Focused Feedback New Powerset - Psionic Armor (Brutes, Scrappers, Sentinels, Stalkers, Tankers)

[macskull]

5 hours ago, Wavicle said:

The description SHOULD say that enhancements raise magnitude, but there ARE other powers in the game that work like that (Acrobatics, for example).

Acrobatics takes knockback enhancements. Those enhancements always increase magnitude.

 

1 hour ago, Kaballah said:

yeah I can not imagine skipping Aura of Insanity, it's the signature power of the set. everything else is just un-flashy "make me less likely to die" - not that any of that is bad, it's just all really basic numerical stuff without a big blatant effect on enemy behavior.

e: it interacts in very nifty ways with Cognitive Interface and Control Hybrid, it's going to be a really interesting armor set late game 🤷‍♀️

It's an odd power that is intentionally random, which means it's difficult to predict what you're actually going to get out of it.

[High_Beam]

Bottom line up front so far, its perfect for Sentinels, not enough survivalbility by Sentinel standards to delude yourself into tanking.  Stay at range, most likely survive.

 

Sloppy testing of a Psi/Psi Sentinel with Some set IOs at level 30 street hunting In Bricks yields a need to juke and jump quite a bit waiting for the drains to recharge.  Once you have a few stacks up then it gets better.  Still working out the mechanics of most of the powers to better slot so I rolled up another and only bumped them to level 20 with select sets (commonly accepted norms; Panacea.  Perf Shift, etc).  On the surface, not gonna even bother trying to shore up defense beyond the standard Steadfast/Glad Armor at some point and instead focus on capping Resistance and finger crossing health.

 

I wish that Psionic Wall want that tube animation, I would prefer a skin glow but hey, minor quibble there.

[Kaballah]

30 minutes ago, macskull said:

It's an odd power that is intentionally random, which means it's difficult to predict what you're actually going to get out of it.

I mean, it's not called Aura of Sanity

[BrandX]

Looking closer at Mask Presence (Scrapper) it's giving 2.99 + 5.98 defense.  5.98 Defense is likely the right number, as that matched the numbers from other Armor's stealth power.  I think the 2.99 + 5.98 is probably an error.

 

And also, like Aura of Insanity. 

[Parabola]

8 hours ago, Wavicle said:

The description SHOULD say that enhancements raise magnitude, but there ARE other powers in the game that work like that (Acrobatics, for example).

Yes but kb has no duration so enhancement has always affected magnitude instead. For all other types of mez enhancement has always affected duration. Kb is very much in its own little category that I think the player base is used to (how to use enhancements to turn kb into kd etc).

 

Anyway it sounds like people are having success with this power as it is so that's good. I still don't like the fact random mez powers can only be enhanced with hamis though, and the interaction with certain incarnates is great and all but that's another end game only thing.

[nexusj13]

On 5/27/2025 at 10:04 AM, ScarySai said:

This set would be infinitely better if reworked from a resist set, to essentially being the defense version of dark armor.

I completely agree, this would be an awesome other side of the coin defense set. 

Edited Saturday at 08:53 AM by nexusj13

[tricon]

Interesting theme but IMO  on the lower performance side. I tried Brute and Sentinal even with Control hybrid and different Interfaces I found it not that good.

 

Power "Consume Psyche" is missing the Accurate Healing IO sets if  Drain Psyche has it too.

[Cheli]

I can see a psi defense set being thematically defensive (precognition, forcefields, etc) or resistance-based (I'm reminded of D&D psionics, where characters could train a skill called autohypnosis that basically allowed them to ignore pain and the negative effects of poison, disease, etc through sheer psychic conditioning and willpower). Mind Over Body is resistance, after all (though humorously it provides adequate lethal resistance). The 'using your brain to enhance your body' thing also kinda works thematically with the focus on regen, since you're empowering your metabolic processes through the psychic energy devoured from others' minds. I don't personally have a problem with it being a res set, I think the biggest bone to be picked at this point is the ineffectiveness of the defense layering. 

 

I appreciate the idea of layering mez as a defense since it's thematically appropriate, but I strongly feel like the devs are (perhaps rightly) scared of just adding a flat 'cloak of fear, but with confuse' power to the set, which would be way more useful than the current cloak of fear wannabe. Like procs, the confuse mechanic itself seems to be problematic at its core and this set suffers both thematically and mechanically for it. Thus with the mez being of questionable usefulness, you need to really knock it out of the park with the active mitigation layer. The comparisons to 'dark armor at home' are apt cos in an optimized build I just see dark regen wiping the floor with this set all day. 

