Focused Feedback: Epic / Ancillary Power Pools

[Dispari]

Even if I did agree that the power was OP (it's not), endurance cost is a poor way to balance something. Because some builds will just get to use the OP thing without any problems, and be OP. The change just brought it to a reasonable level. Anyway, resistance to -ToHit is a pretty narrow edge case, not to discount it entirely; it's handy against Circle sometimes. But basically Tactics does more for the same cost, and benefits your whole team. The only time I could see going Targeting Drone over Tactics is not wanting to take the Leadership pool and another power before it, or you just want a little floaty boi over your head.

[electric_emu]

I'll take more time to go over and test the specific changes but I greatly move toward consistency across epics. And I especially appreciate the proliferation of themes to archetypes that "should" have them (Earth Mastery for Scrappers/Stalkers and Blasters next, please!) 

 

At first glance I think Spirit Drain is... fair.   

[arcane]

3 minutes ago, Dispari said:

The only time I could see going Targeting Drone over Tactics is not wanting to take the Leadership pool and another power before it

Yeah either wanting to pick another pool entirely or you already wanted Physical Perfection or something like that and Focused Accuracy was the best pre-req.

[Tatterhood]

I feel like Ninja Tool Mastery being renamed Weapon Mastery doesn't really make sense. The only power they have in common is Caltrops / Tashibishi which doesn't even have the same name, and one gives you a sword while the other doesn't. Thematically Weapon Mastery seems to go more along with Munitions Mastery, while Ninja Tool Mastery as the only epic pool that comes with a non-mace weapon deserves to have a unique name.

[macskull]

40 minutes ago, ScarySai said:

It wasn't, and it still isn't.

 

Not worth debating this further.

I could probably entertain that argument for the old version of FA back when it was a straight tohit buff instead of the mediocre combined tohit/acc buff it is now, but even with the tohit debuff resistance the power's still not great. It's a power in an epic pool and by the time you're at a high level you're probably rocking so much acc and/or tohit that you don't need the extra from FA, and it's not like NPC tohit debuffs are common anyways. The endurance reduction at least takes FA from a complete dud of a power (for PvE anyways) to one that I might consider picking for a few seconds before I laugh at myself and take a different epic pool anyways.

[FupDup]

The thing to remember is that picking FA comes at the opportunity cost of not having a damage-based epic pool like Mu for Scrapper/Stalker or Soul for Brute/Tanker. And since damage is literally the only thing that matters in this game, I don't see this exchange becoming overpowered anytime soon. 

[ScarySai]

@macskull just don't think people should waste feedback thread real estate responding to such an outrageous claim. Say no and move on, eh?

[drbuzzard]

Tried the psionic mastery set on a tank (part of it mesmerize and harmonic mind). 

 

I chose mesmerize because it is listen as having pretty high damage in the stats. However in the text below it seems to be about 1/2 that. In practice it seems to follow the 1/2 value from the text. 

 

Harmonic mind seems to be working OK. 

Edited January 20 by drbuzzard

[MoonSheep]

@Mezmera you seen this new dark mastery for doms? a -res tar patch *and* darkest night - what a winner. move over ice mastery!

[Mezmera]

Just now, MoonSheep said:

@Mezmera you seen this new dark mastery for doms? a -res tar patch *and* darkest night - what a winner. move over ice mastery!

 

Yes I saw it.  I typically run with Soul on my dommies to fill in my lack of aoe on /Nrg.  With the nerf to Sleet there's no clear cut go-to for doms which is good anyways since that pool is a trap, there's lots of good ones for doms.  This new one looks quite top tier.  

[WitchofDread]

2 minutes ago, MoonSheep said:

@Mezmera you seen this new dark mastery for doms? a -res tar patch *and* darkest night - what a winner. move over ice mastery!

Torrent will also be great for the ff +rech proc which will help some doms.

[Mezmera]

Just now, WitchofDread said:

Torrent will also be great for the ff +rech proc which will help some doms.

 

The 4 other powers in that set look great then there's also this one for a cheap way to proc a ff.

[WitchofDread]

Be great to have an alternative to sleet. Can finally go for ill/dark/dark dom!

[MoonSheep]

4 minutes ago, Mezmera said:

 

Yes I saw it.  I typically run with Soul on my dommies to fill in my lack of aoe on /Nrg.  With the nerf to Sleet there's no clear cut go-to for doms which is good anyways since that pool is a trap, there's lots of good ones for doms.  This new one looks quite top tier.  

 

i read the sleet nerf just after i posted - boo 😔😢

 

-22.5% res isn't too bad, could have been worse.

 

some actual feedback to the devs however: @The Curator can the power icons for ice mastery on dominators be slightly less garish? it's a bit luminous compared to how it was previously! i do appreciate the icon for Hoarfrost being fixed though

 

edit: exibit A of the observed crime: 😁

Edited January 20 by MoonSheep

[WitchofDread]

5 minutes ago, Mezmera said:

 

The 4 other powers in that set look great then there's also this one for a cheap way to proc a ff.

@Mezmera the only issue with soul consumption is the 10 min recharge time. Can't see it getting a great deal of use!

[WitchofDread]

Ice mastery for def and corr, I'd prefer to see ice block and a shiver like ability. Similar to what scrappers and stalkers got.

[Mezmera]

1 minute ago, WitchofDread said:

@Mezmera the only issue with soul consumption is the 10 min recharge time. Can't see it getting a great deal of use!

