Is there any chance there will be a power that reduces (or eliminates) one's offense, greatly increases one's defense, and is animated like a martial arts block, raising a shield, etc.? I remember reading some vague rumors awhile ago that this might be added. The rumor was that it wouldn't be like CO/DCUO's blocks, but rather that it would be a specific power for tanks or those with a tanky secondary. I thought this was a great idea, so I thought I'd ask here if the rumor had any truth to it.
[url=http://giantspacelizard.com/2011/09/30/archbishop-triceratops-the-paleocene-creed-cover/]Archbishop Triceratops[/url]
[url=http://giantspacelizard.com/2012/01/14/colonial-squash-the-wild-once-cover/]Colonial Squash[/url]
As long as it isn't a twitch block, that would be great. In every game that has a twitch block I make note of it, and then promptly forget about it. It has always been a gimicky mechanic every time it has been implemented.
If they make this just something your character does on a block, I say go for it. That would be cool, in my opinion.
Yeah, the rumor I read somewhere was that it would be activated not as a twitch (e.g. as it is in CO in response to their "schtick" attacks) but tactically as either a toggle with additional downsides (like Unyielding but -offense instead) or a clicky (like Dull Pain). No idea if this had any basis in what the team is actually doing though.
I have played a tank in CO and the tactical aspect of block was fun for me (choosing between offense and defense) however the twitch aspect was less so (seeing an icon appear above a boss' head and having to react quickly). Especially since in Champions those icons indicate the location of the effects, and it's usually better to just get out of the way anyway if you're not a tank. Functionally, this didn't come across different from any other boss-based movement mechanic, circling the Tree of Thorns in CoV comes to mind.
[url=http://giantspacelizard.com/2011/09/30/archbishop-triceratops-the-paleocene-creed-cover/]Archbishop Triceratops[/url]
[url=http://giantspacelizard.com/2012/01/14/colonial-squash-the-wild-once-cover/]Colonial Squash[/url]
I don't mind moving to avoid red stuff on the floor.. or activating defensive cooldowns, but a twitch block would do my head in. A defensive stance on the other hand would be ok, like in WoW for example on warriors. It would help with the soloing on tanks.
A block toggle I could maybe get behind, although I think it would only really suit certain power sets, like shield for example. There it would sense, as you could have like it like +def to not only yourself, but also those around you in a small radius as you shield others from attacks with a some -dmg to yourself to balance it out.
I certainly don't want a twitch kind of block, as that's not my style at all. Could also get tiring for some people and others wouldn't be able to handle it at all.
I don't want to have to 'physically' block. I want to stride, head up, standing tall, and secure in my tanky-ness, into the middle of battle and Dominate it with pure awesomeness (rather than DPS), not scuttle behind the shell of my blocking ability.
Be Well!
Fireheart
This was floated on the MWM forums by Joe99 who was doing a whole "Defensive Powerset" review post.
He included this with the "Shield" powerset only which limited offense while boosting defense,
The Phoenix Rising Initiative Rules Lawyer
TERA has a Block action for their Lancer (Tanker) and Warrior (Scrapper) classes. The ability runs off an Energy bar, so that while you are Blocking you're actively draining Energy and are not attacking (because you're Blocking. Both classes then get various Traits that they can activate to mitigate and/or recover this Energy faster to as to be able to maintain a Block for longer than they would otherwise. The Lancer (who has a shield along with the telephone pole) even gets a unique "shield slam" ability that is only briefly enabled (for like 2 seconds) after having successfully Blocked an incoming attack that is effectively a counterattack, and which restores a goodly chunk of Energy and deals decent damage, allowing you to "turtle" and attack out of your Block while still maintaining your Block stance. It *is* an Active Combat System driven thing however, so it's very "twitchy" (like all of TERA's combat system), but the important point is that such a thing IS supported by the Unreal Engine and [i]could be done[/i] if MWM wanted to introduce such a thing into City of Titans.
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[i]Verbogeny is one of many pleasurettes afforded a creatific thinkerizer.[/i][/center]
Yea most of the final powers in your primary tank power set in CoH had something exactly like this, but the only one i ever got was the stone monster because all the other ones were useless if your tank was built right.
I wont be playing a tank but if I were I'd love a self-buff that was a increase in damage mitigation. This would make it NOT twitch based. It could still come with some movement speed reduction and increased threat while activated to make it worth while.
I think the "Oh Sh**" button is great for tanks personally, I just don't want it to be based on "schtick attacks" or something like seen in other games.
Crowd Control Enthusiast
I think this sounds like a good tanking mechanic.