Flyby Nerf

[ArchangelLBC]

Flyby now does the same as a MV, ofc the tooltips say different numbers but Flyby is elemental and ignores all armour while MV loses up to 35% against target armour.

 

This just isn't true. My Flyby on my Gunslinger in close to BiS (missing two implants atm, my current ones are Oriconian) does, according to the tooltip, less than half the damage of the lower end of my Commando's tooltip for MV and my commando is in mostly 72 with 78 mods, a few 78 enhancements, 1 78 armoring, and of course a 78 offhand.

 

So even if you lost a full 35% damage to armor from MV it still does more damage than Flyby. I actually would have been fine if they'd turned it into energy damage and made it do the same exact damage as MV. I WISH they'd done that. Unfortunately that isn't what they did.

 

It's not useless in PvP, if you think so you're bad a PvP.

 

Well yes and no. In 8v8 regular warzones it is as useful as it always was for stopping caps. For Arenas and general Area Denial (by which I mean convincing people standing in a certain area that they REALLY don't want to stand there) it has become mostly useless since the damage just isn't there to make it at all threatening.

 

Drama queens realm. You do realise that it's not the only skill you have? You realise it's AOE, and NOT a single target skill? You realise that it was able to clear the entire pack of mobs becouse of huge range? No, MV can't do that.

 

Of course you don't care. You don't care that you are playing one of best RDPS. You don't even care that this patch finally made ops and guards DPS trees working. No, you got one abilitie nerfed (for a good reason), so this patch is garbage and bioware are ratards.

 

Quit the game. Please, it will be so better without you.

 

I'm actually still upset about the MV radius nerf. So absolutely dumb. Otherwise, this thread isn't about the buffs to scoundrel or guardians. Good for them. Love the changes on my Jugg, and our Scoundrel DPS is greatly enjoying his changes to scrapper. I fail ti see why that somehow means we don't have the right to be upset over what for many of us was a fun and iconic ability being nerfed both in utility (a pretty weak AoE ability now) as well as aesthetically. Especially when, if the Devs aren't lying and the real issue was single target damage, there were ways to take it out of ST rotations which would have left the AOE power in place (though even that nerfed by 25% due to the absolutely appropriate PVP set bonus change). It's that adding insult to injury when so many better options were available to accomplish the same (stated) goals that makes BW "ratards".

 

Personally I think the game would be a lot better without idiots like you, but until that happy day you of course are entitled to your opinion.

[StryfeByrd]

AS a player that MAINS a marksman spec sniper, this nerf was NOT based off PVP, it was based on PVE OPS parse numbers. BUT its still a stupid thing to do. bioware said they had a problem with LETHALITY using OS in ST rotation, MM spec is Supposed to use OS we even spec INTO it, but now we have a useless ability that we are forced to spend points on, or choose to run HYBRID. but wait i thought bioware didnt want hybrids? haha biofail does it again. thank god i have ESO beta this weekend.

[Phesojss]

My name for the two nerfed abilities Orbital Strike and Freighter Fly are now Orbital Latrine Purge and Freighter Trash Dump. The mirror abilities now are by far the weakest main AOE abilities in the game, as compared to the Trooper/Bounty Hunter and Sage/Sorcerer. Taking away the two piece PvP set bonus and making these abilities hit for 80 to 90 percent of the original would have brought them to a much better place to even be considered GOOD, much less excellent for multiple add mobs. The main AOE abilities for the ranged DPS classes are and have been balanced in the base form. Now Orbital Latrine Purge and Freighter Trash Dump are not "Excellent" AOE abilities but have morphed to their new name.

[Nmyownworld]

I'm not happy about the OS/Flyby nerf. I used to use it on tightly packed groups of mobs. Blew 'em to pieces. Good times! Now, the OS/Flyby just makes the mobs mad.

 

For me, OS/Flyby has gone from being an awesome damaging blast called from space, to waving a flashlight at mobs and hoping it blinds them for a second. Ugh.

 

I miss OS/Flyby being a way to devastate the targets.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Nmyownworld

[robertthebard]

So I do more AoE damage with Thermal Grenade than I do with fly by, why wait until 48 to get it? Might as well give to us on Ord Mantell, because frankly, that's the only place it's going to be remotely useful for larger groups of mobs. So some noob in PvP got roflstomped by it, and cried and cried, and now those of us that don't PvP can't PvE effectively at the level range where we get/need the skill.

[faszlowroka]

This nerf is ridiculous. Gunslinger on sharpshooter talent is useless. Thank you Bioware.

[teclado]

I'm just now starting a bandwagon scoundrel (only advanced class that I have not played). Does the scoundrel get the flyby ability or is that gunslingers only? Does it have a slowing effect on anybody inside its radius? So, it used to do around 10K damage over 12 seconds (assuming decent gear at 55)? I have a sniper and GS, but they're fairly low level, don't have OS/flyby yet.

