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Developer Update: Imperial Agent and Smuggler Class Changes


CourtneyWoods

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OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG THANK YOU.

 

~still to read more!

 

EDIT: You said you've changed Stim Boost for the better, in my opinion it's nowhere near as handy at the moment. Playing as a DPS in PvE (Concealment) is very hard on the energy pool and often find myself having to use default attack a lot. I'd like to see a change made to stim boost that would possibly lower it's active coolown by X (5?) seconds everytime you consume a Tactical Advantage. This would be a trait in the Concealment tree ofcourse, as the Medicine tree uses an awful lot of Tactical Advantages and would be able to have a large alacrity boost often.

Edited by WaldoA
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I've really liked the changes with Scoundrel Scrapper so far. Definitely an improvement. More consistent DPS and fewer energy problems. It's really nice seeing Flying Fists proc more than once per second as well. I do kind of wish Underdog boosted the crit damage on Sucker Punch though.

 

We're still incredibly squishy, with no real defensive talents. Changing Pugnacity pretty much killed how Surprise Comeback works, leaving us with no effective way to restore health while in combat or in stealth. I'm hoping that particular talent might be reevaluated.

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Sniper Volley: We’ve improved this ability in three ways to make it an even better signature skill for Marksmanship. First, the Alacrity it provides is now very useful. Second, because Series of Shots is so much better than before, finishing its cooldown is now even more useful. Finally, Sniper Volley now lasts 15 seconds (up from 10).

 

Someone forgot to mention that the animation for Series Of Shots looks absolutely terrible, having in mind it's channeled way faster. Would be nice if you guys actually payed attention to that sort of details, since it's not the first time either. Overload for inquisitors anyone? Underwhelming to say the least.

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I like what you have done to the smuggler class skill-wise but I do have a question about the new smuggler gear.

Since i had a hard time getting my accuracy-cap i had to replace some enhancements to get more hit, and on the new gear is no accuracy at all... why is that? This would mean that when i would buy the new gear I would be doing more dmg with crit/surge but i have more chance to miss the target :mon_trap:

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I got better energy management so I could use a hard-cooldown ability that I burn on cd more often (recuperative nanotech). I'm hardly complaining but I am confused.

One bit I'll add though is I'm not a fan of kolto pack/infusion having a cooldown. You claimed to be giving us more options but homogenized an ability. It was freeform (fair enough it was also bad and niche) and now it's another "burn on cd" ability.

Personally I'd like to see the cd removed and the healing adjusted to pay for that change. It's clear on live we have more tactical advantages than we can even burn and that makes cool talents like "surprise surgery" rather underwhelming. The ability to kolto pack on multiple targets would make vanish into a viable burst cooldown for op healers rather than just our umpteenth method to get our energy back.

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i like how bioware is boasting with their new fotm class

normally one could expect balance, but no, lets make a very strong class (sniper) into faceroll mode

 

means mister peckenpaugh has no clue about pvp ... really no clue

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I like the changes to Engineering. Covered Escape and Scatter Bombs made the tree competitive in end-game PVE on large scale bosses. It does exceptional damage when you can utilize your Scatter Bombs, and average damage when you are not. Thanks for making 3 very distinct, viable and competitive specs for us to play with in a PVE environment. Good job! Edited by paowee
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My dirty fighting scoundrel thanks you for these changes. The ammo management is much better and the ability to fire off wounding shots more often is very welcomed. The change to prevent shrap bomb from breaking CC was very needed so this helps a lot. I feel like we are in a good place to be productive now along with other DPS. Big thumbs up.
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Increase the dps to the concealment operative so they are viable on raids.

 

The guild I am in does not want me to run raids as a stealth operative; they say I don't and won't put out the needed dps for raids. I don't want to play Sniper. I also don't want the Lethality tree. I got stuck on a pvp server when I moved with my guild.

 

This is their quote :

 

"Not to cut on Ops but since they are considered a melee class and are not doing as well as others, such as Maras, PowerTechs, Jugs, or Assassins, an Op DPS that does well will still have a harder time making a raid especially an 8man because a leader will typically want 2-3 range and 1-2 melee. The melee that will be chosen will usually be Mara first for Blood Thirst Utility and then Assassins and PTs for off tanking abilities and then finally a Op."

