Oedipus_Tex
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Quote:Originally Posted by Giant2005
But Scorpion Shield's Toxic resistance isn't enhanceable either...
In that case I don't know. That's very unusual. Technically they can flag any power not to work with outside buffs. They just usually choose not to do it unless the power has enhanceable Resistance. -
The issue is that enhanceable Resistance inherits its multiplier from the same field as Damage. If powers with enhanceable Resistance weren't flagged to ignore outside buffs, every time you hit Aim or Build Up to boost Damage you'd also increase your Resistance.
Power Boost (and any outside buffs, like from Incarnate powers) works with Force Field because FF's Resistance is not enhanceable. -
I took some time out and built an Ice/Earth/Psi ranged Dominator for the kicks. Might also work as Ice/Earth/Electric or /Fire. There is good and bad going on here. I've never been very comfortable with Earth Assault but the more I think about how it works the more I'm tempted to say Ranged defense with S/L resistance will keep you alive better than S/L defense in general. Basically, don't run up on anything you haven't already held and use the Ranged defense to survive any pot shots that come your way while doing so.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Dominator
Primary Power Set: Ice Control
Secondary Power Set: Earth Assault
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Medicine
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Block of Ice -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(3), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(5)
Level 1: Stone Spears -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(19), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(19)
Level 2: Stone Mallet -- Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(A), Mako-Dam%(17), Mako-Acc/Dmg(25), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(43), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(43), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 4: Super Speed -- Zephyr-ResKB(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(15)
Level 6: Arctic Air -- CoPers-Conf/Rchg(A), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(7), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(7), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(13), CoPers-Conf%(15), CoPers-Conf(17)
Level 8: Frostbite -- GravAnch-Immob/Rchg(A), GravAnch-Acc/Immob/Rchg(9), GravAnch-Acc/Rchg(9), GravAnch-Immob/EndRdx(11), GravAnch-Hold%(13)
Level 10: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(11), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 12: Ice Slick -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 14: Boxing -- Acc-I(A)
Level 16: Power Boost -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Aid Other -- Heal-I(A)
Level 20: Aid Self -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg(21), Numna-Heal/Rchg(21), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Numna-Heal(46), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(46)
Level 22: Heavy Mallet -- Mako-Acc/Dmg(A), Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(23), Mako-Dam%(23), Mako-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Mako-Dmg/EndRdx(40), Mako-Dmg/Rchg(40)
Level 24: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 26: Glacier -- UbrkCons-Hold(A), UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg(27), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(27), UbrkCons-Acc/Rchg(37), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(39)
Level 28: Seismic Smash -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(29), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(29), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(31), HO:Perox(31), Dmg-I(34)
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(31), Zephyr-ResKB(45), DefBuff-I(45)
Level 32: Jack Frost -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(33), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(34), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(34)
Level 35: Link Minds -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RedFtn-EndRdx(36), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(36), RedFtn-Def(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(37), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(37)
Level 38: Fissure -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(39), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), Posi-Dam%(45)
Level 41: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(42), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(42)
Level 44: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RechRdx-I(46), RechRdx-I(50)
Level 47: Psionic Tornado -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(48), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(48), Posi-Dam%(50)
Level 49: Mind Over Body -- TtmC'tng-ResDam/EndRdx(A)
Level 50: Cardiac Core Paragon
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Domination
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(5)
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I was avoiding some personal work so I went through and categorized some of the sets. I think a lot of what follows is debatable, possibly even wrong, especially with the Melee Damage sets I've rarely used. However this is a basic map to some of the more notable sets and their relative pricing. I think there are a lot of arguments we could have about which ones belong in which categories and I didn't actually go through and check current prices on any of these so you can use it kind of like 'Tex's personal assumptions' more than an objective guide. However it does kind of show what my guidelines are for when I make a build in terms of deciding what's financially doable and what's not.
Note that in general, most characters tend to be damage-oriented. The vast majority of players (i.e. your potential buyers) are also building for +Recharge, +S/L Defense, or +Ranged Defense so as a rule of thumb anything that that can be slotted in a damage power that has Defense or Recharge on it is likely to sell quickly. Ranged Defense combined with Recharge is more common than S/L combined with Recharge, so the latter is often more expensive. Many characters also use armors, so Defense and Resistance sets with these bonuses tend to be popular as well; as it happens though Resistance sets tend not to offer Defense/Recharge combos where Defense sets do.
Note I did not list procs here. Some other folks talked about some of the more common ones. Generally speaking any proc tends to sell pretty decently. The trick there is that procs sell for more the lower level the IO. You don't get anything special from a high level proc. Case in point, a low level Stealth proc can easily go for over 150 million but is unlikely to sell for that much at higher levels. Due to the way Exemping rules work, this is also true of some full sets, particularly anything frequently used as a set mule (e.g. Stupefy, the Stun power which is frequently slotted into Boxing and sells for more at level 20 than it does at 50).
Please excuse any typos or errors as I wrote this quickly.
Ultra High Demand, usually 200-500 million each:
These sets are both very high in demand and somewhat rarely encountered. Committing to any full set of one these is a very large investment. Often gathering an entire set costs almost as much as outfitting an entire character. Whether it is "worth it" or not depends on how you play the game. Many players sell these immediately. When reasonably priced they make a quick turn around and a single sale of piece of these might pay for an entire mid-cost character.- Hecatomb (Melee damage)
- Armageddon (PBAoE damage)
- 5/6 Ragnarok (Ranged AoE damage, NOTE: Proc is cheaper than rest of set)
- Apocalypse (Ranged ST damage)
- Most PVP sets
Medium Demand Purples (usually 30-150 million each):
These purples are somewhat less expensive than the ones listed above, but still not necessarily "cheap." They are listed below in more or less the order of their values. Because of high crafting costs, it is sometimes better to sell the unmodified recipe than the completed IO; check the market. They sell fairly quickly.- Absolute Amazement (Stun)
- Unbreakable Constraint (Hold)
- Soulbound Allegiance (Pets)
- Coercive Persuasion (Confuse)
- Gravitational Anchor (Immobilize)
- Fortunata Hypnosis (Sleep)
Expensive, High Need Sets (generally 25-150 million each):
Sets in this list are especially popular due to a combination of rarity, desirable bonuses, and the fact that most characters are able to slot at least one (and in some cases several) of them. These particular sets are very highly coveted and tend to sell extremely fast.- Obliteration (PBAoE, valued for High Recharge combined with S/L defense)
- Kinetic Combat (Melee damage, Unusually high S/L Defense with just 4 slots)
- Decimation (Ranged damage, +Recharge, +Max Endurance)
- Basilisk's Gaze (Hold, high Recharge and some Ranged defense with 4 slots)
Mid-Cost, Mid-Turnover Sets
These sets are generally less expensive than the ones above but are often worth selling. Note that prices may vary considerably across the set. For example, Resistance and Defense sets usually sell the IO piece that contains Resist/End or Def/End for more than the rest of the set.- 5/6 Luck of the Gambler (Defense, NOTE: proc is much more expensive)
- 5/6 Numina's Coalescence (Healing, Ranged Defense)
- Gaussian's Synchronized Fire Control (To-Hit Bonus, +various defenses)
- Rectified Reticle (To-Hit Bonus)
- Eradication (PBAoE Damage)
- Mako's Bite (Melee damage)
- Impervious Skin (Resistance)
- Titanium Coating (Resistance)
- Touch of Death (Melee damage)
- Reactive Armor (Resistance, +various Defenses)
- Expedient Reinforcement (Pet Recharge, +Ranged +Recharge)
Cheap, High Turnover Sets (2-20 million each):
These sets do not usually sell for much on their own but tend to move very quickly due to a combination of decent bonuses and the ability to slot many of them. Presumably, what sets these apart from other sets is that they drop frequently enough that they aren't considered rare. The key to making money on these is to focus on creating them in volume and price them so that they are quickly picked up. These sets often form the basic building blocks of moderate to low cost builds.- Thunderstrike (Ranged damage, +Ranged Defense)
- Scirocco's Dervish (PBAoE damage, +Ranged defense)
- Crushing Impact (Melee damage, +Recharge)
- Positron's Blast (Ranged damage, +6.25 Recharge)
- Red Fortune (Defense, +Ranged defense and +5 Recharge)
- Titanium Coating (Resistance)
- Dampened Spirits (To Hit Debuff, +Recharge)
- Adjusted Targetting (To Hit Bonus)
- Doctored Wounds (Healing, +Recharge)
Thrifty Sets
These sets tend to not sell for a lot, but represent the "best buy" relative to what else is available. They frequently do not sell quickly, but if a buyer was going to buy a particular IO set, for an unpopular slotting option and didn't want to/couldn't pick a Purple, it would likely be one of these.- Malaise's Illusions (Confuse)
- Glimpse of the Abyss (Fear)
- Stupefy (Stun)
- Lockdown (Hold)
