Beta/PTR Hunter PvP Thoughts

[Deleted]

Tried some PTR BGs last night. Here are my thoughts:

Marksman
Was worried about MM for PvP, but it was actually alright and even fun to play. Dumping focus with a cast time feels very odd initially. However you get used to it and I found the constant rhythm quite fun. I didn't feel I needed to play around standing still or managing Sniper Training either. MM hits like a truck regardless. Sniper Training feels like a bonus and not a requirement which I imagine was the intent for it in PvP. (Might feel more mandatory to keep it up in PvE).

I could imagine some synergistic rhythmic gameplay around Sniper Training, Focusing Shot, & Steady Focus and setting up some weak auras to keep track of the combined buff.

What I did miss was any dots and I thought that Chim Shot felt so weak as to be borderline redundant compared to just using Aimed.

Lack of CC felt bad but thats the same for everyone and traps now feel really great with their instant arms.

Had some great Casual BG runs with constantly being at or near top of HKs, Damage Done and Honor Earned etc etc.

Obviously L90 Casual PTR BGs isn't L100 2500 RBGs but Marks *feels* fine for BG PvP from a purely mechanical/fun PoV.

Survival
Ugh. I had some hopes for some new era of SV in PvP but it just feels so weak. Explosive shot hits for so little and I found it impossible to kill anything. Even if LnL multiprocs it still amounts to not a lot. Playstyle is similar to live so this feels like purely a numbers thing. I felt emancipated.

I'm going to give BM a try tonight but it appears to be very similar in playstyle to live.

[sania250]

Which app you are using?

[Illana]

Level 90 means nothing

[Deleted]

Which app you are using?

App? Sorry don't understand.

Level 90 means nothing

L90 means very little to damage numbers.

It does however mean a lot to look, feel, style, rotation, cooldown usage, CC value, and my enjoyment of the game.

[Autumn xD]

L90 means very little to damage numbers.

It does however mean a lot to look, feel, style, rotation, cooldown usage, CC value, and my enjoyment of the game.

Survival's perks are crucial to its WoD PvP.

[Illana]

App? Sorry don't understand.



L90 means very little to damage numbers.

It does however mean a lot to look, feel, style, rotation, cooldown usage, CC value, and my enjoyment of the game.

not really, every expansion ive played through the minimum level has been almost a completely different game from max level

[Deleted]

Survival's perks are crucial to its WoD PvP.

Hmm OK I looked them up:

Empowered Explosive Shot: Increases the duration of Explosive Shot by 1 sec.
Enhanced Traps: Reduces the cooldown on all your traps by 50%.
Enhanced Entrapment: The root effect from your Entrapment requires 100% additional damage to break from taking damage.
Enhanced Camouflage: You heal 3% of your maximum health every 1 sec while Camouflage is active.

I suppose they do add a lot to the PvP side of the kit. If ES scales better than a wet noodle at L100 SV could have something. Be interesting to see.

[Jaydenkor]

Just to confirm, that +1second to explosive shot basically should read; increases your explosive shot dmg by 33% (3 ticks to 4 ticks = 33% increase)... right?

[DeicideUH]

Marksman
Was worried about MM for PvP, but it was actually alright and even fun to play. Dumping focus with a cast time feels very odd initially. However you get used to it and I found the constant rhythm quite fun. I didn't feel I needed to play around standing still or managing Sniper Training either. MM hits like a truck regardless. Sniper Training feels like a bonus and not a requirement which I imagine was the intent for it in PvP. (Might feel more mandatory to keep it up in PvE).

My big problem with it is that it's linked to a stat. I wouldn't worry about it being "a bonus" if it had a fixed percentage or if Mastery also benefited something else while we move. But the idea that all my Mastery rating becomes "just a bonus" for a few seconds bothers me a lot.

What I did miss was any dots and I thought that Chim Shot felt so weak as to be borderline redundant compared to just using Aimed.

I don't think Chimarea is weak. It packs a punch, but I recommend to not use it until you can combo it into a finisher. Using Chimaera on CD in PvP may be a bad idea, but waiting the right moment can turn it into a devastating attack.

Had some great Casual BG runs with constantly being at or near top of HKs, Damage Done and Honor Earned etc etc.

BGs in PTR have been very bugged, and teams vary wildly in quality. In some BGs I destroy people utterly. In others I can't stay alive for more than a few seconds before I'm overwhelmed with enemies. Hard to judge based only in my experience.

I do feel MM is very vulnerable when melee reaches us.

But like Illana said, Level 90 means nothings. Unlike previous expansions, I'd assume this time skills' damage/health ratios won't vary so wildly between levels (due to no base values, different health scaling and other factions), but the perks and our ilvl may make the class play very differently at 100. I was constantly focus-starved in level 90, so I imagine the Aimed Shot perk will make a huge difference.

[Muffinator]

No dots? Are there still piercing shots?

[DeicideUH]

No dots? Are there still piercing shots?

Nope. Unless you spec into aMoC (and/or Special Munitions), you have no DoTs as MM.

