Captain_Napalm

I must be stalking you today, _Castle_.

What would you guys think of a Defiance that had the same maximums and minimums that the current Defiance has, but ramps up a bit sooner and more smoothly? Like the 2nd equation Arcana posted later in the thread. Just curious to your thoughts on a modification like that.

Edit: And it still counts as a "First!" post even if it's on the following page. Just lie and tell me it is.

[ QUOTE ]
I think the exponential nature of the equation is going to make that difficult. The problem is that if you add an integer on the "low end" (the 50% to 100% health zone, for example), it's going to inflate the "high end" (the 1% to 10% health zone), too, unless you overly complicate the equation with If/Then statements, though then you'd probably wind up with a "chunky" equation at the if/then statement point(s).

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know, Arcana did it pretty well with the modified equation she posted.

Thanks for that, by the way, Arcana.

In my opinion, if Defiance is going to be linked to a Blaster's Life bar, we need some benefit earlier than we currently get it. Arcana's 2nd equation gives just that, without changing where we end up at the high end.

<QR>
Workin' your magic numbers yet again, Arcana. Awesome job, I tell ya, I am smart enough to understand, use, and slightly adapt the forumla, but for the life of me I couldn't have created or gotten to it from data points alone.

Few observations I have though:

I agree with some of the others that the balance of the risk and reward for Defiance is not where is should be. The 100 to 50% health range just isn't helpful at less than 10% damage boost. A more level increase could help round out the balance a bit and make Defiance more meaningfull. Not completely linear, but more so than this equation.

Also, I was trying to play with the equation a bit to see if I could do the above, but it seems the skill involved in making adjusting the equation to do what I described above is over my head. I was trying to adjust it so that a new equation would yield the same values at 9% and 90% health as the one you posted, but would ramp up sooner in the middle. Can you do that? Just to see how different it would be?

^ Ok, that one wins. 'Cept you should have swapped who was CD and who was SG since SG is the one returning.

^ a bit on the pessimistic side, but damn funny.

Good luck Gadgeteers! I hope this is one of many things to come that are right what you need.

Night_Fyre,

I see your point, but to be fair, we already have those instances of massive overkill with debuff from other AT's. 8 Accelerate Metabolisms, Lingering Radiations, Radiation Infections, and Enervating Fields wouldn't be as powerful as the example you gave? Or worse yet, Controller Primaries. Not only do they stack, but Containment is triggered off of each other Controller's stasis powers.

Like I said, I understand your point, but if the Devs balanced this way for all AT's, then they missed quite a bit in the process.

It's funny, as of when I voted it was a near tie for first between the story and costumes and then, at near half the numbers for first, a near tie for second between Badges and PvP.

You are not taking into consideration that Fire Breath is the highest BI of all the ranged cones save Full Auto.

And yes, I believe adding range to Fire Breath would be a bit too powerful. As is, it is the limiter of the AoE volley Fire Blast is capable of and considering that volley is the Best AoE damage in the game save using the psuedo-nuke usages from AR and Archery in an AoE chain. And its all available and capable of being 6 slotted before Stamina is possible. Any changes to Fire Breath and/or Fire Ball would be overkill.

[ QUOTE ]
Fire Breath: OOOH...potential change here that fits with the change to Blaze. What is the only real complaint about firebreath? The short range. Like Blaze, I expect to see the range of this power increased. Yay!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Extended range of Firebreath. Probably to 40 or 60 ft. is my guess.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree with just about everything you said regarding Fire Breath.

1. Fire Breath, and every other ranged cone attack, have shorter range than their single target cousin blasts for balance reasons. They have the potential to hit up to 10 targets and most are at least up to par with a tier 1 blast's damage. To balance the potential of dishing out up to 10 times the damage of a single target version they have shorter ranges and higher end costs.

2. Fire Breath already has a 40ft range.

[ QUOTE ]
Rain of Fire: Great power? Not really. Will it be changed? Doubtful. Rain powers exist in many sets for many AT's, so I couldn't really see this one being changed a lot from it's current state.

[/ QUOTE ]

While I also doubt this would be changed, I disagree on two points:

1. It's a situational power that is amazing in the right situation (read: Teamed with an AoE Immobilize).

2. Fire's lack of any true secondary effect differentiates Rain of Fire from some of the other Rains. It leaves the opportunity to add a fear component to it that could be functional and conceptual for the set. Even a slight knockdown effect (think stop, drop, and roll) could be added and not be game-breaking if done conservatively. This is also a long suggested idea from the playerbase as well.

