Memphis_Bill

Eh, that doesn't look very Vahzilok-ish to me. And a bit overdone for aboms (lower case = minion type name) as opposed to an NPC called the Abomination.

Plus I don't think we've seen/heard anything on a Vahz revamp. (They really fit their look now as it is.)
Interesting thought.

I want to say Stealth would cancel AA, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Superspeed would stack. (Main issue I have with AA is that it's such an END hog.)

If he's at 21, I'd say get to 25 (or 26, Glacier) with investment only in SOs, before deleting. If he still doesn't enjoy it, I don't think there's enough left in either Ice set to change his mind.

But as for "If it's not fun, don't play it?" It makes sense to ask. Some sets bloom later, or are "Hey, when you get THIS key power, it really takes off." Or, for instance with Masterminds in 18-23, "You're hitting the roughest patch for it, stick with it before deciding."

/this.

Admittedly mine has it, but it was a late-ish pick. (Ice/Psy - pre Dom2.0, remember "late blooming set!")

The AOE Immob is useful as a backup - Ice Slick an ambush coming your way, AOE Immob a group that's getting ready to be shredded, head in (with /psy) for a nice, tightly packed Drain Psyche, Shockwave, etc. Deal with the slicked mobs next.

eh?

Rather find out who on Vic *does?* Hell, if they'll put up with me, they'll put up with anyone.

Barbarian bits cooked in a spicy BBQ sauce = Barbarian Wings.

Maybe if you gave him some ranch dressing they'd be Cool Barbarian Wings?

Y'know, I've been complaining about this (well, moreso) since... when was it... Not long after War Witch took the helm and mentioned "We don't want to update old stuff, we want to keep giving you new."

Yeah... but what about areas like Dark Astoria that people have been *begging* to have content added to for years?

Or - well, my general impression STILL is one of a dog in a room full of Superballs, just bouncing, chasing, catching one then getting distracted by another. Do notice how much has been done with AE after it stopped being the new shiny. Or bases. Or... when's the last time we had IO sets added, or revised (see "Debt reduction?") Back when they tried to put in a carrot to get people back into the (broken) PVP that the also haven't revisited?

They mention their "strike teams" now. Yeah, great for throwing more new stuff out, I guess - stuff to pay extra for. But where's the "Strike team" for Dark Astoria, which is just *filled* with story possibility? Where's the Shard Strike Team? Where's the Strike Team to add more reason to go to Cimerora than the ITF? Where's the Strike Team to, I don't know, make Redside more appealing in general? Where's the Base Strike Team?

Honestly, I don't expect any of it to get revisited, other than, perhaps, a token mention ("We added a map to AE!") Why? It's not the "new shiny." And the zones that could use updating, or that are *begging* for story? I expect their next "revision" to be a set of meteors. Any bets on when we'll see new tip and/or newspaper/police band missions? (I know the latter are AdLib-ish - "The ____ stole the ____ and hid it in their _____! Go pull it out!" But still. Can't they be improved? Expanded?)

That's not the attitude I used to have toward the dev team, and it's not the attitude I *want* to have to the dev team. And yes, some of the new stuff is great, I'm not knocking it. (Except the lack of actual, appropriate, Incarnate-themed solo/small team content... but that drum's been beaten to a pulp already, and I don't expect to see it either.) But that attitude is where the dev team has, in general, led me to at this point. (Other than Tunnel Rat. When it comes to responsiveness to a serious issue... bam, right there. I have nothing bad to say about her. And to clarify, I have nothing bad to say about the devs *as people.* I'm sure Matt, Melissa, the whole crew are great people. It's "the dev team direction" I gripe about. Specifically the direction that seems to be "Run away from older content at high speed.")

They want you to overlook it, burn points on stuff, then have to buy more points. (Or just don't want everything released at once. Still, yeah, I was looking forward to it as well.)

Pfft. What were you expecting, pants? Sheesh. Next thing you'll say women should be allowed to *vote* and *hold jobs.* Insanity! Bustiers and skirts, or bikinis and odd pieces that defy gravity (or require double sided tape to stay on.) That's what you'll get, and you'll LIKE it, missy!

Hey, hey!

This is a FAMILY forum. You keep your nussing in pocket D.

Don't get me started on Incarnate content and power creep... honestly, I should open up a coffee shop with as much grinding out of those trials as the devs want you to do.

Already said I was sorry if I misread him, and tried to explain why I read him that way. Haven't said anything about him since.

I've seen great ideas (and had a few ideas here and there of my own) for solo/small team Incarnate content - content fully worthy of (and at some point requiring - like, say, some doesn't become available until, for instance, Judgement is slotted) Incarnate status and powers.

