Test Discussion GU103: Pet Balance

Hey Batuba, is there any chance you can make two versions of offering/fortify depending on whether a player spec might/hybrid or weapon's expert.



might based offering/fortify while in dps role becomes a mid lvl damaging ability so its valuable to might users wanting to use fury/crystal in the classic sense



While prec based offering/fortify in dps role is only clippable

Exactly this!!! DEVS WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THIS TO BE A CLIP-ABLE MOVE!! It would change everything. This may make prec sorc and earth slightly strong with weapon based damage, but it would give the pftt loadouts a much needed buff.

Here is what a clip-able offering/golem would provide.
Sorc/Earth pftt get a much needed range buff. (especially at range)
It would also strengthen the prec (flurry/doomspin) dps. I don't believe it would make prec overpowered though, as you aren't hitting powers as much with flurry, so spamming godwave won't happen.

For Sorc it would bring the pfft to where it needs to be. It would make the prec slightly strong, but shouldn't be over the top.

For Earth it would bring the pfft from range to where it needs to be. The jackhammer loadout you would need to sacrifice one of your much needed 6 moves in order to put godwave in. You would need to drop unstoppable or debris field from the earth melee loadout, which would prevent the pfft melee from being to OP. You're also not spamming powers as you're spamming jackhammer a good amount of the time. As far as the prec... same as the sorc, should be a slight buff nothing over the top.

There are a few variables to this that may make this a little strong, so we def would need to test this, but it's the best (easiest) option I can see at this point in time

But you cant really consider earth n sorc pets free damage if we have to buff em with a Pi feed them power and lvl up an artifact just to make it viable . Rsk is free dmg grim is free dmg snow devil is free dmg suppressor is free damage u dont have to do anything once they are cast unless u guys r willing to do away with offering n fortify golemmaking it a free dmg pet

I agree with your sentiment but wanna point out that Snow Devil & Swarm aren't free damage because you have to resummons them as part of your rotation, so they're basically like Offering/Fortify in that it's pet damage you only get by using them instead of another power.

I just wish pets don't get in the way, not only on hallways, last time i was on pc elite, while moving towards the protective node, i got boxed by somebody's brick, a void gazer, wonder woman and lady blackhawk herself, i moon rolled, then died. Pets should be on higher level and should not be an obstacle.

Yes but snowdevil is free dmg and its every 18 secs so that's 18 secs of free damage clippable and u dont have to feed it and I've never been nature so I cant say anything about swarm have no clue how it works
And gadgets turret also is free damage.but I was only pointing out that crystal n fury aren't free damage though lol

Watcher still not even close to being worth, maybe 4 a screenshot

Agreed, the small buff that offering gives isnt enough. I stupidly deleted my log with watchers heal but they were small and not worth having 3 slots on my bar reserved for that playstyle. I suggest that whenever watcher has a full bar it does a hot instead of a burst.

Agree 100%. If devs are thinking in a sort of Pet-based damage then Crystal/Fury should return to AM days, same talk to Suppressor Turret and I would also include Swarm/Snow Devil. And also Fortify Golem/Offering be clippable too.

Power Changes

• Increased damage of Crystal to match Fury.
• Offering and Fortify Golem now grant 100% power to its target instantly.
• Reduced channel time of Fury’s Channel attack.
• Fixed issue where B.O.P. Commlink would sometimes not grant Damage Reduction Debuff.
• Fixed issue where Birds’ Blitz did not generate Supercharge.
• Fixed issue where Siphon Weakness from BOP Commlink would not proc on DoTs.
• Crystal now only uses power on his highest damage attack.

I would like to commend Mepps, Batuba, and all the Developers involved in this latest detailed fix/balance.

Anyone remember when offering gave watcher a shield? Maybe it could have that back along with free casting soul siphon for extra healing?

I just miss most the unique mechanics taken out of sorcery. Enemies damaging each other, soul well being cool, etc.

Was also hoping the new pet artifact would help healing and tank pets, but I guess it's strictly dps.

