Commando Archive

Following Commando's are named wrong how about do them right instead? (see also http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=commando&message.id=55393)

Here's my take on the whole thing. Commando's are portrayed wrong in my opinion. For example Royal Marine Commando's and SAS are specially trained soldiers capable in many different environments, able to survive in the wild on their own from arctic, to the desert and the jungle. They are also known for Special Forces techniques and their ability to insert themselves with minimum support in a stealthy fashion. They're not known for carrying a dizzying array of huge anti-vehicle weapons but a collection of light but powerful personal, squad support and special weapons. They are also known to be fairly to the point and efficient in hand to hand.

I propose a radical over haul of commando dropping all heavy weapons but the rocket launcher (RL), and merging flamethrower (FL), grenades and the RL into a "Special Weapons” Category. Their should be introduced a Hand to Hand component to the tree, not nearly as good as the TKA, and some wilderness survival abilities.

Additionally I believe the Heavy Acid rifle tree is superfluous and merely redundant compared to the flamethrower and should be scrapped. It is a gross waste of skill points. Commando’s, like all other elite classes and the bounty hunter class, should have more ability based advantages (such as dizzy and knock down shots) and defensive skill bonuses (such as defence versus stun etc).

I envisage something like this: considering the prerequisites which are not really currently used (98 skill pts) and comparing that with how powerful TKA's, Fencers and Riflemen can be with minimal investment (29 pts of prerequisite). This also brings up the point that all hybrid characters are underpowered compared to elites for the investment (E.g. Bounty Hunters)

Four trees plus novice and master

Novice: Frag gren, Flame thrower, Launcher Pistol, Rocket Launcher, bonuses etc

Master: Ranged Dam Mitigation 3, bonuses etc

Field Craft and Tactics (Field Tactician)

This means things to actually do things with fields and some actual tactics: Including survival abilities such as terrain nav, mask scent, concealment (may use a camp like kit to build a biviwhack shelter to hide in which cant be moved but provide concealment bonuses), ranged damage mitigation 1 and 2. A small touch of creature knowledge (know thy enemy)

Special Weapons (Shock Trooper)

Including the Flame Thrower, Rocket Launcher and Grenades. The FL, RL and Grenades would progress in capability in much the same way they already do.

Close Quarter Combat (Skirmisher)

Hand to hand techniques including a knockdown and/or dizzy effect (if not here then in Ranged Combat tree). No meditation **edit**e, no fancy moves. Jugular knife hand, bayonet in the back and throwing the enemy to floor are more their style. Melee defence, unarmed damage and speed, dizzy and knock down resists plus a couple of strikes. Not equal or better than an elite brawler or TKA (obviously). Possibly melee mitigation 1 (definitely no higher, if at all)

Ranged Combat (Storm Commando)

This is the "standard" weapons abilities, should have pistol bonuses and the HAR bonuses, though this really needs replacing. I suggest either hijacking another professions weapon class (like bounty hunter uses carbines) or coming up with a stun and/or acid rifle type weapon as a replacement. I think a rifle would be appropriate with acid damage like Nym's slug thrower (but not a Heavy Acid Rifle!). Something akin to a T-21. Skills should include a long range damage shot, like an /acid1 , possibly dizzy or knockdown depending on whether their is a close combat ability of the same type. Again this category should stack up to be short of a full Elite Marksman’s capability given the overall ability of the commando. This area should also have ranged defence bonuses, dizzy bonuses, posture change etc.

Obviously this probably a little too much and wouldn’t be accepted but the trick is giving enough bonuses but not too many to balance out. E.g a TKA and Fencer are gonna have much better melee defence and knockdown bonuses, similarly so is rifle man.

HAR remodelled as an example of a possible weapon:

Cert: Merr Sonn Assault Rifle (or some other apt name)

Description: A combined long ranged automatic blaster with flechette launcher under slung (tho this has very little impact on the effect of the weapon but is a basis for a special ability of the commando.) Think M4A1 with an M203 underneath.

Rifle type

200-600 Dam, acid or blast (can use weapon buffs)

AR Medium,

speed 4.5,

range 0m:- 20 40m:0 64m-10

Specials: Something like Ranged Combat 1: “Called Shot”, a carefully placed shot to hamper and wound the enemy, bleed attack to a random HAM perhaps, minor bleed

Ranged Combat 3 or 4 : “Daisy Cutter” A tour de force of concussion and projectile blasts in attempt to suppress the enemy. A Put Down shot in essence, high damage plus potential for knockdown, dizzy and or stun (all three, just one, or a chance of all, whatever.)

What do you think? The trick is in keeping the game balance, which i think perhaps this suggestion lays on the edge of.

Very similar to what I have proposed many times-Yours is perhaps laid out a little better, but overall very similar. I'd fully support your plan being implemented, if we, the players, could definitely be heard. From what I read here and there, I don't see us getting any love anytime soon, so I may try to build my own commando bastardizing skills from many different professions. We'll see how that goes.

Here's a big question though-if commando receives a total revamp and all the heavy weapons get merged into one column and totally new columns are created that don't even use heavy weapon experience, do master commandos automatically get all these skills at master level, despite never having used them to develop them? Just wondering.

I like your ideas, but i doubt devs will redo the profession when it's easier to name it 'Heavy Weapons Specialst' and forget about the commando.

The Commando concept, as i see it, suits your definition far more than the actually applied one, but so far seeing what last publishes have made in profession changes, it's easier to make em change the name and create a new profession either than making em fix it.

Anyway, /sign

* Let's hope we get some love someday