1.2 and you

[Crankyhobo]

I am always amused how how the patch notes are delivered in a glass half full way, a certain amount of interpretation is required to know whether the change impacts you positively or negatively. I wanted to start discussion for my self to get some answers and hopefully it helps others as well.

 

Buffs

 

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• [ALL] Players can now "Crouch" (but not roll into cover) while immobilized.
  
  We were previously unable to use cover while rooted, which meant that we could use very few of our abilities. This change gives us an opportunity to deal and mitigate damage in those seconds.

  
   
  

  
  

• [ALL] Agents can no longer be pushed out of cover via the "cover integrity" mechanic, which has been removed from the game.
  
  Explanation for this from 'Bonklers' on PTS forum - In some instances, when you hope into real cover and your cover absorbs damage for you, you get a buff called "Cover Integrity" which starts with 3 stacks or something and eventually ticks down to one. When the charges are gone, you are knocked out of cover and can't re-enter for like 6 seconds.

  
   
  

• [ALL-PVP] Shatter Shot now additionally inflicts trauma, reducing all healing the target receives by 20% for 9 seconds.
  
  Nice bonus to pvp utility and increases our burst relative to healing potential aka ability to kill people. Also useful for hunter droids in KP but who cares about that.

  
   
  

• [ALL-PVP] Stroke of Genius is now located in Tier 2 of the skill tree.
  
  This is interesting because hybrids builds now have access to an instant snipe after cover pulse.

  
   
  

• [MM-PVE] Siege Bunker is a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage taken from area attacks by 60% while Entrench is active. This change allows the Marksman to remain in cover more often in situations that force other classes to rapidly change locations.
  
  Possibly useful for fights where we're forced to move, which reduces our damage output. Perhaps we can tank through some of these, aoe isn't a significant portion of damage in pvp so this doesn't help there.

  
   
  

• [MM] Sniper Volley has been redesigned. It now triggers from dealing damage with rifles and increases Alacrity and energy regeneration for 10 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds.
  
  Sounds good to me. Regen bonus is +50%. They specified rifle damage so i assume they mean ranged and therefore not triggering off tech attacks. The only downside is that previously you could time the trigger by saving your ambush for when you needed the burst, this will basically be active every 30 seconds whenever that falls randomly in your rotation

  
   
  

• [ENG] Calculated Pursuit has been redesigned. It is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree and makes Overload Shot cost no energy for 6 seconds after leaving cover.
  
  Ability to get an energy-free instant. This is no longer available to marksman but it wasn't desirable over the other tier2 anyway. Could in theory be used every 4.5 seconds.

  
   
  

• [ENG] EMP Discharge's range has been increased to 60 meters.
  
• [ENG] Plasma Probe has been improved. It has new visual effects and now deals more of its damage in the first few seconds and snares affected targets. If the initial hit strikes a target affected by your Interrogation Probe, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.
  
  Nice touches for engineering, i dont know of anyone previously using full engineering so hopefully these buffs to the top tier abilities will make it strong enough.

  
   
   
   
  

• [LETH] Corrosive Microbes now functions correctly.
  
  I guess bug fixes should count as buffs

  
   
  

• [LETH] Razor Rounds now increases the critical chance of Cull and Series of Shots by 4% per point.
  
  They basically moved 3% crit from tier 1 and added it back as 4% crit higher up into lethality tree. Given that it's on two attacks this about negates the crit nurf for those using leth

  
   
  

• [LETH] Weakening Blast no longer has an Energy cost.
  
  Top tier in leth tree, this was previously 10 energy, cool.

  
   
   
   
  

 

Nurfs

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• [All] Lethality now increases critical chance by 1% per point.
  
  -50% / -3% crit when maxed. I'm assuming they wanted to move this away from being a mandatory point sink.

  
  

• [?] Razor Edge now increases Shiv's damage by 4% per point.
  
  -20% / -2% when maxed. I must be missing something here, i don't know of a build where this is taken.

  
   
  

• [LETH] Cull now costs 25 Energy (down from 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but poison damage remains unchanged.
  
  Someone can tell me the proportion of poison damage to weapon but i am assuming its not worth the 17% reduction in energy

  
   
  

• [LETH] Hold Your Ground's cooldown reduction for Cover Pulse has been reduced to 2.5 seconds per point.
  
  -50% / 25s CD instead of 20s before (30s untalented).

