Adeon Hawkwood
-
Posts
6270 -
Joined
-
Quote:Just a general comment on the whole issue of Trip Mine. Personally I feel that the main issue with Trip Mine isn't that Trip Mine itself is bad it's that Devices has TWO powers that are rather situational and use the same basic principle. For me fixing Time Bomb to make it useful in fast-paced play effectively also fixes Trip Mine because now I don't need it. That's why I tend to favor fixing Time Bomb and leaving Trip Mine alone. Have one bomb for people who want a fast-paced action set and one for those that prefer a slower paced style.Originally Posted by Nethergoat
I am not a fan of trip mine and don't have it in my ar/dev's current build, but saying it ISN'T THEMATIC is ridiculous- it fits in perfectly with the whole 'gadget' vibe of the set.
It is also a very effective power that many people quite like- I ditched it not because it doesn't work well, but because I got tired of the gameplay style it imposed. But you can do some crazy things with trip mines and any crusade to get rid of it or materially change how it works is going to run into a stiff headwind from annoyed players.
Time Bomb is pure, hot garbage.
Happily, a recent Red Name post informs us a change is on the menu possibly as early as I25.
The Mastermind version of Traps is a good example of this (at least in theory). It has Trip Mine for MMs who want that and Detonate for MMs who prefer a more direct solution. Unfortunately due to some somewhat questionable design decisions in the set it doesn't work that way in practice by the intent is right (Trip Mine does Blaster level damage while Detonate does wildly variable damage depending on the type of pet used meaning that Trip Mine frequently out-damages it). When the devs fix Time Bomb I'm going to suggest porting the new version of that to Mastermind Traps as well. -
Personally I think that with the changes previously made to Gun Drone and the upcoming I24 changes Devices is in a pretty good place. Field Operative is IMHO the best of the new Sustain powers (it's a toggle but you don't have to worry about it generating Aggro unlike the other toggle sustains). Targeting Drone means perma-FastSnipe is easy to obtain. Caltrops are awesome for keeping foes at range. Gun Drone is now reasonably useful. Smoke Grenade is a useful debuff both for increasing your survivability and stealthing glowies.
As for the more situational powers. Personally I like Web Grenade as is, yes the lack of damage does hurt for low level Blasters since they can't use it to fill out their attack chain but once you get to level 25 or so I find that the debuffs from Web Grenade are a lot more useful than the damage would be. Trip Mine is (as people have mentioned) a somewhat situational power but it still provides some useful benefits for a Blaster, particularly if their Primary lacks in AoE (personally I tend to use it for the knockback as a last line of defense behind my Caltrops). Time Bomb is the only real stinker in the set and the upside is Synapse has said that this is high on their list of things to fix so we know it will get fixed (I'm hoping for I25 but we will have to see). -
There's also the whole name issue. Names are unique per sever so constantly transferring servers means you'll frequently need to rename.
-
Quote:See that means that you don't understand it. Yes people who don't like the game unsubscribe but not all people who unsubscribe don't like the game.Originally Posted by RemusShepherd
I understand the system, I just don't agree with how it is set up. I subscribed because I liked the game and I wanted to reward the developers. If I unsubscribe because I no longer enjoy the game, why would I continue playing?
Under the Freedom model a subscription is not an all or nothing situation. It's a fixed set of perks that is accessible for $15/month. Some people consider this to be a good deal while others don't. As Arcana said this is simply human nature, people want different things and for some the subscription is a good deal and fro some it isn't.
So yeah if you don't enjoy the game you probably should stop playing but if you enjoy the game and simply don't find the subscription cost effective then quitting is a poor choice. Instead drop the subscription and spend $15 a month on Paragon Points. You already did the math earlier in the thread and clearly believe that the extra paragon points you'll get will be more valuable to you than the VIP perks. So there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Paragon Studios won't care since you'll be providing them the same income you'll just be spending it differently. -
Quote:Precisely. Having stuff that VIPs have to pay for means that those VIPs who have extra money and are willing to spend it on CoH can spend more while those who don't can use their monthly stipend to purchase the bits that they really care about. So long as the general rate of free to VIP stuff plus the value of the stipend is greater than the rate that stuff was produced at before Freedom then VIPs aren't getting ripped off.Originally Posted by Nethergoat
No, that isn't the goal.
The goal is for Paragon Studios to maximize profit.
The bottom line doesn't care about subs per se, it cares about taking in more $$$ whatever the source.
