so i herd you...wait...you don't like NRG/NRG Blasters?

So lately, one of my channels were talking about Energy/Energy blasters. From the looks of it, they are not really respected, which I am guessing is due to their knockback. I know this probaly sounds like a question a new person would ask, but for all of you that have a Energy/Energy blaster, do you ever get criticized or kicked for a dumb reason?

To be honest, I've never gotten kicked for being an Energy/Energy Blaster. And I do have a lot of hours ingame as one. My first hero I started and finished (well, to 50, I am never finished) was an Energy/Energy blaster. I have had comments about the knockback and I have found my own ways and powercombos to use during team use. Mostly I just become a blapper. The only AOE I really use is Nova while on a team, unless I have a strong controller who immobs the entire group and then I will hit Explosive Blast too. After playing this blaster for over five years, I just had to adapt and wait for other player to hit their immobs or grab aggro first and then let me hit my powers that either are not AOE with KB or single one or two hit powers. Also as a player, I think my Blaster is the most fun character I have.

So basically, people only look down on the ones that don't have an idea what they are doing?

n00bs (not Newbies) give Energy a bad name, and there are a lot of them! I try to use my Energy responsibly, and corner enemies into walls, blast them back into AoE's, and throw troublesome guys off of rooftops (to deal with them later).

n00bs just activate their knockback powers by randomly slapping the keyboard, bouncing enemies around willy-nilly while their high-pitched manic laugher is choked by mouthfulls of chocolate cake.

To answer your question, yes. Only people who don't know what they're doing get booted. I get critisized only until they see me play and realize I'm not one of those slack-jawed, vacantly moon-faced, unwashed, sippycup full of Redbull, booger-barons.

P.S. I don't like n00bs.

You don't like noobs? Who would of thought?
Heh, only joking, but thank you, thats all I need.

Dont forget, the damage that "noobs" have done to the rep. Energy/* blasters are one of the most hated ATs in the game. You will get booted for no reason, blamed for all knockback on teams - even if its not you doing it, and yelled at about being a noob for knocking things back.

The actions of people playing the set poorly have etched in the image that "all" Energy/* blasters are evil people that thrive on causing anguish by knocking foes everywhere. Until the DEVs announce that they are changing the knockback to knockdown, this misperception will always exist.

Just remember the Energy blaster golden rule "You hit it, you kill it". Follow this and nobody will care about your knockback.

I've come across people on the forums who hate knockback in all its forms, but I've never been treated unfairly while playing pickup groups on Virtue.
I've had a couple of comments to keep it under control once or twice which I thought were unwarranted (since I was hovering above the bad guys at the time) but nothing too harsh.

So I wouldn't let the supposed reputation put you off playing Energy Blast.

I just keep knocking them back until.

A) They are all dead.
B) The melee characters figure out that they should be near walls instead of in the middle of all the giant rooms.

Usually A happens much more often than B. Alot of n00bs I have run with over the years blame KB for their own self created woes. Team strategy runs 2 ways. Telling the energy blaster not to use KBing AoEs deprives your team of that damage output and is totally ridiculous. Learning to melee near obstacles saves everyone time and headaches.

The reason the complaint is so common is that an armored melee toon like a br00t, tank, or scrapper is easier to get your feet wet on. A larger proportion of n00bs are therefore found playing these ATs, playing them with poor tactics, and then complaining about/blaming other players for their own self created problems.

Communication is the key. Explaining how KB works and good tactics can actually turn a n00b into a newbie if they take and follow your advice.

6 years of playing an Energy Blast/Energy Manipulation Blaster.

0 kicks.

0 complaints.

Maybe I've been lucky enough to play with good people, or maybe I wizened up to KBs consequences early on. Dunno really.

Could be that I've never used Explosive Blast. Radial KB is blech.

What used to annoy me is when some energy blaster would KB mobs, spreading them from being collected within other peoples cones all for a pitiful bit of damage. If your gonna kb aoe then atleast make sure it is going to finish off rather than take a smidgeon. Cones are different, they can go to walls, corners, used to help bunch what have you.

Another thing knocking other peoples targets off of edges to fight them later is also bad.

Amusingly, under the "Last Post" column, this appears as:

"Re: so I herd you...wait...you"

Therefore, I figured this thread was going to be a rant about tanks who say "Wait here!" then run off and needlessly "herd" while the blasters all stand around, checking their e-mails and watching YouTube, bored beyond words.

Personally, I have never been kicked playing a character with KB and I cannot recall even getting a comment about it.

I am a pro-KB fanatic. Pretty much all my characters have it to some degree.

If I was ever kicked for it or berated about it, then I would simply have more people to add to my Global ignore list (the single global on that list would love some company anyway).

Why? Because, as far as I am concerned, if you really think that the perceived "time to kill slowdown" caused by KB is annoying, I don't ever want to play games with you, because I think you forgot how to have fun and relax.

KB is fun, Fun, FUN! If you have a different opinion on that, you are certainly entitled to it. I am simply happy I don't have to team with such uptight people.

Hmm that's really strange because I've never had someone complain to me about my energy blaster. I've never had a complaint about knock back, most likely because the mob is dead when I'm done with it so knockback is a non issue.

A little common sense in using your skills goes a long way I guess. =]

My first hero was an Energy/fire blaster, but I have very few skills from the fire side of things.

But when I first started playing I was never really criticized for kb, maybe once or twice before I understood how the game mechanics worked and Kb'd some guys before the tank had agro and ended up dying, but mostly my lessons were learned through playing (as one would expect).

I dont' shy away from my AOE's even on teams.. But I have learned to make sure my blaster is hovering above my enemies (turning knock back into knock down) and if I can't do that then making sure I'm positioned in such a way to try to hit them into a wall.

It seems to have served me well.. And I haven't heard any KB complaints..
There's plenty an energy blaster can do to mitigate the KB.

I think everyone new to the game will have to learn how to deal with KB accordingly, but with a little guidance (and less people booting them off the team) they should be quick to learn.

Arguably, the person who hates and kicks an energy blaster doesn't quite understand the KB mechanic themselves, if the only offering to make the energy blaster better is to boot them off the team...

My main since 2004 has been an energy/energy blaster and I have never been criticized or kicked from a team because of it. Infact, most people would get a kick out of watching my sling stuff around cause I liked to Nova every chance I could when it was up. I've even been in groups doing my kb thing and the whole team would get mad at the stormy because of it and not say a word to me.

In regards to my aoe's scattering groups and making other "superior" aoes ineffective. I don't see this problem happening. I lead with Repulsion Bomb -> Explosive Blast -> Energy Torrent typically and the mobs stay fairly well grouped to get hit by all 3. If you can't aoe by the time that's done then your superior aoe is slow and a waste.

It's already been stated, but an energy blaster needs to try to knock stuff into walls and straight down when possible. However, some tanks will insist on moving away from walls or perch mobs on the edge of a ledge without a handy wall. All you can do is make a single constructive comment on it, and try not to make a mess of things with your knockback.

If you're trying your best, then don't sweat any complaints from reactionary team mates. In the end, no single team or task force will make or break your reputation - it's your overall track record that will make people appreciate what you bring to a team.

Nova isn't KB. KB is when they get up afterwards.