Goldbrick

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What Tanker will have more HP - An Invul Tanker with Dull Pain up, or a Willpower Tanker with HPT?

HPT is up 24/7, but Dull Pain is also a self-heal. Tough call.

So, who's the biggest meat bag?

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Tanker HP cap is 3212.7 hps. The invuln tanker will reach that cap for two minutes at a time while the willpower tank can, with accolades and some IO set bonuses, be at the cap perpetually.

Each tank has its niche in the game. Willpower tanks have no self-heal and only moderate defense, and can get cut down by damage spikes that don't give the high regen time to work. Invuln tanks can avoid those spikes with high typed defense and the self-heal/hp boost can patch over what does get thru, and against s/l damage invuln tanks aren't at risk.

If high hps are what you want, build up a willpower tank. Against a collection of bosses, eat a couple of purples to keep that spiked damage at bay. Against everything else, you should be fine.

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Hi all,

I'm going to ask some advice. I currently have a level 33 inv. tanker. I have all invulnerability primaries, combat jumping, tough and weave for my defense and its slotted with either 3 defense or 3 resist SOs, so each power is at the cap for what it can take.

In most cases I don't have any problems, since many enemies use use smash/lethal, but there are times where I go down faster than I have time to hit my healing button. It wouldn't be an issue if it was against psionic, I know that's my weakness, but my energy, negative energy, fire and cold resists seem to be stuck around 30% and I honestly have no clue how to increase it to get to the cap.

So please, if anyone knows any way of increasing these numbers, to get them closer to the soft cap, tell me, I'd be very happy.

As for slotting IOs, then I'm not a rich player. I currently have around 15m influence, which I'll be willing to invest into making the toon better at surviving.

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If I may weigh in here...your build looks pretty good for team tanking, it's about as good as you can make it without a big budget for plugging in IO sets. If you are tanking for a team, damage output isn't very important, although you will appreciate the mitigation of Foot Stomp when you get it at lvl 38.

Unfortunately, invulnerability tankers don't get any better than 90% s/l resistance, 31% elemental resistance, and typed defense in the upper 30s with ten foes nearby, unless BIG money is spent on IO sets.

Once those IO sets are in and typed defense can get to the soft cap across the board with just a few foes nearby, which usually means there's decent positional defense in place as well, invulnerability tanks are golden. We're talking hundreds of millions here, and careful build planning.

I don't think invuln tanks should be either very team-buff dependent or IO set juggernauts, with not much in between, but that's the state invuln is in today.

Better starting tanks are granite and willpower, both of which do not require massive cash outlays to be strong at high level. If I could make a recommendation, it would be to shelve your invuln tank and build a willpower tank. Once you have accumulated those hundreds of millions, revive and complete your invuln tanker.

It's not you, it's the chopped up way the invuln powerset is designed. It's been thru more design permutations than most sets have, and right now it's more a collection of band-aid fixes than a real powerset, as you will discover if you go with the very nicely put together willpower set.

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People would no more look for a Brute over a Tank redside to fill the aggro-holding role than they look for a Scrapper over a Tank blueside now.

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I am not sure you understand what brutes are capable of. The many times my 50 stone/stone brute has done the LRSF and tanked Statesman, Citadel, and Back Alley Brawler all three at once while my team handled the rest of the Phalanx persuades me that brutes can easily hold enough aggro to keep a team safe.

Some brute secondaries allow for much greater tanking than scrappers are capable of, and brutes have a damage cap that's really hard to reach.

I'm looking forward to something good coming to those few tanks still running around after this expansion comes out.

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Tankers are a niche AT. Brutes are far more wll rounded. Joe Blow will likely gravitate towards the Brute. Especially considering for the most part, blue side enemies are more forgiving. With four possible buffing ATs behind them, Brutes will do well enough at tanking for most people's needs.

