The Nuke Option

[Greycat]

These days, a blast set's T9 nuke is pretty much just a big AOE attack. You can throw it out when it's up and not worry about it. It *used* to be that the nuke had a side effect - an endurance drain and -recovery debuff that would last for a bit. This meant you'd have to consider whether to use it or not - which meant, for me, I'd often skip it or hold back on using it on a Defender because I'd need that to help keep buffs or debuffs up, and the defender-level damage wasn't worth that in many cases.

 

I *like* that playstyle and having to weigh that plus (big damaging attack) versus minus (no recovery for X amount of time, no END.) Others didn't, obviously, which is why we have crashless nukes (and T9 armors*.) However, for me that tradeoff has to be worth it - in this case, as you might be able to tell from the defender mention above, the damage has to be worth it.

 

I'd like to see the option for that come back - with a twist. If you choose this option, you'll get more damage out of the nuke, but you'll be debuffed. You can also *choose* to slot in an Endmod for more of a debuff that lasts a bit longer, but gives even greater damage (and, yes, for elec, does more -recovery and drainon the enemy still.) Defenders and corrupters would be affected more (since they get more out of buffs/debuffs anyway,) but in return if they slotted that they'd also get more damage out of the nuke.

 

As an option, I think this could give people more variety on how to play and make having that decision an interesting part of a play session. I'd *like* the option of "you can give it all for one big attack when it matters, but you will pay a price for a while." Not everyone would use it or like it, but they can stick with the current version in that case.

 

Now, would this be trivialized by Judgement and/or IOs? Maybe, maybe not. Yes, there'd be some offset by IOs that just give a set amount of END back (Performance Shifter,) but if you're totally drained and have no recovery, it would still take a bit for those to fill you up and keep you in the fight (by which time the debuff would be done anyway.) And as far as Judgement, that's only a consideration from 45 up. Nukes, by contrast, are available (if exemping) down to 27.

 

 

*T9 armors are harder in the current IO game to come up with a "worth it" side of things for a similar crash, and it wouldn't affect all sets - Fire, for instance, has Rise of the Phoenix as a T9, and you can just slot that for more damage when you rez.

[Dragon Crush]

Not sure if it could be made so slotting end mod would affect duration, as far as I know it can only affect magnitude and there's no real difference between having -1000% recovery and -1250% recovery. And I suppose if it's optional (2 mutually exclusive powers to pick from) and worth it (sounds like a very hard thing to accomplish) this could be cool. I just don't really see how to make it worth the crash.

[Doomguide2005]

8 hours ago, Dragon Crush said:

Not sure if it could be made so slotting end mod would affect duration, as far as I know it can only affect magnitude and there's no real difference between having -1000% recovery and -1250% recovery. And I suppose if it's optional (2 mutually exclusive powers to pick from) and worth it (sounds like a very hard thing to accomplish) this could be cool. I just don't really see how to make it worth the crash.

There is a real difference between -1000% and -1250% (-1000% is far easier to overcome).  But you do have to work at it to deal with those numbers, builds would need adjusting (Heat Loss, Speed Boost, AM, etc.), certain ATs and sets would suddenly be much more valued especially in the endgame (hello Empathy).  Geas of the Kind Ones would become much more valuable --> it has iirc a +1000% recovery boost, it's how my Claws/SR scrapper dealt with Elude's crash back in the day.

 

And, of course, my Green Machine Empaths would love it ... they made a laughing stock out of the crash (crash, what crash?).

[0th Power]

The nukes are not as fun without the crash, but I’d assume I’m in the minority. 

[Galaxy Brain]

I feel like mechanically, this would still be far worse as the current non crash nukes already wipe the floor (for blasters at least), and going beyond that is literally overkill and not worth a crash. 😕

[Black Zot]

17 hours ago, Galaxy Brain said:

I feel like mechanically, this would still be far worse as the current non crash nukes already wipe the floor (for blasters at least), and going beyond that is literally overkill and not worth a crash. 😕

 

Generally speaking, the same things that survive getting hit with a blaster nuke are the things that would effortlessly maul a 0-end blaster.  Which is why I've been arguing against crashes since Live.  "Press this button to die" is bad game design no matter what excuse you use.

[tristanLV]

This is probably an unpopular opinion but I think blaster nukes do too much damage and recharge too fast. There's been a couple of instances when I've had teammates complain about not getting to fight anything because my blasters can clear almost every group between nukes and judgements.. especially when there's a recharge buff going around on the team. And with blaster damage you only need 2 or 3 quick attacks to finish off the 2 bosses. I think everyone would choose the crash nuke with more damage because you can just buy a set of large blues between each mission. 

Personally, I think nuke damage should be decreased (or recharge increased) and change/buff their secondary effects:

Electric > -End

Inferno > Stun

Dark > Immobilize 

Ice > Hold

Psy > Confuse

Rad > -Def

etc...

Edited January 4, 2021 by tristanLV

[golstat2003]

2 hours ago, tristanLV said:

This is probably an unpopular opinion but I think blaster nukes do too much damage and recharge too fast. There's been a couple of instances when I've had teammates complain about not getting to fight anything because my blasters can clear almost every group between nukes and judgements.. especially when there's a recharge buff going around on the team. And with blaster damage you only need 2 or 3 quick attacks to finish off the 2 bosses. I think everyone would choose the crash nuke with more damage because you can just buy a set of large blues between each mission. 

Personally, I think nuke damage should be decreased (or recharge increased) and change/buff their secondary effects:

Electric > -End

Inferno > Stun

Dark > Immobilize 

Ice > Hold

Psy > Confuse

Rad > -Def

etc...

Pass. I think Nuke and recharge damage is fine where it is. Changing them would once again send them to the rash heep for me.

Edited January 4, 2021 by golstat2003

[Razor Cure]

4 hours ago, tristanLV said:

Personally, I think nuke damage should be decreased (or recharge increased) and change/buff their secondary effects:

The dark and rad nukes are awesome due to their secondary effects, right now. Actually, rad is maybe a bit less so, because the hold is only mag 3 (i think)..so a boss can still fight back. Dark though..its a HUGE to hit debuff, even on a blaster, and basically nothing can hit you after.

Ice also has the kb and fear/run away going for it.