1) 6 2) 3 3) 7 4) 4 5) 4 Comparing to other class lines.

I like this, but CD redux cant get too crazy. I still wouldnt be upset with improved cast ratios and regen.

1. How do you think your Mercenary spec is perceived by other classes? (Pyrptech) PvP: The duel wield is easy to spot. At the moment, Heavy Armor-duel wield is a give away as an "easy mark". They go down easy and are a non-threat. They are not welcome in Rated WZ because the DPS space could be better fielded with a Mara or PT Pyro. PvE: They are not welcome in Ops Groups (HM and NM) because the DPS space could be better fielded with a Mara or PT Pyro. 2. How do you perceive your own spec? (Pyrotech) I like the look. I am depressed with the performance since launch. I only have time to focus on one class. When I play other classes, I use family and friends accounts. It is just as easy to play my class than it is to play others, it just performs at a lessor level. Suggestions: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=504960

Well, I think all Mercs could use some DPS increase in PvE as well. Arsenals out perform Pyro, but still both Merc DPS fall way short from similar geared PT BHs, Mara's, and Snipers. Many guilds wont even group a Merc on a Denova HM. Its all over chat.

There are enough posts in both Trooper and Bounty Hunter forums pointing to an obvious deficiency in the Merc/Commando AC. Anyone who raids, anyone who PvPs knows that Merc DPS is sub-par. Our survivability is laughable. If you fixed one (DPS or survivability) you could fix the class. If we are supposed to be "Glass cannons" then so be it. Increase our DPS so we can bring something to the fight and be a decent opponent in a 1 on 1 situation. Make the other guy work for it at least. If "glass cannon" is not our class concept then we need more utility to increase our TTK/survivability. Mercs are tired of messages like this: "LFM for Rated WZ, Mara/PT Pyro w/ 1280 exp. PST with stats" There are many suggestions to improve our class: In order to increase DPS for Mercs to bring them online with the community while NOT increasing the DPS of our cousin the Powertech, we must focus on Merc only abilities to avoid code problems. "Glass Cannon" Route: Powershot - It used to be a 1.5 second cast ability higher heat and more damage. Nothing was wrong with this skill as it was. No one ever complained that it was grieving or OP. The nerf (like DFA and Hired Muscle) was completely unnecessary. The only complaints associated with Merc DPS were Tracer Missile. If anything this skill was disregarded by Arsenal Mercs and not even used; complained about by Pyro Mercs and Bodyguards as being not worth the heat cost compared to DPS. Muzzle Fluting used to reduce the heat cost at the expense of an expertise point, but it hardly made the 1.5 second armor mitigated 1400 damage skill worth the cast time and heat. What this skill needed was a damage increase. What it got was a nerf, and bad. We got a cast time increase, a heat decrease and a DPS decrease. Muzzle Fluting returning the cast time back to normal at the expense of a point. FIX: 1.5 second cast time. 16 heat. Damage increased by 10% (like it was). + Muzzle Fluting remains same (reducing cast time by .5 with the investment of a point into the 2nd Tier of Arsenals). This returns the ability back the way it was and gives Mercs the possibility to invest a point to reduce the cast time down to 1 sec. This would give all Mercs the possibility to gain some DPS back. Fusion Missile - Fusion Missile cost 33 heat and a 1.5 sec cast time on a 30 sec CD for a skill that does 1700 and 1900 over 6 sec (unless the cleanse) damage. This ability will hardly ever get used (even in PvE) due to its heat cost and cast time to DPS ratio. In PvP you almost always have to use it with Power Surge to avoid pushback and interrupts. FIX: Increase the damage dealt by 20% on this skill. This will make the cost and risk to cast worth it. Utility (Survivability) route: Concussion Missile - 2 sec cast on a 60 sec CD. Mercs (Troopers) are the ONLY class that has a stun, that breaks on damage, on a cast timer! Agents, Warriors, and Inquisitors all have instant cast abilities that stun the target, but break on damage (after 2 sec, ect). The only exception is Inquisitor's Whirlwind. However they have a plethora of options to take advantage of: Haunted Dreams is in shared tree and makes it instant cast and adds a 2 sec root, every other AC has stuns/snares that they pickup in expertiece (Electric Bindings, Backlash, Whither, Low Slash, ect). Mercs do not pick up ANY additional snares/stuns or have the ability to modify our current ones. This leaves us with Electro Dart (4 sec stun) as our ONLY viable means to CC! Power Surge helps with Concussion Missile, but as mentioned earlier, it has a very long CD and is a MUST to activate other skills like Heal Scan and Fusion Missile. FIX: Make Concussion Missile Instant Cast. This will fix two problems. It will give the Merc more survivability and Utility, and give us an ability we can use as an INTERRUPT. Power Barrier - This nerf was unnecessary. The only thing that made Arsenal Mercs hard to kill was the fact that Tracer Missile hit so hard, so fast in a scrap. FIX: Return this ability to pre-1.2 status. Afterburners (Custom Enviro Suit) - This is a very valuable skill that every Merc needs to have access to. Due to cast timers and the current state of the game being Melee friendly (gap closers, interrupts and an abundance of CC), kiting is a dead art. Mercs ALL need an ability to get a melee fighter off of us for a few seconds so we can channel a counterstrike. FIX: Swap positions in the Arsenal Tree with Afterburners and Custom Enviro Suit. Change Custom Enviro Suit with an ability that grants a 3 second root to Afterburners (1.5 x 2 points) (this is for both Rocket Punch and Jet Boost). This will allow (not give, but allow with proper point investment) the Mercs to have an ability to extend their life in combat (TTK). It will also remove a usless skill and give the Arsenals (a class that has almost no mobility to kite) the ability to invest in a root effect that will help them. I tried to use previously suggested Ideas from the community. I am NOT asking for all of these at once! Almost all of these suggestions will require point investment over current point set up. So there is a cost for a gain. It goes without saying that I must pull points out of current skills (DPS increases) in order to place them in new abilities. So it will not be an overall performance increase off our current platform/baseline. These are merely suggestions to raise to the Devs for improvements.

