So, at a glance:

• Maybe I'm missing something, but is there not a Fleet transport droid at the Scoundrel starting point. Not essential, but right now I have to run around the open world leveling up before I can get to fleet, so a droid would be helpful.
  
• Holy schneikes, no passives until level 23!? Like, that's not a huge problem for my characters that are already at max level, but making new characters is kinda gonna be annoying that way, doubly so for Ruffians, when...
  
• ...I do not understand why the first passive the set gets is the one that lets Bushwack spread Vital Shot, when we don't get Bushwack until the late 30s. It's this way on live, too, which has never made much sense.
  
• On the other hand, looking at the trainers (which work again), Dirty Kick is available both to train normally, and as an ability that can be taken in the tree. Is the option at level 35 supposed to be give Dirty Kick effectively a second charge, or are the trainers not working properly?
  
• Nice to have Quick Shot back. It's a big deal for healers and a nice quickie move for the DPS specs to on more straightforward content.
  
• The one big beef I had during the Operative test phase was that there appears to be no cleanse on Disappearing Act anymore, like there is on Live. Given that Assassins still have the ability to take this as a passive (granted, against some extremely stiff competition), is there any chance of Scoundrels getting it back, too?
  

Beyond that, not much to say as things look pretty consistent with live, outside those points. I look forward to playing with some of these new Legendaries and seeing what they mean to the class.

Edited October 29, 2021 by JLazarillo

To preface this - Im a healer main, and specifically an operative/scoundrel healer main.

 

I'm still pretty bummed about the loss of personal dcds. They weren't good in 6.0, but at least we had some options. Off-Gcd abilities, like the sly surrender(+2 probes/self heal) utility, or pugnacity+comeback/revitalizers, or tactical overdrive were fun, and offered some pretty quick, minor buffs that changed up the flow of combat a little bit. Defense screen isn't good, and it shouldn't count as a dcd. Compared to the options Commando and Sage healers have, it kinda sucks.

 

With that outta the way, I am conflicted about the utility choices. The first set of healer choices are:

1. Grant UH on Self Cast

2. Grant 5% DR (10s) on target

3. AoE Splash heals on Self Cast

 

The aoe splash heals are really cool, but since the underworld medicine energy requirement is soo unforgiving, it wont deliver much value.

 

The UH on self cast is completely useless. First off - that ability already generates 1 UH regardless of target. Second, since the energy cost is so high, scoundrels shouldn't be using that on themselves, especially since healers shouldn't be taking significant damage during the majority of any given fight.

 

The DR utility seems like a must take, which is a bummer. it is good, but not fun. Just like the existing I/E dr on Kolto pack, it has a minimal impact for a semi-long duration, so it turns into a bit of a "fire and forget" feel. I would prefer a stronger effect for a shorter duration, so i could use it to mitigate tank busters or as a personal dcd. That would give it more of an impact and make it more of a skilled, active ability rather than effectively a passive.

 

The second set of choices is great, i dont have much to say.

1. Kolto cloud gives +20% heals on primary target

2. Kolto cloud gets improved crit rate based on #targets

3. Kolto cloud gives CDR for Pugnacity

 

All of these options seem viable. Pugnacity makes playstyle fun, so CDR is nice. Improved Critrate seems like a good utility for large group content / raid healing. The primary target buff is good and improves a facet of scoundrel healing that needs iimprovement (ST). Like i said - good choices; big fan.

 

A couple of afterthoughts: We used to be able to do backblast from any direction (weird, but i liked it). with the loss of quick shot, it feels like I don't have any meaningful dps abilities in situations where you can't be behind the target. I kinda hope the medpac can be used multiple times (for all classes) since the stealth reset will likely stop working. Again, would really like some sort of personal dcd, whether through improving defense screen or giving back some sort of personal dr (surprise comeback, probe dr, maybe the defense screen that ruffian has). Compared to the other two heal options and their DCDs, it's really depressing.

With PTS now live, you can help test the Combat Style for the Scoundrel.

 

Please answer the following questions:

 

• Does the current combat rotation make this experience feel like you are playing a Scoundrel? Why or why not?
  
• If you have feedback on the different discipline, please note your feedback accordingly so we can track it.
  

 

Feel free to answer in as much detail as possible to help us understand your thought process and line of thinking.

 

Thank you!

 

What i haven't noticed when tested operative in the past is that now both scoundrel and operative doesn't have

utility that " When activated, dissapearing act grants 2 seconds of dodge". This utility gives operative/scoundrel opportunity to remove almost all debuffs upon using vanish, especially roots which aren't allowing scoundrel to roll after vanish.

