Focused Feedback: Devices, Stealth and Misc Power changes

[Leandro]

Powers - Devices

• Changed Web Grenade to Toxic Web Grenade, now deals scale 1 toxic DoT and can be slotted for damage
• Taser: Recharge reduced from 20 to 10 seconds, duration reduced from scale 10 to scale 5, damage increased from 0.25 to 1.96 (same damage as Energy Punch)
• Time Bomb:  Animation is now 2.77 seconds, interrupt time removed, countdown reduced to 5 seconds, defiance values reduced to match (this only applies to this set, not to the Traps support set versions.)
• Trip Mine:  Interrupt removed. Cast time is now 2.77 seconds. Recharge increased to 30 seconds.
• Targeting Drone now gives your first attack from out of combat a Built-Up effect (80% damage) and continues to provide a 20% damage buff while in combat.

Powers - Stealth

• All self-stealth toggles should now recharge in 2 seconds.
• Pools > Concealment > Stealth: No longer slows the user down.
• Pools > Concealment > Invisibility:  Endurance cost lowered from 0.65 to 0.2275. You are now be able to attack while this power is active, but should you attack, most your defense will suppress.
• Illusion Control > Superior Invisibility: Endurance cost lowered from 0.52 to 0.182.

Powers - Misc Changes & Bug Fixes

• Gravity Control > Propel: Adjusted physics parameters on objects to make them feel solid and not bounce around like rubber toys.
• Night Widow & Fortunata Vengeance: Now triggers on league members. The buff will still only apply to teammates.
• Burn: should no longer ignore accuracy enhancements.
• Beta Decay: FX now anchors on the player and not the world.
• Pool > Leaping > Spring Attack: now does Containment damage when used by Controllers.
• Pool > Sorcery > Enflame: Should now do damage for Sentinels
• Kheldians > Inherent: Should now see Sentinels the same way they see Blasters and Scrappers, for the purpose of their inherent powers.
• Controller > Ice Control > Flash Freeze: should be properly flagged as a Targeted AoE, not a Point Blank AoE.
• Stalker > Savage Melee > Shred: This power erroneously said it consumed Blood Frenzy stacks. The text has been corrected. This power generates one Blood Frenzy stacks instead. All other AT versions of the power had the correct text for Shred.
• Dominator > Feral Charge: Fixed a bug where sometimes it would do no damage if executed from maximum distance.
• Dominator > Savage Assault > Unkindness: This power erroneously said it consumed Blood Frenzy stacks. The text has been corrected. This power generates one Blood Frenzy stack, and it's DoT becomes stronger the more Blood Frenzy the caster has. This bonus to Unkindness makes up for the set's lack of Savage Leap and Hemorrage.
• Sentinel > Ice Blast > Chilling_Ray: Should now accept Slow enhancements.
• Sentinel > Regeneration > Dismiss Pain: Increased amount of MaxHP granted to 24% from 6%, should had not been that low to begin with.
• Beam Rifle > Disintegration: Should [hopefully] never linger after the target dies.
• Earth Control > Animate Stone: should no longer stop to reconsider it's life choices for about 6 seconds after using Hurl.
• Mu Mastery Epic Pool: Zap now uses Melee Damage Modifiers
• All versions of Beam Rifle's Penetrating Ray now has a 55% chance of spreading disintegration.
• All versions of Beam Rifle's Lancer Shot now has a 100% chance of spreading disintegration.
• Fixed a bug in the no-redraw version of fast-Archery's Snipe.
• Psionic Lance's quick FX was completely broken and out of sync. FX has been resync but this required a slightly slower animation (1.33 seconds.)

[tatter]

Time Bomb not completely sucking is a radical concept.

[Vanden]

44 minutes ago, Leandro said:

Targeting Drone now gives your first attack from out of combat a Built-Up effect (80% damage) and continues to provide a 20% damage buff while in combat. 

Do these numbers stack, for 100% damage total on the first attack, or is 80% the actual total damage buff (meaning it's a 60% damage buff that suppresses in combat)?

[MintCondition]

Can someone explain the reasons behind the Stealth/Invis changes. What was broken about it?

 

I mean this seems like a buff to Invis, but it sort of makes stealth pointless now. In addition, other than a lower END, superior invis isn't that superior anymore. And are similar buffs going to go to Field Operative? 

 

I always assumed stealth/Invis was a mode toggle like hover/fly or CJ/SJ. Moving around? Invis. Ready to fight, flip to stealth. Need to get out of Dodge? Phase. 

 

[Leandro]

1 minute ago, MintCondition said:

Can someone explain the reasons behind the Stealth/Invis changes. What was broken about it?

That conversation started because of Stealth IOs (yes, I know, not supposed to balance around IOs, but can't deny they exist) making the Stealth pool a horrendous choice. They arguably are still worse than slotting a Stealth IO in Super Speed, but they shouldn't be a complete joke, at least.

