CannonballJack

Titan Industries might be a fit for you. It's a redside supergroup organized like a corporation, specifically an "acquisitions and problem-solving firm." Basically it's a mercenary outfit with nice furniture. Many of the members have backgrounds that sound similar to your character's, but we also have the occasional information broker, psychic gangster, arms dealer, or technomagical entrepreneur. There are weekly team nights (Wednesdays starting at 9:30 Eastern) for missions and RP, and other unscheduled activity is reasonably common throughout the week.

I've been a member for close to a year, and it's a fun group, both in and out of character. The characters I have in Titan are rogues, and it generally feels like a good fit - the company is ruthless but not malevolent, and we have a strict policy against destroying the world. After all, that's where we keep our stuff.

You can find more information at the website, or you can contact an officer in-game. (@Andy, @Anhedonia1, @Kalen, or @T-Pill) The officers conduct an IC interview before hiring a new member.

It's not necroing if it's been less than a month, right?

I have a rad/traps corr that I just got to 50, so if you still need a review, Enantiodromos, I can give you a mixed one. On the one hand, Electron Haze does not make the set synergy awkward - you could easily skp it and still have enough AOE with Irradiate, Neutron Bomb, and Trip Mine. (I took EH but find myself using it only rarely.) On the other, my experience doesn't closely resemble these:

What about the Midnight Club? It has limitations - it's magic-oriented and you have to hit a certain level and run an arc to get in - but it has great atmosphere, it's legitimately co-op, and even on ITF week, it's not really that crowded. The tea-and-books feel couldn't be more different from the vodka-and-techno feel of the D. Somebody could use it to hold a symposium on arcane threats, for instance.

I love my ice/storm. If you want a parade ruined, he's your guy.

I'll second what everybody else says, though - Storm's flexible. Try it with AR, try it with Sonic, whatever. I'd be a little reluctant to use it with any set with a quality PBAoE, since Storm's so good at keeping enemies at range, and Hurricane is kind of at cross purposes with, say, Irradiate. This would rule out elec/storm, though, so take it with a grain of salt.

I can’t claim to be an expert here, since my WM/DA brute hit 45 just last night, and even running at only +1x3, I get to use Soul Transfer a lot. Hopefully you’ll be able to do somewhat better.

For War Mace, I took everything but Pulverize and Whirling Mace. Bash, Jawbreaker, and Clobber give you pretty solid single-target damage early on, and Crowd Control is so good that I don’t feel an AoE shortage (especially with Death Shroud running). War Mace is fantastic, effective, and makes a satisfying crunching noise when you smash enemies to goo. I can’t recommend it enough.

I actually took all of the powers in Dark Armor. Having both Cloak of Fear and Oppressive Gloom is redundant, but I took them both to try them in different situations. So far, Cloak of Fear seems to be better at neutralizing groups, since not only are minions attacking much less often, but everybody in melee range has an accuracy penalty. It definitely needs four or five slots to work properly, though.

Oppressive Gloom is fantastic for single hard targets, since, like Finduilas mentioned, it stacks with Clobber to let you stun anything without purple triangles. It works adequately on groups of minions, but they’re prone to drunk-walking away, recovering, and getting some free shots on you. It also takes longer to mop up a spawn, since they scatter slowly.

Soul Transfer is definitely optional, but it can be a lot of fun. The downside is that the stun lasts almost exactly as long as it takes to reactivate all of your three hundred toggles, so you have to decide whether to take down a single hard target or turtle up for a rematch. The good thing about Oppressive Gloom and Soul Transfer is that they’re good with only one slot each.

I would consider Cloak of Darkness a very good buy. It gives the same defense as Weave for lower endurance cost, and also grants perception, stealth, and immob resistance. At a minimum, it’s a set mule for LotG. You can turn off the most irritating aspect of CoD in the costume designer (no fade/pulse effects), and the stealth thing is a non-issue. Just leave Death Shroud on, and they’ll know you’re there soon enough.

If you’re dead-set against CoF and OG, you might want to consider a different defense set. Dark Armor is a little on the squishy side, and depends on a mix of resistance, self-healing, and AoE control. Knock one leg off that stool and it falls over. The control auras are what makes it unique and special, so if they’re not your thing, you may want to consider just going with Invuln or WP with a custom color job and a specific costume aura.

