Can you address our concerns?

[Logisitcs]

1) I'll concede the point. Please note that the only thing that I am conceding is that you did not contradict the very guide you linked. :hands you Visine:

2) I wasn't suggesting that you had stated that JK CC was fine, I was just pointing out that BH was better in every way. Except, I didn't sign up to play SW:TOR for the Bounty Hunter class.

3) Again, it's a comparatively busy playstyle just to handle trash, while a different class that engaged at the same time would already be setting up for the next group.

 

But that's because Bounty Hunters shine at AOE whereas JK shine in single target....

of course they're going to handle trash much better

[HaleTheFreeVoice]

i love how just because we have the right to appeal our criticism that make us whiners. because its not like more then half the players are having the same problems and have been proven....

[Nvikki]

But that's because Bounty Hunters shine at AOE whereas JK shine in single target....

of course they're going to handle trash much better

 

I do agree with your concept of role, but I don't think JK's do theirs as well as BH's. I'm also unsure as to whether I can stand behind your statement that Sents put up higher ST dps than a BH. It may be true in standard fights that aren't very mobile, but in a mobile fight, the BH doesn't have to move as often. Please note that I'm counting damage auras and extreme AoE's as constituting a mobile fight, because the JK will have to move much more than the BH.

 

One of my major complaints was that JK's don't get much to compensate for that additional downtime while moving. I'm also not sure if enough AoE doesn't make ST damage moot in most situations, aside from high health boss fights.

[derfnose]

Too many issues with this class for my personal taste. Between the class, game bugs and current class balance right now, i have lost all hope for JK/SW. Even after the difficulties of leveing to 50, and trying the Heroics i have just been left with a sour taste for SWTOR.

 

BH has rekindled the hope and awe a minor amount, but still leaves me wanting to unsub very soon. A class shouldn't be this broken after months of beta.

 

Bioware should have spent more time polishing the game rather than testing completely different Builds during Beta.

 

Just to point this out, current Thread related to SW bugs, might help you guys...and no Yellows in this thread either.

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=128884

[WaywardOne]

I've seen it in countless game balance threads. No matter how black-and-white-valid a complaint or concern turns out to have been (swords in AC1 - most expensive skill least dps, warriors in pvp in EQ1, rogues too much in Wow, Blademasters weak in DAOC, etc.), there's alway a bunch that have argued vehemently otherwise. It doesn't really mean anything.

 

I'm sure BW will look at JKs regardless of the "I'm an awesome player and the class is fine if you l2p" posts. But I doubt they'll be saying much until they know what they're going to do which probably won't be for at least a few weeks if not longer.

[Game_Hermit]

I dunno i seem a little out of place here.

 

My 45 Guardian Defense Spec, feels like a god.

 

5 regular mobs is maybe a tough fight.

 

A trooper could 1 shot them all at the time.

[cozzE]

I feel there are way too many posters here commenting on PvP balance who're way too inexperienced to do so.

 

The class is actually pretty solid at the moment with good gear and does great damage. The only thing missing is probably one stun. Sentinels are NOT supposed to be a class with an incredible amount of utility like you guys kick and scream for - we have great synergy with pocket healers moreso than the majority of classes in the game and we provide some of the best sustained dps in the game at the moment.

 

With a few more tweaks (mostly in regards to a lack of a pure stun/maneuverability) this class will be very very good. Don't forget classes like the Scoundrel/Operative will meet their maker soon, bright times are ahead for Sentinels

[MattimusTheGreat]

some Mobs being insanely hard to deal with even when following your instructions to us. (Sith War Apprentices (Sorcerers) on Alderaan, Kira's Brother, and the current hot topic the Sith Harrowers from the Guided by the Force quest.)

 

People are making too much out of this. These fights aren't that hard, learn the fights and know how to play the character and it's not an issue. I did these with about half my health remaining, yes I did have to learn the fights, but that's it.

 

Personally, I like a game that the mobs are difficult and have a learning curve. What's fun in a game that doesn't challenge the gamer?

[MattimusTheGreat]

It is a difficoult class, i think we all agree with this.

However i am not sure if it is really underpowered or just very challenging to use the right way.

 

 

I mean you must fight at close range, you have many buttons, a lot of cooldown and you have to look at focus.

Is not at all a 1 button class or a class where you can push the first button who turned his light on and win (not a paladin in wow 3.1 )

 

Class story boss are very difficoult and dying a lot is very frustrating...

BUT

when i die is not because the class is weak but because i did something wrong

 

Maybe i did a bad pull, i failed to use some cd, missed an interrupt, etcetera.

 

 

 

It is difficoult to play not weak.

If i can learn to play the class at his potential i don't think i would be weaker than the other easier classes.

 

 

 

PS i am lv 33 now

I am sorry for my bad english

 

110% agree with this.

[FobManX]

People are making too much out of this. These fights aren't that hard, learn the fights and know how to play the character and it's not an issue. I did these with about half my health remaining, yes I did have to learn the fights, but that's it.

 

Personally, I like a game that the mobs are difficult and have a learning curve. What's fun in a game that doesn't challenge the gamer?

 

Yeah I have no idea with Walsh is talking about because I had no problem whatsoever with any of those fights. One shot all of them no issues.

 

People need to learn to interupt instead of just facerolling their damage abilities.

[Gavien]

I must say that in PvP I feel completely gimped. I have less utility, feel as squishy as a light armor wearer, and yet don't bring the burst that several other classes do (scoundrel and inquis, I'm looking at you). I was talking with my buddy tonight about how stupid powerful knockbacks are in huttball. The discussion went

 

Him: But every class has a knockback

 

Me: Um...I don't.

 

Him: Oh....your class is gimped, sucks to be you, my gunslinger feelslike easymode.

 

The sentinel feels to me like the perfect 3v3 arena class....in a game that doesn't have arena. Several things are wrong with this class and it needs fixed. Focus for example looks like it was designed for PvP specifically....yet everyone goes combat or watchman.

[Odan_Urr]

I'm new to the whole MMO gaming systems and--to be honest--I bought the game because BioWare makes awesome stories and great games and I love Star Wars--specifically Jedi's. So I got the game to play as a Jedi. I'm not the biggest gamer ever, but I also have a smuggler as well and between the two the Smuggler is a breeze. I think I've gotten as far as I have as a JK by pure force of will. I'm stuck on a boss fight I'm one level higher than currently and get pummeled into the ground everytime and have yet to even come close to winning. Now I understand that some players are freaking awesome at this game and kudos to them because hey you're good and you deserve it. But I'd like a little easier boss fight because personally I'm playing this for the story. The Jedi Knight Sentinel role was the first one I ever chose and it's been a doozy of a fight at times, but the whole overly difficult boss fights are getting a little frustrating. I keep getting pushed back and then lightninged as I charge and then slammed to the ground before I get off three hits. So my complaint--and I promise not to try to sound whiney--is that I'd really just like to continue the story without having to die a dozen times while being a level or two ahead. Like I said I'm new and not the greatest but it's kinda frustrating to want to play out the story of the Jedi Knight and keep getting stuck on the seemingly incredibly difficult boss fights.

 

Seconded. This is my first MMO as well and granted I'm not great, but I had no problems until I left Nar Shaddaa. Valis owns me badly with my sent, so I figured it just wasn't a good playstyle for me (again, first MMO) so I switched to a guardian and same problem. So I decided to just skip ahead to Tattooine which was a big mistake because you fight another cheapshot ranged dps right off the bat. I don't want to sound whiny either so I've kept it mostly to myself, but this class just feels like work. I'm spending more time watching status bars and cooldowns than paying attention to the game and it is just feeling labor intensive and in general not fun or epic or jedi-like. At this point my strategy is to just keep grinding mobs and bosses on Nar Shaddaa until I've leveled enough to take these boss fights, and who knows how long that'll be, if you need elite skills to progress past 25.... I just don't have the time to work, spend family time, do my around the house stuff AND grind four hours a day trying to level enough to beat Valis and hang on Tattooine.

[drspuds]

Summary of most of the above:

 

1/2 the players - "This game is too hard, make it easier!"

 

The other half - "No, you just suck, LTP!"

 

Anything in an MMO will never please 100%, maybe 50% if they are lucky.

 

I have just found the end-chapter bosses insanely hard, but I think thats what they intend. The rest of the game (so far, lev 45 and just finished Ch 3) is not difficult. Sometimes challenging, sometimes just mindless button-pushing.

[Montegue]

Walsh,

 

I don't really understand why you are once again angling to make the Sentinel a hard-coded top DPS class. Difficulty is in the eye of the player. You might have needed an 80 dollar mouse to be effective with your Sentinel, but that's probably not true for everyone.

 

I agree that there are some problems, and that it would be really great to get a direct comment on the experiences that seem so common among Jedi Knights in the game. However, your post reads with a pretty solid sense of entitlement. As Georg Zoeller said before release, there isn't going to be a top DPS class. Every single Advanced class that can spec for DPS is supposed to be on par with every other class. They even dropped the "marginal" difference before release, at least officially.

 

The main problem is that these variances cannot be measured in game. The only people who have any access to any hard data at all are the developers, and they aren't talking about their findings. Furthermore, because no one has logs or parsing programs, we can't find optimal rotations or even priority systems. The only arguments that can be made involve how things "feel", and that's not really all that compelling.

 

Someone, at some point, is going to figure out how to record combat data in the game. When that happens, all kinds of things are going to get figured out. It's really just a matter of time. However, GZ would do well to come in and have a conversation with us. The Jedi Knight is easily the most iconic class in the game. If it's under-performing in comparison with other classes, they are going to run into serious trouble.

 

Unfortunately, we don't know if it *is* under-performing. We only know that it feels that way for a lot of players.

[ProfessorWalsh]

Walsh,

 

I don't really understand why you are once again angling to make the Sentinel a hard-coded top DPS class. Difficulty is in the eye of the player. You might have needed an 80 dollar mouse to be effective with your Sentinel, but that's probably not true for everyone.

 

Never said I needed it, said that it helped. Big difference.

 

Also, note, as I pointed out: I do fairly well, had a couple hard fights, passed through them and moved on. I'm also routinely the best DPS class in almost every Warzone, or at least in the top 3, without stacking expertise gear or going in as a pre-made.

 

That doesn't mean the class doesn't have issues and they are big glaring ones.

 

I agree that there are some problems, and that it would be really great to get a direct comment on the experiences that seem so common among Jedi Knights in the game. However, your post reads with a pretty solid sense of entitlement. As Georg Zoeller said before release, there isn't going to be a top DPS class. Every single Advanced class that can spec for DPS is supposed to be on par with every other class. They even dropped the "marginal" difference before release, at least officially.

 

Yeah. I do have a sense of entitlement. I feel the Jedi Knight should be just as effective as every other class and have just as much ease of use and utility as every other class. I think I am entitled to not having to work five times harder than everyone else in order to get comparable results.

 

If I am going to be on par for DPS which is the only thing that I can do as a Sentinel then I gorram feel that I should be ON PAR with other classes for utility. Do I have a half dozen stuns? No. I have one stun. That is channeled and extremely short duration. I have ONE mez, that is AoE and on a long cool down, that is sub par to similar abilities of other classes.

 

I don't care if we are the top DPS class or not. I do care that other classes have a million more tools than I do, can reach the same DPS that I can, and work 1/2 as hard, and on top of that have the ability to instant kill people in 2 out of the 3 warzones.

