Before you step into the zones, prepare.
Before I get into a description of the individual zones, I have to say this - go in prepared.
"But I'm not a PVPer, I don't want to pick up stealth, spend 10 mill on a Stealth IO, etc!" You don't have to. Yes, those who are more into PVP will try to stack the odds against you. They'll have the concealment pool, stealth IOs, tactics to try to break stealth, movement counters, the works.
Don't worry about it.
What does the good PVE'er do when they're about to face an Elite Boss or Archvillain/Hero? They prepare. Even without a team, they'll stock up on inspirations and whatever else they need to come out on top in the coming battle.
Think of PVPers as *really tough* Archvillains.
What can you do?
1. Enhancements. Accuracy is a big plus. I don't care if you can one-shot the entire Freedom Phalanx, you have to be able to hit first. If you feel like bumping up your enhancements, work on these.
Don't forget, if you have sets, the bonuses will disappear when exemplared down, as the zones will do. To copy the relevant section from Black_Specter's excellent guide:
Quote:
Issue 16 note: This isn't 100% true any more, due to purples and PVP recipes. PVP recipes, especially, are interesting, as not only do they give you bonuses in PVE (as any other set,) but a second, ADDITIONAL set of bonuses in PVP *only.* Some of the pieces (such as TP Resist) also only have any real effect in PVP, as PVE just doesn't have that sort of threat. It's a somewhat complex issue - my best recommendation is to go to the Paragon Wiki enhancement sets page and see what they do, and just be aware that these sets are out there. Heck, beat someone and you may well get a piece of one - which, if you don't use it, sells QUITE nicely on the market. |
A set bonus given by an IO is lost (deactivated) in 3 cases: 1) when the power is unavailable, 2) when you exemplar below the minimum level of the set itself (eg., if the set is available from 10-53 and you exemplar to level 9), or 3) when you exemplar more than 3 levels below the level of the set IOs you have (such as if you have two level 23 Miracle in Health and exemplar to level 19). It is important to note that this only applies to "set bonuses." The normal bonus given by the IO will remain in effect even if exemplared below the level of the IO (however the usual Exemplar Reduction Modifier applies to IOs as it does to all other enhancements, reducing the amount of bonus while exemplared down to equivalent levels of other toons at that level - see Appendix below). |
2. Inspirations. You will, I guarantee, hear "That's not fair" or "You cheated!" if you pop an inspiration. You know what? Unless you've agreed to a duel with "no inspirations," it's perfectly fair. You're not there to get killed, you're there to get something done and try to survive while doing it.
So, what is useful - or not?
Insight (Accuracy, yellow.) Not just to raise your chance to hit. Those little yellow Skittles have an added bonus - they boost your perception. Anyone running Hide, Stealth, just one form of stealth will generally have it overcome by a simple inspiration.
Sturdy (Damage resist, orange.) This is... iffy. Damage resistance is all well and good, but the TP Foe protection is gone now.
Lucks (Defense, Purple.) You're harder to hit. Duh.
Awakens (Self rez, "hospital green.") Don't bother. Throw them out. You run an Awaken in the middle of the zone, you're going to get killed again, period.
Rages (Damage, Red.) Extra damage - yet I still call them "extra." Nice if you have room, or if you're a low damage AT going after, say, a Firebase (covered in the zone descriptions.)
Catch a Breath (Endurance, Blue.) Yes. Especially in Bloody Bay, even more so if you're JUST barely able to get in. You don't have Stamina yet. If you have END problems in PVE, you don't want those same problems in PVP. While you won't get debt from a player defeat, it's embarrassing.
Breakfree (Mez protect, light purple.) This, post-I13... is pretty much a waste of space. It just doesn't reduce the duration of the mez long enough to be worth the spot in your enhancement tray - ESPECIALLY at lower levels.
Respite (Green, Health.) Need I say "Duh" again? Healing. Though chomping several in a row, you'll see less effect from them.
Comments from macskull, who's one of the people I'd consider a "go to" person when it comes to PVP.
Quote:
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Just gonna pick at this a bit in regards to specific types of inspirations. Also note that the inspiration loadout (remember, you can carry 20 at level 50) will vary depending on what you're fighting, what kinds of teammates you have, and the character you're playing. For example, if I'm on my Blaster, I'll probably bring along mostly reds and greens, and maybe a few oranges if I went with Cold Mastery. On my Stalker I'll probably bring a tray full of reds with maybe a few greens and blues. * Yellows are nice and can be used in a pinch to help see stealthed targets or hit targets with lots of defense, but in most cases ally buffs will cover those weaknesses (Clear Mind, O2 Boost, Enforced Morale, and Clarity all give perception, and Forge, Fortitude, and several other buffs grant tohit bonuses). While they're nice to have, they're not going to be at the top of the list. * Oranges are more useful for melee ATs or squishies who have defense-based epic/patron shields, as the free PvP base resistance plus slotted APP/PPP shield will generally get you very close to the DR cap on resistance. Oranges do still give teleport protection but given how TP Foe works now, it's not a big deal. I'd probably only bring along oranges if I were on a Tanker, Scrapper, or Brute, and even then I'd probably rather have reds. * Purples are kind of like oranges - they're useful for melee ATs. The DR cap on defense on a squishy is something around 20%, which isn't much when compared to the DR cap on tohit buffs and accuracy. They might be nice to save you from someone who's not well-slotted or buffed, but if you're relying on them to stay alive on a regular basis, you'll be disappointed. * Reds are probably the best to bring if you're playing on something with a self-heal or some teammate support. Why? In PvP 2.0, damage is king and it's not badly affected by DR until you start to stack a lot of it. For example, my Blaster might bring three columns of reds and two of greens. * Blues are nice if you have endurance issues or are fighting an endurance drainer like a Kin or Therm. * Break Frees are, unfortunately, worthless. They don't free you from mez effects and will only make a mez last a fraction of a second less, which usually doesn't make a difference. They might be worthwhile for knockback protection but generally that'll be covered through your own build. * Greens are important if you don't have a self-heal or don't have reliable support teammates. Unfortunately, using one to heal yourself will trigger travel suppression, so it's your call whether you think you can safely escape without a heal or if you'll need to use one and deal with the opponents catching up to you. |
What's surprising to me is that this isn't mentioned very often. If you don't want to be seen... be invisible. If you have an empowerment station in your SG base, Use it!
