How would you buff Sentinels?

[Coyotedancer]

Honestly? All I would do is give the damage sets a bit of a rationality check... They feel very uneven to me.

 

Fire, Water and DP seem okay damage-wise. I'd leave them alone.

 

Dark is slower on the damage front, but basically unstoppable past a certain point. (As I've said in-game a few times, being in front of my Tavaris (Dark/Bio) or Shonokin (Dark/WP) is a little like being in the path of a glacier. They're not going to roll over anything QUICKLY, but there's not a thing the goons can do to stop them.) So, I'd likely leave that alone as well.

 

Archery, Sonic, Ice and AR need some attention, I think. They feel slower than they ought to.

 

Psi? Oh, great gods of gaming... Psi needs help.

I don't know if it's JUST the low damage, or if it's that half of the game is made of robots and zombies (Who basically laugh at Psi damage-) and other things that resist that damage type, or what... But playing a Psi Sentinel is absolutely painful. It's not just glacially slow, it's tedious. <_<

 

So, yeah. I'd suggest going through the damage numbers on the offensive sets and giving a good hard look at helping some of them that can't quite keep up with DP and Fire. 

[PaxArcana]

1 hour ago, nihilii said:

Tying Opportunity activation to another power would also imply a separate activation, meaning lost damage, and one more thing to keep track of.

Maybe if you'd read the reason why I made that suggestion, you'd understand that I am losing damage?  Every fight, sometimes twice if there's a lot of adds.  Three or more times, on TFs (and thus, in "target rich environments").

 

2 hours ago, nihilii said:

I suppose you're mixing T1 and T2 in your chain and want specifically Offensive or Defensive to activate. That problem would naturally lessen over time once you have more recharge.

Yes.  Because, well, that's how the inherent is "supposed to" work: the Sentinel chooses which sort of opportunity to exploit, on the spot.

 

2 hours ago, nihilii said:

In general, I wish people who don't enjoy an AT/powerset wouldn't suggest "buffs" breaking it for those who do enjoy it.

Don't assume I'm not in love with the Sentinel AT.  My so-far highest level alt is a Sentinel.  I love the concept.  I just think it falls down a little on execution.

[Bossk_Hogg]

Sentinel damage needs to go up, and the target cap needs to go up. My fire/fire sentinel doesn't deal noticeably more damage than my fire/fire tank. Sent burn deals 115 damage, tanker burn deals 107. On top of that I would give them corrupter level support values, though this might necessitate a tweak on sonic blast's damage values. Opportunity raw numbers could use a pass as well. The testing for the actual damage value on offensive opportunity revealed the damage boost to be pretty piddly. 

 

I like sentinels, I have three currently (fire/fire, ice/ice, elec/elec) with another on the way. It's a fun enough solo AT to blow through story arcs, but they're pretty lackluster on teams. Support level damage, no force multiplier, and their toughness is mostly wasted assuming you have any support or an alpha soaker. Ideally I would have designed them with a viariant of the assault sets, to better capitalize on their durability, but I guess that ship has sailed. 

 

There are some set specific issues. Ice needs its second hold back, the DPA of certain attacks needs to be evaluated, and psychic blast in general needs to not suck. Energy needs something badly. It's low damage, low utility and it's random knockback puts it at odds with sentinel's lower range.

 

One suggestion I have seen that I don't agree with is having Opportunity change your range. Randomly getting some extra range once in a while would just annoy me. It's not something that is particularly helpful in and of itself, and would disrupt the flow of combat and the feel of the character for when it is on and off.

 

I appreciate that the AT was designed with caution, but VEATS show you can have a ranged attacker with defenses, team support and mez protection. I think it's time to adjust upwards a bit. 

[nihilii]

1 hour ago, PaxArcana said:

Maybe if you'd read the reason why I made that suggestion, you'd understand that I am losing damage?  Every fight, sometimes twice if there's a lot of adds.  Three or more times, on TFs (and thus, in "target rich environments").

You're missing the point: I'm telling you your suggestion would make me, or others who currently function fine, lose damage.

Opportunity doesn't work for you - I acknowledge that.
Opportunity works for me (and presumably an unquantified number of others) - you're failing to acknowledge that.
Your suggestion would make Opportunity work for you - I understand that.
Your suggestion would make Opportunity not work for me (and possibly a number of others) - you're apparently not understanding that.

Which brings us back to the conclusion of my post you replied to and also seemingly misunderstood... If you don't enjoy something ("in its current state, as much as others who enjoy it fully in its current state", if you want to be pedantic about it), it'd be neat to avoid suggestions to break it ("for those who currently enjoy it in its current state").

