Mind Control w/Empathy & Radiation v2.2
By
DaemonDivinity,
Posted on: 2006-03-10 23:07 in Player Guides
BUILDS
First, I present two build checklists. My goal is not to build a specialized optimal Mind/* character, but to present a new or average player with a workable plan that doesn't necessarily miss any of the biggest deals. My goal is also not to criticize anyone personally for how they've built a character, nor is it to insist that anyone must do things my way.
MIND/EMPATHY BUILD CHECKLIST
The first thing to do is to make a series of initial choices. You have early build choices-- between Mesmerize and Levitate, between Heal Other and Absorb Pain, and between major movement powers.
I.
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1 Choose: {Mesmerize or Levitate}
1 Healing Aura
2 Dominate /Acc,Rchg,Hold,Rchg,Hold,Acc (2,3,5,7,9,11)
4 Choose: {Heal Other or Absorb Pain}
6
8
10
12
14 Choose: {Super Jump, Fly, Super speed, Teleport}
16
18 Total Dom /Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Acc,Hold (18,19,19,23,23,25)
20 Stamina /EndMod,EndMod,EndMod (20,21,21)
22
24 Fortitude
26 Terrify /Acc,End,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,End (26,27,27,31,31,31)
28 Rec Aura /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (28,29,29)<
30
32 Mass Conf /Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Acc,Rchg,Conf (32,33,33,33,34,34)
35
38 Adren Boost /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (38,40,40)
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II. Next, we fill in the gaps for levels 6,8,10,12, and 16:
A movement precursor will be dictated by the movement power you took:
Super speed ---> Hasten
Super Leap ---> Combat Jumping
Fly ---> Choose: Hover or Air Superiority
Teleport ---> Choose: Recall Friend or Teleport Foe
(Just say no to flurry and jump kick!)
III. Also, you'll have to choose 2 of the fitness pool powers that will go in the 6-16 range:
Choose 2: {Swift, Hurdle, Health} (If Movement power is Super speed, choose Hurdle)
Finally comes the deepest part of your character customization. You'll get to choose four, or if you took super speed, five, of the six powers on the following list, in more or less any order you want.
IV. Pick two such powers to fit into the 6-16 range:
Choose 2:
Stealth
Confuse
Mass Hypnosis (Min L8)
Resurrect (Min L10)
Telekinesis (Min L12)
Clear Mind (Min L16)
V. Take Hasten at 22, unless you took it earlier because you run super speed:
If not Super speed, L22 = Hasten
If Super speed, L22 = Choose One: {Stealth, Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Clear Mind, Resurrect}
VI. Pick two more from the optional powers list to go in L30 and L35 slots:
Choose 2: {Stealth, Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Clear Mind, Resurrect}
Note: The order I'd consider the "optional six" powers are: Confuse, Clear Mind, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Resurrect, Stealth. For $Deity's sake, don't take everything EXCEPT confuse and clear mind. 9_6
VII.Finally, you slot things. Remember: once you're using SOs, don't slot more than 3 of a given enhancement type.
Place Slots:
3,5,7,9,11,13,13,15,15,17,17,25,34,36,36,36,37,37, 37,39,40,40,40
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24 Fortitude /Rchg,Rch,Rch,AccBuff,AccBuff (Typically: 24,36,37,37,39)
OR /AccBuff,AccBuff,AccBuff,DefBuff,DefBuff
28 Recovery Aura /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,EndMod,EndMod,EndMod (Typically 28,29,29,36,36,37)
X Hasten /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (Typically: 22,25,34 OR X,17,17)
X Stealth /DefBuff (X)
X Confuse /Acc,Conf,Range,Rchg (Typically: X, 13,13,15)
X Mass Hypnosis /Acc (X)
X Telekinesis /End,End,End (Typically: X,13,13 OR X,34,36)
X Clear Mind /Rchg (X)
X Resurrect /Rchg (X)
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MIND/RADIATION BUILD CHECKLIST
Start with the following list, initially choosing between Mesmerize and Levitate at L1, and a major movement power at L14.
I.
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1 Radiant Aura /Heal (1)
1 Choose: {Mesmerize or Levitate}
2 Dominate /Acc,Rchg,Hld,Rchg,Hld,Rchg (2,3,3,9,11,13)
4 Accel Metabolism /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (4,5,5)
6 Rad Infect /End,DefDbf,DefDbf,DefDbf (6,7,7,9)
8
10
12
14 Choose: {Fly, Super Jump, Teleportation, Super Speed}
16
18 Total Domination /Acc,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,Acc,Hold (18,19,19,23,25,29)
20 Stamina /EndMod,EndMod,EndMod (20,21,21)
22 Enervataing Field /End,End,End (22,23,25)
24
26 Terrify /Acc,End,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,End (26,27,27,29,31,31)
28
30
32 Mass Confusion /Acc,Rchg,Conf,Acc,Rchg,Conf (32,33,33,33,34,34)
35
38
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II. Next, we fill in the gaps for levels 8,10,12, and 16:
A movement precursor will be dictated by the movement power you took:
Super speed ---> Hasten
Super Leap ---> Combat Jumping
Fly ---> Choose: Hover or Air Superiority
Teleport ---> Choose: Recall Friend or Teleport Foe
(Just say no to flurry and jump kick!)
III. Choose 2 of the fitness pool powers that will go in the 6-16 range:
IV. Choose 2: {Swift, Hurdle, Health} (If Movement power is Super speed, choose Hurdle)
V. Pick one power to fit into the 8-16 range:
Choose One: {Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis (12), Mutation (16)}
VI. Take Hasten at 24, unless you took it earlier because you run super speed:
If not Super speed, L24 = Hasten
If Super speed, L24 =
Choose:
Stealth
Confuse
Mass Hypnosis
Mutation
Lingering Radiation
VII. Pick four more powers to go in L28,L30,L35, and L38 slots:
Choose 2:
Stealth
Confuse
Mass Hypnosis
Telekinesis
Mutation
Lingering Radiation
Choking Cloud
EM Pulse (Min 38)
Note: The order I'd consider these optional powers, is: Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis, Lingering Radiation, Mutation, EM Pulse, Stealth, Choking Cloud. Don't stake your build on Choking cloud and stealth, for cryin' out loud!
Finally, you slot things. Remember: once you're using SOs, never use more than 3 of a given enhancement type.
IIX. Place Slots:
9,11,13,15,15,17,17,31,34,36,36,36,37,37,37,39,39, 39,40,40,40
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X Hasten /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (Typically X,27,27)
4 Accel Metab /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,EndMod,EndMod,EndMod (Typically 4,5,5,31,31,33)
X Confuse /Acc,Conf,Range,Rchg (Typically X,15,15,17)
X Telekinesis /End,End,End (Typically X,15,15,17 or X,27,27,29)
X Lingering Rad /Acc,End,Acc (Typically X,31,31,31)
X Choking Cloud /Hold,Hold,End,Hold,End (Typically X,36,36,36 or X,40,40,40)
X EM Pulse /Acc,End,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (Typically X,39,39,39,40)
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THE DR. MANINGZHOUE MIND/EMPATHY BUILD
Here's my wacky Mind/Emp build lacking Telekinetic elements and Major movement powers. Needless to say there's a lot of stuff in the two sets to take, and I've bumbled through it with four respecs so far:
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Dr. Maningzhoue, Mind/Empathy Controller, Natural, L50, Freedom
1 Healing aura /Heal,Heal,Heal,End,Rchg( 1, 3,13,40,45)
1 Mesmerize /Acc,Dmg,Dmg ( 1,37,43)
2 Dominate /Acc,Hold,Rchg,Hold,Rchg,Hold ( 2, 3, 5, 7, 9,11)
(2 Sprint) /(Run/Jump),Run,Run ( 2,27,36)
4 Heal Other /Heal,Heal,Heal,End,Rchg,Rchg ( 4, 5,17,37,39,40)
6 Confusion /Acc,Conf,Range,Rchg,Conf,Conf ( 6, 7, 9,11,13,15)
8 Swift /Run ( 8,27,36)
10 Resurrect /Rchg (10)
12 Assault /End (12)
14 Tactics /End,AccBuff,AccBuff,AccBuff (14,15,17,46)
16 Hurdle /Jump (16)
18 Total Dom /3x(Acc+Mez),Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (18,19,19,21,23,25)
20 Stamina /EndRec,EndRec,EndREc (20,21,23)
22 Hasten /Rchg,Rchg,Rcgh (22,25,27)
24 Fortitude /(AccB+DefB),AccB,AccB,DefB,DefB(24,36,37,40,43)
26 Terrify /Acc,Dmg,Dmg,Dmg,End,Rchg (26,29,29,31,31,33)
28 Recovery Aura /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (28,31,34)
30 Stealth /DefBuff,DefBuff (30,50)
32 Mass Confusion /2x(Acc/Mez),Conf,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg(32,33,33,34,34,36)
35 Clear Mind /Rchg,Rng (35,45)
38 Adrenaline Boost /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg) (38,39,39)
41 Mass Hypnosis /Acc,Rng,Rng,Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (41,42,42,42,43,45)
44 Indomitable Will /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (44,46,46)
47 Mind O Body /End,Res,Res,Res (47,48,48,48)
49 Health /Heal,Heal,Heal (49,50,50)
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THE ACTAEON MIND/RADIATION BUILD (So Far)
Actaeon, Mind/Radiation/Teleport Controller, Magic, L32, Freedom
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1 Mesmerize /Acc,Dmg ( 1,15)
1 Radiant Aura /Heal ( 1)
2 Dominate /Acc,Hold,Rchg,Hold,Rchg,Hold ( 2, 3, 3, 7,11,13)
4 AM /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg,EndRec ( 4, 5, 5,17)
6 Confuse /Acc,Conf,Rchg,Rchg,Rng ( 6, 7, 9,13,17)
8 Rad Infect /End,DefDbf,AccDbf,DefDbf ( 8, 9,11,15)
10 swift /Run (10)
12 recall friend /Rchg (12)
14 teleport /Rng (14)
16 health /Heal (16)
18 Total Dom /Acc,Hold,Rchg,Rchg,Hold,Acc (18,19,19,23,25,31)
20 stamina /EndRec,EndRec,EndRec (20,21,21)
22 EF /End,End,End (22,23,31)
24 Hasten /Rchg,Rchg,Rchg (24,25,29)
26 Terrify /Acc,Dmg,End (26,27,27)
28 Telekinesis /End,End,End (28,29,31)
30 Resurrect /Rchg (30)
32 Mass Confusion /Acc (32)
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REGARDING ANCILLARY POWER POOLS
I have very little experience with or knowledge of the Controller APPs. I went with Psi Mastery late in Doc's build. I think there's a bit of consensus that the status protection of Indomitable Will, and the high base smashing & lethal & Psi (!) resistance of Mind over Body make Psi Mastery one of the best possible picks.
The other APPs to look at is Power Mastery (? ... sometimes I forget the names of these), since Power Boost enhances hold durations, and Fire Mastery for the heavy area damage of fireball.
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THINGS THAT SUCK
Here's my short list of things that suck that you should know about!
