The best way to understand building a decent character in general, short of simply doing it yourself a bunch of times, would probably be to read through as many existing build discussions as you're interested in doing. There's no shortage of them!
As for your last question, the absolute easiest way to accumulate recipes and inf is to just run five tips a day for two days and then complete a morality mission. If you're in the process of turning villain and back, I believe you should get your first alignment merit when you reach villain itself. Before switching back, go to the Crucible in Cap au Diable and spend the villain merit on five random recipe rolls. I prefer the 30-34 level range, opinions vary.
In addition to running tips, do TFs. Build up a supply of reward merits and wait until you've settled into the alignment you want to stay in for a while, be it hero or villain. When you're comfortable that you won't be changing alignment any time soon, start using 50 reward merits to buy an alignment merit and then rolling recipes with it. If trusting the random number generator puts you off, you can always save up two alignment merits and spend them on a single valuable rare recipe of your choice. Miracle +recovery and Luck of the Gambler +recharge are perennial favorites.
Those two things should alleviate any fiscal issues you may have all by themselves. The only thing to remember is that changing away from hero or villain causes your hero or villain merits to evaporate. Sadness would ensue.
Well, I appreciate the questions, but if you are having trouble understanding how IO sets work in builds I really don't know how to go about explaining it in a way you will understand. At the same time, you seem to have a grasp f why it's a good thing to soft-cap your S/L def, so you do understand some of the underlying mechanics.
I suggest you review these good explanations of set bonuses on the paragon wiki and on here the boards:
http://wiki.cohtitan.com/wiki/Invent...nt_Set_Bonuses
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=121255
If you have specific questions after that, we probably can help.
I understand mechanically how sets work, I just struggle a bit choosing the right sets to achieve the desired goal.
Here
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1,942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Star-Lord: Level 50 Technology Blaster
Primary Power Set: Dual Pistols
Secondary Power Set: Mental Manipulation
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Dual Wield -- Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Decim-Build%(3), Decim-Acc/Dmg(5), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(5)
Level 1: Subdual -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg(A), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(7), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg(7), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob(9)
Level 2: Pistols -- Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(9), Decim-Acc/Dmg(11), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(13)
Level 4: Mind Probe -- S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/Rchg(A), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx(13), S'ngH'mkr-Acc/Dmg(15), S'ngH'mkr-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 6: Swap Ammo
Level 8: Bullet Rain -- Posi-Dmg/Rchg(A), Posi-Dmg/Rng(17), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(17), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(19), Posi-Acc/Dmg(19)
Level 10: Psychic Scream -- Posi-Dmg/Rng(A), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(21), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(21), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(23), Posi-Acc/Dmg(23)
Level 12: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(25), RechRdx-I(25)
Level 14: Super Speed -- Run(A)
Level 16: Concentration -- Rec'dRet-Pcptn(A), Rec'dRet-ToHit/Rchg(27), RechRdx-I(27), RechRdx-I(29)
Level 18: Executioner's Shot -- Thundr-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Thundr-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(29), Thundr-Dmg/Rchg(31), Thundr-Acc/Dmg(31), HO:Centri(31)
Level 20: Drain Psyche -- Efficacy-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Acc/Rchg(33), Nictus-Acc/EndRdx/Heal/HP/Regen(33), Dct'dW-Heal/Rchg(33), Efficacy-Acc/Rchg(34)
Level 22: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 24: Boxing -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Piercing Rounds -- Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(34), Posi-Dmg/Rng(34), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(36), Posi-Acc/Dmg(36)
