Played the game at launch, quit before a month and have come back 3-4 times over the years for no longer then a month. I really want to play through some class stories so decided once and for all i'll just do it. I plan to level by doing story quests/side quests and maybe some flashpoints/heroics on the way while queing for warzones and doing them every chance i get.

 

So my question is, would it be better to just use the gear i get from quests as i level or should i buy one of the outfits from the cartel market and research which mods go best with it?

 

Also the main reason i keep quitting this game is the combat, i just can't get into it. I want to do Smuggler and Jedi Knight storylines at the very least with also Bounty Hunter and Sith Warrior on my list, possibly Agent. Which class is least complicated? I like simple and spamming the same abilities is fine with me i don't want things to be overly complicated. I don't care about ranked PvP i'll just be solo leveling and doing unranked warzones.

I've only played one Imperial class, that's Bounty Hunter and only to a low level (about 20?). Seems good for a new/returning player, heavy armor & high power ranged attacks. Mirror of the Trooper class which I have played to L50+ Also easy to gear companions for Trooper anyway, lots use the same primary stats as you.

 

Story is Ok on both; but my favorite class story is so far the Smuggler... pity I can't get to grips with the class. (I've only seen the full story by playing with a guild mate).

 

Jedi Knight, good story and my first character as a Sentinel. Was fun combat but could be tricky at times, a sent is a glass cannon, at least for me. When I remembered to use all attacks at the best time and interrupts I destroyed everything. Then for the next fight I'd get cocky and just force leap into a big group ignoring interrupts and not wait for cool downs & get smashed

 

As for gear when leveling you don't need any cartel or GTN items though they may help. I'd just save planetary commendations until you have enough for an orange item (armor or weapon), then look to upgrade armor mods and weapon mods next (hilts/barrels), when you have mostly orange armor & weapons.

Combat, if you don't like it, is made easier by blue/purple gear. On the other hand, if you just stick to what you get from quest rewards, it's likely your gear will be under-leveled and combat will be harder. In any case, you probably want the DPS spec of whichever class you're playing; let the companions be tanks and healers for you, which will simplify your combat as much as possible.

 

You still have to develop a rotation, though, use the abilities in the correct order for max damage. Bioware has a thing with the class quests (which you'll be doing if you want to see the story lines), they think they're training you to be a good player by having all the class quest combat require you to use your odd abilities. Jedi Knight will have to interrupt and stun all the time, Consular will always face groups of 2+ bosses and will have to use his/her crowd control, and so on.

 

Otherwise, stories are fun, to me at least. Play each class to 50 then start a new one. That way your Legacy levels up, and you also get the +Presence bonuses from having all conversations with all companions. Helps a lot if your companions have +200 presence; they do damage like a ton of bricks at low to mid levels because of it.

 

I've done Jedi Knight, Consular, Imperial Agent, Sith Warrior, and part of the Smuggler stories, they're all ok. Without spoiling too much:

 

- Smuggler you're going to really hate the villain guy (I think a story is good if it involves you - the reader - like that). Sometimes the plot is like a good book that you can't put down. I'd recommend not diluting the story by doing other quests, which means skipping planetary quests and getting XP from other sources, like you're planning.

 

- Sith Warrior has hilarious dialogue options throughout the first act. Recommend to hit ESC before the end of each cutscene to see all the dialogue options. Some people argue that playing SW light-side makes a better story than dark.

 

- Imperial Agent story is mystery / espionage, with quite a few plot twists, and you also end up really hating a few characters. Has a defining moment in the middle that's been done rather well in cutscenes, like a good movie adaptation of a book scene. Also has multiple endings, so what you do throughout will affect the ending.

 

- Jedi Knight story is typical hero, and the plot is designed to get you annoyed with one particular Republic General who seems extremely incompetent. You kick ***, you take names, you get involved with the issues your primary companion is facing. JK story is pretty well intertwined with the planetary quest lines.

 

- Jedi Consular is more about diplomacy, politics, and leadership rather than fighting, although you do a lot of that too. Your abilities in combat may not be all that, but the cutscenes definitely make you look like a master of the Force, more powerful than Yoda almost. And you do some heroic and some hilarious stuff with it, in cutscenes.

 

GEAR:

 

If you buy cartel market orange shells, you have to feed them modifications every 4-5 levels. Can get expensive, cause you're talking 16-24 armorings, 16-24 mods, 16-24 enhancements every 4 levels. You CAN manage it, if you use planet comms to buy the mods and enhancements, and buy armorings from the NPC vendors with credits.

 

Otherwise if you use quest rewards + cheap green gear from GTN, it'll probably be cheaper, but at higher levels it may be hard to find certain pieces like shields, helmets, or implants for your companions. May have to wait for the weekend to shop the GTN, because it has better inventory for sale on Sat and Sun.

