Light Control: A Luminous PBAoE Control Powerset

[Blackfeather]

Hey all! After writing up a proposal for Insect Control, I’ve decided to try and create another Control powerset, and decided to fill an obvious elemental gap – there’s a lack of Control powersets in general, so I’m trying to do my part to help resolve that.

As a secondary goal, I wanted to make Light Control relatively unique, while still maintaining a decent amount of lockdown despite its larger amount of non-standard powers.

Given this decision, I’d definitely be interested in hearing everyone’s thoughts on this: is it too divergent/weak/overtuned/unenjoyable?

Special Effect: Illuminate

Similar to how Time Manipulation's Time Crawl inflicts the Delayed effect on enemies, Light Control's  Ray of Light and Dazzling Glow inflict the Illuminated effect, enhancing the strength of some of its powers on the targets it's applied on. The idea behind this was to allow for stronger amounts of control against enemies that require it. The affected powers are as follows:

•  T1: Ray of Light, bonus damage
• T2: Dazzling Glow, Mag 3.5 Sleep -> Mag 7 Sleep (+3.5)
• T3: Radiating Ties, Mag 3 Immobilize -> Mag 4 Immobilize (+1)
• T4: Blinding Halo, Mag 2 Hold -> Mag 4 Hold (+2)
• T6: Incandescent Eruption, bonus damage
• T7: Prismatic Field, 2% chance Disorient -> 4% chance Disorient
• T8: Luminous Distortion, 2% chance Confuse -> 4% chance Confuse

Design Rationale

Light Control's powers were made to primarily work at close range, with their long range powers being either single target, or soft/temporary control. Additionally, the main power of this set (T4: Blinding Halo) is meant to not only gradually lock down nearby enemies, but help draw their attention to the user by reducing their range, away from other allies: a very 'selfless' powerset by way of taking up more enemy time.

The -ToHit in several of Light Control's powers is meant to synergise with this intent, making it a little harder for enemies to hit the user. Their up-close-and-personal approach is also supplemented with a few weaker location based powers, either for layering on top of their current controls, or for distracting additional mobs.

Light Control

Quote

"You can manipulate light in a variety of ways to overwhelm and bewilder your foes. Several Light Control powers emanate from you, requiring you to stay close to your targets for maximum effectiveness. Others can have their effects enhanced by applying Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow on your foes."

 

Power Table

	Power	Level	Effect
	Ray of Light	1	Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe -To Hit, -DEF(All), Special
	Dazzling Glow	1	Ranged, Moderate DMG(Energy), Foe Sleep, Foe -To Hit, Special
	Radiating Ties	2	PBAoE, Minor DMG(Energy), Foe Immobilize, Foe -To Hit, -Fly
	Blinding Halo	6	Toggle: PBAoE, Foe Hold, Minor DoT(Energy), Foe -Range, -To Hit, -Stealth
	Twilight	8	Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe -Visibility, -To Hit
	Incandescent Eruption	12	PBAoE, Minor DMG(Energy/Smashing), Foe Knockdown, Chance for Disorient
	Prismatic Field	18	Ranged (Location AoE), Minor DoT(Energy), Foe -Speed, -DEF(All), Chance for Disorient
	Luminous Distortion	26	Ranged (Location AoE), Foe Attract, Chance for Confuse
	Shining Motes	32	Summon Motes: Melee, Minor DoT(Energy)

Powers

 T1: Ray of Light

You generate a luminous beam of light and fire it at a target, dealing Energy damage to them. Its brightness can temporarily reduce the chance to hit of your foes, along with their defences. Additionally, Ray of Light applies the Illuminated effect on its target, and deals additional damage to enemies who are already Illuminated.

Damage	Moderate (Energy)
Recharge	Moderate (6s)
Minimum Level	1
Effects	Ranged Foe -To Hit, -Defense(All), Special (Illuminate)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range Enhance To Hit Debuff Enhance Defense Debuff
Set Categories	Accurate To Hit Debuff Defense Debuff Ranged Damage To Hit Debuff

 

T2: Dazzling Glow

Causes a dizzying array of light to appear before a foe. The target is left mesmerized and illuminated by the display, even as its brightness damages them, though subsequent attacks will free them from this effect. Enemies powerful enough to resist this effect will still have their chance to hit reduced. The strength of this Sleep will be increased when used against targets illuminated by Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow.

