EvilGeko

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So apparently I'm in a relationship with everyone on the Justice server. No one has any children by me yet, have they?

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Well....since our relationship is a centuries old blood-feud over Justice's catgirls and their queen Katfood, I really don't have an issue with your statement. I'll see you on the field of battle.

Say hi to the kids.

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I suggest that if you did a bit of research into what OCD actually is you'd realize that there really is no comparison.

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Correct, but I do wonder if there's some other pathology there.

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The amount of money that CoH earns through microtransactions, subs, etc. is tracked. I'm certain that investment NCSoft makes in CoH takes into account the amount we pay. It makes little sense from a business perspective to wall off funds in the way you suggest.

The staffing up that NCSoft did for Going Rogue probably couldn't have happened if CoH had to rely solely on its own earnings stream. This is all speculation, of course, but I do feel confident in saying that I feel that NCSoft has treated us well as CoH players.

Or is it just Eco with the magic touch!

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Most AVs have a sleep hole, actually.

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Yes. Found that out learning the LRSF. I was just saying that an AV should have mez protection like a player does. If that closes the sleep hole in some cases, so be it.

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This one I don't think I can agree with. Yes, AV damage is pretty crazy and some combos are more disadvantaged than others. However, if you lower it too much, then AVs are no longer a threat. AVs are team content, and if they're too easy for a solo Tank, then a grouped one with buffs will find it trivial. (To be fair, they can be trivialized now, but I don't think it's a situation that should be made easier.)


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Again, the point is that I don't necessarily agree with AVs being team content. They should be easier with teams.

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I know Tankers have soloed AVs, probably the best one being Shield/DM.

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That's almost an exception that proved the rule situation.

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What I'm saying is that the signature characters and other AVs shouldn't be possible for some but not others, based solely on AT.

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By 'AT' here, do you actually mean 'build'? I find that most people sat AT when they mean build.

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I mean a bit of both. I think nearly every Scrapper can be built to defeat AVs, but not all Controllers or Defenders can.

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A related question might be: should there be content that is intended by design to be above the performance level of the average PUG, and if so, how should it be gated/labelled?

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Yes. But not above the performance level of the average team of people who are decent. For example, hell most people on Justice at the level cap are good players in my experience. It's really a joy of a server to be on.

The only gate to such content should be practice/skill.

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Let me say how I've dealt with this issue myself. I accept that I have some characters who are simply godlike while others aren't. This isn't exactly easy for me, because it seems almost arbitrary sometimes.

For example, my new project Solar Paladin, my Fire/Shield Scrapper WILL solo AVs. Probably when she's finished she'll take on the entire Praetorian guard by herself. I don't have any doubt she can. She's already soft-capped to melee and will be to ranged/aoe when she's finished. Her DPS is absurd without Hasten (which will be her 49 power).

By contrast my Ill/FF controller is IOed out, but will NEVER solo an AV. Just doesn't have the DPS. She won't die. Hell, she'll probably never get hit. But with no -regen, she can't kill the dern things. This isn't satisfying to me, but it is what it is. But if I had went */Rad instead of */FF the story as we know would have been much different.

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1) AVs should have mez protection, but not the PTOD. If a Tanker has 17.3 MAG of protection, then give Statesman that, but not more. If he hit Unstoppable then he gets another 17.3. Still makes him hella hard, but fairly so. If Sister Psyche is Mind/FF then she gets the 6-9 FF defenders get and no sleep protection.


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I don't know what the numbers are, but I feel confident that the idea is that 8 Controllers should not be able to keep an AV held more than 1 minute out of every 2. The PToD is just an easy way of doing that. However you get there is immaterial, the effect is the same.

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IIRC 8 Controllers or Dominators can hold anything.

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2) Tame the AVs regen rate. Unless they're a regen type character, AVs should not have such a high regen rate, IMO. This serves only to require [X] amount of DPS or -regen to take them down. And if the AV is regen, they they should not have much if any resistance (except in MoG)


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Here the point is for the AV to last some minimum amount of time against a team of 8 Blasters. Again, I don't know the numbers, but the end result is the same: the Av has enough mitigation that even with the anti-mitigation tools available to a team, it's non-trivial.



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8 Blasters should melt any any AV in less than 30 seconds IMO.

