Marauder class representative: Sample questions!

[TheCourier-]

POT5 ranked isn't any better than any other server's ranked.There's more comps being thrown around, the players are not any better than the best on any other server, there's just more of the good and more of the bad. Been there, tried it, transferred back. And no, Anni is awful in any warzone, primarily because the damage is tied to abilities anyone can cleanse.

 

ID has characters on Shadowlands, they get beat by the better ranked teams. All of our best transferred to POT5, the majority transferred back. The PvP vs PvE server is a tired old argument, please come up with something relevant.

 

I've played on PVP and PVE servers. PVE servers are a joke for ranked, compared to Pot5. No team on Pot5 uses an annihilation marauder for ranked. No team on The Bastion uses an annihilation marauder for ranked. No team on ToFN uses an annihilation marauder for ranked. They would laugh at you if you suggested using an annihilation marauder for ranked.

 

The fact that you are arguing that "annihilation spec is fine, it just needs dot protection" shows that you aren't a PVPer.

Edited February 27, 2014 by TheCourier-

[waterboytkd]

So L2timeit? I don't have an issue with it at all.

 

Unless you get stunned 2 seconds into the UR, then you're just boned. I can time it just fine, too. My wife, who plays a healer when we do a little PvE stuff together? Not as good at timing it.

 

It's a Quality of Life thing, and not just for PvP. It has a pretty big impact on PvE (and from my personal experience, I would say it's a bigger impact on PvE than on PvP). Yes, you can play around the damage coming at the end. But if you can play around that, then what did the change really accomplish other than making it a more difficult and clunky ability?

 

Functionally, a 50% healing debuff would be EXACTLY the same as losing 50% of your health at the end of the duration, but it would make for cleaner gameplay.

[countpopeula]

I've played on PVP and PVE servers. PVE servers are a joke for ranked, compared to Pot5. No team on Pot5 uses an annihilation marauder for ranked. No team on The Bastion uses an annihilation marauder for ranked. No team on ToFN uses an annihilation marauder for ranked. They would laugh at you if you suggested using an annihilation marauder for ranked.

 

"POT5 ranked isn't any better than any other server's ranked.There's more comps being thrown around, the players are not any better than the best on any other server, there's just more of the good and more of the bad. Been there, tried it, transferred back. And no, Anni is awful in any warzone, primarily because the damage is tied to abilities anyone can cleanse."

 

ID has characters on Shadowlands, they get beat by the better ranked teams. All of our best transferred to POT5, the majority transferred back. The PvP vs PvE server is a tired old argument, please come up with something relevant.

 

The fact that you are arguing that "annihilation spec is fine, it just needs dot protection" shows that you aren't a PVPer.

 

L2read. Anni has never been a PvP spec. The same way Sin Madness isn't effective in Arenas. Most classes have 1 spec that doesn't apply to PvP. I would expect with your thorough PvP resume you'd know this.

[CO_DAIGO]

Hey guys, we're digressing from the topic at hand here. We need to continue to focus on constructive feedback to help our representative to prioritize his questions and provide ideas in order to at least do our part in providing the combat team with viable balanced options. We have one more day before he needs to submit his questions so lets try to keep the focus. We shouldn't be gutting each other's ideas unless we have another to contribute so that it remains constructive. Edited February 27, 2014 by CO_DAIGO

[TheCourier-]

L2read. Anni has never been a PvP spec. The same way Sin Madness isn't effective in Arenas. Most classes have 1 spec that doesn't apply to PvP. I would expect with your thorough PvP resume you'd know this.

 

Annihilation spec was a very strong PVP spec from patch 1.0 to patch 1.4. Annihilation spec needs a damage buff, and self healing.

[Sarkos]

Please guys stay on the topic, don't argue ( we are on the interwebz, remember ? )

 

Now, as an Annihilation player myself, here are my suggestions to make Annihilation as competitive as Carnage. Note that they are PvE-only.

 

1 - Annihilate - Add another effect. Say, for every Annihilator stack, up the damage Annihilate does for 3% with each stack ( stacks up ).

2 - Rupture - increase the amount of damage the Bleed does by 5%.

3- Deadly Saber - increase the base charges to 4, as well as their stacking buff.

 

Just my 2 cents of Annihilation. I tried to think of upgrades that would remain true to the '' ramp up time '' spec

Edited February 27, 2014 by Sarkos

[TheCourier-]

1 - Annihilate - Add another effect. Say, for every Annihilator stack, up the damage Annihilate does for 3% with each stack ( stacks up ).