 

The main problem is that these variances cannot be measured in game. The only people who have any access to any hard data at all are the developers, and they aren't talking about their findings. Furthermore, because no one has logs or parsing programs, we can't find optimal rotations or even priority systems. The only arguments that can be made involve how things "feel", and that's not really all that compelling.

 

Being THE ONLY class IN THE GAME to lack ANY KIND OF PUSH AND PULL MECHANIC WHAT SO EVER is not a "feeling" it is a fact.

 

(I'm emphasizing for effect, not yelling here by the way.)

 

Someone, at some point, is going to figure out how to record combat data in the game. When that happens, all kinds of things are going to get figured out. It's really just a matter of time. However, GZ would do well to come in and have a conversation with us. The Jedi Knight is easily the most iconic class in the game. If it's under-performing in comparison with other classes, they are going to run into serious trouble.

 

Yes, there is a problem. We actually have been running tests. We have done duels.

 

I'll give you a hard number:

 

At level 50, against a target in heavy armor, without full expertise gear, while we are not wearing full expertise gear, clad in blues and purples and stacking strength while using the strongest combination in Combat:

 

Strike, Zealous Strike, Penetrating Strike, Blade Rush, Blade Storm (with automatic crit) and Master Strike

 

Does between 7500 - 8500 damage.

 

This is an attack that requires the user to stay in melee range and on a target without the use of a stun of any kind without suffering a knock back, stun, mez, root, or even a snare. This attack also requires a 15 second cooldown to expire before it can be used again.

 

Unfortunately, we don't know if it *is* under-performing. We only know that it feels that way for a lot of players.

 

Montegue... Look at my track record on predictions.

 

I predicted a population imbalance based on BioWare's marketing strategy. I was right. There currently is a population imbalance. BioWare said, "No, we have no reason to think that." and I was right.

 

I told you (and everyone else) in the old JK forums that Satele Shan was nearly killed by Malgus in hope. I was argued back by you, Malor, and a ton of other people that I was crazy and that she had everything under control.

 

Read her section in the journal from the CE.

 

(page 71)

I had dreaded the possibility of another confrontation with Malgus, and my life was nearly forfeit again on this occasion. It was only the determination and strength of Captain Malcolm that prevented it from happening.

 

No, it was exactly as I said it was. She nearly died and was only saved at the last minute. Blocking his lightsaber was a stalling tactic that was done out of desperation.

 

I told Georg Zoeller, I pointed out to him, that having a class with no utility would have severe problems. I told him that they would not be favored in groups. I told him that people would dislike them and if they didn't have a DPS advantage people would not want a class that lacks utility over a class that does.

 

I have repeatedly been correct. I have been right every single time Montegue. You constantly give BioWare the benefit of the doubt mostly because they gave you the type of combat that you wanted. Though they have never been right.

 

In each and every time I have said X would happen because of Y. I have been completely correct. So just this once Montegue, give me the benefit of the doubt. I have a very good track record here.

 

Is the Sentinel unplayable? Of course not. Is it lacking versus other classes?

 

Yes.

 

Either we need to be top DPS hands down or we need some extra utility. I don't care which one they give us, but this needs to be priority number one.

 

The Jedi Knight is the flagship of Star Wars and I am annoyed, and I think rightly so, that certain devs are instead responding to the issues of other classes and having conversations with them over abilities that function perfectly fine when we have threads day and night about people quitting over encounters being too hard, about having to work way harder than others, and how other classes have it much, much, easier.

 

Have you tried a Trooper?

 

I have.

 

My friend, who was struggling on a DPS Guardian, took a Smuggler, a level 21 Smuggler, into a Warzone and hit harder than I was hitting. I managed to pass him in DPS but only just.

 

I watched Crael, a level 50 Smuggler, jump into the fight I was in on a level 50 that I had just dumped my full high yield rotation on (7,500 to 8,500 damage) and in one shot cleaned out the other remaining 5,000 or so health. In one hit he did almost as much damage as I spent 7 seconds applying... From stealth... While seemingly moving faster than I could.

