Companion Change Feedback

[DarenLoot]

At no point did I say that I wasn't. I did point out that there was no effort needed. It is that part that is the issue if BioWare is to be believed on their goals for content balance.

It isn't that it was easy it was that I hit ctrl+1 and looted to get to the end of the story content. There wasn't even the need for basic understanding of my class or level appropriate gear to complete the area. This thread is here for us to give feedback. I am fine with you wanting to play your way why do you have an issue with me wanting an option to fine tune the companion to a level I find useful? All it would take is the ability to gear on our own if we wanted to.

 

Don't have to tell me about it. That guy Kathan appeared to believe that "you were making some extraordinary claims" so I just offered "insight".

[MeNaCe-NZ]

While that would be nice to have, you can just disable some of your companions abilities. That is in-game right now, no nerf needed.

 

You could have gone and run the ton of easier solo content in the game ... that is in the game right now too!

[Makillda]

While that would be nice to have, you can just disable some of your companions abilities. That is in-game right now, no nerf needed.

 

You could have tried using all of your toon's abilities and earned some gear. That stuff has been in the game all along, no buff needed.

[DarkAed]

Companion level: 12-58 (across all characters)

First of all, before you change anything make sure it works at least.

Trooper's companions after change do not recognize weapons equipped half of time and try to kill enemy with their bare fists.

Companions that have melee gear behave weird when given healing role. That just does not fit them no matter what.

They run around as they both need to heal you and to bash enemies in melee.

Affection levels are not scaled properly. A companion that was maxed earlier now eneded up as 10 out of 50. What's bad about it? A freshly created character reached said level in 2 hours even before he left corruscant/kaas. When it took weeks for original fella.

Some dialog progression for certain companions are broken and prevent any further development.

Some companions still pay 0 attention to dialogs and reward 0 influence on all missions that are "technically" before their appearance. Try running ebon hawk/esseless with any late game companions.

Courting items do not work.

Dialogs are still written for earlier defined roles, so Elara Dorne claiming to be a medic when serving whole time as tank / dps looks silly.

[LordArtemis]

Which would require even more balance testing on BW's behalf which they've proven they are incapable of doing.

 

Some players want challenging content, not possibly impossible content.

 

Maybe instead of disable "set your own level" of influence would the closest you could get.

 

Of course this assumes it's not stupid easy at base influence also.

 

Agree on all points. Completely speculative at this point. I think those that wish some difficulty should have it like they had prior to 4.0 if level sync needs to remain forced.

 

Of course, I am of the opinion that they could return to 4.0.2 and simply allow players to disable level sync. That would accomplish the same goal IMO.

[pegasussgc]

You could have tried using all of your toon's abilities and earned some gear. That stuff has been in the game all along, no buff needed.

 

I don't understand what you are talking about... What does that have to do with what I wrote?

[Makillda]

I don't understand what you are talking about... What does that have to do with what I wrote?

 

Because of your ludicrous suggestion to disable companions, I lumped you into the group of vociferous forumites who stamped their feet and flung poo all over the place when BW corrected the companion power level in 4.0.2. To those people, the ones who screamed and cried "UNSUBBING!" because you couldn't stroll through the H2+ SFs anymore, the ones saying to dismiss, place on passive or otherwise devalue our companions if we feel too OP, I say that you could have simply did as those of us who could still solo H2+ SFs post-nerf did: get some gear, gather some datacrons and earn the power you need to accomplish that feat.

 

After checking out your recent posts, I see that you were rather measured in your responses, besides the still ludicrous suggestion that players who have put in the time to gather gear and the necessary buffs to have good companions gimp or turn them off to artificially add difficulty to their game. My apologies.

[RogerApple]

Because of your ludicrous suggestion to disable companions, I lumped you into the group of vociferous forumites who stamped their feet and flung poo all over the place when BW corrected the companion power level in 4.0.2. To those people, the ones who screamed and cried "UNSUBBING!" because you couldn't stroll through the H2+ SFs anymore, the ones saying to dismiss, place on passive or otherwise devalue our companions if we feel too OP, I say that you could have simply did as those of us who could still solo H2+ SFs post-nerf did: get some gear, gather some datacrons and earn the power you need to accomplish that feat.

 

After checking out your recent posts, I see that you were rather measured in your responses, besides the still ludicrous suggestion that players who have put in the time to gather gear and the necessary buffs to have good companions gimp or turn them off to artificially add difficulty to their game. My apologies.

