I went Scav,Amourtech,underworld

but my next option was BioA,BioC, Diplomacy

should I stick with my first option or switch ?

No! Seems this thread has lost its "sticky" status. I must subscribe to this thread before it get's buried in the multitude of QQ threads that emerge without fail on a daily basis.

How/why would the mods let such a resource fade into oblivion?

No! Seems this thread has lost its "sticky" status. I must subscribe to this thread before it get's buried in the multitude of QQ threads that emerge without fail on a daily basis.

 

How/why would the mods let such a resource fade into oblivion?

This thread has lost its sticky status due to the way Bioware is now handling this forum. They have decided to make one sticky thread with links to all the guides in this forum.

Personally, I think the stickies were more useful, because they stood out and reduced questions on the forums. However, this is Bioware's call, and not mine.

So I've mostly mapped out what skills I want to which characters for both Republic and Empire.

Empire really got screwed with the crit crafting.

The only 2 I'm not 100% sure of are Biochem and Cybertech for Empire.

I was originally gonna go Biochem on Agent and Cybertech on Bounty Hunter, but Agent doesn't get +Crit for

Biochem. So which is better for Biochem? +2 Crit or +15 Efficiency? Considering also that the Medical Droid also has +10 Efficiency. So it's more like +2 Crit/+10 Efficiency vs +15 Efficiency.

I think I am leaning toward Bounty Hunter but I'm really not sure.

So I've mostly mapped out what skills I want to which characters for both Republic and Empire.

Empire really got screwed with the crit crafting.

The only 2 I'm not 100% sure of are Biochem and Cybertech for Empire.

I was originally gonna go Biochem on Agent and Cybertech on Bounty Hunter, but Agent doesn't get +Crit for

Biochem. So which is better for Biochem? +2 Crit or +15 Efficiency? Considering also that the Medical Droid also has +10 Efficiency. So it's more like +2 Crit/+10 Efficiency vs +15 Efficiency.

 

I think I am leaning toward Bounty Hunter but I'm really not sure.

Keep in mind, you can cross-faction mail now. So you could have all of your critical crafters on Republic side and have gathering on Empire side, if you plan on playing both.

At the moment, I have currently taken these due to the cross-faction mailing and ship droid bonuses:

Jedi Knight: biochem.

Jedi Consular: Cybertech (honestly, I'd recommend artifice for this now with the new ship droid bonuses)

Smuggler: Armstech

Trooper: Armormech

Sith Warrior: Synthweaving (I'd recommend cybertech, since the Sith Warrior sucks at crafting bonuses and now even their +5 critical synthweaving isn't significant due to the ship droid)

Sith Inquisitor: Artifice (I'd recommend Synthweaving, thanks to the ship droid, this class has strong bonuses there)

Imperial Agent: Gathering (Specifically, slicing, diplomacy, and investigation/underworld trading)

Bounty Hunter: Gathering (Specifically, slicing, treasure hunting, and investigation/underworld trading/bioanalysis)

To answer your question, though, +1 critical would be better than +15 efficiency in most people's opinion when it comes to crafting. Criticals are more efficient than efficiency, because you get more out of less materials, and when you critical on armor/weapons, augmented items are extremely valuable. You won't be crafting too much, so the time really doesn't matter.

Again, if you play both factions (and I recommend it), definitely make your jedi knight your biochemist. Doc is awesome.

Well I have one server for Empire and one for Republic and one of each class on each. Except Powertech/Vanguard.

Well that's my plan anyway. Currently I just have one of each basic class per server all playing different advance classes. So splitting things up like that wont work for me.

But you do make a good point about the ship droids. Maybe I should rethink...again. lol

It sound's like +2 Crit will be better then +15 Efficiency. So I guess I should make my Bounty Hunter Biochem.

So I was gonna go... But maybe I should change too...

Warrior Synthweaving Cybertech?

Warrior Armstech

Inquisitor Artifice

Inquisitor Slicing Synthweaving?

Agent Biochem Slicing?

Agent Armormech

Bounty Hunter Cybertech Biochem?

Bounty Hunter Slicing

Actually Im kinda happy with that. Unless maybe I can get a 2nd +2 Crit Slicing.

But now I'm not sure about my republic characters!

For Republic I have... What would I change?

