Jump to content

Dyrankor

Members
  • Posts

    22
  • Joined

Reputation

10 Good

7 Followers

Personal Information

  • Location
    San Diego, CA
  • Homepage
    http://www.last.fm/user/dyrankor
  • Interests
    http://www.last.fm/user/dyrankor
  • Occupation
    Military
  1. The learning curve is ridiculously steep - just stick with it. My recommendation is to also note the flow of the matches. If they're predominantly Empire or Republic wins, switch to that side for a little bit to get that boost to your requisition. Even if you continually lose, you're still getting requisition and making your ship better.
  2. First of all, thank you Bioware for this opportunity to provide community feedback. Even so, I'm not sure if my opinions will necessarily differ, much less be considered. Hopefully some necessary changes for the better can take place from this. That being said, I almost exclusively PVP on my Mercenary, which is arguably my favorite advanced class. I have a 50 Vanguard (used to be Ironfist spec), a 50 Sage (Seer), and a 50 Assassin (Deception). [Arsenal] 7 - 31 - 3 1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes? I can't help but echo the sentiment of others for this response - that Arsenal is very much the laughing stock of Ranged DPS classes. The vast majority of Bounty Hunters (and Troopers for that matter) are Pyrotech, simply because of the high, sustained DPS and burst available to them. In Rated WZs, there seems to be NO place for an Arsenal Mercenary, and I know one individual was never allowed to participate in RWZs and was eventually kicked from his guild because they were embarrassed to have an Arsenal Mercenary among them. While perhaps a cruel exception, this sentiment is widespread. 2. How do you perceive your own spec? I've spent a long time perfecting my PVP rotations and helping others to utilize the abilities they have (i.e. not just Tracer Missile), and appreciate comments that, "for an Arsenal Merc, [i'm] pretty good." This build, if left alone, can put out some good sustained damage, but sacrifices mobility and, more often than not, is still out-shined by Pyrotech DPS. To put it succinctly, we are a high-damage turret class without the defensive or utility capabilities of a Sniper (for instance). We need some (if not all) of the following: Enhanced mobility The ability to become uninterruptable for a short period of time (like Bodyguard has) A non-channeled snare or root effect (Unload slows for as long as it's channeled, which is often not enough utility to survive) A more efficient Cleanse - namely, one that doesn't have a heat cost and that doesn't respect GCD. Greater survivability in the sense of an escape mechanic. Leave tanking to tanks. (I made approximately the same suggestion as DkSharkTooth's b above - ground-targeted charge escape should be seriously considered.) I'll admit that if all of these were enabled, we'd be a little OP. I'm certainly not asking for that. But hopefully something can be done to bring Arsenal up to par. I thoroughly enjoy the storyline and the play style, not to mention the incredible voice acting and artwork. It's a shame to see such an iconic Star Wars class perform so poorly under fire.
  3. Agreed. My Arsenal Merc will be my fourth level 50 (and the second time I've leveled it)... and I'm torn between doing what I love (Arsenal) and doing what I know will get results (Bodyguard). I'm really not looking forward to picking up TWO sets of PVP gear when all I really want is the one.
  4. Can you imagine a ground-targeted jump ability...? Oh, you melee people are down here. Allow me to use this useless jet pack that I've had for 50 levels, and simply jump up to this balcony.
  5. I would argue that the knockback skills are some of the best (especially as Arsenal Spec) Jet Boost can be specced so that it pushes people a few meters farther than by default, and Rocket Punch can be specced as a second knockback with additional range possible. With the cooldown on Rocket Punch being as short as it is, if you use it intelligently, by the time the target climbs back up to you, it's ready for another knockback. That being said, I would looooove a Sniper-style "Pinning Shots" root attack.
