Rudra

No one is gatekeeping anyone's play style here. If you don't want KB on your powers, you can very easily slot the proc to change it to KD instead. That is why the procs exist after all. Edit: Different power sets call for different play styles. Sometimes even in the same AT. Players that demand those using KB power sets slot the KB to KD procs are the ones demanding others play using their preferred play styles. We're arguing against the power creep of the suggestion. The desire to be able to use more enhancement slots to make their character more efficient by not having to slot an enhancement to change powers to work the way they would rather they work. Edit again: I didn't find anything official, but I did find this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cityofheroes/comments/c9yaot/general_enemy_average_damage_resistance_numbers/ Lethal: 14.60% Toxic: 13.70% Psionic: 11.19% Smashing: 10.80% Cold: 7.07% Energy: 5.84% Negative Energy: 5.51% Fire: 5.34% Removing the Archvillains/Heroes, Monsters/Giant Monsters, and Elite Bosses from the pool (leaving us with 571 enemies), these were the averaged resistances against each type. Lethal: 14.32% Toxic: 13.77% Psionic: 10.60% Smashing: 9.48% Cold: 6.31% Energy: 4.85% Fire: 4.66% Negative Energy: 4.54% According to that, energy is not "heavily resisted anyways".

Two if you want to convert KB to KD: Sudden Acceleration and Overwhelming Force. Though Overwhelming Force is a unique set so you can only slot any of its enhancements once. You can ask for more sets that grant KB to KD too, you know. No one would argue against more sets giving more options. In fact, I would really appreciate if the devs were to toss us a few more sets that gave that option so those that want the KB to KD effect have different options for their builds. What are you talking about? There is nothing stopping you from slotting your powers however you want. My Energy Blast Blaster for instance has 0 KB to KD procs slotted. I have that character geared for pure damage. Anything I hit dies. If it doesn't? It goes flying away out of melee range to be finished off with the follow up shot(s). Who says you have to convert KB to KD to have a solid KB power set build? (Edit: I don't take that character on any teams other than friends because of how other players react to anything with KB. Those I play with when I use that character though? Haven't asked me to stop yet. I'm not dumb enough to run into a spawn of enemies and pop my nuke scattering them for instance. That is a troll move.) No actually, @Luminara is not making your point for you. Unless you are on an open field map, there is always a wall somewhere nearby to bounce foes off of regardless of if the map is a warehouse, office, cave, lab, or base. Or you can knock them towards the tank. Or you can knock them back into whatever area effects your teammates have set up. Or you can just waffle stomp them yourself. You can do your own KD effect by simply jumping over the target and blasting them. You can call dibs on mobs or entire spawns and just eat them. And you can do all that without ever slotting a single KB to KD proc.

Your argument is not as solid as you think it is. If Seismic Blast is basically Energy Blast except it uses KD instead of KB, then that is a reason to not change Energy Blast. We are trying to avoid power creep (being able to enjoy the benefit of an enhancement without having to slot it, in this case as a build toggle) and avoid power set homogenization. Unless the end goal is for all power sets to work the exact same? Just different flavors of the same thing so a single play style works with them all? As for Thunderspy having already made this change? Don't care. Thunderspy can burn in a pit for all eternity for all I care. I do not like a lot of the changes Thunderspy made and would appreciate not having players trying to turn HC into Thunderspy. If what Thunderspy did is so great, then maybe play KD Energy Blast without KD procs on Thunderspy and play regular Energy Blast on Homecoming. That gives you the option to play both ways at will. (Not saying to go play on Thunderspy and go away, I'm saying if you can already play the way you like there, then play there with their version and play here with HC's version without trying to make the two very different servers the same.)

Psionic Tornado: 50% chance Mag +1.4 Knockup (all affected targets) https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=blaster_ranged.psychic_blast.psionic_tornado&at=blaster Try again. Edit: Sorry, @Luminara. Didn't see your response before posting mine. Edit again: And until I see the recipe that lets a player craft something that changes their powers (and is not a respec) without having to be slotted in an enhancement slot, I call BS on your claim about having a crafted recipe that permanently affects a power without being slotted.

You're correct, Dual Pistols does have both KB and KD, and using the swap ammo power lets you change that to toxic damage (from smash/lethal) with minor damage debuff on target, fire damage with DoT, or cold damage with slow effect. How it does that is by use of a power you must select and then toggle to do so. Which takes the place of the more ubiquitious Aim power other Blaster sets get in some form. So you are giving up a commonly taken power to get that ability. So instead of an "enhancement tax" as some players like to describe SA or OF, you have a "power tax". So even with that reference provided, I am still opposed to the OP. You want a new energy blasting power set that works more like Dual Pistols? Propose the set. You want to take Energy Blast or any other KB power set and not have KB, but have KD instead? Slot the proc. You don't want the proc to be a "tax"? Slot the set in part or whole. And using KU instead of KD is the same thing. No. I am opposed to that. If you want Energy Blast or any other KB set to do KU instead of KB? Ask for an enhancement set that does that.