Knight Synthweaving Slicing?

Knight Biochem

Consular Artifice

Consular Cybertech Synthweaving?

Smuggler Armstech

Smuggler Slicing

Trooper Armormech

Trooper Slicing Cybertech?

How does this sound?

You know I'm probably gonna get this figured out and then they will change it all and I'll of wasted my time. lol

Dammit it screwed up the formatting.

Well I have one server for Empire and one for Republic and one of each class on each. Except Powertech/Vanguard.

Well that's my plan anyway. Currently I just have one of each basic class per server all playing different advance classes. So splitting things up like that wont work for me.

 

But you do make a good point about the ship droids. Maybe I should rethink...again. lol

It sound's like +2 Crit will be better then +15 Efficiency. So I guess I should make my Bounty Hunter Biochem.

 

So I was gonna go... But maybe I should change too...

Warrior Synthweaving Cybertech?

Warrior Armstech

Inquisitor Artifice

Inquisitor Slicing Synthweaving?

Agent Biochem Slicing?

Agent Armormech

Bounty Hunter Cybertech Biochem?

Bounty Hunter Slicing

 

Actually Im kinda happy with that. Unless maybe I can get a 2nd +2 Crit Slicing.

But now I'm not sure about my republic characters!

 

For Republic I have... What would I change?

Knight Synthweaving Slicing?

Knight Biochem

Consular Artifice

Consular Cybertech Synthweaving?

Smuggler Armstech

Smuggler Slicing

Trooper Armormech

Trooper Slicing Cybertech?

 

How does this sound?

You know I'm probably gonna get this figured out and then they will change it all and I'll of wasted my time. lol

Dammit it screwed up the formatting.

Just something to keep in mind: Republic and Imperial classes are mirrors of eachother.

For instance, Sith Marauders are *exactly* the same as Jedi sentinels, only a different theme and animations. Likewise for sorcerers and sages, powertechs and vanguards, snipers and gunslingers, etc so on and so forth. So you could play one of them, and experience the class on both sides. In my own biased opinion, it seems like you would get burned out playing through each class story twice, and each class twice (a juggernaut will play *exactly* like a guardian, etc).

Having all your characters on one server is also useful for legacy options (for instance, you could level a sith pureblood sith warrior first, then have a sith jedi or smuggler, or maybe a miralaku bounty hunter, etc).

But I am digressing... I just thought I'd let you know that the classes are the same on both factions if you did not already know.

The guide has a lot of useful information if you want to go through with that, though. Your list does seem good, though, if you go through with the changes you are changing, or even if you don't.

Yeah I already knew that. It's just sort of a 'future' plan. If I actually get around to it is another thing. lol

For now I only have 4 of each class on each server and I chose the opposite class for each. Except for Trooper/BH.

So I have Guardian, Sage, Scoundrel and Commando for Republic and Marauder, Assassin, Sniper and Mercenary for Empire. Vanguard and Powertech dont interest me at all.

But just from playing the first 10 levels of Commando and Merc even if they are mirrors they feel different enough.

The legacy race options arent really an issue either because I currently only have humans/cyborg characters.

So for my current republic classes Ill have an armormech, armstech, biochem and probably artifice so I can make colour crystals.

And Empire I'll have almost the same. Will I miss Synthweaving and Cybertech much? I could possibly make my marauder a cybertech instead of armstech.

Decisions, decisions. Sorry to bother everyone here with all this. I find talking this stuff out helps me decide though.

What i don't understand is does the bonus only apply to the droid or does it stack? ie. if you have companion with +1 crif for foo and you get droid sensor +1 crit for foo. Does your crafting companion craft foo with +2 crit or do you have two companions with +1 foo crafting?

Two companions with +2 crit. With mission and gathering skills, this helps a lot. With crafting skills, it really doesn't matter -- you only really need one character crafting.

Wait, the bonuses don't apply to just the character that has them?

No. They only apply to the character that has them.

For instance, having two characters with +2 crit underworld trading doesn't give you +4 crit underworld trading to all characters, but it does give you two characters with additional critical bonus on that trade skill, as opposed to just one (or none).

Is it correct that companion affection increases the crit chance with +0 to +5% (presumeably +1% for every 2000 affection)? I saw a dev post on this but have been unable to find it again.

