Actually, for your Energy Affinity idea(I like that, btw) you might want to lower the resistance number a little and make it to all damage types, except maybe psionic. That would add another layer of protection to damage, albeit small, and would then stack with the passives, making THOSE more desirable/useful in turn.
i disagree that Energy Drain is a problem. Once slotted, it can return nearly a full bar of endurance from 2 targets. That's what the average player is going to see 90% of the time in their missions and running around. 3 minions, a lieut and 1-2 minions, boss and a minion: these are common and EA can take them on without aggroing or needing to aggro additional spawns to fuel Energy Drain.
though i wouldn't mind at all seeing more energy resistance and end drain protection in other powers.
Level 50 is a journey, not a destination.
▲Scrapper Issues List - Going Rogue Edition▲
[ QUOTE ]
I think I finally realized part of the problem with EA.
it doesn't synergize with itself.
Basically it's like this. the stealth makes it perfect for single-target snipping. everything about the set is geared towards single target... from the stealth to the fact that it doesn't rely on hordes of mobs to increase it's survivability... I mean, it doesn't even have a taunt aura.
the problem comes from just one power: Energy Drain.
[/ QUOTE ]
I disagree. The stealth has to go. It's counter-intuitive for a brute. Every other brute has a look-at-me aura except EA. Brutes are not stalkers. They need (fury) and want aggro (taunt in their attacks).
I don't think we need to get rid of the stealth. Just adding a powerful taunt function will give you be best of both worlds, in the same way /dark has it.
That set works fine conceptually and functionally for brutes and even tanks... No need to be in your opponents face until, well, you actually are RIGHT in you opponents face yes?
One could easily keep the stealth and add a taunt aura, although there are plenty of other ways to do it, like adding a high taunt to energy drain, or some such.
Again this work fine for /DA, allowing stealth when desired, and when stealth is not desired? no problem. The stealth toggle can even stay up, just start using the power that overrules it.
I'd argue that there are far too many players that have invested far too much time into /EA concepts that benefit from stealth to simply remove it, particularly when there are other sets where it works just fine.
The cake is a lie! The cake is a lie!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think I finally realized part of the problem with EA.
it doesn't synergize with itself.
Basically it's like this. the stealth makes it perfect for single-target snipping. everything about the set is geared towards single target... from the stealth to the fact that it doesn't rely on hordes of mobs to increase it's survivability... I mean, it doesn't even have a taunt aura.
the problem comes from just one power: Energy Drain.
[/ QUOTE ]
I disagree. The stealth has to go. It's counter-intuitive for a brute. Every other brute has a look-at-me aura except EA. Brutes are not stalkers. They need (fury) and want aggro (taunt in their attacks).
[/ QUOTE ]
No the stealth doesn't need to go. Dark armor has stealth as well, and I don't hear complaints about it's stealth. That is because it has tools to gain aggro without being seen. So just adding a taunt aura of some kind would allow EA to more easily aggro just what it wants.
Dirges
I suppose there is another way to look at the remove stealth suggestion. Im arguing a point I dont really support here, but lets see where this goes anyway.
Lets say that we argue that right now, /EA doesnt NEED survival, because it has a the tool which potentially limits incoming aggro. If we remove that tool, then survival must increase to a more normal level, in order to compensate.
In other words, if one perceives stealth as a play balance barrier to /EA getting tougher, and one feels that stealthy weak /EA is less valuable than non-stealthy strong /EA, I can see why one might argue for the removal of the power
Now, again, I dont see why one cant have the best of both worlds. After all, /DA does, but others might not be similarly convinced.
The cake is a lie! The cake is a lie!
[ QUOTE ]
I don't think we need to get rid of the stealth. Just adding a powerful taunt function will give you be best of both worlds, in the same way /dark has it.
That set works fine conceptually and functionally for brutes and even tanks... No need to be in your opponents face until, well, you actually are RIGHT in you opponents face yes?
[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely, and when you are in their face and you have started attacking, the stealth is of no use for the whole spawn. I might be remotely useful for other close spawns... but generally given the mess that is a villain team it's useless.
