Is it just me or do light sabre classes have ability bloat?

[Lilly32]

The one thing thats kept me playing my sorcerer and BHs (merc and now a Ptech ) is they seem fairly straightforward to play to me. My sorcerer was my first class and is madness which is easy for me coming from a WoW shadowpriest and also an affliction lock. I also had an ele shaman so going lightning everything still feels somewhat familiar. Even the BH was pretty easy to pick up and the rotations were simple and straightforward just had to keep my heat down.

But I have tried with all my might to play a Marauder or a Jugg and their Republic twins so I could be a cool kid with a glow bat and none of them ever made it past level 30. I just feel like im having an epileptic fit as I stroke out on my keyboard. Not to mention I looked at my spellbook and theres 4754759 abilities that all seem to do the same thing yet when I watch vidoes of those classes people have them all keybound using letters I didnt even know existed on a keyboard. Then I look at the spells I use while doing dailies with my Sorcerer and theres 4 maybe add in 2-3 more for interrupts/CC on Elites but mainly I can do anything using only four keys.

TLDR: Do I need all those abilities as a Guardian or Shadow? Thinking about rerolling to Republic side and trying one of those out. Can I get by with just 3-4 while I level? What should a normal leveling rotation look like for Guardians or Shadow?

[RoninaThorstone]

The one thing thats kept me playing my sorcerer and BHs (merc and now a Ptech ) is they seem fairly straightforward to play to me. My sorcerer was my first class and is madness which is easy for me coming from a WoW shadowpriest and also an affliction lock. I also had an ele shaman so going lightning everything still feels somewhat familiar. Even the BH was pretty easy to pick up and the rotations were simple and straightforward just had to keep my heat down.

But I have tried with all my might to play a Marauder or a Jugg and their Republic twins so I could be a cool kid with a glow bat and none of them ever made it past level 30. I just feel like im having an epileptic fit as I stroke out on my keyboard. Not to mention I looked at my spellbook and theres 4754759 abilities that all seem to do the same thing yet when I watch vidoes of those classes people have them all keybound using letters I didnt even know existed on a keyboard. Then I look at the spells I use while doing dailies with my Sorcerer and theres 4 maybe add in 2-3 more for interrupts/CC on Elites but mainly I can do anything using only four keys.

TLDR: Do I need all those abilities as a Guardian or Shadow? Thinking about rerolling to Republic side and trying one of those out. Can I get by with just 3-4 while I level? What should a normal leveling rotation look like for Guardians or Shadow?

get a razor mouse.

On my operative I have 32 keybinds. I use most of them in any given WZ.

Don't limit yourself to 4-5 abilities even while leveling, it'll hurt you later on.

[Lilly32]

get a razor mouse.

On my operative I have 32 keybinds. I use most of them in any given WZ.

Don't limit yourself to 4-5 abilities even while leveling, it'll hurt you later on.

Dont care about PvP. Even if I did wouldnt use 30+ keybinds lol. Thats just retarded for a class to be so hard you have to have something bound to every single letter/number on your keyboard just to be effective. What about just PvE? Or do I need 9 hands and 12 keyboards to quest as well? Im not trying to be top pvper in the world I just wanna enjoy the game not sit in front of a mob and go where the hell did I bind
<random-repetitive-ability-7563> while he pounds my face in.

[Kalandrios]

Dont care about PvP. Even if I did wouldnt use 30+ keybinds lol. Thats just retarded for a class to be so hard you have to have something bound to every single letter/number on your keyboard just to be effective. What about just PvE? Or do I need 9 hands and 12 keyboards to quest as well? Im not trying to be top pvper in the world I just wanna enjoy the game. Enjoying a game for me is 4-5 buttons.

I use a generic keyboard, and a generic 5 button mouse, and I play with a total of ~65 keybinds. I don't go past Y, H, or B on the keyboard. One hand, one keyboard is plenty.

Ability bloat is a god send, you have answers for so many problems, just bind 4 or 5 new spells, and when you are 100% used to them, bind a few more. Keep going until you are satisfied. It really isn't that hard, just takes a little effort to get used to it. Trust me, once you are used to using 70+ different binds, it makes playing MMOs so much more fun, you'll bind so much more on new characters, and be so much more fluid, in PvE and PvP.

