I dont like how the defense is implemented and even less how it sounds in the power descriptions. That makes it next to impossible for my casually playing friends to build a defensive type of Hero without my constant nurturing of information and it break the immersion for them. Anyone should be able to select their powers with an informed choice without resorting to investing time on the board (not that this is wrong but I still figure we are but a small portion of the CoH population).
The description should include some more meaningful description with numbers. X Power give y% base defense version <positional and/or typed damage>. It is up to the player from there to figure if it is worth to slot a 3% defensive power for Melee/Range versus a 15% to Smash/Lethal. That decision could be based on the enemy they are fighting lately, those that are coming, where they think they are hurting, or based on the other player they are teaming with.
They are trying to façade a simple description of a complex mechanics and that makes peoples thing its not functioning, not functioning properly, not useful, information is hidden or outright dont understand the correlation of the power selected with any perceivable changes after the power is selected.
Descriptions make it sound like the following; therefore make it work like this. And this is not only my opinion but those of friends, family, regular teammates or based on random question I get when I build team and pick-up players. Ill try to put it in words because that is how it should be understandable by any new comers or someone that just never could keep up with the change and how it ultimately works.
How defense is understood and perhaps how it should be based on in-game description.
P = Range, Melee, AoE
T = Smash, Lethal, Fire, Cold, Energy, Neg Energy, Psi, etc
HP = Hit Points
Xx = Use for any amount of percentage
Positional attack <P> of damage Type <T> is delivered:
IF
Heros xx% total positional defenses for <P> protect from this attack then attack is avoided and no further test needed.
ELSE IF
Heros xx% total typed defenses for <T> protect from this attack then attack is avoided and no further test is needed.
ELSE
Reduce HP by damage - any damage resistance xx% for <T>.
So in the above case the Total Typed Defense = from Power Set, Pools Set, +Buffs, -Debuffs, etc. Total Position Defenses is similarly from Power Set, Pools Set, +Buffs, -Debuffs.
Now I have placed positional damage test before the typed one because 1st theres only 3 different positions (Range, Melee, and AoE) and it seem to be on more powers and buffs. (Old way at least). So that should cover most of the AT as well with any type but Tanker & Scrapper with lower possible percentage.
Then mainly the tanker, scrapper (or some other AT post Epic powers) get the test for the Typed defenses as well and get damaged only if the previous 2 tests failed.
Now this is simpler and only requires the proper amount of Positional versus Typed damage percentage to help somewhat balance it out. Increase cap on SR for example to their only Positional defenses to make it balanced with the combined of the Pos+Type of other AT.
Finally, enough with the Maneuver give a different return based on AT. The Pools type said they are the same power available to all AT and therefore should yield the same results to all. Pick a number and make it the same for all so that it does not have to be explained over and over in-game. The jumps are all the same, Stamina recharge the same %, why are defensive/resistance one providing different effect based on AT? It is not consistent with Pools power description and the other powers. It certainly adds to the defensive frustration.
There's two format of defense and they are explained as such in descrition, therefore they should be functioning that way. Don't give me the more complex code issue, by adding more defense type to certain power to adjust the more complex code is already there, just in a different place.
