As more and more MMOs’ release, it is evident that World of Warcraft’s success has been an anomaly. Remember when SWTOR was strutted as the next “WoW killer?” But ultimately a large exodus occurred, and layoffs followed. Many have since begun questioning the success of any subscription based MMO to follow. If Bioware is struggling with a subscription model when they have the biggest IP you can attach to an MMO, what hope is there for any other MMO that follows the same model? Essentially, Bioware needs to convert to the Free-to-Play model if they want to increase their profit and player base.

The future of MMOs is Free-to-Play with microtransactions.  Playing Diablo 3 has made this evident. I know what you are thinking, Diablo 3 isn’t an MMO. Technically you are right, at least in the traditional sense. MMOs are generally defined by hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously playing in a persistent world, but there are other factors that define MMOs. Other common features include some form of progression, social interaction, in-game economy, character customization and crafting. Diablo 3 has all these traits; it allows players to group together from a pool of thousands of other players. Players are able to socialize using the in-game general chat and friends list. Also, there is an in-game economy established by the Auction House. Diablo 3 will be generating income post launch through the real-money Auction House, an alternative to the in-game gold Auction House. It allows users to sell items for cash for a modest 15% transaction fee, but only when items sell successfully. Although the Auction House hasn’t been implemented yet, the plan is to implement it soon. SWTOR can use the same model for their NTN.

The Free-to-Play is being used successfully by Everquest II, Dungeons and Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online. Many have speculated that the next MMO from Blizzard, Titan, will be Free-to-Play.  So why do MMOs still use subscriptions over the Free-to-play model?  Many publishers look at World of Warcraft’s numbers and think if they can allure away 10 percent of World of Warcraft’s subscribers they will be successful. Looking at Rift’s add campaign slogan: “You aren’t in Azeroth anymore?  Makes this prevalent. Even though many new MMOs attract a good portion of players away from World of Warcraft, most of them either go back or jump onto the next big MMO.

SWTOR would be perfect for the Free-to-Play model because of the Legacy System. One only has to look at the black market to support this. The exchange rate the day before patch 1.3 was about nine dollars for 1 million credits. After 1.3 released it went up to almost twenty dollars for 1 million credits, demonstrating that players are willing to pay real money for in-game Legacy unlocks.

With so many great MMOs on the market, bunny hoping from one to the other is becoming the thing to do. It is one group of players that play all these MMOs, and I doubt most will subscribe to multiple MMOs simultaneously, but they will likely spend a few dollars a month on microtransactions on various MMOs. Obviously, Bioware is banking on patch 1.3 to turn the tides in their favor, but if it doesn’t the Free-to-Play model would be their best option. Sound off in the forms bellow and let us know if SWTOR should stay a subscription based MMO or change to Free-to-Play.

FORCE Junkie Basics Series is an effort to help you decide and decipher between all the different Classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic. This series of video guides describes the eight basic classes in the game to help give you an idea of the classes mechanics and root abilities. Each of the eight different classes are broke up into mirrors; for example the Jedi Knight and the Sith Warrior are the two equivalent Imperial and Republic classes. Each of the eight basic classes are divided up into two separate Advanced Classes which are not covered in these guides.

So if you are new to the game and want to see a brief intro into each class, make sure you watch each video to get an idea of what you’re getting yourself into!

Captain Seara’s back again today to show off the completion to her beta adventures. The planets Taris, Nar Shaddaa, and Tatooine will be featured as well as a brief foray into space battle. Coverage of the end-beta block party is also included. Sit back and enjoy the screenshot ride, and just think– the real ride’s just around the corner.

Our Mostly Fearless Captain

Seara the Smuggler

The Conclusion of a Planet in Shambles: Taris

Seara starts the day with unfinished business on Taris, a war-torn and beast-ridden planet. The Captain finds herself delving deep into ancient Jedi ruins and discovering lost secrets that the planet had been protecting for far too long. The Smuggler’s goal? Treasure, of course!

