Won't there be lack of Tanks/healers in 5.0??

[nepochop]

I mean, you will have to lvl to 70 and start your GC grind. You will probably go as dps for heroics, KOTFE (again), KOTET etc, mostly solo content. So this might produce a lot of ppl who will have DPS gear on them. Wont we lack tanks and healers at the start? And even few weeks later on?

[Tsetso]

I mean, you will have to lvl to 70 and start your GC grind. You will probably go as dps for heroics, KOTFE (again), KOTET etc, mostly solo content. So this might produce a lot of ppl who will have DPS gear on them. Wont we lack tanks and healers at the start? And even few weeks later on?

 

Shouldn't be a problem really. All this stuff you can do basically naked so just start opening boxes only if in tank or heal discipline.

[kodrac]

Doubtful. DPS and healer companions make up for leveling/grinding as a tank. No different than it already is.

[Quraswren]

I mean, you will have to lvl to 70 and start your GC grind. You will probably go as dps for heroics, KOTFE (again), KOTET etc, mostly solo content. So this might produce a lot of ppl who will have DPS gear on them. Wont we lack tanks and healers at the start? And even few weeks later on?

 

Yes, that could happen. What people are left in our guild are already talking about that and it's possibility. Not many run any solo content as tanks or healers - Always changing to DPS. That could in theory hurt their gearing if you do that too much.

 

Some have decided that since the first couple of levels are easy and will in general be the lowest Ilvl gear you get. Running that as DPS for a number of levels and see how bad the RNG really is. Getting some DPS gear but then changing over and getting GC levels as what they hope to run group content with. Tank, healer or continue as DPS.

 

When they do solo content, running as a tank or healer, just get a DPS companion to level 50. They can do enough damage quick enough to allow you to stay tank and healer and still clear solo content really fast.

 

But yes, your theory is possible and I expect to see it happen.

[Soljin]

I mean, you will have to lvl to 70 and start your GC grind. You will probably go as dps for heroics, KOTFE (again), KOTET etc, mostly solo content. So this might produce a lot of ppl who will have DPS gear on them. Wont we lack tanks and healers at the start? And even few weeks later on?

 

Maybe the fair weather Healer/Tank folks will go DPS sure......Most people that play dedicated Tank/Heal roles will gear that way regardless of the shortfalls....

 

Not to mention you will have quicker and greater access to the higher CXP yield content as a tank or Healer.......

[Darevsool]

I always level toons meant to eventually be tanks as DPS, it's just (historically) been faster to do so.

 

With the new gear loot boxes, you get Tank/Healing/DPS gear based on how you're spec'd out. If you want Tank Gear, respec after you same up some boxes of gear. It's supposed to open with whatever spec you currently are.

 

With that in mind, why would there be fewer tanks/healers?

[AllisonLightning]

I might main a DPS (Annihilation Marauder) but I love my healer characters and my tank in warzones especially so I don't see myself dropping those characters at all. I mean, yes KOTET is probably another solo experiece but I don't play all my characters with the express purpose of running the latest story content.

[Quraswren]

I always level toons meant to eventually be tanks as DPS, it's just (historically) been faster to do so.

 

With the new gear loot boxes, you get Tank/Healing/DPS gear based on how you're spec'd out. If you want Tank Gear, respec after you same up some boxes of gear. It's supposed to open with whatever spec you currently are.

 

With that in mind, why would there be fewer tanks/healers?

 

Because what you just said isn't confirmed to actually happen.

 

I wager bw does not want you gearing up like that and when you get a GC rank, the crate that is spawned with what you would get for the discipline at the time it was made. Not with what you changed too and then opened the crates. It will go off discipline but it will be what you were when the crate was achieved, not what you are when it's opened. I really don't believe bw would ever allow that.

 

Just like I do not think you can save up crates and open them all at level 100 and have the all those chances at higher gear levels. They will be the level the crates were spawned at as well.

[Darevsool]

They did confirm it via last week's livestream.

 

https://www.twitch.tv/swtor/v/96139349

 

Start about 5 minutes in.

 

Just after 6 mins they start talking about swapping disciplines for specific gear getting.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Darevsool

[IanArgent]

Having just leveled a tank and a DPS; doing it as a DPS is an obvious "false" economy. It's faster to deal with trash, but as soon as you hit anything vaguely hard (including some high-end heroic enemies, and definitely by the time you hits some of the late-KotFE mid- and end-chapter bosses) you start struggling by not being able to provide the "missing leg" of the tactical trinity. Especially i fyou're a Sentinel or a gunslinger who doesn't have an "off-rle" because all your disciplines are DPS.

