Let's fix The Automaton!

aesica

So The Automaton is a reward for hitting 40. A first time player may think, "if I level this mediocre free AT, this reward one should be a lot better, right?" Ha! This AT is embarassingly bad, but it doesn't have to be. Consider this:

The Automaton
Based on the theme of being a badass terminator, as well as the fact that this AT is meant as a reward for leveling, consider this progression path:

PSS: Intelligence - It's a sentient machine. An artificial intelligence. You can't NOT have this as its PSS.
SSS: Constitution - It should be durable. it's made out of metal, not meat.
SSS: Endurance - Machines don't tire like humans do.

Intelligence, Guardian, Vindicator (Yeah I know, Guardicator. It's a machine and should be durable though)

1: Wrist Bolter
1: Power Gauntlet* or Dual Wrist Rocket Barrage
6: Rocket Punch* or Eye Beam
8: Targeting Computer
11: Chest Beam or Micro Munitions
14: Aspect of the Machine**
17: Bountiful Chi Resurgence or Reconstruction Circuits
21: Energy Shield
25: Unified Theory or Overdrive
30: Ego Surge
35: Binding Shot or Orbital Cannon
40: Fire All Weapons or Implosion Engine

* I recommend adding Plasma Burn apply (50-100% based on charge) to Power Gauntlet and/or Rocket Punch as a way to interact with Unified Theory.

** Aspect of the Machine needs a full rework. Here's how I'd do it:

• Replace "Str or Ego" scaling with "Int." Int makes way more sense. Sentient machines, artificial intelligence, all that. None of the other stats fit the theme to the same degree as Int.
• Rename "Frenzy" (the stacking portion) to something more fitting, like "Analysis."
  
• Change the stacking rules to the norm for forms (8 max, 20 sec duration)
• Rule for building stacks: Dealing damage to a target with any Technology power applies or refreshes the "Analyzing..." debuff to the target. Taking damage from, killing, or dealing a critical hit to a target affected by Analyzing... adds a stack of Analysis. The Analyzing... debuff lasts 20 seconds but can be refreshed by additional Technology powers.
• Design note 1: Any power can trigger the critical hit or killing blow portion. Damage via technology powers is only required to set up Analyzing...
• Design note 2: Use the Targeting Computer vfx when Analyzing... is initially applied to a target.

Any thoughts on improving this would be appreciated. I don't normally make strictly-damage builds.

Unknown

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draogn

Simply changing gaining frenzy through killing blows to dealing a specific type of damage or using specific tech powers would go a long ways to fixing the AT.

aesica

gradii said:

Changing the scaling on AoTM would ruin a lot of existing builds. I can support all of this but that.

Really? I actually didn't think anyone used it due to its unreliable nature. You'd almost have to R2/R3 it (and have other forms of energy regain) for it to be even slightly beneficial.

Anyway, I'd be happy if the devs also included Str and Ego (or just "superstats") but they don't like such general-purpose stuff.

zamuelpwe

aesica said:

Really? I actually didn't think anyone used it due to its unreliable nature. You'd almost have to R2/R3 it (and have other forms of energy regain) for it to be even slightly beneficial.

It actually does get some use now that it's been available for a while. People DO wind up ranking it up to R3 but it provides decent steady damage at the start of the battle for both range and melee (presumably why there's themed melee attacks in the progression). You rank it up and it's actually not unreliable. AotM has limits but half of its problems are that the AT doesn't support it. It benefits most from sweeping weak enemies or summons while the Automaton as built does better against bigger enemies.

On changing AotM, I've always felt it doesn't actually need massive changes, just adjustments to what it already does. In addition to the proc on KO (which suffers from ally kill stealing) it should also have a scaling chance to activate that scales up the lower an enemy's life is. This would allow it to work better with solo bosses.

The Automaton as a whole is an odd situation where there's a large number of small shifts would help it be less of a clunky mess, both in swapping powers and with buffs to powers. The above suggestion for AotM is one example. Another is with either the EU or the lvl 1 power. Overdrive only activates off of Chainsaw Gauntlet (massive energy hog and not a required pick) or Reconstruction Circuits (a heal...). Either adding a lvl 1 maintain, adding a choice between Overdrive and MSA, or making a new EU would do a lot outside of other changes.

chaelk

This IS the fixed version, you should have seen the original.
Form- costs energy to activate and use. Turns off when runs out.
It has a maintain energy unlok but only 2 potential powers to use with it.​​

aesica

zamuelpwe said:

The Automaton as a whole is an odd situation where there's a large number of small shifts would help it be less of a clunky mess, both in swapping powers and with buffs to powers. The above suggestion for AotM is one example. Another is with either the EU or the lvl 1 power. Overdrive only activates off of Chainsaw Gauntlet (massive energy hog and not a required pick) or Reconstruction Circuits (a heal...). Either adding a lvl 1 maintain, adding a choice between Overdrive and MSA, or making a new EU would do a lot outside of other changes.

The problem is there aren't really any PA-themed maintains, especially now that Plasma Beam is toggled just like the rest of them. So you'd have to dip into Gadgeteering or Munitions for a proper single target maintain. However, given the recent nerf on PTS to Overdrive, it'd be even less viable with a classic maintain, so I opted for either full PA-style toggle management vs the more basic charge-based powers, with a choice of EUs for each.

The worst part of all about its current state is that its EU requires either a melee power (despite being a ranged AT!) or a toggle that can't be used with any of the other attacks. With the upcoming PTS changes to the PA framework, this AT is literally more broken than ever.