I'm really confused about how Frigid Protection works...

[Story Archer]

I get the impression that it used to be something entirely different from what it is now - is that the case? Mids doesn't really explain it and I'm not entirely sure that their data for it is accurate. Can someone walk me through how the power works and what its actual mechanical benefits are?

[Uun]

Before they added the sustain powers to the blaster secondaries in I25, it used to be Chilling Embrace (toggle PBAoE -dmg, -speed, -rech). They cobbled the sustain onto it, adding +absorb and +recovery (and cutting the endurance cost to 0) and increasing the radius to 30 feet.

 

https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=blaster_support.ice_manipulation.chilling_embrace&at=blaster

[Story Archer]

1 hour ago, Uun said:

Before they added the sustain powers to the blaster secondaries in I25, it used to be Chilling Embrace (toggle PBAoE -dmg, -speed, -rech). They cobbled the sustain onto it, adding +absorb and +recovery (and cutting the endurance cost to 0) and increasing the radius to 30 feet.

 

https://cod.uberguy.net/html/power.html?power=blaster_support.ice_manipulation.chilling_embrace&at=blaster

Alright, first off, that is an incredibly useful site that you linked for me there, should help stave off any number of future inane questions - once I've figured out how to interpret it. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond. Chilling Embrace is what I remember, the 'sustain' powers not so much.

 

Looking at the Activation vs. Standard Effects shown and the 'Child Effects' listed, how do I put that in relatable terms? I'm still trying to get my mind around the 'Absorb' (vs. Heal) terminology... the Absorb and Recovery effects are listed twice - are those two separate effects that essentially stack concurrently or is it just repeating itself? If the ability is a Toggle, what do the 12s and 3s durations signify (as well as the 5s duration in the Standard Effects listed below)? If the character had absolutely no other abilities or effects currently affecting them, what would the measurable Absorb and Recovery benefit actually be, relative to the character's baseline? Looking at Mids (and assuming that it's accurate), with both abilities unenhanced, it looks like the Recovery benefit is roughly twice that of Stamina, but there's no visible effect on Regeneration.

 

And what is the point of a Toggle that doesn't cost Endurance? Why not simply make it an Auto power, unless that would require too much recoding? I remember back in the day mezzes could shut down your toggles, but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

 

Thanks in advance - I'm not trying to be dense, I promise you. If I can understand the terminology being used here, I should be able to extrapolate that when looking up other abilities and be less of a bother on the boards.

[Uun]

1 hour ago, Story Archer said:

the Absorb and Recovery effects are listed twice - are those two separate effects that essentially stack concurrently or is it just repeating itself?

They don't stack. There are 2 display options - one which hides the absorb numbers floating over your head and one which shows them. That's why the effects are listed twice. 

 

1 hour ago, Story Archer said:

If the ability is a Toggle, what do the 12s and 3s durations signify (as well as the 5s duration in the Standard Effects listed below)? If the character had absolutely no other abilities or effects currently affecting them, what would the measurable Absorb and Recovery benefit actually be, relative to the character's baseline?

Absorb acts as a HP buffer. Damage depletes the absorb buffer before it reduces your HP. The toggle ticks every 2 seconds (Activate Period on the left panel). The absorb component stacks with itself and lasts 12 seconds. That means you can have 6 stacks of 18.1 absorb (108.6 total) at any one time. Enhancements can increase the buffer to about 212, or 17.5% of base HP. 

 

The recovery buff and speed/recharge/damage debuffs don't stack, so they're just going to refresh every 2 seconds. You are correct that recovery buff is twice Stamina. The 5 second duration of the debuffs would apply if the foe left the AoE.

 

1 hour ago, Story Archer said:

And what is the point of a Toggle that doesn't cost Endurance? Why not simply make it an Auto power, unless that would require too much recoding?

That's how the devs coded all the sustain powers (although some of them are clicks, not toggles). I think the debuffs are intended to suppress if you're mezzed. The debuffs also suppress if you're stealthed but not in combat, which wouldn't work with an auto power.

[Nemu]

Most ATs would die to have an endurance sustain that blasters have access to. Slotting it means you rarely have to worry about endurance issues.

 

Others may disagree, a lot of players will overlook everything else a power does and focus only on healing if a power has a healing component. My advice is don't get too hung up on heals on these sustain powers, it won't save you. Slot it for endurance recovery, it allows you run more toggles such as tough/weave/maneuvers and those help you a lot more than a measly 35hp/second bonus to regeneration will ever accord you.

[Yomo Kimyata]

5 hours ago, Nemu said:

Most ATs would die to have an endurance sustain that blasters have access to. Slotting it means you rarely have to worry about endurance issues.

 

 

 

I'm starting to think my ultimate scrapper is a blaster.

[Akisan]

Archery/Ice main here...

 

On 7/27/2023 at 8:11 AM, Story Archer said:

And what is the point of a Toggle that doesn't cost Endurance? Why not simply make it an Auto power, unless that would require too much recoding? I remember back in the day mezzes could shut down your toggles, but that doesn't seem to be the case any more.

 

For this one?  I'd say it's because that 30' aura draws a TON of hate.  It's a mix of Slows (-40% recharge / -70% movement) and -Damage, which seem to be right at the top of the AI's hitlist (right behind actual taunt).  I've even had enemies already in combat with (and damaged by!) another player change targets, even if I don't attack (I don't steal kills!  Edit - this was while street sweeping in PI).  And before they changed it so full stealth suppressed debuffs, it was effectively a 30' anti-stealth aura.

 

10 hours ago, Nemu said:

Most ATs would die to have an endurance sustain that blasters have access to. Slotting it means you rarely have to worry about endurance issues.

 

Others may disagree, a lot of players will overlook everything else a power does and focus only on healing if a power has a healing component. My advice is don't get too hung up on heals on these sustain powers, it won't save you. Slot it for endurance recovery, it allows you run more toggles such as tough/weave/maneuvers and those help you a lot more than a measly 35hp/second bonus to regeneration will ever accord you.

 

This.  So much this.  I put a white End.Mod, and the Perf. Shifter End.Mod+End.Chance in both this and stamina in one of my early builds, and it was overkill (ran 9 other toggles, including 3 leadership toggles, and could ignore every source of End. drain except for Sappers (who still barely mattered)).  Now I have 2x Power Transfer (end.mod & heal) and 2x Numina (Heal & regen/recovery) in this, and only the Perf.Shifter End.Mod in Stamina - and it's still plenty of endurance (dropping a few toggles helped that, though). 

As far as the absorb goes, well, it's nice, but the -14% damage and the slow do so much more to stop damage (well... after they finish their alpha strike.  After that, there's a lot of standing around).

 

Also - if you haven't looked at your Alpha options yet, give Radial intuition a look - Hold (melee hold in secondary), Damage, Range, Slow.  It pairs beautifully with this secondary. As a bonus, it brings that slow value to about -90% movement (slow recharge is unenhancable), so enemies will very slowly try to run to you - and fail hard if you have Ice Patch and/or Bonfire.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Akisan

[biostem]

On 7/27/2023 at 10:11 AM, Story Archer said:

I'm still trying to get my mind around the 'Absorb' (vs. Heal) terminology

Absorb powers basically grant an extra layer of HP that gets deducted from before your actual HP - it's sort of like an ablative shield.