Steampunkette
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:Pssssst! I was linking the joke in the Lolcat pic to the current situation. Perhaps less funny than the image, itself, but required in order to get the comedic situation to which I was referring across. I.E. that the black cat choked on a hamster which powers the server with it's little exercise wheel, which is not in the image itself, at all...Originally Posted by Valgrisk
LOLcats is funnier without the obnoxious text explaining the joke. the picture is funny without it.
=-3
-Rachel- -
Cat chokes while eating server-hamster, roomate vows revenge, chance the server cables may be slightly gnawed.
Film at 11.
-Rachel- -
Quote:I'm watching this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR-F3gr_bvAOriginally Posted by Joe_Schmoe
I'm playing this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI_oWrseTKk
As I'm watching the patcher patch. This is the most exciting day of my LIFE
-Rachel- -
It's one past noon! DOOOOOOOOOM! It's been pushed back 'til next week! Rage! Argh! Terrible gnashing of teeth!
Loose the LoLcats of war on EU_Damz!
"I'mma git you!"
-Rachel- -
Quote:Eight minutes left on their "expected" timeline.... Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!Originally Posted by Panzerwaffen
Access restricted for internal testing now...
*asplodes!*
-Rachel- -
Quote:Is it REALLY a super-expensive place to live? Or was Grandma pulling my leg...?Originally Posted by EU_Damz
Ah thats cool then
Thought i finally found someone who lives/plays in cardiff! 
She once said that side of the family was so wealthy her uncle wore -two- monocles >.> I think that was a joke...
Then again... knowing my family...
-Rachel- -
Quote:Nope! I'm American born and raised. Though my Father's family is split (in the previous generation) between American and German (Bavarian, actually. Married during ww2) and Grandma's (German) family is Welsh/Bavarian. So I've got a few of my Father's Cousins out there, which is awesome.Originally Posted by EU_Damz
Holy carps you know this place?
Used to live here? Another welshy! yayyyyyyyy!
Never got the chance to visit them, though. =-(
-Rachel- -
Quote:I have family out in the "Different Path" area.Originally Posted by EU_Damz
Just TRY and find dinas powys/Llandough!
At least that's what I called it when I was a little girl... >.>
-Rachel- -
Double Doors is the option (glitch, really) to put two doorways (the 1 block room) side by side leading from one room to another. This allowed for 2 block wide rooms to seem much -longer- via stringing them together.
It also allowed you to create an "Outdoor" feeling in bases, as you built "Buildings" on one side of the rooms with the floor green gravel, making it look like grass.
-Rachel- -
Quote:If this prediction comes true I will fly to Wales and find you...Originally Posted by EU_Damz
*due to an unforseen problem, i17 will now be released next week*
-Rachel-
*kidding!* -
Since noone bit on the "almost 11pm EST!" thing...
It's closer to 11pm EST on the 28th of April than it was on the third of April >.>
So... yeah. My joke is fail. ;_;
-Rachel- -
Darn it, servers! Come up already! It's 4 minutes to 11pm EST >.> That's close enough, right?!
-Rachel- -
This is the best "Changing Enhancements" idea I've ever seen. It works as an Inf-sink, since you can't FIND the recipes and noone makes a buck of marketing them.
Quote:This makes it even more awesome as an inf-sink.Originally Posted by Aett_Thorn
I like it!
Maybe even, though this would take a little bit more coding to do, probably, but have the price scale be set up with a timer. The more you try to make in a short period, the faster the price goes up. Basically, if you create too many of these in say, a month, the prices jumps exponentially, to prevent someone even at level 50 from being able to completely unslot their enhancements at once.
But, as time goes on, the timer can reset if you haven't used one in a while, making it more for use as a one-at-a-time thing, but if you have a lot of influence to waste, you can pull out enhancements in a power.
-Rachel- -
You might be right on the Wolverine's Claws copyright thing. However NAMING it after the character would almost certainly get you into trouble. Which was my actual thought. not so much the move itself as the name.
