Ah, no problem, sorry if I were rough on you just then (you could very much be right about previous patches). So you think that it goes all the way up to three procs?

Oh no? You didn't even check it out, did you? Anyhow, I think I see three procs, but still not sure if it they're not part of the bleeds...

Yo people, I respecced to this build a couple of days ago to try it out, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that Shock Charge counts as a bleed effect for Wounding Shots (hadn't expected this). One thing I'm not sure about is if I can use it to expand the number of internal bonus procs on WS to 3: The numbers are too close to eachother for me to be sure. Even after fraps'ing it and replaying it in slo-mo I'm still not sure. So I was wondering if this was known by you guys.

NOT ENOUGH KALIYO LOVE!! These are the best companions per class: Agent: Kaliyo, obviously. Tha fact that she's the only companions that actually tends to dominate your player character is a giveaway. Agents have a very colourful crew though, and Vector, SCORPIO, Lokin and even Temple sometimes are all fun. BH: Gault. I find him funnier than Blizz (who's okay too). SI: Talos Drellik. I'd romance this guy over Ashara any time. (not to mention it would be a more credible story anyway) SW: Probably a tie between Vette and Quinn. My SW's a girl, so I like Quinn a bit more. Smuggler: Risha. She shares some traits with Kaliyo, which can only be good.

Agreed, how does one acquire it?

I had the same problem, couple of days ago, on my smuggler. Probably is a 1.3 thing. There are two guys in the center (closer towards the quesh shuttle), one of which is one of those very wierd looking aliens in a white coat (medical officer). Talking to the other guy starts the quest just fine, even though he doesn't have a quest mark above his head.

I kind of agree. I'm a main operative, and if we're going to have restrictions, I'd like them switched over. I think a single pistol would make my guy feel more secret agent/spy-ish. He feels more like some "elite soldier" now, which he isn't. I'd prefer a blaster/knife combo. So yeah, I'd say deal. ^^

Yo OP, don't let these guys take you down too hard. I've watched the video too and it's not nearly as shabby as they make it seem to be. Most vids online are far less skilled than that. Nevertheless, it's not perfect either, so I hope you'll accept some points of constructive criticism. - Lose the backpeddling altogether. You don't do it too much, but it's just better not to do it. Pretty sure you'll generate a lot less elitist hate if you succeed at this. - You may want to throw some heals around a bit more. This imo sets the pro sorcs apart. Surviving a battle with two is better than alone. Handing around Absorb Shields (as I've seen you do) is a start, but it's something you should consider. - You seem to have a problem casting Death Field while strafing (I've never seen you do it, you either move forward or stand still). I assume this has to do with the way you cast ground-target spells. I'd advise you to find a way around this. - Sometimes, your kiting's still a bit clunky. This is especially noticable during the times you move forward, when strafing would be more efficient. - I can't give you great advise on sorc-specific gameplay, as it's not my class. On the whole though, your gameplay really seemed well above average to me, so the mean-spirited replies above are slightly misplaced imo. (not to mention a bit sad) EDIT: Oh yeah, I don't like dubstep either, but since it's so common these days, I just mute the video and create my own soundtrack. Easily done, so no whining required there either.

This is what I actually did. She's called "Girlpower".

"Not tonight... I've got a headache." I swear I keep encountering this one.

Suitable avatar you've got there!

