When is our time to be feared Bioware?

[Arsenalman]

How can it take so long to give us the minor upgrades we need to be a contender in ranked wz`s?

It`s been known so long that we lack survivability and some kind of immunity to interupts for a long time but theres nothing new thats happened other than the electro net and Hydraulic Overrides. But then again the net is awesome, but it only helps on 1 target, and the Hydraulic Overrides only helps against kiting meele dps and immunity to knockbacks.

 

In each match its the mercenary that gets nuked down first, unless youre playing at lower ratings you might be lucky getting to freecast and bring devastation to the enemy team. Popping Hydraulic Overrides, energy Shield and using the two instant casts you get from Power Surge to heal yourself, if you are playing Arsenal, it gives you a few seconds longer to stay alive but you dont really get any damage out at that time and all youre Cooldowns are used within the first 10 Seconds of the match, making you an even easier target to get down. But you can take this to youre teams advantage by staying alive for as long as you can because if they all go out on you there will be most of the times a vulnerable target in enemy group aswell.

If you practice this you can be a good "tank" that gives your group more space to focus one of their targets and hoping that you outlive the focus target so youre group can help you after. With clever use of the map as using youre knockback in the right places and use out of sight merc`s can stay alive for sometime but running around kiting stuff aren`t what Bounty Hunters should be doing. Were supposed to be feared but thats not the case, atleast not in ranked.

Mercenary are great for 1on1, but we need an upgrade that gives us some breathing time when we are getting focused by more than 1 target cause we are way too easily shutdown now. In normal 8vs8 warzones its easier, but as in 4vs4 ranked where you get focused by two or sometimes three enemies we are simply not capable of taking the amount of damage or getting any real damage out. You can argue about we being a ranged class and say that we can do great damage if were left alone but still I feel were missing to be up there with the other classes.

 

Im sorry about the bad grammar and that the thread doesnt really hang together but I just want to share some thaughts and get some answers if were getting any buffs or changes in an upcoming patch soon, cause it`s needed and I say we have waited far too long.

 

One day, somebody's gonna have to make a stand. One day, somebody's gonna have to say enough!

Stop!

Mercenary time!

[DragulThrawn]

Hi Slévin here from the same Server, your Feelings are my Feelings !!!

 

I wait for the next Patch, when then nothing change to Merc, i will quit ( i play since Beta ).

This is my Main-Char i played him since my first Day in Swtor and i dont want to change my Main ...

 

BW dont understand, because they dont play their game themself with the "worst pvp classes".

 

BW-Dev´s create a Merc on ToFN and play for ONE Day Solo Ranked Arena and you will see thats your Classbalance is a FAIL !!!!.

 

Mercenary are very bad in 4vs4 Arena and BW have to do something.

 

Patch 2.6. BW, thats have to be the Merc-Patch.

 

BW failed now for over a year with this class. Shame on you BW !!!!

 

p.s. no BW Dev listen here in the Forum !!! No Comments in the other Threads ( Brainstorming for couple of weeks )....

Iam very disappointed about the Dev´s and their work.

After 2 years enough is enough.

[ishbindeinvater]

but what do you want to do against being first target?

 

shorter cooldown on knock back?

2 sec root to knock back?

energy shield reflecting damage for 2 secs?

electro net aoe?

[Arsenalman]

We need some kind of immunity against interupts for a few Seconds. That would help alot seing that when were being focused first we get easily shutdown. We can kite dps and ranged for 10 sec With Hydraulic overrides up but after that having some kind of immunity against interupts for 3-5 Seconds would make a great difference.

Were not a bad class but some small adjustments and we can be back up there cause theres not alot of us up there in Solo/Group ranked and theres lots of good players out there so cant only be that were bad at playing the class

[ishbindeinvater]

We need some kind of immunity against interupts for a few Seconds. That would help alot seing that when were being focused first we get easily shutdown. We can kite dps and ranged for 10 sec With Hydraulic overrides up but after that having some kind of immunity against interupts for 3-5 Seconds would make a great difference.

Were not a bad class but some small adjustments and we can be back up there cause theres not alot of us up there in Solo/Group ranked and theres lots of good players out there so cant only be that were bad at playing the class

 

that wont help when 3 jump on you. mercs lack escapes and the only escape prevents them from doing damage because you are moving. when you compare to sniper, they have the roll with + runspeed and short total immunity against cc while also being immune to interrupts. they have a 4 sec stun and flash bang and the pbaoe knock back. they have 30m leg shot and get 20 sec immunity every 60 sec against all cc, while being uninterruptable and still they have all their cc. they ve got -30 damage first 3 attacks after cover and an instant automatic critting snipe, an instant finisher and an instant trickshot (dont know the sniper name of it) all doing massive damage. knockback on aimed shot. 60 percent aoe damage reduction. "instant" speed shot. other tools. i hope i didnt forget any.

and they still have problems when focused, but they can do more usefull and are mostly second target after merc/sorc.

