Dark Armor Angst
By
Anti_Llama,
Posted on: 2009-08-29 09:24 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
I personally don't use Cloak of Darkness. I hate Defense as a rule already, and I skipped the power in favor of Combat Jumping. To me, it was only about Immobilize protection.
As for the cloak, though, it is disappointing to see your costume disappear. I had Energy Aura for a time and thought "Why did I spend all that time making a costume?" I'm happier now without Energy Aura. (-:
Having said that, my Dark Armor character made ample use of Ice Patch and Oppressive Gloom, so I didn't need to worry about incoming damage much in the first place, as the enemies were constantly unable to attack. Who needs to absorb or deflect hits when you don't get shot at in the first place? Ah, what a nice Tanker that build turned out to be.
Nope it doesn't bother me at all. Other people have asked the devs to try and come up with an alternative solution for powers that end up hiding the costume but so far nothing has been put forth for the masses. In the meantime, I keep trucking with my DM/DA I created at launch with a nod to the devs for the improvements since made to the DA set. Those were some rough times back then.
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If i'm in the middle of a fight, I don't care what my costume looks like.
If I want to see my costume when not in a fight, I can turn it off.
On my warshade I kept Shadow Cloak in mind when picking his auras, and now my favorite costume of his is simply Shadow Cloak + Heavy Body Sparkles aura.
He's like a tiny little Nebula that fights crime.
@Oathbound & @Oathbound Too
One of the main reasons I like cloak of darkness is cause it turns you into a lil black puffball. Turn off all armors and leave CoD on and you turn into a "shadow" fiqure, perfect concept for dark armor.
Sayin that its your 1 of your main defense tools is ridiculous. What, 5% defense and immob protection? If thats what you call main defense let me tell you about dark regen.
Id be HIGHLY pissed if they changed CoD, well, maybe its endurance cost.
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Originally Posted by Shadow Ravenwolf
My favorite combo is Faceplant/DebtCap with the TeamWipe Ancillary
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Originally Posted by Dispari
Yeah, I like Blasters too.
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I hear you, OP. CoD is the reason I don't play DA.
Not bothered by the inky blob factor when missioning. If I'm standing about I turn it off or as above turn everything else off to look like the spectral misty type thing.
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Dark Regeneration? What's that?|
Originally Posted by JamMasterJMS
One of the main reasons I like cloak of darkness is cause it turns you into a lil black puffball. Turn off all armors and leave CoD on and you turn into a "shadow" fiqure, perfect concept for dark armor.
Sayin that its your 1 of your main defense tools is ridiculous. What, 5% defense and immob protection? If thats what you call main defense let me tell you about dark regen. Id be HIGHLY pissed if they changed CoD, well, maybe its endurance cost. |
Yeah, seriously, there's no reason to treat me like I'm stupid.
5% defense is a great base to start from if you want to make defense a significant part of your build, which I did to great effect.
Also, I'm not saying it ought to be changed to what I want it to be. But there -is- a powers customization feature going into the game shortly.
The main thing that bothers me about it is that some time ago the spines on my Spines/Dark stopped showing while Cloak was up. That spiky ball of gloom looked cool.
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I like the power I like how it makes me look too. I don't care to much to see my costume when I'm fighting, I see them enough out side of a mish. When I'm fighiting I'm not looking at my costume I'm trying to kill 
With that being said I still think they should have a choice now with powers customization to make it so you can see the costume like you can with all the other stealth powers. I don't think it would take a lot of work and it should be easy to do, but what do I know 
It might also make more people play the set and have more fun and that is what is it about having fun.
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time"- Chesty Puller US Marine Corps
I actually love the fact that my DA tank gets completely hidden my body doesnt get in the way of what I am taunting. Plus, you get an unrestricted view of the cool auras.
As far as
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WOW is that a real statement? you hate defense as a rule? So lemme get this straight... given you said you used ice patch you would rather the immob prot that gives you 2.5% rather than the immob prot that gives you 5%? Saying you took CJ because your build cant handle an extra .21 end/sec would make more sense than not taking because its the better power
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Originally Posted by GuyPerfect
I personally don't use Cloak of Darkness. I hate Defense as a rule already, and I skipped the power in favor of Combat Jumping. To me, it was only about Immobilize protection.
