Memphis_Bill

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Defenders would get a global boost to to all powers that increase regen, recovery, def, and resistance.

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Yeah! Screw TA! And Storm! I know, you didn't mean it like that. But it's part of the problem Bill was talking about.

[/ QUOTE ]Don't debuffs get buffed by buff buffs?

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Say that ten times fast.

Still, this could go either way. Either they don't get buffed by buff buffs, and the sets are so specialized as to be useless, or they do (which also affects the secondary, remember,) and Defenders end up - well, they can already be borderline overpowered.

And what DO you do with Stalkers? More damage? More damage from hide? Same with every other AT - just *what* do you end up buffing? How about tanks - buff their HP? Taunt?

Plus, as mentioned... it's also a case of specialized sets clogging up pools. *shrug* I'm not even sure, right offhand, that sets CAN be limited to AT. They can be limited to power types, obviously, so it's possible they could be as well.

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One IO set per AT that enhances there primary function or a subset of that function might be nice.

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Primary function by whose definition, and what if that function is widely varied, such as with Defenders?

And how would it be different from current IO sets?

Stalkers, for instance, are... damage. We *already have that* in melee IO sets. And other sets give damage bonuses, as well. Would you enhance their stealth? Out of the box, it's sufficient for PVE - the mobs that see through it see through any and all stealth.

Brutes - Are they damage? Are they defense? Resistance? Aggro management?

Masterminds - What would you concentrate on, pets? There are already pet sets. How about the secondary? Again - very divergent. FF plays much differently than Pain domination, for instance. Would you find a way to enhance Bodyguard or Supremacy? How, other than ways already covered by uniques?

Defenders - whole can of worms right there... what, precisely, do you enhance that all defenders can use?

Controllers - Again, plenty of control sets that already enhance their control - and are useful to others.

What would they do that current sets (and bonuses) don't?

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I think an expansion on this idea is in order.

How about instead, AT-specific IO sets?


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Why? What good would it do?

ATs already have some difference in their various caps and modifiers. Sets modify power types (melee, PBAOE, ranged, ranged AOE, etc.) which tend to be across ATs. Melee can be used by anybody, for instance, since everyone has Brawl. Even some you may, at first, think are "certain AT only" (such as Pets, Holds, Immobs) are more widely used than that. (I can stick a Hold set in a SS tank's KO Blow if I so choose, for instance.) Even Taunt, which most would think "tank or brute," can be used by anyone with the Presence pool.

Sets should not be AT limited, IMHO. Leaving them open to any appropriate power is far more useful - and limiting them to a specific AT would only clutter up the drop pools. (And do we really need *another* pool added, if that would be the suggested fix?)

Um...

OK, it's possible to just make an "insane computer," but would you want to buy a platinum-bodied Ferrari just to drive a block down the street to the store?

Honestly, it looks like you need to do a *lot* of research. You want, it looks like, dual *physical processors* (though multicore is overkill for most peoples needs) - and then run Windows XP Home? They won't be taken advantage of.

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Windows XP Home
Note: Windows XP Home can use a maximum of one (1) physical processor. However, because Hyper-Threading is supported, the operating system takes advantage of the second (virtual) processor.


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Heck, COH (as I recall) doesn't even take advantage of SLI/Crossfire. If you're planning on other games as well, they may make it worthwhile.

Memory support is going to depend on processor and mainboard selections. The amount is also going to be impacted by if you're running a 32 or 64 bit edition.

Personally, I'd browse around up in the Tech issues forum. There are some example builds and such, as well as "what works" type questions. (Edit: Start in a thread such as this one.) Also, Win7 is due to release, as I recall, at the end of October. I'm planning a system build as well, specifically for it, changing as it gets closer. Perhaps not an "ultimate" build, but one that'll fit my needs.

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According to Mirage volcanic soil is very fertile.

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According to volcanic soil, so's mirage. But I think it said that just to be rude.

Power boost is a simple recharge and click buff. No building up involved.

Snagging the description from the wiki:

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Power Boost

Greatly boosts the secondary effects of your powers. Your powers effects like Disorients, Holds, Immobilizes, Heals, Defense Buffs, Endurance Drains, Knockbacks and more, are all improved. The effects of Power Boost last a short while, and only the next couple of attacks will be boosted. You must be level 44 and have Web Envelope or Scorpion Shield before selecting this power.


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and then replace the first shield's old spot with a +max HP auto power for Peacebringers

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Um...
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Essence Boost: Self: Heal, +Max Health, +Resistance(Toxic)

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Level 4 power.

Plus.. .Justaris nailed it

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Bots/FF is not too exciting. You won't die often, but you don't have any debuffs and it will seem like the bots take forever to take down certain opponents.

I'd recommend a Thugs/Poison Mastermind. The Thugs do good damage, you have some excellent debuffs and a single target heal, and you get dual pistols, which not only look cool as heck, but also do a decent bit of damage pre-20 or so.

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Seconding all of the above.

