Dark Current

Reaction Time!

First up in the DEFCON 2 Kinetics Team Trials... my controller Deimos (Earth / Kinetics / Earth) gets the party started with a couple of the Best of the Worst. Watch to learn why you need to use audio confirmations with PuGs! Mission Retrospective Mission 1 (Malta, boss and glowie) = 6 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 2 (Arachnos, escort NPC) = 8 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 3 (Carnie, glowie) = 11 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 4 (Longbow, escort NPC) = 12 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 5 (Carnies, rescue officers, recruit Overdrive) = 20 minutes with 4 teammates Total Time = 57 minutes 1. Survivability = Personal Defeats Mission Personal Defeats Time Teammate Survivability Rate Survivability Index 1 0 6 4 0.00 0.00 2 0 8 4 0.00 0.00 3 0 11 4 0.00 0.00 4 0 12 4 0.00 0.00 5 0 20 4 0.00 0.00 total 0 57 0.00 0.00 ß AVG 2. Risk = Ally Defeats Mission Ally Defeats Time Teammate Risk Rate Risk Index 1 2 6 4 0.33 0.50 2 1 8 4 0.13 0.25 3 0 11 4 0.00 0.00 4 1 12 4 0.08 0.25 5 0 20 4 0.00 0.00 total 4 57 0.11 0.20 ß AVG 3. Lethality = Foe Defeats Mission Kills Time Teammate Lethality Rate Lethality Index 1 24 6 4 4.00 6.00 2 42 8 4 5.25 10.50 3 55 11 4 5.00 13.75 4 33 12 4 2.75 8.25 5 114 20 4 5.70 28.50 total 268 57 4.54 13.40 ß AVG 4. Threat = Damage Output Mission DMG out Time Teammate Threat Rate Threat Index 1 30271 6 4 5045 7568 2 32299 8 4 4037 8075 3 58663 11 4 5333 14666 4 47442 12 4 3953 11860 5 93463 20 4 4673 23366 Total à 262138 57 4608 13107 ß AVG Personal Damage Output Mission: 1 2 3 4 5 Attack Total: Boxing 79 102 0 86 0 267 Fissure 1724 2796 2595 765 3258 11137 Fossilize 467 1405 1918 2509 3406 9704 Seismic Smash 201 705 1287 406 1634 4233 Stalagmites 131 404 926 612 2341 4414 Bombardment 574 818 1610 1748 3895 8645 Positron's Blast 620 909 1575 1730 3790 8624 Stone Cages 302 1926 930 2178 3214 8550 Stone Prison 421 633 575 970 1317 3916 Volcanic Ground 541 499 862 414 1960 6624 Positron’s Blast 461 206 439 444 797 na Earthquake (Explosive Strike, Touch of Lady Grey) 537 1188 757 981 2058 5520 Quicksand (Impeded Swiftness) 563 722 509 760 1595 4148 Transfusion (Touch of the Nictus) 126 40 143 47 233 589 Volcanic Geyser (Ghost Widow’s Embrace, Neuronic Shutdown) 1181 681 1133 867 2313 6175 Pyronic Judgement 2912 7510 10461 12905 27755 61543 Mission Total: 10841 20544 25719 27421 59565 144089 Pet Damage Output Pet 1 2 3 4 5 Pet Total: Animated Stone 2735 11331 13857 8806 19210 55939 Anti-Matter Particles 5439 0 7350 2242 1883 16914 Builder Essence 4659 0 3364 3450 3025 14498 Dismantler Essence 6580 0 8279 4856 7825 27540 Energy Font 19 424 94 666 1956 3158 Mission Total: 19431 11755 32944 20020 33898 118049 5. Resilience = Damage Taken Mission DMG in Time Teammate Resilience Rate Resilience Index 1 1557 6 4 259 389 2 3773 8 4 472 943 3 2071 11 4 188 518 4 2739 12 4 228 685 5 4845 20 4 242 1211 Total à 14984 57 278 749 ß AVG Type of Damage Taken Mission: 1 2 3 4 Mayhem Type Total Cold 314 0 0 0 0 314 Energy 38 984 152 673 577 2425 Fire 426 119 192 329 210 1276 Lethal 681 0 0 1114 192 1986 Negative Energy 0 0 97 0 120 217 Psionic 0 2104 1508 215 3221 7048 Smashing 98 117 123 408 524 1270 Toxic 0 449 0 0 0 449 Mission Total: 1557 3773 2071 2739 4845 14984

