Fade

A possible neat mechanic: The single target blasts create little ghosts, that linger around for a little while (say, 6 seconds to be conservative). The AoE attacks can damage those ghosts, and when a ghost is defeated by its owner, it causes an additional little AoE attack around itself. Perhaps one of the single-target attacks can, instead of summoning a ghost, be cast on a ghost to consume it for a self-heal or endurance bonus. On second thought, 6 seconds is VERY conservative for the lifetime of the ghosts. It seems like the Necromancy ghosts can last for 90 seconds, though there is a limit of 1 active per attack. Maybe they could last for 15 seconds? The point is essentially that they could be a temporary resource to be used, rather than an army to be slowly summoned over the course of a fight.

You're likely looking for the "costume colors linked" and "skin color" buttons, as shown in the picture. Welcome back!

Unfortunately, that IS working as intended. Back on the original servers, Paragon Studios decided that the "signature" task forces should always be fought at max level. I don't remember the reason given, and I could speculate on a few, but more info can be found on the wiki. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me at this point, and seems a bit outdated, but that's the way it is.

I'd love it if all the capes released at that same time (Autumnal Cloak, Cloak of the Eighth Circle, Unified Field Facade, Spliced Cape) had short versions as well.

As a long time Munitions Mastery user, I think the set has some benefits and some downsides. Body Armor was much more useful before blasters had sustain powers, for sure. I don't know that it needs to be changed, but if it did get a buff of some kind I would rather it stay an auto power rather than turn into a toggle. Cryo Freeze Ray is not much worse than the other holds available in the APPs/PPPs. Sleep Grenade, I will admit I have never taken and never used. Could it get buffed? Probably! Surveillance is a great power as is, I take it and I use it. No notes. LRM Rocket is easily the most disappointing of the powers in the set. Its usable, but not nearly what you might expect when you take the power in the first place. If I were asking for the moon, I'd ask for it to receive the same treatment that the snipes did: keep it at the same damage if you use it out of combat, and give it a "fast snipe" version that reduces the damage it does proportionally to the other snipes, and let it use snipe IO sets. That would make it a great targeted AoE power for characters that want more of it (such as my Beam Rifle blaster). Then, if you wanted to buff its damage as well, I certainly wouldn't turn it down. Also LRM Rocket has a redundant name. I am copying Troo with my formatting in this part.

Love your Option C. Very elegant, already uses a feature we have in the game. Only tweak I'd suggest is having the "me and my pets" functionality be the default option of Group Fly, and the extra toggle allowing it to affect other players (who don't have it turned off at Null the Gull). It's probably just my own personal associations, but that seems to me like the best way to indicate the ideal use while not removing functionality for players who like it the way it is. I'd probably not have the two versions have any difference in endurance cost, either.

I think this is still fine. Like any Peacebringer or Warshade player, who is limited by the number of powers they can select due to game mechanics, a player who chooses one of these APPs would get to select the powers they want to use. And if that player would prefer to have more than the limited number of powers available to that archetype's PPP, they can roll up a proper Peacebringer or Warshade, which would represent them choosing to focus on using their new powers over any of their old ones. I'd look at it like this - if my character got a Bane Spider mace from Black Scorpion, and used it from time to time, he has the Mace Mastery PPP. If that character then chose to focus exclusively on using that mace, I should reroll as an Arachnos Soldier and go into the Bane Spider powerset. Likewise, if my character learned some Mu magic from Scirocco, I can use the Mu Mastery PPP. And then my character who has particularly strong ties to her Mu bloodline, who primarily fights using those magic powers, can be rolled as an Electric powerset user with the color tinted red. I'm already doing this one, with my Electric Control/Electric Affinity Controller. That's the source I was referencing when I mentioned my cursory research on the topic (though I retrieved it from the Homecoming wiki, rather than the original Paragon wiki). I didn't see any specifics on the topic, though, which is why I was hoping you knew of any extra sources, like if it appeared in any mission text or what have you.

