Commando Archive

First and foremost let me say that starnick is my new personal hero. I was a commando pre-cuI loved it the damage was good and the animations for the launchers was awesome you new that the guy that looked like he was diggin in his back pack was about to mess something up big time. I would just like to see commando weapons go back to pre-cu not the whole profession just our weapons ormake the launchersconsumable but givethem great to huge damage with a high SAC for some balance. Give us a couple specials that fit inline with our weapon types like maby the ability to spray accelerant from our flamethrower and then ignite it on the ground or a specific place like door ways and i think some people might start coming back to the commando professionI for one knowI would.

Add this to your issue thread. That I have posted since becoming a commando about explosives and detonators. They couldn't have come up with some other upgrade to ranger? We need to have our bugs fixed with grenades. Not to mention:

When I use my PFT in PVe/pvp combat, the area AoE seems to still aggro without the damage. So I am getting attacked even without being the highest damage dealer to a AoE target.

I know I lurk a lot and speak a little so many of you may not respect my opinion. But, I am a Master Commando, I like my job and I like my rebels extra-crispy. I applaud StarNick for his work, it takes a lot more time than I personally am willing to give if you want to represent your community properly. I think he does a remarkable job, as this thread shows, and he cares... which some correspondants on other profs do not seem to do nearly as much. That's said, good job SN.

Now, to the business at hand... All of StarNick's points are spot-on, and reflect everything that has been said for the last several months on this forum.

I have a thought or twoto add in regards to the requirements for our prof and our specials. I don't think adding medic prerequisites for commando are fitting at all and I really hope that you don't push forward with that. To be honest, no offense to those that want it, but it sounds to me like someone looking for a way to fast track their way to some doc or CM skills. I operate 3 characters, all combat and all with varying amounts of medic (and some CM) skills, I think not being reliant on stimpacks is paramount because they suck. But, I don't agree with changing our prereq's just so you can see an army of Commando/Combat Medics running around with a healthy dose of pistoleer and rifleman skills because of all the extra skill points they now have.

I like the idea of having carbines as a prereq, a carbine is traditionally a commando's weapon, but I know the dev's are going to argue that it cuts down on the number of skillpoints for our prof too much. They want all hybrid elite profs to require at least 2 basic novice skills so they don't dominate with 2 1/2 or 3 elite profs at one time. I agree, if they did change the prereq to carbines it would be possible to be a Master Commando/Master Carbineer/Master Pistoleer with state shots and snares and roots coming out your ears. I really think that is a little excessive, don't you?

If you want to give us something useful, go for the same scout skills that are required for Bounty Hunter. Terrain negotiation is a God-send, everyone should have it in combat, and I don't know about you but I move around a lot when I fight so being able to climb a friggin hill would be very helpful. Burst run is also quite the good deal for when you just can't take anymore punishment, it happens, we can all say it doesn't, but it does.

I am interested to hear what you all think about dropping the Brawler requirement and what you think it should be replaced with.

As for special, more AoE of course, and how about an area snare or root? Now there's something worth having.

Also... Master lever grenade laucher with different types ofloadable CL54 grenades that can shoot over a wall... think about it.

Thanks for listening and happy hunting.

**Bah'dasz Val-Noctir, Sergeant- Army of the Galactic Empire, Dark Judge (Chimaera)

I still think having the UA IV pre-req may still be viable, only...and if only, the profession moves away from a sole AoE support profession into more of a damage support. Similar concept that we're in right now, near total concept that was pitched to us during the CU. Basically, we're masters at combos and template building.

However, for that to work...we need more flexibility. Trimming of AoE, and giving us more damage options with our heavy weapons (ie specials) could potentially work, and still keep our weapons as a defining aspect of commando, as well as preserve the "support" that the profession can offer. Unlike now, however we'll be able to contribute our damage role into templates, and be more viable in a melee template (id say even go as far as somehow incorporating hand to hand combat w/ our weapons [ie a rifle butt that does more than just KD]). Right now we're totally support...and if you think about it, it makes us not only inflexibile with most templates out there, but it severely limits our abilities as a weapons specialist.

As for medic...I doubt it, scout...maybe. But as far as the devs go, I'm pretty sure the UA IV/Ranged IV is here to stay...

"(though i can imagine the whining..all 3 'uber' hybrid classes using the same marksman/scout pre-reqs.. i piss me pants just thinking of the possibilites)."

Resist Tac...resist the temptation!!! For god's sake!

well dude WHY NOT?

I mean think about it. BHs will get a massive.. absolutely MASSIVE bonus from ranger. Same pre-reqs PLUS the carbineer tree actually HELPS them with their best master weapon the proton carbine. stealth+mines+all the uber damage BH specials (plus they got a working AOE special)... why bother taking commando? BH+ranger = commando without the nerf. Sure no big boom graphics but heck yeah they got big damage potential there.

Anyways, the only way soe could possibly make unarmed 4 be a logical pre-req is if somehow we get melee range specials with our heavy weapons..and i dont mean the dinky KD in melee range ability. Im talking a whip out the dagger and cut theird*cks off kind of special.

(maybe move it to 1hweapon pre-req andgive commando a REALLY, REALLY heavy bleed melee attack when equipping a 1h sword?)

Silly moment I must admit, ever since not only did the Rangers but then Smugglers got mad, I've been on the edge praying that more flames wouldn't spawn from something...