DEFCON 2 is here and it's time to compare Kinetics! DEFCON Level 2 has a Kinetics / Radiation / Psychic Defender squaring off with an Earth / Kinetics / Earth Controller in a winner-take-all matchup. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Blue Corner, we have Chakra a mental guru whose decades of meditative training have exposed the universal strings connecting all matter in the universe, which he plays to move objects outside the timestream causing them to accelerate and decelerate, as well as snap the connections to unleash bursts of cosmic energy against his foes. MIDS Build: Chakra - Defender (Kinetics).mbd Build Discussion and Solo Showcase Video: RELEASING 2/18 !!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- And in the Red Corner, we have Deimos, a Controller of Tech Origin whose power suit is fitted with rare tectonite crystals that redirect seismic forces and telluric currents in a localized area, giving him the ability to warp stone and alter its magnetic fields. MIDS Build: Deimos - Controller (Earth Control).mbd Build Discussion and Solo Showcase Video:

Matchup was very close, but Defender gets the nod for more offensive contribution. He had a statistically significant higher number of foe defeats and damage output over his 5 missions compared to the Controller. The two were virtually identical in defensive measures - self defeats, ally defeats, damage taken. Defenders were my original go-to on live, followed by dominators when CoV launched. However, I've grown to enjoy controllers with HC launch a few years ago. For me, the combinations are what matters. I can make either AT work effectively and enjoy their contributions. I have favorite builds of both ATs and wouldn't necessarily pick one over the other.

The Verdict is in! DEFCON 3 goes to the Defender!!!

What happened? What do Bhootakash's stats mean? My stat breakdown and telestrated reaction to the Bhootakhash team trials.

What happened? What do Marquis's stats mean? My stat breakdown and telestrated reaction to the Marquis's team trials

Bhootakash vs her controller peers:

For comparison, I present Marquis du Temps stats with Time Manipulation vs. the previous 2 defenders (Ampere Avenger and Skreaming Tree) with Electrical and Nature Affinity. From this data, it seems that this build with Time is superior in multiple ways to the previous 2 defender builds. How much of that is due to Time Manipulation itself vs the defensive strategy of the build (massive -SPD and -RCH debuffery) remains to be seen. The controller data with the same sets could give insight into the answer if Bhootakash likewise shows the best results with her Time build.

