SWTOR UI Suggestions!

Waiting for 1.2, there aren't many things to write about right now so I decided to do something else. I decided to write some suggestions for the game. This time, I'm presenting my though for the UI. Don't forget to comment, I really want to hear your ideas.

UI Changes

Right now, SWTOR’s UI is nothing more than a basic UI. I was positive surprised when I saw how fast you implanted more options for the UI in weekly and major patches. There are things that need to be changed though.

1. Threat and Aggro.

When I’m tanking with my Juggernaut, I want be able to know if I have enough aggro from the mobs I’m fighting. Please, if you can implant add a bar above the enemies’ portrait with the percentage of the thread I’m generating. Even better, make the mobs’ portrait that are attacking me red, the mobs’ portrait that I’m losing aggro yellow and mobs’ portrait that are not attacking me grey. An additional flash of screen’s corners could help dps know that have pulled aggro. I really hope that this addition would be implanted soon.

2. Visual Procs.

It’s a little frustrating figuring out that your abilities have procced. To begin with most classes’ rotations are based on buffs. Even though the current place of the buffs are convenient (much better above the portraits than the upper corner of the screen) it’s hard to track it down. I would really really want my procs to be visually highlighted to the middle of my screen when they are up. I’ve made a small example, sorry for the bad Windows Paint skill. I’ve attached the photos. Some classes will benefit a lot by visual proc indicator more than others. Operatives would know how many stacks of Tactical Advantage they have and if after using Lacerate they regain their stack when Tactical Opportunity procs, Mercenaries would better track how long the Supercharge Gas last. Also display targets’ and focus’ buffs and debuffs as duration bars. That way I’ll know if the tank has the buff Kolto Residue that would increase my healing done to him and how much is left. That would also help dps that would be able to calculate their rotations easier, knowing how much they got left before their DoT drops from their target. I really think this as one of the top priority additions and I really hope to be applied as soon as possible.

2. Move bars.

Please allow us to determine both the size, the position of the quickbars. Plus, let us make the two sidebars horizontal and then to be able to stack them on top of the center ones. I want to have all of my quickbars stacked so I will be able to track the cds of my abilities easier.

3. Raid UI.

Raid UI is actually pretty good. That doesn’t mean that couldn’t be better, especially for healers. Please make it so that I can know how much my healing abilities would heal my allies. Keep the current health red in the bars and make the incoming healing being indicated as a darker red. That way I would know if other healer is casting his heals to my target and if his heals will top his health so I can either cast him a weaker healing spell or heal another person. On top of that, I would love the raid bars to change color when someone is affected by a negative effect. That way I would be able to know to whom I have to use my Cure ability (my merc’s ability).

4. Casting Bar.

The casting bar is doing its job fine; just make it so I can adjust the size of it. Plus make displayable the amount of time spent between cast send and start events, in the form of a bar at the end of your casting bar, with optional text that displays the actual duration of the lag. That way I would know how to queue my abilities and would also help avoiding canceling channeling abilities that are interrupted by me because I had a lag spike that prevented me from seeing the proper time left to my ability’s activation time.

PvP Suggestion for Arena and Warzones

SWTOR's PvP is quite good right now. Open world PvP in Ilum is good, excluding the bugs and exploits that benefit some player, is actually what it was advertised. Big, open war. The truth is, Rated WZ will do wonders for the game and will attract more players. Even better, a small scale PvP that would be ranked would provide a big time sink and also create a good competitive environment that'll push the game to a better experience. I suggest an arena ranked and unranked battleground where people will fight in a deathmatch.

