Gilia

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  1. Gilia

    Why A Blaster?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Seldom View Post
    Some people need to get out of the number crunching and into the game. Honest fact:

    Scrappers and blasters can do about the same damage. Brutes somewhere near there too.

    However...melee vs. blasters: most melee archetypes cap targets at 10. Blasters can hit 16. Melee usually has a range of 7'. Blasts have 80'. Most blaster's aoe is 30' in diameter. Most melee is 16'. Melee cones? 7'. Blast cones? 40'.
    This first part still sounds like number crunching to me...
    :-P

    I believe this is a very good summary and assessment of the relationship of the ATs you mentioned. I would just add that Blaster's tie at the highest damage modifier to the list of values you put there.

    Another thing that's not getting mentioned a lot is defiance. BU+Aim will allow Blasters to out damage on their initial two or three attacks, and at that point there should be at least 3 attacks worth of defiance up for the remainder of the battle. It should only take two to put them ahead of the average damage criticals allow Scrappers to do. In prolonged battles, Blaster's average damage will decimate everyone else's.
  2. Gilia

    Why A Blaster?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarkMaster View Post
    The difference is....the Corruptor or Dominator has the "survivability" to actually fully dispense their ordinance until every last baddie is dead...and that is the key difference here.


    Sure, in an all out "who can deal the MOST damage the FASTEREST ready set GO!!!" war, the Blaster will most likely win...however, the Corruptor or Dominator will most likely still be standing and dealing solid damage WITHOUT a bunch of outside support long after the Blaster has already blown his load and hit the hospital for round 2....winner....Corruptor/Dominator.


    This isn't to say I don't like Blasters, I love them and the fragile style in which mine live, but I'm also wise enough, and not too proud, to acknowledge and recognize their glaring deficiencies.
    What?! You're saying it comes down to survivability and you're not giving it to the Scrapper who can do almost as much damage and has a whole set devoted to self survival?

    ... and are you imagining a team where the Dominator mezzes enough to keep itself alive but not the Blaster? Or are you imagning a solo situation with large mobs? In that case, how is the Corruptor going to survive exactly? IOs? Then the Blaster gets them too. Do you realize how much longer it will take a Dominator to clear a large mob solo than a comparably leveled Blaster?

    Managing aggro and using the terrain (player based) are going to have a bigger effect on survivability than the one or two powers that many Corruptor secondaries offer (edit: in a solo situation). Additionally, the reduced speed of killing (for many of them) is going to put them at higher risk as well.

    I think there is a case for putting Blasters at the back of the line. It is not, however, making sweeping statements about ATs without describing the scenario whatsoever.

    Also some powerset comparisons are going to be more or less "obvious." Most people wouldn't want a Psy/Dev Blaster over a Rad/Rad Corruptor. That doesn't mean Corruptors are automatically better all the time.

    A Blaster who knows its limitations and operates within those for his or her team is going to out damage those other suckers. It doesn't come down to survivability unless the teammates are non-aggro holding toons with builds devoted to their own survivability only.

    Don't play on those teams then. Voila!
  3. Gilia

    Why A Blaster?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarkMaster View Post
    To truely and effectively play on a Blaster and really contribute major damage for the team, you'll almost need to bring two of these AT's with you: A really good taunting and hardy Tanker, and a really good Defender (preferably empathy) who focuses mostly on you. Between those two, you can definitely deliver some massive damage without having to worry too much about face-planting every 3 minutes in late game. Unfortunately...you're one of the only and few toons that must rely on TWO other AT's in order to perform your one role...that to me...isn't right.
    Wrong.

    This isn't WoW or some other MMO-trinity game. There's never a case where you need a Tanker. There's never a case where you need a Defender. Never ever. That's one way to build a team. However, all Blaster TFs are done from time to time without issue.

    Blaster's damage modifier taps out early, that's why the damage seems so much higher early on. However, if are in ANY circumstance where you survive, you will out damage shot for shot every one else. Controllers / Dominators can keep you alive just like Tankers/Defenders can, by the way.

