Frosticus

Nice guide, I just used the corr version of rad blast so I wouldn't have to fiddle with availability levels. It works fine. It still lists scourge effects under power data view, but w/e.

meh for how similar BS and Kat are in pretty much every regard they should have just given a BS weapon customization option to Kat (even if you hold it with two hands). It is that similar.

BS was my last choice for proliferation to stalkers out of the remaining melee sets.

It isn't a bad set (I like my bs/shield), but it is just so similar to kat/ninja blade.

[ QUOTE ]
@ frosticus:

here are attack strings for ST DPS for both Fire and Archery at SO slotting, +hasten, and at 250% rech:

Archery:
SO - Blazing>Snap>Aimed>Snap>Fistful>Wait(.528 secs)
SO w/ Hasten - Blazing>Snap>Aimed>Snap
IO - Blazing>Snap>Fist>Wait(.396 secs)

Fire Blast:
SO - Blaze>Ball>Flares>Blast>Flares>Wait(.66 secs)>Blaze>Flares>Blast>Flares>Ball>Wait(.66 secs)>Blaze>Flares>Blast>Flares>Wait(1.848 secs)
SO w/ Hasten - Blaze>Ball>Blast>Flares>Wait(.132 secs)>Blaze>Blast>Flares>Ball>Wait(.132 secs)>Blaze>Flares>Blast>Flares>Wait(.132 secs)
IO - Blaze>Ball>Flares>Wait(.264 secs)>Blaze>Flares>Blast

Here is the results when adding in defiance to boot:

Archery
SO: 118.49
SO + Hasten: 138.12
IO: 127.19 (switched to Blazing>Snap>Aimed to account for Defiance issues that don't exist in normal attack chain generation that allowed for better DPS and got 144.13 >.< Defiance drives me batty)

Fire_Blast
SO: 137.48
SO + Hasten: 166.13
IO: 182.4


Fire with just SO's encroaches on what a 250% io Archery build can do

[/ QUOTE ]

In a discussion where we were talking about how arch has very good aoe performance and acceptable st damage it is certainly relevant to pull up st chains to prove something not at all relevant to the discussion.

That said, why don't you run the comparison at 80ft and see how they do? or level 6? Or how about aoe output at 80ft?

archery has never claimed to be killing fire at anything. Archery is a very good set, it is different than fire. It levels differently, it plays differently.

Based on your views in your dps thread you have something against fire and want it to be nerfed. No thx. Fire is absolutely fine, but of course based on the recent changes to dom /fire and the fact that blaze is now the nail with its head the highest you may just get your wish at some point.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Dude I have played every way there is to play this game... except EXPLOIT the AE...

Just play to have fun...

*looks down at all the AE exploiters*

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe farming the AE is fun to some people? Everyone preaches "play to have fun!"... as long as it's the kind of fun everyone preaches. Otherwise it's "don't play at all!"

*looks down on the anti-farming bigots*

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm finding lvl 52-54 boss spawns to be very enjoyable. When things go wrong the team implodes in seconds. Way more enjoyable that vanilla content where you'd have to shut off your brain to team wipe on IO builds.

Seeing a granite brute literally die in seconds is pretty good imo. I find pretty much everyone has to do their job pretty well on those teams.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When you say -special vs bosses I'm assuming you are talking about his outgoing mez (because so few of them use any other things that fall under that debuff). I'd sincerely hope someone doesn't rely on the reduced mez duration to keep them alive vs a +4 boss.

[/ QUOTE ]

Benumb debuffs
[ QUOTE ]
Stun/Sleep/Hold/Immobilize/Confuse/Fear Duration
Mez Protection Magnitude
Mez Resist (Acro/AM/Vengeance)
Defense Buffs/Debuffs
ToHit Buffs/Debuffs
Heals (Direct heals only, not +regen or -regen)
Endurance Drain and "Heals" (Direct +end from powers like Transference, not +recovery)
Run/Fly Speed
Run/Fly Speed Resist
Movement Slow Powers (Not -recharge)
Knockback Mag


[/ QUOTE ]

So you're claiming you can't find many bosses with ToHit and Def buff/debuffs and knockback abilities? Also it takes 6.17 seconds with 3 recharge SOs to get 2 ST holds off, that's plenty of time for a boss to hit a controller hard for -50% damage debuff from benumb to be worth it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm aware of what benumb debuffs and I'm saying I either find mobs requiring benumb en masse in the MA or barely at all in MA/Vanilla.