Only one bracket should be made. A 3v3. You can balance the whole game around arenas and most of the times what is balanced in a small scale it will also be balanced in the large scale. 2v2 is too individualistic and very limited. Instead of creating some healthy competitive arena, 2v2 would be actually be a combination vs combination that decreases the skill and creativity required from the player and would lead to a huge flaming and crying forum outbreak where people will demand from the developers to adjust the game to their class' combination. 4v4 even though would be ideal since the whole game was build in the number 4 in mind it would not work in arenas. 2 healers and 2 dps or 1 tanks 2 healers and 1 dps would make really slow and long fight. On the other hand 1 healer and 3 dps would make zerg battles that would be frustrating and unsatisfying. 5v5 and more is just overcrowded, zergy and messy. 3v3 is optimal, the base of the mmo genre and the holy trinity. Tank, dps and healer or 2 dps and a healer would make a fight last enough, won't be crowded and every member of each team can coordinate without problem.

Balance the PvP around 3v3. The problem for the developers is the performance some classes have between PvP and PvE. Instead of nerf and buff every time, just give a bolster to dps in PvP if healers are overpower or on the other hand put a debuff of the healing received. Exactly what the devs did with the Trauma debuff.  It's obvious that you can't balance a game around PvP and PvE at the same time with the same damage and healing multipliers for both.

As for the maps, don't make anything more than a basic, normal arena map. Avoid eruptic cannons, flame that rise every 5sec. No RNG elements in general. Let the best team win, with no luck involved. The winner should be decided by his skill, timing and coordination. Also avoid a map with many different leveled platforms. Being knockback to the ground to run up to the platform to be knockback again is not fun. Put some platforms that are easily accessible, some crates or other items that could get in the line of sight and maybe a pit of acid like in Huttball. Please make functional maps that will allow for competitive play.

I have to add here a little something. Make interrupts/knockbacks/standing up instant! Make it happen at the beginning of the animation so it would land as soon as the player wanted. The server lag, the internet lag, the human reaction time are already making it hard to land a interrupt. Having to wait for the animation to end, that means almost a second- only makes the things worst. Also, sometimes if I'm knockdown from an Operative in to the pool of acid in Huttball, I find myself dying not because of his attacks, neither for the damage from the acid. He throws me down for 1.5 sec and it gets 0.5-1sec to stand up. Please, make it so I can react instantly to the attacks of my opponent and not be restricted because of animation. A lot of people are raging about giving Imperials a lead. For example, It seams that Telekinetic Throw has the object that is threw to hit the target for the damage to be dealt where as the sorcerer's counterpart Force Lightning is instant. Same goes for some Bounty Hunter's abilities in comparison to the Trooper's ones. If it's just an animation thing, it's easy for you to correct it. To be honest, almost all of the abilities should has damage be dealt at the end of the animation. Especially for PvP, gameplay should be an priority over animation, so please, make it so.

My final suggestion for PvP is an introduction of two new type of Warzones. The first should be Team Deathmatch. People really like Ilum because it gives them the chance to play against other players without any other goal than killing or be killed. I believe it can be easily constructed and would be a huge hit from the community. Two teams of 8 people, 100 tickets, each death cost a ticket, first team to reach 0 tickets lose, no PvE element involved. Simply enough. You can add two chokepoints, like a bridge or a cliff and if you believe that would be helpful for more strategically playstyle, add two bases that would provide a 5% bonus to all damage and healing done to the group that controls them. The second one could be a map like League of Legends or DOTA. Two bases, each with an Inner Sanctum to the center, and only two or three different paths that connects them. Every faction has 3 turrets along the paths to their base to protect them. The winner is the team that gets to destroy the Inner Sanctum of the enemies' base. I'm not sure if it can be implanted into SWTOR but would totally make a lot of people happy and willfull to try PvP.

PvP Juggernaut Rage built!

PvP Juggernaut Rage

Yo, fellow SWTORians!


For the past few day I have focused my play time to Jugg PvP. I used to be specced up to Vengeance tree for PvE. After checking the two DPS tree I decided to go Rage.

