[suggestion] Hybrid spec killer

[Lawnmow]

So I have been on the PTS, played almost every class and every spec and it seems to me that everyone is always looking for hybrid specs to get the best of both worlds in terms of DPS/heals or DPS/tank. I think this is great for solo questing, heck nothing beats my DPS/tank hybrid sin when im doing dailys or messing around with friends.

 

But in terms of game balance and pvp it is a NIGHTMARE for devs and can outright SUCK (*cough bubble spec cough*). so my suggestion to destroy hybrids once and for all is a top of the tree bonus. give players an incentive to obtain that shinning star on top of that tree!

 

These bonuses could include extra crit chance on you hard hitters, or an increase to bonus heals, maybe a shorter CD on your defensives! the point is MAKE PEOPLE WANT THE TOP OF THE TREE. Lets post some ideas to help BW with their hybrid spec issues and maybe this will also bring balance to the DPS classes so one class doesnt utterly destroy others (*cough 3k dps PT/ VG cough*)

[Lawnmow]

Here are some of my ideas:

 

Assassin/Shadow

Darkness/Kinetic: Increase armor by 20%

Infiltration/Deception: Critical chance of shock and discharge increased by 3% per stack, stacks up to 5 times. stacks reset after a crit. (stacks gained for each hit for Voltaic slash)

Madness/Balance: Dots have a 30% chance to tick twice for 50% damage

 

 

-more to come after i hear some input from others

Edited March 14, 2013 by Lawnmow

[bbare]

Here are some of my ideas:

 

Assassin/Shadow

Darkness/Kinetic: Increase armor by 20%

Infiltration/Deception: Critical chance of shock and discharge increased by 3% per stack, stacks up to 5 times. stacks reset after a crit. (stacks gained for each hit for Voltaic slash)

Madness/Balance: Dots have a 30% chance to tick twice for 50% damage

 

 

-more to come after i hear some input from others

 

Assassin tanks require the least amount of heals over time. A 20% armor buff would make them invincible.

 

The other two probably would be reasonable, but the madness one would probably have to be assassin only.

Edited March 14, 2013 by bbare

[Lawnmow]

considering that the 20% armor increase from the tree was taken out they now have the weakest damage reduction in game. about 35% or so compaired to jugs and PTs with 50%+. but this is what the thread is here for. what is your idea?

[JackNader]

I like your idea TBH.

[KeyboardNinja]

considering that the 20% armor increase from the tree was taken out they now have the weakest damage reduction in game. about 35% or so compaired to jugs and PTs with 50%+. but this is what the thread is here for. what is your idea?

 

No, bbare is correct. A 20% armor boost for shadow/assassin tanks would be INSANE. No one sane would use any other tank class.

 

You can't just add bonuses into the trees without considering class balance. That's the larger point that bbare is making. What you're talking about would effectively kill hybrids, yes, but it would also utterly demolish relative class balance.

 

As a rule, the top-tier abilities are pretty good. Very few hybrids exist that are actually viable in PvE, which is where things like general class balance really get shaken out. The problem is that PvP allows for extremely role-specialized players (e.g. a healer that can't heal in a sustainable fashion, but can turn the whole team into a stun machine). This brings out the potential for a lot of hybrids that would otherwise be completely non-viable.

 

I don't think BioWare can ever truly destroy hybrids, and really I don't think that's their intention. The meta-game is constantly shifting, and new hybrids will continue to emerge that have one advantage or another. Very few of them will be viable in PvE, where fights are longer and sustained balance is more important than short-term utility/burst, but they will continue to appear in PvP whether we like it or not.

[Ghostee]

I like hybrids and aside from early commandos let's be honest, hybrid specs dont offer dual roles, they just offer an alternative playstyle, usually at a high cost.

 

of course everyone can cite the 31/31/31 spec but in actuality hybrids are just fun gimmicks

[Lawnmow]

obviously the examples i gave for assassins are just for assassins. every class would have a top of the tree buff. You do make a good point that its hard for a hybrid spec to be good in pve. but i think it would be an incentive for pvpers to stick to full builds. instead of finding ways to beat the system with full utility classes. Dont get me wrong utility is vital in pvp, but when you have a class with 3 CCs, a pull, taunt capabilities, guard capabilities, stealth, and dealing heavy damage. its a pvp dream! Edited March 14, 2013 by Lawnmow

[Monterone]

OR...

 

they could just fix all the 31/36 point talents and make them appealing and worth picking up.

 

You surely don't think Rage or Carnage needs another bonus or an incentive to go full tree? You'd be crazy NOT to go full tree. Or Engineering, or 2.0 full Corruption. That's how all the trees in the game need to be. The talent on top of the tree SHOULD be the reason you want to go full tree, you don't need other incentives.

[TrueNovaZero]

I can see what the Op is suggesting and yes I'm well aware of class balance. The concept itself isn't too bad -- the actual details he's proposed would of course need a polish (20% armor to shadows/assassin tanks of course is just ridiculous; nerf it down or put it into... I dunno, a fat 5% internal/elemental resistance [that's really fat]) . As far as I can see though... I don't think it's warranted. Consider the PvE and PvP bonuses... the PvP set bonuses are actually quite flexible and usually bind themselves to skills you use in every tree of the same role, where as PvE set bonuses are specialized towards that specific role. So the gear itself is its own motivation. People can make hybrids in PvP as much as they like... it's already been said that it just offers a different play style.