Greycat

I couldn't say what builds, but yeah, I've done it in the past. Some sets have skippable things, some are just chock full of goodies. (And some are situational - I often run dual builds, especially on support characters. Group build, lots of the primary/secondary, solo build, possibly as few as 3-4 powers out of it.)

Absolutely.

Welcome. Much of this is already done, as has been mentioned. YOu get merits for the various Atlas and Mercy arcs, as well as badges, merits (not many, as they're short arcs, but that's consistent) and even badges for getting everything in a zone done. And the stat boost - at least through 20, when you're pretty set with your own powers - is done through DFB. (Itself probably part of the issue you're describing - it gives those boosts, plus early level SOs.) What would be needed is more variety. Redside doesn't have another starter zone. Blueside lost one. Blueside, at least, you get some variety (hollows/kr, sky/steel/faultline, talos/ip, focusing on different groups and such.) When you've made a bunch of alts... well. (I do still tend to play through some of it, granted.) Part of the other reason people skip, though, isn't just what some people mention with "wanting to feel powerful," there's also" wanting to feel effective." Masterminds leap to mind for me here, especially in the 18-mid-20s range. You have three -2 minions, two -1s, no top tier and no second buff. They die *fast* (especially with all the AOE introduced - looking at you, Demolitionists.) It was just an annoying range, so I get people wanting to skip that as much as they can. And no, not everyone chases accolades and buffs. 🙂

It's the american medical system. Of *course* you have debt after being in a hospital. 🙂 (Serious answer, if you're not 100% sure if it's patrol XP or debt, hover your mouse over your XP bar - not the circle. It will report XP, patrol XP and debt.)

>.> NO idea what that's like. Nope. Ooh, sale... (I will say the PC+ membership has more than paid for itself.)

Back on live - when I was trying to make that bots/ff work and it was pretty well driving me away from MMs as a whole - this was me. I went to the MM forum, pretty much described what was going on and said "So, is there a set I'll actually enjoy or is this class just not going to mesh with me?" After a little discussion, they suggested a thugs/poison (since, really, I wanted to be busy, not a spectator) and that was a *fun* (and pretty fast) ride to 50. So, yeah. It might be the sets. Or it might just be the AT not clicking with you. Nothing wrong with either one of those.

You've described... pretty much what I mean when I've said, in the past, that I find the "nothing can touch me" builds boring. For me, they're like cheat codes (disclaimer before anyone misreads that: no, I am not saying people using high end IO builds are in any way cheating.) Might be fun for a bit, but after a while it takes something vital away from the game and I just can't enjoy it. I may not go with "gimmicky" (or what would probably be labeled "self defeating") but I pick up what seems interesting, play through and just try to be mellow about it. Haven't had to post looking for help with something ... pretty much ever, though if something unique spawns or I'm running something with a badge (or I see something GM-ish to be defeated,) I'll mention it.

Flip side being, if I'm going to do a lot of damage but the self-damage has to stay, I'm all *for* it. I like making choices like that, if it's worth it.

I think my favorite is from Dual Blades. *Stab* "Got your kidneys!" *slice*

Eh. Throw a couple more in here. Some multi character bits. Variations on the first character, to start - Therra Paladina (PB version) vs Therra Malevola (Dark/Therm made by the COT.) Followed by Feliney Assault and Feliney Mischief.

The containment bit and pretty much everything after was more directed at the OP and the idea in general. Not clear, I know. Sorry. 🙂 And I wasn't really looking at "worked better," but more that more doms (remember, not everyone min/maxes stuff, so I'm not talking numbers here) would probably be attracted to it since they've got more of an offensive... "tilt," I suppose, than controllers. Even controllers would be... variable depending on secondary. That was more of my mindset, in any case.

OK, "Putting a couple of NPCs in a social zone that can easily be avoided if one chooses shouldn't bother a reasonable person as much as this seems to bother you."

