Class Feedback

[DJThomas]

My current spec is the Watchman spec.

 

Q #1: Other classes have referred to my spec being overpowered. They say that our interrupts and DoT abilities are very hard to defend against. I have also heard that it is considered one of the hardest specs to master.

 

Q #2: I love nearly everything about the Watchman class, for both PvP and PvE. My only concern is the fact that we have virtually no stun-breaking abilities aside from resolve, which is on a 2 minute cool down, thus making it very hard to compete in Warzones like Huttball as the ball-carrier.

[selleronethree]

How people see me:

 

The worst thing to happen to SW:TOR ever. Like the blight-wizards of Rifts, only way more over powered. I am the reason people don't enjoy PVP. Anti-fun. The game would be better off without me, and the resentment I feel on same team vs. same team PVP matches is unbelievable. I constantly get tells calling me a cheater, or worse, and I've had people send me tells saying that I'm the reason SW:TOR is failing because "FOTM" players make people quit.

 

How I see myself:

 

I quit SW:TOR shortly after 1.2 and I'm just waiting or my sub to ware off because I lost all faith in the dev team. It should have taken ONE dev to watch me carry the hutball from the centre to the goal, unassisted, without taking any real damage I couldn't self heal or watching me hold a cap vs. 6 people for 15 seconds with no problem as a DPS class, or taken one match with me getting 200K healing for the servers to be taken down for and emergency patch to adjust the class. I prove, beyond a shadow of doubt, that the SW:TOR devs have no idea how to balance PVP, don't care about balance at all, and want everyone to re-roll as FOTM after every major re-balance.

 

I'm a huge PVP player and my sent is only one of the 3 toons I USED to like to PVP with, only now I never bother to play anything but my sent. Why would I? PVP is SVM (sents vs marauders) now and playing any other class is just choosing to be fodder.

[Brissellio]

Hi everyone,

 

We’re looking for some specific feedback about each Advanced Class and spec. Your feedback here, along with other feedback we’ve been gathering and our internal metrics, may guide future class balance changes. Similar threads will be found in every Advanced Class forum.

 

Here are the two questions that we’d like to ask (please only post about specific specs that you actively play, and don’t forget to tell us which one you’re talking about!):

 

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

 

Please answer the post using the same format and in no more than 2-3 sentences per question.

 

This is not a discussion thread, so please do not debate others’ feedback – everyone gets to share what they think. Any off-topic or unconstructive posts (or any that do not follow the above guidelines) will be removed without warning.

 

Remember, this isn’t the only thread we’re looking at for feedback – if you have more feedback than fits the above guidelines, please feel free to post a discussion thread. We’re looking to get some specific insights here, but we are always reading the forums to gather feedback and player concerns.

 

Thank you!

 

1. Speaking purely from a PVE standpoint. My watchman spec is believed to be one of the stronger specs that comes to any of my guilds operations with all the utility that the spec brings to the table for fights.

 

2. I believe the watchman spec to be one of the strongest PVE DPS specs in the game right now. It has enough power with all of the burns to put out massive amounts of damage. I just wish the few non burn abilities in the tree had another purpose. Say for maybe force sweep if we have overload saber and we use force sweep it applies 1 stack to 3 different mobs. Other than that I absolutely love it.

[IIIGinoIII]

1. Others perceive this class as overpowered in PvP. It is no secret with most of the good PvP guilds turning to these Adv Classes on their guilds.

 

2. Playing multiple characters, this class is ridiculously overpowered. Can rip through anything. Why would anyone want to play a different class IDK.

[Andrew_TS]

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

 

In PvE, most other DPS classes with equivalent gear can match DPS with my Watchman Spec Sentinel with exception to Shadow DPS. When in Combat Spec, healers hate me because of the lack of self heals and overall DPS to OPs bosses are less than Watchman Spec. The general perception I receive from guild-mates about Sentinels is that we rush into battle too quickly (pulling mobs before the tank does) and make holding agro for lower geared tanks to difficult even when we do utilize our agro dump. They also comment toward Sentinels are always off killing their own mobs and not killing the mob being tanked. Note: This is a general perception of Sentinels, not an attribute of only one Sentinel. Others I have played with have also come to rely on my Inspiration during OPs bosses.

In PvP, Sentinels are seen as a moderate threat and because of this, are focused down in seconds regardless of Spec. In 1v1, most can out DPS because of kiting or moving behind us (thus, skill not activating), however, defensive CDs do allow us to come out on top in most occasions. However, once the opponent is down, we rarely have anything left to take on another player 1v1 so once players see us take out another player, they know they can likely one shot us and move on.