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I would have to agree. My granite brute is a real "brick", hard-hitting and incredibly tough. Other brute secondaries can reach the defense soft-cap which makes them pretty hardy as well.

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Lastly, I view this as just the latest in the devs' abuse of Tankers. This is NOT a good thing to happen to Tankers. I've seen what's around the corner, I've seen what's over the horizon, and I promise you, you fools won't have nothing to celebrate. And no, I won't get there with you. I'm going to Champions.

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I don't think tankers were singled out, they're just collateral damage. (And imho the hero and villain worlds should never have been kept separate, although the rogue expansion is not bringing the wall down the way I would want.)

But Johnny, if tankers get rare, really rare, because of brute-tanking hero-side, then tankers will get something good to revive 'em. Brutes hero-side could mean good things for tanks.

Yes, I expect tanks to become an afterthought with brutes available hero-side. Heck, I'd probably only build brutes hero-side myself instead of tanks, but of course I already have all of the lvl 50 tanks I want. Brutes are reeeely fun, while tanks are more of a chore and require some dedication.

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So excited for this! My tanker is so going redside! He's a [censored] anyways! Also guy in Trailer has a pistol!!!! SO me thinks DP is on the way!

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I have a super-spy tanker who would be more comfortable going "undercover" in the Rogue Isles. I also wouldn't mind redeeming my granite brute.

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Better solution: make sending emails cost inf. Not much (somewhere in the 1000 inf range), but it would cut down on the spam oh-so much because now, in order to advertise, they've got to use their "product".

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1000 inf is nothing these days, but I suppose it would add up if a few thousand spam emails are sent out.

I see so many emails now when I log in that I just get rid of them all without checking them. If any were legitimate, they were deleted as spam also. I doubt I'm the only one doing this. I won't use email because I don't want my emails reflexively reported as spam.

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According to the I15 release, we're gonna be getting...

* Architect toolbox allows players to better and more easily polish their content before sharing it with the public.

No clue what this is, so, no reason to get excited about it yet. I could speculate but I'd rather go with what we've been given. If it was actual NEW features, like new goal types or new content, I doubt it'd be described as "polishing" tools, though. If it's just wizards and spellchecks, then eh. Nice, but eh.

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I imagine that this is some sort of interface that we can open while we're testing our missions, to make changes on the fly.

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* Missions can now be selected for both "Hall of Fame" and "Dev Choice," allowing players to attain both badges. "Dev Choice" missions also have selectable reward types.

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I figured that the early bird mission builders would be most likely to get the high ratings. With many thousands of missions published now, I wonder how many really good missions worthy of these distinctions won't get played at all.

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* Plus several other features and improvements to Mission Architect

...THIS has me scratching my head. It's a catch-all of "And more!" which means you can't say for certain what is and is not going to change.

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I'm hoping to be able to add proximity bombs. It would also be nice to be able to place objects on maps and lock them down, including destructible objects and mobs. And I wouldn't mind the option to place destructible doors (like those in the prison cells).

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Costume Change Emotes? Costume Change Emotes?! COSTUME CHANGE EMOTES?!?!

Okay, THAT certainly came out of the blue!

I can't wait to actually see them, those alone could be worth the bucks.

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Well I'll admit it's finally cool to see costume change emotes like these make it into the game. But like others have said on this thread people (like myself) have been suggesting them for years now.

Better late than never I guess.

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What kind of emotes are they?

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I'm getting tired of these $10 costume packs. I could possibly understand ONE special $10 pack. But now there are 4, with more coming. I don't think people should have to pay $40 extra if they want to access costume pieces other than veteran ones. It just strikes me as majorly low and cheap.

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A surprising opinion, considering the free issues we get are much larger. Costume packs are entirely optional, unlike the free issues. So required additions to the game are free, and optional stuff is $10.

I wouldn't want that reversed.

