I'm very upset with Priming Shot

[ViolentAngel]

Arsenal Spec are getting a new ability.

Priming Shot will allow the next Tracer Missile to cast instantly.

 

.....

 

Afaik, a Tracer Missile barely takes longer than a GCD to cast. In theory, Tracer Missile could be interupted, but in practice arsenal mercs also have Power Surge (6s interrupt immunity after two instants), Hydraulic Overrides (10s interrupt immunity) and Energy Shield (10s interrupt immunity if you spec wisely). On top of that, the devs have announced that in 3.0 interrupts themselves will also have longer cooldowns.

 

I can't imagine there are many L55 mercs who feel that interrupts are a problem. I've heard sniper players say that they are shutting down 'Tracer Spamming Mercs' on a regular basis. I've not seen it first hand.

 

If anything, Priming Shot sounds more like a proc or a passive than an active skill. Even if everytime I used Missile Salvo it gave me an instant Tracer Shot, I'd still couldn't use it all the time because Missile Salvo costs so much heat, so I'd still spend most of the time using 'slow' Tracer Shots -and- it would breath some life back into a button which many of us haven't used since Nal Hutta.

 

Mercs are very playable. But Mercs do have issues. Priming Shot is a fairly good soloution to a pretty bad interpretation of those issues. Perhaps not as bad, but similiar to seeing that this man is drowning, and building him a fire, because, after all, he is getting wet and he may want to dry off.

 

My top five issues as a long term Arsenal Merc player:

• "****, where did he go?" (stealth, sprint or judo roll...)
  
• "oh come on, I've only just respawned and he's on me again!"
  
• "This guy has twice as many DCDs as I do"
  
• "I can't get this guy off me"
  
• "ahh ****, I'm dead"

 

My top five wishlist for 3.0

• I'd love to swap Electro-Net for a Stealth Scan that impairs escape skills
  
• Jet Rebounders and Kolto Jets is going to be so cool! But no one will use them because...
  
• ... Energy Rebounder and Stabilized Armor will be mandatory
  
• Jet Boost needs a root component, Rocket Punch needs shelving as Powertech Only
  
• Number 1 make my year wish: Rocket Jump
  

 

Edited November 7, 2014 by ViolentAngel

[Ryuku-sama]

Your last thread was deleted for a reason.

 

Well... After a few infractions, a ban often follow Bye OP

[AMightyKnight]

What makes you think Priming Shot was intended to solve your PvP issues?

It may be a very important ability in PvE rotations because it influences when exactly a Barrage Proc happens.

 

 

Afaik, a Tracer Missile barely takes longer than a GCD to cast.

Less actually.

 

If anything, Priming Shot sounds more like a proc or a passive than an active skill. Even if everytime I used Missile Salvo it gave me an instant Tracer Shot, I'd still couldn't use it all the time because Missile Salvo costs so much heat, so I'd still spend most of the time using 'slow' Tracer Shots -and- it would breath some life back into a button which many of us haven't used since Nal Hutta.[/Quote]

Ammo cost were reduced all over the board according to the blog.

We dont know how much ammo Priming Shot will consume. So just wait before jumping to conclusions.

 

My top five issues as a long term Arsenal Merc player:

• "****, where did he go?" (stealth, sprint or judo roll...)
  
• "oh come on, I've only just respawned and he's on me again!"
  
• "This guy has twice as many DCDs as I do"
  
• "I can't get this guy off me"
  
• "ahh ****, I'm dead"

 

My top five wishlist for 3.0

• I'd love to swap Electro-Net for a Stealth Scan that impairs escape skills
  
• Jet Rebounders and Kolto Jets is going to be so cool! But no one will use them because...
  
• ... Energy Rebounder and Stabilized Armor will be mandatory
  
• Jet Boost needs a root component, Rocket Punch needs shelving as Powertech Only
  
• Number 1 make my year wish: Rocket Jump
  

 

Funny, as a long term Gunnery player i have completely different issues. The spec didnt just hurt in PvP, we are (were) struggling in PvE as well.

Priming Shot / Vortex Bolt may look very attractive to PvEers when all details about it are known.

[ViolentAngel]

Your last thread was deleted for a reason.

... and I reposted for a reason.

 

the old animation.

Yeah right! They're not stupid...

 

We dont know how much ammo Priming Shot will consume

The 15s cooldown restricts it's use more than a heat cost.

 

Funny

I agree, that is funny. Because when* I get a chance to free cast on someone who hasn't got a a babysitter, that someone's always going to die. My main problem is half the server will start chasing me as soon as they see me.

 

I may be getting marked as a healer...

 

 

 

* when, not if.

