SW: The Old Republic - Episode VI (The Old Menace)

[Gromnir]

which west coast? we got a few on harbinger if you need any help.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[NOK222]

I'm on East Coast time, sorry fellas. 

[Gorth]

Begeren Colony, sadly. It was the non-choice choice, the default if you didn't chose a destination for your characters (which I didn't for most of my characters at the time). I have a few characters on Harbinger, but nothing above level 12, although I do intend to play there more in the future, just to see if there are more Apac people around. The population seems much larger than Begeren in general, so who knows? More of the Apac locals here may have chosen that as a destination (and in a pinch, that one *is* actually an option for character transfers if I want to cut corners and transfer one or two level 50+ characters).

 

Since I've mostly geared (and specced) my two main characters as healer and tank respectively, I still haven't added a single augment (added the slots, but not the augments yet). There seems to be some kind of science behind the proportions between the various mod types. I.e. for a Powertech tank, what is the desirable distribution into defense, shield and absorption and for a Commando healer, what should I be aiming for in critical, surge and alacrity? I sort of intend to acquire augments to fine tune those values where possible.

 

They are otherwise equipped in the best you can get without having done end game raids or cheating by buying them ready made from GTN (i.e. purple 66 mods/barrels), to provide a decent starting point for the easy mode/beginner ops stuff.

[Spider]

for tanks it's tricky. But a good assumption is that you'll likely want absorption augments almost exclusively. Perhaps a shield augment to be completely optimized, a bit unsure about Powertechs.

 

It's easier for a healer. You really only want Aim augments. Aim is the most beneficial stat to you, so regardless of how you want to balance the other numbers, Aim will always contribute more to your healing than any other. There could be an argument for crit when crit is very low, but on non-augment mods you can't really trade crit for aim* (it only competes directly with power). so using an augment to gear for crit is kind of a waste. Power and aim are roughly equal for healing, but due to the 9% increase to Aim mercs get in their skill trees, aim edges out. but a piece that gives you 70 power and 40 aim should be better than one that gives 60 aim and 40 power.

 

Now, if you want to get into the math behind tank gearing, I'd suggest this link:
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=616779

 

In the end though, I wouldn't worry about any of it until you reach level 55. Before that, even in flashpoints, knowing how to play your class is far more important than gearing.

 

Also, buying things on GTN is not cheating, it's time saving.

 

* = If you compare advanced keen mod 28 (or similar) to advanced keen mod 28B (I think, could be a), the latter will have less crit and more aim than the unlettered one. It also has more endurance. However, the combined stat total of crit and aim on the lettered mod will be lower, meaning it'll contribute less to your healing overall. Endurance, while nice to a degree when soloing, doesn't really matter to a healer (and arguably not even very much for a tank) and should never be a concern when it comes to gearing.

[Gorth]

In the end though, I wouldn't worry about any of it until you reach level 55. Before that, even in flashpoints, knowing how to play your class is far more important than gearing.

My tank *is* level 55 and has been for a while (successfully completed a few HM flashpoints too, if nothing else, just to get HK)

 

My healer is level 53, just a few xp from level 54, so he's getting there way too fast too...

 

Interesting thing about aim, didn't know that. I shouldn't have given my Commando commando mods then, who would have thought (not me, that's for sure, not knowing any better I would leave him in commando mods and then try to boost power)? Nothing that can't be undone as I craft them myself. A companion can get the old mods. Is alacrity worth getting at all then?

 

Edit: It's a strange thing with the level progression, the late 40's feels like they take forever, then you hit the "magic" level 50 and so many more avenues for xp opens up (GSI, binocular, dreadseed, heroic space missions etc.) and you almost get catapulted to level 55 whether you want it or not.

[Guest Slinky]

Is alacrity worth getting at all then?

For a healer yes. Big booming heals are nice, except when it doesn't land on time and "Noob healer, why you not heal" fills the chat

 

Mando healers get some passive alacrity from a skill and more when you crit so you don't need massive amounts of it from gear, maybe extra 5% or so? Depends on you and your playstyle, you pretty much need to test different amounts and go with the one that feels best for you.

[Calax]

 

In the end though, I wouldn't worry about any of it until you reach level 55. Before that, even in flashpoints, knowing how to play your class is far more important than gearing.

My tank *is* level 55 and has been for a while (successfully completed a few HM flashpoints too, if nothing else, just to get HK)

 

My healer is level 53, just a few xp from level 54, so he's getting there way too fast too...

 

Interesting thing about aim, didn't know that. I shouldn't have given my Commando commando mods then, who would have thought (not me, that's for sure, not knowing any better I would leave him in commando mods and then try to boost power)? Nothing that can't be undone as I craft them myself. A companion can get the old mods. Is alacrity worth getting at all then?