 

You COULD just dismiss or disable your companion and save everyone else a ton of trouble. It's a very common sense and logical step many people outside of just you have already done and figured out.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

Agree on all points. Completely speculative at this point. I think those that wish some difficulty should have it like they had prior to 4.0 if level sync needs to remain forced.

 

Of course, I am of the opinion that they could return to 4.0.2 and simply allow players to disable level sync. That would accomplish the same goal IMO.

 

In thinking on this I saw level sync as a means of making more challenge originally and I liked it.

I said there should have been an optional system if it meant lesser rewards for those doing heroics/flashpoints/wbs etc. without level sync for the point of I believe in rewarding people for doing things more difficult ( and thus encouraging them to learn and give it a go ) and also to encourage grouping ( for flashpoints and the heroics which I at the time didn't know were all becoming 2+ ).

 

That left level sync off for those that wanted but perhaps they would have only got the level appropriate rewards/drops and not what we get now. I also felt that would more or less leave everyone happy in being able to play how they wanted to play.

 

Now though I don't even care about the reward part if it meant optional level sync with comps post nerf again. Both systems - nerf/buff - affected other players playstyle and there is no win for all which we would have got with optional level sync more or less.

 

So yeah - optional level sync, old style companions = win. The only debate would be around the rewards aspect and open world PVP but those are minor things ( seeing as they left max expertise in for OW PVP anyway from the 65's ).

 

I just wish we would for once see some intelligent design choices from BWA. They've got great story creators, artistic design is great but when it comes to gameplay elements they drop the ball immensely ... as I keep saying , they need to take some queues from BWM/E or outsource gameplay development to them ( though I imagine their workload is full ).

[Makillda]

You COULD just dismiss or disable your companion and save everyone else a ton of trouble. It's a very common sense and logical step many people outside of just you have already done and figured out.

 

ROFL. That malarky still makes me laugh. Thanks!

[MeNaCe-NZ]

You COULD just dismiss or disable your companion and save everyone else a ton of trouble. It's a very common sense and logical step many people outside of just you have already done and figured out.

 

As mentioned you could learn to use all your abilities and actually play the game properly or just go do the easy solo content already in the game ( 100's of hours worth I might add with no hyperbole ) and save everyone enjoying challenging content the trouble of having to accommodate your inability or unwillingness to complete it.

[RogerApple]

As mentioned you could learn to use all your abilities and actually play the game properly or just go do the easy solo content already in the game ( 100's of hours worth I might add with no hyperbole ) and save everyone enjoying challenging content the trouble of having to accommodate your inability or unwillingness to complete it.

 

I think you are majorly confused. I have cleared this up several, several times. However for you. I will do so again. If you believe there is "challenging" content then you are just sorely mistaken or used to playing very easy games. That's an illusion in your mind or like I mentioned just used to playing very very easy games. It's time consuming. Making the companion heal less. It only takes longer, much much longer to get through the mob of trash. It's not more "challenging" at all.

 

I'll get through the mobs of content. It will just take me longer. It requires no special skill to press a few buttons. I could do so randomly and likely still get through the content. It's just much much longer. Why you want to punish people to drag out content that shouldn't be so much of a grind is past me. Why you want to force people o go through content that is likely something they have repeated several times. It's just more of a grind. Like I mentioned before. Most if not all this content is actually able to do solo. There's very little that requires a group. A flash point or PVP most you can't even use your companions unless you are doing it solo without any groups.

Edited November 26, 2015 by RogerApple

[Albertwang]

Companions are better but DPS output is still too low and healing still needs to be buffed up.

[pegasussgc]

I'm still baffled over why people want the story stuff to be challenging. It has never been the case, so why the change all of a sudden? Challenge exists in higher difficulty Ops and PvP.

 

Also, as for my earlier remarks about disabling companion ABILITIES to increase your challenge, that is just what I meant. Not disabling COMPANIONS, unless you want to, as some people thought I said. Yes this would be an artificial increase in difficulty, like all increases in difficulty in video games. Just a self-imposed one, but it is something you can do now, and something people against the nerf can't do (to make them more powerful) if there is another nerf to companions.

 

The best solution would be some kind of equip-able item that does a flat 50% nerf to a companions stats/power.

 

Edit: I just want to add, I disable my companion's abilities, and sometimes just dismiss them all together, often so I can work on my rotation in more realistic scenarios (as in, not on a dummy).

