Screw efficiency. What's FUN for farming?
By
Black Zot,
Posted on: 2011-09-05 15:50 in Archetypes and Powers General Discussion
I already said this in the "defenders can't farm" thread, but lately I am having a lot of fun with my TA/A defender.
You can annihilate most spawns in a +2/x6 with just the various debuffs and oil slick once and rain of arrows once. So that is like 2 attacks to defeat a whole spawn. It is limited only by oil slicks recharge, which obviously you want to get very low. I currently have it at 43.8 secs which is not too bad as you can easily defeat the spawn in under 30 secs and then move onto the next one.
I can get +4/x8 but then you need to do rain twice and sometimes mop up afterwards. It is easier doing the +2s I think and faster inf/hour. I am not exagerating...aside from the debuffs to do more damage you will kill a whole tv don (or almost any other I suspect) spawn using just oil+rain (and using them just once.) Occasionally you might have to hit one lieutenant that strayed with blazing arrow once as well, but that's it.
It is funny because with the various disruption arrow etc on it, oil slick+rain does ridiculous damage. Like blaster self-end-draining nuke-that-has-twice-the-recharge-of-oil-slick level damage. And it has a wide radius. And it can be up surprisingly often.
I also have a 50 fire/fire brute but aesthetically I prefer being different and using the TA/A. So sue me.
The character is 50+3 but honestly I never even bother (in a farm--I certainly do in normal gameplay which the character also excels at) summoning the pets or using the destiny or judgement. The only thing I do like is the spiritual core paragon recharge bonus and the level shift. Fairly cheap...the only purple is the sleep one that is discounted. Yes, it is lame 6-slotting kick, but you have to realize that oil+rain are spawn killers and (almost) nothing else matters provided you have high enough defense. So you want to get that oil slick coming back faster.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.942
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Pixy: Level 50 Natural Defender
Primary Power Set: Trick Arrow
Secondary Power Set: Archery
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Mace Mastery
Hero Profile:
------------
Level 1: Entangling Arrow Enf'dOp-Acc/Rchg(A), Enf'dOp-EndRdx/Immob(3), Enf'dOp-Acc/EndRdx(3), Enf'dOp-Immob/Rng(5), Enf'dOp-Acc/Immob/Rchg(5)
Level 1: Snap Shot Acc-I(A)
Level 2: Glue Arrow RechRdx-I(A)
Level 4: Aimed Shot Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(46), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(48), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(48), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48)
Level 6: Ice Arrow BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(7), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(7), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(9)
Level 8: Poison Gas Arrow FtnHyp-Sleep(A), FtnHyp-Sleep/Rchg(9), FtnHyp-Acc/Sleep/Rchg(17), FtnHyp-Acc/Rchg(17), FtnHyp-Sleep/EndRdx(19)
Level 10: Blazing Arrow Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(11), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(11), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(13), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(13)
Level 12: Acid Arrow Acc-I(A)
Level 14: Hasten RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(15), RechRdx-I(15)
Level 16: Aim RechRdx-I(A)
Level 18: Disruption Arrow RechRdx-I(A)
Level 20: Explosive Arrow KinCrsh-Dmg/KB(A), KinCrsh-Acc/KB(21), KinCrsh-Rchg/KB(21), KinCrsh-Rechg/EndRdx(23), KinCrsh-Dmg/EndRdx/KB(23), KinCrsh-Acc/Dmg/KB(25)
Level 22: Hover LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), Flight-I(50), Flight-I(50)
Level 24: Kick KinCrsh-Dmg/KB(A), KinCrsh-Acc/KB(25), KinCrsh-Rchg/KB(27), KinCrsh-Rechg/EndRdx(27), KinCrsh-Dmg/EndRdx/KB(31), KinCrsh-Acc/Dmg/KB(34)
Level 26: Oil Slick Arrow Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(34), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(34), Posi-Dmg/Rng(37), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), RechRdx-I(40)
Level 28: Ranged Shot Mantic-Acc/Dmg(A), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx(29), Mantic-Acc/ActRdx/Rng(29), Mantic-Dmg/ActRdx/Rchg(31), Mantic-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(31)
Level 30: Tough S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(A)
Level 32: EMP Arrow BasGaze-Acc/Hold(A), BasGaze-Acc/Rchg(33), BasGaze-Rchg/Hold(33), BasGaze-EndRdx/Rchg/Hold(33)
Level 35: Weave RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(36), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(36), RedFtn-Def(37), LkGmblr-Rchg+(37)
Level 38: Rain of Arrows Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(39), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(39), Posi-Dmg/Rng(39), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), RechRdx-I(43)
Level 41: Scorpion Shield RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(42), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(42), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(42), RedFtn-Def(43), LkGmblr-Rchg+(43)
Level 44: Maneuvers RedFtn-Def/EndRdx(A), RedFtn-Def/Rchg(45), RedFtn-EndRdx/Rchg(45), RedFtn-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(45), RedFtn-Def(46), LkGmblr-Rchg+(46)
Level 47: Assault EndRdx-I(A)
Level 49: Vengeance LkGmblr-Rchg+(A)
Level 50: Spiritual Core Paragon
------------
Level 1: Brawl Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 1: Vigilance
Level 2: Rest Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift Flight-I(A)
Level 2: Health Mrcl-Rcvry+(A)
Level 2: Hurdle Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Stamina P'Shift-End%(A), P'Shift-EndMod(19), EndMod-I(50)
| Copy & Paste this data into Mids' Hero Designer to view the build |
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"Hi, my name is Ail. I make people sick."
