kelly Rocket
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Posts posted by kelly Rocket
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when you enter the pvp zone have a menu popup. Non pvp map or pvp map. That might satisfy everybody's preference.
Now that I'd support.
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It's a valid critique of the individual power and the set as a whole, but when petitioning for a change you pretty much have to disregard it.
Except when my proposal is demonstrably within the abilities of the admins (See Super Reflexes on Sentinels for evidence), and doesn't take anything away from anyone, since the new replacement power would be optional.
Whether it's technically possible is irrelevant, and no one said it was impossible. If you change one power solely to enable exploiting of set bonuses you're going against a cornerstone philosophy the game is built on. There is no reason Serum has to be replaced.
I think you need your reading comprehension upgraded. No replacement needed. Player can choose Serum still.
Either that or you don't actually understand the Cottage Rule.
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I'm also voting for Earth/Nature. I had a Incarnated Earth/Rad on live, but do enjoy the Earth/Nature much more. Stoney is prettey much indestructible with Wild Growth, Wild Bastion and Livegiving Spore Patch. Plus he does more damage with Overgrowth.
Stoney also runs himself out of endurance a lot, and Lifegiving Spores helps with that quite a bit.
Yeah, he is pretty unstoppable. One question: Is Lifegiving Spores also giving +end to one self? Because it doesn't show up on Combat Attributes and I cannot tell if I am getting +end too.
It gives you endurance if you stand in it, yes.
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There's really no need to violate the cottage rule on this power. Just reduce the recharge to something sane and take out the end crash. Maybe make its recharge unenhanceable like Strength of Will and it'd be a fine power.
Honestly I think the existence of the Aura IOs pretty much creates a need to change all the MM primaries that don't have an "extra pet" in this power slot. Otherwise Thugs, Demons, and Necro overshadow all the others.
If we *must* keep to the Cottage Rule (And frankly I really don't think we need to with powers this bad--and yes, Serum is AWFUL in it's current state) then you just make it a choose-a-power, which the game already supports. Leave Serum for the few people who might actually want it, and put in a proper pet power for the sane people. Whether it be an artillery strike or something else, as long as it takes Pet Sets.
Power sets are not balanced around IO sets.
And really, Serum is not that bad. It sucks because it has atrocious uptime and a painful crash, and those issues can be easily fixed.
Theyre not.... but after *so many years* it is a valid critique. Especially for the MM uniques.
But besides that can of worms, I agree that the recharge, uptime and crash make it horrendous. That said I feel that it should be able to be used on multiple mercs and not just the commando, as if it were on just 1 target at a time then why wouldn't it always be him?
It's a valid critique of the individual power and the set as a whole, but when petitioning for a change you pretty much have to disregard it.
Except when my proposal is demonstrably within the abilities of the admins (See Super Reflexes on Sentinels for evidence), and doesn't take anything away from anyone, since the new replacement power would be optional.
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Honestly I want a Tenebrous Tentacles FX option for Living Shadows :D
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There's really no need to violate the cottage rule on this power. Just reduce the recharge to something sane and take out the end crash. Maybe make its recharge unenhanceable like Strength of Will and it'd be a fine power.
Honestly I think the existence of the Aura IOs pretty much creates a need to change all the MM primaries that don't have an "extra pet" in this power slot. Otherwise Thugs, Demons, and Necro overshadow all the others.
If we *must* keep to the Cottage Rule (And frankly I really don't think we need to with powers this bad--and yes, Serum is AWFUL in it's current state) then you just make it a choose-a-power, which the game already supports. Leave Serum for the few people who might actually want it, and put in a proper pet power for the sane people. Whether it be an artillery strike or something else, as long as it takes Pet Sets.
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Encouraging PvE'ers to go into PvP zones is a bad idea.
Well, just make it another place where there's missions and XP, but make sure there's NO extra badges, temp powers, accolades, or other things that you can't get in regular PvE. Then PvErs like myself would only have motivation to experience new content, without feeling "forced" to go into a PvP zone for "kewl loot". Problem solved.
PvE'ers still resent being pushed towards PvP zones, no matter how gently. And if they do go there, they inevitably get ganked instantly, and then bitch for years.
The only reason this sort of thing gets suggested is that the PvPers want more people to PvP with, but the only people that actually end up being made happy by this sort of thing are the troll ganker PvPers. The PvPers who want actual competition won't enjoy it, and the PvEers certainly won't. The idea of a PvEer being enticed into a PvP zone, deciding it's not so bad, and becoming a PvPer is a pipedream.
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Encouraging PvE'ers to go into PvP zones is a bad idea.
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psi damage is heavily resisted end game and those mobs that resist it, resist a LOT of it.
Doesn't matter. Not like you're going to take the MM primary attacks anyway.
