Fix the blaster? Don't really care what the Devs have admitted to - there's nothing wrong with the blaster sets. It is the players who build them poorly. Just my opinion.
"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
[ QUOTE ]
Well, let's see what my thoughts have evolved to at this point.
- [*]1) Blasters revised role as ranged damage dealer (vs. previous role of best damage dealer) calls for a boost in range[*]2) Blasters need to be able to make a better ranged attack chains (both ST and AE) with their primary and secondary combined, than could be made with just the primary. [*]3) Controls and Debuffs are part of a Blaster's arsenal for a reason, and if they need more protection, that is where it should come from[*]4) Upping debuff and control a bit will lead towards AT homogenization, so a counterbalance needs to exist to keep ATs the best at fulfilling their roles.[/list]
Which leads to the following ToDo list
- [*]A) Add range to primaries (Increase range of all ranged attacks there to the average of current range and 80m)[*]B) Make one ST and one AE power in each secondary medium ranged so they improve ranged performance (and without making them untenable for their current uses)[*]C) Make the debuffs meaningful, and make sure every blaster has an "oh crap" control power.[*]D) Apply the irresistible damage (Blaster) and irresistible debuff (Defender) rules from PVP to PVE.[/list]
Now I want to get into the details, because some of these, while they sound simple, can get a bit hinky in the details. How do we make Frozen Fists a ranged attack, for example. That gets into Animation time and can get pretty ugly.
A) Add range to primaries (Increase range of all ranged attacks there to the average of current range and 80')
Here's one we can just do. No changes to animations required, thankfully.
B) Make one ST and one AE power in each secondary medium ranged so they improve ranged performance (and without making them untenable for their current uses)
- [*]Devices: Taser - Make this the ranged ST attack. Animation: Use the Taser draw and stance, but steal the bolt and effect from Elec: Lighting Bolt[*]Devices: Time Bomb - Time Bomb is targetable and if it is damaged by Fire, Energy, or Smashing damage, it goes off early[*]Electric: Charged Brawl - Make this the ranged ST attack. Use the second half of Hurl Boulder animation, but instead of Hurling a boulder, you hurl a huge ball of Electricity. (Renaming is probably in order)[*]Electric: Lightning Field - This becomes an enemy targeted Electrical Aura. Put the effect that currently applies to the PC on the effected MOB instead. Nearby MOBs get the same animation as when hit by Ball Lightning.[*]Energy: Power Thrust - Make this the ranged ST attack. We use the Hurl Boulder animation again, only this time we make a ball of Energy instead of Electricity.[*]Energy: Boost Range - Increases the radius and max # of MOBs effected by an AE as well as the range of an attack. Radius increases by 50%. Max Mobs = 24.[*]Fire: Fire Sword - Make this the ranged ST attack. We use something like the spines: impale animation, but throw the sword instead.[*]Fire: Blazing Aura - Becomes an enemy targeted AE. Targeted MOB gets aura that is around PC now, nearby foes react as if they were near a fireball.[*]Ice: Chilling Embrace - Simply change this to Storm: Snow Storm[*]Ice: Ice Sword - See Fire Sword.[/list]
C) Make the debuffs meaningful, and buff controls where they are too weak.
- [*]Increase strength of debuffs in primaries by X% (50%?)[*]Add recharge debuff to most AR: Buckshot, Beanbag, Snipe[*]Add regen debuff to AR: M30 Grenade, Flamethrower, Ignite, Full Auto[*]Add recharge debuff to Archery: Snap, Aimed, Fistful, Rain[*]Add regen debuff to Archery: Flaming, Explosive, Stunning[*]Add recharge debuff to most Energy Blast attacks[*]Add regen debuff to most Fire Blast attacks[*]Energy Manipulation: Stun - Causes and AE knockdown around the target[*]Fire: Combustion - Causes run-away fear[/list]
D) Apply the irresistible damage (Blaster) and irresistible debuff (Defender) rules from PVP to PVE.
Here's one we can just do. No changes to animations required, thankfully.
It's not the simplest plan, but it seems to me as simple a plan as I can see that puts the changes where the devs seem open to actually making changes (i.e. - primarily in the secondaries).
[/ QUOTE ]
Ok so i read finally the revised plan. Thanks for linking it. Have a couple questions, mostly on energy. Energy thrust, its a way low damage attack with a almost complete (almost) chance to knock back a target a good distance. Your plan to change it to a ranged ball of energy attack would do what? Increase the damage and lose the knockback? I guess what i am asking is other then range this idea seems to change the basis of the power from a control to a damage dealer. And for energy its one of the few real controls there is. And for stun, making it AOE i guess doesnt really matter. But i cant see that happening. But more over energy works well IMO as a single target set. For the most part anyway. It works because it can help limit exposure on teams to drawing agro. A AOE knockdown would sure get me more attention then i would really like im wagering.