Damage	Moderate (Energy)
Recharge	Moderate (6s)
Duration	55.88s
Minimum Level	1
Effects	Ranged Foe Sleep (Mag 3.5), -To Hit, Special (Illuminate)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range Enhance Sleep Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Accurate To Hit Debuff Ranged Damage Sleep To Hit Debuff

 

T3: Radiating Ties

Beams of light spring forth from you in all directions, trapping nearby foes in an array of blinding incandescence, rendering them immobilized. Enemies powerful enough to resist this effect will still have their chance to hit reduced. The strength of this immobilize will be increased when used against targets illuminated by Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow.

Damage	Minor DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Moderate (8s)
Duration	27.94s
Minimum Level	2
Effects	Point Blank Area of Effect Foe Immobilize (Mag 3), -To Hit
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Immobilize Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Accurate To Hit Debuff Immobilize Melee AoE Damage To Hit Debuff

 

T4: Blinding Halo

While this power is active, you are surrounded by a bright halo of light, reducing the chance to hit and range of nearby foes. The halo is so bright that enemies may take Energy damage over time, inhibit their stealth capabilities, and even blind them to the point of holding them in place. The strength of this blind will be increased against targets illuminated by Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow.

Damage	Minor DoT (Energy)
Endurance	1.04/s
Recharge	Slow (15s)
Duration	7.45s
Minimum Level	6
Effects	Point Blank Area of Effect Foe Hold (Mag 2), -To Hit, -Stealth, -Range
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Hold Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Accurate To Hit Debuff Hold Melee AoE Damage To Hit Debuff

 

T5: Twilight

Draws light away from all foes near your target, inhibiting their vision. Most foes will not be able to see past normal melee range, although some may have better perception. If the foes are attacked, they will be alerted to your presence, but will suffer a penalty to their chance to hit.

Recharge	Slow (15s)
Duration	60s
Minimum Level	8
Effects	Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) Foe -90% Perception, -To Hit
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	To Hit Debuff

 

T6: Incandescent Eruption

Light swells out of you in a powerful burst, knocking enemies to the ground and dealing some minor damage. Some foes may even be disoriented for a short period of time after the blast, overwhelmed by its luminosity. Incandescent Eruption can deal bonus damage to targets illuminated by Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow.

Damage	Minor (Energy)
Recharge	Moderate (10s)
Duration	6s
Minimum Level	12
Effects	Point Blank Area of Effect Foe Knockdown, Disorient (Mag 3, 25% chance)
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Knockback Enhance Recharge Enhance Disorient
Set Categories	Knockback Melee AoE Damage Stuns

 

T7: Prismatic Field

A painfully bright field of light appears at an area of your choice, dealing minimal Energy damage to foes inside of it. Enemies inside this field will have their movement dramatically slowed, and their defences weakened as they attempt to navigate with their perception compromised, with a chance of even becoming disoriented. Targets illuminated by Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow will have their chance to be disoriented increased.

Damage	Minor DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Long (60s)
Duration	45s
Minimum Level	18
Effects	Ranged (Location Area of Effect) Foe -Speed (90%), -Defense(All), Chance of Disorient (Mag 3, 2% chance)
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Enhance Defense Debuff Enhance Disorient Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Range Enhance Recharge Enhance Slow
Set Categories	Defense Debuff Ranged AoE Damage Slow Movement Stuns

 

T8: Luminous Distortion

You twist the way that light behaves in a selected area, deceiving foes into moving towards it. Enemies caught in this distortion may even become confused, targeting their allies by accident as their perception is warped. Targets illuminated by Ray of Light or Dazzling Glow will have their chance to be confused increased.

