Oedipus_Tex
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Posts
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Just based on my experience with Sonic Resonance I think most people would be disappointed. It's not so bad it's unplayable, but I think that, like Defenders, Corruptors and Controllers, Sonic Resonance would be one of the least played sets after people got a taste of it. Masterminds do have the advantage of a pet to hang the debuff ring on, but the lack of a heal in Sonic Resonance is extremely noticeable relative to Thermal. A single cast of Cauterize, unslotted, beats the extra Resistance from Sonic's big bubble. It's certainly not unplayable but I've been fantasizing that the reason they haven't proflif'ed it yet is because they're waiting to buff it first. The endurance costs, if nothing else, certainly could use some help.
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Super Speed + Force Bubble. I have spent hours tearing around Atlas flinging everything in a 50 ft radius backward.
I even made a game out of it: Minion Hockey. The way it works is you have to send an enemy flying past the two Police Drones that guard the steps leading up to Miss Liberty. Once or twice I've even successfully flung enemies between Atlas' legs (cue peanut gallery). -
Quote:Originally Posted by Melancton
From the reports that I am reading, Gremlins appear to use powers that 1) interrupt the Sleep from Static Field and 2) cause Knockback, which can remove baddies from the aforementioned Static Field so carefully laid down.
Since the Elec AoE Immob does NOT negate Knockback, how does one deal with these issues?
The other question is whether the Gremlins add enough Damage to the mix. It is not uncommon for Controller to not have much damage until lvl 32 and the Pets arrive, but do the Gremlins fill in this gap for the Elec set?
Yes/No.
They do interrupt sleep, sort of, but not like a rain power or DoT would.
They do not cause knockback, at least if you're fighting stuff around your level.
There's not really anything careful about laying down Static Field because it recharges so fast you can replace it easily.
The damage is ok but not spectacular. The pets definitely do a lot to your solo abilities and having them around makes it MUCH easier for me to keep hard targets endurance drained in the absence of other abilities on my Elec/FF. Interestingly, a lot of people have said they find it hard to keep them alive, but at least fighting groups of 5-10 enemies solo I have a much easier time keeping them upright than most of my other trollers do with their pets, even when I don't bother shielding them. Static Field is pretty amazing solo. -
Quote:Originally Posted by Syntax42
That seems silly. Procs in damage powers should have a chance to proc every time you do damage. It was worth it even with that limitation. My DPS for Mud Pots went up from 15 to almost 20.
If they proc'ed every pulse they'd be outrageously overpowered.
Let's look at Earthquake slotted with a single damage IO. The power pulses in every .2 seconds and has a duration of 30 seconds. That's 150 tics. With a 20% chance to fire, we'd expect it to go off about 30 times. Total damage per enemy would be about 2154, or about as much as two simultaneous Aim + Build Up + lvl 50 slotted Novas. Per proc slotted.
Proc damage is actually quite reasonable. I don't know which procs you slotted, but assuming they are the basic kind that do about 71 damage at lvl 50 and have a 20% chance to fire, the odds of doing at least 71 damage every 10 seconds are a quite healthy 67% per enemy in range, and occasionally you will do more. -
Quote:Originally Posted by Vel_Overload
I rememr somewhere I showed exactly why Ice armor for brutes wasn't a great idea.
Anyway, Granite Armor is nigh inpenetrable. The Brute trades a portion of his damage for that incredible defense, so it's a fair trade. It's not a fair trade when your defenses are bairly on par with shield defense -and- your getting a damage nerf. Chilling Embrace is one of Ice Armors most important powers due to the -14% damage and the -recharge. Changing either of those components would weaken Ice Armor's over all mitigation.
TL: DR: Ice Armor would need a make over before getting ported to Brutes.
Not sure how we got on this subject but I disagree that -Recharge would have the effect being described. Even at its absolute limits -Recharge only increases recharge speeds by x4. This does not mean enemies attack four times slower, it means enemies cycle back to their best powers that much slower. An enemy with a basic Brawl attack would just end up using that attack a lot more frequently.
Anyway, the amount of -Recharge in Ice Armor on a Tanker is only -32%. That's not even enough to increase Recharge time up to x2. In practice you probably would very rarely notice (although it does help some). You're more likely to experience lowered Fury generation from AoE knockdown than that subtle change in -Recharge. -
IMO between these two, Hot Feet. Even if you don't use it for damage, Hot Feet's ability to make foes Afraid cuts quite a bit of damage. If you don't have Combat Jumping though Burn isn't a bad way to get some -Immob.
