Can we Buff Project Will?

[RakaiThwei]

If it's not too much trouble, I really feel like Project Will definitely needs something of a boost in damage power-- baseline damage power anyway. Compared to sorcery's Arcane Bolt, it's relatively weak to where it's damage can only be upgrade from non-existent to awful. Sure, it's great for roleplaying and building around concept, but even in PVE-- it leaves a lot to be desired.

 

I really think that it might do well for a buff in terms of damage.

[Rudra]

Project Will has both a faster recharge and lower END cost than Arcane Bolt. Lower damage is to be expected. (Project Will is slower than Arcane Bolt, but only by about 0.3 seconds.)

 

Edited September 13 by Rudra

[Psyonico]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

Project Will is slower than Arcane Bolt, but only by about 0.3 seconds.

Is that all?  Project Will just *feels* like it takes an eternity and a half to cast,  probably because the animation has you standing around ding nothing for most of it. 

 

I suspect that Project Will's balance is compared to Arcane Bolt *without* factoring in the chance for double damage, and if that's the case, I wouldn't mind if it got a little love. 

[Rudra]

13 minutes ago, Psyonico said:

Is that all?  Project Will just *feels* like it takes an eternity and a half to cast,  probably because the animation has you standing around ding nothing for most of it. 

 

I suspect that Project Will's balance is compared to Arcane Bolt *without* factoring in the chance for double damage, and if that's the case, I wouldn't mind if it got a little love. 

Scrapper as reference:

 

Arcane Bolt cast time: 1.73 sec (1.98 arcana) (0.25 sec difference)

Project Will cast time: 2.07 sec (2.244 arcana) (0.174 sec difference)

 

2.07 - 1.73 = 0.34

2.244 - 1.98 = 0.264

 

(Edit: I don't have any characters that use either of them. So I have no idea how they feel.)

 

Edit again: And to be perfectly clear, I don't care what the devs do with Project Will. My post was simply to explain to the author that lower damage for Project Will is to be expected and why.

 

Edited September 13 by Rudra

[Agorazium]

I would love for it to be competitive with Arcane Bolt at least on Controllers. Sorcery doesn’t fit every theme but having a pool ST attack is so nice on most builds. 

[Uun]

Here are all the ST pool attacks. Project Will's damage is very much in line with the others. While its DPA suffers somewhat due to its long animation, the power most in need of a buff is Flurry. Shadow Maul (which originally had the same animation) had its cast time reduced to 2.508s years ago.

 

[tidge]

6 hours ago, Agorazium said:

I would love for it to be competitive with Arcane Bolt at least on Controllers. Sorcery doesn’t fit every theme but having a pool ST attack is so nice on most builds. 

 

Here is a tip about Force of Will on Controllers (specifically, but applies in general):

 

If I want the "ranged attack" find it is generally better to take Weaken Resolve slotted with Accuracy/Recharge and two %damage pieces than it is to take Project Will. Add the %-Res if you like, if it triggers I'm pretty sure it will happen before %damage. Controllers have a poor damage scales, the %procs are fixed damage that ignore the scale.

 

Mileage varies of course if you want Project Will specifically to hold some other set, but for Controllers... unless there is a thematic reason to take Project Will "To Me, My CoX-men!" I don't need the piddling damage it can add.

[MTeague]

I want an alternate animation where Project Will hurls an NPC named Will at the opponents.

Bonus points if it looks like Jonathan Frakes / Will Riker.

[Major_Decoy]

19 hours ago, MTeague said:

I want an alternate animation where Project Will hurls an NPC named Will at the opponents.

Bonus points if it looks like Jonathan Frakes / Will Riker.

What if it looked like Thomas Riker?

[Rudra]

19 hours ago, MTeague said:

I want an alternate animation where Project Will hurls an NPC named Will at the opponents.

Bonus points if it looks like Jonathan Frakes / Will Riker.

I think I would like an alternate animation where we throw a stack of papers (that don't scatter) at the target. (It would have "Last Will and Testament" visible to you if you are looking at the power user from the front.)

[Agorazium]

On 9/13/2025 at 8:40 AM, tidge said:

 

Here is a tip about Force of Will on Controllers (specifically, but applies in general):

 

If I want the "ranged attack" find it is generally better to take Weaken Resolve slotted with Accuracy/Recharge and two %damage pieces than it is to take Project Will. Add the %-Res if you like, if it triggers I'm pretty sure it will happen before %damage. Controllers have a poor damage scales, the %procs are fixed damage that ignore the scale.

 

Mileage varies of course if you want Project Will specifically to hold some other set, but for Controllers... unless there is a thematic reason to take Project Will "To Me, My CoX-men!" I don't need the piddling damage it can add.

Yeah I take Weaken Resolve in almost all cases but - don’t shoot!!!! - I think actual attacks should be more competitive with proc bombs. 

