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Never teamed with an ice tanker then?
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Few people have. How many Ice tanks do you see running around past the 20s? I can usually count them on a single finger most days. Invul tankers? If they were a pinatta a blind quadraplegic could hit one. Fire tankers are almost to those numbers as well.
I love my Ice tank (although he is on hold due to melee classes being looked at) and I got an Ice Tank invited into the SG so that we may actually have some variety in the SG and don't get jaded but to be honest alot of times I would rather have an invul tanking.
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Few people have. How many Ice tanks do you see running around past the 20s? I can usually count them on a single finger most days. Invul tankers? If they were a pinatta a blind quadraplegic could hit one. Fire tankers are almost to those numbers as well.
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Hmm... On Champion, I can think of two 50s, my own 37, and a 24 that Doc Spielmann and I have been teaming with recently. There's a level 34 the player's told me about (but I haven't seen), and I know of one other that's probably into the 20s or higher.
Naturally, this doesn't include the 15 or so ice tankers who post regularly on the forums and have identified themselves in the Energy Absorption/Ice Tanker threads since issue 4 went to test.
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I love my Ice tank (although he is on hold due to melee classes being looked at) and I got an Ice Tank invited into the SG so that we may actually have some variety in the SG and don't get jaded but to be honest alot of times I would rather have an invul tanking.
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Ice can tank most situations fine. It does take more attention and effort to remain standing (holding aggro takes about the same - you need to pay attention to what's going on). I've been able to tank 8-person DE spawns without taking lethal amounts of damage (but I usually have to hibernate at least once per mission, sometimes more).
Sadly, the situations in which a tanker is really necessary are the same situations in which the deck is massively stacked against ice.
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I was just saying that while you are playing around in the game you usually never see an Ice Tank hanging around in the Portal Parking lot. I have seen maybe one at a time. I almost think that every Ice tank over 30 that exists in the game has posted on the forums.
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I was just saying that while you are playing around in the game you usually never see an Ice Tank hanging around in the Portal Parking lot. I have seen maybe one at a time. I almost think that every Ice tank over 30 that exists in the game has posted on the forums.
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Probably very true.
All the ice tankers I listed are on Champion, though. 
I didn't mention the one that's nearly 20...
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The overpowered nature of Blasters during issues 1 and 2 had been addressed by two things: The fixing of Smoke Grenade and the Purple Patch.
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Don't forget the various announced and unannounced changed to mob AI that have taken place over time, virtually all of which done in a way that (intentionally or not) hurt blasters. Mobs running if sniped from too far away, mob groups scattering when hit by AoE attacks, the fear effect of rain powers overriding all other forms of control, etc.
I've done a lot of thinking and I think I've got the Blaster Roles nailed down:
PVE:
Making the TF take at least an extra hour to complete.
Killing piles of whites and yellows faster than tanks and scrappers can kill piles of whites and yellows. The tanks and scrappers are usually off killing purples and reds and are too busy to compete with your white/yellow domination!
Decoy to take pressure off the Defenders.
PVP:
Pretending to be Scrappers.
The noble and honorable pursuit of picking off the lame and wounded from 80m up stealthed, PS'd or Invisio'd.
Decoy to take pressure off the Defenders.
In Blapper mode, softening up the Inv/EM tank so a Scrapper can come in and kill it while you run away before you die.
Laughing at Defenders because you get moved off teams before them in order to balance teams vs. Tanks Scraps, and Controllers.
Anyone got any more Blaster Roles? 
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The overpowered nature of Blasters during issues 1 and 2 had been addressed by two things: The fixing of Smoke Grenade and the Purple Patch.
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Don't forget the various announced and unannounced changed to mob AI that have taken place over time, virtually all of which done in a way that (intentionally or not) hurt blasters. Mobs running if sniped from too far away, mob groups scattering when hit by AoE attacks, the fear effect of rain powers overriding all other forms of control, etc.
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.... readily detecting the "almost impossible to detect" Trip Mines and reacting accordingly.
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The overpowered nature of Blasters during issues 1 and 2 had been addressed by two things: The fixing of Smoke Grenade and the Purple Patch.
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No, because that would assume that every Blaster had Smoke Grenade (they did not) and the Purple Patch hit everyone. Indeed, after the Purple Patch the game saw a massive upturn in selecting people strictly for "the most", and was the period in which Defenders complained bitterly about being excluded because Controllers did Defenderish things too well while Defenders didn't hit hard enough. Blasters, Controllers, and Tankers were preferred, nobody else need apply.
