As a healer, I've seen enough blaming the tank to last a lifetime. Unfortunately for most DPS, indulging in the accusations might make you feel good right at the moment, but burns you later. That tank will eventually get fed up and quit, or will fall in with a couple DPS and a heals that does not give him/her grief and you'll never see them tank for PuGs again. Either way, you have one less tank out there.

You are way too concerned with the perception of the game. Elder Scrolls won't beat WoW's playerbase, just like every other game before it. That does not mean it will be a bad game. Play a game because you like it and are having fun. I wll continue playing ToR until I have fun no longer.

Integral insofar as theirs are the only stories told so far. You are reinforcing my point here. This game is the first one that showed non-Force users being competent., as in, dangerously competent. Jace Malcom takes on Malgus. Malgus is one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, so we don't expect Malcom to kill him single-handedly, but we should expect a highly decorated Spacial Forces commander to be tough and resourceful, which is what was portrayed. A movie showing one of the many non-Force users and their accomplishments would be great, not only to diversify the galaxy but to give people a perspective other than the Force. Even Darth Maul admitted it is foolish to underestimate people with no access to the Force.

As a person who has long been... unhappy... with the way 'normal' people are portrayed in Star Wars, I find that the prevailing wisdom is that a Force user X is always better than a non-Force user X. Star Wars often reinforces this narrative, especially in warfare. Boba Fett, supposed bounty hunter master, destroyer of the most advanced assassin droids of the time, decides the best way to fight a half-trained and inexperienced Jedi is to close to melee with a blaster pistol. Just an example of the outright stupidity with which non-Force users are portrayed. Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu are every bit as good as Luke Skywalker when in an X-Wing. Many Mandalorians, Morgukai, and bounty hunters were able to defeat Jedi/Sith in battle. Even the Hope cinematic (a huge step in the right direction, by the way) shows Jace Malcom holding his own against Darth Malgus, arguably one of the most powerful people in the galaxy. Sorry for the rant and non-sequitor. Anyway, Rieekan was better than his Imperial counterparts with the possible exception of General Veers.

I want a movie where the main character isn't one of the 400-500 out of the trillions in the galaxy that is ZOMG PHAT POWAFORCEZ. I get that the Jedi and Sith are big in Star Wars, but if you ask a random on the street that has ever heard of Star Wars, and to name a character, I promise you the majority will say... Han Solo. There are a mountain of characters in Star Wars that don't use the Force, and they are ignored or made to appear pitifully incompetent. Boba Fett, the great bounty hunter, decides that the best way to fight a Jedi is to close to melee range with a blaster. Errrrr. Who could vape Luke Skywalker almost half the time in the simulator? Wedge Antilles, no Force. A Star Wars movie with a plot not involving Jedi and fallen Jedi would be a welcome departure. How about a rogue working in Black Sun or NRI (New Republic Intelligence)? Havoc Squad or other military units? A bounty hunter?

I can't argue with that, since I have been burnt as well. There seems to be enough people in game whose only purpose seems to be derailing anything and everything they can. I used to help people in general chat, thinking other new players would be free to pick up information that way, but the trolls and troublemakers made that impossible. They'd argue, sow false information, or failing that, start up the bacon or Spoiler! memes. So I took it to whispers or groups. Then, of course. I'd start a heroic with two new players seeking to learn but the third would pull randomly, screech at us to hurry, and everything else. It is daunting. However, I am not ready to give up yet and I was hoping this post would have other veterans decide to make the game better.

So easy. Ploovo Two-For-One.

