I just found this thread http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=196605 So I'm going to look through this, hooray for the bump! Though I'm still interested in my spec getting some feedback, I don't know whether this thread has a similar build or not.

Hey all, let me quickly say that I have only recently converted to Sith Sorc. I always wanted to be one, but I was initially drawn more towards Imperial Agent/Bounty Hunter. After trying all their ACs (and absolutely LOVING Powertech and Sniper) I still felt something was missing. I've been a healer in MMOs for many years. My IA storyline was fantastic, and it was refreshing to just be pure DPS for once without feeling guilt-tripped into speccing healer or tank. The static and fairly flimsy nature of the class was endearing but not wholly satisfactory to me - I shelved him for now, but I like to bring him out for PvP now and again. The Powertech was AMAZING, levelling was quick and I was so mobile (not to mention much harder to kill and capable of great dps). I do enjoy alts, though, and I thought that I'd like to create a Sorc healer which I could see some story on and PvP heal. Sorcs are really really common on my server (with me being slightly hipster, that was an initial turn off for me). However... holy moly I love this class! I've upgraded her to my main even at this low level, thanks to the legacy system I even love the character she's grown into (downtrodden turned evil sister). Of course all of that is irrelevant - what this post is really about is my levelling spec. I've tried to do some research on these boards but I've been cautious (I've accidentally spoiled some story for my other characters or learnt of companions which would have been a nice surprise). I couldn't find a spec which I felt fit my needs, but I'm relatively clueless. I'd really appreciate some feedback on a build which I'm thinking of trying. This build is designed to be a hybrid Healer/DPS levelling build. I have no idea how it would fare, so I look forward to criticism and advice regarding the usefulness of certain talents and abilities. http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#201GRbRrbzdZfs0MkRZ0M.1 Honestly I doubt the effectiveness of this spec. My goal was to be a decent enough healer to heal Heroic 4+ quests, heal in PvP a bit, heal flashpoints up until 38ish at least, and have enough DPS clout to level efficiently. My main objectives with this build were to pick up healing abilities in Corruption like Innervate and Resurgence whilst also picking up Corruption talents which help both healing and DPS. I specced into Lightning because the DPS element of this build is not designed to help me in PVP or be optimised for single target boss fights - Chain Lightning was the main focus, I wanted to give myself an AoE capability. More than a couple of points were allocated as filler options because I wasn't 100% sure what talents were worth taking. I'm also undecided in what order to pursue this build (if it's worthwhile building towards). How necessary is it to be Corruption specced to heal the 15-25 content? I gratefully accept any advice. Like I said, I've tried to do my research but my attempts to preserve any spoilers for this character does make me cautious to check too many links or threads.

This is a good plan. You can still kill things quickly as a shieldtech during Act 1, but you'll get used to the playstyle. Soloing is a breeze with Mako, you can take on heroic 2+ quests by yourself (I accidentally did a heroic quest by accident, it was late at night and I didn't actually notice a significant increase in difficulty). ST actually has some good dps talents up to that level. It's definitely worth speccing into Pyro DPS at some point because it's such a laugh. Once you get Incendiary Missile and can upgrade your Rail Shot to vent heat then the spec really opens up. Near the end of the game I'm a big Carolina Parakeet fan - check these forums for the exact spec. It's a hybrid of Shieldtech/Pyrotech which lets you tank stuff effectively but lets you keep a remarkable amount of DPS, a good 40-50 build. Gonna have to spec AP at some point, maybe invent an awesome and OP new hybrid AP/Pyro build...

Hah I asked whether you were a Firefly fan or not, before realising that you are obviously (hopefully) a Steven Erikson - Malazan fan? Onostoolan, do you carry a flint sword? xD

