Advanced Classes: Bounty Hunter
Going through all the blog posts and tweets and everything else has left me exhausted. The amount of information given in this last Friday Update is staggering if you think about it, as it is something actual about our classes we are playing at launch. In the bigger picture, if you look at it like I do, it really breaks down class roles, and that leads to the reality of how close we actually are to finally playing this game. With all of this, I am going to try to dissect some of this information in relation to the Bounty Hunter.
Diving straight in, I am going to start with this quote below:
Choosing an Advanced Class is very important in The Old Republic, as within your Advanced Class, your character will reach their full potential. Your Advanced Class choice dramatically alters the gameplay experience of your base class by providing access to two exclusive skill trees per Advanced Class, with a third being shared between both Advanced Classes.
So how I take this is that this plays out like any other MMO so far, even the venerable Warcraft and how their Talent trees used to be when it wasn’t so restricted. This basically say “Hey, pick the AC you want, you still get the base class abilities of the class itself, thus this being the Bounty Hunter. You can even place some points in the other AC. So, just like WOW, we get 3 talent tress to mess with to fine tune the type of player we want to be and how we play.
Now, as much as I hate “cookie-cutter” builds on classes, I don’t see a way Bioware can stop this. Some abilities are going to be better than others and there will be those that will probably force those upon you depending on the role you pick. With this in mind, I hope that Bioware gives us the “Dual Spec” option so that we can have 2 builds based on what we are doing (Soloing/Group).
Something else I picked up on is this:
As you level up, your character will gain abilities from three sources:
- Through trainers, from their base class (e.g. Sith Warrior)
- Through trainers, from their advanced class (e.g. Marauder)
- Through skill points spent in the skill trees of their Advanced Class
So no longer is it the run to one trainer and you’re done. We now have to hit up the Base Class (Bounty Hunter) but we also have to fine the AC trainer that we are playing, in my case which will be the Mercenary. This is interesting as unless these are always grouped up, you have to make sure to remember where each are to make sure all of your abilities are up to par.
Now the fine folks over at Bioware even gave us the break-down on the roles for the Bounty Hunters:
Bounty Hunter Advanced Classes
Mercenary (Roles: Mid – Long Range Damage Dealing, Healing)
PowerTech (Roles: Close – Mid Range Damage Dealing, Tanking)
- As previously announced, the Bounty Hunter’s Mercenary Advanced Class now features the ‘Bodyguard’ skill tree, allowing this iconic class to fill the role of a medic if desired.
- The ‘Advanced Prototype’ skill tree, shared between both Bounty Hunter ACs, now features an upgrade to the base class flamethrower, which allows the player to rotate while using the ability.
We now see how the Bounty Hunter breaks down. Mercenary breaks down into a DPS/Healer role and the Powertech breaks down into a DPS/Tank role. Now for all you WOW’ers out there, Bounty Hunters look to have the possibility of being Paladins of Swtor.
Those that are going the Tank Bounty Hunter will also have that DPS chance of speeding up their leveling without sacrificing the Tank aspect of it. It also plays
I, like many, think this last update was a great one. it really moves use one step closer to that fateful date where we all get to jump in game and put all this information we have been hoarding for so long to the test. In regards to the Bounty Hunter, playing a main healer and knowing I have DPS choices to help in the leveling process make me very happy as well.
9 Responses to “Advanced Classes: Bounty Hunter”
BorukBH,
The way I interpreted the information put out, is that each Advanced class will have 3 skill trees: 2 unique to the AC itself, and one shared by both AC’s. So in essence, each class, not AC, will actually have 5 skill trees in total, with only 1 available until you choose your AC, and 2 more specific to the AC you choose once you make said choice. Anyone else interpret it this way?
Grenomar,
You have to look at the roles but out by the AC though. In case of the Bounty Hunter, this equates to DPS/Tank/Healing. The Tank AC also has the DPS AC tree as well as the base skill tree. The Healing Ac also has the DPS AC tree and the base skill tree.
