drbuzzard

I doubt it but you never know.

Jim Butcher.

While I almost never start mission teams, I very often start TFs- 2 today so far in fact.

As I said, there has to be some justification for being a glass cannon, and that's the AOE caps more than anything else. Any damage boost power from the secondary is made moot by a kinetics player on your team (which any high end team WILL have). The blaster secondaries (and primaries really) vary all over the place in quality. People act like every blaster is better than every sentinel, and I believe that to be counter factual. Sentinel primaries are better balanced across sets. There will be examples where a sentinel will be better than a blaster, as every blaster is not fire or ice. At the top end of the AT blasters will be appreciably better damage dealers, but at the bottom, a sentinel is probably better because of the more narrow dispersion of the quality band (this is on single targets). The 60% greater target cap can't be worked around however, and that's where sentinels will fall behind. As to the nukes, yes the sentinel nukes don't hit as hard, but if you do the math they hit harder per recharge time (except AR and archery which are deliberate anomalies) than the comparable blaster nuke.

A thought in general however, if sentinels were any closer to blasters in damage, there'd be little reason to put up with being a glass cannon. The main place where things end up blurring is because IOs make it easy to make yourself more sturdy, but don't necessarily pump damage as hard (I don't want to step into the proc swamp here).

About the only thing I didn't like about the upgrade is that vulnerability does not stack from multiple sentinels. If it did you could have some very mean sentinel superteams.

I am not as expert as this topic as some, but when I looked into the numbers on these things I noticed some curious things about blaster numbers. The Trapdoor times allow the blaster to run the defensive buff from P2W (for status protection), and the pylon times often seem to have someone else holding the aggro. Funny that. In the case of Trapdoor it would make for some fun times without that buff since there's all those mezzes being tossed around. I know blasters can deal with the attacks from a pylon though, but then it's about tradeoffs to get that sturdy. I don't try to enter into those competitions as I know my limitations. I don't play hardcore enough to be competitive, and honestly I don't care enough.

I've played them all to 50 (a few times in some cases). SR is the most durable of the 3, but it takes more investment to really get good, so I'd probably favor one of the other 2. Regeneration is what I would prefer over willpower. They both fairly similar though in effect. I think regen is easier to get good on the cheap.

If you're talking dirt poor, a super reflexes tank is pretty hard to beat. Combine it with dark melee and you'll have a heal and endurance recovery. Nice thing about an SR tank when you're dirt poor is you can softcap defense for all positions with just SO or common IOs if you take weave from fighting pool. To also stick up for sentinels, electric/regeneration is a very nice combo, and regeneration doesn't really demand set bonuses to be pretty sturdy.

The guide isn't that old. This is the current state of storm and there's no sign of a change on the horizon. Personally I think removing the repel in hurricane would do a lot to help the set, but I imagine there's current users who like it.

Since someone wondered about softer things than tanks and stalkers (not that stalkers are all that durable, but whatever), I figured I'd do sentinels since those were mentioned as soft soloists (which belies my experience, but again, whatever). Took a lvl 50 electric/regen sentinel through a number of CoT missions in PI. First run was sentinel decked out with full on optimized build (few places probably could have been improved, but it was close, I was lazy). Incarnate powers were all T4. Took them into a CoT run at +4x8 bosses on. I was able to clear single spawns, but had to use incarnate powers (barrier and judgement mostly). I died two times in there, once when I was out of healing options or barrier, and too much damage was incoming. I wasn't using inspirations as much as I should have, so I could have done better. Second time was aggroing a second spawn and that was that. The mission did get finished without any huge hiccups, as I just had to wait for second wind to recharge. Made a second build with SOs. Ick. I'm so used to making sentinel IO builds, this just felt a bit odd. Nonetheless off I went to vanquish foes. Set things for +1x4( w/bosses) with no incarnate powers in my tray (so just T4 alpha core musculature, and the auto power part of hybrid assault). I was able to beat up the groups easy enough. I think it was easier than on the tank. The ability to drop the nuke on a spawn before they know you're coming does a nice job of cleaning up the riffraff. When there were too many spawns in close proximity I would pop some lucks. Overall, there were no complaints. Again if we assume +0x4 is a reasonable balance point for SOs, things are working as intended.

I think the bosses were on, though I should check. I've got a sentinel or two on test I could try out as well. I think they would fare OK if careful. Granted tar patch and hover blasting does not mix so that could be trouble.

OK, I gave in and made a SO version of the tank (kept the T4 incarnates because I was too lazy to remove them, but didn't use them much at all). After the rebuild (2nd build) I don't think I capped any resistances (best was toxic in the 80s). Took him for a test drive with the +4x8 settings. He melted in the first group. OK, maybe it was a bit tough for a solo tank. Let's try +1x4. This went well enough with me fighting each spawn effectively and not getting into extreme trouble. I'd have to pop heals, but overall, it was no bid deal. I did get whacked when I aggroed 2 groups at once. So are these balanced for SOs? Depends on what the balancing point is, but a tank without any support could do +0x4 (I was incarnate shifted) without inordinate trouble. On a team with some support it would be doable. Given how many sets offer bonus resistance these days (sonic, thermal, pain dom, electric, nature) it would be pretty smooth sailing. Though I've not had much luck finding teams on test to find out for certain. Clearly it is not balanced for +4x8 with SOs, nor should it be.