    Some would argue that Corruptors with debuffs can keep par, but let's imagine YOU are the Blaster and your teammate does all those debuffs they would do to try to keep up with your damage. Well, then all of a sudden YOU are doing that much more damage. Tada!
  4. Gilia

    Why A Blaster?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarknessEternal View Post
    I'm not.

    Blasters are categorically outclassed. What can they do? Damage and maybe some control. Surely they do the most damage then, since they only really have the one thing? This would be wrong, and Scrappers far and away exceed any Blasters' damage; Brutes too. And then we even have types of Corrupters and Defenders outdamaging Blasters at high levels since they are damage multipliers instead of damage adders.

    So those 4 must be worse in defense since they do more damage, right? Also no. The same ones can stay indefinitely aggroed to AVs or GMs.

    Go look in any of those AT forums. It's widely talked about.

    With all this being the case, what role does a Blaster serve at high levels? None.
    The strokes on this painting are far to broad to discern what's really going on. I went ahead and bolded what is the most patently false.
    Blaster's ranged damage modifier = Scrapper melee modifier.
    The circumstances where a Brute do more damage than a Scrapper (over time, not in the instant that its fury taps out) are slim and very late game. Brutes also have a lower modifier and lower bonus from Build Up and similiar powers, and neither of them get Aim. Scrappers can almost compete with burst damage, Brute's don't stand a chance however.

    The moral of that short story? Those ATs don't out damage blasters out of the box.

    Scrappers have a less than 10% gain over Blasters in terms of hit points. That's the same ratio difference from Scrappers to Brutes, and half of Brutes to Tankers.

    A Blaster with softcapped S/L against anything *doing* S/L (a ton of content is like this) is only 10% short the survivability that a softcapped SR Scrapper is, and the Blaster will roll out a ton more damage because their sets have (a) longer range, (b) more AoEs, (c) more coverage on the AoEs.

    Certain Corruptors will out damage certain Blasters. Certain Defenders will outdamage certain Corruptors. If you rolled out every single combination that did the most damage, the Blaster might not quite be in first... but you're going to have to do better than broad strokes and "some Corruptors" to prove that point.

    Based on my last two paragraphs, the quoted line of thinking would conclude that in fact the Scrapper is the worst AT in the game. Because certain Scrappers are worse off in every way than certain Blasters in certain circumstances. Also patently false. I'm just pointed out the error of this line of thinking.

    For the OP: Blasters are GREAT AT for learning the game. They solo well, they don't become much more complicated to team, and down the road IOing one can make it an impressive beast.

    The current whipping boy on the AT forums is Stalkers, btw, not Blasters.

    The role of high level Blasters has the same conditions as every other AT: power sets, build, player skill, content being played. In most circumstances, the Blaster's role will be to out damage everyone. To take the biggest advantage of +damage buffs and -resist debuffs (with the highest modifier with tons of AoE), as well as drop single targets and runners extremely well.
  5. @Gilia1

    Prefer my current main, level 41 Mind/Nrg dom "Shrouded Destiny"

    Based on the needs listed though, I could bring a (50) Ice/Thermal controller "Broken Restraint"

    Others available as well.
  6. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Santorican View Post
    I changed a few things in Gilia's build, starting with some slotting, one important thing I'll point out is slotting purple procs into powers, you generally want them in powers that recharge fast in order to have them fire off more often. So I slotted the Apoc set into Snap Shot.
    More accurately, you'd want the procs in powers you will fire the most often. If you have a full chain w/o your low recharge attack, and only use it in the case of -recharge, you wouldn't put it there. You also have to weigh it against level placement in the event you will ever exemplar. I tend to run task forces a lot so I put them later in the build.

    Just curious... what's the point of the HO in Weave? Is .02 end/s worth the cost and loss of 0.09% defense? I suppose the defense is once you're softcapped, but it seems like a waste of inf to me. Especially when you could split the difference and just get a high level def/end from another set and about accomplish the same thing. Unless that's one of the oddly cheap HOs...

