When Balance/Infiltration specs loses their passive "I take +22% additional energy/kinetic damage"-debuff they would be a tiny bit more viable. When Balance/Infiltration specs gets their second active utility/CC skill, they would be a tiny bit more viable. When Infiltration doesn't waste +15 skill points to obtain their stance and other passive dps procs, they would be a tiny bit more viable. When Balance doesn't waste +15 points to get half the selfhealing and defense as KC gets for free, they woulld be a tiny bit more viable. On the bright side, If you've grinded D3 past inferno, GW2 BWE is starting tomorrow. And the creators of that game seem to care about PvP.

These last few posts reminds me of this comic strip: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/10/24 I guess he wasn't alone wishing for such a class. I think much of the balance problems for this AC originates from Hidden Strike. In a PvE setting it is such a small part of the battle it can be neglected. But at the same time in PvP Hidden Strike is such a large part of the battle, that if coupled with equal sustained damage potential of the other classes, it sways the battle way too far in the Operative's favor. Seen from the victim point of view of a 4k Hidden Strike, you start the fight stunned at 75% HP. With a double hidden strike you start at 50% HP stunned. You can't control your character nor influence the battle in any way. Even if the victim is in a group, the initial hit is unstoppable and uncounterable since it is the first hit from stealth. You can not preemtively taunt the attacker or use defensive CDs to diminish Hidden Strike's effect. If the battle then resumes with 1 player at 50-75%, with other factors such as damage potential and survivability of all other players involved being equal out of stealth. Would such a battle scenario not heavily favor the operative's team? If Hidden Strike was simply removed, I'm convinced that the out of stealth combat potential of the Operative could be more easily improved.

I hated kliyo before I met the other companions... I mean the diplomat who is like a bug-zombie, and even more creepy when it comes to his loyalty to the Empire. Then the slimy were-frog zombie doctor jekyl, mr hyde ...and at the same time an old guy with a creepy smile on his face. I'm only lvl 38, so I haven't met the other freaks yet, but atm kaliyo and my agent are standing back to back on the ship watching the other "companions" with one hand on our blasters. And she is useful to an undercover agent, in that she draws alot of attention to herself. She distracts everything, which gives you the "tactical advantage" so far, the agent has the best class quests, but at the same time the companions are the weirdest bunch She's the hammer, you're the scalpel.

Personally I've never really had difficulties with multiple keybinds. I think Beat'em games where you have to press a small number of keys in a sequence of 10 or more to perform a super move is waaay more difficult. Diversity and options in how to approach a situation is a strength. And in RPGs it prevents the level grinding from becomming too stale. I have a lvl 50 shadow, 50 sentinel, 42 PT, 30 merc, 37 Op, 24 sorc, 13 Gunslinger I think of all ACs so far, Powertech is the one sticking out with huge gaps in keybinds. It is very intuitive and easy to play once you get used to juggling the resource above the thresholds. Merc/Sorc would be just as easy as PT if it wasn't for the healing abilties takes up some room. Shadows/Assasins are pretty straight forward too, stealth adds a few buttons. But a single linear resource system simplfies it quite a bit. Thrash/Double Strike is used so much during leveling that you want to reroll just because of that. Marauder is tricky. Many abilities. I think they have more defensive abilities without talent points, than what a tank assassin and a tank Powertech have together. And more offensive abilities than a dps Merc+sorc+assassin have together. What makes it more complex is the double resource system without any real passive regeneration. However, the king of keybinds for me is the Operative. The hybrid dps/healer operatives 24/17/0 or 24/0/17 or similar. You have a fair amount of DPS abilities, melee and range. Stealth abilities, cover bar with additional abilities. Healing abilities. Double resource bars, one which is a hard to see buff with 1-3 charges. The other resource has non-linear regen and can be exhausted (Works exactly like BH/Trooper resource btw). Compared to a DPS like the marauder, you have to pay extra attention to 7 additional healthbars. Compared to similar specced Merc/Sorcs you have stealth and cover abilities, yet no real "escape moves"/mobility so positioning is more important than other ACs. Gunlingers/Sinpers I can't really comment being only lvl 13, but it seems like a less mobile version of the Merc, without healing so far. I have no problem with keybinds on my Sentinel, but with my Operative I've run out of keybind space before level 40. I'm about to start with my final 8th AC , a Jugg. I was under the impression that they were simpler to play than a marauder, but from what I read in this thread I guess it might be complex enough to keep me interested past the storyline.

