Computer

What about:

The Maniac's IS High-Recharge Rotation
Incandescent Strike -> Radiant Strike -> Gleaming Blast -> White Dwarf Smite -> Radiant Strike

Time: 8.836
Total Damage: 499.95 / 1499.85 / 1999.8
DPS: 56.58 / 169.74 / 226.324


I've never calculated procs before so I am a little leery about that, but just from the DPS calculations it looks like it would pull ahead slightly. The biggest problem with this (and the reason I added Maniac ) is that to utilize this chain, one has to transform into White Dwarf mode for one attack. Now that the transformation is instant, I believe that this is attainable.

I didn't add any time to take into account going in and out of White Dwarf, mostly because I wasn't sure how to (Perhaps one unit of Arcana Time?). What do you think? Is about 40% more recharge (not factoring transformation time) too much to ask? Could this be a viable attack chain?

Because it is the perfect set-up for farming.

Fire damage doesn't typically come with a debilitating secondary effect
You won't have to deal with Electricity's energy drain, Sonic's -resistance, Radiation's -defense, Energy's knockback, etc.

Fire Armor was designed to be offensively strong, at the cost of defense
Fire Armor still retains enough resistance towards fire, that it can cap resistance towards that type. It doesn't matter if you're weak to smashing if the enemies have none.

Personally I do both Fire Farms on my Fire Armor toons, as well as Smashing/Lethal farms on my Shield characters. There is nothing stopping anyone from farming energy damage heavy mobs (certainly doable), it just isn't as perfect a set-up as Fire Armor+Fire Mobs is.

This effect has been recently fixed. Dead Targets no longer stop powers like Ion or Transfusion from spawning.

I'm currently leveling a Titan Weapons/Fiery Aura Brute to get a feel for TW and while I can't say I loathe Momentum, it does at times get annoying.

The way I'd change it is:

• Reduce the amount of time Momentum stays on you.

This could be something like [Animation time + 1.5 seconds]. That way if you swing your sword, you have a 1.5 second chunk of time where you can use another TW attack and get Momentum boosted animation time.

• Remove the automatic downtime of Momentum.

This means that if you keep attacking using TW attacks (except Follow Through or Whirling Smash), you'll never drop out of Momentum boosted animation times.

• Using any power other than a TW power will automatically drop you out of Momentum.

Pretty self-explanatory. While I am swinging my blade/club/sign the momentum stays, but if I stop to use Healing Flames I lose Momentum and am forced to build it back again.

• Follow Through and Whirling Smash would 'use' Momentum.

These two powers require Momentum in order to be used. Right now it is just an 'on-off' mechanic, but in this version these powers can only be used in Momentum and then consume the Momentum when used so your next TW attack is forced to build it back again.


To reiterate, I'd find these mechanics to be a bit more enjoyable, but overall I'm not put-off by Momentum enough to drop the character.

This will depend on what you are going for with your build (Incarnate powers can change the slotting needs as well). I can tell you what I generally use in my builds though.

Stone Skin:
Aegis (Resist)
Aegis (Resist/End)

Rooted:
Panacea (Heal/End)
Panacea (End/Rech)
Panacea (Heal/Rech)
Panacea (Heal/End/Rech)
Panacea (Heal)

Rooted:
Panacea (Heal/End)
Panacea (End/Rech)
Panacea (Heal/Rech)
Panacea (Heal/End/Rech)
Panacea (Heal)

Mud Pots:
Multi-Strike (Acc/Dam/End)
Scirocco's Dervish (Acc/Dam/End)
Obliteration (Acc/Dam/End/Rech)

Tough:
Ribosome Exposure (End/Resist)
Steadfast Protection (Resist/+3% Def)

Weave:
Shield Wall (Def/End)
Shield Wall (End/Rech)
Shield Wall (Def)
Luck of the Gambler (Def/+7.5% Rech)

Note: Some of these are not for the faint of wallet.

Now that you mention it, I am 99% sure the obelisks in the CoP trial are also immune.

Well the Crates/Containers in the Lambda iTrial are not affected by Dimension Shift. That leads me to believe there is some type magnitude system in place. Unless perhaps some things are just tagged to be immune to phase?

To be honest all I can remember are the Lambda objects, since I have been farming the iTrials lately.

I think that the Pylons and Portals in the LGTF are also resistant, but it has been a while since I've done one.

I'm not sure what you mean. The magnitude of the phase is strong enough to overcome the mob surrounding the object, but not strong enough to phase the object. It works not because I'm missing the object, but because it has sufficient protection against DS. You just need to know which objects you can and cannot phase.

