Suggested Class Balance Changes

[TheLadySeydlitz]

I've got a bunch of ideas in this thread already, but I thought of a few Pyro-related things that might be worth posting.

 

Damage and heat management both need to be improved, but I covered that in my post on the first page.

Survivability also blows, and giving Pyro Energy Rebounders and the 30% aoe damage reduction would be a good start.

Still, like all PT specs, it needs another dcd, and maybe some more DR, either as a passive or generated in the dps rotation somewhere.

 

A few tweaks, firstly for dot-spreading. Being able to only spread one dot gimps our potential aoe damage, and I think we're the only spec which suffers from this. So, I'd change Scorch to either make it spreadable same as Inc. Missile, or alternatively, I'd increase the number of targets Scorch can spread itself to when it's current host dies to 3 or 4.

I'd also make the ability to dot-spread available at a lower level. It's currently 44, and Scorch comes in at 50-something, both of which are far too high for what is a core strength of the class. And, from memory, all other dot-specs gain their dot-spreading quite early, so I don't see why Pyro has to wait so long.

Dot-spreading itself is additionally kind of a pain due to the conal nature of Searing Wave, which is unreliable at times. Thus, I'd recommend changing the spreader from Searing Wave to Flame Sweep, the circular aoe is much easier to use.

That might also make the Bracer Propellant utility a tad more useful, especially if it gets buffed slightly.

 

Speaking of Searing Wave, in addition to buffing it or it's proc damage, I'd also be inclined to swap it with Shieldtech's Firestorm. Let Pyro have the fancier version, and Shieldtech can keep Searing Wave.

 

I would also like to see a small QoL change to Combustable Gas Cylinder, namely having Immolate and Searing Wave apply it in addition to the 3 abilities + Rapid Shots that currently do. Just seems strange that some flame abilities put a burning effect on the target and some don't.

 

Another thing, our elemental execute phase damage only gets a 10% increase, in comparison to other specs which get 15% or more, so that can be changed too.

The lvl 64 and 68 passives are also a bit lacklustre, so I'd like to see those improved too. Either by buffing what they currently do for Immolate, or including a couple of other core abilities instead.

 

Now, lastly and most importantly, why does Pyro have no giggling? AP laughs like a madman/madwoman every few attacks, yet Pyro is totally silent. Seriously, what gives? WHERE IS MY GIGGLING, BIOWARE?!

[Chemists]

-Heated tools should also allow Searing wave to have elemental damage.

You do realize Searing Wave is already an elemental attack . . .

[Nezyrworks]

This is what i think should be done to PT and VG to make them in pair with the other specs.

 

Powertech/Vanguard

First fixes should be ammended to utilities, as they are a total mess. Most of them are worhless, and ovestreched between too many pointless disciplines (Excuse me for not using vanguard terms):

 

Utilities

 

Masterful Tier:

• Combine Pneumatic Boots with Torque Boosters from Heroic their making it still Masterful
  
• Combine Prototype Electro Surge in Enhanced Paralytics
  
• Combine Accelerated Reel into Adaptable Assailant
  

 

Heroic Tier:

As mentioned above plus:

• Introduce Energy Rebounder (from Advanced Prototype) across ALL Powertech specs by making it Heroic Tier utility.
  
• Introduce Automated Defenses across ALL Powertech specs by making it another Heroic Tier utility returning PT to 40-50% health instead of 35%.
  

 

Legendary Tier:

• Shield Cannon should improve the number of Shoulder Missiles by 3 across ALL specs. Healing factor should remain the same, but the cooldown should be reduced by 15 seconds.
  
• Pressure Overrides should be replaced by a more usefull utility not tied to a 120s cooldown. Replace it or make it more usefull by adding railshot, and fixing the searing Weave.
  
• Fuel Additives makes no sence from both PVE and PVP standpoint of view. 5% damage increase for a tank every 120s is not even woth it for PVP. While damage reduction for DPS specs is meaningless if it's tied to this one. This is even worse than shield cannon, as you cann't just hold the loeaded utility and can only use it as an innitial burst, making it completly obsolete if you are not focused/taking damage.
  
