The best sniper spec for either PVP or PVE is whatever you're most comfortable playing. I don't care how many theorycrafters scream "u take this as gospel or u r retarded." If the rotation and priorities and learning to position reticules or not having to, doesn't feel comfortable to you, don't play it. Using the abilities has to feel natural, almost as much as breathing. If using a particular rotation feels clumsy in any way, or if managing energy in one spec feels more that way than another, then you'll never perform as well with it as with something you can use comfortably. Some specs are relatively equal in damage output, but only if you can master a significantly more complicated priority list for one of the specs. If you can do that, great, use it. If the simpler one feels better, use that instead. Same goes with "talent points." Some are more pve oriented, some are more pvp oriented, but whatever makes the spec feel more awkward, isn't going to work for you. Play what feels right in your hands.

This error pops up multiple times when trying to log in. If I hit ignore multiple times, I can eventually log in and hit Play, but no servers show up in the server selection list. The error popup gives me no useful information other than a lot of ...\...]... which is supposed to be some kind of abbreviation marker. The only parts that weren't so abbreviated were the following: \src\c\platforminfo\PlatformInfo_Win32.cpp Expression: platformUtilsInitialized Line: 434 This was never a problem until just now when I ran the Windows 10 Troubleshooter to fix an Initialization problem in Direct 3D that was blocking RIFT from starting up.

"The Best Crew skill" depends on who you ask. Everyone has their opinion, and sadly, some people refuse to acknowledge you as remotely intelligent if you disagree with their opinion. I feel there is no one best crew skill, it depends on your tastes. The one slight edge Biochem has, is that you can keep using them in flashpoints and ops and pvp even when decked out in the best gear you can get. Other than that, work whatever crew skills you like best.

After finishing the mission and getting Broonmark, Oggurobb voices concerns. No big deal. But every time I bring him Alliance Supply crates, he does it again, and again, and again... and AGAIN! *EVERY* time! Maybe that's to be expected from a windbag like Oggurobb, but I want it to stop. Is anyone else having this problem?

I like the story in KOTFE, but I don't like that we only get a half hour to an hour's worth each month. I don't have good reflexes, good timing, I often lose sight of the cursor in the heat of a big battle and I can't always remember two or three dozen keybindings for several different characters, but I get written off as a clueless n00b if I disagree with people who think the EC (for one example) is, not just easy, but "INSULTINGLY" easy. My chief agreement with the OP is that I feel EA, who dictates orders to Bioware, is giving them no tools or resources for anything except more and more Cartel Packs. My trophy wall in my stronghold is missing a key trophy from EV over a bug that's existed since LAUNCH, or so I hear, and you can yell to high heaven and not hear a word from Bioware in response. "But here, buy this new cartel pack and that new cartel pack and THESE new cartel packs so we can all stroke our (rhymes with sticks) ever more briskly!!" I hate that the LvD event is designed to force rolling new characters. I'm one of those people who currently plays on one server, has filled up all her character slots on that server, has played through six of the eight class stories twice, the other two once, and doesn't feel any motivation to do it all AGAIN. The "light or dark companion" reward will probably be a generic, story-less, devoid-of-personality drone that does everything all the current companions do. It's as close to a Cartel-pack-exclusive pet as you can get, except you're much more likely to get it in the LvD event than in the random crap-shoot that is Cartel Packs. But at least it's optional. It's not forced down our throats-- although I can understand people who argue that without it, the new chapter has nothing except another half-hour to an hour's worth of extra storyline. Completionism is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it DEMANDS outrageous hours of tedious repetition. Why be a completionist if doing the repeated work isn't fun? Maybe it's our completionism that needs to be worked on? TL/DR -- I agree and sympathize with a number of points in the OP's explanation for leaving, and I wish her good luck in her future endeavors. And anyone who is in complete agreement has plenty of valid reasons for also leaving. Not everyone has had the last straw, yet, however, and those of us who haven't, will remain.

