Necrotron_RO

It feels underwhelming to start, yes. But so do many other sets. It is comparable in DPS to middle of the road blast sets. Compare it's performance to Archery before Rain of Arrows.

Hail of Bullets adds that really nice PBAoE nuke at the end, and the ability to swap effects is nice in certain situations. I admit, I was underwhelmed at first too, but once you get it fully slotted and set up, it's really fun to play.

Sure, why not. I guess someone could try and not reveal their secret, but just about anyone could fool around with Mids to reproduce a build, given enough time and patience.

*Shrug* If someone wants to copy some uber-build I created, I say, please go ahead!

I use Provoke all the time these dayas.

The fears...well, I toyed with them with simply SO back in the day, on my DM/Inv Scrapper, to consider stacking fears, but they were just too costly and too underwhelming to be worth it. I'd love to see their endurance costs dropped a bit, to be more in line with their power level.

As for duration? That's a tough call, they're relatively short, but still in the 'useful' range, the main problematic factor I find with that pool is the endurance costs.

If the supply is low enough, someone will eventually pay whatever is necessary to get one. Most things even relatively close to the median price will sell at some point.

While I understand the importance of discussing Stalker DPS versus other melee ATs, it is also important to notice that Brutes can also function as a meatshield for the entire spawn (via Taunt, single target Punchvoke, and Taunt Aura) and that most Scrappers can grab a large portion of dangerous aggro (via their Taunt aura).

Stalkers do get demoralize (chance for fear and -to-hit with Assassin Strike), but their low threat and placate shift some aggro to the other teammates.

Another important point to remember in comparing straight DPS ATs versus buffing/debuffing ATs is that Fulcrum Shift, Freezing Rain, Tar Patch, Sleet, Enervating Field, Accelerate Metabolism etc. all increase damage dealt to the spawn by the entire team, thus creating a multiplicative effect. None of these straight DPS ATs offer that. They instead offer things such aggro control, consistent damage (regardless of mez), and in the stalkers case, single target burst.

Mentioned this earlier, but my current experiment has turned out very successful for my Stalker. He's Dark Melee/Ninjitsu and I took Provoke.

I alpha the mob with AS, then Scrap it out, using Provoke to keep the bosses from crushing the squishy corrupters. Then I will Smoke Flash (to release aggro), Placate, Build Up, AS a boss, and follow with Provoke again.

I was always frustrated watching my teammates die when I had strong survivability. Heck, I used to watch team wipes when I hadn't even touched my self heal yet. So I took provoke. Do I need to use it all the time? No. But if I see the Cold Corrupter who has buffed me to the soft cap being chased by two freak tanks, I can provoke and duke it out with them rather than watch him get crushed, putting my survivability to good use. Rikti Mentalist? Well, better he try to hold me when I have mez protection than the Kinetics Corrupter.

The Repeat Offenders had a project called the Wolf Pack that did just that running for awhile. All the Stalkers would queue up next to the bosses, AS at the same time, and wreck havoc.

It's champions have been busy elsewhere of late though.

Everyone has their playstyle and I'm pretty tolerant to differences.

I tend to think most Scrappers are designed by nature to aggro whatever is around them (via their taunt aura) so they function best in a team make up attacking the dangerous targets (boss, mezzers, etc.) because they have inherent survivability and mez protection that the would be target squishies lack if they were targeted instead.

I prefer not to be on the team with the super Scrapper who charges ahead, solos spawns, and leaves the squishies off to play their own little game (without that said Scrappers assistance doing what is mentioned above). Still, I know who to pop inspirations and make just about anything work, and I usually pack Vengeance. But I prefer a Scrapper who rolls with the rest of the team.

Again, if someone wants to play it differently, I'll roll with it. As long as the team can still roll along fine, *shrug*, okay. Of course, if things prove to be unfun, of course, can try suggesting people stay together, or simply politely quit after the mission and move on.

Finding that when you select 'get' or bid or take something from or to the market, it will bounce back and undo what you just did about 3/4 of the time. Note: this still counts however towards the 'grey out' period where you are unable to attempt anything. I've seen this issue quite a lot with the new market.

I hollered in broadcast and apparently others were experiencing similar issues. I swapped to Justice and the market worked just fine.

One empath alone can be tiring, as the limited buffs ensure you will 'heal' fairly often. However, when you get a few Empaths together...

The Numbers of Green Machine

Well, well, well. Having Provoke on my Stalker is a resounding success!

I can AS, then Provoke, and scrap it out. Smoke Flash, Placate, AS, Provke again. No more watching other squishies get mezzed or die! Of course, anyone can take provoke, it just so happens my DM/Nin is quite survivable with Siphon Life and Kuji-In Sha.

I'm very happy with the results, granted, not for everyone, but when my Stalker is soft capped, awesome!

Hmm...it dawns on me that a Stalker can take Provoke and thus make their lack of aggro control a non-issue. Assuming you AS and then Scrap it out, they are plenty survivable enough to handle pulling some aggro. My main reason for not liking playing Stalkers is my inability to keep the squishies safe.

I think I just might make a second build for my DM/Nin and try it out. Smoke Bomb to release aggro when I'm about to AS and Provoke to grab it back before the bosses crush the squishy corrupters. Hmm.

We have Mutation in the Radiation Emission set.

Sounds like an interesting idea to keep in mind when designing a new power though.

I've seen it successful only twice out of the countless times I've participated (using global channels and every means necessary to get people involved).

Both these times were either Halloween or a day very close to it, just after the event came out.

You can conceivably do it with a relatively small number of 50s (1-2 teams), but getting people interested in such an often failing event that many already have the badge for it a major challenge.