Rank 50 Lana Healing Companion Worthless Against Named Champion Mobs in Star Fortress

[JourrnoRush]

Soloing the Star Fortress Heroic has an achievement attached to it. It was SUPPOSED to be hard to do. Sorry if you didn't do it before the patch, but now it is working as intended.

 

You shouldn't be able to just farm them without it being a challenge. It is still doable, but the companions being OP was not how it should be.

 

I really think some of you have zero gear or are just pulling everything without thinking.

 

I have a set of defiant set bonus gear and my companions ranged between 13-20 influence. I have ZERO problems with normal heroics. The higher level heroics I might have to CC a bit, but it is still soloable.

 

The heroics SHOULD NOT be a farm fest. The companion nerf was warranted on so many levels. This is the case of players not wanting to play the game properly with all skills available and want easy mode.

 

BW did this right imo.

[Ayaria]

My main character is a pt dd with good gearing (216, some 220er gearing). I tested star fortress h2+ with a level 50 compaion. I used the aliance buffes and get the abilitys of the tresors.

 

The heaviest moment in star fortress was the fight against the Paladins. I have to use the Buff of Dr. Oggurobb and stuns and my companion dont get me over 50% life again. I think another players with worser gear and companions could get problems agains the paladins also the archivment to kill without the buff the excharge.

 

I think the nerf of the companions was nessary, but its a huge different to before. Its disagree to nerf the companions like this, when the most of the game updates are casual things.

A average update of the companions i would prefer. That changes are to hard.

[DizzD]

Think this was there idea the expac was going to well so they had to go screw it up like last years expac just to repeat Ravagers rather then learning to do small steps they nuke then wonder why subs go down

 

Regardless of epeen bs, and L2P issues, if this nerf drives tons of people to quit the game, it needs to be pulled back some.

 

Simple economics.

[Neoforcer]

Regardless of epeen bs, and L2P issues, if this nerf drives tons of people to quit the game, it needs to be pulled back some.

 

Simple economics.

 

 

Maybe but were is said that casuals should have to learn to play because you want to feel like your doing a nightmare op?

[jgoldsack]

I wanted to see what the changes really were like in the Star Fortress. I use a rank 32 Lana as a healer, and I am an Assassin tank, 208 level pvp gear.

 

I had zero issues in the instance, never dropped below 70% health (compare to 95% pre-nerf) the entire instances, doing all the paladins and whatever other trash I needed to kill along the way.

 

UNTIL I got to the exarch. The first group of adds went down really easily, because I used heroic moment and the auto-cannon. I tried the second group WITHOUT the heroic moment or cannon (they were on cooldown), and barely made it through. Ended that room with 30% health on both me and Lana... at a couple points, I dropped below 5% health, and this was with using defensive cooldowns and medpack.

 

Pretty much the same for the exarch themselves. Blew my heroic moment and zone buffs at the start, got him to about 60%. After that it was slow ... health went down, avoiding the stuff I needed to avoid... again got really low a couple times, had saved my healing buff for that part, and I needed it! Exarch died with me having 15% of my health left, and Lana not much different.

 

So I would say that soloing it is possible, with great challenge, IF you are the right class, with a high level healer, and the buffs, and use all your crap when you need to.

 

I still think the nerf went a bit too far.

Edited November 18, 2015 by jgoldsack

[AlixMV]

I successfully soloed Heroic Alderaan Star Fortress last night, post-nerfs, on a DPS Guardian with an Influence 10 Heal Companion and only died once because I failed my environment check and let myself get knocked off a platform.

 

Note: Influence 10, not 50. Also on a class that can't self-heal, like a Merc can.

 

My gear is decent but not great (mix of 216/220s). Yes, I did the Paladins as well. I didn't use the Faction buffs. I only used my Heroic Moment on the Exarch.

 

For every bad experience someone has, I bet there are just as many people out there who are doing the content just fine. If one example can be used to justify why a change has to be made, then one example can also negate it.

Edited November 18, 2015 by AlixMV

[Stradlin]

 

After two further attempts, now using cc on champ to kill two trash first, then Heroic Moment from main fight start, was barely able to kill the champion on third try. Lana was dead, of course.

 

 

.

 

 

GJ!

Omg, what the heck is the problem here:o You defeated the Paladin?

