Madadh

Hey now! I love Boomtown! I just wish there was ever, anything, going on there. Add in a contact and a few story arcs like striga has, or the Hollows.

I think the only time I get out there now, sadly, is in a Numi or Synapse. And that's for 1 hunt and maybe 2 missions in a TF. And I really don't enjoy the Synapse TF, so.....

Totally agree with almost all of this. Well, I strongly agree with all of it except for the fact I'm past 'starting'; I felt 'over' Incarnate stuff a while ago.

But the costume bits I'd quite like, and glad I don't have to purchase them. Yin has me intrigued. LFG Chan, SG access to all are pure win. Not sure about the portals, but don't see that there can be anything bad about them, even if not compelling great.

I also expect to check out and enjoy the new zone, but not expecting it to be a long term great time. I mean, even Cimerora is mostly dead all the time except for the ITF.

I think it'll be a decent issue. Not among the best, but with some luck, not a crushing failure.



On the topic of new zones. I think every new zone should come with at least one full story arc, 1 TF, and perhaps a repeatable mish contact. The story arc to intro folks, and the TF to, hopefully, keep folks coming back and keep the zone somewhat relevant.

And I, too, would be willing to spend money on it if that's what it would take to make these options available.

I would totally endorse getting the ability to colour/customize Pool and PPP/APP powers. I would equally endorse adding a few more PPP/APP to round out the thematic choices.

LOL! I hear ya there. I know a few of my scrappers that would want a taunt aura power.

I mostly agree with ya across the board. I just don't agree on Medicine. I like the subtle urge to make a melee specialist more rounded as a team player, as I've said before, and always enjoy the surprise of seeing a tank, scrap, etc healing or mez-breaking a team-mate. I think changing medicine would decrease this, with no huge upside, so I'd prefer not to change. As I said, though, I know it all comes to personal preference.

The Fighting Pool I think is a much better case. Having Boxing doesn't increase your character at all in any way, if you aren't going to use it. Unlike Aid Other, you won't ever find yourself in a situation where you suddenly see a great use for Boxing during gameplay, whereas folks that take Aid O just because thy had to might see the need and use it in any tough fight while teamed (or right after the fight).

Again, though, it's all personal preference. And I find Aid Self of so little value (even less than Aid Other) that is most likely colouring my perception. I fail to feel locking a really bad power behind a mediocre power a big deal. Which is why I don't feel your 'hide the good behind the bad' applies in this situation. But, as I don't find the medicine pool all that valuable with the interrupts, I am not going to lose much sleep over it if they do change it.

I agree with ya though, if they decide to do the change, I don't think it should be too tough a change to execute. I won't swear to it, as I don't have enough information, but I'd be sorta surprised if it wa a tough change to make.

And on the travels I completely agree with ya, too. I had no problems with them locked as they were. And I'm also quite happy with the results of the change.

*bows to the master* Well said, sir. Well said; and said; and said.....

Well, I don't want cake for free, even though I'd not eat it, because someone ALWAYS pays for the cake, and if it's 'free' than that usually means, paid for via taxes.

OK, not trying to make this a topic about the fiscal policies of governments..

And for the record, I, at least, am not trying to give anyone any grief, just stating that I'd disagree with his suggested change to the game.

And having some powers of one type hidden behind others of another is part of the structure of this game. I think it encourages, at least a little bit, builds that are more rounded.

It's not like there is no precedence. I like the strategy of buffs/debuffs over pure DPS. That said, if I play a lot of the buff/debuff ATs I'm forced to pick powers that don't directly help me. It encourages me to build a build that can contribute in more ways than one in both solo and team play. I like that the game is structured this way. I'm not saying it's *better* this way. I'm not advocating for them to go further into making this more prevalent, but nor do I want it reduced. It's just my preference. Just as the OP has a different preference. Neither is better, or right, and neither is a 'bad idea'.

Now, if this game forced teaming so much that one couldn't solo at all effectively, then that would be a bad idea. But it doesn't. This game is VERY solo friendly. With the addition of the DA Incarnate stuff, it's even more friendly. And access to Aid Self without having the prerequisite isn't going to make or break a decent solo build. If it breaks a build, it's a bad build. Therefore, I don't see a compelling argument to take away from some of the games structure that encourages multifunctional designed builds and subtly encourages team play.

And I say this from a position of a person that solos about 70% of the time. To me, if the soloist need any change, it'd be more things like the SSAs and more solo TFs. The story arcs are well and good, but the rewards from them pale in comparison to the TF rewards, and the TFs really do force ya to team. Or force ya to not have access to some content if you're playing at non-peak hours. But, even changes of this sort I'd be pretty leery of even though I'd be an obvious beneficiary; I'm not sure I want the unintended consequences.

Or you could say it was repetitive. Or you could say it was just saying the same thing. OR you might call it redundant.

I don't know if anyone knows for certain, but I'd wager it'll be virtually identical (including the reward value) as the Sis Psy. Probably just some of the contact text will be changed.

That said, I wouldn't be annoyed at all of it was a total redux, like the PTF got a while back, and the old Sis Psy was available via Ouroborous.

Now this suggestion, I could get behind.

Does it work better than the Dark Watcher's Despair: Chance for Recharge Slow? About the same? Anyone know?