Edited November 26, 2015 by pegasussgc

[DarkSaberMaster]

You COULD just dismiss or disable your companion and save everyone else a ton of trouble. It's a very common sense and logical step many people outside of just you have already done and figured out.

 

I guess that's easier than you learning how to play the game, huh?

[Chirru]

Character level 65. Sorceress Healer spec-ted. Needs strong DPS or Tank Companion. Right now Companions do not manage enough damage to complete some boss fights. Example. Manaan-Cyborg Stivastine 4 minute time limit.

The requirement is not possible to complete with a healing Sorc because the DPS companion takes all the Argro and it is not possible to draw the Cyborg into the flames that destroy the shield.

In order to complete this mission I had to respect to lightening. With the respected lightning Sorc the flashpoint could be completed relative easily. This shows that things are not level even within one class. Please provide an option that allows for such differences in classes.

I understand that you can not test possible each and every class and player stile. So there (in my opinion) must be a relative large margin in companion abilities. In other world... make the companions powerful and provide an option for those who wish less powerful companions to have these.... or do it the other way around. the present companion gift option is... well, substandard, me thinks.

[RogerApple]

I guess that's easier than you learning how to play the game, huh?

 

Like I have said several, several times. If you want a real video game that you have to learn a proper rotation they have those on the market. They even have those cool combat logs at the end of the fight to tell how you did. There are even some games if you don't beat the boss in the time. The boss devours the rest of the raid.

 

I have played almost every single class quest from imperial to republic. What I have learned is that a grind is a boring terrible thing that no one should be forced to go through secondly. This is mostly a story content driven game. People mostly play this for the story. Let's be honest the combat is a little wonky and a tad bit buggy on some cases. The main objective in the game is the story. Why you want to create trash from point to point b to take even longer to get to that class quest. I will just not understand.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I think you are majorly confused. I have cleared this up several, several times. However for you. I will do so again. If you believe there is "challenging" content then you are just sorely mistaken or used to playing very easy games. That's an illusion in your mind or like I mentioned just used to playing very very easy games. It's time consuming. Making the companion heal less. It only takes longer, much much longer to get through the mob of trash. It's not more "challenging" at all.

 

I'll get through the mobs of content. It will just take me longer. It requires no special skill to press a few buttons. I could do so randomly and likely still get through the content. It's just much much longer. Why you want to punish people to drag out content that shouldn't be so much of a grind is past me. Why you want to force people o go through content that is likely something they have repeated several times. It's just more of a grind. Like I mentioned before. Most if not all this content is actually able to do solo. There's very little that requires a group. A flash point or PVP most you can't even use your companions unless you are doing it solo without any groups.

 

Sooo all the people talking about how they were dieing because their comps weren't healing enough after the nerfs and now posting that they can actually get through the content ( be it all or more easily ) are just tripping right?

You're right and they are wrong?

 

Why do you want to even do content that is a grind is past me. By your logic healing makes the grind faster, not less grindy. I tend to view the word grindy the same as I do tedious so why are you wanting to partake in tedious content? Why did it have to be changed to make the tedium last a less amount of time when others didn't find it tedious/grindy at all when they found it challenging ( regardless of if you find it challenging or not ) but now they have to play it your way because you wanted content you didn't even enjoy doing be played "your way". Sounds rather selfish to me.

 

As for your healing making things less grindy ... how do you come to this conclusion? You are still putting out the same DPS, all the healing is doing is keeping you alive longer effectively so the only time saving is ideally the small amount of "meditation" healing at the end of each.

 

Maybe I'm just missing the logic here - because you're not dieing before ( apparently ) so how is you getting healed more causing you to somehow do more damage to get through fights quicker?

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I'm still baffled over why people want the story stuff to be challenging. It has never been the case, so why the change all of a sudden? Challenge exists in higher difficulty Ops and PvP.

 

Heroics weren't ( and aren't ) story stuff as far as I'm aware.

 

Also, as for my earlier remarks about disabling companion ABILITIES to increase your challenge, that is just what I meant. Not disabling COMPANIONS, unless you want to, as some people thought I said. Yes this would be an artificial increase in difficulty, like all increases in difficulty in video games. Just a self-imposed one, but it is something you can do now, and something people against the nerf can't do (to make them more powerful) if there is another nerf to companions.

