Hey--

I am the worst at combat ever. With a companion doing the healing I can usually get through most of the fights ok, but I just got my Imperial Agent to the Scorpio Sanctions, and the part where my companion takes a nap and all four inmates attack me simultaneously is pretty much instantly killing me. I watched one video and that person seemed like they still had their companion throughout the fight. Is there a way to keep them awake and helpful? Or do I just need to be better?

Thanks for any help!

WARNING: What I'm going to say won't sound very helpful. It isn't really meant to be hurtful either.

I don't remember this being wildly hard. It can't have been, because I don't remember the fight. I remember fighting Harron Tavus at the end of Trooper Chapter One because I sucked and I had to go away and level up a bit. I remember fighting one Sith boss (Trooper story) on Voss because it's the only time I ever called in guild chat for backup. (The first time I did the Revan flashpoint at the end of Yavin 4, I called my guild for *advice* because the mechanics got the better of me, but I didn't need them to send anyone to help me do it.)

That said, here's some advice.

One thing that may help is to crank some other classes to finish their stories, which will unlock those classes' Heroic Moment skills and their class buffs.

* There's one class buff per base-class pair (Trooper/BH, Smugg/IA, etc.) that unlocks for other characters. That is, when Class X unlocks its pair's class buff (by finishing Chapter Two, I think), then all other classes except X's mirror gain that effect as well as their own when they use their class buff skill. If you get one of each pair to the end of Chapter Two, you'll have all four buff effects on all characters.

* Each base class, when you finish its class story to the end of Chapter Three and regardless of which Advanced Class you picked, adds its Heroic Moment skill to the Heroic Moment skillbar of all characters. These skills are not in mutually-exclusive pairs, so if you finish the story on at least one character of all eight bases, you'll have eight skills on your Heroic Moment skillbar (Force lightning, project, Force sweep, sticky grenade, some sort of flamethrower, dirty kick, an orbital strike, and Force choke).

Level up a bit. It is harder than it used to be, but it is still possible to be under-level, and even if you aren't, you will find that having a true level above the level sync level will help, partly because it gives you more skills, and partly because some stats (notably: Crit chance and crit damage multiplier, but also alacrity) are not reduced by level sync. My trooper who called for guild backup on Voss was under-level, and this was during 2.0 where there was no level sync. I was under-level (by about a level), and would have benefited by levelling up at least three or four levels.

Make sure your gear is up to the level you're at. Gear level requirements are based on your true level, not your level sync level.

Make sure you're wearing the right gear for your discipline. No tank gear unless you're a tank. No dps/heal gear if you *are* a tank.

Don't attack foes your companion has applied a 60-second stun to. They wake up and rejoin the fight. (They will float in the air or do an electrodance. Leave them to get on with it, and kill the others.)

Improve your companion's Influence rank by handing over lots of gifts. Dulfy.net has guides to how to do this, including which types of gifts work best for which companions. Improved Influence will make your companion more effective in combat (and in crew skills).

Dulfy.net also has guides to lots of things, including how to make best use of each of the classes.

Final note: In my experience, unless you are really good at playing tank or healer, play a DPS discipline with a Healer companion.

I'm under the impression this fight was different before 4.0, but I don't really remember well. But I've rerolled an operative on the last 2xp event and the "new" fight is still fresh in my mind.

General tips:

- Check your gear: since you're dying too fast, maybe you are undergeared. You can do the heroics to get nice gear but if combat is not your strongest suit (as you have claimed), go to the fleet and buy mods appropriate for your level. Orange armor is easy to get this days and you can find cheap orange rifles on GTN (only orange vibroknives are harder/more expensive to get).

- Are you underleveled? Many people are doing only the class missions and forgetting to do the planetary quests. If you are lagging behind, there's many ways to get XP: heroics, flashpoints, exploratory missions, PvP, returning to earlier planets to do the quests you left behind.

For the fight itself:

- Leave the vents and focus on the inmates. After you've dealt with them, then close the vents. If you go after the vents and forget the enemies, they will melt you down.

- Use your Flash Bang at the beginning of the fight. With the enemies stunned, you got a little more time to react.

- If you are a sniper, stay in cover and don't forget your AoEs. Orbital Bombardment is excellent for weak/normal mobs. Use Cover Pulse if they're ganging up at close range.

- If you are an operative, use your offheals. Keep the kolto probes flying!

- For both advanced classes: use your DCD's. The shield probe, dodge and escape rolls are useful in these situations.

Level up a bit. It is harder than it used to be,....

While alot of what you said was good advice, but the above quoted statement is plain wrong. It has never been easier to level. If you are just doing the Class and Planet quest then yes, it may be harder to complete the mission, but that is the players choice to not do the exploratory quests which would set you far above the quest level if completed.

I am currently running a test of releveling a trooper. I am doing ALL the quests (plus completing bonus missions and Bonus Series quests if available) on the planets minus heroics. I am currently near the end of ACT 1 on Alderaan about to go to the second area and am level 43 already. At the end of Ord Mantell I was 18, Corusant - 26, Taris - 33, Nar shaddaa - 40. I expect to be 50 during Hoth and 65 around Voss. I did flashpoints that offer solo mode in between. I am not using any xp buffs or legacy buffs for experience. I haven't done any PVP. Leveling is not hard. It can be time consuming, but not hard.

