Where the heck is the blaster rifle?

[Gwarh]

Not being able to weild a Blaster Rifle is about the only thing I don't like about my Bounty Hunter/Power Tech.

 

I'd love to have something beefier looking than a single pistola.

[RycheMykola]

You never know, they could add this in a future patch. Its simply going from basically dual wielding 2 1-handed weapons to a 2-handed weapon.

 

Maybe they did this to differentiate between the trooper and BH more?

 

I got a carbine the other day with aim as its main stat, so the weapons already exist.

 

I still love the BHer class though!

[LizardSF]

Mostly, I think it boils down to visual distinctiveness of each class as being considered more important, by the designers, than customization of each character. By giving each class/build an iconic weapon set, they make sure that there aren't two different classes (at least on the same side) wielding the same weapons and wearing the same armor.

 

This is primarily useful in PVP, in terms of instantly knowing what class you're facing by what weapon they're wielding.

 

Lastly, there's itemization. If you need to make blast pistols and blast rifles with stats for 2 or more classes, you make loot tables and so on that much more complex, and can increase frustration with loot drops if the skills aren't transferable. If all of your skills are focused on Rifle, and you get a Pistol with your needed stats, it's useless to you... and probably useless to another pistol-using class with a different state requirement. (There's solutions to this, of course. There's solutions to everything; what matters is if the payoff is worth the effort.) Basically, if a single class/build can use two types of weapons, then, you have half the chances of getting a weapon you can use when a weapon for your class drops. Three types of weapons? One third of the chance. Etc.

 

Personally, I do not consider any of these all THAT important. I don't care if my BH looks like an Agent or a Trooper or whatever. I would rather choose "I want to wield two blasters" as a choice distinct from "I want to spec healer". Instead, I end up with them conjoined: "I want to spec healer, so that means I wield two blasters". And while getting the "wrong" type of weapon can be annoying, it's so easy to get good equipment via commendations or customizing orange items that worse odds when it comes to random loot is not a big concern for me.

 

The key, of course, is "for me". It is a particularly stupid thing to assume that one's own tastes are universal, and/or that adding a feature you'd like has no cost and that there's no need for a company to consider the tastes of their entire customer base when making design decisions.

 

I am going to have to make the assumption that market research/playtesting/something that occurred at BioWare during development led them to conclude that class distinctiveness and identification was more important to more players than individualizing combat preferences. Ultimately, every design decision comes down to either technical or commercial reasons. It's obvious, based on other games, that there's no particular technical difficulty (coding or game design/balance) to limit a class/build to a single type of weapon. This leaves commercial. I suspect that a generation mostly raised on console games where you play a character someone else creates, or work to "unlock playable characters", has much less concern for character customization than older (30+) gamers who started with PC games like Wizardry and Ultima where character customization was key, and played, or still play, tabletop RPGs.

[Synica]

Wouldn't work on Powertechs unfortunately... The other hand is used for flame throwers, missiles, falcon punching and the like. Unless they turn themselves into this:

 

http://www.vfl-wob.de/assets/plugindata/w2dblg8e45546050ea17d1e2d2e78823244e93/pic1214908462.jpg

 

I don't think it makes much sense for any powertechs to be using blaster rifles, as much as I would like that idea on a very basic level.

[mbzradeloip]

Wouldn't work on Powertechs unfortunately... The other hand is used for flame throwers, missiles, falcon punching and the like. Unless they turn themselves into this:

 

http://www.vfl-wob.de/assets/plugindata/w2dblg8e45546050ea17d1e2d2e78823244e93/pic1214908462.jpg

 

I don't think it makes much sense for any powertechs to be using blaster rifles, as much as I would like that idea on a very basic level.

Because you know, it's incredibly hard to just hold a rifle in one hand.

[Synica]

Because you know, it's incredibly hard to just hold a rifle in one hand.

 

Because you know, holding a two handed weapon with a single hand and handling it with ease and with precise accuracy in the middle of battle is just child's play.

 

I can tell you've never held a full, two handed weapon of any sort and actually used it.

[Jinnz]

Didn't read thread, doesnt need to be read. BH NEEDS a 2h Blaster. It's not iconic as pistols but the modern generation demands it!

 

+1

[swdrgn]

The BH has equipment that is specified and unique to them for many situations, like a swiss army knife. We should never be using standard blasters.

 

every BH should get a gun stock mod, and we add the barrell type, including the length, for what range we want, add a scope and a mod for the gun stock so we can add aim, or endurance.