A partial selection from my 50's on Freedom: Ail = Ice/Traps, Luck = Street Justice/Super Reflexes Stalker, Mist = Bane, Pixy = Trick Arrow/Archery, Pure = Gravity/Energy, Smoke = Fire/Fire Dominator
Quick test shows I'm getting 780 tickets per minute = [, but doing 1100 dps. Not bad for a controller.
Dark Bard, Zoobait, Debacle
jmsb
Por vezes d� vontade...
chucknorriss
speak american godamnit
I've never gotten a TA/A (or A/TA) up to a level where either rain or oil slick was available. Keep planning to, keep not getting to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ7qzfXeAH0
It's even in high res if you want to ramp it up to HD quality. 
This is the TA/A in action on a +2x6 tv don farm. I have since gotten one more LoTG slotted since I recorded this, so things now recharge a bit quicker. It doesn't take 1337 skills or anything and is very pedestrian:
oil --> button to target oil --> glue --> acid --> disruption --> poison --> blazing --> aim --> rain. aim could probably be done earlier in the sequence.
I filmed it so you saw 2 nem groups and 2 family groups. Above will kill the family groups outright. Sometimes on the nem groups you get a stray lieutenant who you need to hit once with blazing.
You could do +4x8 but then you have to do rain of arrows twice and I find that the groups use the extra time to start running more and so sometimes you have to chase one or two down.
You can theoretically do a group every time oil slick recharges, so about every 45 secs.
Certainly there are many better farming builds out there.
I find this one particularly fun though because TA/A was my first 50 way back when years ago and I mainly kept playing Pixy because she was so gimp I couldn't believe it. Soloing normal missions was this herculean task involving lots of clever tricks and running around. How the game has changed...
"Hi, my name is Ail. I make people sick."
A partial selection from my 50's on Freedom: Ail = Ice/Traps, Luck = Street Justice/Super Reflexes Stalker, Mist = Bane, Pixy = Trick Arrow/Archery, Pure = Gravity/Energy, Smoke = Fire/Fire Dominator
Quote:
If you are interested in getting started with dual boxing, really, go with two identical Sonic/Sonic Defenders. The Defender boost to -Resistance effects means that your damage will match (slightly exceed) Corruptors, and I've found that dual-boxing is a lot less stressful if both toons are Ranged. Being at the +Resistance cap is a stress-reliever of its own.|
Originally Posted by seebs
I am experimenting with dual-boxing; dark/mace tanker, emp/psy defender. The defender can contribute with /follow and occasional button pressing, and makes up for the tanker's key weaknesses quite well. We'll see.
|
Specifically, you can toggle-bind two ranged attacks and have the secondary toon target through the first one.
It's perfectly possible to make the "perfect team" characters but starting out I think it will be harder to coordinate them well. Think bubble sets (or pet sets) of various types, buffs not debuffs. I hope this helps!
Currently playing:
Infaerna Who knew Fire/Fire Brutes were fun to play?
You can try the Ice Control method, demonstrated in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZyL9m4E1U
Efficient? Not completely, though not terrible either. Fun? I think it is in, in that "Showgirls is the best movie ever made" kind of way.
[This version includes a character with a few Incarnate powers but rest assured this is possible without them. The character in the video really wasn't specced for farming anyway and could have done a bit better with a different APP attack set and actual having his powers slotted for damage.]
FWIW, so far I've mostly been using an axe/fire brute, just because HA HA HA THEY ALL FELL DOWN.