 

The best solution would be some kind of equip-able item that does a flat 50% nerf to a companions stats/power.

 

Edit: I just want to add, I disable my companion's abilities, and sometimes just dismiss them all together, often so I can work on my rotation in more realistic scenarios (as in, not on a dummy).

 

Why do we have to make this type of top end solo content artificially harder? It should be designed challenging and then if anything made artificially easier. We are far more likely to encounter issues trying to make content more difficult ourselves than having a function that allows us to toggle on making it easier.

 

Regardless you still seem to miss the point - why can't you just go do your story content etc. that has always been easy? Why did they have to cater the more challenging solo content to your easy, casual story based play?

 

I can see some rather large design issues with BW ( on top of well ,everything they design to do with combat lately ) than answer my question for me. Namely forcing people to do HM SF to get companions I believe it was? Samwe for heroics etc.? I see they put some into PVP though ... why can't we take companions into PVP then ... I don't see any allowances made for the casual crowd in this regard.

 

Instead the PVP community end up suffering in that regard.

 

Poor design choices around this entire alliance system Bioware, you really need to hire some more capable people to start handling these design choices because you are starting to fail on almost every decision.

[Erasimus]

Like I have said several, several times. If you want a real video game that you have to learn a proper rotation they have those on the market. They even have those cool combat logs at the end of the fight to tell how you did. There are even some games if you don't beat the boss in the time. The boss devours the rest of the raid.

 

I have played almost every single class quest from imperial to republic. What I have learned is that a grind is a boring terrible thing that no one should be forced to go through secondly. This is mostly a story content driven game. People mostly play this for the story. Let's be honest the combat is a little wonky and a tad bit buggy on some cases. The main objective in the game is the story. Why you want to create trash from point to point b to take even longer to get to that class quest. I will just not understand.

 

You are aware that SWTOR does have combat logging, right? And there are combat log parsers that will tell you what you did at the end of a fight?

 

The main objective in the game to you is the story. For others it is a combination of the story and adventuring, to include combat, even "gasp" PvP

[Jahor]

There is definitly the need to split the balance!

 

Classes + spec | level | gear

Mercenary DD spec | 65 | 216 full set + 220/224 mods

Assassin tank spec | 65 | 2 pice 216 set + 216/220 mods

Sabo heal spec | 65 | no set bonus + 216/220 mods

 

TL;TR

Compenion HEAL is ok now, PLEASE DON'T TOUCH AGAIN!

Compenion TANK loses HP far to fast and damage is terrible. NEED a better defens OR selfe-heal ability!

Compenion DPS isn't worth the regenartion time wast. Using the healer is ALLWAYS faster (and safer)!

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

DPS spec class + healer compenion : good position

 

Tank spec class + healer compenion : close to immortal BUT very poor damage output. Enemys die ... just a matter of time (boss fights can take 10++++ minutes).

 

Healer spec class + healer compenion : makes no sense BUT is the only viable option atm . You do "damage" (ROFL, yea, 1,5k DPS with my Sabo Healer .. harhar) while the compenion heals you.

 

DPS spec class + tank compenion : works often as long as there is no boss fight, good for trash groups

 

Tank spec class + tank compenion : makes no sense ... and I couldn't find a use for this combo

 

Healer spec class + tank compenion : works BUT super slow and boring as you have to spent 100% of the time keeping the compenion alive AND super slow again!

 

DPS spec class + DPS compenion : works for super low trash (normal + gray stars) but don't realy increase your speed as you have to reg much more often then with a healer compenion but don't get a big DPS-boost.

 

Tank spec class + DPS compenion : works pritty well BUT the killing speed + regen time is wors then just go with a healer compenion and have no regen time!

 

Healer spec class + DPS compenion : well, you switch into the tank position with healing-aggro and wait till the compenion kills stuff. Works but not very funny for me .

Edited November 26, 2015 by Jahor

[Jahor]

PS: this is to important to add it above!

 

ALL compenions are hard limited when it comes to game mechanic!

 

As soon as there is any movement involved (get out of voids, jump&run, push puttons (Liberary H2 @Makeb)) ... any player is far superior to a compenion no matter how they heal, tank or deal damage!

 

So if you want true 2 player content ... just add Mind Traps which have to be destroyed, buttons to be pressed simultan, voids which must be evaded . This will be imposible with just 1 player + companion!!!!

