Teaming as a blaster is easy and boring

[Nihil]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

[Zolgar]

Don't play it safe. Charge in to battle right behind the tank, hang in close for the buffs.

 

Alternatively, defenders and corrupters do have a much more involved play style, especially if you play one where the best buffs and healing are in the middle of combat, like a Kinetic or Dark.

[Man_From_AUNTIE]

What level are you at for one thing.  Higher levels, in my experience, the mobs get a major hate-on for blasters.  Mid-20s to lower 30s blasters are easy.  After that point, everything starts resisting the damage types.

 

As far as support classes it has been so long since I played support I couldn't give any advise other than pick one with powersets that you will enjoy....duh...I know.

 

As far as melee goes, I like scrappers, you can tank with one and it is fun, managing aggro, killing the mobs before they get a chance to drop you.

[Nihil]

Don't play it safe. Charge in to battle right behind the tank, hang in close for the buffs.

 

Alternatively, defenders and corrupters do have a much more involved play style, especially if you play one where the best buffs and healing are in the middle of combat, like a Kinetic or Dark.

 

Why cause more risk to myself and more work for the support  when I can stay close enough to get buffs and still be almost completely safe 90% of the time. Just doesn't seem like a team player to me.

 

Am considering support and dark was one of the ones I was considering, though wulff like some buffing to I think not just pure debuff.

[Nihil]

What level are you at for one thing.  Higher levels, in my experience, the mobs get a major hate-on for blasters.  Mid-20s to lower 30s blasters are easy.  After that point, everything starts resisting the damage types.

 

As far as support classes it has been so long since I played support I couldn't give any advise other than pick one with powersets that you will enjoy....duh...I know.

 

As far as melee goes, I like scrappers, you can tank with one and it is fun, managing aggro, killing the mobs before they get a chance to drop you.

 

He is only 22 was thinking it may get harder at higher levels, my highest is a water/cold Corruptor but cold wasn't that active either and got boring. Can't say the mobs felt much harder though.

[Solarverse]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

If you are just standinfg in the back doing nothing but ranged, then you are playing the Blaster wrong. You need to remember, Blasters have some of the hardest hitting Melee abilities out there. You also have PBAoEs that do lots of damage, but only if you are near the mob. I play several blasters. I drop my targeted AoE, (if I have one) I hop in, let off my PBAoEs, I get out, I unleash my ranged AoEs, single target attacks, then finish off bosses or whatever is left standing with my melee abilities.

 

Granted, I do not do it this way every single time, that will depend on each given situation, however, that is an average strat.

 

Like I said before, if all you are doing is playing it safe, that is your fault, not the archetype's.

[Nihil]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

If you are just standinfg in the back doing nothing but ranged, then you are playing the Blaster wrong. You need to remember, Blasters have some of the hardest hitting Melee abilities out there. You also have PBAoEs that do lots of damage, but only if you are near the mob. I play several blasters. I drop my targeted AoE, (if I have one) I hop in, let off my PBAoEs, I get out, I unleash my ranged AoEs, single target attacks, then finish off bosses or whatever is left standing with my melee abilities.

 

Granted, I do not do it this way every single time, that will depend on each given situation, however, that is an average strat.

 

Like I said before, if all you are doing is playing it safe, that is your fault, not the archetype's.

 

I'm DP/time I haven't taken any melee attacks, and wasn't intending to as it doesn't fit the concept and would mean dropping some of weave, tough, maneuvers, and tactics (which I feel do more for the build).  The only pbAoE I'll ever have is my nuke which is still 10 levels away.

[Mr. Vee]

We can't really help with your blaster being boring if your concept is boring blaster.

[Nihil]

We can't really help with your blaster being boring if your concept is boring blaster.

 

Just looking to maximize my usefulness to a team, while still being good at killing. I do really good at mowing down mobs for the team and dont see the melee abilities in /temporal really improving that when I already have almost 0 down in my attack cycle at 22 without hasten. Why I was asking about archetype suggestions that might achieve my goal with a higher difficulty level. Maybe there are other blaster combos to that might require a more active style while pursuing the goal of maximizing usefulness to the team, which in my book includes not over working others for little to no overall benefit to the team as a whole, again why I am asking for suggestions.

[Without_Pause]

As far as melee goes, I like scrappers, you can tank with one and it is fun, managing aggro, killing the mobs before they get a chance to drop you.

 

First into a mob, sure. Actually managing aggro is vastly up to if they took their taunt power or not. Mobs flee scrappers. They don't with brutes or tanks. Part of the reason why I went Spines/elec as a brute.

