1.2 Brings a lot of changes in most of the classes. Overall, the style of the game is going to change, PvP mostly. First of all, healing is getting reduced. Damage would now mean more in PvP. Also, that way, PvE content is going to be harder if the damage dealt by bosses is unchanged. Secondly, players will live longer due to high expertise and more endurance; they will do less damage and less healing. In general, most damage dealing specs have their rotation changed.
I would also want to add those are MY OPINION. You are free to disagree and comment. My reason for posting this is to summarize the incoming changes. This post summarizes the patch notes up to the 03/30.
SITH WARRIOR/JEDI KNIGHT
Buff: Termination phase. Can now use their execute ability at or below 30% up from 20%.
Buff: Ravage/Master Strike damage is increased by 10%.
JUGGERNAUT/GUARDIAN
Buff: Interrupt don't cost rage/focus anymore.
Buff: Termination phase. Can now use their execute ability at or below 30% up from 20%.
Buff: Single Saber Master now applies for all Forms.
Buff: Ravage/Master Strike has its damage increased by 15%.
Buff: Self healing has been added.
VERDICT:
RAGE/FOCUS: BUFFED
VENGEANCE/VIGILANCE: EVEN~BUFFED
IMMORTAL/DEFENSE: EVEN~NERFED
PvP PERFORMANCE: INCREASED
PvE PERFORMANCE: INCREASED
TANKING PERFORMANCE: EVEN
To be honest, Juggernauts/Guardians needed those changes. They got self healing, an ability that would turn the tables in PvP and an increase to AoE damage for all trees. Rage/Focus has now more mobility and control and an extra burst, perfect for PvP. Vengeance/Vigilance were slightly buffed, they already got what was needed for PvE. Finally, Immortal/Defense would now build threat easier with their abilities and would now depend less to their AoE taunt ability. Some people consider this a nerf but overall, the spec has now more appropriate and class, dps rotation.
MARAUDER/SENTINEL
Buff: Ravage/Master Strike has its damage increased by 15%.
Buff: Trauma cannot be dispelled.
Even: Ataru Form's proc'ed attacks changed to physical damage from force damage and increased the damage dealt by 10%. Overall, no change for PvE, for PvP the attacks can now be blocked/parried.
Buff: Decimate/Swelling Winds has been moved to the Shared tree, that means a potential increase to AoE damage if it's spec'ed.
VERDICT:
RAGE/FOCUS: BUFFED
CARNAGE/COMBAT: EVEN
ANNIHILATION/WATCHMAN: EVEN~BUFFED
PvP PERFORMANCE: INCREASED
PvE PERFORMANCE: EVEN
Annihilation/Watchmen, the PvE tree changed only a little as it was balanced anyway. It’s PvP ability were nerfed and would be avoided from PvPers. The other two trees are dealing a little less damage with more survivability and mobility. Rage would finally be viable for PvP Marauders/Sentinels.
SITH INQUISITOR/JEDI CONSULAR
ASSASSIN/SHADOW
Not touched at all, nothing to comment.
SORCERER/SAGE
Even~Nerf: Redesign of the Force Bending/Conveyance buff. It now applies to fewer abilities but has increased the performance of the remaining ones.
Nerf: Force Surge/Resplendence no longer removes the health cost from Consumption/Noble Sacrifice.
Nerf: Reduced the critical chance of Force Lightning, Lightning Strike/Project, Weakened Mind.
Nerf: Wrath/Presence of Mind now affects Lightning Strike, Crushing Darkness/Disturbance, Mind Crush only.
Buff: Dark Resilience/Valiance now reduces the health spent by Consumption/Noble Sacrifice by 2% per point (up from 1% per point).
VERDICT:
MADNESS/BALANCE: GREATLY NERFED
CORRUPTION/ SEER: NERFED
LIGHTNING/TELEKINETICS: EVEN
PvP PERFORMANCE: EVEN~NERFED
PvE PERFORMANCE: NERFED
TANKING PERFORMANCE: EVEN
HEALING PERFORMANCE: GREATLY NERFED
Bioware decided to nerf the most overpower spec’ed of the game. Most Madness/Balance would expect those changes even though the nerf-bat hit them hard. A bitter taste is left for Sorcerer/Sage healers though, as they see their burst healing to shrink. Lightning/Telekinetics was almost left the same and now is on par with Madness/Balance.
IMPERIAL AGENT/SMUGGLER
Buff: Cover Mechanic. When immobilized, can now crouch and cannot be pushed out of cover via the "cover integrity" mechanic.
