Why were the new Merits made to decrease TF Recipe prices and increase Purple prices?
By
Adeon Hawkwood,
Posted on: 2010-08-27 21:40 in The Market and Inventions
Quote:
Obitus, its not that I think its *controversial*. I totally agree with you that in comparison to a SO build, a non-purple build is competitive with a purple build. That's obvious.|
Originally Posted by Obitus
When you're discussing the performance gap between the low end and the high end, you are by definition discussing SO builds. The only point is that a non-purple build is competitive with a purple build. They are in the same league. An SO build isn't in the same league -- not even close.
Thus, purples are materially insignificant from the point of view of the low end, or should be. I'm frankly shocked that that statement would be so controversial. It seems to me self-evident. |
My point was that in general if you have a level 50 SO build, whether or not to use purples is way beyond your pay grade. The *last* thing you want to do if you hit level 50 with an SO build is try to buy a set of purples. You are absolutely right, this is *not* controversial. I don't think there would be a single informed poster who would argue otherwise. If you are level 50 with an SO build, you ought to focus on getting the awesome rare recipes (LOTG, Miracle, etc) and either frankenslotting or vanilla uncommon IO sets before you even think of purple sets.
But such a player ought to have been doing this a long, long time ago.
To the extent to which this discussion is about whether or not casual players who use level 50 SO builds ought to be concerned about the price of/acquiring purple sets, I think there is *total* agreement that the answer is "no, they need to learn about IOs in general". So yes, a conversation around whether someone with an SO build ought to start by slotting purples *is* a boring conversation. But I think the broader, more interesting question is to what extent a decently-slotted IO build will benefit from purples (especially in the context of the Alpha Slot).
Quote:
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[EDIT] I was going to go point-by-point here, but the rest really isn't that important, and I'm beginning to bore even myself. With that said, just one tiny note: The 260 number only represents +90% in global recharge from sets. You get 100% from slotting three level 50 generic IOs in the power (or the equivalent), and you get 70% from Hasten. It's not unfair to say that +90% from set bonuses is a lot; personally I'm usually happy with 70-80%, but +90% is not so massive a bonus that it's generally impossible for a non-purple build to achieve. It was an illustration, and not an unrealistic one, either. |
But that wasn't my point. My point was that there are significant tradeoffs. For one thing, @ 90% global recharge hasten isn't perma, so the 70% bonus isn't absolute. Second, you might not have 100% recharge slotted in a power. Third (most importantly) using 5 purple sets to get +50% recharge is *always* a more efficient way of using your slots than using 8-10 rare sets to get + 50% recharge. At the expense of *significantly* more inf, you can get additional global bonuses such as +def that would *dramatically* improve your character.
Depending on what you are going for, the extra stuff might not be worth the billions of influence. That depends on how easy/hard it is for you to generate influence, etc. In terms of set bonuses and relative power and ignoring costs, however, its a no-brainer. The number of powers and set bonuses one has is finite; the amount of influence one can generate is limited only by time and desire.
The big picture is that the Alpha Slot can give a level 50 the same recharge bonus as 3 purple sets. On the other hand, the Alpha Slot can give a level 50 a damage bonus that would be extremely difficult to obtain via set bonuses. I'm not a number cruncher, so there will likely be other more effective uses for slots/influence that smarter players than me will uncover. The incarnate system will give players another avenue to achieve high levels of recharge, and will somewhat reduce demand for purples, but I think its shortsighted to say it will eliminate demand for them.
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Sometimes I think I'm just trying to prove a point by running with the big dogs using mostly SOs. Sometimes I think I'm just cheap. Don't really see the need for anything more than SOs although I can afford pretty much anything in the game. |
Originally Posted by Young_Tutor
Outside of PLed toons, its hard for me to imagine a character these days standing at WWs and deciding whether or not to buy LOTGs or a Purple . . . for goodness sake, why didn't they slot those LOTGs earlier so they could enjoy them while leveling?
3.) On the other hand, I could easily see a level 50 standing at WWs and thinking "should I add a purple set to *this* character, or nicely kit out 2 of my alts?" And I don't think that question has an easy answer because there are going to be too many variables, it would be an intensely personal answer. If you enjoy having one super-awesome hero, eeking small amounts of awesome might be worth it. If you didn't see the need for it, it would be insanely stupid. |
However, I am also insanely stupid at times. Didn't PL my toons either, so your POV is simply your POV. Obviously a lot of people here have differing ones as well.
