Classify the 15 bucks as a new small game added to the current one. That plus server costs and the level of patching the are doing justifies the cost for this game. Plus you basically get a new game out of every class, so it is pretty much several games in one. I am not a fan of MMO's either, but this one changed my mind. Wish there was a free trial for you. 

Same here. I may never go to another MMO. Most don't justify their cost. SWTOR does. IMHO.

I'm in the same boat and agree.  I don't really know how long I'm going to stick with SWTOR, but I'm still enjoying my time.  If that changes, I'll drop my sub and maybe pick it up again some other day.

I don't mind paying for something I enjoy.

15$ a month isn't much money when you're a grown up with a job.

QTF

$15 dollars for me is a bit less than 30 minutes of work for hours of play.

It's a lot more then $0. The question should simply be a matter of if you're getting value for that subscription, and I'm quite happy with what I'm getting right now.

Content is expensive, and what you see in F2P MMOs is a significantly lower quality of content as a result (and in the case of LotRO, a change in how it's designed since they switched).

It's not that $15 is a lot of money, but it all adds up. I just don't have the time to spend hours on end every day to feel like I'd get my money's worth out of it.  The only MMO I've really felt comfortable playing is DDO and it's free to play.  I have paid for the monthly VIP but only a couple times and only for 2 month both times.  But the game is *free* to download and install and play.  $80 on top of the $15 a month is what kills me.  Same reason why I never got into WoW.  Maybe it's because I'm more of a single player gamer I guess so my brain just can't deal with the monthly fee on top of the big up front price.

Much to the chagrin of our guild I am actually playing SWTOR almost exclusively as a SINGLE-PLAYER game.  The experience has been absolutely amazing.  Playing by yourself does of course mean things move slower but hey.......I like it slow.

Also,  think about the last game you purchased for 50 or 60 dollars.  How many months did you end up playing said game?  1 or 2?  That's more than 25 dollars per month right there and with probably minimal new content and a less than stellar patch/post-sale experience (for me it was Red Orchestra 2 and BF3). 

The regular version of SWTOR is also only 60 (which also includes one month of game time).  The digital deluxe version gives you a few extras but nothing that one will really miss.

Believe me I used to think just like you.  Could never wrap my head around paying a sub to play either but with the recent trend of "for-purchase-games" being released rushed, unfinished, hacked to bits, and just damn broken I have come around to the "sub-to-play" games.  They get WAY more attention from the devs (afterall it's now quite literally their bread and butter and not just a stepping-stone project pushed out the door on their way to another more important project).

SWTOR gets my personal nomination for "Best game of 2011" and quite possibly even 2012 (depends on how MOH2 turns out....hehe).

the Monk

Same boat.  Support is a huge deal to me and its something I'd pay for (and do).

I went through a grouchy little rut with SWTOR a week or so ago and now have suddenly found myself back in love with the game.  I just finished the great hunt with my bounty hunter last night - which because it took so much effort and time, I'm fairly proud of the accomplishment.  Then I created my "legacy" name (all hail pacov pacov ) - no idea what their legacy system will be like, but it was a nice added surprise when my main original quest unlocked it (eg the thing I've been working on from like level 1-33).  It's really cool to have a milestone like that in the game though.  I'm really looking forward to what comes next now that I'm king poop of the bounty hunters.  Also, for some reason I just really found myself enjoying the crap out of all of the last missions leading up to finishing off the great hunt.  Anyway, super fun stuff.

I'm pretty much in the exact same boat.  I feel like I really should make more of an effort to team up with folks for the heroic areas (I haven't been doing crap for this).  When I did, I leveled incredibly fast, though - so there is plenty of incentive.  I just oddly find myself to be a bit antisocial in an MMO.  Strange pacov, indeed. 

I'm completely opposite. I like playing in single player mode but I like working in a group much, much more. Mostly I enjoy playing in a group of two or three, going through the quests. I created a new Sith Inquisitor and invited some random Sith Warrior to my group and we did almost all of Korriban including both class quests together before I had to log out.

It's not about the XP or loot for me, rather it's much more fun to run around together. Even if you don't chat at all.

So it sounds like you can play this mostly single-player and enjoy it?  If so that would give me great incentive for sure.  It's the main reason why I liked DDO since you can Solo most of the content and only need to group up if you want to do a raid.  You guys are pulling me in like a black hole.

Yes you can. You do not have to do the Heroics (which require more then one player) as your companion helps with the standard quest stuff quite nicely.

Yeah - I figure it becomes much more group oriented when you hit the level cap of 50, but I've been able to play like 95% solo all the way through level 33 now.  Anyway, it is a lot of fun.  If you do pick it up, maybe join several of us on the Kass City server.  That way if/when you want to group up, you'll have more than a few of your SD pals on the same server as you.  I think there are like 15 of us with about 9 I know from the forums on that server. 

Worst case scenario - you buy the game, play it for 30 days and decide its not for you.  You're out $60.  That said, I don't know anyone that has bought it and reached that conclusion.  You can always just go month to month and quit when you like.  Anyway, its fun and I certainly highly recommend it.

Kass City, got it.  I assume to group up you can only group up with other Sith or Jedi.  So if I played a Jedi I couldn't group up with Frogboy who is playing a Sith for example.

I'm heading to Best Buy today to get some printer ink and may pick it up with leftover Xmas money.  I may need a break from Skyrim anyway.  LOL