Grey Pilgrim

Hasn't this been greenlit before, or was that just all "we're kind of probably/maybe/sort of working on it?"

Anyway, I like hearing that Peter Jackson is directing for sure. I think the LOTR books are much better than the movie trilogy, but they did manage to get a large amount of the movies right. A few things bug me (mostly the elves, Faramir, and Denethor), but for a book to movie translation, they're quite good and I like rewatching them.

I'm still not keen on this being two movies long and being in 3D. I can't see 3D adding much of anything to the experience, and I'm not sure how that will pan out for home viewing. And to reiterate, still don't see a need for two movies, either.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that people who did it mostly right three times before can do it again. I feel reasonably sure that Smaug and all the settings will look great, considering Jackson will probably have many of the same people working for him again: biggest worry is how the story is worked out, and how the characters feel in the translation.

*cough*Fire Mastery*cough*

Pick up a hold for annoying things like Sappers or Tarantula Queens that eat defense for breakfast. Decent ranged ST power and AOE power, and a debuff power. The debuff numbers on Melt Armor are not huge, but the debuff lasts a long time (40 seconds for both the defense and res debuff) and can stack with Bruising.


To be honest, though, there are a variety of things that can work for you. For APPs, though I usually go with whatever fits my character thematically, as that is my preference (especially since we can't customize APPs yet). After that, I choose the one that is going to boost my character the most.

Yeah... Energy is middle of the road for AOE and ST damage. Quite a good set, and as I level my En/En Blaster, I'm finding it more easy and fun than my other Blasters, and I've enjoyed playing them all. The KB makes it quite safe, and you're able to do a lot in any situation.

If you have a set that has KB, you just have to run with it in a way that helps your team. Lot of strategies for that, but the main one is just to take out whatever you knockback. Not hard to do with it, either. Of course, some people are more touchy about stuff getting knocked back than they should be, and that's part of the problem.

Yeah, I would recommend always taking the first two tier attacks from a Blaster primary. Too darn useful to skip.

*sighs* Sunset Samurai is shut out by... a cockroach this year? It was a cow last year! What do all these animal themed people have that he doesn't? *sniff*



Glad you had a good turnout, MP. Seemed like you had the process set up nicely, too.

Yeah, that happened with me the first time around, as my inbox reverted to a time when I had mailed myself the couple purples I have. I figured I might as well grab them, and support didn't say anything, but I wouldn't count on it always happening.

Just a little word to the wise and those who send lots of things via the in-game e-mail. Do not keep things in your inbox during a server maintenance. I have had things disappear during maintenance twice since GR went live. Support has been nice and given them back to me, but it's a hassle you don't want to deal with (you have to let them know when you sent the stuff, roughly, and on what character).

Personally, I have Touch of the Nictus 5-slotted in Dark Regeneration for that added 2.25 endurance bonus. Maybe I'll end up using DR more often and wishing for a little more end reduction in there from a Golgi or something else, but it seems like that bonus would be nice to have all of the time, rather than having some more end reduction in DR.

Also, I'm hoping all my defense bonuses, etc., will keep me from needing to use it too often (or that I can at least fire it off in a big mob and let that Theft of Essence proc fire off more often).

Sounds like I should use the extra slot inherent Fitness is going to give me (by plunking one of my LotG +recharges in a defense pool power) to put a Performance Shifter +end in to Stamina or Physical Perfection. I like that effect, but oy, I do not like the look of how costly this build is going to be (mostly in merits, as some things just aren't worth waiting weeks for it to drop on the market: I got my Theft of Essence proc with 2 hero merits so I could have it when this guy exemps down). Oh well, he's fun to play.

Oddly enough, the mobs that really make me irate are still void hunters. I like going after them no matter what AT I'm on, as an enemy group that specifically hunts certain heroes just gets my dander up. Sappers are just after them, though, I guess. Heh.

Eh, less grumpy on a Friday night than I was on a Friday morning with a day of grading and not enough sleep before me.

