I'd hold up before you decide on a Build to see if the test changes go live. Looks like Taser has been changed to a ranged attack, so you could shortly be able to stack it with Beanbag for mezzing Bosses from range.
Time Bomb is pretty useless, yes. The rest I can't really comment on! 
[ QUOTE ]
Assault Rifle Ignite: Increased Range to 40'
Blaster Devices Taser: Increased Range to 20'
Blaster Assault Rifle Flamethrower: Range increased slightly and recharge time changed so it now matches the range and recharge of the Corruptor version of this power.
[/ QUOTE ]
First id say give caltrops a chance in my opinion its a gr8 power to have at the lvl u get it and at later stages in the game if slotted with recharges and used with haste can b very effective for extra DoT. for doin as much dmg as u can with AR id suggest not takin buck shot for a while, handy for KB but thats bout it. Targeting drone is a must to stack with tactics and u wont really need to slot for acc which opens up that extra slot in the AR attacks.
Stealth suit is handy for the extra defence and combined with smoke grenade can b pretty useful. as ignite goes not much point takin it if u dont have cals in my opinion.
beanbag is a must tho and if tazer is rnaged now im so respeccin it into my pvp buikd XD
On the 3 last secondary powers id suggest forgettin bout time bomb and turret, time bomb is to slow and takes to much time to use effectively and if in team is pointless,until the timer has been cut down to 5 seconds or to a remote detonation time bomb will b gimped. turret is pretty useless now u cant tp it about. trip mine is handy however, gr8 for surprisin stalkers in pvp when combined with caltrops (assumin u can see them, which is another good reason to take tactics and target drone)
and also gr8 for defendin yourself in PVE again with cals if slotted right and used right u can do uber dmg with mines
hope that helps a lil 
as for travel power flys always safest for blasters whether for PvP or PvE
1. Time bomb looks really awful. Is it?
Not to me it aint when soloing, its about timing and you can stack it with mines or with a mine. In teams its often pointless as people who lack knowledge, skill, interest or experience with the set arent gonna be too good at helping to make it viable.
2. Is the snipe really worth it with no build up / aim, and a fairly long range base attack (it does look cool, i know)
The only thing bad about snipe is the interrupt time allowance and action time. Its a penalty but in all other ways its good.
3. Ignite and caltrops? workable? do you need caltrops (a power i dont generally like) for ignite to be valid (im looking at those AVs)
I found ignite fiddly to work with at the speed id like to work with it at, id much rather target a foe and then for it to autotarget the ground beneath the foe for speed. Something like that could be done for tp too so you could tp to target "whack!" tp to another target "whack!" just like nightcrawler from marvel comics.
4. What travel power? Choice between Jump, Fly, and Teleport. Any Ideas?
kbs lower ya dps and arent fun so hover or acrobatics are good however cloak and ss is great if ya going down the tripmine and or timebomb paths. Fly if ya want but for PVE ive never had too. SJ and SS have been great for me.
When we can start making my own hami type enhancements from salvage this is one combination of powersets i think is worth getting excited about as its bye bye fitness pool.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
[ QUOTE ]
Just rolling a new alt, an AR/Dev blaster cos they look different style of play to other blasters.
[/ QUOTE ]
They are - they play like no other heroes.
[ QUOTE ]
Id welcome any tips on powers / slotting.
[/ QUOTE ]
Pretty much all the powers are good if you know how to use them - criticism of many powers comes from lack of understanding as to how to use them, or lack of the underlying numbers. Taser was a weaker one, but with some range now it's a good second stun to combo with the excellent Beanbag.
[ QUOTE ]
1. Time bomb looks really awful. Is it?
[/ QUOTE ]
No. The huge recharge is the biggest downer. It has a bigger radius and inflicts more damage than Trip Mine, and Trip Mines do plenty of damage. Either I have great timing or (as I suspect) the explosion of a Trip Mine sets of a Time Bomb. Either way, explosive munitions are wonderful.
[ QUOTE ]
2. Is the snipe really worth it with no build up / aim, and a fairly long range base attack (it does look cool, i know)
[/ QUOTE ]
It's situationally useful in the way all snipes are. The set only has 2 basic single-target attacks, so occasionally it's useful as a third. It's great for pulling into clusters of Trip Mines.
[ QUOTE ]
3. Ignite and caltrops? workable?
[/ QUOTE ]
No. Web Grenade (an *awesome* power) + Ignite is what you want. It's slow but huge single-target damage and massively endurance-efficient. Combos well with Beanbag to take out Lts, and is one of my main tactics against bosses.
