I am going to start playing an Imperial Agent but I cannot decide which Advance Class to choose. Whatever I choose my Smuggler will have the opposite Advance Class. What are the significant changes between the 2 combination? And why should I choose a certain combination over the other?

Gunslinger looks cooler than sniper.

 

Plus, stealth cowboy hat is dumb.

good question, I actually want to do the same thing. I'm going Operative and Gunslinger. I find Operative's mask and vibroknife alot cooler than Scoundrel setup as well as dual wielding pistols vs snipers. But outside of aesthetics its up to you

The scattergun is pretty awesome though. And I laugh a little every time I kick someone in the crotch.

 

But if not for those reasons I would go gunslinger/operative as I've heard the IA storyline seems like it's intended for a stealther.

My opinion on it:

 

The Gunslinger makes a lot more sense in this game than the sniper does. Snipers are, by definition, extreme long-range marksmen that dispatch their targets without the enemy ever being able to return fire or even identify the sniper's location in the first place. Snipers in this game are limited by a 35 meter range, which is practically spitting distance, and they give away their position with a big red neon sign every time they enter cover. At the distances represented in this game, gunslinger just makes more sense, and it goes well with the cowboy-style look of the smuggler tier gear.

 

The Operative has much more fluid melee combat animations than the scoundrel does, however. The scoundrel's melee attacks focus on either punching the target (which can be incredibly fun, but is kinda stupid when your target is holding either a lightsaber, vibrosword, or gun) or using a massive shotgun that you magically pull out of your backside. The operative on the other hand is focused entirely on the use of blade attacks up close, though you still have the realism factor of "where did I just pull that 3 foot long blade out of, and why does it disappear and force me to use my gun when i'm at point blank range?"

 

So, I'd go Gunslinger & Operative if you're intent on rolling both classes. I went the opposite and I'm kinda regretting it.

I went scoundrel, sniper and I didn't regret it at all....

 

Gunslinger dual wields...which means you need MUCH MUCH more accuracy than a sniper (off hand attacks have like -30% accuracy modifier).

 

As for the IA story line supposedly made for a stealther...umm..how/where did that happen? Granted, my sniper is just finishing Belsavis...so maybe it happens on Voss or Corellia, but at least so far there has been nothing that felt "wrong" because I didn't have stealth.

 

Yes, if I had stealth I could stealth past patrols in phases and do the "nobody saw me coming" thing....and as I sniper I just killed everything in phases and did the "nobody reported me coming" thing. I never felt like my character was lying when she said something like "I can get in anywhere".

 

Oh, and just so you know, I'm pretty sure there are actually different dialog options for different AC's....if not, then Operative has really bad dialog with Kaliyo about how they actually aim before they shoot, Kaliyo even called me a Sniper a few times during companion quests.

I went scoundrel, sniper and I didn't regret it at all....

 

Gunslinger dual wields...which means you need MUCH MUCH more accuracy than a sniper (off hand attacks have like -30% accuracy modifier).

 

As for the IA story line supposedly made for a stealther...umm..how/where did that happen? Granted, my sniper is just finishing Belsavis...so maybe it happens on Voss or Corellia, but at least so far there has been nothing that felt "wrong" because I didn't have stealth.

 

Yes, if I had stealth I could stealth past patrols in phases and do the "nobody saw me coming" thing....and as I sniper I just killed everything in phases and did the "nobody reported me coming" thing. I never felt like my character was lying when she said something like "I can get in anywhere".

 

Oh, and just so you know, I'm pretty sure there are actually different dialog options for different AC's....if not, then Operative has really bad dialog with Kaliyo about how they actually aim before they shoot, Kaliyo even called me a Sniper a few times during companion quests.

 

Operative here: For me Kailyo commented on "one shot, one kill" and "placing the shot where it counts", but didn't actually use the word sniper.

Operative here: For me Kailyo commented on "one shot, one kill" and "placing the shot where it counts", but didn't actually use the word sniper.

 

huh...so at least kaliyo was written assuming the IA would be a sniper, as an Operative isn't really that much for "one shot, one kill"...they're more either "one stab, one kill" or "be a heal bot"

In the story your marksmanship comes up a lot, so it kind of seems like sniper is the 'default' role the agent is represented as. They talk about cunning and trickery, but not so much stealth and never healing.

I went Op/GS. Operatives have cooler "stealthy" gear and knives. Gunslingers make more sense at 35m. And I don't like the fact that the scattergun is hidden. What are you doing.. pulling it out of your pants? Sure you could say the same for knives but at least hidden knives make more sense than a hidden shotgun.

I went Gunslinger and Operative. Incoming pros and cons.

 

Operative Pros: The animations and feel of the character is amazing. I have a female Chiss and can totally see her sneaking through the Balmorra landscape knifing rebels left and right. All kinds of good fun to be had there.

 

Operative Cons: Why use a knife against visible, aware, and heavily armed enemies when you have a perfectly good and, realistically speaking, more powerful assault rifle slung to your back? No sense, this makes.

 

 

Gunslinger Pros: Cowboy hat, dual pistols, and the class fits the Smuggler character so much better than the Scoundrel. Blaster whipping a Sith Lord works about as well as using a water balloon on a tank.