Edited November 7, 2014 by ViolentAngel

[Floplag]

if nothing else is taken into account regarding priming shot, consider this... in and of itself, it is a buff in the sens that we can do more damage, faster.

if you take into account the cast times and GCDs, you are effectively getting off the priming shot and a TM in less or about the same time that a TM alone.

 

How can you be upset with this skill? i dont get it?

 

i like the fact that it isnt all about TM spam and we have a litle more control over the rotation. it doesnt answer our defensive issues and i was hoping for something more in that regard, but it will help burst and such.

 

I havent had a chance to test it yet, but on the surface this looks positive by itself and i think the anger should be placed elsewhere

Edited November 7, 2014 by Floplag

[Zoom_VI]

if you take into account the cast times and GCDs, you are effectively getting off the priming shot and a TM in less or about the same time that a TM alone.

 

TM takes 1.5 seconds to cast. That's one global cooldown. Unless priming shot is off the GCD then it will take longer to go Prime > Tracer than to just cast tracer.

 

That said, nobody said you where forced to click priming. I have a hunch that priming shot will only be used for movement phases and will be left out of the turret rotation.

[Floplag]

TM takes 1.5 seconds to cast. That's one global cooldown. Unless priming shot is off the GCD then it will take longer to go Prime > Tracer than to just cast tracer.

 

That said, nobody said you where forced to click priming. I have a hunch that priming shot will only be used for movement phases and will be left out of the turret rotation.

 

It would seem that you missed the part about the next TM being instant therefore that 1.5 is taken away from your example.

[Kaos_KidSWTOR]

TM takes 1.5 seconds to cast. That's one global cooldown. Unless priming shot is off the GCD then it will take longer to go Prime > Tracer than to just cast tracer.

 

That said, nobody said you where forced to click priming. I have a hunch that priming shot will only be used for movement phases and will be left out of the turret rotation.

 

But, a caveat to that is Priming Shot will deal damage, so our new rotation looks like this (i would assume) PS > TM > Power Surge > TM x2 > HSM > RS > BB > Repeat. that being the rotation we would more than likely deal good burst damage, even better than before hopefully.

[ViolentAngel]

But, a caveat to that is Priming Shot will deal damage, so our new rotation looks like this (i would assume) PS > TM > Power Surge > TM x2 > HSM > RS > BB > Repeat. that being the rotation we would more than likely deal good burst damage, even better than before hopefully.

 

Well that's our pvp Kill Burst, not any rotation, but you're still using two more GCDs to get to the ending HSM+RS, (BB to finish their last sliver of health) which is the goal. All that time you're wasting tickling the target with a Priming Shot and a fifth Tracer Lock is more time for the enemy healer to react and then you need to isolate another target.

 

Even if Priming Shot deals Tons of Damage™, it's a pair of Tracers away from the rest of your sudden burst.

 

 

The chorus of our rotation is kinda Unload, Tracer, HSM, Tracer, Railshot, Unload, Tracer, repeat. Second time around you magically have enough space in the rotation to add a filler ability after the Unload because Barrage is still on cooldown for another GCD. You could use Priming Shot to fill the gap? But why would you use Priming Shot when it's more likely that Fusion Missile is coming off cooldown and because it's second rotation, this time you can use PS+TSO. If not then there's usually Electro-Net or DFA, but then when have you fought a boss that lets you sit still for that long?

 

Power Surge every rotation... wow that would be nice...

 

 

Anyway, my argument is that Mercs need a skill that helps them get off the 'Free Kill' short-list.

[DarkSaberMaster]

I'd love to swap Electro-Net for a Stealth Scan that impairs escape skills

 

I'm guessing you're high, right? Jus sayin.

[Aaramis]

Well, based on the livestream notes over on Dulfy, Priming Shot not only causes our next TM to fire instantly, but causes the target to take +5% ranged damage (so it's a dps boost for us + snipers/GSs). Also keep in mind that the notes also state TM will sunder an enemy's armour (-20%), so all in all, those are 2 pretty decent raid debuffs (although I'd wager other classes will be able to provide similar bonuses - we'll see).

 

So I'd wager it's intended purpose is less about making us permanent movers now, as opposed to granting some faster burst (insta-TM + HSM + RS, and then UL/BB (Blazing Bolts) while moving). Not bad

[Burrowa]

I'm guessing you're high, right? Jus sayin.

lmao

 

/5char

[Macroeconomics]

It all depends on whether Priming Shot is cast or instant, how much heat it generates and how much damage it does. Default case would be that its a 10-15 heat ability that is a 1.5 sec cast and does less damage than TM. In that case Priming Shot serves the same function that Diagnostic Scan does to healing Operatives in pvp. Namely, if you are trying to get off TM (or heal as an Operative) and are under direct attack from an enemy player it gives you a way to bait the enemy into using up his interrupt. Useful, but not a key ability. Keep in mind that you are still going to lose a GCD, as a skilled enemy player will interrupt you at the end of your cast. Keep in mind that after that interrupt, if you try to then cast Tracer Missile, he can still stun you to effect a double "interrupt".

