Steel_Shaman

Super-Powered
  • Posts

    722
  • Joined

  1. Quote:
    Originally Posted by rsclark View Post
    Name any combination of other ATs, from a single char to a 7 man team, where adding a stalker is the best thing you can add to complement the group - where you will complete harder content in the same time or the same content faster with a ST stalker than with any other character.
    I swore I was done with this thread but I just can't let it go.
    So, here goes.....

    LRSF, STF, and MO SF's.
    That's about the ONLY content in this game I can think of that could even be truly called hard.

    So why does it matter so much to you? Seriously, I want to know. CoH is a really fun game, but the overwhelming majority of its content just isn't hard enough to justify your concerns about team efficiency.
  2. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood View Post
    Oh yeah, I've got both and the Traps/AR just leaves AR/Dev in the dust capability wise.
    Adeon, wasn't it you that told me on the Blaster forum to give a Traps/AR a try when I was considering AR/Dev? Well I did and he hit 13 last night. You were right, he's very fun.
  3. I don't generally post my builds as I don't see any reason to.
    I read the forums, I study the math, I play around in Mids. Good enough for me.
  4. Quote:
    Originally Posted by docbuzzard View Post
    Learn to read. I mean really, just learn to read. I've said in pretty much every post that the stalkers don't lag that much in damage, and are certainly not a worthless AT. They are not gimped. They are not useless.

    I'll repeat it a few hundred extra times if that is necessary to sink in.

    If the only way you can argue is by setting up straw men to fight against, I'd recommended you find a better way to spend your time.

    Look, stalkers lag the other melee damage ATs a bit. They don't match the sustained DPS, and they are slightly less survivable. This is just how it is.

    It doesn't make them useless, it makes them unbalanced. They have one strength, and that's burst DPS. However the game doesn't have much use for burst DPS out side of PVP and very rare instances in the PVE game.

    I know you want to get huffy and put words in my mouth, but what is, is. I play stalkers because I like the AT. I don't let my like for the AT get in the way of recognizing their limitations.
    If I misremembered something someone else said as something you said, sorry about that. I disagree with you, and I don't think you and I are going to be able to reach any sort of consensus.

    You dismissed my entire point of view as irrelevant just because it was different and were more than a little mocking about it, so yeah I'm gonna get a little irritated. You really shouldn't be surprised at the reaction. If you openly mock someone it's likely to provoke them. And then following up with "learn to read"? Wow.

    I have found this entire thread irritating from start to finish. That probably means I should bow out now and just stop reading it before I really do fly off the handle.
  5. Quote:
    Originally Posted by docbuzzard View Post
    Oh goody this rebuttal again. It is, in fact, the most useless form of argument we see, and yet we see it all the time.

    Look, if you are not comparing ATs in quantifiable terms (DPS, DPAS, damage mitigation, buffing potential, debuffing potential), then you are blowing smoke. Subjective analysis is utterly meaningless. It's like having a discussion of nutritional value, and then countering with "I like chocolate". That's all well and nice, but it is utterly irrelevant.

    There are things which can be measured with numbers and hence can be compared objectively. Fun is not one of those things.

    If you are trying to argue about the comparative effectiveness of ATs, you have to use an objective quantifiable basis for comparison or you the argument might as well be "my daddy can beat up your daddy" in preschool.

    If you are balancing ATs and power sets you have to use the hard numbers. Any other basis is nonsense.
    To borrow your own phrase: "oh goody this rebuttal again."
    It's a game, it's not calculus. Stalkers are not gimped. They are single target specialists in a game where most players focus on AoE. That does not make them useless. In your opinion it does, but your opinion is not an objective fact.

    But please do enlighten me. Show me the single target DPS of a stalker compared to a scrapper. And I can tell you right now, there better be one HELL of a difference to justify calling the entire Stalker AT completely useless. That's my whole point: they do sufficient damage to NOT "bring down" the team.

