TUXs has made all the arguments I would have (and a few more besides), so I'll just chime in with this.

The leveling content is "mandatory" content - approximately everyone has to play it; so it's difficulty must be set to the lowest common denominator. And most of it is "open world" content, which means it can't be synced at the mob level to the player - the rakghoul tunnel solution is a grotty hack that causes all sorts of weirdness, and means you can't group up with players not your level. (They appear to almost instantaneously replace the "pilot" mob with an on-level mob, but it is "immune" to any hits until the replacement phases in, and of course they drop the rest of the pack from the ceiling, climb out of the ground, etc. And they tend to put a stun/knockback on the first attack each mob does to help conceal this. I hate tanking outside the heroic area, and I'm not thrilled with tanking in the heroic area, because of this).

The Knights content can be adjusted in difficulty because it's almost all of it instanced, so they can customize it per player.

I started sometime in the late 2.x timeframe (? level cap was 55 at the time), and I was new to the play style. The last time I had any concerns about my level for solo-ish content was trying to do some of the heroics on Pub Taris. After that, while I don't think I started any further planet enough overlevel that I was able to flat ignore the mobs, the combats were still pretty tedious, and pretty quickly I had overleveled the planets enough that I was getting essentially no treasure because there was no "challenge" (in the game design sense - I could not be hurt). The only truly difficult part of any class story I've ever had was the Knight's finale on Belsavis, and that because the "correct" strategy was to actually listen to the briefing for once and leave your allies and your enemies fighting, or you'd be overwhelmed by silly OP NPCs, in complete contravention of everything you'd been taught up to then. (This per several guides I googled up in frustration. If I hadn't had found those guides, I would have ragequite and missed quite a lot of enjoyment). The actual endgame story bosses were pretty easy when I got to them and their target range of L45-50 or so, and me in my L55 and not inefficiently geared. And once the level cap went to 60, the problem gets worse.

The game is undoubtedly easier than it was at launch, but that's not because of the 4.x changes, or at least not those alone.

And, just as a PS, gratuitously insulting other people's play style isn't a good way to make friends. TUXs and I have had some epic arguments, but I have never deliberately insulted his play style, and he's never insulted mine. If you want people to listen to your argument, all y'all might want to think about that.

Its a wise point....the class stories are the gateway to the game, and at different times in the past problems with difficulty (certain overpowered mobs, inconsistency, etc) has led to likely negative reception by potential players.

A setting for difficulty (with the default set as it is now) would keep things as they are but add easy and hard modes for folks that prefer that sort of thing.

Will I be able to use all abilities then? I think some of them require a certain weapon or 2 equipped. The game is so easy at the moment I can't learn abilities, how and when to use them effectively.

Then equip an empty weapon shell from the cartel market or GTN. You make make this as difficult as you want or as easy as you want.

TUXs has made all the arguments I would have (and a few more besides), so I'll just chime in with this.

 

The leveling content is "mandatory" content - approximately everyone has to play it; so it's difficulty must be set to the lowest common denominator. And most of it is "open world" content, which means it can't be synced at the mob level to the player - the rakghoul tunnel solution is a grotty hack that causes all sorts of weirdness, and means you can't group up with players not your level. (They appear to almost instantaneously replace the "pilot" mob with an on-level mob, but it is "immune" to any hits until the replacement phases in, and of course they drop the rest of the pack from the ceiling, climb out of the ground, etc. And they tend to put a stun/knockback on the first attack each mob does to help conceal this. I hate tanking outside the heroic area, and I'm not thrilled with tanking in the heroic area, because of this).

 

The Knights content can be adjusted in difficulty because it's almost all of it instanced, so they can customize it per player.