[Deleted]

Level 90 means nothing

actually it can mean a lot, since lvl 90 with end of expansion gear with lvl 100 mechanics (not all) should allow you to experience similar gameplay to lvl 100 with end exp gear (aside from perks, which are a huge part of MM gameplay), at least a lot more than lvl 100 entry gear.

for me the lvl 90 experience with wod mechanics helps to test how the specs will behave with stacked stats, and if it will be bearable at the end of the expansion which is always the longest period in between changes. If a spec is somehow fluid or engaging helps a lot when you have to play it unaltered (without upgrades, etc) for a long time. And the only point where you can test that is at pre-expansion patches, even when major changes can occur

[Keyboard Champion]

There are no complaints from other classes in the beta about hunters, while there are about ferals and warriors. I think that doesn't require any additional discussions, sorry, hunters are fucked in the pvp department, think about rerolling to warrior or feral if you still want to wreck face.

[Darth Belichick]

There are no complaints from other classes in the beta about hunters, while there are about ferals and warriors. I think that doesn't require any additional discussions, sorry, hunters are fucked in the pvp department, think about rerolling to warrior or feral if you still want to wreck face.

This was a useful and informative post. Thank you for your input.

[Deleted]

There are no complaints from other classes in the beta about hunters, while there are about ferals and warriors. I think that doesn't require any additional discussions, sorry, hunters are fucked in the pvp department, think about rerolling to warrior or feral if you still want to wreck face.

Option 1:
Find out what classes are being 'complained about' in an unfinished beta version of the game. Then roll one of those classes in the hope that you can compete in PvP, changing from patch to patch to whatever is currently de jour, whilst simultaneously not understanding the concepts of content cycles, class changes, patch balance and the ultimate futility of chasing an ever moving FOTM target, despite the game being out for 10 years now.

Option 2:
Play what you like and grow some balls.

I guess we know what option you prefer.

[Hunterpower]

There are no complaints from other classes in the beta about hunters, while there are about ferals and warriors. I think that doesn't require any additional discussions, sorry, hunters are fucked in the pvp department, think about rerolling to warrior or feral if you still want to wreck face.

Sorry, i've wrecked face as hunter for 9 years, and i will continue to do so.

[Deleted]

My big problem with it is that it's linked to a stat. I wouldn't worry about it being "a bonus" if it had a fixed percentage or if Mastery also benefited something else while we move. But the idea that all my Mastery rating becomes "just a bonus" for a few seconds bothers me a lot.

But like Illana said, Level 90 means nothings. Unlike previous expansions, I'd assume this time skills' damage/health ratios won't vary so wildly between levels (due to no base values, different health scaling and other factions), but the perks and our ilvl may make the class play very differently at 100. I was constantly focus-starved in level 90, so I imagine the Aimed Shot perk will make a huge difference.

I know what you mean. It would be nice if the Mastery had a secondary component that worked all the time.

Yeah I'm starting to see that these perks are pretty huge. 120 focus as MM would make things feel much less focus choked than they do now.

Also agree about PTR PVP being a mess of varying quality.

Some thing else I do like is the new Aspects. You can basically be in Cheetah all the time, and just re-apply when hit.

[Keyboard Champion]

Sorry, i've wrecked face as hunter for 9 years, and i will continue to do so.

No, you think you did. Just like vanilla-cata warriors saying "wars own noob, l2p" while eating dirt everytime they met pretty much anything in a 1v1 situation save warlock and shadow priest.

- - - Updated - - -

Option 1:
Find out what classes are being 'complained about' in an unfinished beta version of the game. Then roll one of those classes in the hope that you can compete in PvP, changing from patch to patch to whatever is currently de jour, whilst simultaneously not understanding the concepts of content cycles, class changes, patch balance and the ultimate futility of chasing an ever moving FOTM target, despite the game being out for 10 years now.

Option 2:
Play what you like and grow some balls.

I guess we know what option you prefer.

According to Blizzardian history, how things are in the latest stages of a beta state, will stay the same in the live version for many months.

WOTLK: Ret was insane in the beta and remained insane for several months. DK was known to be OP as fuck in the beta and remained OP as fuck the entire expansion.
MoP: Warriors were known to be disgusting OP in the beta, and remained OP on live for many months. Hunters were known to be OP and they remained OP in live first as BM and later as MM.

It's always the same. No class deemed grossly OP or UP in the beta is greatly nerfed or buffed before live version. Most of the time the devs rely on small tunes every month or so or gear to fix the gap eventually. And I don't have the patience to wait 6 months into the expansion for the devs' to finally get their shit together with the proper balance.

[Deleted]

..snip..

Yes yes. I'm sure you'll win a lot of duels outside Stormwind. Thank's for contributing.

[Ickabob]

There are no complaints from other classes in the beta about hunters, while there are about ferals and warriors. I think that doesn't require any additional discussions, sorry, hunters are fucked in the pvp department, think about rerolling to warrior or feral if you still want to wreck face.

No complaints about hunters is a good thing in my book. Hearing people complain that hunters were overpowered and then cry for nerfs quickly became quite tiresome in MoP.