Unanswered Pummit Questions

Hi Synapse,

Thanks for your responses!

I'm curious about this post -- some of my first posts on the forum were about why I wasn't excited about my bubbler's T9 (and 7 ... and 8 ... and Detention Field, for that matter), while everyone else around me was gushing about Nukes! Fulcrum Shift! Unstoppable! Even AB (when it stunned the caster). And I had ... Force Bubble.

I always figured that FF was stuck with some lemons because FF's bible entry read something like, "Keep 'em safe. Buffs. Distance. [Detention Field was a late addition.]" Does this mean that you'd consider changing some of the game's underused powers that previous devs considered off limits due to thematic or canonical reasons?

Well, at least we can stop guessing whether or not Dominator is getting Illusion. I guess Dominator won't get Illusion.

However, is there a plan to create a "cash" set for Dominator? I would assume it's either going to be Whip Assault or another type of Illusion control (much like Pain Domination VS Empathy). Or Dark Assault is a cash item?? I know Dark Control is "free".

Actually, with 3 primarily single target, reasonably fast recharging powers (spectral wounds, blind and deceive) Illusion control is likely to build domination very fast - but most dom's build domination up with their secondary attacks, not with their primary controls. Even if illusion control was ported as is (which I agree seems unlikely) it would still build domination just fine.

While you are correct that there are only a couple of powers in Illusion that would benefit from the magnitude boost domination gives controls, thats only 1/3 of the benefit of domination anyway - between the mez protection and the blue bar refill I would still expect an illusion dominator to be quite effective. You would get double mag controls on blind/deceive and while spectral terror would not benefit from domination - it can actually fear bosses as is because the summoned psuedo-pet has 2 different mag 3 fear powers - an AoE fear cloak and a targeted fear effect.

Given the double benefits recharge would get you on an illusion dominator (PA up more often + perma-dom) and given the fact that dominators don't need containment to do good damage (which is one of the things that slows down illusion controllers - lack of AoE containment powers), I would expect an illusion dom to be at least as good as a controller, possibly better in some situations. They would certainly have more AoE damage potential - between the AoE attacks in the assault secondaries and access to sleet/ice storm or fireball/RoF in the ancillary pools an illusion dom is going to be doing insane AoE damage with perma or near perma invulnerable pets.

Yeah I agree that ultimately it is the players that should decide the direction of the AT. I think this is why I stick with this game for so long because I don't think any other game cares that much about player's opinion and there's very little interaction between Dev and Players.

Castle said team critical buff was as much as he could do for Stalker even though many of us felt that Stalker is still doing less damage even with full team critical buff and that it is strange that Stalker needs a "team" to perform well when the AT's design is to excel in soloing (which Stalker is also bad at when soloing Pylon, AVs, etc).

The game is constantly changing and so should the goal and balance point. What we think Stalker should do today may change a year later.

I think it is great that the dev is willingly to listen and come up different things.

So far, I have a feeling the dev only wants Stalker to excel in ST damage department because there's already two other Melee ATs that excel in aoe (scrapper and brute). The new change sounds very good on paper right now for ST Burst Damage. I am not too sure about sustained dps but with Focus and shorten activation time, it should help.

I never really have a problem with Stalker's survival (except when I am trying to solo an AV) because Stalker naturally draws less aggro. I've always felt that way. I mean I even have trouble drawing aggro to myself.

Yes, it may be bad for domination but the set works well without domination. The set works well without controller's containment and high control duration (minus Domination). In fact, Illusion is a tough set to take advantage of containment because there is no immb and aoe immb. In this regard, it is also 'bad" for Controller in general but the set works well because it is great at soloing and controller has support secondaries like radiation.

The set's balance problem is invincible pets. I can see the set being a bit problematic on a larger team but for soloing, I think the set rocks on dominator. I know my perma dom would love having 3 pets taking aggro for me while I mow the mobs down.

I think the only way we'll ever find out is to let the players test it and let us decide. If it sucks, it sucks. I mean it can't be worse than Ice control can it? Ice Control lacks hard control and requires pbaoe debuff and the sleep does damage (which means you can't stack) and its aoe hold is pbaoe.

I love Electricity control and several powers don't benefit much from domination either.

Synapse, thanks for sharing your thoughts, but if I understand Arcanaville's question, she wanted to know what your expectations for Stalkers are after this change. I'm all in favor of "giving us what we want," but speaking as one of us, I have no idea what that is. Could you explain what your impression of the community's ideal Stalker is?

To put it another way, what do you think a Stalker should bring to the table that a Scrapper, Brute or Tanker would not? And on a similar note, what should Stalkers be lacking relative to the other melee ATs?

-D

This sounds good!

