_Phantom_

[ QUOTE ]
I believe his site is rpgvisions.com or some such and let me say Wowzers! You're stuff is incredible!!! /em worship

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you very much for your interest and compliments - they really mean a lot when you work hard.

[ QUOTE ]
Hrmmm... not sure. He's got a Virtueverse page... and I think he's got his own site, too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eh?

Well, I finally got my Deviant Art page going while my website is in the process of being built.

http://cryptcrawler.deviantart.com

I hope you guys enjoy it, please visit the gallery.

You will have to become a member (free) to view the adult content.
All comments and critiques are welcome, you cant get better unless you know whats wrong.

By the way - has anyone seen Poison around? His e-mail kicks back as non-existent.



Have fun

Nerfing slows, debuffs and buffs would also bring new blood into pvp.

Not being able to auto-hit with powers that trivialize armors, buffs that trivialize smashing and lethal damage and make closing into melee range virtually impossible would also introduce some new choices into the mix instead of having to resort to the dumbed down list of optimal AT's that so many play because the odds are so ridiculously stacked in thier favor.

Yeah, I know; not every AT can be good at PvP all the time reguardless of power selection.

I think everyone in the community is already aware of this simple fact, but that simple fact shouldnt translate into the absurd polarization that we current have between optimal and non-optimal AT's for PvP.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Knockback - Kinetic Crash - Knockback/Damage/Accuracy & Knockback/Damage/Endurance will not slot into Brute: Super Strength/Hurl.


All other attacks in SS currently accept both, in addition to Leviathan Mastery: Spirit Shark.

Will test rest of the IO set in SS powers once crafted.

[/ QUOTE ]

does the power say it takes KB sets?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well hell.
I sure goofed that one up.

Guess it was bound to happen after taking a break from CoX for a bit.

Allowed Enhancement Set Catagories: Taunt, Ranged Damage.

Bah.
Figures that the one power with the highest kb mag in the set doesnt allow enhancements.

So much for overcoming acrobatics protection. =P

Knockback - Kinetic Crash - Knockback/Damage/Accuracy & Knockback/Damage/Endurance will not slot into Brute: Super Strength/Hurl.


All other attacks in SS currently accept both, in addition to Leviathan Mastery: Spirit Shark.

Will test rest of the IO set in SS powers once crafted.

[ QUOTE ]
gee sweety, have you not figured it out yet?

In this game only melees have the right to effectively resist status effects, we squoshies are just that, squoshies! How can it be fun for the melee types, if the squoshie can fight back?

Also who said holds do not work, your holds will work against other squoshies, so if you want to have fun in PvP you must only engage other squoshies, and always remember that all other classes outside of melee are regarded as support classes, and thus inferior to the melee classes in all aspects with exception of servitude powers. Gee, support class should say it all in a nutshell, really how could you ever expect to be as capable and famous as the main actor of the movie, when all you are is support cast?

The way the game was evolved after I3, poorly conceived or executed status effect system, if you want to PvP make a tanker, scraper or brute and then enjoy the game on an equal footing, and don't waste your time trying to compete with a support class character.

shrug

Stormfront 50 Storm/Dark Defender (Support Class)

[/ QUOTE ]


Or you could just roll a rad/psi defender and trivialize any melee player's shields with unresistable debuffs, unresistable slows and unresistable psychic damage - which is pretty much what someone who wants an optimal pvp toon does.

Might want to get your facts down before complaining that support toons have no chance whatsoever in pvp when in reality they remove all challenge in pvp - especially those presented by melee players.

[ QUOTE ]
I thought this thread had died. I PMed _Castle_ A little while back and haven't heard anything. Would be a great christmas present.

[/ QUOTE ]

It hasnt died yet and those of us in the brute community who pvp often need to keep this a hot topic.

Its way past due that the hero-side players fear something besides stalkers, and way past due that brutes not pvp with 2 secondaries anymore.

I personally cant see why our fury be auto leveled to scrapper damage with a little extra to represent critical probability in pvp zones - even as a temporary fix.

Because God-forbid we dish out scrapper level damage - I mean that makes about as much sense as brutes having regen - they would barely have downtime in pve and it would easily take at least 2-3 heroes to even remotely challenge them in pvp - the heroes have *NOTHING* like that..

