Most efficient difficult setting for stalkers?
Trying to figure this out also with my 27 elec/nin stalker.
A couple of settings prior to 22 you should set are:
Allow bosses (extra xp and drops without too much trouble for a stalker)
And +1 level. This one is a bit trickier because you need more ACC in your attacks which may mean less damage.
Being single target I think +1/1/bosses is a good start after you get Assassins strike and build up. Once you get SOs at 22 you might go as high as +2/0/bosses. Probably stealth/kill boss more missions instead of defeat alls.
At 27 (no IO bonuses yet) I now have enough powers to have a nice attack chain so I turned off the +1 level and switched to 2 teammates because of my AOE powers. Currently the stuff at 0/2/bosses is still a bit easy so I am thinking of going to 0/3/bosses. Once I get LR at 32 I think 0/4 will be doable. Anything beyond that requires some serious IOing I would think. Stuff to get close to soft capped def and +30% recharge would be good.
Using this page: http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Talk:Experience and this http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Experience
Lets see what a +1/1 setting gives xp wise at level 30:
3 minions * 210xp * 1.35(for +1) = 850
vs
0/2 at level 30
5 minions *210xp = 1050
So if you have enough AOEs so that you can kill 5 mobs in the same time it takes to kill 3 0/2 is better than +1/1. Also note that bosses at 30 are about 2100 xp and thus if you can handle the damage and have enough AOEs 1 boss in each spawn would be awesome, which I think is sometimes possible at 0/4/bosses. I run my 50 bots/traps, 50 warshade, 50 crab, and 49 fort at 0/4/bosses. Its fun but a bit crazy at times.
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My feeling has always been, with stalkers, "first and last month is free"- you don't count the first and last guy in the spawn because you're AS'ing them. Which makes "bump level but not number" the way to go.
But I'm not a Stalker expert, so take that with a pound of salt.
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Quote:
I would agree with this approach... |
Originally Posted by Fulmens
My feeling has always been, with stalkers, "first and last month is free"- you don't count the first and last guy in the spawn because you're AS'ing them. Which makes "bump level but not number" the way to go.
But I'm not a Stalker expert, so take that with a pound of salt. |
Pre SO-scale enhancements, I typically run 0/0 difficulty. I set No Bosses
until L12 when I take Placate.
At L22+ I start running at +1/0, and once core powers are nicely frankenslotted
(L25-L27 or so), I switch to +2/0...
These are pretty conservative (and fairly safe) settings for the solo
stalker.
If you don't mind the occasional death and/or you enjoy chewing candy
a lot, you can set the difficulty higher if you like.
For slotting attacks, I set 60/90 (Acc/Dam) as minimums (which are easily
achieved). That gives me 95% chance to hit most PvE targets unless they
are purple con and/or have resist/+def bonuses against your primary.
Apart from Elec/* stalkers, you don't get much AoE capability, so I personally,
never raise the teammate/spawn difficulty number on my stalkers... YMMV
Regards,
4
I've been rich, and I've been poor. Rich is definitely better.
Light is faster than sound - that's why some people look smart until they speak.
For every seller who leaves the market dirty stinkin' rich,
there's a buyer who leaves the market dirty stinkin' IOed. - Obitus.
I normally run +2 on my DM/Nin stalker, but lately, once I hit 40, I have had to lower it to +0 or +1 because of all the Balista's I am running into =(
Your character does not have capped defense. Depending on your AT the cap is between 175% - 225%. Your defense is not teal in the combat window, it can go higher. STOP SAYING IT IS CAPPED! The correct term is Soft Cap.
I enjoy playing in Mids. I specialize in Melee Characters, other AT's usually bore me.
Quote:
You're gimping your exp if you turn off bosses. Low-level bosses are total pushovers worth enormous experience. Why do you think so many AE exploits are set to level 1 missions?|
Originally Posted by FourSpeed
I would agree with this approach...