<ul type="square">[*]At present telekinesis is, as a practical matter, capped at holding 5 mobs at a time. This is a pretty bitter limitation on the power, particularly considering its high end cost. There remains some small hope the devs will fix/change this, but don't hold your breath.[*]Telekinesis at the present time suffers from the "Repel Bug," which causes mobs immobilized by someone else to move away from the immobilizer, rather than you, when you put TK on them.[*]Controllers are massively gimped in PvP in two ways. First, they function and need to be built very differently in PvP, which is a ridiculous burden on the AT for the sake of enjoying the whole game. Second, the widely bogus argument that being held is less fun than being damaged has been used to excuse massive nerfing of controller's ability to chain-mez in PvP.[*]At present, confusions accomplish jack, and squat, in the player-versus-player game, meaning that EVEN MORESO than the average controller, mind controllers need to be radically rebuilt for PvP.[*]There are a ton of people, as I've said, who think confusions "steal XP." Some will suffer explanation, but others are idiots.[/list]
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters
APPENDIX A: UNDERSTANDING STATUS EFFECTS
There are a number of distinct status effects in CoH, and Mind Controllers are masters of some of the strongest, whereas Radiation also runs its fair share. Also, Empathy->Clear Mind immunizes against them all. Understanding them as a Mind/Green controller is crucial.
STATUS EFFECTS
<ul type="square">[*]Hold: Affected target cannot use any power, and cannot move. The most common status effect controllers use.[*]Disorient/Stun: Affected target cannot use any power. Also, movement rate drastically reduced.[*]Sleep: Affected target cannot use any power, and cannot move. Effect automatically ends when target takes any damage from a hero.[*]Immobilize: Affected target cannot move.[*]Fear: Affected target cannot use any power, and cannot move. Effect momentarily stops (long enough for target to make one attack), every time a damaging power is applied to the MOb. Often includes an accuracy debuff.[*]Phase: Affected target is intangible and cannot be affected or affect others.[*]Knockdown/up: Affected target is knocked to the ground, or into the air, then has to get up, during which time, he cannot take any other action. Some controller forms of knockdown have repetitive, pulsing, AoE knockdown.[*]Knock back: Like knockdown but displaces the target horizontally.[*]Slow: Not really a status effect, rather, a movement debuff, and, usually, recharge debuff.[*]Smoke, etc: Not really a status effect, rather, a debuff on aggro range, and an accuracy debuff.[*]Confusion: Does quite a few related but distinct things. Affected targets:
stop attacking heroes completely,
stop buffing villains completely,
buff heroes as though they were villains.
attack and debuff villains as though they were heroes-- BUT! 75% the damage done by confused mobs is excluded from the calculation of credit for XP, whenever a mob is defeated.
Most ATs have at least a few powers in a couple power sets that at least occasionally do status effects. Disorients and stuns are frequently a possible side effect of melee attacks. Dark and Ice (non-controller) sets notoriously wield a variety of controls. Controller primaries are a collection of 3-9 (usually 8) powers whose primary purpose is a status effect. [/list]
STACKING
MINIONS, BOSSES, AVs
Every control has something that gurus call "magnitude." Bosses and Arch-Villains are progressively harder to control than lieutenants and minions. To successfully get them controlled, you may need more than one application of the status effect.
Putting the same status effect on a MOb twice or more is called "stacking." Status effects can only be stacked with other status effects of the SAME TYPE. You cannot stack confusion and sleep, fear and hold, etc. A boss with a single application of sleep, hold, and confuse each is a boss who's still fully active and hurting you (ordinarily).
As a rule of thumb: it takes one application of a control (sleeps, holds, etc), to affect a minion or lieutenant, and two to affect anything classed higher than that (bosses and up).
But there're a LOT of exceptions:
<ul type="square">[*]Certain types of mobs have resistance to certain kinds of controls. Some are just a little tougher, and require a second application as though they were a boss. Others may actually be absolutely immune to certain kinds of controls.[*]Most control powers that do not ordinarily affect a boss in a single hit will, occasionally, score a "critical" hit, and get enough magnitude to control a boss in a single application.[*]Immobilizations and Mind Control/Mesmerize are slightly higher magnitude from the get-go, and affect bosses in a single application.[*]Nearly all Elite Bosses and Arch-Villains have a special power that gives them very, very high resistance to holds, sleeps, confuses, and fears, for (I'm guessing here) about 65% of the duration of the fight. This resistance can be overcome by stacking one kind of control very high, but it takes typically 2-3 controllers spamming that control nonstop in order to do so. The other ~35% of the time, when the resistance is down, the Elite Boss or AV is just like an ordinary boss. You can tell whether resistance is up or down, by looking at the purple triangles circulating the MOb's head. If they point up, the MOb is resistant. If they point down, he's vulnerable![*]Giant Monsters of various sorts have the same kind of high resistance AVs have, except it's up 100% of the time. It is possible to control them, but again takes typically 3 even-level controllers nonstop spamming the same kind of control.[*]Phases can be slotted for magnitude (though not for duration). With a single phase enhancement in a phase power, you can affect bosses.[*]Slows do not have the same sort of magnitude-- they always have some effect, the effect is simply scaled back against tougher opponents (but not a lot-- slows can be great versus AVs).[/list]
HARD AND TOTAL
Total/Partial Control: A term I like to use to distinguish between two classes of controls. Total Controls are controls that fully stop the attacks of an effected enemy that would otherwise be aggroing, for a significant duration. They include hold, disorient, sleep, fear, confuse, and phase. Technically Knock* is a total control with an extremely short duration.
Hard/Soft Control: Another term I use to distinguish between kinds of controls. Soft controls are controls that you can't benefit from and attack the controlled mob at the same time. They include sleeps, fear, smoke, and phase. (The other controls could be called "hard" controls.)
Hard Total Controls: hold, confuse
Hard Partial Controls: Knockdown/up, Slow, Immob
Soft Total Controls: sleeps, fear, smoke, and phase
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APPENDIX B: CONFUSING SPECIFIC MOBS
There are a few noteworthy mobs in CoH to deal with, as a Mind Controller. As has been noted, confused enemies will buff and debuff to *your* advantage, and this is something you'll very much want to take advantage of. Any time a mob is primarily or note worthily a buffer, debuffer, or controller, you should consider it your solemn duty to confuse them.
An incomplete list of confuse-worthy targets:
<ul type="square">[*]Vazhilok Embalmed of all kinds, will blow up their own allies rather than your team, if you confuse them. Normally not a high priority for confusion, since holding them is just as good, but frankly, everyone loves you when you set off Zombie fireworks safely. SUPER funny.[*]Certain Lead Outcast, who summon pets, such as Lead Scorchers, as well as Frostfire himself.[*]Some of the Circle of Thorns Mages-- especially madness mages (who virtually are Mind/Emp themselves), Life Mages (who heal now, some), Ice Thorn casters, and worst, those pesky Earth Thorn casters-- all of whom will put their powers to work for YOU. (But get the earth thorns confused *before* they start firing powers.)[*]CoT Portals, which summon Behemoths that yield no XP (yuk!), but are good XP themselves, can be kept from EVER summoning by confusing them before they aggro to anything (make SURE to keep the confusion up).[*]Council vampires of all sorts (they use various sleeps and holds).[*]Banished Pantheon Shamen (they others use myriad status effects and debuffs, including snow storm, earthquake, and hurricane, and Death Shamen summon pet zombies).[*]Sky raider Force field Generators (yes, they bubble *you*!).[*]All devouring earth 'shrooms. They mez like crazy, and also summon mez-resistance emanators. (See below for more on Emanators). [*]Crey Medics and Radiologists (Medics heal and Radiologists do rad infection), as well as Geneticists, who MAY actually be able to resurrect fallen heroes while confused-- I've never seen it, but it may be possible.[*]Lost Aberrants and Pariahs, especially the Eremites and Anchorites.[*]Rikti Mentalists, Mesmerists, and Guardians. Also, Rikti portals, opened by communications officers, will port in *confused* conscripts if you confuse the portal![*]Tsoo Yellow Ink Men, who use sleeps and holds, and Sorcerers, whose heals are legendarily annoying, and who have a hold of their own. Also, Dragonfly, Herald, and Skyfall type bosses. Finally, anytime a Tsoo throws caltrops that are getting on your nerves, confuse him. As long as he's alive and confused, the caltrops will affect him, not you. (After he dies, the caltrops revert to hurting you.)[*]False Nemeses. These guys *can* be confused with the normal difficulty of a boss, and they often have dispersion bubble up.[*]Malta. Sappers, which are, hands down, the best target for confusions in the entire game. They do negligible damage, but even stalwart tanks and epic scrappers fear their end drain. You needn't. Have them drain your enemies instead! Also, if you have a Malta Engineer on hand held, but he's already dropped an auto-turret that is annoying you, confuse him. So long as he's alive and confused, the turret will attack villains. It reverts when he dies though.[*]Carnie Illusionists and Master Illusionists-- they'll summon hordes of pets-- other illusionists, Dark Servants, Phantasms... and they'll all fight each other, so long as you keep the original summoner alive and confused. Great fun.[*]Knives of Artemis-- the Hands were a special pain in my rear, because they mez and somehow I rarely saw them beforehand. Also, all the Knives throw caltrops, it seems like, and a single mass confusion can turn an inferno of caltrop micro damage against the people who created it.[*]ODDITY: Devouring Earth villains drop a wide variety of emanators that buff other DE ONLY. Confusing the person who summoned the emanator OR the emanator itself will make the emanator STOP buffing the DE, but it will NOT buff your team. (This is an unusual exception.) [*]CAUTION: DE Fungoids (deathcaps, etc) require special attention, as well. If one that you confuse plants a fungus (which normally provide nearby DE with resistance to status effects), and then you proceed to put holds on other DE, and the fight gets going, and somehow your fungoid dies, suddenly you'll have a fungus that nobody was worrying about breaking all your holds. So watch funguses. Keep them separately confused if for whatever reason your team isn't killing them automatically.[*]CAUTION: Nemesis are a pain in the rear. They all require two applications to confuse, (Not to mention that none of the robots can be slept.) You're basically going to have to rely on holds vs. Nemesis. Let's hope you're good with Dominate and Total dominate. Or you have EMP. EMP & Levitate vs. Jaegers for the WIN![*]CAUTION: Explosives, a relatively recent introduction into the game, blow up good guys and bad guys alike. Don't be tricked into thinking you can confuse them into not blowing you up. A confused explosive puts the smackdown intended for you, on the enemy, but also puts the smackdown intended for the enemy on YOU! [/list]
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APPENDIX C: MISCELLANEOUS ADVICE
<ul type="square">[*]Always be courteous. Discourtesy is always a waste of time.[*]Start teams yourself, rather than waiting to be chosen. Develop your leadership and communication skills. (The author is sorely lacking in this department.)[*]There are only three good ways to approach a dangerous fight.
1) You lead into each fight with area control-- preferably aggroless-- from sufficient distance, or
2) a blaster or defender pulls ones and twos, or 3) tanks closely followed by scrappers rush in.
TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY for making sure your team knows and agrees on ONE AND ONLY ONE of these, especially if you're leading.[*]If your team is composed of 40%+ melee and the group isn't in way over its head, help blasters, defenders, and other controllers understand that pulling with blasts is NOT THE ONLY way to play.[*]If you're on a team with 40%+ blasters and few team-defense oriented builds, help any twitchy scrappers present understand that being debt magnets is NOT THE ONLY way to play.[*]If you're on a team with a good tank who is herding, don't fire off control until he's in position. Ask him to fire off an F7 "Ready!" when you should mez. But also watch out for other teammates who get dangerous aggro away from him. Herding can be dangerous, and you're not vital to it, so use your alertness to the max.[*]If you're on a team with a good blaster or defender who's pulling, if there are *any* melee people on the team, DO NOT MEZ ANYTHING until it's WELL OUTSIDE THE AGGRO RANGE of whatever group it's been pulled from. And for $Deity's sake do NOT confuse it![*]If you are on a team with people who do anything AoE to foes-- particularly claw/*, spine/*, and */dark scrappers and fire/* and */fire blasters, radiation, dark, and sonic controllers and defenders, watch positioning CAREFULLY, because once you lock down a group, obviously they won't move into position for cones and AoEs of their own accord. It's ok, especially with the scrappers and tanks, to wait a minute to lock mobs down, and not lockdown before they cluster up. You've got heals, so if need be, let the scrapper go into the red, then heal, mez, and heal again. It may also be useful in this regard to run ahead of the team a bit and immediately mez clusters of MObs as soon as they spawn and before they start to meander. You can in theory use Telekinesis selectively to correct problems applying AoE to a scattered mob you've just held, but don't waste too much time; area mezzes aren't going to last forever. The goal here is clustering of MoBs for AoEs. Investigate this further.[*]Some attacks will make mobs scatter-- it seems to me most notoriously, everything with the word "rain" in the power description. If you have a teammate running this kind of effect but not locking down mobs first, work something out with them.[*]Accept that there are bad teams to be on, and that you can only do two things about them:
talk, leave.
If the team can't be improved with talk, you must leave it. For the good of the game, leave it![*]If you're LEADING a team, it means you accept responsibility for recruiting, communicating, and most of all, addressing misconduct if it's ruining play for the others. Addressing misconduct in a team is your job because you have the sole power to kick people. If you don't want to exercise it, hand off leadership to somebody who does, preferably BEFORE anything becomes an issue. And always say you've done so in the team channel.[/list]
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APPENDIX D: CONFUSION AND XP/TIME
INTRO
A confused mob will actively do damage to the other mobs you're fighting. Normally, anything except a teammate doing damage to mobs you're fighting claims a portion of the XP for themself.
However, MOST of a CONFUSED MOb's DAMAGE DOES NOT COUNT in this regard. 75% of the damage a confused mob does to your other enemies magically disappears from BOTH sides of the equation.
Equations for real XP yield over time require looking at the duration of a normal fight, an unknown standard downtime between fights, and the way confuse buffs XP. The following section looks at these things in detail. Fortunately, there is one fairly simple rule to follow regarding keeping XP up:
If you're using confusion, it will not worsen XP per time unless you spend more than a certain amount of time between fights. That amount of time is: three times the amount of time the fight itself WOULD have normally taken, reduced by the same fraction as the damage you did.
As a practical matter, groups that are pursuing XP in any remotely reasonable fashion will be well within this range, so that confusion NEVER, as a practical matter, hurt XP/time. Some people will never believe you re: this. If somebody disrupts team play telling you not to use confuses, I strongly recommend you cite their disruptive ignorance and leave the team.
The following is a kind of proof, regarding XP and time. If you're math-phobic, turn back now. If you have a herostats-esque program, just go verify this stuff for yourself.
Also, please note: this was meant to address only the binary: confusions vs holds or similar, and its effect on experience. That's based on the assumptions that either you don't have to play with confusion-spamming mind controllers at all, or if you do, the mind controllers can be well built without doing much with confusions. (Either is true.) So this attempts only to show: does it get worse if somebody's using confusions instead of holds (also, I ignore bad guy buffs to your team, and the minor scatter or cluster you get confusion, depending on your skill level and luck.)
HOW EXPERIENCE WORKS GENERALLY
Spawn: A group of MObs (mobile objects; bad guys. XP on legs.)
Where:
X = Experience value of (average) spawn
D = fraction of the spawn's HPs done by you, where 1 = 100%.
Under normal circumstances, everybody who damages a mob "takes" a share of that mob's experience yield (X), proportional to the damage they do (D). That means if you and an unteamed stranger each do half the damage to a mob, and it's defeated, you each get half the experience value. Earned experience (Xp) is equal to the mob's experience value times the fraction of damage you do to it.
Xp = DX
If you do all the damage (D=1), then you get the full experience of the spawn (XP=X).
HOW EXPERIENCE OVER TIME WORKS GENERALLY
Where:
F = ("Fight") time each spawn takes to fully defeat
S = ("Search") time it takes after each fight to find the next fight
T = ("Time") fight plus search time = F+S
Experience per time (Xppt) is equal to experience value of the spawn (X) divided by total time (T). Total time is a function of how long it normally takes to defeat a spawn (F) plus time between fights (S):
Xppt = X/T = X/(F+S)
HOW CONFUSION EXPERIENCE WORKS
Where:
Cmd = fraction of spawn's damage done by confused mobs (where 1=100%) = 1-D
The experience value of mobs damaged by other confused mobs (Cx) is equal to the mob's base experience value times the fraction of the mob's damage once you EXCLUDE three quarters of the damage confused mobs did (Cmd) from the mob's base damage.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Cx = DX / ( D + (Cmd/4))
Cx = DX / ( D + ((1-D)/4))
Cx = 4DX / (3D + 1)
</pre><hr />
HOW CONFUSION FIGHT DURATION WORKS
Fight durations depend directly on how much damage has to be dealt to finish the enemy. When they've been damaged by other, confused mobs, the amount of time fights last (Cf) is the normal fight time (F) times the fraction of the damage you yourself have to do (D).
Cf = time a spawn takes to defeat, if it's been damaged by confused mobs = FD.
***Note: F here is the duration of a NORMAL fight, that is, without confusion in play.
HOW CONFUSION EXPERIENCE OVER TIME WORKS
Total time with confusions in play (Ct) is a function of how long it takes to defeat a spawn with confusions in play (Cf), plus downtime between fights (S).
Ct = confused fight plus search time Cf+S = FD+S
Experience per time with confused mobs doing some damage (Cxppt) is equal to experience value of the spawn damaged by confused mobs (Cx) divided by total time with confusions in play (Ct).
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Xppt = X /T
Cxppt = Cx/Ct
_______________________________
Cxppt = 4DX / ((FD+S)*(3D + 1))
</pre><hr />
DOING AT LEAST AS WELL
What we really want to do is compare normal experience per time (Xppt) to experience per time when confusions are in play (Cxppt). We can find a "break even" point by setting the two figures equal to each other. The break-even point is should be a statement about when your experience over time WITH confusions (Cxppt) is the SAME as your experience per time WITHOUT them (Xppt).
Break-even point rule: Xppt = Cxppt
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
Xppt = Cxppt
__________________________________________________ ___________
X/(F + S) = 4DX / ((DF+S)*(3D + 1)) |divide by X
1/(F + S) = 4D / ((DF+S)*(3D + 1)) |invert
(F + S) = ((DF+S)*(3D + 1)) / 4D |multiply out
(F + S) = (3DDF+3DS+DF+S) / 4D |multiply by 4D
4DF+4DS = 3DDF+3DS+DF+S |subtract (DF +4DS +3DDF)
3DF-3DDF = S-DS |divide by (1-D)
__________________________________________________ ___________
3DF = S
</pre><hr />
WHAT DOES S=3DF MEAN?
So, here's our statement about when your experience over time (Cxppt) WITH confusions is the SAME as your experience per time WITHOUT them (Xppt):
S = 3DF
In English:
Time it takes after each fight to find the next fight is equal to three times the fraction of the spawn's damage done by you, times the time each spawn takes to fully defeat (normally).
If you start the next fight faster than that, your XPS is better with confuse than without. If you find them slower, experience over time gets worse when you use confusions in place of (some) holds.
WHAT DOES THAT PROVE?
Nothing, directly, since we have to be able to judge for ourselves whether we can meet the rule above. But we CAN safely say that if our downtime between fights is short enough, confusion is really helping with XP, to say nothing of being a hold with lots of fringe benefits.
In my experience, groups with any real interest in decent XP over time will EASILY be doing better than the S=3DF rule above. If the group can't manage S=3DF on the average, it's probably because they're doing something IN PREFERENCE to decent XP/time.
And as anyone can see, such a group has no business complaining: "Confusion is hurting our XP!" Because of course, if the group wasn't doing other things that hurt XP/time more, the confusion itself would be *helping* XP/time. If you're not trying to get decent XP, you ought to have no complaints about not getting the best possible XP.
HOW MUCH BETTER?
Remember, none of this speaks to *how much* better the XP would be if you were getting in more than your 2.7%.
To generalize, ((Cxppt/Xppt) -1) is the % bonus to XP you get (Cb) when using confusions.
Cb= Cxppt/CXppt = (4D(F+S) / ((FD+S)*(3D + 1)))-1
Let's take a couple cases.
Ocb (optimum Cb) = highest value for Cb obtainable with a D between 0 and 1.
Od (optimum D) = D between 0 and 1 that obtains highest value for Cb.
Where
F=120
S=10
Cb ~= (26D / (18DD +7.5D+1)) -1
Ocb= +62.5%
Od = .25
Where
F=30
S=30
Cb= 8D/(3DD+4D+1) -1
Ocb ~= +7.2%
Od ~=.58
WARNING: Do not adjust your D!
Note that I am not recommending holding back damage to get better XP per time. You may under some circumstances find yourself with a low damage output (because for example you're solo), and that makes a difference, but more damage output is always better, if it can be used without frequent defeat.
Rather, I am saying that to find optimal bonus to XP/time from using confuses (Ocb), you may need to adjust upwards the difficulty of foes you're fighting.
Don't hold back damage. Fight orange, red, and purple con mobs. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that both confusions and the most dangerous mobs are colored purple.
__________________________________________
APPENDIX E: Other Mind/* Builds
Thoughts on Mind Control with other sets.
I'm not nearly as experienced with other controller secondaries as with empathy and radiation. I've played a bit of storm, and just a touch of sonic and kinetics. I wanted to make a few brief remarks so you'll give other Mind/* controllers a look. I'm sorry I can't give a thorough overview of the other sets.
<ul type="square">[*]Force field
Force field is predominantly a team +def and knock back set. In addition to three bubbles you'll use to keep your team from being hit by about a third of the attacks that would've otherwise landed (one of the three defends you as well-- the other two have to be spammed through your team periodically) you get a pretty much iron-clad self defense toggle that you can't attack while using as your first power, a nice single target knock back tool (this can be handy for supporting blasters, and after all, all your controls are at range too), a foe phase power called "detention field," that takes a single foe out of the fight if it hits, for 30 seconds, a power called force bubble, which keeps most foes at a distance, and two other weird and rarely seen powers I don't understand well, that involve area knock back.
In other words, Force field is all about keeping foes at range and keeping your teammates' defense high. As a highly defensive approach to the game, this makes Mind/Force field probably the purest team defensive set there is. So you know, before you start trying to level one, it's still possible, even after the defense nerf, to be too defensive. Mind/FF will not solo strongly. You'll need to look for big teams of blasters to join, with a Mind/FF character.[*]Kinetics
Kinetics is widely held to be one of the two strongest controller secondaries, along with radiation. It's second and last powers allow you to boost your own and your team's damage output, while slightly reducing your foes'. Speed boost, the star of the set, comes in at 20 and lets you boost the recharge, endurance recovery, and movement speed of teammates. Powers rounding out the set include a targeted area heal, a PBAoE knock-up toggle, an ally jump buff, an ally -mez, and a power that steals endurance from enemies and gives it to allies (including yourself).