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<QR>
Play the stalker version? They exchange the +def/immobilize protection toggle that costs a chunk of endurance and covers your costume with a +def/immobilize protection passive that is endurance free.
Cloak of Darkness is a fun power to use, and you don't really need it on all the time. I've found it useful on my Katana/Dark Scrapper for stealthing up to melee range, turning it off and using Divine Avalanche for maximum survivability. I can imagine this tactic being useful for other combos with melee/PBAoE based powers (Dark/Ice Tank comes to mind with Ice Patch ).
I am the Blaster, I have filled the role of Tank, Controller and Defender
Sometimes all at once.
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It's not the only armor set with this problem. There's also Granite, and Ice is pretty bad.
Fire Armor can be, but with the right color costumes and particles set to minimum it's not intolerable.
If fashion is your forte, stick with WP, Inv, Regen, Shields, Reflexes.
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I like the suggestion that's been put forth before to add a Customization Theme to Cloak of Darkness to let you be only 50% or 70% translucent. That would equal the translucency of Stealth (pre-suppression) and Superior Invisibility (post suppression), respectively. I think that would be more than enough to make it obvious you're invisible, while not losing the ability to see your character's costume.
It's also interesting that Hide, Invisibility, SI, GI and Energy Cloak all have a 90% translucency when unsuppressed, but Cloak Of Shadows is the only one that is 100%. I can understand the idea that you're supposed to look like "Fluffy", you have a dark aura that is visible even though you're invisible. However, that's a theme, and maybe I don't want that theme. That's where the customization would come in. I think all the above powers (except Hide) could have an alternate theme where you dial down the translucency. You don't really need to be more transparent than Stealth to know that you're better protected than Stealth, right?
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It's not 100%, but the problem is that unlike all the other Hide powers, which have very minor visual effects, the /DA Hide gives a huge cloud of 'em. I managed to get a setup where I could sorta see myself through all the tendrils on test, as long as I was standing still, but it was still not nearly as nice as its peers.|
Originally Posted by Jade_Dragon
It's also interesting that Hide, Invisibility, SI, GI and Energy Cloak all have a 90% translucency when unsuppressed, but Cloak Of Shadows is the only one that is 100%. I can understand the idea that you're supposed to look like "Fluffy", you have a dark aura that is visible even though you're invisible. However, that's a theme, and maybe I don't want that theme. That's where the customization would come in. I think all the above powers (except Hide) could have an alternate theme where you dial down the translucency. You don't really need to be more transparent than Stealth to know that you're better protected than Stealth, right?
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Of course, since we ARE getting power customization, at least if the devs don't throw us a bone, it's possible to give non-Dark Armor powers a Dark Armor appearance, at least.
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You know, I've been thinking about this, and it might be possible to use the Dark theme on some of the other auras in Dark Armor to give you a sort of "silhouette" look. It would essentially outline your character, not making the costume visible, but at least you would see his or her outline. I'll have to experiment with that. |
Originally Posted by Lazarillo
Of course, since we ARE getting power customization, at least if the devs don't throw us a bone, it's possible to give non-Dark Armor powers a Dark Armor appearance, at least.
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That's kind of the other thing I was thinking of, though, have an option that instead of making your character transparent, it makes it darker. Most of the powers assume that you are invisible, light passes through you, but to me stealth is also the ability to hide in shadows, to blend into a dark background.
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It also makes sense that I took the Leaping pool for Acrobatics (and its knockback protection) and can't stand Jump Kick. Since I had Combat Jumping anyway, the only benefits I'd get from Cloak of Darkness were an unworthy amount of +Def and the inability to see my costume. Instead, I use Combat Jumping alone for immobilize protection... which I honestly don't use all that often to begin with.|
Originally Posted by MrEian
So lemme get this straight... given you said you used ice patch you would rather the immob prot that gives you 2.5% rather than the immob prot that gives you 5%? Saying you took CJ because your build cant handle an extra .21 end/sec would make more sense than not taking because its the better power
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As it is, I barely had enough power slots for the ones I DID want. Recall Friend didn't find its way into the build until 49.
I find CoD fine for a stealth power. Use it to run past enemies and ghost missions. I would just like to see DA be a little less endurance consuming and get some sort of knockback protection like the other armors. It kind of limits which travel power to take, even if you get enhancements with knockback protection.
