Partisan+Conqeror stack. Conq+Conq does not.

So is it better to stack the partisan and conq increase power or to get double conq increase power/increase dmg?

Also, call me newbish for asking this but when it comes to stat capping like Acc Surge etc etc should we be worrying bout ranged stats (I.E Weap dmg which affects rail shot) or only focus on Tech stats (I.E. Tracer, HSM etc etc) cause my tech stats are superior by far to my range stats. CLEARLY THIS IS A MERC ONLY QUESTION, since I assume that trooper is 99% all Weap/ranged dmg.

the only attack that uses the base ranged accuracy is Rapid Shots/Hammer Shot. all other abilities, ranged or tech, have +10% base accuracy.

if youre optimizing for PvP, you dont want much accuracy in your build. Merc can get 3% from talents, and you can get 1% by maxing a companion. imo youd be fine with that for PvP; with these new DR curves you have to sacrifice too much of other stuff to get accuracy to what would be "resonable", ie +5-10%.

Try baiting interrupts with charged bolts, most melee go after the first castbar they see. If you're catching 2-3 interrupts you shouldn't be standing still anymore as you're probably 1-2 seconds from going splat

Once again, the advice is to run and avoid combat. Why is the commando and Merc community willing to accept this as a viable option when we have so few escape options and limited mobility? Why has it gotten to the point that we cannot even consider going 1v1 against another class, and that our best option is to run and kite? Most classes already have a passive speed buff, or active speed buff that out-paces hold the line anyway.

Fair enough if we were hitting like absolute freight trains that were glass cannons, but we are a heavy armour wearing cast class. We should be able to soak up the damage whilst dishing moderate damage.

Because bioware insists on making us squishy, we should hit so hard that it justifies our crappy cool downs and lack of defense.

While High Velocity Gas Cylinder is active, you vent [4 / 8] heat every 6 seconds.

2 point talent, 4th Tier.

Healing Scan has a [33.34 / 66.68 / 100.02]% chance to reduce the heat cost of your next Rapid Scan by 8.

3 point Talent, 4th Tier.

There is no way that gunnery or arsenal is more mobile. You have to stop every time you want to cast. This is the entire problem with the class and the game. Two thirds of the classes rely on instant abilities, whilst two [sages and commandos] are stuck on this stupid insistence that they used casted abilities that are easily interrupted or LOSed. The changes to tech override help, but the instant that another class pays attention to us, we have to basically run away and stop DPS to survive. In an 8v8 game, the suggestion that we 'support' is stupid. It implies that somehow we will be in situations where we are always numerically superior to the enemy. However, we lack the resilience to guard nodes or to fight at key objectives, and we lack the tools to be effective at anything else that another class can already do better.

 

After waiting a year, I am drawing two possible conclusions. BW are either incredibly stupid and inept, or they hate the class with a passion for some unknown reason.

What I meant is: Arenal is more mobile than it used to be and has more front end burst. It's not more mobile than Pyro. With a double PS and the change to TM heat signature... you shouldn't be standing still for more than one TM or one unload when you need to be moving around. Thats is a lot closer to Pyro mobility

Also the comments about "running away" is a matter of niche. Your goal is not to run away.. but kite... not necessarily to kill... but to make the other team over commit to you. Good teams are stacking tanks in front of healers in middle and snipers at range. Before mercs got leaped and were insta dead. But now they have to chase you because we do too much damage to ignore... this potentially makes it easier to separate the tanks and healer breaking guard. So snipers are ranged classes that hold ground but Mercs need to break up the other teams formation by hit and fades... It's not an easy role to play but at least we have the tools to do it now. And if this isn't something that jives with your play-style it's not going to be fun for you at all.

Once again, the advice is to run and avoid combat. Why is the commando and Merc community willing to accept this as a viable option when we have so few escape options and limited mobility? Why has it gotten to the point that we cannot even consider going 1v1 against another class, and that our best option is to run and kite? Most classes already have a passive speed buff, or active speed buff that out-paces hold the line anyway.

