Once a stalker engages combat on a large scale meaning there are Many opponents around? The stalker is extremely ineffectual. With 1-3 around a stalker can get by. But large scale battles? Forget it. The real fact is PVP as it is now due to its over all unpopularity allows stalkers to work very well. But otherwise? Forget it. And the chosen AT for large combat and lack of stalkers is too evident to support these other claims of Stalker superiority.
Fix placate and help stalkers
[ QUOTE ]
Scenario......
-Hero_ *bouncy....bouncy....bouncy.....bouncy.....
-villain- "darn, can't get in an AS because the bouncy hero wont hold still....I know, I'll Impale him immob him" *BU+Impale*
-Hero- *Crittical Impale brings jumping to a halt and is Immobed as health drops down to 3/4. Searches for the target who Impaled him. Target found*
-Villain- *runs up to hero and placates as he prepares an AS*
-Hero- *Simply retargets the villain because he is suffering from a status effect. BU+Aim+Strongest attack------Dead Stalker*
-Villain- "Hate the placate bug!*
Doesnt sound very nice, does it?
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Even harder when the hero is running 3 slotted combat jump and hurdle and you try to impale him 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After numerous PMs, I figure I should address this.
First, we know about this. It was noted as happening during Beta. At that time, we decided to watch the PvP data and see if it proved a problem. Stalkers are not doing poorly in PvP at any level range.
Second, I discussed this with our QA and programmer and have filed it as a bug. It is low priority, however, since Stalkers are still the best in PvP according to our data. As such, there is no ETA for a fix.
Third, there is a workaround for this issue. I'm certain you all can figure out what it is, if you don't already know.
Just to reiterate on Placates mechanics:
Placate, the power has two portions: Placate (the effect) and a Hide equivalent.
Any attack or effect on the original target will break the Placate, but not the hide -- only a new attack on any target breaks that.
In PvE, we've made the AI ignore Effects when placated, so the AI still ignores you (most of the time.)
Placate is a tool. It is a powerful tool, but it has limitations. Learning those limitations and how to work around them is a large part of gameplay for Stalkers.
[/ QUOTE ]
Since its set at a low priority, any ideas to when it will be fixed?
[/ QUOTE ]
Low priority means pretty much never.
In the place where you were, flowers have been falling. Ice that had collected is thawing
That time, you were finishing my training. I was to tell no one, and let it remain thousand times a secret
The sound of a faraway drum invites the winter that is the ancient rhythm of sadness
[ QUOTE ]
Scenario......
-Hero_ *bouncy....bouncy....bouncy.....bouncy.....
-villain- "darn, can't get in an AS because the bouncy hero wont hold still....I know, I'll Impale him immob him" *BU+Impale*
-Hero- *Crittical Impale brings jumping to a halt and is Immobed as health drops down to 3/4. Searches for the target who Impaled him. Target found*
-Villain- *runs up to hero and placates as he prepares an AS*
-Hero- *Simply retargets the villain because he is suffering from a status effect. BU+Aim+Strongest attack------Dead Stalker*
-Villain- "Hate the placate bug!*
Doesnt sound very nice, does it?
[/ QUOTE ]
The devs like it when stuff like that happens. Or perhaps they are incompetent/ineffective.
Thanks to Ex Libris for stickying this
Doom.
Yep.
This is really doom.
Scenario 1:
Stalker: I can kill this paragon protector elite by just ASing, placating and waiting for AS to be back up.
*AS*
PPE: *Cremate!*
Stalker: *Placate*
PPE: *Had incinerate queued up!*
Stalker: *is unhidden by incinerate whose DoT lasts 8 more seconds*
((To clarify for those not experienced in Placate: Normally, Placate hides you for 10 seconds even if you are being affected by DoT for 8 of those. So had Incinerate not unhid me, I would be able to AS during those last two seconds at least.))
PPE: *Oblivious*
Stalker: *waits 10 seconds to hide after DoT finishes*
PPE: *Remembers stalker is there after 6 seconds!*
Stalker: *dies*
Scenario 2:
Villain: *Gets noticed by brute in warburg*
Hero: *KO blow!*
Villain: *Placate--*
Hero: *Haymaker!*
Villain: Whew, now he can't attack me, and he doesn't have Assault either. Maybe I can get an AS off.
Hero: *Attacks anyway!*
Villain: *dies*
------------------
I've experienced both these scenarios many times in both PvE and PvP. This is on a Claws stalker, also. No effects there. Perhaps knockback from Focus/Shockwave counts, but I know it's happened without any KB whatsoever.
