Helpless as a kitten

[Tedroni]

So, I have a level 50 Sentinel that's spec'd Watchman... And he dies all the time in on-level content. He's just too squishy, especially against casters and ranged mobs.

 

Before the gaming elitists begin saying I should learn to play, please re-read that first sentence.

 

No, really. Go read it again. I'll wait...

 

...Yeah, did you miss it that time, too? Level 50. No one makes it to 50 on a Sentinel if they don't know what they're doing. I'm not a n00b. I'm a frustrated customer who can't pretend that dying all the time is fun any more.

 

Bioware, please fix Sentinels. My guy is at endgame and I can't do anything with him, except daily space missions. I only felt like my guy was performing on-level when I was fighting mobs five levels below him. Teams with strong tier mobs were challenging. Two elites were pretty hard, unless one was a droid... Sentinels are under-powered, and over-squishified.

 

If someone brings me along on Hard-Mode Flashpoints, I feel like I'm bringing the group down 'cause I can't dps enough to justify that as my only role. I throw my AoE heal as much as I can just to pretend that it's helping and because that's a large part of my normal rotation. Two AoE skills, BioWare, really? TWO?? What were you thinking?!

 

Ilum mobs kill my Sentinel several times an hour, and I can't even begin to tell you how fun that is not. Repairs are 3.4k per death... It actually costs me money to do more on Ilum than wander around, sightseeing.

 

BioWare, if/when you're going to fix Sentinels, please let us know... otherwise this toon will become a crafting bot for my lower level toons, and that is only if I decide to stay with the game. I'm seriously considering taking two months back from that three month sub I deposited on two weeks ago...

[Setharion]

Sucks to hear man. But let me ask you this, from your standpoint at 50...what do you see from guardian jedis?

 

I mean im not making light of your situation, but since i am just hitting lvl 10 im trying to figure my direction. Do you feel at times by what you see that guardians maybe have more to offer by chance or are there things you think guardians have over sents?

 

Im just trying to get a feel for the game really. I know how frustrating it can be, i seem to find myself in every new MMO dealing with the class that is so called gimped or hurting off the bat. Did the same with Gladiators in Aion, found myself totally annoyed.

[TMinusTen]

I feel you brother. I'm only lvl 22 and I am getting incredibly frustrated. It seems like we were the first class made. We have some cool stuff, but when the devs got to thinking, all the creative juice went towards making everyone else better and they forgot ole' Sentinels.

 

We can't tank worth a pinch of salt, we cant out DPS anyone, we can barely heal, we can't crowd control, we take up space in a group and drag everyone else down to our mediocre level. I don't know what to say, help.

[strikeviperMKII]

We can't tank worth a pinch of salt, we cant out DPS anyone, we can barely heal, we can't crowd control, we take up space in a group and drag everyone else down to our mediocre level. I don't know what to say, help.

 

You do know that Sentinels are not a tanking class, right?

 

And in my experience, Sentinel Dps is great so I don't know where you get that from. Crowd control, Ill give you, because you have none.

[Kanshan]

As a 50 Sent/Combat the only issues I have are in Ilum during the ranged stand offs.

I use Kira for most my hard fights, do well.

I use T-7 for the really hard fights and do well.

Casters can be kicked.

Ranged can be leaped to and CC'd

 

Sorry to hear you are having issues but I'm doing fine

[Tedroni]

Sucks to hear man. But let me ask you this, from your standpoint at 50...what do you see from guardian jedis?

 

I mean im not making light of your situation, but since i am just hitting lvl 10 im trying to figure my direction. Do you feel at times by what you see that guardians maybe have more to offer by chance or are there things you think guardians have over sents?

 

Im just trying to get a feel for the game really. I know how frustrating it can be, i seem to find myself in every new MMO dealing with the class that is so called gimped or hurting off the bat. Did the same with Gladiators in Aion, found myself totally annoyed.

 

Guardians have recieved some love from the devs and from what I can tell, they're still an advanced class to play, but they do not suffer from the same woes as Sentinels.

 

You do know that Sentinels are not a tanking class, right?

 

And in my experience, Sentinel Dps is great so I don't know where you get that from. Crowd control, Ill give you, because you have none.

