50's Woes!

So, I was reading many threads that have been going on. The Fairwell thread and the thread about the Awesome Button and I had to explain my personal experience about the trials and tribulation of the game that I am facing, and although I cannot speak for others I am wondering a little if other are sort of feeling the way I am with regards to current in game content.

I originally was under another account, and played for a few years. I did leave when AE came out because I really did not enjoy things to much, and when it was at it's peak, I was also a red side player on Virtue. AE made teaming even more difficult than it was normally, and so I did depart, but with the intention of returning when the "Mad Dash to AE" farm ended. Which obviously now I did...just, started all over under another account because I could not remember my old account info at all.

So, through my time, I have leveled a Dom, a Controller, and a Defender to level 50 all on blueside. The Dom and the controller are level shifted through trials, and have all of the bells and whistles. They feel wildly powerfull, and this has done many things to them.

Firstly it has made them so powerfull in my eyes that I could do a lot of content I could not do before, but in doing that, also became a touch more dull in the process. Sure I can exemp down, but even before that they had always been, in my head my most powerfull well build machines. However now, they are essentially monsters of power.

Secondly, I find that anything I make since then is dull or feels lack lustre, and it's almost feels like because I spent so much time working on these main toons (IOing, Trials, Etc) that doing the same for something lower seems offputting. It's like if they do not meet the expectations of the toons I have already made and made even better through the crafting system or incarnates just meet a deleted doom. It's like at level 30 I can tell if this is going to be a solid toon, and if it cannot destroy things like my level 50's, then I just lose interest.

Now that is not to say that I am a power leveler or gamer. I don't Min/Max and I do not have a toon that has ever been created without an extensive backstory or thought out persona. I do not pick things that will 100% be good for Trials, TF's or any content. I pick things based on what I think I would like to enjoy.

I guess where I am going with this is that my Dom and Grav/FF controller are my favorite toons I have made, with the emp defender being posibly third on my list, and after working on them, Im wondering If I have just run out of steam to play anything else, and my expectations for the things I do create have had their bar raised to perhaps unfair expectations that nothing I could ever make would meet.

This is not an I quit thread...what it is...is more of a thought out concern that has been bothering me for nearly 2 months. It's the thought that I have already made three beast powerfull toons, that playing with something other than them feel like Im choosing between fillet Mignon and Hamberger Helper. Sure, sometimes you like both here and there, but the quality difference is definately there.

Heck I even find myself just playing my dom of controller the most only because I can then use them to fund the rest of my toons. They are walking credit cards and this is rapidly becoming an issue.

Heck, I have even switched to a red side toon for the sole purpose of needing to try new content instead of just becoming level hungry to race to the finish and get IO'ed and incarnated. This helped a little, because I had the option of playing some fun redside arcs, but in the end it really did not satisfy me as there were hardly any teaming options, and moreso nothing I can make now, really can ever top the two incarnates I made and I lose interest in the possibility of what they can be.

Im just finding myself logging in, looking at my toon selection, seeing my play toys...then hitting the log out button. I really don't like that feeling, but it is how it's been now for a while.

It's the journey, not the destination. Although the way I play and the insane prices for everything Incarnate, the destination is still the journey for me. Heh.

I've not even been on a handful of farms in nearly 6 years until I made a character to see what it was like to self PL one and I had transferred 3-4 billion at that point.

In regards to the OP, it's stuff like this is what shows why people farm to 50. Play an Incarnate that has all T3s. Now go solo a level 3 character.

I got my fifth 50 over this past 2XP weekend, an Archery/Devices blaster. He has 3 IO sets: Sting of the Manticore, Dampened Spirits, and Time and Space Manipulation. That's all he will every have. The only thing I have yet to "fix" on him is to raise his recharge numbers, because I find it ridiculous that I have to wait a while before launching another arrow. Whether that comes from LOTG +Recharge or a written-off Spiritual Alpha power remains to be seen. And even when my build is mostly standard IOs, I still get compliments on his performance.

My point is not every one of your characters needs to be Incarnate, or even fully IO'd out. Ironically, any one of my 50s only has one Incarnate power: two took a T3 judgement, one took a T3 interface, and one has a T2 Alpha. None of them have a level shift. And that's all because that is the most that fit their characters. Honestly, NOT taking all the Incarnate powers is what has kept my interest in the low game alive.

But you've heard that over and over already, and probably thought about it yourself, so here are a couple other options:

- Start/Join a concept group. Honestly, it is one of the most fun experiences I have had. The story is happening to you and the rest of the your supergroup/team; you are all living the same saga. You aren't running missions with a bunch of random heroes/villains. Rather, you are running missions with people who have a dynamic together, which leads to a much tighter teaming experience. Also, since it is a static team dynamic, you never feel useless on the team. Your role becomes crucial to the dynamic, and your absence is very noticeable.

