Pyrotech PVP - What They Nerfed-Buffed explained

[Ottoattack]

AP is great, and loads of fun now. Pyro is still viable, too though. I still see good PTs break over 1 mil, so we're still in it.

 

Viable yes. Good no. Even before the expansion any pyro can tell you that if you want to pad damage all you need to do is spam CGC and incendiary missile on everyone and you will jack up your damage. Last I checked WZs are won by securing objectives, which actually require you eliminating enemies not just massage them.

 

While, I do believe in the cheer power of overall damage, if it is not directed towards the right enemies its not useful, because it won't help you secure objectives. As a dps, if you can not maintain an avg. of 35% killing blows from your kills, the damage that your are putting is just inflated. That's all what pyro can do right now, spam dots. If you can maintain 30% killing blows from your kills you are lucky. I actually did the math on my pyro before and after the expansion. Before expansion I had 42% chance of killing a target I land an attack on. After the expansion it dropped to 28%. Try to kill healers with PT now days. Its mission impossible (aside from the healers being slight over the head right now).

 

"PTs" are not only dps, they have utility." And usually utility is mentioned as if it some sort of mysterious power. PTs have taunt and pull. Juggs and sins have taunts. If you PvP enough, I do not need to do a comparison between a pyro and/or AP dps and rage jugg or deception sin, to tell you that juggs and sins, are vastly superior in damage output and survivablity. Pull? Sins has it too. And they can all respec to tank spec in hutt ball for pull.

 

Also, no offense, most people in regular WZs, barely play their toons to a level of 25% efficiency, so if you lead a pug game, no, it does not mean that the class is "great." How well would you fair against a good pre-made or in RWZ? So are PTs viable. Yes. Are they "valuable" in terms of providing something to the PvP team to help them win the WZ, that other classes can not provide better (if not much better)? No. You want to settle for mediocre?

 

its even worse in PvE, because PTs have no utilities as dps.

[Luckeyduckey]

Not really. AP out damages most classes now, if you're good. I can beat any class, (yes, any class) 1v1, I can last a long time under focus fire with Energy Shield, and our reduced damaged while stunned/aoe. Overall, I have no trouble in PvP, and generally get top for deeps and protection. And, we DO have utility. We can pull in DPS specs (While sins cannot) to help peel for tanks, we have amazing AoE damage and survivability, we have an AoE hardstun, we have a movement CC immunity and speed burst, we have a 6 second interrupt, a 4 second stun (which most have, but Juggs/Maras don't) we have probably one of the best abilities in the game, Shoulder Cannon, which allows us to stop caps while CC'd. I mean, I'm sure there's more that I missed, but we're anything but useless. We might not have the CC and Utility a Sniper has, or a Marauder has, but we're okay. You have to adjust to the class, and show that we ARE still good. We're Powertechs. We'll always be the best, because we are.

[nDjiin]

Viable yes. Good no. Even before the expansion any pyro can tell you that if you want to pad damage all you need to do is spam CGC and incendiary missile on everyone and you will jack up your damage. Last I checked WZs are won by securing objectives, which actually require you eliminating enemies not just massage them.

 

While, I do believe in the cheer power of overall damage, if it is not directed towards the right enemies its not useful, because it won't help you secure objectives. As a dps, if you can not maintain an avg. of 35% killing blows from your kills, the damage that your are putting is just inflated. That's all what pyro can do right now, spam dots. If you can maintain 30% killing blows from your kills you are lucky. I actually did the math on my pyro before and after the expansion. Before expansion I had 42% chance of killing a target I land an attack on. After the expansion it dropped to 28%. Try to kill healers with PT now days. Its mission impossible (aside from the healers being slight over the head right now).

 

"PTs" are not only dps, they have utility." And usually utility is mentioned as if it some sort of mysterious power. PTs have taunt and pull. Juggs and sins have taunts. If you PvP enough, I do not need to do a comparison between a pyro and/or AP dps and rage jugg or deception sin, to tell you that juggs and sins, are vastly superior in damage output and survivablity. Pull? Sins has it too. And they can all respec to tank spec in hutt ball for pull.

 

Also, no offense, most people in regular WZs, barely play their toons to a level of 25% efficiency, so if you lead a pug game, no, it does not mean that the class is "great." How well would you fair against a good pre-made or in RWZ? So are PTs viable. Yes. Are they "valuable" in terms of providing something to the PvP team to help them win the WZ, that other classes can not provide better (if not much better)? No. You want to settle for mediocre?

 

its even worse in PvE, because PTs have no utilities as dps.

 

I couldn't have put it better myself - I am tired of trying to get the devs to listen and they have systematically reduced this class's effectiveness in both pve and pvp for the past 12 months. The cgc burn and the stat padding that came with it was this class's downfall. It shows us that the dev in charge of class balancing has not done any real research and needs to have a good look at what he is doing.

