Obscure Blade

It's OK, but could use some tweaks. It's greatest problem is that it has no hard AoE controls until 26, instead of 12 like other sets. Getting a Grav/ to 26 tends to be a pain.

It's spectacular and destructive. And it's going to get more spectacular with Issue 16 and custom colored fire and storm powers.

[ QUOTE ]
Nothing new, but a nice massively feature: http://www.massively.com/2009/07/26/sdcc...-con/#continued

edit: Though is that a new Super Strength animation in the screenshot?

[/ QUOTE ]
I can't tell, but I hope so. Actually, one new animation I'm hoping for is a Hulk style punch-the-ground-for-a-shockwave version of Foot Stomp.

EDIT : OK; looking at the other pictures in the gallery, I think that IS a super strength power. The words are too blurry to actually read, but it does look like the Super Strength listing. In which case, I think that's Haymaker.

I also like the metal spines; and for that matter, the Thorns skin ( if it's what Dominators get ) is also better looking than the banana version.

[ QUOTE ]
What bout grav/emp?

[/ QUOTE ]
Probably pretty painful solo. The pet won't get much use from your secondary's heals & buffs; it can't be healed, and isn't really a damage dealer.

[ QUOTE ]
Energy?

No. Seriously. Don't do that.

[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, my Energy/Traps is pretty fun. Mezz protection + lots of knockback makes it fairly survivable, the debuff from Acid Mortar doesn't vanish when you knock a target around, and they fit thematically.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I have plenty of Controllers; that doesn't mean I like slogging until 32, which many do.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you can't play the set 'til 32, or find it "slogging" you're doing something wrong. *Any* set. Illusion aside, pets aren't *that* big a deal. Yes, even with Fire. And that doesn't touch on Mind, which doesn't *have* a traditional pet.

If all you can see are damage numbers and think that's all that matters, stick with blasters and brutes.

[/ QUOTE ]
Did I say that it's all that matters ? No, it doesn't. It DOES however make finishing a mission less of a crawl. Nearly all missions involve killing things, and that requires damage.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

As for Defenders, Going Rogue and Power Proliferation has inspired me to delete my last surviving one. Why play an anemic Defender when I can play a Corruptor ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Better numbers on the buffs/debuffs. And Corruptors are going to find themselves just crammed in the same place as Defenders when it comes to "Why take them when I can take a Controller instead?"

[/ QUOTE ]
Again, damage. And because controllers don't play like corrs, while defenders play like anemic Corruptors ( or Corruptors play like buffed defenders ). Corruptors are more fun for me to play because they can finish missions faster, and get their offensive powers sooner.

[ QUOTE ]
Especially with buffs/debuffs at the same level - and Corruptors not getting Empathy.

[/ QUOTE ]
Which is a seriously underpowered set for a petless soloer, which is the exact character this proposal would appeal to.

[ QUOTE ]
You'll do less damage (until Scourge kicks in) than a Blaster.

[/ QUOTE ]
But Blasters don't have the survivability of Corruptors, or of Defenders for that matter.

[ QUOTE ]
And a Controller will still quite often be more effective on a team, being able to lock down mobs and keep them from doing *anything,* while providing roughly the same level of buffing/debuffing as you.

[/ QUOTE ]
And if I was talking about teams you might have a point; but I wasn't so you don't. If I'm on a team I don't need an AI sidekick in the first place.

[ QUOTE ]
Right now, the only real reasons (besides, obviously, sides) to pick a Corruptor or Defender are specific powerset combos, and personal preference.

[/ QUOTE ]
And because Corruptors hit harder, sooner.

[ QUOTE ]
Do any of yall remember if during the last Closed Beta could anyone/everyone log into test and access the Character Creator even though they couldn't enter the game zones?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, as I said in the other thread my pre-pet Controllers with teamcentric secondaries would love it, and I might even be willing to play Defenders. Yes, it would be bad if poorly implemented, but the idea has potential I think.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you actually need a 'rent-a-buffbot' to be able to play a Defender, we'd rather you didn't.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, in that scenario *I* would be the buffbot. What defenders lack is damage.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
On the other hand, as I said in the other thread my pre-pet Controllers with teamcentric secondaries would love it, and I might even be willing to play Defenders. Yes, it would be bad if poorly implemented, but the idea has potential I think.