[mbzradeloip]

Because you know, holding a two handed weapon with a single hand and handling it with ease and with precise accuracy in the middle of battle is just child's play.

 

I can tell you've never held a full, two handed weapon of any sort and actually used it.

 

Your point is invalid. You can't use other skills while you're using the flamethrower or any other channeled abilities.

 

Do you have the disability where you have T-Rex arms and you can't hold a rifle with 1 hand? Sounds like it to me.

 

Go out to a gun store and pick up an AR-15 or any other rifle and tell me its hard to hold with one hand.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Sireene
use of retarded - due to age of post, no action

[LizardSF]

Your point is invalid.

 

It is, but not for the reasons you mentioned.

 

Realism is not relevant for game abilities. What matters is cost of development. Animations would need to be redone to account for a 2-handed weapon.

[LiquorQ]

Just going to throw this out there. If Torian can use electro-staffs, we should be able to too. Like, if the player decides to use one, rapid shot will just change to "rapid blow" or something.

 

There. Now Powertechs look infinitely cooler.

[Kiryan]

Where does it stop then?

 

The Imperial Agents and Troopers will be wanting to be able to use pistols.

 

Smugglers will want to use rifles then also.

 

I'd say I don't care about Agents wanting pistols; in every single story cinematic for the class quests, it shows them having a pistol, but you can't use one...what a tease! Also, you'd think for someone that is sneaking around behind peoples backs, you'd want something a little less conspicuous than a kriffing rifle!

 

As for smugglers: did you ever see Han use a rifle? No, you didn't. I don't see them screaming for something that you didn't see, like us BH's are for something you did see.

 

I can't really see the argumant of it being a two handed weapon, so we can't use it with our other abilities; we can't use the 1H pistols with our other skills, so what's the difference? Not to mention, Aetla posted a pic of Boba using his EE-3 1h, ChooseStevo posted two pictures of BWs own media of a BH using a rifle/carbine, and 1H to boot! And in the link he provided to the SW Wikia page for the EE-3, it shows the BH from the Clone Wars cartoon using it 1h...I don't see the big deal. I decided to play a BH because Boba is my fav character, using a carbine; so I don't like not having it as an option.

 

Give BH a carbine proficiency option, and it would be settled.

[BlackRifle]

Because you know, holding a two handed weapon with a single hand and handling it with ease and with precise accuracy in the middle of battle is just child's play.

 

I can tell you've never held a full, two handed weapon of any sort and actually used it.

Sorry, this argument doesn't fly with me. As I stated earlier in this thread, dual wielding a pair of pistols doesn't work effectively in real life. Since it's virtually impossible to aim a pair of pistols, you'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn. Despite this, wielding dual pistols is a part of the game. So if the unrealistic dual wielding of pistols can be used by bounty hunters in the game, so can having a two-handed blaster which is actually more realistic.

[clericz]

100% agreed i would go PT but having one little blaster is embarrassing i feel like a child with it

Rarely even use my blaster as a powertech, mostly it's the sticky missile, gouts of fire, dragon uppercut, or the lazer shot. only time i ever pull the trusty ole blaster out is on a weak mob i can rapid fire to stun or if i'm running high on heat

[clericz]

Sorry, this argument doesn't fly with me. As I stated earlier in this thread, dual wielding a pair of pistols doesn't work effectively in real life. Since it's virtually impossible to aim a pair of pistols, you'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn. Despite this, wielding dual pistols is a part of the game. So if the unrealistic dual wielding of pistols can be used by bounty hunters in the game, so can having a two-handed blaster which is actually more realistic.

 

obvious you've never actually shot two pistols at the same time in real life, not as accurate as sighting but still quite accurate if you are a proficient shooter

[BlackRifle]

obvious you've never actually shot two pistols at the same time in real life, not as accurate as sighting but still quite accurate if you are a proficient shooter

I totally exaggerated with my comment on being unable to hit the broad side of a barn.

 

Guns have been a major part of my entire life since childhood. I have shot dual pistols several times just for fun. A bunch of us even tried it during one of the training classes I have taken. Of course, many of us sometimes hit our target while dual wielding, including me. But nothing beats aiming a gun, whether it be a pistol, rifle, or shotgun. Contrary to popular belief, you can easily miss with a shotgun if you don't carefully aim it, by the way.