Reverse Knockback is impossible because the engine wasn't designed with it in mind. It would require a full reworking of dozens of systems and subsystems just to get that functionality in. Followed by months if not years of testing and tweaking since you'd almost undoubtedly break other systems already in place by altering it.
It's been said (by the Devs) that they could create a knockback "Pet" as a ground target Area of Effect to KB enemies toward you (since the KB would be coming from the pet and you could put it behind someone) the problems with that are: It becomes an AoE KB effect knocking multiple targets in a 360 degree radius and that if the target is in lateral motion (in relation to your position) it could wind up knocking the target to the left or right, rather than towards you. There are other considerations to consider, but these are the primary reasons the Devs have avoided Knock-Toward power attempts.
As for the explanations behind Garrote and Constrict: Could work. Looking over the Demon Summoning set I've found one power that actually looks like it's doing that: Hell on Earth. Could apply a short-duration hold while the power is going off... But that still doesn't help against robots or the Hoverbots.
The Snake option is basically your best option on the "Pet Power" since, as I said before, your pets can't occupy your space. However it would require a whole new animation design unless the Devs feel like shrinking the Mercy Island Snake skeletons and using one for the chain.
But even with all these concessions it doesn't answer the Dev response of: Too much effort for too little gain.
-Rachel- -
In regards of the Chain set. Firstly, an all-power comment: WAY too much animation time to make it work, since it would basically requires as much or more detail than the Whip powers from the Demon Summoning set.
Now, power by power.
Score: Nice power, actually!
Garrote: Impossible using the game's current engine. It wouldn't be possible to make a visual link between yourself and the target to choke them for any length of time. Add to this that many enemies are of varying sizes and some don't really have necks (Robots of all stripes, but particularly the council and column hovering robots. Assuming the tech could be designed to allow it to choke out "Humanoid" enemies it would still look ridiculous if the foe moved towards the dominator, away from the dominator, or around a corner. Since the chain would spontaneously grow, shrink, or reach straight through the wall.
Sweep of Scorn: Nice. Single target KB power. Personally I'd have made it into a cone AoE KB.
Scarring Strike: Not a bad idea.
Torment: Works fine, so far as I can tell.
Constrict: Same as Garrote. Which brings another question! How long do the animations for these powers last? Do they hold the enemy? If so, can a player not attack until the held enemy is able to move again?
Scorpion Lunge: Trademark Infringement and impossible. there is no "Reverse Knockback", the game simply doesn't understand it. You can't "Pull" an enemy with anything shy of a teleport effect. If that's what you meant: No problems, really.
Touch of Hades: Not a bad power, overall. Though the random chance for negative energy damage seems to come from nowhere, as the rest of the power set focuses on lethal damage and a more "Natural origin" powerset.
Dancing Chain: Impossible within the game's engine on multiple fronts. First: it couldn't occupy your square. Second: It couldn't create an "Over the Shoulder" costume piece, since not all bodies are the same size/shape. Third: We're left to wonder which powers it uses which could point back to "Garrote" and "Constrict" problems.
-Rachel- -
Quote:Ice Armor: Iceman http://marvel.com/universe/Iceman He's been around since the launch of X-men.Originally Posted by Far_Realm
There are already a number of extant powersets that you don't find much in comic books (to name just a few, Ice Armor, Spines, and Necromancy, which, while a staple of fantasy, is actually pretty rare for mainstream comic books). Note too that it's reserved for villains. Also, there actually IS precedent for it in comic books - The Tick has an enemy who wields a chainsaw (known simply as The Chainsaw Vigilante - and he appeared in the Sega video game, which was definitely aimed at an "all ages" audience!).
Spines: Marrow http://marvel.com/universe/Marrow She's a member of the Morlocks and worked with the XMen for a while.
