Lady Arete

Excellent, people are starting.
And it was my pleasure Lawrence.

(And one of the people I wanted to be part of the leadership is the OP, so this goes out well)

I'm up for a meeting with you and the rest of the team leaders. And maybe Hana Li will be up for it too, I'll ask. Hana would be interested in leading a strike team though (well taunting the yellows at any rate).

I got a few other people on a list that said they wanted to help, so maybe combine it there (hi Effy )
It does not matter in the end if the raid is led by Lawrence or me (or anyone) as long as we get a success.
Oh.. and the raid date need to be earlier on the day though, 7pm tends to be late. I would rather it be early primetime then mid primetime, in case our first success will be a longer then 2-3 hours raid. Just thougth i'd mention it. Since generally the spawning of Hami, (now you get that cowered in your post), making teams and talking them through it takes some time.

What is important though Lawrence is getting all the team leaders together and go through the strategy first. Getting each team leader to know their teams role so they can convey it to the rest of the team. So that strategy session I hope will be soon and not on the same date which you have set to be the raid.

Also, i've been reading through the Hami notes from our friends across the pond, as well as a nice readthrough of the raid done by our friends on the Zukunft server. They did a really nice raid in the Kerensky Memorial Raid.

Soo, since I've said I will be a coordinator (in the future) I will not say no to a team leader spot. So sign me up. (Blaster or emp (was thinking of coordinating with my emp))
My thought for the strategy session was to get 8 people together. 7 potencial team leaders and the one coordinator. 1 leader for the Tank team (with around 4-5 people), 2 Strike team leaders, 2-3 Assault/green teams and/or Ranged team and 1 added extra team. Now technically i've just mentioned less then 7 teams. This is to prevent us from having to teach a team member to be team leader if an emergency hits one team leader or DC hits him/her hard. Thus the more in the know of the plan, the better.
Got to stop typing now or I'll complicate things more I think.

Rent: As you said (just in other words), we are free to doubt or believe your claim. I am sceptical of your claim that 12 or 13 players did accomplish this. For it is worth bragging rights on the forums
(And I cannot remember seeing such a post, which is a shame) However if it was done then I applaud the achivement.

Regarding Crimson, he did the best he could, despite getting a DC. That is what we also have the back up tank for.
Regardless of the result we ended up with. I want to applaud every member of the Tank team, the Two Strike teams and 3 assault teams that did what they could. People tried to follow a-on the spur leadership that had not gone through the planning closely together in advance. As I mentioned in the prior post (just in other words) Leadership in the new Hamidon raid is a join effort of several players, not just the Raid leader (coordinator).

I want to give thanks to the community and those present in those teams that did attend and for giving me the chance to test (bindless) the ideas I had. Hope you want to come back for Hamidon the next time and here is for many successful Raids in the future.

About time it will happen for the Red side aswell. Only tried the abyss once.

But we learned a thing or two. I learned a few things, how the feeling is of being the RL. Since I was asked to relay the plan I suddenly became the RL (to my shock) and I was a little unprepared for that . The most important thing I learned and which every potencial Raid Leader who wants to fight and organize vs Hamidon (regardless of side) must know is the following
(Even if it is soooooooo ofc, it appears not to be followed):

Team Leaders and Raid Leader must act as one. That means the Team leaders and Raid Leaders have coordinated the event together. They know their role and what their team should do. Communication between RL and Team Leaders IS Key. Communication between team members and Team Leader is key. Everyone knows what to do and (hopefully) when to do it.

It is not enough with just Raid leader knowing what to do and putting things together in the start, not yet anyway.
Reason: I can count on my hand how many successful Raids we have had on Union since I-9. That means we have yet to "get it in the blood" or fingers how to fight this version of Hamidon, so to speak. (Ok so we are late bloomers bah) So I stress this again. Because Hamidon is the supreme challange in CoH.

Success vs Hamidon is successful coordination of several teams that know their role and who listens and can take orders from the leaders.

Since we have a limited success rate vs the Hamidon. That means that Union players have little experience vs the big blob.
After being the Raid Leader I must admit it gave "blood on the teeth" so to speak and a little desire I have had for some time has awakened.
My hope is to lead several raids together with good Team Leaders and coordinate these raids into victory. We need several seasoned heroes/villains that have battled against the Hamidon successfully. (Aka alot of successful raids)

Thus I plan (and I hope and believe I am not the only one) to assemble with several players that want to lead the Hamidonraid (with me as Team leaders). Plan the raid with them, go through binds, test the binds and a little practise in the hive with them. Set the date for the raid and execute the plan with (hopefully) success.
Then repeat this a few times so that we get those seasoned players.