• Battering Ram should be fixed as well as Jet charge. currently you are likely to stay in the place you used your jet charge proc without leaping to the enemy.
  

 

Skills:

 

Shield Tech:

• Translocate should be instant cast, with additional % of damage reduction on translocated target. cooldown should remain the same
  

 

Pyro Powertech:

• Whith Automated Defenses moved to utilities and Energy rebounder moved from AP also there is a spot for a burst damage passive skill that would potentialy increase both sustained and burst dps.
  
• Remove Searing Wave skill delay when dealing damage across ALL specs using it (its vanguard counterpart Ion Wave is applying damage instantly while Searing Wave have at least 0.5s delay making it even harded to hit with its cone.
  
• Superheated Flamethrower stacks should be applied whren reload/recharge ability is used.
  
• *Note: Pyro is underperforming because of it's long initial rotation, which makes it unusable across PVP, aside from no real big hitters which could finish off the target. Increase its dps and burst accourdingly to the PVE parse standards made by other AOE dot classes (Laceration, Lethality, Engineering)
  

 

Advanced Prototype:

• With Energy Rebounder moved to utilities make a new passive skill which increases range on all main rotation skills except Magnetic Blast, Gut and Rocket Punch by additional 5-10 meters. this should solve AP problems with a dps loss on high mobile targets and make it a midrange spec compared to the pyro and the shield tech being melee.
  
• Energy Burn should remove the dot effect and instead add that damage to energy burst damage, making it more in pair with burst abilities such as: Heatseeker Missiles.
  

 

With Energy Rebounder, Shield Cannon and Automated Defenses PT across all specs will get enough boost to DCDs to survive the 1v1 and have the time of the DCDs reduced under focus fire, while also having "OHSNAP" ability.

[TheLadySeydlitz]

Side note, Jet Charge is still bugged and sometimes it will not work. It will go on cooldown but it does not leap me back to the target. This happens a lot if I'm getting knocked back and trying to leap mid-air ie. Fire and Forget from Brontes.

 

I've noticed the same thing with Phasewalk and Phantom Stride/Holotraverse, using it mid-air after a knockback results in nothing happening except the ability getting placed on cooldown. Which is a nuisance, but hitting the ability right as you land kinda gets around it.

[MuskyBoy]

Advanced Prototype: Currently I feel like this spec is in a fairly strong position, but I still feel as though it could use a slight damage buff so here is my suggested change

 

• Make Rail Shot automatically crit on targets with the Retractable Blade DoT. Perhaps a bit over the top but was all I could think of.

 

This would be insane the amount of damage this spec would do would be crazy that would mean a railshot crit every 4th GCD. If you want to buff AP (It needs a buff but not a huge one) increase the dot damage by 10 %, make shatterslug dot spread and increase magnetic blast by 3-5%. The problem is if you give buffs to any of the other abilities then you potentially put the burst window into way OP for PvP buff fillers and dots (and aoe) and the class get the sustained damage increase it needs without stupid levels of burst.

[Bonzenaattori]

I'm not really good at posts like these because I tend to lose myself in the interest of ideas and whatnot.

 

Anyway: I want to address the previous changes to Vanguard

 

Trigger warning: I'm too lazy to write both class languages, so I'll be using Vanguard only. Soz4owned

 

RIOT GAS

This was probably the biggest hit to Vanguard tank. It's bad enough we have the lowest number of cooldowns, but there was nothing wrong with this ability.

I can't seem to fathom how they find Diversion from Gunslingers, acceptible.

But when a melee gets an ability of the same design, it's looked less favourably.

Not to mention it's discipline is specific to tanks whereas gunslinger now has it availilbe as an automatic ability, it lacks a projectile function (throwable) and its values are lower.

 

If the 30% accuracy is THAT bad, then please make this a multi-pronged function.

 

Instead of 30% accuracy reduction.

Keep it at 15% Accuracy that it currently stands.