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Well I can only give my examples of why I don't add the LotGs while leveling.|
Originally Posted by Young_Tutor
2.) I don't think that either one of you would disagree that (in general) when leveling/outfitting a character, stuff like LOTG/Miracle/Numina would take precedence over purple sets. You can slot them sooner, they are more easily available, etc. Outside of PLed toons, its hard for me to imagine a character these days standing at WWs and deciding whether or not to buy LOTGs or a Purple . . . for goodness sake, why didn't they slot those LOTGs earlier so they could enjoy them while leveling?
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I am usually not sure if I really want to keep a character and play them all the way to 50. I have quite a few stalled out in the 30s and low 40s.
I would rather sell and build a nest egg since SOs and cheap IOs can get me to 50 if I want to get there.
When I get to 50 if I discover I don't want to play the character any more (at least 9 or 10 of my 50s are this way) I hate to have to unslot valuables.
I didn't need to slot the recharge on the way up. Would it have helped? Sure but it wasn't do or die without them.
However I am now getting better at deciding who I want to really play on the way up so around 30 or so I start determining what if any special IOs would be helpful for a character and all those ignored 50s can gleemail lots of inf to the 30-something so he can have what he wants.
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
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I don't think what you are saying is contradicting my POV. Because you aren't what I'm talking about at all. You aren't considering which IOs to buy. You are consciously not using IOs altogether. If you want to do that, and that is how you have fun, that's your call and who am I to tell you you are wrong for not wanting to have your characters slotted as effectively as they could be?|
Originally Posted by PumBumbler
Sometimes I think I'm just trying to prove a point by running with the big dogs using mostly SOs. Sometimes I think I'm just cheap. Don't really see the need for anything more than SOs although I can afford pretty much anything in the game.
However, I am also insanely stupid at times. Didn't PL my toons either, so your POV is simply your POV. Obviously a lot of people here have differing ones as well. |
At the same time, if you are making a conscious choice to *not* use IOs, you aren't *at all* in the conversation of which IOs to use. The price of purple sets is irrelevant to how you play your characters. Whether purple sets are more effective than other IOs is not a factor in your decision making because you aren't trying in the first place.
As far as cost goes, I think that 1.) frankenslotting would get you more power at a similar cost as constantly upgrading your SOs and 2.) you can easily get the "essential" IOs via tip missions & etc while playing the game "normally". I don't think you have to farm influence or be an ebil marketeer in order to get enough of a nest egg to decently kit out a character (and therefore think your analogy to PLving is misplaced). If you care about cost/effectiveness, that isn't simply my POV . . . but you are absolutely right, not everyone cares about using IOs to make the most effective character.
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Fair enough. But, going off your description, you are a player with multiple high level alts and probably multiple 50s. Presumably you are generating enough influence/merits/AMs to afford the valuable recipes along the way. I think its a matter of fact that cheaply using IOs on the road to 50 (frankenslotting, patiently bidding) will net a character more money than slotting SOs, and that this ought to be obvious to anyone who peruses this forum for any length of time.|
Originally Posted by SwellGuy
Well I can only give my examples of why I don't add the LotGs while leveling.
I am usually not sure if I really want to keep a character and play them all the way to 50. I have quite a few stalled out in the 30s and low 40s. I would rather sell and build a nest egg since SOs and cheap IOs can get me to 50 if I want to get there. When I get to 50 if I discover I don't want to play the character any more (at least 9 or 10 of my 50s are this way) I hate to have to unslot valuables. I didn't need to slot the recharge on the way up. Would it have helped? Sure but it wasn't do or die without them. However I am now getting better at deciding who I want to really play on the way up so around 30 or so I start determining what if any special IOs would be helpful for a character and all those ignored 50s can gleemail lots of inf to the 30-something so he can have what he wants. |
But ultimately that's not what I'm talking about. Its more an aside than a main point. In general, if you don't have LOTGs because you don't think they will significantly enhance your character and you'd prefer to spend the influence you generate on *other* characters, bully for you. Via causal play, one can easily obtain 5 LOTG recharges and several of the valuable rare IOs in 2 months time, and move them from character to character via vetspec, freespec, or respec. If you *want* to wait till 50 to slot them, its no skin off my back. That doesn't change the fact that you easily *could* have slotted them earlier.
