Local_Man
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I have a certain view of controllers . . . that they should focus on controlling rather than defense. Defense is nice after your powers are slotted up to be effective, but I dislike sacrificing the function of powers in order to slot up for Defense. On teams, controllers should let the tank go in to grab aggro, and then apply controls -- Defense isn't needed most of the time. A Fire controller is designed to do melee damage after controlling, with Flashfire, Fire Cages and Hot Feet as key powers. Therm is a kind of mixed bag secondary, with part of Empathy, Sonic and Rad. Rather than slotting for Defense, I like to slot powers to be effective, and go mostly for Recharge and Recovery bonuses.
I have a number of issues with your build. Obviously it was built to maximize all kinds of Defense rather than to maximize your ability to be an effective controller. To me, any Fire Controller that does not take Hot Feet early and slot it up for Damage and EndRdx is a failed build in my book (with the possible exception of a Fire/TA).
Char: You have 21% accuracy. That ain't gonna hit much. This is a frequently used power that provides both control and damage. You stack it on bosses and it holds foes missed by the AoE controls. I would stay with Baz Gaze, but use the three IOs with Accuracy plus the Rech/Hold or the End/Rech/Hold. The proc is nearly worthless. The you need to add more Acc and as much damage as you can -- at level 50 I like an Acc/Dam Hami-O and a common Damage.
Fire Cages: The Enfeebled Operation set is good for Defense, but doesn't add much else. From lots of experience with Fire Controllers, I STRONGLY recommend the purple Gravitational Anchor Chance for Hold proc in Fire Cages. It hits very often and makes a huge difference. If not going that direction, I prefer to slot up Fire Cages with Acc and EndRdx, then add damage procs. The damage from procs in this power really adds up.
Smoke: I'm not a big fan of Smoke. I have it on my Fire/Kin and rarely use it. I dropped it on both of my Fire/Rads and never took it on my Fire/Storm. On a fast moving team, the foes are aggroed before you can use it. The ToHitDebuff is small. I use a Stealth IO + Super Speed to give me invisibility and then skip Smoke. Personally, I prefer Bonfire, a situational power that is effective with a single slot.
Hot Feet: I take it at 8, not at 47 as an afterthought. Hot Feet is a major source of Damage AND Control, as it controls with Slow and Afraid . . . when foes are trying to run away, they are not shooting at you. I 6-slot it for a little bit of Accuracy, lots of Damage and EndRdx. Your slotting has 15% Accuracy and only 50% Damage, for what should be your main source of damage and a good source of control.
Flashfire should be taken at 12. The Stupify set is good, but the knockback proc is counter-productive. Yes, I know it is nice ranged defense, but I replace that proc with a Common Recharge. If you can afford it, the purple Absolute Amazement provides great Recharge.
I'm gonna stop here as I'm running out of time, but you may get the idea. I think this build needs some major re-thinking. -
Quote:Even with Arctic Air, I found occasional uses for Hurricane, which is more than I can say about Gale. I bind a button on my mouse to turn Hurricane on and off quickly. This allows me to use Hurricane almost surgically to either position or debuff foes. Hurricane can be used as a "panic button" power -- nice to handle ambushes who run in and attack before they are affected by AA. It is nice to bunch up groups so that they can be handled by AoE controls or damage powers -- many times I have pushed foes back onto Ice Slick, then turned off Hurricane to stand in the middle of them with AA running. Hurricane is effective for trapping foes into a corner or cul-de-sac or room so that you can throw out Lightning Storm and Tornado and Jack for some mayhem -- the foes can't hit you and they can't get away.Originally Posted by Silver_Nimbus
From reading the Storm Summoning guide, it isn't recommended to take Gale, but as a Controller I am forced to take it, so I was wondering what you all thought about dropping Hurricane (since it doesn't work well with Arctic Air) and using the extra slots to put 2 IO Accuracy and Force Feedback into Gale. The more enemies I hit with it greater chance to proc the +Recharge. So what you all think of doing that?
Yes, Hurricane conflicts with Arctic Air. But then Frostbite conflicts with Ice Slick, and you can find uses for both of those powers. Just because powers conflict does not mean that they are useless. I almost never use Gale -- once in a while to throw foes into a corner or as a "get out of my face" power, but Hurricane usually does the job much better with better control and adds the huge ToHitDebuff.
My attempt at an Elemental character is my Earth/Storm/Fire who is subtly named "Ella M. Ental." But don't feel that you aren't effective as a controller unless you can get perma-hasten or fully IO'ed out. Most of my Controllers, even the level 50 ones, aren't even close to those kind of builds. I don't enjoy farming and don't have huge amounts of Influence. I enjoy playing controllers and don't feel the need to min-max every one. Ella is probably my next project to IO out, but I haven't decided exactly where I will go with her. -
The problem with comparing Controllers to any other AT is that Controllers have a wider range of things they do than any other AT. Dominators, like every other AT in the game, have one of their powersets specifically intended for Damage. Controllers are the only AT that does damage incidental to their primary purpose of Controlling and buff/debuffing.
Not to say that Controllers can't do damage . . . several sets are very good at it. Fire and Plant do good AoE damage over time. Illusion, Grav and Mind all have pretty good single target attacks. Storm and Trick Arrow (and to a lesser degree, Rad and FF) can do damage from the Secondary. Controllers were woefully weak on damage until Containment was added, at which time some controllers became pretty good at damage as long as they leveraged Containment and their buffs/debuffs.