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I don't expect CoX to last much more than three more years. Either the monthly-fee MMO market will bottom out (very unlikely), NCSoft will shut it down due to insufficient profitability (unlikely, but possible), or a sequel will be developed and announced (likely). Launching a sequel would allow them to not only improve the game's engine (which can and is being done gradually already, it seems), but overhaul its playable mechanics and generate new interest in the franchise.

CoX predates WoW, and I don't even expect WoW to last for more than three more years without a proper sequel... or if not a sequel to WoW directly, at least a new property for Blizzard.

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You young whippersnappers don't have enough perspective. Some MMOs hang around for a very long time. Kingdom of Drakkar, a 2-D graphical MUD, is still going after 20 years. Ultima Online is still around. Everquest is 10 years old, and that's a very dated game now, likewise Diablo II. If a game like EQ is still hanging in there, I'm not expecting any plugs to be pulled on CoH for 5-10 more years, longer if they update the graphics periodically.

Remember, MMOs are not yet, imho, fully mainstream. There's quite a lot of potential yet for attracting new players. The industry certainly knows this.

As far as WoW is concerned, it will last a generation more, at least. You'll be old by the time it's a fond(?) memory. Yes, lots of newer stuff will be out over that span of time, but as I say, MMOs are a long way from mainstream.

The only wild card is computer technology itself. In ten years we could be inserting a cable right into our heads for all I know, and keyboard-interface games will get left behind by truly revolutionary game technology.

And finally, I don't think sequels are a good idea. People get attached to their characters and don't want to start all over again in CoH II. Just build onto this game, and if necessary replace the graphics engine. There's already infinite potential in a game like CoH.

Oh, and I believe the word is that Blizzard is working on a new, secret MMO.

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I'm surprised at all the hate on this topic.

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The first few pages of reply for almost any suggestion seem to be naysaying as a matter of course. Don't worry about it.

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One simple way to look at this is simply to give more options when the vet power is picked. Instead of picking 'blackwand' I'd pick "Veteran Dark Blast". Instead of picking Nemesis staff I'd pick "Veteran Energy Blast." These two blasts would of course work under modified versions of their normal performance characteristics.

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While I like your idea, because these vet rewards are useful to some of my lvl 50 toons, thanks to perma-rage or stacked +accuracy from IO set bonuses. But I don't like pulling either stick out of nowhere, it's jarring to the concept of some of my toons. An energy blast would be much better.

I think your suggestion is unlikely to be implemented because:

1) Your suggestion, while good, would probably require more developer time than they want to divert to vet rewards. And a retroactive change might be even tougher.

2) The nemesis staff, blackwand, and ghostslaying axe are all visible indicators of a particular level of vet status, while miscellaneous energy blasts are not.

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So, what would States NEVER say?

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"Here, have a sip from the well that made me an incarnate."

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the way I was treated in PvP

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When you step into the ring, you are going to get punched.

Players who have a really hard time with this are not cut out to PVP, and no torrent of nerfs will change that.

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You still don't get it. When a boxer steps into the ring, he's not going up against six other boxers of much greater boxing experience.

Open-zone PvP is a total loss of an idea for casual players, who don't go there often, don't have a regular PvP team, and probably don't have a PvP build.

I've seen PvP in a number of different games now, and I mostly have contempt for it. I virtually never see sportsmanship or fair play. What I see is greater numbers beating up on smaller numbers, higher levels beating up on lower levels, better gear beating up on lesser gear. That's just bullying.

If you've ever played regular sports, you'll probably notice how the rules are all about making the playing field as level as possible, so skill and strategy will be the determining factors. And good sportsmanship is strongly encouraged.

But not in PvP, which is about as unsportsmanlike an activity as I've ever witnessed, complete with nasty insults and gloating that would never be allowed to persist in a supervised sport such as baseball.

No surprise PvP is shunned in a City of Heroes.

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I'm pointing out that the veteran is not paying $45 per reward: he's paying zero per reward. You already get his money whether or not he gets any reward. But the $10 you get from the fly-by-nighter is actually for the reward: you only get it if he gets the reward. And that's in addition to the cost for him to keep his account active long enough to purchase the shiny.

