Damage Auras In General

[gazellie]

I'll preface this by saying that I understand the utility of damage auras, and that this is entirely just a grievance from the fact that their placement at the moment locks half the Scrapper sets that even get a damage aura into being forced to take it.

 

And honestly that could be the full post! I feel that most of the damage auras, in nearly every case, are a suggestion rather than a hard and fast requirement for a set, and that most of their benefits are purely for mechanical tank classes, such as Brutes and Tankers, who can reliably use them to keep aggro. That being said, can we just bump them up to a t3 instead of a t2 so I don't have to keep taking Death Shroud on a Scrapper?

 

I know it would require an adjustment to pretty much every set except for Ice Armor at this point, but man if it isn't just some real beans having to take this power I'm absolutely not going to slot instead of another resistance toggle that I'm actually going to use, and which will be overall more useful in the early game anyways.

[FupDup]

I don't understand, doesn't the game already allow you to skip the auras? Like in Dark Armor you can pick Dark Embrace at level 1, then something from your melee primary at level 2 instead of the aura? 

[kelika2]

11 minutes ago, FupDup said:

I don't understand, doesn't the game already allow you to skip the auras? Like in Dark Armor you can pick Dark Embrace at level 1, then something from your melee primary at level 2 instead of the aura? 

I think some power set combos just dont allow for minmax like that

like, my plant/energy dom is forced to take crap, or crap, or crap at level 4.

[biostem]

So what is your actual suggestion?

[FupDup]

2 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

I think some power set combos just dont allow for minmax like that

like, my plant/energy dom is forced to take crap, or crap, or crap at level 4.

The OP is talking about Scrappers and level 2 damage auras specifically. As far as I know, every single Scrapper primary should allow the user to pick something from the primary at level 2 to avoid the aura if they really don't want it. 

 

For your Dominator, you could always pick a generic pool power at level 4 (i.e. Hasten or whatever). 

[kelika2]

Just now, FupDup said:

The OP is talking about Scrappers and level 2 damage auras specifically. As far as I know, every single Scrapper primary should allow the user to pick something from the primary at level 2 to avoid the aura if they really don't want it. 

 

For your Dominator, you could always pick a generic pool power at level 4 (i.e. Hasten or whatever). 

oh, i used the wrong number.  i meant level 2.  creation(1) is the hold and bone smasher

level 2 is immobilize, aoe immobilize or power bolt.

[Rudra]

1 hour ago, gazellie said:

I'll preface this by saying that I understand the utility of damage auras, and that this is entirely just a grievance from the fact that their placement at the moment locks half the Scrapper sets that even get a damage aura into being forced to take it.

 

And honestly that could be the full post! I feel that most of the damage auras, in nearly every case, are a suggestion rather than a hard and fast requirement for a set, and that most of their benefits are purely for mechanical tank classes, such as Brutes and Tankers, who can reliably use them to keep aggro. That being said, can we just bump them up to a t3 instead of a t2 so I don't have to keep taking Death Shroud on a Scrapper?

 

I know it would require an adjustment to pretty much every set except for Ice Armor at this point, but man if it isn't just some real beans having to take this power I'm absolutely not going to slot instead of another resistance toggle that I'm actually going to use, and which will be overall more useful in the early game anyways.

Since when do you have to take Death Shroud (or any other T2 damage aura)? Let's take a look:

 

Dark Melee/Dark Armor Scrapper:

Level 1: Choice of Shadow Punch or Smite for primary and choice of Dark Embrace or Death Shroud for secondary. Let's assume Shadow Punch and Dark Embrace chosen.

Level 2: Choice of Smite or Shadow Maul for primary and Death Shroud for secondary. Don't want Death Shroud, so we'll choose... Smite.

Level 3: Two enhancement slots.

Level 4: Shadow Maul is available for primary, Death Shroud and Murky Cloud are available for secondary, and we get our pick of power pools.

Skip a few to level 50: Still no Death Shroud as a required pick.

 

Edit: Sorry, @FupDup, you already said this.

 

Edited yesterday at 03:21 AM by Rudra

[Seed22]

38 minutes ago, kelika2 said:

I think some power set combos just dont allow for minmax like that

like, my plant/energy dom is forced to take crap, or crap, or crap at level 4.

If they were minmaxing they’d take the damage aura.

[gazellie]

4 hours ago, Rudra said:

Since when do you have to take Death Shroud (or any other T2 damage aura)? Let's take a look:

 

Dark Melee/Dark Armor Scrapper:

Level 1: Choice of Shadow Punch or Smite for primary and choice of Dark Embrace or Death Shroud for secondary. Let's assume Shadow Punch and Dark Embrace chosen.

Level 2: Choice of Smite or Shadow Maul for primary and Death Shroud for secondary. Don't want Death Shroud, so we'll choose... Smite.