A Walk on the Wild Side: Nar Shaddaa

After achieving her goal on Taris, our Captain decides to deliver some cargo to a Hutt master on the dangerous Nar Shaddaa. Nar Shaddaa has some spectacular sights for a Smuggler who enjoys life on the run. From her first moments on the planet, Seara witnesses a police capture, some awesome night life, and some fun at a local cantina. After meeting with her contact, she is sent to the Hutt master’s pleasure barge. Oh, take a look at Seara’s and Corso’s trendy outfits on page 2. Smugglin’ in style! And uh, terrible color coordination.

As always, she finds more than she originally bargained for, and finds herself deep in criminal territory on a search for a beast on the brink of extinction and a way out of the mess she gets herself tangled in. Some highlights of the criminal territory: a helpful local with the same style as Seara and a criminal fighting pit.

Rescuing a Friend in Need: Nar Shaddaa

During her time on Nar Shaddaa, our Captain meets Bowdaar, a Wookie fighting for survival and his freedom from the Hutts. He assists Seara during a little squabble, and she decides to return the favor and help free him. He joins her crew and becomes a welcome addition to the team. Bowdaar is a melee tank, and is efficient with a lightsaber.

A Detour and a Speeder: Carrick Station

Upon reaching level 25, Captain Seara decides to take a detour to Carrick Station and pick up her landspeeder, the Rendili Watchman. Available for 8k credits, the speeder increases movement speed by 90%. Hey, Sprint is awesome, but a speeder’s more awesome.

More Detours and Some uh, Explosions: Space Battle

Feeling a bit brave, Seara decides to take her starship into space combat. She discovers that contrary to popular belief, not all starship captains can fly a naked ship into space combat and exit the hero. Some captains just kind of… run into trouble. And explosions. Lots of explosions. Can anyone say big badda boom?

A Desert Under Two Suns: Tatooine

Our Captain’s done with exploding starships for now. Next up on the exploration list: Tatooine. Seara and Corso check out the scene surrounding the spaceport, but unfortunately don’t have time to see more of the planet. The local cantina provides a welcome source of entertainment, and some neighboring Jawa sneak their way into a screenshot.

Farewell Until the Real Thing: Coruscant

There’s one last stop in the beta tour– the Coruscant block party. During the last half-hour of beta, BioWare invited everyone to dance in the main capitals as we bid farewell to our beta adventures. A few folks decided to commit mass suicide as the minutes counted down to server implosion. Seara just kind of watched in disbelief, and Bowdaar did the same while watching her attempt to dance in front of the Jedi senate building. Apparently this Smuggler can’t fly a starship in battle or dance.

Seara was only around during beta for three weeks, but those three weeks were pretty amazing. I hope you’ve enjoyed taking a look at Star Wars: The Old Republic through her eyes. This series will most likely begin again after the game’s launch with a brand new tour guide. Until then, enjoy exploring the galaxy, and keep on Smugglin’.

The only question that remains is: Which style fits me? Here to help provide an answer to that question is a little playstyle guide. Rather than break down the trees by their talents and abilities, I’m going to break down the classes and trees by their unique features. If a set of features calls out to you, then that gives you a good idea of which trees to take a closer look at. Speaking of talent trees, take a look at both the Gunslinger tree and Scoundrel tree while we go through the list of features.

Oh, and feel free to take this playstyle guide into consideration for you Imperial Agents out there, as well. I’ll even add the Agent trees in parenthesis where appropriate. The applicable talent trees are the Operative tree and the Sniper tree.

Basic Class Features

Cover

The cover feature is unique to the Smuggler and Imperial Agent classes. The default version of cover works in a couple of ways. You can crouch in place without getting any defensive bonuses, which enables you to use abilities that need cover. Alternatively, you can roll into cover behind an actual object and receive defense bonuses toward any normal ranged damage you take, in addition to gaining the ability to use cover-only abilities. This isn’t explained the best in-game. Pictured here are two screenshots depicting this.

That green circle under your character appears when behind an object. You’ll also notice a green shield icon in the enemy’s name plate. That signifies that your character is protected from ranged abilities by that enemy. By choosing the Gunslinger (Sniper) advanced class a Smuggler will gain additional benefits to the cover system, and will be able to pop up a screen anywhere that provides defense on-the-go.

