Blame shade-the-nade. He endorsed you

Always ambushed by the coffee-through-nose jokes. Thanks for the laugh!

Miss you bro - I remember that beatdown in season 4!

Game Type - Warzones Class - Powertech Name - Cloggin Link - http://i.imgur.com/4TnckXl.jpg Section/Rank as follows: powertech damage done/death ratio #2 Record - 834618/0 powertech overall protection #1 Record - 2021148 powertech damage taken #4 Record - 1214115 powertech damage taken/death ratio #1 Record - 1214115/0 powertech +300k Protection/Damage #1 Record - 834618/2021148 powertech kills #1 Record - 20 powertech kills/death ratio #1 Record - 20/0

Huge thanks KBN for the reply. I was particularly hoping for some clarification from you. Mad respect and thanks for the contribution you have in the community.

I've heard varying truths about whether or not attacks through Guard in PvP content are able to be Shielded. Any out there that can confirm or deny? I am aware that there was a time when Energy/Kinetic attacks were not shieldable, and that Guard has been changed in many ways over the years, such as Guarded targets being dotted transfered dots, or Guarded targets being knocked down applied the same knockdown to tanks... Simply put, in 3.0 and beyond, are attacks through guard able to be mitigated by shield/absorb in PvP content?

It isn't lazy, it's frugal. When I could use the same armor set for both professions, why wouldn't I? That simply means I have an art designer that I don't have to pay to make more things for the cash shop that generates income. Two sets for the price of one AND I get to make more money through the cash shop? It would be insane not to do that.

Made changes to recruitment needs.

Gametype - Reg WZ Toon - Saramber Section - Objective Points Class - Sorcerer Rank - 1 Record - 15400 Link - http://i.imgur.com/ANPgrqu.jpg Gametype - Reg WZ Toon - Dino-bot Section - Kills Class - Sorcerer Rank - 1 Record - 62 Link - http://i.imgur.com/ANPgrqu.jpg Gametype - Reg WZ Toon - Saramber Section - Kills Class - Sorcerer Rank - 2 Record - 48 Link - http://i.imgur.com/ANPgrqu.jpg

Gametype - Reg WZ Toon - Bleachin Section - Most Medals Class - Assassin Rank - 1 Record - 25 Link - http://i.imgur.com/ANPgrqu.jpg

Evolixe - King of Troll

Fair. I'm on the other side of the fence, in that I appreciate being able to Leeching Strike - Execute and if the moons align I have a period of burst. That isn't to say I don't see where you are coming from. I only picked up Hatred/Madness about two months before 3.0 (as a returning player, having never played the spec), and when the new expansion dropped, Leeching Strike felt like something 'a little extra' and nearly unnecessary. That said, I'm not arguing for it's removal - the idea alone is ridiculous as BioWare has too much invested in the damn thing already. Anyways - I've been considering your other utility - Recklessness? I considered the extra charge, but wrote it off as not being maximized. Granted, I'm about 15-20% underperforming in dps compared to the top players on my server, and they are about 20-40% over many others in that respect, so I'm willing to admit that I'm missing something. If I picked up a third charge of Recklessness, is my idea to use it for Spike, Deathfield, Demolish, or am I off in left field and you REALLY took Fade.

You won't hear argument from me about the extra purge, as only a fool would not see a second purge on demand as an incredible increase in survivability. I am, however, simply offering what I believe to be the mostly likely, and effective nerf. My money is that both assassin and operative will forever maintain their purge-on-vanish utility, simply from a design stand point. EDIT: Another likely solution is taking away the 100% increase in heal received from Leeching Strike that is found within the Discipline. Having such an effective 'medpack' every 15 seconds is another key component to Hatred survivability.

