Guild Summit: Agents/Smuggler Population

[Tadshackles]

During the Summit Livestream they showed a graph of all the class populations. Agents and Smugglers were lowest

 

So here's the questions.

 

• Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?
   
  
• Did you enjoy the story?
   
  
• Did you enjoy the mechanics? Why/why not?
   
  
• Are these classes an important SW fantasy to you?
   
  
• Do you still play the class? If not, why not?
   
  
• *edit* Anything they could do to encourage you to try one if you haven't, or play the one you have?
  

 

1. Yes I have both a Sniper and a Scoundrel. Didn't wanna play them as I thought they were the flavor of the month class so I didn't roll one. Then I was bored so...

 

2. Story is good on both. Smuggler gets REALLY good fast and agent gets super good later on.

 

3. Love the mechanics of both. Sniper is a little odd with the cover but I like the complicated playstyle.

 

4. YES! Han Solo, HELLO? Agent not so much but they were ever present.

 

5. I might re-main to my smuggler from my 50 Sorc. So yes I will play still.

 

6. It is far more complicated to play well than most classes so, it will take skilled people to play it. Less people are good so there will be less of them, I am ok with that.

[CarneyBravo]

My 1st character during the 1st open beta was a sniper, the 2nd beta weekend I rolled a tank. By far the story for the sniper was the most captivating, so as a result I rolled a sniper to 50 upon launch.

 

The only regret I have with my choice is that the agents are geared more for PVE players than PVP, and I'm not dedicated to either camp. That said, I rock in PVE with him but I struggle in PVP, especially WZ's.

 

Snipers rely on stealth, concealment, and cover to take out targets but need a viable exit strategy if they are to survive if one of those elements are compromised.

 

Stealth - No issue there

 

Concealment/cover - Flashing Red strobes activate upon entering cover blow it. (Offering a Light Discipline (go dark) skill from cover would solve this.)

 

Exit strategy - Our primary defenses are dependent on being stationary with the exception of Flashbang. If that's is on CD, or the enemy's resolve bar is full, we have no means of opening up the distance to avoid melee attacks.

 

There will always be a minority population, but if the Dev's want more players to roll Agents/Smugglers, they need to take a look at our stand up abilities and reduce our reliance on cover for self defense.

[Sandanglockta]

Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?

My main is a level 50 sniper, and I rolled a Smuggler up to level 15 just to check out the play style... which was the same. I am 10/10 HM, but don't PvP much. I played it because in other MMO's I mostly played melee classes and wanted to change it up here.

 

Did you enjoy the story?

I liked the IA story a lot, but getting a healer so late in the leveling curve was tough. Kali just started getting eaten alive by the late twenties, regardless of gearing her up.

 

Did you enjoy the mechanics? Why/why not?

I got used to cover, but it took time and I don't really even think about it anymore. I didn't like my long CC being on droids only, but I got over it. It made things more challenging, and that's not a bad thing.

 

Do you still play the class? If not, why not?

Yes, I still run Operations on the sniper. My Marauder is level 40 now, and leveling difficulty has not even been comparable. Having a healer right off the bat makes it much MUCH easier.

 

Anything they could do to encourage you to try one if you haven't, or play the one you have?

I know Operative healers and their biggest frustration is their AOE heal. Having "purple" has made Sorcs a must have for many of the harder fights.

[grania]

Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?

Did you enjoy the story?

Did you enjoy the mechanics? Why/why not?

Are these classes an important SW fantasy to you?

Do you still play the class? If not, why not?

*edit* Anything they could do to encourage you to try one if you haven't, or play the one you have?

 

I haven't gotten an agent or a smuggler much farther than early twenties.

I enjoy the agent story, but not the smuggler story (even though the smuggler personality was fun).

I didn't enjoy the mechanics very much - my smuggler healer/ sniper felt like an npc companion to my trooper/ warrior leveling partner, where he was always the star of the show in combat with me always struggling with strange, clunky, slow abilities.

I don't play swtor because of it being Star Wars, and I don't pick classes based on how iconic they are. So that question is n/a to me.

