Maxzero

Darkness Affinity basically works with everything since it does just about single support function you could want: Healing, regen, endurance, Def/res buffs, -res/-dam/-hit/-recharge/-regen debuffs and gets a great pet too.

Dom's issue was never output. They can hard AoE CC packs of enemies instantly and do very respectable damage. The main issue was surviving the damage coming back.

The range of attack sets generally is fairly narrow. I mean you have often have very similar power setups (weak attack, less weak attack, AoE, Build Up, etc) and often just one or two powers that really set them apart. Its when you get into the really broad power sets (Buff, MM pets, etc) that numbers can really vary.

It's true Dom's have always had issues taking s hit rather the dishing them out at least PA won't die.

If you are really getting into Burnout abuse Dark Mastery may be an option to double stack Tar Patch. For regular gameplay I think Soul and Leviathan are pretty solid. Good attacks, good armour power, Probably like Soul more since the AoE, res shield and pet are better. Illusion is one of the best primaries if you are fighting a lvl 54 AV that hits back.

Pets inherit Envenomed Blades eh? Learn something new everyday. Would Creepers also inherit if you summoned it while Blades were active? I have thought for a while that the Dom's version of Illusion is better then the Controller one. I still see the melee Phantasm bug is still there.

The thing is with later buff sets this 'can't buff self' was done away with and its probably made the 3 strongest/popular support sets overall in Time, Dark (esp Affinity) and Nature. I have heard everything from: "Its always been this way!" "Play something else!" "It will be OP!" Only the 3rd of which is concrete enough to generate possible responses. The other two basically being variants of: "I don't want Empathy to be able to solo because I just don't." For some reason Empathy being able to solo terrfies some players. Like all the healbots in teams will suddenly vanish to play solo challenge content. I must admit I was surprised but how some posters seem to take personal offence to just the idea of Empathy being able to self buff like the idea of a Emp Defender casting Fortitude on themselves makes them wake up in cold sweats.

So /Kins can now Speedboost and ID themselves when those abilities were made AoE?

I don't think the current information is sufficient. If we are going to make 2 tiers of support sets I think the limitations should be made clearer. Since you said you a fine with that this conversation should be over.

Its a bit rude to reply to a post and only respond to one point. It looks like thats the only point you are comfortable responding too. Especially when its not even the main issue. Whats the issue with just a warning saying this power selection is 'team focused and poorer in non team activites?' Its better then someone creating a character and finding out later on. Its not like it will take a lot of effort to implement. The new player experience being a focus and all at the moment.

You act like buffing themselves is a mistake, that it is the wrong way to play. Who decides that? You may say the developers. So does that mean if it is changed to become self targetable you would agree that its now the right way to play? >Then people complain that they're being punished for teaming because it locks them out of self-buffing. As opposed to being locked out because you 'picked wrong' on the character select screen? I glad you agree with the warning because if you are going to create two tiers of supports sets then players should be fully informed before they make their selection.

How does it protect Empathy players to be not able to buff themselves? The thing is some support sets don't need the disclaimer. Its just some supports have just been labeled "have never soloed and never will be able to!" How does it improve the gameplay experience for Empathy players to be very poor at soloing?

Yet to answer my question: Why does Empathy have to be bad at soloing? How does that improve the gameplay experience especially for the Empathy player?

CoH actually was very holy trinity on release. Tankers did hardly any damage but were tough, Scrappers were melee DPS, Blasters were ranged DPS, Controllers and Defender did crap damage but of course were the only ATs with access to support power sets (including Heals). Scrappers were the only AT that could solo decently. Its only when Jack Emmert left that we actually started getting more flexibility in ATs. Empathy, Kinetics and Forcefields were the products of that time.

My point was some people were talking about how it was great to have power sets that were team focused and not very good soloers because it gave options. My reply was my suggestion takes away no options. Why does Empathy have to be bad at soloing? How does that improve the gameplay experience especially for the Empathy player? I group and solo. Why is it some supports sets can be fantastic at both yet Empathy has to suck at one? That isn't freedom thats a restriction. Where did I say people couldn't disagree? I just want a mechnical and gameplay reason why Empathy has to suck for soloing not: "but its always been that way!." Your analogy also sucks you do get XP from enemies you Confuse as long as you deal at least one damage. The XP calculation is actually quite generous you only need to do 25% of the damage to get 100% XP. Confuse is liked because it greatly accelerates kill speed giving you more XP overall since you go through missions faster.

Well actually the line is blurred when you take into account pets and such. It just seems everyone like options unless one of those options includes gameplay they don't approve of then suddenly that option is not okay. Some of the team focused sets getting better soloability does not diminish their group viability at all. Or we could put warning labels at character creation saying: "this set is focused for team play only and is not designed to play alone" so that everyone is on the same page.

Well yeah because it has no debuffs or CCs it has to be good for something. But hey if it turns out OP they can have a weaker version when cast on self. My goal is to make some of the weaker sets better at soloing any improvement is better then what they have now.

This isn't live anymore how many players actually use SOs in endgame? If you are running SOs what do you care about OP anyway you are already playing vastly sub optimally?

What moving of the goal posts the whole point was to make Empathy better at soloing? Some claim it would be OP so the obvious question is after the changes would Empathy be better then the current best Support sets for soloing. Judging by you avoidance is answering its pretty clear that its not.

So the issue is the solo part? A group of 1 are a problem but group of 2 casting the buffs on each other are perfectly fine? Seems a rather arbitrary line to draw.

My change won't remove any of your options but will add others. Whats the issue?

My change wouldn't affect teaming. Its for solo ability. If you guys are so cut up about you can do a weaker version if cast on self.

Make pets just the same level as the MM at all levels. Simple and effective. "But it would make MMs too good at leveling!" So what? They are already the most popular class at low levels but least popular at high levels and pet levels is a factor in this.

Mate, I know what I am asking for is a long shot. These 'team only' powersets are a relic from a game that no longer exists. Of course the nostalgia fanboys are not going to like me targeting one of the few sacred cows left. But I still think its bad design and will call it as such. So far no one has shown me how having team only powersets is good for the game because deep down they know that it isn't.

I'm okay with strong buffs for Empath. It has no debuffs, no real proc opportunities, no utility (pets, CC, etc). It has to have something going for it for soloing. The idea that some sets are just 'designed to fail' for soloing just seems like bad design to me.