"But we need salvage for..." Look. Most bases pick "Tech" or "Arcane" for most of their stuff, right? What do you do with the other stuff? If you have a Tech base, use an Arcane empowerment station, and vice versa.
Why? Look at Paragonwiki's page on the empowerment stations. See those nice, juicy buffs... like, oh, Grant Invisibility, Increase Perception, Increase Run speed, Knockback protection, Fear protection.... and those just in the first tier empowerment station?
And you get those for some *salvage.* No power choice needed, no END usage, they can't be detoggled. Why would you not want to use these?
Go get buffed!
4. Know your character, and everyone else's.
You'd be surprised how many people don't really know what their character's capable of. Several have built in Perception, for instance. That Fire brute charging at you? If they don't have some form of Knockback protection - knock 'em down. Stalkers scaring you? Keep moving. Cut around corners. If you break line of sight, they waste an Assassin strike - they have to sit still. (Which, conveniently, makes them a nice, steady target for someone else who can see them... which brings us to the next section.)
5. A team.
No, not Face, Murdoch... am I dating myself there? Get a team. It's as true in PVP as it is in the wild - a predator will pick off a straggler before trying to take on a herd. Even a duo can help. Keep an eye on each other, keep close, alternate who's on stalker watch. Even if neither of you have PVPed, you can watch each others back.
Metagaming and other preparation
People are going to broadcast back and forth, teasing, talking smack and the like. If the "Trash talk" bothers you - turn off broadcast. I'd suggest against it in most cases, actually, as it gives you an idea of who's out there. Take a look, laugh at some of the stuff that comes over... oh, but don't say anything if you don't want to get noticed. Seriously - I find it amusing that someone will say "Any (other side) in here?" If I'm grabbing powers, hitting missions or whatnot, I'm NOT ANSWERING.
In addition... as you step in, do a /whoall. Just type /whoall into the chat box. It WON'T show people who are hidden (as in using /hide, not the stalker power,) or in missions. But it can give you an idea of how many folks are out there...
By the same token, use /hide. Just type it into the chat box. When you leave the zone, /unhide. If they don't know you're there, they won't be hunting you from the outset.
If you REALLY want to avoid PVP... don't go at the busiest times of day. The zones aren't always populated. Go in at odd times, and it may be a walk in the park for you.
In the Zone
Use /whoall and /hide as mentioned.
And ignore broadcast. People will say all sorts of things - remember, they are PEOPLE behind there. They get frustrated and angry, too. Or they taunt you, and can say some really - sometimes odd, sometimes foul things. They're trying to goad you... don't let them. Dont' answer. If it gets too bad, just minimize the chat window.
The biggest thing... keep moving. You can admire scenery all you want... as it goes past. If you want to stand still, remember - an assassin strike only takes three seconds. Running Personal Force Field? A few yellows gets a hit through. Don't stand still longer than you need to. Use your inspirations against NPCs and PCs.
Also, while moving, don't be *predictable.* Don't stand on a badge and figure where the next one is. Go to vidiotmaps, take a look, and run from badge to badge. Why? If you're obviously "hunting something," you can be ambushed at the next whatever it is.
For instance, when I'm in Bloody Bay getting meteor samples, I'll often start flying/jumping/running toward a meteor I've been at already - then when Iv'e gone up a ways, switch direction to where I really want to go. Or go up in a spiral and let them guess where I'm going. Don't give the other side free information - make it hard for them... and use those temp stealth powers.
Finally, if someone does corner you - fight. Have fun with it. You might lose - first few times in, you probably *will.* So what - you don't get debt from player caused deaths. Don't complain on broadcast (you're trying not to be noticed, remember?) Give them a local "GJ" or "ow" or something (No, "ow" doesnt' stand for anything. Ow is just "that hurt." You know... Ow.) Some people will talk to you, give you ideas, etc. Others will try to brag... ignore them. And don't rez right there - go to the hospital. Why leave yourself vulnerable? (Of course, if you're on a team with someone who can rez you, and everyone else is fine, go for it. Just be aware of your toggles.)[/quote]
Power and character changes in PVP
Yeah. This is the new section that's going to throw you, as a PVE player, off. It will throw you off BADLY. It's a somewhat complex mesh of suppression of powers, defense going into resists - just be prepared for some things not to work the way you're used to.
Quick link, if you want the patch notes o'doom - Issue 13 patch notes.
Travel powers
This is, to me, probably the least worrisome of the changes, with one exception. Travel powers suppress for a few seconds when you attack or are attacked. Honestly, I've never been bothered by them, with one exception:
Teleport.
All other travel powers slow down somewhat. Fly's still nice, as it takes a lot to bring a flier back down to earth. Teleport, however, gets shut down completely. If you're a Warshade, or a Peacebringer relying on dwarf, this will hurt you badly.
Even a non-teleporter can see what happens, if they have the Black Market/Wentworths teleporter, Mission teleporter or the like. Just watch when you attack, say, a Shivan - it will grey out and be unavailable for a few seconds. (The teleporter, not the shivan.) Now imagine having Teleport as your only travel power, and needing to get away JUST for a second...If you're a teleporter, invest in a jet pack so you have some sort of backup.
Why was this done? Well, take some heart, even powers-guy Castle isn't happy with that situation from his own account. Initially the plan was to have Teleport's range reduced, reducing its "speed" similar to other powers. The problem, though, was that the range just on teleport couldn't be reduced - reducing it reduced the range of every single power on that character. So, for now, it just gets shut down.