I concede that the obvious effects are lesser than poorly used KB and at least in the case of immob'ed targets, simpler to deal with. Feared mobs just up and running away however doesn't require a power with a set fear effect. Damage patches and debuff patches or debuff toggles work almost equally well for that since mob flee mechanics are so seriously broken. I also concede that yes, the fear and immobs are more situational, both in application and number of powers that utilize such effects, than sets that have KB in all their attack powers and can be poorly used. My point that a troll is going to troll, an inexperienced player can be as detrimental to a team regardless of what game mechanics their power set uses, and that teams are surprisingly more willing to cut slack for even a troll trolling their missions if (s)he claims ignorance rather than work with a KB character still stands though.

I wholeheartedly disagree. The problem is a perceptual one or a play style one. I've been on full teams with KB heavy characters before, specifically Energy Blast, and there were no complaints because of how the Energy Blast player leveraged his/her character's abilities to work with the team. (Edit: Or because the Energy Blast player killed the KB'ed target(s) before the melees had to chase it down.) I've been on small teams where the moment someone realizes a character is a KB character, particularly Energy Blast, they very vocally and adamantly demand the KB player use KB2KD procs or leave the team. And if the vocal individual is the leader? Too often the KB player isn't even given the choice, let alone the opportunity to demonstrate how KB can be used, and is just booted. That is not an implementation problem. Nor is it a "KB is bad" problem. KB is one of those game mechanics that can be tricky to fully master. It is also one where vocal players won't even grant opportunities to see it can actually benefit the team. Yes, poor use of KB is detrimental to teams, but so is poor use of other game mechanics like immobilization. You think players can't "accidentally" immobilize targets outside of the other players' effect radii? Keeping the already scattered mobs scattered without stopping them from attacking? Which still forces those players that complain about KB to have to chase down the scattered mobs. Or how about spamming fear effects to make the mobs the Tanker is managing just up and scatter out of his/her/its reach? If trolls want to troll a team and make it look like "an honest mistake", they don't need KB to do so. However, players are typically willing to cut those other players slack "because they are obviously a noob and just need to learn how to use their abilities right". If a player doesn't know how to leverage a set's benefits, they can play poorly regardless of what secondary effects, or even primary effects in some cases, their character uses. The OP you proposed is not a fix. It is a cheat trying to get an enhancement's benefit without having to get and use the enhancement so you can devote that enhancement slot to something you deem 'better', or it is a cop out to the demands of players that won't even consider the benefits of KB, or worse, both. The first possibility is the desire to play ever more powerful characters in a game that already can't deal with all the power creep it has requiring the devs to come up with a whole new set of difficulties to try to compensate. The second possibility is just surrendering to others' demands that you play the way they want rather than the way you want. The third possibility is a surrender that seeks to eke out even more power as compensation. Edit: And no, I am not against having more options in the game. What I am against in this thread is trying to get a benefit without having to use what grants that benefit. No free procs. If you want the effect of an enhancement, then slot the enhancement. And for those getting ready to argue that set bonuses grant you enhancement bonuses without having to slot an enhancement for it? You're wrong. You have to slot 2-6 enhancements from a pre-defined set to get those benefits.

I read and re-read and re-re-read the OP. I don't see how you can say it is anything other than what I said it is.

First, the OP further homogenizes the power sets. Instead of learning the quirks of a set and leveraging it to his/her advantage, the OP wants to strip out a benefit so the sets all play the same. Second, we already have the enhancements to strip KB from powers and instead use KD. The Sudden Acceleration set's whole purpose is to give players the ability to change KB to KD and it even comes with 3 damage boosting enhancements, damage set bonus, and global recharge bonus. Third, if Energy Blast as a set is so bad, then ask to have it gone over by the devs rather than try to get the benefits of a free enhancement. (Edit: Though I disagree that Energy Blast is a bad set. My energy/martial Blaster devours the opposition.)

That top quote from @CompSciNerd is in the OP. So getting the benefit of an enhancement without having to slot it is exactly what the OP is asking for.

I'm against this too. If you were to replace Aim (which I am very much against because players are already using that power) with "Focused Force", then the effect I would make Focused Force give is guaranteed knockback.