2 - Rupture - increase the amount of damage the Bleed does by 5%.

3- Deadly Saber - increase the base charges to 4, as well as their stacking buff.

 

 

Those changes, along with a buff to annihilation spec's self healing, would make annihilation spec PVP viable.

[Gudarzz]

Hey guys, we're digressing from the topic at hand here. We need to continue to focus on constructive feedback to help our representative to prioritize his questions and provide ideas in order to at least do our part in providing the combat team with viable balanced options. We have one more day before he needs to submit his questions so lets try to keep the focus. We shouldn't be gutting each other's ideas unless we have another to contribute so that it remains constructive.

 

^ Thanks for this.

 

I have learned to completely ignore the fights in this thread. Besides most people don't realize that the developers want questions about general spec issues, not specific changes to talents per se. So when somebody says undying rage should last 99 seconds and someone else calls him an idiot because it should last 98 seconds, I interpret it as "the community wants to ask about undying rage".

 

I will post an updated 3rd question in a hour or so.

[TheCourier-]

^ Thanks for this.

 

I have learned to completely ignore the fights in this thread. Besides most people don't realize that the developers want questions about general spec issues, not specific changes to talents per se. So when somebody says undying rage should last 99 seconds and someone else calls him an idiot because it should last 98 seconds, I interpret it as "the community wants to ask about undying rage".

 

I will post an updated 3rd question in a hour or so.

 

The mercenary representative asked very specific questions, and got very specific answers, as did Keyboardninja. Sorcs asked very vague questions, and got told to "heal to full and make them pay".

 

Be careful how you word your questions.

Edited February 28, 2014 by TheCourier-

[KeyboardNinja]

The mercenary representative asked very specific questions, and got very specific answers, as did Keyboardninja. Sorcs asked very vague questions, and got told to "heal to full and make them pay".

 

Be careful how you word your questions.

 

Wording is definitely quite important. With both the shadow and the sentinel questions, I hacked out most of what I initially wrote and strictly confined myself to just two or three sentences each. I think that more concise questions are harder to misinterpret and less likely to allow the developers to just freewheel "h2f" in their answers. Or at least, that's my theory. I can't honestly know whether or not this editing helped or hindered what could have been.

 

Either way, I'm looking forward to the questions!

Edited February 28, 2014 by KeyboardNinja

[TheCourier-]

Wording is definitely quite important. With both the shadow and the sentinel questions, I hacked out most of what I initially wrote and strictly confined myself to just two or three sentences each. I think that more concise questions are harder to misinterpret and less likely to allow the developers to just freewheel "h2f" in their answers. Or at least, that's my theory. I can't honestly know whether or not this editing helped or hindered what could have been.

 

Either way, I'm looking forward to the questions!

 

Well, annihilate stacks now last 24 seconds, as a direct result of your annihilation spec question, and Bioware admitted that the spec was underperforming (they directly stated that it is supposed to be the top DPS spec in a long boss fight).

 

That is clearly in contrast to the sorcerer questions.

Edited February 28, 2014 by TheCourier-

[CellPerfect]

For annihilation, what do you guys think of adding another dot tied on to Annihilate (or maybe some other ability we have, Annihilate would be my first choice though)? I think I have seen this idea mentioned somewhere before but I think it would solve quite a lot of issues that players have with the spec. Adding another dot would do a few things...

1. It would give us a sustained damage increase
   
2. It would give us a little bit of dot protection so that healers could not cleanse all of our dots in one move. So no matter what, even if a healer cleanses, we will have at least one dot left on the target that will be able to give us our self heal, and use up stacks of berserk so that we can begin building fury back up.
   
3. It will also allow us to have 3 chances to get a critical hit on a dot which would heal us which would help to bring us closer to the level of survivability that we had pre 1.4 (it may not be as strong as what we had back then, but it would certainly be good, extra chances to crit = more hp)
   

Something similar to rupture in terms of the dot's strength would be good but that can be worked out later. Thoughts and opinions on this idea?

[TheCourier-]

For annihilation, what do you guys think of adding another dot tied on to Annihilate (or maybe some other ability we have, Annihilate would be my first choice though)? I think I have seen this idea mentioned somewhere before but I think it would solve quite a lot of issues that players have with the spec. Adding another dot would do a few things...