 

Now, yes, Crael is the man. He's the best PVP'er on Lord Adraas by far. I've seen him personally take half of an enemy team solo and I know I will never be able to hold a candle to him.

 

(I did come in 2nd place in DPS in that Warzone, right under Crael though. By right under I mean I was coming in at 175,000 and he was sitting somewhere around 360,000, but that match didn't last long as the final score was 400 to 0 us.)

 

I know my class Montegue. I know my binds. I have given myself every possible tool and I have crunched numbers and theory crafted for hours. I have gotten friends to stand there while I tried different rotations out after dueling them to see what gives me the highest yield.

 

In PVP I can pretty much Solo any class that isn't a dedicated healer, and at least against those I am taking up their attention as they heal themselves.

 

I know the strategies, I know down to the second where cooldowns are and what alternatives to fall back on.

 

The problem isn't that we don't do enough DPS. The problem is that we don't have the other tools.

 

Here is an example.

 

Take the healer situation I mentioned. I can drop the healer by half. Launch into my "Build Assault" sub-rotation and I can get them to about 20% health. I can launch into a dispatch and, if it crits, I can score a kill. However, most of the time, they can actually heal back up to a point where I can't kill them without the big rotation and they, by the time I can get that off cooldown, are back at full health.

 

Do you know what would fix that?

 

If you say the healing debuff from crippling throw then you are incorrect because 20% isn't really all that noticed.

 

A single 6 second unchanneled melee stun. Precisely the kind of thing that the Imperial Agent Operative has.

 

People complain about the Operatives being better in melee than the Jedi Sentinel is. The truth is, they aren't, but because of their ability to CC you for upwards of 8 seconds they prevent you from reacting to a long string of attacks.

 

This is exactly what I warned Zoeller about. Our (single target) DPS is fine. It might even be a tad bit higher than other classes. However other classes do the same DPS but have tools that back them up. We don't.

 

Edit: To add.

 

I could fix almost all of the issues with this class in probably 3 small changes.

 

1. Change Blade Storm.

Remove the "Stun only on weak enemies" and instead grant it a "Stuns weak and strong enemies." (Which at that point would include players.) Then, suddenly, boom. The Sentinel has access to an instant, medium range, moderate duration stun. This would actually solve many PVP issues.

 

2. Add Force Push.

Straight up. Add Force Push. It gives us an extra interrupt which we could use against some enemies especially in some of the PVE fights. It also allows us to "return the favor" to Sorcerers by knocking them off of the ledges in Huttball and/or the bridges in Void Star.

 

3.

Allow Force Camouflage, when specced to break out of CC's, to break the user out of stuns and mezzes instead of just roots and snares.

 

- Or -

 

Increase the bonus from "Defensive Forms" movement speed buff from 5% as it is currently to 7%

 

You assumed that I was looking for more DPS. I'd prefer more tools that help in the areas we are actually lacking.

 

My 3 changes would accomplish 3 things:

 

A) Give us an instant, moderate duration, stun. We are the only class that lacks one.

 

B) Give us a push/pull mechanic. We are the only class that lacks one.

 

C) Give us a comparable, and noticeable, speed boost that could actually mitigate some enemy's snares - or - Give us a secondary method to mitigate the effects of stuns and mezzes.

Edited January 10, 2012 by ProfessorWalsh

[ProfessorWalsh]

Summary of most of the above:

 

1/2 the players - "This game is too hard, make it easier!"

 

The other half - "No, you just suck, LTP!"

 

Anything in an MMO will never please 100%, maybe 50% if they are lucky.

 

I have just found the end-chapter bosses insanely hard, but I think thats what they intend. The rest of the game (so far, lev 45 and just finished Ch 3) is not difficult. Sometimes challenging, sometimes just mindless button-pushing.

 

More like 1/2 of the players - "This is too hard."