Recharge	Long (60s)
Duration	45s
Minimum Level	26
Effects	Ranged (Targeted Area of Effect) Foe Attract, Chance of Confuse (Mag 3, 2% chance)
Enhancements	Enhance Confuse Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance Range
Set Categories	Confuse

 

T9: Shining Motes

You concentrate light together to create three Shining Motes at a target location. Shining Motes are fragile and have little intelligence of their own, instinctively moving towards enemies, damaging all those close to them. Upon expiring, they explode in a small but powerful brilliance that knocks down nearby enemies, and may disorient them. Shining Motes can be healed and buffed like any teammate.

Damage	Minor (Energy)
Recharge	Very Long (240s)
Minimum Level	32
Effects	Summon Motes: Melee
Pet Powers	Fly (Auto: Flight) Nova (Post Defeat: PBAoE (Energy), Foe Knockdown, Disorient) Shining Halo (PBAoE, DoT (Energy)) Resistance (Auto, Res(E25 N25, P25), Res(Immobilize))
Enhancements	Enhance Accuracy Enhance Damage Enhance Disorient Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge
Set Categories	Knockback Pet Damage Recharge Intensive Pets Stuns

 

Alternate Non-Pet T9

Credit goes to @MTeague for inspiring me to write this up here, for a petless T9 power. While I've posted this alternative later in the thread, I'm pasting it over here too.

 

T9: Gleaming Sphere

You summon an immobile, shining sphere of light that surrounds your current location, preventing anything inside from being seen from the outside, and vice versa. Area of Effect powers may still damage those obscured by the sphere. The luminous intensity within the sphere can cause enemies to take moderate Energy damage, have their chance to hit reduced, and even cause them to exit the area if possible.

Damage	Moderate DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Long (120s)
Duration	60s
Minimum Level	32
Effects	Summon Sphere: Location (PBAoE) Foe -To Hit, Afraid (Mag 50)
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Melee AoE Damage To Hit Debuff

 

It was definitely made with the idea of it being niche-but-potentially-potent in mind. Would be interested in hearing what others think of it as well!

Edited May 29, 2021 by Blackfeather

[MTeague]

With the exception of Shining Motes, this is closer to what I always wanted Illusion Control to be.  Deception / Sensory Overload / Sensory Deprivation, not phantasms.

I approve!  (I'd still prefer a petless version, but eh, I like the T1-T8 enough that I don't care)

[Blackfeather]

2 hours ago, MTeague said:

With the exception of Shining Motes, this is closer to what I always wanted Illusion Control to be.  Deception / Sensory Overload / Sensory Deprivation, not phantasms.

I approve!  (I'd still prefer a petless version, but eh, I like the T1-T8 enough that I don't care)

 

Glad you like the proposed concept! And as for a petless T9, it did get me thinking, and I came up with this:

 

T9: Gleaming Sphere

You summon an immobile, shining sphere of light that surrounds your current location, preventing anything inside from being seen from the outside, and vice versa. Area of Effect powers may still damage those obscured by the sphere. The luminous intensity within the sphere can cause enemies to take minor Energy damage, have their chance to hit reduced, and even cause them to exit the area if possible.

Damage	Minor DoT (Energy)
Recharge	Long (120s)
Duration	60s
Minimum Level	32
Effects	Summon Sphere: Location (PBAoE) Foe -To Hit, Afraid (Mag 50)
Enhancements	Enhance Damage Reduce Endurance Cost Enhance Recharge Enhance To Hit Debuff
Set Categories	Melee AoE Damage To Hit Debuff

 

It's pretty similar to Gravity Control's Dimension Shift, except just blocking line of sight instead of outright stopping entities from being affected by things. I figured it might have some neat applications, such as preventing outside enemies from attacking, or providing a safe zone for allies to stay inside. I was also inspired by Assault Rifle's Ignite, with its powerful Fear effect; since Light Control has an immobilise, it's easier to regulate if that's not wanted.

 

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, and whether it'd be something that you'd find useful!

Edited May 4, 2021 by Blackfeather

[MTeague]

Well. 

a) I'm sure the playerbase writ large would probably prefer the pet lol. 

b) it's an interesting option. I'd need to think about how to leverages that most effectively, both for teams, and for soloing.