[ QUOTE ]
Flares: OOOH...lots of potential for change here. The crappiest power in the Fire/ set. Low damage and long animation. Could we perhaps see an animation change? Hmm... maybe. As has been stated many times, animation changes take a long time to do. But before you doubt the possibility, this power has been considered crappy for over 2 years now, so that surely has given them time to throw some kind of new animation together. The end cost, recharge and damage are all in line with snap shot from archery. The only difference is the animation time. I'm telling you people, this is the fix to flares that we have dreamed about for so long. It's finally here!!!11!!!!11. (perhaps I'm a bit too excited about a potential minor tweak to a lvl 1 power in a set that I may still not use if it's done)

[/ QUOTE ]

If any of the Fire Blast powers need any address, it would be Flares. As you said, low damage and horrid animation time. And animation times are what _Castle_ has recently been fixing for sets like Claws and Trick Arrow, so this is a possibility. Truth is though, the set still stands above the rest with this power the way it is now. Not saying that fixing Flares is going to be that big of a dent in the current imbalances between Blaster Primaries that exists already, but I think we are all asking: Why this instead of something that really could use the help more? Like Electric, Energy, or (in some cases) AR.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Miswording or misinterpretation. New Faultline is actually two (two, two!) zones in one -- the city zone, open to all levels but with a level range of 15-25, and the Hazard Zone beyond the Dam, with security clearance 15+ (although I'm not sure it actually blocks you like normal Hazard Zones do, due to how the entrances are done).

[/ QUOTE ]
The "Hazard" area does not block you like a real Hazard Zone. It just has Hazard Zone-type spawns.

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct. And also, the *other* way to get back to the "Hazard" part doesn't have a door or guard standing there. You can just walk right on through. And beyond that would be a higher level teammate could recall a lower level teammate to the back part.

With *real* Hazard Zones, there is no way to bypass the level restriction.

Damn that Practiced Caffination(tm)! If you didn't have that power we could just perma-hold you and keep you here.

'Course we'd have to take away all of your BrakFrie (tm) creamer too.

Seriously, sad to see you go Cuppa, you were and always will be great. And them tattoos were sexy too, just don't tell Jay. One more reason to check out Tabula Rosa, sayes I.

[ QUOTE ]
Or, in true comic book parlance:

"Ascended to a higher plane of existence..."

Possibly, with better benefits. Also, stock options.

[/ QUOTE ]

Or Stargate terminology.

What does a non raid telepad cost to place?

As people speak of using this to play soccer, all I can think of is the movie Shoalin Soccer. And that is what wins my vote.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes, there was a typo in the description of a blaster power that is now fixed.

There ya go, bug fix!

[/ QUOTE ]

Pilcrow casts Redname_Post at Cynicism
Cynicism takes 1 HP
Cynicism casts Witticism at Pilcrow
Pilcrow takes 1000HP
Cynicism has defeated Pilcrow

[/ QUOTE ]

Now THAT, was funny.

[ QUOTE ]
There are some status effects that can be used at range and that also won't allow Blasters to kill squishies with impunity.

Sleep, Slow (-SPD), Immobilize, even Fear - none of these will let a Blaster kill a squishie at range without the squishie being able to retaliate/act/try to escape.

[/ QUOTE ]

You forgot knockback. It is kind of a mini-hold.

[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't mind seeing a new mez similar to the way PVE disorient works in PVP. It would detoggle and disable your ability to target, but you would be able to do self-targeted powers & chew inspirations all you wanted. And, of course, you could high tail it out of there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent idea. I really like how that sounds. Kinda like a "warning shot".

Pilcrow, I see this as a good idea and easily a positive influence on blasters as a whole, but I don't think Blasters can be fixed with in only a few steps. Secondaries such as /Fire really need a much closer look than this.

Arc Salvo had a good thread in here that started as an AoE discussion, but seemed to delve into the secondaries in general. There were some good ideas in there and in a bunch of other threads throughout the last couple months. But they all hinted at a major obstacle in "fixing" blasters and more specifically, their secondaries.

Though some changes require little to no work on the Dev's side, I am willing to bet more effort will be spent on the PR side. Take the thread Toshie, I think, started. He made an interesting point how the first tier power of the secondaries in /Devices and /Energy were possibly "better" than the first tier powers in the rest of the sets. Initially, I agreed. But then others stated that they disagreed and gave pretty valid reasons for doing so. I have /energy and I was swayed by their arguments to some degree.

I guess what I am getting at here is that, as a fairly large population, we will never agree with idea of modifying individual powers to fix a set we all agree needs fixing. But that is where I see most of the improvements.

Anywho, to add to the list of short, easy fixes:

1. Reiterate the boost of range to the 20' burst style attacks for emphasis.

2. Add a +perception boost in Aim for its 10 second duration.

The inspiration deal, eh, not that big, especially with the reasoning for future hero/villian specific inspirations.