Compare and contrast with Zepp's suggestion, which would (presumably, you're free to weigh in) give you what you want, without hurting players like me.

Edited September 18, 2019 by nihilii

[Hopeling]

7 hours ago, Rathulfr said:

The main objections to Sentinels are: weak damage and they don't offer anything significant to teams.

I agree that these are the main problems.

 

I don't think the inherent needs to be completely redone. I'm not even sure the range and target caps need to change. Right now, Sentinels have a niche for single-target damage and debuffing. I'd rather lean into that than try to get them to compete with Blasters in AoE. (Think about Stalkers vs Scrappers: Scrappers have better AoE powers, but people still like Stalkers because they offer superior ST and controlled crits.)

 

To this end, I would propose two things:

1. Raise the damage scale. Right now it's at 0.95, which is slightly anemic compared to Blaster/Scrapper damage. This should go up to 1.0 or 1.05. Maybe 1.125 to match Blasters, but I think this might be too high in combination with the inherent.
2. Allow Opportunity to debuff multiple targets while the bar is full. Look, Opportunity is a pretty good effect already. It's a -res debuff, which everyone loves, and it offers a perfect role for Sentinels on teams. But debuffing one target every 30 seconds isn't enough to be very useful except on AVs. Specifically, I think it should work like this:
   • For the duration of the Opportunity effect, the t1 or t2 power (whichever was used) will continue to apply the Opportunity -20% resist debuff. This means that you get to continue debuffing targets until Opportunity expires, rather than debuffing one target and being done. This way, you'd be able to have a debuff up most of the time, on whatever you're currently shooting. It also creates a clear role for the Sentinel on teams: Sentinels do target selection. Teammates can always look for the reticle as an indicator for what to hit, or target through the Sentinel, and doing so will consistently boost their damage. A Blaster makes the minions melt, but a Sentinel makes the bosses melt.

I'd also like to see Offensive Opportunity's damage proc apply to every target of AoE powers, instead of just the main target. But that's a relatively minor change.

[TheAdjustor]

2 minutes ago, Hopeling said:

I agree that these are the main problems.

 

I don't think the inherent needs to be completely redone. I'm not even sure the range and target caps need to change. Right now, Sentinels have a niche for single-target damage and debuffing. I'd rather lean into that than try to get them to compete with Blasters in AoE. (Think about Stalkers vs Scrappers: Scrappers have better AoE powers, but people still like Stalkers because they offer superior ST and controlled crits.)

 

To this end, I would propose two things:

1. Raise the damage scale. Right now it's at 0.95, which is slightly anemic compared to Blaster/Scrapper damage. This should go up to 1.0 or 1.05. Maybe 1.125 to match Blasters, but I think this might be too high in combination with the inherent.
2. Allow Opportunity to debuff multiple targets while the bar is full. Look, Opportunity is a pretty good effect already. It's a -res debuff, which everyone loves, and it offers a perfect role for Sentinels on teams. But debuffing one target every 30 seconds isn't enough to be very useful except on AVs. Specifically, I think it should work like this:
   • For the duration of the Opportunity effect, the t1 or t2 power (whichever was used) will continue to apply the Opportunity -20% resist debuff. This means that you get to continue debuffing targets until Opportunity expires, rather than debuffing one target and being done. This way, you'd be able to have a debuff up most of the time, on whatever you're currently shooting. It also creates a clear role for the Sentinel on teams: Sentinels do target selection. Teammates can always look for the reticle as an indicator for what to hit, or target through the Sentinel, and doing so will consistently boost their damage. A Blaster makes the minions melt, but a Sentinel makes the bosses melt.

I'd also like to see Offensive Opportunity's damage proc apply to every target of AoE powers, instead of just the main target. But that's a relatively minor change.

I think this needs to put in the context of ranged blast sets being inherently weaker in both damage output and secondary effects.  (As a general rule) . Blaster and Sentinel ranged damage could both use a bit of a boost.

[Hopeling]

Just now, TheAdjustor said:

I think this needs to put in the context of ranged blast sets being inherently weaker in both damage output and secondary effects.  (As a general rule) . Blaster and Sentinel ranged damage could both use a bit of a boost.

The fact that multiple blast sets (Energy, anyone?) are weak in absolute terms also does not help. Fire, Beam, and Water are around where most sets should be, IMO.

