Biscuits_EU

My two cats had 7 or so kittens between them a while back. I called them all Steve.

Union, a night or two ago, there was a Master of Lambda forming, and there was someone asking specifically for just rads, as they wanted -res. After asking for about half an hour, some of us chimed in to inform them that sonic, dark, cold, storm and traps all had -res too. Seems they didn't know this, and was soon asking for just -res, and the league filled up in a couple of minutes. I think they've been around for ages, but someone in the past had misinformed them that only rads can debuff at some point, and they've been building teams around that idea since. I'd like to think the rest of us who offered some advice, have made his recruiting easier in the future.

It also got me thinking about a guy that was on Union ages back, who was obsessed with running speed-katies. He'd constantly be trying to get the time down, to cash in on the recipe drop at the end of it (before merits). He'd ask for specific sets, even specific powers, and would turn people away until he got his exact team make up. I think in the time it took him to fill his team, we could run three maybe four runs with a 'bring anything' team, and still be only a minute or two off his best time. He was so dead set on his perfect team and his scheme to get recipes as fast as possible, he didn't realise how many he was missing out on whilst refusing people.

X TF (SF/Trial) forming, need people.



As long as they all meet the mechanical requirements, like minimum level, appropriate alignment, number required to start, etc, then I don't see a problem. Master of X or otherwise. Usually global friends/private channels first, and then open it up to anyone after that on a first come first serve basis.

Only other request I might agree with, would be someone who has Mortimer Kal, Hess or Katie Hannon unlocked as a contact if I didn't already have it. If the team is desperately lacking something like holds on an LGTF, I'd likely swap to my domi, rather than turn someone away. If I'm on my tank, and another joins, I'll offer to swap to something else.

Back when the LGTF had the higher mez resist mitos, and people were taking enough holds, we went in with no holds, and out damaged their regen. I've tanked Recluse my Dark defender by aggro'ing him from out of range, when we didn't have a tank. Even if the team make up was awful, Inspirations can fix most hiccups. I'm pleased if someone joins with a powerset that I like, but if they don't, it's really no bother.



That said, if I see someone requesting a granite tank, or a healer, or something really specific, I'm not likely to want to join that team. Quite often, they're too set in their ways to think that anything but their optimum team design is capable of succeeding, despite it usually being a sub-par plan to start with, and one that's better suited to other MMOs. (ie, the Unholy Trinity of Tank/Heals/DPS).

I suspect this will get worse with CoX: Freedom, and the influx of new people with a history in other games. I wish more people would be willing to take anyone on anything, now, so that when the new folk show, they don't fall straight back into their old ways.

1. Defenders (except Empathy).
2. The rest (ending with Controllers).

That reminds me, I think I might be a little dim, as I never been able to figure out exactly how to change my forum name, otherwise I wouldn't have the EU.

For various Internet names, I've had a few. I keep one for a few years, then move onto something else. Most web things now, have a variation of Biscuits as the name.

My first account's global name became @More Biscuits, since Biscuits is now my main toon. My second and main account, went from a random toon to @Biscuits, and now due to the merge, @Biscuits Deluxe (which is a character on the first account, oddly). That said, most folk called me Bix (which I used to refer to the toon myself, in a sort of Rebecca>Becky>Becks>Bex way), quite often people call me a typo of that, Biz, Box, Boz, etc.

I've never renamed a specific toon, as I see it as being easier to just remake it with a new name, than buy a change. I probably would pay money or inf to regain @Biscuits, however. (If you're reading this, name your inf-price, maybe we can come to an arrangement).

As for my actual name, I've not changed it due to marriage, but I did legally change it via Deed Poll. I loathed everything about the name my parents gave me, so I completely changed it, forename, middle name and surname. I'm far happier with my new name, though it irritates me that some people still call me by the old one. Especially the people who knew that I hated the old one when they met me. The old name reminded me of people that I couldn't stand, so calling me that felt like an insult. I had no previous associations with the new name, so I was the first person I thought of when I hear it, which I like.