Your welcome Bella
Now I did say up to 3, but be warned many times I've only seen 2. What helps me is badge channels and friends that have the mission on one of their alts. Unless you want to go through the badgehunt with a lot of relogging (on your part).

To the discussion further. Yes, with GR things will be easier (I believe), with being able to go rogue or vigilante and thus go to the other zone. However we do not know so all hopes and thoughts are still speculation. When Beta arrives we will see if in example we get to keep badges from the other side when we revert to the original one.

Oh.. and a little extra badgeinfo. About the blue ink men. They are also to be found in Sirens Call, just watch out for villains. Just do NOT say that your there just for badges. It is a pvp zone after all and that sentence will be like showing a red flag infront of a bull.

The mission in questions... the only mission with the Outcasts are given from the contact in Cap Au Diable: Operative Wellman.
The mission is called "Destroy statues in Steel Canyon" and it can have up to 3 bosses (with an 8 man team).

Welcome back to the game Captain Lightspeed

Gratulations Nericus.
I dread that same moment really as i've only 3 left and over half is done on them all. But its going to be a relief to be able to relax on where I place my main badger. Then I'm in the same potition as you... with only Vet badges left.

Finally able to see the movie Dark_Respite. (After being away from comp)
Love your work (as always)

Happy new year everyone. May this year be your best yet.

Well Cap au Diable is a natural zone for players to be in as it is a hub.
BUT
There is a major difference to other games like wow. This game has plenty of inside missions, that if your not on the team, you cannot enter.

To find team mates, make teams and the like type /sea
You will find an overview of various players online atm, some will be greyed out (they are mostlikely in a team (or solo) and inside a mission) Search around for various players that are in your lvl range and ask if you should do some missions together and such.
Also I do not know about the US servers that much (me being on EU) so i do not know about the timezones and the like that people on the server you are playing are in... or the one you are in (looking for US players to come to the rescue here).
Also villains are generally less populated then hero side.
But again, players are generally at the hubs (hero side I would say Atlas park/Talos, Villain side Cap Au Diable (around lvl 15+) or Inside Missions.
Another way to get into contact with people are to go to Port oakes and into marconeville, there you will find the super register building and hopefully a npc that can tell you about various channels... That you can join.

Giving room now for a Us player and or a champion player to continue.

Anyway, welcome to the game and hope you will have a good time here.

Hmm (Not on my home computer now with coh and mid so have to take things from memory)...
Seems that you have to look at sets. Usually a few of them gives some resistanses or defenses to various categories.
The only real defence slottable is in the Pyre mastery. However you did not mention that one in the fire/fire build so you may have other thoughts of chosen mastery. Munitions do give a nice personal forcefield etc...

But yes, A blaster is not neccessary a melee char, we are fragile (but not as fragile as a controller). The chosen word for us fire/fire or blasters in particular is the words "Glass Cannon". Or another word play "Someone with Awesome, Huge and cosmic powers... Living in a tiny fragile bottle!"

Many of our powers are melee or dots so the fire/fire blaster is a quick into battle, then get back to range. (unless you got a tank... thats your defense.. *cough*... but back to seriousness)
Take a look at the various melee powers, like fire sword and fire sword circle. There are a few Set Io's that give some defence (or was it res) on 3 or 4 of the sets. Health for hitpoints/regen (Well regen will be not as useful as for a tank, but hey that one health tick can be what saves you from "Mr Faceplant".

Since you did not comment on Mids, may I assume you know what Mids are?
Here anyway is the link: Click here to get to MIDS
Mids is a nice program, made by Mids (a coh player) for coh players. In it you can create various builds, slot the builds with enchantments etc and generally explore how well your char will perform... on "paper". Then comes the real thing of actually buying the enchantments in game and do the actual slotting
Since as I said, I'm not at my home computer now I cannot ex show The Lady's build (my fire/fire's build) as example. Sorry.
Also PvP is single target, as my build is mainly for AoE... pve is my playstyle.

To OP question.

.... No!
A nice single hold is a good hold. On my fire/fire, I have no other holds then that (but plenty of firepower) so I prefer having my hold.