 

Now operative/scoundrel doesn't have it which means it will be absolutely useless in pvp. Everyone will be able to kill operative/scoundrel because they can be easily revealed right after using vanish thanks to any dot/root which was applied to operative/scoundrel before vanish. I can't even understand how would you not implement it

 

 

 

Without dodge/evasion pop on vanish use this class becomes useless in pvp because every single dot or white attack can INSTANTLY reveal scoundrel/operative which means death for this class. Without using vanish on low hp, regening hp out of combat and returning back at safe moment this class will be unplayable in pvp, especially in ranked.

 

This is as obvious as the fact that juggernauts need Enraged defenses ability to survive.

Edited November 4, 2021 by omaan

welcome to the world of non stealthers....very good change by bioware-ops needed a nerf of this nature fpr the longest time! u do realize u got 2 godrolls,self heals, and other various toys.... maybe just adapt to having to think when to use stealth... u got more than enough without stealth cheese allready...

welcome to the world of non stealthers....very good change by bioware-ops needed a nerf of this nature fpr the longest time! u do realize u got 2 godrolls,self heals, and other various toys.... maybe just adapt to having to think when to use stealth... u got more than enough without stealth cheese allready...

 

Lethality and heals do not get the concealment spec's roll immunities.

 

Also: there is more to the game then just PvP.

I understand that the only protection against killing scoundrel heal on wz and rwz is not to play for him, if earlier they barely saved 20% of the protection from steam boost, then now you can leave for 1 control

everything else except nim is easy enough that u shouldn't need yet another cheese in your packed cheese arsenal....tbh ops should loose even more from a pvp standpoint to make him balanced with other classes. and in the case of that class does pvp matter more than any other mode cause its stupidly op in pvp....so any ways to bring this class finally down to levels of other classes is welcome in my mind....

a set of implants for scoundrel heal is amazing, I need to take on accuracy to get a 10% crit chance and a field medic for 100% crit of one underworld medicine every 30 seconds, while I don't have the opportunity to hang 2 slow realize medpac instantly? once in 1 minute I can live using dodge and defense screen absorbing 26k damage. in comparison with sage who uses buble stun/force barrier/clound mind for protection or valorus spirit/spreads rejuvenate on everyone while I hang one medpack twice for everyone, this is admirable.

maybe scoundrel heal will get at least some protection from crazy sentinel and insanely fast-rolling Stim Boost from Lethality Operative and will stop throwing medpac with his hands and will distribute them like sage?

Edited November 9, 2021 by AtacamaSWAT

I've reached 15 on Scoundrel and there seems to be no meaningful difference between Ruffian and Scrapper, both are equally awful in feel -- am I missing something? What's the point of having Upper Hand if there's nothing to spend them?

 

Also -- not having tranquilizer available till 30+ is ridiculous!

Edited December 15, 2021 by Ancaglon

I've reached 15 on Scoundrel and there seems to be no meaningful difference between Ruffian and Scrapper, both are equally awful in feel -- am I missing something? What's the point of having Upper Hand if there's nothing to spend them?

 

Also -- not having tranquilizer available till 30+ is ridiculous!

 

Seconding the thoughts on Tranq. Being able to sleep and sneak past an enemy is my scrapper's bread-and-butter, so moving the Tranquilizer Dart to level 35 is absurd.

 

Also, I've noted this before but the lack of any skills between level 15 and 23 is, well, boring.

Edited December 15, 2021 by AggiePunbot

To me a big part of the fun of stealth classes is being able to achieve objectives without getting into combat, which is why on Live on my Shadow I absolutely adore the "Go to Sleep! Go to sleep!" tactical (mind maze 2 targets). It may not save any time (and actually cost XP and other rewards) but from a RP perspective it's priceless to avoid killing as a Jedi. I also prefer not to be a mass murderer on my scoundrels so not having this till so late makes me sad... Edited December 15, 2021 by Ancaglon

I've been testing a scoundrel now for class missions starting with Alderaan. My feedback is that the fights take significantly longer as on live. And they are much more difficult. With a level 50 companion as DPS, and DPSing myself, I tested the fights without using heals (on purpose, for testing). And starting with Hoth, I was regularly getting in trouble (up to actually dying) in fights which had one silver and two mobs. That includes stunning one of them. My char had all the perks from live.

 

I'm pretty sure that a new player without level 50 companion and without perks, will have a hard time starting with chapter 2, because the beginning of the game is so easy.

 

Why do you make the game more difficult again?

 

I remember that my first char, a gunslinger, died in early 2012 during a class mission on Hoth. And now, my test char on the PTS died as well there. Between 2012 and 2021, none of my chars died on Hoth. You want to go back to 1.0 regarding the difficulty? Why?

I think the scoundrel still plays to much like an operative. In the future, (maybe not this patch) I would love to see them become a bit more divorced from one another. I would love to see more utilization of the shotgun as part of the scoundrel's rotation.