It's even better than that. It's: Master Orgus Din: If that thing eats us, you're fired. And the delivery is so wonderfully dry, it's perfect.

Oh, hell no! Or better yet, here's an idea... sure, you can change your Advanced Class, but... you go back to level 10. You can keep your creds, your gear (but you can't wear it yet), your story progression, affection, titles, etc... you earned all that, so you can have it. You haven't earned your AC levels, though, so you have to level up your new AC same as your old one. If you want a level 50 Scoundrel, you should have to level Scoundrel to 50.

I've resorted to taking Smuggler gear and swapping the mods on my Sentinel to avoid the bald hood look. Actually, though, I'm kinda starting to like the Jedi-in-Smuggler's-Clothing look and may stick with it.

I have one of each and like them both. Guardian is best used as a tank. I have experimented with the Vigilance spec for DPS, and was not overly impressed with it; I quickly went back to Defense. With Kira as a companion, you have enough DPS to solo effectively and you're a solid tank (though some would say not as good as a Vanguard). I have heard that Focus can do good DPS but I haven't tried it. Sentinel, on the other hand, is raw DPS. It is a challenging class to play; there is no fixed rotation for optimum DPS, it is a priority system that can become pretty complicated at high level. If you're willing to put in the time and effort to master it, however, you become a lightsaber buzzsaw of destruction. It's a lot of fun to play.

For a Defense-spec Guardian, Pommel Strike is actually very useful while soloing, as you can stun strongs with Hilt Strike and it provides a nice burst of damage (and Defense Guardian's damage is otherwise rather anemic, being a tank). I use it a lot in solo content. I can easily see how a DPS Knight would never use it.

I like the male Knight's voice. It's pretty much perfect. The female Knight's voice is OK, but she sounds an awful lot like Kira.

Nah, blatant evil maniacal laughter is too over the top to be read straight. When I see something like that, I'm more inclined to think the poster is being somewhat tongue-in-cheek. At least, that's how I see it.

Actually, back in vanilla, WoW tanking was very much like this. With each expansion it got a little easier, though, and by the time I quit WoW (during WotLK) it was kind of laughable. Even late in BC it was entirely possible for a well-geared paladin to AoE tank entire spawns with no problems. I am reminded of one of the Maintankadin site t-shirts... the one that said "Who needs CC?". But back in the early days, WoW was not like that, and you certainly did need to use CC and even occasionally designate targets for the DPS to burn. From the very first tanking experience I had in this game (tanking the Heroic 4 Fall of the Locust on Taris), it was quickly apparent that trying to AoE tank the spawn wasn't going to work. I adapted. I told the DPS to burn down the (strong) combat medics while I tanked the elites. We designated targets for CC. Suddenly, everything was smooth. Even the one spawn near the boss with five elites was handled easily. It took us two pulls to figure out what we needed to do, and after that nobody died. If your group works together, tanking in this game is not hard. It does take skill (unlike modern WoW), but it's not pull-your-hair-out difficult. On the other hand, if your group does NOT work together, tanking quickly becomes impossible. CC is crucial. DPS need to manage their threat production. Burn targets need to be put down quickly, and the kill order needs to be followed. If those things are done, everything with be smooth. If they're not, well... may the Force be with you, because you're going to need the help.

I didn't get the impression that he was doing it to make people angry. I got the impression that he is watching the cutscenes because he wants to, dislikes being given grief over it, and is enjoying the realization that the rage of those giving him grief is toothless because he is the tank and not easily replaced. I think this is a pretty common sentiment among tanks who have had to deal with obnoxious dps (and to a lesser extent, obnoxious healers) for years of gaming, and it extends to a lot of things other than cutscenes. I know in the later days of my time in WoW I ended up reaching the point where I refused to tank for anyone but my guild, a decision which greatly reduced my stress level and brought me back to the point where I could actually enjoy tanking.

When evaluating the writing of the original Star Wars movies, one should remember that there was a LOT of improvisation going on, especially on the part of Harrison Ford. Some of the lines that you see in the movie are NOT the ones that were in the original script. That's a good thing. (For example: "I love you"/"I know", and the whole "Boring conversation anyway" bit.)

