dmurray

Firstly, I'm actually getting frustrated with the game at this point
This is also a fairly long post so if you don't want to read the entire thing:
I want an AT that is fairly supportive other than pure DPS that does not cost a lot of INF to make (so tanking/mezzing/debuffing/buffing, all nice)
I panic when I have to be the mezzer or debuffer if I don't have AoEs, though.

I love everything about this game apart from the fact none of the powers I've tried, I like. I'm used to playing WoW where within the first 20 levels or so, you'd get a good feel about how the class plays and so on. With this game I've tried mostly a brute, MM and SoA. The soldiers were really nice but I'm worried I'll be designated to a pure DPS role with a litle bit of support. I don't want that. I want to be mostly support in some capacity. I don't care if it's tanking, mezzing or buffing. I love team play and I want my character to reflect this.

One of my biggest problems is that debuffing seems almost impossible to me. AoEs are fine but when I have single target debuffs, with so many targets to pick from, it seems almost counter-productive to have to use the mouse to manually click a target. Is that how everyone does it? I'm used to playing WoW where there's probably (at most) 6 enemies on screen that can survive more than one attack; CoH is obviously vastly different and I tend to panic and pretty much just "mez orange, then yellow", which I hate since it doesn't have any strategy to it.

I'm VIP, so I can use all archetypes. I'm considering a tanking character since that seems "easiest" compared to something than can heal or buffs teamamtes a lot. Having up to 7 other players is a bit... awkward for me to manage. So I assume tanking or mass debuffers are logical in being part of a team. I know DPS can do fine but I'd rather have more than just "blaster/scrapper looking for group". I know hero epics, tankers and MMs can tank. I heard brutes can, too. Are brutes and MM the same with threat generation (get the AoE taunt from presence)?
Other than those four, what classes can tank without too much inf invested?

I thought about a controller or dominator, also; they seemed almost ideal for team play with various debuffs, but I'm a bit concerned since I do want to go with mind as a primary. I made a dom with mind/psy and in Death From Below, it's been Hell, and that's sugar coating it. I found my character insanely weak and practically useless beyond randomly holding or confusing a boss. And when they last about 10 seconds at most, it's annoying. I know a lot of it was due to me being only level 16 or so but
in teams I still think I'll be weak without a bunch of IOs or sets.

I suppose I'm really looking for a basic AT with simple powers, like a WP/Brute Strength tanker or such. But I want to be able to be able to do well in teams with anything other than a pure DPS role. Hell, even a corrupter with debuffs/assault rifle(or pistols) would be great to me. Solo isn't actually a major part of it, at all. But I'd rather avoid something like traps/bots that really are slow to take things down.

Perhaps the OP isn't aware the *best* methods to play a bots/trap?

I get that you slot them, they give bonuses. Some affect different things and some sets affect multiple things.

Except that's all I know. I have got a premium account so I can use invention ones just fine. From playing with Mids, anytime I slot in a set, it affects all my powers that can be affected, does it work like this with all sets?

And what use is invetion other than making enhancments?

Finally, the level 50 invention enhancements (including the sets), how are they gotten? If it's from Incarnate content, I have to be in a team?

Most importantly: what programme(s) have you downloaded that you've been using to increase the speed of your computer (if you don't know the name, link to the website you got them from).

When I say "click", that means click the left mouse button. Saying "right click", means click the right mouse button.

Firstly, we'll need some basic info:
What is your computer? A laptop or a desktop (if it's a desktop you have a seperate monitor and a seperate tower/box for your computer and if it's a laptop, the monitor is connected to the keyboard and it's fairly small and can sit on your lap)?

Do you remember when you bought it (a time frame is fine, so something like "8 or 9 months ago" is pefectly fine)? Have you every used compressed air to clean out the dust?

If it's a windows computer: start your computer, wait for it to load and get to the main screen.
Click the bottom left windows logo, look for a white box with grey/gray text that says "Search programmes and files", click that box and type in "dxdiag" (all one word). This will tell you a few things.

Here's what we need you to do and tell us:
Firstly, when I say "type it out for us to see", I will give you an example below.
On the window that opened, look for "Operating System". Type it out for us to see. For me, it would Operating System is Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit (6.1, Build 7601). Hopefully you'll understand and get everything we need.

Then, look for "System Manufacturer". Type out the name.
I'm not sure if this is going to be on a desktop but if you are on a laptop lime myself, you should see "System Model", type this out.
Look for "Processor" and type it out.
Then, look for "Memory" and type that out.
Look for "DirectX Version" and type that out.

Then, go to the top of the window and look for the tab called "Display". Click it and look for "Device", then under that, look for "Name" and type out the name.

That should really be it and will give us enough information. So we can go further from there.

I'm pretty new to the game still. I understand the majority of the terms and the likes. I just am slightly confused on how a dom or troller would play in solo and groups. (basically, are both classes expect to dish out damage and mez things in a group. Or do doms just mez mostly)

I'm going with mind control and I have no idea about a secondary. On one hand, I heard trollers are great against AVs (which is wonderful) but I also heard that doms have an easier time locking them down. So I'm kinda confused. I like being able to solo. I know I'm new so I'm not expecting to be able to solo right off the bat. I'm fine with building up inf for slotting for solo, so long as I can be useful to a team without needing a few billion inf.

The reason I like MC is that it plays perfectly for what I want. It's all about control and taking your time. But secondaries are a massive problem. I want to beneficial to the team and be able to solo (even if it costs a few billion inf to solo).

On the troller side of things I'd rather stay away from the following: trick arrow and poison. I would also like to avoid dark since it has a pet (unless Fluffy is actually good with MC). But even then, I'm really not comfortable with a pet since MC shouldn't really need a pet (at least conceptually, anyway).

For a dom I'm avoiding thorns and really any kind of melee damage. I don't mind things like psionic asasault but firery and icy assault bothers me. I don't want to feel like I'm just summoning swords in melee. The thing with psionic assault is that it blends well with MC and even though it's weak against some things, I still like how it handles the melee since it's most of a "I'm still using mind powers" against you.

Anyhow, thanks for any help.

Okay, firstly, I'm very new to the game (as per my other topic) but I do understand the terms and basic mechanics so don't worry about throwing terms around and I know I gave a bunch of primary/secondary powersets but they're just all the ones I like most. I am really sorry for the long winded post, just pick whatever you can and answer it, thanks.

Basically I hate that a few guides make it so you'll be the one doing the tanking (with defense mode). That isn't what I really want to do when I'm fighting; I'd rather my minions get beat up and do the damage and me supporting.

I absolutely love the idea of necro/dark but from what I've gather bots/traps are really best at soloing things later on. I have no problem with this but I'd rather play a powerset that isn't relient on me having to tank the damage all the time. GMs/AVs are understandable since they're much rarer than standard bosses but like I said in the last paragraph, I don't want to be the tank; I want to be supportive and helpful.

Anyway a few questions about specific primaries:
Guides are saying the Bruiser is bad since his hand clap has KB; that's been changed on the wiki and it does KD. But his ranged move does KB; how badly would it be if I had something that relied mostly on AoEs (like traps, for example)
Speaking of traps with thugs, we only get one healing power. Is that enough? I get that thugs and arsionists will die a lot but call on a 60 second CD, do I just slot in some recharge enhancements to call thugs and that'll fix it?

With demons, I have zero understanding, it seems like it's a giant cluster of "here, have random abilities, a little bit of a different types of damage, buffs, debuffs, good luck". Or does all of that actually work well together? I mean at low levels they seem to be tougher than bots and even with the demonlings get into melee they don't see to be losing much DPS from what I can see.

With bots since they're all ranged and they have melee attacks, isn't this a bit awkward with mobs that run into melee? (or is this where the perma tanking MM works)
But dark looks like it'd work well (if not just for fluffy) since the demons do seem to get a massive amount of debuffs (or so it seems) so are demons/dark as good as bots/ff or bots/traps?

With necromancy normally the third teir minion is the big guns (so to speak) but the lich seems a bit... anti-climatic? He gets most of your abilities which is fun but I dunno if it'll be as exciting as finally getting my bruiser or assault bot or demon prince. Oh and would storm be decent enough that I could still hold my own while soloing or does Fluffy make dark worth it? Since most of the necro minions can heal themselves, I figured that the AoE heal from dark might make dark not needed as much and the cold theme would fit in well with the necromancy theme. Though I am also partial to poison with undead.

As for secondaries, I don't really have questions. I just want something that can take down stuff solo and actually fits a theme. Hellspawned demons with me using traps doesn't really fit; neither do thugs and me summoning Fluffy.

I know I'm probably asking for a miracle with what I want but I have no problem with how long it takes to learn (so long as it's reliant on actual skill/abilities and not luck)

Anyhow, thanks for any help.

Look, guys, I appreciate everthing thus far. I basically meant "what's least likely to get me killed while learning the game".
Granted, this does have different mechanics compared to other games for the most part but it's not really anything other than reading the wiki and honestly, it doesn't seem that difficult to get into things. I get the idea of the various debuffs/buffs/resistences/etc.

