Work In Progress: Hard Light Balance - Updated

or make fan a regular precision-power attack like cleansed wither, corrupted divine light, dreadful blast etc. why is it a channel when the damage is at the beginning and it only hits once?

John Stewart - has Construct Grenade..(not really Snap trap, buy yeah AoE DoT)

I'd rather have a Precision based Proc rather than might proc - I posted about this as being "Construct Empowerment"

Light Blast - would make sense if it had a hold Range that had a large hit modifier or changed damage from AoE to single target focused energy (Would be like a combination of E-Chain but timing closer to a full combo Dreadful Blast.)

^ this plus it should have the targeting (z-axis) issue addressed.

If u want to laugh so hard your stomach hurts go watch odyssey downfall all about gu 36

If and when you devs get around to bringing HL back from the grave please remember that our construct combos are our weapon mastery.
No lanterns actually use weapons considering that our power rings are our weapons (and the strongest weapon in the universe at that!). If i have to use your weapon master addition to be competitive that will be a very big disappointment.

I wonder if you will consider shuffling around which powers combo into what. You guys really need to get a PS test server approved / working so the majority of your players could actually test these things.

Hi. Here's my view about HL dps changes. Ok, let's start.
The first thing we need is a buff similar to Bloodlust. I think you can change the Triage( i can't see the significance of this power if we have Restore that healing same health instantly) healing effect for buff. Also you can replace it with Shielding or something to do not force dpses to spent a lot Power Points for useless powers.
Second one is possibility to use Precision based version of Spikequake and Chompers( like Rage's Violence or Gulling Eruption).
Next I want to see it's Light Blast for DPS role. I like this power animation but it's really useless. Based on 2100+ Precision it have split between 4 targets and doing awesome 20-40 damage/sec. My idea is to make it based on role( dps - only 1 target, troll - 8 targets) and increase damage and damage ticks speed( 500 damage with about 2k Precision per second looks like a joke...).

The fix on the debuff range is amazing, thanks for that.
Ran a few raids last night for the 1st time on my main and it is lovely.

Is there any word on how they plan on making a ranged PoT?

Do you mean the debuff range for Encase? As that was fixed in GU35 so that the debuff is applied regardless of whether NPC's or your team-members block your line of sight.

Oh and can we change HL's defence debuff move, 'Encase' so that it does NOT encase enemies. Its really annoying as a dps or even a controller when I apply the debuff but due to 'splash damage' or a ranged attack/AOE, the encasement breaks and the debuff and stun on the enemies is lost.

Also allow us to clip this defence debuff with recharge, (now that JC is gone, HL controllers who use Encase will not be able to JC and go into Recharge to get out of the 'channel move animation'). Allow us to do a ranged combo after applying this defence debuff. And once again make Impact our ranged POT move, ASAP! Swap it with Boxing Gloves.

WIth regards to the 'Group Shielding' move unlike other controller powersets group sc, HL's one does not reflect back damage if I am correct, you might want to change that as HL's Group Shielding move is weaker form of say a Mental controllers Bastion.

Since you are doing the Animation Consistency Pass you need to take a look at our power dump move, 'Recharge,' which needs its animation speed adjusted so that it is the same as Mental etc, as the animation lasts longer than other power dump moves. Its annoying to see the animation 'hand in the air' take so long hehe. Case in point as a Mental Controller I can quickly do my power dump move and clip it with another move (debuff/weapon attack) but with HL there is a distinct noticeable animation which prevents the swiftness of the clipping.

That is all for now! Thank you and hurry up with the changes for the HL controllers!

I like the idea of changing encasement from both roles standpoint, having adds rolling around in balls unable to be damaged made that an annoying power.

How would ppl feel if encasement was trashed and replaced with Hal Jordans Cage move?
Maybe it could apply the same debuff and trap them without stopping dmg?
The animation is already there from legends so with a bit of work it could be ported over?

Just a suggestion anyway, lemme know what you's think.

Kaiser's post from a different thread:

And I forgot to add that I can't manage to get Snap Trap or Whip Thrash combos out of Minigun.