..oh wait.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yea, and you been complaining like a two year old, trying to tell us that brute's are fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

No...wrong again. These posts have been so wrong lately that i'm wondering if you're trying to be funny.

Before i join in on the bad jokes, this is what i've been saying for the reading impaired.

"Fix brute fury, but don't punish powersets which are already gimped in the process"

[ QUOTE ]
Trying to site certain AT builds versus the entire brute AT.

[/ QUOTE ]

welcome to the circus?

[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, what youve been saying is "Fix Brute fury, as long as Scrappers are still better in PvP."

It's funny.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its gonna get even funnier if a fix hits live that actually makes us a threat to heroes and god forbid *gasp* on equal footing with scrappers instead of effectively pvping with 2 secondaries like we have been due to fury being a non-factor.

Brace yourselves for the whine-aggeddon if/when that happens because clearly there is a demographic of hero players who dont want to be challenged in pvp at all yet only talk trash and complain about how no one can go toe to toe with their skills ( read that as pvp cake-walk power sets ).

I personally cant wait - ive never stopped pvping with my brute despite the glaring imbalances and have learned to adapt to those conditions as best as I can, and im not alone by a long shot.

When fury is fixed, heads will roll.

So will the excuses for the sudden lack of "skills" on the blue-side.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Long and the short of it, while there are some small PvP thingies getting some attention (like _Castle_ posting about Brute Fury in PvP a few days ago) there are not any big PvP issues on the nearer term feature lists.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is the best thing I've heard from a redname in a goodly amount of time. No offense to the PvPers, but imo the devs have already invested way too much time in what is at best a minority interest.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

-- War

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm offended. Suppose a red name wrote they won't be spending time on badges (minority group) or bases (another minority group)? We all have opinions on what we'd like the devs to spend time on, but I think it is absurdly rude to come into the PvP forum and essentially kick all the PvPers in the head when a red name has just told them that they don't matter.


[/ QUOTE ]

The intention of my post was not to dash all hopes of any change in PvP, but to help illustrate why those changes hadn't been a hot topic with design. I know that a lot of their time, when it isn't currently spent getting Issue 8 out the door, is working on some of the very broad and exciting stuff coming in issue 9 that will add a lot to the game over all (inventions + other goodies).

I do really like the suggestion about trying to re-use the old event where everyone got a level 40 on Training Room to come PvP with. That sounds like it might have some good broad appeal and make for a pretty darn fun weekend. Of course, I haven't investigated it with the dev team and it might not be possible, but still a good idea to follow up on. Besides, I'd like to play a few different Archetypes myself at lvl 40 with a hord of other folks to blast at or along side with. Let's try and focus the discussion on things we can do under the current systems?

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont think anyone would dispute your enthusiasm, optimism and willingness to work with the community lighthouse.

At least I dont.

The unfortunate reality is that this is fairly standard fare for cryptic. We'll get a new face to tell us what we already know and tell us they'll "look into" issues that we submitted to the last rep who never came back after his internship a year ago.



The very qualities you possess are what this community has been asking for on a VERY modest level from the design team itself for months and months - only to be promptly ignored.

The reaction to a redname posting in the pvp forums should be all the evidence you need for that.

One word: Starved.

Im apprecciative that you want to work within the current system to get things done, Im apprecciative that your even willing to in the first place, believe me.

But the current system is the same broken system we really need to have some compromise and change on - we've already been there, done that and bought the t-shirt.

Do we really have to spend all day dressing up and talking about a pile of dung to take out on a date when we all know that its still gonna be a pile of dung when we get it home?

No offense, seriously - its fairly obvious you mean well.
But the PvP game in CoX doesnt need anymore lipservice and token interest - its a needs a *real* willingness on the part of the designers to engage its community and issues.

Willingness is not something you can give them.

[ QUOTE ]
Its good for cryptic that they got the deal and they definately deserve congrats in a business sense ( Smooth setup - your competition is yourself) - but I dont think this bodes well at all for the MMO or Superhero game genre unless they get some new blood with some fresh ideas of balance, fun and *true* comic book sensibility.

