Changes to sorcs/sages 1.4

[xstortion]

Sorcerers and Sages:

 

Force Speed now has a 20-second cooldown (down from 30) for all Consulars and Inquisitors.

New Sorcerer/Sage ability, Unnatural Preservation/Force Mend: Heal yourself for a moderate amount. Only usable on yourself. Instant, costs no Force, 30-second cooldown. This ability is trainable at level 18.

Dark Resilience/Valiance: Now additionally increases the healing dealt by Unnatural Preservation/Force Mend by 15% per point.

Fadeout/Egress has been redesigned. Now causes Force Speed to remove all roots and snares and grant immunity to roots and snares for the duration.

Polarity Shift/Mental Alacrity now additionally grants immunity to interrupts for the duration. Improved visual FX to demonstrate this effect.

Backlash/Kinetic Collapse: The incapacitation effect caused by this skill no longer breaks on damage.

[Windybanker]

I love the changes, this Sorc Healer is very happy.

[RussMeister]

I think the resolve changes will have an even more positive impact on Sorc pvp than these....sorc's were always the ones impacted most negatively by the current resolve system and these changes could benefit them positively.

[xstortion]

Fadeout/Egress has been redesigned. Now causes Force Speed to remove all roots and snares and grant immunity to roots and snares for the duration.

 

 

This is huge for me I love this.

[veyl]

These changes are only good for Healing and Lightning Sorcs. Gives more survivability to the healer and gives lightning more viability in pvp.

 

However: No change to Madness sorc dot damage, survivability or burst. There's still no defensive Cooldown (depending on how much this instant heal goes for... if moderate is 2k? It's a joke.) Dark Infusion is still the longest hard cast in the game for the same value of the Merc/Operative healer big heals (at 1.8 second casts vs 2.2) The stun being on a 10 meter range will make spacing even more difficult. Using Overload to get melee off you will now involve 180 spins while you're running away to give space....

 

At least some of these changes addressed a few things that the sorc community talked about, right? This patch will do nothing but force PVP sorcs to play lightning or healer builds until the next patch hits.

 

I really hope there's more to this patch on the PVE spectrum.

[wainot-keel]

I love the changes, this Sorc Healer is very happy.

 

yup, the free self heal will help with consumption. and getting away from or getting to fast is always nice.

[Chaqen]

yup, the free self heal will help with consumption. and getting away from or getting to fast is always nice.

 

I am wondering if the free self heal will make resource management as a sorc even easier as it stands now. I always have noticed that a good sorc was able to keep their force up by consuming majority of the time while standing in their aoe heal, while bad sorcs would usually be tapped dry of focus at the end of any decently long fight in pve.

 

Wasnt consumption changed back in 1.2 because resource management was to easy?

[MythicalKnight]

You forgot the range reduction on Electrocute from 30m to 10m. *sigh* just one more pvp change that affects pve more than anything else......

[wainot-keel]

Wasnt consumption changed back in 1.2 because resource management was to easy?

 

I didnt have sorc/healer leveled up prior to1.2, but I dont think it was consumption that they changed, but the proc from Innervate. Before 1.2, with the proc up, you didnt have any negative effects from using consumption. Now it only prevents the force regen debuff, but it does take a not so small amount of your health.

As of now, the best way to optimize your Consumption usage is by standing near your own circles

 

The other day I saw a vid for Jarg and Sorno on Nightmare mode from Sorc healer pov... *sigh* Every Innervate, puff, Consumption. I don't think his/her force was ever below 70% percent at any time.

[wainot-keel]

You forgot the range reduction on Electrocute from 30m to 10m. *sigh* just one more pvp change that affects pve more than anything else......

 

ugh... I missed that changed :mad:

good grief....

[Fireswraith]

There are some OK changes. But like someone said, they don't help Madness any; they only help Lightning/Hybrids really. But even still, most of the nice changes require you to respec and sacrifice some things to get the new stuff. The only 31 pt spec that is helped here is Lightning. And as far as hybrids go the one that really got helped the most is Heal/Lightning. But again as I said, it still requires you to sacrifice in order to put points into abilities you would mostly never have touched before.

 

•Electrocute and Force Stun now have a 10-meter range.

Makes me sad

 

•Overload and Force Wave have been redesigned. These abilities now knock back all targets within a 15-meter 120-degree cone in front of you. Furthermore, these abilities now knock back all potential targets instantly; they no longer wait for an animation note at the end of the ability animation.

