Fixing/Smoothing Energy Manipulation for Blasters

[WindDemon21]

This is a unique set that can be a lot of fun but it has some major issues. Mostly going in to how many short recharge easily perm-able click buffs that have you buffing yourself more than you're attacking and interrupting your attack chains.

 

Much like other sets for starters energize needs to be a zero end toggle, there should be no question of this. The next easy fix, would be to make boost range an auto passive. It's already easily perm-able with basically just SOs, and would not overpower in any way by being an auto instead of a click power. Even if that meant maybe a small nerf to the bonus effect at like 50% instead of 60% range boost would be fine.

 

Next we get to powerboost. The power on it's own doesn't have too many issues, outside of the fact that as a blaster you don't have much that can really even capitalize on the effects of it anyway. On top of that the effects it CAN use are only really benefitted when those effects are always on like the small amount of defense you can get from it and some to hit, maybe a single target hold or slow/immobilize. None of which in any way really overpower the stats a blaster can get for any of those. For some things though, like boosting the to hit of build up, or the -run of ice storm etc, you wouldn't want it as an auto or toggle buff either. Now those instances are low/few enough and generally not necessary enough that I wouldn't complain if it was made a toggle or auto ability instead, but for the sake of argument in case anyone would be that much against it, I would suggest that the power have it's duration and recharge increased to something of perhaps a 2 minute recharge and 1 minute duration, non stackable, and perhaps have it grant mez protection/resistance and/or recharge boost.

 

Last are two smaller issues. One being the sets lack of any type of aoe power/damage, which focuses on the general use of Stun. It's stats are pretty bad, and it animates slowly. I don't know of anyone that takes it, or have even seen anyone use it. Instead I would suggest swapping it out for whirling hands, or giving it an aoe splash effect like stj's spinning strike, or changing it to some other aoe form or even some form of damage/stun cone. It could keep the animation, if it was a mid-range damage cone that stunned would be pretty sweet.

 

The other issue would be Total Focus. The power looks cool for sure, but for a blaster that has low defenses being stuck there for that length of time, to which the actual DPA of the power is extremely low for a tier 9 as well, is really bad. Generally, it's damage needs to be increased, and it's animation time should be reduced. If people REALLY want that animation to stay, then on top of the increased damage it also should have some form of aoe splash damage like thunder strike to compensate.

[Saiyajinzoningen]

sounds like you don't like this set much considering how many changes you are suggesting, have u tried martial combat or atomic manipulation? These seem to function in a similar manner to what you are suggesting.

[0th Power]

I could get behind boost range being an auto power.  However you wouldn't have anything that could slot in there if it was auto.

[WindDemon21]

5 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

sounds like you don't like this set much considering how many changes you are suggesting, have u tried martial combat or atomic manipulation? These seem to function in a similar manner to what you are suggesting.

I do like the set, just not everything being clicky when it doesn't need to be. The main thing is for the changes to energize and boost range.

 

As to boost range you wouldn't need to slot anything in it powers already exist like that like ammo swap and staff stances. Or they could code it so slotting ranges increase the range boost.

[Outrider_01]

So...no hard mode anymore I guess.

9 hours ago, WindDemon21 said:

Much like other sets for starters energize needs to be a zero end toggle,

So you want an easy endurance cost reduction to be a toggle?  With no cost?  That would be like 3% reduction, you won't notice it at all.  Think CJ, minor defense for very small cost.

9 hours ago, WindDemon21 said:

The next easy fix, would be to make boost range an auto passive. It's already easily perm-able with basically just SOs, and would not overpower in any way by being an auto instead of a click power. Even if that meant maybe a small nerf to the bonus effect at like 50% instead of 60% range boost would be fine.

So you want a +60 range to be +50, for being passive?  Yeah, no cause an 80 ft range would be 120.  Passives always have the smallest benefit for zero cost.  10% resist smash/lethal on an armor set, is still pathetically low with 3 SO at 15%.  You would be looking at a free TO or DO benefit, adding +range IO enhancements to 3 slots would be like a 20% range at best if that was possible.

9 hours ago, WindDemon21 said:

Next we get to powerboost.

You are kinda all over the place, PB would use a change but even your suggestions don't make to much sense.  Blasters don't get status protection in their secondary, unless I am missing something (thats for the weak blasters and confused scrapper Sentinels).  And you can't have 2 minute recharge for 1m duration as you will easily perma it with hasten and IO bonuses.  Even at the current 1 min recharge 15 duration, it is still going to be on cool down for a little bit for its massive benefit it can give (and yes, blasters don't capitalize on it much so I did say it could use a change).

