Tactical Control set

[Player2]

Could we maybe get a control power set that complements the Traps secondary for controllers and / or Martial Assault secondary for dominators with something that uses devices for control efforts?  Thrown nets for hold and immobilize effects, gas grenade for sleep effect, an attack drone for a pet, maybe a flashbang grenade for a disorient...  All of the tools needed to create such a thematic set already exist in other powersets (net attack found with the Entangling Arrow attack, thrown grenade attacks, and there are a number of critters that could fill the pet role as a mechanical attack drone).

[FoulVileTerror]

Boop!

https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/22120-weekly-discussion-65-build-your-own-powerset-suggestions/

 

It's certainly been requested a lot.

And I'm personally shocked the Legacy Devs never got around to it.  Then again, Control definitely got one of the shorter sticks when it came to new Sets.  I think it only got three new Sets in the entirely of Legacy:  Plant, Electric, and Dark.  And Dark took -especially- too long.

 

 . . . @Tyrannical . . . do you think that, perhaps, we should flesh out one of your Natural-themed Control Sets?  You know, the whole nine yards about Magnitude, Recharge Timers, Damage Scalars.  All that "good" stuff.

Then drop that baby on the Devs' doorstep and hope they raise it up to be nice and strong with a bright future?

[Alchemystic]

1 hour ago, FoulVileTerror said:

Boop!

https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/22120-weekly-discussion-65-build-your-own-powerset-suggestions/

 

It's certainly been requested a lot.

And I'm personally shocked the Legacy Devs never got around to it.  Then again, Control definitely got one of the shorter sticks when it came to new Sets.  I think it only got three new Sets in the entirely of Legacy:  Plant, Electric, and Dark.  And Dark took -especially- too long.

 

 . . . @Tyrannical . . . do you think that, perhaps, we should flesh out one of your Natural-themed Control Sets?  You know, the whole nine yards about Magnitude, Recharge Timers, Damage Scalars.  All that "good" stuff.

Then drop that baby on the Devs' doorstep and hope they raise it up to be nice and strong with a bright future?

I could certainly try!

 

Which of these natural inspired control sets do you think is worth working on?

 

 

[FoulVileTerror]

Well, I rated Utility Grenades ( https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/13484-eco-friendly-powerset-recycling/page/6/?tab=comments#comment-194717 ) as my number one pick, although that title honestly conjuring me in the thought of a Support or Manipulation Set.  Tactical Grenade may be a more fitting name, invoking a sort of S.W.A.T.'iness to it.

And, hey!   Tactical Grenade.  Tactical Control.   I think that's on-brand with what Player2 is asking for here.

 

What do you say, @Player2?

Would you like us to flesh out a Tactical Control Set in this thread, or would you rather we work on that project elsewhere?

[Player2]

2 minutes ago, FoulVileTerror said:

What do you say, @Player2?

Would you like us to flesh out a Tactical Control Set in this thread, or would you rather we work on that project elsewhere?

I'd like to see it done.  I'm not the detail oriented type, and I would either copy an existing power set exactly and replace the power names with the Tactical stuff and have people shoot it down as too much of the same thing, or I'd do something dumb like try to be a little inventive and have people shoot it down for being overpowered or underpowered... and either way wind up watching the whole thing get swept under the rug of time.

 

I have big ideas, but I'm not the one to develop them.

[FoulVileTerror]

Alright, groovy!

 

So, question to both @Tyrannical and @Player2, and all the viewers at home (or hell, if anyone else wants to get in on this action and co-develop) . . . 

Do we want to keep things simple and just stat-out the Tactical/Utility Grenade Set as proposed by Tyrannical in the other thread (linking again, just 'cause:  https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/13484-eco-friendly-powerset-recycling/page/6/?tab=comments#comment-194717 )

OR

 . . . see, I've been thinking about this set for many, many years.  I've got an idea which might not be terribly popular, but it's a little experimental and I think it could be interesting to use here:

High Explosive Munitions Toggle

 

The premise is thus:  The Powers are Single Target normally.  That's doesn't really scream "Grenade!" to me, though, but frankly if we make -everything- an AoE by default, that'll be problematically overpowered.

So, instead, similar to how Dual Pistol is coded to swap damage types and secondary effects with the Swap Ammo Toggles, the idea here is to have a Toggle (likely unlocked around level 6) which switching all the Grenade Powers from Single Target with a high Magnitude, or an AoE with a lower Magnitude and a higher Endurance cost.  Some would also lose or gain their Damage depending.

 

Naturally, developing such a mechanic for the Set would vastly increase the time and resources to balance.   But there's also the Cool Factor to consider, and really, I think it would be a nifty way to make a Control Set which really stands apart from the more rigid design philosophy that we see with most Control Sets.

 

The other alternative unique mechanic I was thinking of was an Ammo mechanic, utilizing that "use this Power X number of times before it goes on Cooldown" stuff we've been seeing lately.

