Far Too Many Abilities?

[Pinworms]

The worst is Acid Blade. Having to keep reapplying it is a chore. I don't see many complaining about it yet, probably because many don't have it yet...but jeez its annoying. The buff should not disappear on use.

[dafunkyo]

Its the BH in swg all over again lol... they had all their rows full of abilities basically

Yes I do think we have way too many but oh well I have been doing ok I just leave things like (idk what its called) the one that puts out a lazer to increase sniper crit I honestly never remember to use it so I just took it off and IK it might come in handy but that just how I do it

 

you're on drugs... eye shot, eye shot, eye shot, eye shot... multiple rows? lol more like 3 buttons.

[dargzero]

You can check out (google) taugrim's guide on mmo key binding. It helped me a lot.

Ofc I still agree, that there are a bit too many buttons to press as of know.

[rogrux]

I'd rather have more action bars in the bottom-center than on the Left & Right.

[sithkllr]

Yes, there are definitely too many abilities. Would be much more managale if they let use use castseqeunce macros to combine a couple here and there.

[Superastro]

BW pls fix this. Right now it feels like I am playing Saber guaca-mole.

[Matty-Wan]

Also I recommend rebinding your camera zoom in and out to someting else, such as Shift+mousehweel or Alt+Mouseweel. That frees up regular mousewheel up /down for other abilities (I use mousewheel down for sever tendon, since I'm often trying to spam it while chasing someone, and nothing spams faster than mousewheel scrolling).

 

 

Very interesting idea, I plan to utilize this bind, ty.

[Greyfeld]

I'm currently using 20-30 keybinds, the exact number differing between characters. It's not really that bad, but I agree that I would like to see macros implemented ASAP. There are just some abilities that are pointless on their own, or could easily be rolled into one another to save button/quickbar space.

[Takachsin]

I would like to see macros and better action bars as well. Everyone has their own theories about the best bind locations, just find what works for you. I also have a Razer Naga mouse which helps a ton.

 

But I do not agree that there are too many abilities, maybe some could be combined for simplicity but overall they are fine. Part of the game that makes it so fun is the complexity of things. Especially as a sniper I have dots, abilities to use in cover, and ones to use on the move. I also have aoe, debuffs, and utility like the aoe shield and defensive cooldowns. I think adding all this (although a lot and takes sometime to train your hands to remember the keybinds when your mind says to do that action) is great. It makes you think about the fights and time your abilities and mitigate damage instead of just having the healer power through it.

 

It would make me sad to see them reduce it to a 3 button rotation with no thought behind it, or make it similar to other classes in this game that are already mostly like it.

[mSum]

I agree that there are too many abilities. A simple macro system would really help. Just let me stack 3 abilities in a macro and I'll be happy.

[hulkweazel]

All classes are like this, it's not just IA/Op with this many abilities. It's a good thing though - there might be a higher learning curve but it makes things a lot more interesting and skill based as opposed to just spamming 2-3 abilities (Insert Tracer Missile reference here).

[TheRealCandyMan]

Really? Too MANY abilities?

 

I guess it's true what they say, some people will never be pleased.

 

Yes too many. It's ridiculous that at end game all 4 quick bars are basically filled up with abilities/relics/med packs.

[IronJelly]

All classes are like this, it's not just IA/Op with this many abilities. It's a good thing though - there might be a higher learning curve but it makes things a lot more interesting and skill based as opposed to just spamming 2-3 abilities (Insert Tracer Missile reference here).

 

If a macro system is too hard to implement, a few additional quickbars, since we lose one that's used when we're in cover, would be nice as a temporary solution. Should be easy to implement, and incredibly useful since our bars get so full. I don't always need my Operative's close range abilities available, but I also don't intend to re-slot my action bars every time I want access to them.

 

As it stands, when i need a mission item, i have to do the mission with my inventory open since i have no room for the item on the action bars, and this is with both bottom bars and both sidebars on.