 

Gunslinger Cons: Have you ever tried to hit a long range target with a pistol? Not easy. And dual wielding pistols, though awesome looking, don't really have much use on a battlefield compared to other weapons.

I think you should also look at what you want to play like, there's obviously a bigger difference between two advanced classes, but within different trees you might still find something your prefer over another advanced class.

Atm I have a gunslinger, and I'm waiting to make some other characters so I'll have some added Legacy bonuses in place. I'm really liking the approach of adding a Wild West theme to a class that remains to be quite iconic for Star Wars. One thing I knew in advance was the spec I was going for, which is Dirty Fighting. As a 'gunslinger', I really wanted to live up to the name and be mobile, running around shooting whatever I can.

On the other hand, for a Sniper, sitting in cover and 'sniping' seems like an approach I would like as far as getting immersed into the game and my character. Marksmanship Sniper might be the way to go for me, chilling behind cover and getting big numbers.

Which unfortunately means I might play mirror classes with different trees. I do prefer Operative over Scoundrel, however, even if neither of those may not be my playstyle (which I can't say as I haven't tried it out). So I'd say check out some playstyles and see which one appeals most to you, regardless of advanced class.

psssh Gunslinger/Sniper all the way!

These classes combined are probably my stereotype... lol. I'm in the Navy, was a cop before I joined, expert with pistol, sharpshooter with the M4 carbine, and I'm from Texas.

 

Gunslinger: People don't duel wield pistols except in movies. Even when guys did carry two guns in the old west it was just to save reloading time. They would use one gun then swich to the other. Sabatoge looks out of place and forced to mirror the Engineer.

 

Scoundrel: There is nothing stealth about a shotgun so I laugh at concealment, however the sawbones tree is as close to realistic for that class as your gonna get. Medics hide behind cover all the time. It is there job not to engage and stay alive to work on the wounded. Also when do shoot a pistol you use two hands for the tactical advantage.

 

Sniper: The modern assassin. Lazing targets and calling down airstrikes are real. The class just looks goofy since your max range looks like somthing you coud hit with a pistol in real life. If you enjoyed the movies Shooter and... Sniper this class is for you.

 

Operative: The spy. I would've like to see the operative get a pistol like James Bond is famous for but the carbine gives it a Navy Seal look. They had to copy and paste the WoW's rogue somewhere so your poison and dagger can be found under concealment.

 

Just from researching since I'm struggling to pick if i want to go Sniper and Scoundrel or Gunslinger and Operative I've noticed these things:

 

1. Realism like I just explained

2. Basic Star wars fantasy archetypes are Scoundrel=Solo Sniper=Imperial Officers/Thrawn

3. The best PVE options are Sniper and Gunslinger by far unless you want to heal.

Edited April 15, 2012 by ncupton

The big draw for me about a Sniper is the big guns, even if theyre not long range... However Ive got to go with Operative/Gunslinger because an Operative stealth gameplay fits the story far better, and the Smuggler never really does anything stealthy. Plus using tables as cover and shooting then ducking fits the Smuggler/Han Solo theme really well.

 

Edit: Ive always seen the Sniper as more of a field agent or army scout personally.

 

About Kaliyo, I think those combat lines refer to herself not the player

Edited April 15, 2012 by Achromatis

I personally went Scoundrel/Sniper, partly because I wanted a Republic main with access to something else than DPS, but mostly because I thought it made more sense that way. The Gunslinger to me feels more like a soldier/mercenary than a true smuggler, who I see more as a resourceful rogue who tries to scrape by using whatever feels convenient along the way. Some shooting, some punching, some patching up and some sneaking. The GS gameplay of hiding behind something, charging two blasters and making aimed shots, just feels ackward to me and I think it fits more someone with a rifle.

 

As for the silliness of using blaster whip on a Sith, well Fett did headbutt Obi-Wan in AotC. Though to be fair, the blaster whip is probably the only thing that annoys me with my scoundrel. As an ability that you end up using a lot, I think they should have come up with something better.

... And I don't like the fact that the scattergun is hidden. What are you doing.. pulling it out of your pants?

 

"Is that a shotgun you got in your pants, handsome, or are you just happy to see me?"

 

"Actually, it's a shotgun." *Ka-BOOM*

Edited April 15, 2012 by Wainamoinen

I was talking more of mechanics. I would perfer to go Sniper over Gunslinger but if Operative has something the Scoundrel doesn't I would switch.

About Kaliyo, I think those combat lines refer to herself not the player

 

Nope.

 

The first conversation goes something like:

Kaliyo "I've been meaning to ask you, where did you learn to shoot like you do?"

My response "It was part of my training at imperial intelligence"

Kaliyo says something about how one shot one kill, and asks how I do it.

My response "It's called aiming, you stop firing for a second, and actually look down the sights."

Kaliyo "I guess, but I like getting off more than one shot a minute"

 

Not word for word at all, as that conversation is like the 1st or 2nd companion quest...and my IA is now lvl 47 and Kaliyo's affection is at like 9000. But she is definitely not referring to herself as the one that does the "one shot, one kill".