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Issue 27: Second Chances, Page 1 - Out Now!


Jimmy

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10 hours ago, Piecemeal said:

 

Actually I thought I'd fixed this. I will be looking into this. I don't remember manually massaging the spawn defs into maximum payout for everyone.

Thanks! I had a similar but different complaint about the villain arc. For a level 30ish arc, I feel like there are WAY too many elite bosses, way too many of the bosses and EBs in that arc spawn multiple ambushes. That's the kind of difficulty I expect (in that level range) to face in the last fight of the last mission of the arc -- not two and three times per instance in every instance.

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22 hours ago, Arnabas said:

Doubling the recharge time on Sting of the Wasp kills one of my characters. I have an AR/ Ninja blaster who does a fair bit of melee. I slotted his sword attacks to go as fast as possible. They were still a bit slow, but manageable. Now, not so much. I will therefore ask again that the fighting pool be customizable to show different types of attacks, including swords. I wouldn't even care if the type of damage didn't match up. I just want to swing my sword....

 

THIS!  ONE BAZILLIONTY FOUR TIMES THIS!

 

@Jimmy!  Make this happen!  DO IT!  Don't make me swamp the forums with that picture!

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Hrm. I think at least back on live I liked having the utility of Stun on my (solo) Inv/EM tank.* Sometimes having a means of soft control was useful. (Sappers?)

 

* he hasn't been priority for leveling up again and is somewhere in the teens

 

edit: I guess it might be workable with the Barrage change, I will have to see how the new mechanics play out. And yes, I am probably an atypical player. I imagine I'm one of the few who isn't all that keen on the sniper power changes because it slows me down solo waiting for the out-of-combat status to flip to engage a new mob.

Edited by gec72
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23 hours ago, Grimz said:

Is there a way to change the power so it can benefit from Defiance?

 

OSA is a nested pseudo-pet.  When you fire the arrow, it doesn't do anything except cause the OilSlickOil pseudo-pet to spawn at the targeted location.  OilSlickOil immediately begins using a PBAoE which Slows and Knocks Down, and spawns OilSlickTarget, the invisible box that you can target and destroy with Fire/Energy damage.  When OilSlickTarget is defeated, it despawns and sends a call to the server to spawn OilSlickBurn, which uses a PBAoE damage aura to create the damage dealt by OSA.  This is why Ranged AoE Damage procs don't even make hit checks until the oil is ignited, because the entity which has access to those sets doesn't exist until that very moment.

 

So to answer your question, the reason Defiance isn't applied to OSA is because the damage portion of the power is a pseudo-pet "owned" by another pseudo-pet, the target dummy, and the target dummy is "owned" by the oil slick.  Your buffs are only applied to the slick, they don't transition two steps farther down the chain, and the slick doesn't deal damage.  Can it be changed?  Well... no.  The Slow/KD patch has to be generated by a pseudo-pet to be persistent.  Using Redirect doesn't create a persistent patch.  And the damage has to be generated by a pseudo-pet to be appropriate for the power's persistence, in that it can't just be a 15s long DoT applied because foes can leave the AoE and the effects are supposed to end.  And the target also has to be a pseudo-pet, simply because there has to be something there to hit.

 

I said no, but technically, nothing is impossible, if one spends enough time and effort.  Right now, though, there are no existing mechanics which could be substituted for nested pseudo-pets, and spending the necessary time and effort to create the mechanics for one power might not be the best use of the HC team's resources.  It took almost two years to get OSA working the way it does now, and it does work well at this point, so the HC team is probably disinclined to mess around with it or try to replicate it.  At least, for now.  I suspect this may be on @Captain Powerhouse's private list of things to revisit when he's in a better position to do so.  He's not a fan of pseudo-pet powers because they act independently from the player, creating the potential for problems and/or abuse.  But I wouldn't hold my breath.  Making something like OSA without pseudo-pets won't be easy, nor will it be happening any time soon.

 

Any other questions I can answer?

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Spoiler

On 11/24/2020 at 7:48 AM, Jimmy said:

 2400px-Issue27-fullsize.thumb.png.546a0dd58f3f82e0d456448a18993ca4.png

 

Issue 27: Second Chances, Page 1 - Available Now! (Full Patch Notes)

Hello everyone! The long wait has paid off - Issue 27 has finally reached the live servers. As this update is extremely large, we've put together this announcement post to highlight some of the key changes and additions, however, we do recommend that you give the full patch notes a read if you have the time!

 

If you haven't already done so, we recommend that you switch to the new Homecoming Launcher. It's far faster, more stable and more secure than Tequila.

 

Additionally, due to the large number of powers changes all characters will receive a free respec upon login.

 

New Story Arcs: The Graveyard Shift & The Freakish Lab of Dr. Vahzilok

Two new story arcs have been added to the game - one for heroes (The Graveyard Shift, level 20-29), and one for villains (The Freakish Lab of Dr. Vahzilok, level 30-39). These arcs are the first two instalments of the Freaklok storyline, introducing new contacts, enemy groups, mission maps and several unique mission mechanics!

 

screen0blue.thumb.jpg.dac10497d16359d6b82cd2304c29a017.jpg.0fe32e057099314f62e28401fc10caf6.jpg

 

screen1blue.thumb.jpg.0883a08b59fe7a515779c6dcc88e4903.jpg.39a45c0471b9c59f92f4867d020c812c.jpg

 

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

New Story Arc: The Graveyard Shift (Hero, Level 20-29)

FBSA NetOps Agent Watkins has set up a small command station in North Steel Canyon, as an optimal location to investigate... something. Being somewhat dodgy about his assignment, he has constantly referred heroes to Positron first, to establish a reputation. The tasks that Agent Watkins has for you are no small feats, and involve the clean-up of one of the city's most exciting showdowns. Heroes 20 and above should seek him out, and bring plenty of club soda to wash out any stains.