DEFCON 3 Time Manipulation Controller - Team Trials Bhootakash (Gravity / Time / Energy) gathers a force 5 worthy guardians to restore order to the streets of Peregrine Isle. Mission Retrospective Mission 1 (Arachnos rescue, Hollow Point) = 25 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 2 (Carnies boss) = 28 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 3 (5th Column boss, Maelstrom) = 22 minutes with 4 teammates Mission 4 (Council boss) = 15 minutes with 4 teammates Safeguard (Carnies, Malta, Arachnos, Critical Mass) = 41 minutes with 4 teammates Total Time = 131 minutes DEFCON 3 Stats: 1. Survivability Mission Personal Defeats Time Teammate Survivability Rate Survivability Index 1 1 25 4 0.04 0.25 2 0 28 4 0.00 0.00 3 0 22 4 0.00 0.00 4 0 15 4 0.00 0.00 Safeguard 0 41 4 0.00 0.00 Total à 1 131 0.01 0.05 ß AVG 2. Risk Mission Ally Defeats Time Teammate Risk Rate Risk Index 1 2 25 4 0.08 0.50 2 1 28 4 0.04 0.25 3 1 22 4 0.05 0.25 4 1 15 4 0.07 0.25 Safeguard 4 41 4 0.10 1.00 Total à 9 131 0.07 0.45 ß AVG 3. Lethality Mission Kills Time Teammate Lethality Rate Lethality Index 1 91 25 4 3.64 22.75 2 101 28 4 3.61 25.25 3 45 22 4 2.05 11.25 4 45 15 4 3.00 11.25 Safeguard 87 41 4 2.12 21.75 Total à 369 131 2.88 18.45 ß AVG 4. Threat Personal Damage Output Mission: 1 2 3 4 Safeguard Attack Total: Crushing Field 4034 3342 1351 1475 2731 12934 Impeded Swiftness 1831 1258 481 658 745 4973 Positron's Blast 1431 1051 726 340 1018 4565 Superior Will of the Controller 3160 2097 891 1641 2096 9884 Trap of the Hunter 1347 1527 522 513 1007 4917 Energy Torrent 6706 8680 3384 1863 7580 28213 Gravity Distortion 3344 4311 3057 1948 6309 18970 Apocalypse 1317 2130 1280 757 2987 8471 Lift 3362 5877 3664 2948 7254 23105 Power Blast 812 1315 1268 813 2580 6789 Propel 5699 8097 5635 4311 8286 32028 Time's Juncture (Ice Mistral's Torment) 2160 3123 1429 1059 2931 10701 Weaken Resolve (Shield Breaker) 641 224 203 30 382 1480 Cryonic Total Radial Judgement 15109 15015 11365 6474 21655 69618 Mission Total: 50952 58046 35256 24830 67562 236647 Pet Damage Output Pet 1 2 3 4 Safeguard Pet Total: Energy Font (Distortion Field) 2720 4761 1095 746 2881 12204 Singularity 19792 16844 7758 9530 11322 65245 Storm Elemental 5843 6932 1880 3206 9616 27477 Tempest Elemental 14773 16540 2769 12726 19044 65852 Mission Total: 43129 45077 13501 26208 42863 170778 Combined Damage Output Mission DMG out Time Teammate Threat Rate Threat Index 1 94081 25 4 3763 23520 2 103122 28 4 3683 25781 3 48758 22 4 2216 12189 4 51038 15 4 3403 12760 Safeguard 110426 41 4 2693 27606 Total à 407425 131 3152 20371 ß AVG 5. Resilience Type of Damage Taken Mission: 1 2 3 4 Mayhem Type Total Cold 0 0 510 69 1575 2154 Energy 4083 342 261 101 791 5578 Fire 176 383 4278 1310 3113 9259 Lethal 306 33 1896 156 1832 4223 Negative Energy 0 187 232 3277 389 4084 Psionic 4655 5016 0 0 8450 18122 Smashing 318 151 490 74 1016 2048 Toxic 1972 0 327 0 0 2299 Mission Total: 11511 6112 7993 4986 17166 47768 Overall Damage Taken Mission DMG in Time Teammate Resilience Rate Resilience Index 1 11511 25 4 460 2878 2 6112 28 4 218 1528 3 7993 22 4 363 1998 4 4986 15 4 332 1247 Safeguard 17166 41 4 419 4291 Total à 47768 131 359 2388 ß AVG

