How the hell do you play PvP?

[Nate_Hawk]

I'm a level 24 Jedi Shadow. I've played 7 warzones so far and my team hasn't won a single one. Is this typical for Republic?

 

I've seen people on Imps go an entire battle without dying. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I'm using almost every ability at my disposal, but whenever I hit someone it does at most 5% damage to them, but i've seen huge chunks of 20%+ of my health get taken it by a single attack.

 

It's really starting to piss me off, I have no clue how to be able to hit for that much or what magical abilities those people are using.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Nate_Hawk

[Kufuffelupagus]

Depending on what time of day or day of the week it is, Reps can win or lose. In the lowest PvP bracket, some classes don't get to shine just yet because they haven't got their best abilities. Some people use their Planetary Comms from other characters or credits or craft their own mods, so they have the best gear possible for their level. Some people are excellent players and some are not. These are all things that will affect the outcome of the match.

 

If you really want to win, my suggests are:

- Make sure your gear is as good as you can get it (I never bothered with purple mods, just bought blue ones with planetary commendations)

- Know how to play your class well (you can go check out your class's subforum for information on skill tree builds and ability rotations)

- There are little PvP things about how to guard a node properly, calling incoming enemies, etc that you either pick up as you go, have someone yell it at you when you don't do it (haha), or maybe there's some "New to PvP" threads in the PvP forum you can check out

- Practise all the time, and be open-minded about learning from your mistakes. Also, have a thick skin, because some people in PvP are d*ckheads.

 

Good luck, have fun.

[JacksonMo]

I'm surprised the previous reply never mentions expertise.

Has that been eliminated as a factor?

[Legolose]

Right now the warzone is full of fully geared guilds eating pugs *** for lunch so this is one of the reasons why I quit, I played 25 matches and maybe had 2 or 3 wins no matter what group I was in, and my expertise is over 1900 and a Valor of 51, 55th level Sorcerer so there is something majorly wrong with the warzone after they changed it to this crap, with this much expertise I should be doing some kinda damage but I'm with you I doing absolutely nothing for damage there is a major glitch or something, my suggestion to you is like what I'm doing just drop out of doing warzone till they fix this crap...

[AlrikFassbauer]

Seems to depend on the server, too. On some servers, one faction seems to be "ruling", on others, it's the other one, I've read.

 

And yes, daytime, weektime and expertise definitively are a factor.

 

55th level Sorcerer

 

Sorcerors & Sages seem to currently have a hard time, as well. I play one myself and have largely withdrawn from PvP with him (and enjoy PVe rather, now).

Edited October 21, 2013 by AlrikFassbauer

[Oriolesgriffin]

HI, I feel pretty much the same. PVP seems to be futile in that no matter when I log I get hammered. At first it was merely because as a lvl30 in with 50plus players, I was out of my league. Now as a 48, I survive but still seem to be on the losing team. More frustrating though is the bickering within the team that seems to go on. I am rather new to the game as is my son and it is kind of sad to see all the name calling when the team starts to lose. If it was not for the daily/weekly bonus I would not even bother.

[VitalityPrime]

I think it's a simply extrapolation.

 

I think more players play and prefer the emp side...so there is usually a better chance of a team consisting of all good players on that side.

 

I could be wrong...but it does seem to be that way.

[Jiminison]

Jungma may not be the bastion for pvp (no pun intended) But it seems pretty balanced people will some times snipe a remark but it's usually one remark if I say something back when I am the target of a remark it usually stops there. We are the rp-pvp server in this game so it has the potential at times to be the most unique server in the game. Group world pvp will break out now then so once this game starts growing again It will be a forcre to reckon with. So if you chose to move consider Jung ma.

[Nate_Hawk]

Now I'm up to 9 warzones with no win.

 

There is no way I am so fantastically terrible that I have lost my team 9 matches in a row.

 

Something is just ****ed up with the balancing in the game.

[AlrikFassbauer]

HI, I feel pretty much the same. PVP seems to be futile in that no matter when I log I get hammered.

 

Within the PvP forums, you'd usually get reactions like "cry more", "L2P" and so on. People there are extremely unfriendly to Newbies.

Edited October 22, 2013 by AlrikFassbauer

[fire-breath]

Right now the warzone is full of fully geared guilds eating pugs *** for lunch so this is one of the reasons why I quit, I played 25 matches and maybe had 2 or 3 wins no matter what group I was in, and my expertise is over 1900 and a Valor of 51

 

Impressive I must say .... 1900 expertise as a lowbe?