 

while focused, a merc can hit energy shield, adrenal, kolto overload and hope that the guard and the healer take care of you. i would not use power surge on self heals, but on tracer, heatseeker, fusion, tracer, rail, sticky grenade, electronet. thats massive burst damage all instant. dont forget, you have teammates too and IMO a merc is ok in arena, when your teammates help you and focus a dps down with you. bad team = useless merc

[ZeroPlus]

How can it take so long to give us the minor upgrades we need to be a contender in ranked wz`s?

It`s been known so long that we lack survivability and some kind of immunity to interupts for a long time but theres nothing new thats happened other than the electro net and Hydraulic Overrides. But then again the net is awesome, but it only helps on 1 target, and the Hydraulic Overrides only helps against kiting meele dps and immunity to knockbacks.

 

In each match its the mercenary that gets nuked down first, unless youre playing at lower ratings you might be lucky getting to freecast and bring devastation to the enemy team. Popping Hydraulic Overrides, energy Shield and using the two instant casts you get from Power Surge to heal yourself, if you are playing Arsenal, it gives you a few seconds longer to stay alive but you dont really get any damage out at that time and all youre Cooldowns are used within the first 10 Seconds of the match, making you an even easier target to get down. But you can take this to youre teams advantage by staying alive for as long as you can because if they all go out on you there will be most of the times a vulnerable target in enemy group aswell.

If you practice this you can be a good "tank" that gives your group more space to focus one of their targets and hoping that you outlive the focus target so youre group can help you after. With clever use of the map as using youre knockback in the right places and use out of sight merc`s can stay alive for sometime but running around kiting stuff aren`t what Bounty Hunters should be doing. Were supposed to be feared but thats not the case, atleast not in ranked.

Mercenary are great for 1on1, but we need an upgrade that gives us some breathing time when we are getting focused by more than 1 target cause we are way too easily shutdown now. In normal 8vs8 warzones its easier, but as in 4vs4 ranked where you get focused by two or sometimes three enemies we are simply not capable of taking the amount of damage or getting any real damage out. You can argue about we being a ranged class and say that we can do great damage if were left alone but still I feel were missing to be up there with the other classes.

 

Im sorry about the bad grammar and that the thread doesnt really hang together but I just want to share some thaughts and get some answers if were getting any buffs or changes in an upcoming patch soon, cause it`s needed and I say we have waited far too long.

 

One day, somebody's gonna have to make a stand. One day, somebody's gonna have to say enough!

Stop!

Mercenary time!

 

Actually, if you think about it, you are "feared". That is why you are being focused down first. Because the enemy team knows that if they don't, you will decimate them. They are taking out the highest threat to them: you.

 

Also, as you noted, if you take advantage of this and "tank" them, you give your team time to take out some of them. If you survive the initial focusing on you then you become exactly what the opposing team feared.

 

All this means that you aren't being focused because you are an "easy kill" (a Merc/Commando that focuses on surviving takes a while to kill), you are being focused because you are a real danger to the opposing team: someone to be feared.

 

Being feared means that you will be the priority kill. That is the way the game plays . Being "feared" doesn't mean that you get to be "immortal".

[Mystry]

You were already feared, it was during launch, when a mercenary could literally kill a fully geared pvp tank in 3 tracer missiles.

[NathanielStarr]

No Mercs get jumped on because they are easy kills

[koffinushko]

Electronet is very usefull tool , but!! it can be dispelled... and 90 sec CD again... ( Evasion Operatives healers , Force speed Sorc healers , Force shroud assassins tank - it is very bad using net on assassin tank but anyway ... sometimes it happens ) . So my advice to devs is... make that stupid net work as intended a make it undispelable or give a shorter CD on that and ??? Here we are merc will be usefull in RWZ . and 2nd thing - make missile blast cost 16 heat cuz u know ... nobody is using it . 3rd thing if Merc healer don't get heal over time or lover CD on his instant heal he will never get a spot in RWZ . Thank u for reading this.

[Macroeconomics]

The situation is still the same as it was when 2.0 was released. It's just that people are no longer in denial about it. Arsenal is a decent 1v1 platform, but it simply sucks in a 4v4 arena context. Weak defense, easy to shut down, and very few downsides to the enemy when they focus on you = they will focus on you.

[ZeroPlus]

Some changes are coming:

First off, Happy New Year everyone! I am back in the office now from the holidays so we are right back to some yellow posts

 

Game Update 2.6 first and foremost will mark the launch of Galactic Starfighter! That will mean the introduction of:

• The Gunship unlock available for F2P players.
  