    What's with Reactive Armor in Tough, too? 3 slots for 4% s/l resist doesn't make sense to me when you're soft capped for s/l. I'd rather have the knockdown proc in RoA.

    The performance shift proc and Health procs I would probably put off till last. If you don't need them, you may as well just give the inf away. The build changes put you at a lower recovery even considering the performance shifter proc, though.

    I guess I don't understand the purpose of most of the changes other than to squeeze out an extra 5% recharge. The cost seems a bit steep though... OTOH you have unused slots, so maybe not so steep.


    Another thing to note is if you don't want to look like an ice cube, you could turn red (if you weren't already) and get the patron pools for Mace Mastery/Scorpion Shield. Enfeebled Operation would go in Web Envelope then, or some other possibilities. You can always go back to being a hero after you unlock the pool.
  7. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cmls View Post
    cool ty i know its a costly build. and it well take me some time tell i can get it. but i figer i have a defrent build for lvlin up. but ill be makin this in my 2nd build and when i get enof INF ill be filling it in slowly but ill get fully set up over time.
    I would seriously consider replacing the purple sets with another Positron and Decimation. Archery gets an inherent boost to accuracy, so the the +ToHit would not be missed (unless you're on a team going against much higher level opponents), and you'd only give up 7.5% recharge.

    Why's that, you say? Because with that change in mind, one or two of those purple enhancements (just the single enhancement, not the whole set) could pay for the whole build.

    I like the *other* purple sets, but these two (and Hecatomb) are far too expensive for my tastes. For the people who have been playing 6 years and have run innumerable task forces and farms, they are a fine option. For someone relatively new, I wouldn't recommend them.

    I would also seriously consider taking Aimed Shot instead of Blazing Arrow. The extra damage per activation is nice on Blazing, but being able to attack while mezzed is better IMO.

    Edit: I just realized the "cost of the whole build" thing was exaggerated. I was thinking of how easy it is to buy LotGs with alignment merits, not the cost on the market. Plus some of the rest would have to be low big on.
  8. It seems like you were building you IOs with damage bonuses in mind. They aren't anything to avoid, to be sure, but they should not be a goal. The 2% you get from one slot could be better spent getting some recharge elsewhere.

    The lack of Aimed Shot makes me sad. I would always take your first two attacks in the primary as a Blaster, because you can fire them while mezzed.

    If you can afford these purples (they are very very expensive if you didn't know) you can certainly afford a few LotG:Recharge. These are very easy to get because you can run tips to buy them (they only cost 2 alignment merits).

    Here's some of what I would do, if not changing much:
    * Replace Devastation with Decimation. You can keep the chance to hold proc. +6.25% recharge
    * Swap slots from Aim, Super Speed, and Tough to put an LotG in Weave and CJ and Frozen armor. +22.5% recharge.
    * Swap the chance for damage proc in Explosive Arrow for the chance for +Recharge proc. Against large mobs, I find it procs every other time I fire it. It's a very cheap way to get some extra recharge while farming. Though it seem with the other improvements, it will only cut 2 seconds off RoA's recharge when it does proc. That'd be about 3 seconds off BU/Aim though.

    When Issue 19 comes out and Fitness becomes inherent, replace your power picks with Concealment for at least Stealth & Grant Invisibility/Invisibility. Don't slot them, just pop 2 more LotGs in them for +15% recharge.

    That puts you at ~91% global recharge and still soft capped.


    Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.803
    http://www.cohplanner.com/

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Level 50 Magic Blaster
    Primary Power Set: Archery
    Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
    Power Pool: Speed
    Power Pool: Fitness
    Power Pool: Fighting
    Power Pool: Leaping
    Ancillary Pool: Cold Mastery

    Hero Profile:
    Level 1: Snap Shot -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(5), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(27), Dev'n-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(27)
    Level 1: Power Thrust -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(36), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(37), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
    Level 2: Fistful of Arrows -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(5), Posi-Dmg/Rng(11), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(17), Posi-Dam%(19)
    Level 4: Build Up -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(23)
    Level 6: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(7), RechRdx-I(7)
    Level 8: Blazing Arrow -- Apoc-Dmg(A), Apoc-Dmg/Rchg(9), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Apoc-Acc/Rchg(11), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(19), Apoc-Dam%(29)
    Level 10: Swift -- Run-I(A)
    Level 12: Explosive Arrow -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(13), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(13), Posi-Dmg/Rng(15), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(15), FrcFbk-Rechg%(17)
    Level 14: Super Speed -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
    Level 16: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Numna-Heal(50)
    Level 18: Boxing -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(37), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(39), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
    Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(21), EndMod-I(21)
    Level 22: Aim -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(23), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(29), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(40), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(46), GSFC-Build%(50)
    Level 24: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(34)
    Level 26: Weave -- RedFtn-Def(A), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(31), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(31), LkGmblr-Rchg+(31)
    Level 28: Power Boost -- RechRdx-I(A)
    Level 30: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A)
    Level 32: Rain of Arrows -- Ragnrk-Dmg(A), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg(33), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg(33), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx(34), Ragnrk-Knock%(34)
    Level 35: Boost Range -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(36)
    Level 38: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Def(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(39), Krma-ResKB(40), LkGmblr-Rchg+(40)
    Level 41: Flash Freeze -- LgcRps-Acc/Rchg(A), LgcRps-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(42), LgcRps-EndRdx/Sleep(42), LgcRps-Acc/Sleep(42)
    Level 44: Frozen Armor -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(45), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(45), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), LkGmblr-Rchg+(46), DefBuff-I(46)
    Level 47: Jump Kick -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(48), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(48), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
    Level 49: Acrobatics -- EndRdx-I(A)
    ------------
    Level 1: Brawl -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(43), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(43), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
    Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx-I(A)
    Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
    Level 1: Defiance
    Level 2: Ninja Run
  9. I'm a fan of Nukes when the team and I are intentional about them. That could mean giving the Blaster AB, or herding whenever the recharge is up. They can be used quite well that way. Though there is no denying how awesome Rain of Arrows is.

    The option to take an AoE with no crash (or less of a crash) would be really cool.

    The biggest change I want to see though is Defenders and Corruptors having the crash reduced... like maybe -50% end and recovery. Their nukes are much less likely to kill a whole mob and them being out endurance can be a BIG change in pace, since they won't be debuffing and healing, etc... and the VEATs have AoEs that do about the same damage, disorient, same recharge, but no crash. Blaster's I'm more or less okay with, but reducing the -recovery time might be good.

    Side note: the tier 3 ST for electric/ is Voltaic Sentinel. Harder to direct, of course, but I think the math shows it actually contributes more to ST DPS than the tier 3 does. You're spot on about the lack of AoE though.
  10. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggz View Post
    Wow. Didn't catch that. In in 75 months of playing I don't think I've ever had the sound on once, so it would never factor into my deciding to avoid the best soloing set when trying to solo.

    Devices is very cool... just underpowered IMO unless you dramatically slow your play style.
    I can understand missing the sound. I usually have music playing over the game and I pause it to hear glowies.

    I agree it's underpowered, but solo style I think the only slow down is the lack of Build Up. Cloaking Device/Smoke Grenade are awesome for ninjaing missions, and toe bomb and Taser are both fight winners with small mobs. Remember too that the Time Bomb placement time is about the same as the -recovery on a crashing nuke. Granted you can't just guzzle blues to get past it, but that's not *always* going to be available anyway.

    On large teams though the slow down is more apparent.

    /Energy is still probably my favorite. It's the only Blaster secondary I've played to 50 more than once.

    There's still no denying how safe /Ice is though.
  11. Quote:
    Originally Posted by AnElfCalledMack View Post
    Psi has a lot better AoE than Energy, and that's pretty much a good thing. You don't get quite as much "sleep the spawn, then drop them one at a time", but on the upside, your team won't hate you for 1) using sleeps, which they then break, and 2) knocking back enemies. And, of course, Drain Psyche is delicious.
    You don't *have* to take any sleeps for a successful Mind Dom. Between Fear and Sleep most Mind Doms will probably have one though, that is true.

