Force Redux

I was of the firm belief, until David Tennant. Now Tom is rank # 1.5, a hair behind. Heresy, I know, but hey...its DAVID F'N TENNANT!! 😛

TELEPORTATION POOL Suffers from being clunky. Let's try to change that. Recall Friend - functions just fine, and is useful and often requested on speed runs. Or for group wipe purposes. Leave as-is. Teleport - honestly, one of the few ways that Champions Online actually beat out CoH was in the implementation of their Teleport. The CoH version is clunky, difficult to use in small or confined maps, where you can't click, and it is anything but Nightcrawler-esque, with no finessse. The power should be overhauled: Teleport Cast 1.0 seconds Recharge: 12. 0 seconds Duration: 6.0 seconds Endurance: 13 seconds Effects: Grant Flight 6.0 seconds with high flight control., followed by 4 more seconds of no-control flight (when you reappear). Grant Phase Shift 6.0 seconds. Grant Invisibility 6.0 seconds. Affect Only Self 6.0 seconds. Invulnerability 6.0 seconds. What happens? You click and get six seconds to fly/move wherever you want, unseen, unaffected (because this simulates you being 'in between'), then you reappear and have another 4 more seconds of hover-ish flight so you can decide where to go next if in mid-air. Unlike current Teleport, you are not clicking every 3 seconds or so, so it reduces click fatigue on long distance map travel. You also can maneuver in tight spaces to without mouse clicking on targets, and thus can navigate things like Council caves. Teleport Foe - improve accuracy to 1.2 from 1.0; Reduce the cast time from 5.56 to 3.26 seconds. Team Teleport - this should function more like Assemble the Team. No one in all my years in CoH has ever asked to be teleported along as a travel power for regular travel purposes. Long Range Teleport - Teleporters should be masters of getting around. The cast time should be reduced to 3.0 seconds. In an age of many types of zone teleports (base teleports, wentworth's teleports, Pocket D teleports, Oro portals, etc), this power should be quicker and offer more versatility: Continue to allow porting to all existing zones. Add in ability to port to hazard zones. Add in ability to port to the current zone map's teleport location. If in a mission map, allow to teleport to the mission entrance. Perhaps allow for a second teleport location in each map only accessible to Long Range Teleport, although this may make the menu a bit larger, but with the reduced cast time, that should be okay).

Quick rundown on some of the changes I would implement. These are not complete, nor exhaustive. Most of my proposed changes are not radical, aiming for modest tweaks that are geared for QoL and/or making the powers a bit more attractive. MEDICINE POOL Alternate animations for either magical runes and/or self-empowerment (such as regen/willpower). Right now the tricorder appearance is ruined for any of my magical characters. Aid Other - Reduce cast time by 0.5 seconds to 2.43 seconds, improve the range to 40'. Aid Self - Reduce cast time by 0.5 second to 2.83 seconds. Injection - Reduce End cost from 13 to 10. Reduce cast time by 1 second from 2.93 to 1.93. Resuscitate - Reduce cast time by 3.0 seconds to 4.33 seconds. Improve the range to 40'. Field Medic - Make this a passive power. Removes interrupt from Aid Other and Aid Self. Keep the 25% Endurance Recovery to Aid Self. Add 25% Endurance heal to Resuscitate. Reviving without Endurance is nearly worthless. Keep the 25% healing debuff resistance. FLIGHT POOL Air Superiority - actually a fairly decent power pool attack, but could use a small bump in damage. Its about 31 on controllers and 62 on scrappers. So perhaps 10% boost. Hover - for the Endurance cost of 0.2 vs Combat Jumping's 0.07 (thus, three times more expensive), it should have a slight boost to base speed. Otherwise, I consider this power to be a baseline good power for what it does. Some small defense, plus the number one combat mobility power. Flight - the safest travel power. Improve its base speed, so as one person suggested, +flight enhancers placed in it actually can do something. Group Fly - right now, I only find utility for this with my Masterminds, as some maps are terrible for pet AI and pathing (layer cake room, some large Oranbega rooms, anything with a lot of Z axis). To prevent minion aggro, I need them to fly. This is another tax on Masterminds, really. This power should have the following effect: Inherit Flight: pets of any sort (minions, controller pets, patron pets, incarnate pets) inherit any Hover or Flight speed (no defense) that the owner has. Same speed. Thus, pets can follow the owner without issues or lagging behind. Same as when they run. I can't recall outside of perhaps a Hamidon raid that ANYONE ever asked for Group Fly. This power needs to be useful for pet owners, not team mates. Perhaps Null the Gull could allow people to flag themselves as a 'pet' for purposes of receiving this buff. That way, you don't have to OPT OUT, you have to choose to OPT IN. Which is QoL for those who just don't want the buff. Afterburner - This should be a passive that buffs Flight (above). Reduce the Defense to 3.0% across all ATs, but now it is available at all times. No more only affect self. This also would make the -Fly resistance and additional air control available at all times (for those folks who did NOT take Hover, and perhaps went the Air Superiority/Flight route). You are in pretty deep into the flight pool, so you would have some protection to keep it instead of being easily grounded. The power would lose the ability to be turned on in-combat, but would also gain a QoL that avoids one more button to toggle on/off. I can't count the number of times I've entered a mission and forgot to turn this off and buffed everyone, only to realize I only just buffed myself. LEADERSHIP POOL All the toggles need their Endurance cost reduced to 0.23. They are great powers, but they are a bit END intensive.

