Rudra

I agree. When a product gets to the open beta stage of development, it is basically done and undergoing final testing/tweaking. If something turns up in open beta though and it is not a minor tweak? Then the product should be able to be moved back to an earlier stage of development, even if only briefly, for correction. This becomes even more critical if the closed alpha team is a particularly small group and there is no open alpha stage. City of Heroes lacks an open alpha stage as far as I know of. So the test server, despite being an open beta server, meaning it is for final adjustments, would also need to double as an open alpha server too. If there is an open alpha server though? Then the test server is fine with just being an open beta server and changes being limited to minor adjustments, though more players would need to be made aware of the existence of said open alpha server. Edit: I should point out that even open alphas are not usually "open", and are still fairly exclusive for access. They are however, more open to others to provide additonal feedback.

I don't know how the testing for new sets works on beta, but if the development process works like @Puma said, then that means you are going to get a sub-optimal result a not insignificant part of the time. If the alpha testers are only a very small community and only their inputs get rolled into larger changes and tweaks for new sets with beta being limited to final adjustments, then there is not a large enough base to fully test out a new set and iron out deficiencies or other concerns. Again, I have no idea if things work the way @Puma said. I'm just saying that if things do work like that, then beta testing should really be considered open alpha testing until the set is properly polished. I need to point out that I have not yet tried Storm Blast, so I have no opinion on how it turned out. I'm just commenting on the OP here. You have a good point, @biostem, but so does @Puma depending on how the situation may be.

Per the wiki, Rose Star is a Super Strength/Invulnerability character. Likely a Tanker. And Spark Blade is a Super Reflexes character with both sword and pistol. No defined powers beyond that. I forgot all about that video though. Was looking forward to WISDOM making a bigger appearance, then shut down happened. Edit: As for what Mirror Spirit did to Rose Star, it looked like a purification spell via willing conduit.

I'm sure the Live devs had plans to bring the other two in. Likely even to eventually expand the group. Just as I'm sure there is nothing currently available in the code for either Rose Star or Spark Blade. The current devs most likely would have to create them from scratch.

Mirror Spirit isn't just a trainer. She shows up in a couple of missions. Most notably the Mr. G arc where you turn the Praetorian Penelope Yin into Penelope Mayhem. And another mission I can't remember off the top of my head where you fight her alone. Pretty sure the same thing applies to Foreshadow in that he is an enemy in one or more missions.

Go to the wiki if you want in-game information such as about the different factions and groups. W.I.S.D.O.M. is here: https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/W.I.S.D.O.M. and here: https://archive.paragonwiki.com/wiki/W.I.S.D.O.M.

How is Eviscerate a short range cone? It has the 7 feet range of every other melee AT attack and it has a 90 degree arc. It may not be a PBAoE (circle) like some other melee AT attacks, but it is not a short range cone as far as I can tell.

There are lots of T9 powers I skip. However, I don't see Psychic Scream as being bad. I'm still trying to get my Widow from Live back up in levels, but my Live build called for me to take it. It is set to be 6-slotted. 5 Ragnaroks, including the KD proc, plus the Overwhelming Force KD proc. Between -50% recharge for 10 seconds to enemies, chance for KD, and being able to use it every 6.22 seconds, it works for me. Sure, for a moderate damage attack, it does light damage, but (turns out it is a light damage attack according to CoD. So Mids calling it a moderate damage attack is wrong.) It still worked for me back on Live. At least I'm pretty sure it did since I never changed the build to remove it. I'll get back to you when my Widow gets it again. Though it should be pointed out all the psychic attacks for the Night Widow seem weaker than expected. Probably because they are melee focused. Mental Blast is also a moderate light damage attack (CoD says light, so going with CoD over Mids), is single target as opposed to AoE (cone), and does 86.5% of the damage that Psychic Scream does. (Edit again: And while it is listed as available at level 1, you can't get it until you go Night Widow. So it is only available at level 1 as part of a respec after reclassing into Night Widow. So I'm still treating it as a later level power.) So I'm thinking the lighter than expected damage is intentional since the Night Widows more focus on slicing and poisoning their foes. Edit: Also, while I am not adverse to the power getting a potential buff, I am most definitely against replacing it. Edit yet again: I'm also only counting Psychic Scream as a T6 power. Since it is the 6th of 6 powers in the Night Widow tree. As opposed to the 10 powers in the Fortunata tree. And is available 4 levels earlier than the Fortunata's Psychic Wail of DOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

