RandomFX

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Time off request - check
Mt Dew on sale at local grocery - check
Doritoes, bread, and peanut butter stocked up - check
Friends and family told I'm going out of town so don't bother to call or stop by - check

I'm ready!

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I'm pretty sure that combination of food and free time is gonna kill you dead before the weekend is half over. As for me, just hook up the IV with plenty of caffeine and a few random vitamins and minerals (none of which can be found in Doritos) ...

By happy coincidence , the whole family is gonna be out of town that weekend. Just don't know who I can get to change the IV bags.

RFX

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Yikes, I've done a fine job of derailing this thread

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Ha! Like any help is ever needed to make that happen! But hell, it was mostly an unnecessary (and now obsolete) thread anyway, so don't be too hard on yourself.

RFX

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They're up, as I'm on right now.

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Then what the hell are we doing here?!?! To arms!!

RFX

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Damn, wish I didn't have to work and could just gripe and moan about not being able to play online

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It's Canada Day. All the canucks have the day off.

Of course everything's closed for the holiday. And all the celebrations in my city have been canceled because of a city worker's strike.

And it's raining.

Wait! I'll play City of Heroes! Or not... Guess I'll sit at home in the rain and stare at my garbage.

*pouts*

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Hah! Very funny! Only good thing about servers going down is skimming the forum for amusing stuff like this. Thank you!

Also, if you wait long enough (which is not long at all), the usual war of words will start between the complainers and the non-complainers (who are complaining about the complainers) ... equally amusing.

RFX

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The Server Status page keeps bouncing between servers up, down, unknown. It's having a fit.

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Noticed that as well. I assume the "up" status currently seen is the error and note that the time stamp of the update actually indicates June 24 anytime "up" status is showing. An accurate date appears whenever status shows either "down" or "unknown" ... suggesting this is the only time to pay any attention to sever status indicators.

Regardless, actual up-time remains, as ever, a crapshoot.

RFX

In perhaps the fastest Maintenance turn-around ever ... servers are up again.

RFX

For whatever reason ... and for who knows how long ... Victory remains up (as well as one other I failed to note on log-in).

RFX

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AH NUTS!!! The motes don't work when you're hovering or flying

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Thanks for the head’s up. A fix is on the way…

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For those that can't wait for the fix, here's a little bit of help ... it isn't exactly an "in flight" change, but it looks pretty cool:

"powexec_name Fly$$cc_e 0 cccast"

That basically fires off the "cast" costume change then puts you into "flight mode". I've only tested it with "cast" ... I haven't tested it for the others. The longer animation times may be an issue for those.

RFX

Maybe I'm a little late to the party, but just in case anyone out there may still be wondering ...

This costume set (+ emotes) is simply AWESOME! My devilish little corrupter is just wagging her tail with delight. Buy it ... buy it now.

Mmmm ... okay, maybe wait a few days given all the server issues. Mine went thru after quite a big of "timed-out/interrupted" glitches, but went thru it did. Good thing ... patience is not one of my virtues.

RFX

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I hope this helps aout anyone who is having issues with the guide.

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First, I want to acknowledge that I learned everything re: "Magic Doors" from the OP and this thread ... so thanks!

But for those of you out there who may wish for a simplified step-by-step guide to the process ... try this link:

Extended Doorways

Enjoy!

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Is there any way to create a custom keybind group for movement and other mechanics keys? If I attempt to import keybinds.txt, it tells me I can only make remaps per file. Alternatively, is there any way to make a keyset for the dropdown menu?

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I'm not sure about the error you've been getting, but I've created a basid, default keybind file for all new alts. I load it up first thing for everyone. The keybind set and basic instructions can be found here: Universal Keyboard

In short, I created a file called "keys_def.txt" and place that into my CoH directory. When I'm ready, the following command loads up the file:

/bindloadfile "C:\Program Files\City of Heroes\keys_def.txt"

To create your own file, you use the /bindsave command which generates a base "keybinds.txt" file. You edit that with notepad (or any basic text editor) then rename it to some kind of default file.