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In general I agree with most of what you said, however there are a few advantages to Purples that always make them desirable for my own personal builds.|
Originally Posted by Obitus
The more significant gate to so-called casual players was always the rarer non-purples -- the LoTGs, the Numinas, the Miracles, the Regenerative Tissues. More recently, Kinetic Combats and their ilk got added to that mix. Purples are basically icing; their general appeal stems primarily from the +10% recharge bonus, which is great, but a given purple set also generally replaces a set with a 5% to 6.25% bonus already. The net difference is therefore pretty small, except where the enhancement values on the purple set allow you to save a slot or whatever.
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The most important I find is that Purples often allow me to circumvent the Law of 5s of a build, melees have good access to 5% recharge bonuses and my ranged characters usually have more spots for 6.25% rech than the law of fives will allow.
There are some other perks as well, full exemp capabilities, generally good recovery or regen bonuses, good enh values per piece allowing for double proc slotting if desired - but yeah they are the Ferrari's of the IO world.
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Originally Posted by Minotaur
The devs got the A-merit price of purples wrong. This is pretty clear. They also got the price of the "non uber" PvP IOs wrong. Nobody that knows what they're doing is going to buy purples or the non special PvP IOs at the A-merit prices they've put them at.
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I'm not contradicting your PoV, it's more that you said you have a hard time seeing how anyone outside of PLed toons can not slot the LotGs, given the opportunity, according to your previous post.|
Originally Posted by Young_Tutor
I don't think what you are saying is contradicting my POV. Because you aren't what I'm talking about at all. You aren't considering which IOs to buy. You are consciously not using IOs altogether. If you want to do that, and that is how you have fun, that's your call and who am I to tell you you are wrong for not wanting to have your characters slotted as effectively as they could be?
At the same time, if you are making a conscious choice to *not* use IOs, you aren't *at all* in the conversation of which IOs to use. The price of purple sets is irrelevant to how you play your characters. Whether purple sets are more effective than other IOs is not a factor in your decision making because you aren't trying in the first place. As far as cost goes, I think that 1.) frankenslotting would get you more power at a similar cost as constantly upgrading your SOs and 2.) you can easily get the "essential" IOs via tip missions & etc while playing the game "normally". I don't think you have to farm influence or be an ebil marketeer in order to get enough of a nest egg to decently kit out a character (and therefore think your analogy to PLving is misplaced). If you care about cost/effectiveness, that isn't simply my POV . . . but you are absolutely right, not everyone cares about using IOs to make the most effective character. |
Besides, most of the time I'm not even bothering to slot anything while leveling, simply because the game is too easy and I'm leveling too fast. Crafting or buying IOs takes too much of my time before I hit 50 on a toon anyhow. Like swell said, after that I can make the determination what the final build of the toon will be, but usually by the time I get there I can't be bothered to upgrade the toon.
Usually I'm too lazy to even research the powersets too, so I'll just grab what sounds cool and if it works, it works well nuf for me.
I just have an envisioned final build that is full of purples etc., but it is kind of pointless to do it since the toon was good enough to get to that point. Usually I just collect the SOs, 51-53s that drop from TFs and I plunk them in.
The rest of it you're absolutely correct in saying. Not everyone care about using IOs/purples/rares to make the most effective character, and purples or rares aren't always the most effective route to building the most effective toon anyhow.
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So something like this?|
Originally Posted by Bionic_Flea
Perhaps, but as someone once said, unless your attack chain is *headsplitter, headspliiter, headsplitter,* you can use more recharge.
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Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.803
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Level 50 Magic Scrapper
Primary Power Set: Broad Sword
Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Speed
Ancillary Pool: Body Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Hack -- Hectmb-Dmg:50(A), Hectmb-Dmg/Rchg:50(3), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(3), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg:50(5), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx:50(5)
Level 1: Focused Fighting -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), RedFtn-Def:50(7), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(9), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(9), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(11), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(11)
Level 2: Slash -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Focused Senses -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), RedFtn-Def:50(7), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(13), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(13), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(15), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(15)
Level 6: Agile -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), RedFtn-Def:50(17), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(17), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(19), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(19), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(21)
Level 8: Parry -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), RedFtn-Def:30(21), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:30(25), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:30(25), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:30(27), RedFtn-EndRdx:30(27)
Level 10: Practiced Brawler -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(29), RechRdx-I:50(29)
Level 12: Confront -- Mocking-Taunt:50(A), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg:50(31), Mocking-Taunt/Rchg/Rng:50(31), Mocking-Acc/Rchg:50(31), Mocking-Taunt/Rng:50(33), Mocking-Rchg:50(33)
Level 14: Slice -- Armgdn-Dmg:50(A), Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg:50(33), Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(34), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg:50(34), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx:50(34)
Level 16: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+:50(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+:40(37), RgnTis-Regen+:30(39)
Level 20: Stamina -- P'Shift-End%:50(A), P'Shift-EndMod:50(39), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg:50(39), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc:50(40)
Level 22: Hasten -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(23), RechRdx-I:50(23)
Level 24: Dodge -- LkGmblr-Rchg+:50(A), RedFtn-Def:50(40), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx:50(40), RedFtn-Def/Rchg:50(42), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg:50(42), RedFtn-EndRdx:50(42)
Level 26: Quickness -- Empty(A)
Level 28: Lucky -- Ksmt-Def/EndRdx:30(A), Ksmt-Def/Rchg:30(43), Ksmt-EndRdx/Rchg:30(43), Ksmt-Def/EndRdx/Rchg:30(46), Ksmt-ToHit+:30(50)
Level 30: Whirling Sword -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Disembowel -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Head Splitter -- Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(A), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(36), Sciroc-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(36), M'Strk-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx:50(36), M'Strk-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg:50(37), Armgdn-Dam%:50(37)
Level 38: Evasion -- HO:Enzym(A), HO:Enzym(50)
Level 41: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I:50(A), RechRdx-I:50(43), RechRdx-I:50(46)
Level 44: Laser Beam Eyes -- Apoc-Dmg:50(A), Apoc-Dmg/Rchg:50(45), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(45), Apoc-Acc/Rchg:50(45), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx:50(46)
Level 47: Energy Torrent -- Ragnrk-Dmg:50(A), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg:50(48), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg:50(48), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg:50(48), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx:50(50)
Level 49: Elude -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Critical Hit
Level 4: Ninja Run
------------
Set Bonus Totals:
- 14% DamageBuff(Smashing)
- 14% DamageBuff(Lethal)
- 14% DamageBuff(Fire)
- 14% DamageBuff(Cold)
- 14% DamageBuff(Energy)
- 14% DamageBuff(Negative)
- 14% DamageBuff(Toxic)
- 14% DamageBuff(Psionic)
- 2.5% Defense(Smashing)
- 2.5% Defense(Lethal)
- 3.13% Defense(Fire)
- 3.13% Defense(Cold)
- 1.25% Defense(Melee)
- 1.56% Defense(AoE)
- 1.8% Max End
- 45% Enhancement(Accuracy)
- 113.8% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
- 5% FlySpeed
- 65.3 HP (4.87%) HitPoints
- 5% JumpHeight
- 5% JumpSpeed
- MezResist(Confused) 1.65%
- MezResist(Held) 2.75%
- MezResist(Immobilize) 11%
- MezResist(Sleep) 1.65%
- MezResist(Stun) 2.2%
- 16% (0.27 End/sec) Recovery
- 16% (0.89 HP/sec) Regeneration
- 13.9% Resistance(Fire)
- 13.9% Resistance(Cold)
- 5% RunSpeed
- 1.5% XPDebtProtection
Code:
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Quote:
Point taken.|
Originally Posted by PumBumbler
I'm not contradicting your PoV, it's more that you said you have a hard time seeing how anyone outside of PLed toons can not slot the LotGs, given the opportunity, according to your previous post.
Besides, most of the time I'm not even bothering to slot anything while leveling, simply because the game is too easy and I'm leveling too fast. Crafting or buying IOs takes too much of my time before I hit 50 on a toon anyhow. Like swell said, after that I can make the determination what the final build of the toon will be, but usually by the time I get there I can't be bothered to upgrade the toon. Usually I'm too lazy to even research the powersets too, so I'll just grab what sounds cool and if it works, it works well nuf for me. I just have an envisioned final build that is full of purples etc., but it is kind of pointless to do it since the toon was good enough to get to that point. Usually I just collect the SOs, 51-53s that drop from TFs and I plunk them in. The rest of it you're absolutely correct in saying. Not everyone care about using IOs/purples/rares to make the most effective character, and purples or rares aren't always the most effective route to building the most effective toon anyhow. |
For me, the buy-in to cheaply upgrading characters while leveling is minimal. I've already acquired the knowledge as to how to lowball cheap recipes and salvage such that by the mid-30s I have an IOed build that's superior to an SO build with similar time/effort. But I *like* placing lowball bids, so the overall cost (not just influence, but time and effort) is low for me. For folks who don't enjoy that, it might be higher.
