I understand the general direction here: standardizing certain power behaviors (like Confuse recharge and scaling), adjusting proc abuse issues, and giving underwhelming powers more presence. That said, my main concern is that these changes to plant collectively feel like an overall nerf to a set that doesn't seem to warrant it.
Plant isn’t overplayed or dominant. Anecdotally, I see far more Fire Control users than Plant, and not just by a small margin. Plant is popular for its synergy and distinctiveness, but it’s hardly dominating the meta in the way other specs might be perceived. If the set is slightly overperforming in certain scenarios, I question whether that justifies reducing its strengths when it isn't leading to abuse or crowding out other options.
Specifically:
Seeds of Confusion losing scale and targets hits hard on top of a recharge nerf. That power was a big part of Plant’s identity and strategic depth. It serves as the alpha strike mitigation and post-patch would underperform equivalents such as Stalagmites or Flashfire, as others have pointed out.
Carrion Creepers losing the quirky, layered proc interactions may have been necessary from a technical standpoint, but it also seems to dull the set’s feel and fun.
Spirit Tree’s new tanky role is interesting, but I worry it’s being asked to fill a role no one really needed it to. The old regen tree was a unique utility tool, and this version feels like a solution in search of a problem.
That said, I do want to acknowledge the Sleep mechanic overhaul as a very welcome improvement. Deep Sleep seems like a great addition for powers like Spore Burst and others that previously felt too fragile in actual gameplay. Making sleep stackable and resistant to instant cancellation adds depth to its role as a control tool, especially when damage-over-time powers are in play.
Still, I worry that the cumulative changes to Plant, especially the nerfs to key identity powers, may leave it feeling flatter and less distinct. The City of Heroes experience isn’t primarily about PvP or competitive balance. It thrives on variety, playstyle identity, and the feeling that different sets bring something unique. Homogenizing outliers that aren’t disrupting gameplay risks creating sets that feel too similar to one another.
Balance should of course be considered, but in this case it feels like it’s being pursued at the cost of a set’s identity. If the set isn’t over-represented or warping the game, what’s the upside of reducing its high points?
Thanks for reading.