Mercenary Changes Brainstorming

[TezMoney]

Wrong, we are a jack of all trades healer. We aren't the best at single target nor are we the best at aoe healing. We are good at both aoe and single target but not great at either. Obviously you haven't played a merc healer in 55 arenas enough if you think good players cant shut us down. All of our weaknesses stem from the ideas I have put forth. You can deny the facts all you want but in the end you are an inferior class in competitive arenas.

 

Thank you

 

So you think merc healers should have no weaknesses?

 

I play 55 ranked arenas and actively raiding in the new HM operations. What you said about pve almost NEVER happens to me, and when it does it was miscalculation or I hit the wrong key or something.

 

The points you made about pvp were true, but a bit exaggerated. The only time I get shut down is if there are 2 or 3 dps interrupting me, and most classes have an issue in that situation. However there are outs (electro dart, concussion missile, well placed/timed jet boost, slowing w/ kolto missile then hydro overrides), it just harder on us then with other classes since we have less escapes. This is the price we pay for armor mitigation, not to say I don't think we need a bit more output and survivablity. Ultimately you have dps or a tank on your ranked team that should be helping out w/ a cc of some sort to give you some breathing room; it shouldn't be the healers job to hold off half the enemy team solo, until the other healer dies (though it often turns to that). At any rate, to say the entire class needs to be scrapped and redone, speaks to your play-style (ie rotation) more than the specs failings.

[cs_zoltan]

Wrong, we are a jack of all trades healer. We aren't the best at single target nor are we the best at aoe healing. We are good at both aoe and single target but not great at either. Obviously you haven't played a merc healer in 55 arenas enough if you think good players cant shut us down. All of our weaknesses stem from the ideas I have put forth. You can deny the facts all you want but in the end you are an inferior class in competitive arenas.

 

Thank you

 

Are you for real? Merc as jack of all trades? Oh my, someone is confusing Mercs with operatives...

Edited November 11, 2013 by cs_zoltan

[Dajman]

Wrong, we are a jack of all trades healer. We aren't the best at single target nor are we the best at aoe healing. We are good at both aoe and single target but not great at either. Obviously you haven't played a merc healer in 55 arenas enough if you think good players cant shut us down. All of our weaknesses stem from the ideas I have put forth. You can deny the facts all you want but in the end you are an inferior class in competitive arenas.

 

Thank you

 

This is why arenas are such a horrible idea. They tear balance apart in all other aspects of the game. If you want a game where no one is inferior in some way based on class balance then you need to go play a bunch of FPS games. The whole point of MMO is that not one class should be just right for every situation. If mentality of "Well I am inferior in arena so major changes are needed" is allowed to run rampant like it did in wow every class will very soon be mirrors of each other and be able to claim no more than animation as far as diversity goes. More choice to quick casts that don't get interrupted would be cool but in the end I would rather classes be individual and diversified WAY more than being able to heal on par with ops in arena.

 

If you want to be on par go play an operative. I don't care if you like the way it plays and neither should you care about play style if your main concern is "Its not fair QQQ EAWARE FIX PLOX"

[Rambeezy]

Yall can attack me all you want with your fallacious arguments, I only care that yall agreed with me.

 

thank you

[bubbathehut]

Funny, I haven't seen a ***'s mention thats not pvp.

 

I'm mostly an explorer and pve person (I like PvP but this system - meh, can't be bothered).

My biggest gripe in this game is the crummy layout of our starship (why is the mailbox in its invisible spot, far away from the kiosk and the cargo locker??) and the holocron torture/puzzles.

 

You really want me to jump on boxes, run along pipes, fall off, repeat it until my eyes bleed, when I have a flippin' rocketpack?? In any true sense of Star Wars - I should either:

A - Fly up with my rocket pack to the holocron.

B - Shoot the holocron so it falls down, then pick it up.

C - Shoot something else that makes it fall down in a comical sense.

 

THAT my friend is star wars. Not the epic, braindead puzzlejumping.

 

Rant aside - make the pyro a viable build as well, so I can have more fun.

[cs_zoltan]

Funny, I haven't seen a ***'s mention thats not pvp.

 

I'm mostly an explorer and pve person (I like PvP but this system - meh, can't be bothered).

My biggest gripe in this game is the crummy layout of our starship (why is the mailbox in its invisible spot, far away from the kiosk and the cargo locker??) and the holocron torture/puzzles.

 

You really want me to jump on boxes, run along pipes, fall off, repeat it until my eyes bleed, when I have a flippin' rocketpack?? In any true sense of Star Wars - I should either:

A - Fly up with my rocket pack to the holocron.

