The_Laughing_Man

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  1. Nice guide. Well thought out and written.

    A couple of comments.

    - "Hasten is not mandatory" True. Only one power is mandatory (1st power in your secondary power set), but Hasten will go a long way to helping. Only your heals and Clear Mind recharge relatively quickly, which means that often in a fight you'll find yourself with the two buff Aura's, AB and Fort all recharging. Less options.

    - Adrenalin Boost with one End mod in is sufficient to allow a Blaster/Kheld/Defender to regain some End after a nuke. Additionally, it'll give them a massive recharge bonus to get their big attacks back online faster. Duoing an Empath with a blaster is great fun, be you a blue shield or a red star. Even PvP can be fun, (even if it's from behind the go to hospital sign) as you watch your buffed blaster blow up things that saw you as an easy target.

    - IO's. My philosophy has been to forego any other type of benefit apart from recharge. I don't PvP seriously (Don't initiate, will retaliate, but also know my build is not set up for it)
    Regen : I don't need this because I have a self heal (HA) and also if anything is hurting me over and above that, chances are I'm in so much mucky brown stuff that nothing will help me.
    Recovery : On a team, my inherent gives me a nice disount if the team are hurting. If they're sailing through, I don't need to be as click heavy with buffs, or attacks - conserving END until RA returns.
    Defence/Resistance/Mez resist : I'm careful pulling agro, and the Mez resist doesn't stop me being detoggled and mezzed, just reduces the time I'm down. Other than a KB protection IO, this isn't worth it to me.

    Because of this, I have Hasten back in just under 15 seconds, perma-AB, RA's up supremely fast and can Fort 6 people (if I'm on the ball & Hasten's up). The added benefit of the Accolades recharging so much faster means I use them instead of "saving them for an emergency". Damage is not gimped (Posi Blast/Decimation where I can) and I think I only have one LoTG recharge.

    One last thing, you don't need a big team to shine. With Fort, Clear Mind and HO or AP you can duo with a Blaster and tear through missions at a rate of knots even at a relatively low level (Could have Fort + CM by level 12). Next time you're on with your Emp, drop a tell to any blaster looking and ask if they want to duo. Buff them up, top them off with heals when they need it, blast for fun, and watch the xp roll in.

    - Have you considered adding the other "Heals" into the guide. Twilight Grasp's -ACC and Transfusion's -Regen mean that sometimes spamming those AoE heals will help a party even if no one is taking damage. Rad also has an AoE heal, but I think you covered that above. Does the medecine pool need covering?

    -H
  2. Good writeup and useful screenshots. Nice work.

    One further thing to mention might be that you can stack short "ramps" (wooden stairs, steel stairs, or ramps) on top of desks to allow access to higher tiered sections of your room without having to jump.

    -H
  3. As I've mentioned before, this is a good thread, however it assumes you have some sort of raw talent to begin with.

    As an example, a Synapse TF (15-20) we were running the other night was difficult to get off the ground due to lack of interest.

    We had a Tanker (me), Fire/Sonic troller (SG mate), Sonic/Psi Defender, and a Kheld (with Nova). With 4 required to start, we were looking for a couple more before setting off. Both the SG mate and I had done a quick Shivan run to Bloody Bay in anticipation of the Clockwork King, and so felt prepared to go with what we had.

    Then, after a couple of tells, we get a Scrapper. (paraphrased the following)

    Scrapper : Do we have a healer?
    Me : We'll be fine.
    Scrapper : What level is everyone?
    Leader : We're all 17+.
    Scrapper (after zoning) : We need more damage.
    Me : We have you, a Kheldian and two Disruption fields. We have Shivans for the AV and double sonic shields should mitigate a ton of damage. We'll be levelling up quite quick anyway.
    Scrapper : Well just so you know, I'm out after 3 deaths.

    At that point, the Leader kicked him. I was in agreement also. It wasn't just the moaning and whining before we'd started, but the knowledge that this would probably continue throughout the TF. To quote our leader "I don't want a second in command". We finished the TF in a shade under 4 hours with a good humoured team that worked well together despite emergency afk's , connection issues and the usual things you can't do anything about.

    Dealing with the folks who join your team, and then start tossing their orb about, is one of the toughest parts of leading a PuG. "Are we getting more" "Invite X pls" "Can I have the star" "we need x (upped difficulty, Rad defender)" are all signs of someone who has never properly led a team, but think they know what it takes. My personal opinion on this, is that if you think you can do a good job, go and build your own team. If you want to stay, then give the leader a little credit and go with their direction. Unfortunately, these people also seem to have a healthy dose of over-sensetivity, and responding in kind often results in conflict. Not everyone has the time, or the inclination to try and resolve this. I know I don't.

    -H
  4. A comprehensive and useful guide.

    5 Stars from me.

    -H
  5. Hey Eldandil. Here is my promised response!

    Sukie is only 38 at the moment, but I am loving the chaos.

    I have Char slotted with Thunderstrike for the extra recovery, and O2 Boost with 5 Doctored Wounds for recharge. With 2 LoTG's in my Empath and one in my Blaster, I have not had chance to get any for Sukie yet, but I'm reserving slots just in case. A lucky Karma KB protection in Combat Jumping has made a massive difference in her playstyle, and with the Celerity +Stealth in sprint I am invisible when running Steamy Mist.

    As I do run Hot Feet, it's got one Dam/End in from all three IO sets as well as a standard End redux and damage IO meaning 6 slots for thE price of 5. I may add another Scirroco's Dervish for the extra regen at some point.

    Another difference between mine and your style is that Sukie won't opt for epic shields. She's either death on two legs, or dead on her back. I like playing like that. Having played a Fire blaster to 50, I am used to dying a lot, so the risks Sukie takes are less risky to a dedicated blaster-head. Running with an Illusion/Storm (who's also from a blaster background) the other week, we confounded the tank who couldn't understand our (and I quote) "Testosterone fuelled madness". Admittedly, herdicaning with someone who is physically sat next to you is very easy, and looks amazing on screen.

    To summarise the bonusses both currently & "to be" slotted (I have more slots in the powers in some cases, this is just for illustration)

    Char : Thunderstrike (2) : 2% recovery
    Flashfire : Stupefy (5) : 2.5% Recovery, 6.25% Recharge
    Thunderclap : As above
    O2 Boost : Doct Wounds (5) : 5% Recharge
    Fire Cages : Enfeebled Op (5) : 3.75% Recharge
    Steamy Mist : GiftotA (2) : 2.5% Recovery
    Fire imps : Blood mandate (2) & Commanding Presence (2) for 3% recovery (total).
    Lightning Storm : Decimation (5) : 6.25% Recharge
    Fire Blast : Thunderstrike (2) : 2% Recovery
    Fire Ball : Posi Blast (5) : 2.5% Recovery & 6.25% Recharge

    Total Recovery Improvement : 17%
    Total Recharge Improvement : 34%

    (I'll almost certainly try to squeeze a LoTG Recharge & a Miracle Recovery in there - if I can find/afford them)

    There are several other things I've thought about, such as Decimation in Char or Fire Blast (or both) with the Chance to Hold proc. Dropped this idea because Sukie is either arresting so fast there's no need for the hold, or I'm busy with Hurricane/Gale positioning mobs.

    Finally... some questions....

    Snow Storm :
    Has its uses in the early game, but now I find it an annoying waste of time to activate when the target is often dead by dawn. Other than AV's, I can't see a use for this, and to take a power just for one type of bad guy seems wasteful. Do you still use this regularly at 50? If so, what for?

    Cinders :
    Not taken this due to many posts I've read about the long recharge and general poorness. I do have space in my build to add it, but wondered what the thoughts were on this? Currently Flashfires + Thunderclap mezzes everything, and Freezing Raing knocks them over whilst the imps devour (sprinkle Fire Cages for immobilisation as required). By the time it's all dead, thunderclap has often recharged with Flashfires close behind. What use is there in the AoE Hold?

    Fire Cages :
    I'm still not convinced by Enfeebled Operation. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions? the 3.75% recharge seems a bit stingy to me, and not worth the slot investment.

    Bonfire :
    Am very tempted to put this back in my build and slot it with Posi's blast for that last 2.5% recovery and 6.25% recharge bonus. I get more use out of this (mob positioning/blocking) than I did Snow Storm. It also fits with Sukie's indiscriminate & chaotic nature. Do the lovers/haters of Bonfire have any thoughts?

    Great guide by the way. Some useful follow up commentary too which is just as helpful as the original guide.

    -H (a.k.a Mellendra)
  6. A couple of questions :

    Stamina : I had not planned this in the build. Is it possible to level up without it? I almost exclusively duo or team, so was planning to slot attacks for end redux in order to keep up Sonic Dispersion and Disruption Shield (as well as end redux in the shields themselves). I'm happy to use insps and myself & my playing partner always exchange insps mid-combat if we see one or the other in trouble. We also make use of the base Empowerment Stations for attack speed increases, knockback protection and other buffs.

