Mercenary: Doing It Wrong?

[Blistrich]

After having slogged through the Republic side with several toons, I've decided to join some friends who rolled Imps on my server... and as a healer who enjoyed the hybrid DPS/healing of the Commando advanced class, the Mercenary seemed like a good fit for me. I've read up on how 1.2 hasn't really relegated the Merc as a healer - rather - it seems some players are doing just fine healing with their Bounty Hunters.

 

On the other hand, you have a slew of people saying that the class is entirely broken (for several reasons) when it comes to DPS. To be honest, this has left me scratching my head, because for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would pick one of only 3 classes that can heal in this faction... and then focus on doing damage.

 

Would someone mind enlightening me as to why a class that can heal would be used primarily for damage when there are vastly superior alternatives when it comes to that role?

[Qendra]

After having slogged through the Republic side with several toons, I've decided to join some friends who rolled Imps on my server... and as a healer who enjoyed the hybrid DPS/healing of the Commando advanced class, the Mercenary seemed like a good fit for me. I've read up on how 1.2 hasn't really relegated the Merc as a healer - rather - it seems some players are doing just fine healing with their Bounty Hunters.

 

On the other hand, you have a slew of people saying that the class is entirely broken (for several reasons) when it comes to DPS. To be honest, this has left me scratching my head, because for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would pick one of only 3 classes that can heal in this faction... and then focus on doing damage.

 

Would someone mind enlightening me as to why a class that can heal would be used primarily for damage when there are vastly superior alternatives when it comes to that role?

 

So, only marauders and snipers are valid dps clases...

 

You can heal as a merc, ofc, but is the healer class with less hps output and worst resource management. If you want a dps/healer hibrid, sorc is your class until they fix us ^^.

 

Glad to help!

[ManiacalShen]

Are you trolling?

 

Or are you really asking why someone would use a bounty hunter - a class heavily influenced by Boba Fett - in the AC described as "mobile heavy weapons platform," to do damage. The class description also says something like, "There's no problem firepower can't solve, and no one with any sense gets between a mercenary and his target."

 

Yeah, that's clearly meant just for healing.

 

I'm a dps merc because I wanted to try ranged fighting in an MMO, partially because this game lets me do that without being a clothy mage or some kind of bow-wielder. Missiles, man, missiles.

[Blistrich]

Are you trolling?

 

Or are you really asking why someone would use a bounty hunter - a class heavily influenced by Boba Fett - in the AC described as "mobile heavy weapons platform," to do damage. The class description also says something like, "There's no problem firepower can't solve, and no one with any sense gets between a mercenary and his target."

 

Yeah, that's clearly meant just for healing.

This isn't Star Wars. It's an mmo. I hope you understand what I mean by that.

 

No, I am not trolling, I just never understood why people roll classes that can heal and then try to do something else with them. In terms of mmo archetypes, healers who choose to do anything other than heal are generally crapped on liberally, but this game and its community are a bit different, which is why I am approaching this in a somewhat more clinical fashion while doing my best (obviously not good enough) to not be a dick about it.

 

Now, the first response in this thread seems to indicate that Mercs are terrible, broken healers, yet there is another thread going in this same subforum where healing Mercs are saying that they can still heal (even primary heal) some of the toughest endgame content out there.

 

So is healing with a Merc a question of skill... or is that avenue so genuinely broken that I should just be a FOTM arsebag and join the 3,564,245 Sorcs on my server because it's the only Imp healer that isn't fuxed beyond belief?

[polopopoo]

Mercs are currently sporting the most unforgiving resource management. When played perfectly we are still outhealed by a large margin. To clear any HM ops you will need a sorc to cover you for aoe heals. From some of the parses I've been seeing sorcs have 1 ability that does the same hps (overhealing inc) that mercs whole rotation does.

 

We are the weakest healers when played perfectly, we have a more difficult time healing because of our recource than the other two. We can still out burst heal, but will go heat starved if you are doing it for more than 1 target. We really lack any kind of utility as well, not so important for pve but huge if you plan on pvping. Sorcs are just better at everything atm.

 

We can still heal HM ops, just need to be babysat with a sorc. Its really up too you, play what you have fun doing, mercs just aren't that fun right now.

[vertigo_]

Mercs are currently sporting the most unforgiving resource management. When played perfectly we are still outhealed by a large margin.

...

 

We can still heal HM ops, just need to be babysat with a sorc. Its really up too you, play what you have fun doing, mercs just aren't that fun right now.

 

You are doing it wrong. Sorc's do not babysit mercs, mercs babysit sorcs. Mercs will out heal a sorc on single target heals every time over the duration of a boss fight, assuming similar gear and skill. More often than not, I find myself healing sorcs so they can consume on long fights.

[ZeitgeistGlee]

No, I am not trolling, I just never understood why people roll classes that can heal and then try to do something else with them. In terms of mmo archetypes, healers who choose to do anything other than heal are generally crapped on liberally, but this game and its community are a bit different, which is why I am approaching this in a somewhat more clinical fashion while doing my best (obviously not good enough) to not be a dick about it.

 

Because it's not a healing class, it's a class which if specced up one of its three talent trees (the other two being PvE DPS and PvP DPS) can become a capable one. No advanced classes outside the Marauder, Sniper and their mirrors are pure archetypes, each of the rest can be played one of two ways. By your logic all Juggernauts, Powertechs and Assassins should be tanks and tanks only and all Operatives, Mercenaries and Sorcerers healers, which means out of the 8 advanced classes only 2 can or should be played DPS. The whole idea of having advanced classes is so people could pick their specialisation along with their talent tree and roll with it.

 

Now, the first response in this thread seems to indicate that Mercs are terrible, broken healers, yet there is another thread going in this same subforum where healing Mercs are saying that they can still heal (even primary heal) some of the toughest endgame content out there.

 

So is healing with a Merc a question of skill... or is that avenue so genuinely broken that I should just be a FOTM arsebag and join the 3,564,245 Sorcs on my server because it's the only Imp healer that isn't fuxed beyond belief?

 

Reread the OP, people are saying that Mercenary DPS (specifically Arsenal spec) has been broken with recent patches, Pyrotech is geared towards PvP and therefore not optimal for serious endgame content (though there are multiple threads claiming Pyro DPS has been nerfed also). Certainly there are still people who can play the class well and make it work to an extent, but as someone else in this subforum said, why should we have to work our backsides off to give out average at best damage when someone rolling a DPS Sorc can faceroll and do a superior job? Gearing isn't even an excuse because there's we've never been a gear-reliant advanced class.

 

Previously an Arsenal-spec Mercenary was a nuking channel turret who if allowed to DPS uninterrupted brought massive firepower to the table to compensate for the fact we have tiny utility (we are the only AC with no interrupt) and quite little in the way of active defences outside one shield and a damage reduction if specced for it. Now we are vaguely effectively only in PvE because our burst damage in PvP has been emaciated and what's left is easily interrupted or just healed through.

 

I can't comment on the Bodyguard Mercenary's healing ability because I don't play one but based on what I've heard from guildies and seen here on the forums of the three talent trees it appears to be the least broken or perhaps most capable of doing what it is intended but there's obviously still a reason most healers are Sorcs.

[polopopoo]

You are doing it wrong. Sorc's do not babysit mercs, mercs babysit sorcs. Mercs will out heal a sorc on single target heals every time over the duration of a boss fight, assuming similar gear and skill. More often than not, I find myself healing sorcs so they can consume on long fights.

 

You missed the point. While you're keeping up the tank, the sorc is keeping up everyone. Try a HM with 2 merc healers and let me know who's carrying who.

[Phrase]

You missed the point. While you're keeping up the tank, the sorc is keeping up everyone. Try a HM with 2 merc healers and let me know who's carrying who.

 

True story, BG is off heals at best.

[Phrase]

After having slogged through the Republic side with several toons, I've decided to join some friends who rolled Imps on my server... and as a healer who enjoyed the hybrid DPS/healing of the Commando advanced class, the Mercenary seemed like a good fit for me. I've read up on how 1.2 hasn't really relegated the Merc as a healer - rather - it seems some players are doing just fine healing with their Bounty Hunters.

 

On the other hand, you have a slew of people saying that the class is entirely broken (for several reasons) when it comes to DPS. To be honest, this has left me scratching my head, because for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would pick one of only 3 classes that can heal in this faction... and then focus on doing damage.

 

Would someone mind enlightening me as to why a class that can heal would be used primarily for damage when there are vastly superior alternatives when it comes to that role?

 

Just to clarify: Are you saying that we shouldn't be upset that BW broke two of our trees and rather we should delight in the fact that at least one of them is so-so?

[Slipt]

Mercs are currently sporting the most unforgiving resource management.

 

I loved reading this,

Troopers are worse off than us,

Ammo's worse than heat.

Edited May 6, 2012 by Slipt

[Ghalthos]

I loved reading this,

Troopers are worse off than us,

Ammo's worse than heat.

 

How so?

[Slipt]

We get heat returns in small increments, whereas they have the same system of returns but only get the spendable ammo when the default resource is equal to or greater than that amount. In short, let's say the bar holds 120 resource, broken up into 12 ammo... they can regen as high as 39 resource, and still only have access to 3 ammo... wheras if that were heat, we'd have access to all 39.

 

Hope that made sense.

[gpassucc]

No, I am not trolling, I just never understood why people roll classes that can heal and then try to do something else with them. In terms of mmo archetypes, healers who choose to do anything other than heal are generally crapped on liberally...

 

You my sir obviously never played pvp with a decent shadowpriest in WoW. Was the main purpose of a priest to heal? Yes. Did they absolutely **** if played well in pvp? Yes. The whole purpose of having a skill tree system is to allow players to customize their characters and play them as they wish. Following your logic every archetype in Rift should have gone healer spec... leaving no one to dps on raids. Merc dps was competitive for endgame content but was heavily nerfed mostly due to pvp. Just because something has the capacity to accomplish a certain task doesn't mean that is its only purpose.