Player2

I was inspired by Nightmare Before Christmas to make my own Halloween-Christmas themed character. I call him Horror Claus, a Dark/Dark controller.

I wouldn't like that, and I definitely wouldn't want to see it in place of a wand/staff powerset. That said, I wouldn't mind it either if it was made an option.

As a whole new set? Compared to just adding the Blackwand to an existing set? You are a madman.

A stick in the mud is hilarious.

When comparing damage to secondary effects, it's a combination of primaries being more powerful than secondaries and also a function of AT bonuses. Defenders have the best modifier in the game for things like End Drain, heals, -DEF, -RES, etc. Corruptors have weaker Lightning Storm than defenders because it's in their secondary set... while the Endurance drain in their primary is weaker because that's an enhanceable debuff which is what defenders are best at, but corruptors have better damage.

As far back as on Live, the developers refused to proliferate the Ghost Slaying Axe veteran rewards axe into the Battle Axe weapons customization options... something about wanting to keep that axe special and/or having that axe wouldn't have any additional effects against undead when used with regular battle axe attacks. But we've finally gotten the Ghost Slaying Axe into the weapon customization pool and it hasn't hurt anything. No one's illusions over what it should or should not be have been shattered, and who cares if you have to redraw once in awhile if you also use the actual Ghost Slaying Axe attack power? So what I'd like to propose is introducing the Blackwand (the Veteran Rewards version available at the P2W Vendors, not the one for completing Forge the Blackwand assigned by Archmage Tarixus) as an option for Dual Blades. "That's dumb. It's not a blade." No, it's a magical tool... perhaps a dual blades user has learned how to focus their power into sharp edges just before they strike. Or maybe the user is literally striking with the edge of the crystal embedded in the wand. It's pointy, so fits for stabby attacks... who's to say that there's not enough sharpness on one edge to cut someone with?

Exactly. As I've said, there's no reason ANY origin couldn't be explained into such a set with a little imagination. Let's do a comparison: MAGIC Wand: "Duh!" Dual Pistols: "I have magic guns." Assault Rifle: "That's stupid. I have magic powers (secondary set) that supplement my perfectly normal gun." Necromancy: "I use the dark arts to restore life to the dead... partially." TECHNOLOGY Wand: "It's like magic, but it uses science!!" Dual Pistols: "What's hard to understand? My guns are high tech devices that let me project death, destruction, AND mayhem." Assault Rifle: "State of the art, baby." Necromancy: "Using nanites, I'm capable of creating the illusion of magical reanimation." MUTATION Wand: "I have the power... but I need this stick to focus it." Dual Pistols: My mutant power is to be an AWESOME marksman without even trying. These guns, those guns... doesn't matter with what." Assault Rifle: My mutant powers are subtle (secondary)... I prefer to rely on the big bang of my rifle and fall back on the powers as needed." Necromancy: "I was born with these cursed necromantic powers." SCIENCE Wand: "You wouldn't understand, small-brain." Dual Pistols: "Science is responsible for my varied ammo types and other cool tricks." Assault Rifle: "Science made me a super soldier with abilities that enhance my deadly marksmanship." Necromancy: "Resurrecting the dead isn't so difficult... and one day I'll master it, but for now these crude zombies serve my needs." NATURAL Wand: "See, the wand is magic... but I'm not. Just like a gun is tech but you're just a natural born killer with it." Dual Pistols: "Hey, don't you talk about my guns like that. They're actually enchanted... but it takes someone with natural skills to use 'em right." Assault Rifle: "I have trained myself to be so skilled that my ordinary gun seems magically empowered in my hands." Necromancy: "Look, I'm not a magic guy... not really. I dabble in a lot of things, science and tech, and sure... a little sorcery. Are these zombies magic? Maybe... but I'm not. I just did the research and learned how to make them rise up and obey me." Origin is a tool for the players... not a straightjacket that they must conform to, and anyone that tries to limit ideas because of origins is doing a disservice to all our imaginations.

