Hi, I am thinking of rolling a republic character and was hoping for some advice. Basically I am trying to determine which advanced classes are most in demand for raiding? As I understand it tanks are very in demand for HM FPs but not so much for raiding. There seems to be a good amount of healers but a shortage of ranger DPS. Would the following AC demand priority be accurate? Most in Demand Gunslinger Commando Sage Shadow Vanguard Guardian Sentinal Scoundrel

Sounds good. Again, this is a question relating to an OT build only. I dont intend to tank the bosses in Pyro spec, only the select encounters that require 2 tanks, and then, only for a limited time. So your conclusion is that mitigation is fine, which is not surprising since our mitigation talents from the Shield tech tree arent that spectacular anyways. (I mean your biggest bonus is Ion gas cylinder which doesnt require a single talent) So for my particular circumstances, wear Eliminator/Pyro spec for 80% of the raid. Do max DPS for a Powertech, then swap to supercommando Ion gas cylinder for the other 20% without respeccing. 200DPS increase imo is not insubstantial at all, especially in an 8man (granted I am kinda pulling that number out of thin air)

According to the simulations/spreadsheets posted by MM it looks like we are around the following DPS values: ~800 Tanking Build (Full Shield or Mixed)- Tanking Gear ~1000 Tanking Build (Parakeet) - DPS Gear ~1200 DPS Build (31 Pyro/31 AP) - DPS Gear Thats a sizable difference. In most of the encounter I have been through, only 1 tank is required for the majority of the fights so my question is, are we better off as a guild if I go into the operation specced 31 Pyro wearing my Eliminator Gear and then swap to Supercommando Gear/Ion Cylinder but keep the DPS spec? From a threat perspective I dont think this would be a problem at all as using a Shield and Ion Cylinder should give you the threat modifier on a very high DPS number. From a mitigation perspective, its definately lower losing the following talents: Rebraced Armor Shield Vents Abalative Upgrades Ion Screen Empowered Tech and you also lose Jet Charge. But it seems like for the majority of the encounters I have experienced (normal and HM) as an offtank this would not be a big deal. Whereas 200-400 dps loss is a huge deal. Thanks in advance for any help.

Hit the nail on the head OP. Operatives are the worst class to bring to a PVE Operation. We are a bad healer AND we are melee DPS. Really, this class is now the laughingstock of the game.

OK, so we know the game is new, and its buggy and your still working on it. But here are some concerns with the current raiding system. TL;DR 1. Tank percentages dont scale 2. Melee are disfavored 3. Healers are unbalanced 4. No dual specs 1. As to number 1, that has been pointed out here in anotther thread. Basically, you need 1 tank for the majority of fights. Thats a problem when you have 3 ACs that are primarly tank classes(with melee alternatives). Not to mention the need for two gear sets. 2. Again, pointed out elsewhere in more detail, but melee are getting the short end of the stick big time. It definately hurts when you have a small minority of the population capable of being the best DPS. 3. Right now, thats the case. The classes arent equal. 4. Compounds problems 1,2,3. If we sum up here are the classes that are in bad shape from a raiding perspective, and those in good shape: BAD to GOOD Operative - Mediocre Melee DPS(positioning), Weak Heals Juggernaut - Tank with Weak Melee DPS Assasin - Tank with Melee DPS Powertech - Tank with Melee/Range Hybrid DPS Sith Marauder - You need 1. Thats it. Mercenary - Decent Heals, Decent DPS Sniper - Good DPS Sorcerer - DPS/Heals Awesome I think alot of these problems are fixable/livable but it will take some redesign of the shared trees. For example: - Give Operative and Powertech a ranged DPS tree. I mean Operatives and Powertechs both have guns. - Give Juggernauts and Assasins better raid utility in their non-tanking tree. - Equalize Merc/Sorc/Op Heals. - Give ACs unique buffs instead of the primary class to promote further diversity. Anyways, just something I observed that detracts a little from my enjoyment of the game in a larger group setting.

This is pretty awesome. Thanks.

Just want to make sure Im not missing anything? This seems like the best move to make so I can get the reusable stims/medpack/adrenals which are too extensive to buy in bulk. Thanks!

Well, I went back and forth on this. Personally, I think the game is very good but it needs time to mature and needs a larger player base at 50 for it to be more enjoyable for me now (as I have two characters at 50 already). So my plan is to UNSUBSCRIBE now and then resubscribe in 2 months when it has less bugs.

For posting this info. I play my Pyrotech sparingly so this is helpful. I would be interested to know if anyone has done a comparison between Pyrotech and Mercenary DPS? I'd like to be able to say we are JUST AS GOOD, but I am not yet comfortable with that as a fact. Certainly not having concussive missle is a huge utility loss in a lot of circumstances at a minimum. Anyhing else where we get shortchanged/come out ahead?

