The New Watchmen Buffs...

[Jay_N]

This my come as bit of a suprise but I am somewhat put off by the new Watchmen buffs. Now while I primarily PVP in SWTOR, that is not the whole game, but this buff shows that BioWare is only listening to the complaints of PVPers when buffing certain specs. I am no expert or theorycrafter but for the most part I believe that it was agreed upon that Watchmen was one of the most viable DPS specs in PVE, despite its weaknesses. The new buffs first are an uneeded addition in the PVE sphere, and while many say that no spec is "hard to play", ultimatley kills any challange of playing Watchmen once you get the hang of it. The lower cost of Merciless Slash and higher damage is clearly a PVP buff, meant for ranked warzones, and while I do like that BioWare is trying to make all specs viable for PVP, there are better ways to do so then to reduce Watchmen to an "easy spec' (again I am not saying that Watchmen was ever super hard or anything). In all honestly I had great success before the patch playing as a Watchmen and uncleansable DoTs are really the only thing we needed. I liked the challange of playing the "underdog spec" and honestly one of the reasons for my success was that people countered Sentinels as if they played Combat. Perhaps they could have added to our PVP burst by adding some sort of proc that would add to the challange of playing a Watchmen rather than taking the easy way out and just reducing the cost of abilities and the amount of damage the spec does. So while I appreciate the buffs I feel as if it isn't catering to those Sentinel players that chose the class because of the higher skill cap needed to play. Some good ways to add to our damage while giving our rotation more abilites (not new abilites, just ones that are already there like dispatch/masterstrike/bladestorm)/challange, rather than giving us a flat damage increase, would be to do things like

 

_Give us a talent similar to keening, with maybe a lower chance to proc than vigilance to avoid imbalance

_Add bladestorm to our rotation by giving it a proc/utility like for example, dealing damage with merc slash has a 100% and slash has a 50% chance to allow your next bladestorm to be free of cost (or something) and apply one stack of overload saber to the target (must be active of course) and be deal all its damage immediatley rather then as a DoT, so essentially it would be a burst attack, give it a cooldown of course, like proc can only occur when overload saber is active, or maybe make it like a version of wounding shots that does high damage when more dots are active

_give us our 2% heal back! at least for non zen crits (I will say I do like the new higher chance to get a critical burn)

_maybe some masterstrike utility, like, masterstrike applies an independent dot

_give force sweep some sort of supression charges like hemorrhaging blast or force in balance

 

Of course these are just examples of ways that could make the spec more fun, interesting and challanging, and of course not all suggestions would be used in fear of making the spec OP. Of course BioWare could implement changes like this and avoid making them OP or something.

 

Now again I am no theorycrafter and please don't start insulting me. I guess what I am trying to say is that BioWare should start becoming more creative with its buffs rather than creating specs that may need to be nerfed in the future due to being OP in either the PVE or PVP sphere. I know scrapper is one of the specs that has suffered somewhat because BioWare nerfs/buffs it according to PVP complaints rather than both PVE and PVP ones. I am mostly mad about the fact that they reduced the focus cost of merc slash and increased its damage, it's like they're insulting our intelligence and focus management skills!

Edited June 12, 2014 by Jay_N

[undiess]

I don't get it, I had fun with the spec last night. It was my first time playing the spec, had been always Combat or dotSmash. Pleasant change of pace from Combat, as combat is more jarring, reactive, and busy. Watchman felt fluid and rythmic.

 

So... I guess I don't quite agree with what you're saying. I do feel Blade Storm should be of use though. New to Watchman, I kept hitting that from time to time as habbit from Combat. Had to move that way away.

[Uber_the_Goober]

I don't get it, I had fun with the spec last night. It was my first time playing the spec, had been always Combat or dotSmash. Pleasant change of pace from Combat, as combat is more jarring, reactive, and busy. Watchman felt fluid and rythmic.

 

So... I guess I don't quite agree with what you're saying. I do feel Blade Storm should be of use though. New to Watchman, I kept hitting that from time to time as habbit from Combat. Had to move that way away.

 

Agreed, and yes I kept forgetting to cauterize instead of blade storm...dangit muscle memory

[Jay_N]

I know I wasn't really going to get people to agree with me and all, but still instead of BioWare dumbing down specs they should give us more options to increase our damage, rather than just flat out increasing the amount we hit for. There needs to be rewards for mastery. I guess it might be easier to fit riposte into the PVP rotation now with the lower focus demand on the spec...

