malonkey1

Did some basic testing. Played through the first three Signature Arcs at +0x1, at intervals of 10 levels (so 10, 20 and 30). Slotted with LV++ enhancements of the appropriate types (10++ TOs, 20++ DOs, and 30++ SOs.) Overall, it did pretty well. The character chewed through things a bit faster than I expected at around level 10, but seemed not to be much faster than most character's I've played at that level. Around 20, I had some END issues, but that's to be expected when you're running a lot of toggles, and the character was still going through missions without too many issues beyond the odd tough boss. Level 30 the character had really start to come together. Even with the toggles the pet is just a tinge fragile, but as long as you manage it and concentrate fire on the biggest guy, and supplement with some of the support and debuff, it's not too bad. I think I'm ready to call what I have here Alpha 0.1 of the Duo archetype. I still have to iron out some kinks in the Inherent (I made a typo so it didn't confer the right bonus), and I might rearrange the later tiers a bit, but I think this might actually be a pretty fun archetype to play, and I look forward to showing off a little bit more later. One funny thing is that due to how I coded the Upgrades from the primary, it affects any targetable pet, not just your Partner. I'll probably fix that, but it's kind of neat having an archetype that can just grant a mission NPC a new attack power. Probably sometime over the next couple days I'll have more stuff to show you, but for now here's a couple of screenshots. If they look a little weird, it's because they came out real dark and I had to brighten them in GIMP.

A neat idea. Something of a "Paladin" style melee support. What kind of Inherent would it have?

I have the inherent working. I had to do a sneaky little workaround because it affects you and the pet. Basically, the player has a power that only grants the bonus to their pet, plus also granting the pet a similar power but only affecting its master. As a result, neither has the bonus unless both are in range. Giving the partner inspirations doesn't work, nor does bodyguarding, but that's because it's hardcoded to nly work for Masterminds, and I'm trying to avoid changes to client or server code to make this work. That said, this is going pretty well! I just need to make more powersets and I can have proper material to test it. That said, I feel like the inherent is a little too similar to Supremacy. I was actually considering changing it to be a little like the Blaster's Defiance, with each attack you use applying a small, brief +DMG to your pet.

So I've actually looked at the power definitions. Here's the part of the power definition that adds in the -ToHit: AttribMod { Name "DeBuff_ToHit" Table "Melee_DeBuff_ToHit" Aspect kCur Attrib kToHit Target kTarget Scale 0.5 Type kMagnitude AllowStrength kTrue AllowResistance kTrue Delay 0 Duration 1 Magnitude 1 Period 0 Chance 1 NearGround kFalse CancelOnMiss kFalse StackType kReplace ContinuingFX GenericContinuing/DeBuffToHitContinuing.fx } To disable this in PVP, we only need to add one line right before the closing bracket. Requires isPVPMap? ! This adds a condition that suppresses the -ToHit effect while in PVP maps, so it could be changed to not detoggle anymore in PVP if the devs felt that would be worth the change. I can't say whether it's a good idea, but I do know for a fact that it is possible.

Yeah, the Mez Protection parts of the auras will be self/pet only, while still granting the other benefits of the aura to those within it. Also, I got the auras to work the way I want, and the power upgrades are online, too! Full effect for you and your partner, half effect for other friendlies! Pics will be added tomorrow. The only big thing now before i can properly start testing is coding the inherent and making more powersets!

That was the plan. The armors are supposed to have an aura that applies the full effect top the poet and a weak effect to everyone else.

I'm not planning on giving the partner the Tier 9. I don't think the partner needs to have access to as many and as powerful a set of attacks as the player. They're the sidekick.

If I do that, it might be better to just move the upgrade down to T8 and keep T9 where it is.

I couldn't find any way to do it. Maybe it's possible, but I don't have the knowledge to pull it off. Having the ability to share certain powers from your primary with your pet in a manner similar to the upgrades from Masterminds was the best compromise I could manage.

