Commando Archive
Thread: History of the Commando Profession
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Hellshot
Mon Jan 26, 2004 4:33 pm
#1
I thought it would be nice to type up a quick summary of where our profession has been for those people who are new to the game or simply new to the profession. Please feel free to make corrections where I may have made errors. I am starting at launch since I was not involved in the beta, but people should feel free to add those details
Launch to First Publish (The Bunny Years)
When SWG launched, the commando profession was severely underpowered, with most weapons only able to deal a fraction of the damage of the current weapons. Additionally, the launcher pistol initially gave pistol experience, instead of hw weapon experience, which was a problem since it was the only decent commando weapon at the time. This was fixed about a month or so after launch. Disposable weapons have about 300charges/shots. Very few commandoes exist in the galaxy, with those few brave souls bleeding levisquall on Rori and then switching to grenades or the flamethrower to get hw experience. The HAR certs are broken. We are told that disposable heavy weapons are supposed to be used at close range, resulting in the working as intended comments.
First Publish to Third Publish (The Golden Age)
The commando profession gets a major revamp, with all weapons except the launcher pistol getting a major upgrade in damage output. Heavy weapon ranges are increased tocurrentlevels.Additionally, the flamethrower is misclassified as a melee weapon, granting commandoes a 2.5X multiplier against rifle wielding opponents. Moreover, the machine flamer exists for a period of time. The machine flamer was a bug that allowed commandoes to fire the flamethrower at an inordinately fast rate when prone. Disposable weapons now have about 30 charges/shots. Resources finally being to appear on most servers to craft rocket launchers. Commandoes rejoice until they see the prices. Grenades and heavy weapons cannot be used indoors. The HAR certs are still broken.
Third Publish to Fourth Publish (The Stealth Nerf)
While much of the SWG community rejoices at the introduction of holocrons, commandoes are shocked to discover that instead of their flamethrowers simply being reclassified as ranged weapons, they are now classified as rifles, subjecting the user to a 2.5X melee damage multiplier. The Devs acknowledge that this had occurred, but initially see no contradiction in restricting special use to 16m and applying a melee penalty. On the brightside, composite armor sales go through the roof. Commandoes are later told that we should stop worrying about the multiplier with the upcoming combat changes. And we find out that the dev in charge of combat does not like our profession when the correspondent forum is accidentally open to everyone.The master box gets additional bonuses to FT/HAR/Thrown Weapon/Rocket launcher accuracy. Commando disposable weapons are still very expensive per shot, and grenades still have very high HAM costs and miss often. Grenades and heavy weapons cannot be used indoors. The HAR certs are still broken.
Fourth Publish to Publish 6
The melee damage multiplier is removed, much to the disappointment of armorsmiths everywhere. Commandoes get ranged damage mitigation to level 3 at the master box. The schematic for the launcher pistol has the power hadler removed from it, reducing its damage output considerably. Commando disposable weapons are still very expensive per shot, and grenades still have very high HAM costs and miss often. Grenades and heavy weapons cannot be used indoors. The HAR certs are still broken.
Publish 7 to present
Food to resist damage and fire blankets were introduced in publish 7, but the DOT done by a flamethrower was changed to equall 20% of the initial damage and also be effected by armor resistance, so most serious PvP players don't bother much with these. Also, this changed severly hampered the commandoes ability to affect high level mobs, such as rancors and night sisters. DOT stacking effects were changed so that a single commando could only stack 1 single and 1 flame, instead of all 4, but multiple commandoes could stack the same special (i.e. flame single 2). The HAR modifiers were fixed in publish 7, but most commandoes still eschew the weapon due to its low high HAM costs, slow speed, lack of AP,lack of DOT, and lower damage than the flamethrower. Heavy weapons and grenades are now usable indoors.
The Future
Always in motion the future is, usually to nerf the commando. The next publishhas no direct impact on commandoes, although the introduction of detonation mouse droidscuts into the ranged blast damage niche that had defined commandoes.We expect that disposable weapons will still be very expensive per shot, and grenades will still have very high HAM costs and miss often unless there is a major change in how these weapons are crafted. However, there is a silver lining in that the much hyped combat balance could arrive in publish 9 or 10, which is SUPPOSED to significantly affect weapon speeds, damages, and HAM costs.
