Synaesthetix

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ED had relatively little impact on how frequently people nuke, other than that some people got rid of it. The aggro and AOE caps were what really changed the tanker/herd/nuke that used to be so devastating, and probably quite boring to play with at times.

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I was referring to the ED changes in the global sense, sorry if that didn't come through.

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Also, as someone who had an elec and a fire blaster post level 32 before any of these changes, I don't understand how you could not use other powers.

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You and me both, but that didn't mean I didn't see it time and again. Blaster would run in, nuke, and run away (if he was lucky) and do nothing until the nuke had recharged, leaving the rest of the team to clear up any stragglers, whilst the (usually Fire) Tank moved onto the next group. Needless to say, I left those teams very quickly - luckily, I had a good network of in-game friends who I could get good teams with, but that would be of little solace to the more casual players who lacked such a network, and would invariably be forced to team with such groups, or solo.

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The nukes were just the icing on the cake back when blasters were a hell of a lot squishier than scrappers comparative to now, and frankly, needed then to compare in usefulness in team situations.

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This mindset, I don't understand. Whether I was playing my AR/Dev, or whether I was playing my Energy/Energy Blapper (back when Blappers were considered more oddity than uber), I never felt less useful than any Scrapper I teamed with - sure, I couldn't turn into a pseudo-tank, but I could consistently outdamage them. I'm willing to accept that the two builds I chose may have had more damage output (AoE or ST) than other Blaster builds, but I don't believe myself to be that much of an exception.

Can't comment specifically on Ice/Kin, but if you're having endurance issues, Hasten is probably the last thing you need - until you get them sorted out, at least. Take it by all means, but use it sparingly.

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if you want a second heal get aid self from the medecin pool. It will most likely do a better job.

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Thats interuptable and no good in battle plus it would be 2 power choices to get that which I cant afford.

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Just FYI - if you slot it with two Interrupt Reduction SOs, it can heal inbetween DoT ticks of damage.

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Nova used to be the ultimate in Solo/Team killing; now it's just a Death-Toll for the Blaster unless there's a good taunter/controller on hand and someone else has the primary aggro.

Yay ED

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It used to be "HAHA Eat lead foul miscreants". Now it's "I am going to DIE!". Should be renamed Full Agro.

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Nova and Full Auto are still useful tools (and in more situations than the above outlined scenario, Weez). There's entirely no point crying over spilt enhancements, and adding "Yay ED " to the end of every other post you make on the subject isn't going to change anything. I'd suggest maybe learning to adapt your playstyle to reflect the changes, or perhaps dropping down your difficulty if you're finding things to be too great a challenge - but I know I can use Full Auto just as well as I ever did in teams or solo, without jumping into a debt-filled hole at the end of it. In fact, if anything, it grabs less aggro now than it ever did in large teams (aggro cap notwithstanding) - you just can't really use it as an opener and expect to mow down groups of +1 mobs like *that*.

The best part of the ED changes was that we now have Energy/*, Elec/*, and Fire/* Blasters who level past 32 and still use their other attacks. I remember playing at post-32 levels on my Claws/SR prior to the ED changes and going days without seeing an Energy Blaster using anything other than Nova, without hyperbole - upper-level gameplay in random pick-up groups (my guilty pleasure ) has become more than Herd > Nova > Herd > Nova, and I'm more thankful for that than I am irked that the orange figures I make aren't quite as big as before.

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Does anyone play a toon because they like the concept anymore?

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(Puts hand up) Concept first always.

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Smoking Demon's guide to creating a successful character:

1) Concept;
2) 4 hours in character-creation module;
3) As many Power Pools as possible;
4) 4 more hours in Icon/Facemaker;
5) Delete character and remake with different powersets because "concept didn't feel right";
6) Never see any high-level content ever.

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tho as the stalkers can testify nothing hits harder

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Sorry to burst your bubble Phil, but plenty of heroes were outdamaging and outliving you - no disrespect or offence intended, it's just that I don't find the majority of Scrappers to be particularly scary.

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The Fact that there where people shouting out for teams on both sides of the fight I did find a bit dissapionting as well. I have no Idea why so many people didnt want to team last night but I if it is for the reasons of bounty or PvP rep I do find this very sad, as I didnt organsise this night so people could boost there pvp night it was just for fun hero vs villains mass fight.

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Sometimes, people just don't want to team with other people - such is life.

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But the thing that I disliked most about last nigth and what made me leave my own event early was the fact that it just turned int to a base camp out agian.