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3) Tame AV damage. Fighting an AV should be like fighting an expert and strong player. AVs being able to do 1700 HP in one swing is silly.

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If the AV is hitting a squishy for 1700, he's hitting the Tanker for 170, which he is going to more or less shrug off. This is before debuffs. Just pointing that out. Maybe it would be better for them to have some unresistable damage than to hit so hard?

To put this into comic-book perspective: If Doomsday can take Superman out with a score or so of blows, how long should it take him to take down a 'squishy' like Batman or Vixen?

The design is that neither Batman nor Superman should be soloing him.

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Again the problem in game is that:

Batman (MA/SR) owns Doomsday while Superman can stand there for something like three or four years, but never win while never losing either.

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Do you think the Devs should be barred from creating content that includes a battle where a team of 8 level 50s have an even toe to toe fight with a lone character?

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Absolutely not. The devs aren't barred from anything as they're god here. What I'm saying is that the signature characters and other AVs shouldn't be possible for some but not others, based solely on AT.

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I think that such content should exist: there should be fights that go like the X-Men vs Magneto, where he has enough Mez Protection/Defense that 8 Controllers can't permahold him and 8 Blasters/Scrappers can't shred him faster than a certain speed, for instance.

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Sure. But the reality in game is that Wolverine (Scrapper) and Emma Frost (Controller) beats Mags silly, while Cyclops (Blaster) and Collossus (Tanker) get owned. Maybe that's fair. But I don't think so.

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A related issue might be: How long should it take the average PUG of 8 level 50s to take down an epic encounter? 1 minute? 10 minutes? 100 minutes? Keep in mind that if a PUG can do it in 10, a Superteam like Buffer Overrun will be able to do it in 1 or so.

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Not really related to my point, but I don't think buffer overrun teams should be considered in balance considerations until the devs man up and introduce diminishing returns to buffs.

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I disagree with Johnny, but not completely.

I think the Signature characters should be AVs BUT I think AVs should play a little bit more by the rules. To wit:

1) AVs should have mez protection, but not the PTOD. If a Tanker has 17.3 MAG of protection, then give Statesman that, but not more. If he hit Unstoppable then he gets another 17.3. Still makes him hella hard, but fairly so. If Sister Psyche is Mind/FF then she gets the 6-9 FF defenders get and no sleep protection.

2) Tame the AVs regen rate. Unless they're a regen type character, AVs should not have such a high regen rate, IMO. This serves only to require [X] amount of DPS or -regen to take them down. And if the AV is regen, they they should not have much if any resistance (except in MoG)

3) Tame AV damage. Fighting an AV should be like fighting an expert and strong player. AVs being able to do 1700 HP in one swing is silly.

Tankers should be able to defeat AVs if they're built and played right. It should take a long time, it should be epic. But it should be possible. Right now, the right combo can stand against an AV easily while another dies in seconds.

As players AVs shouldn't be cakewalks and teaming up should make them easier. But any player with extreme skill should be able to solo an AV.

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"There is not enough love in the world to squander it on anything but human beings."
-Scheler

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What about those of us who really don't care for our fellow human beings? We need someone to love too!

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Hi all,

As you may be aware I have been away from CoX for a week or so due to the arrival of mah little sidekick James! So to satisfy curiosity attached are a couple of photos. First our very first family photo, when James was about 5 minutes old and the other sitting on his Grandma's knee looking about the shop at approx 15 hours old.
Family Photo

Wee James

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Is it just me, or does that second photo have the air and look of a plotting villain? Is he a Nemesis Plot?

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I thought he looked like a little super-hero what with the blanket flowing out like a cape and all.

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I've tried making alternate costumes, but can't beat his original look so that's all he rocks. I blew all the inf he made farming DA on getting the Lord of War badge because it was PERFECT for him.


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I'm in the same boat, goat. This character is in her first costume. Only change is that she has the high collar cape which is just awesome on her.

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SD - hard at lower levels and you need a ton of inf for it to be any good

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False. Paired with BS, SD is awesome from level 8 on.

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WP - good at start and allthe way through. Falls behind regen but is not as involved

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Mostly true. Doesn't have the peaks and valleys that Regen does. Again though paired with BS or Katana, it's pretty dern awesome.

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Regen - Good all the way through but very involved and "clicky"

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If your reflexes and ping are good, you can take on almost anything.