/sarcasme

 

OP was talking about lowbe pvp guys so please so ontopic without dragging lv55 PvP into it.

 

@ OP: You are just having a string of very bad luck. Lowbe PvP is filled with people who are very new and unskilled at that time. Expect it to be a faceroll, at times from both sides (like voidstar).

 

For lowbe-pvp the expertise you get from pvpweapons is out of the question. I can explain it further if you like, short story is that bolster is still partely broken (to my knowledge at least).

 

About you doing low damage while the others are nearly one-shotting you ....... thats not possible. People might use a burst rotation on you, but you can do the same against them.

[metalfenix]

You should take a look to this guide: How to become a contender , it gives you to basics to progress through lowbie PvP.

 

I am a newbie on PvP just like you, so be patient on this journey.

[elaverick]

To those talking about expertise - he says he's a level 24. He doesn't have access to any gear with expertise and if he's using the old expertise gear from the PvP vendor on the homeworld, all it will do is knacker his bolster.

 

To the OP:

 

Different servers have different dominant factions. On the Red Eclipse (EU PvE server) the Republic tends to be the stronger side in PvP, but all servers are different.

 

Some basic tips for getting ahead in low level PvP:

First make sure you understand the objective of the warzone you are playing. DPS stats, lives lost, Healing provided are all meaningless if your team fails to secure the objectives you're meant to be after.

 

Alderaan Civil War:

You need to capture the turrets and then hold them. Take the turrets early and then ensure that you interrupt the enemies attempts to capture at all times. Unless a captured point is under assault at any particular time you do not need large numbers of people guarding it. If a point is not under assault 2 people to guard it is more than sufficient and usually just one well geared tank can hold the point until help can arrive.

 

Huttball:

Make sure you have the pass the huttball command on your bars somewhere and make sure you have a key bound to it. In Huttball you need to get the ball across the opponents goal line. If you are fighting in an opponent away from the ball, you're probably doing something wrong. The only two real exceptions to this are when you are trying to clear enemy team members from scoring positions on your line or if they are protecting the middle ground prior to the ball respawning (The ball respawns in the middle if a goal is scored or if the ball if passed to an empty space - or occasionally if a player is killed and no enemy player can capture the ball from that kill). In Huttball be careful of using stuns on the ball carrier that build resolve (the white bar around the outside of the player portrait). If a player has full resolve they can't be stunned (...well in theory anyway). Stuns, snares and knockbacks in Huttball can allow you to place the ball carrier on highly damaging hazards which are good way of getting turnover for the ball.

 

Ancient Hypergates:

There are two pylons to be captured. Points are gained by holding the pylons until they explode (the most points), capturing energy orbs from the central room and taking them to a pylon held by your team (a few points), and killing opponents (a few points). Points can only be accrued when you're holding at least one pylon. There for you should ensure that the pylons are captured and held as the first priority. You can attempt to capture both pylons for a large number of points, but be aware that it is likely you will lose more team members this way and can potentially give the opposition a lot of points.

 

Novare Coast:

There are 3 bunkers each controlling a gun. 2 guns are needed to break through the enemies bases shield. Each shot that gets through the shield does damage. The middle point tend to be the most heavily contested capture point. This can sometimes lead to the gun nearest the opponents base being left unguarded or under guarded. Use the chat to co-ordinate your defense.

 

Voidstar:

You need to race through various areas to get to the computer core. Each area has something stopping the attackers progress. In order you have, doors, bridge, doors, forcefield, doors, computer console. The most important section tends to be the first one. If the defenders can repel the attackers and prevent them from getting through the first set of doors then the rest of the match tends to be a lot easier. In each phase there tends to be a left side and a right side to defend. Make sure no side is left undefended and be sure to communicate to let your teammates know what's going on especially if you are on a side with less people. On the bridge section you can use knockbacks to send people to their death. As with huttball be careful when using stuns and knockbacks that can build resolve.

 

Arenas (Tatooine, Orbital Station, Corellia - soon Makeb)

The objective is the same in each of these arenas. Kill the opposition team as quickly as possible. The main secret here is to have the team focus on a single person at a time and get them down as quickly as possible. At the same time you should try and work out who the opposition is focusing on and protect them as best you can.

