They bring surprising durability and self-healing that doesnt gimp their dps. They have a raid wide buff if you don't have a sorv heal (altough most teams do) and if so, their bubble is a great utility. Your force barrier works just as well for cheesing mechanics than a merc.

 

Whats important for an ops team is that you can pull the numbers. Sniper's ballistic shield is great in some fight, useless in high mobility scenarios. Good to have it along, but merc vs sorc, I'd say sorc brings plenty argument to be a good contender at equal skills.

The issue is twofold: raid leaders are dumb, and most people can't push buttons fast enough. Sorcs are capable of clearing all content, especially considering how over-geared everyone is. Keep in mind that the content was balanced for 242 gear; 248s provide approx. 5 percent extra damage. Players also have access to 236 and 240 augments, which add 3-4 percent to DPS over their 228 predecessors. Players are therefore pumping out 10 percent more damage than they were in early 5.0, a time when guilds were still clearing this content with ease. Lightning now, in all its nerfed glory, pumps out as much damage as Lethality was doing back in January 2017.

 

If players can't make the checks as a sorc, they need to improve. It's not (solely) the class, it's not bioware, it's 100 percent their inability to play the class at the bare minimum level.

 

Both sorcs and mercs bring a lot to the table. With that said, though, merc (IO in particular) is better at virtually every fight for four reasons: (1) IO parses around 4-5 percent higher than either sorc spec and has better synergy with the more frequently played DPS classes; (2) IO still has a respectable dot spread/cleave if the player is disciplined and doesn't mess up their heat; (3) IO is just as bursty as lightning, and is arguably just as bursty as arsenal; and (4) mercs have reflect, allowing them to cheese certain mechanics while pumping out extra damage.

 

There are a few exceptions, thanks to sorc's respectable levels of mobility and on-demand damage reduction from its utilities. On council, I kite Raptus on both sorc and merc: I require less healing on my sorc and my DPS is roughly the same. Sorcs are better at cheesing slams on TFB, giving them more uptime in second phase; the problem is that merc can just barely survive all slams as well, and merc is far superior in phase one.

 

Sorcs are also really good at cleaving the crystals on Calphy...and for pulling clueless players into the portals.

 

tl;dr: mercs are generally better, but sorcs are arguably more survivable in pve and their dps is still capable of clearing all content

Edited July 28, 2018 by Hoppinswtor

This thread is epitome of sorc players in swtor (at least in PvE). You have the inexperienced/bad players complaining that the class isn't viable while all the experienced/good players try to tell them that the class is fine and they just have to learn to play and get better.

No. The class is not fine. It is the worst of the DPS bunch. It should brought in line to be with Merc and Jugg. Or Jugg and Merc should be brought down into the slums with the Sorc/Sage.

The sorc dps specs may be towards the bottom of the spectrum currently, but the numbers difference between the top and the bottom is pretty marginal and largely insignificant when it comes to progression.

 

Every spec and class is viable for nim progression granted the players themselves are up to par. If someone thinks you are missing enrage timers because of a couple of comparably underperforming specs are in the ops group it's not because of those specs, it's more the case that you have 'players' underperforming; certainly not a classes' fault. That ops leader should be ashamed for thinking otherwise.

 

Sure some specs have to work harder for the dps that they get compared to some others, though that's the nature of pve class balancing; it will happen.

 

Overall, bring the player not the class.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Malkai

To new player play what you want to play dont gett trolled in not playing the class you like sure sorc/sage are weak but if you like them play them nuff said

Hey, I am back from almost 2 years away, still loving my Lightning sorc.

 

Still having problems catching all the aggro, not having problems mitigating it, controlling the action, carrying the random pugs.

 

I see a lot of players, most of the players in fact, using healing companions in open world regardless of their spec. (watching a sniper use a healer is truly sad.) Still seeing people executing sub-optimal rotaions, still seeing videos of people claiming to be pro while clicking their skills. - I'm fine with all that. - The truth is that the game makes no effort to actually teach people how to play. MMO gaming is trending toward simplification, gamers point to games like SWTOR and complain about 'skill bloat'.

 

I wonder how much of this lamentation is due to the skill ceiling. - I wonder how many of these gamers complaining about their crappy sorcs use proper keybinds, or gaming peripherals. I cant imagine how I would play this game with anything less than a full numberpad mouse. I have around 30 combat binds, and can activate any of them instantly. - Maybe this is why I dont feel like Sorc dps is 'gimped'.

I don't usually do end game. I just enjoy doing the class story to max level and then rolling an alt. Having said that, I enjoy the class. I have no issues in PvE. I don't PvP. I am in a very good guild that lets me participate regardless of class. So, all this drama is just that. Drama. I may not be tops in anything, but I know how to play, and I contribute. I'm having fun, and I enjoy the class.

 

SO, in conclusion, this class may not be fun in the high end game content, but it certainly has appeal in many areas for folks who may not be concerned about that.