Operative/Scoundrel State and Ideas.

[Slowmojo]

I'd love to hear a devs opinion about the state of Operatives and Smugglers, but that seems to be futile.

To me, the Operatives is a Prime example of EA rushing Bioware to release SWTOR on the Christmas deadline instead of doing it properly.

 

It feels like this one was the last on the Class Development List, and was just rushed.

Operatives are Healers with close ranged or limited utility and a severe lack of defensive and/or mobility tools.

In addition, their "Secondary Resource", Upper Hand and Tactical Advantage is horribly implemented.

 

Concealment/Scrapper:

The major complaints about Concealment being overpowered is due to the initial damage they do.

Being able to ignore 30% armor, apply a DoT, deal enormous amount of opener damage WITH a stun attached to it is one of the major reasons.

 

This is the Overview BW gives to the Imperial Agent/Operative:

 

Relying on range, surprise, and an arsenal of state-of-the-art gadgets and weaponry, the Imperial Agent enters battle with a confident strategy.

Though striking from a distance or from the shadows plays to the Agent’s strengths, a well-equipped operative is more than capable of evading his enemies when necessary

or moving in close to quietly slide a blade between an opponent’s ribs. Whether on a solo mission or working in conjunction with a strike team,

this operative keeps a finger on the right button for almost any situation.

 

The bolded parts are what makes my brain hurt. There is no strategy, there is no button for the right situation. The IN-GAME operative is very limited.

 

Stealth seems to be the Operatives biggest advantage, but it feels so ignored in the development. I hardly found myself using Stealth during lvling until lvl 36.

I was better off throwing a Grenade or my Dart so that i saved a GCD for when i entered melee range.

- There is only 1 stealth opener, wich alone feels like there has been very little tought behind it. It also gives players very few decisions to make from stealth.

Having options to change depending on the situation gives people something to adapt to. For examples:

* Hidden Strike/Shoot First: A direct damage attack for 1x dmg

* Nerve Stab/Spinal Kick: A Stun/control attack for 0x dmg

* Poisoned Shank/Serrated Shells: A DoT attack for 1.5x/2x dmg over time.

 

- Disappearing Act and Cloak Screen need to have either Avoidance Training/Lucky Dodge attached to it or grant immunity to stealth breaking for 4/5seconds.

Using Disappearing Act/Cloak Screen almost always forces us to use Evasion/Dodge just to not get our stealth broken seconds after.

We lose yet another defensive and/or escape tool, because using it pre-emptivly renders our vanishing act useless.

 

- Last but not least. There is no stealth action bar, but there is a Cover action bar. I See this being the case of the lack of "in stealth" tools.

But that seems to be more the problem of a lack of effort then the tought behind not giving us a stealth bar.

 

 

Medicine/Sawbones:

 

This is where the Tactical Advantage and Upper Hand just makes the least sense.

In addition to our Energy, some healing and utility tools are also limited by TA/UH. Gaining an TA/UH is granted by the following:

- Getting the killing blow on someone/something.. Useless as a healer.

- Using Shiv or Hidden Strike. Hidden Strike not usable in Combat, Shiv only usable in melee range.. Useless as a healer.

- Praying to the RNG gods that you gain a proc from your Slow-Release Medpac/Kolto Probe

- Casting a 2 second Heal, for one stack.

 

Our Quick Heal and Emergency Heal both require the use of TA/UH, Wich aren't usable in an Emergency Unless you've got your HoTs rolling and were already Healing.

 

Heres my suggestion, now bear with me, while i explain my idea behind this.

 

An out of combat or in stealth Operative can assess the situation, yes?

Being able to assess a situation grants you an advantage, correct?

Would you say, a Tactical Advantage? Eh? Eh?

 

Now, whenever you gain Stealth, you passively generate a Tactical Advantage every 5 seconds.

Upon exiting Stealth, you lose this privilage and no longer passively gain those Advantages, now you're normal rotation comes into play once more.

 

So if you're going around the BG and you haven't had the oppertunity to gain any Tactical Advantages, but you see an ally in trouble, YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!

 

OR Healing talent:

Instead of "Scramble/Evasive Agent" talents:

 

- Trickster:

Using Surrender tricks your opponent in thinking you give up, instantly granting you 2 stacks of Upper Hand

 

- Cornered:

Using Countermeasures once again gives you the advantage over the situation, instantly granting 2 stacks of Tactical Advantage.

 

There, a "Ohsh*t, need UH/TA quick" tool.

 

 

Random additional ideas i had in mind:

 

- Diagnostics Scan's healing is increased by 50% for each stack of Kolto Probe/Slow-Release Medpac on the target.

 

- Crappy Med Shield/Defense Screen replaced by:

* Morphine Shot/Painkiller Medpac:

Reduces all damage taken by 20% for 8 seconds

OR

*Adrenaline Injection/Adrenal Shot:

Increases movement Speed by 60% and Casting speed by 20% for 6 seconds.

 

-

 

 

TL:DR

 

- More stealth opener options

- Vanishing only breaks from damage after several seconds

- Out of Combat/In stealth TA/UH generation

 

 

And some random ideas.

[Robogoofers]

Bumping this not so much for the ideas presented, because to face facts there are any number of things that could be done to boost operatives/smugglers, but to keep the idea that operatives/smugglers need some oomph, ESPECIALLY outside of the burst damage role alive. Concealment operatives (and whatever the smuggler equivalent is) seem to work okay in the bounds presented. You stealth up to someone, and either take them by surprise and kill them, or you don't.

 

What seems to be underdeveloped is how the class functions in it's other roles. The healing is lackluster, as is lethality. Anecdotally, most ops/smugglers I encounter seem to be concealment specced, and I would wager the reason is that it's the role in which the class succeeds the best at the moment. Spice up the other trees and I suspect there would be more variance in the class.

 

tl;dr: Smugglers/Ops don't seem to excel outside of the stealth burst role, and the class should have other things it an do well.

[xXJayeDubXx]

I love armchair developers! Balance be damned, just buff my class!

[-JUICY-]

I love armchair developers! Balance be damned, just buff my class!

 

I agree, your opinions are so much more insightful.

 

Go play forum knight elsewhere and let people share their ideas.

Edited February 13, 2012 by -JUICY-