DEFCON 3 Time Manipulation Defender - Team Trials Marquis du Temps (Time / DP / Ice) winds up a steady team of 5 for 5 straight missions, ending in a 30-minute romp through the streets of Peregrine Isle in defense of the citizenry: Stats: Rates = per minute calculations; Indexes = per teammate calculations 1. Survivability Mission Personal Defeats Time Teammate Survivability Rate Survivability Index 1 0 8 5 0.00 0.00 2 0 12 5 0.00 0.00 3 0 6 5 0.00 0.00 4 0 16 5 0.00 0.00 safeguard 0 30 4 0.00 0.00 Total à 0 72 0.00 0.00 ß AVG 2. Risk Mission Ally Defeats Time Teammate Risk Rate Risk Index 1 1 8 5 0.13 0.20 2 0 12 5 0.00 0.00 3 0 6 5 0.00 0.00 4 0 16 5 0.00 0.00 safeguard 3 30 4 0.10 0.75 Total à 4 72 0.05 0.19 ß AVG 3. Lethality Mission Kills Time Teammate Lethality Rate Lethality Index 1 42 8 5 5.25 8.40 2 53 12 5 4.42 10.60 3 26 6 5 4.33 5.20 4 31 16 5 1.94 6.20 safeguard 127 30 4 4.23 31.75 Total à 279 72 4.03 12.43 ß AVG 4. Threat Mission: 1 2 3 4 safeguard Attack total: Bullet Rain 4993 6468 2959 4179 12845 31444 Dual Wield 372 647 105 2211 5877 9211 Empty Clips 3324 4102 3222 1177 25104 36929 Executioner's Shot 374 587 449 832 3636 5879 Hail of Bullets 6302 10451 1032 6121 2806 26711 Piercing Rounds 681 2480 992 1714 7934 13801 Pistols 130 462 294 314 4624 5824 Suppressive Fire 238 272 271 175 131 1086 Distortion Field: Impeded. Swiftness 865 2043 465 1032 3226 7631 Slowed Response: Shield Break 1597 474 206 1781 2798 6856 Time Stop: GW’s Embrace 30 161 84 112 320 706 Time Stop: Gladiator's Net 54 322 93 1363 799 2632 Time Stop: Unbreakable Constraint 251 1142 93 261 224 1972 Doublehit (Hybrid: Assault) 727 1054 1778 488 1795 5842 Ion Radial (Judgement) 14360 10095 3428 13734 25791 67408 Ion Total Radial (Judgement) 1197 2687 738 1768 1615 8006 Mission Total: 35493 43446 16207 37263 99526 231935 Pet Damage Output Mission: 1 2 3 4 Safeguard Pet Total: Ice Elemental (Ice Mistral Torment) 293 4778 1178 1334 10262 17844 Laser Drone Essence 4637 4628 2945 3482 8833 24524 Shield Drone Essence 2081 3328 1496 2555 5948 15407 Mission Total: 7010 12733 5618 7370 25043 57774 Combined Damage Output Mission DMG out Time Teammate Threat Rate Threat Index 1 42504 8 5 5313 8501 2 56179 12 5 4682 11236 3 21825 6 5 3638 4365 4 44633 16 5 2790 8927 safeguard 124568 30 4 4152 31142 Total à 289709 72 4115 12834 ß AVG 5. Resilience Damage Type Taken Type: 1 2 3 4 Safeguard Type Total Cold 0 0 0 0 335 335 Energy 0 1517 0 0 794 2310 Fire 2307 0 0 624 2148 5079 Lethal 1476 77 13 1037 5280 7882 Negative Energy 0 0 0 154 531 685 Psionic 0 788 0 0 3576 4364 Smashing 891 120 0 534 1042 2587 Toxic 2601 123 519 262 0 3505 Mission Total: 7274 2624 532 2611 13706 26747 Overall Damage Taken Mission DMG in Time Teammate Resilience Rate Resilience Index 1 7274 8 5 909 1455 2 2624 12 5 219 525 3 532 6 5 89 106 4 2611 16 5 163 522 safeguard 13706 30 4 457 3426 Total à 26747 72 367 1207 ß AVG

Bhootakash demonstrates why she is known as the Crushing Death!

Marquis du Temps unwinds with his build and solo showcase: Time is luxury he can afford!

Appreciate the support and you seeing the value of the combined data here. It's not just on-paper evaluation, which marks most comparisons of this type of question. And it's not just a one-time mission or taskforce observation. It's a sum of multiple missions and multiple builds with multiple teams and maps and foes. It's a combination of quantitative measurements combined with qualitative experiences and supported by the videos and posted stats that anybody else can comb through and come to their own conclusions. I know the initial response was critical, but it was based on a single presentation of the first data set, which I think ignores what's been added since and the overall scope of the study. With that said, I present DEFCON 3... Time Manipulation! DEFCON Level 3 pits a Dual Pistols / Time Manipulation / Ice Mastery Defender against a Gravity / Time / Energy Controller in a battle for supremacy over the timestream. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting in the Blue Corner... the Tycoon of Time, Marquis du Temps! MIDS Build: Marquis du Temps 2 - Defender (Time Manipulation).mbd ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And in the Red Corner, the Queen of Crushing Death, Mistress of Time and Space... Bhootakash MIDS Build: Bhootakash - Controller (Gravity Control).mbd