Best of luck.

RFX

Not my guide, but I am very impressed with not only the content but the format as well. I can't recommend this thing high enough to new players ... or even old players just looking for something to read.

Beginners Guide to City of Heroes

The authors is _Tog_ so give him some props.

(This is a completely unsolicited recommendation. I found this link while researching possible content for my own beginners guide ... only to discover someone as done it much better than I ever could.)

RFX

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Let's all be Heroes, not Zeroes!

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I recently stumbled across this gem from waaay back (2004) and felt a need to give it a bump. As an additional service to those of us who do not speak “L337", I am including my own translations where needed. My contributions are within the < > brackets.

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1. When asking a complete stranger to drop everything they are doing and spend hours of their life giving you experience points and getting nothing in return, always remember to say please.

Zero: PL meh or u r teh suxxorz!!1!! < Power level me or you will suck! >
Hero: PL meh PLZ!!!11!** < Power level me, please! >

2. Do not sexually harass female characters, most of whom are played by guys anyhow.

Hero: Would you care to join me for an evening of good deeds and derring do?
Zero: U got hot a$$! U RL a$$ hot??? my [censored] 18" u want suxx it bad yah???!!!11!
< Your animated, imaginary character has a nice bottom! Are you that attractive in real life? I am very well endowed myself. Wouldn’t you like to orally service me?>

3. Assist other characters only when needed.

Hero: You appear to be losing consciousness! Would you like me to thwart these villains? I will heal you while you think about it.
Zero: LOLLOLOL!!111 PWNZD!!11 U teh suxxorz!!11! /killsteals
< Very funny! You got destroyed! You suck! (Now I will defeat all of your enemies and collect the XP* for myself) >

4. Treat other players with respect.

Hero: Pardon me, but I do believe that ambush was intended for me.
Zero: [censored] little [censored] u ks [censored] i get u pvp kick yur [censored] my lvl 50s!!1111!!!
< Stupid little brat. Those were my targets, jerk! I challenge you to a PvP** fight with my level 50 character (which may or may not actually exist) >

5. Be gracious.

Hero: Thank you for your kind gift of level 28 training enhancements. I do not have any need of them, but I will attempt to donate them to a worthy charity.
Zero: U think I'm a trash can? a toilet? keep ur crap offa me!!
< Do you think I’m a trash can or a toilet? Keep your garbage to yourself! >

6. Carry your own weight.

Hero: These villains look dangerous, but if you sidekick me I will attempt to vanquish them at your side!
Zero: no SK me [censored]!!1! i want teh uber xp!!1 u go kil. brb
< Don’t sidekick me, jerk! I want the high XP! You kill them all. I’ll be right back. >

7. Begging for influence is crass.

Hero: Hmmm, I seem to be just a little short. Oh, and I did so want to buy that lovely SO enhancements. Ah well.
Zero: gimme $$$. u got lots gimme!!!1 PLZ!!11! else u suxorz i pvp u!!1!
< Give me influence! You have a lot, so give me some! Please! Or else you suck and I will defeat you in PvP!!! >

8. Offer constructive criticism.

Hero: Yes, having four travel powers does sound convenient, but are you sure you don't like ANY of the powers in your primary? Perhaps I can accompany you on the respec trial?
Zero: u teh gimp suxxor!! lol roflmao lolzlolz
< You are completely ineffective and you suck! I am very amused by this. >

9. Accept criticism graciously

Hero: Yes, I understand that it is mathematically suboptimal, but I happen to rather like the flurry power.
Zero: [censored] n00b u dont know [censored] i r teh roxxorz i kill boss EZ!!1! FU!11! i pvp u pwnz u bad u gimp!1!!!1!
< Stupid rookie. You don’t know anything. I rock and I can kill this boss with ease! I hold you in the lowest regard. I would easily defeat you in PvP, you useless tool. >

