PTS update FC.28.20120529P.2
This build is scheduled to hit PTS by 7:00pm PST
Greetings, and happy Friday!
This week we roll out to PTS some more Power Armor changes, and a new Alert type: "Rampage! Gravitar 10-Man Fight".
This new Alert is some next-level 'ish, and is meant to be played by a group of ten heroes as opposed to the original Alerts which require five.
"Why ten players?" - you ask?
Well, these bosses will be tuned to kick ****, that's why.
*In this build, we've reduced the required amount of players in order to move things along, and to avoid having 8-9 people waiting around for a tenth to join in.
As always, your feedback is most useful, and appreciated. Let us know what you think about the new content, from how it looks, to how it plays.
Please format any bugs you find in the following format:Bug
Where it happens
What happensContent:
- New 10-Man Alert! Face off against Gravitar as she rampages throughout Millennium City. Don't her her sweet looks fool you, she means business. It's going to take the toughest of heroes to take her on, and take her down.
To access the instance, click on the queue icon next to the minimap, go to teh ""Lairs"" tab and select "Rampage! Gravitar 10 Man fight".
- Critters: Theriakiel: Therakiel should no longer use Fire Chains on players.
Powers:
- Martial Arts: Single Blade: Scything Blade: Swallowtail Cut: The bleed from this advantage can no longer be dodged.
- Power Armor: Laser Sword: This power is now a Combo power.
- Power Armor: Laser Sword: Now applies Plasma Burn on its third attack.
- Power Armor: Laser Edge: Opening attack now has a chance to apply Plasma Burn.
- Power Armor: Laser Edge: Now has the ""It Burns!"" advantage, granting all of its attacks a chance to apply Plasma Burn.
- Power Armor: Lightspeed Dash: Now has the Nailed to the Ground advantage.
- Power Armor: Lightspeed Dash: Now has the Crippling Challenge advantage.
- Power Armor: Mini Gun: Infared Guidance System: Now costs 1 advantage point.
- Power Armor: Reconstruction Circuits: Cooldown removed.
- Power Armor: Reconstruction Circuits: Energy cost slightly increased.
- Power Armor: Chest Beam: Point Blank Blast: Maximum damage buff increased from +40% to +50%. "
- Power Armor: Plasma Cutter: Is now a single target power.
- Power Armor: Plasma Cutter: Cost slightly increased.
- Power Armor: Plasma Cutter: Damage increased by ~30%.
- Power Armor: Plasma Cutter: Now, when fully charged, will Cauterize (Rupture) stacks of Plasma Burn.
- Power Armor: Energy Wave: Reverse Polarity: New advantage. Causes this power to Knock toward you instead of away from.
- Powers: Aspect of the Infernal: The rank 2 and 3 tooltip descriptions were incorrect. They have now been adjusted and reflect the current functionality of the power. This is just a description change.
- Archetypes: The Mind, The Grimoire, and The Inventor now properly benefit from their passives again.
- Archetypes: The Blade: The Blade had its power progression incorrectly updated. This has been corrected now.
Comments
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Just realized... are we going to have testing days set aside for it? It's nigh impossible as is to get 5 people for an alert on test much less 10 even if it is temporarily reduced to start, we still sorta need that much to balance test it.
Hmm from the perspective of one who was forced to solo Teleios Tower and Burial Caves coz of lack of players (in order to see the shiny new drops), I hope this goes well!
Good question.
We set the requirements for this particular Alert from 10 to 8 for testing purposes.
We thought about dropping it down to 5, but that would skew the feedback as these instances are meant to be played by 10 skilled players; running them with only 5 would be nearly impossible
In the meantime, I can have a couple of our devs hang out on PTS after the update to help you guys queue and run the Alert.
You guys rock
I like the Reconstruction Critcuits effect. Nice and techy. I would suggest defaulting its hue to the same as other PA beam powers.
