ranged vs melee

[SYYK]

Ranged classes (gunslingers and commandos / snipers and mercenaries) need abilities that counter interruption.

 

Melee classes have mostly instant attacks that cannot be interrupted, while at the same time interrupting the main attacks of ranged classes. Yes there is knock-back, but melee classes also possess skills to counter knock-backs, such as knock-back immunity, and closing abilities; ranged classes have no counter for interruption.

 

In essence, melee classes have the ability to thwart damage, every 8 or 12 seconds. However much of the cast bar was filled, and the loss of that particular ability for 4 seconds, coupled with whatever time it takes to activate another ability, was time spent doing no/reduced damage.

 

On the flip side, melee classes have a plethora of counters to getting knocked back, depending on the class. If they get knocked back they can cloak to close the gap while taking no damage, jump to close the gap (which deals damage and is an interrupt itself), pull (which deals no damage but is also an interrupt), or activate certain defensive abilities which negates knock-back vulnerability entirely.

 

This is not to mention that knock-back also fills the resolve bar, which means ranged classes have a limited combination of stunning and knocking back (to which they'd close again rather quickly anyway) before these options are no longer available. Melee classes can stun, then use any combination of the skills mentioned to their hearts desire without filling resolve; not that resolve would make a difference since interrupt isn't affected by resolve.

 

Players will aim to interrupt their opponents' best damage per second skill. Removing that skill means that player is operating sub-optimally, and will have to rely on less effective abilities. The fact that melee can cause ranged to operate sub par, and not vice-versa without the ability to counter, is a blatant imbalance.

 

Either improve the effectiveness of knock-back by limiting knock-back counters, or add interruption counters.

Interruption counters would need to take into consideration the number of knock-back counters available, and the fact that knock-back is affected by resolve. I am not saying knock-back should not be affected by resolve, nor that interruption should (though pulling/grappling should), but this fact should be taken into consideration.

[Stacksamus]

I think this is more of an issue as your lvling up in PVP. At 50, I have found it does not matter which of the three classes I have played (Marauder/Bounty Hunter/Sniper) I have moves to counter some of the enemy stuff and the enemy has counters for some of my stuff.

 

On my sniper though, I do not often fail on a 1 to 1 with a melee class where gear is the same lvlish.

 

I use cover pulse followed by leg shot. They use their escape move, I throw in a flash bang, DPS a bit then I use Deliberate, dps some more. At this point I pop all my defensive moves and drop an orb strike on myself. They are dead or run off. Oh I also drop my interrupt in there too lol.

 

I use Ambush and Orb strike while they are stunned so that I can't be CC'd as they are my longest moves. I also have they Laze target, Alacrity trinket and Adrenal which gives me instant snipes too, which is devastating.

 

I think each class has its own pros and cons.

[SYYK]

I have not played sniper, and I know gunslinger and snipers are not mirrored classes. So i cannot attest to your experience as a sniper. Perhaps they are an exception, or perhaps you have not fought the right melee players.

 

Perhaps I should have narrowed down to the topic of interruption and melee classes.

 

I do know the most effective attacks of most ranged classes are channeled or cast, ripe for interruption.

I have personally used, and had used against me, a combination of interrupts and stuns to the effect of completely shutting down a caster for the majority of a fight; that is without using defensive abilities. I can attest to its effectiveness against most ranged classes.

 

What is there to counter this combination? Nothing. All these attacks are instant, and the only thing that comes close to a counter is knock-back or displacing. Get them out of range of those abilities and it's an effective counter. The problem lies in the counter of the counter. Melee have knock-back counters, what then?

Edited June 1, 2012 by SYYK