I haven't thought through that mechanic quite as much as the High Explosive one, but the basic thrust is that the Set would play VERY differently than normal with an ammo count.  Could be interesting, but I'm imagining that investment to develop something like that would be significantly higher than the simple Toggle proposal with High Explosives.

 

SO!

 

1 - Minimal effort, quickest return, but least unique:  Take the existing proposed Powers from Tyrannical and just stat them out.

2 - Moderate effort, marginally experimental, but fairly unique:  Develop the High Explosive Munitions Toggle using the proposed Powers as a framework.

3 - Exceptional effort, very experimental, but definitely unique:  Develop an Ammo Count mechanic using the proposed Powers as a framework.

 

Thoughts?

[Alchemystic]

@FoulVileTerror I'm perfectly fine with working out stats for any of the powersets I've made, or if anybody else would like to try their hand at it that's alright with me too! 😄

[Drakwatch]

I'm going to take this opportunity to re-post my idea for a Devices / Techy Control set:

While coming up with these powers, I wanted to differentiate and make them stand out from similar powers from other sets, such a web grenade, flashbang, or caltrops. I think these would be unique and interesting enough to feel like you have a fully stocked utility belt - blasting and manipulating enemies and proving some good area denial.

 

Devices Control - You are a master of various gadgets, tools, explosives, and techniques used for area denial, incapacitating foes, and controlling the battlefield.

 

T1 - Electrified Bolas - You hurl a pair of electrified bolas at your target, shocking and entangling them.
Ranged, Moderate DoT (energy), Foe Immobilize -Recharge, -SPD, -Jump, -Fly

T2 - Flashbang Pellets - You throw a bundle of flashbang pellets in a wide cone in front of you, blinding and disorienting everyone caught in it’s range.  Additionally, the explosives in the pellets burn over time.
Ranged (Cone), Moderate DoT (Fire), Foe Disorient, -Acc

T3 - Acid Foam Grenade - You toss an experimental sticky foam grenade at your target. The foam expands in a chain reaction to nearby targets, slowing and immobilizing them, while noxious fumes choke them.
Ranged (Chain AoE), Minor DMG (Toxic) Foe Immobilize -Recharge, -SPD

T4 - Sonic Locator Device - You deploy a device that sends a wide sonic pulse around you, pinging the location of hidden enemies. This gives you and your teammates a chance to prepare for attack, increasing accuracy, perception, and resistance to damage.
PBAoE Team, +To-Hit, +Res (All), +Perception

T5 - Sleeping Gas Pellets - You throw a bundle of gas pellets laced with a narcotic chemical.  All affected targets may succumb to the narcotic effect of the gas and will fall asleep. The targets will remain asleep for some time, but will awaken if attacked.
Ranged (Cone), Minor DMG(Smash), Foe Sleep

T6 - Acoustic Hailing Device - You deploy a sonic device that sends ear piercing audio-kinetic pulses in a wide range. The sonic pulses damage the inner ears of those caught in it’s area of effect, incapacitating and throwing them off balance.
Ranged (Location AoE), Foe Hold, Moderate DoT (Smashing / Energy)  -Res,

T7 - Electrified Razor Wire - You throw an expanding bundle of electrified barbed wire at a location of your choosing. Enemies caught in the wire are cut and shocked, immobilizing and slowing those who try to escape.
Ranged (Location AoE), High DoT (energy / lethal), Foe -SPD, Foe Immobilize

T8 - Guard Dog - You summon your trusty Guard Dog, a helpful canine companion who can knock down and scare foes, and help track down targets, increasing your accuracy.

• Bite (Melee, Minor DMG(Lethal), Foe Minor DoT(Lethal)),
• Resistance (Resistance (Auto, Res ( S25 L25 F15 C35 E15 N50 P20 T50 ), Res(Sleep, Immobilize, Hold, Stun, Knockback, Knockup),
• Charge (Ranged, High DMG(Smash), Foe Knockdown, Self Teleport )
• Intimidating Bark (Ranged, Foe Fear)
• Tactics (PBAoE, +Acc, +Perception)

[FoulVileTerror]

So, without any specific direction from anyone else on which of the three paths I should focus on, I've started work on the second proposal I offered.

I've got some numbers hashed out already, but I wonder . . . with the mechanic that exists to reset the Cooldown on Powers, can it also be used to -set- a Cooldown to a specific time?   And if so, how does it interact with Global Recharge and Recharge Enhancements on that specific Power?   What issues might exist if a Power would normally have a Recharge of 24 Seconds, but if conditions are met, the Recharge would be 8 Seconds?  Would the Recharge Enhancements and Global Recharge be preserved, or would a mechanic like that ignore one or both?  How reliable would such a mechanic be?  Would it occasionally fail and cause the 24 Second timer under conditions that are supposed to be only 8 seconds?

 

Do we have anyone with some technical knowledge who might shed some light on that?