Alignment Powers in Modern CoH

[Videra]

This is a very simple topic, to be quite honest - we all know that Duplicity and Fear Incarnate are not exactly great. A two magnitude terrorize? A two magnitude Confuse? Now, the -10% Damage (All) and -10 To Hit (All) buffs aren't necessarily worthless, but fifteen seconds on a three minute cooldown? I dunno, chief.

Call to Justice - a 30 second PBAoE +40% Damage (All) and +10% To Hit buff? Thirty seconds, six minute cooldown. Potentially useful! Frenzy, however? It gives 30% recharge for twenty seconds, buffs your damage 60% during that time as well. Brutes and Dominators both have their AT bars filled, Stalkers are put into hide and get an additional 40% Damage Buff. It's a much more substantial buff - think of it as something alike to a miniature Geas of the Kind Ones, especially if you're playing a dominator or stalker.

 

Alignment, as we all know, is something of a vestigial mechanic at this point in the game's life. You can simply walk up to Null The Gull in Pocket D and change it, instantly. So, I ask, is it plausible we could be given the choice to pick an alignment power in the same way? Why does it need to take a week for you to get these (largely) fluff powers?

This is a topic I've been chewing on for a bit. It would be a nice QoL change if we could select between alignment powers without necessarily being locked to Villain or Hero.

Edited April 22 by Videra

[Haijinx]

I use the fear power.  Lot of dark powersets used on everlasting, so if I hit the fear combined with STJ Aoe fear it all stacks well if the tank or brute are sleepy time on the floor

[Haijinx]

Tbh I just wished it recharged faster.

[AlwaysAPrice]

If they were at least affected by recharge buffs, that'd really be all the fix I'd need to make them a little more than a flavor novelty, something I'd actually think about when making build decisions. But I think I mentioned in some other thread on the topic some while back that I wouldn't mind seeing the alignment powers divorced from Morality and granted in some other way to represent a character's Methods: Inspirational, Intimidating, Mischievous, and Violent, or something along those lines that could be mixed and matched with Morality, which would just continue to govern zone & content access. So you could be a Violent Vigilante, an Inspirational Rogue, an Intimidating Hero, a Mischievous Villain, etc.

[macskull]

I read these tags @Videra, don’t worry.

 

Yeah, I understand that they’re called “alignment” powers because they’re locked to an alignment, but when I can switch alignments at will with 3 mouse clicks it doesn’t make much sense to make us wait a week to get a power and then have to stay as that alignment to keep it. Frenzy and Call to Justice are good but especially in the case of Frenzy it’s not worth being alignment locked to the side that has less content and fewer players. You can get either Frenzy or Call to Justice clones in PvP without being alignment locked, there’s not much reason the same shouldn’t be true in PvE.

[ScarySai]

This has my support, there's no real reason for it to remain as-is at this point.

[Laucianna]

I love the idea, but can not help but wonder about the most pressing issue! That being *power creep* (JK It's a great idea and would make a ton of sense)

[A.I.D.A.]

Yes, absolutely, I love it. Selecting alignment powers independent of selecting alignment. +1

[Chronocrator]

Please do this. Even on my villains I don't stay villain alignment because I want to be able to do all the content, but I'm punished for being a rogue mechanically. 😞

[Saiyajinzoningen]

agreed if these were more practical maybe i would remember to use them lol

but probably not

Edited April 22 by Saiyajinzoningen
cause I'm forgetful

[Krimson]

There's a reason why so many Dominators are pure villains.