If you hate gunner and...

[Dephinix]

Diffuse Shell, staple one shot mobbing rifle PA, no gunner uses this? Really?

[Kiyumi]

GU was the first non-melee class I tried (because it was most similar) and it seems to do far less damage than every other class Ive played. I dont know if I suck or GU sucks, maybe both. I would still use the weapon if it was my strongest though.

[HopelessHero]

So... I'm a capped Gunner and I find the class really fun to play, and the damage is okay in a normal situation and kickass in specific situations like satisfying multipliers, Showtime or Chain Trigger. Of course I'm definitely not up there with other classes' damage potentials, but I like to think I'm still a reasonably valuable party member.
But... Having read around this forum for a while, I keep seeing the recurring joke that Gunner was horribly nerfed. Was it, like... way better than it is now at some point? I've played this game for two years, but I've only been a Gunner for maybe about half of one.

[Cyber Meteor]

So... I'm a capped Gunner and I find the class really fun to play, and the damage is okay in a normal situation and kickass in specific situations like satisfying multipliers, Showtime or Chain Trigger. Of course I'm definitely not up there with other classes' damage potentials, but I like to think I'm still a reasonably valuable party member.
But... Having read around this forum for a while, I keep seeing the recurring joke that Gunner was horribly nerfed. Was it, like... way better than it is now at some point? I've played this game for two years, but I've only been a Gunner for maybe about half of one.

It was just the most powerful class along with Braver during super-Shunka days. Basically, it was a Infinite Fire spamming gameplay, this PA was extremely powerful before EP3, you killed mobs in few seconds, and the release of Heel Stab just added a "big group cleaning in one hit" to the list. In short until the release of SHAQ, Gunner was more powerful than Ranger, it's only after the release of SHAQ Photon Art and new skills that made Ranger able to compete again against Gunner. Then came the EP3 Gunner's balancing and their dmg was reduced by a lot (at the very beginning of EP3 it was reduced by half but SEGA changed that to remake them a little bit more powerful), some PA's got buffed, S-roll JA bonus went from a 200% value to 160% to current 110%, so there is also that. I was a Gunner addict during EP2, so i pretty much know how it was before EP3, probably more than during EP3 since i haven't really played that class after seeing the changes made to Ranger.

[HopelessHero]

It was just the most powerful class along with Braver during super-Shunka days. Basically, it was a Infinite Fire spamming gameplay, this PA was extremely powerful before EP3, you killed mobs in few seconds, and the release of Heel Stab just added a "big group cleaning in one hit" to the list. In short until the release of SHAQ, Gunner was more powerful than Ranger, it's only after the release of SHAQ Photon Art and new skills that made Ranger able to compete again against Gunner. Then came the EP3 Gunner's balancing and their dmg was reduced by a lot (at the very beginning of EP3 it was reduced by half but SEGA changed that to remake them a little bit more powerful), some PA's got buffed, S-roll JA bonus went from a 200% value to 160% to current 110%, so there is also that. I was a Gunner addict during EP2, so i pretty much know how it was before EP3, probably more than during EP3 since i haven't really played that class after seeing the changes made to Ranger.

Oh. That's... kind of deflating. Sucks that I missed those golden days. Wonder if it'll ever be better again.

Good thing I'm leveling Fi/Br in the meantime. \o/

[Shunx]

I swap between Classes quite a lot, so I have no distinct main class(I only use one character) and I would use it for my Gunner Class if it means keeping up with everything else and killing from a distance.

Bashing ER won't make a difference to me, I'll still use it because it's a decent spread mobbing skill, and all I see is it being bashed because of it's launching with the final hit. If it kills they hey, I'm okay with it.

As for looks if the issue, I already have ＊Electifinis So I'm good.

[Great Pan]

No. Hunter master race!

[Noblewine]

As long as its not a gender specific issue. Maybic.

[elryan]

It was just the most powerful class along with Braver during super-Shunka days. Basically, it was a Infinite Fire spamming gameplay, this PA was extremely powerful before EP3, you killed mobs in few seconds, and the release of Heel Stab just added a "big group cleaning in one hit" to the list. In short until the release of SHAQ, Gunner was more powerful than Ranger, it's only after the release of SHAQ Photon Art and new skills that made Ranger able to compete again against Gunner.

Yes.

Then came the EP3 Gunner's balancing and their dmg was reduced by a lot (at the very beginning of EP3 it was reduced by half but SEGA changed that to remake them a little bit more powerful), some PA's got buffed, S-roll JA bonus went from a 200% value to 160% to current 110%, so there is also that. I was a Gunner addict during EP2, so i pretty much know how it was before EP3, probably more than during EP3 since i haven't really played that class after seeing the changes made to Ranger.

No...

Sroll JA nerfed from 200% to 110% but many skills except Infinite Fire are doubled in damage.

What does it means? It means:
1. Satellite Aim is now Chain Trigger-able without suffering damage penalty from not performing Sroll JA. Especially if you use Hunter's Massive Hunter + Gunner's Toughness Time skills which allow performing Chain Trigger uninterruptible even when receiving damage.
2. In addition to above points, Elder Rebellion, Satellite Aim and Shift Period now gain damage bonus from Ranger Standing Snipe when performed mid-air because can be performed without Sroll JA.
3. Because Infinite Fire now suck (more or less), Infinite Fire is now replaceable with Assault Rifle One Point / Impact Slider / Grenade Shell for high mobility, longer range mobbing.

tl;dr Gunner becomes better in EP3, just different play-style from EP2.

[Maninbluejumpsuit]

I swap between Classes quite a lot, so I have no distinct main class(I only use one character) and I would use it for my Gunner Class if it means keeping up with everything else and killing from a distance.

Bashing ER won't make a difference to me, I'll still use it because it's a decent spread mobbing skill, and all I see is it being bashed because of it's launching with the final hit. If it kills they hey, I'm okay with it.

Part of the problem is that the animation is long, and most GUs don't kill things with it, where geared melee can put at least 25k into a target without a long attack sequence to do it. Said melee just has to get on target before it gets launched the GU, and their rebellion's head start by virtue of firing range.


The other thing that's hurting GUs are the higher ranged resists on XH/Ult enemies compared to striking resists with the intent to make melee rewarding. The kicker about that is, since IF, and ER have been intentionally left behind in damage to facilitate mid-close range gameplay being more rewarding for GU, they're ideally played like melee, but hit harder by resists.