/DA change proposal specific to stalkers

Since /elec is getting a little revamp (although across the board it seems). I hope that the dev team will look at the other res based set (mostly) /DA as it applies to stalkers.

After looking over the set, the one thing that stands out to me as a weakness is the requirement to be in close range for the heal. I think the game play of the set and the stalkerish feel will be much improved if they made Dark Regen (for stalkers only) a ranged single target heal. Of course the heal is reduced because of the loss of the AoE ability, but the range increase should make up for that.

As far as balance, I think the items to address is endurance cost (too high now), and range. I think an endurance cost of about 20.8 would be acceptable. This is twice as much as recon (wp). Of course, the endurance cost is leveraged against the recharge. DR is half as much as recon.

As far as range goes, I think 60 is optimal and makes it similar to Life drain from Dark. Although much less damage.

I'm sure there is more to it than this, but the basic premise is turning DR into a single target ranged heal instead of the PBAoE heal that it is now.

What y'all think?

In other words, you want to replace the best self heal in the game that doesn't have a + max HP effect with what pretty much is dark blast's life drain? Nah. I like it the way it is.

Yeah but it is totally useless in PVP. I guess I should have mentioned that the primary reason for this change is for PVP. However, side by side, your trading the possibility of hitting more (actually, hitting more than two is superfluous) with a ranged single that is 1/3 cheaper on endurance.

Heh. funny, the last thing I'd call problematic to a /DA stalker is its heal...the resists are on the low side, it's dark regeneration that makes it so survivable. With good slotting, that's pretty much a full health bar VERY often with just two foes.

Here I was thinking that this thread would be about the two obvious issues with stalker /DA: the two toggles that by functioning fully negate the stalker inherent, but which also supply /DA with most of its survivability: cloak of fear and oppressive gloom. If only they could suppress with hide, or loose their long animation? (the latter so the toggle/detoggle didn't eat up fight time) Ah, well...

Here is the conspiracy theory....


Dev didn't change Electricity Armor's "Conserve Power" when it got ported to Stalker even though many stalker fans have rated /Elec as the worst set because it's a resistance based with no healing to back it up. Some Brutes said the survivability of /Elec is on the weak side but it has Lightning Reflex to give Brute that "go go go" mentality and Brute has higher HP to back up the resistance.


Funny the dev wants to buff Conserve Power (which I rated as one of the worst powers in the game due to over-lapping with Energy Drain and 600s recharge) when they've decided to port it to Heroes.


Haven't you guys realized that it really doesn't matter what VILLAINS think?? I am not bitter. I've just accepted the fact. /Dark Armor has plenty of holes with Stalker due to the two toggles. My twin bro has an Elec/Dark Armor at 45 and he really hates it. The healing is good but that is the only good thing about the set. The toggling and detoggling of the two auras is on the annoying side. He hates /DA so much that he made an Elc/SR and he is loving it! Sure, you don't get healing but you usually don't need healing!


So back to the main topic, I don't think the dev would change anything on Stalker Dark Armor because DA on Tanker is quite strong. Unless the Tanker fans are complaining about it, there is no chance in hell that /DA will be changed. Personally, I think /DA Stalker fits the theme well (that dark cloud graphic is very cool) but not very good on Stalker.


PS: If the dev buffs Trap just because it got ported to Defender, I will be OFFENDED!!

Eh, the way I see it: if Tankers and Scrappers didn't already have Conserve Power in their Body Mastery EPP, their Electric armor proliferation would be a straight port.