I really must ask, cause I don't I know yet. What the heck is our role? Cause other than being the people who get Paragon City out of debt, I don't really know.
According to Statesman in the original post of this thread it's Ranged Damage.
Brother of Markus
The Lord of Fire and Pain
The Legendary Living Hellfire
Fight my brute!
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According to Statesman in the original post of this thread it's Ranged Damage.
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So an unprotected Spines Scrapper?
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According to Statesman in the original post of this thread it's Ranged Damage.
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So an unprotected Spines Scrapper?
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Sorta...
Brother of Markus
The Lord of Fire and Pain
The Legendary Living Hellfire
Fight my brute!
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According to Statesman in the original post of this thread it's Ranged Damage.
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So an unprotected Spines Scrapper?
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Sorta...
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So we are once again back to, Do we do anything that the other AT's can't?
Wow...who resurrected this post?
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So we are once again back to, Do we do anything that the other AT's can't?
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Yes. Blasters are 1st to get the Debt Badges, 1st to get the Mez Badges, we get frequent fliers miles for Hospital Teleportations, and I think they are implimenting another new Badge for Blasters. Everytime you type healwwwaaaaassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssss right before death it gets you a little closer to the Badge. I think it's set up like the old Rikti Monkey Badge, you need around 9,000 to get it. I think most Blasters should have this before SOs. 
The cool thing, once you get the L3 Debt Badge, L3 Mez Badge, and the WASD Badge, you get a special Blaster Accolade. Every time you die Statesman appears on your screen, points at you and yells "Cry more noob!" Then laughs as he fades away and you appear in the Hospital...again. It's meant to improve 'morale' of the Blaster community.
Cyclone Jack
-= idspispopd =-
[size=1]Arc ID: 3155 - Project Prometheus (Seeking Feedback, now with less invalidation)[/size]
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So we are once again back to, Do we do anything that the other AT's can't?
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Yes. Blasters are 1st to get the Debt Badges, 1st to get the Mez Badges, we get frequent fliers miles for Hospital Teleportations, and I think they are implimenting another new Badge for Blasters. Everytime you type healwwwaaaaassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssss right before death it gets you a little closer to the Badge. I think it's set up like the old Rikti Monkey Badge, you need around 9,000 to get it. I think most Blasters should have this before SOs.
The cool thing, once you get the L3 Debt Badge, L3 Mez Badge, and the WASD Badge, you get a special Blaster Accolade. Every time you die Statesman appears on your screen, points at you and yells "Cry more noob!" Then laughs as he fades away and you appear in the Hospital...again. It's meant to improve 'morale' of the Blaster community.
Cyclone Jack
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That made me laugh.
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So we are once again back to, Do we do anything that the other AT's can't?
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Yes. Blasters are 1st to get the Debt Badges, 1st to get the Mez Badges, we get frequent fliers miles for Hospital Teleportations, and I think they are implimenting another new Badge for Blasters. Everytime you type healwwwaaaaassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssss right before death it gets you a little closer to the Badge. I think it's set up like the old Rikti Monkey Badge, you need around 9,000 to get it. I think most Blasters should have this before SOs.
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Don't forget that your bed at the Hospital has a Reserved sign with your name on it. Once you get your cape, they will leave a little chocolate mint on the pillow, too!
Ahhhh, the Blaster's Life for Me!
"How do you know you are on the side of good?" a Paragon citizen asked him. "How can we even know what is 'good'?"
"The Most High has spoken, even with His own blood," Melancton replied. "Surely we know."
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Ahhhh, the Blaster's Life for Me!
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Life? What life? Are you refering to those short spurts of not taking a dirt nap?
Hey, they cleaned the carpet since I died here last!
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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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A blaster can fire at a running target at range - other than spine scrappers with impale, the rest of them can't do that. Are scrappers inherently stronger? Yes, when you consider the critical - but when you factor in defince - which kicks in too slowly, (the buff should start at 33% HP, in my opinion. ) the blaster and scrapper are close enough to even - the edge however always goes to the guy with the highest HP, not to mention mez protection.