DEFCON 4 Nature Affinity Verdict Is In! caveat - all stats, results and conclusions are based on this one test of 2 builds on 5 missions and is not meant to conclude anything beyond that framework. Analyses were based on the following 5 stats collected from /logchat: 1. Survivability = personal defeats 2. Risk = ally defeats 3. Lethality = foe defeats 4. Threat = damage output 5. Resilience = damage input *Liability Ratio derived stat was determined by comparing the Threat : Resilience values Calculations performed: Means = Average Stat over span of 5 (6) missions Rates = Stat / Minute calculation Indexes = Stat / Teammate calculation Composites = Rate / Teammate* *likely replacing Indexes in future analyses Statistics performed: Correlation = R-square of line of 'best fit' to identify 'real' relationships between Time (x) and Stat (y). True Relationship established with 0.90 or greater. Distribution = Box n Whisker Plot of Indexes to determine if Stat distribution is related to teammate number. Narrow distributions indicate consistent 'per teammate' data, which is expected with consistent teammate number and identity between missions. Broad distributions indicate inconsistent 'per teammate' data, which is expected if teammate number and identity are variable. Overlapping Box Plot indicates no significant difference between compared DEF v CON. Standard Error = Bar Graph of Average Stat Rates with Error Bars. Overlap between Error Bars indicates no significant difference between compared DEF v CON. Results (posting only graphs showing statistically useful values - watch video for full breakdown): Defender demonstrates significant correlation Defender demonstrates significant correlation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Controller shows slightly significant Lethality Rate advantage Controller shows significant Resilience Rate advantage Controller shows very significant Liability Ratio advantage ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Controller composite indicates damage output is slightly superior Conclusions While the slight advantage in damage output by the controller (Fey Wode) can be explained by in-game observations (see the previously posted Team videos), it is clear there is a significant difference in the amount of Damage Input (taken) by the controller vs the defender (Skreaming Tree). Fey Wode took significantly less damage than Skreaming Tree and this cannot be fully explained by team, mission or tactic variables. Her per minute rate of incoming damage was LESS THAN HALF that taken by her defender counterpart despite having run one extra mission and spending nearly 20 minutes longer on the test with smaller teams. Further demonstrating her superior performance is the Liability Ratio Standard Error comparison. Her Liability Ratio takes into account both her statistically significant Resilience difference along with her slightly significant difference in Threat (damage out). This Standard Error graph clearly indicates a dramatic difference between controller and defender in these tests, wherein Fey Wode produced nearly 4x the Damage out : Damage in. Most of this difference can be attributed to her much lower Resilience rate. From my observations and review of the character Builds, Solo missions and Team missions, I attribute her far superior Resilience values to the -To Hit Debuff secondary effects of Dark Control. So while the defender build was producing faster results (likely from greater team damage due to stacking -RES debuffs), the controller was avoiding being hit and taking damage altogether. The combination of controls and -to hit debuffs that Fey Wode was able to combine created a superior support character despite Skreaming Tree having much stronger buff numbers (for example, he produced double the Absorb numbers when using Wild Bastion). This difference may, however, be inconsequential as although the Defender (and likely his teammates) were being hit more often and thus taking more damage, his superior Buff numbers from Heal, Absorb, and Regen may simply make the extra incoming damage moot. That said, I think the advantage this controller brings is in the direct application of damage mitigation from controls and debuffs to the enemy, which will benefit the entire team, whereas the defender's superior buffs require allies willing and able to remain within range of support clicks like the above-mentioned Wild Bastion. One area that is difficult to measure is the effect of the -RES debuffs of sonic attack. The shorter mission times and Skreaming Tree's relatively lower damage output are signs that the enemies are being defeated faster likely because allies' damage output was higher. However, without those ally stats to analyze directly, it's impossible to say for certain. A final thing that can't be overlooked is the sheer damage output of the pets, mostly in the controller's column, in these tests. Fey Wode's pets collectively out damaged her throughout all 6 of her test missions. Skreaming Tree's lore pets, meanwhile, contributed substantially to his Threat numbers as well, but he lacks the additional pets available to a Dark Control controller from Shades and Umbral Beast. I surmise that if a defender can acquire an additional damaging pet through the Patron Pools, that would significantly increase their offensive output and combined with their blast allow them to out damage many controller combinations routinely.

Thanks for joining up for the test in part 2. That was a solid team. I thought we were going to steamroll all 3 missions, but then things got a little too loose on the Mayhem. Good stuff.

Here are the links to the Reaction Vids where I discuss some of the above DEF-DEF and CON-CON comparisons. DEFENDER - Nature / Sonic / Energy CONTROLLER - Dark / Nature / Dark The DEFCON 4 Verdict video is releasing tomorrow.

Taking a look at Fey Wode's numbers vs Ostara's numbers (from DEFCON 5) in a Controller Side-by-Side comparison: Rates are stat / minute (standard error) and Indexes are stat / teammate (distribution).