  6. I disagree about Pyro being better damage. Most people who play Arsenal or Gunnery just don't seem creative enough to rely on other attacks than Tracer Missile. But for Arsenal, you want to use your Explosive Dart when you can, Unload (especially when Barrage finishes the cooldown on it), Rocket Punch when within 5 meters, and save your Rail Shot until you have 4 or 5 heat signatures on the target. Fusion Missile is also a great way to open on the target, since it's a longish cast and more often than not they won't notice the extra damage ticking away after you go into your rotation. My rotation for those levels went something like this: (And make sure you have the 1-second queue for abilities) Open with Tracer or Fusion Missile Queue up Unload Tracer Missile Queue up Explosive Dart or Rapid Fire Tracer Missile Queue up Explosive Dart or Rapid Fire Tracer Missile Queue up Rail Shot Admittedly, it looks like you're going balls-to-the-wall spamming Tracer Missile when you look at the list. But as the workhorse of your build (for right now), you'll need to work it in no matter how you look at it. Avoid Power Shot because it generates the same amount of heat, deals slightly less damage, and doesn't affect the damage of Rail Shot (or later, Heatseekers). As you level more and put more points into Arsenal, your Unload will really be the backbone of the build. Tracer Missile will finish the cooldown on Unload and will increase the damage dealt by 25% (IN ADDITION to the other abilities that increase it by 33%, increase armor penetration by 30%, slow targets, etc.) At lower levels, heat management is a bigger issue than at higher levels, when you not only vent 8 heat on a critical attack, but you have access to Thermal Sensor Overrides (and sometimes, enhanced Vent Heat, depending on where you put your points.) If your heat generation is the biggest concern, queue up your regular blaster fire right after any cast attack. The global cooldown will cause a half second pause after each attack, but in a sense it will make it so that Tracer Missile + Rapid Shots is one attack. Hope this was helpful.
  7. I'd like to suggest an alternative for "quick heals" Arsenal PVP spec. Swapping the 2 points in Med Tech (bottom row) for Surgical Precision System (2nd row) means that you will be more efficient with your heals when you need to heal (more often than not, you're healing yourself in an emergency, and thus pushback is an issue). Can't tell you how many times I've stalled out when trying to use even a quick cast on myself because someone's pushing it back. Making your heals complete faster under fire is arguably (at least in my opinion) better than reducing the cooldown/activation time for heals that will generate more heat in the long run. Heals when they count! (If you decide to post this build, feel free to recreate it in Torhead. I used DarthHater's build mechanic but they're ultimately the same!) http://db.darthhater.com/skill_calc/bounty_hunter/mercenary/#::f2ef12efef2e2fe10f2e6f11ef6
  8. As big of a proponent as I used to be of Alacrity in Arsenal builds.. there's really no place for it. There's a couple reasons for this: First, that Alacrity doesn't affect the Global Cooldown (GCD) - so even if you can get your Tracer Missiles down to 1 second cast-time, there's still going to be a half-second pause as the GCD resets. Secondly, for heat generation. Even if Alacrity DID work properly (in that sense), by using your abilities that much faster, you'd also be generating heat that much faster. Instead of Critical Reaction (Bodyguard tree) and System Calibrations (Pyro tree), I will be rolling with a healing-hybrid build that aims to maximize damaging abilities and heat dissipation, while still gaining Supercharged Gas (for when I need to pop into Combat Support mode for the sake of scoring a goal, holding a node, or otherwise winning a match). Ultimately, the biggest obstacle with a build like this is heat generation/dissipation (when healing) because your heals won't be talented as much as they could be. They are emergency-only type abilities. But I figure that if I'm going to be using heals, more often than not I'm the one being targeted and thus reducing pushback is the most crucial. But that's up to everyone else. If, by level 49/50 I've decided that the couple seconds it takes to pop into Combat Support Cylinder is too much time, and that Supercharged Gas takes too long to build up, I'll probably put both of my last two points into Surgical Precision System. http://db.darthhater.com/skill_calc/bounty_hunter/mercenary/#::f2df11e2fef2e2fe10f2e6f11ef6