Controllers have a very diverse set of playstyles. Fire, Ice and Electric have powers that tend to put them into melee, while the other sets can stay at range . . . depending upon the secondary. Some secondaries, like Kinetics, will put a controller in melee even with a ranged primary. Some controllers are mainly damage dealiers while other controllers are ranged support characters. Some are ranged damage dealers while others are melee support. You can't really say that about Dominators . . . the Control set is there to protect while doing damage.
I had a lot of trouble learning to play a Dominator after playing so many Controllers. I kept trying to play it like a Controller who does damage. It wasn't until someone posted on the forums an idea that I started to get the difference -- play Dominators like a Blapper with Control powers, not like a Controller with Damage. Instead of supporting the team, a Dom controls for his own protection while he beats down the foe. Still, I miss my AoE buffs/debuffs when playing a Dom.
When playing a controller, your powersets have a huge impact on your playstyle -- both of them, not just one. If you want to do damage, you have to learn how to set up Containment. You have to learn how the various powers in your secondary interact with your primary for unique options.
One example is my Gravity/Storm. Gravity stinks (pretty much) as a Dominator, but it work pretty well as a Controller -- I mostly solo'ed my Grav/Storm. The really special things about the combo is learning what the powers do and how they work together. Gravity and Electric are the only two Control sets with AoE Immob powers that do NOT have -knockback. So, combining Freezing Rain with Grav's Crushing Field gives you a great AoE control patch that provides a massive debuff, and the foes can't run away. The AoE Immob+Snow Storm (with its -Recharge) acts as a kind of soft control, too. These make up for the lack of AoE control in lower levels for Gravity. Do you want to do damage? Set up a corner with Lightning Storm and Tornado, then Wormhole in a group, Freezing Rain and Crushing Field. Then pick out the big boys to hit with Grav Distortion-Crush-Propel.
What makes Controllers unique is that there isn't just one playstyle. Each controller has to develop a different playstyle for the powersets. Fire/Kin, Fire/Rad, Fire/Storm and Fire/TA are all very different. Compare that to a Dominator, where Fire/Whatever Assault all play mostly the same with only a few differences. -
Quote:Illusion substandard? No way. Illusion is one of the most powerful controllers, and arguably one of the most powerful characters in the game. Illusion/Radiation has always been one of the most popular character types. Ill/Rads were able to solo AV even before IOs were introduced to the game. Once we were able to get Perma-PA, then an Ill/Rad was able to solo Giant Monsters without too much trouble.Originally Posted by Fallen_Hand
Thanks to all of you for your input, it has been very helpful! Emperor, that is actually a great suggestion on the Time Manipulation. For some reason I had not considered it for this set, thought I have been planning it for a Mastermind (my favorite class). Thanks for the idea!
I notice that no one has mentioned the Illusion controller option. Is there a reason for that? Is it substandard in some way? Can you Fulcrum Shift Phantom Army?
I am actually thinking of splitting my concept up into different characters because I cannot seem to make my concept actually fit any one powerset. That said though, I did come up with a bio story that will allow me to make several different toons to accomplish what I am wanting.
I am happy to hear any other thoughts and ideas that you guys have, and I appreciate the input!
Illusion works great with all of the secondaries, but it has a special synergy with Radiation. An Ill/Rad is arguably the most flexible character in the game. It can Blast, Control, Buff/Debuff and Tank. It can stealth missions better than a Stalker (thanks to Deceive and PA). Phantom Army can take more damage than any Tank (except for Hamidon, which is unfair). And it is not all that tough to build a superior Ill/Rad. Just look at my guide, linked in my sig. You could easily re-color the Rad powers to make them fit the concept of a Mental Power character. Use pink if you want to follow the coloring conventions in the game for Psi powers, or maybe something dark to suggest shadows projected into the mind. (Spectral Terror looks really cool in dark purple!)
Illusion is, in my opinion, also the best primary with Cold and Trick Arrow. It works great with Storm and just about everything else. Even if you use a different secondary than Rad, take a look at my guide for lots of info on Illusion, including strategies for using your powers. -
Quote:I can't help you with PvP. I never liked it even when some people were doing it. I know next to nothing about building for PvP.Originally Posted by JordieLc
Okay Lets Talk Big Boii, Explain More To Me About Perma PA. What excatly is it... This Is Not Really A PvE Build.. Its Alot PvP, Most people dont think to see this build in PvP But I make it Work.. (very well).. Most Of The DmG that comes with Oil Slick is not very strong.. Let Alone Whos gonna stay in a giant black puddle.. So Might As Well put a Giant Debuff on it so even when there out of it They Will Feel the effects after stepping In one Time.. About the 6 Luck Of Gambler. I Didnt Know And Now Agree With You , Flash Arrow (PvE No/ PvP Yes ) Its a good drop of Perc. And a good -to hit buff . I Might reconsider the SW And Blind For More Dmg.. Decieve I will take its a big help in PvP Didnt notice i did not have it in there.. And Gas Arrow Is to much End In PvP for The Lesser Amount of Work That It Does do. The Best Idea For Gas Arrow Is To Just Put (Chance For Placate) Hasten I Agree With , It Would Be Unaffected. (Your Right) Superior Invis And Combat Jumping I Disagree With They Are Slotted Just Fine. Defense End And +Special Resist. Spectral Terror Is a Great Crowd Control In PvE But PvP Its Rarley A Help But Does Help So I think The Slots there Might Be Fine. Phantasam I Agree With ... more Dmg/Acc. And Your A Smart Guy Local Man Just Catch Up To Date I Got The Incarnate Interfase Fire.. 75% Change of Fire Dmg Proc.... Theres The Light of Oil Slick...
