Bacta Infusion

[JLapp]

I got Bacta Infusion last night and have to say, the skill is kind of a let down. Since choosing commando as an AC I kept thinking there was this big single target heal at the top of the chain but once I get it I find out it is only healing for 1100-1400 or so.

 

So basically I get a free medical probe cast to mix into the rotation every 20 seconds. Sure, it's an instant cast but you still have to deal with the GCD so really the only benefit is being able to use it on the move but with the long cooldown that is fairly limited.

 

Not saying the skill is useless, I will certainly be using it in my skill rotation...but I view the skills at the top of the tree like class-defining skills and all I really get is a somewhat decent skill to mix into the rotation.

 

How do other combat medics feel about this skill?

[Negative]

Personally I think it is right where it is supposed to be. I use it more as a double heal to MP or AMP. I feel if they upped the heal range it would be way over powered as it costs no ammo and is instant cast. In PVP I use as my on the run heal and usually save it to top myself off. Personally I would like them to look at Trauma Probe. A few times when I have used it I swear charges have been used but the heal never went off. Also it is extremely weak at my level IMO (46). Just my thoughts.

[JLapp]

My trauma probe was ticking for about 250 IIRC so 2500 over 30 seconds assuming the person it was cast on is getting hit frequently.

 

Not sure how that is extremely weak while 1400 every 21 seconds is fine.

[AcerLerxt]

healing on the move is kind of a big deal in PvP.

[JLapp]

Well, my main opinion is from a PVE perspective. I don't really do a whole lot of PVP.

[AcerLerxt]

Well, my main opinion is from a PVE perspective. I don't really do a whole lot of PVP.

 

Even then-- it's a pretty common raid mechanic to require movement in a boss encounter. Being able to heal someone, even lightly, while moving is a valuable thing.

 

AFAIK, commandos are the only ones who get an instant, free direct heal (the smuggler version requires consumption of a buff). So, it is class-defining, in at least a limited way.

Edited December 29, 2011 by AcerLerxt

[hadoken]

It's a good skill. If it cost ammo I'd be inclined to agree with the criticisms but as a free instant heal it's as good as they come really.

[Kenmuir]

If you want to be a healer I would highly recommend you roll a Sage/Scoundrel. There was a post earlier that compared the three specs, and basically Combat Medic comes in last due to a very limiting resource pool(you basically have no burst out side a 2 minute cooldown), lack of HOTs(leading to you having trouble being a group healer, most of our abilities are great at keeping one target alive, not a whole group), and extremely boring play(mostly due to our lack of spells, you just spam Medical probe for 75% of your casts, compared to the other classes having rotations and more priority abilities).

 

I'll try to find the post, but basically Sage was the most complete healer, while Scoundrel seemed to be a kind of pvp healer, while the Medic was the least complete class.

[Grimbol]

Really I seem to be able to keep my group up fine in boss fights yeah it gets eaiser when I'm on one person but if you do thing right and don't just heal for the sake of healing you don't run out of resources or at least I have yet to encounter it.

[DrDismemberment]

It's a great skill it's just not very flashy.

[hadoken]

If you want to be a healer I would highly recommend you roll a Sage/Scoundrel. There was a post earlier that compared the three specs, and basically Combat Medic comes in last due to a very limiting resource pool(you basically have no burst out side a 2 minute cooldown), lack of HOTs(leading to you having trouble being a group healer, most of our abilities are great at keeping one target alive, not a whole group), and extremely boring play(mostly due to our lack of spells, you just spam Medical probe for 75% of your casts, compared to the other classes having rotations and more priority abilities).

 

I'll try to find the post, but basically Sage was the most complete healer, while Scoundrel seemed to be a kind of pvp healer, while the Medic was the least complete class.

 

Scoundrels are actually worse off than Commandos until you go pretty deep in the Sawbones tree.

 

Also, our burst is not limited to Recharge Cells, but rather Supercharge Cells which has no cooldown (just how fast you can cast off 5 medical probes or 10 hammer shots).

 

No, there's nothing wrong with Combat Medics, just some of the people playing them.

[sfblackl]

I will agree that Sage healing is the easiest (after playing all 3), but I still love my commando. I get complements from team on keeping team going - even in the face of lots of damage and random adds.

 

I also feel like I'm using a lot of skills - in a good rotation and having to balance ammo regen rate. AMP + MP is my bread and butter for getting someone back up. AMP means MP is lower cost and gives a HOT and 10% dmg reduction. I throw out K Bomb to have that buff up around the tank...and use as my own limited self heal.

 

You have Trama Probe to keep up on tank or DPS depending on play style of team.

 

As for burst, I agree that this is mostly Supercharged cell for me. It lets me cycle AMP + MP about 3 times which really helps me bring team back up and recharges fairly fast.

 

As for instant - K Bomb, your self heal (forget the name right now), and Field Aid are all able to be done on the run...