I still want to play the agent for the story. I have more fun with the sniper than the op (tried both) but it will probably be a slow process that I work on occasionally, and solo. And well rested.

*edit* Hm, healer earlier on I guess?

Edited March 6, 2012 by grania

[Galbatorrix]

I have...

 

Level 23 Gunslinger (only stopped playing him due to switching to a heavy server)

Level 17 Sniper

Level 14 Operative

 

 

I have enjoyed them all so far.

[Darth_Bond]

My main is operative, i like it, its fun, i heal hard mode raids, its not faceroll like a SI, nor are there 50 million of us running around.

 

 

I occasionally also go concealment in operative tree, its fun. for pvp

[WNxAres]

I honestly don't see how Agents and Smuggs are the least played classes. Maybe smugglers but I cannot tell you how many Ops i've seen. I've been in so many WZ's with anywhere from 1-8 ops. I went against a team full of ops a few times. (Operatives/Snipers).

 

I call BS on that statistic... although I don't know why they'd BS a stat like that.

[Viori]

Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent?

 

Yes, I have a level 36 smuggler, mostly sawbones spec.

 

Did you enjoy the story?

 

I just completed chapter one. On the plus side, the story is refreshingly non-Force-focused and the smuggler’s character is consistent with the cynical, resourceful, self-possessed “Han Solo” paradigm. The dialog is fun and distinctive.

 

On the minus side, the plot points require the smuggler to accept incentives that no true Han Solo in his right mind (and not frozen in carbonite) would accept. I found the Chapter 1 story highly inconsistent with the self-reliance and pragmatism that I would expect my character to have.

 

 

After he finally recovers his ship, the smuggler permits a former associate of the crime boss who stole it to remain on board and, indeed, to dictate his actions for the next several planets’ worth of content. Hardly!

 

 

 

Did you enjoy the mechanics?

 

Yes, but the mechanics require a fair amount of getting used to. This class, at least in the sawbones spec, is quite different from most MMO classes. You have to find the “sweet spot” mixture of crowd control, companion healing, positional melee, and ranged DPS.

 

You have a lot of utility and plenty of options. But you have to be flexible and react to each situation. You can’t just follow a specific “rotation” and expect to get good results.

 

For comparison purposes, I might compare the smuggler to the LoTRO Lore-master class. Some healing, some crowd control, some melee DPS, some ranged DPS, heavily reliant on companion/pet.

 

Stealth is a definite plus. The cover mechanic can also be good, but only if used judiciously.

 

I have to say that healing feels under-powered, but I have not yet filled out the talent tree.

 

Are these classes an important SW fantasy to you?

 

The smuggler is a Star Wars icon. But this story line, for the most part, lets you play with your own individual style and flair.

 

Do you still play the class? If not, why not?

 

Yes, I am actively playing the class.

[Perfectcircle]

I honestly picked smuggler scoundrel because I wanted to be a healer and i thought that it would be the least FOTM class out there.

 

looks like i was right.

[neowizard]

Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?

Yup. Main is an Agent Sniper

 

Did you enjoy the story?

Absolutely. The story is awsome.

 

Did you enjoy the mechanics? Why/why not?

Mostly, yes. I don't like having to use 'cover' for some of the abilities, like the AOE push back ability.

 

Are these classes an important SW fantasy to you?

Agent, no. They never played a 'front line' roll in any of the stories that I know of.

 

Do you still play the class? If not, why not?

Absolutely, Love my sniper for picking off repubs in pvp.

[MasterKayote]

There are two things holding the population low.

 

1) While there is an iconic character (many of them in fact) for the Smuggler its still the least preferred. Star Wars is mostly all about the Jedi/Sith however, while the rest are usually supporting characters. Sure Troopers are more popular but thats probably because

 

2) Cover sucks. Regular cover is annoying, I dont even use it on my Sniper and on my Scoundrel I dont even have it bound anymore. Cover screen isnt as bad but its still a nuisance. They should just remove the cover requirement for these classes and leave is as an optional buff for more defense. You cant really "fix" everyones favoritism of the Jedi/Sith but they can at least make the Smuggler/IA more appealing.

