StormyDarkness

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** Note the the OP -- if you have only played a Kin to 31 and you are dissing it ... wow. Firstly you are missing 2 key powers which make the set. Look at the buffs as a whole: +dmg, +movement, +rech, +recov, +resist, Status Protection, an AoE heal and +end powers that can't be matched by any other set for what they do and how fast they do it. (combat of course) ... Also did I mention it debuffs at the same time?! Kins are awesome in my opinion and are a great addition to practically any team.

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I'm not dissing it and am quite aware of what it does. That being said, the other power sets out there are there for a reason and can contribute equal if not more than the person broadcasting's ideal power set. Granted, people need to screw on their heads and think tactically otherwise they will fall into the rut of asking for a certain power set.

Having a team of 8 tankers, scrappers, blasters, defenders, or controllers can either be amazing or fail miserably every time. Mix and match as you will and do so with power sets as well, but a team of good players that know how to utilize not only themselves but their teammates' good qualities is where great teams come from. Sure my Kin Corruptor is great at what she does; however, I don't think that she should be picked over any of my other characters for the sole reason that she's a Kin.

I know how to play each of my characters and know how to bring out the best in not only myself but my teammates; however, some people believe that they can't run a team without one of the following three power set: Empathy (Pain Dom), Kinetics, or Radiation Emission. A team can be quite successful without any of these three. I've done several TFs without one, or have had one and they just are dead weight. I'd rather have 8 of anything that knows what they are doing and are willing to have synergy with the team than have one of those staples that sit there and do nothing. Sure, Speed Boost is nice, but I'd like more than a great buff. Healing is great for when crap happens, and I appreciate not only having it to place on other people, but having others use it on me.

On an individual power set level, I have no problem with any of them. They all are great at what they do. That being said, having one asked for is one of the most annoying things I've seen in a great while. To me, someone asking for more than just the word "support" tends to be a team that I won't join. Sure, wait ages for your ideal power set to come along, I'm not going to wait for it when the team can be doing just as well with another power set.

I remember DA, I just see little reason for it when I can do my hunt badges in Talos and other locations for the same badges.

*shrugs*

I was half tempted to place this in the defender forum, but decided since I'm pretty much only on Virtue and it's really only Atlas/Talos broadcasts that seem to fall into this trap, I'd put it here. However, I'm very likely to start saying what you just said Doc.

I've actually contemplated making a Storm/Psi, but then again I have 3 Storm characters over level 35...

My /Psi is Empathy, adds controls of a blaster set (like Dark Blast) and I generally like /Psi. Vel has it right, play what you find is neat.

If you are contemplating Storm, I can give you some helpful hints, since I'm currently in the process of writing up a general Storm Guide over the past few days.

I apologize to you Atlas Broadcast. I've grown weary of you sadly. I used to get annoyed with the days of general broadcasts for Sewer teams; however, there is a new plague that has swept your lands, to which I apologize for. It seems to me that Atlas broadcast has turned into only 2 things, besides my beloved CC's, which is the only reason I hang out in Atlas. I've seen only AE farm teams lfm and AE teams looking for very specific things. Controllers with holds, Healers, Tankers, and Kinetics. Even the poor Radiation Emission, to which angered me before for always being asked for, has been ignored by terms that I find silly. Healer gets to me, because either they are asking for Empathy the "healer set" (to which I disagree completely with) or someone with a heal, which is silly when there are other things that can be done to off set the need for healers. A properly played team with a good group of players can always trump what cards are dealt with them. Why has Atlas turned into a "I need a healer for my AE team" and "Need good holds for AE boss team." I mean, a properly played set of pretty much any Defender or Controller will contribute the same amount if not more than what is being asked for. I have a level 50 Empath Defender and a level 31 Kinetics Corruptor and have found myself feeling more of an asset to the team on my Mind/FF Controller and greatest contribution on my Storm/Dark Defender. I know how to play me level 50s, and play them well. People give me props for how I play my support characters, so my proposition is either people get over the idea of needing particular things or people learning how to best utilize their characters for the team's betterment. Some need to have the tank hide around corners, other teams need to have all their blasters and scrappers go straight for the throat and defeat everything in their wake. Tactics and good players (which usually goes hand in hand) trumps the ideal team 9 times out of 10.

So me putting in the +recharge from FF in Tornado and Lightning Storm, if I choose to do so, would increase the attack speed (which was nerfed and thus pointless) but would have a chance to increase mine at the time of I first summon, which would be a good thing. The chance for hold would be a good addition for Lightning storm since each attack would have it and Tornado with the -res would also be good because it would have a chance every 10 seconds of going off, but the +rech in Tornado would otherwise be kinda pointless? I may have to reconsider that proc and maybe alter my Lightning Storm to get the chance of build up, assuming that a more damaging lightning 5% of the time is better than 15% chance to hold...

That and I now have to figure out what's more useful, utility procs or damage procs since I've gotten feedback on my build over in the defender forum, but you've definitely helped me understand how pets and buff procs work.

