Kazz
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:Stealth's defense number gets cut in half once you enter combat because it suppresses.Originally Posted by Jeddek_again
Played with the build a little. One thing I do want to ask about is maneuvers vs stealth. According to my mids, Stealth increases def by about 2% more than maneuvers does...why does everyone say maneuvers is better?
I think it's your Oblits, they have a 5% recharge bonus too. Also, the thought of running a set with as little end redux as Oblits in a damage aura makes me cry, personally.Quote:And one last thing, when entering a 4th set of DW in Integration, the added recharge doesnt apply to my recharge. I understand the rule of 5, but dont really know how i'm breaking it curretly. -
Quote:You're talking about things in a void again. IF you're running "tougher end-game content", you will most likely be on a team. That means defense buffs (giving a buffer to DDR), Resistance buffs (meaning the hits you take will hurt much less), or healing (completely negating any damage you took). Any or all of those will solve problems that either set faces.Originally Posted by Polydeuces
Since SR seems to be taking the most heat let's do a hypothetical comparison based on real and achievable numbers.
Assume an /SR and /EA both have 59% defense (Incarnate soft-cap) in their respective fields (which I don't think EA can achieve without at least one application of ED) and Perma-Hasten.
Right away, /EA's advantages are endurance management and a heal that /SR doesn't have. How does /SR make up for this? Conserve Power and Rebirth Destiny. Now, /SR's advantages over EA? No hole to most psychic attacks or toxic. 95%+ DDR. How does /EA make up for this? Not sure it can. Rebirth will help when you run into psi/toxic but you can't expect it to be up every time, which will limit you running in first in scenarios like Lambda (psi enemies around Acids+Nades) or Underground Trial (Multiple Devoured bosses per group that spit toxic). Barrier shouldn't even be considered IMO on a Defense based character. /EA can't do anything about raising its DDR effectively either.
We all play our characters differently. If an /EA isn't running into trouble with psi/toxic enemies, then they're not the ones taking alphas or speeding objectives in a group map set at higher level of difficulties (whether it be +4 missions or iTrials) when they are present. Hence, my point that /EA is weaker when it comes to running tougher end-game content.
Also, Overload gives increased DDR, for the record. I forget exactly how much, but EA can increase it in panic situations. -
Quote:That about sums it up for me. I still have plans to roll a new /SR character with thematic justification for Aid Self (as a Brute, though, not scrapper, because the lack of a taunt aura makes scrapper /SR unplayable (but that's a whole nother can of worms!)) at some point in the future.Originally Posted by Hopeling
I'm not yet sure how new EA compares to /WP and /Shield, but I'd rate it above /SR for most purposes. It has resists that work all the time, a very good heal, and incredible endurance management, yet still isn't very difficult to softcap.
Maybe he doesn't want to push himself. That's the best part about the game: you can play at whatever's fun for you. Besides, if you're (apparently) masochistic enough to willingly do Carnies/Arachnos at ultra-high difficulties without making allowances... well, I sure wouldn't.Quote:Originally Posted by Polydeuces
Yeah, probably not pushing yourself far enough. -
Quote:Something worth noting that I've seen with both my /EA scrapper and my /Inv brute - chasing E/N defense bonuses will also get you some small amounts of Ranged defense that can help reduce the pain of psi attacks.Originally Posted by Granite Agent
I thought it also had a big TOXIC hole. And the def-debuff weakness (low) is notable, no?
One thing I am noticing on soft-capped S/L/E/N toons is that the psi hole is HUGE for things like Carnies and Fortunatas/NW, especially on +3/+6-+8. An /SR or /SD positional toon sometimes fares better as even if the attacks are psi, they *sometimes* are tagged as positional (ranged, AOE, etc). 2 dark ring mistresses will shred my soft-capped Ice Armor stalker unless I deal with them quickly, etc. Just something to bear in mind for sets like EA.
Arachnos just sucks on higher difficulties no matter what. -
Quote:Cons as you list them:Originally Posted by 4c3Player
Ive recently came to the realization that EA is quite good while messing around on mid's and id like to share the pro's and the con's of it, to inform people who may not know of it and are looking for a good secondary and to see what other people think of energy aura as a whole
Pros
1. Stacking +recharge in Entropic Aura
2. Decent self heal
3. Self + endurance power
4. Great tier 9 for sticky situations
5. Great defense values
6. A little RES
7. Endurance drain protection (Silly sappers you cant hurt me!)
8. Self stealth (tied with super speed is just as good as invisibility)
Cons
1. Endurance heavy
2. Harsh crash in Overload (leaves you with 0 endurance)
3. Defense debuff protection isnt great
4. Bit of a weakness for Negative damage
3. Very little psionic protection
I may have missed some, but those are the things i can think of right away, These are the reasons i feel EA is one of the best, if not the best scrapper secondary, its like Fire aura, but for defense, The defense is like SR, but it does so much more!