 

I don't need to tank, I just need to be able to kill fast enough to make up for my lack of survivability. I can probably kill five normal mobs with no real trouble in a minute or so. Compare that to the Trooper who can kill them all with ONE SKILL. Mortar Shot, I think it's called. If there's a strong in that list, I'm in trouble. If there are two, I'm practically as good as dead, unless one of them is a droid. Troopers can kill all the normals with one Mortar Shot and kill two strong mobs before they even get into melee range. If the mobs are ranged, my Sentinel is dead, period, while the Trooper suffers not one bit. It's badly imbalanced.

 

As a 50 Sent/Combat the only issues I have are in Ilum during the ranged stand offs.

I use Kira for most my hard fights, do well.

I use T-7 for the really hard fights and do well.

Casters can be kicked.

Ranged can be leaped to and CC'd

 

Sorry to hear you are having issues but I'm doing fine

 

Kira's great against any one mob. But that still leaves two or three for me to solo on your average pull... If one of those is a strong mob, I'm dead meat.

T7 isn't a good enough tank to be practical. He can't survive more than two mobs and I can't kill them fast enough for a four mob pull if one of those four is a strong mob. I certainly can't kill them fast enough on a five-mob pull.

I can interrupt ONE caster ... once ... every six seconds. How would you suggest I interrupt two casters with three channel/induction skills each? All while trying to kill the three normal mobs that came with them?

Ranged mobs can be leapt to, unless they're not standing together. No, they can not be cc'd unless one of them is a droid. Sentinels' one cc skill freezes us in place too, meaning everything else we're fighting is hitting us. How long do you survive with four mobs hitting you while you can't do anything? Or even three, if your companion snagged aggro on one.

[SarimRune]

I'm lvl 44 and I hear ya loud and clear.

 

Only Bioware can run the numbers and I do bet, at the end of the day, we can produce better damage than other classes. But only just slightly.

 

And that is simply not enough to justify our role in a group. When a Shadow can do maybe slightly less than us but offer more options, the Shadow is the better choice.

 

In PVE, I feel that if you have to outlvl your content, simply to avoid dying constantly, something is wrong.

 

Before Doc, i was having serious trouble with 2 Strongs and 1 Normal. I've no problem if that is supposed to be a tough fight...but to constantly die...

 

At this point, I would be happy if they just increased our DPS, slightly, across the board and called it a day.

[Dawginole]

As a 50 Sent/Combat the only issues I have are in Ilum during the ranged stand offs.

I use Kira for most my hard fights, do well.

I use T-7 for the really hard fights and do well.

Casters can be kicked.

Ranged can be leaped to and CC'd

 

Sorry to hear you are having issues but I'm doing fine

 

This guy goes around the forum and posts how amazing he is and that the class has no problems in every thread. Just ignore him. He's outnumbered about 10:1 in this debate.

[Kanshan]

This guy goes around the forum and posts how amazing he is and that the class has no problems in every thread. Just ignore him. He's outnumbered about 10:1 in this debate.

 

I post my story from leveling, I have a geared T-7 and Kira. With a geared T-7 he can tank.

 

 

 

I killed the emperor on my second try with 75% health left I mean come on.

 

All these threads about how bad it is the only thing I can agree to is being cannon fodder in Ilum but other then that I have not had the issues that the people in these threads say they have had.

[Tedroni]

I post my story from leveling, I have a geared T-7 and Kira. With a geared T-7 he can tank.

 

 

 

I killed the emperor on my second try with 75% health left I mean come on.

 

All these threads about how bad it is the only thing I can agree to is being cannon fodder in Ilum but other then that I have not had the issues that the people in these threads say they have had.

 

I geard up my T7 before the Doomsday mission... I had another Sentinel and his T7 with me. We still died on the first attempt and barely survived the second. Both droids were down, he was down, and I was at about 10% health at the end of the boss fight.

[Fischer_King]

OP...No offense intended, but one of your assumptions is a little precarious. Just because you got to level 50 doesn't mean you aren't (a little bit of a noob). This game has a steep learning curve, and lots of people get stuck in the same rotation they slowly built from level 10+...while other people (me, some others in this thread) are managing their skills, def. cds, ccs (ha), better...because, we aren't having the same frustrating issues. Or at least not as often.

 

Managing a Marauder/Sent against equal level opposition isn't simple...but who wants simple??

 

I love that it is a challenge @ times...when you get 2 strongs, or more than that...but I assure you, a Sent is up to it...

 

Push your playing to the next level, and things will work out. Study your character, make threads asking about rotations, get help - don't make threads like this because the majority of responses you get will be from other people who are at your level (i.e. having the same issues).

