Doomguide2005

I'd imagine so. But if you're running solo at max and gathering them up for a nice RttC, Soul Drain or other PBAoE buff or attack ... well oops! if you expect to land hits without mezzing them or knocking them on their collective butts or otherwise disrupting their ability to to self buff because you are also maximizing their defense at the same time. Teams especially most high level ones also probably 1) have them mostly dead before they do anything 2) have at least 1 or 2 running Tactics 3) dropping mezzes and debuffs galore ... namely a teams alpha strike is pretty much prevents their buffs from ever occuring. PS: But that is assuming the team is acting like a team. Scrappers, Brutes etc., running off alone and pulling them close to each is asking to see those ugly numbers.

Accuracy does not equal To Hit. When the clamped portion for the defense and to hit buffs starts to get very low you need far, far more than 2.0 or 3.0 Accuracy to truly hit your targets. In other words if they've floored that first clamped portion of the equation to 5% or .05 you'd need absurd accuracy to raise your final hit chance (in combat attributes your 'last hit chance') to 0.95. Basically at that point you'd need an accuracy of 19.0+ (yes 1900+%) to have a final hit chance of 95% Streak Breaker? I would think your Final Hit value would need to be truly awful or the number of targets on the small side for you to actually miss all your targets. Only your 'last hit chance' or combat logs will report if this. Streak Breaker won't kick in and force a hit on say 16+ targets unless your final hit chance is above 0.2 (20%) ... which, for example, Soul Drain, would NOT be even with a 2.1 accuracy (0.05×2.1=0.105 or 10.5%). But that's all hypothetical or anecdotal without combat logs. But I'm pretty sure they are working as intended and yes their defense will get pretty silly high unless you change what you do to keep them from buffing themselves silly (welcome to the foes hitting their soft cap). I'd only really see it as problem if we (collectively) change tactics solo and still have major issues. Teams probably won't generally have issues (and in another thread that seems to be the reported case).

Other thoughts: Hover --> good spot for another LotG def/increased global recharge and if early in the build (active prior to Tactics) a good spot for a Kismet +6% (calls it accuracy in description but it's actually a To Hit buff). It can take a bunch of other special IOs as well but this is where not being able to use Mids messes with giving specific advice. Fly --> Usually I go with Super Speed (for the stealth and -threat) but I've used Flight as well. It was the travel power of choice on my first GM (Green Machine). Typically I 2-slot my travel power --> BotZ kb prot and Winter's Gift 20% global Leadership --> All my Defender Empaths take at least Assault and Tactics. Assault base slot endred. Tactics 1 or 2 slots most commonly. Either 1 endred or 2 endred/to hit. Computer died before I got around to doing much with procs as they currently work. In this case the Gaussian's proc. Maneuvers minimally a LotG def/Inc glob rech or more, depending on available slots. Vengeance base slot 1 LotG def/Inc global recharge. Edit: And doh, I always grab Hasten. 2 slots recharge IOs boosted to +5. I mean it is the way to boost your global recharge

Continuing from where I left off. Recovery Aura --> my typical slotting is 3 slots. Recharge + 2×endmod/recharge. But you could just straight up use 2 +5 boosted Recharge IOs. The base recovery boost is 200% or the equivalent of 8× the base of Stamina. In short it's a ton of recovery which on most builds is going to be plenty, particularly late game matured builds. Regeneration Aura --> Your second Aura. 5 slots typically using either Doctored Wounds or Panacea. I try to keep the recharge/cooldown periods on this and Recovery Aura matched up. It's one less thing to have to track, when one is ready so is the other. Position myself and click one then the other. Adrenaline Boost --> 5 slots these days (used to be 6). And, you guessed it, either 5 Doctored Wounds or Panacea. That 6th slot used to be an Endmod/recharge but since Nukes no longer crash no real need to enhance. It's already sitting at 800%. The real benefit is from the +100% recharge buff and the massive boost to regeneration. Combined with RegenAura that'll put someone at IH levels of regeneration. Fire Blast --> Again I'm emphasizing recharge so Decimation and Positron's Blast are my go to sets. Need 5 slots to get the recharge set bonus which leaves a 6th slot for procs.

