Psi-bolt

You know, I both absolutely agree with you but I think you're missing the point. You're right, Arsenal Control will be problematic in the form its in if it goes live. BUT, I think the game is in a state where you have two options if you're a developer: Make the same set over and over again with different visual and audio effects; Make something different that either winds up better or worse than the majority of sets. You appear to be arguing that control sets need certain tools or they are likely not going to work as well as what we have now. I agree with that honestly. I think the developers probably agree with that to a certain extent. I think when they are trying to build a new set though they would just prefer to do something different rather than rehash the same set. I have played sets including Seismic Blast and wound up disappointed but ultimately still got them to 50 because I like the concept. It just doesn't wind up being my "main" Blaster. Ultimately, the developers goals are different than yours. I think you're right about where Arsenal Control will wind up, but I'm not sure that's not baked into the developers goals for creating the set. That's frustrating to be sure.

Praetoria can be somewhat unforgiving for truly new players. Additionally, you do move out quick at level 20 but until then you're pretty much trapped there while heroes and villains can go to Praetoria and to the other side of Primal (via Null). So all the early level team activities are pretty much locked out. As for the tutorial the stated reason is that Outbreak and Breakout are better as a tutorial for truly new players. I.e. they aren't as engaging but they do a better job of actually teaching you the basics. More thorough discussion can be found here:

Currently, I have memorized the location of all exploration badges in Atlas and Nova. Even if I start a villain, I turn into a rogue and go over to Atlas to get LRT. I don't like the change because Atlas (and Nova) are quite compact and easy to get LRT within minutes of starting the character. It will be even easier with the outstanding change to provide an initial jetpack. So like others have stated, I would prefer that they lower the number to 8 badges or don't make this change because it's substantially more convenient as it is.

Started a new character in Outbreak. Really like the improvements. Some comments and suggestions: 1) Take the P2W vendor out of the tutorial. For a truly new player, they won't need it and they don't have any money yet so there's only so much they can buy. Worse, is that they might buy the double exp boosts, which are fine if they know what they are getting into, but this could start them on the road to poverty right away. 2) With the jet pack and athletic run, navigating Outbreak is much quicker so much so that I would suggest having the initial contact in the zone explain how to use them. 3) The AT initial powers are so nice, especially since I was playing on a Controller. I would reiterate the calls above to allow the power to be slotted. I would also perhaps have the scaling drop slightly less for those ATs that can use another attack (well just controllers really). 4) The tutorial officers have the yellow quest available sign even after you've talked to them. I guess this isn't really a problem for truly new players, but I kept trying to get them to turn it off! 5) Finally, on the money thing. I would drop them a little nest egg of influence right out of the tutorial. Something small like 100K, just enough that they can buy a few enhancers and inspirations.

I've already commented on how I think this will affect teaming, but I wanted to make another comment. The reward requires having an Tank, Melee damage dealer, Ranged damage dealer, Support and Control. The stated reason is to help newer players create better teams. But simply put, there's literally no need in this game to ensure that all five of those roles are represented in the vast majority (if not all) task forces. If anything, the "holy trinity" of a tank, DPS (whether ranged or melee), Support is all that's even worth ensuring you have. There are encounters where that grouping makes sense. But even then with 1-2 experienced players (not strange in a 20 year old game), it's not necessary. Mono-AT teams regularly do very well. I don't like this idea because it's fixing a non-existent problem. Any team of well played and well built characters can handle the vast majority of content. It would be better to train newer players on how to build their character and ensure that they don't skip hallmarks of their AT or powerset. That would go much further IMO to solving the issue that Cobalt Arachne posits.

This might seem a minor thing but one of the things I've always loved about this zone is when you leave the base via the teleporter, the area music for the base starts playing. Always fit the atmosphere for the area. Since I gather the underground part of the base is part of the same area as the above ground, I'm guessing the music doesn't play because it doesn't recognize you've moved between areas. If this could be returned I would love it.

Donated! I wonder with the new license can you guys build a more sustainable fund. Or even pay yourselves. I know I would be willing to go to a full on subscription system (voluntary) if it meant that your volunteers who have been doing this for years as a passion project could be compensated.

Did a bit of testing on a Bane and I can't tell you how much more fluid and enjoyable both Banes and Widows are. It really feels like this is how they should have been all along. Everything seems to be working, so I don't have any other feedback to offer than great job.