I know Dark has a similar stealth but it's more conceptual given that they have multiple auras to get mobs attention. I have yet to see some good argument that the stealth saved someone's bacon after they started aggroing.
Right now EA has no way to maintain aggro by itself and must essentially rely on the brute's primary to do so. Being personnally DM/EA, I certainly feel that I am not feeling my role of aggro magnet... Even on small teams. Role that other brutes that I have made have no problem holding. Me being stealthed (and that being part of my survival) means I am not aggroing until I have hit everything with my primary, thus delaying further my teammates contribution.
Compared to that my SS/ELA jumps in spawn and mobs never leave me.
Dark isn't stealthy... it looks like it is until brute gets into spawn.
EA for some reason is non-aggro all the way... and it's counter-productive.
Keep the stealth if you want but let us generate aggro by some aura.
[ QUOTE ]
I disagree. The stealth has to go. It's counter-intuitive for a brute. Every other brute has a look-at-me aura except EA. Brutes are not stalkers. They need (fury) and want aggro (taunt in their attacks).
[/ QUOTE ]
What you think is in fact very understandable, although the people here tend to say no. You can take a look at my previous post in this thread about stealth on brute.
Regarding whether stealth clicks with the theme of a brute or not, my personal opinion is that stealth doesn't quite match a brute that rush, rush and rush. However, some people do like an alternate theme for their brutes, so it's probably not a good idea to remove it now(I think it's ok to remove it during power proliferation for other AT if the dev wants to).
I think the issue is that there isn't an option for people to choose whether you want to be stealthy or not. Apparently, you can skip energy cloak if you want, however you don't want to miss the defense from the cloak because it helps a lot for defense set. For dark armor in contrary, it's mainly a resistance set with various tricks, it's ok to skip cloak of darkness with minimal impact on survival. If there are enough people who hate energy cloak on a brute, my suggestion to the dev is to move the defense from energy cloak to entropy shield, such that people can skip the stealth if they want, while people who love the stealth can still keep their theme.
Another aspect that you want to aware of is that the stealth in EA brute is designed to be for combat. Energy cloak doesn't suppress your movement, while the stealth from power pool does. Also, the defense from the cloak is not suppressed during combat as well. During combat, the stealth radius is mostly suppressed. Therefore, if you're the one who start a battle, you should have the aggro. However, since energy aura does not have a taunt aura, you do have to work harder to draw aggro from either taunt or various attacks. It is probably more difficult for EA to get aggro if you're not the one to rush in first, but this is most likely owing to the lack of a taunt aura rather than the stealth.
I think stealth doesn't have that much impact on fury as you think. I think EA, as a whole package, is not designed to be an effective aggro magnet. I think something can be done regarding this aspect if EA is proliferated to tanker. For a brute, my suggestion is to move the defense a bit as mentioned above just to offer people an option.
[ QUOTE ]
Keep the stealth if you want but let us generate aggro by some aura.
[/ QUOTE ]
that's why one of the suggestions that should be done is to add the Taunt effect to Energy Drain like Electric has.
adding an aura to EA... sure, why not. it has to be thematic though and provide something other than +def.
Level 50 is a journey, not a destination.
▲Scrapper Issues List - Going Rogue Edition▲
Instead of stealth, a blinding beacon power would be nice. It would be a PBAOE toggle that would have the following effects:
<ul type="square"> [*] Limited blind (blinds all mobs in a certain radius about the brute, however, the brute is still target-able by the mobs).
[*] Adds a to hit debuff to the mobs.
[*] Taunts mobs to the beacon owner(brute).[/list]Graphically, it could look like one of the armor powers but at an increased radius (equivalent to the PBAOE radius).
Sound good?
Dark Bard, Zoobait, Debacle
jmsb
Por vezes d� vontade...
chucknorriss
speak american godamnit
[ QUOTE ]
Absolutely, and when you are in their face and you have started attacking, the stealth is of no use for the whole spawn. I might be remotely useful for other close spawns... but generally given the mess that is a villain team it's useless.
[/ QUOTE ]
except for that little bit of +def to all it gives regardless of weither or not your attacking somthing or seen by something.
