Work In Progress: Weapon Mastery (Updated)

I don't know, i quite like the idea... but maybe its just me...

With all the nerfing to weapons going on, I at first wasn't sure if WM would be a worthy alternate to clipping.

Now, I'm pretty sure it will be. That's a good thing even if the method of doing it was a bit dark. Nerfing for the sake of balance isn't always bad. But we do need tp revisit the power cost of t5 armor now. WIth how weak weapons are power spamming will be inevitably. In a way it widens the gap between the prec powers and everyone else.

Well once they change animation times, and JC, and then add this. Wont many powers be out of balance but on a large scale, so when DLC10 launches devs would have to react fast, especially since test server cant really test every power in such a small window.

But that's bad business, they are nerfing everything and calling it "balance" but then you will need to buy a DLC that has "WM" in order for your weapon attacks to be useful. How is that balance when the same "balance" won't be available for everyone?

Seems more like deceitful and shady marketing rather than balance. I will not be purchasing DLC 10 based on it's delivery method to the community and "unpopular" changes it brings to the game's core mechanics and I would assume I'm not the only one who feels that way. Speak with your wallets if the devs won't listen on the forums.

Maybe they have given up on WM since weapons have been so nerfed its like what WM, who cares weapons hit weak anyway.

the nerf to weapons if anything sets up WM. Now weapons will start having link-combos where they didn't. it would have been awkward to chain a combo out of the the old Hold DW charge throw. Now its easy as pie.

Not necessarily. When they showed us the WM damage from the combos it was pre nerf and it was pretty decent damage. With weapon damage cut nearly in half, executing a WM combo would only be like doing a charged handblaster with crit on live today. Maybe they nerfed weapons so it doesnt force people to buy DLC10.

the WM combos set up your next damaging power, with weapon mastery, the main reason to use weapon combos will to get a huge power crit after the weapon combo... Range attacks were sped up and reduced in damage, so that means you get a faster WM combo in order to use your power, the only way to make range weapon attacks useful will to have weapon mastery DLC.

If anything this creates more of a need for weapon mastery.

Curious to see if Devs have made any changes, specifically regarding the Controller Weapon Mastery mechanics? If not, im reposting my ideas for good measure:

"The more I think about it, the more I really want to see my suggestion for Controllers (Small ticks of Power over Time and a chance for burst power...Along with a 4-5 second cooldown on Instant Power) come to fruition

I really like the concept of a "Battle Healer or Battle Tank" (Celestial and Rage) and I think this could be a feature that gives every powerset a chance to have that playstyle and would effectively end the "Im only a battery" comments had by the masses

Id love if I could go into a raid knowing I could use more than just a flurry shot before I had to dump power...If I could give power by using these combos, it would make controlling way more fun"
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"I really just view this as their best option to "revamp" the controller role...They WILL be adding weapon mastery buffs to weapons for support roles and the controller role is in need of attention, so why not just kill 2 birds with 1 stone?

Like I said, make it so you get ticks of about 50-75 power for 5 seconds, increase the cooldown on instant power to 4-5 seconds and there you go...Controllers have a new way to give power that isnt over doing it and it rewards us for actually performing weapon combos (I rarely get off more than 2 taps currently)

PLUS DPS now have a way to work around having less power (as a result of a longer cooldown on instant power) with the weapon mastery combos

In 1 big swoop you bring back the effectiveness of weapons, you provide controllers with a new way to give power and make people WANT to use weapon mastery combos"

Actually think about it. Devs say they want support roles to do more damage. Support roles do most of their damage through what? Powers? No weapon attacks.

Recently on test weapon damage has been nerfed correct?
So is this a slap in the face to support roles, we havent seen anything about our buffs for days. Now it is starting to really look like it caters to DPS further prooving many points brought up in the last thread and in gotham city.

So unless they increase the damage from weapon mastery combo itself, not just power after the combo then how is it helping support roles for damage?

I recall it being said that these combos will be vulnerable to interrupt. Is it only going to be the ranged combos (while still being block breakers)? Will the melee combos be interrupting moves while being vulnerable to block?

I like the idea of the wm & the game update 35. But why not just make all melee moves & power might base & range prec base.

Controllers should gain more power out based on how much more damage they do.

Just a suggestion but as I getting back in to tanking I notice I almost never blindly attack nor would have to time to attack to the end of one of these combos. If I could CC bosses longer than about 3 seconds, then we'd be talking.

Question: How will the recent weapon nerfs affect WM and will you be showing us a more recent version of WM post nerf?

The weapon damage is so bad rite now doing WM combos you will prob loose dps cause of the time it takes to do them. If the first hit sucks but the nest one is good whats really the point in WM? They could have just left the weapons the same to save us from wasting time doing pointless combos.

And I don't see how WM is bringing "balance" to the game. This dose nothing to balance might powers vs precision powers Celestial, Rage and light will still be king even with a .5 jc time. This WM stuff is ok but the only true way to balance powers it to bump up the might on the gear to bring might powers in line with precision. If anything this could make precision powers even better lol.

Healers: I like the lower power cost of an ability after completion but feel that crit chance is the only thing healers really need, not more resto. I wish there was a way to help bring Electirc into line with the other 3 but I can't think of any.

Tanks: I like the idea of possible boss stuns but feel where tanks can benefit is an immunity bonus that would allow a tank to reposition himself without worrying about getting back into block so quickly. Power specific bonuses are necessary to bring the 4 tank abilities more in line with each other. Rage would likely get something related to Rage Crash, Fire would need some type of damage prevention buff for a few seconds. Earth could use that or just a defense buff like they were in block. Since Ice and Rage have the most maneuverability, Fire and Earth need some help in that. I'm not sure of the buff but what Ice needs is to get back into some CC since Bitter Winds is their only CC move. So anything that would help Ice from just cycling shields.

Controllers: Crit power chance is great vs vit bonus. I like the idea of strengthening the debuffs.

Shatter is a knockback. I use it to great effect in AnB if the blues are getting somewhat close. It will knock them back.. and give the trolls another chance to grab them.

This must be a cart before the horse scenario.

Jump Canceling and Animation Timings (Cart) are the framework of Wrapon Mastery (horse). If the Developers need to lay the ground work on those issues before addressing the ones brought up here, please communicate that to the community.

It feels as though weapon mastery is an incomplete concept for support classes and this is a huge concern for us. Would you please put us at ease by at least filling us in on your WIP roadmap?

For tanks let the weapon attacks draw agro for 4 seconds on the 1 target hit by the last attack after the hit counter stops. This helps all forms of tanking and prevents us from becoming a dps.