Which the current system seems to be doing a bang-up job of. -
Quote:Not quite, the bonus damage is unaffected by buffs and enhancements so it's always the same absolute amount even if you get a Kin to damage cap you.Originally Posted by LtZerge
Given its original logic it`s always had me thinking I would like to see the buff proliferated to other blast sets without aim, like Dual Pistols. Currently,yes, it just adds a small amount of extra base damage to Sniper Rifle.
-
Quote:Kismet is a Proc120 which are not being changed by the PPM mechanicsOriginally Posted by plainguy
But it does have Perma snipe I guess, I'm a bit concerned what this new PPM will do the Karma +ToHit buff. I honestly don't know if it will do anything, so I might be worried about nothing honestly.
-
Quote:I didn't. I did run the event quite a bit so I've got a few sets worth but I forgot to buy any on the market.Originally Posted by Grouchybeast
No, the market players picked the OF set up cheaply on the market during the event and filled a few storage bins with them, ensuring they have all they want for personal use plus plenty to sell.
Oh well. -
Quote:I'm sure that there is. What it is I don't know.Originally Posted by Shadey_NA
Anyone know if there's an absorb cap?
-
Quote:Me to. I judge every power from both of my powersets and the available power pools based on how well it will support the team. A lot of time for my Defenders I find that some of their primary powers are less useful to the team than an extra attack or a pool power to help keep me alive and supporting the team.Originally Posted by New Dawn
I take and use the entire Trick Arrow set. It's a team build. I take every power based on the possible usefulness to a team mate.
I will admit that there is one exception to this rule on my Trick Arrow Defender and that is EMP Arrow. It's very rare that a team really benefits from it. If they truly need it then it's not up enough to matter and most teams don't need it. That being said it's a fun power and REALLY useful solo so I made room for it in my build. -
Quote:I'm always doing that. I still think it's useful thoughOriginally Posted by Trickshooter
Small thing, but ToHit debuff enhancements are Schedule B, so the total -ToHit it can offer on a Defender is around -9.75%.
-
Quote:Personally I think people tend to underestimate Flash Arrow. Yes it is weak compared to other To Hit Debuffs available to Defenders but it's still pretty useful and unlike the rest it isn't a toggle. If you slot it up then it's a 9.3% To Hit Debuff which basically means an extra 9.3% Defense for you. Additionally since it's not a toggle you can use Power Boost or Power Build Up before casting it to give it a bit more oomph (plus both of these powers enhance EMP Arrow so they're handy for a TA/A anyway).Originally Posted by Justaris
Flash Arrow used to be quite buggy so I hadn't had it for a while, but I've played extensively with other players using it. It's good for preventing accidental aggro and the to hit debuff is nice, but not all that strong.
If you take Power Boost then you can do this at least every other spawn and possibly more depending on your Global Recharge. Power Build Up is up less but I like it for the added flexibility since I use it for the damage buff on RoA in cases where I don't need the extra To Hit Debuff or Hold Duration (plus Force of Nature is an AWESOME power for a Defender). -
Quote:I would say that a F2P option of some sort is the future for most MMOs rather than a Hybrid option specifically. Personally I like the Hybrid model and I think it is a good option for a lot of MMOs but conversely there are going to be games where it doesn't make sense.Originally Posted by Golden Girl
Hybrid models are the future of MMOs - new games will launch with hybrid models right from the start, and even WoW will make the switch.
And no matter what type of VIP option they all offer, there'll always be some weeping over its worth.
A good example would be any game where the primary focus is on PvP. For those a subscription offering is going to be VERY hard to balance and a straight up free to play with cash shop starts making a lot more sense. Now it's not impossible, there is a PvP focused game which offers a subscription option as a part of it's Agenda but the game also has a very strong PvE component and the subscription mostly increases the rewards from that. -
Quote:I would argue that you already can play Armored Blasters with Defender damage mods, they're called Defenders. Several Defender primaries give you personal survival that is pretty close to Scrapper levels already even before you factor in debuffs. Not to mention that Defenders get Tanker levels of Defense/Resistance form pool powers and epic powers.Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
You ask me if people would still play Blasters if they could play Blasters with armour. I don't know, but let me ask you this - would people play Blasters with defence if they had a Defender damage mod? Because that question isn't as easy hand-wave away. That sort of comparing of uncomarables is what can make such an AT work.
So I guess the answer is no I wouldn't play an Armored Blaster with Defender level damage, I'd rather just play a Defender since I can get pretty much the same survivability and help the team at the same time.
To me this illustrates the core problem with trying to make a Blast/Armor AT in this game. If you give them high damage then they start to invalidate Blasters, Scrappers and Stalkers. If you give them lower damage then they get eclipsed by Support ATs which, let's face it, are somewhat overpowered.
