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I saw a broadcast that asked for a defender. It wasn't until after I joined that they asked if I was a healer. I mean get it straight people are so much more open these days to who they invite. They just throw back what they don't want.
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Defender Fishing: Support Catch-and-Release!
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Higher damage cap, criticals, higher single damage attacks, and enough defense to ignore red mobs and make a sandwich. You tell me who's inherently "stronger". 
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Please don't generalize. Not all scrappers can do this.
edit: I don't disagree with your overall points, btw. Sorry I didn't initially make that clear.
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)
VERY well put, Doc!
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Frozen fists is not useful, no matter what, no matter how you slot it, period. It would be better served by any other power you could think of. Same thing for energy punch.
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Er, without EP my character would be unplayable. Maybe you should rethink that? 
Currently playing:
Infaerna Who knew Fire/Fire Brutes were fun to play?
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No you haven't. You may have seen, "Team looking for a healer", but that translates to "Controller/Defender who is Empathy primary".
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I saw a broadcast that asked for a defender. It wasn't until after I joined that they asked if I was a healer. I mean get it straight people are so much more open these days to who they invite. They just throw back what they don't want.
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*LOL*
Under construction
I imagine the scrappers who cant are either dark or invuln, and relying on their decreased resistance caps? or is 75% enough to take on reds and make sandwiches? I don't know, maybe not. But then dark gets cloak of fear for added defense, and invuln gets invincibility for added defense... so.... I don't know if its true that not all scrappers can do this.
let us not forget: everyone loves sandwiches.
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I imagine the scrappers who cant are either dark or invuln, and relying on their decreased resistance caps? or is 75% enough to take on reds and make sandwiches? I don't know, maybe not. But then dark gets cloak of fear for added defense, and invuln gets invincibility for added defense... so.... I don't know if its true that not all scrappers can do this.
let us not forget: everyone loves sandwiches.
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Well, my experience on test when trying out the new resistance to end drain on Dark Armor was that I couldn't go away in a crowd of oranges, even after I took out the sapper. Yes, that was with the not-yet-nerfed cloak of fear.
Now if I'm running FA, Tough, Weave, Cloak of Darkness, all three resist shields, and Cloak of Fear, I can probably safely leave...but I can only slot two attacks.
75% resists aren't necessarily enough to do this alone, you also need fairly good +Def (but enough of that will make a huge difference).
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)
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I have seen many a broadcast asking for "Team needs a defender!"
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No you haven't. You may have seen, "Team looking for a healer", but that translates to "Controller/Defender who is Empathy primary".
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Listen to Erratic about this one. Or better yet go look in the Defender Forum. Search Key Words: "r u healer?" It suprised me too, but a lot of Defenders are recruited for a team zones-apart and then kicked off a team as soon as they make the trek to the zone the team lead is in and the Lead finds out their Primary, especially Team leads who are blasters or building the team for their Blaster friend.
REDICULOUS...how hard is it to righclick a Defender's name in the 'Find' box and pick the "chat" option and ask them "What's your Primary?" first before inviting them and then crucifying them for not taking Empath?
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R U Healer is exactly that. People hitting Defenders with the "evil tell" and Defenders getting offended by it.
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I have seen many a broadcast asking for "Team needs a defender!"
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No you haven't. You may have seen, "Team looking for a healer", but that translates to "Controller/Defender who is Empathy primary".
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Listen to Erratic about this one. Or better yet go look in the Defender Forum. Search Key Words: "r u healer?" It suprised me too, but a lot of Defenders are recruited for a team zones-apart and then kicked off a team as soon as they make the trek to the zone the team lead is in and the Lead finds out their Primary, especially Team leads who are blasters or building the team for their Blaster friend.
REDICULOUS...how hard is it to righclick a Defender's name in the 'Find' box and pick the "chat" option and ask them "What's your Primary?" first before inviting them and then crucifying them for not taking Empath?
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R U Healer is exactly that. People hitting Defenders with the "evil tell" and Defenders getting offended by it.
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Yeah, well at least they get judged by their powersets (if foolishly) un-like we blasters, who are branded as terrible by our AT alone.
yeah that nerf to cloak of fear was harsh. they really need to make it lest costly for a dark armor scrapper to do his job... hich is obviously to make sandwiches in the midst of his enemies.
back to blaster role: The Blaster is sub par, face it, States thinks it is our job to be teh gimp. Obviously this is so that, when there are no hostages or lawyers to save, we become the damsels in distress. everyone hase a role to play!
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yeah that nerf to cloak of fear was harsh. they really need to make it lest costly for a dark armor scrapper to do his job... hich is obviously to make sandwiches in the midst of his enemies.
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Cloak of Fear didn't make it safe to stand in the midst of my enemies, unless they were white or maybe yellow. And I know, it's awful that a defensive set actually makes fights safer for those who have it.
The Cloak of Fear nerf makes Cloak of Fear practically useless until the 40s.
Elsegame: Champions Online: @BellaStrega ||| Battle.net: Ashleigh#1834 ||| Bioware Social Network: BellaStrega ||| EA Origin: Bella_Strega ||| Steam: BellaStrega ||| The first Guild Wars: Kali Magdalene ||| The Secret World: BelleStarr (Arcadia)
I think there's a big difference between "What's your Primary" and "r u healer" and its not just Grammar. ...One leaves a chance that the other Defender set might still be of real help to them. The other one sounds really ignorant and puts the defender on the defensive or make a guess (well, except for ForceField who can't "heal" at all).
But we should move on to other things.
I find it interesting that Statesman does not disagree that a problem exists with blasters and their balance comparative to scrappers, just that he has "no intention" of tweaking blaster secondaries which many folks believe to be the crux of the problem. I suspect States is well aware of the issue, just that its likely hard to justify the expenditure necessary to revamp what would amount to an entire AT when CoV is a bigger focus at this time. What we'll likely see if more of a kludge-fix instead of taking the time to do it right, perhaps the ancillary blaster choices will be given a defensive boost or somesuch.
But make no mistake about it, the current blaster AT is all askew. Not being willing to correct the errors does not make the errors go away. I can accept that such major alterations are difficult this late in a game's life but I would at least like to see some indication that lessons learned from CoH will make it into CoV. If a blaster-like AT exists in the upcoming game, and I imagine such a beast is indeed in there, hopefully the design is more along the lines of primary ranged, secondary support instead of secondary melee.
Umber's Hall of Heroes & Villains
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Cloak of Fear didn't make it safe to stand in the midst of my enemies, unless they were white or maybe yellow. And I know, it's awful that a defensive set actually makes fights safer for those who have it.
The Cloak of Fear nerf makes Cloak of Fear practically useless until the 40s.
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For once Kali, I agree. Dark Scrappers need lots of love.
Oh, I'm not saying things like only wanting Empaths around, or expecting Defenders to do nothing but heal isn't foolish. But ultimately, the issue was never about being asked if they could heal or not, it was about being asked to heal at all.
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I think there's a big difference between "What's your Primary" and "r u healer" and its not just Grammar. ...One leaves a chance that the other Defender set might still be of real help to them. The other one sounds really ignorant and puts the defender on the defensive or make a guess (well, except for ForceField who can't "heal" at all).
But we should move on to other things.
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I have started responding to "R U Healer" with "R U Damage". Works pretty well.
Okay, moving on.
Several responses mention blasters' damage versus that of scrappers, tankers, controller pets and defenders. My fervent plea to the developers is not to take this as a reason to decrease everyone else's damage, but rather to increase blasters'. I've found it very disheartening each time statements about X being subpar to Y were translated into making Y less enjoyable (offensive, or defensive, capabilities reduced). In my opinion, improving X is far and away the better solution.
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Several responses mention blasters' damage versus that of scrappers, tankers, controller pets and defenders. My fervent plea to the developers is not to take this as a reason to decrease everyone else's damage, but rather to increase blasters'. I've found it very disheartening each time statements about X being subpar to Y were translated into making Y less enjoyable (offensive, or defensive, capabilities reduced). In my opinion, improving X is far and away the better solution.
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Well ultimately both amount to the same thing, which is why a real fix to blasters needs to be more than just more damage, although that would certainly be part of it.
And I don't think it's just healing that's the Issue.
In many a pickup game, I've witnessed many empaths spending just as much Endurance on Rezzing a Blaster as they do healing him. ...there's just not enough time to keep them alive when things go bad. Too bad the Blaster is too shortsighted to see that a different kind of Defender with Pre-emptive damage mitigation would prevent him from dieing so quickly.
..It's things like this that actually make me think that it's a GOOD thing if Blasters suddenly became a lot less popular. ...Then more people would Roll defenders, controllers, and tankers instead and learn what it's like to try and support a careless blaster who only looks for the big Green Numbers above his own head instead of learning what the Real Buffs and Debuffs in this game can do for the team itself and not just him.