That or they keep the old developer guard under high, high scrutiny when developing this title.


Because if im logging in to play The Hulk im not going to be interested in *needing* someone with me to play Storm so I can take on a named villain and live up to my own namesake.

I could just log into this game if I wanted that.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
Just play the HULK on heroic

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah.
Been there, done that and bought the "Balance Vision" T-Shirt already thanks.
I'd rather have more "Super-Hero" and less MMO, like many others.

Only way thats gonna happen is if theres new blood developing this title.
Hopefully Marvel will put enough pressure on the new Cryptic guys who will be on the Marvel title to step up the comic-book power-levels.

And hopefully we'll actually be able to play Marvel characters.

If we do thats good news for me personally - I dont know of many successful characters ( or really *any* for that matter) in the Marvel universe that have to spam heal, inspiration-jack or buff thier fellow heroes to take on thier hero or villain counterparts.


But like I said..
I can just play this game if I want that.

Its good for cryptic that they got the deal and they definately deserve congrats in a business sense ( Smooth setup - your competition is yourself) - but I dont think this bodes well at all for the MMO or Superhero game genre unless they get some new blood with some fresh ideas of balance, fun and *true* comic book sensibility.

That or they keep the old developer guard under high, high scrutiny when developing this title.

Because if im logging in to play The Hulk im not going to be interested in *needing* someone with me to play Storm so I can take on a named villain and live up to my own namesake.

I could just log into this game if I wanted that.

[ QUOTE ]
This discussion has strayed from a discussion of break frees, but I'd like to make a small suggestion:

Have break frees dramatically lower accuracy. Their primary function should be for escaping overwhelming situations, not for plowing through holds and beating the neutered Dom/Controller down. Make break frees the escape inspiration, not the the attack with impunity inspiration.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry but this is IMHO a horrible and extremely biased suggestion
The fundamental problem with holds/status etc in the pvp game is that they are totally binary.
Thats flawed power design, and why PvP has become City of Inspirations.

(Almost) everyone's powers in pvp can be "nuetered" as you say - by inspirations.
Not to start a melee vs. ranged flame-fest, because thats totally not my intention - but I simply dont see as many melee or straight up damage dealing AT's complaining that respites effectively "nueter" thier ability to do damage.

But thats exactly what repsites do.


In my opinion whats killing both the immersion and balance in both PvP and PvE in this game is the over-importance of, and the over-dependancy players have on buffs, debuffs and healing.

This is why hero team's dominate in pvp - they can over-buff and surpass the "more offensive" villain AT's at "what they do best" the majority of the time and likewise why all corrupter teams are nigh-unstoppable.

The power levels of buffing and healing is totally out of control IMO.
Once *one* of these buffing/healing AT's show up they basically make thier side exponentially more powerful and difficult to defeat.

Hero or Villain side.

I dont see non-buffing / healing AT's making *that* caliber of contribution to teams in that dramatic of a fashion..ever.

[ QUOTE ]
* Debt in PvP Zones. Currently we "Pro-Rate" debt depending on how much damage you took from NPCs vs. PCs. When this is fixed we will zero out any debt if the killing blow comes from PCs, and Pro-Rate debt if the killing blow comes from NPCs.

* Salvage disappearing from storage objects. If you click too fast, some salvage may get lost in the transaction when pulling from a Storage Object. This is a high priority bug to fix.

* Back Alley Brawler gives debt in Recluse's Victory. Yeah, he was not set up as "debt free". Sorry.

* Ability to drop missions. Coming soon!(TM) I know this will make a lot of players happy that they don't need to contact Customer Service just to continue thier story arcs.

[/ QUOTE ]


Thanks for the update.
I was wondering why Brute fury generation being broken in PvP isnt considered to be a top issue.

Thanks.

[ QUOTE ]
The devs have already stated that Brutes need a fury fix, but that is gonna be a little longer coming.

Everyone has been saying that doms are useless and only stalkers are good in pvp, well here are a bunch of squishies (including doms) doing well, and all you people can do is gripe (more).

Where is my eyeroll emote?

[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno maybe next to your /put on glasses emote?