[jack_nomind]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

this was a poor choice of topic title for this question, but it sounds like you'd enjoy Dominator or a VEAT.  With several exceptions, Defender and Corr action economy is often used on a debuff cycle at the beginning of combat that means you still sort of "stand back and do X," and then combat's over.  VEATs, particularly Night Widows and certain Crabs, have a more involved cycle that requires mixed ranges and awareness of team position.  Dominators need to use melee, range, and controls to get the most out of their class, and so have a multi-stage engagement process that can be very satisfying when it comes together.

[Mr. Vee]

I'm having tons of fun with my sonic/martial. I howl to debuff resist, burst of speed to middle of the mob, aim, nuke, dragontail, jump back, howl again, then either polish survivors with single target or burst back in for dragontailing. Can vary the order and dragontail first if no one has aggro, or siren them before going in. Ki punch anything dangerous that's aggroed to you. It's very versatile. And when nuke isn't up just blast from range. I'm only late 30s and it's already my favorite blaster ever.

 

Just need to find a combo you enjoy. Or maybe blaster isn't your thing. 1000 slots per server should have you covered though.

[Coyotedancer]

Seriously... Learn to Blap.

 

- Doing it *WELL* has never been a super easy skill that just everyone and their sidekick could pick up on Day One, so it has a definite learning curve. There's challenge to it.

 

- If you're any good, you really won't be any extra work for the supports, because you'll be in and back out of melee range before the mobs can hit you with much. A decently tough build will just add to that.

 

- Blaster melee attacks really do hit pretty hard, and once you have your movement and timing down, you'll find more opportunity to use them without becoming cat-food. That adds some useful flexibility.

 

-Most of all? It's just FUN to bounce around some kind of crazy, destruction-raining super-ball. A whole lot more-so than just drifting around throwing fireballs at something from the safety of the ceiling.

 

If you just don't want to try any of that... Build a DarkityDarkDark Defender, equip it ludicrously, and stay on the front line with your tanks and brutes and scraps. Let me post a screen. Because posting screens is sort-of "What I Do".

 

 

This is from our very last Underground run on Liberty, back-in-the-day...

See that guy in the funky, fancy backpiece?

The one standing right there with the league's two tanks and the brute, up in the face of the Incarnate-class DE?

 

That was Nemissary. My Dark Defender.

He habitually lived on the front line and there was nothing boring in what he did.

(It's worth noting that the colorful genie floating right over his head in the thick of things is a friend's fire blaster.)

[Nihil]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

this was a poor choice of topic title for this question, but it sounds like you'd enjoy Dominator or a VEAT.  With several exceptions, Defender and Corr action economy is often used on a debuff cycle at the beginning of combat that means you still sort of "stand back and do X," and then combat's over.  VEATs, particularly Night Widows and certain Crabs, have a more involved cycle that requires mixed ranges and awareness of team position.  Dominators need to use melee, range, and controls to get the most out of their class, and so have a multi-stage engagement process that can be very satisfying when it comes together.

 

Can you tell me more about the VEATs like their strength and weaknesses or what resources they bring to a team? Or even better point me to such a resource?

[StarseedWarrior]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

Whaaat? I loved blaster back in the day just blap to.

[Monkeyking]

In sufficiently large groups, the tanker might not be able to grab the entire crowd at once. The enemies will be focused on him, but not actually taunted. Then you drop a big AoE, and things get interesting.

 

For that matter, the teams you've joined may just be playing it safe. A lot of teams will run at a much lower difficulty level than they're capable of handling, and bluntly, that's super boring. As a Beam Rifle blaster, if you don't actually need me to delete a couple bosses for you, you don't have it cranked up high enough. I'm just along for the ride at that point.

[SwitchFade]

You're not blasting, per see, you're cherry-pick-sniping in essence. Wait till you have so much damage, you strip aggro from tanks. Wait till you have a nuke, that is pbaoe.

 

At 22, you're playing vanilla. The time will come when you do so much damage, so quickly, you start to pull tons of aggro. Or you start destroying enemies so rapidly you're running ahead of the tank.

 

On my dual pistols/mind blaster, I have to stay basically in Melee all the time, and it's a <blast>

[Nihil]

You're not blasting, per see, you're cherry-pick-sniping in essence. Wait till you have so much damage, you strip aggro from tanks. Wait till you have a nuke, that is pbaoe.

 

At 22, you're playing vanilla. The time will come when you do so much damage, so quickly, you start to pull tons of aggro. Or you start destroying enemies so rapidly you're running ahead of the tank.

 

On my dual pistols/mind blaster, I have to stay basically in Melee all the time, and it's a <blast>

 

I was contemplating going /mind instead of/time, for a couple extra AoEs the cone and pbAoE capstone. Time has me recharging so fast already wasn't sure I was going to need it, but maybe I need the variety.