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So, this is technically a thread asking for a buff to a Mastermind Set of all things but hear me out!
Serum is the signature power of the Mercenaries/ primary for Masterminds, much like how Thugs get Gang War and Necro gets Soul Extraction. Serum gives just 1 of your pets a 52.5% damage reduction, mez protection, 100% recovery rate, and 7.5% damage and tohit boost for 1 minute, before crashing the pet's endurance and recovery for 20 sec. This then has a 16 minute recharge.
As is, it is essentially just a power to be used on the Commando only and even then it is kind of weird. Your commando gets very tough and does not run out of endurance as much for a minute... before becoming useless for 20 sec... like once a mission. While nice, the frequency and duration just kill the power.
Keeping with the theme of a "super soldier serum", and noting that Mercs are on the lower end of MM primaries, how about just shifting the stats around to make this like a 3rd pet upgrade with the old school style?
Reduce the recharge to say 4 minutes and increase the duration to either make it perma, or maybe even something super long like 10 minutes. Keep it single target but allow you to over time juice up your whole squad. It could be faster recharge but a hefty endurance cost as well to keep it something that you dont just toss out to all the mercs all the time, but still allow you to have a fully evil super-squad.
Reduce the damage resist from >50% to all but psy down to say 15% to all, including psy, and similarly reduce the mez protections. Decrease the recovery boost to something like 25%. Increase the damage and tohit to 15% as well. Maybe add in +movement speed.
In essence, treat serum like a great big stat boost to your minion as if it is a special ST pet upgrade that is worth speccing into and using often. Itd be much better than the currently questionable, essentially commando-only power they have now!
Thoughts?
I personally think serum and other mastermind powers of this bracket need to be replaced with other pet powers like gangwar and the necro ghost. The reason being is having at least 4 pet powers for slotting. It almost feels power sets with 4 pets have a huge advantage over those without it.
Yeah, Thugs/Demons/Necro definitely have an advantage from that.
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If the Cottage Rule is a big deal on it (Which I don't think it is because frankly no one *takes* Serum on a Mercs MM), you can make it a choose-a-power. Serum or Artillery Strike, your choice :D
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Personally, Serum is SO bad I'd say screw the Cottage Rule on it, change it to something else.
My personal preference would be to change it to "Call Artillery Strike"
You drop a location targeted AoE field that counts down a few seconds and then you have say 15 to 30 seconds worth of moderate to high damage explosions in that area that do knockdown. Think of it as being like Earthquake with damage.
Also it'd technically be a summon, so it would accept Pet Sets, and therefore the Aura IOs.
Would help with Mercs' crap damage, and give you an extra CC/mitigation tool in the process.
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And it wasn't just you thinking that the Power Pack kids were believable for their assigned ages. The original series in the 80s was just truly excellently written. Some of the aesthetic is goofy and childish, but it deals with heavy themes at the same time. It's really great work.
Fun fact, the original series was created and written by Louise Simonson, wife of Walt Simonson, author of the Ragnarok storyline, which is the source of much recent MCU stuff.
Honestly I feel that the fact that the series was created (And drawn) by females helped with the kids being written so authentically. Not trying to be sexist, but it was the 80s, and women were just around kids more than men were, even if they didn't have kids of their own.
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I'm also voting for Earth/Nature. I had a Incarnated Earth/Rad on live, but do enjoy the Earth/Nature much more. Stoney is prettey much indestructible with Wild Growth, Wild Bastion and Livegiving Spore Patch. Plus he does more damage with Overgrowth.
Stoney also runs himself out of endurance a lot, and Lifegiving Spores helps with that quite a bit.
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Necro/Dark can actually get away with a resist heavy build, due to how much -ToHit is has.
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Nature.
Perma Volcanic Gasses + Entangling Aura. Nothing more need be said.
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People tout Time as being amazing in general. I've heard it's amazing with Ninjas. Though I haven't played it, I think it could do well once you have Farsight. Before farsight however, you may have some survive-ability issues with the pets without tankerminding. The -recharge really only takes effect after the alpha where the enemies use all their attacks.
Someone more experienced will likely chime in but I can't see it being 'bad'.
Honestly the -ToHit and -Damage and -Recharge are enough to shut down almost everything below the level you get Farsight at anyway.
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Would Beast/Time do well? Anyone has any thoughts on that combo?
There is no primary that Time won't do well with. Time is amazing.
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Anyone else remember Power Pack?
OH GODS YES.
I was 12 years old when this first came out (in the early 80s). The very notion of superheroes, who were not someone's "kid sidekick", but were MY OWN AGE was mind-blowingly awesome.
FYI, for anyone who doesn't know the series:
Alex Powers, Gravity manipulation. 12 years old. "Gee" / "G".
Julie Powers, Flight. 10 years old. "Lightspeed".
