[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Alright! I think I've finished this write-up now; it's a pretty large revamp from the original concept, maintaining the same focus on melee range combat while expanding its scope and introducing more standard powers. A big part of this comes from the change to Light Control's special mechanic. Or more accurately, mechanics plural.

 

Special Effects: Illumination and Refraction

Light Control’s special effects come in two parts which work in tandem with each other:

• Illumination strengthens the effects of powers in different ways (8s duration)

  • Inflicted by:

    • T1: Radiating Ties

    • T2: Dazzling Glow

    • T3: Ray of Light

    • T6: Incandescent Eruption (50% chance)

    • T9: Shining Motes (Post-Defeat: 80% chance)

  • Affects:

    • T1: Radiating Ties, bonus damage

    • T2: Dazzling Glow, Mag 3.5 Sleep -> Mag 7 Sleep (+3.5)

    • T3: Ray of Light, bonus damage

    • T5: Twilight, 25% chance Refraction -> 50% chance Refraction

    • T7: Prismatic Field, 2% chance Disorient -> Disorient

    • T8: Luminous Distortion, 2% chance Confuse -> Confuse

  • Powers that benefit from Illumination consume it upon taking effect

• Refraction propagates the effects of single target powers across multiple enemies

  • Inflicted by:

    • T4: Refractive Halo

    •  T5: Twilight (25% chance, 8s)

  • Affects:

    • T1: Radiating Ties

    • T2: Dazzling Glow

    • T3: Ray of Light

  • Affected powers chain across nearby Refracted enemies, each consecutive chain halving their duration

    • Illuminated enemies prevent this duration from being halved

    • Chaining only occurs if the initial target is also Refracted

    • Prioritises enemies who are also Illuminated first

Your mention of using the Illumination mechanic to enable AoE powers was fleshed out into its own mechanic in its own right, @BrandX, while still keeping the T4 as its central power - that's where the Refraction mechanic comes in, with the general idea being "redirecting/channelling light". Since  T4: Refractive Halo is the primary way of inflicting this effect, if the Light Controller/Dominator wants to make the most of it they'll need to stick close (though there's a few other options). This way, Light Control can still have a single target Hold as well, and can even make other powers 'radiate' out.

The Illumination mechanic hopefully balances this mechanic out a little, and also add some bonus damage/stronger effects to existing powers. Without targeting enemies that are both Illuminated and Refracted, the duration of the ST powers halves with every subsequent target.  T6: Incandescent Eruption provides the primary way of illuminating multiple enemies at once, and as such has a relatively long recharge time.

As for the set itself the last few powers are relatively unchanged, except for stronger interactions with the Illumination mechanic, credit to @Naraka for the suggestion! However, I do think with these changes in the first half of the set, Light Control hopefully stands out a little more, while still not compromising on its more PBAoE focus.

Light Control

Quote

"You can manipulate light in a variety of ways to overwhelm and bewilder your foes. Some powers in Light Control inflict the Illumination effect, strengthening their potency. Others inflict the Refraction effect, allowing powers to chain across Refracted targets, effects diminishing with every chain unless those targets are also Illuminated."

 

Power Table

	Power	Level	Effect
	Radiating Ties	1	Ranged (Chain), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe Immobilize, Foe -To Hit, -Fly, Special
	Dazzling Glow	1	Ranged (Chain), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe Sleep, Foe -To Hit, Special
	Ray of Light	2	Ranged (Chain), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe Hold, -To Hit, Special
	Refractive Halo	6	Toggle: PBAoE, Foe -To Hit, -Range, -Stealth, Special
	Twilight	8	Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe -Visibility, -To Hit, Chance for Special
	Incandescent Eruption	12	PBAoE, Minor DMG(Energy/Smashing), Foe Knockdown, Chance for Special
	Prismatic Field	18	Ranged (Location AoE), Minor DoT(Energy), Foe -Speed, -DEF(All), Chance for Disorient
	Luminous Distortion	26	Ranged (Location AoE), Foe Attract, Chance for Confuse
	Shining Motes	32	Summon Motes: Melee, Minor DoT(Energy)

Powers

T1: Radiating Ties

Beams of light spring forth from you towards a single foe, trapping them in an array of blinding incandescence, and rendering them immobilized. Enemies powerful enough to resist this effect will still have their chance to hit reduced. Applying Radiating Ties on a refracted enemy will cause it to chain to other nearby refracted targets. The first target struck by Radiating Ties will also be Illuminated. Illuminated enemies will take additional damage from Radiating Ties before consuming the effect.

Damage	Moderate DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Fast (4s)
Duration	27.94s
Minimum Level	1
Effects	Ranged Chain Foe Immobilize (Mag 4), -To Hit, Special (Illuminate)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Immobilize Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Immobilize Ranged Damage To Hit Debuff

 

T2: Dazzling Glow

Causes a dizzying array of light to appear before a foe. The target is left mesmerized and illuminated by the display, even as its brightness damages them, though subsequent attacks will free them from this effect. Enemies powerful enough to resist this effect will still have their chance to hit reduced. Applying Dazzling Glow on a refracted enemy will cause it to chain to other nearby refracted targets. The first target struck by Dazzling Glow will also be Illuminated. The strength of this Sleep will be increased when used against illuminated targets, consuming the effect in the process.

