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AP is great in 1.4...except that dodgy flamethrower!


FeralPug

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I'm really enjoying the positive changes to AP in 1.4. It's truly becoming a viable class.

 

There is one glaring issue however: flamethrower is dodgy as hell.

 

I will often setup flame thrower only to have damage/snare not apply to my targets. These are not 'misses' or 'immunities', but obvious non-application of the flamethrower ability (I see this with another AOE move on my mara: smash). Frequently I'll have folks jog right through my full stack flame thrower to no effect.

 

If AP is ever going to feel right for PVP, flamethrower affects are something we have to count on.

 

Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

Edited by FeralPug
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Yes.

In order to fully fix this issue you have to change how flame thrower channels.

Basically flame thrower has to become like how force lightning works for sin, a target specific channel while make the damage splash off the main target including the flame path between you to the main target but then flame thrower will auto facing as well.

 

Main reason FT is functioning as is is due to the damage is applied once a second cooped with latency a lot of times it looks like you are hitting someone but hes not really there. He could be just inches away to the effective cone and tak no damage but on YOUR screen he might be in the dead center of it.

 

But either way FT at full stack does some amazing damage if all ticks land.

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This is the main reason I won't go back to AP.

 

The spec is very reliant on PFT for damage potential, and the ability is wonky at best, with the server sync problems this game has. Most of the time, PFT seems like it only ever lands on 1 target for the full duration, even if there are several in the damage arc. Not to mention, it's practically a requirement to also have to use HO before PFT so that you don't get stunned in the middle of channeling it.

 

Keep the Immolate animation, but make the top tier talent in the AP tree PFT, and have it instant cast with initial damage + elemental DoT ticks. That's the only way this spec will work like it should. 3 stacks instead of 5 is a much needed improvement, but it's not enough. AP is still the ugly red-headed stepchild.

Edited by TheronFett
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Not to hijack your thread but i noticed something tonight that has peaved.

 

Did anyone notice how lame Death from above is now. Am lvl 44 and used Death from above on a group of 3 lvl 37 and it didnt kill not one of them. Better yet in ever situation i use DFA the mobs get back up.

 

It hits like a freaking wet noodle now.. am not sure i even want to use the heat using it anymore.

Edited by darkwingduk
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Damn that dodgy flamethrower! :D

 

I completely agree, I still feel they should up the damage on flamethrower a little to compensate for the high risk of using it (wasting 25 heat when you get interrupted/cc'ed, having to stay stationary, not hitting anything for 3 seconds when targets glitch out of range, etc.) But even as it is, the spec is fun to play and performs reasonably well. I especially enjoy hunting down Pyrotech's/Assault Vanguards which is actually a surprisingly close fight now.

 

Not to hijack your thread but i noticed something tonight that has peaved.

 

Did anyone notice how lame Death from above is now. Am lvl 44 and used Death from above on a group of 3 lvl 37 and it didnt kill not one of them. Better yet in ever situation i use DFA the mobs get back up.

 

It hits like a freaking wet noodle now.. am not sure i even want to use the heat using it anymore.

 

As far as I know DFA hasn't changed with 1.4, it's still pretty good though no longer as fun as it was before 1.2. I still don't understand why they nerfed it back then...:(

Edited by LordExozone
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  • 3 weeks later...

completely agree, would love if either of your two ideas work, either make it a single cast channel like unload, with aoe splash damage, or have it be the last thing in the spec with instant apply and dot, but the thing is then you need something to replace the damage that Immolate would have had, because currently you get 60% damage flamethrower plus over 3k damage from immolate, so if you made the last thing a flamethrower immolate hybrid with dot damage, you would need something that costs two skill points that would deal 3k damage, I would personally suggest a blaster ability, because as a Powertech AP I feel lacking in blaster/missile attacks.

Just my thoughts though love this thread as in PVP and PvE i have had issues with this as well, really hopes BW/EA looks at this, good luck fellas!

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To add onto that, i just thought of, it could be two skill points that say, every time you casted explosive dart or like rocket punch, or some queue ability; it would increase the damage of Unload by, say 15%, stacks up to 3 times, for a total of 45% more damage on unload. It would give AP a good ranged ability, and allow to keep the damage we would have lost from said change of PFT becoming last ability in skill tree.

Just my thoughts, again

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