Jump to content

Home

The Old Republic for Dummies


mimartin

Recommended Posts

thanks Mim as always you are such a help

 

ok, that is a great source and i will study it..but

 

Stacks... i still dont understand.. i mean WHAT are they ....? you say...

 

Stacks are a buff or debuff that build up on you character or on the character you are attacking. They will tell you which attack should take Priority and which attack you need to use to build up stacks for other attacks. It looks like two of the stacks you will be looking for are Sunder Armor (debuff) and Force Rush. There may be others so read and turn the pages too as it shows you other useful information too. Like Stat Priority, Item Modification and Builds.

 

uh, Buff means i get stronger due to some addon, i understand that.

 

Debuff means i weaken the enemy?

 

but was does Build up Stacks for other attacks mean? ...Stack is slang for something but i still dont really understand WHAT it means yet... is it short for attack? ah maybve it means a pile of actions that combines into a Stack? is that what it means? like stacking up several attack methods?

 

thanks and sorry i am so slow, but i need to be honest so i can really learn this stuff, as you know i have tended to just attack without thought and so i dont do as well as i should..i want to UNDERSTAND so i can actualy use the differnt abilities and skills

 

ok when you say focus on just one tree i see you mean one seciton of the skill trees, i will try focusing on Vigilance just to pick one.

 

I see posts and info talking about building Focus..and i also see Focus used as a way to target an enemy or companion and we can key bind a key to target and modify someone with an ability.

 

So when it says Build Focus..or talks about X4 Focus that is what i dont understand yet.

 

or when it is describing a series of things to do...it says....

 

Force Leap or Zealous Leap + Force Sweep with 4x Singularity

 

what does 4X singulairty mean?

 

When an abiltiy cost five focus to use it...what does that mean? How to you tell how much focus or how many focus you have? i understand you have some kind of focus creating ability in the first spot on your ability bar or your character cant fight. ..i guess generate focus to fight with. So how do we tell which is best to have therE?

 

and what would it mean when it says you have to have two Stacks to use an ability?..ie Plasma Brand requires you to have two Stacks of Sundering Stream i think it was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 950
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Let us see if I can explain this…

 

Stacks can be anything that has more than 1. If you have 4 Singularities, then you have a stack of 4.

 

You have to watch stacks of Debuffs too.

 

Certain attacks grant different stacks other attacks use those stacks or get added damage or armor bonuses when used with stacks. So you want to give priority to the attacks that grant stacks and then once you have the stacks you want to give priority to attacks that give increased damage when using those stacks.

 

Focus is a jedi knight’s resource. Unlike other class they start with zero resource and build it up. See the yellow bar below the health bar. At the start of the fight you want to give priority to building this up as fast as possible. Certain attacks require focus. See those little yellow rectangles on the Focus Bar.

 

picture.php?albumid=686&pictureid=9328

 

So in the screenshot you can see the stacks I have above Mar'ina's name where the normal class buffs are. You can also see the debuff on the left side of her health bar (red). Below the health bar is the yellow focus bar. She has 8 points in focus. She also has two stacks one with 26 in it and another with 4. I know certain abilities need 30 of that type of stack to use. If I want to use that ability, then I know I need to give priority in my rotation to the ability that grants that stack in order to get to the 30 needed to use the ability I want to use.

 

Know how to get and maintain your resource and stacks and then know what abilities give the biggest bang for the buck is key to becoming a decent player. Otherwise you running out of focus and stack and you are forced to use your lower dps default attack to build up Focus.

 

I wouldn't worry about this overly right now. Simplify it, find a rotation that you are comfortable with and semi-follow those links I gave. You hit that rotation 50% of the time and you will not have any trouble getting to 50. After 50 in a group setting is when you have to really learn your rotation in order to not be carried through content. So in other words...find out what works for you solo level and stick with it...just know you may have to adjust your style at 50 or in a group setting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK this is exactlyl what i need, thanks ...ok, i am getting closer to understaindg, i get about Focus now i think, i have to use attacks that build focus to use it..

 

but now onto stacks, still not clear...

 

can you explain where these two stacks are you mention? i dont understand that..

 

She also has two stacks one with 26 in it and another with 4. I know certain abilities need 30 of that type of stack to use. If I want to use that ability, then I know I need to give priority in my rotation to the ability that grants that stack in order to get to the 30 needed to use the ability I want to use.

 

i get that i can use a sequence of certain activities to get an eventual major hit so i want to learn that..i am setting up my abilities to aim for that, i had no idea to put the attacks (buffs?) on the left side that is a good idea as i can then see how they are restoring from being used up...

 

but i need to understand how you get multiple of anything like you mention a stack being 4 of xomething, i read that in posts but no one explains what it means..i can only put ONE attack or ability icon on the use bar...so how do i get multiples...x2 or x4 or x 27 as you say?

 

do you mean it takes 27 steps to activate a certain attack?