Greetings. I suspect a lot of the people that read this forum regularly have been playing since early launch, and active in the forums before that. I also suspect that you, like me, are heavily invested in the game and Star Wars in general and are by now quite familiar with the way the game works and the mountain of lore involved in the universe. However, I have noticed that many veteran players are reacting poorly to the questions often asked by new players - some even appearing to do their level best to drive new players from the game - while others are apathetic. Only a few veterans on my server take the time and effort to help new players, and these are almost always the same people over and again. This is not a specific accusation, but rather a general appraisal of the attitude exhibited by veterans. I count myself among this group, and have found myself being snarky, arrogant, and condescending to a new player. The idea is not to be an organic Google interface but to show new players how to find the answers themselves. With this post, I hope I can convince many others that there is a way to help new players while ensuring that they also learn to seek answers within the game first. 1. Know whom to 'save' and whom to ignore. In the words of the film Cool Hand Luke, "What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach." Don't waste your time and energy on someone who is hostile or refusing to try. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone trying to reeducate a person who is angry and obstinate. It simply hardens their resolve, and ensures they are not going to listen to a single thing you say. It makes you appear combative and egotistical, which other new players who witness it will remember when you try to give them advice. Save your effort for new players with a desire to learn and become better. 2. You are not Moses descending from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments of Gaming. A couple days ago a player on Dromund Kaas asked whether using a Vibrosword to level instead of Lightsaber had any difference beyond cosmetic. Simple question, right? The person who answered then proceeded to spend 45 minutes trying to get that player to use only Lightsabers because of lore reasons and the differing min/max damage for the two weapon types. Helping new players does not mean they must make a conversion to your idealized game world. Answer truthfully and leave judgement behind. When a new player asks if using Aim on a sniper is a good idea, give the answer, how to find the main stat for each class, and if the player still wants to use Aim, live and let live. They will come around when their gaming suffers for their choice, but if people are trying to pursue an inquisition it will once again harden the player to your viewpoint. 3. Don't be the organic Google interface. One of my pet peeves with new players is that some are lazy. They KNOW where to get an answer, but find it much easier to continually ask questions into chat and have someone else Alt-Tab out of the game and Google it. I've seen a veteran player spend 10 minutes researching with Google and then answering the question in chat. The message delivered was: You can keep playing and have someone else go and find what you want for you. This, in turn, creates an expectation on the new player's part - when I have a question I just ask the chat. Thus, veteran players end up answering the same questions over and over and over again. I needn't explain how grating this becomes, especially when the same people ask the same questions or two people ask the same question mere moments apart. Additionally, you aren't helping the player to become better or more self-sufficient. Instead, give the player web sites or directions to access information contained in the game. Not only will you not to have to continually fetch answers, but that player is now that much informed and can in turn help other new players. 4. Make no assumptions. The easiest thing a veteran can do is assume all players in the game are not only as supremely knowledgeable and wise as themselves, but have years/decades of previous MMORPG experience. Let's put this to rest here and now: many, many, MANY people are absolutely brand new to ToR and even brand new to MMOs. You may think you're being impressive by blurting out MMO slang and expecting everyone else in the group you've never met before to understand you, but it is going to set up a massive train wreck that teaches the new player nothing and makes you angry. I start out every PuG group the same way, by asking the other players what role they perform, and quickly evaluate their knowledge. If they do not know what CC, FF, kill order, or some other term means, I explain it. I take the initiative and mark targets myself. I explain WHY I chose the order we kill them in. I teach players with CC abilities how and when to use them. I've found that approaching new players without judgement or scorn has resulted in these new players becoming group proficient very quickly, which means the next group they join will have one more good player than they otherwise would have. 5. Patience, you must have. (sorry, could not resist) It's tempting to simply wash your hands of all this and become of one of the apathetic. You lounge in guild chat most of the time, popping out to join the mocking of a new player that makes the horrible mistake of asking for help on Fleet. You bemoan the state of the player base in not only this game but all games, but you are not so concerned to actively change anything. When recruiting for a guild, you'll complain about the lack of well-geared, knowledgeable, competent players to pick from as if they just are born with raiding/PvP wisdom and it is someone else's problem to make sure they are up to snuff. Please, try not to fall to this. You needn't spend every waking moment in game tutoring new players, but take some risks. Spend a Saturday afternoon on an alt doing leveling heroics, helping new players gain skills. This benefits not only them, but you and your guild as well because the players at max level will have the basics when you need to recruit. People with bad attitudes, trolls, and other malcontents will find themselves with an ever-dwindling number of players to interact. As time goes on, you'll find more and more that you won't have to spend time teaching skills or helping, because those players you helped before are in turn helping others. The entire server community benefits from this. PuG PvP is more competitive, flashpoint PuGs become a fun way to meet new people rather than a waking nightmare. Thank you for reading.

