Vidszhite

[ITR]This guide is best viewed from the Villain page

You can see it all now: you have a great concept for this guy. He's got the power of Mind Control, and he ain't afraid to use it. He can go straight at them where they can't defend themselves. He can hurl people into the air by sheer force of will. He's probably got some wicked glowing eyes, and maybe even a giant evil brain.

But you don't want him to be a stinkin' /Psi Poindexter, oh no; [ahhnuld]you want heem to have MUSCLES! You want to be able to punch people in the face with glowing red fists. You want to toss them around with your body AND your mind. You want them to beg for their mommies and stampede over themselves running for cover when they see you wind up. You want to feel big and strong![/ahhnuld]

(And if your concept was for a female character, the glowing auras around your fists can be “pink pompoms”. Same physical strength applies—villainesses are scary).


But more than anything, you want to see this in the higher levels:

[ QUOTE ]
Nice to see a good Dom once in a while.

[/ QUOTE ]
—Brute, Team Leader, in tell.

[ QUOTE ]
All right, a Mind Dom! I <3 Mind Doms.

[/ QUOTE ]
—Team, glad I was there.

[ QUOTE ]
Wow your build is awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]
—Stalker, in tell.

[ QUOTE ]
How the @%#& did you break through PB!?

[/ QUOTE ]
—SR Scrapper, experiencing Domination firsthand.


Hold up!



Before you go diving into Dominators so you too can earn adulation from your shocked teammates, you need a good idea how to build and play one! The leading cause of "Doms suck" posts on our forum (And if you've never been there, watch your step) happen to stem from not knowing how to build one or play one right. And believe me, it's harder than it looks! I screwed my first one up so bad I had to delete and reroll him because his build was so awful. It took two respecs with some reslotting to get my build to where it is now, and I can finally say I'm 90% happy. Why not 100%? I'll get into that later.

But you didn't come here to listen to me talk about myself or about my experience. You came here to learn about Mind Control and Energy Assault combined together, so let's get to it! Along the way, I may even give tactical advice and important caveats from the imaginary pages of my notebook, but I will not go over patron powers.







[TOC] – Table of Contents >> To use, Press Ctrl-F and search for the letters in the []s to jump straight there. Search for TOC to come back. Try it now: search for PWMC to skip the Table of Contents.<<
>>>>> [ITR] – Introduction
>>>>> [PWR] – Power Info/Ratings/Comments (includes recommended slotting variations)
>>>[PWMC] – Mind Control
[PWM1] – Mesmerize
[PWM2] – Levitate
[PWM3] – Dominate
[PWM4] – Confuse
[PWM5] – Mass Hypnosis
[PWM6] – Telekinesis
[PWM7] – Total Domination
[PWM8] – Terrify
[PWM9] – Mass Confusion
>>>[PWEN] – Energy Assault
[PWE1] – Power Bolt
[PWE2] – Bone Smasher
[PWE3] – Power Push
[PWE4] – Power Blast
[PWE5] – Power Boost
[PWE6] – Whirling Hands
[PWE7] – Total Focus
[PWE8] – Sniper Blast
[PWE9] – Power Burst
>>>[PWRP] – Power Pools
[PWPCO] – Concealment
[PWPFL] – Flight
[PWPFT] – Fighting
[PWPFN] – Fitness
[PWPLE] – Leadership
[PWPLP] – Leaping
[PWPMD] – Medicine
[PWPPR] – Presence
[PWPSP] – Speed
[PWPTP] – Teleportation
>>>>>[SBLD] – Sample Builds
>>>[BLDL] – Low level Sample
>>>[BLDT] – Teen level Sample
>>>[BLDH] – High level Sample
>>>[BLDV] – My Build: PvP/PvE Hybrid
>>>>>[DOMN] – Domination
>>>>>[TACT] – Tactics
>>>[TCTS] – Solo Tactics
[TCS1] – Mobs that resist Levitate
[TCS2] – Dealing with Nemesis
[TCS3] – Soloing Elite Bosses
>>>[TCTT] – Team Tactics
[TCT1] – Teams with Brutes and/or MMs
[TCT2] – Teams without Brutes or MMs
>>>[TCTP] – PvP Tactics
>>>>>[CNC] – Conclusion



[PWR]
Powers



[PWMC]
Mind Control

”I can feel it! I control every mind on the planet! Mwa ha ha ha! EVIL RULES!” —Emperor Zurg

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
Mind Control is the most versatile Control set. It's got a great amount of soft control (Sleep, Fear, knockup) while also having a good amount of old fashioned hard control (Confuse, Hold). It has a stupid amount of long-lasting single-target control, and a generous amount of area effect control. While it has no super strong set-defining power like Seeds of Confusion, it does have a huge bag of tricks to draw from—many of which don't draw any aggro at all. It gives up its pet for increased Control—control that ignores positional (ranged, melee, AoE) defense altogether.





That said, though, Mind Control is a very difficult set to master. The best way to use each of its powers is not very obvious, and it may take the entire course of your journey to fully learn what each and every power does, and what situations those powers are best suited for. Experience is not something one can teach, but I can point you in the right direction to make the learning curve less steep, and to give you an idea of how best to approach each situation.

[/ QUOTE ]



[PWM1]
Level 1: Mesmerize - Mesmerize assails a target with painful psychic energy, resulting in unconsciousness. The target will remain asleep for some time but will awaken if attacked. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

AKA, how to put an ADHDing 2-year-old to sleep after he's been fed coffee ice cream.

Vital Stats:
Damage@ level 50: 36.14 Psionic
Inherent Accuracy: 110%
Range: 100'
Activation: 1.67 seconds
Recharge: 6 seconds (Does not accept Recharge Enhancements)
End Cost: 5.2
Special Effects: Foe Sleep (100%. PvE Mag 3.5, PvP Mag 4)
>>Duration @ level 1: 30 seconds (@ 50: 45 seconds).

*All numbers are listed unslotted, and will be listed as such to the end.


Mesmerize hits the target as hard as a first-tier blast (like Power Bolt). Unslotted, its duration is 30 seconds at level one. At level 50, its base duration is 45 seconds thanks to level scaling. Since it's mag 3.5, it can sleep anything except an Elite Boss, resistant Arch-villain (it sleeps most of them), or a Lost/Arachnos Boss in one shot. The only gripe I have about this power is it doesn't accept recharge enhancements. But since it recharges faster than Dominate anyway, that isn't really a downside.

For soloing, this power is indispensable. It will allow you to easily solo bosses without Domination, and when fighting a regular 3-mob spawn, it's one of the keys to total lockdown. This sleep lasts so long, unslotted, that you could use it on a boss, rest to full, and still not have them wake up on you. If you plan on soloing at all, take it.

For PvP: This power has its uses, but against most people, it isn't worth it. Its base duration in PvP is shortened to 10 seconds, and since it breaks when you damage, it can't stack with itself. Its one use is to punch through a Force Fielder's mez protection. Force Field is rather uncommon in PvP, so in pure PvP builds, it's skippable. Either way, you can break their protection with a Dominate and Telekinesis/Total Domination.

Rating: (on a scale of 1-5)

Recommended Slotting: Acc (PvE, Bare minimum)
Acc/Acc (Recommended for PvE and Minimum for PvP)
Acc/Acc/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (PvP, Damage)



[PWM2]
Level 1: Levitate - You can send a single target violently into the air, then slam your foe to the ground for Smashing damage. This power can bring flying foes to the ground. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Nothing's more villainous than throwing someone two stories into the air with your mind and watching them land with a fence in between their legs.

Vitals:
Damage@ 50: 47.71 Smashing
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80'
Activation: 1.87s
Recharge: 6s
End Cost: 6.864
Special Effects: Foe KnockUp (100%)


This power does as much damage as a tier-two blast (like Power Blast), and has the added effect of being a 100% knockup. This power starts off awesome and never gets old. In the very low levels it can take off 1/2 of a white con minion's HP in a single shot, all while stopping them from shooting at you until they manage to get off their face. It works on 90% of the bosses you'll ever meet in the game. Even Arachnos and Lost bosses, who are normally super-resistant to mezzes, will get flung into the air, defenseless. Even though this power does decent damage, it is best used as a Soft Control. If you have another attack ready and the mob you're fighting is held, use that attack instead.

