More heat dissipation for Bounty Hunters?

[Sanchpanza]

Hey all,

 

I've been playing with all the classes, and gotta say from the start I'm loving them all, but I have noticed one huge discrepancy between Bounty Hunter and other classes.

 

From what I've observed so far playing this class, they really seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to heat dissipation; They are able to dissipate 5 heat per second, whereas for example, a Sith Assassin can generate 8 force per second.

 

I did a little test on both my characters that could heal (sorcerer and mercenary). The Sorcerer could cast their 50 force heals 14 times before needing to worry about running out of juice. A bounty hunter can cast their heal 6 times before being bang out of juice, and if you use your skill to get rid of 50 heat, you're still only looking at a maximum of 8 heals. That seems really underpowered to me.

 

Also, I've noticed that with most of the other classes when you're worrying about your power consumption (or rage building etc) you seem to be able to do a cycle of standard weak attack - more powerfull attack - very powerfull attack - back to standard weak attack and be able to keep up a good level of DPS. An example with the assassin, which also has 100 "power" to play with, you can do your standard attack, a 20 force attack, lightning and by the time you're back to your standard attack you've basically lost no force power.

 

Whereas with the bounty hunter, all of your lower cost attacks (that take 16 heat) have either a 15 second or a 9 second cool down, so even if you alternate standard attack - 16 heat attack - standard attack, etc, by about 6 seconds down the line you're going to have all your lower cost abilities on cool down and be left with only higher cost abilities to use. I've found that being as conservative as feasible and still doing decent damage you end up completely maxed out on the heat within about 20-25 seconds. And from that point it takes 3 basic attacks to be able to do a 16 heat attack, or 4 standard attacks to be able to do a 25 heat attack... and lets be honest here, pressing the same button over and over is not exactly fun.

 

Anyone else having this trouble and notice this discrepancy?

Edited December 26, 2011 by Sanchpanza

[carnac_fett]

Have you compared the amount of healing/damage done between a Bounty Hunter and another class of the same level?

 

A bounty hunter might be doing more damage or healing to make up for their faster-depleting resource.

[Durzaka]

As Sorcerer is also completely screwed when they are out of Force, whereas we can keep casting indefinitely if you pay attention to heat (IE keep it under 40%)

 

Heat is a good mechanic and it is balanced.

[Grinnel]

I agree the heat dissipation needs to be improved. Most of the time it seems fine, dealing one on one or a small group of regular mobs, but you get into a bigger fight and I find myself heating up fast or using the regular blaster all the time so I don't heat up to much.

 

I have noticed the two biggest heat signatures, at least things I use often enough, are regular missiles and the rocket punch. Even the flame thrower doesn't generate as much heat as the punch and the flame thrower is a DOT so it dissipates as you use it.

[brokentelevision]

Honestly I'm hating the resource mechanic in this game. It wouldn't bother me if it was the same at all levels. It's the fact that at low levels you regain next to nothing.

 

I'm an IA operative healer, I run outta energy pretty quick. My basic heal I have for my level cost 25 energy and doesn't heal for all that much. I tried healing hammer station at 18 and frankly I was almost at no energy the entire time for the last boss. My adrenaline probe is on constant cooldown, and I take it your vent heat is too.

 

 

 

I really don't like how slow it regains at low level energy, or high level heat. Cause Force doesn't have varying levels of regen, it's static, so why does energy and heat have to be weird?

[Crackseed]

I have had 0 issues when I've played a BH with heat - they're probably a bit better on their resource then Troopers IMO.

[SenetKDR]

I found the exact same issue playing a Smuggler as a healer at low levels. You do get a few talents that help you manage your energy (the equivalent to heat), but those come late in the talent tree and still require you to weave weak heals with strong heals constantly or risk running yourself dry.. and once you're past the point of no return its probably a wipe.

 

After switching to Sage the healing is much better. You can consistently put out healing and casting three good heals in a row on someone who "stood in the fire" for too long isn't an instant death sentence for the whole group. What's best, once you unlock the Rejuvenate > Healing Trance > Resplendence combo you will *never* run out of energy, guaranteed.

 

Heat/Energy needs a little adjustment. I agree its a great mechanism, its fairly unique, and adds a different and interesting challenge to both healing and dps playstyles, but it needs to be a little less punishing since your entire group is depending on you to bail them out of tricky situations when they happen.

[Sanchpanza]

Just wanted to respond to the sorcerer being boned out of force. I'd have to disagree on that one.. We get a skill to exchange life for force. If we fire up a shield on ourselves we can easily heal that life we lost and have a little extra left over.

 

And the thing is with a sorcerer you have a LONG time until you completely drain all of your energy. If you're DPSing you can keep your energy at high levels while putting down decent DPS.

 

I don't know what I must be doing wrong to be out of heat all of the time, but I'm not going overboard on the rockets, I'm using my power shot instead of rockets most of the time, I don't use rocket punch much, and I tend to use my 16 heat abilities, yet I end up completely buggered in long fights in instances, or if I have to go up against 2 or more strong enemies. And in the end I'm just blasting them with my normal fire until I can do the occasional more damaging skill.

 

It just really feels disjointed compared to the other classes I've played so far.

 

Love the class btw, and the abilities, just wish I could use them more often

[Durzaka]

Gonna also post that BH heat management gets A LOT easier at higher levels.

 

By 40, you should never have issues with heat again.

[Sanchpanza]

Does your heat dissipation go up as you level up then?

 

I'm only at level 15 at the moment on my BH, I assumed it was like the inquisitor that has a base that doesn't change (without equipment).

[Morzak]

I'm playing a Powertech Tank, and have to say i have relativly little problems with heat. The point with heat is that you have to monitor it and be carefull, if you always go full out until you are up to 75+ Heat you lost and will have to use Rapid Shots a lot. But as tank i can start with Explosive Dart --> Flame Burst-> Rocket Punch--> Railshot after that use blaster for 1 or 2 GCD and then go back to heat generating abbilities. You have to get used to it because you should always try to have it on 4 or 5 regen and you're good.

 

Maybe it needs a little tweaking for DPS and Healer types but overall i find it a great recourse system.

[Sanchpanza]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with the system at all. I think it's awesome and something really original. Like I said, I love the class.

 

The thing is, what you describe is pretty similar to what I play when I'm taking out stuff on my own.

 

Say I was taking down a strong and 2 standard enemies (like they often spawn). I'd start with an explosive dart on the strong, then switch to a standard to use rail shot when the dart went off (probably use blaster on him quickly as well). Finish the other one off with blaster or power shot.

 

Then on the strong I'd use Unload and go from there. But once I'm at that point, I seem to have very little heat left to play with.

 

And in big boss fights it's just as bad. I try not to use rocket very often unless I'm literally finishing something off, and I'm pretty sparing with power shot, but my heat still goes through the roof.