Nadia Grell... Should she be like Qyzen and Iresso and have the ability to tank?

[KoranHorn]

I'm really hoping there is an overwhelming response to this, and that the Devs make changes accordingly. I love the whole idea of having a Padawan companion, but if I'm going to have a Padawan, I want her to be able to come on missions with me.... as a healer, her being a pure DPS companion sucks, and makes her nearly unusable unless I am way over-level for the mobs I'm fighting. For the most central Companion character we get throughout our storyline, I would think they would make her usable by healing sages as well as the other specs...

 

 

Who thinks this is the way to go for a future update?

 

Make Nadia have two possible roles just like the other companions do.....!!!

 

Good OP. I play a shadow tank and just got Nadia. I have always used either qyzen or theran, all the DPS classes have been the least useful. When taking down the gold elites, I do BEST with Theran healing (though i cant stand him) and almost as good with qyzen tanking.

 

If I tank and have a DPS companion, they never do enough damage to be useful enough. With qyzen tanking, and myself in DPS stance, I can usually kill a gold elite that is 1 level higher at or just before qyzen gets knocked out. With Theran, I go tank stance and it is pretty easy to take out a gold elite of similar level.

 

If i use any DPS companions, overall performance goes way down.

 

I do not like having a companion with two DPS stances. Having two different types is more useful imo.

 

I fully agree with the OP in wishing that Nadia was a tank OR even more useful as a shadow a healer class.

[Alavastre]

As a shadow tank, I much appreciate my Nadia just the way she is, thank you very much.

 

I run in and AOE mobs in my heavily tank oriented gear, she runs in and AOEs the same mobs in heavily damagedealing oriented gear, and between the vast amounts of AOE we are capable of putting out together the mobs in standard multi-mob pulls drop dead fast. Really fast.

 

I can tell you from personal experience, if it's a bigger battle, you will pull aggro. In fact I do it a lot, even with that talent. No biggie though, just heal yourself. It's definitely a different play style.

[PiToREpsilon]

If I tank and have a DPS companion, they never do enough damage to be useful enough. With qyzen tanking, and myself in DPS stance, I can usually kill a gold elite that is 1 level higher at or just before qyzen gets knocked out. With Theran, I go tank stance and it is pretty easy to take out a gold elite of similar level.

 

If i use any DPS companions, overall performance goes way down.

You are shadow tank specced and have problems killing gold elites without Tharan or Qyzen?

 

Just shows how different experiences can be. My shadow tank is diplomacy/biochemistry/bioanalysis, which means that I always have a good reusable medpac available in fights and no compunctions about using it and that I have through my leveling had the highest grade blue craftable tanking implants, which together with armour modded for tanking has made my character very, very, survivable.

 

My experience has been to use Qyzen for dual-tanking and cutting down on the time I need to meditate (by spreading damage) all the time since I got him until I got Nadia, only pulling out Tharan for a few of the hardest fights, that he trivialize.

 

When I got Nadia, she happily took over Qyzen's role as damagedealer while I took on all the tanking, her vastly superior single-target and AOE damage shortening fights enough that it made up for the increased damage I was taking by not sharing with Qyzen.

[AlizarinCrimson]

nadia works fine for me...

you just have to adapt your style of playing a bit.

You can't seriously expect to be able to play the same way with Theran as with Nadia can you?

[Gwena]

I sympathize with the OP, and totally understand the desire to have the companion you like best be able to play the role that best suits your play style.

 

That said, if Nadia gets to be a tank as well as a DPS, then I think that it would be only fair for all companions to get more than one spec, depending on what their base "class" is.

 

In other words, if one companion gets options, they all should. If you get to teach Nadia to tank for you, I should be able to give Tharan some blaster lessons and convince him that pacifism will not work for him. And ask Risha to heal my Smuggler, etc, etc.

 

As great as it would be to be able to choose the advanced class/spec of your companions, I have my doubts that we will ever see such a feature. Nor would it be good for JC's to get three tanks. If the devs made an exception/change for Nadia, that would not be seen as very fair. Knights would want a healer other than Doc, Smugglers would want Akaavi to tank, and they would have a good point.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Gwena

[pakchooieunf]

I sympathize with the OP, and totally understand the desire to have the companion you like best be able to play the role that best suits your play style.

