I just got my Powertech to 70, and he performs alright (Advanced Prototype spec'd), but the class is so squishy and there's so few abilities that it's hard to make an impact in pvp. It almost seems like Powertech is a beaten down, forgotten aspect of the game, barely anyone plays it, and after the massive nerfs it's gotten, it can barely hold its own. No one ever talks about it, no one ever acknoledges it.

Now, I know it has just gotten a buff with 5.6, but the buff is not nearly substantial enough to make it viable in PvP.

I'd also like to add that before level 60, the class was unplayable in PvP, as in I would die almost instantly and do ridiculously low amounts of damage (probably because I couldn't even stay alive long enough to inflict any damage, ha!)

My final thoughts: Powertech needs love, and It would be nice to be able play a badazz dude with a gun who falcon-punches people in PvP once again!

Lol, you talk about them being abandoned and in the same post you say that they just got a buff with 5.6.

You need to look up the word abandoned or stop sensationalising things.

As mentioned there are a bunch of classes that need help more than the PT.

If you're going to come to the forums complaining about your class/subclass, you need to substantiate those complaints with something more valid than your opinion, which in this case is very anecdotal and subjective to your PvP performance. Let's be honest here, this could be more of a L2P issue than an actual issue with class balance. Trust me when I say that PTs are not forgotten, but they certainly are not the FotM/OP right now, and haven't been for quite some time. As I've been PvP'ing on my PT for years now, allow me to explain.

Regarding (AP) PTs in PvP, they haven't always been the strongest DPS class in PvP, but they do have some of the best burst damage in the game. The trade off is that once their relatively few defensive abilities are on cool down, they are extremely easy to tunnel and bring down. If you're playing against an organized team, they often soft target a PT to get him to pop defensive CDs, and once he's done that, they'll hard target (i.e. focus/tunnel) and finish him off. It's therefore much more difficult to play a (AP) PT effectively in Ranked WZs, and in most cases, it's better to fill that spot on the team with another DPS class (e.g. sniper, gunslinger, etc.). For this reason you'll see some (AP) PTs using tank armoring mods to give them a bit more survivability. That to me indicates a more fundamental problem with the class.

In summary, (AP) PTs generally do well in regular WZs against uncoordinated PUGs, but they aren't as competitive as some other DPS classes in Ranked WZs. As you so succinctly mentioned, their survivability sucks. Therefore there's potential room to address that without making the class overpowered. In particular, their defensive abilities probably warrant some review. That's the sort of justification you should be articulating in a forum post if you expect the developers to take you seriously and not to get flamed for it. Hope that helps.

Lol, you talk about them being abandoned and in the same post you say that they just got a buff with 5.6.

 

You need to look up the word abandoned or stop sensationalising things.

 

As mentioned there are a bunch of classes that need help more than the PT.

Are you damn serious? THERE IS NO CLASS WHICH NEEDS SO MUCH HELP AS PT lol,

Both dps pt specs are trash in pvp which dies mostly instantly. Hell, we have only 80-90 dps pts playing over all servers. Pt = rip.

If you're going to come to the forums complaining about your class/subclass, you need to substantiate those complaints with something more valid than your opinion, which in this case is very anecdotal and subjective to your PvP performance. Let's be honest here, this could be more of a L2P issue than an actual issue with class balance. Trust me when I say that PTs are not forgotten, but they certainly are not the FotM/OP right now, and haven't been for quite some time. As I've been PvP'ing on my PT for years now, allow me to explain.

 

Regarding (AP) PTs in PvP, they haven't always been the strongest DPS class in PvP, but they do have some of the best burst damage in the game. The trade off is that once their relatively few defensive abilities are on cool down, they are extremely easy to tunnel and bring down. If you're playing against an organized team, they often soft target a PT to get him to pop defensive CDs, and once he's done that, they'll hard target (i.e. focus/tunnel) and finish him off. It's therefore much more difficult to play a (AP) PT effectively in Ranked WZs, and in most cases, it's better to fill that spot on the team with another DPS class (e.g. sniper, gunslinger, etc.). For this reason you'll see some (AP) PTs using tank armoring mods to give them a bit more survivability. That to me indicates a more fundamental problem with the class.

 

In summary, (AP) PTs generally do well in regular WZs against uncoordinated PUGs, but they aren't as competitive as some other DPS classes in Ranked WZs. As you so succinctly mentioned, their survivability sucks. Therefore there's potential room to address that without making the class overpowered. In particular, their defensive abilities probably warrant some review. That's the sort of justification you should be articulating in a forum post if you expect the developers to take you seriously and not to get flamed for it. Hope that helps.

