Page 6 Preview: Sonic Manipulation, Game Balance, Piecemeal's Workshop of Horrors

[Jimmy]

Hello everyone!

 

Page 6 is almost ready for public testing, so it’s probably time to start talking about what’s in store. Today we’ve got a look at a new powerset, a discussion about our goals for game balance, and a developer diary from Piecemeal discussing the upcoming story arcs.

New Powerset: Sonic Manipulation
A new sonic-themed Blaster secondary with fairly well-rounded capabilities. It also features a Migraine mechanic, with many powers in the set having a small chance to inflict a short hold. This chance can be dramatically increased by using Sound Booster, the build up power of the set.

 

•  T1: Sonic Thrust (Melee, Minor DMG(Smashing/Energy), Foe Knockback)
  • A focused attack of intense sonic power that violently sends a nearby foe flying. Deals minimal damage, but can be very effective. Recharge: Fast
•  T2: Strident Echo (Melee, Moderate DMG(Smashing/Energy), chance for Hold)
  • Strident Echo deals minor damage over time. It has a low chance of causing a migraine, leaving the target shaking in pain and helpless. Recharge: Slow
•  T3: Echo Chamber (Ranged, Minor DMG(Energy), Foe Hold)
  • Encases the target in a field of sonic waves, dealing energy damage and holding them in place. Recharge: Slow
•  T4: Sound Booster (Self +DMG, +To Hit, +Special)
  • Greatly boosts your attacks for a few seconds. Slightly increases chance to hit. Moderately increases the duration of mez effects. Moderately increases the chance for Sound Manipulation powers to induce migraines. Recharge: Long
•  T5: Deafening Wave (Melee (AoE), High DMG(Smashing/Energy), chance for Hold)
  • You create a large field of sonic waves, causing damage to all foes around you. It has a moderate chance of causing migraines, leaving them shaking in pain and helpless. Recharge: Slow
•  T6: Sound Barrier (Toggle: Self +Absorb, +Recovery, +Res(Smashing, Energy, Sleep))
  • Creates a barrier around the caster which reduces incoming energy and smashing damage, provides protection against sleep effects and grants an absorption shield. Recovery is also increased. Recharge: Moderate
•  T7: Disruption Aura (Toggle: Foe -Res)
  • You emit a constant wave of sonic energy around yourself, weakening the Damage Resistance of all nearby foes. Recharge: Moderate
•  T8: Sound Cannon (Ranged (Cone), Foe Stun, Knockback)
  • You generate a powerful sonic wave that will knock back and disorient foes in front of you for a short time. Recharge: Long
•  T9: Earsplitter (Melee, Heavy DMG(Smashing/Energy), chance for Hold)
  • You generate an Earsplitting sound wave right in the face of your foe, inflicting great damage. It has a good chance of causing a migraine, leaving them shaking in pain and helpless. Recharge: Slow

 

Sonic Manipulation also comes alongside a set of changes to Blaster Manipulation sets. We’ve made a standardization pass on the strength of Blaster crowd control effects whilst also shoring up the damage and survivability of some lower performing sets.

Game Balance & The Endgame
Next up: We’re commonly asked what our goals are when it comes to game balance, so we’ve written a post explaining our goals, both for page 6 and the future.

 

Check out the post here!

Dev Diary - Piecemeal's Workshop of Horrors
You may have seen Piecemeal skulking about the forum, posting cryptic messages and poems…

 

 

Well, now it’s finally time for them to introduce themselves and what they’ve been working on. Head on over to this post for a peek inside their head - reader beware, they've got a very active imagination...

And that’s not all!
Page 6 has several more features coming with it, including…

 

 

- The Homecoming Team

 

[kiramon]

Yesss

 

im a big fan of sonic already; but am so happy thematically that it has sleep resist lol

Edited September 20, 2020 by kiramon

[shapeshifter-54]

Hot dang!  Woot!

[Vanden]

Ooh, is that an asymmetrical Forearm Detail costume option? I like the looks of that!

 

I hope splitting Chest Detail into two separate categories for 2D symbols and 3D geometry is coming, too.

[Alexandria Ward]

Asymmetrical shoulders................. Very nice.

[Vinny Havoc]

Woo more asymetry!

[Indystruck]

So, is it safe to assume these other blaster manip changes will be Fire Sword applying -defense, Frozen Aura mag increase, Shinobi with the 20% chance for lethal crit, and the like?

[Avoca]

50 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

 

•  T2: Strident Echo (Melee, Moderate DMG(Smashing/Energy), chance for Hold)
  • Strident Echo deals minor damage over time. It has a low chance of causing a migraine, leaving the target shaking in pain and helpless. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow

 

 

I am moderately or minorly confused.

 

 

Edit: Nevermind, nice! woohoo! I did something.

