megaericzero

tldr version in yellow at the bottom of this post I saw biostem's thread suggesting Pistol Mastery for Scrappers and the responses it got. It seemed pertinent to post about a power pool I had been bouncing around in my head for a couple of weeks now. That being: Sleuthing. (Edit: this isn't throwing any shde at biostem or their idea; it just seemed relevant to post now since they mentioned a pistols options for a melee archetype.) A short preface: I think the existing power pools in the game cover the gamut of generic, not-full-powerset concepts and give good coverage of abilities to double down on strengths or shore up weaknesses very well so it's not lightly I suggest a new pool that would be available to every archetype, both conceptually and mechanically. That being said, let's jump in and I'll explain my reasoning as I go in darker text. Sleuthing You have experience as a detective, journalist, or other investigator that allows you to outsmart your foes and benefit from preparing for missions beforehand. This is a non-travel pool. Out of the gate, this would help cover the detective/journalist concept. I don't believe there's specifically a day job for that yet. Power Level Effect Sidearm 4 (Ranged) Foe Minor Damage (Lethal) Distraction 4 (Location AOE) Foe Taunt, -Range Advanced Investigation 14 [Toggle] Self +Defense (Psionic); [Auto] Self +Special Superior Reasoning 14 [Toggle] Self +Tohit, +Protection (Disorient, Hold, Sleep); [Auto] Self +Special Contingency Plan 14 Self Resurrect, +Protection (XP Debt) I think I got the power levels correct for a power pool? I'm still working off very old knowledge of live where it was 6, 6, 14, 20 but I know they've been lowered since then. If I got the level ranges wrong, please correct me. POWER DETAILS I'm not very good with numbers so I hope the power descriptions and you, the reader's, experience with existing pool powers will suffice to give an idea of how potent the effects should be. Sidearm (Ranged) Foe Minor Damage (Lethal) You carry a trusty sidearm on your person at all times. While just a small-caliber weapon only capable of dealing minor lethal damage to a target, it can come in handy in a pinch or be useful to attack targets out of reach. Damage: Minor Recharge: Fast This would allow people to have a permanent single-pistol power if they are willing to use the power (and pool) pick on it. Hopefully with power customization. The damage is small and could be supplemented with IOs or just serve as a mule. Distraction (Location AOE) Foe Taunt, -Range You create a distraction at a targeted spot, attracting the attention of nearby enemies. Though only momentary, this distraction can be utilized to corral enemies towards a desired spot or to cause them to cluster together. Note that the distraction is only minor, and the presence of you or any allies may supercede it in threat value. Damage: - Recharge: Slow Conceptually, this is the "knock on a wall" or "throw a rock in the distance to attract the faceless minions" trick. Mechanically, it would summon an invisible pseudopet at the location that does very low-magnitude taunt but is otherwise intangible or un-attackable and then disappears after a few seconds, causing enemies to gather around it. This hopefully adds some minor utility that is useful for smaller, lower-level, or inexperienced teams. It's not meant to be doing any favors for end-game TFs/trials that are built to steamroll. Advanced Investigation [Toggle] Self +Defense (Psionic); [Auto] Self +Special By leveraging your field experience, connections to information networks, and some prep time, you can prepare yourself for missions. While this power is active, you have a slight defense bonus against psionics as you are on the lookout for mental attacks as well. You also gain a passive bonus to damage against inanimate, destructable objects in missions and interact with other mission objects 30% faster. Damage: - Recharge: Moderate This would provide an option for psi damage mitigation. I chose defense because: a) without stacking it with other psi defense, it's less useful than resistance, b) being a defense power, it can't slot Impervium Armor or Aegis' psionic resistance enhancements to double its psi mitigation out of the gate. It also grants bonus damage to destructible objectives, which was actually the primary effect I had in mind. I wanted the Sleuthing set to give some sort of boost to mission objectives but definitely did not want any powers to affect rewards (influence, experience, enhancements/salvage/recipe drops). It's also the tier 3 power so that you have to take a prerequisite power pick in the same way as Tough. Superior Reasoning [Toggle] Self +Tohit, +Protection (Disorient, Hold, Sleep); [Auto] Self +Special With your honed observation skills, photographic memory, and some common sense you are able to piece things together with less information and tools than others. While active, this power slightly boosts your tohit chance and grants minor protection from disorient, hold, and sleep effects. You also gain a passive bonus that allows you to see the last groups of enemies and objectives in a mission map earlier than others as well as knowing which enemies hold keys to locked doors. Damage: - Recharge: Moderate This provides some minor mez protection (not resistance) that squishy archetypes could take and is purposely gated behind two prerequisite power picks. As above, I did not want Sleuthing powers to affect rewards or the market but still contribute something unique to missions. While the tech that shows remaining enemies and objectives can be quite jank (as Greycat pointed out in another thread), hopefully this would be workable. I don't know where the line is best - a third remaining? as early as half-way through? - but whatever point makes people feel the power pick adds something. Personally, I don't think seeing objectives or keyholders would break anything. Might just be awkward on story-heavy missions where your character isn't meant to know objectives until specific points in progression. Contingency Plan Self Resurrect, +Protection (XP Debt) You are always prepared for your missions with one or more contingency plans. If you are defeated in battle, you can choose to come back at one-quarter health and endurance as well as being protected from XP debt for a time. Damage: - Recharge: Very Long Mostly also meant for squishies but also potentially for melee archetypes that want a self-rez (eg: Invulnerability). I am aware Return to Battle exists. Very much the "ha, it was all part of my plan so I pretended to be dead / rigged an auto-defib to me beforehand!" Thinking out loud: should the player be able to activate this power early so they can completely avoid debt if they hard-read their impending defeat? tldr I don't suggest a new pool lightly and I hope this covers - a permanent single-pistol power option for all archetypes - the detective skills some comic characters have (conceptually) and powers that slightly boost mission QOL (mechanically) - give options for psi mitigation, mez protection, and a(nother) self-rez, purposely as a pool so it grinds against the Holy Quad Thanks for the read! I'm looking forward to hearing your guys' feedback on the idea.