Tell me you aren't taking Fade

Cleanse mechanics do a great deal to neuter a DoT spec in pvp and have zero impact on PvE. If that's your goal - have at it. You won't see any DoT specs in any serious PvP environment. Another common suggestion is to kill DoT spread - Take one look at 3.0 and tell me BioWare didn't specifically add a DoT spread mechanic to nearly every class. Consider that and ask yourself if you think removing DoT spread is going to happen? I agree that Hatred is BiS when it comes to any comp. It has a solution to every problem and no other class in the game provides that in PvP. If you want to bring it back in line, you have to start looking at those solutions and cutting them out. In regs or Arenas, DCD's are even more pronounced than ever before - they are class defining and shape the entire approach to gameplay. That isn't unique to SWTOR, but it is perhaps more pronounced in my brief history here than it has been in the past. Looking across the playing field, one smart player picks apart the enemy team for the weakest link - sure they all do damage, but which one can we get to stop. dealing. damage. You won't see Hatred on the list. There are a few that rise to the top - priorities not necessarily because they are strong, but because their ability to hold on to their hitpoints is akin to a 3 fingered man holding a palm full of water. Sniper, I'm looking at you. So what do you do? Get out your flamethrowers boys and girls, because the single largest nerfbat I can legitimately see happening to Hatred (for PvP) is the removal of a Utility that grants 2 additional seconds of Force Shroud. Two seconds doesn't sound like much. Force Shroud is a purge, and it grants all kinds of delicious CC immunity (there are a couple mez stuns that still work). Force Shroud allows you to operate with near perfect impunity to set up your dots, position your DoT spread via Death Field, and proc your first Crushing Darkness. Force Shroud is the key ability that allows the player, regardless of circumstance, to set the stage of combat on their terms. Before you get me twisted, I'm not saying 'nerf Force Shroud'. I'm simply spelling it out for those who might not see what's going on under that fuzzy, lovey, cuddley tickle-bear named Hatred. Those two additional seconds give you the GCDs to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. They also happen to stack on top of another utility - one that grants two seconds of Force Shroud on your combat stealth. That's right - I'm not sharing anything new, but let's clarify for those who aren't savvy. Two Utilities, when taken together, grant 9 seconds of Force/Tech immunity over two separate cooldowns, each with roughly a minute timer. I get to purge twice. I get to dance for free twice. I get to make important plays - TWO TIMES with large windows in which to move and act freely. And I fundamentally believe this is the crux of the problem that lies within the Hatred spec. It's not the immunity on deflection - that's ancillary. It's not the omgDoTspread - that's necessary. It's not the bbqwtf burst - it's not there. It's the two extra seconds of Force Shroud. Come at me bro.

Weekly Progression Schedule for SWTOR Operations WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / SUNDAY // 8PM - 11PM EST Our progression groups will begin at 8pm EST, please be ready 10 minutes early so that we may begin on time. Here in the Rusty Resolve, we have a number of back-upl members that would like to see end game content, and in order to facilitate those members and increase the probability of operations, the following attendance policy has been put in place: Members set to attend Operations on a permanent basis are pre-enrolled in to each weekly progression group. Remaining roles (Tank/DPS/Heal) will be available for sign up as first come, first serve. Please sign up early to help Operations leads in organizing. -------------------------- The above is a post from our Ops thread. We are currently recruiting for two healers and two dps. If you happen to be an excellent maurader dps, you'd be making one very happy GM. I'm reaching out to the community here to find some folks that are middle-to-serious about operation and end game content. I'm looking to add players who are are casual enough to accept a change of plans but serious enough expect the most from themselves and others. I'm not interested in bullies or prideful types, male or female. If you are prone to poisonous behavior, find somewhere else to enjoy your venom. We have cultivated good community here with the 15 some odd players and are looking to add to that, not take from it. Send any inquiry to Bleachin on the server, or reply here, and I'll get back when I can. EDIT: Updated recruitment needs.

Which I could upvote.

No Scrapper/Op? I understand how bad it is in yolo - but I've been having a blasty blast (pun intended) in regs.