The boost range changes... what ever i dont take the power now and dont forsee those changes making me want to take it being that i only really have 1 AOE i commonly use, that being energy torrent. I have nova but with the -regen for 10 seconds i almost never use it now, and explosive blast is really just a total waste. Just seems the idea to increase mobs targeted would be better served in a different set like say fire with its AOEs or devices for full auto.
Over all the new list i can probably live with, but still really dont see alot of that coming to light. I know your general opinion is probably it comes to late, but alot of the effects your looking for are attainable in the epic powers. EMP pulse, for example or a ranged AOE like lrm rocket. A extra cone for electric pool, repulsion field etc. I can recall the devs saying that the epics were ment to fill in the holes of other sets. I would probablly say that the want or desire to pick up a utility AOE power they would say is availible in the munitions pool. To get some resistance or defense from the force pool, An extra hold from fire or elec pools, AOE stun in electric and even fire if you count RoTP.
The one thing i can say i kinda agree on is that PBAOEs and ther effects to me are better served as targeted effects. The lighting field cast on a enemy and hits his near by buddies. This would also to me apply to the slow toggle in the ice secondary and i think its combustion in fire that both effect enemies only when they get near the player. I think it could add alot to these two secondaries to have that changed.
But over all i still think your talking about a very ambitious list, and to me the devs think more quick fix (i.e. Defiance)
[ QUOTE ]
The lighting field cast on a enemy and hits his near by buddies. This would also to me apply to the slow toggle in the ice secondary and i think its combustion in fire that both effect enemies only when they get near the player. I think it could add alot to these two secondaries to have that changed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Forget lightning field. Added damage is nice but imagine if you could drop Hot feet down in an area instead of having it PbAoE around you. Now, that would be a good reason to take the Fire Secondary and a nice pay-off for a level 38 power.
Look at Frozen Aura. Bam, targetable ranged AoE sleep. Suddenly the power is actually usefull to the majority of blasters and not just to the select few who work around it's draw backs.
[ QUOTE ]
Aren't anchors supposed to drop if you break LOS? I thought that would deal with the problem of kiting around an obstacle to keep the aura up with no risk. I could be wrong.
[/ QUOTE ]
In PvP, if the target manages to make you lose PERCEPTION range to them, the toggles will drop. Not just for losing LOS like them stepping behind cover but still in range.
In PvE, you can maintain toggles on mobs that are out of LOS long as you're within toggle-range (300'?).
As for XP gain using it... I didn't say that it's a wortwhile means of gaining XP HUNTING with it. But it is certainly a risk-free method of engaging a +2 end boss that may otherwise own you. Getting that mission complete bonus with basically not having to fight the end boss, is not something that the Devs will allow. They will not accept hte possibility of reward at no risk even if the rest of the mission has risk in it (see Phase Shift).
[ QUOTE ]
Stalkers... brutes, properly built slotted tanks, scrappers... all of these are easily squishy killers. The only difference being they need to get close.
[/ QUOTE ]
And when I get ambushed by any of these beside a Stalker (and I think that AS one-shotting is an idiotic design), I can run. They're suppressed. Maybe they kill me, maybe they don't, but they have a real problem in delivering their damage as I try to flee.
A ranged blaster that can deliver that much damage has no problem. 4 shots in about 5 seconds? Considering hang time, by the time you know you're being attacked, the second attack is finished and he's firing the third. Add in the fourth as you're retreating, and it's a killer scenario. And because he can deliver it at range, not only is it much harder to get away, but it's also possible to initiate it using Stealth, while it's much harder for a Scrapper to Stealth into melee range and attack me before I even see them.
Ice/* already can kill squishies in a salvo at range. Improving their salvo with a FAST attack isn't a good idea. If you make it a SLOW attack, with Impale's animation, it's fine. 1-2 seconds of animation time can be the difference between "fine" and "broken" in PvP.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The lighting field cast on a enemy and hits his near by buddies. This would also to me apply to the slow toggle in the ice secondary and i think its combustion in fire that both effect enemies only when they get near the player. I think it could add alot to these two secondaries to have that changed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Forget lightning field. Added damage is nice but imagine if you could drop Hot feet down in an area instead of having it PbAoE around you. Now, that would be a good reason to take the Fire Secondary and a nice pay-off for a level 38 power.
Look at Frozen Aura. Bam, targetable ranged AoE sleep. Suddenly the power is actually usefull to the majority of blasters and not just to the select few who work around it's draw backs.
[/ QUOTE ]
Good points. There are some powers in the Blaster secondaries (especially Fire) that would work well as ranged drop powers:
-Burn at range would be great! Combine Ring of Fire and Burn.
-Hot Feet at range would be great also. Caltrops but with larger AE.
