Hello there, Character class question.

[Halrian]

I only solo, And I am looking for the highest DPSing class that you can play, given the same level of gear on all characters.

[Novaless]

Right now, this very second, the Annihilation Marauder/Watchman Sentinel if geared optimally and played with the defined best rotation and using the correct stims is the highest (just slightly). Note: as a solo player, you likely won't ever have the best gear etc. since that is from raiding.

 

However, that could change tomorrow (BW change skills and stuff all the time) and if you don't enjoy the play style you likely won't perform optimally anyway. My advice would be to just play what you enjoy the most.

 

Also, here is a post that should help as well: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=847112 (note: this is for patch 4.1 - not sure if it's still 100% accurate - not my post or guide, credit to Goblin_Lackey).

Edited March 23, 2016 by Novaless

[Ariadnea]

My advice, pick something you enjoy playing. If the class fists your playstyle, you will get more dps out of it than if you try forcing yourself to conform to a playstyle you don't enjoy or that you don't excel at.

Do you like to stay at range or do you like melee?

Do you like the option of having self heals or extra defensive abilities?

If you can give us a little more information, we may be able to better guide you to a class you will both enjoy and excel at.

[nanamaryjj]

Sith inquis Lightning sorcerer is incredibly OP I found for soloing content. Just set companion to healer and you should never die

[Shatterstar]

If all you do is solo, it won't really matter, you can do all the story stuff any any class/spec. Anni/watch are presently listed as the best dps. BUT they depend on laying out DoT layers (and spreading them), and if you have to clip dots, or don't get complete run times on them, then the dps suffers. (Same for any other dot class in game.) The dot classes really only get their best effect on the test dummies, and FP/raid bosses (which a solo player won't encounter).

 

As others have said, it is more important to find a class/spec that fits your preferred playstyle. Melee or range? Built-in heals, or just use medpacks? Dots or direct damage? Single target, or AoE preferred? Answer those, and then we can help stear you into the right spec for you.

[JediQuaker]

My advice, pick something you enjoy playing. .

QFT

If you are only doing solo PvE, pick what you enjoy playing, most of all. The actual differences in DPS between classes are very small, and won't make a big difference to solo PvE.

[RendValor]

Sith inquis Lightning sorcerer is incredibly OP I found for soloing content. Just set companion to healer and you should never die

The same can be said about every other single class in the game

[nanamaryjj]

The same can be said about every other single class in the game

 

hence why I put "I found" rather than "Everyone says"

[Storm-Cutter]

Bear in mind also that the majority of mobs in game are quite frail and squishy. - Meaning that Mara/sentinels' extra DPS tends to come from sustained rotations - If you have good presence and a companion with a few influence ranks, you'll likely never get around a full rotation before your opponent is dead.

 

TBH you'll rarely need to pull max dps outside of ops these days. Game's been catering for solo casuals for a while - those that put companion on heal mode and spam 1 or 2 basic attacks on enemy mobs.

 

Best thing to do is start a few DPS characters and see how you like their play-style. You can always switch in and out at will, and settle on a 'main' and 'alts' later on - Besides most DPS gear is pretty transferrable between characters of the same level through legacy gear, so for solo play, you only really have to kit out one character if you're on a budget.

[psandak]

my advice, pick something you enjoy playing.

 

qft

if you are only doing solo pve, pick what you enjoy playing, most of all. The actual differences in dps between classes are very small, and won't make a big difference to solo pve.

 

qft both

[Eola]

As solo player, you always have your companion out. As soon as you get their affection about ~20, your own DPS does not matter anymore. You need to have a companion in the healer mode only while they are less than lvl 10 or for toughest solo content (let say heroic starfortress) where CC/interrupts/knowledge means far more than DPS.

 

So if you are min/maxer even in solo game - your goal is to level companion affection ASAP.

[sumquy]

qft

if you are only doing solo pve, pick what you enjoy playing, most of all. The actual differences in dps between classes are very small, and won't make a big difference to solo pve.qft both

 

this. anni/watchman is currently the highest parsing against operations bosses, but is one of the weakest against trash mobs, because it is the dot spec with the longest ramp up time. play what looks fun to you and don't worry about best, especially, if all you plan to do is solo.

[Lodinn]

this. anni/watchman is currently the highest parsing against operations bosses, but is one of the weakest against trash mobs, because it is the dot spec with the longest ramp up time. play what looks fun to you and don't worry about best, especially, if all you plan to do is solo.

Not the worst *looks at operatives*, but far from the best indeed.

For solo content, you want good aoe with decent sustained dps and (preferrably) some survivability.

Warriors/Knights, Snipers/Slingers are great, and that makes 3 ACs. MM Snipers are one of the best classes to play in solo, Veng Juggs and Carnage/Anni marauders are both pretty decent (I'm a somewhat good anni mara but a bad carnage mara, this spec is trickier than it looks so sometimes i beat myself dps-wise on anni smashing trash unless it really melts in less than 6-10 seconds). Lightning sorcs are not bad but squishier, snipers have upper hand here if you prefer ranged. Aside from that, classes mostly lack aoe capabilities or sustained dps. You can try assassins if you find them fun, but they are less effective (technically).

 

Not that it matters, in solo so far you can beat everything with comp out and just clicking 2-3 buttons, as it was pointed out before.