I suppose I should clarify where I originally got this line of thought from. From an "Ask the Authors" with Aaron Allston and Timothy Zahn from back in 2011 (It starts around 7:50) Zahn: "I had probably a two hour discussion once with a couple of the West End Games guys back during the Thrawn Trilogy when they where still doing the role playing game, trying to figure out how hyperdrive worked. And, one suggestion was: You get yourself into hyperspace and then you have to decelerate out. And the problem with that is that if you Have to decelerate out as opposed to it happening automatically, you have a railgun you have a Mass Driver, you don't need a Death Star, you just send that asteroid into hyperspace, not decelerate it and have it run into Alderaan at 0.9C or whatever it comes out at and you got your weapon of choice. And it's free. The fact it never happened in the movies means it can't happen, and so that's not how hyperdrive works." So while Zahn's works isn't part of the same universe anymore, his logic remains the same.

-Yes I know the devs will never listen to any ideas that we come up with. This is a sort of for-fun thread to see if us forum-goers can "create" a balance in all the healer specs- Sorc healers right now are outperforming Operatives, and Operatives are outperforming Mercenaries in healing right now. That is a given fact we have known for a while now. If you for some reason think that all three healers are perfectly balanced, just ignore this thread. The question is how should the devs fix this problem? The way I see it, there can be two paths to achieve balance in the healing classes. Option A: Buff operatives a little, and mercenaries a lot in order to bring them to the level of sorcs OR Option B: Buff mercenaries, and nerf sorcs in order to bring them to the level of operatives This original post will focus on option A, since I personally believe that would be for the best to achieve balance among the healers. The way I see it, -Mercs should be best best at single target, and burst healing, but bad at AOE group healing -Operatives should be awesome at AOE heals, but should lack heavy single target burst -Sorcs should be somewhat in the middle, sort of a "Jack of all trades, but a master of none" So lets get down to my proposed changes to operatives and mercenaries in order to make them balanced with sorcs. Operatives -Kolto Probe and Recuperative Nanotech both needs a buff. I can't tell you the exact amount but using the calculations done by aristrokratie: There needs to be some sort of buff to Operative's HoT's. -Some healing should be moved from Kolto Injection to Surgical Probe. -The initial healing for Kolto Infusion should be lowered, but the HoT part of it should be buffed. -Kolto Waves suffers from the same problem that the Sorc AOE heal of fun does... No One Stays Still In Pvp So Kolto Waves should have it's duration cut in half, but it should keep the same HPS that it does now, (Maybe even a slight buff) the heals that are lost from Kolto Waves is then free to go into Kolto Probe and Recuperative Nanotech. Mercenaries Mercenaries right now suffer from poor heat management, and an vulnerability to being interrupted/stunned during their burst period. There are two paths I see that could be taken to buffing mercenaries, but first I'll go over some changes that should be made to the class regardless. -There should be an ability (Maybe add it on to the level 64 ability) that goes something like "Every time Kolto Shell critically heals a target, you gain one charge of Supercharged Gas. This can not occur more than once every 3 seconds" This will allow mercs to have their burst period up sooner without relying on an expensive heal to do it for them. -Kolto Boosters should be redesigned (lv 60 ability) It should be: Every time you build (or refresh) a charge of Supercharged gas, you vent 1 heat. Also the heat generated by Kolto Missile is reduced by 10, and Kolto Shell's critical chance is increased by 5%. This will help with heat management. -IMPORTANT: The 6 piece set bonus should also increase the duration of the utility Supercharged Defense by 4 seconds as well. -Kolto Shell's heat cost should be reduced by 5 Now, as stated before, I see two paths mercs can take. Option 1: Mercs gain a lot more mobility, with less cast times. Option 2: Mercs gain extra passives that makes them very hard to shut down during their burst period. The changes that I would suggest for each: Option 1 -Every time you build a charge of supercharged gas, the active cooldown of Emergency Scan is reduced by 1 second. -Kolto Missile should have it's base heat cost be 15 instead of 20 (So with the lv 60 buff, it's only 10 heat). Also it should build a charge of supercharge. -Using Supercharged grants (no idea how many, probably 2) charges of Instaheal (Made up that name) which allows the next X Healing Scans to be casted while moving. -The cast time of Healing Scan should be reduced by .5 seconds, so that it is only a 1.5 second cast. Option 2: -activating supercharge grants (Something) that absorbs the next X stuns (Lasts 8 seconds, 12 with the 6 piece set bonus). It only stops hardstuns and mezzes. This is so that the merc is harder to stun when in his 'burst period" -Leaving extra space, since I ran out of ideas. In Conclusion Hopefully we can start an active discussion that brings in other ideas on how to balance the healing classes in this game. I do want to know how others think we should balance the classes. We complain about balance all the time. It's time we put some of that energy towards attempting to fix the problem, however slim our chances are of doing so.