Mind has one of the best large area damage powers (Terrify), and with the damage multiplying powers of kinetics, this can be made into a formidable tool for ending large fights fast. Mainly aggressive, but team-oriented, Kinetics is an interesting balance with Mind that a lot of people swear by, and is probably one of the strongest controller builds in the game for teaming. There's not a lot of explaining to do, with Kinetics (aside from: don't accidentally run into the next spawn!), and in combination with mind's single-target controls to deal with problems, can keep a team careening through missions without a hitch.[*]Storm Summoning
Storm is a set I adore, though I've not played it a whole lot. It has an area knock back to start you off, a single-target heal that's the game's earliest ally mez relief, and a nice target aoe toggle slow. Next comes a great team stealth and +def, +res, in steamy mist-- not overwhelming, but definitely useful. Next it has a monstrous area -resistance -def foe slow in freezing rain, which is an area-targeted AoE with a touch of damage to boot. Next comes a PBAoE accuracy debuff and knock back. See where this is going? A whole set of powers for defending the squishy "back line" of a team. A PBAoE disorient comes next, and the set rounds out with a couple of pseudo pets that knock around, disorient, and damage.
With Mind, as with Radiation's EF and Kinetics' fulcrum shift, Storm's -res is a great combo with containment-enhanced area damage from terrify. Mind/Storm is nice because it supplements mind's ability to neuter large spawns, and can still make great use of Mind's single target controls. Storm is fairly controlling and aggressive, which is, like Radiation and Kinetics, probably a stronger balance with Mind. It's also fairly chaotic, unlike most of mind, although if you were to specialize in confusions, terrify, and storm's later controls, to my thinking you'd have chaos control to rival Illusion/Storm.[*]Trick Arrow
Trick arrow is a set I don't know a great deal about. I gather it has a targeted area foe -resist, and a couple single-target controls, including an immob and a hold.
Having an immobilization available on a Mind Control character is a nice bonus, but as a rule, my thinking is that mind/TA is single target over control. I hear complaints about redraw on TA, and if these are justified, it may be that mind and TA has some trouble really developing solid chains that take full advantage of the two sets.
Regardless-- for heaven's sake don't let me discourage you from testing mind/TA out. I've been thinking lately that single-target controls are the important controls, these days, and no question, Mind/TA is the master of them.[*]Sonic Resonance
Sonic Res is an interesting set, in some ways a reprise on Force field, Radiation, and Kinetics. It does a lot with defensive bubbles, in a similar format to Force field (two teammate bubbles, one area bubble), but is resistance rather than defense, and has a foe phase power similar to detention field. At the same time, it has some -resist powers-- a single target that is your initial power, an ally-targeted AoE -resist. Finally, it has an ally-targeted AoE knock back and an AoE pulsing knockdown. (I think that's what liquefy does-- never actually seen it!)
Because of its ally-targeted effects and team-oriented bubbles, Mind/Sonic is a build that's very heavy on team defense. It can certainly solo fine, and it's single target -resistance is especially nice with Mind's higher damage but often resisted Levitate, which does smashing damage. Like Mind, Sonic isn't big on visual effects, either. You could thoroughly bubble an ally and take as many as 18 foes out of commission with 5 clicks, and if somebody wasn't watching closely, they might miss it.[/list]
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters
Nice guide, man!
Thanks for the guide! I recently started a Mind/Rad Controller, and wow, that's a sweet combination! 
I made an emp/psi defender that was meant to be "pure support" for concept reason (so I barely took any psi blast).
That was OK but I since then learn that a controller would have been a better choice and decided on mind/empath since a lot of mind powers generate no aggro and this was the concept I wanted.
Your guide takes a lot of guesswork our of the build, I especially like how you made "templates" for people to fill in the blank rather than follow blindly.
Awesome guide...
you could take the "pure support" one step further and get superspeed+stealth for invisibility, resurrect, recall friend.
Of course that fills in the holes in your template all the way to the 20s.
The thing is though, you wouldn't need stamina by that point would you?
I'm just wondering if we can go stamina-less or if the Mind powers are just going to drain the controller. maybe take a few Mind powers earlier and delay Stamina some? Maybe we're OK with RA coming up at 28?
I was a HUGE fan of your first version guide, such that I would frequently re-read it. But your latest version -- superb! So much information, but you organized it really well. So thanks -- a lot!
A Mind/Emp was my first ever character (no one told me I was probably crazy, so...), and he continues to be a favorite, effective toon of mine to play. Your guide (and the TK guide) helped me a lot. Couple of thoughts:
1) My build uses neither Hasten nor Stamina. Now that I have RA, Fitness is less important (and I won't be able to commit the powers in any case), but I may yet take Hasten to get some of those AoE holds to come back faster. I only experience End drain when I'm healing a lot, which if I'm controlling effectively, I shouldn't be doing.
2) I personally prefer Heal Other to Absorb Pain. I realize I shouldn't be taking much damage, but, well, it happens. And as the squishiest of the squishies, voluntarily lowering my health and then blocking my ability to be healed for a short time doesn't sit well with my sense of self preservation. But you make a more than adequate case in favor of AP. In fact, one thing to point out is that if you have Regeneration Aura running, you will, actually, heal after an Absorb Pain. No, targeted and area heals will still not work on you, but you do actually tick back some health if RegA was up and running when you Absorbed. (This was true a while ago, don't know if this has changed since I6)
3) I have a Trick Arrow defender (again, see above about being a crazy person), and in some ways, the controls offered by that set are the perfect complement to Mind. Mind doesn't have a slow, immobilize, or disorient, but TA does (Entangle, Glue, and EMP Arrows). On top of that, you also get an AoE knockdown with Oil Slick Arrow. The only sad part is you'll be forced to rely on someone else to set it on fire if you want the (deeply sadistically satisfying) damage-dealing bonus it can provide when it catches fire and starts bar-b-qing the bad guys.
Another thing to consider for TA is that, where Empathy is only composed of team buffs, TA is exclusively enemy debuffs. So if that's your thing more, you could go in that direction. It's also one of the most comprehensive debuffing sets available, since you can debuff nearly everything about a mob possible: defense, resistance, perception, to hit, movement, damage output.
Also, the many AoE powers of the set are not currently constrained by a limit: any number of mobs walking into a glue, oil slick, gas cloud, or disruption field may be affected (some are auto-hit like disruption and gas, although others are not, like oil).
On the con side, as a control set, Mind is superior, and some of the effects of TA would be redundant, at least in effect. If you've hypnotized a group, they're not doing any damage to debuff, right? There is only one hard hold (Ice Arrow) that you could use to stack magnitudes with other holds. Otherwise, while the set would round out the kinds of controls available, it would not work as well to fortify what you already had, as a mind controller.
Anyway, thanks once again for your continued dedication to this guide!
Stupid question... can you stack Dominate on TK to get bosses? And does TK still have that limit?
Absolutely the most precise and well-ordered guide I've read. Thank you very much for your time investment. It will help many others down the road.
yet, I can't figure out how to fit everything I want in here. just not enough power slots
Trying to make a "nonaggrotroller" Mind/Empath but what's getting me is the extra utility I want to throw in there, like invisibility and recall friend and...
Oh, and I want TK, not at least trying TK on a Mind/ is something I wouldn't consider.
Yes, you can stack TK with Mass/Dominate and hit a boss. I used this tactic to my unfettered delight just recently when facing the Envoy of Shadow. Yes, you heard me correctly, the Envoy . Hit with TK, Dominate, Mass Dominate, Confuse something else, Dominate, Levitate something else, Dominate, Confuse something else, Dominate, etc. I had RA to keep the endurance going, had a perfect corner-trap to keep the Envoy from drifting out of range, and ate lots of yellows. I was able to spam enough Dominates on it that it was clutching its head in pain most of the time. It was by far the most successful use of this tactic to date for me and impressed the heck out of both my teammates and myself.
And, yes, as far as I know, TK will still hold no more than 10 at once (was that the limit you meant?).
Nice job man. One of the best and easy to ready guide. Well just wanted to drop a line. Freedom is lacking in the healing department, so I decided to make a Mind/Emp. I only have taken the first mez from char creation then i have gone with all healing. Poeple tell me I am a very good healer. But that means I had to put in alot of healing slots into my healing which I see you dont really support. I have made and deleted this char a million and one time. The main reason is that the first thing blasters/tanks do is break the Mass mez even before they finish killing thier current target.
To make a long story even longer, i decided to leave out mass mez out for now then get it at a later time. Anywho, you pointed out alot of good ideas, which i would not though of it myself.
Thanks.
A word on TA: TA is *not* a single target set. I has a single target immob and a single target hold, which is always useful for stacking with your primary hold, but TA is in some ways similar to rad: it does AoE debuffs. Instead of being an anchored toggle, the debuff is location based and "set and forget" whcih is usually much more endurance friendly than the rad equivalent.
You get slow, def debuff, dmg resit debuf, damage debuf, and you get an AoE sleep and an AoE hold. Several powers are also autohit. EDIT: also don't forget Oil Slick Arrow, knockdown patch like the Ice version except you can set this one on fire for extra damage!
The bow redraw is not too bad because you tend to shoot all your debuffs in a row then switch to your primary while TA powers recharge.
I would think that Mind/TA is about as viable as Mind/Rad with less endurance worries (but you loose AM and the heal).
I first would like to say how much I admire you for making such an awesome guide. Just happened to find it off a search at Google. Props man, this helps fill in some holes, though surprisingly, with my PvP game.
[ QUOTE ][*]Teleport/Teleport Foe
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End or Recharge
Importance: Optional
Teleport Foe is fun, and it can make soloing a little easier if you decide you just have to, for some reason. Also, however, confused mobs have the same short aggro range you've come to otherwise love, and if you're using confuse, you're going to sometimes end up with a solitary confused mob with a good 20 seconds of confusion left on him to no good purpose. Teleporting him into the next group of enemies is a nice touch for the anal-retentive mind controller. Even better, if you've got a particularly great buffer/debuffer/mezzer bad guy confused-- sappers, carnies, tsoo sorcerers, rikti guardians, Sky Raider force field generators all come to mind-- you can tote them around! (I still don't recommend this, but if you consider that such a 'pet' is also effectively invincible to villains, it might interest you.) Regardless, don't put something more important off just for TP Foe.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'd like to add to this that Teleport Foe is probably one of -the- best powers to accomodate a Telekinesis-oriented Controller, given that, under most circumstances, it can completely relieve any and all frustration out of setting up your TK anchor, and if you have it ready in enough time, make up for the Confusing of scattered mobs trick not cycling fast enough by placing them right in the line of TK's hold (btw, SUPERB strategy with using Confuse there, I've completely looked past that possibility!)
Mind, Radiation, Empathy...or, Colorless Green Ideas Sleep Furiously
PvE Team & Solo Mind/Empathy and Mind/Radiation
After I6 & Enhancement Diversification.
By Enantiodromos V2.2
__________________________________________
1. Introduction
2. Mind Control
........a. Overview
........b. Mind Control Features in Depth
........c. Individual Powers
........d. Using Mind Control
3. Slotting
4. Empathy
........a. Overview
........b. Individual Powers
........c. Using Empathy
........d. Mind/Empathy Synergy
5. Radiation
........a. Overview
........b. Individual powers
........c. Using Radiation
........d. Mind/Radiation Synergy
6. Pool Powers
........a. Recommended Pool Powers
........b. Other Pool Powers
........c. Pool Powers to Avoid
7. Per Origin (RP)
........a. Mind controllers and Origins
........b. Empathy and Origins
........c. Radiation and Origins
8. Builds
........a. Mind/Empathy Build Checklist
........b. Mind/Radiation Build Checklist
........c. Dr. Maningzhoue and Actaeon, two characters of mine.