    Sonic Dispersion : Allegedly provides the same type of mez protection as Clarity with the exception of Sleep, Confusion and Fear. Is this a reality? (i.e. Is the mez protection equivalent?). Would it be possible to rely on this mez protection and not take Clarity assuming I'm happy to be slept, scared or confused. (I rarely PvP btw)

    Nice, clear guide btw.

    -H
  7. You'll want Recovery Aura at 18, and Adrenalin Boost at 32 for sure. Regen Aura is a great buff too, but it depends how you team as to when you need it pick it up.

    As to the secondary set, that again depends on what you want to do. Damage? Mez? If you're taking Stamina, then you may find a shortage of power choices later in the game. I would seriously reccommend copying to test once you get to your late twenties/early thirties to try a non-Stamina build. It may not be for you, but it will save three power choices later.

    People expect you to take the Empathy primaries, which you have done so far (except AP which is definately skippable). Prettty much everything after that is up to you, and I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" way to go about it.

    -H
  8. [ QUOTE ]
    Why didn't you take recall friend?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Personal choice really. It's a power that doesn't really do anything useful apart from save a bit of time. Sure, very occasionally you can yank someone out of trouble, but unless they've gone walkies around the map, I can usually get to them to help before I finish messing about with Recall Friend.

    Now I've said that, I'll go on to say that I do have it in Mel's latest build. IO's require slots, so when looking for some powers that don't need many slots to make them work, this is one. Also, my Blaster compatriot with no travel power was whining about running Shadow Shard missions. I think I picked it up at 49.

    -H
  9. Most of the comments have been noted. Thanks for pointing out the discrepancies. As a side note, I've had Scramble Thoughts for a while now. It is very handy.

    I have no clue how 45 seconds (Fortitude duration) crept into this guide. I must have been tired... Then again, re-reading and reading again to proof it for typos and spelling mistakes obviously didn't work either.

    I've copied and pasted the guide into Notepad and am redoing all the numbers to align with City of Data. I really didn't want to use numbers in the guide simply because as soon as the game gets tweaked, the guide is out of date, and I swore that I wouldn't revise this guide again. Maybe I should tweak it so the numbers are correct (or remove them), but any new revision should include a comment around IO's and frankly, just looking at the numbers in those it would be easy to get things wrong. It would also no doubt open a new can of worms on IO slotting, which in my opinion is very much down to playstyle and cashflow.

    I shall ponder...

    -H
  10. Nice guide.

    I have a 45 Fire/Fire blaster at the moment, and have teamed with an Archery/Fire blaster as she got to 50. She used most of the /Fire set and has provided a lot of good feedback - including reversing my hatred of Combustion. I stand corrected Antanya

    Since Sera has been around since day 1 and has still not hit 50, I have used up issue freespecs since I5, all the three erned respecs and 2 of my vet freespecs. I thought she would be the easiest to build, but she's not. Don't be deceived, this is no simple AT to build - having advance thoughts about your playstyle will help immensely (ranged, melee, whatever).

    However one thing that was pointed out to me is that Fireball, Combustion and Fire Sword Circle all have the same AoE shape (plus Inferno later). Currently, I'm running with these three and enjoing the damage immensly. If only they'd shave a hair or two off combustions activation time I'd be well happy. By level 10 you'll be loving this toon. Embrace your debt and you'll be fine. Not to mention that as a salvage hunter, you can street sweep greens solo for very good profit.

    Lastly, I have a lot of alts and Sera is not one I'd consider for IO's. My Peacebringer, Warshade, Emp/Psi main, TA/A Defender, Ice Tanker and a couple of others are all candidates higher on the list. Quite simply, there's nothing broken in this AT (as far as I'm concerned) so I don't need to spend the inf "doing her up". 10 million is not much influence if you have a couple of 50's, but when you're trying to outfit more than one character, then the cash gets spread thin. Nice work though illustrating what can be done with IO's.

    -H
  11. Euro Chat is a channel generally open to folks playing in GMT times. Not restricted to Euro players at all, but you'll find it quiet during premium US times.

    Generally used to find teams during quieter hours/premium GMT times, although not heavily used at the moment. Please join armed with a sense of humour.

    -H
  12. They're great

    This guide is very informative.

    -H
  13. Would it be possible to link to a location where the correct numbers are given?

    This guide is pretty pointless if all the numbers are wrong.

    -H
  14. This is just a place to record Longbow Archer's thoughts and feelings as he comes to terms with what he is, who he meets, and what he is trying to be. Mainly just a bit of fun. Please PM me with any comments, critique or continuity errors. Feel free to contact me in-game for RP and/or teaming. @Harlequin on Virtue, playing here as Longbow Archer, a level 20 TA/A Defender

    George flopped into the old, cracked, soft leather sofa, his eyes straying idly to the television. His wings creaked ominously behind him and he shuffled in his seat for a bit more comfort. Freak. Taking off his mask, he reached forward to the small table in front of the television to grab the bottle of whiskey. His eyes strayed to the bottle of tablets next to the ashtray and his wings moved reflexively as he shuddered.
    "Who's the freak eh?" he muttered as he pulled the stopper from the bottle and drank deeply. The fire in his belly quickly sprang up, diverting him away from the pain in his shoulders. Leaning back to the table, and replacing the bottle, he took another cigarette from the paper carton. As he lit it, he picked up the battered leather journal. He inhaled deeply, opening the small book to the first page. It had been a gift from his mother when he had finally made it through his trial period with the Longbow division of Freedom Corps. Shortly afterwards she had died. This was her legacy.

    Longbow... He placed the journal next to him, reaching back for the whiskey, not noticing the ash fall from the cigarette to the floor. As he reclined again, he raised the bottle in silent salute to the organisation that he had once been proud to be a member of. His wings protested under the movement and the moment was gone.
    "Who's the Freak now eh?" he asked the television. There was no intelligible response forthcoming, and George paused a moment. Freak...

    He didn't remember when he'd first bumped into her. It must have been after the wings thing. She was a real freak. A Freak. Called herself PuNk R0xX0R. Five feet something of attitude and energy. But she was the first one he'd met that didn't take one look at his armour, then his wings, then mutter "Freak" under their breath. They both had jobs from their contacts that needed doing, and she said she needed some help going after them. Apparently her ex was involved in some weapons theft from Lockhart Aero, and she needed to go get the weapons back. She looked a little flighty, and nervous, but hell, going after Freaks had a certain irony to it. He'd readily agreed.

    They'd gone down to the labs and made their way to where the ex was ranting in some language George couldn't follow. PuNk later said it was called “leet” whatever that meant. One thing was for sure, he wasn’t happy seeing her again, and seemed to delight in taking his rage out on George who was still to this day carrying the bruises from that fight. Apparently he was the jealous type. She was a canny fighter. Instinctive, and George liked that. She hovered in mid-air, firing electrical blasts at the Freakshow minions, stopping occasionally to transfer energy from them to both herself and him. George smiled grimly thinking of his arrows and their almost silent noise. No flashy effect from them, but they had surely recovered the weapons, and taken down the ex. Twice... Together.

    Never the sharpest tool in the box, George had taken a while to notice just how she was looking at him. He thought it was just the wings initially, but her smile seemed friendly enough, and her comments on the effects his arrows were having, and how well he fought seemed more than just innocuous observations. His own attempts at conversation felt stilted. He was awkward and unfamiliar around the opposite sex, so he'd pretty much amazed himself when he asked her out to dinner. That amazement turned quickly to stunned shock when she accepted. What the hell was he thinking?! She didn't even have hands for goodness sake and the spikes coming out of her head only looked good with the pink Mohawk she currently sported. Hardly a recipe for a quiet unobtrusive dinner at Lucio's. But she seemed so excited, even said she was going to buy a dress.... Almost disbelievingly, he lifted the bottle to his lips once again. Her in a dress, with two robotic arms and spikes in her head, and him in a suit with wings poking out the back. What a ridiculous image. Two freaks out for a stroll...

    As he drained the bottle, he paused, picturing again her face. She was cute though. No denying that. There was also the twinkle in her eyes when she looked at him made him smile like an idiot to himself as he sat on the couch. Perhaps they could settle for a quiet evening in the super-group base in the hope that that interminably sarcastic and egotistical "Splenetic Shadow" wouldn't be sprawled on the sofa in front of the TV guzzling beer and munching pretzels like they were going out of fashion. He would almost certainly pass some sort of sarcastic comment, which George always felt ill equipped to respond to. No. The base would be a bad idea. And besides...

