Them3OtherGuys

Captain Dietrich. Seriously, screw that *****. "I did not need your assistance." "Of course not. You're a pro at getting down on your knees in front of Rikti."

RP drama queens. Especially the ones ignorant of the fact that they're RP drama queens.

A certain someone whose handle starts with an X.

You took the words right out of my mouth, dude.

Personally, my only two complaints about CO were 1) it felt like WoW in spandex, and 2) it wasn't City of Heroes.

1 was just a personal opinion and 2 is just an ugly truth—nothing will be City of Heroes. But I may be willing to go for second best to fill my crime-fightin' urges. Maybe. Way too soon for me to make that decision.

It certainly looks interesting. Not just from the website, but also the almost hour and a half video from TotalBiscuit. Based on all the information available:

Pros
—I love all things Steampunk
—Dungeon crawls are fun on occasion
—The world and its narrative are richly detailed
—Decent graphics

Cons
—A little heavy on the fantasy, but mostly towards player races (elves and goblinoids)
—Very limited customization, but with promises of "more to come"
—No travel powers (yet™)

There are other neutral (for me) factors involved. I could go either way on instances. The automatic travel is a neat feature, but nothing that makes the game or breaks it. It looks to have elements that appeal both to the hack 'n slashers and the role players, and I like to do both in equal measure.

But unfortunately, the pros don't outweigh the cons enough for me to make me really want closed beta access. I can wait to dink around on the open beta and according to the devs it'll be F2P with a purely cosmetic cash shop. And I'll admit that the cosmetics (or the lack thereof) is the biggest turn-off. With only a grand total of 36 class/race combinations, even with cosmetic accessories, very soon you'll have hundreds of people who pretty much look the same. Maybe they'll improve on that. I hope they do. Yes, CoX has spoiled me that way. I make no apologies for this. :P

Short version, the game looks okay but I seriously doubt it'll become my new major passtime.

I thought the Blue Steel Explosion was interesting. I never knew about all the 'Blue Steel = Chuck Norris' jokes, though (didn't frequent the forums enough, I guess). For my circle of friends we did that for Buck Salinger.

"Buck Salinger once punched Statesman in the face. Statesman apologized for getting in the way of his fist."

Also, the "Sharkhead Isle is the Leviathan" line. Makes perfect sense when you put all the stories together, but it was still MIND = BLOWN for me.

My very first was an Ill/Rad Controller named NanoBaud. He was a character I created for a comic book I was making with a friend several years previous named Modem—but that name was taken even on launch day when I started, probably reserved in Beta (managed to snag it when Exalted went live, though). So I went with NanoBaud as a joke about how I was still on dial-up at the time with an abysmal ping.

I won't lie, we were heavily influenced by Jason Lee and (*shudder*) Rob Liefield when we designed the character originally, and this is almost an exact copy of that concept art.

I eventually deleted him because it took FOREVER to get him to 20 and when I did, the first mission I took was Sky Raiders and the boss was a Jumpbot—way back when you had no choice but to always face Bosses and robots were all but completely immune to mental powers. Nothing made me weep so hard as when I saw my usually awesome Phantom Army doing 1 and 2 points of damage every hit.

Though he did get an appearance upgrade shortly before deletion:

I usually only ever found out about exploits after they'd been patched, but I do have a couple under my belt.

—I found a map hole in The Web that let you get under it and blast away at the Crey Protectors with impunity. I reported that one... after I got the Infiltrator badge out of it.

—I had a Level 1 villain with the Annihilator badge (LRSF). Early after MA's release, there was a bug where if you invited someone to a team while they were already on a 1-54 MA arc, it wouldn't check character level vs. TF/SF level and break the team upon entering the first map but no one was booted out. I discovered it when a friend padded me for a two-box old Posi TF and my Tanker running it entered the first mission at level 50. I talked some friends into trying it with the LRSF and a new character. Started the SF, logged out, logged back in before the badge mission and entered. Team broke, but everyone still got the badge. Never reported that one, but I deleted the character right afterwards anyway.

Though I wasn't the one to discover it, I did participate in and started several runs of breaking the old Abandoned Sewer Trial for buttloads of level 40 rare recipe rewards (buttloads as in however many 40+ characters you had per day).

My only other "confessions" are run-of-the-mill stuff. "Forgetting" to heal/buff jerkwads on my team. Faking disconnects when I didn't want to deal with someone's BS. That sort of thing.

Getting the kill shot on Reichsman with the Touch of the Nictus proc in Transfusion.

Running DA with my Energy/Traps Corruptor, having completely forgotten that I set AVs to spawn when playing with a friend the day before, and still managing to solo Tub Ci.

Castle: "Well, that certainly didn't Work As Intended™..."

After lengthy back-and-forth sessions with Support (which were getting rather heated on my end, I must admit. There's only so many hoops you can jump through before it's @#$! obvious there's no problem on the user end), I finally saw this in my inbox this morning:

Thanks for the update. Our network team has resolved any possible issues with our peering ISPs. There are no current issues with any return route or input route related to our data centers.

If you feel there is an issue with PCCW you will need to ask your ISP to open a ticket with them to have them investigate your lag issues.