[alfonzah]

After having played a holy/disc priest for the last 2 years in wow and rolling a commando medic right. i don't really agree with the previous poster about our huge rotation....

 

compared to my previous healing exprience that is where i had about 12 abilities which i used frequently for healing depending on the situation ofc.

 

and what now?

 

basicaly it comes down to AMP+MP+Bacta every cd, okey we have a trauma probe and a weak aoe heal.. well thats it..(not counting the 15% selfheal).

 

Of course AMP is pretty powerfull giving a -2 ammo cost for MP a HoT and a buff. The thing is i don't really like the idea that 1 spell gives that much(which is on cd) id better have 1 separate HoT. which i could use on people when they are taking aoe damage(AND ARE NOT STANDING NEAR EACH OTHER for KOLTO BOMB AREA).

 

So my few thoughts would be: Increase kolto bomb range+increase the base healing done by it. Remake the AMP HoT talent in to a separate HoT. can't really say anything about the ammo suffiency really,

 

 

PS. having watched other 2 classes healing trees. i noticed that it was a conception of bioware for healers having 1 primary skill that gives many things.

 

Commando - AMP

Sage- Rejuvenate

Scoundrel - for this guy they have splitted it into slow-medpac and upperhand

 

oh and besides that Sages get a Rescue ability to pull friends to his location(hi priest) and of course Shields...

 

PPS, okay commando has a nature swifftness and an inner focus skills alike...

Edited December 30, 2011 by alfonzah

[JLapp]

Even then-- it's a pretty common raid mechanic to require movement in a boss encounter. Being able to heal someone, even lightly, while moving is a valuable thing.

 

AFAIK, commandos are the only ones who get an instant, free direct heal (the smuggler version requires consumption of a buff). So, it is class-defining, in at least a limited way.

 

I'm trying to think of any flashpoint boss fight that has caused me to need to move immediately and can't really think of any. Most things put a target on the ground that last a few seconds and gives me plenty of chance to finish (or even start and finish) a adv medical probe or advanced medical probe.

 

In my expereince it's slightly useful at best.

 

It's a good skill. If it cost ammo I'd be inclined to agree with the criticisms but as a free instant heal it's as good as they come really.

 

These are the kind of comments I'd expect from skills like hammer shot, not the peak of the combat medic's abilities.

[hadoken]

These are the kind of comments I'd expect from skills like hammer shot, not the peak of the combat medic's abilities.

 

Are you suggesting that the heal from hammer shot is at all comparable to bacta infusion?

 

You should be working bacta infusion into your 'rotation' regardless of movement once you get it, as it has the same or higher heal per cast time than medical probe and costs nothing.

[JLapp]

Are you suggesting that the heal from hammer shot is at all comparable to bacta infusion?

 

You should be working bacta infusion into your 'rotation' regardless of movement once you get it, as it has the same or higher heal per cast time than medical probe and costs nothing.

 

Not at all. I'm saying the "what to you expect from a free heal" comments are fine when you are talking about a skill at level 14....not a skill you get from dumping 40 points into a healing tree.

 

Yes, I know I can work it into a rotation and that but getting a heal that is slightly better than an ability I got at level 10 is pretty lame.

 

I would have much rather had an ability with a longer cast time and/or higher cost that had a high healing amount than a cheap instant weak heal. At least then the level 42 and 50 commando abilities would have some value.

[hadoken]

I guess I have a different mentality when it comes to player skill and advancement. I don't think just because you put in x hours and hit level 50 you should suddendly have this amazing overpowered free heal. Especially in a game with bolstering where you'll be fighting level 10s in warzones.

 

I think bacta infusion is perfectly fine for what it does, and really looking at any of the 31 point skill abilities none of them are this just amazing game changer for any class. Just...another ability. Not to mention in this game unlike a certain other one you are not locked into your skill tree once you start putting points into it. Nobody is forcing you to take Bacta Infusion and the 30% crit heal buff leading up to it. If you feel the points would be more useful in one of the other trees you certainly have that freedom.

Edited December 30, 2011 by hadoken

[iluran]

I guess I have a different mentality when it comes to player skill and advancement. I don't think just because you put in x hours and hit level 50 you should suddendly have this amazing overpowered free heal. Especially in a game with bolstering where you'll be fighting level 10s in warzones.

 

You keep referring to pvp in conjunction with this top tier spell. Probably pvp is what interest you the most in this game but thats thats not the core of swtor. The core is the pve content. And for a top tier spell heal its too low. Not to speak of it's 21s CD utility.

We are by far not the worst but that should not be the point. There is no reason why a sorc or sage should be able to heal better. It's like going back in time. I Hate to bring up that game but wow started out like that where priest would be the main healers and the rest support. The later changed that with "bring the player not the class" I admit I haven't healed a single raid but I fear that other classes will not be as wanted. Simple example why do sage/sorc have an unlimited ppl aoe and the rest not? Just be cause it's an AoE hot?

