If We Need Changes... What Would You Change?

[Ayestes]

Being taken out of cover via stuns and roots is something I think could be changed as well. It destroys the fluidity of it, especially with the nature of ability delay and cover delay in the current state of the game.

 

Oh, and the top tier box for Marksman is garbage, even with the update you mentioned.

 

What would your suggestion be?

[tstearns]

I'm only going to cover MM, as it's what I've focused on mainly, and feel needs help (especially at 50 endgame).

 

General:

Cover's defense should protect from all damage types, not just against other snipers. If you are going to force a class to become an immobile target to do respectable damage, they need to be given some benefit, or else there's no reason why they shouldn't just roll a mobile class which does equal, if not better, "mobile" damage. (Granted we cannot be interrupted (not my biggest concern as a sniper), and we cannot be pulled (this is relatively useful).) There are four things I would like to see added to Cover: 1.) A passive armor penetration (~25%), 2.) A 10-20% defense against "all" attacks, 3.) A 10m increase in range, and 4.) Allow us to go invisible while out of combat (and remove the awful blinking lights that scream, "Come kill me, please!")

 

 

Skills:

I would love to see Rapid Fire turned into something useful. The other two trees get new skills on a 15s and 18s cooldown. We get to reset a skill w/ a 15s cooldown on a 1.5 minute timer... come on, seriously? I would be happy with a passive 25% armor penetration as the 31 talent skill, but I really think that should be applied when we are in cover.

 

I would also like to see Cover Screen become a 6s mini-absorption shield.

 

Reactive Shot is a bit weak for a 2 point talent skill. I'd settle for either a flat reduction to Ambush's cooldown, if the cooldown was reduced by "x" amount for any critical, or a flat reduction in cast time.

 

Sniper Volley is the only other skill I find not worthy of talent points (especially 3 of them). This could also be a potential area for MM to have their much needed armor penetration (~5, 10, 15%).

 

Or, this could be a skill that could make using the energy draining Overload Shot more lucrative than using a normal (energy free) shot (e.g., reduce energy by 3, 6, 9.)

 

Or, this could be a 33%, 66%, 100% that dropping into Cover removes movement impairing effects.

 

Or, this could reduce Distraction cooldown and increase penalty for being interrupted by 1/2/3 seconds.

 

 

Abilities:

Make Laze Target apply to any damaging skill.

 

Evasion should be a 3sec immunity vs. all.

 

Distraction should apply a more severe penalty to interrupted skills or we should have a way to reduce it's cooldown.

Edited January 23, 2012 by tstearns

[romir]

All 30m abilities being 35m would be nice and simple.

[zugumbamamba]

when someone decides to go after us we are pretty much dead I think we need some escape ability. a 3 sec sprint like the one assassins have would be nice.

[bodatious]

when someone decides to go after us we are pretty much dead I think we need some escape ability. a 3 sec sprint like the one assassins have would be nice.

 

Id love to have some sort of defensive CD that generally works on classes other than snipers.

[Terrahero]

-Deal with the very squishy nature. There is a profound lack of defensive tools against incomming damage. And with Diversion it feels as if Snipers are designed just to fight other Snipers.

 

-For a sharpshooter we sure do miss alot. Ambush and Snipe cannot be dodged or deflected. Doesnt change much in pve, but for pvp nothing is more frustrating then to see my 15sec cd, 2.5sec cast Ambush get DEFLECTED by of all things a Sorcerer who was in the middle of casting a heal anyway.

Ive lost matches due to getting a (serie of) unfortunate deflect/dodge.

 

-To much damage gets easily reduced, alot, by armor in pvp. Trying to kill stuff in heavy armor is a pure pain. Especially if its a tankspecced, enjoy sub2k Ambush crits. For a pure dps class that does no more then deal damage, thats unacceptable. Sniper needs to be a damn good damage dealer, its all we do. We're even squishy for godsake. Right now its situational and often inferior.

 

-Cover Pulse useable outside of Cover. Going into cover takes to long with lag, and this makes an emergency ability in a stressed situation useless.