    Because /Energy for Doms is all ST it can actually be used to make teams *happy*. I hop around groups and push runners back into my teammates. KB is also glorious early on because it's great mitigation when your mezzes might miss. Another advantage is that you can form a full ranged ST attack chain with Mind/Energy much sooner than other set combinations. Actually, it may be the soonest...

    The only disadvantage to /Psi would be the lack of early range and the fact that ALL of your attacks/mezzes would have a Psi component. That means when you come after someone with defense to that (like those suits with Crey) or that resists it (most robots), they will be that much more annoying.

    They are both very good options, in my opinion. The pro's and con's balance nicely it seems. I would boil it down to how good you are at using KB productively (on teams or solo) and whether you care to be at range. The AoE could do it though...
  12. Gilia

    A, AR, or DP?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Duncan_Frost View Post
    Assault Rifle, because Full Auto is the best power in the game.

    *sweeps Rain of Arrows under a rug, whistles innocently*
    This made me laugh out loud. Hahaha...

    If you're going /Dark, I'd have to say Archery as well. Because Tarpatch + Rain of Arrows would be absolutely beautiful.

    I'm not sure if you need line of sight for Tar Patch, but if you don't you could really tear up groups without them ever seeing you.
  13. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggz View Post
    Energy/Energy is nice and can be very effective... but for soloing as a blaster, I still have to reccomend Sonic/Energy. Check it out:

    http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showt...=1#post3196735
    That was actually covered before the /Devices discussion started :-P. OP doesn't like the sound. It was like the first two responses.

    On the /Devices (/Trip Mine) discussion, I really like it for soloing because I like baked in stealth powers when soloing, and you can just use Trip Mine to toe bomb. It makes for an awesome opener on any small mob.

    Also, on the rare occasion that some boss does (or will) give you a lot of trouble, you can cake the floor with trip mines and make it a non-issue.

    I'm kind of on a baking thing right now.
  14. Quote:
    Originally Posted by JustBling View Post
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gilia
    I did not mean to call anyone a newb, and the condescending tone is unintentional...
    If you're fighting so large a group that it can't be so easily dissected, ask that any buffers please keep you well defended and just scrap. The HP difference is not enough to claim that a well buffed Stalker can't do what a Scrapper can at base. That'd be lunacy.
    So you're okay with a fully loaded Stalker being roughly equivalent to a base Scrapper? That's lunacy right there.
    That isn't what I said. The difference isn't subtle either.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JustBling View Post
    I will certainly read responses (from anyone that's not on ignore) to this thread and consider them. I have decided that this conversation will bear no further merit and will not post again in this thread. You may, however, now have the final word, rest assured it will be given the utmost consideration.
    Thanks! :-D
  15. Quote:
    Originally Posted by JustBling View Post
    Outside of Hide, I run the risk of being two-shotted. I can understand if this were a rare occurrence, but it is not. Hard-hitting bosses and AV's punch my ticket as fast as a squishy. I would like better compensation for having low health. High opening burst damage doesn't cut it, and it isn't even guaranteed to work. AS misses, I can deal with it, I can even deal with the occasional AoE that randomly knocks me out of Hide, but it would be nice if a single RNG roll didn't remove one of my advantages to damage.
    I did not mean to call anyone a newb, and the condescending tone is unintentional. The fact is this has never been a serious issue for me. Every AT has pro's and con's within certain confines, and operates best when the player is willing to play in those same confines. If an occasional AoE is knocking you out of hide, the solution isn't to change hide, it's to ask "why am I having this problem when others don't?" For starters, if you're talking about the alpha, don't wait for someone else to aggro. Begin the AS animation BEFORE the Brute hops in. Aim for the big guy, so you can demoralize if they don't make it in. If you really think that possibility that both mechanics will fail you is enough to discredit or change the AT, you would have to say that most of the ATs in this game need to be changed.
    If you're talking about breaking hide after a placate, you're not placating from the right place or the right enemy. For example, I prefer to placate nullifiers more than flamethrowers when fighting LB, because the flamethrower is probably going to fire a cone AoE, which would have a low chance of hitting anyway and probably won't be directed at me. That's just how to handle LB, but experience would teach how to handle placate for various mobs.
    If you're fighting so large a group that it can't be so easily dissected, ask that any buffers please keep you well defended and just scrap. The HP difference is not enough to claim that a well buffed Stalker can't do what a Scrapper can at base. That'd be lunacy.

