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[SWcolonTOR] Damage Thread: I find your lack of DPS disturbing.
Sterica
YesRegistered User, Moderator mod
YesRegistered User, Moderator mod
Damage is, of course, the most important role in the game. Without it, mobs would stay alive indefinitely and nothing would get accomplished. Good dps means faster runs, less stress on tanks and healers, and more successful runs overall. So here is where you all can discuss rotations, consumable usage, specs, etc.
Every advanced class in the game can DPS. So it's more a matter of how you like to dps and what you enjoy doing in your off-time. So I'll list that info here.
Jedi Knight/Sith Warrior
Guardian/Juggernaut: Use a single lightsaber to get the job done. Can spec for tanking as well. Primary resource builds from certain moves and is spent by others.
Sentinel/Marauder: When one lightsaver isn't enough, try out this AC. Dual-wields for your pleasure, but only has DPS specs.
Jedi Consular/Sith Inquisitor
Shadow/Assassin: Wields that fancy lightsaber made famous by Darth Maul. Has an energy bar similar to rogues from that Blizzard game. Utilized stealth and positional attacks to dish out damage, but also shoot lightning or pebbles at people for some extra oomph. Can also tank.
Sage/Sorcerer: Uses only one saber, but damage is primarily dealt via the force. Pick your flavor! Vanilla telekinesis Republic or chocolate lightning Empire! Becomes more of a ranged class, and the energy bar is much larger than the Shadow/Assassin, becoming more akin to a mana bar. Pack heals, and can spec for healing.
Trooper/Bounty Hunter
Vanguard/Powertech: Front-line brutes that pack real stopping power. Pretty much give up most range capacity for nastier weaponry. Use an Ammo/Heat meter that either drops (Ammo) or builds up (Heat). Functionally the same, however, and your regen gets worse the lower/higher your Ammo/Heat is. Can also spec for tanking.
Commando/Mercenary: Ranged classes that utilize explosives and rifles to take down their targets. Same resource system as the other ACs, they have some healing capabilities and can spec for such.
Smuggler/Agent
Scoundrel/Operative: A closer-ranged style that uses either close-range guns (Smuggler) or knives (Operative) to dish out damage. Can stealth, allowing them to get into the optimal position before a fight. Have an energy bar similar to Shadow/Assassin, but regen gets better/worse as your energy stays high/low. Pack heals, and can serve as a healer if specced for it.
Gunslinger/Sniper: Long-range fights that make use of cover to not only avoid certain attacks but also make use of some their own special attacks (Scoundrel/Operative also have this, but make less use of it). Same resources system as the other Smuggler/Agent ACs. Can only spec for damage. So if you hate healing or tanking, you'll have extra spec options.
Specs will be added here as we get more clarity as to what works and what doesn't.
Skill Calculator
Every advanced class in the game can DPS. So it's more a matter of how you like to dps and what you enjoy doing in your off-time. So I'll list that info here.
Jedi Knight/Sith Warrior
Guardian/Juggernaut: Use a single lightsaber to get the job done. Can spec for tanking as well. Primary resource builds from certain moves and is spent by others.
Sentinel/Marauder: When one lightsaver isn't enough, try out this AC. Dual-wields for your pleasure, but only has DPS specs.
Jedi Consular/Sith Inquisitor
Shadow/Assassin: Wields that fancy lightsaber made famous by Darth Maul. Has an energy bar similar to rogues from that Blizzard game. Utilized stealth and positional attacks to dish out damage, but also shoot lightning or pebbles at people for some extra oomph. Can also tank.
Sage/Sorcerer: Uses only one saber, but damage is primarily dealt via the force. Pick your flavor! Vanilla telekinesis Republic or chocolate lightning Empire! Becomes more of a ranged class, and the energy bar is much larger than the Shadow/Assassin, becoming more akin to a mana bar. Pack heals, and can spec for healing.