    He picked up the journal and eased a slim silver pen out from its sheath in the spine.

    I met her again today. She wanted to show me the dress she had bought. I thought perhaps then would have been the time to explain about Splen and his disdain for any non-scrappers. To perhaps convince her that dinner wouldn't be such a good idea. But when she showed me the dress... Oh my. She is beautiful. Gone was the mask, the combat fatigues and the heavy boots. She had the most beautiful gown on of deepest purple. She had obviously spent some time making herself up. There was a subtle hint of makeup and she’d done her hair up real nice. Truly beautiful. Of course I rushed off to show her my suit. Forced the wings to hide in the jacket. The pain was almost unbearable, but when she saw me and her eyes lit up, I knew it was worth it. We danced a little. She says I can dance, but I know for sure that I am no John Travolta. Before long the pain got too much, so I left before I passed out in front of her. What an idiot.

    How am I going to take her out? I will have to destroy the suit to accommodate these damnable wings. Why did I ever help the Crey? Perhaps I should cancel? Call off the date?


    He closed the journal again. Hero? You? Staring at his reflection in the now empty bottle, he wondered for the hundredth time, just what the hell he was doing. Why did he leave Longbow to go solo?
    "Because you thought you were better than them." His reflection simply echoed his words, and did not provide him the answer he sought. He grimaced, and as his reflection copied him, he threw the bottle down in disgust. Standing swiftly, he moved to the wardrobe and began to unbuckle his red and white armoured costume. As he slid the coat-hanger into the top, he paused, looking at the emblem on the chest.
    "You're not Longbow anymore", he said, running a fingertip over the reinforced kevlar-polymer breastplate. He pictured the girl again in his minds eye, and smiled softly to himself. She liked his wings, she liked his powers, she liked the way he fought. Maybe he should have a bit more confidence in himself. Maybe it was time to let the Longbow go for good. Not the name, but for sure the red and white armour. And maybe, just maybe, it was time for him to give her a call and take her out. He trembled at the thought of speaking to her again. What if...? Cursing, he pushed the wardrobe door closed. More self-doubt.

    As he padded back across the small one-room apartment, he stopped at the computer terminal. He did have an email address. Perhaps that would be safer. Easier for her to knock him back if she didn't want to see him again. Either way, tomorrow was another day, and the first thing on the agenda would be a new suit, new costume, and a new attitude. Slightly drunkenly, he dropped to the small chair in front of the computer, turned it on, and began to write.

    ((More to come at a later date))

    -H
  15. Updated my Emp/Psi guide to I8 here

    -H
  16. The Empathy/Psychic Blast Defender - Updated for I8

    I originally wrote this guide over a year ago now. Since then many changes have skewed my views, not least getting to 50, experimenting with PvP and several Issue freespecs. Vet rewards hitting test gave me another 2 respecs which have been repeatedly tried on the training room to find a build I like. In doing this I have played around with most of the powers in various combinations, so this guide has changed from the last in many ways.

    The biggest change I have made is to try and offer all the benefits of each power from an objective point of view, rather than the subjective view of my last guide. You will not find any "don't take this" comments in here, simply because it is up to you how to build your toon. That caveat out of the way though, there are many references to how I found the power useful or not.

    The numbers are taken from SherkSilver's Hero Builder. The comments and other notes are based on the I8 Training Room environment. KayMoonpetal is updating this database (see this thread : here ) which will always be a more up to date guide regarding hard numbers.

    (As a side note, after ED, I felt that much had changed and didn't really want to update the guide. Recent comments to the old guide and a realisation that it was deficient in a lot of ways has made me re-write. I hope this new guide is more relevant than the last, but still aims to assist both new players as well as old.)

    [u]Powers :[u]
    Empathy powers are unique in that they have the smallest number of powers that actually benefit the hero using them. Of the 9 primary powers, only three will help you solo. This compares poorly to Dark's 8, Kinetics' 7, Rad's 8, Storm's 8, TA's 9 and even Force Fields' 6 is surprising. Only Sonic comes close with 4 powers of any use solo. This gives you an idea of just how much the Empathy powerset will be useful to you if you plan to solo. If you know when you pick up the powerset that you will spend a good deal of time alone, then that will help with your power choices. For most of us, we sit somewhere in the middle of the solo-team band, which is why consideration must be given to your playstyle before you begin.

    Psychic Blast is often the choice of those with conceptual thoughts behind their character. It is also a set that Blasters don't have as a Primary choice, making those psychic blasts unique to those who wear the blue shield. Personally, I have not had much experience with the other sets (most levelled only to the mid-30's) so comment will be reduced to "You've chosen Psi, let's move on".

    The slotting considerations here are purely observational. Slotting is really a matter of choice for the individual and programs such as the Hero Builder can give you precise effects at a glance by adding one type of enhancement over the other.

    [u]Empathy[u]

    [u]Heal Other (1):[u]
    This is a good single target heal that heals a target for 26% of their HP. It does nothing else. To get the maximum benefit from the heal, slot at least three Heal SO's (when you can). Remaining slots can be taken up with a mix of range, end redux, or recharge redux as required. The recharge of 4 seconds is fairly rapid, whilst the end cost of 13 could be trimmed a little with an end reducer. All in all though, slotting is down to personal taste.

    [u]Healing Aura (1):[u]
    This is the first power that will actually affect you personally. It has the same end cost as Heal Other, but the recharge is longer (8 seconds) and obviously as it is a PBAoE heal, the effect is reduced (13% Heal). Slotting here requires a little more careful thought. Are you going to be soloing a lot? Do you mainly team with a bunch of tankers who stick together? Are you friends with five crazy scrappers who run all over the map aggroing everything in sight? I spend about 75% of my time alone, so this is slotted 3 heal, 2 recharge and 1 end redux.

    [u]Absorb Pain (2):[u]
    This is where the decisions need to be made. Absorb pain's end cost is less than a single point. It provides a 67% single target heal and takes 15 seconds to recharge. The downside is that you take some of the damage yourself, and cannot be healed for a short time. The up-side is that it needs little or no slotting. One single +3 Health SO in here ramps up the heal to 89% and two takes it over 100%. No endurance reduction is needed, and if you enjoy pain, then I suppose a recharge enhancement could go in here. Most folks advocate a single health enhancement in it, then leave it alone. This power does have a myriad of uses, but remember that it's useless if you're solo. Throughout the game you will find yourself on a team where someone is getting his backside handed to him and AP will fill a green bar very quickly. It does need careful use though. If you're taking agro yourself and you fire this off, then you will be in trouble. Some defenders like to take a shot for the team, others believe they can handle it, and others bemoan it. Until you get your buffing powers later though, this can provide some level of damage-mitigation-through-healing.

    [u]Ressurect (6):[u]
    Quite simply this gets a fallen hero back into the fray with the minimum of fuss. It has a hefty end cost (50) and a fat three minute recharge. I feel it's biggest use is in combat when you lose an important team member. It gets them back on their feet, fully healed and ready to carry on arresting. If a tanker (for example) goes down on a team where he is the main damage absorber, then you will often find that unless a Kheld can step swiftly into the gap, all hell will quickly break loose. In Arch Villain fights, or against Giant Monsters, it is not uncommon for people to face-plant. Getting them back into the fray as soon as you can is a good thing. As for slotting, this will depend on personal choice. Mine is slotted with a single END redux to allow the hit to be taken during a fight. Recharge reduction is a consideration, however with a three minute recharge, to be able to use it multiple times in a fight would require more slots. I have been on teams where two or even three heroes have fallen and once that happens, only rarely does everyone survive.

    [u]Clear Mind (8):[u]
    Finally... A power you can skip initially. This power offers a good status protection to an ally. Fortunately, the villains that use status attacks don't generally appear until much later in the game. You could certainly get away with putting this off until after a travel power (if you are choosing one), but plan to fit it in somewhere before level 20. This power has a poor activation time (a shade over 3 seconds), and doesn't seem to last that long (although the Hero Planner says 90 seconds), but it is extremely useful and seems to remove a large amount of different mez effects (it clears the dizzy effect of using a wakey). One technique of using this is to ask for team members to hit "zzz" in the chatbar rather than try and cover everyone with it. In a fight, you'll be trying to do ten things at once, and refreshing CM will be low on the list. Accept that you can't keep everyone covered and move on. In smaller teams, this is less of an issue of course. As the levels progress, you will find that (non-Fire)Tankers and Scrappers get good mez protections, so are unlikely to need it. The Blasters and Controllers (as well as fellow defenders) however will thank you for it - and don't forget our Kheldian allies either. Nova (squid) form has no status protection. As you can't enhance the status protection, you can slot this as you wish, however a point to note would be that a single recharge redux would mean it would recharge before you'd finish activating it Most folks go for an end redux...

