Playing Jedi Consular, few questions about the stats.

[pionock]

I'm wondering where I can find information about which stats are more favorable for each class. I mean, I play a Consular, and I'm still melee'ing right now (only level 4 at the moment), but I don't know if I need strength, Willpower, etc.

[Verth Aeyta]

Since Consular (whether you go Shadow or Sage) is dependent on Force techniques I believe you want Willpower for a primary stat and then depending if you want to tank/heal/etc would further subject you to figuring out your secondary stat.

[ZeroWashu]

I'm wondering where I can find information about which stats are more favorable for each class. I mean, I play a Consular, and I'm still melee'ing right now (only level 4 at the moment), but I don't know if I need strength, Willpower, etc.

check your codex on the archetype, its willpower.

Which feels odd when you go shadow but we have to trust them

[Atelniar]

Willpower is your primary damage-dealing stat and endurance boost your health and health regen, it seems. What TOR has done is something players screamed for in WoW on hybrid classes: scale their melee/casting abilities based on the same stat instead of having some classes that demand three stats and other one, primarily.

Willpower gives you melee and casting crit aswell as damage power. It also increases healing.

As a Shadow your main stats will be Willpower, Endurance, Crit and Power. In terms of pure output, crit is a a massive bonus to a Shadow due to how some abilities are tweaked and probably become more important than pure power, though I have not tested this at 50. Accuracy becomes important as well, in PvP expertise is a must and is given on PvP gear. Surge also matters, as it increases the amount you crit by.

If you decide to become a Shadow I recommend this thread. Which deals in detail with the Shadow advanced class. The Sage advanced class has a similar thread on our class forums.

While leveling ignore anything that does not give you willpower and endurance as most gear is well-optimized for each class. Willpower+endurance is the mark of a consular.

Note, I was talking from a melee dps point of view on crit, accuracy, etc. Power is good for most as it increases both damage and healing. Tanks will focus more on defense and absorbtion depending a little on which class you pick.

[Dundebuns]

Willpower is your primary stat. Depending on your advance class will depend on what secondary stats you want. As a Shadow tank, you'll want defense, adsorption, accuracy and shield chance, which you dont tend to get much of until higher levels.

[Valeron]

Yeah, you will focus on Willpower no matter what advanced class you take. Each class has a primary attribute that they are based on.

Jedi Knight/Sith Warrior = Strength
Jedi Consular/Sith Inquisitor = Willpower
Trooper/Bounty Hunter = Aim
Smuggler/Imperial Agent = Cunning

Endurance is a stat that all classes can use. If you plan to tank you might want to stack more. And as said above, what secondary stats you use depends on the advanced class you choose and what role you want to perform.

[pionock]

Wait, so Consulars can only tank or heal? Is that what I'm taking from this? If so, I'll probably switch it up, I'm looking to play a dps class this go around.

[Valeron]

Wait, so Consulars can only tank or heal? Is that what I'm taking from this? If so, I'll probably switch it up, I'm looking to play a dps class this go around.

All classes can dps.

[pionock]

All classes can dps.

Splendid, that answers everything.

[Dakia]

Wait, so Consulars can only tank or heal? Is that what I'm taking from this? If so, I'll probably switch it up, I'm looking to play a dps class this go around.

Consular is the basic class. At level 10, you pick an advanced class. A Consular can either go Sage or Shadow.

http://www.torhead.com/class/8iHV0Mo

[Atelniar]

Wait, so Consulars can only tank or heal? Is that what I'm taking from this? If so, I'll probably switch it up, I'm looking to play a dps class this go around.

Consulars can Tank, heal, melee dps, range dps with casting and a hybrid spec which allows you to do a bit of both healing and dps to a moderate degree. One of the trees focuse more on "over time effects". Strictly speaking a Consular can do anything, but you won't be allowed to do it all. The real classes are the advanced classes in TOR. The Consular can become a Shadow or a Sage.

The Sage can heal, or do DPS in two different ways. Over time (think warlock) or the typical casting class similar to a mage.