[ QUOTE ]
do you need caltrops (a power i dont generally like) for ignite to be valid (im looking at those AVs)
[/ QUOTE ]
What do you not like about Caltrops? AR/Dev is an extremely tactical set - if you're using it well you'll find yourself setting traps for your enemies. Caltrops is a key part of this - use it to slow enemies so that they set off mines, use it as a safe place to stand where you won't be melee'd and use it as an area-denial tactic. It's one of the core powers of the set.
You really need Caltrops to use Trip Mines to their best effect. Learn to love it, there's a lot to love.
[ QUOTE ]
4. What travel power? Choice between Jump, Fly, and Teleport. Any Ideas?
[/ QUOTE ]
I like Fly for this set.
[ QUOTE ]
Mainly team focussed but solo-able.
[/ QUOTE ]
Fortunately, AR/Dev is excellent in both scenarios, but is particularly potent in a team. The sets massively reward tactical, intelligent play, which I like very much.
Notably wonderful powers:-
Beanbag (makes soloing so much safer)
Flamethrower (insanely good AoE)
Ignite (massive single-target damage, extremely accurate, combos beautifully with web grenade)
Full Auto (possibly my favourite blaster power other than Trip Mine, I'd much rather have this than a nuke)
I suppose this means that the best AR powers come late.
Web Grenade (a huge set of debuffs, underrated by almost everyone, makes Ignite an execution tool)
Caltrops (superb area-denial)
Targeting Drone (with the inherent +acc of AR, plus the massive acc bonuses of some of the attacks, you can go accuracy enhancement-free for your entire career, unless you are obsessive about *always* hitting or regularly fight +3s or greater. +Perception is useful even in PvE now)
Cloaking Device (no-penalty stealth is always welcome in a set; with Trip Mine this becomes almost a necessity)
Trip Mine (hugely powerful if used well)
Slotting suggestions for most of the powers:-
Most Attacks
3 Dam, 1 Recharge, 1 Endurance - assuming you have a slotted Targeting Drone
Flamethrower:-
3 Dam, 1 Recharge, 2 Range - I'm letting one of my little secrets out here, the additional range on Flamethrower is insanelycrazygood. Doesn't need accuracies ever, it has a massive accuracy bonus, one of those attacks that still reliably hits even when your drone is off.
Full Auto:-
3 Dam, 2 Recharge, 1 End (I'm one of those people who slots almost everything with End reductions, and thus has no endurance issues ever). Huge accuracy bonus, use at long range for best effect.
Sniper Rifle:-
3 Dam, 2 Interrupt, 1 Range - The Interrupt reductions make it much easier to use in a firefight - you can run around once you've passed your interrupt threshold (which you will learn to recognise) and the shot will still go off.
Ignite
3 Dam - Very cheap on Endurance and very fast recharge already
Beanbag
Consider 1 Acc
Otherwise, 2 Recharge, 2 Stun for a great overall utility. For a 6th slot I'd probably put Range before anything else, it has a shorter range than most of your other attacks.
Web Grenade
Doesn't need much slotting - consider 1 Acc, 1 Recharge (useful against bosses), Range
Caltrops
2 Recharge, 2 Slow
Targeting Drone
2 End, 3 AccBuff
Cloaking Device
1-2 End
Trip Mine
2 Acc (you really want it to hit), 3 Dam, 1 Recharge
Time Bomb
1 Acc, 3 Damage, 2 Recharge
Dirty trick for trip-mines, combine it with TP Foe for a nasty surprise in PvP or to one-shot tricky minions (like Sappers).
[ QUOTE ]
In teams its often pointless as people who lack knowledge, skill, interest or experience with the set arent gonna be too good at helping to make it viable.
[/ QUOTE ]
Not really - I know the set inside and out, have over 500 hours/nearly 2 years experience with it, was one of the first AR/Devs on the EU servers, and I still wouldn't wait for an AR/Dev to faff about with Time Bomb or Trip Mines in the course of a normal mission.
A good player - of any AT - will tailor the use of their powersets to the speed of the team. In any team except the poorest of the poor or the slowest of the slow, you will be moving at a faster pace than Trip Mines/Time Bomb will allow. Sad, but true - mines and bombs are the preserve of the solo AR/Dev (and you're still going to be moving slower than just about any other Blaster).
/slightderail
@Synaesthetix
"Here, take some more bees with you. You may need them."
Union: FU//LoUD
"that Syn is that that" - Mothers Love
Delete and roll an Energy/Energy Blaster
Energy/Energy? Pffft!
Anyway, advice on what powers to DROP now, please! THe message im getting is that everything is good, bar (possibly) time bomb.
What to drop?
I wouldn't even consider getting Auto Turret now.
This is a shame, because I like the cute little bugger. 
@Synaesthetix
"Here, take some more bees with you. You may need them."
