Yep, exactly. Again, as I stated before in my post, this is one of the biggest reasons why marauders have the best defensive cooldowns. Most of their cooldowns are damage reduction based and will therefore provide the same protection no matter if it's yellow or white. Therefore it can't be countered by using a different damage type. Another has protection against both, though the protection for yellow damage is a bit less. And then they can completely nuke the white damage of their enemy with an accuracy debuff called obsfucate. Even though they don't have self heals, their cooldowns offer very very good and well rounded protection with almost all of them. If I had more time, and the willingness to do it, I would write out a list of all the defensive cooldowns in the game and say what they protect against and how to counter them (if there is an actual counter). That would take forever though. One of these days...

No problem. Yeah damage types are some of the most important things to know as it really helps you to know what defensive cooldowns to use when and against who and also how to counter those cooldown.

There are 4 main damage types: melee, range, force, and tech. White damage = melee and range Yellow damage = force and tech. Note that force is exclusive to force using classes, and tech is exclusive to tech classes (agents, troopers, bounty hunters, smugglers). Melee and range are not exclusive. When you attack someone damage numbers will pop up. If they pop up as white you are using melee or ranged attacks. When they pop up as yellow you are using force or tech attacks. Generally channeled attacks from snipers and mercs are ranged. Dots from either are generally tech. Usually time bombs are tech (i.e. Thermal detonator, explosive probe, volatile substance). CC abilities are also force or tech for the most part and thus fit in the yellow category even if damage numbers don't pop up (i.e. Flashbang). Sorcs and concealment operatives are basically solely yellow damage because they are completely either force or tech. Marksmanship snipers are basically solely range damage hence they only really do white damage. Virulence and engineering have a mix of range and tech attacks. IO and arsenal mercs have a mix of range and tech attacks. Most specs of most classes have a decent mix of white or yellow damage, which is nice because many defensive cooldowns target either white or yellow damage. The best examples of this is evasion on operatives and force shroud on assassins. Force shroud provides complete protection from force and tech attacks (yellow damage) as well as cc, but no protection against white damage. Evasion on the other hand provides complete protection against melee and ranged damage (white damage), but no protection against yellow damage and thus no protection against cc. Thus MM snipers can still do a hella lot of damage to sins with shroud, but not to ops with evasion. Granted they both have other cooldowns, but you get the idea. Some cooldowns protect against both types like saber ward, and some protect against sub types of damage like saber reflect (which protects against force, tech, and ranged, but not melee). A lot of the rng based defenses protect against white damage (i.e. Deflection) and then there are straight up damage reduction cooldowns that don't care about damage type (undying rage, camo, cloak of pain, invincible). If you noticed the first three I mentioned that don't care about damage types are from marauders. Marauders also have saber ward, which has high white damage protection and moderate yellow damage protection. They also have one very high white damage protection cooldown. This is one reason why marauders have the best defensive cooldowns, because they can't be countered by using a different damage type, whereas most others can. The visa versa is true with damage. Generally classes with a good mix of white and yellow damage can counter defensive cooldowns better. So it is extremely important to know what type of damage each of your attacks are and what types of damage each defense protects against.

No there would be infinite respawns. First team to a certain number of kills wins.

Actually wouldn't need to restrict heals as they wouldn't get any kills and would this lose. Sure they may not die, but they won't win.

I wouldn't mind a different game mode. Yeah objectives are fun and all, but they get boring. Arena is the only team death match and it can get boring too. I'd like a slayer type map where it is team death match, but players respawn until a kill total is reached (maybe 100 or so depending on team size). I'd also like this map to allow for more than two teams. For example 8 teams of 2 would be awesome, as would 4 teams of 4. Or just all against all would be great too. This would keep me entertained for a while I'm sure. Maps like original huttball, proving grounds, and queshball would be good for this game type with more spawn points of course. The more I think about it the more fun it sounds to me. It would also make tank+heal combo less desirable. Yeah they would survive better, but not kill as much. As kills are what count toward winning and not lack of deaths it would incentivize a different strategy. And I really would like facing off against multiple teams. I would especially love the 8 teams of 2. Queue with one friend and see how you do against other duos.