-Frozen Aura would be useful.
-Ice Patch is probably too powerful to make ranged.
-Time Bomb or Trip Mine as ranged wouldn't affect the power's strength but would make it nicer to use compared to asking a team to wait while you smoke and toe bomb.
Oh, just an idea that may solve my concerns regarding ranged toggle aura that do damage:
If, like Phase Shift, the auras were time-limited so that you can't keep them up indefinitely, I think that would fix most or all of the exploits that I can think of.
Sort of like an AoE DoT that you can turn off if you find the agro to dangerous. I like it.
[ QUOTE ]
Witty, good ideas however States already said the melee attacks aren't going anywhere.
[/ QUOTE ]
Impeach Statesman.
[ QUOTE ]
We're also trying to devise changes that won't gimp our mentally impaired blapping brothers. 
[/ QUOTE ]
Fine. Way to fix Blasters in one easy move: Have all Blaster Primary Attacks bump up one level in Damage. From Minor to Moderate. From Moderate to Heavy. From Heavy to Superior. From Superior to OHMYFAATHIMICANONESHOTANAV. Etc.
MA Author: Look for my eight arcs under @Witty Librarian!
Hero Cleanup Protocol estory now available! Through Smashwords.com and most ebook retailers!
[ QUOTE ]
*Sidenote* What is BI, that everyone keeps saying in this thread. I apologize for my unknowningness in advanced*
[/ QUOTE ]
BI, Brawl Index.
It is the factor used to compare a power's raw, unresisted, unenhanced damage potential to brawl.
For example: If brawl does 10 points of damage to an enemy, and your snipe does 70 points of damage, then your snipe's BI is 7.
"Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'm gonna miss you... you had such potential. But then again, all good things must come to an end..." -- Q
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The lighting field cast on a enemy and hits his near by buddies. This would also to me apply to the slow toggle in the ice secondary and i think its combustion in fire that both effect enemies only when they get near the player. I think it could add alot to these two secondaries to have that changed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Forget lightning field. Added damage is nice but imagine if you could drop Hot feet down in an area instead of having it PbAoE around you. Now, that would be a good reason to take the Fire Secondary and a nice pay-off for a level 38 power.
Look at Frozen Aura. Bam, targetable ranged AoE sleep. Suddenly the power is actually usefull to the majority of blasters and not just to the select few who work around it's draw backs.
[/ QUOTE ]
Good points. There are some powers in the Blaster secondaries (especially Fire) that would work well as ranged drop powers:
-Burn at range would be great! Combine Ring of Fire and Burn.
-Hot Feet at range would be great also. Caltrops but with larger AE.
-Frozen Aura would be useful.
-Ice Patch is probably too powerful to make ranged.
-Time Bomb or Trip Mine as ranged wouldn't affect the power's strength but would make it nicer to use compared to asking a team to wait while you smoke and toe bomb.
[/ QUOTE ]
We already have Burn at Range, its called Ignite 
. Ice Patch could at least get a range like Caltrops. I dont think that would overpowered.
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
[ QUOTE ]
Fix the blaster? Don't really care what the Devs have admitted to - there's nothing wrong with the blaster sets.
[/ QUOTE ]
If my only extensive experience with Blasters was Ice/Ice, I would probably think the same thing. But the fact is that you are wrong.
The fact that you are wrong is relevant, because you are not completely wrong. You are partiallly correct because not all blaster sets are broken, which is why some of the proposed solutions (such as an across-the-board increase in damage) are very, very bad ideas. Such "solutions" would mean that those sets which sometimes can't kill greys with their max slotted level 32 attack would just go to not being able to kill greens, while the sets that didn't have the problem would become overpowered. A much better solution is Pilcrow#5, and those who are opposed to it probably just do not understand it.
[ QUOTE ]
It is the players who build them poorly. Just my opinion.
[/ QUOTE ]
This statement is the proof that you are wrong. Considering the implications of this statement shows exactly how blasters are broken, and suggests the preferred solution for solving the problem. Unless one picks up pool powers or adopts insane enhancement slotting it is very difficult to make a bad Ice/Ice or Ice/Energy blaster. The same cannot be said for AR/Dev or Archery/Fire.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The lighting field cast on a enemy and hits his near by buddies. This would also to me apply to the slow toggle in the ice secondary and i think its combustion in fire that both effect enemies only when they get near the player. I think it could add alot to these two secondaries to have that changed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Forget lightning field. Added damage is nice but imagine if you could drop Hot feet down in an area instead of having it PbAoE around you. Now, that would be a good reason to take the Fire Secondary and a nice pay-off for a level 38 power.
Look at Frozen Aura. Bam, targetable ranged AoE sleep. Suddenly the power is actually usefull to the majority of blasters and not just to the select few who work around it's draw backs.
[/ QUOTE ]
Good points. There are some powers in the Blaster secondaries (especially Fire) that would work well as ranged drop powers:
-Burn at range would be great! Combine Ring of Fire and Burn.
-Hot Feet at range would be great also. Caltrops but with larger AE.
-Frozen Aura would be useful.
-Ice Patch is probably too powerful to make ranged.
-Time Bomb or Trip Mine as ranged wouldn't affect the power's strength but would make it nicer to use compared to asking a team to wait while you smoke and toe bomb.
[/ QUOTE ]
We already have Burn at Range, its called Ignite . Ice Patch could at least get a range like Caltrops. I dont think that would overpowered.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, Burn with range is Ignite, but that's in a different set. The usefulness of Ignite for AR/ over how useful Burn is for /Fire simply provides another example of how adding a kind of range element to several PBAoE powers would make them far more useful.
To me, there are several ways of adding ranged components to PBAoE powers, and each method is more applicable and worthwhile to different powers in the various sets.
1. Increased Radius: Simply put, increasing the radius of a PBAoE power makes it more useful simply because it can affect enemies further away from you. It can drastically affect the strength of a power, however, due to the fact that it can affect more opponents - so doing this for a large increase isn't viable balance-wise for quite a few powers. I personally see this being a good solution for Chilling Embrace - expanding it to be the same radius as Hot Feet would allow a Blaster to keep enemies slowed without necessarily staying in melee range with them - staying right outside of melee range, instead.
2) Enemy-Based Toggle: Changing certain powers from toggles that are currently self-based auras to enemy-based toggles is one method of adding an element of range to them. This is currently the favored idea for some auras, such as Blazing Aura and Lightning Field. However, creating an enemy-based toggle that deals damage creates problems with kiting - you can simply place it on an enemy and keep out of the enemy's range, but within the range required to keep the toggle working, and wear them down without any risk. This will undeniably keep the devs from doing this, IMO.
3) Adding a location-based targeter: Many of these powers could easily be given a location-based targeter, similar to many location-based AoE powers in the game. This is usually applicable - and most appropriate - to non-toggle powers, such as Burn (Ignite), Ice Patch (small Ice Slick), and Frozen Aura (Flash Freeze). However, I had the thought recently - you could add a ranged location targeter to the damage auras, such as Blazing Aura and Lightning Field. Add a new graphic, and you've got a toggle version of many location-based rain damage powers. Keeping the lower damage tick rate and not adding a run-away fear component to the power could create a unique new style of power that truly is "support" in nature - you can keep the effect of a power in the area while not submitting yourself to the dangers of being in that area yourself.
Many different options that can be done with these "melee-ranged" powers to give them a ranged element and make them far more useful to the many people who cannot afford to enter melee long enough to use these powers - many of which draw aggro from multiple enemies (at melee range) onto the blaster when used.
(Oh yeah - wh00t, quote pyramid)
@Shenalia
Triumph: Ion Force (SG)
Victory: Evil Triumphs (VG)
Proud member of the Triumphant Defenders Coalition.
[ QUOTE ]
Fix the blaster? Don't really care what the Devs have admitted to - there's nothing wrong with the blaster sets. It is the players who build them poorly. Just my opinion.
[/ QUOTE ]
This is about the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life in any post. Most people do know how to build blasters. For a lot of us, our first toon in the release of CoH was a blaster. You eventually learn how to build a blaster half way thru your first one made. After that, it's pretty easy to do. But as for people building poor blasters, I have to disagree with. Obviously, you just posted in this thread to hear your brains rattle a bit.
Thanx for the tip Major T. Much appreciated
I think that power push has the kinda range that we as blasters want. Granted power push is only good for KB, but it does have quite a range on it. I honestly think, that if all blaster attacks had that kinda range on them , the blaster community would be happy with the results. If you add just one range SO, and add Boost Range Buff to it., you can hit a target from quite a distance. It's almost like a snipe attack, except less powerful.
[ QUOTE ]
Thanx for the tip Major T. Much appreciated
[/ QUOTE ]
Just trying to be a friendly forum troll.
Now that is an oxymoron!
"Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'm gonna miss you... you had such potential. But then again, all good things must come to an end..." -- Q
[ QUOTE ]
I think that power push has the kinda range that we as blasters want. Granted power push is only good for KB, but it does have quite a range on it. I honestly think, that if all blaster attacks had that kinda range on them , the blaster community would be happy with the results. If you add just one range SO, and add Boost Range Buff to it., you can hit a target from quite a distance. It's almost like a snipe attack, except less powerful.
[/ QUOTE ]
Taking range to the extreme one day way back in the days of the old 50% HOs I decided on a whim to test my max range. My snipe was 6 slotted with damage/range HOs and I did not have boost range. I was able to snipe greys farther and farther away until finally I couldn't see things anymore. So I got a friend of mine to join my group and she would go stand next to a critter and target it. I would then target her and fire.. from outside my (at the time 400/400 50k graphic settings) draw range. We were giggling and chortling till the Fake Nemisis she was phaseshifed next to and targeting turned around and slammed me with his staff.. from that far away.
I think she picked the Fake on purpose.. cause it sure wasn't grey!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is the players who build them poorly. Just my opinion.
[/ QUOTE ]
This statement is the proof that you are wrong. Considering the implications of this statement shows exactly how blasters are broken, and suggests the preferred solution for solving the problem. Unless one picks up pool powers or adopts insane enhancement slotting it is very difficult to make a bad Ice/Ice or Ice/Energy blaster. The same cannot be said for AR/Dev or Archery/Fire.
[/ QUOTE ]
Right! There are some very good Blaster powerset combinations. /Energy, /Ice, and (in the old days) /Devices were considered so "perfect" that you can pair those secondaries up to just about anything. With ED and other changes when CoV came out, /Devices died. Still, there were enough /Energy and /Ice blasters out there that many people still think that playing a blaster is simple.
Let me rephrase that. Many people simply use (or see blasters that use) /Energy and /Ice ... and conclude that the entire blaster AT is perfect.
It's almost the same argument with Defenders. Many people simply use Rad or Kin or Dark. Those primaries are strong enough that it's easy to dismiss the rest of the imperfections and call the entire Defender AT as "perfect".
[ QUOTE ]
To me, there are several ways of adding ranged components to PBAoE powers, and each method is more applicable and worthwhile to different powers in the various sets.
1. Increased Radius: Simply put, increasing the radius of a PBAoE power makes it more useful simply because it can affect enemies further away from you. It can drastically affect the strength of a power, however, due to the fact that it can affect more opponents - so doing this for a large increase isn't viable balance-wise for quite a few powers. I personally see this being a good solution for Chilling Embrace - expanding it to be the same radius as Hot Feet would allow a Blaster to keep enemies slowed without necessarily staying in melee range with them - staying right outside of melee range, instead.
[/ QUOTE ]
One way to increase the radius of PBAoEs to improve their usefulness without making them overpowered is to assume that the primary purpose of PBAoEs is to *prevent* critters from wanting to be in melee range, and then *secondarily* to punish them if they elect to do so anyway.
This could be done by giving all PBAoE powers *multiple* effects with diffferent radii. The powers would be much stronger at close range, but would have effects out to longer range that were less intense, but still potentially useful from a damage mitigation perspective. Blazing aura, for example, could have a fear radius significantly higher than its damage radius, so that it would scare villains into running away first, and then damage those that were sufficiently aggroed to overcome the fear (or villains that the blaster deliberately approached). Minor fear (run away for a while, not run away to Mars) might be highly useful to blasters in terms of damage mitigation, and give BA a protective purpose: a "soft" repel on critters.
[Guide to Defense] [Scrapper Secondaries Comparison] [Archetype Popularity Analysis]
In one little corner of the universe, there's nothing more irritating than a misfile...
(Please support the best webcomic about a cosmic universal realignment by impaired angelic interference resulting in identity crisis angst. Or I release the pigmy water thieves.)
While we're discussing PBAE options, another one would be "hole in the middle" where the PBAE has an outer radius of, say 50', but an inner radius of 20'. The effects would occur in the ring between 20' and 50'.
Two ways to leverage this would be "hole in the middle" attacks that had a high amount of damage, but damaged both friend and foe, or placeable "hole in the middle" summons that could serve as fortified positions (causing large amounts of autoheal damage while MOBs move through them, causing status effects like disorient, slow, or sleep, causing -PER to protect your retreat.)
[ QUOTE ]
While we're discussing PBAE options, another one would be "hole in the middle" where the PBAE has an outer radius of, say 50', but an inner radius of 20'. The effects would occur in the ring between 20' and 50'.
Two ways to leverage this would be "hole in the middle" attacks that had a high amount of damage, but damaged both friend and foe, or placeable "hole in the middle" summons that could serve as fortified positions (causing large amounts of autoheal damage while MOBs move through them, causing status effects like disorient, slow, or sleep, causing -PER to protect your retreat.)
[/ QUOTE ]
Or when you knock a mob back through the wall? Knockback for the win!
Indeed. There's lots of options to work with on those powers - and often, I find that the PBAoE powers in the Blaster secondaries are usually the least-used or most oft-cited powers among all of them for requests of the Devs to look at them for help in balancing Blaster issues.
I just hope that _Castle_ is still reading this and sees these ideas as more ways that they could rework these powers while keeping to the intent and purpose of them - and make them more useful to us in the exchange.