This is an interesting point, but I have to disagree with it. In theory, the game is balanced in such a way that a Blaster is equally as powerful as a Brute, and both are equally as powerful as a Peacebringer. Game balance may not play out this way in practice, but that is the goal that is being aimed at, and that is the way the world treats these characters. No matter what archetype you are, security level 40 is higher than security level 20, and therefore you are capable of doing missions for a particular contact, or joining a particular task force, or what have you. So when giving any archetype powers from another archetype, are we tacking on that extra archetype and saying it's too powerful? Is it too powerful to give Brutes ranged attacks like a Blaster? Because we're already doing that, and the mechanical difference here is that Laser Beam Eyes (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) from Energy Mastery looks different than Glinting Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) from Peacebringer Mastery. So this "increase in power" comes at the expense of an alternate, equally viable increase in power. And if your character would abandon their old powers in favor of the new kheldian abilities, that's what the Peacebringer and Warshade archetypes are for - including the more exclusive form-shifting powers that seem to be a sticking point here (or maybe it's just a sticking point for me, I can't tell 😄). This is interesting, do you have any specific source for this one where I can read more about it? I did a cursory scan on the wiki for more information, but while I've seen plenty of references to characters gaining greatly extended life due to their symbiosis, I didn't see anything stating that there are no kheldians younger than the millennia scale, except for remembering something similar from Twilight's Son's arc. But I hesitate to draw any conclusions based on that, as he is stated to be a time traveler from far in the future. Regardless of the age of any one being, the point I originally made stands - there are already human-form-only Peacebringers and Warshades, that do not shapeshift, so the presence or absence of shapeshifting powers doesn't limit their viability as a patron power pool. On another topic - Paragon Studios already opened the door for this lore-wise when they introduced the Imperious Task Force in the first place. Romulus Augustus, when encountered in the third mission of the ITF, is a Broad Sword/Shield Defense user (archetype unknown, but unimportant). Before you encounter him in the final mission, he bonds with a nictus and gains powers from it - but still very much uses his Broad Sword and Shield Defense powers. Specifically, he does not shapeshift into a Dark Nova or a Black Dwarf, but he gets about 5 new powers, according to the wiki. I haven't yet tried the hard mode ITF, so I can't say for certain whether he exclusively uses nictus powers in that, but I'd say the Homecoming team has even further opened this door in some of the new content that was released in Page 4. Shadow-Stepping Cimeroran Surgeons immediately jump (heh) to mind, but they're far from the only new enemy type that gets new nictus powers and keeps their old. Either way, this has been an interesting discussion! I have to admit, I was expecting to get more pushback on specific power choices with these ideas rather than pushback on lore grounds, but I appreciate hearing your thoughts regardless.

I think that you're seeing a limitation here where I'm seeing an opportunity. You're saying that kheldian powers and the patron pools are apples and oranges, but I think that's simply because it hasn't yet been done. A kheldian has access to these extra forms and powers that aren't being expressed in the patron pool, that's true - but how different is that to a Peacebringer or Warshade player that chooses not to take those powers in the first place? Could the kheldian that merges with one of these players simply be a younger, less powerful individual? I think this is a good compromise to saying that a character is focusing on certain powers and not using others, just like any other character does. I like this idea a lot, and I think these particular suggestions are already most of the way there. Bow Mastery would work very well as a Wyvern patron pool, completely unchanged. Mental Mastery isn't quite there yet... you could say it's a PPD Mind Cop patron pool, but that's a bit of a stretch. Perhaps that would work better for goldside patron pools, were those ever to be implemented, as a Seers/Mother Mayhem set. What powers would you give to a Longbow patron pool set, and what other hero organizations would you choose for the rest?

I recall seeing that thread at the time, but had forgotten most of what I read there, it seems. Looks like we had some different kinds of ideas about what some kheldian patron pools could look like, and I bet there would be room for both to be implemented if kheldians could get access to epic power pools opened up. Ah, and I see you're a bowman of culture as well!

Perhaps I didn't phrase my point well, so I'll try to reframe it. Why would someone who already has superpowers lose them when they merge with a kheldian? I'd see these APPs as a good way to be both a kheldian and have powers from other sources.

I concur! That said, why Freezing Touch over the ranged Block of Ice, from Ice Control?