Keep Comeing back at me Or Send me Your Idea of a Build... Just Wanna see What We Can Throw Around And Make Up )) Please Keep in Contact and Dont Stop ..
You may want to work on a little bit of formatting your posts. It is hard to separate the ideas and questions. Some folks may not believe this, but grammar and better writing actually does help express ideas better.
The best way to work this is to try to re-do your build, explaining why you made the choices you did. In some cases, you may want to keep slotting that I feel is less than ideal because you want it that way. -
You can get a pretty good idea by taking a look at my Illusion/Radiation Guide, linked in my sig. That guide has a Perma-PA build in the guide and a bunch of others in the comments to the guide. Radiation has 30% Recharge from Accelerate Metabolism, so to get perma-PA on an Illusion/TA, you have to find an extra 30% from other IO sets. An easy one is the Fortunata Hypnosis set in Poison Gas Arrow for 10%. You can also put the Gravitational Anchor set in Entangle Arrow for another 10%.
Take a look at the info in my Ill/Rad guide and then take a shot at making a build yourself in Mids. You can post it here for suggestions and improvements. -
You can find a Fire/Kin guide HERE.
Most Fire/Kins take the Earth APP set, and try to buff the S/L Defense with sets. Fulcrum Shifted Fissure is just too good. If you're Defense is high enough, it will turn away the mez attacks. But the Psi APP is not a bad choice. -
Your build has some sigificant problems, from my point of view. Maybe your playstyle is quite a bit different than mine. You have fallen into a trap of slotting for bonuses rather than slotting powers to make them effective.
First and foremost, the endurance use exceeds recovery BEFORE any use of powers, and that's even using the Cardiac Alpha slot. That will make it unplayable unless you leave many of your toggles turned off. There is no way you would be able to attack and maintain all those toggles.
You have actually slotted for way too much Defense on a build that really doesn't need all that much Defense. Perma-PA is far more important than Defense. I play my Ill/TA from range, sending in PA and then shooting my arrows from a distance -- the PA pull the aggro and the foes usually don't notice me. Once my Debuffs are out, then I chose a single target foe to take down with my Blind-SW-Blast-SW attack chain. If any foe decides to take notice of me, I use Deceive to turn him around back to his buddies and PA.
You have underslotted PA. You have enough global Recharge for Perma-PA, but you don't have enough Recharge in the power itself. PA is by far the most important power for an Ill/TA, possibly more important than other Illusion combos. My recommedation is 4 Expediant Reinforcement (leaving out Dam/End and the Resist proc), and then add the Dam/Rech and Chance for Build Up from Soulbound.
You have also underslotted for damage. Oil Slick Arrow is mainly a damage power. It provides a large amount of Damage for a build that would otherwise be lacking in AoE damage. You need to slot OSA for Damage and Recharge, and then have a way to light the slick. (I use the Fire APP set, with Fireball and Fire Blast.)
There are a lot of problems overall. Here are a few of them --
You have 6 Luck of the Gambler Recharge in the build. Only 5 of them will provide the Recharge bonus, and the sixth is wasted.
Spectral Wounds: You are not capped for Damage. Try to get a 6th slot in there for additional Acc/Dam. An Acc/Dam Hami-O works great.
Flash Arrow: An Enzyme is a waste. Replace it with a common ToHit Debuff. After re-thinking your build, you may be able slot it differently, or skip Flash Arrow completely. If you are invisible and PA are drawing the aggro, do you really need it?
Blind: 4 Baz Gaze are a good start, but the Accuracy is a little low. Add two more slots to add some nice Damage. I like an Acc/Dam Hami-O and a common Damage IO.
Glue Arrow: 6 slots to add some defense when you are already way over the cap is a waste of slots. Enhancing Slow only affects Run Speed an nothing else. Put one or two Recharge here and you're done.
I'm not a big fan of the Fighting Pool on a Controller. Three power picks for a fairly small amount of Defense that does not benefit anyone else. Some folks like it, however, especially if they mainly solo. I build my Controllers for teams mostly, but to be able to solo if needed. Instead, I prefer to build my Controllers to, well, Control. Take Deceive, EM Pulse Arrow, or even Ice Arrow or Poison Gas Arrow. Deceive lets you take the Coercive Persuasion set for nice Recharge and bonuses. PGA takes the Fortunata Hypnosis set, the cheapest purple set.
Hasten: Membranes? Why? The other aspects of the Membranes do NOTHING in Hasten. 3 Recharge, or 2 if you have enough global Recharge for perma-hasten.
Combat Jumping: The Damage and Dam/End add less than 1% Defense in this power. The endurance reduction is .03%, or virutally nothing. Maybe the bonuses are worth it to you, but see if those slots might be needed somewhere else.
Superior Invis: This power needs to be slotted up for EndRdx most importantly. The Defense in it is nice, but half of the defense supresses when you attack or click a glowie.
Weave, Maneuvers, Tactics: I didn't take any of them, as I took control powers instead. If you keep them, they need more EndRdx.
Spectral Terror: I'm not sure that the Lyso does anything other than Accuracy. The ToHit Debuff is supposed to be 15% unenhancable, but I have never tested to see if the ToHit Debuff can be enhanced with a Hami-O -- if it can, it is an exploit.