I want to see a game with KOTOR (Or KOTOR 2's) Story, with Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy style gameplay, all with a modern engine and graphics. That would be awesome

1) Yes, but why would you bother to build a Superlaser on a mobile battle station if you could instead use that extra space to house more troops and ships, and resources if you had a different way to destroy planets? Or why didn't any rogue government threaten to drop asteroids on Coruscant if they didn't follow their demands? It's because the ability to drop ships out of hyperspace right on top of a planet doesn't exist, so they can't do that (NOTE: Yes the Expanded Universe has an explanation why the "Asteroid planet killer" doesn't exist. Before seeing the movie, I had assumed that the explanation was still in effect. But Han completely violated the explanation) 2) What Han did was manage not to crash into the planet. What the fictional asteroid planet killer would do is crash INTO the planet. MUCH Much easier.

Does that mean the Death Stars are just a waste of resources? Stay with me here, I'll try to not be too confusing. I saw TFA yesterday (A friend dragged me to see it), and one of the bigger problems I noticed is how Han managed to jump past Starkiller Bases's shield directly into the atmosphere. Now you may wonder why that is such a big deal, but think about it this way: If Han could do it, you bet someone else could do it also. So instead of a Death Star, all the Empire would need to destroy a planet would be a fairly large asteroid, and a hyperdrive. Just strap the hyperdrive onto the asteroid, program it to jump out of hyperspeed inside Alderaan's Atmosphere at .999C and alderaan is toast. No need for a super large and fancy Battlestation when you can spend a fraction of the resources on an hyperdrive. Now, the fact that no one has ever done that in Star Wars tells me that for whatever reason it is NOT possible to exit hyperspace right next to a planet. So what Han did was either impossible, or they just activated the powers of "Screw Continuity, we got movie logic!":cool: Or is there some fancy explanation that I missed that somehow explains how Han can do that, but no one else can?

Congratulations on getting a renewed interest in Star Wars! Just as a heads up, both Kotor and this game are a part of the "Expanded Universe" Which is now a different Universe than Episode 7 (Episode 1-6 are still a part of this universe). Of course, around 95%+ of Star Wars is a part of the Expanded Universe... so... Anyway, I would recomend that if you have never played Kotor and Kotor 2 to play those two games first, as this game takes place a few hundred years after the events in the Kotor series and there is a lot of references to it. (Like Taris & Darth Malak etc...) Plus the two kotor games have some of the best stories in Star Wars. If you want to continue the Star Wars story after you finish the two Kotor games, then SW:TOR is the game for you. (NOTE: When you play KOTOR 2, if you get it on the PC, make sure to download the TSLRCM, since KOTOR 2 was rushed to be finished, and people had to mod in a lot of the cut content. It's on the Steam Workshop, and on other Kotor 2 mod sites) Also, don't worry about people complaining about the amount of content coming out currently. Yes its really annoying, but as a new player you won't notice for maybe a year or 2 of playing.

I think he means with the Heroic Utility, which reduces the cooldown of Evasion by 3 seconds when attacked, with a rate limit of 1.5 seconds. But, still, for it to be 16 seconds, that means you have to be constantly attacked during the 16 seconds.

Jugs are easy to kill as a dps operative, since they are easy to kite. As for a healer, when there a jug in your face, to help stop their damage flat: -Evasion to stop ravage, Furious Strike, and to cleanse DoT's and slows. -Shield Probe (Like Always) is used on cooldown. -You can roll away from them easily, and run around a pillar kiting them. -Holotraverse to a friendly, OR if you are solo, roll away from them once, turn around holotraverse to them, and immediately roll behind them. That trick usually can confuse a melee person for a couple of seconds. -Also remember, the longer the fight lasts (At least as a dps), the more advantage you get, since you have constant offheals and they don't. The only jug spec I have trouble fighting against usually is tank jugs, since they can soak up a lot of damage, and crushing blow hurts.