Related to this is TP Foe. Likely in response to complaints about TP Foe-ing into "death traps," or "TP Foe chains," the target of a TP Foe (on arrival) is untouchable for a short period of time, allowing them to get away from whatever the problem is (with suppression considered, above.)
Oh. Sturdies no longer protect against TP Foe.
Status Effects
I was going to label this "holds," but this affects everyone that stuns, disorients, etc. This, alone, has reduced the effectiveness of my Energy/Energy brute, who formerly got many, many comments about the nasty stuns she put out.
First, holds will take hold, no matter what. Have a nice tank with stacked Mag 20 mez protection? You don't have mez protection, you have mez resistance/ If the hold hits, you will be held. Controllers and Dominators have a base of 4 seconds on an otherwise unprotected target, others get two. This time can be increased by domination and slotting, and decreased by what WAS your mez protection.
This will catch your tank/stalker/brute/scrapper by surprise if you're not aware of it - so don't just bounce by those Ink men and Agony Mages any more. Pay attention.
That hold time does also mean holding can be difficult for a controller or dominator. I've heard dominators described, recently, as redside blasters in PVP. Don't ignore your secondary.
Support and decay
Here's one of the places you'll find yourself hit by the I13 changes. Buffs (self applied and external) are subject to what's known as Diminishing Returns. In essence, each similar sort of buff, when applied, gives less and less of an effect to the recipient. Heals are where it's probably most noticable without pulling up the numbers - if someone heals you for (say) 150 HP, the next application of the exact same heal (assuming it's slotted the same,) if applied too soon after, may only heal 120, then 90 and so forth.
On the plus side, everyone gets some base damage resistance, even if they normally wouldn't have it in PVE. In fact, those that don't typically HAVE their own source of resistance (such as blasters or corruptors) have the highest base resistance. This is meant to help even out the playing field overall. However, the caps that can be reached are different for each AT as well. And reaching those caps is another place you'll run into diminishing returns, as each buff grants less and less as it stacks.
(I want to say offensive debuffing toggles, such as lingering radiation, have a timer on them now, but I can't find the note. This obviously wouldn't apply to something like steamy mist or blazing aura.)
Really, if you want to get deep down into the numbers on this, I'd point you first to paragonwiki (and their PVP page,) then down into the PVP forums.
Super Sidekicking (Issue 16) and PVP zones
This is - well, another place to say "Be careful." With Issue 16, Super Sidekicking came in. It's a nice little feature that eliminates the whole "mentor shuffle." As a bonus, exemplared down players now have access to powers up to five levels above their exemplared level. So, you can run the Positron task force and still have Stamina, if you took it at 20!
Now think about that with a PVP zone. In Bloody Bay, you'll have people using level 30 powers. In Siren's Call, which used to top out at 30, you'll have people with a full primary, including tier 9 (controllers, you have your pets,) and nearly full secondary. Patron and Anciliary powers in Warburg. It's like the upper level got ratcheted up in all zones - which isn't so bad in the higher levels, but for a lowbie just coming into the zones (especially Bloody Bay,) it's quite the power gap.
Just be aware of it. And be more careful in BB if you're 15-20. Get a team.
Drops
One other change - welcome to some, not to others, but generally well received - is that players have a chance of providing "drops." You will get XP and Inf, could get an inspiration, and have a chance at a PVP recipe. Note these are not TAKEN from the defeated player - I could go in with absolutely nothing, get defeated, and have the winner get an inspiration and a PVP IO recipe from me. It makes no difference to the defeated player at all.
I know this sounds like a lot of "Be careful, danger danger!" And in a way it is. Things are MUCH different in PVP zones (and some of these can be changed in the arena, as well.) Be aware of them - but don't be scared off by them. If you want more in-depth "what can I expect," head down to the PVP section of the boards and ask the people that live and breathe them.
The zones
There are four PVP zones for four level ranges. Bloody Bay, Siren's Call, Warburg and Recluse's Victory. I'm not going into Arena PVP because it's a different animal entirely. We'll hit each of the zones and tell you what to expect.
In ALL the zones, though, there are some features:
- They all have exploration and time badges some people want. It's a means of attracting people to try it out.
- They all offer some sort of reward for being there.
- They all have a "mini game."
- They all have NPCs you can fight - or draw your enemies into.
- They all have a base for your faction.
- Most offer missions. (Recluse's Victory does not.)
About the base. Don't *ever* make the mistake of thinking it's a safe zone. It isn't. It's a FORTIFIED zone, yes - but as with any fortification, someone will find a way around it. It's not foolproof. Never assume you're completely safe.
I mentioned time badges. For spending a total of 5 hours (not, thank $deity, consecutive hours any more) in any PVP zone, you get a PVP time badge. Being in one of the missions in the zone does not count towards these - you have to be in the zone itself, and at risk. (Remember, the bases aren't safe, just fortified.)
Finally, if you outlevel the first two PVP zones, you'll no longer be offered missions there. You CAN, however, still go in. The zone will automatically exemplar you down to the highest level allowed - yes, you'll lose powers, but you'll be able to work off debt and earn INF and Prestige.
Note, if you skipped the last section - The level ranges are the ranges you will be exemplared down to in these zones. However, due to SSKing, assume anyone exemplared down has powers up to five levels higher. Expect to see Controller pets (level 32) in Siren's Call (Level range 20-30) for instance.
Now, the individual zones:
Bloody Bay
Level: 15-25
Minigame: Collect ore samples
Reward: A Shivan Shard (5 uses, summon Shivan Devestator elite boss. Re-obtainable.)
Mobs: Arachnos, Longbow, Freakshow, Shivans, Circle of Thorns, Banished Pantheon, sometimes Ghosts.
Other temp powers: Hyper Stealth for completing the patrol mission
Special notes: Only PVP zone you can freely buy inspirations in.
This and Warburg have the "goodie" powers most folks go after. The Shivan Shard is very useful. As a squishy, it's extra damage and distraction. It's nice having a pocket tank - and if you use it up, you can go get another one.