 

Transcend your levelling rotation, try every single combination...edit: mess with your spec even...

Edited January 31, 2012 by Fischer_King

[Kanshan]

 

 

Kira's great against any one mob. But that still leaves two or three for me to solo on your average pull... If one of those is a strong mob, I'm dead meat.

T7 isn't a good enough tank to be practical. He can't survive more than two mobs and I can't kill them fast enough for a four mob pull if one of those four is a strong mob. I certainly can't kill them fast enough on a five-mob pull.

I can interrupt ONE caster ... once ... every six seconds. How would you suggest I interrupt two casters with three channel/induction skills each? All while trying to kill the three normal mobs that came with them?

Ranged mobs can be leapt to, unless they're not standing together. No, they can not be cc'd unless one of them is a droid. Sentinels' one cc skill freezes us in place too, meaning everything else we're fighting is hitting us. How long do you survive with four mobs hitting you while you can't do anything? Or even three, if your companion snagged aggro on one.

 

How I play;

5 weak = Kira better AE she can burn 1-2 while I get the other 3

 

2 weak 1 stround = Kira/T-7 If using Kira you send Kira in first to grab agrro then you attack the strong one and burn him down then finish off the others, Kira will be low health. With T-7 You send T-7 at the strong one and burn the weak ones quickly if fast enough you'll help T-7 finish off the strong

 

2 Strong = T-7/Kira If using Kira you engage first then send Kira at the other one and burn the one you are fighting then help Kira finish the other off, you will need to use C/Ds here. If using T-7 You send T-7 in first then attack the other grab aggro and kite him away so you can keep it then burn and then help T-7, while Kira will lower the health of the second strong one more, T-7 will be higher health.

 

Now for dealing with range is more of about burning one the running to the other, not sure what spec you all play. But, I use combat and Bladestorm is great for stunning range for 4 secs on a 9 sec CD, Using Saber throw once and a while to hit some other range will help to. Also controlling your companion and not letting them run around stupidly helps alot if there is a ranged beating you down send your companion at them to grab aggro of you.

[darthtoph]

No one makes it to 50 on a Sentinel if they don't know what they're doing. I'm not a n00b.

Please, this is the most carebear-friendly MMO ever, it takes 3 days to hit level 50 ffs.

 

At level 50, even without Doc, you can take on elites x2 and still don't die.

 

TLDR: You're doing it wrong.

Edited January 31, 2012 by darthtoph

[Syrocc]

So, you think that if you're level 50, you know how to play a class? Sorry mate, I'm not giving you the satisfaction.

 

Granted, Sentinels/Marauders aren't the easiest classes to master. But if you're having trouble now that you've hit the level cap, I suggest you re-roll to an easier class. Especially since you are Watchman specced, which is the easiest to play PvE wise of the 3 specs. If you think Watchman has a hard time, wait till you see Focus.

 

You're problems are coming from one (or multiple) factors:

 

- weak or mediocre gear, on both you and your companion

- the wrong use of companions in the wrong fights

- the wrong skill setup on companions (just because they have 9 skills doesn't mean you have to use all of them; for instance, Doc should do what he does best, heal, I have most damage skills on him removed, forcing him to heal)

- lack of reflexes to counter various situations (no, having a rotation doesn't work, you need to adapt, you need to interrupt that caster's big burst skill, you need to prevent the healer from healing, you need to do AOE damage when surrounded by multiple mobs, etc.)

- lack of stimpacks/buffs

- no use of Line of Sight (aka LOS) - if you're fighting an elite, make sure the ranged adds can't shoot you in the meantime

 

And the list could go on....

Edited January 31, 2012 by Syrocc

[McVade]

You do know that Sentinels are not a tanking class, right?

 

And in my experience, Sentinel Dps is great so I don't know where you get that from. Crowd control, Ill give you, because you have none.

 

Sentinels aren't really a DPS class either, TBH. We have no on-demand burst that doesn't require build up, unlike every other DPS class in the game... save DPS Guardians. Sustained DPS is okay, but it doesn't get kills in PvP. It's the ability to make 3 big numbers appear in a row that make a class good DPS. Sentinels cannot do that.

Edited January 31, 2012 by McVade

[Tedroni]

Please, this is the most carebear-friendly MMO ever, it takes 3 days to hit level 50 ffs.

 

At level 50, even without Doc, you can take on elites x2 and still don't die.

 

TLDR: You're doing it wrong.

