I think you're missing the point with Empathy. Sure, it's a healing set... but that's not the only thing it does. Specifically, the three
abilities requested most, especially in mid- and end-game, are not the heals. It's the buffs -- with Adrenalin Boost, Fortitude, and Clear Mind being the
top three, and Recovery Aura playing runner-up.
Now, CM does have a perception boost, which someone noted up thread... but the biggest factor is the Mez protection, in my experience. Especially because it
stacks. I don't PVP either, but I'm still spamming CM's like no tomorrow on AV fights (if the AV has a mez, I mean) and often enough against
lesser mobs that just happen to have mezzes as well.
If you can stack all three of the big ones on someone -- AB, Fort, and CM -- they're nigh-unstoppable for 90 seconds. And then... they don't crash.
The buffs just wear off, no side effect. Plus, any Emp with decent slotting can push these buffs out the door quickly -- for example, Emerald's slotted
for heals rather than recharge rate, but even so she can spit out a Fort every 60 seconds, a CM every 8, and an AB every ... um... under 2m, but not by much,
so there you go. It's pretty intense, basically.
The End-boosting of Recovery Aura and Adrenalin Boost should not be discounted lightly, either. I'm not sure if Thermal has an equivalent to that -- I
don't think it does but I could be wrong. I know that if it does it's not as capable, because when it comes to boosting End, the only characters that
an /Emp takes a backseat to are the /Kins.
Thermal does have it's good points, but it's simply not as capable, in my opinion. So, rather than considering it an 'upgraded' version of
Empathy, I'd suggest a nerfed version of Empathy.![[Image: smile.gif]](http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif)
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
abilities requested most, especially in mid- and end-game, are not the heals. It's the buffs -- with Adrenalin Boost, Fortitude, and Clear Mind being the
top three, and Recovery Aura playing runner-up.
Now, CM does have a perception boost, which someone noted up thread... but the biggest factor is the Mez protection, in my experience. Especially because it
stacks. I don't PVP either, but I'm still spamming CM's like no tomorrow on AV fights (if the AV has a mez, I mean) and often enough against
lesser mobs that just happen to have mezzes as well.
If you can stack all three of the big ones on someone -- AB, Fort, and CM -- they're nigh-unstoppable for 90 seconds. And then... they don't crash.
The buffs just wear off, no side effect. Plus, any Emp with decent slotting can push these buffs out the door quickly -- for example, Emerald's slotted
for heals rather than recharge rate, but even so she can spit out a Fort every 60 seconds, a CM every 8, and an AB every ... um... under 2m, but not by much,
so there you go. It's pretty intense, basically.
The End-boosting of Recovery Aura and Adrenalin Boost should not be discounted lightly, either. I'm not sure if Thermal has an equivalent to that -- I
don't think it does but I could be wrong. I know that if it does it's not as capable, because when it comes to boosting End, the only characters that
an /Emp takes a backseat to are the /Kins.
Thermal does have it's good points, but it's simply not as capable, in my opinion. So, rather than considering it an 'upgraded' version of
Empathy, I'd suggest a nerfed version of Empathy.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs