Turbo_Ski

I have to agree with the OP, as cool as the praetoria stuff is the whole expansion is underwhelming. All the praetoria content doesn't work with Ouroboros, so those that only play their 50s feel like they paid for half or less of a game. CoV was a better expansion, since it had twice as much content and 5 new ATs (not just 4 powersets). GR feels like something they released 6 months too early.

What Umbral said. They've completely removed and replaced powers in the past that were widely considered redundant or underperforming, as is the case with Energize replacing Conserve Power when the set already had Power Sink yet lacked a heal. he could easily look at FF and say, "well Force Bubble and Repulsion Field in the same set is kind of redundant." The reason we haven't seen anything looked at is because support sets tend to get listed after everything else on Castle's todo list, mainly because they are more complex (see castle's frustration with Oil Slick Arrow).

The key and source problem with FF is that it lacks variety, specifically it lacks -dmg/+res/+recharge/-recharge/+dmg/-Res/-Def/+tohit/-tohit effects, pet AoE soft control (ice slick for example), and non-phase hard controls (like any ST hold/stun/confuse/fear).

Why does it lack so much? The culprits are Repulsion Field, Force Bubble, Detention Field, Force Bolt, and Repulsion Bomb and how they redundant in addition to requiring too much user input (IE: positioning, animation time, situational awareness, etc.). The redundancy of the over-protectiveness of the set hurts the set mid to late game when other sets have bloomed and are stacking a variety of effects in addition to +Def, where as FF only gets more knockback effects on top of knockback effects. If FF had at least one late blooming power that was at least somewhat offensive, the defense/KB redundancy wouldn't be an issue.

It also doesn't help that none of the FF KD/KB effects are fire-and-forget type powers like Sleet and many trap abilities. Instead they require more work on the player's part with situational/spacial awareness in regards to abilities and position without any greater results to justify the work. Case in point, spamming Repulsion Bomb is less effective than casting Ice slick one time, you trade a good amount of animation time and endurance for the same or less of a result. If Repulsion Field and Force Bubble weren't player centered toggles and weren't as previously stated redundant in effect, this wouldn't be as big of an issue.

Narrowing it down, if you get rid of or dramatically change either or both Repulsion Field or Force bubble to be offensive in someway and more fire-and-forget, then FF wouldn't feel as underwhelming compared to every other support set mid-late game.

Empathy being the obvious (IMO boring) choice, but the appeal of that set is actually the buffs not the heals. Although Empathy will probably lose appeal after GR comes out since /Pain corruptor is simply more fun to play with and just as effective as a empathy/ defender.

Kinetics, Dark, and Rad have a good heal AoE each but again all defender sets are more about buffing/debuffing than about healing.

I think Gavine's problem with soloing is the lack of Freeze Ray and/or use of Line of Sight when opening with Sleet + Ice Storm.

buffs are naturally better than debuffs on three counts; they are active prior to any attacks, they are active even through mez, and they aren't effected by the purple patch.

although when debuffs are active both sets are equal in most situations. As the enemy con goes higher though debuffs start to slack some compare to buffs in strength, but not by a lot.

Cold Domination guide in sig for cold powers.

as for Rad, Neutrino Bolt and X-Ray Beam will be your bread and butter for ST until you get Cosmic Burst (some like using the snipe for ST chains but I personally find it too annoying and end intensive). Pick up Irradiate at some point early since it's your best AoE and a great debuff AoE, and if you still want more AoEness Electron Haze works fine but is purely optional. Try to slot Neutrino Bolt with Achille's Heel proc and any damage procs ASAP.

rough guide to power choices:

Solo build
Level 1: Infrigidate -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Neutrino Bolt -- Empty(A)
Level 2: X-Ray Beam -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Irradiate -- Empty(A)
Level 6: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Travel pool power 1
Level 10: Electron Haze -- Empty(A)
Level 12: Arctic Fog -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Travel pool power 2
Level 16: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Benumb -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A)
Level 22: Aim -- Empty(A)
Level 24: OPEN SLOT
Level 26: Sleet -- Empty(A)
Level 28: Cosmic Burst -- Empty(A)
Level 30: OPEN SLOT
Level 32: Heat Loss -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Neutron Bomb -- Empty(A)
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------


Team build
Level 1: Infrigidate -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Neutrino Bolt -- Empty(A)
Level 2: X-Ray Beam -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ice Shield -- Empty(A)
Level 6: Glacial Shield -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Irradiate -- Empty(A)
Level 10: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 12: Travel pool power 1
Level 14: Travel pool power 2
Level 16: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Arctic Fog -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A)
Level 22: Benumb -- Empty(A)
Level 24: OPEN SLOT
Level 26: Sleet -- Empty(A)
Level 28: Cosmic Burst -- Empty(A)
Level 30: OPEN SLOT
Level 32: Heat Loss -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Neutron Bomb -- Empty(A)
Level 38: [Empty]
Level 41: [Empty]
Level 44: [Empty]
Level 47: [Empty]
Level 49: [Empty]
------------

I'm in awe of the detail on that thus far.