What do you think about the development of Watchman/Anni in the past and future?

[Ardarell_Solo]

Hey fellow Watchman Sents/ Anni Maras.

 

There's been a lot of rage about our beloved class going around in various threads. With the new changes inbound I would like to see the whole picture (at least according to people posting on the forums. But that seems a good reflection of players, since the people I talk to on my servers tend to pretty much say the same things I'm reading here). So would you be so kind to answer the following questions - and could I ask you to just do that, so we can collect a precise picture? Thanks in advance for your effforts!

 

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

 

Please try to be as brief as possible in your answers.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Ardarell_Solo

[Ardarell_Solo]

Here's a summary of the answers players have given. (Since I forgot to reserve a post for that, I am editing the post with my own answers)

 

Numbers of answers to particular questions will not add up to the number of participants sometimes, because not everybody answered every question and sometimes people said "Yes, but". In that case I tried to count them in "Yes" and listed their addition separately. If same answer was given multiple times, you'll find a bold number behind it.

 

This is just meant to give a quick overview. Reading all the answers will of course provide a much more detailed impression :-)

 

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

 

Mains: 31

 

 

PLAYING SINCE:

 

Beta 7

 

Early Access

 

Launch 2

 

2012 Jan 4

 

2012 Feb

 

2012 May

 

Since 1.3

 

2012

 

2012 June

 

2012 Nov

 

Since F2P

 

Since 2.0.

 

2013

 

2013 January

 

2014 March 2

 

2014 June

 

2014 July

 

2014 August

 

4161h playtime

 

 

Alts: 3

 

 

Won’t tell

 

 

 

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

2.10. 19

 

2.8. 4

 

2.8. PTS (no proc on Cauterize)

 

2.X. 2

 

Mid to late 2.X.

 

2.0.-2.9.

 

2.0-2.6

 

2.0

 

1.7.

 

Pre 1.5.

 

1.2. 2

 

Release 2

 

 

 

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

FAVOURITE:

 

Merciless Slash / Annihilate 18

 

Dispatch / Vicious Throw 4

 

Cauterize (with proc) / Rupture 4

 

Master Strike 2

 

Dual/Twin Saber Throw 3

 

Ravage

 

Pacify

 

Overload Saber

 

Force Kick at 6s CD

 

Rebuke

 

 

LEAST FAVOURITE:

 

Force Melt / Rend 21

 

Force Leap 2

 

Zealous Strike

 

Force Sweep Dot Spread

 

Master Strike

 

Overload Saber

 

Force Scream / Blade Storm 2

 

Cauterize without CD

 

Strike

 

Leg Slash

 

 

 

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

Stopped playing PvE completely because of it

 

I changed AC because of 3.0 changes (to Sniper/Gunslinger as main 2) (Sage 1) 6

 

Stopped playing it, 3.0. killed it.

 

Not at all / Hate it 9

 

Worst it’s ever been

 

Not much, no flow to it, monotonous 2

 

A lot less. 4

 

Much less, but still playable

 

Less, rampup too long, not so much in your face

 

2.10. was much better, though less predictable

 

30%

 

Boring and repetitive

 

Not much fun

 

It’s gotten worse

 

Went from my favourite to average enjoyment and below average viability

 

Less but still favourite class

 

Not as good as it was, been playing Sentinel less since 3.0.

 

Don’t despise it, don’t love it. Clunkiness plus HM mechanics make it less enjoyable to play

 

Lost the Dot spec that didn’t play like one

 

Getting used to it but still way behind any 2.X state

 

 

 

 

Really like it. Not as much fun as before, but I’m satisfied.

 

Quicker Rampup is better

 

Pretty ok, Force Melt at 10m is good

 

 

 

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

None, all terrible / don't work 22

 

Final version, but it’s still not good 3

 

First, at least resources worked 2

 

First was best in comparison but still not working or any good

 

Last one

 

Second version

 

 

GbTF changes good

 

Transcendenc coming off Centering is good

 

 

Don’t test anymore

 

Never played on PTS 2

 

 

 

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

No 28

 

Dps too low 3

 

Rotation unplayable

 

Nerf in ability and fun, total failure.

 

Even more dot tracking to do

 

Probably not, too much focus on Dot spread

 

PvE encounters have lots of mechanics – so rotation that doesn’t work is even more problematic

 

Rotation is a step in the right direction.

 

Haven't tested, but doesn't look like it will.

 

 

Still hoping to be pleasantly surprised

 

Yes, even though it’s resource starved. The live rotation is stagnant and scripted. We need higher dps and more resources though

 

A bit, but hardly an improvement.

 

Rotation better

 

Utility changes are good

 

Utilitys are an improvement, but their placement doesn't bring us in line with other classes

 

 

 

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Melee DPS > rDPS 16

 

Sustained vs. burst 11

 

Uniqueness, while listening to Community 9

 

Counterable abilities/tactics 4

 

Adjusting numbers correctly

 

Melee Survivability > ranged survivability

 

Reduce Dot Spread

 

Reduce rdPS mobility

 

Identity for Uniqueness, flow of rotation, some RNG

 

Reduce melee unfriendly PvE mechanics

 

Reduce mezzes/kiting ability in PvP

 

Gathering all class representatives

 

Best Players testing PvE and PvP and join Mumble with Devs

 

All DPS specs/Acs should be competitive and good to bring along

 

Nerf overperforming PvP utilities, buff underperforming specs.

 

Make content that doesn’t massively favour certain classes

 

Devs playing the game more

 

Classes being viable, plausible and beatable

 

 

Don’t care as long as each is fun. (and not one favoured in any operation)

 

Implement different tactic counters for different classes

 

Choice of different tactics

 

Something unique for each AC

 

Unique playstyle, no copy paste from other Acs

 

Strengths and weaknesses, not uniformed

 

Carnage need to be more fun, Fury should be beginner spec

 

Old Sentinel Identities were good: Annihilate as Dot but not Dot, Carnage Burst PvP, Fury AoE

 

AoE and Single Target capabilities in alls specs destroys identity

 

 

 

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

No 20

 

Devs are not listening, make up issues, ignore feedback 6

 

Not anymore and changes are taking too long (months)

 

Partly, but Devs do different things than suggested very often 2

 

Feedback seems useless atm

 

Doubtful

 

Rarely

 

Hard to say, we feel like nameless faces

 

Not enough discourse, transparency and respect

 

Metrics instead of listening to active players is demotivation

 

Not much integration of PTS feedback. 2

 

 

Yes

 

Yes, but not enough dialogue, we have to live with finished stuff.

 

Contribute yes, improve no. Communication needs to improve on both sides.

 

There’s a chance, not sure if I’m heard.

 

I’ll keep trying

 

My feedback is taken into consideration, but not enough actions.

 

Yes, but I don't exercise it

 

 

 

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Bring back Cauterize proc 8

 

Remove Force Melt 5

 

Redo Force Melt as a replacement for something in 2.10. rotation 4

 

Redo Force Melt as new Cauterize 2

 

Force Melts as Replacement for Master Strike: 3s channeled while moving dual Saber Throw (3 hits) with stun on standards and weaks. With Stacks of Accelerating Victory additional elemental damage

 

Simply go back to 2.10. 3

 

Reform the rotation

 

Shorter rotation, Dots need to sync with Master Strike

 

Searing Saber effect up to 50%

 

Force Melt reapplyied by Merciless

 

Force Melt not as a 3rd Dot

 

Rework with community involvement, determining a compromise from suggestion made by players

 

Make Force Melt duration synchronize better with other dots durations and ability cooldowns so it doesn’t conflict

 

7.5. second CD on Merciless / Annihilate

 

Make the two dots the same long duration

 

Take Force Melt off the GCD

 

Gathering Centering while meditating should be baseline

 

Make the rotation like Guardian or leave it as on live

 

Boost off hand saber damage greatly / Remove offhand accuracy modifiers

 

More effective utilities and better selection options

 

Reintroduce ability refreshes on situational / RNG triggers

 

Increase Cauterize range to 10m

 

Buff Overload Saber by 10-15%

 

 

 

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Go back to 2.10. 9

 

Cauterize proc 2

 

If it stays like on live. If 3..2.1. is implemented, I won’t. 3

 

Force Melt becomes new Force Leap 2

 

Return to 2.10. like rotation, Melt as passive buff to Dot, fix resource generation, Force Leap doesn’t reposition

you in 4m range, bring back Dispatch in rotation 2

 

Nothing, just love the spec

 

Devs doing what top players advise

 

Fluid rotation with more choice of where to put stuff and fillers

 

As fun and dynamic as it was prior to 3.0.