I really like this set, my only concern is the synergy between Heart of Darkness and Living Shadows. Disoriented foes wonder around, so immobilizing is going to be important; with a cone immobilize instead of a targeted aoe, the player is going to have to constantly pop in and out of mobs to maintain control/damage. The other worry is if Living Shadows does not have a -kb component. If that's the case slotting Heart of Darkness with a Stupefy set (possibly best set bonuses for the market price) is going to make me want to bang my head against the wall because of the knockback proc. I suppose the interface incarnate that does immobilize can address some of this.

Beyond that my only question is how long is the animation time on the single target hold?

This set looks like it can be a serious contender.

That wasn't a misunderstanding. I made a horrible typo. So, I believe your confusion was shared by many.

For me, ideally I feel that Stalkers should be the single target burst damage kings. Some sets do this better than others and some sets offer some AoE. Your mileage may vary depending on which sets you pair together. However, I'd really like to see Stalkers being able to outperform Scrappers and Brutes in bursts, especially with single target damage. Their trade off as always is survivability.

I just want to say you're awesome for staying up till 12:30a (well, it's 2:30a for you out there in the west ain't it?) posting on the boards.

Some of my characters

Could you please give us the list of names of the Assault powers now? It will help to complete my incantations.

I mean my spreadsheet.

*waits patiently*

Yeah, he's been really kind to my thoughts and inquiries in the past just like Castle so I agree. I am positive that Synapse, Arbiter Hawk, and Black Scorpion are all aware of the constant complaints regarding certain powers and sets too.

It's just a matter of squeezing things in which is always the name of the game. Always.

Many people have missed the fixes to Venomous Gas and to defender's Chrono Shift, which are just a couple of recent items that we've discussed in the past. The guy is right on the ball and it's always the powers team vs time for such things.

I totally agree with you guys on Ice Control. That set has nearly zero synergy with itself and yet I don't know what could be done - I think removing the -kb from the aoe immobilize would be a step in the right direction and perhaps upping the chance for arctic air to confuse wouldn't be out of line at all. That could be it right there - although I don't know how to fix that ice slick breaks the sleep. Yeah that set is kind of a mess from CoH launch, come to think of it. We are kind of spoiled with sets that have greater synergy.

Does this mean ST kings, like some of us (*cough*meatleast*cough*) want, including better burst as well as ST DPS?

Admittedly that's what I want in characters over an abundance of AOE, but then I'm patient and don't care if I lay waste to groups of enemies in seconds.

I do need to cool it a bit...I just had such high hopes for poison and I even took the time out to invest in a pvp IO but it's ok. I know that they are aware of the issue so I will be wait patiently .

Thank you guys for tirelessly answering our questions. We appreciate the blood, sweat and tears you guys/gals put in this game and the quality shows. We may give you a hard time sometimes but it's because we care! Also you keep spoiling us :P.

It's interesting to me, how people will look at a powerset like Dark Miasma and see different things. A testament to its versatility, I suppose.

I always saw it as a buff/debuff set, rather than a control-oriented set. To me, the mezzes were the things that were out of place.

While I can see where you're coming from, personally I would LOVE to have Dark Affinity available for other ATs as alternate version of Dark Miasma, because swapping out those two mez powers would be great to me.

... I do agree that blackhole's persistence as a power is kind of baffling, though.


Synapse, is there any chance you can tell us what you think Blackhole's actual PURPOSE is, as a power? Because to date, all of the purported purposes it has have been demonstrated to be not met by the power.

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Softcapping an Invuln is fantastic. Softcapping a Willpower is amazing. Softcapping SR is kissing your sister.

Do tell.

I also still have this:

I would, personally, not at all be opposed to getting both sets on all the Support ATs :P

I don't personally think that would ever happen, but it would be pretty cool.

Seconded

I24 Proc Chance = (Enhanced Recharge + Activation Time) * (Current PPM * 1.25) / 60*(1 + .75*(.15*Radius - 0.011*Radius*(360-Arc)/30))
Single Target Radius = 0. AoE Non-Cone Arc = 360.

That's what I've always thought as well, haha. This is how I've generally thought of how the melee classes should be:

DAMAGE:
Tanker > Brute > Scrapper > Stalker

SURVIVABILITY:
Stalker > Scrapper > Brute > Tanker

While there's not much difference between Scrappers and Brutes in damage, it's only a rough scale, of course. Current game design ironically puts Stalker maybe at Brute level or lower in terms of damage, haha.

Actually, the better question is why keep Blackhole around as a power when they keep exempting critters from being affected by it because of nerfherding cries that it will be used to grief other players (as if every other power can't be used to grief one's teammates).

Just remove intangibility powers completely from the game whether used by players or critters.

Or... make it work.