I like the idea of soloable ops up to a point. There's a LITTLE bit of story content in the Ops-- most, if not all, Ops have an accompanying story quest. Sometimes it would be nice to have a watered down version of an Op, even if it doesn't provide the satisfaction of a true Op, to be able to see the opening and closing cutscenes for the accompanying story quest. There are story quests I've carried in my logs for YEARS because nobody wanted to accommodate my getting to see the story quests. I felt I was being punished for not getting to Op level fast enough, they complained that I was punishing THEM because they got there too fast. There's no right and wrong here, but I was alone against a whole server full of "For (CENSORED)'s sake, **DON"T BOTHER**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Group Finder is also subject to long waits, having to replace people who have to leave or only want one particular piece of gear and will leave after getting it, as well the inevitable "Fail everyone except me" elitists who constantly scream laments about why they're the only ones in the game who don't suck (rhymes with 'glass'). Sometimes you don't want the headache. However, I do understand, and agree with, a few points against solo Ops: 1) KOTFE as a whole, and even a fair bit of SOR, are designed to be soloed, and a lot of people are asking specifically for GROUP content, which is ABSOLUTELY impossible to solo and specifically designed not to be soloed. They want to be million-barbs-absolutely-crammed-through-the-eyeballs forced to go out and seek groups to do "this and that." Otherwise, they're paying by the month for a single-player game, which you usually just pay a one-time fee for and can then play to your heart's content without shelling out another dollar. 2) A great many mechanics key to boss fights would all have to be removed or severely weakened in a solo version. Some examples: --Mind Trap in the Soa Fight (EV) would have to be removed. The chance that the main tank or main healer can get mind trapped is part of the urgent need to destroy them as fast as possible. The only way I can see keeping them is if after 20 to 30 seconds, they permanently add a stacking buff to the boss; if you let too many of them add the buff, the boss becomes too strong to kill. --Infernal Council (EV) would have to lose its most important mechanic: Each player must kill one of the enemy council alone. Other players can only hit it once, safely. Without that mechanic, the boss is hamstrung. --The first fight in S&V would have lose the mechanic of getting lost in the sandstorm. --The Cartel Warlords in S&V would need severely weakened mechanics. --Operator IX in TFB would have to lose the color-coding mechanic, a key factor in defeating him. And so on, and so on. Mechanics specifically designed for teamwork are part of the challenge and fun. It would be nice if the option were available to have a "vanilla" soloable version for the story quests that can be done once alone with them, but many people worry about them taking away from the overall pool of players available for group stuff. I like the idea up to a point. But sometimes we just can't have everything, no matter what.

Okay, on an Imperial Agent: I asked Broonmark if we could settle things peacefully. I had to fight and subdue him. Next dialogue choice, I told him I admired his spirit, and was there anything I could do to satisfy him. Broonmark said he's born to rip and maim, and asked what I understood of his hunger. Dialogue choice: I told him that interrogation was a gentle term for my favorite pastime. (a major breach of character for my Light V Sniper, but I said it.) Broonmark said I understood his hunger and would be indebted to me for letting him take Gryzzak's life. Here's the big decision. I told him that I'd allow his killing Gryzzak in return for the life debt. He wasted Gryzzak. Broonmark said he was sated and would let me walk away. Dialogue choice: I asked him to join my clan. He agreed. Outcome: I had to let Broonmark kill Gryzzak. I had to get chewed out by Hylo. I did *NOT* have to eat the big DS point penalty; in fact I got 100 LS points for trying to defuse the situation. So, bottom line: Non a non-SW you're forced to let Broonmark kill the ambassador, but you do NOT have to take a large DS point hit doing it. The dialogue choices will be slightly different on other classes, but that's the gist of how I did it and preserved my Light 5 status on an Imperial Agent.