The downfall of Blasters came when they upped the amount of ranged attacks on mobs that previously had few or none (Lead Scorchers for example didn't alwasy patrol the streets of Steel Canyon) and upped the amount of status effects in the higher game--a present in Issue 2.
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No, because that would assume that every Blaster had Smoke Grenade (they did not) and the Purple Patch hit everyone. Indeed, after the Purple Patch the game saw a massive upturn in selecting people strictly for "the most", and was the period in which Defenders complained bitterly about being excluded because Controllers did Defenderish things too well while Defenders didn't hit hard enough. Blasters, Controllers, and Tankers were preferred, nobody else need apply.
The downfall of Blasters came when they upped the amount of ranged attacks on mobs that previously had few or none (Lead Scorchers for example didn't alwasy patrol the streets of Steel Canyon) and upped the amount of status effects in the higher game--a present in Issue 2.
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Very true. I know that I was hella upset that controllers could do everything a defender could. It was the reason I stuck with D3 as my build of choice for a defender. I still don't know why it was a kinetics that got to 50 first though for me. Also in team when the group said they wanted a controller I was usually the one saying "You, know we can get a controller and be even safer since we don't have a tank."
I've only read a scattering of the post to get a feel of the discussion, so forgive me if im repeating someone else's idea.
What I would like to see for blasters is a power or powers changed to cause anti-agro. The power would cause the mobs to be confused about who shot them.
As an example a Fire Secondary would now cause a smoke screen effect. The effected mob cant tell that the following shots are coming from the blaster. Thus they dont react to the next 10-20 seconds worth of shots. It would be a ranged AoE power that has a seperate to-hit role on each mob effected.
Another example for the Ice secondary would be short pillars springing up. Powers shot after that power reflect off of one of them in a random fashion. So now the Mob cant tell which direction the attacks are coming from.
With good use of powers a blaster could neutralize their agro in both solo and team situations. The mobs would still react to any other agro causing event as normal. Its not like invis or phase shift in that there is risk that you can fail to effect the mob with a single shot anti-agro power or members of a group with AoE anti-agro power.
Maybe changing one of the less used secondary melee powers would be a good choice for an upgrade.
As with the previous post, I have read though a smattering of the posts to get a general gist of what is going on here and why people feel so darned passionate about this particlar thread. OK, now on to my two cents....
Having played several types of Blasters get a feel for them, I personally zero'd in on AR/Dev as the power set I wanted, since it not only fit the Origin I wanted (Natural: a Military Vet who wanted to give more, perhaps not unlike myself...) but also had the powers I wanted to use. Now, that being said, Yes, there are others who want to be able to throw the occasional punch. Sure, go right ahead, I'll wait for you while you run back from the hospital! While having a "Blapper" might sound like fun, I have to admit that I am pretty happy with my setup. Let me outline my typical fight for you as a solo, then in a group....
Solo:
Walk up with Cloaking and SuperSpeed on, Smoke, hit Hasten, Smoke again to hit the misses if needed, Caltrop, Grenade, back up a couple of steps, Flamethrower, Buckshot, back up again, Full Auto, Slug, Burst, rinse and repeat. I have alot of knockdowns, the 'trops keep them grouped and away from me while I pound on them from a distance. Only time I run into trouble is when there is a Boss in the group or they are orange minions with Lieuts. Then I make a judgement call based on numbers, available inspirations and how much solid brass my shorts feel filled with. A boss usually leaves me feeling cold and alone in the Hospital when soloing, however.
Group:
Let the agro magnet (Tank or Super-Scrapper, depending on group makeup) gather up the victims, Smoke, Caltrop, and then AoE till minions are so much paste on the floor, letting the others snipe and pick off the runners. Now, alot of you are saying that I am gonna get pounded, because I am generating so much agro with all this AoE damage. You are absolutely right! Smoke comes in handy here. Reduces my agro range a bit, so I can stay out at maximum range and do my job. Also reduces their ability (primary reason I use it) to hit me (6 SO debuffs, I know there is a law of diminishing returns, but every little percentage point that reduces their ability to hit me, I'll take it!) and everyone else in the group. If the bad guys are higher level or lower level, I adjust accordingly, including to backing off and taking timed potshots to make sure I don't become the stain on the sidewalk.
I don't think they should remove the melee options, but I do think there should be a ranged alternative to it. To fit the concept of your character. You get either/or, not both.
