Thunder Knight

I don't want to see Stun's animation given to anything, especially not ET. I like ET's animation.

I want to see TF's animation given to Stun, and Stun turned into a clone of Thunder Strike (i.e., a small AoE), except with a high chance to Disorient instead of a low chance for KB/Disorient/End drain.

Then TF could be given, say, Cross Punch's animation, and ET could simply get a shortened version of the animation it has now.

Voila. All the set's perceived problems solved - more AoE, shorter animation times on the two biggest single-target attacks.

Combine the Space Orks with the Borg, and you get the true face of the Batallion: The Grox.

I'm still annoyed at what they're doing to my favorite character, Captain Marvel. Drawing out what should be a one-page origin story out over the span of months, changing his personality from an optimist in even the worst times to a foul-mouthed trouble-making jerk, changing his main villain from a skinny scientist with a penchant for building giant robots to a 6' tall muscleman with a lightning-bolt scar and magic vision, and even changing his name to "Shazam" (because "That's what everyone calls him anyway", which means they're deliberately aiming the comic at people who don't care enough about the character to learn his name, as well as tacitly surrendering to Marvel) and giving his costume a hoodie. I don't know how they can even pretend this is the same character.

So while I'm vaguely interested to see what they'll do with JLA, I can't help thinking they'll screw it up.

I'm oddly happy to see Vibe brought back. The rest I can take or leave.

That's ... weirdly hilarious. Like a spider superhero who made Cthulhu the logo on its costume. (Because it's thinking "I'm already a spider, so I need to dress up as something even scarier than I am." Then, while it's thinking about sharks and bears and bats, a Cthulhu flies through its window)

Cthulhu-Spider! Does everything a Cthulhu can!

Captain Marvel will always be Captain Marvel to me. He's had that name for over seventy years, while he's been called "Shazam" in exactly zero issues of any current comic book (and Marvel keeps making new Captain Marvels just to keep a strangehold on the trademark, not because they actually give a crap about who they give the name to). If Cap is still called "Shazam" in 2082, then I'll start calling him that. (But what they've done to my favorite comics character is a separate rant on its own)

Anyway, Cap's still not a tank mage. His transformation lightning is meant for just that - transformation. It's a Nova, a self-heal... and it immediately strips him of all powers, offensive and defensive. It's the ultimate crash. It's not his primary attack, let alone his only attack.

A Tank-Mage is, by definition, a character who is primarily a ranged character, but with tank-like defenses. Not just someone who has a ranged attack or two that they use if punching doesn't work. Certainly not someone who has a ranged attack that can be used only once, and then takes away all his other attacks.

They have to be just as good at ranged attacks as the ranged attack specialists, and just as good at surviving and drawing aggro as the defensive specialists. That's clearly unbalanced, and that's the problem with Tank-Mages.

... how is this a "reboot" and not a "remake"? I was unaware of an ongoing Rocketeer series that is being reset.

Really, I think the actual definition of Tank-Mage has gotten lost in this discussion. It's someone who fights as well as a mage but has defenses like a tank. They're problematic because they're as durable as the most durable defensive class and as offensively capable as the most powerful ranged class, which makes everyone else obsolete.

It's not just a Tanker with one or two ranged attacks. It's not just a Blaster with Tough. They have to have the best of both worlds, or they're not the Tank-Mage that is so troublesome.

For example...

Thor is not a Tank-Mage. He can shoot lightning, but it's not his primary attack. He saves it for big moments. In CoH terms, he's a War Mace/Invulnerability Brute (possibly Tank, possibly even Scrapper, but definitely WM/Inv) with Ion Judgement for when he gets in trouble.

Hulk... He's a pure SS/Invulnerability Brute. His only ranged attacks are throwing things. If that's all it took to be a Tank-Mage, then every SS/ Brute or /SS Tanker would already be a Tank-Mage, and they're clearly not.

Black Widow is a Dual Pistols/Martial Combat Blaster with the Fighting Pool. Hawkeye is an Archery/Trick Arrow Corruptor with the Fighting Pool. Captain America is a MA or SJ/Shield Scrapper with Body Mastery . None of them are Tank-Mages.

