Sonic Resonance Improvements

[Puma]

So I THINK I've come up with just a couple of simple changes that would greatly improve sonic resonance's QoL for players, especially allowing it to be a more solo-friendly set without losing its uniqueness for teams as it. 
 
Problems as I see it:  

Sonic is not at ALL solo friendly:  Two of Sonic's best powers require a team member to use (Sonic Repulsion and Disruption field). Couple this with two of sonic's  three ain survival powers not affecting self (Sonic Barrier and Sonic Haven), this makes sonic a terrible set for any solo play time.   
In addition to that, too many of Sonic's team powers are seriously imbalanced and situational; specifically, you have Sonic Cage, Sonic Repulsion, and Liquefy, all of which are either incredibly situational or impractical in normal use.  The end cost of sonic repulsion coming per tic on a foe makes it's incredibly difficult to use well, even when teamed.  Either you're using it on a player who really isn't in the thick of things, and doesn't need it and isn't costing much end, or it's on a player in the middle of a fight who could use it but then the end cost is ridiculous. Likewise, with it being knock back and not knockdown, using it on someone in the middle of the fight can be more annoying than helpful unless you slot the KB>KD  IO.  But even then it becomes an incredibly loud, constant end drain.  Then there's Liquefy, which COULD be decent, but has such a ridiculously long recharge for what it does (300 seconds?!) that it's...not very practical.  
 

Fixes:  I think just a couple tweaks would fix the set, while still keeping it largely the same "feel" for established players. There are two ways of going about these fixes, one minor, one more major.  I'll post both options below. 
 

Fix 1: slight alteration of a couple key powers:
Make Sonic Repulsion and Disruption field able to be targeted on either friend or foe. This way the powers could still be used while solo.  At the same time, get rid of the "per tic" end cost of repulsion so that's it's actually useable while still attacking, etc. 
Then reduce the recharge time of Liquefy in half. It would still have a 2.5 minute recharge.  IF you need to, at the time you do this, lower it's chance to hold.  These changes would make the set MUCH more solo friendly while keeping what they add to team play right now.  
 

Fix 2: larger change
This one takes its cue from Electrical Affinity, which recognizes some of the similar solo problems with its powers and includes a "pet" to allow the powers to be more solo friendly.  For this version of Sonic, remove the "Clarity" power altogether,  adding the mez resist to sonic dispersion.  Replace Clarity with "Echo field". You create a floating echo field continually reflecting the sounds around it. This field follows you and is buffable. It will move to enemy targets in range, causing periodic tics of strong -tohit, because the echoes cause the enemies to become confused on where to attack. Because it is a targettable pet, this pet would allow you to use your sonic dispersion and your disruption field even while solo.  Then, if you lower the recharge of Liquefy and either remove or lower the -tohit it gives in exchange for the -tohit aspect of echo, you'd have a solo friendly set.

I would also suggest, for the first approach, to add a small AoE Heal over time to Clarity, and maybe change its name to "clarifying tones". But that definitely is a change to the 'tone' of the set in a way I think the others aren't.    

Edited June 25, 2020 by Puma

[Zeraphia]

2 hours ago, Puma said:

Fix 1: slight alteration of a couple key powers:
Make Sonic Repulsion and Disruption field able to be targeted on either friend or foe. This way the powers could still be used while solo.  At the same time, get rid of the "per tic" end cost of repulsion so that's it's actually useable while still attacking, etc. 
Then reduce the recharge time of Liquefy in half. It would still have a 2.5 minute recharge.  IF you need to, at the time you do this, lower it's chance to hold.  These changes would make the set MUCH more solo friendly while keeping what they add to team play right now.  

I do not support the second fix, but I do support the primary fix wholeheartedly and this addresses what a lot of people feel about the set.

 

I'd also like to add a reduced animation time for Sonic Siphon.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Zeraphia

[Greycat]

I'm not necessarily sure about the ideas (not against, but not sold) - then again, I consider this, Empathy and FF "solo friendly" in that I can make a second build and take more solo-focused powers on that build, so I tend not to see it as as much of a problem.

 

The biggest irritant to me on the set is Clarity, in that it comes so *late* (even when all we had were SOs, it was so late as to be useless.) Moving the mez protection to the large bubble and putting something else there... I wouldn't argue. *What* could be debated.

[Puma]

On 6/25/2020 at 11:42 AM, Greycat said:

I'm not necessarily sure about the ideas (not against, but not sold) - then again, I consider this, Empathy and FF "solo friendly" in that I can make a second build and take more solo-focused powers on that build, so I tend not to see it as as much of a problem.

 

The biggest irritant to me on the set is Clarity, in that it comes so *late* (even when all we had were SOs, it was so late as to be useless.) Moving the mez protection to the large bubble and putting something else there... I wouldn't argue. *What* could be debated.

To be fair, most of Force Field's powers are useable when solo and offer some benefit.  While Deflection Field and Insulation Field only affect others, all of the other powers affect self and/or damage enemies.  The repel/KD power of FF doesn't require casting on an ally, like Sonic's does.  Personal Force field is an instant "I win" power that is ONLY helpful personally, Repulsion Bomb is a 30 second AoE damage power, and Force Bubble is centered on you, not an ally. 

