Dragonkat

Agree about the story arcs and the writing, the power arcs are what the writing in CoV SHOULD have been from the very start, not basically just slightly more bad guy revamps of the coh writing where you never feel truly like a bad guy. Aka the big reason i never play redside, and love i can take cov AT's into paragon now.

But all the decent writing in the world won't make me go back into that ambush overkill, after i saw the all the arcs I'm pretty much done with Prae.

Slight thread jack so i apologize, but a small question on the challenge deal and end game TF's

What's the real difference between tin mage, where yes it's basically hit 1234repeat on the hotbar to pummel giant bags of hp, and deal with the forced challenge of +4 and super bobcat.

Vs Apex where to me the BM fight is just hit 12dodge34dodge, make the mistake of using any attack that takes more then 2 seconds to animate die.

People say the BM fight takes thinking, but to me it's still just another giant bag of HP with a gimmick that takes longer and is more annoying because of it.

So what exactly is it about apex that people find so fun? To me it's even more tedious then tin mage, which for some reason I find fun, go figure =p

Back on topic though I do wish more TF's were like sewer, but also Eden as well. I've done over this month two edens, gotten my TF commander finally, and last night two back to back ITF's

Eden tromps them hands down. It's actually unique in terms of layout, atmosphere, the timer aspect like the sewer one. The sheer number of mobs and pitfalls that demand a greater level of coordination. Knowing your task when it comes to beating down the walls, making sure everyone has enough ambrosia, and of course the final room which is just an epic amount of DE to clean out, or if you feel insane bum rush the titan and watch the swarm that attacks.

All in all five tons of fun and a trial i wish had it's cap bumped to 50. Beats the pants off a horrible Numina Pug, where the teams idea of working together was "Brute runs ahead and ignores rest of team, squishies mill about or wait behind mobs as the scrapper runs off too, no one works together till brute ports everyone, kill final mobs. Course I think my hate of speed TF's may have had a hand in this.

Same with the ITF's I did last night, auto pilot is an apt term, all i had to do as a blaster was keep targeting, keep firing, and just slog through it all with a steamroller team. The second only had one hairy moment on the 3rd mission when the lone tank decided to go running off from the rest of the team, and I was glad I had devices and purples to play pseudo tank to bunch up mobs for the rest of the team.

His answer? "The canyon kills my puter, I thought it was a speed TF anyway?"

Yeah, anyway, much as I love Tin mage and despise Apex the new TF's don't hold a candle to classic content, enforced +4 ambush waves plus gimmicks aren't challenge, it's dev powergaming against their players, and shows they didn't learn a single lesson about why a lot of players refuse to touch praetoria anymore.

It's totally challenge done wrong.

My own question about Roy Cooling.

Who in the name of all things ambush thought it was a good idea to not only abuse that mechanic in the arc. But then thought it would be a good idea to put as the final ambush an ELITE BLEEPING BLANKITY BLANKING ZEUS TITAN!?!

Yeah, not only a level 50 mob in a level 20 mission, but an EB version too? When that jumped me after blowing all my insps on callisto, and perma held me to death with gas missiles I just sat there for a moment, thought about it, then hit auto complete.

Last time I ever do that worthless arc.

Regarding the going rogue problems too. Would it be fair you think Sam to call Roy cooling everything we hate about praetoria in a single handy arc?

Knowing what I know now as opposed to building old blappers i'd almost go elec for the simple fact that an elec shield is a huge boost when fighting rikti. That and elec is certainly a lot more thematic and fitting with the character. If you're doing a lot of end draining too then static discharge is one more power to help with it performance wise.

Overall I'd say only really consider force if you have the healing pool, PFF is great to hide in to cast aid self, but otherwise it's kinda eh. The other force powers are knockbacks which defeats the whole point of blapping too. That and force of nature and surge of power are virtually the same power numbers wise.

One thing I would shoot for though? Try to get the geas of the kind ones accolade from the badges in croatoa. Pair it with hasten and something like surge of power, and the damage output is flat out scary.

You know I'm trying, but I'm sorry Plainguy I really just can't respect that last post of yours. Or someone who complains about how the pro dev people can't see the faults (which we do) Yet then turns around and so utterly biased against the set to the point of not teaming with it? And saying we should take anything else but dev?

Wee bit insulting, wee bit hypocritical, and five tons of ignorant about what a smart and YES strategic dev blaster can do. and again far off the mark in what is yes a blaster forum, where we debate the merits of the blaster AT, not your fire/traps soloing AV's, great job, want a cookie? News flash, not all of us give a flying flip about performance or dps or whatever inane metric you want to use to somehow imply that dev under performs compared to other sets.

One bit in particular I'd like to single out.

Rather have dark blast first.

But given the lack of secondary vs primary choices a dark manip would rock too.

So I have a bit of an alt stable right now as the redone sig shows.

My two favorite blasters though? My 50 Ice/dev and the 25 energy/dev.

If I had to pick a way of explaining it? It would be because devices let my blasters do what no other set can. Control the battlefield, control aggro, and as Seebs puts it, it's alpha strike dodging damage dealing with trip mine and time bomb. As the archery combo may do approx or greater damage, but you gotta be standing there the whole time taking hits. and toe bombing into the middle of a fight is a huge blast of aoe damage. Trip mine's damage is also on par with all three crashless nukes, lacks the HoB "standing there like an idiot" hit check everyone seems to enjoy complaining about, and is a lot faster in terms of recharge.

Devices isn't for everyone I'll grant that, and I'll grant you the set could use a few improvements starting with time bomb. If I was gonna pick two off the top of my head, make it's setup time a lot less, and make it ignitable like oil slick arrow. Or able to be set off by a trip mine, imagine the toe bombs then! =p

I'd add to that list gun drone activating as fast as FFG too.

Other blaster sets have a few neat tricks like ice slick, boost range and cones, or drain psyche, but most just boil down to more damage.

But with /ice being the exception not one is gonna let me do something like lay caltrops right on the circle spawns during Posi 1 as they storm out of city hall into a kill zone. Or bunch up spawns for aoe carnage. and /ice can't blind mobs to keep close groups from aggroing, not to mention be able with smoke and cloak to single pull mobs out of a spawn (see again battle control)

It's a blaster set that requires a bit of planning and a bit of thinking to fully leverage, and on a steam roller team yeah I'm mostly limited to smoke and caltrops, along with taser to control my own aggro, throw in the odd mid fight trip mine. But by no means it's an underpowered or lacking set to the point where people shouldn't take it. Specially newer players pushed away from it.

It's like a lot of AT or powerset bias and mostly a matter of taste too. I love the set but I'm not gonna jump down someones throat and yell PLAY IT NOW! Just give it a chance, and if you don't like it that's fine, just don't go bashing it senselessly.

I'm sure if I wanted to I could probably min/max this a bit further. But basically I was trying to figure out a way to respec my Ice/Dev to ditch trip mine and time bomb (Not bad so much as too fast moving a character when you build for global regen)

Settled on leadership pool as I've been running a lot of blaster TF's lately (new pet project) and also it was part RP concept of the toon being a team commander.

So with those limitations in place came up with this build here, borrowing from some frankenslot tactics my ice/ice tank uses. More so after I realized Veng could be slotted for heals too.

