Of that, I sadly have no doubt. I think the allure of being a mean person that fires lightning out of your hands coupled with both the disproportionately high representation of people with low social skills in MMO communities and the fact that Sorcerers were OP when the game launched conspired to create a "Sorcs get whatever they want" power bloc in this game. It didn't help anything when the first Sorc nerf came in and a LARGE amount of players left the game in a juvenile tantrum parade. BioWare learned their lesson. "Never piss off the advanced class with the largest player population." I love playing my Sage and Sorc. It's like easy mode for the game. However, when I said, "I play all the advanced classes in the game. I like them all. But currently, healing is WAY too advantageous in Warzones," that was my way of basically addressing the, "People will complain about this," factor without actually saying anything with which anyone else might have taken umbrage.

I like it. Then again, I just like the idea of a "heal inversion debuff." I play all the advanced classes in the game. I like them all. But currently, healing is WAY too advantageous in Warzones. Also (other than stealth gameplay), most Warzones are focused around "damage/healing." This, and other creative inclusions into the game, would go a long way to providing far more strategy rather than "just brute forcing" wins.

This is a brilliant idea! However, FWIW... These would probably have to be implemented as "standing only" emotes. Meaning, you don't movie while in it, and if you move, it breaks it. The time required to create full-body animations that then get tested on all playable species and genders with a large helping of different gear is prohibitively time consuming from a development perspective.

Well, at this point, there are two things working against most of the ideas that people have advocated for. One is that people don't like change. Even if the change is an improvement, there will always be a percentage of the customer base that cancels their accounts because of it. The second is that to change any one variable leads to unforeseeable changes, so the more changes made, the more drastic the outcome. Although, JamieKirby, you're correct that if all specs are focused around direct amage, then the one that does the most will always be the one most people use. However, think about if they changed the idea behind the trees (and yes, I realize they won't do this because it's "too much change"). Let's take something like the shared Focus tree, and let's say that they just cut the damage it did in half, but they also made it so that if you specced up the whole tree, that your Force Sweep applied an unwipeable debuff to all those in the affected that for a few seconds that made it so that all "healing" received from a friendly player to that target (your enemy that you hit with the debuff), actually caused an equal amount of damage instead. Then, you make this ability have a duration that "stacks" with others (up to a maximum, of course). So, let's say it lasts for 3 seconds when you're hit with it, but if a second Sentinel hits you with it, it adds 4 seconds on top of whatever is remaining, and a third would up it another 5 seconds (making it compound) to a maximum of 12 seconds (meaning that no matter when you get hit with the second and third stacks, the debuff would have to expire before it could be renewed again). Something like this, though it doesn't directly damage an enemy, would be hugely advantageous in Warzones, would help combat the "everyone just makes a healer" trend, would actually provide a reason for why it would be good to have more than one Sentinel in a group, and would make being tactical with your decisions much more significant (needing to keep a distance between you and your teammates, for instance, or having players that have to remove heal over time buffs that would be damaging them during this time period, or that if you were this spec, you wouldn't go after single, non-healing targets because you'd have no way of efficiently killing them). There are an infinite number of ways a skill tree could be modified to present alternatives to "direct damage" that may end up being more useful in a Warzone or Flashpoint. But sadly, I doubt they're going to just go in and completely restructure a class's skill tree.

Yep. Still a bug on March 17th, 2014.

I'm running Windows 8.1 through Bootcamp on my late 2013 15" MacBook Pro. The game boots up fine, and with some craftiness, I can get in the game. So it seems to be fine except for one issue. Most of the screen space reverts my cursor back to being the "desktop cursor," so whenever I click on anything, it minimizes the game. It's really weird. I only get the SWTOR cursor when I'm running it along the outside border of the screen space. Anything in the... let's say, "central 90% of the screen" makes it appear as a low resolution, big white Windows cursor. Anyone have this issue or know how I can fix it? Is it just some kind of strange resolution change problem? Anyway, thanks for any info on this.

Thanks, AbsolutGrndZero and Prototypemind.