The shadow can tank, focusing on absorbtions and mobility. They can melee dps in the rogue style, but with much more options from mid-range as they have some spells that are useful beyond stabbing. The Shadow also has a spec that offers moderate self healing (the tank spec heals a little bit too, note: this is really minor healing that is based of an aura in a sort of stance which all Shadows can do) through some skills in the balance tree. The Balance tree is fairly similar to an enhancement shaman I guess. Some ranged abilities but some melee strength too.

Each advanced class (mostly) will be able to fill two roles. Shadows can be tanks or DPS and Sages can be healers or DPS. The same goes for every advanced class. Hence every class is somewhat better balanced than what it is in WoW where rogues are forced to only DPS, etc.

[-aiko-]

All classes share the same main stat, regardless of which AC they choose. All Knights want Strength, all Consulars want Willpower, all Gunslingers want Cunning, all Troopers want Aim. So regardless of which way you go, you're going to want Willpower. It's your secondary stats (alacrity, crit, surge, accuracy, defense, etc) that change depending on your AC.

[Valeron]

Each advance class will be able to fill two roles. Shadows can be tanks or DPS and Sages can be healers or DPS. The same goes for every advanced class. Hence every class is somewhat better balanced than what it is in WoW where rogues are forced to only DPS, etc.

That's not quite true. Sentinels/Mauraders and Gunslingers/Snipers can only dps.

[Atelniar]

Ahh, true. Still, it remains true for the majority of the advanced classes. In fact I think that means only 2 out of 8 are limited and Sentinels/Mauraders are viable off-tanks. They do have a tanking stance, don't they? I know for a fact that Sentinels in general take a lot less damage when tanking in groups then a Shadow does if it is not tank specced and we can off-tank a fair bit while leveling. As for end game, that probably depends on how many mobs and how strong they are. A main tank will always be desirable.

[Valeron]

Ahh, true. Still, it remains true for the majority of the advanced classes. In fact I think that means only 2 out of 8 are limited and Sentinels/Mauraders are viable off-tanks. They do have a tanking stance, don't they?

No they don't. But they do have some mitigations cooldowns like Saber Ward. But there are no artificial threat generation tools like taunt

[Atelniar]

No they don't. But they do have some mitigations cooldowns like Saber Ward. But there are no artificial threat generation tools like taunt

I see, you lack a taunt. But you do have damage mitigations at least. That does make tanking very hard if the DPS or healer gain aggro. x) No matter your mitigation.

I guess you want to be careful about picking Sentinel/Maurauder or Sniper/Gunslinger then. Otherwise, the classes are well-balanced I guess. Out of curiosity, what kind of utility do you offer other than the mitigation cooldowns? As a shadow we have a sap and a poor version of force lift which is ineffective on stronger mobs for some reason. This is no matter the spec. We also have a buff of course.

[Valeron]

Just have to dps harder than they do ;-P

[Imhullu]

Codex has answers to pretty much everything regarding questions like this, and ones you see in general chat.
It can tell you your main stats, it can tell you your companions main stats, it can give you info on crew skills, etc.

[Atelniar]

Just have to dps harder than they do ;-P

That shouldn't be hard. Sentinels seems to have higher DPS output than many. Although by a very small margin. I just notice that some champion mobs we get to 1% and die on sometimes drop in the same time with Sentinels in the group. So I am thinking Sentinels get a average bonus of ~1-5% compared to some other DPS specs to make them more wanted. It's not a hybrid tax exactly, as most classes can fill more than one role it seems.

That said, Shadows have fairly sick single-target output if they get to be behind the target as infiltration.

[-aiko-]

Out of curiosity, what kind of utility do you offer other than the mitigation cooldowns? As a shadow we have a sap and a poor version of force lift which is ineffective on stronger mobs for some reason. This is no matter the spec. We also have a buff of course.

Gunslingers have a group wide shield that absorbs incoming damage, as well as a short cooldown snare. Apart from that, we don't have much apart from flat out damage. Our CC only works on droids. Not sure about Sentinels, but I hear they're just as gimped.