    But the folks like yourself insist that because that damage is not "OMG massive AoE" or includes "OMG massive debuffs" the entire AT is completely pointless and shouldn't be invited ever if another AT is available. I call hogwash on that argument.

    You are making the mistaking of vastly underestimating the usefulness of the Stalker ability to almost instantly eliminate very dangerous targets.
  6. Dom + Brute.
    A friend and I leveled together like that once. It was absolutely, positively, completely disgusting the things we could pull off. I was Plant/Fire, he was EM/WP.
  7. Quote:
    Originally Posted by docbuzzard View Post
    Yes, and while you contribute a great deal in your head, if you weren't on the team it is fairly assured that nobody would notice. If they replaced your stalker with an ice blaster or another scrapper (or a brute, or a dom, etc), the killing would probably be faster.

    Stalkers are not gimps by any means. Especially since the buffs a few issues back, they have been pretty damned good damage dealers. However, they still lag the competition.
    And the only actual competition taking place is in the minds of people who take min/maxing team composition far too seriously.

    There is one and only one criteria that I ever consider: is the team makeup allowing my teammates and I to have fun? If the answer is yes, I don't care if the team is 7 stalkers and a petless MM.

    Really none of this "well that AT contributes more mathematically" matters AT ALL to me. It only matters to some people because they want it to matter for themselves. Which is fine, that's how they have fun. I only take issue with it when it directly impacts someone else's ability to play the AT they want. In this case, Stalkers.

    I'll say it again: if the team is moving at a good pace, and no one is causing any problems, what's the point of worrying over who mathematically makes the most contribution? I was in a pug team the other day and I guarantee you my Brute could have solo'd every mission we did. But we all still had fun.
  8. Steel_Shaman

    AR/DEV. Why Not?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Adeon Hawkwood View Post
    If you're anything like me it'll be the Defender (well ok, they both exist but I play him more).

    AR is a very solid blast set with very high AoE damage (albeit not the best) and decent ST damage against tough enemies through ignite. Devices is a mish-mash of powers designed for a game that (as the Goat said) no longer exists. Conversely Traps is made of purest awesome.
    So I had a slight change of plans when inspiration struck me on the way home last night. I did create both characters. The blaster, however, is Archery/Devices and the Defender is Traps/Assault Rifle. I played the blaster last night and found him to be a ton of fun. Tonight I'll try the Defender. Thanks again to everyone for all the helpful replies.
  9. Steel_Shaman

    AR/DEV. Why Not?

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Star_Seer View Post
    You might also want to take a look at Traps/AR defenders, Mine is rapidly becoming my go-to hero.
    I didn't realize Traps had been proliferated to Defenders. That does sound interesting. I think I'll probably make one of each then (blaster and defender) and see which one survives.
  10. Steel_Shaman

    AR/DEV. Why Not?

    Thanks for the replies. Sounds like this new blaster is going to be a lot of fun.
  11. Steel_Shaman

    AR/DEV. Why Not?

    I'm thinking about making a new blaster to run with a friend. For concept reasons, I was leaning toward AR/Dev. I keep hearing about AR/Dev being a really bad/weak combo. Just looking at the powers in each set, it doesn't seem like it would be that bad. So why all the AR/Dev hate?
  12. Quote:
    Originally Posted by GavinRuneblade View Post
    Going Rogue is a month out. Start a character now, and when it comes make their own Praetorian double. =)

    As stated the new zone is primarily for levels 1-20 and will work great for new characters. However, existing characters can go through story arcs to shift. Last I heard the goal was 1-2 weeks per step and there are 4 steps total from hero to villain.
    I really hope it doesn't take that long to side switch. I have quite a few villains I'd like to move over to Paragon, but to be honest if it takes 4-8 weeks to make the complete transition per character, I'll probably wind up re-rolling them instead. It sounds like it would actually be quicker.

    I guess we'll find out when Open Beta starts.
  13. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Grey Pilgrim View Post
    Doesn't make much difference on Victory. Even with someone like Hamster that doesn't like Stalkers, he still invites them after some ribbing. It's with good reason, too. Stalkers bring something to the table like other ATs, so people should play what they want and bring what they want. There isn't too much content that requires certain team setups.