OPERATIVE/SCOUNREL
Nerf: Backstab/Backblast has it's CD increased by 3sec and its damage done increased by 5%.
Nerf: Hidden Strike/Shoot First now has a CD (7.5 sec).
Even~Buff: Changes in Culling/Turn the Tables produces almost the same dps.
Nerf: The introduction of Flanking and the change of Waylay/Sawed Off will make Backstab/blast more energy expensive.
Buff: Laceration/Sucker Punch will now be more used in our rotation. It would really show its potential at prolonged fights.
Buff: Lingering Toxins/Nice Try is a new Tier 6 skill that reduces damage taken from periodic effects and gives Corrosive Dart/Vital Shot and Corrosive Grenade/Shrap Bomb a chance to apply a weaker version of the same effect when they end (even if they are cleansed).
Nerf: Decrease by 2% the critical chance that was obtained via ability.
Nerf: Shiv/Blaster Whip has its damage done decreased by 1%. This ability was obtained via ability.
Buff: Tactical Advantage/Upper Hand that is obtained by healers is getting buffed a lot. Abilities now increases the TA/UP stack limit if you heal an ally with your basic healing ability and he has 30% of his life or less. Also, if spec'ed, TA/UP has its duration increased by 2sec.
Buff: Recuperative Nanotech/Kolto Cloud has its CD increased by 3sec, healing done increased by 10% and its duration decreased by 9sec.
Buff: Weaking Blast/Haemorrhaging Blast no longer costs energy.
VERDICT:
MEDIC/SAWBONES: GREATLY BUFFED
CONCEALMENT/SCRAPPER: GREATLY NERFED
LETHALITY/DIRTY FIGHTING: EVEN~NERFED
PvP PERFORMANCE: NERFED
PvE PERFORMANCE: NERFED
HEALING PERFORMANCE: GREATLY BUFFED
Long story, short: Operatives/Scoundrels got FUCKED! Concealment/Scrapper is now unplayable for PvP. Their essential burst is gone; their dps is now more sustained but still lower than what it was. No more, killing an enemy in a lockdown. Only the new combat logs will show us if it’s now viable for PvE. Lethality/Dirty Fighting got some utility and is now viable for PvP. Overall, this class is not the same anymore. The only bright light at the end of the tunnel comes for Operatives/Scoundrels healers. They now have the best healing burst in the game. Their allies cannot die, as they have increased performance when they heal targets that have very low health and finally, their AoE healing has got much, much better.
SNIPER/GUNSLINGER
Buff: Snipers/Gunslingers can now inflict Trauma, a decrease to healing received debuff.
Buff: A new ability decrease the damage received when they use Entrench/Hunker Down. Now they can stay longer still when others have to move.
Buff: Sniper Volley/Burst Volley has been redesigned. Can now be triggered by doing damage; additionally, it increases Alacrity and energy regeneration by 10% for 10sec.
Nerf: Calculated Pursuit/Hot Pursuit now makes the next Overload Shot/Quick Shot cost no energy instead of having 50% change to use Snipe/Charge Burst in any situation.
Buff: EMP Discharge/Sabotage has it's ranged increased by 30m.
Buff: Plasma Probe/Incendiary Grenade has been greatly improved. Can now snares anyone that is inflicted, deals more of its damage in the first seconds and stuns anyone that also suffers from your Interrogation Probe/Shock Charge.
Nerf: Cull/Wounding Shots costs 5 less energy and deals 15% less damage.
Buff: Points can be spent to make Cull, Series of Shots/Wounding Shots, Speed Shots to deal 4% per point. (It was 2% per point).
Buff: Interrogation Probe's/Shock Charge's cooldown now resets if a target is defeated while under its effects.
VERDICT:
MARKMANSHIP/SHARPSHOOTER: BUFFED
ENGINEERING/SABOTEUR: EVEN~BUFFED
LETHALITY/DIRTY FIGHTING: EVEN
PvP PERFORMANCE: BUFFED
PvE PERFORMANCE: BUFFED
Markmanship/Sharpshooter is now what they were intended to be: a living turret, with high defense and little movement requirements. Additionally, the addition of Trauma would help them in their fight and would also make PvP in general more balanced, as Trauma was a debuff provided from Marauder/Sentinel only. The tree is based on RNG as it can do fairly good contained damage in general but can also be quite bursty, if buffs are stacked. Engineering/Saboteur has some few changes, mostly towards a control and utility direction. Lethality/Dirty Fighting stays almost the same. Overall it seems that Bioware plans to make Markmanship/Sharpshooter the PvE spec, Engineering/Saboteur the PvP spec. Both are viable for both activities, it seems though that Markmanship/Sharpshooter leans more to high damage and high defense, mostly for solo PvP whereas Engineering/Saboteur has more area denial abilities and more control over the battlefield, a more preferable playstyle for group PvP. Lethality on the other hand is still good, but benefits more Operatives/Scoundrels that want to play PvP.