Read the sig - I play a dom, I know all about it.
Also - read the post.
I said go with it and maximize it if it works.
You decided to make it a squishy/meaty issue for some reason.
Im not interested in an arguement like that which has nothing to do with my post.
I also am aware of the fury fix- im very much looking forward to it.

But theres plenty of reason to gripe imo.
Sorry if you dont want to read that.
Theres already plenty of fanboy's running around gawking at all the sunshine and flowers that are falling out of every dev's behind.
I love the game, apprecciate the devs. I wouldnt be posting if I didnt.

I have issue with how buffs/debuffs/heals and status effects are dominating the pvp game and are overly critical in the pve game additionally.
They need to do more damage and less status in PvP imo, so the debuffs/controls powers stay relevant, but not overpowered.

Same things with buffs/debuffs healing AT's - more damage, less importance on the buff itself.

Or my protection has to be better, because currently they can be overcome with ease.


I just got out of RV before todays maintenance after going in with a full tray of BF's.
Thats around 26 at lvl 40.
I lasted a little over 5 mins, and the spam fears and confuses still broke through.

Read it and call it whatever you want: whine, nerfherd, crying - whatever makes you feel better.

I want status effects to stay, I want debuffing to stay - I want AT's that use them to be able to overcome my protection.
Its what they do.
It would be nice if they couldnt overcome it so easily.

I just dont get how wanting my defenses to be present and effective in PvP = eating babies and wanting god mode around here.

Is that so bad considering the heroes have 2 healing/buffing/debuffing AT's with status effecting capability while the villains have 1 - and who have it as a secondary?

Is is so bad that I want my AT to be what I signed on for?

If a team of corrupters rocks - go with it maximize it, make it the best you can. Im not trying to take that away from anyone.

Corrupters are potent and as the LoTD guys have pointed out ( and believe due to my own experience) are amazing as a team in pvp.

I have to go to a corrupter and get buffs if im expected to be able to hang on the front line.

Ok..so they can own out of the box, but I have to go hooking for buffs to hang as a brute? - and I have the highest HP's and damage potential villain side with status protection and defenses to boot.

Yeah - I must be drunk - that sounds like a totally unreasonable request.

Sorry if people dont like that - but the more I pvp the more I think buffs/debuffs/heals and status effects have become overly important and hero/villain survivability as a whole is way way too low.

The fights should be longer and more true to comics.
You dont see The Thing constantly needing Sue Richards for buffs so he can live up to himself, and you dont see The Joker buff hooking at The Yellow Lantern's coat-tails to take on Batman.

But they help.


Is the fact that I play mostly a brute in PvP more than likely skewing my viewpoint?
Of course it does! How couldnt it?
Does that somehow nullify or render my opinion irrelavent?
No, hardly - especially since I see this very same experience documented by other players.

[ QUOTE ]
So the MMs and Brutes cut bait while the Corruptors and Doms do the fishing. For some reason, this still doesn't sound appealing... or like PvP to me. Sounds oddly enough like PvE. Pardon the sarcasm, but in the grand scheme of things, I would have to say that if a scrapper/blaster can do enough damage to be a frontliner, why is something that is supposed to build up more damage the more s/he gets hit and hits... sitting in a bubble pointing guns at people? You have seriously got to admit that something is way wrong here. I thought villains were supposed to be more offensive fighters, while heroes are on the defensive? Where is this damage/accuracy thing supposed to be? How is it that the healers/buffers/debuffers/ranged attacks are the ones that are the only capable fighters in RV? The only good set to play is the most defensive?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, something totally wrong with this.
Its currently manifesting this way because the devs have made buffing/debuffing/healing/status effects overly relevant in CoX - IMO.
Its also one of the leading factors (for me) that kills the immersion.
I dont see the hulk or the joker getting spam healed and buffed so they can live up to being the hulk or the joker.

Theres simply too much status and buff jacking, not enough comic-book, knock-down drag out fights.
Heroes and villains alike dont have comic book survivability at all - this right seems reserved purely for the signature CoX AV/Hero's, while we make hospital trip after hospital trip.

Like I said before - all well and good that a team of corrupters own. Go with it and maximize it.