Dubious at best, I ran the usual battery of tests. ping still showed 100% packet loss, tracert still timed out at the same hop it has been for over a month now. Logging into the game, nothing had changed: about a minute of green grass and then 400+ ping. So I got on the phone with Comcast straight away. After a good long discussion about it (and mad props to the tech for taking the time with me), it was determined that he was having the same issue I was with PCCW and he wasn't even using Comcast service. Since this problem was affecting more than just Comcast, the problem was somewhere within that hub and that ISP and not with Comcast itself.

Bottom line (at least for me, YMMV): NCSoft has fixed their end. Comcast has determined everything is good on my end. The culprit is narrowed down to PCCW Global. If you're having a similar problem still, I think it's time we start letting them know. Flood their inboxes with all the hard data we've given everyone else and they've given us in return. Even if nothing comes of it, at least an effort will have been made.

I'm still on the fence regarding my subscription, but I for one will stop blaming NCSoft for the problem. They've been patient through all of my outbursts and were genuinely trying to help me, and I can't fault them for that. Time to let slip the dogs of war on PCCW Global.

Whatever this 'emergency server maintenance' was, it didn't do jack s**t for my connection problems. Still getting ludicrous lag on all servers, East AND West Coast (Comcast, Denver). Support is still giving me the runaround with the usual canned responses—known issue, working on it, please be patient, etc.—while repeatedly asking me to supply them with the same system information I've given them half a dozen times already.

It's been over a month now, I'm out of patience. My sub is up on Oct. 12th. If this issue isn't resolved by then, they've lost a 5-year vet. Simple as that.

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Them3, you forgot the extreme utility of slotting Speed Boost for Run Speed. With 3 SOs of that, no player in their right mind would ask twice for the fabled SB Crack.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not so much that I forgot. The nature of effective slotting is in and of itself a tricky beast to master, especially now with the Erectile Dysfunction dillema. Such a topic is more deserving of its own FAQ, as it is one that should be gone into at depth. Perhaps one day the right (wo)man for that job will come along.

Now, to get the topic back on track here: UR HOTT! R U H34LAR? I <3 U LOLZ

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I've recently converted from the unwashed masses to a Kin defender. Do you have any specific advice of what powers I should take or avoid from that set?

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I have heard your cry for help, and I come to your aid. Having reached the lofty heights of level 29.3247291, I give unto you the wisdom of the Kineticist in these few simple Lessons. Take them to heart as the Empaths have taken unto TheMightyScourge's words, and one day you too might reach such a normally unattainable level.

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Lesson One: Know Your Place

This lesson should not be construed as meaning one should have a firm grasp as to the intricate mechanics of the archetypes and their roles in a cohesive team. The mere fact that you are playing a non-empath defender is a clear indicator of your superior knowledge in this regard. It is well known that the other archetypes are for those whose artistry of gameplay resembles taking a freshly-smoked ham and mashing it against the keyboard (Except for Controllers, of course. These chosen few, as stated earlier, should be regarded as the little brother/sister to the Defenders and should be protected as such. Be the Wally to their Beav, as it were).

But I digress.

For the Kinetic Defender, Knowing Your Place is having a firm grasp of how far one should be from an enemy for each given power, which targets to select for said powers and their effective AoE ranges. This is the Lesson one must take to heart, as it most impacts the other Lessons. This can best be explained by some individual examples of the Kinetic powers.

Transfusion: Your one and only actual healing power, so use it wisely. Lesson Two ties closest to this power, as well as to the point made for empaths: Staying alive is priority number one. If an enemy actually deigns to hit you for any amount of damage, locate the cur and immediately run in to steal it back. Some of your teammates might get caught in the "backwash", but this can't be helped. Again, it's not your fault the others can't look after their own health. If they don't have sense enough to run when they need to, they get what they deserve. And nothing is more frustrating that attempting to heal yourself, only to have one of your thick-headed goons defeat the mob just before the power goes off, wasting it. Be sure to lecture sternly afterward about how your heal actually works, since no one understands Kinetics.

Siphon Power: This is, first and foremost, a personal buff--or as close to one as makes no odds. When encountering any given group of mobs, the tankers will immediately flip their "ME SMASHORZ" switch like a good little meat shield and charge into the fray. The scrappers will closely follow, bellowing about how the enemy will taste righteous fur--OW I GOT A BOO-BOO. The blasters, of course, will chime in with "We're right behind you! WAAAAY behind you!" and pick away at the enemy from a distance like the cowards they are. So where does this leave you (and your wayward Controllers)? Firmly in the middle, using your stolen strength to bring the enemy down when everything invariably falls apart around you. Remember, it's never your fault that your teammates can't be bothered to stand still long enough to benefit from your abilities.

Siphon Speed: The one and only exception to the first part of Lesson Two, and an essential ingredient to Lesson Four.