Depends upon your style of battle. Do you want to go blapper way or ranged only? Do you want dreambuild, or something else? Do you slot for acc, recharge or damage? Is it for pvp or pve?

Best thing is to download Mids and try it a little with various strategies. But once again it all comes down to your chars Purpose.
And keep in mind that all IO Set uses are well not mandatory...

Well, Hana Li did ponder upon this question some time back and came upon a formula. What follows is a copy/paste from our sg forums:

Technical details:
You see, Icon lets you save costumes now. And among the information saved, you have two very interesting numbers, that can be shown if you open those files in Notepad: "Scale" and "LegScale". Note that "LegScale" is supposed to be just under "Scale", but does not show up if the "LegScale" is 0.

The Formula:
Height = 163 + (Scale*1.7) + (((LegScale +0.1)*42)*(2+((Scale+27)/62)))

For those scared of the mathemathics in the last paranthesis, it totals from 0 to 15 centimetres, depending on length of legs and body length.

One foot is 30.5 centimetres
One inch is about 2.54 centimetres

(Also, Hana did express that the formula could need some simplifying, but none where made)

Love my Fire/Fire/Fire.
Aim+buildup+nuke (clean up with attacks), run to next group aim+buildup+fireball and sword circle... Do fireball etc 1 or 2 times more, then its nuke time again.
Fast packed action, and even more so when I got a kin with sb (I'm sooo a sb junkie) or with a tank.

It was through my fire/fire blaster that I discovered my playstyle... Blapper.
And if I fall, its always Rise of the Phoenix. She hits hard, quick and she is still my primary character.

Currently fiddling around though with an elec/elec blaster aswell. Love the thought of having a ranged nuke.
But I do believe I should make an energy/energy aswell soon.

Yummy, headed up dinner, even better.
Wait.. I'm not Bathory (vamp)... aaanyway.
Aww Archos (on no coh friends).
Well it depends upon what kind of sg you want to join. Do you RP or do you not? Are you a raider, casual... etc
Tip though, if you want to let chance happen. Team up with a few people and see if the team have good players. And if you like their style etc, then ask about the sg they belong to. (And hopefully join)
As said the channel Sals Badgehunters is the most used channel on union. Its primary for hunting badges, but it is used to make a lot of TF's (after all they do give badges). Several of the players do have active sgs, so you could get help there (by teaming etc).

Welcome to the game and the forum. (Ah fresh blood )
True Archos, but aslong as you play with friends, it does not matter the base. But all glory to the handprints for being who they are and what they have achived. (Since I do not got a char in there, I cannot say anything)

Hmm.. new blood... A little tip if you also want to have access to more players for tf's, badges and the like. Get into the "Sals Badgehunters" channel. (More people to befriend there aswell, beyond SG's )

Sounds interesting.
(Wonder what happened to Deus's try).
Got a few thoughts myself Fatal, but I would love being able to be part of regular (when that time comes) hami raids. We just need more successful raids, to that the servers community gets "veteraned".
But as for lvl 50's I can do this with is... Blaster power or Defender (emp)

Does my heart good hearing that the rest of the evening went well Shadowe.
I did not partake in any rp'ing though and for that I have regrets, cause it looked like a very nice crowd. (Lots of people having FUN)

My story and reason for being there was "eek one char that has not gotten the badges yet-and leaving tomorrow for the season-Do I have time? etc". I did notice this Big lump of "lets-ruin-other-peoples-fun"- "rp" (aka not rp). So I did begin to engage him in a conversation, asking him why he was there harrassing the Rp'ers. (The more he typed the less time he was harrassing *cough*) I did get the same responses you got Shadowe... aka "im' rping", "watch my bio" (Which I had read... and found as a hidden attack/excuse on rp'ers)

In the end I'm glad to hear that the griefer was out of the picture for the rest of the evening. I am glad you had a lovely evening. I am glad he vanished... Yes I love a happy ending.

Nice work Arctic. The close-ups was a nice touch to the the -babies.

(The voice set that the fire blaster has was the same of Cap. Outhouse. Thus in my mind that voice will be destroyed as it belongs to the AE baby. )
*Ponders If I should make one myself... just got to get an idea first*

Go. Enter. Pocket D.
...
Sorry. You got to enter a baby new year mission (or any mission that DJ Zero has to give). There get into a team (usually badge team) and do those missions alot.
Only way for you as a brute to get to them. I would recommend getting company though as it will be plenty of them to kill alone.