    I like it that way.
    Thank you Grey Pilgrim. You much more eloquently said the point I was trying to convey a couple pages back. The game's content (for the most part) doesn't require specific team makeups, so why the heck not bring a stalker? It's not like their attacks heal the mobs, but the way some folks in this thread talk you'd think they did.
  14. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Osmiridium View Post
    They didn't say Stalkers weren't useful, they said almost every other AT is MORE useful in most situations than a Stalker. And I have to agree. Most AT's have ways to take out "high priority" targets from the fight. Holds, debuffs, etc. Stalkers simply do it by death and be done with it.

    Also, balancing the game around +0/x0 and SOs has nothing to do with actual team makeup, gameplay, and performance. The simple fact is that this game heavily favors mass AoE and most stalkers don't bring that to the table. And those same AoE teams are more than capable of dealing with the single tough targets as well, with or without a stalker.
    You've missed my point.
    My point is: who cares that a Dom can hold that Sapper instead of outright killing him? If the team is capable of chugging right along just fine with a Stalker instead of a Dom/Corr/Brute/MM/Pink Pony in that team slot, it doesn't matter. People keep talking like Stalkers make absolutely no contribution at all because they don't make the contribution they want them to make. That simply isn't true.
  15. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Celidya View Post
    Anyone with superspeed + a stealth IO, a stealth power, or just good enough survivability (tank/scrapper/anyone with PFF or soft capped defense) can do that already, while being a lot more useful than a stalker (actually ANY AT is more useful than a stalker).
    Define what you mean by useful please.

    If the Stalker is taking out the high priority threats and also contributing to the overall success of the team by doing additional damage to the other mobs, what's the problem? So what if said Stalker doesn't put half the spawn at half life or give everyone Fulcrum Shift? If the team is moving at a reasonable pace and no one is dying, what is the problem?
  16. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Infernus_Hades View Post
    Os - I agree completely.

    Someone asked me what foes were our team fighting - on my +3 x 8 mobs - I don't recall but I believe it was Freaks.

    I don't see personally how a stalker can overcome the single shot issue unless you add something to them. Give me a team buff of +def or + resistance that increases with party size.

    Stalkers don't want aggro and therefore don't take alphas, the delay in AS is a HUGE issue. How about you lower the time required to AS for each teammate. Take that 5 -10 second setup and drop it to where I can AS every 2 seconds in an 8 man team. Now I can be a force.
    The game is not balanced around fighting +3 x8 though. It is balanced around +0 x0. It is also not balanced around IO's, Purples, Temp Powers, or whatever else the gurus agree upon is the correct way to play. The game assumes standard difficulty settings and SO's. That's it. Anything above and beyond that is completely unnecessary. So if an AT performs properly at the base difficulty, then there is nothing wrong with the AT. It's just that simple.

    I have tanked an SF on my Stalker. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the AT.
  17. Quote:
    Originally Posted by EvilRyu View Post
    Had we not gotten that damage increase a few issues back I think doms would have been in trouble, at least the non-perma doms. Because blueside is so much easier we wont have to worry about PToD until the 40s and thats only in a few arcs, where as in the 40s redside its like every other mission. I think doms as well as stalkers will do extremely well with the changes.
    My thoughts exactly. I primarily play Doms (well ok I do occasionally log on a Brute, we all have our guilty pleasures). Because of this I have a special hatred of the PToD that many of my online friends can't understand. It may take me a while depending on how long it actually takes to switch sides, but eventually not one of my Dom's will remain in the Rogue Isles. And I will never start one there again.
  18. At one point last night on my server we had 2 separate Dr. Kahn's, an ITF, and a Numina going. I play on Liberty. That doesn't exactly sound dead to me. I think people are over-exaggerating how "empty" some servers are.
  19. Quote:
    Originally Posted by poptart_fairy View Post
    Comments like this are why people are being flamed. Just fyi.