Chest Beam still does lest damage with Point Blank Blast than with an uprank even at point bank range. But at least we're at the point where PBB does almost as much damage as the extra rank, even tough its debuff is less. Please take note of oddTodd's findings that PBB is a straight +% damage whereas upranks affect base damage.
Plasma beam's graphic occasionally shoots sideways when combined with other weapons. This seems to be tied to activating the power very quickly after another toggle such as Minigun; the point-the-hand animation does not occur then. On a side note, great thought on using different animations for combined and non-combined Plasma Beam.
Plasma beam still cannot fire at targets on different elevations.
Minigun's Infrared Guidance System is still listed at 2 points.
Phalanx Defense System's hue depends on the activating power's settings, and not Energy Shield's
Tactical Missiles and/or Plasma Beam really could use to be moved to the right hand. This is aesthetic, but with the graphic on Phalanx Defense System placing the shield on the left wrist, that makes for a suit with an awful lot of weapons on the left hand, and it gets quite crowded. Meanwhile, none of the PA ranged powers emanate solely from the right hand (there are a number that use both). An odd design decision for the armor's engineer, if the pilot is right-handed! Perhaps the new animation for Tactical Missiles could be tweaked so that the missiles are fired from the right fist?
Also, please make the popup on Tactical Missiles optional or lose it entirely. The single-cannon look really doesn't work well with the 3-5 missile volleys of the power.
The sound effect for Power Gauntlet plays whenever Tactical Missiles is fired, along with the missile launch sound. I don't know if this is intended.
Going to try out melee next.
and put into old instance AGAIN....
Plasma Cutter is a thrust, so it may be best to call it something other than "Cutter". Not that I have a suggestion to offer.
Unrelated:
Thundering Kicks, despite being listed as a Combo, triggers neither Setup from the Brawler tree nor the Warden mastery.. I believe this to be the case on Live, too.
when you activate reconstruction circuits, the icon for other powers (even if they are not PA toggles) is greyed out. This includes your energy builder (I was using power bolts) leaving you with no attacks and no energy.:mad:
Plasma cutter needs its root removed.
Targeting computer really needs to buff laser swords.
Reconstruction circuits doesn't have a status icon under your hp bar.
As i said before, reconstruction circuits makes your body glow and if you have a passive that also makes your body glow, it will be hard to see if its on.
It's supposed to do that. It's not a HoT, it's a Chest Slot toggle. You can use shoulder and hand slot powers with it.
Except none of the other toggles lock out powers any more!
From what I can see on PTS, rec circuits works exactly same as other toggles - it grays out all powers that are not PA slotted powers - same as say, micro munitions. The exception being that rec circuits does not stop when you block - which is a good thing.
Love the new rec circuits by the way - and tne new effect on it is pretty much exactly what I'd hoped for it. :eek:
Since it's been mentioned before in the PTS forums I thought I would suggest this. If you really want the people to make testing this work alot better then now would be a perfect time to re-offer the PTS AFs again. It was, after all, said that they would be offered again sometime due to people who test things on PTS but simply couldn't make the timeframes of the last tests.
Thanks alot if this comes to pass.
I see that now. I don't understand what the complaint is then. If you want a heal that isn't a toggle, take Bionic Shielding or one of the other heals. This heal is a toggle. It acts like a toggle.
Since this is meant for only the toughest heroes, I strongly suggest this Alert being level-gated before going live. 15+ should do it, at a minimum.
It wouldn't hurt to restrict 'raid level content' to levels 30+ or even 40. Depending on mission, one inexperienced player who pulls too much aggro can make the whole thing fail for everyone. 10 person missions don't sound exactly the type of place where you go to learn the basics of the game.
I've already seen level 6 characters on live with alert buffs. Apparently they happened into a team that was strong enough to pull them through an alert.. but I don't believe they are strong enough to properly contribute. Can a team of 5 level 6 characters reasonably finish a smash alert? If not, then they shouldn't be allowed as a part of team either. The same is even more true for 10-man content.
