Memphis_Bill

... and as an aside, I'll mention a friend's experience with the recent fully voiced MMO that just went FTP after... loudly encouraging people to switch servers. She switched from one (one that we were both on, btw) that really *did* have only 4-5 people on at peak times. (When she and I make up nearly half the server's population, there's a problem.) Her favourite character? Lost the name. In fact, probably half her characters had to be renamed.

Result? Last straw for her. Even with it now being F2P, she no longer plays it.




Now, as far as THIS game:
The only thing I'd feel "safe" wiping are banned accounts. Given that most of those are likely spammers, unless you just HAVE to have JPOIUER9387 or QLXOIER923, I don't think said wipe would help you out much. Even trial accounts need to be considered "live," given the Freedom model - and it certainly seems (unscientific information ahead!) that we've had quite an uptick in "Yeah, I played this back in 2004/5/6/7/8, heard it was free so I thought I'd give it a look again" since then.

... I think that's mostly the core of it.

It's not really an AT issue as in "The AT needs buffing." I *really* don't. It's an AT as in "playstyle and specific kryptonite" (AOEs, basically) issue - and I don't mean that as an attack on the OP, I mean it as if you move too fast, you can find good chunks of your HP and offense trailing behind you, ineffective, or making friends with things you'd rather not meet.

Other ATs don't really have anything similar to worry about - yes, most controllers/doms get a pet lagging behind, but that's not the majority of their powerset.


I don't, frankly, agree with the OP's reply to me about "speeding through content" being any sort of a yardstick. Some people like "speeding through content," sure. Others don't. If he's going to do any sort of comparisons, strip away your level shifts and IOs for an even playing field and see what happens.

and just start laughing. They're not "required" to in the least. Is some content nastier to MMs than to other classes? Sure. Just like Romans and Vanguard can chew through otherwise-tough melee classes, or Carnie psy damage is a nasty surprise, or Arachnos seeming to mostly shrug off control effects.

Now, that isn't to say some *sets* can't use help - typically Ninjas. And even that's going to vary some by secondary and playstyle. Or, as Adeon says a couple posts up:

I read that as applesauce.

Is that double stacked name-rage? >.>

The devs seem to know about Drain Psyche.

Seeds, unlike (say) mass confusion, causes aggro when it wears off. *shrug* Seems like a decent tradeoff for getting it earlier.

Four words:
Hand Clap
Foot Stomp

Mitigation for the majority of that crash... even without something like Shield Charge, Oppressive Gloom, Chilling Embrace, Spring Attack (do it in place!) or the like.

And really, I've got to say it again... you need to pay attention to what it's doing. It doesn't just suddenly crash, it does give you warning. And that's part of what I like about it.

Honestly? I tend to think, given the proliferation of IOs (and yes, I'm speaking from a "I push SOs!" perspective as well, here) that the -def is no longer really "unfair" just to one set. (I'd argue about it being "unfair" overall - you have something that pushes you that far, you pay for it and learn to manage it.)

If the devs felt it was overpowered, I think something would have been done in the last eight years If people don't like the crash, etc. then... well, fine. Put in a second power where you *have* to pick - Rage or (essentially) build up. But... No cost = less benefit.

Oh:
Yes, you can use them... however, you're missing one thing. You can't enhance them to increase your odds of hitting. If you're sitting there whiffing at -9999% damage, Sands isn't doing much good. (And I always seem to find myself using Nem or BW against Rikti drones. I might use it earlier, but the miss with those is *really* noticable at that point, since I'm usually taking energy blasts to the face!)

Can't give you a percent... I want to say with slotted Hasten and 2-3 slotted Rage it will stack for a bit, I'd have to look at my builds (which seem to go from "almost stacked" to "Hey, overlap!" all of a sudden.

You seem to be answering some of your questions... and - isn't the above quote basically saying "Change it for the sake of change?"

I mean, if it works great currently, why does it need change? Stalkers didn't work "great" - I found them fun, but agreed they needed change. They got changed. They're much more fun now. (And more in line with how I played them anyway, I tended to stay and scrap.)

