Actually everyone doing the "Well I can solo just fine still on my X/invuln scrapper... or my fire/dev blaster" What's your issue can slot off.
I play a kat/regen scrapper, and a fire/energy blaster. With the changes to Katana probably 2 of the easiest builds to solo with in the game as of issue 2. Can I still solo on test, sure. Can I solo the same way as before, no not really. I can't drop entire groups of yellow con's and red con's with aoe blasts (good thing actually imo it was a bit silly really) Nor can I run into a group of 10 yellow lt's fire off Buildup+Aim+Inferno and run off as they all die pretty much instantly anymore. (again I put this into yep that's probably a good thing, was just a bit on the overpowered side)
But with all the additions to crowd control on the villans, we're slowly walking down a path that will eventually lead to, if I don't have a tank, a controller, a defender and a couple scrappers or blasters, we're not going to be able to take this group of white/yellow con mobs.
While some would argue that this is indeed a good thing (mostly controllers and defenders that have been a bit tossed to the curb with yesterdays trash) I am not really positive this is the best route for the game to take.
There are going to be instances where it is beneficial to have a balanced well rounded team that can compliment each other with thier abilities. But there are also times when I have no urge to group up (usually when I'm low on play time and just want to have a bit of fun before bed or whatnot). Joining a group for 30min is usually in my book a bit on the rude side.
All that aside lets look at the mob changes...
Nemisis now have stuns (ouch! that's going to slow down those fire tanks!) Not to mention just about every other class but Regen and Invuln that have a pretty heafty defense against it. (Side note: I do believe Earth tanks have a pretty reasonable defense to this too now but not 100% sure)
CoT have just about every mob type with a hold, mez, stun, disorient, hold, sleep 2ndary attack and hold... (did I mention they have holds?). Or in some cases it's their primary. Well that just about makes it a nightmare for anything that doesn't have an inate defense to those a way to fight them and have fun. (at least solo)
Crey: Yep same same here folks they've got it all now.
Freakshow: Not all have this, mostly tanks and a couple lt's have a stun or disorient.
Devouring Earth: Fungus anyone?
Carnival: Master Illusionist ... enough said there, not to mention the regular Illusionists...
Malta: Sappers are teh devil! Web Grenade, Stun grenade and blinds... (sure beats lions and tigers and bears! oh my!)
Knives: Caltrop chucking fiends, web grenades and a nifty stun attack from some.
Rikti: everyone has experienced the joy of having a headman slap you along side the head with his sword only to notice that your now stunned, at 1/2 health and know for certain that he'll get the 2nd attack off before you unstun and it will remove the other half of your health the first didn't since every defense you had running is now turned off.
There's more as you work your way down, but the end run is every type of mob now has an ability to lock you down for extended periods of time while they pummel you mercilessly. Which can be entertaining at times, but usually it's just frustrating having to sit here and watch yourself stagger around drunk while they beat you down.
At the current rate they're adding mobs with CC effects and giving older mobs they're own CC effects and the added bonus of higher hp on mobs now, it's only a matter of one more patch before they decrease the ability to resist these effects on the classes that do have them, and we all have no choice but to group to kill anythign that isn't blue or above.
Is this really the direction we all want the game to go?
