Justaris

Mr. Justice 2011/PvP Bootcamp Mentor
  • Posts

    1258
  • Joined

  1. I can't do Tuesdays (sorry to be difficult). I don't know how long you wanted to play each session, but sometime in the afternoon or early evening Saturday would suit me fine. Not my intention to speak for everyone, just making suggestions.

    I really like the look of the costume template, btw.

    Are we going to have a convention for our character names as well?
  2. Was there ever a final decision made on day and time for this? It sounds like a lot of fun and I would like to join in, but I would need to know when the static team will meet.

    Wednesdays at 7pm EST or later works for me. I have a conflict on Saturday evenings (another team that runs 9pm EST-11:30pm EST on Saturdays) but could play in the morning or afternoon on that day. If the majority of the team prefers Saturday evenings, then I'll have to pass on this, fun as it sounds.

    I'd like to go for Red, but if that's taken I'll take Yellow as a second choice.

    Global is @Justaris.
  3. I can't make it on that day (prior comittment from 8-10:30pm CST on that day) but if you make any other attempts for this sort of thing for any of the three trials I would be very interested in participating.
  4. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Microcosm View Post
    Eclipse offers the same resistance to psi as it does to everything else.
    Thanks for the correction there - I'm not sure what I was thinking. Probably just sleep deprivation talking.

    Btw, I'd tend to agree about the Dwarf Mire now that it's no longer a straightforward clone of Sunless Mire. I find I don't make near as much use of it as I once did.
  5. Justaris

    Build for Earl

    As requested on TW today, here's a Dark/Stone tank build. I'm sure some folks like Dechs could improve on it, but it works pretty well for me.

    Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
    http://www.cohplanner.com/

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Tin Mage Basalt: Level 50 Magic Tanker
    Primary Power Set: Dark Armor
    Secondary Power Set: Stone Melee
    Power Pool: Leadership
    Power Pool: Fighting
    Power Pool: Flight
    Power Pool: Speed
    Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

    Hero Profile:
    Level 1: Dark Embrace -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A), S'fstPrt-ResKB(3), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(3), RctvArm-ResDam(7), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(36), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
    Level 1: Stone Fist -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(21), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(33), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
    Level 2: Murky Cloud -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam(5), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(5), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(7)
    Level 4: Death Shroud -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Erad-%Dam(9), C'ngBlow-Dmg/EndRdx(11), C'ngBlow-Acc/Dmg(15), C'ngBlow-Acc/Rchg(15)
    Level 6: Obsidian Shield -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(11), RctvArm-ResDam(13), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(13), ImpArm-ResPsi(46)
    Level 8: Maneuvers -- HO:Enzym(A), HO:Enzym(48), HO:Enzym(50)
    Level 10: Taunt -- Mocking-Rchg(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg(17), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng(23), Mocking-Taunt/Rng(31)
    Level 12: Dark Regeneration -- Nictus-Heal/HP/Regen/Rchg(A), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(27), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Mocking-Acc/Rchg(42), Theft-+End%(43)
    Level 14: Cloak of Darkness -- Krma-ResKB(A), HO:Enzym(23), LkGmblr-Rchg+(25), HO:Enzym(29)
    Level 16: Build Up -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(17), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(19), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(31), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(40), GSFC-Build%(42)
    Level 18: Boxing -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(27), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(34), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
    Level 20: Cloak of Fear -- N'mare-Acc/Rchg(A), N'mare-Acc/EndRdx(34), N'mare-EndRdx/Fear(48)
    Level 22: Fault -- RechRdx-I(A)
    Level 24: Air Superiority -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(25), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(39), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
    Level 26: Fly -- Zephyr-ResKB(A), Zephyr-Travel(31)
    Level 28: Hurl Boulder -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(33)
    Level 30: Tough -- RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), RctvArm-ResDam/Rchg(37), RctvArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(37), RctvArm-ResDam(39)
    Level 32: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(45), HO:Enzym(45), HO:Enzym(46)
    Level 35: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A)
    Level 38: Seismic Smash -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(40), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(40), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
    Level 41: Tremor -- Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Erad-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Erad-%Dam(43)
    Level 44: Soul Tentacles -- GravAnch-Hold%(A)
    Level 47: Darkest Night -- HO:Enzym(A)
    Level 49: Soul Transfer -- Erad-Acc/Rchg(A), Erad-Dmg/Rchg(50), Erad-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(50)
    Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
    Level 0: Portal Jockey
    Level 0: Task Force Commander
    Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
    Level 50: Cardiac Core Paragon
    Level 50: Void Judgement -- Empty(A)
    ------------
    Level 1: Brawl -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(36), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(37), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
    Level 1: Sprint -- ULeap-Stlth(A)
    Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
    Level 1: Gauntlet
    Level 4: Ninja Run
    Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
    Level 2: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+(45)
    Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
    Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), P'Shift-EndMod(19), P'Shift-End%(21)
  6. I would definitely go with S/L rather than building for melee defense, especially given the OP's stated intention to play primarily in nova form with the other forms mainly as buffing platforms. I wouldn't say ranged defense is a bad choice given that playstyle, but S/L is good both melee and ranged and covers much of the game's enemies. Energy/NegEnergy you'll already resist fairly well even without Eclipse, which only leaves Fire/Cold (relatively uncommon), Toxic (rare, and not much helps with it anyway) and Psy. Eclipse doesn't help with Psy so that's the one area where I can see Ranged being superior - but you could just as easily simply not fight Carnies or Psychic Clocks.

