Timeshadow

Flight: I don't think Group Fly needs to be replaced. The concept behind the power is sound, its the mechanics that need to be altered. The ability to grant flight to an entire team is fantastic and the aura that comes with it are great. The 60' radius and 25% ToHit debuff aren't. That debuff needs to either be removed or switched to an Accuracy debuff. Since just about everyone slots for Accuracy a -25% hit wouldn't be nearly as crippling. Group Fly just isn't anywhere good enough to have such a hefty penalty.

Teleportation: Team Teleport is one of those powers that works well but is limited to very specific situations. For example, it's decent for moving your teammates around spawns (But why go through the hassle when you can just use Recall Friend?) or dropping your team in the middle of a group of enemies (A tactic really only useful to specific team makeups and Masterminds with melee pets).

Speed: Whirlwind isn't exactly a bad power but it's got a bad rep. It's basically Repel with lower mag Knockback and a much higher End cost (1.5 End/sec? Ouch). Knockback always gets a bad rap but it's a useful effect. I say keep it. The only thing the power really needs is a slight reduction in the cost. A small, lingering ToHit or Defense debuff effect would be a nice bonus.

Leaping: I think Acrobatics is fine as is but I've never had a use for it on any of my toons. The only real issue I can see with the power is that its largely made redundant by other means. Most players who take Acrobatics do so for the Knockback protection. But the same result can be had for a relatively minor expenditure of resources on a KB protection IO.

Hey all. I've been working on an arc that includes a custom group but they're spawning incorrectly and I don't know why. By "spawning incorrectly" I mean the full range of enemies isn't appearing. Best I can seem to manage are two minions (Out of a possible four) and the occassional lieutenant.

I think it may be the level range of the group in relation to the arc. All the missions are set for 5-15 but I can't figure out how to adjust the group's level coverage to match. Am I on the right track here or completely off base? Any help you can offer would be appreciated.

EDIT: Also having an issue with enemy size. My lieutenants and bosses are supposed to be extremely tall but when they do spawn they're reduced to being barely above 4 feet. Any ideas on how to fix that?

Hey all. I was inspired to start this thread by my own experience with the...shall we say less than stellar player skill in Pick Up Groups. While these groups often make me wanna pull my hair out they also amuse me after the fact. I wanted to share my trials and hope that others will do the same so we can all have a good laugh. Now, enough dribble. On with the show:

Posting as a quote to make it easily distinguishable from the rest. I'd prefer if others did the same but it's not necessary.

Hey all. Just gonna jump right into things on this one so please excuse the lack of mind numbing chit chat in my opening remarks.

Levels 21-31: Decisions...decisions...

Well if you're still reading by this point you must be enjoying your Kheldian (How could you not be? ). This ten level stretch can be a rather difficult one but not from a gameplay perspective. On the contrary, you'll have more powers than ever to work with which means you'll be able to start taking full advantage of your Peacebringer's versatility. What can make this time rough are all the choices you'll have to make in regards to the particular powers you want and how they'll shape your playstyle. You'll have to figure out exactly which ones you want and which ones you can postpone or do without entirely.

At level 22 Reform Essence becomes available. It's a clone of Reconstruction and, as such, functions as an instant activation self-heal. Unslotted it'll heal you for 25% of your maximum hitpoints. That makes it great for recovering a good portion of your HP without relying on any type of outside support, especially once you start putting enhancements into it. The downside, of course, is that it can only be activated while in Human form so you'll have to drop out of Nova or Dwarf to make any use of it.

Once you reach level 24 you'll unlock Conserve Energy. It's a click power that'll provide an Endurance discount on all your powers for 90s. Not a Recovery buff but a flat out reduction in the Endurance cost of all your powers (134.1% to be exact. That's the equivalent of having roughly three level 50 EndRedux IOs in all your powers). That has its pros and cons, especially considering the power's on a base Recharge of 600s. On the upside, it'll make using your powers extremely easy on your blue bar and allow you to blast, punch and smash away with relative impunity for a while. On the downside it won't help you recover Endurance any faster so you can still drain yourself dry if you're careless and have enough Recharge.

Level 26 requires you to choose between two powers, Glowing Touch and Solar Flare. This is a perfect example of the vast possible differences in playstyle from one Kheldian to the next. Glowing Touch is a single target ally heal. It'll restore 17.6% of a teammate or NPC's HP. That's the exact same amount of healing provided by Aid Other from the Medicine Pool (Much cooler animation though). Solar Flare is a PBAoE that'll see you crack the ground and shake your very screen with an eruption of Kheldian energy. The attack also carries an 80% chance of applying a Mag 4.32 Knockback to all targets within its 15' radius. All in all, the damage isn't that great. The power performs better as something you use when you want everybody to "BACK THE F**K UP!!!" while doing some damage in the process.

Finally, at level 28 you'll gain access to Quantum Flight. This toggle power has both great advantages and horrible downsides. It comes with the following:

• Instant Intangibility
• A 20ft. increase to your Stealth Radius, making enemies unable to detect you beyond the stated distance
• A -100% reduction to your threat level. Thus making you less likely to be the target of enemy attacks when in the presence of teammates who are also attacking
• Automatic flight with an incredible 682.5% buff to speed

As soon as you toggle it on non-phased enemies won't be able to touch you for 30s. That makes for an extremely handy "OH SH**T!" button. Sounds like it's all good right? Ah, but don't forget that horrible downside I mentioned earlier. To be precise, it's a downside that comes with all intangibility powers, not just Quantum Flight.

Brief Synopsis of the Mechanics of Phase

Hey everyone. Just had a thought knocking around in my head and wanted to throw it out for everyone to discuss, critique, ridicule, etc.

Ever since the Devs announced the Incarnate System as a method of further increasing our characters' power people have been extremely excited. Everyone's dying to grab their favorite 50 and give 'em the power of the gods. But as I was thinking it over today I recalled something one of the Devs (I believe it was Posi) said in regards to the new system. Part of the intent behind Incarnates is to allow more casual players to attain levels of power that will be competitive with IOs.

I can't help but wonder how exactly that's supposed to work. Those of us who frequent the forums are well aware of the fact that IOs can almost completely transform a character. Reaching the Defense softcap no longer requires external buffs, powers that must be used with proper timing out of the box can now be made perma with +Recharge bonuses, +Regen bonuses make naturally hardy ATs like Brutes and Tankers so tough nothing short of multiple AVs can pose a threat to them. So how exactly are ten levels of Incarnate status (And whatever comes with it) supposed to match that? And more importantly, should they?

I'm all for casual players having some way of making their characters more powerful but it's my personal belief that those who invest more time and effort into the game should receive better rewards. I'm not saying those of us who can afford IOs should be so l33t as to sit atop the heap like the gods that we are (Wait, what? Nevermind). But there should definitely be some degree of separation between what a fully IO'd build can do and what an Incarnate character can do. After all, the requirements for an Incarnate as we know them are met by doing what a player would be doing in the first place, gaining XP and running content. IOs, on the other hand, require a decent amount of investment that's got nothing to do with the regular game.

I dunno, just been giving that some thought. Have at it fellow forumites

Hey all. I've got a build planned out for my Peacebringer that requires four sets of Kinetic Combat. I've managed to get four Accuracy/Damage and Damage/Recharge pieces off the market but the Damage/Endurance and Damage/Endurance/Recharge pieces are nowhere to be found. There are literally none available so I'm turning to ticket rolls.

Problem is I don't know what level I should set my rolls for. I'll get the recipes at max level anyway so I wanna narrow things down to give me the maximum chance of getting 'em. Anyone have an idea of what I should be aiming for? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

(P.S. If anyone has a more surefire way to get these recipes without turning to constant merit earning activities please share.)

My sincerest apologies for the long delay since the last update. Had to have the LCD screen on my laptop replaced so I was without a computer for a while and typing out long posts on my smartphone is tedious. With that said, let's get on with the show.

Level 20: Proc Lobster!

At level 20 you can select White Dwarf, the second of your forms. Just like Bright Nova it'll add a whole new dimension to the way your Peacebringer plays so I've given it a post of its own.