You can choose for yourself. Skip Medicine, or take either prerequisite you prefer. You want more freedom to cherry pick powers. I think it's fine as is. The game as designed is the one limiting the freedom to totally pick and choose powers. Which is a good thing. It should limit choices somewhat, I feel. It shouldn't just be a giant list of potential powers with no ATs and no limitations and no prerequisites, and no power level limits. Maybe you think it should be that free form. If not you, I'm sure someone out there does. But, if you don't think it should be that open, then you also are 'telling people how to play,' too. At least to some degree. If so, then we just disagree on where the line should be drawn. Which isn't about anything as altruistic as championing freedom, it's a matter of personal preference. You'd prefer Aid Self with no prerequisite. As I said, I get that. I like it as is. Just a preference, though. You've got yours, and I, mine.




You might be right. But, as is, this is also 'forcing people to take a wasted power' and 'telling people how to play'. So should we let people take any of these without prerequisites and perhaps scale back the bonuses on Tough and Weave? Or make it so those powers can't slot IO Sets? It would make sense based on your arguments. I'd be against that, too. I think Fighting is more powerful that most of the Pools, but not enough such that it needs changing, in my opinion.



No, it's not hard to get that at all. I just disagree that everything that people might what should necessitate the game to be changed to allow. I think there are probably some Empathy players out there that might want to solo and which Heal Other was changed to Heal so they could self target. And self target Fort, and AB, and every other power in the set, too, for that matter. I just don't agree that that should happen, either.



I agree that you can still take what is made skipable, but the structure of the game, and the skill of working within it's limitations is part of the fun of this game, for me, and I'd not wish it to be discarded. Not as a whole, for sure, but also not small piece by piece, either. Some changes might be warranted, I agree, and other are not. Those that aren't warranted, I feel, shouldn't be made to preserve the structure. In hte case of Medicine, I feel it's an unwarranted change. And you hold the opposite opinion with regard to Medicine. You're entitled to want it changed, and to suggest it. I hope the devs disregard you in this case. I hope the devs disregard me when I want changes based on just 'I want' and nothing else, though, unless balance can be preserved, and the vast majority clearly want the change, and if in making the change the game isn't fundamentally changed.

All that said, if the Devs do decide to make your suggested change, it's not that big a deal, in my opinion. I doubt it'll have a major impact either way. I bet it won't even vastly improve your gaming experience.

An exemplar build and a regular one is an excellent way to go. If you can afford 2 build, it's a very nice way to go. However, f you exemp more than you do non-exemplared stuff, you can still do 1 cheap build and 1 expensive one, just make the exempted build the expensive one.


That said, I believe the Performance Shifter +end is a proc, and therefore, the level is irrelevant, unless as part of the set and then only for the set bonuses, which will follow the normal set bonus rule. The proc (all procs) always work normally while exempted, assuming it is slotted in a power you don't lose.

Ah, um, thank you for that, I think. That certainly does clarify things..

Now, as to whether or not my life has been enriched by this, or would be even more so by trying to keep up with memes, I am not sure, but I do appreciate the resource. I have bookmarked it for future reference. Though I don't know how often I'll hear people speaking in tongues and think to check this site.

I question this test's results. I don't doubt that you may have had these results, just your interpretation of them.
1) Which sets were being used? Were they consistent from SO, to IOs in all the ranges? And were the sets the same among all testers?
And if not, how did the sets mach up vs the enemies in this AE mish? A well built SR will handle lots of things well, but any enemy group with huge +acc isn't among them (I'm looking at you, DE). Invul is very good all around unless the enemy is all psi all the time.


2) The skill of the build design, frankly, has a much bigger effect than the Inf spent on it.
Did the same person design all the builds used in the test, so as to normalize the skill factor?


3) Evaluating the cost of a build is hugely subjective.
When some people that say they have a 1 bil inf build, they mean they spent 1 bil on it, and they completely ignore the 4 or 5 expensive IOs that they got luckily via drops that are in the build. And they ignore the 22 recipes purchased with some form of merits. Others don't.
Add to that, some people give their builds value based on average market prices, which careful shopping can reduce significantly, and careless shopping can drastically inflate.
And average prices change, sometimes drastically. A few months ago, I had an appx 15 bil build on one of my alts. Based on current prices, it's closer to 6 bil. I haven't changed a thing in it, and it plays exactly as well now as it did then. But enhancement converters lowered the prices on a lot of the purples used in it. Also, fixing the exploit in the Enzyme Hamis caused their prices to drop from close to a bil to less the a tenth of that. And, as I was using them in a actual debuff power, not a buff, this change didn't affect my performance, even a tiny bit. So, if someone gives you their build cost, who knows if they are talking current prices, or the cost when they designed the build, or when it was actually completed.



To sum up, you have access to the IO system. Use it. The longer you wait to start learning the more complex the system will be when you start. Because it's a virtual guarantee they'll add another wrinkle soon. With a little practice, patience, help, and time, you can easily improve your build over an SO build without spending ANY more than you would on SOs. Granted, more skill, and more money, means more improvement. But, while you can learn a lot just playing with Mids (and I can't stress enough how strongly I recommend this), you need to actually play the market some, and play in the game some, to really gain skill at the marketing/IO building part of this game. You may love the whole system in and of itself. You may be 'meh' about it, but love the performance results? Or, you may not find the whole thing not worth your time. But you'll never know till you try it.

Um, what? I'm not sure if it's intentionally a parody of the OP or not, but this line manages to make even less sense than the OP.
Except this is a bit more like non-sequitor theater than the original.


However, to the OP:

Even though it was a long weekend, I'd suggest not chemically recreating starting Friday eve and going hard at it with no break till Monday morning, and then deciding to post. Give yourself a recovery day next time....