I just cancelled my sub, citing this as the final straw. Every 4 - 5 kills, I have to die to reset this valor cap. That's not workable. Open-world PvP here could hardly have been handled more poorly than it has, but this is the absolute worst part of a generally hamhanded design. Luck to you all.

Congrats on your first day in the 50 bracket.

OP makes a good point, buried in there -- Huttball is part of the issue: - Huttball is where most PvP happens on imbalanced servers (which includes all PvP servers) - Huttball *strongly* emphasizes z-axis mobility and using the environment to kill - As the only class with no leap, force sprint, pull, knockback or charge, Operatives are unique in their complete lack of z-axis mobility or ways to force folks into traps - Our primary 'oh no!' button, combat stealth, causes us to drop the ball I think we are competitive in healing ability, anytime an AoE heal is not required. It's the lack of utility skills that kills us in PvP. I don't envy sorcs the raw numbers they put out. I usually match or beat those (in 90% of all matches, I am top heals *and* in the top 5 for damage done, 28/0/13 spec in full champ gear). I do envy their mobility, cc and general control of the battle. Stealth is great in theory, but it's far more use to a DPS class than a healer. We don't need a gap closer, there is no 'hidden strike' heal, and use of the combat stealth actually debuffs our healing.

In the 50 pvp bracket on my server, the rare classes are snipers, operatives and powertechs.

I understand your points, but disagree with them: - 8 man premades mean the pug on the other side has gone from little chance to zero. The only way 8 man premades can work is if they are in a separate queue, - Choosing your conflict sounds great, but it will inevitably lead to only one warzone being played. People will pick whichever has the fastest time/ valor ratio, even if playing that same one over and over bores them to tears and, eventually, quitting Sometimes, we players need to be protected from ourselves. These are two such examples.

Earlier tonight, I told a BM Sniper I think he's the most dangerous RDPS in the 50 bracket on my server. He destroys 'pubs, if you keep him alive (I play a healer). Everyone notices Concealment Ops more, of course, due to the 'throw you to the ground, then stab you in the face' attack style. But a good sniper does gigantic piles of damage. Both AC's reward a player who thinks tactically and does a bit of planning before charging in. If you ever decide PvE sounds fun, RDPS are always in higher demand (it's an mmo raiding cliche).

This. If you ding 50 on Friday, you can be quite competitive by the end of the weekend.

This is compensation for PvE, where melee damage dealers are preferred for Hard Mode Flashpoints and Operat... Oper... LOL I can't finish saying that without laughing

Hey, it only took them two years or so to address Bright Wizards. HAVE YE NO PATIENCE!? Yeah. That design team's pedigree worries me.

The storyline supports several broad paths: - By the book utilitarian. Willing to go to any lengths to accomplish the mission, but not violent or cruel unless that is the best tool for a job that needs doing. Your primary loyalty is to Intelligence. Eventually, you may begin to question the Sith a bit, possibly to the point of disobedience. - Patriot with a golden heart. You grew up in the Empire, so your first instinct is always to support them. At your core, however, you're a light-sider sort. Events will eventually cause you to question your preconceptions of both factions. This can lead in all kinds of crazy directions. - Bad Lieutenant. There's something deeply wrong with you. The uniform, and the power it conveys, allows you to do things that would otherwise get you executed on public TV. You're a sadist. Worse, you're a sadist with a blaster, a starship and a license to do damn near anything to anyone who isn't a sith. You and Kaliyo are psychotic Bonnie and Clyde. - James Bond in Space. Sure, you'll finish the missions. Mostly, though, you're interested in awesome gadgets the coolest spaceship available and shagging everything that moves. Eventually, some hard moral choices will be forced on you. But in the meantime.. well, hey, how *you* doin'? Those are the obvious character archetypes, and all are supported by plot choices and companion types (though some more than others). They lead to different endings, as well. At some point, try the Bad Lieutenant option. It gets surprisingly dark, and it brings out the 'best' in Kaliyo. But don't expect to like her. You're not meant to. She's a strong personality with some twists you won't freaking believe, until they happen. Just when you think she's sunk as low as she possibly can, she'll surprise you. And that keeps happening.

That's true enough. I suppose I am reflecting how my server works. The Empire clearly outnumbers the Republic on VZ, which we see on Ilum. Warzones, on the other hand, are quite even. When I'm looking for my daily wins, they're more likely to come in Huttball, against other Imps, than in Civil War or Voidstar. If you're stuck on a server with no good PvP guilds on your faction.. well, yeah. You're stuffed. Probably best to hope for server transfers, or reroll to one where your preferred faction is more organized. Two faction PvP games walk a really fine line.

Diagnostic Scan is awesome in PvP... ... for juking an interrupt, so you can then cast a KI I'd never try to use it for healing or regen.

This is a common problem with the fight. It's a bit shocking BW has not addressed it. I know some people have had success switching companions. Alternately, ask someone for help. If you're on Ven Zallow, feel free to give me a shout. Let me add that the fight is worth completing. If you're enjoying the storyline, the next chapter or two add some really interesting plot twists

Worst case-scenario, zero expertise vs full battlemaster is just under 13% damage given/ taken gap. That's significant. But 'broken' is a bit strong. You're unlikely to one-v-one that BM on your first day, but most battles are scrums. Moreover, the most common warzone (Huttball) is won by mobility and teamwork more than killing and healing. You have a very broad definition of 'broken,' or you'd perhaps rather play an FPS with no gear progression. You're hardly alone in that. FPS's are quite popular. But most people come to an MMO expecting gear progression beyond cool-looking hats. I know people tolerate gear grinds poorly now, relative to the EQ1 bad old days. But you can get a decent PvP kit together in a week, week and a half of steady play. Full BM is far off from that, of course, but full Centurion players compete quite well.

Pre-mades are limited to four players. Keep queuing, even solo, and you'll eventually be grouped *with* that team that's stomping you. The first week or two at 50 is going to stink, though. The good news is that the gear gap closes more rapidly and predictably than it did in the past. You still have to get in there and get it done, though. The only short-cut is to form your own pre-made. Even with bad gear, four people who know how to play can win a whole lot of Huttball, assuming you include some sorcs to move the ball quickly.