From a PvE perspective...

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

Arsenal: Solid DPS. Doses't really bring anything to the raid compared to Snipers or Marauders.

Bodyguard: Weakest of the three healers.

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

Arsenal: I can put out nice damage, but not as good as Snipers or Marauders. Lack of ultility is an issue.

Bodyguard: I feel weaker than the other Healers. Have to work harder to achieve same results. Resource management toughest of the three.

(bodyguard)

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

(PVP) Not the preferred healer- but people (usually) seem fine with it

(PVE) We're so rare that people automatically think we suck, so they don't want us in their group.

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

(PVP) personally my favorite healer- damage reduction abilities are useful, but rapid scan and med scan are a little weak.

(PVE) good at healing, but isn't capable of the damage other healing classes have.

Hi everyone,

 

Here are the two questions that we’d like to ask (please only post about specific specs that you actively play, and don’t forget to tell us which one you’re talking about!):

 

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

 

Please answer the post using the same format and in no more than 2-3 sentences per question.

 

(1) Other's Perception:

1. [bodyGuard]- Middle of the pack healer. Survivable, not the best, but an asset in PVP, less so in PVE, but 'sufficient' with proper support classes.

1. [Arsenal]- PVE less desirable since 1.3. Functional, but definitely not nearly as requested by my guild for PVE purposes (in fact I can't get a spot unless 'high' DPS is not available. They run Mox Parser and prefer most of the 'other' strictly dps classes - frustrating)

PVP Highest negative perception of all classes. (Often quite verbal) Limited utility, highly dysfunctional DPS. Easily countered. Not survivable.

1. [Pyrotech] PVE- Perception is Vanguards to this better so why bring the Merc variant? Unfortunately it's also a reality. PVP - Same as PVE.

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(2) My 'Perceptions':

2. [bodyguard]: PVE - I can't give 100% thorough feedback in PVE as I've only dabbled in PVE healing due to DPS frusrtrations. (IE. I gave up on PVE.) PVP- It's a bit clunky compared to the other mechanics of other classes. Decent survivability, but middle of the pack in bottom line effectiveness.

2. [Arsenal] PVE: Pre 1.3 I was much more coveted in operations than I am now. I feel I have to always justify why I should get to go. I perceive Armor break as my greatest asset (which is not really that unique). I perceive my DPS is far lower than it used to be.

PVP- Utterly broken. The 'least capable' of 1v1 against any class in the game (assuming equal competence). Low survivability. Zero escape mechanism. Too 'channeled' for an insta-cast era. Interuptable to a fault. Lacking general warzone utility. Skill tree needs an overhaul. Static and immobile. The most easily countered PVP class in the modern PVP game. Mildly dysfunctional in PUGs, grossly incompetent for Ranked.

2. [Pyrotech]- PVE Not worth the effort. Just get a Powertech. E.G.No one wants to wait for duds like "Powershot" to channel so you can (possibly) get off a weaker Rail shot.

PVP - Frustratingly deficient compared to Powertech variant. More mobile than Arsenal but still too static for PVP. IE: too reliant on channeled mediocre abilities.

Defensively lacking. Almost no escape mechanisms. No CC, or Channeling protection. Lack of rooting abilities. Second only to Arsenal in the category of 'least capable 1v1 class in the game'. Lacking utility (E.G. No run, No pull, no Aoe Stun(?!), No group buff, etc. etc.)

In a PVP environment of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Mercenary is simply the ground that all of these things land on.

See this link for my concerns: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=514932

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

PVE Bodyguard

1. People don't expect me to be able to heal them enough to make good operation progress, which stresses me out and pretty much makes me not want to play. Playing with another healing class, I often get told how it's frustrating to heal with me since I need them to pick up my short-comings(No good AOE healing, overheat very fast). Anytime a sorc or operative healer want to join the operation, I am easily shelved to make the run smoother.

2. Completely and utterly useless compared to the other healers. I leveled all three healers to 50 and did ops with them and it's night and day how easy it is to heal people with those classes. With the nerfs to bodyguard mercs(Due to PVP only issues) I am now twiddling my thumbs because raids won't take me to the big boy operations unless they know they can carry me. This spec is both stressful and unfun, also the reason why I will not renew my sub.