 

General tips:

Many warzones benefit from good communication. Especially in the event of capture and hold objectives (Novare Coast, Alderaan, Voidstar). When you have people approaching you position (especially if you're the only person guarding a point) announce the enemy in chat. Additionally announce how many enemy are incoming, this allows people to plan whether to break away from their combat or to stay and fight.

One tip that may not be widely known is that copy and paste shortcuts work in general chat. If at the start of a warzone you type (but do not send)

[Name of defended point] Inc

Then press shift and the left arrow key to select the text.

Then press CTRL+X you can cut the text to the clipboard.

Then when enemies approach, paste the text with CTRL+V and type the number of enemies approaching and you have a quick system for keeping your team up to date.

The other thing you need is practise. Sometime you will get landed with a bad team (especially if you're going in solo). Don't get angry, and don't start shouting accusations at other people. Some people play well, some play less well it's just a fact of life. But one thing that's fairly universal is that if you annoy someone in general chat they are less likely to be able to play well enough to win, an angry team is a poor team.

It may also be worth trying to find a good PvP guild if you want to improve. Having a regular team that learns each others play style can make a huge difference to your chances to win.

 

Hopefully some of this will have been of use to you.

[Nucairion]

Seems to depend on the server, too. On some servers, one faction seems to be "ruling", on others, it's the other one, I've read.

 

And yes, daytime, weektime and expertise definitively are a factor.

 

 

 

Sorcerors & Sages seem to currently have a hard time, as well. I play one myself and have largely withdrawn from PvP with him (and enjoy PVe rather, now).

 

that's not really true im lvling my sorc from 50 maybe make it my main as having a lot of fun with it. sure if against a smart team as a sorc your focused down very quick but position yourself and u can go for awhile before being hit if your lucky or if your against new player or people that don't really no pvp well u can go an entire warzone without being hit.

 

my sorcs lvl 52 halfway to 53 now but at lvl 50 after a year of not playing it I decided to lvl it in second warzone I did I hit 686k odd game over 80k healing. top of medal table and a chunk of defender points aswell so to say they have a hard time over any class is strange one. in terms of big hits yes they are not the most powerful of classes in pvp the cast times can really limit you against good players that no to interrupt you or focus you (if theres no healers).

 

now im not an expert at sorc and im certain im nowhere near the best players of sorcs/sages but I do take my time to learn my class learn to you what skills and when. when to pop cooldowns when run and when to stay and fight. after all pvp isn't ment ot be easy dispite the fact sometimes you win really easily or loose easily but that's just down to the quality of the team and there ability to work together

Edited October 22, 2013 by Nucairion

[LukeCoolhair]

When i do warzones, if the team is bad and no one is making the calls, i just focus on the objectives or defend. There has been plenty of times where i would be the reason we won the match because of me. For example, you see everybody just focusing on getting kills, i just run right by them and try to cap. If someone gets in my way, i fight them. When i see people whine because we are losing, they automatically lose my mvp vote i dont care if its the top player in the match and i will give it to the lowest person unless i see someone that deserves it. When i find myself dying over and over, i just go defend and let the other guy take over and then refocus on the next match. Edited October 24, 2013 by LukeCoolhair

[Cryowolf]

I'm a level 24 Jedi Shadow. I've played 7 warzones so far and my team hasn't won a single one. Is this typical for Republic?

 

From my experience in the Harbinger server, it depends on the time of day and what day of the week it is. I have noticed that I win more games as Republic in the mornings for most of the week, except on Tuesdays. I think that has to do with the weekly reset. YMMV.

 

I've seen people on Imps go an entire battle without dying. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I'm using almost every ability at my disposal, but whenever I hit someone it does at most 5% damage to them, but i've seen huge chunks of 20%+ of my health get taken it by a single attack.

 

People not dying either have healers or are good at losing/running at the right time. For example in AH, I have noticed that lowbies on the Republic side always seem to send 3-6 players to the pylon at the start of the game. Obviously, if you and one other player charge into mid to face 6-7 of them you are screwed.

 

As far as abilities that hit for 20% health, my level 19 shadow has Shadow Strike crits over 6K numerous times per WZ. Since most lowbies are running ~25-28K, you should be more than capable of hitting for 20-25% health in one hit.

 

A basic tip for a lowbie Shadow is that you have to really choose not just your target, but your timing. In an even matchup of say 6v6 at mid, watch from stealth for a second and see who your team is attacking. Then go attack that same person and then after that go attack the next enemy with the lowest health. Don't try to get yourself into 1V1unitl you get into the late 30s/early 40s where those fights will be much easier. It's a numbers game and focus fire will give your team the advantage.