1. It would give us a sustained damage increase
   
2. It would give us a little bit of dot protection so that healers could not cleanse all of our dots in one move. So no matter what, even if a healer cleanses, we will have at least one dot left on the target that will be able to give us our self heal, and use up stacks of berserk so that we can begin building fury back up.
   
3. It will also allow us to have 3 chances to get a critical hit on a dot which would heal us which would help to bring us closer to the level of survivability that we had pre 1.4 (it may not be as strong as what we had back then, but it would certainly be good, extra chances to crit = more hp)
   

Something similar to rupture in terms of the dot's strength would be good but that can be worked out later. Thoughts and opinions on this idea?

 

I like that. The dot would need to be as strong as rupture. That would provide about a 400 DPS increase, which would put annihilation spec at around 4050 DPS (annihilation spec parses around 3650 without the double relic glitch), which is about the same as concealment operative.

[Gudarzz]

Questions have been updated (please see first page).

 

I included some of your Anni ideas...Annihilate causes a 3rd dot, Rupture reset bonus effect (such as granting an Annihilate stack).

 

The 3rd question has been updated to include your concerns about both Undying Rage and Rage spec.

 

Please provide some feedback so I can change things around. Thanks everyone!

[Sarkos]

another interesting suggestion concerning Annihilation :

 

why not put a specific talent that '' buffs '' Deadly Throw so that it incorporates a DoT similar to Rupture but not as powerful ?

[Lafay]

Since Bioware gave mercenaries basically everything that they asked for, Gudarzz, you need to be very, very specific with your questions. AKA, instead of saying "is annihilation spec performing as Bioware's combat team is expecting", ask "since rage spec is getting massively nerfed in patch 2.7, the nerfs to undying rage, and annihilation spec's self healing seem very extreme".

 

Mercenaries basically wrote a wish list for their class representative questions, and they got almost everything that they asked for.

 

yes, this!

[Lafay]

Please guys stay on the topic, don't argue ( we are on the interwebz, remember ? )

 

Now, as an Annihilation player myself, here are my suggestions to make Annihilation as competitive as Carnage. Note that they are PvE-only.

 

1 - Annihilate - Add another effect. Say, for every Annihilator stack, up the damage Annihilate does for 3% with each stack ( stacks up ).

2 - Rupture - increase the amount of damage the Bleed does by 5%.

3- Deadly Saber - increase the base charges to 4, as well as their stacking buff.

 

Just my 2 cents of Annihilation. I tried to think of upgrades that would remain true to the '' ramp up time '' spec

 

#1 = GOOOOD

#2 = GOOOOD

#3 = that wont work, if timed right, you could stack deadly saber on someone til the end of time... it would be op.. imagine someone with a 16 stack of ds bleeding them out... that would be awesome!

 

Good stuff though, i like where you are going with it, I would prefer a crit rate increase per stack on annihilation instead of a straight damage boost though (crit is such a crappy stat, i would like to see a direct boost to it from the tree).

[Lafay]

Questions have been updated (please see first page).

 

I included some of your Anni ideas...Annihilate causes a 3rd dot, Rupture reset bonus effect (such as granting an Annihilate stack).

 

The 3rd question has been updated to include your concerns about both Undying Rage and Rage spec.

 

Please provide some feedback so I can change things around. Thanks everyone!

 

Yes i like that idea as well, would help its pve performance alot. But in pvp, it needs one of 2 things, the ability to ramp up its damage consistently (through cc/root protection like unstoppable) or it needs a way to remove its build up all together, as the spec has little burst and would need the "pressure dps" immediately to be relevant in pvp. I would perfer some CC/root protection as there is far too much of that in pvp and with sins having shroud, jugs having unstoppable, snipers having their new 3-5 second invincible to everything. As a melee dot class that has no burst, I see no harm in protecting it from CC. It's not like it will garuntee a kill or anything, the damage comes on slow enough for the enemy to react (unlike berserk gore ravage scream, or smash ect).

[CO_DAIGO]

Questions have been updated (please see first page).

 

I included some of your Anni ideas...Annihilate causes a 3rd dot, Rupture reset bonus effect (such as granting an Annihilate stack).

 

The 3rd question has been updated to include your concerns about both Undying Rage and Rage spec.

 

Please provide some feedback so I can change things around. Thanks everyone!