I think that it really depends on your attitude towards the game. If you want your characters to look realistic, body type 2 for both genders is the way to go. I however think of it as a game in a totally unrealistic fantasy/sci-fi setting, which allows for more freedom, without being detrimental to your gaming experience. My females are all body type 1. This is because it is, in a gaming experience, the sexiest type. Most men think slim = good, and I'm no different. Obviously, in real life any girl with that waist size would look disturbingly anorexic, but here it's simply not the case, because your girls get it, while retaining those great, flimsy curves. Completely unrealistic (and perhaps slightly sexist), but great for games like this. For males, every body type works. I only have two male characters, and they're type 1 and type 3, respectively. My type one is a Rattataki Sith Assassin, who behaves like a total brat (sarcastic, egotistical and vain). His posture gives him a subtle comical dimension, but his ego is big enough not to feel like a clown when playing him. My type 3 is my Human Operative. Most people go for the smaller builds when playing agents, but I think my guy is the coolest agent I've seen so far. When I made my Operative, I wanted to make him really scary-looking. Not by giving him scars or sith affliction stuff. In the end, I came up with a character looking like Jafar off Disney's Aladdin - on STEROIDS. With yellow eyes, which turned out to be a nice subtle touch. Combat looks great as well - when I swing that huge body of mine to pierce an enemy's spine with my dagger, it looks amazing. Not to mention it's way cooler to see this physically threatening man stealth about than that scrawny guy that nobody would notice anyway. The contrast with the voice acting is also great - the high, fast-talking whispering voice works great alongside my towering posture. I can totally imagine this conversation: Watcher 6 - Hey, lad. You new here? Fixer 11 - Yes, sir. Jolly glad to be here, sir. Watcher 6 - Absolutely fabulous. Say, could you help me out here? I need this file to reach Cipher 9's office, but I er... I happen to be quite busy doing... somethin. Fixer 11 - Oh, it's no bother, sir. Watcher 6 - Oh, you have my thanks. His office is down that corridor. Good luck! ... Fixer 11 - (knocks) Excuse me, is this Cipher 9's office? Me - (softspokenly) Yes, enter. Fixer 11 - (comes in) Well, I was asked to deliver this - SWEET MOTHER OF THE EMPEROR!! (faints)

Listing the classes I played: IA - Male: 10/10. This one is perfectly executed, and I'm glad many people seem to agree. The power comes from the fact that he talks in a repressed, almost whispering manner, while still having one of the highest speaking speeds. Oh yes, and the distinctly british accent, of course. I think two things helped for me: my agent is Body Type three, which creates a chilling contrast between his repressed (and quite high) voice and his threatening posture. Also, I played dark side. Light side wouldn't really have worked out with this voice, I think. IA - Female: 9/10. My Sniper is such an awesome femme fatale. I think the smooth, casual flirtiness of her conversation is very fitting. It sounds as if my girl actually realizes she is too good-looking for this world. She knows she's more than an imperial soldier. That her skills reach... further than that. Heh, Vector is such a lucky bug-guy. SW - Female: 8.5/10. I play light side here, so that may influence my experience here. But I'm very positive about her voice acting. She never sounded too naive or good. In fact, she sounds very intelligent (British accent helps here), but not stuck-up. She sounds like a Sith with a firm grasp on reality, as opposed to all the others. Trooper - Female: 8/10. I really like her, though I know many don't. I think it's probably because I play darkside, picking the most arrogant and violent options, regardless of companion out. The "Good Commando" options indeed seem a little bland, but it's not an easy job (especially for a female actress) to do that in a stereotypical way (which is needed for games like this) and at the same time really stand out. There's more room for that in the darker, arrogant super soldier acting, and that's been done very well. The two I liked less (though I thought all voice acting in this game has been at least adequate): SI - Male: 7/10. The normal and snide options were brought quite well, but the really evil options were not very convincing, which, as a Sith, is not a very good thing. BH - Female: 6.5/10. She's just the blandest of my characters. Being one of the most brutal, ruthless and efficient assassins in the galaxy, I'd expect her to be a little more powerful in her conversation. I haven't played my female JK far enough yet to make any final judgments, but right know she's at about 8. I like the schoolgirlish manner of speech, especially since she's dark side. My favourite conversations have been those where I could bash T7. Now that's good fun!

