Creature Handler Archive

Well, after more heavy testing, I am not happy with CH after the CU.

Granted, ever since they NERFED us long ago, we as a class have never been able to return to our former glory and we where reduced to hunters that provided our companions as cannon fodder.

I respect CH and I am loyal to it. I can't even RESPEC my toon correctly due to keeping loyal to MCH and not grinding elite professions. But with a heavy heart, I am being pushed by SOE to give up something I adore and admire.

Before the CU, pets had a more unique feel to them. Their was more respect shown too pets long ago. Once SWG players adapted to changing times and stackers & Jedi flooded the system, the glory of pets for war was luaghed at by many. Now that the CU has hit, many CHers had hig hopes that thier profession would be respected again. I am not ranting that we should be UBER or the FOTM, I am stating that as a whole, we are not on par with what we should be as a profession.

Its bad enough that some of my BE creatures with great HAM, stats, and protection, have converted over to generic weaker clones. I went to Endor and hunted for babies for 2 hours this morning. After not having any luck looking for what I was looking for, I decided to do some combat PvE testing.
I have 2 twin level 35 razor cats on my data pad. Before CU they both had 10k HAM, Armor, 60% kinetic protection, and strong disease/poison specials. These cats saved my azz plenty of times verse creatures. So I converted them over to the new CU system, not choosing the option that makes them a level I can't use at all (STUPID OPTION SOE). So, now my twin war cats have 4k HAM and 1400 level protection across the board except for sabre. Bottom line they can't even hold up like before and the HATE sytem with lack of CH defences makes having pets useless if your template alone cant help you defend yourself.

I know many of you out their are not happy about CH. When I see a Nightsister Rancor tamer, I think how cool our class could be. Imagine seeing us riding a mounted Rancor, its hulking body towering over all opponents, and its mere strength able to crush victims with their grasp. All a dream. We control a max of level 70. Whats 1 single level 70 pet going to do verse a superior fighter or Jedi.

I have tested PvP. Like before, Jedi waste pets quicker then my wife spends money. Verse combat classes, pets do good, but once players adapt to the new game system, learn new food, and get new armor, it will all be like before...CHers will be LAUGHED at when used for war. ROOT Merek and then critical shoot it to death. Get the picture?

So here we are. Reduced to mid-level hunters. Kinda sucks that its a long process to grind MCH, its an elite class that provides no real class defence, pets that do lower damage then good weapons, and a HATE system that ruins it all. Besides taming clothes that seem to sometimes not even work, what gagets or items have really been made for CH?

Might as well just kill this class 100% instead of feeling us false hope!

On a side note. Why can I see the stats on my BE pets and not regular pets?

Loyal to CH, but loosing faith.

CU? Seems more like FU!

I disagree with the doom and gloom theories of CH being taken out of the game. Creatures are a part of the Star Wars universe. Creature Handler is one of the most popular professions in the game. It's not going anywhere. Besides, if it did you'd have to take BE out of the game as well, because without CH there can be no BE. Take away BE and there can be no BE clothing, no pet stims, etc. So, your theory holds no water.

While I understand your frustrations with the pets not being powerful anymore, I can't agree with you about this being a bad thing. I don't miss my uber strong pets anymore, nor do I miss the ones with the killer stats. You know why? Because it's actually balanced now. My pets do fine. But since pets are meant to be support you can't expect them to do all the work. You have to do some of the work as well. The combat upgrade is all about grouping. People getting together for a common cause. It will also make PVP more interesting I think. The idea is to be a part of a team, not be able to solo everything. BUT... I've noticed that I can solo 60+ creatures with justa petand the rifle tree in Marksman. Tactics are the name of the game. And that is going to be the key to playing both PVP and PVE, with ANY elite profession. You CAN solo, but you won't overwhelm. That's not the point of the CU. You're not supposed to be able to overwhelm or kill easily. The game is now challenging, rather than an MCH being able to send his pets in and stand back and do his nails he has to get his feet dirty.

oh yeah, they are gonna remove us. Your points are valid.

/endsacrasm

"Creature Handler destined to be removed from game!"

I treated this statement as it deserves to be treated lol.

horse hockey

I am having fun with CH, have been loyal to it since almost launch.

The problem is that as a class we are subjected to balance flaw.

Two things to think about.

1. Take a modern day elite Army combatant in Kevlar armor, trained in warfare and killing. Before him is an angry Elephant. Even if the soldier had 9mm pistol in his hand, that Elephant would trample him to death with ease. If he had a Heavy Weapon, yes...things would be different. Pets in the SWG universe are way more powerful then the real world. The problem is they are not respected or feared when in the hands of a CH. In the real world, if a zoo keeper released a Tiger from a cage, you are lunch!

