MentalMaden

For the last few years I've organized All Control TFs (Doms are included for coop events) on Guardian server. We ran our first All Control BAF on Guardian this weekend and had a blast. For strategy we had the controllers work the doors and the doms roving the areas in between taking out the lts. as needed. My default controller for these since I19 has been my Illusion/Cold and I found that I ended up backing off the doors a bit and falling into more of the dominator role and just being a ST damage dealer throwing out Sleet when it was available either at the door or on the path if someone elses minions made it our direction. For the most part, most things were dead or down to a sliver (even the lts) by the time it got to the backline people. We ended up only letting 6 escape. Four of which were under the last minute and I think most people were just happy to be at the end of the countdown that they let up a little and relaxed.

My experience with a normal team found me in the standard controller role and I did feel a little of the frustration that Local is expressing and had to adjust strategy but wishing I was on my plant/fire dom or one of my earth or fire trollers. I ended up in a team with Local (on non controllers) later in the weekend and we discussed Illusion control and the BAF a bit. My response: they don't have to be controlled if they are dead. And after some thought, a third "BAF" build could be useful employing Choking Cloud for minions at the doors and ST attacking lts as they come out with blasters or scrappers mopping up what's left. /shrug.

I do think some people are being a bit tough on Local (one of CoH's biggest champions of the Illusion controller) for pointing out that this trial is kind of the illusionist's Kryptonite. It's not like it was a "I hate i20" whine post or "Doooooooom! the game is ruined" rant. Cut him a little slack, heck there probably isn't anyone in game that has taught more people more things about Illusion control. Besides as people progress on their Incarnate powers you start to realize that these encounters are made for people with those power available, and let me just say a team with judgement powers (regardless of ATs) at the doors is a much different experience than a bunch of first week-leveling-without powers- Incarnates.

Let me just say that the Guadian Controller and Dominator community is pure Awesomesauce! We had a full league (extra thanks to BBT and Team Jupiter) and did an incredible job completing the Trial quickly. The escapee portion went super smoothly with only 6 commandos making it out of the facility. Four of them in the last few seconds when I think everyone relaxed a bit after seeing we'd make it ok. We made sure and had a couple of dominators per spawn point to mop up any commandos that made it past the intial assault and I'm really happy with how things went.

Too many people to write down, so if you were there, here's your thank you! After the run we had people swap out to their toons/ATs of choice, but we were still control heavy and managed a run without an escapee getting by us (yay badge!) and did another swap out run after that. In fact I think there is still a group going now. Awesome work all!

Be on the lookout for our next ACIToAH (All Control Incarnate Trial of Awesome Hawtness)!!!

Deja Meh.

+4 TFs go on a lot, Eva. Not sure what you're talking about. There are plenty of people who enjoy upping the challenge.

And, I for one, do not need a zone event this weekend as a makeup for the extended downtime.

Yeah the forums have been a mess for the last 10-15 minutes. Constant kicks and relog ins. Somebody feed that gerbil, quickly!

Thanks RosaQuarts. If anyone else has a controller/dom friend that isn't a forum goer that would like to participate please feel free to let me know here on their behalf.

I'm going to be working on some macro's/binds for the trial, if anyone has suggestions for important points to be made on the trial, please let me know. (Do it through PM though please, I'd like to keep this more about sign ups and not clogged with a lot of discussion)

Also we will have more of an extended strategy talk before we get started. Success and failure of these things seems to be tied directly to people knowing what to do and their leaders communicating it to them. So we'll probably take a few extra minutes to line things out.

I'm hearing what sounds like people complaining about the mechanics of the trials because other players won't listen or communicate. I'm now only 1 for 6 on live. Finally completed a Lambda (on live) over lunch with a server global PUG in what could only be described as a 40 minute cakewalk. The sole reason: the players and leaders communicated. The encounter itself is pretty straight forward, but people have to listen.

All the failures I have been on suffered from either players not listening or understanding or leaders not getting the strategy across in time. On one, during phase 2, people would clear the spawns in the rooms and around the crates/canisters and not just focus on the crates and move on quickly so we ended up with very few of either temp. Another time when called to all jump on Marauder half the team was either focusing on any ambushes or off getting grenades when we didn't need any. Another time or two the leader was a first timer and didn't really know the trial so those of us with a little experience had to try and tell everyone what to do before we'd get to something and half the time people would just run ahead i.e. entering the labs when the team wasn't ready.

I agree that once the population gets used to the encounters there will be a lot more success and a lot less doom. This is far from a "lern2play" post, but I am saying "learn to communicate".

After a couple of weeks off for RL stuff and lack of shards in sub 50 TFs (pre i20) it's time celebrate Issue 20 Controller/Dominator style! This week we'll be doing the All Control Behavioral Adjustment Facility.

If you need to read up on it: try here. Or here.

This will kind of be new territory for us, so I'd really like everyone to consider this run a learning experience, as we'll probably be trying out some different strategies to suit an "all control" experience on the trials. Since the BAF is the more straight forward of the two, I figure it's a good place to start. The "capture the flag" portion with the uncontrollable mobs will likely prove the most "interesting" for us and I think that portion of the trial will really be where our damage-y dominator cousins will really shine.

Sign ups as always are first come first serve. While I'd love to have a full roster, we'll work with whatever number we get (win or lose) to start working on some strategies for the future.

Who: Incarnate Controllers and Dominators
When: Saturday April 9
Time: 1 pm EST/12 noon CST/11 am MST/10 am PST
Where: Pocket D at DJ Zero

1. Mental- Flash Frozen Jen (Ill/Cold)
2. RosaQuartz- Physics Lass (Grav/Storm)
3. ultrawatt- Confused Caucasiafro (Mind/Fire)
4. Mr. Draconis- Mysterious Cowboy (Grav/Storm)
5. Mrs. Draconis- Make Believe Hero (Ill/Rad)
6. BBT (And possibly team Jupiter if need be)
7. Celtic Coder- Celtic Thermal (Fire/Kin)
8. Captain Cog- Rock of Ages (Earth/Rad)
9. MrsMartian- Royal Violet (Fire/Emp)
10. Whiskey Rain- Sandstone (Fire/Thermal)
11. Blood Beret- Mystic Freak
12. Kay- Magical Nova (Grav/Rad)
(more added as needed)

Reserves-

Mezz them before they mezz you. Flashfire the mob and any that aren't affected hit them with char ASAP. Then make sure you have containment set up (if it isn't already, i.e. fire cages) and that they are dead before they can become un-mezzed and try and mezz you.

If I remember the author is very involved in the series, so I'd assume they will stay pretty close to the source material. Sure changes will be made (there always are) but having him intimately involved should keep things from getting too out of control.

I'm not so sure many of us are critical as a matter of personal taste though. It's not just a simple matter of fun/action versus serious, its a matter of execution. (Personally I expected both and it only delivered in one) In my opinion there was very little quality or care in the real world/brothel world aspect of the story (see above) and it made the movie suffer.

Watched this last night tacked on to the beginning of Mildred Pierce. Looks great and its beautifully shot.