What Changes are needed to make Stalkers an acceptable addition to a Team?

OP - What server do you play on? I've got four full years under my belt, and not once has this happened to me.

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None.

Statistically, I think there are relatively few Stalkers in game. Or they're all in the PvP zones. It's hard to form an opinion about the AT, let alone a favorable one, when you don't get exposed to them as much. Though I don't play villain side these days anymore so I haven't even had the opportunity (other than an ITF/RWZ) to team up with one. That also just might be my bias to generally play with my friends and less often on PUGs.

I did run into several of the "scout out the map and click glowie" Stalkers back in the day. It didn't help their rep in my eyes. I am looking forward to Going Rogue and getting more mixed Hero/Villain teams. It will be interesting to see how that turns out.

What's needed - a decent player.

Stalkers already open with a good, solid hit - and a chance for an AOE fear to mitigate a return strike, which was added in part because of "wanting to give something more to a team."

I haven't had the OP's experiences... well, ever.

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Freedom and virtue.

So you guys are telling me, that you have never been in Cimeora or Grandville, seen someone call out in Global TF LFM DPS 6 spots, and have a stalker advertise repetatedly while the team fills?

I was just on a TF last night where I had to Beg my way on, and once I joined the team the Leader says "I usually don't take stalkers."

This stuff happens and it is not isolated.

I've been on many teams, had a stalker quit, and then someone on the team says "No big deal; it was ony the Stalker". Other times it's "invite anyone....but a stalker". Stalkers suffer from being the little brother to the big brother brute. Unlike the scrapper/tank relationship where scrappers do more damage than tanks, the stalker usually does less damage and is much more squishy than a brute.
Plus, virtually everyone has been on the team where the stalker races ahead on the map and leaves the team behind, exposing the map and making it difficult for the rest of the team to know where they have been, while contributing nothing to the team execept for an AS every once in awhile, where he usually dies immediatly afterwards and then lays on the floor begging for an awake or somethign while everyone is tryign to fight the huge mob that he has aggroed. I think that stalkers have a ****** magnet or something.
I think that's why most people think that they can do much better by picking another AT for their team or TF.

I recently made and elec/elec stalker and I think that he contributes greatly to the teams, as do the other players on the team. But the thing is, i don't AS and then jump out. I stealth strike with an AoE and Crit hit most of the mob, and then Placiate and AS a Boss or Lt. then just start going through the normal melee rotation. This has been my first positive experience with a stalker. The rest of the sets that I've tried have met with similar responses from players as the original poster and my own experiences with stalkers on the teams.
I'm looking forward to taking my new electric Stalker to Paragon City to see what he can do after GR hits.

I have played many, many Stalkers, and have never seen anyone quit because I joined a team, threaten to quit because I joined a team, or express any sort of disgust when I joined a team that wasn't immediately followed by "jk".

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Nothing Needs changing.
The only thing I would say that I would like to change is the HP cap. But it is not needed. I do fine with lower HP.

I have never gotten the 'Oh great, a stalker' when I join a team. The only thing I can think of is you are playing on Freedumb, and thus get dumb people. Most of the time when I join a team on my stalker, the sentiment is 'Sweet, Pine is here'. Just one of the benefits of being on a smaller server I guess.

While I've never been kicked from the team for using a Stalker, I have heard negative comments about them though it's mostly from the same guy on our server. Stalkers DO have a bad rep but it varies on how much that actually affects team recruitment.

From my experience, stalkers are ok. I think stalkers are not priority in a team. I believe most of the time, if there are other choices, stalkers will be left behind. Stalkers maybe problematic for master runs, as they are melee but needs some buffs (for example resistance and hp buffs, defense buffs may not be that helpful if their defense are already soft-capped) to be more tough. I think missions and tfs in this game need more objectives that are strategic in nature. The contents in this game are mostly about dps, massive quick killing, or one big mob that needs nothing but massive debuffs, and I don't see why a stalker is essential in most cases, although it doesn't hurt to have a stalker.

I duo-ed with stalkers a few times with my squishy corruptor. It's quite problematic at lower levels when both players are not that tough. The stalker placates and the mobs go after me. I'd rather duo with other AT such that the aggro can be at least shared.

Only problem I've ever had with Stalkers on my teams have nothing to do with the AT and everything to do with the person playing the character. Much like every other AT.

It's probably been said already, but i didn't bother reading the answers.

I'll gladdly accept stalkers in my team, as long as they arent the "AS-hide-AS-hide-AS-hide" types.

A spines/ that do massive aoe damage? I'd love that, since i'm always more ST focused personnaly.

Survivability not welcome in CoV? That's probably true on the "perfectly balanced" damage-tank-heal teams out there. But for me, someone who don't need babysitting is definitively a big bonus. And the coallition i go to for speed SF aggrees.

Seems you just had bad luck and kept getting in crappy teams or team with bad players.

I agree with the OP. I haven't had that much trouble on my Stalker, but I can see where the OP's coming from. Sure, most of us on the board may not mind having Stalkers on the team. However, reality is that there are probably about 10% of the entire player population that even posts on the board. Most people in game just don't care for Stalkers on the team, it's not because of the players, it's the AT.

Why would you want a Stalker on the team? Yes, they are the king of single-target burst damage, but:
> a Brute can provide more average dps in the course of a mission. Not only that, a Brute can tank and can pull aggro off other teammates.

> MM's have high dps as well, due to their buff/debuff secondary and MM's can also "tank."

> Corruptors provide decent dps as well as buff/debuff secondary.

> Dominators provide control along with some dps.

Do you see where Stalkers are lagging yet? All of the aforementioned Archetypes can provide support for a team in one way or another. A Brute pulls/holds aggro. MM's and Corruptors can buff/debuff. Dominators can control. What can a Stalker do besides being able to kill a certain target faster?

Stalkers are still getting hate because SOMETIMES placate isn't that great of a team power. If a stalker placates a boss and then starts his AS windup and if the time it takes for AS animate that boss turns around and kills the fire corrupter the stalker should apologize to that corrupter for dumping all that aggro on him.

This is an example of something that only happens SOMETIMES, but I have to wonder how many stalkers realize that SOMETIMES you'd be a better teammate if instead of placate then AS they went placate then Soaring Dragon.

Well...a 20 second duration on Build Up would make them more team friendly.

No changes to the AT are needed really. Some playstyle advice is really all thats needed.

Shameless plug for a mini guide I wrote a year or two ago. Things I learned as a stalker.

Well tonight on Virtue, I had led a team with my Crab Spider Arbiter Jim. I went from 48 to 50. We even had two stalkers at times. When we were done one of the team members said that it was the best group they had in months. Everyone agreed.

Silly lolstalkers.... Just kidding.