Stealth_Bomber

Some thoughts:
I'd suggest the Numinas +Regen/Recovery IO to help with recovery.
I would not run Tactics without an End Reducer.
Maybe you already do this, but I would not run Tactics, Stealth, or WoC against a single target like an EB. The return for End used is too low.

Otherwise I think it looks good!

I would like the option for the Extracted Essence created by a Warshade's Dark Extraction to appear as an icon in the buff bar. I'd suggest that the icon flash when the 200 seconds is about to expire, and disappear when the EE is killed or expires.

End drain has become more prevalent in the PvE game. Outside of power picks for a limited group of powersets, many players have no way to address this. I would like to suggest IOs that could mitigate End drain to a certain extent. Maybe a specific, unique IO that provides some mitigation, or a set bonus. Places I could see them would be in Resist or Endurance Mod sets.

This question applies to both versions of Dwarf, namely, how do you handle large groups of End drainers?

Today I did several missions on a team, and they asked me to act as a Tank. So in mission after mission of Freaks and Arachnos, I would get aggro and do my best to help, all the while watching my End bar go down, down, down until I was no longer in Dwarf, and shortly after my green bar was empty too. Stygian Circle helps a little, but not if you have all the aggro and a status effect on you too!

I can't find any IOs or sets that reduce or resist End drain. Increasing Recovery doesn't help much because most drainers debuff your Recovery too.

So, what's the best approach in this situation?

I think one simple change might go a long way to making PBs more viable. Warshades get Dark Extraction, and the resulting pets are the main reason WS damage is higher than PBs.

I would change Photon Seekers (which despite many attempts to fix them, have never worked exactly as they are described) and make them aggro managers, similar to Phantom Army. Give them an increased threat level or Taunt aura, and a couple of control/damage powers like Stuns or Holds to match the PB character's powers.

Making the Seekers more like PA or Dark Servant would increase the effectiveness of a PB solo as well as help a team control groups. And PBs would no longer have to find workarounds for a power that doesn't do what it says in the description.

There is precedent for changing pets without violating the Cottage Rule, Dark Servant got a makeover several issues ago, and a few issues ago Controller pets were made more permanent.

So more info on this IO. I used a VetSpec (not just to move this IO, there were other things I needed to change) on my Warshade, and put this IO in Absorption, which is the passive resist you get at Level 1. It turns out that while the Psi Resist 3% is global (i.e. it persists when you change to Nova or Dwarf), the Status Resist is NOT global (it goes away when you shift forms). This is different from the Impervious Skin: Status Resist which persists across forms. You can see this if you monitor your Status Resist window while you change forms.

In addition, it takes a second or two for the Status Resist to kick in after you change to Human form. If this is WAI, then that's what you get from this IO. When I got this one I really thought the Status Resist would be global as well and work in all forms.

Not quite as useful as I was hoping, but still helpful in Human form.

Well, according to wiki.cohtitan.com, it's supposed to be a global, and function whether the toggle is on or not. Was I misinformed?

I have slotted Impervious Skin: Status Resistance and that seems to work, I can see the Resistance value decrease when it is slotted.

I noticed two bugs with today's patch:

1. I had the new Steampunk coat with the vest on my character. The coat is supposed to be black and the chest purple. When I logged in, the colors were reversed. I had to go to the Tailor to fix it.

2. I bought an Aegis: Psionic/Status Resistance, and when I slotted it, my stun/hold/etc stats did not change at all. Is this IO broken?

Another change to consider is Combat Jumping instead of Stealth. You can still put a LoTG +Rech in CJ, and you will get better mobility with SS + CJ + Hurdle. And you get a bit more Immob prevention from CJ.

And, I don't know if this worth considering, but would dropping Neb Form and Essence Drain be worth substituting the Medicine Pool? Aid Self has some -Stun. I would guess it depends on how often you find yourself using Neb Form.

Would it be worth adding an Aegis: Psionic/Status Resistance IO to this build?

Also, how is Essence Drain when it is slotted up? Do you find you use it even thought you have Stygian Circle?

There was a coat that had a stethoscope at one time. I'd like to see the stethoscope available as an option, might have to be a chest piece or shoulder piece.

I'd be happy if editing the base on a Mac didn't guarantee a crash. And if the components in the list were visible on a Mac.

Wish list?
Change the entrance inside the base so we have an option to make it a door. Free up real estate in the entrance.
Preset rooms, i.e. "Meeting room 1" "Apartment 5" including furniture with costs listed so I don't have to make everything from scratch.
There is almost no reason to have teleporters any more.
How about AE missions that are only available to SG members with an access portal in the base?
Rent, energy and control limits are just stupid. Does Superman pay rent on the Fortress? If this must be siphoned off, just deduct it from the SG automatically. Better yet, get rid of the idea altogether.

I have no idea what the Devs have in mind for the store. But, if they are looking for suggestions, maybe we should give them some. Since I've been around 7 years, I plan on staying as a VIP, so I guess I will be spending Points. Or maybe Tokens. Might be Merits. Will it be Certificates? Vouchers? We have so many in-game currencies now its hard to say.

Anyway (on a more serious note) here are examples of thing I would pay for.

