AerialAssault

I'm not saying that Dominator's don't (I'm not sure where you got that from), but an Illusion Control Dominator would have only half of their primary powers qualifying to build Domination. That puts them at an immediate deficit versus other control sets.

There's also the issue of building Domination in the first place. Illusion Control has two non-attacks (Superior Invisibility & Group Invisibility). As far as I am aware, Dominators only build Domination from attacks, so right there is two powers which do not contribute. In addition, I do not believe, but I may be wrong about this, that Pets build Domination when they attack. Since Illusion Control is all about the Pets, that adds 3 more powers into the Not Building Domination category. That would leave you with only 4 Domination building attacks from your Primary set (Spectral Wounds, Blind, Deceive & Flash), and two of those do not deal damage. There also comes the question of how Domination affects Pets. Again, as far as I am aware, Pets do not benefit from Domination's increased Crowd Control, but only the Spectral Terror casts any Crowd Control (Fear), so 1 out of 3 isn't exactly great. Even if you look at the rest of Illusion's powers, you again have two powers which would not benefit from Domination (the Invisibility powers), leaving only Deceive, Blind & Flash. So that's less than half of your powers benefiting from Domination. And if we're being Real, they're not very good powers. Now, while I'm not saying it would be impossible to activate Domination, you would have to work twice as hard as any other Dominator to do so. The payoff, I guess, is that Phantom Army would become a god-tier power for Dominators, but putting that much stock into one power, I feel, cannot be good. Basically, what I'm saying is that if/when Illusion Control is added to Dominators, it wouldn't (or shouldn't) be a simple CTRL+C, CTRL+V affair.

Why do Echo zones even need "more foot traffic"?. They're snapshots of a time gone-by, a faded memory kept alive by literal techno-magic, an interactive museum of what once was. I don't really see why they should be anything more than that.

Never thought I'd see the day when people wanted to go back to grinding, but here we are.

The thing with the ambushes in Mayhem missions is that they are semi-controllable by the players. Longbow/PPD ambushes do spawn periodically as a "Hurry the F up!" mechanic, however they also spawn whenever a side mission is completed or in progress (or both). Smashing up objects and beating up the PPD stood around can also spawn additional ambushes. If a team is spread out completing multiple side missions and causing mayhem in separate areas, they're probably going to be overwhelmed. When they're in jail they get a minute or two before the horde is upon them, which is more than can be said for this mission. I've been in these situations before on Mayhem missions, but the key here is that we genuinely messed up big time by taking on more than we could handle. We were able to complete the mission with scant seconds remaining, but that situation was one of our own flawed design. And if we had ran out of time, guess what would happen? It certainly wouldn't have been "Get Spawn Camped Until You Log Out". My point is, with Mayhem missions and Cascading Ambush Failure, it is almost always down to the players deliberately biting off more than they can chew. With this mission, if victory is not guaranteed then we must accept that players can fail at a key juncture in circumstances beyond their control. Remember, it is possible to do everything right and still fail. Maybe an enemy gets a lucky hit in that causes a defence crash, or the support is Held at an inopportune time. The Controller could miss half a mob with their AoE CC, and get flattened as a result. The actions of players may tip the advantage in one way or another, but they are not responsible for the challenges that the mission has set before them (beyond their own difficult settings, but let's be real, even at -1, you aren't getting out of that hospital if you have 3-7 mobs on top of you when you spawn). By contrast, if you go around tagging every secondary objective in a Mayhem mission, you cannot be surprised when a regiment of Longbow descend upon you to kick your ass. If you don't want that to happen .. don't do it.

The key difference is that Mayhem missions have a time limit, so eventually you'll be put out of your misery. This is the point of contention with regards to this mission. Spawn camping the players is a failure of games design. As a games designer, you want the flow of play to be continuous. If you're holding the players head underwater and saying that the only winning move is not to play, you've failed at your job. I don't know many games, even ones designed to be difficult, which will knowingly trap players in a loop they can only escape by turning the game off. Bad Games Design

Funnily enough, many (but not all) of the post-GR escorts & allies use a similar style of AI wherein they see through their rescuer's stealth, and some don't even lose track of the players, ever, following them through the fire and flames and over mountains and valleys unerringly.