BEST top 3: 1. Kaliyo - I rerolled both male and darkside for this chick (both opposite to my previous intentions). She's charismatically flawless, comes across the most naturally of all the companions I've met (even though she's quite stereotypical) and is actually disturbingly attractive (in a way...). People who say she doesn't belong with the imperial agent, I don't get. Would they'd prefered to have just five identical Intelligence agents, all with the same mindsets? I think that the different views of your companions towards your job are very interesting. There are two Agent companions that are Impirial nationalists - Temple and Vector. Imo, that's enough. 2. Gault - I must admit, I haven't seen too much of him yet, but he's been a very amusing companion up to this point, and I've heard he'll stay that way. Would prefer to romance him over Torian BY FAR. 3. T. Drellik - He's flamboyant, cultivated, socially awkward... A rich character. WORST top 3 1. T7-O1 - Most annoying thing in the galaxy. And it KEEPS following me, no matter how hard I try to crush his... personality? "Jedi - T7 = Happy Camper" 2. Goes to all boring "nice and cute girls". Like Mako and Ashara. I'd include Temple, but that wouldn't be fair as she sometimes actually made some funny and snide remarks, making her actually quite likable. 3. Khem Val - Most people love this guy, but I found him quite one-dimensional. He's just the Dashade... Guess I prefer humanoid characters (except for SCORPIO, it would be in my top 5 for sure).

Body Type 1.

I'm not trying to flame you. But I don't think any of these points are valid. Here's why: 1. It's not quicker to backpeddle. Turning/Strafing is still faster. Furthermore, what do you do if your target happens to move closer to you (you can never know)? Since you're slower, you'll be further from your Leap than you were before. 2. It being harder doesn't mean it isn't more efficient. 3. This is true, to a point, but it's more of a philosophical argument. This is the argument "As long as you have fun playing the game, it is fine", just put differently. Which is fine, I can't argue with that. But it changes the rules of the discussion, which started out as "what is mathematically the BEST?" I still haven't heard any argument proving Backpeddling is in any way, at any possible moment, better than moving at full speed. The closest you get is a sorc that needs to cast Death Field while running away, but with enough skill this is still possible while kiting by jumpturning. Not seeking to flame or anything, I just hope my points come over in the constructive way they were meant.

