Weapons are a sometimes food.

I have noticed a general trend in my experience of this game:

I don't take power sets in which some powers use a weapon and others don't.

Fire/stone/ice melee, fire manipulation for blasters... I do have ice manip on a blaster but I avoided the sword powers.

I could be happy with a fiery-sword set which used a fiery sword for all its attacks. I could be happy with a fire melee set which had fiery hands for all attacks. The combination just... I dunno. It doesn't work for me. There's not a real fighting style. It's not consistent, so I can't make it feel like a consistent power set. It's two sets of powers that have a sort of thematic similarity, but it just doesn't click for me.

So, that's the thing that bugs me and prevents me from using some sets. Anyone else have sets that they like game mechanically but don't like graphically?

Energy melee.

I've always loved the set, could never get over the glowing pom poms of doom.

Now what's this about food? I'm hungry.

I think that the Fire and Ice melee/manipulation sets that use swords for some attacks are absolutely crying out for alternate animations, so that the sets can be all-sword or no-sword as the user wishes.

My first character was a Fire/Fire Blaster and I remember my jaw dropping with horror when I realised she's have to use swords for some attacks, in a superhero game.

Later on I made an angelic character with a flaming sword, who didn't really suit setting her hands on fire and using them as weapons.

Yes, it really bugs me too.

I honestly think that would be a great potential money-source for NCSoft: cosmetic changes to powers. The powers would remain the same, the animations would take the same length of time, but the visual appearance would be different. They kind of do this by letting you select your weapons, but obviously there's room for more than that. Attacks are an obvious choice, but travel powers are another. It's been done with temporary travel powers like jet pack, so there's no reason they couldn't create a purchasable version that would affect the pool power.

for the longest time I wouldn't take Fire Melee because one of the starting attack powers looked like my character was tickling the enemy. Putting both hands on them... I seriously thought it looked like "coochy coochy coo!"

I left the game before it was proliferated, so this was a long time ago.

Anyway, apparently some animations have been changed, especially during the proliferation. So perhaps I can finally appreciate Fire Melee.

I feel the same exact way about the Fire and Ice Swords and the Stone Mallets, as well.

I just can't bring myself to use those powersets.


As for other graphics/effects deterring me... Hmmmm... I really am a visual snob when it comes to things in games... (Hell, I hate the effects from inspirations and avoid using them, other than greens, blues, lifts and breakfrees)...

Besides the Speed Pool... And the Leadership Pool...
What other powers do I avoid due to their effects...
Dual Pistols has that weird blue ghost effect on a bunch of the powers... I really dislike that and haven't stuck with a character with that set yet, possibly because of it.

Oh!!!
Some people will hate this, but... Claws!!!! I want more slash, slash, cut, stab, slice... and less... ranged powers?!?!?! Hehe... just me though...

Oh... Stone Armor because of Granite Armor. Hehe... I feel like this is turning into more of a complaint/rant now!!

Those all really do prevent me from choosing those powersets though.
I can come up with some concepts where they may fit... but those concepts never stick for me, as I came up with them more to fit things out of my control than to satisfy my own personal enjoyment.

I totally agree. IT's not just limited to all the above examples, either.

It's been said before, but Dual Pistols needs a non gun kata style.. I have several concepts for dual pistoleers that I just can't can't see the throwing the gun in air and catching it, to only touch on the most serious example from the set.

Shield charge that looks more like a teleport and not at all like a short running attack.

A lot of the sets I *so* with I could use an alternate 'device-style' animation, be it tech device, or magic device, as opposed to the power springing from out of nowhere.

And by obvious corollary, some of tech sets need a magic version, too (Traps and Devices, I'm looking at you).

Almost all of the weapon sets need more skins, too. And pets skins for MMs..

For that matter, I think all the powers pretty much could use more art and graphics choices. I thik the game would stay a lot fresher, without the need for new powersets quite as often, if the existing powersets could be better given new life, and this would largely be accomplished via more animations across the board. Granted, some sets are begging for a few power tweaks and rebalances (Force Field springs to mind, which I think just adding a bit of DDR would be a big help there) but even without tem I know I'd be willing to try a ton of new combos or powers sets with some of the changes from above.

Change Granite, I'd make a Stoney on thw very day the added a new look t9...
Change Stone Melee so you could use the Mallet for every attack, and I have the whole build ready to go.
So many more examples spring to mind that I'm not ever going to try and go on to name them...


Guess I'll just sum up by says tot he OP...

Yes, a very big yes....

For the record, I love both Energy Melee and the "coochy coo tickle" attack in Fiery Melee
And I love your description of it, Lxndr.

Thats why alternate animations are the way to go.

Wow.

I thought that would be Just Me.

I now think there is a real justification for adding alternate animations to these sets -- there are clearly a lot of people affected.

most of the medicine pool I avoid on Magic themed characters

I mean, a tricorder is not a magical device!

I completely agree with this sentiment. I would love to play Fire Melee on a Fire Tank but cannot bring myself to do so because of the 'fire swords'.

In a similar theme, I cannot play an Ice blaster because of the thoom-thoom of the blasts. If only there were alternate sound effects to choose from.

Depends on your definition of magic. Any technology advanced enough will seem like magic to those who arent familiar to it.

Sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from friendship.

I agree with pretty much what many are saying.

I honestly thought when they asked for animation ideas I thought it was going to be the next few purchasable packs. Basically full alternate animation to old attacks. Then when I read about them going with a market and micro transactions, I thought i21 would come out with tons of new weapons and choices. I will reserve further judgement until the new year to see where they are going with this.

I know for sure the competitor to CoX pumps out stuff like its going out of style.