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I believe if a power misses an enemy, the enemy (and soon the whole spawn) becomes instantly aware of you. It's particularly noticeable with Flashfire because of its slow-ish cast time but happens with all powers that notify enemies. If the enemy begins to animate a retaliatory strike prior to the stun effect being applied, the stun does not stop it; the enemy will finish its attack animation and assume the "stunned" pose immediately after.
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What you're describing sounds more like "alpha eating" than "tanking." "Tanking" usually means holding aggro so enemies don't turn their attention toward teammates. It is virtually impossible to "tank" as a Controller if you're teamed with a heavy damage dealer because they will peel aggro off of you. It is possible to charge in and do the alpha eating part though. And in some circumstances to mezz the entire group before they can respond (although this gets dicier as the size and level of enemy groups increases).
One technique I do sometimes use on my FF characters is to hop in with Personal Force Field, let the enemies blow their first strike, and then pop out when it's safe. It's not really tanking though, just making enemies blow their first strikes. I usually only do this on very low level teams where the actual Tankers aren't high enough to take the full brunt of the alpha. -
Quote:Illusion/Cold is not a "low damage" character with or without IOs.Originally Posted by kamikrazy
From the rikti pylon thread, sitting at over 100 dps more than the highest scrapper:
409 Illusion/Cold/Ice Controller - Frosticus
Controllers are rated as "low" damage at character creation. I know there are lots of examples of people IO'ing "low" damage characters until they are easily considered "high" damage by the standards of this game. The above is just the most blatant example I've come across.
The point is not whether IOing for defense still leaves some openess to defeat. It is whether you gain more for IOing for Defense or Offense. The answer in nearly every case is you gain the most from Defense (or Recharge). Blasters are already a very high Offense, fairly low Defense characters. They are rewarded handsomely by the IO system.Quote:This is misleading imo. You can IO out a blaster so it has high defense to a single type or vector (ie s/l or ranged), but that still leaves them with gaping holes in their protection. Certainly a large gain in performance under restricted conditions, but is it as large of a gain as other AT's get that start with higher mitigation? If blasters benefit tremendously then do other AT's benefit super tremendously? -
Quote:Originally Posted by StratoNexus
This is, IMO, a myth. I believe in IOing for global damage.
Not what I was talking about.
You cannot IO a low damage character into a high damage one. You can, however, IO a low defense character into a high defense one. This is why I said Blasters benefit tremendously from IOs. -
I'm out of ideas. I can say I've been using the proc on my Mind/Ice Dominator for a long time without issue, although getting knocked out of inviso by crystals on CoT maps was a surprise the first few times until I figured out what was doing it. The only time I've otherwise been spotted has been against certain AVs and EBs, who seem to aggro-on-cast. Unless it's connected to something weird, like the Mutation buff or the end of HP boosting powers is being recorded as damage and thus unhiding you.
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If you enjoy playing support, how about a Earth/Thermal Controller? It's low damage, especially before you get the pet, but great support, capable of stunning, knocking down, shielding, healing, preventing mezzes, boosting damage, and lots of other great stuff. (I also had a lot of fun as an Ice/Thermal Controller but consider that "hard mode.")
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Quote:Originally Posted by NordBlast
I'd agree with that if it was only with special mobs/objects like Longbow Eagles, CoT crystals, the cabal, etc.
But StealthIO suppression was happening with variety of enemies.
And while it is difficult to pin down specific conditions, it seems, it was happening when I was trying to confuse mob while I've been still moving.
I'll try to run few tests again and frap it, while doing it.
Are you watching your stealth radius numbers in the Combat Attributes pop-out box? The Stealth radius remains suppressed for a good while after taking a hit. Maybe 20 to 30 seconds. If you got hit by the previous group by anything (possibly even death AoEs like Carnie endurance drain tho I haven't tested this explicitly, I just watch the numbers) you are not invisible when approaching the next group. Pets of any kind also reveal your location I believe even though most enemies wont come after you unless the pet moves out of range or is killed/unsummoned. -
Quote:Originally Posted by NordBlast
I haven't pay attention to problems in SI, but I think I had couple "WTF?" moments with it recently. I'm going to pay more close attention to it from now.
I had few issues with SS + StealthIO though.
