Tonality

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I'm at the point with AE that I'm pretty much convinced it's killing the game.

I won't stop using it since it doesn't negatively impact me on a personal level, but from a community standpoint it's pure poison.

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Here's another farmer that agrees wholeheartedly. I farm in AE still, but I refuse to do it with anyone that I do not know. Once I realized those newbies hit 50, rolled another and want more free PLs that put an immediate stop to my AE random PUG runs. What is annoying is the 'lowbie beggar's' sense of entitlement - as if it is my duty to level them. I had one offer to pay me to level them. I still didn't.

When AE is nothing but a pile of rubble, I will lament the fun that was had. In the meantime, I will not enable these lowbies to the fastroad to AE burnout.

Wow, I'm guessing you've watched the matrix lately.

Alt, I'm really going to try this time and convince you that not all farmers are horrible people that are ruining the game. Please at least let me know you read this.

I have a friend that gave up the game and he doesn't like powerleveling or farming. That didn't stop us from teaming one night on my second account for old times recently. We ran through some missions on a server I never play on as I made sure I had both accounts on global hide and had a blast. I do like stories, and read the clues I get in missions. In fact, sometimes I get annoyed because the missions I do redside don't seem evil enough. (yes I know the good contacts to get)

At the same time, I've grown to actually enjoy farming. To me, it's soloing taken to a bigger level - I get to set the map for 8 and then solo the thing (which I have to explain to AE babies that no, you cannot sit in my mission, this is why I'm giving you a million inf). All it costs me is a bit of inf to pay for some fillers and I get to feel a bit more powerful in game as I take on larger mobs. This is when I enjoy farming.

When AE first came out, I joined on the AE bandwagon. I didn't care who all was on the team - as long as I was having fun. Then, I began to notice a trend - a lot of those lowbies that got their 50 in a week had just rolled a new lowbie and were leveling that one - and doing the exact same thing. This is where you and I definitely share something in common - we both see this as a problem.

I still farm in AE, but I do so with a very close knit group of people. Often, I pay large amounts of infamy to padders so that I can quickly set the mission to make it more challenging for my level 50's because to me, more enemies is more fun than a few tougher enemies. Yes, the side benefit of more drops and more inf is nice, but I have a blast dealing with huge spawns - it's when I truly feel super.

I technically am a farmer by the definition, but my primary motivation is the enjoyment I get out of those missions. If I could make a mission in AE with no rewards whatsoever and have it work just like the backroom ambushes did where I fought off hundreds of enemies, I would do it in a heartbeat. The only reward for me would be the satisfaction of knowing that I'm awesome. I wouldn't do that everyday, but every once in a while, that would be fun.

I am a moderate farmer. I farm at times, and also find the rewards quite helpful in building my characters. But, I love teaming (especially when I form my own), task forces, and even story arcs. I just like also spend time farming.

Not all farmers are evil, nor is farming the evil. The best way I could put it is this way: Money is not evil. It is greed that is evil.

edit: I just found out Alt's ignoring me as I tried to send a PM. Oh well.

Couple of short comments:

-Why oh why is armageddon in Lightning Field?! Ick.
-I would like to see more recharge in buildup. 6% regen isn't worth it.
-I see why you picked the debuff sets for your attacks, but I like damage. I see you picked a sleep set for Jacob's. It's too awesome of an attack to waste the potential damage!
-I'd actually drop the miracle unique out of health. You have powersink to deal with your endurance.

Brutes can be tough, but I fear in your quest for defense you've forgot about offense.

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Creating easy content for fast, riskless XP is not what the AE was designed for.

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What is riskless for one person is not for another. The problem is when there no possibility of risk across many ATs, and these particular things should be addressed.

I could farm sappers on my electric brute with no risk whatsoever. I don't see anyone screaming that sappers need to be nerfed in AE. It takes me being past the saturation point for them to budge my endurance, and at that point I have several other tools I can use to deal with this. No risk for rewards.

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I see the same thing. What I don't understand is this negative reaction to people enjoying the game. I don't see why people have to be forced to play their way. Sure it might be frustrating being unable to find a team some nights. It happens. Some nights are slow. Big whoop.

It would never even occur to me to start walking up to random people and demand they stop what they are doing and start doing what I want to do. Let alone start petitioning the devs to change the game and force them to stop. I think people need to grow up a little and learn that the world doesn't revolve around them. Despite the rhetoric not 'everyone' is farming in the AE.

Heck. The AE is still the new shiny anyway. People always hang out around the new shiny. In fact you actually see variants of these kinds of threads every issue. People complain that noone does such and such anymore and that people must have left the game in droves when in truth they are just doing what is new. I remember this was especially true when Oroborous was released. People complained that that was all anyone ever did.