9. Note on Ancillary (aka "Epic") Power Pools
10. Things that suck
APPENDIX A: Understanding Status Effects
APPENDIX B: Confusing Specific MObs
APPENDIX C: Miscellaneous Advice
APPENDIX D: Confusion and XP/Time
.......a. Intro
.......b. How experience works generally
.......c. How experience over time works generally
.......d. How confusion experience works.
.......e. How confusion fight duration works.
.......f. How confusion XP/Time works.
.......g. Doing at least as well.
.......h. What does S=3DF mean?
.......i. What does that prove?
.......k. How much better?
.......l. Warning: Do not adjust your D!
APPENDIX E: Other Mind/* Builds
__________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
In this FAQ, I'll be talking about Mind control with Empathy and Radiation sets. I hope to provide fairly thorough insight into all three. I've spent over 1400 hours (for a variety of reasons) playing my Mind/Empathy controller, and I run a Mind/Rad L32 controller, and a Rad/Psi L36 Defender, so I've played the great majority of these powers fairly heavily. I don't play player-versus-player at all, and will only have cursory comments regarding this.
__________________________________________
MIND CONTROL
Mind Control is the premier set for hard & total control, aggro-free control, and confusions. It does fair damage that's typed Psi for good penetration, has enormous directed control potential, no pets, and no immobilizations. It has sometimes been remarked that Mind Control has good or great area control. Mind is not a slouch in area control, but is not, contrary to popular wisdom, far better than other sets at it.
If you're unfamiliar with status effects and terms, or end up not understanding anything said here, please refer to appendix A, understanding status effects.
Here are the highlights of Mind Control:
<ul type="square">[*]Hard Controls
Mind has five great hard controls: a ranged single-target and *two* Ranged AoE holds-- Dominate, Telekinesis (AoE Toggle), and Total Domination (AoE). It also has two confusions, which are among the hardest controls in the PvE game: Confuse (ranged single-target) and Mass Confusion (ranged AoE).[*]Soft Controls
Mind also has three soft controls-- Mesmerize (ranged single-target sleep) Mass Hypnosis (ranged AoE), and Terrify, (large cone fear).[*]Aggro Free Controls
Three of Mind's controls, Confuse, Mass Hypnosis, and Mass Confusion, never, ever cause aggro.[*]Damage dealing
Controllers now do meaningful damage (see containment), and most of Mind's damage is typed Psi, which is rarely resisted. Dominate and Mesmerize are standard damage-dealing controls, and a great damage/control one-two in a fight. Mind also has Levitate, a decent high damage power and Mind's only partial control. The bonus of Levitate is that it's smashing damage, if you're worried about fighting robots.[*]Containment setup
Containment is now the name of the game for damage with controllers-- any mob that is immobilized, held, disoriented, or slept takes double damage from any attack by a controller (except brawl). Mind has two single-target (Dominate, Mesmerize) and three ranged AoE controls (Total Dom, Mass Hypnosis, Telekinesis) that set up containment. This can mean decent damage output with unusual safety, in the hands of a well-built mind controller.[*]Confusions
Mind specializes in confusion, one of the most controversial kinds of powers in the game, because of the question often raised regarding XP and confusions. Confusions are like a hold in that they completely stop a foe from taking any action against your team. However, they also (among other things) cause the foe to attack *other foes*-- and most (75%) of the damage they do when confused, is not "counted" when mobs are defeated, so you wind up getting more experience that normal for the damage you do.
Read that again: the net effect of confusions is to improve XP.
Confusions are widely misunderstood for three reasons:
1) At one point in the early release of City of Heroes, damage from confused mobs was not discounted by 75% when XP was distributed, so that it typically made XP worse, when used. This has been fixed for a LONG time, but attitudes persist.
2) People improperly compare confused villains to pets because the L32 Mind Controller power is Mass Confusion, not a pet.
3) People sometimes become interested in how much experience they're getting per defeated MOb. Confusion can cut down modestly on your experience gained per mob, but it always compensates-- or overcompensates-- by speeding up fights, which mean more experience per time.
Because of these things, there is a persistent belief that confusions cause teams to 'lose XP.' They absolutely do not, but you can expect to team with people who think they do.[*]Trickiness
Mind Controls can be some of the hardest control effects for teammates to recognize. None of them have dramatic animations like, say, Earth or Ice, and teammates attacking/killing controlled mobs first can cut down on your effectiveness, if they can't/won't learn to work with you. Confusions, indeed, leave mobs actually moving and attacking, which can be even more confusing for teammates. Communication is a must.[*]Stackability
Mind provides two (technically, three) pair of stackable total controls-- Confuse and Mass Confusion (both are confusions), Dominate and Total Domination (both are holds). It also can, technically, double up sleep magnitude, by using Mesmerize and then Mass Hypnosis.[/list]
INDIVIDUAL POWERS
NOTE: Again, read the appendix on status effects first, if any terms used here are not familiar.
<ul type="square">[*]Mesmerize
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Accuracy. If you want damage, you could add 1-3 damage. A second accuracy later, if you decide you need it.
Importance: Consider
Mesmerize is OK damage, and is good for putting fringe MObs to sleep-- for quite a while. If there are guys on the fringe on the opposite side from your team who aggro, put them to sleep, and deal with them later! Mesmerize is also a higher magnitude power (see Appendix A), and affects bosses in a SINGLE hit, which can be quite awesome under some circumstances. Like any sleep, the downside is that all the lovely control duration you invested in the mesmerized mob goes away when he takes the first point of damage from you or a teammate.[*]Levitate
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Accuracy, 2 damage. When you have spare slots, +0-1 Dmg, +0-1 End, +0-2 Recharge.
Importance: Consider
Levitate is the best low-level damage power in the set. It does knock-up, which at least momentarily interrupts your enemies, and it does smashing damage, which is nice to have against, say, robots, which're resistant to psi but vulnerable to smashing.[*]Dominate
Available: L2
Slotting: 1 accuracy, 1 hold, 2 recharge immediately. Depending on what help you have in other powers, +0-1 accuracy, +0-2 hold, +0-1 recharge, +0-2 damage, +0-1 End Redux, as soon as possible.
Importance: Mandatory
Dominate is a good fast single target hold, with decent damage. Dominate is a bread-and-butter power. You should ALWAYS take it at level 2, or latest at 4, and slot early and heavy.[*]Confuse
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 accuracy. When you can, +0-2 recharge, +0-2 duration. Also consider, when you have slots to spare, +0-2 range, since this power is aggro-free.
Importance: Important
Confuse completely stops an enemy from attacking you or your teammates, and additionally forces them attack and debuff other villains, and buff the good guys! As if that weren't enough, it DRAWS NO AGGRO! You can spam confuses all day long, if you just want to clear out an area. It requires two applications to affect a boss-- much like holds, and has a longer recharge and activation time, BUT, it also has a significantly longer duration.
Another way confuses differ from holds is that, confused mobs will still move around under their own power. Potentially, in very dispersed, adjacent groupings, they'll go where you don't want them to go. On the other hand, confusion can also be used to get an outlying mob to cluster up with the rest of a group, since he'll move to attack them. If you're really clever, it's a herding tool. If you're really unlucky, it causes a bit of scatter. Fair tradeoff.
Confuse should be SERIOUSLY considered by L16 or so, if not straight away at L6. Using it on any enemy is good, and using it on enemy defender types is fantastic.[*]Mass Hypnosis
Available: L8
Slotting: 1 Accuracy. A second accuracy when you have slots to spare. Consider +1-3 recharge, if you find you can make frequent use of the power, and +0-2 range when you really have slots to spare, since it's an aggro-free power.
Importance: Consider
Mass Hypnosis is your first, and one of *two*, AGGRO FREE AREA CONTROLS. It is a large Area of Effect sleep that centers on an enemy you target while at range. It does no damage. Very good for mitigating damage when you're facing overwhelmingly large spawns, as when two large spawns are back-to-back, or some gruesome summoning power is at work. It also initiates containment damage doubling.[*]Telekinesis
Available: L12
Slotting: 1 End Redux. 2 more when you have slots to spare and/or are getting regular use of this power. If you truly have no other place to put slots, and love using telekinesis regularly, consider +1-3 recharge.
Importance: Consider
Telekinesis is an auto-hit TOGGLE ranged area hold, meaning, you select a target, toggle on TK, and the target and everyone else around them has a hold applied. Additionally, affected targets steadily move in a direct line away from you- this is what makes Telekinesis tricky; you have to find physical obstacles to bunch your TK'd opponents up into, unless you just *want* them to drift off and eventually leave your target-select range, at which point the toggle drops and they're no longer held. Beware, though-- as a wandering area control this can draw aggro to you from far away much the way a debuff toggle on a runner can!
Telekinesis is also one of the biggest end hogs in the entire game. To use this power as a staple, you'll need to take it and slot it fairly heavily for end reduction, which given all other considerations, you'll have to do either ASAP, or pretty late.[*]Total Domination
Available: L18
Slotting: Three-slot immediately. 2 accuracy, 1 recharge. Add three more slots when possible, +1-2 recharge, +0-2 hold. If you always run rad infection and/or tactics, consider dropping an accuracy for a recharge.
Importance: Important
Total domination is an Area of Effect Hold applied to everyone within a fairly large radius from an enemy you target at range. It does no damage, but does draw aggro. Like most area controls it has a fairly long recharge time. If you can set yourself up to reliably and frequently cast Total Domination, you'll be golden to heavy burst damage teams, and have a lot of power to keep teams safe generally. Take it as soon as available, at 18.[*]Terrify
Available: L26
Slotting: 1 Accuracy. When you reasonably can, +0-1 accuracy +1-2 end redux. If you decide you need damage, +3 damage.
Importance: Important
Terrify is a fear effect with an accuracy debuff that does psi damage equal to dominate in a VERY large cone. Though it's a soft control, as damage mitigation goes it can still be useful when you team with single-target hitters-- particularly if you have a self heal and can tolerate a few hits. Good for doing damage to big clusters when you solo. Terrify also has a good recharge rate for such a big, broad damage/control attack. Endurance is what tends to keep Terrify in check. With Stamina and Recovery Aura or AM, you'll be able, eventually, to sidestep this limitation.[*]Mass Confusion
Available: L32
Slotting: 4 slots immediately-- 1 accuracy, 3 recharge. When you have slots to spare, +0-1 Accuracy, +0-1 End Redux, +0-2 Confuse duration.
Importance: Mandatory
Here's the zenith of Mind Control! Mass confusion is everything that the single target confuse is, except as an AoE. It's long-duration, slow recharge, draws no aggro, and is fantastic for clearing out an area (say, the bodyguards of an AV). It can be readily stacked with confuse, and is certainly the most powerful single area control power in the PvE game. It's also hysterically entertaining.