I believe they're asking for the addition of more ancillary power pools cover a wider range of themes, via pulling from the existing primary/secondary sets. (eg: psychic and sonic on melee, ice on defender and corruptor, earth on blaster and mastermind, etc.) If so, I'm for it.

I don't think we have to worry as much about the cottage rule in this case because Claws Combat neither exists nor is in the same category as its parent (manipulation vs melee). People might complain if it were removed but they'd be trying to justify "taking away" a power they never had access to. (I have no opinion on whether or not it should be removed. As long as it serves blasters well.)

I love pun names so, while not bombastic, there's... Farmer Brawn - ss/fire brute on my alt account that I use for AE Permadonna - dark/psi dom (but thinking of remaking as symphony/psi) Repeat Offender - a solo defender and part of the villain SG The Usual Suspects My Hero - I have yet to level this one; chose the name so that NPCs will say things like "No way! You're My Hero!"

I'm with Rudra on this one. If you want resistance to your own element on a non-melee character, the epic sets let you double-down on your element and get the respective smashing-lethal-[element] shield. If your archetype doesn't have that element as an epic, certainly advocate for it to be added. To saiya: if by "weakness" you mean a penalty to defense/resistance to that damage type, no thanks. Especially if it's mandatory.

Minority or majority, your stance makes perfect sense. I agree with you on temp powers but not for lore reasons; I see people talking about keeping some stocked like pistols or knives because they want those as part of their characters. I think those should have dedicated pools or epics for all archetypes instead of having to fill the gap with temp powers in the first place. (I can also agree with accolades as the passives don't have any visual impact while the only click with any overt visual is the crey pistol whose effectiveness, to me at least, was always underwhelming anyway.) The most important thing to me in COH has always been having full control of your character's presentation. "Equipment" didn't affect your appearance. Power sets may flavor how you do your job but your archetype decided what that is first; you're doing DPS, CCs, de/buffs, or tanking regardless of it being fire, gravity, radiation, gadgets, or sheer willpower; regardless of your size or shape or outfit. Enhancements (being parallel to equipment) in a pre-IO world didn't affect your powers' appearance - if only because procs didn't exist - and I think that should have carried over into the post-IO one, regardless of lore. Even if that was in the form of displaying generic mez vfx instead of specifically-themed ones. Sure, this suggestion isn't a need - there's really not anything we need in-game anymore that isn't already added unless it's too impractical to implement given resource constraints. At this point, nearly all suggestions are just things we'd want. OP did even suggest it as an option, so anyone who wants the effects to stay for themselves can keep them. I'm a Rule of Cool / Rule of Funny kind of guy. I'll take more funny power/weapon customizations any time. 😛

Yes, I'm familiar with the usuals. I lurk the Suggestions & Ideas forum often but only post in bursts. I never see anyone disagree/jranger with a suggestion without good reason.