 

Also, the higher level you get the better it gets, so if you are frustrated right now consider taking a short pvp break and clearing the quests on a planet to gain a few levels and then give it another try.

[DemeXrt]

The other reality is that if you are solo-queuing into a group event, you are likely going to have a group of good players somewhere in those 16. Maybe not voice chat coordinated, but at least 2 or 3 good players. More than likely, it will be on the opposite team - because instead of 8 slots, your q gives your team 7.

 

I'd suggest looking a guild or for friends who know what they are doing to group up with. As a shadow, look for other stealthies in the wz and team up for objective opportunities.

 

Higher you go, especially once you make the jump to 55 - I think it gets worse. Really from my experience, you are in the place where less experienced pvp players actually can practice and improve and have more impact. Sorry if that is scary. Keep practicing and reading.

Edited October 25, 2013 by DemeXrt

[DiscipleXIII]

I'm surprised the previous reply never mentions expertise.

Has that been eliminated as a factor?

 

Expertise? For lowbie pvp? Not much help there.

[HaoZhao]

War zone lesson #1: You can play a WZ perfectly and still lose. One good player and seven terrible players make for a terrible team. Sorry, that's just the nature of team play.

 

War zone lesson #2: One guard cannot stop two stealth from capturing your pylon. My sister and I ruin lone guards all of the time in hypergate as a team. She casts whirlwind, guard breaks it, and then I throw down a flash bang, leaving the guard to watch us while we capture the pylon. Stealth makes it so the guard can't call for help until he's already in whirlwind. The only way to prevent this for sure is to have two guards.

 

War zone lesson #3: Lowbie PVP is always going to be unbalanced because of the ability gap. The level 10 members of your team probably don't even have stuns. They're maybe 1/5 as useful as the people in the game who are level 20+. The gap in 30-54 isn't as bad, but it's still there. People who are 45+ are simply more lethal than those who aren't. A madness sorcerer with creeping terror has a big advantage over the level 30 sorcerer who doesn't have it.

 

 

The best advice that I can give you is that if you're playing many war zones in a row, chances are that other people on both sides are doing the same. If you play WZs back-to-back then you're going to have many of the same terrible people on your team and you're going to be up against many of the good people on the other team. Either play at a different time, or have a PVP character in the other faction you can play when this kind of rut happens to you.

Edited October 25, 2013 by HaoZhao

[Kerensk]

Re-read elaverick's post. Basic strategy in PvP is what wins games, getting high numbers can help but if you don't get the objectives you still lose. Your team will get more wins if they put objectives first and numbers second. (plus the one often leads to the other)

 

So even if you're getting smashed you can still be the unsung hero that suicide charged the node to interrupt a cap while the DPS heroes chased kills in the middle of nowhere. You may only live for 20 seconds but that delay was long enough for another player to come in and delay them again. In the end your actions contribute more to a team win than the hero that ignored incoming calls to chase down a kill.

 

As for feeling like your sorc sucks, that's pretty normal coming into PvP. Compared to PvE play it's a whole different play style and if you don't adapt on the run you'll be bantha fodder. I know it's the L2P excuse but read the PvP class guides and practice. It's hard to get used to the mobile dynamic play of PvP and the sorc is one of the least forgiving classes.

 

But it's possible, my main is a DPS sorc and I win more often than lose, dominate DPS numbers, and usually have the least deaths. Not to brag but it's a powerful class once mastered, especially when fighting one of those cluster****s that appear around nodes in contention. Like all classes it really comes into its own in the 30s and 40s so stick with it.

 

-Learn to pace yourself on your defensive abilities to keep you alive as long as possible, but don't burn a cooldown if you know that death is imminent and it would be better on your next respawn.

-Sprint behind something to break off an attack. Some will follow you and kill you but many will let you go to attack your teammates. A couple quick heals and you can start attacking again from 30m away.

-People love to focus the sorc. Stay alive as long as possible as the punching bag so your teammates are free to attack or capture.

-Your attacks have a range of 30m, try to stay at range and go unnoticed, even better if you have something to hide behind so spawning enemies don't notice you. Google "oblique fire".

-Sorcs maximize their output by having skills "proc", so one attack will cause another to have bonus damage. Read the skills in your skill tree to see what to watch for. When that little icon shows next to your character, the animation on your character, and the sound it makes then you can make a harder hitting attack.