Need an arch that I'll stick with
By
Ad Astra,
Posted on: 2009-07-23 20:45 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
I think generally speaking, every combination is enjoyable all the way from Lv1 to Lv50... but different combinations match different people... so if you start out by figuring what it is you like to do in the game, it'd be easier to recommend an AT/power-set combination?
Some questions to guide you:
- Are you a team-player, or do you like to mostly solo?
- How do you like to deal with enemies? Defeat them with brute, raw force, or survive through cunning and strategy?
- Are you interested in facing the enemies as a one-man-wrecking crew, or are you interested in having pets/minions?
- Do you like melee... or ranged combat?
- Do you like buffing yourself (and your teammates) or weakening your enemies to reach victory?
I believe that a Kheldian Gold Standard should be based on SO's, and for anything above that... there's Platinum!
Save Ms. Liberty (#5349) � Augmenting Peacebringers � The Umbra Illuminati
Save Ms. Liberty (#5349) � Augmenting Peacebringers � The Umbra Illuminati
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Ok, so I've been playing CoH since day one, however with an almost 4 year gap since I last played.
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This always strikes me as weird - to come in and say you've been playing since day one yet you haven't played for the past 4 years.
Seriously, if you look at the meaning of the first phrase (playing since day one) - wouldn't that mean you did not take a "four year break"?
Not to pick on OP, but it seems weird every time I see someone back after an extended break who makes a statement like "been playing since Beta (or whatever)" when what they are reallly saying is that they are back and have not been playing since Beta.
Now to this OP - we really can't help you much without knowing a bit more about your playstyle and why you stopped playing some of those characters you couldn't get past 20.
Of course, since I have been playing pretty much every week for the past 4 1/2 years and only have 1 level 50 and 60 other characters between level 6 and 47, I may be biased in saying, keep making alts until you find the one you love.
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."
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This always strikes me as weird - to come in and say you've been playing since day one yet you haven't played for the past 4 years.
Seriously, if you look at the meaning of the first phrase (playing since day one) - wouldn't that mean you did not take a "four year break"?
Not to pick on OP, but it seems weird every time I see someone back after an extended break who makes a statement like "been playing since Beta (or whatever)" when what they are reallly saying is that they are back and have not been playing since Beta.
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I don't find it wierd at all. Maybe worded incorrectly, but definitely not wierd. What was meant was, I bought CoH the day it came out, played it quite often for a year or two. Then stopped playing when I graduated, got married, moved, and started a family. Hence the 4 year absence. Now recently, I picked it back up, although since I do have other things going on in my life, I don't play as often as I want, and now that my time IS limited, I'm having a hard time picking a powerset and staying with it.
I'd suggest a Dark/Dark Defender - one of my earlier characters. The playstyle changes a bit throughout your early career, giving you a few milestones to look forwards to.
You start off with OK single target damage and a very nice combat heal, which will get you through the early levels either solo or on a team. You can get some extra mitigation from the slow in Tar Patch as well as this power providing extra damage output through the Resistance debuff.
Level 12 - Fearsome Stare can make you stand in for a Controller quite easily on teams
From Level 16 to 23 you start to grow decent AoE damage, and have the ability to survive solo aggro-ing enough enemies to make this worthwhile. You should also pick up Stamina to be able to sustain decent AoE damage output.
This character scales rather nicely between teams and solo, and can fill in a few different roles such as Controller, damage dealer, even Tanker on a team, depending on who else is present.
It also changes playstyle a bit as you acquire key powers, which should stop you getting bored.
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I've NEVER gone higher than level 20 with any of my toons.
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The teens are an awkward period. You're growing in so many ways, you're learning so many new things...
Err. Sorry, that wandered off on me.
Around level 20 to 24 [not "level 20 or die" as many people tend to put it] you get Stamina. That makes a LARGE difference in playstyle. In the teens you tend to get one or more good high-endurance powers that you can't afford until 20 or 22.
At level 22 you get SO's. This, in many cases, makes a LARGE difference in playstyle. And the game changes a few times along the way.
So you might be getting stuck just before the point that many people think the game "Gets fun".
The other thing about your original post, buzzkiller, is that you don't say what you like doing.
I like Force Field defenders. I'm about .01% of the population, I think [maybe there are ten of us in the whole game] but it's just something that works for me. It's not something that's going to work for you, chances are.
Basically the conversation is going like this:
"What will I like?"
"What do you like?"
"That's what I asked you!"
Here's some of what I like and why you might hate it.
I like my Fire/Elec blaster for the ability to go KABOOM, often and in public. Fire Breath/Fireball, with build up and aim as needed, I can wipe out hordes of minions 3 times a minute and I have been able to do that from level eight on. You may hate it because there's nothing but offense. Specifically there's no plan B if "burn them all down, right now" doesn't work.
I like my Force Field/* characters for making Blasters into tanks. It's amazing how much damage your team can do in a hurry when they lead with three Blaster-level AOEs. You may hate it because 85% of your benefit to the team comes from spending 45 seconds bubbling the team, then standing around for 3 minutes. I play 'em to relax, honestly, and to give people bad habits.
I like my Elec/Inv brute for Lightning Rod. You might hate it because level 10-19 was kind of miserable, and even until level 33 Elec was underperforming. But Lightning Rod is so good. Sooooo gooood.
I like my Rad/Sonic because it does so much so well. Plenty of protection, ridiculous damage multipliers (Yeah, the whole TEAM does 50% more damage, at least, with me around), bonuses to hit, AV killing potential, etc, etc. You might hate it because... umm. I dunno. When you're soloing at high levels and a stun lands, sometimes you die? That's about all I got.
I have more characters I love, but I always run way too long anyway.
Worst case, find something you kinda like and decide "I have to play this for at least 15 minutes every time I log on."
Mini-guides: Force Field Defenders, Blasters, Market Self-Defense, Frankenslotting.
So you think you're a hero, huh.
@Boltcutter in game.
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This always strikes me as weird - to come in and say you've been playing since day one yet you haven't played for the past 4 years.
Seriously, if you look at the meaning of the first phrase (playing since day one) - wouldn't that mean you did not take a "four year break"?
Not to pick on OP, but it seems weird every time I see someone back after an extended break who makes a statement like "been playing since Beta (or whatever)" when what they are reallly saying is that they are back and have not been playing since Beta.
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I don't find it wierd at all. Maybe worded incorrectly, but definitely not wierd. What was meant was, I bought CoH the day it came out, played it quite often for a year or two. Then stopped playing when I graduated, got married, moved, and started a family. Hence the 4 year absence. Now recently, I picked it back up, although since I do have other things going on in my life, I don't play as often as I want, and now that my time IS limited, I'm having a hard time picking a powerset and staying with it.
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I don't think you need to justify your absence, I believe what they find weird is that people use phrases like "I've been playing since beta, but took X time off" to somehow give the readers the impression they are somehow a "vet" or longtime player or diehard etc. And I think a lot of times people use that to somehow lend credibility or insulate themselves from a certain level of criticism. While it may make them a bit of a pioneer, it doesn't make them a veteran player.
(And I'm not saying that is what the OP is saying, but you do see that phrase (or similar) thrown around alot in areas where people are trying to come off as fully knowledgable, totally loyal to the game, etc)
@Mental Maden @Maden Mental
"....you are now tackle free for life."-ShoNuff
I played for about 2 years and never had a level 40 (before 50 was available) heck breaking 30 was a cause for celebration. After a break I came back and decided I was going to get a level 50 so I could unlock the Epic Archetypes.
Basically I just decided that I would play a specific toon everytime I logged on for at least 1 mission then allow my altitis to kick in if I wasn't having fun. I found I played that toon more and more as time went on until it was almost my exclusive choice. 50 suddenly happened and thereafter 50 happened a lot more often. I don't farm, PL or do anything other than run normal story arcs and I have 5 hero lvl 50's and 5 villain lvl 50's and a boat load of alts in their 20-30's in about a years worth of playing (generally about an hour a night maybe a bit more on the weekends).
So my suggestion is pick an AT thats easy to play (like AR/EM blaster) and commit to playing it. Don't torture yourself, if you're not having fun switch to an alt, but at least play 1 mission everytime you log on with your "main" toon. Before you know it you'll have a lvl 50!
It took me almost 5 years to get 2 level 50s. Since then I have 2 more 50s. I found the teens and the mid 40s are the rough spots. Teens because your hero (or villain) hasn't yet come into their own (SOs, full attack chains/defenses), and 40s because you have most of the powers you want, and the desire to grind out the xp wanes a bit.
My advice:
- resist the impulse to reroll. Alts are great, but I was always caught up in the 'next best thing' for a few years.
- Team, team, team. Teams get better xp than solo for most players/builds, and you'll quicker and with more fun, especially if you get a regular group. However, I've had fun with PUGs, too, especially when you get some fun chat going 
- Make sure you have a costume you love. Eye candy is important. I've left solidly-build toons to flounder because I could never get a look to 'click'. But when I did, I was attracted to playing them again.
- Make sure to do Task Forces. They are often good for several levels of xp, and will let you also earn some great badges/accolades.
- Avoid AE farms. This may sound odd, since AE will rocket you up levels on a good farm team, but if you've never earned a 50 the regular way, you'll miss out. Having a first 50 which you put some effort and time into IMO is more satisfactory. Especially when you look at your badge list AE does have some fantastic story-missions, though, and I would recommend those (like the Fusionette Task Force).
53 Bots/FF/Mace Mastermind | 53 NRG/FF/Electricity Defender | 50 Time/Dual Pistols/Soul Defender | 50 Demons/FF/Mace Mastermind | 51 Necro/Dark/Soul Mastermind | 50 Thugs/Time/Mace Mastermind | 50 Ice/Ice/Arctic Tanker | 50 Plant/Rad/Earth Controller | 50 Illusion/Trick Arrow Controller | 50 Gravity/Force Field Controller
Yes, I like Force Fields.
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- Avoid AE farms. This may sound odd, since AE will rocket you up levels on a good farm team, but if you've never earned a 50 the regular way, you'll miss out. Having a first 50 which you put some effort and time into IMO is more satisfactory. Especially when you look at your badge list AE does have some fantastic story-missions, though, and I would recommend those (like the Fusionette Task Force).
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... also, given AE farms are typically one of 3-4 different opponents being all you ever see 1-50, you really miss out on learning what 98% of the rest of the game can do to you... I definitely ran into a pug rikti group one day where the blaster (36) said, "I can't do anything! WHAT?! Why can't I do anything? What does "held" mean?!?!"
Heheh.
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- Avoid AE farms. This may sound odd, since AE will rocket you up levels on a good farm team, but if you've never earned a 50 the regular way, you'll miss out. Having a first 50 which you put some effort and time into IMO is more satisfactory. Especially when you look at your badge list AE does have some fantastic story-missions, though, and I would recommend those (like the Fusionette Task Force).
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... also, given AE farms are typically one of 3-4 different opponents being all you ever see 1-50, you really miss out on learning what 98% of the rest of the game can do to you... I definitely ran into a pug rikti group one day where the blaster (36) said, "I can't do anything! WHAT?! Why can't I do anything? What does "held" mean?!?!"
Heheh.
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/facepalm 
53 Bots/FF/Mace Mastermind | 53 NRG/FF/Electricity Defender | 50 Time/Dual Pistols/Soul Defender | 50 Demons/FF/Mace Mastermind | 51 Necro/Dark/Soul Mastermind | 50 Thugs/Time/Mace Mastermind | 50 Ice/Ice/Arctic Tanker | 50 Plant/Rad/Earth Controller | 50 Illusion/Trick Arrow Controller | 50 Gravity/Force Field Controller
Yes, I like Force Fields.
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This always strikes me as weird - to come in and say you've been playing since day one yet you haven't played for the past 4 years.
Seriously, if you look at the meaning of the first phrase (playing since day one) - wouldn't that mean you did not take a "four year break"?
Not to pick on OP, but it seems weird every time I see someone back after an extended break who makes a statement like "been playing since Beta (or whatever)" when what they are reallly saying is that they are back and have not been playing since Beta.
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I don't find it wierd at all. Maybe worded incorrectly, but definitely not wierd. What was meant was, I bought CoH the day it came out, played it quite often for a year or two. Then stopped playing when I graduated, got married, moved, and started a family. Hence the 4 year absence. Now recently, I picked it back up, although since I do have other things going on in my life, I don't play as often as I want, and now that my time IS limited, I'm having a hard time picking a powerset and staying with it.
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I don't think you need to justify your absence, I believe what they find weird is that people use phrases like "I've been playing since beta, but took X time off" to somehow give the readers the impression they are somehow a "vet" or longtime player or diehard etc. And I think a lot of times people use that to somehow lend credibility or insulate themselves from a certain level of criticism. While it may make them a bit of a pioneer, it doesn't make them a veteran player.
