Work In Progress: Hard Light Balance - Updated

Changing Fan is great but Trollers need to be able to clip Precision version of LightBlast too.
(Trollers combo into LightBlast after GraspingHand/ SnapTrap)

Please Devs give it a thought.

make ram hit once for a big number instead of 3 small hit hl needs this for pvp

for PVP yes, but not for PVE and sadly the devs made it clear PVE will always be the priority.

It would benefit pve too don't have to worry about getting to close to get full damage from ram

Devs,

I owe you an apology.
I had been complaining about the Constructs not having the full duration stun like a power cast CC effect....thinking Hard Light needed a version of Menace/Intimidation/Warped Reality......I was wrong.

I normally do not continue Constructs into a third combo, but that is where the Constructs are able to perform a full duration stun.

Example: Ram->Whip Thrash does not stun full duration but Ram->Whip Thrash->Whip Thrash will stun for the full Duration of 15sec +1 sec for every 500DOM

Before I was using Snap Trap->Fan to pull and stun Man hunters or Grasping Hand->Hold Grasping Hand/Fan
This was a high power cost approach.
But the same stun duration can be attained doing Ram->Snap trap->Fan or Ram->Snap Trap->Light Blast; utilizing the lower power cost of Ram instead of using a higher tier power for the initial stun and increased power cost.

For those that would like to test; walk into Nexus and wake a bot at the beginning. Do Ram->Snap trap->Fan it will do a proper pull with the Stun of the add staggered in place. (Staggered standing stun not Arms to side stun of Snap trap.)

Knowing that we do not need a Construct Empowerment attack to imbue Constructs with the ability to provide a full duration stun, it would still be nice to have a self or group buff, seeing as the support tree is more group oriented. Something like weakened enemy control resistance or increased player/group control resistance and a precision and/or Crit attack buff.

To think all this time RSF was one of the best Controller Stun combos.

*Please adjust Fan's z-axis targeting

And if possible - Daze PI on an AoE panic is odd. Also Spikesquake and Chompers applying the same overridable DoT is poor-taste.
(Maybe Chompers can become an AoE stun and Spikesquake an AoE Root....)

My idea about the DoT override is that Spikesquake or Chompers can be a Burst AoE PI applicator but the DoT's only come from a hold combo, providing an AoE precision DoT that is not overridden by Chompers Might DOT. (Spikesquake would be my vote as it would give incentive to spend a power point in the middle branch of Assault tree - normally if people are grabbing Snap trap and Fan they grab Chompers by default and avoid the Center branch.... Light weight is hard to use with Blocking NPC's and Chain saw's damage was lack luster.)

Its a well known fact that Light Blast is the worst finisher in the game. As you mentioned, its not made any better by the fact its at the bottom of the support tree. Maybe it should switch places with that useless 'Restore' SC in that tree as well as buffing its damage as its awful to use. RSF is still rubbish even with the latest build on Test. If our speed is gone you need to buff our damage dammit hehe!

And for the umpteenth side fix the controller side with the recommendations made in this thread i.e. 'Impact' becoming our ranged POT by swapping places with Boxing Gloves, our defence debuff 'Encase' not encasing but stunning and setting up a PI to make it more in line and balanced with other controller powersets etc. These are easy fixes to the controller side of things so hurry up!

ADDED...

Allow us to use 'Encase' and immediately go into a ranged combo that would be fab!

JC needs to go for Rage & HL only... don't nerf other powers! The root of the problem is HL, & annoying HL users. JC was created to stop escape out of moves that are channeled, but HL users abused that function, it shouldn't really be messed with for other powers because HL is more physical than other powers that need enemies or something that you have to hit to show the power/power animation, (difficult to explain) here is an example, a power like cursed vs HL boxing gloves. So when you can JC with that it has more of an effect.

On the note of Weapon Mastery adding new weapon combos and Hard Light being unique in being able to infinitely loop Construct combos as are weapon attacks.....I propose that unlocking Weapon Mastery with any weapon unlocks Construct Mastery.

Construct Mastery would add 2 new Combos...A hold Range on Fan and a tap Range on Light Blast.

-Hold Range on Fan would activate Impact Construct
-Tap Range on Light Blast would activate Ram

This would allow for Full-Ranged Combos Infinite Combos and allow for some diverse and unique Construct rotations. Hard Light would have to break the combos in order to reapply Daze PI. But could "Relentlessly" Construct-loop combo from Range by bypassing Gloves/Claws.

Ram->Snap Trap->Fan->Impact->Grasping Hand->Fan(Repeat from Fan) or LightBlast->Ram->Snap trap->LightBlast;etc....

In conjunction with Relentless precision it may be enough to be a big reward for Construct como building with Relentless Precision into Light Blast as a Finisher. Risk - Reward...

If Hard Light has Constructs in place of Weapon combos, unlocking Mastery should open a new Construct combo chain possibility. (Only thing Hard Light is really lacking is an inifinte Range Loop....This could grant just that.)

The clipping combinations would be phenomenal. We must have our own normal weapon attacks, in tandem with powers. HL would be a breath of fresh air. A new Experience. It would also make up for the lack of pre-nerf JC.

Just want to say thank you to the dev's for listening and adjusting things within reason to player needs/wants! The PI and Fan no longer being a channel beam move will help a lot. *For the people that may not know Fan on test server is doing less damage than intended when combo'd and will be adjusted.

Theirs only two things I think should still be done.

1. Swap Impact with Boxing as the PoT for the Support tree. This will give Light trollers a multi group AoE CC granting a similar range of powers at that function as the other power sets.