[/ QUOTE ]

And mine would find it a waste, since (a) I'm perfectly capable of soloing (and do - see the thread on how many of what AT you make, I make a *lot* of controllers, and a good number of defenders) and (b) don't particularly feel like paying for an aggro-happy AI.

I didn't particularly care for the feature in Diablo II, nor do I like it in Guild Wars. I definitely don't want to see it here. You want to play with AI "friends," go make a mission with some in AE.

[/ QUOTE ]
I have plenty of Controllers; that doesn't mean I like slogging until 32, which many do. As for Defenders, Going Rogue and Power Proliferation has inspired me to delete my last surviving one. Why play an anemic Defender when I can play a Corruptor ?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
BaB while you're looking in on this topic.

Curiously just wondering how much extra work it would take to be able to select the projectile type as well as the colour of a power?

Would love to be able to select Proton Volley style (the three round balls of energy) projectiles for an energy blaster, colour them pink and go all Danmaku on the enemies.

[/ QUOTE ]
Given that alternate animations for Martial Arts and Superstrength are included in Issue 16 something of the sort is possible. But before that, he'd have to tweak the animation so that it had the same animation time as the animation it's replacing. So it would be more complicated and have to be done on a more one-power-at-a-time basis.

[/ QUOTE ]

This wouldn't be changing the animation, that would still remain the same, I'm talking about merely replacing the type of projectile used, sniper blast would still use sniper blast's animation BUT instead of it firing a beam of concentrated energy, it would fire the same projectiles as Proton volley.

[/ QUOTE ]
But the blast itself is part of the animation I think ? Or AN animation.

On the other hand, as I said in the other thread my pre-pet Controllers with teamcentric secondaries would love it, and I might even be willing to play Defenders. Yes, it would be bad if poorly implemented, but the idea has potential I think.

I can understand the worries about "rent a buffbots"; on the other hand, my pre-pet controllers with teamcentric secondaries would love it. And it might actually encourage me to play a Defender.

You'll probably want to pick up Hasten at some point; powers like Forge really benefit from it.

[ QUOTE ]
BaB while you're looking in on this topic.

Curiously just wondering how much extra work it would take to be able to select the projectile type as well as the colour of a power?

Would love to be able to select Proton Volley style (the three round balls of energy) projectiles for an energy blaster, colour them pink and go all Danmaku on the enemies.

[/ QUOTE ]
Given that alternate animations for Martial Arts and Superstrength are included in Issue 16 something of the sort is possible. But before that, he'd have to tweak the animation so that it had the same animation time as the animation it's replacing. So it would be more complicated and have to be done on a more one-power-at-a-time basis.

Try Energy/Storm. Yes, you tend to knock things out of Freezing Rain; but it doesn't matter much because Freezing Rain has persistant debuffs that last after the target is knocked out of the Rain. Plus, flinging your enemies around like toys is fun.

[ QUOTE ]
Scrapper - Energy or Super Strength (with non-broken Rage*)
Stalker - Fire (BaBs mentioned something in one of his posts that hints towards him considering it)
Brute - Regen (we're already getting Claws, which was the top of my list)
Blaster - Dark Blast


* Rage as it currently is would be brokenly overpowered on a scrapper, the rest of the set is fine. Scrappers get more benefit from damage buffs, as evidenced by their 100% BU as opposed to 80% for Stalkers, Tanks, and Brutes. That would mean a 100% damage boost from Rage. Rage is possible to double stack. A permanent 200% damage boost on a set that will already be doing more damage via AT modifiers is gamebreakingly overpowered and will need to be changed before we get SS for scrappers. Most likely scenario is KO Blow gets moved to where Rage currently sits and we get Build Up instead.

[/ QUOTE ]
That would pretty much just make it a variation on Martial Arts though; without even punchier animations apparently with Customization. Perhaps making Rage unstackable, or just less powerful on scrappers ?

/Cold for MMs.

/Traps for Controllers; Wormhole + Trip Mines = BOOM !

Illusion for Doms

Ninjutsu for Scrappers

/Dark for Controllers

Broadsword for Brutes

Axe for Stalkers ( "EXECUTIONER'S AXE!!" *CHOP* )

/Poison for Corrs

No interest in /Defenders or Tanks.

[ QUOTE ]
Well then:

THANK YOU BAB!