(And I'm not saying that is what the OP is saying, but you do see that phrase (or similar) thrown around alot in areas where people are trying to come off as fully knowledgable, totally loyal to the game, etc)
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Yep - you correctly interpreted what I was trying to say.
Nothing wrong with taking a break. Probably lots of very good reasons to do so.
But "playing since day one" implies continuous play throughout to me, not "back from a break, I was here at the beginning".
Anyway, OP, welcome back!
We would be better able to give advice if you could give us a bit more info, though. Like, what was the most fun when you were playing those under level 20 characters? What was the least fun?
Altoholic - but a Blaster at Heart!
Originally Posted by SpyralPegacyon
"You gave us a world where we could fly. I can't thank you enough for that."
i think the OPs problem would be quickly fixed with some mid-high lvl20s playtime on some of his present toons. as was stated, once you get out of the teens and graduate to stamina, SOs, more complete build, etc... you wont take long to get hooked.
pick the build you have the most fun with then take a few minutes and do some reading on whats in store for your toon when he gets that lvl28 or lvl32 staple power...or even better, see if you can team for a bit with a slightly higher level player who has a similar build and can show you how good things will be
man was it tedious for my ill/rad in the low levels trying to kill with 1 attack and PA.....when i saw a ill/rad wreck shop with phantasm and some higher level /rad goodness i was, "oh man....i want some of that!!"
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What does "held" mean?!?!"
Heheh.
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Right. By not playing the AE, at least you learn what foe types to whine about and refuse to ever fight again.
However, to be fair, the AE .... *can* ....though often does not .... offer foes that are MUCH harder than what you encounter in normal missions.
Lewis
Random AT Generation!
"I remember... the Alamo." -- Pee-wee Herman
"Oh don't worry. I always leave things to the last moment." -- The Doctor
"Telescopes are time machines." -- Carl Sagan
Man, I know that a lot of people with disagree with this but I'd like to suggest Masterminds. They're an incredibly powerful AT (solo especially) and you have a lot to loon forward to the whole way to 50. I'd advise against Ninjas and Mercs to start off, though.
Go with Necro, Bots, or Thugs for Mastermind primaries. Each are quite powerful (Necro is my favorite). As for secondaries, I'd suggest Traps, Dark, or Storm. Storm has a bit of a learning curve, but it's VERY powerful. A Necro/Dark has massive controls, which I find loads of fun. Traps is just a very good overall set.
Maybe MM's aren't for you, but I had the same problem as you until I made my Bots/FF the day CoV came out. He's still my favorite character to this day.
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The teens are an awkward period. You're growing in so many ways, you're learning so many new things...
Err. Sorry, that wandered off on me.
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lol...Sounds like you are/will be a very understanding parent.
"Hi, my name is Ail. I make people sick."
A partial selection from my 50's on Freedom: Ail = Ice/Traps, Luck = Street Justice/Super Reflexes Stalker, Mist = Bane, Pixy = Trick Arrow/Archery, Pure = Gravity/Energy, Smoke = Fire/Fire Dominator
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I'd advise against Ninjas and Mercs to start off, though.
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Never did like Ninjas, but what is wrong with Mercs? My Mercs/Traps is my only 50 villain (not surprising since I rarely play any villains) and it took a while to get to 50 due to my rare villain sprees, but it was enjoyable every step of the way.
Tried Ninjas, Thugs and Mercs and liked Mercs the best of those. Necro seems kinda slow to me and Bots just seems cliche. I understand it may just be a personal preference, but the first MM I ever tried was Mercs and I never had a problem with them at all.
Mercs aren't bad (truthfully, most Masterminds aren't bad). It's just that both Thugs and Bots can do things similar to Mercs, but they do it better. If you like an all-ranged primary, Mercs or Bots is for you. Thugs is mostly ranged with the tier-3 being melée, which can get tedious actually.
I brought a Mercs/Pain Dom into the 30's and had to stop because I didn't enjoy him like the others. It's all personal preference, though.
Ok, so I've been playing CoH since day one, however with an almost 4 year gap since I last played. My biggest problem is deciding on an arch and actually sticking with it. I've NEVER gone higher than level 20 with any of my toons. I don't know if it's because there are so many options/power combinations that I want to try them all, or if it's because I just like designing heros and really put alot of work into them.
Can anyone suggest a powerset, that is fun to play, that I'll hopefully end up getting to 50. It's doesn't have to be the UBERIKILLZALLZ build either. Just something enjoyable from level 1-50.
Thanks.