[ QUOTE ]
I know Dark has a similar stealth but it's more conceptual given that they have multiple auras to get mobs attention. I have yet to see some good argument that the stealth saved someone's bacon after they started aggroing.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure how have a stealth power and a taunt aura makes something more or less conceptual for a givin power set. and I personaly have had on more than one occasion had my bacon saved from that next spawn that was a little too close to the spawn i was currently in the middle of SMASH!!!ing. but that's just really solo. on teams I'm able to get into the spawn and get that first attack off before the spawn does.
[ QUOTE ]
Right now EA has no way to maintain aggro by itself and must essentially rely on the brute's primary to do so. Being personnally DM/EA, I certainly feel that I am not feeling my role of aggro magnet... Even on small teams. Role that other brutes that I have made have no problem holding. Me being stealthed (and that being part of my survival) means I am not aggroing until I have hit everything with my primary, thus delaying further my teammates contribution.
[/ QUOTE ]
First if you want to play the aggro magnet go play a tank. that's not what brutes are for. Brutes are a Damage AT. Now while a brute is capable of taking and holding agro it's not their primary function. The only reason brutes get a taunt aura in most of their secondaries and have an AoE taunt as well as punch-voke in all of their attacks is to get the attention of what they are standing near so that their fury will grow. again, personaly I've not had an issue with my /EA generating Fury both solo and on teams with out a taunt aura.
*edit
besides i like the stealth
V-Tronix - Angry Angels
V-Tron Elec/EM - V-Tron X EM/EA
To Build a Better Hero #53098 [Newly edited and looking for Feedback] - Renegade Robots: V-Tron's Task Force # - A Summer Song and A Winters Tail #104106
After playing /EA a bit more lately I really think the only thing they need to do to improve the set is increase the defense debuff resistance a bit and offer a few more melee/armor IO sets that give a bonus to Smashing/Lethal damage so the most common type can be capped as easily as SR and Nin can cap themselves. Otherwise it plays really nice with the whole endless endurance thing. Maybe put a taunt aura in Kinetic or Power Shield too (like SR's Evasion), but otherwise, I don't see how it's not a solid set.
I mean seriously, if the set was as easy to cap off as the other +def sets would people have nearly as much problem with it?
Virtue:
Miserya - 50 EM/ELA Brute (Perma-shelved)
Adriana Rayne - 42 Katana/Dark Scrapper
Cyberpulse - 26 Super Strength/Willpower Brute
Steel Heart - 24 Invuln/Super Strength Tanker
[ QUOTE ]
more melee/armor IO sets that give a bonus to Smashing/Lethal damage
[/ QUOTE ]
I have two problems with this.
The first is that IOs are intended to be optional, and that sets are intended to be, more or less, balanced without IOs considered in the mix.
Now: if one set can do something really really special with IOs, more so than any other, and it's an intended strength, then that should carry a little weight. I don't think it should be, or that it in any way is, a primary balance consideration.
Second concern? more typed defence will make invul and WP stronger.
Invul may sound like a weak set for scrappers and brutes, and it's not the strongest (though it's really not bad, and can be very strong when well built) but for tanks it's quite solid, if dull.
Throw in the capacity for it to softcap easily? now it's a monster.
WP is already something of a monster, and if it's allowed to softcap easily for tanks, then there will be very few occasions where granite will be worthwhile anymore.
Oh, and wp brutes and scrappers will become rather durable as well, I'd guess that they'd become very popular. Oh wait...
Yes there's some room for a little more added def without really breaking things. You might be able to add between 2% and 4% typed defence before degeneration of build styles ensued. I don't know the exact number.
Just changing gaussian from all positional def to def all would probably do it...
But again, I don't really hold with balancing on the basis of IOs, except for monster barring.
The cake is a lie! The cake is a lie!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
more melee/armor IO sets that give a bonus to Smashing/Lethal damage
[/ QUOTE ]
I have two problems with this.
The first is that IOs are intended to be optional, and that sets are intended to be, more or less, balanced without IOs considered in the mix.