It's a difficult one. On the one hand, Juggs do have a lot of stuff going for them. Having the panic buttons is nice, and I too was more comfortable with a more traditional style of melee tank. It's still quite nice to not rely on Heat, I feel guilty as a BH or IA when I misuse an ability and screw up my regen. It can occasionally feel slightly stilted as a PT, because you have all these instant cast abilities but in order to not misuse heat you have to stagger their usage manually. As a tank in an MMO I never relied on a set 'rotation' as such because everything is reactional (ofc), but a priority system was still easy to use. A Jugg in my opinion has an ever so slightly 'smoother' set of abilities, requiring less manual timing from the player and less judgement on how full they think the heat bar is. On the other hand, I've have to say Powertech all the way. Purely in terms of tanking, I really like the PT style. Gathering up mobs isn't too arduous, we've got plenty of aoe options and mobility as well as kickass range. Basically, I like tanking as a PT because I can just enjoy myself as I easily gather up the mobs. Whilst I appreciate the awesomeness of defensive cooldowns it's refreshing to not really have many - we can just rely on our good natural mitigation, I tend to hoard defensive cooldowns if I have them. One other thing I feel is a major factor is how... rounded the Powertech is. The Juggernaut is a classic class - I enjoy that kind of Warrior/Fighter archetype. In SWTOR you get a lightsaber, cool skills, cool outfits, it's a solid class. The Powertech just fits in with my slightly schizophrenic taste more. I'm actually astounded at how much of a ranged class I am at times. I recently specced into Pyro and I can take down an average group of enemies (a few normals and a strong mob) at range without breaking a sweat. You get to use cool gadgets and change up your playstyle quite a lot as a PT. Levelling up as a shieldtech or pyrotech is so easy and quick, with Mako healing you just rip through content. I really like the freedom that being a hybrid range/melee character gives you. You can stay constantly on the move, engaging with enemies at long range while cycling through your skills as you get closer and closer until you get into melee range and finish them off, before running to the next group without breaking stride and doing it again. I'm also enjoying PvP. I miss my Sniper a tiny bit (sneaking about just out of view is enjoyable) but I find I can enjoy myself with any spec in PvP as PT. If I'm tanking, then I can zip about the battlefield and genuinely cause menace. You've got a little bit of utility in just about every category, and the ranged taunts/stun/armour bypass etc. is useful. Freely firing at range with aoe/etc. makes you a very efficient and durable defender. As Pyro, I recently found out that it's possible to fall in love with pixels on a screen. I almost don't even play my Pyrotech as a melee class; I mean, I'll be in melee range in most fights but I rarely get there pro-actively. I focus on my incendiary missiles, rail shots, unload, death from above etc., and flame burst feels quite long-range. If I'm facing a ranged class like a Gunslinger/Sorc/Merc then obviously I'll be taking advantage of melee but it's very liberating to not be centred around it. If I'm facing another melee character I can lay down a lot of firepower and kite them so that if we do get in melee range, I've practically won the fight already. It's great to realise that, after all the shooting and the missiles and the mobility... you end up in melee range and think 'Oh yeah, this is where I'm actually supposed to be, things only get better!'. I'd still rate Jugg as an awesome class, and I will play on mine again some day. When it comes to tanking, my personal preference is the PT. After playing as a healer for so many years, my approach to tanking is 'Well I did my job, everyone is attacking me, if I die I'm guilt-free!'. The passive nature of the PT defence and their mobility and tools just suits me, even if every tank can tank all content with equal effectiveness. Outside of tanking, I just think the Powertech has a lot more variety and flexibility. Oh and, aesthetically, we look awesome. One pistol, bulky armour, jetpack, yeah. Are you a fan of Firefly? Because the D-5 Mantis is obviously a homage to Serenity. The third wing/engine that pops down underneath the craft in flight annoys me, but everything else is remarkably similar, just scaled down. Inside it's all triangular hatches, browny-reddy-rust colour, grilled flooring, etc.

I kept swapping between alts but Powertech was the character I think I ended up loving the most. Through a combination of factors though (experimenting, voice acting, story, rolled first, etc.) I shelved my ST Powertech at level 19 to continue with my Sniper. I think that, once I'd realised I preferred PT to Merc, I wanted a ranged class, and I preferred Sniper to Operative. Despite the story being amazing, getting my Sniper to level 31 (where he is now) was a bit of a chore. Having a squishy tank companion, being a static pure dps and having to juggle cast times with unforgiving energy management wasn't ideal. I love the class but it certainly required you to pay attention and you can't avoid some frustrating deaths. I promised myself that, once I unlocked Legacy, I'd fall back on my PT. Going back to being a PT was... soooo nice! I'm not saying it takes less skill to play a PT, but you just have so many more things going for you. Mako, heavy armour, great dps output and instant cast abilities. I know it'll probably get harder on my PT at certain points (every class goes through its nadirs) but I'm just flying through the content. No more careful positioning, companion micro-management or stopping after every mob to restore your almost dead companion. Death From Above, how I missed thee.

The Empire isn't 'evil' - the majority of the Sith are pretty sadistic, but even a fair few Sith are just normal politicking characters. Remember a lot of Sith aren't Sith because they're evil; they didn't start out as Jedis and 'go over to the Dark Side'. They were just born or forced into it, being Sith doesn't make you evil there just happens to be a lot of ambitious and aggressive Sith lords. The Empire is the same way. Being an Imperial Agent will certainly open your eyes. On my Trooper I tried to be good, I tried to roleplay as a straight-laced elite commando who wanted to do good. Unfortunately the Republic conversation options are downright counter-intuitive; most of the time the 'good' option was the dark side option. Executing people willy nilly and being evil actually gets frowned upon when playing as an IA, your fellow members of Imperial Intelligence will admonish you. Remember your job involves two things; diplomatic and political situation-handling, and covert operations. Sometimes shooting someone in the face is the most effective way to proceed. Most of the time a 'true' Imperial Agent won't take such drastic measures if they're not necessary and more information is needed. Quite a lot of the IA decisions are based around the philosophy of 'Does the end justify the means?'. The Light Side option will often see your Agent try to minimise any damage to the Empire and its citizens, working to preserve peace even if the course of action has the potential to compromise your mission. The Dark Side option will often see your Agent make ruthless decisions, allowing harm to befall others if it means his mission is made easier. Mind you I always was a bit of an Empire fan. When I was a kid, in the movies I'd obviously cheer for the rebels. Now... seriously, aside from that whole 'Alderaan' business, the Empire wasn't that bad. You know those stormtroopers? Men and women, fathers, sons, daughters, best friends, all signing up to train in the academy and help bring peace to the galaxy. Sure, the Emperor was a Sith Lord, but it's not like he was personally trying to make everyone miserable, he mostly just sat in a large room by himself muttering whilst his efficient social and economic policies created a thriving empire spanning hundreds of planets - no easy feat! I am seriously loving the IA story, I went down the evil route much further than I thought I would. I started off being dark side because I was ruthless and efficient in my dedication to the Empire - though some of the decisions I've made lately have certainly been motivated by fear, greed, and anger. I don't take kindly to rejection...