    Still, in most situations, having about 30% S/L is likely to be more valuable than 20% ranged. It's a personal preference situation, and I don't think either is a bad move. You can be very hardy against most content with some specific weaknesses or you can be less tough but perform more evenly. Since probably something like 85% or more of the game's enemies use some form of S/L damage, however, those specific weak points are probably going to be few, far between and easily avoided for the most part. YMMV.
  7. Justaris

    Returning mm

    Well Traps remains a good powerset, but hasn't had any major overhauls for MMs that I am aware of. The only problem I have on my Traps MM is the problem that most Trappers have here and there - the speed on a fast-moving team sometimes works against the location-based nature of most Traps powers. But that's something you can adjust to and/or something the team can adapt to - ideally a bit of both.

    As for "newer made enhancement sets" being worthwhile, that really depends on what you are going for, as with any Invention Sets. Unless you are referring to the Incarnate slots, in which case the answer is an emphatic YES.
  8. Based on the criteria you gave, this looks like a workable (albeit expensive) build.

    Quote:
    1. Live in Nova - Use human to mire/eclipse/stygian (launching pad really)
    This should be viable so long as you have the timing down well enough to keep Eclipse running and to use Mire and Circle to keep your damage and endurance up. Your nova blast powers are well-slotted and with Mire on top of that you should clean house most of the time.

    Quote:
    2. Have Perma eclipse/hasten
    Check. The only hitch here is that if you are living in Nova most of the time you may not keep Hasten up completely perma, but you should be switching to human form for Eclipse, Circle and Mire often enough that a Hasten set on autofire should go off without much of a hitch.

    Quote:
    3. Have as much ranged defense as practical
    Unfortunately the amount of recharge to obtain goal #2 also limits how far you can pursue goal #3, but given the amount of Resistance you can throw around with Eclipse and how much healing power you have in Stygian Circle, I would say that what you have here should be good - you can always pack lots of purple inspirations since I doubt you'll need much of any other kind once you get Clarion rolling. You might also consider slotting the Gladiator's Armor +def proc to get that much more Defense into the build, though of course that will be quite expensive. I'm not sure I would spend the inf for it, but it's the only thing I can see doing to get you more defense without compromising the build in some other way.

    Quote:
    4. Have as many pets out as possible
    This goes hand-in-hand with goal #2 so you should be good here so long as you keep up the killing speed so that you always have a body ready when you need to use Extraction. You should be able to maintain two or three without much trouble and four at once for a brief periods if you really get into a groove.

    Quote:
    5. Nasty Damage output
    If you have your Dark Nova form firing on all cylinders then you should have pretty great damage output and be nigh-unkillable while you have Eclipse running, which should be pretty much all the time.

    You might consider the Musculature Core Paragon alpha for more damage versus the Spiritual Core Paragon alpha for more rechage and stun. With a Nova-centric build like this, I think I might go for the Musculature, but you could always craft both and swap them out depending on the foes you are facing.

    Judgment will also help with the damage output, of course. For Interface, I would call it a toss-up between Reactive for more damage and Diamagnetic for the -tohit (to stack with your Defense from the IOs). Reactive is probably going to be the better bet most of the time since you will usually wipe things out and won't have to worry about debuffing their to-hit. You'll go Clarion for Destiny, of course. Haven't had a chance to review all the new Lore pets and which ones have a leg up over the others, but the extra damage there will be nice too regardless of what you end up choosing.

