Gilly is that you?! Skuldwise (Embermane) here! I thought you were never going to play another MMO? I was going to go back to LOTRO, but my computer literally fried (hooray for new motherboard and processor). I'm back up and running, and really enjoying this game so far. If a couple of you guys are playing SWTOR, then I'm definitely going to switch over and join you!

The game recognizes her as being unavailable - and counts her as one of your 4 possible crafters. This shouldn't be a big deal, because at that point you still have enough companions to have one out with all the others running missions. (You probably won't be high enough in level to be at 5 by this point) It was tough for me, because until that point she was my go-to tank. It forced me to gear up Scorpion - inconvenient but not to burdensome. You get her back relatively quickly. I wouldn't call it game-breaking, but they really should have done more with it in terms of story because it feels very incomplete. She goes away with one sentence, and comes back with two more. Not really compelling storytelling there.

I understand the value of cunning, as it affects multiple stats. However I am confussed as to the role of Power? it's a stat I have seen popping up on a few pieces of gear, and I'm not really sure what it affects in this game. I have been passing on it, because I thought it was geared at force users, but now you have me quesitoning that.

I'm currently in my late 20s, leveling as Medic. I will say that it gets MUCH better. Up until the mid-20s I felt really helpless. My dps was weak, and my heals were weaker. Honestly, the levels at which skills are gained seems really strange to me. However, at about this time I started getting key abilities: I got a stackable HoT which is capable of proc'ing strategic advantage - that was huge I also got sleep dart - a great sap skill that allowed me to knock one human target out of the fight Lastly, slice droid allows me to incapacitate another target (there's almost always a droid) So, I can CC 2 targets at the start of a fight, and focus down the rest. It's just a different playstyle that doesn't allow you to face-pull groups.

For some reason, I have mine set to my local time (GMT -6), but forum post times are completely different. It's like the forum isn't doing the conversion, or is doing it incorrectly.

I'm giving the benefit of the doubt, and assuming this isn't a pure troll post. Of course, Tatoine isn't the first world (isn't it the third for Republic?), and you are well ahead of the leveling curve. On top of that, the server splits players into different groupings (much like Guild Wars), which you can switch between.

I can only think of two games that actively attempted to help shape faction population - Warhammer and Aion. Warhammer gave players an idea of population density based on faction, and Aion would actually prevent people from making characters of an overpopulated faction on a server (and they had a third faction that would put pressure on the more populated faction). So far I see no motivation for people to play as Republic (especially on PvP servers). I won't be surprised when they start announcing xp bonuses and perhaps even buffing the less populated side in open-pvp. This is a problem that has been months in the making, and they're going to need to move fast if they want to try and shape population - if they don't do it quick enough, then to many people will become attached to their characters/servers.

First, the people who are mostly part of the problem aren't here...they're queued up for your server. Second, you can really control your own actions - seeing as how you have only been on the server for 2-3 days, consider moving yourself to a less populated server if you don't like the queue. If you can't move to another server because you have a guild/friends on your server...then you know why those other people made the inexplicable choice to join a full server.

Very nice guide. I strongly recommend checking the sub-forums for some amazing compendiums on the ACs

From a healer perspective - frankly, there are only so many ways you can heal other players, and those of us that play healers notice skills that are similar to healing skills from other games (this is bigger than just a WoW comparison). To say that Smuggler/IA are like rogues is a gross oversimplification. The Smuggler/IA choice gives a base set of skills, but it is the advanced class decision that will define your character. As can be seen on the ToR Head Talent Calculators, within each AC there are two completely distinct styles of play (and that's not including the shared talent tree). So, taking Smuggler/IA as an example. There is a healing tree, a stealth melee tree, and two ranged damage trees (one is direct damage, the other is DoTs). So, saying that an Smuggler/IA is a rogue would ignore at least three of its talent trees. The same is true as you look at all of the classes in this game. Each AC is capable of two very different playstyles.

They thought you meant actually changing factions with your character in game. Of course, you can still have different characters on each faction, but that really isn't the issue which people are talking about in this thread. Having alts on opposing factions means you won't be able to take advantage of any advances by your main or talk to friends or guild mates in game (excluding Vent, etc). The population imbalance in favor of Empire really isn't a surprise to anyone who has been hanging around these forums and watching this all develop. This reminds me a lot of what happened with Warhammer. Personally, the comically awful armor in the Sage Progression video made my choice for me. Even if I main another character, my alts will be on the same faction.

"Standard" seems like a bit of an exaggeration. I am struggling to think of a game where click casting is available without add-ons. If you can name some, please do. Click casting is much more than just targeting. If it is just about targeting...you can click on the person to target them. This is about the ability to cast a spell on a target without selecting them - sort of the opposite isn't it? I understand that many have become reliant on click-casting, because they have had it in other games for so long. However, it is not 'necessary' to succeed. I have healed end-game content in pretty much every MMO without it. Would things have been easier for me if I had used click-casting, perhaps (though, I regularly outperformed people who used it). A similar request is for more customizable unit frames. I can understand that request, because it is something that all healers are accustomed to. However, it is not game breaking. This is a brave new world, and you will probably be happier if you work with what we have instead of trying to change the world into something that we are used to.

Personally, I don't mind having to wait now. I refused to pre-order/buy until I got to play the game, and after 2 beta weekends, I decided the game was worth investing money/time into. I really think Bioware has taken soft launching to a whole new level. By allowing early access in waves starting several days before their advertised target date, they have been able to gather crucial data which would not be possible to obtain prior to launch (server population, character creation - class and faction, and player activity). They obtained some data during the beta weekends, but people play differently when its their actual 'live' character. Sure, I would like to have more than 4 waves a day, but I don't have access to the server data. With this approach they will have the majority of the game population in place prior to the 'hard' launch date at which the game goes public. Yes, there will be a spike on that hard launch day, but it will not compare to the vast numbers who will already be in the game. As for players getting an unfair advantage...just role on a new server. The existing servers are mostly full, and unless you have a compelling reason to go to one then I really don't understand why it would matter that people on those servers have had an opportunity to 'get ahead earlier.' If it's a world first achievement thing...well, I don't think anyone will start keeping score until at least the first patch. It's hard to claim you are the best when your competition wasn't even in the game yet (though I'm certain some guild will do so). Bioware doesn't need others to defend them, if their community staff is experienced then they should have expected the rage. However, it is already dieing down rapidly, and will be all but forgotten within a few weeks. tldr; Sit back, relax, and always remember that you can use childish rage posts to embarrass people if they annoy you later.