Idea for a new support set: "Preparedness"

[biostem]

So the idea here is that, instead of any overt or flashy powers, your character supports themselves and their teammates via careful planning, skill, and being highly aware of their surroundings.  To this end, I present to you "Preparedness":

 

1. Combat Medic - A basic heal other power with regen debuff resistance.

 

2. Careful Maneuvering - Similar to the "Maneuvers" power from Leadership, but with a lower end cost and better defensive values.

 

3. Anticipate Attacks - A toggle granting a small amount of resistance to all damage types.

 

4. Proper Motivation - A click power with a longish recharge that grants increased movement speed and endurance recovery.

 

5. Reveal Weakness - A single target click power which reduces an enemy's defense and damage resistance.

 

6. Back on your feet! - A revive power.

 

7. Smelling Salts - A simple ally-targeted click power that grants status effect protection and end drain resistance.

 

8. Ambush - Places you and any nearby allies into a temporary stealth, which allows them to deal extra damage with their next attack.

 

9. Asymmetrical Warfare - You are able to rally your team to overcome overwhelming odds - grants an increasing tohit, damage, and recharge buff based upon how many more enemies there are in the immediate vicinity compared to your team size.

 

The specific names, order, and numbers for the powers are malleable...

[MHertz]

I really like the idea behind a Batman-type set. I’m not sure this is quite balanced.

 

Part of the reason is the obvious benefits to the Defender (or whatever), which isn’t in line with the way other Defender sets work. This set gives the character continuous +Def, continuous +Res(All), +to hit, +damage, +recharge, and Stealth + sneak attack damage bonus, in addition to granting additional combat effectiveness from enemy debuffs. This does have some holes in its self-defense, such as no self-heal, no self-protection vs status, and no self-recovery boost, but that’s about all it lacks. It’s kind of a hybrid between a defensive set and a support set.

 

Also, there is only one bonus in the set requiring a to-hit roll (4: Reveal Weakness). This puts it above even Radiation, which has only two (Choking Cloud and EM Pulse) but it’s auto-hit e enemy-targeted toggles draw a fair amount of aggro, as I recall. Kinetic’s main heal is to-hit, as is that of Dark; FF has aggro-inducing knockback. Thermal has two enemy-targeted debuffs. This Defender set gains all of its benefits while drawing almost no enemy aggro or even relying on having enemies in mêlée range.

 

The third thing I’m not crazy about here is that it’s just … a list of buffs and debuffs. There’s no theme. What kind of animation is there for any of these? Effects? The Defender just talks to his teammates? It’s a very meta set — seemingly built around the advantages it gives rather than a concrete heroic concept.

 

I would revise it as such:

• Caltrops (click, targeted AOE, -Speed)
• Smoke grenade (click, targeted enemy AOE, -To Hit, -Perception)
• Tactical support (toggle, PBAOE self+ally + Def)
• Hallucinogen Grenade (click, targeted enemy AOE, Fear)
• Laser Targeting (click, targeted enemy, debuffs)
• Inspire (click, PBAOE, +Speed +Recovery, +Recharge)
• Smelling Salts (click, defeated ally, revival; +Def, +Damage)
• Distraction (click, ally, +Stealth, +Damage)
• Always Prepared (click, PBAOE, Res(all), high values for a short time, can be clicked while mezzed)

Or something like that.

Edited November 17, 2022 by MHertz

[biostem]

1 minute ago, MHertz said:

I would revise it

I really appreciate the input.  Obviously the specific values would have to be carefully balanced/adjusted.  I don't want this to be a gear-focused set, hence no grenades, caltrops, etc.

[MHertz]

No, I get that’s what you were going for. I just don’t know how well that would work in an audio-visual medium. The advantage to gear and powers  is that they provide a context for visual feedback. The animation shows a character doing something; the action has a persistent effect (smoke, bubble, glow, patch on the ground; a buzz or hum); when the effect is no longer visible and/or audible, the buff is gone. A “no powers, no gear, no theme” set would essentially be invisible to the user. You’d have to watch the buff icons like a hawk to see whether any effect was in place on your teammates.

[Rudra]

Basically, it would be like Leadership except with no identifying visuals. While what Leadership actually does has no visuals, after all, ordering your minions/allies to engage in defensive maneuvers or dodge the incoming attack is just a simple verbal order that the game lacks for instance, but the set has visuals to let players know they are being affected. A set with no visuals to its effects leaves the question of if the effects are actually affecting anyone. Also a consideration, is that a set with no visuals lacks the ability to engage player interest the way other sets do. For some players, that would be a plus. For others, that would be visually boring.

[MHertz]

13 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Also a consideration, is that a set with no visuals lacks the ability to engage player interest the way other sets do. For some players, that would be a plus. For others, that would be visually boring.

A set with no visuals at all would have an advantage in PVP as well. A person might not realize they had been affected by a debuff. I suppose it's also possible that being invisibly buffed could also be an advantage in PVP — the enemy doesn't know what your status effects are. The minimal solution is that buffs and debuffs from this set have effects in PVP, so both sides are aware of them.

 

I should also point out that the OP never said "no visuals." That was me, making a possibly unwarranted assumption.

Edited November 17, 2022 by MHertz

[Cybersbe]

I feel like “Tactics” would be a better name for this set. Other than that, consider me intrigued.

[Doc_Scorpion]

1 hour ago, MHertz said:

Part of the reason is the obvious benefits to the Defender (or whatever), which isn’t in line with the way other Defender sets work.

 

1 hour ago, MHertz said:

It’s kind of a hybrid between a defensive set and a support set.

To me thematically, it feels more like it wants to be a defense set not a support set.

[biostem]

1 hour ago, MHertz said:

I should also point out that the OP never said "no visuals." That was me, making a possibly unwarranted assumption.

I was thinking you'd use some of the emotes or other animations already in the game for the powers, and there would be the existing buff FX, such as the floating crosshairs for tactics.  Either way, the point is that it's a subtle set...

[Zepp]

I could see this working, Not sure if the +recovery and endurance drain protection fit the best, but I would be interested in playing this type of set...

[weewoozesty]

I will support this if the preparation power set has it's heal named "Preparation H"

[JasperStone]

13 hours ago, Cybersbe said:

I feel like “Tactics” would be a better name for this set. Other than that, consider me intrigued.

Intrigued as well.

What about Tactician or Tactical Medic

1. Ambush - me like
2. Anticipate Attacks - like this too, kinda like Wet Ice on a Tanker

[Yaliw]

I think people are getting too caught up on trees instead of seeing the forest. It's a numbers issue for balance, just tweak them. Visually, sonic somehow has visuals so I'm sure we could think of something for this set too