Anyways...for all intensive purposes, the dev's acknowledge that melee-commando is pitiful and needs a solution. Even as far as to "it clearly doesn't work". As far as I know, they don't know what the best course of action would be to solve it...but they do want us to reflect our pre-reqs.

Last night, I was able...at last...finally, get developer responses. Some of it wasn't exactly what we wanted to hear:

"Commandos were definitely designed as a "support" profession which on it's own doesn't reach it's full potential, but when combined with other professions creates very potent combinations."

We're a support profession because we have support abilities combined with our primary abilities. For us that would be innate states/DoTs combined with our AoE. So it really all is a matter of templates. But before you blow a fuse - consider this: We work, for the most part, fine in a ranged template...its the broken stuff that needs fixing. In a non-ranged template, thats where the flaw in our concept is revealed. Theres no middle ground, and honestly having a concept like that -and- still try and get a damage dealer out of it really won't work, unless if you have that middle ground or compromise.

Pretty much why the solutions for Issue #1 are there. Give us more flexible primary abilities, and we could be a support role but be destructive as well in any template. The reason why we won't stand by ourselves, shouldn't be for lack of damage (as it is now), but the Sac/moveability restrictions, slow speed, and lastly...the lack of specials (honestly, I feel this would work with the addition of a damage special...so this would be the lack of state specials/unique specials).

So in theory, our potent damage would remain and be consistent (since we'd have a special, and be comparable to other damage dealers or elite specials...without becoming overbalanced if that boost was implemented into our weapons from the geco)...like the damage of any profession, but we would be at a loss in regards to producing unique state effects. We wouldn't have an easy time at it because we'd have to switch up weapons. In a ranged template, we could alleviate that and expand on the profession, while in a melee template become more of a tanker...or for the heck of it, allow Heavy Weapons to be used as melee weapons (where we could use lunge attack with our FT for example...because our weapons are so big, they're like clubs).

Having that consistent damage right now will be a gigantic step in the right direction, but if we don't gain anything out of melee templates...and we'd still have to take up a ranged template so we can stand on our own two feet (very possible even if our damage is persistent to that of a damage dealer)...then we still have a problem.

All in all, this does show that we seemed to have had a role change without knowing it...and shows that the change wasn't really well thought out. Its a far cry from "being so powerful, our AoE restricts us" type of profession...

Edit: Almost forgot to mention...it was hinted that this could change especially playtesting a support/support template. Theres hope, not a lot...but its something.

Message Edited by StarNick on 09-22-2005 07:38 PM

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Bahdasz wrote:

...I agree, if they did change the prereq to carbines it would be possible to be a Master Commando/Master Carbineer/Master Pistoleer with state shots and snares and roots coming out your ears. I really think that is a little excessive, don't you?

If you want to give us something useful, go for the same scout skills that are required for Bounty Hunter. Terrain negotiation is a God-send, everyone should have it in combat, and I don't know about you but I move around a lot when I fight so being able to climb a friggin hill would be very helpful. Burst run is also quite the good deal for when you just can't take anymore punishment, it happens, we can all say it doesn't, but it does.

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You dont want any triple elite mastery professinos to be possible, but yet you want to hav ethe ame pre-reqs as bounty hunters?

Whoa! STARNICK!!!

I am just glad to hear any quote from the Devs on our profession. I will accept the new role, as long as the current problems we have are fixed. AKA free up melee skill points, use HW as melee weps, give us a special (even at master commando), fix splash/AoE, make grenades worth it...like at area root grenade! etc

I don't think the % of commandos that are a melee profession/commando is very high? So I guess we don't need that much at this point if it was turned into support role.

Unless we can get lucky and have some good demolitions like Ranger stuff certed to EXP IV or master that do more damage than the ranger types.

Can anyone say Napalm?

See the post I made on your thread "Commando Verbatum Part 2", Starnick about dual capability weapons.

Message Edited by Odinwaa on 09-23-2005 09:58 AM

Just though of something that hasn't been realy tuched upon (as far as I remember ).

Difficulty to grind Commando as a second prof.
At most, we can get a CL30 weapon (Correlian Destroyer) if we take up Commando as our second prof to go up. This meens that if going solo, you are at a sever disadvantage since the damage you can produce will be fairly. Every other combat prof have non-certed CL54 craftable weapons. I'd like to see a novice commando certed craftable CL54 weapon, that would make taking commando as the second prof go equally "smoth" as taking any other prof.

"Sence are role has changed -"i hate being a support class"- can you continue to push for the Idea that are weapons damage increase by every other box with CL of weapon to a percentage. the idea that our riflemen corr. suggested awhile back i would still like that to be implemented. I wanna use my RL as a master and still be effective"

I forgot about that idea...namely because we never got a reply regarding it. Lemme see if I can fish it up (or if a helpful commando can...) and it'll be added to the verbatim thread. That compilation is a unified list of every and all possible solutions that we could potentially ever have within the confines of our CU role. Since they're right now "considering things"...we got a good shot.

"Whoa! STARNICK!!!"

Yeah...I was surprised myself, but I think I got a nice reply because of how I tied it into the discussion (ranger questions...dev's are trying to get as much info out to them and their Corro as much as possible - which is a good thing honestly). Now, that wasn't the only major quote as the dev also went on about melee-commandos not working right at the moment (said this in another thread)...but right now I'm not entirely sure if the last bit is NDA-friendly...

However, Ill tell y'all this...in the near future we might be getting some adjustments (emphasise on might) depending on how playtesting works out. So really, nothing is set in stone for us to remain as we are now - which most definately is a good thing.