9 hours ago, WindDemon21 said:

The other issue would be Total Focus. The power looks cool for sure, but for a blaster that has low defenses being stuck there for that length of time, to which the actual DPA of the power is extremely low for a tier 9 as well, is really bad

I can't really answer much, but TF hits like a freight train for a single target at 200 looking in game so you are looking at a huge number for a single target attack.  The set also gets all those buffs.  Which is why the set is what it is; Energy Manip is buff/single target melee.

 

Electric Manip, on the other hand is almost entirely melee sans any buff, excluding BU and 2 +stamina powers.  Shocking Grasp at T9, for being almost instant...is 6 ticks of 17 damage at 1 second animation.  Umm, I would say TF is far superior at 200 for a 3.3 second animation.

 

Couple of things to consider between Electric and Energy Manip (since you mentioned Thunder Strike)

Power Sink is a straight 1 min buff for endurance cost and recovery boost, Power sink is just +Stamina dumped in the blue bar.

Energy Manip has all those buffs, Electric has none and more melee attacks, one focus on the player while one focuses pure destruction.  (Force of Thunder I can't really comment on, I don't remember that and seems a wonky choice with Power Sink since are both endurance related)

 

Thunder Strike is a better T7 then Total Focus at T9 if you are just looking at Floating Numbers

• - yeah Thunder hits for 150 on 16 target
• - Total Focus hits for 200 single target
• - but you missed the one advantage of Total Focus
• - the +22% Defiance aka mini-BU on a very short recharge for a 3 second animation, hello Floating Numbers in the primary of your choice. Total Focus -> Fireball ?
• -- Thunder strike is a measly 8% Defiance for the same animation time, cause AoE benefit less compared single target.  More targets of the attack, less Defiance. 

 

 

[WindDemon21]

14 minutes ago, Outrider_01 said:

So you want an easy endurance cost reduction to be a toggle?  With no cost?  That would be like 3% reduction, you won't notice it at all.  Think CJ, minor defense for very small cost.

I only said that to make it in line with the other blaster toggles. They all cost zero endurance fyi. It makes no sense for a power that grants better endurance as a toggle to have an end cost offsetting that, This just puts it in line with the rest. This first and foremost is main change that is needed for /energy manipulation.

 

17 minutes ago, Outrider_01 said:

So you want a +60 range to be +50, for being passive?  Yeah, no cause an 80 ft range would be 120.  Passives always have the smallest benefit for zero cost.  10% resist smash/lethal on an armor set, is still pathetically low with 3 SO at 15%.  You would be looking at a free TO or DO benefit, adding +range IO enhancements to 3 slots would be like a 20% range at best if that was possible.

It already has a 60s recharge with 30s duration. With just a recharge reducer in it and minor recharge bonuses/hasten it's already perma easily. This just helps the issue where you're constantly clicking all these powers, and since you'll always be able to perma it anyway, no, it would not be any more overpowered than it is, especially if the +range value is lowered.

 

19 minutes ago, Outrider_01 said:

You are kinda all over the place, PB would use a change but even your suggestions don't make to much sense.  Blasters don't get status protection in their secondary, unless I am missing something (thats for the weak blasters and confused scrapper Sentinels).  And you can't have 2 minute recharge for 1m duration as you will easily perma it with hasten and IO bonuses.  Even at the current 1 min recharge 15 duration, it is still going to be on cool down for a little bit for its massive benefit it can give (and yes, blasters don't capitalize on it much so I did say it could use a change).

Except they do in tactical arrow with Gymnastics. It's a lot of mez resistances with a couple protections to kb and immobilize. This would be similar, not a full mez protection like you're thinking. And that recharge/duration would be fine, since as i've stated blasters hardly have anything that actually capitalizes on those bonuses of the actual power boost that it does provide. This change would be more than fine.

 

21 minutes ago, Outrider_01 said:

I can't really answer much, but TF hits like a freight train for a single target at 200 looking in game so you are looking at a huge number for a single target attack.  The set also gets all those buffs.  Which is why the set is what it is; Energy Manip is buff/single target melee.

 

Electric Manip, on the other hand is almost entirely melee sans any buff, excluding BU and 2 +stamina powers.  Shocking Grasp at T9, for being almost instant...is 6 ticks of 17 damage at 1 second animation.  Umm, I would say TF is far superior at 200 for a 3.3 second animation.

 

Couple of things to consider between Electric and Energy Manip (since you mentioned Thunder Strike)

Power Sink is a straight 1 min buff for endurance cost and recovery boost, Power sink is just +Stamina dumped in the blue bar.