Okay, bit of a start before sleep wins out. In general my team builds focus on recharge, recharge and more recharge. Mitigation will come from, in no particular order or priority, inspires, my Auras especially RegenAura, teammates, and epic shields. Any literal defense is purely incidental. So the majority of my powers will be slotted with sets that provide recharge bonuses. Healing Aura and Heal Other --> One will get 6 slots for Preventative Medicine the other will get 5 slots for either Doctored Wounds (less expensive) or Panacea (expensive) Absorb Pain --> Skip Resurrect --> I generally pass on it. So many other options from Awakens to Temp and other powers. If I take it slot an endred. It's a costly power and inevitably you'll need it towards the end of a hard fight when your RA's are down. Recharge Reduction is not worth it. Even with high global recharge it won't come back fast enough, teams are unlikely to wait around that long. Clear Mind --> just the base slot. What's slotted doesn't really matter. I often drop a range enhancement in there for that one character who always seems to be waaay over there. Fortitude --> 3 to 6 slots. If I'm scrapping for slots and I'm happy with my set bonuses I'll use 3 slots (2 Membrane HOs and a LotG increased global recharge). 6 slots likely means 5 Red Fortune and a LotG Inc global recharge. Haven't been able to experiment with using a Gaussian's BU proc in here to see how that works out. In short there are a lot of solid slotting options. And back later, time for some sleep.

My computer's dead so I've no internet but this phone currently so can't post or open a Mids file but I'll see what I can post in a bit. I know @Lineahas posted several of their Empathy builds. The Emp/Fire/Soul build successfully completed a solo +4/×8 ITF and there's a thread about it here in the Defender forums. Might need a slight tweak for general teaming play (as it focused very heavily on handling a solo effort), but would be a very solid start as would several of their other Empathy builds. Anyway back in a bit.

LOL 😆 But in fairness he said immediately. I spam mine shortly after doing Stalagmites+Thunderclap usually 😜

This totally this! And then hearing Croatoa and then Williams Square and ...

AFAIK Hide would stack. It's also fairly meaningless to stack other stealth on it in PvE as while not capping it it is higher than any PvE foes perception. The only foes out there that would see you already ignore stealth, more isn't going to help. We have 1000 slots per server and if getting to 50+ is a goal it's not particularly difficult to do even without any power leveling. I'd try all 3 starting with whichever interested me the most and go from there

@Triumphant Well I'd say that's a nearly impossible if not impossible task (but highly desirable) given that fun is highly subjective in any game this one included. It even varies with each player over time. Some days I want to push a particular build to its utter limits other days (hours even) I find the fun mindlessly chewing through hordes. Sometimes I want to push a particular team concept (all Controller, all Empathy defenders, all Dark, etc) to their limits or just PuG with whatever comes to hand. Lately been thinking about what (all controllers)-> 5 Fire/Sonic, 2 Fire/Cold and a Fire/Kin might do and wonder what they'd do with endgame content both as fully incarnated and SO only builds built as a static team. So in theory even keeping this one player totally satisfied all the time is likely problematic ... nevermind a few thousand different me's. And I think for your 'average player' the majority of task forces are an enjoyable challenge. Or we wouldn't be here discussing this very topic.