1. I'd pay for an account-wide permanent power that let me create one of those floating Invention tables without making all the IOs that are required currently.
2. I'd pay to be able to call a Trainer, rather than have to go see them in person. I'd pay more to be able to do it inside a mission.
3. I'd pay to shorten the recharge time on the Mission Transporter power.
4. I'd pay to have a Team TP power that works across zones.
5. I'd pay for chest symbols to be available on capes.
6. I'd pay for a jet-pack that doesn't expire.
7. I'd pay for alternate Medicine power pool animations, and (now that I think about it) to be able to color/use alternate animations/turn off effects for almost all the PPs. Don't nickel-and-dime me on this, just let me pay once for all the PPs (including the Epics) and be done.
8. I'd pay for a zip-line type travel power (you know, the Batman/Spiderman thing). I don't care how it works if there aren't any buildings to attach to, I play a game where interstellar aliens attack us with superior weapons and LOSE. Reality is not an issue, I want a zip-line.
9. I'd pay to be able to move and attack.
10. I'd pay for Inf. Yep, I said it, I'd pay real money for fake money. Or maybe Points for Inf anyway. Cya gold-farmers!

That's all I have right now.

So what would YOU use your hard-earned Points/Merits/Certificates/Vouchers/Tokens for?

The F2P change has generated a lot of comments already. But I'm not sure a central question has been addressed: will making the game F2P keep the fun?

I've been playing for 7 years. I stay because I love the game and because you guys are fun to team with. Really, if I wanted to solo all the time there are plenty of FPS games on other platforms. Right now, we are all on an even footing, we pay because it's the only way to play. But what happens when that changes?

I worry that if I play on the F2P servers, I will (A) get trashed by rude people, (B) play with people who aren't very experienced or that interested in the game, or (C) only play with people who have a minimal commitment and will log out after the first team wipe: "this game sux kthnxby"

On the other hand, on the VIP server, I worry that (A) teammates will not tolerate any casual attitudes or gameplay errors: after all, they are paying to be there, and/or (B) the only teams will be level 50s grinding out the latest and greatest Trials for the Incarnate powers.

Neither of these options falls into the "fun" category for me.

My wife only plays intermittently now, so I bet she will want to go to F2P status. But I know that if she logs in 4 months from now to find out she can only play 2 of her characters, she will not be happy. If she finds out she can't play with me because all my "good" characters are on the VIP server, that will be bad too.

Are these legitimate concerns?

Thanks for the info. So if flight speed is max for level, that leaves other options for the Nova form slot. The Performance Shifter +End% seems popular, or maybe the +Perception IO.

And while I'm not sure I'll "learn to love" drifting, maybe we can be friends.

Thanks again.

Couple quick questions:

1. Recently (I18 I think?) Power Pool Fly was upgraded so that it has maximum speed without enhancement, as I understand it. Did this upgrade get applied to Nova form Fly? (Or the inherent PB power?)

2. Is there any way to reduce the "drift" in Nova form? Sometimes it's difficult to navigate in caves and click glowies. Not a major issue, obviously, but I was wondering if anyone had any tricks.

Thanks in advance.

What would you think if Cosmic Balance gave Defense instead of Res?

Would there be any benefit to swapping Glowing Touch for Assault? Also, would there be a benefit to one of those +Perception IOs in Build Up?

- Reduce recharge times and End costs of all attack powers. Hasten is not supposed to be required, but every PB build takes it to be effective.
- Increase base damage (I would be OK if this was just solo, like the Defenders get, because the damage bonus you get on most teams is good as is)
- Change resist shields to Defense, with some Defense Debuff protection. Resistance shields are useless when you get mezzed all the time. At least Defense would give you a chance of not getting mezzed.
- If the shields cannot be changed, then add some Status protection to the various shields. Just like with Blasters, standing there asleep or held or whatever while in human form, unable to participate is NOT FUN. Light Form is too long to wait for your human form status protection.
- Agree completely with EvilGeko's comments about Light Form
- Knock Back should be Knock Down, with the option to change to Knock Back with KB enhancements
- Fix the Seekers once and for all, and tell us what was done
- Agree that all the mez powers PBs have should "match" i.e. if we have Stuns, everything should Stun, not some Stun and Some Hold, or vice versa.
- Why is Pulsar Mag 2 with 50% chance of +1 Mag? The animation time is long, it should just be Mag 3

PBs were designed several years ago, when characters being overpowered was a big concern (Remember how many times Regen Scrappers got nerfed? It was back then). So to hold them back, they got a special enemy group that did Boss level damage, low baseline damage, and vulnerability to mez. Well, PBs are certainly not overpowered in modern CoH terms. Personally, I do not think they are even close to being on par with Warshades.

Thank you, TimeShadow, for starting this thread. Hopefully we will see PBs get some help.

Why did you slot WoC for damage? I think many would favor the purple Confusion set. Also Aimed Shot is a pretty good power, did you really just want to slot the chance for Hold there? With Drain Psyche you may not need Spiritual, but YMMV.

Eh, redraw is a fact of life with weapons. You can make a DP/TA/Mace Corruptor! I'd put up with it for DP/Katana.

I'm totally with you on the gun+sword thing, but I think it might work better as a Dual Pistols Blaster with Katana power proliferation to the Blaster secondary. I don't think they could proliferate Dual Blades to Blasters because you probably wouldn't be in melee enough to generate the combos. I like the idea VERY much.

http://www.tecca.com/news/2011/05/31...love-stun-gun/

Cape not included.