Electric Support Set

[MetaVileTerror]

I'll level with you . . . I don't have a whole set thought out . . . but the recent post by GM Sijin in Transfusion/Transference Thread gave me an idea for a new targeted AoE Heal . . . 

I don't have a name for it yet (that's where YOU could pitch in!  As well as with fleshing out the rest of this set, in fact), but I do have an idea . . . 

 

A Targetted "Attack" AoE Heal (like Transfusion or Twilight Grasp), with a Chaining component!

 

On the surface, it would be a lacklustre heal when used against small mobs or single enemies.  Maybe healing roughly for 45% to 70% of what either Transfusion or Twilight Grasp would do (depending on balance, and whether or not the Signature of this Power could be programmed in), in an AoE area slightly smaller than that on the Translight Graspfusion (new name for addressing those two powers at the same time.  Sticking to it from here-on out).

 

So far, just a weaker, smaller Transfusion.
But then . . . it can jump to another enemy!

Now, of course, we don't know the full extent of what can and can not be programmed, but in my mind's eye, I see the next hop being a smaller radius and for a smaller value.  If the Heals have to stack, then it would be as low as 5% of the original Heal (or as high as 50%, again depending on where we set the initial Heal value and how we want to balance this).  If the Heals can be coded so they don't stack up (thus avoiding any super-healing of anyone in overlapping AoE zones), then we can have the heal value as high as 90% of the initial Heal.  Should still be a smaller radius, though.

And then it jumps again, and again.  Maybe three or five times.  But here comes the extra special bit!

 

If the Chain hits the maximum number of targets, and the user is within range, then it arcs back to them, completes the circuit, and casts a final AoE Heal for the same value as the initial Heal from their position, AND grants the user full Endurance cost refund!  

You get that electricity theme, get a rule-of-cool signature which marks the Set as different no matter what else you throw in to it, and in gameplay you get a Heal with has some potential for compelling tactical decision making.  It's a heal that would encourage the team to seek a fresh mob of enemies to get the maximum benefit, creating a risk versus reward decision.  Do you just heal on the last enemy in a mob, for the relatively poor amount . . . or do you wait until the team engages with the next mob, and try for a completed circuit for greater healing and personal Endurance?

 

 

Other Powers in the Set could include an ally-target cast PBAoE Pusling Damage Aura with Endurance Drain against enemies (like Lightning Field).  Some Resistance Shields like Thermal and Plasma Shields, but with strong Endurance Drain Resistance as well (great for protecting the team from Sappers and Carnies).  A Speed Boost-style Power; less Movement Speed but more Endurance Recovery (or instead; Endurance Discount) and maybe some Recharge.  A Breakfree Power with a name like "Stimulating Charge."  And maybe an AoE Nuke which only hits Enemies' Endurance and has a chance for Stun.

 

How's that sound?  Worth fleshing out in more detail?

[biostem]

Well, it'd be interesting if the heal chained, (as you indicated).  I wouldn't make it enemy-dependent though;  Just have it chain from 1 ally to the next.  I'd also give the set a lot of different ways to aid yourself and your allies in recovering end - either through a direct buff, or what if you summoned some "support voltaic sentinels" that floated around and emitted a +rec and +regen effect or something?  Maybe there could be a power which is a toggle damage and -regen -rec aura that you can place on an ally as well.  Another idea would be a sort of "electrical link" power, which connects you to an enemy - they suffer a DoT and/or -end while you simultaneously emit a HoT and/or "end over time" effect to you and your nearby allies.  I feel like a res shield for allies has already been done in other sets, so maybe have i be an absorption over-shield or something that protects against *everything*, only at a lesser value than the separate typed ones...

[Greentea]

Chaining heals on enemies doesn't sounds right, totally unreliable especially when they're trying to flee.

 

I'm all in for electric shields. An ST buff that absorb end drain/stun/electric damage is a godsend for sappers/Malta/Synapse TF. It also should have a version of Fortitude as Jolt or Charge.

Edited November 10, 2019 by Meowstic

[GM Sijin]

The unpredictable nature of enemy chaining has the potential of making it hard to balance, where it feels underwhelming in small groups or when things are hectic and mobs are running everywhere, and way too strong when you have a group with a controller who knows how to do their job (say, a controller with /elec secondary). It does sound compelling, though, and I certainly would like to see an electric support set of some kind. I'd caution leaning too much into +/- end as a core to the set. Offering end drain resistance on the armors is good, and one or two abilities that do end drain/healing wouldn't be misplaced, but both end drains and heals are relatively undervalued currently at the top end of play, so if the set relies too much on it it will suffer for it as far as popularity and effectiveness in those teams.

 

[Razor Cure]

1 hour ago, GM Sijin said:

The unpredictable nature of enemy chaining has the potential of making it hard to balance

Ion Judgement, anyone? There is a reason this seems to be teh most common.