- 5/6 Force Feedback (Knockback)
Unusually Cheap Sets
These are some of the sets that stand out as being especially inexpensive, as well as generally low in demand.- Any non-purple Sleep
- Any non-purple Immobilize
- Most Knockback sets
- Most Slow sets
- Any Jump, Run, Teleport IO that is not a proc/stealth/global bonus
- Ghost Widow's Embrace (Hold, eclipsed by better set choices)
- Essence of Curare (Hold, eclipsed by better set choices)
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Except for the fact that my Ice characters are typically Ranged defense instead of S/L most of what was in the posted build is more or less what I use on my own characters. I'm not the best or worst Ice player, you can get a point of reference for how much end drain happens and survivability works from a few of the videos I've made for demo purposes, like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDRgwvxBRBI
Ultimately how you build the character is up to you. There is no technically right answer. However, to answer your questions with my own opinions:
- Flash Freeze is awful and unnecessary, and breaks completely if Reactive Interface is slotted
- The Immobilize purple set is expensive but not prohibitively so
- The Hold purple set is more expensive but a worthy long term goal
- Frostbite is extremely useful for keeping enemies from running around
- Chillblain is just okay, but much, MUCH faster than Hurl Boulder. It takes about 1.2 seconds to do 52 damage where Hurl Boulder takes 2.5 to do 87. Which one to take is a matter of choice. It is possible to skip both (but I would want at least ONE decent ranged attack). The other option is to drop Chillblain and slot up Block of Ice for better damage, although BoI is also slower than Chillblain. The main thing against Chillblain is that its a DoT.
- Sleet is probably much better than Energy defense
- Hibernate provides endurance recovery
EDIT: I also have these two videos. Note these are made mainly for documentary purposes and not for showing off or what have you. You can see several places where I hit Frostbite (esp. right after Glacier so that when enemies get unheld they are immobilized but still fall). When I did these missions I had no fore-knowledge of what I'd be running into.
Full Mission: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9kQIr6QEaA
Partial vs. Malta, starts with Domination not active, so you can see corner ducking I do to avoid getting mezzed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utkoUxOY-1U -
A big thing to keep your eye on here is whether as the game evolves fighting in mid air becomes more common. Earth Control is a very good set but has very little it can do in the air. Right now there are only a very limited number of mid-air battles, and none that really require controls, but Snow Storm works even if the enemy is flying and immune to the -Fly portion.
[FYI, -Jump is also fairly useful not to mention somewhat exploitable if you do any soloing. Enemies are generally very stupid in their pathing and don't realize they can't jump out of Quicksand or Earthquake. If you put power down below a ledge they can't jump up to you. Mainly exploitable on buildings or when there is a trap door like hole in the floor. But you can do this with Earthquake (or Ice Slick) without needing Quicksand specifically.] -
Quote:Originally Posted by Malakim
I'm very eager to make a /poison controller.
But now I'm comparing it to Rad. Is there a particular strength that poison has over Rad?
It seems that rad debuffs better, buffs better, similar rez, and controls similarly.
Rad does have a weak AOE heal over poison's good ST heal. I do prefer a strong ST heal, other than that, is there any other advantage Poison might have over Rad?
Please justify my eagerness to play poison!!!
From the way it looks right now, Poison has better single target -Resistance than Rad. It is also much better at dying. IMO it needs more work. They've tried to turn it into a PBAoE set with a 15ft radius toggle and there isn't a lot there to support that change. Fire/, Ice/, and Electric/Poison will probably fare okay, but mainly because they are already fairly good at PBAoE. Perhaps I'll be proven wrong but IMO Poison is one of the lower functioning support sets in the game, specializing in single target but not even being very good at that, and being forced into melee-ish range without self heals, mezz protection, or adequate defenses. The fact that the PBAoE power comes at level 38 means you spend most of your career playing one way and are then thrust to make a very large change at high levels. Maybe someone will prove me wrong though.
Why anyone needs an 8ft radius -Special power is indeed a mystery I'd like someone to solve.
