Arcane Mastery New powerset for Blasters, Defenders, Corruptors and Sentinels

[biostem]

1 minute ago, Sneakers said:

Ok. I was responding to biostem. But thanks for your interest.

You should probably quote or tag me, then...

[Sneakers]

Just now, biostem said:

What you have written is essentially a bio for a character, with a very specific interpretation or explanation for how their magic works.  You must think in terms of how to implement this within the context of the game's mechanics.  For instance, if this character's magic is able to pierce defenses, then you'd want a -def effect.  The game is far too long in the tooth to start introducing new damage types.

Thats cool. 

As I said originally energy damage is basically arcane already. 

In my opinion I could play energy blaster and that would indeed be a arcane blaster essentially in my opinion.

[TheZag]

Plenty of powersets lean heavily toward a single origin and players of all origins are able to use them.  Many of those players even make up reasons why their origin can use those abilities (magically 'poofing' in a weapon or gadget, for example).  I dont see why a blast set that is intended to lean towards magic origin is an issue.  Maybe you have technology bracelets that make mystic circles before shooting at bad guys.  Or you fell into a scientific vat of radioactive magic,  or you were mutated by a bite from a magical spider.  It really doesnt matter,  new powers and new animations let us make more character ideas that are closer to how we envisioned them.

 

[biostem]

1 hour ago, TheZag said:

Plenty of powersets lean heavily toward a single origin and players of all origins are able to use them.  Many of those players even make up reasons why their origin can use those abilities (magically 'poofing' in a weapon or gadget, for example).  I dont see why a blast set that is intended to lean towards magic origin is an issue.  Maybe you have technology bracelets that make mystic circles before shooting at bad guys.  Or you fell into a scientific vat of radioactive magic,  or you were mutated by a bite from a magical spider.  It really doesnt matter,  new powers and new animations let us make more character ideas that are closer to how we envisioned them.

The thing is, what would make a set "magic"?  Even pistols are simply a delivery method for your attack - they needn't be any more tech-based than a wand or stave.  What I'm trying to wrap my head around is how a "magic blast" set would differ from, say, energy blast w/ some fist rune aura.  What would differentiate it?  I mean, if the OP just wanted a wand or staff blast set, I could get behind it, since it'd be more distinct and could incorporate new or different effects...

Edited October 12, 2022 by biostem

[Rudra]

The only sets I know of that lean towards an origin are the gun sets and device sets. Because people automatically think of tech when they think of those. However, guns and devices are not specific to any origin. Natural characters in comics and other sources tend to use guns and devices. Tech characters tend to have their weapons and devices integrated into their bodies or power armors. Science characters and mutation characters use them surprisingly frequently to supplement or control or focus their own abilities. And technomancers have been a thing in literature and gaming for some time now.

 

The only other set I can think of that might lean towards an origin is Bio Armor. And that still does not define itself as specifically mutation. Science can cause the same effects. Magic definitely. Being of a race with that ability? Makes sense. (That guy that killed Superman was basically the Bio Armor set, and he can be considered both natural (racial trait) and science (artificially created race).) Even technology can easily be used to explain the set on any given character.

 

The only two sets that specifically tie into any given origin are the 2 current existing origin power pools.

 

The blast set as proposed doesn't lean toward a single origin. It is specifically a magic origin set. It is specifically using magic energy, arcane energy, eldritch energy, mana, ether, aether, whatever your preferred arcane-based definition of energy is; to manifest specifically magical effects. There is no gray area. This proposal makes an origin specific AT power set. So you're a natural origin character? Choose this power set and congrats, you are a spellcaster. Tech origin? You may use technology, but you are a spellcaster. (That would be a technomancer, which is a magic origin.) So on and so forth.

 

The magic origin encompasses any character that uses magic, whether a spellcasting mutant, a technomancer, and magically adept race, wielding/using magic weapons or devices, or anything else. (Others are free to define their origin based on other traits, but typically, that is how a magic origin character is defined.)

 

The whole reason why every power set except the two power pools are set up the way they are is so that it fits with any character you may want to make. They specifically avoid getting into the how of a power and leave that up to the player so players can go as crazy as they like with their character concept. However, the OP specifically tells you the how of the set. And effectively gives the finger to the other 4 origins. Choose the proposed power set, and you are wielding magic. Period. Everything about the set is defined as magic regardless of how a player may want to approach their character.