    So it's not that you (or anyone else) is a newb, it's simply that your experience is not yet adequate for this one particular situation. If everyone were a "newb" for such a thing, well then everyone would be.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JustBling View Post
    No, his argument is how the Hide mechanic interacts with uncertainty. The fact that "some things just happen" isn't being disputed, it's the fact that the "big alpha strike"--upon which the AT depends--may be neutralized by a single lucky hit. This may not be fatal, though it may very well be, but simply serves to highlight the weak points of the AT while negating one of its strengths.
    Bolded what exactly I'm pointing out. "Somethings just happen" is being lifted up as if THAT were what needs to be changed. You can't argue that a few lucky hits is the downside of an AT when defense based Scrappers and Brutes have that worry and *drum roll* every AT besides Tankers does as well. The aggro will not always be well managed. The group will not always be tightly packed. Occasionally a Blaster will get pegged by two bosses and ripped apart. Does that mean we buff Blasters so they can be as tough as Scrappers? By no means!

    The chance of death is baked into every AT to a certain degree. Demanding that one has it changed to the same as another implies that they should ALL be changed to that degree. The fact of the matter is Stalkers are the glass cannons of melee. They are SUPPOSED to be at risk in exchange for the damage they do. Kick and scream all we want, AS is the single highest non-crashing ST attack in the game, and datamining will never say otherwise.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JustBling View Post
    You may as well call everyone who disagrees with you a noob. Player skill is not a game mechanic, and shouldn't be used to balance an AT.
    Player skill is used to a point. The idea that it's not is just silly. We have beginner's luck and we have damage modifiers that start higher than they finish, for one. We have ATs that are more suited to new players, as well as powersets that are easier for getting to know the game. Moreover, I never called anyone a newb. Not being able to play a Stalker well is not the same as not being able to play the game well. I for one can solo most content as a Blaster about twice as fast as I could with any other AT. That doesn't mean Blasters are broken, it means they are well suited to my play style. I've never had a problem with survivability or the RNG as a Stalker. That's me, of course. I don't do nearly as well as a Defender, Corruptor, or Controller. I don't think that makes me a newb. The biggest difference in my thinking from yours is I don't think Defenders, Corruptors, or Controllers need to be changed. I see others play them well. I see other enjoy them. I see others are apologists for them on their threads. So what have I left to do? I play something else. I've played each of them to 50, and that was fine, but the fact is I didn't enjoy them as much, I wasn't as good at them, and it was just me.

    Truth be told the part I find the worst about these debates on the forums is that it often comes down to two sides "I like it the way it is. Please don't change it." and "I don't like the way it is. It needs to be changed." With some rare and overwhelming exceptions, I don't think the latter is ever right. If a lot of people like it and you don't, play another AT. Don't pretend like Stalkers are unbalanced because YOU can't survive as one.
  16. Quote:
    Originally Posted by JustBling View Post
    Is a semantic argument the best you can do? I still don't understand your position beyond "poo poo I don't agree".
    He was expanding on the metaphor. You can't consider Hide (or even AS) a crutch, because Stalkers are still a viable and valuable team member if they fail. If you do not believe that to be the case, then you simply have not played a Stalker well.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jeuraud View Post
    But not as soon as you start your Stalker, and never down to 0.