Oh dear. Thanks for reminding me of my favorite former Doctor! #LemonInWounds 😄

That's a nifty idea. I like it.

I'll add that Electrical Affinity is a very busy/clicky set and IMO I think it works best on masterminds, since their primary needs very little attention overall, compared to say a Blast or Control set.

My first MM ever was Mercs/Traps. Traps definitely can fill a lot of the holes that Mercs have (extra AoE, some control, defense, etc). I took that character to 50. There were no incarnates at the time. I would still recommend Aid Other/Self, as Combat Medic is not reliable unless you set him to Passive/Follow (then he'll stim and heal). Because Mercs is all about the DAKKA, might as well grab one personal attack just for the hell of it - you did want bullet casings with your bullet casings, right? So add some more. Go Mace Mastery for the Scorpion Shield (you should be able to easily softcap S/L/E, which are the three most prevalent damage types you'll encounter end-game), and you can grab Web Envelope for the extra AoE immob. It has a long casting time, but it will help keep things in the narrow Merc cones and in the Acid Mortar death zone. Thankfully, with the new AI changes, at least Mercs will stay where they are supposed to in your fortified area and in FFG range. That was not an option when i played back on Live, the Mercs were just all over the place.

If you want to avoid /Dark again, I'm gonna second Dixa's recommendation of Thermal. Solid set. Very thematic.

I just got my Alpha on mine, but I'm either going Degenerative (for the -Hit Points to help with tougher targets, plus some toxic extra damage) or Spectral (for negative damage and some more immobilization overkill, ha ha!). Likely Degenerative, though everyone has it, so in large groups its not likely to stack much. But it makes the most sense for what the build needs (help with tough targets). Plus with all the pets (Creepers, Fly Trap, Water Spout) it should proc fairly often.

Demon/Dark will do everything you want to do. And goes well with any duoing partner. I'm not a fan of Storm, but there are folks here who report great success with Demon/Storm as well. More damage than with Dark, but Dark is a bit safer and more controllery. Dark is literally the Swiss knife of secondaries, with tools for many situations. Many of it's best powers come early (unlike Storm): Twilight Grasp Howling Twilight Tar Patch Darkest Night Shadowfall... Dark Servant arrives at 38, but it's worth the wait, he's an invaluable ally.

Also needs alternate animations that are suitable for non-tech characters.

There are times I'm interested in RP, particularly on redside (though I have a blueside PPD awakened character, too). Mostly I do this in PUG teams, and most folks go along, but something a bit more dedicated would be fun. Thanks also for the hand with the macro for the trap in my Numina arc, also. 🙂

For now I have my Creepers six slotted with Artillery for the Range Defense. I will consider proccing it out later.

Yes, I think these will be my final choices too.