Necromancy I can't really offer examples of. But these are two Marvel heroes off the top of my head which utilize the powers you stated aren't "Mainstream". You then pointed to a (failed) Character's series/videogame and noted a bit-player as reason enough for Chainsaw use.
-Rachel- -
Did you just equate me to Jack Emmert...?
I'm not sure whether or not I should cry...
Two things. Firstly: You're consistently utilizing a Straw Man Argument. Just figured you might want to know.
Secondly: Holding up a single "Bad Developer" as evidence that developers don't understand balance is like holding up an albino, polydactyl baby with situs inversus totalis as evidence that babies are white with extra digits and reversed internal organs compared to an adult human.
-Rachel- -
I'm just not going to get through to you one what "Safe Tanking" means, so I'll give up. But I'll respond to this part.
Quote:Shield Tankers are far more squishy than any other type of tank. Bar none. They do more damage and get the nice AoE, but their defenses are lacking.Originally Posted by Leo_G
I bet if we never got WP or Shields and I told you the numbers and tactics of them now, you'd probably say they were overpowered too...and they just might be....but then fighting hoards of enemies with masses of AoE is 'the fad' of the game so should seem far above focusing on that hard boss.
Willpower can stand up to a dozen or more minions without a problem, but a pair of high-damage bosses or a decent AV can wreck the Willpower tank in seconds.
Both of these concerns evaporate when you've got IOs, which aren't inherent to balance, but rather outside of it. (Balance is centered and calculated on SOs)
When Shield melee was launching I squealed over how awesome it would be. People railed and whined over how weak it would be compared to even Energy Aura. I crunched the numbers on the two sets and found them Comparable, with Energy Aura never running out of End, and Shields dishing out the big damage (Especially brutes and tankers) I -cheered- for Shield Defense because I could see the inherent balance and give/take held within the set.
Please. PLEASE take into account that I'm developing an MMO with it's own balance issues (working on them!) and am starting to get good at seeing where inherent broken-ness lies.
Either way? I'm done arguing. I've made my point to the OP, even if you don't get it.
-Rachel- -
Quote:Patently False. Yes. I think it's overpowered. Why? Because even with hard-capping of your defensive powers (the absolute limit of defensive awesomeness) all enemies still register a 5% chance to hit you. Hamidon IGNORES all defenses and smacks you without question, regardless of how many "Phenomenal Lucks" you pop in a row. Phase Shift, At Will, as a Toggle of limitless duration, ignores the 5% chance of being hit and causes the Hamidon to miss you. Fight 50 minions in a row and, through simple math, you'll get hit an average of 10 times while your defenses are capped. Aggro them with the toggle on and you don't get hurt at all, no matter how many of them roll between 95 and 100%.Originally Posted by Leo_G
It's because you have some skewed sense of balance and overpoweredness that hinges on intangibility being some kind of omnipotent god mode yet fail to measure exactly what utility such a mode costs. Of course you're going to ask repeatedly, because you want an answer that supports your opinion. Well I only have answers that defy your opinion. So it's probably pointless for me to press on any further.
It's an un-beatable defense that the player has full control over in every respect. This is broken. Toggle the power on and there is no longer risk, at all. Lock in aggro, run into a group, pop the toggle, and stand perfectly still while your team beats up the enemy. It'd be like having both "Unstoppable" and "Evade" at the same time. Sure. You can't attack. But you still take the entire Alpha Strike without getting so much as a rip in your cape.