    [u]Fortitude (12):[u]
    Finally a power that reduces the need to stab green buttons all the time. Fortitude will give a +30% Accuracy, defence and damage buff to the target. Both the to hit and defence portions are enhanceable as well as recharge, and with a recharge timer of 60 seconds (it has a duration of 45 seconds) slotting is a juggling act of recharge vs enhancement. Most players already slot their attacks to make sure they hit as often as they like, so the defensive portion of this power is probably more useful. My choice is 3 defbuff, 3 recharge redux and I can keep it on four folks when running Hasten. As to "who to target". Well that will depend on the team you're with. Rather than list a priority of AT's, I think the best way forward is to either ask who wants it initially, and then dish it out based on who is taking the biggest beating. Post SO's, Tankers & Scrappers tend to be able to handle themselves, so Blasters, Khelds and other Defenders would be my initial choice. Controllers are almost certainly going to be either not pulling any agro (everything is held) or pulling a ton of it (hold wears off/AoE Immobilise) so keep an eye on them too. If a tanker asks for it though, then it's worth handing it out. This is all part of the joy of defending for a team. Being reactive in a proactive way

    [u]Recovery Aura (18):[u]
    Finally, at level 18, we get the second power that can also affect us. It's nice too. For 90 seconds you'll have unlimited End pretty much. The 500 second recharge afterwards also gives you a clue as to where the enhancements should go. There is no real need to enhance this for Endurance Modification. Adding a fourth slot (recharge reduction) will reduce by a few seconds the availability. If you are teaming with people that fly (no pun) along, these extra seconds may be worth it. Another decision you will have to make. Creating a bind to announce the firing of this power will make life a lot easier. I have also included the "whistle" emote so that those not looking at the chat window still know it's about to be fired (see binds/macro's later)

    [u]Regeneration Aura (26):[u]
    Regeneration Aura has many benefits. At it's base, it is a 500% regen buff for 90 seconds with a 500 second recharge (same as Recovery Aura). Some people have argued that this power is useless, others that it is invaluable. I think this comes from the way the power is perceived to work. Certainly it doesn't give you the same health recovery as Recovery Aura does for end. What it does do though is trickle through an enhanced constant "heal" to all those in its aura when fired. Use of this power depends on your playstyle. If you like to top off any drop in a green bar on a player, then you may feel that this is a waste of a power choice. If you are prepared to late players hurt a little, you will notice how their hit points drop, but not at a rate that is worrying. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but in a team where everyone knows their job, and is managing their own defence to an extent (with click powers or insps) this power will give you a lot more time to breathe. I did slate this as being not overly useful in my previous guide and done a 100% about-face. Having tried many iterations of this on test now, I have ended up with it 6 slotted (3 recharge redux, 3 heal). Also, bear in mind that if you spend a large proportion of your time soloing and you don't take this power, you have access to only 2 useful powers out of 9 in the set. One has to ask why choose Empathy? Even if you don't put any slots in here (apart from a single heal or recharge redux in the default) it still is a nice buff out of the box.

    [u]Adrenalin Boost (32):[u]
    Well this is the top-tier power and the "jewel" allegedly. The target will receive a nice boost to Recharge (30%), Endurance recovery (40%) and hit point regeneration (50%). It makes a massive difference to the survivability of whoever you gift this buff to. Combined with Fortitude you can put your mind at ease that short of trying to take on Lusca's 8 tentacles singlehandedly, your target will now be safe. Well... for the next 90 seconds anyway. Another 300 second recharge timer makes it a "once per fight" power when coupled with three recharge reductions. Personally, I don't slot for end mod or health, but if you're slot rich, you may want to consider it.

    [u]Psychic Blast :[u]
    One of the major benefits of Psi, is that it seems to have the longest ranges in the game, which makes you a perfect puller at lower levels. The animations are pretty cool, and you have a good selection of powers to suit most playstyles. In I8, Mental Blast has had its animation "looked at" which (IMO) has made this set a lot better than it used to be. Additionally, whilst many claim that Psi is heavily resisted later in the game, it still has uses in PvP.

    I have used (rightly or wrongly) the Brawl Index numbers provided in Sherk's Hero Planner.

    [u]Mental Blast (1):[u]
    You have no choice, and to be honest, with the modifications in I8, this is now a very decent power. Fast recharge, and moderate damage (BI 2.78) coupled with a low end cost make this an ideal attack chain filler. One version of my empath (without Stamina) had this slotted 1 acc, 3 dam, 2 end redux and got on very well with it. Look at it as a free attack

    [u]Subdue (2):[u]
    Much changed since the I4 version I lambasted, this power is now a decent attack power. The damage is good (BI4.56) and the immob is probably not worth enhancing unless you like the nice pink rings. It's only a 5 second immob, so enhancing it is probably not worth the slots. The damage is very nice, so slotting for damage and a combination of whatever else tickles your fancy is the order of the day.

    [u]Psionic Lance (4):[u]
    Another decent attack power here. However being a snipe, it is interruptible, and also has a lengthy animation. Initially, I used it in combat frequently, but the fixing of Mental Blast has meant that this has been relegated a little from the attack chain. It has a 20% attack bonus though, and a range of 175 yards (most Psi attacks have 100). With a BI of 7.67 it's not to be sneezed at damage-wise either. If you are looking to open your attack chain with a bang, then this is the power. However, I found that after opening with it, I tended to drop into a cycle of MB/Subdue/TK/WD/MB etc and never needed to fire this off. Using it once per combat made me think once more about its' "situational availability" and I dropped it. No reason for you to though, although it does need investing with slots to be really effective outside the "alpha". When I was using it in combat, I slotted 3 damage, 2 interrupt reducers, and one end reduction. Certainly at lower levels it is very useful though, both as a pulling tool, and support fire.

    [u]Psychic Scream (10) :[u]
    I do like the look of Scream. It has a recharge of 12 seconds and end cost 11, as well as a pretty good AoE damage (BI 2.89). Choice of which secondary powers to opt for is always going to be hard, and this is a tough decision. Also it will be based on how many mobs you face in a mission, along with the difficulty settings. Against lots of mobs, repeated application of Scream will wear them down. If you have a team battering away at them at the same time, it's quite a good power for dropping your buff-mode for a second to damage a good proportion of the enemy. The range of the cone is outstanding - even to the point of picking up mobs further away than you thought. If I had the spare slots, I'd take this. It really does need 3 damage in here, plus whatever else you can spare in the acc/end redux/recharge redux department. I still miss it now.

    [u]Telekenetic Blast (16):[u]
    I love this power. It hits hard (BI 5.4), knocks back, and has a short activation time. If you hit and knock back a single target with this, you can fire off a Psi Lance before the hapless villain can get back to his feet, doing a very nice combo of damage to a single villain. Very quick activation (1 second!!) and a fairly quick recharge (8 seconds) make this one of your staple attacks. The end cost is also average (8) so slotting again is down very much to personal preference and secondary power choices.

    [u]Will Domination (20):[u]
    This is the second of your staple attacks. Not only does it do decent damage (BI 5.4), but it will sleep your opponent (for 30 seconds). By now you begin to exert control on the mobs. You can knock-back with TB and snooze another target allowing you more breathing time. Soloing now really becomes possible. No point in discussing slotting much - it will depend on your overall build. 3 damage is a good starter though.

    [u]Psionic Tornado (28):[u]
    I have run with this power now for some time, and have removed it quite recently. The planner says it's 5 ticks of 0.97 which equates to a BI of 4.86. It just seems to take an age to get there... The end cost is also hefty (18) and the recharge is not much better (20) although that's probably a good thing. It also feels like I'm locked in the animation for much longer than the 2.37 seconds stated in the planner. It is an AoE though, and does give you a measure of soft control with the knockback. I have found that the only time it is useful is in large groups when those few seconds that some of the mobs stay in the air allows the team to take a breather. With the long DoT, it is best fired at the beginning of your attack chain so it can continue to do its stuff while you blast/buff/heal away. Large AoE at the beginning of a fight often = Agro though unless you have a good team backing you up.

    [u]Scramble Thoughts (35) :[u]
    You already have a single target attack that provides some control (sleep) and does a good amount of damage with the Will Domination. As the character can chain together many of the previous more damaging attacks, this additional hold may not be necessary if you are a damage-lover. However it does provide a measure of hard control with a disorient (10 seconds). The 3 second activation and lower damage (BI 2.9) make it a tenuous judgment call as to whether it is "worth it" in the long run. In my opinion it's not worth it, but then my playstyle doesn't suit it. If you are going for a more controllery build though, this may be for you.