Right now, IMO the one situation where Poison might shine would be if you had 2 AVs eight feet away from each other and you didn't mind also standing within 15ft of both of them. I might play it anyway but I do hope they get serious about giving the set a kick in the pants. -
The best buffer is the one you need at the time. Kind of a loaded answer but that's really how it boils down in this game.
Kinetics is a very good buff set unless there are three of them. And then it might still be a very good one if all of them are decide to split off into separate groups.
Force Field is kind of lackluster in normal high level content but IMO for incarnate trials or exemping it is the one set I'd give 5 stars to after the AoE shield change. I've been hard on the set recently, but the defense it gives to say, a Lambda team, is very noticeable and perfect for that situation (including endurance drain resistance). Hands down when I am playing any of my Dominators it is the FF'er with Power Boost who completely turns my survivability into an assured thing.
Thermal, IMO, brings the most to a Keyes trial.
Time has some of the best personal buffs in the game and is very formidable as well. -
Quote:Originally Posted by BrokenFace
hmm. would tough/weave provide enough defense to noticably matter?
I'm not rocking a /kin secondary, so I don't need tactics, I'm rocking fire, so I'm...burny, and my shield looks cool?
Or would I end up having massive end problems without the end alpha?
My general rule is that if you can get around 30 points in a defense its worth it. Less than that is iffy for me. 45 is my usual cap for any particular defense (I usually halt at slightly above about 44% though). Some people will only build defense if they can cap it but I find 30 to be noticeable and much better than 0. -
Below is my take on the build. Note that I didn't completely vet everything.
The build requires Issue 21, because it takes a few APP powers at 35 and this isn't doable until then.
The build assumes Cardiac Alpha slots and (probably) Barrier or Rebirth for the Destiny slot.
This build is a touch expensive but IMO any /Earth secondary is likely to be, due to being very melee based and thus tending to desire S/L defense more than Ranged. Note, however, that there is a very good case to make your switching to Ranged defense mainly in that lots of times you will be attacking enemies you've got held up close and its the far away ones that are more likely to kill you.
Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Glacia Kelvin: Level 50 Mutation Dominator
Primary Power Set: Ice Control
Secondary Power Set: Earth Assault
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Ancillary Pool: Ice Mastery
Villain Profile:
Level 1: Block of Ice -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(3), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(3), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(5)
Level 1: Stone Spears -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(7), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(7), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9)
Level 2: Stone Mallet -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(11), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(11), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(13), HO:Nucle(13)
Level 4: Tremor -- Oblit-Dmg(A), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(15), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(17), Oblit-%Dam(17), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(19), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(19)
Level 6: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(21), RechRdx-I(21)
Level 8: Arctic Air -- CoPers-Conf%(A), CoPers-Conf(9), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(23), CoPers-Conf/Rchg(23), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(25)
Level 10: Chilblain -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(27), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(29), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(29)
Level 12: Ice Slick -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Zephyr-ResKB(A)
Level 16: Power Boost -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Frostbite -- GravAnch-Immob/Rchg(A), GravAnch-Acc/Immob/Rchg(33), GravAnch-Acc/Rchg(33), GravAnch-Immob/EndRdx(33), GravAnch-Hold%(34)
Level 20: Heavy Mallet -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(34), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(34), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(36), HO:Nucle(36)
Level 22: Boxing -- KntkC'bat-Acc/Dmg(A), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25), KntkC'bat-Dmg/EndRdx(31), KntkC'bat-Dmg/Rchg(37)
Level 24: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 26: Glacier -- UbrkCons-Hold(A), UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg(31), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(36), UbrkCons-Acc/Rchg(39), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(39)
Level 28: Seismic Smash -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(40), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(40), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(40), Dmg-I(42), HO:Perox(42)
Level 30: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), LkGmblr-Def(42), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(43)
Level 32: Jack Frost -- ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(A), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(37), ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(37), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(45)
Level 35: Sleet -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 38: Fissure -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(39), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(43), Posi-Dam%(43), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45)
Level 41: Frozen Armor -- LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(46), RedFtn-Def(46), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(48), RedFtn-EndRdx(48), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 44: Ice Storm -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dam%(46), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(50), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(50), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(50)
Level 47: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 49: Hibernate -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 50: Void Radial Final Judgement
Level 50: Diamagnetic Radial Flawless Interface
Level 50: Warworks Radial Superior Ally
Level 50: Cardiac Core Paragon
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Domination
Level 1: Sprint -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), EndMod-I(15)
Level 4: Ninja Run
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The basic overview is that there are a few build directions that are realistic and a few that are not.
