The Old Republic for Dummies

[DarthParametric]

How do you level crafting skills? I've RE'd greens to get blues, and blues to get purples, but the rank 2 green/blue/purple schematics stop giving advancement in the skill before I can craft level 3 items. Do I have to RE purples to get oranges (or whatever it is)?

[Mav]

Go to the trainer for your crafting skills, there is one on the Fleet of course, and then most major cities have them. There you can buy higher level schematics. I don't know the exact spread but here's an example, if your skill in armstech is 160 and a schematic requires 100, you might not get a skill point for crafting it, but is the schematic requires 140 then you would. As you rank up your crafting skill you will unlock more and more schematics for purchase from the crafting skill trainer.

[DarthParametric]

Ah. I had thought you'd just unlock schematics automatically as you levelled. I can see this is going to cost a hojillion dollars. My wallet is still stinging from the 210K I just forked out for the tier 2 speeder training at level 40.

[Zakhodit]

Ah. I had thought you'd just unlock schematics automatically as you levelled. I can see this is going to cost a hojillion dollars. My wallet is still stinging from the 210K I just forked out for the tier 2 speeder training at level 40.

 

Also, your trainer only sells you GREEN schematics.

 

To unlock BLUE and PURPLE versions of items schematics you have to reverse engeneer items. A lot.

 

I'm not sure if there are any other factors that make the discovery of Blue and Purple schematics easier, so far it's been very random. A level 7 Red color crystal took me one time to learn the blue schematic. I still don't have the level 7 Blue color crystal schematic and I've dismantled countless crystals.

 

So basiclly, I go about it like this:

 

1)Build 2 of Item (green)

2)Reverse Engeneer each and hope I learn the (blue) schematic

 

If not, repeat steps one and two.

If so, then:

 

1)Build 2 of Item (blue)

2)Reverse Engeneer each and hope I learn the (purple) schematic

 

In therory there is a color above that (dark purple) but I haven't had the balls to tear apart my purple items to find out. At best you get about 50% of the materials back but sometimes it's less.

 

And fetching all the items for one Purple schematic can be very costly and time consuming. I have a purple schematic for a level 31 Enhancement. It took me 4 hours until my companions brought back the right combination of parts before I could build it. (Fracking Krayt Pearls are hard to come by)

[Lynk Former]

Here's a tip for everyone.

 

If you have Minimech CE or any other pet, make sure to deploy them at all times because they're actually very useful and not just for show. I first discovered that enemies will follow the pet if you stray to close to them and they spot you.

 

But even better is what happens during combat. In the off chance that both you and your companion have been stunned, all enemies will cease attacking you and simply focus their attention on your pet and will do NOTHING for that few seconds you're out of commission.

 

They'll just look at your pet for that period of time XD

[Zakhodit]

They'll just look at your pet for that period of time XD

 

That is handy. Time to get a mouse droid.

[Emilio]

Hello all, new guy here...

 

I have a question about quest. Can you reset a completed quest and if so how long can you reset a quest after you complete it?

[Miltiades]

I'm not sure, but I think, apart from Flashpoints and Operations, only the Heroic quests can be done again.

[DarthParametric]

I first discovered that enemies will follow the pet if you stray to close to them and they spot you.

Not any more. That exploit is fixed in the latest patch:

 

NPCs no longer attempt to engage vanity pets in combat.

[Tommycat]

Not any more. That exploit is fixed in the latest patch:

 

NPCs no longer attempt to engage vanity pets in combat.

 

Rats.

 

Crafting is costing me an arm and a leg. But then I'm going through and crafting as I level. You only have to level your Crafting skill. The gathering skills automatically level.

 

Oh and just as a head's up. IF you don't like your helmet but like the stats(and it's not something you can rip the stats out of) you can hide your helmet. Under Preferences>Social>Show equipped helmet(I think that's what it's called). They have some good looking helmets, but some are.... ugh...

 

Oh and if you are in a group with someone and you get to the spot they are supposed to be, but they aren't there, chances are you have to switch "Worlds." Open your map and in the lower right hand corner should be the world instance you are in.

[mimartin]

Level 25, smuggler, scoundrel (Healer)

 

Alright, think I’ve gotten this healer stuff down fairly well when it comes to fighting a boss. Can pretty much survive a single boss with no problem at all. Even a strong and an elite isn’t all that difficult (unless one notices me right away). My real problem is when there are three strong or above enemies. The third will always comes after me and by the time I’ve killed him, my companion is either dead or beyond saving.

 

Any tips for how to survive those encounters or other tips for a healer would be appreciated.

 

Like in a group, I know I need to heal everyone, but who is top priority? I assume it is the Tank, is that right?

 

Haven’t decided my feelings on a healer, it gets really frustrating in some battles. I’m pretty sure I’ve never played a game where I never did any damage in a boss battle until this past weekend. I spent the entire battle healing Bowdaar. Battle went fine just kind of annoying that it took forever. It would help if I could see the enemy’s health bar while healing my companion. At least it would let me know when it was safe to join in. Maybe there is, anyone know of a setting?

[Lynk Former]

@ DP: Knew it was too good to last x.x

[DarthParametric]

As a healer, you are experiencing the blow back of the same problems I discussed in my tank topic. Namely that tanks in TOR are currently too squishy and can't hold aggro worth a damn, especially when engaging groups of enemies. This applies to both player and companion tanks. You really don't start to progress to any sort of useful tank functionality until the mid-30s (and even then groups are still problematic). The best I can suggest is to always be at least a level above the rated level for any story quests by doing side quests and any other form of XP harvesting (exploring the map, doing space missions, etc). Hopefully that way your companion's stats will be high enough to survive.

