Same classes are getting buffed accross the board every patch as far as their trees go. We are continuously getting nerfed non stop. OH BOY! I get an interupt. Meanwhile, every other class can still out DPS me. You took away the one awesome abilility we had, our knockback, and now these other classes like Muraders of all classes are getting buffed in on of their other trees, YET AGAIN? Come on someone wake up for crying out loud at Bioware and get this class in shape. Their are muraders on our server that hold highest DPS records already who use rage spec, and their buffing this? You folks at Bioware couldn't figure out anything what so ever to do with the arsenal tree? Now we'll have to wait another 4 months to be dissappointed yet again from lack of anything what so ever being properly buffed the merc tree. I know there were a few changes made to the healer spec, but they weren't anything really good to be honest. Our heals still are the worse compared to Operatives and Sorcs.

I fully agree, this game is so horribly biased for melee range classes thats its just insane. How the "balance" team cant see this is beyond the communitys understanding. I have a fully augmented WH merc, same for PT, Jug, Assassin and Sage but no matter what i do with my merc i just cant keep up with the other classes.

 

Today i logged in, did one warzone and logged out in disgust.

Everytime i log on to these forums its with the faintest glimmer of hope that some new patch info will be revealed but theres never anything, not even a hint.

Im at the end of my rope, this game just is not fun anymore.

The devs really need to stop balancing classes based on average player performance, and instead balance based on POTENTIAL performance.

 

 

(inb4 mercs are fine l2p)

Edited September 20, 2012 by Chaoskyx

After a lot of time, a valor rank of 88, full Arsenal Elimitaor WH gear fully augmented, after I've played countless hours in PV with Arsenal spec, AFTER reading the stupid patch notes for 1.4 I decided to go Bodyguard spec because I'm VERY sick of all the idiocy BW can pull out of the sack for our beloved class every patch.

This I do only because I don't want to stop PVPing and i will change spec in bodyguard for PvP, hoping to be at least of some better use in WZs, and in Arsenal for PvE, because at least in ops there will be no hindrancies at all to have our electro dart on 10m range and/or a root on our punch instead of a knockback.

At least in PvE arsenal spec is one of the best and always seekd out for the output damage and utility for the entire group/ops.

These are my 2 cents... sigh...

It's simple, guys, obviously Ghostcrawler plays a frost ma.....err marauder!

1) Arsenal is not very good for PvP. I'm not saying it can't be done, because there are those who do it with success. I certainly wouldn't use Arsenal in PvP if you solo queue a lot, because you just won't have the necessary support team to pull it off. Pyro is just fine, and you can put up top DPS numbers.

 

2) The balance for this class versus melee is your range. Yes, this game is very melee heavy. You should be engaging melee targets in PvP who are busy fighting other melee. Your biggest asset is AoE + range, and this is easy to pull of in any match as long as you let those front line classes do their job. Stay close to LOS objects, and don't be out in the open where you can be an easy target.

 

3) Disengage! I heal myself often, even as Pyro spec. Yes, there's some DPS loss, but I've always managed to finish every match with the least amount of deaths on the team...and still be in the top 3 for damage/kills. Often #1.

 

The biggest problem Mercs have are the melee drifters. The players who wander around, not really paying attention to objectives or what is going on. They're just looking for their next zerg victim. The players who relentlessly hunt you down and stay on you like white on rice. These are the ones you need to save your stun and knockback for.

 

Yes, it would be nice if Mercs had a leap immunity ability or an escape tool. Maybe that will come one of these days. Until then, you have to play smart. Don't put yourself in those 1vs1 situations.

Edited September 20, 2012 by TheronFett

Taking away the knock back from Rocket Punch was just moronic. Simply moronic. Why in the hell did the Devs feel like Rocket Punch needed a nerf? Arsenal Specced Mercs have a tough time in PvP, so they take away one of our best survival tools? I honestly don't get it.

The QQ is simply amazing about Rocket Punch being a immobilize instead of a knockback. You do know that the knockback freaking BLOWS and it gives the enemy resolve? The knockback was like 3 feet and hardly any vertical uptime. It was basically our interrupt for healers IF they didn't have a full bar of resolve. I'm glad it is an immobilize so it gives me time to ****.

5 Star Thread.

The QQ is simply amazing about Rocket Punch being a immobilize instead of a knockback. You do know that the knockback freaking BLOWS and it gives the enemy resolve? The knockback was like 3 feet and hardly any vertical uptime. It was basically our interrupt for healers IF they didn't have a full bar of resolve. I'm glad it is an immobilize so it gives me time to ****.

 

They replace it with a 4 sec stun but wouldn't it have made since to add the stun in the knockback because Merc are a range DPS/Heal class. Instead they keep range classes closer to you than ever before. Its a stupid design for a stationary class and all the while buffing the melee classes.

 

 

This **** makes know sense.......

Edited September 26, 2012 by Asturias

The QQ is simply amazing about Rocket Punch being a immobilize instead of a knockback. You do know that the knockback freaking BLOWS and it gives the enemy resolve? The knockback was like 3 feet and hardly any vertical uptime. It was basically our interrupt for healers IF they didn't have a full bar of resolve. I'm glad it is an immobilize so it gives me time to ****.

 

So you QQ about a QQ thread...

They replace it with a 4 sec stun but wouldn't it have made since to add the stun in the knockback because Merc are a range DPS/Heal class. Instead they keep range classes closer to you than ever before. Its a stupid design for a stationary class and all the while buffing the melee classes.

 

 

This **** makes know sense.......

 

I didn't think they would sensor Get out the heck out [replace the heck with your favorite F-word]. According to the patch note it is an immobilize not a stun. The knockback had some situations that it was useful but it required delicate placement because the knockback itself was pure garbage. Smart melee know to stay in the middle of a ramp to avoid the knockback as much as possible from a talented Rocket Punch. Yes you might get an easy kill every now and then with a well timed knockback but you still get the AoE knockback. With the immobilze I can drop down and heal myself or get me that extra Tracer Missle + Railshot to kill them. With the Old Rocket Punch I would not be able to do that because they would have closed the distance in heartbeat.

I didn't think they would sensor Get out the heck out [replace the heck with your favorite F-word]. According to the patch note it is an immobilize not a stun. The knockback had some situations that it was useful but it required delicate placement because the knockback itself was pure garbage. Smart melee know to stay in the middle of a ramp to avoid the knockback as much as possible from a talented Rocket Punch. Yes you might get an easy kill every now and then with a well timed knockback but you still get the AoE knockback. With the immobilze I can drop down and heal myself or get me that extra Tracer Missle + Railshot to kill them. With the Old Rocket Punch I would not be able to do that because they would have closed the distance in heartbeat.

 

You don't even seem like you play a Merc. I have a fully WH Merc that I have been playing since launch and this class is getting worse and worse with no sight of improvement.

 

If there resolve is full your Rocket Punch don't mean ****. Its pointless but they should of added it to the knock back.

For rocket punch, just saying here... how hard would it have been to keep the knockback, and tack on the root? Juuuuust sayin'

I wouldn't be suprised to see this as the Mercenaries next ability at this point. I agree with the original post as sad as that is, b/c there is so much anger in his thread lol. But i feel yah.

 

"Jetpack Explosion" - The Mercenary ignites his jetpack, blowing it up along with himself (insta self-death), but enemies nearby are stunned for 27.5 seconds. Builds 10% resolve. This ability does not effect enemy force-sensitive melee classes. The Mercenaries body is launched into a nearby Sarlacc pit, causing nearby allies to be stunned in fear for 8 seconds, building 5% resolve. The flames enrage enemy Marauder/Sentinel classes, healing them for 5% health and granting them 2 second immortality along with +10% damage increase.

 

/sigh. I love being the red headed stepchild class of SWTOR. At least I look awesome though, props to the artwork team.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Warlord_Maliken

The QQ is simply amazing about Rocket Punch being a immobilize instead of a knockback. You do know that the knockback freaking BLOWS and it gives the enemy resolve? The knockback was like 3 feet and hardly any vertical uptime. It was basically our interrupt for healers IF they didn't have a full bar of resolve. I'm glad it is an immobilize so it gives me time to ****.

 

This. The new 4 sec root is far far superior to the old knockback for pillar kiting etc and almost every other situation.

This. The new 4 sec root is far far superior to the old knockback for pillar kiting etc and almost every other situation.

 

I wasn't keen about it on paper; but having it on a short cool down and not adding to or being affected by resolve comes in handy. I just gave it a good, honest try last night and it was effective. I just use my regular knockback when I myself am rooted, like from a leap, but if I can keep moving with the help of cure I use the root. Particularly when I am focusing on an objective; I then do not waste much time to engage the melee in my face more than to root them and keep moving to where I need/want to be.

1)

2) The balance for this class versus melee is your range. Yes, this game is very melee heavy. You should be engaging melee targets in PvP who are busy fighting other melee. Your biggest asset is AoE + range, and this is easy to pull of in any match as long as you let those front line classes do their job. Stay close to LOS objects, and don't be out in the open where you can be an easy target.