    [u]Psychic Wail (38) :[u]
    Pre - I5, you could run Recovery Aura, then hit a mob with this, take a step back, and within a second or two be ready to throw another attack at your heavily damaged (BI 15), mezzed-into-next-week (well.. 15 seconds) survivors. I5 fixed the "nuke" attacks to flatten your END line regardless of the recoveries you have in place for 8 seconds. For an Empath this is Not Good. In team situations, you can no longer have a heal ready after throwing it and soloing it really does not work. This power only has a use if you have a couple of spare blue insps you can chew on straight away aftwerards (and perhaps Conserve Power from the Epic pool). That makes it potentially a situational power which can be taken if you have the spare power choices and/or like the animation (which is very nice).

    [u]Secondary Sets[u]
    Secondary power choices are very much dependent on playstyle. I will try and cover all the merits as well as some synergies, but ultimately there are too many combinations to cover.
    Top Doc's movement guide is an excellent place for travel power research for those interested: <a href="**http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=3086027&page=0&a mp;fpart=1&vc=1" target="_blank">Link</a>

    [u]Speed :[u]
    Hasten... With over half your powers having a recharge of 300 seconds+, this power will help tremendously in making you capable in time for the next fight. Most of the secondary powers have long-ish recharges, so this power will almost certainly be a boon. It is also a pre-requisite for Superspeed which makes early power choices easier if you want a travel power at 14 without taking any other pools.

    [u]Flight :[u]
    Flight is very much a personal preference. Hover works well 3-slotted and Air superiority is a decent melee attack if you are that way inclined. Group Flight is also useful for places like the Shadow Shard and as a partial replacement for Recall Friend in a pinch (i.e. Zone Transport). The knockback resistance in Hover is also very useful as you get no status protection in any of your primary powers.

    [u]Teleportation :[u]
    Once keybound (see binds), Teleport isn't so bad. It is still high maintenance (in some opinions), and if you have a requirement for Recall Friend or TP Foe, then it is always an option. Recall Friend is a convenience power at best. Pulling people long (across zone) distances, or out of a fight so you can rez them etc. is a useful tool, but how much of a difference does it really make? Of course the more useful aspect is when combined with Stealth to allow you to sneak to mission objectives and tp the team there. TP foe also has PvP uses as well as the pulling ability, but with the Psi secondary, you have already got an excellent choice of pulling tools.

    [u]Leadership :[u]
    Defenders get the best benefits from the Leadership pools. Manoevers isn't really worth the 3% defence, however Assault gives you a nice damage bonus (18%) and Tactics (if three slotted for To hit Buffs) can compensate for lack of accuracy SO's in many (if not all) of your secondary powers. The PvP +Perception bonus is handy too. Add to the fact it stacks with other players and you really do have a win-win situation. Tricky to run in Stamina-less builds, but possible as long as not too many other toggles are running. vengeance is great, but very situational. Now I'm actually at 50, I find that players die so rarely that it isn't worth the power slot. Some of the missions leading up to the "end-game" (Maria Jenkins' AV arcs for example) may find more of a use for it.

    [u]Concealment :[u]
    Very straightforward power pool. Useful if you are finding soloing difficult and want to "grab-the-glowy" without being seen. Also, grant Invis is a nice buff for squishie team mates until they've attacked (the 3% def buff is pretty insignificant though). Stacking secondary powers such as Invis, Hover, CJ, Weave, Manoevers etc is a possibility, but there are so many powers to be chosen for so little defence. If you can convince yourself though, congratulations!

    [u]Fitness :[u]
    Stamina... Well, there are several schools of thought on this, and your entire build needs to be thought about carefully. Firstly, you can easily build an Empath that doesn't need Stamina. Lots of end reduxes, Power epic pool (conserve power) and very few toggles will mean soloing is possible. In a team, this will be even easier with Vigilance (the defender inherent). However if you're running an Empath with lots of toggles (Leaping, Epic armours, Stealth, leadership etc) then Stamina will help a lot. Nuff said.

    [u]Presence :[u]
    It's just not your job to scare people. Let the tanker do that with his big axe/fist etc, or the Scrapper with her scintillating dialogue and maxed out chest slider. The top tier powers may however help with a more controllery type build. I have never run with these powers due to the limitation of four power pools so there's not a lot more I can say.

    [u]Medicine :[u]
    All of the powers available here can be duplicated to some extent with your primary. Spending one of your four pool choices here could be argued to be a waste.

    [u]Fighting :[u]
    The powers in this set don't really compliment your primary & secondary. Tough (7.5% resist) and Weave (2.5% defence) are all you will have, as your existing powers don't work to improve them with the exception of some other pool powers and the epic armours.

    [u]Leaping :[u]
    This is an interesting choice as it does provide you with a fair bit of status resistance (as well as a travel power). Combat Jumping resists immobilises and Acrobatics resists knockback & hold. There is nothing worse than hitting the "zzz" key whilst your team gets slaughtered. This poolset can provide a good mitigation to those nasty mezzes.

    [u]Epic Power Pools :[u]
    The Epic pools are another set of choices that need to mesh with your primary and secondary choices up to Level 41. For me, concept was also a factor, hence why I haven't written much about Electricity. It's the only one that didn't fit with the concept and so didn't get tested.


    [u]Power Mastery[u]


    [u]Conserve Power :[u]
    Reduces the End cost of your powers for 90 seconds. It has a lengthy 600 second recharge though, so recharge reduction enhancements will obviously help. If you are running a Stamina-less build, this power helps survive during the downtime of RA. It also help if you chose Psi Wail as that single blue popped after the nuke goes much further. If you are running a lot of toggles and have gone Stamina-less, then this power is a real jewel. Having played a defender with Stamina and this powerset, I think it's probably overkill End wise, although there are some that could run out of end I'm sure.

    [u]Power Buildup :[u]
    So much more than regular build up (from a Defender perspective), this power boosts your non-damaging attacks too. Aura's, Fortitude and your heals. Not to mention your attacks. Another long recharge timer though makes this a painful set if you're without Hasten. A great power though. +50% damage buff and a +100% effect buff. It really does make Fortitude sickening.

    [u]Temporary Invulnerability :[u]
    A 20% resistance to lethal & smashing is not to be sneezed at. Slotted for resistance it priovides some much needed defence, but then so do all the shields in the third tier of the epic pools.

    [u]Total Focus :[u]
    Very nice melee damage (BI 9.8) with a nice disorient for good measure. The only problem with this attack is its terribly slow activation. In all the time I ran with this I was constantly finding my victim being shot out from under me by a blaster or scrapper. By level 47 those two AT's are cutting swathes through most things, so I dropped it in the end out of frustration With the improvements to Psychic Blast, do you really want to get into melee range?

    [u]Psychic Mastery[u]

    [u]Dominate :[u]
    15 seconds of hard control with a 1 second activation and a moderate (BI2.7) damage make this a much better contender (on paper) than Scramble Thoughts. Combined with the aforementioned power, this isn't too bad at giving you a fairly good measure of control. As a damage power though, it seems mildly underwhelming, but that is based on observation rather than any hard numbers...

    [u]Mass Hypnosis :[u]
    Nice AoE snooze that works well solo unless you have the two AoE's in the Psi set (which will awaken your targets as soon as you hit them). Gives you a 30 second (not sure about this - Hero planner & my testing differ somewhat) sleep to all hit by the AoE which is lots of time to mop up those bad guys one at a time.

    [u]Mind Over Body :[u]
    A 27% resist to Smash & lethal and a 20% resist to Psi makes this a better shield than Invulnerability. The special effect doesn't clash with your primary set either. To some... colour co-ordination is everything.

    [u]Telekenesis :[u]
    I have played around with this power and it is a good deal of fun. With Recovery Aura running, you can pin folks up against the wall and nail them all day (well for 90 seconds). It can be a lifesaver, as there are few mobs I have found so far that are resistant to the repel effect. I really hated this power when I first tried it on test, but after running with it for some time now, I like it a lot. In PvP it has saved my backside many a time, and whilst experienced PvP'ers can get around it, it will be a shock to those not expecting it. In PvP, you need as many shocks as you can get. I love it. Mix this with the nice range on your Psi attacks and you can keep most things pinned against a wall at distance whilst you pound them into whichever month you fancy.

    [u]Dark Mastery[u]

    [u]Oppressive Gloom :[u]
    Oppressive Gloom allows you to use your hit points to keep enemies close to you disoriented. I have not had much luck at all with this. Most of my testing was done in the Hollows on grey cons who just seemed to ignore it, or it took them an age to react and become disoriented. In theory, it would work well with Regen Aura up and your Heal Aura to recover the damage. My experience with it has been underwhelming.