Phantasm: You slotted for the Defense bonus. I slotted 4 Expediant Reinforcement and an Acc/Dam Hami-O for Recharge.
Disruption Arrow: This power can only be slotted for Recharge, Range or EndRdx, and you put an Enzyme in a power that does Damage Resistance Debuff. That Enzyme is only enhancing the EndRdx. Slot this for Recharge.
Oil Slick Arrow: Slot for Recharge and Damage, not Defense Debuff. And take a power than can light the slick. Your build shows a Natural Origin, so you can't use your Origin power (Magic and Tech can use the Origin Power to light the slick.) Therefore, you may need to go with an APP or PPP set that does Energy or Fire Damage. (Fireball on an Oil Slick is wonderful.) Your only other option might be to stock up on the Plasmatic Taser Temp power, and re-craft it after you use it up . . . ugh.
Vengance: Not only is Vengence a situational power, but the LotG Recharge in it is wasted due to the "Rule of 5."
Stone APP: Fissure is a short range AoE damage power . . . you would do better slotting it for Damage does a lot more damage than slotting Procs. Rock Armor is ugly but otherwise good. But Stone does not have an Energy power to light the Slick. If you really want a Defense armor power (I don't think it is needed, but some people want to go that way), then go with the Mace PPP. Disruptor Blast will light the Slick. -
Quote:An Illusion/Radiation Controller is NEVER a mistake!Originally Posted by Jet_Boy
Thanks all. Unfortunately, after reading all the builds I made a mistake of clicking on Local Man's Ill/Rad 'troller guide, and promptly went with that
I think I'll head more the emp defender route for my first emp
-
I'm one of those odd folks who don't find it necessary to load a bunch of defense on a controller. I'm kind of old school that way.I use the Psi Pool's Indomidible Will to prevent mez, and instead try to deal with foes through mezzing them rather than high defense. I prefer high Recharge over Defense. Here's my current build on my Fire/Rad. I was playing him last night through the Maria Jenkins arc . . . never got mezzed and only died once when I didn't see the AV who popped up right behind me. This build is not maximized for Recharge . . . there is about 8 seconds of down-time on Indomidible Will. I could fix that with some changes in slotting, like adding more Defense powers that can take a Luck of the Gambler Recharge.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Pyrophore: Level 50 Technology Controller
Primary Power Set: Fire Control
Secondary Power Set: Radiation Emission
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Char -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(27), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(27), HO:Nucle(29), Dmg-I(29)
Level 1: Radiant Aura -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(23), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(31), Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(31), Dct'dW-Heal(31)
Level 2: Fire Cages -- GravAnch-Immob/Rchg(A), GravAnch-Acc/Immob/Rchg(3), GravAnch-Acc/Rchg(21), GravAnch-Immob/EndRdx(23), GravAnch-Hold%(25), Posi-Dam%(25)
Level 4: Accelerate Metabolism -- Efficacy-EndMod(A), Efficacy-EndMod/Rchg(5), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(5), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(17), Efficacy-EndMod/Acc(33), Efficacy-EndMod/EndRdx(33)
Level 6: Radiation Infection -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitdeb/Rchg/EndRdx(7), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(7), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(36)
Level 8: Hot Feet -- Sciroc-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(9), TmpRdns-Dmg/Slow(9), TmpRdns-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(11), HO:Nucle(11), EndRdx-I(15)
Level 10: Super Speed -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 12: Flashfire -- Amaze-Stun(A), Amaze-Stun/Rchg(13), Amaze-Acc/Stun/Rchg(13), Amaze-Acc/Rchg(15), Amaze-ToHitDeb%(17)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(19), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 16: Enervating Field -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(19)
Level 18: Cinders -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(42), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(43), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(43), EoCur-Acc/Hold/Rchg(43)
Level 20: Lingering Radiation -- Acc-I(A)
Level 22: Air Superiority -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 24: Mutation -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 26: Bonfire -- Det'tn-Dmg/Rchg(A)
Level 28: Choking Cloud -- UbrkCons-Hold(A), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(34), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(34), UbrkCons-Dam%(34), Lock-%Hold(36), EndRdx-I(36)
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB(A), LkGmblr-Rchg+(33)
Level 32: Fire Imps -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(46), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(46), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(46), S'bndAl-Dmg/Rchg(48), S'bndAl-Build%(48)
Level 35: Fallout -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 38: EM Pulse -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(39), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(39), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(39)
Level 41: Indomitable Will -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(42), HO:Membr(42)
Level 44: Mind Over Body -- ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx(A), ImpArm-ResDam/Rchg(45), ImpArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), ImpArm-ResDam(45)
Level 47: Psionic Tornado -- Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(48), Posi-Acc/Dmg(50), Posi-Dmg/Rng(50), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 49: Mental Blast -- HO:Nucle(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Acc-I(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 1: Sprint -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Heal(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(37), Mrcl-Heal(40), Mrcl-Rcvry+(40)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(37), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(37), P'Shift-End%(40)
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------
Set Bonus Totals:- 5.5% DamageBuff(Smashing)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Lethal)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Fire)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Cold)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Energy)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Negative)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Toxic)
- 5.5% DamageBuff(Psionic)
- 7.5% Defense(Energy)
- 7.5% Defense(Negative)
- 1.88% Defense(Psionic)
- 3.75% Defense(Ranged)
- 2.25% Max End
- 77.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 54% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 4% Enhancement(Heal)
- 5% FlySpeed
- 45.8 HP (4.5%) HitPoints
- 5% JumpHeight
- 5% JumpSpeed
- Knockback (Mag -4)
- Knockup (Mag -4)
- MezResist(Confused) 2.5%
- MezResist(Held) 2.5%
- MezResist(Immobilize) 2.5%
- MezResist(Sleep) 2.5%
- MezResist(Stun) 2.5%
- MezResist(Terrorized) 4.7%
- 33.5% (0.56 End/sec) Recovery
- 48% (2.03 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 10.4% Resistance(Fire)
- 10.4% Resistance(Cold)
- 5% RunSpeed
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Slotting for Defense is not the only way to do things. Certainly there's nothing wrong with a Defensive build, but I prefer to slot to maximize my ability as a controller instead of a tank. -
Quote:Actually, no, a written contract does not have "precedence" over a verbal contract. There is a legal principle that states that if there is a written contract, you can't modify that written contract by testifying that there was a simultaneous oral agreement that modified the terms of the written contract. But an oral contract, if proven, is equally enforceable as a written contract. (There is another principle that allows for subsequent oral modifications of a written contract, but the contract can specifically disallow oral modifications.)Originally Posted by Durakken
I didn't say they weren't as valid...in fact the rest of post sorta says that explicitly. I'm saying that a written contract takes precedence over a verbal one. It's more a matter on the proveability of the contract and the concreteness. I'm ignoring the instances where it is only a legal contract if it's written and speaking more in general terms.