 

Edit: It's a strange thing with the level progression, the late 40's feels like they take forever, then you hit the "magic" level 50 and so many more avenues for xp opens up (GSI, binocular, dreadseed, heroic space missions etc.) and you almost get catapulted to level 55 whether you want it or not.

 

That's common for any expac new content In WoW it used to happen four times (with the longest being in the 50's leveling wise).

 

Debating giving the game another go. Keep getting "PLEASE! RETURN TO US!" emails from the company so.

[Spider]

Unless you're gearing for a specific rotation, the value of alacrity values from player to player a lot. Some healers take almost none, I take 450-500 (but on an operative, so my requirements are different).

 

Anyway, ideally as a mercenary/commando healer you'd want to have only Nimble and Agile mods with letter after the number, reflex armorings and quick savant, adept, battle and insight enhancements.

 

However when you buy gear with commendations you rarely get the right type of enhancements, they're only on gear that drops in ops. With the lone exception of quick savant enhancements that can be found on the foestopper pants (which is marauder gear, and more or less useless for them).

[Gorth]

I hope you're right. It cost me around 100K credits to "refurbish" the armour mods. The modification mods didn't have better alternatives as no "letter" versions of the agility mods seems generally available. I think I remember seeing them for lower level tiers though. I hope Tanno Vik appreciates his shiny new purple armour mods (he is my main travel companion, so I guess it's not a complete waste, he *is* doing the tanking for me when playing).

 

Also started upgrading my Powertechs mods. I hadn't thought about it previously, but those bucketloads of basic commendations I've accumulated could actually be traded for something, so I started buying armour pieces to rip mods out of and move into his favourite armour. It's only marginally better, but it's a quick and dirty way to give a companion some good "hand me down" mods and equip my tank in (69) mods. Still several armour pieces to go though, so time to go basic commendation hunting I guess (not that I really remember where the 400 or so I had came from).

 

Even managed to find a few people to team up with this afternoon to complete Section X and Black Hole weekly (and finally get rid of them from my outstanding class quest priority mission stuff).

[Spider]

I'd suggest going elite comms hunting instead since those buy you 72 gear. You get elite coms by doing the weekly quests on Makeb, Oricon, Czerka and I think Section X. You also get a few by doing HM flashpoints, and more if you do them through group finder, though only once per day.

[Gorth]

Not sure about Section X. I should have paid better attention, just finished the "weekly" there today >_ 
I'm a bit "slow", so I haven't really started on the Makeb, Oricon and Czerka stuff yet. Remember, main guy only just finished class story (for which he was way, way over leveled)
 
I just thought it better to use the basic coms on "something". Didn't see any must have schematics, relics or anything, so might as well splurge a bit. It's not like I can send the coms to alts.

 

That being said, I did try the bind to legacy "cheat" though a few times. For some reason, some of the world boss drops are bind on pick up and some are bind on equip (seemingly random and inconsistent). Quite a nifty way of smuggling mods between toons, even if the mod claims to be bound to character (when ripped from a bind on pickup piece)

[Hassat Hunter]

I only use my basics to buy Isotope-5 and put that on the GTN.

Of course, that was a lot better money-wise before Oricon and CZ-198 made basics so common prices plummeted. Still a nice little extra dough.

 

EDIT:

Actually, you can send "comms" to teammates. Just buy something you want for them for comms, then rip out the mods, put them in legacy armor and send that through mail. It's the main way people suit up alts for hm fp's or ops...

EDIT2:

Nvm, I should read whole posts before making replies XD.

 

EDIT3 (I keep going):

Bound or unbound does have rules. Bound items are special boss-loot generally. So they're bound so people need to play the FP's rather than simply buy the items. Also for some reason lvl 52 'improved' orange items are bound, which I still think is a bug. The rest should be unbound.

AFAIK the world bosses only drop unbound items. Most people farm them just for that, GTN money. Personally I just ignore WB's by now, too long to respawn, too many people after them, and the rewards aren't worth it, I can make money in other faster less annoying ways.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Hassat Hunter

[Gorth]

I farm them for the weekly bit and to send a bit of better gear to toons that may level up some day (the drops being level late 20 to early 30 gear). It takes less than 10 minutes per boss and a fringe benefit of my timezone... nobody is around to have already killed the bosses

Not kidding though, for whatever reason, the drops are truly random in whether they are bound or not. I've had the same item drop twice from same boss and once being bound and once unbound. Implants and ear pieces are serial offenders (and not transferable through above legacy gear trick). Maybe it's a bug?

One thing I did notice about purple armour mods though, once bound to an armour piece, you can only use it in a "same" piece. I.e. chest -> chest, legs -> legs etc.