Still, one thing really bothers me about MMs, the fact that it seems like most of the powers have really, really long recharge times and while I do get that the minions are going about 95% of the work, it still seems like I'm going to be just standing around.

So when people are making builds and such, are the builds set in stone or could (for example) just throw in an enhancement that reduces the recharge speed on an ability or two? So far it doesn't look like it's like World of Warcraft with the talent builds (where you maybed changed one or two points and that was that) and seems to be more "this is good, this is not so good but it's personal choice and can easily hold up on its own" since people aren't going X/Y powersets and not playing others.

Anyway, speaking generally, are most MM primaries/secondaries equal (at least in being able to solo endgame stuff) or do any stand out in particular?

I'd like a genetic experiment type primary. It would fit in well with a science theme.

The only problem is that they would probaby do a bit of poison/toxic damage which is taken care by necromancy.

Still, if we could get it something like 3 deformed standard minions; maybe have some scars on them or damaged skin, showing they've been the sort of zombie-like brain-damaged minions. Probably be able to inflict a slight slowdown (not much, though). For ranged they could just hurl acid jars or something for damge.

Second tier could either be lab helpers, maybe with a strong focus of throwing varying liquids to cause a decent number of debuffs and they could stay ranged with toxic damage or some such (maybe guns that shoot out liquid that burns the skin and melts steel so it can logically harm bots). Maybe give them psionic damage? Since they've had their minds altered to be more powerful, giving them psionic powers.

Third tier I'm not sure of. I thin this and the second tier could be swapped depending on what would seem more science-y. Either a brute like large creature, maybe with a melee weapon or not. Blunt damage. Knockback perhaps or some sort of stun (he would be very strong, after all). Maybe he could have ice attacks, since he could be made up from all sorts of body parts and experiments.

Second and third tier could easily be swapped. If we went three genetic creatures, a bit of throwing random jars of liquid for range, we could have two brute like creatures. For buffs we could just say the gases they put out buffs the other minions. Then maybe a psionic based 3rd tier minion.

Or if we go for a brute at the end, I've outlined it above.

And now I want it in game :/

Guys thanks for all that but I have a question (actually sent in a ticket about this): I got used to using the thugs up to level 10. When I put them to defensive stance and then tell them to attack something, they kill it and anything else attacking them/me (which is what I think they're supposed to do). But with bots they switch from defensive to agressive and stay in agressive stance when I tell them to attack and end running off and constantly fighting.
I tried demons just now and the same thing happened but only for a moment. They switch to agressive for about 5 seconds then back to defensive which is fine since usually it takes more than five seconds to kill everything.
So is it a bug with the bots?

Anyway, so far I didn't really like the thugs (admittedly I only did play to level 10). They seemed far too weak in terms of being able to be kept alive. I went with dark as a secondary power but I dunno, it just seemed like one of them was always around 1/3 health (with me spamming the level 1 heal and using inspiration healing on them). The bots seem stronger (although I'm only level 4) and do pack a bit of a punch, too. But the problem I mentioned above is really putting me off them.

What are demons and zombies like? I know people say demons/thugs/robots are tied for top three (more or less) but what makes demons good? Is it just the variety of damage types they can put out.
Is necromancy actually good in endgame stuff since I am fond of soloing stuff but I'm somewhat worried that necromancy might not be good. I just sort of picture the zombies as well... zombies (slow and sluggish). Or are they actually good in melee and can hold their own compared to bots or thugs?
And why do people say Commandos are bad?

Oh and I went FF with the bots; I'm enjoying it so far. Wil lthe first level ability still hold up at endgame? (it just knocks people down but it's pretty useful)

Keep in mind I've been playing this for about 6 hours now (if it matters I have a VIP account) and the only other MMORPG I've played for a while was WoW.

I have absolutely no problem with spending hours upon hours learning to play well if the build is worth it.

Anyway, ideally it should be decent enough that I can solo most stuff (kinda like a hunter/DK in WoW) but I'd rather minimize the risk of me dying. So far I like the idea of demons/thugs/zombies (and I suppose bots). I'm still a bit confused on the bots though. They're mostly ranged but won't the enemy just run into melee range so what's the advantage of them being ranged?

Oh and I have no idea about secondaries. I like the idea of actually being useful other than just buffing minions. So something that allows me to do damage or have a variety of debuffs would be nice
And uh, if it's not too counter-intuitive, I'd like the primaries and secondaries to sort of comliement one another from a story point of view. Kinda like zombies and poison/dark misima or demons and pain domination.

Cheers for any help.