As for getting equal level gear, save the Heroics. Go back and do them as you out level your gear.

While alot of what you said was good advice, but the above quoted statement is plain wrong. It has never been easier to level. If you are just doing the Class and Planet quest then yes, it may be harder to complete the mission, but that is the players choice to not do the exploratory quests which would set you far above the quest level if completed.

 

I am currently running a test of releveling a trooper. I am doing ALL the quests (plus completing bonus missions and Bonus Series quests if available) on the planets minus heroics. I am currently near the end of ACT 1 on Alderaan about to go to the second area and am level 43 already. At the end of Ord Mantell I was 18, Corusant - 26, Taris - 33, Nar shaddaa - 40. I expect to be 50 during Hoth and 65 around Voss. I did flashpoints that offer solo mode in between. I am not using any xp buffs or legacy buffs for experience. I haven't done any PVP. Leveling is not hard. It can be time consuming, but not hard.

 

As for getting equal level gear, save the Heroics. Go back and do them as you out level your gear.

I think he meant that the fight is harder, not the ability to level.

Anyway, I think I know the fight being referred to. I was underleveled when I got to it and had to go back and gain a couple before taking the fight again. Also check gear. And, when it comes down to it, don't be afraid to take a death during combat, respawn, and continue your progress.

Hey--

 

I am the worst at combat ever. With a companion doing the healing I can usually get through most of the fights ok, but I just got my Imperial Agent to the Scorpio Sanctions, and the part where my companion takes a nap and all four inmates attack me simultaneously is pretty much instantly killing me. I watched one video and that person seemed like they still had their companion throughout the fight. Is there a way to keep them awake and helpful? Or do I just need to be better?

 

Thanks for any help!

Are you talking about where your "allies" are turned on you by the gas?

If they're instantly killing you, then there are some problems.

First: What level are you? Belsavis is 41-44. If you're over, fine (sync will take care of that). If you're 36 or below, then you need to get a couple of levels. Mobs that are 5 levels or higher above you can dodge, or absorb 95% of anything you try to hit them with, and kick you around like a rag doll.

If you meet the right level criteria, then check your gear. You should be in gear that's around 104-110 rating, IIRC. Go back to Hutta, DK, and Balmorra, and do the heroics. Between those 3 alone, you should get enough gear to make a decent stand.

I think he meant that the fight is harder, not the ability to level.

You both read it wrong (and I phrased it badly).

I meant that being under-level is harder than it used to be.

Thank you for all the advice! I wasn't able to play today to check, but my recollection was that my level was at or above what the recommended levels were for the mission. My gear likely sucks, as I was only changing it out for the next level when it got damaged to warning levels, so I should be able to improve that pretty easily with some of the stuff in my lockers.

Part of the problem may also be that I got so used to my various companions healing me, I never used the kolto function much, so that by the time I remember I need to use it now (in the hysteria of getting pummeled) I'm already mostly dead. Ugh.

Part of the problem may also be that I got so used to my various companions healing me, I never used the kolto function much, so that by the time I remember I need to use it now (in the hysteria of getting pummeled) I'm already mostly dead. Ugh.

This can be a problem for all classes at all levels. We have become so used to having heals on-tap that we sometimes forget that we actually have abilities to mitigate and heal damage ourselves (depending on class of course).

I've recently started doing the H2+ at end-game without any Companion and am working up the difficulty chain to see how far I can get. Once I do need a Companion I intend to bring in a DPS Comp so I still have to be aware of incoming damage and my own ability to mitigate against it or heal through it.

My IA was my first toon through the story arc and I have to admit I can't honestly remember the fight you are discussing. Maybe I should start another IA as I do remember the overall story being one of the better ones.

All The Best

Thank you for all the advice! I wasn't able to play today to check, but my recollection was that my level was at or above what the recommended levels were for the mission. My gear likely sucks, as I was only changing it out for the next level when it got damaged to warning levels, so I should be able to improve that pretty easily with some of the stuff in my lockers.

 

Part of the problem may also be that I got so used to my various companions healing me, I never used the kolto function much, so that by the time I remember I need to use it now (in the hysteria of getting pummeled) I'm already mostly dead. Ugh.

My advice is if you're op to use Flash Bang when that happens and kill them 1 by 1 or if you're a sniper just get in cover, entrench shield probe and aoe them all.

It worked! I finished the fight yesterday using a combination of

• Upgrading my gear
  
• Better kolto-ing
  
• Finding the button for shield probe
  
• Running around like a Benny Hill character
  
• Dying a couple times
  

Thanks!

It worked! I finished the fight yesterday using a combination of

• Upgrading my gear
  
• Better kolto-ing
  
• Finding the button for shield probe
  
• Running around like a Benny Hill character
  
• Dying a couple times
  

Thanks!

it's always good when you improve your skills