[Stormcall]

The one thing thats kept me playing my sorcerer and BHs (merc and now a Ptech ) is they seem fairly straightforward to play to me. My sorcerer was my first class and is madness which is easy for me coming from a WoW shadowpriest and also an affliction lock. I also had an ele shaman so going lightning everything still feels somewhat familiar. Even the BH was pretty easy to pick up and the rotations were simple and straightforward just had to keep my heat down.

But I have tried with all my might to play a Marauder or a Jugg and their Republic twins so I could be a cool kid with a glow bat and none of them ever made it past level 30. I just feel like im having an epileptic fit as I stroke out on my keyboard. Not to mention I looked at my spellbook and theres 4754759 abilities that all seem to do the same thing yet when I watch vidoes of those classes people have them all keybound using letters I didnt even know existed on a keyboard. Then I look at the spells I use while doing dailies with my Sorcerer and theres 4 maybe add in 2-3 more for interrupts/CC on Elites but mainly I can do anything using only four keys.

TLDR: Do I need all those abilities as a Guardian or Shadow? Thinking about rerolling to Republic side and trying one of those out. Can I get by with just 3-4 while I level? What should a normal leveling rotation look like for Guardians or Shadow?

I have a juggernaut and an assassin, and yes, you pretty much use everything sometimes.

Also, there's no such thing as a "leveling rotation" for the class-it depends on which spec you went, and what level you are, and what kinda mobs you're fighting(a madness assassin won't need to discharge or creeping terror vs a group of normal/weak mobs, whereas you will want them up on strong mobs)

[Potato Bus]

Dont care about PvP. Even if I did wouldnt use 30+ keybinds lol. Thats just retarded for a class to be so hard you have to have something bound to every single letter/number on your keyboard just to be effective. What about just PvE? Or do I need 9 hands and 12 keyboards to quest as well? Im not trying to be top pvper in the world I just wanna enjoy the game not sit in front of a mob and go where the hell did I bind
<random-repetitive-ability-7563> while he pounds my face in.

Shift, Alt, and Ctrl would like a word with you. Modifiers man, don't have to go crazy trying to hit "J" to do something when you can just bind it to Shift+4 or something. And try to group your buttons across toons (using a Naga mouse, I use 7 and Shift+7 for dots, or 0 and Shift+0 for stuns/CCs on multiple toons).

I main a sorc, and I LOVE my marauder that I've been leveling, he's so much fun in combat and hits like a truck!!

[Raeli]

I use a generic keyboard, and a generic 5 button mouse, and I play with a total of ~65 keybinds. I don't go past Y, H, or B on the keyboard. One hand, one keyboard is plenty.

Ability bloat is a god send, you have answers for so many problems, just bind 4 or 5 new spells, and when you are 100% used to them, bind a few more. Keep going until you are satisfied. It really isn't that hard, just takes a little effort to get used to it. Trust me, once you are used to using 70+ different binds, it makes playing MMOs so much more fun, you'll bind so much more on new characters, and be so much more fluid, in PvE and PvP.

Pretty much this. I slowly started to bind more and more when I first started using binds, and now I have every spell bound a mount, 2 relics, 1 adrenal, 3 legacy abilities, 1 medpac, companion attack/passive buttons, and all of my class abilities apart from my buff and out of combat regen. I also have things like the focus target, and various other interface actions bound.

I play a Shadow. But it's the same on all of my other characters, I have a L50 Vanguard, and it's the same.


Using Shift/Ctrl as modifiers on some keys as well - it really helps.

[Lilly32]

Trust me, once you are used to using 70+ different binds

Sorry not gonna happen. Im not 19 and playing everquest 12 hours a day anymore. Im over 30 and when I get off work I like to relax and play an hour or two a night. Im just not gonna play with a zillion keybinds. I have played 6 MMOs going back to UO and I dont think I have ever used more than 10 abilities in any game and still raided what ever the current tier was or if it was PvP tried to pull my own weight. But like I said I play games for fun which is why in 5 years of WoW I never played a single rated BG/Arena match nor been in a cutting edge guild because thats when the game stops being fun for me. But I still cleared content while it was current but always in a guild that didnt care if they were the fastest to down something.


