I had a long chat with a vanguard on my server that nearly doubled my numbers one match. He only went to storm on the shield tree, gut and then 5 points on the third tree. This is very similar to my earlier hybrid build. It definately ups my DPS, but lowers shield bonuses. He was big on aoe attacks, guard switching and constant taunts. Regarding my lack of sticky and others, I have 26 skills currently keymapped and that is all I care to keep track of. I will gladly discard a skill for a better one, but having 30+ is too many for my brain to process. I don't generally open up for dps burst, but taunts, stuns and interrupts. I'd like to stay as a pvp tank, but I am wondering is this is the best use of my team slot. As a tank, am I pulling my own weight to help the team win? I'm typically in the bottom third damage wise, and zero for healing. My protection and ability to soak enemy dps adds something, but I'm not sure it's enough. Distribution of MVP votes might suggest that healers and very high dps are valued. Protection will occasionally get a vote from the person protected. Objective point leaders will sometimes get votes. I don't really care about the MVP votes so much as adding value to my team and feeling like I helped contribute as much as I could to the team. I appreciate everyone that responded with suggestions and advice.

I'm currently valor 60 with a tank specc'd vanguard. I have nearly all BM supercommando gear (except elim rifle, 2x champ relics and WH boots). Half my gear is augmented with 50 blue defense augs. hp = 18,691 DR = 52% Shield chance = 41% Shield absorb = 45% spec = 32/7/2 On the shield side, I dont have charge, smoke grenade, neural overload and only 1/3 of aim boost I don't use full auto recharge cells reserve powercell sticky grenade energy blast I have 21 other skills hotkeyed to mouse and game pad my typical results in warzone are damage 50-150k protection 50-100k healing 0 I aoe on occassion if there is a cluster of imps, rarely mortor because they run out one tick into the channel I guard and try to keep my two taunts always in use I use both stuns, storm and harpoon frequently I try to keep 4x on my ion pulse power screen I'm not sure that I am contributing properly to the team as a tank, and I see others doing 4-600k damage, or equal/better damage, protection and some healing. I usually roll in with the following priorities 1. get my guard on a healer, then dps that is in range 2. fire off both taunts 3. look for someone trying to cap and interupt 4. once I take fire, I hit reactive shield , battle focus and adren rush 5 I either hit cryo to stun, or if there is multiples, I hit nueral surge to stun many 6. dps where I can, keeping my taunts fired off 7. die and start over Some obvious thoughts... - get my supercommando carbine for the extra hp - augment the rest of my gear and get purple augs as cash allows - still moving toward all WH, obviously... Are there any good tips on how to improve protection and/or increase damage out? As a hybrid tank in the <49 bracket, I had no issue approaching a single player and taking them on. With this build, I will not even bother as I will get owned. - skill tree changes? - rotation? - add some skills above that I don't use? (I am nearly buttoned out, if I add one of the above that I don't use, I probably need to remove something less important) All of my skills get a work-out each match. I'm pretty content with medal count for offense and defense, but I am wondering if there are things I could be doing better to help my team. EIther with this build, and play-style or with some modifications.

I bet you are a lot of fun at parties !!!

http://allforthewookiee.com/2012/04/20/stormtrooper-shuffle-lmfao-star-wars-parody/

Yeah, I broke something once and my mom wouldn't fix it either...

I also enjoyed the world event, because it helped bring some world pvp to our server. Most often it was level 50s taking on 20s and 30s, but occasionally there were fair matches. I would have like some better explanation of the event as I totally missed the containment gear. Also will the dohickies in our bags be useful for anything? I have 50 some, not enough for the crystal, but still would like to get something for them.

Posted a warzone concept that uses crewskills in the suggestion box area of the forum http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=4088401#post4088401 Please give it a look and comment in that thread. Thanks !!

Posted a warzone concept in the suggestion box area of the forum http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=4088401#post4088401 Please give it a look and comment in that thread. Thanks !!