I never felt that being an Imperial Agent made me evil. The fact that I was a smug and cocky git who enjoyed executing people made me feel evil, but not my job. The reality is that playing a Dark Side Agent is awesome, but it seems counter-intuitive at times. The Light Side options actually fit the character more in many cases. Imperial Intelligence is all about efficiency and getting the job done - they have to tolerate the Sith but they don't like them. I also like the fact that Dark Side does not always mean aggressive and evil and Light Side does not always mean doing 'the right thing'. My character isn't afraid to execute and kill anyone, but he's still an Intelligence Officer. He's made some rather drastic and sadistic choices which make him seem like he's heading down a slippery slope. Sometimes you just have to take the Light Side option because it's better for the Empire. Sometimes you just have to kill people once they're done being useful. My Bounty Hunter is a 'nice' guy, but he's mostly Dark Side. That's because, well, he actually finishes his contracts! Most bounties specify that the target should be killed - he may be a good guy but he'd rather be a good bounty hunter, and good bounty hunters don't let all of their targets escape!

My Operative is named Lucian - privileged, educated, aristocratic, smug and politicking. My Sniper is named Saul - ruthless, cocky, hardened, promoted from the battlefield, professional yet his confidence does undermine his professionalism at times. I also went with Saul because I'm a Gaunt's Ghosts fan (Saul is the name of an enemy master sniper who engages in a sniper duel with the Ghosts' snipers). His red hair and his uncompromising attitude made me pick the enemy 'Blood Pact' soldier instead of the more graceful Tanith master snipers.

It becomes much less of an issue for either AC. Operatives pretty much never use it, there are situations where you may want to but 95% of the time at least you'll be doing the sneaking and the stabbing and the skirmish shooting. For Snipers we no longer have the need for environmental cover. If there is a handy spot in the environment I will use it, it's nice to have a big rock or wall protecting you, but you can play 100% of the game without using the environment. Just crouching in place generates cover for you automatically when you choose Sniper. Crouching is also really quick, and you aren't totally useless out of cover. You can't play effectively unless you're standing still, but if you're forced to move around during a fight or against a melee mob about to kill you you aren't worried about being 'efficient' or 'effective', you just need to be able and satisfactory!

On the whole, you won't be soloing group quests and heroics quite like some other classes. You can't burst hard mobs down quick enough (without utterly tanking your energy), you can't kite too effectively in most areas, and you can't heal. Against certain mobs you can tank in hard cover really effectively. The Sniper, simply put, is a class that needs a group. This isn't bad or anything - those quests and heroic are INTENDED for multiple people. Other classes simply have group compositions with their companion that we just don't get. It's standard MMO practice really. In many flashpoints in this game as you level up you can easily succeed with one good healer and three dps. It's much harder to succeed with one good tank and three dps, you simply need healing. If I want to kick back and test myself by soloing group content, I think I'd rather play my Powertech with Mako healing me.

You'd better unsub then because you won't find things are very different with other classes. Personally, my sniper is level 27 and I'd say it's one of the more difficult classes to efficiently play as. The lack of any hard CC or healing, coupled with the fact that we're squishy and go through patchs where our damage just isn't bursty enough to take down mobs, makes the levelling process a rewarding yet slightly slower one. My Powertech shieldtech just waltzed around while levelling, jumping into groups of mobs and burning them all with a flamethrower while getting healed by Mako. Easy, but that was a rewarding experience in itself...

I wasn't speaking solely for PvP. Powertech is probably the most hybrid dps class in any MMO made - I vaguely remember the White Lion in WAR being promised as a hybrid class but not quite living up to it. You really do feel like a skirmisher as a Powertech. What I'm saying though is I'd be interested to see if they could take it one step further. The PT is a melee dps at heart, the fact it can maintain good dps output at range is fantastic, but it is a class which thrives in melee and doesn't mind being there. I'd be interested to see some of the reliance on melee moves taken out of the PT more, maybe having one tree have its most efficient and effective dps between 10-15m?

Hehe unfortunately know, but Advanced Prototype get to have a hidden blade ability. So you can Grapple people *then* stab 'em. I'd like to see the 'Superman' build be viable, where we get to jet pack to the enemy (via shieldtech) with our wrist blade extended out in a superman post.

Cage the Elephant - Aint No Rest for the Wicked