Why aren't you playing a Mastermind
By
Agent White,
Posted on: 2012-05-14 11:50 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
I am just like I am playing Brutes. Dug you are a trip mate.
The development team and this community deserved better than this from NC Soft. Best wishes on your search.
I do. I have one of every mastermind on at least 32, and several mercs across the level ranges. They are without a doubt my favorite AT.
"I have something to say! It's better to burn out then to fade away!"
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I am playing a MM. In fact, two of them. |
Originally Posted by dugfromthearth
sure everything has god mode now at level 50+, but MM's invented it. MM's soloing GM's, AVs, pretty much anything. They are one player teams (at least /dark and /traps).
They are also unique to CoX as far as I know - being able to control so many pets with that much control. So why aren't you playing a MM? |
Rather than encouraging others to play them, it'd be great if we had fewer people playing them.
Most people seem unwilling to invest the time and energy needed to make sure they're not running wild. I wish I had a dollar for every time pets go streaking off into the distance when a Tank is trying to pull Seige to the desired spot. Repeated requests to heel pets go unheeded.
Yeah, have to say this AT really ought to have an IQ test attached before you can roll one. The only thing worse than a careless MM is a careless Stormy - and don't get me started on THEM.
I am just really terrible at it. I did get beast mastery though, because I may try again at some point.
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How about a careless /storm Mastermind?
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Originally Posted by Bad_Influence
The only thing worse than a careless MM is a careless Stormy - and don't get me started on THEM.
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_________
@Inquisitor
Because I don't care for the AT. Just that simple.
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If I could get dollars for seeing MM pets running amok I'd be a millionaire by now. I can't count the number of times I've seen MMs with worse control over their pets than I have with my Fire Imps. |
Originally Posted by Bad_Influence
Most people seem unwilling to invest the time and energy needed to make sure they're not running wild. I wish I had a dollar for every time pets go streaking off into the distance when a Tank is trying to pull Seige to the desired spot. Repeated requests to heel pets go unheeded.
Yeah, have to say this AT really ought to have an IQ test attached before you can roll one. The only thing worse than a careless MM is a careless Stormy - and don't get me started on THEM. |
MM players who actually know what they're doing with their pets can be awesome - sadly I don't often see many good examples of that.
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Unfortunately that is not a problem with just CoH. Any MMO that involves pets will invariably see the majority of players playing said class effectively ignoring their pet and either letting it do whatever, or just having it on passive. Though with CoH you have to take into considering that sometimes the bugs are going to slap you in the face. That won't excuse everyone mind, but I know I can't be the only one to sit there hammering "Heel/passive" only to have my minions ignore me, or almost more annoying, run back to me, just to run back to whatever they were doing before.
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Originally Posted by Lothic
If I could get dollars for seeing MM pets running amok I'd be a millionaire by now. I can't count the number of times I've seen MMs with worse control over their pets than I have with my Fire Imps.
MM players who actually know what they're doing with their pets can be awesome - sadly I don't really see too many good examples of that. |
"I have something to say! It's better to burn out then to fade away!"
because their AI is bugged in trials and also they're totally gimped in half of them. (Lam, TPN, Keyes etc)
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And this is what I mean by I suck at it.
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Originally Posted by Lothic
If I could get dollars for seeing MM pets running amok I'd be a millionaire by now. I can't count the number of times I've seen MMs with worse control over their pets than I have with my Fire Imps.
MM players who actually know what they're doing with their pets can be awesome - sadly I don't often see many good examples of that. |
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My first villain 50 was a Mastermind (bots/dark/GW patron) named Soulsteel.
My second villain 50 was also a Mastermind (mercs/TA/Sci patron) named Profiteer. (And let me tell you now, mercs/TA for a Mastermind can be downright BRUTAL. Not quite the force of nature that a necro/dark MM is, but holy crap...)
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I don't play MMs for the same reason I don't play Defenders: I'm neither interested in nor good with that level of micro-management in an MMO. My playstyle is fairly straightforward and lends itself more toward damage-dealers and/or Tanks (although I have opened up more to active crowd control/debuffing thanks to my experience with another MMO).