  9. Thank you! Yes -I should have mentioned Rapid Shots. I assume (probably mistakenly) that people are using that whenever they can. More often than not, I queue up a TM and have Rapid Shots right behind them to maximize heat dissipation, but still ensure the target is being damaged. Another fun thing to do is to hit someone with an Explosive Dart, use a Tracer Missile for target lock, then a Rail Shot. Great bursty damage, and even if it doesn't kill the target, they'll see their health drop so severely that more often than not they'll be removed from the fight for a few seconds as they figure out *** to do.
  10. Another aspect to consider is playstyle. If one class suits you more, you'll do better in it because it's FUN and it's working and you put the time into playing it. Secondly.. thanks for playing Merc healer for a couple months instead of trying it for a day and complaining that it sucks. I, personally, have a 50 sage healer and a 38 merc, and I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite. The fact that mercs can be uninterruptable (with shield and it's talent), have a quick way to regain resource (vent heat, supercharged gas), can wear heavy armor, and have several instant heals, makes merc stand out, in my opinion. In any competitive pvp (ranked, basically) people sit on the sage and interrupt them constantly. Edit - I should also note that knowing your healing classes ROLE is important. As a mercenary, you'll have some of the best and most focused single-target healing. Don't try to "take on" more than the abilities will let you. Third, a good rotation is key. Make sure you have the ability to queue up abilities 1 second before they're used - it helps a lot with efficiency. The preference is in User Interface (if I'm not mistaken). If you find yourself overheating, be sure to use your Rapid Shots often. Typically I will use Healing Scan and queue up a Rapid Shots directly after, and they go off at the same time (because RS is more or less instant). When it comes to using supercharged gas - it can be a lifesaver or a killer. I almost exclusively use it to a) vent 8 heat and b) reduce the CD on Rapid Scan to 0. If someone's getting focused hardcore, pop that and start spamming Rapid Scan til they die or you burn up from overheating. Always a good idea to have Vent Heat ready and waiting for this. Kolto missile I use almost exclusively on myself, unless several friendly targets are taking an insignificant amount of damage and I'd prefer to help focus the targets down. As a ground targeted instant ability, use Kolto Missile to lead yourself. Click it on the ground in the direction you want to go and run into it. The shield buff it grants in Supercharge mode is also decent. Hope this is helpful.
  11. Would totally support reversion to the original animations. The original Tracer Missile animation felt like you were heavy artillery.. whereas now it's just like "pew" "pew"
  12. I don't mean this to sound overly-aggressive, and it's certainly not a personal attack. Sorry, but if having your Tracer Missile interrupted means you're "effectively shut down" you need to re-evaluate your playstyle. Yes, it is one of the hallmarks of the Arsenal spec, but that in no way means you can't use your other damaging abilities. Arsenal mercs have a whole range of versatile abilities - two pushbacks, two stuns, numerous (other) DPS abilities, not to mention heals (which, if your TM was just interrupted, cannot be interrupted, unless you're being focused by multiple interrupting classes like Vanguards or you get stunned). Arsenal Merc is probably my favorite class and spec, and even post-1.2 I still see people spamming TM and Grav Rounds like it's their only ability. There are other ways to make people vulnerable to Rail Shot (stuns, teamwork), and even if Target Tracking doesn't work as intended, Unload still deals a significant amount of damage. Heatseekers (even without the proc from TM), Explosive Dart and Rocket Blast (too much heat generation IMO) are instant use and can be shot on the run. EDIT -> I forgot the ability Power Shot, which if TM is unusable, can be used in its place. Power Shot will feel just like using TM but without the proc to Rail Shot or Heatseekers, though I believe it does slightly less damage than TM. EDIT #2 -> Also, Fusion Missile is awesome, but is on a longer cooldown. I wish they hadn't swapped the animations for Tracer and Fusion.. I preferred it the way they had it originally :<
  13. Rodian Selkath Gran ... And Esh-kha for top-tier Legacies x)
  14. Glad I'm not the only one who couldn't find the Sullustans on Coruscant -- I was thinking perhaps the Sullustan on Taris (the greedy quest NPC) would unlock it. I'll check it out sometime.
×
×
  • Create New...