...Unfortunately, most ppl are just Rolling Scrappers now instead of playing one of those other Support rolls which in Turn is NOT making life any easier for the Blasters who remain, infact it's making things worse.
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I have seen many a broadcast asking for "Team needs a defender!"
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No you haven't. You may have seen, "Team looking for a healer", but that translates to "Controller/Defender who is Empathy primary".
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Listen to Erratic about this one. Or better yet go look in the Defender Forum. Search Key Words: "r u healer?" It suprised me too, but a lot of Defenders are recruited for a team zones-apart and then kicked off a team as soon as they make the trek to the zone the team lead is in and the Lead finds out their Primary, especially Team leads who are blasters or building the team for their Blaster friend.
REDICULOUS...how hard is it to righclick a Defender's name in the 'Find' box and pick the "chat" option and ask them "What's your Primary?" first before inviting them and then crucifying them for not taking Empath?
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R U Healer is exactly that. People hitting Defenders with the "evil tell" and Defenders getting offended by it.
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Its always been fun to confuse people who send those tells by saying "Are You?" I never did get a reply though.
Anyhow, since States sees blaster's role as ranged damage, it would be nice if the secondaries were reviewed so that they supported that role better. Most of our control powers(which support our ability to do damage) arent ranged, and therefore require Stealth to be useful. Thats not right.
Lets make the following the powers ranged.
Taser (Lots of real tasters are ranged.)
Ice Patch (PBAoE version may be fine for Tanks. Blasters, not so much)
Freezing Touch (35 levels for a melee ranged hold? Heck, Peacebringers get a melee hold at 18, and it happens to an amazing high damage attack)
Lightining Clap
Shocking Grasp (38 levels for a melee ranged hold?)
Stun (perhaps replace melee animation with the red blasts the Mek Men use)
There dont really seem to be any control powers in Fire Manipulation, but that set seems like it needs a complete re-write.
Now, while we're at it, lets add a +DEF toggle of some sort to all secondaries. Let the value be determined by the other attributes of the toggle, such as stealth or what not. If it grants stealth, the toggle should have a similar defense value(7.5%), since stealth powers cannot be used at the same time.
Heroes
Dysmal
Lumynous
Sam Steele
Pluck
Wile
Slagheap
Pressure Wave
Rhiannon Bel
Verified
Stellaric
Syd Mallorn
Villains
Jotunheim Skald
Saer Maen
Jen Corbae
Illuminance
Venator Arawn
Taiga Dryad
Tarranos
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I went away from the computer to check on some CoV stuff and *wham* I received 5 or so PM's asking "what is the Blaster's role?"
Answer - Ranged damage. Now, the issue is more specifically - what does a Blaster do that a Scrapper can't already do? Or, even worse, is a Scrapper inherently "stronger" than a Blaster. We want each Archetype to have a well defined role, and part of our Scrapper testing is aimed directly at this.
Secondly, I have no intention of removing melee attacks - it's just a "perception" by some Blasters that some of the Secondary Sets aren't as useful as Devices or Energy Manipulation. This is a rather frequent refrain in PM's (and the occasional forum post). This is something that we should also explore...we want all the Secondary sets to be fun.
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States -
Given this redefinition of role from "offensive juggernaut," I would propose some things if a blaster is to be effective at "ranged damage."
1.) (stolen back from Concern ) -5%-30% res to all blaster powers for a short duration (see Radiation secondary for defenders). This would allow a team to receive bonuses to damage aside from what the blaster themselves brings
2.) Benefits to being at range: 2 powers specifically need to address defense at range. The 1st secondary and the last secondary. The first secondary needs to have a ranged/ranged AoE defense benefit in the base 7.5% range provided as a toggle (or click if Devices) to smash/lethal & element(if not Devices).
The last secondary power needs to have a significant boost to that ranged / ranged AoE defense due to the difficulties attributed to the 35+ game. Again, however I propose a stackable base defense of 7.5%.
Combined, I'd like to see the two powers provide capped ranged/ranged AoE defense at 75% provided that other defensive sets are used (i.e. Hasten/Combat Jump/Stealth/Weave).
Does this mean much-loved powers like Total Focus should be replaced? - no, I propose moving them to the 8th secondary power slot, with other less useful powers removed.
3.) The 3rd APP power pool, I'd like to see provide low-mag status defense as a toggle. Something that won't allow the reading of newspapers in a DE-infested zone, but something that will allow a blaster to run-and-gun without immediate fear of reprisal.
