I'm glad you said this actually, because I believe herein lies the misconception of the blaster role. We have been given over to the theory that gameplay determines the role of the blaster not the blaster to the game. Meaning, because we can play a blaster in a particular fashion, we assume that is the way it was intended to be played, or stated another way, what we have on paper does not translate to the type of gamplay that has been developed. Many blasters out there are going to disagree with this comment, alot. I expect this, so I am not surprised about any negetive comments concerning this post.
Ranged Heroes: 100% correct. Like it or not a blaster should not for any reason engage in melee combat, unless there is no other alternative. Because we have been given tools to allow us to do this goes with the point that the blaster power sets were in need of repair from the start. So what we have is gameplay that has developed over time because of what we had to work with, which is not the way it was intended. Since this has happened how do we go back to the idea of what was intended and implement the necessary corrections to define, or in this case redefine the blaster role.
This issue I believe needs to be addressed sooner rather than later to allow blasters to learn to play the characters they have, to what the role should be, "before" CoV comes out. I am finding alot of people who do not want to be involved in the arena for this very reason, they cannot compete effectivily. Now be this a perception or reality is not the point. But, pound for pound, blasters are lacking severly in the arena. I have an AR/Dev, and when you watch people run over top of your caltrops like they are not there, or actually stand on trip mines and they do not go off, or after you have been defeated, when you come back you cannot draw your weapon for like 40 seconds, but yet your opponents can come right back up to you and instantly wipe you out again, if you have experienced this you would understand. (I apoligize for the few rants there). My point is as a blaster my job is to deliver damage, pure and simple. In reality and in fantasy, "nothing" should be able to withstand a ranged blaster assault. One of the best combination duo's in the game is a tank and a blaster. If any of you who read this don't believe me, try this, you talk about laying the smack down, you cannot even imagine.
This being said, should only go futher towards addressing the immeadiate need, or to point out the reason to expedite the work to rectify this situation. This is not to say nothing is being done, but the longer we wait the more frustrating it is going to be to try and correct our character builds as we continue to level. Yes, I am going to say it, Blaster Damage Output "Needs" to be increased. No one should do more damage than a blaster, I repeat, "No One!". Now if this means in PvP that blasters rule, so be it!. Every character in the game knows what blasters do, and before PvP was released everyone thought blasters would be the archtype to beat in the arena. The real shame is we have been maimed, and you have created a new archtype called blastrollers. I don't ask for much here States, come on, through us a bone. You even admitted you new this from the beginning. Now its I4, it sounds like its about time.
Oh, one other rant. The blaster cloaking device, whats up with that???. I have invis in my own powerset and its so inferior I have to take a second powerset to compensate and lose an alt set I could use for something more useful. Doh?
Shadow Myst 34 AR/Dev Triumph
and 87 other chars I am not gonna
take the time to list (every slot, every server)