But like manchu said - if the highest HP villain AV, with the best defenses villain side, with the highest damage and buff potential in the game is relagated to the sidelines and refilling the water cooler - theres something deeply wrong, and that something is in direct conflict with comic-book influence.

If thats the way it works out - thats the way it works out - ill gladly play ball and do whatever is within my means to be the best team-mate I can be.

But it just basically broadcasts to me that the healing/buffing/debuffing/status-jack fest has gotten out of control.

[ QUOTE ]
A_V - thanks for the update. Glad to know it was a bug and is being fixed.

The only reason we couldn't take the zone last night was that we had client stability problems and we ran into that bugged pillbox (and wasted some time trying to figure out what was going on.) We were within 10 seconds of taking the zone at one point and were edging ever closer.

We learned quite a few lessons about zone strategy that we used tonight when we captured the zone with a similar team build and against similar odds. More importantly, we saw more villains out and about - there was a second villain group working on pillboxes this time.

Remember, this was our first serious foray into the zone; we originally came in to just do straight PvP as a diversion from levelling and to maybe teach some base camping heroes a lesson about laziness. We were figuring out on the fly what to do and how to prioritize.

The team we ran in RV is pretty much one of the same ones we run in the other zones against the other top end PvP SG and VGs on Freedom. We have a lot of experience and practice running it in open zone PvP. While we were late to get into Arena and are still kinda working on our builds and tactics for it, I feel LotD is the best open zone PvP group (hero or villain) in the game.

There are also quite a number of other good PvP villain groups on Freedom that we've fought with and against that will most definitely be in the zone with us. With 2 or 3 guilds in the zone simultaneously (a very real possibility on Freedom), I'm looking forward to some truly epic battles.

I have no fear for the villains ability to take RV on Freedom. It'll be a hell of a fight, no doubt about it, but it's gonna be mega fun.

As far as EPPs versus PPPs, I'll admit I was (and still am) dissapointed with the patron power pools but they honestly have made next to no difference in PvP that I can see so far. We've seen scrappers/tanks with FA, blasters with PFF or force of nature, trollers with hibernate, yada yada yada. Against cross-buffed corruptors and domination they just die (or they run.)

Remember we're all running with level 40 corruptors and doms without all the slotting and extra powers from 41-50. Even if we don't take any PPP's at all (which some of us are seriously considering) I don't see it as a major balance issue.

[/ QUOTE ]

All well and good but your rolling with a full team of corrupters - currently one of the 2 AT's that have a functioning inherent villain side - and who can also debuff/buff/heal.

Please - do *not* take this as an attack on your VG LoTD - because its not.
Im sure you guys have your schtick down and are great players.

As others have mentioned - a group of VG members who know eachother's tactics well should have no problems taking out a few groups of scrubs.

Also - if you couldnt heal, buff or debuff you'd most likely be dead in the water.

It really doesnt say anything about villain/hero balance at all -other than buffing and debuffing and healing are overly relevant in CoX.

And the heroes out-gun the villains by lightyears in that respect with 2 debuffing/buffing/healing AT's - who basically enable the heroes to surpass the villains in the offense department as well.

Id like to see the same experiment with less corrupters against an organized hero group.

Having a dev chime in and give the nod to a predominantly corrupter team with a uber-buffed dom who are all in the same VG and pvp regularily going up against some unorganized base-campers and scrubs and say "good work - the zone is all about strategy" just illuminates the hero/villain imbalance even more imo.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Recluse’s Victory – new high level PvP zone, open to players level 40 and up.”

All off topic posts will be removed. Please do not post bugs/feedback/balance issues before testing this content. All bugs/feedback/balance issues should be posted AFTER Recluse’s Victory has been explored.

[/ QUOTE ]

In my own opinion, I foresee this PvP zone to be like all other PvP zones in every other game. If you are a villain, don't bother going in till you are 50 and have at least 10 Hami-Os. In addition, make sure that you have a guaranteed, co-ordinated group of 8 members who know how to stick together and know when to pull back.

Otherwise, this zone will be nothing but an area where the heros farm prestige for their bases for hours on end.