I've yet to see it reduce a mobs outgoing kb powers to 0, so like I said if I specifically go looking for the situation (maybe buidl a mission with FF mobs) I'd find a scenario where it reduced kb mag enough for 1kb IO to cover me. Otherwise a single IO seems to cover well over 95% of kb you encounter, adding benumb takes that to....? 96?

The problem with benumb for many trollers isn't that the numbers of what it does aren't awesome, because lets face it benumb is amazing. The problem is that it cycles so dang slowly that the overall impact it has is tiny in most scenarios (many AV's and EB's).

Benumb becomes amazing with high recharge - to the point where you can whip it out like every 40 seconds. You know what else becomes amazing with high recharge? All controllers.

IMO it is easily skippable on pve trollers unless they are frequently encountering AV's. When they'd need it to be effective it isn't due to horrible uptime. When their build is mature enough (IO'd) to be throwing it around they no longer need it.

I find it very useful on corrs/defs, I just don't see it having nearly the value on most trollers.

[ QUOTE ]
Drain Psyche is a straight Regen boost, though,

[/ QUOTE ] and a massive recovery buff. While also debuffing foes in those two categories significantly.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I seem to recall that Marilyn Monroe is reported to have been the equivalent of today's size 12 (shock &amp; horror!).

I think Desdemona looks curvy, strong &amp; athletic.

[/ QUOTE ]

At 5'7 and 120 pounds, Desdemona is probably between a size 8 and a 10. She'd be about Pamela Anderson's size minus the latter's experimentation with the chest slider.

Monroe would have been a tad shorter and heavier, but otherwise pretty close.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you know any real women?

That weight and height generally doesn't equate to an 8-10 unless you are talking about how hot she is.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm interested in trying it with gravity. I know the singularity can't be healed, but would it get the additional HPs from frostwork? And how cool would it look with the shields... like a floating snowball?

[/ QUOTE ]

I know the FF gen from traps looks hilarious with the ice shields on it. I wonder if singularity might look similarly comical.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Unless you are specifically seeking AV's or pvp then benumb is probably the most skippable power - especially for a troller.

[/ QUOTE ]

Benumb is IMO one of the main reasons to play /cold.

[/ QUOTE ]
especially so since it reduces mez resistance and mag protection abilities.

[/ QUOTE ]

What specifically would it lower the protection on that any controller would have issues controlling?

[/ QUOTE ]
plenty of custom foes in AE and Fortunata Mistress/Night Widow npcs.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm I can count on one hand the number of NW's and Forts I faced on the journey to 50 with my last troller.

I'll give you AE, but the way most people seem to build their customs it isn't just the "occassional" one it is all/most/hordes of w/e enemy type they have built. I sincerly hope benumb isn't being relied upon in any meaningful way, that will be some slow progress.

I guess if you go looking for the situation you can find it.

Just so we're all clear, benumb has no affect on the innate protection bosses have, so no 1 shot holding them unless you roll an overpower.

So that leaves the incredibly rare npc's that use a mez protection in addition to normal boss protection. Or specifically looking for them in AE.

I'll stick with my original statement.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think you don't understand the value of -dmg and -special when used on bosses that can't be controlled easily. This is especially true has you go higher towards +4 con and the duration of your controls start to lack and even a purple patch water downed benumb is going to be incredibly important.

[/ QUOTE ]

I understand it. What are the values vs a +4 boss? Is this an entire mission filled with +4 bosses like is common in MA? or is this just a few throughout the map?

When you say -special vs bosses I'm assuming you are talking about his outgoing mez (because so few of them use any other things that fall under that debuff). I'd sincerely hope someone doesn't rely on the reduced mez duration to keep them alive vs a +4 boss.

Like I said though:
[ QUOTE ]
I guess if you go looking for it you can find any situation

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a bit surprised you so strongly favor benumb despite it generally being extremely situational (especially on a troller) and you'll go out of your way to find those situations, but at the same time say FW is trash.