@Shenalia
Triumph: Ion Force (SG)
Victory: Evil Triumphs (VG)
Proud member of the Triumphant Defenders Coalition.
WARNING: LONG READ
Ok, here is my list of things to change. I'm not going to focus on primaries right now because they don't require as much work as the secondaries do at this point. One thing at a time. The only thing I will mention about the primaries are CRITICAL points that are continuously brought up:
AR and Archery need to do more damage.
Period. Raise their BIs and allow them to do additional damage for being lethal attacks. I believe it was Arco that said that Full Auto has a chance to do an additional bit of damage at the end of it's attack. I'd like the same code to apply to AR and Archery for all of their attacks. Conceptually if I shoot you with an arrow or gun, it will hurt you, but I may also shoot you in a vital organ or weak spot and thus do some extra damage to you. Thus, the term "lethal" damage.
If both are paired with Devices then they lack Build Up which helps an enormous amount when trying to deliver a giant burst of damage. Lethal damage is also highly resisted within the game. This is why many feel it justified to give them some kind of buff to damage so that they are able to keep up with the rest of the primaries. I understand that they have their inherent Acc buffs, but the other primary sets have an inherent ability and ALSO deal a good amount of damage.
Bitter Ice Blast has an advantage that must be addressed.
This advantage is that it has a longer range than the other high damage, short ranged attacks in the primaries such as Blaze, Shout and Power Burst. Ideally we would like for this range (which is 50 ft. I believe) to be given to the other primary short range, high damage powers. If this cannot be done, then I think it would be justified to shorten BiB's range to that of the other primaries so that it does not allow one Blaster to have such a nice advantage (in terms of risk vs. reward) over the others. It's a lot safer to deliver damage from 50 ft. away than 20 ft. away, especially if you have a long, rooted animation such as Shout.
With that out of the way I would also like to mention that at this point I don't want to ask for global buffs to our AT, such as increased range, either. The calculations for these kinds of buffs will take many weeks I feel, along with an extended amount of testing. I know that many want changes to come soon to our AT rather then later, so asking for these kind of things, while interesting, shouldn't be brought up at this point if we want the programmers to change our AT within a few months. I would rather have such long work and testing be applied to figuring out the proper values that should be placed upon AR and Archery's attacks.
I'm going to start with Energy and Ice because I've grinded both sets to 50.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY
Power Thrust - No change. If an enemy gets into melee the power knocks them back, even moreso with Power Boost which is also in the set. Power fulfills its purpose of melee control.
Energy Punch - Great damage, fast animation. No change. Power fulfills its purpose of high, melee damage.
Build Up - Standard power to AT, no change.
Bone Smasher - Great damage, fast animation. No change. Power fulfills its purpose of high, melee damage.
Conserve Power - Some would say this power isn't worth it because of the recharge time. I don't believe this power should be thought of in terms of taking the place of Stamina or something similar. Slot for Endurance or take Stamina if you have endurance issues. For what it was designed to do it works well. It is a TOOL that allows you to cut the endurance cost of all your powers by half, greatly increasing the amount of things you can activate during a period of time. No change.
Stun - If an enemy is engaged in melee, the power can be used to stun it and then move out of melee. It has a long animation, but it also applies a very long stun. Power fulfills its purpose of melee control, no change.
Power Boost - Great tool for boosting holds or other effects that one is going to use. It lasts for a good bit and has a descent recharge. Some would argue that it should be permeable, but then we might be stepping into Controller territory. This kind of power should be used with planning before engaging into a fight. If you need to Total Focus a boss for a bit, use it. If you need to hold a Sapper at the beginning of a fight, use it. No change.
Boost Range - Great tool once again. Lasts for a few seconds so should generally be used, like Power Boost, with planning. Descent recharge. No change.
Total Focus - Probably one of the biggest reasons for getting the Energy secondary. Mag 4 stun along with extreme damage. Long animation which is paid by the disorient and damage. Power fulfills its purpose of high melee damage and melee control, no change.
ICE
Chillblain Standard Immobilize. Helps to control target from getting into melee. No change.
Frozen Fists Bring up to BI of Energy Punch. When people think damage, they shouldn't just think Energy. Change only requires changing numbers and testing.
Ice Sword Bring up to BI of Bonesmasher. When people thing damage, they shouldn't just think Energy. Change only requires changing numbers and testing.
Chilling Embrace Add Minor damage to it so as to be on par with Blazing Aura and Lightning Field. Reduce End Cost slightly because it really is an end heavy power. It works well in PvP to prevent an Assassin Strike. In melee it allows you to slow someone if they get too close to you so that you have an opportunity to move away and return fire. Change requires changing some numbers and testing.
Build Up Standard AT power, no change.