Damage	Moderate (Energy)
Recharge	Moderate (8s)
Duration	55.88s
Minimum Level	1
Effects	Ranged Chain Foe Sleep (Mag 3.5), -To Hit, Special (Illuminate)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range Enhance Sleep Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Ranged Damage Sleep To Hit Debuff

 

T3: Ray of Light

You generate a luminous beam of light and fire it at a target, dealing Energy damage to them. Its brightness can temporarily reduce the chance to hit of your foes, and render them helpless. Applying Ray of Light on a refracted enemy will cause it to chain to other nearby refracted targets. The first target struck by Ray of Light will also be Illuminated. Illuminated enemies will take additional damage from Ray of Light before consuming the effect.

Damage	Moderate (Energy)
Recharge	Moderate (8s)
Duration	22.35s
Minimum Level	2
Effects	Ranged Chain Foe Hold (Mag 3), -To Hit, Special (Illuminate)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Hold Enhance Recharge Enhance Range Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Hold Ranged Damage To Hit Debuff

 

T4: Refractive Halo

You command light to surround you in a bright halo, reducing the chance to hit, range, and stealth capabilities of nearby foes. Enemies within your halo also become Refracted, as your halo continuously pulls light around you. Some powers from Light Control can chain across refracted enemies, affecting multiple targets at once. Each consecutive target will suffer from a weaker version than the previous target in the chain, unless the target is also Illuminated.

Endurance	0.52/s
Recharge	Slow (10s)
Duration	1s
Minimum Level	6
Effects	Point Blank Area of Effect Foe -To Hit, -Stealth, -Range, Special
Enhancements	Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	To Hit Debuff

 

T5: Twilight

Draws light away from all foes near your target, inhibiting their vision. Most foes will not be able to see past normal melee range, although some may have better perception. If the foes are attacked, they will be alerted to your presence, but will suffer a penalty to their chance to hit. Your redirection of light may also cause some enemies to become Refracted, with a higher chance of this occurring if you target an Illuminated enemy, consuming the effect in the process.

Recharge	Slow (15s)
Duration	60s
Minimum Level	8
Effects	Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) Foe -90% Perception, -To Hit, Chance of Special (25% Refraction)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	To Hit Debuff

 

 T6: Incandescent Eruption

Light swells out of you in a powerful burst, knocking enemies to the ground and dealing some minor damage. The intensity of this blast may also leave some foes Illuminated.

Damage	Minor (Energy)
Recharge	Long (120s)
Duration	8s
Minimum Level	12
Effects	Point Blank Area of Effect Foe Knockdown, Chance of Special (50% Illumination)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Hold Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Hold Melee AoE Damage To Hit Debuff

 

T7: Prismatic Field

A painfully bright field of light appears at an area of your choice, dealing minimal Energy damage to foes inside of it. Enemies inside this field will have their movement dramatically slowed, and their defences weakened as they attempt to navigate with their perception compromised, with a chance of even becoming disoriented. Illuminated targets will immediately become disoriented, consuming the effect in the process.

Damage	Minor DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Long (60s)
Duration	45s
Minimum Level	18
Effects	Ranged (Location Area of Effect) Foe -Speed (90%), -Defense(All), Chance of Disorient (Mag 3, 2% chance)
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Enhance Defense Debuff Enhance Disorient Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Range Enhance Recharge Enhance Slow
Set Categories	Defense Debuff Ranged AoE Damage Slow Movement Stuns

 

T8: Luminous Distortion

You twist the way that light behaves in a selected area, deceiving foes into moving towards it. Enemies caught in this distortion may even become confused, targeting their allies by accident as their perception is warped. Illuminated targets will immediately become confused, consuming the effect in the process.

Recharge	Long (60s)
Duration	45s
Minimum Level	26
Effects	Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) Foe Attract, Chance of Confuse (Mag 3, 2% chance)
Enhancements	Enhance Confuse Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range
Set Categories	Confuse

 

T9: Shining Motes

You concentrate light together to create three Shining Motes at a target location. Shining Motes are fragile and have little intelligence of their own, instinctively moving towards enemies, damaging all those close to them. Upon expiring, they explode in a small but powerful brilliance that knocks down nearby enemies, and may cause them to become Illuminated. Targeting a mote using Radiating Ties, Dazzling Glow, or Ray of Light will force it to expire early. Shining Motes can be healed and buffed like any teammate.

Damage	Minor (Energy)
Recharge	Very Long (240s)
Minimum Level	32
Effects	Summon Motes: Melee
Pet Powers	Fly (Auto: Flight) Nova (Post Defeat: PBAoE (Energy), Foe Knockdown, Chance of Special) Shining Halo (PBAoE, DoT (Energy)) Resistance (Auto, Res(E25 N25, P25), Res(Immobilize))
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Enhance Disorient Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge
Set Categories	Knockback Pet Damage Recharge Intensive Pets

 

Hope you guys like this! I think it maintains the feel of the previous design while also being more interactive in the process.

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

13 hours ago, BrandX said:

 

I will have to agree, in the case of Time, I always felt the benefits of Time Crawl was a bit meh.  I would use it on AVs for the -Regen, so the other powers would get buffed up, but it's usefulness always felt meh.

 

And most seem to skip Temporal Selection and it's benefits are only more healing on the couple of targets you may have the Accelerated effect on.

 

While my version seems to have missed the point of what the OP was going for, I would have to agree the "Use this power to buff these powers" I would hope would be useful.  Which, in my version, I did imagine them being useful for.

