Assassin / Shadow Top 3 Answers

[dwiekopy]

I hope people will react somehow and make bioware to change their plans. there is still plenty of time till patch is realeased. dulfy, help us!

[sithBracer]

This is cute.

 

Isn't it? I downloaded WS today btw If I can will try it tonight. If not, this saturday.

[ShadowMudkip]

Fear us for we are monsters. lolz

[EliarFenrir]

so once again, the assassins get shafted for their supposed PVE spec...

 

considering most other classes in the game are pulling near 4k dps at the top marks, and Deception is barely 3500, you would think they would be more inclined to fix it.

 

PVP is always unbalanced, fixing deception really wouldnt do much,

[Aelanis]

so once again, the assassins get shafted for their supposed PVE spec...

 

considering most other classes in the game are pulling near 4k dps at the top marks, and Deception is barely 3500, you would think they would be more inclined to fix it.

 

PVP is always unbalanced, fixing deception really wouldnt do much,

 

Not sure what you mean "got shafted." Madness got a very, very strong buff, considering it's been considered the "PVE spec" since 2.0 dropped. Madness is right up there with those 4k parses you're talking about. And I do believe their intention is to leave Deception in PVP exactly as it is: a high burst stealth killer. I'm really not sure what you're trying to get at with this post, as you seem to be mistaking Madness and Deception. Also, your 3500 number is wrong: even on live, we've seen almost a 3800 parse from Infiltration, with the averages being closer to 3400 with spikes up to 3600 from the best players of the spec.

[DaftVaduhhh]

Some simple concepts for the devs to chew on for buffing Infil in PvE:

 

- 100% SS/Maul proc (may need to be adjusted to 12s ICD)

 

- 'Nerf' said proc by taking some of the upfront damage buff and placing it as a 6-9s DoT (i.e. shorter than proc ICD)

 

- Modify Breaching Shadows/Static Charge to only be generated from Clairvoyant Projects/Voltaged Shocks and change the maximum charge to 2 stacks instead of 3

 

- If more damage is still required, shorten the duration Circling Shadows/Induction and modify it to provide one or more of an overall cost reduction, overall damage boost or boost to the proposed SS/Maul DoT, thus providing a penalty for down time in PvP that briefly 'hampers' ramp up time while providing a solid boost to PvE players

 

I don't imagine this would be difficult to input into the current PTS iteration as a test tomorrow if you were so inclined.

Edited May 15, 2014 by DaftVaduhhh

[Aelanis]

Some simple concepts for the devs to chew on for buffing Infil in PvE:

 

- 100% SS/Maul proc (may need to be adjusted to 12s ICD)

 

- 'Nerf' said proc by taking some of the upfront damage buff and placing it as a 6-9s DoT (i.e. shorter than proc ICD)

 

- Modify Breaching Shadows/Static Charge to only be generated from Clairvoyant Projects/Voltaged Shocks and change the maximum charge to 2 stacks instead of 3

 

- If more damage is still required, shorten the duration Circling Shadows/Induction and modify it to provide one or more of an overall cost reduction, overall damage boost or boost to the proposed SS/Maul DoT, thus providing a penalty for down time in PvP that briefly 'hampers' ramp up time while providing a solid boost to PvE players

 

I don't imagine this would be difficult to input into the current PTS iteration as a test tomorrow if you were so inclined.

 

Messing with the number of stacks for a pre-existing ability is somewhat tricky. Also, changing Static Charge to stack only twice is a bit extreme. It also trivializes Overcharge Saber. Take a look at the link I put up here to someone who wrote a simulator for Deception. They did a wonderful job on it, and I'd fully support almost any of the favored changes in that thread.

[Jiminison]

Kinetic needs a dps boost don't ignore shadows who go 36 + into kinetic and please make mindcrush more viable for Tanks who go high into kinetic it is so easily interupted its ridiculous.

[invertioN]

it is so easily interupted its ridiculous.

Could that be because MC is supposed to be used only in Balance with the proc, and not shadow tanks

 

 

I've seen so many shadow dps casting MC/TTK , or shadow tanks casting MC it's ridiculous. I cry everytime

Edited May 15, 2014 by invertioN

[DaftVaduhhh]

Messing with the number of stacks for a pre-existing ability is somewhat tricky. Also, changing Static Charge to stack only twice is a bit extreme. It also trivializes Overcharge Saber. Take a look at the link I put up here to someone who wrote a simulator for Deception. They did a wonderful job on it, and I'd fully support almost any of the favored changes in that thread.

I did state that in changing the max charge to 2, it would be linked only to a Project/Shock with the 2-stack buff. Thinking back linking it to VS is probably not the best move. Perhaps the project discount?

[mrkmcknz]

For phase walk why not refresh the cool down on recklessness on activation?

 

Only other buff I could think of would be something simple like making your next force lightning usable from 30m and automatically being a critical hit if used within 6seconds. This will ensure that in PVP you can not just stealth and heal to full AND make use of a crit force lightning. That would be OP.

[helpmewin]

Their skill tree provides them with very effective burst damage, and at this time we have no plans to boost their sustained damage for fear of creating unstoppable killing machines in PvP.

 

Don't u have unstoppable killing machines in PvP called vengeance jugger? Or i'm wrong? Mb u need to stop overbuffing "cause smbdy whine too much"?