Pre SO-scale enhancements, I typically run 0/0 difficulty. I set No Bosses until L12 when I take Placate. At L22+ I start running at +1/0, and once core powers are nicely frankenslotted (L25-L27 or so), I switch to +2/0... |
Trust me, bosses on from 1 until between 12 and 15. then off if you start to have trouble with them. They have only 25% more HP than lieuts, but 300% the exp. To me, this is a huge plus.
also, per the math, at all levels, a +2 boss is the best "experience per point of damage dealt". Not the best over time, or any other measure, but for stalkers, this measure may be more relevant. Since we pick and choose our kills. =)
"Hmm, I guess I'm not as omniscient as I thought" -Gavin Runeblade.
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Quote:
Some interesting points. |
Originally Posted by GavinRuneblade
You're gimping your exp if you turn off bosses. Low-level bosses are total pushovers worth enormous experience. Why do you think so many AE exploits are set to level 1 missions?
Trust me, bosses on from 1 until between 12 and 15. then off if you start to have trouble with them. They have only 25% more HP than lieuts, but 300% the exp. To me, this is a huge plus. also, per the math, at all levels, a +2 boss is the best "experience per point of damage dealt". Not the best over time, or any other measure, but for stalkers, this measure may be more relevant. Since we pick and choose our kills. =) |
I don't AE much, so I have no idea at all what fotm stuff is run there, but I
will try out the early bosses on the next Stalker I make. I always waited
until L12 (for Placate), but your point makes enough sense to try it.
Of course, getting to L12 is typically just 1 or 2 gaming sessions, so it's not
a big deal either way (imho).
I do run at +2 once frankenslotted - why wait till then? In certain missions,
with certain factions, you can occassionally get Purple con mobs - which
may or may not be a concern, but good slotting helps if/when that occurs.
Also, for me personally, I'm never in a rush to get to L50, and I *hate* dying
much more than I like killing, so backing it down in those cases isn't a concern
to me. In fact, many of my toons are arbitrarily level-capped (for specific
purpose / thematic choices) so "gimping my exp" isn't an issue I'd even
think about normally.
As always, whatever you find fun and suitable for your playstyle is probably best.
Regards,
4
I've been rich, and I've been poor. Rich is definitely better.
Light is faster than sound - that's why some people look smart until they speak.
For every seller who leaves the market dirty stinkin' rich,
there's a buyer who leaves the market dirty stinkin' IOed. - Obitus.
I'm running -1/x6 on my Elec/Nin, but he doesn't have AS, which makes him a bit of a special case. My MA/SR is more typical, and I run him at +2/x1. For conceptual reasons, he also fought the minimum possible number of enemies to complete missions. It was interesting.
@SPTrashcan
Avatar by Toxic_Shia
Why MA ratings should be changed from stars to "like" or "dislike"
A better algorithm for ordering MA arcs
what lvl are you? Like others has stated you should stick to upping the levels and not the mob size...until you get into your 40's then you should let loose! With Elec/ big mobs are a must due to their AOE capability...but you're still awesome as well! You're just mouch more suited for ST.
Don't be fooled though with some good positioning and the Sands of Mu plus Maul you can take out quite a few guys at once!
Quote:
How was this XP-wise? I've been trying to get a feel for whether finishing missions as quickly as possible or killing lots of enemies gives better XP/time on a Stalker.
|
Originally Posted by SpittingTrashcan
My MA/SR is more typical, and I run him at +2/x1. For conceptual reasons, he also fought the minimum possible number of enemies to complete missions. It was interesting.
|
Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
Quote:
I didn't keep an XP/time log, so I can't tell you how it was objectively. Subjectively, however, it felt poor. This was before the new difficulty settings, so technically I was fighting at "Invincible" or whatever the villain equivalent was called. If I were doing it again today, I'd go to Ouroboros and stealth arcs for merits. But this was also before Merits.
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Originally Posted by Kelenar
How was this XP-wise? I've been trying to get a feel for whether finishing missions as quickly as possible or killing lots of enemies gives better XP/time on a Stalker.
|
@SPTrashcan
Avatar by Toxic_Shia
Why MA ratings should be changed from stars to "like" or "dislike"
A better algorithm for ordering MA arcs
For a single target set like MA or dark, is it better to up the difficulty level or up the number of enemies? I'm looking for most xp efficient mission difficulties.
And what about an AOE set like elec?