However, all allies inside the smoke, gain 15% defense vs Melee & Ranged attacks.

This would maintain the integrity of the skill on a co-operative basis. As Vanguards can use this to assist their Tank comrades, and ops a lot more versitile, boosting their defenses whilst inside the smoke.

 

This also allows team mates in PVP to take the initiative to stay INSIDE the smoke, even if their enemies are outside, and can lead to more creative encounters and fights, where pulling somebody back inside or Transposing a vulnerable team mate INSIDE the smoke can give him a slight edge to the transposed target when the effect runs out, but may still be under pressure

 

Adrenaline Rush

Lot of people probably wouldn't have been bothered by this if it wasn't paired with the fact that, a ranged dps class, ends up on the greater side of the fense

5% reduction isn't the bad part.... sure its a nerf. But where it really hurts is knowing that Commandos walk away with a 100% effectiveness on the ability's core function.

And it isn't spec related, it's on any discipline they desire.

 

My proposed solution to this is simple. Consider this:

If Commandos have the luxury of having a Adrenaline rush increase on their utility (Adrenal Surge). Then do the same for Vanguard!

Move the Plasmatech passive known as "Adrenaline Fueled" to the Utility. So that all three specs can gain access to this passive.

Pyrotech can maintain the activation & purge whilst stunned.

This way, the paradox between Vanguard and Commando Utility is:

Vanguard - 35% heal + 30% damage reduction

Commando - 35% heal + maximum heal rate +100% (or 70% heal whatever)

 

This way, with the utility, both located in the Heroic Tier. Both classes can walk away with a moderate utility, contrast to each other. This way, it doesn't necessarily jeopardize commandos too much.

With the damage reduction, I feel Tank Vanguards can benefit from this, and wouldn't be shy as to pick it up. Neither would Tactics, which many tend to argue still has lacklustre defenses, being a frontliner.

 

Pulse Cannon

The change to Pulse Cannon came with both postives and negatives.

Personally, I liked the old version better. Despite it being a channelled ability, I felt Vanguard and a wide variety of ways of guarentee'ing they could get full effect of the ability.

I would prefer this ability be returned. However, here is something to consider also:

 

Instead of making this ability channeled. Make it a 2 times activation ability.

What this means is:

Plasmatech: When Ion wave is activated, there is a 6 second limit, when this ability can be activated again, free of cost.

What this accomplishes, is bringing back the 3 second ability, however, without the channeling.

Instead, it's down to the Vanguard to use the ability twice in quick succession, allowing them, a little grace period, to reposition and re-aim for the second cast.

This eliminates the inconsistent turn rate of Pulse Cannon whilst channeling, without any real fear of inadvertently cancelling the channeling or simply mising the ability due to it's lazy turn rate

The grace period will also allow them to delay the second cast, in case they want to take the risk of waiting out for a more opportunistic second cast, due to an anticipated mobs spawn during boss fights and encounters which gives the ability a lot more aoe prowess

 

This ability could be made to adapt well to abilities such as Pulse Generator, and Pulse Engine.

So that bashful situations such as missed procs due to luck on engaging a target at the start of a battle, will be less daunting. The adaptability can go well to create more damage snowball from stacks which could result in additional casts on follow-up, and makes a rather lackidaisical rotation slightly more easier on the resource regen and feel like the aoe is more involved.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Bonzenaattori

[TalonVII]

You do realize Searing Wave is already an elemental attack . . .

 

I meant as far as DoT, meaning you use it, enemies catch fire and stay on fire.

[Arehonn]

Plasmatech

 

A couple of issues here:

 

1. Survivability is very weak. While we have a strong DCD in Adrenaline Rush, we are much squishier than a front line, heavy armor user should be.

 

2. The feel of the class changed once the Pulse Cannon channel was eliminated. I understand the thought here was to give it a move mobile feel to match the other specs that had their channeling abilities eliminated, but I think this could have been solved by not forcing the Pulse Cannon user to stay still in order to channel it.