As for me, I'm not sticking to any alignment. I judge each dialog situation separately. At level 50 I was still lightside 1-2 iirc. Relics, sure until lvl 50 I don't think there are any non-alignment restricted relics. But don't worry at lvl 50, most if not all relics do NOT have an alignment restriction. Orange gear without alignment restriction is usually received from the end of "major" quest-lines on most planets. By major quest line, I mean those that always have a follow-up quest that takes you from quest-hub to quest-hub but is not associated with your class. Also you can get orange items from heroic quests, Flashpoints, crafting and commendation vendors. I got my torhead: Aspiring Knight's Vest by asking for it on the Republic Fleet. This one guy told me he made a couple of them on his alt, and had an extra lying around in his bank, so I got it for free, although I tipped him 50k credits for it It is only a lvl 16 item made with Synthweaving. Schematic for making it is obtained from Underworld Trading crewskill missions for around lvl 15-20. Aquiring one with an augment slot will probably cost me all my remaining credits on all my chars -_- As for the complete set I'm wearing in those pictures Headslot: doesn't matter, I hide it om most characters since all headslot except a few Bounty Hunter/Sith warrior helmets looks really horrible. Chest: torhead: Aspiring Knight's Vest Not many hoodless options for non-smugglers Gloves/Bracer/Belt: Centurion/BM (can't link it, since all db-pages only shows the Marauder versions.) But imho, the gloves look awsome, and the belt is worn because of the Republic emblem. Legs/Boots: lvl 40 pvp set Bladefury's Especially fond of the leg-piece with the nice glowing blue stripe along the leg, giving it a very sci-fi look. Hard to tell unless you see it in the game. Maybe there are better boots out there... Sabers: just some random orange quest rewards, atm they are BM hilts with colour crystals Violet/Green just like in the picture

Hmm, but so where do you get the expertise color crystal schematics? There are no boss that drops random things in PvP. Or is there a new huge boss in the middle of Illum that we have to get random PvP schematics from? I'm glad I picked up 1 purple crystal from the temporary vendor last patch, but I never bought a schematic, because I assumed that higher stat version would become available in 1.2. Is there a mission crewskill that grants Artifice schematics for crystals? I have got like 15 elegant saber schematics though. I'm totally at a loss where to get the +41 expertise purple schematic.

Well considering that the new WZ medpac prices are outrageous, especially coupled with the new lower WZ commendation gain. So if it wasn't mandatory before 1.2. It certaintly is mandatory now. I use about 5 medpacs and maybe 3 adrenals per WZ. 1 WZ medpac/adrenal cost 20 commendations now. ~20-80 commendations per WZ on average => 1-4 medpacs per WZ. Not only can you not break even if you spend all your commendations on medpacs/adrenals, but all new gear cost about 1-1.5 k commendations each. So if you are not a Biochem, you will be at a severe disadvantage if you can't pop adrenals/medpacs because of "economic" reasons. The only real option for non-biochem are the lvl 44 Exeptional Medpacs (3000-3675), which is only like 60% of a WZ medpac's heal amount if are at non-tank BM gear. "Everybody should get Biochem on all their characters" has been Bioware's inofficial message since game launch. Patch 1.2 didn't really change anything in that regard.