Trooper/Bounty Hunter
Vanguard/Powertech: Front-line brutes that pack real stopping power. Pretty much give up most range capacity for nastier weaponry. Use an Ammo/Heat meter that either drops (Ammo) or builds up (Heat). Functionally the same, however, and your regen gets worse the lower/higher your Ammo/Heat is. Can also spec for tanking.
Commando/Mercenary: Ranged classes that utilize explosives and rifles to take down their targets. Same resource system as the other ACs, they have some healing capabilities and can spec for such.
Smuggler/Agent
Scoundrel/Operative: A closer-ranged style that uses either close-range guns (Smuggler) or knives (Operative) to dish out damage. Can stealth, allowing them to get into the optimal position before a fight. Have an energy bar similar to Shadow/Assassin, but regen gets better/worse as your energy stays high/low. Pack heals, and can serve as a healer if specced for it.
Gunslinger/Sniper: Long-range fights that make use of cover to not only avoid certain attacks but also make use of some their own special attacks (Scoundrel/Operative also have this, but make less use of it). Same resources system as the other Smuggler/Agent ACs. Can only spec for damage. So if you hate healing or tanking, you'll have extra spec options.
Specs will be added here as we get more clarity as to what works and what doesn't.
Skill Calculator
Sterica on
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I'm guessing the Madness tree is the better of the two DPS trees to start off with as a main spec? Deception feels slightly more PvP friendly to me at the moment with the odd service skill or talent put in.
This is the build I'm using for my main, a Trooper Commando. It'll take advantage of the Combat Support cells while still going mostly for damage. I'd like to have Kolto Bomb, but the main goal of this build is killing fast and hard, and supercharging as soon as possible.
XBL: Torn Hoodie
@hoodiethirteen
Default PvE Sharpshooter build
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700bsrbdMsRtzZbcZG.1
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#600ZforMd0rZcMcRsrzM.1
Edit: the reason I put this here is because I will probably want to dps at the same time as healing and want to know how best to do that.
This is, very sadly, what Im going to try and roll with.
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#701ZGhZGbbkrrGdhR.1
If anyone has any Dirty Fighting Tree exp, I'd love to hear it.
I think what Crip is saying is that the GCD isn't what holds you back from a DPS perspective, but resource management/regen.
I took it because I was under the impression it effected haste. If that's not the case well, so be it.
And like it was said, the games barely been up for any time at all. "Need to stop taking it" implies people have been falsely gauging its value for longer than a few hours.
As far as haste affecting the GCD, I had about 12% on my Mercenary and I never noticed it because you virtually never use non-cast time skills as a healer.
So, again, Alacrity is not a DPS stat, and actually lowers your DPS if you're a Merc/Commando.
I don't think I've ever seen a breakdown of what class/spec wants what stats.
Check out the Penny Arcade World of Tanks thread to join us in some fun times.
I think it's mostly done by base class. JK likes Strength, Smuggler likes Cunning, Trooper likes Aim and Consular likes Willpower, and obviously their Sith analogues are identical.
Yeah, the Codex is supremely helpful in this game. It also mentions things like what your companions like or don't like (*hint, hint*).
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
edit - actually nevermind: this looks like a really good build
Call it SW:TOR in the thread title, not SWTOR. It doesn't line up with the rest of the threads and is going to make me insane!
The Diversion and Lay Low talents are basically fillers and can be put into whatever
Like CripTonic said, Black Market Mods isn't very useful, but there aren't really any other damage enhancing talents. Speed Shot should benefit from it at least
You could take Hot Pursuit instead, but it seems to me whenever you're running seems to be good time to use Flurrys and regen some energy
Dirty Escape is a great talent for PvP and soloing, but for straight up damage I don't think it would be worth sacrificing Bravado
I don't have any experience beyond the stress test myself, but from what I've read most Sharpshooters are speccing something like that
It will probably need some tuning once we get experience, though it should work for the time being
edit: An alternative:
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#700bsrbdMRRgzZbcbZh.1
(2 points from Black Market Mods to Hot Pursuit, 1 point from Burst Volley to Lay Low)
http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#3010MZ0cZMIrrdGGRs.1
Rail shot with extra crit dmg, cooldown reduction, and -90% armor pen. looks sick!