The Spec The Gear The Style (It's all about the Style) After a day of contemplating the beauty of muh tub, I thought to myself "Self, if you could perfect the art of hybrid tanking, how would you do it?" I replied, "Well, Self, I already have!" You see, the information above provides a most robust combination of hard damage mitigation, opening volley burst, wonderful player control and utility, with reasonable or above average amounts of protection for select members of your team. Damage Mitigation: Not only does your shiney assassin come with 25% hard damage mitigation in stealth, but also for six seconds afterwards, and then on demand every 30 seconds, resetting with the use of stealth. 30% AoE damage mitigation. Don't like smashers? Tired of being hit for 8k from chain lightning? Want to laugh at Death field? How about those pesky Flame Throwers? Laugh all day as you enjoy incredible protection from a number of damaging abilities that are flagged area of effect. 25% hard damage mitigation during the duration of Overcharge Saber. Heal, double charge damage, 25% mitigation. Yum. More scrubbing bubbles please. Add in a warzone adrenal for 15% and you are good to go! 150% armor rating from talented Dark Charge = yummy. Add in some passive bonuses to melee and ranged defenses and we'll call it a day for damage mitigation. Utility/Crowd Control: Knock backs, Lowslash, Force Pull, Spike (is now stunning, much like the ladies in my life), grenades (you best be packin'), Electrocute, Whirlwind... there are a half a dozen ways to control players and interrupt spells outside of death, line of sight, and one spell interrupt. Damage: The most reliable way to set this up is to be the aggressor -- it pays to know who you are attacking and when, and is quite punishing to be opened up on, putting you behind the curve a dozen seconds or so. Begin the fight in stealth and in Surging Charge. Activate Recklessness 10 seconds before you would like to attack, then switch to Dark Charge. Place your Guard on some witless companion. Allow Embrace to quickly regenerate your lost energy. Open combat with Trash to proc the free crit and amplified damage on Shock, then Discharge and Shock. At this point and until there is a significant lull in combat and/or you are moving to a new location (or in the death box) you will stay in Dark Charge and continue to play on Maul Procs and Shock Procs, using Recklessness and drops in combat to reset your cooldowns. You will want saberstrike on your bar for those moments of low energy. You will need to play with energy sitting high around 80+ so that it is available for periods of burst during focus swaps. The above is an ideal situation, though I will admit that I most often open with discharge and then hunt for a Shock proc, as the window of opportunity to use double discharge is small. I suggest using stealth to swap back and forth between saber charges in order to get another double discharge when moving between nodes. Additionally, when in the death box take the time to get Surging Charge ready to go if there are two ticks on the door. Surging Charge discharge in this spec does not hit as hard as it would in full middle tree, but in combination with Recklessness and Dark Charge, it comes close. Personal notes: As a recent fan of Deception, I have to remind myself to stop low slashing for Maul procs and just leave people CC'd for fun. Enjoy 700k damage 500k protection!

Maybe the terrible 'Revitalizers' talent could be reworked in such a way that stim boost would have a substantially shorter cooldown and allow the 10 second duration to give movement impairing immunity. Just drumming up some ideas. Caster classes are gaining ways to deliver their spells uninterrupted. As concealment/scrapper quite literally has some of the most consistent short range in the game, without the cooldowns to stay in the fight (survivability/mobitlity), we are doomed.

I will agree that in a brawl with a few knockbacks (that have roots or snares) and/or a few aoe stuns (awe or carbonize) things begin to be nearly impossible to effectively dps. I don't think that it necessarily means concealment *has* to have a knockdown. I do think it means we need other ways to be able to maintain our mobility.

No feedback?

Edited for bad counting and redundant information -- Iolus already had it.