A looking for farm channel is something that could be created by players, and anyone that wants to opt in can... so farmers (and non-farmers) who don't want to see it won't need to remove it from their existing channels if it were an official addition, and farmers who don't mind bringing in random invites can advertise there or look for players wanting to get in on a farm. ANYONE can create ANY channel they want. The only issue is getting enough other players on board to make it worthwhile. That sounds like a farmers and LF farmers issue, though, not an all of us problem.

A Wand-themed control set would give some kind of "weapon" to use. I suggested it on another thread in the Suggestions section, but basically use existing animations that point (like the Blackwand and Nemesis Staff attacks) along with some melee attacks to simulate waving the "wand" thematically. I suggested an elementalist approach with a generic attacks option and then a power like Dual Pistols -> Ammo that would let you choose one of the four elements to apply additional thematic effects (and damage change) to the base powers. "Wand" can be anything from actual wands (like the one from the Lost Cure to the Blackwand prestige power) or staff or any melee weapon ("screw you, this ornate sword is for magic not hacking people apart!") or technological devices (such as the Medicine pool scanner). Then supply additional related powersets for support (Defender primary, Controller/Corruptor/Mastermind secondary), blast (Blaster/Corruptor primary, Defender secondary), manipulation (Blaster secondary), and assault (Dominator secondary) and you'll get a major boost to the non-melee ATs that can let them have a "weapon" for primary and secondary powersets... except for masterminds who will only get it as a secondary. What the hell, make an Elemental pets powerset for masterminds and reuse some of the powers from the above sets for wand attacks, and everyone gets a "wand" primary! Tier 1 pets: 2 fire imps, 1 jack frost Tier 2 pets: 2 air elementals (use the CoT ghosts, and maybe make them a little more transparent) Tier 3 pet: 1 stone elemental

There is a rich comic book history of characters wielding archaic weapons, either magical or just exceptional non-magical stuff.

That's why I suggest new enhancements with a little extra type-specific DoT... because anyone could use it. Got flaming swords in your Dual Blades scrapper? Add flaming DoT proc. Want burning darkness in your dark blasts? Add flaming DoT proc. Want your mind control to have varying damage types? Put a different DoT proc in each attack. If they're uncommon and generally readily available, balance won't be an issue. Some will whine that they can't fit them into their super tight maximized build... but if their build is that tight then they're choosing whatever benefit(s) comes with what they've chosen over a little extra thematic DPS.

There are combos??

Combinations I've used include: Seismic/Atomic blaster (Level 6) Seismic/Earth blaster (Level 36) Seismic/Electric blaster (Level 50) Seismic/Fire blaster (Level 9) Seismic/Plant blaster (Level 8.) Seismic/Storm corruptor (Level 22) Time/Seismic Defender (Level 27) I have concluded that Seismic Blast is fun. However, I was initially disappointed that Hurl Boulder did not make it into the powerset and --as much fun as it is-- that disappointment persists.

I think it might be easier to treat it as flight with a constant slow downward pull and no ability to go up (without the secondary clicky effect). It would work well with jumping if you had both (or a jump pack temp power) because you could kick off to get altitude and then slowly glide back down, either straight down like some kind of feather fall effect or as far as you can get in the direction of your choice until you reach the ground again.

I feel like this one could be combined under a number of handheld devices that project some kind of visual effect with damage and/or effects. I like the idea of a wizard with a staff, but we've also had suggestions for wands in the past. Some people will poo poo the idea because that makes the powerset inherently magic while most other powersets can fit any origin type. To that, all I have to say is: assault rifle and dual pistols. Seriously, though, it's not like we haven't had tech wielders of wands in the comics (DC's Weather Wizard and Abra Kadabra come to mind). So I'd suggest a powerset (or powersets for different ATs) that give the player different staves and wands and maybe a few other objects (like that handheld scanner device in the medicine pool) for the character to point and wave around with existing animations that we already have. Make a blast set, a support set, and a control set for primaries and a blaster Manipulation and dominator Assault set. That would make the collection of re-used animations be able to be used in both primary and secondary powers for blasters, controllers, corruptors, defenders, and dominators, as well as a secondary for masterminds. As for effects... make it a generic/mystic energy set for visual effects, and use the Dual Pistols ammo power as inspiration and make one of the powers something that lets the player choose a different thematic and secondary effects... I'd recommend something that combines the 4 elements as we've never had a true general elemental with access to all the elements... just pick 2 elements with primary and secondary powers, and maybe you can get a third in your ancillary pool if something different is available for your AT.

