I got my first boot yesterday while playing on my Engineer. I am lvl 25 and joined a group starting a Guardian run. The host commented, "already have engie," and I responded, "ok". Then the boot came, with reason "stinky" (which I have edited for content).

While his reason was childish, it got me thinking. The recent changes to Empathy now allow it to last longer than its recharge. Both Protection and the buffs from Revive also last far longer than their recharge. Those three skills are the main support offered by the Engineer. Because they do not stack, Engineers are effectively "locking out" other party Engineers from using Empathy, Protection or Revive. It happens a lot. I have been on the locked and locking end. It is worse if your skills are a higher level than the Engineer who has you locked out.

The only time multiple Engineers are needed is if the party spreads out or splits up, the first Engineer runs out of mana or if one Engineer is not paying attention. This is not the same for Commandos and Operatives. Commandos carry cannons that do AOE damage, and can keep enemies pinned about 40% of the time. Multiple Commandos can keep enemies nearly stun-locked and under AOE fire, which is really great. And multiple Operatives... it is hard to keep up with how fast multiple Operatives can move through a map.

I really like my Engineer, but I hope this situation is not what was intended for this great class. I've been trying to think of some ideas, because I agree that simply stacking buffs may make them overpowered.

Instead, how about changing Empathy so that if it is already active on a player when cast, it does an instant, smaller heal instead of being wasted? Or, allowing it to do the same (or slightly reduced) healing, but over 1 or 2 delay/heal pattern(s) and 3 or 6 seconds, with the same recharge? That way the same healing could be applied, and still as a DOT, but with a window for another Engineer to step in cover a gap.

Protection, if aready active on a player, could instead convert the next single damage packet received by a character into some healing. Or it might be better off working somewhat like Force Shield, absorbing or reducing a little more damage, but then breaking. Multiple Engineers could then effectively use the skill.

Just a couple of ideas. Thanks for reading.