What about Pyro?

This or fix our (Arsenal and Pyro) DPS!

Exactly.

Yes. If all their gear is the same, and they all performed the same roll in a WZ or Operation, then yes they should be close in DPS range with eachother. We dont have to talk in the relm of WZ and Operation though. I just used those to illistrate how simple it is to observe the inbalance. You can also use a Parser and blast a dummy with each class to see DPS potential. Measure that potential against survivability skills and utility skills and you can see the inbalance. Of course it is based on your "assignment" in the WZ. However, you see the difference when your assignment ends up being DPS and Kill rather than guard or run ball. Teams that are Marauder and PT Pyro heavy tend to win more (even in hutt ball). Operations do better with Marauder and PT Pyro's filling DPS roll. Its not anyones imagination. I have been in nightmare operations when the team has asked a Sorc DPS members to leave so they can pick up a marauder....and then we finish the operation. This is reality. DPS does matter for DPS classes. What is a DPS Merc or Sorc's roll other than kill? Both are subpar at running the ball. Both are subpar at guarding the turrent. These classes are straight DPS classes with limited utility. Their advantage is to DPS. BTW both Marauders and PT Pyros are not short in the utility (CC, ect) department.

Its the players job to enjoy the challenge. Its the Devs job to employ balance. You dont have to be Stephen Hawkings to read the PvP chart and a Parser to know who has the favor. When particular classes are being over looked in raids, the devs need to fix it. When a War Hero geared player can get spanked by a Battlemaster marauder there is an inbalance. I didnt call for nerf, I am calling for the bottom 5 or so to be brought up to level.

DPS classes I am referring to are: 18) Sorc Madness 17) Jugg Rage 16) Sorc Lightning 15) Merc Arsenal 14) Merc Pyro These are the bottom 5 of the 18 DPS classes in game that need the most help.

Correction the BH skill you are referring to is Advanced Targeting. They changed it from Accuracy to Armor Pen. The BH skill System Calibrations still grants Alacrity. There have been a few changes that were associated with skills with Alacrity, but no buff to Alacrity or answer to the overall issue has been fielded. Good point about alacrity and regen though.