Edited May 15, 2014 by helpmewin

[AlrikFassbauer]

I've seen so many shadow dps casting MC/TTK , or shadow tanks casting MC it's ridiculous. I cry everytime

 

So now everyone agrees that there is ONE AND ONLY ONE way to play this game ?

[Aelanis]

So now everyone agrees that there is ONE AND ONLY ONE way to play this game ?

 

No. But people agree that there's probably an "optimal" way to maximize your damage output. That, and most people agree that casting something as a melee is a dumb idea.

 

Ability activation pushback will either delay your cast by a lot or completely interrupt it, wasting a whole bunch of time that could be spent doing other things, like putting damage on the target. That, and almost every option Infiltration Shadows have is better for damage (except for Saber Strike, but you only use that to regenerate force), tanks are getting hit way too much to be able to cast anything without pushback immunity (harnessed shadows anyone?) and Balance can trigger an instant Mind Crush, to avoid the pushback issue.

 

In short: anyone who is trying to hardcast Mind Crush as a Shadow is playing sub-optimally, and while that's their prerogative (that word has 2 'r's?), we are perfectly well allowed to make it known that they could be doing better.

[Evolixe]

In short: anyone who is trying to hardcast Mind Crush as a Shadow is playing sub-optimally, and while that's their prerogative (that word has 2 'r's?), we are perfectly well allowed to make it known that they could be doing better.

 

You're generalizing too much here. It's useful if the oppertunity presents itself.

[sithBracer]

You're generalizing too much here. It's useful if the oppertunity presents itself.

 

The only time I ever casted CrD/MC in PvE as non-madness is to open on an enemy who was mezzed, or in single fights against enemies who I can LS. Can't really think of any opportunity.

Edited May 15, 2014 by sithBracer

[Evolixe]

The only time I ever casted CrD/MC in PvE as non-madness is to open on an enemy who was mezzed, or in single fights against enemies who I can LS. Can't really think of any opportunity.

 

Think harder.

[wadecounty]

Think harder.

 

In PvE?

 

With the extreme force cost and of course the cast time, its a question of efficiency. Casting it at the start of fights can be ok sometimes, although I don't think it would be your preferred opener, but otherwise when you look at the variables, in a damage per force equation, Mind Crush comes out not looking so pretty. Even an unproc'd Shadow Strike does almost as much damage for the same force cost, and it doesn't have the cast time limitation that Mind Crush does.

 

PvP obviously is a different story, its about stacking burst there, and lining the Mind Crush dot up to tick while you're unloading with your heavy hitters is a key advantage at times. But PvE is all about efficiency, and Mind Crush is highly inefficient for every Shadow spec save for Balance.

Edited May 15, 2014 by wadecounty

[sithBracer]

Think harder.

 

Nope, no efficient use of it in PvE that I can think of. But if you would like to actually let me know, I would be happy to learn.

 

I can't think of much use for TKT either (outside the full tank spec), other than a filler for those times when an enemy surrounds himself with a 9m radius AoE. In PvP ... I guess I use it sometimes against marauders in UR to slow them down (as long as they are focused on someone else) and get the first hit when UR finishes and to comically finish off people trying to run away. There are probably a few other times I use it, but its so situational can't think of any off the top of my head.

[Evolixe]

Sigh, I'll throw you a bone.

 

Anytime a unit is standing still waiting to be hit but unable to be damaged yet.

Most common example: Brontes switching into last phase.

 

Just make sure you only do it if you have blackout available.

Edited May 15, 2014 by Evolixe

[wadecounty]

Sigh, I'll throw you a bone.

 

Anytime a unit is standing still waiting to be hit but unable to be damaged yet.

Most common example: Brontes switching into last phase.

 

Just make sure you only do it if you have blackout available.

 

That's almost literally the same thing as an opener, its not opening the fight but still. I think people get the gist of how that works. My favorite example of that is the probe droid boss at the beginning of Directive 7, that annoying one that if you bring too much DPS makes you wait 15 seconds or so between burn phases.

[Evolixe]

That's almost literally the same thing as an opener, its not opening the fight but still. I think people get the gist of how that works. My favorite example of that is the probe droid boss at the beginning of Directive 7, that annoying one that if you bring too much DPS makes you wait 15 seconds or so between burn phases.

 

It's a use for Crushing Darkness. Which is what people were asking for.

[sithBracer]

It's a use for Crushing Darkness. Which is what people were asking for.

 

Pretty rare, unimportant and won't make much of a difference (if any) but I guess it is a use.

 

</golf claps>

[ShadowMudkip]

I use Crushing Darkness after I use low slash in pvp, in pve I don't use it much.

[Aelanis]

Pretty rare, unimportant and won't make much of a difference (if any) but I guess it is a use.

 

</golf claps>

 

Actually, that is important in NiM content. You hear about some of those wipes on NiM Brontes where she had ~200 health left? If someone had precast a DoT (Rupture, Crushing Darkness, Corrosive Dart, Impale, etc.) it would have been a kill, not a wipe. While it may be a limited circumstance, and it may not contribute a huge amount of damage, saying that it doesn't make a difference is wrong.

 

And yeah, I over-generalized too much, so here's what I should have said: Hard casting it mid combat, when you could be using literally any other move, is playing sub-optimally in PVE, and only useful in PVP if the opponent can't (or won't) fight back.