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Absolutely this.

Also, I find that that I spend too much time watching your avatar. I also find it very appropriate that Data would be driving.

If you want to preserve the droprate while still encouraging PvP and not farming:

-Keep it linked to Rep.
-Chance to Drop both on win and loss.
-Absolutely no cooldown timer after the drop. If you can kill people efficiently rapidly in the zone, you should be rewarded.

PvP recipes can still be farmed if you think about it hard enough. You just can't do it effectively with only two people. Unfortunately, this fix only has potential for rewarding the organized (I bet you just gave RMTers a big opportunity to farm)

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Positron was very clear about how they will be handling farms in the AE.

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Now I have to disagree with this point. From reading 'Abusing Mission Architect'. The farming thread often devolves into discussing Posi's lack of clarity. When asked for further clarification, he refused, citing the point that if people knew exactly what the limit was, they would stand right up next to that line. The only thing he was clear about was:

Egregious abuse in AE might be punished (paraphrased)

Positron's post continues to be held up as a "Thou shalt not farm", yet one begins to realize that much of what he was saying regarded extreme abuses of AE. The developers have dealt with many of the exploits in AE, and the best thing anyone can do if they want to help is identify potential issues and make the developers aware of them. The current hami farm certainly could have been avoided had someone caught it beforehand. (which as a farmer I have yet to run this mission, nor do I know anything beyond something exists). I strongly recommend things like this are brought to the developer's attention so they can be fixed. Removing the possibility is far more effective than any commandment.

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The Official suggestion thread for new VEAT / EAT

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It's HEAT. Hero Epic ArcheType.

An EAT includes both, and also makes me hungry.

Would you care to explain how the loading picture "You can level 1-50 within the architect" got into the game?

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It's possible to go 1-30ish in 1 AE still, try harder.

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QFT.

Caps lock is not cruise control for cool. I fixed your title.

First of all, the idea is not radical. People have suggested taking xp out of AE. The end result would be a playground only for farming tickets.

The developers want it to be possible to go 1-50 within AE. Unfortunately, if the only options are a scant few missions within AE, then outside of repeating things until you gag, this would not be possible. Hmm, that's sort of like why people wanted AE in the first place - they wanted something else to do besides the typical sewer run and then contacts/papers to 50.

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I slotted the Ragnarok proc in Caltrops and it works great. Maybe the LTs you were fighting have knockback protection?

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Why would knockback protection send them flying when rag fires?

It sounds like a bug.

If your goal is to get to 50, and do not have a tremendous amount of infamy to invest, my vote will go to SS/WP as well. Don't go with defense sets like EA/SR/Shield for your first brute. Save that for later once you've gotten the ideas.

Get hasten and rage. 3 slot both with recharge so you stack rage easily.

SS/WP is a great option for beginning brutes. You learn about mitigation and how buying some time with things like knockdown increases your survivability.

(QR)

More than likely, this study was a very easy way for the professor to secure grants and possibly even use in a P&T document or merit committee. For a very small investment, the professor could get himself published in a journal, which often leads to raises in salary and recognition within academia.

Sometimes the 'splash' of a controversial article helps with job hunting, advancement, and hosting conferences. Take my field, for example:

A recent PhD in Musicology wrote her doctoral thesis on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Unlike previous papers which may study thematic or harmonic content, she made an assertion that made a few waves: the opening four tones of Beethoven's Fifth intone the assault of a sexual predator. (as delicate as I could put it)

The entire purpose of this was to generate discussion to get her name out there. She made a name for herself and secured a very lucrative job.

In other words, a lot of times, research in academia isn't done for knowledge, but for personal advancement. This is how I view this Twixt experiment.

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Immunity to EndDrain. Look in the AE and you should be able to find an all Sappers and walk through it with a smirk. (As long as you took Grounded.)

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I filled a map with sappers on my elec for fun. Let's just say that if you surround yourself on a map set for 8 with sappers, even elec gets drained.

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Ah, you did it on a map set for 8? That would be different than what I did.
Still, if that is what it takes to drain an /Elec, then we shouldn't complain. I tried herding Sappers on an indoor map and it took a fair number before the End bar started noticing it.

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It wasn't just set for 8. It was stacked back-room map that spawned about 300 sappers in one area. I wanted to test the upper limits of just how good elec was. I was able to handle it if I timed powersink perfectly and relied on footstomp as a primary means of mitigation.

The coolest thing about the entire test-run was that when you get hit with that many sappers, the drain fx of that much hitting your body is incredible. I should have taken pics.