 

Fair enough if we were hitting like absolute freight trains that were glass cannons, but we are a heavy armour wearing cast class. We should be able to soak up the damage whilst dishing moderate damage.

 

Because bioware insists on making us squishy, we should hit so hard that it justifies our crappy cool downs and lack of defense.

GREAT reply to the "fake cast" idea!!!

Don't accept being inferior.

This thread must be closed. Merc/PT/mandos/VG have strongest defensive CD in all game, 30% HP in few seconds is huge buff, they just have to learn to play it and stop spaming 1 button.

Not sure if serious......

Also we actually can win a 1v1 quite handily when our cooldowns are up. When our cooldown are down we can't really but I'm fine with that. Some classes aren't good at 1v1. Also kiting does not mean avoiding combat. It means not dying needlessly and now at least we can sort of do it.

This thread must be closed. Merc/PT/mandos/VG have strongest defensive CD in all game, 30% HP in few seconds is huge buff, they just have to learn to play it and stop spaming 1 button.

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA!!! You mean the new "adrenalin rush"??? O M G lol! That is the WORST freaking change! By the time it "triggers", I'm dead. 30% of my health is around 8100 (again, this is BEFORE it triggers) - guess what hits for more than that? SMASH, or 2 "non-crit" attacks from most other classes.

This thread must be closed. Merc/PT/mandos/VG have strongest defensive CD in all game, 30% HP in few seconds is huge buff, they just have to learn to play it and stop spaming 1 button.

Seriously, not sure if you are this dumb. You must never have played a commando or merc for any reasonable amount of time, let alone PVP with one. I don't like to make assumptions, but I will this time. Are you by any chance a smash monkey who is butthurt because you can't just instakill us anymore?

GREAT reply to the "fake cast" idea!!!

 

Don't accept being inferior.

We totally, should have higher damage to account for the low defenses we have. At there very least, maybe a set piece bonus that reduces the cooldown of demo round or something by 3 seconds.

our damage is fine. its the ability to consistently maintain that damage output that has been our problem. the changes in 2.0 helped in that regard; there are still a couple of things that i would like to see done to finish the class.

first and foremost being reducing the cooldowns of Tech Override and Reserve Powercell. both have baseline 2min cooldowns, but have a potential downtime of 1:58.5, and offer minimal benefit given the insane cooldown duration. and when you start comparing it to other class's short term "buff"-type abilities, TO and RP fall way behind the pack.

60s baseline cooldown for TO and RP. get it done devs.

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA!!! You mean the new "adrenalin rush"??? O M G lol! That is the WORST freaking change! By the time it "triggers", I'm dead. 30% of my health is around 8100 (again, this is BEFORE it triggers) - guess what hits for more than that? SMASH, or 2 "non-crit" attacks from most other classes.

I don't think any one single ability 'fixes' dps Merc but it's unfair to hate on Kolto Overload or whatever it's called now.

It's a strong cooldown, more than what most people give it credit for. In a typical 1v1 it literally is an extra life. Against people that can burst big in 1 GCD (2-3 attacks loaded together) or 2-3 people focusing together it's not good unless you pair it together with another defensive cooldown/maneuver (energy shield, wz adrenal, run for your life, etc). How this works is fairly logical - it's not an invulnerability button and it really works as advertised if you use it effectively (versus mindlessly pushing it and then back to dps routine).

I've certainly died with it on - happens plenty. But I've also lived with it on, and that's more than I can say pre 2.0.

I'll help keep this bumped while my sub is active (3 more weeks), even tho I have not played my Merc since 1.7.

 

It saddens me to see Merc be so futile in PvP (Ranked or vs. players of moderate to high skill).

 

I've given up attempting to speak reason, provide QoL suggestion, and holding on to any hope Merc will be "fixed" anytime soon.

