Okay, first real blog post for this blog:  Desculpe, but I’m not seeing the wherefore for all this drama surrounding the 4.0 update.  There’s a lot of great things coming and a lot of work has obviously gone into it, and people are blowing things out of proportion.

Let’s say this first, though: I don’t subscribe to the theory that anyone with a complaint about a game needs to “get a life” — a game should be something it’s players are passionate about, that’s why we play!  And I do think that SWTOR has some real issues that still needs to be addressed.  But this pending 4.0 update really sounds great to me.  And yet people are decrying it as some kind of betrayal.

And when things like “it’s CU and NGE all over again!” start bouncing around the virtual space, I think it’s time to step back and get some perspective.  If these rumors are true, we’re getting some genuinely good stuff in this update, even leaving the whole “new huge story” thing aside.

So let’s look at what we’re supposedly getting.

• Companions don’t require equipment upgrades any longer.  Really?!  People are complaining about this?  About not having to blow Commendations or credits on new equipment for your companions any longer?  PvPers won’t be affected because we don’t use them in PvP anyway.  Raiders won’t be affected because companions aren’t used in Operations.  And PvE players will be affected, in a 100% positive way.  Can someone explain the deal with all the angst over this..?
• Unique stats are going away.  Yup, no more Strength, Willpower, Aim, Fandancing, or Cunning stats any more, it’s all being rolled into a “Mastery” stat.  Frankly I wondered what the point was with all the different primary stat gear in the first place.  Do you really need to use Wisdom as a limiter, when only a Consular wears Light Armor already?
• They’re dumbing down crafting!  What’s that?  Less types of material to clutter my storage?  Tiered materials that allow you to consolidate your mats to save space?  Do I even need to defend this..?
• You can use any companion in the new chapters!  Notice that says “can” and not “must,” but I’m seeing people in full on Twilight-class drama mode over the fact that you can choose to bring one of your old, chapter 1-3 companions with you through the new Knights of the Fallen Empire content instead of the storyline-specific ones.  There’s anger that the simple existence of this choice will “break immersion.”  Now, I’ve always hated the whole idea of immersion in video games, personally; if being reminded that what you’re experiencing is just a game and not real is jarring or traumatic for you, then you have more pressing problems that need to be address than the pros and cons of an upcoming video game patch.  But looking beyond that, how can anyone get angry at a totally optional feature?!  If you don’t like it, don’t use it.  Judas Priest…
• You can use any companion in the new chapters!  And apparently, the new cast of companions the player will encounter in the Knights of the Fallen Empire chapters have no set combat role — they can be set to heal, tank, or DPS at will by the player.  And this is creating outrage.  Folks… do you not remember playing a tanking Jedi Guardian and being stuck with only T7 for the first 10-12 levels?  Do you not remember how frustrating it is when the companion you find to be the most interesting is also the most useless to you in a fight?  Well, they’re trying to avoid that with the new companions by making them all equally useful to every player class!  You’re welcome, jerkwads!

Look, folks.  I won’t begrudge any player the right to speak their mind.  But pretending to be scandalized or victimized by rumored changes to your game isn’t going to make the devs pay more attention to you.  It’s going to make them roll their eyes and skip on to a more level-headed and reasonable opinion.  They’re not ignoring you because you’re right; they’re ignoring you because you’re completely over-exaggerating the situation.