It's quite obvious. By nerfing it he can draw better pictures. I for one would quite enjoy further quality art like his avatar.

Now my avatar is a statement. Emptiness. Think about it.

...not that hard!


Oh, and I think this is a bad idea.

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Pool C/D Drops From Bosses

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This is perhaps the best reason why a farmer shouldn't play in AE - it's to make a fortune (insert evil laugh here).

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If you are set on a tank, you are going to be bitterly disappointed with brutes.

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I've got to disagree with that wording. Brutes have nigh the same potential for tanking goodness as Tankers they simply don't self buff as strongly. Even that varies from powerset to powerset, ie: Stone Melee and Stone Armor versus, say, Electric Melee and Electric Armor. IO's can really shore up defenses immensely. Softcapping positional defenses with a powerset like Shield Defense makes you amazingly tough.

I guess it's a bit powerset dependent though so it would be easy to get the wrong impression and getting a decent set of buffs from a team would really swing that impression.

Edit: I realize that maybe you would be bitterly disappointed if you wanted the slow, plodding offense that usually comes with a tank. That's true, brutes are way faster in my experience.

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I often find that those that treat their brutes as if they are tanks are disappointed with their defensive performance due to less HP and res/def, especially pre-set IOs. A brute can be a tank and can be played like one, but it is best effective if played like a ... brute.

You see this on the forums when people ask why their brute can't survive a fight. Often it is because they are not aggressively decimating everything in their path and are more concerned with herding mobs. This isn't to say we shouldn't herd or be meat shields. It is that our purpose for doing so is for increasing our destruction.

Play brutes like the hulk, not superman.

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Quick reply:

Try TV's Devouring Earth/Freakshow map. Set up a bind to take out the cairns first and you'll be happy with your melee defense.

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For any build that relies heavily on defense, you want to take out the Quartz pets first. They give the DE strong ToHit or Acc buffs, essentially negating player defense. Then take out the Cairns.

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I'm not sure why anyone would want to farm that mission. The DE are a bunch of Granites :P

Has anyone even tried the "defeat dreck" mission vill side? It takes some work to unlock the contact, and i'm assuming thats the reason no one knows about the mission :P I still haven't unlocked him lol, but i'm working on it.

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Only cairns seem to spawn on that map for me. As an elec/elec brute you have to be a bit creative about what you can farm, and yes, I became very efficient at farming them with some practice. Freakshow are great, and DE isn't that much of a threat, and the map is huge. It has its usefulness. I've moved onto other builds and maps, of course, but for an electric brute it isn't such a bad map to try.

However, Dreck would be a good one. I don't recall if it's timed or not redside.

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Immunity to EndDrain. Look in the AE and you should be able to find an all Sappers and walk through it with a smirk. (As long as you took Grounded.)

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I filled a map with sappers on my elec for fun. Let's just say that if you surround yourself on a map set for 8 with sappers, even elec gets drained.

Hello, I'm relatively new to playing with scrappers, but a brute veteran, and I'm currently working on a spines/fire build. The expensive uniques will be added over time and are not critical to the build.

Any feedback on powerchoices, IO slotting/sets is greatly appreciated.

