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Xancath

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Everything posted by Xancath

  1. If you're losing money because of the galactic command system, what possible reason is there in keeping it around? You're bleeding players because of this system.
  2. For years (the entirety of the game's existence really) pvpers could level through pvp AND accumulate some small measure of pvp gear for max level while doing so. 5.0 took this away, and is one of the reasons that the galactic command system is so jarring for them. Any plans of allowing us to get components from low level / mid level warzones? It would go a long way with the pvp community. Thanks
  3. Most PvP activity and server population in general is on the Red Reaper, followed by The Harbinger as a distant second.
  4. I'd be down for a "realm reborn" of swtor. Or moving the game to Canada. Either of these pleases me
  5. I think it largely has to do with the Bioware Austin studio getting no love from EA whereas their Canadian studios get all the freedom in the world as someone earlier pointed out.
  6. Generally speaking you shouldn't post about exploits here, especially if you explain what that exploit is and how to take advantage of it. If you have an exploit to report do so via the PM function or make a ticket in-game instead. fyi I've also reported about this particular issue, I don't know how long it will take to fix given that there are a grand total of 4 people on the dev team however.
  7. I'm not exactly a master of economics here but doesn't more resources = more content = more subs = more money? As I recall there used to be patches (2.4 for example) where we got 2 full ops and a daily area, now they have to break their backs working over 5 months just to deliver a single operation piecemeal-style. Don't exactly have high hopes for ME Andromeda if this is how Bioware does things now lol
  8. Quick question. Are there any plans to fix the many class bugs present currently? Some of them are pretty crippling (especially powertech/vanguard) for endgame it seems strange that they've been around for 2 months now without so much as an acknowledgement.
  9. Any plans at all? My friends and I are on the verge of giving up on the game, not because of a lack of endgame or whatnot but because of so many broken things which keep piling up as they release patch after patch with no fixes.
  10. Just to name a few: Jet charge often doesn't activate yet still goes on cooldown, half of pt/vanguard legendary utilities either have limited functionality or don't work at all and there are still stance bugs around for darkness assassins and marauders. Until you address these issues class balancing can't really happen, and it really NEEDS to happen. You can find threads that have been around for over a month detailing these in the class section of the forum as well as bug reports, yet they haven't even progressed far enough on dealing with them for it to end up in the 5.1 or 5.0 "known issues thread".
  11. Xancath

    delete

    Evidently reporting exploits in these forums is a bad idea because people will start using them, so uh... yeah.
  12. oh ffs it's a gear difference of 8 item levels if they spend tens of millions to buy 240 and 10 item levels if the stars align and they have a full set of 242. PvP has ranged from exactly the same as this to more severe than this, all that's happened is things have gone back to normal. You're not going anywhere, this thread is pointless.
  13. While I don't like shattering the hopes of people it has been stated numerous times in the past that cross server queueing is IMPOSSIBLE because of engine complications. It will never come.
  14. Currently the dualsaber is bugged and when sheathed it appears on the player's back, not their hip. In cutscenes the player will reach for their hip and not their back, pulling out nothing... A little ridiculous that a PLATINUM cartel market item isn't working properly, it kind of makes it difficult to justify spending any money on cartel coins if the best items you can get out of packs don't work correctly.
  15. The 234 ilvl relics are the highest ones that can be bought and used in pvp, all of the iokath ones are pve only (at least those that are craftable/tradeable). I've seen people in trade link the 242 "legendary" relics and they WERE useable in pvp, it's important to note though that these only drop from command rank tier 3 and at an EXTREMELY low chance. I'll be sure to give a wave when I pass by the next time haha, both my eldest sisters went to Queens.
  16. It's actually only 3% lower than juggs and 6% lower than assassins in best in slot gear. That's if you're talking about pve anyways.
  17. EDIT: Upon some more investigation actually it would appear that alacrity is valuable for us even in a "skank tank" setup from a pure damage point of view. Barrage enhancements are alacrity-based and have just as much endurance as discipline ones, if you want to stack alacrity go for those. In terms of how much? I would recommend you follow the ratio outlined under AP powertechs here http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=847112 Regarding my health bolstered I currently have 156k. Do note that I'm missing the 240 discipline enhancements as I've yet to find a crafter who can make one, but everything else is 240.
