CrusaderDroid's Powerset Suggestion Thread (open to requests!)

[PeregrineFalcon]

5 minutes ago, Player2 said:

It's not like the tech themed powersets offer origin-specific options for every other origin, so you seem to be insisting something that doesn't apply anywhere else just for the sake of trying to naysay the whole idea.

At which point was I trying to "naysay the whole idea"? Oh, right. We already established in the last thread on this that you're psychic and you can read my mind. Well, it's really good that you're able to read my mind and disclose to everyone what I'm actually thinking instead of what I actually wrote.

 

Why don't you try responding to what I actually wrote instead of trying act like I'm secretly your enemy?

[CrusaderDroid]

3 minutes ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

At which point was I trying to "naysay the whole idea"? Oh, right. We already established in the last thread on this that you're psychic and you can read my mind. Well, it's really good that you're able to read my mind and disclose to everyone what I'm actually thinking instead of what I actually wrote.

 

Why don't you try responding to what I actually wrote instead of trying act like I'm secretly your enemy?

Please take it to PMs? I don't want a back and forth in this thread getting it locked. 

[biostem]

4 minutes ago, Player2 said:

YOU are interpreting it that way.  Mutant robots:  fine.  Magical guns?  fine.  Natural traps/devices?  Noooooo problem.

 

But magical look and feel with the option to apply Mutation, Natural, Science, or Technology option makes your brain shut down.  That's your issue; stop trying to make it everyone else's.

What, within the CoH setting, makes robots necessarily technological?  Do you know how they're powered?  Is there matrix code flowing off of them or something?  All you see is a metallic construct.  There is such a thing as golems, BTW.  "Natural", again within the context of CoH, means that the abilities are part of your, well, baseline existence - if demons are interpreted as a race of creatures, then it could be argued that their ability to throw fire is not, in fact, magic, but merely an aspect of their "biology".  It's a common argument for Superman, as any Kryptonian on earth would exhibit similar abilities, (though it could also be argued that it is science, due to exposure to a certain form of radiation).  My point simply is this - it is not the end result powers that have to do with your or their origin, merely where they come from;  a magic spell could make a fireball, as could a specialized flamethrower or some mutant ability.  An arcane/magic/sorcerous/mystic/etc blast set, by its very definition, has made that decision for you.

[Rudra]

2 minutes ago, biostem said:

What, within the CoH setting, makes robots necessarily technological?  Do you know how they're powered?  Is there matrix code flowing off of them or something?  All you see is a metallic construct.  There is such a thing as golems, BTW.  "Natural", again within the context of CoH, means that the abilities are part of your, well, baseline existence - if demons are interpreted as a race of creatures, then it could be argued that their ability to throw fire is not, in fact, magic, but merely an aspect of their "biology".  It's a common argument for Superman, as any Kryptonian on earth would exhibit similar abilities, (though it could also be argued that it is science, due to exposure to a certain form of radiation).  My point simply is this - it is not the end result powers that have to do with your or their origin, merely where they come from;  a magic spell could make a fireball, as could a specialized flamethrower or some mutant ability.  An arcane/magic/sorcerous/mystic/etc blast set, by its very definition, has made that decision for you.

To add to your comment, the very first robot in literature, as I stated in a previous thread, was a magic construct. And it was a metal man.

[CrusaderDroid]

1 minute ago, biostem said:

What, within the CoH setting, makes robots necessarily technological?  Do you know how they're powered?  Is there matrix code flowing off of them or something?  All you see is a metallic construct.  There is such a thing as golems, BTW.  "Natural", again within the context of CoH, means that the abilities are part of your, well, baseline existence - if demons are interpreted as a race of creatures, then it could be argued that their ability to throw fire is not, in fact, magic, but merely an aspect of their "biology".  It's a common argument for Superman, as any Kryptonian on earth would exhibit similar abilities, (though it could also be argued that it is science, due to exposure to a certain form of radiation).  My point simply is this - it is not the end result powers that have to do with your or their origin, merely where they come from;  a magic spell could make a fireball, as could a specialized flamethrower or some mutant ability.  An arcane/magic/sorcerous/mystic/etc blast set, by its very definition, has made that decision for you.

Please take this to PMs or another thread or what have you. I don't want this thread getting filled with arguments that end up tangential to the actual topic and get it locked.

[Rudra]

@CrusaderDroid has a point. We've hammered this topic over and over and over. @CrusaderDroid is open to accommodating other points of view, and arguing with @Player2 is just going to get this thread locked too. We're not going to change @Player2's mind.