Primary goals for a build normally include the items in the list below:
- High Recharge
- High Ranged defense
- High Slash/Lethal defense
One thing you will have to accept is that there is no "perfect" build. Making a build means sacrificing something. A decent build compromises as little as possible in critical areas, but no matter what you do, you will always be making a choice between something.
My default for most Controllers is to pursue a high Recharge, high Ranged defense, s/l lethal Resistance based build. Other people prefer to maximize Recharge above all else, without worrying about defense. I think there are good arguments to go either way. -
Ice/Radiation is an insane combo. Insane in the sense that its probably not the most effective combo ever, has mediocre to low damage, isn't all that popular, but is incredibly (IMO, of course) fun to play. You have no long range mezzes at your disposal. Some see this as a weakness. I see it as an excuse to be insane and run up on top of enemies, and, shock of shocks, if you play well most of the time you will survive. You will also hinder enemies a great deal. And if you get good enough at it, your teammates might start to refer to you as "that crazed Tanker Controller" like they sometimes do me, because I am constantly racing ahead of the group and waiting for them in a green cloud of confused, knocked down, and debuffed enemies for them to obliterate.
Earth/Radiation probably has better "pure control," and Fire/Rad definitely has better damage, but from a unique gameplay perspective Ice/Rad didn't let me down at all. -
FYI my ideal for pairing Gravity would now be Time Manipulation. Specifically (unless it has changed since I last looked a week ago) Gravity/Time/Primal. Take Power Boost for insane defense from Farsight, use Conserve Power to reduce end costs (long recharge on Con Power is cut down a lot by Time's huge recharge buffs), use Energy Torrent + AoE immobilize slotted with Chance for Hold and Chance for Knockdown + Time's long duration slow patch slotted with a hold proc to hide Gravity's relative control problem.
You can run around on top of enemies with Time's Juncture on too, but by no means have to. -
BTW below would be another partial suggested build for Mind/FF in Issue 21. The build still has room for some tweaking. The space at lvl 30 could be used for Burnout (or whatever the name of the ability is that recharges all your powers at the expense of endurance). Supposedly in Issue 21 you can pick up the APP powers starting at 35, and that's something I'd definitely want out of Mind/FF. This is a generalist build for solo/missions/trials. It assumes you are chasing the Spiritual alpha tree. It almost soft capped to Ranged but not quite; IMO its unlikely to matter much but you could toy with it.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Controller
Primary Power Set: Mind Control
Secondary Power Set: Force Field
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Medicine
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Primal Forces Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Mesmerize -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(7), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(7), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9)
Level 1: Personal Force Field -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 2: Dominate -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(3), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(11), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(13), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13)
Level 4: Deflection Shield -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), DefBuff-I(5), DefBuff-I(15)
Level 6: Levitate -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(19), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(19), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(23), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(27), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(29)
Level 8: Confuse -- CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(A), CoPers-Conf(15), CoPers-Conf%(17), CoPers-Conf/Rchg(17), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(23), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(27)
Level 10: Insulation Shield -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), DefBuff-I(37), DefBuff-I(50)
Level 12: Mass Hypnosis -- FtnHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(A), FtnHyp-Sleep/Rchg(42), FtnHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(43), FtnHyp-Acc/Rchg(43), FtnHyp-Plct%(43)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Zephyr-ResKB(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(39)
Level 16: Aid Other -- Heal-I(A)
Level 18: Total Domination -- UbrkCons-Hold(A), UbrkCons-Hold/Rchg(40), UbrkCons-Acc/Hold/Rchg(40), UbrkCons-Acc/Rchg(42), UbrkCons-EndRdx/Hold(42)
Level 20: Dispersion Bubble -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(21), RedFtn-Def(21), RedFtn-EndRdx(25), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(25), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(39)
Level 22: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(31), HO:Cyto(36), DefBuff-I(39)
Level 24: Aid Self -- Numna-Heal/EndRdx(A), Numna-Heal(36), Numna-Heal/EndRdx/Rchg(36), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(40), Numna-EndRdx/Rchg(48), Numna-Heal/Rchg(50)
Level 26: Terrify -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(31), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(31), Posi-Dmg/Rng(34), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37)
Level 28: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(29)
Level 30: [Empty] -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 32: Mass Confusion -- Mlais-Acc/Rchg(A), Mlais-EndRdx/Conf(33), Mlais-Acc/EndRdx(33), Mlais-Conf/Rng(33), Mlais-Acc/Conf/Rchg(34), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 35: Power Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(48), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(48)
Level 38: Energy Torrent -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(46), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(46), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(46), Posi-Dmg/Rng(50)
Level 41: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 44: Power Boost -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 47: Temp Invulnerability -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 49: Force Bubble -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 50: Spiritual Core Paragon
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Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 1: Sprint -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%(A), EndMod-I(3)
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This same debate came up for Defenders and Tankers and I pretty much felt the same way there; incarnate powers are powers that belong to the character. Force Field (and to some extent sets like Empathy and Thermal) happen to be able to leverage that a lot better than some other sets. That is just one of those things in the "new normal" of the game. Buff heavy sets can buff these super strong pets and get very good mileage out of them. Tankers can manage the aggro that would go to the pets and keep it squarely on them. In other words, these previously "team only" abilities that few players classically valued suddenly have much more meaning in the late solo game. I think it's silly to say that it's okay to use Destiny and Interface but not Lore just because it's a pet.
