RedWarlock

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The Ice Arrow seems to violate the new policies for Holds; whereas most Holds now are limited to half duration and doubled recharge, this one recharges as quickly as it wears off- I don't know if this was intentional. I expect to have some /TA Controller put a hit on me for mentioning this.

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This actually quite consistent with I5 ideology. If you want a true controller, roll an Ice Blaster or a Trick Arrows defender...

[sarcasm]

Trick Arrows looks like a lot of fun. I wish I could get excited about it - wouldn't it be nice if they could have just given us new cool powers and not nerfed half the game?

/end bitterness.

I used to always go to Galaxy because:

1) I like the layout better.
2) I like the park right outside the Perez Park entrance (the first time I ran into an Eidelon there, I thought I was fighting a real villain, and I loved it).
3) I like that entrance way into Perez Park better than the Atlas one.

But since they added the Hollows and since Galaxy is not just less busy than Atlas, but can actually be kind of depressingly quiet sometimes, I usually start heroes in Atlas now. Convenience to the Hollows and community playing the game makes Atlas more fun to me. Who cares if it's newbies - it's just nice to see other heroes running around.

One change the devs should make: Galaxy ought to have better access to the Hollows. That is one change that would be an improvement for Galaxy that everyone would probably like. It's bad enough that you have to slog all over the Hollows if you want to run missions there - having to take the tram to Atlas to get there is a lot of wasted time...

It looks fantastic! I can't wait.

About trick arrows for controllers, as someone who primarily plays controllers, I would rather you guys skip on another defender primary power added to the controller secondaries, and give us some unique secondary powers in I6. Every time you guys do this, it's an annoyance to both Defenders, and even some of us controllers who would rather our AT's be distinct.

I say - let the Defenders have some areas that are all their own, and give us controllers some unique secondaries in I6.

But other than that issue, it looks really great guys. I'll just roll a Dark/Sonic Defender so that I can have a new 'controller' with sonic blast powers

-Red Warlock

Cuppa Joe,

thank you for having a real give and take discussion here. Having some explicit communication from the dev team about what's going on with your process is really helpful.

There are two issues that have been talked about a lot on these threads that I would really appreciate if the devs could give us some sense of what's up with these issues:

1) Hammidons:
There has been a lot of talk about Hammidon's being a problem in PvP. Are the devs looking into this? I know in the I4 write up it said "Hamidon Enhancements no longer are able to be generated at a level over 50" - but does that mean that people who previously got higher level Hammidons will get to keep them while others won't be able to get 50+ level Hammidons? Is there more that you are looking at to address this issue, or was that the change you made to address the issue?

2) Flight
The devs have talked a lot about dealing with SS/SJ in response to reactions over the change there, but they haven't talked about flight even 'though many posters have raised concerns about flight being too weak, hoping to see flight strengthened rather than ss/sj weakened. Any thoughts on that?

Thank you again for engaging us in this discussion. We really appreciate it,

Red Warlock

Thank you for clarifying some of the process of how you all are working on being responsive to the community. It helps us to know what kind of work you are doing to evaluate our concerns, in addition to actually making game changes, etc.

Devs have feelings too, and actually, some of the disrespectful, condescending comments that players post here really leaves me feeling bad about the whole picture here sometimes. I try to avoid those kinds of comments myself and keep it constructive, even when I feel like someone else is being rude. Sometimes I think we all need to take a deep breath and remember this is a game we love, and it's not about negativity.

Keep up the great work,

-Red Warlock

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Any change to Spectral Terror is effecting the embedded Cloak of Fear, arguably one of the best powers in the /DA line and one of the things that makes a really really weak defensive set survivable. The nerf to that portion of Spectral Terror would significantly wreck /DA, to the point where I think it needs to be entirely segregated from the Spectral Terror version. please make /DA Cloak of Fear its own power, not tied to Spectral Terror, and leave /DA Cloak of Fear alone. Cloak of Fear, when used by /DA, is neither overpowered in PvP nor in PvE. It is integral to the survivability of a /DA scrapper. Seperate these two powers before "fixing", "nerfing", "modifying" or whatever term you want to use in regards to what you are doing to Spectral Terror

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What makes you think that the devs only intended these changes for Spectral Terror and not Cloak of Fear?

Spectral Terror has been completely useless at times and the devs have made it more useful (especially in PvP where it is almost a critical defense for illusionists now). Please don't frame your comments in such a way as if to say that Spectral Terror needs a nerf, but Cloak of Fear needs to remain strong. Spectral Terror as it's newly designed is crucial for illusionists, just like CoF is crucial for DA Scrappers (especially for both AT's when playing PvP). I don't think that either powers are overpowered.

I certainly would support separating Cloak of Fear and Spectral Terror so that the two powers don't have to be tied in how they work, but I hope that you aren't suggesting that Spectral Terror is overpowered and needs nerfing as opposed to Cloak of Fear which should be left alone. In my opinion, both are crucial powers and I get tired of people saying Spectral Terror needs nerfing, when it's one of the only powers that keeps me alive in PvP, and is only a marginally useful power in PvE. The power is certainly not overpowered.

Red Warlock lvl 50 illusion/ff controller, champion server

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but if they make it targetable they should make it mobile and buffable as well to keep snipers from just killing it with no effect

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I think making Spectral Terror killable, but mobile and buffable is a GREAT idea. This would give people who hate it being there holding them forever an out for getting rid of it. But it also would give us some flexibility in using it. I hate casting spectral terror with all these super speedsters in PvP able to run away before the power is even up. if it was like phantasm and could travel with me, I would be happy if it could also be killed.

But making Spectral Terror mobile might take some additional graphics design, so if it's not mobile and buffable, then I wouldn't want the pet to be killable.

I tried Spectral Terror on the Training Server today and it is really improved. In fact, in PvP, it is probably the most useful power we have.

Unfortunately, in the Training Room PvP AT Balance discussion, many people are already complaining about Spectral Terror being too powerful. It's really bogus because most of the people who seem to be complaining are Scrappers who are getting annoyed because it holds too effectively, when Scrappers are clearly the most overpowered AT in PvP team play right now.

I love Spectral Terror now that it is useful again. Thanks for the great work Devs!

Thank you Geko for working to fix Spectral Terror and for telling us about the work you are doing on it.

I took Spectral Terror pre-I3 and I've always loved the graphics of the power, but pre-I3 it was a throw away power except for its pretty looks. There was almost no use for the power, so I respec'ed it out.

Post I-3 it was a very useful power and I respec'ed it in with my free respec. Then to my dismay, one day all the villains began running away again almost like the old Spectral Terror and I found it causes too much chaos to be useful. I am planning on respec'ing it out again if the new changes don't make it more useful.

I think the best thing that could be done is removing the running and making the power like it was post I-3. Scattering crowds are not an effective control tactic except in rare situations. But these suggestions are an improvement, especially if Spectral Terror does some damage as a 'Terrify Attack Power', which it seems Geko is suggesting may happen with the new changes. Giving the power some damage would be a great alternative to give the power some usefulness to compensate for the headaches you have with villains running away.

Whatever is done, a 29 level power should be more useful than the current design of the power.

Thanks again Geko for working on this,

Red Warlock, lvl 48 Illusion/FF Controller, Champion Server