My initial post was not at all "just my opinion", though. It's a fact that Powertech is underpowered and squishy as all hell in pvp.

As for flaming, it'll happen no matter what you say in these kind of class-imbalance related posts- you have to expect it. I very well knew that the first comments I would get on this post would contradict everything I said, as most people seem to resort to immediately bashing a post.

I do appreciate your insight, though.

Lol, you talk about them being abandoned and in the same post you say that they just got a buff with 5.6.

 

You need to look up the word abandoned or stop sensationalising things.

 

As mentioned there are a bunch of classes that need help more than the PT.

Yeah, the "buff" didn't help powertech's survivability nearly enough to make it viable, that's the point.

As for your other snarky dictionary comment, I'm not even going to respond to that LOL.

Lol, you talk about them being abandoned and in the same post you say that they just got a buff with 5.6.

 

You need to look up the word abandoned or stop sensationalising things.

 

As mentioned there are a bunch of classes that need help more than the PT.

While it is passable(both in PvE and PvP), it's such a letdown class that...I foresee them being wildly OP and fun in 6,0. It simply has to be. TWO FULL CYCLES as a BOTTOM FEEDER! lol

And even if we factor in "Into the Fray" and "Electro / Pyro Shield", the DPS is not fantastic. Sure, AP has got some nasty burst, but apart from that...? Besides, other classes have better, less tedious etc Burst Disciplines. You can't seriously expect for us to believe that AP is better than, say, Focus / Concentration / Infiltration or Sharpshooter.

And yes, it needs more love. While these small incremental changes DO HELP(and more than most realize ; change the moronic AP defensive passive from "when crit taken to when crit achieved"), it just doesn't feel ok or fun to play as.

Today , 11:22 AM | #4

REPORT POST QUOTE

If you're going to come to the forums complaining about your class/subclass, you need to substantiate those complaints with something more valid than your opinion, which in this case is very anecdotal and subjective to your PvP performance.

I will attempt to put this more into the format you seem to want. In the beginning of the game vanguard/powertech was a 30 meter class. As such the class had ranged cool downs, two, shield and kolto. Since that time we have been moved more into a 10 meter class, however the class still has the defensives of well to be honest not even a ranged class or a melee class. Mostly this was because of our ability and I’ll use powertech abilities in this scenario to stack, thermal detonator, sticky grenade, and Cell burst with rockets off the global cool down into a very short “burst phase”.

Slowly but surely they have adjusted the class away from this first putting rockets on a internal cool down, second we were one of the first to loose the 30 percent crit surge buff to abilities, then they removed sticky grenade completely, allowing us to only stack two of the original abilities into the same “burst phase”. However they have failed to give the class well any identity now, the removal of the damage resistance while stunned just means we get tunneled through shield now instead of having a probability of survival. We are the last class without an anti tunnel ability. The failure here is two fold, first they left us with the defensives of what a totally ranged class should have and the addition of new abilities to other classes without considering the effect on others particularly vanguard/powertech.

This is a perfect example of why “balancing within classes only” is a horrible design. Vanguard/powertech used to be the first kill because of the damage we can put out. Now we are the first kill because it’s just easy to do and fast.

I’ve played vanguard/powertech since launch, on every level there is to play one on. I have one at command rank 300 in fact it was my first command rank 300 toon. It was in hopes that the class would get re-evaluated at some point and fixed however that just isn’t happening. The class was marketed as the front line fighter when the game came out what would the classification be now. Mid ranged cannon fodder? A soldier who’s weapon can’t fire a rail shot or high impact bolt past 10 meters? That infantry guy that launches heavy ordinance but only 10 meters in front of him?

I am curious as to what actually the developers think the class is about now.

I hope this was a more detailed post as you requested.

Sojo

I just got my Powertech to 70, and he performs alright (Advanced Prototype spec'd), but the class is so squishy and there's so few abilities that it's hard to make an impact in pvp. It almost seems like Powertech is a beaten down, forgotten aspect of the game, barely anyone plays it, and after the massive nerfs it's gotten, it can barely hold its own. No one ever talks about it, no one ever acknoledges it.

 

Now, I know it has just gotten a buff with 5.6, but the buff is not nearly substantial enough to make it viable in PvP.

 

I'd also like to add that before level 60, the class was unplayable in PvP, as in I would die almost instantly and do ridiculously low amounts of damage (probably because I couldn't even stay alive long enough to inflict any damage, ha!)