Before doing anything, talk to the Longbow or Arachnos liaison there. Get the Patrol mission. (I know, "I don't want to PVP." You've done PVE patrols where you click on callboxes, right? Same thing.) Why do I stress doing this? Stealth without taking a pool. 30 minutes, and it's able to be obtained up to three times. It'll make a difference, and you should be able to finish the mission in three minutes or less. Stealth is *big* here - very few people will have Tactics or other +Perception powers.
Hit the callboxes, see the operative - boom, you have stealth! It does use END like any other power. (It does also stack with Hide, by the way.) Why do you want this? Because you WANT the Shivan. Go ahead, you don't have to hide it, I know you do... even if you don't yet.
No, don't go out yet. This is the only zone you can freely purchase inspirations in. Some people complain about them - so what. Use them. Pick up some purples (for fending off Shivan attacks at the meteors,) maybe a Sturdy (TP Foe protection,) and you'll probably want some CABs and Respites if you do take damage. And never forget the Breakfree.
Now, look at your map (hit "M.") You'll see green dots scattered throughout it. Those are the locations of the meteors. Talk to the scientist/evil scientist. He'll give you another temp power (ooh, shiny.) That's your ore collector... no, don't go out yet.
Look out from your base. What do you see? (Other than perhaps the other side running around.) If you answered water, go get a cookie. For all people complain about Stalkers, especially in here, all that blue stuff is a *big* bonus against them. Why?
In a PVP zone, you must be aware of your surroundings. Including two things:
- The sound of a weapon being unsheathed (depending on the powerset) and
- the water rippling.
Yes, the water will *ripple* if someone's moving in it. Three travel powers - Superjump, Superspeed, and Teleport - will still give themselves away no matter how well they're hidden. If you play in first person or the default view... learn to zoom out a little. It'll save your neck.
I will give a little more detail on how to do the meteor mission further down. The reader's digest version is:
- Get a sample from each meteor
- Go defeat a firebase
- Use the ore processor inside to make a sample
- Return to the (evil) scientist for your reward.
If a PLAYER defeats you at any point that you have samples, they'll get your sample and you'll have to start over. If you die to a PVE mob, you won't. How will they know you have samples?
You'll glow green.
Aren't you glad I mentioned grabbing that hyper stealth power first....
Beating the Bloody Bay Minigame.
OK. You have your nice stealth power. Time to get yourself a Shivan. Yes, you can do this - even solo.
Head over to Vidiotmaps bloody bay map to take a look at the layout. The main island is in a (general) "U" shape, with forests in the east, city in the west. The hero base is to the north, the villain base in the southeast.
Scattered along the island are the two things you need to work with for this mission:
- Meteor fragments (shown as green dots) and
- Firebases (red and white rectangles.)
The first thing I do before going *anywhere* is scout the firebases. I look at the ones closest to my base - southwest for the hero base, northwest and west for the villain base.
Firebases have a bunker in the middle (with four popup antipersonnel guns) and four turrets that surround them. The turrets are what you want to pay attention to. There will be a mix of three types of turrets:
- Minion (Dual Artillery gun)
- Lieutenant (Quad Artillery Gun)
- Boss (Missile turret.)
*USUALLY* the ones nearest the base don't have Boss turrets, but that's not always the case. Look for one that's all minion, or minion and lieutenant, preferrably white and yellow - the faster you can do this, the better.
There are two key points to remember when dealing with firebases:
- The turrets don't regenerate, and
- The turrets respawn on a timer - but ONLY destroyed ones, and all at once. Damaged turrets are left as is.
Once you find a suitable base, start attacking. Take all the turrets down to a sliver of health - do NOT defeat any of them. Try not to use attacks that have a damage-over-time component to them when they get low on health. Once they're all low... go grab meteor fragments.
If you look at the map I linked to above and go to the right (forested) side, you'll see one meteor smack dab in the middle of a bunch of trees. Hello, Meteor Panch. Regardless of what you do after this, I suggest getting this one first. Why? It's the most enclosed, dangerous one to get. There are mobs around it (Banished Pantheon - some of which will pop up from the ground - and Circle of Thorns, typically.) Plus, there's a canopy above, so you can't just fly up and out of the way (or teleport, or SJ.) Enemy players can ambush you here, as well.
As I mentioned in the guide - pick up inspirations. Pop a pair of lucks as you get close - primarily to avoid NPC attacks, especially Shivans, as the "ore collection" is interruptable. Once you get this, get out of there.
For the rest of the meteors - I love having Fly, or at least Hover, and some sort of stealth. Coming at the meteors from ground level, you have to get *close,* and the Shivans will aggro on you as you get close. I've gotten "Out of Range" at 30 feet and less. If you can fly, though, you can come down, even unstealthed, and at 59 feet directly above the meteor you can collect the ore sample. The shivans sometimes wont' aggro *at all,* and if they do, it's usually too late to do anything about you having a sample.
Yes, remember, 59 feet, not yards.
The order you get the other meteors is purely up to you - I like to work my way from those farthest from my base to those closest. The Heroes have another potential trap to worry about - the Water Street meteor (Ek) is inside a scaffold-work, and it's somewhat easy to get hung up inside or have someone try to box you in.
At five meteors - find your firebase, and destroy one of the outer turrets. Since you want this to be quick, destroy a minion turret. Leave the others alone. Get your sixth meteor, and go back to the firebase... then wait.
Watch the turret you destroyed. Sometime within five minutes, it'll respawn. Destroy it again - you have five minutes from the time it respawns to destroy the other seven turrets (three outer, four machine gun on the bunker) and get into the bunker. When there, click the ore converter and book to your scientist. (Make sure it actually *converts* the ore - you'll go from a set of six samples to a single one.)
The bunker, as you see, is another great place to be ambushed - just two single-character-sized exits. Don't waste time. Convert and go. If you click on something that says "Firebase defenses inactive," go around the pillair in the middle and click on the ore converter instead.