[Bossk_Hogg]

11 minutes ago, Hopeling said:

I agree that these are the main problems.

 

I don't think the inherent needs to be completely redone. I'm not even sure the range and target caps need to change. Right now, Sentinels have a niche for single-target damage and debuffing. I'd rather lean into that than try to get them to compete with Blasters in AoE. (Think about Stalkers vs Scrappers: Scrappers have better AoE powers, but people still like Stalkers because they offer superior ST and controlled crits.)

Sentinels don't really have a single target niche. Outside of maybe a few combos, they do pretty crappy ST damage honestly (check their pylon times). And while the fast nukes are cool for sets that have built in control/debuffs, like rad with an AE hold every 20-30 seconds, many sets simply don't have a particularly valuable secondary (elec, energy) or any secondary debuff (fire, archery, AR) on their nukes. 

[PaxArcana]

43 minutes ago, nihilii said:

You're missing the point: I'm telling you your suggestion would make me, or others who currently function fine, lose damage.thout hurting players like me.

I haven't missed that point at all.

 

The questions that should be asked, in my opinion, are:

1. "Which way would cause more people to lose damage?"
2. "Which way would enable to Inherent to function closest to it's intended design?"

45 minutes ago, nihilii said:

Opportunity doesn't work for you (and presumably an unquantified number of others) - I acknowledge that.
Opportunity works for me (and presumably an unquantified number of others) - you're failing to acknowledge that.
Your suggestion would make Opportunity work for you (and presumably an unquantified number of others) - I understand that.
Your suggestion would make Opportunity not work for me (and possibly a number of others) - you're apparently not understanding that.

First of all, fixed that for you.  Please don't make the error of thinking you are automatically in the majority.  Neither of us knows which of us does or does not hold the more-common view of Opportunity's functionality.

 

Secondly, I haven't failed to acknowledge anything; I think I've been reasonably clear that I was speaking only for myself.  Unlike you, I have not attempted to appeal to an implied majority of other players.

 

49 minutes ago, nihilii said:

If you don't enjoy something ("in its current state, as much as others who enjoy it fully in its current state", if you want to be pedantic about it), it'd be neat to avoid suggestions to break it ("for those who currently enjoy it in its current state").

Except that is exactly the opposite of how it does, and should, work.

 

If you completely enjoy something as-is, you will not generally have (m)any suggestions to make, beyond "more please" and "yes, thank you".

 

Suggestions arise when someone perceives a flaw, shortcoming, or other reason that something could be improved.

Also, stop bloody claiming I don't enjoy Sentinels, just because I don't enjoy them in the same way you do, nor because I mention a way in which I might enjoy them more than I presently do.  😠  Bulverism is an ugly thing, and it doesn't win debates .... it loses them.  So just stop it, already; don't assume or imply motives I have explicitly rejected.

[Jeuraud]

5 hours ago, nihilii said:

if you want to be pedantic about it), it'd be neat to avoid suggestions to break it ("for those who currently enjoy it in its current state").

Oh come on, no suggestion is 100% accepted, it's ludicrous to suggest that someone should not make a suggestion that will adversely affect another player.

Also just because you like the current Sentinel Inherent and thus play them, does not mean that your opinion holds any more value than mine.

 

I dislike the current Sentinel Inherent which is clunky to use, unlike every other Inherent (Other than the Dom, which I also dislike.). I watched a Vid of a CoHV player getting back into CoHH who chose a Sentinel because it was new, and they never used Opportunity, because it was not obvious what it was. I've read the Opportunity description a few times and I'm still not sure exactly how it's supposed to work.

Hells at least half the time the MOB is defeated/dies when I do an Opportunity.

Am I supposed to switch targets when Opportunity pops?

If so does Opportunity make it worth while that I have a MOB beating on me that would be dead/defeated otherwise?

 

I'm all for changing the Sentinel Inherent, though I'm kind of wondering why this thread is in the Suggestion Forum, and not in the Sentinel Forum, being it's a brainstorming thread and not a suggestion thread.

[Hopeling]

10 minutes ago, Jeuraud said:

I've read the Opportunity description a few times and I'm still not sure exactly how it's supposed to work.

Whatever else happens, Opportunity definitely needs a better description. I've seen tons of people confused about what it actually does.

[biostem]

24 minutes ago, Jeuraud said:

Oh come on, no suggestion is 100% accepted, it's ludicrous to suggest that someone should not make a suggestion that will adversely affect another player.

Also just because you like the current Sentinel Inherent and thus play them, does not mean that your opinion holds any more value than mine.

 

I dislike the current Sentinel Inherent which is clunky to use, unlike every other Inherent (Other than the Dom, which I also dislike.). I watched a Vid of a CoHV player getting back into CoHH who chose a Sentinel because it was new, and they never used Opportunity, because it was not obvious what it was. I've read the Opportunity description a few times and I'm still not sure exactly how it's supposed to work.

Hells at least half the time the MOB is defeated/dies when I do an Opportunity.

Am I supposed to switch targets when Opportunity pops?

If so does Opportunity make it worth while that I have a MOB beating on me that would be dead/defeated otherwise?

 

I'm all for changing the Sentinel Inherent, though I'm kind of wondering why this thread is in the Suggestion Forum, and not in the Sentinel Forum, being it's a brainstorming thread and not a suggestion thread.

 

All you have to do is fire off either your 1st or second attacks from your primary once the orange bar is full.  Since you are forced to take at least one of these powers, how is it possible to *never* use opportunity?  Did this player remove whichever 1st power from their primary that they chose, from their rotation?

Edited September 19, 2019 by biostem

[Cooltastic]

I've been reading through this thread and came to a realization. We're all asking for way to much out of an Inherent ability. It's an Inherent, it's not something we should ever have to click on or put in our trays. After thinking really hard on this and what the word Sentinel actually means as some have stated, I believe I came up with a simple Inherent power that fits the class much better. It also helps Sentinels become better team picks and helps improve their offensive capability a bit where they seem to be lacking a bit to much. But first.... *boots Opportunity to the curb* Get outta here you!

 

So here it is...

 

New Sentinel Inherent: On Guard

 

On Guard does 2 important things.

     First it gives the Sentinel a PBAoE Taunt Aura of let's say Mag 2. This Taunt Aura is strong enough to pull enemies off of your fellow ranged units that are squishier than you, but not strong enough to pull enemies off of your much more durable tanks/brutes. This gives Sentinels an actual role to play in teams, protecting the back-line ranged units from enemies that get pass the front-line.

     Secondly the Sentinel's Damage/Global Recharge gets boosted for each enemy targeting them up to a max of 10 enemies. This boost is also effected by enemy ranks, Minions granting the weakest effect and AV's/Elite Bosses granting the largest effect. This rewards the Sentinel for actively defending they're team with better DPS. 

 

The numbers on the Damage/Recharge buffs would have to get figured out, but I feel like this format would help the Sentinel in every needed area.

[Jeuraud]

1 hour ago, biostem said:

All you have to do is fire off either your 1st or second attacks from your primary once the orange bar is full.  Since you are forced to take at least one of these powers, how is it possible to *never* use opportunity?  Did this player remove whichever 1st power from their primary that they chose, from their rotation?

I guess I should have said "knowingly" used Opportunity.

I had never played a Sentinel before (One of the reasons I was viewing the Vid.), so I did not know what to look for. If I remember right he took his T2, which is how I play ... unless I'm playing a Sentinel and trying to benefit from the damage buff of Opportunity. My experience with Sentinels has been that the MOB often dies at the Opportunity attack, which means I will not see the target under the MOB, but the Opportunity bar will drop out, essentially wasting Opportunity, which I believe is what happened in the Vid. Though I had no fricken clue at the time. Hells it seems like at least half the time I get an Opportunity the MOB dies on the next hit, which it probably would have done without the Opportunity.

 

An Inherent should minimize Murphy's impact as much as possible by using the KISS principle, and the Sentinel's Inherent is definitely not KISS.

[biostem]

2 minutes ago, Jeuraud said:

I guess I should have said "knowingly" used Opportunity.

I had never played a Sentinel before (One of the reasons I was viewing the Vid.), so I did not know what to look for. If I remember right he took his T2, which is how I play ... unless I'm playing a Sentinel and trying to benefit from the damage buff of Opportunity. My experience with Sentinels has been that the MOB often dies at the Opportunity attack, which means I will not see the target under the MOB, but the Opportunity bar will drop out, essentially wasting Opportunity, which I believe is what happened in the Vid. Though I had no fricken clue at the time. Hells it seems like at least half the time I get an Opportunity the MOB dies on the next hit, which it probably would have done without the Opportunity.

 

An Inherent should minimize Murphy's impact as much as possible by using the KISS principle, and the Sentinel's Inherent is definitely not KISS.

Gotcha.  Yeah - it's not super obvious what the inherent is actually doing, and I have seen many people comment "why is there a crosshair under the enemy"...

[Zepp]

There is only one change I would like to see and that is to keep the inherent mostly as is, but instead of having offense and defensive opportunity triggered by the T1/T2, you just have opportunity. Opportunity has both effects and can be triggered by any single-target attack power. It has the same effects, just both at once.

I think that would make it easier to understand, more useful, and people would feel less railroaded for their attack chains...

[DR_Mechano]

6 hours ago, Cooltastic said:

I've been reading through this thread and came to a realization. We're all asking for way to much out of an Inherent ability. It's an Inherent, it's not something we should ever have to click on or put in our trays.

As mentioned by several people Domination is an inherent AND its a thing you put on your tray so there is precedent for it and it works by, surprise, filling up a bar at which point the button lights up and you press it. So lets not pretend such a thing is out of the realms of possibility.

[krj12]

My suggestion:

1.  Increase the target cap

2.  Make Opportunity the inverse of the Brute's rage - it builds up as you are in combat and you get more tanky (defense and resist increases)  as the bar fills up. 

3.  Slight damage increase on low dps power sets, but not necessarily across the board.

 

[SlyGuyMcFly]

11 hours ago, Hopeling said:

Whatever else happens, Opportunity definitely needs a better description. I've seen tons of people confused about what it actually does.

 

I quickly rolled a Sentinel and shot some infected in Outbreak because I'd never played one and was hoping to understand the discussion here... I can confirm I have no idea how this ability is supposed to work. Gonna go find a guide now.

[Sovera]

11 hours ago, Cooltastic said:

I've been reading through this thread and came to a realization. We're all asking for way to much out of an Inherent ability. It's an Inherent, it's not something we should ever have to click on or put in our trays. After thinking really hard on this and what the word Sentinel actually means as some have stated, I believe I came up with a simple Inherent power that fits the class much better. It also helps Sentinels become better team picks and helps improve their offensive capability a bit where they seem to be lacking a bit to much. But first.... *boots Opportunity to the curb* Get outta here you!

 

So here it is...

 

New Sentinel Inherent: On Guard

 

On Guard does 2 important things.

     First it gives the Sentinel a PBAoE Taunt Aura of let's say Mag 2. This Taunt Aura is strong enough to pull enemies off of your fellow ranged units that are squishier than you, but not strong enough to pull enemies off of your much more durable tanks/brutes. This gives Sentinels an actual role to play in teams, protecting the back-line ranged units from enemies that get pass the front-line.

     Secondly the Sentinel's Damage/Global Recharge gets boosted for each enemy targeting them up to a max of 10 enemies. This boost is also effected by enemy ranks, Minions granting the weakest effect and AV's/Elite Bosses granting the largest effect. This rewards the Sentinel for actively defending they're team with better DPS. 

 

The numbers on the Damage/Recharge buffs would have to get figured out, but I feel like this format would help the Sentinel in every needed area.

I'm 100% behind this. So much it physically hurts. Seconded, make it so.

[Murcielago]

I should add a poll to this thread, it seems like the general consensus is:

Normalize the range and AoE cap

Change Opportunity somehow.

 

Less agreed on:

Increase damage

 

[Bossk_Hogg]

14 hours ago, Cooltastic said:

I've been reading through this thread and came to a realization. We're all asking for way to much out of an Inherent ability. It's an Inherent, it's not something we should ever have to click on or put in our trays. After thinking really hard on this and what the word Sentinel actually means as some have stated, I believe I came up with a simple Inherent power that fits the class much better. It also helps Sentinels become better team picks and helps improve their offensive capability a bit where they seem to be lacking a bit to much. But first.... *boots Opportunity to the curb* Get outta here you!

 

So here it is...

 

New Sentinel Inherent: On Guard

 

On Guard does 2 important things.

     First it gives the Sentinel a PBAoE Taunt Aura of let's say Mag 2. This Taunt Aura is strong enough to pull enemies off of your fellow ranged units that are squishier than you, but not strong enough to pull enemies off of your much more durable tanks/brutes. This gives Sentinels an actual role to play in teams, protecting the back-line ranged units from enemies that get pass the front-line.

     Secondly the Sentinel's Damage/Global Recharge gets boosted for each enemy targeting them up to a max of 10 enemies. This boost is also effected by enemy ranks, Minions granting the weakest effect and AV's/Elite Bosses granting the largest effect. This rewards the Sentinel for actively defending they're team with better DPS. 

 

The numbers on the Damage/Recharge buffs would have to get figured out, but I feel like this format would help the Sentinel in every needed area.

