Travel Power: How late in the build?


Adeon Hawkwood

 

Posted

I'm finding myself "not being able" to take a travel power until very late in the build...around the 40's.

What's the latest you ever picked up a travel power?


 

Posted

Never.

You don't necessarily need to take a travel power. Especially with all the alternative options these days.


There are no words for what this community, and the friends I have made here mean to me. Please know that I care for all of you, yes, even you. If you Twitter, I'm MrThan. If you're Unleashed, I'm dumps. I'll try and get registered on the Titan Forums as well. Peace, and thanks for the best nine years anyone could ever ask for.

 

Posted

This is the era of i17 - you really can make do without a travel power at all, excepting a few specific circumstances. Between the availability of the temps (Raptors, Zero-Gs, and the like), teleports (purchasable, vet, and perk), and movement boosts (Fitness +/- Ninja Run and/or set bonuses), they really aren't required for much anything (aside from Mo runs and the Shadow Shard).

That said, I generally choose them at first point of availability while levelling up, and a bit later, maybe mid-20's, during the late-life respec.


 

Posted

As some others have said, it's entirely possible to go without travel powers entirely now. This is considerably easier to do if you have multiple options for getting around outside of travel powers, such as:

In-Game shortcuts: Ouroboros (25+), Market Teleporter (purchased from Market), Day Job Market Teleporter (Day Job power), Accelerated Day Joab Market Teleporter (Day Job power), Pocket D Teleporter (if you have it), Mission Teleporter (if you have it), SG base teleports (different flavors of these as well - Veteran Reward and Day Job versions - though this doesn't do you much good unless your SG base has telepads set up). Don't underestimate the convenience of the Market teleporters - they're easy to get, you have have up to 21 charges of them on a given character at once (20 of which will replenish at no cost to you if you simply log out at the right place - and you can use the power itself to do that quickly and easily if you expect to be offline for a few days) and they can be used from level 1.

Temporary/Extra travel options: Raptor Pack (Safeguard/Mayhem reward, purchasable at Shadow Shard/Grandville), Zero G Jump Pack (Safeguard/Mayhem reward), Goldbricker Pack (villain only), Ninja Run (if you have it)

And there's likely even more that I've overlooked in this off-the-cuff list.

So yeah, you can easily get by without a true travel power for a vast majority of the game, especially if you have several of the above. I have more than one character who has no travel power now and aside from a few impatient teammates who want you at the mission RITE NAO there's not much of a downside.

That said, places where you're likely to really want a true travel power include the Shadow Shard (Fly/Teleport especially) or PvP. Many people play through to fifty several times over without doing much with either one of those, however. Use your discretion.


With great power comes great RTFM -- Lady Sadako
Iscariot's Guide to the Tri-Form Warshade, version 2.1
I'm sorry that math > your paranoid delusions, but them's the breaks -- Nethergoat
P.E.R.C. Rep for Liberty server

 

Posted

i have a Scrapper who is currently level 40, and will probably be taking Fly at level 41. i have a Night Widow who never took any travel power besides Combat Jumping, Hurdle and eventually movement bonuses, although she now has Ninja Run as well.

Most of my alts do end up taking travel powers in the twenties, but it's not a necessity.


Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vitality View Post
I'm finding myself "not being able" to take a travel power until very late in the build...around the 40's.

What's the latest you ever picked up a travel power?
I'm just not that patient. I don't think I have gone later than level 18 without a travel power, other than a Kinetics Defender (who had Siphon Speed and then Inertial Reduction) or my current Shield/Elec tank, where I'm trying the Ninja Run+Hurdle/Combat Jumping+Hurdle route for as long as I can stand it.

Can you rely upon the temp powers and Ninja Run? Absolutely. It may be a bit slow, but it is certainly feasible. However, most of the travel powers and/or their pre-requisites have secondary benefits. Super Speed has Stealth and some battlefield strategic benefits, and Hasten is a huge benefit to many builds. Hover/Fly is a good escape power, is great for "Find X" missions and even has a way to handle knockback, or Air Superiority can add a wonderful attack. Combat Jumping adds defense and Immob protection, and Super Jump is fun to bounce off of rooftops. Recall Friend/Teleport has many strategic benefits.


LOCAL MAN! The most famous hero of all. There are more newspaper stories about me than anyone else. "Local Man wins Medal of Honor." "Local Man opens Animal Shelter." "Local Man Charged with..." (Um, forget about that one.)
Guide Links: Earth/Rad Guide, Illusion/Rad Guide, Electric Control

 

Posted

Most of mine grab their travel powers at 14. Relying on temp powers is just waaaaaayyyyyyy toooooooooooo slooooooowwwwww, and the various teleporters just don't recharge fast enough. Plus, the characters with any of the wings definitely have to be able to fly (or super jump in the case of one of my bat winged characters) without using Raptor Packs.

I do have a few that are not getting a travel power (my Spiders), and I also have a Mastermind, an AR corruptor, and an AR Blaster who aren't getting a travel power until 49. The only reason for that though is because there is nothing else by that time that they really need, and Super Jump only requires its initial slot, freeing up the 3 level 50 slots for something else.