Remove melee attacks? No need, but you should ensure that any blaster that wants to play a ranged attacking blaster should be able to avoid melee attacks if he chooses.
The scrappers role is and always has been sort of like a full back - wait for the tank or pets to take alpha, then run to the nearest baddie that gets near his teammates. Just charging in for the boss is a luxury for scrappers that some teams cannot afford.
"Most people that have no idea what they are doing have no idea that they don't know what they are doing." - John Cleese
@Ukase
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and part of our Scrapper testing is aimed directly at this.
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Ouch! Why do i think that collectively a few thousand scrappers just had a mass case of Shrinkage.
I play a scrapper and a blaster both... and I admit to asking; regularly "What the heck *Does* a blaster do?"
Even in groups... I mean really; what am I bringing no one else is? Damage?
Scrapper's got it.
Ranged damage?
*WHEN*; just once tell me *when* is "ranged" damage any more important than 'damage' period? The only situation in the *ENTIRE* game where I've found I *really* needed ranged damage was in the Ernesto Hess TF; with the ring of sentry guns.
Except I could stand on the ledge behind them and hack them off.
What ticks me off is this; alot of scrappers try to say "blasters do SO much more damage though!" and... they don't. I play both; I know better.
My scrapper is a juggernaught; an engine of destruction. Thats not to say she's overpowered; frankly she's not. There are moments of "OMG" uberness that a blaster will never see; its true, but after the nerfing those often involve alot of luck; some skill, and inspirations. Its a fun challenging situation. (I play Katana/SR).
My blasters though...
Well I put it to you like this.
I've found *3*; *3* Primaries that have *ANY HOPE* of accomplishing the "Ranged Damage" goal; and they don't even they don't do it all that well.
Fire - Fire has a good mix of Single Target and AoE; its activation times are generally quick (outside of... flares... who takes flares though?); plus Fire is a hard to resist damage type in the game; thankfully.
Archery - Full Range. There isn't one lousy "close" attack in the entire set; the Cone being the closest. It does all lethal damage, and only its snipe does more than most scrapper attacks; which is downright sad; given they are identical in damage type; and the Blaster has no defense to speak of. But still; this is, despite the endurance cost; one of the *GOOD* sets (If paired with Energy or Ice...).
Ice - Obvious. Nothing needs to be said; why else are ice blasters becomming ubiquitous? High speed activation times; great single target DPS; and even good range on higher damaging attacks. No snipe; and only a couple utility powers in the primary. (Look at the Ice secondary too; anyone notice that has some *actual* UTILITY?)
But still...; Explain this one to me everyone...
How come my scrapper; who is imho rather decently balanced, can do an Extreme damage attack with an improved chance of critting, a minor AoE to it, -Def... etc... in melee (where I live);
But a Blaster can *only* do Extreme damage with *no* chance to crit *AND* a chance to be interrupted with a long wait time to fire; with their snipe. Which generally has no secondary effect but maybe knockdown.
If they even just made the snipes into normal attacks... *that* would help alot of things.
Making the utility powers go into the secondary and replacing them with normal attacks; that would help. (Hell, don't even replace the melee attacks; give blasters larger than average; and change the inherent to "Versatility" for cryin out loud).
Or, Up the damage on stuff like Tesla Cage and Voltaic Sentinel; and make Power Burst and the like full range.
There are *many* ways to fix blasters; but they aren't doing it and I admit; its starting to tick me off. (This comming from a *long* time scrapper; I've always wanted to do a blaster; every time I do one though I get so annoyed... SO annoyed.
My AR/Energy; Dead at 19; I can't stomach going further. My Elec/Elec...... don't ask. My Elec/Eng Blapper... dead; can't stomach an Ice/Eng; Fire/Energy is fun for now but I expect to quit her soon somehow; it just can't last. Impossible.
My Archery/Energy is the only one I can stand to play at level 13; she does do reasonably well; but its ridiculously more difficult than it should be; and frankly she can only do as well as she does because I've given up a travel power till 16 to take both Build Up, Aim, and all the attacks through Explosive Arrow).
Ok, I'll be quiet now. <-.-> Its early, I haven't slept, and I'm hacked off at the blaster situation.
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A blaster can fire at a running target at range - other than spine scrappers with impale, the rest of them can't do that.
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and claws, and any scrapper with an APP.
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But still...; Explain this one to me everyone...
How come my scrapper; who is imho rather decently balanced, can do an Extreme damage attack with an improved chance of critting, a minor AoE to it, -Def... etc... in melee (where I live);
But a Blaster can *only* do Extreme damage with *no* chance to crit *AND* a chance to be interrupted with a long wait time to fire; with their snipe. Which generally has no secondary effect but maybe knockdown.
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The words don't mean especially much, they aren't scaled the same way between sets. "Extreme" damage for Dominator for example (Total Focus e.g.) at 65% base blaster damage is left in the dust by most of the upper-BI blaster moves.
You are mistaken about high damage just on the snipe. Many moves in blaster secondaries do very high damage. No it isn't ranged damage, but it's very high damage none the less. In /Electric there is a lot of 100% AOE knockback, some %chance of sleep and disorient and a 100% hold at the end. /Energy has a lot of %chance disorient and single target 100% knockback and a 100% disorient at the end with high mag. /Ice has -recharge and -speed. Not too bad imo, and the scrapper is almost completely limited to smashing/lethal damage except for Dark Melee.
Particularly for /electric and /energy, blasters are pretty well ahead of scrappers in my experience, and it's easy enough to see if you just take the scrapper attack BIs and multiply them by 1.25 (125% base blaster dmg). If you blap, you have access to many attacks that compare very favorably to scrapper attacks, and you retain ranged and AOE damage too. You just don't have any real defenses, which to me is acceptable.
Since you're a katana scrapper, here's a comparison:
Sting... 4.025L
Gamblers... 2.91L ST
Flashing... 3.45L Melee cone (5 targs)
Divine... 2.91L ST
Lotus... 4.51L PBAOE (10 targs)
Soaring... 6.25L ST
Golden... 7.91L ST
And that's all lethal damage, every bit. And that's if you took every attack, which you might not have chosen to do; your alternatives would be to take attacks from pools, which generally suck except for Air Superiority. By comparison here's an Energy/Energy blaster (not my favorite and imo not optimal for damage, but very popular):
Bolt... 2.22E + .55S ST (2.77 total)
Blast... 2.77E + 1.77S ST (4.55 total)
Torrent... 1.83E + .83S Rng Cone (10 targs) (2.66 total)
Burst... 3.11E + 2.11S ST (5.22 total) - note this is at level SIX
Snipe... 5.55E + 2.11S ST (7.66 total) - note this is at level EIGHT
Explosive... 1.11E + 1.38S (2.5 total) Rng AOE (16 targs)
Nova... Some very random amount that is around 12.05, PBAOE, once every 6 minutes or less depending on slotting (yuck)
And we haven't touched the secondary yet, where the real damage is:
Thrust... 1.11E + 1.11S ST (2.22 total, 100% knockback)
Punch... 1.94S + .833E ST (2.77 total, %stun)
Bonesmasher... 2.77E + 1.77S ST (4.55 total, higher %stun)
Stun... 100% stun (you don't take this for dmg)
Total Focus... 2.77S + 7.11E ST (9.88!! total and 100% stun)
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If they even just made the snipes into normal attacks... *that* would help alot of things.
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they already are (see secondary attacks)...
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My AR/Energy; Dead at 19; I can't stomach going further. My Elec/Elec...... don't ask. My Elec/Eng Blapper... dead; can't stomach an Ice/Eng; Fire/Energy is fun for now but I expect to quit her soon somehow; it just can't last. Impossible.
