Smersh

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On the third hand: Ooooh dear. The gender-bending might have . . . fun and interesting applications for RP. :x

. . . Wait.
Third hand? Someone get the surgical laser.

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That's the gripping hand.

Freem.

That has you choosing six power pools out of four power pool choices...

I'm afraid it doesn't work.

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Activated I believe when in a click based power.

If you run it in a toggle then it checks every tick (i.e. Invincibility, Focused Accuracy, etc ...).

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Incorrect.

In a toggle power, the power will check to proc every 10 seconds, not every tick. On average, a chance for build-up Gaussian's proc would go off every 3 minutes and 20 seconds, if I recall correctly.


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This isn't accurate. My Gaussians has ticked twice in a row on occasion in less then 10 seconds in the past (at least according to my power meters) on three different characters.

Also your statistics aren't correct ... try to base an average on a percentage chance is the same as being dismayed when you don't win the lottery even though you statistically bought enough tickets to. Consequently I rarely go without a proc (when I'm metering) within 90 seconds.

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One: when I say on average, I mean precisely that. Straight mathematics gives us the following:

5% chance of buildup, once every ten seconds. Therefore, a one in twenty chance. Twenty chances times ten seconds equals 200 seconds, which is three minutes and twenty seconds.

Now, does that mean it will go off like clockwork every three minutes and twenty seconds? No, not at all. That is an *average*. Could it go off twice in a row, ten seconds apart? Yes. Could it not go off for ten minutes? Yes. Every proc check is independent.

So, we find that Gaussian's proc works just as it says. It is a 5% chance for a 5 second buildup effect.

Can it go off twice in a row? Certainly, there is a one in four hundred chance that it will do so. Three times in a row? One in 8000, not inconceivable, but not something that you would see every day.

When talking about procs, it is most useful to talk about averages. On average, you would see the 5 second buildup once every three minutes and twenty seconds while the toggle is on, because procs in toggles every ten seconds.

Not every tick.

What you may have seen, Kruunch, was the proc firing off, lasting for 5 seconds, being down for then next five, and then proccing again. It would seem like less than ten seconds, because the proc effect would have been down for less than ten seconds.

As to whether the proc is more useful in a toggle or a click power like Rage, that is a matter of opinion, and there is no right or wrong answer to it.

By and large, yes.

Though putting the proc in a toggle means you have zero control as to when it goes off. Standing in Wentworths? Proc can fire off.

By far, the best use for the proc is in a power like Blinding Feint in Dual Blades: an attack that buffs To Hit. With even adequate recharge, you'll be certain the proc will go off in combat, and have a chance more often than once every ten seconds.

The only problem with that, of course, is that the Gaussian's proc is unique, so slotting the proc in an attack basically precludes getting the sexy 6-slot bonus from the set.

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Activated I believe when in a click based power.

If you run it in a toggle then it checks every tick (i.e. Invincibility, Focused Accuracy, etc ...).

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Incorrect.

In a toggle power, the power will check to proc every 10 seconds, not every tick. On average, a chance for build-up Gaussian's proc would go off every 3 minutes and 20 seconds, if I recall correctly.

In Rage, the proc only has a chance to go off when you click Rage, similarly with build-up and other powers.

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Self-Powered Ectoplasm Containment and Tactical Reaction Exoskeleton

S.P.E.C.T.R.E



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That one gets my vote.

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Just think, making homosexuality "normal" will open the floodgates. Soon enough people will cry foul over beastiality, pedophilia, and all sorts of "normal" lifestyles.

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All I have to say to this is: Consenting adults. One of these things is completely unlike the others.

Here, have a side of fail with your slippery slope.

Also, IBTL.

No.

You entertain me.

Go ahead, I'm waiting.

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Willpower - unresolved

* Bug: No longer awards puppy temp pet when AVs are defeated - numerous AV soloers




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I want my puppy.

Well, then, how about Comrade Smersh?

Short description of the Character Concept: A Soviet Powered-Armor Hero, currently leading KGB Special Section 8 in Paragon City. A crusader for the People.

Short description of the Character's Look: a 50-something bald Soviet with grey eyes, a chain-smoking habit, and a red and gold power suit with a cape.

Name: KGB Special Section 8.

Currently Recruiting: Yes.

RP Level: Moderate to RP friendly. All out of character communication is marked with ((parentheses)).

Theme/Concept: A motley crew of Soviet heroes and newer recruits, KGB Special Section 8 is devoted to aiding the proletariat of Paragon City, whether by hero work or social work.

Activity: We do have a large roster, over 70 members. Membership is fairly casual, though we have regular scheduled events. Most activity is evenings and weekends, EST and PST.

Requirements for Membership: See our FAQ!

Leadership: Comrade Smersh. Soviet Shadow is our able second in command.

