Nanolathe

They also made Sorcery ... fairly enticing. At least it's got a little something extra. Which is exactly why I kicked Combat Jumping to the curb when it comes to my Leaping synergy buffs suggestion 😁 Flurry of Blows and Whirlwind need help. Hasten and Burnout are pretty strong (when compared to many other Pool choices). Super Speed is a travel power... Is Burnout still super niche? Does in need love? Should Super Speed be part of the Synergy system? What would it gain from picking Flurry and Whirlwind? What would it give to the other powers? Does Leadership need looking at? I feel like it's kind of over-picked as a pool, just because it's force multiplication when teamed is pretty crazy, and it's not too shabby just as something to fill out a primary solo character too. (Manoeuvres/Vengeance being LotG mules really warps the set's appeal)

That's a whole different argument. Of course Pool Powers should be competitive in this stage of the game, and some of the more "new" pool power sets are significantly more enticing, but originally, in the before times - the long, long ago - they were specifically intended to be a bit crap. Or at least that is the impression I've always gotten from the AMAs and various developer interactions on the old forums. Adjusting all the pool powers is hopefully on the list of things the HC Devs are going to look at.

As long as no one suggests more flippin' +GlobalRechage as the synergy mechanic... /signed Let's work the idea more then. What would people think for the Leaping Pool Powers? We've got Jump Kick: Click. Low powered attack with KnockUp (Mag 4.15) Super Jump: Travel Power - Toggle: +lots of jump speed and jump height. Combat Jumping: Toggle. Increases Jump height (+200%) and Jump Control. Increases defence by +1.75% (All) and Resistance to Immobilise (Mag -8.3). [Currently used by most as a mule for LotG] Acrobatics: Toggle. Protection against Knockback/Knockdown (Mag -2? or -7? or -2 & -7?) and Holds (Mag -2 and 48.44% Res to Hold Duration) Spring Attack: Click. Superiour Damaging Attack, Short ranged TP, AOE, Knockdown (Mag 0.67) My suggestion would be having the Kick, Acrobatics, and Spring Attack being the three powers that interact with each other. They would pretty universally be considered the "underloved" powers from the set... and because I'm not giving people MORE reason to get a LotG mule. By having Jump Kick - both Acrobatics and Spring Attack gain a 15% reduction to their Endurance Costs. Acrobatics also increases its Hold protection by and extra -1. Spring Attack's TP Range increases by 15% By having Acrobatics - both Jump Kick and Spring Attack gain a 15% increase in their Damage. Jump Kick's chance to KnockUp increases. Spring Attacks chance to KnockDown increases. By having Spring Attack - both Jump Kick and Acrobatics gain a 15% reduction to their Endurance Costs. In addition, whenever your attacks with Jump Kick or Spring Attack hit an opponent there is a chance that the opponent will be slowed (-15% Flight Speed, -15% Jump Speed, - 15% Run Speed)

Except that Perma-Hasten is totally a thing you can do now. Oh, and the game hasn't been active for 16 years And one power is rarely that much to sacrifice. In fact most characters would be fine sacrificing power selections in favour of enhancement slots late game. And since character can choose not to take the power, removing it from the game probably would have very little effect, and certainly wouldn't require other powers to be re-balanced purely on its account.

That's what I was arguing for - unlocking them. 🙃

If only fighting's "Fatigued" status was actually an effect that any PvE'er wanted 😁 Yea, I could see this for some pools, but for others not so much. How does Team Teleport get "better", incrementally, with each other power picked? Or Acrobatics? Unreleanting's already fairly good as is, not amazing, but useful for some ATs and concepts. Would that have to be nerfed first, and then built back up with what I'll call "Pool Power Selection Stacking"? Bringing it back around - How would HASTEN be affected? 🙃

Not to be a contrarian, but my Melee MM makes use of Boxing, and every other fighting pool power. I can't claim that it's a good build, but for concept they, or something like them are absolutely essential. I wish they (kick, boxing and cross) were better, so concept would more than just that. And mixing it up in Melee really hurts his END bar.. but I digress. I see the logic in keeping some powers "locked" behind a certain number of powers if, and only if, those powers are impactful enough that some form of investment is deemed necessary, but then you have to intentionally underpower the earlier selections. It's a catch 22 - either the powers ALL need to have some level of parity, and thus not as much impact on playstyle for most ATs, or you have to gate powerful powers behind weaker ones. Or have them unlock based on level, not your investment of powers in a pool. How do you make a power not a "trap"? For all (or at least most) Archetypes? At all levels of play, both in game character "security level" and also player skill level? Without them being dull, wishy-washy or underperforming fluff? It's tricky, and would require an complete revamp of how pool powers can either be chosen, or a total revamp of the powers themselves, or both! Not saying I disagree. I'd love to let my idea of a character override some of the, perhaps, unnecessary hand-holding and limitation on what's "right" for the AT. But In doing away with such things the balance of the game would probably be very warped - something I absolutely do not want to see. CoH is the best MMO out there today, no argument against that.

If it's so bad that it's a basically a "trap" power, as you imply, then why have it there at all? 😁

I'd quite like a total rework of the momentum mechanic. A stacking buff that gives more bonuses the more stacks you receive, say. Thematically, the momentum you generate while swinging a heavy thing not only increases the speed and lessens the extra mechanical effort at which you can continue or speed up its arc, but it makes it harder to control. Powers that require control, and powers that benefit from being cycled between... but lock you into a specific "style" of attacks while you maintain the momentum? Switching styles resets your momentum stacks to zero.

Because these are the topics on the front page I guess... And I suppose that, for some people, these are critical issues that are for some reason, more important than other considerations. I dunno. Controversial opinions have more discussion potential than non-controversial ones? I'd /sign most of what you've just mentioned.

Not saying that's not worth doing! I'm just not against Hasten being looked at. But everyone keeps saying that we don't need to look at it. "It's fine" they say. And that makes me wonder what we could do with it! or... what we could do without it... 😮

Firstly, I agree; that would be thematic. I will /sign that petition when it comes around (assuming that the pools themselves get better or that Epic Pools are likewise removed from non-Hero aligned characters) Second, the majority of the player base doesn't set foot in the rogue isles anyway... and then only does so to pick thematically appropriate powers that they feel are right for their heroic blue boys. Them "breaking character" if they want these powers won't last longer than the transit time between the end of the mission and Null. Patron Pools aren't really that much of a draw to play red side content beyond that 1 that you are required forced into playing through. The arcs are easily soloable and aren't a ringing endorsement of red sides differences. Thridly, any red side content is open to anyone with just a quick trip to Null and Oro. There's really nothing stopping people from running villainous content if they really want to seek it out. That's (imo) the real issue with red-side... even as someone who Alts waaaay more villains than heroes. Red side content is nearly indistinguishable from blue, save the text box. It's a sad, sad state of affairs and I would genuinely love red side to get some love... Real, unique, and rich, and engaging, and UNIQUE content... but holding patron pools hostage, while thematically on point (I will absolutely grant you that), it's mechanically toothless. Maybe if your first point was implemented I would be totally flipped around on the issue. As it stands now? "Null and done" as I think you put it. Why even have Null there in the first place if it's going to be so easy?

Hasten's availability means that it directly affects more players than the few that play /Regen, EMelee or any specific powerset combination. Why not look at it, considering it, as a single power has far more impact on the game than entire powersets?

Why? And it's an arc you have to run. It's not just Gull and Done. Epic Pools aren't gated to anyone. Why are Patron Pools?

I don't think Patron Pools are powerful enough outside of theme to be worth the bother. So I wholeheartedly agree that letting everyone pick them at 35 is no big whoop. They're really not deserving of their place as Villain Only Gated Content, especially when Null the Gull is the only thing stopping you from being a blue boy-scout in as long as it takes to use the VIP Pass.... and keeping your supposedly "villainous" powers. Keep the badges for running the arcs. Loose the gate keeping.

I mean, removing the power and putting in its place, literally anything wouldn't change the game that much. The new "max" would change a bit... maybe, but I'm confident in this player base's ability to find some way around it as it's not even a mandatory power selection these days. There would still be talk about powers that are "too important" to touch... or even discuss.

Super important is, again, a subjective point of view. The more times people say "this is too important to change" especially when it comes to a power that once, warped the entire game around it (not so much anymore due to set bonuses), I personally get an itch to start mucking about with it. I don't know... Sacred Cows bother me on a fundamental level I guess.

I don't see it as an "awful" idea in theory. It's just that there'd be a lot more work involved than the suggestion is willing to take into account. It's a different mindset. Somewhat like top-down design vs. bottom up design. Definitely not awful, just idealistic. But if hasten has to be a sacred cow until all the other "higher priority" problems are addressed then it's a simple move of the goalposts to get it to never be looked at. There's always something that could be looked at by the Devs. The importance of each item beyond basic game stability is pretty subjective.

@Replacement: Scrapper RNG criticals are, for me, a whole other barrel of disappointing. Mechanics I have no possible ability to influence, let alone control are the bane to my enjoyment of classes that are given them. It's The (capital T) reason I play Brutes over Scrappers. Same for why I would play Dominators over Controllers if I wanted a Lockdown focused AT. I don't like PermaDom as a concept really, but I'll take it over just rolling a dice any day.

Comparing single player content to an MMO is a stretch, but going along fro the ride; The reason someone would "cheat" for end game content is to eliminate a part of the game they don't find fun. In this instance for COH, the way to "cheat" is grinding away at a farm for all the XP and INF you need to play end game TFs and Raids, right? The only people who I can comfortably conceive wanting to skip the early game stuff is those people who it (early game) doesn't appeal to. So what's the harm in letting those that want to play the game (a specific part perhaps, but still engaging with the game) skip the content they don't want? You can choose not to buy stuff on the AH you know? You can go in the Broadcast channel and shout about how you "earned" all your purples "the hard way".

Just be removing the purple drops from the AH doesn't really do anything though. Grinding for drops or grinding for cash to buy the drops is still grinding. Removing them just makes the process longer.

I'm still not sure if you've explained why this system is preferable. A sense of accomplishment is a very nebulous and subjective stick to measure by. A sense of progression is maybe a bit more measureable. Number go up, and all that. But for what purpose should the number go up further than it is at the moment? Surely for more progression the HC Devs would be better off adding more Incarnate systems and content rather than hobbling a player's capability to acquire purples?

Pride and Accomplishment!

Ok, I'll bite. Why should this be the case?

Devils Advocate; Unless he's aware of how other people really enjoy the way things work now. Like, how getting PermaDom after all the time of not having it is a rewarding experience and worth the trouble of slotting and buying the right IOs for it. That sudden jump in power and effectiveness might be an "epiphany" kind of feeling.