"I encountered a difficult fight. After wiping few times, I began thinking the fight over. I began doing few very basic things right (= using all of your best abilities, CCing mobs..) and then I won!!"

Where is the problem in this?? OP, you are basically describing what appears very intact, fun and functional learning experience. It just comes off dressed in tone of whine, and it somehow appears even you aren't entirely sure what you complaining about.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Stradlin

[Talosred]

Do you really think EA pulls its info from all players or just a select few before they do a change like this, they do a small sample and go ok huge nerf.

 

But yeah give it a few months before it swings back the other way and they are able to reach something akin to a middle ground.

 

Just my two crowns based off how EA works

[jgoldsack]

I successfully soloed Heroic Alderaan Star Fortress last night, post-nerfs, on a DPS Guardian with an Influence 10 Heal Companion and only died once because I failed my environment check and let myself get knocked off a platform.

 

Note: Influence 10, not 50. Also on a class that can't self-heal, like a Merc can.

 

My gear is decent but not great (mix of 216/220s). Yes, I did the Paladins as well. I didn't use the Faction buffs. I only used my Heroic Moment on the Exarch.

 

For every bad experience someone has, I bet there are just as many people out there who are doing the content just fine. If one example can be used to justify why a change has to be made, then one example can also negate it.

 

Also need to keep in mind, not all SF are created equal. Their difficulty scales with the planet they are orbiting...

[Joefjr]

I successfully soloed Heroic Alderaan Star Fortress last night, post-nerfs, on a DPS Guardian with an Influence 10 Heal Companion and only died once because I failed my environment check and let myself get knocked off a platform.

 

Note: Influence 10, not 50. Also on a class that can't self-heal, like a Merc can.

 

My gear is decent but not great (mix of 216/220s). Yes, I did the Paladins as well. I didn't use the Faction buffs. I only used my Heroic Moment on the Exarch.

 

For every bad experience someone has, I bet there are just as many people out there who are doing the content just fine. If one example can be used to justify why a change has to be made, then one example can also negate it.

 

Funny thing not every one plays the same class or has the same gear.

 

As Vigilance you have 3 dmg reduction CD's, one that even sends the dmg back to the enemy so you take none, even a CD that heals you as you take dmg.

[Draqsko]

Funny thing not every one plays the same class or has the same gear.

 

As Vigilance you have 3 dmg reduction CD's, one that even sends the dmg back to the enemy so you take none, even a CD that heals you as you take dmg.

 

4 defensive cooldowns for Vigilance, not counting the DR after leaps.

 

Saber Reflect

Saber Ward

Enure (has a 20% DR as well as extending your hp pool, a great oh crap skill when soloing and your companion is a little sluggish on the healing)

Focused Defense

[Joefjr]

4 defensive cooldowns for Vigilance, not counting the DR after leaps.

 

Saber Reflect

Saber Ward

Enure (has a 20% DR as well as extending your hp pool, a great oh crap skill when soloing and your companion is a little sluggish on the healing)

Focused Defense

 

Like i said...

As Vigilance you have 3 dmg reduction CD's

 

aka Saber Reflect, Saber Ward, and Enure.

 

I also said...

even a CD that heals you as you take dmg.

 

aka Focused Defense

 

Focused Defense is not a damage reduction CD, it does not reduce the damage you take only heals some of it up.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Joefjr

[Nothing_Shines]

Sorry, all, I've been having fun playing Fallout, but I took a break to see how things are going around here. Great, I see. So, looking over the thread and then my numbers, there seem to be some issues taken. I don't record myself, so I logged in to my merc to see what's what and it looks like I underestimated Lana's healing potential a bit because I noted her HP outside the instance (and pre-alliance buffs) and inside she was fighting the champion mob without my class buffs (each area change removes the buffs from companions, at least it does for me).

 

So, fully buffed rank 50 Lana:

 

93124 hp

4515 mastery

4305 endurance

864 power

636 crit

470 alacrity

 

Sooth 4277-5471 (5.7s cd)

Mending 7382 over 9s (11.4s cd)

Enlivening Force 5062 (2.85 channel)

 

She still can't take a hit and crumples like used tissue paper, but she was able to keep me from dying when she bothered to heal me and not herself facing a lone named champion.