When looking at the character screen, there's an icon at the top with arrows. That will transfer characters to other servers. You have a limited number of uses per week. You could also lose the name.

I never play on SOs, and really don't want to have to think in those terms, so I'll leave that testing to others.

OK, since the stalker was a bit of an edge case (not exactly the most popular AT) I decided let's try driving a tank through the shiny new CoT. Tank build is radiation armor/dark melee. The goal was first to attain 90% resistance to as much as possible (basically all but cold and psi). Then I chased recharge hard to get soul drain up as often as possible to be a self buffer. Given that I had the purple tanker proc in place and used it a lot, I was likely 90% resistant to everything pretty often. I had run this tank on a LGTF 1* a while back, but I was rushed to finish the build as people were waiting. I was able to respec and get things done right this time, so it was quite optimized and fully decked out in t4 incarnate. Running radios in PI I eventually pulled up some council. First council run was on +4x8 no bosses. This wasn't a huge amount of trouble since council could only do damage I had 90% against. Yes, the debuffs, especially slows, got annoying, and it was a bit close at times since the heals were recharging pretty slow. I will say the nebulas using more of the warshade tool kit is a nice touch. Those bastards would just use stygian circle and they went from almost dead to full. Next mission I turned bosses on and while it got a little more hairy, it was still quite doable. Radiation armor happened to line up fairly well with the tricks they were pulling, so it wasn't arduous. Compared to live, they were a more rocky road than the freshly paved highway that we normally steamroll. I don't know that they need any more tuning since it was an alignment of optimal tank for the case. Many other builds would have a lot rougher time.

OK, since the stalker was a bit out an edge case (not exactly the most popular AT) I decided let's try driving a tank through the shiny new CoT. Tank build is radiation armor/dark melee. The goal was first to attain 90% resistance to as much as possible (basically all but cold and psi). Then I chased recharge hard to get soul drain up as often as possible to be a self buffer. Given that I had the purple tanker proc in place and used it a lot, I was likely 90% resistant to everything pretty often. I had run this tank on a LGTF 1* a while back, but I was rushed to finish the build as people were waiting. I was able to respec and get things done right this time, so it was quite optimized and fully decked out in t4 incarnate. I took him for a test drive in PI. First mission was CoT minus the bosses (solo bosses off setting) at +2x8. Radiation armor is one of the toughest sets, and I built this tank to be optimally tough (to my way of seeing it). Things got a bit hairy at times, but nothing I couldn't handle. Cold damage is rough on a rad tank, and those ice demons do hand it out generously. The stacking debuffs were also no picnic. I liberally used my heals to keep standing. Next mission was CoT again, but this time I cranked it to +4/x8 (still no bosses). This got a whole lot more hairly with many moments of being locked down in terror, or confusion. Nonetheless I was able to keep up use of the heals, absorb, or barrier to stay standing. Last of the missions I ran was CoT at +4/x8 with bosses on. This one finally got me killed and had to do the walk of shame back from the hospital (ok flight of shame). I did finish the mission, but an optimized radiation armor tank gives new CoT the thumbs up for no longer being a joke. On a team the tank would have had the support to do the job without inordinate trouble (assuming support had powers and slotting).

You don't read very carefully. There is no shortage of options, there's a shortage of people using those options. That is not really something the development team can fix. People want the easy way, and will find it. Blaming the developers for that is like blaming them for water being wet. You're saying there's a shortage because people are using easier options to effectively get power leveled. Hell, a bunch of players would probably like to just have the freebies menu available on live. DFB is absolutely relevant to the issue. It gets you to 11 or so very quickly and easily. Sure, you could play arcs at that level as well, but some people (me included) don't like the low levels since your options and abilities are very limited. After you do a posi 1+2 and you're looking at 20. That's just the path I favor. There are plenty of story arcs in the range as well, some of them of fairly modern vintage as well. You don't need to go suffer in the Hollows. For the 20s there's Striga, Faultline, and half of Croatoa. There is no shortage of low to mid level content. With double XP option on, low level content takes no appreciable time. Hell they even made SOs available all the way down. Though DFB is actually especially relevant to this. When HC first started up, there was no diminishing returns on DFB so people would ride it all the way to 50. I can't imagine indulging in such tedium, but then I can't stand door sitting in fire farms either. They killed that option with those diminishing returns for a reason. I'm not sure what your point may actually be, other than complaining about human nature applies to games, but the changes are a good thing. Enemies at high level should not be punching bags.

There is absolutely no shortage of low level options unless you mean people not using them. Given that DFB recruitment is almost continual (on excelsior), it's hardly that either. People take spots on PI teams so they can rocket up in levels. Even on Indomitable, which is one of the least used servers, DFB gets run all the time.