You've failed me for the last time, Rorus.
I solo'd into my 20s as full tank as I could make myself. Attack something, spam shit and do damage, have Vette do lots of damage while you tank, repeat. (Be sure to keep her geared up with quest rewards and you'll notice the damage jump.)
Can't say how things are beyond that but it doesn't look like you get to a point where it's unbearably slow or anything.
I'm thinking about rolling a class that's pure damage, with no alternative spec. And my reasoning is:
(1) In WoW when I rolled a druid, I focused purely on healing and I didn't have much interest in taking advantage of my off-specs
(2) I want to DPS and focus purely on damage
(3) I think I'd like to pick a class where each talent tree deals with damage, so I have more thoughtful choices than just "I'm going to get talents in the damage tree"
I think I'll go with sniper over the marauder, since the cover mechanic looks pretty interesting and ranged damage > melee damage.
now to totally muck it up: we have a lot of different flavors of DPS in here.
Which flavor stands above the rest as the *best* flavor?
Still unclear.
Gunslingers/Sentinels and their mirrors will theoretically do 5% more DPS than anyone else at endgame right now in exchange for losing the ability to switch to a healing or tanking spec.
Really they fall into a few camps though. The non-force classes need to pace themselves because their regen increases if they have more energy, and while they can burst in a pinch, they're designed for sustained DPS. Sages can blow through their resources quicker and burst more effectively but will tend to have issues keeping enough Force later in the fight if they're not doing efficient rotations because they have a flat regen rate that's lower than anyone else's. Assassins are melee Sages with a ton of positional abilities, 1/5 or 1/6 the force pool and some abilities to help it regen faster. Knights and Warriors of all stripes are limited by their energy system which requires them to build rage, and Sentinels/Marauders are pretty squishy.
The ones who are ranged and use cast time nukes are the Sage, Commando and Gunslinger. Everyone else tends to mix it up within 10m at most.
Right now I focus on smaller guys... if they're clustered, I started with a grenade, then spam my charged blast. For bigger guys, I use my sabotage bomb and then spam my charged blast. For bosses, I put up the DoT, use my Aimed Shot when it's up, and then spam my Charged Blast, using Smuggler's Luck when necessary.
Upper Hand triggering off of Blaster Whip/Shoot First/Buffed Sucker Punch (4m ranges).
Buffs to Blaster Whip, Back Blast, Shoot First (4m ranges).
The level 20 skill Sucker Punch (4m range).
But then they do things like...
4th tier talent Stopping Power: Why would I want to only immobilize a target I'm already in melee range with when I already have Dirty Kick to stun them.
5th tier Turn the Tables: 3% boost to bleeds when the only non-cover based bleed we have til 48 is Vital Shot.
Quick Getaway in the 4th tier of Dirty Fighting.
So for a good while, it seems like the basics are just:
Stealth in proc'ing Upper Hand with Shoot First or Blaster Whip.
Maintain Upper Hand via Blaster Whip or Buffed Sucker Punch w/ an active bleed.
Keep Pugnacity rolling.
Throw in free Back Blasts and Quick Shots as filler.
Obviously that's extremely basic and doesn't factor in utility, but it seems like pretty much what I should be doing. Any other Scrappers out there that can help point out anything I'm missing, I'd really appreciate the help.
A cursory look is pretty obvious: One tree is about sustained damage with DoTs. Another is about straight-up burst damage with huge crits and long cooldowns. Another is about AOE. But there's tons of crossover between the three talent trees that finding an optimum build should be an interesting endeavor.
Thoughts?
RC: Ais