Idea to improve Force Field

[Xandyr]

Howdy!   Long time player here (Issue2), and am still so excited to have our beloved City back. Thanks for that!

 

   Anyway, in game I hardly ever see any other FF toons (the occasional Bots/FF MM maybe)... Looking at some of the mechanics at work these days, and to try and improve the population of the set, I have a couple of suggestions. Forgive me if they've been submitted already (didn't see any suggestions for FF on the first several pages of the forum).

 

   How about adding a little something extra to the Shields? Perhaps like a certain % of Absorption to Deflection/Insulation Shield, and maybe a little +DDR to Dispersion bubble? As it is now, Force Fielders are viewed as a one trick pony (added Defense). While most people plan out their builds and slot strategically to get soft capped/near soft capped Defenses already, it seems like the Defense FF brings is considered a "waste". Actually had someone tell me that FF was useless since they were already soft capped without my help.

  Was just trying to figure out something that might add a little incentive to play FF, and to get a little bit of "respect" for the powerset.

 

 

 Thanks and keep up the great work!

 

- X

[Rudra]

This would be my suggestion to improve FF (and Thermal and Cold): Let the player use the powers on himself/herself.

 

The fact some of the powers are ally use only and not self as well is why I refuse to use the set(s).

Edited February 27, 2022 by Rudra
Edited to remove extra punctuation and add last sentence.

[Naraka]

Because I'm a radical, I always try to think of crazy ideas.  Even if they are used for something else...

 

There is a certain mechanic I'd dub as "3-mode" mechanics.  The only sets that utilize it are Dual Pistols, Staff Melee and Bio Armor.  So a blast set, a melee set and an armor set.  I'm curious what shinanigans a Staff/Bio or Bio/Staff character deals with having 6 toggles and their combinations of modes.

 

Anyway, I think Force field itself is a rather broad concept that might lend well to the mechanic because of its limited range.  So what if we were outlining FF to get a similar mechanic? I think it wouldn't be too tough. Just take Repulsion Field, remove it and replace it with this particular mechanic and call the new power Barrier Type.  Now Barrier Type could give you several concepts for a force field set as toggles that would then alter the effects of the other powers.  It doesn't necessarily have to be 3 but let's just say that's the limit.

 

Base FF without a Barrier Type:

 

Mostly, just current FF.  It adds shields for +def, a PBAoE +def/mez protection barrier and it has some KB/repel from Force Bolt and Force Bubble.

 

FF with Light Shield Type:

 

Light Shield FF is a defensive setting for a FF user. It makes more use of personal defense and turns Personal Force Field into a self-defense setting that you can still attack from. It doesn't provide any defense, but still provides a sizable amount of resistance. Further still, Dispersion Bubble no longer provides AoE defense but instead periodic +absorb to allies and yourself. Using either Deflection Shield or Insulation Shield merely provides a moderate amount of +absorb to the target (no AoE buff here). Unique mechanic is, when using the absorb shields, the cooldown on those skills increases greatly.

 

FF with Hard Light Type:

 

Hard Light FF is the offensive setting.  For a FF user, it turns PFF into a PBAoE attack that holds enemies and does high damage after sustaining a certain amount of attacks. It also turns Deflection and Insulation Shields into ST effects that do the same as PFF but for allies, absorbing a small amount of damage before exploding and holding foes. This alters the cooldown of the shields tho...Also, if there was a way to create obstructions randomly around you using Force Bubble, so instead of pushing foes away, it just make using ranged difficult...basically summoning a Force Wall that foes would have to walk around to get LoS to attack you.

[Rudra]

Novel idea. Question for hard light: how would you work the force wall? For it to be an obstruction, it would have to function as part of the map to some degree. Otherwise it would function like the debris from telekinesis(? The power that creates and hurls objects). Those don't block line of sight to prevent attacks and don't block movement, they can just be shoved aside by walking through them. Though with difficulty at times. And once you manage to make the wall obstruct line of sight to prevent attacks and force the mobs to go around it, using map geometry to force it most likely, how would it go away? Would it act like a stationary pet that has health and when either health or timer runs out, whichever occurs first, the pet goes away? If using map geometry rules, how would the pet work as map geometry and still maintain a temporary status?

 

I like the idea, don't get me wrong. Especially the 'can affect the user instead of being ally use only part' (Edit: for light shield version), I'm just wondering how to make it work.

 

Edit: Might I also make name suggestions? To add to the pool of possibilities?

Basic use: No new name. It already has its name.

Light Shield Force Field: Just Light Shield should work. Or Personal Barrier.