You can certainly use it that way. It's a bit weird though because this is a forum so it ... kind of is a place to hang out? Otherwise there'd be a direct-to-dev suggestion box. I'd also imagine you want to list your reasoning with your suggestions even if you don't want to discuss it since this is where a dev is going to see it. If an idea was universally positive and intuitive such that it needn't be explained, it probably would've already been implemented. I don't have experience or opinions on ice melee so I have nothing to add about ice patch.

Oh I get that. Those were intentionally minor examples of people overwriting the game's established lore for their own character concepts, in response to Luminara. What I agree with Klaleara on is the sentiment (I assume) of being able to slot chances to [damage/debuff/mez] without having to live with hyper-specific vfx that I don't want as part of my character's theme. No, I understand. What I'd like is either more visual options or the ability to opt for more generic/subtle ones for myself so I can have a hypothetical cryo ray or taser gun attachment instead. (Damage isn't necessarily a concern to me, personally, as those effects are already subtle and generic. A little bit of fire, sparks, or chill don't jump out much. It seems to be the hold proc chiefly that has a big, hard to ignore tesla cage visual?) Epic pools often have a power(s) in their patterns that is offered in different themes - like tankers having options for a single-target hold in fire, ice, and stone flavors. Having alternative proc options with different vfx seemed like a good idea but, as TheZag pointed out, we couldn't do that without having them be uniques in the current system anyway because otherwise there will be people who stack all versions of the proc. The OP and thread title do suggest an option to turn off the vfx - not removing it for everyone outright. If other people's proc confirmation visuals are still critical for gameplay, then the option could be generic fx instead of just turned completely off. And, just to be silly: Yup. (For context, it's a dual blades option in Monster Hunter that has no weapon model, so your character looks like they're flailing their fists instead. Don't take this as a serious response.)

Any "why" is better than none. Otherwise it's just change for change's sake.

While I don't agree with how Klaleara is arguing it, I do agree enhancements should be included in the things players have control over that affect the presentation of their character. Whether that manifests as a simple UI toggle for your own proc confirmation vfx, an extension of power customization at the tailor, or having additional options to cover more themes with equivalent proc effects, I'm game. More directly to the section I quoted: there's a degree of artistic license players should be allowed to take with their characters, even in spite of the game's lore. For example, stone armor says "You can transform your skin into various forms of rock and stone" but how many people rewrite it for themself as surrounding themself with stone taken from the surrounding environment? Or writing Mu mastery as their controller/dominator's electric mastery because they don't have a normal EPP for it. Or any of the lore pets being real entities instead of reflections, which power customization even helps with. Conceited, arrogant, presumptive? Sure maybe but no harm, no foul.

I had failed to consider that. As Klaleara said in the OP, it would be nice to have the option to remove the effects. For those who still want to keep them, keep them. If you need a confirmation of someone else's mez or debuff proc activating, the generic animation and particle effect should suffice. It's fine if powers with the same mez effect override the proc's generic particles/animation - you still have your own effects turned on for your use and you'll either notice your ally's procs display generic effects when their powers hit or your team already has those mez(zes) covered with actual powers. (Hold and immobilize don't have consistent indicators as they rely on variable animations or specific power vfx but it seems like an easy job to come up with generic visuals to add to the game's aesthetic language; some sort of subtle chains for holds and shackles or boots for immobilize - similar but distinct from the ones used to indicate slowed movement.) Damage is damage so I don't imagine someone needs a bigger clue than the enemy's health dropping in bigger chunks.

Right, sorry. I worded that poorly. That's actually what I meant to convey. Other games' equipment does change how your character looks and I equate enhancements to equipment, contrasting that (pre-IO) enhancements did not affect your appearance. That was one of the biggest selling points to me of COH's customization is that not all tankers had to look the same because of how they decided to slot their builds. I definitely like your idea of implementing more sets for more thematic coverage. It provides more options, and an out for people who want to adhere to a theme (or want to exclude a theme that doesn't fit for them). FWIW I do think the over-the-head text and the in-your-face UI text ("Such-and-such is doing a thing!") are clunky and overused implementations for power/mission mechanics that were added later in the game's life on live. Fair point. I am aware that's what enhancements have always been themed as; I've just always viewed them as flavor text for a purely-mechanical system that has no bearing on your appearance, having played before procs were a thing. (I'm also very aware though only half-willing to admit I'm crazy and wrong to think that way.) The live devs went to excessive lengths to explain things in-universe that didn't really need them, like power set proliferation.