If you go with Dark Armor, remember that it doesn’t come with knockback protection. I four-slotted Jawbreaker with Kinetic Crash early on for the –KB, but I don’t recommend it, since it makes the power much more irritating. (The higher you knock them, the longer they’re out of reach, and the further they can drift when falling.) Eventually, you’ll want the –KB enhancements from Karma, Steadfast Protection, or Blessing of the Zephyr. I think none of those are unique, so you can probably mix-and-match with whatever slots you have available. I believe three of them are optimal, since a lot of enemies do 10 points in knockback. I also second Valorin’s advice on the Theft of Essence proc, although, personally, I just bought the damned thing with merits. The market may have become slightly less awful since then.

[ QUOTE ]
Dude, get a job...or a hobby maybe.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not entirely sure what to think of someone saying this on an online forum for discussing a computer game. Thank you, and good luck on badge #271?

Arrr, Matey: A Guide to Pirates

Introduction:

Pirates! They board the ship of the imagination with cutlasses flashing and swashes buckled. But who are they and why do they matter? Piracy is basically nothing but theft with more water involved (or, lately, CDs), but pirates themselves are just special. They represent a freewheeling, adventurous life where the right sort of scoundrel can be a hero and a villain at the same time. They are courage and cunning in equal measures. They have their own fashion, their own language, and their own genre. This humble guide is an attempt to teach basic piratology to both aspiring pirates and to those who need to share pickup groups with them.


Identifying Pirates:

Pirates stand out in a crowd - even in a crowd of pirates. Many prefer to wear slightly archaic clothing, two or three centuries out of date, with ruffled sleeves and frock coats. Missing eyes and limbs are common, and the prosthetics they use (if any) tend to be archaic as well, being limited to eyepatches, peg legs, and the like. Male pirates will often have elaborate facial hair, and both sexes love their jewelry. Pirates are often found with parrots or monkeys.

Many of these characteristics are shared with other groups, however. The seasoned observer will know a pirate on sight, but it is possible to get them confused. Here are some common mistakes:

Someone with lace sleeves and...
...an eyepatch: Pirate
...Aerosmith: Steven Tyler

Someone whose missing hand has been replaced with...
...a simple metal hook: Pirate
...a cartoonishly-oversized steel weapon: Freakshow

Someone accompanied by a...
...foulmouthed parrot: Pirate
...hairless cat: Dr. Evil

All clear? Good.

Dealing with Pirates:

Although entertaining, pirates can also be dangerous. They are professional criminals, after all, and face imprisonment or execution if caught. Consider the possibility that they may not have replaced a hand with a sharpened hook as a fashion statement. When dealing with pirates, it is best to avoid insulting them, turning one's back on them, or, essentially, dealing with them. Stories that pirates are kind to orphans or bound to maintain a truce while negotiating cannot be confirmed at this time.

Speaking with Pirates Anyway:

Well, you have been warned. Perhaps the most charming feature of pirates is their utterly memorable manner of speech. The following notes give instructions on how to imitate piratical communication, but may also be helpful in deciphering it.

The Pirate Accent:

Much of the distinctive voice of the pirate is a simple matter of pronouncing words differently. Some gentle mangling of grammar also goes a long way. Fortunately, you will be typing this, and therefore won't need to attempt the "drunken Scotsman with mild brain hemorrhage" voice. You just need to make a few minor substitutions:

am = be
for = fer
is = be
it's = 'tis
my = me
of = o'
the = th'
to = t'
was = were
you = ye
your = yer

[Caution: Do not replace "I" with "me" or speak in the third person, unless you are an orcish pirate.]

Also take the "g" off verbs ending in "-ing" ("plundering" becomes "plunderin'," but "king" and "string" don't change). Just by following these simple rules, you can turn ordinary English into semiconvincing piratical argot.

Example: "I am going to the store." becomes "I be goin' t' th' store."

Basic Vocabulary:

Pirates have their own colorful language, which could fill a rum-stained dictionary. Knowing just a few of their more common words and phrases will usually suffice for understanding them or (for the daring) communicating with them.

Aft: Toward the rear of the ship; back, behind you.
Ahoy: Hello.
Avast: General interjection, analogous to "Hey!" or "Stop!" Always shouted.
Aye: Yes.
Aye aye: Yes, sir.
Beauty: A woman. Usage example: "Ahoy, me beauty!"
Bilge rat: A rat from the lowest, dankest, dampest part of the ship. Can be used as a term of endearment.
Booty: Treasure; loot.
Brig: Prison or the shipboard equivalent.
Cap'n: Captain.
Davy Jones' locker: The bottom of the sea.
Fore: Toward the front of the ship; forward, ahead.
Grog: Rum and water. Can be used for alcohol in general.
Grub: Food.
Handsomely: Quickly.
Hearty: As a noun, a term of address for a crew member. Captains can address their crew as "me hearties," when in a good mood.
I am disinclined to acquiese to your request: No.
Jack Ketch: The hangman. Many pirates end their careers by a dance with Jack Ketch.
Keelhaul: Drag under the ship as a punishment. Unpleasant, debilitating, and possibly fatal.
Lad: A boy or young man.
Lass, lassie: A girl or young woman.
Landlubber: Land-lover; a non-sailor.
Lubber: Short for landlubber, above.
Matey: Term of address, analogous to "buddy."
No quarter: Take no prisoners. Usually shouted.
Old salt: An experienced sailor.
Poop deck: Not what you think.
Port: Left (when facing toward the fore of a ship).
Poxed, poxy: Diseased.
Savvy: Understand. As a question ("Savvy?") the implied meaning is "Do you understand?"
Scurvy (noun): A disease (vitamin deficiency) common to sailors, involving tooth loss among other things.
Scurvy (adjective): Derogatory adjective; e.g., "scurvy dog."
Sea dog: An experienced sailor.
Smartly: Quickly.
Starboard: Right (when facing toward the fore of a ship).
Swab: Clean; "swabbing the decks" is the standard pirate chore, although it's preferable to a keelhauling. You can call a sailor a "swab" or "swabby."
Swag: Treasure; loot.
Weigh anchor: Haul up the anchor; leave.
Wench: A woman. May not earn as many friends as "beauty," above.

Enterprising pirates can research 18th-century nautical terminology, but risk becoming comprehensible only to each other.

Sample Interjections:

Consider peppering your speech with a few of these phrases. They can be used to express surprise, triumph, dismay, indigestion, lust, or any other strong emotion, but they can also be used for no reason at all.

Arrr! (This can replace approximately 60% of landlubber speech.)
...and a bottle of rum!
By Blackbeard's sword!
Damn yer eyes!
Fire the cannons!
Pass the grog!
Shiver me timbers!
Walk the plank!
Yarrr!
Yo ho ho!

Poetic License:

Pirates can convey a great deal of information with a properly emotional "Arrr!" Like the Hawai'ian "aloha," it can mean many things: Yes, no, don't move, drop your weapons, pass the grog, and so on. On the other hand, pirates are perfectly happy to expand simple declarations into Shakespearean soliloquies, especially when drunk, which is to say that it is a frequent occurrence. Pirates can gain style points by describing their very ordinary mayhem with flowery nautical metaphors and poetic allusions. It is best to be careful when attempting this, however. When adjusting grammar, one small misstep is all it takes to go from Blackbeard to Yoda.

Advanced Examples:

Using a combination of the four techniques above can transform ordinary, humdrum English into the kind of barely-comprehensible piratical gabble that will delight a theoretical portion of your audience. Observe the astonishing results.

"It's the cops! Run!" becomes "Weigh anchor, me hearties, or 'tis a dance with Jack Ketch fer ye all!"

"Got any change?" becomes "Arrr, ye poxy bilge rat, surrender yer swag smartly unless ye be hungry fer th' taste o' steel!"

"That was a close one." becomes "Luck be a saucy wench, by Blackbeard's sword, but she'll not be wearin' me guts fer garters this day!"

"Pardon me, but would you mind moving your bag so that another passenger could sit?" becomes "NO QUARTER!"

Actually Talking Like a Pirate:

Like over a Teamspeak server? Maybe you should leave that to Johnny Depp.

Final Notes:

No guide can be exhaustive in describing the life piratical. I made extensive use of outside sources, and recommend them as a starting point for those inspired to do further research:

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html
http://www.io.com/%7Esj/PirateTalk.html
http://www.wikipedia.org/

This guide made me a better person, which I had previously assumed impossible. Please keep up the good work.