Can we tone down the telegraphing of AoE abilities? You have smash specs who can do their aoe at the drop of a hat, instantly, on the move and with minimal set up, yet when I put down an orbital strike, there's a HUGE FRACK OFF DANGER INC graphic placed on the ground which stays there before any damage is even done for 3 seconds and the entire duration. Why does it need to be so massively telegraphed? Is it not enough that there are HUGE FRICKEN LASER BEAMS coming from space? Same with plasma probe, Death from Above etc. Let players use their eyes and let us use our orbitals to do at least a little damage rather than simply as an area denial tool. Edited December 6, 2012 by Sydexlic

Instant AoE do not have the graph, channeled/dot AoE do have it. It's fine.

And I'm saying the telegraphing of the location the aoe will hit is idiotic and pointless. I get so few use of my orbital strikes in pvp because it's telegraphed for the entire duration and for the 3 seconds before it even applies any damage. It should NOT be this way. Let players use their brains and eyes to minimise their damage taken from it.

Can we tone down the telegraphing of AoE abilities? You have smash specs who can do their aoe at the drop of a hat, instantly, on the move and with minimal set up, yet when I put down an orbital strike, there's a HUGE FRACK OFF DANGER INC graphic placed on the ground which stays there before any damage is even done for 3 seconds and the entire duration. Why does it need to be so massively telegraphed? Is it not enough that there are HUGE FRICKEN LASER BEAMS coming from space? Same with plasma probe, Death from Above etc. Let players use their eyes and let us use our orbitals to do at least a little damage rather than simply as an area denial tool.

 

Never really saw it as a problem. I'd rather have the icons go away tbh, but I don't mind if it stays the same.

And I'm saying the telegraphing of the location the aoe will hit is idiotic and pointless. I get so few use of my orbital strikes in pvp because it's telegraphed for the entire duration and for the 3 seconds before it even applies any damage. It should NOT be this way. Let players use their brains and eyes to minimise their damage taken from it.

 

That can be a strategic item in and of itself, my scoundrel will often try to break up a group, move them away/etc. by fake-casting (or even actually casting) the big aoe.

That's exactly how I use it too, cast it on myself, keeps the smarter lolsmashscrubs away for 9 seconds, but i certainly don't ever use it for the damage it does, only idiots will ever get hit by it. I'd like to use it for area denial as well as for its ability to cause damage too. Edited December 6, 2012 by Sydexlic

The thing is that even if dot aoe didn't have that graph you still wouldn't get the most damage out of them (esp. orbital strike) because people move around a lot in PvP even when they're not trying to avoid aoe.

I know this, what I don't get is why there is a need to advertise to the opposition team 3s in advance that my orbital strike is going to hit there. They should monitor their surroundings to get the cues they need to avoid the damage.

 

a) See me casting it in the first place. The cast animation is extremely distinctive, the cast bar is long. I already have to extrapolate the battle 6s (cast time + 3s for it to land) in advance in order to use it somewhat effectively, the first tick of damage doesn't land until that time.

 

b) There's already a distinctive crater graphic on the ground, coupled with the laser from the stars graphic. The target reticle is purely superfluous.

 

c) Even with a + b, if you're a poor player, you can be completely oblivious but you will still get this distinctive and extremely visible red target reticle to help you be less bad. My point is, if they are bad, they deserve to be hit. It's too much of a telegraph for the ability, they need to wind it back.

Edited December 6, 2012 by Sydexlic

I never really saw it as much of a problem... Granted, I don't worry about using my channeled AOE for damage anyways as a defensive powertech...

 

I usually use it in the few cases when it's useful, like keeping people from capping, or punishing those lightsaber smashers surrounding the healer.