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The status of veteran cannot be purchased. It's not about money, it's about time spent. For example, you cannot purchase a 20 year stint in the Army at age 18. You must have participated.

People who stuck with this game for five years contributed something much better than mere cash, and that something more is what the vet rewards are about.

The vets gave of their expertise to newer players, demonstrated their advanced skills (and builds), helped test things, posted their longer-term perspectives on the forums, in short, they participated in the game for year after year and helped make it better for everyone, and did it for longer than most ever will. That long involvement is NOT convertible into currency.

I am continually amazed to find that there are people who think everything is for sale.

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At this point you should have:
45% Smash/Lethal defense
40% Energy/Negative defense
30% Fire/Cold defense
20% Melee/Range defense (this covers most Psi damage)
13% Psi defense

Your resistances will be something like this:
Smash/Lethal – 90% capped
Energy/Negative – 30%
Fire/Cold – 17%

Very little damage will actually get past your defenses, and of what does very little will be Fire/Cold. This is the build I’ve been playing for the past several weeks and it’s nearly as durable as my Granite tankers.

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I postulate that yours might represent an overkill build. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) It sounds like you are not factoring in the scaling defense of Invincibility. With 7 mobs nearby Invincibility should still provide a tanker with an additional ~18% typed defense.

3% from Steadfast IO
8% from Weave
8% from Tough Hide
~18% from Invincibility (7 Mobs nearby)
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~37% typed defense total

So aren't you really just in need of another 8% of typed defense from IO sets to soft-cap everything but psi?

And if your tank decides to slot Combat Jumping with 3 defense SOs/IOs, the tanker would only need another 4.5% defense from set bonuses.

Where your idea really works though is against solitary foes where the bonus to Invincibility is greatly reduced and defense would be down around 30% or so. Lord Recluse, though, is so buffed by his towers that defense isn't very useful while they're up.

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I wish we could accept that as enough of an advantage and do away with Vet Rewards entirely.

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I wish we all could accept that some players like and enjoy vet rewards just the way they are. Overall the vet reward program has been a nice addition to the game. I like looking forward to the next reward.

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I would argue (and this is a slight derail) that any player who's already been playing (and paying) long enough to get the 60 month badge would be doing so with or without veteran rewards. Implying that people only remain loyal to the game because they are rewarded with veteran powers seems intellectually dishonest to me.

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People do not "only remain loyal to the game because they are rewarded with veteran powers", vet rewards are PART of why people stick around, and that's good enough.

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And to whoever said, "life's not fair", to be brutally frank, [censored] off. This isn't life.

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Is your frustration real or isn't it?

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But THIS world is under the complete control of a relatively small number of people who can change anything about it they like.

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You are kidding yourself if you think real life isn't just like that, in all of its hierarchical structures and organizations.

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I don't accept 'deal with it' as an answer.

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Okay, don't deal with it.

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You're missing my point. I *AM* saying such a thing as being able to skip a prereq should have downsides. As it currently stands, though, there is absolutely no penalty whatsoever if you weren't using the prereq for anything. Those with this reward can get the benefit without paying any cost, unlike everyone else.

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The penalty is we had to wait 60 months for it.

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And, second, my complaint is that this is being doled out to only *some* of the population.

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So it's not game-breaking, since relatively few have it. You probably won't even notice the difference between a few people being able to fly at lvl 6 and everyone else who will just turn on the raptor pack.

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Really, this is about the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. Unlike almost every single other division in this game (rich/poor, high level/low level, uber PvPer/newb PvPer, etc), the vet/newbie division *cannot* be erased by any effort on the part of the newbie.

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The newbie just has to wait 60 months, like everyone else, including the vets who are closest to this reward. You will of course counter by saying that the vets will then be at the 120 month (ten year) reward, or the game might not be running.

