StratoNexus

If you can TP to the old zone via Ouro, there is no mechanical reason to disallow TPing to it via base TPers.

There is also no reason to confine this to already existing bases or SGs. Since we can get to it through Ouro, new SGs can get the beacon and then use their base to access it in the future.

I have the same belief, but I just felt I should not present it as fact yet (not saying you did; I was at fault, my tone earlier was a bit too haughty).

Agreed. There is just enough variation in secondary effects though, that I could see the possibility of more than just a to-hit debuff in this new one. Unlikely to be -regen, -dam, and a self heal, but it does seem possible.

I wonder how much damage it does. Bitter Freeze Ray level? Cosmic Burst level? Stunning Shot level?

Since they are also working on Dark Control and Dark Miasma for controllers as part of all the Dark proliferation, it may just be that it was mentioned due to that. It is also possible that Penumbral Grasp has a basis in Twilight Grasp, instead of just being a generic Immob (and really, all the Manipulation immobs have special stuff, so it is not really proper for us to call them generic anyway ).

I am not sure on a Boss though. When I think about my SS/EA brute vs. my EM/Regen Stalker vs. my KM/FA scrapper, I know I have done some bad things to bosses on all those characters. PS takes some attacks to build up strength, but most bosses are going to live long enough that it may actually turn out KM can save an attack or two over some of the other listed sets. With Brute Fury and saturated AAO, I may have to lean to Energy Melee though. EMs single target potential is very high.

I like your idea about Bunker Buster. The current Bunker Buster is like requiring one to get at least 5 nades and acids within 2 seconds, instead of just one for Synchronized. Having it be just for one set of doors seems reasonable to me.

While I like Loves a Challenge as is, your idea is actually significantly different. In order to more closely match the original, I think you would need to change it to - earned when the league stops all players from being killed while being affected by Antimatter's Disintegration power.

If someone died to Obliteration beam, so be it. If Anti-Matter kills someone not being disintegrated with a regular attack that is fine, but if anyone dies while they have the Disintegration effect, you miss out.

A few reasons. First, one argument that is being used against the idea of a freeform power system has been that it would take a lot of time and effort. I submit that some things are worth the time and effort of the devs. Second, Power Customization suggestions suffered the exact same bias and poo-pooing that this idea is receiving. I suggest we discuss the idea, rather than just make useless "unsigned posts" and useless posts explaining it would be a lot of work (especially since the OP acknowledges the fact that it would be a lot of work, but many likely failed to read that far, getting all busy with their kneejerk, 'look how cool I am' unsigned and "that juts plain ISN'T going to happen" posts).

Third: I never said anything even remotely like the following, but I'll respond to your supposition anyway, since it is interesting to think about.
You mean outside of allowing players to better tailor their characters to their imagination? Choosing which abilities a character has is just as much a method of expression as choosing the color and animations of those abilities. The freedom to design your own character is a frequently cited hallmark of this game. I know my friends and I have often said it is great to be in game and almost never see someone who even resembles someone else (this is less true since they started making more uniform costume sets, but still true enough in general, IME).

They are different mechanically, but not really all that different on a conceptual level. For example, StratoNexus is a lot more to me than just his red and blue swirly hooded outfit. He is a primal force of Chaos and Hope who guides and inspires champions of positive change. As a matter of fact, very few of my character concepts are built primarily around a costume or color selection (although I do have a few that are). One could argue that choosing the right powers to match a concept would in general be more desirable to most people than simply choosing what color those powers are.

Good thing no one said that but you. What I am saying is that because they did the one, that is a very good reason for YOU (and others) to not say the devs cannot and will not do the other.

And the final reason I keep bringing it up is because people keep bringing it back up to me. If you promise to stop talking about Power Customization, so do I.

Indeed, thank you. It is such a great power, but casting it every minute with its three and a half second animation is a bit rough even for me, and I loved the way Kin played before they made the buffs AoE. With Dark Extraction (and old multiple controller pets) it is worth repeat castings thanks to multiple pets, but it is still less often than every minute and one pet can last over 3 minutes. VS is just annoying to use. Gun Drone is arguably worse, but for some reason VS bothers me more.

I love the fact that it is melee centric (especially since blasters are a ranged damage/melee damage concept). However, I am surprised that there are actually no Dark Miasma powers or anything even resembling one in Dark Manipulation since they mentioned it in the Informer (technically one could say Dark Blast has one power from Miasma, the ranged single target hold).

That being said, perhaps I should apologize a bit for my tone to Zombie Man. It does seem possible that Penumbral Grasp could mimic Twilight Grasp and may have additional properties beyond just an immob and damage. I was picturing Gravimetric Snare, but the naming convention does have more in common with the Dark Miasma power, in hindsight. I jumped the gun and allowed my preformed notions to influence my attitude. I am sorry.

