ArchGemini

True. I think I came in after that happened, though. Not sure what the order was for the major Regen changes. I am sure there was a post about it, but has probably been swallowed up by now.

So has Regen simply just been downhill from launch, and a small bump with the MoG changes?

Low hundred millions (150-400M).

For lots of folks, though, budget could simply mean (and correct me if I am wrong):

No PvP enhancements
No Purples
No LotG +Recharges
No BotZ (although this may change with their change in usefulness)

Of course, some are able to stretch their influence further than others and might be able to slide in an extra set of Obliteration, Mako or Touch of Death, which could make a lot of difference.

I am all for one signature power per character. One that you start building at level 20 (or whenever), and you either do missions/arcs/tfs to earn points toward developing said power (within limits or balanced around similar powers). I would love a true PBAoE for my Dark Melee Characters or at least one decent Targeted AoE (since both of the ones in Dark Mastery kinda stink), or a complementary mitigation power.

Things we could do for extra slots would be nice, but you know people would start complaining even more, or swinging e-peens, that their brawl is not (or is) six slotted with Purples or PvP enhancements (I am obviously reaching here), or that something completely unnecessary is too hard for teams performing below standard task force content.

Going to co-sign with you there. 50-70 mil seems like a solid casual inf total for a standard 1-50 run, but definitely less than what anyone even trying to mess with the market is going to make, even if you are just selling your rare invention salvage drops. Also, if you just craft the Inventions after about 30 that you get from drops, I imagine most players would be surprised by the amount of decent frankenslotting their powers could get (even if you do not end up with full sets of the "good" uncommon IO sets like CI, DW, or TStrike).

I say all that because, even with my rotten luck, I have managed to get a few of all of the above on my toons between 30 and 50, I just never paid a lot of attention to it, unlike my fiancee (the gaming rookie... heh, nice to say I married up, at least as far as making good with what you get).

I am leveling up an Elec/Shd Scrapper. Aside from 120mil that I pulled from another toon (I plan on trying to be ebil with this toon later) and the generic IOs I have put on this toon, I can get you another data point by the time this is said and done. I will try not to drop too many more Inventions into him so that the average cost of the ones I have can be adjusted from his final bankroll (A Kismet +toHit and a lv 11 Steadfast that dropped).

That said, what should I try to do with any decently priced market salvage or recipes that drop? How much do we want luck (or lack thereof) to affect this?

Probably the best definition of "casual" I have ever seen. Figures it would come from someone who is probably one of the least casual players not to come from the Scrapper board (and we are nothing if not a bunch of number crunching min-maxing bastards).

Anyway, I would say your results look to be way over average, at least in comparison to what I have managed to do with my toons. If I sold all my rare and decent salvage as I was leveling up my DM/Shield Scrapper, I would have ended with around 100 mil. That would also be the best I have ever ended a toon before diving into the Market a bit. My fiancee, who partnered said scrapper with a Kin/Dark Defender, was less lucky with salvage but scored a purple near the end of our leveling and ended with 200 mil (this was before Purples skyrocketed).

Best guess, the average would probably be around 75 million for a 1-50 run, with a vast majority of that being post 40, and being heavily weighted toward at least more informed casual players (those who know to at least sell rare salvage or use it to craft at least one decently priced recipe). Not bad for casual play, or even IOing a few key powers with decent uncommon sets, but easily surpassed by playing the market or getting 1 decent purple drop, definitely 1 PvP drop or cashing in a store of merits for a LotG.

Take my samples with a grain of salt, though. I would qualify myself as an informed, but seemingly unlucky or just bad, player. Definitely beyond casual, but clearly underneath the Market or Scrapper gurus. I have made a few builds in Mids, and I can make enough in game to put IO sets on my toons provided I stay away from the more popular sets, but I cannot get over the hump to true ebilness. I may send you a PM about it.

