Scarlet Shocker

So because I have no life I've just done the same exercise with all T9 Defender powers Set Power Base Recharge (seconds) Actual Recharge (Seconds) Duration Cold Domination Heat Loss 360 180 90 Dark Miasma Dark Servant* 240 120 240 Electrical Affinity Amp Up 300 150 90 Empathy Adrenalin Boost 300 150 90 Force Field Damping Bubble 90 45 0.5** Kinetics Fulcrum Shift 60 30 45 Nature Affinity Overgrowth 255 127.5 60 Pain Domination Painbringer 300 150 90 Poison Venomous Gas 8 4 0.75** Radiation Emission EM Pulse 300 150 22.35 Sonic Resonance Liquefy 300 150 30 Storm Summoning Lightning Storm 90 45 60 Thermal Radiation Melt Armour 150 75 40 Time Manipulation Chrono Shift 360 180 90 Traps Time Bomb 360 180 21 Trick Arrow EMP Arrow 300 150 240 Sorry about formatting. Getting Libre Office & forum to play nice together is beyond my capability it seems Criteria: Figures from Mid’s Reborn 3.6.6. (HC I27 P6) All Primary T9 powers, compared with Dark Blast and the following pool powers: Combat Jumping, Hasten, Stealth, Manoeuvres. This gives consistency and a ready comparision using single shot slots for LotG Globals. Mace Mastery taken for same reason. Thus 4x Lotg Globals +Haste. All slotted at lvl 50 with lvl 50 Ios, Hasten is 2x lvl 50+5s ** I have no direct experience of these (other than poison) but I presume they are ticks but some further explanation might be helpful from those who know. I think there are two immediate takeaways that leap from the page at me: There is a great disparity in efficiency of the T9s across the board. Some are clearly OP and others are seriously UP. But I also think that looking at T9s alone is probably not entirely fair comparison. We should probably look at the entire set in the round as to overall performance. That said, it's beyond my particular set of skills so I leave it at this. I was struck that the numbers I chose seemed to reduce recharge by half. Entirely coincidental but actually makes it easier to digest.

I get that. I'm familiar with the concept. Every action has an alternative outcome and from that springs a new universe but that is not implied in this game. Yes, we have alternate worlds but those are usually well explained. This just feels clunky because Sister P exists when she should not (we have no indication so far as I read that we've moved to an alternate timeline) and that's backed up by Penny's presence in Atlas later. It just feels awful writing - or rather lack thereof. I'd also remind readers that I have huge issues with the whole killing of Sister P in the first instance. It was entirely unnecessary and almost a "well they know we're going to kill Statesman, so let's throw this blinder in to catch them off guard" But then they forgot about the LRSF loop. I get that the new devs wanted Penny. She is an interesting character, but she is also something of a usurper. She could exist in her own right, with her own TF and place in the FP, without killing of SP. Just seems shoddy and half-arsed the way they worked this out and made me go "WHOA!"

Just ran Lord Recluse SF, which IMO is one of the better SF/TFs in the game. Ok... I know there's a technical reason why it's difficult to remove her from the future mission, cut scenes and whatnot, but it does jar and made me go WTF.

I'm presuming this is a bug I won the Synthetic Microfilament Exposure which enhances End/Fly/Jump/Run I looked to see where I could put it and I can slot it in sprint, as you'd expect, and of course Combat Jumping and super jump. I can also slot it in Swift, where it will enhance Fly (but not Run) I cannot slot it in Hurdle So in other words I'm able to slot it in one part of Inherent Fitness, but not the other. That is inconsistent behaviour. It affects Run, Fly and Jump so if it can go in one, it should go in both, or not at all. Weirdness.

but he only learned to lactate relatively recently

I just did a very (non-scientific) test in Mids with a Thermal/Dark Defender, purely theoretical and the best I could get was to get Melt Armor down to 75 Seconds recharge. That's using Haste with two x 50+5 IOS and 4 LotGs Globals. I didn't do a full slot using purples etc because of fundamental laziness but that does strike me as being excessively poor considering that controllers can get Perma PA as a matter of course which is way and above more devastating. (Yes I'm aware of the comparison of apples and oranges - see the non-science caveat above) That is rapidly swinging me over to Renatos' position that Thermal is seriously lagging in overall performance

I'd go along with that

The only way to get an "Ooooo" (allegedly)

Sleet!

just to say I've never played a Thermal/ Defender. I have noticed some differences in synergies when comparing Controller and Defender AT power sets. I certainly wouldn't object to Devs giving it a once over but I don't feel it's as bad as you make out but I also admit I'm not really a numbers guy so... take that however you wish 🙂

