Just don't become a Jedi or we will have to kill you. 

They mean that you can modify them.

I think I might try to be on Kaas tonight.  

If it's got mod slots, you can mod it. In my experience you only get Synthweaving patterns from REing items if it's something you know how to make. Could be unlucky in terms of prototypes, don't know. But I don't think thats how it works anymore.

It is extra weird to me because I have gotten Prototype boots, but the word wasn't in parentheses. Maybe it is a snafu from beta? 

AFAIK you can only mod orange items. 

BTW, anyone still stuck on Quesh like me? Least favorite planet so far. 

Yep, the only way to learn some high-end schematics at all is by REing raid drops.

It will be difficult to find good information on this through a keyword search, as "prototype" is also one of the terms the game uses for rarity.  My best guess is that there is a prototype rarity (blue) item called "Indignation Boots" and an artifact rarity (purple) item called "[Prototype] Indignation Boots", which would mean that the "[Prototype]" in the item name is there to make it distinct in the database.

Also, there are plenty of things you can reverse engineer that have no chance of giving a schematic.  For example, an artificer can RE augments, but I'm pretty sure can't make them.

Hoth is my new favorite world. I loved Taris for its concrete jungle cityscapes but nothing is as beautiful as a white maw base loading up ice crawlers with supplies as I sneak about their massive base looking for soft targets. It is just a wonderful place to walk around in. The first time i have really felt alone in the wastes. Kind of wish some other Lords of Hyperion would come join though. 

First time I have ever heard someone else say that. I agree, it had that tortured half dead world feel to it. Like it had been pummeled from above by some malevolent being.

played several heroics with karl on tarsis tonight.  I can see how important a healer is now anyway... not quite as fun as other roles, methinks, but its ridiculously important. 

I think Operative is the most fun as a healer. It just feels right to sit behind cover and provide tactical support for the team. Sure I throw in the odd poison dart or concussion grenade, but mostly I am there to observe. What I really like is when the team loses a few people right at the end and I have to get in close and flashbang the enemy and start backstabbing them for the final kill. 

It does bother though, that at this point most tanks don't get an AoE taunt so I have to enter the battle late just to avoid getting the attention of the rear enemy with blaster rifles. Sometimes my tank gets to 25% before i can even start healing. That makes things alot harder. 

1) Don't worry about tanking weak/standard mobs. It's the DPS's job to kill them first, then move to the stronger mobs that you are tanking. If it's not silver or higher, generally speaking it's not your problem. Most pulls have only two or three mobs at most that actually require tanking... leading to the next point:

2) Most classes have a 60-second CC; use it. If you're up against multiple controllable elites (anything without the boss immunity buff), you shouldn't be fighting (or tanking) any more of them at once than necessary.

As an additional point of reference, taunts in SWToR don't work as in WoW. Rather than moving you to the top of the threat list, they only force the enemy to target you for the duration of the taunt. If you are not able to generate enough threat in that time to regain the lead, you will lose aggro again.

rebel scum.