 

To @Blackfeather I have to say, I would want a single target hold if for nothing else, Hami Raids and LGTF.

 

For Blinding Halo, I know I didn't have a control effect in it, but neither does Conductive Aura (Electric Control), Smoke (Fire Control - which is pretty much copied with Twilight), Spectral Wounds/Invisibility Powers (Illusion Control), and Spirit Tree (Plant Control), so there is precedence.  As for the Hold aspect, I get the feeling it wouldn't be a great hold power, if put into a toggle.  Chance to weak, so not enough stacking, or duration...feels like it just wouldn't be good enough hold, as a toggle.  I then thought with the Illuminated effect, it could be a sort of Damage Toggle for Illuminated Targets.

 

I do have to say, my version of Prismatic Field was not inspired by Shadow Field, however, as I never played the set, or really looked into it, as I never had a concept I felt right for it.  My thought on it, was I liked your Illuminated Effect idea.  I also liked the idea of all the AOE powers being Targeted AOEs and having the main target having the effects boosted, if they were Illuminated.

 

The idea being, it would likely encourage use of said powers on the harder targets (Bosses) in normal play and meaner on AVs.  Enough so, I wondered if for the AOE it shouldn't be Mag 2 Hold with +2 Mag on Illuminated Targets, so it wasn't so much +3 Mag on everyone.

 

I did see you had a "Come to me" or "Come to here" idea with it, which is what I went with for the tier 8 and 9.

 

I think I might have this figured out - I've reworked a few things with your feedback along with @Naraka's, but I'll stay tight lipped for now. I'll say you definitely inspired a few changes, but I'll let you be the judge of them after I properly put them to paper. Hopefully you'll like the changes!

 

(Though as a heads up, Mag 2 Hold with +2 Mag on Illuminated targets is how the current iteration of Blinding Halo works. 😉)

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

2 hours ago, Naraka said:

Well, I tend to have a brash persona when it comes to forum posting (which will likely end up being my banning, but I don't honestly care), I frankly didn't have much to say about the suggested set because it felt mostly bland.  It took me a while to finally come up with something that hasn't already been said or is at least mildly engaging (mostly to myself).  

 

If the set, as is, was introduced, I don't think it would be bad.  Mechanically, I don't think it would seem very different either.  The disintegrate/time crawl mechanic was experimental and I actually like it in Beam Rifle but in any of the time sets, it's mostly ignored.  Being hit-or-miss, I'm unsure about this iteration mostly because, with Beam Rifle, Disintegrate is just an overall good effect you want to spread but with time, it's mostly just "nice if it's there".  I feel the initial powers (the sleep and immobilize) are mostly just fluff to improve although I suppose later on, being able to two-shot sleep some foes would have its uses, the only *real* benefit to the set's mechanic is Blinding Halo and possibly the effects that just add damage (although we'd need numbers to truly decide how much benefit).

 

If the premiere power is going to be Blinding Halo, why not have more powers built to propagate the illuminate mechanic?

 

Another experimental possibility might be to have alternate "pulse" effects on some of the perpetuated AoEs like Luminous Distortion that only affect illuminated foes.  So foes that are inside Luminous Distortion have a chance to be confused while illuminated foes will see the light and move inward (pull).  What I'm saying is, a 2% increase to confuse (without some kidn of duration increase) is crap.

 

Lastly, if a text pop-up would be implemented, I think "Sees the light!" (15 char) feels more impactful than "Illuminated!" (12 char).  One is only 3 characters longer but also isn't just one word so more distinguishable from other pop ups.  Also also, I just don't like ||| so yeah.

 

If you didn't know, I'm adequate at stretching out text somewhat due to uni and overall, I am mostly indifferent to the suggestion.  It doesn't push any boundaries and is overall simple for implementation.  I think any new set should be experimental, moreso than what is presented here.

 

Hey there, and thanks for your thoughts on this! There's plenty here, and it's definitely engaging, so don't worry about it - I pinged you knowing your stance on unique powersets from the start, so it's definitely neat seeing what constitutes as different/unique from that kind of perspective.

 

I'll absolutely acknowledge that I was attempting to create a relatively unique powerset from the start, so it's a bit of a shame that didn't come through. I do think that can be a bit of a challenge, especially for the Control powersets; in general, they share a lot between each other, usually varying by the shape of their powers (cone/TAoE/PBBAoE) and secondary effects more than anything else - their status effects, outside of a few oddball powers are mostly consistent with each other. From what I've seen of Wind Control, it appeared fairly similar in that regard, except with an added way to deal some damage via a builder/spender mechanic.

 

Also, as a quick correction,  T1: Ray of Light isn't an immobilize power, but primarily a debuff/damage one; there's only one immobilization power in the set in T3: Radiating Ties. This was sort of an attempt at said variation I brought up previously - the same reason why the set doesn't really have a single target Hold power.

 

The Illumination mechanic was definitely taking notes from Time Manipulation's Delayed effect; it was actually from @Galaxy Brain that I was inspired to expand the synergies to the point where they are now, introducing its application in both the T1 and T2 instead of just the former. In other words, additional damage/stronger magnitude status effects against such marked foes was sort of the intent behind it.

 

That being said, I do think you've a fair point - I think there might be room for another power in the set that inflicts it. I'm kind of leaning on  T6: Incandescent Eruption at the moment, maybe upping the recharge a bit as a result and getting rid of the chance to Stun; essentially it'd work as an instant boost to the potency of  T4: Blinding Halo for a short period of time. That'd keep the focus on the T4 while not overpowering it, hopefully - one reason why I'm fairly conservative with how many powers inflict the Illuminated effect is due to precedence in Ice Control's Arctic Air; despite being Ice Control's main control power, it's mostly standalone.

 

I've got a few ideas in my head that may potentially make quite a few large reaching changes across this set that'll hopefully give it a more unique flavour. Thanks for your feedback, hopefully you'll see the results of this soon, looking forward to your feedback on it once I finish it!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

23 hours ago, BrandX said:

Okay.  I like the Illumination Effect.  I'd like something better for the pet.  I think I'd go in this direction with it, which I think keeps it inline with what was given.

 

(Click Single Target) Ray of Light: -ToHit, Sleep/Immobilize (Mag 4), Special (Apply Illumination), Damage

(Click Single Target) Dazzling Glow: -ToHit, Sleep/Hold (Mag 3), Special (Apply Illumination), Damage

(Click Targeted AOE) Radiating Ties: -ToHit, Immobilize (Mag 3), Special (Primary Target takes extra damage/+1 Mag Immobilize if Illuminated), Damage

(Click Targeted AOE) Twilight: -ToHit (-5%), -Perception (-90%)

(Toggle PBAOE) Blinding Halo: -ToHit, -Stealth, +Perception, Special (Damage Only to Illuminated Targets - No damage to targets not illuminated)

(Click PBAOE) Incandescent Eruption: Knockdown, Disorient, Damage (Minor), Special (+1 Mag Stun, Extra Damage)

(Click Targeted AOE) Prismatic Field: -ToHit, Hold, Damage, Special (Primary Target takes extra damage/+1 Mag Hold if Illuminated)

(Targeted AOE) Luminous Distortion: Foes Attract around Targeted Enemy, Chance for Confuse (Mag 3 - ##% Chance), Special (Illuminated Targets have increased chance for Confuse)

(Click Targeted Location Pet) Holographic Distraction: Create 3 Stationary Images that have taunt auras and taunting attacks.  They do not move.  

 

Moved Twilight to Tier 4, as it's the same as Smoke, which is Tier 4.

 

I like the idea of all those Targeted AOEs and needing the primary target of the AOE to have Illumination for it to work, instead of just target something else and if they're in the AOE, extra.  The Toggle PBAOE being the exception of course.

 

As for, is this to powerful or not, I don't know honestly. 

 

Hey there, and thanks for your own personal thoughts on this!

 

The intent behind Light Control's design was to keep the user close while engaging enemies - rather than the exception (i.e. for single target and soft control powers) this was meant to be the rule. I noticed that your version of  T4: Blinding Halo has no actual control aspect to it (lacks a Hold/Range debuff to keep enemies close), and similarly,  T3: Radiating Ties was converted to a targeted AoE power rather than a PBAoE one.

 

In service of this design, Light Control lacks a single target hold and immobilize, relying instead on either its sleep power in T2: Dazzling Glow, and/or additional damage via  T1: Ray of Light. Its main source of lockdown,  T4: Blinding Halo is as such positioned early in the set, in the same position that Ice Control's Arctic Air is (T4) - said power was a large inspiration for me here.

 

In this vein,  T7: Prismatic Field was not intended to be a hard control power - it appears your version was inspired by Darkness Control's Shadow Field - I was going for a slow patch; something like Time Manipulation's Distortion Field, but with some damage, and a small chance to disorient instead of hold. Light Control already has an always-on source of holding enemies in T4: Blinding Halo.

 

As for an alternative T9 to the currently existing one, I'm curious as to your thoughts on the one I designed after hearing similar suggestions from @MTeague. To whit:

 

Quote

T9: Gleaming Sphere

You summon an immobile, shining sphere of light that surrounds your current location, preventing anything inside from being seen from the outside, and vice versa. Area of Effect powers may still damage those obscured by the sphere. The luminous intensity within the sphere can cause enemies to take moderate Energy damage, have their chance to hit reduced, and even cause them to exit the area if possible.

Damage	Moderate DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Long (120s)
Duration	60s
Minimum Level	32
Effects	Summon Sphere: Location (PBAoE) Foe -To Hit, Afraid (Mag 50)
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Melee AoE Damage To Hit Debuff

 

It's a somewhat unorthodox power, in a similar vein to Gravity Control's Dimension Shift - as such, I wrote up a list of potential applications here.

 

I consider the Illumination effect as something auxiliary to the feel of Light Control - it's more of a way of enhancing the strength of different powers a little rather than a full blown dependant to the set (not to mention a way of stacking Holds while still forcing the set to stay in close range due to how  T4: Blinding Halo synergises with it). Credit actually goes to @Galaxy Brain for the additional synergies here; I wouldn't have thought to introduce them alone.

 

A new set could certainly build more heavily on this mechanic, but I think it'd be a different powerset in its own right. For instance, a mostly single-target powerset that has one power mark enemies, and when struck by another, converts the single target power to an area-of-effect...a Radiation Control powerset could easily benefit from this sort of mechanic, such as in the form of an atomic reaction or something along those lines.

 

Hope this explains my design rationale a bit more, and thanks again for your comments!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Sending a ping over to @BrandX as well! I know strictly speaking Light Control isn't quite the same as Illusion Control...but I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the powerset nonetheless, especially given how it's a little bit unorthodox as well. Think it'd be something that could be played decently, or something you could see yourself playing? Is it overtuned? Hope to hear your thoughts on this soon! 😃

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Will also give @DZKFire a wave as well - saw you mention having played Dominators for a while; would a powerset like Light Control be something you'd be interested in playing? And if so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this implementation over here in the original post, if it's a compelling concept, and relatively unique without being over/undertuned. Hope to hear your thoughts on this soon! 😄

[Mystic Flight - Is Combat Jumping or Hover a better bedfellow?]

You do get some aerial control either way - I forget which grants more though. If you like the way Mystic Flight looks, Combat Jumping won't lock you into Hover stance too (though that can be solved by adjusting Hover's FX, but then you're always in the regular Fly stance even when just hovering).

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Might give @Arklide a ping as well - heyo! It looks like you've got a fair amount of experience with Dominators/Controllers, so I'd definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on Light Control here - would it be a powerset you'd be interested in playing, if it works equally well on either archetype, if it's underpowered/overepowered, and so on? Hope you give it a read through and like it! 🙂

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Hey there @Naraka! I read this post of yours and thought it was quite relevant to this powerset proposal - given your experience with Dominators, I imagine you've a fair amount to say about the Control powersets, and how they're more or less the same. This writeup for a potential Light Control was designed to be relatively unique, while still providing a fair amount of control, so I'd definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, to see whether or not you think it manages that goal (and of course, if it'd be something you'd be interested in playing with). Hope you like it! 😃

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Might ping @Greycat as well - hey there! Thought this proposal might be of interest to you, would be happy to hear your thoughts on this writeup for Light Control if you've any; if it straddles the line between 'fairly unique' and 'not overpowered/underpowered' and so on. Hope to hear from you soon! 😄

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

On 5/23/2021 at 7:56 AM, zenblack said:

Looking over this set as where it is right now worked a bit I have to say I think the duration on the CC effects seem far too long. Also in part this sets is a child of dark/illusion and I wonder if there isn't an opportunity to do more with it than just be a "PBAOE control set" as it seems the intent. Since light is energy there seems like an opportunity to have unique control play-style with that as the basis.

This may not be helpful feedback at all since it's not specific feedback about individual powers.

 

Hey there, and thanks for your thoughts on this proposal! All feedback is welcome, and I certainly think it's constructive.

 

Might you be able to clarify which durations look too long to you? The duration of  T2: Dazzling Glow is a one-to-one copy of Mesmerize's duration. Similarly,  T3: Radiating Ties follows the same duration as the other AoE Immobilises.  T4: Blinding Halo is supposed to have the same duration as Radiation Emission's Choking Cloud.  T7: Prismatic Field and  T8: Luminous Distortion only have their patches last for 45 seconds, not the effects themselves - I used Time Manipulation's Distortion Field as a model for how they might work. The durations here are the ones that a Controller would have, which might have skewed the times somewhat.

 

In terms of inspiration for this set, I was actually heavily inspired by Ice Control, looking at its Arctic Air power, and how that was responsible for a lot of the set's heavy lifting. I wanted to create a powerset that worked in a similar way, but more focused, as mentioned in the original post. When I think of the element light, I think of the words 'powerful', 'radiating', 'indiscriminate', and 'straightforward' - control through overwhelming luminosity, extending out from the user; that's where its primarily PBAoE nature comes in, and to a lesser degree, the Illumination mechanic.

 

In other words, making Light Control relatively straightforward while also being fairly unique was another goal of mine - forgoing a single target hold and immobilise did wonders in that regard, I feel. I'd definitely be interested in hearing your own interpretation of such a powerset, however!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Hey there @Frosticus, going to give you a ping given your experience with Dominators/Controllers - thought it'd be interesting hearing your thoughts on this proposed powerset...maybe even your thoughts on how it'd stack up in endgame content? And of course, if this writeup of Light Control would be something you'd be interested in playing! All that good stuff - if you do, many thanks in advance. 🙂

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

Going to ping @Tater Todd on this as well - heya! Thought this might be of interest to you given your experience with Dominators and so on. As such, I'd definitely like to hear your thoughts on this proposal for Light Control: if it's something you'd be interested in playing, if it's overpowered/underpowered, etc. Hope to hear from you soon!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

9 hours ago, Replacement said:

Just posting to say - I've had this thread open for 2 weeks.  I intend to give this a go-over.  I'm aware there are special mechanics at play so I don't think I can give good commentary based solely on the short descriptions (so instead I'm clogging up the thread with a non-commentary post?)

 

...To be continued once I can give it a good read.

 

Thanks for the heads up, and no worries! Especially since a lot of Light Control was actually in a bit of flux until quite recently. I'm fairly happy with how it is currently, but that could definitely change depending on further feedback.

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

On 5/17/2021 at 6:36 AM, HelBlaiz said:

I have been ping-ed

 

I love the idea of the set and especially the concept behind Blinding Halo. I do thin Dazzling Gaze synergy with Illumination might want to be revisited however. Stacking Sleep is fun and all, but you're one stray Fireball away from all that effort being for naught. Might I suggest having the synergy apply Hold instead/in addition to stacking Sleep? That way it's more useful in teams. Kinda cuts into your attempt to avoid single target holds for varieties sake, though.

 

Regardless, I have at least one character who would love this set.

 

After some feedback from @Galaxy Brain, I've gone and changed up the powerset a little - now both  T1: Ray of Light and  T2: Dazzling Glow inflict the Illuminated effect on enemies. As for synergies, I've now changed things up a bit as a result:

•  T1: Ray of Light, bonus damage
• T2: Dazzling Glow, Mag 3.5 Sleep -> Mag 7 Sleep (+3.5)
• T3: Radiating Ties, Mag 3 Immobilize -> Mag 4 Immobilize (+1)
• T4: Blinding Halo, Mag 2 Hold -> Mag 4 Hold (+2)
• T6: Incandescent Eruption, bonus damage
• T7: Prismatic Field, 2% chance Disorient -> 4% chance Disorient
• T8: Luminous Distortion, 2% chance Confuse -> 4% chance Confuse

This way,  T2: Dazzling Glow can still 'stack' its Sleep effect but still deal damage - a magnitude 7 Sleep should be strong enough for most things anyhow. Additionally, both the T1 and the T2 can 'stack' up with  T4: Blinding Halo - @Dahle did ask about a lack of a single target Hold, and while I was averse to introducing something like that directly, I think this strikes a nice middle ground - the T4 power is stronger against Illuminated enemies (Mag 4 instead), which I think is fine given its baseline Mag 2 Hold (downgraded from Mag 2.5 as a result of this stacking), along with the fact that it necessitates being in melee range.  T3: Radiating Ties functions similarly, except it just goes up by +1.

 

Hopefully it maintains the PBAoE feel of the set while being just a little bit stronger - would be interested in your thoughts as always!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

10 hours ago, Mezmera said:

It looks like you have the standard optimized powers for control but there's a few things that need reworked. 

 

That pbaoe toggle power can not have your aoe hold in it, the toggle should have lower rates on it due to being constantly on so taking away an instant cast-able aoe hold is not attractive in the least.  You'd have to replace the hold aspect with something else and then make the level 18 power your standard aoe hold, I don't like target location powers as they are clunky in the thick of fighting so I'd want it to be instant cast. 

 

The t8 power that has a chance for confuse just needs to be a certain confuse, I see you're also adding in the new attraction mechanic, that'd help keep your confused targets from running off so they just fight each other I just wouldn't want that gravitational mechanic preventing them from attacking each other is all.  If it doesn't then yeah this would be fine as is.  

 

I'm not too much interested in pets so do what you will with the t9.  

 

I've played Wind Control on some other servers.  They used Plant as the baseline and boy is that control set OP.  It has an aoe confuse that recharges way too fast plus it also replenishes your endurance.  There's a self buff mechanic with the t9 power which is neat.  Then there's also a couple of aoe controls that benefit from stacks of a mechanic that you can expend for real strong aoe damage through something like say your aoe immobilize.  Wind Control is a very busy set that's just too good since everything recharges way too fast.  But I did find the use of a damage release mechanic in the aoe immobilize pretty nice and the self buff was a novel idea just sometimes hard to take advantage of since you had to have all of your stacks then target your pet with the t9 power, sometimes it's hard to stop and spot your pet in the middle of a fight.  

 

As long as it seems fun and not too OP with something that makes it unique to itself then that should be attractive enough to try out.  

 

Thanks for the feedback! I'll try to explain my reasoning for the way things are at the moment, incorporating your feedback accordingly. As mentioned in the original post, one of the main things I wanted with Light Control was to make a lot of its powers non-standard, while still being viable, along with the goal of making it primarily PBAoE focused.

 

That's where  T4: Blinding Halo comes in - a constant source of Holds that takes time to ramp up, and on occasion, a dash of Light Control's Illumination mechanic to increase its magnitude against more resilient foes. As a result of being constant, it's also the only source of Holds in the set, kind of like how Ice Control's Arctic Air is its only source of Confuse. On the upside, its -To Hit also provides a bit of protection in melee range, and it also functions as another source of damage, kind of like Hot Feet.

 

I do personally think that even as a Mag 2 PBAoE toggle Hold, it'll pull its weight rather reliably; my experience with Oppressive Gloom has been quite positive in terms of lockdown for instance - and with the Illumination mechanic, it should stack fairly easily, not to mention under the effects of Domination. I'm also of the mind that most AoE Hold powers tend to be a little lacklustre due to their high recharge time and short duration, which I think @SeraphimKensai has touched on in one of their posts for instance, as has @oedipus_tex over here.

 

I considered the two location based powers ( T7: Prismatic Field and T8: Luminous Distortion) that Light Control has to be more supplementary instead of the main focus; more as a way of occupying additional groups of enemies by way of soft control than actively locking them down. That's why the status effects they inflict are on a chance basis, with their baseline effects being fairly soft in nature (slow/attract), kind of similar to Time Manipulation's Distortion Field. Rather than act as hard sources of control in of themselves, they were mainly designed to keep enemies bunched up for later or to just stack on top of T4: Blinding Halo.

 

As such, the ability to lay them down in advance of, say, an ambush or something like that was something I wanted to keep in mind, hence their location based nature. I can understand why that wouldn't be a cup of tea for everyone though - I definitely make liberal use of /powexec_location cursor on my Earth Controller to make things easier. That being said, I can definitely see the Attract effect in  T8: Luminous Distortion being a tad strong for its intended function, and as such may replace it with another slow effect, perhaps with a chance of inflicting the Illuminated effect to enemies within it.