 

I am so sick of hearing the trash. Get a clue.

 

RANGE IS NOT A DEFENSE!

 

Every class has a counter to completely ignore our "range is a defense" power.

 

Operatives, Scoundrels, Assassins, and Shadows get stealth. Range is not a defense from them.

 

Marauders, Juggernauts, Sentinels, and Guardians get the flying monkey jump. Range is not a defense from them.

 

Powertech and Vanguard get Harpoon and or Jet Leap; and have some ranged attack to use while closeing if needed. Range is not a defense from them.

 

Snipers, Gunfighters, Mercs, Commandos, Sorceress, and Sages, are ranged fighters. Range is not a defense from them.

 

Where is this all powerful "ranged is a defense" power you speak of?

 

I'll tell you what, you give me a power that lets me ignore 80% of my opponents defenses, like all of my opponents ignore my mythical "range is defense" power and I will agree that range is a defense.

For rocket punch, just saying here... how hard would it have been to keep the knockback, and tack on the root? Juuuuust sayin'

 

this, i didnt really understand the change... even if you root the enemy, you have hardly enough time to move anyway, and its not like you can attack either, because you will just get interrupted, ******** change is ********

This is a 5 Star Thread. All you mercs should rate it as such. Vote now at the bottom right of the forums page.

I rarely ever QQ about balancing, but this is too much.

 

This class is flawed beyond belief and a complete joke in PvP. As it stands now, they're almost just free kills. I'm not wanted anywhere as Dps. Sure, I could just roll a Sniper, but I'm far done with rerolling..

Sorry, but with these kind of stupid *** balance choices BW tend to make, I can understand why people want to leave. Good luck ruining your own freakin' game..

And what is with my cyborg-bunny-slippers I got for BM boots? Got them before going to Corella and didn't notice until I got to a cut scene and was like "***?!"

I have a 50 merc pyro. I have been playing as pyro for a long time and I do have a lot of fun at it. that being said I have found that mercs are amazingly squishy in pvp. If I stand and fight 1v1 I will be dead in seconds. I have learned to LOS and at times retreat behind other players for a couple seconds until they switch targets. Yes I would love to stand toe to toe with someone and beat them down but the merc is simply not built for that. I do regularly score over 300k damage in warzones and that is mostly because I concentrate on staying alive, breaking LOS, and self-healing. The current state of the merc is to engage and stay at max range then kite to stay alive. If you don't like that play style then roll a powertech or better yet a juggernaught.

 

The issue I think most merc players have is that we see all the other classes able to fight and survive longer than 6 seconds when they get targeted. Mercs have next to no damage mitigation abilities. We also only have one heal that is instant cast if we are not a bodyguard and it is a HoT. This means that we are susceptable to burst damage. PvP is the home of huge burst damage. Once we get targeted and get hit by our first burst damage you can try popping the HoT and channeling a heal but by then pushback or an interrupt will have you dead in seconds. I don't think the devs are going to change the way this class plays.

 

As a merc I try and move in a group. Then try to avoid getting targeted by knowing your terrain and breaking LOS. Self-heal when you break LOS. If there is a melee that is locked on to you there is not a whole lot you can do right now. Hopefully you can burst damage them and throw some DoTs on them before they kill you. I have been in plenty of fights where a melee has jumped on me and I throw all my DoTs on him before he kills me. Then I watch him drop dead from my DoTs a couple seconds afterwards. It does take the sting out of getting stomped in 6 seconds flat but not much.

 

I hope that bioware pays attention to this thread. I think there are a lot of players that really like playing mercs but are frustrated. I don't know what the solution is. I suggest some more damage mitigation, either passive or by an ability on cooldown. We are wearing heavy armor but seem to be the class that can be killed the quickest. (I know that armor rating in PvP doesn't matter)

Edited November 26, 2012 by Onymus

Any support out there for giving jet boost a 3 second speed buff like force speed? You could decide to use it for the speed or the knockback or both. Giving it a short duration hopefully would not destroy balance. Having a speed boost would further reinforce the ranged aspect of the merc.

Any support out there for giving jet boost a 3 second speed buff like force speed? You could decide to use it for the speed or the knockback or both. Giving it a short duration hopefully would not destroy balance. Having a speed boost would further reinforce the ranged aspect of the merc.

 

I agree, the speed boost works wonders for the sorc, and if the sorc did not have Force Speed then their bubble and knock back would be for nothing. I don't think giving us a defensive cool down would be the answer either, it just delays the inevitable. We either need a sprint of some kind or a disengage similar to the hunters in WoW. This will get us the distance we need to keep melee at bay.