Commando Archive

A while back, Blixtev attempted to fix the Area of Effect on commando weapons, saying it was fixed internally. However, the AoE on our weapons still doesn't work...rather all we get is elemental + 1 damage (ie a Plasma Flamethrower would hit secondary targets for 90 damage, as the base elemental is 89), which hasn't changed since the Combat Upgrade went live 7 publishes ago.

This applies to all of our equipable weapons. If fixed, our AoE would give our profession a step in the right direction, and aside from lower damage levels compared to other professions (namely in melee/crafter-commando templates as we do not have specials higher than Overcharge shot), and the issues with our grenades, our profession would benefit from this fix as AoE is one of our biggest issues.

My community has not heard a single peep from development since Blixtev said it should be working internally. Legacy weapons, as well as newly crafted made weapons all share the same problem...and the only consistent time our AoE actually works is right after server resets, which after a short while reverts back to elemental + 1 damage. There have been a few instances where commandos have gotten their AoE to work, but once they cross into a new area or switch weapons, the AoE breaks again. By "breaking", I mean where it either works 100% or 40% in splash damage, then reverts back to elemental + 1. To my knowledge the longest working AoE a commando has been able to produce, was for a mere 7 hours....

If our AoE problem is still being worked on, here is community feedback that was compiled when Blixtev was working on the issue. AoE Feedback


The community would really appreciate any updates regarding this (ie if its being worked on, when we may see it, etc), as well as potentially answers to the following:

1) The Proton Rifle during the CU Beta was non-AoE. After it broke on live (couldn't be fired), and fixed...older Proton Rifles were not to be touched by the fix. However, some were and now have a broken AoE too, while newer Proton Rifles have no AoE. Is the rifle intended to be non-AoE? And, is there a chance that these legacy Proton Rifles be fixed?

2) Was the intended AoE for our weapons 40%? (shown to be roughly 40% when AoE has worked, a few times it has been 100% for some weapons however) If not, what is the intended percentage for our area damage?

3) All our weapons , if used with AoE specials, such as Fanshot, all produce elemental + 1 against secondary targets. Even weapons that function as non-AoE are included with this, such as the Proton Rifle (both legacy and new, despite being non-AoE for the newer ones), Rocket Launcher, the Heavy Particle Beam Cannon, and Heavy Acid Rifle. Even if our AoE wasn't 100% in splash damage, it seems we can't produce equilvent levels of AoE with other profession's specials, of which are in fact 100% splash damage. Is this intended?

4) In order to produce damage when throwing a grenade, one must have a weapon equiped otherwise damage will be closer to 100 damage, as opposed to the damage ranges on the grenade. The AoE on the grenades start at the user's feet, not at the point of impact. Are both of these intended?

5) A while back, Tiggs mentioned that the commando community could possibly get a developer to comment in a dev-friendly thread that would be great to talk about the profession. The thread is still stickied in our forums, if someone could take the time and possibly drop by would be much welcomed by the community. Here is the link.

6) Currently the Plasma Flamethrower, Flamethrower, and Heavy Acid Rifle are listed under the Pre-CU "Special Heavy Weapon" catagory, and as a result cannot be used in conjunction with power-ups, despite the damage reduction and "normalization" of these weapons with the Combat Upgrade. Also these weapons cannot have their ranges extended by the range cybernetic arms either. Is this intended? If not, it would be a great idea to consilodate all our weapons into one catagory of "Heavy Weapons" that function like a "Rifle" or "Pistol" catagory, as the majority of our weapons are listed under a Pistol/Rifle heading, which is incorrect.

Thanks, myself and my community would appreciate any and all responses!

Message Edited by StarNick on 08-22-2005 05:03 PM

Whoa...

Um, oops?

Looks like a good post StarNick! I'd really like some fixes, but I'd settle for information at this point.

For a while it really seemed like the devs were on the right track, fixing some bugs, ironing out some kinks, etc. Then I noticed a gradual decay back into the old standard of fixing things that aren't broken and adding content that we don't want (at least not before fixing some long standing problems).

I believe that the source of this problem is clear now, with the 3rd expansion on the horizon. At first this really bothered me, but I can sort of grudgingly accept it now. SOE had a chance to capitalize on related media frenzy with the theater release of Ep3, and they basically *need* to do so again with the DVD release. If you believe Lucas, this is essentially the last chance they are going to get.

So, for the time being I'm hoping that we'll see at least some communcation that ideas are being worked on and the wheels are in motion for bugfixes and revamps to those professions that sorely need them (I think we're high on the list, but not on the top for sure). We might have to put up with slow progress till after the expansion, but I at least hope that they'll kick it back into high gear then.

Message Edited by LecheHombre on 08-22-2005 03:45 PM

I accidently posted this here heh, I think its the lack of sleep...but I was like, what the heck? Wheres my post! Then I came back here and uttered a small profanity at myself...

Keep your fingers crossed!

Actually my AoEs work. Sort of.

No not after Server reset.

What I mean as that when I am fighting multiple enemies and use a Special I notice a slight decrease in surrounding enemies health. This leads me to believe that my weapons AoE are doing Elemental Damage. However I've only seen this with the PFT. Everything else has become crap. Actually I don't even use Commando Weapons unless I'm outnumbered fighting a bunch of NPCs cause there is honestly no real good use for our weapons.

The Damage could have been from a Flame DoT but I was in the Avatar Station with my group and Pulled out my PFT to help with some Crowd Control. Well the Trandoshan I would hit took normal damage. Then I looked over at another one, no one had hit him but was close by to my target (I switch targets that way I can more often KD since NPCs have a certain resistance to KD afterwards actually players too forget what it's called. So by switching targets after I use a KD on a target thus KDing the whole enemy group, it's more likely I can can KD the whole group again or at least my new target by taking on a new target.)

However my new target was missing a slight piece of their health. Due to the HP of the NPCs on the Avatar Station I figured my AoE has to have been doing AoE Damage cause no one else was using Cone Attacks.

I can't really prove this, but I think it's always like that on my PFT. But then I don't use my PFT enough to really see if this is true. I could be imagining it, or the Flame DoT could have some invisible imagination who knows thing.

Also Spray Shot doesn't seem to work with our Weapons. Actually I have a hard time getting Spray Shot to damage multiple targets.

Dunno. Again I could be making up stuff since it's been awhile. It's sad but I use my Bola Carbine all the time. No I haven't got a Proton Rifle yet, and I imagine it will be a long time before I do.

I'll probably rant about Mandolorain Armor today or tomorrow.

Yarg!

Message Edited by TK-132 on 08-22-2005 03:28 PM

I'm crossing my fingers in hope this will be the time the info gets all the way through to the priority list.

I know what you mean TK-132, I see it too. But when I can take out a sizeable chunk off an avatar's guard's HP bar, but the surounding NPCs only a slight sliver, something's still not working

Thanks StarNick, if were lucky we should here back on this... I think of our AoE as a core foundation for our profession, if thats not working I cant see how anything else can really get fixed since most issues are tied into AoE one way or another ...

Give em the Gun Stern!

/cross fingers

/prey the holy bantha

/promise to sacrify hundreds of ewoks if there is a fix

Nice post, Nick...

I'm sticking to my point of view, that we are going to continue to get ignored because in their eyes, with the exception of AoE, we work as intended (utility). It doesnt make much sense in our eyes, of course, and its filled with flaws in its theory.

I'm about to run out of wall space in my Naboo home, since every freaking one of them has indentions from repeatedly bashing my head against them...Time to buy a new house, me thinks....

Great post Starnick. Even if they were to tell us that we're not going to ever get our AOE, at least we'd know where we stand. Please, just tell us what the plan is and why.