Edited November 26, 2015 by Jahor

[RogerApple]

Sooo all the people talking about how they were dieing because their comps weren't healing enough after the nerfs and now posting that they can actually get through the content ( be it all or more easily ) are just tripping right?

You're right and they are wrong?

 

Why do you want to even do content that is a grind is past me. By your logic healing makes the grind faster, not less grindy. I tend to view the word grindy the same as I do tedious so why are you wanting to partake in tedious content? Why did it have to be changed to make the tedium last a less amount of time when others didn't find it tedious/grindy at all when they found it challenging ( regardless of if you find it challenging or not ) but now they have to play it your way because you wanted content you didn't even enjoy doing be played "your way". Sounds rather selfish to me.

 

As for your healing making things less grindy ... how do you come to this conclusion? You are still putting out the same DPS, all the healing is doing is keeping you alive longer effectively so the only time saving is ideally the small amount of "meditation" healing at the end of each.

 

Maybe I'm just missing the logic here - because you're not dieing before ( apparently ) so how is you getting healed more causing you to somehow do more damage to get through fights quicker?

 

Of course people die in a video game. What do you expect. That doesn't make the content challenging. Not at all. If you are defining that people die in a video game as hard. Well Then I suppose we can agree to disagree. There is nothing hard about having mobs of three that are in tiny groups around the map. I die in in the video game often. I have a little trick. I try to get as close to the objective or class quest as I can then I die near it and rez then enter the portal.

 

Why you might ask. I could spend forty minutes slowly fighting my way through. Pressing one button at a time killing slowly mobs of three. The mobs aren't hard or challenging. They are a grind. It's a tedious one that some people on here seem to have confused certain things like time consuming and well an actual literal challenge.

 

Of course your reply if not a serious one. As I seem to have stunned you literally in place. The way you use phrase "Past me" is literally the same thing I said. Expect you don't use those certain words in your speech . So you are you are trying to literally use my own words to sound smart. Again I will repeat this silly notion that you are pushing. The only thing you are doing is punishing lower levels.

 

People right now can buy a level 60 token and just skip all the levels. It's a slow boring burning grind. I know I have done it several times on each side. Many people have said the buffs were the most fun they ever had in years in playing the game. That's the point. The fun. No matter how you try to spin this or even literally use my word for word against that I just said to you. It won't change the fact its not fun. Why on earth do you think its fun to spend extra hours killing crowds of mobs. Do you think people enjoy spending that much time killing the name NPC clone they killed five minutes ago.

 

You are aware that SWTOR does have combat logging, right? And there are combat log parsers that will tell you what you did at the end of a fight?

 

The main objective in the game to you is the story. For others it is a combination of the story and adventuring, to include combat, even "gasp" PvP

 

Of course. I never heard of someone say. Please make these NPC fights even longer then they have to. Please I enjoy these NPC fights in crowds of three so much I want to last. That was till the companion buff. I never seen so many people complain to take fun out of a video game. For myself. I love PVP.

Edited November 26, 2015 by RogerApple

[Malake]

PS: this is to important to add it above!

 

ALL compenions are hard limited when it comes to game mechanic!

 

As soon as there is any movement involved (get out of voids, jump&run, push puttons (Liberary H2 @Makeb)) ... any player is far superior to a compenion no matter how they heal, tank or deal damage!

 

A companion buff I could actually get behind would be to give a permanent and significant DR to AOE effects, I think that would actually enhance gameplay.

[LordArtemis]

Because of your ludicrous suggestion to disable companions, I lumped you into the group of vociferous forumites who stamped their feet and flung poo all over the place when BW corrected the companion power level in 4.0.2. To those people, the ones who screamed and cried "UNSUBBING!" because you couldn't stroll through the H2+ SFs anymore, the ones saying to dismiss, place on passive or otherwise devalue our companions if we feel too OP, I say that you could have simply did as those of us who could still solo H2+ SFs post-nerf did: get some gear, gather some datacrons and earn the power you need to accomplish that feat.

 

After checking out your recent posts, I see that you were rather measured in your responses, besides the still ludicrous suggestion that players who have put in the time to gather gear and the necessary buffs to have good companions gimp or turn them off to artificially add difficulty to their game. My apologies.

 

Makillda, there was plenty of foot stomping and hand wringing on both sides of the fence.

 

It is always amusing to me how one side paints the other with behavior that their side actively participated in. I guess your opposition shouldn't have a voice, or participate using the same methods, eh?