[Player2]

10 minutes ago, biostem said:

What, within the CoH setting, makes robots necessarily technological?  Do you know how they're powered?  Is there matrix code flowing off of them or something?  All you see is a metallic construct.  There is such a thing as golems, BTW.  "Natural", again within the context of CoH, means that the abilities are part of your, well, baseline existence - if demons are interpreted as a race of creatures, then it could be argued that their ability to throw fire is not, in fact, magic, but merely an aspect of their "biology".  It's a common argument for Superman, as any Kryptonian on earth would exhibit similar abilities, (though it could also be argued that it is science, due to exposure to a certain form of radiation).  My point simply is this - it is not the end result powers that have to do with your or their origin, merely where they come from;  a magic spell could make a fireball, as could a specialized flamethrower or some mutant ability.  An arcane/magic/sorcerous/mystic/etc blast set, by its very definition, has made that decision for you.

What, within the CoH setting, makes handwavy animations distinctly magical?  How do you know that it's not technology guiding the user's actions to harness the arcane forces?

"Natural" means that the abilities are part of your baseline existence, which could include spellcasting animations, effects, and all...  It's not necessarily magical for some, it's natural.

And "Mutation" is differently abled from a species normal abilities.  So why not a mutant who can inherently wield magical effects?  Why not Science-based effects that are meant to look like magic to mislead people into thinking it's magic?  Why not a technological Robot with magic using capabilities (which is actually a part of CoH lore)?

 

No origin is locked to a powerset regardless of how it looks or behaves.  That is entirely the point I am always making... but for some reason, some people think that reasoning does not apply to a magical-themed powerset... only for everything else.

[Player2]

9 minutes ago, Rudra said:

@CrusaderDroid has a point. We've hammered this topic over and over and over. @CrusaderDroid is open to accommodating other points of view, and arguing with @Player2 is just going to get this thread locked too. We're not going to change @Player2's mind.

And yet you have stated that you will argue against this topic every time it comes up... and you do it, always with the same arguments.  Why does CrusaderDroid or anyone else have to be open to accommodating other points of view but for some reason you don't have to?

[CrusaderDroid]

Just now, Player2 said:

And yet you have stated that you will argue against this topic every time it comes up... and you do it, always with the same arguments.  Why does CrusaderDroid or anyone else have to be open to accommodating other points of view but for some reason you don't have to?

Because it's my thread and I decide what the hell I want to look for in feedback.

 

Now stop spamming my thread with your off-topic arguments.

[Player2]

Well, as they have stated in the past, they're entitled to voice their opinion on the topic --no matter how negative they want to be about it-- and always show up to do so.  I feel like I'm just as entitled to defend the merits and point out the flaws in their arguments against it.  You may have created the thread, but it is an open topic of discussion.

[CrusaderDroid]

As far back as I can remember, I always liked power armor heroes. You can't quite get them with the current powersets. Energy Blast and Arsenal Mastery can get you partway there, but it's not quite the same as having a walking armory doubling as your armor.

 

Powered Weaponry is an attempt to address that, in a way similar to Primal Forces. Instead of dedicating multiple power picks to get the desired outcome, Powered Weaponry combines energy blasts, gunfire, missiles, and bombs in one set so you can pick other sets freely. The internal/mounted nature of its weapons also means it's a good pick for cyborg-esque characters hiding weapons in their body. Ideally it'd also have alt animations to create color-tinted hardlight weapons for Green Lantern-type "magic".

 

Mechanically, this was an experiment on how to make Endurance a primary offensive stat. The main calling cards of this set are three toggles that continually do damage in exchange for ramping Endurance costs, to the point of unsustainability. Maybe I'm off-base with this - I'm open to pivoting to a different hook.

 

The toggles all grant resist to help keep you alive while they're on. It'd be a little anticlimactic to get dropped while you're doing your big alpha strike. They're unenhanceable because this is a ranged damage set, not a tank set. Numbers are always up to negotiation - I tried to skew strong because it's easier to nerf something strong with a clear direction than buff something weak that has no clear direction.

 

Power Cycle is meant to supplement the END- heavy playstyle and reward good builds by resetting your END at the height of your power. Not sure if it's enticing enough to merit the self-CC.

 

This was a fun set for me to make. Please let me know if you like it or what can be done better with it.

 

EDIT: New changes thanks to @megaericzero!

Swapped the place of Missile Storm and Reactor Beam and removed AoE damage from Reactor Beam. Tried to emphasize Suppressive Fire is less about damage and more about debuffing with slow+to-hit penalty. Power Cycle no longer immobilizes, but all toggles now immobilize to prevent cheese via endlessly bombarding enemies while moving - this is City of Heroes, not Armored Core.

 

---

 

Powered Weaponry

 

Use internal or mounted weaponry to devastate your targets. Several powers can be toggled to continually damage enemies while improving your resistance, at the expense of endurance.