B - Shoot the holocron so it falls down, then pick it up.

C - Shoot something else that makes it fall down in a comical sense.

 

THAT my friend is star wars. Not the epic, braindead puzzlejumping.

 

Rant aside - make the pyro a viable build as well, so I can have more fun.

 

1. You really think 80% what you just said is somehow connected to Mercs?

2. Pyro is not just viable but one of the best sustained dps spec right now in PVE

[Hell_Kaiser_Fett]

2. Pyro is not just viable but one of the best sustained dps spec right now in PVE

 

THIS. I stuck by pyro even after the nerf and now its just awesome. I have more fun running ops with my pyro Merc than any of my other characters. No offense to anyone, but if you are having trouble as a pyro, you're doing it wrong.

[Dajman]

Something I just remembered that has bugged me for a while... warning it is a silly OCD thing but...

 

Rapid shots with combat support cylinder shoots 2 darts but shows 3 healing numbers. Please for the sake of my poor, small, OCD infected brain, either make it show 2 numbers or shoot 3 darts. Commando isn't as bad because its a constant beam so the numbers don't clash.

 

Just a nice thought. Doubt it will happen but if not oh well. MERC FOR LIFE

[Bmilwip]

Consensus of the mercenary healing population seem to agree that we need some big buffs, my opinion maybe considered rather controversial as I do not agree we need “big buffs”, but rather a few minor tweaks. Having cleared the hardest content as a mercenary healer I can only say that we are strong and viable healers in PVE arguably more so than an operative healer, furthermore some of the suggestions proposed in this thread would make the class and bodyguard spec overpowered. PVE we are great, in PVP a few tweaks are needed in my opinion.

 

Suggested changes:-

 

Talent – Peacekeeper. I think this talent should be removed or re-designed. At the moment the two talent points needed for this are wasted as it brings nothing to PVE and to PVP yet mandatory for the “Bodyguard” talent. Its a nice idea on paper, but in practice it is useless. If I were to re-design the talent I would either have it reduce the heat cost of Kolto shell by 8 heat or allow certain heals a chance to replenish lost stacks of kolto shell (emergency scan and heal scan). I can see both benefiting PVE and PVP as it either allows you to swap kolto shell around more freely or reduce the amount of times you need to reapply it to a target.

 

Ability- Hydraulic overrides. I think one of the biggest downfalls for a Mercenary of all specs in PVP is the ease at which they can be shut down. That is why I would like to see the ability to be able to cast on the move to be implemented. This could be ideally attached to hydraulic overrides or a new ability all together. I know this would greatly aid both bodyguard and Arsenal mercenaries in PVP as we are often found being bombarded by a melee train, clever positioning and line of sighting can save you for a while but in the long run there is not much else we can do, once energy shield and kolto overload are down we have very little.

 

Talent-Energy Rebounder. I would like this talent to be a baseline for all Mercenary specs. We currently have missile salvo as our new passive ability although I do question the usefulness of that ability as I know two of out the three mercenary specs do not use missile blast at all ( maybe for interrupting a door cap but that’s about it). By having this as a baseline passive, it would increase pyrotech and bodyguards survivability and especially bodyguard as we also gain our interrupt immunity with energy shield so being able to reduce the cooldown of that would be a nice feature. In addition it would free up two talent points for Arsenal to maybe get a new talent, maybe a free railshot. I know so many are asking for it and by making it a very up talent would mean it would only benefit arsenal and not pyrotech as well.

 

There is alot more i could say about the class, but beyond being a larger wall of text, very little would come of it.

[cs_zoltan]

Consensus of the mercenary healing population seem to agree that we need some big buffs, my opinion maybe considered rather controversial as I do not agree we need “big buffs”, but rather a few minor tweaks. Having cleared the hardest content as a mercenary healer I can only say that we are strong and viable healers in PVE arguably more so than an operative healer, furthermore some of the suggestions proposed in this thread would make the class and bodyguard spec overpowered. PVE we are great, in PVP a few tweaks are needed in my opinion.

 

Suggested changes:-

 

Talent – Peacekeeper. I think this talent should be removed or re-designed. At the moment the two talent points needed for this are wasted as it brings nothing to PVE and to PVP yet mandatory for the “Bodyguard” talent. Its a nice idea on paper, but in practice it is useless. If I were to re-design the talent I would either have it reduce the heat cost of Kolto shell by 8 heat or allow certain heals a chance to replenish lost stacks of kolto shell (emergency scan and heal scan). I can see both benefiting PVE and PVP as it either allows you to swap kolto shell around more freely or reduce the amount of times you need to reapply it to a target.