DEFCON 4 Nature Affinity - CONTROLLER Team Missions Fey Wode (Dark / Nature / Dark) scares up a few brave souls for two nights of spooktacular action: Part 1 Part 2 1. Survivability = Personal Defeats Mission Personal Defeats Time Teammate Survivability Rate Survivability Index 1 0 12 4 0.00 0.00 2 0 18 4 0.00 0.00 3 0 13 2 0.00 0.00 4 0 7 3 0.00 0.00 5 0 6 3 0.00 0.00 mayhem 0 25 3 0.00 0.00 Total à 0 81 0.00 0.00 ß AVG 2. Risk = Ally Defeats Mission Ally Defeats Time Teammate Risk Rate Risk Index 1 0 12 4 0.00 0.00 2 0 18 4 0.00 0.00 3 1 13 2 0.08 0.50 4 0 7 3 0.00 0.00 5 0 6 3 0.00 0.00 mayhem 3 25 3 0.12 1.00 Total à 4 81 0.03 0.25 ß AVG 3. Lethality = Foes Defeats Mission Kills Time Teammate Lethality Rate Lethality Index 1 46 12 4 3.83 11.50 2 128 18 4 7.11 32.00 45* 3 58 13 2 4.46 29.00 4 30 7 3 4.29 10.00 5 14 6 3 2.33 4.67 mayhem 61 25 3 2.44 20.33 Total à 337 81 4.08 17.92 ß AVG 4. Threat = Damage Output Personal Damage Output Mission: 1 2 3 4 Mayhem Attack Total: Dark Blast 1764 4492 2525 665 316 3495 13257 Dark Grasp 2210 5057 3298 680 587 4081 15914 Heart of Darkness 1027 1029 1027 84 166 1024 4357 Living Shadows 572 2592 1647 646 100 2069 7624 Sands of Mu 225 0 290 0 0 0 515 Shadowy Binds 1587 2816 2616 321 83 2623 10046 Umbral Torrent 1482 6215 4247 1639 707 2969 17259 Void Judgement 8236 12403 13300 3999 4083 16339 58359 Cloud Senses: Chance for Negative 427 3081 1969 795 224 1435 7930 Doublehit (Hybrid) 2019 3065 2098 775 485 2201 10644 Reactive Interface 654 1440 910 290 292 1095 4680 Mission Total: 20201 42190 33927 9895 7043 37330 150585 Pet Damage Output Pet 1 2 3 4 5 Mayhem Pet Total: Diviner Essence 16912 17696 13951 11107 0 13538 73205 Energy Font 355 1479 809 314 21 1788 4765 Shades 1178 4764 3561 988 755 2588 13835 Umbral Beast 8735 20773 10392 4229 1235 18991 64356 Mission Total: 27181 44713 28714 16637 2011 36905 156160 Combined Damage Output Mission DMG out Time Teammate Threat Rate Threat Index 1 47382 12 4 3948 11845 2 86902 18 4 4828 21726 *2500 3 62640 13 2 4818 31320 4 26531 7 3 3790 8844 5 9054 6 3 1509 3018 mayhem 74236 25 3 2969 24745 Total à 306745 81 3644 16916 ß AVG 5. Resilience = Damage Taken Type of Damage Taken Mission: 1 2 3 4 5 Mayhem Type Total Cold 16 0 0 0 9 0 24 Energy 640 668 326 735 55 3962 6386 Fire 60 0 135 0 0 404 600 Lethal 144 169 378 64 0 1261 2016 Negative Energy 16 0 1570 0 177 0 1763 Psionic 86 0 0 881 250 343 1561 Smashing 172 1767 0 0 0 734 2673 Toxic 0 175 0 1125 0 0 1300 Mission Total: 1134 2779 2409 2805 492 6705 16324 Overall Damage Taken Mission DMG in Time Teammate Resilience Rate Resilience Index 1 1134 12 4 95 284 2 2779 18 4 154 695 3 2409 13 2 185 1204 4 2805 7 3 401 935 5 492 6 3 82 164 mayhem 6705 25 3 268 2235 Total à 16324 81 198 919 ß AVG

Taking a look at Skreaming Tree's numbers vs Ampere Avenger's numbers (from DEFCON 5) in a Defender Side-by-Side comparison: Rates are stat / minute (standard error) and Indexes are stat / teammate (distribution).

