Ozlandu Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 (edited) Hello DPS gurus. Was wondering what your thoughts are on using classes more typically associated with other defined roles for picking up the DPS mantle. For example, Do you think a Guardian could ever truly fill the DPS slot if built/equipped properly? How about a Powertech? Would you ever consider using any one of those classes over a more traditional DPS class, like Slingers/Merc/Mar/Sents etc. for end game NiM content? Is it viable? If not, what classes in your opinion excel in the DPS role better than the rest for versatility and preferability in groups? Not a very experienced player myself so I appreciate any feedback. Thank you. Edited November 21, 2013 by Ozlandu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawabonga Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Unfortunately popular belief is that only snipers and marauders are up for the challenge of higher tier content, so if a raid leader is particularly stubborn he will pick up those classes first. Some require more skill than others, some cannot be stacked, but the truth is every class is perfectly viable for any kind of content if played correctly. If you're interested in numbers here's the dps leader board thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozlandu Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 Unfortunately popular belief is that only snipers and marauders are up for the challenge of higher tier content, so if a raid leader is particularly stubborn he will pick up those classes first. Some require more skill than others, some cannot be stacked, but the truth is every class is perfectly viable for any kind of content if played correctly. If you're interested in numbers here's the dps leader board thread Interesting content, thank you. Although according to those numbers Slingers and Merc's actually rank higher than Mar/Sents or Snipers unless I'm reading it wrong. So why on earth would someone prefer them over a Merc/Slinger? Is it for the additional aggro a Ranged DPS pulls vs a Melee DPS? Thanks by the way for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cs_zoltan Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Well the tanking ACs right now are not in good place, all 3 of them. In the other hand healer ACs are in their golden age, Mercenary is the best sustained dps right now, Sorcerer is among the best too with high burst and great aoe, and operative is close to the top as well. Now that the formalities are dealt with I gotta say that dps check on most bosses is not that tight as far as I experienced. For example I killed DG nim with 2 sniper below 2k dps (post nerf obviously). What I want to say with this that the best thing you can do is try out each and every spec in game and choose what you like best and stick with it. You might get nerfed, you might get buffed but I doubt your raid gona wipe solely on your spec's weakness. PVE balance is really close atm and it only gets better with each patch despite what most of the cry babies say in this forum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oofalong Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Interesting content, thank you. Although according to those numbers Slingers and Merc's actually rank higher than Mar/Sents or Snipers unless I'm reading it wrong. So why on earth would someone prefer them over a Merc/Slinger? Is it for the additional aggro a Ranged DPS pulls vs a Melee DPS? Thanks by the way for the link. First off (Gun)Slingers = Snipers. This mirror AC has always been in-demand and boasts some of the best DPS in the game. It has a raid-wide shield and its range of 35m is the best in the game. Marauders/Sentinels offer some of the best defensive CDs in the game and have the ever-popular Bloodthirst/Inspiration which boosts everyone's damage by 15%. The other benefit is that every ability, but one, is an instant which means there is no concern over pushback or interrupts. For the longest time, the perception on Mercs/Mandos was Arsenal/Gunnery was the only way to go. This spec relies on cast/channel abilities, which can be a draw back. Recently, Pyro/Assault Specialist has emerged as a popular spec - and it turns out it does more damage too. This is increasing the attractiveness of this AC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawabonga Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Interesting content, thank you. Although according to those numbers Slingers and Merc's actually rank higher than Mar/Sents or Snipers unless I'm reading it wrong. So why on earth would someone prefer them over a Merc/Slinger? Is it for the additional aggro a Ranged DPS pulls vs a Melee DPS? Thanks by the way for the link. (warning, the following post was made assuming equal skill level of everything involved in it) Again, if a raid leader is stubborn, and wishes to bring only the best of the best of the best he can possible get he will bring to a raid only snipers and marauders. Even though marauders perform slightly worse on dummy, bloodthirst is an incredibly powerful tool that any psychotic raid leader with performance complex wants. Similarly snipers would be preferred to mercenaries because of their ballistic shield, which comes in handy in a lot of situations. Also, in case a juggernaut tank is missing, snipers have a baseline ability to reduce armor, while mercenaries would have to have chosen the arsenal spec. The reason NOT to bring only those classes is that behind classes there are human beings, which may or may not be humans you enjoy the company of. Another simple reason is that "it's just a game"™. The content can be cleared with all classes and there is no cash prize for doing so in the least amount of time. The only composition i can think of that could give some trouble with enrage timers is 4 assassin dps (in an 8 man raid), because of their "executioner" nature, but those are really rare to come by to begin with so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SithTyre Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 All classes are viable DPS, its the player behind the keys that really matters. Sure there are perks that some classes bring to the OP that will help such as the sniper ballistic shield to reduce dmg to the raid and the marauder increase to dmg buff. The thing I like about SWTOR is that you do not have to have the perfect setup to get things killed. You could bring in 4 assassin DPS and as long as they are good players and play their toon correctly, you could kill the objective. Yes, it would be harder, but it is feasible. The bastard child right now is the assassin/shadow class. It lacks some dps and becuase it is a little more challenging and not so "easy mode" for dps, many will shun them as a dps. One of our OP groups runs an assassin dps and he plays very well. He is not top of the pack on every fight but he holds his own due to his skill and understanding of the class for the dps spec he is in. He is rarely at the bottom of the dps chart and sometimes makes the top. I would attribute this to him playing well. Alas, at the end of the day with equally skilled players, some ACs will be better - the sniper and the mara for the extras they bring to the OP and the potential to do more damage. I have been lucky enough to be in a larger guild running multiple OP groups. It is always refreshing to see all of the "non-traditional" dps classes have the ability to demonstrate some good numbers. Some worth mentioning are: Jugg Veng Dps 1.3 mil on HM Styrak SnV Powertech 1.2 mil on HM Styrak SnV Assassin deception1.2 mil on HM Styrak SnV Sorc madness 1.1 mil on HM Styrak SnV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozlandu Posted November 22, 2013 Author Share Posted November 22, 2013 Thanks for the feedback everyone, it helps in getting some perspective on current class balances for me and where I should best begin investing my time. Although I think they are all worth playing, it's good to read that there is open mindedness about the utilization of an unorthodox class fulfilling the DPS role. It makes sense that certain classes offer party buffs that are just universally a good thing, coupled with good damage for the win. Just interesting to me that these really awesome classes are potentially so versatile, even viable, and capable of fullfilling multiple roles based on need or want. Thanks again for the feedback, I look forward to experimenting with this and testing it out for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts