Issue 5 and /dev blasters

[Malibu Sally]

Some of the changes in issue 5 will require me to do some substantial tinkering with my build and how I go about fighting things.

The single biggest change is that a cloaking device/smoke grenade combo no longer works. The smoke grenade now effectively negates the cloaking device and mobs can now see me if I approach too closely. This effects two of my most common opening moves: The tripmine toe bomb, and the Timbomb as an alpha. I'll now be respeccing timebomb out of my build because there is no good use for it anymore. The long, interruptable set up time for time bomb was completely dependant upon being "invisible".

The tripmines I'll keep for now. They still come in handy as an occasional trap.

I'll probably spec smoke grenade out of my build now too. What this issue has done is made them useful ONLY if you don't already have cloaking device.

Defiance: For the mid thirties upward, defiance is really a non factor. By the time it kicks in, it is almost too late for any benefit. Pre thirties, it really helps blasters a lot.

So I am getting rid of Timebomb and Smoke grenade... I am not sure what I'll replace them with. I still hate NOVA so I doubt I'll take that. Maybe I'll dip into another pool set.

[Blue Bolt]

Presence pool, maybe? Something to hold the baddies while you'll ready an attack. Plus, your looks can be intimidating... :D :p

[Vendel]

Well I have been doing some looking on the offical boards. And its seems that while tossing a grenade will negate the CD stealth, it is only for the supression time. So stand back...throw the greande...wait a few seconds then go in. Now someoen said and I agree that isnt the point of the SG to help with your stealth? So why does it surpess cloak?

Now the really odd thing is that after you attack you get no def bonus for melee or ranged from CD. Er....wtf? Isnt that the whole point of CD.....the new discriptios says "you are still hard to see but lose your Def bonus". Uh....... come again? "You are still hard to see but you lose your def bonus".

I am thinking this might not make it to live. Im hopeing....if it does CD is going back to 1 slot.

So CD is now harder to use and once you attack it is compleatly useless for Def. Don't you need the +def after you attack? Oh well.

Im not preaching DOOM but if the changes make it to live you need to be much more careful when smokeing....and take all the slots out of CD (if you had any)

[Malibu Sally]

Any defense that CD gave was minimal to begin with so I don't miss that. I'll miss the defense that Hasten used to give a LOT more.

I'll try your suggestion and wait a few seconds to see if suppression wears off. I hope that works. I really like using Timebomb as an alpha... but like I said, I have to be unseeable in order to plant the thing in a group of villains.

[Vendel]

well the +def on CD is better than on hover and CJ. At least till I5 I guess.

Im not sure on the hasten numbers....never looked them up.

[vyxzuw]

Was 5%, I believe. Now it's 0 (no def boost). Since Hasten isn't a toggle, this applied even when mezzed.

[Jade_Dragon]

Personally, I thought Hasten having +Def was a mistake. The idea behind it was "to make Super Speed have a +Def power like Combat Jumping and Hover". However, CJ and Hover are already defensive powers. Hasten is an OFFENSIVE power, it allows you to do more damage. So adding Def to it makes it both offensive and defensive at the same time. While not without precedent (Siphon Power is also both offensive and defensive) that did seem somewhat unnecessary.

However, Blasters could have done without the loss of defense. (And yes, the Stealth/CD Def was 7.5%, so it was better than Hasten)

If I had to suggest a solution, I would say to put the +Def BACK in Super Speed (yes, Super Speed once had +Def) now that there is suppression on its speed. But given that Stealth is now losing its Def due to suppression, I question whether the devs would consider that.

It appears at this point as if Combat Jumping is intended to be the all purpose Blaster defense, with Hover and Tough/Weave as additional possibilities.

[Vendel]

Isnt hover and CJ like 5%......or at least till I5?

Thats why I slotted Cloak......but I sense a respec comeing,hello slotting CJ.

[Akamaz]

all i can say is with the nerf bat being swung with impunity, we better get a free respec outta this

[Jade_Dragon]

Isnt hover and CJ like 5%......or at least till I5?

Thats why I slotted Cloak......but I sense a respec comeing,hello slotting CJ.

Yep. Bloodwolf is definately going to need a respec, as he uses Stealth as a sort of all-purpose defense. There are a few Enhancements he could move into Focused Fighting or Agile. And he's a SCRAPPER...

Hover, CJ, and Hasten were all 5%, right now it seems the best guess is 2.5%. I plan to do some tests to see the numbers for myself, but I want to wait until the patch has been out for a while, to give it time to stabilize.