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You answered your own question, at least where it concerns me.|
Originally Posted by dugfromthearth
I want my character to be the one doing the stuff, not using powers through an NPC. Watching my pets win a fight just is not fun for me.
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I'm not against Controller/Dom pets (Or random 1 offs like Dark Servant/Extraction), because I don't feel that they overshadow my character, but basically all a MM IS is a pocket (de)buffer for it's own pets, and I for one find that INCREDIBLY boring.
@Oathbound & @Oathbound Too
Because the amount of work required by me to support all of my pets isn't worth the outcome. I can run a Melee AT or a Dominator or Controller and do far better.
I have one level 50 Mastermind, a Robotics/Force Field. It was agony leveling him, so boring and too much stress. He only has his Alpha slot so I don't have any real experience with an Incarnate Mastermind. Frankly, I don't want the stress of doing it.
I have a level 28 Necromancy/Dark Miasma Mastermind that I just can't get back to because the pets are so frail. The play style is so very different from what I like. At the difficulty setting I like to run I just can't get them moving properly.
Playing a Mastermind is like taking care of pre-school kids hopped up on sugar and Power Rangers that want to run out in traffic.
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I play MM's religously. They are by far my favorite AT. I find them very complex to use and love that complexity of it. I also know they are semi-shunned by large teams and all of my pets hate, with utter disgust, small caves. 
One of things I like the most of MM's, is sometimes I log on very late/early, depending on the time zone and there isn't much teaming at that time, so MM's make me feel sometimes like I am teaming with others.
I like worrying about their health, damage output, of they are effective at fighting this AV.
My 1st toon and 1st toon to 50 was a Necro/dark miasma. Love it.
The only AT that comes in secondplace is my Ill/Storm controller. He is like a MM, with after incarnate lore, is at about 7 pets.
Personally, I can't really get into the Beast mastery set though. I guess I'm big on thematics, and I can see having wolves, lions and hawk taking on a demi god.
Now if they would just come out with a total MM customization option, I would seriously never play another AT.
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I've got 2. An incarnate necro/dark that I really enjoyed and barely had any trouble with. And now a 27 beast/time I'm waiting to take through Night Ward. it's been fairly smooth sailing thus far.
1. Pets move too slow
2. Pets make too many annoying noises
3. Pet "AI" is a joke
4. Too much recent content where the correct move is to just speed through mobs and ignore stuff.
5. Devs hate Masterminds
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V: Brute 50, Corruptor 50, MM 50, Dominator 50, Stalker 50, AW 50, AS 50
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Bottom 4: (Peacebringer) way below everything else, Mastermind, Dominator, Blaster
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You guys do realize that you get attack powers, right? And unless you are ramping up the difficulty, you've got some leeway in between supporting your army, right? And your attack powers will be around on par with your boss level minion? Just thought I'd check.
That being said...if you don't like playing a support role, you won't like playing a mastermind. You're either going to be buffing, debuffing, and healing them, or resummoning and rebuffing them when they die a lot. So either way you play it, you'll end up in a support role at least part of the time. But I still find plenty of time to lay down attacks on all of my masterminds, so its not like I am never doing damage. Course, your mileage may vary. *Shrugs*
"I have something to say! It's better to burn out then to fade away!"
Hmm I love my MMs and well Masterminds are my favorite AT but to each there own. Cause I can't stand Tankers. Nope sorry wont make one. Hmm let me see all my MM. Merc/Traps, Beast/Sonic, Deamon/Therm, Thug/Pain, Bot/FF it isn't that Boring oh wait that is his name, ninja/ta a MM to get pissed off at when you feel bored it meshes so well even on annoying the heck out of me.
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Just browsign through (since I do play MMs) and saw this...|
Originally Posted by Oathbound
I'm not against Controller/Dom pets (Or random 1 offs like Dark Servant/Extraction), because I don't feel that they overshadow my character, but basically all a MM IS is a pocket (de)buffer for it's own pets, and I for one find that INCREDIBLY boring.
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Let me say it *all* depends on the sets you're on. The first MM I was working on nearly put me off the AT completely - bots/FF. Talk about doing nothing. (Worse once the bubbles became AOE.) Bored me to *death.*
Before giving up on them completely, I went to the MM forum, mentioned this, and had some suggestions thrown at me. Ended up rolling a Thugs/Poison, and had a lot of fun to 50. /Poison on my second 50 MM, too - Necro/Poison. I've got others all through the level ranges - third highest is a bots/traps then, actually, that (rarely played) bot/ff.