Some of the slotting may appear unusual. I was actually looking to cap my fire resistance without dipping into temp protection. I also know I'm missing out on a great +dmg power. I could possibly drop ROTP for it. We'll see.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Spines
Secondary Power Set: Fiery Aura
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Lunge <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Fire Shield <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (15) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[*] (15) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[/list]Level 2: Spine Burst <ul type="square">[*] (A) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (3) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (3) Eradication - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (7) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (9) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage[*] (11) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 4: Healing Flames <ul type="square">[*] (A) Doctored Wounds - Recharge[*] (5) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Endurance/Recharge[*] (5) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge[*] (7) Doctored Wounds - Endurance/Recharge[*] (11) Doctored Wounds - Heal[/list]Level 6: Boxing <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 8: Combat Jumping <ul type="square">[*] (A) Kismet - Accuracy +6%[*] (9) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed[/list]Level 10: Hurdle <ul type="square">[*] (A) Jumping IO[/list]Level 12: Hasten <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (13) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (13) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 14: Super Speed <ul type="square">[*] (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)[/list]Level 16: Health <ul type="square">[*] (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery[*] (17) Miracle - +Recovery[*] (17) Miracle - Heal[*] (39) Numina's Convalescence - Heal[*] (40) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration[*] (46) Empty[/list]Level 18: Plasma Shield <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (19) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[*] (19) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[/list]Level 20: Stamina <ul type="square">[*] (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End[*] (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod[*] (21) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge[*] (31) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy[/list]Level 22: Quills <ul type="square">[*] (A) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (23) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Endurance[*] (23) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (31) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance[*] (42) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage[*] (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 24: Blazing Aura <ul type="square">[*] (A) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (25) Scirocco's Dervish - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (25) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Endurance[*] (31) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance[*] (43) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage[*] (43) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 26: Consume <ul type="square">[*] (A) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (27) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage[*] (27) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (36) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge[*] (37) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge[/list]Level 28: Ripper <ul type="square">[*] (A) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge[*] (29) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (29) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[*] (37) Obliteration - Damage[*] (37) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge[*] (46) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge[/list]Level 30: Tough <ul type="square">[*] (A) Aegis - Resistance[*] (34) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge[*] (40) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance[/list]Level 32: Throw Spines <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage[*] (33) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance[*] (33) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge[*] (33) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (34) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)[*] (34) Impeded Swiftness - Chance of Damage(Smashing)[/list]Level 35: Build Up <ul type="square">[*] (A) Adjusted Targeting - Recharge[*] (36) Adjusted Targeting - To Hit Buff/Recharge[*] (36) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 38: Burn <ul type="square">[*] (A) Multi Strike - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (39) Multi Strike - Damage/Endurance/Recharge[*] (39) Multi Strike - Damage/Recharge[*] (40) Scirocco's Dervish - Damage/Recharge[*] (50) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Damage(Lethal)[/list]Level 41: Conserve Power <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (42) Recharge Reduction IO[*] (42) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]Level 44: Laser Beam Eyes <ul type="square">[*] (A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage[*] (45) Decimation - Damage/Endurance[*] (45) Decimation - Damage/Recharge[*] (45) Decimation - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge[*] (46) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge[/list]Level 47: Energy Torrent <ul type="square">[*] (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage[*] (48) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance[*] (48) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge[*] (48) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance[*] (50) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)[*] (50) Force Feedback - Chance for +Recharge[/list]Level 49: Rise of the Phoenix <ul type="square">[*] (A) Recharge Reduction IO[/list]------------
Level 1: Brawl <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Sprint <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 2: Rest <ul type="square">[*] (A) Empty[/list]Level 1: Critical Hit
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[u]Set Bonus Totals:[u]<ul type="square">[*]11% DamageBuff(Smashing)[*]11% DamageBuff(Lethal)[*]11% DamageBuff(Fire)[*]11% DamageBuff(Cold)[*]11% DamageBuff(Energy)[*]11% DamageBuff(Negative)[*]11% DamageBuff(Toxic)[*]11% DamageBuff(Psionic)[*]9.38% Defense(Fire)[*]9.38% Defense(Cold)[*]4.69% Defense(AoE)[*]4.05% Max End[*]4% Enhancement(Heal)[*]36% Enhancement(Accuracy)[*]41.3% Enhancement(RechargeTime)[*]5% FlySpeed[*]40.2 HP (3%) HitPoints[*]5% JumpHeight[*]5% JumpSpeed[*]Knockback (Mag -4)[*]Knockup (Mag -4)[*]MezResist(Immobilize) 2.75%[*]MezResist(Sleep) 4.95%[*]MezResist(Stun) 6.6%[*]MezResist(Terrorized) 2.2%[*]10% (0.17 End/sec) Recovery[*]42% (2.35 HP/sec) Regeneration[*]7.25% Resistance(Fire)[*]7.25% Resistance(Cold)[*]20% RunSpeed[/list]

That is interesting.

I assume you chose the status resistance unique and aegis unique so you don't get as many stacking stuns from certain circumstances. I never really found a use for those uniques.

If you are set on a tank, you are going to be bitterly disappointed with brutes.

Brutes are brutes. We revolve around the fury bar which leads some to believe we are scrappers or tanks. We want the aggro for fury, so you'd think we're protecting your squishy butt, but we could care less about you. We just want our fury bar. We're also in a hurry to get things done (like scrappers), but it's because we don't want our fury dropping, so we behave like both, but for different reasons.

Our motivations are different, and our playstyle is going to be different, even if the observed behavior might be similar.

For choices, I recommend the first brute experience to be anything/willpower. Pick a primary that looks cool to you. It really doesn't matter which.

Quick reply:

Try TV's Devouring Earth/Freakshow map. Set up a bind to take out the cairns first and you'll be happy with your melee defense.

Maybe someone else can answer that question. I would suggest a high recharge soft-capped Dark/Shield build for the most long-term sustained damage. Dark as the mitigation and end recovery to survive a drawn-out fight. Soft-capped builds will help matters.