Mmmmm, Geko! This is some tasty crow you're making me eat here!
Ok, I was wrong. I admit it.
Here's my findings from spectral terror:
- Recharge, Cost, et all is exactly the same
- When you cast ST, there's a Mag 1 Fear Aura around it. (I'm unsure if it pulses or not. Need to check. I don't think it does). This aura instantly causes all minions and underlings to cower. There is NO return fire by anything feared (thank you, Geko)! Boss's and Lt's are not affected by the aura, so they will return fire, however, they went after my decoys, not me.
- While it still uses the terrify cone animation, it is a single target fear it casts. I'm not sure if this is mag 2 or if it's also mag 1 stacking with the aura, but one hit will fear an LT. It takes multiple to fear a boss.
- This attack causes a minor amount of running. (Like 10 feet) As such, it's not really a threat to toggles (no moreso then your phants.)
In all, I would say this version rivals the I3 one we got. The powerful debuff is gone (which is fair), and it still provides an excellent amount of control. It would be nice if ST picked better targets for it's single target attack, but I think we wish all our pets were that way.
Tactics:
Unlike previous versions, this one isn't a huge agro magnet. You can alpha with it (assuming you're not dealing with too many LT's and bosses). I found this to be really usefull for when I already had PA out. I would cast ST in the middle of the group, and then drag in my pets. If PA was not out, I would still alpha with PA (obviously) and then throw in an ST for control.
Also, with the I3 version, I would try to make a "triangle" outside of the group I'm fighting with ST, to make sure everything got hit with the cone. You don't want to do that with this version. Cast this bad boy in the middle of the group you're fighting, to get the max effect of the aura. The ones he makes run won't go too far.
Occasionally I would get a runner that would get out of my little circle of debuffs. I'm not sure if this was caused by ST, or just your typical runner. I would just blind these guys and leave them to my phants.
Note, this was tested using just the default ACC. Mostly on green-yellow mobs. I didn't push it with oranges and reds (mostly because my mission didn't have any, and I was too lazy to go searching). Level seemed to make no difference to the aura, and does seem to be auto-hit (very nice).
Oh, I also played with SI. Drooooooool. What a GREAT power! I decided to test the improved invis against a Rikti drone. Basically, SI to a drone is what Stealth is to your average mob. You pretty much have to stand on its head for it to see you. I'm contemplating testing to see if it will stack with SS for complete invis. The end cost is high, though. I had to be a lot more careful with my toggles. It may require a second slot of end reduction. ::sigh:: dunno where I'm gonna find that ^^;
All in all, two thumbs up on these changes Geko. Anyone else want some pie? (Crow pie, that is)
P.S. The faster phant speed is great too. They also seem to prefer flying to running now (finally), so I was never waiting for them. Actually, once, they beat me to casting decoys in a group (I was impressed, they did a good job.)
I re-tested and then didn't have an chance to post for a couple of days, definite AoE effect on yellow and orange minions.
It looks good to use on lots of minions or small numbers of bosses and Lts. Unfortunately I'm probably going to drop it soon as it isn't as useful with multiple bosses and large mixed groups, and that was the only place I felt a need for more than my holds and two basic pets. I may pick it up again in the late 40s, but it looks like I'm going to get more mileage out of Lingering Rad or Choking Cloud.
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I re-tested and then didn't have an chance to post for a couple of days, definite AoE effect on yellow and orange minions.
It looks good to use on lots of minions or small numbers of bosses and Lts. Unfortunately I'm probably going to drop it soon as it isn't as useful with multiple bosses and large mixed groups, and that was the only place I felt a need for more than my holds and two basic pets. I may pick it up again in the late 40s, but it looks like I'm going to get more mileage out of Lingering Rad or Choking Cloud.
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Agreed it has limited use on multiple boss groups.... but that's what EM Pulse is for. At least, IMHO.
I plan to use it as a secondary control. Mostly for when you're on a large team and you need to lock down a few more things. Also... it's just fun. It really is one of the best animations in the game.
I think I'm gonna have to give up Group Invis. I just don't see any other way to do it ^^; (My Illusionist was never the ideal teammate anyways 
)
>I plan to use it as a secondary control. Mostly for when you're on
>a large team and you need to lock down a few more things.
>Also... it's just fun. It really is one of the best animations in the
>game.
Good animations are the reason my Grav controller has always had Propel, might not use it outside of Atlas but I have it. So I'm going to have ST (I really want it mobile now) and in the late 40s I'll probably have the extra slots to set it to all range or all recharge to play with snipers and AVs. It's just that the new ST can't do anything my holds can't do better.
For clarification my primary use for ST was in Rikti Crash Site to split groups of red/purple into bite sized numbers. I was using the long duration run away to unmanageble numbers to manageable numbers. The new ST can't do that for me, I tried and ate asphalt for it. Other than that sort of situation I just don't need more control of the type that the current fear effects offer. With the way I play and slot my holds are a better use of my time and endurance.