Hmm. Another it depends answer. It really comes down to how fast you can adapt. The cover mechanic is different than anything else on the game. So that's one facet. Another facet is to know where to go into cover to give you the best range of fire whilst still having somewhere to escape. It can be difficult, but it is something that will help you on other classes as well. Positioning is important for all, but very very important for snipers. It takes a lot of practice. It also takes knowing where people like to line of sight you and knowing how your defenses work. For example I don't like positioning myself with a wall or pillar right behind me because that makes cover pulse useless for getting rid of people behind. I don't mind small obstacles in front of me (natural cover) though. I like to have as wide a field of fire as possible and be close enough to pillars that I can spam suppressive fire around to get the people who are pillar humping. Just takes practice is all. But the cover mechanic adds a bit of complexity to it. It is very rewarding when you get it down though.

No problem. Both are very fun. If you have more specific questions or scenarios just post them and we will answer.

You don't really use plasma probe for damage honestly. You use it so you can stun someone who has interrogation probe on with emp discharge. But moreso it is used for area denial and control. It is spammable and has a nice slow on it. Engineering snipers are great for area denial and trolling people with the slow on plasma probe. I remember playing a huttball against a team with 2 engineering snipers who spammed plasma probe on and in front of the ball carrier the whole time and it was killer because of the slow. Engineering is honestly the most fun of all three specs, but the hardest to perform well with. That said, when you stack plasma probe, orbital strike, and suppressive fire on a large group you have some pretty tasty aoe damage going.

Yeah, I'm not sure how he got that one wrong.

Both will suffer in solo ranked where their isn't very good teamwork usually and trinity isnt enforced. I'd give the edge to snipers in team though, but either would do fine with good team and trinity support. Both are perfectly fine in regs.

This is a "it depends" answer. Merc is going to be more similar to sorc than sniper is so you may have an easier time with Merc. Sorcs have healing as do mercs. Sorcs and mercs are both more mobile than snipers. One hard thing you have to come to grips with if you choose sniper is getting really good at positioning and using cover and also not having self heals. Both snipers and mercs do excellent damage. If you were straight up face tanking one the sniper would win. Snipers have good protection from leapers because they can't be leap to in cover. Nor can they be interrupted in cover. They also have a very powerful ability called entrench, which gives them cc immunity for 20 seconds. Note entrench is only active while you are in cover. Snipers have some nice defenses between entrench, evasion, diversion, shield probe, covered escape, and their cc. Most people don't seem to realize that sniper roll is similar to concealment operatives roll in that it dodges attacks. But snipers can still get burned down fast if they aren't good at positioning. Snipers have a burst spec (marksmanship), bursty control aoe hybrid spec (engineering), and a dot/delayed burst spec (virulence). All three are good, but most do marksmanship because it is the easiest to perform well with. The biggest disadvantage to marksmanship is that it is purely white damage, while the other two specs have a nice mix between white and yellow damage. Mercs advantages are that they are more mobile and have healing to supplement their fairly weak defenses. Mercs have a burst spec (arsenal) and a dot/delayed burst spec (innovative ordinance) as well as a healing spec (bodyguard). The key to doing well on a meecenary is to get really good at kiting and positioning. Mercenaries also have a very nice mix between yellow and white damage so one defense won't completely shut down your damage unless it is something like undying rage. Mercenaries main defenses really are kiting and healing because their actual cooldowns won't really save you in a pinch, whereas snipers defenses can, but snipers don't have the longevity that heals have the potential of giving you. Mercenaries also have electro net, which is very nice for taking out sorcs and concealment operatives. I think both classes are extremely fun, but have different play styles. I'd suggest doing both. Probably start with Merc as they are more similar to sorcs than snipers are and hen move on to sniper. Or if you want a bigger change of pace start with sniper, but eventually do both.

I think it would be a good idea. Focus trauma and then focus burst them. It would the counter to someone being guarded and focus healed. The trauma should be a dedicated ability and not baked into a different attack, but should be stackable. Maybe 25% for 1 stack, 40% for 2 stacks, and max out at 50% for 3 stacks. That would be great. Another change should be to revert interrupt cooldowns. Should be able to interrupt more often, especially with all the interrupt immunity that some have. Also it would be interesting if there was a trauma counterpart that was only useable on targets being guarded and it reduced the effectiveness of guard instead. That could be interesting. Or if there was a move that could break guard for like 4-6 seconds.

