Hardlight GU38: Q&A

What you said about hand clap and snap trap being op if made aoe isnt true take dreadful blast for example first off its faster than hand clap and snaptrap but hits two times harder and is aoe but the reason i think theyre not aoe is because it wont make sense if they were risk andreward venurable to inturupet like dreadful blast is we need more aoe moves in general ram is weak af and loses burst ticks at range and like you said fan splits horribly i say buff rsf and impactgf my bad replied to the wrong comment btw

For sure we need more AoE moves. Snap Trap and Hand Clap would be perfect for such a change.

I think we have several good options already for AoE burst attacks with WM. I'd rather see in the future the Dev's work on getting looping back on par with WM.

AoE Burst type powers

Chompers, Spike, Entrap, Fan

Sorry i cant agree with you this powers arent good after WM. Yes they do dmg but there is no good construct combo out of this AoE bursts. Chompers is usually for cliping prec fan and doesnt have any construct combo, spikequake I hope they will make 12sec full dots but even if it stay like this same problem as chompers no construct combos, Entrap can go only into batswing and fan can only go into light claws so 2 of them with no construct combo and 2 that have melee combos. In any harder content this would be useless hard light need good AoE burst dmg with range construct combo and ST or GH are perfect for this. And even if we use this powers just for bursts after them you will have to do another might based attack to get to precision based that would make HL more might than precision based considering powers and HL wouldnt be the same.

we don't have a good aoe burst power that can combo from range...
would be ok if they make snap-trap and grasping-hand aoe

Like I said before, the powers are being interrupted by themselves. The boxing/claws are a big issue for the combo type power set. The exact same powers are in both trees, they do the exact same thing and do nothing for us except take up space.

We shouldn't have to keep putting ourselves in the action to keep our combo going. I could understand if we had both a separate ranged/mid range combo and an up close melee combo, but they shouldn't be mixed. This whole Risk/Reward BS has got to go as it is an excuse not to fully revamp our powers. If you look at how they've made our constructs interrupt-able, added dovetails, made our combo slower with a smaller window of button input, they've given us almost nothing in return. No other power has all risk and no reward on this scale and it is time for the devs to step up and fix it.

I still disagree. We do have options. No we don't have anything that lead's into a full range construct combo but that doesn't fit in with the design scheme. The fact is we have options.

I'm not saying I won't use it if they change it. But I don't think its necessary. Perhaps stripping the weak DoT from GH and ST if Spike become's a full strength DoT. But making those abilities(ST, HC, GH) all AoE drastically reduces our single target abilities. Something that isn't being considered along with how it affects the design scheme.

On Live(excluding SC)

Multi

Fan
LW
Ram
Chompers
Spike
MG
WT
LB
Impact
Entrap

Single Target
ST
GH
HC
Claws
Gloves
Chainsaw


Remove HC, ST, GH and we'll have 3 single target powers left. That doesn't seem very balanced. I see the appeal but it doesn't make sense to me. I understand why people want it. That would be beneficial but we should have other things done if that happens.

Currently a player can use Fan for multi target bust that would lead into construct combos. Entrap would lead into lunging swing. Chompers the second time through does more damage.

This is thinking about how the powerset functions as a whole and not just from one specific type of playstyle for DPS.

I could see one being changed(or needed to) if Spike gets the full strength DoT as then it shouldn't work with WM as a full strength DPS. If spike gets changed ST or HC should get changed but only one of them.

*Side Note - We should be asking for full range combo's that can lead out of LB and Fan in addition. They are the only two infinite loops that don't have multiple combo options. That would also open the possibilities with WM. I don't want WM to be the only viable option though. Eventually we(the community) need to get together and figure out how best to get using our AM back to being viable.

Fan and chompers are the only AoE moves that do good damage from that list. If at least one our single targets was put on a AoE damage scale equal to dreadful blast it would fine. The small DoTs from ST and GH should be taken off and made into straight burst with at least one of those two preferably made into an AoE, not a fan of hand clap. Ram loses his at max range and impact doesn't hit hard enough, same with light weight and blast.

I do agree that we need combo that we can continuously use at range though.

I fully understand why people want this but it should be one or the other not both. That isn't going to be balanced among the power set. One thing that gets overlooked is GH is a trollers single target pull. Their asking for a change to make the power work better with WM. We should be asking to make our power work with its AM better.

Changing the small DoT's that's fine it doesn't equate to much and would be a small adjustment. Fan does have some issue's and should get looked at.

DB fits with Rage's powerset. I could see ST being made to hit 2 targets since it's a 50% cast and cost more to spec into. I don't know if I'd say it needs to mirror DB. ST could/should be the only change. Not both. That will extremely limit our number of single target powers and change's the design scheme too much. ST hitting 2 targets keeps it from splitting while only mildly changing the design scheme(or much for both roles).

I still don't think its necessary though. Light isn't Rage. Comparing utilities makes some sense power to power but I don't like to get all into the damage numbers because it gets murky quick. Things are different from power to power. DB is ridiculously good. It'd be nice to have something that operates the same way but only if its deemed necessary to the set.

I know what I'm saying isn't going to be a popular comment. I also understand why DPS want the change. It makes it too easy though. I get it and I understand why players want this. I still don't find it necessary. Players can ask for it and if we get it I'll use it but I don't think its necessary. Maybe just ST to give the community what they want without it getting too easy.

It's one of those agree to disagree things. For the most part I've agreed with a lot of what players have stated in this thread(the range combo thing, PI applicators, change's to Fan, Light Blast etc).