In that case I dont see how droid sensors are very useful for increasing your crit chance? Even with +5% crit, the droid isnt better than a maxed companion (and I personally maxed mine out pretty quickly by doing dailies). Or does the droid count as being at max affection for the purpose of crafting? I've found him to crit fairly often and he does seem to think I'm pretty awesome.

Btw, sensors require legacy 7 to use now - not 12.

Thank you for making and maintaining this guide, Bowser, I find myself revisiting it a lot.

EDIT: ok - so I realised you can gain affection with the droid now by giving it companion gifts. Both models really like technology and especially cultural artifacts.

Is it correct that companion affection increases the crit chance with +0 to +5% (presumeably +1% for every 2000 affection)? I saw a dev post on this but have been unable to find it again.

 

In that case I dont see how droid sensors are very useful for increasing your crit chance? Even with +5% crit, the droid isnt better than a maxed companion (and I personally maxed mine out pretty quickly by doing dailies). Or does the droid count as being at max affection for the purpose of crafting? I've found him to crit fairly often and he does seem to think I'm pretty awesome.

Btw, sensors require legacy 7 to use now - not 12.

 

Thank you for making and maintaining this guide, Bowser, I find myself revisiting it a lot.

 

EDIT: ok - so I realised you can gain affection with the droid now by giving it companion gifts. Both models really like technology and especially cultural artifacts.

I don't know for sure, but I am pretty sure that a zero affection companion can still crit... rarely.

Either way, you answered your own question, you can give gifts to your ship droid now. He loves cultural artifacts.

And, you're welcome of course!

Edit: I'll check and see about them changing the sensors. If it's true, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Btw, sensors require legacy 7 to use now - not 12.

I have personally checked my astromech droid, and they still require 12 legacy to use. So, you are mistaken.

It definitely is possible to crit on gathering a node, however it seems to be extraordinarily rare. I have been playing since day 1 of early access, and i have crit on manual gathering exactly once. It was a slicing node, and it gave me a blue-border money box(along with a normal white-border one). The blue box contained about 500 credits while the white only contained about 100. (it was on corusant, during the first week of early access)

 

If i knew at that time how rare it was i'd have taken a screenshot

Just to go back to this idea, do we have confirmation on whether a companion's critical bonus on a gathering skill (e.g. Akaavi Spar on Bioanalysis, or M1-4X on Scavenging) affects node-gathering in the world?

It would make sense if it did, since there are distinct options in game for either having your character gather the node or having your companion do it - which is to say, a node that is close to some mobs, where you can reach it but your companion might take a step too far, would cause you to have to fight those mobs if you want the shot at getting extra materials from your companion's superior gathering skill.

Having said that, there are plenty of people who seem to think that a companion's gathering skill bonus has no effect on how much you'll get from a node (which is usually two, three or four of the item in question).

So which is it? Is it worth having T7-01 out to slice those Durasteel Footlockers on Ilum, does anyone know? Are Inquisitors who force Talos Drellik to dig in the dirt for Primeval Artifacts just wasting their time?

Thanks kindly in advance

Just to go back to this idea, do we have confirmation on whether a companion's critical bonus on a gathering skill (e.g. Akaavi Spar on Bioanalysis, or M1-4X on Scavenging) affects node-gathering in the world?

 

It would make sense if it did, since there are distinct options in game for either having your character gather the node or having your companion do it - which is to say, a node that is close to some mobs, where you can reach it but your companion might take a step too far, would cause you to have to fight those mobs if you want the shot at getting extra materials from your companion's superior gathering skill.

 

Having said that, there are plenty of people who seem to think that a companion's gathering skill bonus has no effect on how much you'll get from a node (which is usually two, three or four of the item in question).

 

So which is it? Is it worth having T7-01 out to slice those Durasteel Footlockers on Ilum, does anyone know? Are Inquisitors who force Talos Drellik to dig in the dirt for Primeval Artifacts just wasting their time?

 

Thanks kindly in advance

You don't critical on nodes. Some slicing nodes occasionally have uncommon items, but nowhere near the level of crew missions. The main reason I (very strongly) believe gathering nodes do cannot 'crit' and do not receive companion critical bonuses, is because efficiency bonuses have no effect whatsoever on gathering nodes, and this I *have* tested.