Going to jump around a bit.
But it *isn't* constant 80% damage. It's 80% damage... then -9999% damage and a defense buff. Do you want to deal with that drop while facing an AV? Do you want - especially as a defense based character, and I am speaking mostly on the part of tanks - want that drop to happen with a x8 stack of enemies piled on you? Sure, footstomp - try to keep some of them knocked down. But you've got that window of "burnout" to deal with.


First, as mentioned, no, I'm not clicking it when it's up every time. Even for a single "dose." I have to manage that crash - for instance, facing Hro'Dtaz, I *know* he's going to have reinforcements come in at two different points. Do I hit it right away and gamble I'll be done with him and his friends at the end? Do I hold off? Or double-stacking - do I need that extra damage and (usually, actually) to hit now, and is it worth two windows of -def and basically no damage? (Especially in a longer fight - say, Tub Ci and his level shifts.)

Remove the debuff window, and what do I need to do? Stick it on auto and don't think about it again.

Heck, you want a suggestion people would *really* hate? Have the stacked crashes *be worse and last longer.* I'd actually enjoy that. If you stack it, you get that extra damage/tohit for, oh, 30 seconds or what have you - then your defense is unresistably floored and -damage is taking you for the full double-length debuff at the end. Really make you think about if you want to do it. Maximum 3 stacks, and the crash WILL happen... I'd even have the second and third, when they crash, cost some HP.

If it's unstackable, it'd need a higher buff -and IMHO, a bigger crash.

What can I say, there are things I *like* old-school. You want to double or triple stack Rage? You get to deal with the crash 2-3x as often too. YOU decide if it's worth it. My tanks usually get a fair bit of overlap - and there are times I don't use it. ET - I like having a HP loss for a fast attack. Nukes - yes, I *like* "self generated" nukes causing a crash.

As far as "punch stuff" - I know this is going to sound a little... snobbish? Can't think of a good way to put it, and it's not my intent in the first place - but really. Turn rage into basically build up and what thinking has to go into it? "Click when up." 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 6 for Footstomp when starting new group 123412361234 oh, rage, boring.

See, it's like me and masterminds. I like having stuff to pay attention to. My first mastermind? Bots/FF. It's... finally... 38. Maybe 39. I play it for 1-2 missions every few months, keeping it only because I like the character - but *hate* the sets. Bots is ok. FF is completely inactive, aside from maybe whacking something with force bolt to knock it away from a bot. Nearly turned me off masterminds completely - no real thinking involved. Talked to the MM forums, was pointed towards a thugs/poison, that rapidly became a favourite character - it definitely kept me busy, without feeling like I was "playing the gimmick." (see DB: Combos.)

That, for me, is the crashing Rage. Do I use it now, or pop a red and yellow? Do I stack it? Do I have the time to finish the spawn and jump into the next before it crashes? Admittedly the -def hasn't affected me as much on *most* of my SS characters - I think I have one Stone/SS tank, the others (tanks and brutes) tend to be Fire, Dark (both versions of MB, at 50,) willpower, etc. But it's something to be aware of and watch. It's an aspect of playstyle some of us enjoy.

Now, yes, I'll be (re)rolling a new version as Bio/SJ, quite likely. Just to see how it fits the character. I do think SJ is fun - but it doesn't really require me to do much more than roll my fingers over the keys, and I don't get as into characters like that.

Who?

Betty Grable wasn't topless. She was good enough for our boys in the war, she's good enough now! Kids these days!

*waves cane*

Nope. Mistformsquirrel.

Pick your travel power at 4. Done.

Problems with the terrain on that. But we already have something fairly close via the mission teleporter/team transport and the tier 5 in Teleport.

If he tried something like uswest.ncsoft.com that's what he'll get - I suspect it's fairly close, actually, given it made its way through Level13.net (and I'm well aware that's part of the path, given a few times they've been the brick wall for getting to the COH servers.)

Malta just doesn't seem as threatening any more...

It's not just me!