EDIT: DoT/placate clarification
[ QUOTE ]
The problem with "datamining" is the fact that it doesn't actually gauge the effectiveness of an AT. Anyone who's actually played a Stalker knows how hard it is to fight against truly skilled opponents, or even minorly clever opponents.
I suspect the D:K ratio is skewed by the newbs who walk into a PvP zone, stand around chatting around their favourite badge locations, and get their [censored] stabbed by their friendly neighbourhood EM Stalker, repeatedly, because they just stand around doing nothing. It's simply ridiculous to base the effectiveness of an AT, and the priorities in fixing GAME BREAKING BUGS on a stupid and easily skewed calculation.
Castle, Posi, any other dev watching: Fight a high-end, dedicated PvP SG. Tell me how many Stalkers they use. Then ask them why they don't use any. You'll find out how "extremely effective" the Stalker AT is.
[/ QUOTE ]
The problem is the data itself. A person skilled at number manipulation can use raw data to prove anything they want. Sure, if you take Kill-Death ratio, stalkers may prove to be the least killed of all ATs, but as long as there is no penalty for dying, Kill-Death ratio is meaningless. The only data that has any meaning for this game is Kills per Hour. Judge how many kills each AT averages over a period of time, and THAT will really mean something. From what I have been a witness to, blasters may die more than stalkers, but they get a LOT more kills than we do as well. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been in a nice big melee and see a dead blaster come back from the hospital with low health firing a flurry of attacks. He typically gets 2-3 sometimes 4 kills before he's spotted and swatted. Its not like it takes a rocket scientist to come into a fight with ranged attacks at the damage cap with 30% unresistable damage and swat down anything they see. Even my electric armor brute with energy resistance far beyond the cap will die from such a blaster even if they are firing energy damage....it only takes a couple more hits...after all, 30% unresistable no matter HOW high my resists are. Corrupters, dominators, stalkers, they die instantly, MMs survive a little longer if they are in BG mode, but that doesn't mean much.
Please, Please, Oh...Please fix this bug soon!!!
When my character has been Placated in I-9 ..by Spines most recently it has lost the Stalker as the Target, and the only way I can re-target is to click on the Stalker with my Mouse-Pointer. Control-Tab sends me to the next nearest Target and not the Stalker.
I don't know if this is right or wrong for Placate, just providing info.
Quixotik
"I did not say this. I am not here." -Guild Navigator
I've logged probably somewhere near 1000 hours on my stalker mainly in Arena and Zone PvP and I really don't see a problem with the way it works in some respects. It makes sense to have it work the way it does now for status effects, but for slows and -def it seems a bit silly. I work around it fine but I know if it was the all powerful "you can't target me" power all the time, it would be amazing fun, while feeling a little too strong at some times. I already feel like I'm on easy mode playing my stalker most the time anyways 
easy mode? lol, try fighting a spines/regen. Just had one eat me for breakfast. And that's saying alot, as My play skills is not lacking.
I am going to go on a dev PMing frenzy if this bug isn't fixed in I10.
---------------------------------
Heartbroken
I lurked a lot but I'll miss you allAlpha Team sg, Pinnacle server
Black Citadel vg
Well two points about this bug from a pve perspective, dont even get me started on pvp.
1. I have a vid of me fighting Miss Liberty the fight goes for about 4 minutes and I placate her a couple of times and she continued to attack me as normal with no effects on her unless the stuns and disorients that did not work count.
2. I know this wont get any sympathy but caltrops could be so much better if I could placate after I have dropped out of hide once already using it, alas its not to be, it goes something like this; I use it/ drop hide/ placate/drop hide/get dead. Isnt that double jeopardy.
So now I have to throw blinding powder or cop a hit and try to get a stun into the mix just to get off a A/S
I mean really here we are asking for a power that has been nerfed already, to simply do its job nothing more.
I fight in RV, and when a ice tank (now with IO's not able to be killed) doing 500 damage attacks through my placate its a joke. Half my /nin powers are effected by this rubbish.
This may not be high on the to do list and if it were a pvp issue only I could understand it but stalkers arent real flash in pve as it is this would go a long way to helping that issue.
I will even say pretty please. . . . MAN that taste awful
"if you ever get offered a burger from a clown and its not ronald mcdonald don�t eat it, I learnt that the hard way"
shouldnt hsve to drop hide to use caltrops
Dropping caltrops doesn't drop hide, but the second an NPC takes damage from the caltrops, they immediately aggro to you and see you with no problem.
I don't know what I'd do if Placate was fixed... Probably have an anuerism
I might actualy win more than one duel a day....
[ QUOTE ]
After numerous PMs, I figure I should address this.
First, we know about this. It was noted as happening during Beta. At that time, we decided to watch the PvP data and see if it proved a problem. Stalkers are not doing poorly in PvP at any level range.