But back to the topic can I play a Shadow/Assassin or Guardian/Juggernaut using only a handful of buttons in PvE? Not talking high end raiding. Just questing and maybe messing around in some WZs. I mean right now the light sabre classes are the most played in the game, going by /who. Certainly all of them arent pro gamers with $200 keyboards and 20 button mice running around with 40 keybinds.

[RoninaThorstone]

Dont care about PvP. Even if I did wouldnt use 30+ keybinds lol. Thats just retarded for a class to be so hard you have to have something bound to every single letter/number on your keyboard just to be effective. What about just PvE? Or do I need 9 hands and 12 keyboards to quest as well? Im not trying to be top pvper in the world I just wanna enjoy the game not sit in front of a mob and go where the hell did I bind
<random-repetitive-ability-7563> while he pounds my face in.

I hear GW2 has only about 5 abilities at a time or something. You should try that.

[Raeli]

Sorry not gonna happen. Im not 19 and playing everquest 12 hours a day anymore. Im over 30 and when I get off work I like to relax and play an hour or two a night. Im just not gonna play with a zillion keybinds. I have played 6 MMOs going back to UO and I dont think I have ever used more than 10 abilities in any game and still raided what ever the current tier was or if it was PvP tried to pull my own weight. But like I said I play games for fun which is why in 5 years of WoW I never played a single rated BG/Arena match nor been in a cutting edge guild because thats when the game stops being fun for me. But I still cleared content while it was current but always in a guild that didnt care if they were the fastest to down something.


But back to the topic can I play a Shadow/Assassin or Guardian/Juggernaut using only a handful of buttons in PvE? Not talking high end raiding. Just questing and maybe messing around in some WZs.

Well you already have your answer to be fair, you're not going to use more than a few abilities, but those classes need you to use many to play well, so it looks like the answer is pretty much no. I'm sure you *could* play, but you may be making things unnecessarily hard on yourself by playing with only a few abilities.

[pilch]

If you used to play a warlock and didn't have a lot of keybinds, you must have been doing something wrong :d

[Bane123]

I hear GW2 has only about 5 abilities at a time or something. You should try that.

5 Utility abilities, 5 Weapon abilities and you can weapon swap for 5 new abilities AFAIK.

@OP. It might be that the classes don't suit your playstyle, if you can't figure out what the main abilities in their respective rotations, combat won't be fluid and not really fun to play. Stick to your playstyle imo. I can only tell you that you'd probably only use about 5 abilities as a Guardian/Jugg (DPS spec) excluding charge, saber throw and survival cds.

[Lilly32]

If you used to play a warlock and didn't have a lot of keybinds, you must have been doing something wrong :d

Stopped playing him in Cata because of that reason and picked up a SPriest. But even in Wrath Lock was faceroll cause I was destro

1. Immolate
2. Conflag
3. Incinerate
4. Chaos Bolt

Curse of Doom every 60 secs so more of a CD than a normal ability cause it lasted so long and maybe corruption if I had to move but it ticked for so little as destro was a DPS loss to waste a GCD on it.

[RoninaThorstone]

5 Utility abilities, 5 Weapon abilities and you can weapon swap for 5 new abilities AFAIK.

@OP. It might be that the classes don't suit your playstyle, if you can't figure out what the main abilities in their respective rotations, combat won't be fluid and not really fun to play. Stick to your playstyle imo. I can only tell you that you'd probably only use about 5 abilities as a Guardian/Jugg (DPS spec) excluding charge, saber throw and survival cds.

So 10 abilities at any given moment. Sounds like the OPs kind of game.

[Lilly32]

I can only tell you that you'd probably only use about 5 abilities as a Guardian/Jugg (DPS spec) excluding charge, saber throw and survival cds.

What about Shadow? Is it just pebble and chunk of ground throw with a few light sabre attacks?

[RoninaThorstone]

What about Shadow? Is it just pebble and chunk of ground throw with a few light sabre attacks?

Shadow is stacking voltaic stack x2, project when at 2 stacks, backstab whenever buff is up, and discharge whenever you can. So yeah, its very simple and mainly is about watching your buff bars.

