Is DP THAT bad? My Findings Thus Far...

More specifically, to me at least, a Min/Maxer is a player unconcerned with concept who makes all decisions based strictly on what appears to offer the greatest competitive in-game advantage. It isn't quite the same thing as simply making a powerful build or character or even avoiding builds or archetypes widely seen as poor. It's more like, if Sandwich Making/Ballerina Armor were an option and offered the biggest numbers, they would play this combo and call others a waste of time.

Min/Maxers are also notorious for reducing the game down to a simple set of functions (e.g. "whatever can farm quickest is the best," "whatever can beat an AV fastest is the best," "whatever can score high on the Pylon chart is the best") without considering the actual full range of game situations.

Fire/Kin/Stone is a very good example of a character type that appeals strongly to Min/Maxers. PVP, by its nature, is also a haven for Min/Maxers, many of whom are quite vocal about looking down on other players who do not approach the game that way.

What I like most about Hail of Bullets other than its animation: Armageddon + Fury of the Gladiator.

This is the only crashless nuke that can run a -resistance proc and a purple damage proc. And -resistance on a DoT amounts to increased damage after the first tic.

DP is very good for PvE and pretty Bad for PvP. On the contrary Psi is pretty crappy in PvE (sans AVs and EBs) but great in PvP.

Okay, well I'm back again.

I have the level 32 power now for a few days and I love it.

Thankfully most of the negatives that people have presented in this thread are very personal and do not directly reflect the utility of the power set.

I am glad I picked Energy as a secondary. DP does require you to spend a lot in the primary, and invest wisely in pools. This is just so much easier now with free Fitness.

Are there downsides to Dual Pistols? Sure, but you have to compare these against the downsides of other sets and let your own preferences make the decision!!!

For example, I don't miss a snipe. I'm not a snipe kind of guy. The Executioner shot is shorter range, fairly strong, but people complain it's not enough. But precede it with Piercing Shot and it's a great 1-2 punch, with a nice element of risk blended in from the animations. It's all about timing and knowing when to one two punch with basic shots, or when to get in and get some wetwork done.

The level 32 power is, for me, a great trade off from those crash and burn end game powers. I love it.

Even now when I solo, I still switch to 'normal' rounds. The knockback is tremendously overlooked. The utility of the set is fantastic. It also blends almost any playstyle imaginable very well. If you're like me and play solo and team about an equal amount, this is a great set to consider.

For those that min/max, I don't mean to be rude but why would you play a blaster at all? The Scrapper is THE min-maxer AT IMHO. So why even bother with a squishy? For concept? Isn't that a swear word for a min maxer? If we're talking concept, then that does mean Dual Pistol fits in pretty good. Either you are going to love the animations or hate them. Take it or leave it.

It's not all roses. I do think some shots should blend a bit better together. I do think 'ammo' types should be inherent in the set and probably a third, single target basic shot could replace it.

Piercing shot is broken. I still test it and it's giving me weird numbers with and without certain ammo types.

I still love it... guess it's just me.

You can have my pistols when you pry them from my cold, dead fingers with the jaws of life.


Yeah...I like Dual Pistols with it's over-exaggerated gun-fu moves and everything. I may not be the beast that is Fire/...but i still had an absolute blast playing my DP/Elec blaster to 50...and is the first (And thus far ONLY) toon to have unlocked Alpha Slot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smiling_Joe ::looks at RaikenX's signature:: Something funny.

Honestly, DP could be much better. The long animations and a certain mediocre power are my main complaints. Specifically? I hate empty clips simply due to the small cone and range and puny damage. I only took it due to the inherent fitness, otherwise would have simply abandoned it. A minor complaint is swap ammo. It just does not give good enough benefits other than perhaps fire and normal ammo, at least for a blaster. It would have been nice if the chem ammo was something other than damage reduction, otherwise I never ever use it.

It would have also been nice to have HoB at a shorter recharge if not the same recharge as RoA or Full Auto. In fact, I think HoB at a shorter recharge would just make the set more than worthwhile, at least for me.

Of course this is just repeating every one elses' complaints.

Though I wish there were machine pistols (other than Uzi) or SMGs for alternate weapons.

In a team, it's fairly nice, though of course I'd get better results on a fire blaster, but I really should not have to say that.

Empty clips with inferno rounds, as we thoroughly established as being the relevant ammo type to compare earlier in the thread, hits significantly harder than every blaster cone except electron haze, frost breath, and fire breath. It has the same sized cone as every blaster cone other than howl and fistful. The one measure where you can even attempt to declare it lacking would be DPA and yet it beats howl on that front as well.