Level 3: Two enhancement slots.

Level 4: Shadow Maul is available for primary, Death Shroud and Murky Cloud are available for secondary, and we get our pick of power pools.

Skip a few to level 50: Still no Death Shroud as a required pick.

 

Edit: Sorry, @FupDup, you already said this.

 

I do understand the intent of this! I get where you're coming from, here. I could just take two powers from my primary instead of two powers from my secondary, and thus manage to skip out on taking Death Shroud, or many other damage auras altogether! You were correct in that respect!

 

I struggle to think of a single melee set where I would actually want to take both the T1 and T2 attack powers, whereas nearly every single armor set I'm going to absolutely be taking both of the first armor powers I have available to me. That is, essentially, what I'm coming at this from - being made to make the choice of either taking a single target attack that I don't want or an AoE power that I don't want.

 

edit: As for my actual suggestion, it's in the post itself. Bump the damage auras up to T3 instead of setting the vast majority of them at T2. That's really all I'm suggesting here.

Edited yesterday at 07:21 AM by gazellie
Answering another stated question!

[Rudra]

2 hours ago, gazellie said:

I do understand the intent of this! I get where you're coming from, here. I could just take two powers from my primary instead of two powers from my secondary, and thus manage to skip out on taking Death Shroud, or many other damage auras altogether! You were correct in that respect!

 

I struggle to think of a single melee set where I would actually want to take both the T1 and T2 attack powers, whereas nearly every single armor set I'm going to absolutely be taking both of the first armor powers I have available to me. That is, essentially, what I'm coming at this from - being made to make the choice of either taking a single target attack that I don't want or an AoE power that I don't want.

 

edit: As for my actual suggestion, it's in the post itself. Bump the damage auras up to T3 instead of setting the vast majority of them at T2. That's really all I'm suggesting here.

Your complaint is that you "have to" take the T2 damage aura. And you plainly don't.

 

Edit: And if it is that much of an issue for you, then might I suggest you play a Tanker instead of a Scrapper? They're the ones that prioritize armor acquisition.

 

Edited yesterday at 09:57 AM by Rudra

[Uun]

7 hours ago, gazellie said:

I struggle to think of a single melee set where I would actually want to take both the T1 and T2 attack powers, whereas nearly every single armor set I'm going to absolutely be taking both of the first armor powers I have available to me. That is, essentially, what I'm coming at this from - being made to make the choice of either taking a single target attack that I don't want or an AoE power that I don't want.

Still not true. At lvl 1 you take the T1 armor along with whichever of the T1/T2  attacks you prefer. At lvl 2 you take the T3 attack and at lvl 4 you take the T3 armor.

 

I'll also note that Dark, Fire and Electric are the only armor sets with a T2 damage aura. Stone gets theirs at lvl 10 and Ice and Bio get theirs at lvl 28.

[MTeague]

If the devs choose to take up this suggestion, that's entirely up to them. 

I don't really see the issue though.  You don't specify your primary powerset, so I'm going to assume Dark Melee/Dark Armor, just for the sake of the argument.

 

lvl 1: Smite

lvl 1: Dark Embrace

lvl 2: Shadow Maul

lvl 4: Murky Cloud

lvl 6:  Touch of Fear or a Pool Power

....

 

I never have to take both the T1+T2, and I never have to take the damage aura if I don't want it... so.... why change it, again?

[MTeague]

Another option could be to roll a Stalker vs a Scrapper (I don't think any Stalker armor set gets a damage aura).  Dark Armor is great thematically for Stalkers. You are one with Shadow. There's also the Sentinel option.

[macskull]

I’m not sure why you’d want to skip the damage aura on characters that have one. It’s the closest thing to a free attack you can get in this game.

[Lyte Stryke]

I usually take the power (whatever power is offered, not just auras)  when initially available, while leveling, and then respec in my 30s where I can shed the unwanted power.  This way I get to experience it and see if it works with my play style and enhancements.  Then I know specifically why I don't like it within that powerset and my build. That said, there are only a couple powers you have to take, after that there are so many pool powers as alternatives you can make that aura your own T3 or T4.  I guess all this to say  "what do you want the devs to change?"

[TygerDarkstorm]

I don't really understand this complaint. If you're not twinking, you're going to want your tier 1 & 2 attacks from your primary because you're not going to have the recharge to comfortably run an attack chain with only the higher level attacks. There is nothing in this game forcing you to take the damage aura at a low level if you don't want to and there's no reason for the devs to shift the tiers that the aura show up in. 

 

You get a free respec every 10 levels, plus the AH, and respec trials--you take the early attacks while still leveling in early game, then respec out of them later on once you're able to get better recharge and such to run the stronger attack chains.