Cyclone_Jack

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And which, given how limited the scope of this particular instance is, is drawing criticism.

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In all fairness, there are many things that brought criticism but are now in-game. eg: Crafting.

I think TT has a pretty big accomplishment for going on 5 years, and I think some type of recognition would be welcome. To me an in-game plaque would be the most non-intrusive way to commemorate such an event. However, I can see the opposing side and there are many good points made. Bill has even got me to rethink my position on the issue (no surprise, he usually makes good arguments).

I think the real question is: Should there be an in-game commemoration of a player event or accomplishment? If so, what should the requirements be? Do we even want to open this door?

Personally, I think this is something NCNC should look at. They are forerunners in breaking down the barrier between Developer and Community and breaking many of the molds of the MMO design doc so many other games adhere to. I do agree, however, that this needs to be tread upon lightly as this could easily get out of hand. Perhaps they could start with one to two a year and really get the community involved. And, to be honest, I think if the Devs are considering this, then TT would be a good place to start as it does have an extensive history in which the Devs themselves have attended.

What's up Drac? Long time no see.

* Of the olden days, I do miss the early days of HDS. It was a good group of people and working together to take down Hamidon was good fun. Some of my best times were Nov 04 - Mar 05.
* I enjoyed fighting Hamidon and multiple Kronos Titans and other GMs as people tried to cause a wipe, yet we would pull through. The drama that ensued was fun too.
* I loved when my F/F Blaster destroyed 1/4 of Crey's Folly after a S/S Tanker herded them all up. I also loved when WW was using Earth Control to Hold said enemies making the game pause for 10-20 seconds and making my speakers nearly blow-out.
* I miss high level enemies spawning in low level zones. I remember seeing some L30+ Rikti in Perez Park and thinking that was the coolest thing ever. (yeah, I was such a noob)
* Speaking of Perez Park, I enjoyed the big teams that would hunt Hydra.
* I remember when Issue 2 (iirc) went live and I could finally fly away (flee) from enemies and use an Inspiration without stopping in place.

I think the thing I liked the most was that I chose Liberty as my home server. Best group of people in an MMO to date, even with the drama.

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The difference between TT and RO, to me at least, is that I thought TT was a player run event and RO was just an SG. I've seen both on the forums for years now, but nothing led me to believe that RO was anything more than an SG (or coalition of SGs). I saw Taxibots in-game near launch but they seemed to fade away and then returned for a month or two after the Hollows hit then faded away again. Now, that's not to downplay either RO or Taxibots, that's just my perception of them.

Even more impressive is that TT has happened with zero assistance from NCSoft or NCNC. Both PvPEC and PvEEC (Is there a PvEEC?) were created through the assistance of the community reps and continue with their aid. Same can be said with the City Scoop. Of the two (or three with the PvEEC), only the Scoop is on a set schedule as the PvPEC Events seem to hit on random dates here and there. Again, not to downplay any of these as they have all done great feats for the community.

As I stated before, I've never been to a TT, but the fact that it's happened every month since Oct'04 is very impressive in any MMO's terms.

I like it. I've heard of TT for quite a while, but have never attended. To keep it going for 5 years is indeed an impressive feat. A plaque would, IMO, be a great way for the Devs to commemorate the 1st player run event to hit 5 years (and running).

Sounds good. Its an original and creative power set, and I like it, well other than some of the balance issues. That's what the S&I is good for though, bouncing ideas and concepts, getting feedback and tweaking the idea. I'll be looking for Take Three, unless you just update this thread.

Resistance lowers the duration of the mez, it does not protect the player.

Player X has Mag 8 Stun Protection: they get hit by Mag 3 Stun that lasts 4 seconds, they are not stunned. They get hit by three Mag 3 Stuns that last 4 seconds, it overpowers their protection and they are stunned for 4 seconds.

Player has 100% Stun Resistance: they get hit by a Mag 3 Stun that lasts 4 seconds, they are Stunned for 2 seconds.

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It pretty much explicitly said it would be for getting powers from other ATs.

And for precisely that reason, I say "not a chance in hell".

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This part of the post:

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[invu/SS - Tanker] - subclass - [ Will/SS - Tanker]

or

[Fire/Fire - Blaster] - Subclass - [Energy/Energy - Blaster]

Have the Subclass system work for characters of the same attributes like say if your a blaster you can only subclass to a different set of powers [mind you the system will keep you at the same AT via blaster]

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led me to believe otherwise.

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I thought of this because I wanna focus on my main characters and not make alts and forget all about them. I thought that if we can get a subclass system going that, we can still play our main characters and still be able to try out new classes.

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...So because you can't bring yourself to focus on one character and stop making alts, you think they should add a system that just lets you go from "tanker mode" to "blaster mode"?