10. Always cooperate with your teammates.

Hero: Thank you very much for drawing all the aggro. But perhaps next time you could limit yourself to one group at a time? Although I will certainly do my best to heal you, whatever the odds.
Zero: anchor?! [censored] anchor?! y u rest? my end ok! I go killz! Oops, NEED HEAL HEAL HEAL HEAL [censored] u no heal u suxxorz! [censored] bubble? u healer! ... oh srry, was afk. how u all died? i pull w/ my AoE. why you let me die again! u suxx i quit! lousy xp with u gimp losers!!1!
< (Deep breath) Anchor?! Who needs an anchor?! Why are you resting? My endurance level is fine! I’ll kill this group myself! Oops. Heal me! Heal me quickly! Jerk. You didn’t heal me, you suck. Why did you give me a force field? You’re the healer! ... Oh, sorry. I was getting a Mountain Dew. How did everyone die? I will pull this entire group with a massive Area of Effect attack. Why did you let me die again? You suck! I quit! I wasn’t getting enough experience with you ineffective losers anyway! >

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I assume everyone on this forum would know these abbreviations, but in the interest of a complete translation:
* XP = experience award
** PvP = Player v. Player zones

And, of course, all the credit to the original poster! Funny stuff!

RFX

Very good info from all, even those in disagreement. My Emp/Psy defender sees a fair amount of action, mostly on teams, rarely running solo. When it comes to teaming, however, on thing your guide points to I would emphasize above all else ...

Binds! Build them, use them, love them. No matter how you structure your empath, your effectiveness is magnified a hundred times with keybinds. No hunting about with a mouse pointer and hoping that you don't get lag-fragged. Being able to drop a heal on a hurting teammate with one (two at the most) keystroke(s) is a life-saver ... period.

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Multiple empowerment stations will stack the buffs that are offered (by design). If we made the buffs as good as players "expect" right out the gate, they'd be WAY too good when stacked.

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Something about the wording you used here confused me a little and i was hopeing for some clerifacation. When you say that "Multiple empowerment stations will stack the buffs that are offered" It could be taken to mean one of three things.

1.) the more stations you have the better the buff becomes. You buy it once and it buffs by a base value mutiplied by the number of stations you own.

2.) If you have multiple stations you can buy it once from each station to stack the buff but you can't buy the buff multiple times from the same station

or 3.) You only need one station but you can buy the same buff over and over untill it's usefull.

can you clerify how this Actualy works

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Very good question that. I believe options 2 and 3 have been addressed on this thread and the answer seems to be neither way works at the moment. But option 1 ... that's an interesting possiblity and one that almost--but only almost --makes sense.

I burned a little game time installing the stations last night and built a buff for a mission I was starting ... by the time the entire team was on location and ready to go, the buff had dropped. So, lucky for me, I never had the chance to experience just how pathetic the buff would have been.

Recently completed another go at the Synapse Task Force, this time with one of my alts on Victory and a pick up group. All the info posted here in the original guide checks out completely. The team on this attempt was squishy heavy with controllers, defenders, blasters, and a tank. We found that with all the buffs/debuffs in effect, the clocks could barely scratch us. While it took better than four hours to complete, it went remarkably smooth, even the GM and AV battles.

Well done to all my fellow cohorts on the Task Force!

I'm going to be working on future TF guides such as this one. I would welcome any comments or suggestions as to what other heroes find helpful and what is completely unnecessary in sucha guide.

Next up ... Sister Psyche

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I love your winner's circle picture, much better than most pictures of a group standing in a line.

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Since it took a little effort to get everyone in position for that pic, thanks for noticing!

Thanks for the info, Yusaku! I had some questions on those issues ... and I hope to update the guide with your corrections soon.

A few pictures from Task Force Cyclone ...