This is a tough call for me. I think I prefer Throw Spines area in general, but I have gotten good use out of RT's extra range (mine is 46 feet slotted). TS is a larger area (I think, I haven't done the math, though), but RT has a longer range and is a goodly sized cone. I learned to use cones with Fire Breath on my blaster, a 40 foot long, 30 degree arc cone. RT is also 40 foot long, but has a wider 45 degree arc. TS is only 30 feet long, but its arc is a massive 90 degrees.

Well, CC has a 180 degree arc, and that is very nice (love it on my WP/WM tanker), but of course it only works on stuff right next to you with its 8 foot (unenhanceable) range.

This is true, but I have to admit it would feel different. I kind of like the way it is done for effect, it is just unfortunate that time doesn't actually stop.

True, but they never even tried the idea of Power Customization and yet still did that eventually. They also made some powers that totally immobilized you when using them. Neither of those points mean a lot 9 years later, just like the fact that they failed to make a good classless system a decade ago is not relevant, since almost everyone who would be involved in designing one now is different. If ever there was a good time to re-open discussion on the topic, now is it. I agree there are huge hurdles that can be discussed, I do not agree that those hurdles are reasons to not even bother thinking about the concept.

Sweet! Mistakes we can learn from when designing a new system. This kind of data and real world insight is a huge plus while exploring the concept.

You frequently have this belief that if you are incapable of doing something or incapable of seeing how it could be done, so is everyone else (and if you do not actually believe that, you come across that way a lot). There are definitely ways a freeform system could be done right in this game. In a good freeform system there would not be any reasons to eliminate the current powersets. Just because you could add freeform options does not necessarily invalidate the current system. Done well, a Storm/Electric defender would be able to co-exist with a freeform (De)Buff/Attack set.

I know it is easy to see potential drawbacks and challenges and throw your hands in the air and say its just not possible or just not worth it. I don't think that way. Even if the dev resources could never get around to this idea, that does not mean it is not worth exploring, especially as a player discussion. You bring up some good concerns, those would need to be addressed.

However, are you really saying you would not like the freedom to design your own character if it could be done in a balanced way? You would rather be limited to only choices made by someone else? Explore the potential benefits of the system as well as the potential negatives. Looking at just the positives is bound to lead to a problematic system. Looking at the just the negatives is a problematic attitude.

Its damage is low, but not laughable. It does 80% of the damage of Energy Torrent (it really should deal the same damage as Energy Torrent). It is indeed weaker than all the other scrapper ranged cones (except Night Fall, which is bizarrely weak).

Repulsing Torrent deals about the same damage as a standard blaster AoE (Explosive Blast, M30 Grenade, Fire Ball (sans extra DoT)). I guess one could argue that they are laughable, many people do. I find them adequate. They ain't Throw Spines, but what is?

Repulsing Torrent's damage is effective. It is not great. It is lower than it should be based on its recharge, for no reason I can comprehend, but it is not low enough that you can just write it off. It's animation is too long and like all cones requires some positioning to maximize.

It is skippable. A large, ranged cone KB power is not everyone's cup of tea. That being said, you cannot judge KM's AoE output fairly by ignoring Repulsing Torrent just because some people fail to utilize it well.

I believe they exported their live game build into Mids.

Right after you post a link to one redname saying that design your own powersets isn't going to happen.

The OP is a fine idea. It is not up to you the players to judge that the idea cannot happen due to developer time constraints. Heck, some of the work is already done, we can sort of design our own powersets in AE for critters.

I am not really for this idea. I like the AT system and am plenty happy with the choices we already get. If we were ever allowed to design our own stuffs, I'd prefer a system that kept us within the constraints of each AT.

One of the best features ever added to the game. Yes, it took a lot of work and dev time, but it was very much worth it, IMO. "Oh noes, it will take time" is not a great argument against an idea.

Has anyone opposed to this idea taken a look at the incarnate system? Have you all looked at the list of rednames who exist now and compared it to what existed in 2003 and 2005 and 2007? Choice and more freeform selection IS the new dev philosophy. That does not mean they want to rip out the AT structure, but the Incarnate design pisses all over AT structure. Blasters do more damage, not with incarnate stuff. Defenders give better buffs, not with incarnate stuff. Mostly only armored toons get mez protection, not with incarnate stuff.

They are on record that they envision people having multiples of the incarnate powers so they can swap in and out of them as their needs change (with some minor time limits).

I am suspecting that Umbral Torrent will not be 100% KB chance.

Too bad you don't get it until level 35...

I'd think I'd rather see the set re-ordered like so:

• Penumbral Grasp
• Smite
• Dark Consumption
• Shadow Maul
• Soul Drain
• Death Shroud
• Touch of Fear
• Dark Pit
• Midnight Grasp

If you convert 1 billion influence into Prestige, maybe you can join their SG and look around!