Ok so I just started playing again (last played 2014) and the skill tree is way different. My old Jedi sentinel had a passive upgrade to force leap. This shortened cooldown time and minimum range and was super handy for solo play. So my question is: is this ability still available and if so what subclass/talent tree do I need to follow?

You'll be happy to know that in 5.0 there is going to be a new utility added that you can opt to take if your willing to spend the utility point. I can't get into specifics of it because datamined info is not allowed on the forums, but, it will allow you to use a second force leap within 7 seconds of having used it before. After that 7 seconds transpires, however, you are back to waiting for the normal cd on force leap. This can be useful if you can kill whatever you just leaped at in that time span and still have enough time left to pick a new target and leap to it, but in PVP at any rate, unless the target was already damaged, that probably won't be enough time to leap in, get the kill and re-target. Of course, you can choose to pick a new target even if you haven't killed the first target yet. This will more usable in PVE [story, heroics,etc] where you can definitely get kills fast enough and still have time to leap to another one.

But all other normal rules to force leap will still apply, i.e. range. Even Annihilation has lost it's any distance leap, so it's pretty much the normal rules for force leap for everyone [unless you choose to take the above mentioned new utility].

Fury/Concentration spec has an additional attack that has a leap aspect but it is seperate from Force leap and has it's own requirements and effects. It is, however a subpar spec by most standards [although viable for most content, just not really for HM/NiM Operations]. It does however, have the lowest dps of the specs, and presently, it is one of the worst dps specs in the game across all classes. For solo play, it is absolutely up to any challenge such game play could throw your way.

But than, of course, 5.0 is gonna suck in most other regards. No cure for that on the horizon though.

Fury/Concentration spec has an additional attack that has a leap aspect but it is seperate from Force leap and has it's own requirements and effects. It is, however a subpar spec by most standards [although viable for most content, just not really for HM/NiM Operations]. It does however, have the lowest dps of the specs, and presently, it is one of the worst dps specs in the game across all classes. For solo play, it is absolutely up to any challenge such game play could throw your way.

While I mostly agree with your assessment, I think it's viable in most hardmodes, though you might run into some problem on bosses like Revan HM. It's also a great PvP spec currently, once you go Gravity Vortex, you never go back.

While I mostly agree with your assessment, I think it's viable in most hardmodes, though you might run into some problem on bosses like Revan HM. It's also a great PvP spec currently, once you go Gravity Vortex, you never go back.

This, 100% this.

While I mostly agree with your assessment, I think it's viable in most hardmodes, though you might run into some problem on bosses like Revan HM. It's also a great PvP spec currently, once you go Gravity Vortex, you never go back.

I'm sure in the hands of skilled player it could be viable for many HM operation encounters, but, speaking in more general terms i think it may be fair to say,rather, that it isn't ideal. As I termed in an earlier response "the greats" can make anything work, but in less skilled hands it may start to tax some of the other DPS who might have to make up for it's peformance in certain encounters. It's not a spec you would really want to bring in boss fights with difficult DPS checks like Styrak or Revan for example.

There is no question that it has certain innate benefits in the PVP spectrum, some of which are better than the other specs, but while it's anti cc attributes are clearly of great benefit and give it an edge over the other specs in that regard, it still seems to not have the kind of punch that Annihiliation and Carnage can deliver and that utility is more a survival benefit rather than a DPS builder. To be fair, it is often said "you can't DPS when you're dead" and the greater survival can lead to longer periods of DPS time. But if we were to go by what you see you in warzones, for whatever reason, and I'm honestly baffled by it, but you don't see many Maras using the spec and even when you do they don't tend to put up as high damage numbers as you more generally see with Annihilation and Carnage. I guess it sort of pays for that added anti cc benefits at the cost of some muscle.

I've often been tempted to try it in PVP, because all the CC that gets thrown around is rediculous and it's a hard class to play in PVP. Without a healer you are just cannon fodder, DCDs cannot hope to make up for the difference that the other classes have in terms of self heals. DCDs can't handle the incoming damage from multiple sources which is extremely common in warzones, whether being attacked by multiple opponents and/or being aoed while engaged with another opponent, they are simply not up to the task. Undoubtedly the anti CC benefits of Fury would help with that some, but when you are getting chain stunned, or simply a few seconds have passed between someone throwing stuns/mezzes at you, even that anti CC element is of limited use. There is just too much incessant CC use through out the course of a WZ, and so that temptation ti try it is mitigated by that circumstance.

At the end of the day, I am a firm believer in playing whatever is most appealing to you. When you really enjoy something it is easier to excel at it. And whether coming in 2nd or 3rd place or 5th or 6th place, that's really not much more than bragging rights. Whether a team wins or loses is not tied to which team had the player that did the most damage overall. Play what you enjoy, its all about having fun.

