The Old Republic :D

[Fairtex]

This game is so addictive. Can't believe I did not play it when it first came out. Better late than never I suppose. I'm hooked. Hope it stays around for sometime yet.

I'm currently a level 11 Jedi Sentinal. Done all the Tython missions and just acquired some missions on Corusant but might do all the tutorial missions first. Get them all out of the way before I resume the story.

What's the best gear for a Jedi Sentinal with Watchman? Where is the best place/method to acquire gear?

Anything else I need to know to fast track/boost my character stats, gear and DPS?

[Anaria]

Glad you're enjoying it - it certainly is addictive, we played nearly non-stop during the beta, instantly hooked

'Orange' modifiable gear is good, as you can upgrade the mods (use 'planetary commendations' to buy armouring/mods/enhancements from commendation vendors on planets - you can earn these comms from quests or random drops from mobs) - but a lot of the time I just use the green/blue gear given as quest rewards while leveling (high gearing is important beyond level 50). A Watchman Sentinel will have strength as their primary stat, followed by endurance ('might' armouring and mods - but guardian is fine for leveling) - then accuracy and power and surge(for mods and enhancements).

As a rough guide, end game gearing stats recommended - accuracy 110%, surge 70%, critical 25% and the rest power.

As a watchman, a good part of your dps will come from 'overload saber' (little pink saber icon) - this does burn damage when applied before lightsaber attacks (not force attacks). You will get the 'zen' ability that converts 30 stacks of centering (built up while fighting), that makes the burn damage a critical hit (in juyo form). I can't remember at what level you get these abilities, but they're very useful for adding that background dps while you slash away

It is important to keep your companion relatively geared also, as the game expects you to always have one with you, so the fights are based on that difficulty. You don't need to keep them all geared, I tend to just focus on the one I prefer (though a couple of story lines have parts which you can only bring a certain companion, but you get hints before hand as warning). A healer is good for a sentinel (particularly in endgame) as the class lacks any self-healing abilities.

Beyond 50 you can add an augment slot to your gear (using a table, found on the fleet), which allows you to add an augment - it can be expensive, so I tend not to bother with this until 55, as you don't really need it while leveling.

If you're looking for interesting looks for your gear, you can search the gtn > armour > adaptive - this is empty modifiable gear that can be worn by anyone (mostly from the cartel market). As a sentinel, you can wear medium armour (if you find something medium you like that has the wrong stats (cunning), you can take the mods out and replace with strength stats). You will get modifiable gear parts as quest rewards, so you can play through the whole story without having to spend credits on gear, mostly.

Datacrons will help give a permanent stat boost (for sentinels - strength, endurance, presence (affects companions), and a lesser extent from willpower). There are a number of these on each planet (3 on starting planets), which when clicked, will give you a +2/+3/+4 etc boost to that stat that is permanent - This is a good location guide - http://swtor.wikia.com/wiki/Datacron_Locations It is fun to find ones that aren't your stat - as they give codex entries and achievements.

Stims will give you a limited amount (usually an hour) of stat boost (strength), you can buy them from med droids or craft them if you learn the biochem crafting skills.

[Fairtex]

Thanks Anaria. Very helpful information. Will take your advice on board and boost my character

[mdb]

I'm not a collecter but get very determined to get exactly what I want, which is why my lower level toons have been not played very much- I'm besotted with my merc

From experience from the last two days (helping a friend at level 23 get to just shy of 25 and today solo at the same sort of level) it really is about twice as fast (double rest XP for me and regular for her) to level with a sub than without. That said I may not resub again as I am still floundering a bit with my lower level toons (inspiration more than anything) and I now have my RD 16A set on my main (it only took two years to get the last piece, yay GTN and people who don't realise how rare a piece is!). Now it's a matter of getting mods to actually manage the newer dailies and events. So it's definitely not necessary but it is easier. A lot easier. The ability to be revived and healed on the spot definitely means fewer endless loops of going in to a story and being kicked out...

But it really is spectacular, not even as "just" an MMO. I bumped up my graphics a few days ago and man, so pretty. I keep driving my merc in to walls and mobs because I was just staring at everything. So definitely worth spending time in there I did have more fun with the previous events than the current ones, but even so they really are adding more and more content.

Also, that platforming thing, I did manage it in the end. It was only four hops but the angles meant having to jump blind to get the right vertical angle... And I finally caught the jawa balloon! it's seriously seriously pretty to be a tourist when you level cap Also, for those of us who played earlier but leveled before the newer award structure, it is super easy to get gear as all planets have equal level commendations! So you can go trash up starter planets and get commendations!

[Fairtex]

What are the recommended skills for a Jedi Sentinal and companions?

