Soltares

I think that Defenders should be able to self-target with buffs and heals. I don't feel that this would cause a 'tank-mage' situation, as it doesn't seem to have been a problem for the Defender sets that already can use their buffs and heals on themselves, such as Dark and Radiation. (Unless they are considered 'too tough.' But I don't see that. I just see them as being able to make personal use of their powers, unlike an Empath or Force Fielder, saddled with a large number of powers that are absolutely of no use to them solo.)

For the Dark and Radiation sets, nothing would change.

For Storm, they could use O2 Boost on themselves.

For Force Field, they could use Deflection Shield and Insulation Shield on themselves.

For Kinetics, they could use Speed Boost and Increase Density on themselves.

And Empathy would make out like a bandit, being able to use Clear Mind, Fortitude and 'Heal Other' (which would need a name change, to Direct Healing, perhaps). Absorb Pain would still only affect others, since that's it's definition, absorbing pain from another source (absorbing pain from oneself wouldn't make much sense, logically).

Other Defender-related tweakage I would like to see;

The 'barbell' effect of Fulcrum Shift being applied to Transfusion and Twilight Grasp, allowing a Kinetic or Dark Defender to heal both in an area around the target mob (good for Scrappers and Tankers, up there in the mobs face) *and* in an area around the Defender (good for any Blasters and Controllers hiding in the back). (Just have those people in both areas of effect, say if the Defender happens to be in melee with the mob he targets, only be affected once. No double-healing need apply.)

I'd like for one Resurrection effect to be usable when 'defeated' like Rise of the Phoenix. Empathy would be my first choice, since the Empathy ress doesn't come with the advantageous side-effects of Dark or Radiation, but Dark and Radiation are also equally appropriate for various other reasons.

Some great ideas!

Definitely liking the 'finger across throat,' 'hand down finger wagging "Take him away" / "dismissed" emote,' 'Dr Evil pinkie to lips,' and 'Mr Burns "Exxxcellent!"' suggestions.

Hovering / Flying in a standing posture with arms crossed is just a requirement. The standard 'Magneto' flying posture.

An evil hiss would be cool, perhaps with Christopher Lee/Dracula style crouch and arms-raised, and for the truly irredeemably evil-to-the-core, the Penn & Teller 'kitten-toss' (he seems to pull a kitten out of his cape, belt-pouch, whatever, and toss it absently behind him).

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;SHuffle Kind of dances in place feet shuffling back and forth in a boxing stance

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The shuffle-step Morpheus does in the Matrix, during his training session with Neo is perfect for this.

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Need emotes to cover all the variety of villians.

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Definitely! It is a bit disconcerting to see the mages of the Circle of Black Thorns smacking their fists and talking smack like gangstas, while Hellions breaking into trees and fire hydrants seem particularly erudite...

Customize those puppies!

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But I had to think... Where is the Aqua-Love? (I'm not talking about the mako shark kind either)

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At Origins, Statesman mentioned wanting to make some underwater zones / adventure areas, but that he personally loathed the concept of Atlantis, as a student of ancient history. So presumably any sort of underwater place will be less inspired by Marvel / DC's visions of Atlantis, domed undersea cities or whatnot, and more like the undersea imaginings of Fathom, the Abyss or H.P. Lovecraft or something completely original.

If he does go for an undersea city, with aquatic humanoids, he might use one of the other names for such a place, such as Lemuria, or Mu.

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Now the Inspirations and powers that protect oneself from stunning, etc. are very, very needed.

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Assuming that everyone doesn't have an unlimited supply of Discipline Inspirations, will there be more powers, or more effective powers, to protect against or remove Status effects?

Even some Defender types (Dark particularly) have no ability to protect against Status effects, which makes them automatically undesirable in high-level grouping situation, since you seem to feel that these sorts of powers should be 'very, very needed' to take on higher-level villains (Carnival, Malta, Rikti, etc).

This sort of change just seems to marginalize the already marginalized characters, and render them even *less* attractive to groups, while making it impossible for them to solo.

A lose-lose proposition, IMO. Radiation and Force Field Defenders are going to similarly be impacted by an inability to cure status effects (although they do have the ability to impart some resistances to them), and Kinetics doesn't have any protection against Sleep.

There are a lot of holes, that only an Empath Defender is going to be able to fill, in an endgame exclusively dominated by Status-affecting villains.

Given the much-welcome Dark Defender love coming in issue 2, it seems to me that beefing them up only to render them completely moot at higher levels is working at cross-purposes.

Perhaps some Status protection could be added to Shadow Fall...

I noticed that with a single Interrupt Reduction DO in Moonbeam that I could generally get it off even when a single mob was hitting me, by waiting for him to strike, and then activating it immediately. A useful thing, pre-Hover, and even occasionally useful afterwards, since I could Tar Patch and then stick to sniping targets from outside of their gun range if things got dicey (or if they had some power, like with Tsoo Yellow Ink Men, or Life Mages, that made me want to stay the heck away from them...).

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Hunting the CoT in Kings Row was almost enough to convince me to take Hover

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When hunting those 10 CoT in Kings Row, I /broadcast that I am killing 10 CoT, and ask if anyone else doing the same would like to group with me. Invariably I get a few nibbles, and the time goes much faster, since we never bother to meet up, just hopping up random buildings. Best of all, any CoT anyone in the group kills, counts towards *all of our* missions.

Being an alt-o-holic, I have done that mission way too many times...