    [u]Dark Consumption :[u]
    This is a great power if you are end hungry (Stamina-less / toggle heavy) but again, on test, the recharge time (360 seconds) makes the power situational (i.e. whenever it has eventually decided to recharge). Even 3 recharge redux doesn't seem to help much. When it does fire however, the End gain is very nice. Just two or three mobs and a couple of end mod slots make this a blue bar filler. However you have to be really close to the mobs you're hitting.

    [u]Dark Embrace :[u]
    20% resist to lethal, smash, toxic & negative energy. A shield.

    [u]Soul Drain :[u]
    Much better fourth tier power. Only a 120 second recharge, and a +20% accuracy bonus make this very nice out of the box. Testing seems to indicate this is a 4.5% damage bonus per foe affected for a short time, so if you can survive the initial agro, this followed by Psi wail can be a nice boost. BI value of 2.6. You do have to be fairly close to the mobs though, and it will draw agro.

    [u]Electric Mastery[u] (Note - never tested this. Comments are purely conjecture)

    [u]Electric Fence :[u]
    A single target immobilise (lasting 15 seconds) with a fast recharge makes this a good contender for the controllery defenders looking for more control.

    [u]Thunder Strike :[u]
    The 3 second activation appears to be quite a while but the BI of 9.1 would make it seem worth it. If this is anything like Total Focus however in terms of wind-up, then you'll be hitting a dead guy if you're on a team.

    [u]Charged Armour :[u]
    An 11% resistance to lethal, smashing and energy. Very good all round protection.

    [u]Power Sink :[u]
    Leeches mobs in close proximity of their Endurance, and adds to yours. This appears to be a much better option for the end-hungry than Dark Consumption, mainly because the recharge of 120 seconds is so much more manageable. It's the one power in the set that tempted me with my Stamina-less build, but the Electric Epic just doesn't fit conceptually. Try on test...


    So that's the power descriptions done. Next we'll look at some more generic things in reference to defenders (or even general play).

    [u]The Respec[u]
    Respec's are becoming more common. Veteran rewards and the respec trials mean that you may have a good deal of flexibility in your build. The Empathy defender doesn't really benefit from taking some powers and dropping them at a later respec, but the respec does allow you to change (quite dramatically) your playstyle whenever you wish.
    Copy your toon to the test server (Here's how). Try out the builds you like. This is so important when you consider that there are many ways of building a hero. There is nothing worse than dropping Stamina on a respec only to discover you absolutely cannot live without it and can't respec back. The Test Server will allow you to try some of the less obviously "great" powers (Psi Scream, Tornado, Scramble Thoughts etc) and draw your own conclusions as to whether they are worth it for you.
    Also, bear in mind that you may wish to Exemplar down to a lower level (to do Task Forces, or team with friends) and the powers you will lose as you drop may make a difference.
    The Hero Builder is a great program for building your hero offline, and for looking at the effect of your enhancements. Build, Test, then finally once you're happy, respec and enjoy. It can be a lengthy process, but getting the hero "just right" is (IMO) worth the effort.


    [u]Team Play[u]
    Time is your greatest enemy. Heals never recharge fast enough, animations never finish quick enough, and you always need RA ten seconds before it refreshes.
    I believe that Empathy is a team orientated primary. Not until you move into the 20's are you going to feel able to take on the world on your own, and soloing as an Empath can be a slow process. Read the guides on starting a team, open the chat window and get talking... Try this for starters...

    [u]1. Screen Setup.[u]
    Make sure you have your screen set up with everything you need. The team window should be open, so you can see at a glance who's in trouble and/or has status effects on them. It's easier for rotating Fort through your chosen few if you are skipping down the team select list.

    [u]2. Team Setup.[u]
    When you are on a team and in a fight, there is no need to look at the screen. Select your target hero, then the appropriate power from the team tray, keeping a close eye on those red and blue lines. Assume you're the only one watching that and call for END rests (at lower levels) or help for those that are getting continually battered. Get a feel for who's tough, who's not, who needs Fortitude, and who missed the last drop of RA. The fighters will be looking at the screen for targets. You should be looking at their health and status. When in a mission, you will quickly get a feel for the team and how badly they need your healing. If they don't need healing. Get blasting! But start slowly, picking off stragglers and with one eye always on that team bar. Your job is to stop them dying. Blast if you can, but not at the expense of a team mate. Watch out for any AoE's you have. You are the last person that needs to pull agro. Likewise, make sure you're outside the range of enemy AoE's. This is especially important in the 35-50 range when you're going up against AV's and the like.
    It has been mentioned that you can set player health on-screen over the actual player, and this may work better, but clicking a target in a room full of mobs can sometimes be difficult. Ideally, with your numberpad bound to team members, you won't even need to click for your primary powers. Click away for your blasts, then drop your hand to the numberpad when it's buff time.
    (edit) The above information is mainly for those who do not play defenders. You may already have a good feel for the team you run with, and may also be able to "read" a team well. The suggestions above are just that. Your job is to defend, and be aware of how the team is doing. If you can do that by some other means, then the above info is redundant.

    [u]3. Communicate.[u]
    Ask who needs Fortitude. Call for recovery Aura. Tell folks to hit "zzz" when they are held, slept or want Clear Mind. Shout when you are out of end. Ask if anyone has spare insps (if you're short, for example, on blues). Give away your reds, purples and yellows (especially at lower levels). They are no good to you, and could swing the tide of battle. Call for retreat and then run! If you chose Recall Friend and Rez, you can pull the whole team back to a safe part of the mish to rest / awaken / rez as needed. If you die and no one has awakens, guess who has the long run back from Hospital? Communication is the key to a good team. Does the tanker need Fort? Ask him! He may say "nah, I'm fine", but that might prompt someone else to speak out.

    [u]4 Buff![u]
    If Fortitude is recharged. Hit someone with it. All too often I am on a team with an Empath, and no one has a red head. Even if you hit the same person, it's a big buff and it needs to be continually recharging. Every time you pause, check Fort. If it's recharged, hit a blaster with it. The same goes for Adrenalin Boost and to a certain extent, Clear Mind. This means you are constantly checking to see who has what and who needs what. Empathy Defending requires a sharp mind and quick thinking, if you want less stress pick another AT! Use your Aura's judiciously. If no one's end bar is moving, then there is no need to fire it off. It's then ready for the next "big" fight when you will actually need it.

    [u]5. Key Binds.[u]
    At the very least, you should macro or bind your calls for RA's. Later in the game, I found binding team select to the number pad (i.e. press 1, selects team member 1) then Fortitude, Clear Mind and Heal Other to "/" "*" and "-" respectively, with Heal Aura on "+" are invaluable in laggy situations where mouse clicks don't respond. You can practice the keybinds on the Police Drones. Although the powers don't work, they still go through the motions, and there's no one to laugh at you if you make a mess up! There are many guides to binds on the boards, but the one I followed is available here.

    These are the binds I use for Mellenta. Just type them into the chatbar and they'll be done. This setup is based simply around the number pad. Numbers one to eight select the team member and the keys around the number pad are used for buffing. :

    /bind numpad1 "team_select 1"
    /bind numpad2 "team_select 2"
    /bind numpad3 "team_select 3"
    /bind numpad4 "team_select 4"
    /bind numpad5 "team_select 5"
    /bind numpad6 "team_select 6"
    /bind numpad7 "team_select 7"
    /bind numpad8 "team_select 8"

    /bind add "powexec_name Healing Aura"
    /bind subtract "powexec_name Heal Other"
    /bind multiply "powexec_name Clear Mind"
    /bind divide "powexec_name Fortitude"

    /bind f "say Gather for Recovery Aura" (Binds the "f" key to a local shout for RA)
    /bind lbutton+lshift "powexec_name Telport" (binds the shift key and the left click to teleport)

    [u]Last Words....[u]

    [u]"We need a healer" / "R U a Healer?"[u]
    If a team sends you a tell saying they "need" a healer, then it's probably wise to approach with care. They probably only want someone who can stop the green bar falling, and often, this is to compensate for bad tactics. No amount of "healing" can save poor teamwork. I tend to give these teams a very small leash, and leave at the first sign of a road accident. (Feel free to try and sort out where the problem lies. I rarely have time!) Of course there are exceptions to this, but my experience is such that "we need a healer" usually = debt.

