CUEmu - Thread Posts

DaBudo2

Wed May 04, 2005 9:24 pm

Am I shouting "the sky is falling"?I presume you've all read Vert's post "A few CH questions/answers", but let me quote from the 3rd point listed there:

"Yes, unfortunately with the balance system it is no longer practical to have multiple pets of varying levels in use at one time."

I saw this as being a hugeproblem for CH, if not actually game breaking, very early on in testing. And the higher the CL you are, the bigger the problem becomes. I've made several posts here and in other forumslobbying against it in one way or another. If it seems like you've read a lot of this before, it's because you have.

In brief, my position is that because "it is no longer practical to have multiple pets" that there isno reason for a CL 80 Master Creature Handler to have a pet much lower than CL62. I'm not entirely sure that anything lower than CL 70 is of much use.

Low level pets are just not effective against mobs higher in level than them. The greater the difference in level, the less effective they are. So far, my experience has been that grouping them does not help. Three of my pets equaling CL 69 were versus a CL 79youth rancor were less effective than my one CL 62 webmaster.The 3 low level pets were just incapped too quickly.

As MCH/Master Pistoleer, I've been able to solo anything that cons grey to me. The mobs that I need help with are the mobs near my level - CL 80. If my CL 62 pet is of little use against such mobs, whybother using pets even lower in level? What's the purpose of using low level pets when one high level pet is more effective than any combo I can use.

What has happened is that I've stopped using any pets other than my webmasters. I imagine if I had a CL 70 pet then that would be the only one I would need to use. Why even bother taming lower level pets? If it isn't practical to have mulitple pets then...well, why have multiple pets?

Well, I could keep going on about the ramifications of what it means if onlysingle pets of the highest level are of any use, but this post is already too long. So, am I overstating the problem? Jumping to conclusions with not enough data? I'm caught in a mental rut, I think. Someone look at this differently than I am and tell me what they see.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. G. Marx

Pickaroon - MCH, Master Pistoleer, Elder Geek
BOTHEN! WOOHOO!

Freth

Wed May 04, 2005 9:35 pm

#2

I was using a prowling gurreck (level 54) in a group just fine. I wasn't alone though, so it was more feasible to use that level of pet. We were fighting 80+ creatures. In this particular group situation it was perfect because the pet never drew aggro but dealt consistent damage which made killing the mob easier and faster. I wouldn't put the smaller level pets on a backburner just yet. Tactics play a big part in the viability of your pets.

Fah-Mmm · Wookiee · Gorath · Master Creature Handler · Master Rifleman

monoped

Thu May 05, 2005 4:49 am

#3

i wasnt to share my experience as a master pistoleer/master creature handler,as it seems a little different from yours.

I have been managing consistently to take level 82 missions using my pets.

I always call two pets, one around level 50 and one around level 20, the level 20 being the "crowd control" ( or the one to get me out of trouble when i get it wrong, to put it another way ) he gets thrown at a second creauture that somtimes decides to join in. He doesnt win, but he does keep the agro from me long enough for me to deal with the situation.

As for using the level 50 ( or above, obviously it does work with higher level pets far more easily ) as a tank, its not a problem, use it to pull one target away from the pack. The trick is to use two specials, warning shot ( wich lowers the targets defences ) and then disarming shot wich stops the target attackign your pet for a few seconds. repeat these two specials trying to keep the armour lower and hte target from attacking, useing your pet do do the damage.

This works because both shots are "debuffing" shots, and hence very little damage, so you dont pull the hate from your pet.

there is an xp cost involved as the pets do most of the damage, ive got around this by waiting till the target was fairly low, then blasting with some higher power shots, after rooting it.

Im still a beliver ( maybe im just hopeing ) that pet specials will come back, if they do, theres another reason to call two pets, thats presumbably four specials you can put on a target....as i say, thats assuming they come back, and come back in the way we knew them..who knows.

DaBudo2

Thu May 05, 2005 6:51 am

#4

monoped wrote:

...As for using the level 50 ( or above, obviously it does work with higher level pets far more easily ) as a tank, its not a problem, use it to pull one target away from the pack. The trick is to use two specials, warning shot ( wich lowers the targets defences ) and then disarming shot wich stops the target attackign your pet for a few seconds. repeat these two specials trying to keep the armour lower and hte target from attacking, useing your pet do do the damage...

Excellent tip - haven't tried this yet (still not real familiar with all a Master Pistoleer can do). Definitely will give this a try. (Less xp doesn't bother me. I don't care about becoming Jedi, so what do I need XP for). Thanks.

Freth - I've not been in any groups since conversion. I'vehave been focusing on how things work solo, so I haven't thought much about group dynamics. Makes sense that pets would fair better in a group, so I feel better about that anyway. Thanks for reminder to not ignore what pets can do in a group situation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. G. Marx

Pickaroon - MCH, Master Pistoleer, Elder Geek
BOTHEN! WOOHOO!

SioBabble

Thu May 05, 2005 3:55 pm

#5

I've been using my gurreck, my mantigrue screecher, and my formerly level 45 gaping spider hunter in groups in level 80ish hunts.

They are very effective at pulling individual mobs off of lairs, very important with social critters. Once the mob has been taken out of aggro range, smugglers open up with their "mez" specials, riflemen and commandos do their thing with their damage dealing specials.

Combat, if done properly with a plan, is very managable, at or near your own level. People have gotten VERY slack due to the overpowering affects of armor and buffs under the old system, this is much more like combat in the first two-three months of release when armor wasn't uber and buffs hadn't broken out yet. It requires planning, discipline, and teamwork. Which is not bad, if the level system wasn't so punishing to non-combat players and so artificially slapped on to a skill based system.

Tazz vonMannstein Baron-Administrator of Corellia, master navigator of Corellia, captain of the Gregarious Gurreck

Sio Babble MBH/MCH/Cabana Boy; master of Tyson, the GNORT OF DEATH

Jeffn Akbar Nerfed from here to Lok MD/MCM

Zanti Agaesia Bothan MBE, 12 point Master Chef, Havoc Squadron Ace pilot

Creature Handler Archive

Thread: Am I being Chicken Little?