Refer to the section on Confuse, and think AoE.[/list]
USING MIND CONTROL POWERS
<ul type="square">[*]Dominate, Levitate, Mesmerize, Confuse
Basic single-target controlling is important as a mind controller. You have a LOT of options to take one guy out at a time. ALWAYS know which mobs are the mezzers/buffers/debuffers, among the enemy, and fire confusions off FIRST on those mobs (the long activation but aggro-free nature of confusions make them ideal initials in chains).Hit crucially dangerous bosses with dominate (typically twice), until they stop moving. Look for lieutenants and non-crucial bosses on the edge of fights to mesmerize (mesmerize does a good job of getting enough mag to sleep a boss). And use levitate as a stopgap control between real controls, or on anything that's held, for a dose of damage. These are key, too when soloing, since they do the most damage and since it's scarcely efficient to use an area control on just 3 mobs, since you can almost certainly lock those down well before they take more health from you than your native health recovery will return before the next fight. If you really feel you need a fifth power in your arsenal for soloing, consider picking up air superiority. With a control/containment/damage set like Dominate, Levitate, Mesmerize, Confuse, Air Superiority, you'll have respectable damage and, if you use it right, iron-clad safety.[*]Mass Hypnosis, Dominate, Mesmerize (Very Safe)
This is a basic combo you can be doing by L8. Lead with Mass Hypnosis from a good distance, then immediately Dominate to get the most important target under control-- either the guy your buddies are gunning for, or the boss you dread most. Now mesmerize the mob furthest from the attack zone of your teammates. Cycle your Dominates through the battlefront, and your Mesmerizes through the rear of the enemy. You'll be doing noteworthy damage with every hit, and mitigate nearly all of the enemy's damage.
This combo is particularly important, because there's a strong current of well-deserved disdain for lowbie controllers who're full of useless powers because they're building toward their ubar stamina/hasten/movement power/pet build in the 30s.
So if you really wanna be a hardcore *controller* early, here's your chance. Get this build up and running, trouble yourself to explain it to teammates, and avoid teaming with people who have large area damage before you turn 21, and can consistently sling total domination for them.
<font class="small">Code:[/color]<hr /><pre>
1 Mesmerize /Acc,Acc (1,3)
1 Healing Aura /End (1)
2 Dominate /Acc,Acc,Rchg,End,Rchg,Rchg (2,3,5,5,7,7)
4 Absorb Pain /Heal (4)
6 Confuse /Conf (6)
8 Mass Hypnosis /Acc,End,Rchg (8,9,9)
</pre><hr />
Extensive control for single-target hitters, with heavy healing to back it up. And you can always spec slots out of Mesmerize and Mass Hypnosis when you turn 24. And bear in mind-- with containment, you're going to do fair damage this way, too. Pair this with an energy blaster or Martial Arts scrapper, and you're golden in your fledgling hero days.[*]Confuse, Mass Confusion (Aggro FREE!)
For going after large groups with very high safety, or for leading into groups that you want to subsequently Hold, but want to be quite sure never attack you or your team. Apply mass confusion, then, lay a single confusion on each boss. This ensures every mob is completely controlled WITHOUT ANY AGGRO, and doesn't even involve bosses reducing the XP value of individual mobs before you send your team in. This might be hard to pull off perfectly if there are many bosses or you don't run hasten yet. Also, if you have large groups you just want to clear off, especially if they lack bosses, you can just apply mass confusion and keep spamming confuse until you have one mob left.[*]Telekinesis, Confuse (You're so clever!)
Here's a great way to bring your stragglers back into the fold of TK. Suppose you have four MObs gathered in a corner, but one got away, and you just REALLY want them all in one place. Wait for the right moment, and confuse the straggler. They'll run right over to the bad guys that are bobbing in the corner, and get stuck in the hold themself.[*]Confusion, confusion, patience! (Aggro FREE!)
For dealing with pesky spawns of bad guys surrounding an Arch Villain-- confuse the AV a few times, and wait. When his mez resistance drops, he will promptly decimate his own allies, leaving your team free to focus on him. This is particularly beneficial fighting certain AVs who spawn in the presence of large status-effect groups or other dangers, such as Infernal. Better still, those pesky AV alpha strikes won't be used on your team, which can save a lot of grief up against guys like the latter-game clockwork king.[*]Mass Hypnosis, Total Domination (Extremely Safe)
Total Domination does after all draw aggro. And sometimes you'll want or need to lead into fights, as a controller. Especially if you don't have a handy tank or are dealing with a horde of psi blasters (Gordon Trench and The Clockwork King's dimension come to mind). Especially if your accuracy with Total Domination isn't Iron Clad, the Mass Hypnosis is a nice cushion. The guys you miss with Total Domination will stay asleep, and you can target Dom them to your heart's content. If you're really hardcore and have an especially enormous cluster of MObs, you can always try doing partial overlap placement with the two-- get Mass Hypnosis further back, and Total Dom nearer; you'll still be buffering in the overlap, get more total coverage, and your team will presumably be dealing with anybody in the front row that Total Dom missed. Also, this technique allows you to keep proximity aggro off your team until scrappers are charging in, and gauge when to lay down hard control once they're (liable to be) woken back up.
[*]Total Domination, Dominate (Low-risk)
This is elementary total lockdown, and should be in every Mind Controller's playbook. Apply Total Domination to a spawn (preferably a boss closest to the center of the group so you get everyone, and don't have to re-target to go after the boss), then keep your eyes open and spam dominate through the group on a cycling basis (usually, bosses first). Unless your Dominate is slow, you're up against huge spawns, or you're fighting things 3+ over your head, you ought to be able to keep a spawn locked down at least until your endurance runs out. But if you're doing this, you're going to need to survive whatever ranged alpha strike any bosses present will use-- so don't do it against mezzers like Rikti Chief Mentalists. Obviously, in a scenario with bosses, pop Total Dom and then get Dominate on the boss as fast as possible.[*]Telekinesis, Total Domination, Dominate (Draws some aggro)
One of the nice things about telekinesis is that it's an auto hit. Suppose you were dealing with numerous +3 bosses, and your tank was going down. Maneuver into the right position, apply telekinesis, then total dom, then start domming bosses that're still moving. This will cost you some endurance, but you *should* be able to get several of them under control pretty darn quickly this way. Once you know you've got a couple doms on each, turn off TK to save the endurance. [*]Mass Hypnosis, Mass Confusion and Terrify (Low-risk)
Here's the Promised Land of soloing. If you have both of the top powers in Mind Control as well as either Mass Hypnosis, and especially if you have Hasten and Stamina and/or Endurance Buff to support it, this trick becomes possible. Lead in with Mass Hypnosis. Follow up with Mass Confusion. They're still sleeping though, and ready to take 2x damage from your next attack! Now hit them with Terrify. They'll take damage, wake up, smack each other once, and cower. If you have teammates, they can finish them off. Or, you can keep terrifying them, with Mass Hypnosis beforehand when available to get 2x containment damage.[/list]
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SLOTTING
A brief section on how to slot powers.
First, be aware that with the Enhancement Diversification scheme implemented sometime after I5, it is now meaningless to slot more than 3 single-origin enhancements in a given power for a given effect. IOW, never slot more than 3 Damage, 3 Hold, 3 Recharge, etc, in powers, once you're using single-origin enhancements. If you're using trainers or DOs, slot however you like.
One other thing-- conventional wisdom sometimes recommends that you slot *nothing* until level 12 (when you can start getting dual-origin enhancements). I consider this advice bunk. The key to using training enhancements effectively is to get several of the most critical kind of enhancement in a power. But BEWARE! Don't put six enhancement slots in a given power so you can get three training accuracies and three training holds in it, for example, unless you KNOW PRECISELY at least one of the following: 1) how you're going to make use of all those slots when you *are* using SOs and can't use more than 3 enhances of one type, or 2) have planned your build out completely in advance, including a respec at level 24, and are ready to wait until then to work for a respec.
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EMPATHY
Play Empathy if you want to be popular in the early game with people who don't understand defenders, or tactics, well.
Empathy, has lots of healing, yes. But it's more about reducing downtime between fights, and later on, about buffing an ally or two, and less about team defense, than most people think. Personally I think it's fantastic as a team-oriented SECONDARY-- a controller can use it to the max for it's supporting role without extravagant expense in powers and slots.
The downside is of course you do need a team to make Empathy useful. Even that has a silver lining, though, because you really should team anyway, as a controller, and being a "Healer" has got to be one of the best (if not best-justified) selling points you can broadcast when you're looking for a team.
Though it's got a lot of heal, the high range of Empathy has some great buff powers OTHER than the heals. People will love you all over again for a dozen levels when you pick up Fortitude and Recovery Aura at levels 20 and 28. Under the right circumstances, you can also ingratiate yourself immensely in the 20s and up with clear mind. And Adrenaline Boost, the final power of the set, is a phenomenal single-teammate booster.
Empathy is certainly the least directly offensive set, and along with FF one of the most team-oriented. It has more click and teammate-target effects than any other set. And half (44%) of the set is effects that are (or can be) last-ditch, emergency efforts to keep teammates from being dead in combat. It is, after all, a weird set.
INDIVIDUAL POWERS
<ul type="square">[*]Healing Aura
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Heal. +0-2 Heals and +0-2 End Redux when you have spare slots.
Importance: Forced
The only low level power you'll get out of Empathy that helps you, and you'll be forced to take it. It's a good self/PBAoE heal.[*]Heal Other & Absorb Pain
Available: L2, L4 respectively
Slotting: 2 Heal. +0-1 Heal, +0-2 Endurance, +0-2 Recharge, when you have spare slots.
Importance: Choose ONE.
My position is, these two are redundant on a controller. Absorb pain makes you wait another 2 levels to take it, heals more for less endurance, and is a little trickier to manage since it hurts you a little and makes you un-healable for a short period. From my PoV, Mind/Empathy is for players who maximize good judgment and skill-- which suggests Absorb Pain. The choice is yours.[*]Resurrect
Available: L10
Slotting: 1 Recharge
Importance: Consider
This power brings a teammate back to full health from defeat. The End cost is enormous, and the recharge is very slow. Primarily, this power is good for saving your teammates the trouble of walking back from the hospital.
But there are situations where an in-combat Resurrect can be fantastic. A group depending on a Tank can really benefit from that tank making a very fast full-recovery. A group in a tedious fight with a fast-regenerating boss or AV will likely be very happy with a spot-resurrect when it's key blaster falls.
But you have to get a sense for when to do this, and when to NOT do it. The power is situational.[*]Clear Mind
Available: L16
Slotting: 1 Recharge
Importance: Important
Resistance against, and popping out of, immob, sleep, hold, and disorient can be crucial against some kinds of foes, and this sometimes overlooked power makes you the anti-controller. It cycles fast, lasts a while, and is otherwise pretty much effortless-- EXCEPT-- that you have to train teammates to call out quickly when held or otherwise watch them on the screen like a hawk, if you're not spamming this power before every fight. Either way, this power is great if you're not *lazy*.[*]Fortitude
Available: L16
Slotting: 1 recharge. +0-2 Acc Buff +0-2 Def Buff +0-2 Recharge when you can spare the slots.
Importance: Important
A tidy damage, resistance, defense, accuracy boost. A little more everything! (Including, BTW, resistance and defense against psi!) Fairly slow recycle, but if you work at it you can have 2-3 teammates forted once you have hasten and couple recharges in it. Plus, if you're going to be worth nothing else in a fight, say against an AV, you can still fort teammates.[*]Recovery Aura
Available: L28
Slotting: 3 Recharge immediately. +0-3 EndMod if you have nothing else to slot.