The only downside to using this power for damage is how long it takes to see its end result. Most attacks immediately show you how much damage they do the moment they hit. In Levitate's case, it doesn't "hit" until they hit the ground--which is well after it unroots you and lets you shoot again. Slot this power with anything less than two accuracy SOs and it'll seem like it has an inherent acc penalty (which it doesn't; its misses are just more irritating).

The good news is, Levitate is virtually impossible to defend against when it doesn't inherently miss. It only checks against Psionic defense. Not Ranged/Psi defense, not Smashing Defense, just Psi defense. This means Super Reflexes Scrappers and Regen Scrappers running MoG have a huge gaping hole in their defenses that you can easily exploit--this power is a tier two blast, if you'll recall me saying.

Against held players, use this to keep them from using Break Frees for a short time. Even if they use one, toss em into the air again to run/keep attacking. Break Frees don't protect enough against Knockback/up/down to stop Levitate on their own.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
Things aren't all rosy in the land of Mind Control. ALL your powers only check against Psi defense—which means the Carnival of Shadows will make you want to maul your monitor in rabified frustration, and Stone Tankers in Siren's Call who were smart and took Mineral Armor will leave you swearing at your monitor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rating:

Suffers from minor flaws, but it's still a must-have, for all levels of the game. I respec'd out of it and after a few levels I realized how much I missed it. Don't go respeccing out of it until you slot it up with at least two accuracies and three damages--all in Green SOs. You may regret it if you do.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Rech/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (PvE/PvP)
Acc/Acc/End/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (PvE/PvP, marathon slotting—I use this)



[PWM3]
Level 2: Dominate - Dominate painfully tears at the mind of a single foe. It deals Psionic damage and renders a foe helpless, lost in his or her own mind and unable to put up any defense. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Word of advice: do not look in the mirror and use it on yourself. It feels like a Vegas hangover.

Vitals:
Damage: 36.14 Psionic
Inherent Accuracy: 120%
Range: 80'
Activation: 1.1s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: 8.528
Special Effects: Foe Hold (100%. PvE Mag 3, PvP Mag 4)
>>Duration @ level 1: 12 seconds (@ 50: 17.88 seconds)


Like Mesmerize, it deals as much damage as a tier-one blast. However, since it's your Single Target Hold, do NOT slot it for damage. This power is your staple move, and it's a good one at that. Any Mind/ build without it is instantly “gimped”. It's probably the best hold I've ever used, and I've tried em all. Effect is instantaneous, leaves no room for stray shots, and animation is very short (and cool).

Downside is, if you aren't right next to a mob when you use it, you might not notice them clutching their head like they just saw your grandma naked. It's not an obvious effect, and if the mob has a rifle drawn, they will go into a continuous shooting animation loop, so it looks even LESS obvious. Probably not a good idea to go Mind/ if you want to be thanked for your holds (even though I WAS thanked for my holds once, and there was an Ice/ Corr on the team. >.&gt

This is probably the best hold for PvP, since nothing but full on Psi defense can protect against it. You can Kill a Regen Scrapper running Moment of Glory using only this power. SR Scrappers want to nerf Dominate like you wouldn't believe.

But we gave up a pet for our enhanced control, so screw them.

Rating:

Take this power at level 2. No later. Slotting this takes highest priority of all your powers once you have two accuracy in each of your attacks.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Rech/Hold/Hold/Hold (PvE and PvP)



[PWM4]
Level 6: Confuse - You can Confuse an enemy into believing his or her friends are not who they appear to be. If the Confuse is successful, the enemy will ignore you and attack those friends. If you Confuse someone before you've been noticed, your presence will continue to be masked. You will not receive any Experience Points for foes defeated entirely by a Confused enemy. Recharge: Moderate

Vitals:
Inherent Accuracy: 120%
Range: 80'
Activation: 3.37s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: 8.528
Special Effects: Foe Confuse (100%. PvE Mag 3)
>>Duration @ level 1: 20 seconds (@ 50: 29.8 seconds)


Remember when I said we gave up our pet for enhanced control? I lied.

Don't overlook Confuse simply because the power help text says it reduces your exp--every point of damage done decreases it by a miniscule amount, so that only 25% of the mob's damage counts. You get more exp than you earn with this power, so it speeds up your leveling process instead of slowing it down. Don't stop your group to take mobs out of the fight, though, as it is uneccessary, DEcreases your exp/time, and your team will hate you. They'll hate you even more if you use it while there are AFK members and they can't immediately fight for whatever reason.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a guy from back in I6, and I remember when this power had a freaking six-second long animation, leaving you unable to use inspirations at all for the entire period. Now, that time is cut in half, and this power couldn't be mightier. It has gone from "power you use only at the start of the fight to remove LTs" to "Second ST Hold." It lasts longer than your hold does, and if given six slots it'd be without a doubt the strongest control in your arsenal.





But one of the perks of Confuse is it only needs three slots to be as effective as or more effective than your hold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Virtually nothing grants Confuse protection, but even then, it's only useful when facing teams or Pet users in PvP—Confuse the owner and the pet turns on him too. It just so happens, though, that Trip Mines are pets, and so are all location AoEs.

The best part about Confuse in PvP is watching Sergeant Shootemup set up his Device fortress. Cast Confuse on him and laugh as all his mines send him flying across the horizon, with a little Pokemon-style twinkle when he blasts off again.

Rating:

Trip Mines. Nuff said.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Confuse/Recharge.
Uber 1337 overkill slotting: Acc/Acc/Confuse/Confuse/Confuse/Recharge.



[PWM5]
Level 8: Mass Hypnosis - Hypnotizes a group of foes at a distance and puts them to Sleep. The targets will remain asleep for some time but will awaken if attacked. This power deals no damage, but if done discreetly, the targets will never be aware of your presence. Recharge: Slow

It's like watching school board meetings, only without the brain damage.

Vitals:
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80'
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: 45s
Area of Effect Radius: 25' (Max Targets: 10)
End Cost: 15.6
Special Effects: Foe Sleep (100%, Targetted AoE. PvE Mag 3, PvP Mag 4)
>>Duration @ level 1: 12 seconds (@50: 17.88 seconds)


This is an often overlooked power, simply because it's a Sleep. Its unslotted duration is about as long as Dominate's--12 seconds at level 1 and 18 seconds at level 50. This power's duration doesn't matter that much, though, because its main use is to eliminate the alpha strike. It generates no aggro, and can be used at range, so it also doubles as an "Ah, crap! The friggin Stalker touched the glowie!" button.

When used to negate the alpha strike, instruct your teammates to hold off on attacking first. The Corruptors and MMs should lay on the debuffs, including big ones like Fulcrum Shift, you can start using Dominate and Confuse on key targets, and THEN everyone can start shooting. At high levels you could probably do this without talking (there are exceptions), but the lower levels require some instruction (again, exceptions).

To negate extra spawns, simply target the middle and fire away. It'll even take Archvillains out of the fight with Domination up, so for the Recluse Strike Force it is a must take.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
Do not use this in the middle of the fight on the spawn you're fighting. Ever. The downside to this power is exactly why it's overlooked: it's a Sleep. It does nothing once the fight has already started and AoE attacks are being flung everywhere. Though it can be made perma with six slots, it isn't necessary to do so. It does, however, make a good power to use on a second spawn you didn't see on your way in or for an ambush that came by surprise.

[/ QUOTE ]

This power has no PvP value whatsoever.

Rating:

Not a must have unless you do the Recluse Strike Force (important if you want SHOEs).