 

My final thoughts: Powertech needs love, and It would be nice to be able play a badazz dude with a gun who falcon-punches people in PvP once again!

Powertech?

Squishy?

I'm just going to ask you the first basic question: Are all of your equipment slots filled (empty orange items don't count)?

As a tank my DPS is crap, but I'm definitely not squishy. Not by a long shot. I'm not squishy even as a commando. I can't understand how a powertech is going to be squishy when they have the same armor and--correct me if I'm wrong--better defensives.

Today , 11:22 AM | #4

REPORT POST QUOTE

If you're going to come to the forums complaining about your class/subclass, you need to substantiate those complaints with something more valid than your opinion, which in this case is very anecdotal and subjective to your PvP performance.

 

I will attempt to put this more into the format you seem to want. In the beginning of the game vanguard/powertech was a 30 meter class. As such the class had ranged cool downs, two, shield and kolto. Since that time we have been moved more into a 10 meter class, however the class still has the defensives of well to be honest not even a ranged class or a melee class. Mostly this was because of our ability and I’ll use powertech abilities in this scenario to stack, thermal detonator, sticky grenade, and Cell burst with rockets off the global cool down into a very short “burst phase”.

 

Slowly but surely they have adjusted the class away from this first putting rockets on a internal cool down, second we were one of the first to loose the 30 percent crit surge buff to abilities, then they removed sticky grenade completely, allowing us to only stack two of the original abilities into the same “burst phase”. However they have failed to give the class well any identity now, the removal of the damage resistance while stunned just means we get tunneled through shield now instead of having a probability of survival. We are the last class without an anti tunnel ability. The failure here is two fold, first they left us with the defensives of what a totally ranged class should have and the addition of new abilities to other classes without considering the effect on others particularly vanguard/powertech.

 

This is a perfect example of why “balancing within classes only” is a horrible design. Vanguard/powertech used to be the first kill because of the damage we can put out. Now we are the first kill because it’s just easy to do and fast.

 

I’ve played vanguard/powertech since launch, on every level there is to play one on. I have one at command rank 300 in fact it was my first command rank 300 toon. It was in hopes that the class would get re-evaluated at some point and fixed however that just isn’t happening. The class was marketed as the front line fighter when the game came out what would the classification be now. Mid ranged cannon fodder? A soldier who’s weapon can’t fire a rail shot or high impact bolt past 10 meters? That infantry guy that launches heavy ordinance but only 10 meters in front of him?

 

I am curious as to what actually the developers think the class is about now.

 

I hope this was a more detailed post as you requested.

 

Sojo

Ok, this is about AP / Tactics, but what about other two Disciplines?

Shield tech at the moment is fine, the worse thing about them at the moment is what internal/elemental damage can do to it, and the fact that they are shield based which isn’t that great for pvp much better is pve.

Plasma, well to be honest I think they screwed that spec up when they did the pass and changed the trees, way back when assault/pyro were the burst specs, tactics/ap were the dot specs. The problem in my opinion here is that they took the best from pyro/assault and just put it into what we know as ap/pyro today and then just put what was left over into pyro which always struggled with ammo management in the beginning and the merge of the two trees into what we have today made it worse. I’d go back in a heart beat to playing pyro/assault the way it was when the game came out if the other classes and specs were all balanced equally.

But again it’s a mid range dot spec with little to no defensive cooldowns, see hatred assassin, same boat except they have an anti tunnel ability. It suffers from the same fundamental problem as ap/tactics not enough staying power in the current pvp world. By the time they get good dots up and going they are dead and they have to come back from the cloaner and start the whole process again. Where as other dot spread classes have more surviviability and can just refresh dots with their mechanic.

Just my thoughts

Sojo

Today , 11:22 AM | #4

REPORT POST QUOTE

If you're going to come to the forums complaining about your class/subclass, you need to substantiate those complaints with something more valid than your opinion, which in this case is very anecdotal and subjective to your PvP performance.

 

I will attempt to put this more into the format you seem to want. In the beginning of the game vanguard/powertech was a 30 meter class. As such the class had ranged cool downs, two, shield and kolto. Since that time we have been moved more into a 10 meter class, however the class still has the defensives of well to be honest not even a ranged class or a melee class. Mostly this was because of our ability and I’ll use powertech abilities in this scenario to stack, thermal detonator, sticky grenade, and Cell burst with rockets off the global cool down into a very short “burst phase”.

