powerset suggestion New Powerset ldea - Armor Defense (hi-tech theme)

[Purrfekshawn]

Concept: using highly technologically advanced armored suit, a hero (or villain) can withstand enemy attacks. This powerset is available for Tankers, Brutes, Stalkers and Scrappers and Sentinels. This powerset is based primarily on Resistance. Its unique mechanic is that its power "Dynamic Armoring" provides 3 toggles, only one of which can be run at a time. One of specific Toggles gives extra resistance to certain combination of damage input (but its value is pretty big, like 40%), so player has to choose what resists they want more while running certain content. Due to its theme "technology" its weakness is Negative Energy Damage, because NE has magical, not scientific, origin (in a manner of how Psionic is Invulnerability's weakness, Cold - Rad Armor weakness, Toxic - ELA weakness).

 

So, there are the powers:

 

T1: Armored Plating (AUTO)
Reinforced armor of your suit protects you from Physical damage, and also gives some minimal Knock protection. This power is always on and costs no endurance.
+Smashing Damage Resistance.
+Lethal Damage Resistance.
+Knockback Protection.
+Knockup Protection.
Accepts enhancements: Resist Damage, Resistance IO sets.

 

T2: Dynamic Armoring
Grants you 3 toggles (similar to Bio Armor or Dual Pistols). These toggles grant 
Accepts enhancements: Resist Damage, End Cost, Recharge, Resistance IO sets.

 

T2.1: Armor Boost (TOGGLE)
While toggled on - it significantly boost your resistance against Physical damage. It also resists Defense Debuffing effects. Can't be used in conjunction with Insulation Boost and Fortitude Boost.
+Smashing Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)
+Lethal Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)
+Defense Debuff Resistance.

 

T2.2: Insulation Boost (TOGGLE)
While toggled on - it significantly boost your resistance against Temperature and Energy-based damage types. Can't be used in conjunction with Armor Boost and Fortitude Boost.
+Fire Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)
+Cold Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)
+Energy Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)

 

T2.3: Fortitude Boost (TOGGLE)
While toggled on - this special modified life support system wards you against incoming biology-based threats. It increases Resistance against Toxic and Psionic damage, as well as Recharge Speed Debuffs. Can't be used in conjunction with Armor Boost and Insulation Boost.
+Toxic Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)
+Psionic Damage Resistance. (About +40% for Tanker and it can be enhanced)
+Recharge Speed Debuff Resistance.

 

T3: Insulated Plating (AUTO)
Layers of specific materials can be made to reduce damage dealt by temperature effects, as well as somewhat reduce Energy Damage. It also protects you from immobilization effects. This power is always on and costs no endurance.
+Fire Damage Resistance.
+Cold Damage Resistance.
+Energy Damage Resistance. (very little)
+Immobilize Protection
Accepts enhancements: Resist Damage, Resistance IO sets.

 

T4: Reactive Shield (TOGGLE)
Projects around you a defensive barrier that increases your Defense against Smashing, Lethal, Energy and Psionic Damage, grants Defense Debuff Resistance. All nearby enemies have very little (1% or less) chance to be Knocked Down. This is aura that taunts enemies if you're a Tanker or Brute.
+Smashing Defense.
+Lethal Defense.
+Energy Defense.
+Psionic Defense.
+Defense Debuff Resistance.
For enemies PBAoE, 10 ft, 10 max.
+1% chance to Knockdown per tick.
+400% taunt (only for Tankers/Brutes).
Accepts enhancements: Defense, End Cost, Recharge, Defense IO sets.

 

T5: Resistive Plating (AUTO)
Your armored suit has been modified to resist electricity and other forms of energy. It reduces incoming Energy Damage, Endurance and Recovery effects, on a very little degree - Negative Energy Damage. This power is always on and costs no endurance.
+Energy Damage Resistance.
+Negative Energy Damage Resistance. (very little)
+Resistance to Endurance Modification (86.50% for Tanker at lvl 50)
+Resistance to Recovery Modification (86.50% for Tanker at lvl 50)
Accepts enhancements: Resist Damage, Resistance IO sets.

 

T6: Stimulant Delivery (TOGGLE)
Your armor has built-in life support system that constantly monitors the state of your health and counters any dangers to it. While toggled on it gives your protection against Hold, Sleep, Stun, Terrorize and Confuse effects, boosts your Regeneration Rate, protects from Toxic and Psionic Damage.
+Hold Protection.
+Sleep Protection.
+Stun Protection.
+Terrorize Protection.
+Confuse Protection.
+Regeneration Rate.
+Toxic Damage Resistance.
+Psionic Damage Resistance.
Accepts enhancements: Resist Damage, Healing, End Cost, Recharge, Resistance IO sets, Healing IO sets.

 

T7: Reconstruction (CLICK)
Your armor has nanotechnological self-repair system that can be used to forcibly repair it even on battlefield! This will rapidly heal you over time, restore endurance, while also empowering your resistance against all damage types except Negative Energy for first seconds of the effect.
+Rapid HoT Effect (like how Sonic Attack Scream rapidly deals damage).
+Rapid Endurance over Time effect.
+Smashing Resistance.
+Lethal Resistance.
+Fire Damage Resistance.
+Cold Damage Resistance.
+Energy Resistance.
+Toxic Damage Resistance.
+Psionic Damage Resistance.
Accepts enhancements: Resist Damage, Healing, End Mod, End Cost, Recharge, Resistance IO sets, Healing IO sets, Endurance Mod IO sets.