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Base camping is lame, agreed. Base camping with such overwhelming odds is so far beyond lame it beggars belief.

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I do want to make this a weeky event but not if its going to be like this every week what we need is some sort of CoC for the fight nights and a system of getting every one in to teams as team PvP is so much more fun. If any one has any ideas on how to make this event more fun pls let me know.

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1) Log onto your villains.
2) Refer to 1).

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[...] Does its bonus stack with itself, out of interest?

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If it does stack, it doesn't display an additional icon on your buff-bar.

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IIRC, I've had stacked Follow Up before - for maybe one attack, but still.

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IMO the way to fix Claws would be to change -Def to -Res (as you rend armour).

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In addition to speeding up the animation times and decreasing the end cost a touch more, that would probably do it.

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that said any scrapper in i4 can make a formidable duo with an empath

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Most I4 scrappers didn't duo with Empaths, though, as they were entirely optional - the extra damage/defence was overkill in a lot of cases;for Claws/SR, the extra damage/defence counted (and still does) that much more, as it works as panacea for our slightly anaemic damage and defence.

The main reason why I'd dislike to play a Claws/Dark is largely down to the endurance issues, yes, but it's also a resistance-based-set - although you could (and would probably have to) use Death Shroud to augment your low damage output.

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A "bit" hero heavy would be one way of putting the current situation.

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A quick tally at the worst point indicated a ratio of at least 5/1, hero/villain. If you're going to have a "Fight Night", then you'd at least expect the more experienced PvPers - and "organisers" - to bite the bullet and come over to the villain side to at least even things up a bit. I logged in on Gonzo, had a quick scout about, and swiftly made the decision to relog over to CoV _ I'm actually a little saddened that so few of my fellows decided to do likewise. Yes, we all know it's "not a committee", and there's no way we're going to get a fair fight - but rushing the villain base in teams of 20-30 at a time isn't fun for anyone involved. This was proved by the fact that heroes left halfway through, in fact.

After that swathe of heroes left however, maybe reducing the ratio to 3/1 or 2/1, things became a little more interesting. A small shake-up on the villains side (and actually managing to assemble a team of 8) resulted in quite a fun time - still being swamped was a hell of an issue, but I think it was worth it in the build up to the finale of heroic-death that saw so many scrappers fall... and no villains, despite my hovering in the red for about 3/4 of the massacre. Fun times, in the end - nothing quite like a barbecue.

SR used to be crap when Elude didn't allow you to attack, then it became uber when Elude was changed to allow you to attack and was perma-able, then became a fair powerset when Elude was nerfed, and then became somewhat sub-par following the global defence nerfs, counterset somewhat by the defence debuff resistance and increased resistance as HP drops - previously, going up against defence-debuffing foes usually always resulted in a swift and unglorious death, even with Elude on and purple pills munched. Following the next set of adjustments to defence, I'd tentatively suggest that SR is going to be about as balanced as it's ever been. SR has always been weaker against +level mobs than any of the other secondaries.

Claws on the other hand... poor unloved Claws... has always been the poor man of the scrapper secondaries. Low-damage, quick recharge, low-endurance - supposedly. In practice, because Lethal damage is resisted by greater numbers of mobs at higher levels, it's not quite so good on the endurance as it appears - needing more attacks to do the job, plus the extra misses that result from that increased number, plus the greater chance for the target to regen HP (especially in the case of bosses)... can be a little frustrating. The KD and KB in Focus and Shockwave is handy, but some bosses and most (all?) AVs resist these effects. Certain attack animations completely ruin the speed of SR too, although these are being "looked into" - as of about 3/4 issues ago.

Claws/SR, then, leaves you with a build that has trouble against bosses and some Lieutenants of +1/+2 and above (depending on mob type), giving low-damage, and playing Russian Roulette when faced with massed groups - the damage output seldom matches the required damage needed until you start reliably and consistently stacking Follow Up. AVs can be a nightmare, Neuron used to be instant-death until defence-debuff resistance came into effect, and it took a team of 3 - one Empath, one SK'd Stone Tank, and my Claws/SR about 20 minutes solid attacking to take out Countess Crey... Claws/SR is far from being a solid damage dealer.

That said, Claws/SR can be useful in a team, and makes a formidable duo with an Empath - in I4, my Claws/SR powered through missions against +4/5 mobs when paired with my gf's Empath. I've only played him loosely as of late (and since ED) and he no longer has the same level of ability, as you'd expect. He still works, but without more extensive play I'd hate to say how well. I'd rather play a Claws/SR than Claws/Dark, however.