And now, the thrilling conclusion to my proposals: it's... WARSHADE MASTERY For many ATs, this will be the third dark-themed APP. Too much? No way! Much like the Peacebringer PPP, I propose the Warshade PPP be granted the iconic travel power from the full archetype. Single target holds show up in a disproportionate amount of APP sets - thankfully, Warshades already have one, so I don't have to propose a brand new one. However, Gravity Well is melee range. I'm copying it as is for now, but I would suggest that the APP versions be turned into ranged versions instead. Warshades also don't have an AoE immobilize, so I've opted to use Gravitic Emanation as a substitute for those. If a new AoE version of Gravimetric Snare were to be created, and used instead, I would not be heartbroken. I feel the same way about Ebon Eye that I do about Glinting Eye - that is, they are replaceable by similar powers from the same set if necessary. Likewise with Gravity Shield and Shining Shield - I'd replace the visual from Gravity Shield with Penumbral Shield (which does not have a bubble) despite the Smash/Lethal resists being more appropriate for APPs (and I also advocate for these versions giving Neg resist as well for the same reasons as given for Shining Shield in the Peacebringer section). Just like with the Photon Seekers addendum, I am using Dark Extraction as the pet only because it already exists, and it could easily be replaced by a more standard pet (likely an Unbound Nictus look-alike). Arachnos Soldier & Arachnos Widow Ebon Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Gravitic Emanation (Ranged (Cone), Minor DMG(Neg), Foe Disorient, Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Dark Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Sunless Mire (PBAoE, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD; Self +DMG, +To Hit) Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) Blaster: Gravity Well (Melee, Superior DMG(Neg), Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step / Essence Drain (Melee, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD; Self +HP) Gravity Shield (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Gravitic Emanation (Ranged (Cone), Minor DMG(Neg), Foe Disorient, Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Stygian Circle (PBAoE, Self +HP(Special), +End) Brute & Tanker: Ebon Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Gravitic Emanation (Ranged (Cone), Minor DMG(Neg), Foe Disorient, Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Dark Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Stygian Circle (PBAoE, Self +HP(Special), +End) Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) A case could be made for putting Shadow Slip (the Fold Space for Warshades) in the Stygian Circle slot. That could be very cool, or it could be considered unfair to Warshades and Teleportation pool selectors. Controller: Ebon Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Stygian Circle (PBAoE, Self +HP(Special), +End) Gravity Shield (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Dark Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) Corruptor & Defender: Gravitic Emanation (Ranged (Cone), Minor DMG(Neg), Foe Disorient, Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Stygian Circle (PBAoE, Self +HP(Special), +End) Gravity Shield (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Gravity Well (Melee, Superior DMG(Neg), Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD) Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) Dominator: Dark Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Stygian Circle (PBAoE, Self +HP(Special), +End) Gravity Shield (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Sunless Mire (PBAoE, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD; Self +DMG, +To Hit) Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) Mastermind: Ebon Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Gravity Shield (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Dark Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Black Dwarf Smite (Melee, Superior DMG (Neg/Smash), Foe Disorient, -Rech, -SPD, -Fly) Gravity Well (Melee, Superior DMG(Neg), Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD) Had to reach a bit for a melee attack from Warshades, but the animations should work fine and look awesome to boot! Scrapper & Stalker: Ebon Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Shadow Blast (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Dark Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Neg), Foe Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Gravity Well (Melee, Superior DMG(Neg), Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD) Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) Sentinel: Gravitic Emanation (Ranged (Cone), Minor DMG(Neg), Foe Disorient, Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Black Dwarf Smite (Melee, Superior DMG (Neg/Smash), Foe Disorient, -Rech, -SPD, -Fly) Gravity Well (Melee, Superior DMG(Neg), Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD) Unchain Essence (Ranged (Targeted AoE Special), Superior DMG(Neg), Foe Disorient, Knockback, -Rech, -SPD) Shadow Step (Ranged (Location), Self Teleport) / Dark Extraction (Summon Essence: Ranged Moderate DMG(Neg)) Likewise, I had to reach for a PBAoE attack for the standard T4 Sentinel APP slot. And that's all I have for you! I was about to write up a proposal for a Positron-inspired Radiation Mastery set, but Vanden already did a great job with that. The only thing I'd do differently is include a pet, as is standard for PPPs so far - likely a Longbow Officer or Warden. No sense reinventing that wheel!