... Yes, I think Charlie Chaplin was a comedic genius, why do you ask?
Quote:
Hey this seems like a good idea. I've been looking for the most carefree farmer but I don't want a slow one, even a fire/fire Tanker is not good enough for my tastes. I have a 50 SS/Fire, he has a planned permahasten build but... After incarnated I found out his AoEs are always up and he can farm +4/x8 easily with bosses, just have to pop two lucks (I have some fire defense on him).|
Originally Posted by seebs
FWIW, so far I've mostly been using an axe/fire brute, just because HA HA HA THEY ALL FELL DOWN.
... Yes, I think Charlie Chaplin was a comedic genius, why do you ask? |
But I hate the rage crash, besides hating remembering to click rage, and I want a farmer blueside. think I'll self PL one of those, do you find it too slow? A good thing about axe is that it can slot the FF rech proc like I have on Foot Stomp.
I was considering a Warshade but the reason my S/L softcapped firekin is shelved is the number of clicks required... Siphon speed, fulcrum, transfusion, transference... You know it gets boring after awhile.
I'm not sure how to farm on a WS tho, a friend of mine used to do it human only on the BM maps in the old times, but I never asked his methods because I didn't know anything about Warshades. I might as well get the last 5 levels on mine to 50, but if farming on them is 'Eclipse, Mire, switch to Dwarf, Mire, switch to Nova and THEN start blasting it might be a little boring for me. Plus I'm under the impression that due to Fury, Brutes are always much faster than other ATs, except maybe fire/shield scrappes and fire/kin trollers. Yeah I didnt mention elec/shield scrappers because I always read they're kind bad for bosses.
Quote:
Well, what's fun to do other stuff with? Chances are whatever your answer for that is will be the answer for this as well.
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Originally Posted by seebs
The way I see it, there's too ways to optimize farming. One is straight efficiency, where the optimization comes from needing as little time as possible spent farming to get Lots Of Stuff. The other is to have as much fun as possible while farming. So what's fun?
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dechs Kaison See, it's gems like these that make me check Claws' post history every once in a while to make sure I haven't missed anything good lately. |
Quote:
I was going to cite a Plant as well. Creepers can do completely evil things to the average Ambush Farm, especially when procced up. All you have to do is spam Roots, fling seeds occasionally and try not to die.
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Originally Posted by Necromatic
I can do +4/8 fire or sl (ambush or not) on my plant/kin. Not sure how efficient he is but its damn fun listening to all the slapping the creeper vines do.
|
Doing CEBR on a lowbie Fire/Fire Blaster proved to be very... exhilarating! Required liberal use of Inspirations of course, but once you start rolling it's edge of your seat excitement! Deaths are a plenty but the spectacle of it all more than makes up for the quick hop back, besides it gives you a chance to reset and stock back up.
Also tried on my WS. Using Insp's to get Mire off, Nova makes really quick work of the spawns. I was only 14 so no double mires for me, but didn't really matter. But for some odd reason, the blaster lasted longer than the WS. Once my insps wore off I'd go down really quick, were as the blaster could keep AoEing and usually manage to pull off some last minute luck insp saves.
Maestro Mavius - Infinity
Capt. Biohazrd - PCSAR
Talsor Tech - Talsorian Guard
Keep Calm & Chive On!
Quote:
If you're going human only, then you can build for whatever type of defense you prefer. If you don't change forms, your toggles stay up and you can keep some great numbers going. You get resistance from Eclipse and damage buffs from Mire, both of which should be permanent (along with Hasten). Stygian Circle will be up seemingly always, so endurance and health are easy to come by. Definitely run Orbiting Death and rely on Dark Detonation, Unchain Essence, and Sunless Mire for AOE damage (might be a great AT for the new Leaping attack, too). Inky Aspect can provide some mitigation, if needed.|
Originally Posted by Kioshi
I was considering a Warshade but the reason my S/L softcapped firekin is shelved is the number of clicks required... Siphon speed, fulcrum, transfusion, transference... You know it gets boring after awhile.
I'm not sure how to farm on a WS tho, a friend of mine used to do it human only on the BM maps in the old times, but I never asked his methods because I didn't know anything about Warshades. |
If you want multiple forms, set up binds to combine insps for defense and enjoy the carnage in whatever form sounds good to you at the time. It'll be a lot more clicky, of course. Mainly, you'll use human for for buffs and unchain essence, with Nova being the focus for damage. I'd probably only use Dwarf for Mire and mez recovery, but it's worth taking if only as a set mule.