 

Hey Gudaezz! So I reviewed your question specifically to the rage portion. I would reword this part of the question:

 

Updated on 2/27/14. Furthermore, the changes proposed in patch 2.7 undermine the viability of Rage as an AOE specialization. By allowing Shockwaves originating from Force Crush to affect secondary targets, for example, Rage can provide some potential for AOE damage. As is, Patch 2.7 threatens to transform Rage into a lackluster single target DPS spec.

 

The I'm suggesting that because Eric had already stated that his intent was to get away from Rage as being the AOE spec (I gave you his quote to the sentinel top 3 questions below). It's why I'm hoping you can incorporate the question more like this:

 

As we continue to see Rage become more single target oriented, the concern is that the ongoing changes continue to alter the ability of smash. Smash is a great utility ability in and of itself for multiple situations. As you've mentioned in your previous answer to the sentinel questions, we understand that you're moving away from it being an AOE spec. Is there any way that the combat team can preserve the ability/utility of smash (it's difficult to use on stealth when it calls for a primary target etc, and really no need to alter the ability of it at all) and possibly provide a cleaner/efficient alternative by designing a new single target high burst ability (or replacing with another ability we already have)? We understand that we have sweeping slash but smash is a much more used and preferred ability for utility. You mentioned in your previous posts regarding sentinel top 3 questions that "any spec should be able to deal formidable AOE damage when necessary" and yet it seems like the combat team continues to alter our main AOE ability when there seems to be much cleaner suggestions.

 

If Rage/Focus had the best burst damage, the best AoE damage, and the best sustained damage; then there would be very little to no incentive for a Marauder/Sentinel to ever spec anything else. Rage/Focus is the top burst spec for a Marauder/Sentinel, and that is by design. Right now, it is also the top AoE damage spec for Marauders/Sentinels (by design) – but that is something we would like to get away from in the future. Ideally, any damage spec should be able to deal formidable AoE damage when necessary (and should prefer to leave most AoE attacks out of their rotation in a single-target fight). It will take some time to right this ship, as it has already sailed and must come back to port for repairs (so don’t expect Annihilation/Watchman and Carnage/Combat to be pumping out massive AoE DPS or for Rage/Focus to get a huge AoE DPS nerf next patch).

 

As you can see from Eric's first response, the Rage tree's focus towards becoming single target oriented should be more of a question of "how" rather than "if". With the proposed thought it also gives them an idea to think about that a lot of players feel strongly about rather than the continued alteration of the ability that we're seeing. The tree and ability would need less alterations if they just replaced the primary ability (or may not need alteration at all).

Edited February 28, 2014 by CO_DAIGO

[Gudarzz]

Hey Gudaezz! So I reviewed your question specifically to the rage portion. I would reword this part of the question:

 

 

 

The I'm suggesting that because Eric had already stated that his intent was to get away from Rage as being the AOE spec (I gave you his quote to the sentinel top 3 questions below). It's why I'm hoping you can incorporate the question more like this:

 

As we continue to see Rage become more single target oriented, the concern is that the ongoing changes continue to alter the ability of smash. Smash is a great utility ability in and of itself for multiple situations. As you've mentioned in your previous answer to the sentinel questions, we understand that you're moving away from it being an AOE spec. Is there any way that the combat team can preserve the ability/utility of smash (it's difficult to use on stealth when it calls for a primary target etc, and really no need to alter the ability of it at all) and possibly provide a cleaner/efficient alternative by designing a new single target high burst ability (or replacing with another ability we already have)? We understand that we have sweeping slash but smash is a much more used and preferred ability for utility.

 

 

 

As you can see from Eric's first response, the Rage tree's focus towards becoming single target oriented should be more of a question of "how" rather than "if". With the proposed thought it also gives them an idea to think about that a lot of players feel strongly about rather than the continued alteration of the ability that we're seeing. The tree and ability would need less alterations if they just replaced the primary ability (or may not need alteration at all).

 

Let me add some things so that it captures your idea of "how".

[TheCourier-]

Annihilation spec's damage is not low because of cleanses, it's damage is low because even against a training target (1 million health training target) carnage spec outdpses annihilation spec. Parses on a training target are literally the highest DPS that annihilation spec can parse (other than kephess in TFB).

[CO_DAIGO]

Let me add some things so that it captures your idea of "how".

 

I added additional edits to that post regarding the fact his quoted comments that any AOE spec should be able to deal formidable damage when necessary and yet they continue to make that less true as they make more changes to smash (hence the focus on the ability itself).