The pushback is the OP wants the benefit of an enhancement without having to slot it. So if the request is for an enhancement's benefit without having to slot it, then the price should be an enhancement. Ergo, -42.4% damage penalty. The effects of a single level 50 IO damage enhancement. The flexibility to use or not use knockback is already available in the multiple builds every character gets and the availability of knockback to knockdown enhancements. Make one build with the knockback to knockdown enhancements and another build without them. Voila. Now you have the flexibility to use or not use knockback as you see fit.

I think we had this discussion before. The first and last time I tried a Kheldian was shortly after they were introduced. There has been a comment or two sent my way that they aren't so heavily biased any more, so I should at least give them another try. I simply refuse to at this time. There is a plethora of character concepts and builds for me to try before I even think about dealing with a Kheldian ever again.

I don't play Kheldians because I hate them. Never got over a lone lieutenant constantly 1-shotting my level 1 PB making the mission impossible to complete. So I don't care what happens with them. Energy Blast though? My Energy Blast Blaster is my 2nd most powerful Blaster. (Edit: Well, ranged character since I count my Corruptors in that mix too. And my most powerful ranged character is my fire/dark Corruptor.) Absolutely devastating the mobs regardless of faction or mission. So I very much disagree that the OP would make them "maybe playable". How about this? If the players want free KB to KD so they don't have to slot the enhancements we already have to do exactly that? Then I would be fine with them getting a toggle to do so if they suffered a -33.3% damage penalty while the toggle was active. (Edit: Actually, make it a -42.4% damage penalty while the toggle is active. A negative IO rather than SO.)

That is because those players want to be able to min-max their characters better. "Why should I have to pay an enhancement tax to not deal with KB?" Because it isn't an enhancement tax. You get comparable set bonuses and even enhancement bonuses using the KB set that has the KB-KD proc. You may not be getting the bonuses you want, but you are getting comparable bonuses. The proc is only a tax if the player insists on only slotting the proc and not any other parts of the set. And that is the problem right there. The KB sets are not a waste. You are asking for power creep. You want the benefit of an enhancement without having to get and use that enhancement so that you can better munchkinize your character. More power creep argument. We already have the options you are talking about. They are in the form of slottable enhancements. That is why enhancements exist in such variety with different set bonuses and even enhancement bonuses. Experience also says that those that know how to use their knockback can herd the mobs into the tanks and into the controller's effects. Knockback is always away from your character. Including down if you get above them. Summary? Power creep is bad and this suggestion is pure power creep all the way.

Not this again.... No. If you want to turn knockback into knockdown, slot the enhancements that do so. It's that simple. Solution already exists in the game. Edit: And you can still use both builds to do what you are saying. One build has the KB-KD enhancements slotted while the other build does not. Now you are free to use KB when you want and KD when you don't. Problem already solved. (You don't get to enjoy the benefit of an enhancement unless you slot it.) Edit again: And as someone who has played the game almost from launch, not HC but original launch, I wholeheartedly disagree with your "But anyone who has played this game for more than a few levels knows knock back on some powers can at a minimum be more annoying than the power set itself is worth. " statement.

It's like @Major_Decoy said. You get a hunt Nemesis mission? You'll suddenly find Carnies everywhere, but not a Nemesis unit in sight. Get a hunt Carnies? Look at all the Malta covering the zone! Looking for Malta? Nemesis, Nemesis everywhere! The spawn points are all shared and it is luck of the draw that has the spawns you need for the street sweep missions. There are spots where Carnies seem more likely to spawn than others, just like with Nemesis and Malta, but they are still hit or miss. Also like @Major_Decoy said, the Carnies are a known villain group in Paragon City. Unlike St. Martial where the Carnies' debauchery fits in and the authorities are willing to turn a blind eye to the deaths that occur at Carnie shows, there is no place in Paragon where it makes sense to have a permanent Carnie camp. Even the blue side instanced missions with Carnie camps point out that they are temporary at best. Edit: Besides, the reason a smuggler's submarine is sitting at that island is because it can hide there and avoid scrutiny. Putting a permanent camp of a known villain group operating openly will draw scrutiny to that little island and ruin its usefulness to the submarine and its crew.

I know this is a dumb question, but I have to ask: what level were you at the time you did the Pavel Garnier content? This is probably part of the bug, but if my level is in the upper end of his level range, he won't give me the arc. If my level is at the lower end of his range, he does give me the arc. It's weird. My level 19 hero can't get him to give the arc even with xp turned off, but my level 15/16 has it popped on them almost immediately. (However, it could just be a question of the bug popping up on some characters but not others, and the level itself having nothing to do with it.)