Having an elec dom myself, I always though that the very FIRST target in chaining attacks should have a boosted acc, to make up for the fact the power has an AoE recharge..and might end up hitting no one at all (quite common with the chaining confuse).

[Zepp]

Electricity Manipulation would be a good place to start thinking about this, as manipulation sets tend to be somewhat similar to support sets.

[Outrider_01]

Oh my god, a useful suggestion that doesn't ask to make the current X powerset to be an easy mode cause they can't understand or how the power is best used or might make something game breaking OP since the problem isn't briken to begin with.  Bravo, I like this idea.

 

As for an idea, multipe small heals with a large radius from every target, kinda like fulcrum shift.  Basically geting hit by many smaller 50 green point auras so its powerful but cap it to like 8 targets so it eventually heals as much as Twilight Grasps or Transfusion.  Becomes useless with smaller target number, but set has a secondary aura.

[EmmySky]

I think it would be cool to zap teammates with lightning to heal or add end for them, but that might get annoying.  Lol

[Galaxy Brain]

If it has a "super charge" power that can like gran an ally an electric themed build up thatd be sweet. 

[Leogunner]

There was another suggestion for an electric-concept support set.

 

It has some chaining mechanics in it too.

[Dragon Crush]

So, reading that other thread someone suggested playing with polarity and having some powers have negative charge, some positive, and interactions between the two. Had me thinking, could add some buffs that when combined would be rather OP, but with a pole system, not letting them be combined. For example, have one buff give a ton of def, and another a ton of resistance, but both buffs have a negative charge which would be replant to each other. So someone can have one positive, one negative and as many neutral buffs as they like.  That or have 1 power have 2 different effects depending on your own polarity when casting, but only 1 version of the power could be in effect at once (although depending on how many of the powers use that mechanic, it could lead to having double the powers in a single set).

And perhaps add a mechanic where two teammates with separate like charges interact, creating a pulse that debuffs nearby enemies.

As for the chain targeted AoE heal attack, maybe have it have a middling-weak base heal and a second heal that increases in power proportional to amount of end drained, so the heal would be strongest against foes at the start of the fight or  after allowing the enemy time to recover, or you can keep hitting with a weak heal to help keep them sapped.

[Lost Ninja]

22 hours ago, Outrider_01 said:

As for an idea, multipe small heals with a large radius from every target, kinda like fulcrum shift.  Basically geting hit by many smaller 50 green point auras so its powerful but cap it to like 8 targets so it eventually heals as much as Twilight Grasps or Transfusion.  Becomes useless with smaller target number, but set has a secondary aura.

I love the idea of a Healing Fulcrum Shift, Small PBAoE heals around enemies from a Targeted AoE plus a larger PBAoE with some larger heal from the player.

 

Isn't there a chain heal in an electricity set somewhere already?

[Dragon Crush]

Sentinels get one in an epic pool, electrical mastery I believe. Don't think it appears anywhere else.

[ArchVileTerror]

 . . . well, crap.  I totally forgot that I made this thread.

 

Does this mean I get to (irrationally and unreasonably) claim that Electrical Affinity was my idea all along?

[Galaxy Brain]

I claim Amp Up

[Naraka]

2 hours ago, ArchVileTerror said:

 . . . well, crap.  I totally forgot that I made this thread.

 

Does this mean I get to (irrationally and unreasonably) claim that Electrical Affinity was my idea all along?

@malonkey1 beat you by 4 months.

[ArchVileTerror]

Yes, but malonkey hasn't posted since April, so naturally (Galaxy Brain and) I get to steal claim all the credit.

[Snowdaze]

Vile necroing all your old threads is poor form!

[malonkey1]

On 5/8/2020 at 9:41 PM, Naraka said:

@malonkey1 beat you by 4 months.

On 5/8/2020 at 9:44 PM, ArchVileTerror said:

Yes, but malonkey hasn't posted since April, so naturally (Galaxy Brain and) I get to steal claim all the credit.

I HAVE AWAKENED

[ArchVileTerror]

Rightio!

You wanna take the credit?

[MTeague]

A heall.... that ... chains.... oh god... the flashbacks... I can't stop....

(we were not by any means a top-ranking guild, not even close, but I still remember this fight for how narrow the margin of victory was.... glad Kas still has the video up)

 

 

[malonkey1]

20 hours ago, ArchVileTerror said:

Rightio!

You wanna take the credit?

Nah, I'm super inactive with City of Heroes, I haven't even played on Homecoming in forever. I just occasionally pop by to lurk at this point.

 

Besides, while there's some thematic similarity, I think it's more a case of the devs having a similar idea, rather than anything I could possibly take credit for.

Edited May 13, 2020 by malonkey1