Allow Mastermind Personal Attacks to slot MM Archtype ets and Recharge Intensive Pet Sets

So with the release of Command of the Mastermind and the upcoming release of Mark of Supremacy Masterminds are getting more and more "Aura" IOs to boost their pets (who, for the most part, gain little benefit from IOs). Now while this is generally a good thing it is causing a problem in that it can be somewhat tricky to fit in all of the IOs. With the release of Mark of Supremacy there will be a total of 6 Aura IOs (although not all MMs can slot all 6) which is making it somewhat tricky for Masterminds to fit them all in and given the power of these IOs fitting as many as possible is a pretty big deal for most IO'd MMs (since it's the only way to make your pets directly tougher with IOs).

A MM with all six auras would be giving his pets:
+25% AoE Defense
+10% All Other Typed and Positional Defenses
+35% Resistance
+150% Regeneration

So in order to alleviate the slot crunch I have a suggestion: allow the blast attacks in Mastermind Primaries (but not secondaries or epic pools) to slot both Mastermind Archtype Sets and Recharge Intensive Pet Damage Sets. This will solve three problems, it will provide more slotting options for MMs, it will make the MM attack powers more interesting (as set mules if nothing else) and it will fix an IO-balance issue between Mastermind power sets.

Now I suspect a lot of people will have one or two questions about this proposal, in particular:
1. Isn't the slot limitation a balance factor for these IOs?
2. Why should Mastermind Attacks get to slot Recharge Intensive Pet Sets since they are attacks, not pets?

Well the answer to both of these questions is effectively the same. As I mentioned above not all Masterminds are equal when it comes to slotting Pet buffing Auras. The majority of MMs cannot actually slot two of the auras since they don't have any recharge intensive pet powers. Four Mastermind powersets (Thugs, Demons, Necromancy and the Storm secondary) do which gives them a strong advantage. Not only can they slot 6 aura IOs instead fo four but they have an additional power to slot them in which helps with the slot crunch for fitting them in. Allowing MMs to slot both ATE sets and RIP sets in their personal attacks would fix this imbalance by allowing ALL MMs to more easily access the six aura IOs.

As for slotting RIP sets in attacks. From a systems point of view there isn't anything against it. There's no functional difference between a Ranged Damage set and a RIP set excpet for which powers can take it. RIP sets aren't perfectly optimized for blast attacks but they are close enough providing reasonable enhancement to the key attributes of Damage, Accuracy, Endurance Reduction and Recharge.

Totally agree with this. It is, or should be, just obvious. In fact, it is so obvious to me, that when I was playing my petless MM up (dont ask) I went out and got him a few of the ATO set, without checking, since I just assumed, that being an attack power form the correct AT..I could use the ATO. But oh no..cant have that..in spite of teh first set having so much recharge in it..which is wasted on pets!

ATOs in MM Personal attacks, Yes. Pet sets (of any sort) in attacks, No.

There are several Primary/Secondary combinations that only get three pet powers. That means that if they continue releasing a new set of ATOs with each Booster, Super Booster 3 will mark the point where some masterminds are unable to slot any more full sets, but every other AT will be able to slot at least a half dozen, depending on powersets. Heck, a Fiery Aura tank, brute or scrapper could slot TEN full ATO sets (once that many are released).

As to the Recharge Intensive Pet sets: Yes, it's unequal, but it isn't imbalanced. My Super Strength, Street Justice, Dual Blades and Staff brutes can all slot Force Feedback, but my Fire Melee brute can't. There are literally dozens of examples of IOs that are of high value to a certain AT, but one (or more) powersets find themselves unable to slot it. Yes, it sucks. But shoehorning those IOs into different types of powers isn't the right solution.
If you think that ALL masterminds should have access to RIP sets, it would be better to lobby for non-permanent pets to be added to a Pool or Epic (or a new Pool or Epic with pets!), especially since Pools are being looked at right now.

I dont know Rod..the RIP sets are so good, and important to MMs because they cant get anything else to buff those pets. It is not the same as your fire melee being unable to slot a FF proc compared to ss...because the fire melee can just slot other stuff, and at least get..something. The MM, in teh same case, is just stuffed and cant get anything else for his pets.
A similar thing..Blaster secondaries. Mental was the ONLY one with a regen/rec tool..I thought that was fair enough myself, but given the i24 changes, with all blaster sets getting a regen/heal/absorb/whatever power...HOW is that any different to people wanting a RIP slottable power in all mm primaries at least? (not counting ones like tornado in the secondary)

Like I said, if those sets are so important for MMs to slot, add a power that all MMs have access to (via pool or epic) that can slot the powers.

Allowing Pet sets to be slotted in Ranged Damage and TAoE powers just opens the door for silliness like "I want to slot Defense Debuffs in my Ice Blasts because I want to slot Achilles' Heel procs".

On top of that, what happens if/when new RIP sets are introduced, which may contain procs or special pieces that don't work right in regular attacks? Kludge fixes just cause issues in the future - Look at Ouroboros, and how the devs almost always refer to it as a "kludge" and say that it "needs to be taken behind the shed and shot" every time someone brings up Praetorian flashbacks, flashback safeguard/mayhem missions, and a number of other Ouro-related ideas. Do you really want the entire Mastermind Archetype turned into that... *looks at Pet AI* ... er... MORE of that?

Well on the subject of the RIP sets I'd accept a compromise where the standard MM Pets are allowed to slot RIP sets even though they don't specifically need the recharge. That would solve the imbalance without letting attacks slot them. Personally though I don't see an issue with MM primary attacks being able to slot them (or possibly just the single target MM attacks?). Thematically it encourages the idea that a MM's personal attacks are there to support his pets. Power-wise it gives the MM effectively one extra set that has good set bonuses an so-so itemization (compare Expedient Reinforcement to Thunderstrike and Decimation). I do see your point about it being a kludge but I think it would be a kludge that worked out int he long run. If the devs did expand the RIP sets (a move I think is unlikely but not impossible) they would need to keep the effect on MMs in mind but they have to do that anyway.

That being said I'd also advocate not adding any more "aura" IOs with any future sets of any category. I do like the Aura IOs since it provides a way for MMs to really benefit from the Invention system since in many ways they benefit a lot less than other ATs (although they start form a higher level which helps to balance it out). That being said I think we're reaching a saturation point where the benefits a Mastermind provides his pets through Aura IOs are almost outweighing the benefits he can provide them through his secondary in many cases. Admittedly the auras are all defensive but look at the list above and then compare that to the bonuses from secondaries.

So I'd say definitely no more defensive Aura IOs. There is some room for Offensive Aura IOs but I don't think that Masterminds in general really need a damage buff (some MM primaries could use one but I'd rather see them buffed individually).

I guess there is some room for RIP sets with a special IO that isn't a pet Aura but I have difficulty imagining one that would work for pets but not regular attacks. Things like damage or self buff procs are already slottable in MM attacks using standard sets. For what it's worth I don't think that the devs would let MMs slot RIP sets in thier attacks but I do think it would be a neat idea.

EDIT: Ok, I just had another brainwave but this one is a little weird (and probably MUCH harder to implement). What if Supremacy was made slottable? It wouldn't have any native slots (to avoid directly buffing MMs) but MMs could put slots in it that could take any MM ATEs, Pet Sets or RIP sets? This would provide a location for MMs to slot Aura IOs that applies equally to all MM sets. Essentially allow MMs to spend slots on Aura IOs without needing to pull slots from their pets.