BOUNTY HUNTER/TROOPER
MERCENARY/COMMANDO
Buff: Cure now costs 8 heat/ammo less.
Buff: Jet Boost/Concussion Charge now also snares the inflicted enemies.
Nerf: Power Shot, Tracer Missiles/Charged Bolts, Grav Round cost less but needs 1 more second to be activated and also deals 10% less damage. Also, the ability Muzzle Fluting has redesigned and no longer decrease the cost for Power Shot, Tracer Missiles/Charged Bolts, Grav Round and it decreases their activation time.
Buff: Barrage/Full Auto now has a greater chance to occur.
Buff: Heatseekers Missiles/Demolition Rounds has its damage done increased by 10%.
Nerf: Power Barrier/Charged Barrier now provides 1% less damage reduction per stack.
Nerf: Critical Efficiency/Field Triage now reduces the cost of Rapid Scan/Medical Probe by 8 (down from 16)/1 Ammo (down from 2).
Buff: Cure Mind/Psych Aid no longer reduces the cost of Cure/Field Aid. It now causes Cure/Field Aid to heal the target for a small amount.
Nerf: Hired Muscle/Field Training now increases critical chance by 1% per point (down from 2%).
Buff: Kolto Missile/Kolto Bomb now affects up to 4 targets (up from 3).
Nerf: Kolto Residue now increases all healing received by 3% (down from 5%).
Nerf: Kolto Shell/Trauma Probe now has a cost when it's activated.
Nerf: Supercharged Gas/Supercharged Shell now vents 8 Heat (down from 16)/1 Ammo (down from 2) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Missile/Kolto Bomb now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%).
Buff: NEW ABILITY Onboard AED/Emergency Medical Probe is a new level 50 ability that allows the Mercenary to revive an incapacitated ally. It is usable in combat.
VERDICT:
ARSENAL/GUNNERY: EVEN~NERFED
BODYGUARD/COMBAT MEDIC: GREATLY NERFED
PYROTECH/ASSAULT SPECIALST: EVEN
PvP PERFORMANCE: NERFED
PvE PERFORMANCE: NERFED
Arsemal/Gunnery has its rotation changed a lot. To be honest, that spec was in need of a change as its playstyle was a one-button-spam. As it seems right now, the main abilities have their damage done reduced and their overall rotation would now be more engaging. We don’t know how much more often Barrage/ would now occur so it’s hard to say if the spec would be nerfed and how much its performance would affect it. 1.2 is bad news for Bodyguards/Combat Medic as they are straightly nerfed. Finally, they got a combat resurrection but most of their healing abilities are now weaker and more expensive. The only good change is that their AoE healing now affects one more target. Pyrotech/Assault Specialist has no change.
POWERTECH/VANGUARD
Buff: Interrupt don't cost heat/ammo any more.
Nerf: Self healing has been removed and the skill has been replaced by one that gives slowing effect to one of your abilities.
Buff: Heat Screen/Power Screen is a new 2-point skill that causes Flame Burst and Heat Blast/Ion Pulse and Energy Blast to build a stacking buff that increases shield absorption.
Even~Nerf: Energy Blast/Heat Blast is no longer limited by the global cooldown. Its damage has been reduced by 15%.
Buff: Smoke Grenade/Oil Slick is no longer limited by the global cooldown.
Buff: Prototype Particle Accelerator/Ionic Accelerator now requires Combustible Gas Cylinder/Plasma Shell to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds.
VERDICT:
SHIELD TECH/SHIELD SPECIALIST : BUFFED
ADVANCED PROTOTYPE/TACTICS: EVEN~NERFED
PYROTECH/
ASSAULT SPECIALST: EVEN
PvP PERFORMANCE: EVEN
PvE PERFORMANCE: EVEN
PT/Vanguard tanks will be buffed at 1.2. New mitigation system and some of their abilities are now out of the GCD. Advanced Prototype/Tactics would see their self healing gone and would lose some considerable power in PvP. Finally, the Share Tree doesn't see many changes. Overall, 1.2 would not be a bad patch for PT/Vanguard.