  • Contact: Agent Watkins, Steel Canyon
    • Listed in Ouroboros under Champion (Level 25-29) > The Graveyard Shift (27.01)
  • This arc features new maps, new environments, the return of the Vahzilok Wasting Disease (it missed you), interaction with the alignment system, an actual investigation with clues and interviews, new badges, three alternate endings depending on the choices you make in earlier missions and... dubstep
  • The Vahzilok enemy group has also been expanded with a wider level range with some additional tweaks for the higher levels
  • This story arc currently awards 20 merits for completion, and an additional 20 merits for the first completion
    • These values will be adjusted in a future update to line up with other content when we have enough data to calculate the average playtime for this arc

screen0blue.thumb.jpg.dac10497d16359d6b82cd2304c29a017.jpg.aa61ea2fc7557bbcbf82cb59e002a97d.jpg

 

screen1blue.thumb.jpg.0883a08b59fe7a515779c6dcc88e4903.jpg.8bd2044285b6f76ac48768f80d75afa7.jpg

 

New Story Arc: The Freakish Lab of Dr. Vahzilok (Villain, Level 30-39)

A notorious and well-admired sociopath of the Rogue Isles has put out a straight-forward distress call through the Broker network, asking individuals of highly dubious moral constitution to save her neck in the name of Science. Doc Buzzsaw is being stalked by a notable ne'er-do-well and the price on her head is significantly less than the value of preserving it. Villains of level 30 and beyond should seek her out in Sharkhead Isle, in the usual place, and relief will wash over you after the discovery that her attachment to bank accounts has disappeared in the face of her mortality, as an added bonus.

  • Contact: Doc Buzzsaw, Sharkhead Isle
    • Listed in Ouroboros under Captain (Level 35-39) > The Freakish Lab of Dr. Vahzilok (27.02)
  • Chronologically this arc takes place after the Hero arc above
  • This arc features new maps, new environments, two new enemy factions, a prison break, new badges, several intricate missions with new spawn behaviours and a very, very cryptic poem
  • This story arc currently awards 20 merits for completion, and an additional 20 merits for the first completion
    • These values will be adjusted in a future update to line up with other content when we have enough data to calculate the average playtime for this arc

sceen0red.thumb.jpg.7a4413de28c3eecae0e1a26d9c5e3f44.jpg.dc3d4e5c455301eaa830c28d0d931d30.jpg

 

screen2redB.thumb.jpg.96aad72a4a82a1e39f85d1f4dd3e3add.jpg.a9aa6dc75b0f177acb6a4408e9ed132b.jpg

 

Character Customisation: Asymmetrical Shoulders, Expanded Power Customization and Stance Selection

After adding asymmetrical gloves and boots in Issue 26, Page 5, we've now expanded the costume creator to also allow asymmetrical shoulder pads. Even more importantly, shoulder kittens are now available for Male and Huge characters... and you can have two of them at the same time!

 

costume_huge_1.thumb.png.357bc167bd763c4da53cb1e19d656ab4.pngcostume_male_2.thumb.png.d0cbb4065cf439cf73b926eb09a111bd.pngcostume_female_1.thumb.png.7d9e592466c159650141fcd74c3e3193.png

 

A new Other tab is available at the tailor, allowing you to customize several new powers, including the various Sprint powers - even Prestige Power Slide!

 

sprint1.png.8a572fa76ed729032b8fe6de0e3c0d48.png

Check out more examples here

 

And lastly, you can now customize your default stance at the tailor by modifying the Stance power in the Inherent tab, and Athletic Run (a new non-stance version of Ninja Run) is available at the P2W vendor.

 

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

Costume Editor Update: Asymmetrical Shoulders

  • Shoulders now have an asymmetrical toggle, which can be toggled on to allow separate left and right shoulder selection
    • Not every set of shoulders are available in asymmetrical mode, more will be added in future updates
    • All shoulder options remain available in symmetrical mode
  • The Kitten and Panda shoulder options are now available for Male and Huge characters

unknown.png.c5acbc5575e09816eb5bc6716e1aaacf.png

 

costume_huge_1.thumb.png.6c970292e275181daa203c613e5055b4.pngcostume_male_1.thumb.png.c86460505404394e021b266862d09e93.pngcostume_female_1.thumb.png.001fd1633844f1ffdc2dce094c251b7b.png

 

costume_female_2.thumb.png.2f634095607d9a2cb89505a9f1b3c83b.pngcostume_huge_2.thumb.png.7be6d6a40eaf9332b4a054e52af397ba.pngcostume_male_2.thumb.png.3cfc702603af788e9feb9f0198a6bd90.png

Yes, two kittens

 

Stance Selection

  • In the tailor, a new Inherent_Stance.png.8287c6c638d7ab0516c8135170b1cb5e.png Stance power in the Inherent tab will allow you to select one of the following stances:
    • Default
    • Ninja
    • Beast
    • Slide
  • This stance will apply to your character at all times, unless you activate a toggle with its own stance (e.g. Beast Run)
    • As this stance is controlled by power customisation, you can select a different stance for each costume
  • A new non-stance version of Ninja Run is available from P2W:
    • Inherent_AthleticRun.png.7b69ff39f84cadbbd7e613d65a27af3e.png Athletic Run
      • Athletic Run leverages your athletic training, allowing you to move at a higher speed and jump greater distances. It is free if you do not already own Beast Run or Ninja Run; otherwise, it costs 1,000,000 inf.

