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What would make mercs better? (Utility thread)


Onymus

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I'd like to hear ideas on utility abilities. Mercs already have plenty of damage skills. We could debate all day on buffing/nerfing specific damage causing abilities. I think that new or improved abilities for utility are more important. BH is a class just asking for gadgets and dirty tricks.

 

Damage numbers aside what would be some good abilities to make mercs more useful and more importantly more survivable.

 

I've seen threads for improved jetpacks. Ones for getting knockback to rocket punch back. Do mercs need improvements to slowing abilities or perhaps a good rooting ability? What are people most interested in seeing?

 

I think mercs would greatly benefit from a speed boost of some kind. And a knockdown ability perhaps a headbutt (helmet strike) or expanded shoulder slam that is usable against anything.

 

Mercs need to be harder to kill. There would be a corresponding decrease to dps output of course while trying to avoid damage and get away from melee range. I don't want to debate dps stuff at the moment so please leave that for another thread.

 

Also should these utility abilities use heat?

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A sprint, like consulars/inquisitors.

 

A disengage/retreat that could send us flying away to an area we target 20-30 meters away.

 

Rocketpunch with both the knockback and the root, and make it native to the class, not just the arsenal tree.

 

Make unload unable to be interrupted, like ravage/master strike.

 

A speed increase and/or snare removal when you use your knockback. Preferably both.

 

Reactive shield making all of our abilities unable to be interrupted for the duration.

 

A talent that would give us the ability to proc a free and instant powershot, similar to the proc-style for a renewed Rail Shot for PTs.

 

Some sort of missile attack to AoE root/snare targets, or an ability that let's you disengage and roots/snares those who were at your previous position.

 

Any of these would work, but the Devs will never do any of them, as they make too much sense.

Edited by Dovahbrah
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Four things that would be great additions to the Mercs/Commandos without going too crazy and changing too much of the overall class design:

 

1. Have Rocket Punch/Stockstrike have a combination of the older and the newer versions. Knockback 4-5m plus a root. Not automatic from the ability Rocket Punch, still in the same spot in the Arsenal tree.

 

2. Make Pinning Fire/Cover Fire talent effect part of the Unload/Full Auto ability (only for Mercs/Commandos) but not such a high slow percentage. Like the Force Lightning/Telekinetic Throw "Also slows the movement speed of the target by 50% and immobilizes weak and standard enemies." By bringing that effect from part of the talent tree to part of Unload/Full Auto change Pinning Fire/Cover Fire to "Unload/Full Auto have a 50%[100%] chance to root the target for the duration of the ability."

 

3. Have Energy Shield/Reactive Shield make you uninterruptible (Power Shield/Combat Shieldl) for the duration for the Mercs/Commandos only.

 

4. Electro Dart/Cryo Grenade need to go back to 30m for Mercs/Commandos only.

 

I believe this would be just about enough to buff the Mercs/Commandos without making them OP and changing the class too much. The class has the damage, just needs to be able to cast it and ways to create the gap they need from enemies. I thought about extra speed like the Consulars/Inquisitors Force Speed, but that changes the class too much and gets away from the original class design. It's better for the Mercs/Commandos to affect the speed of the targets through slows/roots instead.

Edited by BanetheDarkLord
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Rocket punch will increase speed of the player for 4secs by 30%. - i find after a rocket punch 4 seconds isnt a enough time to move back and get a cast shot off, with a speed boost we should be able to do this.
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Stealth Scanner should be invisible to the other team. Right now there is no risk to using stealth dps tactics. No risk and yet huge return. That is a broken game dynamic. That is why all the ranked teams are moving to use more and more stealth classes. Once the new wz arrives, with it's premium placed on avoiding deaths, there will be no reason to use any non-stealth classes.

 

There must be a balance of risk and return to the use of stealth dps tactics. The way to do that is to make the Stealth Scanner's activity and radius unseen to the enemy team. Enemy players who enter an opposing team's Stealth Scanner should be hit with a 50% snare for 4 seconds. Now there is an actual risk to using stealth dps tactics. And maybe even a reason to have a Merc on your team.

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Rocket punch will increase speed of the player for 4secs by 30%. - i find after a rocket punch 4 seconds isnt a enough time to move back and get a cast shot off, with a speed boost we should be able to do this.

This I feel like would be a good change, or at the very least Rocket Punch should remove any movement imparing effects from the Mercenary, so that at least we can get out of melee range for a little while.

 

Other than that, I really like the suggestion of a disengage ability, my favourite is the one where the Merc uses the jetpack to fly backwards while shooting at the target, snaring the target for the duration.

