Confused about different defense numbers

[Voldine]

This is the build I was using on live. I never deleted a single thing about this game from my desktop tower and still have the old mids build.

 

My build goal was to have all defenses at the softcap with positionals as close to the incarnate softcap as possible if not over. On Live, I had succeeded with my lowest defense % being 46.6% to both Energy and Negative energy damage types, with my positionals at 52.8% Melee, 60.4% Ranged, and 50.3% AoE defense.

 

However...according to the NEW hero builder program with the current issue updates for the revived game my defense numbers are all about 4% lower with Melee dropping to 48.9%, ranged at 56%, and AoE at 46.4%.

 

At the same time, my resists seem to have increased by about 5% across the board, except for Psionic which shot up from 6.6% to a projected 21.3%

 

Was there a massive refactoring of set bonuses somewhere in the changelogs that I missed, moving some sets to resist bonuses instead of defense?

 

Hero Plan by Hero Hero Designer 2.23

https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer

 

Click this DataLink to open the build!

 

Level 50 Natural Arachnos Soldier

Primary Power Set: Crab Spider Soldier

Secondary Power Set: Crab Spider Training

Power Pool: Leaping

Power Pool: Flight

Power Pool: Leadership

Power Pool: Fighting

 

Hero Profile:

Level 1: Channelgun

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage
  
• (13) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
  
• (19) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (36) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (40) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

Level 1: Crab Spider Armor Upgrade

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection
  
• (5) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  

Level 2: Longfang

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (9) Devastation - Damage/Endurance
  
• (17) Devastation - Damage/Recharge
  
• (36) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (40) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (42) Devastation - Chance of Hold
  

Level 4: Combat Training: Defensive

• (A) Kismet - Accuracy +6%
  
• (5) Karma - Knockback Protection
  
• (7) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  

Level 6: Combat Jumping

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (7) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (27) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 8: Suppression

• (A) Analyze Weakness - Defense Debuff
  
• (9) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Defense Debuff
  
• (17) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (31) Analyze Weakness - Defense Debuff/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (40) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (42) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  

Level 10: Tactical Training: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (11) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (11) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  
• (43) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
  

Level 12: Venom Grenade

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage
  
• (13) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
  
• (15) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (31) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (39) Ragnarok - Damage/Endurance
  
• (42) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown
  

Level 14: Fly

• (A) Soaring - Endurance/FlySpeed
  

Level 16: Tactical Training: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

Level 18: Hover

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (19) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  

Level 20: Tactical Training: Leadership

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff
  
• (21) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge
  
• (21) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance
  
• (23) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance
  
• (23) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Endurance
  
• (25) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  

Level 22: Afterburner

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  
• (27) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 24: Fortification

• (A) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (25) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Recharge
  
• (36) Titanium Coating - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (37) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (37) Titanium Coating - Resistance
  
• (37) Titanium Coating - Endurance
  

Level 26: Mental Training

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 28: Serum

• (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance
  
• (29) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge
  
• (29) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
  
• (46) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (48) Doctored Wounds - Heal
  
• (48) Doctored Wounds - Recharge
  

Level 30: Maneuvers

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  
• (34) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance
  

Level 32: Omega Maneuver

• (A) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (33) Razzle Dazzle - Endurance/Stun
  
• (33) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Endurance
  
• (33) Razzle Dazzle - Stun/Range
  
• (34) Razzle Dazzle - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge
  
• (34) Razzle Dazzle - Chance of Immobilize
  

Level 35: Boxing

• (A) Empty
  

Level 38: Call Reinforcements

• (A) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (39) Expedient Reinforcement - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (39) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge
  
• (48) Expedient Reinforcement - Resist Bonus Aura for Pets
  

Level 41: Tough

• (A) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance
  

Level 44: Frag Grenade

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
  
• (45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
  
• (45) Positron's Blast - Damage/Range
  
• (46) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (46) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  

Level 47: Weave

• (A) Red Fortune - Endurance
  
• (50) Red Fortune - Defense
  
• (50) Red Fortune - Defense/Endurance
  
• (50) Red Fortune - Endurance/Recharge
  

Level 49: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Dash

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Slide

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Quick

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Rush

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Empty
  

Level 1: Conditioning

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Empty
  

Level 4: Ninja Run

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Flight Speed IO
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  
• (15) Miracle - +Recovery
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO
  

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  
• (3) Performance Shifter - EndMod
  
• (3) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge
  

Level 50: Nerve Radial Paragon

Level 50: Ion Radial Final Judgement

Level 50: Diamagnetic Radial Flawless Interface

Level 50: Longbow Core Superior Ally

Level 50: Ageless Core Epiphany

Level 50: Support Radial Embodiment

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[Scientist]

I believe they did bump up damage resist values in set bonuses in multiple sets with the code that went into Homecoming, because nobody ever built for resist, just defense.  I think actual damage resistance got added in as well to some sets where it was previously only "mezz resist", which wasn't of much use to anyone.  A few defense bonuses may have been mucked with as well.     

[Williwaw]

That was a change made for I24, not Homecoming.  Before the I24 Beta, no set gave resistance at all, but in I24 they turned the various specific Mez Resist set bonuses (which were never very popular or useful) into general Mez Resist and damage resistance.

Before the game closed, my Elec/Invuln Brute had 10% higher resists on the beta than he had on the main servers due to those new set bonuses, despite having the same sets.

[Voldine]

Ah, so the i24 beta phase was the source of the increased resistance numbers. It was so long ago and so short that I forgot that had been a thing.

 

That still doesn't explain the mystery of the lowered defense %.

[DSorrow]

9 hours ago, Voldine said:

Ah, so the i24 beta phase was the source of the increased resistance numbers. It was so long ago and so short that I forgot that had been a thing.

 

That still doesn't explain the mystery of the lowered defense %.

My guess for the lowered def is that your build doesn't have the Steadfast +3% Def IO in it, while I guess your live version did have it considering you have the more expensive PvP version slotted.

[HelenCarnate]

Not sure why you would go Nerve Alpha.  You have plenty of To Hit/Accuracy already and should be able to hit +4 mobs with ease.  You have 0 holds, taunts or confuse and your fly speed is capped already without any incarnates.  Agility core will give you the same defense increase plus recharge plus endurance mod.  You should also check out the new sets.  They are expensive but can easily get you past 50% defense with the exact same powers.

 

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by HelenCarnate