No problem. I seldom feel the need for flaming, and you certainly didn't do anything to spark it off. (I'm adequately confident about my gaming skills to appreciate some constructive criticism and intelligently constructed opinions that may deviate from my own) Well, I just tell you how I experienced things. And it is certainly true that my build isn't the most resource-efficient one in the game. But if you play it long enough, you'll naturally learn how far you can push the limits without coming in trouble. One thing I'd like to say is that you seem to imply that my build is very bad at killing people who are going to die anyway. Frankly: who cares. If someone needs set-up, great for me and my build. If he's going down fast regardless, fine by me. Often that's when I throw in a sneaky Backstab or Explosive Probe for a killsteal. (not advisable, but we all have our flaws ^^) Well, I have found Vanish to be more effective than that. Frankly, that's an argument for your sake, because Concealment makes better use of that skill than Lethality. ^^ And though the arguments were more leth vs conc, not leth vs op, here's my summarized opinion on that matter: dps-wise, Snipers may have the edge. But my Cull is more dangerous, and I provide healing for my team. (you mentioned you found it impractical and energy consuming, which I can understand really, but I feel comfortable worknig with it, and I say that healing is better than no healing). First one thing: Sorcs/Sages (which over half of the PvP healers on my server happen to be) cannot cleanse tech effects. This is something lots of people seem to overlook, and frankly makes my life a lot easier. Your focus fire argument is viable, but I'll raise my previous point again: if I think the guy is going to survive for a bit, I'm going to join in, and my set-up isn't wasted. If he is going down fast enough, it doesn't matter that much, and my headstart on another target is fully justifiable. First point is correct, but as I said before I don't consider the hots as wasted global cooldowns/energy. Furthermore, they only cost 15 energy, which isn't too bad. Your second point, I feel, is wrong. I feel I am one of the most surviving players on my server. Medium armour, decent crowd control, health regeneration, fairly good defensive cooldowns and espace tools and improved healing all add up. I tend to think (though this may be megalomania kicking in) that I am considered one of the most annoying players to play against. I noticed several reppies chasing me every time they notice me. This is another very valuable point you make, and I've expected it to pop up ever since we started this discussion. ^^ You may not believe me, but it isn't as crippling as people may think (if it was, I would've gone full lethality ages ago). First of all, as I said before, sorcs -even healers- cannot cleanse my stuff. This makes them, frankly, my favourite targets. Healer Commmandos and Scoundrels, even if they know the location of their cleanse button (you'd be surprised how many of them don't), generally don't cleanse stuff off players in larger scale PvP, as they'd rather keep those health bars high at all times than waste a global cooldown. Dps Players with a cleanse button will seldom use it either in larger scale battle, as then they tend to rely on their tanks/healers to protect them. They'd rather just beat on their targets. The only times when this issue really pops up is if I find myself 1v1 a healer scoundrel/comm. If they don't cleanse, I can beat them. If they do, I must admit, I can't do a lot but "not bother". If I find myself solo against a dps comm, I first figure out if they cleanse (again, lots don't). If they don't, I can beat them easily. If they do, I may either try to take them down with basic attacks, or I may flee (they're not dangerous enough and too immobile to prevent you from escaping). The REAL problem is against dps scoundrels that cleanse. They are my main counter, and I can't do anything against them. But any class has weaknesses against some classes, so I don't let that discourage me. All in all, in two and a half months time of 50's PvP, I haven't played a single warzone in which I felt cleansing made me useless. I'll direct a point at you now for a change. ^^ You are absolutely right that there are many annoyances that make the build more impratical and complex, and it certainly has some weaknesses. I'd argue that this is necessary, because my build has a dps output that is more than decent (and it DOES have killing power, something you don't seem to dispute either), while also racking up efficient off-healing. My dps output in a full-duration warzone ranges from 275k to 450k (and it's NOT damage padding, I dps to kill), while my healing ranges from 100k (if we stomped them and I didn't need to throw in any heals) to 250k (rare, but achievable). Admittedly, about 50% of that is self-healing. But that keeps me alive while distracting enemies, and it takes pressure of healers as well. I don't think it's the best operative build or anything. But it's the build I've been most successful with, and I have played Concealment in the past (and full leth, but only very shortly).

I've never heard of this guy. I never had to be taught that Backpeddling isn't worthwhile, I pretty much figured that out myself. I don't hate on the people who backpeddle though, as there is some logic to thinking that, if you want to move away from your target while still facing him, walking backwards would be the way to go. But it just isn't how it works mathematically. You move faster while still keeping LoS when you strafe. There is no way you can argue around this.

This is true. Doubt anyone is specced for both Tactical Opportunity and Corrosive Grenade though.

You actually mention some valid points (aimed at Kuey btw). But you can't really say that any dps-oriented operative build is all around perfect at this time. You're not really wrong either (which tells me that you've actually played the build) at many times, however I do believe there can be some nuances. I think you slightly overestimate the energy consumption here, because in an entire warzone I may find myself out of energy ONCE. I do tend to conserve my resources though if I know that the battle is going to last for a while. (and frankly, every class bar two needs to manage resources) I think you also underestimate the energy regeneration given by Lethal Purpose. Again, a valid point to raise. But there are ways to work around this. I use it primarily as a means to eliminate a target (or targets) I have no intention of damaging just yet. Furthermore, Lethality Snipers experience WAY more troubles concerning dots breaking cc, and I don't hear a lot of talk of them being underpowered. ^^ Actually, since I'm 18/0/23. I'm specced for Precision Instruments. Meaning it's 36 energy to setup a next target, or only 16 if I've got corr grenade already up. I'll agree that this is only a minor point though, and set-up is one of the weaker points of lethality/lethal meds. You can partly avoid this problem by picking off targets that aren't yet being focus fired by your team. And of course, you don't always have 2 TA's available, but in my experience, most of the time, you have (I'd estimate it 66% of the time if you're actually between battles, and 90% of the time you have at least one). Yeah, I know these are fairly randomly estimated numbers, but I do believe they're fairly credible (you may disagree of course). This is also very true. But if you place the hots strategically, they aren't wasted (over their full course, they heal enough to be worthwhile). Also, probably over half of the probes are applied between fights, avoiding most of the energy issue. And their nature is indeed slightly unreliable. It does happen that, even though you have three persons kolto'd, you don't get any TA's (or even only 1 would not be justifiable). But there is an other side to it: you can have lucky streaks, during which you generate a TA every 6 seconds, even if you have only kolto'd yourself (ergo, a 1v1 situation). This, unfortunately, is completely true. Very annoying if it happens. Well, first of all I'd argue that my spec (18/0/23) is in fact primarily a group spec, as you generate Culls (ergo, powerful attacks) through healing other people. Not just through probes, but Kolto Injecting a wounded ally is another (and in fact, a very powerful and efficient) way of generating a certain Cull. The build is weakest when it finds itself alone. And I already mentioned, that Energy management isn't really that problematic as some people make it out to be. (though I won't claim that it's a strong point of the build either) Well, I obviously don't agree. ^^ Not trying to convert you or anything though, because I do believe other builds are inferiour or anything. I don't think they're superiour either, though.

