Primary Combat Roles
The three primary combat roles are DPS (Damage Dealer), Tank (Damage Regulator), and Healer (Party Sustainer). Their description and expectations will be outlined below.
DPS: Your primary objective is to deal as much damage as possible without stealing attention from the tank. DPS players are expected to efficiently dispatch the opponents. Effective ways of doing so are to focus your party's damage on to one foe (usually whoever the tank is fighting). DPS are also the heroes in the group in that if the Healer is taking damage it is better if the DPS takes the attention of the foe targeting your Healer if the Tank is unable to. Don't be discouraged if the DPS dies first in your party, it is best if the DPS dies before the Tank or Healer.
Tank: The importance of the Tanks role has been underrated in the past. They are crucial to a party's survival. The Tank's main objective is to regulate the damage in the party, primarily by sustaining the damage himself/herself. They are expected to draw the attention of all the foes and force them to attack the tank. In the past this has been thought of as "helping" the healer, when in fact this role is just as important. Tanks also must know how much damage they can take and when to pop buffs and medpacs (and sometimes relics). The Tanks always start the battle, they take the first strike/shot. As a Tank you should always be protecting your healer and making sure they don't take even one attack (but it usually turns out ok if they do).
Healer: This role can be the most difficult and the easiest in the party. As a Healer your main objective is to restore the health of your party, primarily the Tank's health. Most of the mobs should be easy where you mainly sit back and watch the fireworks, dishing a heal here and there. When there are difficult mobs and bosses, that's when things get tough. You will be mainly healing the tank, but your job also means healing yourself and your DPS. You shouldn't be hit, but if you do get hit just heal. You will be healing the Tank the most, making it seem as though they should be killed last, but in the end here is the order of life importance: Healer, Tank, DPS. Make sure you do not die at all costs, then make sure your tank survives, then your DPS.
As a healer try not to always feel guilty if your team fails, it's never one person's fault but instead the whole team's fault.
So altogether the party should be able to survive for a long time because of the Tank and Healer, and they should be able to defeat their opponents because of the DPS. Sometimes the DPS are needed more because it is more of a time sensitive battle, and sometimes the Tank and Healer are needed more to sustain the party for long period of time.
DPS: Your primary objective is to deal as much damage as possible without stealing attention from the tank. DPS players are expected to efficiently dispatch the opponents. Effective ways of doing so are to focus your party's damage on to one foe (usually whoever the tank is fighting). DPS are also the heroes in the group in that if the Healer is taking damage it is better if the DPS takes the attention of the foe targeting your Healer if the Tank is unable to. Don't be discouraged if the DPS dies first in your party, it is best if the DPS dies before the Tank or Healer.
Tank: The importance of the Tanks role has been underrated in the past. They are crucial to a party's survival. The Tank's main objective is to regulate the damage in the party, primarily by sustaining the damage himself/herself. They are expected to draw the attention of all the foes and force them to attack the tank. In the past this has been thought of as "helping" the healer, when in fact this role is just as important. Tanks also must know how much damage they can take and when to pop buffs and medpacs (and sometimes relics). The Tanks always start the battle, they take the first strike/shot. As a Tank you should always be protecting your healer and making sure they don't take even one attack (but it usually turns out ok if they do).
Healer: This role can be the most difficult and the easiest in the party. As a Healer your main objective is to restore the health of your party, primarily the Tank's health. Most of the mobs should be easy where you mainly sit back and watch the fireworks, dishing a heal here and there. When there are difficult mobs and bosses, that's when things get tough. You will be mainly healing the tank, but your job also means healing yourself and your DPS. You shouldn't be hit, but if you do get hit just heal. You will be healing the Tank the most, making it seem as though they should be killed last, but in the end here is the order of life importance: Healer, Tank, DPS. Make sure you do not die at all costs, then make sure your tank survives, then your DPS.
As a healer try not to always feel guilty if your team fails, it's never one person's fault but instead the whole team's fault.
So altogether the party should be able to survive for a long time because of the Tank and Healer, and they should be able to defeat their opponents because of the DPS. Sometimes the DPS are needed more because it is more of a time sensitive battle, and sometimes the Tank and Healer are needed more to sustain the party for long period of time.
