Regarding Gunslinger and Sniper AoE Visuals

[validatio]

It honestly feels so weird choosing "Bombing Run" as any other origin story. They should at least make it so that your own ship flies overhead to do the bombing run. It's extremely awkward to see the Smuggler's ship come flying in when you're an Agent, Bounty Hunter, or Trooper.

 

What Bioware should do, in my opinion, is to is let you choose between Orbital Strike and Bombing Run if you're a Sniper or a Gunslinger. For example, It would make sense for a Trooper or an Agent having access to call down their respective fleet's firepower with Orbital Strike. Whereas a Bounty Hunter or a Smuggler might want to have their own ships come in and do a Bombing Run.

 

I understand that Combat styles allow you to use another class' abilities (including the opposing faction's) but they should also take your character's origin story into account as well. This is an issue that can break a lot of other players' immersion if left unchecked.

 

Also, AoE targeting reticules should represent your faction's symbol instead of the opposing faction's.

Edited November 15, 2021 by validatio
Spelling, grammar, and clarification.

[Zunayson]

Theres a similar thread out there https://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=998687 asking for a similar thing: to have abilities based on Origin Story.

 

It may not really be possible, since currently there are no abilities based on Origin Story, and the developers went into the expansion thinking "origin story should not affect abilities" so it might not really be feasible, or it may take way extra work. I think it's a good idea though.

 

In practice, my guess is it would require 2 Gunslinger combat styles - one only available to Hunter/Smugger origins, and one only available to Agent/Trooper origins. And then also 2 Sniper combat styles for a similar reason.

 

In fact, since you said the hunter should have their own ship do the bombing run, it probably couldn't be called "XS Freighter Flyby" -- it would have to be "D5 Mantis Flyby" or something. So that's a 3rd Gunslinger and Sniper Combat style, just to support the hunter origin. It seems you used generic terminology like "Bombing Run" to try to collapse XS Freighter and D5 Mantis into 1 case

 

So there'd be all this extra work and changing slightly different descriptions, and its probably not worth the extra effort.

[validatio]

Theres a similar thread out there https://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=998687 asking for a similar thing: to have abilities based on Origin Story.

 

It may not really be possible, since currently there are no abilities based on Origin Story, and the developers went into the expansion thinking "origin story should not affect abilities" so it might not really be feasible, or it may take way extra work. I think it's a good idea though.

 

In practice, my guess is it would require 2 Gunslinger combat styles - one only available to Hunter/Smugger origins, and one only available to Agent/Trooper origins. And then also 2 Sniper combat styles for a similar reason.

 

In fact, since you said the hunter should have their own ship do the bombing run, it probably couldn't be called "XS Freighter Flyby" -- it would have to be "D5 Mantis Flyby" or something. So that's a 3rd Gunslinger and Sniper Combat style, just to support the hunter origin. It seems you used generic terminology like "Bombing Run" to try to collapse XS Freighter and D5 Mantis into 1 case

 

So there'd be all this extra work and changing slightly different descriptions, and its probably not worth the extra effort.

 

Yeah, I kind of figured that would be the case. But it still kind of irks me to see something so out of place like that. A guy can dream though, can't he?

 

Also, using "Bombing Run" as a term came from Bioware renaming "XS Freighter Flyby" to "Bombing Run", probably because it would sound weird when playing Gunslinger as another origin story.

[Zunayson]

oh, I didnt realize gunslinger is considered "On the PTS" since i didnt see an announcement. All other styles were announced, and their corresponding feedback threads created: https://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=998193. I guess it was just an oversight that they forgot to mention gunslinger was in.

 

I'm surprised they had the foresight to rename XS Freighter. I would say there's no issue then. I agree that Orbital Strike vs Bombing run is not so sniper or gunslinger specific, its more "military origin" vs "neutral origin." From that argument, Vanguard's "Artillery Blitz" is also very military origin specific, and it should be replaced for Hunters and Smugglers. Of course, all of this is far too much work and would make things needlessly complicated.

 

I think the fix is unfortunately just to erase all mentions of the XS freighter from gunslinger. Sorry gunslingers, now you feel the pain of scoundrels -- no more XS Flyby, just a shallow imitation.