    [u]PvP (Empath PoV - not other Defender AT's)[u]
    I am not an expert PvP'er. Let's state that from the start. Every time I go into a PvP zone, I feel as though I have a big fat target on my head. I have joined teams, and tried to badge hunt solo and several times have been involved in some sort of conflict with villains. And those villains don't like Empaths. I can see why. We have little or no mez protection, we can't do a great amount of damage, we make their other opponents almost unkillable. So although we can't actually do much damage to the bad guys, we can make their life hell when we're teamed with someone. Make no mistake though, even on a team, you will be a priority target.
    There are two ways to look at this. The first is to accept you're going to eat dirt fairly often and so you do your best to buff the hell out of your friends before face-planting. No need to change your PvE build, and it is pretty good fun (as long as you don't mind getting spanked). The second is to build your toon specifically for PvP, and this is doable without too much of a hit to your PvP build. You'll want to consider powers such as Leaping and Speed for the movement aspect of PvP, Concealment for stealth and Leadership for the +Perception. This means that your power pool choices will be restricted somewhat and this may affect (to the point of not being worthwhile to you) your PvE build. Remember : Only three of those powers work on you. Soloing in a PvP zone is going to require a good degree of skill.
    Personally, I know I'm not great at PvP so I've stuck with my PvE build and don't let it worry me if it's not the PvP FOTM. I can make my scrapper or blaster friends (who I duo with quite a bit) pretty much invincible and it's good to watch the enemy fall, even if it is from behind the "Go To Hospital" pop-up. The simple fact is that we are less risky to take out than most AT's because our only arsenal is our secondary power set. The good news is that it's Psi which is not that well resisted by villains/heroes. Every cloud has a silver lining
    There is a good guide to the PvP Empath here, which you should read (along with the reply comments) if you need a more detailed explanation.


    [u]Very Final Thoughts...[u]
    Empathy defending is rewarding. Saving lives, pulling teammates out of trouble, blasting, buffing, strategic placement of auras... It is certainly the most interesting AT I have played, though I am not an "I have several 50's" player. Certainly if there is nothing going on or no teams, I can go badge hunting, TP folks to Atlas globe, or spend an hour or so in the Hollows pulling teams from trouble and helping out new players. Almost always, I get tells of thanks from players who were in trouble and it makes me happy to be a hero. I'm no taxi-bot, but don't mind responding to calls for one. I like to RP, exemplar, and am happy to just fly around.
    I think the Psi secondary is an unusual choice, and quite rare. I still don't get tired of knocking trolls of roof's in the Hollows with Telekenetic Blast. A lot of folks bemoan it, but even if I could respec out of it I don't think I would.

    [u]Mellenta, L50 Empathy/Psychic Blast Defender[u]

    ---------------------------------------------
    Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
    ---------------------------------------------
    Name: Mellenta (Virtue Server)
    Level: 50
    Archetype: Defender
    Primary: Empathy
    Secondary: Psychic Blast
    ---------------------------------------------
    01) --> Heal Other==> Heal(1) Heal(3) Heal(7) Rechg(11) EndRdx(11) Rechg(21)
    01) --> Mental Blast==> Acc(1) Dmg(5) Dmg(25) Dmg(29) Rechg(37) EndRdx(40)
    02) --> Healing Aura==> Heal(2) Heal(3) Heal(7) Rechg(9) Rechg(9) EndRdx(21)
    04) --> Subdue==> Acc(4) Dmg(5) Dmg(25) Dmg(29) EndRdx(39) Rechg(39)
    06) --> Combat Jumping==> EndRdx(6)
    08) --> Resurrect==> EndRdx(8)
    10) --> Hasten==> Rechg(10) Rechg(17) Rechg(23)
    12) --> Fortitude==> DefBuf(12) DefBuf(13) Rechg(13) Rechg(15) Rechg(15) Rechg(17)
    14) --> Super Jump==> Jump(14) Jump(43)
    16) --> Swift==> Run(16)
    18) --> Recovery Aura==> Rechg(18) Rechg(19) Rechg(19)
    20) --> Clear Mind==> EndRdx(20)
    22) --> Telekinetic Blast==> Acc(22) Dmg(23) Dmg(33) Dmg(34) Rechg(37) Rechg(37)
    24) --> Health==> Heal(24) Heal(40) Heal(46)
    26) --> Regeneration Aura==> Rechg(26) Rechg(27) Rechg(27) Heal(31) Heal(34) Heal(34)
    28) --> Acrobatics==> EndRdx(28)
    30) --> Stamina==> EndMod(30) EndMod(31) EndMod(31)
    32) --> Adrenalin Boost==> Rechg(32) Rechg(33) Rechg(33) Heal(46) Heal(46)
    35) --> Will Domination==> Acc(35) Dmg(36) Dmg(36) Dmg(36) Rechg(39) Rechg(40)
    38) --> Assault==> EndRdx(38)
    41) --> Dominate==> Acc(41) Dmg(42) Dmg(42) Hold(42) Rechg(43) Hold(43)
    44) --> Mind Over Body==> EndRdx(44) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45) DmgRes(45)
    47) --> Telekinesis==> EndRdx(47) EndRdx(48) Rechg(48) Rechg(48)
    49) --> Tactics==> EndRdx(49) TH_Buf(50) TH_Buf(50) TH_Buf(50)
    ---------------------------------------------
    01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
    01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
    01) --> Vigilance==> Empty(1)
    02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
    ---------------------------------------------

    This is another build for Mel who now has only 2 Vet respecs remaining. I would love to be able to squeeze Absorb pain in here as well as Psychic Scream, but I so rarely used AP that it wasn't worth it to me, and I just couldn't find a power to drop for Scream.
    Previous incarnations had both Flight and Teleport at the expense of Stamina and Leaping, and this has meant a big difference in the way she plays. Currently however she only works in small (less than 4 heroes) teams or goes solo, so needs to be able to pull her weight in a fight as well as on her own. She does these exceptionally well, and can even go toe to toe in the arena or PvP with less experienced players (if I'm lucky!) I do miss Flight though, and Recall Friend... Sacrifices must be made however, and this build has surprised me more by what it can do than by what it can't. It also goes to show that whilst some choices may seem odd, they work for me.
    Lastly, the power choices per level may seem strange, but Mel doesn't need to exemp any more for anything specific, so any exemping is generally done with friends which makes pwoer choices less of an issue.

    Happy defending!

    -H
  17. [ QUOTE ]
    Great build, but why would you want to 6slot heal other with the same enhancments due to ED. I rather 3 slot it heal or maybe for and sabe the slots for another power.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    This guide seems to have been ressurected by recent comments, and is well over a year old (Pre-ED). Due to this I'm revising it now taking into consideration some of the comments, and adding some actual numbers from the hero planner. I hope to make it a bit more generic and less "this is how you should do it". Also planning to add in Epic power pools and actual keybinds for illustration.

    -H
  18. [ QUOTE ]
    The numbers behind this just dont seem to add up to the effect it gives. When I first had this power, I was expecting a health version of Recovery Aura, but it wasn't. In fact I could discern no actual benefit to the health of the team in a fight.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    The more I play my Empath (under a variety of different respecs) the more I have changed my mind about this power. In fact this guide (written pre-ED) points towards quite a heavily team focussed defender. I have tried many combinations of attack powers to allow soloing (and now PvP'ing) and have found Regen aura to be very useful in those situations where you are busy with something other than buffing.

    As stated above, this power is very useful solo, and a six slotted Regen aura (3 recharge, 3 heal) helps a lone Empath work a good deal better. Unfortunately, being an Empath doesn't make good soloing, (six of your nine powers are useless) so if you plan to spend much time alone, then I would heartily reccommend this.

    On the flipside, if you are a team focussed buffer (heals, fort & AB) you may find that it doesn't really make much of a difference. In reality, those aforementioned buffs are probably making it seem as though Regen Aura is not doing much.

    With the build on my toon now, I have the slots and power choices to spare. I do solo a fair bit (as well as team) but the people I do solo with I know well and they don't need as much Empath work. Toss up both auras, a couple of Forts, then that's it for the rest of the fight, allowing me to focus more on arresting. Try it for yourself, resisting the urge to stab out a heal the moment someone takes damage and see what effect it has. If it's not good for you, then drop it next respec.

    I have seen Empath builds with this power and without. In both cases the Empath managed team defending well. I think it's down to personal choice.

    -H
  19. Thanks for the reply.

    In response to...

    [ QUOTE ]
    And I haven't been able to test this (because I mostly solo and didn't realize the turret trick--nice!) Anyway, I am basing this statement on anecdotal evidence provided by others. So I could be wrong. Has anyone in the 26-36 range gotten their Shivan pets to work right? Buehler? Buehler?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    My 50 Emp/Psi just tried it out and summons a nice fat green level 50 shivan.

    One last question : Should Recall Friend work on it? The power fires and goes through the animation, but doesn't tp my green friend.

    -H
  20. Handy guide - thanks.

    I've just solo'd this with my Emp/Psi defender (not a soul in BB fortunately) and did notice that the pop-up turrets didn't want to respawn at all for me. I blew up one of the outer guns and within a very short time they had respawned.

    One more question though. If you are on a team, who gets the temp power? Everyone or just the one with the fragment?

    -H
  21. Great guide.

