Empathy ideas

[Wavicle]

I know a lot of people probably don't think Empathy needs a buff at all, and I agree that it doesn't need much, so my suggestions aren't all that over the top, I think.

 

1. Casting Resurrect on a fallen ally automatically applies (unslotted) Fortitude and Clear Mind to the target.

2. Clear Mind duration increased to 3 minutes.

3. Fortitude casts as an AoE that effects up to 6 allies. Duration, recharge, and end cost unchanged. 

4. Casting Adrenalin Boost gives the Caster 100% +Recharge for 20 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Wavicle

[Greycat]

I don't think CM needs a boost.

 

What I *would* like to see is that if a fallen team/leaguemate gets a rez cast on them and it times out or they don't accept, it recharges much faster.

[Wavicle]

Just now, Greycat said:

What I *would* like to see is that if a fallen team/leaguemate gets a rez cast on them and it times out or they don't accept, it recharges much faster.

Heck yea

[Glacier Peak]

Holy cow those would be serious buffs. CM stacks with each cast (at least perception does, I don't remember if mez protection does). Fortitude is pretty powerful on Defenders who use power boost epic, I imagine allowing it be applied to 6 friendlies at once. I'm totally indifferent about resurrection, as there is no substantive penalty for dying anymore. And Adrenaline Boost... I mean that sounds wonderful, especially being able to use on other emps, but I'd have to test all these suggestions before I can offer you anything but my subjective opinion. 

[Doomguide2005]

     Yes, @Glacier Peak all the effects of CM stack with all existing effects.  I wouldn't object to the duration being extended, on the other hand the biggest real effect there is likely cutting its end cost effectively in half.  Base recharge 4 sec duration 90 seconds casting on 7 teammates ~36 end (5.2 end per cast) taking about 15 seconds or so.  I often double stack it across the team on an ITF so we can all just stay put thru Rommy's Resurrect stun. (doubled on those with no mez protection, single cast on armor sets with mez protection)

     Resurrect -> I'd love to see it buffed somehow.  It seems to me it ought to be one of the best if not the best ally rez powers but ... not so much and I almost always skip it.

     Fortitude -> 6 ally's seems like a very random, pulled it out of my nether regions number.  It also seems a very potent buff to the power as I can readily keep 4+ folks covered as is while getting all but scrapperlocked blasting.  If I focus on casting it 6+ is doable.

     Adrenaline Boost -> the recharge buff would be sweet no doubt but too tired to do math to see how boosting recharge by 100% for 20 seconds out of every 90 would come out (as it's typically perma as is).

[Wavicle]

4 minutes ago, Doomguide2005 said:

Fortitude -> 6 ally's seems like a very random, pulled it out of my nether regions number.  It also seems a very potent buff to the power as I can readily keep 4+ folks covered as is while getting all but scrapperlocked blasting.  If I focus on casting it 6+ is doable.

Not random at all. I chose that number so a Mastermind could buff all their henchman at once. Or so a defender can get most of the team at once. The time it takes to get Fort up on a lot of people is one of the problems I’m trying to address.

[Doomguide2005]

4 hours ago, Wavicle said:

Not random at all. I chose that number so a Mastermind could buff all their henchman at once. Or so a defender can get most of the team at once. The time it takes to get Fort up on a lot of people is one of the problems I’m trying to address.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Doomguide2005]

     I would love to have been a fly on the wall as they discussed which buffs would be changed to AoEs potentially effecting 255 targets rather than 1 target.  What made Fortitude a no go vs Ice Shields, etc..  Was it the presence of the +damage mod?  Seems unlikely it was the To Hit buff what with Tactics available (then again you have Assault).  Recharge to duration, some combination of the above?

[Wavicle]

Just now, Doomguide2005 said:

     I would love to have been a fly on the wall as they discussed which buffs would be changed to AoEs potentially effecting 255 targets rather than 1 target.  What made Fortitude a no go vs Ice Shields, etc..  Was it the presence of the +damage mod?  Seems unlikely it was the To Hit buff what with Tactics available (then again you have Assault).  Recharge to duration, some combination of the above?

Pretty sure it’s just that Fort is intended to be on a few people while Force Fields are intended to cover your whole team. The recharge differences demonstrate that.

[Greycat]

17 hours ago, Wavicle said:

Not random at all. I chose that number so a Mastermind could buff all their henchman at once. Or so a defender can get most of the team at once. The time it takes to get Fort up on a lot of people is one of the problems I’m trying to address.

 

How often do you *need* to get most of a team, though? That's the thing I see in a lot of these conversations - throwing buffs on people that don't need it and then saying it's hard to keep it up. Be picky and deliberate with your buffs.

[Wavicle]

Just now, Greycat said:

 

How often do you *need* to get most of a team, though? That's the thing I see in a lot of these conversations - throwing buffs on people that don't need it and then saying it's hard to keep it up. Be picky and deliberate with your buffs.

I believe Empathy should be Better than it currently is. Letting you quickly and easily Fort your whole team does that without vastly increasing the power of the set on small teams or solo.

 

 The CM suggestion is designed to make it easier to keep up on a couple people while not making it too much easier to keep up on a lot of people.

 

 The Res suggestion makes it so you don’t have to worry the person you just rezzed is going to immediately fold again.

 

 The AB suggestion is designed to reward you for using your biggest buff and help you get your other buffs back more quickly without  increasing the power of any of those buffs.

[Doomguide2005]

17 hours ago, Greycat said:

 

How often do you *need* to get most of a team, though? That's the thing I see in a lot of these conversations - throwing buffs on people that don't need it and then saying it's hard to keep it up. Be picky and deliberate with your buffs.

While I agree the word need gets thrown around a lot and is often rather hyperbolic I do think it's probably more accurate here when used to describe Fortitude particularly prior to late game play.  And as you move to lower levels the more true it becomes.  Now whether the games overall health 'needs' it I'm less sure that applies.  With the described buff it would be very easy for an Empathy defender to keep the entire team covered 24-7 by level 13.  That's not only the roughly equivalent defense buff as Cold or FF but adds substantial To Hit and Damage buffs on top that pretty much currently would require running both Tactics (×1) and Assault (×2) to match.  Even a Green Machine team probably isn't running both Leadership toggles until the early to mid 20's.

[arcane]

Could we make CM and its clones targeted AoE like the shields/SB/etc.? Would that be a fair start?

 

Give Resurrect an effect on a living ally too like Rebirth?

[Doomguide2005]

22 hours ago, arcane said:

Could we make CM and its clones targeted AoE like the shields/SB/etc.? Would that be a fair start?

 

Give Resurrect an effect on a living ally too like Rebirth?

Yeah, these are the 2 powers (plus Absorb Pain) that I'd see as most likely to benefit from 'modernization' without overly disrupting Empathy's overall power, balance and theme.

[Wavicle]

Here's a completely crazy idea:

What if (in PvE only) Absorb Pain didn't require LoS?!

[Doomguide2005]

1 hour ago, Wavicle said:

Here's a completely crazy idea:

What if (in PvE only) Absorb Pain didn't require LoS?!

     Or the damage taken went to the Empath (rather than a large heal with downsides) or was an AoE (toggle?) that transferred some of the incoming damage taken by Allies.  Either idea with some sort of absorb shield on the Empath.

[Wavicle]

Uh, no, I like Absorb Pain as it is. With Regen Aura you can use it with no downsides. Transferring damage taken to the Empath would simply kill the empath. I don't want to take away what it is now, just make it even better.

[Dahkness]

Only change I’d want would be with the Rez. First remove the debt protection from it. Why? Cause we need badges! 
Second, cut it’s recharge down to 60 second. And lastly if cast on a living target they get a nice Absorb shield and if used on a downed teammate they get half the absorb shield when razed. 

[ninja surprise]

It would be cool if Clear Mind were a PBAoE toggle similar to that in /Elec, /FF, etc. But it's also cool being different.

[Razor Cure]

On 4/22/2021 at 12:09 PM, Wavicle said:

1. Casting Resurrect on a fallen ally automatically applies (unslotted) Fortitude and Clear Mind to the target.

2. Clear Mind duration increased to 3 minutes.

3. Fortitude casts as an AoE that effects up to 6 allies. Duration, recharge, and end cost unchanged. 

4. Casting Adrenalin Boost gives the Caster 100% +Recharge for 20 seconds.

 

1. CM, yes. Fort, no. If someone died, they shouldn't be rewarded with a great buff. Either the emp or they did something silly.

2. No. No, and no. There are already way to many shitty emps never using this power.

3. AoE PBU fort? with the same stats (unless you mean lowering the def value)? Way too good.

4. Hmmm. Maybe not quite so good? I think some caster benefit would be nice.

[Wavicle]

11 minutes ago, Razor Cure said:

If someone died, they shouldn't be rewarded with a great buff.

lmao you mean like Return to Battle?

[Razor Cure]

Just now, Wavicle said:

lmao you mean like Return to Battle?

Which is not in a power set. And on a much longer cooldown

[Wavicle]

I still don’t see any problem with a rez giving buffs. 

[Doomguide2005]

17 hours ago, Wavicle said:

Uh, no, I like Absorb Pain as it is. With Regen Aura you can use it with no downsides. Transferring damage taken to the Empath would simply kill the empath. I don't want to take away what it is now, just make it even better.

Hence the absorb shield thought ... and it was a 'crazy idea' but fair enough.  It's just one of two powers I almost never take on my Empaths (the other being Resurrect).  If HO plus HA, Fort and Regen Aura aren't keeping them upright AP just means I'm more likely to join them as I can't heal myself either.

 

PS: FYI Mutation gives rather substantial bonuses to the target dead ally.

[Wavicle]

Oh, I like the big boost in additional healing while Regen Aura is up, but that's fair.