Has this even been addressed by anyone from BioWare??? Like... is there any indication that anyone that works for them is actually aware of this bug yet?

First off, to quote you, "We are very very hard to defeat with a pocket healer and unstoppable with a great team for us to support and to support us." When PUGging, Sentinels NEVER get a "pocket healer." If you refer back to my post that you have attempted to argue with, I'm specifically talking about PUGging. Also, ANY class with, "a pocket healer" and, "a great team" to, "support and to support us," is, "unstoppable." Like... did you really even use that as an argument? Lol. Anyway, your argument constantly falls back on citing powers that either require special circumstances to use (either having enough Focus built up, enough stacks of Centering built up, a certain tree specced, or for dramatically long cool downs to be off of CD) or are easily foiled by even the most moderately knowledgeable opponent. Your biggest flaw though is constantly addressing abilities that can ONLY be used if you're Combat specced as if they were ubiquitous to all specs. Here is a short form for what you argued and the issues with it: Force Leap - 15 second cool down. Multiple restrictions on distance (cannot be too close or too far away). Prone to issues with lag (falling through catwalks on Huttball, players being several meters ahead or behind you after you've successfully leaped to them even though they should have been directly "under" you). Force Stasis - One minute cool down! MUST be channeled (Sentinels have no way to activate this and do anything else). Broken with stun breaker. Broken if Sentinel is "moved," such as with Force Wave [20 second cool down] or Grapple [45 second cool down]). Awe - One minute cool down! Only lasts for 6 seconds. Can be broken with stun breaker. Can be cleansed with a Sage/Sorcerer's TWO SECOND cool down Cleanse. Also, most Sentinels now play Focus spec. Guess what happens when the Sentinel that just used Awe happens by a Sentinel that uses Force Sweep, which is only on a 15 second cool down (less if they're Focus spec)? That's right, it breaks it. Master Strike - You mention this saying that it, "immobilizes [enemies] during the course of the ability." Only if you're specced for it, which no Focus specced Sentinels are. Master Strike for anyone else is easy to just walk away from. Even if you are specced to allow it to immobilize an enemy, it is still broken if you're pulled or pushed during it. Leg Strike - Cleansed along with one other debuff with a Sage or Sorcerer's Cleanse ability. Crippling Throw - Cleansed along with one other debuff with a Sage or Sorcerer's Cleanse ability. Twin Saber Throw - Cleansed along with one other debuff with a Sage or Sorcerer's Cleanse ability. However, this is otherwise a pretty cool ability. Nice damage, and the cool down isn't too long. Although it is still on a longer cool down than almost all other classes "non-super" abilities. Force Camouflage - 45 second cool down. Only lasts for 4 seconds (unless specced to make it last a whole second longer). Broken with any AoE damage. Sentinels often cannot AoE damage other stealthers because Force Sweep (a Sentinels only real way to knock a recently stealthed opponent out of stealth) requires Focus, so unless you already have some, it's a no-go. You also mention that Force Camouflage is a "stun breaker." True in many cases, but not in all. For instance, it cannot be used if you have been hit with Electro Net (not technically a stun, but it might as well be). Transcendence - Again, you always cite this power as if all specs can build 30 Centering by using Introspection. Only Combat can do that. Only lasts for 10 seconds. Along with Twin Saber Throw and Rebuke, this is one of the only two worthwhile powers Sentinels have to contribute to a Warzone they're PUGging in, but it's still not that great considering the need for 30 stacks of Centering. Valorous Call - THREE MINUTE COOL DOWN!!! Lolz! Also, like all Centering (but oddly, not like Depression), it's "effect" goes away when defeated. Rebuke - Pretty nice power. Nothing to complain about here other than it's need to be "kept up" with damage. Generally not common in Warzones, but sometimes a good opponent will leave you alone for the 6 seconds necessary to allow this power to wipe. Saber Ward - THREE MINUTE COOL DOWN!!! Again, I lol. When you're focusing a team's primary healer and you're PUGging (so no one is healing you), you get instantly focused and this power does nothing but postpone your life for MAYBE 1 second. Maybe. Zen - Also has a ridiculously long cool down! Also, it's bonus is different depending on what "saber form" you're in. Guarded by the Force - This is actually the worst power for Sentinels now. So, it's on a 2 minute cool down! Lolz! Also, it consumes HALF of your health... wait for it... but not until AFTER