Comprehensive Review and Commantary on Patch 1.2 - Part 6: Imperial Agent/Smuggler

Operative is the other class I haven't played to 50, so it too will be a little sparse on commentary.

To distinguish the patch notes from my commentary, all the original patch notes are in italics and my own comments will be in bold.

Imperial Agent

-General

--Players can now "Crouch" (but not roll into cover) while immobilized. 

---This is a desperately needed fix, and will make IAs and Smugglers harder to kill in PvP.



--Agents can no longer be pushed out of cover via the "cover integrity" mechanic, which has been removed from the game.



-Operative

--Due to changes to Operative skill trees, Operatives have had their skill points refunded.



--Backstab now has a 12-second cooldown and deals approximately 5% more damage.



--Hidden Strike now has a 7.5-second cooldown.



--Sleep Dart now gives an appropriate error message if used on Droids.



--Tactical Advantage no longer triggers a "grunt" sound effect when it occurs.



--Concealment

---Culling has been redesigned and is now a 2-point skill. It no longer increases damage dealt to poisoned targets, but increases the Energy gained by Stim Boost and the damage dealt by Laceration and Collateral Strike.



---Inclement Conditioning is now a 2-point skill.



---Flanking is a new 1-point skill located in Tier 3 of the skill tree. It reduces the Energy cost of Backstab by 5. 



---Laceration now costs 10 Energy (down from 15) and deals approximately 10% less damage. 
Meticulously Kept Blades no longer increases Energy gained by Stim Boost. This effect is now part of Culling.



---Waylay now increases the damage dealt by Backstab. It is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree and requires Flanking.



--Medicine
---Medical Consult now also increases the duration of Tactical Advantage by 2 seconds per point. 



---Medical Therapy now additionally reduces the Energy cost of Recuperative Nanotech by 2 per point. 



---Patient Studies now additionally increases the speed at which Diagnostic Scan channels by 15% per point. 



---Recuperative Nanotech has been rebalanced. It now has a 15-second cooldown, heals over 6 seconds, and heals for approximately 10% more than before.

----This sounds like a pretty big buff to Operative healing.



---Surgical Precision now additionally increases the maximum stack limit of Tactical Advantage by 1.



--Lethality (Operative)

---Corrosive Microbes now functions correctly. 



---Lethality now increases critical chance by 1% per point.



---Razor Edge now increases Shiv damage by 4% per point.



---Weakening Blast no longer has an Energy cost.



---Lingering Toxins is a new Tier 6 skill that reduces damage taken from periodic effects and gives Corrosive Dart and Corrosive Grenade a chance to apply a weaker version of the same effect when they end (even if they are cleansed). *UPDATED 3/29*



---Vanish has been replaced by Escape Plan, which now additionally reduces the cooldown of Escape. *UPDATED 3/29*



-Sniper

--Due to changes to the Sniper skill trees, Snipers have had their skill points refunded.



--Shatter Shot now additionally inflicts trauma, reducing all healing the target receives by 20% for 9 seconds. 

---This will be a very nice, very handy addition to PvP both as a Sniper and in terms of cutting down how powerful healers are.



--Marksmanship

---Imperial Assassin is now a 3-point skill that provides the same overall effect.



---Siege Bunker is a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage taken from area attacks by 60% while Entrench is active. This change allows the Marksman to remain in cover more often in situations that force other classes to rapidly change locations.

----It sounds like this is meant to allow Snipers to use Entrench as a get-out-of-mechanic-free defensive cooldown, and while I understand the impetus (actually, I'm betting this is in response to a lot of people bitching on the forums) watering down boss mechanics that requires mobility waters down the game in general and is not a good direction to go.  I would have rather see more stuff like Calculated Pursuit (or how it is now anyways)--ie talents or abilities that allow cover-only abilities to be used out of cover in order to keep using these abilities for a short duration while repositioning.



---Snap Shot's tooltip now correctly mentions that its effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds. Functionality has not changed.



---Sniper Volley has been redesigned. It now triggers from dealing damage with rifles and increases Alacrity and energy regeneration for 10 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds.

----Holy crap, a reason to take Sniper Volley!



--Engineering

---Calculated Pursuit has been redesigned. It is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree and makes Overload Shot cost no energy for 6 seconds after leaving cover. 



---EMP Discharge's range has been increased to 60 meters.



---Plasma Probe has been improved. It has new visual effects and now deals more of its damage in the first few seconds and snares affected targets. If the initial hit strikes a target affected by your Interrogation Probe, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.



---Stroke of Genius is now located in Tier 2 of the skill tree.



---Interrogation Probe's cooldown now resets if a target is defeated while under its effects. *UPDATED 3/29*



--Lethality (Sniper)

---Corrosive Microbes now functions correctly.



---Cull now costs 25 Energy (down from 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but poison damage remains unchanged. 

----Last time I talked to Ginnai about this he didn't think that it was a strong enough nerf to Lethality to be worried about it.



---Hold Your Ground's cooldown reduction for Cover Pulse has been reduced to 2.5 seconds per point. 



---Lethality now increases critical change by 1% per point. 



---Razor Edge now increases Shiv's damage by 4% per point. 



---Razor Rounds now increases the critical chance of Cull and Series of Shots by 4% per point. 



---Targeted Demolition now correctly requires Corrosive Grenade. 



---Weakening Blast no longer has an Energy cost. 

