Ask Anything: Ranged Blast and Blaster Manipulation Changes
By
Abysmalyxia,
Posted on: 2012-06-21 13:45 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
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Death Shroud from Dark Armor takes Accuracy ToHit Debuff sets despite only the fear portion requiring a To-Hit roll. Shouldn't these have the same utility of Accuracy Heal sets?
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
It will definitely take Heal sets. I believe the only sustain power which takes Accurate Heal IO sets is Touch of the Beyond, because all of the other powers work even if they don't land their hit roll (though it does have a high base accuracy of 1.2, and a recharge of only 10 seconds, so it's very easy to keep your buff up with it.)
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The plastic tips at the end of shoelaces are called aglets. Their true purpose is sinister.
--The Question, JLU
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I'm not adding damage to it, but I did increase its range up to 30 feet so it's now a more effective deterrent to enemies closing to melee range with you.
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Originally Posted by Lobster
Was there ever a reply/comment about Frozen Aura in Ice Manip? Man I'd love to see some damage love in there.
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Any thought to extending the Aura radius on other AT versions of Chilling Embrace? (My Dark/Ice Dom has it, but it's utility isn't nearly so useful with a 10 foot aura.)
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
I'm not adding damage to it, but I did increase its range up to 30 feet so it's now a more effective deterrent to enemies closing to melee range with you.
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The plastic tips at the end of shoelaces are called aglets. Their true purpose is sinister.
--The Question, JLU
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Kinda sorta but not really. There a few things that fake it by having a power that sets a mode, and suppresses whenever you get hit or activate a click power.|
Originally Posted by Oliin
Speaking of devices. Is it possible for the engine to tell specifically if you're in combat or not and redirect to a different power if you are? For example a faster animating trip mine or time bomb that just goes off when used but does far less damage than normal when used in combat but you can still use them as normal out of combat?
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There's no "in combat / out of combat" flag that flips when you're on an enemy's aggro table like there is in some games.
In regards to Body Armor; adding other damage type would be great. I still think the Smashing/Lethal should remain highest, and thematically Psi should be omitted.
The plastic tips at the end of shoelaces are called aglets. Their true purpose is sinister.
--The Question, JLU
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Unless we make a Ranged Blast powerset which uses Range as one of its major mechanics, I believe all non-snipe single target blasts in Ranged Blast powersets will now be 80 feet forever. Shorter ranged attacks in non-ranged blast sets will remain as is. Shorter ranged cones will remain as is.|
Originally Posted by Neuronia
Are 40 foot range powers gone the way of the dodo?
Will newer sets only feature 80 foot range powers? |
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| Was Boost Range considered for elimination from EM and do the Devs view it as problematic? |
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Awwww. What about having the Time Bomb apply a high magnitude unresistable knockback effect to the Devices character when it goes off so we can at least go flying when we use it?|
Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Someday, maybe.
 Edit - minus the self damage, I wouldn't inflict that on Devices. |
For 'tis the sport to have the engineer. Hoist with his own petard.
So just making sure...will the sonic blast single target power gotten as a 5th power not as a third one have its ranged changed from 40 to 80?
(The third power for sonic is a cone attack)
Also what about kheldian and arachnos attacks that are also 40 range...will they be put to 80 range as well?
And since sonic has no sniper ability then the rest of that set is that working as intended?
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Can you check into upping its duration to 60 sec(of course slowing its recharge to 120 sec)? The power's animation and sound FX get grating having to use it so often.
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
EM was the easiest choice to make - it had Conserve Power, which we've twiced changed in to Energize, so we felt it made a lot of sense to do the same again. Boost Range is not problematic, although it is a bit unintuitive in how well it synergizes with cones. It's the kind of power that I really enjoy as a player but would probably not design in a new set because I feel a number of players would just not grok how to use it best.
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The plastic tips at the end of shoelaces are called aglets. Their true purpose is sinister.
--The Question, JLU
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All mastermind pets are on the list to look at and bring up performance to something significantly above where Mercs are right now. This is a long-term goal (read: not soon) due to the sheer amount of analysis required to simulate all of those various different lists of powers.|
Originally Posted by ryu_planeswalker
Umm while we are on the subject of powers.
Are there any plans to look at the Special Ops mastermind pets and, well how generally useless they are and well how stealth is completely worthless for them to have? |
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| Also, a minor gripe but something that would be a huge QOL thing for masterminds in incarnate trials but could pets in general get some sort huge levels of AOE damage defense so that an AV doesn't instantly kill melee pets with AOEs? |
If you ever notice a pet taking as much damage from an AoE mechanic as you are within an Incarnate Trial, it's probably a bug.
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I hope that was rhetorical or I'm going to have to start calling you Arbiter Robinhood. The rich shouldn't suffer to make it easier for the poor, the poor should just aspire to be rich.
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Changing Drain Psyche at all would necessitate drastically reducing the amount of Recovery it grants, flagging the Regeneration debuff to ignore enhancements and outside buffs, and dropping the Regen buff per target but frontloading a more significant amount of its overall Regen buff. Would this be a worthwhile trade for greater ease of use and higher accessability for lower-end and non-IO builds?
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But boost range is easy to use, perma it, slot for range damage and recharge and snipe from the draw distance. |
Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Boost Range is not problematic, although it is a bit unintuitive in how well it synergizes with cones. It's the kind of power that I really enjoy as a player but would probably not design in a new set because I feel a number of players would just not grok how to use it best.
