Techbot Alpha

I did mention that

Well, you don't have to take my word for it, but if memory serves it was changed because;

1) All except a select few builds were made with Health/Stamina in, because people found running out of endurance to be a hassle.
2) They wanted people to be enthused about picking 'cool' powers, not 'having' to pick 3 powers to simply function at a 'basic' level.


But, say we want to get into hard numbers here. I'm no number cruncher, but I can sure have a shot with my friend Mids Builder here.

Say we have a Fire Blaster and their tier 9, given Fire is based pretty much on pure damag output with no other effects getting in the way.
Here we have the base numbers;

Inferno
End: 20.8
Acc: 105%
Rech: 360 secs
Damage = approx 472.2 (including DoT) [S 62.56, F (242.8 + 18.58 x 9) = 477.2]
Target: PbAoE, 25 ft
Effects: -100% Endurance on self, -1000% Recovery


Now, lets have a look at one of the top tier Pyro Judgements, shall we?

Pyronic Total Core Judgement
End: 20
Acc: 97.5%
Rech: 90 secs
Damage = approx 535.42 (including DoT) [ F (374.8 + 26.77 x 6) = 535.42]
Target: Targetted AoE, 25ft
Effects: None


So, what we have, in essence, is a power that is better straight out of the box (bar construction) than a signature tier 9 power. Not only that, but it's not unique to Blasters.
Comparisons;
-Inferno is a PbAoE, putting the user in harms way far more than Pyronic
-Pyrononic does more damage, costs less, has no penalties and recharges faster
-Pyronic is effected by Alpha slot bonuses, but cannot be slotted.

Let's see what slotting does, shall we?

Inferno: Slotted
Vanilla IOs: 3 Dam, 1 Acc, 2 Rech

End: 20.8
Acc: 149.5%
Rech: 196.4 secs
Damage = approx 940.1 (including DoT) [S 124.5, F (482.6 + 36.99 x 9) = 940.1]

Let's go all out, let's add in Build Up and Aim;

Acc: 254.2%
Damage = approx 1707.4 (including DoT) [S 226.2, F (876.6 + 67.18 x 9) = 1707.4]


Now, yes, that's a good lot of damage. Over three times what a Judgement can do.
BUT. That is balanced out with the following;
1) Inferno still likely will not kill all LTs and Bosses within a mob. Given you've now spent all your endurance, that likely means an instant faceplant.
2) You still need to be in PbAoE to use it, and given the cast time (3secs to Judgements 1 sec) it is entirely possible for mobs to be missed entirely.
3) Judgement can be fired twice more in the time it takes Inferno to recharge, for no penalty. That pretty much negates even the fully slotted and boosted Inferno's damage output on three entirely different mobs.


And this is the tier 9 supposed signature move of blasters. Why do you think people seem to love Rain of Arrows, Full Auto and the other non-drain nukes so much?

Like they totally didn't change the Fitness pool...

Owait.

Sony's latest 'probably not going to be worth it' handheld thing

For people with apparent reading comprehension problems.


Also, aren't tl;dr's meant to go at the end of a post?

This.

As for the OP? No animated faces. That'd be creepy and inconsistent. Not to mention the current faces haven't filled me with confidence for a long time. Everything else has been getting better and better; faces have been getting worse.

When the apparent vast majority of players consider some of the signature moves of Blasters (Snipes and Nukes) to be 'not worth it', then those powers have a problem. It's that simple.

^ This, really, is the root of it all.

Powers that I can guarantee to knock stuff back? Great! I can, and will, use them. Much like how I used to use the old Cobra Strike from MA with it's guaranteed stun to keep bothersome LTs at bay (although giving me even more damage made me happy)

But the 'miiiiight, maybe kinda sorta KB' is just a faff, a hassle, and an annoyance.

That said? /Unsigned to the OP suggestion. For the following reasons;

1) This has been brought up, and put down again, before.
2) Now, as then, it seems like something that will enforce people use it, and those who actually, le gasp, enjoy knockback will become some sort of pariah folk. NOT the point of this game.
3) Super Heroes. No, really, just Super Heroes
4) Most importantly; coding time. Standard code rant applies, I believe.

Try 'inconsistant writing and lore' and you'd be much closer.

Except, while Faultline and Fusionette changed, Penny in the RWZ *didn't*. She was the same girl, same sort of character, same look.

And, no, she wasn't IN the Vanguard, she was kidnapped for all of one mission, to be used as a psychic catalyst for the Rikti portals.

I thought that was just a skidmark...?

...is that supposed to make it better? That means;
1) It's an even bigger leap code wise
2) There's even less buttons than a regular console controller
3) You expect a full MMO, with all the space that takes up and the connection it requires, to run on a handheld?

This isn't happening. As in, I will actually take one of my hats, smother it in Nutella, and EAT it if the Devs ever, ever decided that, somehow, this was an even remotely feasible idea. Because the world will have become that insane anyway.

Reversal: Comparing some younger people on the internet, they sound more adult than a lot of the so called 'grown ups' in 'real life'.

Nope. None of their powers are that cool.

To hell with that, I want a full PPD Hardsuit option. 'Clipping' and such dross be damned.