What role does a dps commando have in PvP?

[stendarrs]

Transfers incoming soon.

 

Unfortunately we've all seen that "soon" can mean weeks or months. Also, based on observations of how things have been handled up to this point, I really don't think transfers are gonna do it. It needs to be merges and it needs to be like 10 or 20 to 1 because by the time something happens the active player base is going to be tiny. I've set the date on my calender to unsub if I haven't seen or heard any positive direction for the server pops. I like this game and I want to play it, but it feels like we're dealing with politicians rather than game developers. Vague information, no dates, pulling features at the last second, ongoing problems that just never ever get fixed. (sound bug anyone?!?)

 

Sorry to go off on a rant, but I can literally see the population dropping by the day/week. It's very frustrating

[Parali]

Greetings Troopers,

 

We know that Commandos have been very concerned with the changes to their class since Game Update 1.2. You may be interested in reading our most recent blog, "Class changes and balance in Game Update 1.3" by Senior Designer Austin Peckenpaugh. Here is what he had to say about Commandos:

 

Additionally in Game Update 1.3, we’ve made changes to improve the gameplay and quality of life of Commando/Mercenary damage-dealing specs. We’ve spent a lot of time playtesting and investigating the concerns of the community, and while Commando/Mercenary damage is largely on target, prior to Game Update 1.3, resource management made performance streaky and a little too unreliable.

 

We’ve made the following changes to the Commando/Mercenary for Game Update 1.3 to improve resource management and simplify stack upkeep for Gunnery/Arsenal specs:

 

Cell Charger/Terminal Velocity has been redesigned to passively restore 1 energy cell/vent 8 heat every 6 seconds.

Gravity Surge/Light ‘Em Up now additionally grants an extra stack of Charged Barrel/Tracer Lock and Charged Barrier/Power Barrier, if applicable, with each Grav Round/Tracer Missile fired.

Target Lock/Advanced Targeting has been redesigned. Now gives Full Auto/Unload and High Impact Bolt/Rail Shot 10% armor penetration per point.

 

Now Gravity Surge/Light ‘Em Up simultaneously increases the number of stacks built by each buff tied to Grav Round/Tracer Missile. This small change gets Commandos/Mercenaries into their core gameplay faster and more seamlessly. Additionally, we’ve improved the resource management game and have given Commandos/Mercenaries some armor penetration for better parity with Vanguard/Powertech Assault Specialist/Pyrotech skill trees.

 

We hope this gives a little insight into the changes in store for Commandos in 1.3. Thank you for your feedback!

 

[azhrione]

Greetings Troopers,

 

We know that Commandos have been very concerned with the changes to their class since Game Update 1.2. You may be interested in reading our most recent blog, "Class changes and balance in Game Update 1.3" by Senior Designer Austin Peckenpaugh. Here is what he had to say about Commandos:

 

 

 

We hope this gives a little insight into the changes in store for Commandos in 1.3. Thank you for your feedback!

 

 

Not sure what the goal was here, because if you had read the threads and forums here you would have noted that Gunnery was less concerned with damage or ammo management in PVP and more concerned with the ability to survive.

 

These changes are not going to make Gunnery more viable in PVP, but will help in PVE quite a bit by simplifying the rotation and removing some RNG mess. Assault gets a buff, but not the buff they were looking for and are still not on par with Vanguards who get a ton of synergy with the tier one talents in the other trees and a 100% chance to trigger Plasma Cell.

 

Look here if you want to see what is needed:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=453954

[AmorphousCro]

That dev post reads like "Hey Commandos! We brought you some cake!"

 

Then you find out the cake is made from Head Cheese and Alpo with wallpaper paste frosting.

[azhrione]

That dev post reads like "Hey Commandos! We brought you some cake!"

 

Then you find out the cake is made from Head Cheese and Alpo with wallpaper paste frosting.

 

The cake is a lie.

[Boufsa]

I am not very enthusiast about the news, it sounds more like a pretext for being able to say in the forum roundup "We have posted in the commando forum, we are kind". Actually I already read theses news from PTS patchnotes, and would be more curious about why they did it this way rather than what they did.

 

The better penetration is indeed interesting, as well as the better stacking for the HIB. As for the change to ammo management, I feel like it may effectively be a up in pvp (assuming we can survive long enough for bothering about ammo), but as for pve it feels more like a nerf, since we only had to crit a grav round or FA once every 3s to regen one cell while we will now have to wait every 6s. Poor played commando will improve their dps, but well played commando may feel the opposite.

 

So I won't cheer up like "good job BW u did great", but rather wait and see how it go once 1.3 goes live.

[LilCthulhu]

There are a lot of fools posting here, but let me set the record straight.

...

 

One of the best post about Commando PVP ! Congrats and inspiring.

 

The first thing is, if you have a Razor Mouse, make sure you can use the 2 small buttons near the left button to switch from Combat Support Cell to your main cell (either Armor or Plasma).

 

The way I, and my guild, see my Commando Assault or Combat Medic in PVP : I will die, it's part of my job but your role changes depending on which map you are... Remember that PVP is a team effort, getting those highest scores on DPS or anything else is secondary to VICTORY ! If you play your role, you should get a MVP. Your guild will notice you ! Matter of fact, objectives points should be first in evaluating how good a player did or not !

 

Don't expect your commando to do as well in PVP as he does in OPS ! In OPS you are a DPS. In PVP you are a nuisance, a threat, a tactical target (meaning you need to know when to become an easy target and die so another teammate may survive !), a caper and, most important, SUPPORT !

