Or the radial branch from Clarion Destiny which offers +special.
While I would leave Power Boost's effect on FF alone, I will admit it's a bit problematic. I think PB should affect the shields as it always has, but I could concede that a smaller portion made PB-able (or offer a lower +defense buff in PB itself). However, I don't think Power Boost is the root of the problem.
Really, I feel the greater offender hear is the AoE buffs. Prior to this change, PB'ed shields will limited by the recharge on PB. If you were attentive and built your character for recharge it was possible to keep the team under such strong buffs. However, it was tedious. It meant bubbling in shifts, usually of two teammates at a time. It was also impossible to keep 24 players always under the effects of PB'ed FF's. To me that's a more offensive balance problem than an 8-man team being softcapped even though I enjoy the new AoE ally shields.
Frankly, there should be some balancing done to these powers. They're substantially better than before due in one part to the buff but also to the new teaming environment that excedes 8 allies. One proposition is to adjust the endurance cost in a fashion similar to the way Repulsion Field works, for each target affected it cost an additional tick of endurance. Shielding an entire league should probably tank your endurance.
I think the AoE shielding as a whole is overpowered for leagues. I think it should hit your team + your pets only, to simulate the original way these powers were used. The ship already sailed on that unfortunately. I do think the AoE buffs we have now are much better when playing on small teams the game was designed around than they were before. However they are so powerful in big team events that they ironically defeat their own purpose; undoubtedly we will see an even bigger increase in autohit unresistable damage because of them.
Posted
I haven't made any new support characters, but the AoE change to shields and the endurance reduction to mastermind upgrades has made me pick up my demons/therm again, and I'm having a blast.
While I would leave Power Boost's effect on FF alone, I will admit it's a bit problematic. I think PB should affect the shields as it always has, but I could concede that a smaller portion made PB-able (or offer a lower +defense buff in PB itself). However, I don't think Power Boost is the root of the problem.
Really, I feel the greater offender hear is the AoE buffs. Prior to this change, PB'ed shields will limited by the recharge on PB. If you were attentive and built your character for recharge it was possible to keep the team under such strong buffs. However, it was tedious. It meant bubbling in shifts, usually of two teammates at a time. It was also impossible to keep 24 players always under the effects of PB'ed FF's. To me that's a more offensive balance problem than an 8-man team being softcapped even though I enjoy the new AoE ally shields.
Frankly, there should be some balancing done to these powers. They're substantially better than before due in one part to the buff but also to the new teaming environment that excedes 8 allies. One proposition is to adjust the endurance cost in a fashion similar to the way Repulsion Field works, for each target affected it cost an additional tick of endurance. Shielding an entire league should probably tank your endurance.
I think the AoE shielding as a whole is overpowered for leagues. I think it should hit your team + your pets only, to simulate the original way these powers were used. The ship already sailed on that unfortunately. I do think the AoE buffs we have now are much better when playing on small teams the game was designed around than they were before. However they are so powerful in big team events that they ironically defeat their own purpose; undoubtedly we will see an even bigger increase in autohit unresistable damage because of them.