Most Underperforming Powersets.

Energy Melee
Electric Blast
Martial Arts
Devices
Gravity Control (only prior to level 31, from there it is adequate)


Lewis

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Random AT Generation!
"I remember... the Alamo." -- Pee-wee Herman
"Oh don't worry. I always leave things to the last moment." -- The Doctor
"Telescopes are time machines." -- Carl Sagan

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Can I mention Pets from Redside patron pool? Aside from the Mu gaurdian in the Scirocco Dom version the rest flat out suck no matter which AT it is.

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Set IOs have changed that somewhat. While the pets might still not be very great, creative players have found out that many of these pets could be slotted with nice set IOs that can provide good enough bonuses to be worth picking them as a power ( especially when there are no powers that you really are interested in at 47 or 49 ).

For instance, my Dominator has picked the Coralax pet even if she does not really have a use for it. 6 slotted it with Kinetic Crash for 3pts KB protection and 7.5% recharge bonus and an extra 2.5% smash resistance thats adding over my Shark armor. I see the ability to actually being able to summon the pet every 8 minutes as the icing on the cake. I was really only aiming for the set bonuses

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I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Voltaire

The problem is that IOs and power set combinations shouldn't be part of the equation as to whether or not a set and/or powers can stand on their own. IOs can make anything good (I just made my Energy Melee/Electric Armor Brute 'good', but had to spend 400m infamy just to pull it off).

Sets/powers should be able to function well with just SOs. IOs are meant to be extra, expensive, delicious frosting to be added in at the player's leisure.

When you slot your Coralax with SOs, what happens? No longer quite as good as previously indicated, yes? Handy to have an extra meat shield though, as flimsy a shield it may be.

Basically, imagine a world without IOs (Terrifying). Does said set/power still hold up? How does it hold up when comparing to other sets' functionality? Never forget the give and take system when comparing, as sets make sacrifices to gain in other areas.

Underperforming Sets, in my opinion, from each Archetype:

Blaster - Assault Rifle, Psychic Blast, Electrical Blast, Devices
Controller - Gravity Control, Sonic Resonance
Defender - Sonic Resonance
Scrapper - Fiery Aura
Tanker - Fiery Aura
Brute - Electric Armor, Energy Aura, Fiery Aura
Corrupter - Assault Rifle, Sonic Resonance, Traps
Dominator - Gravity Control
Mastermind - None
Stalker - Electric Armor

Most just need tweaking. In armor set cases, some need entirely new powers (I'm looking at you, Conserve Power). With power proliferation looming, certain sets should take precedence. I hold to the thought that ALL of the original sets should be re-examined, just in case. A quick glance could do wonders for many...

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Ahhhh..
this is a very good question/topic.
I agree with most of it all is IS just major tweaking and such needed.
But saying that here are the power sets I would say annoy me the most:

1. Dark Armor
Visually it is excellent.
MOST of it is VERY useful.
2 main things get on my nerves the most about it though.
A) The end rain.
Can we have MORE toggles for it please? (sarcasm)
B) The lack of a proper KB resistance for it.
I would REALLY love to be able to fly with this...
except you HAVE to take acrobatics JUST to not have the feeling of being tossed around like a rag doll.

2. Axe
Mainly for "cosmetic" reasons.
I wish there were more options for the axe.
"Mace" is a close 2nd.... but there are a few more cosmetic options thankfully.

3. Dark Miasma for Defenders.
Just kinda weak... even if it is kind of nice looking cosmetically.

4. Ice Control
BorrRRRrrring.
Boring and weak.
LOL

5. This last one is not "underperforming" so to speak...
but I just HAD to throw my 2 cents in.
I have ALWAYS wanted to create an "Electric Tank"......
and "Electric Brutes" are sooooo cool.
Thankfully THAT will be possible in the near future!

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@Patrick Magellen
Infinity & Freedom Servers!

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3. Dark Miasma for Defenders.
Just kinda weak... even if it is kind of nice looking cosmetically.

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Excuse me?

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3. Dark Miasma for Defenders.
Just kinda weak... even if it is kind of nice looking cosmetically.

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Excuse me?

[/ QUOTE ]Isn't it wonderful, the way this thread has put everyone's opinions on equal footing?

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[ QUOTE ]
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3. Dark Miasma for Defenders.
Just kinda weak... even if it is kind of nice looking cosmetically.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excuse me?

[/ QUOTE ]Isn't it wonderful, the way this thread has put everyone's opinions on equal footing?

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Let's just say that he'll have a hard time getting people to agree with him on Dark Miasma being weak for Defenders.

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Hmmm,worst sets in my eyes eh?

How about...for starters...ahh heck,heres a list.(you may not agree,but,oh well)

Willpower

Empathy

Trick Arrow

Traps

Spines

Battle Axe

War Mace

Dark Armor

Sonic Blasts

Archery

Broad Sword

Thats about it.

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It's not 'worst sets.' It's most underperforming. Of course, that's ill defined, but wtfever, eh.