Non updated mids, so the slots in sprint and rest are inherent heath and stamina. Planned incarnate slot is end / range

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Ice Blast
Secondary Power Set: Devices
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Medicine
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Ice Bolt -- Entrpc-Heal%:35(A), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx:35(7), Entrpc-Acc/Dmg:35(7), Entrpc-Dmg/Rchg:35(9), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(9), Dev'n-Hold%:50(23)
Level 1: Web Grenade -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob:50(A), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx:50(13), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng:50(13), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg:50(15), Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg:50(15)
Level 2: Ice Blast -- Entrpc-Heal%:35(A), Entrpc-Acc/Dmg:35(17), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx:35(17), Entrpc-Dmg/Rchg:35(19), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(19), Dev'n-Hold%:50(31)
Level 4: Caltrops -- P'ngTtl--Rchg%:50(A), ImpSwft-Dam%:30(37)
Level 6: Aim -- RechRdx-I:50(A)
Level 8: Freeze Ray -- BasGaze-Slow%:30(A), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:30(21), BasGaze-Acc/Hold:30(21), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:30(23)
Level 10: Maneuvers -- EndRdx-I:50(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+:25(11), S'dpty-EndRdx:25(11), S'dpty-Def:40(36)
Level 12: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx:50(A), LkGmblr-Def:50(31), S'dpty-Def:40(43), S'dpty-EndRdx:40(46)
Level 14: Super Jump -- Jump-I:50(A)
Level 16: Smoke Grenade -- ToHitDeb-I:50(A)
Level 18: Bitter Ice Blast -- Entrpc-Heal%:35(A), Entrpc-Acc/Dmg:35(25), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx:35(25), Entrpc-Dmg/Rchg:35(27), Entrpc-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:35(27), Dev'n-Hold%:50(37)
Level 20: Cloaking Device -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), LkGmblr-Def:50(34), S'dpty-EndRdx:40(46), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(46)
Level 22: Acrobatics -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 24: Tactics -- EndRdx-I:50(A), EndRdx-I:50(37), ToHit-I:50(40), ToHit-I:50(42)
Level 26: Bitter Freeze Ray -- BasGaze-Slow%:30(A), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:30(29), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold:30(29), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold:30(31)
Level 28: Vengeance -- Numna-Heal:50(A), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg:50(34), S'dpty-Def:40(43), S'dpty-Def/Rchg:40(43)
Level 30: Assault -- EndRdx-I:50(A)
Level 32: Blizzard -- Posi-Dam%:50(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx:50(33), Posi-Acc/Dmg:50(33), Posi-Dmg/Rchg:50(33), Posi-Dmg/Rng:50(34)
Level 35: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(36), RechRdx-I:50(36)
Level 38: Gun Drone -- Dev'n-Hold%:50(A), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg:50(39), RechRdx-I:50(39), RechRdx-I:50(39), Dmg-I:50(40), Dmg-I:50(40)
Level 41: Repulsion Field -- EndRdx-I:50(A), EndRdx-I:50(42), FrcFbk-Rechg%:50(42)
Level 44: Temp Invulnerability -- ResDam-I:50(A), ResDam-I:50(45), EndRdx-I:50(45), EndRdx-I:50(45)
Level 47: Force of Nature -- EndMod-I:50(A), EndMod-I:50(48), RechRdx-I:50(48), RechRdx-I:50(48), ResDam-I:50(50), ResDam-I:50(50)
Level 49: Aid Other -- Numna-Heal:50(A), Numna-Heal/Rchg:50(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(3)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A), Empty(5), Empty(5)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------
Set Bonus Totals:

• 2.5% Defense(Smashing)
• 2.5% Defense(Lethal)
• 5% Defense(Energy)
• 5% Defense(Negative)
• 1.25% Defense(Melee)
• 2.5% Defense(Ranged)
• 6.75% Max End
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 58.8% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• 3% Enhancement(Immobilize)
• MezResist(Confused) 8.25%
• 6.5% (0.11 End/sec) Recovery
• 102% (5.13 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 1.58% Resistance(Fire)
• 1.58% Resistance(Cold)
• 1.88% Resistance(Negative)

------------
Set Bonuses:
Entropic Chaos
(Ice Bolt)

• 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration
• MezResist(Confused) 2.75%
• 2.25% Max End
• 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Enfeebled Operation
(Web Grenade)

• 3% Enhancement(Immobilize)
• 1.88% Resistance(Negative)
• 2.5% Defense(Smashing,Lethal), 1.25% Defense(Melee)
• 3.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Entropic Chaos
(Ice Blast)

• 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration
• MezResist(Confused) 2.75%
• 2.25% Max End
• 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Basilisk's Gaze
(Freeze Ray)

• 2.5% Defense(Energy,Negative), 1.25% Defense(Ranged)
• 2% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Luck of the Gambler
(Maneuvers)

• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Serendipity
(Maneuvers)

• 4% (0.2 HP/sec) Regeneration

Luck of the Gambler
(Combat Jumping)

• 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration

Serendipity
(Combat Jumping)

• 4% (0.2 HP/sec) Regeneration

Entropic Chaos
(Bitter Ice Blast)

• 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration
• MezResist(Confused) 2.75%
• 2.25% Max End
• 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Luck of the Gambler
(Cloaking Device)

• 10% (0.5 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Serendipity
(Cloaking Device)

• 4% (0.2 HP/sec) Regeneration

Basilisk's Gaze
(Bitter Freeze Ray)

• 2.5% Defense(Energy,Negative), 1.25% Defense(Ranged)
• 2% (0.03 End/sec) Recovery
• 7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Numina's Convalescence
(Vengeance)

• 12% (0.6 HP/sec) Regeneration

Serendipity
(Vengeance)

• 4% (0.2 HP/sec) Regeneration

Positron's Blast
(Blizzard)

• 2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
• 1.58% Resistance(Fire,Cold)
• 9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Devastation
(Gun Drone)

• 12% (0.6 HP/sec) Regeneration

Numina's Convalescence
(Aid Other)

• 12% (0.6 HP/sec) Regeneration

*Name: The Royal Society of Philosophical Blastage

*Currently Recruiting: Any and all blasters from 1-50, newbies or vets, though leaning more towards newer players in concept. (see below)

RP Level: RP friendly/light. I have a bad habbit of lasping in and out of character depending on situation or mood, but I love having fun with players that do rp and have a good backstory.

PvP Level: Despise all things PvP, if i go in the zone it's only to try and get a quick temp power.

*Theme/Concept: The concept is more an OOC one then an in game, basically it's a desire to gather like minded fans of the blaster archetype. And delve into the mysteries of inner blasterdom to get the most out of the archetype. Part of my reason for starting the SG is also that downright moronic why a blaster thread from a couple months back, and a desire to show just what a good blaster can do. Above all else though I've hit a point in coh where i've gotten really casual about leveling having seen it all, so I want to try and recruit a crop of newer players, and lend a hand to them the best I can.

*Activity: SG was formed last week, so members are basically just me, my alt stable, and 2 other unique players. Once I get it going though I plan to be big on teaming to help out members, and TF running. If anyone's gotten tells from a blaster named Reanna asking about all blaster TF's, hehe that's me.

Also as a warning, I H.A.T.E Farming, AE babies, and speed TF cheesyness like letting the heroes die in the LGTF. If that's your thing please look elsewhere. If I form a team it's going to be killing everything in it's way 90% of the time. Though in terms of TF's I'm not above stealthing to bosses. But If I am trying to help people level and learn a toon I'd just as soon kill my way there.

Requirements for Membership: Have a blaster, be more interested in how you get to 50 over when you get to 50, don't be a jerk (though I don't mind the odd bit of profanity) Be more interested in a learning through doing style of things rather then staring at MIDS all day. As I have a habit of treating blasters like an art form more then a math exam, hero math and number crunching bores me to tears.

*Leadership: Reanna (me) is SG leader, the alts are too numerous to name, and it's easier to find me through my global anyway.

*In-Game Contact(s): @nikita Kilemal Also global channel RSPB

*Out-of-Game Contact(s): PM me here, or email bobomund@hotmail.com. If you want AIM name i'll give that out in private.

URL: No website as yet, thought i'd get the SG off the ground first =p

Coalition(s): Not an in game one but I've got ties with the legion of freedom as some of my alts are in it. Also recruiting non blaster fans on the side for them.

Other Details: Have a very basic base setup, the main thing is two porters to off the map zones such as Crey's Folly and Astoria, the other set up to go between PI and AP. After all the new monorail system kind of makes porters a bit obsolete. Other then that just asking members to run in SG mode (though no need for SG colors) just to get the prestige to get a fully functional base designed. Working on a uniform at some point too, but that needs tailor time and member input when I recruit more.

While I'm looking to help newbies and casual players that doesn't mean I'm above high end TF's/Hami/Mothership or allowing in vets. Basically if it's a team, a TF, or just tip runs I've got a blaster willing to help. Soloing these days has rather lost it's appeal.

The devs will forget they were late to a new years party and run off, leaving an embarrassed Dr Vahz to field questions for the next half hour?

Seriously though? Heh got me, maybe blasters finally getting dark? I don't have enough alts yet.

*hands out the cookies, ducks out of the thread again* =p

Hey, never said they were good ideas, just me being bored at work. =p That and if you do the countess fight, there's a world of difference between it and the dr aeon one imho. Same with Neuron.

Regarding #8 though you're mistaking my intent, I'm not thinking things like the mines or puddles, but things like bombs you see in the hollows, or the ones used in prae cut scenes that leave burn patches everywhere placed as destructible objects (though now that I think about it this really benefits ranged over melee again, hmm that's no good, same for mm pets) That or the lab equipment on certain tech maps, the ones that if you blow it give random buffs or debuffs.

It's an effort to throw a little more luck or tactical aspect into a fight above, "Oh crap it's a puddle run away!"

That and I still want to know, why the hate on a system that's worked well enough so far? Still stand by my if it aint broke opinion. People say tank and spank like it's a bad thing, but hey one players fun right? And if it's not tank and spank, then what should it be? After all BM is still just that, all she has going for her is the puddle gimmick and the swords of doom spawn, the latter of which is standard AV fight fare. But it still boils down to damage > boss regen rate = win. Not much we can do about that as it's how the game's coded and how mmo fights work.

Just trying to throw some stuff out there that isn't cheap one shot material to put on top of it.

Personal curiosity for those in the know on math, but if we already have ED for all our powers. What would be the big deal about putting a system like that in for buffs and debuffs cast on mobs (I guess this would be DR?)? And how they effect mobs?

And if not that why not a hardcap? Say 150-250% of what a bubble def could do with every defense power up? OR a dark could do flooring acc, or sonic's -res? (again keep in mind I'm not a numbers fan, so I leave this to the experts) That way you don't impact the solo ability of the lone def through a hard nerf. And while the second one may not be operating at peak he's still bringing something to the team.

I mean the only thing i could see it really impacting might be all defender teams, after all when do you actually see more then 2 of any one defender type (defense buffer, or def and acc debuffers such as storm or dark) on any one team?

Just don't see why it would be such a big deal, and might put the whole buff/debuff aspect of the game more in line with other goodies such as purple patch, global defense nerfs and ED.

Anyway that said, I gotta take a little jab at you Reiska, cause seriously, you want to equate juggling 2 AV's, 2 GM's, neurons clones, and a possibily pissed off bobcat with "Hurr dur err tank and spank!"

Sorry but I rank that on the divorced from reality scale right up there with people who attack those who do have issue with the diff and I19 as people who "want to one shot everything with brawl."

But that doesn't answer your question, am I happy with tank and spank? In a word, yes, if it aint broke, don't fix it. After all it's not like every TF, every story arc, every Trial, every safeguard, pretty much every piece of content for the last 6 years pre incarnate pretty much runs along that mentality at it's purest form. Even the Apex TF when you get right down to it, after all you still need a taunter for BM, and you said it yourself when I wondered about ambushes, "The tank wasn't dong his job."

Tank and spank isn't all that accurate though a term though, as we don't need the tank, or the scrapper, or any one AT to get the job done. That's the beauty of coh, and it's a beauty I feel is going to be left wrecked in the ditch as the incarnate train plows right through it. You can already see it fights like honoree and trapdoor, more so with BM. Certain AT's just have far more trouble with the arcs then they should because of gimmicks. Again look at MM's, I got janked three times by honoree, got fed up, called my only friend online, popped call to justice on his pets, honoree died in under 10 seconds. Kinda left me wondering. Yet how many pets are really going to be viable in the BM fight as they aren't smart enough to puddle dodge? And if the puddles target the mm, how is he gonna have the time to get pets back up?

Trap door? Good luck chasing down clones depending on the AT (hi stone tanks) and when you get right down to it, how sad is it that the simplest way to beat his gimmick is with another? (lava or pulling from clones into hall)

This is the core of why Apex bad, Tin Mage good. It's not just the tank and spank aspect, it's the sense of actually feeling useful. In the BM fight I had maybe 3 powers that were at all useful, and all were just my St attacks. 3 powers out of two trays worth and change. How heroic did I feel (As I said before) running around like a spaz pretending I'm level 4 again as that's all I could use? Not in the slightest.

How epic did I find it crashing through portal corp to take down that massive walker outside. Then afterwards chasing down clones left and right by freezing and pounding them, then going to town on Berry and his toys, watching us hold off him and two GM's at once, then wailing down lil miss super cat one tick at a time? Given I had a whole lot more options to choose from, a whole heckuva lot more heroic, and it was a lot more fun, "Giant HP bags" be damned!

Anyway /rant. You did ask for suggestions too, so here's the list I thought up in two hours at work, though before I start, a question for you right back. If tank and spank is so boring, what's your suggestion to fix it? More of this?

Sooo if every malta boss suddenly gained director 11's crazy mines of doom, or say every KoA boss gained a nerve gas grenade that insta killed any hero in the blast, how many players do you honestly think would choose to fight them compared to now?

Suggestion #1 Splitter AV

Already coded in, we see the DE do it when they break into little guys. So why not a boss that every time you killed an aspect of him, say the AV splits into two EB's the EB's split into bosses, so on down the line. Maybe if you don't kill them fast enough they also could recombine as the herc titans do?

That and just for kicks why not have them go up a level every time they split? So if you had a +0 AV by the end you've got the +4 minions to deal with?

#2 Evolving boss.

Coded in, we see the red caps do it when they upgrade, or council turning into warwolves. So why not a boss that does the same, after all you could keep the same costume model but just change his powers, maybe higher damage, more aoe, some such as that? Though I'd give the final form wings myself (cookie for anyone who gets the joke)

#3 more AV's like nueron and the Prae version of countess Crey.

