What can SE learn from Bioware's failing Star Wars MMO?

[Viritess]

Thats because TOR has a story with which to buffer the time it takes to level a character. Alderaan => Hoth is pretty involved, and you get the exp as you go, which is never a bad thing. You don't really feel the grind because you're probably wanting to see how the story ends.

You can have a 100% drop rate, but it requires giving bosses loot pools and ensuring you have plenty of content to spread it about. I'm not sure whether you're attempting to justify the ridiculous drop rates so far, though I'm of the mind they're there because the game lacks content and thus needs this to elongate its relevancy.

I like your points here. Grind only feels like a grind when theres nothing to distract you from it. On that point, SW:Tor did well. The story was good enough to move you through it and level you without an obviously repetitive action. However it failed to deliver you any real reasons to group up either.

Flashpoints we're so passable that often you found very few to do them with. And the Grouping tool was lackluster and in some ways would force you to sit in a station to even find the group. Theres no community if not ones around to do things with. But Grouping tools and the community breaking "Discussion" can be saved for another thread.

The second point being Loot pools as they stand in so many games now are filled by Top end items then strait to crap. Look at primals. Theres the weapons you want, then DM that saps your soul. One could easily ease such situations with a higher drop rate, but a better array of mid grade items. Maybe the same as something else but with a different skin. Or +5 and +4 of a similar item, but the stats reversed.

If a loot "pool" is more then a shot glass it really does help keep the highs and lows people feel when they win more baseline.

[Duelle]

The second point being Loot pools as they stand in so many games now are filled by Top end items then strait to crap. Look at primals. Theres the weapons you want, then DM that saps your soul. One could easily ease such situations with a higher drop rate, but a better array of mid grade items. Maybe the same as something else but with a different skin. Or +5 and +4 of a similar item, but the stats reversed.

If a loot "pool" is more then a shot glass it really does help keep the highs and lows people feel when they win more baseline.

Well, the way I would design Garuda's lootpool for example, would be as follows (this is assuming Garuda is on a 7-day lockout timer like raid bosses in WoW are, and as such you need 10 totems to trade for a weapon):

15% chance of getting a weapon
80-95% chance of getting one from the following list of items:

Vembraces of the Gales (+Shield Block rating, +STR, +VIT, +DEX)
Cuisses of the Vortex (+Attack, +STR, +Parry rating, +Accuracy)
Wind Rider's Belt (+Accuracy, +AGI, +INT)
Emerald Feathered Boots (+INT, +M.Acc, Grants Refresh Effect)

100% chance of getting 4-7 pieces of Dark Matter
100% chance of getting one totem

This way at least when not getting a weapon your group still gets something for their troubles and still progresses in a matter of speaking.