Infinitessa

Until it is stated that is the case I wouldn't necessarily assume it is true. But then again people assuming what is or is not possible, and what will or will not happen based on these supposed impossibilities seems to be a common trend in this thread.

Look at it this way. If you ever slotted for +KB enhancements or God forbid +intangibility you would know that the magnitude goes up. So it is theoretically possible for Null the Gull to allow me to set my KB magnitude to 0.

Even though my original post wasn't about damage, I can't help but point out an obvious fact which seems to be getting missed. Damage (from all sources) is also a form of damage mitigation, since a dead NPC is zero threat. So yes you could argue that scattering a group of enemies across the room is helping the team, but it is just as valid to argue (and has been for years) that if you had left them clumped up they would have died faster any ways.

This is such a ridiculously convoluted argument I'm glad you acknowledged it wasn't made in the interest of being "fair".

But I am still curious how in your mind an OPTION to suppress a secondary effect of a power is equivalent to being FORCED to do so? Are you worried that you will get kicked off of teams for not choosing to suppress knockback if this hypothetical change were to be implemented? I can't imagine that it would be any more often than how ever many times you are currently kicked off teams for using your knockback powers. For myself, years of on-and-off playing it's never happened to me but your mileage may vary.

In the end I doubt that your opinion or mine will matter in the short term. The current model of CoH appears to be to keep throwing out new, shiny, better (whether they are powers, costumes, or content) not to revisit old issues. But if the developers do put in an option to suppress knockback with Null the Gull I'll be sure to remind them to also put an option to suppress status protection.

An option to play with people who like, or at least don't mind, knocbkack? Who would have thought it. Honestly I don't see OTHER people complaining as much about knockback any more. Perhaps things die so quickly nowadays with all the +levels and incarnate powers that they figure there's no point, perhaps because many people simply don't use the really big annoying KBs at all.

I can just see Null the Gull being moved to a paid function on Paragon Market lol

I'll admit that defenders have a bad rap for damage. I don't think anyone would ever pass up one of the pure damage ATs for a defender if they were looking to increase their group's damage output.

But has it has been time after time in this thread, most people seem to get invited to groups based on other factors aside from their power sets.

I guess bottom line is, your mileage may vary. But it sounds like both the OP and yourself have a chip on your shoulders because FF may no longer be the be all and end all of buffage, or /Dark is not the be all and end all of damage. If that's the case and you aren't happy then play one of your alts untill if and when you decide to go back.

Agreed with the above. I've been playing this game off and on since 2004. The biggest deterant I've ever seen to a group accepting a player is that player's attitude. On only one occaision in my entire career was the fact that my troller is /FF ever been an negative issue: "We already have alot of buffs, but we'll take you anyways."

No other time has it ever been mentioned except for "Oooh bubbles! I love bubbles!"

I'm no mathematician, but something doesn't seem right in your analogy, and yes I know its an 'ideal'.

I'm sure most powers don't have a 1:1 endurance to damage ratio. In fact, AoEs (for example) or powers with secondary effects (stuns, holds etc) always tend to cost more than a "pure" damage ability.

I think you have a complete misconception of not only the tanker class, but game balance. Ask yourself this question: if a tanker could do awesome (or even good) damage AND have good survivability, right from level 1, what would be the point of playing any other class? Also, what would be to improve as you leveled up to 50?

If tankers started out "invulnerable" while dealing massive damage and never running out of endurance right from Atlas Park, then this would be City of Tankers, not City of Heroes/Villains.

Anyway, as others have said, two builds are the way to go, one for teaming/survivability, the other for solo/damage. It takes alot of knowledge, alot of expensive slotting, and very high levels, before you can get the kind of tank you seem to be dreaming of.