with that is that if you have a dot on yourselves (I think also on the companion, but not sure, if there the same happens) and you get damage after disappearing, then you re-enter combat. A solution I could imagine would be that application of the skill would remove all dots on you and your companion. There is some "different" looking armor as orange items. I especially like that headband which is available as commendation reward on some planet. Use that skill which deepens your stealth! Additional to the points you made: - Artifice should be able to produce End/Will tanking shield generators - A true gap-closer (or ranged AOE, even if only at start of combat) - A harnessed shadows enhanced TK Throw should not be interrupted by a knockback (but it does!) - I *heard* the skill Unity would be bugged, but as I just got it I am not sure if this is actually true. - no matter what gender, a tank shadow cannot use his romance-option as his "standard" companion (as he needs a healer, and the only healing companion is Tharan Cedrax who cannot be a romance-option)

I think actually not for ALL companions it is needed. But that at the very least the "viable" option is available for your romancable companion (so Nadia Tank/Heal for Male Healers/Tanks, and Iresso Tank/Heal for Female Healers/Tanks - and whatever DPS players prefer as companion for them, not sure if they go for Tank or Heal Companions). Currently the "companion choice" is a choice which is not really a choice (and I died often having the wrong companion out in the hope of some points, and then a questboss fight started, and my "get out of combat" skill was currently on cooldown or a dot brought me in again).

But that is what is happening right now. *Every* Shadow Tank will run around with Tharan Cedrax, for example, as no other Companion is viable for them. Customization would change this.

I think they should look at "Power Auras". A similar functionality like this WoW Addon would be great (a big icon in the centre of the screen popping up when you got 3 stacks of Harnessed Shadows etc.), best as configurable as "Power Auras".

This is of course easiest for us (shadow tank typing here...). But if it is a good (!) group and leaves me the time for this, I can usually position the non-CC'ed mobs away from the CC. This will make me build up my aggro a bit slower, thoguh, carefully positioning those mobs, so if a jedi knight DPS jumps right into the mobs, then I won't be able to do this. But if I can - then I can use my AOE-Aggrobuild-Skills savely away from CC. A big problem are usually not the jumping jedi knights, though, but people only used to single player content and that you can run through mobs and lose aggro on them. How often did I have it, that some dps just ran into a pack of elites, into the next pack behind them while they were going after him, and then - I tried to save him and died, fetching aggro of all two elite packs. Then usually a comment like "oh - they seem to be quite hard" or something like that came. And to OP: I know how you feel about it. For me it was often similar situation. In one group a guy just did not believe me that Shadows can tank ("How do you want to tank? You are a shadow!"), so I can really feel with Sages who are "assumed" to be heals by many people.

This is probably a personal opinion... some people will really like her, and some not. As to your first sentence: Agreed. I am a shadow tank and I find Qyzen and Iresso quite useless. This is even more annoying as I am playing a female consular and Iresso is supposed to be my romance. Bacially I am switching companions always when there is the chance for some talk (which might get some points) and then when it is battle again switch back to Cedrax who is the only companion worth it in combat situations for me. Sometimes when I think it is only talk there is a battle following - which is pretty bad then, on a questboss fight this means either I use Force Cloak to disappear or if this does not work I die in most cases. Of course the required companion switching all the time is a bit annoying. I think companions need dual spec or there needs to be several romancing options "per gender" depending on your own role.

Yes I know it is known, but was there any comment from the "officials" on it yet?