IMO the right answer to whether this is "impressive" is basically that the legacy ability of some sets to solo AVs itself is no longer as impressive as it once was, because soloing an AV is no longer such a hurdle. Illusion might be able to handle harder stuff, sometimes. But those pets put out a heck of a lot of DPS, and whoever can keep them alive long enough to dish it out is suddenly in a very good position. In a limited set of cases an Illusion/Force Field might actually outperform some other Illusionists due to its ability to keep the pet DPS up, particularly in comparison to something like Radiation. Cold Domination, built right, should be able to do both.
TLDR; welcome to Freedom, where nothing is the way it was.
Also, congrats on the solo. Whether the set is impressive is a different question, IMO, than whether a player found some measure of success with an unlikely combo. -
I don't consider Electric extremely powerful, but I do consider it interesting and fun. The main downside of Electric, IMO, is the chance to critically miss a Synaptic Overload and have the whole thing fail to work. Damage is initially poor but decent at higher levels.
Depending on how you look at the game, any of those sets are do-able though. IMO this game lets you have so many characters that if even one of them can kind of farm, you are completely set, and you will never, in my experience, be called on to solo an AV. Even a Gravity Controller can probably make enough cash to support itself. I know my Ice Control characters can.
You might as well just play all three.
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Quote:Originally Posted by Aggelakis
Don't market it that you have to pay or delete. Market it that YOU HAVE A SECOND BUILD....USE IT! Swap over to build #2 and you have a whole new SO layout to utilize. If you ever subscribe, or pay enough to unlock inventions through the rewards program, then swap back to build #1...et voila!...ready-to-play IO build!
I think saying nothing about it at all is the best decision, because if the more experienced players find out about it its one more thing that will keep them from playing. But the chat issue will BY FAR be the biggest turn off. If that isn't changed between now and public release I will be embarrassed by proxy. Other free to play games I have joined some of them in allowed sending tells and chatting. The Help channel is not going to cut it, and IMO it's a bit mortifying that people think that is going to go over well. -
I didn't read the rest of the thread.
I have several friends interested in the free version of this game. I posted a link and short message about the free version on Facebook recently and got about 15 replies from various people saying they wanted to check it out. Their levels of experience with MMOs are extremely varied. I think of the 15 maybe 1 or 2 might end up sticking around for a little while, with most others creating a few characters here and there.
One of the biggest flags for me is that I have tried to recruit many of these same people to the game before, and for various reasons they have decided not to join. For only a few of them was the game completely unknown. Most had played it in some capacity at some time in the past, in some cases on my actual game account.
Here is a breakdown of a few of the individuals:
- The former WOW PVPer. Known to be a "hardcore" player. Has joined me recently in several other Free To Play games. Says he played this game once before and found it "sub-par" to WOW, but also says he hasn't seen it since 2004. Huge fan of strategy games (Civilization 4 in particular) and of min/maxed characters. Expressed a desire to play "pet" classes but says he is unwilling to pay for them. This is the player who recruited me to WOW for a 1 year or so stay. Long term prospects: 3/5.
