Game Update 36 and Balancing DCUO

I don't have much to contribute to this discussion aside from saying that it's really, really, really nice to see talk about buffing towards balance rather than nerfing for the same goal.

Sorcery makes it up there too. best be calling it the top 5.

I'd like to think every power set has a scenario specific ability or rotation. It still doesn't make sense when the same can be said for every weapon/power set up. Not every move is vulnerable to block and not every move is vulnerable to interrupt as I've experienced it well in PvP. You can really only block or interrupt those powers half of the time because the clip rates are such a way that 3 moves are coming at the price of one animation.

Napalm is great burst damage but it cost alot of power. The dot from burning off it is far from effective and reliable for damage. Its The weakest. It's only benefit is to add extra damage to fear and foam which you have to get close for.

Photon blast is one of the best far range abilities for Gadgets to compliment damage with. But you still need dots from fear gas and foam to deal significant numbers. If you go into nexus or dox raid with some of the best DPS players and just use photon blast and napalm without fear foam or CField I doubt you'll be 2nd place or higher.

I agree. HL is nowhere near the top group of the dps powersets with the huge changes in GU36, which have adversley affected the powerset, hitting it really hard. For the supposed sake of balance you are killing one powerset completely. You should have launched the HL revamp for botht he dpsing and controller side of the powerset AND the JC changes at the same time. Really short-sighted from the dev team.

And talking of balancing the other '9 powersets' how long will this take? If i was to hazard a guess I'd say it'll take a good few years (taking into account how long previous power revamps took), this game may even be on its last legs.

In order to perform at an aeesome level with gadgets, I will have to use weapon mastery. Currently, weapons use precision stats for damage while my powers use might exclusively. Does this mean that my might build will hinder my potential and make me remod or is there going to be a new way that damage is dealt with this new mechanic?

I get that part, but it's still the same for every other power set and those 3 are nothing special. Again, the devs just appear to be playing favorites for now instead of removing the risk/reward for the powers who are advantageous, they get to keep their edge while the rest wait.

adding a power mechanic isn't the same as doing a revamp. i think. i doubt it will take a few years. it will take maybe one year. but 2 is pushing it. 2 years is already like 1/2 the games currently age right?

Couldn't have said it better myself. Exactly my sentiments. This whole 'balancing act' is just poorly thought out. Devs should have had everything ready (and by that I mean changes to all the other powersets etc.). My sub goes at the end of April, so I too shall be taking an extended break from the game after my favorite powerset HL has been destroyed. Thank you again.

That's a shame brice, not that you're not completely entitled to do so, but I've seen you contribute to the game like few other forumites and in a very constructive manner as well. I know you've already contributed to this topic, but with so many changes coming before, during and after GU36, I'm sure your input would be very valuable.

In any case, I completely understand why you feel your faith in devs wavering. I cannot help but feel confused myself, but I can't deny devs are trying harder than ever before to communicate.

Oh well, hopefully we'll see you back before those 6-8 months you predict will take for this to be completed. Have fun wherever you go!

Simply remove the risk/reward mechanics privy to select powers and scrap the rest and we can move on. No need for an entire overhaul.

I didn't read through all six pages so forgive me if it was mentioned. I really hope that this whole risk/reward stuff is applied to Fireburst and Mass Detonation. These powers have the longest cast time in the game and are both interruptible. As it stands Mass Detonation's damage is extremely inconsistent and with the damage being split after two enemies. I don't see it looking very good for us. Considering the risk taken with the cast time and the fact that its interruptible, the damage should be very rewarding.

even a clipped outrage is vulnerable to block, a clipped whip thrash is vulnerable to block, a clipped dreadful blast is vulnerable to block for the same amount of time as the unclipped version.. Yes, not every single power is vulnerable to block or interrupt, but the ones that make the class so good are, that is the risk. Rage blast is no where near as good as dreadful blast, but Rage Blast is not vulnerable to interrupt where Dreadful Blast is... Risk vs reward

"Pheew guys We broke/nerfed everything down to balance the game,
now you only need to wait 6 months to see the results of it,
Meanwhile please make use of Power respec token to switch to
Celestial or Rage, or buy the new dlc in order to stay competitive while using your power if you are not Rage or Celestial."

That sums it up right?
Thats what I read.

The big 3? As of rite now there's 6 powers that are all very good dps wise, but I'm almost afraid to say witch ones in fear that you guys might think they need "fixing"

Again, the same can be said for all power/weapon sets. Those 3 deserve no preferential treatment.

HL has gotten no special treatment, it's worse off than most powers in the game on test atm. And other classes don't have their whole loadout based around vulnerable to block or interrupt abilities or have to rely on combos for damage. They have easy instant casts that can't be interrupted or CCed, easy reliable damage... Risk vs reward

Holy crap, this better not be an April Fools day joke (it isn't) because if all the powers are getting some cool advanced mechanics I may just have to buy more slots and have a character for every power. I was already on board with the balance passes, but learning that all the other powers are getting totally 2.0'ed just makes me unreasonably happy.

Shhhh!! Don't say that we don't need them "fixing" nature. And as of this moment on live there is 6 powers that are all super close in dps. Heck even ice is almost up there. Just a few powers need a buff not all of this change the hole game stuff.

You fail to understand that every other power has to rely on chained weapon attacks coupled with their power rotations rendering them just as vulnerable as the rest. I'm done sounding like a broken record on this, we don't see eye to eye and probably won't so lets just agree to disagree.