2. Take a modern day police officer. He faces a drug dealer that sends his two pit bulls against him. While the dogs are attacking, the drug dealer picks up a brick and throws it at the officer. Are you telling me the officer would not eliminate the dogs first to save himself before confronting the drug dealer? HATE system my butt!

Ekaw I didn't state it as a fact, but a point of view. I am here to support this profession, don't treat me like the enemy. I treat my in-game pets just like my real world pets...with respect!

Is anything but a Master CH good for anything.

As far as I can tell my pets nerfed to 4000ish HAM

They no longer hold aggro if you do anything to help them (like fire a weapon).

I am so sad. My character that I have played over 2+ years can't defend himself at all.

More testing in PvP this morning.

I am MCH/Master Marksman/with pistoleer-bh skills. I can't respec due to a grind flaw.

I am testing in good converted armor with defence clothing, including new +4 melee/+18 ranged defence clothing. A 1924 energy PSG. I took Brandy & Moun Gold. For testing I used a 661 max Geo-pistol with PU.

All in a testing frame of mind. I don't care if I die, its a learning curve. So I went overt-Special Forces this morning to PvP and I encountered two match ups.

1. Took out a level 50 Rancor and a newer probot (haven't tested bomb droid yet). Assaulted a Jedi in Theed. Team work is the key with Jedi. He was rated at 80...I am at 73. Took my chances. ROOTED him, Hit him with intimadate shot, got in a defensive stance, enraged my Rancor (500+ damage), and sent my probot in. Needless to say, we all went down quicker then my prom date. Rancor & probot barely did anything at all in damage! Oh well, next test.

2. Took out 2 level 35 war cats (300+ damage each with 4100 HAM) and a newer probot again. Assaulted a level 80 Rebel combatant. Enraged both my cats and assaulted him with specials as probot attacked from a distance. Took a defensive stance, ROOTED him, and attacked. Well his range over my range ROOTED me farther back. As I was stuck working on my next attack, I watched my probot blow up and my 2 cats die, both only doing minor damage. 4 to 1 odds. Thank god we are only in learning-testing mode. Granted with a better weapon or better range, this would of ended in my favor...maybe. Just sad to see 2 great cats converted over to not hold up in war.

The point I am trying to make is. The CU has just begun and soon players will adapt to the system. Rumors of armor reaching 8000 Kinetic protection are already coming into the fold, along with better defence food and equipment. So when your deadly level 70 pet assaults an adapted combatant with a 1000 damage powerhammer, just like before the CU, our loyal companions fall victim due to weakness!

Personally, (Your all gonna flame and hate me for this) I would love CH to be changed to a Droid combat tactition or specialest.........or some thing of that nature or even better moved to "Combat tactition" and not have "pets" per say but give the class a choice of droids or critters.......

I would much rather see 3 probots or some other cool looking combat droids running around than furry critters all the time................

It would make DE's happy(er) too................

I dropped CH several months ago. I never knew the original glory days but still thoroughly enjoyed my time as MCH. So much so that I got an alt and am again working up the CH tree. I know what they were like pre CU and I know what they are like now. Believe it or not a 1111 CH is valuable in PvE group combat. Yep thats right, valuable. Our guild hunts together and with the CU we are grouping more than ever and having a blast. The pets don't tank but they are the best pullers in the galaxy. The mob reacts the instant you signal attack and starts running towards your pet. This separates the mob from the herd where you can lay a knee shot on it and let it crawl towards you. Next let the mezzer throw a root on it and everyone pounds the heck out of it. This is very different from a rifleman doing the pulling. Often with very aggressive mobs a rifleman will still draw multiple agroes but with a pet I can stay out of agro range and use the pet to pull the single beast into range.

Every group should have CH,mezzer,healer, and damage dealers and yes I do mean CH. It actually has a better purpose than it did 6 months ago when I would hunt with my guild and spend all my time healing my pets to finally put them away in frustration. I have a level 19 BE tusk cat and he has hunted with me and my guild for hours at a time pulling creature after creature for us since the CU. I even used him to separate a canyon and juvi krayt. The role of CH changed drastically but it also became very useful, just adjust your style to match the possibilities.

I'm glad to be back in CH, now 2222, and enjoying it more than ever because the guild isn't just putting up with my pets they actually want it out to break up the herd.