Bar none, this is the biggest eyesore in PvP misbalancing I have ever seen. Even with Cackle as the leader, shouting out commands, we were ripped apart by 3 heroes. Our full group of 8, sitting at one pillbox.

Good luck getting a heavy, they were camped about 50% of the time I was there. I got killed so quickly.. didn't mater if I was fighting back or just repeatedly clicking on the glowy with Overload up. All it takes is one tap, you won't get it.

If you don't feel like lining the pockets of heroes, stick to Siren's Call. This zone, in all it's "cool featureness" is really just a place to keep the villains disenchanted with poor base defenses trapped behind a line of 5 heroes with Confuse, invulnerable undispellable pets, hurricanes, long range-one-shot snipes, ice patches, and all the others with no chance of a CM or resistance.

Good job.

I despise this zone. It has left such a sour taste in my mouth for the whole experience. Is this really what you want? A playground for the CoH bullies?

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT
QFE

Like we've been saying since CoV Beta:

The heroes are more powerful - its that simple.
They can over-buff, over heal and over status-jack and out-damage with fewer numbers.

The "villains are more offensive" arguement holds no water - since heroes can crank thier damage output substantially and escape the "more offensive" villains with 2 buffing AT's, APP's and opponents who have 2 inherents that function effectively out of 5 in PvP: Assassination and Scourge.

Like many ive left this zone in disgust repeatedly after attempting to enjoy it and test it with an open mind.

You have some serious power discrepencies at work between villains and heroes, devs.
And it isnt new news.

This zone makes it even more glaringly obvious and disenchanting.

[ QUOTE ]
Any chance we could get a couple days where villains who want to test RV can get an automatic bump to 50 (and open an entire PPP and get fully slotted)? There just aren't enough villains in their early 40's, to say nothing of any who have filled out their PPP's, to really see this zone work properly. There's so much other villain content to test, we need an incentive to get more in there. It's always 10:1 odds for heroes, and from what I can see from the comments in the PPP threads, PvP in RV will be a joke if the hero APP's outshine villain PPP's so drastically.

Please, consider some events like you did with the old PvP zones during CoV beta.

[/ QUOTE ]

This would be nice, and not an outrageous request.

RV content is pretty much untestable.
Everytime I zoned in it was 15 over-buffed tricked out lvl 50 heroes team-ganking 1-2 lvl 40 villains.

"..LET THE VILLAINS WIN"
Was consistantly repeated in /broadcast.

Im probably being wildly optimistic at thinking this will change somewhat when I7 goes live.

The heroes can simply out-buff, out-heal and out status-jack the villains.
Villain offensive capability cannot currently match hero defensive and buffing capability - which also enables them to increase thier offensive capability dramatically.

And since every issue seems to make buffing and healing more critical to success ( monster, elite boss and AV changes for example) it puts the villains farther and farther down the power-level scale.


"Just get a lot of corrupters.." isnt a solution.

Please address this?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Kali, very mature. Really. I guess I shouldn't have expected more.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's convenient for you that your thread in Archetypes and Powers was deleted yesterday.

I didn't flame you. I didn't attack you. I'm tired of going over exactly the same arguments over and over again. I'm tired of having my integrity attacked because I wanted toggle drops to be reduced.

[/ QUOTE ]

No, you didnt.
I still read many of the toggle-drop oriented threads and while I pretty much stopped posting in a lot of them for the very reason your mentioning - I do read them.

And you neither attacked or antagonized him.

Being antagonized, belittled and disrespected has pretty much become standard fair for supporting a toggle-drop change in the forums.

Pretty much everything *but* the toggle-drop mechanic in itself being overpowered for post I5/ED game-play is to blame for the change.

Ive pretty much been accused of everything from being apart of some invisible "Melee Community" consipracy to nerf the blaster AT into uselessness to being driven by a deep-seated rage born from pre-adolescent fears and insecurities (apparently common to the "Melee Mentality") to nerf blasters because one beat me in pvp.

Just laughable psycho-babble.

22% to drop toggles is still incredible considering how often scrappers crit in pvp.

It needed to be changed for the post I5/ED game.
The risk vs. reward arguement never held water because it was a non-risk to enter pvp with a melee AT due to being able to trivialize all thier defenses with 1-3 attacks.