 

DST Dotspread

 

Force Melt becomes stronger Cauterize (With proc)

 

Nothing, won’t play this AC any longer.

 

Complete rework

 

Make it less dot reliant, more direct damage and manageable Dots

 

Remove ICD on passive focus generation

 

Cyclone Slash spreads Cauterize and procs its Cooldown reset

 

Master Strike CD increase and on the move

 

A rotation I can figure out, if 3.21. doesn’t give me that I will abandon it and reroll Guardian or Slinger

 

Boost DPS to be competitive with rDPS

 

Nostalgia reasons alone and only SM, but even that not, if rotation doesn’t flow at all

 

Make it fun again and competitive in PvP.

 

Buff Overload Saber and Cauterize, Dot spread on Force Sweep changed

 

 

Nothing, just love the spec

 

It's my first toon, so I'll always play it, might switch Disciplines with 3.2.1. going live

 

Will always play it as long as it’s not worst DPS. Might try Combat.

 

I respec for each fight, so I’ll play it as long as it’s competitive

 

More streamlined utilities

 

Restore burn crit damage.

 

Inspiration with at launch mechanics, self heal at 2%, choice of shorter interrupt (+ a lot more that I doubt would all have to happen ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El'ethons answers:

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

Yes. February 2012.

 

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

2.? (when there still was an Internal Cooldown of 6secs on the Cauterize proc)

 

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Dispatch. Force Melt.

 

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

A lot less, but getting used to live version.

 

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

First worked best. I'd like the last one best, if we had more resources.

 

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

No.

 

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Balancing range vs. melee and sustained vs. burst as explained prior to 3.0. would be perfect. I don't care much about AC identity, as long as each AC is fun to play.

 

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

Generally yes. I feel misinterpreted sometimes and I'd like more dialogue rather than having to deal with something that's just thrown at me.

 

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

Bring back Cauterize proc.

 

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Less than I would like to admit ;-) But generally see 9)

Edited May 19, 2015 by Ardarell_Solo

[znihilist]

Answers are in red!

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

Yes, since I started the game back in 2012.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

At 2.10, I am not saying it was perfect. But it was very good, some polishing around the edges and it would have been like that.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Ravage is my favorite I guess, the symbol of a very hard hitting melee ability, too bad it got neutered with 3.0!

Force Charge as an Annihilation Marauder would be my least favorite, it was so essential to the spec (for rage generation) that it ruined your mobility because it had to be used on CD (Though Rend is a very close second).

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

I hate the 3.0 version so much, that I basically switched to healing for now (until it gets fixed).

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

None of them, if I was given a choice I wouldn't pick any of the 3.2.1 versions.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

Nope!

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

For the first part every tactic (ability/utility) must have a counter. Second part requires an essay , but if I would have to say it in one sentence it would be this: Implement different tactic counters for different classes.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

There is obviously a chance, I don't know if I will be heard or not.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

This is a though one, if I had to pick one thing it would be to reform the rotation.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

1. Return to 2.10-like rotation
    
   
2. Rend becomes a passive buff (dot applied on some long CD ability) or it stays as an active ability but the dot gets refreshed every time a long CD ability was used (like Battering Assault), or it becomes a Vicious Slash replacement that deals some extra damage (whether it was a dot or one hit internal damage).
    
   
3. Remove RNG resource generation (or at least fix)
    
   
4. QoL fix on Force Charge, which is this: If the target is less than 4m away using Force Charge doesn't animate and doesn't move you (if I was 3m away from my target I would stay 3m away from my target), only the effects are applied (root+extra resources).
    
   
5. Make Vicious Throw relevant again, apply same buff we did to DST for example.
   

 

1) and 4) are a must, 2), 3), and 5) can be managed.

Edited May 7, 2015 by znihilist

[Atlanis]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

I mean I Watchman Sent, with 204 Days of playtime and played the game since some time in Beta in the Launch year. I also am quite knowledgable on the other two Specs but for 90% of the time a run a Watchman Sent. Looking at these facts I am more capable of making design suggestions then anyone in the Bioware Crew. I might add through all nerfs I tried to get to know all other ACs abilities and possible counter I could have.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

Pre 1.5. I think aka before the nerf to the Selfheal and some other rather harsh nerfs like the removal of the Free Force Sweep for Watchman. At this point the Spec was hard to master but you could practicly hand the asses to less competent players of all AC/Spec combinations. Still only a handful of Sents per Server were part of this crew, maybe two dozen over all Servers. At this point it was just a game of "Who knows his counters to this or that skill" I was quite good at that game. After that the Deck of Countercards or ControlltheMatchcards got reduced to a pile of dust as of 3.0. and the consequent patches.

 

The demanded nerf was a community demanded nerf with no reasoning behind it as at that point despell/purge or even the dreaded kiting were viable ways to counter any watchman Sent. The problem still arises nowadays as the average Sent/Mara player is allways more creative and knowledgable about combat mechanics then the average player of other ACs. The ground lying problem with all nerfs to the Class as of 1.5. was that they were community demanded as incompetent players of other ACs instead of taking some time to l2play demanded nerfs. Nebolous Reasons and faked stattistics are no good basis for balancing, or an incompetent CM loosing to a Marauder in a PvP Match on a live stream commenting they will be nerfed.

 

3) Favourite Ability.

Pacify. Its funny that 95% of the Guardian Population can´t counter it same goes for all ACs:-P

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

Not in any way.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

They were all dreaded and nerfing the last barely viable Spec into the grave. Concentration, Combat already are no option for endgame pve and for pvp also in the most part.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

No, it will be the coffin nail on the AC.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Lets play the counter counter counter game. In the beginning of the game it was possible for any Class to outplay another Class through the Paper, Scissor, Stone system. Yes some classes lacked counters against certain other classes and it was not perfect, but basicly the system worked. Watchman Sents were in a position were they had a lot of cards to play, but would really have to think hard which to use. The favored Smashmonkey Sents until the community demanded nerfing into the grave at no point had that flexibility and were always easy prey for me regardless which of my alts (Sage, Vanguard, Juggernaut, Gunslinger) I took into PvP. Problem was and is outside the Sent/Mara Community many players do not look at other classes skills and what they themselves can do to counter them. That was the real strength of a good Sentinel player and is still nowadays even if most of us have switched class due to our Deck beeing reduced to a pile of ashes while other ACs got lots and lots of Cards but no one really knows how to use them because they are incompetent. 194 : 13 Guardians I encountered in PvP over the last 3 Months don´t know how to counter a "Pacify" Debuff. Yes I made a list after someone called me cheater, hacker after his Masterstrike didn´t hit me and he didn´t understand I had a skill for reducing White DMG Precision.

 

So what can be done is simply. listen to what Adrell, Norton, Tyler, Xeoh, myself and other players wth 200+ Days of gametime on their Sents ask you to put on the PTS for testing. Suck up your pride and talk to us. Different Specs of an AC should have their own identity. The identity of a Sentinel should be:

 

- Hard to play and master,l but very rewarding if you achieve it

Aka, give them a lot of tools to control combat that cater to different playstyles, not the messed up stuff you have thrown around in the utilites but more something like this:

 

Taken from KnightTylers post as I really feel his suggestion is balanced and acceptable for EVERYONE!

 

 

Remove Ardor/Relentless Utility and make Transcendence/Predation a baseline 25s cooldown that does not require Centering/Fury.