SPEC

This is the spec that I use now: 0/10/31


Now, let's break it down. I didn't take Strangulate as the pushback for a channelling ability that stuns for a melee class is not a priority for me. I didn't take Unbreakable Rage as Ravage in general is not mandatory to your dps rotation. I would come to this later. I put to Interceptor just one point just for filler. My other option was Brutality but I rarely use Vicious Slash and I think of it as a waste of rage in most situations. Interceptor is not to mandatory to juggs as the class is very mobile.


For my final 2 points at Vengeance tree I was in a dilemma. Playing Rage you'll find yourselves with less rage than playing Vengeance (pun intended). Unyielding would be my original choice but as to right now, geared half centurion, half champion I don't have enough accuracy to reach 100%. For that reason I decided to put my last 2 points to Accurecy. If you have enough accuracy choose Unyielding.

ABILITIES

DPS ABILITIES




Retaliation. hit it as soon as it procs.


Assault. Builds 2 rage, weak but mandatory


Sundering Assault. Use it to build 2 rage and stack 4% armor reduction up to 5 times


Vicious Throw. Our finisher move. Only usable on target's at or below 20% max health. Deadly indeed.


Smash. Main AoE ability hits up to 5 enemies STRONGEST ABILITY for Rage Juggs 


Force Scream. Hitting like a truck and has 10m range.


Force Crush. Our point 31 talent, slows our enemies, puts a DoT that last  seconds and at the end, deals more damage.


Ravage. 3 secs channel ability. Interrupted when moving or pressing another attack.


Vicious Slash. Use it as filler when you got rage to dumb and all of your main abilities are on cd.


Obliterate. Small charge (only 10m) costs 3 rage. Mostly a dps ability, use it with a snare to catch up ranged opponents that try to get away.


Saber Throw. You generate 3 rage, use it before you charge.


Sweeping Slash. AoE damage in a front cone a la Chuck Norris roundhouse kick. Still, pretty weak.


Enrage. Generates 6 rage. Use it after your burst and when you are under 6 rage.




STUNS AND SLOWING ABILITIES




Chilling Scream. Slow AoE ability.


Disruption. Use it to interrupt your target and lock their interrupted ability for 4 secs. In comparison to WoW, SWTOR's interrupts don't lock school abilities. That means, only the ability that you interrupt is locked.


Unleash. Removes all of your incapacitating and movement-impairing effects.


Force Choke. 3 sec channel ability. To stun and generate rage.


Intimidating Roar. 6 secs AoE fear




MOBILITY ABILITIES




Force Push and then use charge.


Force Charge. No description.


Intercede. Use it on friendly player to jump to him.




FORMS AND DEFENSIVE ABILITIES




Shii-Cho Form Dps form,


Soresu Form Tanking form. Use it only when you know that a lot of damage is incoming and you can't be on target to dps. Also, soresu form is needed to use Guard. Switching forms resets your rage to zero!


Threatening Scream. Use it to reduce the damage all enemies around you do to every other except you.


Taunt. Don't use it on PvE! Only in PvP to reduce the targeted enemy damage on every other except you.


Saber Ward. Main defensive cooldown. Increase your defence by 50% for 12sec. The passive ability Blade Turning makes the 2 first secs a 100% defence


Endure Pain. Main defensive cooldown. Increase your healthpool by 30% for 10sec.


Guard. Only usable when Soresu Form is active. I only use it on pvp. 




SECONDARY ABILITIES




Channel Hatred. Your off battle recovery ability.


Sprint. Keep it always on.


Unnatural Might. BUFF UP!

PvP SET BONUSES

• Bonus for 2: Intercede heals you for 8% of your total health.
• Bonus for 4: Increases all damage dealt by 10% for 5 seconds after using Force Charge.

DPS ROTATION AND PRIORITY LIST

To begin with, Rage's dps is based on Smash crits. So, let's analyse Smash.

-Smash is a Force ability

-Smash with the Shockwave skill stacks up it's damage up to 100%

-Smash with the Decimate skill increase it's damage by 30% and decrease it's CD by 3secs

-Smash with the Dominate skill makes your next Smash used within 15 seconds an automatic critical hit.

