Except, its TDM...and that gets really silly boring after the first month without objective play. Plus, you can queue solo and get the same coms without being concerned about stacked competition and just rely on the 50% chance your team is better/worse than the other team. I'll miss kickball nights and PvP guilds.

Don't be frustrated. Opinions are like (bleep), everyone has one - but in this case, it's due to the game design. Most of the lower level content (Read: Pre 55hm FPs, Ops, 55 PvP) is designed around you playing whatever you want. Sure, some specs (mostly hybrids) will take longer to kill stuff, but it is doable even in the worst specs. So in the end - as long as your gear is appropriate, it shouldn't matter what spec you play, or what rotation you use if you're just soloing your storyline/planet quests. It's good game design - you can play what you want, how you want, and still win. Enjoy it. Want the best bang for your buck? Read Oofalong's Watchman/Anni guide. Read KBN's Combat/Carnage Guide. Rage/Focus is really easy to figure out but if you feel lost or need confirmation ask. Respec to whatever you want, play it. Head back to the fleet. Respec again. Repeat as necessary until you find out what is fun and works FOR YOU, and enjoy the game. Example: -I liked Combat/Carnage for leveling up the most. It's good single target damage with short burst (high numbers in short fights) -Watchman/Anni works well too, and I enjoy it in end game PvE. It's not as bursty, but does more damage over long fights. -Rage/Focus is awesome in PvP, and great for clearing out groups of mobs. -I feel you don't need the high AoE damage prior to 50, as the groups of mobs aren't high enough HP or hard enough to warrant the large AOE damage. I'd rather have the higher single target damage to kill the Elite and Boss mobs easier. Thats what I experienced, and how I chose to play. Other people will really like Watchman/Anni. Others love Focus/Rage. Were all right. Play the game how you want to, and enjoy it. Heck, learn to play all three (I did) and play what you enjoy and are good at in the places you like doing it (PvP, Solo, FPs, Ops, Etc...)

Megatfx is right on. I wasted a lot of wz coms experimenting with accuracy on my Sent. Slotting accuracy was a loss in dps for warzones.

What determines a role spec in full? 10 points in a tree? 20? 36+? Is it the level of the tree attained? I'm curious given the option to run hybrids, and the potential for abusing role classifications.

I thought of another good question: If I read it correctly, Arenas are being included in the "Regular" queue, and not an option. Lets say people end up disliking Arenas, but still love objective based warzones. What happens when someone quits an Arena, given the population of the team itself is now of total importance instead of objectives? Does the match stall, or are we going to be seeing 4v3 and 4v2 matches? If there is backfill - if someone backfills into a round, do they count as a "man standing"? (Background: People quit huttball as they queue in like crazy on BC. I can see the same happening for arenas, even if by a different crowd.)

Read up on the class/class rep discussions, it points out all of the faults with Anni/Watchman quite well in PvP. PvE it's fun, especially when you get the optimal rotation down (Check out Oof's stuff).

I've tried similar: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#101GMoMzZcGMRrhbdGG.3 (Pretty sure this was it) The loss of shatter (both damage and being able to proc destroyer) hurts the damage capability. PvE wise (since the guy asked) the survivability isn't really a huge difference (or wanted/needed) for Ops or FPs, but it would be fine for soloing. I did a bit of makeb in it, but really full tank with a DPS companion or Smash with a heal companion was better. Much like Maras, there really isnt a decent hybrid that works as well or nearly as well as a full tree. BW did a great job of balancing the trees for these two classes.

No more ranked 8v8s, and ranked Arenas can be queued solo. Peace out, PvP guilds. Was fun while we had a reason to do so.

I believe this is specifically the concern multiple class reps will have. BH/Troopers are mostly unwanted for the current warzones, I'd hate to see the situation get worse. The other classes have at least 1 viable/wanted spec - however for arenas, I see this dwindling. I definitely implore your team to work on this soon. Even if its 1 healer slot, maximum 2 healer slots, it would rapidly fix many frustrations (Tank is nice, but truly optional - also not well understood how to play by most people in tank spec). Is there some sort of fruit basket or cake we can send your office to get this accomplished faster? Well in this case, my concern is not for the gas killing the sins, but more of the other team being unable to kill the tank sins before the tank sins and the gas kill them. Has this been well experimented with?