 

Ok, Trolly McTrollpants, your opinion is noted.

[Dawginole]

I post my story from leveling, I have a geared T-7 and Kira. With a geared T-7 he can tank.

 

 

 

I killed the emperor on my second try with 75% health left I mean come on.

 

All these threads about how bad it is the only thing I can agree to is being cannon fodder in Ilum but other then that I have not had the issues that the people in these threads say they have had.

 

 

Oh I have a very easy time leveling as a Sentinel. I'm also always 3 levels above the planet max.

 

So maybe that's the solution. They should add a public notice on the side of the Jedi Knight carton. " WARNING: Please ignore planet level range and out level yourself past the content. This way you can watch as Troopers and other classes 7 levels below you **** and pillage the same mobs that will take you three times as long to finish at 3 levels above the planet maximum suggested level range.

 

Hmmm. Maybe I'll put that in my sig to help get the word out.

[Tedroni]

You're problems are coming from one (or multiple) factors:

 

- weak or mediocre gear, on both you and your companion

- the wrong use of companions in the wrong fights

- the wrong skill setup on companions (just because they have 9 skills doesn't mean you have to use all of them; for instance, Doc should do what he does best, heal, I have most damage skills on him removed, forcing him to heal)

- lack of reflexes to counter various situations (no, having a rotation doesn't work, you need to adapt, you need to interrupt that caster's big burst skill, you need to prevent the healer from healing, you need to do AOE damage when surrounded by multiple mobs, etc.)

- lack of stimpacks/buffs

- no use of Line of Sight (aka LOS) - if you're fighting an elite, make sure the ranged adds can't shoot you in the meantime

 

And the list could go on....

 

1. I have all purple and blue level 49 gear. Are you suggesting that ONE level results in this kind of obsolecense? I guarantee that one level doesn't make that big of a difference for Troopers or Smugglers.

2. The ONLY companion I can use reliably is Doc. THAT doesn't sound like a design problem to you? You might say it's a player problem, but if you'll read on, I think you'll see that I do have *some* understanding of how to play a melee DW class. (my main in LotRO is/was a Champ)

3. That makes sense to me, but it shouldn't be crippling, and yes, Sents are crippled. Lots of threads on this and voices that say Sents are hard but great are always in the minority...

4. I kick whenever I see an induction bar. That doesn't help against two casters who can each cast as frequently as I can kick. I move out of the way when I see a targeting reticule beneath my toon. I DO use my AoEs, thank you. Remember: Not a n00b. Or at least, not a *total* n00b.

5. I keep my might buff up. Stims are a bonus. They should not be required all the time. THAT is a sign of a crippled class.

6. I use LoS all the time. Especially against Champion tier mobs. That doesn't help much when you have two ranged mobs. You run from one right into the other. You can't kill the other 'cause he's out in the open where the first can target you, too.

 

Yes, this list *could* go on and on...

[Kanshan]

Oh I have a very easy time leveling as a Sentinel. I'm also always 3 levels above the planet max.

 

So maybe that's the solution. They should add a public notice on the side of the Jedi Knight carton. " WARNING: Please ignore planet level range and out level yourself past the content. This way you can watch as Troopers and other classes 7 levels below you **** and pillage the same mobs that will take you three times as long to finish at 3 levels above the planet maximum suggested level range.

 

Hmmm. Maybe I'll put that in my sig to help get the word out.

 

I leveled at ranged, never had issues but once or twice, and simply using CDs better and working my rotation helped alot

[Dawginole]

Please, this is the most carebear-friendly MMO ever, it takes 3 days to hit level 50 ffs.

 

If you hit 50 in 3 days you have too much time on your hands and probably need a job. Also, you're lying.

[Volacious]

I solo the Illum and Belsavis 2+ man heroic dailies no sweat. (50 Sent, watchman spec)

 

But sure, buff sentinels, sounds good.

 

My best advice is to gear up doc and make sure he is in healing stance.

[Syrocc]

Again, there are people whining all over the forums. And there are people not whining and doing well. I wonder how those that are doing well manage?

 

Trooper? Please, that's a 1 button class, same as BH, spam Grav Round/Tracer Missile and you're done.

 

Smuggler? Smugglers are really gear dependent too, especially gunslingers (or snipers on imp side).

 

As for the difference between 49 and 50 purples is HUGE. Check the stats on Rataki gear, and then check the stats on your 49 armor.