Cover is extremely important for all Gunslingers, so if you enjoy being able to deal damage safely from behind a protected barrier, Gunslinger is probably a good choice. If you find the cover system somewhat limiting, you may wish to look toward the Scoundrel (Operative) tree. Luckily, you’ll get a chance to play with the cover system before deciding this.

Stealth

In the Smuggler (Agent) class, stealth is unique to Scoundrels (Operatives). Gamers usually know how they feel about stealth before they approach a class – either they’ll love it or hate it. Take it for what it is, but it can be incredibly useful for PvP combat and PVE leveling.

Stealth is done well in SWTOR. It doesn’t have a timer or a long cooldown. Scoundrels and Operatives will get a Vanish-type ability on a cooldown that enables stealth during combat. Your companion will also stealth along with you, which is awesome. Stealth can be considered the main gap-closer for these classes, since most of their strongest abilities are from melee range.

Ranged/Melee Combat

This one’s pretty simple. Smugglers and Imperial Agents have both ranged damage and melee damage available to them. If you’re more comfortable with ranged damage, Gunslinger (Sniper) is most likely your style. If melee’s your flavor, Scoundrel (Operative) is probably the experience you’ll enjoy most. If you like mixing it up, both classes may have options for you, but Gunslinger offers the better ranged experience. Don’t forget that Gunslinger offers an automatic 20% extra range to most shots!

Let’s move beyond the advanced classes and into the talent tree choices. Unless specified, it is assumed that at least 31 points will go into the suggested tree. Hybrids are possible in SWTOR, but for the purposes of this guide, they will be mostly left out. After placing 31 points into the main tree suggested, consider both the rest of the talents in the original tree as well as the beginning talents in both of the other two trees. The bottom tiers often contain bonuses for all specs.

Advanced Class Playstyles

Healing

This one’s pretty straightforward. If you’re interested in healing full-time, go Sawbones (Medicine). If you’re interested in healing part-time, for a PvP build for example, it’s still best to put the majority of points into Sawbones. This is because many of the strongest healing talents are far up the tree. The least amount of points you can probably get away with is 24.

Single-target Ranged DPS

For Smugglers seeking the greatest single-target ranged DPS, the Sharpshooter (Marksmanship) tree of Gunslinger (Sniper) is probably worth a look. The tree features high-damage shots and the ability to fire them off quickly.

Single-target Melee DPS

For this role you’ll want tochoose at the Scrapper (Concealment) tree. The playstyle of this tree is similar to rogue-style classes in other MMOs. It utilizes stealth and some attacks that require being behind the target. The tree also offers poison damage and armor penetration. Hybridization may work well with this tree.

Ranged AoE DoT DPS

The Saboteur (Engineering) tree offers more flexibility than Sharpshooter. The majority of the tree’s abilities are either area-of-effect grenades, drones that deal elemental damage, or single-target elemental shots that deal damage-over-time. The emphasis is placed on ranged combat. This tree seems like it would be well-suited for Smugglers who spend more time AoE-ing than killing single enemies. There are also a small amount of survivability talents in this tree. This is another tree where hybridization would work well.

Utility/DoT/PvP

Both the Gunslinger and Scoundrel have Dirty Fighting (Lethality) talent trees. These trees provide a good mix of damage over time abilities, survival abilities, and utility abilities. There’s an awesome low-tier talent that reduces the cooldown on Dirty Kick (Debilitate) for example, which should be considered by all aspiring PvP Smugglers. Both trees have the same talents, so the main factor when considering the two are the perks that each advanced class grant. Stealth and minor healing abilities are offered from one angle, and additional range on most abilities is offered from the other.

This tree seems more mobile than the other trees, largely due to the fact that DoTs play a large part in the rotation. The Gunslinger Dirty Fighting tree, for example, might be great for a PvP player who wants to stay in the background and fire off DoTs to the entire opposing team. Hybridization definitely seems possible for these trees. The first idea that sticks out to me is a Sawbones/Dirty Fighting hybrid.

