One of the powersets I never really enjoyed since launch was force.

it just seemed a clunky mess with no real inset synergy whatsoever, and
what synergy it claimed to have, hurt yourself and teams more than it helped.

The changes made by Cryptic during the F2P beta however has transformed a set I used to ignore into one of my favorite sets in the game!

I just want to give some kudos for that.

This weekend, on the suggestion from Arlylle, I gave the force set another look.

FORCE BLAST Just looking at base damage this attack really is nothing special. However, the fact that it now does 100% knock back every time its used gives it utlity for the entire life of a build instead of being ditched at the first opportunity lke many T1 attacks. Devs, this is how its done! Force blast starts as a damage ability then transitions into a control/damage abilty as your toon matures.

ON TOP OF THAT, if you take the FIELD INVERSION advantage, it transforms into a High dps targeted AOE around ANY target that has a containment field.

CONTAINMENT FIELDS The fact that CONTAINMENT FIELD is now a 1hp field that doesn't heavily impact your damage on a target is wonderful. Also the fact that even though it doesn't stop Master/Super/Cosmics from attacking you, it still affects them makes the quality of Life of a force player so much better.

Putting a CONTAINMENT FIELD on a target, then tapping it with force blast results in a pulsing aoe damage effect around that target. I cannot tell you how wonderful this is for leveling and normal play.

Tie this in with FORCE CASCADE=>CONTAINMENT BLAST and you really have something!
You can even use it as a single target DPS spam ability much akin to hardfrost, or mind opener.

A full charge FORCE CASCADE does great damage, but what it doesn't kill, if advantaged, it will bubble, and what is bubbled, you can then tap force blast on, which if advantaged, will invert the field doing further aoe damage!

Combinig Advantged FORCE CASCADE with FORCE DETONATION=>FORCE SPATE moves into even more crazy aoe damage.

While it may not be the DPS kings that are the elemental sets, Force is no slouch, and offers a truely unique playstyle if you look for it.

Again, I just want to offer my kudos to whomever worked on Force internally, and let them know that my force toon has become my main, GoTo toon.

(Also not I don't even use the new force abilities like Force Wave (or whatsitcalled), so things are even better!)

Yes! Isn't it cool how Force's syenrgies ACTUALLY work now? Seriously, the improvements to this set have been awesome. The_Last is absolutely right on everything in the above post. If you haven't tried Force yet, you really should pick it up if you enjoy a character who's powers all work off one another.

My only problem with force right now is that single target damage feels lacking. I usually end up just waiting on force cascade's form recharged and using that to kill them. It seems like there ought to be a better way of doing DPS than that.

edit wow bad typo

Thanks, The_Last. Glad to hear you're enjoying it. It's rewarding in it's own right getting something to work properly, it's extra nice to hear people are actually having fun with it. :)

The only way to get the ST damage up is Containment field with Inversion, but the Hold takes a bit to CHARGE, further lowering DPS unfrotunately.

I usually open up with a full charge Cascade* , and anything that is left is either held (Cascade again weee!) or at very least has a 1hp Containment field around them, so that I can tap off force blast to proc field inversion which does quite good single target damage.

Force won't be a top ST set though, which is ok because it excels at AoE.

*I have about 100 ego and rec in this builld and Force sheathe so I usually have enough to full charge FC between fights.

Does the normal Containment Field have 1hp or is that only the ones created by Containment Blast?

Oh man, I haven't even touched my level 40 Force user since F2P went into beta. Should I just re-roll him? Or would starting a new Force hero using the new offensive passive and synergies I always ignored because they were awful feel different enough to justify having two Force toons?

Post deleted by KenpoJuJitsu3

I assume it does have 1/hp protection for the mob you cast it on.

Having shelved my first hero The Weeble for over a year because of Force sucking, I finally dusted him off in beta and the new Force changes have completely improved the powerset.

Not only do I actually agree with Lasty there about Force, I have to say the new powers are excellent, particularly Crushing Wave.

As far as slightly lacking single target damage, well, Force Cascade + Kinetic Manipulation + Imbue solves an impressive number of problems...;)