I LOVED the fight with the countess, all the decoy's and chasing and popping all those copies was a shining gem in the manure that was 95% of the 1-20 game in praetoria. Same with running down all of berry's Clones, it was a good way to throw in adds that wasn't a cheesy Hi I'm requiem, lets just insta fill the room!

#4 Av fights where maybe not killing off the AV at first is the objective. Or there's a little something to blow up first.

Thinking of the fights with IVY, and part of the STF put together here. Invincible AV for a strech till you pop that object, or maybe cope with a few waves while trying to keep her off your back.

#5 More fights like Belladonna's crazy porting, but add a few twists.

Like say perhaps exploding decoy copies (think vahz zombies) Or having the AV port off to leave little surprises like gas traps and seeker drones.

#6 AV's that power cycle.

Have no idea how viable this honestly wold be, but I was thinking something perhaps like Rommie in a way, kill the AV and it respawns minus a fluffie or invis buffing pet. But during the fight it changes up behavior, think a bot with an attack program giving it a big damage boost, then switching to a defensive one, or a regen ability. Just every time you kill it one of them gets knocked off. And depending on team make up actually thought of adding in a temp power that scrambles the bot, and makes it switch to a different one, or there's a chance to knock them all out of whack, and it's down to basic attacks for a few seconds.

#7 Terra Volta style fight.

Not just the AV to contend with, but something to protect, even though I'll be the first to admit a burning hate of all things escort mission, no matter the game. Not sure how to set it up though, or the context to use it in.

#8 more environmental hazards!

Why not a crey warehouse full of lab equipment? Who knows what'll happen when it goes off near an AV or the team? Or an area covered in easily triggered bombs for extra damage to the AV, or maybe a debuff cloud? Lots of ways to run with it.

#9 if we're gonna ambush, why not be creative about it?

Instead of piling on mobs, why not try changing it up, say a map where there's rooftops snipers spawn on to attack as you engage, and tactics might dictate luring the AV out of their line of slight to reduce your damage. Leaves an option for flyers perhaps to also go up and engage while melee's pound the AV and keep it busy.

Thought about setting them to of course despawn and appear on another roof after a set time period, also considered backup say in the form of longbow sky skiffs to engage them, add a little extra chaos to a fight.

#10 Why not a little backup during the AV fights?

Inspired by DE farming during the eden trial from ambrosia. Take the final tim mage mission as an example, how awesome would it be if you cleared out enough of the guards that you got as backup the signature heroes joining in with the fight (RP it as thinning the invasion so less heroes are needed to guard the portal) I mean who wouldn't want BaB's as a pet? =p

#11 Why always people, why not a tank or more stuff like the mega walkers?

Why not something a super nemesis steam tank perhaps, more arachnos flyers, dropships, the list goes on. Even had a silly notion about APC's driving in during an AV fight, perhaps stopping them before they can unload troops an option during it.

#12 How bout a PvE version of a base raid? Why not run the gauntlet into an AV lair?

Narrow halls, plenty of turrents, the AV himself porting away to try and lure into different traps, we got all the toys laying around and not being used, so what's stopping the devs from making a map like that?

Anyway there you go, feel free to tear to shreds now ^_-

It's 3:30 am, i stopped reading around page 15, but I do feel i need to throw out here my take about the new TF's.

Apex beef #1: not the 54's so much as the ambush mechanic itself overused and abused while being paired with the prae clockwork. Ask anyone whose done the old I think it was crimson arc (second kronos, the one on the burning forest map) That map had ambushes out the wazoo, and I can;'t even begin to count the number of times I as the blaster had the ambush deicde i was it's ***** and have gunslingers teleport right next to me and faceplant my toon in seconds, or a zeus launch it's hold spam missiles of doom before i could even see it to target it. Much less fight back.

Now instead of that we have (in my opinion) the stupidily overpowered prae clocks sitting at a perma +4 Which have crazy stupid range and are so aoe tastic there's zero place for a squishie to hide. I Actually died more times during the KR fight then BM because the ambushes came after me before the tank could even think of pulling them his way.

Same thing happened multiple times back in Oct on Mallus Mundi Runs, and those weren't even +4 clocks. Those guys need to be toned down, or the ambush mechanics need to be looked at, one of the two, I'd prefer both.

Beef #2 BM and her puddles of doom, and her ambushes, and the fight in general. Regardless of how easy they are to dodge (or not) I stand by an opinion that when the devs of any game have to resort to this kind of gimmicky cheap one shot trick and try to pass it off as a "challenge" they have run out of ideas. For anyone who played war for cybertron, I'd hold up the zeta prime fight as a shining example of this failure too. There's plenty of ways to make a fight harder then forcing us to play the twitch game, or be at the mercy of lag spikes and server latency. When she spawned that first wave of swords, my older comp's vid card did a total crapout, and this is on settings just barely above minimum. End result, it took me a good couple minutes to even click the hosp button.

Oh and when I came back I walked through the door into a puddle, yeah you can imagine how much fun I was having at that point.

The same when for the first few rounds of this battle I died nonstop because I'd fire off ice bolt and blast, then before i could wonder about the puddle fall or ready a third attack the next thing i knew was a puddle to the face. (Now what was that about run and gun working for ranged?)

Granted after i turned my speakers up and paid a little more attention (and got over the foaming rage) I actually managed to spend the rest of the fight with a 100% puddle dodge rating. In short I did what our elitist friends call "L2P" Or simply adapted to be more diplomatic about it. I timed my attacks to coincide with dodges, i managed to stick and move (and didn't need cheesy meta game tactics like jousts to do it) And I managed to be a worthwhile contributor to the damage on dropping her.

Oh, except for the fact I was relegated to basically just spamming my T1 and T2 attacks with the occasional bitter ice blast when I managed to get close enough.

And the fact I was told not to use web grenade to keep from rooting her in puddles.

And the fact she pretty much ignored caltrops like they weren't even there.

And the fact I play a recharge build based on hammering AV's with double gun drones. Yeah good luck getting one summoned, much less having it live for more then 5 seconds. Forget melee I honestly weep for any MM that tries that fight.

And you know what? By the end I was glad it was over, and I was feeling tried, frustrated and drained to the point where I wanted to just log for the night. And here's the important detail.

Because that fight and that TF was NOT fun in the slightest. It was tedious, it was frustrating, and it was annoying as ****. Personally for those reasons alone I'm in the never doing it again camp, even after knowing how to fight BM. For the simple reason alone that I'd like my power choices to actually be USEFUL in a fight, and not running around like a spastic hamster spamming my quick animating attacks in between something that's tantamount to the devs giving an npc the I win button. While having my entire secondary relegated to useless as well.

I work 4PM - 1AM, my playtime is minimal except on days off, my playstyle is for the most part a mix of casual and powergamer at times. I'm no stranger to everything that coh has to offer either, heck i've even gone back and redone the eden trial twice this month.

But this. . . this, and protean (though oddly enough not Tin mage) Really really reeks of WoW, and that's a direction that I really really hope the coh devs do not take us.

And while we're at it I have to thumbs down the entire Roy Cooling arc, whose bright idea was it to add npcs that floor spped and acc in every spawn, an impossible 5 minute timer mission, and drop after callisto an EB Zeus freaking titan on a map that is for the most part soloable otherwise? I'm not about to run back from the hospital with a new insp tray for one cheap shot, that's when auto complete gets hit. And that's when I never do this arc again either.