Summary Create an objective based pvp warzone that not only depends on dps, healing and tanking, but also strategy and crew skills. Each team can use all 14 skills to enhance their overall ability to complete objectives. Each objective can be completed with brute force, but use of various crew skills brought forth by teammates will increase the likelihood of victory. Background/Goal Opposing eight man teams land on dormant space station and must take over to win. Each team lands in opposite docking bays with several optional mission areas (Stock room, mechanical room, Hutt controlled areas) that can be accessed to help achieve victory. The ultimate goal is to be first to secure the bridge / command center. Tasks 1. break out of hanger bay - may be achieved via massed DPS, or less time with slicing. 2. break through series of separate and combined obstacles (bulkheads, automated defense systems, etc) 3. reach bridge (command center) and secure Objective enhancements Similar in concept with Void Star, but the route to victory can be affected by dedicating man-power to various crew skills to enhance team performance. These skills improve chance for winning over brute force (DPS). For example 1. Obtain parts needed to improve armor, weapons. Some material obtained by scavenging ship areas, others by trading with Hutts via underworld connections. These gathering tasks will provide the resources needed for items 2 and 4 below. These parts immediately go into a team bank for use by anyone crafting. scavenging archaeology treasure hunting underworld trading 2. Increase team armor or firepower – obtain resources from stockroom or harvesting above to create boosters for armor and weapons. Some nominal amount of time used at a station can create enhancements to reduce damage taken or increase dps. armortech armstech artifice synthweaving 3. Obtain NPC support to complete objectives. Repair or slice robots to assist your team. Use diplomacy skill to encourage Neutral Hutts to provide mercenaries to aid your team. These NPCs would be dispatched to the area of your choosing to assist in holding that room, area or objective. cybertech diplomacy slicing 4. Increase or decrease efficiency of team. Enter mechanical room and either enhance your team work areas with biochem (add buff to your air purification system), or slow the opposing teams efficiency by putting toxins into their side of the station. Create stims that counter toxins from opposing team biochem. Could also inject biochem that creates heal over time to friendlies on station. bioanalysis biochem 5. improve access to areas or deny access to enemy team by slicing terminals that control doorways. Reduce time to enter certain doors by using slicing skills, or inhibit enemy access, movement by closing key doors in their areas. Open air locks to jetison people into space. Activate turrets or shields. Slice air control system to impede toxins from other team. slicing Concept & Discussion Provide a skill board at the beginning of the warzone that shows your team class and crew scores. Allow time for team lead to discuss strategy and who will pursue which areas. Provide access to computer terminal with a map that details which doors have been hacked, which air handlers are providing enhancements, turrets and shields that are green, red or neutral and objective status. Crew skill level affects time to complete tasks. A 400 slicer can hack a door/robot, terminal faster than a 100 level slicer. A 400 armortech makes enhanced armor plating faster than a 100 armortech, Diplomat skills affect how fast the Hutt will send a mercenary team to aid you, etc. Opposing crew skill attacks can be defeated. Bio-chem system changes can either be hacked, counter bio-chemed, or destroyed with dps in the mechnical room, once you are notified they are in place. Enemy hacked doors, shields, turrets can be temporarily disabled or counter hacked. Obtain points by achieving sub-objectives. Opening a joint doorway allows the enemy team access into the subsequent area, but you get points for being first to open it. Conversely, there could be a parallel route through the ship that doesnt allow enemy access, but it takes you 3x longer to open the various bulkheads. etc. All objectives could be completed via DPS if you have no one with any crew skills, however, you would be at a significant disadvantage. You could designate people with low skills to harrass the other team as they try to get mercenaries from the Hutts, or access the mechanical room. This allows even those with minimal crew skills to still provide meaningful contributions. Closing Recomendation Include crew skills into objective based pvp to enhance required strategy and team work. Allow multiple paths to victory with team enhancements and counters that don't only rely on dps. Integrate the screw skills into game play to add value for the effort to obtain master level in your crafting areas. Create an additional warzone that requires resource management and communication based on team make-up to win.

The forums. . Hundreds of thousands of players in this game with great experience, tactics, observations and these boards are nothing but piles of sniveling sad sacks of self licking ice cream cones that complain about everything endlessly. <- run-on, or what? So I think I may just quit the boards for a while, as there is so little of value here. The game is so much better than this dribble...