4.) Smaller radius 9th primary powerset selections which have a short range (20'), and quicker recharge.
Pros:
1.) Blapping would be preserved, but still dangerous. Blasters retain the role of "ranged damage"
2.) Defense provided at ranged/ranged AoE, will encourage Blasters to stay outside.
3.) Smaller radius, short range, shorter recharge 32-powers will allow some degree of aggro management and greater utility.
4.) Balance is still achieved as the follow weaknesses still may be exploited by Environment or other players:
a.) low hps
b.) low mag status resist
c.) melee range
d.) no inherent resists (aside from PP: Tough)
e.) lack of power selection due to use of pool powers.
Cons:
1.) Coding and testing and balancing (gotta mention it)
Summary:
If a blaster is designed to be a master of ranged combat, then significant changes will be required to make it so. As is, a blaster is too fragile for the SL 35+ in either a solo or teamed environment.
Edited for content.
I read the majority of this thread and I was astonished by the unity of my fellow blasters. KUDOS to you all. You poor forsaken heroes.
All seem to agree that blasters do not stand out anymore as damage dealers. They have been surpassed in many ways by scrappers, offenders, and even fire tanks. Good grief, who else is there...the controller. Well if you consider Fire Imps, they have a damage claim to fame also.
It is painfully obvious that something has to be done here.
Look at the facts. Do an analysis and at least tell us why Blasters can't be altered to be more effective if you DEVs wont help Blasters out.
Coincidently, blasters are better at providing humor than being Offensive Juggernaunts. In fact, most of my blaster pals provide endless comic relief as they rack up thousands of points of debt. They joke about it as a way to deal with the agony that is being a blaster. We all laugh along with them, silently praying that they stop fighting and watch for a while before they die again. (We always have 1-2 contollers and 1-2 Tankers around 40-48 lvl so aggro isn't the issue here!)
The real question is why play a blaster at all?
I have 2 blasters that are around 28th lvl and I haven't played them seriously since I made my Fire Tank. I still love them and I often consider playing them but the imminent death and painful grinding make me move the cursor over the Fire Tank and select him instead. At this point, I really love playing my Fire Tank and I just can't bear to play my Blasters. This is a real shame. Blasters are really the most fun to play......until around the 30s.
I know this sounds like whining, but hear me out. The reasons for playing a blaster should be centered around the general description throughout this forum. Offensive Damage Juggernaut comes to mind. When I play my blasters I find that damage is not what I am the Juggernaut of. I am the Debt Juggernaut or the Caution Juggernaunt. I have even been the "Pull from max range, then run away Juggernaut". How about the "please REZ me" Juggernaut. I assume there are a lot of Power Leveling Juggernaunts out there trying to get to lvl 50 when all else fails.
When I read the description of the Tanker, I decided that I would never be a slow stupid punching bag. Superheroes who stand there and take a beating just sounded boring and futile to me. Then I met my 1st Tanker buddy who showed me the error of my ways.
Fire Tanks are the True Masters of all damage (not Blasters). Not only can they take it, but they can dish it out too. I easily kill more mobs than any 2 other non-fire-tank members of my supergroup. I know it and they know it. I daresay you all know it too. Finally, I have caught up to and surpassed all of my old blaster pals in levels. They linger at each level, fighting +1 or +2 minions while I run on Invincible Difficulty fighting +4 and higher getting 2X-3X the experience per kill AND killing faster by dealing arrests in bulk. (8 hero team has big Mobs...not just herding).
Call me a sell out if you want, but I know the real deal. Blasters are the masters of anxiety and paranoia. They wonder why the DEVs have forsaken them, and why they never get a break. I can't answer why, but until the DEVs make a move and help the Blasters out, I'm gonna play other ATs and invite blasters to share in the wealth of FIRE TANK GLORY. Yes it is sad....but that is the way of things. PLease don't flame me for saying my opinion..I really feel your pain.
TuTANKHaman lvl 48 Fire/Fire Tanker Alt-Victory
Battle Reaver lvl 28 Nrg/Nrg Blaster Alt- Victroy
Maejis lvl 28 Nrg/Nrg Blaster Original Primary-Champion
Shadowlander lvl 14 DM/DA Scrapper Alt-Victory
look at the punishers list 100% of the time everyone on it is a fire tanker. (either */fire or fire/*... or both)
After ending the game with first a fire/energy blaster, then a dark/elec defender, i went with a fire/en tank, and let me twll you, its like setting the game to insanely easy... thats what playing a fire tank is like. talk about a primary that has good synnergy with the AT.
