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

I agree to a point. But, if the sole origin of the item in question was from a source outside the game that can only be obtained by paying real world money then, if not out right P2win it is part of the slippery slope that leads to P2Win. In the example of the crystal ( not a crystal crafter so I don't know ), can the same +41 cyrstal be crafted? If yes then it's not P2win. If no, then it is P2win. I still maintain though, that having any means other than generated inside the game to obtain any items is P2win or at the very least the path that leads to P2win.

Then as I stated above, by that line of thinking, EA could post the most egregiously over-statted item on the CM and because it can be put on the GTN after EA makes their cash from it, it still woudln't be p2w.

Nothing can be p2w in this game with that line of thinking. Nothing.

The EA suits have already won. Jonny Ric is ordering that new Lamborghini for his son to drive to college now. Well played.

^QFE.

Indeed.

Unless the price in credits was well beyond what the average player could earn in a reasonable amount of time, yes. If something is so rare or so expensive that its listing can only be afforded by the most die hard 18 hour a day 7 day a week player wearing a diaper to stay at the keyboard then it is P2W.

Thus far there is no such item. Level 10 +41 crystals go for an average of 120-200k in credits. An average player can earn that in less than a week. I can earn that in less than a day.

Right, and still missing the point. The point of p2w is the CREATION of the item; not what happens after it's created.

Basically you're saying that because the crystal "isn't that big an advantage" and it's "relatively affordable" you don't consider it p2w.

But if it somehow became a bigger advantage or less affordable it would be p2w?

What's the measure of affordable?

Can you afford 10M for an item? 20M? 100M?

Some players can.

What's your boundary?

You've yet to make a coherent one.

+41 isn't p2w.
Grade 7 starship items aren't p2w.

Despite your QQ, the sky is not falling.

Please share your definition of "pay to win".

An item, or power, that when purchased, gives you an insurmountable advantage ( you "win"), vs. a player without such an item.

I'd be happy to demonstrate that 2 +41 crystals do not give you a 'i win' button in pvp.

Grade 7 doesn't guarantee success on the space missions.

Can an insurmountable advantage be gained over another player, by using a hypothetical p2w item, in any aspect of gameplay other than PvP? Say, raiding, for example?

Could you provide an example of an item you would consider p2w in the PvP realm and, if you answered "yes" to the above question, in the Raiding or whatever other realm, too?

Like I said, beyond what the average player could earn in a reasonable amount of time.

Considering the masses of casuals playing this game, the average player does not mean the average die hard raider or the average PvP warmonger. It means the average nobody player who groups once in a while but mostly plays alone and is likely does not even have a level 50 yet. A reasonable amount of time is something within the average play time to give that average player the feeling of continuing accomplishment. (ie. a single session would be way too short, a couple of months would be way too long).

I'm sure BioWare can run the numbers to determine the optimal levels for this (and I'm sure they do) and they can make sure that items in the Cartel Market stick to it.

Until BioWare crosses those particular lines, I'm fine with the Cartel Market the way it is.

Would I like to be able to craft level 10 +41 crystals? Sure. Am I going to quit the game because I can't considering I can afford to buy them if I really want them? No.