    I've always avoided the star like the plague, mainly due to responsibility issues as mentioned above. However, my Tank is increasingly finding teams that just sadden me, so using the old adage "If you don't like something, have a go yourself" I looked up this guide and have decided to give leadership a go.

    One point not really covered is team size. Other posts talk of 4-6 as being an optimum team size for xp gain, and taking into account simple team management, this would ring true here. 8 man teams (in my experience) are usually either steam-rollers, or debt magnets. However, considering the team leader angle, I'm guessing a team size of 6 would be ideal. This wouldn't leave you too short if someone left, and wouldn't be high enough to increase mission completion times and turn every mission into an eternal slugfest. Any experienced leaders have any thoughts on this?

    -H
  22. I have always wondered how much influence it takes to fully slot a character. Especially when SG mode deprives you of so much in the later game. How much Influence is required to buy shiny new enhancements is a good question. This post attempts to answer it.

    The following numbers are based on a character throwing away all their old enhancements as soon as they can get new ones, and buying DO's & SO's as soon as possible. There are ways and means to reduce the cost of a new set of enhancements, either with a respec, or by not rushing to upgrade everything all at once. These things aren't discussed here as this is merely an at-a-glance view to how much it could potentially cost to upgrade everything.

    Enhancements have varying costs based on what they enhance. Damage & Healing for example, are the most expensive, with accuracy a close second. Jump Distance, Run Speed, Hold Duration etc all cost less than damage, so the prices quoted below are worst case, and also assume you are slotting everything. (Some folks don't slot Rest or Brawl at all at later levels.) I have listed the cost for an Accuracy Enhancement, a Damage Enhancement (most expensive) and a KNockback Enhancement (cheapest).

    Negami's CoV Enhancement Price Guide details the difference in cost between each one, so it is possible to calculate exactly how much it would cost...

    Next to each level breakpoint, I put in brackets where I got my prices from. There may be other places to get them cheaper, but as this is just a rough guide, I figure it's not worth worrying about.

    Finally, I would highly recommend ZealotOnAStick's Universal Enhancement Guide as a good place to get a lot more detail. (Zealot - If you ever re-write that guide and would like to include these numbers, feel free!)

    Level 2 (Atlas Trainer)
    At level 2, you can buy level 5 Training Enhancements. You will need 8 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 9.
    Acc TO costs 576 Inf
    Dam TO costs 500 Inf
    Knockback TO costs 156 Inf
    8 Slots @ 500 Inf = 4,000 to fully slot out.


    Level 7 (Atlas Trainer)
    At level 7, you can buy level 10 Training Enhancements. You will need 15 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 19 if they have a Nova form.
    Acc TO costs 1,056 Inf
    Dam TO costs 1,000 Inf
    Knockback TO costs 330 Inf
    15 Slots @ 1,000 Inf = 15,000 to fully slot out.


    Level 12 (Skyway Tech shop)
    At level 12, you can buy level 15 Dual Origin Enhancements. You will need 22 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 27 if they have a Nova form.
    Acc DO costs 6,129 Inf
    Dam DO costs 5,985 Inf
    Knockback DO costs 1,976 Inf
    22 Slots @ 5,985 Inf = 131,670 to fully slot out.


    Level 17 (Skyway Tech shop)
    At level 17, you can buy level 20 Dual Origin Enhancements. You will need 30 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 35 if they have a Nova form.
    Acc DO costs 8,044 Inf
    Dam DO costs 7,980 Inf
    Knockback DO costs 2,634 Inf
    30 Slots @ 7,980 Inf = 239,400 to fully slot out.


    Level 22 (Talos Mutant Shop)
    At level 22, you can buy level 25 Single Origin Enhancements. You will need 37 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 48 if they have a Nova form and a Dwarf form.
    Acc SO costs 29,952 Inf
    Dam SO costs 30,000 Inf
    Knockback SO costs 9,900 Inf
    37 Slots @ 30,000 Inf = 1,110,000 to fully slot out.



    Level 27 (Talos Mutant Shop)
    At level 27, you can buy level 30 Single Origin Enhancements. You will need 45 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 56 if they have a Nova form and a Dwarf form.
    Acc SO costs 35,712 Inf
    Dam SO costs 36,000 Inf
    Knockback SO costs 11,880 Inf
    45 Slots @ 36,000 Inf = 1,620,000 to fully slot out.


    Level 32 (Founders Falls Contact)
    At level 32, you can buy level 35 Single Origin Enhancements. You will need 53 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 64 if they have a Nova form and a Dwarf form.
    Acc SO costs 41,472 Inf
    Dam SO costs 42,000 Inf
    Knockback SO costs 13,860 Inf
    53 Slots @ 42,000 Inf = 2,226,000 to fully slot out.


    Level 37 (Founders Falls Contact)
    At level 37, you can buy level 40 Single Origin Enhancements. You will need 66 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 77 if they have a Nova form and a Dwarf form.
    Acc SO costs 47,232 Inf
    Dam SO costs 48,000 Inf
    Knockback SO costs 15,840 Inf
    66 Slots @ 48,000 Inf = 3,168,000 to fully slot out.


    Level 42 (Ghost Falcon - PI)
    At level 42, you can buy level 45 Single Origin Enhancements. You will need 77 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 88 if they have a Nova form and a Dwarf form.
    Acc SO costs 52,992 Inf
    Dam SO costs 54,000 Inf
    Knockback SO costs 17,820 Inf
    77 Slots @ 54,000 Inf = 4,158,000 to fully slot out.


    Level 47 (Ghost Falcon - PI)
    At level 47, you can buy level 50 Single Origin Enhancements. You will need 88 of them to fully slot your character. Kheldians will need 99 if they have a Nova form and a Dwarf form.
    Acc SO costs 58,752 Inf
    Dam SO costs 60,000 Inf
    Knockback SO costs 19,800 Inf
    88 Slots @ 60,000 Inf = 5,280,000 to fully slot out.

    As I've said above, this is probably a worst case number as not many folks just have slotted ACC & DAM. It is merely a rough number to keep in your head as a guide to what you should be saving for. At least then you may have change to go to the tailor for that nose job you were after...

    -H
  23. Interesting topic!

    I have been playing tabletop RPG's for 25 years now, and its popularity and place in modern perception has changed significantly over that time. However it was always a bit "geeky" I guess because all the cool places you explored with your character were created in your head. I think that is why paper RPG's have stood the test of time so well. After all, your imagination never gets old.

    Computer games in general have been popular because of their "wow" factor. i.e. "what-you-see-on-screen-and-how-you-interact-with-it" but they will never replace the imagination. Games such as Neverwinter Nights really begins to allow a true tabletop feel with a toolset that allows a "DM" to create his or her own world, and then DM it for a group of players online. Having the DM flexibility to replace AI, and to provide commentary text realtime to further the plot and/or interact personally with the characters is a major step towards closing the gap between computer and table. I see games like this as the next step forward in true online roleplaying games, mixing AI with human control and having a flexibility to build the world you want rather than the one someone else has designed.

    City Of Heroes stands out I think in that whilst it does not have "GM's" (in the tabletop definition) it does provide an extremely rich environment to roleplay in (should you wish). However, it is primarily designed as a combat game with a lot of pretty baubles on the side, and I personally think that if that doesn't change, then CoH/CoV will go the same way as all the other computer games out there as it naturally ages. The rich background, the different AT's, Supergroup Bases (and what they may become), and PvP allow for more than just "bash the AI until you get to 50, then rinse and repeat until bored". That said though - City Of Heroes is a place I come to to bash villains heads, to team with friends, and to be a hero for a while. When I want to roleplay, I go play something else.

    This is not to say that roleplaying doesn't happen here - it does. The game is just not flexible enough to allow a "DM runs a story for players" type scenario, and I very much doubt it ever will be (I don't think that was ever the designers' intention). I have tried it : with heroic and villanous friends in the PvP zones, but you can guess what happened. Not everyone wants to RP
    If the designers did ever manage to blend that into what already exists though, then I think that would truly set the game apart (moreso than it is).

    [ QUOTE ]
    . I see a return in many ways to D&D type scenarios with COH/COV, in that people can communicate with one another. Unlike the console based RPG's like Final Fantasy, Zelda, etc on Nintendo, Playstation, and XBOx (the non-online versions). Is this a good thing

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Most certainly - yes

    [ QUOTE ]
    or does it mean that the genre has been co-opted by mainstream tourists?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I think it is aimed at the mainstream tourists. These games aren't created for the tiny minority of roleplayers. They are created to drag in the comparatively massive computer game community out there.

    Apologies if I rambled round in circles - I'm not even sure if I made it to a point in the end...

    -H
  24. I guess this guide is defunct now as CuppaJo recently posted a link to the official list.

    Here you go!

    Click Me

    -H