PTS gearing and general observations

[NormericanEagle]

After playing awhile and experimenting with the new gear system on the PTS, I've noticed a few things.

• Stat curves are much higher. While I understand that this is needed to some extent with the better gear and higher level cap coming, I think it's a bit too extreme currently. To get a 1.3 second global cooldown requires around 3200 alacrity, which considering the amount of accuracy and critical required for a good build, just isn't viable. While I'm sure damage can be properly balanced without a 1.3 second GCD, I really like to have the option, since a 1.4 second GCD often feels a bit too slow paced. 1.3 seconds is faster paced and feels more fun in my opinion. So I would like to see a 1.3 second GCD being a viable build if possible.
  
• The new amplifiers don't seem to display properly. They display a trail of numbers with no text at all in the gear mod windows, and the interface to re-calibrate them is strangely colored and appears to be non-functional. Either I'm missing something, or this new feature isn't working properly. The bonuses do show up when hovering over the gear piece though.
  
• Many of the amplifier bonuses (while they don't show up right as I said above, I can see whatever is already on my gear by hovering over the gear) also are unclear on what effect they have currently. IE, it's clear that 'Armor Penetration' increases armor penetration chance, but what does 'Featherweight' do? And what is the difference between 'Armormech Expert' and 'Armormech Potency'?
  
• Having the different mod and enhancement types as options again is good, will they drop that way in gear in live? Or will they be only crafted?
  
• DPS specs need a bit more damage reduction. This could be due to the lack of proper re-balancing, but I was taking a lot more damage, proportional to my health, in 306 vs 248 on live in ops. (In flashpoints, everything pretty much died when attacked, even the bosses, so I couldn't test it there)
  
• Renown system isn't working at all on the PTS, it is saying Renown XP but giving tier 1 command crates.
  

[ZionHalcyon]

After playing awhile and experimenting with the new gear system on the PTS, I've noticed a few things.

• Stat curves are much higher. While I understand that this is needed to some extent with the better gear and higher level cap coming, I think it's a bit too extreme currently. To get a 1.3 second global cooldown requires around 3200 alacrity, which considering the amount of accuracy and critical required for a good build, just isn't viable. While I'm sure damage can be properly balanced without a 1.3 second GCD, I really like to have the option, since a 1.4 second GCD often feels a bit too slow paced. 1.3 seconds is faster paced and feels more fun in my opinion. So I would like to see a 1.3 second GCD being a viable build if possible.
  
• The new amplifiers don't seem to display properly. They display a trail of numbers with no text at all in the gear mod windows, and the interface to re-calibrate them is strangely colored and appears to be non-functional. Either I'm missing something, or this new feature isn't working properly. The bonuses do show up when hovering over the gear piece though.
  
• Many of the amplifier bonuses (while they don't show up right as I said above, I can see whatever is already on my gear by hovering over the gear) also are unclear on what effect they have currently. IE, it's clear that 'Armor Penetration' increases armor penetration chance, but what does 'Featherweight' do? And what is the difference between 'Armormech Expert' and 'Armormech Potency'?
  
• Having the different mod and enhancement types as options again is good, will they drop that way in gear in live? Or will they be only crafted?
  
• DPS specs need a bit more damage reduction. This could be due to the lack of proper re-balancing, but I was taking a lot more damage, proportional to my health, in 306 vs 248 on live in ops. (In flashpoints, everything pretty much died when attacked, even the bosses, so I couldn't test it there)
  
• Renown system isn't working at all on the PTS, it is saying Renown XP but giving tier 1 command crates.
  

 

I'm sure they know. It is a TEST server after all. But thanks for the feedback.

[HKtheindomitable]

After playing awhile and experimenting with the new gear system on the PTS, I've noticed a few things.

• Stat curves are much higher. While I understand that this is needed to some extent with the better gear and higher level cap coming, I think it's a bit too extreme currently. To get a 1.3 second global cooldown requires around 3200 alacrity, which considering the amount of accuracy and critical required for a good build, just isn't viable. While I'm sure damage can be properly balanced without a 1.3 second GCD, I really like to have the option, since a 1.4 second GCD often feels a bit too slow paced. 1.3 seconds is faster paced and feels more fun in my opinion. So I would like to see a 1.3 second GCD being a viable build if possible.
  
• The new amplifiers don't seem to display properly. They display a trail of numbers with no text at all in the gear mod windows, and the interface to re-calibrate them is strangely colored and appears to be non-functional. Either I'm missing something, or this new feature isn't working properly. The bonuses do show up when hovering over the gear piece though.
  
• Many of the amplifier bonuses (while they don't show up right as I said above, I can see whatever is already on my gear by hovering over the gear) also are unclear on what effect they have currently. IE, it's clear that 'Armor Penetration' increases armor penetration chance, but what does 'Featherweight' do? And what is the difference between 'Armormech Expert' and 'Armormech Potency'?
  
• Having the different mod and enhancement types as options again is good, will they drop that way in gear in live? Or will they be only crafted?
  
• DPS specs need a bit more damage reduction. This could be due to the lack of proper re-balancing, but I was taking a lot more damage, proportional to my health, in 306 vs 248 on live in ops. (In flashpoints, everything pretty much died when attacked, even the bosses, so I couldn't test it there)
  
• Renown system isn't working at all on the PTS, it is saying Renown XP but giving tier 1 command crates.
  

 

Amplifiers aren't implemented yet. That was stated in the "Welcome to Onslaught Phase 1" post. And the spoils of war style loot drops isn't implemented yet either, so I'd say that the renown system bug you mentioned is part of that.

[kunderam]

After playing awhile and experimenting with the new gear system on the PTS, I've noticed a few things.

• Stat curves are much higher. While I understand that this is needed to some extent with the better gear and higher level cap coming, I think it's a bit too extreme currently. To get a 1.3 second global cooldown requires around 3200 alacrity, which considering the amount of accuracy and critical required for a good build, just isn't viable. While I'm sure damage can be properly balanced without a 1.3 second GCD, I really like to have the option, since a 1.4 second GCD often feels a bit too slow paced. 1.3 seconds is faster paced and feels more fun in my opinion. So I would like to see a 1.3 second GCD being a viable build if possible.
   
  

 

Definitely hope this doesn’t go live. I’m used to the 1.3 second GCD, and playing at 1.4 feels slow and clunky now.

[dipstik]

it would be nice if they made the gcd 0.01 second intervals like channels are. there are some alacrity set bonuses that might help