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

PvP Based:

1.) [Arsenal] As a stationary turret with little defense and easily stopable damage since tracer missle, unload, fusion missle and power shot all require cast times and all melee classes have more than 1 stun and atleast 1 interupt. Since Arsenal's primary attack is tracer missle and all its subsequent instant attacks (Heat seeker missle, rail shot) require a "stack" to bring its full effectiveness (that must be reapplied to each individual target) it is very simple to "shut down" any Arsenal merc and defeat it since the best defense it can put up is a 12 second 25% damage reduction as opposed to say, re-stealthing to wait for said defense to drop, or becoming immune to damage altogether.

2. Power-Overides is a wasted talent that has no beneficial use for pvp or pve that is not eclipsed by another talent in the same tree or even a tier 1 talent in the pyro or bodguard tree. It can be re-made into another useful tier 6 talent or added onto another talent as a secondary effect and replaced. As a tier 6 talent, it is wasteful and skipable.

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

1. My mercenary spec (arsenal) is a joke in PVP. I solo everything in PVE and have plenty of ability to succeed at it. But in PVP I'm dead meat. I can't escape a fight and I can't really offer much of a defense. Opposing players know this. Once I'm spotted in a war zone, I get jumped and slaughtered. As an arsenal mercenary, I'm not wanted in PVP teams.

2. I adore playing the mercenary and I like its abilities. The storyline is a lot of fun. I am thrilled with the PVE experience. Once I hit a war zone, though, the game does a turn-around. I know that I'm going to get killed over and over again and that the opposing team will be hunting for me in particular for the easy kill. I'm useless in PVP but I keep going in for the rewards. It's not fun, but I do it anyway.

[Pyro Spec]

1. Other classes percieve me, I am a quick kill for them in PvP. About six seconds is all that is needed to burn me down. Don't leave me alone or I will kill you quickly and lock down your healers.

2. I do a LOT of damage. I feel good about that. I have a lot of damage dealing abilities. When I look at my quickbar it is full of damage skills. There isn't much else. PVE I have some stuns which are awesome. I wish I had some of those cool powertech abilities to mix things up PvP and PVE. I would trade some damage for those abilities.

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

In PVP I am preceived as food for the sharks.

I am tasty baked, broiled or fried.

I go well with virtually any type of side dish and beverage.

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

I dont think BW will be reading this but here goes anyway..

1: weak. In PVP if we are cough by a Jugg/guardian we can be dead very quickly.... why they are immune to all stuns, knock backs or CC's, so a few good hits on out Heavy? armor and we are down. Merc is classed as a range class but our best ranged attacks are interrupted too much due to the longest cast time in game.

2: Ive stopped playing merc due to the new changes, once we had a small fighting chance but now i cant seem to get any distance on anyone. BW you have really lost the plot on this class. Really needs work over ANY other class. and FFS go back to the last resolve setup.. too many CC, stuns in this game.

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes?

Perceived as a class that is very limited in abilities and not much of a threat. (Merc can't escape a fight like other classes) Can be beat one on one by other classes if given equal footing on the terrain and gear.

2. How do you perceive your own spec?

No interesting abilities that make this class unique. Other classes has force speed, stealth, leaps and pulls. Mercenary class has nothing except one push back which other classes also posses. Everyone says the Merc class is suppose to use the terrain, so give us an ability that allows us to use terrain. (An escape would be nice... or just give us back the old knock back to rocket punch as the new root is junk.)

I've played all specs so I'll say a bit about all of them (PvP player talking)

1. Arsenal - amazing damage until we don't get interrupted. Can't kill anyone except another merc 1v1. Very easy to shutdown. Haven't seen any respected team take it to ranked.

2. Pyrotech - Better mobility than arsenal, still need to cast in order to do great damage. Our damage suffers a lot if the opposing team know they can cleanse my dots and does it. Again, easily killed by any other class 1v1. Noone takes it to ranked..

3. Bodyguard (I think that's the name, healing spec) - Not that it's bad, but since in 1.4 sorcerer healers got a huge buff (lesser cooldown on force sprint, stun bubble, new self heal etc.) and operative healers were always best, we're on the bottom again. With only 5 healing abbilites and no utility why would anyone want us in ranked? You devs think that only because we have heavy armor we can survive as much as other healers. Guess what, we can't. We need mobility. We're heavily dependant on using cooldowns to survive.

All in all, Merc are the worst dps class for PvP, and the worst healing class in PvP imo. I don't see any good ranked team running with a mercenary, EVER!

In PvE tho we're more than fine