Oedipus_Tex

Winterterminal summed it up perfectly. I only have one thing to add: I am beyond sick of people trying to act like not enjoying this incarnate glurge is the fault of the player for being too selfish and wanting the rewards too much.

It is not selfish or gluttonous to expect the path to advancement to also be fun. The only thing stopping me from incarnating my characters at this point isn't "challenge." It is how insanely tedious this system is. And then on top of that they've thrown costumes, emotes and auras behind this wall of absolute, endless tedium.

We have great developers, a good game, decent enough missions, and a friendly playerbase, but I have never hated a system in this game as much as this one.

Incarnate is the new PVP.

Mesmerize > Thunderclap as the opener. It will not wake Lieutenants I dont believe.

Power Boost > Total Domination > Freezing Rain > Energy Torrent > Terrify for moments when TD is up. Most likely only at very high levels.

Mind/Cold is a reasonable alternative to Mind/Storm if you team a bit.

I really like the idea of Dark Armor paired with Empathy. Especially something like Dark/Super Strength. Fire and SD are also good, as mentioned.

The troller will probably be flooring recharge values of enemies on his/her own. I would not recommend an ice set for you.

Make sure the Ice/Emp takes Arctic Air. Having a Tanker in front opens too many opportunities to excuse passing that up.

It's a great mission.

It's a shame I'll have to play it unit I hate it.

The "raid task" window should be changed to show the person hit by Disentgrate and their HP, and let you select them by clicking there.

I was going to make that suggestion in the feedback forums, but was too busy raging about the grind of the trials.

I'm not a PVPer but I do wish this system would just get rolled back to pre-Issue 13, when it was imperfect but at least, supposedly, fun. I have empathy for Z's position on this because he isn't the person making the decisions (and empathy for the person who has to make the decision, because they don't have infinite money).

However, I will say this: if the reason PVP was never fixed/rolled back/completed was because it was assumed not enough people use it to make it worth the cost, consider that PVP is a waving red flag for people who fear that Paragon Studios is willing to break a system and leave it that way forever. When I look at the incarnate system and their wait-death-grind-repeat nature, PVP is a reference point on just how far the developers are willing to push on a system that dismantles what made the original game experience attractive.

I always interpreted the opening power in Fighting as a "tax" power to at least give some reason why every melee character shouldn't automatically include Toughness or Weave in their build. Basically you are paying either 2 slots or 1 and a half slots to get that advantage. If we must, buff Punch and Kick (but be careful about it).

Neither is a particularly amazing farmer or AV soloer but in general use I would tend to rate Earth/Kin over Elec/Rad. Both have their niches though.

Out of the listed characters the SD/WM will probably be the best.

I managed to farm Fire Ambushes on an Ice/Radiation/Psi Controller who was built for normal missions. Quite a bit slower than other characters but pretty easy with the bosses turned off. It's not "farming" in the "maximize every possible second" way but then if I wanted that I would always play the tip top characters. It's still 400-700 tickets per run and its a character I don't mind playing. Should be pretty doable for almost any powercombo with the right strategies.

PS I would probably still do ambush missions even if the payoff dropped significantly because they are just sort of fun. Arctic Air + Contagious Confusion vs 200 enemies on screen is also entertaining to watch.

Really depends on what you are trying to do. If you want you-versus-the-world soloing, Defense is extremely helpful. It's somewhat less so (but only somewhat) on a team build.

Here's a starter for what a tank-mage sort of Plant/Storm might look like. This build definitely requires Cardiac to calm down the Endurance costs, and might even want an Ageless thrown on top for more Recharge/End. It's pretty much solo unkillable though, because anything close enough to hit you gets its ToHit floored by Hurricane and anything further away can't get past your Psi and Ranged defense, with mezz protection to prevent detoggles from ruining the fun.

Minor disappointment is the single target damage in Strangler, although Entangle is better damage anyway. One possible option if you don't care about ST damage is to swap out Entangle for Spirit Tree and slot if with 6 Numinas for a small drop in defense. I don't have enough experience with Spirit Tree to report on how worthwhile it is as a heal.

I left Creepers unslotted because I always forget how to do it.

