No hablo "FF Defender" ...

Thing is, there's less pressure on Controllers because they have other methods of preventing damage. Who needs force fields when none of the enemies can attack?

But for Defenders, buffing others is their main contribution to the team. Imagine the reaction if you'd skipped PA.

but you HAVE the bubbles. if asked, would you apply them? if so, then you would be a significantly different case than the character in question, if not, then it depends how much your pa was doing. consider that the defender was unlikely to be contributing much damage with her blasts as you were with them. is common courtesy really that difficult to understand?

Except in the case of a controller with FF as a secondary, there are still many other valuable things you'd be bringing to the table. On top of that, you said you have the team bubbles, even if you forget to use them most of the time. I'd wager that if the team asked you to, you'd probably be a team player and try to use them.

A FF defender without the team bubbles isn't bringing much to the table at all other than some piddly weak blasts, and a bit of defense & status protection from Dispersion Bubble. And for the record, I've got a 50 FF defender; I know FF has its kb powers and cage power. Those don't even some close to making up for the lack of bubbles. FF is, and always has been, essentially a one trick pony. Defense and lots of it.

Without that defense, the bubbler is pretty much just along for the ride, and taking up a pity spot on the team.

Nope. But again, that's your secondary. And healing isn't exactly the point of Storm anyway. How'd you feel about a Plant controller that couldn't really control anything because they decided to skip Seeds of Confusion and their Hold powers?

Players can build their characters however they like. They've got that choice. But choices have consequences. A player skipping set defining powers should not be surprised if some players and teams find them a less than ideal team member.

I'd like to point out a negative rep I received for my above post and want to respond. Why? Cause I'm bored at work.

My post makes no mention if the OP is right or wrong or if I disgree or agree with their statement about this FF Defender being useless because they didn't have the single target shields.

Instead, I made a generic reply that shows how unoriginal this trol...err...OP is/was in their ability to provoke a response.

Apparently, the above negative repper was below average intelligence and couldn't use simple reasoning but would rather attack me personally in a cowardly fashion by hiding behind the rep system.

As always, forum posting is srs bsns rabblerabblerabble

O2 Boost is a nice power, but it's not a core power from Storm. I personally wouldn't particularly care if a Stormy skipped O2 Boost, I'd be much more upset if they skipped one of the major debuffs like Freezing Rain or Snow Storm. O2 Boost is a nice power to have (for the mez protection and perception boost as much if not more than the healing) but it isn't critical for a Stormies general role.

I agree too. It's an MMO and when you join a team, you're playing with other people. Yes everyone is entitled to run what ever character they want to play, I won't argue that. However when people start playing weird combinations that they know are weird. "Hey I'm a blaster with no range attacks and only a few melee attacks and 4 travels powers and a couple self buffs." They should keep in mind, when they are on a team their "different" build is now affecting 1-7 other people's game.

Honestly, I have no problem with it, but when I join an ITF and I see a couple blasters, I more or less expect them to have ranged damage. If I see a mastermind, I expect him to have some pets. If they don't, fine but they should say something to the team knows what to expect.

"Hey guys, just to let you know, I'm a petless mastermind, I'll bubble the hell out of you but don't expect DPS from me."

At least I would know what I'm getting into then instead of.

Team Leader" "Hey Mastermind, we're half way through the second mission and I can't recall ever seeing your pets."

Mastermind: "Pets?"

I think it's rather rude. TFs can be difficult enough without people using deliberately gimped builds because it's "interesting". Just say when you join the team that you're build is "different" and explain all it's short comings so people know what they are getting before the team wipes 9 times cuz it turns out the empathy defender only took clear mind from his primary.

In a "regular" PUG, I'd say this isn't a problem. Part of the fun in setting up a team is figuring out what does and doesn't work for that particular team composition.

In a "Task Force" though... where (I'm told) team composition can make or break things, then I'd suggest the person had an obligation to inform the team leader that his/her build was different. It's up to the team leader to decide whether this was a deal-breaker. She may have done that, in which case, she's fine.

Part-Troll has already said he wasn't the team leader so he might not have been privy to that information.

That's my only edit.

I've got few no-travel-power builds--- some of them insanely fast (like my MA/SR scrapper with every speed boost I can find, including several "gift of ancients" speed boosts) and some less so.

They usually solo / team with friends. In the rare case where I accept a PUG invite, I give plenty of forewarning. I'd do the same for any gag characters (like the very-little-empathy empath defender "Major HMO" I mentioned in another post). If the team leader still wants me to join, fine.

The only TFs where I've seen were missing set defining powers can be detrimental to the team is the late game ones...STF, LRSF, ITF (ok not exactly late game, but lvl 35-50), LGTF can be alot more difficult (But I've never failed this one, so I could be wrong).

The other TFs/SFs are relatively easy enough, it's not really a matter of missing set defining powers.