Power Set Revamp: Assault Rifle

This Assault Rifle powerset is reworked to deal better damage and reduce the downsides that make the current set unlikable. The attack powers use only a small amount of endurance, but add a new mechanic that will monitor the amount of ammo used by a weapon. By default, you have 60 ammo to work with. To offset the easily resisted damage, attacks from this set will do Resistance debuffs.

Inherent: Reload - End cost 25, Activation time 3 sec, Replenish Ammo
Reloads the Assault Rifle, replenishing ammo.

1: Quick Shot - Ranged Minor Damage (Lethal), Foe -Def, -Res, -1 Ammo
You shoulder your weapon and fire off a quick snap shot at an enemy. While doing a small amount of damage, this attack is highly accurate and will always lower an enemy's Defense and Resist.

1: Double Tap - Ranged Moderate DoT (Lethal), Foe Disorient, -Def, -2 Ammo
You fire two quick shots at an enemy's center mass. The successive attacks can temporarily stun an enemy.

2: Burst - Ranged High DoT (Lethal), Foe -Def, -Res, -4 Ammo
You fire a burst at a single enemy, possibly lowering their Defense and Resist. This attack expends more ammo than Quick Shot and Double Tap but deals more damage.

6: Laser Sight - Toggle (0.50 end/s): Self +ToHit (15%), +DMG (30%)
You activate your rifle's Laser Sight, allowing you to take more efficient aim at your enemies. While this power does not provide as significant a boost as Aim abilities, it can be kept active for as long as the user has Endurance.

8: Heavy Burst - Cone Moderate DoT (Lethal), Foe Knockdown, -Def, -8 Ammo
Rifle in hand, you spray an area with a quick cone of fire. This attack can knockdown enemies and lower their Defense.

12: Concussion Grenade - AoE High Damage (Smashing/Fire), Foe Disorient, Knockdown, -16 Ammo
You launch a Concussion Grenade from underneath the barrel of your Assault Rifle, dealing good Smashing and Fire damage and disorienting your enemies.

18: Sniper Shot - Sniper Extreme Damage (Lethal), Foe Knockdown, -Def, -Res, -1 Ammo
You aim for several seconds before firing a single shot at a distant enemy, sending them to the ground and reducing their Defense and Resistance.

26: Barrage - Location AoE, Superior Damage (Smashing/Fire), Foe Disorient, Knockdown, -32 Ammo
You launch several concussive grenades into the air, which rain down upon a group of unsuspecting enemies. The repeated explosions are enough to severely Disorient multiple foes and knock them to the ground.

32: Mag Dump - Cone Special DoT (Lethal), Foe Hold, -Def, -Res, -All Ammo
You empty your entire magazine into a group of enemies, severely reducing their Defense and Resistance and leaving them completely unable to respond to your attack for the duration of your assault. (Animation time is 1 second per 10 ammo expended, damage scales accordingly.)

Deal better damage? Deal BETTER damage?!

Just to confirm, we ARE talking the same Assault Rifle set here, the one with Flamethrower and Ignite and Full Auto.

Assault Rifle doesn't need any help whatsoever. It is already a furiously powerful set. The only thing about it is that you can't just autopilot it in and expect it to work. Full Auto isn't wide, but it is absurdly long, and aimed properly will never hit less than its target cap. Ignite is a power completely dependant on player skill. If you can't use it it's useless, but if you can, it's monstrously powerful, capable of killing minions so fast they can't even run off of it, and also an excellent defensive power against melee foes. Flamethrower is just plain good, with huge damage and huge cone. The other attacks are mediocre because they have to be to offset just how good AR's cones are.

AR doesn't need help, and I've never seen someone who can actually use Ignite suggest it does. Maybe you should visit the Blaster forums and ask them how to do it?

Cottage Rule.
For a possible alternative, please see my signature in the "Alternate power selections"

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.

Unless they changed it since the last time I've used it, we're talking about the same Ignite with the duration and area coverage of flaming poo on someone's doorstep?

That said.... eh, AR works fine for me, in terms of gameplay efficiency. My biggest gripe would be that it's generic-looking; after the flashiness of the newer powersets, just pointing and shooting is a bit bland.

One way of using the OP to solve it would be to make a separate powerset - say, changing the original AR into armcannons and AR {in name only} with this. But I don't see how it could be done without ticking off quite a few AR users with concept characters.

An open letter to NCsoft

Change the name to "Weapon Assault", and give alternate animations that allow you to shoot from your wrists, and it would be stupidly popular. At least to me. This would allow another set to be opened up and made in a more "rifle" style, with powers similar to a Soldier of Arachnos' basic rifle attacks. It would have to be fleshed out in a way that can suit most people, but they got Dual Pistols to work.

I'm not a big fan of the re-work he OP gave he set, but it's an interesting direction. If I were to design the set, I can't really say which direction I'd want to go with it, there are many ways one could go, so I'd have to really work on flesing my thoughts out.

i have been playing AR for over 5 years now. Secondary is fire, which i know back in the day was the most avoided set i can think of. I did it for concept but after this long i have molded Dead West into a very useful toon. Back before the death of pvp i won several tourneys with him. I have significantly raised the damage of his single target attacks to the point that most lts only need a burst and a slug to take em out. That being said i love the ideas the op has put forth. I just dont think its for AR. Could be a totally new blaster that i would definitely play.