Agent White

Tint it red or green and you can be a jello shooter.

Mmm yeah. I can't see prices skyrocketing for very long over something that's just 1 SSA run away.

At worst the salvage will go up for a while.

I'll likely be using my elec/devices blaster much more frequently, he's my original character but I just found him pretty lackluster, these changes i think will boost him considerably since I'll have the perma snipe right out of the box and I constantly use Cloaking Device, so Field Operative will be a very welcome change.

The 2nd movie was a Syfy original, or at least they aired it.

This looks about the same quality

Yes, solo'ing incarnate stuff is very possible. It -is- slower than running trials, but not as bad as people make it out.

First and foremost, unlocking slots. The Alpha slot can be unlocked by running Mender Ramiel's arc, so much more worthwhile than taking the time to unlock it via iXP.

The next 4 slots, Interface, Judgment, Destiny and Lore have to be done via iXP but you don't have to rely solely on the iXP you earn doing missions and killing mobs in Dark Astoria. Incarnate threads can be burned for a hefty chunk of iXP toward unlocking slots. The lower slots, interface/judgment, require about 30 threads each to unlock. The higher slots, lore/destiny, require about 50. Sounds like a lot, but it really isn't so bad.

Mostly because you can earn a minimum of 10 threads per day, not counting drops, from the daily repeatable missions offered through Ephram Sha (heroes) and Maharaj (villains). There's also a weekly 10 threads reward from the Signature Story Arcs, which also give you a 'freebie' pick the very first time you complete them. My typical strategy is to complete the low level range SSAs (Vol 1 episodes 1-4) for alignment merits, then hold off until I'm 50 and have access to incarnate goodies to start grabbing threads from episodes 5-7 and Vol 2 ep 1.

Once you've done all the SSAs once though their rewards are set to a 1 week cooldown timer, but that's -per reward- so you can do any SSAs and earn 10 threads and an astral merit (worth 4 threads) once a week by doing 2 of them (or even the same one twice).

The Dark Astoria arcs similarly have timers on them. The very first time you complete them you can choose any reward as a freebie pick (go for components). But any time you repeat them via Ouroboros, the rewards tables have a cool down timer of 20 hours -per reward-.

Let's just use Heather Townshend's arc, the initial DA arc, as an example. We'll say you complete it the first time, pick rewards, get a common component. Before moving on to the next arc you decide to Ouro it to farm up more rewards. The first time you complete it via oro, you'll again get a choice of every reward. Say you pick component again and get an uncommon. Now you repeat the arc another time, at the reward table you will only have the Merit choice and the 10 threads because the Component choice will be on a 20 hour cooldown. So we pick the merit choice and get either 2 astrals (burn for thread) or 1 emp (save for rare). If we oro the arc 1 more time we'll be able to choose the thread option.

Next day, it'll all reset. But again, that's just re-running Heather's arc, you still haven't gone on to the next arc, which will award a free pick the first time it's completed.

Basically this means that, per day, you can earn 1 component, 2 astrals (which means 8 threads) or 1 emp, and 20 threads (which is enough to craft 1 common). On top of 10 threads and 1 astral (4 threads) per week from the SSAs.

Plus 6 components and 2 emps for completing all the arcs the first time. (and 2 emps for completing them all every time thereafter too)

So just off repeating stuff, if you really put your nose to the grindstone, in one week you can earn:

7 components, 150 threads, between 15 astrals and 7 emps.

So let's do math! Say you start with nothing but the alpha unlocked. What do all these goodies mean? Let's assume every component drop was common, save 1 uncommon (not an unusual spread). So 6 commons, 1 uncommon.

For merits, it seems like the chance for astral to emp chance is about 75 to 25. Just going to use simple round, so out of 7 pulls we'll get Astrals about 5 times and Emps twice. So, 11 astrals (10 from arcs, 1 from SSAs) and 2 emps.

