Metacreativity

When I started playing the game was a very different place. I was new to the genre and didn't really know what I was doing. Now I'm older and have a better grasp on things. I'm really interested to see it all.

I've got a theme I've been wanting to try out. I made a bots/traps MM and with him I want to see the story line of the game. Basically, he's a tech origin who recently became a villain and is working his way into Arachnos' favor in hopes of becoming a Destined One. As I progress through the game, I want to hit up many contacts and do a ton of story arcs. I really want to soak the most out of this character villain side, as I can.

For the first time ever, I'm going to read every bit of the flavor text and descriptions I can. But I need to know: If I'm going through each zone will each contact send me to a new contact? Will choosing any contact get me to the special arcs like the ones in Striga and Croatoa on the hero side? Is there a general guide for this sort of thing? I'm new to this.

Trust me, who ever wrote that MM's are passive, was doing it wrong. MM's are some of the most active characters out there. If I were you, I'd roll a thugs/dark. With thugs/dark you have a plethora of things to do, solo and on teams. Consider this: With /dark alone you have

1. Darkest Night, which is very much like radiation infection, so you've got to keep that up on your anchor.

2. Tar Patch, giving you a much needed way to keep your foes inside of your Arsonist's burn patches. They will be everywhere, and their damage is insane. This also reduces the mob's resistance, making you hit harder.

3. An AoE res. Take that in for a second. Now remind yourself that it's an AV killer too.

4. Cone Fear. Ever wanted to stop a group in it's tracks? You just did.

5. The one of the best debuffing pets around (rivaling the power of the lich), Dark servant. It heals, it controls, it does all things dark.

6. To top it all off, and as though this set wasn't OP enough as it is, you also get a damn powerful AoE heal. That means 1 button and all of your minions' health jumps.

Plus thugs are great AoE and single target damage, and it's easy to soft cap them with the pet sets (+20% resist and +10% defense to all because you can slot 2 sets in gang war).

Close your eyes and think of this: You're getting close to an AV in a mission where the packs of mobs are +4 and close together. Your trigger happy corruptor accidently pulls a second group. The corruptor takes the alpha for the group he aggroed, instant death. All of a sudden, BAM, the brute gets one shotted. And as the dominator tries to lock them down ends up getting instagibbed himself. The group turns to you. Instinctively, you open up a black hole in the middle of the pack. Two are slightly out of the Black Hole's range, so you send your bruiser to one and instruct the rest of the pack on the other.

You had thirty seconds from when Black Hole's animation was over, and time is ticking quickly. You target the brute and cast teleport. His body lands at your feet...27 seconds. The corruptor and the dominator are both plopped right next to you. 20 seconds. You hit your pet's defensive/follow macro and tap provoke. 17 seconds left and the two that were left standing are now on you. Taking what little time you have left, you cast howling twilight. Everyone is alive and back at full health. 10 seconds. The 4 of you duck into a door way and out of their line of sight. Through the window you're counting it down. 6...5...4... just then you notice the AV was in that spawn.

Quickly you rush to the doorway and toggle darkest night on him, turning the pack's sights to you. Side stepping into the room, you drop a tar patch right inside that doorway. Everything funnels in nice and slow and your group polishes that challenge off easy until finally the AV makes it's way inside.

You use twilight grasp to soak up any of the damage going around. Your tenebrous tentacles hold her in place as your arsonists pulls out the molotov cocktails and lights her up. You and fluffy have debuffed accuracy so badly at this point that the brute gets hit maybe 8% of the time. As she plumets to 50% health, you notice Howling Twilight just recharged. You sneer smugly and whisper to yourself "Time to die, *****". The AV's regeneration plummets and suddenly damage seems to be sticking better. Within seconds she falls to your feet. The group turns around, looks at you and says "Damn, I'm gonna go roll a MM, brb".

Yeah, that's what Thugs/dark is like. You'll be up to your elbows in things to do. Don't let anyone fool you.

With the double xp weekend on the horizon, I'm getting myself together to start a new toon. I'm not sure what will be up my alley and am not set on AT or hero/villain. I want to be a strong AoEer, capable of just decimating spawns, but when the 2x xp is over, I want to be able to solo effectively as well. Having enough survivability to take on large mobs is essential to me. Also early on, prefferably pre 10, I want to be a decent AoEer, moving up to a strong AoEer later. I don't want to start out with nothing and then suddenly become AoE godlyness like super strength. So what should I be looking out for?

I hear fire/kin is still a popular combo. Scrappers have elec and fire melee/aura and I can see a good pairing with them and spines. Claws used to be competing with spines for AoE back when I last played and with brutes having it now I can see the potential in that. I heard something about a nerf to dwarf form mire, what went on with that and are Warshades still god like bringers of doom?

All help is appretiated!

Kinda seems like spines will still be a better AoEer to me.

Just saying.

Is that sword a standard katana skin?

I doubt seriously, and I mean SERIOUSLY, that we'll get Rad. Sonic is a possibility. Rad is too powerful to pair with the damage of MM pets, IMO.

I'm curious to know if there is an all RP sg out there somewhere.

And if so, could I join you? Ill hit any server, good or evil, it doesnt matter to me. I will roll a new character and dive in.

Thanks all.
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illusion Rhio -50 controller
James Lawrence -37 Mastermind
Zakial Vikroth -35 Mastermind
Kukiri -32 Mastermind
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