For example, assume a car dealer agrees to sell a car to me at an established price, place and time. (Assume that there are several witnesses to this handshake deal.) Then that car dealer enters into a written contract with customer #2 to sell the same car (maybe because he forgot he already sold that particular car). My oral contract, if proven, would have precedence over the subsequent written contract. I would be entitled to buy the car, and Customer #2 would have the right to sue the car dealer for damage he suffered as a result of the Car Dealer breaching the contract. If Customer #2 was able to buy an equivalent car for less somewhere else, he would have no damages. If Customer #2 had to pay more for an equivalent car, the difference in price would be the damages, plus court costs. Customer #2 would not be entitled to attorney's fees unless his written contract specifically states that he can recover fees. -
Quote:It is not uncommon for a "covanant not to compete" to be found invalid because it is overly broad. The companies do not always win on those, because the law in most states tends to construe them strictly as they are not favored.Originally Posted by Crim_the_Cold
Thank you for responding. It looks like I'm in a catch 22 then. The only way I can justify an attorny's fee is if I know that it will work and if I know that it will work I'll have already built and tested it which could possibly give them legal claim to it. Unless my situation changes and I get a lot more disposable income I either have to wait the remaining 4 years to even start or work on it in in some secure place, get a successful test, and then demolish it.
Also now that you mention it I think it is a "covenant not to compete". I am beginning to hate the damn things. It seems like every single company has them and they always seem to contain vague language as to what they cover. Its partly my own fault for signing it but when its a condition of employment and you need a job...
It should not cost you more than a few hundred dollars (most good attorneys charge from $200-$350 per hour, but that can vary widely depending on the area -- New York City attorneys get a lot more) to get a consultation with an attorney just to get an idea of your rights. An hour or so should be enough for an attorney who practices in this area to look at the contract, listen to you about your area of work, and give you some kind of idea about whether there is any chance to challenge that Covenant. 4 years seems too long unless it is very narrow in scope and location.
Sometimes, a waiver of the covanant can be negotiated, too. There are a lot more options than just "wait it out." It may be worth while to see that attorney just to get an idea of what you are dealing with rather than having to wait for 4 years. -
Quote:I slotted Tornado for Damage on my Ill/Storm happily, knowing that is a situational power. Yes, it throws around foes. So what - - - my attacks are mostly single target ranged attacks, so if the foes gets thrown from here to there, I can still attack. (That's one of several reasons why it makes sense to abandon Air Sup once you get an APP Blast!) Solo or small team, that works fine. While the foe is flying around, getting stunned and/or getting knocked down, I can stay in one place and attack. On large teams, I generally only use Tornado in limited situations to avoid messing up the nice tight AoEs that most people like. But other than the APP AoE attack or a Judgment power, an Ill/Storm doesn't have AoE damage attacks.Originally Posted by Midnight_Tempest
It looks like you might be set on slotting Tornado for damage, and I would caution against that without some sort of AoE -KB effect. Looking at Mids', the raw numbers are very enticing. However, Tornado has a habit of picking up one mob, running away with it, then coming back to do the same to another mob. The times when it's best-used for damage are typically when it also fits the role for a pseudo-hold (corner with Hurricane and perma-KB with Tornado), the mobs are highly-resistant to KB, or against a Paragon Protector for that last sliver of health (Tornado is auto-hit).
If you really want more damage in your build by that level, I would consider placing those slots into Air Superiority until you know what you want from them later. Again, it's not that Tornado isn't a great power under the right circumstances, but Illusion has a lot of trouble leveraging the power for damage.
Edit: If you decide that you want to continue slotting Tornado as a damage power, you're going to want some End Reduction in there. That sucker is expensive to summon.
But even on teams, Tornado is wonderful in the "corner of doom" setting where you use Hurricane to trap foe or group into a corner, cul-de-sac or closed room, then unleash Lightning Storm, Tornado, Freezing Rain, Phantasm and Phantom Army in the room or limited area.