We've got an insane godlike entity in the Shard who hasn't seen much love in years, for instance.

We've got a pantheon of banished gods that probably should be dealt with (which would also, oh, help with the lack of content in DA. Explore the backstory in the lower levels, go in to finally deal with it as empowered Incarnates.)

I'd love to see these things.

What do I *expect?* Exactly this sort of thing as a "solo" path. (And more zones being smashed and removed from the game.) Honestly, I think someone's probably irked that Keyes is generally... oh... not run. And they want us to "Grind trials, peons, bwahahahaha! Grind for your threads!" after all.

I'm not telling everyone else to feel the same way. But to me, having a good grasp of an SO'd out character provides a far *better* foundation for IOing out, if you choose to do that. And that - again - it seems that people are getting (IMHO) far too reliant on IOs. It's one thing to say "And when you IO out the build, it takes you from *here* to *here!*" and another to say "It's unplayable/I can't see playing it without IOs." What if you had to? (See some of the Freedom announcements.)

Now, here's the part where you say "I'm glad you're not a dev." See, there were rumors way back when that Hami-os "might have a cost" (or drawback) sometime "in the future." And you know what - I like the idea. And I'd be tickled to find content where something is actively working against IO buffs (looking specifically at set bonuses.) Not to "stick it to" anyone, but to remove that crutch, much like we've seen a rise in heavy -def and the like in late game content. (I remember people howling hate at the rogue Vanguard they ran into with their melee... while my squishy controllers sat back and asked "What's the problem?")

Now, obviously this would be temporary - I'd love to see part of it where you have to fight to various devices and disable them to start getting your powers back, which would also buff the SO'd/lightly IO'd characters, so at the end the IO'd characters are at full strength and the SO'd are buffed - but I'd find it interesting *just* to see how the folks on IOs would do.

I'm holding off any irked-ness (since I actually have a few characters who could use some of the pieces) until I see the full piece listing. I do agree the loincloth on females would be welcome.

Of course, they may be putting the thigh-highs there because we can get the "Santa boots/gloves" via the winter event. (It'd be nice to be able to turn ccanes in for those more often.)

(Also... can we get that outside peak without the fur? Please?)

Dear devs:

The extra options are welcome. Thank you.

Now, can we talk about actual, Incarnate-related "regular content" to drop these rewards more than once a week? Perhaps bump the content shown to an Empyrian once a week and put Incarnate-Solo/Small Team-Content arc at an astral? Something that's not dropping at a rate that's still discouraging once you do the math (versus "Grind trials, muahahahah!")

And can we talk again about how silly it is to spend rewards for running Incarnate content on being able to emote being out of breath and/or falling over exhausted?

Thanks.

Also, if you're asking because of wanting to share them on a hosting site, Photobucket (and probably imageshack) do have tools on-site to resize them (and make other edits.)

Now stop and think how that actually looks.

"This person tells me to stop rolling a peacebringer and roll a warshade instead. *And they have both.* If they play one and think it's that bad, maybe I shouldn't even bother," as opposed to, "oh, ha ha ha."

The "jokes" don't come across as "jokes" at all, especially with the AT getting unfairly slammed here and everywhere else.

There's a difference between "I had trouble with it" and "Yeah, you can't do that." Look at what you said - "To be completely honest with you, you really need an IO build if you don't have one already."

Compare to, say, GavinRuneblade - "Grab an envenomed dagger, the -regen will probably be enough to put you over the edge."

Now, which sounds more useful? And which sounds like PS up there should just not bother because it's too underpowered? (And as mentioned, I soloed this on my Earth/FF and Ice/Emp, which makes pretty much *anything* else look like a damage powerhouse.)

I have no problem with people saying they have trouble. Because they do, regardless of AT or powerset. Maybe it's settings, maybe it's approach, maybe it's slotting - that's what the forums, among other things, are here for. I *do* have a problem with basically saying "Nope, you can't do it without sinking INF into an IO build" when it's simply not true. If it were, with as much as I like PBs, I'd be insisting they were in need of fixing - because, quite frankly,SOs are where things are supposedly balanced.

If I were fairly sure this could not be done on SOs and it wasn't *me* (which, yes, *is* the first thing I check - I'll run something multiple times to see if it's a tactic that needs changing, a temp power I could use (see curse breaker,) or if I'm missing a "tell" from the NPC that will otherwise keep me from getting killed,) my next step would be coming here - and if it were universal, I'd start being a royal PITA to the devs about it (see 1 1/2 years of fighting for Sonic Dispersion graphics, and picking up right where I left off on Barrier.)