 

Remove Defensive Form's as a utility and make Defensive Form's a baseline Sentinel/Marauder passive.

 

Make Guarded by the Force/Undying Rage have a base cooldown of 2 minutes. With the Enduring/Undying talent, Sentinel/Marauder's could bring this down to 1 minute 30 seconds which is a reasonable cooldown considering the effects and cooldowns of similar talents (i.e. Resilience/Force Shroud, Saber Reflect, etc...)

Sentinel

 

Skillful

 

Jedi Enforcer - Increases the damage dealt by Rebuke by 15% and increases its duration by 4 seconds.

Debilitation - Master Strike immobilizes the target for the duration of the ability.

Jedi Crusader - While Rebuke is active, it generates 1 focus whenever you are attacked. This effect can not occur more than once every 2 seconds.

Adamant - You generate 4 focus when stunned, immobilized, put to sleep, or knocked around. Additionally, the cooldown of Resolute is reduced by 30 seconds.

Valorous Command - getting attacked reduces the cooldown of Valorous Call by (X) seconds. This effect can not occur more than once every (X) seconds.

TrailBlazer - Cyclone Slash deals 25% more damage

Incisor - Force Leap, Force Melt, Clashing Blast, and Zealous Leap snare the target, reducing its movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds.

 

 

Masterful

 

Reining Reach - increases the range of Leg slash to 10m and causes Leg Slash to immobilize the target for 3 seconds. Additionally, Leg Slash now consumes 2 less focus.

Force Sprint - reduces the cooldown of Transcendence by 5 seconds and grants immunity to movement impairing effects for 3 seconds when Transcendence is activated.

Defensive Roll - Reduces damage taken from Area of Effects by 30%.

Watchguard - Reduces the cooldown of Pacify by 15 seconds and Force Kick by 2 seconds. Addtionally causes Pacify to affect all enemies within 5m of the target.

Pulse - Reduces the cooldown of Force Stasis and Awe by 15 seconds.

Displacement - Increases the range of Pacify by 6 meters and allows Rebuke to be used while stunned.

Jedi Sentry - While Force Camouflage is active, every second you remain camouflaged you gain a 5% damage bonus to your next attack that consumes focus. This effect can stack up to 6 times and lasts 10 seconds.

 

 

Heroic

 

Fleetfooted - When Transcendence is applied or refreshed, it purges movement impairing effects. Additionally, the movement speed bonus of Transcendence is increased by 30%.

Expunging Camouflage - increases the duration of Force Camouflage by 2 seconds and removes all cleansable effects when Force Camo is activated. Additionally increases the movement speed bonus of Force Camouflage by 20%.

Jedi Promulgator - Each use of Strike, Zealous Strike, Leg Slash, Overload Saber, Clashing Blast, and Zealous Leap reduces the active cooldown of Rebuke by 3 seconds.

Force Saber Throw - Twin Saber Throw knocks the primary target back several meters and immediately finishes the cooldown of Force Leap.

Enduring - Reduces the cooldown of Guarded by the force by 30 seconds and increases the duration of Guarded by the Force by 2 seconds.

Zealous Ward - Getting attacked while Saber Ward is active heals you for 3% of your maximum health. This effect can not occur more than once per second.

Force Fade - Valorous Call immediately finishes the active cooldown of Force Camouflage.

 

Marauder

 

Skillful

 

Cloak of Carnage - Increases the damage dealt by Cloak of Pain by 15% and increases its duration by 4 seconds.

Overwhelm - Ravage immobilizes the target for the duration of the ability.

Cloak of Rage - While Cloak of Pain is active, it generates 1 focus whenever you are attacked. This effect can not occur more than once every 2 seconds.

Inexorable - You generate 4 focus when stunned, immobilized, put to sleep, or knocked around. Additionally, the cooldown of Unleash is reduced by 30 seconds.

Agitated Frenzy - getting attacked reduces the cooldown of Frenzy by (X) seconds. This effect can not occur more than once every (X) seconds.

Path Carver - Sweeping Slash deals 25% more damage

Interceptor - Force Charge, Force Rend, Devastating Blast, and Obliterate snare the target, reducing its movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds.

 

 

Masterful

 

Maiming Reach - increases the range of Crippling slash to 10m and causes Crippling Slash to immobilize the target for 3 seconds. Additionally, Crippling Slash now consumes 2 less focus.

Maddening Charge - reduces the cooldown of Predation by 5 seconds and grants immunity to movement impairing effects for 3 seconds when Predation is activated.

Defensive Roll - Reduces damage taken from Area of Effects by 30%.

Subjugation - Reduces the cooldown of Obfuscate by 15 seconds and Disruption by 2 seconds. Additionally causes Obfuscate to affect all enemies within 5m of the target.

Strangulate - Reduces the cooldown of Force Choke and Intimidating Roar by 15 seconds.

Displacement - Increases the range of Obfuscate by 6 meters and allows Cloak of Pain to be used while stunned.

Sith Stalker - While Force Camouflage is active, every second you remain camouflaged you gain a 5% damage bonus to your next attack that consumes focus. This effect can stack up to 6 times and lasts 10 seconds.

 

 

Heroic

 

Unbound - When Predation is applied or refreshed, it purges movement impairing effects. Additionally, the movement speed bonus of Predation is increased by 30%.

Expunging Camouflage - increases the duration of Force Camouflage by 2 seconds and removes all cleansable effects when Force Camouflage is activated. Additionally increases the movement speed bonus of Force Camouflage by 20%.

Cloak of Annihilation - Each use of Strike, Zealous Strike, Leg Slash, Overload Saber, Clashing Blast, and Zealous Leap reduces the active cooldown of Rebuke by 3 seconds.

Furious Saber Throw - Dual Saber Throw knocks the primary target back several meters and immediately finishes the cooldown of Force Charge.

Undying - Reduces the cooldown of Undying Rage by 30 seconds and increases the duration of Undying Rage by 2 seconds.

Blood Ward - Getting attacked while Saber Ward is active heals you for 3% of your maximum health. This effect can not occur more than once per second.

Phantom - Frenzy immediately finishes the active cooldown of Force Camouflage.

 

 

 

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

No, at the moment I am hardly motivated to write anything constructive.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

One thing will not be enough srry, to make Sents viable and enjoyable to play again there are moar then two dozen changes required over all Specs and utilities. Overall Sent Utilities are a lot weaker then all other ACs utilities in their respective Tier. Secondly three Passive Abilities that should be baseline were not put their. Dual Wield Mastery, Defensive Forms, Defensive Roll. Well but to stick to the one change, to make the Sent barely viable but still no fun to play but at least to be able to run Hardmode.

 

- Searing Saber had its effect increased to 50%

 

You asked for one point only, if I am cornered like that I will answer like this.

 

For more elaborate reasoning and more then one Point:

 

 

Sent Watchman:

- Force Melt and Accelarating Victory have been reverted to its pre 3.2.1. status, aka 18s CD and no DMG nerf

- Searing Saber had its effect increaset to 30%

- Plasma Blades had its effect increased to 50%

- Burning Focus had its ICD removed.

 

 

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Doing what the dozen most competent and engagend Sents tell you to.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Atlanis

[TACeMossie]

While I don't main a Sent, my first toon was a sent and they will always hold a special place in my heart as in pretty much every star wars game I play the guy who dual wields lightsabers (didn't happen this time around because vanguards!)

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

I mained it for about a month back in 2012, when I played the game for one month. I've also rolled a marauder since then

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

I'd probably say 2.10 (though others may not agree with me) as this was the patch that gave the consistent proc to work with, but still had the possibility of failure.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Favourite would definately have to go with Merciless Slash. It just brings out the full identity of the spec, and even through the ruinous changes of 3.2.1 it will still be there.