Not sure how that's the opposite, I just said melee control would be interesting. Not that this setup was definitely the way to go. 🙂 It is immob heavy. And the PBAOE hold is a "chance to" hold, which... eh. I think I'd rather have a *hold* hold, for the sake of survival. Cone immobilizes (T3) aren't unheard of, just normally in a ranged set (Tenebrous Tentacles.) And I had to look at PWiki and refresh my memory on what was in which secondary. I did miss the bit about the taunt, which is *not* what I'd want on a 'troller or dom. Honestly, on my doms I'll often put off the AOE immob - it gatherers a lot of hate, and if you're in melee, you don't want things shooting at you. The T9... should definitely be something else. Not sure what. I'd probably move the T7 up, and make it... essentially smoke from fire control. (Targeted AOE -per -acc.) To help with getting into melee range. You are squishy, after all, and Fire's not bad to take ideas from, since ... well, hot feet. Often on the fire 'trollers I've played - and don't forget, controllers want to set containment for more damage - it's a matter of something like smoke - AOE hold or immob - wander in with hot feet and reapplying immob. (But Fire's whole thing is damage, so...) Zepp does have a point in that survivability has to be considered - but needs to be considered in the set itself, if this is designed as a *control* set, since it's going on squishy, lower HP characters. It's worth working over a few times, though, just for the sake of being a different playstyle option. Wonder how it'd pair with /Rad or /Time on a controller..

I seem to recall the main complaint on live was that by 50, you were doing one of the most resisted damage types so it felt like it was falling behind. Personally, I enjoyed the set, but I could see where they were coming from. (50 MA/Regen Stalker.) It *was* amusing taking that character against an MA/Regen scrapper and just calling it a draw after 15 minutes or so of just healing damage repeatedly. 🙂 Fairly sure this was pre-IO. Early IOs at most.

Eh. Keep them separate. No real reason to link them. I like the different atmosphere. That's comparing apples and all season radials. Putting NPCs into a social zone shouldn't bother you as much as this seems to.

... I think I got through the first attack. Wasn't it G Gundam that had someone with a shining finger or some such? Something about burning sensations? 🙂 (Serious answer, melee control would be ... different, and probably taken much more with dominators.)

While I wouldn't mind Wind control, "In production" could mean a lot. 2-3 barely worked on powers mixed with a few close placeholders, no specific graphics/animations, etc. Not necessarily "close to release." (No, no inside knowledge on just where in the pipeline it was.)

Haven't rendered this one - mostly since I haven't managed to find something I like to do the armor with - but an old fave. CTI Dreamer. (CT = Crey tank, experimental - and, er, liberated - armor, I = Illusion.)

Sunday swap time... Though today we're just Lost and Wandering.

Huh. Had to go and look. Yep. Character items stays a throbbing red.

We should unnerf regen so the new team gets the full experience of nerfing it again! 🙂

I'd expect more of a DJ. But I'd love to have instrument players available for things like bases that are clubs and want a "house band."

It was interesting. My first redside 50 was an energy/energy brute and I *loved* it. Made a version of my blueside sorta-main (fire/ss) and said "You know, I enjoyed energy, let's make that change" and hated it as a tank. And it was more than just the one power change. It just didn't *click.* My main issue with Illusion is "Hey, we need two invisibilties!" And... yeah, probably reliance on PA. Dark also throws pets in pretty early (Haunt as well as the dog) and that set doesn't feel control-light, so it's not that.

They keep talking about that command not being meant for general use and that it'll go away. But they've been talking about that for a while. I'd disagree about TP Friend and TP Foe being niche - though it's dependent, in part, on playstyle and just *what* You like to play. I do keep seeing people asking for them to be combined into one, which... eh, sure. Recall Friend is *less* used now with people getting travel powers earlier, granted. I'll also fully admit bias here, since I play Warshades quite a bit (*yoink* Hi Quantum! *hold, kill, create fluffy*) as well as support sets.

Yep. I haven't, but there were several pools-only characters on live. Which do take a bit of planning and creativity.