Or just use the GSF Training match since it's instant

Might have been a scoundrel, I global a few today while they had E-net on them.

True, but at least I get the kill

Jug tank, Concealment or Lethality operative, deception assassins.

Operative is one of the funnest classes for "Regstars" because it is a very lone wolf sort of class, due to stealth, excellent mobility, and good offheals. It lacks in strong defensive (Besides Concealment's roll, which requires them to burn GCD's to be immune to damage for 1.5 seconds. They have to "trade" that GCD to survive instead of attacking. Lethality's roll gives a free heal, which burns even more GCD's while the healing tree only gets the 30% dodge chance to "White" damage abilities). Because of this, the dps specs of the class aren't well suited for the main battle. The difference between a bad operative and a good operative can be huge at times. I lost count of the amount of operative I see who don't know how to deal damage correctly, or don't know how to use the active defensives to their maximum effectiveness, but every once and a while, I go against a very good operative like Mosh, who is almost unkillable because they know how to play the class well. That said, players like that would do well on most classes, so it isn't just operatives who I see this on. Currently the best pvp specs are probably AP powertech for burst, Sorc healer for healing, and Madness sorc for top damage (Due to DoT spread). Operative and Assassin both are good for guarding/taking offnodes. Dps mercs are good if you let them freecast, Snipers are strong with team support (Which is rare without a premade) Both Jugs and Maras are in a pretty good place right now also, but maras usually need healers to work at their best. Oh and ignore my signature, It's a joke signature since Operative were very much overpowered at launch, and since have been nerfed in almost every patch that contains balance changes.

Kyle Katarn

So I guess the OP is talking about OPs being Op

It came with 4.0, but they broke more stuff the other day.

The early 2.0 era with Operative Healers being significantly better than the other 2 healers? (Might have been before 2.0 also, but I only really started pvping a bit after 2.0) Or currently with Sorc healers being significantly better than the other 2 healers?

Huge bump just because I wish they would get around to making new warzone maps.

True, I was wondering why I was never dieing

Dist'rak'basku Mercenary Warzone Total healing: 5,837,945 Link

If you want a good dueling class, try out Lethality Operative. It's a lot of fun once you know how to play it.

I'll get the popcorn

I like the changes that you have so far, though I would also add that Enduring Bastion only applies for Lightning sorcs, as I don't feel that madness or healing needs it anymore. As for Mercs, the biggest problems they have is: -Reliance of casted abilities makes them easy to interrupt -Heat manage is a real pain, with some abilties not being work it to use often -The burst period's cooldown can be very staggered. My proposed fixes to the class: -Kolto Missile's initial cost is reduced by 5, from 20 to 15. So at max level KM will only take 10 heat to use. -Remove the lv 60 ability (Kolto Shots vents 1 heat, 2 on a crit) with: Every time you build or refresh a stack of Supercharge, you vent one heat. -Remove the lv 64 ability, and roll the 5% heals increases into the heals when you first get them, instead have: When Kolto Shell heals a target, you have a 20% change to build one stack of Supercharge. This cannot occur more than once every 3 seconds.

But if we assume all the people on the leaderboards had 2 tanks and 2 healers, it would still be the same basis for comparison.

There is a problem of Sorc healers being far above the ops/mercs, and merc heals being far below sorcs/ops. If you don't believe this is true, have some numbers from the Harbinger Leaderboards: Overall Healing - Operative and Scoundrel Overall Healing - Mercenary and Commando Overall Healing - Sage and Sorcerer. In overall healing Mercs<Operatives<Sorcs. The top merc healing is below the bottom sorc heals. That isn't balanced. Healing Per Second - Operative and Scoundrel Healing Per Second - Mercenary and Commando Healing Per Second - Sage and Sorcerer Same thing as before in overall healing, mercs don't get anywere close to sorc heals. The question we should be asking is: -Should we boost Operative and merc heals to equal sorc heals? -Or should we nerf sorc heals, and buff merc heals in order to bring them in line with operatives.