+1 to this thread. Posted a very similar thread last week. This to me is the number one problem with SWTOR. Endgame is Broken and SWTOR attempts to fix it are all pointing towards just rehashing the same old mechanics.

Its not about eliminating raiding or PVP. Its about making it meaningful within the context of the Star Wars IP. This is what Bioware did so well from 1-50. They didnt just make it so you killed random wookies, they made it matter (or at least they tried and succesfully did for some people who cared and didnt spacebar etc.). To me it sounds like you are suggesting that your happy mindlessly killing Droid X or Jedi Y 100 times for chest piece purple token 91 but I dont believe thats the case.

The endgame here is an exact replica of WoW and other MMOs. You do HM Flashpoints and raids of varying difficulty in the hopes of a boss droid pooping out a token. Difficulty level is yet to be determined.

Well its in quotes because I dont want them to "fix it" in the way most people would deem acceptable - i.e. just removing bugs, fixing loot drops, tuning. That to me, isnt a fix to the endgame its just throwing in the towel that they couldnt come up with something new and exciting that fits within the frameworkl of what they already developed.

Im not sure if you agree or disagree with me. But I do want a multiplayer game. Absolutely. I want raids and group PVP more than anything. But I also acknowledge that I've spent 100 hours (roughly what it takes to get from 1-50) building a character through moral choices and quest accomplishments. Suddenly at 50 that character is no different than most other characters. My moral choices are meaingless and the jedi/empire conflict is basically a perpetual stalemate I cant influence. What I am saying is Bioware needs to FINISH what they started by making the story/player development continue to matter once the player reaches 50. If they "fix it" to just make it a clone of every other online MMO you get to the common demoninator, a meaningless world where you quest for gear or rankings - no different than Call of Duty.

By tying my character/story identity into a living world. As I said, if its just running flashpoint over and over again in the hopes some droid poops out a token, then I wont keep playing much longer.

Practice this saying: "You want fries with that?"

Well your reference to WAR is a good one. As I said, Im not trying to defend my particular idea, which was hashed out over 5 minutes, but it feels to me that the safety of permanent faction balance lacks excitement. I KNOW when I log on everyday that the empire and the jedi will be in a holding pattern. In SwTor there will be no victor, even if its only temporary. I can't beat back the empire, subjugate the jedi. In WoW/War/Lotro that didnt matter so much because the enemy wasn't really the other side in such a visceral sense. (Deathwing isnt Alliance or Horde, LoTro had no factions so to speak). But here it does matter and thats what has the potential to make these types of events so much more meaningful.

Im sure more class quests will be on the horizon. Im all for this idea. I am however, concered that they LOSE the principal advantage of their multiplayer platform by going to far in this direction. At some point they need to make it matter to the player/world that a player is an imperial agent, or a bounty hunter, or a sith warrior. As it stands those classes only matter because of their talent trees of their respective advanced classes. The actual identity of the player itself, and moral choices, has NO IMPACT whatsoever on the rest of the world. Thats a big missed opportunity.

Its not about story or raid content per se. Its about the connectedness between story, raid content and the world that a player lives in. Until level 50 they did a good job making me care about my character and the world. The conflict was ripe and pressing. At 50, the story dies. The conflict goes away. There is no urgency. It almost feels like the story was designed to be left in a perpetual stalemate. I mean, I've created this character, that is either Light or Dark side, and advanced the empires/republics interest and now its just like I never did any of that.

Im not going to try and trivialize the amount of work that goes into developing features by saying this is the best idea ever invented, or its perfect, or even try and defend it from criticism. But to start the conversation going about what COULD be different in an MMO, here is one idea. __________________________________________________________________________ The Battle for Adari Adari is a a resource rich planet in the Star Wars galaxy. Both Empire and Republic players are tasked with controlling the planet, and defending it from the opposing faction. Control of the planet is primarily established by completing a PVE style instance that also includes PVP encounters (if i need an example, the closest I can do in this short write up is Alterac Valley, but hopefully a bigger, better version but with different strike teams assigned to various tasks as opposed to a mass free for all). Additionally, control of certain PVE bosses/mechanics will be possible for either faction by unlocking various NPCs through quests and having the appropriate light/neutral/dark/social alignment. Ultimate control of the planet will be determined on a server wide basis. The faction holding the planet will be given the opportunity to commence building fortifications that will assist it in defending against future attacks. Fortifications (and assault machines used to destroy fortifications will be craftable items). In addition, control of the planet will reward the winning faction with resource points (individual credits but also faction points). Faction points will be used to advance the interests of the winning team. In the case of the Empire, the building of a massive warship to destory the homeworld of the Jedi (or some more minor objectives along the way) or in the case of the Republic to imprison the Sith leaders. Upon accumulation of enough points (think months of gameplay across multiple of these battlefields) the first faction to achieve their goal will be given the opportunity to execute their strategem and shape the Star Wars world. __________________________________________________________________________ What I like about this kind of idea is that the galaxy isnt some static world where the Empire and Republic are always in some permanent stalemate. There is life to the conflict. More importantly, being good at crafting, PVP, PVE would all contribute to advancement of your factions interest. To me, this is a better VERSION of an MMO in that the world is shaped by the players and the principal enemy is other players and their philosophy, not some static AI that does the same thing every time and predictably dies and poops out a token. Anyways, I know there are game designers in all of you that just arent satisfied with MMO's convergence on mediocrity.

To be continued....

I really enjoyed this game from 1-50. I've rolled an alt that is also almost 50. I don't spacebar, I read the Codex. Its all awesome. Its an amazing game. Id be content* if nothing was changed. However, at 50. This game sucks. Unlike most people here, I dont think it should be "fixed". To be honest, I dont want, or need, a set of flashpoints/raids that I treadmill for gear to run the next one. Thats been done. There are other games that do that better. That ISN'T Bioware's strength and its totally incompatible with the rest of the SWTOR game. I.e., a story driven RPG with moral choices. I'd rather SWTOR struck out on its own path and created something fresh and original while playing to its (and the IPs) strengths of storytelling, morality, and character development. FOR ME, to subscribe to this game over the long haul I want to feel that my character is different than everyone else's and that what I do could have an impact on the future of the SWTOR fantasy galaxy. Id also add that I feel like Ive easily gotten my money's worth out of this title. In the 100-200 hours I'll play its less than $.50 an hour. Thats the cheapest form of entertainment I know, other than the free kind . But I would still subscribe to this game if the amount of time I got out of it was way less in future months. I'd even pay more. I know I dont speak for everyone, but I'm tired of game company's being afraid to innovate and the ensuing mediocrity and staleness its brought about to the MMO industry. Step up to the plate, take a big swing at something awesome and trust your gut that people will like it.

Spacebar

You sir win the costume contest. Where is the gear from? Helmet looks like a belsavis with helmet commendation but what about the chest and pants?

Breaking this out from another thread to help those asking about leveling. I played full concealment spec operative and I find leveling extremely easy. Because I skip so many mobs en route to quest objectives I am typically 1-3 levels behind the planets suggested level range. For example I got to Belsavis at 38. Now, I'll say from my perspective here are the things you need to do to level easily even when the mobs outlevel you. 1. Get good gear. Seriously. Go to the GTN and dump a bunch of credits on gear that is appropriate for you and your level. Upgrade your gear every time you are about to start a new planet. If you are running around in Greens or low level mods well there is your problem. On top of that, get an earpiece, implant, relics etc. Dont be cheap. You dont need the money. Honestly, its better to just skimp on the level 40 speeder and buy good gear while you level than the reverse. I should also point out if you are still thinking about being cheap. You will get a ton of credits from level 40-50 and almost 300k a day in 1-2 hours at level 50. 2. Upgrade your companions gear. I use Kaliyo. If I let her gear slack, she dies, cant hold aggo etc. I tried some other companions but to be honest I want to backstab people and I need a tank to hold aggro in order to do that. 3. Get a relic, adrenals, buffs, healing potions. Again, dont be cheap. Either pick up biochem and craft these your self or buy them or get them from a guildy. I actually use a relic on every pull. Just make it a handy keybind and boom, mobs die even quicker. 4. Learn to CC off the pull. The most damage is upfront. I hardly ever use sleep dart while leveling except when I might be facing two or more strong mobs. However, I often drop a flashbang right off the bat. You thought you were fighting 5 mobs. Nope, your now fighting 1. Kill it move on to the next target, debillitate that one. 5. Be prepared for the ambush. Seems like very big boss fight starts with a cutscene then you have to defeat X guys. Make sure your vanish is off cooldown. Then as soon as the fight starts drop a flashbang and get control of the situation. Dont burn your vanish though until youve at least gotten the pack down to a mangeable size. 6. Kill weaker mobs first. 7. Interrupt. The game is stupid easy if you interrupt. You can reduce your damage taken by like 50% with interrupts. Note Flashbang, debillitate and distract are all interrupts. 8. Defensive cooldowns. I rarely even need these but you know, you have them. Pop shield probe, evasion, the companion long duration health buff etc. If you die and these are on cooldown, you screwed up. 9. GET REST XP. Honestly, as an operative I cant imaging playing without it. As I said before I skip so many mobs its ridiculous. Im already massively underleveled. But when I do kill something I get 2x XP. 10. AOE. This speeds up leveling quite a bit for those trash mobs. Frag grenabe, Shiv, Carbine Burst, mob dies Carbine Burst Again, Frag Grenade. Collect Loot. Those are my tips. Its a super fun class. There is obviously a lot more that goes into performing better, and Im still learning. But these tips will make mobs melt like butter. If you can manage your abilities/rotation and itemize your gear correctly you can easily solo a lot of Heroic 2s and be top DPS in Flashpoints.