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc (Minimum)
Acc/Acc/Sleep/Sleep/Rech/Rech (Best)



[PWM6]
Level 12: Telekinesis - Telekinesis lifts a foe and any nearby foes off the ground and repels them. The targets are helpless, unable to take action, and will continue to hover away, picking up any passing targets, as long as you keep this power active. Keeping up this level of concentration costs a lot of Endurance. Recharge: Slow

Vitals:
Inherent Accuracy: auto-hit (Toggle)
Range: 50' (300' once activated, while target lives)
Activation: 0.3s
Recharge: 60s
AoE Radius: 10' (Max Targets: 5)
End Cost: 1.56 per half-second tick
Special Effects: Foe Hold/Repel (100%, anchored AoE. PvE Mag 3, PvP Mag 1.5)
>>Hold effect suppresses when target is attacked in PvP


A Quote from Veni. Vidi. Vici: The Complete Guide to Domination :

[ QUOTE ]
Telekinesis will devour your end like a soul sucking Hell field from the 7th plane of the underworld.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's putting it lightly.

This power is probably the most difficult power to use in the entire game. Target a mob with this power, toggle it on, and he will float away from you, with a mag 3 hold on him. Up to four other mobs that are near him will get the same effect. However, the direction the mobs float is based on their position relative to you, meaning they will all float in different directions. Unless you have a wall or a corner, they'll float right out of the effect's range, and they'll charge at you like a frothing bulldog that's just got his favorite bone taken away.

This is a great hold if you want to perma-hold something, but your teammates will hate you for it unless you're really good at it and had a corner nearby, and unless you watch all your floaters closely, you might float them right into another spawn.

And that other spawn won't like you.

Don't take this power before level 20 if you really want it. Take it after you get Stamina. With Stamina and two End Reduction SOs, its end cost is still prohibitive, and it's hard to use. It's very unwieldy in PvE, so it's probably skippable if that's all you do.

However, in PvP this power shines. While nearly everyone has hold resistance, almost nobody has repel resistance. Single Breakfrees can't stop it, and Scrappers will be left running in place. Pin him against the wall and you have yourself a sitting duck. It can even detoggle Personal Force Field if the guy using it aren't running Dispersion Bubble. Its strength, however, is reduced to mag 1.5 in PvP, barely enough to hold someone without any mez protection. Thanks to this, many say it doesn't count towards mag stacking. It does, it just really sucks at it. The Hold effect also shuts off the minute you attack him again, so it's mainly there for the Repel. Use it last if you plan on stacking mag

Rating:

Meh. Could be better.

Recommended Slotting: End/End/Rech/Rech (PvP)
End/End/End (PvE)



[PWM7]
Level 18: Total Domination - This power tears at the mind of a target foe and those nearby. Total Domination renders all affected foes helpless, lost in their own minds and unable to defend themselves. Recharge: Very Long

If only this power was as cool as it sounds.

Vitals:
Inherent Accuracy: 80%
Range: 80'
Activation: 2.03s
Recharge: 240s
AoE Radius: 20' (Max Targets: 10)
End Cost: 15.6
Special Effects: Foe Hold (100%, Targetted AoE. PvE Mag 3, PvP Mag 4)
>>Duration@ level 1: 8 seconds (@50: 11.92 seconds)


Out of the box, with one accuracy slot, this power blows. It has a triple whammy of -20% accuracy, short 8-second duration, and loooooooong four-minute recharge. Domination recharges faster than it does. For this power to be effective at all, it needs slots. Six of them. Without slots, this power is worthless except as a panic button when Domination is up. Remember when I said I wasn't 100% happy with my build? Well, I wish I had this, but I don't have the slots for it.

With slots, however, this power is all right. Two accuracies is enough to make up for its horrid base (most of the time), two hold duration SOs are enough to make it last a decent amount of time, and two recharges lets it recharge faster, so it's up at least every third fight. A lot of people show great disappointment with this power, but compared to the other AoE holds it ain't so bad. It's ranged, targeted, and only checks against Psi defense. Even then, this power is not for everyone; especially if your build, like mine, is very short on slots.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
For us, though, this power is better than “just ok”. In addition to your [MUSCLES!!] and your red laser beams of doom, Energy Assault gets Power Boost to double the secondary effects of any power. That doesn't include accuracy and damage, but it does include heals, debuffs, and hold durations. The best part is, you get Power Boost two levels before Total Domination, so for you, TD is actually very good. Power Boost recharges in half the time to begin with, so there is no reason to use Total Domination without it. It turns this gimptastic panic button into a respectable area hold you can use every time it's up.





Because of this added utility, there are many ways to slot this power. Some go for all recharge and accuracy so they can use Power Boost to mimic three duration SOs and have it up as often as possible. Others go 2/2/2 so they don't skimp on anything and they get the most bang out of their SOs (the third one drops off in power very slightly because of ED). Others slot it for accuracy and duration and use it only when the fit hits the shan. This power benefits fantastically from acc/hold SHOEs, allowing for 3/3/3 slotting that this power begs to have.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rating: (Without Power Boost):
(With Power Boost):

Power Boost makes a huge difference. Don't take this power without it.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Acc/Rech/Rech/Rech (PvP and PvE, Power Boost duration slotting.)
Acc/Acc/Hold/Hold/Rech/Rech (PvP and PvE, 2/2/2 slotting, my personal favorite)
Acc/Acc/Hold/Hold/Hold/Rech or Acc/Acc/Acc/Hold/Hold/Hold (PvP and PvE Panic Button slotting. Definitely serves its purpose.)



[PWM8]
Level 26: Taunt—uh...Terrify – This power Terrifies foes within a cone area in front of you, causing them to tremble in Fear uncontrollably. The effect is so frightening and overwhelming that the target takes real damage from the physiological response to this Psionic attack. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Slow

They have nothing to fear but fear itself. Since you are fear itself, you just have to worry about their retaliatory salvo.

Vitals:
Damage: 36.14 Psionic
Inherent Accuracy: 90%
Range: 60'
Activation: 2.03
Recharge: 40
Arc: 90° (Max Targets: 10)
End Cost: 20.8
Special Effects: Foe Fear (100%, Targetted Cone. PvE Mag 3, PvP Mag 4)
>>Duration @ level 1: 15 seconds (@50: 22.35 seconds)


Used correctly, this power is excellent. It does Mesmerize-level damage, is easy to aim, can be made permanent on even cons and +1s with five slots, and only allows mobs to attack once when they have been attacked themselves. Few mobs resist fear, and fewer players do as well. This is the only power guaranteed to stop a solo, non-DA melee in one shot. Sleep 2.0. Its small -10% accuracy penalty is easy to make up for.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
This power is a terrible fight opener. It generates a TON of aggro, and thanks to it doing a small amount of damage, it lets every mob hit by it get one free shot off at whoever they hate the most before they cower. If you led the charge with this power, that guy is you. It can never replace Mass Hypnosis as an alpha strike mitigator, since it forces you to take it if you charge in first, usually ending in:





[ QUOTE ]
”Vid! Stop dying! Don't make me spank you.” —SG leader.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
”Gah!!” —SG friend. She likes saying “Gah!!” even when people just log on and say hi.

[/ QUOTE ]





If you use it after someone else has taken all the aggro, though, you'll mitigate plenty of damage and not get hit once. For damage mitigation, it's better than Mass Hypnosis: it breaks during damage, but only for one attack. For this reason, Terrify is a mid-battle time cushion. Use it early in the fight (but not during the alpha!) to give you time to tab around to find the Lieutenants and Bosses, and once you find them, cast full on holds and confuses on them, or if they're recharging, stun 'em with Bone Smasher or Total Focus. It's almost better than the AoE hold. Just don't use it after a Mass Confusion, it doesn't do anything. If the mobs are shooting themselves already, they aren't going to stop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rating:

It's just fun to watch them cower. It helps when earning damage and debt badges, too.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Fear/Fear/Rech. (PvE and PvP) Add a second recharge if you want, but it isn't necessary. Do not slot with ToHit debuff, it has no visible effect.



Other Dominators Chime in: Quote from the Forums

[ QUOTE ]
Since I've gotten Charged Armor and slotted it up, against many things I can open with Terrify with impunity. Power Boost --> Terrify --> Wait for spam of attacks to die down --> Aid Self to return to full.





It works pretty well. Mind you, I don't really need to do that, but I like to just to make fun of the Masterminds who are too scared of losing their individual tier 1 pets to send them in and take the hit.





Real men open with Terrify.

[/ QUOTE ]
—Mal'rathad

So it seems that there IS an exception to the rule. Never open with Terrify.*

*Unless you have a patron shield.