Is there a part of this that you don't understand, Leo? Tell me how that is -NOT- broken? "I'm invulnerable to everything, even the HAMIDON" is a broken defensive power. The pool one at least has a set -duration-. "I'm invincible for 30 seconds, then I go squish"
YES! I have considered the other side of the burden. MORE reason to take the Intangible toggle out, since -some- players would skip it on principle. Hurray for the idea of improving regen! However if it's a -TOGGLE- I'm still going to tell you "It's Broken". Hibernate improves Recovery, regen, grants Intangibility, and has a duration of 30 seconds. You can drop out if you -like- but what's the point?Quote:Originally Posted by Leo_G
But have you contemplated the other side of the argument? The side where opinion says intangibility is a *burden* and phasing is *useless*? That such type powers can and will be skipped because their utility doesn't outweight the power slot? I have, and that's why I propose multi-layer utility for it. That's why shifting in my idea improves regen. It's why I proposed the ability to 'un-phase' mobs that phased themselves as a means to aid the team. And it's why phasing a single target to deal with it alone is a possibility. You can use one, all or none of the above and the set can still function.
What you're suggesting is giving the powerset both the ability to turn themselves intangible (ignoring all non-intangible attacks) and the ability to make a single other target intangible (and thus able to be attacked) So you're suggesting that the set should Ignore all attacks outside of the one target, grant regen to the player, and single out the one target completely? I can't agree with that, Leo. It's BROKEN so long as you keep it a toggle power. Make it into a click with a 10 second duration, build up, +regen, +recovery, +Resistance (all), and +def (all) for all I care. But if it's a toggle it's simply -too- powerful as a damage mitigation tool.
I think you're wrong here, too. The primary reasons people dislike the mechanic are that it renders the whole team useless until it wears off (in the case of black hole, or other enemy phase powers) And that few enemies in the game use it at all (Notably the Carnie Illusionists, Crey Protectors, and Fake Nemeses... what other enemies use it?). Add in the fact that those enemies are pretty much universally hated for their phasing ability!Quote:Originally Posted by Leo_G
But the primary reason for the suggestion is because such a mechanic is underutilized. No one likes phase because the few powers in the game that do it aren't very useful. If the mechanic were spread more throughout the game, with more enemies that phase themselves or others with more powers that accept intangibility enhancements is the time and place the suggested set would be useful in.
If the mechanic were spread more through the game you'd either make this powerset "Needed" for teaming (to handle the phasing NPCs) or frustrate the playerbase with even more enemies that you have to "Wait" on before you can beat them and get that sweet, sweet XP.
A Phase Toggle would be the single most powerful Defensive tool in the game. As it is I imagine a thugs MM could pop Gang War, then Phase Shift, and handle multiple spawns of aggro for 30 seconds at a pop without losing a single pet. Meanwhile her team could wipe out the various spawns with ease, since the alpha is harmlessly absorbed.
-Rachel- -
http://www.formspring.me/askcohteam
Devs have confirmed that they have no intent or plan to increase the slots per server in the foreseeable future.
-Rachel- -
Risk Versus Reward is how the game is balanced between ATs and Powersets. If one AT/Powerset can utterly bypass the majority of difficulties found in the game, this AT/powerset is overpowered and gets brought in line. I'd really appreciate it if you'd not use it as an ad hominem attack against myself and the devs.
The Intangibility Toggle + Intangibility Single-Target power would make MOST fights vastly easier. Hit the Boss/Accurate LT/EB/Whatever with the power. Then pop your toggle. Now kick his butt while his greatest resources (Minions and Lieutenants helping him to fight by virtue of the law of large numbers) are incapable of adding to the fight. Drop the toggle and mop up the non-threats remaining.
Yes. You can compare it to a Controller. But a Controller doesn't have the same HP total, defenses, or damaging attacks that even a Tanker does, much less a Scrapper or Stalker! -Balance-
And yes. I did read the whole thread. I'm asking you (repeatedly) to explain how we can make an Intangibility power more useful/effective/attractive than the pool power for a scrapper set to use -without- making it overpowered.
Your average Stalker, Scrapper, or Brute can usually drop a boss without -too- much problem. Tankers can do it once they've gotten some levels under their belt. Why? Because a Boss is a devastating foe, but not insurmountable. Put the same boss in with 4-6 allies and any of the ATs can get nervous (based on powerset, level, and damage type). You're effectively negating the 4-6 allies at most (if not all) times.
