Trickshooter's Force Shield Powerset Suggestion!

[Trickshooter]

I understand that the ability to make force fields is a classic comic book power, and I do like that powerset in this game.

 

HOWEVER... I've always felt that this game was really missing force fields as an armor powerset. Plenty of characters in comics have force fields, or at least can create force fields through some means (Magneto, Jean Grey, Invisible Woman, etc.), but I wouldn't describe their powerset as being 'Force Fields' (except maybe Invisible Woman). Some characters only have one around themselves that they can manipulate, like Unus the Untouchable, Skids, Cecilia Reyes, Armor, etc. This version of Force Fields, which I'm calling Force Shield to differentiate, is one I've wanted to see in CoX for some time.

 

This is my first attempt at designing an armor powerset, so numbers might be off, but I really tried to make it fit alongside the other sets. Numbers are all for Tankers. For those that don't want to read all those numbers, here are the below defensive values on just SOs at level 50:

 

~28.86% Defense(All) without Density Field / ~32.76% Defense(All) with Density Field

~19.5% Resistance(All)

43.25% Defense Debuff Resistance

 

Anyway, enjoy!

 

Force Shield
You wrap yourself in protective force shields that deflect nearly all forms of damage and soften the blow of most attacks that break through your defenses. Additionally, you can somewhat manipulate your forcefield offensively against foes. Force Shield offers defense and some resistance against just about all types of damage and debuffs, but has no direct Heal.

 

 Deflection Shield

Your force field defends you against the kinetic impact of Smashing and Lethal damage attacks. It also offers some resistance against debuffs to defense and protects you from Stun and Hold effects.

 

Toggle Self: +Def(Smash, Lethal) +Res(DefDebuff, Stun, Hold)

 

18.5% Defense(Smashing)
18.5% Defense(Lethal)
21.625% Resistance(DefenseDebuff)
-12.975 Protection(Stun)
-12.975 Protection(Hold)

Recharge: 2s

Endurance: 0.26/s

 

 

 Kinetic Barrier

Activation of your force field is somewhat subconcious, and even while not actively being used it will soften the kinetic impact of some attacks, effectively increasing your Resistance to Smashing and Lethal attacks, increasing your Max HP, and protectimg you from Knockback effects. It also offers some resistance against debuffs to defense.

 

Auto Self: +Res(Smash, Lethal, Knockback, DefDebuff) +MaxHP

 

12.5% Resistance(Smashing)
12.5% Resistance(Lethal)
-10 Protection(Knockback)
-10 Protection(Knockup)
21.625% Resistance(DefenseDebuff)
187.4 Maximum HitPoints

 

 

 Insulation Shield

Your force field provides a stable environment inside that protects you from toxins and temperature extremes, defending you from Fire, Cold and Toxic damage attacks. It also offers protection from Immobilization effects and some resistance to Regeneration debuff effects.

 

Toggle Self: +Def(Fire, Cold, Toxic) +Res(Immobilize, RegenDebuff)

 

18.5% Defense(Fire)
18.5% Defense(Cold)
18.5% Defense(Toxic)
-12.975 Protection(Immobilize)
20% Resistance(Regeneration)

 

Recharge: 2s

Endurance: 0.26/s

 

 

 Force Recoil

You manipulate your force field to extend outwards and then violently retract. Nearby foes will be pulled towards you, knocked to their feet and may be stunned.

 

Click Foe: 'Reverse Repel' Knockdown Stun (Mag 2) Taunt

 

Mag 1.0 Reverse Repel
0.67 KnockDown
9.536s Stun (Mag 2)
14.96s Taunt (Mag 4)

 

Recharge: 30s

Endurance: 10.4

Radius: 15 ft

Max Targets: 10

 

 

 Refraction Shield

Your forcefield refracts energies and disrupts psionics, defending you from Energy, Negative Energy and Psionic damage attacks. It also offers some resistance to debuffs to Recovery and chance To Hit, as well as Endurance Drain and Sleep effects.

 

Toggle Self: +Def(Energy, Negative, Psionic) +Res(EndDrain, RecDebuff, ToHitDebuff, Sleep)

 

18.5% Defense(Energy)
18.5% Defense(Negative Energy)
18.5% Defense(Psionic)
43.25% Resistance(EndDrain)
43.25% Resistance(Recovery)
43.25% Resistance(ToHit)
-12.975 Protection(Sleep)

 

Recharge: 2s

Endurance: 0.26/s

 

 

 Shield Compaction

You focus on increasing the thickness of your force field, providing damage absorption and some resistance to exotic types of damage for a good while.

