Bad feeling about lack of "Expansion" news

"the largest non-expansion content in MMO history" was a demonstration from Bioware of the faith they had in this game. Not failing to mention their willingness to develop major new content that has been paid for by subscribers without charging extra to access it.

In short, Bioware shifted from Makeb

Also I would like to know how they will keep lv 50 end game content and have lv 55 end game content while not splitting the player base and ruining the game for anyone without the expansion pack?

They did? They shifted the contents of it? What was it that was going to make it the largest non-expansion content in MMO history? What are the details of the free Makeb? What is it exactly that they shifted?

The secret is that the tiny amount of info already released will actually be all that the expansion is going to have :P

No I'm not joking completely, the cartel market has been a huge source of revenue for them lately and if I was a CEO I'd say more of that instead of content that is free (or close to free, as the expansion is).

I get a feeling BW are feeling the pressure of adding 5 new levels to a game with very limtied End Game Options. Will all the Hard Mode flash points move up to level 55 or all be offered on Nightmare mode of level 55 characters, if so what new level of loot will this bring in. Equally what is to stop (or maybe they expect) my level 55 running the current HM FP solo. With 5 extra levels the damage reduction will be significant and make such possible.

Same can be said of other aspects of the game such as Dailies, will they be move up to level 55 or stay the same and offer even less challenge for level 55 characters. What of Crafting and PvP and PvP level gear, black hole coms and the like. What of the new talents and how will they fit into the talent trees and what of the new skills? What skills do you offer each of the 8 Advanced Classes, equally you now need 20 talent trees with 5 new Talents each. Thats 100 top tier talents to expand the new levels into the Talent trees. Without doubling up, over powering or offering redundent talents at the top of the list.

This single new plannet has to bring a lot to the table, and I suspect is why many MMO's only offer a level increase with a Paid boxed Expansion that adds a new tier of end game. I get a feeling that the devs may have realised that Mekeb offers a stroy based leveling system from 50 to 55 but much like TOR then has problems when it comes to end game. And as it currently stands may make much of the current end game pointless as the gear level on off in HM FP is worse than what can be attainted in the expansion.

Now I'd love it if Bioware came in and explained all the aspects of the Expansion as well as learning a bunch of new species and customisation options were coming in. But sadly I suspect the reason we aren't hearing this is because the devs don't know the answers.

So now we've gone into february and the info/news about the Rise of the Hutt Cartel "expansion" that's suppposed to launch in the spring is few and far in between. Am I the only one who has a very bad feeling about this? (and weren't we actually promised a steady steam of info "soon", not long ago?)

From my experience it's rare for games to withhold that much information when we're this close to launch. Which makes me wonder if there's actually a lot more info to give? Or maybe there's a delay announcement incomming, pushing it to summer of autumn? You'd think they'd want to start building the hype if they want to continue brining new players to the game, and existing players back and not just be satisfied with the revenue created from the Cartel Store.

I get the feeling a lot of people are going to be disappointed with Makeb

Exactly. To call this content update an expansion in my eyes would require that all in the above post mention. New level 55 FPs and WZs new daily areas, new crafting recipes, new Operations, new skills, new gear. One planetary storyline does not an expansion make. Until more information is released regarding what will be contained with the final "expansion" I will continue to call it what it is. Downloadable Content Update.