Lair of the Clockwork King
Sniper Blast
The Clockwork King
The Winners Circle

Task Force Breakdown

1. Seek Electrical Anomaly (Steel Canyon/Warehouse)
   Target: None
   Comments: This is essentially a “defeat all” mission though it is not really given as such. No other objectives within mission. Mobs were typical Clockwork with a healthy scattering of Lieutenants and Boss pairs (Canon Prince & Assembler Prince). Note that an Assembler summons pets in the form of Cogs (minions) and both Princes will spawn Gears upon death.
   Strategy: Jonnie Flash has a great trick for dealing with those annoying Gears. Whenever we put down a Boss, Jonnie would immediately sprinkle the carcass with caltrops. The Gears start taking damage as soon as they spawn and are slowed. Then Jonnie would drop a fire ball on ‘em ... no more Gears. Several other archetypes can likely do variations of this stunt.
2. Combat the Clockwork (Hunt)
   Target: Defeat 30 Clockwork
   Comments: Leader talked to Synapse while the rest of the team remained in Steel Canyon. Most of the team did the bulk of the work there, but the team leader also found a few in Skyway City. All of them counted toward the total. Also note that it made no difference which zone our leader was in ... all the kills counted.
   Strategy: Once the mission was up, one of the team members in Steel Canyon was quickly ambushed. This soon became a pattern with this Task Force ... ambushes. Try to keep together at all times. However, note that Clockwork kills count in any zone, not just Steel Canyon. It is possible for the bulk of your team to scout out Clockwork mobs while just your leader goes to see Synapse. This may expedite the mission, but I don’t really recommend the idea because of the ambush. It is possible to call Synapse from this point forward.
3. Talk to Positron (Steel Canyon/Delivery)
   Target: None
   Comments: Positron is found in the center of Steel Canyon (near Valkyrie and base portal). Anyone in the team can contact Positron to fulfill the objective.
4. Defeat All Clockwork in Station (Steel Canyon/Lab)
   Target: Foreman (Level 20 Boss)
   Comments: Destroying the Lab Equipment (found on 2nd Floor) results in Buff or Debuff for anyone exposed to the radiation. Foreman was found on the 3rd Floor. All three of these missions release hostages who provide clues.
5. Defeat All Clockwork in Station (Steel Canyon/Lab)
   Target: Powderkeg (Level 20 Boss)
   Comments: Each mission in this section is “defeat all” ... no shortcuts possible.
6. Defeat All Clockwork in Station (Steel Canyon/Lab)
   Target: Volt (Level 20 Boss)
   Comments: The Bosses may appear in a different order than this, but no matter. They are essentially the same and you will have to do all three.
7. Patrol, Scan for Clockwork (Steel Canyon)
   Target: Two Locations
   Comments: I always see this described as 5 locations, never 2. But it we only had to hit two info stations before we were sent to the next mission location.
   Strategy: Watch for the ambush! We were jumped by Clockwork soon after we tagged the first station. Easily handled, but could be difficult if only one of your team is in place when they attack. Note that our team called it a night at this point, parked outside the next mission door. We were just over two hours in and roughly halfway through the Task Force.
8. Stop All Robots in Headquarters (Steel Canyon/Office)
   Target: Click, Coil, Suppressor (Level 20 Bosses)
   Comments: I was not available when the team reconvened. The Task Force was also short one Blaster, but the duo went on without us. With just two Task Force members -- a Blaster and a Defender -- they dealt with two or three missions handily, without any drops. This was a “defeat all” mission.
9. Patrol, Seek King's Hideout (Steel Canyon)
   Target: Six Locations
   Comments: As you begin this task, the leader is given a temporary power in the form of a Clockwork Immobilizer Mk I (Ranged, Clockwork Hold). This is a one shot power and appears to hold the target for around five seconds. For subsequent missions you will given new models of the Immobilizer; if you do not use the one you have before you get a new one, too bad. The new Immobilizer always replaces the one you had.
   Strategy: Watch for ambush at one of the locations! In this case, it was the last one.
10. Defeat Bertha and its Guards (Boomtown/Office)
    Target: Big Bertha (Level 20 Boss)
    Comments: As per information submitted by Yusaku_777, this mission (and the one that follows) do not require that you clear the entire map. Defeat the boss and any other targets in the same room.
11. Defeat Long Tom and its Guards (Steel Canyon/Warehouse)
    Target: Long Tom (Level 20 Boss)
    Comments: Leader is given the Clockwork Immobilizer MK II at the begining of the mission. The Task Force returned to full strength during this mission, with the second Blaster coming in at the beginning, while I rejoined at the end, just as the mission was completed.
12. Rescue Hostages in Warehouse (Skyway City/Warehouse)
    Target: Rescue 6 Hostages