 

The only way Priming Shot becomes a key ability is if it is insta-cast. If you look at the Dulfy mini-animation, it seems like it might be insta-cast. We'll see....

Edited November 10, 2014 by Macroeconomics

[Ryuku-sama]

It all depends on whether Priming Shot is cast or instant, how much heat it generates and how much damage it does. Default case would be that its a 10-15 heat ability that is a 1.5 sec cast and does less damage than TM. In that case Priming Shot serves the same function that Diagnostic Scan does to healing Operatives in pvp. Namely, if you are trying to get off TM (or heal as an Operative) and are under direct attack from an enemy player it gives you a way to bait the enemy into using up his interrupt. Useful, but not a key ability. Keep in mind that you are still going to lose a GCD, as a skilled enemy player will interrupt you at the end of your cast. Keep in mind that after that interrupt, if you try to then cast Tracer Missile, he can still stun you to effect a double "interrupt".

 

The only way Priming Shot becomes a key ability is if it is insta-cast. If you look at the Dulfy mini-animation, it seems like it might be insta-cast. We'll see....

 

Priming IS instant. has a 18s CD and cost 12 energy and seems to have respectable damage (2.02*Bonus Damage+0.202*Base Damage + 1.34*Weapon Damage).

 

Tracer damage is 1.502*Bonus Damage+0.17*Base Damage - 1.502*Bonus Damage+0.13*Base Damage

Railshot damage is 1.97*Bonus Damage+0.197*Base Damage + 1.31*Weapon Damage

[Fergz]

Can't we just wait until this stuff is even on the test server before we start threads complaining about how awful all the new stuff is going to be in 3.0 ?

[Ryuku-sama]

Can't we just wait until this stuff is even on the test server before we start threads complaining about how awful all the new stuff is going to be in 3.0 ?

 

Eh?? It IS on the PTS". PTS is just closed and under NDA.

[Max_Killjoy]

We have to look at the previews and the preliminary calculators that Dulfy was nice enough to put up.

 

It's not like this is rocket surgery, it's fairly easy to see how things are going to work, good or bad.

[Max_Killjoy]

Remove the cooldown of Priming Shot.

 

Priming Shot procced Tracer Missile uses the wrist animation.

 

Hard casted Tracer Missile uses the old animation.

 

Everybody wins.

 

No, the only one who wins is you, with your creepy cramp-fire obsession.

[Kaos_KidSWTOR]

Remove the cooldown of Priming Shot.

 

Priming Shot procced Tracer Missile uses the wrist animation.

 

Hard casted Tracer Missile uses the old animation.

 

Everybody wins.

 

Shut. Up. About. Old. Tracer Missile. Animation. ITS NEVER EVER EVER COMING BACK. I dont see why your so obsessed with it. it looks like your taking a dump every time you look like your about to sit on the toilet... If you dont like the animation, DONT PLAY THE CLASS! it's quite simple!

 

Anyway, to elaborate on this stuff about Priming Shot. I think this is a good upgrade, I get tunneled quite often and with this new skill, mobile DPS is much better.

[Gyronamics]

Commandos should find that the Gunnery play style has not changed significantly

 

Therefore drama about the new skill is pointless.

 

Hilarious lack of drama about it not saying the same for the other two branches.

 

Arsenal staying the same? YOU BROKE IT!!!!!11

 

Pyro and Bodyguard total personality swap? Meh whatever

[Max_Killjoy]

Therefore drama about the new skill is pointless.

 

Hilarious lack of drama about it not saying the same for the other two branches.

 

Arsenal staying the same? YOU BROKE IT!!!!!11

 

Pyro and Bodyguard total personality swap? Meh whatever

 

(Except for the little fact that Arsenal is not staying the same, it's getting saddled with the Supercharge mechanic.)

[Gyronamics]

Things that sound like a big difference are not, just like it says it plays the same.

[Max_Killjoy]

Having to keep track of a "buildup mechanic" in the name of certain players crying for the class to be "more engaging" isn't the same as it is now, regardless of the platitudes and pablum that might be offered.

[Gyronamics]

Whatever you say.

 

In two weeks you can see for yourself.

[goeblu]

The biggest difference with new gunnery/arsenal is the increased mobility, which imo is very nice addition. Sure dps is still lacking compared to other specs, but it is still viable and energy managements is ez pz.

 

At first i was a little concerned with priming shot, but after testing i realized that is a pretty good addition, plus that fact that it hits pretty hard. 3 instant abilities that can each hit for over 10k is pretty good (priming shot, demo round, High impact bolt).