It's still a start, although a non-SW wouldn't get the option, "You swore to serve me on Hoth" or however the line is worded. It's worth a try, and if it doesn't work, I can reset one more time and wait for another answer. If a non-warrior is *ABSOLUTELY* forced to eat the DS points and allow the ambassador's death in order to recruit Broonmark, I'm not going to be happy. For completionism's sake, I'd do it, but I'd be fairly PO'ed about it.

I'm not opposed to this, but how would it fit into the story? Especially "Post Chapter 16."

Rebsten, completing the prelude isn't necessary, especially now that the rewards have been nerfed. We used to get 297 common data crystals which was very nice (if nothing else, ten purple level 6 companion gifts) and a 192 weapon (although they kinda nerfed those too, tank versions of those weapons are no longer available, only dps versions). But again, with the rewards for the prelude having been nerfed, you can safely skip the prelude now. So that leaves only two solo FP's; Blood Hunt and Battle for Rishi. XP boosts are common enough that any alt you're still leveling should easily get to or past 60 by the time you finish the SoR content. I didn't time myself on how long it takes to complete both Rishi and Yavin 4. I know that I don't have the right mindset to finish more than two steps at a time, so it takes me a little longer in terms of how many days I stretch those 7-10 hours across. But no, it's not that long an expansion. Makeb was longer but also much more tedious.

Xavious, one of the Devs mentioned that Elara might be having a very rough time in the current Republic thanks to Saresh being a warmongering, Imperial-hating despot. Remember, Elara was born and raised on Dromund Kaas; her father is on the Imperial Fleet as an NPC who sends Imperial Agent Players to get their Advanced Class (yes, you can choose AC automatically now, but I think the quest is still available for "flavor?"). That's why she wasn't with Aric Jorgan in the "New Havoc Squad" during Chapter 11, Disavowed. She defected to the Republic, and during her companion storyline she gets her brother to also defect, but to some Republic diehards, "Once an Imp, always an Imp, and better off a dead Imp." So, Elara might be pretty lucky just doing a lot of kitchen and latrine duty for the Republic these days. Despite both sides being squished by Zakuul, the Republic and Sith Empire are still always taking potshots at each other.

Okay, will someone please explain HOW they successfully recruited Broonmark while also saving the wookiee ambassador? If that's too spoilery, then click on my name and send me a private message. On my mercenary, I went through almost every possible follow-up and had to reset the mission and start from SCRATCH three times. Finally I gave up and Broonmark is dead in my merc's storyline. My sniper and commando are completionists and both are Light V. I want to be able to recruit every companion on those two toons. So please, instead of these "I did it," "no, on a trooper," and "No, I'm LS," please outline the conversation choices. Put them in spoiler tags if you must, send me a private message if you must-- I've DONE the mission, twice (my Sith Warrior was glad to let Broonmark kill the wookiee), so I would really, really appreciate it if you spared me the dozens of "hit escape to get out of the conversation" trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Some of you bought 6 or 7 of those tokens? Well if that's what you felt like doing. I asked what we are considered to have finished or not finished story-wise after using ONE start-at-60: the freebie I got for being a subscriber before KOTFE launched. I was curious about it and used it and very much like EnzioMossi, I hardly touched the character. I sure as heck didn't use it to get to endgame quicker, certainly not on the class I made. (If you must know, I'm comfortable playing a tech user, and made a force user). And no, I don't want the freebie back, either. I found out what I was hoping to find out, and it's a toy I can live without. And I DID "earn" those titles on one of the first toons I played since initial 2011 launch. That's what "Legacy" is all about, like Mykra said. Of course, if you want to get so violently offended that I didn't "earn" them AGAIN for each individual character of the same class, well, feel free to do that if it makes you sleep better at night. And who knows, maybe one day I will. It's the only class story I've seen only once.

You have to take every (or close to every) "flirt" dialogue option with Lana, starting with waking up after she pulls you out of Carbonite. My Twi'lek Sentinel is in a relationship with Lana. Any "flirt" dialogue you don't take decreases the availability of starting a romance with her in Chapter IX. When you're in the Cantina in Chapter IX, your character asks to speak with either Lana, Theron or Koth depending on your choice. If you've built up enough "flirts" with any of these NPC's, you'll have the option to do a "flirt" need to speak with someone. If you only get "I need to speak with someone" without the "flirt," then you haven't built up enough to start a romance. Theron's the trickiest because you don't even meet him til Chapter IX, you only get a few options before that Cantina scene and you probably have to take them all, without missing even one. Lana you meet first, so you have a LOT of flirt dialogue options, you need to watch for them and take as many of them as you can. Any you don't , reduces the chance of starting a romance. I really doubt race is a factor if Lana will swing both ways gender-wise. P.S. EDIT: In Chapter 7 or 8, while aboard the Gravestone, at some point one of the flirt options with Lana will allow you to kiss her. If you don't get that particular option, I'd say it's a given you wouldn't be able to romance her come Chapter 9.

If we roll a Start-at-60, what is this character credited with having done, and not done, when they begin in Chapter I (The Hunt) of KOTFE? From what I gather, it appears we've DONE: 1)Class stories up to and including the Conclusion 2) SOR including prelude And it appears we HAVEN'T done: 1) Ilum (Class story epilogue) 2) Makeb / RotHC I can't tell whether we've done 1) companion stories 2) Ziost although it's hinted we have done Ziost. The reason I ask this is I feel we get a little short-changed with Start-at-60 toons. 1) If we finished class stories, we should have all pertinent titles (Padawan, Agent, Grand Champion of the Great Hunt, Major, Republic Privateer, Lord, etc.). 2) If we finished SoR, we should have the appropriate class title awarded for finishing (Jedi Battlemaster, Above the Law, Republic Military Advisor, etc.). I don't know if we finished companion stories-- if we did, how about their default influence level being higher than 1 when and if they rejoin the story? (e.g. T7-01 should start higher than 1 for a Jedi Knight, SCORPIO should start higher than 1 for an Imperial Agent, Gault should start higher than 1 for a Bounty Hunter, etc.) with a start-at-60. Also, such "little things" as a start-at-60 Jedi Knight being able to recognize Kaliyo in Chapter X would be nice, I don't know if they get that or not. Also, why is it assumed we never did Ilum or Makeb? Who wants to do those with a start-at-60? Let's assume we did all that so that the quest markers stop showing when we're on our ship or running past the appropriate fleet NPC's?

I think that it's almost a given that because of the very strong implied connection to The REAL power behind Zakuul is the Fleet. It's automated, pre-dates Zakuul, and who built it is anyone's wild guess. I think the origins of the Fleet will be explored in Act 2, so we can figure out what to do about it, and with it, once it's finally neutralized. A good possibility is this: But back to the original point, even Arcann and Vaylin together can't oppress the whole galaxy without the Fleet backing them up. seems the most logical hook to set up the next story after Arcann and Vaylin are overthrown. Exactly how Valkorion fits into all this, is anyone's guess-- I haven't written him out of it, either. I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty more of him.

Thanks Ahmgrim. I'll look into those.

Okay so I'm not a new player, but I don't know where else to post this, and this message may be important to anyone that never played the game before, but is interested in trying it out. I've been told that the old "keychain" style authenticator is no longer available-- cell phone app or nothing. My authenticator has been in use since launch and I'm concerned about the battery going out. I wanted to replace it. I don't have a cell phone. Anyone who wants to scream at me over that, get off this thread, okay? I do NOT have a cell phone. I will not defend this to anyone, in any way. Is it true that BIoware has stopped making the keychain models? If this is true, then once the battery goes, I'm locked out of my account. I understand that there's a way to get the authenticator serial number removed, but then my account is unsecured. I hope Bioware doesn't expect me to get a cell phone for the sole purpose of using its authenticator app? And what about the fact that cell phones can be hacked, or stolen by a mugger, AND software updates (especially mandatory ones) can screw the app all up (a friend of mine lost her account for this reason, Bioware refused to help her in any way other than saying to start a whole new account), while the keychain authenticator never leaves my computer desk in my apartment and is worth diddly-squat outside of authenticating my account? Oh yes, the cell phone app sounds MUCH more secure to me. (/sarcasm) Again, if you're going to scream flames at me for this, just do everyone a favor and log out of the internet for a little bit? I'm looking for constructive solutions here. If the keychain authenticator is still available, please post a link.