Random thoughts in no particular order: 1) If you are missing consistently with your Hold(s) especially with 2 Acc SOs and particularly with your single target Hold accuracy is NOT the biggest problem. Block of Ice has a base accuracy of 1.2 (even the Immobilize at 0.9 is only slightly below normal) and you're then adding another ~0.6 to 0.7 accuracy on top of that. That should be plenty unless a) your To Hit is getting debuffed or b) you are fighting mobs well over your level or worse c) both are happening. OR your are hitting but mistaking the lack of a hold taking place due to (as pointed out up thread) not getting sufficient mag on the target to overcome their protection (not resistance). Resistance to a mez shortens duration but has no effect on magnitude directly, but it does make it harder to stack magnitude to overcome the targets protection. If it's a resistance issue you should at least briefly see the Hold take effect even if it's there and immediately gone again. IF you are fighting foes well above your level (i.e. +4 or more) without To Hit buffs that will also cause final hit issues because that will put your base to hit at 39%, lower if you're SK'd and fighting +5's or greater as a result. Either way if you are actually missing vs ineffectively hitting adding To Hit buffs is more likely to be an effective change (and only powers, such as Tactics, Aim etc., or the Kismet IO will add to your To Hit). PS: no one has yet mentioned that 20% of the time Controllers will "Overpower" and gain an additional +1 magnitude to their mez powers. This will overcome the standard protection of a boss and one shot Hold/Immobilize a boss rank foe. Whew that got longer than expected. 🙂 2) as @DougGravesmentions you can drop Ice Slick from around a corner, behind a crate or otherwise completely out of LoS. I often do this on my Earth/* controllers. But you do have to see with your camera where you are placing the patch's target bullseye in order to place the Ice Slick at that 'out of sight' location. 3) You have no stealth powers/capability in Ice Control. Arctic Air is not a Steamy Mist or Shadow Fall clone and provides no (-)perception. Ice Slick takes a relatively long time to animate and to take effect and roots you for the duration of the cast time. Combine this with its range of 60ft unless you do place it while under cover you are at high risk of getting attacked before you finish placing it. If you can't take cover either use those inspires or let those who can take aggro do so first. And again unlike Steamy Mist, etc., there's no +defense or +resistance in Arctic Air. I'd want some stealth some how in the build. It won't stop return fire but it will let you gain situational knowledge -> maybe if I move behind the spawn to over there I can limit or eliminate the return fire.

+1 to both Caulderone and Grouchybeast. While procs work as mentioned the damage procs have their damage scaled by your combat level

As @Grouchybeastsays use any and all the ideas put forth here. Some of my thoughts: 1) getting defeated ... lol, an embarrassment essentially, a learning opportunity and potentially a weapon. Rise of the Phoenix is a thing. I hate getting defeated but the reality is it's mostly meaningless in this game. 2) Solo, okay they look nasty so pull. So if bad stuff does happen they'll eventually wander away and you can rez in relative safety. This is true even if on a 'blapper' which while I haven't played it a /Atomic looks like it's intended to be played up close and personal looking at CoD v2.0 3) Elevators and the front door are your friends. Pull them to you there. If your getting chain mezzed ... well even if stunned and held you can still click the door and whoosh away you go. My pre-50 BS/Regen scrapper resorted to this against Malta (pre-IO, practically pre ED). Sappers kept ruining her day. She could handle -def, -resist, etc., but -end then detoggled Integration and mezzed to hell and gone. She also experimented with Teleport Foe to yank those annoying 'minions' away for a little individual playtime. Should work even better from what I've read about the new Teleport pool. 4) there's a proc that generates mez protection put it in one of those "I can use even when mezzed" powers. For that matter I don't think I've seen Amplifiers mentioned. 5) Be ready to use 'stuff' when being chain Slept in particular. Players aren't the only ones whose allies wake up sleeping foes. Their next attack may wake you briefly before the next Sleep hits. Be ready. 6) For that matter planning ahead doesn't stop at pulling. What will you do if your intended single pull brings the room? Panicked by impending dooooom do you know which way, which twists and turns, ramps, etc., to take as you retreat.

No it's Accuracy. The Alpha abilities act as global enhancements. So Nerve would act as an Accuracy enhancement in all your powers that accept Accuracy enhancements. And in all likelihood you'll benefit most from To Hit buffs and least from Accuracy. Accuracy is a multiplier and multiplying a small number doesn't help as much as making that number not as small.