Importance: Crucial
A PBAoE endurance recovery buff extraordinaire. It is, itself, an End Hog, so you're best to pop it at the start of a fight, unless you think you'll be mostly watching the scrappers wear themselves out beating bad guys silly, in which case, wait a bit. It does affect you too. And especially among folks who have not sorted out their own endurance needs yet, you'll be considered a God.[*]Regeneration Aura
Available: L35
Slotting: 1 Recharge. +0-2 Recharge, +0-3 Heal if you have nothing else to slot.
Importance: Marginal
A power I don't have direct experience with. I've seen it used. It's a good health recovery buff. However. You're a controller, and of all the heal options, this one is the most like an active combat defense. Team defense should come from your controls-- heals should increase your *options*. So I recommend skipping Regeneration Aura.[*]Adrenaline Boost
Available: L38
Slotting: 3 Recharge immediately.
Importance: Important
A modest duration, long recharge buff to one teammate's recharge speed, endurance recovery, and health recovery. Even though available only late in the game, still a very impressive power. There is nothing else as good, at L38, to take. Take it! [/list]
EMPATHY USAGE
Like defenders, be ready to do some buffing at the start of combat, and pay attention to when the buffs are back up again. Giving somebody Fortitude + Adrenaline Boost is a very real and noticeable improvement, to any character I've ever seen. Even just spamming heals on a scrapper can easily make the difference between a defeated AV and a defeated scrapper. If you're pulling off a hazardous resurrect, be ready to hit your target with a heal if he starts to go down before he gets away or turns on toggle defenses. Rezzing somebody to die again just sucks.
My recommendation on buffs (this is a no-brainer, but it's easy to let intelligent buffing choices slide) is, give fortitude and adrenaline boost to the lowest level damage dealer in the group-- or, if all else seems equal, give fortitude to the blaster with the most trouble hitting, and adrenaline boost to the scrapper with the biggest endurance issues. If you're fighting large groups with numerous mezzers (Tsoo, Lost, devouring earth, and Rikti come to mind) spam clear mind through the team's controllers, defenders, and blasters. If your scrapper or ($deity forbid) tank lacks mez protection, you'll notice.
Empathy is not your primary as a controller. I recommend against taking more than two healing powers with the set, and I recommend against trying to routinely use heals to defend your team. The exception is: when you're aiding a retreat or fighting an AV.
MIND CONTROL/EMPATHY SYNERGY
MC/Empath is really a build for multitaksers and skill players-- people who think it's fun to try and keep their finger on the pulse of everything going on, especially in a pickup team, where it approaches impossible, even if folks stay together. MC/Emp is one of the least susceptible of all builds, to the "What is there to do but stand here and hit things" syndrome. You will have to become very accustomed to your preferred method of selecting both teammates and enemies. Tab (in the default keyboard configuration) cycles you through enemies. And you can select teammates with mouse clicks on the team list. I recommend mapping the "~" key to cycle through teammates. You can also select targets of either sort with a click directly on the target. Only you can come up with the target-selection scheme that works best for you, but choose wisely. Also, strongly recommended you turn the health and status display bar for other heroes to to "always on."
Mind control has a lot of aggro-free attacks, and Empathy has no aggroing debuffs. You could live your life virtually aggro-free under this build. You will be the last man standing, more than almost anybody. If you are prone to survival guilt, you may want to consider another build.
Neither Mind nor Empathy is a 'Swiss-army-knife' set. Empathy heals and buffs. Mind hard controls, and that's a reasonably narrow area of expertise. Also, mind is pretty much a grouping-oriented set, and Empathy the most grouping-oriented of the controller secondaries. MC/Emp is therefore an extreme group build. That's how to think about playing Mind/Empathy IMO.
Mind control is not surprisingly an End Hog with its advanced stunts, nor are heals or resurrection light on the end. Fortunately, Empathy has one major power that works directly with you-- Recovery Aura. You can readily eat your entire native + stamina endurance recovery doing Mind Controller Tricks, so having Recovery Aura ready to go can be a real boon.
Mind/Empathy can be fantastic if you're working with a modest number of damage dealers who're squishy or would prefer not to rely only their own defenses. Duoing or trioing with blasters and/or Super Reflexes or Dark Armor scrappers, particularly, can be quite lucrative, especially if you're at a stage where you can boost their accuracy a little, you have missions set on invincible, and your allies are a couple levels below you. The ideal sidekick for a Mind/Empathy is a Blapper!
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RADIATION
Radiation is an effective and aggressive set. It's got three fantastic buffing/debuffing tools very early in the set, and two or three other powers that are worth a serious look. It adds a lot of offensive punch to teams or to its user solo, as well as substantial control at the higher levels, a PBAoE heal, and a resurrect. Powerful, aggressive, versatile-- this is Radiation.
<ul type="square">[*]Radiant Aura
Available: L1
Slotting: 1 Heal. If you really find yourself using it a lot, could be slotted +0-2 Heal and +0-2 Endurance reduction.
Importance: Forced
Radiant Aura is a tidy PBAoE heal. You'll be forced to take it. But hey-- you can heal yourself with it.[*]Radiation Infection (RI)
Available: L2
Slotting: At least four slots as soon as possible. 1 Endurance reduction +0-3 DefDebuffs +0-3 AccDebuffs. Add the last two slots when you have nothing else crucial to slot.
Importance: Crucial
Radiation Infection is a toggle AoE debuff-- you pick an enemy, toggle the power on, and the enemy and any villain nearby has reduced accuracy and defense. You can slot this for offensive (DefDebuff) or defensive (AccDebuff) purposes. Most folks recommend slotting for accuracy debuff to further protect the team. My philosophy differs-- particularly with a Mind controller, it may be a strong contribution to slot for defense debuff.
Remember that Radiation Infection stays up until the bad guy dies, or is very far away, and that in the meantime, if he runs, anybody he's near is aggroed to you. Extremely effective, and a must-have sometime before your teens.
When running RI with mass confusion, there's this to consider: if you slotted exclusively for defense debuff, you'd be increasing the net rate at which confused mobs hit each other. Slotted for accuracy debuff, of course, you'd be decreasing it. But the closer to balanced these debuffs get, the more RI tends to have no effect on the damage output of a group that's all confused. In other words, you have to decide whether you want to maximize or minimize the rate at which confused mobs attack each other.[*]Accelerate Metabolism (AM)
Available: L4
Slotting: 3 recharges immediately, and eventually, when you have slots to spare, add three End Mods.
Importance: Crucial
This PBAoE buff lets you endow your whole team with a little extra endurance recovery, recharge, damage, and resistance. The net effect: a very impressive buff. AM should be taken and slotted as soon as possible. Even when you solo, you'll want AM as often as possible.[*]Enervating Field (EF)
Available: L10
Slotting: 1 endurance reduction. Followed by 1-2 more once you start using it regularly.
Importance: Crucial
A toggle AoE debuff like Radiation infection, Enervating field reduces your opponent's resistance and damage. It's quite an endurance hog, so you can consider holding off on it until after L20, but you'd be crazy to not take it at all.
Since resistance debuffs work a little better on those who have a high resistance to a given type of damage, and because often mobs are resistant to the same type of damage that they themselves wield, EF, like defense debuff slotted Radiation infection, tends to enhance the rate at which confused mobs kill themselves off.[*]Mutation
Available: L16
Slotting: 1 recharge
Importance: Consider
Returns a downed hero to full health and endurance and provides some miscellaneous buffs for a period of time. The End cost is enormous, and the recharge is very slow. Primarily, this power is good for saving your teammates the trouble of walking back from the hospital.
But there are situations where an in-combat Mutation can be fantastic. A group depending on a Tank can really benefit from that tank making a very fast full-recovery and gaining miscellaneous buffs. A group in a tedious fight with a fast-regenerating boss or AV will likely be very happy with a spot-resurrect when it's key blaster falls.
But you have to get a sense for when to do this, and when to NOT do it. The power is situational.[*]Lingering Radiation
Available: L20
Slotting: 1 accuracy. +1 Accuracy, +1-2 End redux when you start using it regularly. Top it off with recharges when you really have slots to spare and have fallen in love with it.
Importance: Consider
A ranged AoE slow and regeneration debuff. The first significant control power in the radiation set, and though Mind scarcely needs other controls, you may want to consider this one eventually. It is particularly valuable against arch villains, who can't be affected full-time by holds and so on, but *can* be slowed slightly with LR. LR also debuffs regeneration rate, and some AVs have enormous regeneration. You may find this power extremely useful in the end game.[*]Choking Cloud
Available: L28
Slotting: 3 Hold, 1-3 End Reduction.
Importance: Marginal
The second of three control-oriented powers in radiation. This one is a PBAoE toggle pulsing hold. That is, it applies a very short duration hold, with bad accuracy, to villains standing near you every second or two. Fully slotted, it's an interesting form of control, but as a controller, you'll probably find it redundant with your primary. If you want it, you really need to have 3 hold slots, and some end reduction, plus Radiation Infection slotted for defense debuff, before you really get a sense of what it can do.[*]Fallout
Available: L35
Slotting:
Importance: Avoid
A power one rarely sees, and situational to situations that are best avoided anyhow (does decent damage to foes standing over a fallen teammate). I don't play with this power, and I don't recommend it, unless, as some joker recently suggested, you want to combine it with vengeance and mutation in pickup groups where you have no qualms about letting teammates die.[*]EM Pulse
Available: L38
Slotting:
Importance: Consider
EMP is an exceptionally large PBAoE attack, long-duration hold, that hurts robots a bit, makes it hard for you to recover endurance for a while, and has a long recharge time. As another control, this power isn't really a priority, but it's good enough out of the box, and cool enough that you might want to take it anyhow. [/list]
RADIATION USAGE
Slinging radiation, as a controller, is a matter of constantly waffling about whether to debuff with RI before or after you apply area control. If you think you can survive alpha strikes, or if you have a handy tank who's absorbing alpha, by all means, debuff first, then control. If you have an aggro-free control handy, Mass Confusion or Mass Hypnosis, use that, then debuff. Otherwise, good luck to you.
Because toggles go down when the target for the toggle, or "anchor," dies, you're going to find it annoying when people kill your anchors prematurely. You need to approach this problem from both angles: 1) Get used to it! 2) Educate your teammates.
When buffing with Accelerate Metabolism, don't be shy about calling for the team to gather to get the buff. Usually shouting "Gather!" or "AM!" in the team channel is sufficient. Don't be rude or obsessive, but try and make people understand that they really want the boost, because it's net effect is great, even though an individual can sometimes not notice it.
Radiation is great for helping out with killing bosses and AVs, especially with RI, EF, and Lingering Radiation in play together.
MIND/RADIATION SYNERGY
When it comes to the Mind/Radiation combo, there's so much good about each set that the main thing to talk about is pitfalls:
First off, Radiation, like Mind, has a lot of powers your teammates can work with, or screw up, depending on their actions. Hence, more that possibly any other set, Mind/Rad requires you to talk to your teammates and explain yourself if they don't already know Mind and Rad. It also be worth your while to develop some macros (there are FAQs on this), to announce whom you're targeting with your mezzes, toggles, and mez toggles. Also, experience as a blaster helps a lot with this-- you'll notice quickly that the guy your tab-select first hits is the SAME guy everybody else's tab-select hits. I recommend you learn to tab 80% of the way through a spawn to select your target, if that's the method you're going to use for target selection.