Now, sure, it may be the AT as a whole doesn't click for you, and that's fine - but investigate some other sets if you haven't. Find one to keep you more active, if that's what you're looking for.
I've got one MM, but he's an Incarnated Thugs/Traps so he kicks boootay. It really can be fun managing all the activity an MM can bring, but it is kinda sad that you can't really do it well with the default macros that come with an MM. You pretty much need extra Macros/Binds to play them at their best.
Since I have those I don't mind but still, the AT (and any AT) should be designed so that you don't need extra stuff to make it really good.
Retarded AI, pretty much. I love the AT, but the AI has gotten worse since i22. It's just not worth it anymore.
I will likely go back to Masterminds if they ever get Cold Domination, however.
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Here's the thing, I DO like playing the support role. Even in games where the support role is *do nothing* but heal, but if I'm going to do that I want to play a character who's better at it than MMs (particularly given their endurance penalty).|
Originally Posted by Paladiamors
That being said...if you don't like playing a support role, you won't like playing a mastermind. You're either going to be buffing, debuffing, and healing them, or resummoning and rebuffing them when they die a lot. So either way you play it, you'll end up in a support role at least part of the time. But I still find plenty of time to lay down attacks on all of my masterminds, so its not like I am never doing damage. Course, your mileage may vary. *Shrugs*
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Just browsign through (since I do play MMs) and saw this...
Let me say it *all* depends on the sets you're on. The first MM I was working on nearly put me off the AT completely - bots/FF. Talk about doing nothing. (Worse once the bubbles became AOE.) Bored me to *death.* Before giving up on them completely, I went to the MM forum, mentioned this, and had some suggestions thrown at me. Ended up rolling a Thugs/Poison, and had a lot of fun to 50. /Poison on my second 50 MM, too - Necro/Poison. I've got others all through the level ranges - third highest is a bots/traps then, actually, that (rarely played) bot/ff. Now, sure, it may be the AT as a whole doesn't click for you, and that's fine - but investigate some other sets if you haven't. Find one to keep you more active, if that's what you're looking for. |
I've tried Merc/Traps, Thug/Traps, Thug/Pain, Thug/Poison, Necro/Poison, Necro/Dark, Demon/Thermal, Demon/Pain and Beast/Time. Some of them more than once.
I don't like feeling secondary to my own pets. I've never felt that way about any Controller/Dom/etc combination I've ever played, but I can't help but feel that way about every single Mastermind.
Really I'm okay with there being Archetypes that I don't like to play. I'm sure there are archetypes I love to play that other people can't stand.
@Oathbound & @Oathbound Too
If you "play" a mastermind by unleashing your pets on anything that moves and then sit there watching while you try to stay awake.. then your right you SHOULDN'T be playing them at all.
1. While there are only 3 I always take all of my own personnel attacks so I can assist my minons in doing damage . thus adding to the total damage I do.
2. I have several 50 + Masterminds and while my pets are wrecking havoc I am busy debuffing anything lieutenant or higher (and especailly the AV), healing, buffing, etc to assist not only myself and my pets but anyone else I am teaming with.
3. Depending on the power set in question I can unleash holds, immobs, disorients or even slows to further disrupt the enemies my team and I face and add in winning.
Sounds like you need to see mutliple little red numbers erupt from your clicks.. I'd stick with blasters, scrappers, Brutes, stalkers etc.. Oh and before you ask.. YES I play all of those and have 50+'s in each of those areas as well LOL 
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sure everything has god mode now at level 50+, but MM's invented it. MM's soloing GM's, AVs, pretty much anything. They are one player teams (at least /dark and /traps).
They are also unique to CoX as far as I know - being able to control so many pets with that much control.
I don't play them because I don't like pets. I don't like my controller and doms getting pets, I don't like my crab getting pets. I certainly don't want to play an AT devoted to pets. I want my character to be the one doing the stuff, not using powers through an NPC. Watching my pets win a fight just is not fun for me.
So why aren't you playing a MM?