[Mythcreatio]

If there is a scale of powersets, and you have the S tier on one side and the F tier on the other, I believe that it is infinitely better use of resources and time to let something out that leans more towards the S side then the F side. We are super heroes here to have fun in a 20+ year old game. Games are all about FEELING, if you play any set and it gives you a "eh it works, it looks nice though", that is such a disservice to the proud members of this community AND to yourselves for the HARDWORK you guys are doing behind the scenes. There is nothing wrong with leaning more towards the S side of the scale, whatever fear you guys have about it, just let it go.

 

No one played Halo, Legend of Zelda, World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, and other classics that we love (or once loved … WoW). because something in it felt "eh it works" at any point. We are gamers because of how things FEEL. If gameplay doesn't feel good, make it better without fear who gives a shit lol.. we're here to have fun and admire YOUR work!!

 

We appreciate everything that you guys do, but from the outside looking in, if I had to describe the dev/homecoming team it's awesome hardworking masochists lol. You guys know what makes a good set and what players are looking for, you've nailed it when it comes to support sets. Treat the other archetype sets the same way. We want to praise you guys for the hard work, it's like you guys want the complete opposite to happen with some powersets.

 

We have played all of these sets for over 20+ years, we want something to sink our teeth into that's new, fresh, fun, and FEELS good to play along side our fellow heroes.

[arcane]

3 hours ago, tricon said:

Power "Consume Psyche" is missing the Accurate Healing IO sets if  Drain Psyche has it too.

Appeared to be autohit when I tested yesterday.

 

I’m not worried about the set’s sturdiness. If I can tank Lord Recluse on a Night Widow, I think I will manage.

Edited Saturday at 03:55 PM by arcane

[GM Crumpet]

Remember, this is a focussed feedback on the topic at hand, not a place to bash the devs. Say what you like or don't like and why. Say what is bugged or having a weird effect. Refrain from bashing the devs please.

Edited Saturday at 04:35 PM by GM Crumpet

[High_Beam]

Okay additional testing with a new PSI/PSI Sentinel.  Ran about an hour of street hunting against even level to +3 incrementally at 12, 15, 17 and 20 in Steel Canyon and Talos.  Fascists (5th Column), Outcasts (elemental damage types), Tsoo and Warriors.  Have a full ATO set (Opportunity Strikes) in Mental Blast, Panacea and Miracle in Health, PerfShift in second slot of Stamina.  4 Attacks in the chain, Devour and Precog taken as soon as available, two def in Wall, 2 _Res Globals in Combat Jumping.  But not a full kit, I never do that till level 30.

 

Its average and at times painful (frequently at half health or lower) until you get Devour Psyche, once you have that, you can start upping the mob numbers slightly and more consistently dealing with +2 or +3 being onsie-twosies.  38.5 Smash resis, 28.3 Lethal, 25.2 fire and 33.8 Energy.  Stayed far more healthy in those fights with that.  I am testing as a Sentinel because when I first tried it on a standard IO bumped to 40 tank and then brute I found it to be . . . not enjoyable to play; I should not have been getting hammered as badly as I was, I am not talking +4/8 content I am talking +2 Mobs of around 6.  But on a Sentinel, this set makes you a more survivable Blaster; you aren't getting defense, you aren't getting resist to defense debuff so lean into what it has, that's what my motto here is.

 

I have Several other Sentinels, one is fire/fire and I can soft tank and survive higher mob density, the other is DP/EA which is defense armor and very survivable.  My Beam/Rad runs well.  All of these do run better than Psionic at least as it stands build wise.  The more frantic play so far is more akin to the Beamer,

[BrandX]

Looks like the defense is fixed on Mask Presence.  

 

Just comparing it to other armor sets stealth toggles...I don't recall them giving double the defense while on, and half when attacking, it does help in getting hit less when stealth so it'll help avoid those AOEs.

 

Just not sure if it's supposed to go this way as it's different than other, not that I'm against changing similar powers up between the sets.

[Kaballah]

Good changes today. I was a little iffy about Psychokinetic Barrier, I think this is much more appealing.

[BrandX]

I have to ask, what's the point of a 50% Damage Buff while out of combat?  Or is this just a matter of the opening attack gets a damage bonus?  If so, AoI may be triggering combat before you get use of that 50% bonus.

[BrandX]

Did the Resists take a hit?  Notice I used to be at 75% Smashing and now at the very least, my Smashing and Lethal are lower than they were, with lethal having been just under 65% and now at just over 61% with Smashing down to 73%

[BrandX]

Aura of Insanity can still accept damage sets, but it won't take the Scrapper ATO sets.

