If a group is refusing to take melee based on AoE, then it's not a good group. It's actually pretty terrible. Melee are more mobile than ranged because they can...stay with me, this is going to be Nightmare level thinking....RUN OUT OF MELEE AND THEN RUN BACK IN. Or...maybe pop defensive cooldowns. I don't mean to be rude to the OP. This is to a guild that would refuse to take melee dps. I've played Melee dps in other games and can always run out, and back in, and still own the charts. (I played an Enh shaman and could out dps Arcane Mages, sorry for the WoW reference). If the group refuses to teach people how to play properly, it's there loss. Marauders bring short buffs that no other class has. Most Juggernaut abilities (not Rage tree) in the middle DPS tree are DOT based, so...the Juggernaut should be able to run away and still have damage ticking. Same applies for BOTH Operatives and Powertech. Assassins have a toolbet that would put Batman to shame. Even when we get out of the 10m range, Reckless>Force Lightning. Onto PvP, I felt your pain for a few levels. I kept getting blasted down by Scoundrels and Operatives when I was Deception and Darkness (not simultaneously). I got stuck in Hoth-Belsavis transition and had to PvP to get that last level. I wrecked everyone I saw and held my own against people a few levels higher and lower without a healer. I've heard that Deception is lacking at endgame in PvP. I'd expect changes in the next patch. BW just split the 10-49 and 50s into different brackets. Give them time to properly parse data and make the best decision. TL;DR: For PvP, expect changes soon. For PvE, find a group that uses melee to their full potential and doesn't want the cheap root by stacking ranged. (who have to run out of AoE's as well, but are less mobile than melee)

Why do you have points to increase the crit chance of Vicious Slash? I thought that Massacre replaces that move because it always* triggers the Ataru Form proc. *when the ICD not on

I just hate feeling so squishy. I know the class, I know how to use the cooldowns, but I can't kill the people the ship we go to after Taris. I skipped the last part of Taris to get Pierce early and finish the class part because I hate the sodding planet. But, I get my butt handed to me by mobs the SAME level. I respec'd to Annihilation many times to get past bumps like these, but I don't like the spec. Marauder just needs to have better survivability. I really, REALLY want to play it, but it feels like shaman in WoW. I have to play to a higher skill level just to be on par with other classes. Even then, I still die because I didn't have enough crits. I want to play a pure melee dps (not a stealthy one), but it looks like I'll have to wait for a patch to see how Marauders change before I even attempt at finishing mine. In short: it's worth it if you can pop all your CDs, spec right, know your rotations, and have a lot of luck. Otherwise, I would say to wait. And I HATE saying that. I love the class and the story, but I am getting a headache from the frustration of dying all the time and having to respec only to die again.