I'm going to bring this around to a critique of Arsenal Control I promise, but a short digression. I think control has a place in a team setting now, it's just that it's a place that is completely unnecessary in the vast majority of content because of the overall power level in the game. At its most basic, our characters are earning rewards by: Beating up NPCs Completing mission/zone objectives Control helps with #1 via small amounts of damage, making it easier to apply damage from others (i.e. keeping them in place) and mitigating the NPCs ability to retaliate. Control helps with #2 in a variety of ways. On glowy missions, you can mez the enemies so that you can interact with objectives. Taunting pets can distract, stealth powers can let you traverse missions/zones easier. Other ATs are SUBSTANTIALLY better at #1. Who needs mitigation from control when you're neigh immortal? Who needs to keep NPCs in place when they die to AoEs. And the damage from most control powers is laughable. As for #2, that's nice, but the assistance in doing mission objectives isn't that great compared to just killing everything around objectives. Only very specific objectives (e.g. Hamidon mitos) which are built around control give control much of a role. Bringing this back around to Arsenal Control. While I don't think control sets have that much of a place in the current metagame, control has something else. It's cool and fun. And that's not to be underestimated in a game trying to replicate the feel of superpowered individuals. Arsenal Control is pretty good on that point. It's powers are interesting, but in my opinion probably aren't doing much to help with the two objectives above that can't be done much easier than sets like Fire Control. Ultimately, that's the issue I have with so many of the new sets that came later in the game. They might look and feel cool, but they really aren't as good (and certainly not better) than existing sets at completing the objectives of the game. But, as stated, since I feel the same way about control sets in general, I don't think Arsenal Control is particularly bad. It's needs some help and tweaking here and there, but is otherwise OK.

Without disparaging folks, it's still true that some folks will want to ensure that this bonus exists and this will create certain undesirable behaviors in the playerbase as a result. Just to make this concrete, these are some of the scenarios I think will happen: Experienced team leader just wants to do a Positron I TF. They want to get it done ASAP. They invite 7 random people with no concern at all about PA since they have 300 in their SG base. One or more team members, prior to starting the TF complain that they don't have a diverse team. Leader either acquiesces to their desires or people are now salty, people quit, etc. Conversely, new team leader, having built up the gumption to form their own team, tries to fill. They get 4 of the standard AT and a HEAT/VEAT that would fill it out. They have to argue with folks that they now have the bonus despite the visual cue. Also, in the same scenario, the new team leader doesn't even know about the bonus and has a similar issue with the experienced team leader in no.1. This discourages them from trying to build teams in the future. Sure, folks might not think these are big issues, but they interject some negativity where none was before.

Spent some time on a NW yesterday. Very noticeable increase in damage from the crit changes. Love the new power and the stealth changes. Saves the need for the +stealth IO while allowing the stalker-lite playstyle. Very good changes overall. Would also love to have a real inherent power for the AT, but I can't honestly claim that's necessary.

That's true, I usually cast in combat for that very reason after I've built up some aggro. But yeah, again devs, I love this pool. To be a fair tester though, I have to tell you that having a 175 range attack on a Scrapper makes pulling a wee bit too easy. Did the Ramiel arc and was able to split the Honoree and Captain easily.

If I have the space in the build (and usually do as Scrapper/Stalkers don't need that many powers in the end part of leveling) I will always take this. I was testing it out just now and it add a nice bit of non-Smashing/Lethal damage (along with the rest of the pool) for times when you run up on an NPC using Unstoppable. That said, I have no quarrel with your suggestion to add it to the squishy ATs, just leave it alone for the melees as I think this is my new favorite epic pool.

This exactly. I don't have any particular issue with playing the bad guy, but the structure of the content really doesn't allow that. It's hard to create that illusion that your villain is being proactive, but CoV just doesn't do it much at all for me. SWTOR did this a lot better IMO, where you character had minions who brought schemes to your attention. Only at the beginning were you kind of a lackey, later on you really felt like a mover and shaker.

Hard mode teams are going to remain exclusionary because there's a gameplay reason there for needing specific ATs. For normal TF, the "bring whatever you want" culture of CoH is one of its greatest strengths and this lessens that, if only to a minor extent.

I would like to echo swapping the Tier 3 and Tier 2 powers so that Controllers don't find themselves locked into having no attacks. Tranquilizer doesn't appear to be applying its sleep. I've more testing to do, but seems like a fun set. I would use a different model for the gun drone if there's an appropriate one out there.