[Anaria]

You'll get a starter quest (I think from the terminal behind the guy you first talk to when arriving on the fleet?) for learning crew skills. If you've clicked on them all, you'll have the codex entry for each (which tells you which gathering/mission skills you need for each crafting skill). Each crafting skill will need the matching gathering skill (lets you pick up crafting materials you see on planets) and a mission skill (send companions away to get the second kind of crafting material needed, plus companion gifts, very useful).

Artifice - makes colour crystals (used in all weapons), lightsabers, enhancements, hilts and colour dyes
Synthweaving - outfits for force-users
Armourmech - outfits for non-force-users
Biochem - medpacks, implants, stims etc
Cybertech - armouring, mods, earpieces and misc (ship armouring, a speeder bike)
Armstech - barrels, blasters (pistols/rifles/techblades etc)

Personally, as I have 18 toons, I have all these skills on seperate toons so I can craft and send stuff to each other. It's personal choice, but I have artifice on my sentinel, which matches up with archeology (gathering skill) and treasure hunting (mission skill).

Each companion will have their own benefit - ie. T7 is +2 critical slicing, and +10 efficiency bioanaylsis. If those bonuses are important to you, there's a good chart here - http://swtor.wikia.com/wiki/Crew_Skills. Efficiency is a faster crafting time, and critical is the chance to craft 2, or an a piece with an augment slot. You can reverse engineer your made items, for a chance to learn the schematic for a higher level version (green>blue>purple).

If the number down the left side in the crew skills window is showing as green/yellow/orange in your crafting log, you will get an increase in your crafting skill level for completing it. If it's gray, you're over leveled and your skill won't increase (the numbers tell you how many you can craft with the materials you have - it includes your cargo hold). If you don't see any green ones etc, find your skill trainer and buy/learn more schematics to craft.

[Fairtex]

Thanks for your continued help with this Anaria. Your detailed replies has been very helpful.

Another one:

I've been reading a bit about the Zen combo. I still can't figure out how to use this. What does it mean about getting 30 Stacks of Centering before I can use it? And is there something that shows how many stacks of Centering I've accumulated? What is the best combo sequence going in to battle for a Sentinal/Watchman in PVE? eg Leap, Rebuke, Force Sweep, Strike and focus dumps? Different combo for single and multiple opponents?

[Anaria]

Above your little character icon on the left, is where all your 'positive buffs' show - the centering icon will have numbers on it as you build up centering (up to 30), then zen will be available to use (any attack that uses your force/resource will build up centering). Not sure what level it is gained, but 30 stacks can also be used for 'inspiration' - which increases your damage and healing (for you & your companion and even group) for 15 seconds - good for those tricky fights.

Icon for centering -


Character bar during fight - positive 'buffs' on left, negative on right end - with centering marked (turns out I don't take many screenshots during fights, this was back when Anaria was level 50) - you can also see the pink saber burn buff next to it -

Centering Buff

swtor 2012-04-21 13-25-09-13s.jpg (50.4 KiB) Viewed 10108 times

Dulfy.net is a fantastic SWTOR guide site, but hasn't put up their sentinel guide yet - I use Noxxic for now, and has a good rotation guide (along with skill tree and gearing, but it's just a guide, you don't need to follow that exactly). Some of the abilities won't be available to you until higher levels.

http://www.noxxic.com/swtor/pve/jedi-kn ... -cooldowns hover over the ability icons for more details.

For my sentinel, she was my first mmo character and I had no clue about all this stuff, so I just jumped into fights and slashed away, no clue about building buffs/centering and rotations!

[mdb]

I've finally started being able to craft augments and augment slots so I'm still running around on Makeb and lower level planets before committing to a guild (I have been invited a few times in game and I don't know if it was anyone was local!)

I keep chat off so don't always see whispers Though if I get an invite to group I go see if I have been whispered in case it is someone I know). Also my friends list is broken :/ I can't see when people are on or sometimes it'll show as a friend online and not on the list.

Anyway so I am completely open to group- I just want to know who it is first

Emdibi 55, Tykhi 51 (Empire) Neimhaille 24, Nyeliel 25 (Republic) on The Harbinger.

[MattG]

I've finally started being able to craft augments and augment slots so I'm still running around on Makeb and lower level planets before committing to a guild (I have been invited a few times in game and I don't know if it was anyone was local!)....

We're currently with "The Older Gamers" (aka "The Obsidian Guard" on the Imperial side). Their membership criteria keep a lot of the riff-raff out Lots of NZ and Aus players.

http://www.theoldergamers.com/forum/harbinger-na/

As well as regular progression raid groups, they have a lot of more casual, ad-hoc runs that are good for gearing.