Anyway back on topic about the new stuff. I felt the same way about the IO system when it first came out, the big things that appealed to me about coh in the old days were no pvp and no phat lewtz, though we see how both of those turned out. I was afraid we were gonna see a severe divide in the playerbase between haves and have nots, and the content might also split along those lines. That or the devs would make inventions so powerless they'd be a gimmick at best.

But market inflation aside, well they seem to have got it right, mainly because of the creed they held to, inventions are optional. You don't need them to succeed in any of the games content.

Fast forward to now and I have the same fear about incarnate TF's and the future of the upcoming powers/slots. And this time I'm really thinking the devs dropped the ball with the incarnate arc itself (honoree and trapdoor rage) to the new TF's.

It feels like forced/specific teaming (not everyone is a wonderpug), it feels like they decided to just try to powergame us with +4's locked in. Also cheap shot things like BM and perhaps to a lesser extent super bobcat. And it really feels like they're going overboard with the new toys and leaving a lot of their playerbase out in the cold.

Yes, you don't have to be a keyboard god to dodge BM, but is it fun? and if this is the start, what's the next gimmick wall we're gonna bash our heads against till we bring out the jackhammers? When it's discovered will it be like Hercula describes and we're down to memorization and vent speak more then actual gameplay? Will coh perhaps even spawn it's own leeroy? =p

Or will the devs get it right, and balance things out so everyone can take part? That's the key right there, it can be hard, it should be hard, i hope it IS hard. But there's a very large divide between hard and utterly cheap crap like what I'm seeing now from BM to the fact that every time i've fought protean without fail i'm in a long attack animation when siphon goes off.

If the incarnate arcs of the future lock out anyone. Or divide the players, that's a failure on the devs part pure and simple. Not everyone is as . .ahem . . vocal as JB there about the rage and doom, but I don't exactly have high hopes myself if we go down the road of trying to be like every other mmo, but just with tights. After all not everyone is a forum reader, some might just ragequit or burnout without a peep, least till we see the sub numbers.

Ok ok veering a little into doomcall there, but color me worried about the direction of the game, and unimpressed with a huge chunk of the new content. Tin mage aside, that's what a TF should be.

Ever since GR but more so since I19 hit i've been having horrible graphics problems with coh. If i turn the settings up past minimum in the slightest, such as even a particale count around 7000, (and even then it doesn't always help, that and it's not fun) and i jump into anything involving a large group such as porting into a ms raid, or accidenly landing too close to a rikti raid group, basically anything that involves 8 or more heroes. Or large spawns like BM's flaming swords, honoree's rikti spawn, or even just jumping near the longbow base at faultline my computer grinds to a complete and total halt. It's not even mapservering because it's so lagged i can't even get the mapserver message, half the time i'm lucky to even get to a defeat message, and even then it feels like it takes minutes to get to the hospital button and reload there. That's provided my entire system isn't locked up by this. It's happened three times tonight now, and every time literally took me bringing up device manager and closing coh from it. And even that took a good 10+ minutes before it did so.

Thats before we bring up trying to change my costume, or load contact window, or preview AE critters, all of which slow me to a zero framerate, and all of which display graphic gibberish.

Or the fact that even if I try to super jump across some zones now frame rates drop to nothing, to the point where sometimes i have to stop touching anything on the keyboard and it takes 1-2 minutes for me to stop being frozen in the air and actually land.

I'm at my wits end here, i've tried defrags, spyware removal (malware bytes) AVG virus scanner, auslogic boost speed, registry mechanic, cleaning my HD out, boosting virtual mem high as it'll let me, and NOTHING helps. Any large group and it's crashapalooza. I'm down to resorting to a full system wipe (which is gonna cost me a ton of time in downloads and program replacement) or being forced to simply buy a new motherboard and vid card or new computer, which i'll be lucky to do anytime in the next few months with bills and the real world the way it is. Option #3 just canceling my coh account for now because if i can't play there's no point in paying.

iinfo below
------------

---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.2.0.2---

DxDiag gathered at December 20, 2010 00:42 (-05:00)
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.100427-1636)
System Manufacturer: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD
System Model: MS-7142
BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
Central Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 2800+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.8GHz
Memory: 1024MB
.Net Memory Report: 510MB out of 1023MB available
Page File: 3203MB (789MB currently in use)
C Drive: (WDC WD16 00JD-00HBB0 SCSI Disk Device) 57083MB out of 152617MB (37%) free
E Drive: (MAXTOR STM3200820A) 9435MB out of 190779MB (4%) free
F Drive: (WD 3200AAJB Externa USB Device) 3556MB out of 305168MB (1%) free
D Drive: (LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1693S) zero-size drive
G Drive: (CRMN 8TABO1EVSP SCSI CdRom Device) zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DirectX Diag version: 5.03.2600.5512 (32-bit version)

Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.

Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor's Max Resolution: 1600,1200
Video Device Name: RADEON 9250
Manufacturer / Chip: ATI Technologies Inc. / RADEON 9250 (0x5960)
Video Memory: 256.0 MB
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6614
Driver Date: 5/3/2006 11:51:00 AM
Driver Language: English

Sound Device Description: Vinyl AC'97 Audio (WAVE)
Driver File: vinyl97.sys
Driver Version: 6.14.0001.4170
Driver Date: 8/10/2006 1:32:14 PM


WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: MS-7142
Motherboard Version: 1.00
BIOS Manufacturer: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
BIOS Name: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
BIOS Version: VIAK8M - 42302e31
BIOS Release: 20050601000000.000000+000


Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 1024x768
3D Resolution: 1024x768 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: Yes
Maximized: No
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 75Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: No


Physics Quality: Low
Maximum Particles: 7643
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No


Anti-aliasing: Off
Anisotropic Filtering: None
Texture LOD Bias: Crisp
Water Effects: None
Bloom: 1.000 (turned off)
Depth of Field Enabled: No
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: No
Shader Detail: Unknown (4)


World Texture Level: Unknown (3)
Character Texture Level: Medium
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 0.500
Entity Detail Level: 0.402
Shadows Enabled: Yes
Shadow Mode: Disabled
Shadow Map Shader: Unknown (0)
Environmental Reflections: Disabled
Advanced Occlusion Settings: No
Ambient Occlusion: Off
Occlusion Strength: Off
Blur: Bilateral
Ambient Resolution: Performance


Gamma Correction: 0.600
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: Yes
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: Yes
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: Yes

Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: 0.099
Music Sound Volume: 0.000

Show Advanced Graphics Options: Yes
Overall Graphics Quality: 0.000
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: 114911 bytes/second
Current Game Version: 1900.201011102104.27
Installation Directory: C:\Program Files\City of Heroes

Mod files in the Data directory
No modifications found

---------------------------


Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Motive\McciCMService.exe
C:\Nexon\Mabinogi\npkcmsvc.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgrsx.exe
C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Common\ViewpointService.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgcsrvx.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNo tifier.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Viewpoint Manager\ViewMgr.exe
C:\Program Files\AIM7\aim.exe
C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgnsx.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\cli.exe
C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\cli.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE
C:\Documents and Settings\Jessy Steele\My Documents\Downloads\CohHelper.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\Jessy Steele\My Documents\Downloads\HijackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/...ch/search.html
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/.../www.yahoo.com
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.880therevolution.com/main.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/...ch/search.html
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) = http://us.rd.yahoo.com/customize/ie/.../www.yahoo.com
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Int ernet Settings,ProxyServer = http=127.0.0.1:5555
R3 - URLSearchHook: AVG Security Toolbar BHO - {A3BC75A2-1F87-4686-AA43-5347D756017C} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
R3 - URLSearchHook: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - (no file)
O2 - BHO: Adobe PDF Reader Link Helper - {06849E9F-C8D7-4D59-B87D-784B7D6BE0B3} - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 7.0\ActiveX\AcroIEHelper.dll
O2 - BHO: RealPlayer Download and Record Plugin for Internet Explorer - {3049C3E9-B461-4BC5-8870-4C09146192CA} - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Real\RealPlayer\BrowserRecordPlugin\IE\rpbrow serrecordplugin.dll
O2 - BHO: WormRadar.com IESiteBlocker.NavFilter - {3CA2F312-6F6E-4B53-A66E-4E65E497C8C0} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgssie.dll
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.6.0_05\bin\ssv.dll
O2 - BHO: AVG Security Toolbar BHO - {A3BC75A2-1F87-4686-AA43-5347D756017C} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O2 - BHO: IeCatch2 Class - {A5366673-E8CA-11D3-9CD9-0090271D075B} - C:\PROGRA~1\FlashGet\jccatch.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Helper - {AA58ED58-01DD-4d91-8333-CF10577473F7} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbar_32.dll
O2 - BHO: Google Toolbar Notifier BHO - {AF69DE43-7D58-4638-B6FA-CE66B5AD205D} - C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\5.6.5805.1910\s wg.dll
O2 - BHO: FlashGetBHO - {b070d3e3-fec0-47d9-8e8a-99d4eeb3d3b0} - C:\Documents and Settings\Jessy Steele\Application Data\FlashGetBHO\FlashGetBHO3.dll
O3 - Toolbar: FlashGet Bar - {E0E899AB-F487-11D5-8D29-0050BA6940E3} - C:\PROGRA~1\FlashGet\fgiebar.dll
O3 - Toolbar: AVG Security Toolbar - {CCC7A320-B3CA-4199-B1A6-9F516DD69829} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Google Toolbar - {2318C2B1-4965-11d4-9B18-009027A5CD4F} - C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\GoogleToolbar_32.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AVG8_TRAY] C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgtray.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe" -osboot
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [DAEMON Tools Lite] "C:\Program Files\DAEMON Tools Lite\daemon.exe" -autorun
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Steam] "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -silent
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [swg] "C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\GoogleToolbarNo tifier.exe"
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [swg] C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\1.2.1128.5462\G oogleToolbarNotifier.exe (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-18\..\Run: [DWQueuedReporting] "C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\MICROS~1\DW\dwtrig20.exe " -t (User 'SYSTEM')
O4 - HKUS\.DEFAULT\..\Run: [swg] C:\Program Files\Google\GoogleToolbarNotifier\1.2.1128.5462\G oogleToolbarNotifier.exe (User 'Default user')
O4 - Startup: Dropbox.lnk = C:\Documents and Settings\Jessy Steele\Application Data\Dropbox\bin\Dropbox.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download All by FlashGet - C:\Program Files\FlashGet\jc_all.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download all by FlashGet3 - C:\Documents and Settings\Jessy Steele\Application Data\FlashGetBHO\GetAllUrl.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download by FlashGet3 - C:\Documents and Settings\Jessy Steele\Application Data\FlashGetBHO\GetUrl.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: Download using FlashGet - C:\Program Files\FlashGet\jc_link.htm
O8 - Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel - res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~4\Office12\EXCEL.EXE/3000
O8 - Extra context menu item: Google Sidewiki... - res://C:\Program Files\Google\Google Toolbar\Component\GoogleToolbarDynamic_mui_en_E117 12C84EA7E12B.dll/cmsidewiki.html
O16 - DPF: {17492023-C23A-453E-A040-C7C580BBF700} (Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool) - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39204
O16 - DPF: {30528230-99f7-4bb4-88d8-fa1d4f56a2ab} (YInstStarter Class) - C:\Program Files\Yahoo!\Common\yinsthelper.dll
O16 - DPF: {4F1E5B1A-2A80-42CA-8532-2D05CB959537} (MSN Photo Upload Tool) - http://by137fd.bay137.hotmail.msn.co...s/MsnPUpld.cab
O16 - DPF: {5F5F9FB8-878E-4455-95E0-F64B2314288A} (ijjiPlugin2 Class) - http://gamedownload.ijjimax.com/game...lugin11USA.cab
O16 - DPF: {6BEA1C48-1850-486C-8F58-C7354BA3165E} (Install Class) - http://updates.lifescapeinc.com/inst...l/pinstall.cab
O16 - DPF: {6E32070A-766D-4EE6-879C-DC1FA91D2FC3} (MUWebControl Class) - http://update.microsoft.com/microsof...?1175267566093
O16 - DPF: {7C5D062A-7A1E-4A46-A02B-A928084CBD66} (MLauncherNew Class) - http://legendofares.netgame.com/down...auncherNew.cab
O16 - DPF: {9BFC2253-B9D9-477E-9488-CA450232620D} (BinAg1 Class) - http://pbells.broadjump.com/wizlet/S...ActiveXCab.CAB
O16 - DPF: {A2E05F45-F127-4092-B9F7-9A02C3E04C77} (HGPlugin7USA Class) - http://gamedownload.ijjimax.com/game...Plugin7USA.cab
O16 - DPF: {CD995117-98E5-4169-9920-6C12D4C0B548} (HGPlugin9USA Class) - http://gamedownload.ijjimax.com/game...Plugin9USA.cab
O18 - Protocol: avgsecuritytoolbar - {F2DDE6B2-9684-4A55-86D4-E255E237B77C} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\Toolbar\IEToolbar.dll
O18 - Protocol: linkscanner - {F274614C-63F8-47D5-A4D1-FBDDE494F8D1} - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\avgpp.dll
O18 - Filter hijack: text/html - {6deb7404-adbb-4053-86b1-2381a621b7c6} - (no file)
O20 - Winlogon Notify: avgrsstarter - avgrsstx.dll (file missing)
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Browseui preloader - {438755C2-A8BA-11D1-B96B-00A0C90312E1} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O22 - SharedTaskScheduler: Component Categories cache daemon - {8C7461EF-2B13-11d2-BE35-3078302C2030} - C:\WINDOWS\system32\browseui.dll
O23 - Service: Lavasoft Ad-Aware Service (aawservice) - Lavasoft - C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware\aawservice.exe
O23 - Service: Ati HotKey Poller - ATI Technologies Inc. - C:\WINDOWS\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
O23 - Service: ATI Smart - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ati2sgag.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Security Toolbar Service - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\AVG\AVG8\Toolbar\ToolbarBroker.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 E-mail Scanner (avg8emc) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgemc.exe
O23 - Service: AVG Free8 WatchDog (avg8wd) - AVG Technologies CZ, s.r.o. - C:\PROGRA~1\AVG\AVG8\avgwdsvc.exe
O23 - Service: ##Id_String1.6844F930_1628_4223_B5CC_5BB94B879762# # (Bonjour Service) - Apple Computer, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Bonjour\mDNSResponder.exe
O23 - Service: FLEXnet Licensing Service - Macrovision Europe Ltd. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\FNPLicensingService.exe
O23 - Service: Google Update Service (gupdate) (gupdate) - Google Inc. - C:\Program Files\Google\Update\GoogleUpdate.exe
O23 - Service: Google Software Updater (gusvc) - Google - C:\Program Files\Google\Common\Google Updater\GoogleUpdaterService.exe
O23 - Service: InstallDriver Table Manager (IDriverT) - Macrovision Corporation - C:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Driver\1150\Intel 32\IDriverT.exe
O23 - Service: McciCMService - Motive Communications, Inc. - C:\Program Files\Common Files\Motive\McciCMService.exe
O23 - Service: nProtect GameGuard Service (npggsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\WINDOWS\system32\GameMon.des.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: npkcmsvc - INCA Internet Co., Ltd. - C:\Nexon\Mabinogi\npkcmsvc.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
O23 - Service: Viewpoint Manager Service - Viewpoint Corporation - C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Common\ViewpointService.exe