One of the trickier things about Mind/Radiation is that Mind and Radiation both have lots of great stuff in the early build. Which forces you to make tough choices about power selection until you're nearly in the endgame. You have a lot of viable alternatives in a Mind/Rad build, but you should *really* plan your entire build ahead, looking at what you want to be able to provide, and when you'll be able to support the endurance cost on which powers.
Another awkward thing about Mind/Rad is that both sets are control heavy. For example, supposing you decided to stick to holds. A L38 Mind/Rad could run Dominate, Telekinesis, Total Domination, and Choking Cloud simultaneously. The holds would all stack. That's more area hold power than $Deity, before we even talk about Lingering Radiation, Mass Hypnosis, and Mass Confusion. On the upside, Telekinesis and Choking cloud are both great ways to stack holds on AVs. It would be certainly worthy of testing, to see if choking cloud, telekinesis, and dominate can chain-mez an AV.
A third thing to notice about the combination is the endurance cost. With 3-slotted stamina, it's possible to run Telekinesis, Enervating Field, and Radiation Infection, each with 2 end reduction slots, indefinitely, if you're not running anything else. With AM up, things are a little better. Both sets can, potentially, make enormous endurance demands on you. This can actually make decisions about your pre-21 build easier, since you can choose to pick up end-light powers, and/or slot for end redux, in the first 20 levels.
Finally, radiation debuffs with mass confusion can be completely fight altering. Particularly if you focus on defense debuffs without accuracy debuffs in Radiation Infection, running it and EF on a mass-confused spawn ensures a sickeningly fast rate of spawn self-destruction. On the other hand, using an accuracy debuff heavy Rad infection and Lingering Radiation without Enervating Field, will tend to slow down the rate at which a mass confused spawn will die. This is an arcane point about confusions, but getting the right ratio of confused mob-to-team damage is the key to getting the best XP/time buff out of confusion use, and radiation debuffs enhance your control over this.
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POOL POWERS
Recommended Pool Powers
<ul type="square">[*]Speed/Hasten
Available: L6
Slotting: 3 Recharge
Importance: Crucial
Hasten is worth it on most Mind builds, especially Mind/Empathy. Three-slot it for recharge, and it's like having an extra couple recharge enhances, most of the time, in every power that recharges. Now, consider some of your best powers-- Total Dom, Terrify, Mass Confusion, Rec Aura, Adrenaline Boost, Accelerate Metabolism. These could *always* use more recharge speed. Get hasten and 3-slot it as soon as you have your endurance issues clear. With Radiation, it has bonus synergy with Accelerate Metabolism, and helps with powers such as Lingering Rad, Mutation, and EMP.
Can you survive without it? Yes. More so on a */rad build. But IMO you'll still be happier with it than with a variety of other powers you may eventually build into your Mind/Green troller. So take it, eventually. FWIW, I think a lot of people are giving up on the utility of Hasten because it's not what it was before enhancement diversification. As a Mind/Green, you're going to have to be doing a great deal of clicking anyhow.[*]Fitness/Stamina
Available: L20, after 2 other fitness powers
Slotting: 3 EndMod
Importance: Crucial
It is conceivable to avoid stamina on Mind/Empathy characters, if you're willing to wait around until you get Recovery Aura, and be forever pinned down between uses of it. Even with both, though, you can find ways to tax yourself end-wise as a Mind/Green, especially if you're running telekinesis. With Mind/Rad, Accelerate Metabolism doesn't fill this gap in quite as well, and Radiation itself can demand more endurance for things you might want to do routinely. In either build, I think Stamina is well worth the 3 powers and 2 slots.[*]Concealment/Stealth
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Def or End
Importance: Consider
Stealth is a quality of life enhancer. It's nice to scout an area before you back off to start using aggroless controls, for example. Since Empathy has no aggroing debuffs, you can also perform them from stealth. Since as a Mind/Empath you have so much that generates active aggro, stealth sort of helps complete that picture. Also, stealth opens up a lot of opportunities soloing missions for objectives without making most arrests, if you want to see game content but can't find a teammate. [/list]
Other Pool Powers
<ul type="square">[*]Fitness/Hurdle
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Jump
Importance: Optional
Most people have noticed that if you're building Hasten + Stamina into your character, you have a handy opening on super speed as a movement power. If you're doing that make sure to pick up the sequence HURDLE, Health, Stamina. If you're not going to take a major movement power at all, hurdle is also nice for mobility.[*]Inherent/Sprint
Available: L2
Slotting: 1 Run No move power planned? +2 run.
Importance: Optional
It's not the end of the world if you don't take a major movement power AT ALL. (Incidentally, people who make a big deal about 30 seconds more or less between missions are very likely to be impossible to control for anyhow.) If you're going with swift and hurdle for movement, remember to slot SPRINT, NOT SWIFT, for optimum speed. With swift and 3 runs in sprint, you're not much slower than the average flier. And you get to see more of the game.[*]Teleport/Recall Friend
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End or Recharge
Importance: Consider
Most defenders who routinely resurrect/mutate people (which shouldn't be happening, but that's another story) like recall friend so they can pull out of harm's way then resurrect you safely. Plus, it's just nice to be able to offer teammates who're selling on the other side of the map a direct port to the door, gate, or train.[*]Teleport/Teleport Foe
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End or Recharge
Importance: Optional
Teleport Foe is fun, and it can make soloing a little easier if you decide you just have to, for some reason. Also, however, confused mobs have the same short aggro range you've come to otherwise love, and if you're using confuse, you're going to sometimes end up with a solitary confused mob with a good 20 seconds of confusion left on him to no good purpose. Teleporting him into the next group of enemies is a nice touch for the anal-retentive mind controller. Even better, if you've got a particularly great buffer/debuffer/mezzer bad guy confused-- sappers, carnies, tsoo sorcerers, rikti guardians, Sky Raider force field generators all come to mind-- you can tote them around! (I still don't recommend this, but if you consider that such a 'pet' is also effectively invincible to villains, it might interest you.) Regardless, don't put something more important off just for TP Foe.[*]Teleport/Teleportation
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End. Maybe 1-3 Range and 1 End when you have slots to spare.
Importance: Consider
Teleport-- Teleport is potentially the fastest, but the hardest to control, of all the major movement powers. Best but hardest to control? Sounds like a Mind Controller to me.[*]Leadership/Assault
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Endurance
Importance: Optional
A small damage buff for your whole team. Useful mainly as a precursor to Tactics.[*]Leadership/Maneuvers
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Endurance
Importance: Optional
A tiny defense buff for your whole team. Useful mainly as a precursor to Tactics.[*]Leadership/Tactics
Available: L14, with Maneuvers or Assault
Slotting: 1 Endurance, 3 Accuracy Buff
Importance: Consider
Tactics can be a meaningful buff to accuracy on every power used by you or any teammate. This is worth considering, though the total cost (2 powers and 3 slots) can be daunting. Gets even better for hitting very-hard-to-hit opponents. Also increases the range at which you can spot stealthy folks, making it more exciting for PvP.[*]Leaping/Combat Jumping
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End
Importance: Optional
Marginal defensive bonus plus minor resistance to immobilize. A precursor to Super Jump.[*]Leaping/Super Jump
Available: L14, with jump-kick or combat jumping
Slotting: 1 Jump, +0-2 jump when you have spare slots.
Importance: Optional
Super jump is a bit counter-intuitive, as a combination with Mind, Empathy, and Radiation. I associate it with sets like kinetics, gravity, and super strength. Anyhow, if you think it fits your character, more power to you-- it's a great movement power, with decent control and great speed.[*]Flight/Hover
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 End, possibly 3 fly.
Importance: Optional
A slooow form of flight with a tiny defense bonus. If you just want a relatively low-endurance way of staying out of melee range, it's OK, but leaves you fairly stationary. Movement becomes more tolerable with 3 fly enhances, if you have slots to burn.[*]Flight/Air Superiority
Available: L6
Slotting: 1 Acc
Importance: Optional
An attack with a great knockdown element. No flying solo controller would be without it![*]Flight/Fly
Available: L14, with Air Superiority or Hover
Slotting: 1 Fly, +0-2 Fly when you have spare slots.
Importance: Optional
The slowest of the major movement powers, but the best precision vertical movement, and most heroic seeming. I'm a fan, most people aren't. [/list]
Pool Powers to Avoid
<ul type="square">[*]Leaping-/Jump Kick
Available: L6
Importance: AVOID
An attack with a super-long animation time. It's vaguely entertaining, though. If you're trying to build a mind controller who's one of the three stooges or a gorilla, I say, take this power! Otherwise, skip it.[*]Fighting/Any
Importance: Avoid
At some point, it will become tempting to add boxing or kick to fill out an attack chain, and maybe try to add tough and weave to be able to hang in there with the tough guys, later on. Just don't. Besides which, if you really must take a pool attack, it should be Air superiority.[*]Medicine/Any
Importance: Avoid
Unless you were playing Mind/Rad and were desperate for a mez-breaking power, there's no reason in the world to take the Medicine pool.[*]Presence/Any
Importance: Avoid
If you were dead set on a concept character who ran multiple fear attacks, then MAYBE you should consider this. Otherwise, controllers have no business taunting. [/list]
__________________________________________
PER ORIGIN
Mind Controllers Generally
<ul type="square">[*]Natural
Much of Mind Control could be explained as persuasion, charisma, intimidation, and the like. The two telekinetic elements in Mind Control are hard to explain for a natural, unless you think it's a completely ordinary human ability. Super speed and Teleport are also hard to explain as ordinary human abilities. Fly isn't much better.[*]Technology
Controlling minds with technology can be done wackily-- ala some sort of "cerebro" device that amplifies brainwaves, or perhaps more interestingly, as a side effect of using psychoactive chemical agents sprayed in the air. Sorta creepy, but it would work. Flight is the most plausible Technology major movement power.[*]Science & Mutant
What one does with these origins is notoriously open. I mean, what *can't* the right sort of scientific experiment unlock? What *can't* be a mutant power? For the Science side, see the Anime classic Akira. For the Mutant side, what makes more sense that a mutant psychic? With the telekinetic component of Mind, Flight is probably the best, conceptually. [*]Magic
Holds and sleeps in Mind could easily be "soft" forms of magic, whereas confusions could be forms of possession or will domination, and telekinetic elements could be more physically-oriented "spells." Teleport is probably the best magical movement power, though flight fits well also.[/list]
Empathy
<ul type="square">[*]Natural
With a little suspension of disbelief, the low heals in Empathy could be emergency medical attention. Many of the higher-up buffs could be attributed to encouragement or tactical advice.[*]Technology
The various healing/buffing effects of Empathy could easily be super-advanced medical technology.[*]Science & Mutant
It's plausible, if not typical, to imagine someone transformed by science or born with mutation to be able to heal others.[*]Magic
Magic healing and blessings easily cover the empathy set.[/list]
Radiation
<ul type="square">[*]Natural
It's difficult to interpret radiation powers as natural, without going into comedy, or reinventing the meaning of the term.[*]Technology & Science & Mutant
Discovery of (technology), or bodily control over (science & mutant) some sort of secret energy form or energy source could easily explain radiation powers.[*]Magic
Wispy green clouds of light are the most common way magical power is represented in the game. All the radiation powers could be forms of magical energy, curses, and blessings.[/list]
Choosing a Controller V2 | Splattrollers | Plant/Rad | Fire/Storm | Mind/Emp & Mind/Rad
Weird Controller Powers | Conf & XP/Time | Controller Damage
Being a Healer | The word Necessary | Natural Concept Characters