When you meet the scientist, he'll take the sample and give you a Shivan Shard. You now have your own pet Elite Boss Jello-tank.
Siren's Call
Level: 20-30
Minigame: Control the Zone
Reward: Depending on control level, temp powers are available to purchase.
Mobs: Arachnos, Longbow, Warriors, Tsoo, Sky Raiders. (Vaguely recall grey Clockwork too.)
Other temp powers: Combat Invisibility
Zone notes: SOs at 20!
Hey, look at you! Level 20. Nice cape and new duds, too. Congrats. Guess what else you get?
You get another nice shiny... well, ok, not shiny, partially destroyed PVP zone to play in. Lucky you! Yes, from levels 20-25, you can get into two PVP zones and get XP for PVE kills and missions. Thing is... you probably *don't* want to spend a lot of time in Siren's right at 20, unless you're with a good team. Why?
You can get SOs for 6k of bounty. But you're still using DOs and TOs... and should assume everyone else is fully SO'd up. You're going to be at a bit of a disadvantage. Still, if you're up for the risk, go for it. Someone will be designated "Bounty" on the other side, and you'll see an amount for them. Kill them solo, get the full amount - yes, you need to get the "kill shot." Kill them as part of a team, you'll get the bounty split among the team.
So, you should solo, right?
Not on your life. At least not with most characters. You'll generally be safer, get more kills, and get bounty faster if you're teamed. Solo, with a few exceptions, you're going to be swarmed by someone else who *is* on a team. Typical solists will be Stalkers, some Brutes, Tanks, Scrappers, and honestly I've done decently with my Peacebringer here. Even they will fall to a team, though.
Also - ANYONE eligible gives bounty (eligible meaning you haven't fought them for a bit - just look in your PVP tab in your info box for who won't give you bounty and for how long. Yes, that tab actually does something.) Not just your "designated bounty."
Unlike bloody bay, you cannot buy inspirations here. You *CAN* earn medium size ones though - though you don't get breakfrees, you get willpower, an older inspiration that has to be used ahead of time.
Now, look at the nav bar. You'll see a divided red and blue line, and some note about "Zone control." If you control the zone (it HAS to say your faction, don't rely on the bar,) you can go to the merchant on your side and buy temp powers - temporary travel powers that last for 30 minutes from purchase (not of use,) web grenades, poison grenades, and if your side wins control twice in a row, other goodies (IR glasses for heroes, Arachnos mace for villains, as well as others.)
How do you get control?
Look at your map again. See the bright red "flash" there? That's the hotspot. There are four of them. At those hotspots, you'll see Arachnos and Longbow staring at each other... yes, they're a bit buggy at the moment. They'll stare at each other for what seems like ages (at least in the center hotspot,) then finally fight. When they do, whichever side wins moves the control a bit more to their side. Want to speed things up? Pick a fight. Go over and give a five knuckled "HI" to one of the guys on the other side, then run back, drawing them to your forces... yes, it's a risk. And yeah, players love picking on you as you're wounded... oh well... but if you get control, you get 100 bounty per battle you win (if you're at the battle.)
Honestly, though, most people seem to ignore it and hunt other players. Bounty and SOs are king here.
By the way, be sure to cash out before leaving the zone, logging, or entering a mission. You WILL lose your bounty you've collected otherwise. From my experience, this tends to be the zone you'll see the most battles in consistently.
Warburg
Level: 30-38
Minigame: Get the missile codes
Reward: Three types of nuke (one per type.)
Mobs: Longbow, Arachnos, Rogue Arachnos, Malta titans, Arachnoids
Other temp powers: Hyper Phase
Special notes: Trust no one. Missions available past level cap.
Warburg. Home of tier 9s. You have grown stronger...
But so has everyone else.
And if you're not teamed with them, you're a target. Even if they're on your "side." Warburg is a Free for All zone. Outside of a small radius near your entrance, you can be attacked by anyone you're not teamed with, even your own side. (The other side, obviously, doesn't get turned off.)
Two big plusses here:
- The nukes. Go, fight Arachnoids. Get three scientists, they'll give you their codes when you get to the bunker. Pick a type of nuke (Bio, Chemical Burn, Nuclear - they all have different effects, and AOE damage) and convert the codes, then turn up your graphics and launch the rocket. It helps vs AVs/Heroes. You can have one of each - a total of three nukes - at one time (though you have to get the codes for each and launch each, you don't get them all at once. And you can't mix and match - say, two bios and a nuke.)
- Hyper Phase. Why bother with the now-gutted (IMHO) pool power, when you can save a power choice and get this... which does the exact same thing? They both last for only 30 seconds. You have a total of two hours time using the temp power. That's 240 times... even WITH the pool power, I don't think I used it that much. It has the same four second activation, though.
Other than that, if you don't want to go to the arena, this is where you can fight others of your side using all the primary and secondary powers at your disposal.
Last but not least... the missions here continue all the way through level 50. You're exemped down to 38 in the zone (as my 39 brute remembered when I first wrote this...) but you'll fight at full level inside the missions.
Recluse's Victory
Level: 40-50
Minigame: Zone control!
Reward: Temporary mini-mech
Mobs: Lots and lots of Longbow and Arachnos.
Other temp powers: None
Special notes: Hi Ghost Widow! Can I get your autograph? No... dont' put that tentacle there, it's ok...
Epic powersets. Signature Characters. Heavies. All things that people think of with Recluse's Victory.
The spiel is this - it's an alternate dimension. There are six fortified dimensional anchors - neutral at first - that you have to defeat, then control, to control the timeline. The zone changes from Atlas Park to an Arachnos-ified Atlas Park (watch the statue of Atlas and the surrounding environment) if the villains gain control.
Once zone control is taken over, you get a bonus for villains killed, and temporal points. 1000 temporal points before the zone converts gives you a (one use) mini-Heavy.
What's a heavy? A big, walking pile of ouch. Arachnos blasters or Longbow heavies put out a lot of damage - there are three of each in the zone. Take control of one and go hunting. They're slow, but pack a wallop. The minis don't do as much damage, but are still rather interesting...