As a bit of an alternate perspective, I use Corso as my companion with my gunslinger, and I've leveled up as SS all the way. I don't PVP, so this is all about PVE. Corso is very effective at tanking, as long as you keep his gear up (don't rely on the greens you get from quests, hit the GTN and get him some real tanking gear.). You will want to turn off Harpoon Shot in some situations, but at other times it's useful. Gunslinger/Sharpshooter is perfectly capable of gunning down anything you'll run into in story missions. The only fights that can be a little tricky, if you are doing it right, are the ones where you have to talk to the elite first and you end up starting the fight at point-blank range. Don't panic, order your tank companion (Corso/Bowdaar) to attack and get to cover, then you can start unloading. I actually like Corso a little better for this because he stays close and I can use Scrambling Field to give him a little extra protection, but be careful with Harpoon Shot against elites with AoE. Hunker Down can be a great benefit against some elites who are fond of CC. Aside from this, your main killing tools are Vital Shot (don't bother with this on standards, but it's very useful against strongs and essential on elites), Charged Burst, Speed Shot, and Aimed Shot. SS is more about single-target damage rather than AoE; my solution to a three-enemy pack is to let Corso handle the strong while I gun down the two standards (two or three shots will do it) and then turn my attention to the big one. Against an Elite, I generally open with Flourish Shot, then take cover and start with Smuggler's Luck, Charged Burst, Trick Shot, Aimed Shot (which should be 1.5 seconds due to the autocrit Charged Burst), Vital Shot, Speed Shot. From here, use Trick Shot, Speed Shot, and Aimed Shot on cooldown, filling in with Charged Burst and if your energy drops to 50%, use Flurry of Bolts to fill in. Keep Vital Shot active on the mob at all times. Don't let your energy drop below 50% unless you are about to finish the mob or if you are going to pop Cool Head. In a group, you may not need Flourish Shot, the armor reduction may be applied by the tank. Rapid Fire is good for when you need a big burst of damage, as it lets you fire off three successive Speed Shots. If you get forced out of cover, use Quick Shot to fill the gap until you can get back in. If the mob gets in your face, Dirty Kick -> Cheap Shot. Pulse Detonator will clear out some space. Don't forget about Slice Droid, it makes a lot of encounters a lot easier. Also, this gives you some very nice utility in groups. This even works on elite droids, and even against a single droid lets you get in a big opener. As you play, you'll get a feel for what is effective and what isn't. Other favorite combinations of mine: Slice Droid -> Sabatoge Charge -> Aimed Shot -> Trick Shot or Slice Droid -> Sabotage Charge -> Head Shot Thermal Grenade -> Head Shot (have to be quick, they don't stay knocked down long) Most of all, though, enjoy. Gunslinger is a blast.

I enjoyed killing that bastard, personally. At the same time, I was almost disappointed that he didn't yield. I'm a light-side smuggler for the most part, but I would gladly have taken the dark side points to finish him off after he surrendered. Or, you know, shoot him in both kneecaps and leave him on the derelict ship falling into the black hole...

Yeah, I still have Going Dark (Bonus) on my Jedi Guardian... it's been there since level 16 and he's level 35 now. It's in a story phase I can't get to anymore. Rather annoying.

Beat him tonight. First try. Level 34 Defense-spec Guardian. It was easy. Did not use Call on the Force, and didn't need it. I suspect that mostly it was easy *because* I am defense-spec (and because I was level 34), though. As a defense-spec Guardian with Kira as my companion I generally chew up elites, rarely dropping below 50% health. It will be interesting to see how it goes when my Sentinel gets to him, especially since I won't have the option of using T7 to tank. I suspect it will be quite a bit trickier.

If you want Republic side, go Smuggler. Smuggler and Agent are about even in this regard.

Not on *my* server. Scoundrel is the least played by far, and every time I've checked there's been more Gunslingers than Commandos, too (actually, that might be Vanguards. I can't remember right now which of the two Trooper types is less played on my server). In fact, a couple of the times I've checked there's been more Gunslingers online than Jedi Guardians. There are usually about half as many Scoudrels as Gunslingers online on my server (The Corsair).

...I never even thought about using it with Slice Droid. I'm not sure that's a better combo than my usual Slice Droid -> Sabotage Charge -> Aimed Shot -> Trick Shot combo, though.