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Sounds to me like you simply do not like blasters. If you think Cryptic is going to rework - let's count - six sets that you mention above (and I expect many more that you didn't try because you weren't attracted to them in the first place) - that's pretty unrealistic, maybe you're better off sticking with scrappers.
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So we are once again back to, Do we do anything that the other AT's can't?
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Yes. Blasters are 1st to get the Debt Badges, 1st to get the Mez Badges, we get frequent fliers miles for Hospital Teleportations, and I think they are implimenting another new Badge for Blasters. Everytime you type healwwwaaaaassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssss right before death it gets you a little closer to the Badge. I think it's set up like the old Rikti Monkey Badge, you need around 9,000 to get it. I think most Blasters should have this before SOs.
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Don't forget that your bed at the Hospital has a Reserved sign with your name on it. Once you get your cape, they will leave a little chocolate mint on the pillow, too!
Ahhhh, the Blaster's Life for Me!
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And at thirty we get the special costume option "Aura of Inevitability" 
Z.
"I don't have an angel and a devil on my shoulder, I have Rocky and Bullwinkle." - Lore Sj�berg
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Since you're a katana scrapper, here's a comparison:
Sting... 4.025L
Gamblers... 2.91L ST
Flashing... 3.45L Melee cone (5 targs)
Divine... 2.91L ST
Lotus... 4.51L PBAOE (10 targs)
Soaring... 6.25L ST
Golden... 7.91L ST
And that's all lethal damage, every bit. And that's if you took every attack, which you might not have chosen to do; your alternatives would be to take attacks from pools, which generally suck except for Air Superiority. By comparison here's an Energy/Energy blaster (not my favorite and imo not optimal for damage, but very popular):
Bolt... 2.22E + .55S ST (2.77 total)
Blast... 2.77E + 1.77S ST (4.55 total)
Torrent... 1.83E + .83S Rng Cone (10 targs) (2.66 total)
Burst... 3.11E + 2.11S ST (5.22 total) - note this is at level SIX
Snipe... 5.55E + 2.11S ST (7.66 total) - note this is at level EIGHT
Explosive... 1.11E + 1.38S (2.5 total) Rng AOE (16 targs)
Nova... Some very random amount that is around 12.05, PBAOE, once every 6 minutes or less depending on slotting (yuck)
And we haven't touched the secondary yet, where the real damage is:
Thrust... 1.11E + 1.11S ST (2.22 total, 100% knockback)
Punch... 1.94S + .833E ST (2.77 total, %stun)
Bonesmasher... 2.77E + 1.77S ST (4.55 total, higher %stun)
Stun... 100% stun (you don't take this for dmg)
Total Focus... 2.77S + 7.11E ST (9.88!! total and 100% stun)
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I'm not sure where you got you numbers for the various attacks. Here are the numbers from the brawl index (formatted to match your tables above):
Katana
Sting of the Wasp - 3.22 L
Gambler's Cut - 2.33 L
Flashing Steel - 2.78 L (Cone, 5 targets max.)
Divine Avalanche - 2.33 L
The Lotus Drops - 2.78 L + 0.28 L * 3 (PBAoE, 10 targets max.)
Soaring Dragon - 5.00 L (??% chance of knockup)
Golden Dragonfly - 6.33 L (Cone, 5 targets max)
Energy Blast
Power Bolt - 2.22 E + 0.56 S (% chance of knockback)
Power Blast - 2.78 E + 1.78 S (% chance of knockback)
Energy Torrent - 1.83 E + 0.83 S (% chance of knockback) (Cone, 10 targets max.)
Power Burst - 3.11 E + 2.11 S (% chance of knockback)
Sniper Blast - 5.56 E + 2.11 S (% chance of knockback)
Power Push - 0.56 E + 0.56 S (% chance of knockback)
Explosive Blast - 1.11 E + 1.39 S (% chance of knockback) (Targeted AoE, 10 targets max.)
