YuriFoxfirega

My Kat/WP doesn't have too many problems with Vanguard (barring the bosses - they frustrate meh so). But, I'm pretty sure that doesn't really surprise anyone. :/ She glides through a lot of content, especially if I can get and keep Divine Avalanche up.

They're probably one of my favorite groups in the game to fight, right up there with Rularuu around the Storm Palace.

..I really should get some of my other characters up to 45 and try them out with different combinations.

I thought the argument presented in the OP was that Freakshow got their XP nerfed.

Your conversation is just a tangent, technically speaking.

Here we come to the final moments!

Who's artistic skills will pay the bills? Find out after we come back, on Iron Artist International!

Mostly had it right, Bill. I was actually looking at it more from a Mastermind and Defender point of view. Unless I'm doing something silly, or forget to fire off my mez protection, my brute/scrappers/VEATs mow through darn near anything like it wasn't even really there. I regularly run Borea missions on my Scrapper in under 10 minutes (15 for an escort). That includes travel time to the mission (I use the timer to gauge how long I've actually been in a mission), with full clears of the maps. Only people that slow me down on Nanao lately are Rularuu and Malta (stupid robots).

However, I tend to be far more aware of mezzing and damage resistance on my Mastermind (where it means I take an extra 30 seconds per mob if they're smash/energy resistance. Stupid robots) and my Defender (Psi resistance period makes me cry, let alone mezzes). I avoid certain enemy groups on the latter because of how much harder it is for me to actually take things out with her, as opposed to someone with more defense (I know, I know. 'But she's Dark/Psi!' Stupid robots.). Still working on getting my Dominator up to doing some of the more annoying content (my main controllers are Plant/Storm and Fire/Kinetics. Problems don't exist for very long with them).

Also: Thanks for the heads up, Blood Spectre. We clearly have waaay different approaches towards playing Stalkers (I tend to clear entire maps no matter what I'm doing; most of it is habit, some of it is avoiding monotony of zoning in, killing boss, zoning out, repeat; I totally respect those that lean on stealthing, though, and I do it myself on really annoying missions), and I can see there why additional resistances on bosses can be a problem.

Serious question, Blood Spectre:

How often are you encountering Bosses in a situation that is going to make a significant difference in your ability to chew through encounters?

I'm specifically talking of solo play, as in a group that's well put together that 50% life loss is going to make it that much easier for everyone else to drop.

(DISCLAIMER: This is really a serious question. They did tweak the spawn code recently [right? Or am I crazy?] so that bosses spawn more often at even difficulties. But even then...)

Throwing in perspective - in the same level ranges (20-50) that you encounter the Freakshow, you also regularly encounter the following as well:

The Lost (Exotic damage, Lts at this range start getting sleeps/disorients/KBs, bosses have area sleeps/holds); Are replaced at 30 with the Rikti (who have KD standard, and higher chances of mezzing all the way up, in addition to summoning ability)

The Tsoo (who start off 'annoying' and rapidly ascend into 'debilitating' once the Ink Men become standards)

The Devouring Earth (the emenators can be rough, but as they start gaining levels S/L resist becomes standard)

The Banished Pantheon (Minions have some KD, but the lieutenants and bosses are where the real trouble is)

The Circle of Thorns (they just get worse and worse as you level up, and in the pre-40 range have Earth Thorn Casters which are mez heavy as just minions)

The Warriors (KD/KB heavy; Most of the LTs and Bosses can crit for some ridiculous damage as well)

Cimerorans (Not really a huge threat)

The Council (They start adding more Warwolves, Vampyri, and Mekmen/Drones in this range - the Warwolves have significant mez-resistance and damage output, the Vampyri get some mez capability [especially as Lts and higher], and the Mekmen have high S/L/Psi damage resistance)

Crey Industries (The bosses and Lieutenants are the only worries here)

Longbow (What? Villains count. They start really getting obnoxious in this level range, and just get worse. Also included are the PPD Swat and up in here, because they tend to show up on the same maps)

Arachnos (Heavy on -End, KB/KD, mezzes, and to boot the robots start really showing up in force here with high S/L resistance)

Tell me again how the Freakshow are not standard for their level coverage. They're somewhat below average, frankly, but it's tempered by the equal fact that they're somewhat harder to both put down and keep down. More then enough to get at least a 1.0 experience scale modifier, IMO.

EDIT: Removed a footnote that became obsolete (and inaccurate) with how my train of thought and research went. Still, you encounter all of these groups well before 40, and as they stack up levels they get more and more tricks. Honorable mentions go to the Carnival of Shadows and Malta/Knives of Artemis, who also start showing up at the tail end of 40. Almost all (with the exception of I do believe Crey and the Cimeroran Traitors) show up at roughly 'full strength' by the time you hit 30-35.

The current iteration of Graviton Lass ended up being an Action Girl and a Gadgeteer Genius sort of on accident. I'm not sure those are the exact tropes (she got a set of 'used' power armor parts from a police auction, and refurbished them into hero-ing gear to fulfill extra-curricular requirements at her university [I defy you to find a better thing on a job application then 'personally saved the city/world']). Those two were about the closest I could come up with, and they seem to fit for her overall core concept (except she's not t3h gr33t3zt gadget-type ever.. she's just good enough to get crap working).

And now, I go get myself good and lost for the next four hours.

Plum: We could expose you. Six murders.
Scarlet: I hardly think it would help your reputation, professor, if your U.N. contacts found out that not only were you implicated in adultery with a patient, but her death. And the deaths of five other people!
Plum: You don't know what kind of people they have in the U.N. I might go up with their estimation.

>> I couldn't resist a good, classic bit of comedy.

Aw. :| And I was going to use it to exclusively goof around with new powersets.

I'll see if I can't power-test Graviton Lass' updated powers on Test sometime later today and get some shots of her doing that hero thang she does... er, well. She's cute, right?

Very slick piece, Vexxxa! And oh, that cheeky Foo.

I'm sure he'll see this, so I'll say... A very sexy and emotional pose, with brilliant colors and some really nice lines. You, sir, are becoming epic.

Now please, call off the snipers. It's getting expensive to repair my windows.

(WARNING: Parts of this post may be less serious then others.)

I'm eagerly anticipating it going live. The bits I played with were squee-intensive for me, and it really brings together my Earth/Earth Dominator's feel. She's Earth/Psi right now (being a geokinetic), but I don't have too many problems with how the combination will work out at the moment.

Then again, Earth/Earth gives me a few solid -Fly tools in it. Between Hurl Boulder and Stone Prison, I should be good. Then there's Quicksand to keep them there. :3 I feel for everyone that doesn't have as many options, though (but you still have Hurl Boulder! You aaaaall still have hurl boulder. [/Zoidberg]).

That's some jaw-dropping cleanup, BW. I'd post an emote at the end of this, but it's 4am and I'm exhausted, and still can't find my darn jaw.

So it's there in spirit!

Odd as it may sound... Foo, even if he didn't manage to complete the thing, the spirit of the piece has one of my favorite hero fandom jokes ever in it.

I'm an easily swayed fox.

EDIT: Now collecting on any and all bets that I'd vote for the naughtiness.

Sleek and sexy so far, mang. Definately going to have to make it a point to keep an eye on your progress with this one.