Now: if one set can do something really really special with IOs, more so than any other, and it's an intended strength, then that should carry a little weight. I don't think it should be, or that it in any way is, a primary balance consideration.
Second concern? more typed defence will make invul and WP stronger.
Invul may sound like a weak set for scrappers and brutes, and it's not the strongest (though it's really not bad, and can be very strong when well built) but for tanks it's quite solid, if dull.
Throw in the capacity for it to softcap easily? now it's a monster.
WP is already something of a monster, and if it's allowed to softcap easily for tanks, then there will be very few occasions where granite will be worthwhile anymore.
Oh, and wp brutes and scrappers will become rather durable as well, I'd guess that they'd become very popular. Oh wait...
Yes there's some room for a little more added def without really breaking things. You might be able to add between 2% and 4% typed defence before degeneration of build styles ensued. I don't know the exact number.
Just changing gaussian from all positional def to def all would probably do it...
But again, I don't really hold with balancing on the basis of IOs, except for monster barring.
[/ QUOTE ]
Fair enough, I suppose, though I recall back before IOs that Super Reflexes, while a decent set, wasn't anywhere near as popular as it is now. It became so appealing because with a few IO sets you could take it from a standard, kind of finicky defense set to a "WTF NEVER GET HIT SET!" /Nin can be soft-capped fairly easily too, though I'd argue that it doesn't need to be as much as SR does, what with the heal and other tools.
Virtue:
Miserya - 50 EM/ELA Brute (Perma-shelved)
Adriana Rayne - 42 Katana/Dark Scrapper
Cyberpulse - 26 Super Strength/Willpower Brute
Steel Heart - 24 Invuln/Super Strength Tanker
nin is a bit harder to softcap. Maybe hard enough... except that with that heal, a softcapped nin "scrapper" (why stalk when you're practically a tank?) is really very tough.
Still, only SR has that crazy defence resistance.
Don't get me wrong, I think that def set imbalance is something that should be looked at (and again, even just changing gaussian might be enough), just not as a best and final solution for the /EA issue.
The cake is a lie! The cake is a lie!
/ea can softcap without using a single IO. It's not easy, but it's possible.
and I keep telling people, EA is NOT BROKEN Yes, it could be improved, but that doesn't mean it's broken, there is a huge difference.
Broken is not being able to solo on heroic without inspirations or temp powers. broken is not being able to take a +1 boss without help or a +0 EB WITH inspirations and/or temps.
'needs improvement' means you are not able to take what some other brutes can take, but can be highly situational. /ea laughs at Wailers, freakshow, and even nemesis, but can be harshed severely by psi-cops, vahz, and COT's. The ONLY problem with /EA is that there are a few MORE enemy groups you tend to avoid than some other sets, and most of them are groups you are forced to fight whether you want to or not.
Any other perceived problems with /ea stem from misuse, assuming that a brute is a 'redside tanker' instead of a single-target high-endurance killing machine.
Here is an example of a soft-capped /ea brute
Now, you wouldn't USE this kind of a build (at least I wouldn't) because it's light on the offense, but it is clearly POSSIBLE, and the only other brute or stalker sets that can soft-cap defenses without io's or tier9 godmodes is SR.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;931;397;532;|
|>-JED<U.PD`0Q[>TB-!"^1"BAA?PTK,?!P,"B0DD&&,T:FPVN+9-FD+:8N#F`_@*OH$|
|:O>K#U1DZY;#>=)+^_KNS_]V=SHX6/8.QIV.FZ"<^CR*[&\YCD1]QQYNP`F.LM4K8(^|
|$+875Y'/O"[BS$3IKNB0<11,+J!R)TEG9G'O+::>"*4`2QE0V,\73J6 T/!9U[@E%>3@|
|>>X,<S,;.E>A)'KS?1TU<?E=G_F3:STGJ% X]'CL\L`>\2@6X7(;2MN#+\%XA0%3$(G*|
|-!!-93E)#=(WM*;>G%)/<YJD[R`JG:?2ODU)ZZ0M:%*>SLM3;D-2!3S82_"P`A;,:C`|
|MTJXBN4J2%L&CDT>7_B*[705/F3QEJKXBZ0>(21Z3<E5)5VW4X+`&&1MTP9
GR!-\C|
|2S%DB:_"W:&J-(TG=EPU^9L48/#1EEE1EHZ[?_5WP9V5W%LQ+P''&!N$1<(:X1-XA;Q|
|!W"1B3?Z]WF/A9T@#A$'"&>T530`3K"0)01%82)J"(:B!9B%_&" 2'X`&*7OM0``|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre><hr />
honestly, I wouldn't use this build, it's just to show it's possible. energy/fire/cold are soft capped, s/l are 3% shy of soft-cap but make up for it with 30% resistance, /neg isn't soft capped but has 12% resistance to help a little, and a reasonable 38% defense, and psionic even has a healthy 21% defense. all without the use of a single IO. paired with a primary like ss/dark/stone, you could easily survive and thrive without even the need for aid self (although I'd probably take it in deference to the fly pool if I were going stamina-less) and with a few IO's you are well into the survival range of /sr, trading scaling resistances for a flat resistance boost and an HP buff in overload.