    Show me a Stalker secondary that has a caped AOE def at level 1. Or are you saying they get the power at lvl 1, which is irrelevant, being you cannot attain cap without enhancing the power with a SO level buff. Also that large AOE def drops off as soon as you perform a function. It's not there to keep a Stalker from taking AOE damage, it's there to help keep them in Hide during a MOB AOE attack. It has no real power once your actually in the fight.

    The real question is whether the hide function serves the same functions as the fury function does for a Brute. I say it does, that it defines the Stalker just as fury defines the Brute, thus it should never be lost to a RNG, anymore than a Brute should loose all of their built up fury to a RNG.
    So your argument is uncertainty? That's all this whole post boils down to. So, let me guess. You never play defense based characters, and you never attack. After all, the RNG "could" make that just awful. Just absolutely awful. If you are considering an AT, a power, or a circumstance based on a "what if the worst" rather than actually playing it out, you are using horrendously flawed reasoning. You have to consider averages, over time, real world cases, etc. The fact of the matter is any Stalker worth his salt is not sitting there kicking the dirt because the RNG came and got him. Because one out of 15 battles broke Hide and he had to scrap, or possibly pull back long enough to hide or placate who followed him. Again, if you really believe this you have not played a Stalker well.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jibikao View Post
    Good luck sniping a lieut to death even as Blaster. 2. Some Snipes have knockback/knockdown. This is a big NO because once a target is knocked, the whole group is "alerted". There is no point in "pulling". 3. If the point of using snipe is to pull, many sets can achieve by putting just one +range or hell, most range attacks can pull even with 60' range vet staff attack.
    Okay, I'm guessing you just haven't gotten the Nemesis Staff yet. It has 100' range and it has knockback. It can be used to pull. Knockback does not just pull the whole group. If you have gotten that impression, it's because you were too close. I have pulled 1 or 2 from a full mob using the staff literally hundreds of times.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Leo_G View Post
    ...or is this really about caltrops?
    It really is. That and imaginary and worst-case-RNG scenarios where the Stalker is "gimped." I quote this remark because of course that whole idea is just lunacy.
  17. Gilia

    Blaster Farming?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maxtsorm View Post
    Now I need to switch some stuff around....for pve..then one for pvp. Thanks though didnt think of some of that.
    Sure thing. Hopefully it works out. That's the kind of thing the forums are for. Unfortunately, there are a lot of trolls who will just say a build's "not very effective" or "won't perform" or some other vague bug negative judgment and then give no explanation. You just have to ignore them.
  18. Gilia

    Blaster Farming?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maxtsorm View Post
    Well kinda thought it was ok...for at least farming...guess not
    It will be able to farm as well as that video I posted above. I'm not sure Archery/Energy is ever going to be good at PvP. That's a dog that doesn't hunt for me though. I just don't know anything about PvP.

    A couple notes on the build:
    Replace the Damage/Range enhancement in RoA and Explosive Arrow and put a Recharge in them. The Recharge on Positron's Blast itself is low and you want those puppies up all the time.

    I believe the Panacea proc is very expensive. More than it would be worth in a build like this.

    You're going to have to be really picky about when to Power Boost, because it's a HUGE difference in your survivability whether it's up or down.

    Unless you're planning to farm something you know uses a lot of holds, I wouldn't take Acrobatics.

    Replace Trap of the Hunter with Enfeebled to put you at soft capped S/L when PowerBoost is up.

    I would probably move some of those slots (3 to be exact) from Stamina into Boxing and mule another Kinetic Combat.

    Actually with those last two changes you'll be close enough you may want to "go for it." Take slots from BU to Brawl for another Kinetic Combat. Then another one in Jump Kick and you'd be softcapped on S/L all the time.

    The only big real problem I see is you don't have Snap and Aimed shot. Those puppies are nice for when you DO get mezed. I'd probably give up Conserve Power and the slots in Tough for that (besides the +def proc).

    You have what I would call tooo much KB protection haha.

    Anyway, aside from the last bit about swapping out Conserve Power it would look like this:
    Oh, and I left Acrobatics in but took SJ out.

    If you miss some of the recharge, consider swapping the Thunderstrikes for Entropic Chaos or Decimation.