Energy Manip has all those buffs, Electric has none and more melee attacks, one focus on the player while one focuses pure destruction.  (Force of Thunder I can't really comment on, I don't remember that and seems a wonky choice with Power Sink since are both endurance related)

 

Thunder Strike is a better T7 then Total Focus at T9 if you are just looking at Floating Numbers

• - yeah Thunder hits for 150 on 16 target
• - Total Focus hits for 200 single target
• - but you missed the one advantage of Total Focus
• - the +22% Defiance aka mini-BU on a very short recharge for a 3 second animation, hello Floating Numbers in the primary of your choice. Total Focus -> Fireball ?
• -- Thunder strike is a measly 8% Defiance for the same animation time, cause AoE benefit less compared single target.  More targets of the attack, less Defiance. 

Except it's long animation gives it basically the worst DPA of any blaster secondary attack that is first and foremost an attack. For one, shocking grasp, is actually loads over TF for DPA. In those 3.3 seconds, TF is about 200 damage. If shocking graps were to take 3.3 seconds as well, it's damage would be a base 330, well over TF. Not to mention my initial argument of TF taking too long for a squishy blaster to stand there, while shocking grasp animating in 1 second, for one holds the enemy faster, and lets you do other attacks as well before TF would even land.

 

You're missing a big part of force of thunder as well. While it does bug me as well that /elec doesn't have the toggle as well, this power can be used very frequently, and has the benefit of aoe knockdown/back as well for protection. FYI it provides the same regen bonus as energize and other blaster secondary toggle powers. And for a set where it literally has two attacks that outdamage it in less time than TF takes to animate, it doesn't really need another big single target skill on a slow animation. I'm not saying to get rid of it though, just to give it splash damage like thunderstrike, or at least bump up the damage/decrease activation time.

 

Also in the time it takes to animate, you can also have fired off another aoe, or even at the same pace, just use that aoe, and have it recharge faster to use again. For reference let's say fireball, 16s base recharge. With  minor recharge slotting let's say it's down to a 10s recharge. That's a base 74.62 damage. That 22% defiance takes it's base damage to 91.04 in 13.3 seconds before it's usable again at 6.845damage/second. But lets say instead of doing TF, that you simply use fireball. That means that you get it back again in 10 seconds. That means for 74.62 damage, you're doing 7.462 damage/second, which is well over the TF/fireball combo. And this is REALLY low slotting for recharge. Most builds will be getting the aoe down to at least 5 or 6 seconds, where those numbers for not using TF win out even further.

[WindDemon21]

To be clear, while pb/tf/stun could use help that i've outlined, the MAIN thing that needs changed is the energize and boost range changes to lessen the horrendous click usage of the set when these two powers don't need/shouldn't be click based. While we're at it, they also don't change to the color you want in the costume creator either, but of course since they should be toggle/auto this wouldn't be an issue then anyway.

[Rathulfr]

As an E² blaster from way back (2004), I'm kinda ambivalent about this proposal.  I kinda like that Energy Manipulation is relatively unchanged as the OG blapper secondary, that it harkens back to The Good Ole Days™ when we were younger and wilder.  But that's just nostalgia, I guess.

 

Yes, I'd prefer that Energize be a toggle instead of a click, and it does make it more consistent with the sustain toggles in the other Blaster secondaries.  And I'd also prefer that BR be a passive instead of a click, too.  But I'm concerned that this might "homogenize" things too much, and eliminate some of the peculiarities that distinguish Blaster secondaries.  */EM has always been the "clicky" secondary, and this would change its identity.

 

Replacing Stun with Whirling Hands is an interesting idea.  I've never taken Stun, ever, and I've made/re-made/re-spec'ed my E² Blasters countless times over the years.  I might actually try a Blapper build if I could take WH instead of Stun.  PT, EP, BS, and WH would be cool to try -- especially since I can't make an Energy Melee Scrapper.  But if they ever port EM to Scrappers, then that reduces the appeal of blapping, for me.

 

[WindDemon21]

Even in original days like issue 1/2 honestly BR should always have been a passive, but especially now. Energize should be as well but it wouldn't homogenize it really. For one it's already unique being end discount instead of recovery which i like. And boost range alone makes the set unique too, this just alleviates the WAYYYY too clicky nature of /energy. Powerboost makes a little more sense as a click, but these two powers need changed. PB, aim, and bu is already annoying constantly firing off and setting up. I hate trying to do the combo cause lots of times later game mobs are dead before you get your aoe off then, but all these clicks take serious time away from using actual kill powers, and /energy has more than enough other clicks, 7 others in fact.