Anyways I'm putting this in the 'dead horse' pile since I don't think it's going to change anymore. The voice of the minority will now get off it's soapbox and leave you alone.
Alright, so I decided to try this out on test because, well, I had nothing else to do. And all I can say is... Wow.
And I didn't even have any slots in it! Not even an enhancement in the slot it comes with!
I was using it in my invincible missions (+2) and it made all but 4 enemies cower in fear. 3 ran a bit and then cowered, and 1 (a zenith hoverbot) wasn't effected. Spectral Terror is awesome! I pity da foo who doesn't take Spectral Terror!
Seriously, I cant wait to see this slotted!
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Hokanu (lvl 50) Katana/Regen
Hokanu's Deceit (lvl 35) Illusion/rad
Other Hokanu Alts (11-26)
Is the accuracy debuff still there or did they completely rip that apart from it?
I tried Spectral Terror on the Training Server today and it is really improved. In fact, in PvP, it is probably the most useful power we have.
Unfortunately, in the Training Room PvP AT Balance discussion, many people are already complaining about Spectral Terror being too powerful. It's really bogus because most of the people who seem to be complaining are Scrappers who are getting annoyed because it holds too effectively, when Scrappers are clearly the most overpowered AT in PvP team play right now.
I love Spectral Terror now that it is useful again. Thanks for the great work Devs!
Red Warlock
- "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks" (Arc ID 124319).
- "The Legion of Mutants vs. The Iron Agents" (Arc ID 200364).
- "The Children of Astoria" (Arc ID 217499)
Spectral Terror isn't broken in PvP, the fact that the immunities (once held/slept etc become immune for 15 sec or so.) aren't functioning is the problem. I was chain held by a Earth Controller as well. (side note, damn volcanic gases spams holds fast! ). Ice Tanker btw, Earthy broke status protection like the thin ice in the middle of the lake. ).
I play many controllers Type characters as well as defenders. Currently I'm playing a Dark/Psi defender that has some Fear powers. I've been doing Ok - Not Great but just Ok.
When I'm in a PvP match and someone has Spectral Terror - The Match is pretty much over before it Begins. The Spectral Terror are popped out quickly and it Chain Holds you better than I could ever wish to do as a Dark Defender. It's gotten so bad normally Ground Rules have to be made before the match even starts.
No Taunting and No Over Powered Spectral Terror.
My Illusionist/Bubbler is level 50 and I'm out of Respecs and I spec out of Spectral Terror because it really didn't do much against mobs. If you keep Spectral Terror in PvP in the way it is - Then I want a FREE RESPEC so I can also be Over Powered.
Take Care..
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I play many controllers Type characters as well as defenders. Currently I'm playing a Dark/Psi defender that has some Fear powers. I've been doing Ok - Not Great but just Ok.
When I'm in a PvP match and someone has Spectral Terror - The Match is pretty much over before it Begins. The Spectral Terror are popped out quickly and it Chain Holds you better than I could ever wish to do as a Dark Defender. It's gotten so bad normally Ground Rules have to be made before the match even starts.
No Taunting and No Over Powered Spectral Terror.
My Illusionist/Bubbler is level 50 and I'm out of Respecs and I spec out of Spectral Terror because it really didn't do much against mobs. If you keep Spectral Terror in PvP in the way it is - Then I want a FREE RESPEC so I can also be Over Powered.
Take Care..
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I have found that I can beat any squishie complaining about Spectral Terror without using it and only using holds just about as easily.
I have found that good scrappers and tanks can beat spectral terror pretty easily using break frees. Even when they run out of break frees, it doesn't drop their toggles making it just an opener for me, not an I Win button.
Same thing happened to me. The devs kept flipping back and forth about whether spectral terror was useful or not, so i eventually ran out of respecs. If it stays this way, I want a respec too. It's such a ****** that i take the thing on test, it would barely affect white Nemesis minions, then it becomes uber in PvP.
Saying that you, as a controller, do just as well holding without using spectral terror is missing the point. When you cast a hold, it costs you end. And depending on the hold, you may be limited with respect to how many people you can affect.
I've seen Spectral terror cast in a hallway collecting heroes like flypaper. It's a pet that holds AS WELL as an actual controller. Actually it probably holds better, since it has no targeting issues and doesn't worry about getting beat down. It recharges pretty fast as well. In terms of usefulness in a team match, it's way way way better than my PA or phants. That right there should be a tip off that things may be out of whack.
www.battlewraith.deviantart.com
it is damn good, and if it stays this way it needs to be able to be killed. simple as that. leave it the way it is but it cant be unaffected.
otherwise it needs to be toned down in pvp
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it is damn good, and if it stays this way it needs to be able to be killed. simple as that. leave it the way it is but it cant be unaffected.
otherwise it needs to be toned down in pvp
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My sentiments exactly
but if they make it targetable they should make it mobile and buffable as well to keep snipers from just killing it with no effect
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but if they make it targetable they should make it mobile and buffable as well to keep snipers from just killing it with no effect
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I think making Spectral Terror killable, but mobile and buffable is a GREAT idea. This would give people who hate it being there holding them forever an out for getting rid of it. But it also would give us some flexibility in using it. I hate casting spectral terror with all these super speedsters in PvP able to run away before the power is even up. if it was like phantasm and could travel with me, I would be happy if it could also be killed.