[Lilly32]

Shadow is stacking voltaic stack x2, project when at 2 stacks, backstab whenever buff is up, and discharge whenever you can. So yeah, its very simple and mainly is about watching your buff bars.

Heard its kinda like a DK might give it a shot seeing how I had five DKs lol.

[joecool4433]

But back to the topic can I play a Shadow/Assassin or Guardian/Juggernaut using only a handful of buttons in PvE? Not talking high end raiding. Just questing and maybe messing around in some WZs. I mean right now the light sabre classes are the most played in the game, going by /who. Certainly all of them arent pro gamers with $200 keyboards and 20 button mice running around with 40 keybinds.

I play both a Marauder and an Assassin Tank and they both do have a lot of abilities and keybindings. I'm not sure how many is "too many" to you, but for the Marauder, here is some of the bare bones ones you need for missioning and just casual gaming to keybind, all imo of course: Battering Assault (your standard attack is default right click), Cloak of Pain, Rupture, Force Scream, Ravage, Disruption, Unleash, Annhilation, and Deadly Saber (the last two assuming you go Annhilation spec). Blade Ward, Force Choke, Force Charge, and several other abilities can just be hit by simply clicking with your mouse as they are not used as much as the others, not that they aren't used, just that they aren't used as much throughout a fight. You might find you want to have Force Charge and Ravage switched because of Ravage's CD and having FC handy. Just giving you an idea of bare bones.

Assassin Tanks are little bit trickier and I don't think I couldn't use my abilities without modifiers. Again, going with just bare bones for missioning and etc., I'd say: (basic attack is again bound to RMB), Thrash, Shock, Force Lightning, Wither, Dark Charge, Overcharge Saber, Jolt, Assassination, and Discharge. Recklessness along with their two defensive CD's Force Shroud and Deflection can be used by clicking, but when it hits the fan, it'd be nice to have them on a keybind. Force Pull, your taunts, and guard are just preference. Although, none of the prior even covers Stealth and the few abilities you'd want to use like Mind Trap, Maul, Blackout, Force Shroud, or the other two abilities from the stealth talent tree.

I'd say its tough to try and not have any modifiers or just to limit keybinds with any class though just because there are so many situations where you need a specific ability that a keybind just takes the thought right out of it. I personally have the Razer Naga with shift modifiers, and even for just casually missioning, its very nice to have so many more abilities at my fingertips that combat is just more fluid and relaxing. I'm not scrambling to find my interrupt on my keyboard when its "6" on my mouse. Plus, for only around $80 it was a worthwhile investment because I use it for BF3 and other games, not just MMO's.

Hope the above gives you a better idea about class abilities that are used frequently. Good Luck!

[Stormcall]

I can only tell you that you'd probably only use about 5 abilities as a Guardian/Jugg (DPS spec) excluding charge, saber throw and survival cds.

If you're Vengeance spec...you will use Force Charge, Saber Throw(no reason to exclude them since you use them constantly), Sundering Assault, Shatter, Impale, Force Scream, Smash, Vicious Throw, and Ravage all the time. I recommend Retaliation also be easily accessible as well. Retaliation is off the GCD and can come in handy in tough fights cause it provides extra DPS without spending a GCD. You can probably get by without Vicious Slash but there are occasional moments where nothing else is available but it's your call. Ill repeat, as a DPS jugg I use all the above, very often. I did not exclude situational but still useful moves like Pommel Strike and Savage Kick(both of which I use regularly cause they hit HARD and neither is hard to setup), Force Choke, and Force Push, nor did I include your interrupt(which really should be bound), defensive/survival cooldowns, or utility abilities(Taunts, Enrage).

Also, Lilly, about "Heard its kinda like a DK might give it a shot seeing how I had five DKs lol.", Shadow TANKS are a bit like DKs, the other specs are really not like DKs, well, at all. Madness Assassins use a mix of dots and melee, but if we must compare them to WoW classes, they're like, uhh, a short range aff lock that borrowed a few moves from rogues and enhance shamans so they could melee.

[Repefe]

For me there are 20 key binds on keyboard that are easy to reach. `-5, f1-f4, qerfcxztgv. Rest I just click.