The only one of the Avengers I'd consider an actual Tank-Mage is Iron Man. He's also the only one you can't accurately make in-game. (I'd say he'd be something like Energy Blast/Invulnerability)

Outside of the Avengers, "Shazam" (by which I assume you mean Captain Marvel) is a straight-up Invulnerability/Super Strength Tanker. His only ranged "attack" is one that is aimed squarely at him (and will cause him to lose all of his powers if it hits), so he only uses it as the most final of final last-ditch attacks, not as the main part of his arsenal.

Superman... primarily Inv/SS Tanker, with Energy Mastery (including Laser Beam Eyes) and perhaps Gale from Storm Summoning (in the form of super-breath). Only that last part can't be currently done in-game. But, again, two or three ranged attacks (including Hurl) does not a Tank-Mage make.

The closest the game has is Arachnos Soldiers (particularly Crab Soldiers), but their numbers are lower for both their defense and offense than Tanks and Blasters respectively, so they're still not an actual "Tank-Mage".

Lore Slot Abilities

Power list doesn't include standard powers (Lore Evasion, Lore Resistance, or Lore Power). The power in parentheses is the attack that the Support essence has only in the Partial Radial Improved Ally tier.

Arachnos
Boss: (Toxic) Tarantula

Venom Burst, Toxic Claws, Claw Pierce, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Bane Spider

Bash, Pulverise, Mace Beam, Super Leap

Support: Fortunata

Mind Link, Soothe, Super Leap, (Mental Blast)

Banished Pantheon (to be added)


Carnival of Shadows
Boss: Dark Ring Mistress

Telekinetic Blast, Mental Blast, Psionic Tornado, Tenebrous Tentacles, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Strongman

Hurl, Punch, Haymaker, Super Leap

Support: Seneschal

Cauterize, Forge, Super Leap, (Spit Fire)

Cimerorans
Boss: Praefectus Castorum

Push Back, Slash, Slice, Hack, Pilum, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Centurion

Slash, Slice, Hack, Pilum, Super Leap

Support: Immunes Surgeon

Healing Aura, Heal Other, Super Leap, (Pilum)

Clockwork
Boss: Dismantler

Particle Blast, Anti-Matter Ray, Anti-Matter Beam, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Builder

Particle Blast, Particle Blast Barrage, Particle Stunner, Super Leap

Support: Mender

Nano Repair, Field Projector, Super Leap, (Particle Blast)

IDF
Boss: Commander

Plasma Punch, Plasma Vortex, Plasma Blast, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Elite Ranger

Plasma Blast, Plasma Burst, Super Leap

Support: Battle Orb

Shield Generator, Deploy Stimulant, Fly, (Plasma Blast)

Knives of Vengeance (to be added)


Longbow
Boss: Cataphract

Grenade, Plasma Blast, Energy Barrage, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Nullifier

Burst, Slug, M30 Grenade

Support: Warden

Heal Other, Healing Aura, Fly, (Burst)

Nemesis
Boss: War Hulk

Pummel, Storm Cannon, Flamethrower, Explode, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Colonel

Lance Rifle, Lance, Super Leap

Support: Lancer Surgeon

Triage, Healing Aura, Super Leap, (Nemesis Rifle)

Phantom
Boss: Spectre

Greater Ice Sword, Fire Blast, Fire Sword Circle, Fly

Lieutenant: Phantom

Fire Blast, Fire Sword, Fly

Support: Spirit

Heal Other, Adrenalin Boost, Fly, (Fire Blast)

Polar Lights
Boss: Polaris

Northern Light's Bolt, Northern Light's Blast, Northern Light's Scatter, Northern Light's Detonation

Lieutenant: Australis

Northern Light's Bolt, Northern Light's Scatter, Fly

Support: Borealis

Glowing Touch, Assault, Fly, (Northern Light's Bolt)