First we would need either more weapons or somehow the ability to add auras to weapons. I know we have a few already, but they're kind of limited and the typical recommendation would be to play a different powerset with the appropriate weapons built in (fiery melee and fire manipulation, for example). I feel like if we could get reliable weapon auras to simulate different kinds of effects, it would be fairly easy to implement additional damage of the appropriate type with special damage proc IO enhancements... something that adds a little DoT of the appropriate type for flavor.

Not bad, but you know what we don't have that could be useful to many character concepts? Gliding as a travel power. It would work like flight except that you can't gain altitude and you lose altitude constantly at a slow but steady rate. As a click bonus like other travel powers have, you gain a short duration ability to gain altitude and use normal flight power to simulate knowing how to catch the wind just right for some short term lift or to represent having some boosters to help gain lift for that extra distance when there's nothing high enough to jump off of.

I don't know. Maybe? But that's like an extra week. I can deal with that. It's the extra months that get to me.

I think masterminds should be a bit more flexible with power selections considering we have so few MM primaries and an inability to customize the pets. Maybe if they made it so that each primary had different pet choices for each tier, we could get more diversity out of the existing sets. Like at level 1, you have two or even 3 tier 1 pet options... for Mercenaries, you can have the standard paramilitary goons... and also law enforcement looking cops with dual pistols and maybe a third option with Arachnos minions. You choose one and it blocks out the other options and the rest of the set you only have the same thematic options. Cops gets you more cops and then one of those PPD Hardshell options. I know there was another thread recently where someone commented on how out of place the Oni was in the Ninjas set. Maybe they could have standard ninjas for the first 2 tiers and then choose either the Oni or a super ninja for the tier 3 pet. For Thugs, keep them relatively the same but vary the pet colors so it looks like they've got some different gangs to draw from... and maybe vary some of the secondary effects with them. For robots, imagine having your own clockwork pets doing your bidding. Demons? Let players tap into some of those Circle of Thorns magic and summon their demons as alternates. Necromancy? Let's give an option for standard and maybe Halloween undead with minions tapped from the zombie invasion event or just standard ToT zombies, ghosts, and vampires at tier 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

No.

If it were trailer parks, it would be easier to just write it off. But I'm talking about homes on Main St, homes sprinkled between farmland, homes in affluent neighborhoods more so I think than the poorer ones. If I had to guess, the past few years just sucked something terrible and people just wanted to hold on to that little bit of extra cheer that holiday lights brought. A couple places kept lights up but varied colors and/or decorations to fit with Valentines and then St. Patrick Day. I was resolved to start carrying around wire cutters if it went on after that. By Easter, the holiday lights mostly went away. And then people put up red white and blue lights just before July... and since that time, it's happened every year with some even laying out the lights in flag pattern. And then there's the orange and purple Halloween lights... right up to people having Christmas lights up and on before Thanksgiving. Some people have just become fascinated with "holiday lights" for any occasion, and it seems like the more privileged a home is the more likely they are to have Christmas lights up at other holidays. Around where I live and work, anyhow. I can't speak for all up and down the East coast.

That's why the set should be called Security. Heroes and Villains can hire private security.

No illusion defense until we get storm armor.

The pumpkin helmet is all encompassing, though. You cannot see the normal head that wears it, so that shouldn't be a problem. Another thought I had was the disco ball from the base editor. Placed upside-down over the neck area and make the line extending from it invisible.