 

-Can we PLEASE, do something about the endless knockbacks? Getting a 3min defensive cooldown simply nullified by a common knockback that everyone and their cat seems to have is just rediculous. We already got Diversion from other Snipers/Gunslingers to screw over our cooldowns.

[vimm]

What would your suggestion be?

 

Perhaps a decrease in the channel time of the ability, or even the ability to use it while moving. I am speaking from a PvP standpoint here, but the fact that you have to be still and channel Series of Shots is what makes that top tier talent box so useless, as well as the 1:30 cooldown.

 

Snap Shot: I'd like to keep this buff for its duration, as opposed to losing it upon exiting cover. Though, I believe the six second recourse is a necessity.

 

Calculated Pursuit: I found this box very misleading, as it says that you can use snipe in any situation upon exiting cover. You have to stand still however, so you may as well be in cover.

Edited January 23, 2012 by vimm

[Ayestes]

Perhaps a decrease in the channel time of the ability, or even the ability to use it while moving. I am speaking from a PvP standpoint here, but the fact that you have to be still and channel Series of Shots is what makes that top tier talent box so useless, as well as the 1:30 cooldown.

 

Snap Shot: I'd like to keep this buff for its duration, as opposed to losing it upon exiting cover. Though, I believe the six second recourse is a necessity.

 

Calculated Pursuit: I found this box very misleading, as it says that you can use snipe in any situation upon exiting cover. You have to stand still however, so you may as well be in cover.

 

I think I may like your Snap Shot and Rapid Fire suggestions better then my own. I get the same feeling from a lot of everyone else's suggestions too. Keep em' coming!

[skekUng]

Make cover a stance for Marksmanship so we can be mobile with our abilities.

 

i) Drop Rapid Fire as our top tier ability point and replace it with a mobile cover stance ability point.

 

ii) Enabling Entrench would lock you down in place to get the CC immunity it offers.

[RoeKG]

General Sniper Changes

• 
   
  
• Shattershot now applies a 30% Healing Debuff in addition to now being a 30% Armor Debuff.
  
• Laze Target may be consumed by Snipe or Corrosive Dart. When consumed by Corrosive Dart, applies the effect twice to the target.
  
• Shield Probe now scales properly off of Tech Power. Previously it scaled off of Bonus Healing which wasn't available on the Sniper from Cunning.
  
• Evasion now works as 100% Resist versus Force and Tech attacks in addition to Dodge.
  
  

Lethality Tree Changes

• 
  
• Weakening Blast (Tier 7 Lethality) is can no longer be dodged or deflected. Additionally, a target with Weakening Blast charges remaining is struck for (damage near that of a full Corrosive Dart) internal damage when a poison removal ability is used upon them. The user of this ability is also struck for this damage, but it is not triggered if the target and the user are the same character.
  
  

 

Engineering Tree Changes

• 
  
• Plasma Probe (Tier 7 Engineering) now applies a debuff that increases damage taken by Plasma Probe by 15%, stacks up to 3 times and lasts 6 seconds.
  
  
• Vital Regulators (Tier 2 Engineering) now causes you to heal 10% / 20% of your maximum health over 3 seconds.
  

 

 

Marksman Tree Changes

• 
  *]Precision Ambush (Tier 2 Marksman) increased to ignoring 25% / 50% Armor.
  *]Imperial Demarcation (Tier 2 Marksman) redesigned. Now increases the duration the Leg Shot is unbreakable from damage from 2 seconds to 3 / 4 seconds.
  
  

 

OP, some of your suggestions are really, really great. Others would make snipers very overpowered. I bolded the ones I like and quoted them. Most others I think are too far. I think as a community we should strive for improvement but not reach a point where we're OP, because then we could see buffs and nerfs and have that continue for awhile. We're almost there, but not quite IMO.

 

I would love to see:

- Orbital strike start immediately or at very least much sooner. I get that it's very powerful, but after a 3 second cast and a delay it's only useful against bad players or huge mobs of enemies. It's easy to identify both both by sight and sound, so it's so easy to move.

- An escape like the sprint that Inquisitors get, even if it isn't equal but something effective. That would make us suitable Huttball carriers and actually be able to get away when we're in trouble. Almost every class has some sort of massive damage mitigation or escape, except Snipers (and Mercs).

- Make some damage tech damage as opposed to weapon damage.

- The root issue that many others have mentioned is absurd and needs to be fixed.

- Cover bugs in general, OR have take cover in place permanently replace the other option so there is 1 way to enter cover ONLY. If I hit take cover I want to be in cover. That shouldn't be something I need to ask for.

- Ballistic Shield damage mitigation to count as protection on a PVP stat sheet.

 

I posted this in another thread, but we're an all damage class and should do damage like it. If I'm a Sniper in cover, I shouldn't have to worry about out-DPSing a Merc. They should be trying to run and LOS and heal, because they can. I can't heal, so that should be my advantage. I don't think that's too much to ask for. I don't want to be OP, I just want to be where we should be. Mercs and Sorcs shouldnt be seen as the most OP classes with damage because they have other things at their disposal, it should be Marauders and Snipers.

Edited January 23, 2012 by RoeKG

[BubbleDncr]

I would like to see:

 

1) Increase the range of all of our ranged attacks to 35. Having some of them be at 30 really means that we have to be at 29.99 meters to use all our abilities. Which is within the range of everyone else. Which defeats the point of being a sniper.

 

2) A better CC than slice droid. I want to be able to CC things other than droids.

 

3) Be able to use Cover Pulse (you'd have to change the name) out of Cover.

 

4) Be able to use Entrench outside of cover (again, you'd probably have to change the name). I don't think people would use it outside of cover much in PVE, since all your good attacks are from cover, but it would be IMMENSELY helpful in Huttball. Right now, we are the worst ball carriers in the world - no force leap/speed, and our health isn't the greatest. CC immunity would at least give us a standing chance.

 

 

#4 is the only one that I think would would be possibly gamebreaking.

[Neveroutgunned]

Not 50 yet but working on it! Here are some of my thoughts... Mostly talking about MM spec as that's what I know.

 

Alacrity and our core class mechanics are counter intuitive, its a garbage stat... Should be changed to more range or increased energy regeneration... something at least worthwhile. I feel as I am waiting points in Sniper Volley to get to Imperial Assassin. Then top it off with a really lackluster 31 point talent rapid fire

 

Scatter Shot should be buffed to help us against armored classes, currently we can unload on them and they don't even bother pursuing us.

 

We are freakin' stationary and have long casting times on our attacks should be punishing if they don't line of sight or do something to try and stop us. Right now I just feel like an annoyance more than a threat in PVP.

[Doxxs]

Change name from SNIper to SINper so it seems all evil and stuff.

[Ayestes]

1) Increase the range of all of our ranged attacks to 35. Having some of them be at 30 really means that we have to be at 29.99 meters to use all our abilities. Which is within the range of everyone else. Which defeats the point of being a sniper.

 

This is probably the best quality of life change ever. It's annoying when I realize I'm in the 30-35 range and can only use half of my abilities.

[Mitso]

All Rifle attacks need to be changed to Tech Abilities. I have 110% Tech accuracy and 100% regular accuracy. I get alot of deflects in pvp so making rifle shots Tech and allowing me to use all 110% accuracy would greatly help in fighting tanks.

 

Cover Pulse needs to be useable outside of cover, and when its used it drops you into cover automatically. It can also still be used in cover.

 

Series of Shots needs a scaling talent. Something like Ambush Crits make your next SoS hit for 30% more.

 

Evasion needs to work against ALL ATTACKs, not just other SNipers and Warriors.

 

Our basic spamable no Energy rifle shot should have a chance on crit to gain energy. Every crit you get with Rifle shots you get 5 energy.

 

New 31 point Talent in Marks "Silencing Shot: 1k damage Instant Cast: Stops current cast and blocks all spells from that tree for 4 seconds".

[Ayestes]

All Rifle attacks need to be changed to Tech Abilities. I have 110% Tech accuracy and 100% regular accuracy. I get alot of deflects in pvp so making rifle shots Tech and allowing me to use all 110% accuracy would greatly help in fighting tanks.

 

While I agree that our deflect chance is a problem with Marksman and Engineering, I don't agree with completely screwing over tanks and other people with defensive abilities. We should probably be looking at other solutions. Even I think I am possibly going to far by suggesting that things could be "undodgeable/undeflectable".

 

I love the rest of your suggestions though. I'd love it if you could come up with another of your own solutions to the problem above that doesn't screw over Tanks as well.

 

I'd like to ask a question, what do people think could be changed overall about Marksman, Engineering, and Lethality? I'm talking general topics. Examples being changing Marksman so it's not effected by Cover Lag so severely, changing Marksman so they aren't completely shut down by mitigation, increasing Engineering's sustained damage, or decreasing Lethality's energy consumption. I think these are important things to address in a quality of life tuning as well.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Ayestes

[fozbozjimjam]

some nice ideas on it here but ill add my 2 cents in for leathality build

 

 

tier 1 deadly alcricity(tottaly wrong tree) change to increase dot damage by 5/10%

 

tier 2 flash powder( 10% accuracy you kidding right) change to flash bang persists on target through dot damage any direct damage breaks flash bang

 

tier 3 cutdown (3/6%) upped to 5/10%

 

tier 4 lethal purpose crit dots now restore 2 energy

 

tier 5 counterstike completely removed and chnage to corresive grenade cd reduced by 25%/50% (9 sec talented) in addition reduces cost to 15 energy

 

tier 5 cull -kept the same just power reduced to 20 from 30

 

tier 6 coverpulse can now be used not in cover

 

tier 7 weaking blast kept the same but stays on target for 20 secs in addition when weaking blast is on the target no dots can be dispelled.

 

I dont beleive this will buff our damage insanely but a 10% increase would be nice ( to all the people saying omg i do 400k in damage gl with that against a premade and people who can actually dispell)

 

would also give us dispell protection and the actual use of our abilitys without going bar 1 so frequently and a chance to fight back when attacked

 

as alot of people have said i dont personnely think sniper is in a great place atm and needs a lot of work

 

its sad to see on the vp forums with all th whining etc that even the whinest of people can actually say that sniper is there fav target to kill and are underpowerd

 

dont really want to touch on the sniper tree but what i would say is the top tier talent should be removed

 

and changed to

 

Snipe/ambush/series of shots no longer can be dodged defelected parried .

 

the skills will still be affected by armour absorb etc and still hit prob like a wet lettuce

[Ayestes]

So I've created a more updated list of what it seems everyone would want changed if we do need changes. What do you think? Any major additions I didn't cover?

 

• Target Acquired, Deadly Directive, and Sniper Volley needs a change, becuase Alacrity is counter-intuitive.
  
• Laze Target should have a great function for all types of Snipers including Marksman, Engineering, and Lethality.
  
• Rapid Fire, Plasma Probe, and Weakening Blast needs an improvement, becuase 31 point talents should be the capstone of a tree and highly desired.
  
• Snap Shot, Stroke of Genius, and Calculated Pursuit need to be changed becuase they are boring talents that all seemingly do the same thing.
  
• Explosive Engineering and Experimental Explosives should literally apply to all AoE effects, becuase that is what it claims to do.
  
• Imperial Demarcation, Vital Regulators, Precision Ambush, and Razor Edge should be improved becuase in their current forms they feel too weak.
  
• Marksman Snipers could use some abilities that avoid deflect and dodge when using long cooldown Rifle Attacks, and some slightly increased mobility.
  
• Lethality Snipers could use slightly better energy efficiency, slightly reduced cooldowns, and needs dispel protection.
  
• Engineering Snipers could use slightly better sustained damage, slightly reduced cooldowns, and sustained energy efficiency.
  
• Shield Probe should be fixed to scale off of Tech Power and Evasion should offer protection against all attacks, or we could use additional defensive cooldowns.
  
• Snipers could use some more PvP/PvE utility becuase we lack offspec Healing and Protection. Popular suggestions are Healing Debuffs and/or Increased Damage Taken Debuffs.
  
• The Cover Mechanic could use some tweaking in some form to be more intuitive, fluid, and free of possible ability lag and bugs in addition to working against all types of Ranged Attacks.
  
• The PvP Medal system should give every class a fair shot at the same number of medals. This includes tweaks for Healers, DPS Hybrids, and Pure DPS.
  