    This build should be an absolute monster for most PvE content and once it gets rolling can clear maps like not much else can. Your biggest hurdle is going to be taking on tough single enemies like AVs since you'll quickly run out of fuel for Eclipse, Circle and Mire and then gradually your Essences will expire and leave you going toe-to-toe in a reduced capacity. Your best bet for fights like this is to get supercharged with Eclipse and Mire right before entering battle and throw everything you have at the enemy in the opening few seconds of the fight - Lore pets, Judgment powers, Geas of the Kind Ones accolade, the works. Time is not on your side in these fights, but often you can pull out a quick win.
  9. Justaris

    Returning mm

    Yes, if you have Going Rogue then you can change your alignment to Hero (or start in Praetoria and go directly to hero from there at level 20).

    Masterminds still have some issues with Pet AI (when don't they?) but they are still a very solid AT to play. Yes, Incarnate enhancements to effect pets, all except Recharge since pets were set a while back not to be effected by those in order to avoid messing up their attack chains or something like that. Other incarnate slots will effect pets, however, including the other three alpha choices and the interface procs.

    It would be prohibitively time-consuming to go over every powerset possible, but if you have more specific questions then I'm sure I or someone else would be happy to answer them for you. Welcome back!
  10. Justaris

    Necro/???

    Any of those would work reasonably well, but I think between Poison or Pain I would go with Pain to pair with Necro as it will help you keep your zombies standing a bit easier with the heals and buffs. Pain will let you play about equally well whether you're mopping the floor or having a rough time and trying to rally in a tough battle.

    Poison, on the flip side, has excellent debuffs but they are largely single-target. The healing power, Alkaloid, is also single-target and has a rather high endurance cost for what it does, so it's more difficult to support your minions in tough situations with Poison. Poison is very good against tough targets like AVs or other players, but not as good against large groups which is what you'll be facing most of the time in PvE. That's not to say Poison can't do well, just that it has to work harder when things turn from offensive to defensive.
  11. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Visthera View Post
    Its why I said a different philosophy in that the whole shape shifting AT idea is fail (save for maybe lightform, which seems like an unstoppable power from Invulnerability power set)
    Except that the shapeshifting AT idea does work, particularly in the case of Warshades. It needs some love, particularly in the area of animation times, but it's far from failure. Scrapping the concept around which the AT is based, however.. that is fail. Not to mention a violation of the cottage rule on a huge scale.

    It seems like you don't really know that much about these ATs.

    To be clear, I am not saying these ATs are perfect, but neither are they unplayable, fail, or whatever label you might care to use. Provided the player builds and plays them for what they are instead of trying to shoehorn them into a role they don't fit, they work very nicely. Warshades in particular can dominate the battlefield and that's before any signifcant IOs go in. After IOs, well, see Dechs' guide.

    PBs do need more help, but even so I think claiming that the shapeshifting mechanic needs to be thrown out is not only an extreme reaction but a nonsensical one. While I respect those who play human-only builds and have one myself, I think most would agree that the shapeshifting mechanic is what makes Kheldians unique and different. The solution is to fix and improve it, not remove it.
  12. The community is a major draw and one of the reasons I have been playing this game as long as I have (over 7 years now). Not only is the overall community generally a civil and welcoming one, but the individual servers each have their own community, core group of very active players, and slightly different flavor or 'culture' if you will, so after wandering a bit it's likely you will run across a group that you click with in some way. That or you may end up like me and wander all over the place with your fingers in a bit of every pie.

    As others have mentioned, the game is heavily instanced, which means that once you get beyond the tutorial and early game practically everyone is in missions and you don't see many people overland, which can create the false impression of an empty game. What's more, as players level up they gain fast-travel powers and access to various teleport mechanics which further shortens the travel time between instances, which means you see even less of them.

    For this reason, you will likely want to look into global channels for the server or servers you end up settling on as these can be seen by players in missions, unlike the broadcast (shout) channel which only reaches players in the same instance as yourself. More often than not when players complain that the game is dead or that they can't find people, it is because they are trying to use an open-world approach in a heavily instanced game. That, or they're jerks and word has got around about 'em.

    Welcome, and enjoy the game.
  13. Yeah, let's fix the shapeshifting AT by taking out the shapeshifting... wait...