The most radical departure from the form that I will propose today, and the idea that motivated me to write this all up in the first place. A redside contact mission (Dr. Shelly Percey: Steal a Nictus from the Council) inspired me to make these proposals. My Spines/Regen Stalker was granted temporary power versions of Shadow Step and Gravitic Emanation, and it was completely gamechanging for that character. That got me thinking - why would a Kheldian opt to choose only an average civilian to bind with? I could easily imagine a hero, nearly at the height of their power, forming a bond with a Kheldian during the course of their career. Therefore, I present to you a double feature... PEACEBRINGER MASTERY I think it's pretty unprecedented to have a travel power in an Ancillary Power Pool, so I've provided alternate options in case people don't like the change - but the travel powers are so core to those ATs that it seems unfair to not provide them as an option to the sets. What would happen if someone uses Energy Flight and regular Fly at the same time? One would probably just detoggle the other, like using a jetpack while using Fly. To be clear, I am not suggesting this be an either/or selection that players can make - I am suggesting that the sets can be implemented with the more conventional alternative if the proposal is too radical for traditional sensibilities. In every case, my preference is for the travel power option. Unfortunately, Pacebringers don't have much control in their sets (unlike Warshades), which forced me to lean heavily into Pulsar as the AoE control option and propose a new ST hold in the form of Gleaming Grip, which can probably be created using existing Peacebringer particle effects. Even though I have all of the squishies using Shining Shield as their armor, I personally prefer the visuals of Thermal Shield (without the bubble), so I'd have the Thermal Shield visuals be either a replacement or an alternate option. Shining Shield's mechanics are still preferable because it gives Smash/Lethal resist - but perhaps the modified versions should give additional Energy resist, as many APP armors give more than S/L resist. I'm happy to replace Glinting Eye with any of the Peacebringer ranged ST attacks, but Glinting Eye is very cool so it got my pick most of the time. I am aware of the issue many players have with knockback, and I would advocate for the APP versions of any attack that includes knockback be set to knockdown by default instead. However, I am copying the effects as already presented for this write-up. Photon Seekers is the pet of choice only because it already exists. If it was replaced with a new pet that worked more like the APP summons we already have, that would probably be better. It could be a ball of light, like a Kheldian form of the Unbound Nictus (which conveniently looks exactly like a Peacebringer using Light Form), or it could even be one of the Peacebringer PPD Transcended NPCs encountered at level 40+, or even some new Bright Nova or White Dwarf pets. Arachnos Soldier & Arachnos Widow: Glinting Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Proton Scatter (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Luminous Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Pulsar (PBAoE, Foe Disorient) Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Blaster: Gleaming Grip (Ranged, Minor DMG (Energy), Foe Hold, -DEF) - New Power Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Pulsar (PBAoE, Foe Disorient) Shining Shield (Toggle: Self: +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Proton Scatter (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Essence Boost (Self Heal, +Max HP, +Res(Toxic)) Brute & Tanker: Glinting Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Pulsar (PBAoE, Foe Disorient) Luminous Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Conserve Energy (Self End Disc) Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Controller: Glinting Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Conserve Energy (Self End Disc) Shining Shield (Toggle: Self: +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Luminous Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Corruptor & Defender: Pulsar (PBAoE, Foe Disorient) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Radiant Strike (Melee, Superior DMG(Smash/Energy), Foe -DEF, -Fly, Knockback) Shining Shield (Toggle: Self: +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Gleaming Grip (Ranged, Minor DMG (Energy), Foe Hold, -DEF) - New Power Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Dominator: Proton Scatter (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Inner Light (Self +DMG, +To Hit) Shining Shield (Toggle: Self: +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Light Form (Self +Res(All DMG but Psionics, Disorient, Sleep, Hold, Immob, Knockback, Repel)) Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Mastermind: Glinting Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Shining Shield (Toggle: Self: +Res(Smash, Lethal)) Proton Scatter (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Solar Flare (PBAoE, High DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Gleaming Grip (Ranged, Minor DMG (Energy), Foe Hold, -DEF) - New Power Masterminds getting an armor power in their APPs is inconsistent, though it is more standard in their PPPs. Shining Shield could be substituted for Proton Scatter or Solar Flare just as easily as for Energy Flight if the "travel powers in the APP" thing catches on. Scrapper & Stalker: Glinting Eye (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Gleaming Blast (Ranged, High DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Luminous Detonation (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Gleaming Grip (Ranged, Minor DMG (Energy), Foe Hold, -DEF) - New Power Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Sentinel: Pulsar (PBAoE, Foe Disorient) Radiant Strike (Melee, Superior DMG(Smash/Energy), Foe -DEF, -Fly, Knockback) Gleaming Grip (Ranged, Minor DMG (Energy), Foe Hold, -DEF) - New Power Solar Flare (PBAoE, High DMG(Energy), Foe -DEF, Knockback) Energy Flight (Toggle: Self Fly) / Photon Seekers (Summon Drones: Ranged Special, High DMG(Energy)) Sentinels have a very standardized APP/PPP power progression, but the last slot is less standardized. Therefore, the more flexible slot is where I decided to put either Energy Flight or the pet. Coming up, the thrilling conclusion!