If Bright Nova is comparable to a miniature Blaster then the best way to think of White Dwarf is as a mini Tanker. Its got the stats to support that view. When you toggle on Dwarf form you'll receive the following benefits:

• An enhanceable 37.5% Resistance buff against all damage types except Psionics
• An unenhanceable 75% +MaxHP buff
• A 15% Recovery buff that covers the cost of the toggle
• Six form exclusive powers including a taunt and self-heal
• Protection against all mezz effects that ranges from 15.6-18.7 points depending upon the exact effect

Once again, the last point's important. All melee orientated ATs get mezz protection powers. White Dwarf is yours. Of course that's not all it is but by this point you've probably been irked more than once by an annoying lieutenant or boss that can put all sorts of nasty effects on you like Sleep, Stun, Hold, etc (I'm lookin' at you Lost Anathemas and Eremites). Well no more. As long as you're in Dwarf form it'll take a lot more than one, or even a few, mezz equipped enemies to stop you in your tracks.

An Important Note

I wanna expand on something others have hinted at. When playing the market timing is everything. That recipe or piece of salvage that's going for a few hundred thousand now will be selling for several million by 8 or 9 tonight. So why not snap up a few and repost 'em in a few hours when they're in extremely high demand? With that in mind, here are some timing tips:

1) Never buy on weekends. The average age of CoX players is higher than other MMOs. That means most of us have jobs, kids, etc. that take up our time during the week. The sudden increase in players online during the weekend means more people are looking to get stuff and get it NAO!! That's why market prices sky rocket when the week's out (Particularly on Saturdays). It's especially noticeable when looking at salvage prices. Circuit Boards and Spell Ink are two extremely common drops. During the week they can go for as little as 50 influence. But on weekends they'll sometimes go as high as 50K.

2) Daytime is primetime. If you're looking to get things at a bargain place your bids during the day. The reason for this is similar to my first point. There are fewer players online during the day so you won't have to worry as much about competing with others who have much larger bank rolls than you do. It's easy to snap up some of the leftover stuff from the previous night that didn't sell and got reposted for lower prices. Also, your bids will generally come in quicker because there are fewer competing bids clogging the stream.

3) Don't trust nighttime sales records. When bidding during off hours you'll often come across prices that seem extremely high. New marketeers are often discouraged by this because they think that's the average going rate for the item. More often than not that isn't the case. What you're seeing are the prices from the previous night's peak activity. Since fewer people bid during the day those records don't get altered to reflect the deals you can get. Don't let it fool you.

Don't mean to interject myself but I figure it's better than starting a whole new post.

Should I roll Bronze or Gold for Kinetic Combat recipes?

Personally I'd recommend one of you rolls a Warshade instead. The two will complement each other very well.

The Peacebringer is a great self-contained power house. It'll perform better in the role of hard target killer and tank. Because Warshades' numerous utility powers are dependent upon enemies, alive or dead, to fuel them whoever runs it would be able to take advantage of ever larger spawn size in safety. A Warshade would also bring a good degree of control, something PBs lack in comparison.

So if you can make it work with your concept I'd definitely advise you to go with a pair of TriForm Khelds. One PB and one Warshade.

For high level content I'll grab my Warshade. If I'm gonna be exemping I'll log into my PB. Khelds are my favorite of all the ATs for their shapeshifting and the versatility it provides. My Warshade performs better at higher levels where all his IOs are providing their benefits.

Levels 7-19: Squiggly bits and glowing fists

The 7 through 19 stretch is pretty steady in that you won't see too many drastic shifts in playstyle. It's largely a time for picking up various utility powers that'll make your life easier as you continue on your journey to 50.

At level 8 you can take Radiant Strike, your first dedicated melee attack. It's a hard hitting gut punch that can bring down flying enemies and carries a 60% chance of applying a Mag 2 Knockback. Now by this point you may have started to notice that Peacebringers have several powers with chance for KB as a secondary effect. Some players malign Knockback as something that's never beneficial and should be removed from the game altogether. I'm not in that camp. While it's true that KB is sometimes a source of annoyance to melee players and can cause serious issues when used carelessly (Aggroing another spawn by sending a foe cartwheeling into it comes to mind) it's also a terrific form of damage mitigation when used properly. Positioning is key when using any of your powers that cause KB. Look for walls, corners or other terrain features that can hang up your enemies or put them in position for another teammate to wail on.