 

Power Customisation Update

Support for customising Temporary, Day Job and Accolade powers has been added, and more inherent powers can now be customized. In this update only a few powers are supported, but we are looking to expand this in the future.

 

The following powers can now be customised in the "Inherent" tab:

  • Inherent
    • Inherent_Sprint.png.0cbcca7f214dfc425a13486a94541e73.png Sprint
    • Inherent_Sprint.png.0cbcca7f214dfc425a13486a94541e73.png Prestige Power Slide
    • Inherent_Sprint.png.0cbcca7f214dfc425a13486a94541e73.png Prestige Power Surge
    • Inherent_Sprint.png.0cbcca7f214dfc425a13486a94541e73.png Prestige Power Rush
    • Inherent_Sprint.png.0cbcca7f214dfc425a13486a94541e73.png Prestige Power Quick
    • Inherent_Sprint.png.0cbcca7f214dfc425a13486a94541e73.png Prestige Power Dash
    • The above all have original, light, dark, and minimal FX themes, and the customised versions of the prestige sprints have the dust cloud removed
    • See some examples here

The following powers can now be customised in the "Other" tab:

  • Accolades
    • LongRangeTeleporter.png.4970195b31b9e2546510622430b293f0.png Long Range Teleporter
  • Prestige Travel
    • BasePortal.png.5989e719ab4845bd2a3cd51823b5218e.png Supergroup Portal
    • screenshot_200919-20-21-01_crop.png.8968c65792e978a90f2eba5701cbf5a9.png Base Transporter
    • MissionTeleporter_New.png.c1141d67b70eff3ecd527dd821308536.png Mission Transporter
  • Day Job Powers
    • DayJob_BasePortal.png.1a5fd02dfea47be7e7b7f18462dfd923.png Rapid Response Portal
    • DayJob_Teleport.png.e08e3e543d3b7af908dd5f0fd0436e75.png Monitor Duty Teleporter
  • Temporary Powers

 

New Blaster Secondary 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.

 

sonic1.thumb.png.2eb39b5dc27705b50c63dd6d7439ee84.png

 

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

New Blaster Secondary: Sonic Manipulation

Sonic Manipulation lets you control sonic forces to manipulate your foes, inflict damage and protect yourself.

 

Powers

  • SonicManipulation_SonicThrust.png.9e4a591b5c34a2a1c3f1b4b850901164.png T1: Sonic Thrust (Melee, Minor DMG(Smash/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
  • SonicManipulation_StridentEcho.png.75c9a3d2baf66dc56a4f6678f31502e6.png 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
  • SonicManipulation_EchoChamber.png.74ddfc2d1e863d828fbc1afd5a17539f.png 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
  • SonicManipulation_BuildUp.png.5ac1803a482553b4063bc6c5f9f328df.png 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
  • SonicManipulation_DeafeningCry.png.1ed9159d34ebd539dbc79579b21c6f71.png T5: Deafening Wave (Melee (AoE), High DMG(Sonic/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
  • SonicManipulation_SoundBarrier.png.9ef8c213294b607131edc0eea0eda332.png 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
  • SonicManipulation_DisruptionAura.png.09aab2c08162aeeb6929ee31545eed17.png 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
  • SonicManipulation_SoundCannon.png.912ac105ddfc93265d3b76192ff67407.png 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
  • SonicManipulation_Earsplitter.png.3b66ed36b218381f48f436c1aa92e784.png 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

 

Powerset Revamps: Energy Melee, Titan Weapons, Trick Arrow and Teleportation

Four powersets have received significant updates in Issue 27!

 

PowerPunch_EnergyPunch.png.44e985fa5f4304be9efb9290b00df6c3.png Energy Melee

  • Stun has been replaced by Power Crash, a new cone attack
  • Total Focus now grants the Energy Focus buff, which allows you to cast an empowered version of Energy Transfer, Power Crash or Barrage
    • Energy Transfer: Significantly reduces the cast time
    • Power Crash: Doubles the maximum targets
    • Barrage: Has a 100%% chance to stun and applies a -special and -regeneration debuff to the target
  • Energy Punch and Whirling hands have had their damage increased
  • Total Focus and Bone Smasher have had their cast times reduced
  • Energy Melee has also been proliferated to Scrappers

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

Powerset Revamp: Energy Melee

Energy Melee has received a series of changes aimed at improving the performance of the set. Total Focus now acts as an opener for three different Energy Focus combos, including a Total Focus > Energy Transfer combo which provides fast, potent single target damage. Stun has been reworked into Power Crash, a cone attack, in order to provide a small amount of additional AoE capability to the set.

 

