Memphis_Bill

Well, my initial thought was for different incarnate boosts, but given (IIRC) that you can swap them out and they stay between builds anyway (not being "part" of the build)...

As big a booster as I am of multiple builds, I have a hard time figuring out (post-Inherent-Fitness) what to do with three for many ATs. Melee and MMs, mostly - PVE vs PVP excepted. It's easier with Support (Team vs Solo build.)

Support Squishies?
Solo (depending on pri/sec)
Team
Incarnate

... where you can build in some of what you get in Incarnate boosts into the others (building for more recharge, bonus damage or some such) for when you exemplar, and then alter the build for the Incarnate build.

I've said it before, though - I think we'll find *more* use for the third build (or second, if you don't use it) once we see the rest of the Incarnate slots opening up. It may end up as a radically different high-end build.

And /this. You don't HAVE to use the third build. You don't HAVE to use the second. Even someone who's relatively gung-ho on them like me doesn't always use them. (And yes, Aett, I know it's a joke, but this does need reinforcing.)

Yep. My higher levels will load up on tips in Dark Astoria sometimes.

And I haven't noticed them dropping any more slowly. *shrug* (And no, not just on the high levels.)

.... why do you think you have to take hasten? I assume you're talking about Rage's recharge, and it's easy enough to stack with itself without using that many slots (think I've got two in mine.)

I do understand some people not liking the Rage crash, especially Def based sets. (The damage debuff doesn't really matter to me - thank you vet reward Sands of Mu.)

That's... different.

Have you played like this before, or is this a "I wonder how this would work" move? If so - and since you'd be buying the sets anyway, assuming they're not just some you have laying around, have you considered using your second build instead? I'd hate to think of burning respecs to do this, then finding THAT build doesn't do it for you and trying to go back again. (Though I don't recall DefDebuff/ADefDebuff being that expensive, might be remembering wrong.)

(Idea-wise, I'm on the fence. I know and *generally* agree with the dev stance, but IOs weren't around and can represent a significant investment. I think I'd be more inclined to agree with "Up the IO tray to hold 12 enhancements." That lets you completely strip two six-slotted powers.)

I've seen many PUGs that make this statement false.

"Heal me!"
"You're on the other side of the map."

Do multiple respecs. The devs gave two freespecs this last issue, actually - though no, they don't stack.

And how do the enhancements end up "not needed?" They're still melee/PBAOE/defense/resist/whatever. I can see not needing *some* from switching out power pools (Fly to Leaping, for instance,) but you're not respeccing from - say - Fire to Super Reflexes. (You can't, and the devs are against that anyway.)

I'm curious, whenever I see this, as to *just what* is being changed where so many enhancements are suddenly "invalid." Even the APPs tend to be very similar in what they can take.

First, I do. I *love* Earth, Ice, Plant, Mind... I have multiples of each. (Not as much fire, but enough.) Those fit my idea of *control.* And when someone asks about a Control set, I'll point to one of those. (Can't forget Electric.... too new to remember when rattling those off.)

Like I said, though, my beef with Illusion is it being hyped as a *control* set, and "why" should be clear with what I said above. (And with what you said.) I agree, it's a damage set. 100% agree there. Which is why it really irks me to have it held up as this great *control* set.

Er... no. I'll take something I can actually *control* with directly. Plant, Mind, Ice, Earth, Fire, Ice blasters... only way I've found I can personally deal with Illusion is to pair it with /ta so I can get more actual, direct control going. And yes, having *two* invisibilities still irks me as a waste of powers.

I'd personally have tucked it away in its own "AT." I'd almost throw it in as a Defender set, and take TA as a Controller primary - TA has more direct, reliable control. Adeon, IMHO, is right in saying it's more a damage set than a control set. I don't care that people like playing it - that's fine - but holding it up as the be-all, end-all of *control* sets, IMHO, is just wrong.

... What about me? I tend to think this is easy, don't have heavily IO'd out characters, certainly not purpled out, and have done this on decidedly low-DPS, squishy characters. Emp/Rad. Earth/FF. Ice/Emp. I can go through the list.

Of all the characters I've done this on, some pulled. Some dropped him in the lava. Some just beat on him in place. *shrug*

That has been changed. (Among other things.) Burn's a must-have, IMHO.

/this.

Inherent Stamina makes some one-slot powers more desirable (just so you can keep spreading those slots around,) and some powers that get away with one slot were recently made very useful - like Temperature Protection. And with not having to fit in Fitness, it's a bit easier to fit those into a build.

(And I need to get my Fire/Fire leveled a bit more. It's been languishing. I've run Fire/other things enough, and IMHO the new Burn (and FE) helps Fire/EM - but I don't think I've gotten my Fire/Fire past the late teens. Busy with other stuff)

Looking forward to seeing what changes.

Yep. Assuming I can find them.

Yeah, I was writing that up before that was true - been trying to catch all those and note or change that.

Regen changes
Domination changes
Changes in Defiance

... they don't need people doing "powerset respecs" to tell if a powerset (or AT) is underperforming.

See my PVE'ers guide to PVP. Section in there on the BB firebases.

Short form:
- Find a firebase that doesn't have a boss turret.
- Weaken those turrets, but don't destroy them.
- Get your shards (if you don't have them already)
- Destroy one turret. Let respawn. Ignore the others.
- Destroy all turrets when that one comes back - it will be full health, but the others won't be. You now have 5 minutes to destroy them all and claim your shard.

Shivans. *shrug* Not like anyone's in the PVP zones these days.

I am somewhat disappointed that we're losing a valid strategy to defeat him, given prior complaints about "just bigger bags of hit points." I mean, noticing what's going on and doing something to counter it (besides "punch punch punch down purples punch punch" that is.) I've handled him different ways with different ATs. My controllers and doms took advantage of the fact he CAN be held to keep him from spawning anything. Melee? Beat on him. Sometimes in lava, sometimes not. MMs? Swarm, sometimes with T1s chasing the clones. Khelds? One kited, two beat on him in the lava. My defenders kited.

Of the group of characters I have in the 40s, I think the only one I'm going to have to find a different strategy for will be the Sonic/Sonic, since I tend to want to solo this arc.

Now, if they introduced some other way you could handle him (not including temp powers, etc) I would be fine with losing this angle. But that's more an encounter redesign than a mob redesign.