Least favourite is Force Melt in its current state. There are a number of possible changes that could be done to alleviate this, such as making the whole spec a 15 second rotation instead of a 180 second rotation, or making Merciless Slash refresh Force Melt, but unless something drastic happens I don't see it doing anything but hindering the rotation

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

It does work better in terms of predictability, but uptime in a raid gets really frustrating really quickly so 2.10 was obviously a much better option.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

I'd probably say the final version of it is the best one (but only cause I figured out at the last minute that they intended TST and Master Strike to be delayed, as opposed to Zealous Strike/Force Leap/Force Melt), but the whole iteration of 3.2.1 needed a lot of work anyway.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

It will be more difficult and more bursty, but overall I'd say no.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Average DPS (in Optimized 198s) should be:

 

4600-4700 - Telekinetics/Lightning, Gunnery/Arsenal, Sharpshooter/Marksmanship

4700-4800 - Tactics/Advanced Prototype, Saboteur/Engineering

4800-4900 - Balance/Madness, Assault Specialist/Innovative Ordinance, Dirty Fighting/Virulence, Focus/Rage, Concentration/Fury, Scrapper/Concealment, Infiltration/Deception

4900-5000 - Plasmatech/Pyrotech, Ruffian/Lethality, Combat/Carnage

5000-5100 - Watchman/Annihilation, Vigilance/Vengeance, Serenity/Hatred

 

Each AC should have something unique going for them:

E.g. Sages + Sorcs being great at AoE, VGs + PTs having great mobility, Snipers having pushback immunity, etc...

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

I had the opportunity, but whether or not the devs implemented anything I spoke of, I doubt it.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

You had to make it 1 thing didnt you!

 

Oh well, my single change, if I can only have 1, is to make Accelerating Victory/Swift Demise refresh and apply Force Melt/Force Rend on using Merciless Slash/Annihilate, instead of reducing the cost of Force Melt/Force Rend.

 

If I could make 3 changes, it would be the very small list of changes i've put out before to turn the rotation into a 15 second one, but since I'm restricted to 1 I'll make it that one I just put there

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

A rotation that is much more fluid in where you can put things. If you look at my main (Vanguard), both DPS specs have guidelines for where to put abilities, BUT only some of them have a set spot. For example, in Plasmatech, the only restriction is making sure that you can use Shockstrike on ~10 seconds without it interfering with anything, and in Tactics spec there are a lot of places where you can move around Tactical Surge, Rapid Shots and High Impact Bolt. Watchman doesn't have that benefit, and that sucks.

Edited May 7, 2015 by TACeMossie

[Cuiwe]

Hey fellow Watchman Sents/ Anni Maras.

 

There's been a lot of rage about our beloved class going around in various threads. With the new changes inbound I would like to see the whole picture (at least according to people posting on the forums. But that seems a good reflection of players, since the people I talk to on my servers tend to pretty much say the same things I'm reading here). So would you be so kind to answer the following questions - and could I ask you to just do that, so we can collect a precise picture? Thanks in advance for your effforts!

 

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

Totally not relevant. Even if I did play a Sent for over 365 days(which I ofc didn't), I wouldn't even mention it. These "Experience?" questions ruined the whole economy.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

The best state of Watchman was, of course, 2,10. The cauterise proc, cauterise dealing damage PER SECOND instead of per interval, hybrid spec instead of a boring, boring dot spec etc. Much, MUCH easier Centering buildup...meh I give up! It was just MORE FUN! And that is what a game should be: FUN. These idiotic devs should just admit that they have failed and clean up their own mess.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Master Strike by far! Especially in the 2,X version when it hit harder. The only QoL I could want is the ability to use MS while moving. Oh and better animations for MS because Ravage isn't more "cool", no. Ravage is simply better animated.

 

The least favourite ability being Force Melt. Not because of anything other but because of what it represents. A deluded, stubborn dev way of implementing 3 part DoT even where that is not needed. Plus, it's boring. A slow ticking, weak dmg per interval DoT. YAY! I'm so excited...

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

Largely unimportant. We all have likes and dislikes and answering this question will solve nothing. Even if that

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

The version where Cauterise ticked every 3s(if it was on PTS, idk) for 6s. Why? Because then it at least dominates all the other DoTs on per hit basis. If we go by Dulfy numbers, it'd give us 1060 dmg/hit! Your avg DoT being ~ 550 dmg(if that). But I don't really like any of these.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

Subjectivelly, yes. I really don't care about how something is structured or whatever if it is boring. The change will at least make it more exciting/fun to play.

Objectivelly, no. It will ruin the discipline by lowering the dps in the endgame and making the upkeep in PvP even harder.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

I'll agree that the class balance should be achieved so that for every strong point there is an equal weak point. For every tactic a counter tactic. Plus, I feel this is VERY IMPORTANT to say, Melee DPS classes should ALWAYS, but A.L.W.A.Y.S. have more dmg than Ranged DPS classes. Why? Well because MDPS must take a risk and a simple evade of a boss mechanic/reposition in PvP will cost you a chunk of your DPS(at least 10%). Meanwhile RDPS can just fire pot shots at the enemy with impunity. The amount by which the movement reduces DPS is just the amount that of DPS a MDPS should have over RDPS. These two are important.

 

As for the second part...it's equally, if not more important to me. I hate when I can't connect with a class due to it being a copy paste of some other class in the game. But I won't write about that because it'd take an aessay and would just devolve into random babble anyhow.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

I'll take any chance I get. You never know when something you say or do will have an astounding impact. And I'll not miss these chances just because it SEEMS that they don't listen!

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

Force Melt. The 3 part DoT really isn't working. This'd be easily solved by doing something with F.Melt.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Not important. I play what I find important and fitting to the character. I am not a min-maxer. If I had to tell, it'd be that the discipline becomes as fun and dynamic as it was prior to 3,0. Yes, I do like static things, but the fact that 3,0 Watchman plays itself(beyond ocassional M.Slash) is a big no-no for me. I severely dislike others doing stuff I find important for me.

 

Please try to be as brief as possible in your answers.

 

I am just a knowledgable guy who wants to help. And Sent needs all the help it can get currently. Which is ironic because I can still remember the massive crying over "MARA OP NaRF Pl0X!" of 2013. With that said, I'll answer this in my very own way, answering things that are actually relevant. Answers are in teal.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Cuiwe

[FerkWork]

Hey fellow Watchman Sents/ Anni Maras.

 

There's been a lot of rage about our beloved class going around in various threads. With the new changes inbound I would like to see the whole picture (at least according to people posting on the forums. But that seems a good reflection of players, since the people I talk to on my servers tend to pretty much say the same things I'm reading here). So would you be so kind to answer the following questions - and could I ask you to just do that, so we can collect a precise picture? Thanks in advance for your effforts!

 

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

DPS yes and it's my original toon, since June 2014

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

This Fall

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

Vicious Throw, Force Rend

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

Boring and repetitive watching to see if your DoTs are still up

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

Sorry but is this a serious question? All were terrible

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

I guess so I just need to be not a noob and LoS and H2F with DoT spread..

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

Reduce mobility of RDPS. Reduce DoT Spread. Specs by Burst v Sustained.

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

No lol

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Go back to 2.10

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

See above

 

Please try to be as brief as possible in your answers.

 

Answers in Yellow

Edited May 7, 2015 by FerkWork

[jauvtus]

1) Yes, since 2012 may

2) 2.10 was near perfection like many other said

3) Dispatch (love throws), Force Melt

4) Less fun, pre3.0 we were a dot class without dot tracking, highest single target DPS, crappy AOE, now we need to track and spread dots, but still my fav class

5) I dont think they ever created a viable PTS version, but merging GbtF utilities was a good idea, Ardor also but it shouldnt be a utility, combat changes were stupid (Force Sweep dot spread is not viable because of range, if they really want us to dotspread use TST)

6) Absolutely not, I rather have the live version, even if its not good, it can be maintained

7) Melee classes need higher sustainable DPS than ranged, simply because we can dps less especially in these new opses (but PvP doesnt make it easier for us either). Back in old days melee were instant and mobile, while ranged were casting and rooted. Now they can run at least as much as melee, while also having the advantage of being ranged, That's why melee need much higher dps. For sentinels Watchman was the highest single target DPS but when we had to switch targets we were useless, Combat was the super-burst one and Focus (for newbies its old Concentration) were great AOE. This should be enough spec identity

8) No, the devs hardly discuss anything with us

9) Remove Force Melt and add new replacement ability:

Plasma Saber Throws: Channeled: 3 secs

Range: 30m

Throws your lightsabers 3 times dealing x-y weapon and z-q elemental damage over the cast. Standard and weak enemies are additionally stunned for the duration of the effect. Can be channeled while moving. Shares cooldown with Master Strike.