1. End-heavy until later levels, maybe. EA gives you bottomless endurance and is up very quickly for most builds with some recharge.
2. AFAIK, Overload may leave you bottomless on end, but I think it doesn't have any health crash at all. I wouldn't call that "harsh", but more forgiving than some.
3. IMO, Defense Debuff protection seems about average for most Defense-based sets.
4. I'll give you that it's a little harder to softcap Negative than to softcap S/L (and lolenergy), but it still isn't THAT hard. Make good use of some Eradications in your PBAoE powers, that'll get you 3.13% E/N defense per power.
5. Very, very few things have Psionic protection at all, so this isn't a specific shortcoming, imo. The only ones I can think of off the top of my head that are great against Psi are /Dark, /WP and /Elec.
For the record, I agree with you, EA is a fantastic set. I'm just not sure I entirely agreed with the cons you listed. -
Quote:You have no idea how tempted I am to make this my signature.Originally Posted by Hopeling
Personally, I like Rib Cracker a lot, because not a lot of things in this game let you deliver a swift kick to a Nazi's crotch.
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Quote:To be honest, I don't think it's such a huge deal. Two of my melee peeps have tiny cones (Dark Melee broot and Elec Melee Scrap) so I'm not phased at all with Sweeping Cross.Originally Posted by Da_Captain
It has a cone AoE and a Targeted AoE, in order to get the most of both of those you have to position yourself. Whereas with with MA you get a PBAoE that can get super boosted crits. But I am just an MA fan, I was a bit disappointed when I found out StJ didn't come with a PBAoE.
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Quote:If you want another themed choice, you could go for Storm Elementals. IMO, they fit nicely with a dual Elec.Originally Posted by Blue_Centurion
Lore. Really on the fence here. Not really Arachnos theme, and there are no Mu there anyways. I saw a chart about top damage dealers. phantom seem innocuos (I hope, I couldnt see pictures of any) and among the top damage dealers. So I picked Phantom Core Superior. I think it's obvious I could be talked into another choice.
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Quote:One tiny nitpick based on my personal experience. I, personally, think 8 points of KB protection is useless. Most enemy abilities in the game, if they KB you with 4 points, they're going to KB you with 8 too. 12 seems to be the "magic number" that protects against (almost) everything. On most of my toons, 4 points works fine enough of the time that I never really want/need more.Originally Posted by SonicRemedy
+8 Mag to KB is freaking tasty.
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Quote:Typically, I just go for S/L defense. You have 75/90% Energy resist, so you can laugh at energy damage for the most part.Originally Posted by Blue_Centurion
I am looking at I/Oing Electric Armor for a pretty Tanky feel. I could go the standard S/L/En/...etc or I could go for positional. Since Electric has no defense itself there is no inherent leaning one way or the other. Or is there? Starting from a blank slate with a Melee Prim/Res Secondary is it easier to go Typed or Positional?
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Quote:It doesn't annoy me. I'm glad they fixed it, because the game is balanced now. Shields aren't far and away the best choice for a defense-based set now, which means SR can shine more (though I still think it could use some buffs).Originally Posted by Cyber_naut
This post nailed my feelings exactly.
Why do something that literally only annoys players? This 'fix' does nothing to improve the game. I'm still waiting for someone to field an argument to explain how it improves the game, but the only one I'm seeing is that HO's weren't 'intended' to work this way and that they always intended to 'fix' them.
Then they should buff HO's. I think all exploits should be fixed. You're not mad because they broke something, you're angry because they fixed it, which results in Shield being a tiny, tiny bit weaker, but still very strong.Quote:Like you, I've played literally twice in the last month for the same reason as you. I've been waiting for staff melee to come back, but if they intend to keep 'fixing' the game like this, like you, it doesn't make me any more anxious to come back.
So why post? Because I've played this game for five or six years straight, and I've loved it - so I still care about what happens to the game, and I hate it when the devs do things that in my opinion not only do not add value or fun to the game, but detract from it. This fix clearly makes HO's far less useful than they are now, so they clearly detract from the fun factor for those that were using them, while adding ZERO benefits to the game for anyone else, outside of the usual fanboys who feel the devs can do no wrong.
