I decided to reply here rather than in the SOE Live thread to avoid clogging that up. Moorgard wrote: I fully support this move, and any other that includes any option other than grinding* Civics and WO's as a method for levelling these spheres. However before this happens these spheres need a reason to level them. I understand the reasons Civics are being replaced with Lorestones, and the reasons levelling gear, bags, ships and so on are being added to the SC store. I want to see the game continue, and to see balanced content added to it. All these steps have had the added effect of removing the reasons for these spheres. You need only look at the the recent thread What is the point of Diplomacy? where the sum total of the responses was "to grind PoTA faction, for lore and to get merchant contracts". Personally I feel this misses the most important reason "because it's fun", but for now I'm just filling faction bars because they're there. Please, as well as completing the sagas, introduce 'end game' content for these spheres. Level 55 gear recipes for crafters. Long, branching, repeatable 'Mission' questlines for Diplomats either as a source of income or gear or incorporated into future raid events alongside Adventurering (Imagine a pair of Diplomats in a raid performing back-to-back parleys to convince the adds not to join in) Maybe that last one was a bit far-fetched but please release something to provide support for the 2/3rds of the game neglected in previous content releases. * I consider grinding to be any repetitive action that generates incremental progression. As such grinding is not an inherently bad thing, simply a different playstyle and there should be a balance between grinds and quested progression. The introduction of long linear questlines is what leads to the on-rails feeling that Vanguard has done so well to avoid.