yes, /ea needs some help, but this whole 'lolea' thing only exists because some forumgoers need to insult something to salve their terrible self-esteem. Bullies to the core.
-edit Okay, I was WRONG! /SR can't softcap ANYTHING without IO's or it's tier 9, unless it skips the fitness pool.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1002;429;572;|
|>-JEDMM*PT`0AC<F6FM28UMM/=0'\";7'B[$4T%HH2JBJ!B"CFT@Q)*D4N]\`%_!%]&|
|74%%?)\YL)D76"R]<R/=O_OUG=TBV/=RUA'C8%)JY$WAQ[&Y'@P3&VU[7OQ(%(41-&F|
|X;`@!GVTN2`-RM(30R>Q=N((S!.1KT(7(/X2:`(<3E_;`'$82)DT]*G=O;P&GZW5[BA|
|UU+OK7`ZX]>FGX20AS;^<HU1''/[S?V^OZ5DYW5@CO?2WI>Z+:].('H?A[;6\$GI?&*|
|$Z$14ET8*(8NQA2=9'VC*&<U]@Q%\^P[BIYEQW3V)A1-1T/#3U84,BV*9(@:.B;7FYR|
|W%-4Q4^),J9)YTXI^H-C<L\UU,XK.YWWA?F7>KRR[J/S@)_I57JURQ:RB!NXPQYDY]F|
|J*EC%3YX[J2@>+BA8PNY!EQ8+LX@OG2WS"$J<:BDYBU3)7+<NJ].\AB_D7R+QH_7(Z!|
|M\5=#3I-(W1]?G7>+;RLXH'4\@CPC'AA'!*.".<$RX(EP27D+Z,JNU5: FB-L$[8(#Q2|
|J&`B3()%*!&F"39AAE`EU`B+A"="^@W`+_Q8|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre><hr />
It comes close, but 43% is still shy of soft-cap, and it has much lower resistances at full health.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
more melee/armor IO sets that give a bonus to Smashing/Lethal damage
[/ QUOTE ]
I have two problems with this.
The first is that IOs are intended to be optional, and that sets are intended to be, more or less, balanced without IOs considered in the mix.
[/ QUOTE ]
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, but that still shouldn't stop them from having typed def set bonuses.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Second concern? more typed defence will make invul and WP stronger.
[/ QUOTE ]
[/ QUOTE ]
But...
[ QUOTE ]
The first is that IOs are intended to be optional, and that sets are intended to be, more or less, balanced without IOs
[/ QUOTE ]
Dark Bard, Zoobait, Debacle
jmsb
Por vezes d� vontade...
chucknorriss
speak american godamnit
[ QUOTE ]
Any other perceived problems with /ea stem from misuse, assuming that a brute is a 'redside tanker' instead of a single-target high-endurance killing machine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Let's just assume that another brute is on the team and you are competing for fury building because that's where the power of the SMASH! is.
I would agree that /EA (the only brute secondary that wasn't originally a tank primary transplant) would be good if it had *something else*. Obviously it doesn't.
Some of its powers are truly uninspired (auto +res) and didn't get a change since they were introduced.