Also redesign Accelerating Victory: Each use of Merciless Slash builds 1 stack of Accelerating Victory. Accelerating Victory stacks make the next Plasma Saber Throws uninterruptable and at 3 stacks allow Plasma Saber Throws to apply Force Melt, dealing w elemental damage over 6 seconds. Can stack up to 3 times.

Basically we would get a ranged attack (throwing MH, offhand, MH) which would be extremely useful for example in Underlurker encounter. The Accelerating Victory would work very similar to shadow tanks' Harnessed Shadow stacks, only being dps buff instead and not building stacks on that. I dont have time to calculate numbers to not make it OP dps, maybe someone can help with that?

Obviously best would be 2.10 playstyle but that wont happen, I'm trying to make the best out of this new stuff.

10) I tank a lot these days, but whenever i dps, i always use my watchman sentinel. Suck it up devs

[KaiserTNT]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

It was my main from beta through 3.0, but now I only use the toon occasionally if I need a lockout.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

2.10 was the best. Annihilation was fun with cauterize proc and short dots, Carnage was a good burst spec that took skill, and Rage had excellent AoE -- there was a fun, viable, spec for every situation in the game.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

Currently? Probably dual saber throw, because it's kinda neat looking. The worst is Force Rend, because it broke Anni, and it looks lame....and I paid money for an expansion to get it (and ruin my favorite spec).

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

It's awful. I rarely play my Mara now and have switched to maining a Sniper for DPS.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

I didn't bother to test, since I have zero interest in playing a melee spec with long dots. I'm done with the class unless it goes back to something 2.10ish.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

No. I trust the people who have tested it and reported that it is worse. That said, 3.0 Mara is bad enough that I don't even care what modifications they make if it keeps Force Rend dot as core to the rotation, since I won't be playing it on live outside of niche cases.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity? Melee needs either better survivability or more dps than ranged. Currently, for PvE at least, there is no ranged tax, there is a melee tax, which is backwards. I believe that a dps class should have specs that do different things : 1 Sustained, 1 Burst, 1 AoE (Old Rage > Fury for this, by a lot).

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the spec with your feedback?

Eh, not really...My feedback since day one of 3.0 has only been "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?". I've basically only told Bioware I want the old spec back. If they are determined to go this new route, I'm not interested in the class anymore.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Remove or redesign Force Rend to replace an ability from 2.10 (Like they did with Snipe->Lethal Shot for Virulence). New Force Rend dot = Worst. idea. ever.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

Revert to 2.10 style.

Edited May 7, 2015 by KaiserTNT

[oofalong]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

I mained a Marauder from launch day until 3.0. I was forced to abandoned the class due to a lack of tanks in my raid group although my passion and love of the class did not diminish.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

As clichéd as it sounds, I enjoyed the 2.8 to 2.10 playstyle of Annihilation | Watchman the most. What's worse is that I didn't realize how much I missed it until it was gone; the 15s CD on Rupture | Cauterize with the proc reset was challenging and fun. And, the 2.8 to 2.10 playstyle was an elegant and balanced combination of a number of traits; it culminated as a great experience and formidable damage. During this time the spec had an ideal rotation but due to variance in procs for resource and CDs one would have to deviate from this often. The dynamism forced the player to be involved in the clicking the buttons as well as executing fight mechanics. Still what made this playstyle so great was that you could effectively ignore the dynamism involved and still achieve 80-90% of the specs potential. In other words, it was an easy spec to play, but a difficult one to master. I believe this reason more than any so it became one of the most popular specs in the game.

 

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

It is difficult to select just one ability as my favorite as the playstyle was really about the harmony of all of them. Qualitatively, I like the Sentinel's Master Strike and the Marauder's Annihilate. From a design perspective, I think Deadly Saber / Overload Saber is my favorite ability. I like the novelty of indirectly applying DoT damage especially because it is specific to Maras/Sents.

 

My least favorite ability is probably Battering Assault | Zealous Strike. I love its animation and its resource building, but I spent so much time trying to correctly model this ability. To my knowledge, it is the only ability in the game where the OH Modifier % is different than the MH.

 

In addition, I will say there is a lot about Force Rend | Force Melt that I do like. It is a 10m force attack, and it deals considerable damage. That said, I recognize that the addition of this ability directly undermines much of the dynamism I loved in the 2.8 to 2.10 playstyle.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

I once wrote:

 

Annihilation/Watchman in 3.0 is noticeably different ... This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, personally I think I will like it better assuming a few changes. For one, I think the skill necessary to play this spec has increased. I believe it requires us to plan ahead further and be much more disciplined with our ability usage.

 

The discipline I was referring to was specifically the lack of CDs on Rupture | Cauterize and Force Rend | Melt making their re-application too tempting. And, the changes I was referring to were about lack of resource.

 

After more exposure to 3.0 Annihilation | Watchman, I can definitively state that I do not enjoy the new playstyle. There are already great long DoT duration disciplines in the game, but with the changes introduced in 3.0 we lost the DoT spec that never played like a DoT spec.

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

I am a big proponent of specs that work, and by work I mean specs that follow a rhythm or have synergistic patterns. (To be clear, this is not to say it should follow a rigid rotation.) None of the 3.2.1 iterations had these qualities. Also, we only barely have elements of these on live. That is, there is some interplay of abilities now such as use DST/TST when buffed and a free use of Force Rend | Melt after three Annihilates | Merciless Slashes. Still, these live examples are entirely scripted so the rhythm or pattern is too forced.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

I do not believe the current 3.2.1 changes introduce any dynamism to the playstyle nor does it promote a priority system. We will too often have to delay our priority abilities. Plus, we will be unable to use many of our free abilties due to too constrained resource.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

With only DPS disciplines available to Maras/Sents, I hope for each discipline to be unique. Unfortunately, the current constraints of formidable AoE for all and a strict adherence to a point on the spectrum between burst and sustained leads to homogenized specs at best, and ineffective specs at worst. There are other vectors to consider such as target switching ability, AoE capabilities, the ability to throttle DPS and more. I feel class balance involves making known tradeoffs. A spec should not be able to do everything as well as others; each should have its strengths and weaknesses. The alternative is completely homogenized and uniform specs.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the spec with your feedback?

 

No, I am very disappointed by the absence of genuine discourse, transparency, and shared respect when it comes to PTS testing.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

Rework Annihilation | Watchman with community involvement; I truly believe no single person has the solution. There are numerous possible manifestations of Annihilation | Watchman and I believe we could collectively create the best one.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

If Annihilation | Watchman is left as it is on live, I will play it, particularly as I now have more opportunity to raid with it. With the current 3.2.1 changes I suspect I will not play it at all; I will also not invest the time in updating my models or guides. One the other hand, I may finally finish the Carnage | Combat and Fury | Concentration models I have been working on

[CellPerfect]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

Yes, and I have played it since launch although I would say I didn't main it until about June of 2012.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

The 2.10 version was best I would say because it flowed very well, was more dynamic of a spec and rotation was all around fun to play.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

I don't really feel that I have a favorite or least favorite ability, but I must admit that I love seeing big crits off of annihilate

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

I actually really like the spec the way it is now. It's not as fun as it was I would say, but I'm pretty much satisfied with it as it is.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

I suppose the first one just because the resource management was better than this current build.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

No. The 3.2.1 changes are horrible.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

Pretty much the standard: pure DPS do more damage than other ACs or they have more utility, Melee parse slightly higher than ranged, sustained / DoT specs parse higher than burst spec, etc.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

Nope. Hence why I haven't posted feedback in a very long time. I don't feel like wasting my time with a group of devs who either don't care and don't read our feedback, or they think they are better than us and know more about what the class needs than us. Their metrics are terrible and they are totally blind to a number of issues (or, again, they just don't care). And it's not just with our class either. The only reason I am posting here is because I like and respect people like you (and others in the sentinel / marauder community) who have taken the time to come up with viable changes to the spec and tried to tell the devs how to make the best changes.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Honestly I'm quite satisfied with the current build that is on live (especially compared to the 3.2.1 changes...). I don't think there's just one thing that could be changed to make the spec a whole lot better. Although on the 3.2.1 changes I would say to either shorten or lengthen the DoT duration of force rend so that it does not fall off of the target at the same time other DoTs falling off or other abilities coming off CD.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

Keeping the current build that is on live would keep me playing the spec. If the changes go through I will be switching to carnage.