 

Fully buffed (class & alliance) with AAV stim Me,

 

Arsenal merc 65

 

107012 hp

5443 mastery

6563 endurance

1864 power

1182 crit

624 alacrity

792 accuracy

4928 presence (alliance buffs this by more than 1000)

 

216 implants/earpiece

186 relics

220 crystal gear including barrels

 

Could be better optimized, but don't really care at this point. For whatever reason, Lana will just turtle and self heal if we're both taking damage, regardless of me being at say 25% and her being only down to 80%. And those named champs and the exarch really like to switch to her in the middle of their fights for one or two hits before refocusing on me, like they know she'll turtle and I'll be vulnerable. Whatever. It's just irritating now that she can't power heal thru it and heal me at the same time.

 

Anyway, I never said the H2 SF was impossible, just that Lana freakin sucked running it against the champs, and she does. Versus everything else below the named champs and the exarch, Lana's lame healing is adequate because I can kill the mobs way before they become a threat. This includes multiple knights of Zakuul and the gold mobs before the exarch fight. Even the Exarch wasnt that challenging once you understand his pattern and know to expect your healer comp to fold about midway through.

 

The issue for me isnt challenge. The issue is tedium. It now takes me longer to do the SF than it did before. I have to actually self heal during fights or even start healing Lana or pop heroic moment and it's almost a guarantee that Lana will bite it in the Exarch fight, anyway. Before he patch it was me melting face, always moving and Lana healing her *** off. Much more fun, especially when grinding and doubly so after grinding her influence to 250k.

 

The SF drops 208 gear. People shouldn't have to be in 220 to comfortably solo it. That's just stupid. And yes, it's meant to be soloable. It's part of the solo story and it tells you a companion is all you need to run with to get through and H2s have always been soloable at level, but whatever.

 

I'll go run a few tacticals solo and see how hard I get stopped there. Those weren't intended to be soloed but doing so was fun a bit of challenge, so let's see if that challenge remains. My guess base on Lana's SF performance, the tactical bosses are going tear her apart.

 

EDIT: And yes, I have 100% on the entire "Fallen Empire" achievement tab. I soloed every single SF map, got the decos, got the titles, pre-nerf and I still can, it's just not very fun at the moment. It's tedious.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Nothing_Shines

[Draqsko]

Like i said...

 

 

aka Saber Reflect, Saber Ward, and Enure.

 

I also said...

 

 

aka Focused Defense

 

Focused Defense is not a damage reduction CD, it does not reduce the damage you take only heals some of it up.

 

Semantics, I think of FD more like a DR in that it'll reduce the damage you are taking by the amount it heals. Generally I'm taking hits bigger than what it heals for, so it's not a net heal it just reduces damage.

[Draqsko]

I'll go run a few tacticals solo and see how hard I get stopped there. Those weren't intended to be soloed but doing so was fun a bit of challenge, so let's see if that challenge remains. My guess base on Lana's SF performance, the tactical bosses are going tear her apart.

 

They were getting ripped apart when they were OP'd. Couldn't heal themselves through the nasty K/E hits that some bosses can lay out in the newly converted tacticals. Colonel Daksh's eye laser, Lord Hasper's Shock, even CZ labs Zoskar's Missile Blast were all hitting for 54k against companions because of the no armor thing. Maybe with that fixed it'll be 40k like it's suppose to be, but now they will just turtle heal themselves after they eat one, leaving you out to dry. Oh and heal nodes won't work unless you are grouped.

 

Kilran's snipe was funny though, a literal one shot against 83k hp but as I said that was the armor bug going on too.

[Nothing_Shines]

Pre-nerf I'd reached up through False Emperor with my merc soloing tacticals, so no Kilran or eye laser guy. Some were hard as balls, but it was fun. Be a shame to lose that. Oh well.

[Draqsko]

Pre-nerf I'd reached up through False Emperor with my merc soloing tacticals, so no Kilran or eye laser guy. Some were hard as balls, but it was fun. Be a shame to lose that. Oh well.

 

Probably should have respecced Defense for eye lasers so I would have had 2 taunts instead of just 1 to hold agro when you have to kite him during that phase, but any other boss with a random attack mechanic you had no control over that hit hard would just wreck companions pre nerf, regardless of their OP healing. No armor was pretty bad, sage in light armor would take a 40k hit compared to companion taking a 54k hit versus the same attack.

