Ionic Discharge Tactical needs to be reworked

[SentinalMasterWW]

I'm sorry but this tactical is completely broken at least in PVP scenarios which is what this tactical was mainly used for. There are very few defensives in this game that can stand up to the insane burst this tactical gives. I get it this tactical is fun to mess around with as I have played with it. However this Tactical can nuke a tank's health bar in seconds, same goes for classes like commando or vanguard. Bioware needs to rework this tactical like they did with Defel for Maras.

The other thing is that this tactical is very easy to set up to get the massive number, Even pre-nerfed Tactics/AP couldn't get a TTK this fast, and that was survivable granted you popped your defensives at the right time. 

Which leads to the tactical's biggest balancing issue; The Damage 

Very few classes can survive it, even mandos/mercs with their shields barely stand up to the damage. 

Engi/Sab is already performing well right now both in PVE and PVP, so the excuse that people will say that ionic brings burst is redundant. Engi/Sniper is still performing quite strong in the current meta, with Virulence/Dirty Fighting slightly behind it, and Marksman at the bottom. 

So Here are some possible Reworks Bioware could do. 

- Remove the flat 50% bonus damage or reduce it to like 15%, The biggest contender in why this tactical is broken is you can stack bonus damage percentages by selecting certain passives in the skill tree. 

-The tactical can remain the same BUT, at the cost of Explosive probes cooldown being increased by 15 secs, making explosive probe an ability that can only be used every 30 seconds. 

I'm sure there are more, But I'm still trying to keep this tactical to what it was by providing the extra burst but by balancing it so that you cannot Nuke someone's health bar.

[Menetes]

I know, god forbid a sniper actually has some utility in PVP. I think its mental that they have one ability that does high burst damage, its just so unfair.

They are already so overpowered with their added healing on roll, the boosted healing in cover, all of their other sources of healing, all of their many mobility/defensive/survivability traits coming as standard, i really understand why you would feel the need to make this post.

 

[remylion]

hmm snipers being able to burst while having no way to cleanse or heal while also doing mediocre DPS outside of the burst for single target DPS.

Engineers are great at AOE so I guess their job should only be laying down AOEs on objectives?

Other classes have defensives. Stealth classes can vanish, I had an assassin constantly vanish or break LOS when I was setting up my EMP with Series of Shots. Some classes have the ability to 100% dodge incoming attacks for a short time, other classes can absorb most of the damage. Some even reflect damage. If you are a sorc, go in with your teleport skill ready to take you out of the 35 meter range.

From what I am being told Marauders have even more burst than Engineers and they get a cloaking ability.

Edited March 17, 2023 by remylion

[LukasLukasLukas]

11 minutes ago, LukasLukasLukas said:

I'm not often commenting on forum but statement that Ionic Discharge should be changed or removed is utterly incorrect. 

1. Damage

Correctly executed rotation with this tactica is: Poison Dart --> Probe --> Explosive Probe --> AutoCrit --> Plasma Probe --> Ion Discharge; my highiest crit on this rotation + buffs from other player gave 171k so hardly a global and having in mind 334 gear HP its close to 50% health and please keep in mind that was a target that didn't had any defensive CD. Usualy crit is about 130-140k and that is it. Outside of burst window with AutoCrit available, this damage is closer to 80k. 

Due to the fact that its easy predictable even with shorter rotation (Probe - Explosive - Plasma - Discharge) you still have 3cds to prepare for it. You can: 

a) Mara --> Predation and run out of range, but a deflect shield, undying or vanish

b) Jugg --> Shield or just take a hit with enrage 

c) Sorc --> Buble and use clouded mind or just force barrier

d) Oper --> If you are not stunned you reall you not be even targeted due to roll and evasion 

e) Merc --> reflect shield or any other shield

g) Sniper --> Roll and evade pretty much entire burst

h) PT --> Did sniper really manage to do full rotation before you burned him? If so -shield and finish him!

The only problem you might have is that when sniper catches you between defensive, but really any class catched between defensive CD will just die if focused correctly

2. Perspective issue

In 7.0 lots of people moved from Sniper to other class as sniper is not viable so the only one that sticked to the class are quite good players who exactly know what they are doing on snipers, so the change to meet previous gold or plat player playing sniper is highier hence they have highier chance to deal with any other player but that is not a class, its a player behind it. You really dont complain about avg. snipers,right?

There is no chance that sniper will global you, what you are seeing is coordinated burst becouse sniper often follow PT or other class to finish player - what you see is often that explosive probe is finishing you from 30-40% as the other class or player burned you down. Best example is PT - Engi due --> PT will provide stuns and initial burst within 3-4 cds and sniper will just finish. But please remember, you are burned by more than one player

3. Trade-offs

Selecting this tactical requires you to: 

a) Spec to all crit bonus talents

b) Run full crit build

Which in effect makes energy managment a big issue - I had to learn how to manage energy for longer fights and if I'm not focused and have to kite after 3 sets of rotations I'm very low on energy but that is a trade off which results in high crits

4. One trick pony and glass cannon

With lose of dcds and health regen Sniper essentially relies on damage and thats it...its the only thing that it brings to table and once focused we will go down quite easily. I guess BW wanted this class to be a glass cannon but unfortunetly made it one trick pony (Glass Pony?:D); removing or reworking this tactical without any further class changes will utterly make this spec a trash, but then good players will still find a way to play sniper. 

5. How to deal with snipers?

Just take one for a spin and see what are the problems, I've spent entire weekend playing as madness sorc to understand better what is their main problem (there is non really), so i recomend everyone whi complain about engi to do the same.