Feel free to ignore my comments I just wanted to put my opinion out there. It's totally okay if others want this I just don't think its needed. More of a want....

Dreadful blast has been slowed down in the last few updates since rage was introduced at the moment it's painfully slow.

Kinda busy at the moment... but It's a Need, not a Want.

The Phantom Triangle from Rifle somewhat covered up for Fan's narrow range and the fact Snap Trap is a single-target move. (So did clipping in Charged Double Throw.) Hard Light DPSes are actually used to causing a certain kind of range AOE damage that we are currently missing because of changes from Game Updates. We will likely never get the speed of our DPS back, but making Snap Trap a Radial AOE would solve at least one of the problems that Hard Light currently has.

And I am in favor of the John Stewart's Construct Grenade change to Snap Trap. Then make it so Grasping Hand is the better option for single-target and now players actually have choices to spec and choices to make.

Just wanted to edit to say that I respectfully disagree: Need versus Want.

But has the damage been reduced no and as our might prec scale higher the speed wont even matter

I'm not denying it hits hard but I was replying to your statement that dreadful blast has a quick animation; which is not the case anymore.

I like the idea about rewarding the use of Hard Lights infinite combo.

I understand that part of the reason why people (including myself) want a ranged infinite combo is because the lunging risk of our current setup isn't worth the reward.

I'd much prefer it if each time we got around to using combo claws or boxing, our ring power would increase. Lore wise it could be like our will to lunge into battle, or the fear we instill when we get in the opponents faces. Since chainsaw is it's own infinite combo, maybe you should get powered up each time you use the AOE panic move (hold chainsaw).

After a few cycles of increasing, maybe it'd put that construct armor on us to let us know we're hitting as hard as weapon mastery.

Oh, or maybe Hard Light could get a supercharge that puts us in construct armor, briefly restoring hardlight to its former glory (no dovetails, jump cancels enabled, etc.) Also it would reduce our power costs by 50%.

The Devs themselves have said that clipping is still a form of dpsing that will lead to higher output and I know for a fact Rage is clipable, Celestial not so much with its combos being ultra slow, and Hard Light is a definite with clipping. The difference though between Light and Rage is that Rage's combos when clipped do not cancel damage and the obvious reason for any one who has used it is because all damage aside from the PIs are burst. I believe this is the main reason for Rage out performing HL. The other is the might damage Rage deals is considerably higher than that of HL especially with the PI applied.

From what I read in this thread and the WIP thread our PI's duration is going to be increased in GU 38, correct me if I am wrong. This will lead to higher numbers more often with fewer needs to reapply the PI after every single rotation, of course based on which weapon you use.

The other issue I have with the clipping with HL is that we have no precision based AOE at the moment especially with fan going through its issues. We can use light blast though clipping it with WM but the base ticks need adjusting since it cannot match fans damage output making it unusable although I force myself to use it.

Agreed. We definitely need more ranged infinite combos which we can loop. It could be as simple as Impact>Grasping Hand>Fan then tap triangle/ranged button to loop the combo and start again with Impact. The same can be said for Ram>Snap Trap>Fan. We could also do with ranged combos which starts with Fan/Light Blast maybe.... But for us to get good damage from these combos....Impact, Ram and Light Blast MUST apply the Dazed PI or we are back to square one...

I really want to see this happen. As these changes would greatly benefit both dps and controllers. Your thoughts..?

I never said that I want all this abitities AoE burst just one of them. Mby I want to much by wanting GH goes to AoE burst because of troll role I only said I would prefer that becuase than I could take all powers I need in all 3 trees including robot sidekick that was mby me wanting to much, but still GH and ST in dps role are now same both doing same thing so at least ST need to go to AoE burst dmg. Mby if this GU38 would be full revamp then we could ask for ram to get little higher dmg and than go to st -> fan and getting more dmg further in combo we go but we wont get that you must understand this is just little change of hl all I want is to get the best we can from this GU so considering dps role ST-AoE burst, inspiration go under light barrier, spikequake full 12sec and repair fan shouldn't be to hard for devs to do. Same for troll role role cant expect some big changes just what is most important and rly need to be changed. As for asking all other things like change animations of inspiration... For me thats not so important they can change it if they have time and since they have animations already but that for me would only be bonus change.

I honestly don't think we need infinite ranged combos and here is my reasoning, CLIPPING. An infinite combo is restricted to the speed at which we can deliver our hits and clipping is much much faster. I have also noticed that power cost between rage and HL is skewed in favor of rage.

I am definitely on board for infinite ranged loops if we get the mechanic I mentioned of increased damage from additional combo attacks since this would make it more rewarding to used an infinite loop versus clipping.

I dont know why i got banned for it the last days but i say it again...
Right now the hard light revamp is not much of a improvement.
What i would love to see

-fan to be looked at, to receive a wider radius

-light blast should be somehow useable for a DPS. It was said a few times that the troll version should work different than the dps version. This would be the perfect solution. If this takes too much time to code would it atleast be possible to change ether the might or construct version to a single target finisher?

-re-position ispiration

-add more possibilities the set up our PI.

- i would love to see some improvements on the AOE side for HL, imo there is still something missing

So i dunno if i get banned again for writing this, but its pretty much the same like everyone else said! So no need to be so selective...

I am unable to post this in the test forum so I am hoping someone can for me. The devs should take the time to watch the video, it's well thought out from an experienced HL player. I feel it addresses a lot of the issues HL is currently suffering from.

Thanks!