Is it because they can heal? Because that certainly hasn't stopped people from rolling Sage/Sorcerer; the most-played classes. There seem to be a decent number of Commandos/Mercenaries, as well.

I'd assume because they are the least liked character from the movies.

 

Everyone likes Bobba Fett, or Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or The Emperor or Han Solo or w/e but the Imperial soldiers are just there to die and say stupid things / suck up to the powerful people.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Kallti

I play an Operative (lvl 34) along with several other classes and the Operative is more work to play. The Sage/Sorc healing seems much easier to do, not more effective just less effort expended for the same result. Taking on tough mobs I do ok compared to my other characters but again more work for the same result...cc, stuns, interupts and mele combat. I like the class but a stealth mele healer needing cc, interupts and stuns takes more effort than my other classes.

 

I don't pvp much and when I do I focus mostly on healing, interupts and stuns. Usually last on the kills count...not much bragging rights there.

 

Another thing that I think hurts the Op is that when you hit the advanced class you stop being a range/cover class and become mele/stealth. I suspect a lot of people don't make the transition before they get frustrated and quit playing the Op.

I'd assume because they are the least liked character from the movies.

 

Everyone likes Bobba Fett, or Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader or The Emperor or Han Solo or w/e but the Imperial soldiers are just there to die and say stupid things / suck up to the powerful people.

 

Yeah it's pretty much that. Han Solo was a Smuggler but he didn't really fight like the Scoundrel, although he didn't really fight like the gunslinger either lol. And I can't even think of an Operative in the movies. Sorcerer is popular because the Emperor was just a cool character all around and Sorc is a very good class.

 

Sage is probably popular because like I said, it's a very good class and not everybody wants to be evil.

Another thing that I think hurts the Op is that when you hit the advanced class you stop being a range/cover class and become mele/stealth. I suspect a lot of people don't make the transition before they get frustrated and quit playing the Op.

 

Heh I play a Sage, and I can tell you after choosing your advanced class you go from being a melee/caster hybrid to a pure ranged caster.

 

You even lose the Willpower bonus to saber damage that you had as a Consular, and retain if you go Shadow.

Operative/Scoundrel is ridiculously cool, it is sad more people don't play them. They are Healing Rogues, it's like the best of both archetypes too.

I really liked my operative. But I agree that the transition of the AC is very jarring. It's essentially a sniper that suddenly starts gaining different skills. It leaves the long ranged skills and cover mechanic feeling abandoned.

 

When I played mine I had a hard time shifting gears to the fact that I now needed to approach the enemy rather than start off using my ranged skills. Suddenly taking cover and attacking from range wasn't viable. Couple that with a mechanic that has to be babysat for optimal efficiency and it's no wonder Sorcs are more popular.

Level 45 Sniper, and though I'm not an Operative, yes, I can tell you that the Imperial Agent story line has had me screaming, "AAWWWWW YEEEEAAHH", in chat many times. Hand of Jadus? Yes. How I got to be called that was an awesome dark quest. Companions? Epic. A hive mind human, a rekghoul/human (transforms) and a unique droid that might as well be called Glad0s. Stop judging the small things and commit to this story and character. It's worth it.

Level 45 Sniper, and though I'm not an Operative, yes, I can tell you that the Imperial Agent story line has had me screaming, "AAWWWWW YEEEEAAHH", in chat many times. Hand of Jadus? Yes. How I got to be called that was an awesome dark quest. Companions? Epic. A hive mind human, a rekghoul/human (transforms) and a unique droid that might as well be called Glad0s. Stop judging the small things and commit to this story and character. It's worth it.

 

i went AWWWWW YEAH but that was due to the LS variant of the end of chapter 1.....nothing like sticking it to the sith repeatedly. The IA storyline is simply amazing, sadly most people like PEW PEW LIGHTNENGZORS or jedi to try the "stealth" classes

It's just that.... it looks so much cooler when you are flanging that lightsaber during cut-scenes or when people admire you so much for being a "Jedi" or a "Sith" lol

I thought operative and smuggler are not played much due to their "master of all trades"-playing style? They are not as simple as classes that are clearely damage or healing etc.

 

It's just that.... it looks so much cooler when you are flanging that lightsaber during cut-scenes or when people admire you so much for being a "Jedi" or a "Sith" lol

 

In regards to this, I had seen many times sorcerers open the last door in black talon with force lightning, due to our group being mostly sorcerers. When it was finally the bounty hunters turn, he just punched the door open. That was cool too

 

(the last person who clicks the door in black talon gets to open it in the cutscene)

Or when you...

...yeah

 

AND YOU SHOOT THREE HUTTS IN A DAY WITH A PISTOL.

Scoundrel's least played? Wow... my guild must have been an exception.

Gunslingers/Snipers are the least played class.

~~

I think Ops take a bit longer than other classes to 'feel' right. I think many people start leveling them, feel like their skill set is jumbled and unfocused, and then stop playing them. They do take a bit of hybrid type style to play early one when the skill sets aren't quite focused in yet which I think turns people off.