DEFCON 4 Nature Affinity Defender - Team Missions Screaming Tree (Nature / Sonic / Energy) lands a constant team of 5 for 5 straight missions: 1. Survivability = Personal Defeats Mission Personal Defeats Time Teammate Survivability Rate Survivability Index 1 0 7 4 0.00 0.00 2 0 6 4 0.00 0.00 3 0 4 4 0.00 0.00 4 0 18 4 0.00 0.00 mayhem 2 27 4 0.07 0.50 Total à 2 62 0.01 0.10 ß AVG 2. Risk = Ally Defeats Mission Ally Defeats Time Teammate Risk Rate Risk Index 1 0 7 4 0.00 0.00 2 0 6 4 0.00 0.00 3 0 4 4 0.00 0.00 4 5 18 4 0.28 1.25 mayhem 2 27 4 0.07 0.50 Total à 7 62 0.07 0.35 ß AVG 3. Lethality = Foe Defeats Mission Foe Defeats Time Teammate Lethality Rate Lethality Index 1 25 7 4 3.57 6.25 2 22 6 4 3.67 5.50 3 2 4 4 0.50 0.50 4 42 18 4 2.33 10.50 mayhem 81 27 4 3.00 20.25 Total à 172 62 2.61 8.60 ß AVG 4. Threat = Damage Output Personal Damage Output Mission: 1 2 3 4 Mayhem Attack Total: Dreadful Wail 3553 4984 1183 13199 10261 33181 Howl 683 1108 384 1345 2907 6428 Pyronic Judgement 6507 5939 849 11365 14907 39566 Sands of Mu 158 208 0 71 0 437 Scream 795 804 359 916 2492 5366 Shockwave 833 1394 555 895 1691 5368 Shout 1413 678 406 2443 3730 8670 Shriek 616 551 103 582 1772 3623 Siren's Song 1568 1571 499 1622 3937 9197 Total Focus 1006 0 273 1186 1780 4246 Mako's Bite Chance for Lethal Damage 244 0 0 244 433 921 Mission Total: 17377 17236 4611 33868 43909 117002 Pet Damage Output Mission: 1 2 3 4 Mayhem Pet Total: Diviner Essence 6402 2476 0 9161 35074 53114 Harpy Essence 2138 266 0 4262 7768 14434 Mission Total: 8540 2742 0 13424 42843 67548 Combined Damage Output Mission DMG out Time Teammate Threat Rate Threat Index 1 25917 7 4 3702 6479 2 19978 6 4 3330 4995 3 4611 4 4 1153 1153 4 47292 18 4 2627 11823 mayhem 86752 27 4 3213 21688 Total à 184550 62 2805 9228 ß AVG 5. Resilience = Damage Taken Damage Type Taken Type: 1 2 3 4 Mayhem Type Total Cold 0 0 80 0 0 80 Energy 0 177 0 10683 9336 20196 Fire 1044 413 0 14 807 2278 Lethal 720 12 0 0 1069 1801 Negative Energy 0 37 146 0 0 184 Psionic 0 713 0 0 1098 1810 Smashing 0 0 1644 126 601 2371 Toxic 0 0 0 3494 292 3786 Mission Total: 1764 1352 1870 14316 13203 32506 Overall Damage Taken Mission DMG in Time Teammate Resilience Rate Resilience Index 1 1764 7 4 252 441 2 1352 6 4 225 338 3 1870 4 4 467 467 4 14316 18 4 795 3579 mayhem 13203 27 4 489 3301 Total à 32506 62 446 1625 ß AVG