[PWM9]
Level 32: Mass Confusion – You can cause Mass Confusion within a group of foes, creating chaos. All affected foes will turn and attack each other, ignoring all your allies. If you Confused your foes before they noticed you, your presence will continue to go unnoticed. You will not receive any Experience Points for foes defeated entirely by Confused enemies. Recharge: Very Long

Riot-in-a-can; it's like throwing a chair into a crowd.

Vitals:
Inherent Accuracy: 80%
Range: 80'
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 240s
AoE Radius: 25' (Max Targets: 16)
End Cost: 26
Special Effects: Foe Confuse (100%, Targetted AoE. Mag 3)


You won't know what you did before you got this power when you join a large team and see it. This thing has a massive area of effect and a high target cap; if there are two spawns next to each other, a couple mobs in the other one might get hit with it too. It causes no aggro to you, and any harm you cause to them while they are confused is immediately forgotten when it wears off. It's like they wake up and think the whole thing was just a dream. This thing isn't just aggro-free, it's -aggro. It has the same base duration as regular confuse, so one duration slot is all it needs.

Downside? It has Total Domination's long recharge, and its negative accuracy too. It's still a good power regardless, but it does have its drawbacks. In PvP, it is the bane of Fire Controllers, and unlike other mezzes, can stack with holds.

Rating:

You will take this power, and you will love it dearly.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Confuse/Rech/Rech/Rech (All)
Acc/Acc/Acc/Confuse/Rech/Rech (If you find yourself missing)



[PWEN]
Energy Assault

”MUSCLES...TOO HUGE. CAN'T REACH FACE!” —Jorgan, discovering that giant muscles and small children on your face don't mix.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
Energy Assault has some of the most wicked graphics of all the secondaries. Nothing is quite as satisfying as shooting beams of glowing energy straight into your target, and watching him fly into a wall from the sheer force of it. The trees shake when a shot goes by, and things along the ground are pushed away by the force of the impact. All its attacks are part Energy and Smashing, and none of them follow any strict formula for how much of what they do. Its ranged attacks all knock things back, with varying chances for each. Its melee attacks all leave your opponents dazed, stumbling around like drunks at a bar. The best part: all your blasts and punches are red. Mind Control, meet Energy, the most versatile of the Assault sets.






If you want an all-ranged build, Energy Assault is not for you. Fire and Ice Assault can get away with not taking melee attacks because their ranged attacks are better and their melee attacks are nowhere near as monstrously powerful. Even then, they do sacrifice some damage. Dominators have melee attacks for a reason, and that reason is they hit much harder. Our melee scale is .75 Blaster Damage, while our ranged scale is .65.






If you're not a number wizard, you're probably thinking, “Huh? What does all that mean?”






It means our ranged attacks, while important for damage, do less damage than our hard-hitting melee attacks. The very fact that we get a beast like Bone Smasher at level 2, the same level as Brutes and Stalkers get it, is a sign that you should never skip the Melee attacks—not the good ones, anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]



[PWE1]
Level 1: Power Bolt – This quick attack rapidly hurls small bolts of energy at foes, sometimes knocking them down. It's fast, but does little damage. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Fast

Vitals:
Damage: 7.22 Smashing/28.91 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80'
Activation: 2s
Recharge: 4s
End Cost: 5.2
Special Effects: Foe Knockback (20%)


“All cowards worth a thousand points!” --Vegeta.

This power is average. At level one it's all you got, and it's not bad. It's almost completely energy damage, so at least it doesn't get resisted often. Its fast-recharging action makes it a great tool for PvP Domination building, and for the lower level zones, you should consider slotting it like you would one of your other attacks. It uses very low endurance, so even at the higher levels with no damage slots, it's a good power for when the mob has 10 health left and you don't feel like using your slower, more end-heavy attacks.

Rating:

You have to take it, but at least it's not as bad as Flares.

Recommended Slotting Acc/Acc (Minimum if you plan on using it for anything)
Acc/Acc/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (Lower Zone PvP, PvE)



[PWE2]
Level 2: Bone Smasher – This melee attack can be slow, but it compensates by dealing a good amount of damage and having a better chance to Disorient than Whirling Hands. Damage: High, Recharge: Moderate

Vitals:
Damage: 38.92 Smashing/24.91 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 5' (melee)
Activation: 1.5s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: 8.528
Special Effects: Foe Disorient (60%. Mag 3)


I'm not sure why the help text compares it to Whirling Hands.

Despite what the help text says, it is not slow. Bone Smasher is one of the fastest-to-fire melee attacks in the game, and it deals a hefty amount of damage. Its recharge is a little long, but it's livable for the amount of raw power it's got. It's got a good chance to disorient at mag 3 – 60%, and it is boosted by Domination, meaning you will get the floating orange text when it goes off. A nice bonus to an already great power. Because of this, you can actually use your secondary to help you control single targets while dealing great damage, further bolstering your arsenal of ST controls.

Bone Smasher is the mainstay of your arsenal. The brunt of all the damage you'll be doing over the course of your Dominator's life will be through this power. Don't underestimate it just because you get it at level 2, or because it's a melee attack. This power will last you through all 50 levels and still be great when you get there.

In PvP, this power has a 5% chance to knock off one toggle power at random. This isn't very useful, though, because that toggle could just have been Sprint. If you get extremely lucky and manage to knock off his protection toggle with that 5% chance, his other toggles will fall along with it because of the Disorient effect. Don't rely on it, though. Use Bone Smasher for damage, not for Detoggling, and only use it on a foe who is defenseless, and under the effect of some kind of Control. Entering melee range before you're ready will get you killed for sure.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
I have Bone Smasher set on auto, where it's been since I was level 4, and that was before I leveled him to 16, deleted, and immediately remade him in his current incarnation. I've taken it off only when absolutely necessary. I love this power. To me, the other attacks are just there for when Bone Smasher is down. They are there to back it up when it doesn't finish the job on its own. I cringe when I hear it miss. Even at level 40, this power continues to be the favorite out of all my attacks. Power Burst is a close second.




On a minor note, I don't quite know why people say Energy Melee attacks look like you're swinging around pink pompoms, they clearly look like red balls of crackling energy with an inner white glow. Must be the gamma.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rating:

“Get it. Slot it. Love it.” --Lord Morcalivan.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Rech/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (PvE and PvE)



[PWE3]
Level 4: Power Push – This ranged attack deals little damage but sends the target flying for a great distance. Damage: Minor, Recharge: Moderate

“Man, them Derringer bullets are weak.”
“Powerful weak.”

Vitals:
Damage: 7.22 Smashing/7.22 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 140%
Range: 70'
Activation: 1.1s
Recharge: 8s
End Cost: 8.528
Special Effects: Foe Knockback (100%)


Power Push is redundant, plain and simple. It does just a hair over Brawl's damage, knocks things away from you, and costs as much endurance as Bone Smasher. While other Dominators might get some use out of it, keeping bosses on the ground so they can hold them more safely, a Mind/ Dominator gets nothing he (or she) doesn't already have. Levitate does the same thing for a lower endurance cost, far higher damage, and less irritation. Levitate at least keeps mobs close to where they were before you threw them in the air. Power Push knocks em flying, and in a group that could send it flying into another spawn, causing a double aggro and a team wipe if you aren't prepared for it. Some debated that it had a chance to detoggle in PvP before I7, but whether that was true or not, it sure as heck doesn't detoggle now.

The one use that I can see working for us is its low as heck activation time and insane Inherent Accuracy bonus (+40%!). In PvP, only secondary attacks generate extra Domination (I'll talk about that in a later section). Power Push works excellently with very few slots (base slot is all that is needed), works fast so you don't have to stay rooted in place for very long (rare for an /Energy ranged attack) and recharges in a decently short amount of time. Of course, PvP builds tend to be very tight, with little room for extra powers. If you can fit this into your build and do well in both PvP and PvE, I admire your resourcefulness, if not your build planning skills.

Rating:

It just doesn't do anything for us that we can't do better with our primary. Since you should have taken Dominate at 2, take Bone Smasher or Levitate/Mesmerize (whichever you didn't already get) at 4.

Recommended Slotting: Acc (it does not need a second because of its massive inherent accuracy).