Some people like Bots/FF. For me, it was a boring combo - very safe, but I had very little to do. It actually soured me on Masterminds for a while. Eventually, I went into the MM forum and talked to the folks there, who saw I liked to be involved while playing, and suggested Thug/Poison.

It's one of the most fun rides up to 50 I've ever had. For your description of wanting to buff/debuff... yeah, Poison if you go MM.

Well, I've played Mace, and it's not bad - are you considering Power Boost, as well?

There's also Soul, if you're looking at the shields - SM/Le/Neg/Tox - which also comes with OG. Anything gets too close, minion or (often, in my experience) LT rank, it's stunned, which will help deal with that aggro as well. IIRC Tentacles has no KB resist - which you may see as a good thing, or not.

I'd probably lean Mace in your case.

Well, for starters, you won't get stuck with something you won't like. You can now respec out of the pool. So don't worry about that.

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Post Deleted by Moderator_08

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Actually - I started out playing COH purely on a fluke. Picked it up cheaply at walmart, but was of the "Why would I want to keep paying for a game I've bought already?" mindset. But it was cheap enough ($20 for the COH CE, Issue 3) that I figured, what the heck.

And we got content updates. And a bunch of people running around. Servers to keep running. And a continually evolving game (in terms of powers, zones, and storyline.)

Lifetime subs? Well, I wouldn't have bought one then (put out $200-$300 for a game I hadn't tried, when I can burn through a $50 in a few hours? Insanity!) and the monthly fee is still cheap NOW. Lifetime fees - let's see, Hellgate: London, Founders sub. That was a gamble that was sure *lost* by the people who did it. (Actually, just buying the game was a big loss.) Tabula Rasa? Dead. LOTRO? Under the radar, though it's still going.

And guild wars? I *have* GW. They're more like Diablo II with servers hosting the towns. You go out into the world and see NPCs and whoever you hauled along. They are nothing like a traditional MMO, and sure haven't delivered content updates like a real one. (Not to mention, IMHO, it's exceptionally *boring.*)

$15/mo for continual upkeep, keeping the servers going, keeping content coming in and keeping the game alive - it's cheap.

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Yeah but my guess is you're not the type of person who goes on forums arguing against having the pay a subscription, so you don't really fall into what I'm talking about. People like the OP have a high tendency to REFUSE to understand something when it's something that is inconvenient for them.

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Well, I've argued a lot of things on the forums in the last four years. My main point there was that I did, indeed, start out with a similar mindset of "This is a ridiculous idea, and while I'll pay this first month, I don't see myself ever paying a subscription. What a stupid concept."

... until I actually sat down and saw what it *did* for me, and for the game.

So, honestly, the people against monthly fees fall into two categories - those who will end up learning what they do and why they're a good thing, and those who will just - as the type you highlighted - refuse to no matter what you show them.

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AS doesn't take interupt reducers.

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This makes AS sets unnecessary. Any "AS set" would just be a melee set unusable by anyone but stalkers.

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And this is pretty much why I ended up giving up on trying to come up with any. It'd be a melee set that's usable by only one AT. (Banes don't get an AS - they do get a similar bonus for being hidden, yes, but it's not like Assassin's Strike's various limitations.) I used to think it'd be nice to see, as well, but there's just no benefit to doing so - especially since they'd drop for everyone. They'd end up being appreciated only slightly more than, say, an Intangibility set.

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Bill, is that where the standard code rant came from?
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Cant' say, I'm not the one who came up with it - but even without "I made a mod for NWN" or whatever she said, there were enough people saying "This is easy, they should just do it" that ti would have been made eventually.

As it is, the flowchart's still amusing.

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Post Deleted by Moderator_08

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Actually - I started out playing COH purely on a fluke. Picked it up cheaply at walmart, but was of the "Why would I want to keep paying for a game I've bought already?" mindset. But it was cheap enough ($20 for the COH CE, Issue 3) that I figured, what the heck.

And we got content updates. And a bunch of people running around. Servers to keep running. And a continually evolving game (in terms of powers, zones, and storyline.)

Lifetime subs? Well, I wouldn't have bought one then (put out $200-$300 for a game I hadn't tried, when I can burn through a $50 in a few hours? Insanity!) and the monthly fee is still cheap NOW. Lifetime fees - let's see, Hellgate: London, Founders sub. That was a gamble that was sure *lost* by the people who did it. (Actually, just buying the game was a big loss.) Tabula Rasa? Dead. LOTRO? Under the radar, though it's still going.

And guild wars? I *have* GW. They're more like Diablo II with servers hosting the towns. You go out into the world and see NPCs and whoever you hauled along. They are nothing like a traditional MMO, and sure haven't delivered content updates like a real one. (Not to mention, IMHO, it's exceptionally *boring.*)

$15/mo for continual upkeep, keeping the servers going, keeping content coming in and keeping the game alive - it's cheap.

<qr to OP>

I have two accounts. I have trials I can convert over (and, heck, have a COV box, unopened) to full accounts right now.