I too dont think that we overheat enough to need both Automated Defenses (2) and Rapid Venting (2). Improved Vents (2) is sufficient to deal with heat issues. (2 < 4, which give me 2 more points to invest) That leaves Kolto Overload the only thing left in Automated Defences, and I feel that it is also not worth it. Energy Rebounder allows me to use Shields virtually every <60 seconds (depending on action). This increases my "time-to-kill". I solo a lot and cant alway hope to que up with healers. Kiting in this game is but a theory with all the cc.

Nice post. Good info for Mercs to go to when trying to put together a new build. I run a version iCU Build. iCU Beta.

Here is the Quote: 05.11.2012 Community Q&A: May 11th, 2012 Freeborne: Alacrity as a stat seems to be encouraged in "Energy Based' classes (Troopers/Smugglers) through our talent trees. However, Alacrity seems to be a terrible secondary stat for us. The faster we use abilities, the faster we lose our energy - and the less energy we have, the less energy we regenerate. Are there any plans to review Alacrity, or at least its place in some class talent trees? Austin: I agree. We're exploring ways of improving Alacrity that we hope to get working for a future Game Update. As much as I'd like to, I can't provide details on this plan yet. It's possible that we'll address passive Alacrity boosts in the skill trees, but those changes need to be solid and work for the long haul; it would be unacceptable to have a ‘temporary’ skill in place that we planned on removing at a later date. Here is the link: http://www.swtor.com/blog/community-qa-may-11th-2012 It has been a minute since we heard anything on this.

This is almost exactly what I'm seeing. No other DPS can carry 4 healers like that.

Thats the idea anyway, not holding my breath.

Mercs needs ONE of the following to balance it with Powertech BHs (as well as other classes): -Power Shot needs to have cast time reduced by .5 seconds (like pre 1.2) or -Custom Enviro Suit and Afterburners trade places on Arsenal Tree. These are not major changes. Not both, but only one. 1) Power Shot used to be .5 seconds shorter and no one complained. The damage was not significant enough to have rated a nerf. It currently averages 1100, not worth the cast time it is bound too currently (even with muzzle fluting). Arsenals doesnt use it as much as Merc Pyro, however, all Merc classes will see a SMALL DPS increase from returning it to pre 1.2 status. Muzzel fluting will ensure that it assists further the DPS needed to bring Mercs back on par. The nerf effected Merc Pyro the greatest and created a larger disparity with their PT Pyro cousin. 2) Arsenals will not be affected by this at all. However, it will make available (though not forcing people to take it) a skill that all Mercs need. Time-to-kill is a big reason for Bodyguards status right now, and it is also a big reason why PT BHs can out perform Mercs in PvE and PvP. This is another SMALL change that will be minimal, but assist in the balance of Merc BHs.

Can the rest of our DPS be brought up to Powertech Pyrotech and Marauder DPS? Can the Devs really be that blind not to see that there is a huge gap? One simple look at a PvP results menu will show the DPS tops, and it is almost always one of those two classes. Another is to look at a Parser. Even in PvE these two classes rule the roost. In an Ops group, all Rakata, the numbers speak for themselves. To make it so bad, certain specs wont get a boat space for an Ops group if you are not one of those.

Please, for the love of God, do not bring on any of this to Merc Pyro! OP is obviously referring to Powertech Pyro, but too uneducated to state it. Merc Pyro is one of the lowest DPS in the BH class (next to AP)

It was stated by one of the Devs that Alacrity was being looked at? Is there any word on this yet?

A 3rd might be to make Accuracy actually do something as substantial as Crit, Power and Surge. Since our tree and our armor sets are riddled with it. This would also benefit Arsenals and BGs too. Something like a 4% Armor bypass for every 100 points of Accuracy in addition to what it already does.

You are exactly right.

This ^^

I have parser tested this in many operations, it is not true. AP and PT Pyro out DPS Merc Pyros in PvE. Gear is roughly the same.