Tangler

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  1. Tangler

    Flytrap

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wooden_Replica View Post
    for what its worth, Flytrap used to be much worse, and was only really good for absorbing alpha's( I firmly believe it took given Plant Control to controllers, who generally depend on their pets more, for them to realize how bad Flytrap was), now its not bad, maybe not the best pet out their, but not bad for some extra damage( formerly you could be dying while your flytrap did nothing but watch)
    I had to dust off my old Plant/Fire and he's right, Flytrap is much, much better now. I don't think the question should be if Flytrap (or any other permanent pet) is skippable, but rather what build would be so tight as to warrant skipping it?

    Slot in 4 Exp. Reinforcements for the nice 6.25% global recharge, fill the last 2 slots with procs, and enjoy.
  2. What are good sets to increase your S/L? I am finding them much rarer than the ranged def bonuses.
  3. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bloodspeaker View Post
    A quick observation:
    You may want to ultimately respec the Soulbound Allegiance over to you Grave Knights. Unlike every other MM type, your 3rd tier pet is NOT your main damage dealer. Those are, indeed, the Grave Knights, who would benefit most from the superior buffs SA grants, as well as the buff proc, if you ever acquire it.
    The Grave Knights have a full Blood Mandate set for the 3.75% ranged def bonus, while I'm using the purps to help frankenslot the Lich. But yeah I agree, if you're trying to maximise firepower then you should place the SA in the GKs and fill the rest of GK's slots with some choice procs, like SA, Lady Grey or Achille's Heel. I just wasn't sure what people were looking for as a build request.

    The Lich can also get the neg. energy proc from Clouded Senses, though you may just want to just frankenslot in order to maximise his base abilities as they are quite good.
  4. I wonder if evil female counterparts will sport goatees.
  5. If we're talking about maximizing your effectiveness, I would say go for Fire/ or Ice/.

    Both have extremely fast cast times for their T3 ST blasts, which can be important when you're juggling between heals and blasting, and you certainly don't want to get stuck in a long-winded animation when you need to throw out that life-saving heal.
  6. I have a Necro/Traps in her 40s. At first I thought the Lich should give me all the controls I would need, but in practice I realise that the majority of the controls should come from the player who can apply some finesse, so in retrospect I should have done a Necro/Dark for what I wanted.

    While I only have half of the set that the OP and others have asked, hopefully I can still provide some insight on this topic:

    Soul Extraction is Necro's unique "trick" that all pet sets have, and I think it's definitely one of the better ones. You aren't going to try and keep this power up all the time under most circumstances, but it's powerful when you need it. SE and the Lich will be able to double stack holds on a boss, counts towards BG mode (making Necro the only 7 pet-set), and as a previous poster has mentioned allows you to slot the unque intensive recharge IOs.

    And since people want builds, here is one I quickly made in Mid's. Not the "best" build, but I went with a mixture of frankenslotting, set-bonuses for ranged defense (42.8% with all toggles on, this may be overkill for most content for a MM, though it is probably desirable against AVs who would otherwise laugh at your -tohit debuffs), and general affordability. This build also comes with full stealth and TP Ally for SF/TF play.

    Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.601
    http://www.cohplanner.com/

    Click this DataLink to open the build!

    Level 50 Magic Mastermind
    Primary Power Set: Necromancy
    Secondary Power Set: Dark Miasma
    Power Pool: Fitness
    Power Pool: Speed
    Power Pool: Leadership
    Power Pool: Teleportation
    Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery

    Villain Profile:
    Level 1: Zombie Horde -- SvgnRt-Acc/Dmg(A), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(3), SvgnRt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(3), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(5), EdctM'r-PetDef(5), SvgnRt-PetResDam(7)
    Level 1: Twilight Grasp -- Dct'dW-Heal/EndRdx(A), Dct'dW-EndRdx/Rchg(7), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(9), Dct'dW-Rchg(9), Dct'dW-Heal(11), Acc-I(11)
    Level 2: Tar Patch -- P'ngTtl-Rng/Slow(A), P'ngTtl--Rchg%(17), P'ngTtl-EndRdx/Rchg/Slow(19), P'ngTtl-Dmg/Slow(19), P'ngTtl-Acc/EndRdx(21), P'ngTtl-Acc/Slow(21)
    Level 4: Darkest Night -- Cloud-ToHitDeb(A), Cloud-%Dam(23), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(23), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(25), Cloud-Acc/Rchg(25), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(27)
    Level 6: Enchant Undead -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(27)
    Level 8: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
    Level 10: Howling Twilight -- RechRdx-I(A)
    Level 12: Grave Knight -- BldM'dt-Acc(A), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(13), BldM'dt-Acc/EndRdx(13), BldM'dt-Dmg/EndRdx(15), BldM'dt-Acc/Dmg(15), BldM'dt-Dmg(17)
    Level 14: Health -- Empty(A)
    Level 16: Shadow Fall -- RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(29), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(29), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(31), RedFtn-Def(31), RedFtn-EndRdx(31)
    Level 18: Soul Extraction -- ExRmnt-+Res(Pets)(A), C'Arms-+Def(Pets)(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(33), ExRmnt-EndRdx/Dmg/Rchg(34), ExRmnt-Acc/Dmg(34)
    Level 20: Stamina -- EndMod-I(A), EndMod-I(34)
    Level 22: Fearsome Stare -- Cloud-ToHitDeb(A), Cloud-Acc/ToHitDeb(36), Cloud-Acc/Rchg(36), Cloud-ToHitDeb/EndRdx/Rchg(36), Cloud-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(37), Cloud-%Dam(37)
    Level 24: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(37), RechRdx-I(39)
    Level 26: Lich -- ToHitDeb-I(A), S'bndAl-Dmg/Rchg(39), S'bndAl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(39), S'bndAl-Acc/Rchg(40), ToHitDeb-I(40), Fear-I(40)
    Level 28: Petrifying Gaze -- Lock-%Hold(A), Lock-Acc/Hold(42), Lock-Acc/Rchg(42), Lock-Rchg/Hold(42), Lock-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(43), Lock-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(43)
    Level 30: Gloom -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(43), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx(45), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(45), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(45), Thundr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46)
    Level 32: Dark Empowerment -- EndRdx-I(A), EndRdx-I(46)
    Level 35: Super Speed -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-ResKB(46)
    Level 38: Dark Servant -- Heal-I(A), SipInsght-Acc/ToHitDeb(48), Heal-I(48), SipInsght-Acc/Rchg(50), DarkWD-ToHitDeb/Rchg(50), DampS-ToHitDeb/Rchg(50)
    Level 41: Charged Armor -- S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
    Level 44: Maneuvers -- DefBuff-I(A)
    Level 47: Recall Friend -- Zephyr-Travel(A), Zephyr-Travel/EndRdx(48)
    Level 49: Assault -- Empty(A)
    ------------
    Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
    Level 1: Sprint -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
    Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
    Level 1: Supremacy
  7. You should call her Pantsu.

    ...Tze works as well I guess.
  8. Grats indeed, I'm sorry I couldn't get around to playing the arcs this round, they all do sound very good.
  9. Quote:
    Originally Posted by Coulomb2 View Post
    I'll hazard a guess at this one, although I'm speculating and I certainly can't claim to speak for Wrong Number here: his attitude. Even if he doesn't directly come out and say it, his tone gives some people the impression that if he rated it three stars, then it's really a three star arc, and anyone else who thinks otherwise is an idiot. Or has no taste. Or is contributing to grade inflation. Or supports no child left behind, and is therefore an idiot for that too (even though, for the record, I don't). Or doesn't really know what funny is.

    I can see why that would bother some people.
    I'd like to pipe in and say it's up to the reviewer's discretion how much leeway he is willing to give to "I may not like X, but I know some people do..." as in the end the review is and always will be his personal thoughts and feelings on the matter. When a reviewer writes they should be writing in an authoritative voice, that yes can at times come off as abrasive. To preface every criticism with "IMO" would be both redundant and rather silly.