Edit:
Quite frankly, I think people are too hung up on "OMG I need to IO out everything for perma-recharged-insta-super-this-that-the-other" to pay attention to what the powers do *without* them. Perform "optimally?" Perform decently on SOs - frankly I've never had anyone complain about my SO'd builds. Nobody really can tell the difference. I'm not sitting back, sucking wind and plinking for 1-2 damage while IO'd builds of the same sets are nuking spawns. And yet paging through you'll see and hear people complaining that "I just can't play this character without my IOs/permahasten/etc/etc/etc." If they took away IOs tomorrow, I'd have a few respecs to do things like toss Acrobatics back on my Fire and Dark tanks/scrappers, maybe rearrange a few slots, and I'd be back in business. Even on my heavily-IOd builds, frankly, I wouldn't break a sweat. Because I built them to work properly *without* them.

Not always. Though the point about those spawns being ambushes tends to be correct.

It's really hard to tell which ones will follow, unfortunately. It's some really hit-and-miss scripting or whatnot. I've had some I expected to follow, that I seemed to *remember* being able to follow, get to the elevators and wander away (as seen when I went back up.) Others... not so much.

You mean much like several peoples "Must slam peacebringers and give the impression they can't do jack" posts in pretty much every bloody thread? Because that's sure what it starts feeling like when it's almost all you hear, over and over. Or is putting down PBs over and over perfectly fine? That'd be a bit of a double standard, wouldn't you think? But that's what I see done and *encouraged* - or at least certainly not DIScouraged - over and over.

Much like (and I know this comment wasn't you) "MF PB guide" - "Select PB, go back and select Warshade." Yeah. Helpful. And irritating in the extreme. "It's a joke" a few posts later - but think of the impact of seeing that on someone looking for help and information. And the impression it gives of the AT. Hell, as Khelds, we still have people insisting we do nothing but hide because we get one-shot from every Void or Quantum and every Cyst is an instant team-wipe (and/or declaring they won't invite Khelds to a team because of it, no matter how out of date it is.)

Sorry, but yes, the whole "Let's slam PBs" bit has gotten VERY tiring. As said elsewhere, I don't think I've ever seen a forum so devoted to making people NOT play one of its ATs. Then you go out to the REST of the forum....

And then you turn around with the "Neither of those are pure SO builds" which, quite frankly, felt like trying to nitpick to me to invalidate it and *keep* with that same forum "vibe" of "Make sure people think PBs are worthless, go worship at the shrine of Warshade." So, yes, given the way the forum in general seems to be about PBs, I read that as essentially trying to invalidate the fact that yes, I *did* do this on a non-IOd, essentially SO build. Twice. So no, your question, given all that did NOT come across as an actual question. If that wasn't your intent - re-read the rest of this and see just why.

(Edit Re: the knockback comment. That was more general, but I see how you can read it as me directing that to you specifically. Not intended, it was meant to be general.)

If I've completely misread you and owe you an apology, I'm sorry - but make sure you see WHY I read it that way. Because that *is* how the whole thing came off to me.

Wish I'd seen this earlier.

This statement is complete and utter BS. You do not "need" an IO build in the least for this, on a PB or any other AT. Inspirations, sure. And the envenomed dagger is useful, sure. But you do not need an IO build any more than you need to have green in your costume's colors.

What I soloed him on:

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Voidbane: Level 50 Natural Peacebringer
Primary Power Set: Luminous Blast
Secondary Power Set: Luminous Aura
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gleaming Bolt -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(3), Dmg-I(5), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(5), RechRdx-I(7)
Level 1: Incandescence -- S'fstPrt-ResKB(A), ResDam-I(7), ResDam-I(9)
Level 2: Glinting Eye -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Acc-I(9), Dmg-I(11), Dmg-I(11), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), RechRdx-I(13)
Level 4: Essence Boost -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15), Heal-I(15), Heal-I(17), Heal-I(17)
Level 6: Gleaming Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Acc-I(19), Dmg-I(19), Dmg-I(21), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), RechRdx-I(23)
Level 8: Radiant Strike -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(23), Dmg-I(25), Dmg-I(25), Dmg(27), RechRdx-I(27)
Level 10: Proton Scatter -- Acc-I(A), Acc-I(29), Dmg-I(29), Dmg-I(31), Dmg(31), RechRdx-I(31)
Level 12: Build Up -- RechRdx(A)
Level 14: Hasten -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(33)
Level 16: Shining Shield -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(33), ResDam-I(33)
Level 18: Incandescent Strike -- Acc-I(A), Acc(34), Dmg(34), Dmg(34), Dmg(36), RechRdx-I(36)
Level 20: Quantum Shield -- EndRdx-I(A), ResDam-I(36)
Level 22: Reform Essence -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(37), Heal(37), Heal-I(37), Heal-I(39)
Level 24: Conserve Energy -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 26: Solar Flare -- Acc-I(A), Acc(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(40), Dmg(40), RechRdx(40)
Level 28: Quantum Flight -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 30: Stealth -- EndRdx(A)
Level 32: Dawn Strike -- Acc-I(A), Acc(42), Dmg(42), Dmg(42), Dmg(43), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 35: Restore Essence -- Heal(A)
Level 38: Light Form -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(43), EndMod(45), ResDam(45)
Level 41: Photon Seekers -- Acc(A), Acc(45), Dmg(46), Dmg(46), Dmg(46), RechRdx(48)
Level 44: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Tough -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(48), ResDam-I(48), ResDam-I(50)
Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Energy Flight -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 10: Combat Flight -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(50), EndMod-I(50)
Level 1: Cosmic Balance
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------


