Why - AoE

[Sumatran]

Why does my assassin have 2 aoes, and my merc has 16?

Making tanking stupid as shit...

[Deleted]

Just because DPS classes have several AoE abilities doesn't mean they're supposed to ever use a single one of them in a group situation. If your tank isn't holding AoE aggro over DPS, then chances are the DPS are idiots. Tanks are supposed to hold AoE aggro over healers, not DPS.

[SoCal]

Why does everyone think AoE is the best way to attack things?

[Sumatran]

Why does everyone think AoE is the best way to attack things?

When I am questing and theres a group of 5+ mobs what you think?

[Harnace]

Assassin DPS got the worst aoe in the game. Lacerate is so horrible tbh...


Assassin Tank aoe gets better at higher levels though.

[Deleted]

When I am questing and theres a group of 5+ mobs what you think?

Ahh...

You should have worded your OP a bit differently. As it stands, its easy to read as a complaint about AoE damage/threat in group situations.

It seems though, that you're talking about soloing regular NPC's. As you most likely know, Mercenary/Commando AoE's eat so much ammo per damage done that they're not very efficient for AoE killing pack after pack. Sure, the Mortar Volley is pretty awesome, which is why it's on a cooldown, but Hail of Bolts (check the equivalents for Imp side) does such crap damage for the 4 ammo it takes, that I don't even want to use it. Have to keep ammo regeneration at "fast" after all.

Also, don't Assassin/Shadow have a 40 force AoE that hits everything around you which you can spam as much as you like? How many different AoE's do you need if you have a spammable one?

[Vongimi]

Yeah leveling in SWTOR is mostly AoE'ing things down. Espicially for my commando, who just used Mortar+Hail on half the groups and Plasma nade+Hail on the other half.

[Deleted]

Also, don't Assassin/Shadow have a 40 force AoE that hits everything around you which you can spam as much as you like? How many different AoE's do you need if you have a spammable one?

Think about the spammable AoE Assassins have being like Sweeping Blasters of Mercs (in terms of resource cost and "spam-ability"). Now add to it that they only get that one AND it does much less damage.

Yeeeep. I played both toons to level 50 and I can say that Assassin's AoE is quite non-existent compared to every other class (I think only Juggs have it similar/worse?). I could easily AoE stuff down as a Merc while leveling since early levels -- couldn't even think of trying that as a Sin, though.

I don't think they really cared about balancing AoE damage in the game.

It gets better as a Tankassin at level 40-50, buuuut yeah. While leveling it's a pain-in-the-ass.

[KingHorse]

When I am questing and theres a group of 5+ mobs what you think?

Single target hits harder per target than AoE.
If mobs have little health but hit hard, single target to reduce incoming damage.
If mobs have little health and hit like little girls, AoE.
If mobs have lots of health and hit like little girls, AoE.
If mobs have lots of health and hit hard, stop pulling 5 like an idiot.

So...what I think is that the number of mobs you're fighting is only a small factor in what you actually should do.

[Koalachan]

It seems though, that you're talking about soloing regular NPC's. As you most likely know, Mercenary/Commando AoE's eat so much ammo per damage done that they're not very efficient for AoE killing pack after pack. Sure, the Mortar Volley is pretty awesome, which is why it's on a cooldown, but Hail of Bolts (check the equivalents for Imp side) does such crap damage for the 4 ammo it takes, that I don't even want to use it. Have to keep ammo regeneration at "fast" after all.

Death from above, and sweeping blasters, respectively.

[Ap0calypse]

Assassin DPS got the worst aoe in the game. Lacerate is so horrible tbh...


Assassin Tank aoe gets better at higher levels though.

Sith Juggernaut/Jedi Guardian would like a word. We only have 2 aoes as well, and they aren't exactly awe inspiring.

[Stormcall]

Yeah leveling in SWTOR is mostly AoE'ing things down.

Try that with an assassin or juggernaut and let me know how it goes. Juggernauts have 2 AoE's. Smash, which is nice but on a 12 sec CD(15 sec untalented), and Sweeping Slash. Sweeping Slash isn't obtained till level 32, does terrible damage, and costs 3 rage-unless you're going up against a group of weak enemies and NOTHING else, you're better off using Smash then finishing them off with single target attacks-you'll kill things faster.

[BeingRepressed]

Why does my assassin have 2 aoes, and my merc has 16?

Making tanking stupid as shit...

Pretty funny considering assassin tanks have the best AoE out of all the tanking classes.

[Sumatran]

Pretty funny considering assassin tanks have the best AoE out of all the tanking classes.

If you think assassin's have better aoe capabilities than a powertech...


well there are no words.

[Hellfury]

if Anything I think Merc/Command has to much AOE abilites they went overboard with it.

Operative has the right amount, grenades one on CD, carbine burst spamable depending on TA/energy and Orbital strike strong one in a Long CD, I just hate that Orbital strike is only attainable at 50 you dont even use it for leveling.

[BeingRepressed]

If you think assassin's have better aoe capabilities than a powertech...


well there are no words.

Well, you can argue theory, in which PTs seem to have more burst AoE capability, and then you can face the reality of tanking, where PTs are highly limited by cooldowns or ineffective AoE. PTs are extremely limited by heat; flame sweep might as well not exist due to excessive heat, flamethrower (15s cooldown) is directional and totally useless against any groups of melee mobs or spread out ranged mobs, explosive dart (15s cooldown) is adequate against groups and DFA has a 1m cooldown. That means that after the first 6 seconds, PTs have zero AoE abilities for the next 9 seconds, then they can only AoE every 15 seconds after that.

On the other hand, assassins are able to spam AoE and are merely limited by energy regeneration.

[vizzle]

Because classes aren't supposed to be homogenized.

[Dalantia]

I get lots of mileage out of Explosive Burst, but I have a fairly high shield percentage and I keep Energy Blast on CD.

[Matt0193]

Because classes aren't supposed to be homogenized.

While I agree with this, there are certain things that should be uniform for tanking. A Spammable AoE resource dump (Sweeping Slash ect) and a CD AoE to create burst threat (Force Sweep) are mandatory to make sure that each tanking class has a way to control extra adds that are pulled. I just don't get why they had to give so many to Troopers/BH's. Just seems pointless.

[gualdhar]

Only reason Shadow tank aoes are good is because they have nice thread modifiers on them. Balance AoE consists of a single AoE on a 15 second timer that only affects three targets, then multi-dotting the shit out of everything. Infil gets half the normal force cost for whirling blow. Considering infil specs can spam it a hell of a lot better than any other and get a small damage bonus, whirling blow ain't half bad.

But yes, our aoe sucks compared to sages and tech users.