Okay, taking Voldine's suggestions, here's the model I'm going with. Still Assault Primary, Defense/Support Hybrid Secondary. The Pet is moved to the Secondary set as the first power. In the primaries, the Build Up has been removed, and the Build-Up and final power are replaced with Upgrade-like powers that grant a single power from your main set to your Partner pet.

Okay, that I can't really do. The powers of the lottery are hard coded into each pet. I could see powers in the primaries that give your pet some attacks from your primary, but I really don't think dynamically and automatically granting new attacks based on your powers would work, pr at least would be really hard to make work.

That's a valid point. I could move the pet to the secondary with the armor and support and make the primary all attacks.

Both valid points. I don't know if i agree with that. Every other archetype gives you the ability to do what your AT is supposed to be all about from the start. Doms always start with an attack and a control, MMs can choose to get their first pet from level 1 (they can choose an attack instead, but that's just silly), Tankers get a defense power and their T1 attack, etc. etc. To not allow this AT to have a pet from level 1 would really push back at the idea that every archetype has access to their "core thing" from the get-go. That shouldn't be too hard to do code-wise. Just put in a power redirect to another, hidden power based on level that summons a different version of the pet. That might be trickier. I might be able to use the tech from Smoke Flash in the Ninjas MM set to pull off something similar, though. Hm...

Yep, the Ouroboros Discord has been a huge help.

I used a precompiled version that Ouroboros provides. Instructions here. If you want to make custom content, you'll also need to set up your server to make bins (instructions here, you may need to get a login on the Ouroboros discord.)

I got the archetype working on my server! Now all I have to do is figure out how to modify the powers. And make new powers. And code the inherent power. And then get it working. And then get somebody on the dev team interested. But hey, here's a screenshot! It doesn't crash my server when he levels up, the pet works (although I can't seem to give it inspirations, which i suspect is built into the MM's inherent), and this guy plays a lot like a scrapper early on, but now that he has a heal, I think he's going to start playing differently. Probably going to tune the damage down because he is a little steamrolly, but I'll have to test him into later levels to see.

