Why aren't you buffing?

Lately I've been noticing a lack of buffs...specifically Shields from Therms/Colds/Sonics...even Bubblers. This isn't just on trials where Incarnate abilities are the norm, but in regular game play. I especially notice it when teams are going through a tough spot and notice when we regroup that A. We've had two Colds the entire time and B. We haven't had shields the entire time.

Generally speaking I contribute it to one main thing, Laziness. The reason for this laziness is pretty straight forward though, it's not so much a crime of the individual as it is bad gameplay mechanics IMO. The buffs don't last that long, 5 minutes is nothing when you have you are in a mission continuously fighting, and you have to buff everybody with multiple shields. There are macros to help this but still, I thing some gameplay mechanics should be changed.

I can't complain without making a suggestion but hey, here goes nothing.

Instead of shield buffs only applying to an individual, have them apply for the amount of people on the team who don't already have that same buff from the same person (double buffing from going in mission doors could still take place) and have the Endurance cost scale to however many members you have on the team. I'm unsure if this same mechanic should be able to be used on other teams in a League, on them only with the same Endurance scaling. Haven't thought about that much.

I'd also like to increase the time that the buffs last. 10 minutes seems more fitting to me. This will "generally" last through most intense fights.

My intent is not to just help lazy people out, I honestly thing the shield buff durations and mechanics need to change. (More like a want, but wutevs )


So in conclusion:

- Increase duration of the buff
- Buff applies to entire team and endurance cost scales for how many players are buffed.


Thanks much.

the biggest reason i usually dont toss around buffs is because doing 8 people individually is annoying as is, if your a /FF mm, then its just even worse doing your pets + your team, and if your trying to buff a whole league then your gonna be near constantly buffing if you have to buff 3 teams + your own pets if your a /FF mm

its annoying msotly cause its single target, for stuff like fortitude and frostwork, they should stay single target, but for normal shields like FF, sonic, and cold, they should be pbaoe like destiny buffs, but of course slightly weaker than destiny

i have heard compelling arguments for leaving them single target, and i can agree with them, so while i hate to individually buff things, i do not think they will be changed anytime soon

No.

A search will provide you with the reasons why, as this discussion has been had within the last month, though not in this forum IIRC. Go past a month and you'll definitely run into it.

See my Guides and Tutorials

I agree with the basic request (make shield powers easier to use) although personally I think making them AoE is better than a durration increase. I'm not going to go into the why because honestly I'm fed up with arguing about it .

Bill is right that this has been discussed quite a bit. I am in the same camp that doesn't want to see a change for all the reasons previously mentioned.

And why am I not buffing? I buff what player needs the buff at the right time. This game is pretty easy and doesn't require 24/7 buffing of every single player on every single fight.

If your mention of there some times being a need for a lack of a buff on a certain player is valid, then don't you suppose it would be more efficient to offer a solution to that issue? Allow the power to select all on team or by individual. I'm not talking PBAoE here, but even if it was, people deal with PBAoE buffs all the time on characters.

I agree with counter arguments made previously in other threads.

/unsigned.

Memphis, you don't think they could simply add a button on the team tab that you could click instead (like MM pet's have to select all to change stance) and yes it would change end cost but it would again scale, and the duration issue is yes decided by all those things now...but that could change.

/Unsigned to this idea every time it comes up for the various reasons stated here and in all of the other threads like it.

To each his own. I don't play defenders simply because I like playing CoH, not whackamole.

But for those who are so opposed to group buffing what do you think about returning to the old form of MMs where each one had to be upgraded individually? After all there is no reason for the group upgrading other than laziness on the part of the MMs. They can selectively upgrade or do it on the fly right?

Or perhaps we should take shift even further into the individual buff territory. Fulcrum RA and AM should be made individually targeted buffs.

Now personally I don't care if they make things easier or harder. I just won't play a defender because like I said, I don't like playing whackamole. On the other hand I've heard from people who love doing just that.