What's more interesting, though, is that once your side controls four pillboxes, the OTHER side gets reinforcements. *BIG* reinforcements. Namely, signature heroes or villains - States, Manti, Posi, Lord Recluse, GW, Mako (super-stalker with sharks,) and more. They take some serious pounding to take down.
There's no concealment power for doing a patrol - in fact, there are no missions in the zone at all, though there are exploration badges and badges for doing PVP related things (controlling heavies, pillboxes, etc.) Go in ready to fight.
Conclusion
Yes, that seems like a lot. But contrary to the picture painted by many, PVP zones aren't "filled" with people just waiting to kill you, talk trash, insult your parentage and the like. Yes, there are some jerks - but there are in any group. Remember, the worst they can do to you is remove a bunch of red pixels for a little bit. You CAN get through PVP zones... and even have fun there.
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You might do well to add some mention of diminishing returns (DR) to your guide - lots of new PvPers wonder either in broadcast or on the forums why their defense or resistance is much lower than it is in PvE, for example.|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
2. Inspirations. You will, I guarantee, hear "That's not fair" or "You cheated!" if you pop an inspiration. You know what? Unless you've agreed to a duel with "no inspirations," it's perfectly fair. You're not there to get killed, you're there to get something done and try to survive while doing it.
So, what is useful - or not? Insight (Accuracy, yellow.) Not just to raise your chance to hit. Those little yellow Skittles have an added bonus - they boost your perception. Anyone running Hide, Stealth, just one form of stealth will generally have it overcome by a simple inspiration. Sturdy (Damage resist, orange.) This is... iffy. Damage resistance is all well and good, but the TP Foe protection is gone now. Lucks (Defense, Purple.) You're harder to hit. Duh. Awakens (Self rez, "hospital green.") Don't bother. Throw them out. You run an Awaken in the middle of the zone, you're going to get killed again, period. Rages (Damage, Red.) Extra damage - yet I still call them "extra." Nice if you have room, or if you're a low damage AT going after, say, a Firebase (covered in the zone descriptions.) Catch a Breath (Endurance, Blue.) Yes. Especially in Bloody Bay, even more so if you're JUST barely able to get in. You don't have Stamina yet. If you have END problems in PVE, you don't want those same problems in PVP. While you won't get debt from a player defeat, it's embarrassing. Breakfree (Mez protect, light purple._ Have at *least* one of these to deal with stuns, holds, and the like if you're a squishy. I like at least two, even at 15. If you're not a squishy, stick a toe into the zone and make sure you still have your mez protection power. If you do, it's not such a big deal for you to have these. They can also help with Placates. Respite (Green, Health.) Need I say "Duh" again? That said, if you're a blaster, you may want to forego some of these for more Lucks or Sturdies and take advantage of Defiance. Up to you. |
Just gonna pick at this a bit in regards to specific types of inspirations. Also note that the inspiration loadout (remember, you can carry 20 at level 50) will vary depending on what you're fighting, what kinds of teammates you have, and the character you're playing. For example, if I'm on my Blaster, I'll probably bring along mostly reds and greens, and maybe a few oranges if I went with Cold Mastery. On my Stalker I'll probably bring a tray full of reds with maybe a few greens and blues.
* Yellows are nice and can be used in a pinch to help see stealthed targets or hit targets with lots of defense, but in most cases ally buffs will cover those weaknesses (Clear Mind, O2 Boost, Enforced Morale, and Clarity all give perception, and Forge, Fortitude, and several other buffs grant tohit bonuses). While they're nice to have, they're not going to be at the top of the list.
* Oranges are more useful for melee ATs or squishies who have defense-based epic/patron shields, as the free PvP base resistance plus slotted APP/PPP shield will generally get you very close to the DR cap on resistance. Oranges do still give teleport protection but given how TP Foe works now, it's not a big deal. I'd probably only bring along oranges if I were on a Tanker, Scrapper, or Brute, and even then I'd probably rather have reds.
* Purples are kind of like oranges - they're useful for melee ATs. The DR cap on defense on a squishy is something around 20%, which isn't much when compared to the DR cap on tohit buffs and accuracy. They might be nice to save you from someone who's not well-slotted or buffed, but if you're relying on them to stay alive on a regular basis, you'll be disappointed.
* Reds are probably the best to bring if you're playing on something with a self-heal or some teammate support. Why? In PvP 2.0, damage is king and it's not badly affected by DR until you start to stack a lot of it. For example, my Blaster might bring three columns of reds and two of greens.
* Blues are nice if you have endurance issues or are fighting an endurance drainer like a Kin or Therm.
* Break Frees are, unfortunately, worthless. They don't free you from mez effects and will only make a mez last a fraction of a second less, which usually doesn't make a difference. They might be worthwhile for knockback protection but generally that'll be covered through your own build.
* Greens are important if you don't have a self-heal or don't have reliable support teammates. Unfortunately, using one to heal yourself will trigger travel suppression, so it's your call whether you think you can safely escape without a heal or if you'll need to use one and deal with the opponents catching up to you.
@macskull, @Not Mac | XBL: macskull | Steam: macskull | Skype: macskull
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
"One day we all may see each other elsewhere. In Tyria, in Azeroth. We may pass each other and never know it. And that's sad. But if nothing else, we'll still have Rhode Island."
Thanks. I knew I forgot to mention (well, pull out) something, and that was the breakfree. DR, I just *vaguely* touched on, mostly in the comment from healing and buffing. I don't have a good way of describing it other than "They're less potent as you try to build them up." Edit: Though I did try to give a bit of an overview at this point.
I may just copy (and, of course, cite) your comments directly with those. It's a good explanation. Thanks.
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I'm sorry. I can't resist making a silly jab at something that makes me chuckle.|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
So without further ado, here's the PVEer's PVP survival guide, version 3. As always, those that live in the zones, if you see something that can be explained better or looks really mucked up, feel free to tell me and I'll change it. I want the zones alive, as well, after all - even with us "casual" folks. Round three - FIGHT! |
Maybe we should explain what "further ado" means...