You had me in the first half. More enhancement sets are a plus. I would have no opposition to them displaying visual effects if more sets were added with similar proc effects to cover more themes. As for dev time, totally understandable. I also understand what you're saying in the second half but disagree. There's a level of agency players are given over their character's appearance - including powers. You pick your role and how you achieve it during character creation; pool powers have subtle and generic visuals except maybe Aid Other looking rather tech-y (not counting origin pools); destiny and hybrid are similarly generic; there's enough choices in epic pools and judgment/interface/lore options to cover nearly all themes. Granted we never had procs before inventions existed but enhancements - which I'd equate to other games' equipment - never had a bearing on your visuals. And that is part of COH's strong customization. Otherwise magic characters would look like a walking jewelry store and science characters would blind everyone with their radioactive glow. Either options to have subtler effects, more generic visuals, or more procs with comparable effects (and bonuses?) would alleviate the situation.

I don't think it's crazy to want more subtle or generic visuals, or even to want the ability to forego the effects as a hit confirm. This is just my opinion but your choice of powers (primary, secondary, ancillary, pool, inherent, temporary, incarnate) should have a bearing on your visuals but your enhancements should not. Inspirations offer generic crosshairs, shields, and ... Sim-diamond things to show your accuracy, defense/resistance, or damage are being buffed. Judgment and Interface come with an assortment of fire, ice, electric, and dark options to pick from for people who want to keep their specific theme.

No need to apologize. I like to see your guys' takes on the idea. Cook it however you want. How did I not see that coming? I'm all for it!

Ooh! I hadn't thought about starting the player as a Lost. If you go that route, you could have the first costume slot be human and have them unlock the Rikti slot when branching. You could also have the EAT story's first mission be a flash forward in the style of those solo-only, personal-story missions both to frame their eventual Rikti conversion and to preview powers from the branches. Have the mission sidekick the player to 24, put an auto power to change their model to a Rikti grunt, and give them branch/pool powers in the system tray like the Cole mission in Dark Astoria. You could even rerun the mission at the branching level without the story buffs so the character can play it again as a current event, realized as a fully-transformed Rikti. That was semi-intentional both because the archetype (the version in the OP) was meant to blur the line - incorporating pool powers in place of a secondary set - and because ignoring [normal] pools would require you to pick multiple branches, hashing out your specializations while still having you take bread-and-butter powers (as most start with basic attacks). If that isn't fun, we can alter or remove the level requirements. My fear is giving higher tier-type powers at too low a level or lower than a normal archetype who specializes in whatever the power does. At the same time, I don't want to force investment in the Rikti pools via prerequisites as they're meant to be more freeform like Kheldians.

Oh totally. Broad Sword / Willpower Scrapper/Tanker/Brute; Radiation Emission / Beam Rifle Def or Corr; Ice or Earth Control / Elec Assault / Fire Mastery Dom...