One of the amazing things about COX is that there isn't one obviously correct way to *enjoy* the game. There are many non-optimal ways to accomplish every goal. And I think we are in agreement that ultimately its what each player wants out of a character that drives how they will develop it.
I'm just not that fast of a leveler to understand how it wouldn't be worth your time to use IOs.
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Context is paramount. This whole discussion (for me) proceeded from Uber's premise that the increased price of purples increases the divide between Haves and Have-Nots. That's how I arrived at the comparison between SO builds and IO builds, with or without purples. We're discussing the entire range of performance, and players' perceptions thereof.|
Originally Posted by Young_Tutor
Obitus, its not that I think its *controversial*. I totally agree with you that in comparison to a SO build, a non-purple build is competitive with a purple build. That's obvious.
My point was that in general if you have a level 50 SO build, whether or not to use purples is way beyond your pay grade. The *last* thing you want to do if you hit level 50 with an SO build is try to buy a set of purples. You are absolutely right, this is *not* controversial. I don't think there would be a single informed poster who would argue otherwise. If you are level 50 with an SO build, you ought to focus on getting the awesome rare recipes (LOTG, Miracle, etc) and either frankenslotting or vanilla uncommon IO sets before you even think of purple sets. But such a player ought to have been doing this a long, long time ago. |
Players' perceptions may well be that purples are of paramount important. I believe that is the perception, in fact. But that perception is wrong.
The term "casual player" is rather vague. There are many different degrees of casual, and you seem to err on the side of the complete noob. That's fine. When I use the term, all I mean is someone who has not a lot of time to play. I define myself as more-or-less casual, even though I've subscribed to this game since its launch.
You needn't be new or clueless to place too much importance on purples. For an example, I give you the 2 billion per enhancer thread in this very forum. The OP of that thread has (by his account) been around for a good while; he doesn't seem to be incapable or unwilling to make influence -- but he has a bizarre obsession with the most expensive IOs in the game, even (seemingly) to the detriment of his own build.
That sort of player would be much happier if he just forgot about purples and PvP IOs, at least initially. He may even find, after he's played awhile with a well-built non-purple IO build, that he doesn't want the more extravagant items. You seem to agree. Uber doesn't.
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| But that wasn't my point. My point was that there are significant tradeoffs. |
There all sorts of considerations, of which mechanical trade offs are only one.
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| For one thing, @ 90% global recharge hasten isn't perma, so the 70% bonus isn't absolute. |
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| Second, you might not have 100% recharge slotted in a power. |
If it's not fully slotted, then it isn't that important, which leads us back to where we started.
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| Third (most importantly) using 5 purple sets to get +50% recharge is *always* a more efficient way of using your slots than using 8-10 rare sets to get + 50% recharge. |
That's why I used three purple sets instead of five in my offhand recharge example. Three seems like the most realistic number over the broad range of builds.
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| [stuff about the Alpha Slot] |
Time will tell.
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Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
 |
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As an aside, the OP in that thread is a serial fibber. Were he to engage in the activities he claims to have engaged in in the quantities he puts forth, he'd be able to afford whatever he wants.|
Originally Posted by Obitus
You needn't be new or clueless to place too much importance on purples. For an example, I give you the 2 billion per enhancer thread in this very forum. The OP of that thread has (by his account) been around for a good while; he doesn't seem to be incapable or unwilling to make influence -- but he has a bizarre obsession with the most expensive IOs in the game, even (seemingly) to the detriment of his own build.
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Yeah, there are people who're genuinely hung up on 'the good stuff' who don't understand why it's so seemingly impossible to obtain, but that dude isn't one of them. The polite term for that OP is "disingenuous", the colloquial internet term involves a green nonhuman living under a bridge.
The Nethergoat Archive: all my memories, all my characters, all my thoughts on CoH...eventually.
