biostem

I wonder how difficult it would be to add some sort of "elemental attunement" mechanic, where you can activate one of 4 mutually exclusive toggles, which shift which particular element you are using at any given moment; I suppose they'd basically have to code 4 versions of each power in the set...

You are incorrect, as @Rudra pointed out...

I think a simple solution would be to have mass confusion "kill" any minions or LTs it hits, then summon a "mind controlled" version of said enemies, which act as temporary pets that fight for you. Have the power act as normal for anything higher...

That's a really slick implementation!

I've reread the thread just to make sure I didn't miss something, but did anyone claim to be taking offense "in the name of Tolkien"? What I did see was a bunch of people stating their opinions or pointing out how creative decisions made wildly deviate or outright contradict Tolkien's original writings...

Not to derail things too much, but I think a classic 4-elements arrangement would be pretty easy to do: Two of your tier-1 pets would be ranged fire blasters, with the 3rd being a water blaster with some healing powers, (heck, you could basically reverse the dehydrate power for this). Your tier-2 pets would use a combination of seismic blasts and earth control abilities, and your tier-3 pet would use powers from storm summoning, such as tornado and lightning storm, possibly with an electrical blast or buff thrown in for good measure. Then you, as the mastermind, could have charged bolts, hydro blast, and a fireball as your personal attack, and perhaps a much watered-down version of meteor as the set's special attack, (it could provide a temporary damage buff to any of your elementals it lands near)...

I understand the niche you are trying to fill with this set, but I think that is its undoing; While in context of the source you are drawing from, it makes sense, within CoH it just feels all over the place. I almost feel like this would make more sense for an "elementals" MM set, where you summon ones from different elements, which in turn utilize the appropriate powers. As @UltraAlt mentioned, "Nature" currently has a defined meaning wihin CoH, and that's spines/thorns/plants/toxic...

I always thought it'd be so awesome if you could call in an air strike or something...

I dunno if this necessarily jives with the lore, but I think this one turned out nicely; A former member of the Knives of Artemis, stripped of her wrist crossbow and sword, who took up a full-sized bow and life of heroism instead. She's "The X-Knife": x-knife1.costume

So one thing I've been battling with is trying to come up with a character that is good solo, but also contributes more than just damage while teamed. My current thoughts lean toward a defender with a primary heavily geared toward debuffs, like poison or trick arrow, or a blaster with a more debuff/controllery powerset, but I'd love to hear some feedback from you folks! Thanks for reading! PS: I'm pretty much open to any AT/powersets...

Yeah... no way this thread's gonna keep its head above water...

If the story is good, the characters well written and acted, and things fit into the greater LotR mythos organically, more power to the creative team. If, as some have voiced concern about, modern day politics take center stage, it'll be a trainwreck that does a disservice to Tolkien's legacy...

First thing I'd suggest is to play what you find fun. Use the customization tab of the character creator interface to see what the different powers look like. Understand that as you level up, and even with you getting more pets as you do, you will need to support, and in many cases, protect your pets. This is where your secondary powerset really comes into play. For instance, kinetics has a heal centered around the target, which is beneficial if you have melee pets, whereas darkness has a heal that is centered around you, which is better when you're standing amidst your pets. Certain pets, like ninjas, have innate defense, so secondary sets that further buff that defense or reduce an enemy's chance to hit would benefit them. You mentioned electrical affinity, and while it is a good set, keep in mind that powers like Farraday cage work in a fixed location - so pets that may need to run up to an enemy to engage them will frequently find themselves outside of that buff zone. Other powers jump between targets, so if your pets are often spread out, such chaining effects may not reach them. Some other key things to know about MMs is that you can get your 1st pet at level 1, then you get another tier-1 pet a level 6, and a 3rd at 18. You can get your tier-2 pet at level 12, and a second of them automatically at level 24. Your final, tier-3 pet can be had at level 26. There are also 2 upgrade powers that add to each pets' selection of attacks and abilities, so I wouldn't pass them up. Cheers!

I saw this at the power customization screen, so decided to pass on the set... It's like your character forgot they had the weapon drawn.

Also a "both full robot arms" option.

C'mon man! Gotta be at least a 100-watt in there!

Oh man I hope not - people can't even be trusted to drive properly, and I am hesitant to see self-flying cars deployed on a mass scale; These will likely be the domain of the ultra-wealthy for a long time to come...

I think the flyboard air is a much better approach...

No offense, but this is a huge red flag for me. You are doing yourself a disservice if you come into this game with the intention of being a "pure" anything. You can play however you want, but I implore you to expand your outlook on what ATs that have support sets/abilities "should" be contributing to a team...

This may have been suggested already, but here goes: Beam Rifle Support, (basically uses the existing beam rifle animations, with an appropriate effect added to the affected target(s)). 1. Regeneron Beam - Delivers a bolt containing beneficial nanites, granting a minor upfront heal + HoT. Places the "nanite payload" effect on the target, which causes any subsequent Beam Rifle Support powers used on said target to become small AoEs centered around them. 2. Impulse Beam - Attempts to weaken the bonds of the enemy target, lowering their defense, damage resist, and regeneration. Places the "nanite payload" effect on the target. 3. Bolstering Beam - Reinforces the target's structural integrity, providing a slight bonus to their damage resistance against all sources, granting a tohit buff and restoring some endurance. Also grants the target the "nanite payload buff". 4. Molecular Weakening Beam - Reduces the structural integrity of a targeted area, causing enemies that pass through it to move and react more slowly, thereby also reducing their defense and ability to fly or jump away. 5. Encapsulation Beam - Places a very powerful energy shroud around the target. If used on an ally, this grants them a strong defensive and status effect protection buff. If used on an enemy, it attempts to hold them in place. This power acts as a toggle, with an escalating end cost, and automatically shuts off after 30 seconds. 6. Neuro-Disruptor Beam - Attempts to overwhelm the target's sensory abilities, reducing their chance to hit and the damage they deal. 7. Defibrillation Beam - Resurrects a fallen ally to full health. Grants them a temporary barrier, similar to that of Encapsulation Beam, for about 5 seconds. 8. Fixed Beam Turret - Places an immobile turret with a variant of your beam rifle, which periodically fires a Regeron Beam at allies and Impulse Beams at enemies. 9. Mobile Beam Drone - Launches a mobile automated version of your beam rifle, which periodically fires Bolstering Beams at friendly targets and both Charged Shots, (as per the Beam Rifle set), and Neuro-Disruptor Beams at enemy targets. *Note - Turrets do not benefit from the "nanite payload" effect.

Going in the opposite direction and embracing the "back stripe", I present to you: "Skunkwerks":

Fantastic design! Almost makes me think I'm looking at a different game. Well done!

Basically what others have said - most of the AoEs are like 8', and you're either spitting on foes or tossing around the old water balloon. It'd be nice if Alkaloid got a little AoE as well, and maybe if a power or 3 did some minor toxic DoT.

Fantastic design! Question - do you have the white stripe running down the back, or were you able to work around it?

And check your voltage, or it'll fry!