 

Also, the stated design goal is to make gearing through group activities quicker. Group activities punish the "all-DPS" groups a lot.

[Darevsool]

Having just leveled a tank and a DPS; doing it as a DPS is an obvious "false" economy. It's faster to deal with trash, but as soon as you hit anything vaguely hard (including some high-end heroic enemies, and definitely by the time you hits some of the late-KotFE mid- and end-chapter bosses) you start struggling by not being able to provide the "missing leg" of the tactical trinity. Especially i fyou're a Sentinel or a gunslinger who doesn't have an "off-rle" because all your disciplines are DPS.

 

Also, the stated design goal is to make gearing through group activities quicker. Group activities punish the "all-DPS" groups a lot.

 

To be fair, I did specify "historically" with DPS being faster to level than Tank.

 

Mainly from the first two years of the game, the last time I tried to level as Tank, or Healer...before companions were multi role.

 

This morning I did Voss heroics on one of my tanks with a 50 affection companion set to DPS (and a 2nd account compaion set to heal) and it was just as fast as when I've done it with a DPS toon. (dual boxing my two accounts)

 

In 4.0 I don't think it matters nearly as much, but I've also never had any interest in testing that theory out.

[IanArgent]

To be fair, I did specify "historically" with DPS being faster to level than Tank.

 

Mainly from the first two years of the game, the last time I tried to level as Tank, or Healer...before companions were multi role.

 

This morning I did Voss heroics on one of my tanks with a 50 affection companion set to DPS (and a 2nd account compaion set to heal) and it was just as fast as when I've done it with a DPS toon. (dual boxing my two accounts)

 

In 4.0 I don't think it matters nearly as much, but I've also never had any interest in testing that theory out.

 

My "best" experience gameplay-wise since 4.0 has been with a tank character backed up by a healer companion. "Fastest" is double DPS, but you're a "glass cannon" team, you can get quickly overwhelmed by numbers, and it requires quite a bit of micromanagement of the companion. Healer PC with a tank companion is OK, but the companion won't reliably hold aggro on big pulls, and you have to be situationally aware at a higher level than as a tank player/heal companion. DPS player/tank companion works about the same way as healer PC//Tank Comp, there are different tradeoffs.

 

(By fastest, I mean, chews through individual pulls quicker. They didn't take any less time to complete the stories).

 

My tanks have progressed MUCH farther in TEC than my DPS or my healer, and the DPS that's progressed the farthest in TEC is a Vigilance Guardian, who is practically a minitank.

Edited October 26, 2016 by IanArgent

[KnightOfTython]

Just another reason why OPs are useless. The CXP grind can be done much easier for casuals. There is no need to go in any OP. And casuals are not power levelers, they are fine if it takes longer so they will skip OPs especially NiM anyway. Edited October 26, 2016 by KnightOfTython

[Darevsool]

That's why I always level with two accounts running.

 

/follow in this game isn't great, but it works for the basic stuff, and one companion set to heals is all that's really needed.

 

Not many people probably dual box two accounts though (actual two computers running a single client each, not using 'other' software on one PC)

Edited October 26, 2016 by Darevsool

[IanArgent]

FWIW, I'd rate TEC as "best at" teaching the "tank role" for group content, "OK" at teaching the "healer role" in group content, and pretty poor at teaching the "DPS role" in group content. DPS in TEC doesn't play anything like DPS in group content, because you have to actively micromanage your companion, and aren't being "covered" by a tank and ealer combo the way you would in an actual FP or Op. A healer still spends a lot of their GCDs healing, but they are responsible for putting out DPS to a larger extent than in actual group play. Tanks are repsonsible for making sure their companion isn't being chewed on by the enemies; just like they would be in a group setting.

[Khevar]

DPS player/tank companion works about the same way as healer PC//Tank Comp, there are different tradeoffs.

One thing to keep in mind is that your tank companion can be healed simply by hopping on and off your speeder (or rocket boost if you have it). Your main character, on the other hand, has to wait.

 

The fastest "chewing through mobs" experience I have is with a dps character + tank companion. Not to mention I don't enjoy getting CC'ed by mobs, and having my tank comp eat it leaves me more time to burn things down.