I'm sure you'll notice alot more problems if that's just from your first 10 min

thanks for doing the testing

i dont like the fact that it seems we r not being told he truth. Jens said clipping is not changing, u will still b able 2 clip well if u go on test as HL and do claws>ram>whip and try 2 clip the whip with another claws and u do it 2 fast u lose the dmg from the whip now this is NOT jump canceling at all, this is straight 100% clipping and u cannot do it as fast anymore. I 4 one dont like being lied to. If they r changing clipping say we r changing clipping. Its bad enough saying wm is an alternative 2 clipping when its not. They r changing clipping and it in a way forces u to use wm 2 b viable 4 dps when all this hits live. Just come out and say we want the combat slowed down and we r changing clipping. Dont say we still want the fast paced smooth combat that dcuo offers bcuz that is NOT what is on test atm. Please start telling us players what is really going on. Give us the correct info instead of being very vague w/it or just being dishonest. Because IMO saying we r not changing clipping would mean its still the same as it was b4 and again on test right now its not, so 2 me i believe that 2 b some1 being dishonest. Just my opinion

If you take away jump cancelling hard light isn't going to have anything so special that will make you want the power. It's going to need a huge buff maybe add a PI?

Dps side is great, though could use more far range attacks.

Controller

Needs a far range Pot
Needs more frequent but smaller Pots like Gadgets
The Debuffing doesn't help much If it is just in close range attacks. In Raids, whenever I try for Whipthrash, to reduce enemy defences, I GET ONE SHOTTED. Need more far range attacks.
The Light Weight is useless. Replace it for something Troller like
SpikeQuakes Animation is too slow and only has a chance to stun 2 enmies only!

I hope in future the trolling side gets upgraded!

1. For pvp viability, give HL a stealth and make sure there is stuff we can use while in stealth.
2. Make sure villain HL is actually the sinestro corps colour (instead of Neon).
3. Make HandClap/Impact long ranged support tree POT.
4. Make the 35%er useful.
5. Replace the non-sc heal with a cool looking damage move.

Misinformed posting on this subject needs to stop. Read the OP before you post....

Yes, the DPS side of HL is great as it is right now BUT after GU36 the damage output of HL will drop significantly with the nerf of the jump clipping mechanic.

I believe the biggest issue we will have is range, since the truth is HL needed JC for range atacks, unless you get a might of over 6k there isn't a single useable combo that can work for range to make up, the same goes for mid-range since all you'll do is be an easier target. As far as close combat I believe there is still some tuning needed, sometimes If I use the Ram-ST, it still goes into weapon range, I don't know if it's a timing issue or a bug so it would be nice for a dev to look into it.
Controller
Even before UD 36, HL trolls have had issue, I still don't know why out pots have to be lounge attacks, it makes no sense, trolls shouldn't have to get in bosses faces, that's for Tanks. We need a range pot so I believe we could do this by changing Ram from a stun to pot and moving Boxing gloves and Claws to stun moves (like they do on DPS). Ram has a far better reach than both Claw and BG, it doesn't need to be clipped or jump cancelled, and it goes into WL which gives the great POT plus def debuff combo (give it's for adds targets and not bosses).

This guy giggles said infinite combo does Insane damage im done. Pls devs if he comments in this thread it should be considered non constructive. His lack of knowledge of the power will hender far more than help thank you.

In the test notes - they slowed Gadgets and Mental's Instant Power animation to match HL/Quantum ... Rather than speed up HL Quantum. So the animation speed pass consistency for instant power was addressed.

I think the reason Spikesquake and Chompers share the same DoT was done for balancing reasons. (Not allowing for 4 stackable DoT's) This just makes Spikes a weaker version of Chompers. It would make sense if over-ridable DoT's were in different Trees but that would mean Snap trap and Grasping Hand would share a Single target DoT and HL would have two AoE DoT's with Spikesquake and Chompers.

A change that should have been made a long time ago to assist Earth PI setup is Snap Trap applying the Crushed PI. Snap trap practically crushes the enemy much like Grasping Hand with a Construct. With HL DPS consistently using Snap Trap in ranged rotations - it would have helped Earth with some synergy for there Crushing PI.

Only Hard Light has the most expensive power cost Healing Debuff in both trees. Before Entrap used to be the low cost Healing debuff as Whip Thrash was the only defence debuff.