-Smash with the Dark Resonance increase the critical multiplier for or Force abilities by 30%

-Smash has a 9sec CD if you're specced

That means that with no surge considered your smash will have 100% critical chance (after a charge), 130% stronger (if you have 4 stacks of Decimate) plus 30% increase to the critical multiplayer to the total of 80% (base critical multiplier is 50%). In my warrior, the tooltip says that Smash hits for 1410-1501 kinetic damage. Let's say that my attack is 1450, we will add the 130% of it. That's 3335. Plus we will calculate the critical multiplier of 80% and we have 6003 kinetic damage. Now, add more surge, a relic usage, an adrenal, the expertise buff. Smash can do up to 9k damage easily and it can hit up to 5 people in a 9sec CD. (For each opponent it strikes, different base damage is calculated).

Our rotation must be build around Smash to maximise it's huge crit hits. So our basic rotation goes like this,

Saber Throw ---> Charge ---> Force Crush  ---> Sunder ---> as soon as 4 stacks of shockwave are up Smash ---> Enrage ---> Force Scream ---> Sunder

To be more exact my priority list is:

1. Enrage on CD if you have less than 4 rage

2. Saber Throw

3. Charge

4. Smash if you have 4 stacks of shockwave

5. Vicious Throw

6. Force Crush

7. Sunder Assault

8. Force Choke

9. Force Scream

10. Obliterate

11. Vicious Slash

12. Assault

13. Ravage

So, to sum it up, you goal is build your Smash hit. Get 4 stacks of shockwave by either Force Choke or Force Crush and try to Smash as soon as possible after you Charge or Obliterate. I would suggest to use it after you Charge as Charge will make the next Smash used in the next 15sec a crit, plus your 4 set bonus from your PvP gear give you an extra 10% bonus to your damage. After that, keep your rage high enough to be able to burst.

STATS

You don't have to be a genius to know that Strength and Stamina is your main stats. After that you should check for your secondary stats. Expertise is the strongest stat for PvP. It will increase the damage you deal and decrease the damage you take. Expertise should always be on your gear. After that, go for Surge and Critcal ratings. That way your abilities and especially your Smash will hit harder. My experience tells me not to get more than 40% of either of those two stats as you'll need much more to achieve bigger percentages. After that, go for power. Power is a straight increase to your base damage of your attacks. That includes the base damage that your criticals are calculated.

TIPS

As we talk about PvP, your opponent will try to react to you. That's why you have to be use the correct abilities in the right moment. Here some tips for you:

-Apply your Chilling Scream to slow them for starters. Keep them slowed all the time.

-As you built up your Smash hit, they will hit you as hard as they can. I suggest you pop Saber Ward as soon as the opponent starts to fight back.

-Don't use Unleash (trinket for WoWers) if it's not a really need. More people will increase your Resolve with their knockbacks than their stuns. If your Resolve bar is filled you will be immune in every CC. Unleash will reset your Resolve bar so be careful!

-Have with you relics and adrenals with crit/surge and power. Use them in pairs, pop power relic and crit/surge adrenal and then pop crit/surge relic with power adrenal. That way you more burst damage.

-If your opponent pops his defensive or CDs from the beginning of your battle, try to sabotage his advantage as much as you can. Choke him, Push him, Charge him, Fear him. That way, his burst or his defences would have expired with no benefits for him. Remember, in most cases the one that uses his CDs first, is the one that loses.

-Your set 2 bonus from your PvP gear will make you heal after you use Intercede. To maximise the profit, first use Endure Pain and then Intercede. That way, you'll heal for more.

-Don't interrupt all the time. Your interrupt will lock for the interrupted ability only. For 4secs. Interrupts should only be used on spammed ability like Tracer Missiles and Force Strike or to interrupt the healer from healing himself.

