Why does the SWTOR page list Powertech as a Ranged DPS?

[Natrates]

That's my question. Why does the official SWTOR page list Powertech as ranged DPS when all the players insist that it's melee DPS?

[Darkelefantos]

That's my question. Why does the official SWTOR page list Powertech as ranged DPS when all the players insist that it's melee DPS?

 

Because you can attack from outside of melee range (4 to maybe 10m if we're generous). It's not a good idea to do so because more damage can be done up close and personal, but it's theoretically possible. That and the fact that they use blasters

[JouerTue]

i think they had more 30m abilities in the past

[chillshock]

Fight a marauder and see for yourself.

 

You can kite them to death with their only chance to get away is predation + cloak + you being slow with the stealthscan + grapple. (Or get help, but they do die really fast).

 

Try it!

 

On your third marauder you'll be singing while they try to hit you: "DU DUDUDU... CAN'T TOUCH THIS!" ...

 

Ranged: As in You-touch-them-they-can't-touch-you-Ranged.

[dspawn]

once upon a time in a galaxy far away they had longer range than they currently do, abilities were nerfed to 10 yards

[KeyboardNinja]

Bioware has this balance notion of "midrange" classes. Practically speaking, this isn't really a thing. Pyro Powertechs, much like Madness Assassins and Lethality Ops, are capable of doing the majority of their rotation from a 10 meter range, with a few things applicable from 30 meters. This is clearly more range than (for example) a Marauder of any spec, which is confined almost exclusively to 4 meters. However, it's just as clearly not as much range as a truly ranged class that can do their entire rotation from 30 meters (or more).

 

In practice, this distinction almost doesn't matter. All "midrange" classes have some critical 4 meter abilities. For Powertechs of all specs, that critical ability is Rocket Punch (with Retractable Blade also forming a critical 4 meter ability for AP). For Operatives, it would be Shiv, and for Assassins it is Saber Strike/Thrash/Assassinate. Thus, most "midrange" classes are considered to be "melee" by raid leaders, since nearly all of the same constraints apply.

 

The only place where midrange is useful is in short-duration movement phases (e.g. the reaches in p2 of NiM Council), where they have more flexibility and mobility than 4 meter constrained melee classes. Outside of those short-duration intervals, there is no practical distinction between a "midrange" class and a "melee", at least not in PvE.

[KnightTyler]

I have always considered mid-range to be a "thing" because it is a hybrid between a pure ranged and pure melee class. If you take a look at the skills that all "mid-range" classes get, you can see that most of their "melee" range skills are procs that allow you to do more damage with another ability. This allows them to weave in and out of pure melee range(4m) to midrange(10m) setting up procs and kiting around. This also has a "hidden" factor on survivability for certain situations where if they were in 4m range constantly, they would be taking unnecessary damage at certain points or intervals in some fights. And if they were at 10m range when they didn't HAVE to be at 4m range during a certain time period where they didn't have to activate a 4m range proc, then they could have avoided some damage that they would have taken otherwise.

 

For comparison, a Sentinel (pure melee) would have to be in 4m range to have maximum uptime on their damage. A mid-range class such as Vanguard can have moments where they only have to be in that 4m zone when they need a proc. Once the proc is achieved, they are free to move anywhere from 0m-10m (and even 15m is *possible* if the time before you need to proc again is long enough) until they need to set up their procs again, thus uptime on their damage is maintained even outside of 4m range if played properly. Some people don't like all the work involved in movement, or simply think its not worth it but its always fascinating to see a player play a mid-range class like a mid-range class instead of as a melee class.

 

Tactics for example, has 9 seconds they can play with before having to close back in for a Stockstrike. Gut can be applied to your targets and lasts 15s so you don't have to reapply until 15s. You can plan ahead and take advantage of this depending on the number of targets you are fighting. Assault Specialist has to plan on hitting a burning target with Stockstrike every 9 seconds just like Tactics, and managing their Explosive Surge proc from 8m range or less. So when you need an Explosive Surge proc, you run into 8m or less of target(s), when Stockstrike comes off cooldown you simply run in and hit them(assuming target is still burning). Dirty Fighting Scoundrels only have to close in once every 10 seconds for a Blaster Whip proc. Only time they really have to use Back Blast and Shoot First is when they are Opening, or resetting with Disappearing Act to open again, or when they can throw in one of them as a filler after a Blaster Whip. Other than that they have playtime to move out of 4m range to maintain their damage.

[Ottoattack]

That's my question. Why does the official SWTOR page list Powertech as ranged DPS when all the players insist that it's melee DPS?

 

The reason is that there main atk is a 30 meter range together with all shared skill with merc as the base tree which is BH is a ranged tree. PT is a mid range. Of course in practice, you will mostly be stuck in 4 meters, which is melee range, to be most efficient, which nullifies the whole range notion. Never the less all BH base atks are 30 meter range, and out of all melee class (marauder, sin, jugg, ops and PT) have the best range options.

[LtBombshell]

The bounty hunter is a ranged class, the Powertech is just... short range.