Last question: -If I respec outside of a warzone, and leave all of the points unspent - can I spend the points in a warzone? (Sins commonly do this more than other classes)

I'm sad to see ranked warzones go. I'm kinda enjoying them, as it really tests the strength of the individual and the group, as opposed to who you get grouped with you randomly determining a win or loss. -If the test server finds that certain builds or classes are unwanted for Arenas, do you plan to address that? -I may have read this wrong, but since arenas are being queued by roles, is there the possibility to have normal warzones queue by roles? -In your testing with the toxic gas, has anyone been able to send in a group of tank build sins, and wait it out at the center, and beat other classes by sheer HP amount and knocking the other team back into the gas?

Kinda figured someone else would get to this more in depth, but ah well. Taking nothing for granted: -Don't use enraged defense. -Taunt, Smash, Crushing Blow, Retaliation, Backhand, Sweeping Slash. Last time I did a calc (like 2? months ago now) I came up with that sweeping slash with both decimate and single saber mastery was a better single target taunt than the other slash options (Especially with the reduced rage taken into account). -AoE Taunt (or any taunt) + Saber Reflect -Space out your Defensive CDs as needed, don't stack them unless necessary (Which is super duper rare). This can include force scream - but personally I just blow force scream as it's proc'ed. Always combo saber reflect with an aoe grab where viable. -Don't start out with a Defensive CD, save them for the right time. -Rotate in choke where you can, ravage is nice but almost unnecessary unless you're sure on your aggro. -Remind your DPS and healers to use their aggro reducers. -Guard a DPS (Usually the Mara because they'll be in range) -Use retaliation every time it comes up *Intercede a DPS or Healer that is being a problem. This should never have to happen save situations where everyone is dead but you and the other guy/gal. I believe that this: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#101RrRbddrkrkGzZcMMZb.3 is a basic all around. I know many who switch out the 6% for the accuracy, however 3% accuracy compared to that much better aggro from damage I don't think is a correct tradeoff. Thrown Gauntlet and Rule of Two is almost interchangeable. That last point can go anywhere you want. My rule is: If the healers have aggro, the DPS suck. If the DPS have aggro, the Tanks suck. If the Tanks are dead, the Healers suck. I haven't done NIM but so far 55hm anything (FP or Ops) with 66-69 grade tank gear I don't lose aggro unless I'm screwing up (not hitting aggro skills when they come off CD) or dead. Towards Juggs not being good at AOE aggro - its because most juggs have forgotten where their sweeping slash is, and don't tab target choke and backhand on off mobs enough. Smash+Crushing blow like the guy said above. My thought is that Juggs are amazing at single target derp faceroll tanking, but it takes more effort to AOE taunt than the other classes.

I can. I have both, and play in a ranked team that has both. I also play regz with them as well. Smash Mara: Better survival, more shockwave proc'ed smashes, better rage resources. Option to respec as Combat where needed. Smash Jugg: Taunts/slows/Intercede [Think huttball more than the % damage reduction and heal], Push combo, higher normal spike on smash, single target armor debuff. No real reason to ever respec as immortal, but can respec as tank to turtle if you have the gear as well. They both work, but in terms of overall more-often smash dps with better survival the mara is better. Predation helps a lot in some scenarios. Rage jugg tho honestly does about the same overall damage. Most will want the Mara over the Jugg due to the higher level of survivability. Push combo is great for separating tanks and healers however.