[Kaos_KidSWTOR]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

Yes, August 2014 - 3.0 Release

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

2.0, Classic Watchman, Annihilate was on a good CD, and Cauterize/Rupture was on it's iconic 6s ICD

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Annihilate/Merciless Slash, Force Sweep/Smash (Purely for the *******st DoT spread ever.)

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

HATE it. It's the worst point it's ever been.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

None of them.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

Sorta... Force Rend/Force Melt should be a replacment skill for Rupture/Cauterize and Rupture/Cauterize be made baseline to Mara/Sent, with a new skill replacing Force Melt/Rend. Maybe a DoT damage booster akin to Weakening Blast/Toxic Blast/Death Field.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Community Involvment and Developers Listening. Those are the two prime ways that each spec becomes unique.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

No, because the developers do not listen to our feedback, they make their own ideas up and completely IGNORE our feedback!

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

Old Cauterize/Rupture proc!

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Bring back the old procs on Cauterize/Rupture, Make TST/DST spread DoT's, Force Rend/Melt replaces Cauterize/Rupture, and a DoT damage booster ability be added.

[KeyboardNinja]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

I never mained Watchman/Annihilation. It was a preferred off-spec for my main DPS though, which was a Combat Sentinel. I started playing Combat in 1.4 and stopped with the launch of 3.0.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

Between 2.0 and 2.6. The DPS was lower than it should have been, but the rotation was engaging and dynamic. I liked the state of Combat better at the time, but if I had to choose between post-2.10 (or post-3.0) Combat and pre-2.6 Watchman, I would choose the latter.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Cauterize is my favorite in the spec. Least favorite is probably Strike, though if I had to pick a real answer it would be Master Strike. I never enjoyed trying to squeeze in MS, though I was conscious of the fact that doing so was a large part of the skill cap.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

Ah…no.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

N/A

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

In terms of rotation, it looks better, but the DPS loss is unacceptable. Also I have no first-hand experience with it.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

That's an enormously complicated question. In a few paragraphs or less, I would say that the key is to establish an identity goal for each spec and stick with it. Identity goals break down into archetypes (e.g. sustain, burst, AoE, etc). Within each archetype, it's important to ensure that a given spec has its own unique points relative to other specs within that category. This is probably the hardest element of class balance.

 

Once identity and targets have been established, a target rotation and mechanics should emerge just based on identity constraints. Resource generation and costs should support the desired rotation. Careful analysis of the priority queue should be made to ensure that undesired tradeoffs (such as abandoning a designed ability to get more activations of a different ability) are not incentivized (I'm looking at you, Orbital Strike). The rotation should have a very small amount of convergent drift, to avoid a feel of "sameness" with each cycle (e.g. the drift of Mind Crush relative to Turbulence in the Telekinetics Rotation). A very small amount of RNG can be introduced to provide a "good" scenario and a "less good" scenario for the rotation, giving players a chance to react and internally celebrate and improve their DPS situationally without increasing the variance too far. The gap between "best case" and "worst case" scenario in terms of RNG should be carefully bounded. The shadow tank rotation has a good example of RNG done right, with a random proc on Project that increases DPS slightly in the best case, but leaves the rotation intact and viable even in the worst case. The Cauterize proc pre-2.6 was another example of good RNG. Higher skill cap can be achieved by narrowing the reaction window with respect to this RNG. The pre-2.6 Cauterize proc is a good example of this, where the reaction time was exactly 1.5 seconds. Pre-2.10 Combat was an even better example, with regular reaction time constraints in the 150-200ms range.

 

Burst, AoE and sustained output can be balanced relative to other specs within the archetype and global balance goals, cheated up or down based on constraints. For example, Watchman/Annihilation is tied to a 4 meter range but has only a very infrequent channel and good defensives. The former should cheat up the DPS, while the latter should cheat it down again. Watchman/Annihilation is a DoT focused spec, which puts it firmly in the sustained category, but in its pre-3.0 incarnation it was dependent on very short rotational (untracked) DoTs with moderate burst, which cheats the DPS back down a notch. In terms of a reasonable balance goal, I think Watchman/Annihilation should be parsing right around Vigilance/Vengeance. Hitting this balance goal should be done by carefully adjusting output of individual abilities, within ratios such that priority queues are unaltered.

 

Utility constraints also need to be examined, as well as applicability of the class to various PvE and PvP scenarios. As necessary, these constraints should feed back into the above to push things around.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

It varies. I think the devs hear what I have to say. But particularly with sentinels/marauders, I don't feel like they have taken my advice very often.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

7.5 second Annihilate.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Likely N/A. I have no intention to pick back up the spec, or even the AC as a whole.

Edited May 7, 2015 by KeyboardNinja

[WheresMyWhisky]

Hey fellow Watchman Sents/ Anni Maras.

 

There's been a lot of rage about our beloved class going around in various threads. With the new changes inbound I would like to see the whole picture (at least according to people posting on the forums. But that seems a good reflection of players, since the people I talk to on my servers tend to pretty much say the same things I'm reading here). So would you be so kind to answer the following questions - and could I ask you to just do that, so we can collect a precise picture? Thanks in advance for your effforts!

 

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

Its only been my main since Nim DF but I did play it a lot before that as it was my favourite alt since I created around 1.2 and I did all the old content on it before this

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

I think it was just after 2.8 as you didn't get in that hole any longer where rupture would just not proc, but it wasn't so regular that you didn't need to adapt your play depending on whether it was or wasn't. I did think the reduction in cost of annihilate made rage a bit too easy to manage tbh. Also I did really like pre 2 as well when you used to take the extra slash damage from the rage tree.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Force rend is my least favourite ability as it just feels like it was forced in there, it just seems to interrupt the old flow the rotation used to have, although the having a strong dot you can apply from 10m is useful in the ops. I love annihilate as like the animation pretty much.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

I don't enjoy it much in 3.0 at all tbh, the rotation just lost all it's flow I mean I still take in raids and I still do fine compared to the other dps but its just clunky. The dots aren't hard to keep track of so that doesn't bother me its just a very monotonous one paced rotation.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

The final one but it is still not good, I mean best dps is achieved by clipping every single ravage ***! Did they themselves not say that they never meant anyone to have to clip a channel to achieve maximum dps? To me this just says they are not sure where they want to go with the spec and are just throwingg stuff out there to see what happens.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

Definitely not, I think the 350 dps loss will be transferred into operations which means I am pretty much not viable anymore and should not be taking up a raid spot that another person can do better in. In all likely hood I am going to have to start maining my tank again, unless I get carnage to work in the ops but I haven't tried it much yet so I am not sure how well that will go.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

The current homogenising of classes is all very disheartening as its clearly not what the player base wants. As far as I am concerned I am a melee class I don't expect to have awesome aoe so just make me back into the single target monster I used to be I really don't care if my aoe is meh that is what sniper, sorcs and BHs are for. I don't feel that making a melee pretty much pure dot spec is a clever idea the old hybrid we used to be was a clever and unique idea. Having carnage as our burst spec and rage as our aoe spec really worked but at the moment is debatable whether fury's burst is better than carnage and fury can certainly match carnage for sustained so I don't feel they have met any of their targets with ACs and now if we get 3.2.1 on live we will not be the highest sustained I am pretty sure carnage will surpass us quite happily. I think what we had before was better carnage as burst spec I mean with gore surely that is no brainer and fury back as our more aoe friendly spec.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

No, I didn't say much tbh. But between yourself, oofalong and Emperor Norton I felt the feedback was good and constructive and I made it clear I agreed with the points you were all putting forward but they just flat out ignored you

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

If they want to give us back a Dynamic spec the only real way to do it is to give us rupture back on a cooldown with a chance to proc it. Anything with set cooldowns will almost always end up being scripted

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

The dev team to listen to the players, eat humble pie admit they made a mistake and move as far back to the pre rotation as possible. Lots of very good suggestions were made all they have to do is read

 

 

Please try to be as brief as possible in your answers.

