I'm Sephiyo, GM of Shadow Reflection on Baron Deathmark (Empire side). We wanted to share our point of view as others have already done because we find that it can be interesting for some to see the opinion of a small guild.
We only do 3 raids a week, which kept the game going while 1.2 rolled around. At the time of writing, we have clean the pre 1.2 content before 1.2 (R8 and R16 in nightmare mode of the Chamber of Eternity and the Karraga Palace). Regarding the new raid, Explosive Conflict, we finished R8 and 16 in Story Mode and we attacked R16 HM this week.
We therefore share our point of view on different classes and roles (this without any pretension on our part) in a desire to share. These opinions are binding on us of course!
Advice from a healer: Sephiyo, Inquisitor
Like all Inquisitors, I was afraid of the "force surge" nerve where you lose life with each regeneration. In the end, it doesn't change the way I play or my care so much. The only difference is that I will pay attention to my regen and especially the area damage bosses (Karraga, the Explosive Conflict bosses). Otherwise if I really need to regenerate a good shot and it's a fairly quiet moment: treatment area + medipac = I can start several drinks. What bothers me the most is the impossibility of reducing the incantation of extreme care as before. Suddenly, rapid treatment becomes more interesting than before depending on the situation.
I find the wizard to be very good at raid healer, which I do most often in R16 (the bounty hunter and agent are on the tank). Just the gameplay is less interesting on the regen unfortunately…
- My favorite boss
- My bête noire
- The bosses are easier
- The hardest boss
Soa (excluding platform phase).
I really like the sequence of the fight, the priority of care that must be given (the one who will rush into the ball, the tank, well go up the person who took the ball in case it flies in the air just after).
Gharj, because it is the total boredom in healing this boss, there is almost nothing to do even in nightmare R16.
Hard to tell between the pylons and the demonic council. These 2 are really very simple in terms of care, we can go there very quiet. If it is necessary to choose one, I would say the pylons where I have no care to do.
Clearly Soa in R8 nightmare (pre 1.2 because nerf damage balls). The boss is very difficult because the balls hurt a lot more than in 16 and sometimes OS people in light armor if they get a tic. The tank is expensive too, so it is difficult with 2 heals to ensure the tank and the dps all the way. The P3 is not easy because the first two balls arrive at the same time as the boss takes his 1st pylon. In short, a fairly random fight sometimes, where everything can change very quickly and suddenly wipe at the end.
- Pre 1.2 PvE content
- Operation Explosive Conflict
- Group 8 or 16?
The whole is still quite easy, the real difficulty is on the Karraga palace in a nightmare where the damage is more important. I missed wiping a whole evening on the same boss and then the joy of finally going down (except Soa nightmare R8).
After a few evenings, I found it to be excellent. Bioware wanted to offer us originality and it is, it is a treat. We only do R16 on it and it's quite difficult at 16 even in normal!
We finally experienced the evening with a full wipe on a boss and then finally the down, progressing on technique and placement, asking ourselves the right questions to get there. In short, the difficulty and the interest are present (and the decorations are good + pretty), we started the HM at 16 and it hurts very, good + hard! As a healer you have to go, the bosses rip off and the life of the whole raid can go very quickly if there is a mistake (even trashes like the worker). I no longer have the time to dps or do anything like I used to.
Clearly the R16. Much more interesting to manage (more people, more hard placement, 2 tanks required). Much more difficult, whether at the level of trash or at the level of the bosses, in particular in Karraga, for example Jarg and Sorno and the Foreman Crusher do very important damage. The fun is much more present if there is good understanding!
Tank Review: Kukrapok, Ravager
The first thing that struck me after 1.2 was the big damage from the tank pest! Other than that, I didn't finally spot any huge changes. The 1.2 rather touching the hybrid tank specialization which never really attracted me.
The immortal spec for its part does not really evolve since even if certain skills change levels, we take them anyway. I am now opting for a 31/8/2 spec with revenge points in accuracy for the time being, subject to change based on tests and / or stats on the gear.
