Ironblade

Bumping is prohibtib... protib... prohibbi... not allowed.

Fine! We don't need anyone else! We have enough to start it.

And I don't want to see a bunch of slackers showing up unannounced or I will taunt you mercilessly (with taunts involving hamsters and elderberries).

I wait.

Only my main character is purpled. Some day, they will add purple sets for defense, healing and resistance powers. When they do, I will buy them.

I think I have the basics of the archetype system, but am quite confused as to which powersets to use with any given character. I'm concerned that my choices now will nerf my superheroe in later gameplay. [I]Are there any detailed overviews out there to help me with my decisions?
People have already posted links to guides. It's actually difficult to truly gimp your character in this game as long as you don't do the following:
1) Pick your powers without even reading the description.
2) Take all four travel pools.
If you pay even the slightest attention, your build should be fine. If you actually read guides and do some research, you'll be above average.


I'm somewhat attracted to the tank and controller archetypes. My experience with the tank in other mmorpgs is that one needs to know the game in order to play the tanker well; is this the case with this game?
Yes. Since you will typically have more enemies attacking you than your teammates, there is more 'pressure' on your character. Any mistake is more likely to have a negative impact when you have 10 enemies attacking you, rather than 2.

If you're solo, or on a very small team, the opposite is true. Tankers are inherently much tougher so a small number of enemies is not much of a threat. You can start out soloing or duoing to learn the ropes and how the game works.

BTW, I also prefer tanks and controllers. I have five of each at level 50, then 3 defenders, 1 scrapper, 1 blaster.....


Are tankers/controllers a needed/wanted archetype for grouping in the game?
Yes and no. All AT's (archetypes) are wanted. None of them are "needed". You can assemble a kick-*** team while omitting any AT. Also, there are a tiny percentage of stupid players who will say things like, "I hate <AT name here>." "No team needs a <whatever>." "We can't start until I find a <AT>."

The vast majority of players recognize that the PLAYER is more important than their character type. If you have a good attitude, you'll be welcome on teams.


Are tankers/controllers reasonable solo classes for the time when groups are not available.
It depends. A solo tanker is never going to die unless you really, really try to. But you don't do so much damage so it will be slow. Controllers 'typically' solo a bit faster, especially after they get their pets (usually at level 32). I say typically because there is definite variation among controller types in soloing speed. If you want specific advice on builds or which powersets you might like, post in the Controller forum.


Is there crafting or a player economy in the game? Not a biggy, just want to know what I'm facing if I subscribe.
Yes. It's an alternative to the stores. You can ignore it or you can devote most of your game time to it. Or anywhere in between. Up to you. (There is a 'Market and Inventions' forum.)


Which server? Obviously looking for a server with reasonable population and adult super groups.
When you log in, the servers are listed as follows:
- last server you were on at the top
- the rest listed in order of 'load' with the lightest load at the top
(Generally, load is good proxy for 'population'.)
To get a good estimate, check the list order during USA prime time.
In generally, Virtue and Freedom are the busiest. Not sure which is ahead. Some people say those are too crowded. Some people say they wouldn't consider any other servers.


Are new players welcome in the game?
Most definitely. There are entire supergroups that exist for the sole purpose of helping other players, particularly new ones. There is also 'The Mentor Project' (see link in my SIG) which spans all servers and exists to educate new players.

Also, since it sounds like you're asking about a site to display character info, you might try Ouroboros Portal.

Yeah, I let the updater get up to connecting #14 while I was reading the forums. Had to bypass the updater to connect.