1/4 of the players - "There are statistically proven issues with this class's performance vs other classes."

1/4 "No, you suck L2P!"

 

The people wrong in this equation are the L2P'ers by the way.

[CHMA]

Having played my Guardian to 33 in Def, I can agree and disagree on many of the points being raised in this thread.

 

 

 

a) After hitting 30, the Guardian is truly enjoyable in quest-wise PvE. It was a bit rough with the story bosses, like Kira's brother, but isn't that how it should be for an epic boss battle? Those battles were certainly suspenseful and realistic in the challenge they faced my character with. Now, at 33, I feel very capable of taking any challenge the game offers with confidence, but I am also one who enjoys having to put at least a bit of effort into overcoming something which is labelled a challenge, so I appreciate that the mechanics of the Guardian still require that effort on my part. I enjoy the current PvE balance of the Guardian, though I can definitely understand that other classes may be having an easier time. I suppose I'm just willing to stick it out with my Guardian for the pure love of being a Jedi, and the whole story, etc, that goes along with it.

 

b) There are definitely too many abilities that need to be used consistently, but I like the range of abilities available overall, if some were more situational.

 

c) PvP seems decently balanced to me, as a PvE tank spec achieving mid to high ranks in WZ's, which seems appropriate when considering playing against lower level characters, etc. But I do not have much experience with PvP in SWTOR at the same time...

 

d) Why won't Kira ever speak to me?

 

e) Love the story line, which is AMAZING for an MMO.

 

f) Space battles are refreshing once in a while and a blast, though somewhat repetitive in objectives (I know, doesn't really apply to JK thread...).

 

 

 

In the end, yes, I can understand that there are issues with the JK that need addressing when compared to the other classes in similar circumstances. I understand that this causes major issues when considering the game as a whole, regarding balance and effort, and that this effects the fun of it for many. However, I personally enjoy the challenge that the JK is currently offering.

 

I must agree that for SWTOR though, adjustments are very necessary. Good job BW, really, but it unfortunately doesn't work out well with the rest of the game for this class to be more difficult to play than others. I would actually suggest upping the difficulty of the other classes instead... aha.

[D_Rock_]

I agree with the OP fix the class ASAP .Give use our moves we can't use in (Pommel Strike)pvp along with higher dmg output. Most of my xp from pvp is getting cc,then i use cc breaker then get cc again before i can try to press 8 to 10 different keys to try to apply dmg to the opponent

[cozzE]

"1. Change Blade Storm.

Remove the "Stun only on weak enemies" and instead grant it a "Stuns weak and strong enemies." (Which at that point would include players.) Then, suddenly, boom. The Sentinel has access to an instant, medium range, moderate duration stun. This would actually solve many PVP issues.

 

2. Add Force Push.

Straight up. Add Force Push. It gives us an extra interrupt which we could use against some enemies especially in some of the PVE fights. It also allows us to "return the favor" to Sorcerers by knocking them off of the ledges in Huttball and/or the bridges in Void Star.

 

3.

Allow Force Camouflage, when specced to break out of CC's, to break the user out of stuns and mezzes instead of just roots and snares."

 

You're kidding right? A stun on every Blade Storm?

 

You're either 14 years old or you're completely clueless. Just think for a second of the ramifications it'd have on PvP if 2-3 combat sentinels were in a game (this is not an extremity by any means). It's completely nonsensical.

 

Your long winded rant is achieving nothing. As a sentinel myself (with gear) I happily agree that the class has some short-comings however the way you are sooking about it is achieving nothing. Actually, I'll save you continuing pointless wall of text spam:

 

'The sentinel is a class with quite solid damage output with a slight lack of CC/maneuverability, it needs a few slight changes/tweaks to compete with other dps classes evenly (and without the need for a pocket healer)'.

 

There you go. Simple wasn't it?