Next up, its... MENTAL MASTERY Some archetypes already have Psychic or Psionic Mastery, but these days almost every archetype has a psychic powerset available to them (or, in the case of Masterminds, some psychic-adjacent powersets like Empathy and Pain Domination). For those archetypes that already have a psychic themed option, they'll have both - just like any archetype with access to both a dark themed APP and the Soul Mastery PPP. Mind Control lacks an AoE immobilize, so instead of postulating some kind of new AoE version of Subdue, I've elected to use the already existing Mass Hypnosis as a substitute for all the AoE immobilizes I see in APP and PPP sets. An AoE Subdue could certainly be created. If this were a Praetorian-based Patron Power Pool (the illustrious quad-P!) a Seer would be the obvious choice for a summon. However, this is based on Prime Earth blueside - specifically Penny Yin. Which means out summon of choice is the Psychic Clockwork! Arachnos Soldier & Arachnos Widow: Psionic Lance (Sniper, Superior DMG(Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Mass Hypnosis (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep) - from Mind Control Drain Psyche (PBAoE, Foe -Regen, -Rec, Self +Regen, +Rec) - from Mental Manipulation Anguishing Cry (PBAoE, Foe -DEF(All), -Res(All)) - from Pain Domination Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power Blaster: Psi Blade Sweep (Melee (Cone), High DMG(Psionic/Lethal), Foe Disorient, -Rech) - from Psionic Melee Dominate (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe Hold) - from Mind Control Mind Over Body (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal, Psionics)) - from Psychic Mastery Mass Hypnosis (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep) - from Mind Control Telekinesis (Toggle: Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Hold, Repel) As Blasters already have access to Psychic Scream in their Mental Manipulation set, I've opted to bring in Psi Blade Sweep for the little extra AoE damage slot I see in most Blaster APPs. No other Blaster powers grant Insight, so for the sake of simplicity I decided to omit that part of the power from this version of Psi Blade Sweep. Brute & Tanker: Mental Blast (Ranged, Moderate DMG (Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Mass Hypnosis (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep) - from Mind Control Psionic Tornado (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DoT(Psionic), Foe Knockback) - from Psychic Blast Dominate (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe Hold) - from Mind Control Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power Controller: Mental Blast (Ranged, Moderate DMG (Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Mind Over Body (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal, Psionics)) - from Psychic Mastery Psychic Scream (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Link Minds (PBAoE, Team +To-Hit, +DEF(All), +RES(Psionic)) - from Psionic Mastery Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power Corruptor & Defender: Mass Hypnosis (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep) - from Mind Control Mind Over Body (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal, Psionics)) - from Psychic Mastery Power Boost (Self +Special) - from Energy Manipulation Dominate (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe Hold) - from Mind Control Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power Dominator: Link Minds (PBAoE, Team +To-Hit, +DEF(All), +RES(Psionic)) - from Psionic Mastery Indomitable Will (Self +Res (Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Fear), +DEF (Psionics)) - from Psionic Mastery Mind Over Body (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal, Psionics)) - from Psychic Mastery Psionic Tornado (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DoT(Psionic), Foe Knockback) - from Psychic Blast Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power Of all the Mental Mastery variants, this one seems the most similar to an APP that the AT can already access, but the option of having a pet makes this an attractive option. Mastermind: Mental Blast (Ranged, Moderate DMG (Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Mind Over Body (Toggle: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal, Psionics)) - from Psychic Mastery Psychic Scream (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Mind Probe (Melee, High DMG(Psionic), Target -Recharge) - from Psionic Assault Dominate (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe Hold) - from Mind Control Scrapper & Stalker: Mental Blast (Ranged, Moderate DMG (Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Psionic Lance (Sniper, Superior DMG(Psionic), Foe -Rech) - from Psychic Blast Psionic Tornado (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DoT(Psionic), Foe Knockback) - from Psychic Blast Dominate (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe Hold) - from Mind Control Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power I've noticed that a lot of the Scrapper/Stalker PPPs have two different blasts at T1 and T2 - this setup probably made a lot more sense when snipes didn't have the quick mode. Sentinel: Mass Hypnosis (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep) - from Mind Control Mind Probe (Melee, High DMG(Psionic), Target -Recharge) - from Psionic Assault Dominate (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Psionic), Foe Hold) - from Mind Control Mass Levitate (PBAoE, High DMG(Smash), Foe Knock Up) - from Psionic Melee Summon Duke (Summon Cannon Duke: Ranged Moderate DMG(Psionic) - New Power Mass Levitate could easily be replaced with Psychic Shockwave from Mental Manipulation for a more conventional choice, but Sentinels already have access to the very similar Psychic Wail. As with the Blasters' version of Psi Blade Sweep, Insight has been removed from this version. Coming up next... my pièce de résistance!