 

Edit: Checked out Stalkers and their ATOs don't work in them either.  So going to assume (could be wrong) Brute and Tankers have the same issue.

Edited Saturday at 06:02 PM by BrandX

[Lazarillo]

1 hour ago, BrandX said:

I have to ask, what's the point of a 50% Damage Buff while out of combat?  Or is this just a matter of the opening attack gets a damage bonus?  If so, AoI may be triggering combat before you get use of that 50% bonus.

Yes, the same is the case in Ninjutsu for Scrappers/Sentinels.  It's a sort of mini-assassin-strike bonus. 

...honestly, this just sounds like yet another reason not to take AoI.

[FupDup]

I'm not going to complain about the added damage buff "ghetto crit" thing because Psi Armor does need a little extra cowbell right now, but I kinda liked it being unique to Ninjutsu. Maybe instead add a Psi damage proc to make it more different from Nin and help you against enemies who are weak to Psi (giving more utility to the set). 

[BrandX]

7 minutes ago, FupDup said:

I'm not going to complain about the added damage buff "ghetto crit" thing because Psi Armor does need a little extra cowbell right now, but I kinda liked it being unique to Ninjutsu. Maybe instead add a Psi damage proc to make it more different from Nin and help you against enemies who are weak to Psi (giving more utility to the set). 

 

I can't say I like damage buff/ninja crit and you're right, sounds like something to keep to Ninjitsu.

 

I'd go back to the standard Defense and I like the idea you have of putting a psi damage proc into something...doesn't have to be powerful.  The AoI damage doesn't seem to be all that, seems to just be something just encase mez doesn't happen.  So a little Psi Damage proc would be good and in theme with the armor.

[High_Beam]

Please note I am not using the Stealth power.  It messes with my theme and its absence inst causing me any issues (probably take as a mule at a higher level).

 

So I just did another round of play testing with the Psi/Psi Sentinel this time at 25, 28 and 30 respectively, but the 30 not yet kitted out beyond what I referenced earlier.  OMG, the set really starts to shine at this point.  With the stacking psyche and running firing PK Barrier whenever its up I was damn near tanking +4 Freakshow mobs of 4-6 in Brickstown, even picked up some unplanned adds and survives, haven't faceplanted yet since level 25.  Starting to see how punching way above my weight class works with broader Set IO slotting.

 

Still iffy on the help of AoI, but it am running it with almost no endurance problems.  Smash is 51.4%, Lethal 41.6, Energy 33.2  still two slotted with just resist SO as well as the two +res in CJ.  WIll need to think on how (if any) additional slotting will be processed on the Armor powers.

 

This is turning into a fun Sentinel.

[Cheli]

3 hours ago, BrandX said:

I have to ask, what's the point of a 50% Damage Buff while out of combat?  Or is this just a matter of the opening attack gets a damage bonus?  If so, AoI may be triggering combat before you get use of that 50% bonus.

Yes, it's for a first-hit bonus, and Stalker versions of defense sets generally don't get the 'taunt aura' powers other versions do for this specific reason (there've been some exceptions in recent years though so it's probably fixable.)

[Wavicle]

5 minutes ago, High_Beam said:

Still iffy on the help of AoI, but it am running it with almost no endurance problems.

It doesn’t use endurance. It uses your HP.

[High_Beam]

12 minutes ago, Wavicle said:

It doesn’t use endurance. It uses your HP.

I didn't mean to associate AoI with endurance consumption, I know it runs like Oppressive Gloom, I mean that overall with the set it wasn't having real endurance issues.

[Mezmera]

Gave this a go on a Stalker.  Neat set it feels very Bio-Lite.  The similar powers you may want to proc on Bio have Adaptive Recharge on Psi so that kind of limits the power to a set mule instead.  Aura of Insanity is a novel if not crazy idea.  I slotted mine for confuse and it does that job well but it is annoying to see targets run off from the fear component.  

 

My biggest gripe would actually be from the Memento Mori specifically to Stalkers.  I think the +HP portion is a novel idea for the other ATs but on Stalkers with their 400 hp less cap than Scrappers for example I know I have to be getting much less out of the unique aspect of it.  The power feels like Parasitic Aura with a few nuanced alterations but at least with PA that extra +absorb feels like you're getting good use on all the ATs.  Maybe the Stalker version can get some small +absorb as well since at 1700 hp built in I never see myself less than the 2088 cap whenever I use Memento.