 

This exact same set would engender a lot less opposition if it were generic in its approach. Elemental Blast could work as @biostem said. Entropic Blast. Whatever Blast. However, the author specifically wants the set named and identified as a strictly magic origin set.

 

(Edit: Add other weapons and shields to the guns/devices mix. Sorry for not already including them.)

Edited October 12, 2022 by Rudra

[KingCeddd03]

Is it too much to ask to just make it? @rundragon1

On 10/11/2022 at 10:30 PM, Rudra said:

The only sets I know of that lean towards an origin are the gun sets and device sets. Because people automatically think of tech when they think of those. However, guns and devices are not specific to any origin. Natural characters in comics and other sources tend to use guns and devices. Tech characters tend to have their weapons and devices integrated into their bodies or power armors. Science characters and mutation characters use them surprisingly frequently to supplement or control or focus their own abilities. And technomancers have been a thing in literature and gaming for some time now.

 

The only other set I can think of that might lean towards an origin is Bio Armor. And that still does not define itself as specifically mutation. Science can cause the same effects. Magic definitely. Being of a race with that ability? Makes sense. (That guy that killed Superman was basically the Bio Armor set, and he can be considered both natural (racial trait) and science (artificially created race).) Even technology can easily be used to explain the set on any given character.

 

The only two sets that specifically tie into any given origin are the 2 current existing origin power pools.

 

The blast set as proposed doesn't lean toward a single origin. It is specifically a magic origin set. It is specifically using magic energy, arcane energy, eldritch energy, mana, ether, aether, whatever your preferred arcane-based definition of energy is; to manifest specifically magical effects. There is no gray area. This proposal makes an origin specific AT power set. So you're a natural origin character? Choose this power set and congrats, you are a spellcaster. Tech origin? You may use technology, but you are a spellcaster. (That would be a technomancer, which is a magic origin.) So on and so forth.

 

The magic origin encompasses any character that uses magic, whether a spellcasting mutant, a technomancer, and magically adept race, wielding/using magic weapons or devices, or anything else. (Others are free to define their origin based on other traits, but typically, that is how a magic origin character is defined.)

 

The whole reason why every power set except the two power pools are set up the way they are is so that it fits with any character you may want to make. They specifically avoid getting into the how of a power and leave that up to the player so players can go as crazy as they like with their character concept. However, the OP specifically tells you the how of the set. And effectively gives the finger to the other 4 origins. Choose the proposed power set, and you are wielding magic. Period. Everything about the set is defined as magic regardless of how a player may want to approach their character.

 

This exact same set would engender a lot less opposition if it were generic in its approach. Elemental Blast could work as @biostem said. Entropic Blast. Whatever Blast. However, the author specifically wants the set named and identified as a strictly magic origin set.

 

(Edit: Add other weapons and shields to the guns/devices mix. Sorry for not already including them.)

Elemental blast and arcane are two different things. would it be too much to ask to just make it for fun? we need something new 

[Rudra]

I've given the reasons for opposition to a Magic origin specific blast set.

 

Edit: I have no say on what the devs make. I can only give my reasons why I support someone's suggestion or oppose it. As I already said, multiple times, AT power sets are intentionally generic so they can be anything the player wants their character to be using. I doubt an origin specific AT primary or secondary will be made. That doesn't stop you or anyone else from asking. You'll just get told why we think it won't.

 

Edit again: My recommendation is to instead of asking for a specific origin AT power set, ask for auras, alternate animations, and costume pieces to make the sets you want to be more arcane in appearance look the way you want.

Edited October 13, 2022 by Rudra

[KingCeddd03]

I don't like playing pretend with my powers either it is, or it isn't any power trying to pretend its actual magic is wrong I believe that is possible we can have this power, and the auras to match it should not be much work. and on top of that @Puma had created a secondary that would match it 

Mystic Empowerment:

You are a master of mystic forces, and can use both new and ancient incantations to aid your allies, weaken your foes, and turn the tides of battle against your enemies.

 

Tier 1: Mending Incantation

targetted AoE Heal/Heal Over Time
You speak a mending spell which instantly heals a targeted ally and places a healing aura around him, sending tics of healing over time to all allies around him for a short duration.
83.35 Heal (8.5%) on target, 5 tics of 30 HoT over 30 seconds on nearby allies.  Recharge 20 seconds.
(This could use a slightly altered temporal mending animation combined with the runes aura.)

