Issue 1) Damage Per Second: Currently Commandos are out-damaged when it comes to DPS by various other professions. This stems mainly from the speed of our weapons combined with our accuracy.
Suggested Solution: By adding +30 Flame Thrower Speed & +30 Heavy Acid Rifle Speed to the Master Commando box, the DPS of the Commando profession would be brought closer on par with other profession under the current system. Via the current ingame speed formula, by increasing our speed per the amount specified, our "after special combat queue delay" will be decreased to just over half what it is currently, and thus our DPS will be increased accordingly.
Love it. I agree this should be first....
One comment... I know we are trying to reward master commandodom, but I think our DPS is borked across the board. Could we fix more and accomplish the same thing by doing one of the following:
(1) Add a +5 to Flame II and Flame IV, then a +20 at Master (still totals 30 and favors masters, just gives lower commandos a little boost too)
-or-
(2) Add a +2 to all 4 Flame boxes and a +25 at Master (Total = Extra +33)
Issue 2) Heavy Acid Rifle: The HAR is in desperate need of a total revamp or replacement. The HAR is weaker then FT, has no DoT, no AP, and suffers same restrictions as the FT yet costs more XP to grind the Acid Tree and has greater HAM costs on its specials.
Suggested Solutions: Apparent from a total replacement (Ranged Assult Rifle), increase the range to 32m or 64m, increase to AP3 (only Acid weapon currently in game without Armor Piercing), and combine with Flame Thrower Tree). Many of us would accept a slight damage decrease in exchange for a range increase (it is a Rifle after all). There has also been the suggestion of scrapping it's current specials and replacing them with ranged "rifle type specials that cause status effects.
Love it. If they make it AP3 and change the range to 32m I will be tickled pink....
Issue 3) Lack of Melee Defense: Commandos have the highest Combat related pre-req cost of all profession in game which includes both Melee and Ranged pre-reqs, yet comparatively, it has one of the lowest levels of defenses (based on cost comparison to Master Level). Commandos are also the only Ranged profession that has ALL of it's specials restricted to Melee range of 16m which forces Commandos to take more Melee damage in fights then other Ranged professions that have higher Melee Defenses.
Suggested Solutions: Due to skill point cost and Melee Range restriction, Commando should have same or more Melee Defenses then any other Ranged Profession. More Melee Defense and Def Vs. mods should be added to level 4 trees of Commando as well as Master Commando.
I think the best way to address this is to ask for melee toughness... Something to build (stack) on our unarmed typs mods would be nice (TKA gets melee toughness...so should we).
I'm not worried about having resists like other ranged professions, but would like a little melee toughness to mitigate the fact I have to shoot from 16m...
Issue 4) Grenades: Currently Grenades damage the user when caught in it's blast radius. Grenades also have a higher then normal HAM cost when compared to other weapons/specials of similar damage/range capabilities. Other Profession thrown/detonated weapons introduced in game come with lower or no HAM cost and specifically DO NOT damage the user when caught in the blast radius. This includes Combat Medic thrown items and Bounty Hunter/Smuggler Bomb Droids. Both of the previously mentioned items also have greater ranges and greater blast areas. It has been confirmed that occasionally the "ideal" range of a grenade is within the blast radius which translates into "if you want to best use your grenade, you HAVE TO take the same damage yourself PLUS deal with the high HAM cost (this is why they are called Suicide Bombs).
Suggested Solutions: Grenades need be revamped and readjusted. This should include increasing the range and radius, adding status effects, increasing the pack load (to 25 at least per pack) as well as making it so that the blast does not hurt the user.
Perfecto...
Issue 5) Consumable Heavy Weapons: Currently their lootable mods are still non-functional. They are often out-damaged due to poor speed and very poor accuracy. They are hard to find due to crafting difficulty. They put the Commando in a very vunerable position when they must stop motion to use them. And they are not worth the price when you balance cost vs. accuracy (not enough shots connect to make them worth the average cost).
Suggested Solutions: Revert Consumable Heavy Weapons back to using generic Heavy Weapon Speed and Heavy Weapon Accuracy skill mods. Consumable Heavy Weapons also need to be altered to AP3 (or at the very least AP2). Reversion will cause Bugged Heavy Weapon Skill Mod Attachments to once again work in game. Heavy Consumable weapons should be either increased to average of 60 or more shots, be reloadable (so we only have to slice them one time) or have higher Accuracy & Speed mods to compensate for price and rarity.
I think we should start this by asking for 1 or 2 of the materials requirements to be changed (or drastically simplified) to make these cheaper. Personally, i would rather buy 6 10-shot launchers for 30k each than one 180k launcher.
Yes, I understand that the slicing is an issue, but I see more charges as simply being higher up-front expense that makes it harder for people to afford launchers.
I think if they simply took out the grenade component requirement and replaced it with something else explosive (like petro fuel), it would make a world of difference.
Edit: Strike that...I wasn't thinking straight and that didn't make a damn bit of sense... I agree with the 60 charges as a temp solution until they can give us reloadable ones (which would rock...)
I agree on the AP and accuracy/speed mods. I think we should be more specific with numbers, however, and should ask that all just use a singular "Heavy Weapon Speed/Accuracy" mod, which is spread as follows: Accuracy +20 HW-I; +20 HW-II; +20 HW-III; +20 HW-IV; +30 Master. Speed +10 HW-I; +10 HW-II; +10 HW-III; +10 HW-IV; +20 Master.
My only addtion is to the HAR. If they are unwilling to increase it's range, add AP or connect it to the Rifleman profession, then they should (at the very least) make it on-par with the BH LLC in terms of speed and/or damage. They really need to pay attention to this (currently) useless skill tree. 
)