 

Click Self: +Absorption +Res(Fire, Cold, Toxic, Energy, Negative, Psionic)

 

30% MaxHP Absorb
12.5% Resistance(Fire)
12.5% Resistance(Cold)
12.5% Resistance(Energy)
12.5% Resistance(Negative Energy)
12.5% Resistance(Toxic)
12.5% Resistance(Psionic)

 

Recharge: 120s
Duration: 60s

Endurance: 13

 

 

 Density Field

You project a field with increased density around you that decreases your foes movement and attack rates. With most of your foes slowed, you are more easily able to evade attacks, effectively increasing your defense for each foe affected, though the first foe will give the largest bonus.

 

Toggle PBAoE Foe: -Speed -Recharge Taunt, Self +Def(All)

 

-80% Speed
-50% Recharge
14.96s Taunt (Mag 4)

0.5% Defense(Smashing) Does not stack
0.5% Defense(Lethal) Does not stack
0.5% Defense(Fire) Does not stack
0.5% Defense(Cold) Does not stack
0.5% Defense(Energy) Does not stack
0.5% Defense(Negative Energy) Does not stack
05% Defense(Psionic) Does not stack
0.5% Defense(Toxic) Does not stack

0.2% Defense(Smashing)
0.2% Defense(Lethal)
0.2% Defense(Fire)
0.2% Defense(Cold)
0.2% Defense(Energy)
0.2% Defense(Negative Energy)
0.2% Defense(Psionic)
0.2% Defense(Toxic)

 

Recharge: 4s
Endurance: 0.26/s

Radius: 8 ft

Max Targets: 10

 

 

 Frictionless

You can easily maintain a thin force field very close to yourself that is partially resistant to friction, allowing you to move and act faster than usual, and leaving you resistant to slows.

 

Auto Self: +Recharge +Speed +Res(Slow, RechDebuff) +Def(All)

 

20% Recharge
20% Speed
40% Resistance(Speed)
40% Resistance(Recharge)

 

 

 Force Sanctuary

You can push your personal force field to its protective limits! Force Sanctuary creates a field around you that increases regeneration and recovery, and protects from many crowd control effects, then expands it out a few feet from yourself, offering the same effects to nearby allies. The strain of this power is too great to use it for long and it will automatically disable after 30 seconds.

 

Toggle PBAoE Team +Regen +Recovery +Res(Hold, Sleep, Disorient, Immobilize)

 

200% Recovery
500% Regeneration
129.75% Resistance(Hold)
129.75% Resistance(Stun)
129.75% Resistance(Sleep)
129.75% Resistance(Immobilize)

 

Recharge: 240s

Endurance: 0.52/s

Radius: 15 ft

Max Targets: 255

[FupDup]

My opinion on a Forcefield Armor is that Energy Aura already fills a very similar theme. Just look at the power names it has: Dampening Field, Kinetic Shield, Power Shield...The only thing missing is alternate FX for bubbles. Add that option and we've got Forcefield Armor at home. 

[Trickshooter]

4 minutes ago, FupDup said:

My opinion on a Forcefield Armor is that Energy Aura already fills a very similar theme. Just look at the power names it has: Dampening Field, Kinetic Shield, Power Shield...The only thing missing is alternate FX for bubbles. Add that option and we've got Forcefield Armor at home. 

 

The kind of thinking that would have prevented Willpower from being made.

[Rudra]

Energy Aura is basically what you are talking about. It even includes bubbles. (Edit: Kinetic Shield, Power Shield, Energy Drain, and Overload have bubble effects that go transparent with a lingering filler field.) (Edit again: And it uses both defense and resists.)

Edited Friday at 07:32 PM by Rudra

[Trickshooter]

36 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Energy Aura is basically what you are talking about. It even includes bubbles. (Edit: Kinetic Shield, Power Shield, Energy Drain, and Overload have bubble effects that go transparent with a lingering filler field.)

 

No, it's not, but thank you.

 

  

36 minutes ago, Rudra said:

(Edit again: And it uses both defense and resists.)

 

To be fair, almost all the defense sets are a combination of defense and resistance, except maybe Ninjitsu. Even SR has passive damage resistance as they take damage!

Edited Friday at 08:06 PM by Trickshooter

[Rudra]

And if you want a set that has a more localized force field effect, then there is Shield Defense with the Vanguard Shield or the Elemental Shield: Energy Shield.

[FupDup]

14 minutes ago, Trickshooter said:

 

The kind of thinking that would have prevented Willpower from being made.

Not really? In terms of gameplay, WP was meant as a more balanced and passive version of Regen, but it fills an entirely different theme/concept. Regen is Wolverine or Deadpool, Willpower is Batman or Punisher. 

 

For Energy Aura vs Forcefield Armor, forcefields are pretty much a bubble of energy projected around the user. That Density Field power you suggested that slows enemy rech and spd is also a bit similar to Eng's Entrophic Aura power (which only provides -rech to enemies). And it's still a typed defense armor set with moderate resistance, which is again similar to Energy Aura. 