    Granted, there are issues with animation times and room for improvement, but as others have already noted, this idea is pretty much fail.
  14. Welcome back, LadyMage! Good to see a familiar name coming back.

    Rigel_Kent's post above was pretty thorough in terms of a good approach to take and he's absolutely correct that the +recharge sets can get pricy in a hurry and that is what you'll want to shoot for as an empath.

    Naturally, the best bonuses of this type are going to come mostly from purples which will be slow in coming, at least initially. If you have the inclination, farming and/or playing the market can net you significant windfalls of influence to spend and while farming can be time-intensive, marketeering doesn't have to be and when combined with some farming can be extremely lucrative. So that's something to consider. You may also find that some folks might be willing to float you some start-up capital no-strings-attached.

    As for the Incarnate system, while it can be confusing in a hurry, it is also a ticket to a stronger character without the expense and crafting hassles involved in fully IO'ing your character out and you could probably make larger strides there first - at least getting your Alpha unlocked and most likely going the Spiritual path. Once you realized the build you posted, really the only place to go as far as IOs will be additional recharge with Luck of the Gambler +recharge IOs and purple sets, so you're looking at hundreds of millions per IO at that point - decidedly a long-term goal for most people.

    As always, ParagonWiki has some helpful information on the subject.
  15. I'd agree with most of what Laevateinn said above, especially as relates to putting Unbreakable Constraint in EM Pulse and putting some accuracy in LR.

    Personally I like the Power Mastery epic pool to layer some Resistance with my defense from IOs and to get Force of Nature. I feel it works well with an aggressive Rad/Rad playstyle, which is also how I play mine, but YMMV. Building for a lot of ranged defense and going for Scorp Shield is certainly also a way to go. You might also consider working in Neutron Bomb since the -defense there is significant and combined with Irradiate helps a lot for an aggressive Rad playstyle.

    That's all I have for now, posting from work, will look in on this thread later.
  16. Quote:
    Originally Posted by CaptainFoamerang View Post
    For those of you wanting a review from a Green Lantern fan, here I go:

    The film was okay. But just okay. After seeing it, you have to wonder when you're handling an intellectual property revolving around creativity and imagination, why wasn't more of that injected into the project? Was the director just not up to properly conveying just how large-scale this movie could be? Should have they have just threw a bunch of money at Geoff Johns to write the movie instead of getting a bunch of guys together to see if they could imitate what he's done to make Green Lantern so popular over the last several years? Did they not have to budget to do what they should have, which was to break from the superhero staple of a love interest and set this movie almost entirely in space as Hal learns to sling the green?

    I'm sure the answers to these questions are known to some already or will come out following the film's release, but for whatever reason, I find it hard to imagine a GL fan would say this movie lives up to its potential. Here are some of the reasons why the film missed the mark:
    • Blake Lively was positively wooden save for maybe one scene.
    • Hal's time exploring the capabilities of the ring and training on Oa was too brief.
    • There's no memorable musical score to go along with the character.
    • The CGI of organic creatures was off and felt sub-standard, as if whichever company behind it didn't really take pride in their work.
    • The relationship between Hal and Sinestro isn't explored enough, and overall Sinestro wasn't given enough screentime, certainly not enough to demonstrate his motivations for doing what he does in the stinger.
    • The action was a bit too brief and the big bad is defeated too easily.
    • There were no stand-outs acting-wise.
    • There's no real personal beef between the main villain and Hal, so there's little emotional weight to their fight.

    It's certainly disappointing if you're a GL fan and if you realize how much better it could have been if they'd gone a different way with it or gotten the money and creative team to take pride in the movie rather than simply throw a DC superhero movie out there just to show they're making an effort (albeit minimal) in the comic book big screen battle.

    This encapsulates most of what I felt on seeing the flim, also as a GL fan. I went in to this movie really wanting it to be good and the start of a franchise and based on what I saw I really do not see that happening.


    LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW, BE WARNED

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *




















    Specifically, I feel the movie failed (or, to be charitable, "could have done better") on two broad levels. Firstly, as a GL movie for GL fans, it fails in that it does not adequately explore the core of the character and what it means to be a Green Lantern. The script boils it down to 'green space cop' and leaves it at that. While that can work as a basic job description, the core of what it takes to be a Green Lantern - the strength of will and ability to master fear - is not well-handled in my opinion. It seems all that Hal Jordan needs is a brief pep talk from his girlfriend and he has all the will he needs to defeat a threat that has the entire corps shaking in their collective boots. I also felt (to detour briefly into nerd country) that the essential mashing of the villains of Krona and Parallax into one character was baffling and needless, since it reduces the available rogues gallery for future films and, at least in my view, just plain doesn't work.