Perhaps if I grab my four Dimension Shift loving friends and we all link arms? I'm sure we can make a large enough barrier with our space warping abilities.

In seriousness though, I'll be sad to see the current form of Dimension Shift go. That’s not to say I won't find use out of its new form (obviously PvE only), but that I have gotten fond of its current form and its Bag O' Tricks style usage.

If you would Arbiter Hawk, could you make the new location based power able to be permanent and stay the same magnitude? At least then I will still be able to Phase enemies around Crates/Containers while safely blasting away at the Crate/Container itself.

I think adding a fifth power would be a great idea. They could make it a PBAoE Toggle power that taunts and fears enemies around you.


...I'll be honest I just want a taunt aura for my non-Brutes/Tanks/odd Scrappers.

I'd rather they make the power better* instead of changing it to a different effect. Improving its use as a cage power (granting total -regen when an enemy is caged) and giving it more usage would do wonders for the power. An idea that I like about the single target cages, is to make it a buff when ally targetted.

*Read as: ...improve the game engine to allow for the creation of a better power...

The developers have been known to contradict themselves before. I'm not convinced holding out hope is useless, especially considering how easily they gave up Poison.

That's a great outlook on life.

There were also threads which discussed the reasons that the developer's stated why they did not want to port over Poison, and why those reasons were faulty. When you state your opinions it gives people a chance to jump on any faulty logic you provide (Currently, see Peacebringers and their Solar Flare issues). This can be done though positive calculations and debate (I personally see a lot of this from our community) or through jabs and negative comments. Both occur from our community, and both will continue to occur whether the developers state their opinions or not (see this thread for example). You can't make everyone happy. Is that a good reason why they shouldn't try something that could be viewed (and most likely will be by a few) negatively?

Did you link to the wrong post? I don't see anything about not wanting Dark Control, just a less then stellar personal opinion of a set and a desire for more information about Illusion Control (Which, personally I'd like too).

Also, even if we get people who whine about new and free things being added (Note: the definition for whine does not cover justified criticisms) I'd like to think that they do not represent us players on the whole.


If you are willing to 'connect the dots' and explain what Synapse is explicitly saying, go right ahead. If the whole point about his comments was the punch line "Illusion will not be ported" why didn't he say just that (remember that you are equivocating both statements)?

As a counter example, the developers have also stated that Power Boost is incredibly hard to balance. I believe Castle even said if he could, he'd go back and get rid of the powers altogether. Since then, we've been given more things with +special such as Earth Assault and Clarion, which is apparently something the developers get nightmares from. Dark Assault is also getting a +special effect.

Good thing people can be civil and happy while also not satisfied. I can happily play my Gravity Controller while simultaneously not be satisfied by his control options. I've added to discussions about this subject on the forums and over time many people have come up with great ideas how to combat this unsatisfying situation. Sure a few people come running in to scream "Gravity Sucks," but they are the minority.

(Emphasis mine) This. A Zillion times this.

The hardest part is waiting and wondering while people fight over why we are waiting.

I personally believe it is because the developers think (incorrectly, on my opinion) it will be overpowered because of the example Controllers have set with it.

It would be great if they gave us a check list of all the remaining power sets that need to be proliferated with their thoughts behind them. (I'm waiting for Empathy for my Masterminds myself.)

Could a DM/Shield Scrapper do it?

1) If they built for high DDR and a few extra defense points, then death isn't too much of a threat. I believe a DM/Invuln put out enough damage to do it, so I'd assume this more offensive combination could also.

2) DM/Shields can solo AVs (Do they put out enough damage without targets for saturation? I don't know.), but I don't know if they can solo GMs the same way. If we are counting incarnates however, I don't see why they couldn't.

3) They would be pretty good at combating +4/x8. They wouldn't have Footstomp, but Perma-Soul Drain and AAO fueled Shield Charge, Spring Attack, and and Epic AoE certainly isn't shabby.


I don't have a DM/Shield myself, but on paper it looks like it could accomplish his goals.

This argument can really be used by either side. I for one am having a blast now that knockback doesn't ruin my enjoyment of the game.


Even considering that, I agree it should be fixed as soon as possible. Maintaining the 'status quo' of unenjoyable play that people opted into is better than thrusting a different group into unenjoyable play against their wishes.

I have always...disliked...this argument. It assumes that any situation that arises wherein it would be beneficial to use Hibernation often* is just bad playing on the player's part. That is just plain not true, especially for a defense set that relies on the Random Number Generator to survive. I don't see how <insert any AV/GV/EB/Etc.> getting lucky with their hard hitting attacks makes me a bad player.

*Typically based on the personal preferences of the poster.