 

I presume any attack that was initiated before the you entered/exited would likely still hit you, to prevent you from hoping in and out of the sphere and doing quick freebie attacks, or negating a big enemy wind up.  The game engine isn't kind to that kind of interruption anyway. if it was legal when it was triggered, it's legal when it connects, seems to be the general rule. Still.  For a T9, I presume it would likely have a LARGE to-hit debuff.  THAT could be worth it right there, as a kind of back-door Armor power. 

 

Also now I'd kind of want to make a Light/Dark controller, in homage to an old old olllllld game.

 

 

(circa 1983)

[Blackfeather]

11 hours ago, MTeague said:

Well. 

a) I'm sure the playerbase writ large would probably prefer the pet lol. 

b) it's an interesting option. I'd need to think about how to leverages that most effectively, both for teams, and for soloing.

 

I presume any attack that was initiated before the you entered/exited would likely still hit you, to prevent you from hoping in and out of the sphere and doing quick freebie attacks, or negating a big enemy wind up.  The game engine isn't kind to that kind of interruption anyway. if it was legal when it was triggered, it's legal when it connects, seems to be the general rule. Still.  For a T9, I presume it would likely have a LARGE to-hit debuff.  THAT could be worth it right there, as a kind of back-door Armor power. 

 

Also now I'd kind of want to make a Light/Dark controller, in homage to an old old olllllld game.

 

 

(circa 1983)

 

I just learnt about a new game from this! And agreed, pets would definitely be much simpler...but it's fun to speculate a bit.

 

As for applications of Gleaming Sphere, I have a few ideas in mind:

• Treat it like a damage patch - cast it near enemies and immobilise them around you, extra -To Hit provides more survivability
• Area of effect powers still work, so stand to one side of it, and damage enemies with your PBAoE powers while they're outside/inside
  • Kind of similar to how stealthed enemies work: can't be targeted, but AoE powers close to them can still affect them indirectly
• Potent fear can keep enemies out - places that need defending can make use of this
• Prevent long ranged attacks from targeting you, meaning only things affected by Blinding Halo can see you
• Split up multiple strong opponents: keep some on one side and immobilise them to keep them out, picking them off

[Blackfeather]

Heyyyyyyyyy, @5099y_74c05! Guess who made a Light Control powerset proposal? Take a looksie! 😄

[Blackfeather]

Heya @oedipus_tex! Gonna give you a ping on this, curious if this proposal for a Light Control powerset would be something you'd be interested in seeing in-game, along with your thoughts on its balancing, both compared to how potent it is compared to other Control powersets, along with whether it'd be an appealing pick for Dominators specifically. Several powers are patch based/soft control...but are the ones that aren't enough to make up for it, in terms of benefits for Domination? Interested in hearing your views on it. 😁

[oedipus_tex]

I think this is an interesting foundation for a powerset.

 

The obvious balance point vs this set is Dark Control, which also does -ToHit. In general -ToHit tends to be a very useful effect on Control sets, especially on Dominators (because Doms have few other sources of debuff) so the basis for this set is good. 

 

I'm not sure if I missed it, but most Control sets have some form of reliable hard control on either 60 or 90 second recharge. Ice, Mind, and Illusion Control are exceptions so it's not a hard rule. I see a couple of power with small chances to mezz with what looks like Shadow Field-style chances. I'd need to see how all these powers layered together functioned before making a call. All of the -ToHit in addition to those effects may be enough to make the set effective. On the other hand, Dark Control has a ton of -ToHit and still has good hard controls.

 

Ray of Light may be more interesting as a toggle. I'll admit I've almost never used Time Manipulation's special mechanic because I don't find it very useful in context.

 

I didn't see a single target Hold. I don't think all Control sets are technically required to have one, but not having one does mean they can't contribute in normal Control-character ways to the one fight control characters are really needed, Hamidon.

 

BTW beware that Dominators tend to get short changed when a set features a lot of pseudo pets (e.g. Electric Control). There are ways around this but the powers have to be explicitly coded to keep this limitation of the system in mind. 

Interesting ideas. Thanks for posting.

[Blackfeather]

8 hours ago, oedipus_tex said:

I think this is an interesting foundation for a powerset.