Ice Patch Some want to make this so that you could target the area you want to freeze, but Controllers get Ice Slick and it would require a bit of a power change. This power is a tool as well that should be used with planning. If you think it will save you if you have a bunch of inc melee then you're already dead, the animation will kill you. Put it around a corner or drop it after aggro has been established by someone else. Power fulfills its purpose of melee control, no change.
Shiver Huge cone, great slow. Power fulfills its purpose of melee control, no change.
Freezing Touch If an enemy gets into melee the power can be used to freeze them. Fast animation and great recharge. Power fulfills its purpose of melee control, no change.
Frozen Aura I was so let down when I got this power. Horrible accuracy, only Mag 3, if that. Long animation and above all, it's a sleep. Sleep is very tricky to use in a team setting and solo the giant endurance cost of it is hardly justified. In all of my CoH career I've only known and seen one /Ice take and use this power. Subsitute this with Greater Ice Sword. Allow grandfathering of old power for those who took it. Bring BI up to level of Thunder Strike (BI of Thunder Strike should be between Bonesmasher and Total Focus as later explained) Change requires animation for Greater Ice Sword, which is already ingame, changing some numbers, changing overall powerset selection and testing.
ELECTRIC
Electric Fence Standard Immobilize. No change.
Charged Brawl Bring up to BI of Energy Punch. When people think damage they shouldn't just think Energy. Change requires changing some numbers and testing.
Lightning Field Pretty sure it has minor damage, if not then it needs it. I would also like to make it a Foe Immobilize if it hits. The reason being, if I get too close to someone with a huge field of lightning it should hurt me and the shock should be so great that I can't move for a bit becuase of the blow to my body. You could then have a chance to move back out of melee and retaliate, just like Chilling Embrace allows. Change requires adding some numbers and status effects to power, animation for electric immobilize, which is already ingame and testing.
Havok Punch Bring up to BI of Bonesmasher. When people think damage they shouldn't just think Energy. Change requires changing some numbers.
Build Up Standard AT power, no change.
Lightning Clap From what it's description says, it sounds like a good power, but I've never really read anything good about it. I would just want to make sure Knockback occurs each time, it doesn't have a horrible accuracy and the Disorient is Mag 3. Power would fulfill its role of melee control and allow you to move out of melee. Any changes would require changing some numbers and testing.
Thunder Strike Bring up BI to a level between Bonesmasher and Total Focus. It shouldn't be Total Focus level because it comes earlier, can disorient and can do an AoE Knockback. When people think damage, they shouldn't just think Energy. Change requires changing some numbers and testing.
Power Sink Great tool for endurance, no change.
Shocking Grasp Never heard anyone complain about this power. No change.
FIRE
Ring of Fire Standard Immobilize, no change.
Fire Sword Bring up to BI of Bonesmasher. When people think damage, they shouldn't just think Energy. Change requires changing some numbers and testing.
Combustion Bring up BI to a level slightly higher then BI of Fireball. You are in melee and should be doing more AoE damage then an attack which you have at range. Change requires changing some numbers and testing.
Fire Sword Circle Bring up BI to a level slightly higher then BI of Firebreath. Should be stronger than Combustion so as to be different and to match concept of high damage from Fire Sword. You're also in melee so damage should be greater than a power you are using at range. Change requires changing some numbers and testing.
Build Up Standard AT power, no change.
Blazing Aura This power should have the same effect of making foes run away from you like Rain of Fire produces. It should also retain its damage since people are running into you while you're on fire. If foes run away from you, it gives you a chance to run away and retaliate like Lightning Field and Chilling Embrace allow. I'm not sure if the same "run away" code can be applied in PvP, but if not then have it produce a Fear effect on anyone it hits. Change requires changing code of power effect and adding Fear animation, which is already ingame, into power code and testing.
Consume Tool for getting endurance back. What's not to like? No change.
Burn When I think of Burn I think of Ice Patch as well. Like Ice Patch you can't go in thinking this power will save you from an inc melee barrage. This power takes planning to use. It should cause foes to run away in PvE if they hit it, just like Rain of Fire. In PvP if the same code cannot be applied it should cause a Fear effect. It should also most certainly do more damage than the Tanker version if it hits. I understand that it won't hold guys in place like Ice Patch, but it's supposed to buy you time, not give you complete control. Changes require changing power effect code, adding Fear animation, which is already ingame, changing some numbers and testing.
Hot Feet I'm not sure how well this power could play out, but a melee aura that only makes the guys move around you slower doesn't seem like it's help keep you alive for very long. The speed debuff is nice, but if it does nothing to recharge then a foe can just continue to plink away at you with no penalty. I would substitute it with Greater Fire Sword. Allow grandfathering of old power for those who have it. Bring BI up to level of Thunder Strike. Change requires adding Greater Fire Sword animation, which is already ingame, changing some numbers, changing overall powerset selection and testing.