I tend to be a very proc type person, but I thought I would get some feedback on my character build I've been contemplating. This is for my Storm/Dark Defender that currently has over 210 million influence and I was thinking that I might as well put some of that to use by actually making myself a good pve build. Currently I have about 20 Set IOs in my character and very few are level 50, the generic IOs are over half level 50, but I figured instead of just replacing them with 50s, I'd actually put real set IOs inside. Makes more sense to me personally. I just wanted to get some input into my build and get some more ideas for it if people have them to offer.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Stormy Darkness: Level 50 Mutation Defender
Primary Power Set: Storm Summoning
Secondary Power Set: Dark Blast
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Flight
Ancillary Pool: Power Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Gale <ul type="square">[*] (A) Accuracy IO[*] (3) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge[/list]Level 1: Dark Blast <ul type="square">[*] (A) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (3) Entropic Chaos - Chance of Heal Self[*] (21) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance[*] (23) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge[*] (23) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (31) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)[/list]Level 2: O2 Boost <ul type="square">[*] (A) Miracle - Heal/Endurance/Recharge[*] (5) Miracle - Heal/Recharge[*] (5) Miracle - Endurance/Recharge[*] (7) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Endurance/Recharge[*] (7) Numina's Convalescence - Heal/Recharge[*] (9) Numina's Convalescence - Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 4: Gloom <ul type="square">[*] (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (34) Devastation - Damage/Endurance[*] (36) Thunderstrike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (36) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 6: Steamy Mist <ul type="square">[*] (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed[*] (9) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge[*] (11) Luck of the Gambler - Defense[*] (11) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance[*] (13) Karma - Knockback Protection[/list]Level 8: Freezing Rain <ul type="square">[*] (A) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (13) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (15) Touch of Lady Grey - Recharge/Endurance[*] (15) Touch of Lady Grey - Defense Debuff/Recharge/Endurance[*] (17) Pacing of the Turtle - Chance of -Recharge[*] (17) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff[/list]Level 10: Dark Pit <ul type="square">[*] (A) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Stun/Recharge[*] (36) Absolute Amazement - Stun/Recharge[*] (37) Absolute Amazement - Chance for ToHit Debuff[*] (37) Absolute Amazement - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (37) Absolute Amazement - Endurance/Stun[/list]Level 12: Swift <ul type="square">[*] (A) Flight Speed IO[*] (19) Flight Speed IO[/list]Level 14: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Miracle - +Recovery[*] (19) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery[*] (48) Numina's Convalescence - Heal[/list]Level 16: Tenebrous Tentacles <ul type="square">[*] (A) Gravitational Anchor - Accuracy/Immobilize/Recharge[*] (39) Gravitational Anchor - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (39) Gravitational Anchor - Immobilize/Endurance[*] (40) Gravitational Anchor - Immobilize/Recharge[*] (46) Gravitational Anchor - Chance for Hold[/list]Level 18: Air Superiority <ul type="square">[*] (A) Crushing Impact - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[/list]Level 20: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod[/list]Level 22: Fly <ul type="square">[*] (A) Freebird - FlySpeed[*] (45) Freebird - Endurance[*] (45) Freebird - +Stealth[/list]Level 24: Hurricane <ul type="square">[*] (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow[*] (25) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge[*] (25) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Endurance[*] (31) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance[*] (50) Dark Watcher's Despair - Recharge/Endurance[*] (50) Force Feedback - Recharge/Endurance[/list]Level 26: Tornado <ul type="square">[*] (A) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage[*] (27) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage/Recharge[*] (27) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage/Endurance[*] (29) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff[*] (29) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge[*] (31) Expedient Reinforcement - Endurance/Damage/Recharge[/list]Level 28: Night Fall <ul type="square">[*] (A) Siphon Insight - Chance for +ToHit[*] (40) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow[*] (40) Siphon Insight - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (42) Dark Watcher's Despair - Recharge/Endurance[/list]Level 30: Snow Storm <ul type="square">[*] (A) Pacing of the Turtle - Chance of -Recharge[*] (39) Tempered Readiness - Endurance/Recharge/Slow[*] (42) Pacing of the Turtle - Endurance/Recharge/Slow[/list]Level 32: Lightning Storm <ul type="square">[*] (A) Energy Manipulator - Chance to Stun[*] (33) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (33) Thunderstrike - Damage/Endurance[*] (33) Thunderstrike - Damage/Recharge[*] (34) Devastation - Damage/Endurance[*] (34) Devastation - Damage/Recharge[/list]Level 35: Life Drain <ul type="square">[*] (A) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration[*] (42) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (43) Touch of the Nictus - Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration/Recharge[/list]Level 38: Blackstar <ul type="square">[*] (A) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage[/list]Level 41: Power Build Up <ul type="square">[*] (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge/Endurance[*] (45) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Recharge/Endurance[*] (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - To Hit Buff/Recharge[*] (46) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up[/list]Level 44: Temp Invulnerability <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance[*] (48) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (48) Steadfast Protection - Knockback Protection[/list]Level 47: Total Focus <ul type="square">[*] (A) Mako's Bite - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 49: Conserve Power <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (50) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Vigilance