 

Also, unless one has a dps companion with extremely high influence, it's not difficult for an average player to do more damage than their companion can. Sometimes significantly.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Khevar

[Tsetso]

FWIW, I'd rate TEC as "best at" teaching the "tank role" for group content, "OK" at teaching the "healer role" in group content, and pretty poor at teaching the "DPS role" in group content. DPS in TEC doesn't play anything like DPS in group content, because you have to actively micromanage your companion, and aren't being "covered" by a tank and ealer combo the way you would in an actual FP or Op. A healer still spends a lot of their GCDs healing, but they are responsible for putting out DPS to a larger extent than in actual group play. Tanks are repsonsible for making sure their companion isn't being chewed on by the enemies; just like they would be in a group setting.

 

The most efficient way to do it is to brute force it with a dps and a dps companion.

[IanArgent]

The most efficient way to do it is to brute force it with a dps and a dps companion.

 

I was very careful with my wording. as a teaching tool, it does the best at teaching a tank how to act in group content.

 

Double DPS has gotten me the least far in the whole thing, incidentally. Even with the Vig Guardian.

[IanArgent]

One thing to keep in mind is that your tank companion can be healed simply by hopping on and off your speeder (or rocket boost if you have it). Your main character, on the other hand, has to wait.

 

The fastest "chewing through mobs" experience I have is with a dps character + tank companion. Not to mention I don't enjoy getting CC'ed by mobs, and having my tank comp eat it leaves me more time to burn things down.

 

Also, unless one has a dps companion with extremely high influence, it's not difficult for an average player to do more damage than their companion can. Sometimes significantly.

 

My healer is a Sage. I pop a bubble between encounters, and that generally works well enough for mmost circumstances.

 

I like DPS player + Tank companion for playing DPS characters, for all the reasons mentioned. Double DPS is a hair faster to play in combat, but you tend to lose the time advantage because you have to take a knee more often to heal; the comp tank means less things chewing on the PC, and you can heal the comp by pocketing them by speeder, vendoring junk, or unsummon/resummon.

[kodrac]

I have two tanks - powertech and assassin, the rest are DPS and I exclusively use DPS companions, usually HK-51. I honestly don't notice a difference when using my tank characters. I barely take any damage due to my defenses and KH-51 melts anything and everything. Even if I do lose some health, I rarely stop to heal up; I just move on to the next mob cluster.

[Toast_and_Tea]

I have 2 DPS ,4 heals, and 8 Tanks.

 

For my Heals and Tanks I'm only going to use them for guild ops runs, because people in GF can be jerks.

[Tsillah]

I have 2 DPS ,4 heals, and 8 Tanks.

 

For my Heals and Tanks I'm only going to use them for guild ops runs, because people in GF can be jerks.

 

I hear ya. I mostly heal but I have tanks and dps as well. I will not expose my heals and tanks to the pug life of the GF and for ops runs only EV and KP HM.

 

I stopped doing FPs entirely actually because there is no point to them anymore.

[IanArgent]

I hear ya. I mostly heal but I have tanks and dps as well. I will not expose my heals and tanks to the pug life of the GF and for ops runs only EV and KP HM.

 

I stopped doing FPs entirely actually because there is no point to them anymore.

 

I do the odd GF TFP; and other than one "oops" moment in Rakata Prime where two hot-blooded melee DPS jumped the first boss and locked my Sorc and another ranged character out of the arena (to their eventual sorrow), I really haven't had that bad an experience in GF TFP. Small Sample Size, and all that, but people are pretty relaxed in TFPs these days. The only reason I haven't tanked one recently is because I haven't run any of my tanks recently. And it's not that I've been running with vets only, I've had to explain in one-line chats how some mechanics work. And I've been reminded myself.

 

At the TFP level, just about everything boils down to Tank and Spank, only watch this twist. (Most fun I've had in a while was tanking for a Mando Raiders first boss encounter, keeping the beastmaster away from his pets while everybody ran around like headless chickens trying to down them and not get downed)

[Nempo]

I have 2 DPS ,4 heals, and 8 Tanks.

 

For my Heals and Tanks I'm only going to use them for guild ops runs, because people in GF can be jerks.

 

You'll find the tacticals tend to have pretty relaxed people in them mostly. Don't let the odd fool ruin your fun.

[DarthScruffy]

I mean, you will have to lvl to 70 and start your GC grind. You will probably go as dps for heroics, KOTFE (again), KOTET etc, mostly solo content. So this might produce a lot of ppl who will have DPS gear on them. Wont we lack tanks and healers at the start? And even few weeks later on?

 

They said you can switch your spec before you open the Command Crates and the spec will adjust. So you can do the small player (tac, heroics, chapters) content as a dps and switch as you open to get healer/tank stuff.