Imagine my reaction when i saw a rakata geared sniper without a sniper rifle.. When i asked him about it, he said he did not know that sniper rifle was more powerful.

This is only the top of the iceberg, i keep seeing these pseudo-snipers ar least one every week.

i nearly killed one for needing on both a rifle and the blaster and saying "the rifle is better than the sniper one i just got"

NO IT WASNT YOU IDIOT

im sorry but learning curve or not, no one can be that short sited its called a sniper class

If a blaster rifle and a sniper rifle have the same stats, is there an actual advantage of using a sniper rifle?

I don't play an operative so I'm just wondering. I do know that for example a Commando healer can use a blaster rifle instead of an assault cannon without losing any stats or anything except the ability to use Charged Bolts (pretty much no healer would ever use that anyway).

If a blaster rifle and a sniper rifle have the same stats, is there an actual advantage of using a sniper rifle?

As far as I know, it opens up at least one attack. It functions like an offhand blaster for gunslingers, certain attacks cannot be used unless they have a sniper rifle equipped.

I'm guessing that it also has a raw damage boost over normal rifles, seeing as a lot of smuggler attacks say "fires both blasters if dual wielding", and that gives a little extra damage.

If a blaster rifle and a sniper rifle have the same stats, is there an actual advantage of using a sniper rifle?

 

I don't play an operative so I'm just wondering. I do know that for example a Commando healer can use a blaster rifle instead of an assault cannon without losing any stats or anything except the ability to use Charged Bolts (pretty much no healer would ever use that anyway).

the same barrel/rating gives more atk damage/number on an assault cannon and sniper rifle than it is on a blaster rifle.

which is major for snipers.

If a blaster rifle and a sniper rifle have the same stats, is there an actual advantage of using a sniper rifle?

 

I don't play an operative so I'm just wondering. I do know that for example a Commando healer can use a blaster rifle instead of an assault cannon without losing any stats or anything except the ability to use Charged Bolts (pretty much no healer would ever use that anyway).

It's really simple and easy to understand... I don't know how it is even possible that people don't know all this.

Vanguard trooper uses blaster rifle and its mirror class Powertech bounty hunter uses 1 blaster pistol

Imperial agent / Operative uses blaster rifle and its mirror class smuggler / scoundrel uses 1 blaster pistol

Normal blaster rifle with equal barrel mods has on average same weapon damage as a one single blaster pistol.

Commando uses an assalt cannon. Its mirror class bh mercenary dual wields 2 blaster pistols.

Sniper uses a sniper rifle. Its mirror class gunslinger dual wields 2 blaster pistols.

Both sniper rifle and assault cannon are by the damage they do on average about equal to dual wielding 2 blaster pistols.

(and no, it's not double damage since off-hand deals less damage than main hand, but still a significant difference in damage)

If either sniper or a commando uses normal blaster rifle, not only are they unable to use some of their abilities, but also all the abilities that they can still use that deal weapon damage, will do significantly less damage (the damage loss being about as much as if gunslinger or mercenary were using 1 pistol when they should be using 2).

All the tech abilities that do not depend on the weapon damage (such as grenades etc.) would not be affected.

Snipers using a normal blaster rifle is just stupid.

And operatives have no such choice of weapons. Don't know why you even mention them.

And while it is true that commando healer can use blaster rifle in the sense that they can get just as much healing done with it as they would with an assault cannon equipped, but it is not entirely true that they don't lose any stats.

They don't loose stats that affect healing, but they loose stats that affect their damage output and if they were to for example fire a hammer shot to do damage on an enemy, it would do significantly less damage. Sometimes in this game healers can do some dps too. Sometimes they even have to (council in EV for example) use their damage abilities.