Puma

Too much AoE damage is subjective. Were we seeing a sudden glut of Energy Doms being created? Or more appropriately, were we NOT seeing other doms being created suddenly because this was somehow so overpowering? "battered back to mediocrity" should be the name of issue 27.

This pretty much sums up my problems with the entire change to blaster secondary, and specifically their crowd control powers. I think it's a major mistake for the archetype and honestly, it makes the crow control powers in most sets not worth it. I honestly dont know that Ive ever been so unhappy with a patch as I am with i27. Like...not even playing as much level unhappy.

This. And get RID of the "combining" screen for enhancements, and just make it happen instantly. I HATE how long it takes to combine enhancements. It's ridiculous.

I mean, you still haven't convinced me why that's a problem. You just don't like it, and keep saying "balance"...but what the hell does that mean? I could argue It's "balanced" because it allows me to run more content without having to waste half of my play time finding the right mix of a team to complete it. It balances "doable" with "fun". Or I could argue it's balanced because it required me to get a toon to the highest level I could, plan out a build, invest in the slots, and the pay off is that now my character can play the hardest difficulty without dying. If I have to do all of that and still can't play much better than me being on SOs, then how is that balanced. Lets face it...when stuff is new it's hard, even with our power creep. Look at the new Hami, or Reichsman, or iTrials like Magi and Mother Mayhem. But as we figure out the mechanics it gets easier. That isn't because of "power creep", it's because we figure out the tricks. We know what works. The power is the reward as much as it is the tool. Hami's reward is a powerful enhancement. iTrials reward you with more power to make them easier. That's the nature of the game. The main problem right now is we're stuck with less new challenges coming out, so the whole game is easier. But honestly, it's easier on an Emp Trick Arrow without Destiny, too, because I know how to do the missions faster, smarter, and better.

I have some very real concerns with the direction I see powers and "balance" heading in this game, but they are based on a different design philosophy. Personally, if I were in charge, the way I would approach "rebalancing" is akin to what they did with Defenders but across archetypes. When solo, each archetype has a more rounded approach: Blasters controls and sustains are stronger, controllers and Masterminds body guard mode is stronger and their end use is greatly reduced, scrappers and stalkers have stronger armors, etc, Defenders do more damage but with slightly lowered buffs/debuffs, etc. As you team, the set rebalances where Blasters do more damage but their controls and sustains slightly decrease, controllers controls become less resistable, Defenders and Corrs buffs/debuffs become less resistable, Mastermind pets do more damage, etc. This would make logical sense from an in character perspective because as you team you can focus on your specialty, where solo you have to try and do it all. It would also help with content we most team with more: TFs, trials, etc. And no one would feel nerfed, NOR would any archetype really feel like it isn't any good without a team, or, vice versa, like they get lost on a team with nothing to contribute. If controllers always had a few unresistable holds, even on AVs, when teamed, and Defenders had a few unresistable debuffs/buffs, even on AVs, and tankers always had an unresistable taunt, even on AVs, when teamed, it would make teaming more attractive, without hurting them when solo at all. This change was already done with Defenders and it makes the archetype fully able to solo really well for the first time in a long time, in my opinion, without changing how they function on a team. In my opinion, on a game this old, nerfing things and trying to force players or archetypes into a certain playstyle is a bad move. Of course, when I instituted the above, I'd also increase the reward for teaming in one way, and for solo in another. Say teaming gives greater chance for rare drops in content, the larger the team the more the chance, while solo gives greater influence, XP, and merits for content. Each has a benefit.

