um....ok....
This is actually some pretty good information for someone who does not understand the variety of controls in the game. However, I think it would be substantially improved with some examples and a little more information. For example:
Holds are most easily determined by finding out whether the power takes Hold Enhancements. Each Controller set has a single target hold, and at least one Area of Effect (AoE) hold. Many other power sets may contain a single target hold. Examples of single-target holds include Illusion's Blind, Fire Contol's Char, Ice Control's Block of Ice, Mind Control's Dominate, Earth's Fossilize, Gravity's Gravity Distortion, Dark Miasma's Petrifying Gaze, Electric Blast's Tesla Cage and Ice Blast's Freeze Ray.
Some of the AoE holds are centered around the caster (Point-Blank Area of Effect, or PBAoE), while other holds may be cast from a distance. AoE holds include Illusion's Flash, Fire Control's Cinders, Ice Control's Glacier, Earth's Volcanic Gasses, Mind's Mass Domination, Gravity's Gravity Distortion Field, Radiation Emission's Choking Cloud and EM Pulse, and Trick Arrow's EM Pulse Arrow. Most AoE holds have a short duration and a long recharge.
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Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control
Nice that you took the time to do this. This gets asked a lot, gets a lot of players confused, etc.
Good work.
Excellent guide. If I ever get around to updating my Earth/Storm guide I will definitely be listing this as a reference for new players/controllers.
"You're the sun and the moon to me..."
My Antiquated Earth/Storm Controller Guide!
@KokopelliJoe
Probably a good idea, however I don't feel like republishing the guide yet (I am writinged-out) and I don't think I can edit it any more (there is a timer or something right? I can't seem to edit it). I hope people reading this will see the information you have there. If there is a great deal of stuff you'd like to see added, PM me with it and I will republish this with reference to you.
Thanks.
First of all, nice guide for folks new to CoH/CoV!
Regarding fear: The true Fear powers (terrify, cloak of fear, touch of fear, spectral terror, fearsome stare, etc.) definitely have magnitude. Certain mobs, notably Nemesis, require mulitple fears to be stacked on them for the fear to affect them (so that they cower in place until attacked). My spectral terror's cloak of fear effect won't fear Nemesis by itself, but once ST stacks its cone terrify on them, they will be. Same with many bosses.
I think the "fear" you have listed under soft controls is the "Avoid" effect associated with powers like the various rains and caltrops. This affect does not make them cower until attacked like true fear. When within the radius of those powers mobs will try to get out of the radius. They can stop and attack while still within the radius, although attacks will be less frequent. Once out of the radius they will attack as normal. These powers are very useful as area-denial tools. Also, contrary to your description, many AV's and monsters/giant monsters will in fact attempt to get out of the radius (frequently to the chagrin of teammates that have dropped location-based debuffs like Quicksand, lol).
A small but significant distinction.
...in CoH racing to 50 is like trying to race to the end of your vacation. -Arcanaville
Debt barely slows down levelling these days. It's just a little bar that measures how much Awesome you've generated recently. (If you're not getting debt, you're just not trying to generate Awesome hard enough.) -Kelenar
I know that fear and what I called "fear" are entirely seperate, but I couldn't think of a better name. Avoid is probably more accurate.
Good primer!
You left out one kind of control: the Confuse/Deceive. I think it falls under your definition of binary (if I understood it properly), in that, it's either on or off completely*. While under the effects of a Confuse/Deceive, a PvE mob will only attack other NPCs (excluding NPC hostages and fleeing civilians). Though I've not seen this in PvP, my understanding is that player heroes/villains under the effects of a Confuse/Deceive will not be able to target their enemies.
It uses magnitude just like the other controls. A Mind Controller, for example, can sneakily lay a Confuse on a boss, and then lay another down again. While the two effects overlap, that boss is confused. A Confuse on a boss and then a Mass Confusion on the whole spawn that the boss is in also might overcome magnitude -- assuming both Confuses hit, of course, since both require a hit check. When the first Confuse reaches the end of duration, the boss is no longer confused. However, a controller can keep spamming Confuses on the boss so that when the first duration has ended, a third one will maintain the stacking. With sufficient accuracy, recharge, and confusion enhancements, it's actually possible to keep a boss chain-confused.
* Errr, isn't there a power, Arctic Air or something, that has a chance to confuse a mob in its area of effect? Like, there's a chance the enemy mob will turn around and smack another mob? In that case, it's sort of less binary, in that it's unreliably random in terms of effect.
Confused Mobs in PvE - The mobs will run about and attack each completely ignoring the players. Does not matter if they are players on your team or some non-aligned player sprinting down the street. If they have a heal ability, they will only use it on themselves. Confused Tsoo sorcessers whirlwind will do nada to the players and kick all the other people around. Tsoo might also cast a heal on the players! Confused Mobs that summon are different. If the summoned creature is confused, it will attack just like any other mob. If the confused caster summons a mob, that new confused mob will make a beeline for you and begin to give an application of pain.
Players Confused in PvE - You can attack other player in the game. It just like you entered you own PvP world, but no one else gets to play in it... unless they are confused too. If you spam a heal, it will heal the mobs and other players. If you throw down Tar Patch, the players will be slowed and debuffed. If a confused player throws down Rain of Fire it will hit the other players. If a player throws down Rain of Fire and it THEN confused, it remains seperate of the confusion. If you are confused, just move back (you dont move randomly) and wait for it to wear off. Your group already has to fight the enemy, don't make it any worse.
Players Confused in PvP - this is just like PvE where the other players are the equivelant to mobs. Confuse on a Mastermind is NASTY. The Masterminds pets can easily turn on them for some very abbrupt changes. When the Mastermind dies the pets still fall. A confused phantom army can turn a cocky controller/dominator into a dead controller/dominator in no time flat. If you have been effected by confuse your best best is to pop a breakfree or move away from the fight. If the person who confused you KNOWS you are confused, be ready because they are about to bring it!
Since I was asked.
What is a Control power?
Control powers (also called mezzes, status effects or crowd control) are used to stop an enemy from acting in certain ways. For instance, they can stop an enemy attacking completely or make them move very slowly. Controls are mostly very binary; that is, they are either on or off; there are no half measures.
What types of control powers are there?
There are a variety of control powers. Some controls are referred to as 'soft controls,' because they are less binary methods. Some people might have different definitions of hard and soft controls and may not count sleeps and such as hard controls. However, I am presenting it as which powers operate on a binary method.
Hard Controls
Holds: Holds shut down an enemy completely. They cannot move, they cannot attack. There are some very limited actions that can be taken, such as using a break free inspirations (freeing the player from the hold). If a target is held, all their 'toggle' powers are turned off. This can often be disasterous for players as usually their hold resistance is in toggle powers.
Immobilize: Immobilizes prevent an enemy from moving. However, they can still attack; all enemies have ranged attacks, though they may be weaker than meele attacks.
Disorient/Stun: Much like a hold, but the enemy has a limited capability to move slowly. A player can choose which direction, an enemy will wander randomly. Stuns turn off toggles.
Sleep: Much like a hold, but the sleep is broken if the enemy takes damage. Sleeps turn off toggles.
Fear/Terror: Much like a sleep, but the effect is renewed shortly after breaking, as long as the target is not attacked again.
Soft Controls
"Fear": This is a strange one. Some powers say they cause the enemy to run in fear; this means that the enemy will literally move away from the source of the fear. They can still fight back (seemingly randomly) within range of the fear and will use ranged attacks once out of range. Not to be confused with the above fear/terror. This does not affect players (nor Arch-Villains, I believe)
Knockback: This sends enemies flying away. They then get up and renew attacks instantly. Depending on the level of the target, this may become knockdown.
Knockdown: The target falls flat on their back. It is much like a knockback but with no distance.
Knockup: Much like a knockdown, but the target first flies up in the air.
Slow: These powers slow an enemy's movement speed.
There are a variety of power called 'de-buffs;' while these also reduce incoming damage etc, they are not to be confused with controls. These include things such as powers that slow an enemy's recharge, damage, accuracy, etc.
How does the game decide whether my control works?
The effect of control powers is determined by several factors:
The defence of the target vs the accuracy/to-hit chance of the attack. These two operate just like any other attack, if you miss there is no effect.
Magnitude vs protection. Magnitude is how strong the control is, and protection is how good a target is at resisting it. Sometimes the magnitude can be worked on a different scale called the stength of the control. This system is binary and operates on basic arithmatic. Basically, the protection and the magnitude each have a value. If the magnitude exceeds the protection, the target is effected by the control. The magnitude from multiple controls affecting a target stack. For example, lets say a target has protection 3. If he is hit with a magnitude 2 hold, he will be completely unaffected. If he is hit by two magnitude 2 holds, he will be held. Note that specific powers protect against specific kinds of controls; some may be against holds but not immobilizes, for example. Also note that each type of control will only stack with itslef; using a magnitude 2 hold and a magnitude 2 immobilize will not hold nor immobilize through magnitude 3 protection. Note that the strange "Fear" in the soft controls section does not use a magnitude system, nor does slow. "Fear" usually works against everything, and slows each slow a target by a certain percentage of their speed (this can stack). The magnitude system is unaffected by level.
Resistance vs Duration. In the case of knock powers, duration is replaced by knockback distance. Duration is how long the power lasts. Resistance makes the power last for a shorter period of time. Depending on the target's level, the duration will be longer or shorter (a -5 minion will be held far longer than a +3 boss).
What are these 'Purple Triangles' people talk about?
Arch-Villians, Heroes and Elite Bosses downgraded from one of the former have a system of protection against control powers colloquially referred to as "Purple Triangles." Several small purple triangles (hence the name) flash around the AV's head every two seconds or so. If they point down, the AV can be held as normal. If they point up, the AV receives extremely powerful control protection. This is roughly magnitude 50 protection; it is essentially impossible for one person to hold an AV while this is active. However, several players can indeed hold an Arch-Villain with enough controls. From memory, the purple triangles are inactive roughly 30 seconds in between one minute segments of them being active.
How much magnitude/strength/duration/protection/resistance/etc does power x have?
For specific information on powers, check out the free online Prima Guide to City of *here.