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Have we got much interest on the hero side (union) for this wednesday?

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I can probably drag myself into bringing Doctor Gonzo out this Wednesday for you, Max. I know how much you enjoy our little KB-fests, even if they do tend to be on the brief side.

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IMO the most ideal set for SR would be Martial Arts as it compliments the SR set with speedy attacks.

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MA, even though it works thematically, doesn't synergise as well with SR as DM, Katana, or Broadsword, though - DM has the benefit of Acc debuffs, and both Katana and Broadsword have the opportunity of Divine Avalanche/Parry in order to stack melee defence. Whatever you do, though, don't go Claws/SR.

SR will be getting a buff soon (as will everyone, but it affects SR most) - from the scheduled Defence changes. That should make things considerably easier against +level mobs, which has always been SR's weak point.

I've found that I don't always need all my bots out; if I have them out, I don't always need them all fully upgraded. As such, if I want to be fully outfitted, I accept that I'll have to pay the penalty for it, whether that be in terms of time, slotting, or power choices.

I don't see the above suggestion as at all useful for any MM - I can only see reducing our ability to strategise as a watering-down of the AT, which I would be very much against.

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It would make sense in the game though imo, 1 villain is on a rampage. He kills heroes and gains bounty till he is most wanted. This means he got a price on his head. Once a hero "arrests" him, his bounty is collected and he needs to work up a new rep (bounty).

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From what I can figure out, the bounty figure for each player is figured out relative to level and reputation (and possibly some other factors) - this makes more sense than your alternative; if Lord Recluse were to get ganked by Mynx and Valkyrie, that wouldn't suddenly make him any less of a threat than he was before. The way things are worked out now is as fair as it could practically be. It's not as if bounty is a major part of PvP - it's only available in one PvP zone, after all - it's an incentive for new players to get into PvP, if anything, and it certainly doesn't warrant this much discussion about it.

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So, there's still a risk-free reward system for PvP in Siren's Call. Attack a target. Win, get bounty. Fail, lose nothing. Yes?

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Just to readdress this - if it needs to be readdressed at this point - but on numerous occasions I have entered Sirens Call with 0 debt, and then left the zone after a few hours' solid PvPing at the debt cap. In no other part of either game have I been perma-debt-capped within a few hours, not on Shadow Shard TFs, nor in playing my Blapper, nor on Hami Raids. Equally, in an hour's worth of exemping, I could generally earn enough for at least one +3 SO if not more; I can be milling about a near-empty Sirens having running battles with a handful of heroes/villains to fight for a much lesser reward, if I even get the reward at all.

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Maybe implement it that if you get killed, your bounty gets transferred to the one that killed you (or.. equally spread based on amount of damage).

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I would really hate to see this in place. It'd just lead to people running from fights even more than they currently do, and be a big slap in the face to those of us who like to just battle to the death. I really can't see it'd add anything to the zone either - it'd just be frustrating.

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Can't echo this enough either - for one, you'd end up with potentially huge imbalances where someone could enter the zone, strike it lucky, and cash in 5 hours' worth of bounty with a lucky kill. Is that fair, or is that just kinda crappy? Answers on a postcard to Obvious City, Badideasville.

The penalty for dying to another player in a PvP zone is in having to travel back to the action and missing out on potential kills, as I see it - that, and possibly pride. Harking back to the OP, it's all a matter of swings and roundabouts - as much as I've been KS'd in PvP zones, I'm fairly sure I've KS'd in PVP zones, such is the nature of the beast. I'm certainly not that bothered by it, unless it's a blatantly obvious KS - even then, I make a mental note of the name of the perp, and remember them for the next time I'm out on my hero/villain. Simple.

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Yep, I've got all 3 Rifle based attacks on Toybox, and they've saved my behind on multiple occasions when I've been ambushed and haven't had the time/space to summon and buff my pets.

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Rob/Traps != Rob/Dark.

If I get caught with my proverbial pants down, I have a whole bag of tricks to keep myself alive that doesn't require primitive sidearms ( ) - Fearsome Stare, Petrifying Gaze, Darkest Night - even spamming Twilight Grasp whilst I throw pets out works well enough. I've never died due to being unprepared for an ambush, certainly - I might swear and curse a bit, but that's usually after I've stacked Fears on my would-be assailants.