 

Tier 1: Blaster - Palm or arm mounted energy blast. Deals energy damage, usual low cooldown power.

Tier 2: Homing Missile - Fires a homing missile at a target for fire and smashing damage. Unfairly accurate.

Tier 3: Suppressive Fire - Toggle to pepper a target and all surrounding enemies with shoulder-mounted gatling fire, continually dealing moderate lethal damage, slowing them down, and reducing their to-hit. Grants an unenhanceable 10% Resist to smashing, lethal, toxic, and energy damage and a 5% Resist to fire, cold, and negative energy damage, but you are immobilized while it is active. Endurance cost increases with time. Damage slightly increases with time.

Tier 4: Power Cycle - Gain a damage and accuracy boost for the next 15 seconds. 5 seconds after using this power, restore all Endurance.

Tier 5: Smart Bombs - Launches a salvo of small bombs that strike a cone for smashing and fire damage, with a chance to knock down.

Tier 6: Repeller - Heavy blaster knocks back an enemy and does high energy damage.

Tier 7: Reactor Beam - Channels your reactor into a powerful toggled beam on one target, continually dealing energy damage and reducing energy resistance. Grants doubled resists compared to the other two toggles while active. Still immobilizes you while active. Endurance cost increases with time. Damage slightly increases with time.

Tier 8: Photon Cannon - Elaborately large cannon deals very high energy damage in a cone.

Tier 9: Missile Storm - Toggle to continually bombard an area with high accuracy missiles for very high damage. Grants similar resists. Also immobilizes you while active. Endurance cost increases with time. Damage increases with time.

Edited March 26 by CrusaderDroid
Added proposed changes from megaericzero.

[biostem]

4 minutes ago, CrusaderDroid said:

t's not quite the same as having a walking armory doubling as your armor

I've already suggested something similar, but I called the set "Integrated Weaponry".  The important difference is that it makes no assumption about what kind of character you are playing nor where, specifically, the weapons come from or how they are powered - only that said weapons come from/pop out of your character's body.

[CrusaderDroid]

8 minutes ago, biostem said:

I've already suggested something similar, but I called the set "Integrated Weaponry".  The important difference is that it makes no assumption about what kind of character you are playing nor where, specifically, the weapons come from or how they are powered - only that said weapons come from/pop out of your character's body.

Neat! Glad we're on the same page.

 

I don't think this set makes any such assumptions either? There's weapons on/inside you, and that's the idea. This...

16 minutes ago, CrusaderDroid said:

The internal/mounted nature of its weapons also means it's a good pick for cyborg-esque characters hiding weapons in their body. Ideally it'd also have alt animations to create color-tinted hardlight weapons for Green Lantern-type "magic".

...was just an attempt to give some examples that can fit other ideas that aren't just "power armor". It wasn't meant to be a comprehensive list of possibilities where your concept must fit this set or you are performing heresy.

[megaericzero]

Welcome to the [Suggestions & Feedback] forums, Crusader.

 

Personally, I'd prefer a rework to power customization that lets Assault Rifle come from your body in lieu of implementing another munitions set just for visuals but your proposed set has interesting features.

 

Power Cycle might not be a popular sell only for the fact that people dislike effects applying after long animations (eg: Kinetic Melee) and the self-immobilize on archetypes that are largely trying to avoid letting enemies close in on them. That said, the endurance effect is quite potent and plays to the set's gimmick of toggle-able AOE damage so it does probably need those balances.

 

As for Suppressive Fire, Missile Storm, and Reactor Beam, it's a very interesting concept to have your AOE(s) be toggles that continuously apply damage at the cost of being unsustainable. It might be redundant to have all three do it, though. At least if they're all going to be AOE damage. Maybe one could be single-target damage and one could be CC or debuff. Might I suggest swapping Missile Storm to tier 9 with the toggle-for-AOE-damage effect - making it the nuke - and Reactor Beam to tier 7 as the toggle-for-single-target-damage effect a-la Iron Man's unibeam / [whatever you'd call that maneuver he attempted in Endgame with all the lasers pointed at Thanos]? Similarly, Suppressive Fire could become a partial CC/mez with something like slow movement, immobilize, or -tohit as enemies are unable to focus on shooting/running to you.

 

You may also want to add self-immobilize to the damage toggles because being able to deal constant damage while moving is really good against melee-centric enemies as well as a time limit on the toggles so even a super END-discount build and/or incarnates can't just sustain themselves indefinitely.

 

I also like the sell that the powers can be tinted so it can look like artificial constructs.