But making Spectral Terror mobile might take some additional graphics design, so if it's not mobile and buffable, then I wouldn't want the pet to be killable.
Red Warlock
- "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks" (Arc ID 124319).
- "The Legion of Mutants vs. The Iron Agents" (Arc ID 200364).
- "The Children of Astoria" (Arc ID 217499)
I think that ST should be considered like any other AOE debuff similar to the Earthquake, Ice Slick or Bonfire.
The fact that it can chain hold you and can be cast 3 at a time with only hasten is way stronger than any of these other skills. 1 out at a time is plenty strong. I played a match with my wifes toon and she held me with ST the entire fight when she got it near me. I could not get anything off once it had me terrorized and the fear stacked so even if one dropped I had 2-3 more on me.
Unless they up the recharge time on Spectral Terror or mitigate the chain casting, people are never going to be happy with the move.
Well I was wondering when they were going to make this power worthless again and with the new update we have our answer ...now.
the cloak of fear effect (the initial auto hit fear) will now only target 50% of available targets and will have an accuracy of 50% So basically they made this a choking cloud fear effect that is immobile (and we all know how many rads pick up chocking cloud) I really fail to see why this change was made fix the supression and this power would have been fine. Oh well at least they didn't send it live good and nerf it into oblivion after everyone respeced into it....this time.
It sounds like a stronger ST in PvE is necessary (vs. PvP). I would hope that ST would be adjusted with that in mind, rather than trying to make one ST to fit both types of play.
Please make ST useful in PvE!
-- MS
Just so y'all know (I should've posted sooner, but didn't remember this thread existed), there's an "official cloak of fear thread" on the training room forum. So far, all but a very few of the posts have been from /da scrappers, as we use it for a good chunk of our defense.
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Any change to Spectral Terror is effecting the embedded Cloak of Fear, arguably one of the best powers in the /DA line and one of the things that makes a really really weak defensive set survivable. The nerf to that portion of Spectral Terror would significantly wreck /DA, to the point where I think it needs to be entirely segregated from the Spectral Terror version.
please make /DA Cloak of Fear its own power, not tied to Spectral Terror, and leave /DA Cloak of Fear alone.
Cloak of Fear, when used by /DA, is neither overpowered in PvP nor in PvE. It is integral to the survivability of a /DA scrapper.
Seperate these two powers before "fixing", "nerfing", "modifying" or whatever term you want to use in regards to what you are doing to Spectral Terror
Liberty:
proud member of the LEGION, SISTERHOOD
@Doctor Photon
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Any change to Spectral Terror is effecting the embedded Cloak of Fear, arguably one of the best powers in the /DA line and one of the things that makes a really really weak defensive set survivable. The nerf to that portion of Spectral Terror would significantly wreck /DA, to the point where I think it needs to be entirely segregated from the Spectral Terror version. please make /DA Cloak of Fear its own power, not tied to Spectral Terror, and leave /DA Cloak of Fear alone. Cloak of Fear, when used by /DA, is neither overpowered in PvP nor in PvE. It is integral to the survivability of a /DA scrapper. Seperate these two powers before "fixing", "nerfing", "modifying" or whatever term you want to use in regards to what you are doing to Spectral Terror
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What makes you think that the devs only intended these changes for Spectral Terror and not Cloak of Fear?
Spectral Terror has been completely useless at times and the devs have made it more useful (especially in PvP where it is almost a critical defense for illusionists now). Please don't frame your comments in such a way as if to say that Spectral Terror needs a nerf, but Cloak of Fear needs to remain strong. Spectral Terror as it's newly designed is crucial for illusionists, just like CoF is crucial for DA Scrappers (especially for both AT's when playing PvP). I don't think that either powers are overpowered.
I certainly would support separating Cloak of Fear and Spectral Terror so that the two powers don't have to be tied in how they work, but I hope that you aren't suggesting that Spectral Terror is overpowered and needs nerfing as opposed to Cloak of Fear which should be left alone. In my opinion, both are crucial powers and I get tired of people saying Spectral Terror needs nerfing, when it's one of the only powers that keeps me alive in PvP, and is only a marginally useful power in PvE. The power is certainly not overpowered.
Red Warlock lvl 50 illusion/ff controller, champion server
Red Warlock
- "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks" (Arc ID 124319).
- "The Legion of Mutants vs. The Iron Agents" (Arc ID 200364).
- "The Children of Astoria" (Arc ID 217499)
Sounds good....gives me another reason to take my controller out of retirement..great job...Trust me..all of us controllers who started in the begining of COH will finaly see this thing in better action...