Also the main reason i keep quitting this game is the combat, i just can't get into it. I want to do Smuggler and Jedi Knight storylines at the very least with also Bounty Hunter and Sith Warrior on my list, possibly Agent. Which class is least complicated? I like simple and spamming the same abilities is fine with me i don't want things to be overly complicated. I don't care about ranked PvP i'll just be solo leveling and doing unranked warzones.

 

The stories are great, but the higher level you get, the more abilities you're going to have, and spamming basic ablities isn't going to cut it. Part of the joy is the complexity of combat so you may want to think hard about whether this is the game for you (and even in unranked warzones, you'll get slaughtered and be a drag on your team if all you do is spam basic abilities).

 

That said, I found Vanguard/Powertech to be pretty simple. I'm usually cycling through ~6 abilities with another 6 ready to be used when needed.

 

Best storyline is a tossup between Agent and Inquisitor, imo, but both of those classes get fairly complex in combat (never played a DPS sage/sorc, though, so maybe an expert can chime in).

Also the main reason i keep quitting this game is the combat, i just can't get into it. I want to do Smuggler and Jedi Knight storylines at the very least with also Bounty Hunter and Sith Warrior on my list, possibly Agent. Which class is least complicated?

 

It depends what sort of simplicity you're looking for. Some types:

 

Movement: Ranged classes (commando/mercenary, gunslinger/sniper, sage/sorcerer) are much easier for some because they don't have to worry as much about movement.

 

Extra mechanics: While they're not a big deal once you get used to them, some may have a stumbling block starting to use cover (gunslinger/sniper) or stealth (scoundrel/operative, shadow/assassin)

 

Number of abilities: Some specs use a bunch of abilities, while some focus on just a few for most of their damage. (All specs have many support abilities, but they're not needed all the time or just when you're sitting there doing some damage.)

 

Watching for "procs": Some specs have things you need to watch for (say, a certain ability does more damage once you see a little icon show up on your bar)

 

Managing resources: Some classes have unforgiving resource management, while others you don't have to worry about your resources.

 

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In all, the gunnery commando / arsenal mercenary is often suggested as the simplest to get into, and is pretty simple as far as all of the above go (though you do need to pay attention to your resources). Of course, like most classes, it can be complicated to play very well, but that's another matter.

 

If you could suggest which of these you don't mind and which you do, we could give more advice.

 

Brief description of your top two choices:

 

Smuggler:

Scoundrel: Melee, so needs movement care. Stealth also. The middle tree just has a few damage abilities to focus on (though the class has many tricks available), and you don't really have any important procs to worry about. Resource management needs constant attention.

Gunslinger: Ranged. Uses cover (you'll need to hit the cover button before starting to do damage usually, and again whenever you move to a new spot). Has a decent number of abilities, but the left tree can focus on just a few, and also doesn't have complicated procs. Resource management can't be ignored, but isn't too bad.

 

Jedi Knight:

Guardian: Melee. Has a decent, but not huge, number of damage abilities. Some procs, but once you get used to them, the important ones work the same way every time. Resource management is not bad.

Sentinel: Melee. Has a lot of damage abilities. Various procs to watch for in all specs. Resource management is not bad.

Edited May 28, 2014 by cxten

Not saying this to be snarky, but have you considered watching a swtor lets play instead? If you dont like the gameplay there's no sense in torturing yourself, that said it does depend on how far you've actually gotten all the other times you've played. I've found I couldnt really tell how a class played until around lv16, it was at this point you start getting more skills that relate to your class.

Thanks for all the good advice. I had a level 23 gunslinger and just got him to level 28. So far its not too complicated but i don't think i will ever get used to using the interrupt ability.

Thanks for all the good advice. I had a level 23 gunslinger and just got him to level 28. So far its not too complicated but i don't think i will ever get used to using the interrupt ability.

If you have a mouse with a button on the side (next to your thumb) you could bind your Interrupt to it. It helps immensely.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Khevar

Thanks for all the good advice. I had a level 23 gunslinger and just got him to level 28. So far its not too complicated but i don't think i will ever get used to using the interrupt ability.

 

I used to have that problem, then I used the ui editor to move the enemy cast bar to a place I could more easily see it.

Thanks for all the good advice. I had a level 23 gunslinger and just got him to level 28. So far its not too complicated but i don't think i will ever get used to using the interrupt ability.

 

Interrupt is a huge lifesaver. Taking the time to learn how to use it (set up the UI to see enemy cast bars better, move the hotkey to an easy-to-reach place) will save you a lot of grief in the end.

 

Long story short: you will likely not be able to finish your class story if you never learn to use interrupt.