Mercs! I have the solution... um.. perhaps.

[MrSIlverSurfing]

All Bioware would need to do is increase the debuff that Tracer applies. There has been a ton of complaints about the Merc class on the forums and in game and Bioware hasn't changed anything. I would recommend you go play D3/Tera and quit complaining. Nothing will be changed.

[Apocalypse-]

OP's suggestion be a start and a decent bandaid for now, but I don't know that'd be close to enough.

 

As for otherworlder's list, a groundtarget jump would be incredibly OP (not to mention the team that did Datacrons would be up in arms). A targeted charge would be useless to Mercs though unless it was friendlies.

 

Deathmark is just an instant cast version of Tracer's debuff...

 

Emergency Launch would be better served with a straight up flight path, as a forced directional is going to end poorly. Perhaps it flies you back to where you were 5s ago?

 

For the Flamethrower, every large burst skill has a requirement or a drawback. No one has a large hit that they don't need to work for via either stealth positioning, procs, or another form of buildup. Add in this, then we can discuss it. Without something to build up to it or a clear way to avoid it/know it's coming, it doesn't fit with the current game design, so that needs to be addressed.

 

Instant root and interrupts are both dire needs.

 

Removing healing? I disagree. I agree that currently the off-healing provided by DPS mercs is laughable, but removing it makes hybrid builds very dangerous to balance or gimps Merc healers until the 30s. It'd be interesting if Arsenal was changed to embrace this duality, with offensive procs granting instant cast heals, targeted buffs, and the like. Inferior to raw BG healing, but in a support role that currently doesn't exist in SWTOR, similar in role to LOTRO's Captain (I also expected Vigilance guardians to be like this, but /shrug).

Edited May 15, 2012 by Apocalypse-

[Naizgrel]

mercs need a kind of blink for the lack of movility they have, i thinks its one of most classes that got no movement speed ability or a charge, a rocket jump would be good.

[vanpurdie]

I think it's great that you've tried to apply a constructive solution to these problems.

 

Decided to re-roll as Powertech but have found it all too boring to do again, after reaching valor level 60 on the Merc. I hope they do fix Merc's, but I'm not hanging around any longer to find out. If they acknowledged the problems and indicated that they were working on a solution then I'd stick around, but I'm not paying a monthly subscription for the vague hope that there is a monkey behind a typewriter at Bioware HQ writing out his/her plans to save the class.

 

Heaps of time and money wasted!

[Sybaris]

Mostly constructive posts, so ty. A couple trolls looking for attention, but nothing unexpected. I just wanted to clarify a few things.

 

1. How can anybody say that instant cast powershot with reduced damage could be overpowered? Other classes have an instant cast that they use at certain ranges, and mercs only have the basic missile we get at lvl 1 which isn't worth the 25 heat and does nothing for the rotation.

 

I will concede that a 1.2-1.5 sec cooldown would be appropriate to keep the ability in line with it's current state, but in that case I would say that the damage reduction would need to be far less than if it did not have a cooldown. This would actually be better for mercs given that it would save on heat, so I'm all for that.

 

2. This suggestion is for a change to powershot only, leaving us still with no interrupt, 1 def cooldown, and all the other garbage. I'm all for some of these other good ideas, but I'm not sure that those changes would be implemented any time soon if ever. So if I had to choose one improvement that would keep me playing, the change to powershot would be the one.

 

3. For the Mercs who are too cool for school and can't get passed their ego enough to say that even a minor improvement would make a world of difference, get over yourself. I'm just as good if not a better PvPer than you and wreck faces on any class I play. I can play a goat and place top dps, heals, or protection, and objective points, depending on my goat spec. It's called skill bros, you are not the only ones who have it. You're not special. Playing handicapped was a fun challenge for a while, making ever victory that much sweeter. But it gets old, and fast.

[Darth_Gao_Gao]

this would be pretty cool, even for arsenal. i honestly have never used powershot in pvp, i don't even have it bound. i would definitely bind it if such a thing were to be implemented.

 

however, i would rather have one more utility ability than an instant cast dps ability. the suggested interrupt with a medium cooldown would be sweet. or maybe an escape ability that uses the jetpack, like a reverse pounce.

Edited May 15, 2012 by Darth_Gao_Gao

[Sybaris]

this would be pretty cool, even for arsenal. i honestly have never used powershot in pvp, i don't even have it bound. i would definitely bind it if such a thing were to be implemented.

 

however, i would rather have one more utility ability than an instant cast dps ability. the suggested interrupt with a medium cooldown would be sweet. or maybe an escape ability that uses the jetpack, like a reverse pounce.

 

I agree that an interrupt or an escape would definitely make the class more playable. While an interrupt is needed, it would really only affect our ability to take on other ranged classes and healers, and it doesn't help much with melee classes and the classes that have immunity to interrupt while in cover or with certain abilities. If anything, i think interrupt should be a melee only ability, but that's probably just me. The escape idea would be good all around for sure, given the abundance of melee in warzones is our greatest threat.

[pathiss]

I agree that an interrupt or an escape would definitely make the class more playable. While an interrupt is needed, it would really only affect our ability to take on other ranged classes and healers, and it doesn't help much with melee classes and the classes that have immunity to interrupt while in cover or with certain abilities. If anything, i think interrupt should be a melee only ability, but that's probably just me. The escape idea would be good all around for sure, given the abundance of melee in warzones is our greatest threat.

 

Not having an interrupt is the single largest issue I have with my merc at the moment. I understand my play style helps me significantly against melee players and that this isn't the norm for the average player. With that said, adding more duration to the snare on unload, say from 2 seconds to 4 seconds would help them considerably... of course that does nothing for the other trees. Perhaps a medium insta snare on a cool down ?

[Naizgrel]

Mercs would be good with a rocket speed ability like blink, click it and you move 30 meters

[pathiss]

Mercs would be good with a rocket speed ability like blink, click it and you move 30 meters

 

As long as its in a random direction. I need ONE more thing to randomly throw me into fire and acid in huttball.

[TheronFett]

Mostly constructive posts, so ty. A couple trolls looking for attention, but nothing unexpected. I just wanted to clarify a few things....

 

I think a lot of your original thoughts got drowned out by some of your fellow Mercs chiming in with *insert uber OP ability here* posts. You do raise a valid concern, and Merc/Commando definitely needs some love right now.

 

I play a Powertech. Played both PT and Merc during beta and just hated the way dual pistols looked. Turns out I made the right choice. I did eventually roll a Merc alt, but never made it past level 25. That class is in a sore state right now, and my hat's off to anyone who actually plays one well. Sad to say, but Merc/Commando is mostly bantha poodoo in any warzone.

 

Yes, Merc needs more instant cast, and given the lackluster damage done by Power Shot, your request seems reasonable. With no dedicated interrupt, the class needs more mobility to increase survivability. Otherwise you're just standing there with your tidbits in the wind. In my mind at least, Merc/Commando plays like some kind of unfinished experiment rather than a complete class. It was like playing a Sniper hybrid without its own identity.

[Astarica]

The problem I see is that if you don't nerf the damage severely you might get some weird cases where someone can just backpedal and fire off Power Shots and still kill the enemy, but if you nerf the damage severely then it might be better to just use your autoattack.

 

I think it'd be better if there's some kind of talent that makes Power Shot instant cast that can trigger only every 6 seconds. Maybe each time you take damage there's a 50% chance next Power Shot becomes instant with internal CD of 6 seconds? That way when you're taking a beating you at least have something to hit back with.