Hello, thank you for the feedback. I appreciate the thoughtfulness and time taken to share your critique. As I’ve heard this and similar from a few sources, I think I need to clarify my position in regard to the design of the experiment. I am not disagreeing with any one point or saying anyone is wrong with their opinions - each flaw that has been pointed out crossed my mind at one point or another. I spent a good couple weeks before starting the tests puzzling over the variables and controls I was facing. I feel that my approach and the results I’m sharing with you are as honest and reliable as I can make them. To that end, here is my rebuttal to the critics: Strengths of the Approach 1. Acknowledgment of Variability: I clearly recognize the uncontrollable variables (teammates, enemies, missions) and am trying to mitigate their impact by collecting a large amount of data across diverse conditions. This is an accepted statistical approach, as large sample sizes often help "average out" noise, making it easier to detect meaningful signals. 2. Quantitative Analysis: I am compiling data into sums, averages, rates, and indices, and applying statistical methods (e.g., R-squared, whisker-and-box plots, standard error), to leverage valid statistical tools to extract insights from the data. 3. Holistic Evaluation: Comparing across multiple support sets (rather than just one) strengthens the generalizability of any findings I may uncover. It also acknowledges the complexity and variability inherent to archetypes in CoH - a highly dynamic MMO environment. Challenges 1. Random Team Composition Criticism: Different teammates, even with minimal incarnate powers and no other support sets, could drastically affect the outcome (e.g., a DPS-heavy team might make a support set look better than it is). Response: This is a valid concern, but it’s mitigated by the breadth of the dataset. Over many missions, random variability in teammates will tend to "wash out" if the sample size is large enough. While this introduces noise, it doesn’t invalidate the experiment—it just requires a cautious interpretation of the results. Supporting Principle: My approach aligns with the Central Limit Theorem: with a sufficiently large sample size, the effects of random variability diminish, and the mean of the sample (tested characters) approaches the true population mean (defenders and controllers in general). 2. Slotting and Secondary Powerset Variability Criticism: The differences in secondary powersets (e.g., blast vs. control) and slotting could bias results because the synergy of primary and secondary sets differs for Defenders and Controllers. Response: This variability reflects the nature of the two archetypes and is, therefore, part of the question I’m investigating. It isn’t a flaw but rather a feature of the real-world comparison I’m performing. Supporting Principle: This aligns with the principle of ecological validity, which emphasizes that experiments should reflect real-world conditions when evaluating practical differences. Since no player uses identical secondary sets or slotting across archetypes, my testing mirrors actual gameplay scenarios. 3. Mission Variability Criticism: Differences in mission goals, maps, and enemy factions could introduce noise that obscures the true differences between archetypes. Response: While true, this variability reflects the dynamic nature of CoH gameplay. By analyzing trends across a wide range of missions, I’m testing defenders and controllers under diverse conditions, which adds strength to any findings I may make. Supporting Principle: This aligns with the principle of robustness analysis, where varying conditions are intentionally included to ensure conclusions hold across a wide range of scenarios. 4. Training Bias from Repeated Missions Criticism: Repeating missions could lead to learning effects, where I become better at running specific missions over time, skewing results. Response: I’ve chosen not to repeat the same mission for this reason. I could, at a later date, include a few repeated missions as a control group to test for a learning effect. Summary My testing is not foolproof; however, it is based on four key principles from statistics and experimental design: 1. Central Limit Theorem: As sample size increases, the mean of the data approaches the true population mean, and random variability (noise) diminishes. My large dataset (50 missions total) should provide a basis for detecting significant trends despite uncontrolled variables. 2. Ecological Validity: The testing reflects real-world gameplay conditions, which include variability in teammates, enemies, and missions. This makes the results more applicable to practical gameplay rather than controlled, artificial conditions. 3. Robustness Analysis: By including multiple support sets, teammates and mission types, the analysis is robust across diverse scenarios, ensuring any trends are not artifacts of a specific setup. 4. Statistical Significance: If my statistical analysis (e.g., >95% confidence level) reveals significant trends despite variability, it strengthens the argument that the observed differences are real and meaningful. I am not saying any of this to shut off dissent or concern, as I am open to both. Hopefully, I have made my case, and this response demonstrates that I did not enter this experiment blindly. It is my belief that the logical and statistical principles the tests are built on will allow me to detect any significant differences between defenders and controllers despite the uncontrolled variables I openly acknowledge are present. Thanks!

Fey Wode has arrived! Defenders across the shards are quaking in fear.

Skreaming Tree makes his debut punishing Council alien collaborators. First part of the video presents an in-depth look at his Mids build.

With DEFCON 5's Verdict behind us, we're taking things to DEFCON 4... NATURE AFFINITY! DEFCON Level 4 pits a Nature / Sonic / Energy Defender against a Dark / Nature / Dark Controller in a locked cage match to find out who is superior at supporting their team! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting in the Blue Corner... an Aerial Guardian defender, Skreaming Tree! MIDS Build: Screaming Tree - Defender (Nature Affinity).mbd Build Discussion and Solo Showcase Video: RELEASING 12/29 6 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And in the Red Corner, a Night Terror controller, Fey Wode! MIDS Build: Fey Wode - Controller (Darkness Control - Nature Affinity).mbd Build Discussion and Solo Showcase Video: RELEASING 12/30 6 AM Place your bets now!