Second, I discussed this with our QA and programmer and have filed it as a bug. It is low priority, however, since Stalkers are still the best in PvP according to our data. As such, there is no ETA for a fix.
Third, there is a workaround for this issue. I'm certain you all can figure out what it is, if you don't already know.
Just to reiterate on Placates mechanics:
Placate, the power has two portions: Placate (the effect) and a Hide equivalent.
Any attack or effect on the original target will break the Placate, but not the hide -- only a new attack on any target breaks that.
In PvE, we've made the AI ignore Effects when placated, so the AI still ignores you (most of the time.)
Placate is a tool. It is a powerful tool, but it has limitations. Learning those limitations and how to work around them is a large part of gameplay for Stalkers.
[/ QUOTE ]
I would like to see you compare your data to Arena matches. I am lucky to win one match a day these days due to this retarded bug.
Your data stinks.
Stalkers are Gimped. We have one of the lowest hit points in the game and our damage outside of hide is not all that much to shake a stick at. In order for a Stalker to function, we need all of our powers working correctly.
Arena was hard enough as it was. Now that I.O.'s are out, it is even harder.
Castle, just to let you know how much this bug is affecting me, I have decided to retire Wraiven and shelve him.
Please take another look at the data and do more extensive tests. Or, even role up a Spines/Anything but Regen Stalker and see just how hard Arena. The reason why I say arena, is because this is where all the "good" players dwell. You won't find many n00bs in the Arena.
Chill out. I arena PvP, that's where my home is and I never have problems beating people with my stalker. It's a challenge in there, it's not supposed to be free.
Yeah? What's your build? If it is an EM/ then you fit into the catagory that I am speaking of.
Sorry man, but Spines damage output is not enough to kill any regen or anything that has a heal that is slotted with I.O.'s.
Ah, yes, I have 2 EM stalkers and a spiner. It is indeed harder to play a spiner and if they have more HP, it is A LOT harder. I've seen a spiner beat a Fire/EM tank before though. Just gotta come up with the right startegy.
[ QUOTE ]
Yeah? What's your build? If it is an EM/ then you fit into the catagory that I am speaking of.
Sorry man, but Spines damage output is not enough to kill any regen or anything that has a heal that is slotted with I.O.'s.
[/ QUOTE ]
1st of all thats a lie, ive beaten two spines/regen scrapper on infinity in rv, lay caltrops after web nading them keeps em at bay not to mention using blinding powder to lower their perception, but maybe its harder because you are a spines/dark 
You couldnt even beat my blaster.....
Stalkers deal with alot of hate.
Everytime I get a kill I either cheated or I got lucky according to the broadcast.
"You Coward Stalker!"
"All you do is run when you get in trouble or phase."
Why would a stalker phase shift?
It helps me hide and get a crit in much more effectively than placate;
without having to avoid the opponent and jumping away untill the status effect I just left on him wears off.
You'd think they'd appreciate im doing my best to work around the placate bug and staying in there,
not kiteing as a stalker. But no, i get alot of grief for using phase aswell.
I'm sure im not the only stalker dedicated to pvp that has learned to bypass the placate bug
only to get called a coward in private msgs, pvp zone broadcast, and /arena channel.
Well if placate worked i wouldn't take phase, might even try out a patron power.
I just figure stalkers with working placate makes for better PvP all around.
The skill in playing a stalker use to be: fooling an opponent into jumping into a placate AS.
That way you could be curtious feel better about starting a fight with energy punch,
to get the duel started under fair conditions instead of Build Up, AS, ET... even when you dont have the rehide option phase.
I just think it would make for better pvp and decrease the stalker hate
if we weren't forced to get so creative and be so underhanded to get the kill.
It's not like the DEVs have catered much to pvp.
Not like we have a new PvP zone that works like like a mixture of poket D and Warburg
were you can fight everyone and team with anyone at lvl 50 comming in Issue 10.
A pvp bug fix atleast would be nice to see.
Scenario......
-Hero_ *bouncy....bouncy....bouncy.....bouncy.....
-villain- "darn, can't get in an AS because the bouncy hero wont hold still....I know, I'll Impale him immob him" *BU+Impale*
-Hero- *Crittical Impale brings jumping to a halt and is Immobed as health drops down to 3/4. Searches for the target who Impaled him. Target found*
-Villain- *runs up to hero and placates as he prepares an AS*
-Hero- *Simply retargets the villain because he is suffering from a status effect. BU+Aim+Strongest attack------Dead Stalker*
-Villain- "Hate the placate bug!*
Doesnt sound very nice, does it?