Would you swap damage for style?

If I had been asking this before Dual Pistols came out..the answer would have been a big NO. However, after playing DP myself..looking totally awesome AND kicking *** is simply better.

Even moreso with Street Justice..seriously, the person who did those animations rocks, I would play that set if it had defender damage. And on another note..the TW animations seem a bit..lacking. Especially in the way baddies react to being hit with a 10ft whatever.

Maybe it's just me, but I am more then just able to make a stylistic/conceptual character using virtually any combination of powersets. I never really had that problem. Animation wise, some are rather more annoying then others (hence why I am slightly regretting buying the Titan set) but, for most, I think it all relys on functionality, enjoyment as well as style to one degree or another.

For me, I can not stand melee. I have tried it several times on various builds and it just doesn't work with the way I play. I recently started leveling the first tank I ever created that lasted past lvl 15 and do see the prospects in it but I still prefer a particular style. My first lvl 50 and my first main character is a Storm/Dark Defender. Not particularly powerful and just enough options to be very effective for a vary amount of tasks. Had I to do it over, I probably would have chosen corruptor but that doesn't fit with his style.

Now that we are able to pretty much have whatever we want, whether blueside or red, I prefer corruptors and have yet to do another defender. I also play almost exclusively blueside so does that mean I shouldn't make a corruptor due to it's villainess nature compared to style/theme? I don't think so since I do have a tendency to ignore those meaningless "titles". My second main is an Illusion/Trick Arrow which, for many, the secondary is considered one of the weakest sets in the controller arsenal but it fits with his theme and I love being on it.. the third and last 50 is an AR/Fire/Mace where I explained the mace away by having it labeled (RP-wise) as steampunk styled scepter.

I think what truly matters above all is how you feel about your character and how it plays. The style only matters in your view so it's up to each person to feel whether or not they can substitute effectiveness for theme. Right now, I am currently leveling a Grav/Time controller and.. having a rough time with it due to having no AOE outside various holds. I also chose Teleport for thematic reasons which I normally hate.. but, it just fits the character too well not to include it so I will make due and adjust my playstyle enough while enjoying the mediocre performance and hope like hell it will be enough fun to go to 50 on. If not, there is always Dark/Time Corr.

*points to Dual Pistols* Swapping damage for style

Okie. So, I think swapping damage for style...or theme which could be cosiddered style or finess is important for me in many cases.

My blaster Hexsing, is Dark/Mental, and while not stylish and swirly as DP, which has some cool looking animations, I did swap damage output for my theme, which was tossing curses and hexes.

So what I did was procced my powers. In my tentacles I didn't even slot for damage or imob but for -to hit debuffs, and I thre devastations in my blasts, or lockdown in my abyssal gaze. Even in my self heal I put in theft of essense and one devastation chance for hold.

So I don't have the damage output of other blasters, but I traded that in for theme, which is litterally just disrupting enemies!

Funny thing is that it's working really well and she is super fun to play.