Astrals we burn right away into threads. So 11 x 4. Couple with the 150 we got (10 per day from repeatables, 10 per day from arcs, x 7, plus 10 per week from SSA) that gives us 194 threads. Not bad.

Now let's assume our goal is to initially unlock slots, slot them with a common then move on to the next slot. We've got 6 commons, 1 uncommon and 194 threads to do this with.

Right away that means a common ability for the Alpha slot. That leaves us 3 commons, 1 uncommon, and 194 threads. We could just jump to an uncommon ability if we so chose, which would leave us 1 common component left.

For the purpose of unlocking slots let's assume a vacuum of iXP, we'll do this -purely- with threads. And we will clear the lower tiers first, no unlocking Judgment then skipping straight to lore (but you can do that).

So we'll burn 30 threads to unlock judgment. That's 164 threads left, 3 commons and 1 uncommon. We'll slot it up. 164 threads left, 1 uncommon.

30 threads to burn to unlock interface. 134 threads left, 1 uncommon. Since our initial goal is unlock, slot with a common and move on, we burn 60 threads to create 3 common components and slot interface. That leaves 74 threads left and 1 uncommon.

50 threads burnt and we've unlocked Lore. And that's where we stop because that leaves us just 24 threads and 1 uncommon component, not enough to craft any ability.

But see? 1 week of going at it and you've got 4 out of 5 slots you can unlock solo, 3 slotted with common abilities. Obviously you can make different choices as to what you unlock when and how you spend your threads. For instance we could have stopped after slotting Interface and instead of burning that 50 for lore could have gone back and burn 40 threads instead to craft 2 common components and used our 1 uncommon to craft a T2 Uncommon ability for any one of the 3 slots we've unlocked, leaving us with 34 threads left instead.

And this also doesn't take into account the freebie pick for completing the arcs the first time, nor does it take into account any random threads drops.

So ya, there you go Trials are still way faster but you can do it all solo.

There is also the Belladonna Viatrono (sp?) arc that's been added to the line up along with the DA arcs, but the EBs might be a bit much for unshifted folks.

Only 2 alphas give To hit Buffs. Spiritual and Resiliant boost To hit Buffs.

Intuition and Musculature boost To hit DEBuffs.

Are the changes coming to Dual Pistols -purely- DPA adjustments? Or will the Change Ammo toggles be examined?

More specifically, is anything going to be tweaked that makes the Cold and Toxic ammo viable choices over Fire's added damage?

If you're not buying purples, yes, you can go on a shopping spree and barely dent that sizeable bank account.

If you're going for Devices then don't worry about whether the set has aim or the like. Targeting drone + a kismet proc will get you easily over the limit to perma the fast snipe so you don't have to worry about outside to hit boosts. My current elec/devices blaster is sitting on 18 to hit and my targetting drone isn't even fully slotted up yet, so as soon as I drop the kismet in I'll be over the mark.

From what I've been reading the sets best able to leverage the fast snipe would be Assault Rifle and Beam Rifle because both sets snipes are pretty powerful or have a significant effect.

I've got an electric and I can tell you right now, the changes aren't so much going to make electric 'good' as much as it will simply put it closer to average, but mostly paired with Devices. It'd be a good combo simply because your snipe will become your 3rd blast (the set has none, one of its sticking points).

I wouldn't skip short circuit though. Sapping may not be fun and may be weak without Electric Manipulation to boost it, but Short Circuit is -very- good at sapping on its lonesome to begin with and it does okay damage.

Daily repeatables. 10 threads a day, plus anything that might drop while doing them.

Actually Touch of the Beyond should still be usable by itself with no enemies to target for the regen buff. Hawk said everything but Drain Psyche (which isn't changing) is going to be useful on it's lonesome or in the middle of combat for the survivability buffs.

As for the 'woe it isn't enough' why don't you actually wait to see the numbers :P

Personally if I can go without faceplanting once per mission on my blaster I'll be pleased as peaches. The snipe and range stuff are just gravy, though it'll certainly make me feel more valuable on a team that can boost my To Hit.