Trooper Ability Changes Update 2.0 on PTS

[TeganKing]

Trooper

 

New Ability Highlights

 

Commando: A new ability, Electro Net, has been added. Electro Net ensnares a single target, reducing its movement speed and dealing periodic Energy damage which increases over time if the target is moving. While Electro Net active, the target is also hindered and unable to activate high mobility actions and escapes, such as speed boosts, vanishes, and charges. The ability is trainable at level 51.

Commando: A new Passive ability, Mortar Salvo, has been added. Mortar Salvo allows up to 3 weaker Explosive Rounds to be fired in a row before consuming Energy Cells and going on cooldown for 6 seconds. This ability is trainable at level 10.

Vanguard: A new ability, Shoulder Cannon, has been added. Shoulder Cannon loads missiles over time which can be fired at an enemy target within 10 meters, depleting 1 charge with each missile launched. When all missiles have been depleted, the ability goes on cooldown for 1.5 minutes.

Vanguard: A new Passive ability, Into the Fray, has been added. Into the Fray increases the duration of Reactive Shield by 3 seconds. In addition, suffering direct damage from area of effect attacks restores 2 Energy Cells and heals players for 0.25% of total health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 3 seconds.

 

General

 

The Trooper’s Energy Cells have been reworked to be a 100-pt resource system. Players will see Energy Cells be consumed and regenerate in fractions, and all Energy cell costs will be charged against the new 100-pt total rather than the old 12-pt total.

Hold the Line is now trainable at level 26 for all Troopers. This ability has a duration of 6 seconds, which can be extended to 10 seconds using the skills in the Gunnery and Tactics Skill Trees.

Diversion is now trainable at level 30 for all Troopers.

Blitz has been removed from the game.

Adrenaline Rush has been redesigned. Adrenaline Rush now puts a Health Monitor on the player which will trigger when they drop below 30% health. Once triggered, Adrenaline Rush will heal the player rapidly up to but no higher than 30% of their maximum health. This effect lasts 8 seconds.

 

Commando

 

A new ability, Electro Net, has been added. Electro Net ensnares a single target, reducing its movement speed and dealing periodic Energy damage which increases over time if the target is moving. While Electro Net active, the target is also hindered and unable to activate high mobility actions and escapes, such as speed boosts, vanishes, and charges. The ability is trainable at level 51.

A new Passive ability, Mortar Salvo, has been added. Mortar Salvo allows up to 3 weaker Explosive Rounds to be fired in a row before consuming Energy Cells and going on cooldown for 6 seconds. This ability is trainable at level 10.

Concussion Charge now costs 8 Energy cells (down from 16).

Kolto Bomb is now trainable at level 20 to all Commandos.

Armor-Piercing Cell now additionally increases Alacrity by 3% while active.

Vanguard

A new Passive ability, Into the Fray, has been added. Into the Fray increases the duration of Reactive Shield by 3 seconds. In addition, suffering direct damage from area of effect attacks restores 2 Energy Cells and heals players for 0.25% of total health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 3 seconds.

A new ability, Shoulder Cannon, has been added. Shoulder Cannon loads missiles over time which can be fired at an enemy target within 10 meters, depleting 1 charge with each missile launched. When all missiles have been depleted, the ability goes on cooldown for 1.5 minutes.

Guard: Crowd control effects that break on damage will no longer break from damage redirected through Guard. For example, a blinded guarder will no longer be broken out of the blind from damage dealt to a guarded target within guard range.

Guard: Effects that are triggered through dealing damage which affect a target who is guarded will no longer also affect the guarder.

High Energy Cell will now increase the damage dealt by elemental and internal effects to 8% (up from +5%).

Ion Cell now reduces all damage dealt by 5% while active.

 

Shield Specialist

Smoke Grenade has been redesigned and renamed to Riot Gas. This ability now targets the ground and persists for 15 seconds. Enemies within the area of effect are slowed by 70% and suffer 30% reduced melee and ranged accuracy.

Energy Blast has been redesigned and is now only usable with 3 stacks of Power Screen. Using Energy Blast consumes Power Screen to deal elemental damage, recharge 8 Energy Cells, and increase Shield Absorption by 25% for 6 seconds.