[Nanoman]

Something I've been meaning to suggest, but forgot until now... Would it be possible (and practical!) to replicate the model used by propel?

Currently it's generated randomly clientside, which means everyone sees a different model. Hitting someone in the face with a car, say, is a lot less impressive when, for other members of the group, it's a crate, a shopping cart, a modern art sculpture, etc.

[Replacement]

1 hour ago, Leandro said:

Taser: Recharge reduced from 20 to 10 seconds, duration reduced from scale 10 to scale 5, damage increased from 0.25 to 1.96 (same damage as Energy Punch)

I'm not a Devices player, so I'm really not qualified, buuuuuuuuuuut

I harbor a small concern that this will change how devices is played.  I'd really like to hear from folks who've played Live Devices and Beta, and know how the set feels now.

 

About the Stealth pool stuff -- I'm glad to see this getting some love.  This is a good start, but I really think this pool needs some minor cottage-wrecking (like trading out Stealth for Invisibility and adding something useful in that third spot).  Still, at this time I just want to thank you for noticing this is a crap pool that needs attention.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Replacement

[tatter]

I will be sad to see bouncy forklifts and gargoyles vanish, but that will pass I am sure.

 

1 minute ago, Replacement said:

I'm not a Devices player, so I'm really not qualified, buuuuuuuuuuut

I harbor a small concern that this will change how devices is played.  I'd really like to hear from folks who've played Live Devices and Beta, and know how the set feels now.

I used Taser on live a lot and I'm looking forward to trying it out on Beta. The rest of the changes (particularly Time Bomb and Targeting Drone) look very good.

Edited August 11, 2019 by tatter
Preventing a double post by adding quote and response

[Neoplasm]

29 minutes ago, Leandro said:

That conversation started because of Stealth IOs (yes, I know, not supposed to balance around IOs, but can't deny they exist) making the Stealth pool a horrendous choice. They arguably are still worse than slotting a Stealth IO in Super Speed, but they shouldn't be a complete joke, at least.

Stacking Stealth with Stealth IO was not a horrendous choice, it was the only choice for those not wanting to take Super Speed. The trade off for not running into walls was to be a bit slower when fully invisible. The pool in general can be used for LoTG mules which makes it a strong choice in my eyes.

[Replacement]

2 minutes ago, Neoplasm said:

Stacking Stealth with Stealth IO was not a horrendous choice, it was the only choice for those not wanting to take Super Speed. The trade off for not running into walls was to be a bit slower when fully invisible. The pool in general can be used for LoTG mules which makes it a strong choice in my eyes.

I'd still rather slot one of those in Sprint and be "mostly invisible" than waste a few power picks.

[Sovera]

These are good changes in my book. As someone who took Stealth to enjoy complete stealth with the IO I was headscratchey at finding my Hover doing less 5 MPH with it turned on, which prompted another respec.

[SeraphimKensai]

As for the devices changes:

Does this effect Traps as well, also is targeting drone from epic sets getting similar love?

 

As far as the stealth changes, thanks for removing the movement speed debuff it was kind of annoying. That said any chance for stacking multiple sources of stealth?  That way we could achieve a higher stealth mag? Or just so that one can use all their powers, example being an illusion/dark affinity controller. If I want to use my AoE that buffs my teammates and makes me stealthy, I can't use superior invis, it's be nice to stack stealth.

[Sidney]

I said it before when the change was originally announced and I'll say it again, I don't like the changes to Time Bomb.  Not because it didn't need a buff (it sure as shit did), but the direction the HC devs decided to go has changed it from a unique power with its own flavor to a generic delayed AoE.  The only thing that I would have changed was its redonculous CD.  Leave the long activation time and interrupt time and their concomitant massive bonus to Defiance.  The new version still has that 10 minute cooldown making it a hard pass for me.

[Replacement]

30 minutes ago, Sidney said:

I said it before when the change was originally announced and I'll say it again, I don't like the changes to Time Bomb.  Not because it didn't need a buff (it sure as shit did), but the direction the HC devs decided to go has changed it from a unique power with its own flavor to a generic delayed AoE.  The only thing that I would have changed was its redonculous CD.  Leave the long activation time and interrupt time and their concomitant massive bonus to Defiance.  The new version still has that 10 minute cooldown making it a hard pass for me.

What are you talking about?  What have they changed from its unique flavor?  5 seconds is still a year in CoH time.  And the huge Defiance bonus was an apology for an unusable power. 

 

I urge you to look here for your Defiance-exploiting damage:

2 hours ago, Leandro said:

Targeting Drone now gives your first attack from out of combat a Built-Up effect (80% damage) and continues to provide a 20% damage buff while in combat.