Tornado slotted for Damage is, in effect, Storm's -Regen power on AVs. The Damage over Time counteracts the Regen of the AV. Most AVs and EBs will not get knocked back, so it works great. -
Quote:Originally Posted by tpull
I guess my biggest reply is that I'm always confused when someone works to provide for his family, and even if you're an artist, you still want to make enough money to leave something behind for them. Copyright is just about the only way to do that, unless you have a royalty contract with the big bosses, as has become the custom. I'm confused when people act like the family doesn't "deserve" any of the fruits of that labor. Is the company more "deserving" the millions from all of his creations than the guy's own flesh and blood? Nobody at the company now even worked there when Kirby was there, so how do they have any kind of purer claim on the rewards from the moral standpoint when people are insulting the family?
Regardless of how the ultimate legal ruling decides things, all I'm trying to say is that the law was changed, the family was encouraged by the law to see what, if anything, they were owed, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of their actions. And I certainly know that Jack Kirby would have wanted any fruits of his labors to go to his family, that was why he cashed their checks at the time, so he could provide for his loved ones. any fanboys that are scared their DC universe would be forever altered if they "lost" Superman, that's really not a legitimate reason to try to convince people that the company has some legal or moral edge in this court battle. The company absolutely does not have any great moral beacon it can point to with regard to being a legitimate heir to the creative talent of Kirby, who helped create the foundation for all these $100 million movies that Marvel is reaping the benefits, while the family, the ones Jack was working for, receive zero. I suspect the appeal to a higher court might lead to a reversal, depending on how strong the family can present the evidence of the existence of certain characters and plots before Marvel bought them from Kirby.
-TP
As to your last point . . . appeals courts don't work that way. You can't present new evidence on appeal. An appeals court can only reverse errors made by the trial court if the error was properly "preserved" by the attorneys. All of the evidence and rulings made by the trial court are first presumed to be correct, and then the appellant tries to point to places where the trial court made a mistake, whether it was in allowing or excluding a piece of evidence, or applying a certain legal principle incorrectly to the facts of the case as established at trial.
I don't know all the details of the case, but if Kirby was fully an employee of Marvel, then most likely his work is entirely owned by Marvel. While the artist is a huge contributor to the creative process, there are a lot of others involved before a project can become a success, and it is hard to say that the artist alone is responsible for the success of the project. For example, if Kirby had been working for some small comics company or trying to publish his work on his own, would it have been successful? Isn't likely that much of the success of his work was due to the reputation Marvel had for publishing comics? Or the effort and expense Marvel made to promote and publish the comics? Or the effort made by Marvel all these years to build upon and expand the characters, to expand them into other media (TV, Movies, T-Shirts, Books, Lunchboxes, Toys, etc.) There are issues of Trademark vs. Copyright, too. While the artist/creator of a comic character is a key step, it is one of many steps needed to make a character into an icon.
The situation with Superman is entirely different, in that Siegel and Schuster were not DC employees. -
Quote:I can't give any legal advice on this because, (a) that's not my area of practice, (b) there is no way I can understand the total situation based upon the small amount of information you gave. Generally an attorney is going to have to know the law of your particular state under which the contract can be enforced, read the contract itself, and then research other similar cases and rulings to see whether the contract is enforceable as written. There are all kinds of limitations on a type of contract called a "covenant not to compete," which is what I suspect you have. In general, it has to be reasonable in terms of scope, duration and area. The facts of each case determine whether the terms are reasonable.Originally Posted by Crim_the_Cold
Local Man I hate to ask for free legal advice but without going into the details of my situation I am like I said in my previous post under a contract which extends 5 years past my period of employment that allows the company I worked for to claim any inventions I make that could have anything to do with communications, electrical transmission, or power generation. I have an idea I'm going crazy from not being able to work on. If I started to work on and test it now would they be able to claim it if I waited to file my patent until after the contract expires? Or should I continue to be paranoid and play it safe and not do any work on it until the contract expires?
Frankly, you should spend the money to consult with an attorney in the jurisdiction (state, usually) where the contract can be enforced to determine whether the contract can be enforced and to what extent it can be enforced. -
Quote:Sorry, but it doesn't work that way.Originally Posted by Durakken
Somewhat true...
Written contracts take Precedent over verbal and witnessed over written and notarized over witness, but there is also how the parties and the understandings of what is said in the contract that matters.
It's really mucky if you have any ambiguous language involved, but we make legal contracts all the time though our actions without realizing it..
For example if I were a shoe shiner and every single one of my clients paid me $.50 every time I shined their shoe, but whenever I shined your shoes you never paid me... then if you suddenly asked me to pay you one day out of no where it would be up held as you are in the wrong as the previous actions imply that no money should exchange hands in this situation, but all future shoe shines I would be able to charge you as the precedent of asking has been set. Also if this went to court I'd end up paying your lawyer fees.
On the other side of that is that if this was my first time to shine your shoes and you tried to not pay you'd be liable to pay me the $.50 and i could sue you for it...however I don't get my lawyer fees paid if I win unless the judge deems it.
Any time service, goods, currency are exchanged for service, goods, or currency a contract is being agreed upon.
You have mixed up a bunch of legal issues in this discussion.
1) Oral contracts are as valid as written ones, with certain exceptions. Oral contracts are usually more difficult to prove, but are equally valid. The main exception is the "Statute of Frauds" which requires any contract regarding real property or a contract which is to be performed over a period of greater than one year must be in writing. Of course, there are exceptions to that, too, where oral contracts can still be held valid.