I really would like to hear from someone if watcher will be made viable because right now it's not worth the slots

The problem with the guardian:

The guardian now holds agro well ... but for example, fighting a metal Robin, even with a shield, he dies so quickly that even with 3 !!! allies heals it is impossible to keep him alive for 10 seconds (i have trayed diferent loudauts)... as a result, he becomes useless like an watcher.
Where there is no threat to the character’s life he is not needed and where this threat is he is too fragile to change anything.
Today I tested the guardian for 2 hours on different metal titans, the only titan of which I managed to somehow defeat was the Beast Boy ,and it seems to me that if I replaced the guardian and the offering with an additional shield and heal it would be more effective ...

Right now when you switch armories with RSK on it it blows up unlike sorc and earth pets can RSK change so it doesnt blow up?

The changes you've been making has been a clear sign of listening to players feedback, and I know this is pet testing forum but testing all the powers on testserver with new artifact and changes you've made so far, sorcery is still benefiting less than the other powers simply because of all of their aoe 0.5sec powers are under-performing, the damage really needs to be buffed by 10-15% so they will be on par with powers like gads, mental, electricity etc and also grand-summoning should be a 50% supercharge cost, please at least consider looking into this instead of giving the typical "It's working as intended" response. Some of us do appreciate all your hard work keep it up.

This (AND) if the changes are going to STRONGLY "encourage" sorcery players to use offering then then offering needs two versions that interact differently depending on whether a player choose superpower or weapons expert.

while in dps role, if a player is spec super powered make the offering ability itself do mid lvl damage.

This is because no matter how you look at it you're loosing more damage activating a power that does nothing to power a pet that gets 1 hit. Replacing fury with a different pet is still a total net loss of what the power is suppose to do vs celestial for instance which would still do better just sticking RSK on its bar b/c it doesn't need to activate anything for RSK to function (AND) its abilities were balanced without a pet in mind like every other non pet based powerset.

while in dps role while a player is spec weapons expert make it so offering can only clip




Not being mean (and definitely NOT saying to do this) but anyone thinking sorcery is fine b/c you can just replace fury with RSK is wrong b/c by that logic the damage of all abilities in celestial, rage, hardlight, muntions, atomic, water, quantum, electricity (again), & mental would all have to be heavily nerfed b/c they were mainly balanced for what the powerset could & should do & not with the thought that someone may want to run RSK with those powers which becomes constant free damage w/o the cost of activating another power to make the pet operate.

For these abilities under performing, can you type out which ones?

What loadout are you using for these Pet testing?

Soul Bolt
Soul Storm

Important for Balance:

So right now a lot of People test everything on sparring targets as always.
The issue is, that a lot of People dont test it with buff trinkets, wich will be used in instancs.

Trinkets dont buff Pets.

Since pets were only "free Damage" it was Always kind of fine and not a big deal. Now, with Source shard out and a playstyle revolving completely around pets, its a MAJOR disadvantage in instances, since Supply Drops dont Buff Pets, Stat trinkets dont buff pets and stat buffs dont buff pets aswell (Prec/Might buffs from Controller).

Right now, the base Damage is almost evened out on Sparring Targets, but if you go into an instance youre on a disadvantage.


Please keep that in mind while testing/balancing.

So Play tested my Sorc Hybrid Pet Build and it was really fun and i got top DPS. Though Im sure I'd get smoked by others but the rotation worked and Hybrid went well.

Artifacts Rank 120: Gem of Horus, Source Shard, Transformation Card

Loadout: CoD, Weapon of Destiny, Offering, Godwave Strength, Talon Strike, Summon Fury

Hybrid: Handblasters (No WM), 259 Precision Stat

Having only WoD being the clippable function was certainly slow feeling but that made it work, to go off the CD and timing. If Offering was clippable it would have been much faster so Im on the fence. If it happens, cool. If not, rotation wont change still.

Original build was using Grim Verum for Void Gazer and Fury to get Godwave Strength buff but it wasn't summoning to the timing i needed so I replaced it with Transformation. I tried using Strategic as well but being at Rank 120 I didnt trust the variable of Tactical Advantage actually hitting the target...nor really seeing it in my combat log.

I was hoping the Pet Build would be useful in Hybrid to make even Hybrid maybe usable. I am certainly happy with my findings and the Playstyle. If anyone else wants to give it a try, especially with those able to clip Dual Flurry, I hope you find it well.

I didnt try Superpowered Focus Loadout but if i do I may try throwing in the La Mort Card to replace Gem of Horus and build the Finisher.