 

Tier 2: Unveil Anima:
Toggle Targeted AoE Ally +Resistance. Foe -dmg, -speed, -acc.
You expose the true spiritual essence of your target for all to see. If cast on an ally, the vision inspires them, giving them  strong resistance to all types of damage, and grants a moderate resistance boost to allies nearby.  If cast on a foe, they are left exposed, suffering reduced damage and recharge, and even weakening the damage of other nearby foes.
Foe cast:  -20% dmg, -30 rech
Ally cast: + 20% res on target, +12% res on nearby allies.
This could use a slightly altered Darkest Night animation, combined with the effect from Possess.  When cast on a foe it would have a dark tint, when cast on an ally it would have a bright one.

 

Tier 3: Ethereal Vortex:
Targetted AoE Ally +dmg, +rch.  Foe -res, +slow
You open a portal to the spiritual plane directly beneath your target, creating a patch of spiritual energy around them.  If your target is an ally, the energy within the portal will bestow  a boost to damage and recharge rate of allies within. If your target is a foe, the flames of the nether world will lower their resistances to damage and slow their movement and attack speeds. You may only have one active vortex at a time. 
Foe Cast: -30% res, -30% speed
Ally cast: +20% dmg, +20% rech
90 second Recharge, 30 second duration.
This could use a slightly altered tar patch animation (given a "flaming" outline), combined with the "dome" effect from Time Manipulation's "distortion field or perhaps an altered version of gravity's phase location based AoE.

 

Tier 4: Arcane Fires:
Targetted AoE Absord/ Single target Fire DoT, -tohit
You can can imbue your allies or curse a foe with arcane fires.  They become surrounded by flaming swords. Allies will find these swords offer protection, absorbing incoming damage until they dissipate.  Foes will find themselves under assault from the flames, suffering damage over time and a decreased chance tohit.
Foe Cast: -20% tohit for 30 seconds, 30 tics of .33 fire damage over 30 seconds.
Ally cast: +30% Absorb for 30 seconds.
Recharge 45 seconds
I'd LIKE this to use  the flaming swords from the Apex TF, only smaller versions that simply hover around your target.

 

Tier 5: Vexing Ward
You can imbue an ally or foe with a vexing spell.  This ward will protect an ally from status affects like fears,holds,confuses,sleeps, and disorients.  When used on a single foe, this ward has a strong chance to Disorient them briefly.
Foe cast: Mag 3 Disorient, 9.5 secs.
Ally cast: Mag 10 status Res. 90 secs.
16 second  Recharge
This could just use a combination of the empower demons animation from demon summoning and the "enforce morale" animation from Pain Domination on the recipient (or a standard disorient animation on a foe).

 

Tier 6: Judgement of the First Ones
Team Resurrect, +dmg/ foe +Negative dmg, +fear.
You call upon the judgement of the First Ones for all who have fallen in combat nearby.  Fallen allies nearby will be granted a return to life for their heroic deeds and be empowered for battle, while fallen foes will  unleash torment on their own kind.
Foe Cast: +145 Negative Energy damage, 6 second mag 3 fear.
Ally Cast:   Team Rez, +30% dmg 60 seconds.
90 second Recharge
This would use the Howling Twilight animation on allies, and the Fallout animation on a Foe.

 

Tier 7: Counter Spells:
PBAoE Toggle: Foe placate
You are constantly casting counter spells to incoming attacks. These spells are simple magic and don't always work, but affected foes nearby will find themselves unable to attack you.
4 second mag 2 placate, 50% chance, 4 sec mag 1 placate, 80% chance,  15 foot radius.
20 second recharge.
This would use a demon summoning rune animation at start, then he World of Pain dome animation from Pain Domination while active.

 

Tier 8: Celestial Winds
Ranged Facing Cone: +Regeneration/+Recovery
You can summon the celestial winds, giving you and allies in front of you a boost to your Regeneration and recovery.
Allie + 20% Regen, +20% Recover.
 Recharge 240 seconds, duration 120 seconds. Effects do not stack from the same caster.
This would use the animation from Regrowth, adding in runes from the rune aura to make it appear mystical in nature.

