You know how some IO sets only have one unique enhancement?

[Psi-bolt]

1 hour ago, UltraAlt said:

Thanks for letting me know.

I find that those that play melee characters - especially level 50's - to be the one complaining about knockback.

I don't think I have ever had a player on Homecoming complain on a team about knockback that weren't playing a level 50 of the time.

 

As I said above, I don't really care about OTHER players' knockback that much.   I would prefer you not Nova that spawn that I just cast Blizzard over, but I'll live.  As a melee, I don't care one bit, especially on my Tanks.   If the squishies decide to do things that make it harder for me to protect them, then I wish them well.  I'll just move on to the next spawn.

 

Quote

And you have a two IO set enhancement choices that you can slot in the powers to turn KB to KD to change that if you want. One of them can be slotted in multiple powers.

 

 

That is your choice as well.

 

The options there there.

If you don't want to use the enhancements to turn KB to KD or sets with knockback at all, that is your choice.

 

The IO set enhancement that can be slotted in multiple powers isn't all that expensive comparatively, even lower if you are willing to have patience until they drop, and even lower if you are willing to take the time to create one, sell it, and buy a new Attuned one at a lower price than you sell the one that you crafted (and may very well make a profit doing so). Time consuming, yes, but you can set that up on character that you have now and then when you have enough of them, then you can create your energy blaster ... if you really want to play one (but they are way more fun and have increased survivability with the knockback).

 

Of course they are options and yes, these are my choices to avoid this set and other sets/powers with AoE KB.  But what other secondary effect is there that players feel the need to work around?  Or have to 'learn' to use?  I mean, the "learn" to use it argument is the one that really is insane to me.   Does a Fire Blaster have to learn to use a DoT?   Does the Psychic have to learn to use the -recharge.   And so on and so forth.   Most secondary effects even if they don't do a whole lot, don't require positioning or having to modify your playstyle or slotting an enhancer to turn them off. 

 

All I think they should do is add a power to the START vendor that applies a -30 MAG debuff to your powers with KB and applies a .67 buff to KB that ignores buffs and enhancements.   Now, I do recognize that there will be some people who will auto kick any Energy Blaster, Peacebringer, etc. that refuses to use them.   But IMO it would open the set up to more people making it an reasonable tradeoff.

 

I'm mostly in "old man yelling at cloud" mode at this point.   I don't expect any changes, but heck I didn't expect them to return Regen to glory and they did that so hope remains alive.  

[Ukase]

Just my thoughts. 

This is a game. A game that many people occasionally take more serious than others. I'm not going to say if anyone is right or wrong, but this is just a game. And for some, it's really not even a game, it's a mind-numbing time sink that allows them to forget about certain problems. 

As mentioned by others, some folks like to see the npcs flying about. Technically, this is damage mitigation. While the npc is flying, they're not attacking. This has a place in this game. Granted, knocking them down the hall makes things take longer. And when you've limited play time, that's not good. 

We have a global friends list and super groups for a reason, although many of us don't use them for that purpose specifically. If I accepted another blind invite when I ding 50 with some random SG, I could team with some of them, and I'm quite sure some would use fold space and remove the mobs I dropping blizzard on, making my nuke useless. Happens every so often. Or, I might find a scrapper whining about my using ice storm scattering their "herd" that they just used fold space on to gather. I'd have to remind them they're a scrapper with no taunt aura. The idea that they think they can keep a "herd" is silly.  No taunt aura. Quiet, scrapper. Keep ignoring chat, and focus on that boss to the exclusion of everything else that's happening. No wonder people hate scrappers. 
Or, I might be on a tank, and a controller locks down the mobs before I've put them in a nice pile. 

See? There's always going to be some tactics that work well for one player that will annoy the crap out of the other. We cannot impose our inability to think and adapt on our dev team. These are skill issues, nothing more. In some cases, it's not even a skill issue, as the player would know what to do if only it occurred to them to do it. It's more of an blissful ignorance, assuming others would get the same joy. I strongly suspect the guy who's using Fold Space is thinking he's putting his 500M d-sync to good use. And he is! Just not for the guy who dropped blizzard on the mobs as they used fold space. 

The KB is the same kind of issue. You're a player that has an attack at the ready, you use it...and you get kicked or fussed at for doing what you're supposed to do? No. You're getting kicked for a lack of perception. You assumed that the other players would get joy or appreciation out of your 7-10 split on the bowling alley map. (did that paint the right picture?)

