Well, they did mention SWTOR specifically so I wouldn't be surprised if the role(s) are related to this game. What else is Bioware working on? I'm sure SWTOR is their highest priority at the moment.

Just a guess, but I get the feeling they're seeing pretty good numbers ($$) now that it is F2P and the game is fairly stable. They've committed to regular content updates every 6 weeks so they have plenty of work to do.

While SWTOR may not be the massive success that everyone wanted, it is still a viable money making product that requires support and updates.

I wonder if they'll be able to incorporate the voice acting of the original cast? It would be kind of weird if they didn't.

I hope they'll meet the Spring 2013 goal, but given their track record... 

In any case, this is definitely a step in the right direction!

The only word of advice I can offer is that you do not quit your job until you have another offer in hand. Not these days, for sure. Most people are just happy to be working and have a steady paycheck.

Having said that, you should always explore your options and keep an eye out for better opportunities.

And remember, this too shall pass...

I'm having a great time now in SWTOR. Yes, the F2P option lured me in, but I quickly realized that the game has improved so much that it is worthy of my time. However, I am approaching it with a different set of expectations this go around. I don't expect it to be the best game ever created. I don't expect it to do pvp perfectly. I don't expect vast amounts of open world sandbox content.

What I have found instead is a beautiful game that I can play smoothly on max settings with a nice variety of terrain and finally some decent looking armor so that my characters actually feel like they belong in the Star Wars lore. I have started a new storyline that is compelling and interesting (Jedi Knight). I have dabbled in pvp and realized that it is what it is and my teams win just as much as they lose, so it feels balanced.

I am already sad that my storyline will eventually end. But I am excited to explore new stories! I know that I can follow a storyline and skip all the same quests I've already done, throw in some pvp and my characters will keep up in level with the appropriate content. There feels like a lot to do and I am in no rush to do it all.

I like the interface editor and I like that you can't create macros. The game runs very smoothly now that they have optimized the engine. Although I don't really like tab targeting and the massive number of buttons you have to press for all those gazillion abilities, I find it manageable using a Razer Naga mouse. Control and combat feels natural to me now.

Back when I left, last April, I was pretty disappointed. Mostly it was frustration at pvp and the gear grind. Since then, I've had a chance to play a few AAA titles and have not found anything that sucks me in like SWTOR does. I like the immersion and the Star Wars theme. I know that nothing is perfect but when I accept this game for what it is and approach it as a casual long-term pastime I find it very enjoyable.

Consider this Jedi Returned 

I popped in there yesterday and had a look around.

1) Performance is a lot better than when I left in April. Maybe it's just that fleet is so empty? Whatever the case, it was nice to be zipping around with very little stuttering.

2) You can finally use whatever gear you like and get the stat bonuses from your highest level gear. It's expensive, but doable.

I didn't try warzones or anything but I might play a bit on my lowbies.

I have to admit that I've missed swinging a lightsaber so that felt good!

I dunno, I really don't see how MMO's are a reflection on all the purportedly bad elements in society. There is no blame required for a MMO either succeeding or failing other than the developer made bad decisions or they simply did not implement well. You certainly cannot blame the consumer. As for swtor, I'm already on the record on why I think bioware failed.

I also think that some of the sentiment in this thread about MMO's being a fad are more reflective of the author's personal stage in life. The older you get, the more responsibilities you take on, the less time you have, then MMO's become more and more difficult to master due to their massive depth. Simpler games that reward smaller chunks of time are more attractive. This is the reason why wow was/is so successful. It appeals to casual gamers who have no problem paying $15 a month and feel a sense of accomplishment each time they play. Plus, Blizz made a very smooth playing game with very few bugs.

MMO's are here to stay and they'll get better and better. 2012 has a bumper crop of new MMO's and I think the market is big enough for them all. While everyone looks at the millions of subs that wow has, most games only need a small fraction of that to consider themselves financially successful. Having said that, I don't think that swtor's numbers will ever reach bioware's and ea's expectations.

As for end-game, I agree with Booms that pvp is what makes or breaks a MMO. There is no way for a developer to create AI that will compare with human gamers. So, developers should be implementing systems that facilitate exciting, objective based, massive pvp. GW2 is on the right track.

I guess there wasn't much interest in TERA around here, but I do have a few lowbies (10-15 or so) on this server.  If enough TG people are actually playing, I'd really prefer to play on a PvP server.

I've seen anywhere from 1 to 8 people online in our guild on the Feral Valley (pvp) server. The thing is that this game is very linear in the sense that you need to be within a few levels of each other to make grouping worthwhile. Dungeons have about a 5 level spread.

What will happen on Feral Valley is that within several weeks everyone will be level 60 and we'll be engaged in guild wars and hard-modes. Also, there will be battlegrounds coming this summer which should be about the same time people have hit 60 and worked out how to play their class effectively. Should be fun.