Squad Leader Archive
Thread: What's a (potential) squad leader to do?
As a very team oriented person i was thrilled to hear about the squad leader but now... i have had many pitfalls (emotionally and in training). I would like to point out a few of them before i pop the big question:
1. Survival XP has to be, hands down, one of the hardest xp sources to gain (save maybe combat xp which is really marginal). You can't grind it. You can't do it solo (without very minimal benefits) and it requires going over 1,500 meters from a town (you can say 1,000 meters all you like but I have checked my map regularly and its somehwere between 1,500 and 2,000 that i can start building camps). I realize this class (and specifically this ability) is very team oriented but if i don't get at least 3 people in my group BEFORE hitting squad leader (which does them nothing since i don't really have a team bonus) I can grind camps all day but at 15 min per 400 xp or so (solo) im not getting anywhere. Teaming with people is nice but its hard to get a cohesive team that wants to do something together AND its way out in nowhere land.
2. The recent discoveries by voltair (sp?) seem to point to the Squad Leader's lack of usefullness or at least lack of sense in skills. It sorta disheartens me that the one class i thought i could bond with is the most screwed up (other than brawlers but that seems more technical/bug right now).
3. Squad Leader xp through doing damage? Are you saying that my favorite role, specifically BECAUSE it was a support role (i abosultely love support roles), can only get xp by absolutely leading the pack in damage? What kind of support is that. I realize he's a leader but I should get xp for helping my team not being my team.
All in all, this poses a question for me (as i have yet to get Ranged support 3, Exploration 2 or Survival 3). Should I go squad Leader? Its not too late. I figured i could goarchitect as well as Squad leader so there is always that to fall back on but i was really looking forward to this tree. I knew it was hard (after realizing how you get scout xp from camping) but i was willint to persevere it to get to something i thought was worthwhile but now im wondering. I coulda gone medic I suppose since thats a support role but as Voltair easily pointed out, many go for medic as a secondary profession simply cuz its so usefull. That makes me feel really 'cloned' and if there is one thing i hate more than not being a team player its playing a cloned character or a type/class/profession of character that is horrendously used. I refuse to do strict combat guys simply because i know that over half the guys on SWG servers are some sort of combat specific guy (such as pistoleer, teras kasi, etc). So to reiterate...
If I haven't gotten squad leader yet, is it worth getting it? Should I wait? Or should i turn back while i can and pursue something like Creature Handler which can at least make use of some of those Scouting skills?
The only reason to go Squad Leader now is to hope that in the near future, the profession will have significant changes to it.
Its doubtful the Survival XP requirements will ever change much.
But if you're playing a Squad Leader now, its simply so that when the profession becomes worthwhile, you're up the skill trees a bit already.
- Vol
I'm with you on this, MerlinMast. I stay with it, hoping that Sq Ldr will be fixed.
As far as grouping now, to get camps XPs, etc. IMO, most of what a squad leader needs to know, can be done before you even start Novice SL. You should be forming and leading groups now. If you can't find good people and lead them now, the squad leader abilities won't make you a leader.
Another thing about SL XPs, I think you really need to take one combat profession. Voltaris and I both have chosen Carbineer. So, when you do group and kill something, you get Weapon XPs, Combat XPs, and SL XPs, all for the same kill. I don't know of any other thing you can do to triple dip your XPs like this.
Aganon
Gorath, Naboo, Moenia
I agree here. I plan on being a novice pistoleer, which will grant all certs to any pistol, and master ranger in addition to SL. That way all my work will go towards all my skill trees. But do what you wanna do.
-Fodder
Squad leaders need to know how to fight too! 
Anyway, I just wanted to mention that half of the advanced classes are broken at the moment. So, Squad Leaders are not alone. Commandos, Rangers, and several others are also totally gimped. Hopefully the Devs will get these fixed in short order, but I'm sort of concerned (so far all they've managed to do was squash bugs). As delayed as the game was, it really could have used at least another month, if not two, before release.
Merlinmast wrote:
3. Squad Leader xp through doing damage? Are you saying that my favorite role, specifically BECAUSE it was a support role (i abosultely love support roles), can only get xp by absolutely leading the pack in damage? What kind of support is that. I realize he's a leader but I should get xp for helping my team not being my team.
Does he mean to say that , in order to receive squad leader exp, a squad leader must do the most damage on a mob?
It cannot be, can it?
No, its not like that, he exaggerated.
Squad Leader XP is based on damage-done, however.
Often it is around twice yourweapon XP.
But as long as you get a weapon/combat XP you'll get SL XP.
Merlinmast wrote:Survival XP has to be, hands down, one of the hardest xp sources to gain (save maybe combat xp which is really marginal). You can't grind it.
There is an easy way to gain survival xp. NEVER goto a medic to get your wounds healed (its lost survival xp). Survival XP per tent is based on how much wounds are healed in tent (about 60% of XP), amount of damage healed (20%) and time tent was populated (the other 20%). While you have wounds you will gain 620 (basic tent) - 1000 xp (Ranger Basic Tent) every 2 heal 'ticks' or 12-15 min. You also gain a +100 bonus to the xp cap per tent per visitor to camp.
What I did (and it can be costrued as an exploit I guess) is I die without cloning intentionally, gaining 25% wounds to all pools. I then goto the cantina to competely clear my combat fatigue (VERY IMPORTANT! it affects regen rates). I go to a buildable area , make the BEST tent I can, and I then survey (artesian skill can be unlearned later) for highest density resource (anything works I just sell resources for credits later). Look for something that is atleast 60% dense (if you dont know what i mean , the first time you use a survey tool you will), though i recommend 80%+ , move camp if you have too. Start sampling continuously (makes up like 20% of tent xp), the tent will help regen of pools even while sampling. Right after the second 'heal tick', disband and remake camp. You can craft and lay tent while surveying, you never have to even move. For best result i recommend conning a friend into doing this with you.
An alternative to the above is instead of dieing , fight mobs till you have atleast 11 wounds to any one stat/pool. Do just like above , with the exception you need to fight mobs between tents, and will take longer.
Kar'Landi
Ranger/CH/Pistoleer
Tyrenia, Naboo (SS)
Kar'Landi
Ranger/CH/Pistoleer
Tyrenia, *Corellia* (SS) [
]
Fine tips... but its Tyrena, not Tyrenia 
Go back to bed!
Seriously, fine guide on camp XP.
Now I have a substantial group base already as we have maybe 15 - 20 RL friends who play.
But this is how I got my Camp XP setup.
1. After I've sorted the whole "who camps when order" we basically have a party.
By that I mean:
We bring dancers with us, medics, artisans, everyone with us to wherever we're fighting.
We chat, and shoot the breeze while the hunters hunt.
You break and remake your tent every 14ish minutes (Depends on how many people are there)
I have found that you can go over for the base xp limit (600 for the first, 800 for the second tent, 1000 for the level IV scout tent) but the amount of xp you gain is really pathetic. Much easier to just build another one, and then get the base xp fast again.
We've sat out all night, shooting the breeze, lighting off fireworks (For July 1st (Canada Day) and July 4th(America day??)) had strangers come in and shoot the breeze with us, ask for healing etc.
Since you are going to be wanting to build your SL experience (I mean PERSONAL experience) its great to get a gang of people out and go to town out there, every person doing something in your camp is xp.
Though People I don't like bringing out are people who are only geared twoards combat (IE Bounty Hunters, Brawler/Marksman/Pisoleers etc) people who need combat xp to function at all. The reason for this is, they aren't going to want to sit around for any period of time, because 10 minutes of down time, is 10 minutes of no combat xp.