- Try out a bunch of different power set combinations to find a new one that fits. In my case, I am currently in love with my Sonic/Sonic Defender. I always disliked Defenders because, to someone like me who usually plays Blasters, the lack of damage output was depressing. But this guy turns teammates into monsters, and thanks to the debuffs, has a decent amount of damage output as well. Find something else that works for you?

- Take a break! Sure, stay subscribed, but step away from the game for a week or two, or more if needed. Odds are, you will be drawn back to the game, just like you are drawn back to playing the game now. Except, after being away from it, exactly what it is that you find fun in this game should be crystal clear, and you can focus on doing that once you return.

While I can't relate just yet, I have a feeling I may soon.

I have an Earth/Stone Dominator (Catastrophus) at level 49, and in comparison with every other Dom combo in this game (I've tried them all, trust me) none have ever felt as solid. When those powers were given to Doms I was the first of my global buddies to roll one up and he became so wildly and rampantly powerful it almost caught me off guard. I don't think I can ever play another dominator without comparing it to Catastrophus's unthinkable ability to control. Quicksand, Earthquake, Volcanic Gasses, Stalagmites, Mud Pots, Sleet, Ice Storm, and then just run in and smash.

On the same note, I have a level 48 BS/Regen Scrapper, a level 48 (IIRC) Night Widow, and a level 47 Brute all waiting in the wings. I've forced myself not to play them too hard, as I want to hit 50 on Catastrophus and then, of course, hit 50 on the remaining close-to's that I have in my character list. However I don't want dinging 50, the big Five-Oh, to lose it's luster and specialness by taking 3 more toons and pinging them to max level one by one in a short span of time. If I did that I fear I might be able to relate pretty well to your situation.

My advice to you is to try new things always, even if they seem like a bad idea. For 3 years I was adamant in stating that I could never play a Dominator. Then, Earth and Stone were added to Doms and, on a whim, I created what may be the second most powerful character in my arsenal behind big bad Nalrok; this is me saying this when Nalrok is loaded with Incarnate stuff and Catastro isn't even 50.

Simple solution to your woes: Quit doing stuff you don't like. Voila. Honestly, no one is forcing you to run incarnate trials or IO out your characters to squeeze performance out of them. YOU are doing that to yourself. And if you don't find it enjoyable, don't come and complain to us about it. Just stop doing it.

Tangent: How is a Grav/Forcefield controller a walking credit card for the rest of your characters? No, you don't really have to answer this, but I find it interesting.

Anyhow, find whatever it is you like about those two characters, and find it in another combo. Or try the suggestions Winterminal gave.

Okie. Let me explain what I meant when I said Epic over time.

The options to get purples are there now, and luck, while always a fun option can easily be replaced with astrals to buy those special recipes that you just used to have to either wait to find. Which means time spent grinding on your "Epic" toons, which when you think of the popularity of said trials, it's just a matter of time before you can have some epic goodness...although I never associated purples with being epic, as much of what was offered in purples can somewhat be offset by a simple Alpha, a proper interface slot (To you taste really)

But those recipes that might be hard to achieve now are not as much, nor do you need to buy them, you just have to have time to do it. Desire is also important, but if you want something bad enough, then time is really where I was going with it.

I was not arguing the replayability of the game. I mean I have done much of the content over and over and over...and while each toon does bring something different, It's just the desire to play alts who's flaws now annoy me, over my epics, who now bore me...I think Im in a bind where the fluctuations between expectations and enjoyment are becoming ill balanced.

I was never a min/maxer, but lately, I can see myself slipping into that catagory, mainly because I know more about the numbers. I still have my stories, and I still have my RP, and concepts, but now it's just trying to keep those ideals in check, when I know that the destination will result in a similar progression to what I have already experienced.

There is no reason to not incarnate. There is no reason not to gain Judgement, Lore, Interface, and Destiny, and while it may be a bit grindy, the application of that grind just means "Time" and in that "Time" you gain more but I felt like I lost something in the process.

Nyx, I have been playing since April 28th 2004, and I have never once been bored. I have a few 50s and have yet to do even one Incarnate trial....I will when I feel like it. I STILL have not done everything even after 7 years, and the devs continue to add more and more goodies/changes. (I'll probably NEVER catch up LOL.) I love playing my 50's, especially teaming up with lower level characters/friends. Perhaps, to 'freshen' things up you could try:

Do missions at the AE...this is a source of creative and totally new content that will be a real change.

Go to Oro and go back in time. Challenge yourself to do all of the missions you skipped, dropped or out-leveled.

I always promised myself that if this game became a grind or was no longer fun, I'd stop playing. For me, there is no end in sight...there are just too many things to do that are yet to be done. It's not only one journey. It is thousands and the end remains over the horizon, always. I truly wish you good luck and hope you get your 'fun' groove back.