They are somewhat better end game when you can make/sell MK-9 augments kits and top tier augments. Or you can sell the MK-9 components and thermal regulators.

I'd say MVP votes would be the last thing. Valor would be right behind it though. More on topic. While I rarely play ranked PvP (haven't in several months at all, and even then only a handful of times). I agree that ranked is not the "try it out" phase. If you're "trying out" ranked, you should have played enough unranked to gear yourself up to at least the lowest gear set you can buy and hopefully in doing so have figured out how to play your class in PvP as it's a whole different world than PvE or even unranked PvP. I do dislike the attitude that you have to have stims on for ranked. I also don't think ranked PvP should have bolster, this is the big leagues, be ready or become a puddle.

Let me know what server and what not, I'll join you.

3rd rule in a real flashpoint: If something attacks the healer, focus on it. Otherwise weakest to strongest. On my tank, I hit the biggest enemies a few times to make sure I have more agro than the healer, then swap targets so I can keep as many things focusing on me as possible, so the sooner things die, the less I get hit.

I you get orange drops, you can rip the mods and send them in legacy gear however.

What he said. I've been doing the non-recurring option since started it (with a few breaks here and there). I get all the "good stuff" as long as my time hasn't lapsed on the date.

I've successfully tanked plenty on my marauder. The actual tank tunnel visions one enemy (wit the other DPS) while I tank everything else in a desperate attempt to keep things off the healer. I then get thanked for my tanking at the end of the fp.

I think F2P only have 1, Preferred have 2, and Subs have 3.

It's not usually cheaper to buy new gear with comms. Most gear costs 14 comms, to remod gear is only 11 (7 armor, 2 for mod and enhancement). There are a handful of pieces that are 8-12, but I don't think they were orange.

You could also tell them you've never run the fp before. Most of the random groups I've run into are ok with it (except maybe black talon/esseless).

Usually if you're 6 levels higher than the mission/enemies, you don't get xp. I think if you're more than 6 lower, you won't get xp either, so I'd look for areas with lv 14-15 to get you up closer to your friend.

Yeah, I thought about the bioanalysis thing, but apparently it didn't translate into what I wrote. I'd go slicing over archeology. You can pick up slicing points all over and run missions for the sliced parts (purples usually sell well) and the occasional schematic.

I would go with scavenging over archeology, it feeds more crafting skills. You can also use scavenging on Silver or higher droid enemies, archeology doesn't do anything like that. Another option is Scavenging, Bioanalysis, and Underworld Trading. Purple UT metal sell quite nicely (Blues as well at lower levels) and the comp gifts are somewhat useful.

Stupid question: Are you making sure you have the 20% chance to learn the schematic? I believe they changed something recently so if you buy it off the GTN you can't learn the schematic when you RE the item (if that's how you got it).

Probably not. A lot of moddable items have an inherent level usually near the level the initially installed mods are, so chances are even after you strip the mods, the item you want to use will still be a higher level.

So annoy people who queue for rated while running dailies in PvE gear? That sounds reasonable.

Actually you only have to be level 10 to get the advanced class. I've used the emergency fleet pass on a couple occasions to pop to the fleet, pick my advanced class and crew skills, then shuttle back to finish up the starter planet. You always get your ship after the 2nd plant (Corusant or Dromand Kass) and can get your advanced class at 10 regardless of what class you play.

Remember, the dog boss has an aggro dump when he freezes the tank (about every 20-30 sec), which might have been what was happening. I just ran this on my assassin tank, sorc healer (dps mode), another sin tank and I can't remember the other dps. We go into dog boss, I take boss to the far corner, dps start on the dogs. After a few rounds with boss, I've noticed an alarming lack of heals and end up dead. Wipe # 1. We inform the sorc he needs to focus on healing, not dps, and try again. I get a couple heals, but I the dogs focus the sorc, he dies. Wipe #2. Third try we go in, some heals get tossed out, but the sorc doesn't seem to be losing any force (I think he was using his free heal). Wipe #3. At this point I have better things to do than try to train a healer on how to heal. Had it been explaining fights, sure, but not the basics of his chosen role.

You'll be able to make augment kits and STR/WILL augments (and a couple others I can't remember), so maybe.

I did forget to mention that I don't go hybrid until fairly high levels.

Also, you'll get most of the armor you need form the quests, although if you do all the planet and class missions, you will very quickly out level your gear. Flashpoints will get you better gear.

At level 13 there is no real rotation yet. The center tree is a lot of armor piecing, the right is dot and left is healing. I generally use a hybrid of the center and right trees. For armor, you use armor that has Aim (only comes in heavy) and Mako uses Cunning (only comes in medium). If you can get moddable gear, do so and upgrade it with planetary comms that match your level any time you go to the fleet. Make sure you're keeping Mako's gear up to date with the random drops and quest rewards.

Yup. The blue and purple mats are from UT. I think they're the underworld metals missions, assuming the mission succeeds, you will always get blue, to get purple you have to crit on abundant or higher missions.

When you try to use artifice are ensuring the correct companion is selected? If you select from the top, it automatically chooses your top companion regardless of what they might be doing. Also, do you have the mats that you need to make whatever you're trying to craft?

Don't forget to reverse engineer them after you've made them, but yes.