For those that want to play a "Blapper", have a nice trip to the hospital!!
Scott Breakenar Natural 32 AR/Dev Blaster (and proud of it!!!)
Shocksman Magic 15 Elec/Elec Blaster
others various and low level LOL
shocksman, you have a 6 power attack chain, and bosses still send you to the hospital?
thats... um... well.... you might not want to go around all c*ck of the walk with the info you attempt to brag with and assume you know what you are doing. all "enjoy your trips to the hospital" and etc.
face it, you might just be pretty bad at being a blaster.
those that blap, chances are they know what they are doing. electric blappers have nothing to fear soloing bosses. what makes you assume their play style involves a lot of trips to the hospital? because you haven't figured out how it works yet?
Blasters are really my favorite archetype, that's why I want to give you my opinion about this.
I really don't think blaster's role is "range damage", but I see it as "fast damage". I've never done a blapper, though, but even with my main (Fire/energy with boost range, my only melee attacks are brawl and power thrust) I'll never respec to become a hovering sniper (and I agree that in that case, range would be defense against not flying mobs).
I mean, build up (10s duration), aim(10s duration), 32 nuke (Inferno, nova...) draining all our end, the worst def/res of all AT... All of this is saying me : 1 shot them or you'll be 1 shotted !
And that's why I love blasters It's not boring at all when you're playing it. You can't start to fight, set the auto-attack and go to get a coffee... And in my opinion it's because my fights are really short, not because I have range.
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And that's why I love blasters It's not boring at all when you're playing it. You can't start to fight, set the auto-attack and go to get a coffee...
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You can't do that on any character in the game.
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i've done it many times with my fire tank.
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i've done it many times with my fire tank.
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Ya, same here. It does depend on what you are fighting though. Against minions they will be dead long before you get your coffee. A +3 mission boss however will take a while to die so setting burn on auto and getting a drink just makes sense as long as it's a smash/lethal boss.
I've done it with my fire tank as well.
I've had sg mates do it with spines/regen scrappers in missions. They'd afk, and we'd bring mobs to him, which would ultimately die (albeit slowly) with nothing but quills running.
What sad is - the regen scrapper was so well suited for afk-killing, that it became a game to see if we could bring a large enough mob to kill him. Most of the time, it would require the entire mission's worth of enemies, and they'd all have to hit at *just* the right time.
AFKing is quite simple for scrappers/tankers.
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AFKing is quite simple for scrappers/tankers.
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Not all scrappers and tankers.
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i've done it many times with my fire tank.
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True. . .forgot about Fire Tankers and Spines Scrappers. I should have more accurately said the vast majority of characters and builds can't and don't do such.
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Wow,
Just the fact that you can do that amazes me. Just turn a power on auto and go afk and go eat dinner and have a drink and check in on your character now and then and see if you have killed that boss yet.. or all those mobs. Wow.
Oooops, sorry I didn't want to turn this post in "What's the best afk-er fighter" 
.
Please forgive me Statesman !!!
well that defeats my idea that my role was debt absorption. not really but nice try.
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True. . .forgot about Fire Tankers and Spines Scrappers. I should have more accurately said the vast majority of characters and builds can't and don't do such.
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False. Every well built Fire, Inv and Stone tanker can do this. That's every tanker but Ice, of which there are like five.
Dunno about scrappers, I really don't play them much. My little experience with them has been such that I don't think they can do this. However, a majority of tanks can.
if a blasters role is ranged damage, why do defenders have their own special range secondary secondary that blasters cant take?
and the idea that a scraper should be allowed to do more damage then a blaster is ridiculous.
scrapers get defense, thus, they are defended against, that does not mean they should logicaly get more damage.
blasters get neither more damage, or more defense.
and i agree melee is more hazardous, however scrapers have their defense to protect them, so why do they get a higher cap then blasters?
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In reality, there was only one real problem that was Blaster-specific. The purple patch was added to make the whole game more difficult. It seems however, that while the game got more difficult for blasters, the tankers and scrappers were tweaked (and I'd say overly tweaked) to adjust to the new enemies. I've met and played with tons of tankers in the post level 35 world, and all of them at some point during our battles have cracked a joke about leaving the keyboard to go take a dump or make a sandwich.
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Never teamed with an ice tanker then? I don't think I'd feel safe leaving my keyboard as I need to be active to tank (remember to activate hoarfrost, taunt and hibernate if things get rough).
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