I do feel sorry that you were frustrated by the lack of solo incarnate content, but try to think about it from the devs' view for a second. They have to try and please the most amount of their players possible, because it is impossible to please every single player in the game at once.Quote:Look at werners situation - clearly he was heavily turned off by the lack of a solo incarnate path. Many players shared this feeling and made it very clear to the devs that there should be a solo path right off the bat. The devs ignored them and the fanboys cheered. Well not providing a solo path was similar to this situation - it did nothing to add to the game, it only annoyed some players, and in the end, no doubt lost them some players. And that hurts not only the devs, but the game as a whole and every player who plays it, because less players means less money which means less goes into this game, and less players in an mmo is not a good thing. Sure the devs are providing said solo path months and months later, but the damage is done, and some players that those moves lost are probably gone for good.
There was a good reason. The devs even flat-out said the exploit would be fixed eventually, but people kept using it anyway. As sorry as I feel that their characters will be changed, I honestly think they brought it on themselves to some degree for using a known exploit (it was not an intended feature of HO's, regardless of how convenient it was, which makes it an exploit when used in an unintended fashion).Quote:I hope the devs will learn from that mistake, and rethink this move before they make it, and before they piss off a bunch of players for literally no good reason.
TL,DR I'm sorry that you've lost enjoyment in the game over this, but I'm glad the devs are still trying to fix the game. -
Quote:Anything but. Two Words:Originally Posted by Blue_Centurion
I will take Jacobs Ladder. I will be soloing quite a bit. I am very used to Shadow Maul, and it seems related. (Long animation PB cone) I'll drop Air Sup to make room for that.
I like the ThunderStike animation, very comic booky. I am prob the only one right lol? The animation on Jacob's ladder is also comic book styling lol.
I am hoping to get away from Body Mastery and add a few Mu attacks, at least bolts and ball lightning. Is Elec/Elec dependent on Body Mastery to have a good end situation?
Power.
Sink.
It's amazing. -
This is somewhat of a random question, but anyone who has tested Dark Control so far: does the AoE immob have -KB in it?
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Quote:Fair enough, I'll apologize for my last post.Originally Posted by UberGuy
Can we lay of the semantic arguments beyond "exploit", for which we actually have a developer quote?
It seems ridiculous to me to argue that point. Something can be both a fix and a nerf. Just because we knew a fix was coming someday has nothing to do with whether or not it "nerfs" the ways in which it was used. -
Quote:It isn't a nerf, it's a fix. One that's been coming for a while.Originally Posted by Trilby
Quick question, is this effecting the 33% recharge, 20% defence and to hit HOs?
Edit: OK. I found out.
Does anyone have a build that relies heavily on HOs and tell me what they lost? I'm interested to see how big a nerf it actually is. -
Quote:Hard? Possibly. Impossible? Definitely not.Originally Posted by TheDevian
If we get a nice elemental type (stone, lava, crystal, etc.) staff, stone might be kewl. Kind of hard to work with without a kin partner though.
My friend's stone brute can run with Rooted active at the same speed as my controller (we level them together often) because he's aimed for movement speed set bonuses. -
Quote:I assume because he's already got the character and wants to just toy around with this as an alternate build.Originally Posted by _Pine_
Invuln does best when surrounded by foes. Why broadsword if you plan on not being in melee?
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Unless the epic version of Nightfall is vastly different than Dark Blast's, I can't say it's crappy. Nightfall is amazing on my Dark/Dark 'fender. Not the highest damage on its own, but it comes back fast and by god when you start spamming that and Tenebrous together... I can't help but giggle.
Good luck with this! I'm interested to see how it turns out. -
Quote:This is pretty much the reason Elec/Shield scrappers are popular (and good). If you chain a Built-Up Lightning Rod and Shield Charge together... not a lot really survives that. The only downside is that even beefed up to the nines on recharge both LR and SC take a good bit to come back (my elec's build puts his at around 35 seconds - not bad since it's 90 seconds to begin with, but still a hefty recharge).Originally Posted by mauk2
Build up, Lightning Rod, Thunder Strike, Chain, Thunder Strike again. You have to experience it working to understand the sheer manic grin-plastering awesome of it.