Other Dominators Chime in: Quote from the Forums


[ QUOTE ]
Power Push gets a bad rap lol. It is quite useful if you like to use TK alot, so its specifically nice for Mind/Energy.





For instance I often duo with a fire/kin, so there are around 5 mobs per group on ruthless (perfect for TK). First I'll sleep 'em all then get in a nice cone for TK, to bunch them up. Sometimes 1 or 2 mobs sneak out, so I just angle him in my TK herd and Power Push him right in. Viola, all mobs are floating. The corruptor hits Fulcrum and goes to town with absolutely no risk.





It eases the use of TK knowing that I do not need to snag _every_ mob in one big sweep. This is on top of same strategy used for Levitate. You can Power Push while laying more holds on a boss. This is all with no additional slots, since it has a bonus to accuracy.

[/ QUOTE ]
—Glycerine


Synergy. Beautiful synergy.

If used to augment Telekinesis, Rating (both powers):

TK is a very powerful hold that is ready nearly every fight. Its main drawback is you usually need to get everything in one sweep. With Power Push, just angle it up and fire away. It will come in handy if you decide to PvP and need to build Domination at range, as well.



[PWE4]
Level 10: Power Blast – A much more powerful, yet slower version of Power Bolt, Power Blast sends a focused beam of energy at a foe that deals a Knockback. Damage: Moderate, Recharge: Moderate

Don't bind or macro “GALLIC GUN!!” into this power, no matter how tempting it is. Teams will slap you. I will slap you. Hopefully you don't know how to make a keybind anyway, so I didn't just give you an idea like an idiot.

Vitals:
Damage: 11.56 Smashing/36.14 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 80'
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 6s
End Cost: 6.864
Special Effects: Foe Knockback (30%)


The help text lies again. This power fires slightly faster than Power Bolt and looks like, you guessed it, a red Gallic Gun (Vegeta's Kamehameha). It does decent damage, hits much sooner than Levitate, recharges in a fairly short amount of time, and costs a low amount of endurance. Power Blast is good the moment you get it, but becomes just average later on in the game. Even then, though, it's good and will be your second most-used attack, and unlike Bone Smasher, it does mostly energy damage and is ranged, meaning safer Domination building in PvP. This should be an obvious choice for all parts of the game.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
Energy Assault tends to have slight gaps in its attack chain without recharge enhancements, so I used to six slot my attacks with acc/acc/rech/dmg/dmg/dmg. However, using so many attacks in nonstop, quick succession will quickly leave you drained of endurance, even with Stamina (as it says in the manual, which is right for once). However, the manual is incorrect when it says you should slow yourself when you use your powers: you want all the DPS you can get without sacrificing the safety of your holds (but you DO want to use your powers smartly—don't use Total Focus on a mob with 1 HP left, for example).




The solution? Endurance reduction slots. I know that sounds like a bad commercial to some of you, and you know who you are, but you may find that along the way not all of your attacks need recharge. Slot a couple of them up with endurance reduction instead. But which ones to slot? The ones you use the most. Bone Smasher is too valuable for DPS to warrant an endurance reduction slot, but one each in quick-recharging powers you use constantly like Power Blast and Levitate will make a huge difference in how hard you can fight. Don't turn your nose up at endurance reduction until you've tried it in a couple of your attacks. You may find you like being able to run toggles while you solo.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rating:

It might be average, but it's a good power to have.

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Rech/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (PvP, DPS slotting in PvE)
Acc/Acc/End/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg (PvP/PvE, marathon slotting—I use this)



[PWE5]
Level 16: Power Boost – This power greatly boosts the secondary effects of your powers. Your powers' effects—like Heals, Defense buffs, Endurance drains, Disorients, Holds, Immobilizes, Knockbacks, and more—are all improved. The effects of Power Boost last a short while, and only the next couple of attacks will be boosted. Recharge: Long

Rainbow Powers ACTIVATE!

Vitals:
Activation: 1.17s
Recharge: 120s
End Cost: 7.8
Special Effects: +Special (+100% to all secondary effects for 15 seconds)


Everything from Aid Self to Fly is doubled while you're under its effect. It stacks with Domination, but it does not increase magnitude (so it is not a mini-Domination), but it does mean your holds last for a very long time. It can turn a once-useless AoE hold like Total Domination into a lockdown machine. If you ever need to increase your hold durations, pop this and even though you'll twinkle like a rainbow colored Christmas tree for 15 seconds, your hold times will make even Controllers jealous. Use this in tandem with Domination, and guys with level 50 Controllers will ask how the hell the Lieutenant that you confused at the start of the fight and ran off into another spawn is still shooting people 20 minutes later.

Rating:

Do not skip this power.

Recommended Slotting: Rech/Rech/Rech (If you have slots to spare)
Rech/Rech (Only 8 seconds longer than with 3)
Rech (If you don't have slots to spare. It's up almost every fight anyway.)



[PWE6]
Level 20: Whirling Hands – By focusing your energy into the muscles in your arms, you can launch a dizzying flurry of attacks against every foe in melee range. Some foes may be hit hard enough to be Disoriented as well. Damage: Moderate,
Recharge: Slow

Vitals:
Damage: 23.35 Smashing/15.57 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 8' (melee) (Max Targets: 10)
Activation: 1.67s
Recharge: 14s
End Cost: 13
Special Effects: Foe Disorient (30%. Mag 2)


Power Boost ain't gonna save this one, folks.

Let's see, high endurance cost? Check. Long recharge? Check. Small area of effect? Check. Weak damage? Double check.

Whirling Hands is one of the most pitiful attacks I've ever seen a Dominator get, so it's better as a utility move. Slot it up for end reduction and recharge, set it on auto when you or someone on your team idles, and it will slowly but surely build Domination—you can use it without targeting anything. On its own it can build a full bar in 22 minutes. If you didn't go afk, though, you'd have built it faster by actually fighting with your other powers. It does as much damage as Power Bolt, and its stun is only mag 2: minions only.

In PvP, don't actually try to hit someone with it. If they move, as people in PvP tend to do, it will miss. In PvE, it pulls too much aggro for what little it does.

Rating:

I really don't like this power. Some may consider its Domination building ability before an AV fight good, but I can get a better effect with Confuse and not have to waste a power slot.

Recommended Slotting: Rech/End



[PWE7]
Level 28: Total Focus – Total Focus is complete mastery over Energy Assault. This melee attack is a very slow but incredibly devastating attack that can knock out most opponents, leaving them Disoriented. Due to the exhausting nature of Total Focus, recharge time is very long. Damage: Extreme, Recharge: Long

“The Devastation from your Total Focus deals a Whopping xxx points of energy damage.”

Vitals:
Damage: 38.92 Smashing/99.65 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 120%
Range: 5' (melee)
Activation: 3.3s
Recharge: 20s
End Cost: 18.512
Special Effects: Foe Disorient (100%. Mag 3)


This attack is the reason you keep coming back. With some mobs, it hits so hard that a Bone Smasher follow up can kill the mob in question. It deals exactly the same amount of Smashing damage that Bone Smasher deals, but its energy component is more than tripled. Once you get it, don't stop slotting it until it's got at least two accuracy and three damage. This power ALWAYS disorients its target with a mag 3 stun. Stack it with Bone Smasher and you can stun a Boss.

This monster does have its drawbacks, though. It has an animation time that matches Confuse's down to the last tenth—3.3 seconds. It also has a veeeery long recharge time for an attack: 20 seconds. Its endurance cost is also huge, as it costs nearly three ticks of endurance.

Excerpt from Vid-szhite's Notebook:

[ QUOTE ]
While solo, use this power as an opener on a mob you either haven't controlled yet, or the mob closest to you. If it comes up again in time for the last mob in a spawn, don't use it unless he's still around or above half HP. On teams, try not to use it on a Minion that has anyone's attention. Use it on Bosses and still-healthy LTs, because they have more health and won't likely be slaughtered by your more damaging teammates while you're in the middle of your freaktastically long windup animation.

[/ QUOTE ]

This attack does have a good chance to detoggle in PvP—64% chance to drop one toggle. Even then, try not to use it on an unheld melee, but against squishies (Defenders, Blasters), knock yourself out. The good news is, this power is available in Siren's Call.

