I have this build I would like to test out, and am wondering everyone's thoughts on it: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301hZMsbrZfhrrzorfcz.3 I want this build to be healer killer. Full burn (no pun intended) into a healer and tear them apart or at the very least wound their healing ability. Think this build could do it?

Guess I'll be redoing my talent tree, then. I've been working on creating a PvP tank/DPS hybrid, and that tree I gave was the one I used. I'll have to modify retractable blade out, it seems. See what I can cook up.

No problem, but I do suggest looking around this specific area of the forum for a few good reads on tanking guides. The build I gave you is a pretty general one (you could PvP with it, but it's not as strong because the build avoids snares and slows.) Usually the front page guides here wont lie. Just next time you got a toilet break, or what not, take your phone in and read.

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#301GRGddobRMdMZMsMMoZb.3 That's one I literally made in 5 minutes, prioritizing damage reduction for normal mobs and grabbing anything that increases damage.

While I don't know the exact damage reductions to missile salvo, I feel like this is a step in the right direction. I have a couple ideas as to what it means: 1. Each blast does about 90% of what a regular blast does, and generate no heat. We've got an increase to mobility, and no longer sit still and get our asses handed to us. 2. 2 :1 salvo:blast damage ratio, no heat generated. Still an increase to our mobility. A decrease in heat generation from jet boost? Check, that'll help by keeping our resources managable when we're sitting back and nuking. Our complaint has always been we couldn't escape from a fight. Electro net, missile salvo, and a reduced cost is what we needed. Plus, with kolto missile, we've become a class that requires smart play, and not three keys. I for one, am excited for these changes.

As an arsenal Merc, I actually can do quite a bit of damage. It relies solely on being smart with how you play, rather than the simplicity of other classes. The thing is, the Merc is a jack of all trades, and is better when paired with someone. They're also entirely objective based in terms of play style. Use your mobility to the fullest, stand back, hidden away as best you can. Basically what everyone else said, save for the guys who constantly scream "LOL MERC/MANDO SUCK! I DESTROY THEM ALL THE TIME!" They're probably smashers, and can barely manage to roll their face on the keyboard correctly.

They aren't useless like everyone likes to think. You wont top damage charts, but mercs are a very versatile class, jack of all trades, master of none. You can still be a threat if you play smart. A 50 Merc in War-hero versus any 50 in War Hero solo is guaranteed to lose, our stationary damage isn't a high enough output and our ability to absorb damage isn't as good as a tank. However, pair a merc with a ranged dps, merc plays a tanky-damage, abosrbing hits where possible (sniper/merc can be scary.) Paired with a healer, merc plays peeler-damage, standing close to the healer to use CC on whoever is attacking him/her, and damaging the biggest threat in hopes the attacker leaves the healer alone. Pair merc with a tank, merc takes on stationary nuking, hitting tanks target out of the immediate LoS (in the background.) In large groups, stand mid-field, hit a priority target (I.E healer, or high dps) Most merc damage is kinetic, too (save for unload and sweeping blasters... and power shot, if you use it.) So damage is always hitting, excellent for killing blows in Guardians or sents with their ward up. Also, in desperate times, your vast array of AoE is great in WZ for people capping nodes, planting bombs, etc. Missile blast does splash to 5 targets, interrupting plants and caps. Fusion missile, combined with power surge, is an instant cast AoE. Death from above, and sweeping blasters. Blow a medpac, adrenal, and shield, proceed to survive and keep people off nodes for as long as possible. (Time varies, based on how many.) That's how I play my merc, at least, and I'm arsenal spec.

The game had a lot of potential. It had ideas like Mass Effect's "infinite ending" idea. In this game, gear that evolves with you was a really cool idea, since some cool gear comes from lower levels (I personally prefer the troopers level 24 gear from questing than it's end game.) They just failed to deliver what they told. As stated way earlier, that's what killed the game... and peoples super high expectations. What everyone was expecting: World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (and all it's "perfection") with a Star Wars skin on it. What everyone got: Vanilla WoW with a Star Wars skin. EA tried to market to the casual gamer of the new World of Warcraft. The gamer who doesn't wish to be bothered by the hard stuff that comes from a hardcore game. Bioware wanted to make a difficult game for the hardcore. KOTOR was difficult compared, and that was what I was expecting from this game. I expected Vanilla World of Warcraft. EVERYONE who points to that game shouldn't point to the finished product, but where it stood at the same time this game did. I didn't play the game until roughly one year after it's release (World of Warcraft, that is.) It had bugs, it had issues, it had a dedicated fan base. That game was thoroughly difficult, and leveling after a certain point became a grind. Getting Naxx attuned was a grind. Getting MC attuned was a grind. Hell, the first and ONLY raid at release was Onyxia. That was only one boss, too. People were okay with that. Then the game evolved to it's **** state. I recall somewhere that someone stated we shouldn't go back to where everything was a grind. That's where we should go back to. It'll weed out the ******* who aren't patient enough to earn their right into the end game. This game is hosed, but future games need to go back to grinding to get into the end game. Grinding instances for reputation, farming gold to buy mats (or spending hours trying to get the mats the correct way,) running instances to get your D1 set, and raid bosses that if a few goof up happens, the whole 40 man group gets screwed. Just my rant on the whining idiots lounging around.

^ Genius. But lets look at the pro's and cons of a LFD, and see there. Pros: 1. Faster dungeon queues 2. Experience more content at a faster rate 3. Good gear kinda quick. Don't drop first time, go again. 4. Fast leveling, even faster if rested. Cons: 1. You don't build the group you want, nor do you pick the class. This can be disasterous if the tank and/or healer barely meet the minimum requirements. 2. Social interaction is a minimum. Just because you try to start a convo doesn't mean they reply. 3. There is no commitment to the group itself. Feel free to leave anytime and quest until the debuff goes away. 4. The good gear earned in the pros disappears a few levels later by greens. (This con is iffy.) 5. Gets boring. Especially if you rinse and repeat for a few hours. Notice the difference? All the pros are specific for the efficiency player, and the cons for the more social player. This fight will continue forever on in eternity. But if you're playing a game purely to be efficient, you'd spend your time better playing a JRPG, or speed running through games.

I remember those days in vanilla WoW. You get a random whisper for a dungeon, and you say sure! You go in and while clearing it out, you begin talking amongst yourselves, start to make friends (god forbid) and before you know it, you guys are raiding together/pvping... good times. Social interaction. You hook players, make them do work, meet people, have fun with said people, keep subscribing to play with your internet buds. It's a little crazy, I know, to play online and actually do more than just sit quietly and clear an instance/flashpoint. If you're just trying to burn to max level in a game alone and become the best solo player, *** are you doing here? Go play single-player games on the hardest difficulty, or one of the FPS shooters. They'd love you there.

However, I really don't see an issue here. The Early Release is, (contrary to somes beliefs) a good idea. Bioware should begin free character transfers once the game is launched, if not sooner. Until then, everyone just needs to calm themselves about the wait. It's FREE early access week. Some of the people who preordered won't get their copy once the free access ends. Some of us who didn't pick a guild and set ourselves on a server will freely move around.