So what is the deal?

So you agree that everything can be improved, but that your way of playing your NW is optimal? Your way of playing your Widow where you regularly skimp on your best self and team buff?

Okay.

I'm sure your Widow is able to clear missions solo or teamed just fine. That doesn't mean ML isn't a fantastic buff whose conditions of use are so minimal that it boggles me how obstinate you're being about not using it.

Unless your entire team is already at 50% defense to all positions, it's still a huge buff to their defense.

What I'm saying is ML is a fantastic power and there is almost no reason to not use it. If you're solo, softcapped to all positions and your chance to hit is capped and not fighting psy damage dealing foes, fine, don't use it. You're still depriving yourself of valuable debuff wiggle room, since NWs don't have a lot of defense debuff resistance, but otherwise its of limited benefit.

If you're on a team, the benefit of ML goes through the roof. As I've said above, unless your entire team is already softcapped by themselves regardless of where they're standing, ML is an awesome buff and should be used.

It doesn't animate slowly. It doesn't have a short duration. It doesn't have a small radius. It has a duration rather than being a toggle so anything hit by it has its protection regardless of where they go. It has 2 small but nice benefits in addition to the big chunk of defense it provides.

I see no reason to not use it other than being willfully obtuse. Especially teamed.

I am not saying Widows need to use Mind Link or [insert hyperbole here] but that you should.

Agreed.

You can make an extremely usable character without it; but you're almost always better off taking it than not - and using it whenever it's available.

And the simple fact of the matter is that - right or wrong - it *is* one of those powers that people are going to expect you to have and use when they team with you.





-Star

1. If I get two tells from a soldier and another AT, I would probably pick the soldier because they're added damage, a damage multiplier (thanks to assault and venom/surv), and added survivability factor (thanks to maneuvers).
2. Call me a Nazi, but I do inspect people joining my team. Comes from playing a defender, which along with controllers have the most wildly varying playstyle. EDIT: Inspecting someone and looking over their powers might seem invasive to people, but I call it being a responsible leader.
3. If said soldier doesn't have assault or maneuvers or venom grenade (honestly I haven't seen a huntsman or crab w/o this yet) then I would privately tell them "sorry, we're going to get another guy" if the team's got 7 already and we're doing BSF or RSF.
4. I'll proceed to get that other AT.

I can feel the hate now, but I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to provoke your righteous indignation. It's my team, I'm responsible for picking the players and ensuring each member can contribute to their fullest to ensure success.

Coming from a defender background, I have an unhealthy hatred for "pure he4lz0rz" builds with 1 attack and just sits back spamming healing aura. To me, "pure offense can't-be-bothered-to-pick-defensive-powers-that-help-THEM-and-their-potential-teammates" are in the same category. "Pure" loads of (oh look a kitten). I can find another AT with comparable or even better damage and contribute more through personal survival (dead dps do zero dps), control, buffs, or debuffs.

Let me add: I build different style teams for different occasions. Easy door missions? I couldn't care less, really. Bring your 6 slotted rest/brawl/dance-like-its-1999 characters. TFs or SFs that I want to get done in a fast and easy manner? Little more scrutiny in a person's power selection.

this games pretty easy.....but the fact is that most of you drool on your keyboard so hard that you might want to take useful powers, especially useful toggles. Lets you drool alot longer without anyone noticing.

I am fortunate that I have a regular group of people to team with, and I got into the game through rl friends that schooled me. I can however see why the OP would be frustrated. For example we ran a STF and the empath didn't have clear mind. Buzz, foul, wrong! I would get irritated if someone that was a veat had forgone those signature powers and rest assured my Huntsman would have those and then some.

I can someone not knowing how to play a toon, but that is when you do some research or ask someone. I am a big proponent of accessing the guides on the forums. I don't follow them verbatim but I do get a lot of useful information from them.

I don't pug for this very reason as most pugs are paste eaters.

Frankly, /kins who have the needed buff on you every second are very dedicated players. More so than any other powerset or AT. The reason for this is that Increase Density lasts 1 minute and Speed Boost last 2.

Even FF bubbles last 3 minutes, and buffing every melee ranged char on your team with energy and smashing resist sounds good, but once you buff up to 7 people every 1-2 minutes with two different buffs for X number of missions, it gets really draining. Expect them to have SB on you, but don't expect them to sit around and stare at your buffs when they have many other powers to contribute with.

PS: Contrary to popular belief, saying "sb plz" does not get you sb faster. We know you want sb and we know you don't have it. Thing is, theres a scrapper and a dominator over there in the middle of a 10 man mob, and I think they need ID more than you need sb at the moment, and maybe even a heal too. Be patient.

Well Sometimes we have to deal with a Stone Tanker with flight or SS, or Kinetic with out Sb.For Veats, Veats are a different Story, there no wrong or right way to play them, you can build them up for Support or Aoe Madness. I Love My Widow because of Aoe goodness and build her for mostly Damage, I do take Mind-link and Vengeance, because you be a fool to past those up. It kind of Sound like you are way to picky about Stuff, I Don't mind what you got on my team, When I run one of my team runs, as long you don't create a Team wipe every 5 minute. If people Don't Listen Also they be kick, When I ask them for Sb or Give out buff or DeBuff, they have to Listen, If you Ignore the team and run off on you own or do whatever you want, you be kick.

Well I do Build my Defenders to mosty Buff and Support the team, That what there Job is, they aren't Blasters, Scrappers, Corruptors or Brutes.
They Don't have the Damage, They mosty Where Design just to Support the team.

I'm just posting here as a mental note for myself that after I get off work I will unsubscribe to this thread lol. It's a trap waiting to happen!

Wow, Its reading threads like this one that make me so proud to be a mostly solo player on a low pop server. I don't min/max. I don't even think i've changed the diff settings beyond basic unless i'm farming a group for a badge. I'm one of the few that actually likes to see the different Story Lines, so i'm not interested in being level 50 tomorrow. In other words I play just to have a good time playing. It's MY 15$ a month and unless you are gonna go ahead and pay that for me, Imma play it my way. It's a GAME, maaaan. Grab a kleenex, it's gonna be ok.