Myself, I'm never going to use kb-kd unless I'm in pursuit of that set bonus for some reason. I'm smart enough to hover over head and kb them into the floor. And if I miss, I'll defeat the scattered mob myself. I'm also smart enough to not team with anyone that is so vehemently opposed to effective damage mitigation. I know where they're coming from, but I don't want to be where they're coming from. There's enough intolerance in the real world. Don't need it in game.

Again, I understand the challenges dealing with kb. But they need not use an IO to solve it. It's just like working with cones...it requires positioning to get the most utility out of it. Look at your surroundings. Adapt, improvise, overcome. 

[tidge]

19 minutes ago, Psi-bolt said:

 Does a Fire Blaster have to learn to use a DoT?   Does the Psychic have to learn to use the -recharge.   And so on and so forth.   Most secondary effects even if they don't do a whole lot, don't require positioning or having to modify your playstyle or slotting an enhancer to turn them off. 

 

I can't speak for everyone else, but on my Blasters I've learned to use DoT attacks in specific circumstances like:

1. Hit a Fake Nemesis before they bubble
2. Hit an enemy who might otherwise 'summon' to keep interrupting them

Players who are face-rolling their keyboards might not pick these sorts of things up... and if someone PL-ed up to level 50 without facing a wide variety of content might not pick these things up, but some of us have.

 

From my PoV, Knockback is more than just 'that one power someone else used that upset me that one time'... on my characters that would be specifically bothered by knockback, I have made choices to mitigate uncontrolled knockback. Combat Teleport works well (also works for PUGmates who can't help but spam Fold Space), as do (almost all) AoE immobilizes.

[Uun]

I don't currently have any Energy Blast characters, but I had an En/En blaster on live from about i3 onward (before kb>kd was available). I was often complimented on my use of knockback, as I would use it to knock foes toward the tank, or I would hover blast to knock foes down and avoid scatter. I've played Storm Summoning to 50 three times. While I do slot kb>kd in Tornado (obviously I didn't on live), I intentionally don't on Lightning Storm. The kb is only mag 1 and it's directional. If you place LS over the spawn it will knock them straight down, while if you place it behind the squishies it will knock foes away from them and back toward the tank.

 

There are any number of mechanics in this game that have a learning curve. Don't cast your AoE immobilize on a spawn before the tank has gathered them up.. Don't stand next to the Shadow Cyst Crystals in the ITF if you're squishy. Be mindful of the direction of your kb (if you choose to use it).

[Skyhawke]

I've started up an Energy/Martial Blaster and last night dinged 8 after finishing the Atlas Park arcs. I was about to head to KR when I saw a call for a Posi 1. I paused and eventually decided against joining because of the KB stigma even though I only had the single target powers. I know how to position, hell I do it all the time with melee cone attacks. I know what to target and always clean up any mess I may cause. My 50 PB only has a couple things slotted to KB and the rest I know how to use properly. All that aside, I was worried about the "Oh great...an knockback blaster" comments. I agree with the idea of allowing us a toggle that changes KB to KD or not. I do dislike having to sacrifice a slot in a power (and a set bonus) just because people get pissy as the sight of a energy blaster or a peacebringer. 

[tidge]

Posi 1 is so short, and one of the missions is all Clockwork (so KB is pretty much always affecting them, despite KD) I wouldn't sweat it. I love Energy/Martial Blasters, and I'm getting ready to build another one! Besides... it is probably the case that more advanced players will be using Plasmatic Tasers and/or Hand Grenades to get through those early TFs anyway.

 

Specifically for low-level content, when players don't have many slots and likely don't have anything like a full suit of powers, there is no room for drama about what another player is choosing to play.

 

 

[OverkillEngine]

On 7/22/2025 at 7:20 PM, FupDup said:

Someone on the Discord once suggested that most currently KB-enabled powers should be KD by default instead, with the onus being on the player to slot for KB enhancement if they really want to fling targets around (as opposed to the current situation where players who don't want to annoy others will need to slot for KB->KD). ST attacks can get away with it a bit easier but AOEs really can't in most cases. 

Flipping the onus around like that would prevent accidents and remove the slot tax aspect, plus it would be way easier to identify people who are doing it on purpose because they'd have to slot for it specifically as opposed to it being the default state. 

 

Additionally, alter KB to have a scaling damage proc based on magnitude and character level and maybe then KB enhancements might no longer be seen as incredibly suboptimal most of the time.

KU/KD would add no extra damage but also not disturb AoE centric strategies. KB would be the spec for juggling enemies to death.