Lithaladh Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I have been leveling (or trying to level) a sith assassin for the last few months (she is now level 46). One problem that I have had since Alderaan was being one level behind. That was fixed as all that was needed to be done was to hop over to Nar Shadda and do the bonus quest. But, I found that I was 2 levels behind on Taris (fixed with the bonus quests) and about 1 1/5 levels behind on Belsavis. I powered through with many close calls and got to being "on schedule". Now, on Voss, at level 46, I found that I am, once again, 1 1/5 levels behind. I don't know why I am as I do all the quests that I can, including the bonus, planet, side and class. I don't play pvp because I dislike the very idea of it and I botch space missions as easy as breathing. Any ideas on methods of which I could level my toon up? All of the quests that aren't heroics (or other types of groups) that are available to her are level 47, and I am at lost as to what to do. Help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatghost Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Don't let that yellow (or orange) text disturb you. 1 1/5 levels under suggested level is perfectly doable. It's when you get more than three levels behind that you'll really struggle. You can do Voss at 46 and without space battle or PvP (I empathize, I hate both) your only other choice is to go back to Belsavis and grind mobs to level up. Not fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysister Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 i dun really know. i'm usually a couple levels ahead from doing all the quests. do you run FPs? those can help with exp and gear. and doing those heroics can help too. it's usually not hard to find a group for heroics. people tend to shout for parties in general chat. i'm assuming you unlocked your legacy, considering how far you are. did you buy the exp boosts for your class quests and such? those do help a bit. also, try to remember to rest in a cantina/your ship as often as possible, as rested exp does help a lot too (gives you twice as much exp when fighting mobs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonMo Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I wonder if you are doing a lot of stealthing. You miss quite a bit of xp by not killing mobs. You should also make every effort to be rested. I try to leave an alt parked in a cantina or on fleet long enough to have a full level worth of rest before I resume leveling. You get double xp for every kill while rested. If you stack that on top of completing every quest bonus you possibly can, you should easily be hitting each planet 2+ levels ABOVE content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithaladh Posted October 22, 2012 Author Share Posted October 22, 2012 Due to past experiences with other folk, I generally won't/don't do any group quests. This includes flashpoints (even if they have equipment that is to die for). I have unlocked my legacy (it is lvl 9 as of right now), but due to trying to keep my sith and her companion's armour up to date, she is a tad broke. I wonder if you are doing a lot of stealthing. You miss quite a bit of xp by not killing mobs. You are quite right about me doing a lot of stealthing. I do it to avoid being in a constant fight as I enjoy storylines. and while fights can be interesting, they can also get just as boring. Thanks for the thoughts though. I'll see about powering through the planet, even if I am practically dying every time I end up having to take down a boss. . .Can't forget about resting in the ship as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oggthebase Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 (edited) have you done the Hoth bonus missions (or even the Belsavis)? If you want to avoid flashpoints, pvp and space missions, the only remaining "repeatable" missions are the heroics H2 and H4. You may want to go back to Belsavis (and maybe Hoth) and solo the H2s for some experience (as long as the mission is green, you'll earn the xp and with you being higher level, they should be solo-able for any class). it's true that sometimes people can be real jerks, but sometimes you meet people with whom you share the same mindset and they can become good friends to play with. Give it another chance. Edited October 22, 2012 by Oggthebase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owsley Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I wonder if you are doing a lot of stealthing. You miss quite a bit of xp by not killing mobs.. This ^^^^ QFE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prabhunath Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 Don't let that yellow (or orange) text disturb you. 1 1/5 levels under suggested level is perfectly doable. It's when you get more than three levels behind that you'll really struggle. You can do Voss at 46 and without space battle or PvP (I empathize, I hate both) your only other choice is to go back to Belsavis and grind mobs to level up. Not fun. This. The trick is to control your companion in fights, deciding for him who gets cc-ed, who gets tanked, and who gets killed first. Being a level lower than what is recommended for the quest is alright for the most part (it becomes a little difficult only on certain elites/champs and boss fights). If you are doing DPS, use a tank companion to soak as much damage from you as possible. There is a good chance your companion will die after every difficult encounter, but then that's why she's there. Also try to take away pressure on her from time to time (such as by CC-ing certain mobs, etc) so that she lasts longer. On champion and boss fights, you may need your healer, and to survive it you will need to utilize your surroundings (keep moving always, hide behind pillars and walls,etc. It can become a sort of hit-and-run-hit-and-run at times). Won't be easy but it can be done. Alternatively, you can spec into a tank. With a healer companion, you will then be able to beat the champs and bosses rather easily so long as your companion stays alive, even if the quest is a level higher than you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prabhunath Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I wonder if you are doing a lot of stealthing. You miss quite a bit of xp by not killing mobs. Also, if it's only about gaining experience, it is advisable not to bother with killing mobs randomly unless they are part of a quest. The only exception to this rule would be elites and champions because they grant you a substantial amount of experience. The best way to gain most exp is through quests (planet/class/flashpoints) and to some degree pvp. Go back to the earlier areas of the planet and do the quests that you avoided, and complete the bonus parts as well. I understand that meeting jerks in the past have ruined your experience in heroics/flashpoints, but you should not let that deter you away from doing them. Remember that while there are jerks out there, there are good and helpful ones as well (just like the ones who are helping you in this thread). Besides, the end game in swtor revolves around 2 things (pvp and raids), so you won't be able to avoid groups for long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysister Posted October 22, 2012 Share Posted October 22, 2012 I understand that meeting jerks in the past have ruined your experience in heroics/flashpoints, but you should not let that deter you away from doing them. Remember that while there are jerks out there, there are good and helpful ones as well (just like the ones who are helping you in this thread). Besides, the end game in swtor revolves around 2 things (pvp and raids), so you won't be able to avoid groups for long. this. i've met a decent amount of jerks in the game, but when i compare it to the amount of nice people