tldr version: Rikti EAT plagiarized from VEATs but I'm not seriously suggesting it -- I was going through some older stuff and stumbled across this idea that a much younger me had. We're talking circa 2008. After dusting it off and touching up some details, it looks ... That said, my heart's not in it anymore but it would be a shame for this much work to not see the light of day. It could make for an interesting discussion at least. -- Costumes Being a very "Can I copy your homework?" / "Sure, just make sure to change a few things" with the VEATS, the first costume slot is locked into being an actual Rikti, with a low-level story mission allowing you to acquire a normal costume slot disguising yourself as a human or however you want to spin it. In a world where spaghetti code wasn't an issue, any costumes in slots 2-10 could be either Rikti or not (and port that tech backwards to VEAT characters for their Arachnos uniforms). As I understand it, though, duct tape solutions on the part of the old live devs are exactly why that isn't already a thing. For model choices, we have: Light Armor (for minions like Conscript, Guardian, etc.) Heavy Armor (for officers, with different shoulder pads and helmets to go between Mentalist, Chief Soldier, and Magus) Ceremonial Armor (for Priests, negotiators, etc.) And, of course, these can be recolored. (Headman Gunman armor was excluded because the permanent gun hand may cause clipping issues. You could custom model it with two regular hands, if anything. Heavy Assault Suit will be available as a power below.) The costume also comes with a weapon - the Rikti gun-rifle. The kind that was given to them after their visual update, as opposed to the old sword-only or rifle-only weapon models. Alignment & Story Something that would set this EAT apart from HEATs and VEATs is the ability to start as either a hero or villain. Each side would have its own contact to fulfill the epic (as in story) portion of being an Epic Archetype. Story was never the biggest draw for me so I'll leave people more passionate about that area to decide out how that plays out. The low-hanging fruit here would probably be hero Rikti starting as traditionalists working to improve relations with Earth and getting roped-up in Paragon City's conflicts while villain Rikti are restructurists who want to exploit the social and political gap between the two worlds. Powers Powers, on the other hand, are of interest to me. So onward to the meat of the suggestion: how the Rikti archetype functions! (This is going to look weird so bear with me.) The Rikti primary set is Rikti Weapon but comes with only two powers: Rikti Rifle (Ranged) Foe High Damage (Energy), Chance to Disorient Rikti Sword (Melee) Foe Moderate Damage (Lethal, Energy), Chance to Knockdown The Rikti secondary set is Rikti Armor and also comes with only two powers: Rikti Armor [Auto] Self +Resistance (Smashing, Lethal, Energy, Recharge) Rikti Training [Auto] Self +Resistance (Psionic), +Protection (Confuse, Fear, Sleep) (When this was originally thought-up, this would mean you'd have to take all four powers. Nowadays, I believe you can skip either one primary or one secondary as pools start opening up?) Now for the method to the madness: Instead of having "All the Powers" like HEATs or branched roles like VEATs, Rikti have access to specialization pools. At four powers each (this idea was conceived before all pools had a fifth), characters can choose their specialties piecemeal. Each build is limited to four specialization pools, similar to (but not counting against) regular pools. This fills in the space that full primary and secondary sets would. The specialization pools do not have pre-requisites like normal power pools; only minimum level requirements. The exact levels themselves are arbitrary but I'd feel bad for giving the pools access to notably good powers before the actual sets they come from (eg: Regeneration Aura), so maybe thresholds at 6, 12, 20, and 30? The Rikti pools and their powers are: Soldier Blade Slice (Melee Cone) Foe Moderate Damage (Lethal, Energy), Chance to Disorient Blade Eviscerate (Melee) Foe High Damage (Lethal, Energy), Chance to Disorient Blade Swing (Melee) Foe High Damage (Lethal, Energy), Chance to Knockdown, Chance to Disorient Blade Carve (Melee Cone) Foe High Damage (Lethal, Energy), Chance to Disorient Headman Plasma Volley (Ranged Cone) Foe Moderate Damage (Smashing, Energy), Knockback Aim Self +Tohit, +Damage Plasma Snipe (Snipe) Foe Superior Damage (Smashing, Energy), Knockback Plasma Burst (Ranged AOE) Foe Moderate Damage (Smashing, Energy), Chance to Knockback * These powers would use the sword-rifle weapon model since we didn't include the Headman Gunman model Mentalist Mental Blast (Ranged) Foe High Damage (Psionic), -Recharge Mesmerize (Ranged) Foe Moderate Damage (Psionic), Sleep Dominate (Ranged) Foe Moderate Damage (Psionic), Hold Mass Hypnosis (Ranged AOE) Foe Sleep Magus Lightning Bolt (Ranged) Foe High Damage (Energy), -Endurance, -Recovery; Self Chance for +Endurance Block of Ice (Ranged) Moderate Damage (Cold), Hold, -Recharge, -Speed Fire Ball (Ranged AOE) Foe Moderate Damage (Smashing, Heat), Minor Damage-over-Time (Heat) Stalagmites (Ranged AOE) Foe Minor Damage (Lethal), Disorient, -Defense (All) Guardian Protection Shield (Ranged AOE) Ally +Defense (Smashing, Lethal, Heat, Cold, Energy, Negative) Radiation Emission (PBAOE) Ally/Self Heal Accelerate Metabolism (PBAOE) Ally/Self +Damage, +Recovery, +Recharge, +Speed, +Resistance (Disorient, Hold, Immobilize, Sleep) Call Drones (Ranged) Summon Pets (Rikti Drone x2) Rikti Drone Fly [Auto] Self +Fly Resistance [Auto] Self +Defense (Melee, Ranged), +Resistance (Smashing, Heat, Cold, Energy, Negative, Psionic), +Protection (Sleep, Fear) Drone Blast (Ranged) Foe High Damage (Energy), Chance to Knockdown Despawn [Delayed (240s)] Self Dismiss Communications Officer Transponder (Location) Summon Henchmen (Rikti Soldier x1-3) Scan Target (Ranged) Foe -Resistance (All), -Defense (All); Self +Special (see target's Combat Attributes) Rikti Monkey Swarm (Ranged) Summon Pets (Rikti Monkey x10) Teleport Bomb (Location) Summon Pseudopet (Rikti Bomb) Rikti Soldier Rikti Rifle (Ranged) Foe Moderate Damage (Energy), Chance to Knockback, Chance to Disorient Rikti Sword (Melee) Foe Moderate Damage (Lethal, Energy), Chance to Knockback, Chance to Disorient Resistance [Auto] Self +Resistance (Smashing, Lethal, Energy, Psionic, Confuse, Fear, Sleep) * Rikti Soldiers are treated as henchmen - they can be given commands and the number summoned varies by level. To avoid undermining Masterminds, their thresholds for headcount are 6 (when you can pick up the power), 16, and 26. They don't have upgrades but, given the slew of powers you can take for support and for yourself as well as the ability to micromanage them, hopefully that balances things out. Rikti Monkey Monkey Brawl (Melee) Foe Minor Damage (Smashing) Psychic Dart (Ranged) Foe Minor Damage (Psionic), -Recharge Gas [On Defeat] (PBAOE) Minor Damage-over-Time (Toxic) Monkey Jumping [Auto] Self +Jump, +Speed Despawn [Delayed (240s)] Self Dismiss Rikti Bomb Nuclear Blast (PBAOE) Foe Superior Damage (Smashing, Energy), Minor Damage-over-Time (Heat), -Recovery; Self Defeat Immobilize [Auto] Self Immobilize Priest Transfusion (Ranged) Foe -Endurance, -Regen; (Ranged AOE) Ally/Self Heal Siphon Power (Ranged) Foe -Damage; (PBAOE) Ally/Self +Damage Total Domination (Ranged AOE) Foe Hold Regeneration Aura (PBAOE) Ally/Self +Regeneration Heavy Assault Suit Laser Lance (Ranged) Foe Moderate Damage (Energy), -Defense Sweeping Laser (Ranged Cone) Foe Moderate Damage (Energy), -Defense Fusion Explosion (Ranged AOE) Foe Minor Damage (Energy), Minor Damage-over-Time (Energy), -Resistance (All), -Regeneration Fusion Overload (PBAOE) Foe High Damage (Energy), Minor Damage-over-Time (Energy), -Resistance (All), -Regeneration Armored Exoskeleton [Toggle] Self Transform, +Max HP, +Resistance (Smashing, Lethal, Heat, Cold, Energy, Negative, Toxic, Psionic), +Fly, +Protection (Disorient, Hold, Immobilize, Sleep) * The Heavy Assault Suit is treated as a transformation similar to HEAT nova and dwarf forms. However, a power pick is not needed for the transformation and no powers are granted by it. Instead, the transformation power is unlocked by taking any of the powers from the HVAS pool. While active, the character gains flight, additional damage resistance, barebones mez protection, and increased max health but is locked into using the powers from that pool. To tie it all together, the Rikti inherent power is Adept (or whatever synonym isn't too corny). Through the power of sharing knowledge via Rikti psionics, mastering general skills is easy. In your hands, pool powers use secondary set modifiers instead of pool modifiers, making them more potent. This allows a Rikti character to pick powers that will fill their chosen role(s) more completely, acting in place of traditional secondary powers. Want to be more of a melee archetype? Take Fighting and Presence; the higher numbers on your pool powers mean Tough is your standard smashing-lethal shield. Support? Medicine or Leadership. Damage? Force of Will got you covered. Some pool powers might require custom house rules to not be broken (good or bad). I can see Hasten having higher base values being way too good. On the other hand, it's not like Hasten has a direct primary/secondary equivalent so you could argue it wouldn't be boosted since it's not necessarily nerfed with pool values to start with. Similarly, Burnout wouldn't be of any benefit since your only recharging powers as a Rikti would be the level 0 rifle and sword attack but, with Rikti pools being a custom thing in the first place, they could feasibly be coded as primary/secondary sets instead of pools/ancillaries similar to VEAT branches. SCR applies, of course. And - because someone will probably ask to tack this on - potentially Rikti patron pools to round things out. This part I don't have fleshed-out but perhaps based on the four horsemen from the Lady Grey task force; giving dark (Death), electric (Famine), poison/radiation (Pestilence), and [generic teamwork powers but not overlapping leadership] (War). Each set potentially giving a toggled AOE debuff (Cloak of Fear, Conductive Aura, Radiation Infection?, [still not sure what to give War]) that can be used even while in the HVAS, given the characters they're based on. Alternatively, patron pools based on other big-name Rikti like Lord of War for better armor for those who want to fully tank, Dragon for fire damage to DPS harder, and Master at Arms for calling in more pets/AOEs? -- And that about does it for this suggestion. For unanswered questions like why pacifists in the traditionalist faction would go into combat on heroside or how things would play out if you're a Rikti character doing the RWZ arcs... I dunno. Never got that far. Sounds like something you would want to write in to the EAT contact or RP in yourself as a player. The whole idea is honestly null in the face of rolling a character to RP as a human-disguised/transformed Rikti. Especially with the prismatic aether costumes. As I said at the beginning: just throwing this out in case it makes for a fun discussion. Oh, and before I forget: #powercreep