I'm sure in the hands of skilled player it could be viable for many HM operation encounters, but, speaking in more general terms i think it may be fair to say,rather, that it isn't ideal. As I termed in an earlier response "the greats" can make anything work, but in less skilled hands it may start to tax some of the other DPS who might have to make up for it's peformance in certain encounters. It's not a spec you would really want to bring in boss fights with difficult DPS checks like Styrak or Revan for example.

 

There is no question that it has certain innate benefits in the PVP spectrum, some of which are better than the other specs, but while it's anti cc attributes are clearly of great benefit and give it an edge over the other specs in that regard, it still seems to not have the kind of punch that Annihiliation and Carnage can deliver and that utility is more a survival benefit rather than a DPS builder. To be fair, it is often said "you can't DPS when you're dead" and the greater survival can lead to longer periods of DPS time. But if we were to go by what you see you in warzones, for whatever reason, and I'm honestly baffled by it, but you don't see many Maras using the spec and even when you do they don't tend to put up as high damage numbers as you more generally see with Annihilation and Carnage. I guess it sort of pays for that added anti cc benefits at the cost of some muscle.

 

I've often been tempted to try it in PVP, because all the CC that gets thrown around is rediculous and it's a hard class to play in PVP. Without a healer you are just cannon fodder, DCDs cannot hope to make up for the difference that the other classes have in terms of self heals. DCDs can't handle the incoming damage from multiple sources which is extremely common in warzones, whether being attacked by multiple opponents and/or being aoed while engaged with another opponent, they are simply not up to the task. Undoubtedly the anti CC benefits of Fury would help with that some, but when you are getting chain stunned, or simply a few seconds have passed between someone throwing stuns/mezzes at you, even that anti CC element is of limited use. There is just too much incessant CC use through out the course of a WZ, and so that temptation ti try it is mitigated by that circumstance.

 

At the end of the day, I am a firm believer in playing whatever is most appealing to you. When you really enjoy something it is easier to excel at it. And whether coming in 2nd or 3rd place or 5th or 6th place, that's really not much more than bragging rights. Whether a team wins or loses is not tied to which team had the player that did the most damage overall. Play what you enjoy, its all about having fun.

Fury offers both anti cc, and have more built in snares and very good burst, altough for Marauder the fact carnage has better burst make it so that you also see many carnage player around.

The other reason is, people who seriously want that spec into competitive pvp run a rage jug instead. They have even better anti-cc, arguably better cds, better utility, but mostly enrage is better than the fury mechanic for the spec by offering easier control of the initial burst. The spec does slightly less damage than fury however, but not noticeably so.

As for PvE, its viable for sm content, and some HM. I wouldn't take it in any other hm ops than EV and KP, potentially EC has it tends to be more about mechanics than true dps check, but there are some tighter timers in there (minefield mostly). I'm sure some people cleared HM SnV, TFB etc too with them, but they were probably the lowest dps on the team and being carried by a merc or mara doing more than its part.

As for PvE, its viable for sm content, and some HM. I wouldn't take it in any other hm ops than EV and KP, potentially EC has it tends to be more about mechanics than true dps check, but there are some tighter timers in there (minefield mostly). I'm sure some people cleared HM SnV, TFB etc too with them, but they were probably the lowest dps on the team and being carried by a merc or mara doing more than its part.

You can play it in every HM encounter except for Master Blaster and Revan. As long as there are some target switches and/or combat pauses you can do pretty decent dps, actually, if you know how to adapt the rotation to combat phases and make good use of your splash damage capability.

There are a substantial number of fights in which you can outperform Annihilation (though you will generally lose to Anni on single target by a significant margin) and even some burst AoE fights in which you can outperform Combat.

This requires a lot of practice in the spec though, that many players are not ready to invest, since the spec has acquired a really bad reputation throughout 4.x.

[...]

 

There are a substantial number of fights in which you can outperform Annihilation (though you will generally lose to Anni on single target by a significant margin) and even some burst AoE fights in which you can outperform Combat.

 

[...]

Could you or anyone else elaborate on this. I never played concentration in ops just Watchman and Combat. From my limited knowledge the only fights where I assume concentration to be beneficial would be Revanite Commanders and Draxus. Allthough considering how Combat is just way to good in sustained, burst and aoe damage at the same time I am not sure about it. (I generally believe that Combat is a bit of a too strong jack-of-all-trades atm)

Edit: thinking about it maybe Dashroode, Torque and Bestia? allthough I would assume that sustained is too low. Maybe I am making the mistake of still seeing it as "the aoe specc"