 

And I do agree, Plant Control is very powerful - Seeds of Confusion is quite silly. I definitely wanted to avoid that amount of power while creating Light Control; I was aiming for something along the lines of Darkness Control myself, with a few caveats: more sources of damage, more risk due to engaging in melee, and a riskier opener.

 

I expect the Light Controller/Dominator to wade straight into the fight, holding enemies using  T4: Blinding Halo, giving it time to take hold by sweeping enemies to the floor using  T6: Incandescent Eruption, illuminating the tougher foes with  T1: Ray of Light and/or  T2: Dazzling Glow to better bypass their status protections. The combined -To Hit of its various powers should help to provide a bit of safety in the meantime as well. For larger crowds, T5: Twilight should let them get into melee range relatively unscathed.

[New Notoriety Option: No Enhancement Set Bonuses]

Hey there @Bill Z Bubba! I saw your post talking about game balance and difficulty and the like - would definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on this proposal, it sounds like you might like it. Thanks in advance if you do decide to do so! 😄

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

1 hour ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Hm, no interaction if you shoot your laser at the same guy twice?

 

After thinking about it some, yeah, I think bonus damage works best here - gives a nice difference between the T1/T2: one has more damage, the other more control, but both can potentially benefit each other a little, especially for Controllers looking for additional powers to up their offensive capabilities.

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

22 minutes ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Hm, no interaction if you shoot your laser at the same guy twice?

 

I was considering adding in some extra damage  T1: Ray of Light, which shouldn't hopefully be too overpowering. Though it's definitely up in the air at the moment, would be up for suggestions!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

I think I'll also ping @Mezmera on this topic, given their mention of being a Dominator main - hey there! Was wondering if you had any thoughts on this proposed design for Light Control; if it's something that you'd personally find compelling to play, how it stacks up compared to the other Control sets, if it's overpowered/underpowered and so on. If you do decide to voice your thoughts on it, thanks in advance! 😄

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

On 5/20/2021 at 1:12 AM, Galaxy Brain said:

 

I really dig how this is different from the normal setup of control sets, lacking some of the more traditional powers (ST Immob/Hold). Control sets tend to need to stack up controls to deal with "actual threats", and I like how you also made the T1 uniquely deal with this by making it a more generalized power that also happens to let your controls stack, technically in 2 clicks still but much more "fluidly" than Hold ... wait ... Hold again.

 

That said, I do feel like this should be the focal point of the set, and as such likely should not be the T1 power. 

 

T1/T2 is a toss up where folks can often skip one or the other unless it is a secondary, or on an AT that really incentivizes using one or both constantly (Sentinels/Blasters). Otherwise, set-defining powers usually come up at around lvl 6 (T4) where you have a few powers that can bolster that key one like with Assassin's Strike, MM upgrades, 3rd major attack in a chain, etc. Shifting Ray of light there would be great, unless both it AND Dazzling glow can "illuminate" targets.

 

On top of this, if it is *the* thing for the set, adding more interactions would be cool. Simply: Illuminate = -Mez protect (Non Stacking) / -Mez Resist (Stacking) as a base effect would be neat, and then having each power do a little sumthin extra to targets you put the spotlight on would be cool and thematic to light, where you can fill a room OR laser - focus 😉

 

 

Tentative effects against Illuminated targets here, posted in the original post, but I'll put them here too:

•  T1: Ray of Light, bonus damage
• T2: Dazzling Glow, Mag 3.5 Sleep -> Mag 7 Sleep (+3.5)
• T3: Radiating Ties, Mag 3 Immobilize -> Mag 4 Immobilize (+1)
• T4: Blinding Halo, Mag 2 Hold -> Mag 4 Hold (+2)
• T6: Incandescent Eruption, bonus damage
• T7: Prismatic Field, 2% chance Disorient -> 4% chance Disorient
• T8: Luminous Distortion, 2% chance Confuse -> 4% chance Confuse

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

13 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

 

I really dig how this is different from the normal setup of control sets, lacking some of the more traditional powers (ST Immob/Hold). Control sets tend to need to stack up controls to deal with "actual threats", and I like how you also made the T1 uniquely deal with this by making it a more generalized power that also happens to let your controls stack, technically in 2 clicks still but much more "fluidly" than Hold ... wait ... Hold again.

 

That said, I do feel like this should be the focal point of the set, and as such likely should not be the T1 power. 

 

T1/T2 is a toss up where folks can often skip one or the other unless it is a secondary, or on an AT that really incentivizes using one or both constantly (Sentinels/Blasters). Otherwise, set-defining powers usually come up at around lvl 6 (T4) where you have a few powers that can bolster that key one like with Assassin's Strike, MM upgrades, 3rd major attack in a chain, etc. Shifting Ray of light there would be great, unless both it AND Dazzling glow can "illuminate" targets.

