Idea for a new Power Pool
By
Aett_Thorn,
Posted on: 2011-04-01 05:27 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
There's a suggestions section of the forums where this belongs.
Where to now?
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The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
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don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
1) None of the servers are so empty that you can't find a team. However, you just need to know where to look. Try to find some global channels on your server.
2) Any powerset combo can solo. Yes, some can do it easier than others, but there are some attacks already in the power pools that you can supplement your character with.
3) The problem with creating a power pool filled with attacks (especially ranged AoE attacks) is that anyone can take them, including the ATs that already have strong attacks, but could use this pool to get even more. It's not like only those powerset combos that are slower soloers would be able to choose it, right?
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
Quote:
Sometimes I wish this were true. Today is Friday, and some shopping and crafting I wanted to do Monday is still undone because every time I log on I get tells from people asking me to join them. Last night I snuck back on after bedtime just to buy the first DOs for a character who'd finally hit 12, and before my screen loaded I had a tell from someone who wanted to play for a bit. (I grabbed the DOs real fast and we knocked out some missions in an arc we shared).|
Originally Posted by Atago
Nowadays some of the Servers are so empty that you have to solo most of the time.
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Originally Posted by Atago
Maybe an Assault-Pool....4 Attackpowers to bridge the time till you get some Attacks or are in a Levelrange where you can find more teams.
... Maybe some sorts of Throwing Knives and Grenades using Lethal/Smashing Damage and not so powerfull like the Epic pool Attacks. So they are more usefull in lower levels where these Damagetypes are not so resisted and have not so much use for Players who have acces to Epic Pools and lvl38 Powers....only a little help for Powersets which lack Attacks to solo efficiently. |
Inexpensive and readily available. You can make them again and again. Yes, they're on charges, but you can get several different kinds of attacks, so that you don't have to return and craft again too soon. The list even includes knives and grenades! Just what you wanted.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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I'm in all global channels that my server has...don't know where you play, take a look on the european and especcially the german server and not on the Number of PPL who are on, but on the Number of Chars in the LVLrange 1-40.|
Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
1) None of the servers are so empty that you can't find a team. However, you just need to know where to look. Try to find some global channels on your server.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
1)3) The problem with creating a power pool filled with attacks (especially ranged AoE attacks) is that anyone can take them, including the ATs that already have strong attacks, but could use this pool to get even more. It's not like only those powerset combos that are slower soloers would be able to choose it, right?
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For me it's not the question if one Player think he needs them and the other might not, or if there are other possibilities, like Temp powers. The question for me is if there are real Reasons that make it impossible. If not, let stand it like it is....only an idea
Sy, overlooked the Suggestions Section.
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There are no reasons for it to be impossible, but I think you're coming at this from the very wrong angle. If you propose a suggestion, you have to justify why it is necessary or at the very least beneficial to enact said suggestion.|
Originally Posted by Atago
The question for me is if there are real Reasons that make it impossible. If not, let stand it like it is....only an idea
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"It's not impossible, the devs should expend the resources to implement this" is an illogical conclusion.
"It's not necessary or beneficial, the devs should not waste the resources to implement this" is a logical conclusion, and right now, the one that your suggestion is faced with.
Where to now?
Check out all my guides and fiction pieces on my blog.
The MFing Warshade | The Last Rule of Tanking | The Got Dam Mastermind
Everything Dark Armor | The Softcap
don'T attempt to read tHis mEssaGe, And believe Me, it is not a codE.
Sure, you're right. So let's say it was an Idea from a Player who found it necessary from his own subjective POV. If the majority of players and the Devs don't find this suggestion useful, OK can live with it.
I had a dream........and that dreams come true is very rare....:-))
It already is true -- it's better than your idea, as I pointed out.
If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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Lol, I woke up early today before work (like 2am) and decided to log onto a character to get a tip or two done. I literally logged in to an invite, lvl 38. It happens really often on hero side.|
Originally Posted by Atago
I'm in all global channels that my server has...don't know where you play, take a look on the european and especcially the german server and not on the Number of PPL who are on, but on the Number of Chars in the LVLrange 1-40.
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On villain side, I could kind of understand. There's not as many that play on that side but it's still not impossible. I'm not one to make teams, but many of the teams I get invited to are run so suboptimally, I just make the teams myself and force them to do my bidding...and these fools actually *want* to! Ha, I can get my tips done in a fraction of the time, and get my merits by having them finish my arcs. It's a sweet deal and easy since you can invite someone of any level so long as they're willing to sk up or exemp down.
lol, was on now for 4 hours with a lvl12 char, 9 ppl < lvl 20 on and only 2 of them wanted to start a team, but only for half an hour. And this was not only this evening, yesterday i played one of my Scrappers lvl28 and had a team for 1 hour of ~4h, most of the time 3-4ppl and that was a good evening and an exception....so your experience is not mine...we can now discuss hour for hour how it's more easily to find a team, which channels you have to join, which side you have to play, if you have to run TFs instead of Missions etc.....but this doesn't change the fact that it is not easy to find bigger teams on all Servers and in all Levelranges.
