biostem

There has to be some mechanical reason as to why this doesn't exist in game - every AoE, AFAIK, is either a cone or a sphere...

I wouldn't say there is necessarily anything "wrong" with what you stated. The issue is how things pan out in actual play. Sure, having someone in permanent domination mode is great and all, but if and when it isn't up, you've basically got a worse mish-mash of a controller, blaster, and scrapper. All things being equal, I'd rather have a controller or a control-heavy blaster...

But you can't actually see what they look like unless you load the game the start loading up each one - I can just scroll through my character roster and see each one. Trust me, I have a huge costume folder, too...

It's sort of a matter of convenience - by having the character in my roster, (and with 1000 slots per server, there's no big sacrifice in using up a slot), I have a "living model" of a costume I like that I may scroll past as I'm checking characters or deciding whom to play, which in turn could re-inspire me and/or I may revisit as my attitude/interests change over time...

Well, as someone who loves playing with the costume editor, a big part of that is creating a costume that I like, but not having any great investment in the character beyond that. A second component is when I read over a powerset or combination of powersets on an AT, think it sounds good on paper, but in practice, it just doesn't pan out...

You're changing the subject of the thread - it's not about a bad build - it's about people who have their key powers seemingly not using them or otherwise not being aware of what their teammates are doing. I'm not saying you have to always have an eye on everyone's HP/end bars, but if you stick together and see someone struggling, and you have the tools to assist them, then why aren't you? Of course, if any link in that chain of awareness to action is broken, then things fall apart. I've also explicitly talked about trying my best to stay behind the line of "dickishness", while still providing helpful advice. I mean, I get that the game is free to play and that pretty much anyone can do so, but there's also got to be some sort of minimum level of competency, especially in higher level or more difficult content. I suppose it will devolve to either picking and choosing teammates or throwing up my hands in defeat and simply making fully self-sufficient characters and saying to heck with my teammates...

City of Data says they deal negative energy damage. I also checked a few other pets, and none have a resistance to quantum like reverberant does...

I believe it's the special anti-Kheldian damage that Quantum enemies and Void Hunters deal...

I'd start here.

I wonder if a simple power customization option could be implemented to do just this...

I don't think your OP was trolling or inflammatory. I rarely use bases myself, so I'd be all for making them more meaningful, provided normal QoL options aren't taken away in the process, (such as the long range teleporter). What is the game truly lacking that SG bases could provide? Maybe a hologram generator that allows you to complete "FedEx missions" from your base? *** shrugs ***

But only while in a coffin or staked...

Sounds more like a dominator's assault set, then...

While I'm home, I just use my desktop. The laptop only comes into play if I'm not home, and if that's the case, I'm likely not on an internet connection that could handle/provide a smooth remote desktop experience...

I refurbished an i3 laptop that's a few years old. it only has integrated graphics. The system has 8GB of RAM, with like only 128MB assigned to said integrated graphics, Without using the -usetexenvcombine command switch, I can probably get low double-digit FPS if alone or in an instance. With that launch parameter, it's about 40...

This goes back to my earlier statement - it's no small feat to convince the team to stick with you, while tanking. At the same time, you get support people who want to break off from the main group and go help someone who wanders off on their own, then wonders why people start wiping. I try to communicate a plan of action when pugging, but I also recognize that I have no control over how others play. Sometimes you get lucky and get a team that really gels, most often, your team is "good enough" to make it through normal content, but anything harder than that is a crapshoot...

It switches the game to a simpler rending method. With it, CoH can run on much weaker systems - better than nothing, but drastically changes how textures appear...

Well, I'm not just talking about cases where the tanker is doing fine - if they appear to be struggling, (not just low HP, but also an almost bottomed-out end bar), or cases where multiple debuffs are piling up on said tanker, and yet those buffers don't seem to be using the relevant, (or what I would deem appropriate) powers for the given situation...

I sometimes play CoH on some fairly weak systems, which don't have dedicated graphics cards. In such instances, I'll use the -usetexenvcombine launch parameter to get the game to run acceptably, This, however, removes nearly all texture details, metallic sheen, or other such effects, which means that any characters I create will look much different on higher end machines than on the weaker ones. What I've been doing is to launch the game normally to create the character, get them to zone-in to the starting area, then log out and relaunch the game with the aforementioned command switch. I'd love a way of having high settings in the tailor, but the reduced ones everywhere else. I wonder if this would be possible to implement, or if that launch option precludes such a possibility. Thanks for reading!

I have a 50 earth/pain controller, and can vouch for the effectiveness of pain domination. I really like that you get an AoE +tohit, +dmg, +res in world of main, and it benefits you as well. I'm not a fan of hasten, so rely on 3x recharge + 5x LotG to make it permanent, (or very close to it). Anguishing cry is also a great -def -res power, and the PBAoE heal and ranged heal-other are great fall-back powers. I've even stacked several enforced morales on a granite tanker once to increase their mobility a little, lol!

I think we can acknowledge that there's a difference people doing things for RP reasons vs, well, other ones...

Are you asking for an in-game explanation or a meta-one? In the latter, it's a balance issue - power animation is factored into that power's damage/recharge/stats, etc... Think about dual pistols, beam rifle, or AR for a moment - all your character is doing is aiming then pulling the trigger - why should there be such varying animation times?

There are many threads about repurposing the demon summoning whip animations. I'm not against the idea, but there's really only 4 animations, (only 1 being ranged), so you'd have to do something to fill-out the other 4-5 powers...

Well, I would love an all-psi-blade or all psi-fist option for psionic melee. I don't know how they would work for the ranged attacks, though...

One problem I've been having lately, which I fully acknowledge is more "my issue" than anyone else's, is that I frequently find myself teaming with others, and wonder why they aren't using this power here or there, or why they aren't buffing/supporting the rest of the team better. I'll be on my tank, and wonder why the various buffers are ignoring me, or while on my buffer, wondering why the tank/brute isn't taking any steps to keep aggro off me and the other "squishies". I'm not trying to say I'm the best player or anything, and I do try to tactfully provide some advise, but it seems like an extremely fine line between providing helpful tips and sounding like a control freak barking orders. Has anyone else run up against this catch-22? Thanks for reading!