 

While I ask these questions, I'm fairly certain that I know the answers because my poor little sage has been the victim of OS/Flyby many times. Basically, you get stuck and take significant damage while the sniper / GS lights you up = dead sage. Can't run. Can't possibly hope to out deeps the sniper.

 

Sometimes it's good to have a dissenting opinion, because these class forums can often become a place where everybody agrees and no alternative viewpoint is considered or even acknowledged. Don't hate, but...in my opinion...OS/Flyby was the most powerful AOE in the game by far. Again, I've only been on the receiving end, so I may be biased. But I'm no more biased than somebody being upset about it being nerfed. Also, I have no idea if that powerful of an ability is necessary to make up for other weaknesses in the class. That may be. But, I really do think that my statement about it being the most powerful AOE in the game is valid. The nerf may have been a bit harsh. Time will tell.

Edited February 6, 2014 by teclado

[Wanchope]

Yea, this nerf was seriously harsh and I'm not happy about it. I totally agree that there were a number of other ways to fix what the supposed issue was (use of an AOE for single target rotation) such as just increasing the energy cost. But there are a number of things being stated here I don't agree with.

 

1- "It was all about PVP." I don't think so. Anybody who PVPed that just stood there and took a full 10k flyby hit was an idiot. Most folks in PVP run out of the area long before they take any damage. This issue I think was that devs saw people like me doing close to 10k DPS on some mobs by using flyby, sharp bomb and nades. It made what are supposed to be hard pulls, a total joke. It was fun though.... I'll admit that much.

 

2- "My DPS is now totally sucks." Maybe your DPS does suck now. Mine doesn't. Yes, it took a hit, but it hardly sucks, and it is 100% fine for any Op in the game.

[royhenderson]

Next time they should just take away an ability. this nerf is the same as not having it. An enemy with 5k health remains alive after flyby lol.

 

They seriously took away an ability.

[Kaos_KidSWTOR]

Next time they should just take away an ability. this nerf is the same as not having it. An enemy with 5k health remains alive after flyby lol.

 

They seriously took away an ability.

 

Bioware has stated multiple times that they did NOT want Orbital/XS Flyby to be used in a single target situation. So this is why they nerfed it, i will admit it is a bit harsh, atleast allow Orbital to hit for more than 2k per tick with 3 ticks that's about 6k damage over the duration, but only 3k? a bit too much on the nerf bat.

[GrandLordMenace]

Here on the Ebon Hawk we call Orbital "Warm Gust of Wind" post-nerf.

 

This didn't even nerf sniper dps, its still the same, they just use more dots. They should have just lengthened the casttime by a ton so they can't fit it in the GCDs for a single target rotation.

[Old-Lore]

TBH, who came up with the idea to nerf FB/OS should be fired! This nerf was really uncalled for, harsh, unwanted, and unfair to the sense of leaving all other classes alone with their AOE damages! I normally play on my Operative as a healer and am not happy about this move by BW/EA!

 

I thought I saw somewhere that the Dev's listen, well I guess this move just kinda proves them wrong!

[robertthebard]

Bioware has stated multiple times that they did NOT want Orbital/XS Flyby to be used in a single target situation. So this is why they nerfed it, i will admit it is a bit harsh, atleast allow Orbital to hit for more than 2k per tick with 3 ticks that's about 6k damage over the duration, but only 3k? a bit too much on the nerf bat.

 

...and when that single target is surrounded by 5 of his buddies?

 

I look at how Corellia on is laid out, I look at when I get the skill, and I think "why nerf the skill that's supposed to allow us to more efficiently deal with these areas, but leave the areas alone?", not "gee, they messed up my dps", because I got to 48 w/out it, it's not messing up my dps. It's making fights that were designed with the assumption that you'd have the skill that much harder because it's not worth the cast time/energy cost, even though the cost is lower, to use it. Not when a heal spec'd sage can come in and "one shot" the same group with an instacast AoE.

[iNanook]

I have to admit I am now really looking forward to ESO , I was torn b/c I wanted to keep subbing SWTOR but premium looks just fine now. Used to love my opening up with Flyby and knocking out the trash *sigh*, ah well I can still snipe, 'cause Han shot first, I'll just do it premium when I wanna get my Starwars fix.

 

Edited February 12, 2014 by iNanook

[springerjkreb]

Okay, so you don't want me using xs flyby against a single target. What about against groups of adds that spawn during boss fights? xs would keep them rooted and most of them dead by the end allowing me to focus on the boss. Now it's a joke, and a waste of ten energy.

 

I understand knocking it down a peg. But not to the point of worthless like they did.

[Glorthox]

Let's see, XS used to kill weak lvl 50 mobs and nearly kill lvl 50 strongs ( Character being lvl 55 ). Now it hits like a wet noodle. Cannot even kill lvl 50 weaks. And what is worse is, it generates a ton of of threat even though it does crap damage.They should have kept the damage but increased the cooldown. My gunslinger still does pretty good single target damage, but that XS nerf, really was a major hit to our AOE damage. And a lot of things in this game need to be AOE'd. Mortar Volley still does its same damage, so I am not seeing the reason for the nerf. People say it was a PVE thing, I am sorry, but NO one in their right minds would ever complain about doing too much damage in a PVE situation. Every complaint about a class has ALWAYS been a PvP whiner.