My City Was Gone
Quote:
Heh, that may well be. Whether he's disingenuous or not, though, he does have an almost self-destructive (to the extent that anything in a game can be considered destructive) obsession with extravagant items.
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
As an aside, the OP in that thread is a serial fibber. Were he to engage in the activities he claims to have engaged in in the quantities he puts forth, he'd be able to afford whatever he wants.
Yeah, there are people who're genuinely hung up on 'the good stuff' who don't understand why it's so seemingly impossible to obtain, but that dude isn't one of them. The polite term for that OP is "disingenuous", the colloquial internet term involves a green nonhuman living under a bridge. |
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Originally Posted by Iggy_Kamakaze
Nice build
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The first time I got the crafting bench/crafting badges it broke my will to spend lots of time running back and forth getting salvage and recipes, and needing to be in a specific zone to optimize my workflow. Unlike a lot of other people I know, I try to have as few 50s as possible, since it minimizes my management hassles about which mouth to feed during events, badges etc.|
Originally Posted by Young_Tutor
I'm just not that fast of a leveler to understand how it wouldn't be worth your time to use IOs.
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I'm just intellectually lazy that way. The less I think I need to do in this game the more it is less like a job for me.
Usually the folks I hang out with are doing lots of things like TFs and trials and zone events so bringing a lowbee is guaranteed to get more xp than I know what to do with. For example, getting 500-1000 vanguard merits during a single ship raid is pretty much par for the course when we decide to run them. I'm not sure how other servers are running their raids, but it seems like a power leveling session is going on when ship raids are going down.
Since I don't bother planning ahead on my toons (rarely bother with MIDs), selecting powers and slotting just gets in my way when there's another TF to organize instead. I'll just click something and go, leaving it unslotted until I have some "down" time, which usually means it gets pushed off.
I'm pretty sure not very many people play like I do, if any at all. I'm the disheveled homeless guy at the end of your street who's got stuff like Howard Hughes. :P
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My interpretation of that build is that it was putting its effort to patching up the inherent survivability problems that blasters have. The problem is that when you exemp the powers you need for that go away. Taking out the purple set in the stun and subbing another kin combat will improve defense at exemplar levels. Then using the freed up slots to add in maybe a regen tissue and or a numinas uniques.|
Originally Posted by UberGuy
Ad homenim by third party. But fair enough - I happen to think the people you know are wasting time and game money bothering to build specialized exemplar builds. Buy hey, if they're having fun doing it, who cares, right?
I suspect I know what you mean, but from my perspective, it's literally impossible to remove the purples and have the build come out ahead for recharge. Set bonuses do nothing to decrease bonuses from Incarnate powers, so removing the purple set is a straight up reduction in the recharge of every power over having both the purples and the Incarnate buffs. Moreover, if you remove the purples, the build becomes less viable at lower levels, when you could just keep the purples and retain their bonuses at any level. The only reason to do that becomes the cost. No disagreement. Of course, that has something to do with why I don't bother with second builds if I've invested heavily in the main one, which I typically do. I think you're trying to subtly overstate your case by using the word "marginalize". I have very few builds where I would not benefit from both the global recharge benefit of the incarnate slot power in question and the purple set's recharge bonus. However, I also tend to favor very click-happy powersets and worry about optimal DPS chains. More exemplar friendly in what way? The purple set never loses its bonuses. Unless you're worried about the total enhancement of the Stun power (one of the last things I'd have any concern about in that build at any level), the purple set is more exemplar friendly than anything you could add to it. Or did you not mean in reference to the purple set at all? If so, it was unclear given the conjunction with the first part of the sentence. Personally, my version of that build would have more purples in it, not less. I would not be six slotting the +defense powers, likely investing saved slots in my primary attacks to improve my DPS. Also, I probably would not choose the +recharge as my Incarnate power. (But I might.) |
Adding purples to that build doesn't buy it anything it needs. The attack chain is going to be good to a very low level, every attack has more than adequate accuracy and fire is incredibly light on end use.
Thus, purples are materially insignificant from the point of view of the low end, or should be. I'm frankly shocked that that statement would be so controversial. It seems to me self-evident.
[EDIT] I was going to go point-by-point here, but the rest really isn't that important, and I'm beginning to bore even myself. With that said, just one tiny note:
It was an illustration, and not an unrealistic one, either.