 

These are my suggestions to update Plasmatech and reworking current boxes. Changes are in the bold.

 

Assault Frame -

 

Increases damage taken by periodic damage by 30 percent ( up from 15 )

 

Insulated Augs -

 

Increases elemental and internal damage reduction by 15 percent ( up from 5 ) and reduces Sonic Round cooldown by 10 seconds. Sonic Round increases the damage reduction granted by Insulated Augs by another 15 percent for 10 seconds.

 

 

Pulse Generator -

 

Now also affects both Ion Wave and Artillery Blitz, granting both 30 percent ( up from 20 ) damage increase and 45 percent slow per stack. Can be stacked twice.

 

Plasmatic Assualt -

 

increases the critical bonus damage Ion Wave, Plasma Flare, Plasmatize, and Shockstrike by 10 percent. Artillery Blitz now spreads Plasmatize to enemies caught in the area of damage, as long as one currently has been afflicted with the Plasmatize Burn

 

Adrenaline Fueled -

 

While Adrenaline Rush is active, your damage reduction is increased by 30 percent and Adrenaline Rush heals you up to 50 percent total health. Being attacked reduces the cooldown of Adrenaline Rush by 6 seconds and cannot occur more than once per second.

 

 

This covers increasing our survivability and regaining some of the old feel and DPS of Plasmatech by giving Artillery Blitz the same Pulse Generator updates as Ion Wave does without changing the increased mobility design of Ion Wave.

Edited June 9, 2017 by Arehonn

[Dacoma]

I believe Pyro can easily be fixed by bringing back Flamethrower, making it usable on the move, and giving all 3 specs the Oil Slick ability (which for Pyro would additionally increase elemental damage to affected enemies):

 

Make Flamethrower hinder affected targets by 90%, to stop them fleeing: This helps with spreading the incendiary missile dot, compared with the insta-cast flamethrower which often refuses to spread dots.

 

Allow Flamethrower to be used on the move: This helps keep the Pyrotech mobile, which was the supposed reason behind changing it to insta-cast.

 

Allow all 3 specs to use Oil Slick, since they lack enough defensive cooldowns. Increase the accuracy debuff to 30%, and reduce cooldown to 45 secs. Keep the 70% slow.

 

For Pyro, Oil Slick would also apply a debuff to enemies within it that would increase the damage of all your elemental (flame) attacks, for as long as they remain in the oil slick. When used with Explosive Fuel, it would give a dps boost similar to Snipers using Lase Target + Target Acquired together.

[MuskyBoy]

Yeah I hope the class changes really bring back the VG/PT.

 

My Ideas:

1. Overall.

-Rail shot should be 20m ranged.

-Shatter slug should be 15m

-Get rid of the Optimus prime area attack and give back Death from Above. Give a missile barrage to the Mercs since they have arsenal.

-Give Fusion missile and Explosive dart to the PT since they are about worthless on Merc and the PT could use a few more attacks.

-Searing wave needs a 25% damage increase

-Jet charge down to level 2 where it belongs. Lvl 59 is down right hysterical.

Advanced Prototype:

-Remove retractable blade, and replace with a 15m version of the smugglers "quick shot". Or something kind of blast attack that's conical infront of the PT like the newer scatter shot on the smuggler. Give Retractable blade to the Shield tech.

-Magnetic blast and energy burst should be 20m ranged

Pyrotech:

-Immolate and scorch should have a 15 meter range

-Heated tools should also allow Searing wave to have elemental damage.

-Flaming fist's elemental damage needs a 25% increase in damage

Shield Tech:

-Get rid of Translocate and put Oilslick in it's place.

-Put Retractable blade in place of where Oilslick is currently.

 

Those are my ideas to fix the specs and PT overall(same done to VG ofcourse)

 

You do realize that explosive dart and fusion missile are use in IO dot spread? Not everyone plays Arsenal only.