 

I started sometime in the late 2.x timeframe (? level cap was 55 at the time), and I was new to the play style. The last time I had any concerns about my level for solo-ish content was trying to do some of the heroics on Pub Taris. After that, while I don't think I started any further planet enough overlevel that I was able to flat ignore the mobs, the combats were still pretty tedious, and pretty quickly I had overleveled the planets enough that I was getting essentially no treasure because there was no "challenge" (in the game design sense - I could not be hurt). The only truly difficult part of any class story I've ever had was the Knight's finale on Belsavis, and that because the "correct" strategy was to actually listen to the briefing for once and leave your allies and your enemies fighting, or you'd be overwhelmed by silly OP NPCs, in complete contravention of everything you'd been taught up to then. (This per several guides I googled up in frustration. If I hadn't had found those guides, I would have ragequite and missed quite a lot of enjoyment). The actual endgame story bosses were pretty easy when I got to them and their target range of L45-50 or so, and me in my L55 and not inefficiently geared. And once the level cap went to 60, the problem gets worse.

 

The game is undoubtedly easier than it was at launch, but that's not because of the 4.x changes, or at least not those alone.

 

And, just as a PS, gratuitously insulting other people's play style isn't a good way to make friends. TUXs and I have had some epic arguments, but I have never deliberately insulted his play style, and he's never insulted mine. If you want people to listen to your argument, all y'all might want to think about that.

Excellently stated Ian!!!

Didn't read through all of this, so I'm not sure if it was mentioned. Do the missions without armorings in. If you are under the effects of planet bolster, it doesn't bolster your armor rating if there's nothing in the slot. (side note, a blue armoring gives the same armor no matter the rating, a 116 blue will bolster higher than a 190 green, etc)

Anyway, It may not make story content that much harder, because you still kill really fast, but it will make heroics harder, at very least if you are dps running with a dps companion or no companion.

Now that the double XP event is over, keep using the White Acute Module. You will see that your leveling progression is slower. Try a new character if you like and comment your new game experience.

I just did this just for grins on two different accounts. First was my real account and the other was a very old preffered account.

Account 1:

Level 50 legacy, numerous unlocks though no legacy wide or character unlocks that have an xp boost in them. A moderate number of datacrons collected over the years. Rolled a commando trooper as I realized I'd never played a commando in all these years.

1. collected my 51 mails upon exiting the first scene on Ord Mantel. Activated the white acute module even though the event is over just in case. Went through the mail and used every title etc. Some give xp. Unlike earlier where I dinged 2 just on the mail (on a 'throwaway' toon), I didn't get all that much xp from.

I equipped an empty orange canon and kept it that way throughout Ord Mantel. Did the entire planetary arc, the trooper story and ALL other missions including bonus missions except the heroics. Used only mission reward armor otherwise it was just empty shells. Use the class trainers at the main base only -- no field training. No cartel xp boosts unlocks or potions. No xp armor from the DvL event. After doing all the missions (including the minefield race and the finding the repair stuff for the lady npc nearby there) and collecting Jorgan I did the planetary heroics. Collected 0 Ord Mantel datacrons as they were all collected on the legacy previously. Clicked on convenient lore items only.

End result was level 12 when I went to Fleet.

2. Preferred account. Level 1 legacy with ZERO unlocks and ZERO datacrons collected.

Collected both emails and activated the single title. No clue where that came form but as I said .. old account.

Did the planetary "arc' and storyline missions plus every single other mission except the heroics. Did all the bonus missions. Used reward gear only (no shells). No xp boost potions no xp unlocks. Used the Sith academy trainer only. Collected all the Korriban datacrons. Clicked on all convenient lore items. After collecting Khem I did the planetary heroics.

End result was level 16 when I went to fleet.

Playing the trooper for a bit on Coruscant afterwards quickly reinforced my thoughts that if you actually want to keep your level close to the planetary level, you need to under equip and do only the class story on pretty much every single planet. Not what I personally like to do but that's me.

Also, I hadn't played a prefered account in ages. I was literally shocked at just how restricted the accounts really are. They're quite close to crippled at the base preferred level and I hate to see a genuinely f2p account.

Anyway, did all that for "fun".

That's interesting - developer statements have said that you're supposed to be doing all the purple missions (but not the heroics, they're not purple) to stay on the level curve for each planet. Wonder if that's for the pure F2P rate.

