Commando Changes Coming in 2.7

[LordKantner]

The changes to FA (4 shots) may balance Plasma Cell a bit, make commando parses closer to Mercs. Mercs are still twice as many hits, but the math is looking like at a certain point the extra hits won't matter much for plasma RNG.

[venomlash]

The changes to FA (4 shots) may balance Plasma Cell a bit, make commando parses closer to Mercs. Mercs are still twice as many hits, but the math is looking like at a certain point the extra hits won't matter much for plasma RNG.

 

At 34% chance to proc per hit:

The current system, with 3 hits for a Commando and 6 for a Mercenary, results in 71% chance for Commando and 91% for Mercenary to proc. The new system, with 4 hits for a Commando and 8 for a Mercenary, results in 81% chance for Commando and 96% for Mercenary to proc at least once. This should theoretically narrow the gap a little bit.

Assuming, of course, that mainhand and offhand hits are treated as separate hits each with their own chance to proc.

[Saregon]

Ability changes aside, I was really hoping to see them make Rifles usable without nerfing DPS (and removing Assault Cannon requirement from Hail of Bolts and Charged Bolts).

[OHARRIIS]

Yellow : Use Hold The Line which Gunnery gets an extra long version of.

 

Red : behind what? Commando has always since game release been competitive at PVE DPS. Assault is capable of topping the meter vs any other class while Gunnery is still not the worst thing you could bring to a raid especially since it gives the necessary armour debuff that Assault (and many other classes) need to do their best.

 

For Grob'thok I did use HTL originally its just the fact that sometimes tanks can screw up and put me and other casters at a disadvantage having to wait on the pipe to get magnetized because HTL wore off.

 

Alternatively assault does a better job at managing that because the dots have 100% uptime on the boss the second they are applied also them being instant casts giving me room to not rely on casts versus relying on the cast and straight damage from grav round. Secondly it was just an example of where a dot on gunnery would be a good idea to have, not a fight I couldn't get around.

 

 

As for feeling "somewhat behind" I should have stated specifically *commando gunnery spec*. I know what assault is capable of but there is no reason gunnery should be lagging behind assault so much in dps comparison. As for the armour pen it really feels devalued when just about every class has some form of it ie. guardian, scoundrel (spec based), gunslinger, shadow (spec based), sentinel (carn/smash).

[odawgg]

As for feeling "somewhat behind" I should have stated specifically *commando gunnery spec*. I know what assault is capable of but there is no reason gunnery should be lagging behind assault so much in dps comparison.

 

Don't think that's going to be an issue come 2.7

[cashogy_reborn]

Anyone else feeling that the increase to the COF proc cd with 2 sec is a bit needless?

 

No, I think it was necessary. Its a balance between the current RNG and the guaranteed proc that we will have.

[Gyronamics]

Depending on your POV 2.7 is extremely easy or more difficult than current Gunnery

 

For those who just keep hitting Grav and Hammer Shots it will be less streaky without a FA proc.

 

For those looking to maximise procs, reliability and ammo control you have to be able to keep track of 4 abilities.

 

Any 4 abilities, just as long as the last one you use is Grav Round then you hit FA.

 

Ironically this is harder to keep track of than Assault which has a much shorter proc window and overall rotation and because the underlying ammo regen is not player controlled but a wodge of ammo dumped on you every 6s you can get some clash of rotation and regen but Hammer Shots or extra Grav can soak or ride through that.

 

Also Assault memories clash with Gunnery procs, the number of times FA procs and I instantly override it with another ability...

 

 

The lag on PTS even when parked on a remote asteroid with a dummy is terrible and I can't parse well but the rotation can be covered easily enough.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Gyronamics

[cashogy_reborn]

Depending on your POV 2.7 is extremely easy or more difficult than current Gunnery

 

For those who just keep hitting Grav and Hammer Shots it will be less streaky without a FA proc.

 

For those looking to maximise procs, reliability and ammo control you have to be able to keep track of 4 abilities.

 

Any 4 abilities, just as long as the last one you use is Grav Round then you hit FA.

 

Ironically this is harder to keep track of than Assault which has a much shorter proc window and overall rotation and because the underlying ammo regen is not player controlled but a wodge of ammo dumped on you every 6s you can get some clash of rotation and regen but Hammer Shots or extra Grav can soak or ride through that.

 

Also Assault memories clash with Gunnery procs, the number of times FA procs and I instantly override it with another ability...

 

 

The lag on PTS even when parked on a remote asteroid with a dummy is terrible and I can't parse well but the rotation can be covered easily enough.

 

Yeah the lag is really bad. Its annoying

[soowonlee]

Has anyone parsed on the PTS yet? What kind of numbers are people getting on Gunnery? I've tried and can only get about 3200 at best. (I average between 3600-3700 on Assault.) It could very well be something that I'm doing wrong. I'd like to compare notes if anyone else out there is testing the spec.

[Gyronamics]

Here's one for you: http://www.torparse.com/a/611228/time/1393977838/1393978149/0/Damage+Dealt

 

Don't ever compare normal parses to dps ladders btw. The horse**** involved in those could fertilise a farm.

 

Basically max but 1 obroan relic and a orcanian implant.