I've been thinking about some low-hanging fruit in the form of blue-side Patron Power Pools lately. I wanted to design these power pools in the same vein as Tyrranical's Eco-Friendly Powerset Recycling thread, reusing as many powers as possible (which is consistent with the Ancillary Power Pool design from live, from my observation). I've done my best to replicate the "standard" progression of other Ancillary Power Pools. However, some themes are lacking powers that fit perfectly (such as no AoE immobilize in any set that uses a Bow) so I have tried to match powers that at least have a similar concept. The order of powers within the set is certainly up for debate. Within the existing sets, similar powers may show up in seemingly random orders. Take Blaster APPs and PPPs, for example: in the APPs, Blasters may get an armor power at Tier 3 for most sets, or Tier 1 for Munitions Mastery or Tier 4 for Force Mastery. In the PPPs, they get those armors at Tier 2, or Tier 4 for Leviathan Mastery. I tried to match the ordering of powers as best I could, but the inconsistency means that these powers could go in pretty much any order and still be reasonable choices. So, without further ado, I present... BOW MASTERY The Bow Mastery set draws from Archery, Trick Arrow and Tactical Arrow whenever possible. Other "natural origin" type powers like Willpower are also fair game. The obvious choice for a single target hold, Ice Arrow, is already available on Trick Arrow and Tactical Arrow users. That means Blasters, Corruptors, Defenders, and Masterminds that would normally get a ST Hold in their APP don't get one in these sets. I think Soaring Dragon from Katana will look pretty good when used with a bow - The animation should line up properly, considering that both the katana and the bow are held in the left hand. However, the possibility that the animation looks screwy when the bow is used in an unintended way is certainly a possibility - if that is the case, then Soaring Dragon could be replaced by a new power that does a standard Brawl animation with the left hand with a bow in it to make a passable bow strike. I'm choosing to give Body Armor as the armor power of choice because I'm a dirty Munitions Mastery user. It also seems the most appropriate for the powerset. The summon of choice is the Wing Sting Agent from the Wyvern enemy group. The non-flying variant could also be used, but the jetpack variant is cool, so I picked it. How would Bow Mastery work with Shield Defense? Unfortunately, it might have to be unselectable by characters with Shield Defense, in the same way that melee sets like Claws and Katana are disabled. Arachnos Soldier & Arachnos Widow Aimed Shot (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Glue Arrow (Ranged (Location AoE), Foe -Rech, -SPD) - from Trick Arrow Explosive Arrow (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Lethal/Smash), Foe Knockback) - from Archery Poison Gas Arrow (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep, -DMG) - from Trick Arrow Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power Blaster Body Armor (Auto: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) - from Munitions Mastery Disruption Arrow (Ranged (Location AoE), Foe -Res(All), -Max End - from Trick Arrow Poison Gas Arrow (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Sleep, -DMG) - from Trick Arrow Resurgence (Self Rez) - from Willpower Moment of Glory (Self +DEF(All DMG but Psionics), +Res(All DMG but Psionics, Disorient, Hold, Sleep, Immob, Knockback, Repel), +Rec) - from Regeneration Brute & Tanker Aimed Shot (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Glue Arrow (Ranged (Location AoE), Foe -Rech, -SPD) - from Trick Arrow Explosive Arrow (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Lethal/Smash), Foe Knockback) - from Archery Ice Arrow (Ranged, Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD, -DMG) - from Trick Arrow Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power Controller Aimed Shot (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Kuji-In Toh (Self +Regen, +Recovery, Res(Psionic, Fear)) (from Ninja Training for Blasters) - from Ninja Training Body Armor (Auto: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) - from Munitions Mastery Explosive Arrow (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Lethal/Smash), Foe Knockback) - from Archery Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power Now your Trick Arrow Controllers can shoot the trickiest arrow of all: the pointy one! Corruptor & Defender Sharp Eye (Self +ACC, +Perception, Res(To Hit Debuff), +Special, +Regen, +Rec) - New Power Body Armor (Auto: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) - from Munitions Mastery Soaring Dragon (Melee, High DMG(Lethal) Foe -DEF, Knockup) - from Katana Resurgence (Self Rez) - from Willpower Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power Sharp Eye would be a click power with the same bonuses as the power Eagle Eye from Tactical Arrow for Blasters. Dominator Fistful of Arrows (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Kuji-In Toh (Self +Regen, +Recovery, Res(Psionic, Fear)) - from Ninja Training Body Armor (Auto: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) - from Munitions Mastery Acid Arrow (Ranged AoE, Minor DoT(Toxic), Foe -DEF(All), -Res(Special), +Res(Heal)) - from Trick Arrow Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power In place of Acid Arrow, I am also open to using Disruption Arrow, also from Trick Arrow. Mastermind Aimed Shot (Ranged, Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Body Armor (Auto: Self +Res(Smash, Lethal)) - from Munitions Mastery Fistful of Arrows (Ranged (Cone), Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Stunning Shot (Ranged Disorient, Minor DMG(Smash)) - from Archery Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power Scrapper & Stalker Snap Shot (Ranged, Minor DMG(Lethal)) - form Archery Ranged Shot (Sniper, Extreme DMG(Lethal)) - from Archery Explosive Arrow (Ranged (Targeted AoE), Moderate DMG(Lethal/Smash), Foe Knockback) - from Archery Ice Arrow (Ranged, Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD, -DMG) - from Trick Arrow Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power Sentinel Glue Arrow (Ranged (Location AoE), Foe -Rech, -SPD) - from Trick Arrow Soaring Dragon (Melee, High DMG(Lethal) Foe -DEF, Knockup) - from Katana Ice Arrow (Ranged, Foe Hold, -Rech, -SPD, -DMG) - from Trick Arrow The Lotus Drops (PBAoE Melee, Moderate DMG(Lethal), Foe -DEF) - from Katana Summon Agent (Summon Wing Sting Agent: Ranged Moderate DMG(Lethal)) - New Power The Lotus Drops in this set would use the bow as a melee weapon in the same way that Soaring Dragon does. Next up... a real brain teaser!