Well, you're wrong as well. (read my previous reply) But you haven't tried it out and still took a positive shine to it so I like you. ^^ This is why I said "in Rapid Succession", which implies that you don't have to follow every Cull with another Cull right away. Let's see how this can happen (in fact I posted this in another thread only yesterday): You start the fight with 2 TA's, which for the 18/0/23 build is more often the case than not. - You dot someone up - Cull #1 - Shiv #1 - Cull #2 - Cull #3 At some point after Cull #2, Medical Engineering kicked in and gave you another TA. - Cull #4 - Shiv #2 - Cull #5 This can be your exact rotation if you have Adrenaline Probe off the cooldown. If you haven't, obviously you'll have to throw some Rifle Shots in, but that'll also give Medical Engineering more chances to proc, increasing the amount of Culls to at least 6. This isn't just hypothetical. These strings of attacks occur multiple times in a single full-duration warzone. You're right that it doesn't happen every time. But even 3 or 4 Culls really hurt. And don't forget you also have Explosive Probe and Backstab.

Burst? Maybe not. But pressure damage sure. Cull is the most damaging ability without a cooldown/cast time in the game. Its tooltip damage is higher than Hidden Strike's (at least for me) and ~50% of it is Internal. Full lethality builds may increase the internal component by another 30%, and 18/0/23 builds may chain up to 5 or 6 Culls in rapid succession. It requires set-up, so it can't be called "burst". But it is superb delayed pressure. Which kills people all the time. in fact, I'd argue that they are more certain killers than Concealment, because if you survive the initial burst, concealment loses its edge. The opposite is true for Lethality, who can repeat their pressure combos infinitely. However, you do have a point. Because there are many Lethal Ops that DO focus on dotting/scoreboard padding. Which just isn't the way to go. (Cull is the Lethality niche, not the dots, which are actually relatively weak compared to other dot classes like Madness Inquisitors, Anni Maras and Lethal Engineers)

Nobody's really questioning what the best all-rounder spec is at the moment. That's Darkness (or Hybrids with deep Darkness) for sure. But the other specs can be played and get results. So, unless you're a resolute min-maxer, just pick full Deception if that's what you want. I'm a Madness man myself (love the Battle-Mage/Rogue feeling about it), so I play full Madness in PvP on my Madnassin.

Fully agree, and I'd even argue that you're understating some things. Your healing is, on average, quite a bit more than that (if you use your nuke heal at least, if you don't, I'd advice getting used to it - it's really worth it). Also your damage output can often match a full 31's, and will be at least as dangerous (more focused around Cull). There are reasons this is one of the most well-known and notorious operative builds around.

Oh, I obviously read that wrong. (though I'll agree it looked kind of silly ^^) However I daresay you realized this, you naughty OP.