 

Well since you are willing to make the effort to keep trying least I can do is give answers:)

Edited May 7, 2015 by WheresMyWhisky

[KaellSolaris]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

First character i created, since the beta.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

If i remeber well, after 2.0, maybe 2.8 - 2.10

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Favorite : Annihilate / Merciless Slash , just because it is a big furious hit.

 

Least favorite : Deadly saber / Overload Saber : don't get me wrong, it is a good skill, it is just it is really easy to lost it, it cost 1/4 of our rage/focus to active, 3 melee hit to be put efficiently, and if you're not in melee range anymore it is lost. Great skill, but terrible design

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

I do not enjoy it at all, i got 14 character, that allow me to test a lot of discipline and to compare what exist.

For the WM/AN case, even if they add an extra dot, I always feel like i was spending most of my time refreshing dot and looking at the debuff of my target.

 

The spread is also the worst of all dot discipline, cost a lot of Focus/Rage and have a really small area of spread and visibility (In comparison, Vigilant Thrust/Vengeful Slam has the same area of effect, but is free, and the area is well displayed)

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

Without joke, none.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

Well, if you think about it, we change a boring gameplay where we have to keep looking the débuff timer's of the target and refresh dot in a crazy order, to a gameplay where we will spend EVEN MORE TIME to look at the debuff timer's and spend EVEN MORE TIME to refresh dot.

 

Sound lame, no matter how you look at it

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

there is two different aspect for that :

• Make it a long dot duration with over skill and effect trigger around it ( like hatred assa/ serenety shadow)
  
• Make it a short dot duration, where dot are a bonus of over action ( like vengeance juggernaut / vigilance guardian)
  

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

There is some great discuss between the community, and we feel we can created something good and fun, but in the over side, we have the profound feeling to be ignored and they don't care about what we say, even if it is a very constructive post.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

Make the two dot have the SAME LONG duration ( 15 sec + for both )

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

A lot of thing, unfortunately, I believed this discipline has to be rework entirely

Edited May 7, 2015 by KaellSolaris

[waterboytkd]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

No. I mained Combat/Carnage (from June 2012 until 3.0), and have only dabbled in Watchman/Anni.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

Honestly, I am not qualified to answer that.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

Favorite: Merciless Slash/Annihilate--it's hard-hitting and the animations are pretty cool. Least: Force Melt/Rend--it's animation is next to nothing, and its effects are largely behind the scenes.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

There are things I like more and things I like less. In 3.0, the build-up time seemed decreased as it only takes 2 Merciless Slashes to get your 4 stacks of Merciless. But, it got less "in your face melee" and more "I'm a DoT caster", and that's due to the inclusion of the extra DoT, Force Melt/Rend. That ability also made the rotation feel a lot more cumbersome.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

None. It seemed like a constant stream of misses from the Dev team in 3.2.1. I would have preferred the pre-3.2.1 rotation to anything introduced there. 9 seconds on Cauterize was worse than both 6 and 12 seconds, but a straight 6 second duration crowded out room for practically everything in the rotation. And 15s on Force Melt made everything feel out of sync.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

Absolutely not.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

Dps classes should be balanced according role. Mdps sustained vs. mdps burst vs. ranged sustained vs. ranged burst. As for identity: each discipline offers new, core abilities for the spec. Those abilities should be cool and fun, and the focus of the rotation. Within the AC, each spec should play a different role: burst dps, sustained dps, or utility (usually tank/healer). For the pure dps ACs, that third role could be a sustained/burst hybrid, or it could be slightly subpar sustained or burst, but coupled with amazing group utility. As for DoT-based, or auto-crit-based, those should not be identities themselves, but possible paths to achieving the spec's identity.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

Yes and no. Some changes are obviously made in response to our feedback (ie Ardor/Relentless). The problem is it seems like the dev team refuses to copy any ideas we have. It's like they need to warp and mutate into something no one else suggested to implement it, but that often misses the needs the original idea was trying to address (again, ie Ardorl/Relentless being both a utility, and not having the appropriate cooldown).

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

If we're talking about the current 3.2 version of Watchman/Anni, that one thing would be to change Force Melt/Rend so that it wasn't an additional GCD in the rotation: either make Force Melt/Rend work off the GCD and have a CD (like another Overload Saber); make it a replacement ability for something else in the rotation (either TST/DST, Force Leap/Charge, or Zealous Strike/Battering Assault); or turn it into a passive buff to another ability so that ability applied a DoT (prime targets, again, would be TST/DST, Force Leap/Charge, or Zealous Strike/Battering Assault).

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

This question has to mutate slightly to apply to me. It becomes, "What would it take to make you convert to playing Watchman/Anni?" The answer there is to focus more on the Strikes and Slashes of the AC and spec, and less on juggling DoTs. I feel like 3.0 did a good job with dealing with the ramp up time on the spec (a big deal for me as my end game is primarily PvP). If the spec was made to be able to stick to a target and sustain dps without massive reliance on DoTs, all while being durable (a necessity if it's going to sustain DoT-light dps), then I could see converting to it.

 

That might sound a lot like Vig/Veng, but that spec successfully balances melee attacks with DoTs, and largely sustains its dps through actual attacks, and has the durability and utilities to actually stay on a target and do its damage. It could differentiate from Vig/Veng by being less tanky and more mobile, with better access to self-heals to make up for medium armor and no ED/FD.

[Bugattiboy]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

No, I mained one from January 2012 until 3.0

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I feel the best state was when they were proposing making the Mind Sear proc of Merciless Slash 100% during the PTS for 2.8. It was the Watchman playstyle we all loved, only better because it didn't have any unnecessary RNG, but still had the proc on Cauterize so that the rotation stayed the same.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Twin Saber Throw, it looks awesome.

Force Melt., we don't and have never needed or wanted a "Vital Shot" ability.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

My Sentinel is retired until further notice. I play a Gunslinger now. However, I'm ready to bring it out of retirement at the drop of a hat if EA were to ever fix the class.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

I don't have an answer to that.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

No.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Balancing melee vs ranged with melee always doing more than ranged because ranged is compensated with a 30m+ attack range and sustained vs burst worked to a degree in the past. It was far from perfect, but it was better than right now.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the spec with your feedback?

 

Yes, whether or not EA cares though is another matter entirely.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

Cauterize proc.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

For the question to apply to me it needs to be What would it take to get me back to playing Watchman? And the answer is start with swallowing their pride, admitting their mistake publicly, and reverting to the pre-3.x that nobody had a problem or asked to have changed while maintaining the one positive thing that 3.0 has brought: double stacking Juyo Form and Merciless.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Bugattiboy

[Ardarell_Solo]

I'd like to thank every one of you for your input, explanations and experience with the class. I think it's great you're sharing this!

 

My idea is to get the whole picture of what people think, so everyone can draw their conclusions based on a maybe somewhat representatice collection of data.

 

I had a great time reading your input and learned a lot already.