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SR - hard at first, but outshines the rest in the higher levels

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Don't agree with outshining. It's very good though.

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Dark Armor - Hard to get used to, hard at first, good at later levels, very involved and "clicky"

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Not that clicky. Near invincible if well built.

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Am I on track or off base with these?

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A little of both.

No news. Next new sets are likely to be Dual Pistols and Demon Summoning.

Have you ever had the experience of falling in love with one of your characters. Of just wanting to play them all the time you're on? Of wanting them to have all the accolades and best stuff, because the character is a little bit of awesome with a chaser of win.

I created a Fire/Shield Scrapper and it all just "clicks". Her backstory is she's from an exiled sect of Efreet who worship the Sun Gods and have rejected the evil and deceit of the Elemental Plane of Fire. She's become a Paladin and come to the "Shining City of the Mortals" to join the fight against evil.

I always liked the character, but after getting FSC and her cape, it all came together. The costume, the feel and pace of play, everything. I just had my main spend 75 million to outfit her with four full sets of Touch of Deaths. AND I LUB HER MOAR!!! She's making my other alts jealous.

Sorry had to share. But I would love to hear if others have had the same experience or am I the only weirdo. (Yes, I'm a weirdo.)

EDIT: Since there were demands for pictures: The Solar Paladin!

Best to view as a slideshow.

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What is everyone on Justice getting bored at the same time?

Did I miss a memo?

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A lot of people are upset at how the Dev's handled the introduction of MA, and the discipline issues and forum moderation issues that followed. They are voting with their wallets.

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Ah. After I abdicated my just overlordship of this server, I only check in with my former subjects. I can't say that I disagree with the sentiment. Sad to see so many old-timers step away. I know I've played with Mercury once or twice. Losing good players makes for a sad gecko.

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The underlying assumption of the thread is that Defenders have a problem that needs addressing.

I question that assumption.

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About as far as I'll go is making Vigilance work solo.

What is everyone on Justice getting bored at the same time?

Did I miss a memo?

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It's a solid buff. The only thing that really got nerfed was psionic shockwave, which needed to be nerfed. The entire rest of the set got buffed to make it viable.

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I see it as a nerf, my Dom on live has end problems and now they have buffed my damage but made my end problem even worse and tacked on recharge to totally screw it up.

I'd take damage problems over endurance and recharge problems any day. I can play a toon that doesn't dish out a lot damage, but a toon that doesn't even have the endurance to activate the powers and the recharge to keep the powers up? No thanks.

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This is wholly an issue of perception. Endurance costs went up for the most part only with increases in damage which are on top of the AT modifier buff. Mobs die much quicker on test, one-two shots instead of three-four.

As for recharge, I've always had the problem with Doms that they get too many attacks. Low recharge (esp 4> recharge attacks) attacks typically becomes wastes of time.

Except for the tip top of top tier builds, I see nothing but buffs. PSW is still a good power. Saying it's been gutted is hyperbole.

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Invisibility does nada.

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Well, except for that whole invisibility thing.

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Because, IMHO, it's two power slots that do nothing to help a Dominator, and do nothing to help get any control going.

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Tree of life get's Dom going? Or Hot Feet? Or Bonfire? Or any of the other soft controls?

Don't like 'em don't take 'em.

There's several other sets if you want a plain vanilla Dom. Illusion both as a Controller and as a Dominator would provide a different experience.

Take Spectral Wounds. This power is very thematic to Illusion and it a straight up blast that gives some of it's damage back. It's a signature power. It's more thematic to Dominators than to Controllers.

I see it as core to the set and would not like to see it changed.

I got no beef with your suggested changes to Flash.

As for making the Invisibilities exclusive, I don't see the point. The invisibilities aren't overpowered to have in conjunction as (arguably) having build up and follow up are. Again this is a place where people who just don't like Illusion should probably look to a different set. Mind provides a metric ton of control power for people who want a psi like controller.

Lastly, gosh darn it Bill, leave Spooky alone. Spectral Terror is Awesome.

IMO Illusion works so well because hard controls aren't useful in most of the game. Where they are, they're awesome, but often the indirect controls of the PA or Spooky do a lot better for the team.

Grats Noodle!!

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I tested */psi last night.

It's awesome. One power doth not a set make.