Please allow Commandos to equip shield generator

[wozzisan]

Requested in the context of PvP, then we can at least balance some survivability against our lack of mobility with throughput.

 

Thank you.

[oaceen]

you realize shields are mostly useless in pvp right?

 

i agree that commandos need more survivability, but i don't think shields are the answer (plus, it would break a lot of class balance issues)

[wozzisan]

I didn't realise shields have little effect on PvP.

 

I just reasoned if a dps or heal geared Commando equipped one without gearing for it, it might be a simple solution to creating a little extra survivability without upsetting class balance.

[MGNMTTRN]

Shields also have an inherent penalty to Tech Power. Take the same armoring and move it from a focus or shield, and the shield will give less Tech Power, purely because it's a shield.

[Kitru]

I just reasoned if a dps or heal geared Commando equipped one without gearing for it, it might be a simple solution to creating a little extra survivability without upsetting class balance.

 

Without gear or stance, Shields provide a mere 5% shield chance for 20% absorb. That's a whole 1% mitigation. Considering Shields provide only 2/3rds of the Tech/Force Power of a Generator/Focus, you're coughing up upwards of 225 Tech Power (~50 Bonus Damage) for a mere 1% damage reduction on M/R attacks. Without the stats *and* the stance to back up a Shield, it's useless, so useless, in fact, that most tanks don't even bother equipping a shield until their mid-30s, when gear finally starts getting appropriate tank stats to justify using one.