Proposing Unique things is fine and dandy wishful thinking. Expect people who enjoy the uniqueness of the thing in question to try and offer suggestions on how to Balance it. Those who don't have interest will simply point out it's broken/stupid/imbalanced/whatever and leave.
And Daemon? I meant "Only Affecting Self" in the sense of handling other Intangible beings (like Carnie Illusionists) Giving the person a 10 second long "You can't touch me while I whack you!" was never my intention.
-Rachel- -
Quote:HOW can we make it better within the limits of how the game handles Intangibility?Originally Posted by Leo_G
My argument wasn't that longer duration is better but that the pool power does the same thing as this tier 9 but to a greater effect with no prime benefit to go with the set power. I believe there's a rule that pool powers are less effective than their equivalent powerset powers. And I don't mean that this is broken, just wrong.
As for your "Phantom Aura" set I've got to ask why +Res would be useful when you're able to Phase Shift. Or, given the other powers in the set, why it isn't utterly broken to do so. In your set going Intangible added in a +Res to damage types. You gave the Defensive set the ability to shunt a single target into intangibility AND apply a -ToHit while using a defense based set. So you're taking on one foe while no others can hurt you (phase shifting the target, then turning on your own phase toggle) gaining a bonus to resist damage from that target AND lowering his ability to hit you?
As a Stalker set..? It's better than an AoE Placate. Heck, it -is- an AoE Placate -toggle-.
Phase Shift, as it stands, is a 30 second Turtle-shell. You lock yoursef in and noone can touch you. The "Downside" to this power is that you can't touch anyone else. Are you suggesting we make it better by ALLOWING the Intangibility defensive set grant the user the ability to hit people who AREN'T phased? Giving out bonuses wouldn't help, unless they involved Regen or Recovery (Hibernate). "I've got a +200% Damage boost! But I can't hit anyone..."
The alternative is making an OP single-target slaying ARMOR SET judging by your Phantom Aura set design. The later revamp didn't help the problem, either. Your set would allow a player to single out a foe, fight them with impunity as their allies helplessly threw themselves at your untouchable character, lather, rinse, and repeat. It's reward with absolutely -minimized- risk. The Defensive sets are designed to stand up to punishment from multiple targets in the higher levels, not to single one guy out to gut him like a fish while being completely immune to any form of retaliation from his allies.
Meanwhile you want to make the intangibility power in the set BETTER than standard phase shift? Again, I'm forced to question "How do we do this?"
-Rachel- -
Carnifax has got it right. But there's another aspect to look at, too!
Let's say you slot Mako's Bite at level 50, ignoring the chance for damage poc.
You get:
Accuracy of 66.2%
Damage of 98%
End Mod of 66.2%
Recharge of 66.2%
From 5 slots. Common SOs grant a Damage Bonus of around 98 at 3 slots, Accuracy of 66 at 2 slots, End Reduction of 66 at 2 slots, and Recharge of 66 at 2 slots. So that's 7 slots of SOs to get the same benefit of 5 slots of SOs. Note that all these numbers are Pre-ED.
So yeah. You're not min-maxing by using sets, directly (as opposed to Frankenslotting) but you're definitely getting your bang for your buck.
-Rachel- -
Quote:Actually, Eiko, you're both right AND wrong!Originally Posted by Eiko-chan
I'm not sure if you're just simplifying things for sake of argument, or if you actually think Taunt is a status effect with a duration (and that's true in PvP, that is how it works there), but in PvE a Taunt is not a status effect. Using Taunt (or having Taunt applied by a power) adds a fixed amount of threat to the target hit by the taunt, and there is no duration on that - your "threat" number simply increases, and targets attack whomever has the highest threat.