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No idea how Dark is underperforming but Ice as well the only way it could be underperforming is A)You didn't take arctic air or skipped and didn't take shiver either B) You constantly use frostbite while ice slick is in effect..
In terms of controls by the levels its superior to Gravity as by level 12 you have acess to shiver, Arctic Air and Iceslick for control and mitigation..With Gravity you have crushing field and the highly situational dimension shift

The other thing that I guess could make you see it as underperforming is that it relies on the terror, slow and -recharge for mitigation which can be given an exact number as to how much damage you're mitigating but I love it

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I think this is the first time since Issue 3 I've ever heard anyone put Dark Miasma down. Srsly, Dark Miasma is the shiz.

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53 Bots/FF/Mace Mastermind | 53 NRG/FF/Electricity Defender | 50 Time/Dual Pistols/Soul Defender | 50 Demons/FF/Mace Mastermind | 51 Necro/Dark/Soul Mastermind | 50 Thugs/Time/Mace Mastermind | 50 Ice/Ice/Arctic Tanker | 50 Plant/Rad/Earth Controller | 50 Illusion/Trick Arrow Controller | 50 Gravity/Force Field Controller
Yes, I like Force Fields.

Fail thread full of fail opinions is fail.

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Wavicle, Energy/Energy Blaster, dinged 50 in Issue 4, summer of 2005.
@Wavicle, mostly on the Justice server.

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1. Dark Armor
Visually it is excellent.
MOST of it is VERY useful.
2 main things get on my nerves the most about it though.
A) The end rain.
Can we have MORE toggles for it please? (sarcasm)

[/ QUOTE ]Except it's not the toggles that kill your endurance. It's Dark Regeneration. Also, learn endurance management. I never had end problems on my DA post-22, and only had the standard "I can't wait for stamina/SOs" prior to that.
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B) The lack of a proper KB resistance for it.
I would REALLY love to be able to fly with this...
except you HAVE to take acrobatics JUST to not have the feeling of being tossed around like a rag doll.

[/ QUOTE ]Steadfast Protection: KB Protection. Blessing of the Zephyr: KB Protection. Karma: KB Protection. Kinetic Crash 4-slotted. You don't have to take Acro anymore, but thanks for playing.

Also, it's the *only* tanker set aside from SD and Willpower to provide any psionic protection. There's a price to pay. You need to learn endurance management, and you need to take acro or collect a whole 75 merits to get a Steadfast.

(No, I don't count Stone as having psi protection, as it's mutually exclusive with Granite, which is all I ever see post-32 stone tankers in)

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Apostrophe guidelines.

I admit that Stamina SOs helped a LOT after lev 22 when it came to end-drain issues.
The only charachter I have Dark Armor with is a current lev 38 Katana Scrapper.
Since he is not my "main" by any stretch and I don't have the time that I would love to develop him properly, he generally does not have the stash to just go out and buy IOs like crazy that were mentioned.
Believe me in the perfect world... would have been done by now.
I also already knew about those particular IOs and the KB resistance helpfullness.... but I am basically talking about the "average" Dark Armor user.

Players without level 50 charachters to trade influence with to purchase them and what not.

I have several lev 50s blue-side on Infinity....
but with the pricing that commonly goes on at WW they generally pay for their own IO sets and such.

But yeah.....
when it comes to endurance management, I generally do quite well on almost every charachter I have ever created that made it to the "Lev 22 SO-Heaven" range....
I am just stating that the Dark Armor has sapped end more than anything I have ever tried with the possible exception of Electricity in all it's forms.

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@Patrick Magellen
Infinity & Freedom Servers!

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I admit that Stamina SOs helped a LOT after lev 22 when it came to end-drain issues.
The only charachter I have Dark Armor with is a current lev 38 Katana Scrapper.
Since he is not my "main" by any stretch and I don't have the time that I would love to develop him properly, he generally does not have the stash to just go out and buy IOs like crazy that were mentioned.
Believe me in the perfect world... would have been done by now.
I also already knew about those particular IOs and the KB resistance helpfullness.... but I am basically talking about the "average" Dark Armor user.

Players without level 50 charachters to trade influence with to purchase them and what not.

I have several lev 50s blue-side on Infinity....
but with the pricing that commonly goes on at WW they generally pay for their own IO sets and such.

But yeah.....
when it comes to endurance management, I generally do quite well on almost every charachter I have ever created that made it to the "Lev 22 SO-Heaven" range....
I am just stating that the Dark Armor has sapped end more than anything I have ever tried with the possible exception of Electricity in all it's forms.

[/ QUOTE ]Let me clarify. I'm talking about having endurance under control on my Dark/Super Strength tanker. With that 25 endurance crash from Rage every 2 minutes, on top of attack costs and armor costs. Yes, until I IOed the build it could get hairy *if* I had to pop off a DR right before or right after a Rage crash, but endurance was not a major issue.

And the "average DA user" can sure as heck have 75 merits just from arcs and an occasional TF to get to 75 for Steadfasts or Karmas. Or even luck into one dropping, since they're Pool A.

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Apostrophe guidelines.