Dangit, I was just about to write up this very idea!

There's a lot to love in this update! I do have the same concern as @brattycommissar2 though, I've had a beam rifle/munitions mastery blaster for awhile that has been using the tommy gun model for my beam rifle on some costume slots. Hopefully we can get those assault rifle models ported to the beam rifles in the same way that many of the beam rifle customizations have been proliferated to assault/munitions rifles. Unrelated, my arachnos soldier will be very happy with the new assortment of guns he's allowed to use!

On Seismic Blast's power Rock Shards, using the "Lava" customization shows projectiles that are clearly meant for the "Crystal" version. The shoulder effect and the crumbling rocks falling off the player model all show the correct lava texture, so it's just the projectiles that seem to be in error. Difficult to see (and even more difficult to screenshot!) but the screenshot shows what I'm seeing. This was tested on both the Blaster and Corruptor versions of Seismic Blast, but only in the costume creator so far - I haven't yet made a character to test it with in real world settings. Despite the title, I'm not 100% sure if its using the wrong texture or if its supposed to be using a different model for the projectile piece. The regular and "Color Customizable" versions seem to use a lumpier rock as the projectile compared to the sleeker crystal projectile, but that could just be a trick of the eye.

And is there any chance that you're logging off in an area that gives a day job bonus to XP gained, such as police stations (and your friends are not)?

That would make sense, but we weren't attacking it while its health regenerated. We got it to roughly 20%, and then (mostly) stopped attacking it, and its health crept back up to 100% before we beat it back down again. During that regen process the texture was swapping rapidly.

During a Market Crash tonight, our team got the Crimson Prototype down to about 20% health before we had two of our teammates disconnect. While we waited for them to get back into the game, the Crimson Prototype's HP regenerated, and we noticed some odd behavior. Crimson Prototype's texture seemed to be rapidly switching back and forth (a few times per second) from a pristine version and a battle-damaged version, shown in the two pictures. Video evidence would have shown the effect better, but I was not well-prepared enough to get that ready.