i've met, the jerks are definitely in the minority. don't be afraid to group up with others. most people in the game are helpful, or at least patient. and remember, there is an /ignore function. ignoring players will keep you from getting messages from them, as well as keep you from joining a party with them if you que for FPs and whatnot. /ignore is your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonMo Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) Also, if it's only about gaining experience, it is advisable not to bother with killing mobs randomly unless they are part of a quest. The only exception to this rule would be elites and champions because they grant you a substantial amount of experience. The best way to gain most exp is through quests (planet/class/flashpoints) and to some degree pvp. Go back to the earlier areas of the planet and do the quests that you avoided, and complete the bonus parts as well. I understand that meeting jerks in the past have ruined your experience in heroics/flashpoints, but you should not let that deter you away from doing them. Remember that while there are jerks out there, there are good and helpful ones as well (just like the ones who are helping you in this thread). Besides, the end game in swtor revolves around 2 things (pvp and raids), so you won't be able to avoid groups for long. While that is true, by virtue of they health pool armor and improved tactics, they are much harder fights to solo. Even 3 or 4 levels over, reasonably well geared, and with the benefit of a massive legacy boost to presence, the boss fight of one of the Drumond Kass heroics was quite tough for my healing sorcerer. I wasn't doing it for the xp though, I was doing it for the quest rewards. Generally, I avoid heroics unless there is a group conveniently spamming general. Few planet side heroics give rewards good enough to make the effort. Even at end-game, simply by ignoring the heroic dailies, I can shorten the time spent per toon on dailies by half or better. You CAN do the entire circuit in super fast mode with a good group, but how often does it happen that you are able to run with the same group more than once doing dailies? Skipping heroics, and a good cup of coffee and good song selection, I can make more in the same amount of time with 3 toons than I could getting just one through everything + heroics. Edited October 23, 2012 by JacksonMo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysister Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Even at end-game, simply by ignoring the heroic dailies, I can shorten the time spent per toon on dailies by half or better. you don't even do the BH heroic? o.o cause it's totally needed for the weekly that nets you 6 BH comms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumuser Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 In an attempt to be helpful but also *honest*, hiding from grp activities is going to really take away a lot of potential fun the game has to offer. I completely support every player in playing the game the way they want... And I'm not saying there is anything "wrong" with playing the game almost exclusively solo... But you will miss out on a lot of fun aspects of the game from gaining faster lvls and better gear >50 to facing much more immersive and rewarding game mechanics <50 running OPs and HMs... And once you raise the bar on your ability to play your class and role in the grp you will find you can take on elites and class story bosses under lvl and in less than optimal gear. But anyhow, his is a simple tip for noobs to increase their survivability: Key bind your main interrupt to "shift + spacebar". Stopping elites and bosses from hitting you with powerful but interruptible attacks and heals consistently will help significantly. Key binding all your major offensive and defensive abilities using "shift" and "ctrl" as modifiers allows you to, easily and quickly, attack / move / interrupt your opponent(s). Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysister Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 In an attempt to be helpful but also *honest*, hiding from grp activities is going to really take away a lot of potential fun the game has to offer. I completely support every player in playing the game the way they want... And I'm not saying there is anything "wrong" with playing the game almost exclusively solo... But you will miss out on a lot of fun aspects of the game from gaining faster lvls and better gear >50 to facing much more immersive and rewarding game mechanics <50 running OPs and HMs... And once you raise the bar on your ability to play your class and role in the grp you will find you can take on elites and class story bosses under lvl and in less than optimal gear. seconded all of the above. not only do you gain more exp and have a better chance of getting better drops when you're in a party, party play is when you really start to understand your class. you'll get to see your strengths and weaknesses in relation to other classes. honestly, my solo play improved A LOT after i started making a habit of running flashpoints with groups. not only did i learn more about my own role, but i also learned how to properly utilize my companions' roles too, further improving my solo skills even more. i started using skills i didn't use much before, and learned better strategies when facing certain group compositions. but if you're set on playing solo, then that's fine too. you're free to play as you want, but as the guy above said, you're going to miss out on a lot of content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithaladh Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 I really appreciate the advice you guys are giving. Please understand that while I do know that grouping is a good idea and all of the other benefits you folk have so kindly stated (not being sarcastic here in case anyone was reading it that way), I am still rather leery about grouping. See in the past, most of the time that I have ended up grouping with others that I didn't know in real life, they were under equipped (resulting in my tanking with a squishy toon), homicidal (attacking literally everything in sight resulting in me having to rescue them) or just plain jerks (resulting in a combo of the previous). I have however, rarely grouped with folk that were quite nice and understanding. I do believe that my case is called, "Burned once, twice shy". Still, I am truly grateful for your advice. Thanks ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacksonMo Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 you don't even do the BH heroic? o.o cause it's totally needed for the weekly that nets you 6 BH comms. well of course that one, the one time. or three, rather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happysister Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) See in the past, most of the time that I have ended up grouping with others that I didn't know in real life, they were under equipped (resulting in my tanking with a squishy toon), homicidal (attacking literally everything in sight resulting in me having to rescue them) or just plain jerks (resulting in a combo of the previous). I have however, rarely grouped with folk that were quite nice and understanding. I do believe that my case is called, "Burned once, twice shy". ah yeah, that happens sometimes with me too. but it seems to happen a lot less after you hit 50 and start running hardmodes. most of the people in pug HM groups i get into are well geared and know exactly what they are doing (cause dailies, HMs and Ops, and PVP are pretty much all level 50s can do for the time being). before level 50...definitely a lot of people who are either new, or just don't know how to run as a group very well. Edited October 24, 2012 by happysister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts