QoL / Slight buff to electric blast sets

[Galaxy Brain]

Currently, a good chunk of electrical attacks have a 30% chance to return 1/2 the endurance spent on the power. Iirc, I'm not sure if it requires you hitting the target successfully or not.

 

As a QoL to make up for some of elec's shortcoming, why not switch this to a 50% chance of 1/3 endurance returned? This still averages out to ~15% end discount either way, but would benefit players who slot for end mod much more as they can effectively build around sapping endurance as a means to actually save energy as opposed to just draining enemies.

 

Better yet, if this effect is tied to whether you actually hit with the attack just make it 100% chance of 15% end cost refund, given the condition you land your shock 😉

Edited January 23, 2020 by Galaxy Brain

[Bossk_Hogg]

That would help give it an actual secondary effect in fights where you don't fully drain a target. The secondary should be useful outside of a few set combos. But Elec Blast has some other glaring issues.

 

Thunderous Blast also needs its recharge fixed for Defenders, Blasters and Corrupters. Currently it doesn't follow the standard formula. And before someone who knows nothing chimes "durr, it's ranged", no that isn't part of the formula. It has a shorter range even than the other ranged nukes. Moreover, other ranged nukes follow the standard damage/recharge/area formula. AND it was fixed on Sentinels to have the same recharge as all the other nukes.

 

Tesla Cage should get the Sentinel treatment (ie, deal actual damage) and Volt Sentinel needs something to make it worth taking and casting. I've tried to make it work, but the terrible damage, slowness of it moving, and short duration means I've dropped it every time. It was moderately cool when we could have multiples. 

[oedipus_tex]

This wouldn't be a bad update.

 

A different change that I always wanted was an update to enemy AI so that they are less likely to use any powers when their endurance bars are low. Basically, if their bar is below 50%, giving them a chance to do nothing instead of attacking. That way, even if you didn't totally deplete the bar, draining them would have meaning.

[Galaxy Brain]

Oh, also make VS a toggle or let us make multiple...

[Galaxy Brain]

Another bump, but also please tag elec attacks as "EMP" vs robots for some bonus damage?

 

Just seems right, you know?

[Alchemystic]

5 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Another bump, but also please tag elec attacks as "EMP" vs robots for some bonus damage?

 

Just seems right, you know?

Short Circuit already does this.

[Galaxy Brain]

5 hours ago, Tyrannical said:

Short Circuit already does this.

Right, but why not all the elec attacks?

[Alchemystic]

4 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

Right, but why not all the elec attacks?

I guess to make Short Circuit special 

[SwitchFade]

Great suggestion. I think elec needs more. End issues aren't too common really, and in addition to this QoL, elec needs more damage. Or, if the intent is for it to be utility, then bump that.

 

End drain is nearly useless as it is, so make elec attacks hold longer, or have continuous debuffs, or make the pet like a controller pet...

 

Good idea, I vote Yes and I also vote more in addition 

Edited February 15, 2020 by SwitchFade

[Galaxy Brain]

A far out one I'd like to see is to make Zapp do less damage, but become a chain-lightning attack. 

 

You would lose out a bit on ST but gain a very cool AoE power!

[Saiyajinzoningen]

What i always enjoyed about elec was the fact the shot fired instantly hit the enemy. Unlike other blaster sets where the fired takes time to travel to the enemy. This always made elec feel like a very fast set. You can slot for the elec drain, and while it doesn't up your chances of it happening it does boost the amount i dunno how much of a power creep this would be. also iirc the thunderous blast has a significant advantage over the other sets due to it being a ranged nuke. Since so few people actually slot the powers for endurance drain maybe make the enhancements also up its proc chance as well to make slotting more thoughtful.

[oedipus_tex]

I wonder if it is mechanically possible to create scaling effects based on percent of endurance remaining the same way it is with percent of health remaining. 

[VileTerror]

That shouldn't be too challenging.  So you're thinking bigger Endurance Theft the lower your current Endurance Total becomes?

[nihilii]

I'd settle for a 3-5 minutes duration Voltaic Sentinel. At that length, it would become an undeniably worthwhile cast, without changing anything about the current way the power functions.

[Bossk_Hogg]

5 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

. also iirc the thunderous blast has a significant advantage over the other sets due to it being a ranged nuke. Since so few people actually slot the powers for endurance drain maybe make the enhancements also up its proc chance as well to make slotting more thoughtful.

Thunderous blast is actually underpowered. Range isnt taken into account for the damage formula, its essentially just area and reharge. Compare it to the other ranged nukes.

Overcharge/Geyser (ranged nuke) deals 219 damage w a 125 second recharge. Its coefficient is 1.75

Nova/Psychic Wail/Atomic Blast/Blackstar deals 250 damage w a 145 second recharge. Coefficient of 1.72. Inferno deals about this excluding its DOT secondary

Thunderous Blast deals 250 damage w a 170 second recharge. Coefficient of 1.47. It also has a shorter range than Overcharge/Geyser and almost a 4 second animation time.

 

No particular reason electric blast is constantly screwed over. Its not like its better at control and it's weak at damage compared to any other set. Endurance Drain does nothing unless it's 100%, so it essentially has no secondary in many fights. And before someone tells me how uber it is with a specific secondary or that their blaster secondary makes up its weak damage (not a choice for corrupters/defenders!)...  It should stand on its own merits. It's not like dark needs to be with a particular secondary to get any use out of its to-hit debuff or have a secondary to deal decent damage. 

 

Sentinel Electric Blast has it mostly fixed, by normalizing T Blast's recharge and adding actual damage to Tesla Cage. These changes need to be ported over to Corrupter, Defender and Blaster. Then fix Voltaic Sentinel to not be ass, and Elec is up to par.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2020 by Bossk_Hogg

[biostem]

The way set secondary effects work has always bugged me;  Darkness attacks *always* debuff the target's tohit.  Why not give elec a 100% chance to return some end - even if it is a smaller %.  I don't understand why we have to play with the RNG for some sets to get their secondary effects...

Edited February 16, 2020 by biostem

[Caulderone]

12 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

A far out one I'd like to see is to make Zapp do less damage, but become a chain-lightning attack.

I think it would be nice if all of the ST attacks had a chance to chain (similar to Elec melee's Chain Induction, but % chance based chain).  That would be a nice boon to the set, too.

[Galaxy Brain]

52 minutes ago, Caulderone said:

I think it would be nice if all of the ST attacks had a chance to chain (similar to Elec melee's Chain Induction, but % chance based chain).  That would be a nice boon to the set, too.

Agreed, but I think sticking it to one power is more how the chain powers "work" currently 

[kelika2]

Elec blast already had a few buffs:

Short Circuit being quicker ticking as well as number of ticks condensed

Ball Lightning being mostly front loaded damage

Instant snipes

 

The only thing that is shitty about elec blast is the pet

long animation

short pet duration

high end cost

cannot control

 

And with the right secondary (/energy and /fire for example) you dont even need the pet or returned "sapped" endurance since [Energize], [Blazing Aura] and [Many other Blaster Secondary +end/recov] abilities.  My Elec/Fire is a PBAoE King as it is

 

Said proposed +end changes would just get rid of the need to slot miracle/numina

 

two final points: 99% of mobs dont last long enough to see zero end.  most important mobs can still attack without end/have low/NORMAL TO US end cost attacks while having a gigantic end pool

ex: boss tier enemies have 200 end, eb/avs have like 500-800 end pools and even a minor +end tick can end up being 50-75 end to them.  May not sound like a lot but NPCs also follow the percent based regen/recov mechanic

Edited February 16, 2020 by kelika2
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[Leogunner]

16 hours ago, nihilii said:

I'd settle for a 3-5 minutes duration Voltaic Sentinel. At that length, it would become an undeniably worthwhile cast, without changing anything about the current way the power functions.

I suggested adding a buff upon casting.  Currently, Blaster does get a defiance bonus for using VS (at least I think so, every other click power gives defiance +dmg).  Give VS a +ENDmod buff for 30sec when cast or a buffed chance to drain endurance or maybe something crazy like stacking +absorb for endurance drained.  Think of it like Static Shock using his powers to create and control electromagnetism to block attacks using objects or energy around him.

 

 

[Galaxy Brain]

@kelika2, there are others besides blasters who get the set and dont have the sustains.

 

I'm not sure what you're referencing for elec blast buffs, like before issue 10? It's been the way it is for many, many years. The sniper changes are also global, so while yes it did help out elec a good bit it still is in the same relative place.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Galaxy Brain

[Greycat]

17 hours ago, Caulderone said:

I think it would be nice if all of the ST attacks had a chance to chain (similar to Elec melee's Chain Induction, but % chance based chain).  That would be a nice boon to the set, too.

.... unless you're trying to pull. (And I could just hear DFBs then. "ANyone but electric, DFB, we're doing a badge run!") 🙂

[Leogunner]

37 minutes ago, Greycat said:

.... unless you're trying to pull. (And I could just hear DFBs then. "ANyone but electric, DFB, we're doing a badge run!") 🙂

Well then, THAT could be the effect Voltaic Sentinel applies.  For 20sec upon casting VS, all your electric blasts have a chance to chain.

[Greycat]

No thanks to that. (I use VS frequently. Pre-Defiance 2.0, it was how I attacked while mezzed.)

 

Now, if you want to make *VS's* attacks chain, sure. I'd be for that. And/or have VS add that to AOEs.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Greycat

[Leogunner]

5 minutes ago, Greycat said:

No thanks to that. (I use VS frequently. Pre-Defiance 2.0, it was how I attacked while mezzed.)

 

Now, if you want to make *VS's* attacks chain, sure. I'd be for that. And/or have VS add that to AOEs.

No, I was saying, when you cast VS, you summon the pet AND get a buff that gives your blasts a chance to chain.  It's adding a bit of additional benefit to the "needing to cast it frequently" part people complain about current VS.