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Actually, it reads to me that you can choose new powersets from the same AT only. So a Tanker could choose other Tanker sets and a Blaster could choose other Blaster sets.

While an interesting concept, the amount of balance work on this would be tremendous. Stacking Def/Res, Build up and Aim, Mastermind primaries, etc. All of that would need to be balanced and each set would need to be tweaked. I can't imagine a Stone Armor/Ice Armor/Fire Melee Tank, an Ice Blast/Ice Manip/Energy Manip Blaster or a Broadsword/Regen/Willpower Scrapper.

On the other hand, if what the OP is suggesting is to allow crossover powersets, then you'd have an entirely different ball of wax to mold and balance. Dark Blast/Dark Melee/Dark Armor, Stone Melee/Stone Armor/Earth Control, Fire Blast/Energy Manip/Regen.

Either way, lots of balancing would be required. Probably why we never hear anything more on Incarnates.

Ah, the memories. Good job, Positron. I wonder what the current Character Creation process would be like back in '87.

Is there a Translucency option in case we wish to expand upon the Shadow Shard Reflections?

"Touch my awesome button." I gotta try that one with the ladies. <_<

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And it's not just dialog trees that are going to look at badges, and it’s not just crafting badges that will be looked at, so you guys can speculate away!

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This could be nice if it adds different dialog options to enemies (end of mission bosses, AVs, etc) depending on which badges a character has. "You may have defeated me last time <player>, but it is I who shall emerge victorious today!" "You have proven to be a thorn in my side, today is the day Crey rids the world of <player>!" Could be interesting if SG Badges are also looked at, throwing up your SG's name in the dialog boxes and encounters (though I don't know of many SG Badges that have enough meaning to affect anything...unless they add in SG defeat Badges...).

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Abiding Badge: 50% discount on all tailor sessions: Start out your new characters in style!

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Not bad, though I still have 60 free tailor sessions on my main, and I've already gone through a number of changes.

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City Traveler Badge: Hit the ground running… this badge unlocks access to the following Power Pools at level 6, so players can access Tier 1, 2, or 3 powers early on.
(1) Additional Character Slot: This reward is granted annually to each player that has been part of our Veteran Rewards Program. Months: 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 should all reflect this value.
5 Merit Rewards

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The free character slot is nice, and I'll have to admit getting a Travel Power at L6 would make things a little easier. For most of my Fliers this would free up a power choice, though no extra Enh slots. Interesting.

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not everything is a nemesis plot....

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Indeed...or so Nemesis would like you to believe...

Broken Task Forces...Nemesis.
Portal Corp...Nemesis.
Sappers...Nemesis.
Badges...Nemesis.
Capes...Nemesis.
Rularuu Invasion...Nemesis.
Council...Nemesis.
Regen nerf...Nemesis.
Winter Lords...Nemesis.
Regen nerf...Nemesis.
PvP...Nemesis.
Regen nerf...Nemesis.
ED...Nemesis.
Regen nerf...Nemesis.
GDR...Nemesis.
Regen nerf...Nemesis.
Inventions...Nemesis.
Rikti Invasion...Nemesis.
Time Travel...Nemesis.
Powerset Proliferation...Nemesis.
Issue 13 delay...Nemesis.
Regen nerf...Nemesis.

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great architectural endeavors, taking on a life of its own (really, we mean it!)

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You heard it here first, transforming buildings!!! <_<

Awesome! Sounds like you're getting things lined up for some major announcements 'soon' (tm).

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Thanks for a long and well-considered reply, Jack. For what it's worth, I think you should go ahead and release a preliminary version of your new guide, give yourself a week to be unhappy over it, and then give in to your perfectionistic side and redo it! Spoil us!

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Well, I'm missing a few things on the Secondaries pertaining to IOs, and I, uh, need to trim it down a bit. I think it's somewhere around 40 pages, though there are a few blank pages scattered throughout for easy to see breaks when scrolling, so it's probably more like 35 pages. I'm thinking it has too much information.

As for going Stamina, I can fully understand. Running without Stamina is tough, especially when running on big teams that don't stop. I'm sure Castle curses the original designers at least once a week for making the Fitness Pool. It is a powerful tool that has almost become a requirement in builds, keeping up with the Jones' and all.

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Sprint is not slotted because this is a Hover/Fly character. Her feet only touch the ground when she is first loaded up and when she is mezzed.

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...and when using Ice Patch...

Its a good build, I think you'll enjoy it. A good concept character that is also fully functional.

Cyclone Jack

Thanks for the comments.

It seems each time I get ready to look at my guide I get pulled in opposite directions. I've thought of just posting it in its unfinished form, but each time I do that I realize how much the game has changed (mainly with IOs) and how much I have learned from these changes that I feel the need to fix and elaborate on what I have typed up. This, inevitably causes me to push back and work on the guide more. It is an endless process of frustration.

