Using new ios to replace powers

Well, the new IOs provide bonuses that are kind of nice. Given that tough does not provide a lot of resistance (certainly it is s/l only), what do people think about just not running it and slotting new +res ios instead?

It means less end cost and 1 less power to pick...

It depends on your build, and what you'd do with the alternative power pick + endurance instead.

With how resistance (and defense) works, each further point is relatively more potent than the last, it's really a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, so IO resistance + tough would be a fairly good combination. That doesn't mean there aren't better combinations out there, though, but that'll depend on the specifics if the build.

The only case where it's fairly clear cut, I'd say, is when the IO resistance bonuses already put you to the resistance hard cap for S/L. Even then, there's a touch of wiggle room (you could still use the power as a mule). Edit: EnigmaBlack pointed out something that slipped my mind... if you're getting Tough to get Weave anyways.

We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.

You will be able to get Weave without Tough in i24 if I understand the proposed restructuring correctly.

Neither of the first two powers is Tough.

Yes, I can totally see the new IO bonuses letting builds forgo grabbing tough. For me, tough and weave are not must have powers and currently I'm happy not grabbing weave and using IO set bonuses if all I'm chasing is a little extra defense. Yes, aware it has more than defense going for it and it's good for all types but it just isn't as shiny to me as other choices sometimes.

Then again, I'm also the same dummy who was playing with ED before it was in game so I kind of think I don't look at the game builds the same as a lot of players. Until ED came about I actually thought we could only slot one enhancement of any type (dam/acc/range/cone/whatever) into a power and I've been playing nonstop since issue two. Boy I cannot tell you how game changing that was for me..and, well, embarrassing. In other words, if I'm in the minority with my viewpoint it wouldn't be a first.

At least if my take on tough and IO bonus changes is wrong it won't make the game more difficult to play. Should be interesting to see once the dust settles at any rate!

Does anyone besides already Res-based meatshields even turn Tough on?

Considering how BIG the +Res seems to be in those new IO set bonuses I doubt that you'd even need to turn Tough on if you bother to slot your meatshield to resistance cap. Maybe Tough should get boosted with a +5% to damage bonus like a personal Assault, or something. Thematically it could fit into a pool named "Fighting".

Are the resist IO changes really that nice?

I mean, I've seen them, and maybe its because I favor recharge and defense on all my characters, but nothing I've seen particularly makes me want to go out of my way to do weird stuff like drop tough and pick up other set resistances, or even focus on the resistances stacking in from other sets. Where it happens, it happens, but I still plan to chase recharge, defense, and regen depending on what character I am playing.

I guess I will just have to look at some builds in MIDS to see what the dealio is.

Lewis

I actually do have a couple of characters that will be "replacing" real powers with the upgraded +resist IOs. Both of them use Sonic Resonance and, currently, they can only hard-cap their resistances by using Sonic Dispersion, Tough and a Patron/Ancillary pool toggle. The new IOs will allow them to hard-cap Smashing and Lethal (at least) with only two toggles.

Most of my characters will take their new damage resistance bonuses and enjoy them without changing their builds in any way. None of them that currently have Tough are planning to drop it.

You could probably make 200% to specific mez types (fear, immob, hold, taunt, placate, confuse) with the toggle or passive pool powers that grant 48-60% resists. Getting 100% vs sleep is practically accidental, thanks to the 48% resist everyone gets. Disorient resistance comes from Aid Self, but I don't remember exactly how the Medicine pool is changing in I24.