Hey, you! Yes you! Have you ever wanted to shoot somebody in the face, but you can't because you're not a Blaster, Corruptor, Defender or Sentinel? Did you ever want to freeze somebody in a block of ice and then turn them into swiss cheese with a rat-a-tat-tat and a big ol' grin, you sicko? Well buddy, do I have a deal for you! Get a gander at the brand new, top of the line Tactical Rifle! This baby does it all. It Shoots, it launches grenades, it's got a flamethrower. I even taped a knife to it! I'd like to see those fancy ranged classes do that! So what'll it be? Cash, or cash? This set suggestion is a lot more ranged-focused than many other Assault sets, having only two actual melee attacks and a single "pseudo-melee" short-range attack in Hollow Point, but that's to be expected with an Assault Rifle. Gunkata nonsense would be much more appropriate for a porting of Dual Pistols to Assault rather than this. As you can see, this uses minimal new assets, with the only new things being Targeting Reticule's dual-use and Hollow Point, the other powers all being pulled from existing powers wholesale or with small modifications. Power Level Effect Burst 1 Ranged, Moderate DoT(Lethal), Foe -DEF Bayonet 2 Melee, Moderate Damage over Time (Lethal/Smashing) M30 Grenade 4 Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Lethal/Smash), Foe Knockback Beanbag 10 Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe: Immobilize -Recharge -Fly Targeting Reticle 16 Self +DMG, +To-Hit, Foe -Def Sniper Rifle 20 Sniper, Extreme DMG(Lethal), Foe Knockback Hollow Point 28 Short Ranged, High Damage (Lethal/Smashing), Foe Knockback, Foe -Res, Chance for Minor DoT(Lethal) Flamethrower 35 Melee (Cone), Extreme DoT(Fire) Full Auto 38 Ranged (Cone), Superior DoT(Lethal), +Special Bayonet Your weapon includes a bayonet attachment which you can use to stab at your enemies for lethal damage as well as causing them to bleed over time. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Reduce Endurance Cost, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Melee Damage Beanbag Fires a single non-lethal Beanbag that can seriously Disorient a target. Deals little damage and takes a long time to reload, but renders most targets unable to attack for a good while. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Reduce Endurance Cost, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate, Enhance Disorient Duration Set Categories: Ranged Damage, Stuns Burst Quickly fires a Burst of rounds at a single target at very long range. Damage is average, but the firing rate is fast. Can also reduce the target's Defense. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Enhance Defense Debuff, Reduce Endurance Cost, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Ranged Damage, Defense Debuff, Accurate Defense Debuff Flamethrower Spews forth a cone of flames from underneath the barrel of your assault rifle, setting foes on fire. Very accurate and very deadly at close range. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Reduce Endurance Cost, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Targeted AoE Damage Notes: Modified to be a melee cone. Probably doing more damage to make up for it. Full Auto Opens up your Assault Rifle on Full Auto to lay down a massive spray of bullets at your target. Although very slow to reload, damage from this attack is massive, shredding all targets within the narrow cone of effect. There's a chance you may land a lucky shot for extra damage. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Reduce Endurance Cost, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Targeted AoE Damage Hollow Point Fire hollow point rounds that tear your opponent's armor and flesh alike, while knocking them back with the force of the shot. This power reduces the target's damage resistance. It also has a chance to inflict a Lethal Damage over Time that increases as the target's resistance to Lethal damage falls. This attack's range is significantly short than many other attacks in this set. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Reduce Endurance Cost, Enhance Knockback Distance, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Ranged Damage, Knockback Notes: The formula for determining the proc chance on the DoT would probably be something like proc = 100% - (lethal resistance) capped at 95%, so a hardcapped Tanker would only have a little over 10% chance of getting hit with the DoT, while a defenseless blaster would have a near-100% chance of getting proc'd. M30 Grenade Launches a Grenade at long range from beneath the barrel of your Assault Rifle. This explosion affects all within the blast radius, and can knock them back. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, Reduce Endurance Cost, Knockback Distance, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Targeted AoE Damage, Knockback Sniper Rifle The Sniper Rifle is a powerful piece of hardware. It is very accurate and has a very long range. The impressive round can knock down its target. Like most sniper attacks, you must take your time to aim, as this attack can be interrupted. If used in conjunction with a targeting drone, the Sniper Rifle will do additional damage. Enhancements: Enhance Accuracy, Enhance Damage, reduce Interrupt Time, Reduce Endurance Cost, Enhance Knockback Distance, Enhance Range, Increase Attack Rate Set Categories: Ranged Damage, Sniper Attacks, Knockback Targeting Reticle Your Tactical Rifle comes equipped with an advanced targeting reticle that allows you to aim more effectively, and can also hone in on a specific enemy, boosting your accuracy and damage. If you use this power while targeting an enemy, that enemy suffers a small penalty to defense for a short period as you mark your target. Enhancements: Enhance Defense Debuff, Reduce Endurance Cost, Increase Attack Rate, Enhance ToHit Buff Set Categories: ToHit Buff Notes: I honestly don't know if the tech to do a self clicky with an optional target exists. If it doesn't, then this could just be made into a standard Aim, or a power that requires a target to fire off at all.