[Rigsta]

I had a quick go against a practice dummy with a thrown-together assault spec just now.

 

Holy moly. Energy net is evil, though it has a 90s cooldown. It lasts 9s, snares for 50%, inflicts a strong DoT, and for every second the enemy moves they get a stacking debuff (max 10) that makes them take an extra 20% damage from the DoT. The icing on the cake: It prevents the use of movement abilities like hold the line, leap, sprint, agent/smuggler rolls etc. Big question: Can anything remove it?

 

Assault spec is very different. Mortar salvo + the skill in the assault tree that makes the 3rd hit auto-apply plasma cell's DoT + HiB's auto-DoT-refresh. It's very mobile now, I was just using one insta-cast after another and keeping that DoT going. I barely even touched incendiary round.

 

Kolto bomb by default means an insta-cast heal without tech override on a short cooldown.

 

All of the above, plus Hold The Line on a 30s cooldown should make commando/merc much more mobile and survivable in PVP. Quite an impressive turnaround; I may actually bring my commando out of PVP retirement.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Rigsta

[SkinzOCAU]

Commando: A new ability, Electro Net, has been added. Electro Net ensnares a single target, reducing its movement speed and dealing periodic Energy damage which increases over time if the target is moving. While Electro Net active, the target is also hindered and unable to activate high mobility actions and escapes, such as speed boosts, vanishes, and charges. The ability is trainable at level 51.

 

Vanguard: A new Passive ability, Into the Fray, has been added. Into the Fray increases the duration of Reactive Shield by 3 seconds. In addition, suffering direct damage from area of effect attacks restores 2 Energy Cells and heals players for 0.25% of total health. This effect cannot occur more than once every 3 seconds.

 

Stupid BW is out of touch with what Commandos need. Let's look past the shoulder cannon for increased DPS. But increasing Vanguard DPS and survivability whilst only increasing Commando utility? STUPID.

 

The Trooper’s Energy Cells have been reworked to be a 100-pt resource system.

Blitz has been removed from the game. .

 

FINALLY

 

Adrenaline Rush has been redesigned. Adrenaline Rush now puts a Health Monitor on the player which will trigger when they drop below 30% health. Once triggered, Adrenaline Rush will heal the player rapidly up to but no higher than 30% of their maximum health. This effect lasts 8 seconds.

 

I think this will be useless unless it is rapid enough. Once I hit 30%, I am usually stunlocked and dead in seconds.

 

Commando

 

A new ability, Electro Net, has been added. Electro Net ensnares a single target, reducing its movement speed and dealing periodic Energy damage which increases over time if the target is moving.

A new Passive ability, Mortar Salvo, has been added.

Concussion Charge now costs 8 Energy cells (down from 16).

Kolto Bomb is now trainable at level 20 to all Commandos.

Armor-Piercing Cell now additionally increases Alacrity by 3% while active.

 

Electro Net - I will have to get onto the PTS to test this and see if it is useful. My guy instinct is it with either suck, or be great then get nerfed hard.

 

Mortar salvo - looks useless. Will have to check the damage.

 

The other changes are nice, but don't really add a lot. A cheaper concussion charge only really helps if we get it more frequently.

Edited February 21, 2013 by SkinzOCAU

[Rigsta]

Mortar salvo - looks useless. Will have to check the damage.

Explosive round was a useless waste of ammo. Now it's not. Especially with assault spec, because it auto-procs plasma cell. I think I saw something about it in the gunnery tree too but can't quite remember. Pushed for time

[CaptianFordo]

Very unhappy with the changes coming for DPS commandos... especially in the gunnery tree. Seeing as my main is a commando...

[ArchangelLBC]

Can we get detailed changes on the skill trees since those haven't been posted please?

[JimmyTheCannon]

Has anyone tried using Electro Net on a boss yet? Obviously the slow won't apply, but I'm curious as to if they'll get the stacking damage debuff if they move (specifically, I'm looking at Kephess the Undying, Ciphas, and Kel'sara, as they're the most mobile bosses I can think of).

[Bleeters]

Can we get detailed changes on the skill trees since those haven't been posted please?