Pretty much

Mercs are good in regs and where they have team support. Mercs can be good in 1v1. But you aren't going to be able to convince many that juggs defenses aren't very strong. Sure I do agree that marauders are better, but I've said that before in several threads. Save marauders, juggs have the strongest defenses. They also have decent control and good damage. You seem to severely downplay a juggs strengths and overstate other classes strengths and understand their weaknesses. I have beat many juggs 1v1 as a Merc, but they aren't face tanking a jugg. It requires kiting and healing if the jugg is any good. But a Merc getting ganked doesn't have nearly the tools a jugg does. And I'm fine with that because a jugg is melee and mercs are not. I don't think mercs should have cooldowns like that personally. But you have to admit that juggs are still a strong class regardless of what the worthless leaderboards say. Also, a great many juggs are shanks because they are very powerful. Just like a great many sorcs are healers are very powerful. Just because there is a weaker version of each does not downplay how strong those two are. Chances are if you face a jugg in pvp it is going to be a shank, which is stronger than either dps spec or tank spec in tank mitigation gear.

Yes most teams don't do team work very well. That's why players have to become self sufficient. The single most important skill to get good at as a Merc (and some other class) is kiting. Kiting is usually what sets apart the good from the inexperienced. If you are exceptional at kiting you will prevent yourself from dying that many times. Honestly, it just sounds like you need more practice. I was better in 2.0 than I was in 1.0. I was better in 3.0 than I was in 2.0. I'm better now than I was in 3.0. It all comes down to practice. I used to die more often, but now not so much. Only time I die is when several people gang up on me and I am unable to escape. Getting good at single encounters will deter people from hunting you. Getting good at kiting will help in single encounters and in gank situations. Positioning is so important. Run around next to the sorcs on your team. Even if they aren't helping you at all it will deter people from attacking you because people will think the sorc is helping you. Always know where to go to escape. Just takes a lot of practice. One more piece of advice that I give to ALL players: level up and play all classes and all specs in pvp. It will help you identify each specs strengths and weaknesses better than anything else you can do.

Oh I have my opinions on cc as well. Cc should be dedicated abilities and not baked into attacks and rotations. At the very least. Also ALL cc should both add to and respect resolve.

The thing is you don't have to worry about using your breaker on a sorc as you already have two other ways to escape cc. All other classes have to be more concerned with cc. Some are able to use cooldowns while stunned. And let's be clear, those should not be able to be used while stunned either.

Yes, all three of them should be given a special title or something. Not sure what the title would say though. Something good though.

No, such thing as stun-lock unless multiple enemies are focusing down 1 person with coordinated cc and burst. That is how it should be. Unless you have 3+ people on someone they won't die in a single stun 99% of the time anyway. So, if someone breaks the first stun they deserve to be stun-locked. Coordinated cc and burst is completely countered by only barrier and phase walk. Even enraged defense doesn't do as well. Afraid to actually pay attention to resolve and use stun breaker properly?

I would enjoy the unpredictability that could arise from being able to respec whenever in a warzone though. It could be fun. Would be hard to balance roles though unless the teams did it themselves. Hence I could see an issue.

No, no, no. Absolutely not. Hell no. This "useable while stunned" stupidity needs to end. Same with the stupid "cc immunity" crap.

You don't have to do hardly anything to get valor in a warzone. I've seen people who tout high valor level who only play one class and who aren't good at it. Valor truly is meaningless. Pvp achievements is a bit better of an indicator as you actually have to do certain things, but even that doesn't always indicate if a player is good or not. I respect that you have your own opinion though so we will just have to agree to disagree on valor.

Cretinus didn't you see my post about how to defeat tank + heals in the sorcs a tiny bit too powerful thread? I mean sorcs really NEED all their tools. In fact I think guard should absorb 100% of damage (only when guarding sorc healers of course), but only transfer 25% of it to the tank. That would put tank + heals on par with dps. Oh and roaming mend should be useable while stunned.

Honestly id be content if they just fixed it to where those abilities could not be used while stunned. I don't think it would make them worse than operatives, but we can agree to disagree on that front. I have stated in other threads that I don't think anything should be useable while stunned except for the stun breaker on any class or spec.