There is preferred status. I'm not jumping over her. I'm jumping over the people who claim to be good, yet suggest using noxxic. Noxic is seriously to blame why I see so many people running around in crap optimized gear, bad specs, and bad rotations. I've flat out asked people whom I give help to throughout the evening (2+ times an evening) and the most often specific source answer of where they heard X wrong thing from - it's noxic. Quick answer: The forums. Long answer:

Just flying in to say: STOP USING NOXIC. Their stat priorities are wrong, as is their rotations. I'm surprised their talent build is worth a damn. Seriously, stay away from Noxic with all classes. And those of you recommending Noxic - Shame on you. There's plenty of forum posts that explain everything Noxic does not only better, but correctly. The fact you said this means you're F2P. Ensure you do your heroic, FP, and PvP dailies and it's not so bad. Do the planetary bonus missions as well.

Confirmed. I abandoned and re-picked up the quest, ran the dailies and both FPs again, and it completed fine.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=659058 Always troll/read both forums for your class (Sentinel/Marauder in this case). Same class, different names.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=668966

I'll keep updating daily until I max my weekly rep. Day 1: Grouped No Companions Not PvP Flagged All of the Czerka Dailies/Weeklies, yes they did count as credit (I did the HM FPs). Day 2: Ungrouped Companion was out PvP Flagged I did JUST this daily and handed it in to test, hoping I'd get lucky. Day 3: Grouped Companion out Not PvP flagged Turned in all quests Not wearing pants

Oh yea, and you and I agree when it comes to comparing to other classes. Just in comparison of Focus/Rage to Combat/Carnage, that is where I take issue. In terms of 4-10 cc/immob to death issues, I believe the Camo spec is supposed to be the balance to Obliterate, but yea it's not equivalent. Needs work, but I cannot agree that its complete and utter crap all around vs Focus/Rage. I see it, I play it, and just don't have the same results you do. Even on Bastion (although that server has its own set of speshul issues). Edit to your edit on Sniper vs Carnage Mara: Always take the sniper. The class is better at it. No arguments there. Even my two buddies who love Combat/Carnage would agree with that. Rage vs Carnage: If you're the only mara there, Rage. If there is already a Rage or two, 1 in Carnage can work very well.

Mostly your damage output in Carnage comments. I posted somewhere else that the majority of people sucking damage wise in Carnage/Combat is due to making poor choices how, when, and where to unload in the spec in PvP, along with playing to its other strengths in PvP. Not to mention, combat spec really isn't about putting up big numbers as it is being able to burst people down quickly, which when its single target rarely shows anything meaningful on the scoredboard unless you look at kill shots and solo kills (Which focus/rage tends to get a lot of kill shots, but usually through some wasted damage on the sweep). Don't get me wrong, it could use some help in comparison to snipers, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. I think it's just being utilized poorly by people (like using Focus for single target damage...it can do that, but thats not where it shines). There is two combat sents I reg with a lot, both play ranked. I play mostly focus, and I also play ranked. In regz, they do comparative damage because they utilize the spec where it should be utilized, or they do no where near the damage I'm doing because I'm doing massive aoe damage to the main group while they're off stalling people, taking nodes, solo killing, and defending nodes. Diff style.

Zero complaints outta 50+ FPs and 10 or so Ops - all PuGs cause my jugg is unguilded. Even with average healers (As long as they have the appropriate gear) it's a breeze if you actually optimized your tank gear. I went a whole athiss with just bubbles (and puddles on each boss) once, and thats in 66/69 gear. The Sorc said he had a great time DDing. It is possible I got lucky with healers, but even on my Sent it seems that it's the tanks that suck, not the healers. Really I have to ask at times, what's the tank waiting for? Is he/she tying his shoes irl and getting a sandwich or what? I can't fathom a reason to take even more than 10 seconds between pulls even counting resource regen.

I'm an impatient tank who now plays a DD. I hate slow tanks. You want an impatient tank who keeps going till people scream. Easily knocks 25% of the downtime off Ops and FPs. This.

Although I find it hard to agree with a lot of your posts, this part of this post is spot on for a good chunk of the details in examining the difference between a sniper and a mara. I really don't think most people realize how much a sniper can do.

Spoilered cause Im wordy today.