 

On top of this, if it is *the* thing for the set, adding more interactions would be cool. Simply: Illuminate = -Mez protect (Non Stacking) / -Mez Resist (Stacking) as a base effect would be neat, and then having each power do a little sumthin extra to targets you put the spotlight on would be cool and thematic to light, where you can fill a room OR laser - focus 😉

 

 

Hey there, and thanks for your response! Admittedly, I wanted to make  T4: Blinding Halo the main focus power of the set, at least in terms of control, kind of similar to how Ice Control's Arctic Air functions as its main lockdown source - as a result, a lot of Light Control's powers are PBAoE focused to supplement this, or area powers that can be layered on top of the player or split up elsewhere.

 

Something I'll also admit - I wasn't quite sure how I wanted the Illuminate effect to precisely work; you'll see that the implementation of it is a bit vague across the different powers and so on. In retrospect, adding extra magnitude against such targets makes a lot of sense, so thanks for the suggestion! I think I might add that to  T3: Radiating Ties. Perhaps even  T4: Blinding Halo could benefit from this - higher magnitude Hold against Illuminated targets - and would also provide a roundabout way of 'adding' a single target Hold (as @Dahle mentioned the lack of in their post, as did @oedipus_tex in theirs) while still requiring one to be in close range to make the effects of that known, which was the main intent of this powerset.

 

I do like the idea of adding the Illuminate effect to  T2: Dazzling Glow more than shuffling the power arrangement around myself. This way, it doesn't buck the trend of having two single target abilities in the T1/T2. This might require a slight modification to the power's effect against Illuminated foes (enhanced magnitude vs. not dealing damage) to make it work properly, but I think it works out to be about the same.

 

As a result of making the Illuminate effect something that Light Control will end up using, I might bump down the magnitude of  T4: Blinding Halo from 2.5 to 2, doubling it to 4 against Illuminted targets.  T3: Radiating Ties could get a similar treatment, with an additional +1 magnitude to its 3, and T2: Dazzling Glow could flat out double itself from 3.5 to 7.

 

I definitely like the idea of providing some kind of stacking effect, though the fact that Light Control already has a powerful debuff in -To Hit does make me a bit weary of putting in more things on top of that... Well, T6: Incandescent Eruption, T7: Prismatic Field, and  T8: Luminous Distortion all have a chance to inflict some form of hard control. Maybe the likelihood of this occurring can increase with subsequent stacks of Illumination?

 

Though for additional effects of said stacks, I'm not sure what that might entail...though maybe it's better that it doesn't have too large of a role, since I did want  T4: Blinding Halo to be the setpiece of this powerset. As always, interested in your thoughts on the matter, and thanks for the suggestions!

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

As an addition to the above post: the proposed change to the Illumination mechanic is also meant to synergise with  T9: Shining Motes somewhat. Given the idea of a small chance to hold whenever illuminated by  T1: Ray of Light, having three (relatively fragile) pets might work well together with that, and increase their survivability and utility somewhat, which I believe @Dahle was a bit concerned about.

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

On 5/17/2021 at 6:36 AM, HelBlaiz said:

I have been ping-ed

 

I love the idea of the set and especially the concept behind Blinding Halo. I do thin Dazzling Gaze synergy with Illumination might want to be revisited however. Stacking Sleep is fun and all, but you're one stray Fireball away from all that effort being for naught. Might I suggest having the synergy apply Hold instead/in addition to stacking Sleep? That way it's more useful in teams. Kinda cuts into your attempt to avoid single target holds for varieties sake, though.

 

Regardless, I have at least one character who would love this set.

 

Hey there, and thanks for your response!

 

Glad to hear you do like the concept - I did indeed want to make  T4: Blinding Halo the main source of Light Control's lockdown; kind of like Ice Control's Arctic Air, but dealing damage and debuffing accuracy instead of reducing run speed and recharge. As a result, I wanted to avoid easy/consistent stacking of the effect outside of the power itself - in theory, it should be able to consistently Hold bosses by itself, but it'd take some time to do so (balanced around being in melee range, extra risk of damage).

 

My main motivation for providing a Sleep in the form of  T2: Dazzling Glow was to diversify Light Control's status effects as a result of not having two sources of Holds - I do agree that being able to stack sleeps is rather niche, but I do think it can be valid in some circumstances, such as for handling AVs for instance. The power also deals damage and provides an additional source of -To Hit, which is generally useful regardless of team composition.

 

That also being said, I've definitely been thinking over the Illumination mechanic a little. Perhaps foes marked by  T1: Ray of Light may also have a chance of being held for a short period of time whenever they're damaged by one of Light Control's powers? That way, it'd be a little bonus on top of T4: Blinding Halo, but not something that can be relied upon.

[Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset]

6 hours ago, TemporalVileTerror said:

Thanks for the shout-out, @Blackfeather.
Regrettably, I'm probably not the ideal candidate to approach for this particular project.  As much as I want to see more Control Sets, I feel that Light Control is already in the game in the form of Illusion Control, thematically speaking.  I would very much like to see attention given to Natural-friendly Control Sets, like the Grenade Control or Commanding Voice Set ideas that have been proposed in the past here.
However, I'll fully acknowledge that while there are other players who see things the same or similar to me in this regard, the majority would probably support your proposed Light Control Set if it was brought in to the game.  Perhaps someone else, like @HelBlaiz would be good to pick the brain of, as they're a prolific creator of concept characters.

 

That's quite alright! Illusion Control is definitely involved with bending and manipulating light somewhat, so I can understand that. In fact, one big reason that I thought up this powerset was because Illusion didn't quite fit with some of my own character concepts - @MTeague mentioned something similar in one of their posts, I believe.