 

I strongly disagree with any change to stuns, there are already too much of that in the game, and changing it back to 30m turns it back into a very effective offensive ability. In my opinion the focus should be on survivability when against close range enemies.

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Other than that, I really like the suggestion of a disengage ability, my favourite is the one where the Merc uses the jetpack to fly backwards while shooting at the target, snaring the target for the duration.

 

Yeah that sounds awesome for a Merc, but how is the trooper going to perform that same type of ability with no jetpack? It still has to make sense for both classes.

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How about Unload ROOTS the target for the duration of the cast instead of slow? Mighty useful for the damned leapers.

 

Power Barrier at 5 stacks makes Fusion Missle and Tracer Missle un-interuptable? Sounds good to me.

 

Rocket Punch no longer roots. it slows its target by 50% for 4 seconds and knocks them back 4m.

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So far a couple people have been in favor of improving unload by making it uninterruptable or rooting the target. I think that a mechanic that would work for both merc and commando would be unload/full auto rooting the target instead of slowing it.

 

A few people have also been in favor of a disengage or some kind of speed up with jet punch. What about just a plain speed boost ability for both classes. It could be negated by rooting and slowing abilities just like the sith assassin speed boost. It could be adrenelin boost for commando and jet assist for merc.

 

How about a new purely defensive ability? It could be as simple as resetting the shield we already have or an entirely new damage reducing/dodge ability.

 

Is anyone in favor of a knockdown ability for mercs? Should it be target specific or an AOE? Should it be ranged or melee? I think that mercs need to be more suvivable so it should be a defensive move. Mercs are also very good with AOE abilities so I am in favor of an AOE knockdown. It could be called grenade spread, a few grenades are tossed at the mercs feet and the merc ducks knocking down up to 3 opponents in a 4m radius. Correct me if I am wrong but knockdowns are an interrupt combined with a 1-2 second stun. Since mercs have no gap closer abilities this would limit the offensive potential of the ability. The grenade aspect would also work for a commando.

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How about Unload ROOTS the target for the duration of the cast instead of slow? Mighty useful for the damned leapers. nice thought but PVPers are already sick to death of more stuns, cc and roots in game already

 

Power Barrier at 5 stacks makes Fusion Missle and Tracer Missle un-interuptable? Sounds good to me. i like this, or each cast makes the next cast smaller

 

Rocket Punch no longer roots. it slows its target by 50% for 4 seconds and knocks them back 4m.

yeah well as much as i miss that knock back i dont think we will ever see it again. all thanks to 1 good merc owning a dev i would think.
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Ability to cast all spells while moving. This will 'fix' the stand still and turret feel of the class. Also add a group useful utility so we can be in demand for ranked warzones. For merc healer, stacks should be able to be accumulated during the activation of combustible gas, because as it stands now, we cannot consecutively spam heals anymore like we used to. Edited by DkSharktooth
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Yeah that sounds awesome for a Merc, but how is the trooper going to perform that same type of ability with no jetpack? It still has to make sense for both classes.

I would assume the exact same way as Vanguards do their version of the Powertech's Jet Charge (which they can talent in their tank tree).

 

Jet Charge: The Powertech tank uses the jetpack to fly towards the enemy.

Storm: The Vanguard tank makes an aggressive run towards the enemy.

 

So far a couple people have been in favor of improving unload by making it uninterruptable or rooting the target. I think that a mechanic that would work for both merc and commando would be unload/full auto rooting the target instead of slowing it.

Making Unload root the target I feel could be OP, especially for Arsenal. Personally, I also don't see interrupted Unloads as being a big issue.

A few people have also been in favor of a disengage or some kind of speed up with jet punch. What about just a plain speed boost ability for both classes. It could be negated by rooting and slowing abilities just like the sith assassin speed boost. It could be adrenelin boost for commando and jet assist for merc.

I'd be in favor of that too. The reason why I personally would prefer Disengage is because it's something different from what's already in the game, and Disengage would take a lot more skill to use effectively (which I am in favor of).

How about a new purely defensive ability? It could be as simple as resetting the shield we already have or an entirely new damage reducing/dodge ability.

Could also be good, I agree. TBH the only reason why I prefer Disengage (or speed boost) is because I think they would feel more awesome to use. :D

Is anyone in favor of a knockdown ability for mercs?

Strong no from me for adding any new stuns into the game.

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Ability to cast all spells while moving. This will 'fix' the stand still and turret feel of the class. Also add a group useful utility so we can be in demand for ranked warzones. For merc healer, stacks should be able to be accumulated during the activation of combustible gas, because as it stands now, we cannot consecutively spam heals anymore like we used to.

 

Umm...supercharged gas? Someone is missing an important part of being a healer.