Union: FU//LoUD
"that Syn is that that" - Mothers Love
[ QUOTE ]
Anyway, advice on what powers to DROP now, please! THe message im getting is that everything is good, bar (possibly) time bomb.
What to drop?
[/ QUOTE ]
How many do you need to drop?
3 - For the fitness pool
Since you're keen to have nearly every power on the Primary, I'll weight this towards keeping those. In order of preference:-
Primary
1. M30 Grenade (Scatter + only moderate damage)
2. Shotgun (Better than M30, but still relatively weak compared to Flamethrower and Full Auto)
Secondary
1. Time Bomb (most people don't seem to really work out how to use this/have patience for it - it's definitely situational and won't have a use on many teams)
2. Auto Turret (I have no personal experience, but most players seem to feel it's underpowered, especially now that it can't be teleported)
3. Smoke Grenade (unless you want to toe-bomb, Cloaking Device is better for the continuous personal protection)
4. Taser (better now it's 20' range and combos nicely with Beanbag, but if you really need to lose another Devices power, this would be my choice)
Of course, that's based on *my* playstyle. It won't necessarily fit yours. As always, forum advice is no replacement for personal experience.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In teams its often pointless as people who lack knowledge, skill, interest or experience with the set arent gonna be too good at helping to make it viable.
[/ QUOTE ]
Not really - I know the set inside and out, have over 500 hours/nearly 2 years experience with it, was one of the first AR/Devs on the EU servers, and I still wouldn't wait for an AR/Dev to faff about with Time Bomb or Trip Mines in the course of a normal mission.
A good player - of any AT - will tailor the use of their powersets to the speed of the team. In any team except the poorest of the poor or the slowest of the slow, you will be moving at a faster pace than Trip Mines/Time Bomb will allow. Sad, but true - mines and bombs are the preserve of the solo AR/Dev (and you're still going to be moving slower than just about any other Blaster).
/slightderail
[/ QUOTE ]
500 hours is that all? 
Nope i really dont use time bomb often in teams especially in normal missions even when duoing with a tank generally i dont really bother with any of my /dev side. I used to like to try to show people now and again what kind of a huge laggy bang that can happen or if waiting for people to arrive at mish id make a trap for the AV. But there can be times when people (namely the tank) can look to get the biggest alpha he can get especially on small teams. The lack of experience with some tanks who wish to utilise the timebomb which would be amongst tripmines is timing ie not letting me get clear first by a second. The lack of experience with other people could be getting in the way, being to near to herdpoint, attacking too early as the tank is herding to an already "given" safer point for the team to fight at etc or even arriving at a mission late with all the mines in already place still not allowing the mines to do their job (which is utterly stupid, if its there use it). Tanks, GOOD tanks will "at times" choose herdpoints that offer the team the best range as in space from the enemies cones, aoes and the perception of extra groups. If the timebomb is there then people should allow mobs to be brought upon it by the tank, let it happen. Herd time could be 6 secs, action time to drop a trip or timebomb is no more than 4 secs, total fight time could be 20 secs whilst time bomb to go off is just 15 secs, people only need to let foes to get above them, to actually get in the way is wasteful. So a tank between the time of saying where herdpoint is and then grouping at it can easily have a timebomb waiting for him. Of course i am not gonna put one down if i am gonna get stunned etc from an early arrival. I have gone on ahead into the group we have yet to do, dropped the time bomb then rejoined the team for the group they are just starting also or whilst everything is pretty much in hand while one group is being done i have gone into another group (must already be close knit) dropped timebomb just as the tanker is coming into it. I am not the only one who has ever done any of this. The amount of damage it does for the amount of action time to drop it is comparable to thunderstrike but for a greater endurance cost possibly due to much greater level of safety. You can also dictate the exact time for tripmines to detonate thru range, CD is half the reason for ss.
You can say but why would a tanker want as good as he can have alpha for his survivability? my answer would be simple do we always have/need a healer? Are we always in optimum teams?
i am late on seeing this cos i barely leave the tank section:P
[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't even consider getting Auto Turret now.
This is a shame, because I like the cute little bugger.
[/ QUOTE ]
Days of where you could tp it around to get more out of it or to take the stun grenade are over. In teams its more likely to get put out when you see an AV, solo its at a pull point to share some aggro. Dont even really get started on PVP, unless you are in a base raid or can pull some sucker who wouldnt really find it that bad on its own anyway. I never had tp and in teams I just used it rarely on AVs when i remembered.