Here is the thread http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=230128.
The issue with SS + Stealth IO happens if you are subjected to an attack. Any AoE will do. The IO stealth suppresses but the Super Speed stealth does not. The AoE does not have to be from an enemy; the red or blue (even though they don't do damage) crystals in CoT maps seem to do it. -
I haven't noticed anything different. What were you doing when you got attacked?
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Group Fly might actually be useful for missions where you have to protect someone, since it lifts them up out of melee range. Might even keep Lady Gray from spazzing her way to an early grave.
It's one of those weird things tho. If this game had more scenarios where citizens were in like, actual danger, and we had to save them, this power would be one of the best around. -
Blasters benefit tremendously from IOs actually. Mainly because you can IO for massive Defense, but IOing for massive Damage pretty much does not work out.
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Quote:Originally Posted by Novawulfe
If I remember right, if you use something like bubbles while increases the def, and powers that have a duration are increased for that duration assuming you had power boost going.
I believe that the way Power Boost works is to boost the global modifiers your character has. These are the same values you see in IO bonuses, like +5% Confusion, +8% Immobilize Duration, etc. I think that, essentially, the powers operate exactly as if you had slotted them, and carry that value from the moment of casting.
So, if you Power Boost > Confuse, the duration of the Confuse is based on the full bonus value at the moment of casting.
If you Power Boost > Insulation Shield, the bonus defense lasts the full 4 minutes of the shield (as long as you don't cast over it after Power Boost fades).
If you Power Boost > Dispersion Bubble, the bonus lasts about as long as Power Boost does, because toggles are basically just powers that recast themselves over and over.
If you Power Boost > Sleet I believe you get a bonus to -Defense and -Run Speed and nothing else. I'm not totally sure of that. Someone said the effect does not carry to pets but I thought it did to at least some of them.
If you Power Boost and run in with Arctic Air from the Ice Control set, the duration of each individual hit of the Confusion portion of the power lasts longer. I have never actually tried it but because AA has no cast time it would be a good way to double dip by Power Boosting in melee-ish range and carrying on with your business.
If you Power Boost and run in with the Electric toggle, each individual sap will take away more endurance than normal, for roughly the duration of Power Boost.
I have used Power Boost > Benumb and Heat Loss but can't even tell you what that actually effects.
Note that Power Boost > Ice Shield does not work. The shield powers in Cold Domination cannot be boosted because they have a Resistance component in them, and I believe any power with a +Resistance component is automatically flagged not to work with PB. -
I'm guessing you are new to slotting characters (or at least Controllers). Don't fret about it too much--my first builds needed a lot of help too.
Here is some specific feedback on what you probably want to improve.
- Take Phantom Army immediately at level 18.
- You've built for a lot of "bonus" type IOs. You probably want to focus on Recharge above and beyond everything else.
- Remember that in Issue 19 the Fitness pool will become inherent. You will not have to explicitly pick up Stamina, Health, etc, but you do want to save some slots for them
- Personal Force Field could probably due with just one enhancer. I'd either put a single Luck of the Gambler: +Recharge here, or (if I already had 5 LotGs slotted) put the Kismet: +Accuracy there.
- You want to work a lot more Recharge into this build in general. It's showing Phantom Army as perma right now, but it's actually about 30 seconds shy of that. The reason is Repulsion Field is slotted with the chance for +Recharge proc. The proc is good in game but won't make up that much of a difference.
- You really want to pick up some attacks.
- Deceive is a must.
- Flash is a good power but it's up to you. It's your only way to get AoE Containment and since you should be building for Recharge will be up pretty often.
- For choice of APP there are many options but I personally like Primal for /Force Field because Power Boost makes your shields very powerful. Local Man's guide discuss the relative benefits of other APPs.
- Most likely you don't need Indomitable Will if you stay with the Mind APP. Mental Blast and Psi Tornado--single target and AoE blasts--are musts for most Controllers
- Not sure what you're going for with the slotting in Recall Friend. I slot this power with a single Range IO or the -Knockback power fromthe Blessing of the Zephyr set.
- For your Defense powers: Slot 5 of them with Luck of the Gambler +Recharge. The five you pick should be ones where you only need either the 1 slot, or plan to 3 slot as +Recharge, Defense, Defense/Endurance. Off the top of my head, for you that's going to be Group Invisibility, Deflection Shield, Insulation Shield, Personal Force Field, Combat Jumping (if you keep it). Those together give you +37.5 Recharge. Slot Dispersion Bubble with either 5 or 6 pieces from the Red Fortune set (6 if you want to build for extra Ranged defense, which IMO you should since you can grab it so cheaply).