• A new Gunship variant.
  
• Two Bomber variants!
  
• ...and more! We will talk more about this next week.
  

Also, Game Update 2.6 will come with a few class changes, here is just an overview of some of what you will see:

• A fairly significant DPS boost for Operatives/Scoundrels.
  
• Mercenaries/Commandos will now have a skill to eliminate pushback on Tracer Missile/Grav Round and Power Shot/Charged Bolts.
  
• Sorcerers/Sages will now have a skill to eliminate pushback on Lightning Strike and Force Lightning/Disturbance and Telekinetic Throw.
  
• Mercenaries/Commandos can now cast Kolto Shell/Trauma Probe on more than one target at a time.
  
• Mercenaries/Commandos can now use Rapid Shots/Hammer Shot on themselves while Combat Support Cylinder/Combat Support Cell are active.
  

As always, look for the 2.6 patch notes for a full list of all changes that are coming! That is just a preview of what is to come.

 

-eric

[BigDumbViking]

No Mercs get jumped on because they are easy kills

 

If you're an easy kill, that's on you. Personally I'm a hard kill, but my damage suffers greatly when I'm getting focused. That is normally the case for all classes with the exception of melee who can't get interrupted. if we get interrupt immunity it would make us much more difficult to lock down, but because of our burst we are always going to be near the top of the "kill first" list.

[JohnnyFG]

If you're an easy kill, that's on you. Personally I'm a hard kill, but my damage suffers greatly when I'm getting focused. That is normally the case for all classes with the exception of melee who can't get interrupted. if we get interrupt immunity it would make us much more difficult to lock down, but because of our burst we are always going to be near the top of the "kill first" list.

 

Come to TOFN, you are an easy kill. ;D

[Macroeconomics]

Come to TOFN, you are an easy kill. ;D

 

The dps Mercs who claim they are not an easy kill or claim they can easily defeat all other classes all the time, simply don't play in competitive settings. For example, back in the BH forum a Merc made a post about how you should be about to use Tracer Missile repeatedly without a problem and if it is a problem for you, you are bad. Well technically speaking he might be right. Getting TM off isn't that hard as long as you can get isolation on a single enemy and you have all your abilities off CD. But in a competitive arena, it doesn't work that way. In a competitive arena, you will get off zero Tracer Missiles if the enemy has two operative/scoundrels and your team only has one. Or at best one Tracer Missile if the number of operative/scoundrels is equal on both teams. That's it. You'll also get off one HSM, one Explosive Dart, one Rocket Punch and after that it is all Rapid Shots. People who do not play group ranked simply can not conceptualize the level of coordination that can occur and how easy it is to nullify a casting class with coordination.

[phat_maban]

Actually, if you think about it, you are "feared". That is why you are being focused down first. Because the enemy team knows that if they don't, you will decimate them. They are taking out the highest threat to them: you.

 

Also, as you noted, if you take advantage of this and "tank" them, you give your team time to take out some of them. If you survive the initial focusing on you then you become exactly what the opposing team feared.

 

All this means that you aren't being focused because you are an "easy kill" (a Merc/Commando that focuses on surviving takes a while to kill), you are being focused because you are a real danger to the opposing team: someone to be feared.

 

Being feared means that you will be the priority kill. That is the way the game plays . Being "feared" doesn't mean that you get to be "immortal".

 

I signed in just to reply to this. I have full bis pvp gear and im a experienced merc. I can survive a fair while being focused and in a arena I will see if there is a merc. Merc and heals will be burned down first and I will in no way choose the merc because I fear his dps I choose him because he is squishy and easy to burn. Much better having a dps down on the other side even if he is not the top dps.

 

there is some good mercs out there but not many that can survive when put under pressure.

[NathanielStarr]

If you're an easy kill, that's on you. Personally I'm a hard kill, but my damage suffers greatly when I'm getting focused. That is normally the case for all classes with the exception of melee who can't get interrupted. if we get interrupt immunity it would make us much more difficult to lock down, but because of our burst we are always going to be near the top of the "kill first" list.

 

I've got news for you if you are a Mercenary and aren't a healer you're an easy kill. With only a 25% shield on a 2 minute cooldown as your only real defense it's mathematically proven.

Edited January 13, 2014 by NathanielStarr

[Ottoattack]

I strongly disagree regarding merc problem is defensive by any means. Between heavy armor, shield, KOL, instant off heal, HO and jet boast, I do not only think merc survivability is good, I think it is more than what is needed for a ranged class. What gives the impression that survivability is an issue is susceptibility to interrupts. When you can get interrupted 2-3 times by one enemy in 10 secs how will cast anything? And that can be easily upped to 5-6 interrupts by 2 enemies (like arenas) to completely shut down merc's dps.

