CB_GB

There's a precedent for this in Middle-Earth Play-by-Mail, a turn-based game that began in the days before email. Begun by one company in America and another in the U.K., the game began to flag until it was reborn through purchase by a small group in Wales.

They run it with a lot of heart and have expanded the game, but they have only the rights to administer it, not to alter the game code, so they've proposed a player-purchase of the code rights. Given the limited overlap with LoRO, it may happen. I wonder if that could be so here?

This is extremely helpful as a rough target, along with the linked guide. Thanks.

But isn't six-slotting Hasten a cheap way to boost your Recharge - far cheaper than even the least-popular Sets?

Given the ED Math, Each of the 4th to 6th Recharges in Hasten offers about 6% more recharge (with a level 50 IO).

Yes, that takes a slot, but most Perma-builds add additional slots in places we otherwise would not. The OP in this thread 6-slots Health, and the sample guide linked above 6-slots a resistance shield, for instance, to get roughly the same recharge you gain from one slot of Hasten, no? What am I missing in the math?

Yes, well said. If that means

If that's so, and if Sonic as a primary is off the list, I can narrow it down to Dark, Traps, or Rad. Storm sounds fun, but I think it's better suited to a more experienced player. Rad is new to me as a primary and Traps is new altogether, both pluses. I've played Dark on an MM, but then again, I sure enjoyed it and never took him past his 20s (I just found a Dominator a better match for me). Now Dark is again tempting here.


For any of those, I'll probably pair with /Sonic, especially given Kelenar's observation about Rad:


Any thoughts on how Dark/Sonic, Traps/Sonic, and Rad/Sonic would play differently?

but this part may not suit my solo jaunts:
I've read elsewhere that Dark/ and /Dark pair nicely with other powersets. Suggestions?


And this description of Storm/Sonic is also appealing,
but I'm wary of Storm's knockback as a beginning Defender:
plus I might enjoy being able to offer a bit more in healing, though it needn't be much. Maybe another pairing with Sonic?

I love my Ill/Rad controller. He can do a little of a lot of things: a little aggro control, a little buffing, a little healing, a little damage. Similarly, I also love my Mind/Fire Dom for his range of tactics. I use different powers depending on my enemies and the needs of my team.

There must be options for that with a Defender. Suggestions for a newcomer?

That's exactly right. The other drawback is lack of a buff from Fire. And though Mind and Fire compliment each other well in terms of resistance, for the power boost sought by the OP - he asked right away about recharge - Energy (or Cold) may be a better secondary.


Silas' views on these powers are the same as mine,

with these exceptions:

- Confuse is a terrific power, even early on. With it, you can now easily control three mobs at once, and with a bit of juggling, four. And that's without any AoE controls.

You're in great shape even at early levels, and once you reach Terrify, which has a a near full-view radius and a good hit rate, you're one tough Villain.

- Total Domination is skippable if you're tight on slots and want another power. Six slotted - recharge, accuracy, and hold, it's fine, but it trails your other options.

- Telekinesis is much more than a gimmicky hold. I never, ever regret having it, though it comes alive only after you get Stamina; it may be worth delaying until then. In return, it offers an AoE hold that always hits. It's been a life-saver, and team-saver, more often that I can recall.

- Mass Hypnosis is a great solo power, as mentioned, but it's also a good teaming power when you're with a group that risks accidentally drawing a second group. It's group-wipe insurance.

There's a real difference between a rez that can bring you up fighting in the middle of a raging battle, and one applicable only at the fringe of a thinning fight. I don't die often, but I've sure been grateful more than once when Resurrected.

But folks here don't seem to mind wakies, and that's good to know.


As I said in my original post and above, both are nice, but I have room for one at 30 and the other not until 49 if at all.

Since I've been asked dozens of times for a rez, and never for -regen, I expected Mutation to be a hands-down team favorite. It didn't even occur to me that some might prefer LR until Local weighed the tradeoffs after his excellent ill/rad guide .

This week, I respec with a team-oriented build and thought I'd ask folks in the Forums which of these they prefer. I'm glad I did: my own preference (I'd rather have a teammate rez me than offer a situationally specific debuff) seems to have biased my expectations.

Not at all.

In this thread, I'm not trying to rank the various Radiation powers, but rather I'm asking whether you would prefer to have a teammate with an in-combat rez or a debuff useful in particular situations. It's a fair choice.

While they're both useful, I wouldn't choose them over the other powers I can get between. I'll get one at 30, and the other not until 49 or at all. That's a significant stretch, especially with SSK teaming becoming so popular.

I've had teams ask me for a rez, and I've had to decline, as I took LR. Now I'm planning a new build and wanted to see which people valued more in a teammate.

Sure. It's a question about the relief of an in-combat rez, whether from Mutation or Howling Twilight or Resurrect.


As I mentioned in my original post, LR has made the key difference in several AV fights, but I agree that Enervating Field is far more useful (in any fight, not just for AV's). There's no question that I'll keep EF.

I appreciate that some players have gotten good use of Fallout, which is too situation-specific for me. I know what works for me - I'd never skip Radiant Aura or EM Pulse as others have here. If Fallout works for you, I respect that.

What I don't know is how the teammates who wished for an in-combat rez would value it against an AV-oriented debuff. I'm surprised to see the calls for LR, but I'm glad to know it before I rebuild.

Yes, I listed in my above post as a good option.

My main question is whether or not that really acts as a replacement for Fly. Will my villain spend his days kicking his sputtering, smoke-belching pack while other villains gleefully float around him?

I still see lots of characters with Fly, and I wonder if that's for the extra speed, or because the pack can run out at inconvenient times? 10,000 Inf every now and then seems a small cost to pay for a whole 'nother power, or two.

Does anyone use a Rocket Pack as their main travel power?

One if I'm lucky. Zero is probably a safer bet.

I'm consistent about selling to the market, but I'm neither an ebillionaire nor a vet with a posse of toons at 50. I really won't be stocking up on LotG +recharge. I won't have Perma.

Does Leadership then lose much of its value for this build? I'd gladly use the slots for other powers.


It's extremely appealing to have an extra slot - or two if I skipped travel powers altogether. Is it really possible to get by with just Jet Packs, or will I be kicking myself at level 30?

For me, SS is as bad as people imagine. Redside maps are very, very unforgiving to newcomers finding their way around on the ground. Fly is the best match for me while I'm learning the layout, so the question is, "Can I simulate that with a Rocket Pack, or will I be the kid on a Big Wheel while the rest of my team screams by on Green Machines?"



At 27, I'll fill up with level 30 standard IO's. Then I'll gradually replace them as I can afford sets. I won't have Perma, which I can appreciate more than I can afford.

That's how I felt in planning my ill/rad controller, but I've found Superior Invis to be terrific. Maybe with a Dom I won't feel the need to sneak as much.

I can see that being useful. Thanks, too, for suggesting moving up Hurdle.

Sounds like the main difference is the acc/dam boost of Soul Drain? Mu Mastery is more for Endurance?

That was the issue for me, thanks. I wonder if I could now get the reward, after training, by running it again?

Since Contacts treat you as your combat level, I didn't expect the rewards to be dependent on training.



On the general topic of this Thread, it's worth recommending that newcomers either get their pack in Grandville or pick Fly as a travel power. The alternative methods require specific steps that are easier to follow if you've already done them once, or are going with someone who knows.

The Villain side requires more knowledge from experience and a great deal more vertical travel than on early Hero side maps. Movement within zones is harder - there are more dead-ends, more barrier walls, elevators, and fortresses - and travel between zones is fragmented by multiple (unmarked) routes.

Player-shared knowledge is weaker on the Redside, too, which makes it harder to figure out where you're going. The incorrectly listed location for Marshall Bass on ParagonWiki is just one example.

Imagine as a new player trying to figure out where you can go from Atlas Park by looking at this map. The list at the bottom makes it clear both where you can go and how to get there.

Now compare it to the map of Mercy Island from the same site. Where can you go? Beats me.


I'm still having a great time Redside, but getting around is much, much easier once you already know the layout.

Until then, make sure you can Fly.