2. Light Blast should have its animation time shortened. It is a very long cast for the damage that can be gained. That doesn't fit with the DPS approach. On the troller side of using it... with slightly longer animations having LB shortened may mitigate some of that wait helping trollers to regenerate their own power at a similar speed(when using constructs) as currently(with that power).

The damage in troll stance is minor(but as a finisher for DPS should be looked at). The might based damage is also very low and should be adjusted. The Precision damage should be looked into to see if its in line with the risk of the longer animation and having to deal 6 ticks.

*Triage will still be very niche and underused(along with shielding) but those are things that could wait until you have more time or for a future update. The majority of the community hasn't been using them/needing them so it shouldn't be an immediate need.

I want to say thanks again! I hope you also keep in mind how WM will work with constructs and possibly use some of Massah's suggestions with that or a variation.

Oops read that wrong

+1

Fan damage fixed and targeting issue (z-axis) fixed and all should be well.

+1 on the Impact and Boxing Gloves swap leave combos as is.

I think if Impact hit harder it would be worthwhile - also would love if the devs would entertain the -Construct Mastery addition of Light Blast combo-ing to Ram or Fan to Impact.....Full Ranged Controller or DPS Construct loop's...bliss

I still think "Triage" should be the name of "Restore" SC. Shielding should be allowed to utilized Empowered Channeling.

Old - "Triage" spot replaced with some type of group buff. Minimizing animation work just a simple "Fist Pump" perhaps it can be "our" Aggro drop and it embues attacks with power to Daze.

Like how Sorcery has Weapon of destiny, but perhaps a Precision proc rather than Might.(Support tree PI application)

Right, everyone back on PC Test again plz lol.
Looks like a few extra (mini) buffs were made. Fan should be fixed and was included in the extra dmg from dazed adds. Also looks like ram got a buff too.

Any details from testers on how this feels and is working now would be very much appreciated.
Thanks

Hmmm, GU36 test server has empowerment chanelling ht mod for chainsaw in it but with the words (threaten) in parentheses.

tried multiple times with chainsaw to activate the mod with and without daze pi still mod isn't activating.

I dont quite understand your comment?

The Empowered Channelling white mod is supposed to stop ppl from being able to interrupt certain powers and adds extra def/tough for a very short time.
Light powers included in this are Minigun, Light Blast, Triage and Chainsaw (threaten).
Chainsaw threaten is when you hold melee and your toon holds the chainsaw over his head.

So were you testing the powers against a War Room dummy? Or when dueling someone?

If it was while you were dueling someone then thats nothing new, Empowered Channelling has NEVER worked properly for any of those 4 HL powers. Even with the mod in Minigun was interruptable, Light Blast was interruptable, Triage was interruptable and Chainsaw threaten was interruptable.

Plz elaborate on what you mean in case its a new bug.
Thanks

Testing it on dummies, sub avatar adds, fos3 solo on sniper,medics, adds.

Wow, so from what you're sayin its garbo.
Im not going to waste my time with it then. Ty for the response.

Yeah ive been periodically testing it over the last year and not once has it properly worked in either PVP or PVE unfortunately.
Ofc it DOES happen to work on the top and bottom powers, top being Gadgets Photon Blast and bottom being Heat Vision and Freeze Breath. Typical eh?

Anyway ye junk that mod for now, for PVP replace it with Regenerative Shielding or something, PVE theres absolutely nothing useful for HL atm so you may as well leave that dead mod in or go for another Regen Shielding.

Hope this helps anyway mate

Have... have you even read anything the developers have been saying about this? Players have been using jump cancelling to clip an offensive power into an offensive power, something that should never be done. That's why it's getting changed.

OT: While I don't play HL I 1) Want to congratulate the developers on really listening to the feedback of other players and dealing well with the "explosion of stupid" (TM on that phase by Quantum Edge).

2) Making it pretty clear that this is going to be done in multiple passes so there will be many, many adjustments made here.

I am curious how the dazed power interactions will have an effect on other power sets, such as mental for example as dazed is a somewhat common PI. Will the effects overwrite each other?

root of the problem is HL and annoying HL users? Wow just wow

Hey guys, I figured out some ranged combos for this new HL. I don't know if some of then already were named or shown by other players, if yes, sorry. Anyways, as you know I like to name combos, it's really cool when people call those combos the way you like haha, so here we go:

The Kai36 Combo:

• Ranged and single target
• Power In: Average
• How to:

- Spikequake for dazing enemies
- Impact - Hold Melee (Grasping Hand) *Clip* Ram - Hold Melee (Snap Trap)

The HardK Combo:

• Ranged , single target and AOE
• Power In: Average
• How to:

- Spikequake for dazing enemies
- Impact - Hold Melee (Grasping Hand) *Clip* Snap Trap - Tap Range (Fan)

The WCS Combo:

• The same as the old one but without the phantom triangle
• Ranged, single target and AOE
• Power In: High
• How to:

- Spikequake for dazing enemies
- Snap Trap - Tap Range (Fan)

The BoBo Combo:

• Ranged, single target and AOE
• Power In: Low
• How to:

- Spikequake for dazing enemies
- Ram - Hold Melee (Snap Trap) - Tap Range (Fan) *Clip* Impact - Hold Melee (Grasping Hand)

The Colt7 Combo:

• Mid range and awesome in AOE
• Power In: Average
• How to:

- Spikequake for dazing enemies
- Ram - Tap Melee (Whip Thrash) * Clip* Minigun - Tap Melee (Whip Thrash)