Rating:

Hits like a freight train on the highway. That's a great analogy, isn't it? >.>

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg/End (PvE—if you use it like I do, recharge is wasted)
Acc/Acc/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg/Rech (PvP, because you NEED to have your hardest hitting attack up ASAP)



[PWE8]
Level 35: Sniper Blast – A focused Sniper Blast can travel great distances with high Accuracy. This is a sniper attack, best fired from a distance, as it can be interrupted. Damage: Superior, Recharge: Slow

Vitals:
Damage: 27.47 Smashing/72.29 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 120%
Range: 150'
Interrupt Time: 3s
Activation: 1.33s
Recharge: 12s
End Cost: 14.352
Special Effects: Foe Knockdown (50%)


Remember how in Dragon Ball Z, one of the characters usually spends three episodes powering up his ultimate attack? And misses? This'll jog your memory, then.

Sniper Blast is not a weak attack. It is the strongest blast you can get, and it has the longest range as well. However, it just feels, looks, and sounds wimpy. It's a focused blast all right, so focused it looks like a single Power Bolt shot.

It takes way too long to fire. For what damage it does, which is lower than Total Focus, it should fire in half the time. Since you spend most of your time in melee range, and you get much better DPS and EPS (end per second) out of using Bone Smasher, Power Blast, and Levitate as follow-ups, this is probably not going to be your cup of tea, either.

It's not even good for pulling, as the 50% chance for a knockdown immediately aggros mobs around your target.

Rating:

This power is trying very hard to be good, and we're trying very hard to like it, but as Yoda said: “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

Recommended Slotting: Acc/Acc/Dmg/Dmg/Dmg/Range (PvP Sniping)



[PWE9]
Level 38: Power Burst – This is a short-range, devastating attack. Damage: High, Recharge: Slow

Vitals:
Damage: 36.14 Smashing/40.48 Energy
Inherent Accuracy: 100%
Range: 20'
Activation: 2s
Recharge: 11s
End Cost: 10.4
Special Effects: Foe Knockback (60%)


You are now officially the king of Dominator Single-target burst damage! Well, not yet.

Fully slotted, this power is incredible. It may work off our ranged scale, but treat it as a melee attack—one as strong as Bone Smasher. In fact, fully slotted, it's stronger than Bone Smasher. Use it in your melee chain as the final shot—it knocks back often and it knocks back HARD. It has a magnificently sick animation. Plus, it's red.

So why is it second fiddle to Bone Smasher on my list of favorite attacks?

Let me put it this way: Bone Smasher is like a romantic dream date—one that'll give it to you any way you want it on the first date, in the restaurant if need be. You won't know what life was like without it. It's not a first-timer, either: it starts off good, and through time, only gets better. You're with it so long, though, that you might start to take it for granted as you move on up, and look for something more.

Now, on to Power Burst. It's the kind of power that you can't take your eyes off of, and what's more, it's got a rep. It's like a hot supermodel that somehow agrees to go out with you. You saw it when you were a wimpy, noodle-armed loser, and you vowed you'd work out and get as much cosmetic surgery as you needed so you could get its attention and finally hook up with it. Much time later, when you're a lean, mean, dominating machine, you ask it out and it says “yes!”

But it knows it's good, and it's tired of all the losers who've used it in the past, and it doesn't CARE that you've already worked your tail off to be worthy, so it refuses to put out until it agrees to marry you.

Yikes.

It's also spoiled and picky, and very very rich, so you have to shower it with gifts to get the end result.

Crank.

The whole time you're with it before level 40, you're thinkin: “GOD! Just MARRY ME so we can get it overwith already!” and once you finally tie the knot, it turns out it's only a smidgen better your level two power—you can barely tell the difference. Many quit because of this, let down because that all that work was for what reward? Bragging rights? Well, you brag at first, and then you see that poindexter Psi Assault you used to pick on back in high school again and realize he ain't a poindexter anymore. He's married to a power that's hotter than yours and is ten times better in bed.

Suddenly, you feel jipped. Horribly, horribly jipped.

While Bone Smasher is immediate pleasure and did what you wanted when you WERE a noodle armed loser, Power Burst needs a lot of attention, even though you could have any power you like. By the time you fully slot Power Burst, you no longer take Bone Smasher for granted, and remember the early levels when you could two shot things with it and Power Bolt. You start to miss that magic, and you take a liking to it once again.

An odd way of putting things, I know, but that's the kind of feeling these powers give you.

Rating: <

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Out of curiosity, does this tweak include the ability to fire off domination when mezzed?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not initially, but the patch following should have it. I forget to stick that in on the original change, and QA helpfully pointed it out, but not in time to reach the version going out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Does it come with the purple triangles animation?

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL

It better.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm sorry I didn't read this thread - so I don't know if what I'm about to say has been repeated.

Dear Devs,

Please please please don't balance an entire AT based on a click inherent ability. When people complain that dominators are not strong enough, the solution should NOT be to buff domination. Simply put, it's more fun to play a good character all the time than a crappy character most of the time that turns into an UBER god sometimes.

Much love for your work,
-Shak

[/ QUOTE ]

As much as I like the change, this is extremely true.

[/ QUOTE ]

Much as I like it too, I agree we could do with some work outside of Domination.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The thing to do would be to get the dom to fire off domination then run and let it time out useless. this is the problem with a jekyl and hyde approach.

Dominators are one trick ponies, get them to fire the domination then just wait it out.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you run away from a dominator in full-on domination mode, it's because he let you run away or because you just ate half a tray of breakfrees.

[/ QUOTE ]

Takes two to three holds on a Scrapper to hold him with Domination up, IIRC--Domination holds are mag 8 in PvP. If he can run successfully from that, because I can stack holds faster than you can say [censored] and I've probably BEEN stacking them the entire time before I even used Domination, he'll need to zone to restock his breakfrees.

This is even better than Indomitable Will--we get it at level one!

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
We've got a nice tweak to the Domination ability coming down the pipe ( it will crank up your Mez resistance while it is active ), and are currently data-mining PvP to see what effect our last set of tweaks to the AT have had.

[/ QUOTE ]

While I'm not a huge fan of making an AT so dependant upon one power, This would be an incredible change. Hopefully the mez resistance will be something very significant.


[ QUOTE ]
Then of course there is the Domination ability, which is the real Jekyl and Hyde of the AT. A mild-manner Dominator with a full Domination bar can, at his or her discretion, become an unstoppable machine of destruction and control

[/ QUOTE ]

I've long suspected that the peaks and valleys associated with being a dominator have been by design. Nice to get some verification of it.

Thanks for coming to post Positron.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have *got* to remember to stop posting late at night.

Though I think the idea for mez protection while inside of Domination is awesome for PvP and makes sense for PvE, I do think we deserve some good tweaks outside of Domination--one, Controllers have double the amount of Control we have if you include their debuff sets, and two, they have far superior damage if you include their debuff sets, containment, and epic attacks.

If nothing will be done to Dominators outside of Domination, then at LEAST make our patron AoE attacks not be so horrible.

And I will echo many people when they say a lot of the time, Dominators are the ones who want Controller's damage and not vice versa. The only exceptions I can think of are Earth/anything or Something/FF. There are Controller builds that smoke our damage completely, which shouldn't be happening. If we gave up our control for damage that Controllers would give their left mouse button for, could that damage not be so, I dunno, unremarkable?

Sure, after 30 it gets better, but something I didn't know was a Controller with Containment can one shot a white con minion using their epic Power Blast. I'd give BOTH my mouse buttons to be able to one shot something at range. I can't even do that with Total Focus, not even to grays some of the time.

Mainly, though, I'm still reeling over the fact that Positron actually said Controllers would give anything to have our damage when it's clearly the opposite in most cases.

Man I love these threads. Wouldn't be the same without em.

[ QUOTE ]
It never ceases to amaze me how threads like these are able to generate so many pages. One thing I will say about the dominator forum is that it pwns that rest of the forums when it comes to threads asking about the viability of the AT.