As a squishy melee dps, I tend to go through at least 5 medpacs per WZ. Pre 1.2, you used to get around 100 commendation which was enough to get about 10 medpacs/adrenals per WZ. Now after 1.2: You get less commendations per WZ, I think I've got from 20-90 iirc. But also, the WZ medpacs now cost 20 commendations each, meaning I can only buy 2-3 medpacs per WZ. And every new piece of gear costing commendations doesn't really help either. I almost feel forced to get Biochem or stop using medpacs at all in WZs. And I thought this patch was supposed to make other crewskills more useful, yet I feel more inclined than ever to drop cybertech, to get free adrenals, medpacs and stims. I suggest that the cost of the WZ adrenals are reduced to 5 commendation each.

well it was not a schematic. The vendor only sells +41 expertise green and red crystals I don't care if it's a vendor selling the purple +41 expertise crystals or if I have to craft them myself. I just want the location.

I understand that all the weird colour schematics for pve drops from Ops/FPs. But from where do you get the equivalent PvP schematics? There are no random drops in pvp. All I care about is to be able to craft up to date purple and green colour crystals. I have seen that you can buy the green crystals for commendations, and there are schematics for yellow/blue ones. But in general, like the schematics for the BM/WH relics, focus and lightsabers. Where are they?

Yeah, at lvl 25 you only have 15 talent points, so SP is not available until lvl 30. But if you're not applying KP on everything in sight, what do you do while waiting for TA procs? I mean it has a 9 sec CD on those procs, right? And the giggle is driving me crazy, it is like an AoE taunt considering enemies hear it too. Oh, I didn't mean I was trying to kill them 1v1. I just mean I don't last more than 10 sec vs most ACs. Very few people bother to protect their own healer, more likely they are sitting on the other teams healer. Sorry, terminology mix-up. I meant Cloak Screen there. Ex. Powertech DoTs you up, and decide to stealth to hold a node longer in Alderaan. Use Evasion to get rid of the DoTs, then Cloak Screen dircetly after. But since Evasion gives you no real protection, the Powertech BH just simply use Flame Burst to DoT you again, and 3 sec after Cloak Screen activates you get taken out of stealth. Not being hit by AoE or their Stealth scanner. And another question: What do you think about hybrid specs? Would you recommend going Concealment or Lethality? Melee ranged root vs AoE slow seems to be on the menu. Your playstyle sounds very aggresive, considering you recommend being up there on the front using shiv, interupting, stunning. Sounds like those kind of specs would facilitate such a playstyle better than a full 31 Medicine spec.

Please do elaborate on this. Atm I'm lvl 25 and I'm gritting my teeth and pulling my hair at how low survivability this class have. I don't even have a slow yet, so how you kite melee is beyond me. Sorcs: I can't dispell their DoTs. Can't really kite them, because of how much more mobile they are with DoTs, and Death Field and perma slow keeps you in LoS for faar too long... Melee: I can't shake them unless they are keyboard turners. I guess tanks aren't that threatening unless they are Assassins. But still, can't get rid of them once they reach me. And why wouldn't they reach me, this AC seem to not have any gap creator besides the stun. Pyro PTs just destroy me. Applying HoTs with Flame Burst every few sec, so you can't even "Vanish". I'm in serious need of help, to get me past this mid twenties WZ grind. First AC I feel PvE content is more fun, and I truely hate going through the same PvE content more than once.

Wut? I don't understand what you are refering to here. Europeans have a special view on Sith warriors?

Any tips for 10-49 WZs? I have been trying to lvl up in pvp. I has worked really well with a Shadow(50), Sentinel(50), Powertech(43), Merc(30) and a Sorc(24). All those ACs seem to have a complete kit for WZs at level 20. But with my Operative(25), it seems like I'm getting slaughtered even against a horrible teams. Kolto Probe doesn't seem to keep anybody up. Mostly it seems to inflate my healing done numbers, and alert enemies that there is a healer nearby. Kolto injection is nice when you can chain cast it on a target, but it is rare to be allowed to free cast, but also uses up all your energy. Defensively this AC seems to lack extremely. No gap creators. Atm I don't even have a slow. I can't survive 1v1 vs any AC unless I can LoS them. And Sages/Sorcs have better mobility, ranged interupts and stuns. So basically tanks, mercs and snipers are the only thing that doesn't stomp me into the curb Even Escape fails so often due to the lack of force/tech immunity in Evade like the Shadow's Resilience. Watchman Sentinels is the only AC that I can think of, who applies DoTs with ranged/melee type attacks. I especially have trouble against those Pyrotech PT/Assault Spec Vanguards who applies DoTs with their most spammable attack. Tbh, I haven't played a healer in pvp since wow ~3 years ago, when I played resto druid for. Since they were also HoT based, I figured Operatives would be quite similiar. But they are really like night and day. Should I avoid WZs until I unlock a certain ability or am I missing something really vital.