 

9 minutes ago, biostem said:

I've already suggested something similar, but I called the set "Integrated Weaponry".  The important difference is that it makes no assumption about what kind of character you are playing nor where, specifically, the weapons come from or how they are powered - only that said weapons come from/pop out of your character's body.

I'm guessing Crusader meant "a walking armory doubling as your armor" in terms of animation rather than actually applying an armor over your character.

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

Hello and happy Monday.

 

Players are allowed to post agreement or disagreement with suggestions and proposals, as long as they do so respectfully and within the CoC.

 

But sometimes discussions reach a point where two players, or two factions of players, are just going back and forth stating the same thing.  We are awfully close to that if not already beyond it.

 

[biostem]

1 minute ago, megaericzero said:

I'm guessing Crusader meant "a walking armory doubling as your armor" in terms of animation rather than actually applying an armor over your character.

I was more referring to his comment in the sentences before that specifically mentioned "power armor".  The Sentinel basically encompasses many such concepts, since they got the blasts and the durability.

[CrusaderDroid]

5 minutes ago, megaericzero said:

As for Suppressive Fire, Missile Storm, and Reactor Beam, it's a very interesting concept to have your AOE(s) be toggles that continuously apply damage at the cost of being unsustainable. It might be redundant to have all three do it, though. At least if they're all going to be AOE damage. Maybe one could be single-target damage and one could be CC or debuff. Might I suggest swapping Missile Storm to tier 9 with the toggle-for-AOE-damage effect - making it the nuke - and Reactor Beam to tier 7 as the toggle-for-single-target-damage effect a-la Iron Man's unibeam / [whatever you'd call that maneuver he attempted in Endgame with all the lasers pointed at Thanos]? Similarly, Suppressive Fire could become a partial CC/mez with something like slow movement, immobilize, or -tohit as enemies are unable to focus on shooting/running to you.

 

You may also want to add self-immobilize to the damage toggles because being able to deal constant damage while moving is really good against melee-centric enemies as well as a time limit on the toggles so even a super END-discount build and/or incarnates can't just sustain themselves indefinitely.

Thanks for the feedback! This is good stuff.

 

I think you're right in shuffling the missiles and beam around. Mostly because having that single target nuke is pretty cool and adds diversity, mainly because now missiles have more room for damage and I love my missiles.

 

I didn't think about the time limit or self-immobilization on the toggles. That would let me take the immobilization off of Power Cycle and keep roughly the same play pattern without quite as much clunkiness. Great idea.

 

I'll make these changes some time after dinner. Thank you again for taking the time to look!

[CrusaderDroid]

@biostem mentioned in another thread that they wanted a ranged sword set.

 

Coincidentally, I already had this one made. Guess I should post it!

 

Blade Blast is more of a goofy experiment than an attempt to hit a particular mechanical niche. Mid-range AoE-heavy ranged attacker felt good enough to try and test out.

 

The ability names are over the top because you need to be when your attacks are literally "I swing a sword and shoot a sword beam" repeated eight times. They're not meant to imply any origin.

 

Blade Master is an experiment in whether a temporary boost is a good enough replacement for Aim. I think it's a good enough trade-off, with cool burst but no effectiveness on your higher powers.

 

---

 

Blade Blast

Use your sword to launch powerful cutting attacks through sword waves that can strike through multiple targets.

 

Blade Blast attacks trade off range for target count, having roughly 40% less range than other ranged sets in exchange for significantly more AoE.

Tier 1: Air Cutter - Horizontal swing that strikes a cone, dealing lethal damage to up to five targets.

 

Tier 2: Split Wave - Vertical swing that deals more damage, but the “cone” is so narrow it may as well be a straight line.

 

Tier 3: Seeker - Launch three sword waves in three rapid slashes that home in on your target for high damage and knockdown.

 

Tier 4: Demon Crusher - Short-range wide wave damages and knocks back enemies. Also slows their movement speed for a short duration.

 

Tier 5: Blade Master - Your next three Air Cutters, Split Waves, or Seekers have a to-hit bonus and no recharge time. Lasts 10 seconds or until you make any three such attacks.

 

Tier 6: Heaven Scraper - Vertical slash is impossibly high, hitting in a narrow cone with doubled range compared to other Blade Blast powers. Grounds flying enemies hit.

 

Tier 7: Blade Burst - Sword waves burst forth from you and damage and knock down all enemies around you.

 

Tier 8: Soul Cleaver - Diagonal slash cuts through to the very soul of the target, dealing high damage and cutting their damage and to-hit.

 

Tier 9: Spirit Unleashed - Horizontal slash hits pretty much everything in a 180 degree arc in that direction. Applies a very brief 1.5 second hold before dealing significant damage. Also lowers resist by a small amount.