And while Emp is DEFINITELY a team centered set, three of its four best powers (Healing Aura and both RAs) 

affect self.  Arguably, sonic's best powers (the -res aura, the Res shields, and the KD aura) don't, and can't be used without a teammate. 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Puma

[Doomguide2005]

22 hours ago, Puma said:

<snip>
And while Emp is DEFINITELY a team centered set, three of its four best powers (Healing Aura and both RAs) 

affect self.  Arguably, sonic's best powers (the -res aura, the Res shields, and the KD aura) don't, and can't be used without a teammate. 

O.o. Totally unrelated to the help Sonic but I wouldn't call HA even remotely among Empathy's best buffs.  And Recovery Aura is rather level dependent in utility overall --> post 40 into endgame not so much.  Adrenaline Boost, Fortitude and Regeneration Aura are what I'd  consider the strongest buffs and only Regen Aura buffs the user. But enough thread derail Empathy's end game issues are well discussed elsewhere. Sonic Resonance problems on the other hand while acknowledged do lack discussion compared to Empathy.

Edited June 27, 2020 by Doomguide2005

[Eberin]

On 6/25/2020 at 9:36 AM, Puma said:

Make Sonic Repulsion and Disruption field able to be targeted on either friend or foe.

This needs to be implemented right away. Too many powers rely on teaming.

[oedipus_tex]

I'm pinging this Suggestion thread again a few years later rather than start a new discussion.

 

Now that the Sorcery > Enflame has proven that a toggle can be placed on friend or foe, can we think about @Puma's suggestion to update Disruption Field so that you can put the toggle on an ally or an enemy? Putting it on an enemy isn't ideal, but it's useful for Defender and Corruptors who don't have a pet.

 

Also LIquefy has a really cool looking geometry object special built for it, but the power is disappointing, so we rarely see it. An update to it would be great. Maybe something involving the new "pull" mechanic in Singularity. Sonic has a similar toggle power that could benefit.

Edited July 18, 2021 by oedipus_tex

[Psyonico]

Wait? Liquify is disappointing?

[oedipus_tex]

1 hour ago, Psyonico said:

Wait? Liquify is disappointing?

 

 

Have you found a way to slot it that makes it worthwhile? I'd be willing to revisit the power if its any good these days. I've always gotten stuck on its ratio of 300 recharge to 30 second duration. The floor on the lowest possible recharge is 75 seconds, which doesn't bring it to even 50% up time.

 

 If the duration were longer or the recharge were shorter I'd feel differently. Have you found a way to use the power effectively even with its ow availability?

[arcane]

+1 to Liquefy kind of sucks.

 

But to the extent it doesn’t, can we at least make it so its effects’ colors will properly change like the rest of the set? It’s only ever orange on my Grav/Sonic.

[Doomguide2005]

     I think the issues arise from two major factors.  First is as @oedipus_tex points out the ratio of recharge to duration of the effects.  The second is what is actually debuffed --> defense and to hit both of which are relatively meh in end game.  To hit debuff is desirable if you aren't softcapped and defense debuff is desirable for making it easier to hit neither of which is in short supply on endgame IO builds.  These have a duration of 30 sec well short of permanent.  It has some other potential effects (kd, -fly, -jump, -recharge, hold) and can take a wide variety of IO sets including more procs than you can shake a stick at.  Unfortunately my understanding is it doesn't really pay to use procs in the power last I checked.  

[JayboH]

As far as the pet idea goes, why not implement the migraine effect from the new blaster secondary?

[Cenozoic]

Saw this post when researching Sonic/Sonic Defender.  Very cool ideas from @oedipus_tex and team!  Adding a few cents to help the conversation:

 

SONIC ATTACK - EXTRA EFFECTS (ToHit and Recharge)

If something is super loud and right in my earballs, then I lose accuracy and/or coordination.

I mean, who else turns down the radio to make a difficult turn in a car?  C'mon...

• Sprinkle in some -ToHit effects to help with the Defense and Psionic Def/Res holes
  • Ex.  Shout has a "Bitter Freeze Ray" kind of animation pain... add a -7.5% ToHit debuff to balance the power's cast-to-benefit balance
• Sprinkle in some -Recharge effects to help improve the pseudo-resistance components (less attack = less damage)
  • Ex.  Screech is a really great utility attack.  Adding -30% Rech (non-stacking) on top of the Stun effect would be a helpful way to guarantee that hard targets like bosses are still mitigated, even if they are protected from the disorient effect.

FIX THE PSIONIC PROBLEM (yeah, you!)

If Sonic Resonance is going to patch one thing, I love the above suggestions from you guys, and focus on one in particular:  Psionics

Sonic Resonance's main objective is to "Lower enemy resistance - Raise ally resistance" so let's complete that thought creatively:

• Sonic Dispersion gets equivalent Psionic resistance (15% for defenders - enhanceable)
  • Let's just say the sonic static that the field creates is a psionic disruption field, like Magneto's helmet.  We already use that logic for the mez protection in this power.
• Since we're all Magneto about protection, how about buffing Clarity
  • Clarity has the same though gap as Sonic Dispersion (psi hole, but mez protection)
    • Clarity should be an AoE with higher recharge and end cost, but that's a different battle and forum discussion
    • Clarity should add MOAR psionic protection.  Maybe an unenhanceable +10% Psionic Resistance, something to make the power attractive?

 

Anyway, thanks for reading, looking forward to your thoughts!