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Well ultimately both amount to the same thing, which is why a real fix to blasters needs to be more than just more damage, although that would certainly be part of it.
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My main focus was on comments being made in this thread - and many others - about blaster damage output compared to everyone else's. Simply stated, I worry that the devs' reaction will be to "nerf" everyone else rather than visit more elegant solutions.
I admire the poster who wrote:
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So how do you fix it?
#1) Keeping us dependent on leveraging range to be safe is a smart decision in my opinion, but please, make range more leverage able as a defense tactic. There has to be more leverage to range than the current simplicity of, "we both can shoot", "one of us can shoot", "neither of us can shoot", ESPECIALLY on indoor maps.
#2) Let us fortify our positions so the decision to close to melee range becomes as tactical for our opponents as it is for us.
#3) Fix aggro so that in some cases proximity trumps damage dealt. Combat is confusing, and ranged attacks should be able to take advantage of that.
#4a) Give blasters a wider variety of attacks so they are more likely to find one that can penetrate the resistance of their opponent's defenses. Making them the king of damage because more of their damage GETS THROUGH
#4b) See #3)
#4c) Let us leverage this opportunity better by decreasing animation times for blasters and raising recharge times to break even. That way a well-built blaster can build up to a better attack chain than his Scrapper cohort at exactly the place in the game where Blasters are currently hurting.
* - Scrapper at 75% DMG RES, 115 HP, absorbing 60 HP attacks every 8.5 seconds, from 3 minions with 10% DEF vs. Blaster 0% DMG RES, 100 HP, absorbing 40 HP attacks every 9.6 seconds from 3 minions with 10% DEF. (Both with 0 regen). Scrapper lives 42.5 seconds, Blaster 19.2 seconds). Comparison of Tanker to FF Defender/Controller produces similar ratio.
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The aggro issue is one of my pet peeves ... my husband has played his main, an AR/Dev blaster, for nearly a year and finally reached L50 yesterday. I've teamed with him often, and my attempts to draw aggro away from him were an exercise in frustration; his character spent most of his "life" working off debt. All of our SG mates who play blasters have expressed similar issues. There's something wrong when tankers post to these forums to say that even with punch-voke, auto-taunt auras and Taunt itself, they can't keep their blaster friends from visiting the hospital.
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...what does a Blaster do that a Scrapper can't already do?
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One reason Ranged Damage isn't inherently "better" than melee damage is the mobs we face.
A) Flying mobs are few and far between. Flying mobs spawn at ground level. Flyers in indoor missions can be reached with melee attacks by hitting the space key. Finally, flying mobs can be "herded" to ground level easily by hiding behind cover.
Now, if CoH were full of Column hoverbots and flying Jaegers that stayed 100 yards above ground, Ranged Damage would be more useful than melee. But... it's not. In 99% of encounters with flying enemies, they can be meleed the same as grounded enemies.
B) "Dumb" mobs. Now, I'm not saying the programming is bad or anything here. The fact is, though, that mobs can be herded and manipulated into tight little melee clusters very very easily. This takes away any advantage that ranged damage would have given a Blaster.
Imagine Rikti who stay spread out on the battlefield. Who retreat to range when melee heroes get near. In such a world, the Blaster, able to pick off enemies no matter their movements, would be at a big advantage.
That's not the world we play in, though. In the CoH world of today, mobs will aggro, shoot for a second, and close to melee. Mobs who specially prefer range will be lured into a melee cluster by a simple obstacle like a doorway or corner. In a team, this means the Blaster's range is for his own safety alone and does not benefit the team.
[/ QUOTE ]Or, even worse, is a Scrapper inherently "stronger" than a Blaster.
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Higher damage cap, criticals, higher single damage attacks, and enough defense to ignore red mobs and make a sandwich. You tell me who's inherently "stronger".
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We want each Archetype to have a well defined role, and part of our Scrapper testing is aimed directly at this.
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Sounds like you want to nerf Scrappers. Now, I was here in pre-Issue 1 days when the boards unanimously agreed that Scrappers were gimpy and needed dev help. Nerfing them now after improving them 8 months ago seems backwards.
I propose improving 30+ Blasters instead. Blasters accept being "squishy". We knew that much when we created the character. What we are irate about is the injustice of having well-armored, indestructable ATs do more damage than the fragile AT.