Message Edited by Hellshot on 04-27-2004 12:04 PM
garvin
Mon Jan 26, 2004 4:40 pm
#2
Great post...the walk down memory lane brought a tear to my eye...ahhh...the golden period...yes...hmmmm
DANG I miss the Bunny!!!!IVONI WENEED YOU!!!!
Hellshot
Mon Jan 26, 2004 4:51 pm
#3
garvin wrote:
Great post...the walk down memory lane brought a tear to my eye...ahhh...the golden period...yes...hmmmm
I cant express how disappointed I was when the machine flamer went away. It was the perfect tradeoff. -50 accuracy and aninsane firing rate. It was great to just lay utter chaos upon a group and see the huge explosions engulf them.
Danjun
Mon Jan 26, 2004 4:53 pm
#4
Great post Hellshot.
Shows that humanity isn't all about progression but will gladly indulge in regression at times.
shutout
Mon Jan 26, 2004 5:03 pm
#5
oh you still can. use suppression fire
Hellshot wrote:
I can't express how disappointed I was when the machine flamer went away. It was the perfect tradeoff. -50 accuracy and aninsane firing rate. It was great to just lay utter chaos upon a group and see the huge explosions engulf them.
. and yeah, i did love to go prone on them lairs and scare the bejeezus out of my friends lol. ah the good ol' days.
Halmet
Mon Jan 26, 2004 5:12 pm
#6
Hellshot wrote:
garvin wrote:
Great post...the walk down memory lane brought a tear to my eye...ahhh...the golden period...yes...hmmmm
I cant express how disappointed I was when the machine flamer went away. It was the perfect tradeoff. -50 accuracy and aninsane firing rate. It was great to just lay utter chaos upon a group and see the huge explosions engulf them.
Sadly, i came in to late and missed that.
Aidn
Mon Jan 26, 2004 6:30 pm
#7
Great post! Maybe the DEVs should reinstate the machine flamer... I'd appreciate that, would be nice for them to give something to us that isn't a nerf!
SkipMalone
Mon Jan 26, 2004 9:25 pm
#8
Good post indded... My friends always asked why I hated bunnies so much. And nothing beat the Flamethrower on crack... hehe
___________________
Cresslin
-Master Commando-
{Leader of DFR}
First mohawk on Flurry
------------------------------
Jeren_Sehn
Tue Jan 27, 2004 5:14 pm
#9
Great post. It omitted the loss of our grenade component crafting (which I was happy for at the time--though I thought weaponsmiths would pick that up), but it hitthe highlights.
I wassorry I missed the Correspondent Forums opening up, as I've never heard what led people to believe the Dev in charge of Combat hates us. Every profession says the devs hates them, so it's nice to have proof that we're the ones who are right. 
Not having see it though, and being generally optimistic, I reserve judgement on whether that accurately reflects the poor guy's true feelings.
Not having see it though, and being generally optimistic, I reserve judgement on whether that accurately reflects the poor guy's true feelings.The first "working as intended" message I ever personally received was the first time I submitted "incapped myself with my own grenade" as a "bug."
Raptor2k1
Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:42 pm
#10
Yep, pretty much sums it up; although, the fact that the combat dev hates us is news to me. I must have missed that. Kinda depressing really, I hope it's only because of our current sorry state and they actually try to redesign the profession in a way that makes much more sense.
maddogs
Wed Jan 28, 2004 8:33 am
#12
you mised a pach in there
the one were they made the LP give hw xp and took away are crafting thats all they did for that pach tho
good post not many remaber the days when you were master and evrey one laught at you as you ran at them with a flamer that 300 max dam
Hellshot
Wed Jan 28, 2004 8:50 am
#13
I didnt join until the second month or so of the game (shortly before the first big publish) so I am unclear on some of the details of back then. I thought grenade crafting by commandoes got axed in beta, but am I mistaken?
maddogs wrote:
you mised a pach in there
the one were they made the LP give hw xp and took away are crafting thats all they did for that pach tho
good post not many remaber the days when you were master and evrey one laught at you as you ran at them with a flamer that 300 max dam
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