Irradiate is a lovely AoE, and the character as a whole is starting to come to life at level 36. Slotting is starting to make the powers flourish, and I love the visuals. The Rad Blast debuff visuals are very helpful to track who has been hit. I start off with buffs for the team, lay in with debuffs on the mobs and then blast away. Proton Volley is a solid snipe, an Cosmic Burst is a pretty reliable stun. I'll definitely drop either X-ray Beam or Neutrino Bolt. So far, very pleased.

Welcome back, hero! 🙂

Thanks folks. Did some more reading up, as well, so appreciate the links. Slowly leveling this in my off-time. Just hit 22, so now putting in some IOs, which are helping to make the set feel 'beefier'.

I swear I've been on an ITF with an Empath/* who could have solo'd the whole darn thing herself. Not sure of primary. I should have screen capped her. She was amazing. On Everlasting.

Now, you just take that back right now, sir.... 😛😀

Just going to add that the best way to deal with negativity is to introduce more positivity. Be the change you want to see, right? So, be helpful, offer realistic and down-to-earth encouragement both in the forums and in-game on the /chats. Don't get dragged into arguments. Be positive in teams. Not only about power sets, or about nerfs or buffs or NC Soft talks, but about things in general. Take the higher path. Be the voice of encouragement. At least, that's my goal, both IRL and IG. Also, be careful to avoid being a Pollyanna (overly optimistic), because that's just as bothersome and unrealistic. Just my 2 INF.

Mercs are literally about that DAKKA and the shell casings. So many shell casings... Build looks good Coyote, I might give it a shot myself at some point. Haven't touched Mercs in years.

On my FF thoughts, I wanted to keep a few things in mind: 1. Not to radically change the powers from what they are. A lot of folks like the theme,and I feel that making a significant change in function and mechanics was counterproductive. 2. Improved what it does. As FF is the "Super Reflexes" of support sets, it should have some way of buffing Defense Debuff Resistance (DDR). Yes, many characters at Incarnate and with IOs can cap Defense, but keeping it is another thing altogether. This would help protect what FF grants. As the premier Defense-based super set it really should have been a given right from the start. As well, improving the attacks (and damage) from the early Defender design philosophy of poor solo powers, can also help FF offer something else. A decent ranged attack helps Controllers and MMs. A decent ranged AoE that can take a -recharge proc helps everyone, Defenders included. It can also help out the more ST focused sets, such as Ice. Adding some -Def to both also helps FF contribute somewhat to group kill speed by virtue of some IO options. Giving Force Bubble optional sizes still keeps the power, but removes some of the common complaints about it's utility on various maps. Repulsion Field, in a world of Bonfire available to many ATs, needs a review of how it handles procs and End Cost. Yes, it's mobile, but also caster centered, whereas Bonfire can be cast around corners or farther ahead with less aggro/risk...and it has damage. 3. Add in some additional, yet thematically appropriate extras. Absorption in DB rounds out the protective nature of the set with a mechanic that is very suitable and should prove useful on many teams. Detention Field is generally worthless, by common concensus , and needs to be reworked to function with actual team dynamics. This power didn't have wide use even in the slower team speed of Live, before IOs and Incarnated sped up team play. It was a clunker then, and it's a clunker now. It needs to do some sort of useful crowd control. Just some extra thoughts.

FF: I like my Defense. But compared to Time, which does so much more than what FF does. So additional tweaks: Force bolt: improved to defender T1 attack damage with -Def debuff. Dispersion Bubble: add replenishing Absorb and some DDR. Detention Field: should work like Dimension Shift in Gravity, or be a Toggle hold that increases in Mag over time. Repulsion Bomb. Improved damage and reduced cast time. Add a -Def component. Repulsion Field: reduce End Cost. Allow KD proc to work more effectively with it. Right now it doesn't proc enough. Compare to Bonfire, please. Force Bubble: provides three sub powers each with different radii: small (15'), medium (30') and large (60'). Choose the size you want. Also lower end cost. Insulation Shield and Deflection Shield: each gives some DDR. These would help FF and still maintain theme. I say this as a long time FF player.

My Beast/Time is awesome, fun, and chews up things. Easy to level, too.

I'm sure it is! 😀