Georg Zoeller on SWTOR Cover System

Recently, questions have arisen concerning the importance and impact of the 'Cover' mechanic in SWTOR. To shine some light into issue, Georg Zoeller, one of the designers, had something to say regarding the matter. He goes on to explain how choosing different advance classes will result in different usage for the cover system:

"All Smugglers have access to cover, but depending on Advanced Class and Skill set, cover plays a less or more important role for your gameplay. A Gunslinger with lots of points in the Sniper tree will have made cover a core part of their combat routine, with abilities like 'Entrench' and 'Cover Pulse' improving the utility and protection their cover ability offers, while utilizing several 'cover only' abilities for heavy frontloaded damage. There's some interesting dynamics in this kind of setup as well, such as a skill that makes your next Snipe instant after rolling to cover... A Scoundrel on the other hand will have fewer abilities that modify their cover mechanic and can be played in a way that does not rely on cover very much or at all. Their Stealth Field generator allows them to approach targets unseen and they have a decent arsenal of close to mid range scatter gun abilities and melee moves to round out their blaster capabilities. Unlike the previously described Sniper (who values a very deliberate, planned approach to combat), the scattergun specced Scoundrel is much more about getting deep into the action, guns blazing..."