"Streamlined leveling"...

don't necessarily disagree, just don't think its overly necessary either.

people subbing for this game and playing it will continue to sub regardless of the changes. people will return because of the expansion and sub to get it, i don't see anyone leaving over the companion changes, or the crafting changes.

we're getting them regardless. its a game (which i enjoy playing) but knowing new skills doesn't effect me until i can practice a rotation or someone on PTS has time to come up with a new rotation.

crafting changes doesn't prevent me from doing anything now. what is there necessary to "plan ahead for".

I guess i look at it this way. I can know 100%every textual description of every operation. doesn't amount to a hill of beans until I'm actually in there and experiencing it.

I can read every manual know every answer to every question on every law on how to drive a car, doesnt' mean I know how to drive, until i get in and start to experience things like inertia and power.

I know its a poor example but point is, what are people really wanting and why? what does it actually give us other than some appeasement on a desire for information and a tiny drip of pleasure scratching that itch?

So respond to his assertions. What's it to you what the changes are, other than idle curiosity (which is an OK reason to want to know, but not any better than that). Why do you "need" to know what's coming?

The problem is, as DOHboy intimated, that people, being the inattentive exaggerators that they are, will take any statement as a promise and then complain when the (non-existent) promise is "broken."

They promised communication, so they are communicating, just not at the rate at which people want. Thsu they have broken their promise for communicating because they are not meeting (my/our/someones/everyones) expectations.

Not true. They've promised specific blogs (uising things later later this week or within the next couple of weeks) and then we never hear about it again. As to what changes I could possibly benefit from knowing? If certain mats are going away (and we have info from dataminers that implies that is happening) I'd like to know officially whats going away so I can know whether to eat through my stockpiles now or if they will have a place and use in 4.0 (even if I don't know what use, knowing they are not on a list of mats being removed means they will have a use) There are plenty of uses for that knowledge. The fact that you are too small minded to see it doesn't mean it doesn't actually have a use. It just means its of no use to people like you

if they go poof they go poof. if they get turned into another mat at some ratio they get turned into other mats at some ratio and the schematics get adjusted accordingly.

If you really need a month to prepare between now and then, I'm sorry. this is a game and not a life investment. nothing is so important that people need months of preparation to play a game.

edit: did I just get called simple minded?

For example, Strike, Master Strike, Zealous Strike, Slash, Cyclone Slash, Leg Slash, for Jedi Sentinels. All sound similar. Leg Slash is just a cripple, so why not fold that into an existing skill like the standard Slash to make it more appealing and reduce bloat at the same time? Master Strike and Zealous Strike are both lightsaber skills that execute a series of melee attacks over X seconds, with the only difference being that Master Strike also stuns weaker enemies for the duration. Why not just make that an upgrade to one of the two skills and fold them into one? If animation variety is an issue, why not expand Strike's "finishing blow" dynamic animation across all abilities? If Zealous Strike is folded into Master Strike, that skill could still play either animation randomly.

It's strange seeing every other MMO out there opt for less skills, reducing them and making each skill more versatile and powerful to make them more exciting to use and easier to manage, while SWTOR ignores that trend despite the recent cash injection for the expansion and looming film releases. MOBAs are a fantastic example of how to do this well, with most characters having only 4 skills, but each skill being incredibly versatile in varying situations. ESO has a lot of fun with skill customization, having each skill start off the same way for each player, but then allowing them to add additional effects onto each skill as they level up, customizing their skills based on their preferred play style. Guild Wars 2 follows a similar approach, allowing players to choose a small number of skills from a roster of powerful and versatile ones, customizing their character in the process. SWTOR just says "Here, have everything, enjoy managing four hotbars."

Personally, I'd reduce the number of skills by up to 50% for each class, aim to fit them all on one hotbar, and make them all more versatile and possibly customizable. I'd get rid of the need to repeatedly "level up" skills at a trainer and have them improve automagically as you level. Do that and I'd expect a much stronger attach rate from the new influx of players from Episode VII. As it stands, the quantity and (in some cases, ie Leg Slash) blandness of skills are the most archaic aspect of SWTOR as an MMO, similar to WoW from the better half of a decade ago, and all the new players are going to notice it.

That might be fine for you. Bravo for you. That's not how we all play. And until you pay my subscription, you don't get to tell me how to play or prepare. You are free to go be small minded and drink the koolaid if you want,. I am free to think for myself and demand bioware keep their promises which is all I am asking for and expecting. If you are going to say you will release a blog, then release it. You aree free to be a small minded bioware apologist

OK, then, point us to a link from an employee promising a specific blog by a certain time that has now passed. Not saying you can't, I'm saying you should be able to if such a post exists.

Why? We'll all be in the same boat. If they told me but not you, you'd have a point (by the way, they have not told me). Rely on datamined info at your peril.

You're not making anything close to a compelling case for wanting to know. The best you got is "I want to know because I want to know." Well, you can just find out with the rest of us.

So Eric is this blog going to cover what happens when a player starts KotFE story? There is a double warning saying that the quest log is going to be cleared. What quest are completed? What happens to special quest rewards like Seeker droid chain?

they have released the class stories on the schedule they suggested, I suspect AFTER that to have some additional information.

but again, I'm just small minded apologist so what do I know.