Edited January 10, 2012 by cozzE

[bevelian]

F 3 4 R C 2 X D F R C V T F5 A B R C H

 

rough order of the buttons i press for your average silver mob excluding a whole bunch of abilities.

 

its a very challenging class that seems a little UP. PVP means extending those commands by about 3 times plus a bunch of other abilities too whilst strafing (lol?).

 

as a watchman i have breezed through from level 42-49 PvE because i feel ive almost learned by class inside out.

 

i sure hope BW do something to this class because if they did then the few of us who have stuck with our Sentinels will be amazing after all the training we've done doing all this crazy stuff.

 

before this game came out i was pretty new to being melee dps, it took me since early release (16th dec) to sort out what was going wrong, but i redid keybinds, i learned all about every ability my class has. i know what builds focus, what interrupts, what to hold back and which burst move is a genuine burst move (that is worth using).

 

after many hours of raging i am now enjoying my class and i feel pretty confident BW will boost us in some way so we are more competitive.

 

Lastly....... i must say that as an AC who is meant to be purely DPS, we should be able to have the best DPS out of any other class. just sayin.

Edited January 10, 2012 by bevelian

[Maleix]

[Edit] I am level 50

As a Jedi Sentinel who is Valor Rank 41 and pvps none stop, i can tell you that I have to play 10x harder and require 1000x more skill than every other class in the game just to even be close to doing well. My damage output is absolutely horrific due to animation and lag glitches, the endless amounts of cc other classes have and my lack of utility.

 

My cooldown managment is mind boggling, i have to maintain intense focus (RL focus) just to stick to a target, then have to manage about 10 or more cooldowns to be able to survive long enough to get a kill.

 

The most frustrating thing to me is that I am basically forced to use the "Focus" spec tree to pvp because it has the least amount of graphical/animation bugs and has the only potentional 2500+ damage hit (Force sweep with 4 stacks of singularity + a successful zealous or force leap) and the only spec providing any sort of survivability coming from my Shii stance (5% reduced damage) and 2% from Enduring. Without these I am most likely the squishiest class in the game. Even a sniper can sit behind his cover and absorb and take more damage than me with him ONLY spamming Snipe and Ambush, both of which does 2-3 more damage than any attack in my entire arsenal.

 

The 3 skills I would LOVE to use and can't because they completely mess up the global cooldown or prevent Zealous Strike from giving focus is:

 

1. Overload Saber (Cool skill, absolutely wrecks global cooldown and forces you to stand there for a second looking like a moron, then sometimes it prevents your zealous strike from getting focus)

2. Riposte - not worth the focus required because it also messes up global cooldown and sometimes doesnt even fire off.

3. Pacify - The range on this is way too low, doesn't seem to do what is says in pvp (melee/range shooters seem to still hit me for full damage and hit 100% of the time, and many times you click it and it doesnt cast and messes up global cooldown 1-2 times even or doesnt fire at all even with spamming).

 

 

Watchman spec requires way to much ramp-up time and requires too many global cooldowns and gives zero increased survivability to be effective in pvp. (The passive heal from dot crits is a joke)

 

Combat spec isnt as bad off as watchmen in pvp, but the ONLY and I mean the ONLY thing it has going for it is allowing your Crippling throw root. There is absolutely no survivability or burst in this spec, Artaru stance is a joke, the movement speed is barely noticeable and the damage procs you gain from it is so MEH since you spend so much time and effort trying to stick on someone who can root, snare, knockback, hook away and stun you.

 

 

 

TL:DR Basically I could spend 3 hours going into depth at how bad off our class is and how many bugs and issues I have with it. Whether in PvP or PvE the amount of skill required to play this class does not equate to the damage and usefulness one would expect.

 

P.S. I am sticking with the class and still plan on hitting Valor Rank 60 this week. I am just praying for a buff to this class and a fix for resolve (This seems broken and worthless).