IMHO, /EA wasn't proliferated because it needs some adjustments before. Hints seem to indicate that some are coming. There is hope.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any other perceived problems with /ea stem from misuse, assuming that a brute is a 'redside tanker' instead of a single-target high-endurance killing machine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Let's just assume that another brute is on the team and you are competing for fury building because that's where the power of the SMASH! is.
I would agree that /EA (the only brute secondary that wasn't originally a tank primary transplant) would be good if it had *something else*. Obviously it doesn't.
Some of its powers are truly uninspired (auto +res) and didn't get a change since they were introduced.
IMHO, /EA wasn't proliferated because it needs some adjustments before. Hints seem to indicate that some are coming. There is hope.
[/ QUOTE ]
When two brutes on a team are competing for aggro - the one who took 'taunt' wins, followed by the guy who has the best set of AoE attacks. The guy with the damage aura, sitting there all proud thinking their passive aggro control is all that they need is only going to beat the guys who threw up their hands and gave up because they don't have an aggro aura of their own.
[ QUOTE ]
I would agree that /EA (the only brute secondary that wasn't originally a tank primary transplant) would be good if it had *something else*. Obviously it doesn't.
[/ QUOTE ]
*cough* SR *cough*
Castle has allready made a round about statment that he is looking at EA. But that statement wasn't a deffinite yes it's on the schedual or no it isn't.
V-Tronix - Angry Angels
V-Tron Elec/EM - V-Tron X EM/EA
To Build a Better Hero #53098 [Newly edited and looking for Feedback] - Renegade Robots: V-Tron's Task Force # - A Summer Song and A Winters Tail #104106
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any other perceived problems with /ea stem from misuse, assuming that a brute is a 'redside tanker' instead of a single-target high-endurance killing machine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Let's just assume that another brute is on the team and you are competing for fury building because that's where the power of the SMASH! is.
I would agree that /EA (the only brute secondary that wasn't originally a tank primary transplant) would be good if it had *something else*. Obviously it doesn't.
Some of its powers are truly uninspired (auto +res) and didn't get a change since they were introduced.
IMHO, /EA wasn't proliferated because it needs some adjustments before. Hints seem to indicate that some are coming. There is hope.
[/ QUOTE ]
I would love to play my EA brute heroside. Can you imagine an EM/EA scrapper?
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any other perceived problems with /ea stem from misuse, assuming that a brute is a 'redside tanker' instead of a single-target high-endurance killing machine.
[/ QUOTE ]
Let's just assume that another brute is on the team and you are competing for fury building because that's where the power of the SMASH! is.
I would agree that /EA (the only brute secondary that wasn't originally a tank primary transplant) would be good if it had *something else*. Obviously it doesn't.
Some of its powers are truly uninspired (auto +res) and didn't get a change since they were introduced.
IMHO, /EA wasn't proliferated because it needs some adjustments before. Hints seem to indicate that some are coming. There is hope.
[/ QUOTE ]
When two brutes on a team are competing for aggro - the one who took 'taunt' wins, followed by the guy who has the best set of AoE attacks. The guy with the damage aura, sitting there all proud thinking their passive aggro control is all that they need is only going to beat the guys who threw up their hands and gave up because they don't have an aggro aura of their own.
[/ QUOTE ]
With the new ET animation slowing down the chain I have been noticing fury comes a little slower with my normal usage. I am planning on respeccing into taunt with my next vet badge.
[ QUOTE ]
nin is a bit harder to softcap. Maybe hard enough... except that with that heal, a softcapped nin "scrapper" (why stalk when you're practically a tank?) is really very tough.
Still, only SR has that crazy defence resistance.
Don't get me wrong, I think that def set imbalance is something that should be looked at (and again, even just changing gaussian might be enough), just not as a best and final solution for the /EA issue.
[/ QUOTE ]
I am playing with ninj builds in mids. I can get mighty defense, but they never come out with the recharge I would want.
[ QUOTE ]
/ea can softcap without using a single IO. It's not easy, but it's possible.
and I keep telling people, EA is NOT BROKEN Yes, it could be improved, but that doesn't mean it's broken, there is a huge difference.
