Frick, it was the simplest thing, i turned off Nameplates all together and that helped. while FPS still sometimes goes low, it's not jumping up and down like crazy.

I have TWO Swtors on my computer. One by EA Inc. and the other by Bioware/EA what the frak? Could that be the problem?

Shadows are Off, and the Shadow Cascade and that new Shadow Resolution setting are both grayed out, so thats not a factor. Apparently, this is a known issue: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=147732 Maybe I just got lucky when i last played this game a year ago. and something got fraked up. All I know is I have the same computer, so it's not my computer. In fact, I had ITunesHelper running each and every day on my computer eating up CPU. Notice I said USED TO!!!! Not anymore, i got rid of it. I had it running for years w/o realizing it. So if anything, I now have MORE CPU power.

One year ago (according to this website) when I last played. I last played one year ago. Back then, i had no FPS issues to speak of. Occasionally hiccup sure, but good FPS and smooth playing. Now, the FPS jumps around. In town (Smuggler starting town) FPS jumps up and down, into single digits on a regular basis. I played this game just fine a year ago, what happened? * I lowered ALL Graphics settings and put Resolution down to 800x600; still get low fps and constant FPS choppy up down up down. That is, ALL settings, Character visibility, grass and tree sldiers, etc. FPS is low, never breaks 30, and jumps up and down. At one point in town it was like a slideshow when I was moving. Same computer as a year ago, so I know this game runs just fine. So it's not my computer. Nothing about my computer has changed. * Direct x 9 c I installed (is there a way to make SWTOR use this, or does it use it automatically?) * Windows XP Service Pack 3 compatibility set. Nothing works, at all. Unless for Direct x 9 c, I have to select a setting where it uses that instead of the installed DX11. What happened in the past year? Ive played SWTOR off and on, and never had problems like this. VERY incosistent FPS, and overall low FPS. Slowing down to a slideshow running through a lightly populated town. A year ago even in a Fleet, it was never this bad. The game was fine. I had no need to take drastic steps like updating BIOS or unparking cores. Am i missing something? Like with the Compatibly setting or Direct x 9 c?

That's what i figured, thank you

FIXED! File this under "What the Frak". i changed from 1024 whatrver to that higher 1280 768 and that helped a lot. im not saying this will work for everyon! but for me personally, changing the resolution helped.

FPS spikes correlate with moving the camera. If i move the camera, my FPS will spike up and down, so it may not be shadows at all.

I figured out to lower it as much as possible. It's an older computer but with the correct settings, i can play SWTOR and enjoy it just fine. Until the Fire nation attacked.... No, really. A year ago, before Shadow Map Cascade was added, it worked great. Sure, the graphics were low but i could play the game without much of a problem. I have Shadows OFF so Shadow Map Cascade may not be enabled at all with Shadows set to off.

Found it! I had to turn shadows to high. I was able to lower it as much as possible, both Cascade and Shadow Map Resolution. If any Dev sees this: Please let players turn of Shadow maps all together and put Shadow Map Resolution down to zero. I played a year ago, and everything was fine. Now, even when im 50-60 FPS, character movement causes stuttering and so does camera movement.

Shadow Map Cascade is grayed out; it is set to high and I cannot change it. I also can't change the shadow slider settting. I googled for a solution but could not find one. How do I change the Shadow Map Cascade setting and change the slider setting? Fullscreen and Fullscreen (Windowed) both won't work, in both the Shadow Map Cascade drop down and the slider are grayed out; they can't be changed.

I do not have a level 50 "sugar daddy". I did great at level 15 (had issues that Admiral Akbar type mini-boss) and got beaten by the end boss Jedi. Other than that I had no issues. Update: I reached level 16 and the Black Talon quest is still Green. It looks like quests turn Gray when the character is 7 or more levels higher than the quest.

Thank you all for your kind help. Reading everyone's responses here have been helpful and at times, humorous (running it naked at level 50... ahahahahaaa.) Today hasn't been the best day* and I really needed that humor so thank you. As to the advice about levels and ranged vs melee, I'm melee so I will wait until 16-17 to solo this as my Rage Sith Warrior. I like EXP but I am also doing it for the story as well. I'm used to WOW where their instances really didn't have a story; heck none of the quests really had a story. Frak it...WOW didn't have much of a story at all. The instances have story; each class has a story. I know it ends eventually but it is still wonderful to experience the stories now. The stories for the Class, the instances, and even some of the stories for the side-quests. Even though they will end it's great to enjoy them now Thank you all again. * Just found out I may not meet a certain requirements(s) for something despite having worked my you-know-what off to meet said requirements. I'd rather not go into detail. I put this * to let you all know that getting beaten by that Jedi in Black Talon is NOT the reason why I'm having a bad day.

I am a level 15 Sith Warrior (Rage) with Vette. I had issues with the halfway boss but beat him, Then got beaten by that Jedi twillek.* I would love to come back and solo Black Talon at level 16 or 17 but I am concerned it will be Grayed out. How many levels can a player be above the Quest level before it grays out? I was doing Black Talon at 15 because I figured when I hit 16 it would be grayed out. Because Black Talon shows as being level 10. * Force Call or Heroic Force whatever is useless. The one with the 20 min cooldown. I used it but it did nothing to help.

Frak it. I cannot reconcile my own moral compass with the moral compass of the Tython Jedi Order. What they see as bad and leading to the Dark Side I personally see as ways to counter act the Sith and push back the Dark Side. I tried and tried again to reconcile the two. But it doesn't seem to fit. Knowing that are positive emotions and passions which can counteract those negative ones. And how this Tython Jedi Order seems to put down ALL of them despite there being good ones which can act as a way to counteract and push back against the bad ones. It gets down to self-control. The Jedi on Tython can teach what they want. I know that self-control and learning how to deal with emotions and passions can mean acting in a safe manner without the risk of falling to the Dark Side. There's no need to outright ban something like love. Can it lead to the Dark Side? Yes. Will it always? No. Not if the people in the couple learn how to deal with setbacks and trying times.

About what you said about Sith and slavery, Jacen: A player could have a passion and drive to help those enslaved and set them free. They are sad or angered because they see the plight of those enslaved. The player FEELS and the player has a PASSION to free those enslaved. Yet the Tython Jedi Order would say ALL PASSION is bad and ALL EMOTION is bad. NOT the Extended Universe Jedi Order or the Orginal SWTrilogy Jedi Order. This is focused on The Tython Jedi. Even those passions and emotions which drive someone to set the slaves free, the Tython Jedi were teaching me that those were bad and would lead to the Dark Side. The desire to help out of love or out of duty, but a passion nonetheless, is good in this case. Yet the Tython Jedi, who say all love and all passion is bad would see a Passion to free the enslaved as a bad thing. The emotions which drive people to counteract the bad of the Sith (like slavery.) The passions and the moral choices to counteract the Sith's expansion. The passion and drive and will to fight the Sith are called "bad" by the Jedi. Even though they can give someone have a motivation to resist the evil that is the Sith Empire. IF a person chooses to ACT upon the feelings and passion they're experiencing. Should they choose to act upon them then yes, they can have a drive to stop the Sith.