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Avoca

[Fluffykittens]

Very cool

[zenblack]

Hmm. Just some feedback regarding Sonic Manipulation. A lot of the game you're fighting robots, aliens, etc and other things which may or may not get "Migraines." Perhaps this could be renamed to "Disruption", "Pressure", or "Hum" that can be applied to anything as it's more universal.

Edited September 20, 2020 by zenblack

[arcane]

Just now, Indystruck said:

So, is it safe to assume these other blaster manip changes will be Fire Sword applying -defense, Frozen Aura mag increase, Shinobi with the 20% chance for lethal crit, and the like?

I would assume it might have more to do with how insanely powerful the recov/absorb toggles are, AoE controls being better than controller/dominator versions in some ways, how widely tactical arrow is talked about like it's trick arrow but better, etc. Blasters are in an insanely good place and I can't imagine them being on the "needing buffs" end of the balance spectrum.

[Indystruck]

if we can apply Fear to robots, we can give robots migraines

[Drakwatch]

This update looks really fun! My costume creator addiction will become even worse now with asymmetrical shoulders, lol.

Also, I just wanna say, I think this type of preview and communication is exactly what a lot of people were looking to see from the dev team. This is really exciting, and I'm happy you guys have maintained a level of professionalism and consistent quality with all of the server updates so far. Thanks for all the hard effort behind the scenes -  I'm really excited for the future of this game and I think it's in great hands.

[FoulVileTerror]

A proposal for you, @zenblack:

"Dissonance"

 

[Pzn]

Any chance we can get some more specific numbers for the set?  Or will that have to wait for open beta?  Looks interesting.

 

[Errants]

41 minutes ago, arcaneholocaust said:

I would assume it might have more to do with how insanely powerful the recov/absorb toggles are, AoE controls being better than controller/dominator versions in some ways, how widely tactical arrow is talked about like it's trick arrow but better, etc. Blasters are in an insanely good place and I can't imagine them being on the "needing buffs" end of the balance spectrum.

Many of the blaster secondaries are not performing at the level the developers would like. Some are underperforming (Darkness, Ninja, Icy). Others are... "Balance, as all things must be."

[Luminara]

1 hour ago, Jimmy said:

 

I've never seen anyone, in my entire life, so fascinated with his own nipples.  Look at him!  He can't take his eyes off of his nipples!  He's deliberately not blinking so he doesn't miss a moment of nipple action!

 

@Jimmy, we need to talk about your nipple problem.  Stop by my office before you leave.

[Lines]

12 minutes ago, Luminara said:

 

I've never seen anyone, in my entire life, so fascinated with his own nipples.  Look at him!  He can't take his eyes off of his nipples!  He's deliberately not blinking so he doesn't miss a moment of nipple action!

 

@Jimmy, we need to talk about your nipple problem.  Stop by my office before you leave.

This coming from the person who started this thread's specific derailment.

[SuperPlyx]

Sonic Manipulation looks really interesting,any idea when this will hit test?

[FoulVileTerror]

"Page 6 is almost ready for public testing," is the best we've got at the moment, @SuperPlyx.  Couple of weeks, if given track record plays out, but as has been mentioned many, many, many times . . . 

This is 2020.  

The year of:

[Luminara]

59 minutes ago, Lines said:

This coming from the person who started this thread's specific derailment.

 

Hey, now, I just made an innocent comment expressing my appreciation for a particularly nice phrasing, and next thing I know, I've got Johnny Carson asking if my bad nipple does any celebrity impersonations and Walter Cronkite trying to get an exclusive interview.

 

I'm the victim here!

 

😇

[zenblack]

2 hours ago, Jimmy said:

•  T6: Sound Barrier (Toggle: Self +Absorb, +Recovery, +Res(Smashing, Energy, Sleep))
  • Creates a barrier around the caster which reduces incoming energy and smashing damage, provides protection against sleep effects and grants an absorption shield. Recovery is also increased. Recharge: Moderate
•  T7: Disruption Aura (Toggle: Foe -Res)
  • You emit a constant wave of sonic energy around yourself, weakening the Damage Resistance of all nearby foes. Recharge: Moderate
•  T9: Earsplitter (Melee, Heavy DMG(Smashing/Energy), chance for Hold)
  • You generate an Earsplitting sound wave right in the face of your foe, inflicting great damage. It has a good chance of causing a migraine, leaving them shaking in pain and helpless. Recharge: Slow

 

 

So, I hope you balanced all other Secondaries with this template, because this is just ridiculous to get on a Blaster. This is without knowing the numbers but a +Res, -Res, High Damage AOE as just highlights it's got all the toys.

Edited September 20, 2020 by zenblack

[starro]

I like these Sunday updates... we must be getting close to Halloween event too !

[Morgahn]

Any chance there's Energy Melee being worked on in the near future?

 

[Wavicle]

4 hours ago, Jimmy said:

 

•  T7: Disruption Aura (Toggle: Foe -Res)
  • You emit a constant wave of sonic energy around yourself, weakening the Damage Resistance of all nearby foes. Recharge: Moderate

 

Do WHAT now?!?