 

P.S: Im leveling a Sniper, slowly but surely. I was actually one of the few who was actually looking forward to playing one before release. Now im pretty much leveling it for the amazing story. Dont get me wrong, I generally like the class ... but its no where near as fun as I was hoping. Like I said, its mostly due to the cover system.

Edited March 6, 2012 by MasterKayote

[Kantoro]

I leveled an agent as far as I could. But Kaliyo is a raging pychopathic, habitually lying sociopath. At level 27, I just can't stomach playing the class anymore with such an unpleasant companion.

 

In short, Kaliyo made me quit the class. In a game where story is everything, the companion makes a difference. Same with BH, I LOVED the BH story til I was forced to take Skadge, who is a total Dbag. I refuse to finish my BH becuz I was forced to take a companion that I would never, ever choose if I had a choice.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Kantoro

[Trolltar]

I’ve leveled a Gunslinger to 50 and an Operative to 26 (so far).

I really understand why people wouldn’t want to play a gun slinger or a sniper. For one thing they’re one of only two advanced classes that don’t have a different role in off spec (Sentinel/Marauder being the other). As much as I like dual spec it’s not like it really matters that much to me. One of the reasons this is a problem is because of the way group mechanics work in SWTOR. Since parties are only four people that means that the ratio of tank to healer to dps is 1:1:2. So if you have 10 healers and 10 tanks on at a given time that means you can support 20 dps for flashpoints. In WOW it would be more like 30 and in other games it could be as much as 40. So only having one role is much more restricting in SWTOR than it is in other games.

Plus, the cover mechanic is a real pain in the backside. There are lots of ways to knock a gunslinger out of cover and then we have very of our abilities that actually work. We are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to shoot and scoot.

As far as iconic imagery goes, I think Bioware has a point, to a certain extent. For anyone that was introduced to Star Wars by the prequels they have no connection to smugglers. For those of us that grew up with the original Han shoots first Star Wars it’s completely different. The smuggler is much more iconic to us.

 

I like the operative a lot. He’s a stealthy healer, which is wicked cool. With Dual Spec I’ll be able to make a solid DPS off spec as well. I have no real complaints about my operative.

I like both stories. I just think the mechanics of the gunslinger kind of chow, and I think that’s one of the big things holding them back.

 

Lastly, I get BW’s statement that they think the smuggler/agent would need to be OP to be played. I think what would work better is to make the gunslinger/sniper (and also Sentinel/Marauder) play a raid buffing role. That way even though they’re dps they would have a number of abilities that benefit a party or a raid. There would still be the 3 basics roles, dps/tank/heals, but these two advance classes would also have a viable role to play as well, as party buffers. The gunslinger is already a little bit down that path; I think it would be a great idea to flesh that out. That way you could make the classes more desirable without making them OP.

[SWToRBurns]

The Agent story is by the far the best story in the game hands down. Its so much better then every other story, you almost feel as if they dropped the ball on the rest. Also the agent ship is amazing.

 

^ This, the story is my favorite part of the Agent, I hope they develop it further. It is also the best class choice for a Chiss imo, for canon reasons.

 

Operative is my first, and only true love in the game. I dont have any fun playing Jedi, and imo the Assassin feels alot weaker than my agent did pre-30.

 

I loved the mixed kit of the Operative, raged at the nerfs, have slowly climbed my way to valor 54, and will continue to stab all the things.

 

I don't have issue with the Vknife, but I do wish it was displayable/had different models.

[SWToRBurns]

2) Cover sucks. Regular cover is annoying, I dont even use it on my Sniper and on my Scoundrel I dont even have it bound anymore. Cover screen isnt as bad but its still a nuisance. They should just remove the cover requirement for these classes and leave is as an optional buff for more defense. You cant really "fix" everyones favoritism of the Jedi/Sith but they can at least make the Smuggler/IA more appealing.

 

Can't disagree more. When well used, cover is an amazing addition to the Agent's kit. I won't say it's perfect, but completely ignoring a class mechanic is a pretty poor way to play a class, imho.