 

Posted

Previously I would take it at level 14. Raptor Packs are ok but I find Fly in general annoying (most of my characters are SJ). Nowadays I use Ninja Run for the lower levels so I'm more comfortable without a travel power at low levels but I still tend to pick one up in the mid-20s.


 

Posted

My 50 Blastermind Spider justs buys a jet pack from Grandville when the previous one runs out. It's not quick, but it works, and it gets you there.

No travel power chosen, just bought. Too many fun blasty-minion-summoning powers to take.


www.paragonwiki.com is a great source of information for this game.

New or returning to the game? Want advice from experienced players who want to help YOU?
The Mentor Project: Part of the New Player Council.

 

Posted

I usually take travel powers right at Level 14, in direct contrast to apparently everyone else. Although I have a few characters who I plan to just use Ninja Run with, the rest either have a travel power or haven't hit 14 yet.


BackAlleyBrawler: I can't facepalm this post hard enough.
ShoNuff: If sophisticated = bro-mantically emo-tastic, then I'm going to keep to my Shonen loving simplicity dammit.

 

Posted

More "serious" build considerations notwithstanding, travel powers have always been one of, if not my MOST favorite part of playing this game.

I often just Super-Jump around aimlessly super-parkour-style, just for the fun of it.

Fly is just as fun, but would feel more "super" if it capped just a bit faster.

Super-speed is the least super-feeling travel power for me, I only have it on one of my characters.

And yes, of course I know that I can SJ or Fly with temp packs and don't *need* to use up a power selection taking them, but those don't make me feel as "super". I feel more like a commuter, using a contraption to get me around. I already commute in RL, don't need more of it in my gaming.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vitality View Post
I'm finding myself "not being able" to take a travel power until very late in the build...around the 40's.

What's the latest you ever picked up a travel power?
Originally, my standard was L14.
Then, after Mayhems/Safeguards came into the game bringing temp travel powers, my standard was L24 (for exemplaring to Bloody Bay).
Now, with the new SSK/Exemplaring rules, I suppose I could put them off until L30.

I've only once gone with the "no travel powers ever" build (SR scrapper...didn't need it.) and once ran a Kinetics Corruptor who used Siphon Speed and Inertial Reduction for travel...then respecced out of IR because CJ/SJ was better. <Insert Rant Here>


 

Posted

Travel powers used to be a big priority in my builds, the quality of life improvement was entirely worth it.

Now that I have Ninja run available though I push it back until there are no other powers that I particularly want available at that level.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vitality View Post
I'm finding myself "not being able" to take a travel power until very late in the build...around the 40's.

What's the latest you ever picked up a travel power?
I have a Natural Origin character that I never plan to get a travel power for.

I have to say that slotted up sprint, swift, and hurdle can get you moving pretty fast and jumping fairly high. Once you add in the GvE Jump Jet and Shadow Shard Raptor pack - not to mention the PD VIP tp, Mission TP, SG Tp'rs, TPs to SG bases, etc...heck, I don't even have Ninja Leap and that thing is supposedly kick butt.
Even before the vet-tp's, Day Job Tps, and Shadow Shard Raptor pack were introduced, that character was still able to beat some characters with travel powers to missions.

I have a character that has all the travel powers (easier when you get the Vet ability to get a travel power without the prerequisite power) on one build by level 23.

I used to tend to get a travel power at level 14.
Usually I always had one by level 24.

I have only made I think about 4 characters since I could get Travel powers at level 6 due to the vet reward. I think, maybe, one of them purchased a travel power at level 6.
One of them I forgot and picked combat jumping (I'm not one to respec much) so, as fate would have it, that character is now is over level 21 and relying on a Raptor pack for a travel (which seems to server well).
The other 3 don't have a travel power yet and are all relying on a Raptor Pack.

It isn't really that I don't plan on getting a travel power for most of my characters, but these days it doesn't seem as imperative as it did before.

Back in I1, I would have been planning every character to get a travel power by level 14 just for the ability to get around town. It wasn't just because the other options weren't available, the City used to be a lot more dangerous. Travel powers - not including TP Self which had the horrific "Red Ring of Death" - were the safe way to get around town.
Now, especially with SSK'ing, it is pretty easy just to Sprint where ever you need to go if it really came down to it.

People have been making the level 1 run from Atlas to Portal Corps in Peregrine Island for years at this point.

The main benefit of a travel power is getting to missions quickly. If you have a team mate with Recall Friend that has a travel power, you really never needed a travel power to get somewhere quickly.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by DumpleBerry View Post
Never.
Bingo.
I took a brute to 50 with no travel power except the temps from the mayhem missions. And, please note, this was BEFORE we had Ninja Run or a jetpack vendor in Grandville (or the Day Job jetpack).

P.S. I'm leveling a sonic/sonic defender currently and PLANNING not to take a travel power at all. In the Fitness pool, he took Hurdle to complement Ninja Run. He is currently level 30.


Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Justaris View Post
In-Game shortcuts: Ouroboros (25+), Market Teleporter (purchased from Market), Day Job Market Teleporter (Day Job power), Accelerated Day Joab Market Teleporter (Day Job power), Pocket D Teleporter (if you have it), Mission Teleporter (if you have it), SG base teleports (different flavors of these as well - Veteran Reward and Day Job versions - though this doesn't do you much good unless your SG base has telepads set up).
[...]
And there's likely even more that I've overlooked in this off-the-cuff list.
Midnighter's Club and Vanguard Portal jump to mind. Though I think all the MC doors are on the Green Line anyway so I don't know how helpful it is as a shortcut unless you just don;t want to run across Steel Canyon.


 

Posted

I hardly ever take a travel power anymore, unless it's part of my character's concept. I have the Martial Arts booster, so there's really no need to (if you've been on the fence about buying a super booster pack, I HIGHLY recommend you get this one - very worth the $10).

I get Stamina on every character, which means having to get either Swift or Hurdle (often both). I just slap a couple slots on those powers and drop a couple IO run speeds/jumps on them. Combine that with Ninja Run and perhaps a Sprint power and I've got plenty of mobility.

Then you add in the shortcuts mentioned already and Travel Powers become rather obsolete.


To this 4/4 beat, I'm in time with you. To this 4/4 beat, I would die for you. Your lovesick melody is going to get the best of me tonight, but you won't get to me 'cause I won't sing.

 

Posted

I took a Sonic/Sonic defender to 50 back in Issue 7 with nothing more than Hurdle and Combat Jumping. This was before Ouroboros, veteran base teleporters, or any form of temp. travel packs. Issue 8 (and the Safeguard jetpacks) hit live when Thomas was in his 40s, which made the rest of his career cushier, but they were unnecessary. In issue 13, I took my Bane to 50 with no travel power but Hurdle, supplemented by temp. travel packs and Ouroboros, and to this day has not respecced into one. The lack of a "proper" travel power never even annoyed me, really (including getting around Grandville while soloing every single contact in it); some of the arcs that involved running from one side of Nerva to the other over and over got old, but those are a nuisance even at the movespeed cap.

Today, in the wonderful world of Ouroboros, purchaseable Raptor Packs, Ninja Run, Wentworth teleporters, and supergroup base teleporters, proper travel powers are pretty optional. I typically fit one in somewhere in the upper 20s if I have a loose build, but at least 1/3 of my characters plan to take one at 49 or not at all.


Rule number six of an empathy defender is NEVER underestimate a blaster's ability to die. I don't care if he has CM, Fort, both RAs, bubbles (both FF and Sonic), and is fighting next to a Storm defender with hurricane on. If there is a way to die in that situation, the blaster will find it.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertoLyon View Post
More "serious" build considerations notwithstanding, travel powers have always been one of, if not my MOST favorite part of playing this game.

I often just Super-Jump around aimlessly super-parkour-style, just for the fun of it.
It's a great feeling when you've leapt for 200 yards and land just right on a roof, air con unit, ledge or wherever, and leap off again into the wide blue yonder.

And you always think 'That was perfect, did someone else see that?'


Blueside Union: Starblayde (Blaster), Pax Imperia (Tanker), Pax Britannia (Defender)
Redside Union: Natasha Redshade (Stalker)

 

Posted

"why in my day we had to run from one end of the hollows to the other with nothing but sprint and swift/hurdle.....up hill....in the snow....zzzzzZZZZzzzz....what!?!...git offa ma lawn....dam kids"

to be serious though, the way the game is today, travel powers really are something you no longer have to have at any level.

I have a few with no travel powers but most of my toons take something in the mid 20's.


Unit 609-1231 mk VII lvl 50 Stalker claws/EA
BlazingWing lvl 50 Blaster Fire/Fire/Fire

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by CoX_Starblaydia View Post
It's a great feeling when you've leapt for 200 yards and land just right on a roof, air con unit, ledge or wherever, and leap off again into the wide blue yonder.

And you always think 'That was perfect, did someone else see that?'
I always play "how close to the contact can i land"


Unit 609-1231 mk VII lvl 50 Stalker claws/EA
BlazingWing lvl 50 Blaster Fire/Fire/Fire

 

Posted

Since the Martial Arts booster came out I've taken travel powers out of a couple of builds already, and I'll probably cut them out of more as I cycle through my alts. As people say, with all the travel options it's just getting less and less pressing.

The only exception is Fly. If I have a character concept that fits with Fly then I'll be taking it at 14. I <3 Fly.


Arc#314490: Zombie Ninja Pirates!
Defiant @Grouchybeast
Death is part of my attack chain.

 

Posted

Most of my earlier characters got travel powers, because at the time there weren't many other options for travel. Lately though, I'm finding that I'd rather be taking more primary or secondary powers in my builds, and with all of the options available for traveling, I'm not very concerned with travel powers anymore. I may take them for thematic/character reasons, but if there isn't a travel power that fits the character, I'm perfectly content with Ninja Run/temp travel powers.


 

Posted

I am currently levelling up a tanker that will never have a travel power. Ninja run plus Hurdle plus Sprint slotted for jump gets around just fine, and if I need more vertical there's always the raptor pack.



<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison