Well, it's something I suppose.

[ArchangelLBC]

Noticed this on Darth Hater:

 

Any thoughts on current class balance that players can expect in 1.3?

 

Austin Peckenpaugh, Senior Designer: In 1.3, we're making some balance and quality of life adjustments. The highlights include tanking survivability and threat generation, with an emphasis on getting all tanks on the same target, particularly where AOE threat is concerned; Mercenary/Commando DPS improvements; Sniper/Gunslinger Marksmanship/Sharpshooter tree improvements; and some visual improvements to a few slow abilities and abilities that still aren't quite mirrored cross-faction (including Shock and Project).

 

Original Source

 

So it seems that they are aware that we are unhappy, that that unhappiness is actually justified, and that they're working on fixing it somehow.

[oaceen]

i'm not as concerned with DPS (though it is an issue) as i am with our utility.

 

you are right. it is indeed something. i just hope they don't ignore the other issues in the process.

[Dadnir]

Maybe they think dps commando have no real issue in ammo mannagement so they will improve us and générate ammo issue in order to help us using hammer shot a lot more.

 

*Sarcasm: on* What? CM? No, who would have though I may have played this pre 1.2.

[deadandburied]

If they fix Cell Charger to actually work for Full Auto like it's supposed to ammo would be improved and dps would increase. If they fix Deadly Cannon to actually work with Full Auto like it's supposed to we'd see a dps increase there as well. I say fix those 2 talents first. If we still need a buff after that then they could follow with another increase in another patch.

[TUXs]

That is FANTASTIC news!!! Thank you for the link I may be a sucker for something like that, but I LOVE having HOPE!

[SeloDaoC]

Last time they were going to "fix" commandos we ended up wit ha big nerf overall so i wouldnt be to hopeful

 

Probably some skill we dont even use to much will be brought up in damage barely, and will still be worthless becouse it costs to much ammo, or only viable in PvE

 

Then some other very important skill will be nerfed becouse of "bringing in line" like making the aoe kb have 1 min cooldown.

 

We dont need that much dps, its the utility (cc, our cc only helping some classes to kill us faster) and survivability (no escape abilities, constantly slowed, easy to lock down with interupts and other cc, loads of gapclosers for melee to get to you that also procs cc immunity) mostly against melee that needs fixing. And our inability to do any damage at all to enemies that have shields and still beeing able to dish out more damage then we do without shields (tanksins, operative healers, marauders etc)

[ArchangelLBC]

I sense someone that mostly PVPs =P

 

That being said many feel that they only raid because of charitable guilds so its not like our PVE damage is stellar.

 

 

I agree, talk is cheap, and maybe this should be taken with a grain, or a whole heaping pile, of salt. At least until we see actual concrete changes that they're making, and then see those changes actually implemented on the PTS at a minimum.

 

That being said, until that post all the communication from BW seemed to indicate that they thought they'd done just a stellar job with 1.2 and we were completely fine, and this is the firs thing I've seen where they even hint at an acknowledgement that there may be problems.

 

So, personally, I am going to be tentatively hopeful. At this point any light at the end of the tunnel is welcome, even if it eventually turns out to be an oncoming train.

[SeloDaoC]

They didnt say if DPS improvement ment more or less damage maybe just a change of rotation

 

pre 1.2 wasentabout commandos doing to much damage, just about itcomming from to few attacks, yet they nerf damage and do nothing about rotation

 

now our damage AND rotation is bad + our lack of everything else (gunnery)

[Einbrandr]

If they fix Cell Charger to actually work for Full Auto like it's supposed to ammo would be improved and dps would increase. If they fix Deadly Cannon to actually work with Full Auto like it's supposed to we'd see a dps increase there as well. I say fix those 2 talents first. If we still need a buff after that then they could follow with another increase in another patch.

 

 

^^ this.

[xxIncubixx]

They didnt say if DPS improvement ment more or less damage maybe just a change of rotation

 

pre 1.2 wasentabout commandos doing to much damage, just about itcomming from to few attacks, yet they nerf damage and do nothing about rotation

 

now our damage AND rotation is bad + our lack of everything else (gunnery)

 

assault specialist is also garbage, compared to vanguard.

[sensiblepoast]

Lol. So gunslingers are easily one order of magnitude better than commandos (I have both), and they're gonna boost them even more?

 

I hove how it took them, what, 3 days to nerfix commando dps, and now it's taking them months to bostfix them.

Edited May 25, 2012 by sensiblepoast

[TUXs]

Lol. So gunslingers are easily one order of magnitude better than commandos (I have both), and they're gonna boost them even more?

 

I hove how it took them, what, 3 days to nerfix commando dps, and now it's taking them months to bostfix them.

 

He said gunslinger 'tree' improvements, not DPS

[Pjats]

More confirmation that changes are coming:

Hargan: Will the Commando Gunnery spec be rebalanced after the changes in Game Update 1.2 so that we are back on par with the DPS output of similarly geared Sages/Gunslingers/Sentinels in Operations?

 

Austin: I think I'll confirm a lot of suspicions with this answer, but the bugfix that addressed Demolition Round scaling had a large enough impact on Gunnery DPS that it surprised us, too. Although Gunnery and Arsenal had been hitting our targets, it became harder to do so than we were comfortable with. Another way to say that is that the "low end" of our test results was hit too frequently by too many people. The changes you're going to see are mostly in resource management and usability, which will make it easier for you to deliver the considerable damage you already wield. We'll have more detailed information for you soon.

From the last Q&A: http://www.swtor.com/node/315059

[Swuge]

Watch it be a buff to explosive round- that will make my day

[MrSIlverSurfing]

More confirmation that changes are coming:From the last Q&A: http://www.swtor.com/node/315059

 

This honestly doesn't sound like a DPS buff. Sounds like they are making the class even easier to pull descent DPS numbers. The class can't get much easier IMO.

[Yurie]

"Austin: I think I'll confirm a lot of suspicions with this answer, but the bugfix that addressed Demolition Round scaling had a large enough impact on Gunnery DPS that it surprised us, too. Although Gunnery and Arsenal had been hitting our targets, it became harder to do so than we were comfortable with. Another way to say that is that the "low end" of our test results was hit too frequently by too many people. The changes you're going to see are mostly in resource management and usability, which will make it easier for you to deliver the considerable damage you already wield. We'll have more detailed information for you soon."

 

 

 

Sounds like less ammo cost and shorter CD for demoround

[xxIncubixx]

if its only management it will be still garbage... a marauder will still rip u apart, well any melee for that matter.

[AmorphousCro]

What is "usability"? Explosive Round has Usability. I can choose to Use it and waste my ammo.

 

"Hitting our target" is also meaningless without understanding what that target is. If the target is 72-84% of sentinel DPS, and we are hitting the low end, then that explains everything.

[MrSIlverSurfing]

"Austin: I think I'll confirm a lot of suspicions with this answer, but the bugfix that addressed Demolition Round scaling had a large enough impact on Gunnery DPS that it surprised us, too. Although Gunnery and Arsenal had been hitting our targets, it became harder to do so than we were comfortable with. Another way to say that is that the "low end" of our test results was hit too frequently by too many people. The changes you're going to see are mostly in resource management and usability, which will make it easier for you to deliver the considerable damage you already wield. We'll have more detailed information for you soon."

 

 

 

Sounds like less ammo cost and shorter CD for demoround

 

Yeah I think you are right. Sounds like they may put it more like pre 1.2. Except the damage decrease wont be changed. Have to wait and see.

[ArchangelLBC]

Well to be fair, if they, as an example, removed scaling ammo regeneration and made ammo always regenerate at what is currently top tier ammo generation it would give us a lot more freedom to hit as often as possible with harder hitting abilities. Ammo management could also refer to making sure Full Auto procs cell charger like it's supposed to I guess.

 

It sounds to me like their math says we should still be able to hit "targets" but that in practice it's just not happening as often, hence everyone seems to parse lower compared to other DPS.

 

Keep in mind that question was in regard to PVE DPS, but in PVP it seems we need survivability more than a damage boost (I know killing quicker is a form of survivability, but still).

 

That post, more than the one I found, is proof positive that they didn't intend the huge damage reduction we suffered when they fixed vortex stacking, so it might be they'll fix that by upping the percentage that demo round gets buffed, a quicker cooldown, charged barrel stacking 2 apiece and staying. It's pretty open ended, but it definitely feels a light at the end of the tunnel.

[SeloDaoC]

Problem is, resource management is nice and everything for PvE, But in PvP, where everything is about bursting, it wont change anything at all.

 

It also seems like their still ignoring the fact were beeing torn to shreds by melee classes becouse our lack of survivability, escape abilities and beeing chain interupted

 

If they think they lost alot of commando players before, if there wont be any fixing to the above in 1.3 the few that are left will reroll or unsub

[DarkSideTOR]

I'm not rolling a new class, I hate leveling, so I guess that narrows down my options...

[Luceon]

It is outright ridiculous how the changes of 1.2 and further patches brought on against the commando, and even if BW hits it even harder I still have no intentions of not playing with my commando. The reason I bought and still play this game is because of that class, and the hope BW will eventually work on these changes is fine enough for me. My only other wish is that BW would allow trading or mailing of commendations, at least between legacy characters. Edited May 29, 2012 by Luceon

[ArchangelLBC]

Problem is, resource management is nice and everything for PvE, But in PvP, where everything is about bursting, it wont change anything at all.

 

It also seems like their still ignoring the fact were beeing torn to shreds by melee classes becouse our lack of survivability, escape abilities and beeing chain interupted

 

If they think they lost alot of commando players before, if there wont be any fixing to the above in 1.3 the few that are left will reroll or unsub

 

Meh, there are a lot of commandos who are solely PVE, and upping their damage will make many of them happy. If they undo the changes to charged barrier commandos will be back at their pre 1.2 level in terms of survivability. They could also make Grav Round similar to project, which is uninterruptable, and then either give it some sort of recast like 3-5 seconds, and then up its damage or something to keep it's overall DPS the same. This would also give us more burst.

 

Its a light, a dim one still till we find out more, but a light nonetheless.

[Dayrun]

It's unfortunate that no one in bioware either plays or is good at a gunnery rotation. Ammo generation is fine in PVE if you use a good dps rotation. Use a dps meter and everytime you use grav round more then 38% of the time you are going to have poor ammo usage. DPS now is higher evening out grav with FA.

 

 

dont get me wrong, we have been nerfed 25% in damage since 1.2.. Its crazy, and Bioware wont make the time to explain what the hell is going on with us. that post is so vague it could be anything