2) Ambiguities in contracts is an entirely different topic. There are two primary types -- Patent and Latent Ambiguities. Patent are ambiguities which are obvious on the surface, like where a contract describes something one way in one place and a different way in another place, but they were supposed to be the same. A Latent ambiguity is something that is not obvious on the face of the contract, but becomes evident when the contract is applied to the real world -- the classic example is when a contract called for goods to be shipped out on the ship "Peerless," but there were two ships with that name.
3) as for the shoe shine example, you have a lot of problems. One, you change perspective in the middle of the example. Second, even if someone provides a service for free, they are not obligated to continue to provide that service for free, as there is no "consideration" which is required to create a contract. Plus, a service provider can change his prices as long as the customer is notified before the service is provided. Finally, the "American Rule" does not allow a party to recover attorney's fees in court unless there is either a contract provision or a statute that specifically allows for the recovery of attorney's fees. That's why all these contracts have attorney's fees provisions in the fine print.
With every one of these legal principles, there are exceptions and exceptions to the exceptions, but that's a quick run-down.
(Local Man is a lawyer in real life.) -
Quote:With Super Speed, I strongly recommend that you get a Raptor Pack or Jet Pack to have handy. There is almost always a path for a Super Speeder, but often having that Raptor pack to quickly fly over obstacles will make life easier. One way to get the Raptor Pack is the level 5-10 bank mission, but you have out-leveled that. (Of course, you can get a low-level buddy to take you along.) Fortunately, you can buy a Jet Pack recipe from the market, buy a Raptor Pack from the vendor in the Shadow Shard, or often easiest, run Part 2 of the Positron TF to get a free Jet Pack.Originally Posted by wyldchyld
Took me a couple days, but I finally got this one to 22 and SOs. Ended up going to Paragon over the Isles because, as people have stated, Superspeed is a lot more friendly here than there. Slowly leveling, but with all the help given, it has been a safe road so far. Finished up the Wheel of Destruction arc and had zero problems.
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Disagree. The Repel can be useful to bunch up foe even when they are immobilized. Hurricane can also repel foes who have knockback protection. It is possible to use Hurricane to apply the ToHit Debuff without applying the Repel. It just takes some practice to learn the exact range.
Hurricane is a situational power that is only used once in a while. The Repel effect is a signature part of the power and should not be changed. -
An argument can be made for any of the Alpha choices. It really depends on your build and playstyle. Certainly Spiritual is a good choice, as more Recharge is welcome on any controller. It can also buff your Stun, Heal, Slow, Jump and ToHit Buffs. However, you have Siphon Speed so your need for Recharge is not as high as other builds.
What about Nerve? Accuracy is important for a Kinetics because of all the siphon-type powers. Plus it buffs your Hold and, if you took a Defense-based APP or PPP shield, your Defense. Nerve is usually the last on the list for me, but I have it on my Plant/Kin (it buffs Confuse, too). With Decent Accuracy slotting, Nerve is often not needed, but it might work for you.
Cardiac is my most frequent choice on my characters. EndRdx is rarely slotted to the ED cap, and a Cardiac Alpha makes a huge difference. Plus you get Range and, if you took a resistance-based shield and for ID, you get Resistance. With Transfusion, you may not need this one, though. If you aren't having endurance issues, then it may not be the best choice.
Musclature buffs damage, and everyone needs more damage, right? However, if you have already slotted your damage powers to the ED cap, then you only get a little bit of added damage. Musclature can also buff your Immob duration and your EndMod (more buff and drain from Transference). But with Fulcrum Shift and Siphon Power, you probably don't need the extra Damage buff.
It really depends on what you see as your needs. Spiritual certainly hits several areas. -
I'll discuss the Illusion side of things, as I have had a lot of practice there. Not so much with Empathy.
Amy's slotting is pretty good for an SO/common IO build, with a few minor changes . . . but there are a few unexplained things. Is this an SO only build or a build using common IOs? It makes a difference, as 2 level 50 IOs come pretty near the ED cap to the point that a third has a lot less impact -- in many cases, using that third slot for something else may be better. But with SOs, that third slot has more of an impact.
Amy didn't slot Stamina . . . even with Recovery Aura, I think that is a mistake.
Blind: It really depends on how you want to use your character. Some folks play Ill/Emp as a pure Control/support character -- in that case, 2 Acc, 2 Hold, 2 Rech. Some folks want to solo -- 2 Acc, 2 Dam, 2 Rech. Some folks want a multi-purpose character -- 2 Acc, 1 Hold, 1 Dam, 2 Rech.
Spectral Wounds: If you plan to spend a fair amount of time attacking, then 1 Acc, 3 Dam, 2 Rech. The Two Recharge is important for an attack chain of Blind-SW-Blast-SW.
Deceive does not need 3 Confuse - it already has a long duration. Ideally it should get the standard control slotting of 2 Acc, 2 Conf, 2 Rech. However, if you are trying to save a slot, then removing an Acc is OK since it has an Accuracy bonus.
Superior Invis: Needs at least 2 EndRdx unless you plan on running it without ever doing anything else.
Phantom Army: Way back when, somebody ran a bunch of tests to figure out the best slotting for PA. There are two options: If you are looking at PA for damage, then 1 Acc, 3 Dam, 2 Rech. If you are looking at PA for control, then 3 Rech, 1 Acc, 2 Dam (which is the slotting Amy suggested).
Flash: Amy's slotting is the standard SO slotting of 2 Acc, 2 Hold, 2 Rech. However, if you don't use it all that often (and many people don't), you can cut it down to 2 Acc, 2 Hold.