As for the set's overall performance, I suggest you read the thread, you may learn some new things about the strengths you didn't know your pistol blaster had.

Executioner's shot is on a 10 second recharge and does about the same DPA as pistols and dual wield, which is my main problem with it. You can get approximately the same damage as it provides by simply not taking it at all, filling in with piercing rounds. Piercing rounds takes twice as long to recharge, thus not fitting into a gapless chain, but is also a cone, has a more useful normal rounds effect, and does the same DPA as executioner's shot from twice the range. It isn't that executioner's shot is harming you if you use it, necessarily, but elsewhere in the set there are better powers that do its job more effectively.

So I've run into a dilemma with this blaster character dual pistol dude.

He is kind of wearing on me. I still like dual pistols but through the mid 30's it feels very ... similar.

What are you supposed to do to a blaster after 32? I know this is a vague question, but with my scrappers, I'm still looking forward to level 35. With scrappers/tanks you're basically looking to make the character as good as you can through IO's.

For instance the IO's for my scrapper are making him reach defense limits, and give him recharge through the yin yang. This makes him funner because I can keep taking him into more and more _dangerous_ situations.

Now I'm thinking this isn't just a DP question but I am finding that some of the very short ranged powers are getting me stuck in situations that are pretty hairy. Getting Mez'd, sleeping, and held like a baby at a shower party.

I did get anti knockback, but otherwise I'm wondering what you guys do with a blaster to keep the fun going in the late 30's-40's?

So what kind of 'epics' should I be chasing down?

What kind of stuff would make blaster fun 35 on specifically? I'm not sure what I get from generic IO'ing that would make me think this guy is going to get better....

Dual pistols with lots of defense I thought would be good, but I guess it is capped too low to be effective? Should I be thinking damage instead?

Since my blaster is dp/em, as opposed to mm which simply begs to be slotted with coercive persuasion, I stopped at 35% ranged defense rather than softcapping it. I forget how much global rech I have, maybe 60ish%? But that and hasten are plenty. It's one of the cheapest builds I've done in ages, mostly using thunderstrike, posi's blast, lockdown, and red fortune with a few lotgs for flavor. Barring the lotgs, all of that is pretty affordable if upper-30s sets are acceptable to you. I try to shoot for low 30s but that tends to be more pricey.

35% ranged defense is nice because as you can see, it puts you any sized purple away from softcapped defense. If you're soloing on x3 or higher, you should be getting quite a few inspirations, which tends to keep you cruising safely at a good clip, even against things like malta. I don't usually even carry breakfrees unless a particular EB is vexing me or something.

Backing up the defense I've also got aid self, great for reducing downtime after fights even if you don't feel comfortable using it in the midst of everything, as well as fire mastery. Why fire mastery? The following reasons: rise of the phoenix is the best self rez in the game (and they gave it to blasters!), fire shield isn't on my tray but it allows me to slot a steadfast res/def without having tough, bonfire ensures that you don't have to worry about having any melee defense, and char takes a set of lockdown and stacks with suppressive fire to take out a boss or two lieuts with neither fuss nor muss.

Believe me, I get annoyed pretty fast if I'm being chain-held to death or whatever, but between all of these tools the result is some very safe and very quick blasting. It's a long road to level 47 and the self rez, but once you get there the last feelings of vulnerability you may have had melt away in the searing flames of joy. This is hardly the only way to make a blaster a good soloist but it works for me!

Thanks PleaseRecycle. That's a lot of good stuff for me to chew on. I've been saving my influence, but as mentioned it won't be near enough for a great build. But that's ok.

I wasn't sure where to go with the slotting. I think out damaging (providing you can hit) is another form of defense. But as you mention getting chain held is nasty.

I have been playing large groups where you just can't play 'positional style' defense all the time because of mob size, stragglers, or what have you. Add that to the fact I think Dual Pistols is a bit of an 'in your face' blaster and I do get in over my head sometimes.. like Freakshow tanks are a good example.

Anyway it's getting rougher in the 30's and I probably won't get beyond procs until the 40's when I hopefully have more influence.

I'll have to give what you're saying consideration, but extra damage (to my point above) would be nice too..... I'm not too worried about recharge as I have Hasten now. I am probably picking up Aid Self next though.... I could definitely use it now.