If you don't like Gunslinger from the start, you probably never will. You get some new tricks as the game goes on (Speed Shot, for example), but the playstyle doesn't change much. You either love it or you don't.

Interestingly, I'm wearing exactly this same armor on my Gunslinger, have been wearing it for 24 levels. I like it, but it'd be nice to have some other good options. I don't mind coats, but the hideous giant collars on the endgame gear drive me nuts. They look stupid, and on top of that they clip with my lekku. I would love to have a coat like the ones Imperial Agents get. I guess I'll have to pick up the one from Cademimu. What I'd *really* like is an orange version a certain low-level green armor which is basically a blue open jacket (not the sleeveless Han Solo vest).

If you're quick, you can Head Shot enemies knocked down by Thermal Grenade. Of course, this only works on Weaks and Standards since Strongs/Elites/Champions aren't knocked down. Grenade + Headshot will kill most Standards instantly. Dirty Kick and Flash Grenade (as previously mentioned) also work.

I liked the sound effects on my Smuggler... ...then I rolled up a Bounty Hunter. Yeah. Missiles. Boom. LOTS OF BOOM. And "Unload" sounds completely awesome, too. Smuggler sound effects are good, but not THAT good.

Do y'all expect a melee DPS class to *not* be heavily gear dependent? I've never played a melee DPS class in any MMO that wasn't. Ret pallies, DPS warriors, and combat rogues (I never played any other kind of rogue, so can't speak for them) in WoW are very gear dependent, or at least they were back when I played WoW. All DPS classes in FFXI are heavily gear dependent. Scrappers in CoH can be very squishy with base enhancements but are unkillable monsters when loaded out with top-end stuff. Gear dependency is part of playing a melee DPS. As others have already noted, it's necessary, because if you aren't gear dependent your damage won't scale properly in the endgame. In this case, it really is a feature, not a problem. For what it's worth, though, don't assume that other classes *aren't* gear dependent. My Defense-spec Guardian (yes, I have two Knights... and a Sith Warrior, too) is obviously very gear-dependent. On my Gunslinger, not only is my gear crucial to my success, but my *companion's* gear is, too. It's also possible that some of the troubles some people are having may be related to that. Are you using T7? Are you gearing him in the basic greens you get from quests? Yeah, you're gonna die a lot. Tank companions need higher quality gear to be effective, otherwise they are too fragile.

I have found this class to be basically exactly as advertised. I shoot things full of holes and if they get in my face I kick 'em in the nuts. What's not to like? The inspiration for Smuggler goes beyond just Han Solo, and the archetype upon which it is based is broader than one character. Furthermore, the very name "Gunslinger" and the trailer should have keyed you in that the class would have something of an Old West outlaw feel to it. Outlaws are outlaws, whether they travel the trails, high seas, or hyperspace routes. No, I didn't really want to be like Han. If I'd wanted to be like Han I'd have rolled a Dirty Fighting Scoundrel. Actually, my Sharpshooter Gunslinger is basically a re-creation of my Star Wars Galaxies character, who was a Master Pistoleer before the NGE crap ruined her. Gunslinger is *perfect* for her. And if it's not clear from all the above: no, I don't feel let down at all.

Taris pretty much sucks on the Republic side, too. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking, "Why am I helping the Republic waste lives and credits trying to salvage this toxic mudbath of a planet? Everyone would be better off letting it rot."

This is pretty much it. The smuggler in this game is very much Han Solo. Mind you, this is what tends to happen to smugglers in wartime. What *would* be nice is if there was more of a sense of doing the things smugglers tend to actually DO in a war (blockade running, etc. It would be really cool if there were some class-specific space combat missions to this effect). Essentially, in Act 2, you become a privateer for the Republic. This basically means they pay you to pursue targets of opportunity which are either politically sensitive (i.e. the Republic can't attack it openly without being in violation of treaty) or require a more delicate touch than a regiment of troopers or a few Jedi. In some ways, it is more pirate than smuggler, really (given that privateering is essentially legitimized piracy). But this is EXACTLY the sort of thing that happens historically to owners of armed ships in wartime. They get dragged into the conflict on one side or the other, either by having their consciences and loyalties tugged at or sometimes by direct threat of force.