For example the german server now atm(9 PM):
PPL online on Heroside atm 36:
22: lvl50
4: lvl40-49
10: lvl 1-39
Sure the real Problem is not the lack of enough Powers to solo well, the problem is that COX is a pure Teamgame and most of the time the Playernumbers on some servers are not high enough to play in full teams.
Boxing/Kick from the fighting pool
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I dont think the OP is necessarily a bad idea, but the fighting pool is how my friend leveled his ice/empathy. Seemed to work pretty well for him.|
Originally Posted by Silverado
Boxing/Kick from the fighting pool
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Also you dont really need a whole team to level up a support character. Just 1 other player with damage will get the job done.
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I sense the problem. |
Originally Posted by Atago
lol, was on now for 4 hours with a lvl12 char, 9 ppl < lvl 20 on and only 2 of them wanted to start a team, but only for half an hour.
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Originally Posted by Atago
and only 2 of them wanted to start a team
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If we are to die, let us die like men. -- Patrick Cleburne
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The rule is that they must be loved. --Jayne Fynes-Clinton, Death of an Abandoned Dog
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Make them inferior to attacks native to ATs. They won't be worth taking for most builds, but for those that are severely lacking, they could be better than nothing.
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Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
3) The problem with creating a power pool filled with attacks (especially ranged AoE attacks) is that anyone can take them, including the ATs that already have strong attacks, but could use this pool to get even more. It's not like only those powerset combos that are slower soloers would be able to choose it, right?
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Yeah, you only need like 1 other person to team with. My first 50 was a grav/emp and I almost exclusively teamed with this one scrapper.
AND anything can solo. Thats simply a fact.
"I have ridden the mighty moon worm!"
-Al Gore
Fiery Aura is only good for farming, I'm cereal
@Caucasiafro
While I DO like the idea of an 'Assault' pool power, I think it would be impracticable to really make. Not the 'making' part but the 'balancing' aspect.
If the attacks are too powerful then people will take the powers, not to shore up weaknesses but to enhances strengths that don't need boosting. (Such as an AoE Farmer taking yet another AoE) That could wind up unbalancing things.
Make them too weak and no one would bother. SURE, that Controller would LIKE a nice ranged or AoE attack to add to the damage, but if they can't even match the power of their base attacks, why bother?
It would be difficult to balance it at best.
Better to wait for the epics, I would say.
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Everything can solo, but it should be mentioned that some ATs (Scrappers, Brutes, Tankers) can do so easier than others (Defenders, Controllers, Corruptors). It also depends on your powers as well. A defender with, say, Dark Miasma or Trick Arrow will have an easier time soloing than one with Empathy.|
Originally Posted by ultrawatt
Yeah, you only need like 1 other person to team with. My first 50 was a grav/emp and I almost exclusively teamed with this one scrapper.
AND anything can solo. Thats simply a fact. |
That being said, for leveling Teams > Solo.
Assuming the same basic mechanics continue to exist then this is probably going to end up favouring existing DPS archetypes. Consider how much (or how little) a pool attack power does for a Defender and then how useful another AOE would be on a Super Strength Brute/Tank.
I think, without there being any further information from what is presented so far, that temporary powers are going to shore up any holes in your playstyle up until 40 just fine.
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Agreed. But I still think a pool could help alleviate the situation for specific set-ups and still be balanced.|
Originally Posted by BunnyAnomaly
I think, without there being any further information from what is presented so far, that temporary powers are going to shore up any holes in your playstyle up until 40 just fine.
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I remember suggesting a pool called the "Utility Belt" pool that basically allow you to pick a temp power to make them 'perma' on the character while you were still respec'ed into the pool.
Basic line-up of the pool would be:
1. Passive +ToHit and resistance to ToHit debuffs *special if you can only make all non-pool temp powers more accurate with this*
2. Click allows an inspiration use without actually expending it. You could carry around an Emerge inspiration just for the purpose of clicking this and gaining a tier 3 breakfree but still keep it.
3. Belt allows for 2-3 temp powers to be choosen and replaced with a 'perma' version. It'd still cost you 2 power picks to actually get 2 temps here.
