Read in the Paper: Ea is going to add P2W to all their games

Of course we defend it. The sole reason why these crystal are usable at lvl 10 is that a low level player that bought one can use it immediately and not when he reaches lvl 50.
The crystals are a minor thing, one that you can buy on the GTN and one that "loses it effectiveness" as you level. At worst it is an equalizer for low level characters in a warzone.

Though I doubt it very much. It would not surprise me either. If this game does go P2P I'll just play for the stories and shelf the game to play other things.

SC2: HOTS, Heroes of Newerth, World of Tanks, Guild Wars 2... are alone all on my pc ready to be played. Not to mention my 360. It's not the end of the world for me. Though I would be sad to see SWTOR truly die with this.

Low level players are supposed to be bolstered in war zones and (current) war zones are split into pre-50 and 50 so nobody without a +41 would ever have had to go up against any one with a +41.

Let's step back a bit. Questions:

1) Is using a +41 crystal between level 10 and 49 advantageous to the character using it?

2) Is there any way to create that crystal in the game without paying money to EA?

If you can't answer "yes" to the first question then you might want to re-evaluate your objectivity on the subject. If you can't answer "no" to the second one, you might want to do some research.

Look, I'm not complaining about these crystals. That would be hypocritical since I use 'em.

However, that doesn't make them any less the first step down the path to p2w.

You obviously don't understand the definition of P2W. You could get them as drops or from the shop. Yes it was a grind if you wanted the drops but you did not have to pay to get them. Paying just got you to the same point without grinding.

Not having to grind and spend inordinate numbers of days grinding is an advantage. Look at the stink the fans raised when they realized the cash shop let people get the g7 ship upgrades (required for heroic space missions) immediately while the ingame grind seemed weeks or even months long.

It's EA. You're acting like you're surprised.

That has to be sarcasm.

There is no way that someone living today could be that naive.

Sure they are bolstered. But no matter what you do the lvl 49 will most of the time have an advantage over a lvl 20. Perhaps in theory someone between lvl 30 and 40 utilizing augments and the best gear possible could in fact have an advantaged over all, but that is besides the point.


The crystal does give you an advantage. Does it make you unbeatable? Nope. Can you buy it of the GTN? Yes.
So it isn't pay to win.
In fact you don't have to buy a single cartel coin and those coins would still be on the GTN, since we subscribers get free cartel coins s a gift... now one could argue you still had to give EA money for that, but then one also needs to argue that the game is P2W because only subscribers and people that spend CC get access to artifact gear and OPS.
So no, this isn't pay to win, because the crystals are accessible to to all (as long as they can use artifact gear) and you don't have to buy a single CC to get them.

The key point you're missing there is that while you can buy it from GTN, in order for the item to be created and put on the GTN, someone paid EA money. That's the swerve EA is throwing at us WRT p2w.

You missed the key part where we don't have to buy a single CC and still get the crystals, due to the CC stipend we subscribers get. A
rguing that subscription is P2W also means you have to argue that having access to OPS and wearing artifact gear is P2W, since you can only get it when you pay money for it!!!!!!

Also F2P + Security key (free mobile app) = 100 CC per month = no need to give EA money to get the crystal.

So according to your own criteria those crystals aren't P2W.