i think peoples concern about mercs is generally valid, even healing is not balanced compared to that of other heal classes. we may be functional and effective to a point, but we're definitely inferior. as far as damage/healing output goes we got hit hard which i think was warranted pre 1.2 to a degree, but they certainly went overbored with these changes especially considering that our utility/survivability mechanics are negligible comparatively. i mostly pvp so that is where i draw comparisons and the largest balance discrepancy i see from a healers perspective is with sorcerers who have ridiculous healing output and are one of the best scoring classes in huttball. my healing numbers in a game don't come close to those of a sorcs... if i hit 300k they are hitting 500-600k. utility wise you can compare our knockback efficacy, which is situational and a delay tactic at best, to sorcs sprint which gives cc immunity allowing them to dominate scoring in huttball not to mention escape any threatening situation. operatives are a little more inline as their utility is not as crazy, but their healing numbers are significantly larger than ours as well, on par with sorcs. also i would argue that stealth is more beneficial than our knockback. anyway, 2 cents. i'm not game rage quitter and i generally play games for a long time before giving up on them, but these balance issues along with many other issues that seem to be take way to long to fix are driving me away. i've already unsubbed with the hope of renewing if and when changes are made. i hope i get to.

i would suggest to not base your choice to play merc on the aesthetic of dual wield. it may look cool when you have your guns pulled out, but it really has very little bearing on how the class plays. all you really get is a minor increase in damage on a few abilities, but our most effective abilities are typically missile or grenade type attacks. pvp wise mercs aren't completely useless, we aren't the best healers, but a good player can more than make due. pyro will put up big numbers in warzones and has decent 1v1 ability. arsenals burst damage has been lacking lately, but our knockbacks, if used well, can have a huge impact in certain games. the ability to heal can be really handy for survival as any spec though its effectiveness is limited outside of speccing bodyguard. I have a 50 powertech as well and i feel much more durable and useful as tank spec, while doing awesome damage as pyro. overall i think powertechs are an easier class to play effectively with better utility options, but i do miss being able to heal. moral of the story is base your choice of class to level on playstyle and perceived effectiveness.

... i've heard its pretty good and i want to maximize my leveling experience buy asking whether going light or dark is more enjoyable, i tend to lean towards light but i'll go against my nature if being bad is good

what are people stacking in general and aug slots specifically?

was wondering the same thing, that being whether bg/ars hybrids are still the way to go for pvp heal spec.

i see threads with people talking about using ion and/or high energy... i am personally leaning towards ion because i like the utility/survivability and how the talent points work out by not taking the hegc specific talents. what is the general concensus? or is there one? opinions at least?

can anyone tell me what the number value of the damage reduction on sonic missile is and if it stacks with neural dart?

how effective is it? for the 1 talent point it seems like it is.... opinions?

i've sifted though the pts forum a bit and to my knowledge there are no explanations of the logic behind the coming nerfs to healing and power shot. i only mention these two specific changes because they seem to be either excessive and/or baffling. i understand the tracer (i thought they would nerf this more) and ppa nerfs (thought this was excessive though needs some toning down). these seem obvious so explanation is not required. has anyone heard anything about their line of thinking with these changes? some explanation would be nice so we can perhaps understand resulting in some kind of closure on the matter. i just want to know why, no crying, just please explain these changes. thank you.

ya i was considering kolto shell, i've just never found it to be that effective. for the one point im sure its a worthwhile talent, im just have trouble finding the necessary talent point so i can grab it. suggestions? also regarding my spec i should have mentioned that i use 2 pc eliminator and 2 pc combat medic which further enhance the knockback and energy shield talents i have selected. as for rocket punch, its a no brainer talent in my opinion, having all the increased knockback talents add a whole new aspect to BH gameplay with JB and RP on small cds with talents+set bonuses. it more than makes up for not having a 31 pt heal spec. i personally think its better to have the utility than the heals. i cant count the number of times i've aided in either scoring or prevented a score in huttball or even just saved myself/teammates by clearing a walkway/area.

i've been running something like this on and off for a while now and love it. i play more of a 60% heals 40% dps playstyle and spam the sh*t out of power shot so i love the power barrier talent. i also can't live without the knockback talents. my mentality with this build was partially to maximize the alacrity talents for both heals and dps. i often combine supercharged gas with my alacrity trinket for heat free, 1 second power shot spam. http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300bfRRRzfZrckrMbZb.1 i feel that this build has the best possible talent synergy of any hybrid healer build for my playstyle.

in my pvp arsenal spec i take the med tech talent from the bodyguard tree in addition to full points in integrated systems and custom enviro suit from the arsenal tree. while the healing isn't effective while being targeted in the heat of battle with damage/interrupts/cc, i find that if i can LOS for a few seconds i can get a healing scan>rapid scan off and survive quite often. http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#300bcZrIkrRrdRzbzZ0c.1

its not a matter of "doing it wrong"... the spec is just lacking compared to arsenal which is so much more effective in pvp. pyro is a pretty brainless spec to play and it's fun to run around tab dotting people while spamming instants so i see why people like it... i even like it, it's just straight up inferior to a spec with an extra and more effective knockback, significantly more burst for less heat, and better survivability through better talent options.

love pyro playstyle but, it is completely inferior to arsenal in pvp. you get way more utility, survival, and burst as arsenal. the "mobility" and sustained damage that pyro players tout is overrated and not very useful at all. pyro is not the "pvp" spec, arsenal is.

there are a few things that give arsenal better survivability over pyro... -the quicker cd and increased distance on jet boost plus the rocket punch knockback -the power barrier talent which i think is underrated - the ability to take more healing and endurance talents as arsenal without sacrificing damage talents. in the build i use i can get full points in custom enviro suit, integrated systems, and med tech. i can't do that as pyro and as a result i have considerably less health and ability to heal myself in tight spots. all of these reasons combined are why arsenal has considerably better survivability and honestly the mobility issue isn't a big deal to me, i usually spam a couple tracers then im free to move while spamming heatseeker, rail, and dart. Also the unload slow after a knockback is awesome. dont get me wrong i love playing pyro and i often spec back to it because im sick of arsenal, but i come to the same conclusion every time that it is hands down inferior to arsenal in pvp.