I'm also kind of weird with names and people, that once I have an bad association with a specific name, other people I meet with the same are usually met with unshakable distrust, whereas the better namesakes are usually given the benefit of the doubt at first.

I kind of phased out part way into this thread, but he's my prediction:

Harcourt Fenton Mudd.

Played by that guy from Heroes, the one who was Matt Parkman.

(He wants to play him, and is a friend of JJ Abrams).

It's not something I've done with my Cloaks of Fear, as I usually slot them for the bonuses (S/L Def, E/N Def or Rech depending on toon), but I'm wondering how many damage procs it could potentially hold, and how effective that would be. A couple of Acc/EndRed's, and then procs, maybe. With all the choices available (-ToHit, Acc -Tohit and Fear procs), could it be verging on a basic damage aura output?

Side note, the fear stacks with Touch of Fear from Dark Melee to nerf bosses, and it stacks with Assassin attacks on stalkers.

Put me down as potential rock spam buffer as usual. Unless the tactics have changed with Incarnate powers, then I'm open to suggestions.

I'm not a fan of feet in general, but I'm baffled as to how mentioning your toe is cause for a chat ban, even if you had said it.

I'm curious as to how that /ignore_spammer thing works, though. Would several reports result in an automated ban? Could the RMTer have reported you from several accounts, both theirs and friends/colleagues, for mocking them?

I'm also curious as to how they advertised, too. Not that I'd ever buy inf, or sell it myself, but I'm fascinated how they could market something that is so easy to get in the first place. Do things like 'Hey, Mr. Eskimo. My Ice is better, as I've gone to the trouble of picking it up off the ground for you' actually work? How lazy must Mr. Eskimo be to actually think it's remotely worth it?

I'd personally recommend Empathy/Sonic over /Psy. I think it'll benefit more from the -res than the -rech, in teams and solo. I've a Kin/Psy at 50, and she's pretty much retired, as the longer activation times for some of the Psychic Blast powers eventually got on my nerves. After that, I'd opt for Empathy/Dark, for the -tohit/control.

As for the band wagon:
Dark/Dark/Dark (My main, 50+3, nothing else is nearly as fun)

Storm/Elec (50+3, was built to tank an all-'fender MoSTF)
Rad/Rad (50+1, semi-retired, only used on request)
Kin/Psy (50, retired and working on Dark/Kin 'ruptor, to make use of higher damage cap)
Cold/Ice (37, will likely be my next Incarnate project)
TA/A (22/remaking as 'ruptor)
Emp/Elec (37/retired thru boredom, sadly)
Traps/AR (x2 haven't decided which account to use, nor got a concept I'm happy with yet)
Sonic/Sonic (14, currently on perma-hold due to GFX/noise)
FF/various (haven't settled on a secondary, /Elec of late, /DP next - I wonder if the name Bubblegun's taken..)

In i21:
Time/Energy (I think the effects will look nice together, and fly at 4 will mean the rooting won't annoy me like it did when I had FF/nrg)
Thermal/Fire (have avoided Thermal until it was a 'fender primary, as I've always had something else on the go)
Traps/Freem Rifle (possibly a fine AV/GM soloer - soft-cap, debuffs and lots of ST attacks)

Distant Future:
Hoping for Poison/Thorn Blast

I think Empathy is the only defender primary that I can't enthuse myself about. Lower levels are quite busy, but I found as I went higher, more and more of my powers were becoming less and less effective. It's probably the only one that I'd prefer on a Controller, and I'll eventually go for Ill/Emp I think, just as I can't decide what else I want with Illusion (concept-wise, not synergy). Even then, I doubt it will be used very often.