Jack Powers, Mass/density manupilation (self). 8 years old. "Mass Master".
Katie Powers, Disintegration and Energy Absorption/Projection. 5 years old. "Energizer".
They were awesome, they were (or so I felt at the time) written as believable for their stated ages, and I eagerly skipped lunch for a week at a time to have enough money to buy the latest issue.
Power Pack was awesome. And kid superheroes are just inherently fun because who wants to be superheroes more than little kids?
More than that, even: kids inherently grow as characters; who they are changes over time. Usually not into someone unrecognizable, but still, they change and develop as characters.
Mercedes Lackey has written a lot of books, with both adult and adolescent protagonists. She's said that the adolescent characters are often easier to write, because change comes naturally to them, whereas adults resist change. And so, sometimes, she had to fight to get events to go the way the story needed, when the protagonists were adults.
And, well, there's this simple truism: Superheroes, and superpowers, are adolescent power fantasies by nature. :)
All true.
And it wasn't just you thinking that the Power Pack kids were believable for their assigned ages. The original series in the 80s was just truly excellently written. Some of the aesthetic is goofy and childish, but it deals with heavy themes at the same time. It's really great work.
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Even back on Live, before Going Rogue, the Redside population was far, far lower than the Blueside population. When they made the "red" ATs available on Blueside, it did cause a drop in Redside players, but only a very small one. People just don't like Redside, with good reason... Even with exclusive ATs to try and tempt people the vast majority will refuse to go to Redside.
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If you go Mercs it's almost mandatory to slot an Achilles Heel Proc for -20% RES into the Soldiers Power. All of the soldiers attacks can proc it.
Low effort to make all of the Merc Pets a bit more viable in the damage department.
You could also slot the Universal Damage Proc (Knockback to Knockdown) into the commando, so that he doesn't scatter all the mobs.
Many Merc attacks are cones and it's better to keep the Mobs tightly packed.
Might be better to put the OF kb2kd on soldiers to let all their attacks have a chance to kd and make the medic grenade kd and put the sudden acceleration kb to kd on the commando.
OF Proc is "Unique" There is also the Sudden Acceleration set that has the same proc but is not "Unique" - If you go Mercs/Storm you'll want the OF proc for Tornado.
Sudden Acceleration isn't the same... It converts all Knockbacks to Knockdowns, yes, but Overwhelming Force adds a chance to Knockdown to any damaging power. On a pet that means that *every* attack they have that does damage has a chance to knockdown.
So you basically want that on whichever pet tier is going to be throwing the highest volume of attacks, or hitting the highest volume of targets.
I agree, but without the OF Proc on Tornado it makes it much less useful. I suppose it will come down to do you want to use Tornado with or without KB. I agree 100% that the OF Proc in Pets is infinitely more useful and thank you as I had no considered the sheer volume of attacks from the Soldiers being a form of control.
I"ll have to reconsider my stance on using OF in Tornado on a Merc / Storm
No problem! I wasn't trying to knock your slotting, putting it in Tornado can make sense, just wanted to clarify that they're not the same, and there are good reasons to slot the Unique in the bottom tier pets for some sets. Particularly Ninjas.
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Anyone else remember Power Pack?
Power Pack was awesome. And kid superheroes are just inherently fun because who wants to be superheroes more than little kids?
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If you go Mercs it's almost mandatory to slot an Achilles Heel Proc for -20% RES into the Soldiers Power. All of the soldiers attacks can proc it.
Low effort to make all of the Merc Pets a bit more viable in the damage department.
You could also slot the Universal Damage Proc (Knockback to Knockdown) into the commando, so that he doesn't scatter all the mobs.
Many Merc attacks are cones and it's better to keep the Mobs tightly packed.
Might be better to put the OF kb2kd on soldiers to let all their attacks have a chance to kd and make the medic grenade kd and put the sudden acceleration kb to kd on the commando.
OF Proc is "Unique" There is also the Sudden Acceleration set that has the same proc but is not "Unique" - If you go Mercs/Storm you'll want the OF proc for Tornado.
Sudden Acceleration isn't the same... It converts all Knockbacks to Knockdowns, yes, but Overwhelming Force adds a chance to Knockdown to any damaging power. On a pet that means that *every* attack they have that does damage has a chance to knockdown.
So you basically want that on whichever pet tier is going to be throwing the highest volume of attacks, or hitting the highest volume of targets.
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Earth and Ice only get the KB suppression because their immobs were actively nullifying powers in the same set (Earthquake and Ice Slick). Gravity doesn't have any powers that its immobs were rendering ineffective.
More than just Earth and Ice got that suppression change. *Every* set except for Gravity and Elec got it. And Gravity could actually use it, because it would make Propel work better.
Synergies with Earth Control?
in Controller
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It gives you as much as it uses with no enhancements at all, so yes.