 

My point is really this, dual wielding a pair of pistols is a tactical failure in real life. No certified firearms instructor would encourage people to dual wield. For a bounty hunter to go out and kill everything effectively while dual wielding pistols sure works very well in a fantasy science fiction game. In real life, you better lose the "what you see in movies and games" mentality in a real combat situation. All I was saying to the other person I was replying to was that if they can allow dual wielding of pistols in this game, then they sure can allow a bounty hunter to wield a blaster rifle.

Edited January 30, 2012 by BlackRifle

[Relair]

Didn't Zam use both a rifle and a blaster at some point? I know I've at least seen promotional pictures of her holding both of them, if not in the actual movie.

[althene]

Where does it stop then?

 

The Imperial Agents and Troopers will be wanting to be able to use pistols.

 

Smugglers will want to use rifles then also.

 

I believe you've stubled onto the point of this thread. Giving not just bounty hunters, but all non-force using classes the option to use different weapons to do their ranged damage would go a long way to improving the quality of play for many players. They wouldn't even have to modify skills other than to unlock their use for other weapon classes.

 

Certain classes maintain their "feel" specifically because of their weapon limitations. Smugglers and Jedi/Sith are prime examples of this (although it would be nice to see more force users able to dual wield or use bouble bladed sabers).

 

Combat medic with a rifle instead of an assault cannon.. not quite as testosterone laden, but it makes a lot more sense from a "real world" perspective.

 

Imperial operative with a blaster pistol instead of a rifle to go with her vibroknife... way more in line with what you'de expect an agent to be carrying.

 

I absolutely LOVE this game, despite all of it's faults, but I believe this to be an oversight on Bioware's part if only to bring the player into their world even more.

[Belmedar]

BH's will never get blaster rifles because on the Empire side, those are the Agent's domain. Each class on each faction has it's own unique weapon type and that's a good thing because it largely prevents the "Hunter weapon" scenario.

[G_Gruschow]

There's a certain logic to it -- BHs are all about constantly switching weapons and pulling out this gizmo or that gadget. It's easier to do this when holding a pistol than a rifle.

 

That said, I wish there was a lot more weapon freedom for ALL classes, instead of each class basically being given a weapon. Why can't a BH stab people with a vibro-knife, or be, as you say, a rifleman, or otherwise choose a different weapon that better suits their character or playstyle? One of the most annoying trends in recent MMOs is the idea that you ought to be able to tell someone's class from a distance based on their armor and weapons. I suppose this is mostly for PVP, but I'd rather have a floating nametag that gives class than try to remember, "Oh, he's using weapon X and his helmet is pointy, that means he's class Y".

 

 

 

 

Because then we would be playing SW:Galaxies?

[McFribble]

Where does it stop then?

 

The Imperial Agents and Troopers will be wanting to be able to use pistols.

 

Smugglers will want to use rifles then also.

 

Then let them? I don't see the problem with an Imperial Agent (a class designed around stealth and subterfuge) to specialize with a pistol, seeing as how most spies/agents carry one in most works of fiction and in real life. Smuggler is even more easy to understand using a rifle, seeing as what does a smuggler benefit from NOT using one?

 

Bioware just need to make abilities work in favor of the weapons, which they already have down based on opposing faction classes mirroring them in almost every way. The only real "change" Bioware would have to make is make it so Jedi can use whatever lightsaber design they want, while still maintaining stats 100% equal.

[davidpop]

I believe you've stubled onto the point of this thread. Giving not just bounty hunters, but all non-force using classes the option to use different weapons to do their ranged damage would go a long way to improving the quality of play for many players. They wouldn't even have to modify skills other than to unlock their use for other weapon classes.

 

Actually force users should be allowed to chose what kind of saber they want to use as well, they are no logical reason for knigts/warriors not being able to use double bladed sabers for exampel.

[ChooseStevo]

Didn't Zam use both a rifle and a blaster at some point? I know I've at least seen promotional pictures of her holding both of them, if not in the actual movie.

 

Zam used a sniper rifle to shoot down the probe Obi-wan was riding but she used a pistol while in the close quarters of the club, iirc.

[Kergath]

The simple explanation is for every optional type of weapon would require additional drops from bosses and the like. Oh bhs wanna use rifles? Have you seen a non-randomized rifle that has aim on it?

 

So if we're all free and open with the loot they have to add in aim rifles, cunning pistols, offhand willpower sabers, dual bladed str sabers etc etc. Results in more wasted drops and frustration in groups.

[ChooseStevo]

Have you seen a non-randomized rifle that has aim on it?

 

Yes: http://www.torhead.com/items/catg/1/subcatg/3/aim/gt/0/and

Troopers use them.