As you can see, there are a lot of fun options when it comes to Smugglers and Imperial Agents. The classes offer some fantastic utility, and some fun while experimenting with all of the options. The galaxy’s the limit. Enjoy the ride!

Leveling as a pure healer in an MMORPG is sometimes rough. The experience is known to be boring and repetitive. A Holy Priest leveling in World of Warcraft, for example, can cast a couple DoTs and Smite. And Smite. And feel squishy against every single mob. And Smite some more, this time with spell pushback. There’s a good reason why WoW introduced the dual spec system. Sure, dual spec works, but it’s also not very immersive. Star Wars: The Old Republic went a different route. BioWare simply made the healing classes fun to level.

The Sawbones-specced Scoundrel Smuggler is no exception. In fact, I would argue that Scoundrels are one of the most enjoyable, versatile classes among all the classes, and that the Sawbones abilities compliment the Scoundrel playstyle perfectly. The Scoundrel slides away from the need to play a gun-wielding class from range, which opens up a lot of options while leveling. A Sawbones Scoundrel can heal from range while their companion deals with the brunt of the attack, and they can also be up where the action is– kicking, blasting, and firing off grenades at mobs.

Many players question the fact that they cannot choose their advanced class until level 10, but there’s one benefit to this leveling process, and it’s notably seen in the Sawbones spec. By the time a Smuggler chooses their advanced class, they already have an arsenal of useful ranged attacks, melee attacks, and crowd control options. Choosing the Scoundrel advanced class grants the Smuggler some additional melee perks, the ability to stealth, and Upper Hand, which is the major energy regeneration/bonus ability component of the class. And then healing abilities are added to the already-impressive ability list. This is no WoW Smite-a-thon.

Before getting into actual gameplay, here’s a look at the Sawbones talent tree. The level 20 spec to aim for is probably this one here. Slow-release Medpac is the Scoundrel’s HoT, and makes life a whole lot easier. The HoT is delivered by a cute little droid as pictured to the left, and can be stacked up to two times. Every talent chosen leading up to that spell is immediately useful. Activation time pushback sucks, and a talent to do away with the majority of it early on will come as a relief to most veteran healers.

Until level 20, the only heals a Sawbones Scoundrel will have is Underworld Medicine, Kolto Pack, and Diagnostic Scan. All three are useful, but it takes a little practice to learn which to use and for what circumstance. The first thing to become accustomed to is the Upper Hand mechanic. At level 12, a Sawbones will gain access to Pugnacity, which is important to keep track of and keep up at all times. During these early levels, learn to get a feel for when to recast Pugnacity. Luckily, it’s easy to gain Upper Hand when needed, thanks to Exploratory Surgery.

A Sawbones will also want to keep the actual Upper Hand buff up at all times when possible. Later on, there’s a talent for a 30% chance to gain Upper Hand during Slow-release Medpac ticks, which will ease the need to weave so many casts of Underworld Medicine in a rotation. But for now, rotate your two best heals as needed. Diagnostic Scan is useful for times when there isn’t much damage going around, since it doesn’t have an energy cost. It’s best to weave it in between larger healers, which gives your energy time to regenerate. Start healing early and often, and energy will be easier to maintain.

Speaking of energy regeneration, these early levels are the best time to get a feel for how to manage and conserve energy. The first time a Sawbones Scoundrel groups up for a group quest or instance, they may find themselves strapped for energy, but the key is to learn how to weave in Diagnostic Scan, and ensure Pugnacity stays up. It just takes some practice. For this reason, it’s important to practice healing as early as possible. Also, don’t forget about Cool Head, which is a cooldown obtainable at level 14.

Practice doesn’t always have to come during flashpoint groups, however. Thanks to SWTOR’s companion system, it’s very possible and quite handy to practice healing with good ol’ Corso Riggs. While out questing, there are plenty of Heroic areas and mobs to test out energy conservation and healing abilities in general. It’s a fun challenge to take on a Heroic quest solo, and it’s very possible to succeed in doing so as a Sawbones Scoundrel, at least during these early levels.