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Code:
    | Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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    |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
  19. QR
    I was sure I was missing something :-P.
    Thanks.
  20. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bill Z Bubba View Post
    Mids is stating that unslotted with stamina, you're at 125% or 2.09/sec
    One level 50 basic IO bumps that to 136% or 2.26%

    The PerfShif CF+E is 20% chance of 10% endurance which breaks down to... 2 end every 10 seconds or .2/sec

    Looks like the perf shifter wins on average, I guess.

    Rechecking with the passive accolades in place...

    Base becomes 125% or 2.3/sec
    1 basic IO: 136% or 2.49/sec

    Perf shifter proc still wins by a bit.
    I'm missing something here. With the accolades isn't the improvement .4/s (2.49-2.09). That seems to be twice as high as the proc. Why does the proc still win?

    Edit.
    In the case that I'm not missing something, I would have to say I don't think the proc is worth the .03/s endurance it grants.
  21. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Verren View Post
    Thanks for the response, I tried Sonic before, but I found the sound to irritating.
    No Sonic love?
    On top of Energy, good solo primaries also include Ice/ and and Psy/ for their mezzes. Assault Rifle has a fair amount of KB, giving it a similar advantage that Energy/ has.

    For a secondary, /Devices and /Ice are going to be the safest, though they are also perhaps the slowest. /Energy is always a decent bet, because it has Build Up, Conserve Power, Power Boost, and Boost Range... all of which can make your primaries better. Then I'd probably put /Mental on the list as well. Drain Psyche can help remove some down time and World of Confusion is a lot less useless when you're fighting small mobs on a solo setting (especially if you have bosses off).

    So you have a fair amount of thematic choices in there... Energy/Energy, AR/Devices, Psy/Mental, Ice/Ice. Honestly though with /Dev or /Ice you can probably solo most anything with any old primary. I would just pick one with a hold to stack with Freezing Touch if you do /Ice (that includes Ice, Dual Pistols, and Electric).

    Archery's my favorite blast. The only big advantages it has to soloing is Rain of Arrows (after level 32) will give you an awesome AoE opener for each mob and the extra accuracy makes slotting a breeze early on. Missing stinks after all.

    My personal favorite solo blaster was Archery/Devices.
  22. Gilia

    Blaster Farming?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DarknessEternal View Post
    How do they keep things inside the Rain of Arrows?
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Big_Soto View Post
    The key factor for my farming maps is picking a map that the mobs are in a tight group.
    Exactly. That set your difficulty so BU+Aim+RoA+Explosive kills almost everything. Pick off what's left.

    Rain of Arrows isn't like Rain of Fire. It's not over a long period of time so mobs can run out. Rain of Arrows has a 4 second delay, then ticks 3 times in (I think) 1.5 seconds. They aren't made aware of your presence if you keep your distance until the first tick hits. If you were at Boost Range type distances, they won't be able to hit you until well after your Explosive Arrow has landed.

    Check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WltNEXeI-OM
    It's on Battle Maiden and everything.

    Kendo uses defense rather than distance, which is pretty easy to build for as well.
  23. Quote:
    Originally Posted by T_Immortalus View Post
    Well, you could depending on how you're both slotted, how much luck they have with the RNG, how much fury you're getting, what your connection speeds are and any graphics lag you have, not to mention reaction times.
    :P
    That's actually exactly what I meant when I said I'm not going to fool myself. Averages, damage over time, etc etc.

    I guess it's possibly they didn't enhance... That's more arrogant thinking than foolish though.
  24. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nalrok_AthZim View Post
    It's all subjective. This thread needs to realize that.

    Fun.

    Is.

    Subjective.

    I will always loves my Brutes more than my Scrappers.
    Agreed. I prefer Brutes to Scrappers as well. I'm just not going to allow that fun fool me into thinking I'm out damaging the Scrappers on my team.
  25. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Nalrok_AthZim View Post
    Except what he said was a fact.
    Touché.

    <[Repeats what followed that quote the first time.>