Back rows typically don't need much protecting on any team w a tank type, so effectively you'd remove their inherent. Plus I don't think too many rolled an armored blaster to off-tank. Also I would just play my sentinel in melee range w the tank, so at that point, why not make a scrapper/brute and deal more damage?

[Cutter]

15 hours ago, Cooltastic said:

New Sentinel Inherent: On Guard

 

On Guard does 2 important things.

     First it gives the Sentinel a PBAoE Taunt Aura of let's say Mag 2. This Taunt Aura is strong enough to pull enemies off of your fellow ranged units that are squishier than you, but not strong enough to pull enemies off of your much more durable tanks/brutes. This gives Sentinels an actual role to play in teams, protecting the back-line ranged units from enemies that get pass the front-line.

     Secondly the Sentinel's Damage/Global Recharge gets boosted for each enemy targeting them up to a max of 10 enemies. This boost is also effected by enemy ranks, Minions granting the weakest effect and AV's/Elite Bosses granting the largest effect. This rewards the Sentinel for actively defending they're team with better DPS.

I'm intrigued by the "off-tank" role suggestion. I'd only change it slightly, adding +taunt (single-target only) to the Sentinel's attacks instead of granting an aura. They're never gonna pull a mob off the tank/brute, but this would let them engage and redirect aggro from runners, adds, etc. off the backliners who typically are the most endangered in those situations.

 

Why taunt in attacks instead of an aura? Because some of us like to hover out of melee, and others would rather run right in. The aura effect clashes with the former playstyle, whereas taunt in attacks does not clash with either. Plus it enables engagement from range instead of forcing movement.

[Rathulfr]

39 minutes ago, Bossk_Hogg said:

why not make a scrapper/brute and deal more damage?

Because (a) I like playing ranged DPS, and (b) I hate chasing down targets.

 

I play my Sentinel like a Brute: I jump into the fray and just blast the s*t out of everything I can.  More times than I can count, my Sentinel has been last man standing, even after the tanker goes down.  There's nothing like that feeling, which is why I love playing tankmage.

 

But honestly, once my Blaster got to 50 and was fully built out with IO sets, his ranged, smashing, and lethal were at the 45% soft-cap, and melee was at 33%.  So he's almost as durable as my Sentinel.  The Blaster is still vulnerable to mezz and cascade failures, but that doesn't happen often.  So the trade-off for significantly better damage is worthwhile, and now my Sentinel is collecting Day Job badges. 😒

 

I need a reason to play my Sentinel now: something a Sentinel can do that's unique/different than my Blaster.  It sure ain't damage, and durability ain't it either.  I wouldn't mind lower damage if I could actually tank as a Sentinel, but I have no aggro management tools (setting aside the Presence pool, which I've actually considered).  A measly 5% -Res debuff (20% when Opportunity knocks) simply doesn't cut it when compared to Corruptors or Defenders.  So what is my role?  What does a Sentinel actually do that isn't done better by another AT?

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Rathulfr

[Bossk_Hogg]

12 minutes ago, Rathulfr said:

Because (a) I like playing ranged DPS, and (b) I hate chasing down targets.

 

I play my Sentinel like a Brute: I jump into the fray and just blast the s*t out of everything I can.  More times than I can count, my Sentinel has been last man standing, even after the tanker goes down.  There's nothing like that feeling, which is why I love playing tankmage.

 

But honestly, once my Blaster got to 50 and was fully built out with IO sets, his ranged, smashing, and lethal were at the 45% soft-cap, and melee was at 33%.  So he's almost as durable as my Sentinel.  The Blaster is still vulnerable to mezz and cascade failures, but that doesn't happen often.  So the trade-off for significantly better damage is worthwhile, and now my Sentinel is collecting Day Job badges. 😒

 

I need a reason to play my Sentinel now: something a Sentinel can do that's unique/different than my Blaster.  It sure ain't damage, and durability ain't it either.  I wouldn't mind lower damage if I could actually tank as a Sentinel, but I have no aggro management tools (setting aside the Presence pool, which I've actually considered).  A measly 5% -Res debuff (20% when Opportunity knocks) simply doesn't cut it when compared to Corruptors or Defenders.  So what is my role?  What does a Sentinel actually do that isn't done better by another AT?

 

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear, my "why not play a brute/scrapper" was in reference to the suggestion of giving sents a melee taunt aura and a damage boost for everyone attacking them. Key word being melee, as it would just lead many (myself included) to simply play in melee range.