[Ramtar]

I know I wasn't really going to get people to agree with me and all, but still instead of BioWare dumbing down specs they should give us more options to increase our damage, rather than just flat out increasing the amount we hit for. There needs to be rewards for mastery. I guess it might be easier to fit riposte into the PVP rotation now with the lower focus demand on the spec...

 

More options would be do remove the tree format and have 1 big abilities screen. No Watchman, Combat, Focus headings, keep the abilities in their current ability location, and allow the player to spend their 46 points how they see fit

[xMaranathax]

You may be a bit closed minded about saying that Bioware is only listening to the PvPers complaints.

 

Pyro PT/Assault Spec VG just got a PvE buff because they were not performing nearly as well as other dps classes in PvE. This new buff that they received, 35% increase to DoT abilities, has caused a lot of grief in PvP. Pyros didnt need a buff in PvP, just PvE.

 

So how do you balance for BOTH PvP and PvE? The answer is simple: You just can't. Unless of course every spec gets nerfed/buffed like Rage/Focus for Knights, where abilites react differently to NPCs opposed to Players. And we all know what that did...

[alexzk]

You may be a bit closed minded about saying that Bioware is only listening to the PvPers complaints.

 

Pyro PT/Assault Spec VG just got a PvE buff because they were not performing nearly as well as other dps classes in PvE. This new buff that they received, 35% increase to DoT abilities, has caused a lot of grief in PvP. Pyros didnt need a buff in PvP, just PvE.

 

So how do you balance for BOTH PvP and PvE? The answer is simple: You just can't. Unless of course every spec gets nerfed/buffed like Rage/Focus for Knights, where abilites react differently to NPCs opposed to Players. And we all know what that did...

 

Devs have "balance ability" already, it's called "expertise". Also they imagined new way - for example, smash says "autocrit if targets player" (I mean that buf which do it), So now devs have all tools to make pve/pvp balanced. Just do all needed skills "if target player".

[Rhylass]

I don't get it, I had fun with the spec last night. It was my first time playing the spec, had been always Combat or dotSmash. Pleasant change of pace from Combat, as combat is more jarring, reactive, and busy. Watchman felt fluid and rythmic.

 

So... I guess I don't quite agree with what you're saying. I do feel Blade Storm should be of use though. New to Watchman, I kept hitting that from time to time as habbit from Combat. Had to move that way away.

 

This.

 

Its working, thats what it is.

Took them over 2 years.

[capizm]

say this much...the buffes 100 percent helped watchmans dps alot...in pvp its made huge difference. im doing ton more damage then previously. sad to say alot of sents just cant play the 2 good specs right , or poopsmash either. watchman isent ment to be inface im a tank type of play, use the invise, and ability to damage other melle while you kite awway from them. be sneaky as can be, and pick right targets... the only class that should be beating you most of time, are loser jugs and the look at me i have 2 lifes crowd . and if there def is on cd, they are yours... but have to say, if they brought the grp heal back to were it was, and better proc rate for combat, both specs be perfectly balanced...

[capizm]

bladestorm in watchman = ranged hit... with good gear in pvp it can hit for 4k to 5k...on crits. so helps when being kited. im melting other classes atm with watchman. always played it, from start of game tho. you describe it perfect, the rotationms feel very fluid, and in sync. always was best most fun spec . one thing it lacks, the grp heal need to be back to what was, and seriously make gbtf a damage ability, and jusat remove it at this piont, its useless. if the grp heal were good agian, i would take loseing gbtpoop. wouldnt need defensive, at all. this way make it a combat and focus only def cd...

[DanTheSentinel]

If they bump the heal back to 2%. we're golden.

[Vember]

If they bump the heal back to 2%. we're golden.

 

Still have never heard why they nerfed them in the first place. Whoever the class rep is needs to get on the devs *** about getting this change reverted.

[Toweleeeie]

Still have never heard why they nerfed them in the first place. Whoever the class rep is needs to get on the devs *** about getting this change reverted.

 

PvP, they changed that and guarded by the force at the same time bc our "survivability was to high for a dps".

 

They need seperate what the skills do in PvP and PvE and call it a day.

[TACeMossie]

Still have never heard why they nerfed them in the first place. Whoever the class rep is needs to get on the devs *** about getting this change reverted.