To each their own.

Anyway, definitely looking forward to trying fire/cold. Shielded, FW imps are pretty much like scrappers at that point. It will be nice not having my imps vaporize right after pulling them out vs 8 man spawns like they tend to do on my fire/storm.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Unless you are specifically seeking AV's or pvp then benumb is probably the most skippable power - especially for a troller.

[/ QUOTE ]

Benumb is IMO one of the main reasons to play /cold.

[/ QUOTE ]
especially so since it reduces mez resistance and mag protection abilities.

[/ QUOTE ]

What specifically would it lower the protection on that any controller would have issues controlling?

[/ QUOTE ]
plenty of custom foes in AE and Fortunata Mistress/Night Widow npcs.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm I can count on one hand the number of NW's and Forts I faced on the journey to 50 with my last troller.

I'll give you AE, but the way most people seem to build their customs it isn't just the "occassional" one it is all/most/hordes of w/e enemy type they have built. I sincerly hope benumb isn't being relied upon in any meaningful way, that will be some slow progress.

I guess if you go looking for the situation you can find it.

Just so we're all clear, benumb has no affect on the innate protection bosses have, so no 1 shot holding them unless you roll an overpower.

So that leaves the incredibly rare npc's that use a mez protection in addition to normal boss protection. Or specifically looking for them in AE.

I'll stick with my original statement.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Unless you are specifically seeking AV's or pvp then benumb is probably the most skippable power - especially for a troller.

[/ QUOTE ]

Benumb is IMO one of the main reasons to play /cold.

[/ QUOTE ]
especially so since it reduces mez resistance and mag protection abilities.

[/ QUOTE ]

What specifically would it lower the protection on that any controller would have issues controlling?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

For the people wanting ice/ice armor, what would they do with hibernoob seeing as it is available in the apps now?

[/ QUOTE ]

Swap it for Hide

[/ QUOTE ]

What about icicles?

ice armor was going to be a very easy port, just drop icicles for hide. Done. Then they went and added hibernoob to the ppp's.

That move means they now have to create a new T9 for stalkers ice armor. My bet is that whatever it is it has a locked recharge . Though I suppose thanks to "no phase" hibernoob does too.

[/ QUOTE ]

If they port ice to stalkers an exact copy of Ice Armor is exactly what I do not want. I would much rather prefer an Ice "Manipulation" like I posted earlier, like a "Fog" rather than a bulky ice block.

Can you really see an ice block thing trying to crouch down like Spines/Claws/Elec Assassin Strike? Err....

Ice Melee? Sure. Ice Armor? Not so much...

[/ QUOTE ]

you want a "new" set. New sets come in a blue moon. I'll just take ice armor. I can deal with the ice cube look - horrid as it is.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'll raise you one better. Lightning storm, which most people would actually call a "pet" (rather than just a limitation of the engine require a pet) Attacks with a TAoE blast, but only accepts St ranged sets.

Do you go by how the power functions, what it actually does, or what it takes for sets

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, the powers I named are all "AoE damage" powers that summon a pet which uses a PBAoE auto power, so that's not all that different.

But the point remains that you can call TS (or Lightning Rod) a "PBAoE" because that's what the devs decided it was for accepting sets despite it not exactly being one.

[/ QUOTE ]

Proof positive that fire should keep FSC!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Spine Burst, Thunderstrike...

[/ QUOTE ]

Spine Burst survived because they remove Damage Auras even faster, but its the only offensive melee set with a damage aura so that wont happen again.

Electric's Thunderstrike is a targeted AoE. The PBAoE was Lightning Clap, and it got removed.

[/ QUOTE ]Thunderstrike isnt a TAoE its a PBAoE. lighting clap was removed because it sucked for stalker playstyle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually TS is a TAoE, the aoe damage radiates from the target of the melee attack.

[/ QUOTE ]
Both statements are true, and both are false. It's a TAoE that takes only PBAoE sets; the question is are you looking at the operation of the power (in which it's a TAoE) or what sets it can take (in which it's a PBAoE)?