 

sorry to be slow here but i am getting closer and really appreciate your help....this is stuff i wish the in game tutorials had taught us..or maybe they do and i just missed it.....but it is useless for me to try to advance without understanding this for i just get eaten up. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You get the stack, by using an ability that grants that buff (for lack of a better word, little square when the class buffs are). Example (not sure how updated this it) Each tick of Force Stasis and Force Exhaustion grants Singularity. This will grant you a reduction in the cost and increasing the damage from your next Force Sweep. So no I have not seen any abilities that took 27 step to activate, but some do take 2 or 3.

 

If you decided on Focus, then here is how you start a fight, Saber Throw, Force Leap, Force Exhaustion, Sundering, Strike then only if you have a stack of 4 Singularity you use Force Sweep. If not use Force Exhaustion and Force Stasis until you get the stack of 4 and then use Force Sweep.

Anytime your Focus drops below 7, use Saber Throw, Sundering Strike or Strike. You never want to run out of focus and you want to keep Singularity up and stacked 4 as much as possible. Also remember to use Force Leap or Zealous leap to get Felling Blow and then with use Force Sweep.

 

(Force leap or Zealous leap) followed by Force Sweep. That is your top priority as a focus Jedi guardian. So anytime you have a stack of 4 singularities you would do that if that was your build. If you are Vigilance then then you would not do that at all.

 

Now if you are going Vigilance, then the concept is still the same, however you have a totally different set of priorities

 

 

So no you don't have to do something 27 times in a row to grant an ability, but you may have to do the same thing 2 or three times in a row to grant your #1 priority.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oh this is really great. i am almost there.

 

I will use a Focus Build so i can follow your lead on this, i dont care which i use just want to learn how. I an mot commited to Vigilance.

 

ok, here is my last question i hope..i think i have narrowed it down to one thing you said..

 

Each tick of Force Stasis and Force Exhaustion grants Singularity.

 

each tick? is there a counter on the little picture of Force Stasis or Force Exhuastoin that counts ticks? or some form of number? is that how you know if you have x3 or x 4 of something?

 

i get this part...

 

This will grant you a reduction in the cost and increasing the damage from your next Force Sweep. So no I have not seen any abilities that took 27 step to activate, but some do take 2 or 3.

 

what i dont get yet is how something like Singularity can be doubled, trippled, etc... and know it has been..so there must be some form of numbering or tracking that happens as there is no way i could remember one effect getting increased in a fight unless there is some way to KNOW it...

 

thanks again for all this, i really appreciate it... i want to be a fighter and not just a dumb meat. :)

 

by the way, i cant get saber throw yet, Jedi Knight cant get it until level 38 i think...so i am not going to be able to use that chain yet..but i want to asap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yeah...I don't use DoT with any of my toons so far, but Damage Over Time ticks every second or so and those can grant stacks. So my guess is Force Stasis and Force Exhaustion are DoT or at least behave like DoT....No matter your class or build, if you do endgame stuff you will learn DoT and the need to cleanse yourself of them if you have that ability.

 

No clue how I messed up my previous post so bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thank you so much,

 

and thank you tommycat also..

 

Mim...

now i am set, i have reset to Focus and now i need to learn to use my new abilities and use them in sequence intelligently. I will work on some leveling up and then, if you have time sometime over the next few days..i may ask for your help as i reached the end level boss over Tython between Level 33 and 34 and may need some help to beat him, depending on if i can learn to use my new methods fast or not. thanks so much very very .. for this help. i really wanted to learn to understand how this stuff works.

 

Mim, are those little buttons over the character picture..the stacks i think you called them, can you click on those to activate them? how do you set up your UI so that you can put them there? i didnt know we could add buttons, i would like to do something like that for sequences..stacks, i know i will need.... i am gonna run out of hot keys to use...better think how to do this.

 

these ones are what i am talking about, circles at A...

 

Stacks at A?

 

fullpicture.jpg

 

More buttons at B?

 

also what are these? are they more action buttons and if so what and how do we set those up?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mim, are those little buttons over the character picture..the stacks i think you called them, can you click on those to activate them?
You don't active them....they are just information. They tell you your buffs debuffs, DoTs and stacks. You have to look at them to know what attack has priority.

 

how do you set up your UI so that you can put them there? i didnt know we could add buttons, i would like to do something like that for sequences..stacks, i know i will need.... i am gonna run out of hot keys to use...better think how to do this.
I am not really the one to ask about the UI. Lynk will tell you mine is terrible. I have 2 really good ones, but they are for healing, not useful at all for DPS running around.

 

 

 

(This BBCode requires its accompanying plugin to work properly.)

 

http://www.slashfacepalm.com/swtor/swtor-patch-1-2-interface-editor-ui/

 

 

You turn them on

 

See the lock icon and the what looks like a plus sign right below the level of Mar'ina on the left side of the main quick bar. Click on the plus bar and then under Interfaces: click Extended Quickbars, that will add all the quick bar slots, then you can use the video and link to fix it the way you like. Then save it. You can have more than one and change them out depending on which toon you are using. Like I wrote I have 2 for Brem. One for dailies, HM flashpoints and SM Ops and one when I am really serious about healing.