 

Class rep is KBN, who spent 20+ pages on the PTS (unsuccessfully) trying to prevent combat from losing double Precision Slash

 

Poor KBN

[capizm]

ya, a group heal that heals like ****, one of the few classes with good group heal to help out heals in pvp, and they nerfed it to hell...just joke, when classes can sit mile away, and hammer ya, you cant have 400 health heal...truley amazes me they nerfed it and the spec has not been right since, you didnt here compliants bout merc slash stacks when we had that heal. yet after the heal you did. not sure how dumbwear justifys the nerf to it...gbtf wasnt issue in watchman or combat, just dumb smash...

[Raansu]

More options would be do remove the tree format and have 1 big abilities screen. No Watchman, Combat, Focus headings, keep the abilities in their current ability location, and allow the player to spend their 46 points how they see fit

 

Ya because that totally wouldn't destroy any semblance of balance in the game

[Raansu]

Class rep is KBN, who spent 20+ pages on the PTS (unsuccessfully) trying to prevent combat from losing double Precision Slash

 

Poor KBN

 

He definitely should not be the class rep....

 

ya, a group heal that heals like ****, one of the few classes with good group heal to help out heals in pvp, and they nerfed it to hell...just joke, when classes can sit mile away, and hammer ya, you cant have 400 health heal...truley amazes me they nerfed it and the spec has not been right since, you didnt here compliants bout merc slash stacks when we had that heal. yet after the heal you did. not sure how dumbwear justifys the nerf to it...gbtf wasnt issue in watchman or combat, just dumb smash...

 

Ya GBTF and the heal nerf for watchman both need to be reverted back to how they originally were. They at least somewhat brought back carnage to how it used to be before the idiotic changes in 2.0 occurred so there's that. Actually I'd argue its better with 10.5s gore and a faster ravage from berserk. I do miss the old berserk making rage management easier, but with the terrible rng gone rage management is not so bad now.

[Vember]

Class rep is KBN, who spent 20+ pages on the PTS (unsuccessfully) trying to prevent combat from losing double Precision Slash

 

Poor KBN

 

Ah, the guy that hates self heals.

[Atlanis]

Still have never heard why they nerfed them in the first place. Whoever the class rep is needs to get on the devs *** about getting this change reverted.

 

The whinetrain from the rDPS, StealthDPS faction.....same with all Sent nerfs. Like the totally reasonable nerf of Smash....yeah it was just to overpowered beeing the only hard hitter of the Smasher....*choke*Movementderps*choke*.

 

On the Matter of KBN, the guy who calls totally viable Setups of Skills and trees stupid and still believes 0 Crit ist the best thing to do for a watchman? No not my classrep, is not open to other peoples oppinion an thought. That "****** stupid underdpsed watchman-combathybrid" is still totally viable for me in pvp, after having perfected my playstyle the last 6 months

 

*Mr Class Representative can have those Rags....er Combat Sents I found over there*

Edited September 21, 2014 by Atlanis

[Raansu]

The whinetrain from the rDPS, StealthDPS faction.....same with all Sent nerfs. Like the totally reasonable nerf of Smash....yeah it was just to overpowered beeing the only hard hitter of the Smasher....*choke*Movementderps*choke*.

 

On the Matter of KBN, the guy who calls totally viable Setups of Skills and trees stupid and still believes 0 Crit ist the best thing to do for a watchman? No not my classrep, is not open to other peoples oppinion an thought. That "****** stupid underdpsed watchman-combathybrid" is still totally viable for me in pvp, after having perfected my playstyle the last 6 months

 

*Mr Class Representative can have those Rags....er Combat Sents I found over there*

 

In pvp you shouldn't be running any crit for watchmen. I mean you can, but you will lose out in damage. Point per point power will give more consistent damage over the occasional crit, crits of which will hit for less damage. Its simply not worth it, especially when the stat curve kicks in at 24-25%

[Ardarell_Solo]

The whinetrain from the rDPS, StealthDPS faction.....same with all Sent nerfs. Like the totally reasonable nerf of Smash....yeah it was just to overpowered beeing the only hard hitter of the Smasher....*choke*Movementderps*choke*.

 

On the Matter of KBN, the guy who calls totally viable Setups of Skills and trees stupid and still believes 0 Crit ist the best thing to do for a watchman? No not my classrep, is not open to other peoples oppinion an thought. That "****** stupid underdpsed watchman-combathybrid" is still totally viable for me in pvp, after having perfected my playstyle the last 6 months

 

*Mr Class Representative can have those Rags....er Combat Sents I found over there*

 

No offense, but anyone who compares what KNJ has written on our class to what you have been writing can easily come to their own conclusion...