When I first started playing this game in Beta, I thought the shared tree was a neat idea. But now having played the game on and off for 2 years, I suspect that these trees maybe do not belong. When I look at the other two trees on any class I see a direction to how the spec is unique. For example when I look at Annihilation on the Marauder I see a very in depth DoT spec. However when I look at something like Madness in the Assassin tree I see a jumbled mass of talents that don't really work well together. Same thing on the Operative too.

I just think that maybe its time for the devs to end the shared tree and give each tree its own viable identity.

Some other shared trees may work out fine, but Balance/Madness has always been a hot mess since beta, IMO. Conceptually, they fail at making the Sage use more melee or the Shadow be in any significant sense mid-range; it is visually very boring compared to the other specs on both sides; and its efficacy is clearly slanted towards the Sage side of things, with the Shadow's half an afterthought.

Been waiting to have a DPS option besides "stab people in the back" for my Shadow tank's off set since Beta.

I dunno, I found consular's more visually appealing thatn Inq's. The first time around (Launch) it was about the cool lightning, but I've been leveling 3 consulars and I feel the telekinesis makes so much more sense than lightning. Like, an assassin should never use lightning. It feels so... out of place. Flip side, if a consular (or guardian) wants to pick up a rock and throw it at you, i feel like they should be able to do that.

I do find my dps shadow to be... kinda lacking. I'm only level 22, but it just feels like a weaker version of my tank. Less survivability etc

I dunno, I found consular's more visually appealing thatn Inq's. The first time around (Launch) it was about the cool lightning, but I've been leveling 3 consulars and I feel the telekinesis makes so much more sense than lightning. Like, an assassin should never use lightning. It feels so... out of place. Flip side, if a consular (or guardian) wants to pick up a rock and throw it at you, i feel like they should be able to do that.

 

I do find my dps shadow to be... kinda lacking. I'm only level 22, but it just feels like a weaker version of my tank. Less survivability etc

Right. The way to fix this would be to get rid of the shared tree and make 2 new trees that work better for each class. Instead of trying to force Assassins Mid range melee and sorcs mid range ranged.

I dunno, I found consular's more visually appealing thatn Inq's. The first time around (Launch) it was about the cool lightning, but I've been leveling 3 consulars and I feel the telekinesis makes so much more sense than lightning. Like, an assassin should never use lightning. It feels so... out of place. Flip side, if a consular (or guardian) wants to pick up a rock and throw it at you, i feel like they should be able to do that.

 

I do find my dps shadow to be... kinda lacking. I'm only level 22, but it just feels like a weaker version of my tank. Less survivability etc

no, no, I agree. I mean that Balance/Madness are more boring visually than Kinetic Combat/Infiltration/Telekinesis/Seer and the Imperial equivalent.

The biggest problem with the shared tree is that usually the two AC's are completely different ranges. Usually one is melee and one is ranged (Rage/Focus is the exception to this). So making a spec that works at both range and melee is pretty difficult. One is always going to be better than the other.

Instead of scrapping them completely they should maybe be distanced from each other a little bit. Madness is the only one that I can think of that is really sub-par for one of the AC's. You can make the other ones work (at least for regs because I'm a regstar) but right tree Shadow/Sin's are really hurting.

It's a good idea it just requires a little bit more work and planning than it looks like the devs are willing to put forward.

The biggest problem with the shared tree is that usually the two AC's are completely different ranges. Usually one is melee and one is ranged (Rage/Focus is the exception to this). So making a spec that works at both range and melee is pretty difficult. One is always going to be better than the other.

I felt the same way about my operative. Too many options for ranged and melee, while being heals.

Remove the casted dot and lighting, add a bleed perhaps, and for the ranged tree, remove that extra melee swing and add maybe a... something. Haven't leveled a ranged yet to know all that somes with it.

I have to agree. I've never felt that dropping death field, etc, in any way fits with the Assassin class at all. The second DPS tree should have an interesting melee flavor, mayhaps more focused on direct combat, but all the casting just feels out of place. Doesn't have to be pure dps, but it just feels off.

I actually like the casting, the problem is that the gameplay is too confused. At the very least, I think Balance Shadows and Madness Assassins should get their Force Breach (discharge), Mind Crush (crushing darkness), Project (shock) and Telekinetic Throw (force lightning) ranges increased via skill point.

If you're a range/melee hybrid, you should be able to consistently hit things from a range while closing, even if your best damage requires melee.

I agree but for a different reason. A nerf/buff/change to a shared tree because of how it works for one AC ultimately affects the other AC as well. As a result you could be achieving a positive outcome on one side but breaking the other AC. A perfect example is the smash nerf.

Smash juggs were only viable in regs, but even then were ultra squishy and died when sneezed on. The issues people had were with smash maras due to that ACs superior dmg output compared to jugg as well as significantly better survivability.