I could get a character to 50 on that account and roll a Kheld before it ever got a vet badge.

Remember what "Assume" starts with, and don't make one of yourself.

I don't know how Steam interacts with the COH install. Can you stop Steam entirely, and find COHUpdater.exe to run directly?

While you're at it, disable UAC if you haven't already. Purely for the sake of testing. I know Win7 brings up UAC warnings with the updater (though, renaming it something that doesn't have "updater" in the title, it ignores it.)

The only thing I'd agree with skipping is salt crystals. The rest are just far too useful.

Better? You mean I have to choose?

Sometimes I like being more in-your-face. Those times... PB.

Sometimes I prefer sneaking up and demolishing multiple faces at once, then ripping out purple puffballs of doom through the nostrils of said faces. Those times... WS.

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Having been in on the "discussions" at that time, I am personally surprised *I* didn't get at least a temp ban during the issues.

He wasn't messing with those two. He was saying "no" to their incredibly stupid ideas, at which point both of them *went ballistic* in a way that no one - NO ONE - could have explained. For 2 or 3 nights, the forums were on fire. Jranger was not the instigator of this- their moronic ideas and kneejerk reactions to criticism were. I gave them a /no in more or less uncertain terms - they were positive that I was also a horrific villain. They were just stupid monkeys who I hope learned a bit from the experience...

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... but seriously doubt they did?

Saying "no" to an idea was not, and is not, any sort of judgement or mockery of a person. It's a simple statement of disagreement - which, THANKS to those two people who went completely bats... er, let's be forum-friendly and say "they reacted far out of proportion to someone disagreeing, in ways rarely seen before, like launching the ex-Soviet nuclear arsenal because you can't find a parking space near the door," was then deemed an unwelcome reply by the mods... primarily *because* of that reaction.

There were long, drawn out arguments about that at the time, as well, which I won't start again (since they generally come out with no real compromise or ... well, there's no point, and it'd probably fall under "discussing moderator decisions," which goes against the board rules.)

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I have a question. What is the point of having more than one monitor? Seems to be a common theme here. What do you use it for?

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My second computer. >.>

That said, had I more desk space (and money,) I'd be running multiple monitors as well. I NEVER have enough "desktop space," even on a widescreen, and like having references next to each other, or something like mail/stuff to monitor and whatever I need fullscreen -

It's actually exceptionally useful. I got rather used to it at one of my last jobs. A single, normal (4:3) monitor feels cramped. Plus, some programs really take advantage of it. It was MUCH harder to pull off back when I did CAD (early 90s,) but AutoCAD would have its command window in one monitor and leave you a nice, fullscreen workspace in the other. First time I saw the setup, I was in love... but couldn't afford to do it (or haul around both monitors - no LCDs then!)

Typically looks like purple and silver, as I recall.

Click the wiki link in my sig, and search on Vanguard.

10Gb? ... ouch.

I'll find the guide - essentially, copy the installer (COHUpdater.exe) to the desktop. Run it. When it asks for a location, change it to the new drive. Let it *start* (barely) the install, so it creates the folder... then move everything over.

(At least as I recall.)

Edit: Billzbubba's guide to moving COH or installing test.

Vista or Steam. You can see that the servers are up by going to the server status page.

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I had a long winded post laid out explaining why I think the new guide count has dropped so dramatically, but the forum ate it.

So, rather than retype, here's the tl;dr version:

Inventions added massive complexity to the guide writing business. Everyone wants 'builds' now, more than they want descriptions of powers, synergies, tactics or how a set feels. The writing part has sort of gone by the way side in favor of pages and pages of Mid's builds. More and more the answer to "What about this set?" has become "Open up a character planner and see for yourself." So there have been fewer and fewer of the traditional guides that talked about how a set plays, rather than what the numbers are.

/oldmanrant

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/this. I really have to agree.

Of course, the flip side of that is that "builds" don't help you know WHY you want those powers, what to expect from them in lower to mid levels and such. "Build" posts are far less useful, IMHO. Let me know what to expect during DO levels. Let me know what powers work together, what to expect with SOs and plain old everyday IOs ... not purpled out on a multi-billion INF build.

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It became so common, other posters adopted "/jranger" as a trendy to say "no" while also implying the topic wasn't worthy of further discussion.


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Actually, as the person who /jrangered something first -

We had one poster who was getting into a spittle-finging, mouth-foaming frenzy over people basically saying no to his ... um... ideas. I mean, you could hear him shrieking over the internet. He went and basically hit "report moderator" over everything.

So, since he was going that way over people saying no... I decided to try to defuse it slightly (and in a somewhat humerous way) by referring to the person known for "no" - JRanger.

It got picked up, and mutated, and folded, spindled, and mutilated. *shrug* And the original target of it (not JRanger) proved two things - one, that he had no sense of humor, and two, that he couldn't spell JRanger. I don't think in all his rabid tirades against it he *ever* spelled it right.