Commando Archive
Thread: Commandos impossible to balance?
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ShufIrathe
Thu May 19, 2005 2:14 pm
#1
I've been thinking a little about what would make commandos cool again and I've come to the disturbing thought that the devs really borked us over and there's no way to fix it easily. The whole point of the CU was to make the game harder and remove any possibility of an "uber template". The only way out is to give us specials of our own. The reason is that any special from other professions amplify the effect of the weapon being used. We, as commandos, currently have no specials because our weapons are supposed to include the effect of the special manuever.
If the devs dramatically increase the DPS of our weaponsto match the damage that specials from other professions can do then those weapons will deal even more damage when coupled with a special from another profession say carbineer/bh. In which case everyone will have to have commando+something to be competitive otherwise they will be out damaged. There will be an uber template.To fix this the devs would have to set it up so that you couldn't use specials with commando weapons which would kill hybrid commandos, increase the sp requirement for commando such that you couldn't hybrid another elite profession wtih us, or give us our own specials which only work with commando weapons. All of these options have their own drawbacks and there's no easy way out of it. I think that's why we haven't seen any feedback from the dev folks because they aren't sure what to do about it. They coded themselves into a corner so to speak.
GiacomoCagiva
Thu May 19, 2005 3:18 pm
#2
I think I see what you are saying but i dropped commando because my commando weapons did less damage using the same specials as my carbines. Full Auto area with a carbine did full damage to all targets in the cone. THe cone from the PFT doesnt do anything but aggro everthing. The only good thing about my PFT was the area KD i got with charge shot. but then i just switched back to my carbine to blast everything.
Even counting the Fire DOT if it even stuck was weaker than the CM Fire and definately weaker then the Fire/Poison DOT i have now
davelope
Thu May 19, 2005 11:07 pm
#3
totally agree, i added m. bh to add as much as possible to commando and i end up using a scatter pistol 99% of the time and only pull out the big guns from commando just for fun(cuz they're not half as effective). it sucks
TheOtherDude
Thu May 19, 2005 11:17 pm
#4
Agreed.
However,fixing AoE and having it do 100% splash damage would at least give commando weapons a real niche, and give people a reason to use them.
Tyyylowyspetily
Fri May 20, 2005 5:18 am
#5
I had much the same concerns, but take heart, I believe there is a way to salvage the situation, and it lies in the action cost of our weapons. Action costs for commando weapons are very steep, so steep, that even such weak specials as aimed shot can quickly drain an action pool. I think many would agree that Bounty Hunter for example, is overpowered at the moment. It occurs to me, that any combat profession's goal, is to translate potential (action pool) into damage on target, in much the same way that a capacitor or battery drains of it's charge. Drain that potential in a capacitorthrough a resistor, and it takes some time to discharge. Connect the two ends with a good conductor, and all that potential is spent in a split second. The anology is not perfect, but I think it illustrates the point well. Provided those classes that are overpowered in their offensive output get nerfed, not in their ability, but in their potential to sustain that damage output over time, those same professions (indeed, even commando itself, should we get specials)will find that commando weapons, while devestating to enemies, are equally devestating to the action bar of the user. I actually favor the concept of a passivearmor break for heavy weapons, granted in steps while progressing up the demolitions line to assist novice commandos (with the best results at master of course), and a smaller area of effect particularly for our cone area of effect weapons, but should specials be implimented
I believe there are very easy ways to ensure that commando does not suffer the same fate as BH, with half of every server's population flocking to the class. I'd rather not see that. I'd also really rather not see the people that are genuinely interested in playing up the heavy weapons role turn away from what they would find "fun" because they would not be able to both have fun, and be effective. We've been there before, and IMHOwe can do withouteight out of ten players working the equivalent of master rifles/ tkm in the post CU world.
Latenighter
Fri May 20, 2005 7:30 am
#6
The comment that half the servers are flocking to have BH in their template is actually not a bad sign. Hybrid professions SHOULD be a highly sought after and powerful feature of any template. BH has a lot to offer right now.
Commando is a Hybrid that should be just as attractive as BH. All Hybrids should be attractive. Each for a useful and template beneficial reason. The reason everyone is adding BH is because BH WORKS right now. The other Hybrids don't. Get Commando fixed so that it's damage output and role are useful and valuable, and you'll see some of those BH templates switching to Commando.
But if Commando is left as a broken, weak, detriment to a group, we will deserve to be a dying breed. It's not right, not fair, and not reasonable. But it's the way it will be without a major correction, and the brilliant armor break concept is a way to fix a big piece of the problem.
Commando is a Hybrid that should be just as attractive as BH. All Hybrids should be attractive. Each for a useful and template beneficial reason. The reason everyone is adding BH is because BH WORKS right now. The other Hybrids don't. Get Commando fixed so that it's damage output and role are useful and valuable, and you'll see some of those BH templates switching to Commando.
But if Commando is left as a broken, weak, detriment to a group, we will deserve to be a dying breed. It's not right, not fair, and not reasonable. But it's the way it will be without a major correction, and the brilliant armor break concept is a way to fix a big piece of the problem.
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