I would love to see Hero Patrons linked to the TFs you need for Task Force Commander. Below are just examples of pools for Blasters to give you an idea. If not for doing the TFs, then it would be an awesome reward for completing "Free Positron" mission from Maria Jenkins. They are so appreciative that the Freedom Phalanx takes you under it's wing. Positron: Radiation Mastery Lingering Radiation: Foe -rech, -speed, -regen. Radiation Syphon: Melee High Damage, foe -Def, self heal. Alpha Barrier: Self +Res Smash/Lethal/Energy/Toxic. Ground Zero: PBAoE Moderate damage Energy, Moderate DoT Toxic, self +Heal over time. Summon Valkyrie Synapse: Speed Mastery. Static Fences: (electrifying fences clone with -rech instead of -end) Rapid Punches: (Sands of Mu clone only -rech instead of -tohit) Heightened Reflexes: Self +Def Smashing/Lethal/Energy. Andrenal Rush: Click Self +rech, +rec, +status protection. Summon Minx. Penny Yin: Psionic Mastery Mass Hypnosis: Targetted AoE Sleep Dominate: Foe Hold Mind over body: Self +Res Smashing, Lethal, Psy. Mass Levitate. Summon Assembler Prince Etc Etc Etc.

No, but I've never ripped into the ground with my bare hands, pulled a boulder out, and thrown it into the distance. I supposed that if I did I'd rip off my arm. But Im not super. Our characters are. By the way, some shield options are elemental or energy. Who says that things cant pass through them that I want to pass through them?

I am thinking something more elaborate than that one contact (though he could easily be tied in) but if you're more comfortable, we could swap Longbow for Hero Corp, which I find to be underutilized anyway, or even the Freedom Phalanx.

Im not sure if this is targetted at my idea, but if it is, please explain how my idea "radically" overhauls the perception of any players. Not a single player who wouldn't want to experience this is forced to, and if they don't, not a single aspect of the game would change for them, except occasionally they may see a villain in Steel Canyon and not realize it's a villain.

Three things: #1: Remove the barriers between Red and blue sides. I want villains to be able to go to paragon, heroes to the Rogue Isles, etc. To avoid the PvP thing, I'd make a temp power when crossing over called "blending in". When toggled, it lets you appear as the correct alignment for that area to everyone. Then I'd provide both a debuff and buff when in the wrong side. The debuff would be a very wide aggro aura which draws more enemy NPCs, etc to you, because you're seen as a great threat, and a mild defense aura boost because that side isn't used to dealing with you on their turf. When "blending in" isn't toggled on, you can expect everyone in the vicinity to to come at you to try and apprehend you, but you also have a slight advantage due to the surprise. There would be contacts for you when you switch over in each zone: Red side you'd be helping build a resistance to Arachnos, blue side you'd be working to infiltrate and take down Longbow. #2: Crafting: This system needs to be simplified. I dont enjoy having to constantly search through my inventory to find what I need, how to get what I need, etc. I would LOVE the Wentworth's interface to altered so that you can click "find missing materials" and any materials NOT in your inventory currently pop up with a set "buy it now" price point, with an option to simply "purchase" each one. Then let me craft right inside that window. Players can place salvage in WWs with both a "starting bid" price like currently, and a "buy it now" price point like Ebay. #3: More cut scenes, and with audio. While the comic shtick was a creative way to deal with limitations in tech in 2005...it's 2020. I want audio. I want voices. You could always make it an option. NPC audio: Text box or NPC Audio: Voice or NPC audio: Voice and Text. #4? Make Dev's Choice AE missions become ACTUAL contacts outside of the AE. Even if it were at a select location: say, the tiki bar in pocket D. But this would make them feel official and truly "special" when a player achieves that.

Keep in mind this is NOT meant to replace a defender or corruptor on a team, but just meant to be a unique aspect to give this set its flavor. Fire's "flavor" is more raw damage with less direct protection. Invul's "flavor" is being REALLY survivable to most things but with a couple glaring holes. Shield's "flavor" is boosting your own damage and giving a little support to your team. Bio's "flavor" is being able to adapt for more damage, or more survivability, or more endurance based on circumstances. This set's "flavor" is offering more group survival tools in exchange for personal ones. But just like Fire and Shield aren't "enough" damage to replace blasters on a team or make them obselete, this set's group buffs aren't enough to make defenders or corruptors obsolete. They help your teammates in ways that "taunt and take all the damage yourself" just doesn't, but on their own wouldn't be enough to keep a team alive in extreme circumstances.