Yes, this is exactly what myself and others have been saying. The way ambush AI is scripted (or at least, some ambush AI, it's not consistent) is that they will chase player characters to the ends of the Earth. They can see through stealth, they ignore any aggro that isn't a taunt so RIP Masterminds, and they start homing in on the first character who re-enters the map as they're loading in and unable to defend themselves. The cheapest of cheap shots. If Ambush AI didn't do that, and instead turned 'dormant' after a fight, then scenarios like this wouldn't happen.

,':)

I mean, maybe it's just me, but I don't think waterboarding the players is fun or exciting gameplay.

You need to re-adjust your glasses because the OP isn't complaining that the mission is too difficult, it's that they're being spawn camped at the hospital. i.e. they cannot fight back because the enemies are inside the hospital and are being attacked during their 'wake up' animation, in which they can't fight back, which is a major design flaw and cannot possibly be working as intended.

I also think there is an inherent issue with Ambush AI, in that they will home-in on the 'anchor' of their ambush .. to the exclusion of everything else. Nothing short of a Taunt will dissuade them, and even then I swear on my life I've had them attack me anyway. For certain characters in a group, taking all of that aggro is a guaranteed death sentence. I think we've all witnessed this behaviour before. Tbh just rename the thread "Tweak Ambush AI" and I'll shower it in +1's.

Ah, this thread again. I'll just re-iterate and think that the idea in general (enemies get a random +ToHit when they attack) could/should be applied to a sub-set of enemies and certainly not all of them. I've always preferred "challenge" to be engaging the player's mind, rather than just a number checking exercise. Things like Nemesis Lieutenants, Devouring Earth summons, which coyly wag their fingers at players trying to brute force their way through them by subverting the standard order of play. Not to say that this should be true of all enemy groups, but if we want people to challenged, let's do it smarter, not dumber. (funnily enough you don't see people lining up to do Nemesis or Devouring Earth farms, almost as if *gasp* they're too challenging)

If it could be made to work, sure. There's many times I've lined up Breath of Fire against a cluster of enemies and only two of them get hit, making me yell "How the hell did they not get hit???"

Ring Fingers oh no oh no...

10k inf sounds like a lot but I remember Luck Charms on Live. Oh boy, do I remember Luck Charms.

As someone who has no problem with Knockback, hell, even enjoy watching enemies fly around like bowling pins, I'd be all for this idea. +1

Spaceballs already warned us about the dangers of going at LUDICROUS SPEED But yeah, fun though it might be I believe the cap is an engine limitation, rather than a hardware issue on our end. Maybe some day we'll be fast enough to clip through the geometry and stumble and fall endlessly into the whirling and infinite abyss.

I did think about the suggestion, and felt it necessary to point out why a global change should be avoided. However, I do agree that changing the 'easier' enemy groups (i.e. Council) might encourage players to broaden their horizons. Let's say, Council Marksmen get a stacking ToHit buff, which represents them "zero'ing in" on their targets. Now, this makes them too dangerous to be allowed to remain undefeated, as their shots are only going to become more accurate the longer they're left alive, but they're still only minions so any character should be able to deal with them before it becomes too much. This should probably only apply to the Cor Leonis super soldiers, so that lower level characters aren't overwhelmed. Stuff like that is more along the lines of what I could get behind.

This is perception vs. reality though. You may perceive that you have lost more, the reality is you still have more than someone who has significantly less, at least until 1.5 seconds later when your defence is halved again. All this will do will encourage the current meta more by building as much defence and as much AoE damage as possible before enemies inevitably slash the tank's defence to 0 and kill them instantly. If the idea has legs then they're crippled and lame legs, and a sure fire way to make people hate playing the game when they defence crash on every group of enemies. Thanks for ignoring the rest of my post. I don't know which enemies you are fighting, but there are definitely enemy groups out there which attack very fast. Praetorian Clockwork, for example, have about 4 attacks each at level 20+, and they recharge very fast. Here's where these ideas fall apart; in making such a blanket change, you haven't considered what that might actually look like in practice, nor given sufficient detail. Does this ToHit stack? Can it proc off of missed attacks? How long does the buff last? What does this mean for characters with little to no defence to begin with? You may think that giving enemies a +10% to-hit won't drastically alter the game, but we already know what happens when you do. The Incarnate enemy groups, that is, Banished Pantheon, Knives of Vengeance etc. do have a higher base To-Hit than other enemy groups of about 15%. And guess what, people aren't queuing up to fight them, because they're challenging to fight at +4/x8, especially Banished Pantheon. Heck, even groups like Nemesis and Devouring Earth demonstrate what happens when enemy To-Hit increases by even a small amount. Again, I'll re-iterate, I'm opposed to any such suggestion which aims for blanket changes to the game without considering the full consequences, and above all, is tailored to fit one person's idea of what is fun. I would rather see increased difficulty via creative enemy/mission design, that is optional to do so.

What happens to people who are not at soft-cap? Or people who are solo? Enemies who attack rapidly will quickly perforate squishies on account of being able to gain more ToHit more often. For some characters, even a change from +0 to +1 can turn a comfortable encounter into a nightmare, due to the enemies hitting more often and your character missing more often. If you're going to make the enemies hit even more, then they might not be able to manage +0. That's why I can't agree with any of these suggestions aiming for a change to the core gameplay. Adding more difficult content? Sure. Heck, I could even get behind updating older enemy groups to fit in with the newer designs of post-GR enemy groups. But a blanket change over everything? No thanks.

If someone has 45% defence and it gets halved, they still have 22.5% defence. If someone with 5% defence has theirs halved, they have 2.5% defence. Now I'm not a mathematicianist, but 22.5% is still higher than 2.5%. (let's not even entertain what would happen if your defence was halved again) Edit: I've just realised, these enemies already exist, they're called Romans, and there's a reason they're a high level group.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but a lot of these "make all enemies tougher" suggestions come from two places: 1) People playing at level 50 exclusively (while fully slotted and Incarnated) 2) People who only play at +0 This suggestion would make the intervening levels even more of a chore than they already are, and for that I can't really give it a thumbs up.

+1 Ideally i'd like to fit the entire Bee Movie script in my bio but I'll settle for the Navy SEAL copypasta.

