Kelenar
-
Posts
2093 -
Joined
-
I've been thinking about just what sort of characters I enjoy for a long time now. I kind of have altitis, but it's always seemed to be a strain peculiar to me: It's hard for me to find a character that clicks with my personal criteria, but when I do, I'll play them to 50 in a matter of weeks. If I don't find one, I'll level several characters per month to the 20s and then abandon them.
Then this thread got me thinking about it my list of character requirements bit more concretely, especially Lord Mayhem's post.
My requirements, approximately from most to least important:- Graphics/sound. At the end of the day, I can't play a set whose graphics or sounds I don't like (Sonic blast!) and I'll stick with a set whose appearance I love (Stalker Claws!) through thick and thin.
- A full ST attack chain, with at least one high burst damage type power. I pretty much can't play AR because of its lack of a real tier 3 blast. I also must have a mostly-full attack chain by 20 or so or I get bored.
- If I'm soloing: Hiiiiiigh ST damage. Highhighhigh, and it has to come early, too. I basically can't stand soloing anything but scrappers, blasters, and brutes. Most dominators, and some corruptors, stalkers, and masterminds can qualify, depending on build.
- At least one AoE. Usually two. The more the better, and melee range cones barely count.
- Unless the build has a lot going for it, all of the above has to come early. The old /psi dom thing of 'oh, well, it really gets better past 38!' does nothing for me for the first 37 levels.
And things that I just really like. Again, from most to least important:- Self-defense through debuffs or mezzes, particularly the former. As far as preference, knockdown > ToHit debuffs > stun > fear > holds > end drains > self-heal > slows > self resistance/defense passives and toggles.
- To go with the above: Combination attack/damage powers (Cosmic Burst, Tenebrous Tentacles) are far superior to straight-up mezzes.
- Rain of Arrows style mini-nukes >>>>>>>>>>> nukes.
- Enemy-targeted self-buffs are the exception to my general aversion to self-defense. Probably just because I like cackling when I see Soul Drain or Sunless Mire hit the full target cap.
- Mobile characters. I like a mix of cones, PBAoEs, and melee attacks that make me need to constantly stay on my feet to get the best effects from my powers.
- Damage auras are also awesome.
And my dislikes, from most disliked to least:- Short duration ally buffs. I hate them so much. I can't stand casting, say, Speed Boost on an entire team. This goes doubly if they don't have an easy-to-spot distinctive graphic.
- Characters that are too effective. Odd, probably, but I like knowing that if I don't play smart and mezz enemies in the wrong order or don't notice a single guy in the corner, I'll die horribly. Conversely, I also like knowing that if I do everything right, I'm practically invincible.
- Passive defenses. If I'm being kept alive by a bunch of toggles that I can fire and forget, I probably dislike the set. (see: Willpower, Super Reflexes) This, oddly enough, doesn't apply if the passives are mostly ineffective and I have to rely on debuffs to stay alive. (See Stone/EA below)
- Attack pools on Brutes that don't look like they're based on brute force. (Dual Blades, Claws) I just can't get into the SMASH mindset when my character is dancing like a fairy princess.
- Snipes.
Specific characters I have who I think exemplify my style well:
Stone/EA/Dark Brute: Lots of SMASH, two AoE attacks (even if Tremor is considered a joke), and about the only thing that keeps me alive is debuffing and mezzing the enemies... but I can live through almost anything that's not immune to knockdowns.
Earth/Fire/Mace Dominator: Self-defense through mezzes and explosions.
Rad/Rad/Power Defender: I only really enjoy this one on teams (see the thing about Defenders not doing enough damage solo), but there, she probably fits my criteria best. Nothing but debuffs and mezzes for self-defense, but they are hardcore debuffs and mezzes. Lots of AoEs, lots of jumping in and out of melee range to use powers, two nukes, and zero short duration buffs.
So, now, I'm just curious. What sort of things do you like in your characters? -
Rikti Muppets.