There are things in the set that would benefit from a pass. Liquefy could use a look, for example. The recharge is ... long. But overall it's a very solid if not 'splashy' set. PS: Those two Sonics were my Sonic/Dark (~i13 or so) and a Sonic/Sonic build by Linea (~i9) as I recall.

Sonic Resonance is a very capable defender primary. It also does not solo easily. Your own mitigation is very limited compared to many other defender primaries --> No Heal, absorb or regen. No defense. 15% Damage Resistance, mez options are a long recharge t9 patch and a single target 'foe capture'. Now as with any character sets/set bonuses, pools etc., can help a lot but unlike many other primaries you start out from pretty much zero. Combine that with defender hit points, endurance expensive toggles pummeling your blue bar and soloing especially at low levels is painful and slow. But on a team they can be strong benefit. Resist shields for all those high or capped defenses and 60% resistance debuff before considering the secondary or anything else about the build. While it's completely coincidental and anecdotal two of the strongest teams I've been on had a Sonic Resonance character on the team and I'm thinking if the set was that off it would have been noticed particularly the 5 man team crushing +4/×8 Arachnos in the early 20's in Faultline with AVs etc. etc.

As someone who lost a close friend and roommate about a year after we started playing in 2005 I think this is awesome idea. It was also one those times where the strength of this community was exemplified by the unknown hero who I happened to be playing with when I got the news. While I've no idea who they were or even remember their character I will always remember the caring and kindness they exhibited staying on line and in mission with me for what seemed like hours as I dealt with the news offering support to a total stranger.

Bad? No. Has no debuff built in to take advantage of those sweet defender values. Correct. On the otherhand indirectly those animations mean my Empathy/Fire doesn't get tied up watching (like my Emp/Electric might) her 'Short Circuit' animation complete, as an example, while a teammate goes really colorful and collapses. And of course on a fast moving high level team chewing through mobs as fast as such teams can one could say more buffs/debuffs are pretty much wasted anyway and Fire due to those fast animations is most likely the one making others corpse blast 🤪.

This^ (some quick posts 🙂 but that was supposed to point at arcanes' post.) Pretty much any well built Tanker is incredibly hard to defeat. And depending on just what you mean by extreme situations that list can get considerably extended into Brutes, Scrappers etc..

Not to mention up until relative recent issues/sets Psi and Toxic were and still are almost always a whole lot less resisted (and lacked defense against) on top of things like fire vs a fire Tanker. Confused about what the goal here is given the above post by biostem is accurate to my recollections as well. Players will largely move away from combating those mobs, they'll just avoid them like they currently avoid Carnies as an example.

As a big believer in using inspirations I can safely say this was to my memory not a thing, though not an uncommon request. I would not have spent as much time either purchasing off the AH or hunting Kora fruit in one of my favorite zones as much as I did if it were an option as described. And the idea that I and tens of thousands of other players wouldn't have noticed the option and not spread that knowledge around (either positively or negatively) seems about as likely as saying knockback didn't exist pre-Freedom. That said as an option to be included as a "QoL" option ... 'meh' it's ridiculously easy to obtain large ones (at least with a level 50+) so I'm not sure it would truly make things all that more easy. I'd much rather Developer time be spent on content that would make such inspires a true need.

First immediate thought is if it's mostly about getting teammates to mission end is the temp power Assemble the Team and live without the pool or grab Sorcery instead CJ or Hover. Mystic Flight provides both Fly and Teleport and use Assemble for those stealth to end needs. Edit: Other random thoughts/ideas: If you're swapping to other pools maybe Concealment and instead of using Teleport and just use GI etc to get everyone there.

One, just one!? Okay that's just nuts 😉

And unless my memories are failing me they do show up in the bank job portion after you do a set of 5. I *know* I've fought a few in those.

@Sir Myshkin @Bopper Two names I associate strongly with procs. Edit: And since you didn't say otherwise that's one Triage Beacon in play. Not uncommon to be able to drop two.