I am 100% in support of the way you arranged the text. It makes how the adaptations will affect things soooo much clearer.

Psionic Armor: This would a psy based armor set designed around keeping not just yourself, but the entire team alive. It offers less direct personal projection than other sets in exchange for more "team" protection. The uniqueness of this set is that it is much more team oriented than just about any other set besides shield defense. While offering a variety of ways to protect yourself in battle, you can sacrifice your own safety at points to protect or empower your teammates. Tier 1: Telekinetic Shields: +res Smashing/Lethal/Psy. You surround yourself with telekinetic fields which protect you from incoming physical and psychic damage. Tier 2: Pyrokinetic Aura: +Res Fire/Cold You manipulate the temperature around you to lessen damage from fire or cold attacks. Tier 3: Precognition: +Def Energy/Neg/Toxic/Ranged. You can glance into the minds of your enemies, seeing their attacks before they're made. This advantage makes you incredibly difficult to hit from range. Tier 4: Mental Fortitude: Toggle +Res status affect, def debuff resistance and moderate psy resistance. Your mind is your strongest weapon, and it is difficult for anyone to overpower it. Mental Fortitude makes it harder for enemies to weaken your defenses and protects you from status affects while active. Tier 5: Brain Drain: PBAoE (Foe -end, stun, self +End/Regen). A PBAoE power where you briefly stun nearby foes and drain their endurance, increasing your own endurance and regeneration. The more enemies in range, the more endurance and regeneration you'll gain, but the weaker the strength of the stun. So in a mob, you get lots of end and regeneration but just stun the minions. In a small group you'd gain less end/regen but stun the luits. One on one, even a boss could be stunned, but you'd only get a minor end and regen boost. You tap into the minds of all nearby foes, using their brainpower to supplement your own. This will stun enemies and rejuvenate your own endurance and regeneration. Tier 6: Psychic Feedback: Toggle Ranged (Ally heal over time, +DMG, self Damage over time OR Foe -max HP, self +Max HP). You create a psychic feedback loop with either an ally or an enemy. It's a toggle tic over time. If connected with an ally, you transfer your own physical health from yourself to the ally, healing them and slightly buffing their damage output in exchange for minor damage yourself; If looped with an enemy, you empathically steal the life force of your target, lowering their maximum HP, and use it to boost your own. The power's effects would reach their maximum strength after 15 seconds and your boosted HP will last for 1 minute after the loop is ended. You create an ongoing psychic connection with an ally or foe, linking your minds. If you connect with an ally, you can grant them your own life force, taking their damage on yourself and healing them. If you connect with an Foe, you can steal their life force, making them weaker while making you more difficult to kill. The longer the duration of the connection, the stronger the affects of your bond. (Possible alternate mechanics option): Change the concept to one where your feedback loop empathically sends damage you and your allies take back onto the enemy. From a mechanics standpoint this toggle power just gives you an aura that does minor tics of healing to nearby allies and damage to nearby foes, the strength dependent on your HP level. At full health it does no healing or damage, then grows with each point of HP you lose, maxing out at a 5% HP heal tic and a damage similar to damage auras from other sets once you reach -15% of your HP. Tier 7: Psionic Field: Click Self +absorb. A telekinetic field that gives you a nice Absorb layer. You increase the telekinetic force around you, adding a layer of protection that absorbs incoming damage. Tier 8: Astral Projection: Location targetted AoE. You send out a psychic version of yourself that draws aggro briefly then explodes in minor damage. It's like a single soldier, stationary version of Phantom Army with no attacks, just aggro, or a much less damaging but longer lasting omega maneuver. This power could be used to absorb unwanted alphas (like Sappers, etc) or placed when a team really needs the tanker to be two places at once (MLTF when you're facing Recluse and the towers, or during the final fight in Reichsman's TF, etc). It's a way for the tanker to, briefly, take more aggro than a single tanker otherwise could, essentially doubling your aggro cap briefly and helping take incoming enemy damage from the team. You send an astral projection of yourself to a targeted location which draws enemy fire until it's destroyed. Its attacks do no damage but will draw aggro onto itself. When it is defeated it releases a psychic burst of energy that does minor psychic damage to nearby foes and slows their recharge time. Tier 9: Psychic Empowerment: PBAoE Team (+Res, +tohit, and HoT, self +dmg.) You are surrounded by a close range field/bubble that gives strong protection to yourself and allies within its radius. Like old school tier 9s this would have a long recharge and leave you exhausted. Personally I would lower the recharge to something mid range but add a psy damage over time affect to the user once it wears off alongside the end crash. You unleash your full psychic potential in an area, surrounding yourself in a psionic bubble that gives resistance to all damage, increases your chance tohit, and gives healing over time to all teammates within close range. The psychic field also adds additional psychic damage to your own attacks. When this power wears off, you are left drained of most of your endurance and will suffer some psychic damage over time. The recharge of this power is very long.

Thought of this in the weekly discussion thread and liked it so I thought I'd post it here for additional feedback. New Blaster Secondary: Illusory Combat You manipulate light, creating complex and convincing illusions, blinding and confusing your foes, and even healing yourself. You can focus your illusions offensively, or defensively. Offensive illusions will have a chance to deal additional "illusory damage" that is so convincing foes will truly suffer damage, but the wounds will heal over time if the enemy is not defeated. Defensive illusions will have a chance to instill brief fear in your enemies as you attack. You can only switch the focus of your illusions when not in combat. Certain powers help your illusions become more potent, and the more potent your illusions are, the stronger the effects of your focus. Tier 1: Spectral trap: Foe Immob/Moderate Psychic damage over time. You convince a foe they are being wounded with each step they take, locking them in place and inflicting psychic damage. Builds one stack of potency. Tier 2: Blind: Foe hold/Moderate energy damage. You painfully blind a single foe, rendering them helpless and inflicting damage. Builds one stack of potency. Tier 3: Illuminate: Self +dmg, +tohit, Grants 3 stacks of potency. You gather the light from around you, making your attacks appear even more powerful. The damage of your next few attacks is increased greatly, as is your chance tohit. Tier 4: Master of illusions: Self +Stealth, +def (all), +special. You are able to bend and focus light around you, making you virtually undetectable except in very close range, and also harder to hit once detected. You will be detected if you attack. Even if detected, you will retain some of your defense. This ability also grants you the ability to focus your illusions, choosing to use them offensively to boost your own attacks or defensively to weaken your foes. Grants the Offensive and Defensive focus modes. Tier 5: Deceptive Flare: Targeted AoE, Moderate dmg smashing/psychic, for Knock down. You channel your illusions tightly, making them appear to erupt from the very earth around your target, blasting all foes within radius and having a chance of knocking them off their feet. (This is basically Solar Flare from Khelds) This power consumes all stacks of potency, and the amount of damage it will deal is increased with each stack consumed. Tier 6: Light Therapy: click Self +Res Status Affect (all), moderate heal, +Endurance. You use the power of light to energize yourself, heal your wounds, and even free your mind from the influence of others. When you click this power you heal yourself of damage and gain a moderate boost to Recovery for 2 minutes. If activated when under the control of any status affect power, you trade half of that healing and recovery boost for strong status affect protection for two minutes. Tier 7: Kaleidoscope (or alternately, Vertigo): Single target Stun (vomit emote)/High psychic damage. You trap a single enemy in a kaleidoscope of light, rendering them so dizzy they become sick and unable to attack you momentarily, and dealing psychic damage. This affect has a slight chance to spread the dizziness to up to two nearby enemies, causing them to momentarily become ill as well. This power builds one stack of potency if the user has less than 3 stacks. If they have three stacks the duration and magnitude of the illness, and its chance to spread are increased by 50% and all stacks are consumed. Tier 8: Abject Terror: You create a cloud of illusions at a targeted location so horrific it instantly terrorizes enemies within range, and leaves their chance to hit and attack speed diminished. This power grants one stack of potency. AoE Foe Terrorize, -tohit, -recharge speed. Tier 9: Radiant Explosion: Melee AoE Superior dmg, Foe KD. You strike a foe with a burst of light and sound from your first so powerful, the target is knocked to the ground and suffers superior energy damage. The illusion is so effective that nearby foes will also be knocked down and both they and the primary target will suffer illusory psychic damage over time. Radiant Explosion consumes all stacks of Focus. The strength of this illusory damage will increase with each stack of focus consumed.

New Blaster Secondary: Illusory Combat You manipulate light, creating complex and convincing illusions, blinding and confusing your foes, and even healing yourself. You can focus your illusions offensively, or defensively. Offensive illusions will have a chance to deal additional "illusory damage" that is so convincing foes will truly suffer damage, but the wounds will heal over time if the enemy is not defeated. Defensive illusions will have a chance to instill brief fear in your enemies as you attack. You can only switch the focus of your illusions when not in combat. Certain powers help your illusions become more potent, and the more potent your illusions are, the stronger the effects of your focus. Tier 1: Spectral trap: Foe Immob/Moderate Psychic damage over time. You convince a foe they are being wounded with each step they take, locking them in place and inflicting psychic damage. Builds one stack of potency. Tier 2: Blind: Foe hold/Moderate energy damage. You painfully blind a single foe, rendering them helpless and inflicting damage. Builds one stack of potency. Tier 3: Illuminate: Self +dmg, +tohit, Grants 3 stacks of potency. You gather the light from around you, making your attacks appear even more powerful. The damage of your next few attacks is increased greatly, as is your chance tohit. Tier 4: Master of illusions: Self +Stealth, +def (all), +special. You are able to bend and focus light around you, making you virtually undetectable except in very close range, and also harder to hit once detected. You will be detected if you attack. Even if detected, you will retain some of your defense. This ability also grants you the ability to focus your illusions, choosing to use them offensively to boost your own attacks or defensively to weaken your foes. Grants the Offensive and Defensive focus modes. Tier 5: Deceptive Flare: Targeted AoE, Moderate dmg smashing/psychic, for Knock down. You channel your illusions tightly, making them appear to erupt from the very earth around your target, blasting all foes within radius and having a chance of knocking them off their feet. (This is basically Solar Flare from Khelds) This power consumes all stacks of potency, and the amount of damage it will deal is increased with each stack consumed. Tier 6: Light Therapy: click Self +Res Status Affect (all), moderate heal, +Endurance. You use the power of light to energize yourself, heal your wounds, and even free your mind from the influence of others. When you click this power you heal yourself of damage and gain a moderate boost to Recovery for 2 minutes. If activated when under the control of any status affect power, you trade half of that healing and recovery boost for strong status affect protection for two minutes. Tier 7: Kaleidoscope (or alternately, Vertigo): Single target Stun (vomit emote)/High psychic damage. You trap a single enemy in a kaleidoscope of light, rendering them so dizzy they become sick and unable to attack you momentarily, and dealing psychic damage. This affect has a slight chance to spread the dizziness to up to two nearby enemies, causing them to momentarily become ill as well. This power builds one stack of potency if the user has less than 3 stacks. If they have three stacks the duration and magnitude of the illness, and its chance to spread are increased by 50% and all stacks are consumed. Tier 8: Abject Terror: You create a cloud of illusions at a targeted location so horrific it instantly terrorizes enemies within range, and leaves their chance to hit and attack speed diminished. This power grants one stack of potency. AoE Foe Terrorize, -tohit, -recharge speed. Tier 9: Radiant Explosion: Melee AoE Superior dmg, Foe KD. You strike a foe with a burst of light and sound from your first so powerful, the target is knocked to the ground and suffers superior energy damage. The illusion is so effective that nearby foes will also be knocked down and both they and the primary target will suffer illusory psychic damage over time. Radiant Explosion consumes all stacks of Focus. The strength of this illusory damage will increase with each stack of focus consumed.