1. Give Laser Sword a 15% chance to apply Plasma Burn, 100% chance on the 3rd attack. Plasma Burn stacking is slow at the moment, even with the new eb advantage.
2. As suggested earlier, remove the root on Plasma Cutter. Roots are fine when a knock up is in the framework. This isn't the case with PA.
The rest looks wonderful. Thanks.
I still think that Fire All Weapons needs another graphics pass. Mainly the OVERSIZED minigun (not everyone is a Gundam PA) and the hands not sweeping the laser beams really make it look like a placeholder animation, rather than a refined/polished one.
Lastly, Rec circuits could do with a small buff in HP healed/sec. Seeing as it blocks out every non-PA power, like other heals and Active defenses. Probably a 10-20% buff is fine, with an additional 10-20% extra energy cost to maintain it for balance.
Question: why can't I enter solo?
I assume 'group content' means: 'its harder and so average players fails' and not 'coz only group can enter'.
Well, I'd just like to know if that though content is really tough.
Anyway on a more serious note,
I do not know if this is a bug or not but the reconstruction circuitry is locking every other power from activation including conviction. The only thing which can work is block. It will not be the best tanking power if you are going to lose aggro because you are just sitting there blocking and healing yourself.
It's a power armor set chest slot toggle, and acts like any other power armor toggle - for example micro munitions. The only exception is that unlike other power armor toggles, it doesn't get disabled when you block.
It does not block other power armor toggles from being activated - nor does it block slotted charge powers like tactical missiles for example.
Though, seeing how much confusion this has caused, it's probably warranted to give some kind of warning with The Invincible archetype that it acts very differently than other archetypes.. since PA toggles do indeed act in a very unique way.
Omg, please don't tell me you're leaving that horrid solid colour graphic bug on aspect of infernal?
Please, it needs attention badly. It should not make my entire character one single colour based on what colour the power's hue is at
Where it happens: in the alert
What happens: It always leads back to instance 2 of the failed mission. even if we wait over 5 minutes to force a instance wipe, it always takes us back, and is already saying failed mission.
Edit: Upon further attempts, i think i have found out the problem, the zones for this lair seem to be acting like zones such and Millenium City, Canada, Desert or Vibora bay, all 100 player instances, that when full create a new instance for the next people to attempt to join, there's only 2 instance of gravitar, and it seems like, the only way to do those two instances is to do it right the first time, so if one team fails.. the next team to join (because it's re-using instances rather than making a new temporary instance as it should be doing) will automaitcally fail.
And currently, there's no way to fix it, my theory is to kill he even though it says failed, but that might mean whoever does it gets nothing, and so they'll just leave and have someone else have to
Well no not impossible but hideously difficult and even though Gravitar can be put down (eventually that is) this does not neccessarily mean victory.
I was there pic
http://i49.tinypic.com/2epoyh5.jpg
I don't fight Teleiosaur solo but so far as I can tell they've managed to create un soloable content with this.
And i entered solo a few times, and had to wait for more to join, it seems like it's a common instance, not a private instance like normal lairs should be
I'd like to get a ten-person group of all level 20-30 ATs together to see how it goes; I feel like this should be the balancing point for the Alert. "Too easy" for experienced L40 FFers might mean something entirely different to what we see on Live.
PA can be built several different ways.
- toggle focused
- as a traditional energy projector
- and now melee
This new heal only works if you choose number 1. For this reason, it is my opinion that this power is too narrowly focused.I would say that my biggest gripe about this power is that it shuts off your energy builder. This power got me killed several times before i figured what whats was going on.
Also, you can train in the field now, w/o entering the power house.
Imagine im a silver that is used to training in the field because ATs choices are already picked for me for the most part. I win a free form slot from a grab bag and decide to build a PA toon because of the new updates and pa event. I don't understand about how pa toggles work and i have not built my toon around them. I decide to take reconstruction circuits because its thematically appropriate. With my shiny new heal i jump into the next mob and press my new power.
