Lets try to brainstorm as to what should happen, rather than demoralizing the power to the point that a higher tier ability isn't used (like it was before the last update). As we know the pet is doing considerably more damage in PVP circumstances due to higher base damage against other players. While the numbers are decently high, it begs the question as to how well it stacks up to other pets in the game. The watcher pet - out until it is killed or the caster drops, heals the group and caster, deals moderate damage over the entire course of a battle. The other sorcery pets are a joke. Swarm pet - out for 18ish seconds, deals good damage to multiple targets, more so to individuals. Healer sacrifices a healing power to accomodate this offensive ability in return for higher DPS stats. A DPS will surely do more damage with this up, as it is basically a DOT on multiple targets that need no spreading. The swarm also follows the caster around and deals damage in the casters proximity. Ice pet - I know nothing about this pet. What type of numbers is it currently doing? Gadget pet - deals a good chunk of damage and crowd control which is useful in PVP, not so much PVE. I think with an 89CR, its hard hits were in the 150 range, but single target, and every few seconds. Iconic pet - has a rounds of smaller amounts of damage, and larger rounds in the area of 150-165ish. Appears to hit multiple targets also. ------------------------------- My opinion for recommended changes to the pet: Option 1. Slow down its ticks slightly. Currently it will tick every second for 18 seconds. Maybe have it every 2 seconds? It will still deal decent damage, but its overall DPS will be much lower. Option 2. In healer stance, have the pet dish out pheromones much like the gadgets supercharge does with POT and reduce its damage by 50%. This would give it some utility in healer roll other than a DPS scorecard. Option 3. Leave it all the same and put a longer recast on the swarm pet. Therefore, there would be a period of time the pet was not up. Currently you can have it up 100% of the time, power providing. Option 4. Continue the trend of over-nerfing powers to the point where people dont use them.
Yep, but everyone forgets that and wont be inconvenienced with having to switch targets apparently. So SOE will nerf it, like they always do, and require no player strategy.
...If you attack the swarm, you won't be doing damage to players during that duration. once you kill the swarm they will simply resummon it. The best stragety is to ignore the swarm and go after the player as it will always be out no matter what you do, like a watcher.
nothing is imminent and swarm could be hitting like it does on purpous as the devs intended seeing how we dont know the factors the devs use for ballance as other pets most have other abilitys so damage is weaker. I think if its not suposed to hit other players as hard it will be changed but we have given the numbers to the DEV's and they see it and will change if needed to fit there ballance scheme. and if its fine like its supposed to then nothing will change and you will just have to get used to it like people got used to the watcher. you cant win them all and there will always be someone better than you think you are
I like the idea of brining it down to its PvE damage levels, checking to ensure all pets do their PvE equivalent of damage, and making the damage split less punishing. Right now it's at least up for debate whether this pet is useful for DPS once it splits across more than two enemies. It doesn't replace any DoTs in my loadout because they don't split as painfully. The remaining slots in my loadout are also chosen for a purpose that Swarm can't replace. That said, I do like it in DUOs and CHALLENGEs where I don't have a controller as it's more efficient than stack/spread when I only want a little extra sumptin' sumptin' over top of my weapon damage.