BTW: on a side note, I haven't picked up much energy Melee, but it is a great complimentary set with DP, thus far at least.

One way that anyone can make easy money is to do moralities for hero merits and, if you don't want to roll them, just save up two to trade in for a lotg global recharge. Selling just one of those crafted will by itself pay for two or three sets of thunderstrike and red fortune, and maybe a set of posi's blast while you're at it if you shop carefully. Do that once and your build is halfway completed. Do it twice and there are your lockdowns, or whatever else you'd like to go with. Even if you don't have a lot of prime time play time, soloing tips on -1x1 gives merits just the same as doing them on 4x8, and everything in between.

I skipped melee attacks on my blaster but if I were going to take just one, it would be energy punch. Better DPA than both bone smasher and total focus, and with such a short animation time you can use it with relatively little risk, even on those big slicy tanks. Oh, and when you're on a big team, don't be shy about literally hiding behind meleers when someone is trying to give you an unwanted hug, as their taunt and damage auras will often peel enemies off of you.

I find it utterly rediculous to assume because something is not fun to one, it is not fun to others. Some like the numbers, some like the concept, some like a mix of both.

DP is ok if you like min/max. It is great if you like the animation. It is also great if you like the mix of damage/control/debuff possibilities. You can "swap ammo" very fast, which is very advantageous.

I like my DP blaster. I am about to make another, a copy of my Lvl 50 AR/Dev blaster (though with rogue I will prob do corruptor and then go hero), which my intent was always for him to be a DP, it just did not exist when I made him. May not be a number lovers build, and that is okay, but it has it's positives like any other build.

PleaseRecycle has some good advice.

Once I hit the 40s on a blaster (37+ really) it's time to concentrate on survival. If I am going with a ranged defense build, I am picking up Weave, CJ or Hover, and maybe Manuevers in preparation for hitting 47 so I can build out ranged defense with Red Fortunes and Thunderstrikes. If I am going for S/L defense I am swapping over to villain for Scorpion Shield (because the graphic on Ice is concept breaking) and at 37 I am running tips to build out my Kinetic Combats and other sets.

The progress actually gets better for me as I build out defense as opposed to picking up basic blaster powers. Before this level I am rounding out my power sets but I am really not increasing difficulty. Once I start upping defense and mitigation I get a sense of accomplishment from upping difficulty to x2, x3, x4 and to +1.

But not when I am doing tips. God no, I leave difficulty at the base for tip missions in the 40s.

Yeesh, why wait until level 47 to get the benefit of IOs? I slot in the 30s and benefit from them much earlier on. The benefits to the power are usually not that dramatically different, and the damage for most damage sets will certainly get you to the ED cap.

Sure, we now have more things to do at 50, but I like having that benefit for longer in my character's career.

I can see the appeal, in a way, of slotting 50 ios, but I usually start inventing at around level 20 to frankenslot and then begin replacing them with what I plan to keep by 27, if not 25. These days at level 20 if you start in Praetoria, or earlier than that if you don't, you can start making serious money. Praetoria wins for me because I'd rather enjoy the fantastic missions there than begin the relentless optimization a few levels earlier.

In my opinion there are few sets in the game where the optimal level to have them is not 32. 29-31 are fine because they're very similar in terms of values, and of course with purples and such you're waiting until 50 anyway. 32, though, lets you exemplar for virtually anything you'd care to heroside other than psyche and new posi. Synapse is terrible, as are many of the old lowbie arcs, while the great new midbie arcs let you exemplar to level 29, keeping all of your level 32 set bonuses.

Grey Pilgrim, of course, points out the biggest benefit of this slotting strategy: you get to actually use your best stuff vastly earlier in your character's life. By the mid 30s it is very plausible to have, I would estimate based on my own experience, about 60% of the defense bonuses that you're planning to have at 50. This certainly leaves you room for improvement, but it's nothing to sneeze at compared to playing through the mid levels as though inventions weren't there to be used.

If the difference between level 30 thunderstrikes, i.e. 97% damage enhancement, way beyond necessary accuracy enhancement since you get so much from set bonuses (including thunderstrike itself), 58% end reduction and 58% recharge really bothers you when compared to level 50 thunderstrikes, i.e. 99.5% damage enhancement, the same accuracy, 67% end reduction and 67% recharge, well, thunderstrikes cost almost nothing at level 50, so you can always just replace them, right? Me, I don't even notice the difference and appreciate keeping most of my defense when I do exemp.