    Comments: Leader is given the Clockwork Immobilizer Mk III at the beginning of the mission, but it is best to save your one shot for Babbage (after completing the Clockwork Lord mission). The Mission Completion message appeared as soon as the 6th hostage was released. It would be possible to bypass some of the fighting and simply free all the hostages to complete the mission.
13. Stop Clockwork Lord, it’s Guards (Skyway City/Warehouse)
    Target: Clockwork Lord (Level 20 Elite)
    Comments: It is possible to bypass mobs and go straight at the Clockwork Lord (using stealth and recall friend, of course). You will need to defeat the Elite Boss and any other mobs in that section, possibly including any located at the entrance to the room.
    Strategy: Stop! Don’t move! Remain within the mission until everyone in the team is at full strength and buffed if possible. By all reports, Babbage attacks right after you exit this mission -– and this was exactly what happened to us. Make sure your damage dealers have plenty of CABs to keep their endurance up for the battle. Try to exit all together, but send the Tank out first regardless.
    >>> Babbage Attacks!
    Target: None
    Comments: This is not really a “mission” exactly, and it is possible to skip this fight all together. But why would you do that? Many do the Task Force for no other reason than to take down Babbage, a Clockwork Giant Monster.
    Strategy: Wait for it ... wait for it! Don’t start flying/jumping/running off to the next mission and leaving your team scattered. Within 30 seconds of exit from the last mission, Babbage arrived, towering above us and looking pretty damn impressive. The Tank went straight at him, taunting along the way, then standing toe-to-big-metal-foot for the fight. Our Leader fired off the Mk III Immobilizer he'd been saving and the Blasters did their thing. Throughout the fight, Babbage barely scratched us. Most of the damage was likely directed at the Tank, but Babbage just didn’t seem to hit that terribly hard. (Our Defender adds this was likely due to the variety of debuffs being slapped on the big guy during the fight.) But he can take a lot of damage and heal himself. He also summons Cogs. Babbage will not go down unless you have the firepower in place to do the job. We did. He did. However, if your team simply cannot produce enough damage to finish Babbage off, you have two options: (1) Run or (2) Call for help. Heroes in the zone are usually more than happy to help out. The trick is directing them to your position.
    Award: All members earned the Clockstopper Badge for defeating Babbage
14. Get Immobilizer from Positron (Steel Canyon/Delivery)
    Target: Get Clockwork Immobilizer Mk IV
    Comments: Only one member of the team needs to make the run to Steel Canyon. Yusaku_777 reports that this can be any member of the Task Force.
15. Defeat the Clockwork King and His Court (Skyway City/Warehouse)
    Target: Clockwork King (Level 20 Elite Boss/Arch Villain)
    Comments: Stop a minute and absorb the atmosphere. Aaaaahhhhh ... smell the axle grease? This is one of the unique maps you are going to encounter in Paragon City. Lots of Bosses (Level 20, Princes and Barons) almost always in pairs. After Babbage, the King is almost anti-climatic, but after all, isn’t he why you came this far? Reports suggest this final mission may take place in either Skyway City or Steel Canyon.
    Strategy: You can bypass a lot of the mobs and go straight for the King. But be careful! Clockwork have better perception than most mobs and your scout may be spotted. Our scout was busted about the time he found CK. Fortunately, he managed to get some distance between himself and the mob before he went down. Luckily (or actually by design) he had a higher level Awaken in his pocket and was able to rez himself once the mobs cleared off. He ‘ported the rest of the team in and we prepared ourselves for the battle royal. CK went down hard and fast beneath a truly epic onslaught of firepower and fisticuffs. We cleaned out the Clockwork nearby as well. However, the mission was not yet clear. We could not be certain as to which mobs were supposed to be the King’s “Court”, so we began to scout around from his position for more targets. As we searched, we split up ... not the best plan. At one point, our Tank was engaged with a good sized mob while our Blasters were elsewhere in a major fight. The Tank stood his ground while the rest of the team converged on the Blasters just in time. The group our Tank was fighting was found in close proximity to CK’s original position and they turned out to the “Court” in question. Once the rest of the team rejoined the Tank and finished this group off, the mission was completed. We left several Princes and Barons alive on the map -– remember, we were all exemp and not here for the XP anyway -– so they, it would seem, were not part of the Court, despite their names.
    Award: All members earned a +3 SO (three better than the current level of the hero) for defeating the Clockwork King.
    Award: All members earned the Synapse's Cohort Badge (Synapse has awarded you this medal in recognition of your defeat of the Clockwork King) and a +3 SO for completing the Task Force.