First, a little background about myself: I began playing SWTOR in February, following launch. I started as a Jedi Shadow on the Juyo server. After reaching 50 and doing limited operations and pvp, I created my first scrapper scoundrel, which hit level 40 roughly around the time v1.2 was released. I have been and still am very dedicated to the playstyle. Approaching the release of SnV, I left the game with 3 months of sub time left on my account due to frustrations with several game mechanics, primarily revolving around PvP (an avid pvper, myself), and have returned roughly 3 months ago to see that bubblestun is a thing of the past and that Smash will no longer be the dominating force it once was. Knowing the state of concealment/scrapper, when I returned, I focused more on my shadow and assassins. Upon hearing that concealment/scrapper would be receiving the attention they have needed for well over a year, I decided to go back to what I loved, and have been happy thus far with the changes. All of that out of the way, I wanted to address some concerns with 2.7, and bring up some old suggestions that may have been lost to time. ========= A long time ago, I heard some words of wisdom about talent points that summarily says: "If a talent is required to play all specializations of the class, then it is no longer a talent, but a requirement, and should be a baseline, passive bonus." This speaks loudly of talents that are chosen regardless of PvP, PvE, defensive oriented or offensive oriented, and the big culprit here is +%cunning talent. Every scoundrel or operative is obligated to use 3 uninteresting talent points in this talent. It is not interesting, fun, or specializing. It does not make one different from another. It is required. It is baseline for all operatives/scoundrels. Please consider doing something more interesting with the talent. If a class' heal output or damage output is dependent on such a talent, replace it with a more interesting talent that offers players choice, then incorporate the talent passively through changing skill/spell values or class specialization passives. =========== In regards to concealment/scrapper, I genuinely want to thank the team responsible for really cranking up the fun factor by improving quality of life and reworking some of the talents in the last patch. Changes to energy management and the ability to really use those tactical advantages/upper hands have really let me enjoy this spec for in combat burst, let me make more dynamic choices, given me combat mobility I've never had before, and generally let me feel like a hit and run kind of fellow I've always wanted. I've never had so much fun being an operative/scoundrel (I have both). Energy management and the removal of managing pugnacity/stim boost has been such a blessing. Thank you. ======= In regards to exfiltrate/scamper, I was thrilled to see it have the energy cost removed. Part of the reason I left the game was the demanding energy cost and more of what I felt was a failure to address the needs of an archetype I was dedicated to. Being able to have that combat mobility between the roll and the increased speed from stealth (obtained through concealment/scrapper) at no energy cost will really allow me to feel like a super space ninja assassin, and I'm going to LOVE it. What I am NOT going to love comes from the following: According to datamined information obtained from redit: The summation of this quote spells the end of purging dots, snares, and other nasty effects in PvP as a scrapper/concealment player. If you have been on the end of a melee brawl while a madness sorc throws in a deathfield/weakness/crushing darkness, you will quickly realize that the splash damage from melee combat combined with the (quite effective) damage from that madness spec will very quickly destroy the 30000 hitpoints you bring to the battlefield. The ability to purge those dots more often than once every 45 seconds-1 minute has been one of the few things that keeps me engaged in battle in regular warzones as a concealment/scrapper. Others will disagree, but this is my personal assessment as to the importance of this purge, and less of the dodge chance (which has such a small window of damage prevention). Speaking of dodge chance, if I assume this applies to all attacks (both tech/force and melee/range) often times I will be forced to roll 12m away, then 12m back to take advantage of an avoidance buff. This causes problems in two categories in that 1) it is not hard damage mitigation (which is sorely needed against focus fire) and 2) the loss of the ability to continue to maintain target pressure while increasing survivability. Similarly, that window of damage prevention will offer, in its new incarnation, a very small, on the global, global cooldown window of damage prevention as well. In this, the new incarnation which appears to be a buff, will, I believe, be a serious survivability 'nerf' as it were. I ask that there be a serious reconsideration of finding a way to retain concealment/scrapper's ability to purge every 15 seconds with reliability. In regards to Concealment/Scrapper, I have one final comment and two final requests all in regards to hidden strike/shoot first: Comment: In regards to the knockdown, I hope that it's removal paves the way for fewer outcries from the community against the spec and more room for other, more interesting talents to take place. In replacing the knockdown, I would much prefer a snare in combination with a spell cast interrupt. The ability to interrupt spellcasting was far more important than the actual stun itself. Additionally, many targets are now receiving hard damage mitigation against stuns, and in this regard, not having the choice in stunning the target was a detriment. Requests: 1) A high tier concealment/scrapper talent modification to additionally reduce the cooldown of disappearing act/equivalent to a total of 45 seconds. I have always felt that the lockout on re-entering stealth is far too long for concealment/scrappers and reduces their combat choices, the ability to evade damage and limit the choices of their enemies, the ability to reset health potions, regain sprint speed, reset sneak, use regenerative ability. These options, gained more frequently, will help to slightly boost survivability and utility on the battle field, as well as provide concealment/scrappers with more opportunities to perform alpha strikes should they not be able to escape combat through traditional means. 2) Given that the knockdown from hidden strike/shoot first is going away (and thankfully), I would very much like to see the cooldown be reduced from 17 seconds to 15 seconds and a concealment/scrapper talent added or modified to allow it to be used on targets at or below 30%, regardless of stealth condition. Similar to talents in other classes (I'm thinking of Jedi Knight talents) that allow execute abilities to be used at any time, this might allow us to use our hard hitting ability as an execute, and further grant us a tactical advantage/upper hand to use as a follow up, should we choose. Certainly an objective opinion, but I really feel like there would be some flavor potential in these changes, and help to make up for some of the still remaining holes in the talent tree. ======== To make this thread even longer, I wanted to address some concerns I have to changes with Agent that are meant to help the advanced classes in survivability, but will be disproportionally buffing the healing specs in Scoundrel and Agent. Specifically, the energyless change to exfiltrate/scamper and the hefty buff to shield probe/equivalent. According to DEV posts on the official forums, Exfiltrate/Scamper should no longer have an energy cost. I think this is wonderful for getting into/out of sticky situations for our dps trees, but the difficult part is in allowing these rolls to have no negative energy impact on healing scoundrels/operatives, who are already the most survivable and mobile healers in our arenas today. It is a concern that I do not have a simple solution for. My secondary concern regarding the roll stems from the previously linked datamine change to the roll, and that is the removal of the distance penalty on snaring effects. While I champion this change for our dps specializations (mostly concealment/scrapper, who rely on positional backstabs and 4m range almost exclusively) the ability for healers to have 15% combat movement speed, two 12m rolls (energyless) every 10 seconds without snare penalty (for 24 meters) and instant cast moderate heals to roll with hots to roll with cooldown based heal over times for the group leaves me quite concerned at individuals being able to stay on top of the scoundrel or operative at all. I feel as though this immunity to reduction in distance rolled should perhaps be tied to a talent that should atleast be a choice for healer specs to take, if not be placed in a tree so that it is out of reasonable reach. ===== Last, but not least, the buff to shield probe/defensive screen. I would very much like to see this base ability have a higher cooldown and allow each specialization a talent that modifies it's use in different ways, effecting it's potency. While I agree that operative/scoundrels have a terrible bubble, as it stands, and that 45 seconds on this terrible bubble is miserable (I have always felt that our defensive cooldowns are quite miserable), my concern is that 20 seconds (with an increase in effectiveness) allows the healer operative/scoundrels to not only become hardier, but to also make use of their wonderful talent that causes a burst of self healing upon the breaking of the shield probe. This equates to a great deal more self survivability for a class that is, as I understand it, ahead of the pack in healing and survivability and is intentionally being targeted in attempts to be toned down. That said, I would suggest moving it to a baseline 30 second cooldown, and increasing its effectiveness. This is usable much less frequently. Allow a specialization like concealment/scrapper to have a hard damage mitigation to go with it, or to reduce it's cooldown, or to do both. A similar approach can be had with how sniper/gunslinger makes use of this cooldown, but through talents. This avoids the problem of providing a baseline buff that provides too much survivability to an already overly survivable healing class (comparatively). I hope that some of this, atleast, is not overlooked, and thank you for your time in reading. Tub Scrubber

Honest statement: Someone show me what the hell to do in rateds. I feel like a total burden to my team and regularly am making some of the worst snap decisions possible. I've been back for a few months now, and am only now entering the higher level meta-game after being gone for over a year. Help a guy out and tell me what the hell you see me doing wrong all the damn time, eh? As one of the guildies best said: "When I think about losing warzones, the only common denominator I can find is me."