And this is your excuse?

[casirabit]

"One of the class designers just had a kid but once he is back they will dive into that." - Is it an excuse that there is no balance for more than 4 months? Next time u will say "one of the our operation designers have a kid and we will not do operations 2 years" oh, shi...

 

Try to play Sage/Sorc DD in PvE, or try to play WZs on that class against Maras/Sentinels, i don't say about Commando/Merc. Good Job, BW. Nice excuse.

 

I do play a DPS Sage and a DPS Sorc in PVE and have no problems. I even do flashpoints and operations and have yet to be told that I can't bring them.

Edited April 9, 2017 by casirabit

[annabethchase]

I don't want class changeS (note the plural form). Over the past 5 years they've proved they aren't very good at balance. But there should be something to reign back mercs, as that one is obviously needed.

[Elessara]

They're not as inefficient as they are UNFUN. And this didn't use to be true. You know...?

 

5,0 made a bunch of totally, for the lack of a better word, nerd redesigns. You know, the ones that are technically correct, but feel like **** to use. You yourself said that you didn't find it any fun. Now, did you prior to 5,0? Or, hell, prior to 4,0?

 

edit: And Sages / Sorcs ARE underpowered. Not as unfun as some of live specs, but underpowered. Not to mention that even IF Balance / Madness could put out nice numbers...it'd still be essentially broken. Almost the whole rotation is energy negative lol!

 

To be honest, I've never found PowerTechs/Vanguards to be fun - BUT - prior to 4.0 (I think) I played them as tanks and I generally don't enjoy tanking. I had my reasons for having tanks even though I didn't particularly like it but sometime after 4.0 I respec'd them into DPS. So I can't speak to how much fun as a dps they might have been. Still didn't find them much fun after I respec'd them but at least things died a little faster when I was questing. Never had survivability issues though even during Ch 12 of KotFE or Ch 9 of KotET when you don't get companions.

 

My sorc/sage have *almost* always been heal specced - used to be raid mains although I also swapped to whichever heal class was needed more. So again, I can't speak to the current state of dps sorcs/sages.

[Andryah]

What's extra terrible is that later they made the claim that "No, we have other people working on class balance too, totally!" and yet they were still using the excuse that this one person was out on maternity/paternity leave to justify why they aren't doing anything with class balance now and won't be for months! Such a pitiful lie. They don't want to admit what kind of skeleton crew they're on at this point--which is terrible to begin with, the situation where a Star Wars game published by EA doesn't have sufficient staff should just not exist.

 

Of course those that want to constantly bash the studio over anything and everything scoff at anything they say.

 

Having been responsible for complex projects over the years, I can totally understand what was stated, and why. In the context of class balance, it is likely they have different staff that are responsible for different classes. If one of those staff is taking time off, it makes complete sense that they would do only limited class balance analysis and discussions until that person is back. Certainly nothing of a final nature that would result in feedback to players on coming changes. Why? Because class balance of any class does have interdependencies with other classes. Why? because they don't balance classes around solo play (PvP or PvE).

 

Now.. a person on maternity leave is kind of a tough one, for a number of reasons. 1) you can't simply swap out someone who has the context, history, and experience with someone who does not and expect a good outcome. 2) Their time off IS limited, and as such it is only a temporary delay in progress, and sorry, but class balance in an MMO is NEVER an emergency warranting jumping through funny personnel hoops just to please a handful of disgruntled players. 3) There are labor laws in effect that protect maternity leave rights, and that includes preserving the job for the employee, and not just replacing them. 4) It means at worst, a 12 week delay in progress, and sorry.. but that is not out of step with something they only do once a year anyway. They will simply schedule around it.

 

I find the sarcastic and pejorative comments in this thread on this topic to be callus and selfish. Personally, I am happy for the staff member with a new addition coming to the family, and I wish them good health and quality family time to get to know the new baby before returning the work grind. I experienced this with project team members a number of times over my years of working and we embraced it and celebrated it and did everything we could to work around the staff members absence.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Andryah

[forestguard]

Once he gets back.

 

...

 

Paternity leave is just as important as maternity leave.

[Andryah]

Paternity leave is just as important as maternity leave.

 

Yep. Anyone that does not know this... is either willfully ignorant, or just looking to do more pejorative bashing.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Andryah

[Andryah]

Once he gets back.

 

...

 

Maternity leave in the modern era is NOT gender specific.

 

In MOST states both parents are eligible for paid or unpaid leave. Sadly, more often it is unpaid, as Federal statute does not dictate paid leave rights, only leave rights. Since this is Texas, it's probably unpaid leave though... but still a legal entitlement.