Hard Light Force Field: Offensive Barrier or Damage Shield.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Rudra

[Naraka]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

Novel idea. Question for hard light: how would you work the force wall? For it to be an obstruction, it would have to function as part of the map to some degree. Otherwise it would function like the debris from telekinesis(? The power that creates and hurls objects). Those don't block line of sight to prevent attacks and don't block movement, they can just be shoved aside by walking through them. Though with difficulty at times. And once you manage to make the wall obstruct line of sight to prevent attacks and force the mobs to go around it, using map geometry to force it most likely, how would it go away? Would it act like a stationary pet that has health and when either health or timer runs out, whichever occurs first, the pet goes away? If using map geometry rules, how would the pet work as map geometry and still maintain a temporary status?

 

I like the idea, don't get me wrong. Especially the 'can affect the user instead of being ally use only part' (Edit: for light shield version), I'm just wondering how to make it work.

 

Edit: Might I also make name suggestions? To add to the pool of possibilities?

Basic use: No new name. It already has its name.

Light Shield Force Field: Just Light Shield should work. Or Personal Barrier.

Hard Light Force Field: Offensive Barrier or Damage Shield.

 

To your main question about Force Bubble, I have no idea...

 

There could be other ways to approximate such an effect but the premise I had in mind would be "It doesn't actually protect you but it delays the enemy".  Just making -rech or something is rather bland tho.

 

As for the re-name, I thought Hard Light was a cool name lol. Maybe it's just my short time in Photoshop filters or something.

 

There's still room for a 3rd mode but no idea what that might be (or even if it's necessary).

 

 

[Menelruin]

Man, now I'm suddenly thinking of a bunch of other options for improving FF, but don't wanna hijack this thread, and I'd feel like a dick if I made another so soon after yours.....

 

EDIT:  Actually, you know what?  Two of my ideas might mesh really well with yours....

 

I haven't studied all the Buff sets in depth, but I know that some boost defense, some boost resistance....but are there any that notable provide resistance to DEBUFFS against those things?  What if the two other modes for FF were to provide either resistance/protection/whatever to either Defense Debuffs, or Resistance Debuffs?  That could still mesh well with both the original purpose, while still giving it a niche that (to the best of my knowledge) isn't currently filled?

 

DOUBLE EDIT!  To be clear, I am NOT suggesting FF actually give any resistance ITSELF, just protection from resistance DEBUFFS.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Menelruin

[Naraka]

11 hours ago, Menelruin said:

Man, now I'm suddenly thinking of a bunch of other options for improving FF, but don't wanna hijack this thread, and I'd feel like a dick if I made another so soon after yours.....

 

EDIT:  Actually, you know what?  Two of my ideas might mesh really well with yours....

 

I haven't studied all the Buff sets in depth, but I know that some boost defense, some boost resistance....but are there any that notable provide resistance to DEBUFFS against those things?  What if the two other modes for FF were to provide either resistance/protection/whatever to either Defense Debuffs, or Resistance Debuffs?  That could still mesh well with both the original purpose, while still giving it a niche that (to the best of my knowledge) isn't currently filled?

 

DOUBLE EDIT!  To be clear, I am NOT suggesting FF actually give any resistance ITSELF, just protection from resistance DEBUFFS.

Lol well apparently I already attempted to hijack the thread.

 

If you're planning to do a set write up in another thread and you want some feedback, you can ping me. I spend entirely too much time talking about random ideas.

 

As for your ideas, Force Field does provide debuff resistance but only to defense debuffs and endurance drain.  As for resistance to resistance debuffs, that technically exists with resistance buffs...i.e. a +res to smashing damage will resist smashing resistance debuffs. There is no other way to resist resistance debuffs.

[Menelruin]

13 minutes ago, Naraka said:

Lol well apparently I already attempted to hijack the thread.

 

If you're planning to do a set write up in another thread and you want some feedback, you can ping me. I spend entirely too much time talking about random ideas.

 

As for your ideas, Force Field does provide debuff resistance but only to defense debuffs and endurance drain.  As for resistance to resistance debuffs, that technically exists with resistance buffs...i.e. a +res to smashing damage will resist smashing resistance debuffs. There is no other way to resist resistance debuffs.

Heh, my only other idea (that doesn't really connect with the OP at ALL), was looking at a comparison with, of all things, Energy Melee.  The set initially does X, and folks want it to do Y, which is problematic for one reason or another.....so the dev team balanced it by letting you build stacks of a buff, to then do Y!  I have NO IDEA what sort of effect you'd get from a stacking buff from FF (it's not as clear cut as Electfical Affinity was, with Static), but was just a brainstorming idea 🤷‍♂️

[Vanden]

I still think this is the best way to improve Force Field:

 

 

[Naraka]

6 hours ago, Vanden said:

I still think this is the best way to improve Force Field:

 

 

 

I wouldn't be against it. The main benefactors of a low min chance to hit are those that soft cap most of the time so those hit hardest would likely be them...

 

...but then Force Field probably wouldn't be the only set reaping the benefits of turning the hard floor to a soft floor.