If you go strictly by the operation of the power, Rain of Fire, Ignite, Ice Storm, Blizzard, and several other powers I can't remember would take Pet Summon sets instead of AoE sets.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll raise you one better. Lightning storm, which most people would actually call a "pet" (rather than just a limitation of the engine require a pet) Attacks with a TAoE blast, but only accepts St ranged sets.

Do you go by how the power functions, what it actually does, or what it takes for sets

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

For the people wanting ice/ice armor, what would they do with hibernoob seeing as it is available in the apps now?

[/ QUOTE ]

Swap it for Hide

[/ QUOTE ]

What about icicles?

ice armor was going to be a very easy port, just drop icicles for hide. Done. Then they went and added hibernoob to the ppp's.

That move means they now have to create a new T9 for stalkers ice armor. My bet is that whatever it is it has a locked recharge . Though I suppose thanks to "no phase" hibernoob does too.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As for Martial Arts, the alternate animations we have right now are mainly punches.

[/ QUOTE ]
Sweet! I can't wait to punch someone with Crane Kick.

[/ QUOTE ]
I have a feeling that Crane Kick and Foot Stomp alternate animations are renamed when you pick them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just confirmed, they are renamed.

Crane Kick = Crane Punch
Foot stomp = Fist Stomp

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Castle, any chance doms will ever get illusion control? We have wanted this way more than the other sets. Its really the last thing that keeps doms from being equal to trollers. I just hope we at least get it by the time going rogue hits.

[/ QUOTE ]

1.) You use "we" like you represent all dominator players. You don't.

2.) Dominators shoudln't be "equal" to controllers. They're totally different playstyles and ATs.

Maybe someday doms might get Illusion but please stop acting like the mouth piece for dominator players. I'm excited about Earth Assault and will be testing out a Fire/Earth ASAP.

[/ QUOTE ]

1. It is pretty often requested. Of existing sets it was far more requested than earth when proliferation began. People also whined that earth wouldn't work well on doms because it has so many pseudo pets. They were wrong, just like the people that say Ill wouldn't work well.

2. One of Castle's stated criteria during the dominator revamp was to make them more viable relative to controllers. Now equal != viable, but they are in the same ballpark and giving doms Ill is a step in the right direction.

Even though all the troller sets have the same issues with PToD as the dominator version, trollers as a whole complain less about that aspect. It is in no small part due to the fact that illusion is arguably one of the strongest AV fighting sets in the game.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All I can say is if they allow this alot more Posi tfs will definately get run by me. I hate having to wait on other folks going afk for stupid [censored] like kids need to be put to bed, smoke breaks, house is flooding, house on fire, wife in labor, you know the usual bull crap folks go afk for. If I could solo it alot of my toons would finally get the TF commander badge instead of just a handful.

[/ QUOTE ]

um. We run Posi TF all the time just 1 of us or 2.

In Broadcast we say something like.

Hiya! I am looking for 1 or 2 people so I can start the Positron TF. (I don't have time to run it with other people as I may have to go AFK Alot) Can any of you join my team just for a minute or 2?

People have no problem quitting when I get inside the first mission. I generally find people ingame to be nice, with this kind of thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

You dirty mission pad spammer

j/k.

hmm, does the new character creator happen to "show" animations now?

Sort of like how detailed power info has the drop down, there should be a little drop down video when I highlight a power as well showing how it looks in game in terms of animation and effects.

Seems like a logical thing if we have the ability to change some of them. Well it was always logical, but especially now.

edit: just wanted to say - good work BaB's, you are carrying the team imo.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Spine Burst, Thunderstrike...

[/ QUOTE ]

Spine Burst survived because they remove Damage Auras even faster, but its the only offensive melee set with a damage aura so that wont happen again.

Electric's Thunderstrike is a targeted AoE. The PBAoE was Lightning Clap, and it got removed.

[/ QUOTE ]Thunderstrike isnt a TAoE its a PBAoE. lighting clap was removed because it sucked for stalker playstyle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually TS is a TAoE, the aoe damage radiates from the target of the melee attack.

One sure fire way to tell it isn't an pbaoe; can you use it with no targets?

