CapnGeist

They're both incredibly underwhelming when compared to the rest of GR and i18, and could use complete overhauls. They look like something someone threw together in an hour, not like something carefully crafted to give players an enjoyable experience.

A warning: Some of the Loyalist/Resistance contacts can be defeated in missions from the other side. If you defeat them there, then you cannot get their arcs later. For example, if you do Imperial City Responsibility, then you CANNOT complete the Imperial City Warden chain after, because one of the contacts is gone.

Assuming power pools are right out, let's go down the list...


Ice Armor: Ice Armor in all its forms is unattractive at times. On an Ice Tanker, the character can be built for it and it can be fine, but it's usually considered an eyesore when used on another. For Ice Armor, I suggest a "Breastplate" option that only covers the wearer's torso, and perhaps one that just gives the Breastplate, Gloves, and Boots.

Fiery Melee and Ice Melee: Swords should be an option in all the melee attacks. The current "sword" attacks should have swordless options. The sword is an iconic image that should be available through the whole set for those that want it, but shouldn't be so mandatory for those that don't. Also, Fire/Frost Breath needs an animation where it comes from the hands, or by pointing a sword at the foe. Fire Breath has a rather unique feel that clashes with most fire users.

Dual Pistols: Please, please, please give us some more mundane animations. As beautiful as the twisting and gun flippery is, I can't help but think that it makes me look like a monkey. And don't get me wrong, I love my "Bananas Akimbo" DP/Ice Blaster, but it looks ludicrious on the cowboys.

Thugs: While on topic, could Thugs get access to the flashy Dual Pistols animations? That'd be nice. And on the topic of Thugs, if you can't give us total customization, can you at least give us the option to replace our thugs with Hellions or Skulls? And give Robots some Clockwork and Maltabot options, Mercs some Sky Raiders, RIP, and PPD, Zombies some Banished Pantheon, and Ninjas some Tsoo? Perhaps require a badge to unlock.

Dark Melee: Some kicks would be nice. This isn't a big deal, because Dark Melee is a really nice set already, but if it's not too much trouble, some kick options would be appreciated.


Ice Control: This is an entirely personal request I'm sure, but I'd like a Jack Frost in Rikti Monkey form. Just a little white Rikti Monkey instead of the translucent ice construct. Also, a Snow Beast option would be nice for Jack Frost.


Super Strength (Hurl): I'd like the option to replace the rock with the random item from Propel, allowing us to throw gargoyles, boxes, and all sorts of random objects.

Illusion Control: Doppleganger technology exists. Being able to replace the illusions with dopplegangers would be amazing. Also, I currently have my illusions recolored to look like Longbow (red and white, it looks pretty nice with my character in Longbow garb). Some "Enemy group" options similar to what I suggested for Thugs would be nice.

Archery: Arrow Color options would be nice. I have a character called "Silver Archer." He's a son of Apollo and thus uses Silver Arrows, so... Silver arrows would be nice.

Alternate cast animations for blast sets, including the Kin Melee animations to allow for a more summoning/blasting/element controlling feel and animations that summon up items to fire from. Give options of daggers, staves, wands, and specialty gloves, and that should give a nice variety for special attacks. Musical instruments for Sonic attacks would also be greatly appreciated. Trumpets, Guitars, flutes... All in all, 'weapons' for non-weapon sets.

Claws: Invisible-Claw Option. For characters using Zombie hands or other hands that come with claws in them already.

I totally high-fived him.

I would love better turbans.

Soldiers and Widows already do similar things, so... I'm for it.

My two cents here:

Despite the fact that it's 10 levels later at best, I would MUCH rather run the LRSF on all my villains than the Synapse TF on all my heroes. I HATE Synapse's TF. I hate the clockwork, I hate the end drain, I hate the fact that every single mission is Defeat Clockwork in Place, and the only character I ever ENJOYED it on was my Ill/Rad because it was my first TF with her and the illusion pets mean I don't have to worry about End Drain.

So yeah, I vote if anything's unfair, it's unfair in favor of the villains, who get to run a single awesome SF instead of having to run a series of TFs that include Synapse and Posi. (And even if Posi's being made better, it's still going to be two parts, so that's what, 7 equivalent TFs most of which are longer than the LRSF?)

Most weapon sets lock you into a theme in a similar manner, and ALL the Mastermind primaries lock you very tightly into your theme.

...This power set seems totally awesome. I would instantly make a character using it.

I doubt they'll double up on anything in Dark Miasma.

If Dark Control happens it needs to START with the assumption that whatever set gets Dark Control will get Dark Miasma proliferated to controllers. Thus, none of Dark Miasma's powers can be in Dark Control.


That said, Tenebrous Tentacles and Dark Pit should both be in it (with tentacles given a damage drop and a boost in immobilization power). So let's see, what's my take on this...

Standard Controller moves:
Immobilize (tentacles at range)
Hold (Something to stack nicely with Petrifying Gaze)
AoE Immobilize (Modded Tenebrous Tentacles)
Pet (Something that focuses on Fear, rather than Dark Miasma's To-Hit-Debuff and Healing)

Dark Pit fits great as an AoE mez.

As for the others, there is one suggestion I'd have for Dark... Something that heals. ALL the Dark sets have a healing power, including Blast, Melee, and Necromancy. A Dark set without a healing power would just be downright strange.

I'd also suggest a single-target power that reduces to-hit-debuff resistance by a sizable amount, allowing the secondary effects to have a noticible effect on AVs.


Pet power suggestions:
Touch of Fear
Midnight Grasp (Improved to a Hold over an Immobilize)
Cloak of Fear
Siphon Life
Shadow Punch
Gloom

I'm in favor of it.

This would be useful. Supergroup search, as is, is entirely useless. It's just a flat ranking. SGs could flag to be contactable or not with a system like this, so your leader would decide just how open the SG wanted to be.

Walk's for RP? I thought it was for awesome. This one time, my MM and a friend's Fire Dom Walked through a whole mission letting our pets do all the work.

I'd vote for it.

You know, I could see changes like this creating a heavier split between Brutes and Tankers.

Assuming DPA is comparable, Brutes usually prefer faster activating attacks (to build fury), wheras Tankers are more willing to accept a slow power with a high payoff.

I think the answer here is to start working on a full mockup of a branched set... and that being said, I think fire is the absolute WORST place to start this.

Why is Fire the worst? Fire's powers are DoTs, DoTs, and more DoTs. There's no variety in what fire does.

The best place to start would be Electric Melee. Elec Melee has a wide variety of weird attacks, and secondary effects range the gambit including sleep, stun, disorient, end reduction, and knockback.

Elec Melee's attacks seem to be split between brawler-style electric punches and point-blank electrical discharge. I'd suggest bringing Electricity Manipulation's "Shocking Grasp" into the set as well.

Not what I meant. There's a few powers that come in both your low-level version and a high-level version for which you can only choose one of the two.

It's a solid idea, and it already exists for SoAs. It'd be cool to be added for other things.

So what would this do mechanically? Why not just give fire sword-based alternate animations to a lot of the attacks?

They're special enhancements. They should just... not get red.

I would LOVE a Western-style place. Specifically a Wild Wild West style place with STEAM.

Give us issue umpteen, Wild West, including...

-New Dual Pistols animations that don't require me to make a monkey to not feel stupid. (yes, I made a monkey. His name is Bananas Akimbo)
-a Wild West themed zone
-Horse travel power. Yeah, I said it. I don't think it'll ever happen but I would love it to death.