Normal combat is also useful for testing out the boundaries of energy regeneration. First, let’s talk combat strategies at this level. It’s still possible to utilize the cover mechanic while leveling as Sawbones, but it isn’t necessary. One approach is to start combat in cover with a Sabotage Charge. Send Corso in and follow up with either a Charged Burst or start running toward the mobs, tossing out a Thermal Grenade along the way.

As you approach the mobs, you’ll be able to start firing off Quick Shots and Blaster Whip. Blaster Whip is extremely useful when on the offense, since it grants Upper Hand. Pop Pugnacity after this, and continue using melee moves and AoE moves until the area’s clear. Dirty Kick is also great to use while in melee range, since it stuns. As a bonus, it’s pretty damn fun.

When fighting Heroic mobs, it’s sometimes best to lay low on the offensive attacks until you have the energy to spare. It’s possible to stay ranged and toss out heals and blaster shots when needed, or run in and Dirty Kick to help Corso mitigate damage. You can also do this during group Flashpoints as well. Try tossing out a Dirty Kick when you have a moment to spare then resume healing. Don’t forget that you can help your group damage mobs if the opportunity allows for it. A Scoundrel’s crowd control abilities like Tranquilizer and Distraction are also useful.

Along the same lines, no utility discussion would be complete without touching on Stealth. There’s no denying the fact that being able to stealth as a healer is absolutely amazing. Stealth is actually pretty awesome in SWTOR, too, since it isn’t on a timer. The cooldown between uses is also low, and with Sprint, Stealth isn’t painfully slow. This makes it possible to utilize Stealth while leveling. Use it to bypass unwanted mobs or to slip behind an enemy to open up a fight. Corso stealths alongside the Smuggler, which is just another way BioWare got the stealth system right in The Old Republic.

The obvious question most folks are probably asking themselves right now is, “But how’s the damage in this spec?” and honestly, the damage is solid, at least for the first few planets. This is partially due to the fact that Cunning drives the power behind both healing and offensive abilities, and also due to the wide array of offensive abilities all Scoundrels have access to. Companions pack quite a punch as well, which makes quests fly by in general.

As a Sawbones Scoundrel, you’re not just a healer, but a healer with the ability to stealth, crowd control, kick a guy in the nuts, toss grenades, and pack a mean punch with your blaster. What’s not to like? The hybrid is strong in this spec, and it’s amazingly fun for leveling.

Screenshots are awesome. The Smuggler class is awesome. In celebration of these two objects of complete awesomeness, here’s a small virtual tour of some of the screenshots I’ve managed to gather during beta thus far. The planets of Ord Mantell, Coruscant, and Taris will be covered in this tour, as well as the Republic Fleet and Esseles. Environment and story screenshots are the general focus in this tour, although I will include some that contain the player UI and feature combat. As a warning, there may be story spoilers in both the screenshots and descriptions.

Meet the Tour Guide:

Seara the Smuggler

Origin Planet: Ord Mantell

Seara lands on Ord Mantell expecting to finish a routine smuggling operation. She soon finds out that nothing’s ever as easy as described in the mission log. Amidst the raging war against the separatists, our Captain finds herself waging her own war against a criminal who has stolen something very precious from her. Along the way, she earns a fair bit of credits and enjoys some gunplay.

The Republic Fleet: Carrick Station

Still on the search for what started her entire journey, our Captain sets her eye on Coruscant. Before she can get there, however, she takes a little time out to explore the Republic Fleet and seek out some advanced Smuggler training. The advanced Smuggler trainer is shown in the last screenshot.

Flashpoint: Esseles

While on her way to Coruscant, Seara runs into some uh, technical difficulties during transit aboard the Esseles. Like the good Republic citizen she sometimes pretends to be, she decides to help out against the attack of an Empire ship. She then boards the enemy ship as seen in the last screenshot, and sends the Empire a personal message via her blaster.

The Republic Capital: Coruscant

Upon finally reaching her destination, our Captain and Corso set out to explore Coruscant and all the sights the planet offers. They spend some time in the local cantina, as shown in the second portion of screenshots. Seara and Corso soon find a lead in their mission, and journey into the darkest corners of the planet in search for the lead, and a few credits along the way.

A Captain’s Starship: The XS Freighter

You can’t take the skies away from our Captain for too long. Portrayed here are some scenes when Seara first re-obtains her ship, the XS Freighter, and a brief tour of some of the ship’s areas. Also featured is the ship’s map as shown in the UI and a preview of the galaxy map feature, which is where our Captain controls her ship. You can predict the next destination from the planet selected– Taris.

Exploring the Galaxy: Taris

Our Smuggler decides to swing over toward Taris, a planet lost among ruins and ancient beasts. Shown here are scenes of exploring the planet and some group combat.

That’s it for this week. If you’d like to see a continuation in this tour, feel free to drop me a comment, and Seara will do her best to get herself into all sorts of additional trouble this coming week.

Today I’m continuing my focus on early Smuggler gameplay and introducing Corso Riggs, the first Smuggler companion. You’ll get him around level 7-8 on Ord Mantell after you complete a certain story progression quest. You’ll be quick to pick up on the fact that you’re going to get him for a companion since he randomly whines about wanting to join you as you complete Smuggler quests. He’s not a bad guy– just a little eager to help you shoot down enemies. Hey, the more the merrier, right?

Corso Riggs wears heavy armor and rifles, and starts out as a ranged tank. He later gains the ability to perform just as ranged DPS. He comes with a nifty ranged taunt ability, and later gets a ranged AoE taunt along with some ranged AoE abilities. He also has a harpoon-type ability that can be used to bring enemies into melee range, but it’s toggled off by default.

Companions are a vital part of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Not only do they help you in combat (except in operations), they also serve as your own personal little crafting crew. Have them go out and chink away at rocks and scavenge for metal pieces while you go about your business of doing important uh, Smuggler activities. Yeah. You can have your crew run crafting missions while you’re running flashpoints, while you’re checking the Trade Market, or while you’re just sitting around in Coruscant waiting for a group to form up.

It’s also pretty handy to have your crew gather crafting material in the combat field. Since most harvesting options have a casting time, you can set them over to scavenge or slice a junk pile or body, continue killing, and let them catch up. Make sure you keep them around while you’re turning in quests, because as you level, your companion will have an opinion about decisions you make. If they like what you’re saying, you will gain affection points with them. If not, you’ll see points subtracted. These points will have an affect on what kinds of dialogue and quest options they provide, and may also lead to a romance.

Corso’s personality is pretty light-influenced. If you offer to help someone out or let a prisoner live, he’ll likely be impressed. If you plan on going dark side, however, don’t worry. You can sway Corso back to liking you with a little help from companion gifts. Companion gifts can be crafted, gained during crafting missions, bought off vendors, and received from certain quests. Not all companions like all types of gifts. Toss Corso anything that looks like it belongs in a military duffel bag, and he’ll be happy.

If you’re playing a female Smuggler like I am, you’ll see that it’s possible to have a romance with Corso. He’s the only Smuggler male companion that’s romance-able, which is a bit of a shame considering there are two romance-able females. On the plus side, Corso is very customizable. Before you finish with Ord Mantell, you’ll get a choice between three Corso Riggs Customizations. For your convenience, here’s a diagram of all three, the icons on each item, and the default Corso for comparison purposes:

More customization options will appear as you level. Corso’s appearance also changes with the armor he has equipped, as you can see in model 1. Make sure and keep him well-equipped as you level, and he’ll perform well in combat and out on the dance floor. Maybe. Or not.

As you wander the planets of SWTOR, Corso will randomly make comments, engage in conversation with your character, offer suggestions, quests, and even shout battle cries during combat. My Smuggler kept referring to him yesterday as a farm boy, which amused me greatly. BioWare did an excellent job with their companion system in my opinion. Corso isn’t anything like the combat pets we’ve seen in past MMOs, and to me, that’s a great thing. He doesn’t even aggro entire rooms of mobs if the two of you happen to get split up. Talk about progress!