The problem with your solution is that the people that grind hours on end will say this caters to casuals. Why give the same reward to people that only play 3 wz, when they "work" harder. There is no winning with any decision bw makes. Some faction will qq. Just like another big event in the news this year.

Don't understand broader either.... Is all the pvp complaining about level 50 only? I thought I was reading that it was broken across the board... I also thought that people were upset about the imbalance of too many imperials and not enough playing the republic side. The medals seem to be a big point of contention. I got one for 75k dps, one for a killing blow, a couple for offense and a couple for defense. Seems pretty simple to me. Not sure how being a mid level dps class that is an issue? would you care to elaborate?

yes, you must add more.... I also play a vanguard with similar results and I fail to see your point. Thanks for the cryptic and/or trolling post

two matches last night. The loss was a beat down from imperial team with a lot of healers, the win was very even match on alderan. level 31 sentinal W - L alderan-voidstar valor 2817-2135 comms 81-53 xp 15476-15446 cred 2276-1213 medals 8-7 mvp 1-1 both matches were well fought and I feel the rewards were perfectly fine...

Your issue is thinking this is a business more than a game. Play the game...

You know who to blame? Hint... It's not the maker of the game. All the people that quit got nothing, as it should be, because they left their team in the lurch. In most sports or games you get a loss on your score, a little gained knowledge and hopefully do better the next time. I agree there should be some reward for effort. But the game maker set a minimum threshold and if you want comms, credits and such, do the minimum. I remember people complaining endlessly about leeches sitting in war zones not doing anything, but getting rewarded. Yet how many people rode the ilum free valor train and thought it was perfectly acceptable to trade kills? People want something for nothing. The only difference is how bold they are in demanding it on these forums.

Another half dozen or so matches last night. Won some, lost some. Received rewards for all. In one match the imps seemed to start short-handed. (voidstar). And we raced to the control center pretty quick. They weren't able to mount a good defense until we were across the bridge. All other matches were pretty well balanced. Interesting to note that higher damage didn't necessarily correlate with winning. Did note numerous people drop 10-15seconds after arriving. I assumed they assessed char level, or the fact that we were short handed and opted to leave. Maybe bigger penalties? From our perspective, if one of the three of us was in the middle of a fight when the q pops, we would try to finish the fight and get to a safe spot. The game holds your place and gives the appearance of short sides. Usually worked out where we would have a full team. All in all, an excellent night of pvp

Bye...

Great advice, but people have a hard time reading that many words through all the tears.

I would guess it has to do with q times. Having four fragmented qs will increase the wait to get full teams. So, wait 4x as long to get what you want, or just play random? For every person that says let me pick, there will be someone who says, I don't want to wait. X-server may address this.

Lots of posts don't revolve around a question. I wanted to indicate that me, my family and friends that play are still having a great time. We appreciate the hard work from the devs and look forward to more updates and content. Not in a rush to 50 , but we will get there. Two levels now, so time will tell. Lots of guys in our guild have been 50 for a while and haven't heard a peep of snivel in guild chat. Maybe they are keeping it a secret.

Getting rewards win or lose since patch. To the op... If you fight a gold star mob and die when he is at 5% health, what do you get? A repair bill... And sorry, but you are not professional, unless someone is paying you to play.

6 people with comms focusing someone. How long should they last? If you couldn't burn them instantly, people would snivel that tanks or healers are op. Take your pick. Argument is fail.

Not dc, but another perspective. There only seems to be one flavor on the boards ATM. Also, I received between 5 and 12 medals per match since the patch, win or lose. Still getting a couple thousand credits and nearly 100 comma per match. Valor still coming in, though capped valor level with char level, so no gain til I ding. Joined a huttball late down 2-0 and we came back 3-2 with 30 seconds left. Very nice...

Many more war zones this morning before lunch. Several wins, couple losses. Great come from behind win in huttball. Buddy who is 41 smug and me were having a blast.