Spectral Terror: You can get by on just an Acc in the default slot. A Recharge is nice to have if you have the spare slot and if you use Spooky a lot, but not necessary.
Air Sup: Personally, I prefer 2 Acc, 2 Dam -- the Control of this power is an important part. I have some controllers who slot it with 2 Acc and that's it.
Phantasm: 1 Acc, 3 Damage is fine for an SO build.
Power Blast: I would probably go with 1 Acc, 3 Dam, 2 Rech to try for the Blind-SW-Blast-SW attack chain. But that's with 3 slots in Stamina. -
Quote:(Looks at his Ill/Rad, Ill/Storm, Ill/TA, Ill/Cold all at 50 . . . )Originally Posted by Akhillius
I already have a lvl 50 Illusion controller so that's out of questio to me. I don't see a point playing the same primary set twice to lvl 50.
I had a lot of trouble liking Gravity until I paired it with Storm. Snow Storm and Freezing Rain help make up for the set's lack of AoE control in lower levels, and the Freezing Rain/Crushing Field is quite nice. I think it would be a lackluster primary with Empathy. The "stun" in Gravity comes from Wormhole, which is a fun but very situational power. I thought Wormhole worked well with Storm, where I could throw foes into a corner and then keep them there and debuff them with Hurricane while I beat them up with Lightning Storm and Tornado -- but that doesn't work for Empathy. And Singularity can't be healed . . .
I enjoyed Ice Control, but I also paired that one with Storm. That let me get added damage in the higher levels. I often would fire Ice Slick and Freezing Rain from range, then run in with Arctic Air while the foes were flopping. Freezing Rain often helped make up some for my low damage. Much of its control comes from layered soft controls, which would probably cause you to faceplant fairly regularly. It is really better with a secondary that can add some more control, like Storm or Rad.
Mind/Emp will work fine, but I agree with Laevatien's criticism of the set. Mind really doesn't need anything from its secondary to be effective. Because Confuse and Mass Confusion and Mass Hypnosis do not draw aggro, you will be able to control and use your Empathy powers to buff and heal without drawing aggro. (I recommend some kind of invisibility, though.) The main down side is that you won't have any pets to buff. That, and I found that the damage on Mind Control drops off in the upper levels just as other controllers are getting a lot more damage from their pets.
My suggestion if you don't want Ill/Emp or Plant/Emp would be Earth/Emp. -
I have to say that I strongly disagree with the suggestion to skip Quicksand. It is a hugely useful (and underrated) power. It has so many strategic uses as both a patch slow and a debuff.
- It can be used as a kind of substitute for Stone Cages without the -Knockdown, so it is perfect to use in conjunction with Earthquake.
- The huge 25% Defense Debuff makes it far more likely that other powers will hit . . . so cast it near a corner and then use a ranged power to pull foes onto it. Once they are there, your Stalagmites and the team's AoE damage powers are more likely to hit.
- Pull foes to a Quicksand patch to bunch them up for better AoE.
- The AoE controls frequenly miss one or two foes of each group; casting Quicksand underneath makes it more likely that the foes all stay there, sitting ducks for your (or your teammate's) AoE damage powers.
- Quicksand can be used behind your team to protect you from ambushes to a degree.
- Have a lead out mission? Quicksand cast in the path behind you will slow the pursuit making it easier to exit quickly if you don't feel like fighting.
- Frequent use of Quicksand means you don't have to worry about high accuracy slotting. The Debuff is autohit. That is ESPECIALLY useful for a */Kin, who needs those siphon powers to hit.
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A key question is whether you want to be a Controller first with the Emp secondary, or do you want to focus more on Empathy but provide some control? Personally, I would put Earth over Mind as the "heaviest" control set, plus you get a little tank as a pet. Mind's damage falls off in higher levels, while Earth's damage increases with its pet. Earth's controls are persistant (they stay around and keep working) while Mind's controls are one-shot (fire it off and you're done until it recharges).
My choice for best pairing with Empathy would be Illusion. Why? You get full invisibility to get to teammates without a problem. You get Deceive to pull foes off of teammates without drawing aggro (same as Mind's Confuse). You get Phantom Army to distract foes while you heal/rez your teammates.
Comparing Mind (which I like better as a Dominator set), Ice (melee AoE soft control) and Elec (which has significant weaknesses when you have teammates with AoE DoT powers or an AoE Immob with -knockback . . . and a Fire Controller using Fire Cages invalidates several of Elec Controls main powers). -
If you look at my Illusion/Rad guide, I discussed various slotting options for PA and Phantasm. I used 4 Expediant Reinforcement (everything except the Resist proc and the Dam/End), and then the Dam/Rech and Chance for Build Up in PA. For Phantasm, I went with 4 Expediant Reinforcement plus an Acc/Dam Hami-O.
Phantasm doesn't have much defense or Resistance. He is supposed to stay at range and use his Decoy like his own PA, which is where he gets his survivability from. However, there is a pet bug that causes him and many other pets to run into melee when he is not supposed to. The Devs have acknowledged that this is a bug that is on their list to fix . . . but it has been a while.
The Resist proc is wonderful on Earth's Animate Stone or Gravity's Singularity because both of those pets already have high resistance. I wouldn't bother with it on an Illusion. Recharge is more important, and with enough Recharge you can usually re-cast Phanty when needed. -
Do you realize that the Gladiator's Net sets are PvP sets and will cost several Billion alone?