Reduced CD on explosive probe coming

[snave]

So the 2.10 patch notes have this little nugget in there

 

Imperial Agent

• Explosive Probe's base cooldown has been reduced to 18 seconds (down from 30 seconds).
  
• Explosive Probe's damage has been reduced by 11%.
  

 

So what does that mean for us? We'll be able to probe almost twice as much with only 11% less damage which can really only be taken as a positive move although I'll fill this under the "why aren't the fixing more pressing things" category.

 

I picked the biggest combat log I had saved and chucked it on to TorTools so I can have a look at what that means in practical terms. Log Is here if this link works

 

Please excuse me for the lazy maths, I'm not going to work out my surge co efficiencies to get 100% accurate numbers, I'm just going to slap 11% off the total number. So we're looking at an average non crit hitting at the moment for 3736 which would drop to 3325 with the new change, crits would go from 7020 to 6247. That all seems pretty acceptable considering we'll pretty much be using it a third more often.

 

Once thing I really can't understand is why this change is being put in place from a development stand point. Our DPS is in a pretty good place and in the Q+A section one response was:

 

[*]The cover defenses will not be making their way back to Operatives/Scoundrels any time soon, because cover does not encourage the envisioned style of play for Operatives/Scoundrels.

 

So cover doesn't encourage the envisioned style of play for operatives but you're cutting it's CD by over a third and making us use it more just to get the probe off?

 

 

edit: just noticed that I was lethality spec for some of that parse, that shouldn't effect any of the numbers generated for explosive probe really other than crit % and imperial education.

 

edit 2: looks like deception is getting nerfed, madness is a better spec for them atm anyway so not sure how this practically effects us.

Edited August 12, 2014 by snave

[BobaFaceroll]

So what does that mean for us? We'll be able to probe almost twice as much with only 11% less damage which can really only be taken as a positive move although I'll fill this under the "why aren't the fixing more pressing things" category..

 

File this under the heading "We are improving Engineering spec for Snipers and this touches Operatives as well" and enjoy the freebie Snave.

[quantez]

I am a bit more cautious about it myself. Yes we can use it more often, but if we do, will we not be getting energy starved?

[CaptainApop]

A nice nugget for the healers too. Since we're the ones who definately have the energy for it.

An extra 5-6k in the right place can win fights.

PvE wise I think this is going to make it even more niche for any dps specs. It's pretty expensive and if it's going to hit softer then it might not be worth the GCD.

 

 

Gotta ask though ,weren't we told lethality changes were meant to be in the works for 2.10? Like it was going to be one of the main spec addressed since it saw nothing substantial in 2.8. Can't remember where I heard it though so I could be talking out my proverbial ***.

Edited August 12, 2014 by CaptainApop

[BobaFaceroll]

I've lost track of the number of times they've said they were looking at changes for Lethality, or changes were in the works, or that it was on their radar but we wouldn't be seeing any changes at this time. Early patch notes are early so who knows...but I'm sure not holding my breath.

[Orangeskye]

Unfortunately, this is going to suck for us PvE Ops. The only real time we can use EP is when we are at range of something(Tyrans) or during an AP cooldown window. While it will still do more damage than Overload Shot there are still only so many times we have the ability to use it during raids, I welcome the change for pvp, though that is Snave's area not mine . Edited August 13, 2014 by Orangeskye

[unK_]

**** EP pseudo buff, I want Lethality operative to not melt instantly when attacked by 2 people in WZs (also I would like to add that I cry inside every time I see juggernauts dancing around for 10+ seconds with 5 people unleashing on them). Edited August 13, 2014 by unK_

[Adovir]

Sigh yeah I guess this is on the nerf to our burst aside for a more frequent burst.... I guess with no energy cost reduction the cool down reduction is worthless IMO, but what ever i gues.

 

+1 to BW for toning down deceptions burst kinda though.

[snave]

A nice nugget for the healers too. Since we're the ones who definately have the energy for it.

An extra 5-6k in the right place can win fights.

PvE wise I think this is going to make it even more niche for any dps specs. It's pretty expensive and if it's going to hit softer then it might not be worth the GCD.

 

 

Gotta ask though ,weren't we told lethality changes were meant to be in the works for 2.10? Like it was going to be one of the main spec addressed since it saw nothing substantial in 2.8. Can't remember where I heard it though so I could be talking out my proverbial ***.

 

To be fair it's not like these changes are final (although I doubt they'll manage to squeeze in a lethality overhaul in a week) and they've clearly been pressured to get player housing on schedule.

 

Basically at this point if resigned myself to accept that our specs aren't going to be meaningfully developed until the next expansion, so we're looking at about another 4 months before we see anything. I don't really disagree with this approach, there's not much point in overhauling a class when there's not much time before all the classes get overhauled anyway, right now I'd rather focus on the changes they should be making in 3.0 and praying it doesn't take them the full duration of an expansion before they make small balance changes again.

[MrGoldsilver]

It's funny because concealment has had a history of getting whacked with the nerf bat repeatedly, but when deception gets a SLIGHT nerf to their burst, and a large buff to sustained, they are all crying over it.

 

Don't believe me? go to the test server forums.

[snave]

Looks like these changes are being reversed for all other specs / classes other than engineering.

[Danylia]

Basically at this point if resigned myself to accept that our specs aren't going to be meaningfully developed until the next expansion, so we're looking at about another 4 months before we see anything. I don't really disagree with this approach, there's not much point in overhauling a class when there's not much time before all the classes get overhauled anyway, right now I'd rather focus on the changes they should be making in 3.0 and praying it doesn't take them the full duration of an expansion before they make small balance changes again.

Wrote this on the PTS forum: I'm fine with big overhaul waiting until 3.0, but when I see the changes to Carnage/Combat, I must wonder why they don't at least remove the RNG from Fatality. Pretty much every other class proc was already made 100% (with the appropriate amount of points invested), the change is simple enough, and it would be a nice gesture of "goodwill".

[CaptainApop]

What's blowing my mind here is that BW are technically reverting a change when it comes to consumption.

 

Have they EVER done that? I mean usually they'll will buff/nerf ANYTHING else except what they did previously. Presumably for the sake of their integrity.

 

Sounds promising I guess?

[Adovir]

What's blowing my mind here is that BW are technically reverting a change when it comes to consumption.

 

Have they EVER done that? I mean usually they'll will buff/nerf ANYTHING else except what they did previously. Presumably for the sake of their integrity.

 

Sounds promising I guess?

 

I see nothing like that comin for us