- The former GameMaster. Brief ex-co-volunteer of mine from a game we both worked on several years ago. Known for strong character creation. Interested mainly in PVE with PVP. Always seemed to enjoy the more interesting classes. Prospects: 4/5.
- The best friend. Female in her early 30s. Huge fan of Star Trek, Buffy, and similar shows. Avid fantasy reader. Has never played a MMO, but loves the character creator for CoX, which she has played on my account. Favorite video game is The Sims. Enjoys Facebook games. A bit shy in online environments and probably unwilling to talk to other players much at first. Long term prospects: 2/5.
- The video game tester. Male, late 20s. Loves all things video game, including (maybe especially) MMOs. Loves City of Heroes, which he has played on my account, and has to be dragged off of by his girlfriend. Already a Free Player of other games. Plays so many games he's generally unwilling to spend much on any one of them. Long term prospects: 5/5, but will be very hard to get cash out of.
- The visual designer. Female, late 20s. Loves watching the boyfriend (the tester, above) play games. Loves the CoX character creator. Also likes how easy this game is to play. Long term prospects: 2/5, or as long as boyfriend plays.
- The little brother. Male, mid 20s. Extremely experienced with video games and MMOs of several years ago, like Ultima Online, but plays much less frequently now. Responded to post about game becoming 'free', with "Oh, hell yeah." Long term prospects: 4/5.
IMO the limited chat and tell thing will be a major turn off to these players. In almost all cases they would be joining the game in part because they know I play it and want to play with me. If they are unable to communicate it will be a huge turn off. In about half of cases these players are used to other MMOs and what they are allowed to do.
I'm unsure about the IOs portion. I will say that if I came back to a game that I used to play and all my armor was 'turned off' and the only way to handle it was to pay money or delete the armor, I would not come back. I think it's crazy to penalize a build after the fact. IMO free/preem players should not be able to slot new IOs. IMO having them turn off when they are already equipped would be an extremely bad business decision. -
Quote:Originally Posted by Enantiodromos
OT, do you find faults with the arguments (or posting tactics) the poster has made in this conversation?
I feel like there is a fairly obvious answer to this question.
Addendum: Just to restate my take on all of this, character slots and access to XP are not nearly scarce enough to justify skipping everything but the absolute best combos. While there is some argument that can be made about, say, Plant Control being very good, nothing can change the fact that I find it insufferably boring. In any case, what is "best" is extremely subjective and depends entirely on the context of what you are trying to do. IMO the worst you could do in this game is to fail to see it allows you to build a stable of characters who offer different advantages and play experiences. -
Against a +4 enemy, a standard AoE Hold with 2 Accuracy IOs has only about a 57% chance to hit, so the OP is not completely off base. I disagree about switching accuracy and damage though.
[Addendum: Personally, from a design perspective I also think the way Containment was designed to do double damage is extremely flawed. The extra damage dealt should have been double the base damage, so that you don't end up with the ridiculousness of Fire/Kin, which resulted mainly because you are actually doubling the affects of any damage buffs.] -
What is weird about the whole +Recharge not affecting pets thing is that they are not immune to -Recharge. If Recharge really did affect their scripts, then it probably still does.
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A brief review of Laveatinn's post history will reveal why this conversation is likely to go nowhere. Frankly, there are few posters whose positions and posting tactics I have less sympathy for. His/her misplaced elitism and refusal to even attempt to see why someone wouldn't care about always playing some kind of tank mage, combined with a history of making unprovoked personal attacks, is fairly well established.
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Well... it's pretty hard to argue that any set that can get perma +50% recharge with some IOing synergizes poorly with a Control primary.
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IMO supporting the Mac at all was the showstopper. Although not nearly as much of a self-hobbling as the two competing games that tried and failed and tried and succeeded (nominally) to cross pollinate with consoles. I still don't think it's possible for me to heap enough derrision on the computer with a one-button mouse as a gaming tool though, and ever since they declared war on Adobe I'm unsure what they are good for at all.
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Quote:Yep you're right I do. It's a click. I just got done with 13 hours of travel.Originally Posted by Local_Man
It is a click power, not a toggle! (I know you know that!)
I prefer Indom Will to Clarion, because if you take Clarion you can't take something else. In this case my vote on that something else would be Barrier. You also will probably want something in the meantime until you get to Tier 3 or 4, and only then respec.