 

Wouldn't that be nice? It's really a shame they didn't go this route.

 

As a Balance Shadow, I feel almost bound at the hip to the doctor. I can get along alright with Qyzen, I suppose, but all of the other companions are worthless for me. Well, I don't have Nadia yet, but I can't imagine that a DPS companion is going to work better for me than a healer (though I'd be thrilled to be wrong)

 

Personally, I don't even like the idea of running around with a ship full of companions that never see the light of day - just having one that could be tailored for the individual player would have been a much better solution.

[rzebiak]

Nadia worked fine for me as a Seer even when she wasn't fully equipped and was geared as a DPS. I used her exclusively on all trash and some boss fights. Only on a couple of fights did I pull out good ol Qyzen to tank for me....Namely the first son and any fights that consisted of something like 2 Silvers + additional people.

 

Hell, for some gold fights it was actually easier with Nadia because then I always had aggro and you can easily kite people when both you and your companion have a slow. Not to mention force speed + stun + Knockback...Several of the gold guys near the end of the class storyline were killed without either of us ever even being hit...I guess this would work with Qyzen too if you just turned off his taunts, but it is certainly easier with Nadia.

[Ragearo]

Wouldn't that be nice? It's really a shame they didn't go this route.

 

As a Balance Shadow, I feel almost bound at the hip to the doctor. I can get along alright with Qyzen, I suppose, but all of the other companions are worthless for me. Well, I don't have Nadia yet, but I can't imagine that a DPS companion is going to work better for me than a healer (though I'd be thrilled to be wrong)

 

Personally, I don't even like the idea of running around with a ship full of companions that never see the light of day - just having one that could be tailored for the individual player would have been a much better solution.

 

 

Second this almost entirely. Tharan seems to be the only useful companion unfortunately for my Kinetic Shadow so far (and while I find his personality somewhat Amusing, he can be rather annoying at times), though I may have fallen into somewhat of a trap with gear - I have not been able to keep up on gear for more than one companion, so when I made the switch from Qyzen to Tharan after a few levels Qyzen's equipment was too outdated for him to be useful. With earning currency being tied so closely to completing quests and leveling, I've just stuck with Tharan since (why would I buff Qyzen when he might not work out for me and I could have buffed Tharan). I do plan on giving Nadia a try when I get her, but I fear she won't work out (based on the same experience you've had).

 

Maybe I'll have a different experience as I get a bit higher, but I've yet to try any of the other companions in combat as I've been unable to properly gear them.

 

I'm also curious - one previous shadow poster mentioned they use biotech; I hate the idea of switching so I haven't, but perhaps as a tank it's more difficult to get away with using a companion other than Tharan if you're not using biotech. I'm curious if anyone else has any thoughts on this.

[Kesitah]

I can only think of one reason why the developers do not want to enable that kind of customization for companions. Simply put is they don't want everyone running around with the same companion. Lets be honest. How many players do you think are going to run around with Nadia only because of the Master/Padawan thing if customization were to occur? Probably a ton.

 

But that is what is happening right now. *Every* Shadow Tank will run around with Tharan Cedrax, for example, as no other Companion is viable for them. Customization would change this.

[CompyN]

After reading the first couple pages, I feel I must explain further. Both Qyzen and Iresso can either DPS or Tank. If you've looked at their abilities, they have a tanking 'Guard-like' ability, and a 25% Damage increase ability.... They can usefully fulfill either role. I know for a fact that Qyzen can melee dps almost as well as Nadia. Also, I am on an RP server for a reason, and even though I'm 50, I still like having companions out. That being said, I have solo'ed multiple Champion bosses on Voss with her, though I haven't tried any on Correllia yet. It's not that she's a bad companion for a healer, but she will never be as good as Qyzen as it presently stands, and anyone who says that she is doesn't know what they're doing... I just wonder why Qyzen and Iresso both have combat stance... which turns them into DPS companions and lowers their threat, while Nadia has no 'Guard-like' ability to help her hold threat and take a little less damage....

 

Also, my alt is a Shadow, tank spec, and I sympathize with all of you saying that most of the companions are useless. Theran is really the only viable option... There should be a better selection of healer companions....... maybe even a heal stance for nadia?! :-) All of the companions being able to fulfill all trinity options would be an excellent idea, I actually think it would lead to more variation, not less.

