Comprehensive Review and Commantary on Patch 1.2 - Part 7: Bounty Hunter/Trooper

I've addressed some of the changes to Powertech tanking previously.

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

Bounty Hunter
-General
--Ability Heat costs are now displayed in skill tree and trainer windows. 


--Death From Above now has a 5-meter radius to bring its range in line with other Bounty Hunter Area of Effect abilities, and it now begins dealing damage sooner after activation. 
---Basically they neutered its range.  Its damage is still alright but it's much weaker as an AOE ability now in terms of its range.



--Hydraulic Overrides now has improved audio and visual effects. 


--Incendiary Missile audio has been improved.


--Jet Charge now places a "root" visual effect on the affected target. *UPDATED 3/29*


-Mercenary
--Cure now generates 8 Heat (down from 16).


--Jet Boost now triggers snare visual effects on affected targets.


--Power Shot has been rebalanced. It now generates 16 Heat, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.
---This is the most perplexing change to me out of anything in 1.2.  In order to encourage a more varied ability usage they nerfed Tracer Missile (see further down), but they also gave Power Shot a corresponding nerf so it still does less damage than Tracer Missile.  What they should have done is left Power Shot's damage alone so that Power Shot would be your main filler and Tracer Missile would only be used to keep up heat signature stacks.  Basically, now the only difference in your ability priority is that you will use Unload on cooldown regardless of Barrage proc--but Barrage now procs much more often (see below) so it's not even really going to be a change.  You still have to wait until Tracer Lock stacks up to pop your Rail Shot so that ability's priority isn't changing either.  And the really stupid thing about this change in particular is that all it does is make leveling from 10 to 20 a living hell since you won't get Muzzle Fluting to get rid of the retarded cast time change until 15 and then another 3 levels to where the pushback reduction kicks in and makes it less painful to cast Power Shot.



--Tracer Missile and Fusion Missile's animations have been exchanged by popular demand from the community.
---Really?  Seriously?  Fuck you guys, the original Tracer Missile animation was awesome.



--Onboard AED is a new level 50 ability that allows the Mercenary to revive an incapacitated ally. It is usable in combat. *UPDATED 3/29*


--Power Surge can now be trained at level 46. *UPDATED 3/29*


--Arsenal
---Barrage: the chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly. 


---Heatseeker Missiles' damage output has been increased by approximately 10%.


---Jet Escape now reduces the cooldown of Jet Boost by 2.5 seconds per point. 


---Muzzle Fluting no longer reduces Heat costs. It now reduces the activation time of Power Shot and Tracer Missile by .5 seconds. 


---Power Barrier now provides 1% damage reduction per stack.
----A nerf to passive damage reduction, but honestly they should just get rid of this talent period.



---Tracer Missile has been rebalanced in order to encourage more active gameplay rotations. It now generates 16 Heat, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage. 
----See above for why I think this "rebalanced in order to encouraged more active gameplay rotations" is complete drivel.



--Bodyguard
---Critical Efficiency now reduces the cost of Rapid Scan by 8 (down from 16).


---Cure Mind no longer reduces the cost of Cure. It now causes Cure to heal the target for a small amount.


---Hired Muscle now increases critical chance by 1% per point.


---Kolto Missile now affects up to 4 targets (up from 3), improving reliability in group and Operation situations.


---Kolto Residue now increases all healing received by 3% (down from 5%).


---Kolto Shell now builds 16 Heat when activated.
----This sounds really stupid to me also, since you have no control over when it procs.



---Supercharged Gas now vents 8 Heat (down from 16) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Missile now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%). 


---Critical Efficiency's buff description now properly refers to Rapid Scan. *UPDATED 3/29*


--Pyrotech (Mercenary)
---Prototype Particle Accelerator now requires Combustible Gas Cylinder to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds. 


-Powertech
--Due to changes to the Powertech skill trees, Powertechs have had their skill points refunded. 


--Quell no longer generates Heat.
---Talked about this briefly in the Warrior changes, but this is something that never should have cost resources to begin with.



--Shield Tech
---Ablative Upgrades: the absorption amount gained from this skill has been slightly reduced.
Empowered Tech is now a 3-point skill.
----It's not clear if this is a buff or nerf.  Presumably the point change is to make room for the addition of Heat Screen (see below).


---Heat Blast is no longer limited by the global cooldown. Its damage has been reduced by approximately 15%.
----This sounds really awesome.  A free heat dump with a little damage off the global cooldown?  I'll take it.