Eeyup.

 

The tree looks like this. A few abilities have been moved around. Starting from the bottom with Gunnery:

 

Havoc Rounds unchanged.

Iron Sights unchanged.

Steadied aim: now a 2 point skill on level one of the tree, reduces pushback on charged bolts, grav round, concussive round and full auto by 35% per point.

 

Charged Barrier: now a level two ability, otherwise unchanged.

Special Munitions: now a 3 point skill, plasma cell increases ranged crit chance by 1/2/3%, armour piercing cell reduces the cost of high impact bolt by 2/4/6 and grav round by 1/2/3, combat support cell increases tech crit chance by 1/2/3%.

Heavy Trooper unchanged.

Muzzle Fluting gone.

 

Concussive Force unchanged.

Grav Round now a 1.5 second cast by default, cost listed as 19 ammo, otherwise appears unchanged.

Deadly Cannon unchanged.

 

Tenacious Defence unchanged.

Charged Barrel unchanged.

Cell Charger now recharges 4/8 energy cells, overall unchanged.

 

Cover Fire unchanged.

Rotary Cannon unchanged.

Gravity Surge unchanged.

Kolto Recharge gone. Replaced with Advance the Line, increases duration of hold the line ability by 4 seconds.

 

Curtain of Fire unchanged.

Reserve Round gone. Replaced with Overclock, reducing cooldown of concussive round by 15 second and tech override by 30 seconds. Also causes tech override to make your next two abilities instant cast.

New skill - Decoy, gvies diversion a 50/100% chance to absorb the next incoming tech or force attack, lasts 6 seconds.

 

Demolition Round moved.

New skill - Reflexive Shield. Taking damage has a 50/100% chance to reduce the cooldown of reactive shield by 1.5/3 seconds, cannot occure more than once every 1.5 seconds. In addition, when taking damage, adds a 10/20% chance to emit an energy redoubt, absorbing a low amount of damage, lasts 6 seconds, cannot occur more than once every 10 seconds.

New skill - Charged Launcher, increases damage done by grav round, demolition round, high impact bolt and electro net by 2/4/6%.

 

Demolition Round seems unchanged.

 

I'll have a look through the other skill trees when I get the time later, see what else has changed.

 

Initial thoughts: Charged Launcher dat's what's up dat's what's up in a cup in a cup nst nst nst nst.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Bleeters

[ArchangelLBC]

Hmm if I understand the ammo conversions right we just lost our free high impact bolts with set bonus since high impact bolt would normally be 16 ammo (so 8 with the set bonus). Can anyone confirm whether or not this is true?

 

Also still don't like losing my 90 second Reserve Power Cell =/

[Bleeters]

Also still don't like losing my 90 second Reserve Power Cell =/

I imagine the change to alacrity that causes it to increase ammo regen is probably going to help offset the difference. Not that I've really looked into that - math isn't really my thing - but the 4% from weapon calibrations and the 3% from armour piercing cell should help.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Bleeters

[ArchangelLBC]

I imagine the change to alacrity that causes it to increase ammo regen is probably going to help offset the difference. Not that I've really looked into that - math isn't really my thing - but the 4% from weapon calibrations and the 3% from armour piercing cell should help.

 

Along with the 7% alacrity (if you get the proc in CM tree) from talents yeah. I was hoping you could get all of First Responder AND weapon calibrations, but thems the breaks. You may be right, and I certainly hope you are. What about that free HiB? Is it costing 2 ammo now or something (out of 100)?

 

Can you detail the Assault and CM changes as well?

[SpaniardInfinity]

For the Combat Medic tree:

 

Effective Conversions (makes knockback, mez, and stun all free) is lower in the tree

 

Supercharged Cells is moved up in the tree (where Kolto Bomb used to be). It now reduces the cost of Full Auto 100%. No other changes.

 

Kolto Pods takes the place of Effective Conversions in the tree so it is still in reach for a possible hybrid (along with Kolto Residue).

 

No other major changes except for the two new skills high in the tree (Probe Medic/Kolto Wave).