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Not at all. I knew what CoD did BEFORE I made my Spines/DA.|
Originally Posted by Doctor_Xaxan
So, I really do love this set. I'm looking forward to the game being more than boss farms so that I don't have to deal with constant jeering from the (yawn) electric/stone brutes. Not that it upsets me all that much. I can take point against bosses just fine.
Anyway. Do any of you brutes, scappers and tankers get aggravated by the fact that Cloak of Darkness makes your character not just stealthed, but GONE? Even with particles turned all the way up to 5,000 (which causes my laptop to crai teerz), my beautiful character becomes a blob of crud. What gives? Five costume slots in a game that's at least 50% style, and one of my main defensive abilities renders me almost impossible to see on my own screen. Argh. |
Why get upset about something you knew was going to happen when you took the power
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This is neither here nor there, but if u manage to slot a couple of -knock prot IO's and get a performance shifter IO, and are lucky enough to get a theft of essense +end proc for dark regen, dark armors end consumption becomes quite managable. |
Originally Posted by GuyPerfect
It also makes sense that I took the Leaping pool for Acrobatics (and its knockback protection) and can't stand Jump Kick. Since I had Combat Jumping anyway, the only benefits I'd get from Cloak of Darkness were an unworthy amount of +Def and the inability to see my costume. Instead, I use Combat Jumping alone for immobilize protection... which I honestly don't use all that often to begin with.
As it is, I barely had enough power slots for the ones I DID want. Recall Friend didn't find its way into the build until 49. |
Those 3 IO's really change the way dark armor play. Id highly suggest you try to find them.
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Originally Posted by Shadow Ravenwolf
My favorite combo is Faceplant/DebtCap with the TeamWipe Ancillary
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Originally Posted by Dispari
Yeah, I like Blasters too.
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I personally skipped cloak of darkness.
I see it as the 'stalking' option, where you can sneak about hitting stuff with less trouble from the outside. Using the damage aura, CoF, and/or OG negate it's stealth by aggroing nearby foes.
I see it's use as mutually exclusive with the aforementioned auras. On the upside, that means by using cloak of darkness you can leave 3 toggles off, on the downside, things don't get hurt, feared, or stunned. Yes, there is the defense factor, but I find the numbers a bit too 'meh' outside of a +def IO bonus focus. (And I bypass +def for +recovery)
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The only advantage CoD really has during combat is that it decreases the radius at which foes you have no aggroed can spot you. In other words, it cuts down on adds. In some cases you want adds, though, so you would likely turn it off. |
Originally Posted by Seldom
I see it as the 'stalking' option, where you can sneak about hitting stuff with less trouble from the outside. Using the damage aura, CoF, and/or OG negate it's stealth by aggroing nearby foes.
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The Defense is better than CJ, it is about twice, and doesn't suppress. And it does give you a +Perception. Still, it's circumstancial enough that you can turn it off and on, IMHO.
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For the uninitiated, that's not how I roll. I refuse to throw money at holes in a build by purchasing IOs to compensate for something that's not there. Then again, I'm the one enjoying a petless Mastermind in the 30's, so there's probably something else going on up there.
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Originally Posted by JamMasterJMS
Those 3 IO's really change the way dark armor play. Id highly suggest you try to find them.
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The obscuring effect of cloak has been one of my pet peeves since launch. My first character was a DM/DA scrapper. I hated the obscuring effect it had, and specced out of it at the first opportunity. It's a shame too, because it really is a nice power.
I see no reason why they couldn't give it a translucency effect like all other stealth powers. That I could live with.
So, I really do love this set. I'm looking forward to the game being more than boss farms so that I don't have to deal with constant jeering from the (yawn) electric/stone brutes. Not that it upsets me all that much. I can take point against bosses just fine.
Anyway.
Do any of you brutes, scappers and tankers get aggravated by the fact that Cloak of Darkness makes your character not just stealthed, but GONE? Even with particles turned all the way up to 5,000 (which causes my laptop to crai teerz), my beautiful character becomes a blob of crud.
What gives? Five costume slots in a game that's at least 50% style, and one of my main defensive abilities renders me almost impossible to see on my own screen.
Argh.