Power Changes

  • PowerPunch_Quick.png.0b2c404e5c8c09c113c0e5e82582ccd1.png Barrage
    • If used with Energy Focus: 100% chance for stun and applies a weakening (-special and -regen) effect to the target
  • PowerPunch_EnergyPunch.png.44e985fa5f4304be9efb9290b00df6c3.png Energy Punch
    • Recharge increased from 4s to 5s
    • End cost increased from 5.2 to 6.032
    • Damage increased from scale 1 to scale 1.16
  • PowerPunch_BoneSmasher.png.4b5b0ff79881fce43094691d2d0bebf6.png Bone Smasher
    • Cast time reduced from 1.5s to 1.27s
  • PowerPunch_PowerCrash.png.a4d5d6bb685de2aa8ffb1941928fdd09.png Power Crash (Replaces Stun)
    • Power Crash is now a minor cone that can hit up to 5 targets (10 for Tankers)
    • No longer takes melee damage sets, now takes PBAoE damage sets (any existing enhancements will remain slotted until the character respecs)
    • If used with Energy Focus: Target cap increased to 10 targets (16 for Tankers)
    • If you previously had Stun in your build, you'll now have Power Crash
    • Stalkers only:
      • This power has a 16s recharge (instead of a 9s recharge for other ATs), with proportional damage and endurance cost increases per the standard damage formulas
      • As Stalkers do not have Whirling Hands, they rely entirely on Power Crash for AoE damage
  • PowerPunch_Flurry.png.0266af4c305c8b2d37103a3ad915e3d2.png Whirling Hands
    •  Damage increased from scale 1 to scale 1.1819 (it was slightly below what the damage formula dictated)
  • PowerPunch_TotalFocus.png.e155c20e6f19deb0c692462ed94e6020.png Total Focus 
    • Cast time reduced from 3.3 seconds to 2.53 seconds
    • Total Focus grants a charge of Energy Focus (even if power misses)
    • PowerPunch_EnergyStore1.png.1f177d3e036104c9808cfef4e83867db.png Energy Focus
      • Energy Focus is consumed when casting certain Energy Melee powers in order to provide bonus effects (Energy Focus is not consumed if the power misses)
      • Energy Focus expires after 15 seconds
    • Stalkers / Scrappers only:
      • This power only crits for 28% additional damage, but when it crits, it will also generate a backup Energy Store that will re-activate Energy Focus after the current Energy Focus is used or expires (essentially it provides two stacks of Energy Focus)
  • PowerPunch_EnergyTransfer.png.28fb635ca16499cd48a65ad885598dde.png Energy Transfer
    • Energy Transfer self damage is now 10% of base max HP for all ATs, and no longer costs any endurance
    • Damage is now 100% energy
    • Recharge lowered from 20s to 10s
    • If used with Energy Focus: Cast time reduced from 2.67s to 1.0s
    • Stalkers / Scrappers only:
      • This power only crits for 28% additional damage, but when it crits, it will not only avoid the self-damage, it will actually heal you for 10% of your base max HP

Stalker Power Order Changes

  Reveal hidden contents
  1. PowerPunch_Quick.png.0b2c404e5c8c09c113c0e5e82582ccd1.png Barrage
  2. PowerPunch_EnergyPunch.png.44e985fa5f4304be9efb9290b00df6c3.png Energy Punch
  3. PowerPunch_BoneSmasher.png.4b5b0ff79881fce43094691d2d0bebf6.png Bone Smasher
  4. PowerPunch_AssassinStrike.png.caa0f90860623217f220e74310f2a2e9.png Assassin's Strike
  5. PowerPunch_BuildUp.png.d545160103b98782e3803d7bbbdf5f6c.png Build Up
  6. PowerPunch_Placate.png.38cb98d273142960ba61e2b60a372c59.png Placate
  7. PowerPunch_PowerCrash.png.a4d5d6bb685de2aa8ffb1941928fdd09.png Power Crash (replaces Stun)
  8. PowerPunch_TotalFocus.png.e155c20e6f19deb0c692462ed94e6020.png Total Focus (moved from T9)
  9. PowerPunch_EnergyTransfer.png.28fb635ca16499cd48a65ad885598dde.png Energy Transfer (moved from T8)

 

Tanker Power Order Changes

  Reveal hidden contents
  1. PowerPunch_Quick.png.0b2c404e5c8c09c113c0e5e82582ccd1.png Barrage
  2. PowerPunch_EnergyPunch.png.44e985fa5f4304be9efb9290b00df6c3.png Energy Punch
  3. PowerPunch_BoneSmasher.png.4b5b0ff79881fce43094691d2d0bebf6.png Bone Smasher
  4. 317721682_PowerPunch_Taunt(1).png.837fdda95d0d1ba93b3aea49cad6c412.png Taunt
  5. PowerPunch_Flurry.png.0266af4c305c8b2d37103a3ad915e3d2.png Whirling Hands
  6. PowerPunch_TotalFocus.png.e155c20e6f19deb0c692462ed94e6020.png Total Focus (moved from T9)
  7. PowerPunch_BuildUp.png.d545160103b98782e3803d7bbbdf5f6c.png Build Up
  8. PowerPunch_PowerCrash.png.a4d5d6bb685de2aa8ffb1941928fdd09.png Power Crash (replaces Stun, moved from T6)
  9. PowerPunch_EnergyTransfer.png.28fb635ca16499cd48a65ad885598dde.png Energy Transfer (moved from T8)

 

Other Changes

  • The stun chance for Energy Punch, Barrage and Bone Smasher for Stalkers was lower than the Tanker and Brute versions - this has now been corrected
  • The AE version of this powerset has been updated with missing powers and to match current power effects

 

Powerset Proliferation: Energy Melee for Scrappers

Energy Melee has been proliferated to Scrappers, with all the changes mentioned above.

 

Power Order

  1. PowerPunch_EnergyPunch.png.44e985fa5f4304be9efb9290b00df6c3.png Energy Punch
  2. PowerPunch_Quick.png.0b2c404e5c8c09c113c0e5e82582ccd1.png Barrage
  3. PowerPunch_BoneSmasher.png.4b5b0ff79881fce43094691d2d0bebf6.png Bone Smasher
  4. PowerPunch_BuildUp.png.d545160103b98782e3803d7bbbdf5f6c.png Build Up
  5. PowerPunch_PowerCrash.png.a4d5d6bb685de2aa8ffb1941928fdd09.png Power Crash
  6. PowerPunch_Taunt.png.c1f6a4133067d367c6eb7b053278543b.png Confront
  7. PowerPunch_Flurry.png.0266af4c305c8b2d37103a3ad915e3d2.png Whirling Hands
  8. PowerPunch_TotalFocus.png.e155c20e6f19deb0c692462ed94e6020.png Total Focus
  9. PowerPunch_EnergyTransfer.png.28fb635ca16499cd48a65ad885598dde.png Energy Transfer

 

TitanWeapons_ArcofDestruction.png.f6219412a807e1b0ebc67b6b0ba7826d.png Titan Weapons

  • Arbitrary bonus damage has been removed, and the set is now more in line with the standard damage formulas
  • Now has the same redraw improvements as Katana (the draw animation is interruptible and only plays out of combat)
  • Momentum applies even if your attack misses
  • The fast version (with Momentum active) of every attack now deals less damage, recharges faster, and uses significantly less endurance

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

Powerset Revamp: Titan Weapons

Titan Weapons was released less than a year before the game shut down, and never had the opportunity for much follow-up work. The set suffers from two problems. Firstly, the mechanics of the set make the set difficult to get started with. Secondly, when fully built, Titan Weapons massively overperforms compared to other melee set in almost every metric.

 

We've gone ahead and removed the arbitrary bonus damage the set has (bringing it in line with the standard damage formulas) in order to reign in the maximum performance bar the set can hit, whilst also refining the Momentum mechanic and redraw animations in order to reduce the clunkiness of the set.

 

Set Changes

  • Removed arbitrary bonus damage from all attacks (roughly 8-10%)
  • Now has the same redraw rules as Katana, and will only play an interruptible draw animation under the following conditions:
    • Out of combat
    • Out of range from the target
    • Power still has not recharged
  • Whilst Momentum is active, all Titan Weapons attacks will:
    • Recharge 25% faster, with proportional damage and endurance cost reduction per the standard damage formulas
    • Have an additional 25% endurance cost reduction
  • Momentum is now granted even if the attack misses all targets

Power Changes

  • TitanWeapons_SweepingStrike.png.7187af0f67494b0cc1d679c73d6c7b98.png Titan Sweep
    • Fast version cast time increased from 1s to 1.1s
  • TitanWeapons_FollowThrough.png.4c6c1151542b7f406dce2cb181751f1e.png Follow Through
    • Cast time increased from 1s to 1.1s
    • No longer inflicts additional damage over time
  • TitanWeapons_Confront.png.87d37a5718373eba667d84fe19dee5df.png Confront / Taunt
    • Cast time reduced from 1.96s to 1.67s
  • TitanWeapons_WhirlingSlice.png.e2fb1e027e4b119c6ae684420c171e44.png Whirling Smash
    • Radius lowered from 15ft to 10ft (however, it remains at 15ft for Tankers)
    • No longer inflicts additional damage over time
  • TitanWeapons_ArcofDestruction.png.f6219412a807e1b0ebc67b6b0ba7826d.png Arc of Destruction
    • Recharge reduced from 20s to 16s
    • Damage decreased accordingly (per the standard damage formulas)
    • Fast version cast time shortened from 1.5s to 1.37s

 

TrickArrow_Blind.png.cad97249f539b19437876e6155eafb09.png Trick Arrow

  • Every power in Trick Arrow has been altered, and the set is now significantly more potent in the debuff department
  • EMP Arrow now leaves behind a Faraday Cage which provides mez protection and a resistance buff for you and your allies
  • We recommend checking out the full notes below for Trick Arrow due to the large number of changes!

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

Powerset Revamp: Trick Arrow

Trick Arrow has suffered with performance issues for a long time, primarily due to the strength of the debuffs against higher level enemies, but also due to redundancy between powers in the set. We've made a comprehensive suite of improvements, impacting almost every power in the set.

 

Power Changes (Numbers provided are Defender values)

  • TrickArrow_Immobilize.png.e59211e1622b40a4856847c2cd4eb478.png Entangling Arrow
    • Immobilize duration reduced from scale 15 to scale 7
    • No longer has a -Recharge debuff
    • Now applies a 30s -Res debuff
      • PvP only: This effect is removed
  • TrickArrow_Blind.png.cad97249f539b19437876e6155eafb09.png Flash Arrow
    • Can now be slotted with Range enhancements
    • -ToHit increased from -6.25% to -18.76%
      • Half this debuff is now irresistible
  • TrickArrow_Slow.png.b1873252eb2d06593ddfb7699b3e09db.png Glue Arrow
    • -Recharge debuff increased from -20% to -40%
    • Debuff duration increased from 30s to 60s
    • This power is now location based
  • TrickArrow_Hold.png.cb279a1bfaca050187c01db7be51af9a.png Ice Arrow
    • Increased the -Recharge debuff from -12.5% to 25%
    • Now applies a 60s -Special and -Damage debuff
      • PvP only: -Heal, -Absorb and -Damage removed, the remaining debuffs only last 10s
  • TrickArrow_DebuffDamage.png.fd7715d340a8c55152ba9d6c4a49f5b9.png Poison Gas Arrow
    • -Damage debuff now lasts 60 seconds
      • PvP only: Debuff only lasts for 3s after you leave the cloud
    • -Damage debuff increased from -31.25% to -50%
      • Half this debuff is now irresistible
  • TrickArrow_DebuffDefense.png Acid Arrow
    • Debuff radius increased from 8ft to 15ft (damage still has an 8ft radius)
    • -Res debuff moved to Disruption Arrow
      • This power still has a -25% defence debuff
    • Now applies a heal resistance debuff (heals on the target will be less effective)
      • PvP only: Debuff halved
    • Now applies a -special resistance debuff (Endurance, ToHit, Regen, Recovery, Recharge Time, and Endurance Discount debuffs against the target will be stronger)
      • PvP only: Reduced to -20%
    • Debuff duration increased from 20s to 45s
      • PvP only: Duration is still 20s
    • This power has a new icon
  • TrickArrow_DebuffDamRes.png.45b6b29aad7c5b6f8cfe72093b9fb205.png Disruption Arrow
    • Target cap increased from 10 to 16
    • Now applies a -MaxEnd debuff and takes Endurance Modification enhancements and sets
    • -Res debuff doubled (moved from Acid Arrow)
    • Only one Disruption Arrow can be maintained at once
    • Recharge decreased from 60s to 30s
    • Duration increased from 30s to 45s
  • TrickArrow_Knockdown.png.690ada140f7c68e5771aaa1923c0f2ce.png Oil Slick Arrow
    • Can now be slotted with Range enhancements
  • TrickArrow_Stun.png.0865dc133adc883617d725c771441f58.png EMP Arrow
    • Can now be slotted with Range enhancements
    • No longer applies -recovery to the caster
    • Half of the -regen debuff now lasts 45 seconds (previously the entire -regen debuff dropped off after 15 seconds, now only half of it does)
    • Hold duration for non-robots reduced by roughly 50%
    • This power is now location based
    • This power now spawns an EMP Field at the target location that acts similarly to Electrical Affinity's Faraday Cage and provides:
      • 15% damage resistance to all but Toxic (not enhanceable)
      • Resistance against End Drain and Recovery Debuffs
      • Protection against status effects and knock back

 

Teleportation_Teleport.png.eeeec095e2005a7fc7b5a36a012dce5c.png Teleportation

  • Recall Friend and Teleport Foe have been combined into a single power: Teleport Target
  • Long Range Teleport has been removed from the set, and is now an accolade power (see below for more details)
  • Two new powers have been added to the set:
    • Combat Teleport, an instant, short-range teleport which provides a short +tohit buff
    • Fold Space, an area of effect power which pulls up to 16 foes in the nearby area towards you

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Hide contents

Pool Powerset Revamp: Teleportation

Teleportation has been considered one of the least desirable pools for a while (outside of specific uses, like Stone Armor) due to the wide availability of other travel options. In order to make the set more appealing, we've added two new powers with new mechanics. Combat Teleport emulates the feeling of Speed of Sound's Jaunt to quickly traverse the battlefield without the endurance cost burden of an active travel power, whilst Fold Space introduces a new way to play in melee - bring the enemies to you, instead of going to them!

 

To make room for these, Recall Friend and Teleport Foe have been combined into one power and Long Range Teleport has been removed from the set and is now an unlockable Accolade power.

 

Power Changes

  • Teleportation_RecallTeleport.png.6f11238cb1e9a8151d5bd2adc8cf2886.png Teleport Target (Replaces Recall Friend)
    • Now combines the functionality of Recall Friend and Teleport Foe
    • If you previously had Recall Friend, you'll now have Teleport Target
  • Combat_Teleport.png.aea719bb22d4911ea1aa202651b0da0c.png Combat Teleport (Replaces Teleport Foe)
    • A quick-casting, short-ranged (100ft) teleport designed to be used in combat
    • The range of this power can be enhanced, but it cannot be buffed or debuffed by set bonuses or other powers
    • This power can be activated up to 3 times in a row before it triggers a cooldown
    • This power grants a small ToHit buff to your next attack
    • If you previously had Teleport Foe, you'll now have Combat Teleport
  • Teleportation_Teleport.png.eeeec095e2005a7fc7b5a36a012dce5c.png Teleport
    • This power now grants a 4s untouchable buff
      • If you attack while this buff is active, both the Untouchable buff and the Hover buff will be cancelled
      • If you have been in combat in the last 10 seconds, phase will not be triggered
      • In PvP, using teleport 3 times within a 30 second window will trigger No Phase
  • Teleportation_GroupTeleport.png.3eab08633c7da2ba31708b9a999e4baa.png Team Teleport
    • Endurance cost reduced from 20 to 16
  • Teleportation_FoldSpace.png.04825380c32efb8345db1788d7d52cfa.png Fold Space (Replaces Long Range Teleport)
    • This power will teleport foes from the nearby area into melee range
      • Line of sight is required
      • 100ft range, 16 targets max, prioritizes closer targets
    • Long Range Teleport has been removed from the Teleportation pool and is now an Accolade power
      • If you previously had Long Range Teleport, you'll now have Fold Space
      • See the Long Range Teleporter section below for more information

Warshades

  • 1092933564_UmbralAura_ShadowRecall(1).png.0f2dec4a258f43e507d651c83b28ecc7.png Inherent / Umbral Aura > Shadow Recall
    • Now functions the same as Teleport Target, and has a new icon to match (previously this power mirrored Recall Friend)
  • 810640279_UmbralBlast_StarlessStep(1).png.5dd7b402c7466d549b153ce54e1d50a3.png Umbral Blast > Starless Step
    • Now functions the same as Combat Teleport, and has a new icon to match (previously this power mirrored Teleport Foe)
  • 1050270741_UmbralAura_ShadowSlip(1).png.dc43ba81628010c25de9831b1d0610bf.png Umbral Aura > Shadow Slip
    • Now functions the same as Fold Space, and has a new icon to match (previously this power mirrored Long Range Teleport)

 

Zone Travel Updates: Long Range Teleporter Accolade, Base Teleportation Updates and the Fast Travel Menu

Issue 27 brings numerous changes to zone travel.

 

As part of the rework to the Teleportation pool, Long Range Teleport was removed from the pool, and instead has been reimplemented as an Accolade power. You gain this accolade power by earning your first exploration accolade, and it allows you to teleport to any* zone in which you've collected at least one exploration badge.

 

*Almost any zone - see the image below for the full list

 

image.png.03425d7a8c7fede9bc42d1830bd4d22e.png

 

There's also been changes to base teleportation. First of all, the internal command /enterbasefrompasscode now requires that you be able to enter a base normally before using it (which includes being near a base portal, using a supergroup teleportation power, or being inside a supergroup base).

 

We've also made significant improvements to the availability and utility of base beacons and base portals:

  • 7 new base beacons have been added for zones in Praetoria and the Shadow Shard
  • 16 new base portals have been added - every zone with a base beacon now also has a base portal
  • Using a teleporter beacon now drops you near the base portal in that zone instead of at a random location on the map
  • Several existing base portals have been moved to more convenient locations

A new Supergroup Portal power is also available at the P2W vendor. This power allows you to summon a small temporary base portal that anyone can use (similar to an Ouroboros portal). Best of all: You can customize the colour at the tailor!

 

screenshot_201020-20-41-23.thumb.jpg.6dc58f182b32c3a01cc5f66ba11e4f63.jpg

Who said size matters?

 

We've also added a new Fast travel macro accolade which provides easy access to the various teleportation powers in the game. This menu is unlocked as soon as you acquire one of the powers available in the menu, and can be found in the Accolades section of the powers window.

 

image.png.fbcfa6bbb624b9730c766de047010b09.png

 

And finally, we've made several smaller improvements:

  • Ouroboros can now be unlocked and accessed from level 1
  • Ouroboros portals now persist for a short while after you leave the zone, and they can be summoned whilst flying!
  • Cimerora can now be unlocked and accessed at level 1 (plus, it's now much easier to access due to several base portals being located at universities)
  • The hero and villain TUNNEL networks have been merged, and TUNNEL can now be used by Praetorians
  • The recharge and cast times of most prestige, temporary and day job teleporter powers have been reduced

 

More information about these changes can be found in the Zone Travel Updates thread. Please also use that thread for any feedback related to these changes.

 

Improvements to Enhancements

We've made a series of improvements to how you acquire, combine, and upgrade enhancements whilst levelling up.

 

First of all, we've significantly increased the availability of Single Origin Enhancements in the early game: Vendors will sell them from level 5 and story arcs now award SOs instead of TOs or DOs. The low-level SOs sold at Yin's market can now be used by characters of any origin, and are cheaper than SOs from other stores.

 

Secondly, combining enhancements is now a simpler process: Combining two enhancements will now simply increase the level of the enhancement, rather than creating a X+1 enhancement. This means you can now combine Hamidon, Titan and Hydra enhancements all the way up to level 53.

 

And thirdly, a feature we initially tested many months ago: the enhancement upgrade button. You can now easily upgrade all of your equipped enhancements directly in your enhancement management screen. This has the same effect as purchasing enhancements 3 above your current level and slotting them over all of your existing enhancements. See it in action below.

 

Enhancments.gif.cb2aeb7962a751fcc8e655c9e7c7c463.gif.b8db7b85a0cf72641ce5ec896785e14f.gif

 

Full excerpt from the patch notes:

  Reveal hidden contents

Enhancements

Enhancement Upgrade Button

  • Added an Upgrade button to the bottom left of the Enhancements screen
  • This will upgrade all your store-buyable enhancements to +3 of your level, to a maximum of level 50
  • It costs the same as purchasing the enhancements from a store, and it will not change the enhancement type; a low level DO will be upgraded to a high level DO, not a SO.
  • Combined enhancements will be replaced following the new Enhancement Combining rules described below

    • This means a level 48++ SO will be "upgraded" to level 50 and charge full price

Enhancments.gif.cb2aeb7962a751fcc8e655c9e7c7c463.gif

 

Enhancement Combining

  • Combining enhancements now increases their level directly, instead of a combined level enhancement (ie: 33 instead of 32+1)
    • This means you can, through combination, get Titan, Hydra and Hamidon enhancements all the way to level 53
    • Existing combined enhancements are not affected, but another combination will increase their level and remove the combinations

Acquiring Enhancements

  • Single Origin enhancements can now be purchased from vendors at levels 5, 10, 15 and 20
    • This is meant to equalize the availability of those enhancements at low levels, which currently are mostly obtained through farming the Death From Below trial
  • DOs can now be purchased from vendors at levels 5 and 10, just for parity
  • TOs have been removed from regular vendors but can still be purchased from the Supergroup Base enhancements vendor if you're into that kind of thing
  • Story Arc rewards that used to drop TOs and DOs will now always drop a SO of your origin

    • TOs and DOs will still drop from other sources as vendor trash

  • The tutorial zones now reward the player with Talisman of the Initiate (Damage) SOs instead of Damage TOs

  • Introductory tasks from City Hall reward the player with Damage SOs of their origin instead of Damage TOs

  • The Shop Keeper and Smuggler day jobs will now always award a SO

AoE Enhancement Set Categories

  • "Targeted AoE Damage" sets are now "Ranged AoE Damage" sets
  • "PBAoE Damage" sets are now "Melee AoE Damage" sets
  • These rules were already almost universally followed - no changes to which powers can accept which sets have been made at this time

Yin's Market

  • Yin's Talisman enhancements can now be used by characters of all origins and are available at level 5, 10, 15 and 20
    • They are also cheaper than SOs of the same level to purchase from Mr. Yin, although they will cost the same to upgrade
  • Yin's Talisman enhancements now use a fancy golden border
  • There are currently no plans to make those enhancements available to Villains or Praetorians, as the store unlock is a reward for the Faultline arcs
    • Those characters can purchase the enhancements from the auction house, receive them via character email, or store and retrieve them from Supergroup storage if they wish

vkYB1hP.png.3d3dcffa36119e9811492ce5336c6bbb.png

 

And much, much more!

