Hi guys, another doubt here.

Modable weapons stats comes from their modable slots. Ok, i got it.

But how about comparing diferent type of gear?

a modable blaster rifle will have, if geared with the same mods, the same damage as a sniper rifle or a assault cannon?

 

im asking this beacuase im making a engineer imperial agent (sniper spec, eng subspec), and i just prefer, a lot, the blaster rifle graphics, so i was wandering if i get a modable one and gear it well it could do the same damage.

I know that some skills may require that use the specific weapon to be used (i dont remember exacly but i gess my commando need assault cannon for some skills), so maybe this is the issue? iff not maybe its possible to make, in theory, a good commando build that uses a blaster rifle?

If you are thinking about running a dps commando with a blaster rifle instead of an assault cannon, that would be a bad idea. Assuming level and mod quality being equal, of all the ranged weapons the assault cannon has the highest damage and the blaster rifle has the lowest.

 

The order from lowest damage to highest:

 

Blaster Rifle

Blaster Pistol

Sniper Rifle

Assault Cannon

 

I checked my gunnery commando and you really only lose the ability to use charged bolt and hail of bolts. Charge bolt might be useful if you are interrupted and locked out of grav round. But as mentioned before you lost out on a ton of damage just by switching weapons. I looked at the vendor weapons at at level 16 a Blaster rifle does 63-95, while a cannon does 66-123. With level 47 prototype barrels a Blaster rifle does 225-338 and a cannon does 237-439. Now if you were a commando healer you could run around with a blaster rifle, in fact i've heard of lots of people doing this.

 

EDIT: if your toon is actually the sniper, then i dont think any abilities are unavailable when you use a blaster rifle instead. But the damage is still much lower then a sniper rifle. And keep in mind if you are a sniper that means you have to run either a tank or healer comp. You want to kill stuff as fast as possible to minimize downtime healing your tank with the channeled ability we all get. And if you run your healer instead you have to realize that either you or him will be taking damage. I say you or him depending on how much AOE you throw out since you mentioned engineer spec. Neither of you are meant for tanking, so same think you want to kill stuff as fast as possible.

Edited June 14, 2013 by swtonewbie

Thank you for all this info!

so isnt all about the mods, the weapon type makes diference... very important news!

i will take this in consideration, for sure.

for my engineer (granadier must say:rolleyes:) im searching for a sniper rifle that looks like a blaster (someones has a shorter barrel, like X-55 Riot Infiltrator...) but ill look further into that.

sad that i cant use a good blaster rifle as a commando, and keep the same damage output, at least.

 

PS: when i play as the imperial agent, throwing granades at will, running and shoting things, blowing up the scenario... i think "this is an agent? shouldnt this playstile of a commando?" but, thats another discussion

Thank you for all this info!

so isnt all about the mods, the weapon type makes diference... very important news!

i will take this in consideration, for sure.

for my engineer (granadier must say:rolleyes:) im searching for a sniper rifle that looks like a blaster (someones has a shorter barrel, like X-55 Riot Infiltrator...) but ill look further into that.

sad that i cant use a good blaster rifle as a commando, and keep the same damage output, at least.

 

PS: when i play as the imperial agent, throwing granades at will, running and shoting things, blowing up the scenario... i think "this is an agent? shouldnt this playstile of a commando?" but, thats another discussion

 

There will be a lot of moving around if you play Operative. That said, maybe this link will help you choose a sniper rifle: http://www.chemayla.net/sniper-rifles

So if some weapon types have lower DPS (with all else being equal in terms of level of item and mods if applicable), what is the advantge of choosing a blaster rifle at the lower end of thE DPS scale?. Do differnet weapon types have different activation times perhaps and although the blaster rifle and pistol do less damage than the assult cannon and sniper rifle they fire quicker on their base attacks to balance it out?. It would be silly to have such difference in DPS without having positve spin to balance it out:confused:

So if some weapon types have lower DPS (with all else being equal in terms of level of item and mods if applicable), what is the advantge of choosing a blaster rifle at the lower end of thE DPS scale?. Do differnet weapon types have different activation times perhaps and although the blaster rifle and pistol do less damage than the assult cannon and sniper rifle they fire quicker on their base attacks to balance it out?. It would be silly to have such difference in DPS without having positve spin to balance it out:confused:

 

People will do it for RP or because it looks nicer. But as far as actual advantages, there are none. If you play an operative though, you wont have a choice but to use the blaster rifle because thats the highest weapon type the Operative AC can use. Not all weapon types will be available to you. Blaster rifles are available for agents because thats the weapon they start out with before they choose an advanced class. BH and Smugglers use pistols when they start out, but only one. Troopers use blaster rifles, and when they choose AC one uses an assault cannon the other sticks with a blaster rifle.

 

 

And the balance wont exist between a gunnery commando w/ blaster rifle and a gunnery commando w/ assault cannon. The balance will be between mirror classes, at least there is supposed to be balance. A gunnery commando w/ assault cannon and generator will be balanced with a arsenal mercenary that uses two blaster pistols. An agent sniper with a sniper rifle and vibroknife (mostly a stat stick) should be balanced with a gunslinger that has two blaster pistols.

 

When comparing the two you cant simply look at weapons and think "but it still isnt balanced". The abilities can be tweaked in such a way that the overall damage output is equal. Like the commandos cannon will do say 400 damage and a specific ability does 600 damage. But the mirror mercenary with two pistols may deal 300 damage combined with his two pistols, but the mirror ability can do 700 damage. I have two mirror 50's but their gear isnt 100% identical so i cant make a precise comparison. However it would just make no sense at all for the commando to do more damage and the mercenary do less because of their weapon types. This can easily balanced without touching the weapons.

Edited June 14, 2013 by swtonewbie

There will be a lot of moving around if you play Operative. That said, maybe this link will help you choose a sniper rifle: http://www.chemayla.net/sniper-rifles

 

Im reading some engineer builds. The pure eng build its very mobile by using Covered Escape (using the Scatter Bombs passive). Cant wait to try it. Looks fun on videos.

Thanks for the sniper rifle site. This game have some nice looking weapons.

 

People will do it for RP or because it looks nicer. But as far as actual advantages, there are none.

***

The balance will be between mirror classes, at least there is supposed to be balance.

 

When playing solo, and having a healer or another good companion you can make aestetic choices and fun skill rotations and still beat all storyline content.

But as im seen on flashpoints and on later and harder game content, you will need end up by the tradicional builds and best rotations, otherwise you will end up being carried by the group or someone may die, or the enemies enrage, or even being kick from the party... at least is what im seeing so far...