Too many powers/abilities and how to manage as a Blaster

[ajchvy]

I'm looking for some advice on how to manage the amount of powers I'm getting at higher levels as a Blaster, but I expect this is an issue with all classes. I'm not a min-maxer, and really just playing casually with some IRL friends as we haven't played the game in almost 20 years.

 

I'm currently level 32, looking up the leveling chart I will be getting 6 more total powers, and already have 15 powers that are used in a fight to some degree, with maybe 6-8 being used constantly while the others are situational or buffs of some kind. Ancillary powers can add up to 5 more, and I'm essentially out of space on my original 3 bars now and have long been out of easy hotkeys.

 

Any advice on how to manage this? Having played CoH back in the day and only played modern MMOs recently I'm overwhelmed with the power selection and I don't remember what I did years ago.

 

Thanks

[Biff Pow]

I have a powerbar on the side of my screen for toggles and situational stuff like the O-portal, that helps clear space on the main bars.

 

As for what powers to take, I think all you can do is play the character and see what you use and don't use. My Energy/Energy Blaster had a LOT of clicking, but I found almost anything besides an attack was a waste of time. So I dropped Boost Power, kept Boost Range but it's situational, dropped Aim from my powerbar (it's just a mule for the +Perception IO). and put Energize on auto. Build Up is the only boost I use regularly.

 

But that's just me and that character. Every powerset combo is different and you kind of have to figure out what works for you through trial and respec.

[ShimmerDoll]

I use a razer naga with the 12 buttons on the side, and there is a corsair version of the mouse that does the same, it makes playing MMOs or arpgs a lot easier. I still have a few situational powers bound to the keyboard and that's how I played on live too.  I even use the naga competitive fps games.

[Greycat]

On 11/11/2024 at 4:23 PM, Biff Pow said:

I have a powerbar on the side of my screen for toggles and situational stuff like the O-portal, that helps clear space on the main bars.

 

 

This really does help.

 

I tend to have the three power bars, and three ancillary "boxes" to the side. One has all the various teleport and travel type temp powers shifted over to it (slightly sparser, now, without things like the Wentworths/Black market TP,) one has sort of "misc powers" (temps, pets, that sort of thing that aren't primary,) and one often carries toggles and the non-Judgement Incarnate powers.

 

Other than that, there's going to be a mix of pick and choose as well as  placement and organization. Keep the stuff you constantly use close at hand - say, stack your blasts right on the first row if you're going to open with them, but the nuke can be off on the side, the melee stuff on the next row (where you just have to hold down alt and the nubmer to access them, and any toggles that just get turned on (stealth, the shield you'll get in the anc. power pool, etc) above that, for instance, since you probably won't have to interact with them as much (I tend to put travel powers up there too.)

 

But.. yeah. That works for me, try it and see if it works for you - you'll just have to fiddle around til something clicks for you.