 

Tier 9:   Summon Familiars
Ally +absorb, +dmg, +Tohit
You summon familiar spirits for you and your allies. A single spirit will follow each teammate, protecting them from pain while helping them make their attacks more damaging and likely to hit.  These sprits can be attacked, and will eventually dissipate.
summon pet :familiar.  These would be "buffed up" versions of the wisp vet reward buffing pet, summoning one for each member of the team.  They would have a moderate amount of their own HP, and would give themselves and their target periodic tics of 10% absorb every .5 seconds, 18% +dmg, and 12.5% +tohit.   They would last for 90 seconds.

[Puma]

4 hours ago, KingCeddd03 said:

Is it too much to ask to just make it? @rundragon1

Elemental blast and arcane are two different things. would it be too much to ask to just make it for fun? we need something new 

As you pointed out, we have "devices" but also "necromancy", Dark Miasma which literally references calling souls, etc, Demon summoning, dual pistols, martial arts, and Assault Rifle.  All of those are leaning toward specific origins, though a player could creatively get around it by their explanation of their origin.  Mystic and Arcane are no more "directly" linked to magic than Demon summoning or Assault rifle.  Maybe you're a mutant who taps into mystic energies ala Wanda Maximoff, or maybe you're a scientist who created a device that lets you control mystic universal energies.  If you can have a magic wielding person with an assault rifle and claim that doesn't require a specific origin, you can have a tech based "arcane energy" blaster or a mutant "mystic empowerment" defender.   

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Puma

[Player2]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:15 PM, Rudra said:

Then what would you make for the Mutation Blast or Natural Blast sets? (Edit: The reason why the power sets are as generic as the devs could manage is so they work with all the origins. Even the weapons and devices sets can be magical devices/weapons.)

You can call a set "Magic Blast" without it having to be magic.  It's just a descriptive word, not a rule.  Just like Assault Rifle can be taken by someone who is a mutant or magic origin and you can claim they are magic bullets...  you could also have a Magic Blast powerset on someone with a Natural origin and say that's just an inherent ability for your character.  But if you have a problem specifically with the word "Magic" because it also appears as one of the 5 character origins, just replace it with a synonym like "Arcane Blast" or "Mystic Blast."

[Yaliw]

On 10/9/2022 at 10:49 PM, Rudra said:

Magic attacks are covered by the magic origin in use with any power set in the game. Rune combat auras if you prefer a more mystic appearance.

I disagree with this because we have traps which by this logic would not be allowed to exist because it looks like the technology origin.

 

Besides, my character is a level 20 sorcerer so technically I'm naturally magical. Or maybe I make arcane-powered objects out of modern technology to use?

 

I like this idea as a whole. I got a couple of hiccups with it but the over-all idea is fine.

[Rudra]

6 hours ago, Puma said:

As you pointed out, we have "devices" but also "necromancy", Dark Miasma which literally references calling souls, etc, Demon summoning, dual pistols, martial arts, and Assault Rifle.  All of those are leaning toward specific origins, though a player could creatively get around it by their explanation of their origin.  Mystic and Arcane are no more "directly" linked to magic than Demon summoning or Assault rifle.  Maybe you're a mutant who taps into mystic energies ala Wanda Maximoff, or maybe you're a scientist who created a device that lets you control mystic universal energies.  If you can have a magic wielding person with an assault rifle and claim that doesn't require a specific origin, you can have a tech based "arcane energy" blaster or a mutant "mystic empowerment" defender.   

 

Necromancy is the raising of the dead. Generally understood to be magic, but not limited to it. Raising the dead has been cast as a virus, as technological implants, and even as mutation.

 

Devices have always been a blanket tool for everyone regardless of what they are. Be the user a mutant (a la Cable), a natural (a la pick your favorite movie/TV show), science (a la pick your favorite movie/TV show), or technology (pick your favorite movie/TV show). Same thing for pick your choice of weapon.

 

Demon summoning is the summoning and binding of demons. Like with necromancy, it is generally understood to be magic, but it is not limited to it. You can build combat drones that look like demons (tech), make them in a lab (science), have a deal with demons that agree to aid you (for a price later) (natural), or manifest them from your psyche (mutation), as well as summon and bind them (magic). The summoning animation? Is simply how they arrive.

 

Mystic and arcane are magic. The whole purpose of the proposed power set is specifically magic.

 

Also? Wanda Maximoff's mutant ability is energy manipulation. She was taught to use it as if it was sorcery because she had no control over it as a child.