You've also probably started to notice that its getting difficult to allocate a decent number of slots to your powers. Kheldians are well known for the slot crunch that starts to become an issue at level 6 (If you take Bright Nova) and usually persists all the way to level 31 (When you start to receive three slots per level up instead of just two). It's a particularly noticeable problem for TriFormers (Kheldians who make use of Human, Nova and Dwarf forms).

Unfortunately there's nothing that can really be done about it in terms of actual game mechanics. The best way to alleviate the strain is to plan your build in advance. Prioritize what powers you wanna get slots in now and which ones you can wait on until later. Most importantly: Understand that you won't be able to slot everything to your satisfaction right away. While it may seem frustrating, you'll be past it soon enough and your performance won't be seriously affected.

Getting back to what I said earlier, this stretch is largely for picking up useful little extras. Things like Hasten will come in very handy for getting your self heals recharged and ready to go more often. Build Up is another good option, especially if you plan on using your melee attacks. This is also the range at which most players take their travel powers. With Kheldians that's not necessary since you'll have travel powers starting from level 1. For a Peacebringer that means Energy Flight and Combat Flight (A clone of Hover that you get automatically at level 10). However, I took Super Speed at level 14. I had Hasten anyway and I won't play a character without some form of stealth so it was an obvious decision. I slotted it with a Celerity +Stealth IO to give my PB full invisibility. I have great fun zipping in, hitting Build Up and then delivering a Radiant Strike straight to some unsuspecting boss.

A Note on Stamina:

Level 6: Ooooh...tentacles...

Playing a Peacebringer becomes an entirely different experience beginning at level 6. Up until this point you had the usual run of the mill stuff plus a nice gimmick or two. That all changes as soon as you grab the first of two possible forms, Bright Nova.

The reason I decided to devote an entirely separate post to Bright Nova is because the change you'll see once you have it is that radical. You'll go from what equates to a Blaster with shields to a floating engine of squiggly DOOM!!! Bright Nova offers you several advantages. Among them are:

• A buff to your damage and ToHit (45% and 9% respectively)
• A constant 15% Resistance buff against Energy and Negative Energy damage
• Automatic and permanent flight
• A 15% Recovery buff that covers the cost of running the Bright Nova toggle
• Four ranged attacks that can only be used while in Nova form

Notice that last point? Lemme take a minute to explain how Kheldian forms work. Each of them provides you with several form exclusive powers while locking you out of all your others. As soon as you toggle a form on and the animation is finished any toggles you have running will turn themselves off, you'll lose the ability to activate any human form click powers, and the effects of any auto powers will cease. That leaves you to work with the powers the form itself provides.

There are two exceptions to the above paragraph.
1) Any lingering effects from click powers will persist until their duration is up (Examples: Hasten, Build Up, Essence Boost, etc).
2) Your inherent power, Cosmic Balance, will also continue to function and apply its benefits on top of those provided by the form.

Also note that forms come with a Recovery buff that negates their cost. Therefore, it is unnecessary to slot forms for Endurance Reduction. Many new Kheldians think that slotting EndRedux into their forms will also reduce the cost of their form exclusive powers. IT WON'T! Those powers have to be slotted with EndRedux on an individual basis.

That being said, because the forms have several different effects they can be slotted with many types of enhancements. That makes them particularly good for holding unique Invention Origin enhancements such as Rectified Reticle: Increased Perception and Performance Shifter: Chance for +End (My personal favorites for Bright Nova and White Dwarf respectively).

Now that you understand how the forms themselves function, let's get into the powers. As I said, there are four of them and they're all blasts. Two of them are single target and two are AoEs. They are:

The overall comparison isn't really a fair one. Night Widows can't compare to Stalkers in the role of single target assassin. Mask Presence doesn't provide as much stealth as Hide and burst damage isn't as high. But Night Widows put out better DPS and so are better suited to bringing down extremely hard targets like EBs/AVs.

If you really wanna make a Stalker to VEAT comparison it should be against Banes. They're more closely related in terms of mechanics and associated playstyle.

From what Castle told us about Power Siphon, I'd wager Brutes will be able to capitalize best on Kinetic Melee. A stacking damage buff + Fury = SWEET