 

I've been here since the beginning, early beta Merc/Firebug, and the decline has been steady, in terms of class viability and competitiveness in PvP.

 

2.0 has been an "improvement", but, since all other classes also received improvements, it's impact, the improvements that is(esp. in PvP), have been more or less a wash.

 

as a Merc/Pyro...well, I feel as though I've been betrayed. The subclass has been deemed virtually useless in comparison to other classes, based on their roles, in both PvP and PvE.

 

Healer...worst healer subclass

Pyro...worst DPS subclass

Arsenal...I don't care, I've played Arse for about 5 hours...I'm a FB/Pyro, 4 life.

 

-COMPETITIVE PvP'rs and rankeds have no use for a class that is 3rd best in healing.

-COMPETITIVE PvP'rs and rankeds have no use for a DPS class that can EASILY be shutdown and have minimal defenses.

 

Sure, highly skilled players do well, and can do well with quality team, strategy, and teamwork...

 

But, it's like driving a mini-van at the Indy 500...Sure, you COULD do it...But, aren't you trying to win?

 

I dunno, some commandos, 1 in specific who is I and most of us think, Zachariah is quite frankly just good at that class and could make any class that is underpowered look overpowered to be honest,lol. Out of all the Commando's that guy is one tough ombre to take out and is streets above the rest of us whether Merc or Commando, but it is good to fight against him always, sneaky player not to be triffled with. But there are some Merc's like that as well, maybe not quite as heavy on the damage, but equally as sneaky and just know the class.

So really, it is upto the individual isn't it?. Some were good before 2.0, so ya know, we all know Merc and Mando is the most difficult class to master in the game. That commands respect to keep playing them in my eyes. I enjoy my Merc, sure I take some savage hits sometimes, but I also can dish it if given space to do so.

All I know is, that I am convinced things are that little bit better. I can not help but say though, apart from Zachariah, most other Commando's are pretty squishy,lol .

our damage is fine. its the ability to consistently maintain that damage output that has been our problem. the changes in 2.0 helped in that regard; there are still a couple of things that i would like to see done to finish the class.

*snip*

60s baseline cooldown for TO and RP. get it done devs.

Correct. We cannot sustain our damage if we are given attention by even just one player. Our mobility is improved, but we still need to cast to deal damage. It is not our fault the devs have tied all our abilities to one in either tree. And when we are trying to cast, pushback, stuns, mezzes, leaps, openers and interrupts can all stop us. This I could handle if our damage was so high that we just MUST be shut down. But even using tech override, two casts, a FA or UO, a HiB or RS and a DC etc, we aren't always guaranteed a kill. BW understands the need to interrupt casts when it comes to bosses. That is the whole point. The same must be applied to casting classes. Make us hit harder than a sniper or GS and then I could feel happy about our squishiness.

All our CDs are way too long. The scoundrel shield is on a 45s cooldown, compared to ours at 2minutes. KO or Adrenaline Rush is on a 3 minute cooldown. For what it does, it is in no way powerful enough to warrant such a long time.

FatEdd - Most Mercs and Commandos are sick and tired of having to play out of their skin in order to get results that other classes can obtain easily.

Choffware - I agree with you, arsenal and gunnery is better now. As for kiting and breaking up players, I can kite well. I pvp with three guilds and they respect what I can do with my Commando, however, we lack both the sustained and front end burst to make us effective enough at this role. Plus it is a very niche role, and it is incredibly unfair to pigeon hole us into this one tiny aspect of the game that is useless in most warzones.

Remember guys:

Don't accept being inferior.

Something I have been working on is a spreadsheet that compares all our CDs to those of other classes. So far it greatly highlights how poorly we are equipped.

Whoa almost hit page 2, gotta keep posting and maybe bioware will see.

Don't worry, I'll keep posting.

Other thoughts on some slight improvements. Most of our dps is because we are forced to be mobile in pvp. Now, I realize that BW may have tried to remedy this by giving us mortar salvo (don't know the one for mercs). However, it never really does that much damage, maybe 2-3 k per activation, and due to it's cost, it is not viable to spam it for any length of time.