Well, yes, in that you are controlling a pet with its own autonomy, like a Mastermind's pets. The one pet from this class is functionally about the same as a T3 MM pet, at the tradeoff of only getting one. You would still get things like Bodyguarding, and you're still just playing one character, so you don't have to worry about slotting out two characters. The big drawback being that you have to be able to manage your pet, because it's a pet, and pet AI is dumb, and you can't just take manual control. I don't think that would be much of a problem, honestly. Sentinels should, in theory, have no need of teams due to being a combo of ranged blasting and defensive powers topped off with an inherent that applies a -DEF and a -RES. But it still works, because it's not actually any stronger than the other ATs on balance. This AT would certainly be flexible, but it wouldn't be able to reach the heights of what a Corruptor or Defender can do to buff, what a Tanker can do to tank, and what a Brute or Scrapper could do to DPS in melee, at the same time. You could certainly rival one of those, but reaching what those other archetypes could do on the level has to be difficult to build for, and come at the cost of letting some of your other abilities remain somewhat underdeveloped. Support-wise, it's supposed to stay at or just under MM levels out of box. DPS-wise, it is just below Tanker alone, but can get close to Scrapper with the Partner at base. Defense-wise, it would be on par with the Sentinel, which is the squishiest of the archetypes with /Defense without specifically building for it. Yeah, It would be neat to see COH's take on a full-on Scrapfender AT. EDIT: Okay, I've made some headway in getting a working AT on my server to play around with. It crashed when I tried to level up, but it's a start. Pics below.

Guess who got his server up and running? I'm going to be doing some prototyping on my server, and I'll report back when I can! For now, I'm modifying Dominator power sets while I learn more about making powers, but then I'll actually make a new archetype to test properly. It's probably going to use numbers similar to a Dominator anyway.

I'd very much enjoy soloing some of the hardest TFs in the game. Once. Beyond that, not so fun, kind of boring. I want to get to the point where I can roll up to Recluse fully powered up in a Master Of run and just say "Hey buddy, wanna free ticket to the moon?" before punting him there, just to say I did.

Yeah, I was wrestling with the color tools in GIMP and decided not to worry too much about it. I might fix them later. It would probably maintain a fairly short range on the jumps. Don't want to make the support's job too easy. 😉 That'd be interesting, but this set isn't very directly offensively geared. It might be more appropriate in a more debuff-oriented set like Dark Miasma. Well, Envenomed Daggers from Martial Assault did something similar, so the tech is there for adding damage procs via powers. It would just need to be adapted to apply that affect to allies. (Don't ask me how hard that would be, I do not know.) Yeah, I really just wanted to come up with a set that could use Rehabilitating Circuit, because it's just such a unique power that I feel like it's a shame that literally only Sentinels can get it. That's a really neat idea, but I don't know if that'd be feasible. First off, that might not be doable in the coding aspect, and then there's the issue that a player will only have 100 END (Okay, if you build balls-to-the-wall with set bonuses and accolades, you might get as high as ~140 based on what I could get together in Hero Builder), and that would mean damage would have to be converted down into a much smaller scale at the later levels fr anyone using such a power, and then there's the problem of getting hit with a nasty alpha strike and detoggling completely, right in range for your exposed fleshy body to get riggidy rekt, to use a technical term. If somebody did manage to make such an effect and make it workable, though, that'd be absolutely bananas. In fact, I could honestly see a whole set based around a mechanic like that if it could be made to work and not be broken, where all the toggles and powers in it are free or low-cost as far as END, but you have to worry about keeping your END from puttering out so you don't get walloped.

