Evasion crit by nerf bat

[Nemarus]

•Evasion has been reduced in power:

•Response Tuning and Lightweight Armor have had their passive evasion bonuses reduced by 1%

•Distortion Field now grants 9% passive evasion, down from 15%, but has had its shield capacity increased from 70% to 80%

•Distortion Field's active ability now grants only 27% evasion, but has had its duration extended to 6 seconds. The tier 1 upgrade now grants 8% evasion, down from 10%.

 

Not all will like this change, but I am pleased, particularly with the reduction in passive evasion.

[DroidDreamer]

Based on the number I've heard people throw around -- with evasion scores in the 40s -- this doesn't sound like it gets GSF where it needs to be. But it's a start. Kudos to the devs for listening to the community.

 

Now what will x-hitting scrubs do? Hitting the stop button + DF won't be as effective any more. Maybe y'all will join is in the dogfight! It's pretty fun: you chase people around and shoot at them and try to avoid being shot. A little harder than hitting the breaks plus your immunity button but you'll get the hang of it!

 

:D

[Kaivers]

http://www.swtor.com/patchnotes/game-update-2.6-galactic-starfighter

 

Many thanks to the Devs! Appreciate these changes.

 

Still seems most of the love went to Type 2 Strikers though, with the Ion missile range increase and addition of EMP missiles.

[Kain_Turinbar]

Might change out the armor on my Pike now.

 

 

With the power conversion to weapons change I will surely spend 95% of my time with power converted to shields now.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Kain_Turinbar

[TrinityLyre]

Excellent changes across the board, BioWare!

[Ramalina]

So it looks to me like a fix of distortion field being used as an invincibility button during offensive maneuvers.

 

Passive evasion may be slightly nerfed overall with the conversion to shields. They should keep an eye on it, as they might need to bump up the increase in shields by a percent or two. Definitely a good move for future adjustments though, evasion at more modest levels will be easier to tune in terms of consistent results.

 

Heavy scouts may have to learn to fight a bit more like the traditional scout/interceptor roles did.

 

Also thread title is inaccurate. Distortion field was crit by the nerf bat. Evasion received a glancing blow, and suffered somewhere between little and none, it's hard to tell at this point. It's possible that stacking evasion will still be slightly better than using other shield/armor options.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Ramalina

[DroidDreamer]

So it looks to me like a fix of distortion field being used as an invincibility button during offensive maneuvers.

 

Passive evasion may be slightly nerfed overall with the conversion to shields. They should keep an eye on it, as they might need to bump up the increase in shields by a percent or two. Definitely a good move for future adjustments though, evasion at more modest levels will be easier to tune in terms of consistent results.

 

Heavy scouts may have to learn to fight a bit more like the traditional scout/interceptor roles did.

 

Yeah, no more head-on passes or turret dogfighting. It's a good result!

[Zoom_VI]

Hmm Dfield now has 10% more per shield arc and it can now max at 9 second duration or 45% uptime

[Luneward]

Not bad. Knocks scouts down to 33% max passive evasion, and gunships down to 23% max passive. Still makes evasion useful against blasters/railguns, and makes dfield powerful without making them completely immune. That was always the big problem with dfield. Pretty much a god mode button since no scout worth their salt gets hit by missiles on a reliable basis unless they are being mobbed. Edited February 4, 2014 by Luneward

[Verain]

These changes are... really good looking?

 

I mean, I'm honestly surprised.

 

 

We're still missing something to burst laser cannon, but maybe the meta will change with bombers to not favor this weapon so much.

 

Evasion nerf, very good. Distortion field nerf is very very game changing.

 

 

My favorite change is putting directional shields on Comet Breaker / Dustmater. This is something I had requested, and it will really super help these ships lots.

 

 

 

This pass seemed to only effect the really strong things, though. I'd like a pass to address weak copilot abilities (especially offensive ones that don't help railguns, and the aoe buffs going to 3km is still wildly inadequate for such a small buff set), and weaker components and ships.

 

 

The removal of the immunity shield is a pretty big deal tbh, and we'll see how it plays out.

 

 

 

I'm very excited for tomorrow.

[DroidDreamer]

Not bad. Knocks scouts down to 33% max passive evasion, and gunships down to 23% max passive.