-Beware of your surroundings. Most people will try to knock you back as soon as you charge them. Don't put yourself between your opponent and the edge of the ledge, or the acid pit or the fire.

That's all for now. I will update my guide with more informations and more tips in future. Stay tuned!

PvP Guide: Assassin Tip!

Hey guys!


Just tried my friends Assassin and I find him very interesting. A very powerful, very versatile characters, is actually downplayed from people than don't have a clue. Here some fast tricks for you, the people that say that Assassins are glass canons that need to burst to win.


USE YOUR DEFENSIVE ABILITIES!


Deflection 12sec duration, reduces the damage taken by 50%. I suggest to use it at start.


Force Shroud, think Cloak of Shadows here for WoW's rogues, Removes all hostile removable effects and increases your chance to resist Force and tech attacks by 100% for 3 seconds. That means 2 instant attacks. Does not break Stealth but it should be used before Force Cloak, the ability that puts you back to stealth. That way, any DoTs on you won't put you out of Stealth.

ASSASSINS CAN HEAL THEMSELVES!

Best COMBO EVER!


Force Cloak+Mind Trap+Seethe


Force Cloak puts you and your opponent out of combat and that means that you can Mind Trap them, stunning them and let's you Seethe to restore your life.


I would suggest to first force you opponent to use his CC ability early so when you use the combo he would be useless while you are regaining your health.


That's for now, PvP Assassin burst will come soon!

Guide: Operative Concealment PvE!

PROLOGUE


Hey people!


A very good friend of mine is a hardcore WoW's rogue player that raids and pvpes in top guilds. I respect his knowledge about the mechanics of his class and also for his fast decisions and reactions that are needed to play in high level.


During summer we had long talks about SWTOR and we had both decided to reroll to this new game. The Blizzard gave to him a Rogue's only legendary and his mind changed. I unsubscribed from WoW and started playing SWTOR. He was thinking playing the game later and I gave him my account to try it out. He was thinking playing an Assassin but I persuaded him to try Operative. And he did. And he loved it. Now, I have an Operative on my account and I have to say that I love her! They have an amazing playstyle that is really really strong even after last patch's nerf. I've seen a lot of Operatives PvPing but almost none at PvE. At least none dps as the few ops I've found where healers.


That's why I decided to make this guide for Operative's Concealment PvE. So, let's start.




1. SPEC


This is the spec that I use 3/31/7. It's NOT based on the most dps output possible and it's more of a starter for operation. It based on mobility (melee classes need to be fast in fights with a lot of adds, shit on the ground etc) and survivability (you can't dps if you are dead.

This is the spec with the most dps output: 3/31/7




2. ENERGY


Energy is very similar to WoW's Rogue but it's not linear. That means that it regenerates depending to the energy's level. That means:

ENERGY LEVEL	REGEN PER SEC
0-20	2
21-40	2.5
41-60	3
61-100	5

Now, there an ability call Stim Boost that recovers 3 energy every 3 sec for 45sec. It has a 35 sec CD and must be up ALL THE TIME.

With Stim Boost up the regeneration changes to this:

ENERGY LEVEL	REGEN PER SEC
0-20	3
21-40	3.5
41-60	4
61-100	6

Another way to get energy fast is Adrenaline Probe that recovers 50 energy in 3 secs with a 2 minute cooldown.

3. ABILITIES

Rifle Shot Basic attack costs no energy use it on your rotation to keep your energy from dropping.

Hidden Strike Highest damaging ability, grants Tactical Advantage and can only be used from stealth. Use it as an opener.

Shiv Use it to gain Tactical Advantage.

Laceration Requires the Tactical Advantage buff.  Has 50% chance to proc a second free attack that would also refresh Tactical Advantage if the target is poisoned.

Backstab Hits like a truck, must be always used after Acid Blade. Must be behind the target to use it.

Acid Blade Buff the next Hidden Strike or Backstab and applies a ridiculesly strong DoT over 6 seconds and increase armour penetration by 30% for 15 seconds. Backstab must followed. Needless to say, this is the funeral of every boss.

Fragmentation Grenade AoE attack. Hits up to 5 opponents.

Overload Shot. Short ranged attack, should be only used when you have plenty of energy and the rest of you abilities are on CD.


Corrosive Dart a good DoT that must be ALWAYS be up. If it's up, Laceration will refresh Tactical Advantage.

Orbital Strike AoE damage to be used on CD. One of the strongest AoE attacks in game


Adrenaline Probe Not a damage ability but still must be used on CD. Use it when you want to burst


Cloaking Screen. Not a damage ability, puts you back to Stealth. Use it on CD with a Acid Blade buffed Hidden Strike following it.

4. TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

Tactical Advantage is the core ability in Operative playstyle. Defeating an opponent or activating Shiv or Hidden Strike puts you in a position of Tactical Advantage, increasing all damage dealt by 2% and enabling the use of executions for 10 seconds. Up to 2 charges of Tactical Advantage can exist at once.

Abilities that generate TA:

Shiv

Hidden Strike

Plus defeating an opponent give you TA. 

Abilities that consume TA:

Cull

Laceration

Stim Boost

Carbine Burst

Kolto Infusion

Remember, Tactical Advantage increased damage by 2%, so you should always have at least one stack up at all times if it's possible. Before using an TA consuming Ability, use Shiv to get 2 stacks before losing 1 and keep 1 stack up.

5. ROTATION


So, the rotation goes like this. Start with stealth and then use Hidden Strike. That gives you 1 TA. Use Stim Boost, that will consume the 1 TA. Acid Blade time then. It would be a preparation buff that does nothing until you use Backstab. 30% of the target's armor is ignored and a poison DoT is applied that lasts for 6 secs.  After that use Shiv to get 1 TA, Laceration will actually have a chance to consume and refresh your TA and keep it up. Use Corrosive Dart to have your DoT up as long as you can. As soon as your energy falls under 60 use Adrenaline Probe and try to have it on CD. Only reasons for not use it asap is that either your energy is high at the moment or you decide it to keep it to use it later with your Adrenals, Relics and the rest of your CDs. After that use Rifle Shot if your energy drops under 80. Also, use Cloaking Screen after the initial burst and the use of Adrenaline Probe and follow it with a Acid Blade buffed Hidden Strike. Use it on CD.


When you are in the the fight there's a priority list.

1. Stim Boost  must be always up

2.  Shiv to get TA


3. Adrenaline Probe to regen energy

3.  Rifle Shot to keep your energy up.

4. Cloaking Screen to get back to Stealth

5.  Acid Blade follow by

6. Hidden Strike if you are in Stealth or if you are not

7.  Backstab. 5, 6 and 7 must be always be used on CD. Those are you strongest hits

8.  Corrosive Dart to keep your DoT up

9.  Laceration. costs 15 energy. Use it when you have 2 TA and Stim Boost is up

10. Overload Shot. Cost 17 energy and only use it when you have high energy and you are out of melee range from the target or on burning phase.

6. STATS

Your Primary stat is Cunning. Your gear must always have Cunning.  For every 140 Cunning you get 1% crit and also, 1 Cunning gives 0.2 tech damage. As for the secondary stats, accuracy until you reach 100% and then I would suggest Critical and Surge for starters but DON'T stack more than 40% ratio. It seems that after a point critical and surge need much more rating to increase the percentage. After that, go for Power. It's a basic, normal,  very linear damage increase. Alacrity is useless, avoid it like Hell.

7. PvE TIER BONUS

• 2 pieces: Increases the critical chance of Backstab or Backblast by 15%.
• 4 pieces: Increases maximum energy by 5.

EPILOGUE

Anyway that's my guide for Operative Concealment PvE, just quite basic but I hope you find it useful. I will try to update the guide as much as possible, please comment to contribute.

See you around