 

A good sniper will get him/herself parked in such a way that it's well nigh impossible to uproot them, allowing them to rain hot blaster death down on the opposition more or less unmolested.

 

A good Operative uses cover to close gaps/hold down a position with covering fire, or can use it in conjunction with their stealth openers to create a sickening amount of burst damage.

 

You also use it in Huttball a TON to deny charges, nothing is more funny than watching a Warrior rage at the fact he can't charge the squishy blue man pelting him for 2k snipes as an Operative.

 

My tldr $0.02, cover isn't bad, people just don't know the best way to use it, and Agents have a higher skill cap.

[voidheart]

My main is a lvl50 Sniper/Marksman. I never wanted a melee class with lightsaber.. well maybe a caster (Inquisitor/Consular).

 

I can totally accept the agent in the SW role. I like the Imperial feeling behind it. And i like the rogue agent style like Jack Bauer

 

Sure the class need a little care like better energy regen or some out of cover skill but i think it's a great class to play with.

Edited March 6, 2012 by voidheart

[HanzoV]

Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?

 

No. I would roll a Smuggler today if he could be a Mon Cal. I do want to try a IA/Operative, at some point. (My main is a lvl 47 BH Merc).

 

I love Han; I've often said that one of the (many) reasons why the Prequels are sub-par, is because they do not have a Han Solo type rogue character. However, Han is always the best example of this type of character, and therefore, I have no desire to make a knock-off of him. For some odd reason, I can't get the idea of a Mon Cal Smug out of my head, though. I don't care if all romance options would be void to me, I just want my Fishy Smuggler.

[Andryah]

The answer is simple:

 

The cover mechanic was a nice idea in theory, but in practice it's horrible

 

It's easy to adjust to though and use to advantage once you understand it's little quirks. That is not why they are least played. It's an overall play style thing IMO. These are finesse classes, and many MMO players are not interested in finesse. More people just want to play flash bang explode with a BH or it's counter part OR light up the world with lightening and saber flashes. They want flash over finesse.

 

I play most of the classes in rotation in the game. When I am in the mood to just blow stuff up, I don't play my Agent (sniper). When I am in the mood for more deliberate and precise play style, I only play my Agent. So, it depends on my mood.

 

I like the stance that Bioware has taken...... they admit that they cannot force people to play particular factions and particular classes AND DO NOT WANT TO. Does not mean they wont' do things to incent play, but it's nice to see they are not going to do a WoW style make the fotm approach to forcing class switching.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Andryah

[Optimism]

Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?

 

An operative to 50. Was my first class.

 

Did you enjoy the story?

 

Hands down the best storyline I've seen in a while in gaming

 

Did you enjoy the mechanics? Why/why not?

 

As an operative, the only time I'd use cover is to add in the probe bomb for more burst or use it to run away commando style. Otherwise I see alot of QQ from sniper/gunslingers about how broken the cover system is for them.

 

Are these classes an important SW fantasy to you?

 

The agent is something completely new to the SW scene and I feel Bioware did an amazing job integrating this class into the SW universe. You're a mix of Jack Bauer, James Bond and a little of Jason Bourne when going through the storyline.

 

Do you still play the class? If not, why not?

 

Not anymore. Been playing my Mercenary and most recently my Jedi Shadow more.

 

*edit* Anything they could do to encourage you to try one if you haven't, or play the one you have?

 

Ranked Warzones will fix it.

[Chishan]

The answer is simple:

 

The cover mechanic was a nice idea in theory, but in practice it's horrible

 

I like the idea its just a pain trying to play with other ppl and everything is dead by the time my char gets into cover (and thats running with ppl around my same lvl).

[unixbomber]

The operative story is fun and unique but lacks shotguns.

The scoundrel story is horribly boring but has shotguns.

I have way more fun playing my scoundrel.

[FooBard]

My first 50 was a Shadow (most awesome toon in the game)

 

My next too so far, level 31 Female scoundral heal spec'd with Corso tanking.

 

This is just plain fun for me.

 

I'm 100% PVE, so couldn't comment on that.