[/ QUOTE ]

One guy even went into the Corr forums and saw that the AT's Damage/Debuff modifiers are both 75% Blaster/Defender respectively--he said Corrs didn't amount to much.

Immediately that entire thread turned into "you wouldn't think so from the numbers, but Corrs are the best designed AT there is." and they stated reasons why. No flamewars or anything.

That's why I love this forum. Plenty of drama for everyone.

We do, don't we?

LordNikon just got pwned by Cuppa.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why do people say they arent good?


[/ QUOTE ]

Because they don't dish out lots of damage.

[/ QUOTE ]

Truthfully I feel that's the core of it. So much of the game is centered on the big hurt, and a class that doesn't bring it will generally be looked at as inferior.

Doms don't bring the big hurt, and they demand a playstyle with a premium on situation awareness, and fast accurate judgements about where to focus. It's the least straightforward CoV AT, so it's bound to get it's share of detractors who think it should be "more like" whatever they want it to be more like.

If we were made more efficient, either through better damage for the endurance we use, or less endurance for all the abilities we need to spam, some of the issues might be solved, however that wouldn't change the fact that Dominators have a very different playstyle than the others.

[/ QUOTE ]

For some people, especially people who say they used to be Controllers, are disappointed with the Hold Duration times, and I think they may have a good reason to be disappointed, thinking deeper into it.

Let's look at things this way: Our Duration modifier is 1.00, and Controllers' is 1.25, so right off the bat they have a 25% bonus to hold times.


[/ QUOTE ]

The same concept holds for every CoV 'version' of a CoH AT. Corruptors don't do quite as much damage as Blasters, Brutes are a little squishier than Tanks, etc.

Dominators are no different, yet there seems to be an endless stream of caterwauling regarding this specific AT.

[/ QUOTE ]

Let me put this in a different way to tell you why Dominators having less Control power is an unfair reduction. I know what you're saying: we gave up Team Safety for damage (aka Team Speed). The problem is, we gave up too much team safety to get the level of damage we have.

Here's a hypothetical example: A Mind/FF Controller is considered one of the safest of the support-type Controllers. They use Controls to keep the team safe and if those fail, their bubbles will reduce the incoming damage significantly. Do they bring more damage than a Dominator? Heck no. Do they bring more team safety? Infinitely more. Their holds last longer AND their buffs mitigate what damage comes in so much it isn't funny. They even give themselves mez protection.

"But that just proves my point even more." you might be saying.

Sure, but let's take a look at a Mind/Kin--a more offensive Controller build. Here's what a hypothetical fight opener would look like: the Controller casts Mass Hypnosis to get the mobs dozing, then they run in and cast Fulcrum Shift and Siphon Power. Then they step back, target the mob furthest in the back, hit Mass Confuse or Total Domination, and then let loose with Terrify. Half the minions' HP is now gone, they're cowering in terror, and they will only attack themselves. Will a Dominator bring that much damage to the same fight? Unsure. Fulcrum Shift on top of a double-power Terrify does a ton of damage all at once. It's debatable if a Dominator could reach that level of damage--but the Controller just boosted the damage of everyone else within the AoE of Fulcrum Shift as well, thereby increasing team speed even further. A single AoE from anyone else buffed like that might be able to finish off all the minions at once.

But would a Dominator bring more team safety to compensate? Definitely not. The Controllers' mezzes last longer thanks to their control modifier, the mobs won't hit as often because the Controller's Terrify had a ToHit debuff attached that's working when the mobs do get a chance to attack (their DEBUFF modifier is 25% higher than ours, too!) and when the mobs attack, they do so with reduced damage thanks to Fulcrum Shift.

Did we sacrifice Team Safety to increase Fight Speed? Well, in this case we sacrificed but got nothing in return. The fact that we have no debuffs to stack on top of our Control should have been quite enough sacrifice for the level of damage we got in return, but our controls, the only source of team safety we bring, got reduced as well. Do you see my point?

EDIT: Do note that I'm not saying "Doms suck" in any way, shape, or form. I'm just stating that we got unfairly shafted and could do with some improvements.

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Why do people say they arent good?


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Because they don't dish out lots of damage.

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Truthfully I feel that's the core of it. So much of the game is centered on the big hurt, and a class that doesn't bring it will generally be looked at as inferior.

Doms don't bring the big hurt, and they demand a playstyle with a premium on situation awareness, and fast accurate judgements about where to focus. It's the least straightforward CoV AT, so it's bound to get it's share of detractors who think it should be "more like" whatever they want it to be more like.

If we were made more efficient, either through better damage for the endurance we use, or less endurance for all the abilities we need to spam, some of the issues might be solved, however that wouldn't change the fact that Dominators have a very different playstyle than the others.

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For some people, especially people who say they used to be Controllers, are disappointed with the Hold Duration times, and I think they may have a good reason to be disappointed, thinking deeper into it.

Let's look at things this way: Our Duration modifier is 1.00, and Controllers' is 1.25, so right off the bat they have a 25% bonus to hold times.


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The same concept holds for every CoV 'version' of a CoH AT. Corruptors don't do quite as much damage as Blasters, Brutes are a little squishier than Tanks, etc.

Dominators are no different, yet there seems to be an endless stream of caterwauling regarding this specific AT.

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You're ignoring part of the problem. While I am comparing us to Controllers, that's really why you hear everyone saying "I feel like such a leech when I'm on a team because my hold suck..." 25% is a very big number, and the reason Corruptors don't complain about their damage is they're designed like Offenders were--weakening the opponent with their debuffs to approach Blaster-level damage while keeping the team safe, getting the benefits of both ATs. Corruptors also get Scourge, which further increases their damage. Some could argue Corruptors are BETTER than Blasters, and they are often considered the most well-designed AT.

Dominators, however, don't synergize so well with their secondaries. Our secondary is all about doing damage (and not very much at that). Two sets have Power Boost, so we get many bursts of time when we have increased hold times, but in the long run, our hold times are nothing special. We bring two things: Damage and Control. Corruptors bring slightly less Control, but they bring more ST damage, AoE damage, debuffs, buffs, heals, and arguably more Soft Control.

Brutes vs. Tanks is easier: they're designed to be a mix of Scrapper and Tank. Therefore, they are squishier than Tanks but do much more damage, but since they are more durable than Scrappers, they do less damage than they do most of the time.

So, while Doms may be designed as a team support AT, the level of team support we bring is near the same amount a MM or a Corruptor would bring--and they surpass our damage. Though, oftentimes, our holds do bring less lag than a MM would bring. Do you see why people compare us to Controllers? We have nothing meaningful BESIDES Control to bring to a team, so why is it weaker than a Controllers' 70% of the time? We should be be equal 70% of the time and better the other 30%, no questions asked, because the only team support we bring are Controls. We're designed like the Defender AT: they specialize in one area and dabble in damage a small bit. We, on the other hand, don't specialize too well at all.

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Thanks for the replies. Thats kind of what i thought about them. Devs are good at ignoring every1 btw, even if there own missions are bugged....bastar.ds

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Now, now. The easiest way to get ignored is to call the devs names on a forum they regularly check.

And thanks to Positron's post, we know they read this forum.

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Do you think the dev checks this board a lot?? Just curious.

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I have no way of knowing. It's still not a good idea to bypass the language filter to insult them in broad daylight.

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Thanks for the replies. Thats kind of what i thought about them. Devs are good at ignoring every1 btw, even if there own missions are bugged....bastar.ds

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Now, now. The easiest way to get ignored is to call the devs names on a forum they regularly check.

And thanks to Positron's post, we know they read this forum.

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I have a feeling Dominator is the hardest to balance of all.

Hold effect is the nastiest thing in this game. You cannot do ANYTHING when behing Held. That's as strong effect as you can get. How much balance do you need to allow Dominator to control in PvP? How fast do you allow Dom to build up their Domination?

PvP's problem has bigger issue due to Inspirations so I am not going to get into that.

But as for PvE, I only feel a bit inferior when fighting against Arc Villains but once I HOLD them, I feel so superb.. only if it's a few seconds of fame.


One thing they can probably do is to increase Domination gain when fighting against bosses. This way Doms can build up their Dom faster and thus dealing out more damage even though they fail to hold/control.