 

Aggro is still a real problem though. The best you can do is make sure your companion has any taunts they have enabled and employ any stuns or similar abilities you have to try and tie up one strong/elite enemy while you dispatch the swarm of weak/normals. Consular Sages (and I assume their mirror Inquisitor Sorcerers as well) have a very useful ability in this regard - Force Lift - which they get very early on. Do Smugglers have something akin to that?

[Lynk Former]

Once you do gain the useful tanking abilities in your 30s, you do become a pretty unstoppable tanking machine.... at least my Trooper Vanguard is with my experience.

[adamqd]

 

Like in a group, I know I need to heal everyone, but who is top priority? I assume it is the Tank, is that right?

 

 

First of all, assess how good and bad your group is. I've noticed some fundamental floors in almost all the people I've encountered in groups, PVP and PVE.

 

People are attacking multiple elite bosses at the same time, instead of singling out targets. Supposed tanks are trying to kite and line of sight targets, and often times running out of the instance and resetting the battle, DPS'ers are misusing their skills and dragging aggro from the tanks... Its basically a Nightmare lol.

 

But anyway.

1) Keep yourself alive, if your not healed, no one is healed

2) Support the people who are attempting to follow the plan and complete the task at hand.

 

PVE is pretty straight forward heal yourself, heal the tank stay out of the fire, and pray the DPS posse stick to the plan. But In PVP, the group should attempt to kill the oppositions Healers first, their death will mean a quick demise for their DPS, the Tanks do less damage and can wait to be picked off last.

 

I find a lot of people trying to single out their opposite number (ie; Gunslinger vs Operative) for some epic showdown, or the whole group trying to kill the Tank.. who by the way is happy to stand there and get healed by the full health medic as the DPS in his group kill you all uninterrupted.

[DarthParametric]

Once you do gain the useful tanking abilities in your 30s, you do become a pretty unstoppable tanking machine.... at least my Trooper Vanguard is with my experience.

At 41 as a Sith Warrior Juggernaut, unstoppable is not the first word that comes to mind. Single targets are fine, but groups (boss/elite with strongs) definitely still pose a problem, both in terms of survivability and holding aggro.

 

DPS'ers are misusing their skills and dragging aggro from the tanks

In my brief experience with group play as a low level Trooper Commando DPS running a 4 man Heroic and a Flashpoint, pulling aggro away from the tank is certainly an issue for DPS players. Steer clear of using any AOEs when engaging groups of elites. Also if you have it on, turn off the auto-target nearest in the preferences. That got me into trouble a couple of times.

[Lynk Former]

@ DP: Looks like the Vanguard, for now, makes the better tank then. No problem with aggro drawing DPS players either, I've played with both Jeff and Mav and they're rolling DPS (melee and ranged) and I can still take all the aggro with the Vanguard despite their attacks.

 

There was this one time in a flashpoint where we were taking on a boss who called in for reinforcements every so often. I managed to keep him focused on me as well as have the reinforcements chase me around the area as I kited them... I was pretty proud of the moment XD

 

<3 Vanguard

[DarthParametric]

Yeah I think ranged classes have the wood over melee classes atm, be it as tank or DPS.

[Lynk Former]

Vanguard isn't as ranged as you think... 10m to 4m is its most effective area unlike the Commando which can stay back at 30m.

[mimartin]

Aggro is still a real problem though.

I know you can’t do this as a tank, but as a healer…(Warning -most likely a real stupid idea)…What if I downgraded my armor, would that possibly make my Wookiee more of a target than me? He already has (for the most part) way better stuff than me. Think I have one implant better than him).

 

@adamqd – Thanks

 

I was having real trouble with three strong enemies at once. Died 8 or more times, went back repaired my gear and came back. Got back killed the respawned bad guys outside of camp and proceeded to complex entrance. A group of two must of saw me heal my Wookiee and invited me to join their group. Had to think about it for a few seconds, but by this point it was personal. The Wookiee and I got past our problem on our own. Not really sure what I did different, more like it was just a matter of luck.

[DarthParametric]

If you are a healer you should have some sort of combat stance that generates less threat, just as tank companions should have a stance that generates more.

 

I'm not sure if TOR factors in gear to threat, but regardless reducing your armour below optimum is not a strategy I would recommend. You should always be looking to wear the best gear possible, kitted out with whatever mods are appropriate for your class. If you are a Smuggler Scoundrel I guess Cunning is your primary stat?

[Mav]

Cunning is the primary stat for all Smugglers, regardless of Advanced Class.

[.:Lord Revan:.]

This i am sure is a dumb: question why does the game cost monthly?

[adamqd]

This i am sure is a dumb: question why does the game cost monthly?

 

MMOs are vast games, it costs money to run the servers, update/add new content, fix bugs, pay developers, and provide you with a an ongoing Multiplayer experience.

 

besides, it works out at like 30 pence a day lol, I find more than 30 pence on the floor around the coffee machines at work every day.

 

((Edited for my bad Math lol))

[DarthParametric]

The same reason World of Warcraft does. It's the established business model for running a perpetual online game. Now with the idea of free to play with microtransactions there is an alternative model, but TOR was already too far down the road in development by the time that became a realistic prospect. It's not inconceivable that it may convert at some point, as other MMOs have done in the recent past, especially if their hand is forced by low subscriber numbers/high turnover.