[bluehufsa]

"One of the class designers just had a kid but once he is back they will dive into that." - Is it an excuse that there is no balance for more than 4 months? Next time u will say "one of the our operation designers have a kid and we will not do operations 2 years" oh, shi...

 

Try to play Sage/Sorc DD in PvE, or try to play WZs on that class against Maras/Sentinels, i don't say about Commando/Merc. Good Job, BW. Nice excuse.

 

So again, if i DO NOT PVP, WHY should my mercenary be nerfed??? Are you going to come help me against Vailyn? NO. Are you going to come help me against Valkorion? NO. So why should i have my abilities cut and chopped?? Whenever i need help, there NO ONE to offer any help, so why should you be strong?

Answer to that.

[Paulis]

Maternity leave in the modern era is NOT gender specific.

 

In MOST states both parents are eligible for paid or unpaid leave. Sadly, more often it is unpaid, as Federal statute does not dictate paid leave rights, only leave rights. Since this is Texas, it's probably unpaid leave though... but still a legal entitlement.

 

Well, maternity leave is actually very gender specific: it applies to women, typically new mothers but also adoptive mothers. You are thinking of parental leave, which can be applied to both men and women. I took nine months of parental leave myself a couple of years ago when my son was born, and it fantastic.

[bluehufsa]

Well, maternity leave is actually very gender specific: it applies to women, typically new mothers but also adoptive mothers. You are thinking of parental leave, which can be applied to both men and women. I took nine months of parental leave myself a couple of years ago when my son was born, and it fantastic.

 

What has this to do with yet another good-for-nothing SW complaining about pvp? I still want an answer, are you going to come and help me after mercenaries will be nerfed and won't be able to do a single heroic on their own? Are you going to reinburse me for all the augment kits mk 10 i bought to make my gear better? Are you going to LEARN your class so you won't die at first pacifier probe in Cademimu FP?

[stoopicus]

So again, if i DO NOT PVP, WHY should my mercenary be nerfed???

 

Because Bioware decided that PvE and PvP should share stats when they eliminated expertise. Trust us, we hate it even more than you PvE-only folks do.

 

So blame them, if you need to blame anyone. But sorry, the state of warzone balance trumps you not being able to beat Vaylin. (hint: kite her into the healing orbs and stay inside her melee range and its an easy fight)

[HuaRya]

It was funny in a not-so-funny way. It made them sound like they have a random generator of excuses:

 

1. Dog ate our homework

2. We were out of coffee

3. We still work on Windows 95

4. Our employee had a kid

5. Our employee is a kid

 

Honestly, it would have been better if they made no excuse at all.

 

LOL and probably closer to the truth than they would admit. Sounds like a cozy little office environment..

[bluehufsa]

Because Bioware decided that PvE and PvP should share stats when they eliminated expertise. Trust us, we hate it even more than you PvE-only folks do.

 

So blame them, if you need to blame anyone. But sorry, the state of warzone balance trumps you not being able to beat Vaylin. (hint: kite her into the healing orbs and stay inside her melee range and its an easy fight)

 

This sucks. I worked hard for everything i have, including money, materials and reputation. That's why i don't see why my favorite toon should be nerfed and rendered useless, this happened once before when powertechs lost almost everything that made them great and were transformed in MELEE class with RANGED weapon.

[Soljin]

Because Bioware decided that PvE and PvP should share stats when they eliminated expertise. Trust us, we hate it even more than you PvE-only folks do.

 

So blame them, if you need to blame anyone. But sorry, the state of warzone balance trumps you not being able to beat Vaylin. (hint: kite her into the healing orbs and stay inside her melee range and its an easy fight)

 

Removing Expertise is not the problem... PvP specific stats have always been a guise to add another level of gearing. With a bolster system that is actually tuned properly PvP specific stats are completely useless...

 

The issue is more ability specific and as many have suggest and many games currently use....some skills have different results for PvE vs. PvP...It may be say 4% healing in PvE and 2% in PvP etc....Problem is you would actually need a team focused on continual PvP balance and there is no way BW has one...regardless of what they might say.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Soljin

[Kirtastropohe]

doesn't matter what their excuse is, it is digusting to not have this borked up stuff fixed after 4 months. Certainly there is no reason why they can't have fixed the low hanging fruit. We know the devs don't PvP much, but all they need is one or two matches observing a wz and it would be clear what the first 2 or 3 things to take care of are. Those aren't even about class balance, those are just about making the wz's fun again and getting rid of the BS you have to deal with each time.

