How to fix Mercenary, long read.

[Daecollo]

Before you read, please know I put a lot of time and effort into it, and I try my best to balance each ability to what I think they should do, I have also played many classes including the most powerful and least and mercenary was my first class i've ever played. So I may be a bit biased.

 

 

 

 

Arsenal Tree:

Missile Blast:

Redo this skill, nobody uses it after level 12, as a Mercenary this skill should be an attack that knocks the target back, and its heat cost should be reduced to 16 and a cool-down of 15 seconds should be added, but reduce its damage by 25%, adding this skill to the mix would further add more use and buttons to our tree, while giving us MUCH needed CC. This ability would pretty much be our "Force Leap" skill, except it knocks people away from us instead of moving us to the target.

 

Arsenal Talents:

Afterburners should reduce the heat cost of Missile Blast and Fusion Missile by 8, and additionally rooting the target in place for 2 seconds. (this should cost 1 Talent instead of 2.)

 

Muzzle Fluting:

Instead of Reducing the Cast of Power Shot, it should reduce the cats of Fusion Missile by 0.5 instead.

 

Heat Signatures:

All missiles should apply a heat signature. Instead of reducing armor, Heat Signatures should add a 1% chance for the target to take additional critical hits, each stack of Heat Signature gives the victim a 1% chance to get hit with a critical more often, since everyone else has a armor break now, this would put us back on the spot for raiding/operations and give us a spot in PvP,

 

Power Barrier.

Instead of Reducing the damage the Mercenary takes, it should reduce the damage the target does to others by 1% per Heat Signature.

 

 

 

Pyrotech:

Power Shot:

Remove the "cast" from Power Shot, change its Animation to what smugglers "Quick Shot" looks like (the "BANG" "BANG".) this fixes Pyrotech for Mercenary, and helps Bodyguard Mercenary in PvE, this shot deals about the same damage as Quick Shot, and has about the same cost, so why should it have a cast?

 

 

 

 

Bodyguard:

Kolto Shell:

Reduce its heat cost to 8, and allow us to apply it to more then 1 person, like the sorcerers bubble and the operatives HOT, but lower its total heal amount by 10%.

 

Critical Reaction:

Well, nobody really takes this talent, alacrity actually messes up our rotation really, but I know something that would make us really really enjoy this talent.... change it to like "Terminal Velocity is".

 

While in Combat Support Cylinder, criticals with damage and healing abilities have a 25%/50% chance to vent 8 heat. This effect can only occur every 3 seconds.

 

 

 

What this does:

Makes Fusion Missile a reasonable heat cost AND cast time, it has a long cooldown so why should it also have a 1.5 second cast time and heat cost? This makes it the same cast time as tracer missile and cost 25 heat, but it still has a 30 second cooldown, this makes a previously worthless ability usable.

Makes Missile Blast a reasonable heat cost and CC, but adds a cast time and lowers its damage alot.

Removes the cast of Powershot, making Pyrotech more mobile. (which it should be!)

Fixes Bodyguard.

 

Adds more buttons for the mercenary, period!

Edited May 4, 2012 by Daecollo

[Slipt]

Bodyguard:

Kolto Shell:

Reduce its heat cost to 8, and allow us to apply it to more then 1 person, like the sorcerers bubble and the operatives HOT, but lower its total heal amount by 10%.

 

Critical Reaction:

Well, nobody really takes this talent, alacrity actually messes up our rotation really, but I know something that would make us really really enjoy this talent.... change it to like "Terminal Velocity is".

 

While in Combat Support Cylinder, criticals with damage and healing abilities have a 50%/100% chance to vent 8 heat. This effect can only occur every 3 seconds.

 

If you add additional targets for kolto shell, it would defeat the vision of our class healing... i.e. single-target tank healer. I don't think that's a useful idea, personally.

 

Reducing the cost of the shell, on the other hand would be excellent, as it now comprises a major portion of our healing output. For 16 heat it will offset between 5000 and 10,000 damage, making it our most efficiently costed heal. That said, because it must be maintained, it does come at a very heavy price at times when we can often not afford it.

 

I use critical reaction, because I don't have a 'rotation'. The heat changes in 1.2, and the nature of operations don't allow specific rotations to exist, and this is particularly true of a tank healer who must react to spike damage. That said, I would prefer the change you suggest, as resource management is easily our biggest issue... however we could vent ourselves to empty very quickly with nothing but rapid shots... making this perhaps a little overpowered.

Perhaps every 6 seconds is more reasonable.

[Diddley]

As a pyro I've been reeling for a change to power shot like that so yeah, thumbs up

[Setsz]

I agree with the above poster. Your idea for critical reaction would likely be too overpowered. As a bodyguard merc at least 1 out of the 3 ticks of my rapid shots will crit so with such a talent I'd be able to maintain a tank during the less intense phases of a fight and very quickly vent off all my heat with minimal effort.

 

Otherwise I like all your suggestions.

[Daecollo]

I agree with the above poster. Your idea for critical reaction would likely be too overpowered. As a bodyguard merc at least 1 out of the 3 ticks of my rapid shots will crit so with such a talent I'd be able to maintain a tank during the less intense phases of a fight and very quickly vent off all my heat with minimal effort.

 

Otherwise I like all your suggestions.

 

I changed it to 25%/50% instead of 50%/100%.

 

Also, what do you think of Arsenal.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Daecollo

[Wrestle]

I would rather just have TM increased 10-15%

 

I would also have the missle knockback. That was a great idea. Maybe with a moderately heavy CD, so its not on par with force leap. Like 20 seconds or so. Tanks still need to be able to close the gap to some degree, but not when ever they want, which is its current state.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Wrestle

[Daecollo]

I would rather just have TM increased 10-15%

 

I would also have the missle knockback. That was a great idea. Maybe with a moderately heavy CD, so its not on par with force leap. Like 20 seconds or so. Tanks still need to be able to close the gap to some degree, but not when ever they want, which is its current state.

 

What about Missile Blast/Fusion Missile?

[TempestasSilva]

From a bodyguard PVE perspective:

The biggest problem that the class has had since inception is a limited resource mechanic. Your change to Critical reaction is one that rewards gear improvement, so I like it. I agree with others that if it can occur too often, esp since we can guarantee a crit every 1.5 seconds, it would be OP.

 

The biggest problem the class has post-1.2 is the change to SCG. Each healer has a "fun" mechanic that is unique to their class. For Sorcs it is Force Bending, for Ops it is Tactical Advantage, for us its SCG and the stacking mechanic. The gutting of this ability in 1.2 takes our unique ability that used to be awesome as a burst heal mechanic and makes it situationally marginally useful at best. Our set bonus extends the length of SCG when it is already too long and some people manually kill the buff at a certain point to conserve heat and start re-building our stack for the 35 buff. This ability needs to be fixed so that either a HS spam or HS->RS spam is viable again. If it was too OP as implemented, add a cooldown, require more stacks, or something. This is our core mechanic. It should make a difference in our healing. It HAS to be fixed.

 

Kolto shell is our most efficient heal in spite of many of us no longer using it because of the high cost to update mid fight. In truth, the cost is fine. There are enough "lulls" where the cost to renew it is not prohibitive. As stated at the begining, this is from a PVE perspective. There may be a valid reason to reduce the cost for PvP...I have no clue there.

 

Our AOE still sucks. I know I am going to get pouned by the "We want heaers to be different / have niches" crowd, but that does not diminish the fact that it sucks. The increase from 3 to 4 targets for people who do Flash Points was a great boost since it can now hit the whole party. I also do not want it to hit 8 people. But it needs to be a little better. I would suggest having a skill in our tree that if a point is put in it changes it from the default of x healing to 4 people to 85% power to 3 people with a smart heal component. (Smart heal = hits those with the lowest HP deficit). Or maybe that is how SCG modifies KM?

 

Add a decision mechanic to all the healers. Maybe a BG can prevent a single person's death for 5 seconds but it gives them 100 heat and puts Vent heat on CD. The idea is power at a price. Maybe give operatives some sort of wow-like swiftmend mechanic where they can trade therir hots for 75% instant healing of the total hots, but they cant cast a Hot for 10 seconds.

 

Then after the changes are made, the healing numbers of all 3 need to be balanced. If you do all fights in an operation, the variety should cause one of the healers to be better in some types of fights, the others in another. If one healer is constantly the best and/or one healer is constantly the worst, then an adjustment is needed.

 

My ideas probably suck...creativity is not a strongpoint. I am sure plenty of people in the Merc and Healing communities have way better ideas. The sad fact that caused me to unsubscribe, is that posts like this one will likely fall on deaf ears. There is no indication that Bioware wants to fix healing and/or wants our help in doing so. OP, I appreciate your intent and effort as well as those who have contributed, but you are likely shoveling sand against the tide with a teaspoon.

[vertigo_]

It is not really that bad guys. I am top ranged dps on my progression raid team (arsenal merc). And I am only slightly behind marauder DPS. If your dps is that low, there is an issue with your rotation. Merc healers are better on Denova right now than sorcs, as verified by combat logs. All I can say is, play to your strengths, do not try to be something you are not, and experiment with your rotation or ask for help if you cannot keep up.

 

Here are my suggestions for the class:

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=444433

[Hiphophippie]

Bodyguard:

Kolto Shell:

Reduce its heat cost to 8, and allow us to apply it to more then 1 person, like the sorcerers bubble and the operatives HOT, but lower its total heal amount by 10%.

 

I would say for the most part Merc healing is fine. However, I would like to see the heat cost at 8, but instead of 10 charges, have 5 charges that heal x2 as hard. A lot of times (in pvp) I throw the shell on someone who is getting beat on, only for them to die soon after leaving me wishing I hadn't used the GCD at all.

 

Or, If the first tick healed for the greatest amount and progressively healed weaker per tick.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Hiphophippie

[Daecollo]

What do you guys think of Missile Blast/Fusion Missile as I described above?

[vertigo_]

What do you guys think of Missile Blast/Fusion Missile as I described above?

 

All of your changes are way over the top, would drastically change rotations, while making mercs way OP. Only a soft hand is required here.

[Daecollo]

What rotation?

 

TM/TM/TM/Missile Blast/Rail Shot.

 

Repeat.

 

Unload if you want.

[ZHRGG]

All of your changes are way over the top, would drastically change rotations, while making mercs way OP. Only a soft hand is required here.

 

Ro... tation? TM until Unload procs and Rail Shot+HSM on CD isn't a rotation. It's like saying Arcane Mages back in WOTLK took skill to play.

[TheNinjaboy]

[ * Jet Boost * ] - Provides the Mercenary with 5 seconds of immunity to all charge and negative pull effects after activation.

 

 

ARSENAL TREE

 

[ * Tracer Missle * ] - Reverted back to pre-1.2 damage minus 10% as stated on 1.2 patch notes.

[ Kolto Vents has been replaced by EMP Shield ] - This is a passive ability that is automatically activated for 10 seconds after the Mercenary is interrupted. Prevents 1 interruption effect. This effect cannot occur more then once every 10 seconds.

 

Additional abilities need to stack Arsenal debuffs to encourage more active rotations.

 

Also the defensive nerfs need to be reverted back to pre-1.2.

Edited May 5, 2012 by TheNinjaboy

[theunwarshed]

What rotation?

 

TM/TM/TM/Missile Blast/Rail Shot.

 

Repeat.

 

Unload if you want.

 

uhm...

 

TMx3>UL>HSM>TMx2>RS>TSO+PS+DFA (or FM)...repeat

 

pretty sure that qualifies as a "rotation".

Edited May 5, 2012 by theunwarshed

[MelodicSixNine]

No. Rotation is more like something to repeat and skills you listed depend on situation. Like DFA - it's more like deny territory skill now then damage deal. Sure it still hurts, but it's easy to avoid. You don't use it in rotation...

2 sages standing on the ledge healing/dpsing like crazy? DFA! They have to move away. You mess up their rotation, vision and stop them from casting for couple of seconds.

 

I like how on forums people started the rumor that DFA dmg is nerfed. Stupid sents/maras & guardians/juggs don't even run away while fighting and take full damage

Edited May 5, 2012 by MelodicSixNine

[Daecollo]

No. Rotation is more like something to repeat and skills you listed depend on situation. Like DFA - it's more like deny territory skill now then damage deal. Sure it still hurts, but it's easy to avoid. You don't use it in rotation...

2 sages standing on the ledge healing/dpsing like crazy? DFA! They have to move away. You mess up their rotation, vision and stop them from casting for couple of seconds.

 

I like how on forums people started the rumor that DFA dmg is nerfed. Stupid sents/maras & guardians/juggs don't even run away while fighting and take full damage

 

I don't bother using DFA anymore, its range/damage does not justify its cost.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Daecollo