Rikti
Boss: Chief Mentalist

Greater Rikti Sword, Mental Blast, Mesmerize, Total Domination, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Headman

Rikti Sword, Greater Rikti Sword, Rikti Pistol, Super Leap

Support: Guardian

Radiation Emission, Accelerate Metabolism, Super Leap, (Rikti Pistol)

Robotic Drones
Boss: Assault Drone

Plasma Cannon Blast, Plasma Cannon Spray, Plasma Cannon Burst, Fly

Lieutenant: Laser Drone

Plasma Cannon Blast, Plasma Cannon Spray, Fly

Support: Shield Drone

Shield Generator, Deploy Stimulant, Fly, (Plasma Cannon Blast)

Rularuu
Boss: Overseer

Quill Blast, Chomp, Paralytic Gaze, Optic Blast, Fly

Lieutenant: Bull Natterling

Pummel, Scatter Shards, Sinew, Fly

Support: Noble Brute

Crystal of Vigor, Heal Other, Super Leap, (Energy Blast)

Seers
Boss: Augur

Levitate, Mental Blast, Dominate, Fly

Lieutenant: Diviner

Mental Blast, Dominate Mind, Fly

Support: Seeker

Soothe Mind, Fortitude, Fly, (Mental Blast)

Storm Elemental
Boss: Tempest Elemental

Lightning Bolt, Charged Bolts, Ball Lightning, Short Circuit, Fly

Lieutenant: Storm Elemental

Lightning Bolt, Charged Bolts, Ball Lightning, Fly

Support: Monsoon Elemental

O2 Boost, Hurricane, Fly, (Lightning Bolt)

Talons of Vengeance (to be added)


Tsoo (to be added)


Vanguard
Boss: Sorcerer

Life Drain, Freezing Sphere, Ice Blast, Ball Lightning, Super Leap

Lieutenant: Sergeant

Bayonet, Burst, Willie Pete Round, Super Leap

Support: Magician

Assault, Twilight Grasp, Super Leap, (Life Drain)

Warworks
Boss: Mk-VI 'Victoria'

Swipe, Cross Cut, Plasma Eye Beams, Super Leap

Lieutenant: ACU

Plasma Full Auto, Plasma Rifle Burst, Super Leap

Support: Battle Orb

Shield Generator, Deploy Stimulant, Fly, (Plasma Blast)

For a list of each pet's powers, you have to click on the name of that power. (I usually just click on Core Superior and Radial Superior, because the powers tend to remain the same down the line).

Of course, if you want all the numbers, you can also check them out directly in-game, even if you're not level 50 yet. Just right-click on one of the power boxes in the Create section of the Incarnate window.

But no one-page summary that I'm aware of.

Edit: Until now:

http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?p=4354710

Moreover, it basically retcons all the in-game information about them to date:

http://na.cityofheroes.com/en/game_i...ret_skulls.php

Note that the backstory explicitly gives the supervillain names of the Petrovic brothers (Rado "Marrow Snap" Petrovic and Emil "Marrow Drinker" Petrovic), and also explicitly says that the current Skulls also contains former members of local rival gang the Shadows (which the Skulls mostly destroyed), meaning there are locals in it, not just Eastern/Central/whatever Europeans.

Since none of that will apply anymore in I24, the Skulls will essentially become an entirely new group that happens to share the name of and some design similarity to the previous Skulls.

I keep expecting the new Skulls to say "In Russia, bears much smaller. Also more hair. Less lurking. Always eager to wrestle."

It's not a casino that's being robbed, but the JLU episode "Task Force X" (four episodes after "The Once And Future Thing") is very much a meticulously-planned heist of a well-defended area, told from the villains' point of view.

Did you read my post before bumping? Again:

They can't do anything for "old VIPs". Though the forum does "know" that your Join Date was April 2005, the boards have no way to tell whether you've maintaining an active subscription since then, or whether you're someone who created a trial account in 2005, linked it to the forums, and then left when the trial ran out.

All it can tell - all it can tell - is whether you are currently subscribed or not. If you want the VIP areas, you have to subscribe.