    Anyway, as for the announcement itself I'm in full support of it - even though I can definitely see why the use of a global username would be preferable to real name. I'm all for accountability when it comes to forum posting and it'll be interesting to see the kind of effect this has on the overall community. I don't honestly see identity theft and fraud being as rampant as the more zealous dissenters makes it out to be, either; if someone can steal your account and life based on simply getting ahold of a name, then you've made mistakes somewhere else along the chain.
    Point taken, and my apologies if I offended. I've edited the post to remove the inflammatory comment. My reason for thinking Blizzard's decision is a bad one is simple, due to something that happened in my guild while I was playing WoW:

    We had a member that we discovered was more than a little unstable. He would routinely sign into Vent and start spouting some pretty unusual stuff (mostly regarding real world politics). He eventually got so disruptive the guild leader banned him from Vent. This led to a firestorm in guild chat and the person being kicked from the guild. Now imagine if that individual had access to the full real names of guild members. He would know from casual conversation what cities we lived in too. My real name plus the city I live in would be enough to track me down right to my front door via internet searches, or at the very least call me on the phone.

    Making player names publicly available to anyone is just a bad idea imho. It opens up the potential for a whole world of problems that one would think Blizzard would want to stay away from.

    Edited to add: I just tested my theory. Not only did searching for my name and city on WhitePages.com yield my address (with a map to my front door) and phone number, it also yields the full names of both of my parents, neither of whom has lived with me in years. The search also lists the last 3 cities I've lived in (I've been at my current address for 14 years, but the others are there.) So um, yeah, I don't think I'll be playing WoW ever again.
  20. I took a peek at WoW's forums to see the reactions of their community.
    I was stunned that there seem to be a lot of them that think this is a perfectly OK change. They're flaming the people that are voicing concerns over it. Absolutely amazing.
  21. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Atemis View Post
    On my way now Thanks!
    Hehe, what Klaw is referring to is the Rikti Mothership. Taking it out is a raid activity taking several teams of players that have to coordinate their actions.

    And you probably won't make it to the Mothership itself. Most likely the pylons will take exception to a level 30 wandering by.

    Edited to add: CoH is different from other MMO's in that we don't (currently) have an official end game. Things I strive for on various characters:

    1) Grouping with friends.
    2) Developing an uber IO'd out build.
    3) Badge hunting
    4) Completing all the TF's.
    5 Farming for money (see #2 above).
    6) Completing story arcs I missed on the way to 50.

    I'm sure there are other things, but I'm tired. Yay for summer head colds. I've always thought of CoH as more "self directed" than other MMO's, which is part of its appeal to me.
    All that being said, we will be getting an "official" end game added with the Going Rogue expansion, due out in about 6 weeks.
  22. Test_Rat, what server do you play on?
    I have never, in nearly 6 years of play, seen anyone make any comments like you describe. Threatening to quit a team over what AT's got invited? Openly insulting the AT choice of a team mate? I'm not questioning that you did experience these things, but it seems completely foreign to me. That's just not the CoH community I'm accustomed to interacting with.

    As for Stalkers, I rather like having them around. I know that with a competent stalker that One Big Bad Nasty in the spawn isn't going to live very long. Since Big Bad Nasty's often have rather annoying powers, this makes me happy. As others have said, I don't think anything needs to change with Stalkers. They're fine as they are. I am, however, still waiting on that RL Patch that is supposed to be fixing many people's brains. Sadly it has never arrived.
  23. I've always thought of super heroes as protectors. Tankers are the ultimate protectors in that their job is to protect other super heroes. "No harm will come to you, not on my watch." is my Tankers' motto. I love it. And there's also just something about being an unstoppable force that's a great deal of fun.
  24. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mirage_Maker View Post
    I'll add Static Shield and Charged Armor. Also none of the new emotes work with these.
    I confirmed on my Tanker this evening that the new costume change emotes also do not work with any of the Ice Armor toggles running.