• The energy system needs some tweaks whether it is just simple fixes to how Energy Tanks works or make it much less punishing for those that do make mistakes when using their abilities. It has inherently anti-fun properties and seems counter-intuitive when you consider trying to balance the class on the resource system. (thanks dmdskitzo)
  

Edited January 25, 2012 by Ayestes

[dmdskitzo]

So I've created a more updated list of what it seems everyone would want changed if we do need changes. What do you think? Any major additions I didn't cover?

 

• Target Acquired, Deadly Directive, and Sniper Volley needs a change, becuase Alacrity is counter-intuitive.
  
• Laze Target should have a great function for all types of Snipers including Marksman, Engineering, and Lethality.
  
• Rapid Fire, Plasma Probe, and Weakening Blast needs an improvement, becuase 31 point talents should be the capstone of a tree and highly desired.
  
• Snap Shot, Stroke of Genius, and Calculated Pursuit need to be changed becuase they are boring talents that all seemingly do the same thing.
  
• Explosive Engineering and Experimental Explosives should literally apply to all AoE effects, becuase that is what it claims to do.
  
• Imperial Demarcation, Vital Regulators, Precision Ambush, and Razor Edge should be improved becuase in their current forms they feel too weak.
  
• Marksman Snipers could use some abilities that avoid deflect and dodge when using long cooldown Rifle Attacks, and some slightly increased mobility.
  
• Lethality Snipers could use slightly better energy efficiency, slightly reduced cooldowns, and needs dispel protection.
  
• Engineering Snipers could use slightly better sustained damage, slightly reduced cooldowns, and sustained energy efficiency.
  
• Shield Probe should be fixed to scale off of Tech Power and Evasion should offer protection against all attacks, or we could use additional defensive cooldowns.
  
• Snipers could use some more PvP/PvE utility becuase we lack offspec Healing and Protection. Popular suggestions are Healing Debuffs and/or Increased Damage Taken Debuffs.
  
• The Cover Mechanic could use some tweaking in some form to be more intuitive, fluid, and free of possible ability lag and bugs in addition to working against all types of Ranged Attacks.
  
• The PvP Medal system should give every class a fair shot at the same number of medals. This includes tweaks for Healers, DPS Hybrids, and Pure DPS.
  

 

I like all these ideas but the problem I see is that with the current energy system we will still run out way too fast and become useless. The current system is only punishing for doing anything. Are we expected to use two moves and then rifle shot to maintain > 60 (or 66) energy? Come on a freaking sorcerer can spam at least 20 moves in a row and still have plenty of energy to spare. This is not working and unless they alter each trees energy regen ability to be good then we will still be outclasses by everyone.

[Ayestes]

Can't beleive I forgot to mention the energy system, heh. That's what you are for!

[Infalliable]

• Suppressive fire should be able to be targetted during the GCD period before you can fire it. As it stands, you don't get the targetting reticle until you're off GCD, then you can target and fire it. It makes it cumbersome to use and messes with the flow.
  
• Evasion should work against force, ranged, and tech damage (but not melee) and it wouldn't hurt to have a 5 sec duration.
  
• Leg shot immobilizes at the start of the animation. As it stands, the target can run a good 10m between the button press and before actually being immob.
  
• Better armor penetration against heavy armored targets.
  

Edited January 25, 2012 by Infalliable

[Gudchen]

As I suggested in another thread, I would love to see a revamp of the cover system.

While I love the style of play using cover (meaning, give up mobility in order to deal more damage) I feel the need to go into cover is an obstacle.

I would love to be able to use my snipe and series of shots, even when not in cover, albeit with a drawback.

I suggest, using cover should be more rewarding, and not using cover should be less punishing, especially as Marksman sniper.

 

Here my suggested changes:

 

- Snipe is now usable out of cover.

- Snipe deals 20% less damage while out of cover

- Series of shots is now usable out of cover

- Series of shots deals 20% less damage while out of cover

- while in cover, you gain an aditional 5% crit chance

- while in cover, for each 5 seconds you stay in cover, you gain an aditional 2% damage, stacks up to 5 times

 

From a flavorwise point of view, a professional marksman sniper should be able to aim and fire a bullet at a target, even while standing. taking cover to do so only makes it more accurate.