[Sinapus]

My scoundrel used to be able to clear a group of mobs away pretty easily. I think my first reaction was: "Finally, smugglers can do what Troopers could do since lvl 10."

 

Not anymore? Feh.

 

If they claim it was because people were "using it on single targets" then they should increase the cast time or the cooldown time. Because right now it's not very useful at all. At least my scoundrel can sneak by most mobs still.

 

(I guess I should be glad I finally managed to kill Zinda Kent before the nerf. Using flash grenade when the blade sisters arrive, then XS Flyby to kill the sisters while pressing the attack on Zinda worked wonders. Not sure if I'll be able to do it now.)

Edited February 17, 2014 by Sinapus

[Ybini]

Let's see, XS used to kill weak lvl 50 mobs and nearly kill lvl 50 strongs ( Character being lvl 55 ). Now it hits like a wet noodle. Cannot even kill lvl 50 weaks. And what is worse is, it generates a ton of of threat even though it does crap damage.They should have kept the damage but increased the cooldown. My gunslinger still does pretty good single target damage, but that XS nerf, really was a major hit to our AOE damage. And a lot of things in this game need to be AOE'd. Mortar Volley still does its same damage, so I am not seeing the reason for the nerf. People say it was a PVE thing, I am sorry, but NO one in their right minds would ever complain about doing too much damage in a PVE situation. Every complaint about a class has ALWAYS been a PvP whiner.

 

The devs were saying they nerfed it because they were being used to kill bosses too quick (the single target they talk about) but it screws it up for pvp players. So PVE boss kill fix, makes it equal to death from above in damage, making it not so great with the big stupid animation in front to let people know it's coming.

[Lord_Thorne]

I'm no pro, mostly a solo player, and barely touch pvp any more. Normally, I don't pay a lot of attention to threads complaining about nerfs; I wave it off as generic whining about everything, which us gamers are too ready to do. But I must confess this is over the top - it used to kill stuff, now it just kinda hurts them. When I heard it was coming, I figured I'd just roll with it (I barely notice most nerfs/boosts that devs impose), but it really knocks the fun out of what has been my primary since beta: sharpshooter gunslinger.

I seem to have a talent for picking all the wrong classes: sharpshooter GS, seer sage,... is there a class people want to have nerfed? I'll make it my primary and wait a few months...

[Denzyl]

After doing a few flashpoints with my sawbones. Flyby by is now a 'Trash dump' compared to thermal grenade or even 'Cybertech V6 Grenades'

 

As a clearer of adds or especially the adds that decided the healer is a nice target, it is now useless.

 

The only 'compensation' is that according the to initial 'Do not nerf flyby' in the now lost PTS threads for 2.6 the DEV reply was 'this is stage 1 of a multiple nerf on flyby' to paraphrase the Dev's words 'We will be reducing flyby in stages as we felt that completely reduce it in one hit might bring about to much of a backlash from the sumggler community'

Edited March 1, 2014 by Denzyl

[LoganOleary]

Well where to start? I have played since beta GS was my 1st class and still is my primary. I have tried others both Imps and Pubs, love my Guardian and Vanguard at my 20s is fun so far. I have always thought Sorcs with their killer lightening were and are FAR Op. Never thought Fly By was THAT op....just a great all round AoE for both PvE and PvP. I use it all the time for daily mobs and preventing caps in PvP or just as an opener.

Guess I'll just retire my GS, not for this alone, several things recently have been frustrating me about the class, this is just icing. Seems in Star Wars you need a lightsaber to matter. I love Star Wars but think I'll have as much fun as a free to play player as a sub...besides ESO I've heard is great and I pre bought it already. I won't give up on this game but it no longer worth my monthly cash. Fly By was great in PvP to try and keep melee from eating you,, drop it on your head make them pause a moment b4 force jumping you....now why would they care about a fart?

[royhenderson]

LOL

 

Well now scoundrels can tickle mobs to death with flyby

[trabble]

this nerf has gone way to far -its not a nerf its a rape.

if the heal skills will be nerfed too in 2.7 there is no reason to play an agent or smuggler .

it makes no sence to be a "pure" dd - with less damage then mybe a sage.

 

i will drop my agent as main and look for another class now.

 

[Bzallen]

After coming back from a couple months off finding out that Freighter Flyby got nerfed so hard sucks. Especially as a Sabateur GS witch is all about AOE. It was useful as that big hit on Ops bosses in burn phases if you timed it right and for burning down trash. Now its so underpowered its getting dropped from my skill bar.

[Sinapus]

Maybe they could increase the duration so you can clear trash mobs easily: Keep them pinned down and pick them off while your tank keeps the strongs and other unaffected mobs busy.