My personal guess is that the IA is based on Atton's profession from Kotor2. Not the scoundrel class, but what is mentioned in his backstory. Specially trained elite squad working behind the scenes, having Jedi-hunting as one of their specialities. I have created one of every base class except Trooper and Scoundrels. Trooper just feels like an NPC class. I have both a merc and a powertech BH, feels like an individual with a story. But Troopers already on the character creation screen, feels like a clone. And yet Scoundrels are based on Han Solo. I mean he is a great character, but not because of his profession. Looks like a civilian who found a blaster in the garage, running around fighting force sensitive warriors and trained military forces just doesn't work conceptually for me.

There is a post on the Shadow Forum: Jedi Shadow combatlog parses It shows that Madness/Deception actually seem to do at least about +20% more damage than a Darkness spec on a target dummy given the same DPS gear. I'm still convinced that Darkness has too much utility in their package though.

I think they could exchange the +25% damage per stack to +25% threat, and there would be zero difference in pve. The Electrify talent could say +30% threat to Shock, instead of +15% damage and threat. Small changes like that would give the tank tree some tank utility, instead of the current "DPS-talents". And a huge difference between a Powertech and an Assasin is that their tank stance give them +60% armor compared to +150%. Their Energy Shield also gives them a flat +25% dmg reduction, which trumphs armorpenetration of any kind, and affects kinetic/energy/internal/elemental damage types by the same amount. Assassin's +50% defence pales in comparison. Some Pyrotechs claim that they are squishy, and that heavy armor doesn't matter. Which looking at the damage they deal, Powertechs do manage to ignore armor with alot of their abilities, but few other ACs can mimic that feat.

Actually, 2 things happened: 1.) Gear. 2.) Experience. You need to utilize about 3-4 abilities to reach level 50. Two and a half months later, the players have discovered what the other 15 buttons do. A TM spamming Merc has reached 90% of his max potential. A Sentinel using 3-4 abilities has reached what 30% of that? Now: A Merc utilizing his full kit for 100% potential. An Sentinel using all their abilities ~350% of the Mercs potential, and has still alot left to master their class. (yes, the % are made up just to illustrate the issue.)

For those who insist on playing the weakest AC+spec just to avoid FotM and EZ-mode, I suggest Lethality Operative/Dirty Fighting Scoundrel. Low utility, damage and survivability stuffed into the same character. This is my vote for the weakest AC+spec in the game. Anybody take the challenge of rolling one for rated WZs in 1.2?

I don't recognize some of the spells in the damage by spell analysis (balance) : What is Crushed (Force)? Is it the DoT part of Mind Crush? Or is the DoT part included in the Mind Crush entry? Is this Force Breach? If not: Where is Force Breach? Where is Spinning Strike? Target dummy at permanent 100% HP? What is Dark Spike? Some sort of trinket proc?