[Kesitah]

Also, my alt is a Shadow, tank spec, and I sympathize with all of you saying that most of the companions are useless. Theran is really the only viable option... There should be a better selection of healer companions....... maybe even a heal stance for nadia?! :-) All of the companions being able to fulfill all trinity options would be an excellent idea, I actually think it would lead to more variation, not less.

 

I think actually not for ALL companions it is needed. But that at the very least the "viable" option is available for your romancable companion (so Nadia Tank/Heal for Male Healers/Tanks, and Iresso Tank/Heal for Female Healers/Tanks - and whatever DPS players prefer as companion for them, not sure if they go for Tank or Heal Companions). Currently the "companion choice" is a choice which is not really a choice (and I died often having the wrong companion out in the hope of some points, and then a questboss fight started, and my "get out of combat" skill was currently on cooldown or a dot brought me in again).

[Game_Hermit]

I'm really hoping there is an overwhelming response to this, and that the Devs make changes accordingly. I love the whole idea of having a Padawan companion, but if I'm going to have a Padawan, I want her to be able to come on missions with me.... as a healer, her being a pure DPS companion sucks, and makes her nearly unusable unless I am way over-level for the mobs I'm fighting. For the most central Companion character we get throughout our storyline, I would think they would make her usable by healing sages as well as the other specs...

 

 

Who thinks this is the way to go for a future update?

 

Make Nadia have two possible roles just like the other companions do.....!!!

If she was a tank she'd be unusable for tank shadows. No matter what class she is she's going to bad a bad choice for someone.

[feliix]

But that is what is happening right now. *Every* Shadow Tank will run around with Tharan Cedrax, for example, as no other Companion is viable for them. Customization would change this.

 

This is not true. As a shadow tank, by far, Nadia is my favorite. The trick as a tank

is to really pay attention to gearing her up well, and focusing her on dps. Save a few

hand me down oranges from early in your leveling process (get 2 pairs of pants from

alderaan, save an old chest, feet, etc...). When you go through the process of updating

your characters tank slots, also pay attention to Nadias gear slots.

 

She is just incredible with a tank when geared. She snares, has a great pulsing aoe

that she casts all the time, and does that spectacular explode and leaping thing. But

for that to work, she has to be able to put out the dps (since your tank dps is a bit

lacking).

 

Keep aggro off her, and the enemies will go down.

 

The only time I get Theran out (he is also very geared/focused for healing), is for

strong champions, or groups situations where we lack heals.

[Wendar_Evress]

All i can say is that from my limited experience so far she is absolutely next to useless for a healer specced sage.

can't hold agro. no defense and hit's like my granny and my granny is dead and of course lets not forget that every third damage ability she has makes cc'ing anything unlikely, a vital technique when your a healer.

Thouroughly annoyed now with having nothing but Qeyzon and iresso as viable options throughout the entire game.

Healing in mmo's has always been a thankless, boring, yet vital role, where you stand around making some heavily armoured jock look good and getting RSI, with very little reward, and without ever looking up from your ability bar. Between making our padawan as usefull as a chocolate firegaurd and the dullest storyline i've seen for any class so far i'm thoroughly unimpresed.

[kckkryptonite]

No, because Qyzen and Iresso already tank?

[SoonerJBD]

After reading the first couple pages, I feel I must explain further. Both Qyzen and Iresso can either DPS or Tank. If you've looked at their abilities, they have a tanking 'Guard-like' ability, and a 25% Damage increase ability.... They can usefully fulfill either role. I know for a fact that Qyzen can melee dps almost as well as Nadia. ... I just wonder why Qyzen and Iresso both have combat stance... which turns them into DPS companions and lowers their threat, while Nadia has no 'Guard-like' ability to help her hold threat and take a little less damage....

 

This is the issue as I see it. Why are the tank companions versatile enough to fill two roles while the DPS companions (Zenith is in the same boat as Nadia) can't do anything other than DPS? I'd like to see each companion be able to fill two potential roles. Those who need healers should have more than one option in case they don't like Tharan. I'm a DPS Sage, and I exclusively use tanks. I might use a healer if Tharan wasn't so insufferable. If Nadia could either tank or heal, I would use her.