Speed Boost: An extremely situational power: Your hapless Controller has finally gotten it right and "mezzed" a good portion of the enemy group. Blasters take this as an immediate cue to unleash every AoE attack in their arsenal. The mobs (naturally) all wake up and the meat shields (naturally) get in over their heads. Hit your 'troller with SB and tell 'em to get while the gettin's good. With the previous power going, you'll be ahead of them, anyway. Saying as how this situation is quite common, you'll probably be finding yourself using it for this extremely often.
But be wary of using this power even then. As soon as anyone else in the team realizes someone has the "Instant ADD" blue swirlies, the rest of your time in the group will be an endless deluge of "GIMME DA CRACK!!1!11!". State calmly but firmly that you are not a pusher. If video games have taught us anything, it's that Winners Don't Use Drugs.

Transference: See Lesson Five. Slight bending of Lesson Two is allowed, just don't get carried away.

There are more powers, of course, and all of them near useless. Repel? Fine, you listen to the fighters whine about knockback. Increase Density? Who wants to be slowed down? Inertial Reduction? What, the meat shields are going to jump the baddies to death? Fulcrum Shift? Regardless of your team's efficiency, fights don't last long enough for it to be even remotely useful.

Lesson Two: Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Hold this as true for every power you will select as a Kinetic Defender: Recharge reducers are a waste of precious influence and slots. The devs--and especially Statesman--have spent a great deal of time confirming that every power is at its optimum performance speed "out of the box". If the power hasn't cycled back up yet, you obviously don't need it yet, do you? When the power is ready to use, the right time to use it is now. Remember this Lesson well. When in unity with Lesson One, it will serve you for all of your days.


Lesson Three: The Right Tools for the Right Job

The Power Pools. They're there for everyone, so everyone should dip into them, right?

Wrong.

The Power Pools have very limited use for a Kinetic Defender and should be only taken sparingly, as they take away from the available powers for your primary and secondaries. You're going to need all the main powers you can to save yourself when those other louts can't do their jobs right.

If you really must take some, follow these guidelines:

Concealment: Completely unnecessary. None of Kinetic powers affect you and you alone, and the buffs last just as long as it takes for your teammates to bullheadedly rush into combat.
Fighting: Take only after level 28, and only if you have nothing better to waste the power on. Marginally useful for Lesson Five.
Fitness: Unneeded; See Lesson Five.
Flight: Don't make me laugh. A flying Defender? Good day, sir.
Leadership: These Clowns of the Keyboard won't stay in range for your primary buffs, what makes you think they'll stay in range for any of these?
Leaping: I SAID GOOD DAY, SIR!
Medicine: Not nearly as important as it is for Empaths, but not to be completely disregarded. Some of those lunks you're with might actually catch on to Transfusion and start demanding it more often. This is when you state the importance of conserving endurance and conveniently "forget" to use it.
Presence: You're a Defender, not a meat shield. Don't draw attention to yourself. The farther away the mobs are, the better.
Speed: The one and only truly useful Power Pool for a Kinetic Defender, absolutely crucial for Lesson Four. I would advise against Haste, per Lesson Two, and opt for Flurry to help with Lesson Five.
Teleportation: You need your endurance for keeping yourself at 100% at all times. Besides, it's just a flashy power set for egotistical juveniles.

Lesson Four: Discretion is the Better Part of Discretion

Let's face it; you know how a Kinetic Defender works. You know how a team should work. And you know how a team should work to best benefit you. Scrappers take a modicum of intelligence to play effectively (Whether or not they do is another matter entirely) and might have an elementary grasp on the second point. For Blasters and Tankers, the answer is "none of the above".

It happens in every team: Despite your best efforts, there are times you just can't keep the black bits off of your lovely green and blue bars. The others are taking a pounding, and it's only a matter of time before their incompetence starts coming up as skulls and the mobs start taking away your pretty colors. Only one thing to do: Pop that yellow pill, siphon the speed from the weakest mob you can target and Super Speed the F*** out of Dodge.

Oh sure, everyone will grumble about debt when they get back from the hospital, but this is when you demonstrate your leadership skills and urge them to press on. If you level up that much sooner than they do, you'll be even more powerful to help keep yourself alive for everyone's benefit.

As a precaution, always keep exactly one Awaken (or better) on your person. Sometime all the speed in the world doesn't stop the bullets from finding your precious hide.

Lesson Five: You Are a Solo God

And never let anyone tell you differently. Once Transfusion, Transference, Siphon Power, Siphon Speed and Super Speed are under your belt, you'll be running circles around the enemy and single-handedly crushing the mobs while the rest of the group is cowering in a corner resting or begging for an Awaken. Go ahead and display that 'Pwnz' badge, you stud(ette), because you do.

If by some stupid reason the others of the group are still complaining that you weren't throwing any of those delicious buffs for the rest of the team, politely remind them that they were looking for a "H34LER" in the first place, not a buff/debuff deity such as yourself. If they kick you from the team at this point, it's just a sign of how screwed up the team was to begin with. You don't need them, anyway. There are plenty more clueless sods begging for h34lers where they came from.

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Thus concludes my Lessons for reaching your peak potential as a Kinetic Defender. Meditate upon these words, children, and apply them wisely. There is no limit to your growth*.





* - (Actual growth limited to level 50. Your mileage may vary. Apply liberally to sore spots. Side effects may include Stunning, Sleeping, Placation, Immobilization, Holding and Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Any damage voids warranty.)