Broken is not being able to solo on heroic without inspirations or temp powers. broken is not being able to take a +1 boss without help or a +0 EB WITH inspirations and/or temps.
'needs improvement' means you are not able to take what some other brutes can take, but can be highly situational. /ea laughs at Wailers, freakshow, and even nemesis, but can be harshed severely by psi-cops, vahz, and COT's. The ONLY problem with /EA is that there are a few MORE enemy groups you tend to avoid than some other sets, and most of them are groups you are forced to fight whether you want to or not.
Any other perceived problems with /ea stem from misuse, assuming that a brute is a 'redside tanker' instead of a single-target high-endurance killing machine.
Here is an example of a soft-capped /ea brute
Now, you wouldn't USE this kind of a build (at least I wouldn't) because it's light on the offense, but it is clearly POSSIBLE, and the only other brute or stalker sets that can soft-cap defenses without io's or tier9 godmodes is SR.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;931;397;532;|
|>-JED<U.PD`0Q[>TB-!"^1"BAA?PTK,?!P,"B0DD&&,T:FPVN+9-FD+:8N#F`_@*OH$|
|:O>K#U1DZY;#>=)+^_KNS_]V=SHX6/8.QIV.FZ"<^CR*[&\YCD1]QQYNP`F.LM4K8(^|
|$+875Y'/O"[BS$3IKNB0<11,+J!R)TEG9G'O+::>"*4`2QE0V,\73J6 T/!9U[@E%>3@|
|>>X,<S,;.E>A)'KS?1TU<?E=G_F3:STGJ% X]'CL\L`>\2@6X7(;2MN#+\%XA0%3$(G*|
|-!!-93E)#=(WM*;>G%)/<YJD[R`JG:?2ODU)ZZ0M:%*>SLM3;D-2!3S82_"P`A;,:C`|
|MTJXBN4J2%L&CDT>7_B*[705/F3QEJKXBZ0>(21Z3<E5)5VW4X+`&&1MTP9 GR!-\C|
|2S%DB:_"W:&J-(TG=EPU^9L48/#1EEE1EHZ[?_5WP9V5W%LQ+P''&!N$1<(:X1-XA;Q|
|!W"1B3?Z]WF/A9T@#A$'"&>T530`3K"0)01%82)J"(:B!9B%_&" 2'X`&*7OM0``|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre><hr />
honestly, I wouldn't use this build, it's just to show it's possible. energy/fire/cold are soft capped, s/l are 3% shy of soft-cap but make up for it with 30% resistance, /neg isn't soft capped but has 12% resistance to help a little, and a reasonable 38% defense, and psionic even has a healthy 21% defense. all without the use of a single IO. paired with a primary like ss/dark/stone, you could easily survive and thrive without even the need for aid self (although I'd probably take it in deference to the fly pool if I were going stamina-less) and with a few IO's you are well into the survival range of /sr, trading scaling resistances for a flat resistance boost and an HP buff in overload.
yes, /ea needs some help, but this whole 'lolea' thing only exists because some forumgoers need to insult something to salve their terrible self-esteem. Bullies to the core.
-edit Okay, I was WRONG! /SR can't softcap ANYTHING without IO's or it's tier 9, unless it skips the fitness pool.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|MxDz;1002;429;572;|
|>-JEDMM*PT`0AC<F6FM28UMM/=0'\";7'B[$4T%HH2JBJ!B"CFT@Q)*D4N]\`%_!%]&|
|74%%?)\YL)D76"R]<R/=O_OUG=TBV/=RUA'C8%)JY$WAQ[&Y'@P3&VU[7OQ(%(41-&F|
|X;`@!GVTN2`-RM(30R>Q=N((S!.1KT(7(/X2:`(<3E_;`'$82)DT]*G=O;P&GZW5[BA|
|UU+OK7`ZX]>FGX20AS;^<HU1''/[S?V^OZ5DYW5@CO?2WI>Z+:].('H?A[;6\$GI?&*|
|$Z$14ET8*(8NQA2=9'VC*&<U]@Q%\^P[BIYEQW3V)A1-1T/#3U84,BV*9(@:.B;7FYR|
|W%-4Q4^),J9)YTXI^H-C<L\UU,XK.YWWA?F7>KRR[J/S@)_I57JURQ:RB!NXPQYDY]F|
|J*EC%3YX[J2@>+BA8PNY!EQ8+LX@OG2WS"$J<:BDYBU3)7+<NJ].\AB_D7R+QH_7(Z!|
|M\5=#3I-(W1]?G7>+;RLXH'4\@CPC'AA'!*.".<$RX(EP27D+Z,JNU5: FB-L$[8(#Q2|
|J&`B3()%*!&F"39AAE`EU`B+A"="^@W`+_Q8|
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre><hr />
It comes close, but 43% is still shy of soft-cap, and it has much lower resistances at full health.