[Leogunner]

So been playing a DP/time blaster lately and while at first it was fun, the whole stand safely at the back and hose the mob with DPS is getting old kinda fast. So I'm looking to find another Archetype that is a little more engaging and requires more thought than hit these 4 or 5 buttons in the most efficient way possible. I am thinking maybe a Corruptor or Defender, so I need to worry about keeping an eye on how my allies are fairing and managing buffs/debuffs. Also considering a Tanker, dont normally do melee but might be a nice change of pace and require some different thinking. Any thoughts or opinions?

 

this was a poor choice of topic title for this question, but it sounds like you'd enjoy Dominator or a VEAT.  With several exceptions, Defender and Corr action economy is often used on a debuff cycle at the beginning of combat that means you still sort of "stand back and do X," and then combat's over.  VEATs, particularly Night Widows and certain Crabs, have a more involved cycle that requires mixed ranges and awareness of team position.  Dominators need to use melee, range, and controls to get the most out of their class, and so have a multi-stage engagement process that can be very satisfying when it comes together.

 

Can you tell me more about the VEATs like their strength and weaknesses or what resources they bring to a team? Or even better point me to such a resource?

 

I'd echo jack's statements.

 

On the blaster build, you're talking about a blast setup that can make PBAoEs shine but you've delegated yourself to ranged blasting.  You say it's unneeded risk to the team but you're not understanding that a team is meant to cover that risk and everyone is constantly assessing risks.  Consider if everyone took your method of team strategies: obviously, the safest method of engagement is pulling.  While pulling is a good strategy, one can assess risks so that we can cover over the dangers and use a faster (and more fun) strategy.  tl;dr: your build likely would benefit from getting in close sometimes as it will be one of the staples of the main set.

 

Secondly, his statements on action economy is good too.  As a longtime Stalker, some of the best team support is removing the enemy's team support.  That's what Stalkers, Scrappers, Blasters, Dominators and probably a couple other ATs I'm missing, are good at.  Other support ATs exchange that for cycles of debuffs and CCs.  It'll end up being the same though, but rather than cycling attacks, you'll be cycling debuffs, especially if you're dark miasma.

 

Thirdly, I'll echo the sentiment about dominators.  There's not enough of them for just how nice their threat management is.  Not only that but they've got effective offense as well and a pretty broad amount of power concepts available.  It's challenging and fun but a lot can fall to your shoulders if things get hairy....also also, it might teach you how to utilize Blaster effectively as a Dominator's more effective damage requires you to hammer some melee in there too.

 

As for the VEATs, I've not played any but from teaming with them, their action economy, as jacks mentioned, is more open.  Their buffs are "passive" for the most part and their attacks come built in with CC and debuffs.  Rather than delegate a certain amount of actions to buffs/debuffs then get some blasting in, they're just always doing both.

 

Lastly, perhaps you might like HEATs.  They can switch between tanking/melee and blasting so you can just switch when you get bored of one.

[Atomitor]

Seriously... Learn to Blap.

 

-

 

You will die so many times. However those times that you do not die you will be the greatest person in your team. You are a glass canon, if there's no risk there's no reward.

 

Thanks  those secondary passers and take combat jumping, be there 0.5 seconds after the tankand never forget the immortal words of ablapper. Res pls

[StarseedWarrior]

I never had much of an issue playing blasters, if you want something safer go ice.

[Belazarius]

Like others might have suggested : get in melee.

 

A good way to motivate you to do that is to have a visual handicap which forces you to go in there. Like let's say : the ceiling too much near you or too many mobs preventing you to target the high priority ennemy or...like me getting too old to be able to concentrate right and begining to have declining eyesight ;P

[BelleSorciere]

Seriously... Learn to Blap.

 

-

 

You will die so many times. However those times that you do not die you will be the greatest person in your team. You are a glass canon, if there's no risk there's no reward.

 

Thanks  those secondary passers and take combat jumping, be there 0.5 seconds after the tankand never forget the immortal words of ablapper. Res pls

 

Blapping is life.

[Healix]

If a blaster sneezes small villages should disintegrate on the other side of the planet .

 

Its a known fact that all building floors are waxed with steroids...This explains why blasters are powerful and a tad bit crazy.

[Adeon Hawkwood]

Why cause more risk to myself and more work for the support  when I can stay close enough to get buffs and still be almost completely safe 90% of the time. Just doesn't seem like a team player to me.

If you never get in trouble then the support players get bored. Scraping Blasters and Scrappers off the floor keeps things interesting and lets support players know that they are appreciated.

 

Plus I always appreciate a change to get off a Vengeance buff.