 

Ability- Hydraulic overrides. I think one of the biggest downfalls for a Mercenary of all specs in PVP is the ease at which they can be shut down. That is why I would like to see the ability to be able to cast on the move to be implemented. This could be ideally attached to hydraulic overrides or a new ability all together. I know this would greatly aid both bodyguard and Arsenal mercenaries in PVP as we are often found being bombarded by a melee train, clever positioning and line of sighting can save you for a while but in the long run there is not much else we can do, once energy shield and kolto overload are down we have very little.

 

Talent-Energy Rebounder. I would like this talent to be a baseline for all Mercenary specs. We currently have missile salvo as our new passive ability although I do question the usefulness of that ability as I know two of out the three mercenary specs do not use missile blast at all ( maybe for interrupting a door cap but that’s about it). By having this as a baseline passive, it would increase pyrotech and bodyguards survivability and especially bodyguard as we also gain our interrupt immunity with energy shield so being able to reduce the cooldown of that would be a nice feature. In addition it would free up two talent points for Arsenal to maybe get a new talent, maybe a free railshot. I know so many are asking for it and by making it a very up talent would mean it would only benefit arsenal and not pyrotech as well.

 

There is alot more i could say about the class, but beyond being a larger wall of text, very little would come of it.

 

Finally someone who knows what he's talking about. I got fed up with all the overpowered ideas for merc healing from those who still thinks Mercs suck when it is not so.

 

As for the Energy Rebounder, it could be a bit overkill since both Bodyguard and Pyro has talents for Energy shield. Maybe if only the absorb part is shared and Arsenal keeps the cd reduction on energy shield?

[Bmilwip]

I am happy to leave the absorb component when attacked to be kept only to the arsenal tree, although i do think if our passive was something along the lines of Energy Rebounders it would help us a lot, each spec has a talent that buffs their energy shield and i think if we were able to reduce its cooldown by being hit it will increase our Survivability. It would obviously need balancing so i can not pop Energy shield once every 30 seconds- 1 minute. But by reducing its cooldown by 30 seconds it could help us alot. Operatives have a similar talent for their evasion that reduces it cooldown every time they are hit.

 

The unique buffs depending on the tree could be:

 

Bodyguard- Power shield - Grants Unshakable for the duration of the shield.

Pyrotech- Pyro Shield - Reflects x amount of damage.

Arsenal- Rebounder shield- absorbs x amount of damage very few seconds.

 

I do like the idea that depending on the spec determines what our defensive cooldowns do. Each of them provide a 25% damage reduction but depending on the spec they add a little something extra.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Bmilwip

[TezMoney]

I am happy to leave the absorb component when attacked to be kept only to the arsenal tree, although i do think if our passive was something along the lines of Energy Rebounders it would help us a lot, each spec has a talent that buffs their energy shield and i think if we were able to reduce its cooldown by being hit it will increase our Survivability. It would obviously need balancing so i can not pop Energy shield once every 30 seconds- 1 minute. But by reducing its cooldown by 30 seconds it could help us alot. Operatives have a similar talent for their evasion that reduces it cooldown every time they are hit.

 

The unique buffs depending on the tree could be:

 

Bodyguard- Power shield - Grants Unshakable for the duration of the shield.

Pyrotech- Pyro Shield - Reflects x amount of damage.

Arsenal- Rebounder shield- absorbs x amount of damage very few seconds.

 

I do like the idea that depending on the spec determines what our defensive cooldowns do. Each of them provide a 25% damage reduction but depending on the spec they add a little something extra.

 

Wouldn't this "power shield" mean losing the 20% healing buff bodyguard can already spec into?

Edited November 13, 2013 by TezMoney

[cs_zoltan]

Wouldn't this "power shield" mean losing the 20% healing buff bodyguard can already spec into?

 

Well they can have both right now

[TezMoney]

Well they can have both right now

 

My mistake I though unshakeable was immunity to all cc's, not just interrupts.

[MrSIlverSurfing]

I've never raided on my merc so what will follow is gonna be for pvp.

 

Mercs dps is fine, just like sorcs dps. What makes it crap is their extreme vulnerability versus melee classes.

 

When i'm fighting ranged classes, no problem: Dps, Dot, LoS, heal up. Pretty simple.