As for concept characters, I find that they are usually the characters that I have more fun with. They add another layer of challenge that keeps the game fresh and fun. O-Yuki sounds like an interesting character, to be sure. And if you think you are long winded, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

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...which of the two following builds would you Ice/Ice experts out there recommend? Build 1 has no Stamina (!!!) and gets by on lots of +Recovery and +MaxEnd slotting. Build 2 gives up Aim and Build Up (!!!) for Stamina but has significantly reduced endurance woes.

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This is something only you can answer, and it relies completely on your play style. However, with things like Frozen Aura, Ice Patch, Shiver, Chilblain, etc, you can eliminate a number of adversaries and slow the place of the combat down enough to where your innate recovery, combined with the Set Bonus recovery, will allow you to keep up with the demand of your powers. When teamed, you can just keep your pace since you have a number of teammates who will also be aiding in combat. The only time you may miss Stamina is after Blizzard. Then again, End Redux and CaBs will alleviate most of that. Another awesome thing about Ice/Ice is that we have enough Holds to lock a Boss in mid fight and take a knee (Rest) if we are getting low on Endurance.

My only concern with a Stamina-less build is with certain villain groups throughout your career. Why is this important? The mid-game pits you against the Freakshow quite often and you run into your fair share of Warwolves. Granted, Warwolves suck for just about anybody, Freakshow are you bane. They have a 30% Resistance to Cold Damage, do End Drain with their Electric attacks, and can Self-Rez. On top of that, you don't have your powers fully slotted, nor do you have all the utilities from your Secondary. In the end-game, you have things like Malta Sappers and Carnies' Mask of Vitiation, which affect everyone, but with a bit less Recovery it may hinder your retaliation. My last concern is with Malta Titans, which have a 60%(!) Resistance to Cold and 30% Resistance to Smashing, and they cannot be Slept (robot). Still, with a clever use of Ice Patch and getting them to the Slow cap, you should be able to slow the pace of the combat enough to have some End left over by the end of the fight. This is especially crucial if you are running on Invincible and run into a pair of +3 Zeus Titans!!

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2. Yuki may also choose to use faster AoE combos instead. Single/double sleep --> Shiver (mobs slowed but still asleep) --> Ice Storm (will mobs be able to immediately return fire all at once?) --> Frost Breath --> either Blizzard for a grand ending or ST chains to pick off survivors.

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If the retaliation of attacks is worrisome, and if you have a Catch a Breath, use Blizzard after Shiver. Blizzard has a nice ToHit DeBuff that should minimize the number of attacks hitting you. Then just use a CaB and throw Ice Storm and Frost Breath, if needed, out there. It is also interesting to note that you get the most out of Ice Storm and Blizzard by going: Aim, Build Up, Blizzard, Catch a Breath, Ice Storm.

Options 3-6 are very solid and all work very well. You know the tools of the trade and the time and place for them. Both builds look solid though I would like to offer a few comments, if I may...

In either build, you do not slot Chilblain. Chilblain is, IMO, one of the most underrated powers that we have at our disposal. It does damage equal to Ice Bolt (actually, a bit more, usually, since it is 100% Cold Damage), Immobilizes, Slows, does -Recharge, does -Fly, and recharges in 4 seconds with an 18 second duration, meaning is stacks awfully well with itself, and it can be used while Mezed. It can also lock an AV in place with just 2 quick applications, in most cases. I hated Chilblain in my mid-game, but that is because I didn't slot it and I didn't appreciate what it did. Today, I would consider it one of the best powers in my Secondary and I am thankful that no matter how far back I Exemplar to, I will always have it in my arsenal.

At first glance, I would say Shiver is over slotted. However, I do not have Mid's installed (just did a full OS reinstall recently), so I cannot see what the Bonuses are. Depending on how often you use it, it really only needs an Acc and an End Redux. Though you may want a Recharge if you want to shave off 3 seconds on the recharge.

Only because you didn't slot anything in it, I'd put an End Redux in Sprint. It's an expensive Toggle to run if you are without Stamina. Either that or have it on a hotkey so it can be switched on and off when needed.

Overall, either look to be good builds. I would copy to Test and try either build out for a few missions to see how they perform, without the IOs. Then you can see if playing without Stamina is a cause for concern or not when coupled with your play style.

In the end though, all that matters is that you are having fun!

Cyclone Jack

Custom Missions and Story Arcs. To call that awesome would be like calling Doom a fairly popular FPS back in the day. It would be one massive understatement. I can't wait for this feature. Can I alpha?