--
End of file - 10641 bytes

Actually Seebs if you get your global recharge from IO's and throw hasten on top you can stack gun drones to have two out at once. That and if you watch the drone after it's been summoned they appear (but unsure if they're affected) to come out with any buff or insp activated on you activated on them as well. Seen it for a fact when my gun drones come out with the hasten glow around them, or circling purples after popping a luck. Course this was pre I19, I'd have to double check it again now.

Granted it takes a lot of work, my 50 ice/dev has her alpha uncommon incarnate recharge, and virtually every power from LRM rocket to web grenade slotted with a set that offers a recharge bonus of some kind. That and a Lotg global recharge bonus in cloaking. No purple sets yet though.

But it is doable. I've got about 20-25 seconds now where I can summon double drones before the first explodes. And I'll need to test this too, but I think they'll offer double defiance buffs not only to you but themselves as well.

Now on teams? Yeah it's slow and the end cost is HORRID. If you're steamrolling it's just above trip mine on not adding much. And you'll probably take flack for wasting all that time to summon a drone when you could be blasting. But as I play that character more like a blastroller (having ice's double holds with munitions freeze ray is fun!) or as i jokingly call her "A tactical weapons platform" it doesn't bother me much. I'm not as flashy as a fire, but all that ST damage from drones and the 3 ST attacks in Ice piles up when you're dealing with the harder AV's.

As an example I remember an ITF where the double drones actually really helped us to do a number on Rom due to a team high on defense and low on damage dealers. A team that actually complimented me on all the firepower. Hehe not every day you see gun drone get that. =p

One other mostly solo use? With cloak it's great for ensuring that the drone does take that alpha/sapper/hold/whatever as you lure it over to mobs, then pop from cloak and go to town on them. Usually it's got the HP to pull it off too.

Also good first draft, looking forward to the formal guide.

You know I promised myself I Was gonna stay out of this thread again too, but tactless or not two utterly clueless comments

You know I never thought in the history of CoH I'd ever say this, but I actually agree with Shubbie. My experience with this mission tonight, ice/dev/muni blaster, and my most IO'ed out character no less, full sets of entropic, posi blast, and basilisk gaze in powers.

Holtz was a chump, I nuked the portals around him with an LRM, then sat there popping purples till he dropped, he was far enough pulled that the other portals in the room didn't aggro or start spawning anything.

I get him down with about half hp and end left, think that's it, so i walk up to honoree to have a nice little chat. Promptly get held even through acrobatics instantly realize I don't have a break free (admitted mistake but usually acro has been soaking holds for me) right about the time i'm suddenly 2 shotted a couple seconds later.

So ok, fair enough, second EB I can deal with this, reload up on purples, get break frees, walk back to honoree. . . .

. . . . .

And see the room is now wall to wall bloody rikti. And ok here yes I'll admit another mistake, I underestimated the amount of mobs actually in the room, and though a call to arms + aim + lrm would clear it out.

Oh how wrong I was, got insta held again (through 3 purples) popped my break free, didn't matter as i started getting mobbed to death by the rikti. But hey I wasn't getting hit that much so I decided I'd take a whack at cheater there for a moment, i still had a mostly full tray and greens too.

It's about then I wager there must have been someone in that giant zerg...rikti swarm that was a healer, cause next thing I know honoree is back to full health. So I say forget it and retreat out of the room.

Start to put out a call to friends to ask if any are free. Notice honoree decided to leave the rikti to come after me. Great I say! Pop three more purples get two attacks off. . . .

. . . .

Then am promptly one shotted by an ELEVEN HUNDRED damage total focus through three purples.

At this point i was pretty much at /ragequit mode I was so fed up. Luckily though a MM friend was free by then, so he walks into the map, I call to arms his bots (though i honestly don't know if it buffed them or not) But either way honoree drops within ten seconds flat?!?

Seriously, what the heck devs? This feeling about that mission doubled when I duo'ed it after with a tricked out warshade friend. Granted this time I wised up and blizzard nuked the portals and the rikti swarm before it got too large. But honoree couldn't even dent him at all, heck i think he spent more time going after the nictus pets then anyone.

That mission to me holds the title of single worst piece of poorly designed crap the devs have ever put out period. And for all of you say it's supposed to be hard, it's incarnate content! I call BS cop out. There's hard, and then there's the problem devs have through pretty much all of prae too.

"How can me make it hard for players?"
"Uhhh more ambushes?"
"Perfect!"

Hard is having to actually think past pull him out of the room, or just drop him in the lava in trapdoors case. It's where you actually through good gameplay or insp use have a shot no matter what against what you're fighting.

That mission isn't hard, it's a flat out cheap zergfest both EB's do cheat beyond belief, and frankly if I as a squishy fan wanted to be forced to team to take on a mission that melee players or certain build do with ease, well I could go play that "other" mmo out there.

Every other 50 I get will auto complete this rather then waste my time trying it again.

From the start we've seen the well known problem of the "AE babies" powerleveled in AE with no clue about the actual game.

We had the spammers on and off.

We have had a nonstop string of exploits including the most recent one causing all kinds of problems on the heels of the I19 launch.

We've had the devs wasting time trying to patch the loopholes but always seeming to be two steps behind, or in some cases starting PR disasters by just not being clear enough about what's banable, what's not and the punishments have been spotty at best anyway.

And then one of my SG mates pretty much said it best, why not just remove XP? After all that would pretty much stop every exploit past present and future right in its tracks, and to me would go a long ways towards making AE what it should be, a place to enjoy stories and player created content, not an exploit haven full of exploit map missions to cheat your way to 50. Perhaps as a trade off boost the influence or ticket gain within?

So I thought I'd ask the question here, there's my reasons above, and what do you all think about the impact that it would have pro or con?

Siding with Sam and Lasher on this one. EDIT: About human nature that is hehe, I'm still all for the big ol hammer o ban.

It's simple human nature these days (selfishly or not) to get as much as possible fast as possible, the MMO mindset multiplies it even further, it doesn't matter what game it is either, if people find a way to get something fast they'll jump on that gravy train without a second thought, ride it to 50 and then go "Uhhhh now what?"

Speaking of...

All the vets out there, does anyone remember the era of fire/dev blasters before the great smoke grenade nerf?

How bout warwolves in a dumpster followed by a nova?

Those poor endlessly farmed 5th in the axis america map. Oops there's a godwin again...