Anyway, the major stick in my craw right now is one of misconception: that misconception being that "X archetype is better than any other archetype in CoX." I hate this misconception, as all of the ATs are on a reasonably even keel (I mentioned Stalkers, as that seems to be the one universal AT that many agree could use some tweaks to keep it in par with the other melee ATs: Castle also indicated he wanted to adjust them but didn't have time to do so before GR).

So, really, the only thing people should think about is the style in which they want to get things done in. All of the ATs offer different approaches to getting the job done. There are different flavors of support, damage, and aggro management between several ATs, too, which is even better.

The debates we saw for months before GR about how "X AT will replace Y AT," and in any continued debates (like in that linked thread that I hate and Another Fan likes) arise from other difficulties. People have a tendency to forget that the basic difficulty setting of the game is x0/+0, and that you can advance plenty well doing missions at that setting. And all ATs can handle that.

And really, most ATs can surpass that on SOs. When you throw in IOs, things get more complicated, of course, but luckily, the devs didn't choose to make the game more difficult because of IOs. Though they can't ignore what kind of changes they cause, either. It doesn't change any AT being able to ratchet up the difficulty level and do more on their own (and on a team) depending on their build and skill level.

Anyway, I'm getting carried away. All those debates about one AT superseding another are pretty much null and void. The ATs aren't so far apart that there are real, substantial disparities, even with one that is more universally agreed upon like Stalkers (and there are plenty like me that still like them and think they add something to a team). People should play what they want to play, and CoX is one of those few MMOs out there that allows you to do so.

That's what set me off earlier, as that other thread and some posts continue to suggest to new players that they should choose an AT because of some real performance difference, when there isn't a huge one. Again, people should play what they want, and CoX allows them that opportunity: no one should ruin that.

Sure, some powerset combos and builds can make for some crazy DPS or take on multiple AVs, but that's hardly close to baseline performance, or what most people need to do to play the game and have fun. There's plenty of room for min/maxxers and casual players in CoX... which is again, people playing what they want. You go for the style of play you prefer.

Yeah, what's up with that? What will Ham do if he doesn't have a Stalker to pick on in Isos?

Have fun. Little breaks help me enjoy the game more when I come back, and I19 sounds like it should be pretty fun.

No, that really is the problem. Blasters are not numerically so on the edge as Stalkers are, and it's ridiculous that anyone would say Stalkers aren't worth it anyway.

At best, all you have pointed out in that other thread is that a few powerset combinations can do a lot of damage too, like that somehow obviates the entire Blaster AT or makes them worthless. When plenty of people still like playing them, still do play them, and are hardly having issues in playing the game well.

Basically, you have set up a situation where you are artificially creating a large performance bias between ATs, when the only bias should be what a player has fun with (and that is what CoX has). Way to try and ruin one of the best aspects of City of Heroes. Seriously, it's disgusting.

Sorry for being annoyed, but... I have argued for balance many times when it is needed, even when I don't play an AT or powerset. I was all for the Blaster changes many issues back, as the AT really did need it then.

Any suggestion that Blasters are way out of whack now or that another AT fits the bill much better (when the only real requirement is what you like to play for) is a bad thing.

As for this statement " It sounds like he got steered to something much better for a new player." That's hogwash, and you should know it. The only best thing for any player, new or old, is to play something they like. Some people enjoy playing support, some don't. And really, most of the support classes take awhile to mature and work well. You can do what a Blaster does from 1-50, easily.

I have an Ice/Storm Corruptor that I quite like, but he's still rather slow and not all that powerful in the 20s. I know how that's going to open up and be great, looking at the final build I have for him in mid's (and knowing how Storm works at higher levels from my Earth/Storm Controller), but he's not there yet.

The more straight up ATs are a bit easier for getting used to City of Heroes. Really, Blasters, Brutes, and Scrappers are probably the best there. I'd still steer people into support ATs if that's the concept they like best for their character, though.

The double agent stuff is a bit too confusing, in my mind, and not set up well in game. They tell you can do it, but the steps to do it are less than obvious. And one time when I tried to get new mission objectives from Calvin Scott (for a Loyalist mission), he just kept talking to me about seeing a couple of Resistance contacts that I hadn't gone to yet.

Maybe I needed to go to them first and he would have offered me the mission, but it's an unnecessary and further confusing hoop to the process.