Alchemystic

It's an observation. They make constant changes to the game with little care or consideration about the long-term effects, and then when they become apparent they refuse to do any damage control

other servers don't put any effort into balancing, so there's that

He could also close the server off to the public and tell everyone that's part of the game too. Thank god he doesn't do that.

Working on another Control powerset, it'll be a totally new one with no existing powers in game, but the assets that could create it are present all the same. I put a lot of effort into making sure stone/earth powers had options in other archetypes, so now I wanna focus on water powers just as @oedipus_texdid in his Water Assault powerset. So, I have something that will pair nicely with it; Water Control. Water Control - Sink: A single target immobilize power, deals smashing/cold DoT. Forms a smaller version of the 'Whirpoool' FX on the target's legs. - Pressure Burst: A knockup power that deals high smashing/cold damage. Essentially a single target version of 'Geyser' (imagine one of the Guysers bursting instead of several) - Submerge: Suspends a foe in a bubble of water, dealing high smashing/cold DoT. Foes are held in the same (albeit larger) water bubble FX created by 'Hydro Blast' - Undertow: An AoE version of 'Sink' above. - Mist Cloud: This power is functionally identical to 'Smoke' from Fire Control, but creates an aura of mist rather than smoke on each foes' head. - Overflow: A power that deals minor smashing/cold damage and sends foes flying back. Similar FX to the 'wake,' path aura, travelling towards foes before exploding much like 'water burst' - Aqua Globe: Creates a much larger water bubble. Targets in the bubble (including allies) will hover, but with the swimming animation. Foes will be slowed with reduced maneuverability and defense - Waterfall: An AoE hold power. Creates a heavy deluge of water that keeps foes pinned. Uses the FX of the waterfall fire/ice back items. - Water Sprites: Creates 3 pets much like Fire Imps. Water Sprites look like floating balls of water, and have access to the 'Aqua Bolt' power. They are resistant to lethal, psionic and fire damage, but vulnerable to energy.

I was mainly modelling this powerset after the less melee-heavy ones like Tactical Arrow and Devices, but if Envenom is a problem then maybe borrowing another power from the Toxin Control set I came up with could serve as a good substitute? I know the newer manipulation sets are a bit of a balance problem when it comes to mez, but we could bump Paralytic Poison down a few tiers and then put Choking Smog as the new Tier 9?

A lot of toggles for Scrappers can draw aggro but not all of them have actual Taunt functionality. It helps them to hold aggro in a pinch but it's likely they will have a tougher time doing so. There are a few outliers to this, some powers do taunt nearby foes, but they are intended to be the exception, not the norm. Scrappers were never meant to be on par with Tankers and Brutes when it comes to handling mobs, their role is not unlike Blasters; raw DPS, and I think changing that would mean the value of both Scrappers and Brutes would diminish. They each have their roles to play, that's the point... This is a MMORPG

Looking at what Archetype would best suit a shield Ancillary, I think Blaster/Mastermind is probably the safest option, since Ancillaries like Force, Electric and Cold have quite a few protective abilities, and Shield powers suit the roles of these Archetypes well. So with that in mind I tried to create a reasonable set reusing as many powers as I could; Shield Mastery - Blaster/Mastermind - Deflection: A standard toggle power that provides melee defense - Battle Agility: Another toggle power that provides ranged/AoE defense - Phalanx Fighting: A power more suited to Masterminds, but could still prove beneficial for Blasters too. - Shield Charge: A highly damaging power that mimics similar function to LRM Rocket or the hard-hitting melee powers from Mastermind Ancillaries/Patrons - One with the Shield: A T9 power from shield defense, I think this works since many other Blaster/Mastermind sets use T9 powers already

More weapons for Bane/Mace Mastery please. I'm looking at YOU carnie wands! And you too Tech Knight!

Then why flex over content none of us are going to experience? What's the point?... Bragging rights?

@Shadeknightcalled it

I get where you're coming from, but in the case of Coh and many other MMOs, tanking has defined classes/archetypes designed to encourage and reward that behaviour.

It's a fact, with mathematical evidence.

No the higher resist/defense caps, increased HP limit and access to AoE taunt does.

Confront AND provoke? Scrappers only get access to Confront, which is a single target taunt. Provoke is a pool power which ANY archetype can get, so by your logic, ALL archetypes are tanks.

Wait so if a Scrapper has an AoE taunt, they're a tank, but if a Kheldian has an AoE taunt, they're not?

That's not the argument I'm trying to make, it's not even the argument this thread is trying to make. So on that basis, no.

My idea was to make sure they had at least the basics; defense to melee, ranged and AoE, and adjust the numbers so it's suitable for non-melee archetypes.

aka tank

But one if those forms is designed to tank

You're kidding right? Dwarf form gives an AoE taunt and higher resistances, how is that not a tank?

So we give Scrappers slightly higher damage, boom, problem solved.

Exactly, so why push them towards a role that would only cause them to struggle more? You said yourself that Brutes have a higher health and res/def cap, so they're made to handle the aggro, whereas Scrappers are not. Giving Scrappers Taunt auras only creates more problems than it solves. As for their 'niche', they do more damage than Brutes, but have less protection, if you were to give them Taunt auras then the latter would have to be adjusted, and at that point you just invalidate Brutes entirely.

Which then makes the idea of Scrappers getting taunt aura redundant.

if scrapper had a taunt aura, then why bother playing a brute?

Psionic based ones have both Mind Over Body and Indomitable Will, though the latter is a click-activated power. It could be argued that Hibernate from Ice or Leviathan epics could be considered a second armor buff, as could Personal Force Field and Force of Nature in the Force themed epics.