 

I have a lot of alts. 26 commando, 19 guardian, 15 vanguard, 12 GS, 11 Sage and a level 6 Sentinal which I will never play.

 

I will probably delete the GS and Sentinal in favor or playing a couple of Imp toons in the future.

 

I'm in no hurry... will probably play this game for a couple of years, at least.

[MasterKayote]

Can't disagree more. When well used, cover is an amazing addition to the Agent's kit. I won't say it's perfect, but completely ignoring a class mechanic is a pretty poor way to play a class, imho.

 

A good sniper will get him/herself parked in such a way that it's well nigh impossible to uproot them, allowing them to rain hot blaster death down on the opposition more or less unmolested.

 

A good Operative uses cover to close gaps/hold down a position with covering fire, or can use it in conjunction with their stealth openers to create a sickening amount of burst damage.

 

You also use it in Huttball a TON to deny charges, nothing is more funny than watching a Warrior rage at the fact he can't charge the squishy blue man pelting him for 2k snipes as an Operative.

 

My tldr $0.02, cover isn't bad, people just don't know the best way to use it, and Agents have a higher skill cap.

 

Never said it wasnt useful. Its not necessary for a Scoundrel or Operative in PvE and in PvP is more of a kiting trick. Either way usefulness!=annoying ... its down right required for Snipers and Gunslingers and thats probably a big reason why theyre so low in population. Usefull ... but not fun to use for most (though im sure you like it).

 

Liking the mechanic has nothing to do with how good you are with it or knowing the best way to use it.

[Toonpup]

I wanted to play Smuggler most of all. I like the idea of being a smuggler, and the voicework and lines are really good. I laughed at many of the things my smuggler said.

 

But other than the story, I didn't enjoy playing the character. I forced myself to play through Act 1 to get my Legacy name, but I hated most of the trip. I stopped playing smuggler at 35 and switched to Trooper as my main character. No regrets, the trooper is so much more fun!

 

My scoundrel feels so weak. I have to rest after many hard fights when my trooper, jedi shadow, and bounty hunter can power through things. I have to use CCs and cooldowns all the time, and still I feel wimpy.

 

I also don't enjoy managing all the cooldowns and knicknacks the smuggler has. I need Upper Hand, and must keep up Pugnacity! Oops my energy is getting slightly low, better slow down. And on top of that I must keep running around to get behind enemies so I can shotgun them. Lots of enemies jump around and switch targets, so I'm pretty useless DPS wise when that happens.

 

Why is this class so complicated when it is hands-down worse than the others? Being so complex, I'd hope that it would be powerful once I got it figured out. I believe there's a good reason why they are the least played classes. To me: it's not lore (which I love), it's not the lack of Force powers - it's just a complicated, unenjoyable class to play.

 

My husband is also playing a scoundrel, and also an operative, but isn't enjoying them either for the same reasons. Neither of us are enjoying them. We shelved them, assuming that they will be "fixed" sometime in the future to make them more attractive and enjoyable to play.

[belialle]

 

1. Have you leveled a Smuggler or Agent? Why/why not?
    
   
2. Did you enjoy the story?
    
   
3. Did you enjoy the mechanics? Why/why not?
    
   
4. Are these classes an important SW fantasy to you?
    
   
5. Do you still play the class? If not, why not?
    
   
6. *edit* Anything they could do to encourage you to try one if you haven't, or play the one you have?
   

 

 

1. Yes, agent. I played it a bit in beta, and I really liked the story and the voice actors. The female IA actor is great for the role.
   
2. Yes, I really enjoyed the IA story. The other classes that I've played haven't been nearly as interesting to me.
   
3. Yes. I play as a healer, and I really love the way the class feels. I love my beeping probes, and my armor looks pretty nice too.
   
4. I haven't really thought about it. But I do love to think of my agent being a non-force user in a society dominated by the Sith -- It's interesting to me. I like to imagine that she really resents the Sith (privately, of course). It makes the character a lot more interesting to me than if she were just some powerful, bad *** Sith Lord.
   
5. Yes. My operative is my main, and sniper is probably going to be the next one to 50.
   
6. n/a