    On the other hand, as a summer blockbuster movie made to appeal to non-fans - something that it was also necessary that this movie at least attempt to do - I also feel the movie failed. Perhaps someone without much foreknowledge of GL or comics in general could gainsay me here, as I readily confess I have a biased view, but there it is. As a film in its own right, I don't feel that the film adequately sets up who the Corps are as a group and why they exist. I think we needed more time with the other Lanterns (especially Sinestro) since we get very little character development for any of them to understand why it is such an honor that Hal be included among them. In fact all we really see is them talking and them failing time after time - the movie could have used some good action scenes involving Lanterns other than Hal. This isn't to say the focus had to move away from Hal entirely, but him coming in and immediately being the savior of the Corps, after more or less washing out of boot camp, rang false to me.

    There is also pretty much no build-up whatsoever to Sinestro taking the ring at the conclusion of the film. Going strictly on the plot of the film, he is a proud and dedicated member of the Corps who is the obvious field general and leader and clearly has the confidence and trust of the Guardians. He requests the yellow ring be made specifically as a last resort weapon to combat the imminent threat that Parrallax represents. In this context, his taking the yellow ring makes no sense whatsoever - the danger is past, so why would he do this? As a GL fans we know about his excessive measures on his homeworld and his expulsion from the Corps as a result, all of which contributes to his decision to become the first Yellow Lantern, but there's only the barest hint of that here and most of that only because of the high caliber of actor playing the role rather than anything in the script.

    Overall, I walked out of the film still wanting to like it but unable to honestly say that it was a good film. It was a mess that seemed to be trying to be everything to everyone and mash together so many plot points and elements that it ended up accomplishing none of them. Yes, it had a few moments here and there that worked, but not enough to carry the film for me. This was a disappointment.

    It reminded me of nothing so much as the stories I myself would make up as a child in which absolutely everything would happen in the space of ten pages, because all I cared about were the action beats, the 'cool stuff'. It's as if some studio executive asked for a short list of all the major characters and events in the decades-long history of the character and then said "Let's film that."

    This was probably worth a single viewing, but certainly not repeat screenings, and the 3D (in fact, the CGI in general) was fair to poor. The climactic battle in particular stood out to me as poor in the CGI department, which I would think would be the LAST thing you would want in your movie when you are at least in theory supposed to be invested in the stakes and the action. It completely took me out of the moment. Why they didn't spend the bulk of their money there I can't imagine... unless that was the buik of their budget, in which case I have no words.

    Well, that's probably more than enough from me. YMMV.




















    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    END SPOILERS
  17. Also keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to put Hasten on autofire if you do take it. Up until I got my Cardiac alpha, I would usually run without Hasten on auto so that I could use it defensively to offset any recharge debuffs.
  18. I would have to agree that is was better than the second movie, but that's seriously faint praise. It's a Michael Bay film, so I think anyone who cares at all about the movies they see being good knew from the outset that this wouldn't be.

    Even for 'popcorn flicks' I still like the plot to make some sense and the characters to be consistent - in other words, it would be nice if the people who made the movie cared enough about the source material to make it a decent flick instead of a slideshow of explosions and hot chicks with some dialogue thrown in here and the for the lulz. This movie was probably the best of the trilogy, but that's still pretty faint praise.

    I won't ever be purchasing any of these movies to add to my home collection as none of them really bear repeat viewing. Well, except possibly the second one just because of how infamously terrible it is, but even then I wouldn't want to contribute any more money to reward this incompetence.
  19. I would be willing to run any/all of these with you, though my availability tends to be somewhat erratic. Let me know when you want to do these and if I can come, I will.
  20. Okay, so that's a good start. So you're going to make a Corruptor, starting in Praetoria, who will be Dual Pistols/something, and you want that something to be good for damage. Assuming I've interpreted that correctly, then probably your single best bet is Kinetics. No other secondary will be better for damage.

    That said, it might be worthwhile to know what else, if anything, is important to you for this character? Do you also want to be able to debuff? Do you see this being more a solo character, more a teaming character or a bit of both? Will you be playing with any specific teammates on a regular basis (and if so, what are their powersets)? Other possible secondaries you might choose that are good for damage output include Storm, Traps, Dark Miasma, Sonic Resonance and Radiation Emission, with Cold and Thermal also having decent damage enhancing powers but getting them late in the game.