- My favorite boss
- My bête noire
- The bosses are easier
- The hardest boss
I would have chosen Soa for all the mechanisms if the platform phases weren't so boring in the long run. So I would say Karraga from my point of view. Having to move it according to the puddles is always a bit "bread in the ass" but that's precisely what is nice, having to move it while keeping the aggro, allowing the dps cac to be able to do their job and to do so that no one gets caught in the missile cones.
Brise Os, from a tank point of view, this fight is as uninteresting as it gets.
Pylons or chamber duels. Both are interest free.
Soa R8 in a nightmare (while in r16 it is one of the easiest). The control of the RNG is really difficult as the deaths on the balls make it really difficult for us (finally became freekill post 1.2 ...).
- Pre 1.2 PvE content
- Operation Explosive Conflict
- Group 8 or 16?
Content in terms of quantity suitable for a guild like ours which only raid 3 evenings per week. Content in terms of difficulty can be a little low (especially in the Chamber where only Soa r8 will have given us a hard time).
Luckily Karraga in R16 Nightmare offered tougher fights like Jarg and Sorno or the Crusher Foreman who puts hell on the tank.
We have so far finished the R8 in normal which is harder than the 2 other raids but still easy (disappointment on Kephess by the way). As with the R16, the difficulty is something else on the other hand but in normal it is still largely surmountable. Really looking forward to starting in HM which promises to be much more complicated!
The R16 without hesitation. The difficulty becomes much more interesting and playing with 15 other people is much more motivating than only 7! On top of that, the R16s allow you to go out with 2 tanks which is better for me.
I am generally satisfied with the pre 1.2 PVE in swtor (if we forget all the bugs present) and I think that Explosive Conflict in R16 HM promises us long evenings of raid!
DPS Notice: Shady, Sniper
The fact of reducing the talent "imperial assassin" to only 3 points frees us of 2 points which allows us to opt for a hybrid precision / engineering special which brings us an extra dowry. I find this specialization much more interesting to play than the old precision specialization, more dynamic and less dependent on cover which is always appreciable in fights where you have to move. We therefore lose 3% of criticism but we gain a dowry which hurts quite badly over time, which is not negligible.
However, this spec costs a lot of energy so you have to be very rigorous about your dps cycle, otherwise you will quickly see yourself spamming auto fire. This update therefore brings a new spec, more fun to play and which dps more, what more could you ask for?
- My favorite boss
- My bête noire
- The bosses are easier
- The hardest boss
Definitely Bonebreaker because we have to do damage while looking at the boss's target, be careful not to take a cleave or get bumped. As a ranged dps, it is a boss where you must both be attentive to your dps, its placement for the bump but also the cleave, whether you are the target of the boss or not which makes this fairly dynamic combat.
Gharj is probably the most classic swtor boss. There is not much to do except hit the boss, the platform change phase is nice but otherwise it is total boredom, especially since as a sniper, we do not don't bump.
The pylons or the demonic council. On paper, the principle can be nice, but in the end the difficulty is not there.
Nightmare Soa R8 (pre 1.2). The balls hurt a lot, I have to take my ball with a worried shield + my shield probe because otherwise I can die. The fact of being thrown in the air when you have less than 50% of life is synonymous with guaranteed death or the fact of falling back in the middle of the balls makes the fight a little too random. We all know the combo "I take my ball then I am thrown in the air". It's the randomness of the boss that makes this fight really hard.
- Pre 1.2 PvE content
- Operation Explosive Conflict
- Group 8 or 16?
Lots of pretty interesting fights, however I think they're a bit too short if not too simple. The eternity chamber is really free even in R16 except Soa R8 nightmare. The difficulty only arises with Karraga in Nightmare 16, but overall still a little too simple. In terms of content, it is a bit weak but is quite suitable for a guild like ours which only does 3 raids per week.