 

Heck against Hasper the bonus boss on Taral V, my girlfriend couldn't even keep her own companion healed past the first lightning phase, they would die before the passive AI actually followed you out.

[Nothing_Shines]

I wonder if just giving the comps some armor at 65 so they could mitigate would balance the healing nerf. If Lana didn't have to keep turtling with every hit, she might actually be useful again. Edited November 18, 2015 by Nothing_Shines

[Draqsko]

I wonder if just giving the comps some armor at 65 so they could mitigate would balance the healing nerf. If Lana didn't have to keep gurgling with every hit, she might actually be useful again.

 

They have armor now, they did stealth in that fix. But it's slightly worse than what a player would have through bolster, it's like they pulled the stats from the Zoist gear.

[Nothing_Shines]

No kidding? Well, uh, maybe boost the armor more? I doubt they'll undo the heal nerf, so grasping for an alternative.

 

My pre-4.0 Mako in carefully chosen 198 gear running through Ziost felt more substantial than rank 50 Lana doing most anything. Sorry, Lana. And sorry, Mako, I guess.

[Draqsko]

No kidding? Well, uh, maybe boost the armor more? I doubt they'll undo the heal nerf, so grasping for an alternative.

 

My pre-4.0 Mako in carefully chosen 198 gear running through Ziost felt more substantial than rank 50 Lana doing most anything. Sorry, Lana. And sorry, Mako, I guess.

 

That's because your Mako in 198 gear is better "geared" than your Lana at rank 50 is now. If you compared screen shots you'd see they basically fall within single digit percentage points of 192 Zoist gear, some areas are better, some are worse but not really that much different stat wise. And they are suppose to be 5 levels higher, they should at least be equal in stats to a player in 204 gear, considering the SFs drop 208 gear.

[Dras_Keto]

I did two Star Fortress runs last night. One on my min-maxed 208 pvp gear AP PT with a rank 17ish T7 and one on my mix of HM/NiM gear shadow tank with a rank 30ish Scorpio.

 

On my powertech everything was cake up until I got to the first Knight guarding the elevator. It did 3535 DPS to me while my companion was only putting out 1.5k in healing. I probably could beat that guy if I wanted to use a medpac or something and started out with stuns initially. IE, played it super tryhard. I also think I didnt do a full on true opener. My main goal was just to see what the damage was like.

 

I swapped over to my shadow after breaking out of jail (had never seen that portion of the instance before).

 

On my shadow, everything was a joke, with one exception. The paladin fight was close-ish. I ended that fight at roughly 40% HP. The Knights could barely scratch me and the Exarch might as well have not been there.

 

The strange part was, even on the Paladin where Scorpio's healing was 100% effective, a level 30 influence comp was doing worse than a level 17. T7 averaged 1.5k, Scorpio never when higher than 1,250. 13 levels higher and only 80% as good? I havent yet compared their stats, but Id hazard a guess that the stat block for Scorpio will show higher numbers than T7's.

 

The other strange part would be the disparity in outgoing damage. 3535 DTPS on my PT versus roughly 700 DTPS on my shadow. Yes, my shadow is an absurdly geared tank, but an 80% reduction seems excessive.

 

Overall, Im not impressed. I was definitely in favour of companions getting a nerf. They were waay too strong, especially in world pvp situations. But, like normal, it seems Bioware made a royal mess out of things.

[Gallandaeus]

They were waay too strong, especially in world pvp situations.

 

Expertise and interrupts. Not that hard to kill a comp at all if you actually wore PVP gear.

[AshlaBoga]

Expertise and interrupts. Not that hard to kill a comp at all if you actually wore PVP gear.

 

The issue was more that a Rank 50 companion was on par with a level 60 player, so if you ended up in a fight against another PvP geared player and your companion was only Rank 10-ish, then you had to be much, much, much better than them to win the fight.

[Draqsko]

The issue was more that a Rank 50 companion was on par with a level 60 player, so if you ended up in a fight against another PvP geared player and your companion was only Rank 10-ish, then you had to be much, much, much better than them to win the fight.

 

On par with a level 60 player in 800-900 expertise... they still melted like butter despite the stats. Where people make the mistake is using their heal companion against another heal companion. Pre nerf, DPS companion and DPS player would just melt a healer companion inside the duration of a stun and an interrupt.