--If we can have huge sig images, why can we have only five lines of text?
--...faceplanting like a Defender pulling an AV (Nalrok_AthZim)
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
...I have the patience of a coffee-fueled flea...
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Fly is garbage.|
Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
...Fly's still nice, as it takes a lot to bring a flier back down to earth.
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The rest of your post is good though
Hey I'm just gonna nitpick here, Mac, while I agree that Break frees in pvp are utterly worthless, it's a solution to a not nearly as common zone problem... Telekinesis. 2 Break frees still remove the repel effect temporarily.
Just sayin'... I mean I'd still not bring em for THAT, unless I was running a melee character.
Edit: Hey Bill, you need to mention one very important and critical thing as part of the system... Toggle dropping.
Although it's sorta implied with how toggles work in PvE, with the mez changes in PvP toggle dropping is a very crucial part of what happens to some powersets.
Like if some Willpower comes in and gets a quick sleep or hold on him, his RTTC drops every time... or how Radiation Emission can't prevent their toggle drops.
Former King of PWNZ
Franziska Von Karma says you will listen to every word I say.
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
The zones
Watch the turret you destroyed. Sometime within five minutes, it'll respawn. Destroy it again - you have five minutes from the time it respawns to destroy the other seven turrets (three outer, four machine gun on the bunker) and get into the bunker. When there, click the ore converter and book to your scientist. (Make sure it actually *converts* the ore - you'll go from a set of six samples to a single one.) The bunker, as you see, is another great place to be ambushed - just two single-character-sized exits. Don't waste time. Convert and go. If you click on something that says "Firebase defenses inactive," go around the pillair in the middle and click on the ore converter instead. When you meet the scientist, he'll take the sample and give you a Shivan Shard. You now have your own pet Elite Boss Jello-tank. |
I wanted to post this to say that getting the Shivan can take 10-15 minutes (MAX), and that's including all the time it takes to get the meteors. In actuality, one half of the time is spent getting the meteors. This is a speed Shivan run for soloers.
I've done both red and blue sides solo with archtypes of all ranges (including a Psi/FF controller pre-20 pets back in the day (meaning no Vet powers either, so just spectral wound and blind for damage mostly).
In simplest terms:
-Carry as many greens as you can...(meaning no self heal, ect. We all smart here so know your build, and decide how squishy you are for yourself). I'll elaboarte why further down.
- Fly is the best travel power to have (even with suppresion), so grab a temp fly powers if possible. SJ is fine if you are accurate in landing. SS is also fine if you are accomplished at avoind foes without notice (there are SHivans between some of the outer turrets, and we don't want to aggro them...ever.
Any fly power is best though, so make it easy and grab a temp one (or earn one..whatev works for you), to make this easiest on yourself.
My goal here is to make this easy, and fast, as possible.
-Always end your meteor gathering at the NE side of BB.
That base is usually less populated, and doesn't normally have a higher level spawn (sometimes it does, but it's been less regular then others in my experience)
So, just plot a simple half circle on the map that ends NE (5 mins tops runtime).
-Usually, an d I mean almost all the time actually, there won't be a an outer turret above yello at this base. If there is, and you don;t want the hasslle, then simply move to t the very next base to the left. It's close by, just a slight bit more annoying, visible, ect.
Anyway, even with an orange spawn the method I will propose will work just fine, and is still timely as well.
-Ok so there's two parts here.
Part 1:
Lower all the outer canon (4) down to one hit. Three are on cliff sides, so if you find yourself taking to much damage, then simply drop to a minion free area to rest up a bit.
Though, that shouldn't regularly be needed as it's always possible to hit a turret and hide around it's blindsides too. Make sure to alway attack an outer canon on the opposite/outer side away from the base as they have inner turrets (4) that can pop up.
Make sure each outer canon is down to one hit.
Part 2:
This is the slightly tricky part. None of the four outer canons can target/attack you when you are attacking any of the other 4 outer canons. You are out of their range.
However, as just mentioned, you are in range of the inner turrets on top of the base.
If you aggro them don't worry. Just do as I've instructed (stay on the outer side of the outer canon, and rest out of range if necessary). With some careful manuvering (which we all regularly use in PvE when avoiding harder targets, will get you thru this just fine.
-Now to lower all 4 inner turrets to one hist as well (Make sure none of the outer canons have been destroyed and they are all already down to one hit).
This is where greens may be needed.
Take every inner turret down to one hit. You can actually use the base to protect yourself, but you have to be inside (at dead center) not to be shot at from any inner turret or outer canon. They can actually shoot you through the base if you're not in the dead center.
You can also use the side of the base to avoid two inner turrtes, and all of the outer canons from tartgetting you. Just stand in the base doorway and attack the turrets nearest to it. You will only have those two turrets regularly targetting you.
If you have a decently durable too, or alot of greens (wink, wink), then simply land on the top of the base (because you did get that fly power I mentioned earlier didn't you?), and proceed to lower each inner turret down to one hit.
Once done then its funtime.
-As soon as the last inner turret is down to one hit, then FLY, because you got that travel fly power if you don't fly already right?
, to any of the outer canons (I usually pick the hardest/highest color) and destroy it. Proceed to destroy ALL the outer canons as fast as possible. Ranged attacks are very nice here if possible.*In actuality, you could destroy any canon/turret in any method you like (as long as they are all done fast (One minute tops maybe? Not sure as it's never taken me that long to destroy them all once they are lowered).
Regardless, just keep your cool. If you blow up one by accident, and are near completion of lowering them all down to one hit, then try to still get it done ASAP. Worst case, you have to wait for the reset to start over.
* If you accidentally destroy a canon or turret then exepct to wait about 2 minutes and start over. Unless you can destroy them all in about the same amount of time, each canon or turret that resets will be at full strength and you'll never clear them.