 

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

 

I have been playing my Sentinel since launch. I do NOT perceive my Sentinel as OP regardless of spec when compared to other DPS classes of equivalent gear. I still think a push or pull would be appropriate as a basic skill (I am a Jedi after all). Being that we have 3 DPS Specs that would could use, I would like to see the trees reorganized to allow for hybrid specs as well. All in all, however, I do really like my Sentinel, and feel that Watchman is the best of all the specs (for PvE anyway).

[SomberSoySauce]

In PvP, generally, people take issue with two specific abilities: guarded by the force and camoflage. On occasion, the self-healing will be brought up. The common -- and largely short-sighted -- claim is that these capabilities allow sentinels to regular win in 2v1 encounters.

 

In PvE, sentinels seem to receive about as much favor as other dedicated DPS classes (focus-specced sentinels being the exception, though in my mind, every PvE focus-specced sentinel plays his/her class incorrectly). Their ability to use inspiration appears to balance out their liabilities as a melee dps class (admittedly, I do not quite understand this as a single use of Inspiration for damage purposes only amounts to a mere 15 seconds of having approximately one extra dps in an 8-man Ops group). There are a number of cases where having a sentinel is seen as a liability, e.g. Lost Island.

 

I can only comment on the watchman spec:

 

There is a unique enjoyment in PvP'ing as a sentinel. The single biggest contributor to my damage output -- the primary metric of my performance -- is up-time. Other dps classes can increase their up-time via tactical positioning and reactionary use of knock-backs or pulls. In comparison, playing as a sentinel -- a melee class with no tools for repositioning opponents -- often feels like diving into a maelstrom. This fact alone necessitates both moves. It does not, however, explain the joy (and frustration) of playing a sentinel.

 

The times I've been most successful as a sentinel, and the times I have the most fun, are those moments when I feel like I've found the flow in the chaos. In this respect, guarded by the force and camoflage are not only indispensible tools in PvP, they essentially define the most rewarding aspects of being a sentinel. Neither ability is unambiguously powerful; for instance, in the much cited 2v1 encounter, a stun is tactically superior to guarded by the force, as a stun similarly negates the opponent's damage output while additionally negating the opponent's movement, disruption, and mitigation capabilities. And in any case, generally, reactionary use of the abilities will rarely yield a sentinel more than 2 GCDs worth of damage, possibly explaining why so few sentinels do well in PvP in spite of having these tools. On the contrary, the times I've found the most utility from these particular moves are those when I've already managed to confound the majority of the opposing team in spite of being in the center of a large-scale skirmish. The extra few seconds that these moves grant are often those few seconds after the remainder of my team have fallen, just long enough for the first to respawn to return to the battlefield and interrupt the capture. These instances are rare, and that is what makes them treasures (and being especially memorable, I imagine it is also a major source of complaints).

 

My biggest weakness in group play is the inability to efficiently focus fire with my team. After downing my first target, I usually have to leap to the next, whether due to distance or because I simply cannot locate my teammate's target with all the fire and lightning on screen and am relying on my closer to put me in the right location; if my next target follows through with a knockback, then I'm effectively out of the fight for several (critical) seconds. This is partly offset by the single-target damage output of the sentinel, but it does lead to frustration when I hear sorcerers complaining about their class, considering how much less effort they require to be effective team players.

 

A second significant weakness, which cannot be emphasized enough, is the weak selection of stuns. I don't see anything wrong with this, but I note it because, from my own experience, this, along with the lack of repositioning tools, seems to be the trade-off for having strong defensive CDs. Comparatively speaking, the timing and awareness required to properly use guarded by the force and camoflage are more strict than that required to properly use a general-purpose stun.

 

PvE is a lot of fun. Many of the sentinel abilities feel like they have subtle, but effective group utility. To list a few examples:

 

Being a melee range dps class means that it is very possible to pace a tank's threat generation; this, combined with the short-term, but high efficiency defensive CDs creates situations where a sentinel can plan ahead to hold threat for a few key seconds in a fight, whether due to threat drop mechanics or to give the tank some breathing room. Some of my fondest memories, before all my friends quit the game, were of downing the boss with a well-timed use of guarded by the force (followed by camoflage) after both tanks went down and the boss had enraged.

 

The short CD interrupt is an especially nice touch. I would not feel as useful as I do in many encounters without it. Much of this may be psychological.

 

Pacify, awe, and force sweep have allowed me to save a healer on numerous occasions in spite of an inattentive tank. As much as I envy the commandos and gunslingers for their ridiculous knockbacks, I could not find the same enjoyment in knocking targets away from the healer as I do in using the sentinel-specific abilities.