I tried putting together a Sonic/Sonic/Elec and managed to get capped to S/L Resistance, but only 37.8% Ranged and 33.1% AoE Defense (heh, only). Must be doing something wrong. Some mez protection without asking the Mrs. to dip into the medicine pool for Stimulant looks good, but without the extra heal from me Aid Self might be of some use to her anyway.

Anyway, while the build does look good, I am now trying to consider if we would get more mileage out of Disruption Field or Fulcrum Shift (once both powers were available, at least DF comes much earlier but is not cheap) and of Barrier, Haven and Dispersion versus Transfusion and the -Dmg of Fulcrum Shift. I am leaning toward Sonic Resonance because if I can simply keep her from going splat when she wades into a group, all she might need is a green inspiration to get set-up, at which point she can Build Up and then do what she plans on doing best. The build I have would also let me focus on keeping green and purple inspirations, myself (along with the occasional Break Free and the standard Rez-Pack).

As far as Ancillary Pools go, I am pretty much sold on Electric Mastery for Sonic/Sonic, especially since it will give me access to Power Sink.

Ah, what the hell? I have made enough Kineticists recently, let's be different!

Although I am sure both of us will miss Siphon Speed and Speed Boost, but on her build with Hasten running L. Rod and S. Charge (I am reminded of Megaman for some reason due to the naming convention) recharge in about 30 seconds. If she needs them faster than that she can just use F-Ball, C-Induction, T-Strike and J-Ladder.

I am going to play one of the Megaman Xs, now. Excuse me and thanks for all the advice.

In that case, I apologize for my last vote, but from here on in I will go after the squishy people.

Been meaning to ask, but does anyone know how often the last 2 (or more) ATs were all blue-side? It seems Heroes tend to fare a lot better than Villains. Maybe next year I will put my support behind Brutes (since they are the most like us).

This year, however, we have to win.

I did for a bit when I was trying to run my DM/Regen in PvP zones. It provided a good amount of stun resistance against the sheer numbers of EM Stalkers I ran into. He does not have it anymore, though.

I have other characters who still have it because, while the animation is long and techy (for power customization I really wanted an Aura-like Medicine option), it is still a great downtime reducer between fights and is a nice bump for when the RNG decides to try make you the punchline of a bad joke. On my Defense-based characters, it also lets me focus my inspirations more on Oranges so I have an extra layer of mitigation (thus more protection from the RNG).

With the IO options that exist now, it seems like the Medicine pool is losing the small following it once had.

If the problem is the price of certain IOs, this one would be a bit cheaper, but unfortunately gives up what some would feel is too much (Heal slotting in Siphon Life, Hasten, and a Travel Power). You could sub Super Jump for Grant Cover, though.

This is something near what I run or will run on live when i16 hits. I regularly duo with a my fiancee (a Kin/Dark Defender), and I managed to have other means of travel (logging out in the Shard gets you a Flight pack, plus you can buy one there, as well), so all the issues I listed above tend to get covered, so YMMV.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Dark Melee
Secondary Power Set: Shield Defense
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Blaze Mastery

Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1: Smite T'Death-Acc/Dmg:40(A), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx:40(39), T'Death-Dmg/Rchg:40(39), T'Death-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:40(40), T'Death-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:40(40), T'Death-Dam%:40(40)
Level 1: Deflection S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+:30(A), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx:40(23), S'dpty-Def:40(31), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(34), S'dpty-EndRdx:40(37), S'dpty-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:40(39)
Level 2: Battle Agility RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(A), RedFtn-Def:50(3), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(3), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(31), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:50(31)
Level 4: True Grit Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Aegis-Psi/Status:50(5), Aegis-ResDam:50(5), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(17), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(23)
Level 6: Shadow Maul Oblit-Dmg:50(A), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(7), Oblit-%Dam:50(7), Oblit-Acc/Rchg:50(15), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg:50(15), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(17)
Level 8: Siphon Life Mako-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(9), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx:50(9), Mako-Dam%:50(11), Mako-Dmg/Rchg:50(11), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(13)
Level 10: Active Defense RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(13)
Level 12: Combat Jumping Zephyr-Travel:50(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx:50(43), DefBuff-I:50(43), DefBuff-I:50(50)
Level 14: Hurdle Empty(A)
Level 16: Against All Odds EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 18: Dark Consumption Sciroc-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(19), Sciroc-Dam%:50(19), Sciroc-Dmg/Rchg:50(21), Sciroc-Acc/Rchg:50(21)
Level 20: Phalanx Fighting Ksmt-ToHit+:30(A)
Level 22: Health Heal-I:50(A)
Level 24: Stamina EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(25), P'Shift-End%:50(25)
Level 26: Soul Drain Oblit-Dmg:50(A), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(27), Oblit-%Dam:50(27), Oblit-Acc/Rchg:50(29), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg:50(29), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(46)
Level 28: Grant Cover DefBuff-I:50(A)
Level 30: Boxing Empty(A)
Level 32: Midnight Grasp Mako-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(33), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx:50(33), Mako-Dam%:50(33), Mako-Dmg/Rchg:50(34), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg:50(34)
Level 35: Shield Charge Oblit-Dmg:50(A), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(36), Oblit-%Dam:50(36), Oblit-Acc/Rchg:50(36), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg:50(37), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(37)
Level 38: Tough Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx:50(A), Aegis-ResDam:50(42), Aegis-ResDam/Rchg:50(42), Aegis-EndRdx/Rchg:50(42), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg:50(43)
Level 41: Ring of Fire Acc-I:50(A)
Level 44: Fire Blast Thundr-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx:50(45), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg:50(46), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(46)
Level 47: Fire Ball Posi-Acc/Dmg:50(A), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(48), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:50(48), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:50(48), Posi-Dam%:50(50)
Level 49: Weave RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(A), RedFtn-Def:50(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
19.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
19.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
19.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
19.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
19.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
19.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
19.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
19.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
10.5% Defense(Smashing)
10.5% Defense(Lethal)
14.6% Defense(Fire)
14.6% Defense(Cold)
12.1% Defense(Energy)
12.1% Defense(Negative)
3% Defense(Psionic)
18% Defense(Melee)
17.4% Defense(Ranged)
16.8% Defense(AoE)
26.3% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
55% Enhancement(Accuracy)
4% FlySpeed
70.3 HP (5.25%) HitPoints
4% JumpHeight
4% JumpSpeed
MezResist(Held) 9.35%
MezResist(Immobilize) 13.8%
MezResist(Stun) 6.6%
4.5% (0.08 End/sec) Recovery
14% (0.78 HP/sec) Regeneration
2.84% Resistance(Fire)
2.84% Resistance(Cold)
3.13% Resistance(Negative)
2.25% Resistance(Psionic)
14% RunSpeed
5% XPDebtProtection

To address the first point, Defenders usually get them early enough to warrant better slotting for Accuracy and Recharge as well as the Procs to make up for lack of Damage slotting. There is also the disparity in -Resistance debuffs that a lot of Defender sets have, which increases the damage of the Procs. With as late as Scrappers get the powers, the best they could do would be to 4-slot both of them, which leaves one wanting for attributes if they slot more than 2 Procs, especially considering the base recharge times on the Scrapper versions are about double the Defender versions (20 versus 10 seconds).

On the other point, I was hoping they would get around to having Scrapper and Tank Epics be relatively decent next to what some of the other ATs have. At least Blaze Mastery has Fireball. I would trade the entire Dark Mastery Pool for the version of Gloom and Darkest Night available in Soul Mastery. I am sure a lot of players would trade everything except maybe Fireball in Pyre/Blaze Mastery for Fire Cages.

Unless they give Dark Mastery Shadow Meld (probably not happening, which is very unfortunate). In which case my first build would stay Dark Mastery, and my second will simply switch from Weapons to Fire. My Dark/Shield Scrapper is definitely moving somethings around to get Fire Mastery, though.