 

"I just want to see you get more time in the raids. In 2.0 the sniper will be the best DPS class as far as we can tell"

 

"This message is to not sway your decision or force you to change your main, but to offer some insight that this change could be more beneficial for you since we are heavy on melee DPS and Ops will likely not beat out most of the other classes."

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Mr Peckenpaugh... Pls, tell me - why overbuffed sniper need it?

 

Spotter: Now when Snipers enter cover, they start building stacks of stealth detection. These stacks climb steadily over 30 seconds and stack up to 30 times. Each stack increases stealth detection by 1 level. This effect ends when you leave cover. We wanted Snipers to feel like they really owned an area, especially if they’ve “set up shop” for a while there, so to speak. Stealth characters can still sneak up on Snipers when approaching them directly from behind, but now a deeply rooted Sniper makes a great lookout, even against unwitting stealth characters.

 

Rock beats paper, right? :rak_02:

Edited by Glower
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Still can't say I'm inspired to play an Agent just yet...

 

I started an Agent and a Smuggler at the same time. Played them both up for a little while, to compare.

 

First off, the Agent uses a pistol during cinematics, but can't really use one at all.

 

More importantly, the Agent gets hit more often while charging abilities. Charged Shot leaves the Smuggler behind cover while charging, then they stand up long enough to fire. Sniper Shot leaves the Agent standing while charging, so they get hit more (and suffer knockback) before eventually firing.

 

It's the little things, that made me delete the Agent eventually and play up the Smuggler instead.

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Still can't say I'm inspired to play an Agent just yet...

 

I started an Agent and a Smuggler at the same time. Played them both up for a little while, to compare.

 

First off, the Agent uses a pistol during cinematics, but can't really use one at all.

 

More importantly, the Agent gets hit more often while charging abilities. Charged Shot leaves the Smuggler behind cover while charging, then they stand up long enough to fire. Sniper Shot leaves the Agent standing while charging, so they get hit more (and suffer knockback) before eventually firing.

 

It's the little things, that made me delete the Agent eventually and play up the Smuggler instead.

 

Your claim of being "knocked back" I assume you mean pushback. I hate to tell you that regardless of the standing or behind cover does not affect pushback. Snipers/gunslingers cannot have abilities pushed back. As long as you are in cover you are immune to pushback and interrupts, regardless if your character's animation is standing or hiding.

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Dear god they whine! The very first thing that occurs in WZ is everyone rushing my damn sniper! There is 2\3 healers in front of me and everyone ignores em and comes after my sniper.

 

Lol @ complainers. The sniper was always this powerful. You just didn't notice it because of all the smash monkey and Pyrotechs. We get a few moves to make us more mobile and hold our own in a 1 vs many fight and you complain? Ha ha I say... Ha ha.
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Dear god they whine! The very first thing that occurs in WZ is everyone rushing my damn sniper! There is 2\3 healers in front of me and everyone ignores em and comes after my sniper.

 

Indeed, am rolling a merc at the moment, and every wz I mark snipers and informthe group to burn them up first, then healers- why u may ask? because a sniper under pressure isn't dpsing hes' running. I have a gunslinger at 50 have had once as my second character while I was waiting transfer from harbinger to apac way back last year, love the class- however back then u didn't see many of us cos they wernt the easiest to play.

 

Now any tom,dick or harry can roll up and faceroll, esp with these new abilities, that I can understand why they would be implemented; but I question why the added So many new escapes.

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These changes are a good start and a definite improvement over 1.x, but there are still some problems, particularly with the value of Alacrity.

 

For Dirty Fighting spec, the rotation is limited by the 9s cooldown of Wounding Shots. Unless my math is incorrect, it's not possible to stack enough Alacrity to gain an extra GCD every 9s (16.67% haste required) while still having enough Accuracy to be hit capped. Therefore, ANY amount of Alacrity is completely wasted. Worse still, there is no decent talent choice in the first tier of the tree, so Dirty Fighting Smugglers have no choice but to take one of two useless talents that provide no PvE benefit: Black Market Mods or Holdout Defense.

 

Marksmanship spec has a similar problem, although it's not quite as bad. Stacking 5% Alacrity will allow an extra GCD between each use of Speed Shot and Aimed Shot (12s cooldown), so it does provide a dps benefit up to that amount. Unfortunately, it's not possible to gain two extra GCDs every 12s, so any Alacrity beyond 5% is wasted.

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