Move to the base and quickly dispatch all the inner turrets. Pop inside the base and grab your Shivan shard. You actually have a window here (about 2 minutes or so) where there will be no canons or turrets at the base at all.
*NOTE: If you accidentally destroyed any of the canons or turrets, still continue to low all the rest of the turrets as normal. To avoid this, when I get down to about 1/4 health on a target I start using much lower dmg options (moderate/minor powers), but it's really about knowing how much damage you can output. As you work down the first outer turret, see how much each hit is doing.
**If you have powerful enough attacks you can actually just destroy every canon/turret in succession before the reset as well.
IMPORTANT:
While this is the speediest way to take down the base in one shot, if you need to rest a bit at each outer turret then do so. Don't die. The time saved resting is also actually still less then waiting for a reset to clear too.
Finally, I posted this because in a PvP zone, so speed is imperative. As is just getting the job done, since this is more grind then gameplay to most.
I think lowering a bases defenses (even if it's only a few canons or whatever) is counter-productive in time usage.
I'm all about the one and done here
One trip to get all the meteors
Then, one trip around the base to lower all the canons and turrets.
And, one last trip to take out all the canons and turrets.
Great guide so far though Bill.
Hope my contribution is helpful.
I liked the guide alot ty for taking the time to write it up
@Deadboy
The PVEer's PVP zone survival guide 3.0
This guide got a good reception the first few times around. It's now Issue 16. I had considered a bit of a rewrite to 2.0 for issue 13, and never got around to it. Honestly, it's mostly due to the vast changes from Issue 13, various bits of math I don't want to think about, and just a lot of back and forth.
Issue 16 added a change in how sidekicking works that adds more consideration in PVP zones, as well - SK'd higher levels are going to be at more of an advantage in zones, IMHO. Teleport hasn't been changed since I13's suppression (and yes, it affects all forms of teleport - it got distracting seeing my base, Wentworth's, mission, etc. teleporters all wink out when I attacked something.) Still, it's time for an update. Much of the guide will be cut and pasted from 2.0, since a lot of it really doesn't NEED an update, but there is more to be aware of. So without further ado, here's the PVEer's PVP survival guide, version 3.
As always, those that live in the zones, if you see something that can be explained better or looks really mucked up, feel free to tell me and I'll change it. I want the zones alive, as well, after all - even with us "casual" folks. Round three - FIGHT!
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So, there you are. Level 15, and being sent to someone called a "Warzone liason." He tells you all about the existance of this thing called a "PVP zone." For whatever reason - you don't feel like PVPing, but decide to check it out. Can you do it?
Yep.
Contrary to popular belief, not everyone gets a team of stalkers (if you're a hero) or ice/energy blappers (if you're a villain) assigned to them as soon as they enter the zones. The zones can be fun, and they can give some useful boosts - they can also be chaotic, and quite a shock to the unprepared player.
This guide is here to help you get in and out - though who knows, you might decide to stick around and play. Yes, there are other PVP guides here, but this is really aimed more at the PVE oriented crowd who just want to get in and out. (And yes, you should try PVP anyway...)
Who the heck are you to tell me this?
Memphis Bill. Nice to meet you. Been here since I3, played every AT to some extent. Yes, I PVP. No, I'm not one of the hardcore PVPers, and I'm reasonably sure I lose more than I win - on the other hand, I have fun, and can avoid notice if so desired the majority of the time.
As far as PVP and my attitude toward it?
I started PVPing waaay back in the 90s, playing Netmech/DOS over a modem - first with one other person, then with a group in the Registry (raises a glass of 'schlager to the Black Sheep.) Yep. Predated Win95. I had a *blast* then - when you take out an "uber" gunboat 'mech with a little thing half its size loaded with machineguns, or take out a 100 ton Clan Omnimech with your 1 ton Elemental (ok, by making the player shoot their own legs out trying to get to you, or falling on them from a mile or two up... but I still won,) it's amusing.
Unfortunately, Diablo soured me on PVP - not least because it wasn't "true" PVP, but a collection of hacks allowing people to kill and loot you in town. Diablo II didn't improve matters, and I came to see PVP as something I flat out did not want in any game I played. I refused to see PVPers as anything more than a bunch of immature brats I didn't want to deal with, figuring the group I'd played with was the exception.
Then along came City of Heroes. I'll admit, the lack of PVP was a draw for me. As much as the lack of loot, not needing the Uber Armor of Uberness to be useful, the costume creator, the story arcs, and last but certainly not least, the community. The arena got introduced to yawns...
Then came City of Villains beta. And they wanted people to test out the PVP zones... And there I was, in lag city, battling it out, hunting one of my best friends, trying to make tactical decisions (find the defender that's healing everyone) without getting killed myself. I was interested. When it went live, I took my lvl 15 brute into Bloody bay, and had a great time... then had a horrible time due to one group of people. I nearly swore off PVP... but I recalled, I *had* been having a good time. I went back in and, to be honest? I've had *far* more good experiences with good people than bad experiences with jerks.
And that's part of why I'm writing this. I want to help you have a good experience in the PVP zones.
OK, ok, fine. So what's all this about PVP?
PVP. Player versus Player. The enemies you've fought in-game so far are PVE - Player versus Environment. They don't hold a grudge. They aren't all that skilled. You get used to their routines and figure out how to take them out, and you level.
People don't have that weakness, usually. They will see you, remember you killed them last week, and set out to even the score. They'll get angry. They'll get cocky. They'll laugh as they die, they'll chat to see what happened. They'll be a challenge.
There's something you must remember going into the zones, though. PVP is not "Fair." Five villains kill you and ignore the tank? Of course they do! You've got fewer defenses, and buff that tank! Take it as a lesson, or a compliment... you're a bigger threat than that walking bag of hit points.
"Fair" exists (to the extent it can) in the arena. In the PVP zones, it's "Do what you have to to survive." Sound cutthroat? Perhaps it is - but it's not that bad, at the same time.