Advanced classes are an important component of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Each faction has only four available classes to start, but at level ten an advanced class is chosen, bringing the total to eight. The aspiring Smuggler, for example, must choose at level ten whether to become a Scoundrel or a Gunslinger. Scoundrels and Gunslingers use different tactics and can play very different roles. Read on for more information on your options.

Picking an advanced class is almost as important a decision as picking your initial class. At level 10, the two paths diverge with each advanced class receiving different skills and bonuses. For example, if at level 10 you choose the Scoundrel advanced class, you will immediately be given stealth, healing abilities, and proficiency with scatterguns. If you choose Gunslinger, on the other hand, you will receive a bonus to your blaster abilities’ range and to your defenses while in cover, and you will be able to equip a second blaster. The story may stay the same, but the roles of the two advanced classes diverge quickly.

Let’s discuss the individual advanced classes. Each has three skill trees: two are unique for each advanced class and a third is shared. The abilities a player receives as they level are decided by which advanced class they choose, but the role they play is decided, possibly more so, by how they allocate their skill points. A Scoundrel may be given some healing abilities simply for being a Scoundrel, but to unlock the most powerful abilities and become a good healer, they need to spend their skill points in the Sawbones tree.

Gunslinger:
Gunslingers are a pure DPS advanced class. They focus on unleashing intense ranged damage with dual blaster pistols and a slough of explosives. They are able to further specialize by putting points into three skill trees: Saboteur, Sharpshooter, and Dirty Fighting.

The Saboteur skill tree enhances the Gunslinger’s current explosive skills while also giving access to new and powerful explosive and tech abilities. The Saboteur is a master of AOE damage. With skills like Sapping Charge and Incendiary Grenade, they both control and destroy groups of enemies with ease.

The Sharpshooter tree focuses on taking cover and showing what two blaster pistols can do. This tree is heavily cover-dependent, but provides precise high-damage attacks that obliterate single targets quickly. The Sharpshooter is the guy you’ll see dug-in behind a barrier, repelling wave after wave of onrushing Imperials with volleys of blaster-fire.

The third tree, Dirty Fighting, is shared by the two advanced classes. True to the Smuggler’s style, it chooses victory over honor, focusing on dirty tactics which provide bleed and cripple effects as well as a smattering of survivability tools.

Scoundrel:
Scoundrels are a bit more flexible than their Gunslinger counterpart. They are given both healing and DPS abilities, and are able to spec into a full-fledged healing role. Their three skill trees are Scrapper, Sawbones, and Dirty Fighting. I’ve already talked about Dirty Fighting, so we’ll skip that one.

The Scrapper is another DPS skill tree, though vastly different from the options offered by the Gunslinger advanced class. The Scrapper wields a single blaster pistol and focuses on stealth, melee, and the use of a scattergun (a weapon resembling a shotgun, which unleashes high-damage, close-range attacks). The Scrapper does not use much cover, fighting instead from melee range with a variety of punches and close-range blasts. Empire beware: You’d better invest in back-armor now, because you can expect more than a few Scrappers to stealth up from behind and lay into you with the scattergun.

Also available to Scoundrels is the Sawbones tree. The Sawbones focuses on healing, enabling them to step out of the DPS role and focus instead on keeping their party (and themselves) on their feet. A non-traditional role for a Smuggler perhaps, but who doesn’t remember Han providing a little sensual healing to Leia’s hurt fingers in Empire Strikes Back?

For those interested in dual blasters, explosives, stealth, healing, and kicking their enemies in the groin, the Smuggler is an excellent choice. With the two advanced classes and five unique skill trees, Smugglers are able to fill a wide variety of roles in both PVP and PVE.

I’ve already decided that the Smuggler will be my main, but I am having a harder time picking an advanced class. The Gunslinger has the appeal of long-range damage and the aesthetic of two blasters, but the Scoundrel is a much more versatile advanced class, able to fill multiple roles within a group.

What do you think? Have you decided on an advanced class yet? Or maybe you won’t make a decision until you ding level 10? Or, like me, you might just have to play them both…