Trust me, ten years from now you will probably be plugging the latest MMO directly into your special brain jack and you will barely remember nor care about your current agony over not having the CoH 60 month vet reward.

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No matter what he does, the vet will *always* be X months ahead of him in the endless vet reward treadmill. And *that's* why I resent things which are actually game-changing (rather than simply conveniences or perks) being doled out based on the one distinction I can do absolutely nothing about.

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Conclusion: life isn't fair. You will suffer less if you accept life as it is more.

"They say minions grow on trees in this game..."

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Yes I DID say premade map. The devs have promised us over 1,000 maps to choose from at launch, including all unique maps.

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I wonder if we will get access to the Terra Volta reactor map, with a reactor that can explode if the team fails to protect it? Even if there's only the initial spawn of bad guys, a more challenging reactor mission could easily be devised.

Will there be hidden keys to unlock doors?

Will we be able to mine a mission with proximity bombs, or just clues and glowies?

And I wonder if it will be possible to make a map re-spawn at regular intervals? Probably not, sadly.

I'm a little bummed that there won't be "triggers" in the missions, e.g., cross an invisible threshold and spawn a bunch of bad guys or start a countdown. I assume that the "no ambushes" rule actually means "no triggers".

A much more complete set of sewer items.

Working elevators and multiple floors.

Windowscapes: moon, undersea, stars, maybe even lava.

Working doors, even if they're only roll-up doors, that we can lock.

An "arena" room where SG-mates can PvP with each other.

An influence bank.

A portal room to the Shard.

A tailor station.

NPCs to staff the base with.

Statues or posters of our characters.

A real store to sell stuff at that doesn't require 5 million points of healing.

A Wentworth's/Black Market station.

And please release thousands of decorative items to the base palette.

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Whta I've suggested in the past is that the devs make a "veteran melee power pool" and a "veteran ranged power pool" and add powers to each as necessary. Make the veteran rewards grant one choice from the appropriate pool. So if they decide to add some new snazzy veteran attack, newer players will still have a shot at them before they grow old and die. The advantage older players will have is that they will have more *selections* but not necessarily a better set of selections which means there is less of a problem adding overly interesting veteran attacks.

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/signed

Defintely a better system than we have now IMO

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As has been posted in rebuttal many, many times, such a "pick your vet reward from a pool" system is not a good idea. Just to recap a few objections:

1) This front-loads the best vet rewards, making the rest of the rewards less anticipated over time, effectively providing a declining incentive to stick around.

2) Balance concerns: Should everyone get the nemesis staff at only three months? There's probably a solid game balance reason behind why some vet rewards take a long time to get.

3) Vet rewards are a visual indicator of vet status. Boxing costume? That player must have been around at least 39 months. A self-buff pet? They've been around at least 48 months. A pick-your-own system removes all status from the visual cue, since any reward can be picked up as early as 3 months.

4) Newer vet rewards would be decreased in effectiveness, not made better, under such a system, since the devs would not want really good vet rewards flooding the game environment as early as 3 months after the new really good vet power is introduced.

Let's pretend as an example that the devs might decide to give out a jetpack "temp" power at 57 months, and aren't worried that it will affect the game too much since few would have it.

But under a "pick your own" system the devs would just give out some junk power like a snowball instead, and a jetpack power would NEVER be added as a vet reward because then everyone would have the option of skipping travel powers entirely after playing the game for only 3 months.

Put more stuff up for purchase, please. Whatever else you have planned, it's really not reaching us fast enough.

Where's the costume jetpack add-on pack?

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Well, in one respect, I'm glad to see the vet rewards continue, but at the same time, I feel a bit underwhelmed that the developers aren't getting at all imaginitive with new rewards. Recycled rewards just isn't getting me excited...Thank you, but meh...

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Yes, I feel the same way. Even making permanent one or two of the other already-existing minor temp powers would have had more newness. Oh well.