[Dedrayge]

It was a big mistake on BW's end to think that all specs and classes need strong AoE attacks...Then to go on and think that they need a class with a skill tree specifically designed around an AoE attack.

 

 

With snipers getting a 3-5 second get outa jail free card every 1 min, an array of cc/roots/stuns/slows/rolls/30meter range, a mara of any kind will be hard pressed to ever kill one. Ops can shank us to within inches of our lives before we get a chance to react. Pyro powertechs can kite a mara like no ones buisness. Lets not forget to mention the buffs to sorcs and mercs. Lets not let this turn into a mara reroll nerf. You cant just gut the cor mechanics of rage, leave anni in its horrible state and expect every mara just to be content with carnage's susceptible gore windows.

 

Ops are loosing their face plant in favour of a root...Thus, it'll be possible to counter their shanking efforts..

 

Marauder reroll? DPS juggs are going to get hit with an even bigger ***** slap...It'll still be better being a marauder.

 

 

 

Honestly, since Bioware is gutting rage spec, they need to undo the undying rage nerf.

 

Well, this and all the nice buffs that RDPS classes are getting..

 

Arsenal mercs are going to have access to a talent that makes them immune to interrupts while energy shield is up and they already have a talent in their tree that reduces the active CD of energy shield while being attacked. Not only that, they'll have access to power surge every 45 seconds.

 

Sorcerers might have an op hybrid spec incoming...one with lots of AoE related pain...

 

Basically, the change to undying rage no longer makes any sense...

 

 

 

 

As we continue to see Rage become more single target oriented, the concern is that the ongoing changes continue to alter the ability of smash. Smash is a great utility ability in and of itself for multiple situations. As you've mentioned in your previous answer to the sentinel questions, we understand that you're moving away from it being an AOE spec. Is there any way that the combat team can preserve the ability/utility of smash (it's difficult to use on stealth when it calls for a primary target etc, and really no need to alter the ability of it at all) and possibly provide a cleaner/efficient alternative by designing a new single target high burst ability (or replacing with another ability we already have)? We understand that we have sweeping slash but smash is a much more used and preferred ability for utility.

 

 

 

As you can see from Eric's first response, the Rage tree's focus towards becoming single target oriented should be more of a question of "how" rather than "if". With the proposed thought it also gives them an idea to think about that a lot of players feel strongly about rather than the continued alteration of the ability that we're seeing. The tree and ability would need less alterations if they just replaced the primary ability (or may not need alteration at all).

 

^^^^

 

We'd also like to know when....

Edited February 28, 2014 by Dedrayge

[Lafay]

In the part that you talk about poor ramp up time for annhilation in pvp, would you add something like "is this slow ramp up time intented and if so, would they implement some way of allowing ramp up to take place in the midst of cc spam that happens in pvp. (suggest something like unstoppable. Or a free 6 stack juyo/ 4 stack annhilator / rage refunded when stuned/cc'd) Your wording of anni being short on dps vs carnage and dotsmash in pve is pretty good.

 

In the part that you talk about undying rage changes effecting anni self heals, you should suggest or ask if they plan on reverting the self heals of the spec, as it has the least defensive ability of the 3 specs and could use a self healing boost.

 

I like your wording on carnage burst and gore, those are great.

 

Inquiring about boosting the single target damage of rage in pvp to make up for the heavy handed nerf of smash as well.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Lafay

[TheCourier-]

In the part that you talk about poor ramp up time for annhilation in pvp, would you add something like "is this slow ramp up time intented and if so, would they implement some way of allowing ramp up to take place in the midst of cc spam that happens in pvp. (suggest something like unstoppable. Or a free 6 stack juyo/ 4 stack annhilator / rage refunded when stuned/cc'd) Your wording of anni being short on dps vs carnage and dotsmash in pve is pretty good.

 

Inquiring about boosting the single target damage of rage in pvp to make up for the heavy handed nerf of smash as well.

 

Annihilation spec's ramp up time is okay, as long as annihilation spec does about 5% more damage than carnage spec. Carnage spec currently parses more than annihilation spec does, which isn't because of stuns and cleanses. Honestly, thanks to annihilate stacks lasting 24 seconds, annihilation spec is much less susceptible to stuns than carnage spec is.

Edited February 28, 2014 by TheCourier-