Group Composition... before I start

Hi all,

Just got into SWTOR over the past weekend (free trial!) and really enjoy it. Once I found out it was quite multibox-able, I immediately signed up!

Leveled up a few different toons to lvl 10, including a complete set (4) of Troopers.

I want to do all the 4-man PvE content possible, and wanting to do it with the easiest group composition possible (think Prot Pally + 4 Shamans).

From what I've read here sounds like the following group should work:

1) Trooper/Vanguard (Tank)
2) Trooper/Gunnery (Range DPS)
3) Trooper/Gunnery (Range DPS)
4) Jedi Consular/Seer (Heals)

Let me know if there is a better/easier group.

I play Imperials, I am so to say playing Trooper Tank + 3 Jedi Consular. Your setup looks good. 3 Jedi Consular may be easier since you dont need to watch energy bars of your DDs then.

Generally I'd say you cant multibox with 4 toons:
Operations
Directive 7 FP
Foundry FP (dont know whether this is Imp. only)

I'm just playing two Consular's right now both sage builds through mostly the telekinetic tree. Right now I'm just having the two companions tank and using force lift for my crowd control X2. So far there isn't a single H2 or H4 I haven't been able to do. I had a bit of trouble with the last boss in the Hammer Station Flashpoint and died the first time I tried it until I changed tactics and stacked my two sages and just moved out of his excessive AE attacks.

I think three Consulars with a Trooper tank would be your best bet. That's three crowd controls per fight. I'd make one of up the healing tree more though.

Good luck, I'm enjoying my two immensely.

Here is the build I'm shooting for with my two sages: http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#60...bdoMutzZcM0M.1

Good luck!

Malgor - What level were you when you finally beat HS 2 boxing? That is really impressive. I'm thinking I might try to work a sage into my group of sentinels now.

Longshot - I find that it is easier to box with a group of the same class. I can only assume that if you have good boxing skills that any of the above groups would make it easier to clear a flashpoint.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Riiker

Malgor - What level were you when you finally beat HS 2 boxing? That is really impressive. I'm thinking I might try to work a sage into my group of sentinels now.

---

I would like to know this as well - I've tried it with a Sage/Shadow combo and a Juggernaut/Sorceror combo. Both were unable to kill the final boss before the FP went grey. My two sages were only 1 level grey, but they both had their healer companion which helped a lot. My Juggernaut/Sorceror combo have yet to beat the final boss and it's now 2 levels grey :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Riiker

Malgor - What level were you when you finally beat HS 2 boxing? That is really impressive. I'm thinking I might try to work a sage into my group of sentinels now.

---

HS is 16 I believe. I think I was 20. Some of the mobs didn't give exp. I'm 25 now and am going to do Athiss next and see how that goes.

What I finally did was stack the two together instead of spreading them apart and then had broadcasting on for both the keyboard and mouse. So instead of having to watch out for the red circle x2 constantly, I just moved them when he targeted it for one spot. I just healed through it when it hit the companions, because having them try to move is insane. When the adds spawn I just targeted them as quickly as I could for the first two or three rounds of them, then ignored them and took down the boss. Granted remember I died the first time I tried it.

The Trooper/Vanguard tank with 3 Consular/Sages does make more sense.

I'm going to level up a 4-some of Sages (though I already have one so far), and redo the first lvl 10-12 FP, and compare the two formations.

In my experience, i started initially with a Vanguard and Commando duo, got them both to 50 and then wanted to try 4 boxing. At this time im currently leveling a Guardian, Sage, Commando, and Shadow, for a completely mixed group, sitting at level 40 atm.

In terms of the tank aspect, i have not decided if i like the Guardian over the Vanguard at this time.

From the DPS aspect, like a few others have stated, Same class makes is so much more enjoyable. I also find that using Sentinel/Shadow for melee DPS can be a hassle sometimes especially in a mixed composition group. If you go all melee that would be different, but having 2 ranged(healer/ranged dps) and 2 melee(tank/melee) positioning and your keymaps get jacked up and confusing sometimes. I had to rebuild my Keymaps several times learning/trying/design/figuring out even with the input from this forum, and im in the process of planning entirely new keymaps out. As for my currently DPS setup Sage/Healer casting Distrubance when i can afford it, the Shadow DPS, and Gunnery Commando, i usually do not have issues taking on Champions , however i find that some of the champions that have aoe abilities, moving around melee with the current style of follow we have can be a headache sometimes. After this team is 50 i will most likely level 2 more gunnery commandos or 2 more Tele/Balance Sages.

As for the healer, i personally have more experience on a Commando Healer raiding as it was my original main. Commandos are amazing single target healers, currently pre-1.2, commando healers have very very bad aoe healing and quick spot healing they do get an instant heal with a large cooldown, but that's not enough a lot of our current healing revolves around making sure we use another ability prior to enhance the ability of our next heal. In my opinion, and with some reviewing on the PTS, Post 1.2 they are nerfing some of our burst healing for PVP reasons and reducing some of the bonuses we get on healing pvp reasons, which affect the class overall; however even with the increase of 3 to 4 on the kolto bomb, it still will not make our aoe healing any better as the radius of it is so small.

I am currently preferring a Sage healer at this time pre-1.2. Post-1.2 im not sure as im not 50 with my sage yet. The over-all Force management and general abilities are much more direct and efficient when comparing it to a Commandos, not to mention their aoe heal has a larger radius and hits up to 8 people. Sages get force armor that shields for more and longer. Yes commandos get a sort-of-shield, but it requires you do Bacta-Infusion first before being able to shield someone using kolto-bomb.

So all in all, im having an enjoyable time, however i need to really streamline my macros within isboxer to make effort more manageable. Right now i having issues with getting overwhelmed with elite mobs 3 to 4 and i have an issue keeping them on my guardian and off my healer.

I have persisted with my first group, Vanguard, Gunnery, Gunnery, Seer. Managed to do the first flash point, and also a few heroic 4 man quests. Having everyone range, is nice. I'm using a crude healing system which might need revamped (Fnc-keys, one for each member, then Shift-Fnc key for big heals).

Trick now is tuning the DPS rotation. This is difficult as in WoW you could go stand in front of a target dummy with a dps meter (was actually one of the more fun things to do in Multiboxing).

Any advice on Gunnery dps that excludes 'focus' abilities? I'm only 18ish, and if the experience is what I'm expecting things will change so much between now and 50 but still fun to tinker and tweak.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Longshot17

Trick now is tuning the DPS rotation. This is difficult as in WoW you could go stand in front of a target dummy with a dps meter (was actually one of the more fun things to do in Multiboxing).

---

Can't help with the rest of your questions... but combat training dummies are coming in the 1.2 patch, along with combat logging. Some people on the test server have come up with log parsers, but an in-game meter would be nice obviously :) No word on if they are working on that or not.