Zafine Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) No, read the rest of the patch notes. sorry dude, but her in germany we haven't any patchnotes released in our language. i have red all about the merc/arsenal changings here in the forums(we won't have a ptr-thread in our german forums) so, most here begin to whine about that changes and i can't make them sure that the BH wont be nerfed at all. i wanna thank you for your information and maybe you can tell me, were do i find more information about the ptr. and pls tell us more about the changes from the bodyguard tree. with patience from germany Skult BH (sorry for bad english) Edited March 20, 2012 by Zafine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verraton Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (sorry for bad english) You're English is better than most people here, for whom English is their only language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 sorry dude, but her in germany we haven't any patchnotes released in our language. i have red all about the merc/arsenal changings here in the forums(we won't have a ptr-thread in our german forums) so, most here begin to whine about that changes and i can't make them sure that the BH wont be nerfed at all. i wanna thank you for your information and maybe you can tell me, were do i find more information about the ptr. and pls tell us more about the changes from the bodyguard tree. with patience from germany Skult BH (sorry for bad english) I apologize then, i'm just used to people asking these questions without reading the patch notes. If you can read and understand english, the patch notes are on the english public test forums. But to answer your original question - there is a talent change - muzzle fluting - it makes tracer cast at 1.5 just like it did before. I don't plan on testing the healing changes out, our guild never ran any healer mercs, and now with the changes we definitely won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSoliloquy Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 You're English is better than most people here, for whom English is their only language. The irony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turn-XGundam Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) I'm not sure what you are getting at here. It doesn't hurt your rotation now, and it won't hurt it in 1.2 either. the only thing that changed was a bonus to HSM's damage. No heat costs were affected. You should have always been using HSM and railshot on cooldown in PVE anyways and in PVP it's even better than it was. so pvp wise same dps performence or higher then before?? Edited March 20, 2012 by Turn-XGundam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 A little bit higher burst from bigger HSM's though you do lose some dmg from tracer - its only a filler though so it doesn't hurt all that much to lose 10% dmg from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutalos Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I was worried over the BH changes, thanks for posting this up Iandayen, give me hope we haven't been trampled with nerfs as bas as everyones been screaming about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiggfield Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I think the question that Cegenaus is asking is this: With less tracer missiles being fired off you'll still have your 5 stack of heat signatures, but what about tracer lock? That is the talent that causes your tracer missiles to give you a buff which adds 6% damage to your next rail shot. Keeping heat signatures on is only one tracer missile every 15s or so, but a full stack of tracer lock is 5 tracer missiles every 15s. With alot of reliance shifted over to Unload, this may not get stacked to 5 between rail shots. Then again, it may be a dps loss to wait for it to stack to 5 and not use rail shot on cooldown regardless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abysuus Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I think the question that Cegenaus is asking is this: With less tracer missiles being fired off you'll still have your 5 stack of heat signatures, but what about tracer lock? That is the talent that causes your tracer missiles to give you a buff which adds 6% damage to your next rail shot. Keeping heat signatures on is only one tracer missile every 15s or so, but a full stack of tracer lock is 5 tracer missiles every 15s. With alot of reliance shifted over to Unload, this may not get stacked to 5 between rail shots. Then again, it may be a dps loss to wait for it to stack to 5 and not use rail shot on cooldown regardless. With say 10% haste you can cast 5 tracers, 2 unloads and HSM/RS every 15 seconds for full tracerlock for RS. You would regen 75 heat via regen and lets be conservative and say 3 TV procs for another 24 heat. That ability use above would use 128 heat which is 29 heat higher than heat mitigated, and vent heat only takes care of like 11 per 15 seconds so you basically be forced into 4 tracers and have to cast RS with 4 tracerlocks. In conclusion, I'd easily trade a TM/rapidshot/4stack RS casts for one unload all day everyday. Not to mention I was conservative with the TV procs since i averaged one per 5 seconds when you could get up to one per 3 seconds. Also casting more unloads makes your TV procs more fluid since you hit more times per seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm railshotting at 4 or 5 tracer locks. once in a great great while 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cegenaus Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm railshotting at 4 or 5 tracer locks. once in a great great while 3. and you still get the same or better damage with 3-4 target locks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abysuus Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 and you still get the same or better damage with 3-4 target locks? Pushing railshot back, means replacing it with a heat attack that would be potentially unsustainable heat wise or rapidshotting. Either way hitting railshot on CD is a dps gain over its alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Pushing railshot back, means replacing it with a heat attack that would be potentially unsustainable heat wise or rapidshotting. Either way hitting railshot on CD is a dps gain over its alternatives. Yes. Either way - Using railshot on cooldown is more DPS and better heat management than waiting for a 5 stack. The damage difference between 4 and even 3 stacks of tracer lock and 5 stacks is negligible. I had zero heat problems in the new raid zones tonight, DPS looked good, on par with just about everybody else except maybe ops who got boned with all the dmg nerfs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axlah Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 How is DFA? I've read reports that Mercs were having problems on even closely grouped mobs as the knockback effect was pushing them out of the smaller aoe radius so you were only getting the first tick of damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamerii Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) They nerfed the radius from 8 to 5 which means they have lowered the area it covers with 61%. In raids the tank usually pull big packs close together so i guess it will still be a pretty good AOE attack in raids, and the mobs in operations usually resist the knockback effect. On daily quests and in FPs tho i guess it will be pretty useless after 1.2 because the mobs stand to far away from each other from the beginning and if you hit them at the first strke they will be knocked away outside the 5y radius area. Edited March 22, 2012 by Dreamerii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 How is DFA? I've read reports that Mercs were having problems on even closely grouped mobs as the knockback effect was pushing them out of the smaller aoe radius so you were only getting the first tick of damage. I need to do some more testing with DFA today. But the few things I have notcied while using it. In an operation it won't ever be a problem, mobs don't get knocked back for the most part. But what I am noticing is my DFA on live crits for roughly 2.5k - on test it crits for 1.1k. I need to test and see how many times it hits on live and how many it hits on test to see if they messed it up big time or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyomingfox Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 (edited) @ Iandayen, A bit off topic, but has anyone tested the Hybrid heal-dps Merc spec on the test server? I know instant reaction is that it has been gutted but that is what some felt with arsonel in general. I'm level 31 following the hybrid build and would like to know its future viability. Edited March 22, 2012 by wyomingfox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 @ Iandayen, A bit off topic, but has anyone tested the Hybrid heal-dps Merc spec on the test server? I know instant reaction is that it has been gutted but that is what some felt with arsonel in general. I'm level 31 following the hybrid build and would like to know its future viability. Honestly, the Hybrid build to begin with was lackluster at best. You either healed yourself and got heat locked very quick - or you tracer missile spammed. You had very few tools from either tree to deal with a lot of situations. But with the heal nerfs it's going to be worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zakua Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Wow, good info in here! All 7 pages. Thanks for posting this up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrLeee Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) I need to do some more testing with DFA today. But the few things I have notcied while using it. In an operation it won't ever be a problem, mobs don't get knocked back for the most part. But what I am noticing is my DFA on live crits for roughly 2.5k - on test it crits for 1.1k. I need to test and see how many times it hits on live and how many it hits on test to see if they messed it up big time or not. I don't think its WIA on PTS, forgot where I read it. Thanks for all the info Iandayen! Edited March 28, 2012 by MrLeee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinsavz Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Honestly, the Hybrid build to begin with was lackluster at best. You either healed yourself and got heat locked very quick - or you tracer missile spammed. You had very few tools from either tree to deal with a lot of situations. But with the heal nerfs it's going to be worse. That's nonsense, the hybrid build is excellent. After 1.2 it will probably not be viable due to the heat increases that they're implementing, so a 31 point build may be mandatory. But at least atm the hybrid is probably the best pvp build you can get. Excellent survivability, excellent utility with afterburners and jet escape and still decent damage output. Edited March 28, 2012 by Sinsavz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baarabas Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 To OP: I know this is an Arsenal thread, but since you are the only one posting about test server results, do you think you can shed some light on what is in the pipes for Merc Pyrotech? Many of us are seeing a nerf comming down range with the changes to the Power Shot ability and 6 sec cd on the Proc rate for Rail Shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNinjaboy Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) The nerf was survivability (which mercs were already horrible at) and the unjustifed 50% talent nerf to Hired Gun. Losing 3% crit hit is a pretty big deal even for the few Pyro mercs running around out there. Losing 5% Damage reduction on TM stack is just plain idiotic and shows that Bioware has no idea what they're doing. Adding 5 secs on to our main CC is equally stupid. Especially with all the charge spam out there. The only justification to do any of the above is IF they gave us minor interrupt protection. 31pt Arsenal Mercs need it the most but can't get that talent in BG. Edited March 30, 2012 by TheNinjaboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splaktar Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Anyone have any combat parses from 1.2 to post here? Would love to see some of just Arsenal mercs or of whole raids compiled together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iandayen Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 Sorry for the lack of posting. been pretty busy working on hard modes on PTR and then some RL stuff. So - some people are still thinking we got a nerf - and it just isn't so. After refining my rotation and testing - I am constantly parsing over 1300 DPS on the operations test dummy self buffed with no stim/adrenal. In raids buffed I am averaging 1400ish on most fights. When we are doing 16 man and have all 3 mercs in raid we are all doing 1500-1700 dps. heatseeker still benefits from other mercenaries tracer debuff stacks. In pvp our burst is now rediculous. I have been testing with a guildie. Tracer - Tracer - Tracer - HSM on a player with zero expertise. Averaged out over about 10 times - 2.6k - 2.6k - 2.6k - 6.5k On full battlemaster 2.1k - 2.1k - 2.1k - 5.5k We went out and had some fun in warzones with 3 arsenal mercenaries also. All I can say is this. 3 Arsenal mercs on one target = tracer, tracer, HSM, death. No healer can heal through it. You are seeing 2k/2k/6k+ from 3 targets. 30k damage in 3 seconds. We got a buff in every aspect of the game - pvp burst, pve sustained damage. We should really all go thank the people who cried and cried about tracer missile damage lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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