Sister Solaris, Sister Airlia, the other sybils, and the shamanesses from the Banished Pantheon are all wearing the same single model dress. There is no separate top and bottom (at this time). The dress looks like a separate top and bottom on the shamanesses because the belt is a separate model that is not used on the shamanesses. Because the dress model uses the belt model to make it look like a whole piece as the player sees it, it looks like a separate top and bottom on the shamanesses, but is not. It is a single model like the special top toga available in the costume creator. And the reason I last heard for us not getting the sybil dress is because it works like the cloaks and is prone to twisting and tangling as the attached model moves. I'm not against the OP, just to be clear. Just sharing the information I currently have. That information may or may not necessarily be current any more though.

The outfit the shamanesses from the Banished Pantheon wear is the same thing the Cimeroran sybils wear, just missing the large belt. (Edit: So it is a single-piece outfit model, consisting of the top and bottom. The belt piece is a separate piece, and the BP females simply don't have that belt. The sybil dress was alongside a surprising number of other NPC costume pieces in Icon prior to HC coming back. So that is where I am getting this information from. That doesn't mean it wouldn't be possible for the bottom to be separated from the top, or the entire dress being made available. That would be a dev choice. Just letting you know the sybils and shamanesses are wearing the same dress.)

Yes, they are available through the Pillar of Fire and Ice. They were never included as regular contacts because they were purchase-only available arcs back on Live. HC took away the purchase requirements, so they can be accessed at any time by a character of the correct level range, but are still treated as special access contacts. I don't think they really make sense for the Find Contact function, but I do agree that they need more visiblity.

This sounds like a costume issue rather than a suggestion. Costume issues should be reported under Bugs here:

I'm operating under the impression that each power is given a set of flags for what enhancement types they can slot. That is the core part of my concern. The generation of 8 new flags (which would not be difficult) and then applying them to every attack the proposed sets would be able to be slotted in. (You would have to go through the armor sets for this too since some like Fiery Aura have damage auras.) Especially since some sets would be able to slot multiple different sets from the OP. As someone who spends too much time sorting through files and placing them where they are supposed to be as opposed to where they are, asking the devs to do that at this stage of game development with the sheer number of powers available, would be cruel and unusual punishment in my opinion.

Agreed. We need an official answer as to how and when the game checks and applies damage. At the very least, for the purpose of the OP, it would be nice to know if adding the proposed sets would require the devs to look at each and every power individually, if a new mechanic to look up the already provided data would need to be generated to make this possible, or if anything else was going on. If this could be rendered a non-concern, then my only issue would be making sure the proposed sets were sufficiently all the same that players wouldn't be complaining that say the fire set has better options than the ice set or whatever. And if the OP could be reduced to just that concern? I would no longer oppose it.

Good question. I don't really know. The problem I have with this is that either the devs will have to go over every power in the game and set those individual powers to be able to accept the new proposed IOs for each damage type that specific power may utilize, or they would have to generate a new system to check for the damage types instead of just the attack type to make this work. And if the proposed sets only affected that specific element in any given attack, which is not something you said but something I have to consider until it is specifically ruled out, then multi-damage powers would be handicapped using the proposed sets. And then if any of the new typed damage sets was more appealing to players than others? Not better, just more appealing. There would be all sorts of complaints that players' preferred power sets couldn't make use of these damage sets for being the wrong element. (I've argued to death that Sudden Acceleration as a set is a good set compared to most damage sets, not the best damage sets, but most damage sets. And players still argue the proc it has is a tax because they refuse to slot the set for not giving them exactly what they want.) You have an interesting idea, but given coding problems and the already existing problems of how players approach sets, I'm going to be against the OP. I like @srmalloy's take on the idea, but I am going to have to be against the OP itself. (Edit: And yes, it would have to be basically every power in the game the devs would have to comb over and add new flags to because even many mezzes have a typed damage component. Not just specifically attack powers.)