That's the way I normally play it. I leave the starter planet usually around level 18... without heroics. Last character I leveled was somewhere around level 30 when leaving Coruscant. But that included the heroics there.

I'd hate to see a true FTP account. Preferred was bad enough imo. The game felt crippled, not a good image to be putting forward. But that's just me.

Skills change far too much from 1-70 to be of any use at end game. If I did it your way, I'd be using explosive round in my commando's rotation, because that's what I learned to do at level 5. There's no learning anything until you have all your skills...to suggest otherwise is silly.

 

Yup...putting your companion on passive may not be enough for super duper skilled players like yourself...so remove all your class buffs and try that. If it's still too easy for you, do something besides easy mode story missions (FP's, Heroics, Ops, PvP). You're looking for your challenge in the entirely wrong place my friend.

While I agree with some things, I have to disagree with you on a few things. I did learn how to use my abilities while I was leveling up at launch but I was also playing a healer and playing with friends even on the class missions. While I get what you are saying there are some abilities people get they should know how to use. I.E. interrupt and those are the abilities they are not learning and on the consular final mission it is something I keep hearing that final boss is impossible because they have no idea of how to use an interrupt so that is the one ability they should have and know how to use way before lv 50.

That's the way I normally play it. I leave the starter planet usually around level 18... without heroics. Last character I leveled was somewhere around level 30 when leaving Coruscant. But that included the heroics there.

 

I'd hate to see a true FTP account. Preferred was bad enough imo. The game felt crippled, not a good image to be putting forward. But that's just me.

I ran F2P for about 2 weeks prior to subbing. Being able to open lockboxes convinced me to subscribe!

F2P and preferred really seem to be set up to be extended demos rather than a way of life.

[long post inc]

· go to fleet, buy the White Acute Module at vendor at Combat area and use it to get rid of any extra experience boost you get from the game. This is my recommendation, so you can pick exploration missions or other content while being underleveled (slower leveling do that possible).

Yes, this. But I believe the vendor is only open during 2xp events as a sop to players who don't want to overlevel.

As far as the game being too easy, it is, and there is a noticeable difference. Up until a couple weeks ago, I'd been preferred all the way back since 2.0, and 2.0 was anything but easy for f2p and pref. In fact, it was seriously hard - the only reason I went preferred was the difficulty; my first alt was a Trooper and the Trooper got as far as Alderaan [at lvl 25 or so] before I gave up. I see some players like that nowadays, but only because they don't do anything but class missions. I also recall dying about a dozen times on ord mantell on that first alt, and getting warnings that my armor was breaking down. I doubt that new players nowadays have to worry as much about that.

Once I bought some CCs and moved over to pref it was slightly easier, as I picked up artifact authorization and a few other qol improvements in short order [stuff was cheaper on the gtn too] but the rate of xp was still the same. I needed to have xp boosts on constantly, whilst doing all side missions, and 5 wz/week [the max], just to stay at or near level with the planet. The bonus missions were a great resource, because they gave 3h xp boosts as rewards. Since at least 4.0, I haven't used any of the complimentary xp boosts, and I keep the WAM on until level 20, sometimes putting it back on when 2xp comes along. Oh, and i used to join guilds primarily for the xp bonus, but now i only join them if i think it would be fun or useful; the increased xp gain is a detriment.

Level sync, of course, made things easier. no more 55s lurking around Taris by the dreadseed area, for instance. It's something that would have been great during 2.0 so i could go back and grind starter planet heroics every week, or during 3.0 when i transferred to Bastion and had the additional challenge of high level players ganking me at the starship graveyard, but now...the major problem is that it makes many of the chapter bosses too easy, not just Vitiate but The Eagle, Thanaton, Baras, several BH encounters on Nar Shaddaa, the terenterak mission for Mandalore on DK, etc.