    As for why Venture's going through the arcs he's currently going through, he's running through all the PC nominated stuff iirc.
  10. No more server segregation.

    An AT system similar to VEATs. I think they hit the nail on the head with an AT that spoils you with more good powers that you can take, that allows players to take the AT into several different directions while still retaining the AT's flavour.
  11. Hi, I just saw this while browsing for arcs in-game actually. I think I should warn you that I immediately skipped this when I saw "reduced xp for story reasons" as this isn't really desirable, especially when you are trying to level a lowbie.
  12. Players will play with whatever they want, co-op zones have never "killed" any particular AT. If anything this might finally be the incentive to look over the Defender's inherent.
  13. Quote:
    Originally Posted by ArrowRose View Post
    For a level 5-10 arc, do you think the a final boss should be created as a boss or as an elite boss?
    There are EBs at that level in the canon arcs, though I suspect custom EBs are far more superior than their canon counterparts. Personally I wouldn't want to see an EB at that level, unless you have a really cracking reason.
  14. Tangler

    Idea Bank

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by The_Cheshire_Cat View Post
    *More recently, here's an idea for the latest Dr. Aeon arc contest: A villainous arc where EVERY super-powered character loses their powers... except for the player's character. They then proceed to take over the world at level 5 simply by being the only person on earth with superpowers. The title would be "The Mouse that Roared" in reference to the book/movie of the same name.
    One of my ideas was similar to this, though I wasn't sure due to the competition semantics saying "a hero or villain" and not "hero(es) or villain(s)".
  15. I usually shy away from the "AAA" characters, with possibly the most famous canon character I've touched so far being the Clockwork King.

    It's interesting you brought up Statesman in the comics being a prat though, as I've always wondered if that was more of a personal bias on the comic writers part ("Oh this guy is like Superman, well I never liked the Big Blue *scribble* *scribble*..."). That said I still think there's a bit of a dissonance between characters as written in the lore and how they end up being represented in-game, with Lord Recluse being a good example. It would be good to see a few arcs that explored the less represented facets of our well known heroes and villains.

    Urm... I'll let you get back to your OT now.
  16. Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    Do you think a clue for each optional civilian wouldn't be too much? I don't mind adding a few more clues at all, but I also don't want to overload the player with too much text.
    Ah not as in giving out an entire clue, but a line in the objective complete text (the part that usually spouts out "you defeated enemy x").
  17. Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Is the final encounter too difficult? Too easy? In testing, my main character, a level 50 blaster with purple IOs, exemped to 10 smashes it flat with ease. On the other hand, my level 5 rad/storm corruptor with bad powerset synergy and no enhancements just barely won. Could use more input.
    I think the difficulty is about right, what with the zombies and an ambush. I did it on my exemp'd lvl 25 Ill/Rad for reference.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Are the two "main" NPCs given enough personality to make the player care about what happens to them?
    Yes, though it would be good to mix up more about their background. I think I heard the lines "they're highschool sweethearts who wanted to open an eatery" (paraphrasing) in at least 3 different instances.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Is the player given enough stuff to do that she feels like a part of the story?
    Yep.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * The first couple missions have the player mostly doing what the contact asks, but the last two missions have the player basically defying what the NPCs want, in order to do the "right" thing. Does this "work"? Or is this "powerposing"?
    I think it works, heroes are all about sticking their noses in things.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Is there too much profanity? I was a little worried about this, but I picture most of the characters encountered during this story as being fairly salty, street gang types. A dozen times while writing this, I had to paraphrase or work around the profanity filter.
    I didn't noticed, unless they were already removed by the time I played the arc.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Is the Big Bad's nickname too stupid? I wanted to make a custom Skulls boss, and after discovering the Aztec word for a skull trophy rack, I just had to use it as a name. But I just didn't picture the gang members being able to pronounce this name correctly, and thought a shorter nickname would be true to the genre.
    No, I think it works well. At first I was wondering why a Skulls boss would be called Panty, but after seeing her full name it made me go "Oooh".