-
My blaster generally finds troublesome enemies better dealt with by going 'HRAAAAAGH' and raining down better attacks on their heads. The sorts of attacks that have better DPA. I suppose that if, in theory, there were some sort of enemy that could reliably kill me in the 3 or so seconds they get between my first attack hitting and their death, and that enemy was resistant to my stuns and holds, and that that enemy still had low enough HP to reliably die to one snipe, I'd use snipes, but... as it is, they're not good for much but pulling.
My defender has her snipe solely for the fact that Cosmic Volley goes 'PEW PEW PEW PEW.' That's more than most of my other level 49 powers have given me.
The other day, I was considering just what would make me reliably take and open with snipes. About the only two things I came up with were:
1. Snipes doing ludicrous damage. At least better DPA than most other ranged attacks available to that character.
2. Maybe if the snipe did an AoE aggro-free -range on all of the enemies around the target? That way it would be better for pulling, since anything aggroed would have problems retaliating immediately and reliably chase you around corners and such. You could just say that they're so awed by your ranged prowess that they're afraid to fight you at range or something. It'd also get rid of some of the complains about minions with pistols outranging snipes. On the other hand, it could make them less useful for solo blasters, who don't always want enemies up close. -
Quote:Theory: Since the Solar system rotates around the sun, the highest mass thing in it, the universe must also be centered around the highest mass.Originally Posted by Elysienne
I've always wondered about the universe... Whether it was finite or not. I believe the current theory is that it's finite but expanding, and will do so until heat death? (Very, VERY laymans' simplification)
Of course, if the universe IS infinite, then that means that... effectively... I AM the centre of the universe! HA! Take THAT, School Guidance Councillor who said I'd never amount to anything!
Ergo, ELY IS FAT. >:| -
Quote:I think a lot of it is that until Issue 9, CoH had very little along the lines of economy or gear. I know that personally, a lot of the reason I initially took to the game is pretty much precisely that. I'd just come from EverQuest, and I was overjoyed to find a game where I didn't need to grind, camp, raid, twink, or spend six hours a day in a marketplace shouting 'WTB SHINY HELMET OF RAT-KILLING!!!!' to outfit myself, nor would I ever join a team and find myself completely overshadowed because somebody else on the team had put more time into those activities than me.Originally Posted by Steel_Shaman
I am continually amazed at the hatred toward farming in CoH. It just strikes me as odd, since every single other MMO I have played requires farming of some form or another to accomplish a variety of goals. I often wonder how many of the people that hate farming purchase purple recipes provided by those same farmers.
This just got more pronounced when WoW hit--I did know several players (anecdotal evidence again, I know) who praised the game for being that one MMO that wasn't a second job. I never really saw the concrete anti-farmer stuff start popping up until after i9, so hey, there's my theory: People resent the game moving away from its original roots as the MMO where somebody who played once a week and a min-maxer who played 18 hours a day could easily have similar builds.
At least, that's why I used to hate the farmers: I got on a team with a completely IO'd out permadom and found my own dominator rendered basically superfluous. Eventually, I just shrugged and spent a few weeks marketing to make my own permadom, so nowdays I just want i16 to hit so the farmers can get back to work making purples for me to buy. D:< If you can't beat 'em, join 'em or come to appreciate the low-cost goods they produce!
tl;dr: I think people dislike farming because pretty much every other MMO requires it. -
I once had a goal to get one of each AT to 50, but then I realized that there are certain ATs that I just don't enjoy that much (Arachnos Soldiers, Peacebringers) and ones that I only really like in teams, which I don't get much nowadays (Tankers, Warshades, Controllers, Corruptors). So then I decided to just get every Defender primary to 50, but there are some of those that I don't enjoy, either (Empathy and Kinetics. Booooo for 90-second buffs.) ... so now my goal is 'play stuff and beat up enemies.'