[AscendingSky]

Of course those that want to constantly bash the studio over anything and everything scoff at anything they say.

 

Having been responsible for complex projects over the years, I can totally understand what was stated, and why. In the context of class balance, it is likely they have different staff that are responsible for different classes. If one of those staff is taking time off, it makes complete sense that they would do only limited class balance analysis and discussions until that person is back. Certainly nothing of a final nature that would result in feedback to players on coming changes. Why? Because class balance of any class does have interdependencies with other classes. Why? because they don't balance classes around solo play (PvP or PvE).

 

Now.. a person on maternity leave is kind of a tough one, for a number of reasons. 1) you can't simply swap out someone who has the context, history, and experience with someone who does not and expect a good outcome. 2) Their time off IS limited, and as such it is only a temporary delay in progress, and sorry, but class balance in an MMO is NEVER an emergency warranting jumping through funny personnel hoops just to please a handful of disgruntled players. 3) There are labor laws in effect that protect maternity leave rights, and that includes preserving the job for the employee, and not just replacing them. 4) It means at worst, a 12 week delay in progress, and sorry.. but that is not out of step with something they only do once a year anyway. They will simply schedule around it.

 

I find the sarcastic and pejorative comments in this thread on this topic to be callus and selfish. Personally, I am happy for the staff member with a new addition coming to the family, and I wish them good health and quality family time to get to know the new baby before returning the work grind. I experienced this with project team members a number of times over my years of working and we embraced it and celebrated it and did everything we could to work around the staff members absence.

 

Speaking of sarcastic and pejorative comments that are callous and selfish... I understand you want to defend EAWare in all they do, but I'd appreciate it if you addressed the words I actually wrote rather than making up some diatribe about how I was bashing the employee and didn't care that they had a new baby. That's pretty low.

 

Please read my post again (if you read it at all the first time around, it doesn't seem like it from your response) and realize I was remarking on the fact that EAWare is at fault for not having sufficient staff backup or the organizational competence to take extended absences like paternity leave into account (after all, it's not like the birth of a baby tends to come as a surprise... it might come a bit early but you have several months warning even then!), as well as the fact that their own words seemed to indicate they were lying about how many people were working on class balance and their reasoning why it wasn't being handled yet. I certainly wasn't criticizing the staff member in question for going out on paternity leave. It's the company management's fault for this situation, not that employee's fault.

Edited April 10, 2017 by AscendingSky

[americanaussie]

So again, if i DO NOT PVP, WHY should my mercenary be nerfed??? Are you going to come help me against Vailyn? NO. Are you going to come help me against Valkorion? NO. So why should i have my abilities cut and chopped?? Whenever i need help, there NO ONE to offer any help, so why should you be strong?

Answer to that.

 

You should be able to fight vaylin and arcann without being an overpowered Merc.

[americanaussie]

Speaking of sarcastic and pejorative comments that are callous and selfish... I understand you want to defend EAWare in all they do, but I'd appreciate it if you addressed the words I actually wrote rather than making up some diatribe about how I was bashing the employee and didn't care that they had a new baby. That's pretty low.

 

Please read my post again (if you read it at all the first time around, it doesn't seem like it from your response) and realize I was remarking on the fact that EAWare is at fault for not having sufficient staff backup or the the organizational competence to take extended absences like paternity leave into account (after all, it's not like the birth of a baby tends to come as a surprise... it might come a bit early but you have several months warning even then!), as well as the fact that their own words seemed to indicate they were lying about how many people were working on class balance and their reasoning why it wasn't being handled yet. I certainly wasn't criticizing the staff member in question for going out on paternity leave. It's the company management's fault for this situation, not that employee's fault.

 

Yeah but it's not company management fault. The leave is too temporary to train up a new person and the person on leave may have the most experience at the classes to balance them. You don't want someone coming in saying...Mercs need more power, let's nerf sorcs, sages, snipers, slingers, and let's take away some mobility from Scoundrels, operatives, and Assassins.

 

No. You don't want people lesser in the know. The employee on paternity leave will be back soon to review the data his team is collecting and start making some plans. We need to get out of the I DEMAND IT YESTERDAY mentality and start being sympathetic human beings.

[DarthWoad]

Of course those that want to constantly bash the studio over anything and everything scoff at anything they say.