 

Example: Pop Supercharged gas cyliner.-->Pop Energy shield---> un-interuptable spammed healing scans. I can survive 3 marauders wailing on me. (provideded i have full resolve so they can't choke me) for 12 seconds then drop a seismic grenade and run like hell for my team.

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Umm...supercharged gas? Someone is missing an important part of being a healer.

 

Example: Pop Supercharged gas cyliner.-->Pop Energy shield---> un-interuptable spammed healing scans. I can survive 3 marauders wailing on me. (provideded i have full resolve so they can't choke me) for 12 seconds then drop a seismic grenade and run like hell for my team.

 

You are missing my point for the healer suggestion. During the activation of supercharged gas, we do not accumulate additional stacks towards the next supercharged gas. What you are saying is obvious and has no relevance towards my suggestion. We all know what you can do with no heat and energy shield, but you are screwed if you don't have vent heat after that because you will have full heat, therefore my suggestion to allow stacks to be built while SCG is active from rapid scans and rapid shots to contribute towards the activation of the next CGS or just buff healing scan to add 3-6 stacks to CGS.

 

Extreme Utility Suggestion: Since Mercs are easy to kill, just add a kamikaze suicide type ability where when the merc dies he can take 1 enemy target down to the graveyard with him.

Edited by DkSharktooth
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How would you see a jet disengage ability working?

 

I am in favor of it working as a 2 button press ability. The first time you press the button it marks the location that you are standing (only you can see it). the second time you press the ability you will jet up into the air and land at the marked location if you are within 30 meters of the marked spot. If you are further than 30 meters then you simply mark a new spot to jump to. This could create a great mechanic for mercenaries defending objectives in warzones. They would be able to mark spots near objectives and goal lines then engage further away jumping back to be healed and re-engage closer to the objective. Players could also mark spots in high places (huttball) and if they are knocked off or a ball carrier is getting close to the goal the could jump to the high areas again.

 

A much more exciting method would be a selectable jet disengage. Activating the ability would give you a reticle for your destination. Click anywhere in LOS within 30 meters and off you jump. This would be a lot of fun but it would also cause serious balance issues with warzones and with PVE platforming.

 

Regardless of the jet disengage method what would be a reasonable cooldown? 30 seconds? 1 minute? Should the ability be a specced talent restricting it to one talent tree? Should it be a tier 2 talent so any build could spec it?

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How would you see a jet disengage ability working?

I would have assumed that it could work either exactly as it works in WOW where it moves you directly backwards, however I would be worried that it would make it too easy to use in Huttball so perhaps having it move the player directly away from the player would be better (basically the same as if they used a knockback on you).

 

Cooldown would have to depend on how easy it is to control where you land and how long of a distance it can move you.

Edited by Rassuro
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Ability to cast all spells while moving. This will 'fix' the stand still and turret feel of the class. Also add a group useful utility so we can be in demand for ranked warzones. For merc healer, stacks should be able to be accumulated during the activation of combustible gas, because as it stands now, we cannot consecutively spam heals anymore like we used to.

 

That would rock actually. Casting spells like a Bard in Everquest. I think there might be a huge coding issue there though. I know it was always a huge problem in EQ, but then again that game is really old now. It might be an easy tweak now. It would definitely help the class. Being able to heal and dps on the move would rock.

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Stealth Scanner should be invisible to the other team. Right now there is no risk to using stealth dps tactics. No risk and yet huge return. That is a broken game dynamic. That is why all the ranked teams are moving to use more and more stealth classes. Once the new wz arrives, with it's premium placed on avoiding deaths, there will be no reason to use any non-stealth classes.

 

There must be a balance of risk and return to the use of stealth dps tactics. The way to do that is to make the Stealth Scanner's activity and radius unseen to the enemy team. Enemy players who enter an opposing team's Stealth Scanner should be hit with a 50% snare for 4 seconds. Now there is an actual risk to using stealth dps tactics. And maybe even a reason to have a Merc on your team.

 

I hate it and love it at the same time lol

 

I hate it because my main is an assassin but I love it because its a nice idea.

 

Also do you think people that spent point (Asassin's Tank tree) in better stealth detection perk should be able to see the invisible scan when they are very close to it?

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I hate it and love it at the same time lol

 

I hate it because my main is an assassin but I love it because its a nice idea.

 

Also do you think people that spent point (Asassin's Tank tree) in better stealth detection perk should be able to see the invisible scan when they are very close to it?

 

Actually that is a good idea. make Stealth Scan invis to the opposing team. I approve this message.

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I like that idea. I also suggested a while back adding a minor damage field effect to stealth scan to give it anti-capping utility - even 1 damage every few seconds would be enough (dealing damage makes it come out of stealth, like a player). Edited by Jherad
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