[Takachsin]

Yeah you can easily have 4 bars maxed out, it just looks clunky but still no reason to remove abilities IMO. I also have stupid stuff on my bars that are not needed (social ability, flaregun). I wish there was a keybind directly to your relic slots, it gets annoying swapping out relics going from PvE to PvP. I too hope macro support is on the way. I don't know too much about this as I have never done it but if you have a gaming keyboard I believe you can create your own macros to be key presses instead of abilities which should equate to the same thing.

 

Tips:

-Take abilities off your bar you never find yourself using / your spec. Ex. I don't use corrosive dart in my spec on my sniper, therefore it does not need to be on my bars.

-Take off abilities like summoning your droid probe pet or social abilities. Just put them on the top row of your bag and use them whenever.

-A huge one that most snipers don't know since they start with it is get rid of the cover action on your bars. There is are 2 direct keybinds for cover and those should be used instead of wasting one of your spaces on the bar.

-At max level take your heroic moment ability off your bar, since you rarely have your companion out except for maybe dailys and you shouldn't need it.

-Snipers have two abilities that can only be used on stunned / incapacitated targets which share a CD. Pick your favorite (probably the ranged one) and don't have the other on the bar.

-Some people like having the knife skills on their bar as a sniper some don't, you don't have to use them at all since there is no minimum range. They are fun but if you want more room take them off your bar, your ranged attacks probably do more damage anyway.

-Despite having many relics only put two on your bar and just swap them out depending on what you are doing.

-Snipers have an advantage by having the cover bar. So many people hate this and I don't understand why. Put your abilities you use on the move on your normal bar, and your cover ones on the cover bar. Put abilities you use in both on other bars with keybinds. I don't understand the post that we lose one when in cover, you remain at 4 bars being shown, same as any other class, but you technically have 5 but only 4 active at a time.

-Also remember sprint doesn't ever disable itself now, so you can take that one off your bar too.

 

Doing all this significantly reduces the amount of stuff on your bars. They have said they are adding UI customizations so this will help too when it makes it to the game.

Edited February 27, 2012 by Takachsin

[PinnyFox]

No way scoundrels/operatives have too many abilities. Maybe a sniper, since I haven't played them, but after playing the republic mirror class and now an operative while you DO have a lot of abilities, you don't need 75% of them.

 

Cover and all associated abilities? Forget they exist with the exception of Explosive Probe. Carbine Burst? Nice, but unnecessary.

 

For all intents and purposes the abilities an operative will use on a daily basis (assuming concealment spec. Swap abilities around if you're lethality or medicine) are: Shiv, Backstab, Lacerate, Corrosive Dart (debatable. I only find myself using it on single strong/elites I can set up a big alpha strike on), Hidden Strike (when you get it), Acid Blade (when/if you get it).

 

For utility: Deliberate (again, strongs and elites.), Flashbang (giant mobs), whatever the interrupt is called, as the name escapes me at the moment.

 

For those "Oh Sh**" moments: Evasion, Vanish + Stealth (vanish on it's own is pretty pointless if you're close enough to the enemy that they can still see and target you.)

 

And these vary. For example, after opening with Hidden Strike, you no longer need it, partly because you can only use it from stealth, and there are no times when you should ever Hidden Strike, Vanish, Hidden Strike in PvE. Ever.

 

You'll either need Deliberate OR Flashbang, not both. (Debatable).

 

Or maybe I'm just biased because I played a jedi sentinel. That class there is the literal meaning of "too many abilities"

[Abimelech]

Anyone else find that this class (I play as an Operative) has way too many abilities. I mean in everyday quest combat against an elite I use keys 1-9, then mapped

Z

X

CTRL+X

CTRL+Z

`

the middle mouse button

SHIFT+SPACE

and CTRL+`

 

Even with all these (17 mappings) I find I still need to click some abilities like various interrupts for healing elites or shields.

 

 

OP I use 24 key bindings. 1-6, CTRL 1-6, ALT 1-6 and CTRL+ALT 1-6. This does not include my "Take Cover," change target, jump and map.

 

I utilize Pinnacle Game Profiler and a USB PS2 style controller. There are some minor annoying glitches and some things that I can't really do with the controller like throw the Huttball that I have to change to a mouse to do, but I make it work.

 

I previously used my Nostromo N52, but I just didn't feel as comfortable with it as I do with the controller.

 

I can sit back and enjoy playing the game and I don't have to be right up on the keyboard and mouse all the time.

 

PvE is a breeze and other than the above stated minor issues movement and fighting in PvP is quite simple.

[Takachsin]

@PinnyFox I can see where you are coming from, my post was mainly based on the sniper. I think a stealth bar should replace the cover bar for operatives since its pretty worthless which could handle all the, only useable while stealthed / opener moves. And like you said you don't need the cover bar abilities, and like I said snipers don't need the knife abilities. I guess what I say when we don't have too many abilities, I'm referring to the abilities that are actually used. I assumed the OP was talking with reference that there are attacks, dots, defensive cds, cover / non cover abilities, etc. If you look at it from an overall perspective, yes there are too many abilities but if you toss all the junk ones off the bar and just use the ones that are good for you then it feels just right. So I guess its knowing which ones you should be using and which ones were given to you just cuz, and that is causing people to have overfull bars. Edited February 27, 2012 by Takachsin

[Malynchi]

I am currently a level 44 healing operative and I belive I have 45 active abilities just from IA and Operative skills. That takes up all 40 of my quickslots and I still have 5 I don't have place for and that's before my relics, my ride and other clickable actions my character gets.

 

What's also strange is that BioWare created a special action row just for when I hide behind a rock even though there are only TWO, repeat TWO, actions that you can perform while crouched. More importantly you can use those abilities when you are in or out of combat so its not helpful. You know what would be helpful? A special tool bar that pops up when I am stealthed. That way I can use my special stealth abilities (hidden strike, super stealth mode, sleep dart etc) While I am stealthed. Then I don't need those items on my action bar when I am in combat and save a few more slots. Just a thought.

 

I agree that the IA is clunky, especially the cloaking tree. This is how most of my fights go . . .

 

 

Knife, Knife Knife, oh man, my arms tired let me shoot you instead, pew pew, whoops im not a good shot, Knife Knife, oh crap this isnt working , I need a mulligan, cloak . . . knife knife . . . i really hope you're dead because Im getting really tired here . . .

 

I guess obi-wan was right . . . the lightsaber is a more elegeant weapon . . .

Edited February 27, 2012 by Malynchi

[IronJelly]

-Snipers have an advantage by having the cover bar. So many people hate this and I don't understand why. Put your abilities you use on the move on your normal bar, and your cover ones on the cover bar. Put abilities you use in both on other bars with keybinds. I don't understand the post that we lose one when in cover, you remain at 4 bars being shown, same as any other class, but you technically have 5 but only 4 active at a time.

 

It's not that you lose one in cover, it's that the fifth quickbar isn't available. Visible or not, you have access to five quickbar setups that can be swapped for the main one. for most classes, that amounts to 1) their main one 2) The bottom one 3)Left 4) right and 5) an extra. You can bound a key to swap it and it's like an extra row of buttons on your main bar.

 

Agents and Smugglers don't have this, because the extra bar is the one swapped when they're in cover.

 

Did that make more sense? on my Assassin, i can bound two keys, such as < and > to switch his main bar to the extra one and back. so I could potentially put his main abilities on one, and social abilities, toggles I almost never change, his speeder, etc on the spare. On my Agent, if i want those on the bars, i'm forced to make room on the four visible ones.

[michaelra]

I love my sniper because I use like, 90% of my skills in different situations, compared to other classes (3-4 skills most of the time)

[Takachsin]

It's not that you lose one in cover, it's that the fifth quickbar isn't available. Visible or not, you have access to five quickbar setups that can be swapped for the main one. for most classes, that amounts to 1) their main one 2) The bottom one 3)Left 4) right and 5) an extra. You can bound a key to swap it and it's like an extra row of buttons on your main bar.

 

Agents and Smugglers don't have this, because the extra bar is the one swapped when they're in cover.

 

Did that make more sense? on my Assassin, i can bound two keys, such as < and > to switch his main bar to the extra one and back. so I could potentially put his main abilities on one, and social abilities, toggles I almost never change, his speeder, etc on the spare. On my Agent, if i want those on the bars, i'm forced to make room on the four visible ones.

 

Yes that does make sense, I usually play with all my action bars shown, I've never really thought about doing it that way. It would cut down on the clutter.

[Lunazen]

You know what would be helpful? A special tool bar that pops up when I am stealthed. That way I can use my special stealth abilities (hidden strike, super stealth mode, sleep dart etc) While I am stealthed. Then I don't need those items on my action bar when I am in combat and save a few more slots. Just a thought.

 

 

 

Really good idea.

 

I like that there are a lot of combat options and would hate to see any of the abilities go away. But a special bar for cover abilities would be really great. Would also be nice to have another row or two of hotbars on the bottom... or a fully customizable UI, but that's another story.

 

If I were you Malynchi, I'd take this one to the Suggestion Box

[PinnyFox]

I am currently a level 44 healing operative and I belive I have 45 active abilities just from IA and Operative skills. That takes up all 40 of my quickslots and I still have 5 I don't have place for and that's before my relics, my ride and other clickable actions my character gets.

 

What's also strange is that BioWare created a special action row just for when I hide behind a rock even though there are only TWO, repeat TWO, actions that you can perform while crouched. More importantly you can use those abilities when you are in or out of combat so its not helpful. You know what would be helpful? A special tool bar that pops up when I am stealthed. That way I can use my special stealth abilities (hidden strike, super stealth mode, sleep dart etc) While I am stealthed. Then I don't need those items on my action bar when I am in combat and save a few more slots. Just a thought.

 

I agree that the IA is clunky, especially the cloaking tree. This is how most of my fights go . . .

 

 

Knife, Knife Knife, oh man, my arms tired let me shoot you instead, pew pew, whoops im not a good shot, Knife Knife, oh crap this isnt working , I need a mulligan, cloak . . . knife knife . . . i really hope you're dead because Im getting really tired here . . .

 

I guess obi-wan was right . . . the lightsaber is a more elegeant weapon . . .

 

You know you can change hotkeys around, right? And you realize out of those so called 45 "active" abilities you're only using like 5-10, right?

[Crankyhobo]

Yup, I am out of keys to use, need to buy a new mouse or train myself on some bizarre combinations.

[brokendrum]

I have each class utilized and I can say right off that the hardest to keep everything showing would be the Operative. It just absorbs all available Hot Keys even with 4 action bars active. While on this subject – I also have a running bone to pick with the Group Icons covering the left action bars. They keep responding We Know About This Issue – but nothing gets done <sigh>.. Not complaing mind you - just saying this toon has a lot of action options and it can boggle if not put into a workable frame.

 

Anyway – the below items maybe will help some who are just getting into the Key Bind thing. I do it as a matter of course with almost all the MMO’s – it keeps me sane - instead of trying to remember all of the various items for each class I can keep a Common Theme running with them all.

 

Very first item I do is trash that Numlock for auto run – I switch it to KeyPad 7. This opens up the entire keypad for fast key binds. Using Common Themes here helps when switching classes.

 

KP-0 = vent key for all games.

KP-Del = Get Out Of Dodge – poof stealth if available or some sort of Heal if not. (Always goes to top of right action bar)

KP-+ = Target Of Target (healer usage mostly but also good in PvE when trying to follow tank lead)

KP-* and - = follow and Next Friendly (for faster heals during PvP)

KP-2 = best heal potion

KP-1 and 4 and also 3 and 6 can be set for common groups. I usually use 1+4 for heals and 3+6 for other combos.

 

These keypad items go on my Left Action Bar. (best to remember what is where since they disappear when in a group – see complaint above). So the left looks like so:

 

Top = mouse wheel click for speeder.

KP-1 thru 6 are next.

V Ctrl-X Z and X finish the left side action bar. V= whatever the toon has for CC escape. Z + X are used for CC abilities or AOE attacks if none available.

 

The other key bind’s I use are too long of a list – the purpose here is to get folks thinking about utilizing their KeyPad.

Just remember to keep consistent with these and other key binds and switching from one class to another will not be such a challenge.

Edited February 29, 2012 by brokendrum