---Heat Screen is a new 2-point skill that causes Flame Burst and Heat Blast to build a stacking buff that increases shield absorption. 
----Now that I think about it, this may force more strict heat management by forcing a Flame Burst occasionally to keep stacks up.



---Oil Slick is no longer limited by the global cooldown.


--Advanced Prototype
---Charged Gauntlets now triggers from damage dealt such that the bleed caused by Retractable Blade can trigger the buff. It now has a visual effect. 


---Kolto Vents has been replaced by Hamstring, which causes Retractable Blade to slow the target by 30% for 6 seconds.


---Prototype Flame Thrower now is granted a stack when Immolate is used. In addition, stacks make Flame Thrower immune to interrupt and at 5 stacks Flame Thrower will now slow the movement speed of targets by 70%. *UPDATED 3/23*


--Pyrotech (Powertech)
---Prototype Particle Accelerator now requires Combustible Gas Cylinder to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds. 
----This basically kills off the 21/2/18 "Parakeet" build.  I think this is indicative of a very bad design philosophy.



Trooper
-General
--Full Auto's attack animation now begins more quickly to improve reactiveness and faction balance.
---I may be wrong, but I never noticed that there was significant problems with this in the short time I've played a Trooper.



--Mortar Volley's animation has been updated. In addition, it now has a 5-meter radius to bring its range in line with other Trooper Area of Effect abilities and it now begins its damage sooner after activation.
---It now fires 5 rounds and without a startup delay.



--Storm now places a "root" visual effect on the affected target. *UPDATED 3/29*


--Commando
---Concussion Charge now triggers snare visual effects on affected targets. 


---Charged Bolts has been rebalanced. It now costs 2 Energy Cells, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.


---Cure now costs 1 Energy Cell (down from 2).


---Emergency Medical Probe is a new level 50 ability that allows the Commando to revive an incapacitated ally. It is usable in combat. *UPDATED 3/29*


---Tech Override is now trainable at level 46. *UPDATED 3/29*


--Gunnery
---Charged Barrier now provides 1% damage reduction per stack. 


---Curtain of Fire: the chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly.


---Demolition Round's damage output has been increased by approximately 10%.


---Grav Round has been rebalanced. It now costs 2 Energy Cells, has a 2-second activation time, and deals approximately 10% less damage.


---Muzzle Fluting no longer reduces Energy Cell costs. It now reduces the activation time of Charged Bolts and Grav Round by .5 seconds.


---Tenacious Defense now reduces the cooldown of Concussion Charge by 2.5 seconds per point.


--Combat Medic
---Field Training now increases critical chance by 1% per point. 


---Field Triage now reduces the cost of Medical Probe by 1 (down from 2).


---Kolto Bomb now affects up to 4 targets (up from 3), improving reliability in group and Operation situations.


---Kolto Residue now increases all healing received by 3% (down from 5%).


---Psych Aid no longer reduces the cost of Field Aid. It now causes Field Aid to heal the target for a small amount.


---Supercharge Cells now restores 1 Energy Cell (down from 2) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Bomb now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%).


---Trauma Probe now costs 2 Energy Cells to activate.


--Assault Specialist (Commando)
---Ionic Accelerator now requires Plasma Cell to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds. 


-Vanguard
--Due to changes to the Vanguard skill trees, all Vanguards have had their skill points refunded.


--Fire Pulse's visual effect more accurately represents its functionality.


--Riot Strike no longer costs Energy Cells.


--Animation timing issues with Energy Blast have been addressed.


--The hit timing delay on Explosive Surge has been improved.


--Shield Specialist
---Ceramic Plating: the absorption amount gained from this skill has been slightly reduced.


---Counter Attack is now a 3-point skill.


---Energy Blast is no longer limited by the global cooldown. Its damage has been reduced by approximately 15%.


---Power Screen is a new 2-point skill that causes Ion Pulse and Energy Blast to build a stacking buff that increases shield absorption.


---Smoke Grenade is no longer limited by the global cooldown.


--Tactics
---Combat Tactics now triggers from damage dealt such that the bleed caused by Gut can trigger the buff. It now has a visual effect. 


---Kolto Recharge has been replaced by Hamstring, which causes Gut to slow the target by 30% for 6 seconds. 


---Pulse Generator now is granted a stack when Fire Pulse is used. In addition, stacks make Pulse Cannon immune to interrupt and at 5 stacks Pulse Cannon will now slow the movement speed of targets by 70%. *UPDATED 3/23*


--Assault Specialist (Vanguard)
---Ionic Accelerator now requires Plasma Cell to trigger. The chance to trigger this effect has been increased significantly but cannot trigger more than once every 6 seconds.