I think it is the only melee range taoe though, so it is pretty unique and something I personally feel a lot more melee attacks should have. Effectively spalsh damage. Makes sense on fire attacks at least.

For the people wanting ice/ice armor, what would they do with hibernoob seeing as it is available in the apps now?

I wish the corr version of trops took the pbaoe sets.

Hate to say it though, but based on:
scrapper trops,
corr trops,
stalker trops,
dom thorntrops,

the MM version is bugged and shouldn't be accepting pbaoe sets.

[ QUOTE ]
yea regardless how much they tone down rad blast for blasters...they can't tone down the effect procs have without having a global effect on all AT's

i have a number of rad primary AT's and i will say those proc'ed out attacks shred people.

(imagine neutrino bolt with 4 damage procs and 2 nuc's, auto cued with a 1 sec cast time and .5-.6 sec recharge firing off non stop...procing very fast along with building defiance fast)

[/ QUOTE ]

How annoying would it be if it got the earth treatment? ie unslottedable -def, so no achiles or lady gray, or shield breaker.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


Earths Embrace.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wrap it up! I'll take it!

[/ QUOTE ]
It would be great, I just don't see it happening unfortunately, it is an assault set, not an armour-type set.

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe. To quote Sunstorm :

[ QUOTE ]
No "Eventually" about it, I was play testing it after the first round of proliferation and have been waiting anxiously till I can build one on the live servers. Never played a more "tankish" feeling dominator, despite it having no armors.

Some very good guesses here on the powers, but Earth Assault will be a very melee heavy set. Also opted for the regular Hurl boulder Animation, since the Propel Boulder animation uses the full 3.5 second long propel animation. Now I may be a huge fan of propel for my grav doms/Trollers, but the thought of having 2 versions of it didn't seem too fun.


[/ QUOTE ]
"Tankish" ? It sounds like it has SOMETHING that makes it tougher than normal . . .

[/ QUOTE ]

Ya, gigantic stone hammers and screen shake = way tougher "feeling" than any other doms.

EE would be a really solid choice though, especially for what sounds like a very melee centric assault set.

[ QUOTE ]
Actually, I've been thinking about it....

I don't think Defender Trap debuff/buff values will be different from MM/Corruptor's because if it is, then the dev will have to adjust Corruptor's version as well.

So basically, Defender will be having a Secondary as strong as Mastermind's. Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

I for one would welcome a buff to corr traps. It would be one of the first times I've been actively playing a set that would see a positive change. The last time was my fire armor brute when they changed healing flames.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Really? I've heard that topped-out archery with huge recharge is ridiculous at clearing spawns.

[/ QUOTE ]

with the same build, so can fire, and then it does so for better endurance, and has epic ST as well

[/ QUOTE ]
Does Fire have all that at 80 foot range, with a stun, and a KB power?

[/ QUOTE ]

fire breath is 10ft shorter than Fistfull, but does like 1.5 times the damage, while having .3 sec longer activation, whereas fireball is the same deal, but faster as well as more damaging than explosive arrow, and doesnt knock them away from subsequent AoEs

[/ QUOTE ]

Sure fire is good. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the history, but the dot was actually buffed 5? issues ago because it wasn't performing well enough above the other sets.

Rain of arrows is also really good.

I'm not sure where you are getting your numbers from, but here are the cast times for the aoe's
fireball - 1.188
Firebreath - 2.904
Rain of fire - 2.244
Inferno - 3.17

Fistful - 1.32
Explosive - 1.98
Rain of Arrow - 4.22

RoA > fireball+firebreath for about the same cast time.

Fire is awesome (my favorite set for pretty much every AT), but I've yet to see a high level arch player complain about their damage output.

Blazing arrow at lvl 6! is a lot different than waiting until 18 for blaze too.

As for rad blast, it is going to be an awesome set for blasters (depending on how the port turns out). But if people are expecting it to be in the same league as fire for st they are going to be dissapointed. Rad chains deal about half the dps of fire chains. It also won't be in the same ballpark for aoe.

But it will have great secondary effects, IO options, and cosmic burst is one of the best attacks in the game. All while doing decent st and aoe damage.

If anyone is looking for a "fire killer" this isn't it, isn't intended to be, and never will be.