- You probably don't need both Group Invis and Superior Invis. I'd go with Group for the endurance savings.
- Drop the 6th slot in Spectral Terror. The extra Psionic Resistance is probably not worth a whole slot.
- Phantasm should be slotted to give yourself more Recharge. I like Expedient Reinforcement here because it gives more Recharge and again more Ranged Defense.
- Change slotting in Blind to 4 pieces from the Basilisk's Gaze set for more Recharge. Then slot the additional slots with damage of some kind.
- Slot your newly picked up AoEs with 5 pieces of Positron's Blast for the +Recharge.
- Slot your newly picked up single target damage powers with 5 pieces from the Decimation set for even more Recharge (its lower level but the damage will still be excellent).
- Drop Acrobatics since you already have mezz and knockback protection
Hope that's helpful. Post a new build after making some changes and we'll continue to guide you. -
In normal content it's often not that big a deal. If you run AE Gauntlets it's a much bigger one, since even a single enemy with Aim or Build Up will trivialize your defense, and there is nothing Defense Debuff resistance can do about it (not that any Defenders shields have that).
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Quote:Originally Posted by Apophasis
Positron has taken a blood oath in the spirit of MMO sincerity that he would take "drastic measures" to stomp out the vice that is known as "farming", banning said people who participate in and/or promote this heinous activity. If that is not a valid reportable offense, then I don't know what is.
Yeah... no.
Positron said that farming the AE would lead to penalties. Since then, even though nothing has really been said, it appears to have fallen by the wayside for the most part as long as you're not completely obnoxious about it.
Farming in and of itself (running existing content over and over to maximize gain) is not something the devs really get involved in. -
Quote:Originally Posted by Apophasis
Have the Devs/Mods mentioned any plans for this?
None that I've heard about but it's such an easy direct port (compared to what had to be done to modify some other sets) that I'd expect to see it eventually. -
I would place my bet on Elec/Psi/Mu Dominator. Lots of synergy there too in general.
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I always assumed it was just Mind Control's, and a few Illusion Control powers, "secondary effect."
Gravity: -Run speed
Ice: -Run/-Recharge
Fire: +Damage
Electric: -Endurance
Earth: -Defense
Mind: No positional tag
Plant didn't get a secondary effect so they just doubled the damage in the AoE Immob (although, frankly, that could simply be a bug that resulted from them reading the Containment numbers from the Controller version of the immobs when originally creating Plant for Dominators, then doubling it again when it ported back to Controllers. I've never been told one way or another but the fact that it does exactly twice as much damage may be a clue).
Note that Psi Blast on Defenders and Psi Assault on Dominators have secondary effects too. Both of them get an extra 20ft on most ranged attacks (averaging 100ft compared to most sets, which average 40-80ft) and do -Recharge. The Blaster version of Psi Blast does not have extra range but does have the -Recharge. Mind Control does not get either of these advantages, having seemingly swapped it out for the lack of a positional tag as it's special "thing." -
Sort of off topic reply.
I wish there were an option when running missions to select an "Elite Level" difficulty above and beyond the number of foes and their level. This would be designed specifically for big teams and for heavily IOed characters and cause additional, difficult enemies to appear among the ranks of normal enemy groups. Rather than have to design whole new Task Forces and enemy groups, they could create a cluster of 10-12 hardcore boss types and add them to the standard ranks. Super Stunners are good example of what adding a single difficult enemy to a group can do. Some of the groups could also have Elite Bosses staggered among them.
To incent us to actually fight them, we could have the purple drop for purples skewed toward fighting on this setting. And of course, new badges would exist for each of the new enemies.
To make this really pop, I imagine enemies with powers the developers have shielded us from so far. Enemies that mimic Dominators, for example, who can mezz at Mag 6. Enemies with Arctic Air, Shiver, Hot Feet, Sleet, or Force Bubble. Enemies with Rising Mists (two nearby each other = entire groups are invisible and have mag 6 Confusion protection). Unlike the rest of the game, they'd be specifically designed to challenge the most IOed and Incarnate among us. Not totally related to what you're talking about here, but sort of.