Nova - 2.78 S + 5.56 E + 4.17 E * 0-2 ( 25% chance of * 0, 37.5% chance of * 1, 37.5% chance of * 2) (PBAoE 16 targets max.) (100% chance of knockback)
Energy Manipulation
Power Thrust - 1.11 E + 1.11 S (100% Mag 4 knockback)
Energy Punch - 2.67 E + 2.78 S (??% Mag 2? Disorient)
Bone Smasher - 1.67 E + 5.56 S (??% Mag 3 disorient)
Stun - 0.42 S + 0.28 E (100% Mag 3 disorient)
Total Focus - 2.78 S + 7.11 E (100% Mag 4 disorient)
I have a lot of trust in these numbers; I have been using them for comparison purposes since about I3 and theyve always seemed right.
To the original posters point, blasters generally do better burst damage and their AoEs affect more targets. Blasters have some small amount of control as well; almost all sets attacks have some amount of mez associated with them (fire excluded).
The reason scrappers are generally preferred is that it is easier to play a scrapper well enough than to play a blaster well. In terms of damage, I find that most sets can put out comparable damage to scrappers, so when building a team, I would take either to fill a damage role. Also, except for Dark Melee, all scrapper primaries are either smash or lethal damage. All blaster primaries have at least on attack that does a low resist damage type: energy, fire, cold. This only become important in the 30s and beyond when the amount of smash/lethal damage resistance becomes highly prevelant.
As to when a blaster is always preferred? There are two I can think of for certain, assuming competent players for both the scrapper and the blaster: (1) Lots of minions/Lts. Most blaster sets have better AoE just from the number of targets hit. (2) Against foes with high PBAoE attacks. These are generally AVs or monsters, but the ability to deliver that damage from range makes a big difference when fighting Infernal, Marauder, or Quarries.
Z.
"I don't have an angel and a devil on my shoulder, I have Rocky and Bullwinkle." - Lore Sj�berg
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A blaster can fire at a running target at range - other than spine scrappers with impale, the rest of them can't do that.
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and claws, and any scrapper with an APP.
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Or Tankers with Hurl from SS or Stone, or APPs.
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
Happy b'day Dysmal.
Thanks!
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
People thing scrappers can out-damage blasters? I guess if you slot rest and super-speed, a scrapper could win 
Nice try. Unfortunately those of us who've been around awhile know better. Sustainable Damage > Burst Damage. Do Scrappers have nukes? No. Do they need them? Not when they have a defensive capacity a helluva lot stronger than anything Blasters have, coupled with an offensive capacity that shouldn't even be anywhere near that of a Blaster... but is Hell, Scrappers had an offensive capacity that capped out at 500% while Blasters were, until very recently, capped at 400%.
Don't even get me started on the Scrapper inherent that spikes their damage yet does not require them to first get their [censored]es kicked in order for it to kick in.
Long and short of it is this. Blasters paid for their offensive capacity by giving up their defensive capacity. Scrappers didn't pay for a damned thing. Not only should their offensive capacity not surpass that of Blasters. It shouldn't even come close. Period.
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I'm not sure where you got you numbers for the various attacks.
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He was counting the scrapper attacks in blaster brawls. He's also attributing scrappers with 125% blaster base damage, though Iakona's data indicates the difference is half that.
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Won't someone please think of the poor squishy Stalkers?!
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*prays for the Stalkers*
Hey, remember the sniper in "Saving Private Ryan"? The guy who recites scripture before he presses the trigger ...
If I did that while playing my blaster, does it count as "Sympathy for Stalkers"?
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No.
The difference is that Barry Pepper as that sniper could one shot the bad guys. Blasters can't.
Brother of Markus
The Lord of Fire and Pain
The Legendary Living Hellfire
Fight my brute!