[Rudra]

5 hours ago, Player2 said:

You can call a set "Magic Blast" without it having to be magic.  It's just a descriptive word, not a rule.  Just like Assault Rifle can be taken by someone who is a mutant or magic origin and you can claim they are magic bullets...  you could also have a Magic Blast powerset on someone with a Natural origin and say that's just an inherent ability for your character.  But if you have a problem specifically with the word "Magic" because it also appears as one of the 5 character origins, just replace it with a synonym like "Arcane Blast" or "Mystic Blast."

I would agree except that the stated objective of the set is for it to be mage set. The exact same set would be more or less fine if it was not defined specifically as a single origin set.

 

3 hours ago, Yaliw said:

I disagree with this because we have traps which by this logic would not be allowed to exist because it looks like the technology origin.

 

Besides, my character is a level 20 sorcerer so technically I'm naturally magical. Or maybe I make arcane-powered objects out of modern technology to use?

 

I like this idea as a whole. I got a couple of hiccups with it but the over-all idea is fine.

Traps are used by all origins. Pick your fantasy RPG or story. Traps are used by wizards to protect things while they are not there to watch over them and to take down foes if they know they are coming in advance. And those traps can take the form of hidden glyphs, available runes, and even various form constructs of even technological appearance (devices) depending on the game, book, movie, or show. (Edit: Easiest example of devices that look like technology but are magic? The Atlantean Guild in Mage Knight. Though they are a technomantic faction.)

Edited October 13, 2022 by Rudra

[KingCeddd03]

Why limit what we want by telling us to pretend the powers are something else? we can have that and the other sets too.

[Sneakers]

49 minutes ago, KingCeddd03 said:

Why limit what we want by telling us to pretend the powers are something else? we can have that and the other sets too.

 

I think your limiting yourself a bit by not applying your imagination to your character.

You can be whatever you want. It just appeared to me that energy blast is similar to a arcane blaster. 

Do you think its possible that they actually had that in mind when they added energy blaster set to the game ?

[KingCeddd03]

28 minutes ago, Sneakers said:

 

I think your limiting yourself a bit by not applying your imagination to your character.

You can be whatever you want. It just appeared to me that energy blast is similar to a arcane blaster. 

Do you think its possible that they actually had that in mind when they added energy blaster set to the game ?

Sorry, Tried that iit's not the same feeling as actually having it with the visuals.  as cool as using Electric blast as arcane energy is, it does not give the feeling that having the actual new powerset can give, electric blast is one note at best very basic it's time we elevate and stop pretending to have something and actually have it. I have seen on other servers they have done so by making new powers why can this server? besides this server feels more official.

[Rudra]

6 minutes ago, KingCeddd03 said:

Tried that iit's not the same feeling as actually having it with the visuals.

If what you want are the visuals, the Dr. Strange/WoW fanart discs, then why are you against having them as combat auras instead? A combat aura can be applied to any power set to make it look and feel the way you want. It could even be added to the assault rifle, beam rifle, and dual pistols power sets for arcane bullets if you want. Then every power set in the game becomes the arcane energy power set you want, as you have described wanting it.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Rudra
Edited for clarification. Hopefully....

[Sneakers]

6 minutes ago, KingCeddd03 said:

Sorry, Tried that iit's not the same feeling as actually having it with the visuals.  as cool as using Electric blast as arcane energy is, it does not give the feeling that having the actual new powerset can give, electric blast is one note at best very basic it's time we elevate and stop pretending to have something and actually have it. I have seen on other servers they have done so by making new powers why can this server? besides this server feels more official.

Sure, I wouldn't mind seeing more archtypes. 

Thats cool that you thought out those power sets like that.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Sneakers

[TheZag]

I said my piece earlier so i just want to add that i wouldnt mind seeing more representation from powersets that lean towards an origin.  Almost all of my characters take sorcery for mystic flight and they are from all origins.  Any powerset no matter how heavily it leans into a single origin can have a reason that every other origin was able to use it.

 

[Sneakers]

On 10/11/2022 at 8:28 PM, biostem said:

The thing is, what would make a set "magic"?  Even pistols are simply a delivery method for your attack - they needn't be any more tech-based than a wand or stave.  What I'm trying to wrap my head around is how a "magic blast" set would differ from, say, energy blast w/ some fist rune aura.  What would differentiate it?  I mean, if the OP just wanted a wand or staff blast set, I could get behind it, since it'd be more distinct and could incorporate new or different effects...

Well in my mind, one difference between an arcane spell and an elemental spell or physical force is that the arcane spell is not affected by resistance. 