 

Oh if you need help, I will not be around this weekend, but I will be back Sunday afternoon/night. However, it would have to be before 7:15 PM west coast time. Have a Ops Sunday night. If not I can do it Monday night. Mar'ina is still in that level range and she has already done that mission.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My skill points have always been pretty random because the system itself could use some polishing when it comes to different abilities... like having two DPS trees that don't differ much can be confusing. In World of Warcraft the trees were always pretty different... so you could decide easier what exactly you wanted to focus on while maybe adding some hybrid points too. Mostly thinking about the Trooper class in this case.

 

And when it comes to action bars I've been using Lynk's setup for a while now... just download it and try it out and see if it fits you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My skill points have always been pretty random because the system itself could use some polishing when it comes to different abilities... like having two DPS trees that don't differ much can be confusing. In World of Warcraft the trees were always pretty different... so you could decide easier what exactly you wanted to focus on while maybe adding some hybrid points too. Mostly thinking about the Trooper class in this case.

No, the skill trees are pretty different and do have clear focuses on how they're meant to be used. For example, the Sith Marauder has three DPS trees which are all focused on doing damage in different ways. The first tree is the Annihilation tree which focused on dot, the aim of that tree is to bleed everything to death and does good sustained damage. The second tree is the Carnage tree which is focused more on direct damage and specialises in burst damage. The final tree is based around Force based attacks such as Smash and Force Choke.

 

Each class is the same way, each tree has specific uses.

 

And when it comes to action bars I've been using Lynk's setup for a while now... just download it and try it out and see if it fits you.

I've got a new UI at the moment but it's geared more toward people who have an MMO mouse with the 12 buttons on the side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks very much Mim and MOnday will be good for me as i have some work to do this weekend, and wont be in the game much myself..or maybe later we will see. thanks again for all the help on this.

 

and thanks for those other tips guys, where do i download Lynk's UI set up? can anyone give me a linkey? the older one as i dont have a 20 button mouse, i looked at them and it looked too scary for me so i am getting one with about 8 buttons i think, it is still in the mail, i have one with five now. but i have never programed any of the buttons. I have been relying on clicking on the screen, and some of the pre sets.

 

thanks ..

 

me

Link to comment
Share on other sites

t hanks Lynk i was in the game warming up. thanks very much

 

Lynk or Mim or anyone...what is Singularity and how do i find it so i can know when it accumluates?

 

Mim said:

 

Strike then only if you have a stack of 4 Singularity

 

well i cant find any ability or skill called Singularity in the Focus Skill tree or in my abilities or skills or maybe i am blind or maybe it is a nickname for something eles..

 

I practiced using cycles of things like you suggested and was able to beat up on the CryoTroopers who kicked my can before...so that was a nice improvmenet. I also made Level 34, i will go back to Alderon tomorrow and warm up some more.thanks for that suggestion..i am still mashing buttons a bit at random when it get hairy but i think i am getting better bit by bit.

 

we will see. It is nice to see green guild chat in the window again.

 

thanks again for all the help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like the Guardian doesnt get Singularity...

 

http://www.torhead.com/abilities/advclass/500/class/5/level/1-50

 

It isn't an useable ability.... It is like focus, it is something that you have to build up. You get Singularity by using Force Exhaustion and Force Stasis. Again look at this page. http://www.noxxic.com/swtor/pve/jedi-knight/jedi-guardian/focus/dps-rotation-and-cooldowns. It shows you the icon for Singulanity and it will show up where your buffs show up above you focus bar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yep i saw that four little icons in a row i didnt know how i got it started .thanks i will keep trying for that, it happened by accident but it was fun to see

thanks agina for the help yesterday

 

ok that page is just what i needed, that is exactly what i need to keep learning..you just improved my chances of being a decent Jedi by 1000 percent.

 

thanks you Master :)

 

btw my relationship with Kira is really heating up ..she is talking marriage and kids! didnt know they went that far with the companion idea....and what we are doing off screen in my quarters..well i guess it cant be shown for a family game. :):3heart:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

btw my relationship with Kira is really heating up ..she is talking marriage and kids! didnt know they went that far with the companion idea....and what we are doing off screen in my quarters..well i guess it cant be shown for a family game. :):3heart:

 

Well she obviously likes your singularity and buffs :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there a way to get out of a combat once you are in it? i am hoping to wait out a period of invulnerablity that some Sith Harrowers go thru for my main Class mission on Taotooine and if i can disengage and then come back, i am hopeful i can survive... is there a way to leave a combat without having them start all over on their health bar?

 

i suspect not but just wondered.... as i have seen posts from people with this particular battle which is a bugged one in some ways, where they get away and then come back during this period when the Sith is basically taking no damage at all... i was not sure how they did that.... as usually a fight keeps on going, and if you run they chase you or keep firing at you....but thought maybe there was a force ability that could free you from their combat focus...

 

i am a Jedi Knight Focus Guardian...at level 34

 

I know you can get out by dying but i am trying to figure a way to deal with tough foes...and these three Sith are notorious according to many posts i found, there is a bug where your companion gets knocked down by a Sith move and then cant get back up..they are alive but wont fight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...