Update on Mr. Robot

"Query: Have you perused my updated analysis subroutines, meatbags?"

The fine folks over at Ask Mr. Robot have added a FAQ for their combat logging tool. The FAQ addresses common concerns and explains some of the new functionality added recently to the tool. I recommend checking this out if you are a user of the tool, as quite a few things have changed from the previous iteration.

In my previous article, I noted that there were a couple of improvements I'd like to see to the tool, but the most important was the ability to merge multiple combat logs at once. Thankfully, this has been addressed as of the 20th. In addition, users that are logged in can remove merged logs in the event of an error or if someone is attempting to mess with your data.

As the tool continues to improve, I will be updating accordingly. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to use it for merged logs since I last posted about it. Operations attendance in the guild has been down somewhat due to RL issues and an increased focus on PvP. I've been using it for DPS tests, as I acquired the Operations Dummy for my Legacy, but that doesn't require any merging.

Here's hoping that I can get into a group PvE situation soon so that I can give the merging a fresh shot. Perhaps a flashpoint is in order.

In Defense of Expertise

I was listening to the TORWars Podcast #74 today and there was a discussion regarding expertise and whether or not it made sense to have a "PvP stat" in the game. Jeff, Deirdre and Brian seemed more or less on board with the idea of letting PvE gear function just as well as PvP gear in PvP scenarios. I really like TORWars and their podcast, but I think I need to step into the pro-expertise corner on this one.

For those readers who may not know what expertise is or how it works, it is a stat which appears only on PvP gear and increases damage, damage reduction, and healing in PvP only. Due to the recent changes in Patch 1.2, it is basically the best possible stat you can have in PvP.

I understand that it can be frustrating to have gear only work in specific scenarios, but I believe that a "PvP stat"-type system is the best solution for preserving balance. I also understand that many people object to it from a design standpoint, saying that it is clunky or that it wouldn't be necessary if class balance was truly perfected. I disagree.

It needn't necessarily take the same form as the one we have (you could make it more complicated, have PvP gear lack essential PvE stats, or have multiple PvP stats that do different things), but overall I believe that expertise offers the developers the best tools to balance PvP while continuing to offer exciting and engaging content in both PvP and in PvE without fear of ruining the prevailing order in both systems.


The problem of motivation

Vader does NOT need to find new ways to motivate them.

Before the Patch 1.2 changes were put into effect, making PvP gear even more effective in PvP, a curious thing was happening. Players who wanted to start doing Operations and Flashpoints were being told by their friends to start PvPing. Sound silly? To most people, it wasn't - because not only was it far easier to acquire PvP rewards, but they were almost as effective as their PvE counterparts. People tend to do whatever is easiest to complete goals, and in this case it was extremely easy to acquire PvP rewards when compared to assembling a group of people and then trying to do a Hard Mode Flashpoint.

Now, not everyone who wanted to do Operations also wanted to do PvP, so these people were left with a choice: do something you're not really interested or invested in for the easy gear, or spend a lot more time doing what you want, but which may or may not be effective and has no guaranteed reward for time invested.

If both sets of gear work equally well in both scenarios, we'll see pretty quickly that most people will feel pressured to take the quick and easy path which, with the current evolution of PvE content, will almost definitely be PvP, since winning is not a requirement and losing continuously, while slow, would likely still be faster than trying to PuG with an 8-person Explosive Conflict group. And again, even if it were faster to PuG EC, there is no guarantee that you get what you need.

Ultimately, the best choice should be to let players to what they love, and reward them by giving them better tools to continue doing it - not to do something else.

Not everyone can be Yoda-like and avoid the quick and easy path.

A controlled environment


Another thing that a PvP stat offers is the ability to make across the board adjustments to all classes in the areas of damage, damage reduction, and healing.

As of 1.2, these things all scale differently with expertise (eg. You get a larger damage bonus from expertise than you do a damage reduction or healing bonus), but Bioware has shown that they are not afraid to re-balance ratings to better accommodate the play experience of their subscribers. They currently have the ability to look at any of those three things via their metrics, decide that one of them needs to be adjusted, and then adjust it across the board. Now that's flexibility.

Ultimately, I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see an "expertise co-efficient" on abilities to change their effectiveness in PvP. We've already kind of seen this with all healing abilities (Trauma, for example), but I'm talking for specific abilities. Maybe particular abilities will be encouraged in PvP, and so they gain some bonus damage or healing in PvP. Maybe some abilities will have their potency toned down for PvP, but some of this penalty will be offset by expertise.

Palpatine calls for a PvP nerf to reactor shafts.