It'll be nice to have it be a risk to melee a melee AT again - as it should be.

22% toggle-drop chance
unresistable ranged and melee damage
An inherent that makes them more dangerous in prolonged fights reguardless of range since thier secondaries do great damage.

Sounds like a solid AT to me.
Sounds like more than what most AT's get.
Just no more "I win" button.

Personally I think the /dev cuts to toggle drops are way too low, and the dominator's should get some sort of compensation since this change essentially kicked them when they were already down.

Domination should build even faster than the current change because it has to be built and doms are probably the least survivable AT in a game where the pvp battles are way too fast and nowhere near comic-book encounters in terms of survivability.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Aid Self is over-powered.

[/ QUOTE ]
ZOMG!


Seriously, though: isn't this all just a merry-go-round at this point? Aren't you (the Dev team) just letting Aid Self fill in the cracks that have appeared in game? Wouldn't it be better to actually get in there and address these sorts of issues so that you can change Aid Self and at the same time point and say, "but look at the changes we made to survivability overall!" when you do it?

Is it really fair that an SR Scrapper with Aid Self is about as effective as a Fire Tank that doesn't stray from their primary? Doesn't Aid Self on a Brute make a mockery of the Brute vs. Tank comparison?

Maybe you can't reply candidly in this venue, but this does seem like a case where everyone's trying very hard not to point out the pink elephant in the room.

*edit*
You're going to tell me to go smash something again, aren't you?

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT, QFE
Eloquently put.

At least _Castle_ doesnt just field the softball topics and sit back and make cute little quips in general chat.
More than I can say for many other dev's.

This power being even remotely close to the caliber of melee powers in effectiveness is a joke, and just further illustrates the sub-mediocre level that melee defenses have been tuned to - on top of being reduced to a trivial concern in PvP for the opposition to overcome.

It also illustrates the continued divorce from comic-book heroics and influence in the game as a whole and in relation to AT's across the board.

What comic book character constantly juices a med-pack in every encounter, between 2-3 attacks to hang with his opponents?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

3) Datamining -- I looked at Blaster/Scrapper a few minutes ago. In terms of raw kills, Blasters are the better PvP killers, but only if they have Energy Manipulation. Without EM, they are roughly 60% of scrappers numbers. In terms of kills to death ratio, Blasters are slightly behind scrappers with EM, but competing with Defenders and Dominators for lowest value Note, that these are solo values! Things are very different in team play.

[/ QUOTE ]

A lot of folks seem to believe that energy manipulation on blasters is overpowered, both in respect to other ATs and other blaster builds.

Even in PvE the sheer power that energy manipulation carries outweighs the powers of fire manipulation or the adaptiveness of traps.

Statesman hasn't talked (ranted) about game balance in awhile, but this looks like a major contender...

[/ QUOTE ]





[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Statesman hasn't talked (ranted) about game balance in awhile, but this looks like a major contender..

[/ QUOTE ]

for the other secondary sets to be modeled after when toggle dropping is fixed . Your right.

[/ QUOTE ]


Fixed it for you.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Here's another post about Circuit_Boy's fictional underground organization of the "Stalker Defense League", led by our guildmaster, _Castle_.

Here

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh. Can I join?

Also, adding in my two cents worth. This may be the only thing I've disagreed with _Castle_ so far - blasters do MORE melee damage than scrappers. For instance, check their BI - /elec and /EM blappers get a quick-spam attack that does 5.44 BI of damage, a slightly slower, but still pretty fast attack that does 7.66 BI of damage, and a strong as hell but slow attack that does around 9 BI.

By contrast, let's take a scrapper powerset - MA, for instance. Our quick-spam attack does...2 BI. One of our medium attacks does 4-5 BI. Our big attack does about 6-7 BI. Sure, we have a few more, but all they do is make chains longer. And don't tell me blasters can't maintain good melee attack chains because of less attacks - their melee attacks animate fast (except for the finishers) and recharge long enough for them to, and if not, you can always pad out the chain with quick ranged attacks (Ice, anybody?)

The only scrapper powerset that can put out damage on a level with elec or EM is Broad Sword, and it's a LOT slower. That, and all the damage it does is lethal.