Crowd Control and Interruptions
As a team you must organize certain fights beforehand due to difficulty. Crowd Control is for difficult mobs and Interruptions are for Bosses.
There are 3 types of CCs:
Snares: This type of CC in PVE is for ranged characters to use against melee NPCs. They can stop the foe from attacking simply by staying out of range. In PVP this can be used by ranged characters for the same purpose but also for melee characters to keep the foes in range and unable to get away. In PVP this CC does not trigger Resolve and should be used frequently.
There are 3 types of CCs:
Snares: This type of CC in PVE is for ranged characters to use against melee NPCs. They can stop the foe from attacking simply by staying out of range. In PVP this can be used by ranged characters for the same purpose but also for melee characters to keep the foes in range and unable to get away. In PVP this CC does not trigger Resolve and should be used frequently.
Mezz: This type of CC is for taking an opponent out of battle for a duration of time. When the time runs out or when the opponent is hit, they will return to battle. In PVE the duration can extend to 60 seconds at a time and can be reused to extend indefinitely. AOE Mezzes are always 8 seconds. In PVP it is a maximum of 8 seconds and triggers Resolve which prevents the opponent from being taken out of battle for too long. |
Stuns: This type of CC is for disabling an enemy in combat for a short time. It stops them from doing anything until the stun wears off. Stuns usually last for 4 seconds. The enemy can be hit when stunned, and can be push-backed. Stuns trigger Resolve in PVP.
CCs are used in group combat to take away enemies in battle allowing for an easier fight, and a lot easier for the Tank and Healer.
Interruptions are for stopping certain moves from an opponent that take time to activate or are channeled. They are usually used in boss fights or for strong enemies with strong moves. To make it easier to interrupt all the times the enemy activates that move, groups make interruption lines: there is a pre-determined line of people who intterupt one after the other. For example: Bob interrupts first, then Tracy, then Dave and then repeat.
Here is a list of the Advanced Classes that have CCs and what type. (Note: all classes can DPS and all classes have an interrupt)
CCs are used in group combat to take away enemies in battle allowing for an easier fight, and a lot easier for the Tank and Healer.
Interruptions are for stopping certain moves from an opponent that take time to activate or are channeled. They are usually used in boss fights or for strong enemies with strong moves. To make it easier to interrupt all the times the enemy activates that move, groups make interruption lines: there is a pre-determined line of people who intterupt one after the other. For example: Bob interrupts first, then Tracy, then Dave and then repeat.
Here is a list of the Advanced Classes that have CCs and what type. (Note: all classes can DPS and all classes have an interrupt)
Jedi Sentinel (DPS): 1 channeled stun, 1 droidmezz, 1 AOEmezz
Jedi Sage (Healer): 1 stun, 1 mezz Scoundrel (Healer): 1-2 stuns, 1 sneakmezz, 1droidmezz, 1 AOEmezz Commando (Healer): 1 stun, 1 mezz |
Jedi Guardian (Tank): 1-2 stuns, 1 AOEmezz
Jedi Shadow (Tank): 1-2 stuns, 1 sneakmezz, 1 shortmezz Gunslinger (DPS): 1 stun, 1 driodmezz, 1 AOEmezz Vanguard (Tank): 1 stun 1 AOEstun |
Conclusion
There are usually 4 people in a PVE group, 8 people in a PVP group, and up to 16 in a PVE Ops Group.
In a common 4 player PVE group there is 1 Tank, 1 Healer, and 2 DPS.
This is the premium group, and some changes to roles (like 2 healers) can greatly effect gameplay and team effectiveness (usually for worse).
Each combat role has duties, and each character has certain CC/Interrupt duties to fulfill when battling in a group. Play as a team.
In a common 4 player PVE group there is 1 Tank, 1 Healer, and 2 DPS.
This is the premium group, and some changes to roles (like 2 healers) can greatly effect gameplay and team effectiveness (usually for worse).
Each combat role has duties, and each character has certain CC/Interrupt duties to fulfill when battling in a group. Play as a team.