 

Edit: About selling WB loot, the only loot sold for credits so far has been stuff that was bound and unusable (will and strength impants/pieces). It got sold for a handful credits to my repair droid vendor...

[Spider]

actually, relics are pretty much the best thing you can get for basic comms. Since you can't get relics any other way really, outside of ops.

[Gorth]

Heh, I checked my character sheet and my Powertech bought those relics a long time ago. Just didn't add them to the shortcuts as they had no "use". I.e. being automatically triggered when equipped and certain criteria are met (boosting absorption rating etc.).

 

Played a bit with my smuggler today. Made it to Hoth and met what I suspect is the last companion. Languss Tuno... seriously Bioware, how bad can the puns be? I honestly read that as Langouste Tuna (and he looks like a hybrid fish/crustacean no less)

[Gorth]

From the diary of the itinerant Bounty Hunter...

Corellia wasn't so bad. I hated the lack of quick travel points and the road layout seems to be deliberately obnoxious. I really loved the visual style though (what I would imagine a 3D version of the old 'Syndicate' game would look like) and the quests were simple enough. The 4 daily Black Hole quests are quick and simple and allows you to get a bit of fast cash if you for whatever reason are low on that (I'm not).

As briefly hinted at previously, Ilum is/was up next. Visited the place and solved the first minor tasks. Nothing exciting seems to happen, but then I guess that was to be expected after the class quest finished. Beautiful scenery though, especially the sky.

Wondering if it's worth going through what it has to offer or take shortcuts and move ahead to Makeb and Oricon?

Funny thing, accidentally started on the Battle for Ilum FP. It just looked like your average quest giver in the cantina

Sad thing: Having pursued the binocular quest following the trail of the dread guys from planet to planet and investing a lot of time and effort fighting through battles (patient zero was nasty when you are a tank and don't do much damage), I thought I was coming to a conclusion. Like lightning from a blue sky *Boom!* I got slammed with a Heroic4 for level 55's. I was like WTF? Having been strung along all this while on a single player quest and now this??? Talk about *&^%$#@# effin bait and switch tactics. Took me 3 seconds of extreme effort of will to not just hit the 'Abandon' button in disappointment over the quest design

 

Edit: I think I found out where at least some of my basic coms came from. You get 3 for each heroic space mission. Since I grind them regularly, it adds up over time.

[NOK222]

 

 

Wondering if it's worth going through what it has to offer or take shortcuts and move ahead to Makeb and Oricon?

 

If you want to experience the story Illum isn't long at all, after that it's the two Malgus Flashpoints. 

[Gorth]

 

 

 

Wondering if it's worth going through what it has to offer or take shortcuts and move ahead to Makeb and Oricon?

 

If you want to experience the story Illum isn't long at all, after that it's the two Malgus Flashpoints. 

 

 

Already done the FP's several times through group finder

[NOK222]

But did you do the one time quests for them?

[Gorth]

I don't think so, I only just started there. I do remember a bit of confusion the first time I played the FP's though, wondering what the heck was going on

[Raithe]

Yup. Illum's storyline is all about what Malgus is up to and sort of why.  His wanting to create a version of the Empire that's not sith/humano-centric and is all equal to all the alien races within it. That and for his own personal power..

 

Pretty much half the flashpoints and such-like you've done under his command in the game he's ended up manipulating into his control due to his general disgust with how the Empire runs and when the Jedi Knight slaps the "Emperor" around he decides to use all that stuff (like the Foundry) in an attempt to reform the Empire to his new vision.

 

[NOK222]

I mean, too bad you can't have the option of joining him. 

[Raithe]

And that, is the big difference between a solo RPG and an MMO.

 

Any major world altering event, can't actually happen with a choice. It has to be something that every single player does or the MMO aspect starts to fall apart. Unless they had the ability to start splitting into complete difference "universe instances" depending on that choice. You get to make choices in your class story because that never actually has an effect on the world(s) outside, but it just wouldn't work otherwise.

[NOK222]

I know I know, but he made such a passionate speech. I mean a strong central government, with a strong military, merit based and egalitarian? Where people are free to follow their passions?

 

10/10 would join. 

[Gromnir]

I know I know, but he made such a passionate speech. I mean a strong central government, with a strong military, merit based and egalitarian? Where people are free to follow their passions?

 

10/10 would join. 

his speech were not the problem... though we does have a rule in pnp rpgs that we carries over to crpgs: the loudest dog gets put down first. no, the problem with malgus were that if you interrupt his one insta-wipe ability, he is 'bout as scary as...

 

 

cant take that kinda sith serious.

 

HA! Good Fun!