    Most of the above powersets have some kind of -res debuff, direct damage powers or both to offer you, but only Kinetics allows you to reach the damage cap so if damage is the primary concern there really is nothing that will beat a Kin. The main downside of playing Kin is that that don't stack as well as some of the other powersets since a single Kineticist can already damage-cap the team (although additional Kins do give more endurance recovery and recharge with their speed boosts and more debuffing with their Transfusions).
  21. It depends on how much you are prepared to spend and how defensive you want your build to be. I personally like the S/L/E/N approach because it is easier to achieve and allows me a bit more flexibility in the build. Building for positional defense is probably a little stronger but requires more sacrifices in the build to attain (this is because you can four-slot for the typed bonuses but in most cases must six-slot for the positionals, so more slots are taken away from other powers and more powers are slotted suboptimally as a result).

    As for Epics, I personally like the patron pool Soul Mastery for Darkest Night, since the -tohit debuff stacks nicely with your IO'd defense numbers. It's also a good fit thematically.
  22. And it's actually even less than that if you pay annually, as I think most veteran players do at this point, though I can see how a newcomer might not want to commit to that great a span of time before they know how well they like the game.

    I think for many people reluctant to pay it's not so much the money itself, since this game compared to other forms of entertainment is extremely cost-effective, but rather an ongoing paradigm shift in the minds of gamers themselves - there are still significant pockets of resistance to the basic concepts behind MMOs and DLC-type content.

    In other words, we still have gamers who expect to pay a single sum once and have a complete game which they can enjoy without spending any further money. While this model does still work for many games, MMOs and to an extent other games designed around having ongoing expansions/DLC use a different model with evolving content over time and this evolving content requires development time which in turn requires continued investment on the part of the player in some form. However, players (some of them, at any rate) see this as a 'ripoff' or an incomplete game, as something that should have been included in their original purchase price because "I already bought the game, why should I have to buy it again?"

    The fact that the initial purchase for most MMOs is trivial as well, particularly if you aren't coming in right after any major expansions (you could pick up GvE for $10 or less and I'm sure the same will be true of GR somewhere in the not too distant future), is often ignored because the argument isn't framed in terms of how much the player is paying/has paid but rather on the idea that the player shouldn't have to pay any more, period, unreasonable as that is in this context.

    While this perspective does essentially miss the point of the MMO model since it is unavoidable that some kind of revenue stream (be that advertisements on free games, micro-transactions, subscriptions or some hybrid of the above) continues to the development team in order to produce timely new content, it becomes another example of customers wanting to have their cake and eat it too - to have all the benefits of evolving content without having to subsidize that content beyond their initial purchase.

    A hybrid model, hopefully, allows players to sample the benefits they can get and encourages them to pay for what they want when in a strict subscription model they would probably pass altogether. So again, I see it as a good thing and potentially something that may help some people change their perspective.
  23. If (more likely when) I make another Dark tanker, it will be Dark/KM. I haven't played it yet on a Tanker but I have played it extensively on a Brute and a Scrapper. Much of what follows will be subjective, so take it for what it's worth, but...

    Pros - I like the -dam secondary effect and I find that it does keep me alive in situations where my experience tells me that I should not be using the same defensive powers on other characters. The set is also visually very impressive and for me that's a significant factor since it makes the character more fun for me to play.

    Cons - The animation times are a bit long, especially for the higher-tier attacks, and this has caused some problems for me here and there in fast-moving teams especially paired up with very fast-animating attack powersets on my teammates such as Claws - I have had issues where the Claws guy kills something while my attack is animating more than once, so that's an issue.

    Not entirely sure how I feel about Power Siphon. It's unique and I like the effect and the instant recharge with Concentrated Strike is nice, but I do miss having a traditional Build Up power analog to provide an immediate notable increase in burst damage. So I suppose for me Power Siphon is a bit of both, pro and con.

    All of that said, I would still recommend the set and plan to make yet another KM character, a Dark/KM tank, in the near future. Just as soon as they release some more Carnival of Light related content or I come up with a concept I like better.
  24. There are a couple of others, but Mids is by far the superior tool to use. The only other one I am aware of is Suckerpunch's which I believe is still available on Titan Network, but given the choice I would opt for Mids.