[tidge]

3 hours ago, Agorazium said:

Yeah I take Weaken Resolve in almost all cases but - don’t shoot!!!! - I think actual attacks should be more competitive with proc bombs. 

 

Watch out, or the @Maelwys will get you!

[Maelwys]

11 hours ago, tidge said:

Watch out, or the @Maelwys will get you!

I'm not a huge fan of the Force of Will pool (I take Mighty Leap on a few toons as a better version of Super Jump; but it doesn't need Weaken Resolve as a prereq)!
My Cold Dom toons do procbomb Infrigidate though... 😛

Most of my toons that require a "pool power filler attack" end up taking either Cross Punch (Melee Toons) or Arcane Bolt (Controllers).
Arcane Bolt is more attractive to my 'Trollers (even if "Arcane Power" bonus damage doesn't get Containment) and it's a prereq for the very useful Rune of Protection.

 

Edited September 18 by Maelwys

[Maelwys]

On 9/16/2025 at 8:03 AM, MTeague said:

I want an alternate animation where Project Will hurls an NPC named Will at the opponents.

Bonus points if it looks like Jonathan Frakes / Will Riker.

GOGO AI IMAGE GENERATORS!

 

 

(...and this is why we don't trust AI as far as we can get it to fling itself with a medieval trebuchet.)

 

Edited September 18 by Maelwys

[tidge]

2 hours ago, Maelwys said:

I'm not a huge fan of the Force of Will pool (I take Mighty Leap on a few toons as a better version of Super Jump; but it doesn't need Weaken Resolve as a prereq)!
My Cold Dom toons do procbomb Infrigidate though... 😛

 

I was hoping @Maelwys would do the math, but here is my thinking:

 

As far as %proc rates go (for Force of Will) Project Will is a base 5-second recharge time power, Weaken Resolve is a base 30-second recharge time power... the longer recharge time puts it in the "90% ceiling" category (%chance ~ 3x or 4x higher for the slower power)

 

Naively: PPM were originally intended to be something of a wash when it comes to "do I slot damage enhancement or a %damage"... but (some Controller focus) the following come into play:

• Global recharge doesn't affect %proc rates, so a 30-second power is available more often from global recharge (than a 5-second power... less foot-room for improvement)
• Is a Controller going to put (enough) slots into a pool attack (I've done this for set bonuses, but it is uncommon)
• Is the pool attack going to be crucial enough that I'm going to be spamming it (sooner than 30 seconds or less)? (for my Controllers...no)
• Is the primary effect of Weaken Resolve (the debuff) valuable by itself? 

On the last point... for me (solo) it depends on the Controller. If there is a lot of extra damage floating around (teammates, pets, patches) then some debuff plus %damage is the choice for me.

 

[Maelwys]

1 hour ago, tidge said:

I was hoping @Maelwys would do the math

Just open Mids, ya big lazypants 😛







Bonus Points:


and with Arcane Power:


The clincher is that you need a LOT of global recharge for Weaken to be a viable addition to your attack chain.
And Arcane Bolt and Project Will both benefit from Containment/Crits/Scourge/etc; whereas Weaken does not.
(IMO Weaken Resolve is more useful for its -res debuff capability... especially with an Achilles Heel in it... than for its raw damage potential...)

Also Project Will and/or Arcane Bolt is quite often better slotted like this instead:

 

Edited September 18 by Maelwys

[tidge]

I  don't go out of my way to criticize MIDS, but I will reluctantly reveal that I think it is probably one of the worst-engineered pieces of software that I've ever tried to use/install/use/re-install. I don't care that it is a volunteer effort... if volunteer carpenters were making furniture that wobbled, gave splinters, didn't fit through my doors, etc. I still wouldn't accept them with a "thanks for volunteering!"

 

Re: Slotting... why put all those slots into either power when the 6-slots are needed for Wall of Force?!

[Maelwys]

10 minutes ago, tidge said:

Re: Slotting... why put all those slots into either power when the 6-slots are needed for Wall of Force?!

Because IMO all Wall of Force is good for is a place to stick a FF +Rech proc?
(and even then it's got a measly 16.469% base activation chance per enemy poked...)

In the unlikely event that I'm prepared to dig that deep into a Power Pool for an AoE attack; I'm taking Corrosive Vial.
 

There's a special place reserved in MMORPG Hell for low-range, low-arc cones... 🔥🔥🔥📐 

  

10 minutes ago, tidge said:

MIDS

Granted. But one of the things it actually does pretty well is non-pseudopet damage proc averaging.
 

Edited September 18 by Maelwys

[Uun]

If I'm dipping into the Force of Will pool it's because I want Unleash Potential on a melee character. It's better than many of the armor set T9s. (I take Mighty Leap and Weaken Resolve as the prereqs.)