It could still miss because that is dependent on the ability of the caster.

I would describe it as a spectral source of damage. It doesn't actually make contact with anything. It's a magic spell that causes a predictable effect, but it has no real physical form.

For the sake of the video game, it could have a colorful appearance and a dmg source type.

 

While you could describe "arcane" or "arcana" as the source of all magic whether it was duplication, conjuration, alteration, telekinesis ect ect. 

Those types of magic spells would be considered tricks compared to a spell that produced arcane damage.

It is more potent because it is pure magic power, not limited by or tied to the physical world.

 

Difference.

One way to make it distinct I think would be to give them a basic spell as a channeled damage spell. Or to be more in line with COH a single target ranged damage spell that the character channels and can channel forever or at least for a exceptionally long time, 10 seconds or more. I'm not sure such a power exists yet ? However, I've surely not tried every single one.

The effect would be similar to a dmg aura except a little more powerful and single target ranged channel.

 

Another way would be to use animations that make the appearance of spell casting rather then extending your arms out to expel power.

The animation for Ki Push for example has that sort of appearance.

 

I'm just thinking that going through all of that is a lot of work though. So hats off to you out there who are actually producing new archetypes.

[Rudra]

Flaws in your argument:

18 minutes ago, Sneakers said:

Well in my mind, one difference between an arcane spell and an elemental spell or physical force is that the arcane spell is not affected by resistance. 

In games and stories with arcane magic, it is still resisted. Particularly video games.

 

18 minutes ago, Sneakers said:

I would describe it as a spectral source of damage. It doesn't actually make contact with anything.

Then it can't harm or otherwise affect anything either.

 

18 minutes ago, Sneakers said:

t's a magic spell that causes a predictable effect, but it has no real physical form.

Except in every book, game, movie, and show. Magic provides the means for the effect's physical form.

 

18 minutes ago, Sneakers said:

While you could describe "arcane" or "arcana" as the source of all magic whether it was duplication, conjuration, alteration, telekinesis ect ect. 

Those types of magic spells would be considered tricks compared to a spell that produced arcane damage.

No. The only time "arcane damage" is separate from the fire damage of a fireball or the electric damage of a lightning bolt or the negative damage of a curse bolt is when it is not formed specifically into those effects. In which case it does energy damage.

 

18 minutes ago, Sneakers said:

It is more potent because it is pure magic power, not limited by or tied to the physical world.

That is not true in any reference out there. Magic can do more damage than other sources, but only when sufficient power is poured into it. And if you poured that same power into other sources? They do as much damage. In fact, technological weapons are known to match or exceed magic attacks in a significant number of stories and games.

 

Edit: Actually, that's even a trope for stories with magic and technology. The fall of magic and the rise of technology. Because even a simple black powder weapon could be made, given to a random person, and then instructed in its use extremely quickly to achieve the same "kill the other guy" effect as magic without the years of study and innate ability to use magic that magic requires.

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Rudra

[MistressOhm]

So off the top of my head, I like the idea of a more arcane-based powerset (above and beyond the ones we have now that CAN be of "magical" origin).  The idea of switching the form of the damage between Fire, Arcane (energy), and Psionic is also a good one, and the Secondary set has merit also.

 

I think most of the pushback you're getting is because most of us CoH players understand that ANY powerset in the game can be of "Magical" origin, or Technological, or Mutant, or Science, or straight up "Natural" in the case of nonhuman sentients that come with these powers as 'standard'.    

 

How would this Arcane set work as a Technological power?  Is it some kind of projected energy multitool such as in Mass Effect?  Is it a power ring like DC's Lantern Corps?  How would a Mutant be able to wield these as spells or incantations rather than as abilities?   Is it simply how the mind learned to cope with the idea of projected energy constructs rather than raw energy?  

 

I for one would love to have arcane-looking effects even on a tech or science hero.  Something about 'alien runes' appearing around a held mob, or hyperscience energy constructs that are inscrutable to most people.  Maybe it's not "Magic" but someone literally manifesting mathematical equations they've 'solved' to fit the situation, or computer-generated hard light projections.  Omnitools, power rings, or magical artifacts?  Whatever you like.  

 

My above point is, no powerset should lock someone into the origins or source of the power, that's up to the player to imagine.  As long as you can describe what a powerset does, and how it (generally) looks, that's enough, let the players flesh out the 'how it works' and 'what it comes from' bits.