 

T8: Jet Charge (CLICK/AUTO)
Utilize built-in jetpack to close distance between you and your foes. This will deal Smashing damage to foes near targeted location and knock them down. Additionally taking this power automatically grants you high protection to Repel, and Knock/Repel Resistance effects, and Speed Debuff Resistance.
Click:
+Self Teleport to Targeted Location.
+Smashing AoE to Targeted Location.
+High chance to Knockdown foes.
Auto:
+Repel Protection.
+10000% Knockback Resistance.
+10000% Knockup Resistance.
+10000% Repel Resistance.
+Jump, Fly, Run Speed Resistance.
Accepts enhancements: Damage, Accuracy, End Cost, Recharge, Targeted AoE Damage sets

 

T9: Overclock (CLICK)
Power up your armor systems to dangerously unstable level, including shields and weapon systems, which will increase your Defense against all types except Negative Energy and give Defense Debuff resistance. This increases your overall damage dealt. You rapidly recover Endurance. Your armor also emits radiation in all directions, reducing Defense and ToHit Chance of nearby enemies and taunting them. When effect of this power wears off, your Recovery and Regeneration rates will be halted for a while. Cooldown - 8 minutes.
Self:
+Smashing Defense for 1 min.
+Lethal Defense for 1 min.
+Fire Defense for 1 min.
+Cold Defense for 1 min.
+Energy Defense for 1 min.
+Psionic Defense for 1 min.
+Defense Debuff Resistance (very high)
+Damage for 1 min
+100% Endurance
+Recovery for 1 min
-2000% Recovery Rate after 1 min for 15 s
-2000% Regeneration Rate after 1 min for 15 s
Enemies: PBAoE 16 targets max:
-Defense
-ToHit
+400% taunt (only for Tankers/Brutes).
Accepts enhancements: Defense, End Cost, Recharge, Defense Debuff, ToHit Debuff, Endurance Modification, Defense IO sets, Defense Debuff IO sets, ToHit Debuff IO sets, EndMod IO sets.

 

*for Stalker version Insulated Plating receives same Energy Resistance as Resistive Plating and Resistance to Recovery & Endurance Modification (not that powerful as Tanker's version). Resistive Plating is replaced with "Stealth Mode", that works in a manner of "Hide". "Stealth Mode" is T1, Armored Plating - T3, Insulated Plating - T5.

 

**For Overclock PBAoE - it seems game engine doesn't support lingering buffs that affect everyone around you, except that is toggle power. There are 2 solutions. 1st simple - make Overclock produce wide PBAoE on activation, that hangs Defense & ToHit debuffs at enemies, is autohit as well. 2nd - make Overclock grant power in a manner Contamination effect of Radiation Melee does that would autocast -DEF -TOHIT at enemies near owner.
 

***Names may be not final.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Purrfekshawn

[Steampunkette]

I'd like to make a suggestion:

 

Ditch the multitoggle idea.

 

Make it Multi clicks. Have them share a joint cooldown, to avoid people combining different functions, and make them ignore recharge rate changes. Have them recover the instant they end.

 

It'd be different from the "Toggle Swapping" because you'd need to decide what you need in advance of a given fight, rather than changing during the fight. Plus if you got held/stunned/whatever you'd still get the currently active click power's defensive benefits even when your toggles suppress, setting it even further apart from most other defensive sets.

[Infinitum]

10 minutes ago, Steampunkette said:

I'd like to make a suggestion:

 

Ditch the multitoggle idea.

 

Make it Multi clicks. Have them share a joint cooldown, to avoid people combining different functions, and make them ignore recharge rate changes. Have them recover the instant they end.

 

It'd be different from the "Toggle Swapping" because you'd need to decide what you need in advance of a given fight, rather than changing during the fight. Plus if you got held/stunned/whatever you'd still get the currently active click power's defensive benefits even when your toggles suppress, setting it even further apart from most other defensive sets.

Thats actually a cool idea but are you talking about making resistances mutually exclusive? If so instead of being mutually exclusive, maybe lower the power level per clicks running.

 

The reason I say that if you are only mitigating one damage type end game against the idf for instance they will throw out energy, s/l, psy, etc.

 

But the shared endurance usage relative to the damage, defense, and resistance is because its pulling from the same power core for the suit.

Edited October 1, 2019 by Infinitum

[Purrfekshawn]

Well this isn't actually "new" idea anymoa, but l still love it, because it enforces the player's thinking by their head, study enemies' damage and thus activate exactly that the toggle the player needs for certain content. For lnstance - Armor Boost for ITF, Insulation Boost for most of the TinPex, Fortitude Boost for Rikti Pylons in tinpex, or the Lady Grey's Task Force. And as some players like @Trickshooter make extra powerset suggestion. l wanna bump this ldea as well, anyway Iron Man is cool, isn't he?

 

Champignons online had the whole armor powerset based exceptionally on technology things too.

 

Edited July 20 by Purrfekshawn

[Akisan]

On 10/1/2019 at 11:40 AM, Purrfekshawn said:

**For Overclock PBAoE - it seems game engine doesn't support lingering buffs that affect everyone around you, except that is toggle power. There are 2 solutions. 1st simple - make Overclock produce wide PBAoE on activation, that hangs Defense & ToHit debuffs at enemies, is autohit as well. 2nd - make Overclock grant power in a manner Contamination effect of Radiation Melee does that would autocast -DEF -TOHIT at enemies near owner.

 

It may also be possible to make it be a toggle that forcibly turns itself off after a short while, much like the Hybrid powers do.  This would come with the added bonus that you could voluntarily cancel out of your T9 so it'll be up again that much sooner.

Or, you could build the crash into the toggle itself - while the toggle won't turn itself off, it does inflict a self HP degeneration, along with an ever-increasing resistance to healing effects.  This would force the player to turn the toggle off before they cook themselves with their own T9.  (The stacks of Healing Resistance would fall off over time after Overclock is turned off.)

 

 

It does look like it could be a fun set to run, even if it would take a fair amount of game knowledge to use well.  (Arachnos/IDF would probably be a problem though).  I'd probably want to run it as a magical set (preferred theme), like a suit of animated armor.  Fortunately, the wording on the powers is general enough to do so, and might only need 2 changes:

 

T7: Reconstruction (CLICK)
Your armor has nanotechnological a self-repair system that can be used to forcibly repair it even on battlefield! This will rapidly heal you over time, restore endurance, while also empowering your resistance against all damage types except Negative Energy for first seconds of the effect.

 

T8: Jet Charge (CLICK/AUTO)
Utilize built-in jetpack thrusters to close distance between you and your foes. This will deal Smashing damage to foes near targeted location and knock them down. Additionally taking this power automatically grants you high protection to Repel, and Knock/Repel Resistance effects, and Speed Debuff Resistance.

[Purrfekshawn]

1 hour ago, Akisan said:

It may also be possible to make it be a toggle that forcibly turns itself off after a short while, much like the Hybrid powers do.  This would come with the added bonus that you could voluntarily cancel out of your T9 so it'll be up again that much sooner.Or, you could build the crash into the toggle itself - while the toggle won't turn itself off, it does inflict a self HP degeneration, along with an ever-increasing resistance to healing effects.  This would force the player to turn the toggle off before they cook themselves with their own T9.  (The stacks of Healing Resistance would fall off over time after Overclock is turned off.)

 

As far as l remember - l wanted to make approximately T9 as useful as Radiation Armor's Meltdown in terms of damage buff and Endurance recovery, but also granting +Defense instead of +Resistance, so l want to avoid scaling -HP and crash like that if possible, granting it rather soft crash, in a manner of Radiation Armor's Meltdown. Autodisabling toggle does make sense, but l want Overclock's this +Defense boost persist through tank-magnitude mezzes. l think granting a power that lasts 60 seconds in-game time is generally the best solution. That "power" would emit an aura, that does -Defense -ToHit +Taunt (tanker or brute) to all enemies around.

 

1 hour ago, Akisan said:

It does look like it could be a fun set to run, even if it would take a fair amount of game knowledge to use well.  (Arachnos/IDF would probably be a problem though).  I'd probably want to run it as a magical set (preferred theme), like a suit of animated armor.  Fortunately, the wording on the powers is general enough to do so, and might only need 2 changes:

 

l reckon, however, IDF + Arachnos is not a much of issue. l wanted Armored Plating granting +15% Smash/Lethal Resistance, and with another 15% from Tough and with IO set bonuses, Reactive Defenses, Shield Wall uniques this can be brought to 90%, or close to it (like >83.5%, so Superior Might of the Tanker's PROC +6.6% ups to 90%). So since its damage is Energy mostly then the player could run "Insulation Boost" power, which'll bring Energy Res to 90%, as well as Fire Res. Psi and Tox Damage resistance is baseline nonzero anyway thanks to "Stimulant Delivery". And in specific circumstances like Rikti Pylons in TinPex or Hamidon Tanking (LGTF) the player can run "Fortitude Boost". Tinpex's Battle Maiden instance and most ITF would prefer "Armor Boost" as it's also +Defense Debuff resistance. And letz not forget that the set has extra +DEF to Smash/Lethal/Energy/Psi from "Reactive Shield", and +REGEN from "Stimulant Delivery". So it mainly +RES but also has some Def & Regen as well. Stone Armor, however, still more durable, although it's super-slow and has brutal -DAMAGE and -RECHARGE debuffs.

 

The real problem could be circumstances when the player has to deal with enemies that deal Negative Energy damage, like ITF Nictus ambushes, ITF crystal spawns, ITF final boss. It may look like Tanking Princess Zoe with Radiation Armor, my toon (Nuclear Cyborg) took no damage on +4 Aeon SF everywhere, but got the HP grounded from one shot from Her Royal Highness (Cold Resistance was not 0% though, but ~=50%). Only "Resistive Plating" from Armor Defense set grants Negative Energy resistance and nothing grants Negative Energy Defense. This has to be softened a bit with set bonuses, uniques, Might of Tanker, Eye of the Magus Accolade, Melee Core Hybrid. Speaking of Aeon, many things there deal Negative Energy damage, so Chasing Fool's Gold might be kinda harsh Strike Force for this powerset too, but l think it will be still doable.

 

Edited July 20 by Purrfekshawn

[Rudra]

And here is the issue I have with the proposed set. First, this is a 5 year old thread the author necro'ed. Second, the proposal limits the armor set to physical armor using characters. What about the alien that has these abilities naturally? Or the mutant that achieves these effects without donning a suit of armor simply by having hardened skin? What about the mage that achieves these effects with magic fortifying their bodies, and I'm not talking a la Mage Armor. Strip the worn armor thesis from the set, especially since any character can already have a suit of worn armor for their armor sets. They just choose the armor set they want, wear a suit of armor on their character via the character creator, and voila.

[Purrfekshawn]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

And here is the issue I have with the proposed set. First, this is a 5 year old thread the author necro'ed. Second, the proposal limits the armor set to physical armor using characters. What about the alien that has these abilities naturally? Or the mutant that achieves these effects without donning a suit of armor simply by having hardened skin? What about the mage that achieves these effects with magic fortifying their bodies, and I'm not talking a la Mage Armor. Strip the worn armor thesis from the set, especially since any character can already have a suit of worn armor for their armor sets. They just choose the armor set they want, wear a suit of armor on their character via the character creator, and voila.