Level 28: World of Confusion -- Acc(A)
Level 30: Tough -- S'fstPrt-ResKB(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(36)
Level 32: Hail of Bullets -- Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(37), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(37), Oblit-Dmg(37), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(39), Oblit-%Dam(39)
Level 35: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RedFtn-Def(39), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(40), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(40)
Level 38: Psychic Shockwave -- Oblit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(A), Oblit-Acc/Rchg(40), Oblit-Dmg/Rchg(42), Oblit-Dmg(42), Oblit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), Oblit-%Dam(43)
Level 41: Scorpion Shield -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), RedFtn-Def(43), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(43), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(45)
Level 44: Web Envelope -- Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg(A), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(45), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg(45), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob(46), Enf'dOp-EndRdx/Immob(46), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng(46)
Level 47: Maneuvers -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def(48), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(48), LkGmblr-Def/Rchg(48)
Level 49: Suppressive Fire -- Acc(A)
Level 50: Spiritual Core Paragon
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- EndRdx(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Swift -- Run(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Mrcl-Rcvry+(A), Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(50)
Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(50), P'Shift-End%(50)
Level 6: Chemical Ammunition
Level 6: Cryo Ammunition
Level 6: Incendiary Ammunition
Level 1: Defiance
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 6: Incendiary Ammunition
Code:
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build | |-------------------------------------------------------------------| |MxDz;1448;701;1402;HEX;| |78DA65946B6F12411486CFB0B4140A2D48CBA577C0DE680B25F6BB8956130DD86A8| |D5F9B4DD9C02684DD004DEC377F81DADA5A2F6DD4DFE0ED5779F96C553C33EF8028| |9B30CFEC3967DF7977E62CA5879B41A247574984AED7CC6673F71A8F2DAB11B86FE| |D55EB4ECDA91CF8775A6663ADE834CA3E229AD405BBF7CC7AC52AE736F7CDDAEEB6| |DD6C39B566A693DBD9775DA7D1CA95AC7A8BD325B36EBBFB35B3653BF5C8AD7AD56| |A703CD79904B61DA796DB712DAB1C54D3A265BA76BD12523737ED4AB5C577A39D54| |D96A34ABB69BBCE1DA7BB9CE822573CFE241CE0F12EC32CBBF8930E9ABEDA5578C4| |5F2BC06CE14BCA7C00B8543EA961BF454101568F088B14A83C7EA6EE84421C9B242| |CB0AC80E413600BD00F4822F158E7834B4AC7187314BC112234D2345604B618A650| |750D79EE6B94F2FE1FB4872D5F027E0B3C2A50FC07B85631EFDBADC2FEB96680C4F| |8DA13C86F218CAD32C3DACDEA0ED195E51A1C43FC87041087A148A32BC069D3046F| |56B8C9E7B88A2347106E0A1296096AD47B497C85B64DE29CCBC01CE810DE83E27A9| |21547DF4B147A6E68E8198A150E2E40AA59EA8608CAD8DC33B8DCB49820487E2DA6| |DBCCD17CDB187A4F690C40EA4B00329EC6206BB93C17EC8539BD49A93045B068B4E| |43424C2784DCDF4C5C21159647A83203B3BF95A9CB3F815FC085C2421B20F5165ED| |64B630D230DDF0B23AA9D16C3404041F6CCBC569F87FA22D497A1BE0CF565A867A1| |7EC19E96B4FA12D4B350CF427D15EA3FC2722BA1BE82165F3D02D0E26B68F1B543E| |0994284BDE7B47A0EEAF93195C9433D1F519861F5757D10EB7A1FA7BCDD8F4A3636| |1F4EB137E243D5B6B7FB499150555F023D11DD825F03FF577D93113813E2B6909D5| |47820E4C97DFF9BF188413C5FE8F014ADD4F3C1C57BE6899E794A9A854C3BDBF72A| |EB7D91425FE44A5F64A32FE20F77FF22DA77A3D21BE6F91E277F001729F6E0| |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
Good Day to you all,
I'm sure you've all seen this topic a million times over so please forgive me for repeating it. I've looked for builds on the forum but nothing seems to quite work for me.
I have a DP/MM blaster that I love and is getting into the high 40's now and is getting ready for a build. I'm thinking that a S/L softcap build would be a good idea and I'm currently working on getting villain side for the scorpion shield patron power.
Thing is I've never actually created a build of any kind before and I don't really understand how the whole sets thing works, so instead of just providing a build to work to, I was hoping someone might take the time to explain how these builds work and why they work. Also a bit of a primer on the best way to get the requistite recipes / enhancements would be nice too.
TIA