  18. Willing to pay either market price or provide materials required + a tip. Let me know if you're interested. You can reach me on The Harbinger by whispering Venat or posting in this thread. Thank you
  19. Based off what they were talking about in the patch 5.1 livestream I wouldn't expect any bug fixes of any kind or class balance changes until 5.2 at the earliest. I would argue that the playstyle and performance of our class (while significant) aren't really the priority, fixing the various bugs are. Our gap closer occasionally doesn't work, half our legendary utilities don't function or only partially function and a few of our discipline passives don't work whatsoever.
  20. Oh absolutely, firestorm can be very satisfying if you manage to hit multiple enemies with it. I just wish the hitbox wasn't so wonky. As an aside, I've updated the guide a bit including a "Tips and tricks" section to tactics.
  21. Last updated 01/05/17 Why Play a Powertech? Why Shield Tech? "But Xancath! Powertech's aren't performing well! Therefore by PvP forum logic they are not only worthless, but the most useless class ever conceived!" I won't deny that 5.0 has been almost entirely detrimental to both the performance and playstyle of the powertech class as a whole, but that doesn't mean you should turn away from them entirely. Perhaps you would rather play something you enjoy, rather than something that performs well. Perhaps you abhor the notion of playing the "fotm" class, and as a hipster take great pride in being the only powertech within a 100m radius. Perhaps you live in a cold part of the world, and the flame attacks of the powertech help you get through the winter months. Equipment and Modifications (gearing) You should aim for... All b-type lethal mods All discipline-type enhancements All fortitude augments Adept (power/critical) ear piece and implants 1 mastery proc DPS relic and either A) defense proc tanking relic or B) power proc DPS relic Shield offhand / generator offhand depending on personal preference (explained below) It may seem counter-intuitive for a tank role to be gearing for quazi-DPS so allow me to explain. Shields have limited effectiveness in the face of high critical rates Because of SWTOR's roll system, an attack is determined to either be a critical hit or a normal one BEFORE it is determined whether said attack is blocked or not blocked, in the event of a critical hit the shield is bypassed entirely. Given that majority of players either have high critical rates via equipment or through talents, shield rating and absorption is highly devalued. *NOTE: In the past when it was possible to stack equipment with solely shield/absorb it was debated whether or not tanks in pvp should stack said gear or still use DPS equipment, but now it is essentially a no-brainer. Defense has limited effectiveness in the face of enemy player attacks Only a small percentage of attacks can be dodged (defense) in PvP by virtue of most attacks being of the force or tech variety. It has been estimated that only roughly 25% of damage in PvP makes up the dodgeable category, greatly devaluing this stat. Endurance is the only defensive statistic which increases your survivability in PvP against any form of damage, in any given situation Whether tech, force, physical or ranged, endurance will increase the amount of time it takes for you to die at a greater rate than any other stat. In addition, stacking endurance means our shoulder cannon utility (if taken) and adrenaline rush are more potent as they are based on your maximum health. Regarding the shield / generator option... It's highly debated whether to use a shield or generator in PvP. While I've already pointed out that shielding has limited effectiveness in the game mode, there are a number of key talents that benefit from shielding which affect heat management, heat screen generation and various talents that improve absorption. It's also worth considering that while devalued, the shield slot alone provides a 20% chance to shield and 20% shield absorption rating which is no slouch even in the face of a not insignificant amount of tech power. Ultimately the choice is up to the user, and is open for debate in this thread. Utilities In this section I'll discuss my thoughts on what I consider viable choices for the role, rather than outright pick them for you. Skillful Iron Will: One of the strengths of this class is it's mobility by virtue of a potentially beefed up Hydraulic Overrides (with multiple utilities focused on the ability), if you plan on taking the other utilities for it you should probably take this one. It's also worth noting the value of reducing the cooldown of your CC breaker. Gyroscopic Allignment Jets: While our discipline does not really have heat management issues, it may be a valuable choice if you find yourself leaning towards heavy use of flame sweep or if you use a generator instead of a shield. Suppressive Tools: As I'll mention below, throwing a flame sweep out on a group of foes