Considering the chance to get uncommon items from slicing nodes is probably less than 1/100, if you received a bonus 2% chance, you'd absolutely notice. No other nodes give you bonus items regardless, and they would not have slicing nodes 'crit' and the other gathering nodes not.

So, to hopefully lay this to rest, gathering nodes *do not* critically hit nor do companions have any effect whatsoever on gathering them, only on the missions. You are welcome to test this yourself and come to your own conclusions, but this is my conclusion based off the tests and information I have gathered.

PS: Regardless of whether or not you believe gathering nodes 'crit' or not, I can say with absolute certainty, that crew skill bonuses have zero effect on gathering nodes.

What an incredibly helpful guide.

Thank you for your hard work; subscribed and 5 star'd.

While I appreciate the hard work that likely went into this guide.

Honestly, truely, there are only a few useful crew skills a the moment. And this applies to all classes.

While your leveling, cybertech (+scavenging and underworld trading) will help you make armor and mods for your moddable armor for you and your companion. You can use your commendations to buy enhancements. The enhancements aren't optimal, but hey, its just for leveling.

You'll also get gifts from underworld trading to give to your companions.

At level 50, you use cybertech to make a set of epic armor and mods for you and your companion. You will do the daily +2 quest on Ilum to get epic enhancements for you and your companion.

Then you drop cybertech like a bad habit and pick up biochem (+bioanalysis and diplomacy).

You work up biochem and diplomacy until you can make a set of rakata stims. Yeah, the rakata stims got nerfed. So what. They are reusable and they work just fine.

Once you have your set of rakata stims, you drop bioanalysis and pick up slicing. You have to keep biochem in order to be able to use your rakata stims. You'll use slicing to get credits + slicing parts + schematics and missions you can sell. You will use diplomacy to get crew gifts and to increase your light (or dark) score to light V or dark V.

And that is how crew skills work in this game. Anything else you pick is basically, literally, of little value except for roleplay reasons or just because you feel its interesting. Patch 1.2 didn't do anything to change that.

- P

While I appreciate the hard work that likely went into this guide.

 

Honestly, truely, there are only a few useful crew skills a the moment. And this applies to all classes.

 

While your leveling, cybertech (+scavenging and underworld trading) will help you make armor and mods for your moddable armor for you and your companion. You can use your commendations to buy enhancements. The enhancements aren't optimal, but hey, its just for leveling.

 

You'll also get gifts from underworld trading to give to your companions.

 

At level 50, you use cybertech to make a set of epic armor and mods for you and your companion. You will do the daily +2 quest on Ilum to get epic enhancements for you and your companion.

 

Then you drop cybertech like a bad habit and pick up biochem (+bioanalysis and diplomacy).

 

You work up biochem and diplomacy until you can make a set of rakata stims. Yeah, the rakata stims got nerfed. So what. They are reusable and they work just fine.

 

Once you have your set of rakata stims, you drop bioanalysis and pick up slicing. You have to keep biochem in order to be able to use your rakata stims. You'll use slicing to get credits + slicing parts + schematics and missions you can sell. You will use diplomacy to get crew gifts and to increase your light (or dark) score to light V or dark V.

 

And that is how crew skills work in this game. Anything else you pick is basically, literally, of little value except for roleplay reasons or just because you feel its interesting. Patch 1.2 didn't do anything to change that.

 

- P

You are not the first person to comment that certain crew skills are worthless, and you will not be the last. Yes, I'm well aware that some people think only biochem is useful, and that you should drop every other crew skill. Awesome, I am happy for you, but I disagree.

Being able to craft for alts is extremely useful, being able to make money from crew skills is also helpful. I have not once been able to make money from biochem, but constantly make money from artifice, an allegedly 'worthless' crew skill. I also constantly supply my characters with quality item modifications.

You're entitled to your opinion, but this really is not the place for it. There are countless threads on this forum about how unbalanced crew skills are, I really do not want nor need that kind of pessimism in this thread, with all due respect. Thank you for understanding.

PS: If you decide to continue this conversation here I will not respond to it. This is my full and complete reply to it, I have nothing else to say nor add. I'd very much like to keep this thread on topic if possible. The only reason I am posting this at all is because I keep getting messages like this on this thread, and I'd like them to stop appearing here.