Edited January 10, 2012 by Maleix

[VoidWork]

As a level 42 Sentinel, I can only agree with most of the previous posts. Sort of glad I'm not alone. Because I rarely play during peak hours, it is really hard to complete any group quests. This means that slowly but surely, I've come to the point where I am questing at a level below my character level. And guess what... it's nigh impossible or at least, very slow and annoying. I'm no rookie I've been playing various mmo's for over fifteen years, my gear and companions are top notch, etc. It's just that the class is so underpowered compared to others, it's getting kind of ridiculous.

 

The nonsensical cooldowns, the limited defences, the minimal damage, ... right now, Sentinels pretty much suck immensely.

[Vibeth]

Completely agree with all you said.

 

Sentinel in one sentence:

10x the work for the same output the other classes do with a lot less effort.

 

 

Also bugs, many bugs.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Vibeth

[genericcc]

My issues with class:

 

1. Extremely low offhand dps. Making most of combat tree a joke tbh, except for bladestorm.

 

2. Many many abilities, a pain to manage, keybind. The lack of UI addons and macros really hurts this class much mroe than others. Have to look down at focus all the time, cannot see cd on force leap, zealous strike, merciless slash, cauterize, etc etc due to fail UI. If you listed the abilities a sent uses at 50 vs say a commando it would be laughable. They spam their ranged attack over and over and do comparable damage. I have heard idiots say stuff like, oh you just shut them down/cc/interrupt. That's not something my class, lacking in cc can do. ANd in general theyre ranged so pretty far back and a heavy armor target is usually not the best/easiest target for any class.

 

3. Interrupt, snare, pacify, heal debuff costing focus = lol? esp compared to say consular snare. We already have low utility and to make our utility abilities cost resources makes it even worse. Consular interrupt, for example, is free. Using these things gimps your damage output massively due to having to rebuild focus.

 

4. Due to game's lack of combat log I haven't really tested this properly, but I think offhand damage is around 10% of mainhand, and that's probably being generous. So offhand dmge is around 9% of overall dmge of the hit. ANd in fact, because offhand isn't as accurate, its more like 6.5% (with 70% OH accuracy). THen consider the (many) abilities in combat tree buffing the offhand + the many gear options adding accuracy for sentinels. This might be different for raid bosses I'm not sure but missing on MH on reg mobs and non geared out 50s does not happen for me so accuracy is for OH damage.

 

Speccing combat (6% accuracy, 36% inc OH damage) increases OH to 9.4% of overall hit. So speccing in this tree if your original hit eg slash was

 

1000 + 100*0.7

 

new hit

 

1000 + 136*0.76

 

dmge increase = 3%

 

tldr: OH damage sucks and abilities buffing it are a joke.

 

5. A lot of the stuff in talent trees is rubbish or just doesn't compare to the options other classes get. Also low level class a lot worse off in WZ due to not getting a lot of cc + high dmge (for 2.5k medal for example, or just burst) abilities till much higher level.

 

6. Master strike: channelled ability that roots you & kinda takes away control of your character... I hate channelled melee abilities. Oh we have another one, our terrible stun. I wish these had been scrapped and replaced with other abilties. Channel+ melee + self root/cc = NO NO NO.

 

 

Stuff I did like:

 

-force camouflage and saber ward (also force leap) as escape/survivability cds.

-the animations, i know some don't like but I found them amusing and at least our abilities tend to go off straight away. (project :/ )

-force leap.

-companions/storyline.

[ProfessorWalsh]

You're kidding right? A stun on every Blade Storm?

 

This is no worse than what happens now with Imperial Operatives.

 

You're either 14 years old or you're completely clueless. Just think for a second of the ramifications it'd have on PvP if 2-3 combat sentinels were in a game (this is not an extremity by any means). It's completely nonsensical.

 

Have you ever faced a team that had 2-3 Operatives? Have you ever faced a team that had 2-3 Sorcerers? This would be no different than that. The number of times I have faced 2 Operatives and spent literally the entire fight in a stun lock is staggering.