Make Triage Beacon more popular!

* Add a small recovery component (wouldn't need to be big AT ALL to be valuable)
* Possibly turn it into a floatie, like FFG.

The issue right now is just that it's rarely even practical to get much use out of it, and the use it provides is pretty limited; most groups run out of blue a lot more than green. Still fits the traps theme pretty decently, but makes the power a little less likely to get dismissed out of hand.

/signed.

Honestly, the second part is probably bigger than the first as far as "why I never take it." Bring everyone to a full stop to sit and have their regen buffed? Meh.

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Agreed with Bill, the 'non-portability' of the power is it's real drawback.

Right now it only seems useful if your team gets held up in a longer then normal fight.

Assuming it's WAI and balanced in the Dev's eyes (I didn't say it was in reality, just in their eyes), how do you propose to them to balance the extra utility of letting it move?

The duration is long right now, but useless if you have to sit there the whole time, so I'd probably give up some of that. But I still want to have a good ratio of time-on-station vs. time to recharge.

You could also make it targetable, but that could potentially turn its good duration into negligible in either PvP or chaotic PvE donnybrooks. It shouldn't draw much aggro unless it's the only thing in the room (it doesn't damage or debuff enemies), and it should be able to avoid most AoE effects (only the stuff targeted directly at it should be able to hit).

I don't think you could really use its flight speed as a balancing factor, as most pets are able to keep up with moderate speed casters currently.

However, if you flat out think Triage Beacon is that ginger-haired, then feel free to suggest whatever you think would be a fair and balanced version of the power.

Keep it stationary, but change it from +Regen to Heal Over Time. It makes more sense, and would be more effective at what it's supposed to do.

Unfortunately, the MM version would likely remained unchanged (see Soothing Aura), but perhaps a slight numbers bump would be in order.

I'll /sign the recovery boost as well, just so that way I can run around and pretend it's a TF2 dispenser since Corrs can't get immobile Gun Drones for sentries. ;_;

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow City of Heroes is a game about freedom of expression and variety of experiences far more so than it is about representing any one theme, topic or genre.

Okay...But what about Tree of Life?

Functionally, they are the same power, and in my eyes just as impractical as-is. However, there is a pretty obvious reason why Tree of Life is stationary. And don't even say give it legs...Flytraps are ridiculous-looking enough.

I think the biggest drawback is the Recharge vs. Duration. It lasts a whopping minute and a half, and the recharge can be brought down to a comparable amount with common IOs alone. However...Why the hell would you need this thing for a minute and a half!? In MMORPG terms, that is an eternity. A typical fight only lasts maybe thirty seconds. If you need it longer cast the thing again, that simple.

My suggestion is dropping the duration to 30 seconds, and the recharge to 60 seconds. This will allow for more flexability in using your Tree/Beacon.

The tree at least has the feature that you can use it to block a door.

My fixes would be:

Leave Triage Beacon as +Regen, but give it the flying jets treatment ala "Gun Turret" change to "Gun Drone"

Leave Tree of Life immobile, but change it to a 3 or 4 second pulse of actual +Hit Points Healing at a level of about 1/3 the strength of unslotted empathy healing aura (or possibly about 1/2 the strength but unenhanceable, not sure which would be better balanced).

I'd also like to see ALL mobile pets get a general movement speed buff of about +33%.

No! You leave my Triage Beacon alone!

Unless you really want to give it +recovery, that I'll allow.

But don't let it move!

When do I need Triage beacon? When I or my team is fighting an AV.

Does an AV move? Not when I've got it webnaded down like a *****.

I can keep my pets on one side of the beacon, safely away from AoEs that hit me, but still in range of the +regen to heal back the shared damage they take, while I sit comfortably taunting from the other side of the beacon, likewise in range of the +regen and close enough for bodyguard mode to stay in effect.

Instead of making Triage Beacon a floating device I would suggest that it be changed to some sort of device that the caster wears like a backpack.


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Give it a personality! A fun one! When you summon it, it would say "Hi there!" When a teammate gets near it, it would say, "Hi, $name! I hope I can help!" When an enemy gets near it it would go, "Ooh, who's that?" and when you leave it it might say, "Hey, where are you going?"

Increase Triage Beacon (and Tree of Life) from +150% regen base to +250% regen base. After enhancements, this makes the two powers roughly equal to unenhanced Regeneration Aura (500%).

I see no reason to change it at all. Seriously.

Traps is pretty awesome sauce as is with the debuffs, FFG and soft/hard controls. Triage beacon does just enough to top you off during hard fights and it can be stationed where you need it freeing you to place other traps in other places.

This doesn't mean I oppose any free buffs, but triage beacon isn't where traps needs help. The real (and only) stinker in the set is time bomb.

My typical tactic for my DP/Traps Cor is to drop an acid mortar, with the beacon a little behind, then go out and pull mobs in. I stand in the beacon area and the mobs get acid bombs chucked at them before they even get to me.

A floating beacon would be nice, and I'd love a +Rec element, but I don't think it's needed.

Don't mess with my triage if it lessens the heal! It's highly useful as is. It's never been an oh s*** save me power.

It's power is, indeed, in longer fights, especially in fights without a tank to suck up the damage. As the monsters forget this or that person and focus on another, it's putting out a tremendous hp per second, total, across the group as a whole.

With pets to divide the monsters' attentions even more, it becomes even more powerful.