4. Swap allows you to erase a choosen power from your belt. Without swap, you'd need a respec to erase/replace one of your belt powers. The 4th tier gives the flexibility to take better advantage of the situation.
This could give attacks to ATs that have damage deficiencies, give armors that lack a heal the option to gain one or add more to their defenses or ATs that lack any support the option if they want to pick up an ally rez. Can also expand concepts and stuff too.
To the OP... if your main problem is perceived server emptiness... and you are a Euro player, than a fix is in the pipeline: server list merge. Soon you will have access to all of the US servers as well. And, I betcha that there will be another round of free server transfers when that happens so that we can "invade" each others' home turfs.
Also, I have to side with all of the above who do not think a pool of attacks is a good way to go to help some sets solo better. Honestly, some sets SHOULDN'T be able to solo well... it's part of the design. Empathy, for instance, by it's very nature excells in a teaming environment.
I don't think the OP's idea is as lacking in merit as has been let on. With some tweaking, I sincerely think that it can be fairly balanced, and useful without being overwhelming.
AND, potentially COOL. Which is probably the important thing.
First off, there are concerns about high-tier farmers using such a pool to stack up with extra AOE's and damage auras. I really don't think damage auras belong in pools, because they are FREE DAMAGE PER SECOND. Well, not totally free, but, they don't cost animation time, and tick away while you use your other attacks. In the hands of a sturdy character, the effect is really really potent.
So instead of:
Attack
Attack
AOE
Aura
I would suggest a layout of:
Melee Attack
Melee Attack
Ranged Attack
AOE attack
With an eye kept out on making sure that the attacks don't absolutely STINK, but aren't really better in terms of DPA than existing primary set options. A good line of comparison? POOL ATTACK POWERS? AM I HEARING POOL ATTACK POWERS? YES I AM!
The KEY thing is, that by putting the AOE at the top of the set, you're asking people to give up 2 power picks on what could be considered lower-tier attacks just to get at it. AND, presumably, despite being an AOE, with DPA and Radius and Target Cap tuning, we can keep it from being overwhelming. Something like a 0.80 damage scale AOE with Hurl's animation and a 7 foot radius and 5 target limit on a 16 second timer? I dunno.
Who's gonna want these powers? People playing weaker powersets that actually benefit from them. Who isn't? People who don't due to already having strong damage options.
So what kind of theme could we have running in this pool? How about something wacky and fun! IMPROVISED WEAPONRY!
The 2 melee attacks could swing with random household items, and the Ranged and AOE attack could be thrown objects: The AOE being larger objects, the ranged attack being things that can be thrown one handed. We already have a one and two handed hurling/throwing animations. (Hurl with shield = 1 handed, hurl without shield = 2 handed. There also exists the animation used in the [Rock] Temp power.) It would take some tech to make random objects be hand-thrown, and some care would have to go into the selection of the random objects, but I think the pool could really add some flavor to characters and also add some damage where it's needed.
Mission Arc: Metatronic Mayhem (Id 1750): A tale of robots gone wrong, rogue robots gone right, and madmen gone every which way but loose.
I dont see why anyone is worried about balance. ALL of the power pools do different effects for different ATs dont they?
Brute/scrapper/blaster/etc versions of the attack powers would not be as good as defender/controller/etc versions. Also the damage could scale with level differently, where they are more useful at lower levels and not so much at higher levels.
Not that I would even take the pool anyway, I like brutes and scrappers the most.
Nowadays some of the Servers are so empty that you have to solo most of the time. Many Powersets are not designed for that and you have to reach lvl38-41 to have access to the Epic Pools to equalize their weaknesses. But there is the problem, in most cases it's the lvlrange from 1-40 that really sucks and where you need a team and can't find one and not >lvl40. For Example i would like to make a Ice-Troller but i know it would be a pain in the a** to level him up on my server, soloing most of the time.
Know with the inherent Fitness-Pool there should be room for a new Pool, maybe a Pool that helps the Players who want to play ATs that are not designed for soloing but have to. A Pool that has more benefits for Players <lvl40 than for Players above. Maybe an Assault-Pool....4 Attackpowers to bridge the time till you get some Attacks or are in a Levelrange where you can find more teams.
lvl6:
Singletarget Ranged Attack or Singletarget Melee Attack
lvl14:
Targeted AOE Attack
lvl20:
Damage Aura?
Maybe some sorts of Throwing Knives and Grenades using Lethal/Smashing Damage and not so powerfull like the Epic pool Attacks. So they are more usefull in lower levels where these Damagetypes are not so resisted and have not so much use for Players who have acces to Epic Pools and lvl38 Powers....only a little help for Powersets which lack Attacks to solo efficiently.