Borrow the code from Swap Ammo. This would be far more feasible than the OP.

You're not just asking for new IO sets with this. Damage types aren't tracked for separate enhancement. So the devs would have to add code to make sure the proposed sets could only be slotted in powers with the correct damage types. (Edit: And then, only buff the correct damage type.) Edit: And then you have attacks with multiple damage types. Like water with its smashing and cold or smashing and fire damage depending on the attack. Or Dual Pistols which can change its damage type with the Swap Ammo power. Edit again: The Universal Damage set is not called that because it works with all damage types, it is called that because it works with all attack types. Unlike melee sets, PBAoE sets, TAoE sets, and ranged damage sets, the universal set can be slotted into any attack.

It's not supposed to be. The Vahzilok are a level 1-20 faction. If the devs want to take them and make Lore pets out of them, I don't care. Asking for undead pets has come up multiple times (edit: across multiple threads). That is all my last post was about. Making an undead option for Lores.

How about something new if people are looking for something undead? (I have never seen polar lights mobs except as Lore pets, so running with that.) Some options (that I'm calling Undead Lore): Take the Grave Knight model from the Necromancy power set or a Black Knight (maybe a Chevalier) model. Call it a Death Knight. Make it a boss-tier mob with appropriate powers. Take the Grave Knight model from the Necromancy power set. Call it a Grim Knight. It stays as a lieutenant-tier pet, but give it appropriate powers for a Lore pet. (For both options, don't apply the normal undead movement penalty. These aren't shambling zombies.) Take the Lich model from the Necromancy set and give it a little pizzazz or something, maybe a crown. Call it an Archlich. Make it a boss-tier mob with appropriate powers. Take the Lich model from the Necromancy set. Still call it a Lich. It stays as a lieutenant-tier pet, but give it appropriate powers for a Lore pet. (For both options, don't apply the normal undead movement penalty. These aren't shambling zombies.) Take the Ghosts faction (not from Croatoa). Use the boss and lieutenant tier mobs as Lore pets. Which may require modifying the the mobs powers. For the minions for the T1 and T2 powers? Use the minion ghosts or the zombies from Zombie Horde. Probably the ghosts since they move faster.

I'm sure they could figure it out/adjust it. Sure. They could stick to Reapers, Mortificators, and Eidolons.

The OP is asking for Thunder Kick to get the alternate animation from Storm Kick. And Thunder Kick has no KD chance.

With the feedback I've gotten so far, the proposed AT is both up to and down to 2 different options for testing if the devs are inclined. Specific sets would need to be fleshed out though. My last post on page 3 of this thread is where we left off pending any other feedback.

Unknown at this time. No sets have been formalized. As an inverse Blaster though, I'm not sure how /Shield would work for the AT.

Check again. There is the Devices power set available to Blasters and there is the Traps power set available to Corruptors and Masterminds. There is, or rather was, a power pool called Gadgetry or something similar that was planned as the Technology origin power pool, but it was never made. Edit: Also, please use punctuation. I couldn't read most of the OP.

*checks notes* Hey, Narrator! I think I have the wrong script here! Anyway, it doesn't change how Brutes got to be where they are now. Back on Live, I'd 'listen' (read the chat) in Broadcast and Team channels where Tanker players were calling for Brutes to be removed from the game, not just nerfed but full on removed from the game, because we had Tankers. (Those comments led to some rather... uhm... passionate discussions. Especially after I joined in.) I also read the forums when the last few big nerfs to Brutes happened, though I couldn't post anything since I refused to make a forum account at the time, where Tanker players were calling for Brutes to be nerfed to hell. So my statement is founded on experience. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate seeing a Tanker player calling for Brutes to get some love. Thanks for that.