/Face plant.
This WILL happen.
This game is about free form building but this heal is only ok for one specific build in a specific framework. If your not a toggle based PA then activating this power is a death sentence.
At the very least this power needs an advantage that makes it useful to other free form builds. At the very least....
EDIT:
Reconstruction circuits shuts you out of all but a few specific powers in exchange for a small heal.
What if there was a power that let you force reconstruction circuits onto other players and even NPCs?
How broken would it be if i could just slap reconstruction circuits on a player in pvp, shut off their energy builder and just OWN them (even with the heal). What if i could cast it on a Master villain and just "silence" them for a moment in exchange for s small heal that i can just burst trough any way?
This power is on the verge of being a negative status effect and will probably kill as many as it saves when it hits live.
When you hit a target with laser sword it leaves a scar mark on the target in the ark of the sword swing. there is no scar for any other smiler powers as mentioned above.
They also need sound FX tweaked.
Just what I asked for on the blade stuff. Perfect. (Oh, and the vacuum suction trick on Energy Wave is even better.)
Now all we need is for Targeting Computer to affect all Technology tree attacks and Battlesister Phaedra will be ready to join the battle against evil...
You do realize you can turn it off?
Why don't you just take BCR instead? It does exactly what Reconstruction Circuits does without any of the limitations you or Pulsewave are concerned about.
I'm assuming they (like me) would like a power that does not make your toon look like a disco ball. But hey that is my opinion and they might have a different reason; I'm just guessing.
It's a HoT right? See where I'm going with this
Well, then, Reconstruction Circuits is not the power for you either.
I really like the power's SFX myself, but it's not exactly subtle.
That's why ppl asked for a more tech SFX as well. It would be nice for it to work something like regen's animation but with a more circuit feel.
See thread for more info - http://forums.champions-online.com/showthread.php?t=148284
Just because we have BCR doesn't invalidate any thing that i or pulsewave have said. Laser sword attacks behave very much like single blade attacks. I guess i should just build a ma toon with a tech sword skin? Or maybe we shouldn't have added laser sword attacks in the first place because after all "we already have single blade".
Besides why would you be against an advantage that makes the power useful to the rest of us who don't just use that one specific toggle pa build?
Then i wouldn't get healed.
It's definitely more tech now.
The point is that it would make for a lousy disabling status effect, seeing as it's easily disabled.
Also, to reiterate: Reconstruction Circuits is a toggle, not a HoT. The point of having RC is that it's a toggle. If it's turned into a HoT, it largely becomes redundant because it becomes BCR with a different skin. An advantadge that turns it into BCR with different visuals would be all right, but the core idea of RC is a self-heal that fits into the core PA slot/toggle gameplay.
EDIT: Even if not locking you out of all your powers makes RC "redundant". Having this power in the PA tree and useful, still allows me to streamline my build by staying within my framework to gain access to higher tier powers and also allows me to stay within theme.
I would rather have a useful redundant power than a unique useless power any way. Toggles are better suited for attacks.
You seem to be in love with the "toggle heal" idea even at the cost of functionality.
I like the idea of it on paper too, but the power isn't useful enough. In this case (as is usually the case) form should fallow function.
I don't claim to have all the answers but this power shouldn't go live as is IMHO.
A well respected build guru seems to agree.
I think it's quite functional. Its nature as a toggle is certainly limiting; thing is, this is counterbalanced by providing more healing than BCR (which limits your offense considerably less). If it were made into a straight HoT, I figure its healing would need to be considerably cut down to match the equivalent power in another framework. I don't think that would be "more funcitonal" than it is right now.
Yes, it being a toggle makes it of limited value if you don't have other toggles. This is not new -- all of PA's toggle powers work best with each other.
Pulsewave's idea that active defenses might be combinable with RC or might at least abort it certainly has merit.
