Originally Posted by <span style="color: GoldenRod; font-weight: bold;">Legion_of_One</span>
Storm Summoning. It's one of the original power sets, and it hasn't been touched. I recognize that stormies are an elite bunch (and I might point out that it seems like none of the Devs have toons with this set, and no signature NPCs are stormies), but I wonder if a little TLC might revitalize this unique and fun buff/debuff/soft control set.
Gale, for starters, must be taken when SS is a secondary set (controllers, corruptors, masterminds), and is a very unreliable, situationally utile power. It seems to miss most targets and causes negligible damage. Knockback is ample in the SS set, and obviously gale is all about KB. First, it should at least be accurate. It's the kind of power that one falls back on when in a tight spot, and it's likely to not even do the one thing it's useful for. It has a slow recharge rate, and is endurance costly. I would also suggest adding an "impact" mechanic such as was recently introduced for gravity control, so that targets who end up flying through the air end up potentially receiving additional damage.
O2 Boost is pretty good.
Snow Storm is extremely endurance intensive. It slows and has a recharge debuff, but could be improved with a to-hit debuff (it IS a snow storm after all!). It's interesting to watch AVs run frantically when this power is on them-- they don't seem to realize it's not hurting them all that much.
Steamy Mist is also a good power, though the defense it offers is marginal, considering this is a defender primary power set.
Freezing Rain is one of the best, most underrated debuffs in the game. Wouldn't change a thing.
Hurricane. Well, again, extremely hard on the endurance. The range of the to hit debuff is far too short. In my opinion, any ranged attacks should have the greatest debuff. Melee attacks should have an easier time getting through the debuff effect, which is where the knockback component would help protect the player.
Thunder Clap, for a tier 7 power, should not provide a mere mag 2 stun. It looks cool, but gets a pass more often than not. At least a chance for a mag 3 stun, perhaps with the added component of a blinding effect or a significant endurance drain on successful hits would make this power so much more useful.
Tornado is one of my favourite powers, but it has issues. First, it works against itself by flinging its targets arounds the map. It would be nice if it could once in awhile trap a target within its vortex and do some consistent damage. This power is great on AVs, because they can't be knocked back by it. It locks on, and spins away while the damage ticks off. The defense debuff and stun effects are ok. Because of the unusual way this "pet" interacts with targets (i.e. erratically), it would be more effective if its stats (damage and debuffs) were boosted. Visually, it seems that an improvement has been made on this concept with Water Spout and Scirocco's sand storms, so Tornado should receive this treatment for sure.
Lightning Storm is (well, should be) the defining power in this set. It does far less damage than it should, with an extremely lengthy recharge period. Either the damage should go up, or the endurance cost and recharge decreased so that larger, stacked, storm effects become possible. The storm itself is rooted when it should at the very least follow slowly behind the caster (heck, even blasters' auto turret pet was emancipated from its initially stationary nature!). No reason why these storms shouldn't be mobile. The knockback is especially problematic for this power, as targets are struck and knocked beyond the storm's range to hit them. This power would benefit from knock down instead of kb.
I love Storm Summoning, and currently play 4 of them on a regular basis. My primary toon, Ebon Witch, is a stormie. With some overdue attention to this set, I have no doubt that it would attract more players and reclaim its rightful place among the other signature CoH power sets.
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