I would add this, though: There are HUGE number of scripted fights where the mobs AUTOMATICALLY and INSTANTLY aggro on spawning, and will attack unerringly even if you're stealthed. A lot of scoundrels, operatives, shadows, and assassins are pretty ticked off about this. That being said, there will be mobs that you can sneak past with a good and timely combination of stealth and sleep darts. Personally, I'm more comfortable playing a slinger than a scoundrel, but scoundrel is more than viable if you can keep from pulling your hair out of your head in frustration at all the scripted fights where the mobs spawn and automatically aggro regardless of stealth. Also, be watchful for mobs that will grapple you in and then instantly do a short knockback. Annoying AF.

Hello, I've been playing a sniper for a while, she's my favorite toon. As has been pointed out, having a companion in tank mode, with a good influence level, to gather all the mobs together and then nuking them with suppressive fire, is the fastest way to handle them. Standard strength mobs will go down very quickly and with a good rifle kept up to date with level appropriate modding, even strongs will fold quickly to this tactic. That being said, this is very poor preparation for endgame. If you have to fight more than one gold, or a champion, they will turn, sneer at you, say, "Okay, have a taste of THIS..." and thwack you all around the battlefield before giving you a sound thrashing. And despite snipers having good survivability, if a powerful mob is focusing entirely on killing you, it's a safe bet they will. Unfortunately, SWTOR LEVELING can be done in a way, and in fact is even BEST done in a way, that doesn't give you diddly-squat in preparation for the fights that most people, say, 'matter.' That is, endgame fights. And fighting Champion mobs, in general. For that, you need to learn rotations, priority scales, even positioning. High ground is only so useful, because if the mob can't reach you, they will go into evade mode and reset. I'd say, while leveling, use the suppressive fire nuke technique, but in between, invest a few cartel coins in an operations training dummy for your personal starship, and in between leveling, spend some time practicing on it. Learn endgame rotations and priorities. Learn to use your defensives-- shield probe, ballistic shield, your defensive roll, all your miscellaneous utilities. They WILL make a difference. If you're in engineering spec, the scatter bombs will make your defensive roll even more important. It's rare you'll be able to deposit the scatter bombs right in the big mob's path, but when you can, extra dps is extra dps. Leveling and endgame are two entirely different styles of play. I agree that this is not the way it should be, but what "should be" and what "IS" are often two different things.

Now I'm even absolutely blocked from sending my logs. I get told that there are too many images and that the log includes smilies and tags that have not been enabled by the administrator. WHAT GIVES, BIOSTINK?!

Tait, here is my latest launcher log. Note that I used Task Manager to End Process on the launcher a couple of times in order to try the "Flush DNS" trick, which obviously had no effect.

Windows 7 Home Premium I have a security Key. I'm a subscriber, though how much longer I'll STAY one is coming into question-- bonus chapter as HK-55 or not. US East Coast.

And yet another name added to the "tried all that, not a stitch of success" list. Ping works perfectly, 0% loss, min 35 ms, max 37, average 36. Flushed DNS multiple times, used Task Manager, yada yada yada. Absolutely nothing. I have to leave the house in an hour and will have other stuff to do when I get back. Biofail strikes again.

Flushing DNS did not work. Ping came back fine, min 35 ms, max 37 ms, average 36 ms. Four packets sent, four received, 0% loss. Error code is 308. Everything else works fine. My web browser gets everything I tell it to, immediately.