 

Other changes that I've noticed (as a healer)

 

Special Munitions (currently a 1 point skill) is now 3 points. There is an accuracy increase in the skill tree tied to Target Lock (the ability that increases the armor pen of HiB/FA).

[Bleeters]

My character copy hasn't gone through, but on the pts the four set bonus of eliminator gear says reduces the cost by 8, and the new gear has a different bonus, which increases the damage by 8%. So yeah, I guess we're losing our free HiB.

 

As far as Assault talents go, I'll list the same as Gunnery. Bear in mind I've basically never played Assault, so I'm basically just comparing to the calculator on torhead in terms of what's different.

 

Target Lock now increases ranged/tech hit chance by 1/2/3%, in addition to the current armour penetration bonus.

Weapons Calibration reduced to 1/2% alacrity.

Solder's Endurance unchanged.

 

Superheated Plasma is now 10/20/30% extra damage and 3/6/9% extra chance to proc.

Sweltering Heat unchanged.

Parallactic Combat Stims unchanged.

 

Degauss moved, replaced with Electo Shield, giving reactive shield a 50/100% chance to damage attackers for elemental damage (listed as 385 for my pts commando, but her gear is basically columi level), can only proc once per second.

High Friction Bolts unchanged.

Incendiary Round seems the same, except the energy cost is listed as 25.

Nightvision Scope unchanged.

 

Rapid Recharge moved.

New skill - Suit FOE, when using field aid on yourself, you take 15/30% less damage from periodic effects for 6 seconds.

Ionic Accelerator reduced to 1 rank, same effect.

New skill - Hyper Assault Rounds, reduced cost of explosive round by 2/4, also gives the third explosive round used in mortar salvo a 50/100% chance to proc plasma cell.

 

Reflexive Shield gone (moved to Gunnery, I guess).

Assault Trooper now increases critical damage of charged bolts. Otherwise unchanged.

Rain of Fire unchanged.

 

Degauss moved here, now removes all movement impairing effects when using diversion.

Burnout unchanged.

 

Assault Plastique moved.

Rapid Recharge moved here, now increases alacrity by 1/2% and reduces cooldown of recharge cells and reserve powercell by 15/30 seconds.

New skill - Hyper Barrels, reduces cost of charged bolts by 3 and cooldown of full auto by 3 seconds. Also increases damage of high impact bolt, full auto and charged bolts by 6%

New skill - Reflexive Battery, increases damage of concussive charge by 15/30%, taking damage reduces cooldown on concussive charge by 0.5/1 second, can only proc once every second.

 

Assault Plastique seems unchanged.

 

So... yeah. Nerfing weapon calibrations but reducing the amount of accuracy we need. Hmm.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Bleeters

[Bleeters]

Another change I noticed for Combat Medic - first responder is down to 3% alacrity.

 

[dmanlong]

Another change I noticed for Combat Medic - first responder is down to 3% alacrity.

 

 

But now alacrity is actually useful.

[jesseleeca]

Anyone have actual numbers as to how hard Electro Net hits for?

[TrooperSol]

I still don't understand how Mortar Salva is supposed to work. It says it depletes all energy cells, but is it actually going to cost us ammo now? The same thing goes for the vanguard missle ability, it seems like that is a free ability, but it would help if anyone as tested these and can provide some insight.

 

Other than those i love the changes. With that new ability in the top of the tree increasing damage, I can understand lowering demo rounds damage, and Grav round seems like its still going to be much harder, despite lowering the min damage.

[LtBombshell]

Clearly Commandos didn't get buffed as much as other classes, but I still am excited for some of the changes. In particular:

 

Special Munitions: now a 3 point skill, plasma cell increases ranged crit chance by 1/2/3%, armour piercing cell reduces the cost of high impact bolt by 2/4/6 and grav round by 1/2/3, combat support cell increases tech crit chance by 1/2/3%.

 

New skill - Charged Launcher, increases damage done by grav round, demolition round, high impact bolt and electro net by 2/4/6%.

 

Why? Ammo doesn't deplete as fast and moar damage.

[ScytheEleven]

Seriously? It's kinda the same attitude over on the Merc forum...that they didn't get "buffed" as much as other classes.