Dark Extraction is great for farming traditional PVE content, but not so much for ambush farms. Keep it on the build anyway for the great set bonuses and non-farming usefulness.
The most fun farm that I remember was one a friend had made in the AE:
Freakshow + Dreck Map + ambush after ambush after ambush
It felt so epic with all the mobs just coming nonstop and then rezzing after they were defeated.
The rewards weren't anything all that crazy - just standard defeat rewards, no exploit there.
It was one of the few times I was grateful for the aggro cap lol
[ @Zombie Fryer ][ @Zombie Smasher ]
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| Home Server: Virtue |
Twitter: @ZFLikesNachos Save City of Heroes (Titan Network) [Successful "The Really Hard Way" runs: 4] [Click ^]
The axe/fire brute was sorta mediocre until 16-18; that's when I got the third fire resist source (giving me about 67.5% unenhanced) and whirling axe. Which, yes, takes the force feedback proc.
Once you've got enhancements up to about 85-90% fire resist, you can run with ridiculously large crowds. Until then, maybe make friends with a thermal.
Quote:
Oddly, this has not been the case for me so much. My usual preferred style of play is cautious setup. I like stalkers, and I like characters with stealth. Two of my most-played characters are nrg/dev and dp/dev blasters, and I'll happily spend 2 minutes trip mining to kill a spawn rather than 30 seconds shooting.|
Originally Posted by ClawsandEffect
Well, what's fun to do other stuff with? Chances are whatever your answer for that is will be the answer for this as well.
|
... So farming's really way off in lala land compared to what I otherwise do.
I just run my Spines/DA scrap though a claws/regen farm. I sit and watch tv while doing it, only at +1/x8 though. Sometimes if I feel generous I will run lowbies with me.
Quote:
Nice, thanks for the info. I actually have a WS that was self-PL'ed to 22, he's 28 now. I know, don't PL Epics, but it's a reroll of an old WS I had at 40 before the Kheld buff. He is tri form but if I decide to try farming with him it'll be human, I remember my friend (And another WS I saw long ago who I farmed along on my fire/kin) were REALLY fast, and both human-only. I don't want too much clicking when farming, WSs are clicy enough, my triform has so many binds I won't remember now because I haven't played him in 4 months lol.|
Originally Posted by streetlight
If you're going human only, then you can build for whatever type of defense you prefer. If you don't change forms, your toggles stay up and you can keep some great numbers going. You get resistance from Eclipse and damage buffs from Mire, both of which should be permanent (along with Hasten). Stygian Circle will be up seemingly always, so endurance and health are easy to come by. Definitely run Orbiting Death and rely on Dark Detonation, Unchain Essence, and Sunless Mire for AOE damage (might be a great AT for the new Leaping attack, too). Inky Aspect can provide some mitigation, if needed.
If you want multiple forms, set up binds to combine insps for defense and enjoy the carnage in whatever form sounds good to you at the time. It'll be a lot more clicky, of course. Mainly, you'll use human for for buffs and unchain essence, with Nova being the focus for damage. I'd probably only use Dwarf for Mire and mez recovery, but it's worth taking if only as a set mule. Dark Extraction is great for farming traditional PVE content, but not so much for ambush farms. Keep it on the build anyway for the great set bonuses and non-farming usefulness. |
It was kinda easy to get him to 22 alone. Level 1 locked ambush farm, from 2-6 it was a bit of a chore since I only had Orbiting and Sands of Mu as my 'AoE', after I got Nova it was almost (non SS) Brute speed to 22, just had to be sure I was at the defense cap all the time using binds for insps as you said. Since the farm was level 1 and I got my powers up to level 6... I don't think many ATs (Except Brutes, fury+damage aura+AoE attack is pure win) would do better on such a farm because Nova form is better than Blasters at level 6, good and fast AoEs.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by seebs
The axe/fire brute was sorta mediocre until 16-18; that's when I got the third fire resist source (giving me about 67.5% unenhanced) and whirling axe. Which, yes, takes the force feedback proc.
Once you've got enhancements up to about 85-90% fire resist, you can run with ridiculously large crowds. Until then, maybe make friends with a thermal. |
One of the issues I always face is that I can't tell whether something will be even viable for killing quickly without dying at high levels. And if it's not, levelling one to try to farm with it is stupid.
I think the best way to do it would probably just be finding out what you like playing, so that one day when you stumble upon something that causes mass destruction, you'll give it a try on a whim and end up saying "Wait a minute, I can farm with this!"
That's what my Warshade did for me at some point.