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Quote:Power Sink will make you hate the recharge on Dark Consumption. My brute's Power Sink recharges in 22 seconds.Originally Posted by Blue_Centurion
When you pair Dark Melee with Invul magic things happen. Then End problems all go away. You develop a small regular heal to supplement the big HP increasing heal only available every few minutes. The debuff in dark adds to the toughness of the build. Oh yeah, it locks up tight. Add any I/Os, literally any, and it always gets tougher. I built a DM/Invul Brute once for pure rech, and it was insanely tough.
But, I need to figure this project out now lol.
Also, you may not have the small, regular heal, but you'll have a bigger, beefier, slightly slower heal. My brute's Energize heals half of his health every 45-50 seconds. -
Quote:... what?Originally Posted by Demetrios Vasilikos
There is a very simple reason behind why I have been on the just remove all non IOs for a while.
Whether we like it or not COX is a PVP MMO. One of the biggest sources of imbalanced since the launch of COV was players using the hami o exploits.
I mean... what?
Really? -
Quote:Or I can go Elec/Energy scrapper, as I have, and have easily-softcapped defenses, the same heal and end management as Elec. The only thing I'm missing is the damage aura, but I get a taunt aura instead plus one that grants recharge when saturated, to bring all my AoEs back up even faster.Originally Posted by mauk2
Me either(oh i hate runners), but the beauty of the elec/elec with Lightning Rod synched to Build Up is that they rarely have the opportunity to take more than a step or two. Add in the massive knockdown of LR and Thunderstrike and I find it to rarely if ever be an issue.
Pulse damage toons, specifically, pet-damage-based telescrappers, are enormous fun and very different ways to play. The ultimate example (the elec/sd scrapper with spring attack) is a MONSTER, but that's a pretty extreme build and in opinion less fun than simply timing LR to BU. -
Quote:This is one I could never do, I'll fully admit. The lack of a taunt aura on Scrapper /Elec would give me apoplectic fits of rage, heh. I can't stand runners.Originally Posted by mauk2
I replied in your other thread as well:
Elec/elec scrapper. Trust me.
A very different play experience, and WELL worth it. -
Quote:I'll second the /SD recommendation from BrandX. If you want a super feel without weapons, well... that leaves what I call the "elemental" sets (Dark, Electric, Fire Melee), beat-em-ups (Street Justice, Martial Arts), Spines or Kinetic Melee. Spines may count as a 'weapon' to you, I'm not sure, so take that into consideration.Originally Posted by BrandX
What do you mean by Navel gazing? o.O
Scrappers aren't like Brutes when it comes to ranged attacks in the epics. With Scrappers you get no Gloom. :/
My suggestion however is Street Justice. Build Up isn't the 100% like the others, but it does give that 3 Combo Points!
Also, while you're looking at WP, I might suggest trying out SD which is better on Scrappers than the Brutes you're used to.
Sounds like you have the ability to get IOs quickly enough, so END concerns should be taken care of early on (level 20 Miracle, lvl 21 Performance Shifter Proc)
Also, you can't use Spines with Shield, sadly. -
Quote:Before I start handing out recommendations, are there any primaries you DON'T want?Originally Posted by Blue_Centurion
m leaning heavily towards a Scrapper for my next project. I tend to prefer melee types, although I was a redside brute for over 3 years. I run a lot of ss/invul and ss/will and dark/invul. My current project is soloing all content Blueside, and I am doing well on it, so I am looking at my next project.
I plan on getting all badges 99%? as fast as possible. I have taken a hard look at my play preferences, and I think Scrapper is the smart way to go. Most of my missions during my solo all content projects (I have done it a few times redside, this is my first blueside) involve stealthing with short fights over a glowie or for the end boss fight. I also plan to Incarnate the heck outta the guy (will need to for the incaranate content badges anyways)
My thinking is at level 50 a Scrapper is the best base for a character, especially when I plan to solo arcs a lot. For my secondary I have no doubt I want Willpower. It gives me the energy I need to fuel my Patron attack power chain. I love Invulnerability, but if I went with that I would feel the need to pair it with Dark to fill the End hole problem. With Willpower I lose some toughness but gain a huge amount of End power, and my health is on a non clicky maintenance, so I can use my time spamming attacks better. I will be trying to Softcap the armor as much as possible. Already have a +3 Glad for it, and will be buying the tuned Kin from the Paragon Market.
But with all that said, what primary? I want something where the Build Up is useful for my Patron Powers and Incarnate Powers. I'm wondering if I'm looking at Dark anyways lol?