[Wendar_Evress]

The other point that people seem to be missing with Nadia is that she is the consulars (regardless of AC or build) Padawan!!

 

As a jedi, the training of a Padawan is supposed to be the ultimate expression of ones dedication and connection to the force. Nobody should have to simply never use their padawan companion.

 

After my last post i have been trying all sorts of different things to make Nadia viable as a healers companion and so far, the only way seems to be to sheild oneself then forcequake everything in sight repeatedly and pray that you get the knockdown and that between you you can kill the mobs before your sheild wears off.

This however makes for relatively dull play reducing your healers already limited role of HP battery, with dps and DoT support to one of using rarely more than two abilities which is tedious. Plus of course, this method is pretty useless against elites or bosses and leaves the already mentioned problem of cc'ing anything being unlikely because you are now both using nothing but aoe's.

[EcrirTwyLar]

I think we should have the ability to respec all of our companions. That way any player can run with the companion of their choosing regardless of the players spec. That way if you want Nadia to tank, just spec her for it.

 

I also wish we would have gotten all of our companions early on. That way we could have leveled with the companion of our choice the whole way. I didn't enjoy leveling with Qyzen at all.

[EcrirTwyLar]

By the way... Has anyone tried putting more defensive gear on Nadia to see if they can improve her survivability?

[Holeyfield]

My 2 cents comes in something like this...

 

Q - Primary: Tank, Secondary Mode: DPS

 

Sure he's got mainly tanking abilities, but you can toggle a few off and switch him to DPS mode and he does pretty good.

 

Iresso - Pretty Much the same deal as Q, but with a ranged weapon.

 

Now Zenith is unique in that yes he's a DPS companion, but he actually does have 2 modes. Mind you one mode speeds up his ranged DPS, while the other increases his AOE damage. It might not seem like much, but switching those cooldown bonuses helps a lot.

 

Now you have Theran...

 

Primary: Ranged Heals, Secondary: Ranged DPS

 

See, if you use his healing mode you get your healer, but if you switch him to DPS mode he may only have a couple of DPS abilities, but they work.

 

This is the same solution I see for Nadia... As the opposite of Theran. Give her just a couple healing abilties, just like Theran has just a couple of DPS abilties, and give her two modes, one for DPS and one for Healing, so she ends up being kindof a melee healer.

 

That's the solution as I see it anyway.

[Holeyfield]

It also wouldn't hurt if ALL your companions could also use Shields in the offhand so you could equip them that way if you wanted.

 

More variety in the usage of companions is a win no matter how you slice it, IMHO.

[SoonerJBD]

By the way... Has anyone tried putting more defensive gear on Nadia to see if they can improve her survivability?

 

Gear isn't the issue. She can't hold threat, thus she can't tank.

[Zaragosa]

I have played a Sith Assassin (tank) to 50 and exclusively used the healer as my goto companion. Same is trend for my Jedi Shadow (tank), healer exclusively. Why use any other companion when I can finish a fight with 3+ elites and not need to rest... nor do I have to worry about CC being broken.

 

That said I have used the DPS companions from the Imperial side to see how things would go, but none compare to having the healer. I do not have nadia yet, but can not see why anything would be different from Imperial to Republic.

 

I also have a Jedi Sage to lvl43 (Balance) and also exclusively use the healer. I range tank while he heals me. If I go with one of the tanks I spend most of the time healing them and fight takes much longer. When I range tank, fight ends with me close to if not at fulll health, and again no worries on CC being broken.

 

So, yes more variety in companions abilities would be very nice... thus not having to use the same one all through the game.

[Cuaarl_Hosmi]

I'm full seer specced lvl 40 so very close to getting Iresso. I'm sick to death of using Qyzen tbh his story and personality just doesn't interest me, plus he can't speak basic which for me anyway makes it harder for me to "bond" with him so to speak. I'll be using Iresso soon but i know i'll be getting Nadia after that and as much as a tanking companion would make life easier for me, being a Jedi i'd really like to use my padawan full time.

 

Although i was never in general beta i did hear you could give companions special packs (for lack of a better word) that would change their role to whatever you like. Please BW bring them back.

[Cryptoling]

At 50 you won't really be using companions anyways. Nadia was find as is while leveling with a healer spec. I was really bummed out to find she came with a lightsaber and force abilities though. I had hoped that I would be able to train her.