 

HUTTBALL : SUPPORT ROLE

In Huttball, if we are in control of the ball, I will switch to combat support cell and provide constant healing to the ball carrier... will even run backwards in order to knockback down enemies and clear the way for the ball carrier. I'm not supposed to have the ball, but if I end up carrying it, my best move is to throw it to someone else better suited to carry it and provide support to him.

 

If we are not in the control of the ball, I will switch to offensive cell and do my best to stay out of the way and make the most DPS on healers from the other side... If I'm targeted, I will move away from the ball and kite whoever is dumb enough to follow me in order to kill me. If I got 2 of those, the better ! Most players will target someone who has just targeted them just so they can kill him... make them happy ! Like Inspector Harry would say : "Go Ahead, Make My Day !" In the meanwhile, your teammate don't have to think about that player anymore Go against the meanest one on the other side, if he spends times on you while the ball carrier is getting away, the better !

 

VOIDSTAR, ALDERAAN, N. COAST : AOE DAMAGE AND CAPING

In Voidstar, while in offense, you do the maximum damage with AOE on doors AND you CAP the CRAP out of those doors... If you die, better die while capping ! Most of the time, you are not considered dangerous and will be ignored... so never target a single target, AOE will damage a lot of people while not being a single target ! Try no to be the center of attention. You must remain ignored and CAP ASAP !. Most of the time, the other side won't take care of you and you are through the first door !

 

While defending, continue to do the maximum damage with AOE, stick to one and same door... most of the time ALONE if there's anybody there and use that stealth scan to figure out stealthed players. Hide while the stealth scan is running and CALL FOR HELP ASAP when you feel threatened. We've won a lot of Voidstar that way, while my teammates were defending the other door.

 

ALDERAAN : Same strategy as Voidstar ! You are support, you are a defensive turret, you are there to make sure that capped position is captured and then defended... Your are there to call for help if needed !

 

NOVARE COAST: Same strategy as Voidstar ! You are support, you are a defensive turret, you are there to make sure that capped position is captured and then defended... Your are there to call for help if needed !

[LilCthulhu]

Greetings Troopers,

 

...

 

We hope this gives a little insight into the changes in store for Commandos in 1.3. Thank you for your feedback!

 

Can you tell us why Assault has not been more redesigned ? Why is it that when I play my Commando, I don't feel wearing an heavy armor nor carrying an assault cannon ? It doesn't feel like it should be ! I don't mind the being weaker in melee... I just wished we (commandos) would matter in this game. Actually, why don't one of you guys at BIOWARE, records a video of you playing PVP ? So just we can see what were a doing wrong ?

 

My rotation is getting pretty good nowadays, but my server is dead in regards to PVP ! So I hardly get a chance to get better. That pvp weekly is now a pvp bi-annual and that pvp daily is now a pvp monthly... and I log on around 8:00pm till 00:00pm... This week, I had one game pop up and I was in an OP !

 

I have no problem with CS. I never threatened to unsub. I still want to play that class because I feel comfortable with it... it just doesn't seem right ! You nerfed the shadow instead of doing the adjustments that should have been done to all other classes for PVP. The problem is that it would have unbalanced Operations... so instead of increasing the difficulty on those OPS Boss, you have decided to nerf the shadow because you didn't want to correct all other classes... It doesn't make sense. I'm not the kind of player that wants his character to be a munchkin and overpower every thing else, I just want the class (commando) to feel right !!!

 

Where's the love ?

[oaceen]

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i agree with all of what you posted.

 

once i started taking a defensive role in huttball, things went so much better for me.

i run around the platforms that overlook the middle and knock anyone off that's shooting down into the pit. i make sure that anyone from the other team who tries to camp our side has a big cannon to consider if they want to stay planted.

i throw down a stealth scan every once in a while around the ball spawn and throw out a few spot heals as needed.

 

cryo people running through the fire and knockback anyone on the ledge into the pit below

 

 

 

and about defending points and calling for help. so much this. i know that a lot of classes can easily waste me if they blow all of their cooldowns. and i can similarily do the same, but a 1v1 is always risky when the end result is absolute control of the turret or planting the bomb or not.

i use my stealth scan to spot any stealthers and cryo / mezz / concussion charge / kite / etc. until help arrives.

if i'm defending with someone else, i just burst as much as i can. if i'm defending, i generally have a lot of my cooldowns ready and able whenever someone tries to take it.

[Boufsa]

If we are not in the control of the ball, I will (...) do my best to stay out of the way and make the most DPS on healers from the other side...

 

I assume most of your opponents use the bus strategy? They probably like to have a jumping tank own the ball whith healers on him? It seems to depend a lot on the server, as well as the level of skill of both teams. In a context where there are some unskilled player there, I can't really agree with you.

 

Of course you have to stay out of the way if there are some jumpers, but that's not always the case, it often happens to meet teams with only sorcerers and imperial agents for example. There can be some mara, but they don't always use their jump to place themselves for receiving a pass.

So my first advice is to

1) bump

2) cc in the fire

3) assist dps on the ball owner and count on your mates for bumping/interrupting his healers

4) scan the stealth waiters area.

 

Focusing opposite healers? Of course that's usefull but the distance between your lines and the center is very short and there is IMHO much better to do.

 

As for the guarding task in alderaan/voidstar/novare coast, i don't think it is a reserved task to the commando. Of course we are good at this, but since we are weak 1vs1, if two stealth players attack, you are taken out in no time, and your friend won't be in time especially if you don't have a TS connection. Personnaly, I act acordingly to the situation. Sometimes it is better to have someone else guard the tourret while I am doing aoes and assist focus in the center. While we are tagging, my bump is the most effective way to keep away a massive ennemy income.