----Sounds like Cull will still consume Weakening Blast charges, so again it looks like there's not much of an appreciable nerf to Lethality.



---Lingering Toxins is a new Tier 6 skill that reduces damage taken from periodic effects and gives Corrosive Dart and Corrosive Grenade a chance to apply a weaker version of the same effect when they end (even if they are cleansed). *UPDATED 3/29*



---Vanish has been replaced by Hold Your Ground, which now additionally reduces the cooldown of Escape. *UPDATED 3/29*



Smuggler

-General

--Dirty Kick can now be used while moving. 



--Players can now "Crouch" (but not roll into cover) while immobilized.



--Smugglers can no longer be pushed out of cover via the "cover integrity" mechanic, which has been removed from the game.



-Gunslinger

--Due to changes to the Gunslinger skill trees, Gunslingers have had their skill points refunded. 



--Flourish Shot now additionally inflicts trauma, reducing all healing the target receives by 20% for 9 seconds. 



--Saboteur

---Hot Pursuit has been redesigned. It is now located in Tier 4 of the skill tree and makes Quick Shot cost no Energy for 6 seconds after leaving cover.



---Incendiary Grenade has been improved. It now deals more of its damage in the first few seconds and snares affected targets. If the initial hit strikes a target affected by your Shock Charge, that target is stunned for 2 seconds.



---Pandemonium is now located in Tier 2 of the skill tree.



---Sabotage's range has been increased to 60 meters.



---Shock Charge now resets its cooldown if the target is defeated while under its effects. *UPDATED 3/29*



--Sharpshooter

---Burst Volley has been redesigned. It now triggers from dealing damage with blasters and increases Alacrity and Energy regeneration for 10 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 30 seconds. 



---Deadeye is now a 3-point skill that provides the same overall effect. 



---Holed Up is a new 2-point skill located in Tier 6 of the skill tree that reduces damage taken from area attacks by 60% while Hunker Down is active. This change allows the Sharpshooter to remain in cover more often in situations that force other classes to rapidly change locations.



---Snap Shot's tooltip now correctly mentions that its effect cannot occur more than once every 6 seconds. Functionality has not changed.



--Dirty Fighting (Gunslinger)

---Bombastic now correctly requires Shrap Bomb. 



---Hemorrhaging Blast no longer has an Energy cost.



---Hold Your Ground's cooldown reduction for Pulse Detonator has been reduced to 2.5 seconds per point.



---Holdout Defense now increases Blaster Whip damage by 4% per point.



---No Holds Barred now increases critical chance by 1% per point.



---Reopen Wounds now increases the critical chance of Wounding Shots and Speed Shot by 4% per point.



---Wounding Shots now costs 25 Energy (down from 30). The weapon damage component of this ability has been reduced by approximately 15%, but bleeding damage remains unchanged.



---Nice Try is a new Tier 6 skill that reduces damage taken from periodic effects and gives Vital Shot and Shrap Bomb a chance to apply a weaker version of the same effect when they end (even if they are cleansed). *UPDATED 3/29*



---Quick Getaway has been replaced by Hold Your Ground, which additionally reduces the cooldown of Escape. *UPDATED 3/29*



-Scoundrel

--Due to changes to the Scoundrel skill trees, Scoundrels have had their skill points refunded.



--Back Blast now has a 12-second cooldown and deals approximately 5% more damage.



--Diagnostic Scan's tooltip now displays the full amount healed over its duration.



--Shoot First now has a 7.5-second cooldown.



--Tranquilizer now gives an appropriate error message if used on Droids.



--Upper Hand no longer triggers a "grunt" sound effect when it occurs.



--Sawbones

---Emergent Emergencies now additionally increases the maximum stack limit of Upper Hand by 1.



---Healing Hand now also increases the duration of Upper Hand by 2 seconds per point.



---Homegrown Pharmacology now additionally reduces the Energy cost of Kolto Cloud by 2 per point.



---Kolto Cloud has been rebalanced. It now has a 15-second cooldown, heals over 6 seconds, and heals for approximately 10% more than before.



---Patient Studies now additionally increases the speed at which Diagnostic Scan channels by 15% per point.



--Scrapper

---Brawler's Grit is now a 2-point skill. 



---Flanking is a new 1-point skill located in Tier 3 of the skill tree. It reduces the Energy cost of Back Blast by 5. 



---K.O. no longer experiences a delay in its knockdown effect.



---Sawed Off now increases the damage dealt by Back Blast. It is now located in Tier 5 of the skill tree and requires Flanking.



---Sucker Punch now costs 10 Energy (down from 15) and deals approximately 10% less damage.



---Turn the Tables has been redesigned and is now a 2-point skill. It no longer increases damage dealt to bleeding targets, but increases the Energy gained by Pugnacity and the damage dealt by Sucker Punch and Flying Fists.



---Underdog no longer increases Energy gained by Pugnacity. This effect is now part of Turn the Tables.



--Dirty Fighting (Scoundrel)

---Hemorrhaging Blast no longer has an Energy cost.



---Holdout Defense now increases Blaster Whip damage by 4% per point.



---No Holds Barred now increases critical chance by 1% per point.



---Nice Try is a new Tier 6 skill that reduces the damage taken from periodic effects and gives Vital Shot and Shrap Bomb a chance to apply a weaker version of the same effect when they end (even if they are cleansed). *UPDATED 3/29*



---Quick Getaway has been replaced by Smuggled Defense, which additionally reduces the cooldown of Escape. *UPDATED 3/29*