 

2 Alacrity enh

 

Rotation is:

 

3 x 1 GCD abilities

Grav

FA

3 x 1 GCD abilities

Grav

FA

 

etc etc

Edited March 6, 2014 by Gyronamics

[odawgg]

Has anyone parsed on the PTS yet? What kind of numbers are people getting on Gunnery? I've tried and can only get about 3200 at best. (I average between 3600-3700 on Assault.) It could very well be something that I'm doing wrong. I'd like to compare notes if anyone else out there is testing the spec.

 

Here's a pretty average one for me http://www.torparse.com/a/612619/21/0/Damage+Dealt - ~3500dps

 

Sorry for the merc lingo going forward but....

 

I started by doing similar to what Gyo has written, but I've switched to a priority system based on GCD...I open with the following combos, each combo starts right after the TM that just proc'd barrage:

 

PS+TM > Adrenal + RS > HSM > EN > UL > TM

UL > DFA > TM

RS > HSM > TSO+FM > UL > TM

UL > TM > TM > RS > TM

HSM > UL > TM > TM > TM

UL > RS > Vent Heat + TM > HSM > TM

 

At this point I begin a priority system where of course the 6th GCD after the barrage proc must be a TM. UL & DFA can't be used on the 5th GCD. Keeping those two things in mind the Priorities are similar to live:

 

Heat > 24: Rail Shot > TSO + FM > Rapid Shots

24 > Heat > 17: Rail Shot > HSM > EN > TSO + FM > UL > RP

Heat < 17: HSM > EN > UL > TM (sometimes with PS)

 

The only thing missing from my live priority system during these GCDs is that stated in the previous paragraph and I don't use TM in that middle heat window (24 > Heat > 17) I always use Rapid Shots instead to keep my heat low enough to have it on demand for RS/HSM.

[venomlash]

The nice side effect of the longer rotation, in my opinion, is that you can keep HIB and Demo Round next to each other without delaying a CoF proc. (Currently you have only 1 free GCD before you need to start proc-fishing again.) Why is that nice? Well, having two instant abilities together in a cast-heavy rotation gives you a nice 3-second window to move without having to burn Tech Override or waste a GCD. I try to plan out my movement a few seconds in advance in PvE, especially in fights like Tyrans or Karagga where the boss is being moved around predictably.

[soowonlee]

Here's a pretty average one for me http://www.torparse.com/a/612619/21/0/Damage+Dealt - ~3500dps

 

Sorry for the merc lingo going forward but....

 

I started by doing similar to what Gyo has written, but I've switched to a priority system based on GCD...I open with the following combos, each combo starts right after the TM that just proc'd barrage:

 

PS+TM > Adrenal + RS > HSM > EN > UL > TM

UL > DFA > TM

RS > HSM > TSO+FM > UL > TM

UL > TM > TM > RS > TM

HSM > UL > TM > TM > TM

UL > RS > Vent Heat + TM > HSM > TM

 

At this point I begin a priority system where of course the 6th GCD after the barrage proc must be a TM. UL & DFA can't be used on the 5th GCD. Keeping those two things in mind the Priorities are similar to live:

 

Heat > 24: Rail Shot > TSO + FM > Rapid Shots

24 > Heat > 17: Rail Shot > HSM > EN > TSO + FM > UL > RP

Heat < 17: HSM > EN > UL > TM (sometimes with PS)

 

The only thing missing from my live priority system during these GCDs is that stated in the previous paragraph and I don't use TM in that middle heat window (24 > Heat > 17) I always use Rapid Shots instead to keep my heat low enough to have it on demand for RS/HSM.

 

What gear are you currently using for your parses? 4/6 acc/surge? Zero crit?

[LordKantner]

I ended up doing more damage with the old no demo IR spec than with plain old gunnery or the hybrid:

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800ZrffRMdokf0cZfG0bz.3

 

Kinda sad now .....

[akcac]

I love my commando to death and I miss playing my commando, but proccing Full Auto every single time you use Grav round?! I will try to come up with some basic theorycrafting tonight, but at the first glance it seems too much to me. I dont want the class the get over-buffed and immediately get nerfed like the operatives.

Yea full auto procing every grav-round that seems kind of op, unless they have nerfed full auto i am going to shred everything lol

[odawgg]

What gear are you currently using for your parses? 4/6 acc/surge? Zero crit?

 

5/5 acc/surge split, 296 crit

[Mastershroom]

I ended up doing more damage with the old no demo IR spec than with plain old gunnery or the hybrid:

 

http://www.torhead.com/skill-calc#800ZrffRMdokf0cZfG0bz.3

 

Kinda sad now .....

Do you run that in Armor Piercing or Plasma Cell? It looks like you have abilities that rely on both (Cell Charger and Superheated Plasma).

Yea full auto procing every grav-round that seems kind of op, unless they have nerfed full auto i am going to shred everything lol

The proc has an internal cooldown of 8 seconds, so 6 global cooldowns, maybe 5 with a lot of Alacrity.

[LordKantner]

Do you run that in Armor Piercing or Plasma Cell? It looks like you have abilities that rely on both (Cell Charger and Superheated Plasma).

 

The proc has an internal cooldown of 8 seconds, so 6 global cooldowns, maybe 5 with a lot of Alacrity.

 

It's in armor piercing cell. The only reason I am getting superheated plasma is for High friction bolts and IR. Firing a HiB while the target is on fire gives back some additional ammo, so it's better for ammo regen.