Makes me sad, they should have also increased the distance it knocks back with change like this.

 

•Force Speed now has a 20-second cooldown (down from 30) for all Consulars and Inquisitors.

Nice change. even though Assassin's still got it better with SO FAR an additional 15 second reduction for a whopping 5 SECOND CD. But I am sure that will get changed.

 

•New Sorcerer/Sage ability, Unnatural Preservation/Force Mend: Heal yourself for a moderate amount. Only usable on yourself. Instant, costs no Force, 30-second cooldown. This ability is trainable at level 18.

Nice change assuming it heals for a decently good amount, meaning over 2k standard noncrit. The change to Dark Resilience may help with the added 30%.

 

•Fadeout/Egress has been redesigned. Now causes Force Speed to remove all roots and snares and grant immunity to roots and snares for the duration.

An "interesting" change.

 

•Polarity Shift/Mental Alacrity now additionally grants immunity to interrupts for the duration. Improved visual FX to demonstrate this effect.

Ok, not bad. PvP centered though.

 

•Backlash/Kinetic Collapse: The incapacitation effect caused by this skill no longer breaks on damage

Not that interesting in my opinion.

[ShupFace]

A bit disappointing really...

[Chemic_al]

Well, at least we know now have confirmation of the following.

 

a) Bioware hate sorcs

b) Bioware haven't got a clue about balance

c) The holy metrics are garbage.

d) The overload change is idiotic

e) Sorcs should invest in a lubricant of their choice, we're getting another HUGE nerf for no good reason.

[veyl]

The metrics are flawed because we can pad scoreboard damage meters. (It was the same issue before 1.2 as well) They're definitely not looking at how long it takes an sorc/sage dps to die, that's for sure.

[Phinub]

I was kind of hopeful that seeing the sorc changes would lead me to resub, but alas. Looks like the 'skill cap' for dps sorcs is going up once again, at least corruption sorcs will get some nice things out of it.

 

Good job Bioware. Morons.

[metalfenix]

I only see on this update nerfs to two of my most used skills (overlap and electrocute) and a new heal wich we are not sure how much it will do.

 

Bravo bioware, for nerfing to the ground an already squishy class.

[dougiepants]

This is the best attempt yet that BW has made to help our class survive since nerfing us to hell in the 1.2 patch. I'm looking very forward to seeing how useful all of this will really be. All sorcs just became the ball carriers in huttball

[Hairyzac]

The changes to electrocute and overload are asinine.

[LillisNicholas]

I just read the News about the 1.4 patch for Sorcerer's and i'm a little upset. It seems like the new Heal for Sorcerers is not going to be a very good, one because it is an instant cast making it very effective in PVP and PVE, and two (I may be wrong on this) it cost no force! So I'm guessing there going to make it a low healing ability so we don't become OP healers. But this is not what upsets me. I cant believe that there only going to improve Sorcerer's who have gone into the lightning and healing skill tree. What about us madness PVE Sorcerer's all were getting is a lower cool down for force slow and.....nerfs on Electrecute. Already Sorcerer's got nerfed in 1.2 but now madness DPS sorcerer's are going to get nerfed. I guess its time to go into lightning....(sigh).

[Boyana]

I am wondering if the free self heal will make resource management as a sorc even easier as it stands now. I always have noticed that a good sorc was able to keep their force up by consuming majority of the time while standing in their aoe heal, while bad sorcs would usually be tapped dry of focus at the end of any decently long fight in pve.

 

Wasnt consumption changed back in 1.2 because resource management was to easy?

 

 

In PvP, organized team will push/pull you out of aoe heal (if you menage to even cast one).

I think these changes are mostly for PvP and it doesn't effect PvE healing in any negative way.

I do like changes and I think they did a good job. Kinda scared of "Nerf Sorcs, Bioware!" posts, tho.

 

I do know Electrocute and Overload have been 'nerfed' but I am sure immunity to roots is much, much better.

I do remember people complaining how Overload is even silly to use sometimes. Tbh, I used it mainly to interrupt. Overloading a warrior without having talents to root him is just not as effective as immunity will be. Yes, I do find it silly it is frontal only. I do not like it but...immunity to roots!

Electrocute has 10m range now. I do NOT like it but I still can see the use of it. Not going to lie, melee classes were usually at my back 5m away so having a 10m is working fine for me. Sadly, we won't be able to interrupt 'capping' but others won't be able to interrupt us by standing behind pillars .