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Do the various minor characters encountered make the arc more fun, or do they distract from the story?
    I was so-so on Joe and his DnD references. Not saying they should be removed, but maybe less in your face. I also thought that was a pretty silly reason to kick the girl out of the group, though knowing some players this may have actually happened in someone's group.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * I just couldn't think of good titles and captions for the individual mission briefings. But I know a lot of people like them because it makes the briefing look more "polished". The adventure is a very small-scale one, though, so maybe it doesn't need them? Or if anyone has any suggestions, happy to take them.
    No, I didn't missed them.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Is there too much text and exposition in clues? Or not enough?
    I think a little text to the effect of "you rescued the civilian!" whenever you complete one of the optional objectives would be nice. I think clue-wise you have a good balance on length to frequency.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PoliceWoman View Post
    * Anything else people want to comment on?
    Overall quite a nice short story, good luck on the comp!
  18. Tangler

    EU MA Superteam

    Update: I'll be hosting the first team this Wed at 8pm GMT at the RWZ AE building. That should give some amount of time to remind interested players.

    Also, I don't know if people still want to go ahead and try the new guest author arcs. I'm guessing a lot of people have played them by now, and from what I hear some of them can be "frustrating". Alternatively we can run the Player's Choice stuff so you can experience them in time for the voting, or anything else you fancy really.
  19. Hobo Rising
    ID: 10880
    Morality: Villainous
    Tags: Solo Friendly, Custom Characters, Comedy
    Author: @Thorny Devil

    Hobo Rising is an arc about an unknown villain recruiting the homeless people of Mercy Island to take over the isle. Your contact is a “Strange Hobo”, who is secretly an Arachnos informant who had spied a villain coming ashore with a gang of armed hobos, converting the local homeless to their cause with food. He wants you to stop them, and informs you that the best place to start your search is a nearby factory, before he slips away into one of Fort Darwin’s doors (so much for his cover…) and so begins your villain’s war against homeless people.


    Warrior of the Gauntlet games has +rep'd this hobo's comment.

    There isn’t much for me to write about this arc, as it’s a “what it says on the tin” deal. There are some hobos, and they’re uprising, and that’s pretty much it. The arc relies heavily on its novelty, and that novelty doesn’t hold across 5 whole missions with little to no deviation or real development, though I did find the explanation of how Kalinda manages to coordinate the new villains 24/7 amusing.

    Most bizarrely this is an arc about hobos—hobos with guns, but normal hobos nonetheless, and they still somehow successfully raid an Arachnos base, and attempt a take over of a local bank (not rob it, actually take over it, as in your next business loan meeting will be with a funny smelling man with a duck on his head). This is all taking place at level 30+ as well (the last mission is 45+), which as a comparison is the same level the PPD brings out Robocop to deal with you. There’s no explanation as to why, and their inexplicable power level isn’t played for laughs making it a missed opportunity.

    Onto the technical side of the review: I’ve spotted quite a number of typos throughout the arc, and the sentence structure could be smoother, though I get the feeling that English may not be the author’s first language. I think the arc could be made much shorter with the current story being told, and the clues can stand to be less vague, giving the player something to sink their teeth in. Change the level to be more fitting for the context, or power them hobos up to fit the level, or lampshade the whole thing, anything really. With some extra work, it's possible to bump this arc up a star.

    Final Word: Not as bad as that hobo that always follows you around cursing, but not as entertaining as that one that plays the nose flute. 3/5 Stars
  20. Let's not forget that we also have the official Annual MA Awards, the biggest and most open comp. This doesn't even include the Player's Choice awards.
  21. This sounds like a really interesting premise, I can't wait to see what everyone cooks up!

    I feel pretty twitchy to give the challenge another go, but now is a busy time for me study-wise. Oh well I'll see what happens, in the mean time good luck to everyone!
  22. Tangler

    Honey, I'm home!

    Frija here, welcome back Soul.
  23. Tangler

    My AE baby

    Mercytown #6017 is a humorous arc for lvl 1-10, though it is villainous btw.

    I also have A Penny For Your Thoughts #348691 which is less humorous, though it is a dev's choice. That one is set for lvl 20.