 

Designwise if you are rewarded for using cover, and not punished for not using cover, players are more likely to like a mechanic. I love cover, I love the flavor behind it, I hate that I must use cover as a marksman.

 

I want marksmen to be great when they can stay stationary, but I don't want them to suck if they have to be on the move.

[Jaxtaro]

Lifted from another thread, and this is in regards to marksman really only.

 

 

1. Sniping tends to use much better but slower weapons (i.e. bolt action high caliber):

 

They certainly got the slower part down pat with the time it takes to use cover, along with the time it takes to hit ambush, or redo a snipe after the first. The problem is that sniper guns are subject to the same armor reductions as everyone else's inferior but faster guns which also have autoshoot and no cover requirement.

 

2. Sniping generally provides a MUCH greater range advantage:

 

Increasing range advantage is the single most important thing that BW needs to do to make this AC more useful. A sniper should ALWAYS have a very noticeable range advantage over any pistol bearing competitor.

 

3. Sniping generally provides camoflauge until you've given away your position:

 

This is the worst thing about being a sniper in this game. Cover is a dead giveaway that you're a sniper, your big red 'I'm a sniper, come CC me and kill me in 3 shots" sign comes with the cover shield or crouch position. There should be an MM skill that keeps you in stealth while in cover until you've shot and open for 3ish seconds afterwards, then back into stealth. This would allow for judicious use of shots without being a wide open target for everyone full time.

 

Yes, we have CC tools, they mostly suck and are weak and are easily countered. If I can be killed from 100-0 in a CC, why do all mine break before I do 10% damage to an opponent or have restrictions that others don't, such as cover requirement for knockback?

 

We have CC that makes no sense whatsoever.

 

What we have:

 

Flashbang: Mid-Range, Facing Target Requirement, break on sneeze, AE blind. Works great if you're not in a WZ, because people AE all the time in WZ's, making your flashbang a waste of time. Excellent 1 on 1 skill.

 

Debilitate: Face target requirement, melee range only stun which doesn't break on damage. Sadly, our best 2 up close skills to use on debilitated targets are disabled in pvp for some ridiculous reason.

 

Cover Pulse: AE Knockback/Root: Usable only while in cover, and VERY often not usable at all.

 

Leg Shot: Face Target, Medium to Long Range short duration root (not subject to the little dorky white bar). I find Legshot more useful in preventing a terrified dying person from running out of range than as CC, but it works as a CC, and is our only actual useful skill in Huttball. Qualifiers are that it only prevents damage from pure melee.

 

So that's pretty much our CC. The sad thing is that they work nothing like they should, like they should as a sniper.

 

When I want CC, it's so that I can get the heck away from someone. The kinds of things we SHOULD have:

 

1. Proximity Mine In the place of Cover Pulse, we should be able to lay down a proximity mine that has the same effect as CP, but that can be laid down and not go off until someone crosses it. This would prevent us from being charged at will, knocked out of cover, and thus mostly defenseless till we can turn around and debilitate. Start the cooldown when the bomb goes off, that's fine, but let me lay it down at will and let it not go off till needed.

 

2. Land Mines: As I run away from someone, I want to drop land mines behind me that have a knockdown to cut down on being chased to my death.

 

3. Spurs: I want to drop spurs so that a chaser can be snared, giving me the ability to run away from them.

 

Take away debilitate, replace with Land Mines/Spurs, give me a proximity mine, and make flashbang drop the target, Give me Camouflage when in cover, increase snipe skill range significantly, and we're in much better shape. MM type snipers don't want to nor do we kite well at all, the idea is that we want to be able to run away to find another position. Keep damage as is, just give us real sniping tools, and escape tools.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Jaxtaro

[Delease]

1. Additional range

2. Change damage type ( or increase )

3. Cover requirement taken off of some abilities.

4. Cover to work as a stance

5. Actual instant shots.

6. Type of camo when in "cover" ( aka crouch ) instead of a big red glowing shield

[vimm]

I do like the sound of a dropped snare ability that people can run into, as with the spurs idea mentioned above.