 

Sure the AP tree id now by far the better tree but as far as I can tell it is only doing what the Pyro was doing before 2.0 - stat padding. Great AoE does not equal PvP effectiveness. It will not take much to make this into a class that is equal to the others in terms of 1v1 effectiveness, defensive ability and utility. But it is as though someone doesnt want to make the effort.

Edited May 5, 2013 by nDjiin

[UncleOst]

Hmm. I've been on the sidelines here on forum PT topics thus far because I've been developing my jug. Also right now my PT's gear is shat. However I've seen some decent numbers pop up in warzones. I've been messing around with AP, and I'd like to see what it can do with full aug partisan. Despite what many believe, I personally think shoulder cannon is a joke........ LuLz...loading a shoulder cannon then spamming at the right time then hello cooldown. Yeeesss. I have become an unstoppable turret defender. I dare sappers to try and take my turret. Sure, shoulder cannon is free luldps when you time it right, but its introduction to the powertech experience has made the class a bit gimmicky, a bit trite. I'd even go so far as to say its contribution to overall PT dps potential, may be in fact the reason for pyro damage nerfs. I had suggested before, that shoulder cannon remain exclusive to the AP tree, and the generic dps potential of pyro CGC could be re-enstated.

 

BUT, having expressed more disdain with lulzcannon, I'm still enjoying the gameplay, and after I acquire some competitive gear, I'll begin filming for "send them to hell part 4".

[Fregger]

I have been playing a PT since launch. Was a chain rail shotter, then a Parakeet, then a dot monster...

To be honest Pyro PT was overpowered and one has to be a bit of a masochist to continue playing a pyro. Not because pyros are underpowered now, but because of the "different experience".

 

But AP is fun now and can rival the damage of Smashers ( ok,ok 30% less ), with a lot more effort though.

The good: A lot less PTs in warzones.

 

What really bugs me is the ugly partisan/conqueror armor

[Helig]

<..........>

 

FYI bioware, you could fix PT and make it viable again by doing ONE of these:

 

1) Restoring CGC to it's former lvl

2) Restoring +15% armor piercing to rail shot

3) Restoring full burst dmg capability to thermal detonator

 

Why do I think I hear Mr. Peckinpaugh laughing already?

I really don't get the CgC damage nerf. It was strong, but it didn't need a nerf. I'd really like it restored, thank you very much.

 

Thermal detonator. Yeah, the potential stacked burst was hilarious, I get it... But the DoT needs to be shorter. Much shorter.

 

RS armour pen nerf, I don't really mind. Pyro was all about stacking burst, not about 1 skill.

[Sardonyyx]

Not really. AP out damages most classes now, if you're good. I can beat any class, (yes, any class) 1v1, I can last a long time under focus fire with Energy Shield, and our reduced damaged while stunned/aoe. Overall, I have no trouble in PvP, and generally get top for deeps and protection. And, we DO have utility. We can pull in DPS specs (While sins cannot) to help peel for tanks, we have amazing AoE damage and survivability, we have an AoE hardstun, we have a movement CC immunity and speed burst, we have a 6 second interrupt, a 4 second stun (which most have, but Juggs/Maras don't) we have probably one of the best abilities in the game, Shoulder Cannon, which allows us to stop caps while CC'd. I mean, I'm sure there's more that I missed, but we're anything but useless. We might not have the CC and Utility a Sniper has, or a Marauder has, but we're okay. You have to adjust to the class, and show that we ARE still good. We're Powertechs. We'll always be the best, because we are.

 

 

 

The people you play against must suck. And if you have your shield up you have 25% damage reduction, so it's a higher chance you'll survive, but a good player won't get caught in your PFT in 1v1 and that's most of your damage.

 

If you're talking 1v1 its whoever has the most stuns wins, but what happens when they're on cd and that guy comes back for round 2? You die. The coolodowns are super long. Even with the rebounder for your shield.

 

And shoulder cannon is good for guarding, which is all we are good for now, guarding nodes. Damage is not where it should be. That's what we are saying.

[Brunner_Venda]

The people you play against must suck. And if you have your shield up you have 25% damage reduction, so it's a higher chance you'll survive, but a good player won't get caught in your PFT in 1v1 and that's most of your damage.

 

If you're talking 1v1 its whoever has the most stuns wins, but what happens when they're on cd and that guy comes back for round 2? You die. The coolodowns are super long. Even with the rebounder for your shield.

 

And shoulder cannon is good for guarding, which is all we are good for now, guarding nodes. Damage is not where it should be. That's what we are saying.

 

Lucky for us though, PVP is a team effort. There's always someone stunned, or trying to cast something. Just look around, it's rare that I can't find someone to hit with PFT. The healer hiking his skirts and running away from you isn't helping his team.

 

You're absolutely right about our damage. I can't argue with that.

 

I think it should be fixed by:

1. Address our cooldowns. Immolate and rail at 15 seconds? No. Try 8 or 10.

2. High energy prototype cylinders get 1% elemental? Crap. Needs to be 4-5%.

3. Nerfed rail penetration? Revert that.