[/ QUOTE ]
EA is much harder to pacth up with IOs than virtually everything else as most of the +defence that you can add in is positional and as that doesnt stack with typed its a waste as all its doing is playing catch up. Making out EA can softcap without IOs while others cant is irrelevant as the build is comical, an IOd positional defence character can be a monster though and function with insane levels of defence that EA just cant reach.
Lets look at the other typed defence set, ice armour and what it comes with, a big [censored] heal and +HP power, slow, -rech, -damage, great fire resistence, capped cold resistence and hibern00b. With all of this its adaptable even against the "hole" in typed which is psi, something EA can only fall over and die against.
EA was a badly thought out set, ported over to brutes with little consideration after they realised that ice brutes messed up their own inherant, instead of tools for survivability they get 2 endurance maintainence powers and the crappiest auto powers available that dont synergise with the rest of the powers in the set.
If EA was positionally typed I would love it, if it was as multi functional as ice I would love it, as it stands with the huge reams of psi damage red side it is a bad joke that benefits the least from the greatness that is IOs.
I think I finally realized part of the problem with EA.
it doesn't synergize with itself.
Basically it's like this. the stealth makes it perfect for single-target snipping. everything about the set is geared towards single target... from the stealth to the fact that it doesn't rely on hordes of mobs to increase it's survivability... I mean, it doesn't even have a taunt aura.
the problem comes from just one power.
Energy Drain.
Energy drain requires multiple mobs to be effective. And yet, frankly, the set is geared towards single target. being surrounded by multiple mobs just doesn't help it in any appreciable way.
Now, by itself, conserve power just is weak. It's great for an APP or to add something extra to a set, but in energy it is, frankly, worse than a self-res compared to energy drain.
So you have two powers, the tier 7 and tier 8, that should add considerably to the ability of the set and it's 'completeness', and should improve the 'feel' of the set, and all the do is detract from it. There are already two 'skippable' powers in the set, why should the tier 7 and 8 be just as skippable?
I know that Castle doesn't want to change the set in a fashion that would make it's 'feel' change, but I think that the tier 7 and 8 should be addressed, and quite possibly replaced. I like energy drain, but I would happily substitute something BETTER for the set as a whole.
My suggestions:
Tier 7- Energy affinity
Your body is capable of channeling and redirecting the energy running through it in a highly efficient manner, reducing the energy demands of all powers, and protecting your energy from the tampering of others.
toggle- provides 30% reduction on endurance use for all powers (like a much weaker form of conserve power) end cost .26/sec, grants 40% endurance modification resistance, and +26% energy resistance. Resistance modification enhancements slotted into this power will improve your endurance modification resistance (both to drains and to recovery debuffs) and endurance modification enhancements slotted into this power will increase the endurance savings. endurance reduction will lower the toggle cost.
Tier 8- Energy Doppelganger. This power creates an energy form to distract attention away from you, and many enemies will turn and face the wrong opponent.
Creates a pet with a taunt aura similar to rttc, that affects up to 5 opponents. It does NO damage, the pet looks like your shield special effects, kind of the way jack frost looks like an ice tanker's shields. The pet is not buffable, but is EXTREMELY tough (capped resistances and defense) similar to singularity. It takes 1 second to cast and lasts for 2 minutes, with a 4 minute recharge.