Contacts: Contact @Smersh or @Soviet Shadow in game, send a PM to Smersh on these boards, or post on our forums at our official communications board!

Official Website: This is the official frontpage of our site. Also of interest are our in-character archives.

Coalitions: A large RP coalition, including Freedom Factor, Maggie's Rock, The Other Guys, and some other, smaller groups.

Please feel free to make contact with any other questions you might have.

(Harry Harrison for the win.)

In the dark, a man sits. We can hardly see him, his face covered in shadow. It is dark tonight, here in Gemini Park.

It is just after midnight in Paragon City, the thirteenth of December, 2006. Her birthday.

There is a flare of light illuminating his face briefly, the lighter immolating the tip of his unfiltered cigarette. He smokes less these days, never around his daughter. Her daughter. Their daughter. The flame makes his face visible, briefly. For all his protests, he did not show his age on his face, usually. She’d always told him that he wasn’t old. But, tonight, he looks every one of his years, and more.

She had always hated that he smoked, giving him no end of grief about it. Despite that, however, she had a special little smile, the ends of her mouth quirking up, just a little, and she would kiss him, softly, and whisper in his ear, “like kissin’ an ashtray, ‘Geny.” That was a part of her beauty, her strength, her power, and a part of why he loved her: She could forgive him that.

It had been just over two years. Two wonderful, tumultuous years.

Just over two years ago, he had let himself meet her, not as a friend, but as a woman. Down to earth and full of life, she’d agreed to a date. He had approached it as friends, but she had chosen to take it differently… and it had certainly been different.

A dance at the ball. A kiss stolen under the mistletoe… and mistletoe being flown over their heads. A moment of sublime panic, and then relief, when she had chosen him. Only she, with her curly hair and ready smile, could inspire such feelings in him.

It had been all the more precious because it was not all kisses and roses. No… they had fought, often, loudly, passionately. He reached into his pocket, and ran his fingertips over the cool metal of the ring he carried in his pocket, feeling the hard stone set into it. He had even proposed to her during a fight. He smiled grimly. He was not certain who had been more surprised, that day… her, when he had proposed, or him, when she accepted.

Breaking up, coming together, breaking up again… it was a rhythm of life, a clash of two strong wills, a cooling off followed by a renewed commitment. And, every time, she could easily outdrink him.

Even so… it was the little things she did that he thought of now. Sitting on the Rock, an arm around him, her head on his shoulder. Eating ice cream at a little shop. Dancing quietly to the unearthly music of the Chantry. Sitting on the couch, in his old apartment in King’s Row, talking about nothing and everything. Little glances, little notes she left him. A whispered word, and then a laughing rush home.

The birth of their daughter… she had been sweating, her hair tangled, straining, screaming at times… and she had never looked more beautiful.

Even now, when he looked at his daughter, he could see her. Her eyes, her hair, her smile, though with fewer teeth. He spent hours with his daughter, doting on her, talking to her, reading to her. Kissing the mark she had left on the child. It was almost like having a piece of her still with him.

He carried her marks, too, and always would. Her name, indelibly inscribed over his heart. The ring she had taken, had returned… the cross her father had worn.

Two years, of love, of heartbreak. She left him, and he thought she would never come back to him. When she had… joy had blossomed in his heart.

And now… now she was gone.

He had promised not to spend this day alone. There were some who worried about what he would do. And he would spend the day remembering…

But now, just after midnight… he allowed himself to remember alone. To drop his defenses, to take himself away from the others who tried to keep him from dwelling on what he had lost. They did not know that he would never have traded it for anything.

And there, in the dark, he allowed himself to weep for her, for her memory.

"Mike, what is it that you're doing? May I point out that is almost as bad an idea as that assault on that Imperial Combine fuel depot? You almost died then, and at least then you had an idea of what plasma burns would do to your body. You haven't got a clue what this will do to you."

CARRIE, Computer Assisted Reconstruction, Repair and Integrated Electronics, was the voice in my head, my conscience, my guardian angel. She was also a pain in the butt, most of the time.

"Shaddap, Carrie," I told her, as usual. Yes, she was a useful thing to have around. She'd fixed my nanocloak, had helped restore my systems from the marginal ability they had when I arrived here in Paragon City. On the other hand. when you're a soldier, a resistance fighter against impossible odds, you sometimes have to take stupid risks, and the last thing you want is to be lectured about it.

Oh, right, introductions. Name's Mike. I'm the Last Hero, as best I can figure it. Leastwise, that's what shows up on my hero ID card. Around the Base-ment, they just call me 'Mike from the future.'

And, to be fair, I was considering doing something that could be classified as 'really stupid.'

See, I have this problem, relating to my girlfriend. Lots of weird stuff in Paragon City, you know. Most of the weird doesn't bother me, just the stuff that's not kosher.