  • Updates for Blaster Secondaries
  • Expanded support for gamepads
  • 9 new arena maps
  • Many improvements for both arena & zone PvP
  • 15 new badges
  • A fix for the city map (15 years too late)

Read the full patch notes to find out more!

 

- The Homecoming Team


You CAN'T think the icon for Combat Teleport is appropriate...

 

 

Edited by GM Tahquitz
Saving folks from vertical scroll without removing a single word. You're welcome.
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7 hours ago, Wavicle said:

By using the command “powexeclocation  target” you can make it one click and you can make it go directly to your target, even through walls and around corners and such. You can also use it to get out of slow patches and other Debuffs. It’s a very good power.

So it doesn't get blocked by anything? I gotta try that. I enjoy Burst of Speed in Blaster secondary, but even a handrail in the way keeps it from working 😞

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On 11/24/2020 at 7:35 PM, InfamousBrad said:

I just finished The Graveyard Shift on a level  28 (was 29 by the end) tri-form PB, set to +0x1, and ... was this supposed to be this brutal? Over half of the spawn points had unusually large numbers of spawns -- two lieutenants and a minion being the norm. Some of them were (expletive deleted) nuts, like the whole Raverobber instance, where a single spawn point typically consisted of 3-4 lieutenants and 5-6 minions. This, for example, is one spawn point (note the extra 3 lieutenants hidden by the girder):

Clipboard01.jpg

Were you soloing?

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21 hours ago, Piecemeal said:

 

Actually I thought I'd fixed this. I will be looking into this. I don't remember manually massaging the spawn defs into maximum payout for everyone.

A chunk of my group + pugs (team of 7) ran Graveyard Shift (at +2x8) Tuesday night and Freakish Lab of Dr. Vahz (at +1x8 I think) Wednesday night and we were able to finish without too much trouble. If we had a slightly more balanced team and employed corner pulls to limit pile-on combats, we could have avoided a wipe or two. 

 

We treated these mission arcs like a Task/Strike Force and just plowed through. Both arcs took a little under two hours to complete (we typically arrest/kill as much as possible). I can see maybe scaling things back a bit for solo players if things are out of whack for groups of that size, but please do not tweak it across the board. We had a good deal of fun on those runs. 

 

The only thing that felt out of place was the multiple "talk to X" missions in the Graveyard Shift arc. That type of mission makes some sense if the arc was available out in the normal game world, but since this is only accessible via Ouroboros it just leaves the majority of the group hanging. It felt like the Fun Bus slammed on the brakes while the leader ran around and the interaction (reading the text) was only accessible by the mission leader. Up to that point we could sort out what was happening via updated mission objectives. It just felt like there was a gap in the story for the players that were not team leader. 

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The notes said people struggled to understand Titan weapon momentum and play it from early. Who are they as I considered it fairly simplistic, big weapon needs some effort to move, when it moves and hits it hits hard, if it misses you start your slow animation again.. 

 

In keeping you should alter the costume weapons as now some weapons appear to cut enemy but don't hurt them as TW range is now more like katana, aesthetically daft.

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1 hour ago, Bionic_Flea said:

But Jimmy, I was quoting you.  That makes it your fault.

But @Bionic_Flea, you actually posted 15 times yesterday.  You got caught in a time loop.  Several times.  @Jimmy was being nice about it.  Friends don't let friends abuse temporal mechanics.

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5 hours ago, Jaegernault said:

Who are they as I considered it fairly simplistic

It was me okay. Me.

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"Homecoming is not perfect but it is still better than the alternative.. at least so far" - Unknown  (Wise words Unknown!)

Si vis pacem, para bellum

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On 11/25/2020 at 2:51 AM, Wavicle said:

I think we need to play with the power as if it is just another AoE, and if doesn't work at least Tolerably well on that basis then it probably needs another reevaluation.


Concerning Touch of Fear, one thousand times this.

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Playing CoX is it’s own reward

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1 hour ago, Myrmidon said:


Concerning Touch of Fear, one thousand times this.

I have been using it, and it makes me feel pretty comfy actually. I don't really know which I mash more, shadow maul or tof. Tof is harder to quantify damage with as procs fire all over the damn place (tank), and shadow maul has more obvious numbers. However, they both seem to do pretty great.

 

 

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The only thing I can suggest at this time is that there should be more Shooting Stars when you do the prison break mission on the new arc.  I understand that at this point Flambeaux has gone ditzy-doodle and is pretty much horsing around on her solo career as a morality yo-yo.  Then, of course, Proton had his mental breakdown at the end of the Shooting Stars arc, so, their absences are understandable.  However, Twinshot could (nay, SHOULD) have been recruiting in the meantime.  One character that comes to mind is the low-level martial artist No Mind, who shows up in the third Shooting Stars arc.  You could have tossed in Frostfire or somebody from the Mayhem missions.  The main thrust is that the fight should be more challenging for a larger sized team...  Or for a team that does something crazy like I did, and duoed the arc on x8 (initially, it was just to spawn more Paragon Protectors, but then I forgot to turn it down two-thirds through the next mission and since my buddy and I were doing fine, we just ran through the rest like that).

You can be a good man, the best man in the world...  But there will always be somebody who hates a good man.

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