As I have been leveling up characters on Indomitable, and they don't have the ITF familiarity of excelsior, I've had to do these adjustments rather often. On Excelsior, there's enough people with fully IOed and incarnated builds for 4 of them to carry 4 35s with SOs. You can just get away with a +4. On Indom, you run a +4 at dire risk of team collapse if you don't start tumbling that difficulty setting fast (particularly after the kheld ambush in the first mission). We are getting a bit far afield though. I wouldn't mind if this change took people on a more clear path to team with more like level people. I'm not optimistic enough to assume that to be the case however. This is not to say I wish to have such outcomes enforced.

I agree fully. I like this change. However I also expect more people begging for fire farms.

This is fully dependent on how many characters of significant level and equippage are on the team. Too many lowbies and they won't be able to do squat and things will go sideways. Even teams with lobwies now can steamroll CoT and council. Those lowbies often are using prestige powers for much of their attack chain. This won't cut it anymore. Again, I don't think that's a bad thing. The enemies at 50 shouldn't be a joke.

Current PI radio teams already avoid or dread carnies, malta or arachnos. The death count is generally quite high on the lowbies with unslotted powers, no defenses, and few powers in total with those factions. Council and CoT are now appreciably harder than those factions. Unless the one running the team is a good buff/debuff guy, they will be soloing missions with a bunch of lowbie corpses strewn around which randomly pop up from level rezzes and then die again. That may be a touch hyperbolic, but I cannot see teams being the free for all of inviting anyone, even fresh out of the character generator, to join a PI team. You will have to have a good core before you can carry a team of lowbies. Heck you must have seen how sketchy a 54 KM ITF can be if you don't have enough 50+1s. Council and CoT are now probably tougher than cimerorans. I was fighting +1s (and +2s) on a character which probably cost a billion influence or so with all accolades. Since electric melee is pretty solid AOEs for a stalker, I mostly cleared out the minions without trouble. I also had bosses off, so only lieutenants, and that makes a big difference. Those lowbie teams will have the bosses. It will be a slaughter. I should be clear though, I don't think that is bad really. People should expect high level enemies to be tough. CoT and Council in PI have been something of a loophole. That loophole will close. Of course what is likely the sad consequence of this is those lowbies which used to get some runs on PI teams will now go to fire farms, where they won't even make a pretense of playing along, merely sitting at the door. They'd be better off with the DFB, Posi 1+2, Yin route, but water and players will always sink to the lowest level.

I took a elec/enaergy stalker for a drive and tried out a few things. The build was level 50+3/ thoroughly decked out as one might expect. I went to PI and started up the old radio. First selection of missions was arachnos-carnies-carnies. This was a bit annoying since I wanted to try the new Council and CoT. However I said no big deal, I'm trying electric melee with Thuderstrike update, so why not? I fought my way through the carnies at +2x8 and it wasn't over the top. Fought my way through without any real 'oh shit!' moments. The radio finally cooperated, and I went into a warehouse of council. After carnies, I figured 'how bad could it be?'. Bad. Granted energy aura has a bit of an issue with negative energy, but still it was bad even fighting the rest. The wolves were really durable even when toned down from boss to lieutenant (I didn't set that up in difficulty). I eventually got offed by the council, and had to visit the hospital to have by features restored to intact. I went back in and used some incarnate powers which I'd rather skipped and cleared the place. The contrast with carnies who are universally seen as being tough was stark. Carnies were still slightly tough. You had to take out the bosses fast, and they could hurt you. The council was downright rough. You had to be on your toes. I ran into a concentration of nebulas and that was it. On live, council is the running joke in PI. Everyone can just invite newly minted heroes from AP and a single 50 can drag them over a +4x8 map of council and basically PL all the lowbies. That will no longer be the case. You better have half the team be of significant level and bring some support.

I took a elec/enaergy stalker for a drive and tried out a few things. The build was level 50+3/ thoroughly decked out as one might expect. I went to PI and started up the old radio. First selection of missions was arachnos-carnies-carnies. This was a bit annoying since I wanted to try the new Council and CoT. However I said no big deal, I'm trying electric melee with Thuderstrike update, so why not? I fought my way through the carnies at +2x8 and it wasn't over the top. Fought my way through without any real 'oh shit!' moments. Eventually the radio gave me a CoT. Mission. In a cruel twist of fate it was blue cave (gag). I went in and engaged my way through fighting everything. OK, now that is night and day. Normally people do CoT happily on steamroll PI radio missions where a bunch of your team is lowbies fresh out of AP. That will simply not work anymore. There were quite a few touch and go moments, and ultimately I ran into a group with a magma mage and I ate cave floor. After a short hospital stay where they re-inserted my spleen, I went back the (ugh) cave and went back after that spawn, but this time used barrier. I did clear the mission, but it was hairy. There will not be people carrying lowbies around anymore.