 

Oh yeah didn't get to see all of the details yet.  Power recharges make a difference yeah.  I wouldn't mind a higher recharge like the ones you'd find in Soul Mastery but 10 mins seems quite high.  There's a sweet spot you can work around for longer recharging powers but I can't see 10 mins being all that effective other than a once in a while burst of proc detonating.  

[WitchofDread]

Just now, Mezmera said:

 

Oh yeah didn't get to see all of the details yet.  Power recharges make a difference yeah.  I wouldn't mind a higher recharge like the ones you'd find in Soul Mastery but 10 mins seems quite high.  There's a sweet spot you can work around for longer recharging powers but I can't see 10 mins being all that effective other than a once in a while burst of proc detonating.  

It needs to be 2-3 mins at most tbh. Otherwise it's pointless and will never be chosen. 

[psylum1]

3 hours ago, WitchofDread said:

 

ice mastery for the Corruptor has Ice elemental instead of Hibernate

 

Yep, Patch not say Hibernate, In game is Ice elemental. Is ice elemental really necessary for the pool?  

[brass_eagle]

4 hours ago, ScarySai said:

 

Hear me out: If you turn that black hole power into a vacuum like axe cyclone instead of a clone of the worst intangible power in the game: this pool will be really fun.

 

It's almost as if that's what black holes are famous for! Seconded. Oh and do the other versions too.

 

On a more feedback note...  I saw black hole in the power selection reading the notes and was baffled by its presence. There are much better survivability tools by level 40ish that don't annoy your teammates and disrupt gameplay flow. The power has been on the wrong end of jokes and criticism for ages, possibly back to the launch of the game. I recall being told not to use Dimension Shift (at that time a Black Hole clone) when I was new to the game around Issue 2ish.

 

There are some niche arguments for its existence, mostly solo, but they are incredibly reaching to justify its use on a regular basis. Even as an Oh S**t power, it doesn't rise to the occasion or it confuses your teammates why their powers were wasted on it before realizing. I've only ever taken it once as a novelty. In my experience with powers like these (including detention field style), they don't affect the targets you may really want them to--like those harpies in Summer Block Buster.

 

Find another power or something. I'm just left confused by this choice--not Possess style.

Edited January 20 by brass_eagle

[WitchofDread]

5 minutes ago, brass_eagle said:

 

It's almost as if that's what black holes are famous for! Seconded. Oh and do the other versions too.

 

On a more feedback note...  I saw black hole in the power selection reading the notes and was baffled by its presence. There are much better survivability tools by level 40ish that don't annoy your teammates and disrupt gameplay flow. The power has been on the wrong end of jokes and criticism for ages, possibly back to the launch of the game. I recall being told not to use Dimension Shift (at that time a Black Hole clone) when I was new to the game around Issue 2ish.

 

There are some niche arguments for its existence, mostly solo, but they are incredibly reaching to justify its use on a regular basis. Even as an Oh S**t power, it doesn't rise to the occasion or it confuses your teammates why their powers were wasted on it before realizing. I've only ever taken it once as a novelty. In my experience with powers like these (including detention field style), they don't affect the targets you may really want them to--like those harpies in Summer Block Buster.

 

Find another power or something. I'm just left confused by this choice--not Possess style.

 

Tbh possess is a really weird choice as well.

[ChocolateMercenary]

4 hours ago, WitchofDread said:

 

Giving soul consumption to controllers is a strange move, especially when they already have plenty of options for healing and end recovery. If you were to pair this with Soul Absorption from Dark Affinity, it seems like a strange move. It would be better to give them a ranged aoe attack instead.

 

on Dominators though, this is a great selection. To the point id be stuck with which powers not to take!

 

Ice Mastery for Def & corr, why include build up? Flash Freeze? No, how about Ice Slick? or Frozen Aura?

 

Spirit Drain? ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is an awful idea! Leave Soul Drain alone!!!

They already get Consumption in Fire(Flame) Mastery, and Conserve Power in Primary Forces Mastery. There is precedence.

[brass_eagle]

I think Possess if fine, and could be fun. But I'm a person who takes and uses the new Dimension Shift sometimes. And I still don't like Black Hole. 

 

Anyway, I'll end that rant there--not to derail further.

Edited January 20 by brass_eagle

[Ratch_]

Quote

Epic > Fire Mastery > Greater Fire Sword
Recharge increased to 24s from 12s. Activation Time Decreased to 1.37s from 2.33s.

I don't see anything in the patch notes about this but Greater Fire Sword was changed also in this epic pool adjustment. In addition, could it be updated to also do the -def that the Greater Fire Sword power does for Fire Melee. This "new" Greater Fire Sword is already taking upon the dmg profile and animation time of the one found in Fire Melee, it missing the -def component seems like an oversight.

Edited January 20 by Ratch_

[Bel]

I think it would make more sense w/in the logic of their current states to keep soul drain in dark epic for corrs/fenders, and make the soul drain in soul epic become spirit drain instead. Dark epic supports melee play w/ opp gloom and dark consumption, giving it the melee build up makes sense w/in the logic of that set. Soul epic lends itself to ranged play w/ everything but its soul drain. Giving it spirit drain would give players the flexibility to have a clear choice in what they want their playstyle to be: dark epic for melee focused, and soul for ranged.

Edited January 20 by Bel