My girlfriend, Missy, she's a ghost. No problem, right? She was also attached to the boss' wife, Peggy. Still, no problem. It's not like they were sharing a body, just the same piece of the time/space continuum, as I figure it.

Nah, the problem is that she accidently got herself with a spirit thorn. The boss' wife doesn't mind, as it means she no longer has someone sharing the space. But, it means my girlfriend is stuck in this sharp pointy crystal thing.

She's a princess, Missy is. I tell her all the time. Never met anyone quite so perky or full of zest.

Now, I'm not bitter. If I was prone to bitter, I'd be in a lot of trouble. See, the Imperial Combine had wiped out everyone left from the resistance but me, and there were never many of us to begin with. Nanocloaks were in short supply, and without a nanocloak, having a weapons signature meant that you, and everyone within about a quarter mile of you, was going to be reduced to hamburger by the orbital Damocles cannon. And, of course, with just me left, I had to go in and see if I couldn't save humanity from becoming another slave race for the Combine, their free will destroyed by a cybervirus.

See, and since I'm here, and not there, that means I didn't do so good. If I was proned to bitter, I'd be in a lot of trouble.

But, lately, I've been pretty close to bitter. Seems like everyone in Paragon City feels sorry for Peggy, and is happy that Peggy is all better, and doesn't give a rat's behind about the fact that Missy's stuck in some kinda soul prison. It's stuff like that, gets me upset all the time.

So, I've been stonewalled, and I haven't been able to get anyone to help me out. The only leads I've had, clones and stuff, have been dead ends. Did a little reading on my own, and I decided on a course of action, as an intermediary step.

I held the thorn in my hands. Well, you know. My hands are long since gone, one to a thermal grenade that went off too close, and one to voluntary replacement. I'm full pretty much to my back teeth with all kinds of nanotronic gear. Yeah... that was defintely pointy enough for this to work.

I turned the thorn over in my hand, and did what I had to do. No point in dwelling on it too much. I jammed the thorn deep into my thigh.

Yeah, it hurt, but that's not what I was so worried about. A wave of electric fire ran through my nervous system, knocking me down onto my armored rear. I dunno how long I was out, though I'm sure that Carrie was just dying to tell me.

I looked at the bloody thorn in my hand, and then into the mirror.

And then I heard it.

"Mike? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Hope it isn't too crowded in there, princess."

My body felt like it was hugging itself.

"Ohmygod, I'm so glad you got me out of that thing! Yay! But... now I'm in your head. Uh... HowamIevergoingtokissyouandstuffifI'minthesamebody asyou?"

Yeah, that was Missy, all right.

"It's cool, sweetheart. I just had to get you out of that thing, first. We'll worry about the rest, second. I'm glad ta hear your voice."

"Me too!"

"Mike, you do realize that *I'm* still here, too, don't you?"

I sighed. Yeah, this was gonna be fun.

"Yeah. Carrie, Missy, you get to be roommates. Try not to trash the place, okay?"

Oddly, every single power that you list has a use.

Rain of Fire, now that it can be buffed, is a solid choice for blasters. Not something that should be thrown around randomly, but great for controlled enemies, or as an area denial attack.

Taser, Stun: Can be stacked with another disorient to take a boss out of the fight, like, say, beanbag or stunning shot. Also useful for removing things like Tsoo Sorcerors from the fight.

Lightning field, Blazing Aura: As a tank, I've never had my aggro stolen by these powers. Lightning field slotted for end drain can be very useful, combined with other end-draining powers.

Burn: Great against controlled enemies. Drop it on an immobilized, debuffed Archvillain sometime.

Salt Crystals, Flash Freeze, Mass Hypnosis: Set up containment. Locks down a dangerous spawn. Sleeps last longer than holds, so this is useful. Debuffs do not break sleeps. May require some communication with the team.

Black Hole: Certainly situational, but not useless. Taking an enemy out of the fight is never useless.

Thunder Clap: As a disorient, it stacks with other disorients. Takes minions out of the fight. Hardly useless.

Inertial reduction: Also removes the gliding effect from flight, making it more like Hover. And if a one-slot unsuppressable travel power isn't good enough for you, well, I don't know what is. It may not be perfect, but kinetics is one of the few builds that can get away without taking either Stamina or a travel power.

Confront: Making the boss attack the scrapper rather than the squishy is useless? Just because one plays a scrapper does not necessarily preclude being a team player.

Revive: A curious inclusion, when Soul Transfer is also not included. And being able to jump right back into a fight that is going bad is useless?

Temperature protection: Fire and Cold are not rare. Tsoo, Outcasts, CoT, Sky Raiders, Council, Malta, Carnies... the list goes on...

Rise of the Phoenix: As revive, but also does damage and knocks enemies down. Getting the tank back into a fight going bad is not useless.