I finished the Mathew Burke mission to retrieve the Mu Codex from Ghost Widow's tower. When I exited the mission, I phoned the mission in and accepted the next mission to go after the good guys. Then I noticed the game had exited me partially in the walkway from the last mission entrance and I couldn't move. So I typed /stuck to get free and... wound up in a Blood Widow uniform at Officer Liola's desk in that Arachnos office Burke sends you to in order to show you that Fire Wire was betraying you.... (Edit: Which was not a mission I had. Mathew Burke is the only contact on this level 4 character that I played through the original Breakout tutorial.)

Vows of silence do not preclude the individual writing. Under the correct circumstances, they don't even preclude the individual speaking. (And I believe, in some instances, if a person with a vow of silence refrains from speaking when their speech could have saved a life when present at the time of being able to save that life, the courts are fine with finding the silent person as complicit in that death.) So yes, a character with a vow of silence is still fully capable of communicating without violating that vow. (Text-to-Speech would be fine since writing is okay and so is having someone speak on your behalf, and Text-to-Speech is both at the same time.) Unless of course, the player insists that the character is prohibited from any form of communication. (Which would preclude the character from responding to written comments, including texts on any personal devices, or writing a report for allies to know what is going on. It would also preclude the character from even being able to interact with any contacts since some form of verbal or written communication would be necessary to accept or turn in missions. So no using the phone to get or receive missions from a contact with this character since (s)he considers writing as a violation of the vow and obviously can't speak into the phone because that would be a violation of even a real world vow of silence. This would also potentially preclude the use of sign language, at least in my opinion, since the point of sign langauge is to specifically "talk" (communicate) with your hands to share or get information.) So if the player is going to allow his/her character to use the phone to get and turn in missions with a vow of silence, that is going to require written communication (texts). And if the character can use a phone with contacts, even if defined as just texts, the character can write out a note referring someone to his/her story as to why (s)he is being silent. If the character will not be using the phone to deal with contacts, but will instead physically go to the contact every time? Go for it. That still brings up the question of proper interaction to get mission data or to turn it in. (Missions can fail after all, and the character will need to disclose whether the mission was a success or failure since contacts are not omniscient or psychic. At least, most of them aren't....) So either @Crossie's character is still obviously okay with written communication, the character decided on a vow of silence and then immediately broke it to write a story about why (s)he has a vow of silence, or the character decided to take a vow of silence and then effectively broke it in delaying it until after saying everything (s)he wants to. A vow delayed to continue proscribed activity is a vow broken. (Or at least is a pretty pathetically bad attempt at the vow. "I vow to never eat meat! ... after I'm done with this steak. You know, can't be wasteful, right? So after I finish this steak, I won't eat any more meat!" Yeah....) So no matter how I look at it, the character can still at least provide written communication because the character either is not prohibited from writing as part of the vow, already broke the vow to write the autobiography (s)he carries around to hand people to get to know him/her, or violated the spirit of the vow by saying it does not apply until after (s)he has finished talking and writing.

On the contrary, I'm not ignoring it. I'm simply accounting for the point that @biostem made that you can write a bio as long as you want and post a link to it in your bio so others can read it. Edit: Also, I enjoy reading other players' bios. Unless they write their bio as one very long run on sentence with bad spelling making it very much difficult to read. And I don't care if the ingame bio is long or short, as long as it is entertaining or interesting. So your attempted point of you getting what you want for having a long bio and me getting what I want by not reading it, fails. Because again, I enjoy reading bios. I just won't follow a link to have to read it. Which boils down to the same thing you want, but in a different way. You get to have as long a bio as you want writing it in a word processor and posting it online, or doing something similar, and then providing a link in your ingame bio for others to be able to read it. Win win. Without needing to expand the ingame bio character count. Edit again: The linked bio even works spectacularly well for your vow of silence character. (S)he has an introduction card that refers the other person to "talk" to someone who has not taken such a vow to explain who you are and what you are about. There you go. Your ingame bio is your introductory card referring the reader to the other person that is the provided link to be told about your character. And that other person, the provided link, can be as verbose as they want in detailing your character and the profound reason for your vow. Your character now has his/her own bard to regale others with your history and exploits.

Put a timer on them and they will.

Sounds fine to me. (And patrol xp too please.)

Do that and I guarantee the next suggestion about inf', enhancements, and inspirations is to make all of them account-wide too. (Particularly the inf'.)

I'm opposed to that. That just turns incarnate threads and salvage into yet another means of getting inf', and we already have lots of options for getting inf' rapidly.