 

I'm not trying to poopoo on you or your ideas, I'm just saying that something we have now is very close to what you're asking for. If the HC team were to add bubbles as alternate FX to Energy Aura, it would fit the fantasy/theme of a Forcefield Armor set very accurately. 

Edited Friday at 07:39 PM by FupDup

[Trickshooter]

16 minutes ago, FupDup said:

Not really? In terms of gameplay, WP was meant as a more balanced and passive version of Regen, but it fills an entirely different theme/concept. Regen is Wolverine or Deadpool, Willpower is Batman. 

 

For Energy Aura vs Forcefield Armor, forcefields are pretty much a bubble of energy projected around the user. That Density Field power you suggested that slows enemy rech and spd is also a bit similar to Eng's Entrophic Aura power (which only provides -rech to enemies). And it's still a typed defense armor set with moderate resistance, which is again similar to Energy Aura. 

 

I'm not trying to poopoo on you or your ideas, I'm just saying that something we have now is very close to what you're asking for. If the HC team were to add alternate FX to Energy Aura, it would fit the fantasy/theme of a Forcefield Armor set very accurately. 

 

Kinetic Melee vs Energy Melee, then? Savage Melee vs Claws? We have several powersets that are distinctive from each other in terms of concept and gameplay. That doesn't mean they're not similar visually and/or functionally. I mean, functionally Ice Armor and Energy Aura are pretty similar themselves. Typed defense sets with some resistance to most damage types, a slow taunt aura, an end drain that also buffs defense, a self heal... (yes, I know Energy Aura was kind of an Ice Armor replacement redside, but still).

 

I understand, I do, and I'm not against adding force field graphics to Energy Aura and calling it a day, but I'd rather it be distinct and not just vague energy themed. I want McDonalds, not a sandwich mom!

 

I'm not taking it personally or anything, but it was disheartening to put a lot of thought in to this suggestion and have the first response be like, "but energy aura" lol

[Trickshooter]

25 minutes ago, Rudra said:

And if you want a set that has a more localized force field effect, then there is Shield Defense with the Vanguard Shield or the Elemental Shield: Energy Shield.

 

I want a bubble!

 

Or if the best I can get is reskinned Energy Aura, some kind of effect that surrounds the body, like the Victoria aura in the costume creator.

[megaericzero]

Count me in on the opinion that Energy Aura could get there by having Force Field's visuals, though I do want to express:

1) Full points for fleshing out an entire set. It has its own feel in the reverse-Hand Clap and tier 9 powers. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing this set added.

2) Thank you for recycling Force Field's shields' names, including the internal name for Detention Field's icon - Refraction Shield. It shows a high level of care, attention to detail, research and love for the parent set.

[Trickshooter]

14 minutes ago, megaericzero said:

Count me in on the opinion that Energy Aura could get there by having Force Field's visuals, though I do want to express:

1) Full points for fleshing out an entire set. It has its own feel in the reverse-Hand Clap and tier 9 powers. I wouldn't be opposed to seeing this set added.

2) Thank you for recycling Force Field's shields' names, including the internal name for Detention Field's icon - Refraction Shield. It shows a high level of care, attention to detail, research and love for the parent set.

 

I do understand the Energy Aura thing, I promise lol

 

Thank you, though! Armor sets tend to check a lot of the same boxes (multiple toggles that cover the damage types, mez protection, some auto powers), so I was trying to find a distinctive playstyle in those utility powers. I know KB is kind of one of the signature features of Force Field, but also that no one would really want that in an armor set, so I tried to find a way to include the effect that was also useful for melee fighters, but also had some benefit to the powerset it was in (in this case, I thought it was a useful way to pull foes in to your taunt aura and get that defense buff from having enemies nearby).

 

The reusing of the Force Field shield names was also kind of a nod to the Thermal set doing something similar. Both its shields are named after the similar shield in Fiery Aura (only internally for Thermal Shield though). It's actually kind of funny if you put Thermal Shield on a Fiery Aura user, the buff icons stack because of it.

[Rudra]

29 minutes ago, Trickshooter said:

 

I want a bubble!

 

Or if the best I can get is reskinned Energy Aura, some kind of effect that surrounds the body, like the Victoria aura in the costume creator.

 

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

(Edit: Kinetic Shield, Power Shield, Energy Drain, and Overload have bubble effects that go transparent with a lingering filler field.) (Edit again: And it uses both defense and resists.)

 

Edit:

1 hour ago, FupDup said:

The only thing missing is alternate FX for bubbles. Add that option and we've got Forcefield Armor at home. 

Edited Friday at 08:34 PM by Rudra

[Trickshooter]

1 minute ago, Rudra said:

 

 

 

They're not bubbles. They're just glows and the circular aura taken from the Patron shields. Energy Drain does have a bubble effect, but only for 2 seconds.