I recently played through Taris on my BH. In the final assault on the Republic spaceport there is an NPC called Jedi Champion. They are a mix of a Jedi Shadow and Guardian. They wear light armor and a double-bladed lightsaber. I was kiting them back and forth, and they kept using a Blade Storm ability to hit me at range. I thought it looked plain awsome. I really wish that Project would use this animaiton. It wouldn't be so difficult to implement, since the animation exists. Well at least for double-bladed lightsabers, I don't know about Sages. Reusing animations from other classes shouldn't be a problem, considering Spinning Kick and Force Kick already share animations for the Knight and Consular. Even the tooltip makes sense: "Use the Force to project a wave of energy towards the target, dealing kinetic damage"

I think the root of the problems lies in the stances. All stances offers a small damage proc that is insignificant. Sure Discharges changes in functionality. The only real benefit is gained by the tank variant. +150% armor and self healing procs. A downside is the -5% damage done in the tank stance compared to the others. So in effect: DPS stance compared to Darkness 1/0.95 ~ +5% damage done (1-0.25)/(1-0.4) ~+ 25% kinetic damage taken In other games I've often seen Berzerker type buffs that give you +20% damage done and +20% damage taken. And that seems like a fair trade-off. In this game, not so much. Then both DPS and tank stance have a whole talent tree to improve. Since the tank stance give you so much base survivability, the tank tree is full of utility and damage talents. If you go with a Madness spec, you can reach somewhat the same self healing as Darkness with 27 talent points into the tree. Imagine if the Madness stance had that self-healing built in. The extra utility they could have had. But worst off is Deception, who actually have to spent talents to get even their basic stance. Paying for that basic functionality with precious talent points is what makes the Deception spec the worst imho. And what confuses me even further is the utility/CC talents in each tree. Deception: Low Slash Madness: Haunted Dreams Darkness: Eye of the Storm......AND Force Pull. w t f, just happened there? The tank spec just got 1 extra CC just thrown in there. On top of the already godly tank stance. Making Disjunction and Force Pull base would help both Madness and Deception alot. But that would also mean Darkness gets more "free" stuff thrown into their package.

why compare parakeet builds to pure pyro mercs? With 1.2, parakeets will be extinct. And how much Shield rating does it take to get 23% shield chance. And 19% defence in CGC? I have 7% defence, and would have 5% shield chance if I used a shield. To get your defensive stats to that level, do you use Rakata tank gear or something. What kind of crit/surge do you have then?

...what is stealth supposed to do? Anyway... If you liked the crazy rotation of the feral druid, the only class that comes close to that is the Sentinel/Marauder. But Madness has alot in common with a Feral Druid. Let's see if I can remember the correct moves. Discharge DoT ~ Rake Crushing Darkness ~ Rip Thrash ~ Claw/Mangle Maul ~ Shred Spike ~ Pounce? Creeping Terror ~ Entanging Roots Force Whirlwind ~ Cyclone Force Speed ~ Feral Charge They don't have a Ravage. But they get some rogue stuff like "Kick", "Sap" and "Vanish". Death Field is, I guess most like the Frost DK's Howling Blast, or maybe like the Warlock's Shadowfury without the stun. Assassin is like a mix of a DK, Feral Druid, Enhance Shaman and a Warlock. In other words, a DoT & proc heavy melee with stealth.

I never play deception, but I'm guessing: Maul+Discharge+Shock+Assasinate = ~16k over 4 GCDs Double Maul procs are not impossible. Recklessness ensures Shock+Discharge have a 90% crit chance. If you pvp all day, once every 2 minutes may seem like this is your "regular" damage output. But when your temporary buffs are on CD and nothing crits, and the same attack string deals about 6k dmg. That's just sad. I think the Darkness tree ruins it for the rest of us DPS spec users. Madness has to spend 27 talent points to get similar self-healing as Darkness' baseline, while using their dedicated stance. Deception/Madness gets close to nothing from their stance. It's not like they get +150% damage for using their dps stance. Sure, Discharge changes. Deception gets some nice burst, Madness gets a spammable DoT. If all 3 specs use DPS gear. If you sum up Damage, Utility, Survivability, then put them on a scale against eachother. Darkness just seem like the better package. Speccing Darkness you get more Utility, Survivability with next to no loss of damage. And still, doing about 8k dmg, 8.4% max HP self heal in 3 sec from a tank spec. They can also use Maul and Assasinate. So it's not that their burst is crap either.