[ QUOTE ]
3 - For the fitness pool
[/ QUOTE ]
This i am already really on the knife edge of dropping, invention system will help a ton. Pretty much its for the end rec after laying mines if i solo or i left sj on. I can drop a trip in well under 10 secs each. I always play with ss, td, cj, acro and cd constantly on and i am fine, but with sj instead of cj i often run out of end, the balance is really tipped. I dont have any armours at all. This could mean that for fun factor i need not drop anything i will have to check. I am pants in pvp but thats nothing to do with endurance, i think its just me always putting pve first although base raids are nice and in them i shouldnt have to be self sufficient. Aid self and armours i havent bothered with, in good balanced teams i shouldnt ever really even get so much as hit but we all have a different opinion on what is good and what is right etc.
He will honor his words; he will definitely carry out his actions. What he promises he will fulfill. He does not care about his bodily self, putting his life and death aside to come forward for another's troubled besiegement. He does not boast about his ability, or shamelessly extol his own virtues. - Sima Qian.
Another question - I am getting targetting drone. How good is this? It seems no "better" than Tactics which seems kind of odd as it only affects me?
Well it's about twice as effective as Tactics for a Blaster. Slightly lower end drain and you don't have to take another power to get it.
The numbers (unslotted)
Tactics: 7%
TD: 13.88%
(3 slotted with +3 SO's)
Tactics: 11.01%
TD: 21.83%
Both Tactics and TD affect the same things, but on a Blaster, the +ToHit gained from TD is almost twice of that gained from Tactics, and Tactics costs more to keep up than Targetting Drone. The +Perception from TD is also better than the one gained from Blaster version of Tactics.
Also, activation of Tactics takes longer and roots you in place, TD's does not. Might not be a big thing for some, but it means that TD goes back on nice and quick after you get toggledropped, Tactics does not.
[b][color=blue]Coldest War /[color=red]/ Omega Patient[/b]
[url="http://www.the-cow.net/"][color=red]The CoW Network (Blog) /[/url][url="http://www.collegeofwar.com/"][color=blue]/ College of War[/url]
So - tactics on a defender (effecting the whole team) is about the same as targeting drone on a blaster (effecting a blaster only...)
hmmm.... 
Around the same. But a Defender is there to buff the team. Trust me, Targetting Drone is awesome.
[ QUOTE ]
Trust me, Targetting Drone is awesome.
[/ QUOTE ]
Quoted for the awesome truth.
[b][color=blue]Coldest War /[color=red]/ Omega Patient[/b]
[url="http://www.the-cow.net/"][color=red]The CoW Network (Blog) /[/url][url="http://www.collegeofwar.com/"][color=blue]/ College of War[/url]
It's even better with AR or Archery as well, you get an inherant accuracy bonus with both of them.
I've never seriously used time bomb, just get along with mines and caltops. others have had great success with the time bomb though so I'd say its definately worth a try. You can always respec to get rid of it if you don't like it.
Snipe is great, you'll want that as soon as possible. Snipe from a long way away, then finish them off with your other ranged attacks as they get closer. It's not as fantastic as it used to be but we have to make do with what we're given. Every blaster should have a snipe of some sort.
I love ignite, if you can get a mob hold (by a controller or defender or one of your own holds/stuns), few can resist the fire for long.
I like fly personally, you can hover out of reach of melee mobs and it looks so impressive if your toons concept allows for wings Slower than SS. SJ is probably the best overall travel power for speed and access to awkward places.
Someone mentioned auto-turret. Don't waste your time with it, it used to be slightly useful when you could teleport it about but now it's a stationary pet with poor damage, poor life and indifferent accuracy. Complete waste of space now it can't be tp'd.
AR/Dev is soloable, won't be easy going against some of the more annoying mobs out there. To be honest, I don't find this a lot of fun solo, teaming is the way to go if you can get a good team together.
Most important thing is to have fun and expect to get face planted occasionally, you have little health and there are lots of mobs out there that will take offence at you shooting at them
I dont understand why they dont make the auto turret scurry along on little wheels, or small tracks like a mini-tank. Id like that.
The immobility is imo a remainder from ancient history (when invul tanks were immobile with unyielding etc).
You just want K-9
Seriously though, would the site of something off Robot Wars really fill you with fear?
Just rolling a new alt, an AR/Dev blaster cos they look different style of play to other blasters.
Id welcome any tips on powers / slotting.
Im keen to get nearly every power on primary - I want to have real multi purpose offensive jugganaut gun!
All tips greatly received but in particular...
1. Time bomb looks really awful. Is it?
2. Is the snipe really worth it with no build up / aim, and a fairly long range base attack (it does look cool, i know)
3. Ignite and caltrops? workable? do you need caltrops (a power i dont generally like) for ignite to be valid (im looking at those AVs)
4. What travel power? Choice between Jump, Fly, and Teleport. Any Ideas?
Toon will be almost soley PvE. Mainly team focussed but solo-able.