 

The obvious balance point vs this set is Dark Control, which also does -ToHit. In general -ToHit tends to be a very useful effect on Control sets, especially on Dominators (because Doms have few other sources of debuff) so the basis for this set is good. 

 

I'm not sure if I missed it, but most Control sets have some form of reliable hard control on either 60 or 90 second recharge. Ice, Mind, and Illusion Control are exceptions so it's not a hard rule. I see a couple of power with small chances to mezz with what looks like Shadow Field-style chances. I'd need to see how all these powers layered together functioned before making a call. All of the -ToHit in addition to those effects may be enough to make the set effective. On the other hand, Dark Control has a ton of -ToHit and still has good hard controls.

 

Ray of Light may be more interesting as a toggle. I'll admit I've almost never used Time Manipulation's special mechanic because I don't find it very useful in context.

 

I didn't see a single target Hold. I don't think all Control sets are technically required to have one, but not having one does mean they can't contribute in normal Control-character ways to the one fight control characters are really needed, Hamidon.

 

BTW beware that Dominators tend to get short changed when a set features a lot of pseudo pets (e.g. Electric Control). There are ways around this but the powers have to be explicitly coded to keep this limitation of the system in mind. 

Interesting ideas. Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this! The core power in this set is meant to be Blinding Halo, a PBAoE Hold aura, kind of like a souped up Choking Cloud - since Light Control has an always-on form of providing Holds, I figured that it was an opportunity to deviate a little from the standard single-target Hold power, in favour of providing a larger variety of status effects.

 

In a way, the closest comparison I've got here is with Ice Control, oddly enough, with its Arctic Air Confusion aura being its main form of control. The main difference here is that Light Control has a way of 1) initially stopping enemies from seeing them before they engage via Eclipse, 2) provides some initial mitigation beforehand via its -To Hit, and 3) has more sources of damage to whittle down enemies resistant to its controls.

 

Basically, I wanted to avoid too much stacking of status effects, to prevent it from one-shot disabling bosses from the start (hence why the two powers that Disorient enemies are on a chance basis). I'm still thinking about mixing and matching said effects to make it work - if you've got suggestions of your own in that regard, I'd love to hear them!

 

On the other hand, it's also why I thought the -To Hit provided by Light Control would also be helpful for it; it takes some time for Blinding Halo to stack up, so in the meantime, they get some additional mitigation to help stop the attacks that do go through initially.

 

I like to think of Ray of Light's Illuminate effect more as a bonus than something necessary to use to make the powerset function; its main goal is to deal extra damage, kind of like Illusion Control's Spectral Wounds. Basically, if it's used in an attack chain, that's fine too. Though I'd like to think that its interaction with Dazzling Glow is neat, providing a way to stack sleeps by suppressing its damage on Illuminated enemies.

 

Back to Dominators specifically - the main power I was wondering about in terms of benefit was Blinding Halo; with Domination on, I imagine it'd allow for a continuous aura of hard lockdown that keeps everything locked down save for the strongest of enemies.

 

Outside of said power, a lot of Light Control's abilities are meant to be much softer forms of locking enemies down: knockdowns, slows, attracts, with the occasional chance of a hard status effect weaved in (i.e. Incandescent Eruption, Prismatic Field, Luminous Distortion respectively).

 

Having a single target Sleep should also allow a Dominator to one-shot disable AVs as well, whereas a Controller would have to use Ray of Light first to suppress Dazzling Glow's damage first to make it stack.

[Kyksie]

Not bad. Warshades already have a power called Eclipse, but that's ok because no one plays Warshades.

[Blackfeather]

3 hours ago, 5099y_74c05 said:

Thanks for the heads up. I'll try and walk through this on the weekend to get a feel for how the powers interact with each other and how this will play out.

 

What would you consider natural pairings with this primary?

 

Thanks in advance for your time! I tried to make Blinding Halo the main source of Light Control's lockdown, similar to how Ice Control's Arctic Air does most of the heavy lifting. As such, it's meant to be an up-close-and-personal powerset that compensates for the danger it puts the user in by way of -To Hit.

