Feedback on PTRs in most games rarely go in on the PTR, but on the following build. It's a consequence of the fact that these games are often being developed in multiple builds at a time, and the build deployed on the PTR/PTS is mostly being monitored and adjusted by QA guys and not the patch devs.

I definitely can't agree with you there. I get off Harnessed Shadows/TK Throw a hell of a lot. They only have a three second window in which to stop you, and the first two ticks (and often three) happen too fast to react since you have to use a GCD to stop them via stun or KB. And that was pre-patch. Pre-patch, you didn't wait for Particle/Energize, you just spammed Project.

Personally? I'm of the same opinion. I think I'm in love with 31/0/10 too much. However, it is an interesting potential option, so I'd like to experiment and get a gist for it and get feedback.

I wanted to throw this spec out there for today's patch. I'd like to give it some thorough testing: Kinetic/Infiltration 31/7/0+3 WitherStab Obviously a PvP spec. Comparison to PvP WitherChain: > Rely on Wither for Harnessed Shadow stacking, with Shock a secondary concern > Able to use more CC and still fight effectively coming out of stealth (a significant limitation on Mind Mazing to 1v2) > Nerve-wracking combines more effectively with Spike for Maul. > Stronger healer lockdown and significantly better Huttball runner (+15% movespeed, shorter CC break) > Slower Harnessed Shadows stacking > More melee range dependent, more accuracy dependent > Lower performance against other tanks > Can't be used to effectively tank in PvE. Three point options: - Recommend Exploitive Strikes (damage) or movement and stealth increase for kiting abilities/huttball, but can also improve Shock damage or decrease Discharge CD (roughly +10% AoE damage in a busy situation). Note: I fully expect 31/0/10 to remain dominant. I'm exploring options because it is good to know these things, and some people might prefer a different playstyle. Basically, gathering research, not taking the spec for myself.

I wanted to throw this spec out there for today's patch. I'd like to give it some thorough testing: Kinetic/Infiltration 31/7/0+3 Slow Stab Obviously a PvP spec. Comparison to PvP Slow Upheaval: > Rely on Slow Time for Harnessed Shadow stacking, with Project a secondary concern > Able to use more CC and still fight effectively coming out of stealth (a significant limitation on Mind Mazing to 1v2) > Nerve-wracking combines more effectively with Spinning Kick for Shadow Strike. > Stronger healer lockdown > Slower Harnessed Shadows stacking > More melee range dependent, more accuracy dependent > Lower performance against other tanks > Can't be used to effectively tank in PvE. Three point options: - Recommend Force Synergy (damage) or movement and stealth increase for kiting abilities/huttball, but can also improve Project damage or decrease Breach CD (roughly +10% AoE damage in a busy situation). Note: I still think 31/0/10 is better, but I want to explore options.

You were so creative and unique that they were some of the most popular specs.

Ilum has a PvP and a PvE side.

Sorry, I meant Ataru. Fixed.

I really don't understand when hurling boulders, gravitational distortions, force hadokens, and golden fire from the sky became 'lame' but 'shoot lots of lightning all the time!' didn't.

IMO (and I am by no means a Sent expert), Juyo for PvP, Ataru for PvE, Shii-cho doesn't cut the mustard for Sents.

There should be another vendor that accepts coruscant commendations but gives items off the Esseles with a lower level requirement than the Coruscant Comm. vendor. And by Coruscant/Esseles I mean Dromund Kaas/BT.

It is identical for me.

Based on the beta, BW appears to take the stance of 'adjust one class majorly at a time', so I can assure you that the other hybrid specs will get taken care of in time. I personally find this whole reaction ridiculous because it: A) Presupposes that these hybrid builds give a more unique gameplay experience than the ones which are now being better enabled. B) Places more value on these builds because they're 'unique' when any forum reader knows exactly what you mean when you say '23/0/18' or '24/17' because they're just as rote specs as any of the others.

Try to get into a normal mode Eternity Vault run instead of 50 FPs. I know that sounds backwards, but difficulty is actually: Flashpoints -> Operations -> Hard Mode Flashpoints -> Hard Mode Operations -> Nightmare Mode Operations. However, gear progression is: Flashpoints --> HM Flashpoints --> Operations --> HM Ops --> NM Ops Eternity Vault is really easy and you can basically skip HM Flashpoints except to shore up a few holes in your gear.

I wouldn't go quite that far, but I would recommend sticking with the PvE build if you want to do any PvE, at least until you've overgeared. At this point I don't intend to spend any significant amount of time doing operations. This question's come up enough recently I'll address it in the next update of the sticky.

There are arguments to be made for Ward and Shield Generators such that I won't think less of someone who specs and gears that way. I framed a scenario to make the comparison look extra bad, in part because I don't really want to do a mathematical look at everything. (As it was, that was extensive napkin math.) But I'm strong enough of this opinion that I won't ever recommend it without significant changes to the system as it stands.

