i24 /devices 'Cloak' changes

I have been playing energy device blaster since release.

Cloaking Device grants a blaster a little stealth and tiny +def at a small -endurance cost. What they do not explain about this power is the effect is only useful out-of-combat because it is suppressed (though you stay transparent?!) in-combat.. And, well, defense is only really useful when things are trying to hit you! Of course that stealth bonus, that goes away in combat too... so this is an OUT OF COMBAT sort of power. (Do not spend endurance on this in-combat unless you like being transparent like a 'stalker' yuck yuck.)

I take it only as a set mule for LoTGs Recharge bonus (x5!)... Using this power turns your character (and outfit) Transparent and hard to see. This is a neat effect, the first 20 or so times you see it, but then, it begins to pale.. (one reason I suspect stalkers are not more popular.)

And now, the DEVs, trying to Help! blasters like me, are going to, buff this un-useful pool power (wait, its a pool power in my secondary?!). Yes we take that power, but Nobody (should) Use It! Its just a waste of endurance in combat! Makes you impossible to see, makes it hard to position, friends to spot you (''you were with us tonight?!''), its a pain. There is no combat advantage to this power in a set that lacks, well, much of any combat advantage! Both the attacks in this set are OUT OF COMBAT too!!

All the other set's have their upcoming regen and recovery in powers they actually want to use, or that the base effect has an In-Combat bonus! Not Cloaking (Field Agent or whatever) Device.

Please dear superhero gods, please just put this effect on a power we actually WANT TO USE IN COMBAT! (Targeting drone only buffs to-hit.. that is just one base effect, put it on that! If you need a better suggestion than a power like Cloaking device that i have reasons to Not Want running on my character in-combat..)

The only cloaking going on around here is the cloaking of fairness and justice for /devices blasters. Once a proud people, Synapse's boot heel now presses down on our throats as he madly cackles into the night. A torch is lit in remembrance, but who will be there to see it? Only the shadows of those who once dwelled in this hallowed place. For shame, Paragon Studios, for shame.

I suppose I'm just loopy and crazy...I'm the opposite.

If I have a stealth power that is making it hard for the enemy to see me, I think it damned well better look like it's hard to see me. If Cloaking Devices is a stealth power, it better make it look like the foe isn't a blind idiot standing 10ft away from me yet doesn't notice me shooting off his buddy's leg standing right next to him. Also, when I'm bleeding out of both ends and limping to the next group of foes, I don't want *ANYONE* to see me until after I patch myself up.

For costumes/looks: I've always loved looking at my characters...if they don't have a look that I like, I wouldn't ever come back to play that character...but I do. But even then, you're not going to want to see them *constantly* even when you dang well shouldn't. In an action movie, where the hero that you love and adore is sneaking past security, don't you think it should look like he's actually sneaking around and going unnoticed? Why be blatantly visible for all to see despite all logic? If you want to sit back and admire the rear of the comic hero, I say do that in appropriate situations like when they're not sneaking about or bleeding from it. You can always toggle off stealth when the team is just gathering to start combat or discussing the next mission or just chatting. When it's time to load your guns and move into battle, looks aren't as important.

Disclaimer: all IMO of course...

Having a Sonic/Devices blaster, I have always found Cloaking Device quite useful simply for the stealth it provides, which allows me to make better use of Sirens Song. I can see other primaries not finding as useful before.

However, with the upcoming change adding sustain to the power, I think it will be much better for the majority of /Devices users. The minimal amount of endurance required to run the power (if that cost remains) will be easily swamped out by the endurance it will provide.

I could see some players not liking the translucency forced on their character when using the power. Perhaps they could add a No Fade option for it in the editor like some other fading powers have.

With me trying to dig up stuff on Energy changes, I thought I read somewhere that they are considering making a bunch of changes on how characters look. Basically have a way to suppress the stealth component. I am pretty sure Stalkers have that option now. But I think they are looking to have the option for example to suppress the look of Stone so you could actually have a costume if you like.

But beyond that I find Cloaking Device very useful for my build in obtaining range defense cap (via suppression of course).

Cloak + Super Speed + Smoke Grenade allows me to fight mobs groups that are very close to each other without getting aggro from that smoked mob. That same combo with Hover or a Jet Pack allows me to navigate though caves in stealth mode as well. This also allows me to start fights in larger caves instead of narrow tunnels.

End result I can choose where I want to start the fight.

I am happy of the addition to Cloaking Device that i24 will bring.

I do feel that Device still needs some changes. But I'm not gonna lie when I say part of me hopes they don't do anything big with Trip mine or Time bomb because I just don't use them on my AR Device, because I feel they are limited and slow me down. I think the respec I did for i24 changes for my personal build are awesome for me. Not one power wasted and not one set bonus wasted. End result everything is offering something to the build without being a mule set. But I know if they do some cool changes to either bomb it will drive me nuts trying to figure out how to add them into yet another new build.

This isn't directed at the OP in particular but he is expressing a sentiment that I've seen a few times in regard to the Blaster sustain changes, specifically: "why are you adding the buff to a power that I don't want to use?" I've seen this complaint made about pretty much EVERY Blaster secondary.

Frankly I find this sentiment really, really illogical. Of course the devs are going to add the buffs to unpopular powers. While the sustain mechanic is primarily intended as a general buff for Blasters the devs are also taking advantage of this to make some of the less useful Blaster powers useful. Adding the sustain buffs to powers that people are already using (such as Targeting Drone) effectively reinforces the notion that Blaster secondaries are a waste and that Blasters can get away with almost skipping them entirely.

So yeah, the sustain changes are buffing powers a lot of people don't like because buffing powers that everyone already uses would be stupid from a balance perspective. That being said there are two secondaries where I think the powers should change, Electrical where I think the knockback should be changed to knockdown (or at least give a non-damage set KB suppressor IO) and Mental which I think should be rebalanced to work better on SOs.

Speaking for myself I'm psyched to see the buff added to Cloaking Device, I already run the power all the time (for looks as much as anything) and one of my long-standing grievances with Devices is that it has a glorified pool-power in it. So now Cloaking Device is no longer a glorified pool power which makes me really happy.

Cloaking Device + stealth unique in hover =

Uhh... ::checks mids:: It's 15' stealth in combat and 35' out of combat. Its defense bonus gets halved to 1.75% when suppressed. So it's exactly the same as power pool stealth except a little less than half of its stealth won't suppress.

In my opinion, it's like a lot of blaster powers: rather weak, but not as useless as people tend to think.

*Ahem*
*In best Mr. Burns Voice* Gentlemen, I do believe this troll thread has been a complete success. Now for phase two of our operation.

-Release the hounds.-