In "that other game", before their first expansion, the roles of the two were reversed - it was far easier to get top-tier PvE gear than PvP gear, but not having a PvP stat resulted in players literally being two-shot by players wearing top tier PvE epics with no way to balance it short of class changes (which honestly weren't the problem). PvE and PvP environments are different beasts that require their own balancing efforts. Getting rid of a PvP stat makes this task even harder, as values in PvP cannot easily be modified without changing core class mechanics, which will also change the character's ability in PvE.

To conclude


I believe that players should be doing what they want and getting rewarded appropriately for doing it. Clearing PvE content should not entitle you to top tier PvP gear, nor should achieving an amazing warzone rating allow you to breeze through PvE content. That they are separate isn't a bad thing! It's just more game to explore and experience.

Gear Selection: Tanking or DPS gear for PvP tanking?

A lot of people have asked me about how defensive stats work in PvP, and whether they are worth it if you want to tank in PvP. Here is a link to what is, in my opinion, the best explanation, from the wonderful Taugrim:

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=213530

If you're not familiar with our defensive stats, here is a previous post of mine explaining what each of them does. I recommend you read that first, if you aren't familiar with them.

To summarize the information for you:

Attack Types:

There are four ATTACK TYPES: Melee, Ranged, Force and Tech.

You can only shield and defend against MELEE and RANGED attacks. Every class in the game has at least one Force or Tech attack.

Some classes are more reliant on Melee and Ranged attacks than others: for example, Immortal and Vengeance Juggernauts; Annihilation and Carnage Marauders; Marksmanship Snipers (and their Republic mirror classes).

Damage Types:

There are four DAMAGE TYPES: Elemental, Energy, Internal, and Kinetic.

The damage type does not determine if you can shield or defend against an attack, but armor reduces damage from Energy and Kinetic attacks. You can also, via skills, get Damage Reduction to specific types of damage.

Pros/Cons:

Pros to wearing tanking gear:

• Tanking stats may not be amazing in PvP, but they do have an impact, allowing you to stretch survivability to the maximum
• Tanking gear has more Endurance anyways

Cons to wearing tanking gear:

• Reduced damage output
• Tanking stats (besides endurance of course) are completely useless against specific opponents, like sorcerers.

Class-specific Information:


Immortal Juggernauts and Defense Guardians received a sizeable single-target damage buff in 1.2 since they can now gain access to Single Saber Mastery in Soresu Form. They also can use Vicious Throw earlier (at 30% health instead of 20%). Because of this, DPS gear is really personal preference for Juggernauts who are tanking in PvP.

Currently, Assassins and Shadows can get away with wearing a lot of DPS gear while tanking because, more than any other tank, they can choose when and whom to engage. In addition, they are naturally the highest-damage single-target tank in the game. 

Powertechs and Vanguards can mix and match with a good deal of success, but again this is mostly personal preference.


My verdict:

Wearing actual tanking gear is worth it, if you want to make tanking your primary focus. It does give you a survivability edge.

If you're queuing solo all the time, you may do better in DPS gear.

Statement: Optimize your gear, meatbags.

HK-47 loves efficiency - something he has in common with Mr. Robot.

Good news for meatbags everywhere: Mr. Robot will be applying his unique talents to help us analyze our gear in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

During my long time in World of Warcraft, Mr. Robot was by far the easiest tool to use to critique my gear. In addition, it let me indulge my curiosity by allowing me to swap out particular items of gear to see how it would affect my stats.

The crew over at Mr. Robot has also said that even more features will be available for the SWTOR version of their site, including a character builder. Unfortunately, it is currently in Alpha, though it looks like a Beta isn't far off.

They've also put out a call to SWTOR bloggers to interview Mr. Robot. He seems like a pleasant automaton, so I may just take him up on that.

SWTOR Tanking Basics

Since my Juggernaut is starting to feel more like a tank now that I've hit level 20 (more to come on that tomorrow), I decided it might be time to take a closer look at the secondary tanking stats and how they affect tanking. Please note, I've omitted Strength, Willpower, and Aim as these depend on the class of the tank in question.

• Endurance: Increases health by 10 per point. Every 5 points also increases health regeneration out of combat by 1% (though this doesn't really matter as you can just use your out of combat heal).
• Defense: Increases your chance to parry or deflect attacks. We can call this avoidance, as it means you stop the attack completely by avoiding it.
• Shield: Increases your chance to prevent some damage with your personal shield generator. Unlike defense where you avoid the attack, your shield usually only absorbs part of an attack. We can call this mitigation, as it reduces the amount of incoming damage.
• Absorption: Increases the amount of damage that you prevent when your shield activates. Again, this is part of your mitigation.
• Armor: Decreases damage you take from kinetic and energy damage. Does not reduce internal or elemental damage.

As noted above, I'll be updating on my Juggernaut's progress tomorrow.

For the Empire!