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Replacement
phrasing

[MintCondition]

1 hour ago, Leandro said:

That conversation started because of Stealth IOs (yes, I know, not supposed to balance around IOs, but can't deny they exist) making the Stealth pool a horrendous choice. They arguably are still worse than slotting a Stealth IO in Super Speed, but they shouldn't be a complete joke, at least.

Stealth tho is a great place for an additional LotG, and if we're going to keep IOs in mind ... 

 

And here's where I'm ignorant, the stealth "procs" in travel powers don't add DEF do they? I guess my issue is what's the point of stealth at all anymore? 

 

 

[Rhaethe]

2 hours ago, Leandro said:

Earth Control > Animate Stone: should no longer stop to reconsider it's life choices for about 6 seconds after using Hurl.

OMG.  I remember this from Old Live ... Bless you for fixing it.

 

[Gorgar]

As it stands on beta right now, it looks like Invisibility costs .46 end/sec.  That's what it says in the power selection screen.  Combat Attributes shows it at .45.  Either way, it's neither the number the patch notes say it originally was, nor the number it's supposed to be changed to.  I'm kind of surprised Invisibility would be *cheaper* than Stealth, but you do need another Concealment power, so maybe that's why.  It's a better Stealth than Stealth in all ways as listed, and even at what I suspect was its original cost, I'd take it over Stealth at least on my main.  Better defense and concealment before firing off Nova, and a defense bonus if I need to disengage for a few seconds.  I'll take that.

[Thezanman]

1 hour ago, Sidney said:

I said it before when the change was originally announced and I'll say it again, I don't like the changes to Time Bomb.  Not because it didn't need a buff (it sure as shit did), but the direction the HC devs decided to go has changed it from a unique power with its own flavor to a generic delayed AoE.  The only thing that I would have changed was its redonculous CD.  Leave the long activation time and interrupt time and their concomitant massive bonus to Defiance.  The new version still has that 10 minute cooldown making it a hard pass for me.

It's a 6 minute cooldown.

[Tachyon Flux]

Howdy,

 

In the previous beta patch notes (posted on June 8), the following note was present regarding Energy Aura for Sentinels:

 

Sentinel > Energy Aura > Power Armor: Now has a +MaxHP component as described in the power info. Power is now a passive and costs no endurance.

 

However, I noticed that this note is missing from the new beta patch notes posted earlier today (August 11). Is this change actually still in, or was it removed/reverted in this newest beta build?

[Captain Powerhouse]

About endurance cost of stealth toggles: most toggles (stealth included) pulse twice per second. Patch notes indicate new pet-pulse end cost. Per-second end-cost is twice that.

[Sunsette]

This version of the patch notes fails to mention the changes to Sentinel > Energy Aura > Power Armor to be an auto and grant a bonus to max HP. This was mentioned in the previous patch notes so I assume it's an oversight, as I have tested and noted it's still there.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Sunsette

[Gorgar]

12 minutes ago, Captain Powerhouse said:

About endurance cost of stealth toggles: most toggles (stealth included) pulse twice per second. Patch notes indicate new pet-pulse end cost. Per-second end-cost is twice that.

Thanks, I see on live Invisibility is 1.30 end/sec, so now I get it.  This is a great change and I'm likely to take the power now.  Would be better for opening a fight with Nova and not getting hit on the way in.  If there was ever a change to the pool powers like the travel powers got, where you could take the third one without prerequisite, I might drop Stealth altogether on some.

 

While you're looking at Concealment, would there be any way to make Phase Shift indefinite in PVE like it used to be?  I think they changed it to the max 30 seconds for PVP reasons, at which point I sadly respeced out of it.

[Thezanman]

I'm not sure if it is related to the beta changes, but Time Bomb and Trip Mine slotted with Sudden Acceleration: Knockback to Knockdown still knock targets back, rather than down.

[Jaguaratron]

4 hours ago, Vanden said:

Do these numbers stack, for 100% damage total on the first attack, or is 80% the actual total damage buff (meaning it's a 60% damage buff that suppresses in combat)?

Its 2 sets of buff, 20% (always) and 60% on first attack into combat start giving a total of 80% at best case scenario.

 

All in all they are some solid changes that need to be tested in "real world" applications on live.

[Jaguaratron]

4 hours ago, MintCondition said:

Can someone explain the reasons behind the Stealth/Invis changes. What was broken about it?

 

I mean this seems like a buff to Invis, but it sort of makes stealth pointless now. In addition, other than a lower END, superior invis isn't that superior anymore. And are similar buffs going to go to Field Operative? 

 

I always assumed stealth/Invis was a mode toggle like hover/fly or CJ/SJ. Moving around? Invis. Ready to fight, flip to stealth. Need to get out of Dodge? Phase. 

 

You cant get invis without investing in a power before it, stealth + a movement stealth IO is a superior choice really, invis served no purpose so this is a minor attraction change. Field Operative gives +rec and +regen for no endurance cost, its one of the best powers in the game, it needs no buffs.