DEVICES
Web Grenade Standard Immobilize with - Fly. Have you fought Malta? No change.
Caltrops Kinves of Artemis seem to use it pretty ok. Good slow and good area coverage. Works well if use is planned ahead of time. No change.
Taser If an enemy gets into range, the power can Stun them and allow a Blaster to run out of melee and retaliate. Have you fought Malta? Power fulfills its purpose of melee control. No change.
Targetting Drone Should give a buff of 33% (1 SO) at least and still allow you to slot it for ToHit. No damage buff, it's a TARGETTING Drone. Lack of Aim on AR is made up by the fact that this is always continuous and provides a ToHit Buff. Because of ED it is not as beneficial since you can only slot 3 of something, but it does free up having to use between 1-2 slots for Acc within powers.
Smoke Grenade Not broken anymore. Does a descent debuff I believe, no change.
Cloaking Device No movement penalty and is a Self Stealth without having to dip into a power pool. If you take any action outside of sneaking around, why wouldn't you supress it? It's not supposed to be a shield of some kind, it's a tool for getting around if need be or for PvP. No change.
Trip Mine Does good damage and can be stacked with other mines. Don't want to make it targettable just yet since it would kinda defeat the purpose of laying it down for someone to step on and set off. I just hope the bug that existed that made it not go off at times has been addressed. No change.
Time Bomb Make it targettable so as to be able to be set off by other powers. Would help make it more beneficial since you don't have to time it exactly for it to do max damage. Change requires changing and adding in code from Oil Slickin Trick Arrow set and testing.
Auto Turret When fighting Malta, one of these doesn't do too much damage, so I say increase the damage it puts out. I would also like to see it be made mobile later on so that a Device doesn't have to drop it over and over again or dip into the Teleport pool to drag it around. If Voltaic Sentinnel does nothing but damage and follows you around, why can't Auto Turret do the same? First change requires changing some numbers and testing. Second change requires an animation change and testing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel that after these changes everything would be on the level of utility and damage of Energy. Electric, Ice and especially Fire would be doing great damage. The situational powers would be more helpful as well. Everyone must remember that this AT requires a LOT of planning at ALL times when playing. It's not EASY mode for CoH. This AT is one of, if not the hardest to learn to play and master. I am all for making things easier for the casual player, but you can't make things so bland and helpful and riskless that the AT becomes boring. The attraction that many of the veterans always talk about is the razors edge that we are always dancing around. Blappers live for the rush of gunning into melee when they don't have to. It's a very fun AT, which can be frustrating, but with a few changes, all of the secondaries can be made wanted and useful so that we don't lose any of the thrill that comes with being a Blaster.
[ QUOTE ]
QuiJon, chill.
Regardless of whether you agree with any of the suggestions in the original post or not, there's nothing wrong with posting a lot of stuff in a brain-storming session. Castle already said a lot of Pilcrow's suggestions won't be put into effect for a variety of reasons. Let's wait and see what they do choose to implement before panicking. If you disagree with anything Pilcrow suggested, point out what problems it causes and suggest a counter-proposal.
Defiance hasn't been forgotten. I suggested a change to it earlier in the thread. Namely, I think Defiance should work more like Vigilance, and damage taken by teammates should count towards a Blaster's Defiance meter in addition to the damage the Blaster takes himself. I like the idea because it not only makes Defiance more useful, but it helps solve a problem being brought up on the Tanker forum: Tankers who forego offense to build a pure meatshield don't feel they contribute enough to the team, so there is no point in building anything but a Scranker. If a meatshield Tank has a greater potential to increase a Blaster's damage than a Scranker, problem solved. (Well, partially.)
How keen the devs are on that idea I don't know, since they would have to completely rework the percentages where Defiance kicks in and how much it boosts our damage, but Positron has said that the devs want to have more powers in the game like Oil Slick Arrow, where a teammate with a fire power can set the slick alight, in addition to the power's native abilities. In Defiance, they have a golden opportunity to do this. I'm holding out hope that they'll take it.
[/ QUOTE ]
I actually like that idea. It makes perfect sense. If you're on a team and half of your team is getting walloped or dead your defience should be thru the roof. Espcially if you're the only one left. Although it wouldn't work well for those that like to solo with their blasters. But the DEVS are all about team play anyway, so it would fit into the whole idea. I was going to suggest that Defience should work like the Brutes Fury bar. However, that would probably cause an uproar witht the rest of the AT's. So a Vigalence type of Defience would seem more suitable for blasters then what we have now. Plus it would be less of a hastle for the DEV's to reprogram. It's either that or they add a Range Boost to all the blasters or blaster types in CoX. I would think thatthe Former, would be easier to impliment then the latter.
*Sidenote* What is BI, that everyone keeps saying in this thread. I apologize for my unknowningness in advanced*