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Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
Then it's time for them to get off the cross, use the wood to build a bridge, and get over it.
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Originally Posted by Zombie Man
Q: What are the powers getting the range boost? Are they just the ST ones? Are they just for Blasters?
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- Beam Rifle/Lancer Shot
- Dual Pistols/Executioner's Shot
- Energy Blast/Energy Burst
- Fire Blast/Blaze
- Ice Blast/Bitter Ice Blast
- Radiation Blast/Cosmic Burst
- Sonic Attack/Shout
These range increases apply to all Archetypes with the Ranged Blast powersets - Blasters, Defenders, and Corruptors.
Edit to add: Dominator Tier 9 single target blasts are also receiving the range boost up to 80 feet.
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That's good to hear!|
Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
I'm not adding damage to it, but I did increase its range up to 30 feet so it's now a more effective deterrent to enemies closing to melee range with you.
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On terms of Blaster Manipulation sets, taking into account the sustain features, can we expect more improvements to the functionality of the rest of the manipulation set? I won't ask to what extent, but just hearing that Time Bomb may be looked at and increasing Frozen Aura's range up from 10ft seems new and promising...it gives me hope that maybe Cauterizing Aura will make it to 15ft or the target cap for Ice Patch to be increased from 5 targets.
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:O|
Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
I'm not adding damage to it, but I did increase its range up to 30 feet so it's now a more effective deterrent to enemies closing to melee range with you.
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
All mastermind pets are on the list to look at and bring up performance to something significantly above where Mercs are right now. This is a long-term goal (read: not soon) due to the sheer amount of analysis required to simulate all of those various different lists of powers.
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I have seen you saying things about fixing mez from the NPC's perspective. What exactly does this mean? Will they be able to stack only so much mez at some point? Or what exactly does that mean for non-mez protected ATs?
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Totally reasonable. Blaster MaxMax Health might not have changed when Blaster Max Health was adjusted upwards many issues ago. No promises, but it sounds like a cool change, and doesn't violate cottage rule since Absorb still uses Heal enhancements.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Another APP question: the blaster max max health cap is about +34.6% Hoarfrost buffs max health by +30% and is enhanceable. It offers very marginal benefit beyond its heal if you have +health accolades, and its +maxhealth enhanceability is essentially worthless with or without health accolades. Would it be reasonable to consider switching hoarfrost from a +maxhealth buff to an absorb shield so blasters could benefit from that power without having to tamper with the blaster health cap? As an absorb shield it could still be very strong, independent of maxhealth.
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Word.
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So dominators are getting the snipe improvement but not the range increase where available?
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
These range increases apply to all Archetypes with the Ranged Blast powersets - Blasters, Defenders, and Corruptors.
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MA Arcs: Yarmouth 1509 and 58812
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Ah, my mistake, Dominator t9 single target blasts are going up to 80 feet as well. I misspoke earlier.
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Originally Posted by Oliin
So dominators are getting the snipe improvement but not the range increase where available?
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It says something if the "optimal use" of Force of Thunder is to use it between fights for the buff it gives and not what it actually does. If the KB is changed to KD its fine and happy.
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Right now, I think it's ok as-is, but beta testing and feedback may prove me wrong. Given its recharge time is fairly low and the duration of the buff it provides is 60 seconds, I think you'll usually be able to use it before getting near a spawn if you don't want the knockback aspect of the power.
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H: Blaster 50, Defender 50, Tank 50, Scrapper 50, Controller 50, PB 50, WS 50
V: Brute 50, Corruptor 50, MM 50, Dominator 50, Stalker 50, AW 50, AS 50
Top 4: Controller, Brute, Scrapper, Corruptor
Bottom 4: (Peacebringer) way below everything else, Mastermind, Dominator, Blaster
CoH in WQHD
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Npc mez powers would self-suppress to prevent chaining.
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Originally Posted by Alexander_Drako
I have seen you saying things about fixing mez from the NPC's perspective. What exactly does this mean? Will they be able to stack only so much mez at some point? Or what exactly does that mean for non-mez protected ATs?
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Orc&Pie No.53230 There is an orc, and somehow, he got a pie. And you are hungry.
www.repeat-offenders.net
Negaduck: I see you found the crumb. I knew you'd never notice the huge flag.
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Whoa really? I can't wait to see how Fissure plays with that, since its so short range at the moment.
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Ah, my mistake, Dominator t9 blasts are going up to 80 feet as well. I misspoke earlier.
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They still have the same HP cap as defenders even though they have the same base HP as stalkers. The HP improvement they ended up with worked more like a HP buff power than an actual change to their HP caps I think.|
Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Blaster MaxMax Health might not have changed when Blaster Max Health was adjusted upwards many issues ago.
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I actually seem to recall people complaining about trying to get the damage taken badges since a portion of damage didn't count with blasters but that was ages ago.
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Originally Posted by Arbiter Hawk
Ah, my mistake, Dominator t9 blasts are going up to 80 feet as well. I misspoke earlier.
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MA Arcs: Yarmouth 1509 and 58812
Has there been any talk of the melee ATs that have snipes? Obtaining that amount of tohit on them would be fairly difficult.
I'll always be a "Champion" at heart. My server away from home.
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