Task Force Cyclone was successful. The Clockwork King was history ... at least until the next Task Force comes along. We needed just over two hours for the second night, for part of which the team was not even at full strength. This suggests that 3.5 to 4 hours is a reasonable expectation for the Task Force, but only if you have the right team in place and the levels to deal with the number and level of the mobs.

Special note of thanks to Darkspade for helping complete this guide and to Yusaku_777 for clarifications.

Introduction: When Strategic Operations Limited (SOL) decided to take on this task force, the team we put together had long since out-leveled Synapse. Fortunately, the auto-exemp feature permits us to do it anyway. While the XP is always missed, doing it this way still had a few perks. First, we continued to earn influence and prestige for the SG. Second, death (and the corresponding debt) is not an issue. A team wipe would be inconvenient, but otherwise fallen teammates could be quickly rezzed and any debt would vanish almost immediately.

Finally, exemping down significantly reduces the difficulty of the task force. I have personally started the Synapse Task Force several times. Before the SG tackled it, the previous Task Forces (I use that title loosely) did not successfully complete even the first door mission. In part because the Task Forces were inexperienced and ill equipped; more importantly, the mobs were all orange, red, and even purple cons to most of the team. Given the sheer numbers, and the fact they were all clocks, those early Task Forces were doomed. That is not to say that a properly constructed team –- all the same level or very close -– couldn’t do it; they could. But when you are effectively level 20 going in and all the mobs are the same, Synapse is a time consuming (yet less lengthy than some), but not all that difficult, Task Force to complete.

The Task Force is initiated by Synapse in Skyway City. All team members must be in the zone, but only the leader has to see Synapse. You can find Synapse by selecting the Skyway City trainer (Mynx) on your map. Synapse waits on a platform close-by, near the T station.

Team Requirements: 4 minimum
Levels: 15-20 (Clockwork)*
Time: 2.5 to 5 hours**

* I’ve seen this Task Force listed as level 15-21; I do not think this is accurate. The level cap is 20.

** Almost every mission is “defeat all” so I cannot fathom how anyone gets it done in 2.5 hours. However, I have seen that figure reported by others. Our effort took approximately 4.5 hours over two nights.

Task Force Cyclone
Darkspade: Defender (Dark/Dark)
Jon Random: Tank (Invulnerable/Super Strength)
Blaze Blast: Blaster (Energy/Energy)
Jonnie Flash: Blaster (Fire/Devices)

This was an ideal team for Synapse. We were not XP farming, so no need for a larger team and the corresponding bigger mobs. The two Blasters deliver superior damage, our Defender had both healing and controller-type abilities, and our Tank was there to take the pounding. I could see substituting a Scrapper for one Blaster and/or a Controller (with healing) for the Defender. Regardless, this combination of powers and archetypes was perfect for the job.

CONTINUED

I've only recently come across all this info as I have been researching SG base construction issues. In case it hasn't been said enough ... and even if it has ...

Very, very impressive work! I am very grateful for your efforts. ... thanks!