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Jib thats a really excellent point. Holds are the absolute ultimate debuff.

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Which is precisely why they are so easy to counter.

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Why do people say they arent good?


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Because they don't dish out lots of damage.

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Truthfully I feel that's the core of it. So much of the game is centered on the big hurt, and a class that doesn't bring it will generally be looked at as inferior.

Doms don't bring the big hurt, and they demand a playstyle with a premium on situation awareness, and fast accurate judgements about where to focus. It's the least straightforward CoV AT, so it's bound to get it's share of detractors who think it should be "more like" whatever they want it to be more like.

If we were made more efficient, either through better damage for the endurance we use, or less endurance for all the abilities we need to spam, some of the issues might be solved, however that wouldn't change the fact that Dominators have a very different playstyle than the others.

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For some people, especially people who say they used to be Controllers, are disappointed with the Hold Duration times, and I think they may have a good reason to be disappointed, thinking deeper into it.

Let's look at things this way: Our Duration modifier is 1.00, and Controllers' is 1.25, so right off the bat they have a 25% bonus to hold times.

At level 1, our Hold lasts 12 seconds, theirs lasts 15. Both have recharges of about 8 seconds. That is usually enough to hold a boss for 4 seconds, while theirs lets them hold a boss for 7--one second of downtime.

Factor in that for every level you gain, your hold durations increase by 1%, and you'll discover that the main reason former Controllers are so disappointed is your durations at level 50 are the same as theirs were at level 25. That also means, that by level 26, your hold's base duration is finally as long as theirs were at level one. (Of course, if you slotted your hold PROPERLY, it should last twice as long thanks to SO enhancements).

That could very well be a contributing reason why our teens are so horrid AND why some people have so much trouble with Elite Bosses--our holds don't even last as long as a level one Controllers' just yet, and unless you have the money for DO enhancements, you'll barely be able to hold a boss without Domination, while a Controller of the same level and enhancements could hold one without much trouble at all.

The damage we do is only half the equation. Doms are "late bloomers" thanks to both the fact that we get our good attacks very late, and our control modifier affects us more greatly than some people choose to think. Sure, with Domination, all that goes away and then some, but that's the core of the problem.



EDIT: I'm wired, and I am just noticing a lot of gammar errors in my post. If I seem to edit it five times a minute, that's why.

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I made a dominator a while ago, he was fun and did pretty good. I know doms arent as good as trollers but i keep hearing that all doms are gimp and suck and stuff. Is this realy true? I always find a need for em. I dont plan on lvl'ing up a dom, i just came here to ask what the fuss is about. I ihave nothing against dominators because i always find them useful So i'm asking

Do dominators suck?
Are they fun?
Why do people say they arent good?

very curious, what do u guys think?

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Oftentimes, people say we suck in hopes that the devs will give us some love where we need it. They try to make a mountain out of a molehill because, to them, "you have to make a problem look 100x worse than it is to get the devs to fix it."

The bigger reason a lot of people say we suck is we could do with some generous tweaks and buffs here and there, because we are a _tad_ less powerful than everyone else--we are balanced around Domination, which makes us a bit underpowered some of the time and slightly overpowered the rest of the time. Not many people like that, including myself, but I still love Domination. I just think we need to be made so we're not as weak when it's down. And having it up more often, like a loooooot of people wanted and got, hasn't solved that problem.

EDIT: Another big part of the "gimp" calls is a lot of people state we have "two secondaries" because Controllers get a Hold modifier of 1.25 and ours is only 1.00 (same as Defenders'), and our ranged modifier is the same as Defenders' (.65). In a way, I agree it shouldn't be like that. Even if the difference IS only two or three seconds, people underestimate how much a difference two seconds really is--with my Terrify power, it's only two seconds shy of being perma against +3 mobs with Acc/Acc/Duration/Duration/Recharge/Recharge slotting. Additionally, at level 50, Controllers' base duration bonus amounts to 4.5 seconds for the Single Target Hold--a 9 second increase when enhancements are factored in. Yes, that's pretty huge.

[waits for Shubbie to come in, stating that Plant is the only half decent set and all the others are gimptastic]

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oh wahhh, its not like its a huge bug even if it is a bug. Again the only way I was able to make it happen was with 2 rad corrupters, hasten, and the temp power for the crey map "objects". I have a feeling you need a whole arnsenal of /rad or /kin to replicate that temporary power.

It was still pretty freaking cool, just wanted to relate a story is all.


Oh and to all those complaining about the game being buggy and lack of dev response that is trolling. This thread was strictly for the discussion of achieving overlapping domniation.

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I'm pretty sure that if it requires at least two people of a specific secondary to achieve that level of power, it's not overpowered. I think that classifies as "working as intended."

Neat, thanks Jay!

I've been having a problem that you're all probably sick of hearing about &gt;.&gt; While I7 was on test, I noticed that my brooch/mantle was not showing up at all when I used Armored Pads (my main costume piece), no matter what kind of Brooch I picked. My cape was still there, however.

While I7 was on test, my I6 live character's brooch still showed up, and if I changed my Test character's body piece to anything other than Armored Pads, the brooch and mantle would instantly show up. Now that I7 is live, neither character has a visible Brooch.

Before I7

After I7

EDIT: Yes I understand that it is a freaking tiny little thing on my chest that you can barely see, but it was always my favorite part of my cape. &gt;.&gt;

EDIT 2: Forgot the most important part. Jay and Ian are teh seksi.

Holy crap. My guy already has some sort of Super-saiyan like transformation when he hits Domination...

You just discovered Super Saiyan 2.

/drool.

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We can argue with the specifics all we want, but the game is a better place all around.

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Except for The Hollows... I can never forgive him for that.

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lol &lt;'x'&gt; Ok I'll agree to that one! &lt;,&lt; Lol &lt;;.;&gt; sad thing is, I had fun with it the first time I tried it; every time since its like I'm cursed to die horribly there lol &gt;&lt;

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If I knew of its coordinates, I'd position my main fleet over the Hollows and open fire. The Hollows is a horrid, horrid place. I didn't like it the moment I set foot in it.

Ya know, the game still belongs to him &gt;.&gt;

Besides, I think that whole Zeus thing is kinda cool.

The answer to 6 is we might be hoping to get a team by not leaving our seek flag up. See #5.

Or, y'know, we might just forget.

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on the list of accolade requirements, they all have this funky "if known" comment. It would be really helpful to label which of those lists are complete and which ones still need some input. For example, is there anyone with the 4 badges listed for Megalomaniac who still lacks the accolade?
That will just help us know where to focus future analysis.


Also of use:
Minimum levels for accolades based on the badges listed...
Megalomaniac - 40 (to get the RV explore badge)
High Pain Threshold - 10 (to get debt)
Demonic - 1
Task Force Commander - 35 (to run Numina TF)

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No way does HPT only require level 10. You need the Bad Luck mission badge from a 30-35 Contact, the Ganbuster badge from killing Marcone bosses, Technofreak, Locked and loaded, Freak of Nature, and then you need the Deathless badge, which requires you to pay back 5 million debt. You only get 100 debt per death at level 10, I believe, so unless you and a friend to malefactor with you have no lives you'll have to spend the time leveling to 30 in permadebt to get it.

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Perhaps my search-fu is weak, but, but in the few pages I’ve checked I did not see an answer as to how people already are above (several levels above) level 40? I created a Robot MM when I got home from work. At the time heroes were winning a lot. When villains stated to win I decided to create a hero (I'm funny that way). From then on it was a matter of much higher stalkers taking me out every step I took. That’s no big deal, I’ve PvP’ed before, and all it made me miss my 45 Tank. I was a bit confused as to how people lvled so far. Are there contacts available outside PvP for missions? If not, seriously, did you guys get from 40 to 50 by hunting in other zones? If you did..... well, wow.... seriously....... wow.

Anyway, I hope that when this zone goes live, it isn't a 50's only club. As a slow lvler 45 1/2 is the highest I've got. If it's anything like the test, I don't think I need to bother showing up until he's lvl 50.

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Everyone is auto SKd to 50 in RV. Nothing special there.

Post deleted for being a dumba$$.