The DPS tree should be the same to either AC route you go (Mercenary/PowerTech), thus only only bringing 3 AC trees and a Base tree to each class.
Here is a quote from the update that talks about this as well:
“Any one of the three skill trees are valid to specialize in, or you can spend training points in all of them for a more well-rounded character.”
You are correct when you say that they will both have access to a dps tree; however, the update doesn’t state that each AC will have access to the same dps tree.
Let’s take the Jedi Consular for example, with the Shadow and Sage being the AC’s. The shadow will have a tanking tree, the base tree, and a dps tree, but we know that the shadow’s dps tree will be more akin to a rogue and use a double-bladed lightsaber.
The sage on the other hand will have the same base tree, a healing tree and a dps tree. And we know that the sage is more like a caster, so that dps tree will focus more on casting, unlike the dps tree of the shadow.
I’m not too savvy on the BH’s AC’s, but if I remember correctly, one AC’s dps tree will focus on close-mid range combat while the other focuses on mid-long range.
It would be nice to get someone else’s take on this in here. 😉
It was late and I was tired when replying so I’ll try to clear up my reply above.
The DPS tree is the shared tree, and the other 2 trees are the AC trees. Basically this is a 3 tree system similar to what WOW currently uses. The difference is that Swtor has 2 trees as AC with a 3rd tree with abilities both AC roles may like.
Where do you get your logic? You quote the fact that each AC gets 2 exclusive skill trees per AC, with one tree shared between the 2 AC’s, lol. It says it right in your post.
“Your Advanced Class choice dramatically alters the gameplay experience of your base class by providing access to two exclusive skill trees per Advanced Class, with a third being shared between both Advanced Classes.”
I personally don’t think what you are trying to imply as 5 total skill trees per class is what is going to happen. That is how I interperet the post. Having that many trees to try to balance with 5 options for every class (8 classes x 5 trees per class = 40 playable options) would be a huge, huge balancing act.
I am not saying that you are wrong, and I am not saying that I am right. I am saying that this is how I interpret the post.
Having that many options would be interesting as you would definately have a variety on classes, sort of how Rift currently is. I just don’t see it personally as what they are meaning.
I guess we will both see soon once we either get more information or the came releases…whichever is first ;)p
Once you select your advance class, you will be limited to 3 skill trees. And my guess is that you won’t be able to switch advanced classes ever, once you choose one. So each class will have the shared skill tree between the 2 advanced classes, and each AC will have 2 exclusive skill trees.
But you, as a bounty hunter will not be able to tank, heal, or dps with a simple respec. When you choose your AC, you will have to choose between either healing/dps or tanking/dps. And you will not be able to place points into another AC as your post indicates.
That’s just what I gather, but we will see, as you have said. 🙂
Possible…or Bioware can go the route WOW did recently and force you to spec into a single AC first with only the option to allocate points into the shared tree if wanted as well. Once you reach a number of points in the main AC then you could possibly put points in the other AC if so desired.
It is still all up in the air as the update didn’t dive too much into it.
Interesting debate here 🙂
I have to agree with Grenomar in his interpretation of the AC trees, it “sounds” very much like a 5 tree system….. even with the definitions I have read elsewhere when you chose an AC you can chose to either Heal / Ranged DPS by choosing a given AC for example. I happen to think those choices will be available thru the 2 trees in the AC, and I think the common tree will be more generic. Age of Conan has a talent tree system similar to this….. where you have a tree that is for your specific class, and a more generic warrior/mage/cleric tree.
Another thing on this whilst we are talking about it, I really hope that Bioware resist the urge to allow respecs, at least respeccing the AC’s once that choice is done then thats is.
I don’t mind a respec “within” an AC, but not between them….. Given that you can do flashpoints with Companion characters, you can pad out groups with appropriate fillers if you need. It would be a brave move… but it gets annoying when you cookie cutter every class a given way…. forcing people to make a choice…. stick with it, and to work to the strengths and weaknesses is how this game should play out ideally….
…. or make respec’s ridiculously expensive !! 😀