 

When against melee classes: Interrupted, interrupted, try to run away with hydraulic override and ''spam'' instant abilites, nope gets stunned. LoS and heal up? Nope can't do that, heals too long and melee class out dps'ing your heals...

 

And also, we won't do 18k dmg in 3 gcd like a masher can, so there's no hope to win a dps race there.

 

No rooting abilites, snares are useless versus leapers...

 

Electro net : I'd even nerf it if it meant i could use it more often.

 

So yeah, i don't really know how, but if we could defend ourselves better against melees then this class would be more than viable.

 

Maybe it's just this game who is just really terribly unbalanced, too many interrupts, melees have only instant abilities, ranged and melee attacks having a chance to miss but not tech or force attacks... so sorcs really don't even have to bother with accuraccy in pvp... how unfair is that.

 

This guy hit it 100% on the head. Look at the Merc/Commando ranked standings. Very few are doing well and those that are sure and heck aren't from the DPS trees. We are always the first to die in ranked. I now run with endurance augs and stims and I still die way too quick. We have some huge problems with this class in RWZs. They need to make major changes to our defense. I'm ok with the offense. I agree also that DPS sorcs have it rough, but not as bad as the merc.

Edited November 13, 2013 by MrSIlverSurfing

[Ottoattack]

I've never raided on my merc so what will follow is gonna be for pvp.

 

Mercs dps is fine, just like sorcs dps. What makes it crap is their extreme vulnerability versus melee classes.

 

When i'm fighting ranged classes, no problem: Dps, Dot, LoS, heal up. Pretty simple.

 

When against melee classes: Interrupted, interrupted, try to run away with hydraulic override and ''spam'' instant abilites, nope gets stunned. LoS and heal up? Nope can't do that, heals too long and melee class out dps'ing your heals...

 

And also, we won't do 18k dmg in 3 gcd like a masher can, so there's no hope to win a dps race there.

 

No rooting abilites, snares are useless versus leapers...

 

Electro net : I'd even nerf it if it meant i could use it more often.

 

So yeah, i don't really know how, but if we could defend ourselves better against melees then this class would be more than viable.

 

Maybe it's just this game who is just really terribly unbalanced, too many interrupts, melees have only instant abilities, ranged and melee attacks having a chance to miss but not tech or force attacks... so sorcs really don't even have to bother with accuraccy in pvp... how unfair is that.

 

Unfortunately, half the information here is L2P. Look, if you are getting focused by 2-3 melee enemies, your damage output will drop and which class wouldn't? If you have problems while being attacked by one enemy, its a skill not a class issue.

 

This forum started off with presenting good ideas, like a bit of increase in mobility and heat management, then it evolved to, I want to have more burst damage, more sustained damage, instant damage and great DCDs on top of high base mitigation and 30 meter range. I would love that my merc become OP too. A basic part of merc is to be cast dependent. As a ranged class in heavy armor and reasonable DCDs, merc will never be a mobile dps class.

 

Healing defiantly needs major improvements, but dps (arsenal specifically) does not. A bit of mobility and QOL improvements are welcome, fundamental changes in the class game play is not going to happen and is unreasonable.

[MrSIlverSurfing]

Unfortunately, half the information here is L2P. Look, if you are getting focused by 2-3 melee enemies, your damage output will drop and which class wouldn't? If you have problems while being attacked by one enemy, its a skill not a class issue.

 

This forum started off with presenting good ideas, like a bit of increase in mobility and heat management, then it evolved to, I want to have more burst damage, more sustained damage, instant damage and great DCDs on top of high base mitigation and 30 meter range. I would love that my merc become OP too. A basic part of merc is to be cast dependent. As a ranged class in heavy armor and reasonable DCDs, merc will never be a mobile dps class.

 

Healing defiantly needs major improvements, but dps (arsenal specifically) does not. A bit of mobility and QOL improvements are welcome, fundamental changes in the class game play is not going to happen and is unreasonable.

 

Merc does not need more damage, but i disagree on your assessment. Look at the ranked standings for mercs and that will tell you all you need to know. There are 8 with over a 1400 rating compared to 30-60 for all the other classes. This shows there is an extreme imbalance in pvp where they are so bad they are causing the entire group to lose.

[TezMoney]

Merc does not need more damage, but i disagree on your assessment. Look at the ranked standings for mercs and that will tell you all you need to know. There are 8 with over a 1400 rating compared to 30-60 for all the other classes. This shows there is an extreme imbalance in pvp where they are so bad they are causing the entire group to lose.

