Just for some clarification, there shouldn't be only one way to play a class, but there does have to be right and wrong ways to play a class. There needs to be a way to epic fail, otherwise there's no way to tell yourself that you figured out how to succeed.

While I haven't tried it (as I usually play Empire), Light Side Empire storylines are actually quite awesome. You could argue that the Agent doesn't matter as they're kind of autonomous operators. Bounty Hunters that are LS are, as was said before about the Consulars, more pragmatic. Just slightly less bloodthirsty.

Your agent is secretly Madonna.

In general, I put survivability over threat generation when talking about theory. Let's say that you're having an aggro issue. Would getting a head start at the beginning of a fight cover you for the rest of the fight? (i.e. the DPS can go balls-out and not hold back as long as you had a 5 second opener). If that's the situation, I'd still prefer the survivability stats. The only time I'd worry about threat is if the DPS ever have to hold back so you can keep aggro (also lulz that dps in this game holds back).

The heavy armor is very useful, not to mention you get Energy Shield (25% less damage for 12 seconds on 2m cooldown). Keep in mind that you can also equip a shield, but without being in the "tank stance" it only has a 5% chance to proc (for Powertechs, the Cylinder you use is the equiv. to WoW stances, Pyrotechs use one that puts a burning DoT, Advanced Prototype has Armor Pen, and Shield Tech has one that gives +armor, +threat, and 15% more chance to shield) Back to the original question, take a look at the Sniper talents. Snipers can function like a warlock as well. Engineering tree is DoT-Heavy, Marksman is more nuke-y (but all agents get at least one DoT), and Lethality is AoE-DoT + nuke. You might find the sniper to be more Destro-Lock than a Bounty Hunter is.

Is your grain of salt ready? I play a Pyrotech (just before launch they changed it from firebug) Merc when I'm not healing, so there are lots of similarities (Pyrotech is the shared tree). Pyrotech on my merc feels like a Demo warlock without the Felguard (more like playing with the Felhunter). You're relying on the DoT's, and the Nuke in between is okay, but not stellar (as a Merc, I'm using Power Shot, which the Powertech wouldn't have). Basically, Mercs are using Power Shot and Unload. PT's are substituting Flame Burst and Rocket Punch to do the same things. Also Flame Burst giving guaranteed Cylinder Proc is great. I'd love to have that on my Merc because opening up with Power shot + Incendiary usually requires that I keep attacking (until I get a cylinder proc) before my first Rail Shot so that I can take full advantage of the benefits I get (renewing the Cylinder effect, getting the vented heat, etc). A Lightning tree sorc would probably be closer to a Destro lock. If Pyrotech had a nuke like Incinerate, I'd say yes. Advanced Prototype is almost Death Knightish because it's all close-combat (Rocket Punch + Retractable Blade). A Madness Sorcerer plays more like a Shadow Priest. Of course sorcs are out since they could technically heal...

My joking right what?

Here are 2 perspectives, My operative is heal-spec, just finishing tatooine, starting Alderaan at 28, and it still goes quite fast. I start the dps (assuming no CC is needed) so that I'll have 2 useful kolto probes running. I alternate my TA on Carbine Burst and KI (will be SP in 2 levels) most of the time. It's been doing well, BUT, I may be speaking too early because... My Mercenary was running heal spec just fine until Alderaan. Healing Gault SUUUUUCKED (and it's not like I was going to do heals + Mako). So on Alderaan, I went DPS + Mako (I preferred Pyrotech to Arsenal... tried both). But now on Belsavis, I've gone back to heal spec + Blizz and it's quite nice. So I think it was dependent on having a suitable companion for the content.

Yeah, I only get it when the Medical Engineering talent procs. (the 30% per tick of Kolto Probe to give tactical advantage).

You stealth past the champion and complete the quest 10 minutes faster...

Off topic, but onto your topic, Operative/Scoundrel with the healing tree is 10 kinds of fun. You get the stealth, and the backstabbing, and at level 20, the healing DoT will easily take you through any fight and you can just DPS tough stuff down. So if you were wanting the Shadow/Assassin to be rogue-y, Operative.. I get my WoW rogue/cat itch scratched.

Yes, but you're trying to kill your target. that's the context of this thread. They're saying heart explode is dark and slowly crushing your opponent to death is light.

Jedi have such arbitrary lines... heart explode = dark side, but slowly crushing bones and muscles = light side.

A 50 will probably have a better answer, but here's how I feel on it. I was a WoW healer (all 4 classes). I have a 31 merc healer, a 28 Sorc healer, and a 21 Operative healer. Mercs heal like Shamans in WoW. They rely on the slow-cast heals (Sorcs rely on the slow-cast spell too, but their rotation lowers the cast time dramatically, whereas Mercs lower the heat instead). While agents also have a good slow-cast, it's part of a healing ensemble, along with a great HoT. Alacrity would be a great merc healing stat to have because of cast times, and that could apply to DPS if you went Arsenal, but probably not to Pyrotech (they have more instants).

GK, you get your 2nd companion Gault when you complete Tatooine. He's a sniper. I have a 31 merc healer and I prefer him over Mako, but I'd really prefer to hurry up and get a tank like Blizz. Basically I've hit Alderaan and it's freakin tough to be a healer. I'm probably going to respec DPS to get through Alderaan.

Dear Bioware, Nerf Rock, paper is fine. leave it as is. Love, Scissors.

Yep, Juyo for Annihilation. Berserk while in Juyo means great self-heals combined with Deadly Saber, Rupture, and Hungering.

Is it just a display bug? Can you still cast it when it looks like it's on cooldown?

I don't remember opting into this note.

Probably not going to be an issue, but did you check your mail? I've had stuff from Vette in the mail. I assume because I didn't have bag slots for all of the items queued up at log time.

What about level 41 items? Level 39 items (according to torhead) are green or gray at 340.

They're better than nothing. As long as you try to equate them to a trinket and not an equipped weapon, it's a decent perk.

Right now, I see Synthweaving as one of the weakest crew skills because it's JUST ARMOR. If you got your paws on some orange gear, being a Cybertech would get you 2 out of the 3 modifications to put in there (and use commendations to get the enhancements). Cybertech, I think, is your choice because it may not have the same end-game usefulness of Biochem, but you can make some decent credits from selling armoring and ship upgrades. Buy the biochem stuff you want at that point.

You can craft whatever level your crafting skill allows (but you obviously can't use it until the required level). As far as RE purple items, Yes (asterisk). Check the RE sticky at the top of this forum because not all purples can RE into a schematic. Some will always be RE'd into materials and nothing more.

While that's a good reference, it's not really giving info you didn't have already (through some translation in your head). If you know you need polyfibe for your crafting, and on your crafting screen, hovering over Polyfibe shows that it's a Grade 2 Researched Compound. That means I pick an Investigation job for Researched Compounds in the 2nd drop down box for Investigation. In this case, being a purple, I'd probably just go to the GMT and buy a level 110 Investigation crafting mission, and that would for sure get me the Polyfibe.