Beggars emerged after F2P

I have not personally encountered any since F2P. That said.. I don't hang around where they are most likely to be begging either. If I did encounter them.. I would just ignore them and continue playing. It's not like they can stalk you and hold you hostage and send ransom notes to your relatives or anything.

Also, I have seen begging in this game since it launched. It's not common... but it's also not new to F2P.

LOL... I like your style.

Happened well before F2P went live. It's new players that beg, not free players (although obviously there's a lot of overlap between the two at the moment).

More new people getting into the game! It's a good thing! (Although it is annoying.)

Speed running people through FPs is usually for gear or social points. We all know picking up a group is a crapshoot and it's better to help a low-level guildie do a quick run than it is to ignore them/tell them to go find appropriately leveled people. Guildies who feel welcome are more likely to stay subbed to the game and it can have a positive affect on the guild as a whole.

Now, if the same person wants to be run through everything ever, no. That's not what I'm here for. I'll help you, but you do have to actually play the game.

It's fairly easy to find a balance between helping and hand-holding someone through their quests.

Not a single one... but i did encounter tons of beggars during the first month after launch last year... but i guess thats not what you wanted to hear right?

I'm just shocked that the presense of beggars isn't a clear indication of the enormously massive popularity of the game.

I mean, obviously if I encounter a beggar within a few minutes of arrival on the fleet that would logically indicate that SWTOR is the same as Time Square in New York. Using basic math, that is clearly indicative that we are now averaging 25,000,000 simultaneous users per server.

I've just never had problems with credits in this game. I don't buy a lot of stuff either, but I don't think in the early levels you need to have the most top notch gear to level. I also don't do heroics or use the GTN unless the gear is extra good, most the time I just vendor trash it.

If you are bored is what you do is go upto the VIP level on the fleet, then say in General chat that the first F2P person that finds you gets x amount of credits.

My guild has a fix for this.
1) you have to game with someone from the guild for at least 30 days before you can even be invited to the guild.
2) you can ask for things in the guild bank but you cant take anything out until you have been in the guild at least 30 days and another guildie will vouch for you.
3) at the first hint of begging for money your gone. You can ask for crafting stuff. If the one crafting offers to foot the mat bill fine. if not you need to provide the mats. mats cost and why should you get those high end ones for free unless the craftier is willing to give them up.

Just a few things we do to try and deal with the pop in grab all the stuff I can steel and run crowd.

M8 /ignore is a bless in those cases