Ok I admit I was misremembering a little and it's true that Thermal has very little control; but that kind of makes my point that Thermal is a pretty outstanding support set. It benefits from having a team, whereas other sets are far more capable solo but offer the team as a unit much less. I maintain my position that if you take Thermal to fulfil its design concept, it works pretty well but you have to understand (as you would any other power in the game) it's limitations, strengths and pitfalls. Sure, it can be better but what power in this game couldn't be? One other point that nobody's touched on (so far as I read) in this thread is that not everyone enjoys playing OP characters and sometimes it's good to have a set or two that is percieved as being slightly underperforming to make the feeling of achievement so much more. That's a preference and not for everyone but still valid.

I've been to the gas station but I was TP'd there. That's cool

Then my work here is done /em ebillaugh

There are some things it is better for a general audience not to know.

I'm seriously concerned that these were the issues most prominent on your radar!

Hit Shappens

The thing about Thermal is that it offers so much in the round. You have great shields, great for teaming. You have great control, useful in any situation and some reasonable debuffs. Most of the outstanding secondaries tend to be outstanding in only one area which they excel at, whereas Thermal offers a broad base of abilities, a "jack of all trades" if you like. There are others that do well also but I can tell you that as someone with a lot of controller experience, my Earth Thermal is one of the best team support toons I can bring to any fight. Solo, it leaves a lot to be desired, but that's to be expected given the buffs and heals it offers a team. If I want to solo a controller I'd initially look at something like Poison or TA, but those don't offer anything like the team support of Thermal Horses for courses is your watchword here. What are you hoping to achieve?

One game I did really enjoy for almost its entire life was Atlas Reactor. It had many superhero elements, but was difficult, fun game play and although I was crap at it, I got great pleasure from it. Gamigo killed it when they bought the publisher and then tried to revive it but bolloxed it up so badly it fell over almost immediately. Sometimes I think we should pool our resources and form a corporation called "Redundant Games" and buy old IPs and code 😉

There are many powers in the game that you just don't need and almost never get used. Here are a few more, with a slight emphasis on the tongue firmly in the cheek (but we won't say whose!) In no particular order: 1) Flame Strike: All fire based powers stage a work to rule for better pay and conditions and refuse to activate until the fight you're in is over. They also categorically refuse to activate on weekends under any circumstances. 2) OPortal: This handy teleport power activates instantly and teleports you to a secret location within Croatoa where you will be greeted by lvl 54 AV Red Caps. There is no crock of gold at the end of this rainbow. 3) Dismember the Team: You and your team are teleported to your team leader, one little piece at a time. 4) Seeds of Forgetfulness: I can't actually remember what this one does 5) New Roots: You discover your heritage and origins in greater detail. Utterly useless in terms of gameplay but at least you know where came from and it's good for RP. 6) Snare of the Abyss: You manage to capture an entire abyss all by yourself. Now what are you going to do with it? You know the moment you release it, you'll be devoured. Good luck! 7) Incandescent: Angry? I'm bloody livid, mate! 8 ) Shorn of the Dead: Any powers relating to unlife, undeath, zombies, skeletons et al are removed from your power trays for the forseeable duration 9) Wake me up before you gogo: The ultimate party Rez 10) Gang of Four: More than three, fewer than five. 11) Spectral Hands: FINALLY! YOU HAVE FINGERS!!!! They are definitely there, you can see their translucent glow, but you just can't touch anything! Maybe it's all just an illusion. 12) Void Watcher: Emotionless and unfeeling, you watch the universe and its darkness. Your only pleasure is when you hear Kheldians scream in terror, an event that is becoming exponentially more rare. Oh how you miss those days... 13) Fried to a CRISP (Temp PVP POWER): You are able to use this power once, and once only, to transmute any opposing player into lightly salted, deep fried, delicious and very thinly sliced, potato pieces 14) CHIP off the old block (Temp PVP POWER): You know where this is going, right? Feel free to add your own, and may I just take a moment to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and it's my heartfelt hope that the coming year is better for everyone, everywhere.

NEVER!!!!!

You won't go wrong with Dark/Poison Believe me!

I'm very unlikely to choose Fire. I did have (still do) a Fire/TA which was pretty solid but it's not a set I especially enjoy. Fire/Kins and /Rads kinda put me off it by their ubiquity

Thermal is a great set. It does benefit from being paired with a set it takes synergy from. Melt Armor isn't the best on its own and nobody's going to complain if it gets a bit of a boost but the set itself stands up pretty well I feel.