[masterlukimi]

Tactics/AP: When playing this spec at it's maximum capacity, the player can achieve enough DPS to clear any fight assuming the rest of the raid group is also playing their classes well and mechanics are being executed. On highly mobile targets that require us to leave 4/10 meter range, we have Harpoon and Storm which do superior damage to Hammer Shot (namely with the legendary tier talent on Storm that let's you use it twice as a free filler and do similar damage to two Tactical Surges) . Using the best attack possible at any given time and being prepared for mechanics and movement is part of being good at any melee class, but namely AP. An increase on range is QoL phone it in change, not a change that is needed to be competitive. Significantly buffing it's damage is not going to make or break players and teams clearing fights. Players playing the class at full capacity will and that's how it should be in a progression setting. The HM ops are a joke right now and you can clear them with any spec easily, so this is all in reference to GotM and Master Mode ops. Buffing base damage of the core attacks would be more than enough to equalize the playing field with other specs.

 

Plasmatech/Pyrotech: 3 Stack Ion Wave. There's always a Plasma Flare and a free Ion Pulse between waves, and between the 3+ other filler GCD's there is certainly room for at least one more Ion Pulse. Thanks to Harpoon, Storn, and Pyro Grenades, it's easy to use free fillers to manage heat and maintain DPS. Each stack should buff the attacks damage by 33% instead of 20% giving the attack a total of a 100% increase in damage from it's base damage. Buff the execute damage taken and crit bonus damage to it's original 30% glory. Possibly raise the base damage done by attacks slightly. Plasma should be the "better spec" on long sustained burn fights like Grob'thok, Dread Guards, Tyrans, Revan etc.

 

 

In general AoE damage could use a small buff for it to be competitive with other classes. Increasing Crit chance/Damage done on Explosive Surge would be great. Flak Shell is still a better option on a minimum of two targets and in Tactics resets the bleed and causes it to tick, but Flak Shell is not always available and there are more GCD's with time to AoE in. Artillery Blitz is only useful if you need to move. Buffing it's damage significantly is another option.

 

For Plasma to be more effective in PvE and Vanguard in general to be balanced in PvP we need a small defensive buff. The issue with mercs and snipers right now is that they always have a cooldown available, they don't need to be managed, forced to retreat or encouraged to push their DPS to very high levels to win duels, ranked matches and survive in regs. AoE/Stun Reduction and Energy Rebounders either need to be made passive or utilities. Stun/CC/Slow/Efficient Tools utilities need to be rolled together, so that VG can take both a few CC/kite utilities and defensive ones. The healing on Shield Cannon is adequate, but the CD on Shoulder Cannon could be reduced a little bit, so it's available more often. This would also buff the flat DPS of VG which is good. DO NOT buff the crit bonus damage. The class has plenty of burst. Against less experienced Mercs, Snipers, Juggs etc I've been able to burn thru their multiple health bars and cooldowns as is. If the defense is buffed and damage is slightly buffed 50-50 matchups between the PT and other classes should be a thing between players of similar skill. Increasing the duration and tick speed of kolto overload would be helpful. The max health that can be regenerated should not be increased because there should still be a chance that with enough calculated burst the VG/PT can be killed. The final change that may be a bit too much, but would certainly encourage more players to play VG/PT and therefore increase diversity would be moving Electro Net from the Mando/Merc to the VG/PT. Now we're useful against Sorc Healers.

 

Skillful use of Reactive Shield (w/ electro shield) and Reflective Armor is important to VG/PT DPS. Learning where you can stand in attacks and take minimal to no damage thanks to Into The Fray and running into a Salvation or Kolto Bomb, so you're not putting any additional stress on your healers, in order to maximize your DPS and help your group defeat a boss is part of playing the class at it's full capacity. Demanding players to play the game well to defeat the hardest content makes sense. The rotations of both Specs are relatively simple, so requiring players to find other ways to deal damage is a good thing. Leave both utilities as is, and possibly combine them.

 

Thanks for reading my comments and I hope they help in making all classes viable in PvE and PvP settings leaving the success of a group up to player skill.

[omaan]

All we need is a defense buff!!! This class is damn squishy! Fully garbage