Cyclone Jack

I knew the CoX staff had been pretty small for a while, but I never would have guessed 15 as that magic number. What impresses me the most is that these few, very dedicated individuals came out with the best three issues since release (that being I9-I11), all the while having a very healthy interaction with the community. Their dedication is above and beyond any other dev team I have ever run across. So the real question boils down to this: If CoX can create such great content as quickly as they do with only 15 or so people, what's WoWs excuse?

Cyclone Jack

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Subdual – Subdual deals moderate Psionic damage and may leave the targeted foe Immobilized for a brief time. Immobilized foes cannot move but can still attack. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Mind Probe -- Grip the minds of your foe with a Mind Probe. You must be in close proximity to pull off this attack that wrecks havoc on your foes synapses, dealing moderate Psionic Damage while reducing his attack speed. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Telekinetic Thrust – A focused attack or intense mental power that violently sends a nearby foe flying. Deals minimal damage, but can be very effective. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Moderate

Psychic Scream -- This howl of Psionic energy resonates in the minds of all foes within its conical area of effect, inflicting moderate damage. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Slow

Build Up – Greatly boosts your attacks for a few seconds. Slightly increases Accuracy. Recharge: Long

Drain Psyche – You Drain the Psyche of you nearby foes, thus weakening their Hit Point Regeneration and Endurance Recovery and boosting your own. Recharge: Very Long

World of Confusion – This toggle powers allows you to cause psionic damage and cause confusion within a group of foes, creating chaos. The chance of confusing an enemy is lower than then chance of damaging them, and it may take multiple hits to affect stronger opponents. All affected foes within the area will turn and attack each other, ignoring all heroes. You will not receive any Experience Points for foes defeated by Confused enemies. Recharge: Moderate

Scare – You entwine a single foe within his deepest fears and cause him to helplessly tremble for a brief while. Recharge: Medium

Psychic Shockwave – Psychic Shockwave is a devastating Psionic attack that wracks the minds of all nearby foes. Affected foes may have a reduced attack rate and may be left Disoriented. Damage: High Recharge: Slow

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Very interesting. On first glance, I like it.

Subdual, or Subdue, for your standard Immobilize. Two melee attacks, one with KB for a little added mitigation. Psychic Scream is interesting since it is a damaging cone, not something I expected to see on a Secondary, though the range was not stated. Build Up, check. Drain Psyche I expected, but not this early in the set. Is it keeping the Self +Regen? Sounds like it. World of Confusion, a Toggle Confuse. Toggle? I'm guessing Mag2, maybe Mag1 (due to the Toggle nature), with a fairly short duration (5 seconds). Chance to Confuse has to be extremely low, in the 2-3% range, because Ice Slick is 8% IIRC and it hits all the time. Scare, I'm guessing this is melee, ala Touch of Fear? Psychic Shockwave is nice, a good Tier 9 for a decent power set, once the AoE modifier is applied to it of course.

I'm curious to see the numbers on the -Recharge. Initial glance would see it no more powerful than Ice, though I can see the melee attacks having a greater percentage than Ice's. Perhaps a 15-20% versus Ice's 10%. Psychic Scream won't be more than Shiver and Psychic Shochwave may have a greater -Recharge than Chilling Embrace, but CE is a Toggle. In the end the two would seem very comparable. Though my Ice/Ice is jealous of Drain Psyche (I still wish Energy Absorption was in the EPP).

I can see this being a decent melee oriented set and I can see it mixing well with Psi or Sonic. Elec could work well with it as well. Even knowing how enemy resists work with Psi, I think Psi/Psi could still be quite viable. Drain Psyche + the -Recharge + World of Confusion would really help things in that area, and combined with some of Psi's ranged attacks I think it would work out fairly well, though soloing a Psi Resistant Boss would really, really suck.

Overall, two thumbs up.

Cyclone Jack

Not bad Cryptic, but You Tube wins this year's April Fools. (Blizzard had some good ones too)

Cyclone Jack

Very nice. I like the numbers. Look forward to messing with those in-game and seeing how they are expanded upon in the future. Good stuff, though it might make a lot of guides a little less useful.

Cyclone Jack

Interesting. Perhaps my heroes will step foot into Hollows once again. Perhaps...

I do like that it was changed into another hybrid zone, and I like that a few more enemy factions have shows up in certain areas and at certain times. The biggest improvement, IMO, is the reworking of the door placement. That'll make me want to give it a shot again. I look forward to seeing the changes in-game and I will definitely leave feedback once I am able do so.

Cyclone Jack

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The pic looks to me like Lord Recluse, Statesman, Ghost Widow, Scirocco and Positron. For Recluse, States and Positron, the helmets match. Scirocco has the goatee, and GW has the white eyes and a red cape like Recluse and Scirocco. I wonder if we'll run into an 'alternate timeline' thing while in Rome. Seems too much work to be for naught (I think naught is the right word).

Cyclone Jack