page 3 [FOCUSED FEEDBACK] Mastermind Archetype Adjustments

[bAss_ackwards]

7 minutes ago, Troo said:

Is there not a better way to go about this?

 

I have no inside information and these are just my thoughts.

 

They've got a set scope and priorities for the release of this update before they take their break/holiday. You're unlikely to see big shakeups or more additions until after they come back, in their next release. Delaying the current MM changes to be more encompassing and complete is also likely not on the table, as it is tied to the difficulty increases. There's more goodies that have been hinted at already. So for now with this current release plan we can enjoy MMs that are a little better while, as they say, the rest cooks in the oven. 👍

[Maelwys]

To add to that: CPH has already stated that there's going to be another patch shortly after Christmas; and that this patch is going to contain a HUGE number of changes.

To clarify: that the devs were concerned that the current MM changes would have been "lost in the crowd" if they'd released everything all at once.
So they pushed them to Open Beta separately to give them a decent chance to get properly tested and refined before the next patch lands and all hell breaks loose.
 

Spoiler

_{((And I'm really not exaggerating... assuming everything proposed goes in as-is it's gonna be utter bedlam... so consider this the calm before the storm!)) 🚒 🚒 👨‍🚒 🔥 🧯}

 

[Runaway]

My 7 cents:

1. Others have suggested the same, but I'm still going to echo it. Don't limit Mastermind ATOs to just pets, but allow them to be slotted into all primary powers that take damage + accuracy IOs. I feel like only allowing masterminds to slot their ATOs into pets, is an artificial limitation that should have never been. The various attack powers in the primary powersets are part of the mastermind toolset and so imo Mastermind ATOs should have been slottable in those from the start (since the modifiers are fully applicable).
2. I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but I would also allow slotting "recharge intensive pets" sets into recharge intensive pets that don't do damage. I'm thinking of Maintenance Drone and Dark Servant, but I'm probably forgetting some. Imo any summon with a long recharge should be able to slot these sets.
3. 50% instead of 40% effectiveness of set bonuses to pets would be a great, if only for the much easier math. 
4. I would let all archetypes enjoy the ..% of set bonuses to pets. Mastermind pets aren't the only pets that have had trouble keeping up with the times.
5. About the various changes to mastermind primaries: I'm not going to post this in every focused feedback thread, so I'm saying it here: Why the slew of changes to Beasts, Demons and Thugs? What problem are those changes trying to solve? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If the desire is to put creative archetype design into this patch, then consider making an entirely new mastermind archetype or focus that creative energy on one of the primaries that everyone thinks is awful.
   1. ps: Beast Mastery has no link to a focused feedback thread.
6. I'm glad that the hp nerfs to the t1 and t2 henchmen are off the table.
7. Personally, rather than doing all these convoluted changes to henchmen levels and stats, I would have considered smoothing out the purple patch nerf table a bit, which would have also helped fresh level 50s when they group with incarnates. The nerfs when going from -4 to -5 (1.6x less effective) and from -5 to -6 (2x less effective) are very harsh and that's the root cause of those changes being needed. But that smoothing out might also break years of content balance since everything has been playtested with the purple patch numbers as they are, so meh, sometimes there's no easy solutions.