 

The backhand and pommel strike are wonderful, and feel I contribute a great deal in FPs against normal enemies because I can dispatch single targets so efficiently. I do wish they had more impressive animations, considering the damage they do. It just seems wrong that back-handing someone should do more damage than stabbing him.

 

A number of PvE bosses require the sentinel to constantly reposition in certain phases. I love this. It is incredibly immersive to be weaving between hostile attacks while, at the same time, wearing down the opponent(s). I'd like to see more of it, especially in typical HM FPs.

[Ardarell_Solo]

General Playstyle: I do both PvE and PvP, swapping equipment on 8 of the slots, using half T3 and T4 in both cirsumstances. I have played all three skill trees for several weeks and decided to stick witch watchman finally, since it seems the best allround option.

 

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

 

In PvE some are reluctant to take Melee DPS along in generel, specifically in Denova, as some encounters are considered much easier with range DDs only (also Lost Island HC, 2nd Boss).

 

In PvP opponents try to single you out, since backed by a healer you're good at taking opponents out and hard to kill. But on you're own, if opponents know which abillities to interrupt or avoid, you're not considered too durable.

 

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

 

Just love it!! To me it's THE iconic Star Wars type of character and I chose it because two light sabers are simply very cool and I enjoy it immensely every time I draw them to fight.

 

I have therefore never given much thought if it's the most effective class or anything since SWTOR was my first MMO and I wouldn't have been able to tell when I started.

 

As for now I'd say: Melee is hard in SWTOR, the countless abilities and situationally adaptive rotations are tough. If you're skilled, it's a very strong class, but you have to work hard to fully use the class' potencial. But that's exactly how a jedi class should be in my opinion <-> Luke's training with Yoda :-))

[Nitothun]

Watchman spec

 

1. Sentinel's are feared in general. Watchmen are hard to kill and do lots of damage. I think they are considered overpowered.

 

2. I like the way it play. The whole self heal and centering support stuff really fits my playstyle.

I miss a stun though. It's hard to stop anyone with JUST damage from scoreing a point in huttball or so.

 

Additionally I think that the sentinel's trees are a bit too linear. I don't really have the ability to come up with fun hybrid builds or stuff like that, because everything is very dependant on the specific lightsaber forms. I would love to see more room for experimentation.

[selleronethree]

Bioware I can sum up every post for you!

 

How do people see sentinels

 

Overpower but ONLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE STUPID. We are really very very weak, you just have to know how to counter us. Also they don't understand .. um ... MMOs or something.

 

How do you see yourself

 

Not OP at all don't nerf us

[ProfessorWalsh]

BioWare I am very concerned regarding some of the posts in here... I know for a fact that some of the posts aren't from people who play this class. There are a number of posts that are from players of other classes (*cough* Sorcerer *cough*) who are posting here, specifically trying to get our class nerfed. These are fairly obvious but I wanted to bring it to BioWare's attention.

[MoreMomentum]

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

Watchman Sentinel Spec is perceived as over powered and impossible to kill.

 

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

I believe the Watchman spec is far from over powered. The amount of work and coordination it takes to be top of your class is insane. The main purpose of the class is damage. The amount of stuns and attacks we are susceptible to being melee separates us from ranged DPS.

 

Final note: The class either needs another CC break or a faster CC break cool down. On my server, as a known high-DPS Sentinel, I get focused and chain stunned more than I am able to attack. By the time my resolve bar is full I'm either dead or near dead (making me save my CC breaker in a more realistic situation). Not to mention at respawn, by the time I'm back to the fight my resolve bar is clear.

[crazyBE]

Watchman

 

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

Until recently it was considered OP. Yesterday one of our sentinels switched to combat and said he was doing ~ the same damage in that.

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

I love it. I find it a lot easier than combat since you don't have to look at your buffs.

Also find it easier than focus where I'm either at max focus and can't get rid of it or with no focus and have a hard time getting it back up.

[DarkSaberMaster]

How people see me:

 

It should have taken ONE dev to watch me carry the hutball from the centre to the goal, unassisted, without taking any real damage I couldn't self heal or watching me hold a cap vs. 6 people for 15 seconds with no problem as a DPS class, or taken one match with me getting 200K healing for the servers to be taken down for and emergency patch to adjust the class.

 

Hmmm. Funny thing that I can do that on my Scoundrel, but easier. And on a more consistent basis. Should they be nerfed even more too?

[Snoizer]

Watchman

 

1. Very strong in a 1v1 situation. With a couple of stuns and other cc the sentinel isn't that hard to bring down. Quite easy to burst down until a certain level of health. Guarded by the force is concidered by many as OP, but I do not agree.

 

2. Really fun to play. My main is a sentinel and I use it mostly for PvE. No changes is needed for the abbilitys, the class is very fun to play. Balanced acording to me, but hard to say about your own class.