 

You did. Your PVE damage is going to skyrocket now. You will probably be above Vanguard's in terms of PVE DPS now since they get a nerf to their rail shot.

 

So you won't become kings of PVP, big deal. You're going to kill stuff really, really fast in PVE now though.

[Flying-Brian]

Hmm if I understand the ammo conversions right we just lost our free high impact bolts with set bonus since high impact bolt would normally be 16 ammo (so 8 with the set bonus). Can anyone confirm whether or not this is true?

 

Also still don't like losing my 90 second Reserve Power Cell =/

 

Yes, the 4 piece PVE set bonus has been changed and is now the same as the combat tech set, giving you a +8% damage boost to high impact bolt.

 

Also weapon calibrations was changed and now only offers 1% alacrity per point.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Flying-Brian

[Flying-Brian]

You did. Your PVE damage is going to skyrocket now. You will probably be above Vanguard's in terms of PVE DPS now since they get a nerf to their rail shot.

You're going to kill stuff really, really fast in PVE now though.

 

Not really.

 

From the limited playing around I was able to do last night, the new DR balancing for stats seems to have everything messed up. While attacks are doing more damage (as they should at level 55), they are not doing that much more.

 

And with the way the trees have been moved around, for gunnery you are now forced to take skills that have no real effect on PVE play in order to get back up to demo round at the top of the tree.

 

But, at the current gearing leveling that are available to use on the PTS, there is no way to fully min/max either, so it's unknown what the high end DPS potential actually is. Because even with being able to slot with any of the L69 mod/enhancements (since those you can get from the free gear) there is no way to optimize acc/crit/surge levels to what they were in pre 2.0 gear.

[Flying-Brian]

New trooper skill tree from the PTS.

http://pts.swtor-spy.com/skill-tree-calculator/commando/223/

[mikphobos]

so unhappy with the commando healer, changes

 

we are still the weak healer, we are still not as usefull, fine we do have new shiny tools, but guess what, the other TWO healers Does as well

 

and after check and read the new skills of the three of them we are still under them , and i mean years light under them, PVE and PVP wise, does Bioware have a idea of what is really happening here and what the commando healer really does need?

[ScytheEleven]

Not really.

 

From the limited playing around I was able to do last night, the new DR balancing for stats seems to have everything messed up. While attacks are doing more damage (as they should at level 55), they are not doing that much more.

 

And with the way the trees have been moved around, for gunnery you are now forced to take skills that have no real effect on PVE play in order to get back up to demo round at the top of the tree.

 

But, at the current gearing leveling that are available to use on the PTS, there is no way to fully min/max either, so it's unknown what the high end DPS potential actually is. Because even with being able to slot with any of the L69 mod/enhancements (since those you can get from the free gear) there is no way to optimize acc/crit/surge levels to what they were in pre 2.0 gear.

 

I'm not sure I really follow you...but perhaps it's because I run a PT Pyro.

 

From what I can see, you get an 8% buff to high impact bolt from your new set bonus, all the while raising the heat cost of high impact bolt by 2 essentially (so now it costs 10...I know it costs 10 heat for mercs, I think with your new ammo pool it costs 10 energy cells or ammo or whatever). So with your new passive ability, you're getting a 14% damage boost to high impact bolt, not to mention a 6% boost to demo round and grav round.

 

Idk, seems pretty awesome to me lol

Edited February 22, 2013 by ScytheEleven

[Flying-Brian]

I'm not sure I really follow you...but perhaps it's because I run a PT Pyro.

 

A direct comparison between lvl 50 damage and lvl 55 damage is hard to do right now because on the PTS you are doing more damage only because of the level/stat increase.

 

On live @ lvl 50, gear is min/max'd so you are able to see the full amount of DPS that can be done.

 

On pts @ lvl 55, you can not get min/max'd gear with optimized stats, because there is a change to secondary stat balance.

 

For example, on live I run with a 214 crit rating, this gives me 36.82% ranged crit. Last night on the PTS I had a 401 crit rating, which which put my crit at a little bit over 27%.

 

It's going to take some time to find out the new optimal min/max build, and then we'll be able to see what the true dps gains will be.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Flying-Brian