Name: Biscuits.
Origin: Mutant.
Afflictions: Short-Sighted.
Archetype: Technically a Defender.
Powersets: Dark Miasma/Dark Blast/Dark Mastery/Void Judgement/Diagmanetic Interface/Space for Dark Lore Pets/Clarion - In your face, mezzers.
Height: 5'3.. In heels.. Whilst standing on a phone book.
Wait: ...
Eyes: Two.
Hair: Blonde, usually.
Distinguishing Marks: Slightly puzzled look, despite the spectacles.

Brief Summary:
As an impressionable young girl, Jenny Taylor dreamed of growing up to become a mail-order catalogue model just like her good ol' Mum and Dad. She fantasized for hours on end about the jet-setting, go-getting lifestyle she would lead and practiced relentlessly on the key poses. She could "look at watch" and "react to joke" like a professional. Her "peer into distance" was unparalleled.

Unfortunately, in order to keep their svelte figures, both her parents chain-smoked around her throughout her young life. Her growth was stunted and her lifelong ambitions were subsequently dashed. She had to settle for her younger brother's dream job instead: Semi-Professional Day Saver.

Much to her parents' despair, she avidly set about creating her various crime fighting costumes from curtains, furniture and whatever random items she could salvage whilst rummaging through the wardrobes.

After watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade she was set upon the idea of naming herself after the family dog.

Screen Shot: If there was one, I'd be dressed like a kid from Fame.

Firstly, Dark/Dark Blasters are what I've hoped for since before the first round of Proliferation was announced. You wouldn't believe how stoked I am about this, and even if they pull a Psi/Mental job on it, I'll still adore it. It'll be the first blaster that I can truly enjoy. (I've tried all the sets, and nothing's really done it for me, and solo I mostly play my D3 Fender likely a blaster, giving me melee attacks too is the icing on the cake).

My logical assumption, for the Night Fall and Torrent combination, is that NF has no KB, and torrent has KB, that this new Umbral Torrent might have knockdown instead. Much like the Lich's version of Torrent. If folk want it to KB, they can enhance that, if they don't they can just use it as a soft control and damage power.

That said, if it was to have KB, I would personally prefer it to be 100%, then I can position myself accordingly.

Dechs, even though I highly doubt we'll get Dark Regeneration on a blaster, put me down for 500m to get it. 9:1's good odds.

For the five speculative powers in manipulation, however, I think we'll get Touch of Fear (Melee), the stalker auto power that adds a bit of defence which replaced Cloak of Darkness (Armor) but as a toggle like Cloaking Device, Build Up, Death Shroud (Armor), and Tenebrous Tentacles (Blast). I think the text in the Intrepid Informer is wrong, and it's made up from Dark Melee, not Dark Miasma. Pretty much anything from Miasma would seem over powered on a Blaster. I also expect to get Dark Obliteration in the primary, as it's more blast and less control.

Regardless, this news has made i21 the best issue ever for me. Even if they removed everything else, I'd be ecstatic.

Sturdy, Rugged, Robust, Harder than a Bag of Laminated Hammers.

I'd asked Zwillinger via PM, about Veteran Badges, soon after the Freedom announcement had been made.

I've never really thought much of the Ghost power thing from Necro, so i've slotted mine with the Def and Res Aura IO's from both the Pet and RI Pet sets. So they've all got and extra 10% def/res, before any additional buffs.

As for the OP, you say you know how to use /Dark effecively, from playing Defenders, I'm curious as to what your general tactics have been so far. There may be something that works for defenders, but isn't necessarily the best option for MM's.

The level 32 upgrade'll give your pets a self-heal, too. At 38, you'll also have Dark Servant to help, so it does get easier. It may just be a rough patch, and you'll be fine again soon after. I've known of Necro/Dark MM's manage fine with things at +4/x8.

The temp Jetpack will cover the shadow shard and an 99% of all vertical movement needed, available from Firebase Zulu and Grandville (If you ever swap sides). Over the years, travel powers have had more and more effective options to allow skipping them, on tight builds.