Friend list also not so big of a deal as the only place you can team with them is in Pocket D. Global seems to work well enough.

But #3, the training and selling of enhancements in Pocket D, would be extremely beneficial. I love how you worked it too, with WW training and the bartenders buying. They wouldn't even have to buy at full price maybe like 75% of full sell price for every origin so its not exploitable. And it is pretty tough rounding up a team from both sides and is a pain when you have to drop one just to sell or train.

For some reason I also remember the code being UUDDLRLRBABA yatta yatta for Contra. Anyone else think this?

[ QUOTE ]
It's actually Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A.

The 'Select' is unnecessary, and the 'Start' wasn't part of the code, it just unpaused it for you. If you include it in the code, then you would need a start at the beginning too.

Geez guys. What kinda gamers are you? *teases merciously*

Source Link: Wikipedia: Konami code

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually that is incorrect, the "start" is needed to start the game and the "select" is for switching from 1 player to 2 player on Contra. The "start" and "select" are not really part of the code, but they are needed to make it work. As to the "pause" referance, I have never heard or used that before, is it possible that is needed for a specific option in a specific Konami game?

As an aside to those mentioning the code is burned into our brains, I feel for you, but must point out that we are relics of a bygone era as a fellow gamer friend of mine's little brother, also an avid gamer, had no clue what a "Konami code" was. I see this as a sign of things to come. "C'mon Grampa, tell us again about the funny games you used to play on one of those 'Tee-Vee's'".

As to the topic at hand, I gave up on trying to avoid the AS. Anymore, I just find a nice spot to hover fairly low to the ground (don't want any of that falling damage to make it any easier for them punks) and sit and wait. At the sound of Buildup, I hit my own as well as Aim. As soon as the punk is visible I just start blasting away until either I am on my way to the hospital (much more likely outcome) or Defiance (surprizingly I found a use) kicks in the over drive and saves the day. My stalker fights are extremely short, and favored to the Stalker about 4 to 1. Any other AT usually lasts at least three times as long, and varies based on builds. Some builds whoop me, some don't. But Stalkers, I go out and buy a lottery ticket when I drop me one of those. Pure luck on my part. As to avoiding Stalkers, I can't avoid what I can not see.

Many have referred to it, but none had this line yet.

You guys are hitting all the important stuff so far, good job!

I thought I would add a few and reiterate some that have been mentioned for emphasis...

Blaze/Power Burst/ect. do have an extremely short range for what they do. A boost to at least 40ft would be helpful.

Aim, couldn't this power have a perception boost for it's duration. I don't see having Tactics perception for 10 seconds being game breaking. And it kinda fits our AT concept.

I have always wondered why Energy blasts are blueish white and Energy manipulation attacks are redish white. More of a 'general' power/animation customization, but I thought I would mention it.

[ QUOTE ]
whoever posted earlier bout gettin in melee range attacking and not getting any defiance yet you are at under 50% well guess what...im not even a blaster and i know that if you attack it uses up defiance

[/ QUOTE ]

I not sure I am following you correctly, but are you saying that by attacking when you are at any given level of defiance, you use up the amount of defiance you have? If that is what you're saying, I have to disagree, defiance doesn't get "used up", it slowly fades away, all the faster when your life bar starts to refill or if your healed at all I think goes away. But it's like ammo for higher damage. It is a scaling boost inversely based on hit points.

As to State's question, I do see a few problems with Defiance. It seems to kick in a little too late and there seems to be a pause or delay between taking the damage and getting the buff. Those two, in my experience, make defiance feel broken. As others have said, in PVP, it seems to work fine, but PVE has some issues.

And Holy Crap, I might add, a redname posted in the Blaster Forums. Figures the devs would send the Tank in first, only one who could take the alpha.

Edit: Valiant beat me to it.

Awesome list, I have been looking for a list like this for a while
Only things I noticed so far is that you're missing 3:
Exploration - Ghoulish, I think this was in the cemetary in Bloody Bay
Gladiator - Kaolin Legacy of Earth, the new one that came in with the most recent patch
Gladiator - Research Assistant, I have no clue where or how I got this one.

Another one on the enhancement side:
If you have 2 DO enhancements that both enhance the same attribute (eg. Damage), and one of the origins of each is the same as your character's origin, then they can be combined and the enhancement takes the form of the higher level DO.
Example:
1 Lvl-5 DO (mutant/Magic) Damage enhancement + 1 Lvl-6 DO (science/mutant) Damage enhancement = 1 Lvl-6+ (Lvl-7) DO (science/mutant) Damage enhancement.