50s in order, though:
Kelenar, Storm/Elec Defender
Kaelinia, Katana/Dark Scrapper
Kai-Lian, Dark/Elec Defender
Aisha A., Stone/EA Brute
Qiao Huang, Ice/Cold Defender
Hail Striker, Storm/Archery Defender
Jessica Reid, Thugs/Poison Mastermind
Shatterware, Rad/Rad Defender
Liora Kate, Earth/Fire Dominator
Sorrow-Weave, Dark/Elec Brute
What I've learned is, uh... that I like debuffing, damage, and mezzing, in that order, and don't much care for anything else. I also only like characters who do absurd levels of damage when soloing. Anything else, I get bored solo and prefer to team. -
Quote:Pretty much being done:Originally Posted by Joe_Blow
Oh, and, if you really wish to fix the "boss farm problem" make custom critter groups REQUIRE at least one minion, one Lieutenant, and one Boss type. PROBLEM FIXED. And you didn't even have to tweak the experience tables!
Quote:Originally Posted by i16 patch notesCustom Villain Groups
If a player has all three basic critter types in their CVG, they will receive full rewards for the mission. If one critter type is missing they will receive 50% rewards. If two critter types are missing they will receive 25% rewards, and if none of the core critter types are in the CVG, there are no rewards.
This only effects mobs that are auto-spawned by the mission. You can still place unique bosses inside of a unique group under "Fight a Boss" and have them reward full experience. -
My defective robot's battlecry is 'ERROR 404: BATTLECRY NOT FOUND!'
-
Quote:Er... with side-switching, there'll be blueside stalkers anyway. So.Originally Posted by Iannis
A blueside, or even worse just a REDUNDANT, Stalker AT?
-
Quote:Funny how it always works that way...Originally Posted by Lazarus
I'm sure the last one will have the phone.
-
Final room of the Lady Grey TF.
I believe my last words before I leapt into the huge spawn of Rikti while my team was still discussing pulling were 'YEEHAW.'
Nothing annoys me more than a hesitant tank. Pretty much, if I'm on a character that has a 50% or so chance of taking the alpha and living, and the one who's supposed to be taking the alphas is being a slowpoke, I'm jumping in. Debt barely slows down levelling these days. It's just a little bar that measures how much awesome you've generated recently. (If you're not getting debt, you're just not trying to generate awesome hard enough.)
Quote:I do find that good villainside teams tend to fall into this category. Once everybody realizes they can survive, they seem to break up into two or three smaller groups that fan out across a single room, taking on different mobs.Was it an amazing team where everyone was off doing their own thing, accomplishing all the goals at once? -
Quote:Um, no.Originally Posted by Olantern
I was thinking about the Coming Storm the other day, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that it was originally intended as the end-of-game event, the one that explains the game shutting down.
-
Quote:Nah, Family. They're very polite and helpful while you're there, but then you get a hospital bill for $62,000 in 'Miscellaneous Expenses.' Delivered on a brick through your window.Originally Posted by Xyzyx
If there's a hospital on Striga, it's controlled by the Council or the Sky Raiders. Teleport 'em to a cell, I say, and make them fight their way out!
That's probably the evil DM in me, rearing its ugly head... -
Quote:How's the build on end use? I was brooding over making one a few weeks ago. About the only thing that stopped me was that my experience with the sets suggests the build would be a bit of an end hog in protracted fights.Originally Posted by Mylia
Yeah I would have to agree with Smurphy there. I am rolling a Ice/Dark right now...man it is nasty with a splash of AOE; sweet controls; and nice ST. That would be my pick also.
-
Quote:Please remember to spay or neuter your RPers.Originally Posted by Bradders
I'm gonna fix you, sunshine.
... heeeeeey, that isn't a half bad idea... -
Quote:My favorite one for this was a mid-30s hero mission where a group tries to trap you by inviting you to meet some fans at a sci-fi convention. The convention is, of course, fake and a trap. The first time I got the mission, though, it was in Crey's Folly. That isn't suspicious at all, nope. We should totally try traps like that in reality.Originally Posted by Primal
Sending me there so I can wind up in a generic office map for some unnamed company for an arbitrary Macguffin-fetch? Stupid waste of time. Bonus points for not bothering to explain why this company is doing active business in a hazard zone at all. (Perez Park is another good one for stuff like that.)