I was only able to get it at lv 40. I had to use the debugger to queue up.
HOTs: (like BCR) heal you over time and let you attack and use your active defenses.
healing toggles: heal you over time and let you attack (but only if its PA toggles) and your talking about adding the ability to use active defenses.
1. The main difference im seeing here is that one lets you attack with any thing and the other lets you attack only with PA.
2. If you add the ability to use active defenses to RC then then now you can heal, attack, and defend all at the same time with RC. Isn't that what you do with hots?
3. How is it ok to attack heal and defend with RC on a toggle pa build, but OP if i attack defend and heal on a melee pa build?
4. How does NOT being able to do the above make RC a superior power?
5. Can a power that only works with one specific build really considered a worthy addition to a freeform power system built on the idea of mixing powers from several frameworks?
RC seems better fit for a become device or an AT specific power. In a situation where the other powers in the build are predefined.
This powers usefulness is so narrowly focused that if your not a toggle pa player and you have this power you haven't only gimped you build (which is acceptable for theme reasons) but you've picked a power that will kill you if you use it in combat and is useless if you use it outside of combat because you regen naturally. in short, if you aren't built around toggles then you cant use this power on penalty of death.
This isn't a good addition to the free form system and is guaranteed to cause death, confusion and frustration.
Is Arcane Vitality a heal over time too then? I mean, you activate it, and it heals you for a certain amount every second as logn as you hold the button...
By "heal over time" I mean a power that you basically activate with a click; then it puts a status effect on you and heals you progressively without requiring further attention. The same holds for a "damage over time" -- a maintained attack wouldn't be termed a DoT, even though it does X damage per second over Y seconds.
So don't think of RC as an especially powerful HoT with more limitations. Think of it as a maintained heal with fewer limitations. Reconstruction Circuits is to Arcane Vitality as Minigun is to Two-Gun Mojo. When you're using Two-Gun mojo, you can't use your energy builder, your active defense, other powers, etc. When you're using Arcane Vitality, same limitations.
When you're using Minigun, you are under the same limitations... except that you can also use PA powers that are in other slots. The same applies to Reconstruction Circuits. This is the core of the PA toggle gameplay. The attacks don't allow you to do anything else you want -- they allow you to use a limited number of like powers. Reconstruction Circuits is the same, except that instead of being an attack, it's a self-heal.
Because they require more of your attention and prevent you from taking most other actions, Arcane Vitality and Reconstruction Circuits both heal considerably more than one-click-and-forget HoTs such as Bionic Shielding or Bountiful Chi Resurgence.
The limitations don't make them stronger powers inherently, but if they weren't thus limited they would have to heal considerably less.
And seriously, it will cause "death, confusion and frustration"? Aren't we being a tad hyperbolic here? The existing PA toggles are the same way and haven't caused the same problem.
That's a terrible analogy. Those are completely different powers with different damage types, different advantages, and different synergies. They are as similar as Force Blast and Ice Blast. What you are asking for is for Rec Circuits to become BCR but with different graphics. They would be functionally exactly the same thing. I just don't see a lot of the value in that. I would much rather have a limitation like having it as a toggle in exchange for a higher heal (and triggering Overdrive).
Another suggestion would be to leave all your other powers active while toggles are running, but just shut your toggles off if you use them. That would be helpful for all the toggles. If I want to click my active offense as soon as it comes up, or an active defense as soon as I need it, I'd prefer not to have to cancel my toggles manually first, but I'm fine with having to reactivate them afterwards.
Yet another suggestion would be to ditch the toggle piece altogether, make the heal scale with something other than PRE, and come up with some other technology-based synergy.
We have an opportunity here to influence the addition of something new and interesting to the game. Please don't lobby to have an exact clone of BCR with new graphics. It's just boring.
EDIT, from the Power Armor Updates thread:
I fully support this suggestion. In fact, I believe all toggles should work that way.