 

Slowly but surely they have adjusted the class away from this first putting rockets on a internal cool down, second we were one of the first to loose the 30 percent crit surge buff to abilities, then they removed sticky grenade completely, allowing us to only stack two of the original abilities into the same “burst phase”. However they have failed to give the class well any identity now, the removal of the damage resistance while stunned just means we get tunneled through shield now instead of having a probability of survival. We are the last class without an anti tunnel ability. The failure here is two fold, first they left us with the defensives of what a totally ranged class should have and the addition of new abilities to other classes without considering the effect on others particularly vanguard/powertech.

 

This is a perfect example of why “balancing within classes only” is a horrible design. Vanguard/powertech used to be the first kill because of the damage we can put out. Now we are the first kill because it’s just easy to do and fast.

 

I’ve played vanguard/powertech since launch, on every level there is to play one on. I have one at command rank 300 in fact it was my first command rank 300 toon. It was in hopes that the class would get re-evaluated at some point and fixed however that just isn’t happening. The class was marketed as the front line fighter when the game came out what would the classification be now. Mid ranged cannon fodder? A soldier who’s weapon can’t fire a rail shot or high impact bolt past 10 meters? That infantry guy that launches heavy ordinance but only 10 meters in front of him?

 

I am curious as to what actually the developers think the class is about now.

 

I hope this was a more detailed post as you requested.

 

Sojo

Fantastic info and insight, thank you so much for the reply. Yeah, me too man, I really wonder if they even know what its purpose is anymore- I sure as hell don't, LOL. Despite its issues, I will continue to play it in its current state just because I love the idea of the class, and the cool animations.

Powertech?

Squishy?

I'm just going to ask you the first basic question: Are all of your equipment slots filled (empty orange items don't count)?

 

As a tank my DPS is crap, but I'm definitely not squishy. Not by a long shot. I'm not squishy even as a commando. I can't understand how a powertech is going to be squishy when they have the same armor and--correct me if I'm wrong--better defensives.

I've been using fully filled, 192 rated gear atm (I know, the gear rating is really low but he just hit 70 and I haven't transferred decent gear over to him yet), but that shouldn't matter because of the bolster feature. Is Powertech squishy? Yes, because the class's only self heal and only damage buffer is locked behind a long cooldown, as Sojorn stated. Also, you're playing a tank spec, not a DPS one like I am, so of course you're less squishy.

love pt and mercs to death, but i think sorceror and sages needs their 3 disipline attentended.

madness and cant remember its name for the reps.

it sucks compared to lightning. dont even know why its there. dots for pvp??

well doesnt leave much room for pve players does it?

I just got my Powertech to 70, and he performs alright (Advanced Prototype spec'd), but the class is so squishy and there's so few abilities that it's hard to make an impact in pvp. It almost seems like Powertech is a beaten down, forgotten aspect of the game, barely anyone plays it, and after the massive nerfs it's gotten, it can barely hold its own. No one ever talks about it, no one ever acknoledges it.

 

Now, I know it has just gotten a buff with 5.6, but the buff is not nearly substantial enough to make it viable in PvP.

 

I'd also like to add that before level 60, the class was unplayable in PvP, as in I would die almost instantly and do ridiculously low amounts of damage (probably because I couldn't even stay alive long enough to inflict any damage, ha!)

 

My final thoughts: Powertech needs love, and It would be nice to be able play a badazz dude with a gun who falcon-punches people in PvP once again!

Honestly I think they are afraid to make any changes. The burst spec still hits like a truck and they probably don't want a repeat of old pyro 3 shotting people and running around like an unkillable tank.....Damn I miss those days.

love pt and mercs to death, but i think sorceror and sages needs their 3 disipline attentended.

madness and cant remember its name for the reps.

it sucks compared to lightning. dont even know why its there. dots for pvp??

well doesnt leave much room for pve players does it?

What?

Madness is significantly better than lightning spec.

Honestly I think they are afraid to make any changes. The burst spec still hits like a truck and they probably don't want a repeat of old pyro 3 shotting people and running around like an unkillable tank.....Damn I miss those days.

What the OP was basically trying to say, and what others have echoed and elaborated on, is that DPS PTs are simply too easy to kill to be very effective in end-game PvP. Because of this, they are under-represented in Ranked WZs. Sure they have incredible burst, but unless you're running 2-3 (AP) PTs who are focus firing (tunneling), you're not going to burst down someone in comparable gear before you yourself get sent back to the respawn in short order. As my former guild leader was often fond of saying, dead men do no DPS.

Tank PTs are obviously more survivable, but their roles are limited to guard duty and objective denial, and there are far better tank choices for those roles. Which brings us back to the original point in that there are much better choices in Ranked WZs than PTs, regardless of role, because of the fundamental flaws of their class, and team compositions reflect this unfortunate state of affairs.