Also, I'd gladly take doing mostly energy damage + 30% unresistable in PvP over a 5% crit.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

Like I mentioned before:
I fight scrappers in SC and WB a lot.
Never has one scrapper *ever* been able to defeat me in 4 attacks.
Nor does fighting a scrapper require you to pop a BF prior to an encounter to safeguard oneself from thier defensive power-set being trivialized - to be competative.

Popping a BF *still* doesnt stop a melee player's defensive set from being trivialized - it just stops the status effect that also 90-100% of the time - lands.
This is with */EM primarily, sometimes */El-M
Which is what you *mostly* see in PvP - yet another indication of this broken mechanic outshining other secondaries.

It's not enough that defensive sets can already be defeated fairly easily with a few stacked holds and little to no defense against confusion and fear?

I dunno - call me jaded.
The toon's ive decided to play all have fairly ineffectual or broken inherent abilities in PvP.


Either way - detoggles are getting adjusted, and rightfully so.

The issue that needs to be adressed is what the hell are blaster's going to do afterward - since many have become dependant on the broken de-toggle mechanic - to be competative?

Because contrary to popular belief - many among us dont want any other AT's getting nerfed, because many among us know what getting "adjusted with a small tweak" means - and dont want it happening to anyone else.

To me the answer is the unresistable damage component.
In my experience - dropping toggles is far, far more powerful than a 5% crit chance.
Would lowering the detoggle chance to 5% and raising the unresistable damage component of all blaster attacks to say 40+% be a fair solution?

I dunno - Im fairly ignorant to how a blaster plays - but highly experienced at fighting them.
Unresistable damage is nothing to scoff at.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Convieniently for you the "Nerf Blappers" thread was deleted.

I can however ask kali magdelene to verify the fact that not only did you announce that you hold this fabricated "Melee Community" responsible for nerfing the blaster AT across the board, but you made several posts specifically re-instating that this is indeed your belief.

She was apart of the conversation I was refering to, and will probably remember it quite well based on the nigh illogical and obviously antagonistic quality of your language.


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not really comfortable getting drawn into this.

It might be a good idea for people to take a couple steps back, reconsider what they're saying and why, and then approach the discussion without carrying baggage in from other discussions.

[/ QUOTE ]

Understandable that your not comfortable getting drawn into a back and forth between people.

Bad choice on my part in doing so - my apologies.

Selfishly I sited you as a reference simply because I remember you being in the conversation without even thinking about the fact that I'd be drawing you into an old debate without asking you first.

Unfortunately pride can get the better of us sometimes.
Im certainly no exception to that.

[ QUOTE ]
_Phantom_:

I think you must have me mistaken for someone else. You said:

[ QUOTE ]
Whats really sad is to watch you patting yourself on the back on the blaster boards for admittedly causing aggravation in this fabricated, fantasy "Melee Community" you've chosen to create to entitle yourself to even more delusional, conspiracy theory martyrdom.

[/ QUOTE ]
Where exactly have I "patting [myself] on the back on the blaster boards for admittedly causing aggravation in this fabricated, fantasy 'Melee Community'"? Can you point to a single, specific post where I've ever done that on the Blaster Boards? And, by "specific post", I mean I'd better see a link, and it'd better be one of my posts, and it had better be saying exactly what you're claiming I said.

Otherwise, you've really just proven my case for me, haven't you?

And you're the one raving on about how I'm "delusional"?

By the way, _Phantom_, personal attacks are a violation of the boards' rules. Specifically attacking an individual, calling that specific person "delusional" and "paranoid", certainly qualifies.

[/ QUOTE ]

Convieniently for you the "Nerf Blappers" thread was deleted.

I can however ask kali magdelene to verify the fact that not only did you announce that you hold this fabricated "Melee Community" responsible for nerfing the blaster AT across the board, but you made several posts specifically re-instating that this is indeed your belief.

She was apart of the conversation I was refering to, and will probably remember it quite well based on the nigh illogical and obviously antagonistic quality of your language.

But feel free to continually embarrass yourself by deflecting from topic, threatening board policy violation reprisals and cherry picking poorly crafted sentences to support your unfounded and factless rhetoric.