 

The problem is clear and the solution is simple. Make TM and PS immune to interrupts (maybe unload as well) and the class will be a contender on the spot. This push back crap is silly and does nothing (mercs are at 70% already). Until interrupt protection is available I suggest everyone to re-roll for PvP. In 4v4 especially merc dps barely works.

 

I am not sure if how well will the healer fair after the recent changes.

[Luckeyduckey]

Top DPS in PVE isn't bad. Pyro Mercs are pretty good in PvP too.

[kennethdale]

I am going to be deploying soon and will be quitting completely with no intention of ever returning but I have really enjoyed my merc so I thought I would chime in.

 

Mercs are very good in PvE right now. Heat is, always has been, and will continue to be our biggest set back in PvE as in most encounters, making a mistake with your heat will ruin your ability to DPS. Its easier to keep heat low in Pyro, but easier to recover in Arsenal. There is no other DPS spec that I have played (Sorc Lightning, Sorc Madness, Sorc Hybrid, Juggernaut Vengeance, Juggernaut Rage, Mara Anni, Mara Carn, Mara Rage, Sin Madness, Sin Deception, PT Pyro, PT AP, PT Hybrid, Merc Pyro, Merco Arsenal, and Merc Pyro Hybrid) which is more difficult to come back from a mistake. If you want to go by the DPS charts alone, you'll seen fantastic numbers from fantastic players who did great things but most people will only be able to match those numbers if they get completely and utterly lucky. Most people make mistakes and those mistakes will ruin a Merc's DPS. Should the system be completely scrapped? No, it can be fixed but right now the heat costs are far too high and too many of our abilities are completely useless.

 

In unranked PvP, Mercs can do pretty well. particularly I find Pyro to be a lot of fun in unranked. Run around DoTing the crap out of people using instants and broken-cast Unload's to proc Rail Shot. Arsenal is more tough but more destructive if given the ability to free cast, something you rarely get in PvP, ranked or unranked. Ranked PvP is a bit different. I don't claim to be a PvP god or even a PvP good, but I'm not horrible and I occasionally tag along with some much better PvPers than myself. In Arenas without fail, if there is a merc on the other team chances are great we'll win. Not because we're great but because I know how to DoT and run and Mercs are squishy. Super, super, super, super, super, super squishy. I tend to play pyro pretty exclusively in ranked when I do because of the increased mobility and slight protection from DoTs. For me it works better; DoT up, throw out CDs on the focus target, defensive CDs, hide, blow my heat healing myself up.

 

Any merc who tells you they're not squishy is either lying or hasn't faced enough good teams to know what being squishy feels like. Can you survive on a good team? Sure, your team can learn to use you like a glass cannon. You blow everything on a focus target and die. They clean up the rest. It works fine, but a good team will always kill the merc not because we hit hard. Not because we're played by extraordinarily good PvPers, not because we are special at all. In a good way that is. They kill us first because we are the easiest to shut down. There is no waiting when you burst down a merc. A Sorc might be a hair more squishy but they have that pesky immunity bubble. So you'll have to lower them once, watch them get healed up and then lower them again. Ops can simply stealth and heal up. Maras have some bad-*** defensives that'll keep them up. Juggs are pretty hard to burst down quickly. So are PTs. Sins are pretty easy to burn but they have that pesky cloak. Snipers? They're OP as all get out. Knockbacks, immunities, stuns, slows, every damn trick in the book. Mercs? They have nothing. They can reduce damage a bit but not by much and its on a superlong CD so that's not going to keep them up through a hard, targeted burn. Kolto Overload doesn't heal any where near enough to keep you alive from targeted fire. So because we have no real escape mechanism, we get targeted first. We die and our team is down at best (from the perspective of the other team) a healer and at worst another DPS.

 

To sum up: Mercs are not in dire straits as some would have you believe. We're not the worst in the world at anything, but neither are we the best. We need a lot of love to be as good as everyone seems to think we are. Should every person be able to roll a merc and be top DPS? Absolutely not, but a good player shouldn't find themselves in a situation where they cannot through any means (memory or combat log reading) determine why they suddenly found themselves in a heat-hole they couldn't dig out of and subsequently had to waste a lot of time to get out of. Our CDs shouldn't be exist to fix innate class problems, they should be there to deal with short duration problems or increase our output. None of our CDs work for anything other than to fix issues. Eliminating heat cost and venting heat? Both put a bandaid on our resource system. Instant cast? That just lets us keep moving during ONE or TWO casts. Not much of a bandaid. We're not in a terrible place, but we're not in a good one. The fixes coming, at least those announced don't change any of this. If you want to play a game where the devs, listen I'd suggest checking out wildstar. Its what I'm hoping to do when I get back.