What's hurting Dark Primary for Blasters?

[ForeverLaxx]

Seems this thread just can't stay dead.

[America's Angel]

6 hours ago, MTeague said:

my biggest issue with Dark Blast is I don't like the fluffy ghostly look of most of the powers. 

 

Have you tried the alternate sfx,m Soul Noir? It's much better...

 

 

 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by America's Angel

[MTeague]

Hm. Maybe if I can get that center color to also go dark. I'll experiment with to tomorrow. Too sleepy to log back in and do character creation now.

[KauaiJim]

7 hours ago, ForeverLaxx said:

Seems this thread just can't stay dead.

 

I have the same reaction to a couple of other threads.  😲 (as I'm sure most of us do based on our personal feelings and opinions)

 

It's like they are zombie threads...  I keep thinking of the scene in mission impossible when Henry Cavill and Tom Cruise are fighting and Henry says "Why won't you die?!?!"

But also it kind of makes me chuckle when these things keep springing up.  Keeps the forums from being humdrum! (not to mention I myself am guilty of an accidental thread necro just yesterday, lol)

 

I chalk it up to folks gotta say their piece.  So...  Peace!  ✌️

 

Oh and America's Angel I love that look.  I'm not into dark themed toons much but that looks very nice!  👍

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by KauaiJim

[Peacemoon]

3 hours ago, MTeague said:

Hm. Maybe if I can get that center color to also go dark. I'll experiment with to tomorrow. Too sleepy to log back in and do character creation now.

My dark/dark controller used a shade of dark red in the centre and it looks good in my opinion !

[Uun]

18 hours ago, MTeague said:

my biggest issue with Dark Blast is I don't like the fluffy ghostly look of most of the powers. 

I want something that looks more inky black.

 

As said above, the Soul Noir theme does away with the floating skulls and tentacles. I colored mine with a purple-black primary and dark green secondary. 

 

18 hours ago, MTeague said:

Rad Blast recolored into pitch dark, maaaaybe with a hint of midnight blue, would do it perfectly.  That's what I do for my Dark Control / Rad Assault dominator. 

 

I did this on my Rad/Dark corruptor using the Dark Radiation theme with an olive green primary and cobalt blue secondary. It creates a black with tinges of green.

[Galaxy Brain]

 

 

In my experience, Dark Blast holds up with what is said here. Overall it does less mob-cleary damage but it easily ranks in the top safety picks. I personally love when there are power combos that sort of "bleed" into other Roles / AT's, and having a more utility / controllery blast set that you can deal good damage with at the same time is always fun.

[Ukase]

For me, the thing against dark is the sound and look of the attacks. It's why, even though I've tried them, I just don't like dark. The powers seem to come out more slowly, and aren't in a fast, "crisp" fashion like ice blast. The animations are ...not to my liking. The sounds are not to my liking. The look of the blasts heading toward the npc are not to my liking. I want a concentrated tight, focused beam, not a diffuse, foggy looking beam. 

[The_Warpact]

I recently I made a dark/dark/soul blaster...why?

Because all of the freaking tentacle attacks!

 

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!

[siolfir]

58 minutes ago, The_Warpact said:

I recently I made a dark/dark/soul blaster...why?

Because all of the freaking tentacle attacks!

 

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!!!

My first Dark Blast character, a Dark/Cold Corruptor, had keybinds for "Go get 'em, Cuddles!" and "No, Cuddles! Bad touch!" when using Tenebrous Tentacles.

 

Cuddles, was, of course, her pet tentacle demon.

[The_Warpact]

38 minutes ago, siolfir said:

My first Dark Blast character, a Dark/Cold Corruptor, had keybinds for "Go get 'em, Cuddles!" and "No, Cuddles! Bad touch!" when using Tenebrous Tentacles.

 

Cuddles, was, of course, her pet tentacle demon.

I draw upon the past from Live and summon the dreaded Tentacle Pie!

[Snarky]

kill the knockback.  Knockback in Dark....wtf?  Why?  

 

make the Tier 9 range.  or even range cone like Cryonic Judgement.  Dark works better from Range, with to hit debuffs and ranged heals.  The cones instead of any ball attack only strengthen the synergy.  You need to be out facing your enemy most of the time.  at at least some range to line up the cones.  Ooops, break for tier 9.  get in center, t9, get bak to edge for tedious re line up of cones.  If the T9 did not force constant repositioning the cones would be a lot freaking easier to use.

[arcane]

Dark’s knockback cone is just fine. Pop Overwhelming Force and Force Feedback and some -res in there and go to town.

[tidge]

Umbral Torrent is a beautiful thing. It needs no changes.

[Snarky]

6 hours ago, arcane said:

Dark’s knockback cone is just fine. Pop Overwhelming Force and Force Feedback and some -res in there and go to town.

You can put a Knockback to Knockdown proc in it?  WoW!!!  I Had no idea.  That is soooooo coooool.  And it only uses ONE of the so many slots we have.  Precious joy, what a boon.  thank you.  Thank you.

[arcane]

4 minutes ago, Snarky said:

You can put a Knockback to Knockdown proc in it?  WoW!!!  I Had no idea.  That is soooooo coooool.  And it only uses ONE of the so many slots we have.  Precious joy, what a boon.  thank you.  Thank you.

My sarcasm detector went off so hard I nearly fell out of my chair. Go easy on me chief.

[Naraka]

On 5/21/2021 at 7:57 AM, Ukase said:

For me, the thing against dark is the sound and look of the attacks. It's why, even though I've tried them, I just don't like dark. The powers seem to come out more slowly, and aren't in a fast, "crisp" fashion like ice blast. The animations are ...not to my liking. The sounds are not to my liking. The look of the blasts heading toward the npc are not to my liking. I want a concentrated tight, focused beam, not a diffuse, foggy looking beam. 

I'd argue darkness isn't "focused".  There's always a gradient.  Darkness is only sharp like that in the presence of light otherwise, it's merely the absence of light.

 

Feel-type, I'd say if you want "crisp", there are set for that.  While I can understand your perspective, I feel variety in feel is more important than trying to adhere a specific AT to only a specific style.  That was what was in place before proliferation but has since faded.  While I'm not a big fan of Dark Blast in general, I do like Darkness Armor, Dark Miasma and Dark melee and Dark Blast is an extension of those themes.

Edited May 23, 2021 by Naraka

[Snarky]

2 hours ago, Naraka said:

I'd argue darkness isn't "focused".  There's always a gradient.  Darkness is only sharp like that in the presence of light otherwise, it's merely the absence of light.

 

Feel-type, I'd say if you want "crisp", there are set for that.  While I can understand your perspective, I feel variety in feel is more important than trying to adhere a specific AT to only a specific style.  That was what was in place before proliferation but has since faded.  While I'm not a big fan of Dark Blast in general, I do like Darkness Armor, Dark Miasma and Dark melee and Dark Blast is an extension of those themes.

I agree.  My main is a dark/dark Brute.  Very interesting style. 

 

However, the question is what is hurting dark primary.  Lack of focus.  Not in the artwork.  In the attacks.  It does some cones, it does some PB circles,  Pick a style you want the set to fight with.  Assault rifle.  shoot that way.  Ice, shoot that way and tailor your rains.  Energy blast, throw balls and close to explode T9.   It is a stinking hard job to keep the cones lined up.  You have to predict mobs behavior and then be in the right spot.  Energy Blast, Ice, Assault Rifle do not suffer from that issue.  Repositioning Dark Blaster makes the DPS calculation hit the floor and stay there.  Because you have to reposition all the time.  I love Dark Animations and Style, and have a couple 50 Dark Blasters.  But they are such a pain after I incarnate them I fold them up.  Too many other easier sets to work with.  If they fixed Dark I would jump on one and stay.  As it is there are better options for me when trying to do my Blastery job. 

[Ukase]

11 hours ago, Naraka said:

I'd argue darkness isn't "focused".  There's always a gradient.  Darkness is only sharp like that in the presence of light otherwise, it's merely the absence of light.

 

Feel-type, I'd say if you want "crisp", there are set for that.  While I can understand your perspective, I feel variety in feel is more important than trying to adhere a specific AT to only a specific style.  That was what was in place before proliferation but has since faded.  While I'm not a big fan of Dark Blast in general, I do like Darkness Armor, Dark Miasma and Dark melee and Dark Blast is an extension of those themes.

I completely agree with you - we have options. The question was what was dark missing. For me - I listed what's missing from it. 
Dark Armor is fairly nice - but like fire, it lacks kb protection. Easily enough to tackle with the kb procs, or certain set bonuses - still, it's something that has to be addressed by the player. With fire, it's almost okay because of burn. But I never did see anything particularly special about dark armor to compensate for this. But - it is not a stretch to consider me "obtuse". The snake usually has to bite me twice before I notice it. 

I'm glad dark is there for those who enjoy it. It's just not for me. 

[arcane]

6 hours ago, Ukase said:

But I never did see anything particularly special about dark armor to compensate for this. 

Having zero damage resistance holes and a power that is at the very least in the running for most powerful heal in the game, and all within reach for only 6 mandatory power picks from your armor set... probably has something to do with it.

[Snarky]

19 hours ago, arcane said:

Having zero damage resistance holes and a power that is at the very least in the running for most powerful heal in the game, and all within reach for only 6 mandatory power picks from your armor set... probably has something to do with it.

I ran Invulnerability on live and for my first 6 months here.  I switched to Dark for my main.  Yes, it is that tough.  The Three armor toggles, Damage, Fear, Stun?  Heh.  They work.