I'm embarrassed to play an Arsenal Merc

[ZeusThunder]

With the many, many, many posts stating how unskilled tracer spammers are I feel like I'm the 1% who knows how to play this spec properly. I actually feel like people are laughing at me every time I cast a tracer missile.

I genuinely feel this spec is better for Huttball, which is what 90% of my matches are, so I'm sticking with it. Anyone else in the same boat as me? Knows how to play their spec, isn't a noob, but feels like all the bads are ruining it for them?

[SuperJason]

Granted, I'm rolling a Merc now after having an Assassin and Powertech at 50 already because I want a pure range class. My Merc is only lvl 26. At this level, TM does feel a bit like spam simply because I have to wait every 5 levels to truly unlock the benefits that go along with it (aside from the armor reduction).

 

I try to mix in unloads, rail shots and fusion missles to maximize on what I can offer at this point, but recently switched to Pyro (my PowerTech was this build leveling, and loved it). I will probably wait until I unlock more talent points before switching back to Arsenal as right now I'm preferring mobility.

 

All that being said, nothing beats killing someone with an upgraded rocket punch, sending them flying, especially off a ledge

[Yazule]

With the many, many, many posts stating how unskilled tracer spammers are I feel like I'm the 1% who knows how to play this spec properly. I actually feel like people are laughing at me every time I cast a tracer missile.

I genuinely feel this spec is better for Huttball, which is what 90% of my matches are, so I'm sticking with it. Anyone else in the same boat as me? Knows how to play their spec, isn't a noob, but feels like all the bads are ruining it for them?

 

Lets face it, this game is easy... it is SOOOO easy that anyone complaining about a no skill class needs to have their head examined.

 

Healing is easy

 

DPS is easy

 

Tanking - well agro control sucks in this game so tanks only have it easy because nobody complains about the mobs pealing off them

 

 

I am playing sorc alt and fyi, EASIER THAN BH

 

guild needs a healer though so i will level up, change to healing spec and then try to figure out the hardest class in game and roll that.

 

I love them complaining, I love when they interrupt me and think i am going to mash my TM spam button and then get an unpleasant surprise

 

Every time someone heckles you then you got to them, you win. They took the time to write something to you when they should be focused on the game. Most of the time that happens because they died to you.

 

I take pride in any smack talk I get, it is a badge of honor....

[va_wanderer]

Tracer/Grav Round is the Stupidity Check.

 

When it's used as part of a proper rotation, nothing wrong with that. Don't feel bad about using the core of the build, any more than a Sorc feels bad about spewing lightning around. Fire a few missiles to get your heat sigs, finish them with the results.

 

A Merc using nothing but Tracer shots is an idiot who doesn't even know his own class, or trying to make bad players feel bad by implying that they can't even deal with a turret- because that's what Tracer spam is. The Merc-to-Turret Button.

 

Likewise, don't feel bad about people trying to badmouth you for Arsenal. If they say they can't deal with Tracer, this means they can't deal with an immobile, slow-firing turret...much less someone who pays attention to killing them. They're that low on the PvP scale, slightly above kill-traders and just below inbreeding accidents.

[Ifrit]

Ya every class has 1 main attack that is their bread and butter. For example: Sorc/Sage and their rock throw/lightning. Don't worry about it.

[Vid-szhite]

Tracer/Grav Round is the Stupidity Check.

 

When it's used as part of a proper rotation, nothing wrong with that. Don't feel bad about using the core of the build, any more than a Sorc feels bad about spewing lightning around. Fire a few missiles to get your heat sigs, finish them with the results.

 

A Merc using nothing but Tracer shots is an idiot who doesn't even know his own class, or trying to make bad players feel bad by implying that they can't even deal with a turret- because that's what Tracer spam is. The Merc-to-Turret Button.

 

Likewise, don't feel bad about people trying to badmouth you for Arsenal. If they say they can't deal with Tracer, this means they can't deal with an immobile, slow-firing turret...much less someone who pays attention to killing them. They're that low on the PvP scale, slightly above kill-traders and just below inbreeding accidents.

 

Are they really, though? Tracer Missile procs way more than just heat signatures - they proc Barrage, giving you a fresh Unload with 25% bonus damage, and since Tracers/Unload vent heat when they crit, there's really no reason to use any other ability aside from maybe a Heatseeker and Rail Shot after you've stacked enough Tracer procs.

 

My brother got to 37 on his merc before he rerolled as a Powertech because he was so tired of spamming Tracers and being slaved to the RNG. I tried leveling a Merc myself, vowing not to fall into the same trap, but the damn tree forces it on you. Spamming tracers until it procs something is just about the best way to play the class, because it's practically guaranteed to not overheat you and it procs everything Arsenal does. Arsenal does very little to interact with any of Merc's other abilities except Power Shot and Unload, but Power Shot is pretty much equivalent to Tracer Missile, it doesn't vent heat on a critical, and since it's not a Tech ability, it's affected by shields/defense and has lower base accuracy.

 

If you do nothing but spam Tracers, of course you're an idiot, but it's hard to tell idiots apart from the norms because 90% of Arsenal is Spam Tracer anyway. Sure you get a free Sweeping Blasters/Fusion Missile every 90 seconds instead of 120 seconds, but apart from that, the entire Arsenal tree does its best to turn Tracer Missile into your rotation the further into it you go. This pretty much makes Arsenal a gimmicky one-trick-pony that doesn't test your skill, and becomes less rewarding the higher you go.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Vid-szhite

[Kalgodric]

To answer your question...yes it is shamefull to be an arsenal merc in PvP...you have to spam TM so much that it takes away any skill needed and makes the PvP experience loose its value.

 

I have a lvl 50 Merc and leveled him as a Pyro using PvP as a main staple of leveling. The pyro build is amazing in PvP and you feel like you are actualy playing instead of being a spam bot.

 

When I got my merc to 50 I had to change over to Arsenal spec for my guilds HM ops in EV and KP...great dps spec for PvE, but still TM spam

[DarkenDragon]

im sorry but really? you care what others think of yourself? your just asking to be hurt by doing so.

 

bottom line is you play the way you want, cuz they cant control how you play, they can ***** and moan and complain but as long as you get the highest amount of kills, stop the ball carrier from capping, getting the ball to the other side, protecting your allies, playing the objective, then your doing the right thing, even if it means spamming tracer missiles.

 

are you doing the best thing? probably not, but does it matter? no, as long as the job gets done, thats all that matters.

 

if you want to be successful in anything, dont think about what others think of you, think about what you do to be successful

[SarahAran]

No. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

 

In fact, I can't even figure out where to begin with how wrong the tracer missile argument is. It's just wrong on so many levels.

 

But this thread isn't about that argument. So for the purposes of this thread, I'm going to create the Shoulder Slam debate. The question you have to ask yourself is simple: Are you playing the shoulder slam build to its full potential? If in your own mind your answer is yes then that's it. That's all you need.

 

Lets imagine though that someone comes out of the woodwork and calls you a noob for using the shoulder slam build. Now lets also pretend for a moment that the game had some quantifiable way of evaluating how good shoulder slam was against this fellow's electro dart build.

 

The simple point then is to tell the fellow to either prove -his- electro dart build is better than -your- shoulder slam, or that he should shut the heck up!

 

If yours works out to be the better build, well you know that he's the idiot. And if his build works out better, then its something to consider. However this is the only situation where he has any leg to stand on.

 

Ok you're probably sick of this fake build names. They're to make a point though that what the OP is asking about has nothing to do with any one particular build.

 

---

 

As for my own personal opinion on the tracer missile debate, people whining abut one single ability have their heads in the sand. The general consensus is that as a whole, arsenal is just as good if not slightly worse than pyrotech. In that case, what does it matter then if its one ability that makes a tree stand up or three?

[silvershadows]

With the many, many, many posts stating how unskilled tracer spammers are I feel like I'm the 1% who knows how to play this spec properly. I actually feel like people are laughing at me every time I cast a tracer missile.

I genuinely feel this spec is better for Huttball, which is what 90% of my matches are, so I'm sticking with it. Anyone else in the same boat as me? Knows how to play their spec, isn't a noob, but feels like all the bads are ruining it for them?

 

 

Don't feel that way. Just play it.

 

The reason people complain is simple. There's several other classes in other games that get the same treatment (i.e death knight in wow).

 

Explanation:

 

Any mediocre player can play an arsenal merc and make it work. But a very good player will make them seem extremely overpowered. Thus, all the complaining. Top that off with the fact that our tracer missile "spam" (usually 3-4 TM's, which isnt really spam at all) is followed up by 2 instants that hit at about the same time as that last TM, and people are blown into their constituent atoms, which causes them to cry like little whiny babies, because they have *no idea* that they're actually being hit by three DIFFERENT abilities within the span of 2 global cooldowns.

 

Don't let other people's ignorance of the class/spec color your experience. Revel in their tears. Trust me, it's far more fun that way.

Edited February 24, 2012 by silvershadows

[Defang]

If you like it you should continue to play it and ignore the forums here. With the exception of the Bounty Forums, most people know next to nothing about how the class operates and just see that they got obliterated by tracer missile.

[Cegenaus]

sometimes i think about this in ilum when i am 1v1 but then i get the last laugh when my opponent plays me like im spamming and then i take off the last 3rd of his health with HSM+RS. always makes me feel better

[hassansabbah]

Actually i like to be looking dumb and to be on the top of damage/kill table

 

Btw my main was a jedi guardian till i play merc. He had 3 more buttons to push aka micro but less thinking about macro management. Lesser mobility of arsenal spec force us to effort on positioning/timing - not buttons.

 

It's so funny. I know that many people are laughing when we spam TM, but they are dying while laughing

[Rootez]

PVP isn't always just about standing still and blasting people from distance with just TM (unless your playing Hutt-ball ) theres lots of other elements such as knockbacks/stuns and making use of other abilites to max your DPS and survivability

 

All I ever see in PVP is lightning but I don't get angry I get even!

[Uberslayer]

PVP isn't always just about standing still and blasting people from distance with just TM (unless your playing Hutt-ball ) theres lots of other elements such as knockbacks/stuns and making use of other abilites to max your DPS and survivability

 

All I ever see in PVP is lightning but I don't get angry I get even!

 

Exactly, I do fairly well in pvp and i am only 43.

 

What many need to realize is every pvp class has it's own way of play that leads to balance.

 

Sometimes you have to stand there and be a standing target but you can just as easily turn it around and destroy your foes with the proper adjustments skillfully.

 

Take the time to learn the class and experiment with all the abilities.

 

A great thing to do is learn all you can about every other class so that when time comes to pvp you can strategically outclass the opponent. The game's pvp is designed for balance. That's why the devs work hard to ensure that no class is too OP.

 

The True Embarrassment is being outclassed when being naive.

 

Stay Vigilant PVPers.

Edited February 24, 2012 by Uberslayer

[AnEvilBus]

if people are complaining how unskilled it is/ you are ( not saying you are), in actual fact it proves how unskilled the complainers are, since some-one who is fine with it won't care to post. it's unskillful and such Edited February 24, 2012 by AnEvilBus

[kirixis]

who cares what they think

 

 

if u are as "good" as u claim to be you will be laughing at there corpse

 

 

next whiner please

[Jodou]

With the many, many, many posts stating how unskilled tracer spammers are I feel like I'm the 1% who knows how to play this spec properly. I actually feel like people are laughing at me every time I cast a tracer missile.

I genuinely feel this spec is better for Huttball, which is what 90% of my matches are, so I'm sticking with it. Anyone else in the same boat as me? Knows how to play their spec, isn't a noob, but feels like all the bads are ruining it for them?

You should be the one laughing. I have leveled two alts since the merc and I MUCH prefer going against pyros than arsenal in warzones. One cure or shield to remove the dot and I laugh my way to ****** a pyro all day long. With arsenal, if I'm not on them they become a real threat that forces me to LOS or peel if possible.

 

People only talk about how high their damage is or mobility, when they're actually non-factors in real pvp scenarios.

[Mallani]

If Arsenal had an interupt and/or a chainable instant snare I would be nigh unstoppable.

[Jodou]

If Arsenal had an interupt and/or a chainable instant snare I would be nigh unstoppable.

Speaking of sorcs. . .

[DervimNorth]

Lets face it, this game is easy... it is SOOOO easy that anyone complaining about a no skill class needs to have their head examined.

 

Healing is easy

 

DPS is easy

 

Tanking - well agro control sucks in this game so tanks only have it easy because nobody complains about the mobs pealing off them

 

 

I am playing sorc alt and fyi, EASIER THAN BH

 

guild needs a healer though so i will level up, change to healing spec and then try to figure out the hardest class in game and roll that.

 

I love them complaining, I love when they interrupt me and think i am going to mash my TM spam button and then get an unpleasant surprise

 

Every time someone heckles you then you got to them, you win. They took the time to write something to you when they should be focused on the game. Most of the time that happens because they died to you.

 

I take pride in any smack talk I get, it is a badge of honor....

 

Try marauder or a sniper. Personally, I've made a GS alt and I'm slowly making it my main.

[Wargamed]

This is a game. Games are played for fun. Play what you enjoy. If you have fun playing the Arsenal Mercenary, then play it. If not, try out the other classes and builds until you find something that sings to you. I started out with the Arsenal Mercenary, but have tried other classes. I enjoy the Merc most of all. I will admit to taking a while to really learn how to play the class. In my defense, I'm old and probably somewhat senile.

I'm not sure how many Tracer Missiles in what amount of time constitutes spamming. Different people will have varying opinions. I never send out more than three consecutive TMs. I make a concerted effort to use a wide variety of abilities when I PvP. As a previous poster mentioned, finishing someone off with Rocket Punch is very satisfying for some reason.

Bottom line: have fun!

[Ozorhaar]

This is a game. Games are played for fun. Play what you enjoy. If you have fun playing the Arsenal Mercenary, then play it. If not, try out the other classes and builds until you find something that sings to you. I started out with the Arsenal Mercenary, but have tried other classes. I enjoy the Merc most of all. I will admit to taking a while to really learn how to play the class. In my defense, I'm old and probably somewhat senile.

I'm not sure how many Tracer Missiles in what amount of time constitutes spamming. Different people will have varying opinions. I never send out more than three consecutive TMs. I make a concerted effort to use a wide variety of abilities when I PvP. As a previous poster mentioned, finishing someone off with Rocket Punch is very satisfying for some reason.

Bottom line: have fun!

 

This right here should be the first response to any discussion of 'Should I/Shouldn't I' that comes up in my opinion. Since the advent of talents and builds, I don't think I've ever once designed and played a character around what was, more or less, the approved standard. PvE or PvP.

 

Simply put, there is no wrong way to play a class if you are having fun with it. It is a game, and is meant to be enjoyed. If your only enjoyment is knocking around people in PvP or being at the top of a damage list, who cares how you do it and what other people say is the right way? Find the way that works for you, and run with it. If that means spamming one attack and you love doing it, you win.

 

It all comes down to what YOU want your $15 a month to mean to you and what fun you can have with it.

[tehjai]

With the many, many, many posts stating how unskilled tracer spammers are I feel like I'm the 1% who knows how to play this spec properly. I actually feel like people are laughing at me every time I cast a tracer missile.

I genuinely feel this spec is better for Huttball, which is what 90% of my matches are, so I'm sticking with it. Anyone else in the same boat as me? Knows how to play their spec, isn't a noob, but feels like all the bads are ruining it for them?

 

/raises hand

[AAmedeo]

Top that off with the fact that our tracer missile "spam" (usually 3-4 TM's, which isnt really spam at all) is followed up by 2 instants that hit at about the same time as that last TM, and people are blown into their constituent atoms, which causes them to cry like little whiny babies, because they have *no idea* that they're actually being hit by three DIFFERENT abilities within the span of 2 global cooldowns.

 

^This.....

 

And this is the first time I have ever posted a "^This" on any forum. But this needed one.