New broken strategy - stealing energy?

[Kardas]

Good thread Slauki, I'm inclined to agree here.

I like that Energy Talismans are useful again, but I agree that they're a bit over the top.
PVP should not be about PWR tug-of-war (or at least I think so), and I've now had several matches which played exactly like that.
It feels like it's all about hoping to drain your opponent's energy so their reviver(s) don't... well... revive.

[Mariner-1212]

In theory, the limiting of toons with talismans could fix the issue, but there will never be a limit to the number of characters that can use specific talismans because that would be near impossible to implement.

Right now, to use the Energy talismans, you've got to forego your Shells. You have to give to get. Your toon steals power but is more susceptible to attacks. This is what's working really well about these talismans, the need for 3. Not to mention, these energy talismans are readily available to everyone in the game, unlike the shell and strike talismans (to name a few) that you are totally screwed if you don't have.

They need to be tweaked to:
- exactly 3 power stolen per attack by an individual (multi-hitter or individual damager, either way it's 3 power stolen because power is a team-inclusive element)
- If you have 4 power thieves on your team, you can steal the 12 power - because you won't have 4 on your team for long with that limited talisman defense. Like I said above, you have to give to get... and if you're using up 3 slots per toon with energy talismans, you can't utilize many of the other talismans.

I'm sure they'll be fixed soon. To me, the next most important issue is getting everyone access to the same talismans. This week's events with 24-hour purchase chances is an excellent solution. When everyone has access to the same stuff, the playing field is leveled, and it becomes more about strategy than the haves vs. the have nots.

[Askora]

I was happy with the way they worked. I ran two characters with them and they'd steal up to 3 energy each, usually less. If luck was with me, I could cripple their defense that way. It worked like it should, giving some strategic advantage without making it overpowering.

I vote for them to put them back to the way they were.

[Ian]

Yeah like a lot of things here, they were fine before they got "fixed". Let them generate power rather than steal it.

[Sparton_LOTB]

IMO, this set and several others should proc on basic attack regardless of the number of target, hit or miss, and be adjusted accordingly. Meaning same odds and same amount of energy stolen no matter what it faces.

But it should still steal, bypass immunity (like all? other steals do) and be reliable. Otherwise it will most probably turn from broken to useless.

Basically, what Lulero posted is precisely what we as the design team want them to function like. Once chance roll regardless of how many enemies are attacked (for this kind of augment), steal power, not care about Immunity, and be reliable (at least as far as augments are concerned).

We've gotten them to steal (instead of just generate), it's just a matter of this augment (and some other augments, like Vanish) procing more often than they should based on the number of targets... and in the case of this, stealing more power than is intended. The lead programmer actually committed a change that should allow us to correct that, but it hasn't been tested yet. If that works out well with no knock-ons, the odds for augments like Energy, Vanish, Void, etc will then proc at the correct rates in all situations in a future update.

That said, for people balking at it stealing 12 Power at once... yes, it can, but it's pretty damn unlikely.

[Aristo4]

Yeah, the numerous times I went second to start with 0/2 powers, while opponent had started with stealing power, then casting sth for 5 powers and ending his turn with 7 powers in the bank, was just a illusion probably.

[Lulero]

Glad to read that one Sparton, for many reasons but most of all thank you for letting us know!

@Aristo4: If you faced me, I run 2 sets + Cyborg (who uses Tase) + Desert Marauder for perfect. It's even worse when I'm on the offense as marauder gets switched out for (most often) another set. Sparton was pointing out the odds for one toon managing to steal 12 powers, which according to his link is 1 over 24 tries. Sounds about right. Before you go thinking I'm a regular at (ab)using bugs and can afford to switch talismans that easily, I have been using those sets since I decided to build around Cyborg several months ago.

[Aristo4]

Glad to read that one Sparton, for many reasons but most of all thank you for letting us know!

@Aristo4: If you faced me, I run 2 sets + Cyborg (who uses Tase) + Desert Marauder for perfect. It's even worse when I'm on the offense as marauder gets switched out for (most often) another set. Sparton was pointing out the odds for one toon managing to steal 12 powers, which according to his link is 1 over 24 tries. Sounds about right. Before you go thinking I'm a regular at (ab)using bugs and can afford to switch talismans that easily, I have been using those sets since I decided to build around Cyborg several months ago.

Yes it was me attacking you, but the loss came using my newly skilled VHE and screwing up, think I got you next time with my cyborg
About your last sentence no comment, I didn't think anything.

[Lulero]

Hehe, looking forward to it, fellow Cyborg user

Back to topic: Got nothing to add :O

[Bradata]

It seems to me that whenever a player finds a way to raise the defense % number from a single digit by using good combo of toons and talismans other players call this unfair... and try to change it. Well, I call THIS unfair! As someone mention it, just put some energy talismans on your toons and steel it back. Let's not forget that the defense is controlled by a stupid AI and the defending player has no control over the fight when being attacked, it looks to me that you want to take away all the chances he has to defend himself. Very soon the PVP will be like 100% on Attacks and 0% on Defenses for everyone because of all these "corrections" or "adjustments" for "broken" toons or talismans.
Unfair!