 

This just a snap judgment conclusion based on circumstantial evidence. There a myriad of reason why this is other than the conclusion you've drawn. That is not to say the class couldn't use some tweaks, but to say there is an extreme imbalance is and extreme position and should be avoided.

 

Seriously are you saying that as a merc, every time you are in a match and lose you felt it was YOUR fault the team lost? If so, maybe the issue is L2P.

[Rambeezy]

I wonder when exactly is Bioware planning on making a decision on how to change/help our class. I really hope they aren't still scratching their heads. If so, my "scrap" bodyguard comment is probably looking pretty good right about now.

 

Anyways, I had fun healing 16m HM DF and DP last night. Having my Kolto missile affect up to 16 people made me feel much stronger. In terms of 16m, I'd say bodyguard is in a good place. Maybe y'all could come out with a 16m rated warzone to give bodyguard some love?

Edited November 15, 2013 by Rambeezy

[BigDumbViking]

My biggest problem is the lack of escapability from melee as a merc, heals or dps. We have no roots, long cd on our only slowing effect, Hydraulic overrides is way too little of a speed boost to escape melee and it is interrupted by leap, so we can still get rooted with it up. Basically, any melee class can lock us down and take us right out of a PVP match. regardless of spec.

 

1 fix would be to make HO 50-75% speed boost and make it immune to leap's as well.

[Ottoattack]

My biggest problem is the lack of escapability from melee as a merc, heals or dps. We have no roots, long cd on our only slowing effect, Hydraulic overrides is way too little of a speed boost to escape melee and it is interrupted by leap, so we can still get rooted with it up. Basically, any melee class can lock us down and take us right out of a PVP match. regardless of spec.

 

1 fix would be to make HO 50-75% speed boost and make it immune to leap's as well.

 

You are immune to snares and roots (including leap) when HO is active. You are immune to grapple and some CCs as well. RP is a root (not great, but okay) and JB is an aoe knock back+snare. For arsenal HO lasts 10 secs and is on 30 secs CD and JB on 20 sec (with set bonus). Also, for arsenal, rapid shots is 70% snare. It would be nice if merc can get a ranged snare. I feel sorry bad for pyro and healers. For arsenal no.

 

Fyi, if you combine power surge with HO, you can do a full arsenal rotation on a target with barely any need to stop moving (you will for rapid shots). Put EN on a healer, pull that off, while another allied dps is atking the healer, it is typically a guaranteed kill. You can do the same against melee dps, though I highly recommend not using EN on dps enemies.

[cashogy_reborn]

You are immune to snares and roots (including leap) when HO is active. You are immune to grapple and some CCs as well. RP is a root (not great, but okay) and JB is an aoe knock back+snare. For arsenal HO lasts 10 secs and is on 30 secs CD and JB on 20 sec (with set bonus). Also, for arsenal, rapid shots is 70% snare. It would be nice if merc can get a ranged snare. I feel sorry bad for pyro and healers. For arsenal no.

 

Fyi, if you combine power surge with HO, you can do a full arsenal rotation on a target with barely any need to stop moving (you will for rapid shots). Put EN on a healer, pull that off, while another allied dps is atking the healer, it is typically a guaranteed kill. You can do the same against melee dps, though I highly recommend not using EN on dps enemies.

 

Think you mean Unload is a 70% snare....

[Ottoattack]

Think you mean Unload is a 70% snare....

 

Yes, unload. Sorry for typo.

[TezMoney]

You are immune to snares and roots (including leap) when HO is active. You are immune to grapple and some CCs as well. RP is a root (not great, but okay) and JB is an aoe knock back+snare. For arsenal HO lasts 10 secs and is on 30 secs CD and JB on 20 sec (with set bonus). Also, for arsenal, rapid shots is 70% snare. It would be nice if merc can get a ranged snare. I feel sorry bad for pyro and healers. For arsenal no.

 

Fyi, if you combine power surge with HO, you can do a full arsenal rotation on a target with barely any need to stop moving (you will for rapid shots). Put EN on a healer, pull that off, while another allied dps is atking the healer, it is typically a guaranteed kill. You can do the same against melee dps, though I highly recommend not using EN on dps enemies.

 

Well we healers have the slow on Kolto Missle. It's ok when used in conjunction w/ HO. However I agree with the guy you quoted in that we could use another escape to deal w/ melee.

[NathanielStarr]

until we can heal like Operatives or survive like pyrotechs we will be towards the bottom of the heap in arena. This game is about damage dealing and damage mitigation. So many other classes have both.