 

But the powerset is still actial in 2024, and the idea of dynamically changing resistance is quite fun, so it's still actual. What you describe here "these abilities naturally", "hardened skin", "fortifying their bodies" sounds like plain old Invulnerability powerset, or Electric Armor that has description about "your body is a capacitor", or Radiation Armor that has "radiation emanates from your body" in description. Description of existing defensive powersets suggests that it's internal for the character body, except for Energy Aura, which description is quite neutral, except that it can't be used for a Tanker character.

 

Exact this concept relies on something external to the body, which is why it's called "Armor Defense". It can be highly technological armor suit, or magic-powered armor suit, or experimental military armor suit (natural). And mechanic of the powerset is different than Invulnerability or Electric Armor.

 

Difference is about the same as Claws and Savage Melee powersets.

 

Besides that there's nothing really weak against Negative Energy damage. Invulnerability/Stone/Fire/Ice Armor are weak vs Psionics. Electric armor is weak vs Toxic. Radiation and Fire armor are weak vs Cold. Ice Armor is weak vs Fire Damage. Dark armor is a bit weak vs Energy. Smash/Lethal are physical, and nothing's really weak vs them (although lMO this would be logical if Willpower were weak vs Lethal - for lnstance Mind over Body were granting only Smash & Psi resistance, but not Lethal). And my powerset has a really big hole, that has to be dealt with thoroughly, which increases difficulty to play for that (risk/reward) as Negative Energy damage is common within certain types of content.

 

As about costumes that might be made with huge % of open skin - why not pretend that Armor Defense armor can be invisible?

 

Edited July 20 by Purrfekshawn

[Rudra]

19 minutes ago, Purrfekshawn said:

 

But the powerset is still actial in 2024, and the idea of dynamically changing resistance is quite fun, so it's still actual. What you describe here "these abilities naturally", "hardened skin", "fortifying their bodies" sounds like plain old Invulnerability powerset, or Electric Armor that has description about "your body is a capacitor", or Radiation Armor that has "radiation emanates from your body" in description. Description of existing defensive powersets suggests that it's internal for the character body, except for Energy Aura, which description is quite neutral, except that it can't be used for a Tanker character.

 

Exact this concept relies on something external to the body, which is why it's called "Armor Defense". It can be highly technological armor suit, or magic-powered armor suit, or experimental military armor suit (natural). And mechanic of the powerset is different than Invulnerability or Electric Armor.

 

Besides that there's nothing really weak against Negative Energy damage. Invulnerability/Stone/Fire/Ice Armor are weak vs Psionics. Electric armor is weak vs Toxic. Radiation and Fire armor are weak vs Cold. Ice Armor is weak vs Fire Damage. Dark armor is a bit weak vs Energy. Smash/Lethal are physical, and nothing's really weak vs them (although lMO this would be logical if Willpower were weak vs Lethal - for lnstance Mind over Body were granting only Smash & Psi resistance, but not Lethal). And my powerset has a really big hole, that has to be dealt with thoroughly, which increases difficulty to play for that (risk/reward) as Negative Energy damage is common within certain types of content.

 

So basically, every power armor character in the game right now, with their worn armors, are not power armor wearing/using characters because they are not using an Armor Defense set? That's rather demeaning to those characters. Here is the thing. A worn armor in a game like City of Heroes is just a visual effect. Power Armor Person has Invulnerability because of Power Armor Person's worn power armor. Omega Person has Radiation Armor because of Omega Person's worn power armor. Ultra-Tech has improved damage resistance, bolstered reflexes (defense), and a medical unit built into Ultra-Tech's worn power armor (edit: Willpower). The mechanics of a character's defenses is provided by their chosen armor set and the visuals as chosen by the player determines how those mechanics are applied or where they come from. So if you want a character whose worn power armor amplifies their reaction time and speed to the point they can dodge bullets? You take the Super Reflexes set and give the character an armor wearing appearance. Your proposal takes that away. By effectively stating other players' characters aren't power armor characters because they aren't using your Armor Defense set, and by blocking other interpretations of how that set's abilities could be employed by other characters.

Edited July 20 by Rudra

[Purrfekshawn]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

So basically, every power armor character in the game right now, with their worn armors, are not power armor wearing/using characters because they are not using an Armor Defense set? That's rather demeaning to those characters. Here is the thing. A worn armor in a game like City of Heroes is just a visual effect. Power Armor Person has Invulnerability because of Power Armor Person's worn power armor. Omega Person has Radiation Armor because of Omega Person's worn power armor. Ultra-Tech has improved damage resistance, bolstered reflexes (defense), and a medical unit built into Ultra-Tech's worn power armor. The mechanics of a character's defenses is provided by their chosen armor set and the visuals as chosen by the player determines how those mechanics are applied or where they come from. So if you want a character whose worn power armor amplifies their reaction time and speed to the point they can dodge bullets? You take the Super Reflexes set and give the character an armor wearing appearance. Your proposal takes that away. By effectively stating other players' characters aren't power armor characters because they aren't using your Armor Defense set, and by blocking other interpretations of how that set's abilities could be employed by other characters.

 

There are player and non-player characters those point that they use armor for protection. Example is Arachnos Soldier VEAT, as well as Arsenal Mastery's Body Armor for Blasters. Invulnerability, however has things like Dull Pain and Tough Hide which has nothing to do with these themes. There's nothing like Dull Pain or Tough Hide in Arachnos Soldier arsenal, it just doesn't make sense. As well as nothing that has "armor" in description of Invulnerability powers.

 

l can repeat once again: Difference is about the same as Claws and Savage Melee powersets.

 

Energy Melee and Kinetic Melee are very alike in first glance (both deal smash/energy damage), and can be thought the same thing too, but actually these sets have different mechanic, one accumulates energy for Energy Transfer, while the other is capable of lowering damage output of enemies and boosts own (right now damage boost works badly though).

 

Super Reflexes and Ninjitsu look very same-ish.

Broadsword, Titan Weapons and Katana're different powersets with different mechs too.

Martial Combat (blasters) has "Reaction Time" power, which slows enemies and makes more sense for Temporal Manipulation powerset.

 

There is plenty of stuff in this game that's redundant. This powerset suggestion contains unique mechanic, that surely could be taken into consideration. In addition powers could have unique visuals. For lnstance "Reactive Shield" power could look like Radiation Shield from Terra Volta (technology-like), but more translucent and tintable to different colors.

 

There are obviously technology-related powersets for Ranged Damage (assault/beam rifle), Control (Arsenal Control), Support (traps). Why not to have the same powerset for defense as well?

 

Edited July 20 by Purrfekshawn

[Trickshooter]

I don't have too much of an issue with it being tech-themed, as every character has two powersets, and your origin could just be related to your attack powerset.

 

My only concern is putting so much of the set's resistance in exclusive toggles. That's kind of something we abandoned in Issue 1 or 2 here. I think perhaps you should redistribute some of those resistances in to the rest of the set's powers and then have the exclusive toggles instead increase those resistances for the different types in your other powers. So at any one time, you always have some resistances to most of the damage types, but then you swap the toggles to increase specific resistances to be higher when you need them. So the set would be somewhere between Bio and Invulnerability.

 

[Purrfekshawn]

25 minutes ago, Trickshooter said:

I don't have too much of an issue with it being tech-themed, as every character has two powersets, and your origin could just be related to your attack powerset.

 

My only concern is putting so much of the set's resistance in exclusive toggles. That's kind of something we abandoned in Issue 1 or 2 here. I think perhaps you should redistribute some of those resistances in to the rest of the set's powers and then have the exclusive toggles instead increase those resistances for the different types in your other powers. So at any one time, you always have some resistances to most of the damage types, but then you swap the toggles to increase specific resistances to be higher when you need them. So the set would be somewhere between Bio and Invulnerability.

 

 

It works exact the way you described. Autopowers that grant resistances are:

 

Armor Plating - Smashing/Lethal (l have thought it's +15% base for a Tanker).

Insulated Plating - Fire/Cold (around 10% or 12.5% each) and Energy (around 5%).

Resistive Plating - Energy (around 10% or 12.5%) and Negative Energy (around 5%).

Stimulant Delivery - Toxic/Psionic (around 15% each).

 

And also it gets XX% Defense to Smashing/Lethal/Energy and Psionic from Reactive Shield.

 

So the powerset has some resistances, and l calculated that with Tough it will be enough to bring the Smashing/Lethal Resistance to 90% or close to that WITHOUT using Armor Boost mutually exclusive toggle.

 

This powerset's toggles for Mez Protection (Stimulant Delivery) and Taunt aura (Reactive Shield) can be used with just one toggle of 3 that have word "Boost" in it. Thus viable combos are:

Armor Boost + Reactive Shield + Stimulant Delivery = the biggest value for Smashing/Lethal resistance and Defense Debuff resistance.

Insulation Boost + Reactive Shield + Stimulant Delivery = the biggest value for Fire/Cold/Energy resistance, l believe this is the most useful for most % of content, as it's gonna get 90% or close to it for Smashing/Lethal/Fire/Cold/Energy.

Fortitude Boost + Reactive Shield + Stimulant Delivery = the biggest value for Toxic/Psionic resistance. This is going to be very useful for Rikti Pylons, Weakened Hamidon, Minds of Mayhem iTRIAL bosses etc.

The fact that it's just 3 toggles in total lowers overall Endurance consumption, as each of them have 0.21/s-0.26/s end cost base, as this powerset doesn't have Gamma Boost-like End gain, but otoh has EoT click and Overclock that significantly boosts recovery too. Armor Defense in the end is less prone to detoggling due to Electric attacks than Invulnerability, because of 86.5% END and REC debuff resistance, the -END and -REC passes through that can be dealt with "Reconstruction" and "Overclock".

 

Edited July 20 by Purrfekshawn

[Rudra]

3 hours ago, Purrfekshawn said:

There are player and non-player characters those point that they use armor for protection. Example is Arachnos Soldier VEAT, as well as Arsenal Mastery's Body Armor for Blasters. Invulnerability, however has things like Dull Pain and Tough Hide which has nothing to do with these themes. There's nothing like Dull Pain or Tough Hide in Arachnos Soldier arsenal, it just doesn't make sense. As well as nothing that has "armor" in description of Invulnerability powers.

Power Armor as:

 

Bio Armor: The worn armor manifests different organic configurations to protect against incoming attacks.

Dark Armor: The worn armor generates a field of negative energy that protects the wearer against incoming attacks, even draining those that get too close.

Electric Armor: The worn armor intentionally routes its power externally to protect against incoming attacks and harm those that get too close.

Energy Aura: The worn armor generates defensive fields around the wearer.

Fiery Aura: The worn armor attempts to incinerate incoming attacks, also resulting in harming those that get too close.

Ice Armor: The worn armor generates icy barriers on itself protecting the wearer from incoming attacks.

Invulnerability: The worn armor deflects incoming attacks due to attacks bouncing off it, protecting the wearer from incoming attacks.

Ninjutsu: The worn armor supplements the wearer's shinobi training or grants the wearer capabilities equal to a shinobi.

Radiation Armor: The worn armor protects the wearer against incoming attacks, with a built in medical unit, and harms those that get too close from the leaking radiation.

Regeneration: The worn armor is a medical suit that heals the wearer at impossible rates.

Shield Defense: ... not so much, but wearing armor with a shield is a pretty common thing. (Though worn armor goes a long way in explaining how your shield is able to protect you in all directions at once.)

Stone Armor: The worn armor generates or attracts rock or crystals to shield the wearer from harm.

Super Reflexes: The worn armor amplifies the wearer's movement speed and reaction time, even blunting damage.

Willpower: The worn armor deflects incoming attacks or bolsters the wearer's movement/reaction speed enough to evade attacks, while blunting incoming harm and even comes with built in medical unit.

 

So many different ways to build a power armor character in this game. I'm not casting aspersions on the set's mechanics, I'm just saying that having the set automatically be a specifically power armor set is a big middle finger to power armor concepts outside of your proposal. Is it really that bad for the set to be more inclusive for character concepts than "This is THE power armor set"?

 

Edit: Sorry, forgot VEATs. Soldiers of Arachnos get a basic armor and an armor upgrade. All of their other armor powers are training. And my guess is that is because the Soldiers of Arachnos start as a Wolf Spider, Crab Spider, or Bane Spider* as their character model and back on Live didn't get a non-Arachnos soldier look until they finally got the mission to get a hero costume to lure out an Arachnos operative looking to kill you. (Edit again: VEATs, like HEATs, are defined in game as being a very specific thing. VEATs, like HEATs, don't fall into the generalist approach of the other ATs. So you are very restricted into what that VEAT can be.)

 

Edit yet again:

* - Well, they start as a Wolf Spider, period. However, they can look like a Bane Spider or a Crab Spider even at start. And they can never be anything but a Wolf Spider, a Crab Spider, or a Bane Spider as far as the game goes. There is no branching out to get APPs. You must either take a PPP or forego anything beyond the basic pool power sets. There is no choosing between 9 power sets for them. They are always a Soldier of Arachnos, and within that frame can be played however the player wants.

 

Edited July 20 by Rudra

[Purrfekshawn]

27 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Power Armor as:

 

..................................................

 

Okay, letz use the exactly same logic for the Support Sets:

 

Cold Domination - utilize specific hand-held freezing device to coat allies in a protective layers of ice.

Dark Miasma - use dark energy generator to jinx enemies and make allies deadly.

Electrical Affinity - certain transformator or even repair device similar to Robotics repair drones/protector bots use (very alike VFX, just another SFX) and fix teammates this way.

Empathy - establish psychic links between the team to provide very little help.

Force Field - well Protector Bots can do it, as well as FFG's.

Kinetics - Power Draining gizmo makes allies super-strong, while enemies - super-weak in comparison.

Nature Affinity - genetically engineered seeds and microbes are spread to heal and kill.

Pain Domination - establish psychic links between the team to provide a bit bigger help than empathy, also can affect enemies (Anguishing Cry).

Poison - a mouth-mounted toxigun is used to spit the nasty stuff.

Radiation Emission - a tiny nuclear reactor is a great wildcard on the battlefield.

Sonic Resonance - acoustic synthesizer does all possible trick with mechanical vibrations.

Storm Summoning - vacuum cleaner 2.0

Thermal Radiation - warming device heats environment around allies and enemies to produce desired effects.

Time Manipulation - the character carries a small time machine in order to increase chances to win the fight.

 

So the question: why the Traps do exist? Doesn't all listed abive covers all possible technology themes, while also suitable with magic/mutations etc. Traps, however, rely only on technology (although lMO it could benefit from different skin like magic crystal for Force Field Generator for instance). And Traps do exist because it's quite another than any other of the support sets. For lnstance - it spawns the biggest number of pets and pseudopets, and that makes the Traps unique. Especially it's fun on Masterminds. So the Traps definitely aren't just a waste of space, and the real cool powerset, which we all know (although it has its downsides, such as FFG's slowness on moving).

 

[Rudra]

18 minutes ago, Purrfekshawn said:

 

Okay, letz use the exactly same logic for the Support Sets:

 

Cold Domination - utilize specific hand-held freezing device to coat allies in a protective layers of ice.

Dark Miasma - use dark energy generator to jinx enemies and make allies deadly.

Electrical Affinity - certain transformator or even repair device similar to Robotics repair drones/protector bots use (very alike VFX, just another SFX) and fix teammates this way.

Empathy - establish psychic links between the team to provide very little help.

Force Field - well Protector Bots can do it, as well as FFG's.

Kinetics - Power Draining gizmo makes allies super-strong, while enemies - super-weak in comparison.

Nature Affinity - genetically engineered seeds and microbes are spread to heal and kill.

Pain Domination - establish psychic links between the team to provide a bit bigger help than empathy, also can affect enemies (Anguishing Cry).

Poison - a mouth-mounted toxigun is used to spit the nasty stuff.

Radiation Emission - a tiny nuclear reactor is a great wildcard on the battlefield.

Sonic Resonance - acoustic synthesizer does all possible trick with mechanical vibrations.

Storm Summoning - vacuum cleaner 2.0

Thermal Radiation - warming device heats environment around allies and enemies to produce desired effects.

Time Manipulation - the character carries a small time machine in order to increase chances to win the fight.

 

So the question: why the Traps do exist? Doesn't all listed abive covers all possible technology themes, while also suitable with magic/mutations etc. Traps, however, rely only on technology (although lMO it could benefit from different skin like magic crystal for Force Field Generator for instance). And Traps do exist because it's quite another than any other of the support sets. For lnstance - it spawns the biggest number of pets and pseudopets, and that makes the Traps unique. Especially it's fun on Masterminds. So the Traps definitely aren't just a waste of space, and the real cool powerset, which we all know (although it has its downsides, such as FFG's slowness on moving).

 

Traps is as all technology as Assault Rifle is all technology and Necromancy is all magic. It is only all technology if you ignore every other way a trap can be made. So you threw a web grenade. Was that a technological grenade that exploded in webbing or was it an enchanted stone that did the same thing, maybe a vial of chemicals that when the vial shattered reacted with the air to form webbing? Was that Triage Beacon a technological device radiating healing energy or a scientific invention whose chemical vapor accelerates other's healing or a magic pyramid radiating health? Is that Acid Mortar a technological device launching things, just a tube with chemicals that because of the reaction spurts out of the tube to splash targets or a magic device that lobs goo at targets? Traps, like Devices, can be any origin. The player just has to be creative enough to look past any initial assumption. Worn armor is always worn armor. Yes, that armor can be magical as much as it can be technological and can be used as easily by a mutant as by a scientist as by ye olde average normie. The problem is that as specifically worn armor, it can never be anything other than worn armor. So it precludes characters that possess those very same abilities without needing to wear armor. (Edit: And there have been multiple requests for things like Traps to have alternate animations so characters aren't pigeon-holed into a set thing. So even if your proposed set were made as is, there will be calls for a no armor version to accommodate characters with those abilities that don't wear armor.)

 

Look, I think your proposal is a novel idea, though I am very much not a fan of the exclusive toggles bit. I'm just asking that it not specifically be a worn armor set. Let it be a set that any character that may possess those abilities can use without having to don worn armor.

Edited July 20 by Rudra

[Purrfekshawn]

18 minutes ago, Rudra said:

So even if your proposed set were made as is, there will be calls for a no armor version to accommodate characters with those abilities that don't wear armor.)

 

Okay, but Assault Rifle characters are pigeon-holed into handheld Assault Rifles, Beam Rifle - into beam rifles, Archery - into bow and so on. Would Armor Defense characters look exactly armored - this would depend on Visual (VFX) design of it. l reckon most powers may come with "Minimal FX" variant. So if there's a character with no visible power armor on, the player may pretend that the armor is invisible, or is very lightweight nano-net, or subdermal, or even the character actually doesn't need armor and only few parts of it are protected with Armor Defense or the defensive armor is made completely of force fields. l think the player may get as creative with this set as with any other set, and even more creative than with Traps. The only things that would point that it's Armor Defense are names and descriptions of powers that would be able to be read in Team window.

 

Edited July 20 by Purrfekshawn

[Rudra]

3 minutes ago, Purrfekshawn said:

Okay, but Assault Rifle characters are pigeon-holed into handheld Assault Rifles, Beam Rifle - into beam rifles, Archery - into bow and so on.

Yes, they are, because the power set is the character is wielding a weapon. How that weapon functions depends on the character's origin and selected weapon model. And I am very much against taking those weapons away. (However, I am open to alternate weapons such as weapon gloves that can be selected in the costume creator under the weapon tab.) Whether you are talking shields in the case of Shield Defense or guns in the case of Assault/Beam Rifle or Dual Pistols, or melee weapons in the case of pick a melee weapon set, these are external things that the character/costume creator does not let the character have unless they have the correct power set. In your case, we have ancient, modern, and sci-fi armors our characters can be wearing already. And those work with the character's armor set to be power armor or magic armor or whatever the player wants it to be. As opposed to a power set being required to have worn armor.

[Adamanthril]

As far as the power armor is concerned I don't thing that it needs to be strictly tech themed although that is by far the most common kind of power armor.  However I could also see womething more akin to a Dr. Fate style character with the armor being the magical creation of one or more beings. yes I know that it's just the helmet that is "enchanted" in Dr Fate's case, possessed would be a more accurrate term but the concept still applies.

Power armor could also, loosely, very loosely, be applied to symbiote style characters. Not specifically Venom and Carnage but think more Guyver and that kind of symbiote style of armor. 

Now one thing that I have gotten into heated arguments in game about is where an AT/power sets starts/ends and where costumes start/end. I am a firm believer that power armor IS NOT A COSTUME. From a game design stand point you can only give so much to players before the whole thing becomes overly unwieldy. I do appreciate wht the game is and what it does have is one of if not THE best costume creators that there is.

However, as with other power sets/AT types you can only let so much go when it comes to what is a necessary evil in order to play a specific character type in a game.  I mean can you immagine if your concept for a character was to have optic blast but every ranged power set was designed to come from the feet?  While an admittedly silly example it shows that you could never play an optic blast style character. This is kind of how I feel about my favorite kind of characters which are power armor (Iron Man styling) characters. Costumes only go so far when it comes to how happy I am with my overall power selection.

The next thing that has to be discussed is what kind of power armor is going to be the basis.  Are all power armors going to be forced into options like the wolf spiders if they go crab spider? Will the "power armor" all be 9000 foot tall gundams? Will they all look be forced into a overly narrow idea of what one creator believes that ALL power armors should look like?  This I think is one of, if not THE biggest issue with creating power armor as an AT or EAT.  Anime is huge but not everyone enjoys it and certainly not everyone is addicted to it. Thus this creates a big issue with what is and isn't power armor based strictly on visual appearance. 

For me personally, I would say that anything that we wold have access to in the game, ie anything under 10ft tall, would be power armor. I even see the Malta Zeus, Hecules and Titan enemies all as mechs or mech sized beings.

 

Now as far as what the actual powers are, I have a write up somewhere buried deep in these forums that I did but is never got any traction as I was suggesting an EAT and not a power set. The suggested powers here are for the most part fairly well laid out. It would have to, IMO, come with costume requirements but that's just me.

[megaericzero]

3 hours ago, Adamanthril said:

The next thing that has to be discussed is what kind of power armor is going to be the basis.  Are all power armors going to be forced into options like the wolf spiders if they go crab spider? Will the "power armor" all be 9000 foot tall gundams? Will they all look be forced into a overly narrow idea of what one creator believes that ALL power armors should look like?  This I think is one of, if not THE biggest issue with creating power armor as an AT or EAT.  Anime is huge but not everyone enjoys it and certainly not everyone is addicted to it. Thus this creates a big issue with what is and isn't power armor based strictly on visual appearance. 

As an EAT, you could pigeonhole everyone's power armor into a specific version that they have to adhere to because story reasons.

 

As a regular AT powerset, it's probably better to abstract power armor into "tactical armor" so it can be conceptualized as an Iron Man suit, enchanted armor, being armed to the teeth with military gear, etc. and having the VFX be just the particles (runes, HUDs, munitions) rather than any actual armor plating.

[OEM61]

It's a very specific set with very specific power descriptions that strikes me as "I want to play a power-armored character and the armor would give them these powers" kind of thing. 

There have been players imagining themselves some sort of armored here since the very beginning.  They do not need a special defense set to aid their cause. 

Further, this is not the same as a sword or a bow.  Those are parts of the costume and are very much the sort of weapons that comic book, fantasy, and science fiction characters use.

The sword set is necessary to fit some concepts.  It is an irreplaceable part of the fantasy.  Under no circumstances would this hypothetical set be necessary to the fantasy.  We know this because it hasn't been necessary before.
If I want to imagine my character in power armor then I can put my character in "power armor".  No matter the defenses they use, or if they have any defenses at all.

Sink a few picks into the Leaping pool and you will get some knockback resistance and a "Jet Attack" without all of this.


 

[General Idiot]

My question is, conceptually what does this set offer that just making a power armor costume and taking Invulnerability or Energy Aura or any other set you could conceivably justify doesn't?

It's a cool looking set and I actually love the idea o having mutually exclusive armor toggles to let you choose which resistance you have more of for a given fight. Amusingly that's how all toggles used to work at the game's original launch, at first players were limited to one active toggle at a time. But nothing about that mechanical idea says the set -has- to be power armor themed. I'd love to see the set made to have that idea in gameplay but as a more generic set that could work for multiple origins.

[srmalloy]

56 minutes ago, General Idiot said:

I actually love the idea o having mutually exclusive armor toggles to let you choose which resistance you have more of for a given fight.

Like Dark Armor used to be, until players complained about having to continually switch their active armor powers around, sometimes in the middle of a fight?

[Psyonico]

1 hour ago, srmalloy said:

Like Dark Armor used to be, until players complained about having to continually switch their active armor powers around, sometimes in the middle of a fight?

Not to mention that fights usually have multiple damage types/vectors, so it would end up being a weaker set.

[srmalloy]

1 hour ago, Psyonico said:

Not to mention that fights usually have multiple damage types/vectors, so it would end up being a weaker set.

It ranks right up there with Emmert's other precepts about how he felt CoH should work, along with "three minions should be a tough fight for a hero" and his conviction that 'fun' was throwing yourself at an end boss again and again, dying over and over, until you found the one trick to defeat him... and being completely oblivious to the fact that, in the age of the internet, as soon as one person found the right technique, it would be spread far and wide, so everyone would know.

[Tattooist]

On 7/20/2024 at 2:44 PM, Rudra said:

Power Armor as:

 

Bio Armor: The worn armor manifests different organic configurations to protect against incoming attacks.

Dark Armor: The worn armor generates a field of negative energy that protects the wearer against incoming attacks, even draining those that get too close.

Electric Armor: The worn armor intentionally routes its power externally to protect against incoming attacks and harm those that get too close.

Energy Aura: The worn armor generates defensive fields around the wearer.

Fiery Aura: The worn armor attempts to incinerate incoming attacks, also resulting in harming those that get too close.

Ice Armor: The worn armor generates icy barriers on itself protecting the wearer from incoming attacks.

Invulnerability: The worn armor deflects incoming attacks due to attacks bouncing off it, protecting the wearer from incoming attacks.

Ninjutsu: The worn armor supplements the wearer's shinobi training or grants the wearer capabilities equal to a shinobi.

Radiation Armor: The worn armor protects the wearer against incoming attacks, with a built in medical unit, and harms those that get too close from the leaking radiation.

Regeneration: The worn armor is a medical suit that heals the wearer at impossible rates.

Shield Defense: ... not so much, but wearing armor with a shield is a pretty common thing. (Though worn armor goes a long way in explaining how your shield is able to protect you in all directions at once.)

Stone Armor: The worn armor generates or attracts rock or crystals to shield the wearer from harm.

Super Reflexes: The worn armor amplifies the wearer's movement speed and reaction time, even blunting damage.

Willpower: The worn armor deflects incoming attacks or bolsters the wearer's movement/reaction speed enough to evade attacks, while blunting incoming harm and even comes with built in medical unit.

 

So many different ways to build a power armor character in this game. I'm not casting aspersions on the set's mechanics, I'm just saying that having the set automatically be a specifically power armor set is a big middle finger to power armor concepts outside of your proposal. Is it really that bad for the set to be more inclusive for character concepts than "This is THE power armor set"?

 

 

 

 

When I think of "power armor", I think of Master Chief from Halo. Or Gordon Freeman from Half Life. None of those power sets really fit the power armor bill unfortunately. A power armor set that focues on the theme of technology suit would be pretty dope, in my opinion.

EDIT: Energy Aura would probably fit the most if we want power armor, since one of the abilities gives you an energy shield as if you had power armor.

Edited November 14 by Tattooist