[Ripchord]

Sorry to necro this, just thought we should have some more current discussion about this. I agree that it doesn't look very amazing for all the points you have to sink in to get it. The 5 (or 6) points you have to put into Combat Medic tree just to get up to the final thing does not seem worth the end result (5 of which are just +Surge Healing but you can stack +Surge gear instead that will help you in dps and healing).

I would rather use those 7 points to get 17 points into Gunnery and have Grav round debuffs and other dps improvements for versatility sake.

[Aliensanta]

Since combat medics (and troopers in general) use energy cells, I think Bacta Infusion is actually much better than others are making it seem. Energy cells regenerate more slowly the less you have. When you do a standard adv med probe -> med probe rotation, you're left with some dead time between the med probe and your next adv med probe. You can fill in the gap with kolto bomb, med probe, hammer shot, etc. But if you use ammo excessively your ammo will regenerate less quickly over the course of a fight.

 

Supercharge cells and recharge cells can help avoid this, but for maximum overall output you need to watch your ammo consumption before it gets critically low. That's why bacta infusion is so powerful. If it heals for a little more than a medical probe then it saved you 3 ammo in the worst of situations (If you would have used a med probe instead). If you're ammo is at the fastest rate of regen, you also regen .6-.9 ammo during the global cooldown (Not sure if the GCD is 1 s or 1.5 s in this game -_-).

 

TL:DR Summary: Bacta Infusion improves the healer "rotation" by replacing a medical probe cast in pve.

 

TL:DR Disclaimer: I'm not claiming that Bacta Infusion is the "Best talent ever". I'm just making inferences based on playing a combat medic and getting a feel for the ammo resource.

[Proctor]

1. Bacta Infusion is extremely strong. It's free, instant, gives moderate-high health, and is on a very reasonable CD. You can use it on the move, global it with MP for a burst, spot heal someone in an emergency, or just use it to conserve Ammo in your rotation.

 

2. Sawbones 31 pt skill is an AoE which is only moderately stronger than KB in numbers (over time), but provides no other benefits (residue and shield), and hits 1 more target.

 

3. Seer 31 pt skill is a ground-target AoE with a cast time. It cannot be used on the go, won't be feasible during movement phases, and is only viable because it has no target limit. With both cast time and non-accessibility if players are spread out/moving, it *********** well deserves to have no size limit. It is the only AoE healing ability that can be "clipped", despite the moderate amount that it can heal over time for the HEFTY price of 100 Force.

 

Bacta Infusion is an amazing skill, most people just didn't take the time to look into what it was competing with as a 31 pt healer talent.

[_Flin_]

I like the infusion. With it I could heal Something around 3500-4000 critfree on level 43 in 2 seconds. which seems to be a lot to me. Have to check current numbers, but the Infusion strikes me as the element that is really completing our role as the perfect tank healer.

[Bluetickone]

You keep referring to pvp in conjunction with this top tier spell. Probably pvp is what interest you the most in this game but thats thats not the core of swtor. The core is the pve content. And for a top tier spell heal its too low. Not to speak of it's 21s CD utility.

We are by far not the worst but that should not be the point. There is no reason why a sorc or sage should be able to heal better. It's like going back in time. I Hate to bring up that game but wow started out like that where priest would be the main healers and the rest support. The later changed that with "bring the player not the class" I admit I haven't healed a single raid but I fear that other classes will not be as wanted. Simple example why do sage/sorc have an unlimited ppl aoe and the rest not? Just be cause it's an AoE hot?

 

having 8 and 16 man raids and sage/sorcs with an unlimited aoe heal where commandos are stuck with 3 is a borked mechanic. its the kind of screw up that makes you wonder about bioware ... guess they just intend for combat medics to be MT healers only.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Bluetickone

[JLapp]

having 8 and 16 man raids and sage/sorcs with an unlimited aoe heal where commandos are stuck with 3 is a borked mechanic. its the kind of screw up that makes you wonder about bioware ... guess they just intend for combat medics to be MT healers only.

 

I don't think combat medics are that much better (if at all) at single target healing either.

[shpleeblee]

I have not yet seen how large the Sage AoE heal is but it seems like the Commando can heal in an AoE fashion much safer than the Sage can.

 

Where they need to channel a large unlimited man heal, the Commando can sit way at the back lobbing KB every few sec. You can keep it up indefinitely on 6 people for sure without suffering ammo loss.

 

The Combat Medic is exactly that, a Medic who can still put out DPS. The only problem I see with that is having a higher threat generation compared to other healers.

 

On topic: Becta Infusion looks like a random free heal, I don't understand what there is to complain about a FREE heal. No ammo consumption, no cast time, just a recharge of 21 sec.

Free healing is always good, why complain about it?

 

Think of it this way, if it's balanced now but it gets buffed then people cry about it being too good and other heals being bad then EA will nerf Becta either back to this point or lower (le gasp) while buffing other heals thus simply causing the Commando to look even worse.

 

I think it is sitting in the right place currently.