Breath of Fire: Perhaps not as useful as combustion and fire sword circle, but it does have range, and is an AoE.

Hurl Boulder/Hurl: Both have a -fly component, and range. Range is not useless on a melee class.

Now, would I include every power here on every build? Hardly.

However, I do believe that there is no power that is useless in the hands of a player who knows what they are doing. This is not to say that there are not powers that underperform.

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If you want to cap S/L RES, i.e. 90%, you will have to take and
three-slot RPD, TI, UY, and Tough. For S/L, RPD's base RES is 7.5%, TI's is 30%,
UY is 5%, and Tough's is 15%. Three-slotted they are 11.7%, 46.8%, 7.8%, and
23.4%, respectively. Combined, that's 89.7%.

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Love the guide.

Some thing to consider. If you chose to take Tough 3 slotting Unyielding is not effective.

Using your numbers, you are only getting 2.8% S/L dmg resist for 3 slots.

Unyielding slotted 1 end reduction only, will grant you 87.6% with even lvl SOs. +2 SOs will exceed cap.

Unyielding should only be slotted if you chose not to take Tough.

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If you're going to run Unyielding all the time, which most tanks will find to be the case, you may as well get the most bang for your buck and slot for resists. (I would argue the same for Obsidian Shield from Dark Armor, which has a more rarely encountered damage type.)

Also, Unyielding has resists for elements and energies... since the GDN, these are at a premium for tanks.

Aeterna Firebrand was a fool.

That was the only possible explanation, da? Only a fool would let things go so far out of control.

Fact: One Vice-Grip, member of FUTURE, contracted one bounty hunter to capture Clobber-Girl.

Fact: Rakescar had run from Maggie at the Pocket D.

Fact: Aeterna owned up to all of it.

A fool.

The ultimatum was simple: if Clobber-Girl was harmed, or was not returned, FUTURE would be held responsible. If Tera did not return, Smersh would personally see to the incarceration of each and every member of that "two-bit terrorist organization."

Unfortunately, this is where he had met a dead-end. After the meeting with Aeterna in Warburg, with some very impressive backup, he had sent out... intelligence operatives. To try to locate Rakescar, and to find information.

Nothing.

At least, not yet.

But, one thing was clear... Clobber-Girl would be found, or the wrath of the Soviets would be called down.

/em challenges Pez to finish writing up his report on his trip out to California

Pill Bug is the only one I've ever known to be unopposed in dominating a server...

And tolerating proletariat revolution on said server.

Bah.

A link to my inv/fire guide::

Link

Yes... I was asked to post this here.

Supergroup Name: KGB Special Section 8.

Website: Link

Leader: Comrade Smersh
Recruiting Officers: Cog Sprocket, Red-Eye, Dueling Dervish
Preferred Method of Contact: In game tell or forum PM

Guild Description: A roleplaying supergroup. KGB Special Section 8 is a communist superhero group. It is a registered supergroup with the city, and is not affliated with any national government.

Members are not required to have prior Soviet affiliation, but should have communist or socialist leanings. All heroes are welcome, as long as they are willing to work for the betterment of the People.

Please add the following to the Tanker guides section:

Smersh's Inv/Fire Guide, Version 1.0

That is clearly a post-respec build.

No /SR scrapper should EVER wait that long for Practiced Brawler.

The pre-respec build should have some actual defenses... this could be a viable post-respec build, I'm in no position to judge that.

Name: Comrade Smersh
Powers: Invulnerability/Fire
Origin: Technology

KGB Special Section 8 was founded as an answer to America's Vigilance organization, a secret unit devoted to combating super-powered threats to the Soviet Union.

Yegeny Ivanovich Korsakov was seconded to Special Section 8, based on his facility for languages and his record with Spetznaz in Afghanistan.

Encased in a prototype powered armor suit developed by the Bogatyr Project, Comrade Smersh (the code name he was assigned) fought all over the world, clashing with American superheroes, the Malta Group, the 5th Column, the Sky Raiders, and a variety of other threats, doing all he could to defend the People.

However, in 1991, on an illegal mission in Afghanistan, he met his match. A superpowered muhajadeen attacked him. Though the battle ended in a draw, the memory cores of the armored suit were wiped out.

Stranded, without support from the collapsing Soviet Union, Yegeny traveled, carrying his armor on his back, through the Khyber Pass, to Karachi, where a contact of his at a former Soviet embassy managed to get him a forged passport.

Coming to America, Yegeny trained himself, learning UNIX and Linux coding, and employing himself as a software engineer. He occupied himself, as a hobby, reprogramming his twenty-year-old Soviet military hardware with Linux, attempting to once again make it functional.

Frustrated by being unable to help during the Rikti War, he redoubled his efforts, and took to the skies of Paragon as Comrade Smersh, fighting to defend the People of his adopted home.