 

Having been responsible for complex projects over the years, I can totally understand what was stated, and why. In the context of class balance, it is likely they have different staff that are responsible for different classes. If one of those staff is taking time off, it makes complete sense that they would do only limited class balance analysis and discussions until that person is back. Certainly nothing of a final nature that would result in feedback to players on coming changes. Why? Because class balance of any class does have interdependencies with other classes. Why? because they don't balance classes around solo play (PvP or PvE).

 

Now.. a person on maternity leave is kind of a tough one, for a number of reasons. 1) you can't simply swap out someone who has the context, history, and experience with someone who does not and expect a good outcome. 2) Their time off IS limited, and as such it is only a temporary delay in progress, and sorry, but class balance in an MMO is NEVER an emergency warranting jumping through funny personnel hoops just to please a handful of disgruntled players. 3) There are labor laws in effect that protect maternity leave rights, and that includes preserving the job for the employee, and not just replacing them. 4) It means at worst, a 12 week delay in progress, and sorry.. but that is not out of step with something they only do once a year anyway. They will simply schedule around it.

 

I find the sarcastic and pejorative comments in this thread on this topic to be callus and selfish. Personally, I am happy for the staff member with a new addition coming to the family, and I wish them good health and quality family time to get to know the new baby before returning the work grind. I experienced this with project team members a number of times over my years of working and we embraced it and celebrated it and did everything we could to work around the staff members absence.

 

Of course I expected the first sentence of your post to comment on people bashing Bioware. And of course I expected your entire post to be defending Bioware and calling everyone elses comments "sarcastic and selfish". We never said we weren't happy that he had a kid....thats pretty good news. No one here is complaining about that.

 

The issue here is that class balance isn't much of a priority to Bioware than it is for players, so I'm sure it's not difficult for you to understand peoples concerns. You obviously took the time out of your day to "complain about the complainers"...just like the complainers complaining about this issue.

 

Another thing

 

4) It means at worst, a 12 week delay in progress, and sorry.. but that is not out of step with something they only do once a year anyway. They will simply schedule around it.

 

Why didn't they just schedule around the paternity leave instead of delaying it? Checkmate.

Edited April 10, 2017 by DarthWoad

[stoopicus]

The paternity leave impacting schedules is a management fail and no fault of the dude on leave at all. No one is saying that.

 

The problems here are first that the balance problems have been glaringly obvious for six months now, and that they felt the need to mention this at all - thus letting slip that staffing for this game is so marginal that one designer being out is newsworthy.

 

Best wishes and all for the new parents but come on Bioware, this is getting silly.

Edited April 10, 2017 by stoopicus

[BoySaber]

"One of the class designers just had a kid but once he is back they will dive into that." - Is it an excuse that there is no balance for more than 4 months? Next time u will say "one of the our operation designers have a kid and we will not do operations 2 years" oh, shi...

 

Try to play Sage/Sorc DD in PvE, or try to play WZs on that class against Maras/Sentinels, i don't say about Commando/Merc. Good Job, BW. Nice excuse.

 

If this is true then I am sad to see how Bioware uses an employee's family matters as an excuse to not do their job. This is not the fault of that class designer, everyone has right to take time off work, especially if you become parent and congrats to that designer, best luck and health to his/her family. The fault is in the company not finding a temporary replacement for absent employees.

[Gelious]

Best case scenario - they really have one guy/woman working on class balance and she/he is really busy having a kid.

 

Worst case scenario - its just attemp at damage control. They don't have anyone working on classes anymore, or they have no idea how to fix them, or both.

 

I myself gravitating towards the worst case.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Gelious

[trabble]

to me this was just one more sign that they WANT to change a lot but they simply CANT. of course this is another management fail but holy **** - bioware management also thougt CXP is an exciting idea - so what did we expect ?

[Soljin]

Best case scenario - they really have one guy/woman working on class balance and she/he is really busy having a kid.

 

Worst case scenario - its just attemp at damage control. They don't have anyone working on classes anymore, or they have no idea how to fix them, or both.

 

I myself gravitating towards the worst case.

 

My guess is they have a couple small teams that are assigned tasks as they go (Jack of all master of none teams). When Bioware says they have a PvP team they do! Once they assign one of their teams to PvP for a set of tasks...it is then the PvP team, once those tasks are done and they are reassigned they are no longer the PvP team...

 

When they say "PvP guy" I'm guessing that is one of his many hats and this individual is the most adept at PvP aspects, Not assigned 100% to PvP balance.

 

My thought is they are playing on words and if pinned down would point out roughly what I have written as an example that what they have said was accurate in a way.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Soljin

[Lionflash]

Hey, eric said there'd probably be posts like this freaking out over what he said.