Very cool to hear! Let's say "great minds think alike" on this one 🙂

Of all the new content that the Homecoming team have added to the game, I find that the most ingenious are the exploration tip missions- guides to getting difficult-to-find badges that are integrated into both the game systems and the narrative of the world. Theoretically, you can now get all of the exploration badges in the game without needing to use an outside reference like the wiki or an addon like Vidiotmaps. What I realized last night, as I worked on receiving the Atlas Medallion on another alt for the umpteenth time, is that the same convenience of exploration tip missions isn't also present in the history badges. The history badges illuminate a lot of Paragon City's... well, history, and a few are prerequisites for actual mechanical advantages, so I think they should get a similar treatment to the often hard-to-find exploration badges. The tip missions are great for exploration badges - beat up some local bad guys, receive a little contextual reason to visit a location and get an exploration badge for your trouble. I don't think that same format works as well as a reason to visit and read the history plaques, but I have another solution in mind. What I'd like to see implemented are a series of mission-giving contacts, one for each history badge, stationed in the various universities throughout the city (and Rogue Isles, and even the Praetorian zones for badges like Headjuiced and The Last Word). Each one could give missions to go to the various plaques, just like the exploration tips, but instead of plucking a history lesson from the clutches of a bad guy you just arrested, you'd talk to a thematically appropriate citizen. For example, a professor teaching Civics found in the library of the Founders Falls university could give missions that talk about the Might for Right Act, and direct players towards all of the plaques for the Expert badge. Ideally, these contacts wouldn't have any prerequisites, may or may not show up in the "Find a Contact" feature (I'm interested in hearing opinions about this part), and importantly wouldn't be required to get the history badges - someone running Vidiotmaps or using the wiki should have an unaffected experience if they don't want to use any new features. I think writing some missions that direct players to the history badges would be a nice way to experience some of the lore of the game. Perhaps even more importantly, they'd give players an in-game way to engage with those badges, rather than practically requiring the use of a third party resource. But how do *you* feel about this "historian contacts" idea? Would you use a feature like this? And should the contacts give one mission per plaque, or should they give one single mission that asks you to go to each plaque sequentially? Tangentially related: I'm not the first to ask for the following, but I don't remember where I saw the following suggestion before - otherwise I'd link to it directly. I'd like to see the requirements for the accolades (both history plaques and exploration badges) taken out of the Echo maps and moved to other spots around the city. The actual locations for these plaques are sort of arbitrary, so even plaques that say "On this spot..." could be placed in other zones and the story stays intact. Perhaps the old spots could become new history badges, and a historian contact could be placed in Ouroboros to guide players to any time-travel-required spots? It would sort of be a meta-history badge in that regard.

A few people here have had opinions along the lines of "I don't want to be incentivized to do content I don't like". I can understand the desire to have the most optimal play also be the most enjoyable one. However, the game already incentivizes doing unpopular content. Players aren't (often) doing Dr. Quarterfield TFs for the sheer joy of it - they're doing it for the tall stack of merits at the end. A lot of players choose not to participate in that TF except for during its time in the weekly rotation, and many also don't touch it at all. All of those choices are completely valid, and each individual has to make that calculation for themselves. But the entire Weekly Strike Target system is based around the idea of getting players to explore the less commonly played content, and the easiest way to do so is through rewards. And more rewards means more people giving the content a chance when they otherwise wouldn't have. And more people redside means that people who would like to play redside but can never find a team can finally have one. And so on and so forth. I also dig the idea of more rewarding redside content for a thematic reason: Villains do their villainy for selfish personal gain. It makes sense that the most efficient way to gain resources would be to take them from others. More rewards on the redside lets bad guys be bad guys, and lets blueside-only players actually make the choice to be a "good" guy for selfless reasons. Now, the exact method of reward might be tricky - 2 merits per mission seems like a lot, but does 1 merit per mission feel like enough of a reward to get people interested? The specifics might need some tweaking, but the idea is good enough to consider. Also, let's do this for goldside as well. A lot of missions on goldside have interesting stories that feel like they're meant to be experienced solo, but punishing mechanics that feel like you're supposed to bring a full team.