[Rudra]

2 minutes ago, Trickshooter said:

 

They're not bubbles. They're just glows and the circular aura taken from the Patron shields. Energy Drain does have a bubble effect, but only for 2 seconds.

I logged in the game and checked before posting. And I kept the game open to alt-tab to so I could verify as I typed the post. Those 4 powers all have honest to goodness bubbles that encapsulate the character. It's just those bubbles go away after the filler field fills in. (Edit: And before anyone accuses me of saying permanent bubbles for the character should not be added to the set as alternate animations, that is no what I am saying at all. I am saying that Energy Aura already has actual bubble fields around the character. They can just be tweaked to not disappear after the animation has started. And additional bubbles can be added.)

Edited Friday at 08:40 PM by Rudra

[FupDup]

I might be able to be persuaded on this if the def/res breakdown were changed to make it play/build a lot more differently from Energy Aura as it stands now. Ice Armor already being similar to Energy Aura only reinforces the need for more distinction here. 

 

Maybe this could be stronger typed defenses with weaker resists, go the other way with stronger resists but weaker typed defenses (too similar to Invuln then?), maybe go full potato and make the defenses positional instead. I also don't think it needs the Density Field debuff aura as it stands, not just to reduce overlap but also because Forcefields are normally associated with self-protection rather than offense (the Force Recoil aura can stay because that's more unique). 

[Trickshooter]

9 minutes ago, FupDup said:

I might be able to be persuaded on this if the def/res breakdown were changed to make it play/build a lot more differently from Energy Aura as it stands now. Ice Armor already being similar to Energy Aura only reinforces the need for more distinction here. 

 

That... is a fair judgment that I brought on myself.

 

10 minutes ago, FupDup said:

Maybe this could be stronger typed defenses with weaker resists, go the other way with stronger resists but weaker typed defenses (too similar to Invuln then?), maybe go full potato and make the defenses positional instead. I also don't think it needs the Density Field debuff aura as it stands, not just to reduce overlap but also because Forcefields are normally associated with self-protection rather than offense (the Force Recoil aura can stay because that's more unique). 

 

I actually originally had the taunt aura as Force Spikes, but then I realized that was just Icicles lol I do want the taunt aura to be something that affects the enemy in some way and also something that benefits Force Recoil, so the set has synergy with itself. I'm for sure open to trying other things. I'm also hesitant to add more defense as the base defense from the toggles is already the same base value as the SR toggles.

[megaericzero]

22 minutes ago, FupDup said:

I also don't think it needs the Density Field debuff aura as it stands, not just to reduce overlap but also because Forcefields are normally associated with self-protection rather than offense

Perhaps a Grant Cover-style power to draw a parallel to Dispersion Bubble? Paired with the tier 9, it could move this set towards being a partial support-hybrid armor set. You could keep a taunt effect so mechanically the set still has a taunt aura and thematically because enemies see you're the force field "generator" and thus see you as a priority target.

Edited Friday at 09:06 PM by megaericzero
Typos. So many typos.

[biostem]

TBH, I'd rather see some sort of forcefield control or attack set, (or at the very least, perhaps some alternate bubble FX for the likes of gravity or mind control.

[CrusaderDroid]

I like what you're going for, and I think there's definitely room for Force Shield and Energy Aura to coexist.

 

I'm not sure this is the play, though. You need three separate toggles for a mix of typed defenses (which I think is worse than positional defenses? Correct me if I'm wrong) and mez resist, which is eating too much room in the set and doesn't leave open enough for the unique stuff like Force Recoil and especially Force Sanctuary, which is incredibly cool and something I'd like to see more of in the set. I think megaericzero has the right of it by moving it towards support tank - that's a pretty unique space that is only possibly contested by Shield Defense, which doesn't get the PBAoE pull of Force Recoil anyways.

 

If you merge Insulation Shield with Refraction Shield, you'll free up a power you can use for extra ally utility.

[FupDup]

37 minutes ago, CrusaderDroid said:

I like what you're going for, and I think there's definitely room for Force Shield and Energy Aura to coexist.

 

I'm not sure this is the play, though. You need three separate toggles for a mix of typed defenses (which I think is worse than positional defenses? Correct me if I'm wrong)

Typed defenses are often considered worse than Positionals because they can be harder to build for, but the big exception is Psi damage because there are some "unpositional" Psi attacks that cut straight through armors like SR and Shield and can only be blocked by typed Psi def. On the flipside, it can also sometimes be hard to build ranged defense on melee toons due to Mako's Bite 6 slots being the main source of it. 

 

And it is also a good point that Fire, Cold, Energy, and Negative tend to be bundled together in the same power for def/res in most other armors rather than split up (outside a few cases like Stone Armor). 

Edited Saturday at 01:38 AM by FupDup