Was it just me starting to really get into my Illusion/Thermal Controller that made me strike a thought. Mechanically speaking, there was already a Empathy "clone" on Corruptors before Controllers got them, known as Thermal power set. It's Empathy with only 2 heals, +res shields to fill in the gaps of the 3rd heal, a rez (that does damage), a +dmg power, an anti-mez power... sounds very Empathy to me. What is the major difference between Empathy and Thermal? There lacks a +Regen, +Recovery power to which has been replaced with two debuffs. Pain Domination didn't get the RAs, only AB and gets a singular debuff and 4 heals. Naturally, this means that in my personal mind set, Thermal and Pain Domination are pretty much the same thing.

Sure, there lacked a power set that both Corruptors and Masterminds can have, assuming you didn't want to the plausible match up of Necro/Thermal (Spellcasters) or Ninja/Thermal (A daemon with ninjas and other daemons under their control), but even then that gave Corruptors even more of a nitche if people want "a healer." Both Thermal and Empathy have 6 of their 9 powers that can not effect themselves making an already team based power set that originated on Villain side.

From a flavor point of view, was a equivalent of Empathy a good thing, yes. From a mechanical point of view, was a equivalent of Empathy need to be added, no. Thermal gave good reason for Corruptors to have Fire Blast and have something that couples with it, and I think that's great. Do I think that having Thermal on a Defender would be awesome, yes. Do I think that the devs (or people who criticize the devs) will feel that have to add Fire Blast to add Thermal, yes. Fire Blast only has more damage as their secondary effect, something that doesn't really fit with the Defender mentality. Why give yourself Fire Blast when your damage numbers are lowered? That doesn't make sense.

I still am holding out for Defenders to get Assault Rifles (with their KB like Energy Blast being a major secondary effect) and more importantly to me, Traps. Traps have always interested me and I can see the two being transported to Defenders before Thermal/Fire. That and if Thermal is put on a Defender, people will always look for the Empath. Thermal is now covered by both Empathy and Pain Domination, making it a really underused set for what it is good for in the lower levels, healing and buffing your allies. Then in late game it switches to offense as healing becomes less useful, instead of only tossing the occasional RA, Fort, and AB. It's much more proactive in late game, like Force Fields is.

Force Fields don't have any -res or +dmg, they have damage mitigation. KB, KD, stuns, and a bit of damage. In the early stages it's really inactive, but you have 1 self def buff, 2 ally defense buff, and 1 self/ally buff with a bit of mez protection, making only 2 of the powers non-caster buff. Force Bolt, Repulsion Bomb, Repulsion Field, Detention Field, and Force Bubble are all offensive bound powers. So 4 Buffs, 5 offensive powers. Sure, they don't give you a damage boost, but who cares about a damage boost if you can sit there and spend 5 years killing them? Could it be slow, yes. Could it make AVs impossible sure. But how can a power set (Thermal) with a very low healing AoE heal, a -dmg/-end/-regen/-recovery single target, and a -res/-def AoE power really be considered that "villainous." The last two powers you get at level 35 and 38 and are the only two that "offensively" buff yourself. Thermal was designed for Villains at the beginning and it was like this. Force Fields have 5 offensive powers and 2 self buff powers, Thermal has 3.

Just thought I would toss Thermal on the flames with my frustrations with it since in my mind, it already was Empathy for villains, people just ignored it because it didn't say "It's Dark Empathy."

I've placed very few set enhancements into my build, but I was wondering a few procs and how they actually work with me. The character is an already level 50 Storm/Dark defender. But there are a few procs that are making me wondering if they will work how I want them to work.

First, in regards to Pets and Procs. I know, especially for Tornado/Lightning Storm's +Recharge capability, does most of the procs apply to them if they have that proc? Which, as of now is completely useless for the pet itself to get a +recharge. I already know the -res from Achilles works in Tornado, and am planning on using it and I'm also aware that the damage procs damage the opponents ever 10 seconds, but it's more directed at the self buffs. Mechanically does it have a chance to buff the pet or buff me in the 10 second intervals.

Well, it'd still be nice to get the IOs set up in either IO set order (healing, acc. to-hit debuff, etc.) and regular IOs for specific bins, that'll at least help with knowing what's in specific bins and easier time to rearrange them if need be. I'm always a fan of making organization easier, even if it's on a bin by bin or permission by permission basis. Sure, you're rank 3, it'll tell you what IOs you have access from bottom to 3. I'd just like something that makes it a bit more organized that "You submitted this IO first, so it's on top."

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Aren't you like awarded 100 inf for completing your first mission once out of outbreak? xD

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Heck no! Those cheapo officers there. Can't even spare enough to get your feet on the ground.