[battlewraith]

An arcane set is an obvious omission from the roster of power sets for this game. And you could certainly ideate ways that it could be different from, say, other blast sets. It could be more controller-ish than other blast sets, maybe focused on binding somehow. Maybe some of the blasts could summon some little short duration mini-pets, like the new changes to mastermind necromancy. I'd like to see something that summons eldritch tentacles--maybe a tentacle version of voltaic sentinel or something. There are tons of cool things that a set like this could be.

 

Unfortunately, the suggestion forum is over full of garbage, rules-lawyering naysing white noise. So instead of talking about how something could be fun, people end up arguing over somebody's narrow conception of how magic works within the realm of video game or fantasy fiction norms. At least according to the people that think they are doing the community a service by sucking the air out of the room. 

 

Our general conception of superheroes comes from comic books. Comic books are a populist art form of entertainment--things happen there because they are cool and entertaining. They don't have to make sense or even be consistent. The rules can change any time a new writer picks up a title. As for this game, people should rightly be concerned with things like gameplay, balance, etc. But with regards to themes and artistry, the best way to make the game boring and predictable is to pay heed to people who will nitpick these ideas to death over their stupid thematic hangups. 

[biostem]

1 hour ago, battlewraith said:

An arcane set is an obvious omission from the roster of power sets for this game. And you could certainly ideate ways that it could be different from, say, other blast sets. It could be more controller-ish than other blast sets, maybe focused on binding somehow. Maybe some of the blasts could summon some little short duration mini-pets, like the new changes to mastermind necromancy. I'd like to see something that summons eldritch tentacles--maybe a tentacle version of voltaic sentinel or something. There are tons of cool things that a set like this could be.

 

Unfortunately, the suggestion forum is over full of garbage, rules-lawyering naysing white noise. So instead of talking about how something could be fun, people end up arguing over somebody's narrow conception of how magic works within the realm of video game or fantasy fiction norms. At least according to the people that think they are doing the community a service by sucking the air out of the room. 

 

Our general conception of superheroes comes from comic books. Comic books are a populist art form of entertainment--things happen there because they are cool and entertaining. They don't have to make sense or even be consistent. The rules can change any time a new writer picks up a title. As for this game, people should rightly be concerned with things like gameplay, balance, etc. But with regards to themes and artistry, the best way to make the game boring and predictable is to pay heed to people who will nitpick these ideas to death over their stupid thematic hangups. 

You want to propose a new blast set that is more "controllerish" or has some new effects, go right ahead.  You want to propose a set that summons tentacles or otherworldly entities, more power to you.  You want to suggest a set that has some weird forced origin that "bypasses all resistances" or "doesn't manifest in reality", then you're going to get push-back.  It is exceedingly relevant to point out that the actual primary and secondary powersets we can utilize are divorced from any specific origin.  Your origin is simply flavor that describes the means through which your character produces the effect of their powers.  There is smashing, lethal, fire, cold, energy, negative energy, psionic, and toxic damage.  That's it!  You don't get to introduce new damage types, you don't get to make your powerset wholly unresistable.  You don't get to throw out any semblance of game balance or other such concerns in the name of "fun".  Look at the existing powersets and work within that framework.  Magic does exist within the game setting, and it is fairly well understood there.  Even extradimensional gods within the setting play by those well-established rules.  This is a video game inspired and influenced by comic books, pulp fiction, and so on - it is not a "let's throw out all the rules because I think X would be fun" sandbox to cater to any one person's wants or dreams...

[battlewraith]

1 hour ago, biostem said:

This is a video game inspired and influenced by comic books, pulp fiction, and so on - it is not a "let's throw out all the rules because I think X would be fun" sandbox to cater to any one person's wants or dreams...

 

I didn't say throw out the rules. I actually said that people should be concerned with gameplay, balance, etc. Any yes, unfortunately we are working with a narrow set of well established game dynamics. But that is all the more reason why, on an ideation level-when dealing with things like themes--we should not be just looking at existing powersets and working within that framework. We shouldn't be happy to get the same repackaged garbage over and over again. Especially on a suggestions forum. It shouldn't be the part of posters here to make things predictable and mundane in advance. And I notice you put fun in quotes. This is a game, not a job. It's supposed to be fun. If someone communicates a clear idea of fun, maybe at this stage that's more important than killing it because of what some posters expect or are used to.