 

I'll say this again. Sentinels are hard to play, probably among the hardest classes out there. Hard doesn't mean broken. I've played 7 out of the 8 possible ACs to lvl 20 and above, and I can confirm that sentinels have a tougher time than most. Still, you ARE doing something wrong.

 

Oh, and about Doc. I find that as a Sentinel, I'd much rather use a strong DPS or tank companion over a healer, simply because Doc often can't outheal the damage output of elite mobs, sentinels simply can't take that kind of punishment. Doc works great for Guardians, as they can withstand a nuclear explosion. I'd strongly suggest using T7 for really tough bossfights, and Kira for everything else, not because you are tempted to put it in her pooper, but because killing fast = taking less damage.

 

You are, for sure, missing something from your gamestyle. Try to figure out what's your biggest weakness and work around it. I assure you, it's not the class, it's you.

[Superawesomerman]

You can use any companion and succeed as a sent (watchman).

 

Single elites should be no problem, just rotate defensive cooldowns, always starting with rebuke.

 

Multiple mob pulls are easy too, unless they consist of more than 2 strong / elite.

 

1) companion attacks strongest mob, you leap weakest

2) opportune strike, zealous, whatever attack to finish it

3) pick the next weakest, blade storm it, then pommel strike, it should die.

4) your companion may be about dead at this point, pacify the strong, beat it to death

 

You can also forcesweep if there are more than 2 normals, it stuns them. Awe can take the pressure off as well.

 

If you cannot kill even level solo elites than I cannot help you, it is either a gear / spec / or rotation issue.

 

Did they fix the last boss? Picked darkside option, killed him with full life left, no kiting. T7 almost died though.

[Saimeren]

Guardians have recieved some love from the devs and from what I can tell, they're still an advanced class to play, but they do not suffer from the same woes as Sentinels.

 

 

 

I don't need to tank, I just need to be able to kill fast enough to make up for my lack of survivability. I can probably kill five normal mobs with no real trouble in a minute or so. Compare that to the Trooper who can kill them all with ONE SKILL. Mortar Shot, I think it's called. If there's a strong in that list, I'm in trouble. If there are two, I'm practically as good as dead, unless one of them is a droid. Troopers can kill all the normals with one Mortar Shot and kill two strong mobs before they even get into melee range. If the mobs are ranged, my Sentinel is dead, period, while the Trooper suffers not one bit. It's badly imbalanced.

 

 

 

Kira's great against any one mob. But that still leaves two or three for me to solo on your average pull... If one of those is a strong mob, I'm dead meat.

T7 isn't a good enough tank to be practical. He can't survive more than two mobs and I can't kill them fast enough for a four mob pull if one of those four is a strong mob. I certainly can't kill them fast enough on a five-mob pull.

I can interrupt ONE caster ... once ... every six seconds. How would you suggest I interrupt two casters with three channel/induction skills each? All while trying to kill the three normal mobs that came with them?

Ranged mobs can be leapt to, unless they're not standing together. No, they can not be cc'd unless one of them is a droid. Sentinels' one cc skill freezes us in place too, meaning everything else we're fighting is hitting us. How long do you survive with four mobs hitting you while you can't do anything? Or even three, if your companion snagged aggro on one.

 

I'm just going to throw it out there, because nobody else seems to want to say it.. But maybe it's your gear. You can't do "end game content" (Typically implying raids, and level cap pvp) without having decent gear. Gear up your T7, and you'll see him taking better hits. Gear up Kira and you'll see her downing mobs quickly. Kill the strong mobs first, as their the ones doing all the damage. Don't be afraid to kite things untill Kira does the damage. Have T7's attack button bound to a key so you can always switch his targets so he has aggro.. Make sure he's targetting and attack your primary target.

 

Sorry to say it, but a lot of other people are saying their doing just fine.. When in doubt, use Doc.. You'll never die. Rest up in between fights..

 

It's not the class dude.. It's the player.

 

It's people like you that cause un-needed buffs for classes that are just fine. Learn how to play your class through thick and thin. Take the bad, and make it good. Suck it up. Every MMO has classes that are less powerful than others. You can't tank, you're a dps. So stop ************ about being squishy.. If you don't want to die, roll a tanking class. If you want to deal damage, then suck it up, deal the damage, then die.

[Syrocc]

I'm just going to throw it out there, because nobody else seems to want to say it.. But maybe it's your gear.

 

Actually, I did want to say it, and I did say it

 

People often don't like to hear the truth though.