"Dear Osama Bin Laden,
Please come to our slumber party at White Sands Missile Range!
Sincerely,
The US Army^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Your friends!" -
Quote:Fixed that for you!Originally Posted by Bradders
Also the best superhero is whoever Kel is playing at the moment. This is fact.
-
Quote:It's more an 'EVERYBODY SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN' button. I think it lasts the better part of a minute with 3 hold SOs and Power Build Up. It is glorious.Originally Posted by Jophiel
That's helpful all ready. I was under the assumption that EMP was largely a "robot version" of Atomic Blast.
-
I just sort of stare blankly at the whole Pre-Post-Post-Post-Super-Sub-Inverse-Modernism list of hero vs. antihero distinctions and then roll characters with superpowers who fight crime.
-
Quote:Oh, great, so now even the city acknowledges that Controllers get more mileage out of Defender sets than Defenders do?Originally Posted by BackAlleyBrawler
Duh...Storm Controllers on the city payroll.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HATES DEFENDERS! -
Quote:Yeah, this. I still remember one of my friends in ye olden days before CoV hit, running around Rikti Crash Site for days at level 50, using Burn to grind his way to amounts of money that we found ludicrous back then... And he was far from the only one. Dumpster herding, anybody?Originally Posted by Ad Astra
I tink you start from the flawed position that farming and PL'ing were not truly present in the early years of the game.
i9 and i14 changed the magnitude and goals of farming, but it still existed and still wasn't that rare from the get-go.
And here's the easy explanation: The government sets a cap saying that nothing can sell for more than $15,000. I'm going to go buy a Ferrari... along with half the other people I know, since that's a damn good price for one and I can easily afford it now. They can only make so many Ferraris, though, and there are probably a lot fewer Ferraris than people willing to buy them for $15,000. Same thing here. If you set purples/LotGs/whatever unable to sell near the prices that they'll drift to naturally, everybody will be able to afford one and find it worth the money to buy them... so there will be 11756 bidding/0 for sale.Quote:We need Smurphy in here, stat, to explain how price caps DO NOT WORK. -
Quote:Would be very, very, very nice. Anything to keep my dom from having to face Fortunata Mistresses ever again.Originally Posted by IanTheM1
Re: No Bosses option - I read that to mean "Bosses spawn as Lieutenants" similar to the option to spawn AVs as EBs, but I could very well be wrong.
-
Yeah. I believe Acid Mortar used to teleport with you (making Recall Friend very useful for trappers), but then was changed to be highly resistant to them.
-
Maybe things are radically different for heroes (which I haven't really played much in about 6 months), but I haven't had any problems on villains.
Run mission.
Dump stuff on BM.
If I want to buy a salvage and it's currently too overpriced (over 50k or so), place a reasonable bid.
Come back later. Chance are about 90% that it'll be filled within a few hours if it's salvage. I think I've had salvage bids still unfilled after sitting overnight twice, and one of those was during double XP.
I don't think I've paid over 60k for any common salvage... ever... except when I absolutely want it this very moment, and I don't think I've paid over 800k for a rare since MA hit. A lot of the common/uncommon prices are up enough on average that I do have to buy at higher prices than I used to, but I'm also selling at just as much higher. -
Quote:This, plus the fact that you basically find out that the Eochai, Tuatha, and Cabal aren't really that bad (but still continue to have chances to fight them afterward anyway!) is why my character with a bent for exaggeration who likes annoying heroes calls Croatoa 'that area with the city-sanctioned ethnic cleansing.'Originally Posted by AkuTenshiiZero
And I gain a great amount of pleasure from a big greasy burger which I contiously decided to eat. That doesn't change th fact that I'll need to eat it if I'm going to survive. Sure, some cow somewhere died for that burger, but eating it is so natural to a human that it's not evil to enjoy it despite an animal's death.
It only looks evil from or perspective because we're the cows. But in reality, the Red Caps are only fulfilling their needs and enjoying it, no differant than we would.