Sithborg wrote:
Here's the thing you need to keep in mind about both Avoid Defeat and Covert Ops. The damage output has increased. Honestly, the Vset designers have been facing a two front battle. Making pieces that are comparable to the stuff WOTC made. That sadly has meant spreading out big damage throughout the other factions. Why do you think GOWK was unbanned? It wasn't the shift to 200. It would've alieviated his impact compared to 150, sure. But in the race to get the other factions as playable, as quickly as possible, major damage was spread out, along with increasing the current top tier faction's damage. So now, the defensive race has begun.
I can understand the distaste for such "random" elements as Avoid Defeat and Covert Ops in the top tier squads. But how prevalent has Evade been? Hopefully Covert Ops will the final "hate" towards Lancer and Yobuck, as I've seen some far to eager to eliminate those two pieces from the game. I don't see how it can be more NPE than any other defensive ability. It has a way around it. Simply don't move before you attack. Otherwise, certain abilities get the rightful neutering, GMA, Gallopping Attack, Strafe Attack, among others. As for Avoid Defeat, one complains about annoyance of not killing a figure. Another side complains about a 20 pt Jedi Hunter killing a Jedi twice their cost or Mace absolutely devastating figures. Whose side takes precedent? There will always be one element that someone won't like on a piece. The designers job isn't to please everyone, or cater to one crowd. It is to make a set that will hopefully have enough good stuff that it won't completely alienate one crowd.
I agree in general (especially regarding Avoid Defeat, as it doesn't really bother me), but I do really dislike Covert Ops Training and think it's the worst ability that has been created to date. It's significantly more powerful than Parry or Evade because it is harder to circumvent; you can shoot someone with Parry and you can base someone with Evade, but having to not move is a lot harder to do I think. It also works on both melee and non-melee attacks, which is a pain. There IS the ability to just be farther than 6 squares when you attack, but in a faction with lots of Stealth and Cloaked even that can be difficult. I just think it's way too much in a single ability, and it really discourages engagement, which I think makes it a pretty big NPE.
Is it going to be game-breakingly strong? Nah. Do I agree that damage has ramped up a lot lately and that should be taken down a notch? Absolutely! (I still feel a twinge of disappointment when I see Eeth Koth not being the defensive powerhouse that I wanted him to be) That said, though, I think there are much better ways to handle it that are less offensive than Covert Ops Training.