[RragnarR]

Watchman is fun and good.

 

Combat is good and fun but very relyant on heals. Downside to combat is that it's not really possible to make a hybrid combat build due to the layout of the skills - either you are combat or not, which I really wish would change...

 

Focus is decent allthough not really an option for Sentinels since they do less damage than guardian focus bombers and have less survivability...

[Sarezar]

1. I think others see my Sentinel as a really high DPS party member that can also support/buff the group a bit but will always be a second choice after a ranged DPS character due to mission design that favours ranged DPS - same in PvP.

 

2. My sentinel - even though it's not my main character - is by far the most fun to play class for me. The speed it moves from enemy to enemy (or I should say from dead enemy to dead enemy) is extreme fun. I could use one more single target stun ability but overall I am happy.

[bionamaster]

Watchman Sentinel here.

 

1. Watchman is percieved by most other classes as a highly viable combination of both burst and DoT DPS, with survivability thrown in for good measure. It is very formidable when viewed by another class, from my experience.

 

2. I put some extra points in some passive DPS-boosting abilities in the other two trees (Dual-Wielding Mastery, the abilities in Focus that buff Master Strike and the AoEs), and I feel pretty powerful in both PvP and PvE. I think all the trees are well done.

[Fancier]

This class is a watchman in the talents, the most powerful, survivable, that strongly distinguishes it in front of other classes.

excessive number of panels to reduce the damage is almost impossible to put a net loss, treatment in the promptness with these boards makes it more tenacious than the Guardian, which in principle should not be.

It is necessary to replace the ability to Rebuke the ability to watch Focused Defense, Duration ability Guarded by the Force reduced to 3 seconds.

And the combat is to develop talents, and they are not popular.

 

sry for my english.

Edited July 27, 2012 by Fancier

[relayinabox]

I'm primarily a PvE-only player. So no idea how this class handles in the PvP areas of the game. That said, here are my answers.

 

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

Useful to have to fill a DPS role in groups, other classes seem willing to group with a Sentinel for all PvE content. I do, however, see some players commenting that their Sentinels are squishy in solo PvE.

 

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

I use Watchman and Combat on my Sentinels and both specs seem to have a fair amount of utility, and can handle PvE encounters in game.

[Pvtcarnage]

1. I think most that I play with value my contributions to the team as a Sentinel.

2. I Feel that Watchman is the only tree that feels like it flows properly and would like to feel I had more than one choice.

[Theraimariz]

Sentinel mainer here

 

1. Going 1v1, in rare cases 1v2, is not that bad. Mostly, if its 1v1 with you being a Sentinel, more than likely the opponent will call for help.

 

 

2. I like Combat, but I feel like its outclassed heavily by Watchman. Bugged talents, lower damage output in the long run , but still better burst damage.

[Nolenthar]

 

1. How do you think your Sentinel spec is perceived by other classes?

 

 

 

Watchman :

• PvP : I'm considered as a valuable asset to the team due to some inherent group buff (speed) and overall good dps ability. My fellow Combat are however seen as more useful the stronger the opposition is (Ranked)
  
• PvE : Due to being a melee class I'm at disadvantage there in most encounters, however, my unique buffs and very good dps makes up for it and in general I'm seen as an asset to my raid team.
  

 

Combat :

• PvP : Great asset, a bit squishier than my cousin Watchman, I however have more tools to make the difference in the competition. My good buff, my better burst makes my team mates happier than in Watchman
  
• PvE : My improved speed buff is really not needed in PvE. Apart from that, due to dps being very close with Watchman, I'm still seen as an asset.
  

 

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

 

Watchman :

• PvP : It's my favourite spec, even though my burst damage will be lowered compared to combat.
  
• PvE : Watchman is definitely fun and requires a good deal of timing (it's still a game though) and putting effort in it allow you to improve quite a lot, so there is space for progression which is always interesting.
  

 

Combat :

• PvP : I perceive this spec as a bit less interesting than Watchman in PvP. It's however really fun due to the improved combat buff and the need to save centering for it rather than Zen.
  
• PvE : It's boring, and too expectable. The rotation contains way less action and timing than Watchman, and I'm not even talking of the Blade Rush Zen spam... The 100% ataru proc on Blade Rush removed the need to watch for Combat Trance proc (and thus removed the need to be careful about those proc, you just know it will be there as long you used Blade Rush before). Slash becomes useless with this spec (so that's one less ability). In brief, boring compared to Watchman.
  

Edited August 10, 2012 by Nolenthar

[seektravota]

I think an important thing about tweaking class balance is in a way so that when you tweak pvp, you don't devastate pve; and vice versa.