An undisclosed location somewhere in the vicinity of Paragon City A pair of eyes darted between dozens of computer screens, each one recording through the helmet of a soldier. Occasionally, one would cut out into static, punctuated by a short but blood-curdling scream. The observer winced and hit the button for the next video feed. As the experiment proceeded, the tap of the button became rhythmic, each report of it’s press like a hammer into the observer’s skull. Previous tests had gone by smoothly, without incident. But then, those tests had been conducted on weaker parties. Freakshow, Tsoo, lone Arachnos cells. Even some individual villains and small groups of meta-criminals. A few of the Gene Troopers were lost in these engagements. This, however, was something else. This wasn’t a tough engagement or a desperate break-out, but a massacre. The observer cursed under their breath, tugging at their collar. They had underestimated this group. They had assumed that, once they felt the pressure they would simply break ranks and scatter, becoming easy prey for the organised Gene Troopers. Instead, they fell into formation, taking down targets with ruthless precision and overwhelming force. “Test subjects approaching Engagement Zone Oracle.” A mono-tone voice reported through a speaker. Flicking between video feeds, the observer saw the group of villains methodically fighting their way to the extraction point. To do so, however, they would have to walk a veritable killing field. With Gene Troopers pinning them in, they would surely crumble under the assault. Sure enough, the villains into the trap. The observer pressed a button on the console and pulled the microphone closer “Teams Moscow, York, Lisbon & Seoul, initiate battle-plan Close Noose.” A series of affirmatives reported through to them. The observer shifted in their chair, flicking through the video feeds with bated breath. At first, the manoeuvre was executed as planned. Penned in from all sides, the villains began to falter under the assault. Gene Trooper teams assumed their attack positions, launching volley after volley of psychic blasts into the cornered villains. Eventually, one of them was downed, and then another. The observer allowed themselves a sigh of relief and pressed the microphone button “Execute Phase 4.” At the command, the Gene Troopers advanced into close range. Video feeds continued to cut out as the villains reaped a toll into their ambushers. Far too much for the observer to feel confident. Just as another order was crossing their lips, they witnessed disaster. A number of the villains broke free from the kill zone, throwing the Gene Troopers into disarray. In the chaos, two of the downed villains recovered, wasting no time in seizing the opportunity. One side of the kill box crumbled in a matter of moments, a chorus of death shrieks signalling a turn in the battle. “Team Lisbon is Code Black.” The monotone report came through the speaker. “Teams Moscow, York, Seo-“ “Team Seoul is Code Black.” “Team York! Fall back a-“ “Team York is Code Black.” “Moscow! Team Moscow, initiate retreat and regroup at Point Cartographer!” The speaker was silent, except for static. The videos showed a grim picture, with cameras pointed absently at the ceiling. Sweat dripped from the observer’s brow. Speechless for a moment, a murmur of activity behind them reminded them of their job. “Field Command, prepare for Targets at Point Cartographer.” “6-02-4.” The almost robotic voice responded. A few silent seconds passed before the scout reports came in and went silent almost as quickly. When the villains engaged the command group, the observer's hopes that were briefly raised were cut drastically short. A whole squad of elite Gene Troopers wiped out in less than a minute. The control room was deathly quiet, aside from the soft crackle of static and restrained cough. An unmitigated disaster. Suddenly, a message came through the intercom “Administrator, the Executive wants a word..” The churning feeling in their stomach turned into frozen bile. This was it, the end of their project, the end of their career, and depending on her mood, possible even the end of his life. He trudged through the office halls. Wherever he walked, staff stared at him with absent expressions. They all knew the weight of the defeat they had just suffered. He entered a small office room to the side. A spartan dressed room, there was only a chair and a single holographic projector in the centre of the room. He took his seat, adjusting his collar and prepared himself as best he could. When the hologram came in, he couldn’t bring himself to meet the gaze of the Executive. An incredibly powerful business mogul, their hologram suitably towered over them. Their expression was hidden by shadow, and the glare of their square glasses. “Doctor Venkman. It would be an understatement to say I am merely ‘disappointed’.” The doctor bowed their head, trying their best to curl up without actually entering the fetal position. “I’m sorry, ma’am. This failure rests on my shoulders, the project-“ “Is a failure. Dealing with street gangs or lone metas is not worth the investment, not when we have our own security forces which *can* deal with groups of metas. From my point of view, your project has reached it’s end, Doctor Venkman.” He choked back tears, struggling for words. Would it help him to plead? To beg? All he could muster was a meagre “Please ..” “Yes, your project in it’s current incarnation has no future.” She looked down at the doctor dismissively. “I expect the next incarnation to produce better results.” A gasp of relief escaped Doctor Venkman’s lungs involuntarily. He composed himself enough to stammer out words of thanks. “Yes, thank you ma’am. We will deliver, I promise.” The Executive scoffed. “I don’t build my enterprises on promises, Venkman. I build on hard results. And if you fail to deliver, well, let’s just say there won’t be a third incarnation.” With that, the hologram winked out of existence. Doctor Venkman’s cold, stuttered breath rattled from his chest. A minute or two passed before there was a knock at the door. Gathering himself, he stood up and opened the door. His second stood there, concern written plainly on her face. “Doctor? Is everything .. are we still ..?” He straightened his tie and cleared his throat “Still in business? Yes. We have a lot of work to do.” He left the conference room, purpose putting a spring in his step. “Send a message to the PI Lab; fire up BIO for the next phase of the project.”