It's not just leveling either; heroics are piss-easy compared to the way they used to be. When I was looking for tips to get more xp someone in the New Player forum [i lurked the forums for years before I subbed] suggested pvp and someone suggested heroics, but heroics were basically groupwork, and grouping past the starter/capital planets was [and may still be] a headache. Until BW made all those changes to heroics I had only done each one once, and only for the achievement.

Or take crafting. Crafting was another headache. pref only gets 2 skills unless you buy an unlock. What this meant was that before I could start crafting say, reusable medpacs, I had to first do diplomacy and/or bio on another toon, THEN take biochem on a second toon. Crafting was also kind of ****** before 4.0 or so, so that [once i got enough mats] biochem was the only crafting skill worth doing more than once. Once that system changed, and once I had so many alts, well...I could make prototype mods for orange shells for every char, for each new level, and for his comp.

Which reminds me that comps got a lot easier too. Not just gearing them, or crafting with them [their set bonuses...ugh!] but using them. Their pathfinding is screwed up now for some reason [i never got a satisfactory answer why that is], but being able to put them all heal makes this game a faceroll. All my comps are on dps; they only tank/heal for certain champion mobs [the ones that can't be interrupted]. Sometimes I feel like they're the hero and my SW is just the sidekick. Also, this relates a bit to xp, but the change where comp missions are on a schedule rather than being unlocked as you gain influence makes it easy to gain xp from all comps, even ones you don't like. Tying influence to performance rather than dialogue sequences also makes it a lot easier to level with a high-rank comp, which in the context of this thread, is a double-edged sword.

Finally, legacy storage made things really easy. As a pref i had to mail stuff back and forth between comps, so when i was crafting complete sets of mods for comps, i'd have to mail them...like one at a time, every two or three levels. At one point i got the idea of making a f2p guild [it's still around, <I'll Be Kesseled> on Imp side SS] just stocked with my chars and having them access the guild bank so i could skip mailing stuff, but i didn't research the idea well enough because guild bank is another unlock. Being able to deposit and withdraw creds also makes the game a lot easier, since pref/f2p can't send credits by mail, when i was making new chars i had to launder the money through the GTN. I suppose it doesn't have much effect on combat, but it certainly feels easier when my new alt on Korriban can zip over to a fully stocked stronghold to get new armor/weapon shells, mods, speeders and unlocks,

So, my advice? Make a new account, make a brand new alt, get the white acute module as soon as possible, don't get legacy storage or a stronghold, don't join a guild, don't pick up the FP/WZ intro [even with the WAM it boosts you two levels up] and see how you do. It still won't be as difficult as 2.0, but it'll be damned hard. I did a lot of character transfers during the 90CC sale, before the server merge, and i found that even with datacrons, presence unlocks, and all my skill and knowledge of the game mechanics, without a legion of alts to funnel credits and crafted mods and stims, it was difficult enough to at least put my comp on tank mode and finally use up all the cheap medpacs sitting in legacy storage.

2. Preferred account. Level 1 legacy with ZERO unlocks and ZERO datacrons collected.

 

Collected both emails and activated the single title. No clue where that came form but as I said .. old account.

 

Did the planetary "arc' and storyline missions plus every single other mission except the heroics. Did all the bonus missions. Used reward gear only (no shells). No xp boost potions no xp unlocks. Used the Sith academy trainer only. Collected all the Korriban datacrons. Clicked on all convenient lore items. After collecting Khem I did the planetary heroics.

 

End result was level 16 when I went to fleet.

That IS interesting. But a) the challenge actually is fun, when you can get it and b) as I've indicated, there's not a lot of challenge even as a pref. Doing Kotfe on veteran isn't all that fun, but I had enough fun doing the vanilla storyline on over 50 toons [well, 30 some toons before 4.0 hit] before I finally subbed. And a major reason why I likely won't resub, and why it took me four, almost five years to get around to subbing, is that even with the WAM it makes the vanilla storyline too easy. 2.0 was crippling [i used to come on the forums and laugh at all the moaning of subs who thought F2P were getting too much], but I don't think preferred players have a bad deal anymore.