[EDIT: Minor build changes to improve Tornado and Lit Storm]

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: Plant Control
Secondary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Psionic Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Strangler -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(3), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(5), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(5)
Level 1: Gale -- Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Roots -- Posi-Dam%(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(7)
Level 4: O2 Boost -- Heal-I(A)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), DefBuff-I(11)
Level 8: Seeds of Confusion -- CoPers-Conf(A), CoPers-Conf/EndRdx(9), CoPers-Conf%(9), CoPers-Acc/Rchg(13), CoPers-Conf/Rchg(17), CoPers-Acc/Conf/Rchg(50)
Level 10: Steamy Mist -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(11), RedFtn-EndRdx(17)
Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13), RechRdx-I(29)
Level 14: Boxing -- Stpfy-Acc/EndRdx(A), Stpfy-EndRdx/Stun(15), Stpfy-Acc/Rchg(15), Stpfy-Acc/Stun/Rchg(34), Stpfy-KB%(37), Stpfy-Stun/Rng(40)
Level 16: Freezing Rain -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Vines -- BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(19), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(19), BasGaze-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(23), EoCur-Acc/Hold/Rchg(46)
Level 20: Hurricane -- DarkWD-ToHitDeb(A), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(21), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/EndRdx(21), DarkWD-Rchg/EndRdx(23)
Level 22: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 24: Entangle -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(25), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(40), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(40), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43)
Level 26: Carrion Creepers -- Empty(A), Empty(27), Empty(27), Empty(29), Empty(37)
Level 28: Super Speed -- Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(A), Zephyr-ResKB(34)
Level 30: Weave -- RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(A), RedFtn-EndRdx(31), RedFtn-Def(31), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(31), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(34), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37)
Level 32: Fly Trap -- C'Arms-Acc/Rchg(A), C'Arms-Acc/Dmg(33), C'Arms-Dmg/EndRdx(33), C'Arms-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33)
Level 35: Tornado -- ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(A), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(36), ExRmnt-Dmg/EndRdx(36), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(36), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(46), ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(46)
Level 38: Lightning Storm -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(39), Dev'n-Hold%(39), Dev'n-Dmg/Rchg(50)
Level 41: Mental Blast -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(42), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(43), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(43)
Level 44: Indomitable Will -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RechRdx-I(45), RechRdx-I(45), RechRdx-I(45)
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 Partial Radial Revamp
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Containment
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(3)

In some cases "Secondary account where someone keeps their pocket Empath."

Hi Maden,

Glad to see your character coming to fruition.

To be honest, World of Confusion is a real dog of a power on a Controller. It's passable on a Blaster (after serious slotting) but mainly because their options are so limited. On a Controller, in my experience, it's just a set mule. There isn't a benefit to being within 8ft of enemies. If you are okay with the power being more or less a "costume aura" and set mule and nothing else, stick with it.

An alternative way to get a Confusion aura however would be to go and stay a Rogue. They get a PBAoE confuse that, while I think is only Mag 2, costs you nothing and is occasionally useful.

Propel meanwhile is pretty much--well not "pretty much," it is--a broken power, the casualty of animation time being handwaved by the developers. It does less damage than Fire Blast from the APPs and takes 3 times as long to animate. I know it's part of your concept, but again remember the power is pure costuming. It is in my estimatation possibly the most underperforming attack power in the game. Just know what you're getting into. If its all the same to you, having multiple builds might be ideal.



When I build most characters I have a fairly standard methodology. For some reason I struggle with Gravity/Kinetics. Kinetics is a strange set in that because it needs so much accuracy slotting. So, I was able to get something high in recharge, or high in defense, but not both. On a set as open to counter attacks as Gravity is it might be somewhat frustrating compared to other Controllers. I do think taking some kind of mezz protect is a good idea though, where in the apps or from Clarion.

One specific change i would make is to slot Ragnarok: Chance for Knockdown in the AoE cages, then use the cages as a primary control powers. This is very very effective mitigation considering the power recharges in 2 seconds or so and each cast will knockdown approximately in in 5 enemies. Pair it with Chance for Hold for even more fun.

Somehow I snuck into the game without ever paying for either City of Heroes or Villains (but yes to Going Rogue). I suppose most people who joined in 2008 did.

Plug the knockback hole and endurance issue and Dark Armor is just as viable as anything else. You really don't have to worry too much about IOs. You only need 2 of them, 3 if you want double kb protection.

Dark Armor does benefit in the extreme from -kb IOs, but then so do Blasters, Controllers, and Defenders. There are so many sources of knockdown in this game that almost every character is self gimping to skip such an easy to acquire immunity. Fiery Aura is in the exact same boat there.

I mean, you can ignore a huge buff to the character, but its a little like neglecting to use inspirations because you don't want to have to organize the tray.

Can you repost with a datachunk please? I'm unable to open it.