 

The later powers in the set are meant to supplement this in various ways, such as inhibiting enemy aggro via reduced perception, or keeping them grouped together so the Light Controller/Dominator can easily wade in and engage more easily (with the occasional random status effect kicking in). For instance, by slowing enemies down, Prismatic Field helps to bunch up mobs, and Luminous Distortion does this explicitly, with the tech used in the new Singularity that draws mobs towards it.

 

Pairings (Controller)

As for natural pairings (Controller-wise), I imagine any powerset that has a way of stacking Holds would be desirable, since Light Control has no other way of doing so outside of their Halo. As such, Time Manipulation (Time Stop/Distortion Field), Poison (Paralytic Poison), Trick Arrow (Ice Arrow), Nature Affinity (Entangling Aura) and Radiation Emission (Choking Cloud) all have some synergy.

 

Additionally, powersets that encourage Controllers to stay up close would also be ideal, such as Pain Domination (Anguishing Cry), Poison (Venomous Gas), and Time Manipulation (Time's Juncture), given how much of Light Control's kit is useful when near enemies.

 

In terms of themed pairings, I imagine Radiation Emission (manipulating wavelengths), Darkness Affinity (elemental duality), Force Field (hard-light), Nature Affinity (photosynthesis), Sonic Resonance (anyone say Dazzler?), Time Manipulation (embody the 'swift/speed' aspect of light & its temporal shenanigans), Electrical Affinity (artificial lighting) and Thermal Radiation (manipulate aspects of the sun, heat & light) would be quite appealing.

 

Pairings (Dominator)

Similarly to Controllers, powersets that can stack status effects might be appealing for Dominators. I can see Energy Assault being strong and thematic due to its large amount of Stun potential, which might synergize with Light Control's own stuns - I believe Radioactive Assault has a way of stunning enemies as well. In this vein, Earth Assault, with its Hold-inflicting Seismic Smash and Stun-inflicting Fissure might stack two different status effects at once.

 

Additionally, Assault powersets that encourage keeping in close range, such as a variety of PBAoE/melee powers will likely do well - I think that mostly encompasses all of them for the most part, though Psionic Assault stands out due to Drain Psyche, especially since Light Control is quite good at gathering enemies close and keeping them there.

 

As for themed pairings...well, there's more that go together well than those that don't, I think:

• Dark Assault = elemental duality
• Earth Assault = crystalline luminescence
• Electricity Assault = artificial lighting
• Energy Assault = use of light offensively
• Fiery Assault = manipulate aspects of the sun, heat & light
• Icy Assault = reflection of light via ice crystals
• Martial Assault = special elemental ki that uses light
• Radioactive Assault = manipulating wavelengths
• Thorny Assault = photosynthesis

[Blackfeather]

20 hours ago, Kyksie said:

Not bad. Warshades already have a power called Eclipse, but that's ok because no one plays Warshades.

 

Oh no...and I even looked at the Peacebringer powers to make sure there wasn't any overlap! 😅

[Blackfeather]

On 5/6/2021 at 1:15 PM, Kyksie said:

Not bad. Warshades already have a power called Eclipse, but that's ok because no one plays Warshades.

 

Hmm...how about Twilight instead? Granted, there's already Twilight Grasp and Howling Twilight, but maybe it works.

[Blackfeather]

Think I'm going to ping @Galaxy Brain as well on this - heya! Was kind of curious if you had any thoughts on this proposed Control powerset; I wanted to make something that played relatively uniquely compared to the available primaries, with its focus on PBAoE powers. Additionally, would be interested in your thoughts on its relative strength between Controllers/Dominators, with its toggle Hold aura, akin to Ice Control's Arctic Air and so on.

[Blackfeather]

Might give @Zepp a wave as well - hey there! I was interested in hearing your thoughts on this proposed Control powerset, given your experience with builds and the like, if you wanted; if it's something that'd be compelling to play, if it's an underpowered/overpowered proposal, and so on. Thanks in advance for your time! 😄

[Blackfeather]

Hey there, @Heatstroke! Heard you were looking for more Dominator powersets - would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this proposal for Light Control; hope it's something that piques your curiosity, or better yet, be something you'd want to play. 😄

[Blackfeather]

Hello, @Nightmarer! Thought this suggestion thread might interest you - Light Control isn't quite Illusion, but thought it might be neat either way; would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it, if you were so inclined! 😁

[Blackfeather]

@Vooded, giving you a ping - thought this post might be of interest to you, given your expressed interest in Illusion Control. This isn't quite the same thing, but there's definitely some overlap, would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it!

[Blackfeather]

Hey there @Hew, I heard something about you looking for more Dominator powers - would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this proposal for a Light Control powerset, given that! Hope you like it. 😄

[Hew]

6 hours ago, Blackfeather said:

Hey there @Hew, I heard something about you looking for more Dominator powers - would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this proposal for a Light Control powerset, given that! Hope you like it. 😄

 

So, a few things.

#1, I really like the idea of reusing the new attraction mechanism that singy has. That is cool as hell, and it would be nice to get more mileage on the mechanism.

#2, I could see the potential of increased crit chance against blinded foes (since I guess it is beyond flash arrow?) making it unique for the set.

#3, stripping stealth off things would make arachnos easier I think, and that would be a good thing.

[Blackfeather]

12 hours ago, Hew said:

So, a few things.

#1, I really like the idea of reusing the new attraction mechanism that singy has. That is cool as hell, and it would be nice to get more mileage on the mechanism.

#2, I could see the potential of increased crit chance against blinded foes (since I guess it is beyond flash arrow?) making it unique for the set.

#3, stripping stealth off things would make arachnos easier I think, and that would be a good thing.

 

For sure! I imagine a dedicated powerset could probably make use of the Attract mechanic more liberally (I think Magnetism was brought up for instance), but having one power in another control set use it would be nice too...not to mention a boon for something like Mind Control's Telekinesis. With Light Control's PBAoE nature, I figured having a way to keep enemies close to them would be a neat synergistic power.

 

Admittedly, the Illumination mechanic was heavily inspired by Time Manipulation's Time Crawl, with its Delayed mechanic empowering the effects of other powers in the set. Ray of Light helps to deal damage and add a bit of extra control in combination with the other powers in the set, but it can still be forgone if desired. Glad you like it!

 

And agreed - I thought Blinding Halo having a -Stealth component was quite fitting given the whole revealing/obscuring nature of manipulating light. It was kind of influenced by how Ice Control's Arctic Air did the same thing...in fact, that's the most comparable power to it. Agreed on providing the powerset with a niche that sets it apart a little! Plus, due to its PBAoE nature, Light Control's especially effective against invisible enemies, since they don't require targeting.

[Hew]

Something to consider. Instead of making things BRIGHT, you also have the option of making things DARK. Dark as in literally dark, not dark as in darkitydarkdark blast et al. 

 

Consider the set less like a philips light bulb on 24x7, and more like a wall switch with light and dark both being part of the same switch.

[Blackfeather]

11 hours ago, Hew said:

Something to consider. Instead of making things BRIGHT, you also have the option of making things DARK. Dark as in literally dark, not dark as in darkitydarkdark blast et al. 

 

Consider the set less like a philips light bulb on 24x7, and more like a wall switch with light and dark both being part of the same switch.

 

Definitely something I'll think about further on, thanks for the heads up! I've touched on using the absence of light flavour wise with  T5: Twilight but there's definitely room for more powers in that sort of vein.

 

Hmm...hey there @ArchVileTerror - thought it might be a good idea to phone a person that's part of the RP community - got any ideas on flavouring some of these other Light Control powers as involving manipulating light away from opponents vs. directly dazzling/overwhelming them? 😄

[Blackfeather]

On that note, going to ping @zenblack on this topic. Hey there! From your posts/Discord discussions, it looks like you're pretty versed in terms of Controllers/Dominators; would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this proposed writeup for Light Control - does it stand out from the others, is it overtuned/underpowered? Would it be something you'd be interested in playing? Hope to hear from you soon enough! 😊

[Blackfeather]

Also, hey there @ABlueThingy! Thought you might be interested in taking a look at this new Control powerset proposal; if you've got the time, I'd definitely like to hear your thoughts on it, especially compared to the current Control sets - how it fares in terms of power, differences, uniqueness, and so on. Hopefully you like it!