 

I am working on a summary of all your answers and was going to include it in my opening post to make the data accessible to everyone. However, in the light of what's happened to John and his family, I'm inclined to take a break from further posting, out of sympathy and empathy.

 

We can continue working on this, once everyone has gotten their heads straight again, myself included...

 

In the meantime, I'd very much appreciate if we could keep this thread clean and not discuss that topic here. If you wish to provide further answers, please do so, I will still collect your answers for the summary.

 

Thanks a LOT for your cooperation, guys!

[cmorea]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

Yes, March 14. Maybe earlier I don't remember exactly

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

2.10 was amazing, so powerful, so fun

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

I love Merciless Slash, I miss my toon yelling HEY! after it . Force Melt is my least favorite ability, no imagination, no originality. It's the beige of abilities.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

Much less, it's tolerable. I got through all the 55 content pre 3.0 as a Sent and most of it in Watchman. I've gotten through almost all the 60 content as a sent, all of it Watchman. It's less fun but its playable at least.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

None of the PTS versions have been any good. 2.10 > 3.0 >>>>>>>> anything on PTS this time around.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

No, it's a server nerf in ability and fun. I feel like we'll be using less abilities now than before. The complaint for a lot of players was Watchman 3.0 felt like Merciless Slash, Dots, and Force Builders. This new build is even more extreme on that when the stated intention was to make the class more dynamic. It's a total failure. I'd be fired for doing such a miserable job on an important project at work.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

That question is above my pay grade.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the spec with your feedback?

No, I think the devs did whatever they wanted even though they made claims the community would be involved. They lied.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Get rid of Force Melt

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

Get rid of the proposed changes or ideally revert back to the play style pre 3.0

[TW-Cool]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

Yes, since 2.0 changes to the Balance spec led me to switch toons.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

2.x in general was great compared to anything that is 3.x. Specially, I would say 2.10 like everyone else though.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

Merciless Slash; Force Rend

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

Not very much at all. The new rotation just isnt as fun. I miss my female sentinel shouting "Hey!" when she would proc Cauterize. I've been enjoying life as a Venge/Vig Jugg/Guardian more so now.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

I wasnt aware of any of them being good exactly. However, it's nice to see them trying to do something... And on the plus side (which we need to show devs that we can be nice people in light of the current events) I did like the idea of Transcendence coming off the Centering system though.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

I feel it will make things worse overall. However, I'm hoping that we might be pleasantly surprised.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

Uniqueness is key which off course makes balance tough. I'm sure each community can offer good ideas about their respective classes.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

It's hard to say without specific responses. Currently we sort of feel like nameless faces just expressing the fact that we have concerns.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Bring back the 2.x proc on Cauterize or convert Force Rend into how Cauterize used to be.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

As long as it's not the worst dps spec in the game, I feel I will always enjoy my sentinel. If I have to, I will try Combat.

 

My responses are in green. I hope this survey can prove how civilized we can be.

[TW-Cool]

1)

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

I love Merciless Slash, I miss my toon yelling HEY! after it . Force Melt is my least favorite ability, no imagination, no originality. It's the beige of abilities.

 

Glad I'm not the only one missing the "Hey!" for the proc on Cauterize... They really need to ad it back in when we proc something else... please bioware!

[PallyHk]

Post 3.0 it got really incompetent. They are also balacing without a thought for PVE. A mistake for a mostly pve game.

[Dewlmenow]

Hey fellow Watchman Sents/ Anni Maras.

 

There's been a lot of rage about our beloved class going around in various threads. With the new changes inbound I would like to see the whole picture (at least according to people posting on the forums. But that seems a good reflection of players, since the people I talk to on my servers tend to pretty much say the same things I'm reading here). So would you be so kind to answer the following questions - and could I ask you to just do that, so we can collect a precise picture? Thanks in advance for your effforts!

 

 

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

 

Not anymore. I did from January 2012 until 3.0.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

 

2.10 because that was when the spec was most fun. It was engaging and was still rewarding.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

 

Merciless slash is my favorite, Force melt like almost everybody else is my least favorite.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

 

It went from my favorite spec by far to being an average spec enjoyment wise with below average viability.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

 

None, but the further they got the worse it became.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

Nope, the utility changes are actually decent for PVE but the loss in dps and in self healing, in addition to making the rotation practically unplayable makes it a huge downgrade.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

 

Not really qualified to answer this one, but my opinion is that there should be counters and trade offs for each spec. Each spec should have something they bring to the table, and something they're weak in. Currently, this isn't close to the case.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

 

Not one bit. I see the feedback as useless at this point in time.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

 

I'm probably going to be different from everybody else here and say making the centering gathering part of contemplation baseline. AP PTs have this baseline, and Mercs can build this out of combat easily. ( If you want to give it to them baseline that would be fine as well.) Why are sentinels the only ones that have to spend a utility point, and a heroic one at that, to start combat ready?

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

 

Bring back the 2.10 Watchman rotation with force melt taking force leap's place in the rotation.

Completely rework the utilities system, which must include making both defensive forms baseline, and the centering aspect of contemplation baseline.

 

 

Please try to be as brief as possible in your answers.

 

Thanks for the survey, hope it stays civil.

[Emperor-Norton]

Why not.

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

Whenever I played SWTOR since starting at launch my Sent or Mara has been my Main, and Watchman has always been my preferred spec.

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

Combining fun and viability, I would say 2.10. Most challenging/fun to play was 2.5-2.7.

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

Merciless Slash. Force Melt.

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

It was fun in PvE in 2.X so I PvEd with it. It is no longer fun to play in PvE, which is most of why I don't PvE anymore.

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

They all sucked and should never have left the drawing board.

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

Nope.

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

Their Melee Sustained > Melee Burst = Ranked Sustained > Ranged Burst seemed fine.

With no dedicated AOE specs there will be one Sniper and Marauder tree with no identity. Making Carnage a beginner, jack of all trades could work, but people don't like it because Carnage used to be lots of fun. Fury imo should be the beginner middle ground spec.

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

On my own, no. I just find the sound of my own voice so delightful. Improving the spec is entirely on the Devs deciding to remember the 2.8 PTS and take the players seriously and listen.

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Return the Cauterize cooldown reset.

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

Return the old reset Cauterize cooldown RNG proc system. Rerole Force Melt to take Force Leap's place in the rotation (12second CD attack, build 4 Focus, <10 meter range), Leap is also now only usable past 10 meters. Cyclone Slash is able to spread Cauterize and proc the cooldown reset. ICDs on Focus generation brought back to 2.X standard. Cooldown increase on Master Strike/Master Strike castable on the move. That is something that would get me to try PvE again.

[Trogusaurus]

1) Do you main a Watchman Sent/ Anni Mara and if so, since when?

Yes, since 1.3 when I first started the game. Started with and have always preferred Watchman.

 

2) What time was the best state of WM / Anni and why?

2.X in general. The rotation was equally fluid and engaging.

 

3) What's your favourite ability and what's your least favourite ability?

Tie with Merciless Slash and Overload Saber.

Force Melt.

 

4) How much do you enjoy the spec after 3.0. in comparison to 2.X.?

Much less, with the exception of a quicker rotation ramp up time.

 

5) Which was the best version put on PTS for 3.2.1.?

None of them. They're terrible.

 

6) Will the planned build for 3.2.1. be an improvement to what we have on live atm?

 

NO.

 

7) How do you think class balance should be achieved and how should different specs of on AC get their own identity?

Toning down the melee-unfriendly mechanics in pve and the mez/kiting party in pvp.

 

8) Do you feel you have the opportunity to contribute to the improvent of the spec with your feedback?

Not really. The devs have made it clear they'll do what they want regardless of what any of us say.

 

9) If there's just one thing you could change about the spec, what would it be? (please really do stick to the "one thing" bit here, this is important!)

Returning to the 2.10 rotation build.

 

10) What does it take to make you continue playing Watchman / Anni?

Let's just start with scrapping the current changes, then we'll talk about that.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Trogusaurus