With Update 1.2 arriving and patch note unveiled, I'll give you my thoughts on the changes announced for the sniper before making a few assumptions about upcoming specializations.
General
Players can now use Crouch (but not take cover) when immobilized:
Indicated in the general modification of the Imperial Agent, this modification obviously affects more particularly the Sniper. This is a fix that can be essential in PvP as we will still enjoy the cover even if we are immobilized.
Shattering Shot now additionally inflicts trauma, reducing all healing received by the target by 20% for 9 seconds.
Reducing healing by 20% in addition to a decrease in armor will be more than useful in pvp whether it is to lower a heal a little twisted or to defend on the opponent's ball carrier in the hutball, the field of application is there. is vast. In pve, this will probably not be useful especially with a duration of 9 seconds which requires it to be too often based on a long fight possibly a burst target which would heal itself.
Marksmanship
Imperial Assassin is now a 3-point ability that produces the same general effect.
Imperial Assassin is one of the most effective talents in terms of dps in the marksmanship tree (30% increase in crit on series of fire, continuity) even if its cost of 5 points could make it dispensable in certain cases. hybrid - it is nevertheless two points offered!
Siege Bunker is a new 2-point ability located at level 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage from AoE attacks by 60% while Entrenchment is active. This change allows the Sniper to stay in cover more often in situations that force other classes to move quickly.
The counterpart of the Imperial Assassin's drop in points is therefore a new talent that reduces area damage by 60% when undercover and under the effect of the entrenchment technique (makes you immune to controls, including bump). ). The stated objective is to prevent the sniper from having to break his cover and entrenchment if area damage occurs.
In PvE, I hardly see the usefulness of this talent because it will not be conceivable, even with this technique, to stay in the zone, the two points are much better invested elsewhere.
In PvP, the length of the Entrenchment cooldown (even when paired with Sniper Pillbox which reduces its cooldown) and the difficulty of staying fixed makes it situational at best.
The Dry Shot tooltip now correctly mentions that its effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds. Its operation has not changed.
Nothing to report, the free cover sniping had a 6 second cooldown before resetting.
Sniper volley has been reviewed. It now procs when dealing damage with rifles and increases Alacrity and Energy regeneration for 10 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds.
The big change to this talent tree, a complete overhaul of stolen sniper talent completely abandoned by snipers today. The developers seem to have understood that players were reluctant to increase their alacrity due to energy issues and therefore offer a solution by offering an alacrity boost coupled with an energy boost. In addition, they associate this improvement with the use of all our techniques using the rifle (series of fire, ambush, continuity, sniping ...) where it only worked with sniping.
A talent difficult to estimate level of gain of dps but not being able to be negative and which should allow intense burst phases, the current figures tend to show that 2 points will allow a stacking of the improvement very effective.
Engineering
Premeditated prosecution has been reviewed. It is now located at level 4 of the skill tree and removes the Energy cost of Overloaded Shot for 6 seconds after leaving its cover.
Balancing Although I found this talent dispensable at the second level, overloaded shooting nevertheless seems a good choice when moving because it does not require casting time.
Electromagnetic Discharge range has been increased to 60 yards.
Bug fix to solve possible problems especially in war zones.
Plasma probe has been improved. It has new visual effects and now deals more damage in the first few seconds. It also traps affected targets. If the initial hit hits a target affected by your Interrogation Probe, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.
A 2 second stun on the 3 targets of the plasma probe offered free by BioWare without consideration, this anchors the specialization a little more in PvP. Its interest is mixed (even zero) in single target.
Stroke of genius is now located at level 2 of the skill tree.
Instant sniping during the cover pulse, yet another PvP-oriented technique whose effectiveness remains to be demonstrated.
Fatality (Sniper)
Fatality now increases critical strike chance by 1% per point.
Nerf for almost all the specializations where this talent was taken (partly compensated in fatality), quite incomprehensible because the damage done by the sniper did not seem to me to be abused and that this does not balance the different specializations by impacting them all. . Talent goes from essential to optional.
Slaughter now costs 25 Energy (previously 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but poison damage does not change.
Reduction in energy costs but the technique remains expensive. Reducing direct weapon damage is damaging, but fortunately it is not the primary source of damage from this ability. At the same time, an increase in Slaughter Critics partially offsets the decrease in Fatality Talent Critics.
Crippling Breath no longer has an Energy cost.
10 energy points gained, it's always good to take especially on this specialization particularly energy-vore.
Corrosive microbes now function properly.
specializations
Currently pre 1.2, several templates are considered viable in PvE and PvP, what will happen at the release of this patch (these are still assumptions of course)?
- The pure ranged specialization (currently 31/7/3) could remain stable with just a reassignment of Imperial Assassin points in sniper volley or 2 points seems to be a good compromise despite a 3% crit loss.
- The hybrid ranged / engineering specialization (currently 21/17/2) should suffer little or no loss of efficiency, but it will perhaps become more interesting by reinvesting the 2 fatality points in experimental explosives to make a 23/18 which reduces the critical for an area damage gain, as effective in mono with orbital strike as moving with grenades (effective with all these area effect gains).
- The pure engineering specialization should hardly change in the distribution of talent points (7/31/3) and gain in efficiency in PvP via the modifications of premeditated pursuits and especially of the plasma probe even if it still suffers from the lack of burst
- The fatality ranged shooting hybrid specialization (16/3/23 not covered on swtor-guide) which is currently one of the most efficient despite a high energy consumption keeps all its potential, the critical loss in fatality is partly compensated via its increase when using slaughter associated with razor burst and will benefit from a small gain in energy when using it.
- The Hybrid Engineering / Fatality specialization (2/17/23 not covered on swtor-guide) is in the same case and should hardly suffer from the changes made with a very good damage potential and reduced energy consumption.
- Finally, pure fatality (2/7/31) should not change either level of placement of talent points and this specialization seems to be the only one to benefit from a slight improvement probably to balance its damage so far behind. all the others. The critical loss is obviously compounded and the energy cost decreased via the kill drop and debuff blast which becomes free.
So much for the different variations used at the present time, we can also consider new variations with the decrease in the interest of fatality and the new energy regeneration brought by sniper volley. Like 28/13/00 for example, retaining Imperial Assassin for his high critical rate on primary attacks while benefiting from hybrid engineering tools (interrogation probe and fragment bomb) relying on energy regeneration via volley of sniper instead of imperial methodology.
I am in any case particularly enthusiastic about the idea of testing new formulas and seeing new trends emerge, I will keep you informed of the evolution of course, with supporting figures once the log combat is active!
Sources
http://sithwarrior.com/forums/Thread-Marksmanship-Sniper-Sharpshooter-Gunslinger-Compendium
http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=380085