There was that time Captain America did a front-flip off his motorcycle in ... Age of Ultron I think? Tossed the thing at some guys. I want to say one of the Decepticons in the first Bay film grabbed a passing motorcycle by the handlebars and whacked an Autobot with it. They're already giant robots of course, though. And Dante has a motorcycle that splits into dual-wielding chainsaws or something in DMC5. 😜 (Dunno, never played - just saw it in the commercials.)

Other - more power sets and ancillary power pools. Especially proliferating concepts across more categories (eg: Water Control, Gravity Manipulation, Rifle Assault) and hopefully all the existing elemental categories for all the archetypes' APPs (Fire, Ice, Elec, Earth, Dark mastery). Also more costume parts, especially if they add things we don't have yet like the coveted long skirts. I think they meant Super Speed.

So a mudkip?

My OCD wants to say 3 imps, 2 gremlins, and 1 stone to parallel the control sets. 😛 The elements getting representation would be nice, either as individual sets or as a single Elementals/Golems set, with or without Swap Ammo-style mechanics.

Count me in, especially as a gateway to accessing the other weapons for power sets as well.

The most drastic of those nerfs happen because people achieve a level of power or efficiency that shouldn't be possible. There's no way you can say anyone - dev or player - should want the game to be herding an entire zone into a trashcan for ten minutes and then eliminate all mobs in two seconds by clicking one attack power. It makes for fun narrative in Konosuba but turns COH into an idle game. As for power creep, buffs and nerfs are an attempt to reach an equilibrium. Where that point lies is subjective, though. Increasing performance, however minor, does shift where we're at. The people who bring up power creep figure we're at the equilibrium point, the same as those requesting this change to Weave because they figure we're not there yet. I get where you're coming from, thematically. I took a self-defense class in early college and, yeah, we learned breathing, stance, and dodging before punching; before learning to throw, we had to learn how to properly get thrown. In the case of Weave, that's where the thematics break down and gameplay is taking precedence over theme. You're an archetype (and this is just a repeat point) that specializes in ranged damage, lockdown, or has pets - your vulnerability to damage is your weakness. It's even offset by the fact that you're attacking from a distance; there are already some moves you aren't even in danger from. Heck, some mobs only have a ranged attack as a formality. If you want to shore-up that weakness, it does need to come at a cost. In this case, the price is multiple power picks (plus slot investment). You can take Hover, CJ, Maneuvers, and Weave; each pick reduces your remaining pool options and how many other powers you can take. Weave costs more in picks because it provides more defense. Especially if people are going to dismiss CJ and Hover together as redundant because that shows movement is not of value to you, further proving Weave's defense values are significant. If people want to argue that Maneuvers provides its defense bonus to a whole party, that's not a benefit you can reap on your own and being on a team means you have even less to worry about defense because there's already more bodies and potentially buffs going around; at that point it's more just building an argument that Maneuvers should switch places with Tactics because it has so much potential value as a power pick. -- EDIT: The game provides you with 24 power picks. That's enough to take your entire primary, secondary, ancillary, and one travel power. If none of those powers are skippable yet survivability is an issue, you should be mad at your power set(s) for not providing the tools to do your job. If there are skippable powers, then it's a non-issue because you have the room. Anything beyond that is just build issues, which other players can help with.