[/ QUOTE ]
I have to second that. I think that this post of BaBs deserves repeating :

[ QUOTE ]
Fun facts:
To date, power customization for Primary and Secondary player powers has involved<ul type="square">[*]1,241 individual powers.[*]which use use 1,620 FX scripts[*]which reference 5,144 particle scripts.[/list](Yes, those 1,241 powers are from just the powersets listed in the Issue 16 overview page.)
.
I'm still trying to nail down an exact date for when we started working on this, but so far the earliest reference I can find is from a document created in March of 2008. I know there were some meetings before that document was made, but I can't find the date or meeting notes from the initial "Lets do this!" meeting, which I would consider the official start of this massive undertaking.
.
Unofficially, I've been trying to figure out ways to do it since around Issue 11, but every idea involved new tech and a tremendous amount of data parsing...two things that simply would have never happened back then with the size of our team.

Obviously, we haven't been working 100% on this since we started. A bit here, a bit there...time taken for other Issues, bug fixes, booster packs, etc. But we've been working on it pretty focused for the last 6-8 months.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
1) I did a SF for fun, and merits, and I built full Domination in like 5 blasts. What the heck?

[/ QUOTE ]
Some time ago Domination was changed so it builds faster the bigger the team is.

[ QUOTE ]
What would be a good primary for LOTS of AOE control? I was thinking Gravity, opinions?

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with the above poster; you want lots of AoE control, go Earth/.

[ QUOTE ]
When you pick a specific power in the Powers section of the character creator, your character will continually repeat the animation for that power, showing both the character animation and the power effect (i.e., the Fire Imps power summons imps, etc.); the colors selection grid normally obscures a lot of this, but it can be rolled up out of the way for a better view.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ah, that's good to know. That seemed the sensible way to go, but I was worried that they wouldn't have as clear a way to see what the colored powers actually look like. Or worse, that we'd have to guess.

And I thank you a lot as well for taking the trouble to post this.

I just went to seen the Patrons in Grandville in person for the first time in a long time, and the lackeys that normally surround them are gone. Except for the one scientist welding on Black Scorpion's armor. No Night Widows behind Ghost Widow; no Mu around Scirocco, etc. Is this a recent bug ?

I've been told 4 slotting Stamina with the fourth being the + Endurance proc gets you the endurance recovery of three IOs plus the input from the proc, because the + end proc doesn't count towards the ED limit for that power.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You Sir//Madam are an odd duck if you actually have played since 05. Let me guess? You like RP and live for a "concept" character with a "thematic" flow?

Thats absolutely wonderful!!!! Contrary to popular forum fanboi belief not EVERY player has that rp goal in mind when playing.In fact? Most do not.

Anyway, I am happy if this revamp makes doms more popular in game.Just like pvp is more popular.....

When was the last time any of you people lauding the dominator changes ran any SF?Please describe your experience now versus pre revamp. Are dominator's more sought for teaming?Just curious......

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually I've played since August of '04, but didn't reg on the forums until '05. As to your other questions: You couldn't be further off base if you tried. I plan every build meticulously, min/maxing every character while trying to stick to my original idea. I just don't use IO's to do it, because I don't want to deal with the pursuit of "lewtz" in this game. And I rarely RP.

[/ QUOTE ]
"You must RP !" seems to be the default insult for the other cliques in this game for some reason. You don't farm ? You don't min/max ? You don't PvP ? You like an unpopular powerset ? You must be an RPer !

[ QUOTE ]
I'd just be happy if I never saw another powerset get proliferated ever. Every time it happens there's 1 less reason to play another AT, and possibly less reasons for those that primarily play heroes or vills to try the other side.

[/ QUOTE ]
For you perhaps. For me, proliferation mean that I get to use powerset that I'd never otherwise touch. For example; I prefer to solo most of the time, and positively hate feeling forced to team. So when team centric powersets like /Cold and /Therm go to ATs with pets, I can enjoy them when I couldn't before. I don't like the low damage of Tanks and Defenders; when other ATs get powers/powerset combos formerly exclusive to them, for me they might as well be new powersets. And powersets just don't play the same from AT to AT; a /Storm Mastermind isn't that much like a /Storm Corr, which isn't like a /Storm Controller.

Rularuu/his forces invading.