And lets be honest here, how much would you like to bet that when I19 does go live (if it's not already being done in beta) the very moment some enterprising souls finds the best shard/time ratio a majority of the playerbase jumps on the bandwagon, and the rest of the content that the devs have worked to give us goes unplayed except by us dreaded casuals who actually like to take our time and see everything rather then go "Ohhh look at my shiny 50 I'm so awesome!" *eyeroll*

And as a 69 vet who was around in the era of nonstop bridge requests, portal corp teams who wouldn't know even basic aggro management if it bit them in the behind, defenders whose idea of playing was put healing aura on auto and follow the tank, and the first wave of AE babies whose questions about BASIC coh gameplay broke my brain numerous times I honestly believe the single worst thing for CoH's long term health is a bunch of lil farming prats who exploit their way to 50, whine about the lack of content, have no clue how to play that toon, burn out, then quit.

All the people who say we can't banhammer them because it'd kill the playerbase are ignoring that possible scenario being all too plausible as well. I'll refrain from calling it a fact as I don't have any little voices in my head telling me it's true. =p But personally I would rather see them an army of little GM's going "Puuurrrrge them!" [/warhammer40k] Right now for the short term hit over then watching the endless exploits bring coh down long term when they've done all there is to do and move on.

Honestly? I hate farming with the internet "White hot passion of a thousand suns" And I would love nothing more then to see every person who used this exploit have that particular toon banhammered, a 2 week account ban as a polite way to make the point should they try it again. Permaban on strike three. See I CAN be nice....to a point.

Anyone who makes an exploit farm? Instant loss of all AE slots, end of discussion.

Course in reality we all know that's not going to happen, and both sides here can argue it till we're blue in the face and the devs two months later will still probably be behind the curve on exploit catching.

That and how many arcs these days are passed up on because they aren't offering enough XP gain to satisfy certain power hungry parts of the playerbase? One big problem I have with my own creations is trying to balance what I'd consider "fun" with the fact I need custom mobs that actually offer a decent amount of XP. Because again in realityland expecting people to take the time to play an arc when they won't get much from it is silly. Again, human nature.

So that's where Lasher hit the nail on the head, fastest way to solve every problem with exploits (though probably not salvage prices) Just kill XP gain. How hard could that be to possibly code? And it kills not only this exploit but every other single one that might have come down the line. Makes AE what AE should have been in the first place, a place for player created content (crappy as some of it is) and not a place to sit around and abuse the system all day long.

From the perspective of a 28 rad/fire and a 38 dp/em.

I honestly think that if you take EM there's zero reason to skip both blaps and plaster people with them. They hit too hard to pass up on the damage when something gets close to you, and bone smasher seems to stun a lot more often then it used to compared to 4-5 issues back.

But then there's that little gem called boost range. After picking it up I have a hard time letting anything get into blap range as I go piercing rounds, dual wield (1 dead) pistol, executioner shot (2 dead) and then usually just hammer minion number three with attacks as they recharge. It's kinda strange in a way, if i try to use total focus I actually seem to be slowing down my damage output. Course total focus isn't slotted yet..that may have a hand in it.

Though rad only has one real cone aoe to try and get the most out of boost range, but in a group setting you probably could get a lot out of it. and working with hail of bullets has showed that boost range could really amp up a PBaoe too such as irradiate. Paired with cosmic burst and the T1 and T2 attacks though? I'd say you could really hammer out the single target damage. Then anything that gets close eats a 1-2 blap sandwich, and that's before total focus is in the mix if you do take it.

So my answer? Focus on both, you've got sets that can easily, and my blaster philosophy is kill em at any range you can rather then try to shoehorn yourself into just one style. But if you're tight on power picks irradiate if you wanna blap more, electron haze if you prefer range. Proton Volley and Neutron bomb are a bit meh. Not fond of snipes, and the bomb's animation time is just a bit slow for it's damage.

As for the other energy tricks, I'd say take conserve power till inherent fitness maybe, but then respec out of it. If you take medicine though power boost is a must for the heal buff. Gives a real good buff to any epic set with a defense armor too for a few seconds.

Poolwise? Fighting imho is useless when I have more attacks I want to take (which is pretty much every blaster I've ever rolled) and I have this thing against taking it for extra IO sets to try and softcap defense. May be in a minority on that but to me the point of blasting is damage, if i want defense I'll go roll a tank, and it's partly where I may use the invention system but I REALLY dislike some of the ways it's turned cox into a certain other 500 pound gorilla in the mmo room. That and I have this concern that between the defense caps now plus the upcoming incarnate boosts blasters might get a lil too tankmage for the devs tastes. Even if it does take a metric ton of influence for the kinetic combats and other sets.

CJ/Acro? If you plan to melee at all it's an absolute must for the immob + minor hold resists, virtually every blaster I've made uses them, course I love to melee so again personal bias shining through.

Medicine? Two routes, go force mastery so you can pop PFF and then use aid self from inside it. Or plan to slot a full three interrupt reducers (or two 50 IO ones) along with heals. Short of being DoT'ed you can usually get it off between most attack chains from mobs then. Little known fact too, aid self packs a built in stun resist, so if you self buff before some fights *coughmaltacough* it gives a bit of an edge, abused the heck out of that pre defiance.

Speed? I try to find some way to always fit in hasten. It's just too good to not do so, and with the new defiance it makes blasters that much deadlier. That and it's fun to pretend i'm a brute and see how high i can get the chain going.

Otherwise if you do want defense, nothing wrong with stealth, and you can slot a luck of the gambler global recharge boost in it same as combat jump. Assault is a pretty good one slot wonder as well. Same with tactics with if you have a spare power pick, though that one does need a couple extra slots to really shine.

Annnyway, hope some of that ramble helps. =p

arc #458092 "The unofficial official paragon zombie survival guide!

(With new special forward by The good doctor Vahz!)

My second try at crafting a full on story arc. One rife with in jokes here and there for fans of zombie movies and games (specially the second mission) Also a running experiment on crafting custom mobs types too. Well that and way way too much fun with the costume creator at points.

Seeking a little critique on the arc and the gameplay itself. It still seems like at points the mobs are just a wee bit overpowered in large groups. Yet if i give them enough powers to get 100% exp (smallest is maybe around 75%) they seem REALLY overpowered. That and the final mission still worries me a bit in terms of being a slog. But that might be playstyle issues I have, not sure.

Either way if anyone wants to give it a spin and offer some advice on how to polish it up or balance it better, any advice would be greatly appreciated.


*Spoilers below for the arcs too*









Mission 1

Yes every mob is a zombie MM. Wanted to try and get that zombie horde feeling going on. And the LT's will heal the others.

Mission 2

The minions will self revive, LT stalkers, the bosses are poison tastic.

Mission 3

Flamer zombies do use ignite, LT legacy zombies heal and buff others, the heavy zombies have full auto and lots of aoe, proved nasty even at range for squishies at times.

Mission 4

Watch the ambushes when you rescue the commanders, wish i could find a happy medium here but bosses seemed too hard yet LT waves are too easy, and the time i accidentally triggered an ambush of multiple EB's . . . . hehe ouch. Maybe make a separate ambush group and put minion lt and boss in it to trigger a mixed ambush?

Apologies claws, I'm still a bit snippy over that idiotic why a blaster thread. It's got my blaster pride in overdrive when it comes to what the AT can do.