I like this. Im a little confused about the tier 9. Is it not an AoE nova type power? IF so...that would need to change. A blast set with a single target tier 9 would...not go over well. The only other thing I'd change is altering the tier 9's chance to stun amount with Kinetic charge to increased -dmg per stack. That would make it a truly unique tier 9 and also give it a great utility as an opener. I would also maybe turn kinetic syphon into "Kinetic transference field" which would be a placed field like water's whirlpool, but that does slow, -dmg and-end, on foes in the patch, while giving allies in the patch +rech, +end., +regen. Have the strength of the buffs dependent on stacks of Kinetic Charge you have when you place it. It would be a very unique power that helps set the set apart. Overall though, I like the concept here and it's one I could see fill a niche not currently filled.

Armor set: Psionic Armor: This would a psy based armor set designed around keeping not just yourself, but the entire team alive. It offers less direct personal projection than other sets in exchange for more "team" protection. Tier 1: Telekinetic Aura: A resistance toggle to Smashing/Lethal/Psy Tier 2: Pyrokinetic Shielding: A Resistance toggle to /Fire/Cold Tier 3: Precognition: A Defense toggle to Energy/Neg/Toxic/AoE Tier 4: Mental Fortitude: a status affect toggle that also offers strong def debuff resistance and moderate psy resistance. Tier 5: Brain Drain: A PBAoE power where you briefly stun nearby foes and drain their endurance, increasing your own endurance and regeneration. The more enemies in range, the more endurance and regeneration you'll gain, but the weaker the strength of the stun. So in a mob, you get lots of end and regeneration but just stun the minions. In a small group less end/regen but stun the luits. One on one even a boss could be stunned. (Foe -end, stun, self +HP/Regen) Tier 6: Feedback loop: You create a psychic feedback loop with either an ally or an enemy. It's a toggle tic over time. If connected with an ally, you transfer your own hit points from yourself to the ally, healing them and slightly buffing their damage output (Ally heal, +DMG, self Damage over time); If looped with an enemy, you drain HP from the enemy, lowering their maximum HP, to buff your own. It would reach its maximum potential on an enemy after 20 seconds and your boosted HP will last for 1 minute after the loop is ended (Foe -max HP, self +Max HP. ) Tier 7: Psionic Field: A telekinetic field that gives you a nice Absorb layer while active. Tier 8: Astral Projection: You send out a psychic clone of yourself at a targeted location which draws aggro until it's defeated. Its attacks do no damage but will draw aggro onto itself, essentially doubling your aggro cap briefly and helping take incoming enemy damage from the team. When it is defeated it releases a psychic burst of energy that does minor psychic damage to nearby foes and slows their recharge time. Tier 9: Psychic Empowerment: You unleash your full psychic potential, surrounding yourself in a psionic bubble that gives resistance to all damage, +tohit, and heal over time to all teammates within range, and adds additional psychic damage to your own attacks. Like old school tier 9s this would have a long recharge and probably leave you exhausted.

I love this idea, and to address the concerns above, couldn't you just have it open up all the possible methods you have to craft available and you select the correct one? So you click "core/radial x" and it brings up three options/paths you qualify for to craft it, and you click the one you wish to use.