Bioelectrics Bioelectrics is a powerset that harnesses the power of electricity and the trope that Lightning Can Do Anything (warning, TVTropes link) to support and enhance your allies. Designed as a natural partner to Electric Blast (and also because Rehabilitating Circuit is too neat a power to keep locked to a Sentinel Ancillary, IMO), Biolectrics provide decent defense to allies against most damage types and a great deal of Endurance and Recovery support for allies. This set is inspired by characters like Static (Static Shock), Black Lightning, The Flash, and Ando Masahashi (Heroes). Unlike most other support sets, their powers are not targeted AoEs, but instead use the chain AoE. You can benefit from many of your own buffs provided you have other players for it to arc back to you from. Power Level (Primary) Level (Secondary) Description Healing Circuit 1 1 Ranged (Chain), Ally Heal Ionize 1 2 Ranged (Chain), Ally +DEF(Smash, Lethal, Energy, Melee), +Res(Energy) Static Field 2 4 Toggle (PBAoE), Special Ally +END, +DEF(Energy, Negative, Ranged) Defibrillate 6 10 Ally Rez, +End, +Recharge Biofeedback 8 16 Ranged (Chain), Ally +Defense (All but Psionic), +Res (Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear, Confusion) Nerve Boost 12 20 Ranged (Chain), Ally +SPD, +Recharge, Heal over Time, +Res (Recharge and SPD debuffs) Overcharge 18 28 Ranged (Chain) Ally +End, +Recovery, Enemy -End, -Recovery Psychoelectric Field 26 35 Toggle (PBAoE) Ally +Res(Energy, Negative, Psionic), +Def(Psionic) Electrify 32 38 Ranged (Chain) Ally +DMG(Energy), Special Biofeedback Ranged (Chain), Ally +Defense (All but Psionic), +Res (Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immobilize, Fear, Confusion) You enhance the autonomous nervous systems of your allies, allowing them to better regulate their bodies' function and reflexes. This increases their resistance to most status effects as well as providing a small increase to Defense against all attacks except Psionic. Set Categories: Defense Enhancements: Defense, Endurance Cost, Range, Recharge Defibrillate Ally Rez, +End, +Recharge You blast a fallen target with a jolt of electricity that kickstarts their body back into consciousness. This has a stimulating effect that provides a temporary boost to recharge rate and maximum Endurance. Set Categories: Endurance Modification, Heal Enhancements: Endurance Cost, Endurance Modification, Heal, Recharge Electrify Ranged (Chain), Ally +DMG(Energy), Special Electrify your allies' bodies, augmenting their attacks with an electric charge. Allies affected by this power have their attacks deal extra Energy damage and reduce their targets' Endurance. Set Categories: Endurance Modification Enhancements: Endurance Cost, Endurance Modification, Range, Recharge Healing Circuit Ranged (Chain), Ally Heal You can use your Rehabilitating Circuit to heal the wounds of your group. Set Categories: Heal Enhancements: Endurance Cost, Heal, Range, Recharge Ionize Ranged (Chain), Ally +DEF(Smash, Lethal, Energy, Melee), +Res(Energy) You create a charged barrier around allies that repels physical and energy attacks. Set Categories: Defense, Resist Damage Enhancements: Defense, Endurance Cost, Range, Recharge, Resist Damage Nerve Boost Ranged (Chain), Ally +SPD, +Recharge, Heal over Time, +Res (Recharge and SPD debuffs) You enhance the conductivity of your allies' nervous system, allowing them to hit harder and faster and shrug off injury. Set Categories: Heal, Running, Universal Travel Enhancements: Endurance Cost, Heal, Range, Recharge, Run Speed Overcharge Ranged (Chain), Ally +End, +Recovery, Enemy -End, -Recovery You overcharge the bodies of others, enhancing your aliies' maximum Endurance and Recovery, and draining enemies' Endurance and reducing their Recovery. Set Categories: Endurance Modification Enhancements: Endurance Cost, Endurance Modification, Range, Recharge Psychoelectric Field Ranged (Chain), Ally +Res(Energy, Negative, Psionic), +Def(Psionic) By stimulating the frontal cortex, you can make an ally more resistant to psychic attack and negative energy. Set Categories: Defense, Resist Damage Enhancements: Endurance Cost, Defense, Resist Damage, Range, Recharge Static Field Toggle (PBAoE), Special Ally +END, +DEF(Energy, Negative, Ranged) You create a field of static charge around yourself that protects against energy attacks at all times. Additionally, while this power is active, you provide a burst of Endurance to allies withing range whenever you use an attack power, based on the endurance cost of the power. Set Categories: Defense, Endurance Modification Enhancements: Defense, Endurance Cost, Endurance Modification, Recharge

Is Praetoria not enough? ;)

Okay, how about, hypothetically, the -ToHit was suppressed in PvP, but left in for PvE? Then Willpower's biggest power would remain useful in PvP without hosing it for PvE.

In short, very. In long, like people have said, the archetype determines how easy soloing is. Generally, archetypes with good damage and good defense do best (e.g. Brutes, VEATs, etc.)