If the devs were to make a Blast/Armor AT I'd expect the damage scale to be about 0.9 (more than Tankers, less than the current Damage ATs). I'd also expect the survival mods to be lower than Scrappers. Probably 0.07 like Blasters have but maybe even 0.065. -
For what it's worth I don't use any of the PPPs on my widow and am getting along fine with it. That being said I'm not an uber min-maxer so your mileage may vary. Personally I found that on a Fortunata between the Fortunata powers and the various pool powers I wanted I didn't really have room for a PPP anyway.
-
Quote:Neither of those cases are the same power though. Very similar powers, yes but not the same. A better example would be Kheldians and Flight/Teleport which if you recall was locked out for a long time and is only getting allowed in I24.Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
Point still stands, with SoAs.
Not to mention, you can take Fly, Teleport, and Mystic Flight.
That's not a bad idea. There's precedent for it in Fire Armor.Quote:Although personally, I would love it if scrapper ninjitsu replaced Caltrops with Envenomed Blades. -
Quote:Personally I prefer it as Knockback, I find that the extra mitigation is useful for TA.Originally Posted by Redlynne
Explosive Arrow with Overwhelming Force Proc "moderating" the KnockBACK into being KnockDOWN is game changing.
-
Quote:I think the easiest option would be to camp their spawn point (the Paragon Studios offices) and then attack them with Nerf Weaponry when they spawn.Originally Posted by Mad Grim
What kind of nerfing are we talking about? ED (drug them, leave them in a dumpster in some city beginning with S), or Regen (sit them down, talk them into making the game a democracy, if they don't agree drug them and leave them in a dumpster in some city beginning with S).
-
Powers I skipped on mine:
Entangling Arrow
Ranged Shot
Stunning Shot
Powers you could also reasonably skip:
Aim
Ice Arrow
Explosive Arrow (I wouldn't advise skipping this but if you have decent recharge and really hate KB you can manage with just Fistful and Hail for AoE). -
Quote:Thematically I think that a Restraining Order power should be a Placate and not a hold. Your target can still do whatever they want so long as it isn't directed at you.Originally Posted by Organica
6. The Freakshow. Many of the Freakshow will become lawyers. They will still have all their cyber attachments and weird hair, but will also sport fancy three-peice suits and briefcases (albeit, often held in curved sword-hands). Special new "Land Shark" lawyer class includes the "Great White" Juicer Freak who sports a giant bladed fin on his back and can file restraining order holds against you, and also the "Hammer Head" Freak who, quite literally, has a giant mallet for a head.
-
Quote:You're missing the point. The general policy (at least as I understand it) is that no single character can get two identical powers. Caltrops and Thorntrops for Doms don't count because they are in different powersets, so a single character cannot take both.Originally Posted by PRAF68_EU
It's okay if the power has a different name! Doms can get Caltrops and Thorntrops, which are basically the same; then there are all the "TT" powers that SoA get.
Now it would be possible to avoid the policy by giving Scrappers a different type of slow patch (maybe Glue Grenades?). Personally though I'd rather give it something different. that way players who want Caltrops can still have them and other players get something new. -
Yeah that's pretty much the conclusion I came to last night. To much competition in the purple conversion market at the moment. Time to move to greener pastures.
-
Personally I've always felt that the best way to buff the buff-centric sets is to have the ally buff powers grant the owner an un-enhanceable auto-power simply for owning the ally buff. It doesn't need to be as powerful as the ally buff and the general strength could be adjusted up and down or even eliminated based on how much help the set needs. Cold Domination for example doesn't really need anything but similar powers in Thermal Sonic and FF probably could benefit form that.
-
I just did a quick check and set bonuses (including LotGs) turn off when you die as do you Alpha Slot abilities. I suspect that enhancements do not turn off (since powers like Rise of the Pheonix need to calculate the damage/accuracy enhancements in them) but I can't think of a way to test this.
-
Quote:Actually against even cons a 30% resistance debuff is closer to a 60% damage buff in effectiveness since it increases you final damage as opposed to your base damage and most people have at least a 95% damage buff form enhancements already.Originally Posted by Zombie Man
I agree. Furthermore, debuffing the foe is nearly mechanically equivalent to self buff. That's why Dark Miasma does so well. The -30% Resistance in Tar Patch is equivalent to a +30% Dam self-buff. The -Regen is also equivalent to higher DPS. The insane amount of -ToHit is equivalent to buffing oneself to the Soft Cap. The -DAM is equivalent to buffing oneself with extra Resistance.