What I think would fix Ice Armor and make it a great set: Change Hoar Frost to a shorter recharge, + Absorb power. Honestly this makes more sense thematically, anyway. And while +HP benefits you more than absorb, because of regen, the shorter duration would be a trade up in my opinion. If you need to, keep the +HP but make it shorter duration or a lesser amount in exchange for the +absorb. Combine Icicles and Chilling embrace into Icey Embrace. Add a new clicl power called "Cryogenic burst" that grants psionic, toxic, and additional Defense debuff resistance. The idea is that you can dramatically slow your metabolism to lessen toxic damage, use a cold snap of air to focus or numb yourself mentally, and the increased coldness makes your ice shields more effective. Make it a 2 minute duration power that can't be perma (without SERIOUS effort, anyway). It's primarily meant to be a situational boost, not a permanent one. Then you'd have a much more well rounded set, I think.

Because it can result in an unwinnable, and not even EXITABLE, situation outside of logging out of the game completely. Which is, by definition, broken. Does that mean it can NEVER be completed? No. But there can be an instance where you can become "stuck" and unable to do anything but log out. Which means it's broken in those conditions. This is basic game terminology and situations, not some crazy idea. If a map had a specific spot that, if you stepped in it running super speed, you "fell" below the map and could no longer complete any of the objectives, it would equally be broken. To say "well just dont walk on that part of the map with SS and you're fine" or "Ive completed it hundreds of times and never had that happen" doesn't change the fact that this is likely a glitch that isn't WAI and should be fixed.

"Let's run an arc at the level it's opened to my toon, so balanced around that level and my gear level, in a game that doesn't require specific archetypes, and be bothered when it's designed in a way that, once you die, basically becomes an endless loop of death forcing you to quit." There. Fixed it for you. By the way, EVERY SINGLE ARC in this game is optional. There is literally not one single arc you're required to do. That doesn't mean we shouldn't address issues where arcs are broken.

Do you believe the mission was designed with the intent that, in the event of a team wipe (for whatever reason) with a large spawn still present, you were supposed to become stuck in an endless loop of rez/kill/rez/kill with literally no other option but to actually quit the mission and log out to exit? If the answer is yes...then we just disagree. If the answer is no, then no matter HOW rare it is or HOW many times you run the mission and don't experience it personally, the fact that others do means the mission has a design flaw and that flaw probably should be fixed.

And doing so admitting that they haven't actually "experienced this mission".

You do realize changing this from an "exploit" to "normal base tp" takes care of that entire problem, right? There is literally no reason why base TP should take as long as it does, recharge as slowly as it does, etc. I dont know of ANYONE who thinks "running to the tram together" is somehow the fun part of teaming. Especially since the Oro portal takes care of the base TP issue once you hit level 14 anyway. Besides, back in the days before "ninja run" this happened as well, when I was stuck with "hover" and people already had SJ or super speed.

I would agree with this post, but also throw in a few more of the newer contacts and their ambushes, including the UN contact in Steel and the art dealer, as well as several in Preatoria. It seemed to me that one of the devs who was designing toward the end really felt constant ambushes at a non-stop pace was the way to go. And honestly, on some of my high end toons, it can be really fun. And it probably comes from the complaints of people waiting around forever for the old ambushes in respect trials, etc. (THANK YOU FOR FIXING THAT DEVS! 😄 ) But for most of my toons, it makes those contacts and missions difficult to the point of skipping or auto-completing. It's pretty clear some in here really like it though. How difficult would be it (and I already know the answer) to add another option to our difficulty settings specific to ambush difficulty? One that affects either the speed, size, or level of ambushes? So someone who normally can solo +2x4 but not in these ambush heavy missions could stay at +2x4 but know that just the ambushes would be toned down a little? Im sure that's next to impossible, but thought maybe I'd throw it out. Otherwise, I think we need to go in and space these ambushes out a little bit more, OR make sure those ambushes that come out this fast or this difficult automatically don't include bosses, etc?