the oh so useful 4 second duration of the power expires. Also, it "only" makes you 99% resistant to damage. So, since it consumes half of your health, the "best" time to use it is when you're at 1% or lower health. That way, you "lose" the least amount of health. However, since it's not 100%, you're often likely to be killed DURING the time that it's up! LOLZ! Also, if you do manage to survive until it expires, as soon as it does, you're basically instantly dead. Remember, you won't receive ANY heals during this time because you don't have a "pocket healer." And, if you try to use a medpac the second you use the power, like people would back in the ol' days, HALF of that is removed the second the power ends. If you try to "time it for the end" of the power, about 99.9999999999999999999999999% of the time (I'm using the same math you defended earlier, you can trust it, 90% of the people on the forums agree with it), you'll die before you can use it. In fact, your comment about this one coupled with your ridiculous assertion about having a pocket healer (lololololololol!) makes me believe that you probably get handheld a lot. If that's the case, then you literally have no accurate ability to measure a class's ability to perform in a Warzone without the dedicated attention of someone helping you. To address some of your other points: "Opponents panic." - This can be said for any opponent in relation to any other opponent. However, it appears to be more common when someone is "confronted with melee action," so to speak. Well, guess what? Lots of times, ranged classes don't have to deal with being "confronted with melee action." You know who ALWAYS has to deal with it, though??? Melee DPS classes! You also admit the Sentinel's lack of stun protection. You also admit the inherent limitation of melee vs range abilities. You make the claim that I, "greatly underestimate" Inspiration. Specifically quote from my original post any factual inaccuracies. You cite using Introspection to gain 30 stack of centering. - Only Combat spec Sentinels can do this. You make this claim - "This means that the sentinel could use introspection gain 30 stacks [again, ONLY if you're Combat spec] go into a fight with transcendence for their group and then pop VC activate Inspiration and double their groups lethality." Transcendence is a 10% to melee and ranged defense for only 10 seconds which requires a 30 stack of Centering, so you can't just use it whenever you want, and it only lasts 10 seconds. Inspiriation is only a 15% increase in damage and healing and only to teammates within a 40 meter range, and only those that aren't already affected by the "Depressed" debuff. In most Warzones, you'll be lucky if you can use Inspiration TWICE, and half the time someone else uses it when you don't need it, thus preventing you from being able to benefit from it for another 5 minutes! Oh, the lolz! Now, to address your conclusion about "lethality." A 15% increase to damage and healing, and a 10% increase to melee and ranged defense, even if it were to everyone in your party (which it generally isn't), would not, "double their group's lethality." Unless you're the worst at math ever and are assuming that 15% to damage, 15% to healing, 10% to melee defense, and 10% to ranged defense for a total of 10 seconds (Inspiration lasts for 15, but Transcendence only lasts for 10) somehow constitutes a cumulative, "doubling of lethality." It constitutes 10 seconds of you and your group running towards the Huttball and is gone about 2 seconds after you get there. And you won't be able to use Inspiration again for 5 minutes. Go play ANY of the other classes. The vast majority of their cool downs aren't 3 minutes long. Most of them aren't even over 10 seconds. They're almost all more likely to get heals in a PUG or guarded by another player. And, if you wanted to compare other powers that are gained post-level 50, Twin Saber Throw is NOWHERE near as useful as Scamper, Electro Net, or Force Barrier. Which, Force Barrier is infinitely better than Guarded by the Force ever was (same cool down timer, doesn't consume half of your health, player can be specced to actually gain health while channeling it, provides complete 100% immunity to damage, stuns and other immobilizing effects, and the player cannot be pulled or pushed while channeling it). If you made a spreadsheet with all the abilities each class gains and added up the length of cool down timers, the range of the ability, how many people it affected, whether it can be cleansed or not, if it can be used without directly pointing your character at the opponent, whether or not the resource it takes to cast is available without prior conditions being met (like having to build Focus or Centering), and all of the other variables, I'm sure you'd find that Sentinels, regardless of spec, simply do not add up to being as useful as any of the