Finally a raid where the scenery is much more pleasant to look at. This was my first impression of the proceedings. The difficulty is finally there even in raid 8 even if it is easier in this mode. Interesting and tough fights, what more could you ask for?
I admit that I was apprehensive about the event of the 3rd boss because we can not say that some events are fun but in the end it contrasts well with the other bosses while keeping the original side. I can't wait to discover the HM as well as the nightmare.
If you like to go easier, the R8 is for you. Personally I prefer the difficulty that the R16 brings, the fact of having 2 tanks, more people in the instance makes the fights more interesting. And then we have a tank specializing in bump in a vacuum, so we need a second to replace it ^^
Notice of a DPS: Zollof, Specialist Bounty Hunter (cac)
With 1.2, there have been some useful changes in PVE: Increased chance to trigger Critical Inline Fire, Immolate, and Flame Sweep now place Prototype Flamethrower stacks ...
All that aside, the Advanced Proto Specialist is arguably the most mobile cac with excellent survivability. We can stay 10 meters from the target very often, only 2 spells require real contact (dazzling fist and retractable blade). A Dps in deca of the other classes anyway, even if it is close to it. Almost all spells are snapshots, which results in very dynamic fights where you don't get bored, with good cycle management the heat is rarely an issue.
- My favorite boss
- My bête noire
- The bosses are easier
- The hardest boss
I would go for Karraga, a little thought for Dr. Robotnik. A nice boss, a well-scripted fight (Soa pre 1.2 is quite the opposite at this level)
Soa, crappy script, spells that always follow one another at the worst time, platform that does not come back between tryouts and so on ...
The pylons ...
Jarg and Sorno in R16 nightmare, heavy damage, the different phases and probes require good cohesion and knowledge of the strat for each member of the raid.
- Pre 1.2 PvE content
- Operation Explosive Conflict
- Group 8 or 16?
Like Sephiyo
Finally a real challenge, a good difficulty from the story mode, no room for mistakes on strategies or placement, variety on the different bosses and very pleasant settings. And the slightest trash hits pretty hard here. After we cut our teeth on story mode, we're going to attack the HM.
R16 without hesitation, the R8 is easier, we are not going to waste the life of our new challenge anyway. Then at 16 everything is more intense, it really looks like a raid. At 8 it's just a big group.
It requires much more cohesion and listening for a pleasure not doubled but tenfold!
The PVE pre 1.2 was just a warm-up for my taste, learning the mechanics of the game, it kept us going for a while but today it has become pure farming. If the future looks like Denova, it can only become more and more exhilarating.
Notice of an Agt's DPS, Mercenary Bounty Hunter (ranged)
The gameplay has not changed much with the 1.2 in arsenal special, we can use unloading more regularly. Over the patches, the damage decreases but remains correct. The heat isn't very difficult to deal with with the right gear and cycle, allowing non-stop damage to be done with virtually no basic attack.
- My favorite boss
- My bête noire
- The bosses are easier
- The hardest boss
Soa, very technical and with a random side adding suspense ^^.
Pylons, nothing exciting to click on a console by killing weak mobs.
The demonic advice: no movement, just do damage and slam your tank / regen hp CDs, a little heal if necessary.
The trashes, some packs are very hot, you have to manage your aggro well. As a boss I would say Soa (pre 1.2), a lot of movement, significant damage received, switch targets, dps burst phases.
- Pre 1.2 PvE content
- Operation Explosive Conflict
- Group 8 or 16?
I find the raids very varied and enjoyable. There is experience to acquire for the different techniques on each boss but if everyone knows their role and applies it: no problem, except for some random stuff.
Again a very different raid from the first, the atmosphere is really good and the bosses quite original. The difficulty seems to be there.
R16 because I find it better balanced, all the bosses are more difficult except Soa who loses a lot of his randomness due to a shorter phase 2. And the more the merrier, the more we laugh!
Do not hesitate to react with your personal opinion or to send in your guild impressions!