Since the Support tree is lacking in actual attacks, there really isn't room to move the Healing Debuff to a lower tier power, unless it is on Hand Clap or Impact.
- On the assault tree - Chompers could be the healing debuff for lower power cost and to limit damage DoT override from a Controller and DPS in the same group. (Since Snap trap AMD Grasping Hand DOT's are not stackable like in the past and can be over-ridden by other Raid members or self)

Most of Hard Light's attacks are vulnerable to a PvP counter punishment and/or leave you in an extended animation. The risk reward is not on par with Celestial or Rage with Jump cancel removed. (Celestial can avoid PvP-counter vulnerability by just clipping with a non-comboed power so Plague->cDivine Light/Annoint Retribution->cWither/Smite Plague->cDivine Light; Rage does more damage per shorter combo count animations basically hits harder but fewer times than HL)

Hard Light in melee was using the speed of combo hits to accumulate damage to compete with Rage's harder hitting moves.
With the addition of RAM and Whip thrash splitting damage the grouped AoE for melee loses out to Celeatial's Ranged AoE or Rage's AoE...I will go further and say that Electric, Nature, Quantum, Mental, Gadgets, Sorecry have better Ranged AoE than HL has Melee AoE with these changes. (Risk reward....takes longer to deal Construct damage which are vulnerable to PvP counters and most Might powers from other powersets are, at most, vulnerable to interrupt (aka a Ranged vulnerability)
Hard Light has a close quarters.move that is vulnerable to Interrupt - Chainsaw Hold (Threaten)
-Light Claws and Boxing Gloves lunge on live if performed as a Precision Construct is vulnerable to block as is the follow up tap melee. They do grant the chance to interrupt a Ranged attack but when they interrupt they do not grant immunity or the PvP punishment. If they are countered with a Block then they do grant the Blocker immunity and PvP-counter punish the HL user.

Even if Fan's targeting is fixed and construct Fan is changed to be instantly clippable rather than a Channeled attack, Hard Light will be weaker in Ranged AoE - need a Single Target move before AoE Construct Fan. Hard Light's might based AoE damage is not in the same level of other powersets. (I do not want Might powers weakened to Hard Light's damage....we as the community do not like Nerfs!!

- Weapon damage should be an alternative to casting powers with the benefit or edge powers have, being the PI's to increase damage potential. For HL this damage needs to come from using the constructs otherwise there is no incentive to use HL apart from visual appeal. (Celestial has a Purification PI and it has attacks that linger or deal damage after an enemy(ies) die. Rage has quick short combos like Earth and have more potential to utilize Weapon Mastery combos into a useful rotation. Rage also has much harder hitting Single target moves (Not too mention it has the Plasma Burn PI along with a Hard hitting Outrage that hits harder when below 50%health even though most low health mods/powers do not activate until 35% health (Berserker back mod, Gadgets Energy Shield, Electric's safety net heals...Brick steps in to Tank at 40% health and Sorcery's Guardian got a Rage-like 50% health activation) (Would mention how 35%Health finishers used to be combated with Electric's 35%safety ney heals or Gadgets 35% health Energy Shield but Rage and Celestial can burst through those counter measures in PvP)

I used the Precision + Weapons DPS stats in comparison to Might stats in another thread, pre-War of the Light. 4k active precision was near a match for 4k Might - but for those that were here in pre T4 days, having active precision that close to Might should give the edge to precision. But somehow weapons got adjusted to deal less damage and now precision power combos will also deal less damage. I'm unsure of what direction this "balance" is supposed to be going.


Back to some balance changes from GU36 notes...
Terror Tendrils now hits 8 targets and splits damage after 2.
Sticky Bomb now hits 8 targets and splits after 2.

Tachyon Busrt now hits 8 targets and splits after 2.

(So Mental and Quantum got 8-Target P.O.T. CC moves....Quantum can just cast P.O.T. to hold the 4 man hunters and no longer need Anomaly or Distortion Wave for the AoE stun or AoE PI - for DPS combined with locked in 60% ensuring damage modifier... Nice)

Hard Light got the treatment on Light Claw Slash....I'm assuming this is the 3rd Slash that looks like Spin Chop, but I may be wrong and perhaps it is all 3 slashes.(Hold Claw appears in the combat log like the Light Claws lunge as just - Light Claws not Light Claw Slash) This means Light Claw slash(Spin chop) is vulnerable to the 3-hit block, but is supposes to be our equal to the other Tier 1 8-man P.O.T. moves.....with that added animation time to perform the combo and the risk-reward for it being vulnerable to block...it should hit pretty hard -especially since it is not a full duration AoE CC.

I'm gonna stop here for now.....smh