Hopeling

Yes, we should in fact not mention that, since capping damage with a Kin is not a tanker-specific problem. It's a bit dishonest to call it a "problem" at all, really, rather than "exactly what a Kin is supposed to do and what they are so widely loved for".

True, but I've helped Brutes and Scrappers with the same issues on the same missions, so that's not a Tanker problem, just a build/knowledge/competence problem.

That would be why I said "have to face", not "can face". The only place I can think of anywhere in the game that you have to face an AV or GM to progress, but is not team-mandatory, is the Ouro TFs, which are designed and presented more as "TFs you can start solo, but beware, because they're still TFs" rather than "solo content you can do with a team". Most scrappers and brutes can't solo AVs or GMs without similarly high-end builds to what a tanker needs to do it, anyway, so they're not significantly behind in that category either.
As I said, you're welcome to your own opinion. But when it comes to justifying changes to the game, you must demonstrate clearly that your opinion is more valid or correct than mine. To date, I have never seen you do that, which is why I remain unconvinced.

Or, more seriously, we could try to define what "formidable" actually means.

If a character can defeat any foe they ever have to face in a timely manner, I consider that pretty formidable. If they can defeat enemies or even whole spawns that would otherwise pose a threat before that threat can materialize, I consider that formidable. If someone else on the team deals damage that is even more formidable, that doesn't mean I am no longer formidable. It just means they are even more formidable.

You are welcome to your own opinion of what "formidable" offense is, of course, but in my opinion and in my experience, Tankers already have it.

I agree. Tankers should, indeed, have formidable offensive capabilities. And from where I'm sitting, they do.

Then we'll probably see a surge in this kind of sentiment again, at least for a while, and it will still be absurd.

The Stalker passive gives less total energy resist than the two passives for brutes/scrappers, and no endurance drain resist. On the other hand, Stalker /EA gets the defense bonus from Energy Cloak rolled into the shields, then gets defense from Hide on top of it, giving more total defense for less slots and less endurance, so it's easier to softcap, which is either a survivability bonus or a build flexibility bonus depending on perspective. Does that make up for the decreased HP (which widens in absolute quantity, but stays the same proportionally, at any level and for any amount of accolades/set bonuses, other than Stalkers reaching their hp cap slightly sooner) and lesser ability to wipe out a spawn quickly? Opinions vary, but IMO no.

You're right, it isn't a little phase. It's been around for quite some time, actually, long before the Stalker changes. It's seeing a bit of a surge now that it's not just Brutes competing with Scrappers, but it is not new, it will probably not go away soon, and it will become no less absurd.

I did not consider those things because they are all false and/or irrelevant.

Tier 9 does not unlock EATs, as Roderick said, unless I happen to be one of those who benefit from the bug. Since I cannot guarantee that, and it's a bug anyway and thus ripe to get fixed in the future, I feel pretty safe in assuming I would have to pay to retain access to my Widow. Discount the cost of the AT by, say, half (which is probably very generous) if you want to account for that possibility; VIP still ends up ahead.

Paying a sub and getting a reward token every month is the same as spending $15/mo on points and getting a reward token every month, as far as reward tokens are concerned. In my comparison I was talking about the 12+2 deal vs buying large point bundles, so the points would get me the tokens up front, but since I'm already tier 9, that isn't much of an advantage. I will have exactly as much use for Enhancement Boosters later this year as I have for them now.

I have also bought lots of costume packs that I would retain if I dropped to Premium. That's why I did not name any of them. I specifically named only Imperial Defense and Olympian Guard, which have both been included in my VIP subscription, and so I have never purchased them, and would have to if I dropped to premium and wanted to use them.

As a VIP, I could potentially unlock up to 48 slots instead of 36, but I'm not using anywhere near 36 slots, so that's a non-issue. I'm talking specifically only about the 19 slots I already have unlocked right now. If I dropped to Premium, I'd lose some of them, and would have to pay to unlock them.

It is true that, when the 14 months ends, I'd have to pay for VIP again, while as Premium I'd keep everything. But in those 14 months, many new things will also have been added that are included in the subscription, which I would have to buy as a premium. And frankly, considering how both the game and my own situation and interests change over time, I cannot say with much confidence whether I'll even be here more than 14 months in the future.

So, I stand by my first post in this thread: in terms of just keeping the stuff I already have, VIP is a better buy for foreseeable future, and also includes several things that I cannot buy as a premium for any amount of points.
If you don't care for the VIP features and would rather have extra points, great, more power to you. That is the point of premium accounts. But you should actually sit down and compare what you'd lose and how much it would cost to re-purchase those things, including how you'd buy points ($15/mo? One large bundle every six months?) and how you'd pay for VIP (1 month at a time? 6? The 12+2 deal?) because VIP really might be a better deal.

Right... so only out of Hide or with max saturation of team buffs did they do more damage even if Scrappers and Stalkers were otherwise identical, which they aren't, since as I mentioned, Scrappers have more AoE, a higher damage buff mod, better damage buffing powers, and damage auras/buffs in their secondaries that Stalkers do not get at all.

If Stalkers outdamaged scrappers before the buff, why were they very rarely, if ever, posting competitive times in the Pylon thread?

Uh, what?? Even on a full team with everyone close enough to provide the crit boost, 31% crit chance and 1.00 damage scale is only barely better than a 10% crit chance with 1.125 damage scale. And considering that Stalkers also lose AoE and many of the best damage-buffing powers, I don't see how they did more damage by any useful measure.