~~

Operatives are AMAZINGLY FUN to play. The storyline is kind've lackluster (at least to me) after Chapter 1, but I really enjoy the mechanics of the class. I'm playing full Medicine and I wreck face in both PVE flashpoints and PVP, and his solo ability is relatively good with Kaliyo tanking.

 

The mechanics of the class are, in my opinion, one of those intriguing aspects of the Operative. Balancing your energy rate, EP5 and maintaining consistent HoTs on a target is a fun game of balance and quick thinking.. and while it's relatively easy to do now, it takes some time for people to get used to that are new to the MMO healing scene. In PVP, I have yet to have anyone top me in heal meters. I absolutely destroy them, and generally can keep any target alive unless they're getting severely focused by the opposing team. Always get the MVP vote usually for it too.

 

Honestly, we all should've known Sith/Jedi were going to get the most love from the playerbase but the game is still new and people still are going to be rerolling, making alts, etc. I personally like being a minority class, and I've got plenty of whispers after runs with people in flashpoints and/or warzones telling me that they want to make an Operative because they see how bad *** they are (at least in the healing perspective).

The problem is that the primary thing that the operative/scoundrel does isn't heavily advertised. The gunslinger class is much more prolific in the marketing than the scoundrel, and the same goes for the sniper to the operative. The gunslinger and operative also have a clearly defined weapon they use - dual pistols for the slinger, and sniper rifle for the sniper. Both of those weapons are cool and very appealing.

 

But what does the scoundrel/operative do? I picked scoundrel and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't know I could become a healer, and I didn't know that I used a shotgun to backstab. The fact I had a heal spec shocked the hell out of me, and I basically nerdgasmed the first time I shot my shotgun into someone's back. I fell in love with my class after going into it blind.

 

Hell, it surprised me more when I learned that healing seemed to be what they want me to do as a scoundrel based on the gear itemized for me I've found while leveling. The class description when you get to 10 says they can heal, but it's more of an afterthought. Like 'oh and you can heal too'

 

The class videos did nothing to help with this problem, either.

 

Then there's the other problem with sith, jedi, stormtroopers and boba fett being more interesting to most people than smuggler and agent. Hell, agent doesn't even have a character from the movies to represent him, you have to look outside of star wars to get examples of what the agent is.

 

So when you combine a character archtype that isn't appealing to most people with a class role that wasn't clearly defined by bioware, you get the least played class in the game.

 

edit: removed opening paragraph because I misunderstood the sentence I quoted

Edited January 20, 2012 by TrollBerzerker

No, no all of your replies are wrong.

 

They are played so little because they are totally OP and everyone doesn't want to play EZ-mode.

 

 

...what, I'm totally serious. You agree with me, right guys? Right?

I'm sorry but Sniper/Gunslinger is least played

No, no all of your replies are wrong.

 

They are played so little because they are totally OP and everyone doesn't want to play EZ-mode.

 

 

...what, I'm totally serious. You agree with me, right guys? Right?

Totally!

I'm sorry but Sniper/Gunslinger is least played

Varies by server, faction and level.

I have to agree it's likely gunslinger/sniper because they don't have lightsabers and don't have two roles.

I won't lie, I stopped playing my Operative once the whole "healing class" thing sunk in. Yes, it's possible to play through without healing, especially solo, but I enjoy teaming as well and I'd feel like a schmoe for not using it.

 

That, and I really, really don't like that the Op's primary(ish) weapon is a big honkin' blaster rifle strapped to his back. IMO, the Op should pack a single pistol, like the scoundrel - or like every gorram secret agent in every film or movie. More discrete, better in close quarters... seems like a no-brainer.

 

Trivial reasons, maybe, but IMO they make Ops feel like a collection of jumbled afterthoughts. I'm not getting much "superspy" vibe in gameplay - even though the storyline captures it pretty well.

Edited January 20, 2012 by BobaTed

On my server there are almost no operatives or scoundrals, it's changed a little lately because they're getting an "OP" rep so peopel are making alts.

 

I'd guess there is around a 3:1 ratio of snipers/gunslingers to ops/scoundrals at the moment on my server.

 

I really enjoyed my op so far at level 46, healing spec all the way. The only downsides I have are;

 

1) The armour pre-level 50 is nothing special, and can feel a little silly at times.

2) You don't get that... epic saga sort of feeling playing an imp agent. My 30 sorcerer is somewhat more fun in pve because i can run around being a super evil dude everyone fears and fire lightning at people stupid enough to stand up to me. But i find it boring as hell in pvp to be in an all sith inquisitor battle ground...

I don't like scoundrel/operative b/c it will take so much more time to complete quests if you are having to stealth all the time. I don't mind playing healer for group utility but I'd like to have someone I could change the specs on and still enjoy the play style (sage/sorcerer).

 

While the game's story for these types sounds appealing, I would rather do it as a gunslinger/sniper....reason being that I find it hard to suspend disbelief enough to think that a scoundrel can sneak up and "cheap" attack all these force sensitive or armored combat classes on a regular basis. Scoundrel or operative should be avoiding most fights and finding creative/stealthy ways to accomplish their goals but game requires that you combat hundreds of enemy on a daily basis...as far as the story goes, it's easier to believe that the other character types find themselves in such constant combat.