I've been using fully filled, 192 rated gear atm (I know, the gear rating is really low but he just hit 70 and I haven't transferred decent gear over to him yet), but that shouldn't matter because of the bolster feature. Is Powertech squishy? Yes, because the class's only self heal and only damage buffer is locked behind a long cooldown, as Sojorn stated. Also, you're playing a tank spec, not a DPS one like I am, so of course you're less squishy.

Interesting how you completely ignored the commando comment. Commando = Mercenary. My commando is not squishy. In fact, I feel very overpowered as not only am I not squishy but I can melt through just about anyone. I'm playing the assault spec. And I thought sniper was overpowered. Honestly it's really a matter of sniper or assault spec commando being overpowered as it is other classes being underpowered. But that's a different discussion.

I have one of every advance class btw in one faction or the other.

Lol, you talk about them being abandoned and in the same post you say that they just got a buff with 5.6.

 

You need to look up the word abandoned or stop sensationalising things.

 

As mentioned there are a bunch of classes that need help more than the PT.

nailed it in my view Tsillah.

While I wish all these "my class is the one that needs buffing, not others" threds would stop.. I understand they won't. But if you were to line them all up next to each other.. I think we would see EVERY class presented as needing love, along with the ever popular "and while you are at it, nuke Class B, C, and D back to the stone age".

Interesting how you completely ignored the commando comment. Commando = Mercenary. My commando is not squishy. In fact, I feel very overpowered as not only am I not squishy but I can melt through just about anyone. I'm playing the assault spec. And I thought sniper was overpowered. Honestly it's really a matter of sniper or assault spec commando being overpowered as it is other classes being underpowered. But that's a different discussion.

 

I have one of every advance class btw in one faction or the other.

I actually didn't even ignore your comment, or at least wasn't trying to. I often miss things alot when reading because of ADD. I know that Commando is Mercenary, you don't need to explain that to me. Also, how does the fact that your commando isn't squishy have anything to do with this? We're talking about Powertech here.

They need to make Sents/Guardians and Gunslinger/Scoundrels more viable first. They don't survive long at ALL and deal almost no damage.

*spits drink* LOL :p:p

So Powertech has been abandoned?

Short answer: yes. Reroll Merc, master class. If you prefer melee, reroll Marauder (Fury).

Powertech?

Squishy?

I'm just going to ask you the first basic question: Are all of your equipment slots filled (empty orange items don't count)?

 

As a tank my DPS is crap, but I'm definitely not squishy. Not by a long shot. I'm not squishy even as a commando. I can't understand how a powertech is going to be squishy when they have the same armor and--correct me if I'm wrong--better defensives.

Is this a joke? Right?

Powertech?

Squishy?

I'm just going to ask you the first basic question: Are all of your equipment slots filled (empty orange items don't count)?

 

As a tank my DPS is crap, but I'm definitely not squishy. Not by a long shot. I'm not squishy even as a commando. I can't understand how a powertech is going to be squishy when they have the same armor and--correct me if I'm wrong--better defensives.

Do you even play a VG/Powertech ?

+The similarities: Both Commando and VG have Adrenaline Rush and Reflexive Shield. Well, that's it for VG.

+The differences: Commando still has:

-Echoing Deterrence: absorbs all incoming direct single target damage for the next 6 seconds, reflecting 50% of the absorbed damage back at the attacker and healing you for 5% of your maximum health each time an attack is absorbed.

And another utility for selfheal:

-Trauma Stabilizers – While your Reactive Shield is active, you generate a stack of Trauma Stabilizers (up to 10) each time you receive direct damage. When Reactive Shield expires, each stack heals you up for 4% of your maximum health.

If we are talking about PvP, then yes, DPS PT/Vang has been confirmed to be abandoned by BW - they showed this by removing stun DR from the dps spec. This right here is confirmation that BW has no intention of ever making DPS PT spec a good option in PvP ever again. Period.

Regrind sent/mara, slinger/sniper or merc/mando for a more reliable PvP experience.

Powertech?

Squishy?

I'm just going to ask you the first basic question: Are all of your equipment slots filled (empty orange items don't count)?

 

As a tank my DPS is crap, but I'm definitely not squishy. Not by a long shot. I'm not squishy even as a commando. I can't understand how a powertech is going to be squishy when they have the same armor and--correct me if I'm wrong--better defensives.

You obviously not playing pvp if you say that dps pt isnt squishy lol