  
   
   
  

 

 

Also, New gear visuals if anyone's interested. They're pretty lame.

http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/coloredvariationsagent.jpg

Edited March 27, 2012 by Crankyhobo

[Altruismo]

[*][LETH] Cull now costs 25 Energy (down from 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but poison damage remains unchanged.

Someone can tell me the proportion of poison damage to weapon but i am assuming its not worth the 17% reduction in energy

 

The direct weapon damage from Cull was maybe 33% of the total damage (with both corrosive dots) - probably less in fact since it's mitigated as white damage and the rest is internal.

It's hard to tell without a combat log with all those numbers flying around.

On a bad day this change will probably net you a loss of ~5% damage for a full cull, which will be more than made up for by Dart actually ticking twice off microbes now.

 

Good post, by the way.

 

Also - the biggest bump to sniper survivability is the crouch while rooted fix, at last.

No more being unable to cover pulse while rooted with a melee in your face without first blowing counterstrike or escape.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Altruismo

[Cyberfairy]

[*][?] Razor Edge now increases Shiv's damage by 4% per point.

-20% / -2% when maxed. I must be missing something here, i don't know of a build where this is taken.

 

Just thought I'd point out that Lethality is the tree shared with Ops. As I don't have an Op I'm not sure how often they use Shiv, but being more melee oriented with their damage I imagine it's fairly often. Also useful as a tier 1 talent since it can be picked up in other specs.

 

This also applies to your comment about Weakening Blast. It shows as 10m because both Cull and WB are only 10m for Ops who spec into Lethality. The passive skill we get once choosing Sniper as our advanced class specifically says:

Advanced Targeting

Increases the range of Overload Shot, Flash Bang, Distraction, Weakening Blast, and Cull to 30 meters, and additionally increases the range of all rifle attacks by 5 meters.

 

Nice to have a list of just the sniper changes, helps sorting through that whole big mess of patch notes lol.

[Shadowsdarth]

 

[*][MM-PVE] Siege Bunker is a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage taken from area attacks by 60% while Entrench is active. This change allows the Marksman to remain in cover more often in situations that force other classes to rapidly change locations.

Possibly useful for fights where we're forced to move, which reduces our damage output. Perhaps we can tank through some of these, aoe isn't a significant portion of damage in pvp so this doesn't help there.

 

You do realize this is also a PvP buff.... Once you pop entrench in a warzone, you get AOEd to death. For those wishing to spec up to it, this will great improve Survavailability in PvP

 

 

ps...that gear is lame...Vendatta set GO!... Though I'll take the war hero set helmless.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Shadowsdarth

[vimm]

Weakening Blast doesn't have a 10m range, unless you're an Operative.

[Crankyhobo]

Yah thanks; i also added the explanation cover integrity, heres a good thread on PTS about sniper changes. http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=363775

[Tenacity]

I'm kinda curious if there's any internal cooldown on the free overload shots for 6 seconds after leaving cover. If not, this might make engineering an extremely attractive endgame PvE build, especially combined with the buffs to plasma probe. Think about it, not only do you get two adrenaline probes per minute as an engineer, but you can also burn through your energy and then spam cover -> overload shot -> cover -> overload shot -> cover -> overload shot while your energy regenerates. Free damage, yea?

[Tibbel]

I'm kinda curious if there's any internal cooldown on the free overload shots for 6 seconds after leaving cover. If not, this might make engineering an extremely attractive endgame PvE build, especially combined with the buffs to plasma probe. Think about it, not only do you get two adrenaline probes per minute as an engineer, but you can also burn through your energy and then spam cover -> overload shot -> cover -> overload shot -> cover -> overload shot while your energy regenerates. Free damage, yea?

 

Yep, Overload Shot should effectively replace Rifle Shot for anyone who takes that skill. (The exception would be when you need to stay in cover, such as to avoid getting jumped by a glowbat hero or to remain in Entrench/Ballistic Shield.)

 

Even if there's something like a 6-second cooldown on the effect, Rifle Shot isn't something that's often used more frequently than that by an efficient Engineering sniper.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Tibbel

[mhbeast]

You do realize this is also a PvP buff.... Once you pop entrench in a warzone, you get AOEd to death. For those wishing to spec up to it, this will great improve Survavailability in PvP

 

 

ps...that gear is lame...Vendatta set GO!... Though I'll take the war hero set helmless.

 

Exactly this ^

 

Entrench is amazing until you get orbital strike and death from above dropped on your head.. currently you are forced to move out of the way or get hit for 3k+ per second. Smart players will force you out of entrench as soon as you hit it.. this buff is gonna make entrench boarderline OP ;]

[Crankyhobo]

Yeah i realize that, but from my experience aoe really isn't a problem in pvp, i think that i take mostly single target damage. I use entrench in hutt-ball to stop people from knocking me off the ledges but generally its better to run than to entrench unless you plan on spending the time to kill the people attacking you, i don't want to commit to it, better to run and focus the priority squishes while kiting those jugs. Edited March 21, 2012 by Crankyhobo

[tijoy]

 

[*][ENG] Calculated Pursuit has been redesigned. It is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree and makes Overload Shot cost no energy for 6 seconds after leaving cover.

Ability to get an energy-free instant. This is no longer available to marksman but it wasn't desirable over the other tier2 anyway. Could in theory be used every 4.5 seconds.

 

[*][ENG] EMP Discharge's range has been increased to 60 meters.

[*][ENG] Plasma Probe has been improved. It has new visual effects and now deals more of its damage in the first few seconds and snares affected targets. If the initial hit strikes a target affected by your Interrogation Probe, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.

Nice touches for engineering, i dont know of anyone previously using full engineering so hopefully these buffs to the top tier abilities will make it strong enough.

 

 

 

 

i use a full eng spec (disclaimer: i do not consider myself a good player just average and i don't PvP) and i only use plasma probe against bosses (so stun with int probe wouldn't help) and in large groups so the buffs to ENG are nice but IMO they wouldn't have a big impact on my play.

[Tenacity]

Supposedly plasma probe is also getting a flat damage boost. The real benefit for PvE engineers, here, is the ability to essentially spam overload shot for no energy cost. It does almost as much damage as snipe, can be used while moving during transition phases or other endgame pve encounter mechanics, and will be usable when low on energy to facilitate energy regeneration for other higher-damage abilities.

 

Assuming there is no internal cooldown on the ability (or at most a 6 second internal cooldown, equalling the duration of the effect), and the effect applies to any number of overload shots used within the 6 second duration, I see that being a huge benefit to PvE engineers. If those assumptions are correct, I'm probably going to be going back to a 31+ engineering build after the patch for endgame ops, the only reason I respecced to marksman for endgame is because engineer hasnt been holding up particularly well in regards to damage output, I much prefer engi's playstyle though.

[DroidDreamer]

So does Shatter Shot still have a long duration for the 20% armor reduction PLUS a nine second debuff on incoming-healing or has the whole thing been reduced to just nine seconds?

 

I like the long duration on the armor break. You can fire and forget. A nice little parting shot when someone slips out of LOS or they're about to kill you in PvP. Not sure if it survives your death now that I think about it.

[Mythicrose]

So does Shatter Shot still have a long duration for the 20% armor reduction PLUS a nine second debuff on incoming-healing or has the whole thing been reduced to just nine seconds?

 

The armor debuff should still last 45 seconds. Only the healing debuff lasts 9 seconds. I tried to make a thread about the improved shatter shot in the PTR forums but haven't gotten an answer regarding a specific application of the new healing debuff.

 

Does anyone know if our healing debuff can stack with the marauder's healing debuff?

[DroidDreamer]

So glad to hear about the cover bug being fixed. I always thought I was doing something wrong when I would get a non-freeze CC and I could not go back into cover. This will be a major change in PvP when the escape ability is on cooldown and, for example, I need to jump back into cover to use cover pulse.

 

It was very frustrating before hitting the cover button with nothing happening.

Edited March 24, 2012 by DroidDreamer

[REDLION]

All in all...

 

1.2 doesn't seem so bad ATM. I guess we'll see when happens when it goes live, but I'm not too afraid right now. I like to play a certain way. As it is, the buffs obviously improve on my playstyle. Almost all my points are in Marksman.

 

There are a few of us but, no one really plays a Sniper on my server. We are rare in PVP and warzones as well. TBH, I'd like to keep it that way, LOL. We aren't really viewed as dangerous until it's too late. You know, until all the enemy healers are dead or dying. Then they pay attention, lol. There is no better feeling than becoming the target of focus for the enemy team.

 

Anyway, the second they give us some shiney new toys, EVERYONE will jump on the FOTM bandwagon. I prefer we stay out of spotlight.

[Darthdubstep]

Apparently they are also taking away our ability to land Explosive Probe before a Snipe/Ambush.

 

Start raging now.

[zhaosen]

Apparently they are also taking away our ability to land Explosive Probe before a Snipe/Ambush.

 

Start raging now.

 

Perhaps instead of "raging", snipers can compensate and figure out another rotation? just a thought.

[REDLION]

Perhaps instead of "raging", snipers can compensate and figure out another rotation? just a thought.

 

Right!

 

You choose a class based on playstyle, not FOTM stats. Every class is going to get Buffs and Nerfs of the life of the game. It's going to happen. It's better to just accept it and learn new ways to win.

 

As long as I can still find a way to /target Healer and burn them down, I'm fine.

[Darthdubstep]

Yes but fixing something that isn't broken is just a slap in the face. If they really wanted more people to start playing this class they wouldn't take the fun out of it. And every single other class has an instant damage ability (shock etc.) why can't we have one? It's not like its that powerful anyway it is on par with Assassin's shock.

[Flovust]

Yes but fixing something that isn't broken is just a slap in the face. If they really wanted more people to start playing this class they wouldn't take the fun out of it. And every single other class has an instant damage ability (shock etc.) why can't we have one? It's not like its that powerful anyway it is on par with Assassin's shock.

 

 

Maybe you should stop playing lethality and play marksman/eng hybrid. Our instant cast is called followthrough....

instant snipe every 6s + Followthrough..

laze+ instant snipe = 1.5s cast on your next ambush.

 

IMO snipers are better than fine right now, we willl be even more than fine after they fix where you cant cover during cc.

 

Cover has saved my life countless of times by timing when a warrior would charge me... and timing entrench for when sorcs try to knock me back or when Operatives open up on me.

 

We are fine. Snipers are awesome. L2P

Edited March 27, 2012 by Flovust

[Darthdubstep]

I am Marksmen brah.

 

And I have a 50 assassin, spec'd for Shock, which means it has a chance to do, DOUBLE shocks, yes, 2 shocks in a row. And we can't have one instant damage ability?

 

Give me a break.

 

 

edit: They should at least remove the global cooldown when it explodes if they are going to change this, since we already have a global cooldown for activating it. 3 seconds of downtime for a spell that should only require 1.5 seconds is absolutely rediculous. Every other class has an instant damage with 1.5 seconds of downtime (1 global cooldown) why must we suffer 2 global cooldowns?

Edited March 27, 2012 by Darthdubstep

[psi_overtake]

... And we can't have one instant damage ability?

 

Overload Shot's been off my toolbar nearly ever since I got it, but I'm pretty sure we have a few instant non-DoT non-AoE non-channeled abilities:

Insta-snipe

Followthrough

Overload Shot

Shatter Shot

Rifle Shot

Explosive Grenade

Leg Shot

 

Really, you want non-DoT, non-AoE abilities, and you don't even realize we have more than a few of them? Of that one very specific type? Are you sure you play sniper?

Edited March 27, 2012 by psi_overtake

[Ayestes]

And I have a 50 assassin, spec'd for Shock, which means it has a chance to do, DOUBLE shocks, yes, 2 shocks in a row. And we can't have one instant damage ability??

 

We do have instant damage abilities. We don't necessarily have to have the same variety that other classes have however, because we are indeed a different class. Chain Shock does allow you cast 2 shocks in a row, but you are attempting to be deceptive here and it makes you look emotional and untrustworthy. A 45% chance to gain a 30% strength shock seems a far cry away from a "Double Shock / 2 Shocks in a row". We do our damage via activation times, because that is how our class is designed. If you don't like it you should play another class - which apparently you are anyway.

 

Besides, Shock on a Deception Assassin with Chain Shock is designed to hit extremely hard. It's part of their delayed burst combination with everything building up to a hard hitting Shock and Discharge. We don't have anything like that, and I doubt that we ever will. The Mercenary does have Tracer Missile building up the damage on Rail Shot and Heartseeker Missiles, so perhaps that is the route you should take for a ranged DPS class with instant damage delayed burst. Then again, they aren't often really described like that because the delay is rather short and they have many other characteristics you may or may not like. The point is however, that I doubt you will change a design decision about a class this early on when the vast majority of Snipers have no issue with it.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Ayestes

[kyuyu]

To the OP about Shiv comment, I am eng/lethality build and I sometimes use Shiv to finish off instead of overload shot. Shiv hits hard and is yellow damage.

 

Also about explosive probe delay. in PvP, I usually use it in combination with takedown. Steady damage with dots and cull, series of shot, then gigantic burst of explosive/takedown for kill.

Edited March 27, 2012 by kyuyu