 

Definite improvement. I don't know exactly how evasion works (I know there are threads about this) but if 33% passive evasion means 33% of shots that would have hit don't actually hit, then it's still too high. Again, it depends on how it actually works but landing hits with accuracy penalties is hard enough as it is. If 33% passive evasion makes that materially harder, then the number might still need to come down further.

[Delta_V]

These changes are... really good looking?

 

I mean, I'm honestly surprised.

 

 

We're still missing something to burst laser cannon, but maybe the meta will change with bombers to not favor this weapon so much.

 

Evasion nerf, very good. Distortion field nerf is very very game changing.

 

 

My favorite change is putting directional shields on Comet Breaker / Dustmater. This is something I had requested, and it will really super help these ships lots.

 

 

 

This pass seemed to only effect the really strong things, though. I'd like a pass to address weak copilot abilities (especially offensive ones that don't help railguns, and the aoe buffs going to 3km is still wildly inadequate for such a small buff set), and weaker components and ships.

 

 

The removal of the immunity shield is a pretty big deal tbh, and we'll see how it plays out.

 

 

 

I'm very excited for tomorrow.

 

Agree w/ all of this.

 

Flashfire/Sting will still be powerful, but won't be able to go head-to-head with Strikes as easily (which was always stupid). Now they'll actually have to rely on their superior speed and maneuverability to survive, which is how it should b.

 

I'd also add that EMP missiles for Pikes/Quells and the EMP ability for Novadives/Blackbolts should help those ships significantly, especially with Bombers in play.

 

Not sure if the range buff to Ion Missiles will be enough to make them useful, especially w/ the new AOE EMP missile.

 

Disappointed in the lack of buffs to the Starguard/Rycer, apart from a handful of range buffs to components which also help other ships. Buffing Ion Cannons to 5000 meter range would help, and they could also use a buff to their mobility.

[DarthVindictus]

•Evasion has been reduced in power:

•Response Tuning and Lightweight Armor have had their passive evasion bonuses reduced by 1%

•Distortion Field now grants 9% passive evasion, down from 15%, but has had its shield capacity increased from 70% to 80%

•Distortion Field's active ability now grants only 27% evasion, but has had its duration extended to 6 seconds. The tier 1 upgrade now grants 8% evasion, down from 10%.

 

Not all will like this change, but I am pleased, particularly with the reduction in passive evasion.

 

I think the nerf to the active effect of distortion field was not needed, but otherwise the changes are good.

[Brewski]

Will all the people decrying the lack of balance changes and suggesting the devs would leave everything exactly as it is for "6 to 8 months" please step forward and aplogize?

 

...

 

No?

 

...

 

Well, alright then.

 

Good balance changes overall, and I'm glad to see them. I'm not too concerned about BLC not being hit yet as I think moving the fights off the nodes will make them less attractive overall. I'm expecting more Flashes and Stings running quads or even Rapid Fires after tomorrow. If not, I think the devs have proven they are keeping an eye on things and adjusting where needed. Evasion, Bypass and Ion Rail taps have been three of the biggest complaints, and all three are being touched. Bravo.

[dancezwithnubz]

perhaps the nerf to the D-Field active is a little heavy handed, I'll have to wait and see.

 

In all, I feel these are decent changes (and this from a Blackbolt pilot).

[Delta_V]

perhaps the nerf to the D-Field active is a little heavy handed, I'll have to wait and see.

 

In all, I feel these are decent changes (and this from a Blackbolt pilot).

 

It's a heavy nerf, but I think it brings it more in line w/ the other active defensive abilities. Before, it was just miles ahead of the other shield or defensive copilot actives.

[MystbladeWA]

Players may now queue for Starfighter Battles at the same time as Warzones.

 

Finally.

[Armonddd]

I like the changes.

 

Reduced evasion means less RNG in combat. I'm slightly concerned about railguns as a result, but if they're reducing the damage of weapons with inherent shield penetration, that should include slugs, so it's fine.

 

I would have preferred distortion field get a duration nerf rather than an effectiveness nerf (it feels closer to passive evasion now than it used to), but I won't complain too much.

 

Still... what's a thermite torpedo?

Edited February 4, 2014 by Armonddd

[Verain]

The D-Field changes are not what I would, in an ideal world, have done. I would have preferred to keep the invincible bubble, but to increase the cooldown on the move.

 

However: The pack of changes we got was great.

 

So, on live, there's three types of ships that use this. Novadive, Flashfire, and Quarrel.

 

These ships all have really high effective hit points and the ability to drive directly into fire.

 

On live, your Novadive and Flashfire have 41% evasion- 10% from scout, 10% armor, 15% D field, 6% crew passive. You can pop a field for +75% evasion, sailing you up to 116% evasion. No one is cutting through that with any reasonable rate of anything.

 

On live, your Quarrel has a 31% evasion- 10% armor, 15% D field, 6% crew passive. You can pop a field for +75% evasion, sailing you up to 106%. This can be hit with some accurate weapons and +accuracy crewmen, but oh,the odds are low.

 

Tomorrow, your Novadive and Flashfire will only have 33% evasion- 10% from scout, 9% from armor (assumed), 9% D field, 5% crew passive. This is a substantial nerf to ships that are intended to be fragile, and are not. You can pop your field for 35% evasion, taking you up to 68%, which is not immortal. However, you shields will be 14% stronger, and your field will last for 6 or 9 seconds instead of 3 or 6 seconds. You will now be taking a big risk when you expose yourself- some of the times you do this, you will be hit and die. On the other hand, you have a much longer duration of it.

 

Tomorrow, your Quarrel will only have 23% evasion- the biggest relative loss thus far, and a reduction to effective hit points. You can pop your field for +35% evasion, taking you up to 57%- very hittable, and not even 50% under some situations. It is also a large nerf to the tactics of this ship, which often involves staying on target while living in an invincible bubble. On the other hand, the extra duration will allow you to accomplish daring acts with a few mere flips of the coin. This will change what a gunship duel is completely.

 

 

Overall good changes. Solid effort by the devs!

[Coldcrush]

I'm a bit more concerned about where the interdiction drive nerf came from. One of my bomber builds had that in its setup due to the potential 9 sec 60% speed boots to get some distance in those scenarios when escape was necessary.

[Zharik]

I'm a bit more concerned about where the interdiction drive nerf came from. One of my bomber builds had that in its setup due to the potential 9 sec 60% speed boots to get some distance in those scenarios when escape was necessary.

 

It was pretty devastating if the GS flew into the melee of dogfighting ships then popped it... basically every on the other team lost within 6 seconds.

[Bleeters]

 

I'd also add that EMP missiles for Pikes/Quells and the EMP ability for Novadives/Blackbolts should help those ships significantly, especially with Bombers in play.

From what I hear, one of the upgrades for novadive EMP disables engine or shield abilities as well as system, which sounds incredibly hilarious.

 

Not least because I recognise several of the barrel-roll-to-the-spawn-ship-whenever-they-start-taking-any-damage gunship pilots on the server I'm on by name. EMP followed by sabotage probe. You're going nowhere, buddy.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Bleeters

[Coldcrush]

It was pretty devastating if the GS flew into the melee of dogfighting ships then popped it... basically every on the other team lost within 6 seconds.

 

I am referring to the nerf to its speed boost.

[dancezwithnubz]

From what I hear, one of the upgrades for novadive EMP disables engine or shield abilities as well as system, which sounds incredibly hilarious.

 

Not least because I recognise several of the barrel-roll-to-the-spawn-ship-whenever-they-start-taking-any-damage gunship pilots on the server I'm on by name. EMP followed by sabotage probe. You're going nowhere, buddy.

 

i'm very much looking forward to playing with the EMP weapon on my Blackbolt.

I've even saved up some 30k odd requisition for it.

[Gavin_Kelvar]

I do think the DField active ability nerf looks good, no more scouts using it for god mode to turret fight/joust. It might actually make taking a crew accuracy/evasion counter active ability worthwhile. I also like that they gave it more shields instead, I'd much rather have more shields than RNG mechanics (I'd rather have no RNG mechanics but I'll take minimizing it).

 

I think I will greatly enjoy watching scouts try to use DField for god mode only to get blown away (as presumably many won't read the patch notes/be aware that they no longer have god mode).

 

Whether the passive evasion nerfs are enough I'll wait and see. It looks much improved by being lower but whether it's low enough to not be such a vastly superior choice to all other armors has yet to be seen.