is a great way of spreading the healing debuff (via the talent in our discipline) and increasing the pressure on enemy healers. Adding a slow to your already frequent use of the ability is something you may consider, but it's not the primary reason flame sweep is used. Engulfing Flames: While a tempting choice for our activities in PvP which employ frequent use of the ability, the point of using flame sweep is to spread either the slow or healing debuff, not it's lackluster damage. Consider it if you're overly keen on AoE damage, but it's not something I frequent. Masterful Pneumatic Boots: It's worth noting that this does not function OUT of combat, only IN combat. A worthwhile utility if you're interested in objective-based play in regular warzones, and still useful besides if you find yourself having difficulty sticking to your targets. Sonic Rebounder: Easily one of the more unique utilities we bring to the group table, stronger still if the RNG gods have favoured you with a 4pc set bonus. Considering our frequent use of Sonic Missle it's difficult to pass up this utility. A very strong choice. Quell: Aside from your role of protecting your teammates, you'll be harassing the enemy healer and this utility improves your ability to do this. Locking down the healer is key to applying pressure as a tank in PvP, a worthwhile utility if you want them to hate you a little more. Heroic Adaptable Assailant: The immobilize effect on grapple is nice but the real purpose of this utility is the group-wide speed boost (on a much shorter cooldown than that of Marauders/Sentinels). Especially valuable if you're interested in regular warzones (huttball in particular), a difficult pick otherwise. Torque Boosters: If you're taking the other utilities that boost the ability then this is a pretty straightforward pick. On it's own however you should probably consider the other options. Mutilating Shards: A fairly long cooldown, but a VERY powerful AoE slow (75% for 15s is outrageous) in it's own right. A definite pick for objective-based play (regular warzones) and a useful utility for peeling otherwise. Enhanced Paralytics: Worth considering if you take the Masterful utility reducing it's cooldown, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Efficient Suit: One of our most powerful utilities in PvP, a secondary CC breaker is something that not very many classes have and it is a solid choice for any format of play. Legendary *ASIDE* If there's a questionable ingredient in the sausage of this class, it's this. We have easily one of the weakest sets of legendary utilities out of all the other classes. If there is a buff to be made to our class, it's probably going to be here. Battering Ram: Probably a solid choice, unfortunately Jet Charge is currently bugged and may trigger the cooldown of the ability without moving you anywhere. Definitely not something you want to pick up. Overdrive: The key utility if you've taken all the previous ones for the ability, especially of value in regular warzones where movement speed is elevated in importance to the point of being considered a virtue. Pressure Overrides: Unfortunately the firestorm/searing wave aspect of this utility does not have it's range increased at all. Explosive fuel as a whole is in an awkward place for us as it's both an offensive and defensive utility. Potentially a solid pick now, definitely a solid pick when the bug (there are oh so many) is fixed. Shield Cannon: Allows for the use of shoulder cannon as a defensive move rather than an offensive one. While it's not that powerful a self heal (3% x 4 over 6 seconds) it may be worth taking given our stacking of endurance and the "alternatives" in our legendary set of utilities. Tactics and Strategy This section primarily is going to be the focus of updates and the like as I'm able to organize my thoughts as well as acrue more experience playing the role. Tactics The Shield Tech Powertech "How to Play" guide, listed in order of importance... 1. Keep your teammates alive! Your primary role in any warzone situation is to keep your allies alive and well, akin to a healer's role but achieved through different means. We accomplish this by... Guard swapping: Guard isn't just something that's supposed to be placed on the healer and then forgotten, you need to be actively switching it's placement between the targets your enemy is focusing (with, admittedly, a priority on the healer if you're forced to choose). Liberal use of taunting: Taunting is one of the key methods through which we fulfil our role. Your AoE taunt should be used whenever you can land it on a group of enemies attacking your allies and the single target taunt should be used ON CD on whichever is the most threatening target attacking the ally you've chosen to guard (and thus deemed most in-danger). The use of the "target of target" function is helpful in the facilitation of single target taunt use. "Peeling": In the most plain terms, peeling refers to separating your enemies from your allies. We have powerful tools to do this, they include but are not limited to: Grapple, Translocate, Electro Dart, Carbonize, Jet Charge, Shatter Slug (with the utility) and Flame Sweep (with the utility). 2. Applying pressure to the enemy, in particular the healer. Your secondary role is to keep the enemy team off balance, focusing specifically on hindering the activities of the enemy healer as they are the primary means of keeping your foes on their feet. Interrupts!: The key to interrupting the healer's activities is through stopping his heals. You can do either with your direct interrupt Quell or your crowd control tools (Jet Charge, Electro Dart, etc). Consider saving your CC as a means of interrupting the enemy healer if he has made himself immune to interrupts (as mercenary/commando healers can do for example). Debuffs: The 20% healing reduction and 5% damage dealt reduced debuffs inflicted by trauma (through Flame Burst and Flame Sweep) are very powerful and one of the key utilities brought to the match by any tank. You have the ability to spread this powerful debuff to the entire enemy team through the use of Flame Sweep in particular, so make liberal use of it! Consider that the healing debuff aspect of trauma lasts 6 seconds, you don't need to spam the ability to get good use out of it. Damage: We don't have any burst as a tank, but our pressure through various AoE abilities (Firestorm in particular, if you can aim it's wonky hitbox) is nothing to laugh at. The number one method of increasing one's damage throughout a match is to increase one's uptime. That means you should never have a single GCD (global cooldown) that isn't being used. Even if you are at a distance from your enemy, consider using Rapid Shots or connecting with another target. Every second of damage adds up. 3. Tips and Tricks These particulars aren't necessarily excluded from any of the above tasks, but I feel that it's important to go over them and stress anything that may not be immediately apparent. Translocate: A quirky ability to be sure, it probably sees it's best use within huttball. You can either move yourself with the ball to someone who has advanced further up the goal line or do them the same favour. Outside of huttball it can be an effective (though situational) tool for peeling for your healer by first moving to a good location (preferably near an object that can be used to LoS or "Line of Sight") and using it on them. Alternatively, you could just use the ability to annoy fellow party members. Jet Charge: Don't neglect the fact that the ability has an interrupt component to it, you needn't JUST use it as a gap closer. Timing your CC alongside utility-specialized Quell and Jet Charge can barrage your enemy healer with a chain of interrupts making things very difficult for them. Focus Target: This isn't really Powertech specific and may come across as even patronizing to some but I can't stress enough the importance of familiarizing yourself with the focus target hotkey and modifiers. A significant portion of any match may demand that you focus your damage on a target OTHER than the healer while still interrupting their heals, utilizing the focus mechanic is key to this. Become comfortable with the focus modifier key in particular and you'll seriously improve your capability in a PvP scenario. Defensive cooldown usage: Assuming the presence of a healer and an open line of communication, the most efficient usage of DCDs (defensive cooldowns) is not all at once but instead staggered if you're being pressured. Granted, this is heavily dependant on the situation but in general your goal is to increase your mitigation sufficiently to allow your healer to catch up on your health while at the same time minimizing your resource (DCD) usage. If you blow all your DCD's at once all the opposing team has to do is switch to a different target and then back to (a now DCD-less) you, leaving you exposed. As previously mentioned, there ARE very rare situations where using multiple DCD's at once is required however; If you're in a warzone and the ENTIRE team is focusing their attention on you odds are no healer will save you without serious aid on your end. Another situation is in a smaller group situation (say, a rated warzone) where you're already at low health and your healer is being controlled. Judging how many DCDs are required to keep you alive and maximizing how many you have available is a skill you develop over time and also largely dependant on your healer (or lack thereof). Strategy - Still a work in progress... - Fun Fact: I wrote this guide while on a train to Ottawa
  22. Signed. Though it's important to note that buffing pt survivability can impact pve tanking and make things imbalanced, they should make the utility work based on which cylinder is equipped (certain utilities already work this way).
  23. They said in the past that cross-server anything is not possible because the engine is deeply flawed.
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