Alternately, get a job with Paragon studios to recode the entire forum.

A simple suggestion:

Instead of finding some way to add more +Def, add a small -To Hit aura to one of the toggles (possibly along with a scaling-per-enemy +To Hit buff for the SR character). The idea would be that it'd be easier to dodge enemies who were very close (and similarly easier to reflexively adjust your attacks to better hit close enemies - who says reflexes are entirely defensive?).

With that reasoning, the -To Hit would make the most "storytelling" sense in Focused Fighting, but I'm wary of putting such a powerful tool in the Tier 1 power, so instead I suggest putting it in Evasion (because that's the power that already has the Taunt aura for Tankers and Brutes).

I know Willpower already has a similar -To Hit aura, which is why I suggested having a +To Hit instead of +Regen as the counter-effect, so to speak.

Bear in mind that the link between your forum account and game account is ... tenuous, at best. It can only tell whether you're subscribed or not. Linking it into the Paragon Rewards program to tell you what Reward Tier you're on isn't really technically feasible (i.e., the Forums could asplode).

The four-legged rig they have is made for canine bodies and can be used (albeit in a way that looks a little "off" to an actual cat-owner like me) for feline bodies. It won't work at all for just any four-legged animal. Making a bear or a rhino or a gorilla would require making an entirely new skeleton from scratch.

Which isn't to say it'll never happen, but it's not possible right now.

While there's no gun-themed power pool on the immediate horizon, the upcoming Tech, Science, and Natural (which is, from appearances, not "Worse of Phil" after all) Pools will apparently let you add more ranged gizmos to your character. (I'm going by what's on a certain Wiki, which isn't much)

And just to clarify your question about archetypes - there's not really any such thing as a "hero archetype" or "villain archetype" anymore (except for the respective sides' "Epic" archetype). All ten of the normal archetypes can begin has a hero or villain with no problems, though as a free player, you won't have access to Controller or Mastermind.

I'd recommend something non-squishy to solo with, one of the melee classes (primarily due to their defensive capabilities - they're difficult to damage and nearly impossible to mez). Defender, Corrupter, and Dominator are also relatively solo-friendly (not as much as the melee classes), since the first two have buffs and/or debuffs, while the third has mezzes and eventually pets. Finally, you have Blasters, which are pure offense with almost no mitigation whatsoever.

You can solo with anything, though, so go with whatever sounds the most fun.

Hm, yeah. I did my Time Zone Math wrong. I keep forgetting that they're on the West Coast. (Since I'm currently in Europe, but I'm originally from Philadelphia, so that's what I tend to think of as "US Time")

With all weekend to play, I'm not particularly worried. As long as it's not down all weekend

On another subject, despite what it says, the Server Status page really doesn't seem to update on its own. Or maybe it's just Chrome.

Demonic's recharge is 25 minutes, much slower than Rune of Protection's base of 10. With no recharge bonuses whatsoever (or with only global recharge bonuses), RoP is up more than twice as often as Demonic/Archmage, and with just three even-level Recharge SOs in RoP (which is slottable, unlike Demonic), you can cut even that time in half, letting you use RoP five times as frequently as Demonic, and it gives Status Protection that Demonic doesn't give. (And, of course, there's no reason you can't have both)

I don't see using this much on most of my melee types, but it'll be great for my squishier characters (and probably even nice for my /Dark Brute).

I was about to ask this question myself. I was just surprised I didn't see any announcements about it, so I was worried that something was wrong.

It probably is the Double Exp weekend, though. I'd forgotten about that (or, more accurately, I didn't think it'd be starting this early on Friday)

Well, it's the "hunt 100" that's out of the way. Those Cold Demons don't spawn much except in one out-of-the-way area (and even there "much" is a relative term).

Edited to add: The same person who talked about .. um.. Schmorse of Schmill also commented again, giving the names of the three other power pools (and correcting himself that Schmorse of Schmill looks like Mutant, not Natural), with the caveat that the information is from the CoH Wikia and may not be accurate.