Regular taunting generally will keep the taunter's threat level well above those of others with active play, but if all you do is taunt, toggle, taunt, your threat will quickly fall off the scale and someone else will have more threat than you. To successfully tank, you have to be an active participant; simply taunting something while others attack, especially at a rate lower than "as soon as it recharges", will not be sufficient, especially in longer fights such as against AVs.
I'm not sure a first-level intangibility toggle is a good idea for a set power either, but that's because of the limited usefulness of intangibility itself, and not because I think such a toggle would be unbalanced as a tanking tool.
Your comment that it wasn't a status effect with a duration isn't -quite- right. A Tanker's Taunt is +400% aggro for 15 seconds on the target taunted. It's not a flat status-effect, but it definitely has a duration.
As for stealing aggro from the tank with a direct taunt on a foe: Possible, Plausible, but not probable as a common event. All I have is anecdotal evidence, but so long as you've got a tanker-taunt-bot you've got a party that isn't directly attacked. Whether the target is an AV, a GM, or an Underling. I think, perhaps, the 400% mark is the top of the aggro scale and difficult to achieve WITHOUT a taunt power.
But okay. By all means: Design a solution to the perceived problem! Give me a different Tier-9 which works, Add in a Phasing power lower in the roster if you like. This goes for you, Leo and Monkey, too! Rather than tell me you don't like it, offer a solution that we can work on together. Forward movement of the discussion rather than lateral arguing.
But I still feel a Toggle Phase is a horrendously poor idea.
-Rachel- -
Quote:Ehhhhh... The invis thing I'll bite. The No.Phase thing I can't back you up on. No.Phase is a flat 90 second state for ALL powers. So once every minute and a half you can turn on your toggle and have it -do- something? Either it's broken (since nothing can touch you at all while it's on, and it lasts forever) or it's crap (since you can't put it up any time you like and it's your -basic- power for the set)Originally Posted by Leo_G
This argument is useless. A stalker can walk nearly all zones without being harassed from level one. That anyone, Tanker or no, can walk around a zone and not be attacked is no more a balancing point than an endurance-less 100% invis.
And then there is phase suppression. You know? The 'No.Phase' buff you get after dropping from a phased state? That flies in the face of your argument. You'd taunt, toggle on, wait until aggro wears off, toggle off, taunt and *oops* gotta wait until the 'No.Phase' and the toggle to recharge.
And that's where you fail to understand how much 'Worse' this is to a pool power. Because, on a Stalker, Taunting foes and phasing is USELESS! Because taunting foes and then being unable to attack on a Scrapper detracts from your job. Because on a Brute, being unable to attack anything is punishment enough without taking up your best armor power.
You're putting far too much weight on the enemy not being able to attack you and not enough weight on you not being able to hit back...you know, the job of Stalkers, Scrappers and Brutes?
And a Tanker that just taunts every now and then and phases is less effective than a Tanker that just simply taunts. Remember that.
As for the Tier 9 on Brutes, and Stalkers: For Stalkers it could be made into an AoE Placate, rather than taunt. On Scrappers it'd be used, primarily, as a "Get away!" power, regardless of taunt-effect, and Brutes would still gain Fury from being attacked and would likely use it as a "Crash-save" power from Super-strength...
Anyway... You're still neglecting to argue against the fact that you could toggle it on Mid-Fight and LEAVE IT THERE. Permanently. Forever. Leaving an AV to stand there swinging at air for however long. No other powerset has the ability to ignore all damage and danger completely for a limitless (or nigh-limitless) period of time every 90 seconds.
Also, Arguing that "It's ten seconds a Brute can't swing!" in the post directly after arguing that "Longer Duration is better" is kinda counter-intuitive... Is it worse or better for a brute?
And yes, Monkey Spirit, I understand that it doesn't have an actual intangibility power outside of the tier 9. If you wanna take another crack at the set, be my guest! Though toggles are right-out and multiple intangibility powers would be useless. As Leo mentioned No.Phase would keep you from using more than one intangible power every 90 seconds.
-Rachel-