Largo

I soloed the Praetorian resistance arcs with a Kinetic Melee/ Regen stalker and did just fine. If you're doing it for story, leave your diff.settings low and have fun reading.

Ive noticed that I hardly get any drops on my blasters. My scrapper and stalker are the only 2 with enough drops to attain tier 3. My tanks have tier 1 or tier 2.

Its neat that you're compiling data but I'm not seeing the same results in my experience.

My buddy, on the other hand, revealed last night he had 24 shards and one Hero1 DNA sample and hadn't locked into anything yet on his Fire/Fire/Pyre blaster. I think he was leaning towards musculature, which I tried to talk him out of, but thats what he wants.

115 reads and only 2 replies.

I didnt start this up to see how tough anyone was or to prove bravery or anything.

I was just seeing if the player base thought that level shifting was making the "old" game too easy. There's been lots of claims of "The old game will be lost if we pursue incarnate track, no longer able to do what we used to do with our friends, thats what I've been reading.

I know I have not upped my difficulty on my 2 characters that are 50[+1] level. I invite players that are not level shifted and the missions still have to work for them too. I still find myself dying, therefore challenged, at my existing setting.

FYI, I never run at +3 much less +4. Don't find it fun at all. I was at +1 before the level shift and am +1 after the level shift. I take that back, my SR scrapper went from 0 to +1 once he attained Nerve Radial Revamp alpha.

Maybe they're done proliferating because Castle's no longer here to make it work right?

How many of you, on your level shifted toons, have found it necessary to up your difficulty for soloing missions, to keep it interesting? either a level increase or a numbers increase? Have you gone to yes on Bosses now, when previously you avoided them? Have you gone to AV over EB?

I agree. None of the previous ways of farming purples is a guarantee that you will get one. It's a rare thrill.

I was lucky enough to get 2 or 3 so far just patrolling in Peregrine Island. (Not on the same character, over multiple characters)
I had one drop to a lvl 40 teammate just the other day running a tip mission of mine.
I just do lvl 50 content normally, hoping for shards to drop, then when a purple drops, its like a sweet bonus. Thats how I approach it.

All the devs have to do is to come out with some new powersets, and people will be making new Alts again. Its just, the stuff they need to do to be fun for people that like to play their 50s is mutually exclusive, for the most part, from the stuff that has driven the core of this game, the new powersets and new costumes, and player imagination tools, like base building.

I think the comments being made about the developers have made a 180 degree shift in their thinking is just wrong. Its all your perception. If you're not having fun grinding for Shards, then don't do it.

Go do what was fun, there is nothing stopping you, but you.

I've completed the Apex TF twice this week with my Dark/Dark stalker. Both times I was using Midnight Grasp liberally, because it is my most damaging quick hitting attack.

On one of the teams, the tank was asking me not to apply it. I really find it had to believe that only my Midnight Grasp was powerful enough to immobilize an AV level enemy. Weren't there other immobilizes affecting her?

Team with a tank. He runs in grabs alpha, you run in 2 seconds later, do all your stuff, completely safe. Set to 0/3 or 4, no bosses until you get SO's.

You just cant get to play like a solo 50 until you get to 50, but teammates help.

My /SR scrapper is sitting at 136%(over base level), and its not nearly enough. My problem is I only have 1 slot in both Health and Physical Perfection, and can't find any more slots to put there.

yeah big rocks cant jump or they make big impact craters when they land.

Thats not bad, I was thinking that maybe I heated it up but that would give fire damage to everyone. The friction factor is pretty inventive, actually. I like it. Now if I can just stand on a teammates oil slick and set it off with the pipe wrench, that'd be pretty cool.

I just added the Purple Armageddon +Chance for Fire Damage in my Whirling Mace, which I like.

I'm just having trouble conceptualizing how I get Fire Damage to come out of my Pipe Wrench. Any ideas?

If you are tallying votes, I have 2 suggestions. Elec/FF and Mind/Rad.

Both solo easily. Elec/FF is more AoE focused. Mind/Rad can be a single hard target dynamo. Depends on what you want to do with your character.

Mind you just have to avoid Carnies, because they are very resistant to your powers.

Elec/* once you get Gremlins is very safe and fast. Prior to gremlins, a little slow, so team up.

Yes. Its stacks. Making you invisible enough to set up a Time Bomb or a Trip Mine in a group of bad guys and remain unseen. (Unless is something that ignores stealth, like Rikti Drone) Of course you can also do that with Cloaking Device and a smoke grenade.

I'm not sure where you plan on placing it, but I recommend sprint. Congrats that you're having fun with your AR/Dev.

Exploration Badges are fun to go after when none of your friends are on and you have an hour to blow.

If you get all the exploration badges in a zone, you pick up 5 merits. I didnt realize this till just recently. So go collect some merits.

The paragon wiki is the best place I found as an aid to locate the badges. Also, badges that are required for accolades.

AR/Dev is known as a little slower but safe combination and a good starting character for a new player.

What AR/Dev never gets is Aim or Build Up. Why? The devs decided long ago that these 2 power sets would be different. It still makes for a fun toon, but does make the AR/Dev feel a little grindy, especially until you get to level 22 and can start slotting SO enhancers in you powers.

If you like the concept of your character, then keep playing it. It will get more powerful. Finding a friend to team with always makes the grind a little more bearable and fun even.

I have an AR/Dev at 50 that I have played for many years and he is very powerful. I can assure you it does get better, but it takes time investment.

I think I've run this event 3 or 4 times on different characters and got the reward table each time. Yes there are a couple key bad guys to kill, but it seemed pretty obvious to me. I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

OK thanks so much for the replies. I think I have a good understanding of what complete side switching will entail now.

Thats not true. I AM a rogue, and I lead a villain group, and continue to earn prestige for my villain group, even fighting on the blue side. But Im afraid if I continue on from Rogue to hero, I will lose everything.

All I really wanted to know is, if I do make the switch to hero, then I enter a base portal, will it let me into the villain base to use my personal storage and invention table? Or will I have to use the university and/or vanguard tables for crafting?

I already understand I wont be able to use the zone portals or the storage bins.