 

I can't see why would anyone hate on these changes o.o. Tbh, when I saw it I was surprised that we got that immunity.

 

Edit: This is just my opinion but if they kept Electrocute the way it is, that would be op combined with immunity.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Boyana

[AdmiralParmesan]

This entire patch seems bad. More nerfs for dps mercs and sorcs and buffs for healing sorc/merc.

 

This electrocute range reduction is a huge nerf to our class and the overlaod change while cool, seems like it will be a nerf as well.

 

This patch failed to address the main problems of sorc dps. Sorc dps lacks burst and survivabilty potential. Madness will still have survivability/force regen problems in pvp. Sorc healing will be better overall and lightning spec may be decent enough to use in pvp.

 

Sadly your only real choice for competitive pvp is still healing. Still no reason not to bring a powertech/sniper/mara instead of a sorc/merc dps.

[AdmiralParmesan]

In PvP, organized team will push/pull you out of aoe heal (if you menage to even cast one).

I think these changes are mostly for PvP and it doesn't effect PvE healing in any negative way.

I do like changes and I think they did a good job. Kinda scared of "Nerf Sorcs, Bioware!" posts, tho.

 

I do know Electrocute and Overload have been 'nerfed' but I am sure immunity to roots is much, much better.

I do remember people complaining how Overload is even silly to use sometimes. Tbh, I used it mainly to interrupt. Overloading a warrior without having talents to root him is just not as effective as immunity will be.

Electrocute has 10m range now. I do NOT like it but I still can see the use of it. Not going to lie, melee classes were usually at my back 5m away so having a 10m is working fine for me. Sadly, we won't be able to interrupt 'capping' but others won't be able to interrupt us by standing behind pillars .

 

I can't see why would anyone hate on these changes o.o. Tbh, when I saw it I was surprised that we got that immunity.

 

 

The root immunity is only for healing sorcs. Dps sorcs will have to drop their 31 point talents in order to get it.

[Hairyzac]

Sorcerers have NO defensive cooldown. ALL WE HAVE IS OVERLOAD TO SAVE OURSELVES AND NOW IT IS NERFED HARD. Do you know how many times we will position ourselves PERFECTLY in 1.4 only for Overload to fail due to latency putting the person just outside of the cone or just behind you??? This is asinine straight up they have NO IDEA what they are doing. Also what does putting a 10m range on electrocute accomplish? I KNOW it nerfs sorcs even further into the ground awesome. BW you are the worst game designers in history really.

[Boyana]

Nvm.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Boyana

[Sundragon]

DPS hybrid spec here, valor rank 100, WH gear, all the datacrons, etc. etc. etc. Yes, my DPS sorc is mostly likely better than yours. Anyway....

 

The changes for DPS sorcs are bad. Very bad.

 

Most DPS sorcs rely on insta-cast spells or channeled spells that have no cooldown. If you want to play a DPS with big activation times, there are other classes that have it and can deal bigger hits. We exchange big hits for extreme mobility and lots of utility (pulls, stuns, roots, mez, force speed, etc) with the occassional heal spell. So now if I spec high in lightning I can be un-interrupted for 10 seconds.....I'm never interrupted anyway as everything is instant cast or channeled with no cooldown....useless for Hybrid/Madness, only useful for those rare folks who spec very high in lightning (why?).

 

Look at the changes. We get force speed to 20 seconds....I already spec for the 20-second force speed. No mention if that goes to 10 seconds now. This would be a modest boost if it does; if not then it's meh, nothing.

 

We got our stun reduced to 10 meters from 30 meters. Since some players have 30m range to hit you, sometimes a stun was what was needed. Now they can still hit you from 30m range, but you can't stun them. Clearly this lowers our survivability.

 

We got overload reduced to frontal 120-degree arc instead of 360-degree arc. This is a pretty big nerf, as anyone chasing you can still chase you, or you have to turn and face them, which just allows them to hit you a few more times than they would have if you had a 360-degree knockback + root. If they are surrounding you, you're now doomed.

 

In exchange, we get a modest insta-cast heal every 30 seconds...which probably activates your global cooldown. No word yet on what "modest" is, but ranked warzone groups don't want a dps that has a good heal ability...anything less than 5k is useless; I suspect it will remain well short of that.

 

Without a major increase in damage, the class went from being considered mildly underpowered to now a joke. This pretty much forces sorcs to go healing; my operative healer already heals for 500-700k per warzone, so not sure why I should play a sorc at all then.