Boba Fett is a tremendous hinge character. I mean, without him, Jaina doesn't learn how to fight so Darth Caedus (her brother Jacen) can counter her, which likely means she loses. He has a tremendous impact on the Yuuzhan Vong by leading Mandalore during the invasion. If what you want happens, then the entire EU would likely need to be ejected. Boba Fett, being dead, doesn't challenge Han Solo and allow him to live, so Solo doesn't straighten up and court Leia, the Solo children are not born, end of EU. It really is as simple as that. Whatever the new movies are, you can bet your bottom dollar they won't stray from established characters. Myself, I would be okay with Hier to the Empire, even though that is extremely unlikely. I would dearly love a focus on Rogue Squandron, particularly the Bacta Wars and Isard, with leading roles for Wedge Antilles and Tycho Clechu, but there won't be enough Force **** for mainstream audiences.

It's missing Raltiir, Chandrila (this is a big one), and I don't see Dagobah on it, either. I always thought the Chiss Ascendancy was on the core side of the Unknown Regions, meaning Csilla is way too far out. There isn't any of the planets at the junction of Parlemian Trade Route and the Hydian way - Brentaal, Corulag, Esseles. These are a lot close together, and the map has an index indicating enlarged sections, so perhaps they are there but in the enlarged map.

To say that the iterations of the Empire - first Sith, second Sith, Galactic - have convoluted hierarchies is a large understatement. It's surprising because the Empire's major philosophical gripe with the Republic is the chaos exhibited by citizenry liberated to pursue their own goals as they see fit. The Empire has strict observance of the power structure, certainly for the military but also for the Sith. An apprentice heeds his Master, unless the apprentice is strong enough to overthrow the Master, in which case the Master no longer deserved the superior position anyway. In practice, however, the power hierarchies make little sense. Take, for example, what I consider the most perplexing example of all: Darth Vader's apparent subordination to Grand Moff Tarkin. You will recall in Episode IV where Vader famously comments on an Imperial officer's skepticism of the Force while choking him with the Force, and Tarkin orders him to release the officer. This was not a request, but a direct command. Also, Tarkin appeared to in command of the entire Death Star even though the rank he holds is a political one, not a military rank. Grand Moff Tarkin appears to be second only to the Emperor. Conversely, Grand Admiral Thrawn was subordinate to Vader, even though he was the highest military rank at the time. There are also many places in game where Grand Moff Kilran appears to be inordinately powerful, seeming to order military officers and Sith alike. He demands the player's character to mutiny against a lawful military officer in the Black Talon flashpoint, for example. Lore from the Star Wars universe regards Governors, Moffs, and Grand Moffs as political offices, yet they seem more powerful than the most powerful people in the galaxy?

Actually, the Empire more reflects reality than the Republic does. The Empire is a standard State in the sense that "War is the health of the State". For the Empire to survive and flourish, it is imperative that it has an outside, foreign threat. Otherwise, what you see in the Empire is what is in game now - infighting, sabotage, loss of direction, competing interests, and so forth. The Empire needs the war to galvanize the military, provide the Mandolorians with the Jedi and Spec Ops opponents they demand, and give the Sith more chances to attain greater power, Otherwise the military stagnates, the Mandolorians kill each other, and the Sith scquire more power by taking it from each other. This is exactly how the real world works without the whitewashing we give it to make us feel civilized.

Glad to hear about someone enjoying themselves. Take your time, enjoy the sights and sounds, explore. For maximum value, leave general chat in-game and never come back here.

Really? Ask Charles Manson. Humans have a saying "Don't burn bridges." It's allegory meant to teach us that it is not a good idea to permanently create a situation where it is impossible to revert the change; i.e. quitting your job by punching your boss in the face and smashing his personal vehicle. The 'choice' to forgive you and hire you back is no longer yours, it is now your boss', and since the AI in-game hasn't the capacity to be merciful, they'll always and forever hate you if you burnt them and you have no way of convincing them otherwise. Futhermore, objective observers from outside the situation will judge you based upon your actions, as well. Could you imagine someone from the Jedi on Tython wanting you in the Order if you've been rampaging from Coruscant on?

Yes, Morrowind has, even to today, one of the harshest in-game consequences. It's easy to inadvertently cut off major quests or even the main quest; for example, if you join the Mages Guild and make grandmaster and take the quest to kill the Telvanni councilors but you hadn't been name Hortator yet (and are not House Telvanni yourself) you can't finish the game. People wouldn't stand for major consequences, despite what a minority claims, because it would more heavily punish 'bad guys' just by the nature of your actions. Killing people is irreversible in the context of your story, so the more you kill the greater chance you have of losing important information. This would mean Imperial spree murderers would constantly be losing access to 'content' and would be howling.