Maybe unpopular opinion, but I think one of CoH biggest positives is that on most content you can roll with 8 random players and go have fun. Sure this is only a small additional reward, but it will lead occasionally to exclusionary behavior and that's to be expected. Even if you don't bother to recruit for that, there will be times when someone on the team will try to switch to meet the bonus or some other behavior intended to ensure the bonus exists. It's just natural for people to want to ensure that they get those additional rewards. It's going to lead to minor drama. This is one of those weird things where it would be better just not to do a thing or if you're going to encourage this behavior, then you might as well make it worth it. My preference is that CoH has made it 20 years without this and it's not necessary now.

I think this is the way. Energy Aura already mechanically is similar to force field in that it provides type based defense.

I think this would be a good idea. Better if you got auto-exemplared to the max level of that mission contact. But even if not, it doesn’t make sense for some contacts. For example, Tina at Portal Corp stopping at 45 even though she has you fighting the Praetorians.

I understand that the game will be free an supported by donations, but is there going to be a voluntary subscription or some other kind of funding model now that NCSoft has sanctioned the server? Honestly, I would love to go back to having all of the veterans rewards without the money sinks of the P2W vendor and would be willing to pay for it. Just a thought if it is possible.

Regarding Jack Emmert, I don't think that the community hated the guy, we were just frustrated because well, he wasn't honest about what he was doing and he couldn't just move off some very weird views that he had about the game. It's hard to remember being almost 20 years ago now, but the nerfs in the 2004-2005 ranged leading up to ED were absolutely brutal. And you know, much of that was needed, but he just needed to say, "we screwed up, we may have to do more, but we'll talk to you and be honest about what we're doing and why." The thing that made me personally go off on him on the forums was this line, "Concern = small tweak. Don't worry Regen Scrappers." And then they proceeded to turn Instant Healing into a very long recharge click and basically permanently changed the set. That led to something that I don't necessarily blame on Statesman alone because the devs stuck to it long after he was gone and that's the infamous "Cottage Rule." Basically stating that they won't ever change the basic function of a power. And while I don't blame that on him, I do think that the application of the cottage rule to specific changes in the game was ad hoc and dishonest. Changing Instant Healing to a click was much more of a change in the essential function of the power IMO than if they had made it another type of defensive toggle. But with Statesman, he would selectively argue that this or that change wasn't an essential change. Another thing that I absolutely thought he was nuts was that he argued to the end that we didn't need to have the real numbers for what powers did. Even after they changed it he would comment that he didn't think it was necessary. And that more than anything was emblematic of my biggest problem with him. He was a real smart guy, IIRC he studied classics at the University of Chicago. The Lore of CoH, which I know he had a lot to do with, was outstanding. But his rigidity really was grating. Sorry for the semi rant. I have moved on, I promise! 😄

Agreed actually, I just forgot to mention that I would remove the taunt aura from Integration. I think they only put it there because there was literally no other place for it. I don't think the mez protection toggle is a good place for a taunt aura. It's just out of place. As for giving it to Scrappers, it's inherent in all the "scaling mitigation" toggles like Invincibility, Rise to the Challenge, etc. I find it interesting that you mention that because the set already has three powers that give resistance: Reconstruction, Resilience and MoG. It literally has just as many resistance powers as it does powers that buff regeneration. Resilience is the best passive resistance power in the game. The set has more resistance powers than it does reactive heals. Sure one might say that the resistance in Reconstruction is just for "flavor" but resilience and MoG certainly aren't. As you say, fundamentally, the set will never work for tankers unless it has some MORE resistance or defense. I don't think MoG is the way to bridge this. I don't think there's a way to make MoG fill that role unless you do make the set revolve around it. I hate that about Granite Armor and the Kheldian capstone powers. I also don't think Tankers should have to rely on ally buffs until level 26. Also agreed. This was more just getting the idea off my chest, I had these fights with the live devs 15+ years ago I don't have much hope that the Homecoming devs want to wade into the mess the live devs left Regen in.

Do you honestly think so? Because this greatly reduces the amount of potential regeneration in IH in exchange for the scaling resistance.

Regeneration buffs are based on your base regeneration which is 25% of your max health per minute. So if you have a 100% regeneration buff, you now regenerate 50% of your max health per minute. Regen has about 450% enhanced regeneration buffs active at all times, which means a Regen player is regenerating 137.5% (base +buffs) of their health per minute also counting Health. Enhanced Instant healing ups that to 387.5% while it's active. Instant healing enhanced is about a 1000% regeneration buff which is the equivalent of 2.5x your max health per minute.

Yes, this is true. I debated long and hard before posting this thread because the futility of seeking buffs for a set nerfed 18 years ago seems futile, but I had to get it out on paper.