Lowering the cooldown on TO could help, or maybe even a talent that could reduce the cooldown when attacked.

...

Choffware - I agree with you, arsenal and gunnery is better now. As for kiting and breaking up players, I can kite well. I pvp with three guilds and they respect what I can do with my Commando, however, we lack both the sustained and front end burst to make us effective enough at this role. Plus it is a very niche role, and it is incredibly unfair to pigeon hole us into this one tiny aspect of the game that is useless in most warzones.

 

Well I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on the tool set... I think we have enough front end burst to play that role well now. Sticky dart, fm, tm, HSM unload... is pretty good to open with... Especially if PS and TO are up and barrage procs... the only stand and cast there would be unload. so pretty good to open.. even if there is no barrage or PS and TO up. But I agree it's very niche... and for some players counter intuitive.

Also in regulars when there isn't as much structure or coordination with teams we really shine there. Mercs are kicking arse in free for alls now. Only the mercs that try to stand still and TM spam my Marauder are easy kills. But half way decent ones are tough especially if I get stupid and try to chase them.

I dunno, some commandos, 1 in specific who is I and most of us think, Zachariah is quite frankly just good at that class and could make any class that is underpowered look overpowered to be honest,lol. Out of all the Commando's that guy is one tough ombre to take out and is streets above the rest of us whether Merc or Commando, but it is good to fight against him always, sneaky player not to be triffled with. But there are some Merc's like that as well, maybe not quite as heavy on the damage, but equally as sneaky and just know the class.

 

So really, it is upto the individual isn't it?. Some were good before 2.0, so ya know, we all know Merc and Mando is the most difficult class to master in the game. That commands respect to keep playing them in my eyes. I enjoy my Merc, sure I take some savage hits sometimes, but I also can dish it if given space to do so.

 

All I know is, that I am convinced things are that little bit better. I can not help but say though, apart from Zachariah, most other Commando's are pretty squishy,lol .

to perform at that level with merc/mando requires you to play at an absurd skill level. if you take the same player, and put them at the controls of a sniper or a mara, just imagine what they could do.....

Perhaps bioware is afraid that if they make us on par with other classes, the absurd amount of skill of many strong commandos, would be considered OP.

or the more likely scenario is that the mando/merc population has dwindled to us die-hards. and we have been playing the class the longest, have the most experience with it, the greatest character progression, etc. if someone is still playing a commando in max level PvP, they are likely good at it.

so when AP goes to look at his meta-average metrics, a larger % of mando/mercs are highly skilled players, which pushes the metrics higher than other meta-averages. when in fact, he should be comparing the top 5% of each class, rather than giving weight to every single member of each class.

ie: there are 10,000 maras, and 1000 mercs. you cannot compare 10,000 to 1000, yet that is what is likely going on here.

Well I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on the tool set... I think we have enough front end burst to play that role well now. Sticky dart, fm, tm, HSM unload... is pretty good to open with... Especially if PS and TO are up and barrage procs... the only stand and cast there would be unload. so pretty good to open.. even if there is no barrage or PS and TO up. But I agree it's very niche... and for some players counter intuitive.

When we see other classes drop their offensive cooldowns all at once, someone usually dies. I dont feel this happens with us. It also infers that we are doing this whilst not being targetted. This requiires someone on the team to 2v1 so that we can dps from afar, and thus is not ideal.

What I am trying to say is I like your idea, but once again it is not ideal and puts Mercs in a corner where they are inferior. We should not accept this. I am unsubbing as result.

Something I have been working on is a spreadsheet that compares all our CDs to those of other classes. So far it greatly highlights how poorly we are equipped.

Oh, that would be great!!! I REALLY appreciate you working on that and I look forward to seeing it all spelled out...although I'm also a bit troubled by what I fear the results will be...