Considering that GZ has mentioned that they intend to give a small buff to Guardian DPS soon...

I use 4pSurv with crit and surge mods mostly, though I'm hitting the point at which I don't really want to actively hunt out either anymore; I have just under +30% crit damage from Surge Rating going to +50% with my adrenals, and I sit at around a 33% crit chance (40% Crit chance being my absolute limit, because any higher and I start clipping the benefit of Potency on TK Throw.) It's very expensive, I've probably spent over a million credits trying out new mods and such. No, because I just showed the math on the damage output you lost relative to the survivability you gained. The only situation in which I would really say 'go for it!' is if you can guarantee that you have a pocket healer and you're always going to be a focal point of attacks in WZes. (e.g. you have the ball most of the time in Huttball, you and your healer are the only defenders at a point regularly in VS and CW, etc.). As a very mobile, high damage tank with a pull, one of your critical missions is going to be castrating their support by yanking their healers away and pummeling them. It is not your only mission or you wouldn't be a tank, but it is an important one. Your defensive stats are particularly non-contributory for that purpose.

I do not do Ops but very casually. I would either farm money for respeccing if I did, or stick with the PvE spec as the PvE spec is better at PvP than the PvP spec is at PvE.

I main a Shadow. Sage and Sorc aren't OP, they're annoying; there is a significant difference. A good Shadow or Sentinel (and Scoundrel prenerf, not sure about post-nerf) going head to head with a Sage rips them up, and they get destroyed when focused the easiest of the healers, as they can neither vanish (and continue to have their heals contribute to the group the same way the Scoundrel can, which is more HoT based) nor do they have the insane defensive CDs under fire of the Commando. Force Armor is a fantastic ability, don't get me wrong, but it does not compare as far as a solo-defensive CD. In short, the developers don't nerf based on rage, they nerf based on how things actually work in play. Sages and Sorcerers have very noticeable attacks and their utility is extremely annoying. That doesn't make them OP, not when I know I can gun for one every single time and destroy them unless they get significant support.

Shield also doesn't work on any critical hits, for starters. So when people are running around with 33% crit, it greater reduces the chance of things that proc shield. Kinetic Ward requires you to spend an extra bind, and costs more Force than it returns unless you're hit with ~20 attacks that are shield eligible in 20 seconds. (Such as, for example, an Infiltration Shadow spamming Clairvoyant Strike for 10 out of her 13 GCDs in that space of time... absolutely none of those must crit, so really you need at least two people attacking you.) Kin is certainly high Force consumption with the 30 Force Slow Time and the 39 Force Project. Not to mention that you lose 200 or so Force Power while carrying a shield gen instead of a focus. That's about 50 damage on Project or Slow Time, and around 600 damage on a fully charged TK Throw. By comparison, while holding a shield generator and using Kinetic Ward, you decrease your incoming damage per second by... let's say 35% shield chance to reduce 20% damage, reduce by half for non-weapon damage attacks and then reduce again by a third for crits... 12% chance to reduce damage by 20%. Out of 16,000 damage you take, you've negated 380 damage. A single fully charged TK Throw is dealing almost double the extra damage you managed to negate that way. And that's not adding up all the damage to Slow Time, Project, C. Tech's passive, Breach... Vanguards and possibly Guardians (still learning them) run around with shields anyway because they have a significantly larger portion of their offense predicated on being hit. They are classes designed to tank that have 2 DPS trees. The Shadow is a DPS class with a tank tree. I can DPS HMs in tank stance, though I run a risk of drawing threat; Vanguards and Guardians can't claim the same.

I handle that by blowing my defensive CDs earlier in the fight, particularly resilience. Running away during Guarded by the Force is certainly also an option, but I generally prefer to take the late-game CC to avoid the possibility of them getting healing aid or escaping themselves. It's rare anyone lives long enough for a third throw unless we're well past a 1v1 match-up, and considering how fast the first two ticks get through, Sents don't have a lot of options about it.

Hehe. It's always reassuring to know you're not some crazy half-wit, I was pretty uncertain when I decided to skip K. Ward initially. Yeah, it's the heal and damage from C. Tech. Very nice benefit there.

Hm? No, I skip a shield entirely for PvP. That's why I don't take K. Ward.

I actually would advise the opposite. Chain CC at about a third their health or a little less (adjust based on how hard you're hitting them) - Guarded by the Force cuts their remaining health by half and gives them 99% damage reduction for 5 seconds, so what you want to do is keep them locked out of being able to cast it in the sweet spot, which is about 20% of their remaining health. They cast it much earlier, they're hurting themselves more than they're helping themselves; they cast it much later, and it won't be sufficient to keep them alive.