And...


Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Therra Paladina: Level 50 Natural Peacebringer
Primary Power Set: Luminous Blast
Secondary Power Set: Luminous Aura
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Concealment

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gleaming Bolt -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5)
Level 1: Incandescence -- S'fstPrt-ResKB(A), ResDam-I(5)
Level 2: Gleaming Blast -- Acc(A), Dmg(7), Dmg(7), Dmg(9)
Level 4: Essence Boost -- RechRdx(A), Heal(9), Heal(11), Heal(11)
Level 6: Bright Nova -- GSFC-Build%(A)
Level 8: Radiant Strike -- Acc(A), Acc(13), Dmg(13), Dmg(15), Dmg(15), RechRdx(17)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 12: Build Up -- RechRdx(A)
Level 14: Shining Shield -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(17)
Level 16: Proton Scatter -- Acc(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(19), Posi-Dmg/Rng(19)
Level 18: Incandescent Strike -- HO:Endo(A), Acc(21), HO:Perox(21), Dmg(23), Dmg(23), RechRdx(25)
Level 20: White Dwarf -- Winter-ResSlow(A), ResDam(25), ResDam(27), ResDam(27)
Level 22: Reform Essence -- RechRdx(A), Heal(29), Heal(29), Heal(31)
Level 24: Conserve Energy -- RechRdx(A)
Level 26: Solar Flare -- Acc(A)
Level 28: Quantum Flight -- EndRdx(A)
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- Krma-ResKB(A)
Level 32: Dawn Strike -- Acc(A), Dmg(33), Dmg(34), Dmg(34)
Level 35: Restore Essence -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Light Form -- RechRdx(A), RechRdx(39)
Level 41: Photon Seekers -- Acc(A), Dmg(42), Dmg(42), RechRdx(43)
Level 44: Quantum Shield -- ResDam(A)
Level 47: Stealth -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Invisibility -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Energy Flight -- Empty(A)
Level 10: Combat Flight -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Heal(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(50), EndMod(50)
Level 1: Cosmic Balance
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------
Level 1: Bright Nova Bolt -- Acc(A), RechRdx(31), Dmg(31), Dmg(33), Dmg(33)
Level 1: Bright Nova Blast -- Acc(A), RechRdx(34), Dmg(36), Dmg(36), Dmg(36)
Level 1: Bright Nova Scatter -- Acc(A), Posi-Dmg/Rng(37), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(37), Dmg(37), Dmg(39), Posi-Acc/Dmg(39)
Level 1: Bright Nova Detonation -- Acc(A), RechRdx(40), Dmg(40), Dmg(40), Dmg(42)
Level 1: White Dwarf Strike -- Acc(A), Dmg(43), Dmg(43), Dmg(45)
Level 1: White Dwarf Smite -- Acc(A), Dmg(45), Dmg(45), Dmg(46)
Level 1: White Dwarf Flare -- Acc(A), Dmg(46), Dmg(46), Dmg(48)
Level 1: White Dwarf Sublimation -- RechRdx(A), Heal(48), Heal(48), Heal(50)
Level 1: White Dwarf Step -- Jnt-EndRdx(A)
Level 1: White Dwarf Antagonize -- Mocking-Rchg(A)

(The HOs are actually *more recent* than the Alpha unlock arc.)

So anyone saying he's "unsoloable without an IO build" is, as I said, full of it. The only character I've teamed to beat him on was my Shield/Stone tank - and that's solely because my friends that were part of the group that character was running to 50 with were running it then.

Edit: Hell, I soloed the arc on my *Earth/FF* and *Ice/Emp* controllers. You can't get much lower damage than that. So if you want to insist that you can't do this on an SO'd PB... yeah, right.