other classes in a PUG Warzone. I've now specifically addressed all of your points and did it with infinitely less ad hominems than you did. I'll assume you'll remain "convinced" of your opinion no matter what the facts actually are. The second you want something from the truth, is the moment you'll never actually know it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum If it doesn't post my link there, then just Wikipedia, "argumentum ad populum." Just because "90% of the vet PvPer's on these forums agree with you," doesn't have any barring on reality. Also, I find it humorous that you even bothered to make up that statistic. Have you polled all of them? Do you work for BioWare and can run a search query of all posts ever made on their forums? No? Of course not. Now, stop being foolish. Melee will never be stronger than ranged. Here, let me make it simple for you. At 1 meter, a ranged player and a melee player can BOTH hit an opponent. At 20 meters, a melee opponent cannot hit a target, but the ranged player still can. One of the easiest tricks when you're fighting a melee DPS that is getting healed is just to continually run around an object. Breaks line-of-sight with their heal. Thus, little to no heals. Meanwhile, you kill them. Again, you can hit them at melee range even if you're a ranged class. See, ranged always has the benefit of... well, the ENTIRE range variable. You make several statements, but you provide no evidence. Do you know how "knowledge" works? I don't think you do. Here's a little example. So, when you have more than one healer in a Warzone, they can both heal the same target. There's no "debuff" for their action. Sages and Sorcs right now have a power that allows them to wipe out not 1, but TWO debuffs and it's on a two second cooldown!!! You know what Sentinels and Marauders have to contribute to a Warzone? They have one power called, "Inspiration ("Bloodthirst" for the Maras)." It's on a THREE minute cooldown, only has a range of 40 meters (so it's not an entire Warzone group), and it applies a debuff to anyone affected that prevents them from being able to benefit from the same power again for 5 minutes! You do understand that that makes it worthless to have more than 1 Sentinel or 1 Marauder in a Warzone (as it pertains to that power), yes? http://www.torhead.com/ability/4tNoy3F/inspiration That's evidence. Sentinels and Marauders are the ONLY class in the game that has neither a push nor a pull, which means there is NO WAY for them to instantly kill an opponent in a Warzone. All of the other classes have an "I win button." Enemy grab the ball in Huttball? Force Wave and push them into a fire pit! You win! Such difficult! They literally have no defense against that move. "A Sentinel could use Force Stasis on them while they're standing over a fire pit," Hypothetical Contrarian says. You could. However, that still requires that they're standing on a fire pit to begin with, that they don't have their stun break available, that your Force Stasis (which a Sentinel always has to "channel") and is not on it's freaking ONE MINUTE cooldown (guess how long the cooldown on Force Wave is??? 20 seconds, just FYI). Also, guess what? Every experienced lag in the game? Trying to time a Force Leap onto an opponent standing on a fire pit, then moving off of it, then turning towards them (because, unlike most other class's, almost all Sentinel abilities are direction-specific), then using Force Stasis before they make their way off while not actually being lit on fire yourself... is WAY more prone to lag issues than just using Force Wave on an enemy or harpooning them onto a fire pit. Guys... I get that you aren't thinking with your brains because for some odd reason your ego overlaps with the class that you play most in a game, but seriously, every class in this game currently has a greater potential to contribute to the success of a team in a Warzone than Sentinels or Marauders do. Believe whatever you will and feel free to continue casting ad hominems my way. It won't make this class any better. If I was in a Warzone with 8 Sages or 8 Scoundrels, I'd think, "We're probably going to win this." If I were in one with 8 Sentinels I'd think, "Well, this is already a loss." If any of you have specific evidence (not a claim, not an opinion, and not anecdotal evidence, but actual evidence) that supports your theory that Sentinels and Marauders are capable of contributing more towards the success of a team in a PUG Warzone, than by all means, please share it. Oh, and Vodrin, if you can compile a list of every single post ever made on these forums concerning "vet PvPers" and "their opinions on ranged being at a disadvantage to melee," I'd like to see that too. If you can't, then stop posting nonsense, get at least a bachelor's degree from a real university, and then come back and make posts without using anecdotal claims.