I appreciate that some builds would benefit more from the attacks than others, but I don't think Rob/Dark needs the rifle, it's more of an indulgence.

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I'm Necro/Dark, but I figured I should weigh in here - I can run Shadowfall, Assault and Tactics, with an EndRed in each, and without Stamina, and not really have any major end problems. I don't have any attacks, mind, although I do get in there and spam heals/holds/fears/whatnot. When I add Darkest Night (which also has an endred in) into the mix though, I have to start keeping an eye on the end bar - and maybe lose assault or shadowfall if they're not necessary.

Personally, I don't use DN all that much - only on bosses really. Everything lower than that tends to die a bit too quickly, and it takes a little too long to cast and recharge, to be worth using in every fight.

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Darkest Night is the linchpin, really - I tend not to go into a large fight without it (especially against Longbow), and I use it all the time in PvP instances. Having duo'd most of my MM career with an Ice/Dark Corruptor through AVs and GMs alike, Darkest Night has been invaluable time and again - not just for the -Acc, but for the -Dam as well (stacked DN and SF turns Aurora Borealis into a shivering kitten, btw ), and in prolonged battles I wouldn't have been able to drop it in order to accomodate a flagging endurance bar.

It all depends on your playstyle, but if you plan on utilising DN fully, it pays to be aware of the end cost.

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That still leaves a big unknown regarding the defense buff of defender bots, and if it's worth to slot them with a defense enhancement. As for Upgrade Robot, I'm looking at that build, and I just can't think of any powers that I could strip of enhancements (assuming the defender bots and assault bot powers are properly sloted).

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Can't speak with any authority about the defensive values of bot shields - for my final build, I stripped all the bots down to (what I consider) the bare minimum of 5 slots each (2 Acc, 3 Dam). I'll wait to see what the Ancillary pools bring in terms of slotting requirements before I consider going number-crunching on Test to see if the alternate bot enhancements are worth slotting.

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Perhaps Pulse Rifle blast... but it's nice to do a little bit of damage now and then. Make's me feel a bit more "dangerous".

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With 5 laser/plasma-spewing robots and a creature dragged from the Netherworld to do your bidding, you need a Pulse Rifle to feel dangerous?

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damage is low but the inherant accuracy + TD + tactics means you can get some real nice chains working in there with end reds and recharges and ranges. Where others slot for damage this can be a little more tactical

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Sadly, tactical doesn't get the job done as efficiently or as effectively as outright damage - the longer you take to eliminate a target, the more chance that target has to escape/heal/get to teammates/lose you in the scenery. "Inherent accuracy" doesn't stack up too favourably against pure ST-damage, either on paper or in practice - from all my experiences in PvP as an AR/Dev, anyway.

Depending on how you want to play it, I'd go Fire/Kin for single-target focus (at least until the late-30s) and Fire/Rad for AoE focus. I went Fire/Kin and haven't looked back.

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Unfortunately the damage they put out is fairly poor and no build-up to augment it

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If you're going to plan a Stalker-hunting solo build, Fire or Ice are your only real options for primaries when coupled with Devices. Once in a blue moon you'll be able to take out a stalker with AR alone - but not with any degree of regularity.

Because it's fun to watch Regens try to run away from you in PvP when they see you coming?

Because it's immensely enjoyable to be able to neuter Heros and AVs when teamed with other Corruptors?

Because you like having lower lifeforms scream "OMG BUFF/HEEL PLXXXXXX" at you when you're on the other side of the map from them?

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Trick arrow drove me mad with the initial power mainly because I detest web grenade from thedevices set for blasters.

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Because a ranged single-target Immob with -Recharge and -Fly is really poor, especially when it's easily stacked - right?

Just because it doesn't look like it's doing anything doesn't mean that it's not doing anything.

Trick Arrow, in and of itself is quite a useful set - lots of debuffs and neat tricks which work well solo or in groups. The dreaded "Redraw Animation" annoys some, but not all. The only problem I see with Trick Arrow is that it doesn't synergise particularly well with any of the MM sets, except perhaps Ninjas.

Poison was my second-place choice for MMs, after Dark Miasma - if we ever get a Carnie MM set, a Carnie/Poison MM will be high on my list of alts. It looks to be a really interesting set, with some powerful single-target and AoE debuffs, with a couple of team buffs for good measure.

If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with Poison. I've seen Trick Arrow used to great effect, that said, but not as an MM set.