^ Provides no evidence or even an argument for their claim.

Yep. Sentinel and Marauder are now the most useless ACs in this game. I love the class, but because of how much more difficult it is to play than EVERY other class, it serves no point. They don't have any heals (and no, *********** Watchman dots do NOT count), no stealth (a 4 second stealth on nearly a minute CD also does not count), no way to instantly kill an opponent (they are the only class with neither a pull nor a push ability), almost every ability is "direction specific," (if you've not played other ACs, did you even know that many of their abilities can be triggered without even having your character pointed in the direction of your target?) limited range, terrible resistance to damage (Guarded by the Force is a joke. It was nerfed because it was "too effective in team play," but that's now just left solo players with a useless ability. You want to pop it at 1% health so it doesn't eat up half of your health, but you can no longer immediately use a health pack when you pop it, so you just usually die the instant it goes down. Meanwhile, Sages and Sorcerers now get a *********** bubble that offers better damage resistance, heals them [if they're specced for it], and does NOT take up HALF of their *********** health to use. Oh, and it lasts WAY longer than 4 seconds. Double, oh, it's also getting a buff in 2.7. What a *********** joke), if you play a spec that is DOT reliant, then most of them can be wiped by the Sage/Sorcerer ability to remove TWO *********** DOTs at once which is on a TWO second cool down, and just so... so many other reasons not to play them. There's no shortage of players playing Sent/Mara though, because it's play style appeals to people with ADHD and people that play alone. It's fine to have a class that's more difficult to play, but it has to have a corresponding benefit. Previously, Sents and Maras just did the most damage and/or killed players the most. Now that is not the case. After 2.7, if the proposed changes go through, they'll be even worse. Sadly, BioWare underestimated the number of psychologically stunted, pathetic digital bullies that decided to play their game and all made Sorcerers. So, anytime any class other than Sorcs get something the Sorcs don't, or when Sorcs get nerfed, a HUGE contingent of the SWTOR fan base cries and/or leaves. BioWare knows where their money is. Just play a Sage or a Sorcerer. Or, if you prefer an even easier time, play a Scoundrel or Operative and enjoy the fun of killing every single equally or lesser geared opponent you ever choose to engage in combat, and never, ever, die.

As far as I can tell, there is currently no reason to play a Sentinel (or a Marauder). This is true in both PvE and PvP, but I'll stick mainly with PvP for this entry. If you primarily PvP, then there's even less of a reason to play one. After 2.7, PvPing as a Sentinel or Marauder will just be harmful to your side. If what is reported here is correct: http://dulfy.net/2014/02/13/swtor-patch-2-7-class-changes/ Then EVERY single class is getting a buff (or staying the same), EXCEPT for Sentinels, who are getting a nerf. If all you play in PvP as a Sentinel, try out literally ANY of the other Advanced Classes. They are all easier to play, have more utility, more survivability, and contribute more to your team's likelihood of success. It's a shame, because my Sentinel was the first class I got to 50 (back when that was the level cap), and is even a fully geared Obroan (with modified MH and OH weapons to take advantage of the Bolster mechanic). Currently, unless I have someone guarding me or a pocket healer, nothing is as easy or productive as it is on my Sage, my Gunslinger, or my Operative. Remember, just because you're getting "highest damage" in a Warzone doesn't actually mean you're contributing to any kind of success. Seriously, just play a Sage/Sorcerer or a Scoundrel/Operative. You'll be much happier.

Yep. This problem is terrible. Please fix it, BioWare. It worked perfectly before the 17th of December. I'm not sure who broke what, but this is literally the worst bug. I don't know if you've ever run around with your feminine hygiene pad showing, but it's not something most ladies are into.

Anyone? Any thoughts?