[Energy Melee Attack Chains, ATOs and a Build for review]

14 minutes ago, Linea said:

If I was there testing first, too bad so sad, they can run the instanced LFG MSR version.  The LFG pylons are NOT the same as the zone pylons, so I can't as easily do the same thing, or I would.  But I do try to run the majority of my testing on one of the test servers when it's reasonably possible.

 

 

Yep.  IMO, there is not a single legitimate reason at all to run a zone MSR anymore.  Not a single one.

[Building an all purpose character]

7 minutes ago, StriderIV said:

I’ve heard that Ill/Dark makes you feel Godlike because you just…. Can do anything lol.

 

 

Yep.  It's very clicky... click, click, click... but with those clicks, you can do just about anything.  Damage, tank, heal, buff, debuff.

[Building an all purpose character]

Illusion/Darkness Affinity Controller FTW.  You can solo AVs and GMs, provide great debuffs, and great team buffs.  Even better, your fantastic team buff in Fade also obscures people's costumes, thereby annoying your teammates!

[Black Screen on New Computer]

FWIW, my Alienware desktop arrived with Windows 11 pre-loaded.  Bleh.  I immediately wiped the SSD and installed Windows 10 Pro.  Most of the drivers were downloaded and installed from Dell's website, except the Nvidia graphics card driver which I downloaded and installed from Nvidia's web site.  I since updated the graphics card driver in March.  No difference.

 

5 minutes ago, Maelstrom Vortex said:

I would also suggest trying to reinstall the direct x 9C distributables and we should find out if there are any common distributable that the game's graphic engine library requires like the old c+ microsoft framework libraries. Some games won't even start without them and a black screen is a common presentation of their absence. So we need to look at all graphics dependencies I'd say, not simply those that are card or brand specific. New machines will not have these libraries installed by default and many old games require them.

 

City of Heroes doesn't use DirectX, it uses OpenGL.  That's why the game is mostly incompatible with newer machines using integrated graphics as Windows no longer ships with OpenGL drivers.  Only graphics card drivers still come with OpenGL drivers included.

[Going Rogue - Can't see Dr. Stefford]

As Honorbridge and Darmian pointed out, it sounds like you've done Interrogator Kang's story arc already.  Unfortunately, that prevents you from doing Dr. Stefford's story arc naturally.  You'll have to do it via Ouroboros Flashback.

 

If you want to do all of Praetoria naturally without using Ouroboros Flashback, I recommend following this guide - https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Apparition's_Complete_Guide_to_Praetoria

 

But then again, I'm biased. :P

[Black Screen on New Computer]

Just FYI, someone mentioned on the Mids' Reborn Discord server a couple of days ago that he experiences the exact same issue, but his desktop computer was custom built, not Alienware.  So it doesn't appear that AlienFX is the culprit and this issue may be more widespread than Alienware machines.

 

I should also mention that, as @TheHunterJLJ mentioned, the issue crops up on every CoH server, not just Homecoming.  It hit me using the Sweet Tea launcher on Rebirth.  The only way to fix it is to run:

 

REG DELETE HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Cryptic\CoH

 

each and every time I want to play on Rebirth.

[AE problem on test ?]

Brainstorm is occasionally wiped, including the AE.  Sometimes it's re-populated, other times it isn't.  Don't count on Brainstorm having specific AE missions for testing.

[Jack Emmert is Now Leading a New NetEase Studio, and Not the Marvel MMOG]

Six years ago, Jack Emmert took over Dimensional Ink Games, which operates DC Universe Online and is developing the upcoming Marvel MMOG.  However, now he is leading a new American studio for NetEase (a Chinese video games publisher).  The name of the new studio?  Jackalope Games.

 

From Massively OP:

 

Quote

“NetEase Games, the online games division of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES, HKEX: 9999) announced today its first U.S. studio, Jackalope Games, based in Austin, Texas. Jackalope Games will be creating new and exciting PC and console games as a first party studio of NetEase Games. Jackalope Games is led by industry veteran Jack Emmert, whose credits include City of Heroes, Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online. Jack has worked on games based on some of the biggest media franchises in history and brings decades of MMORPG experience to this studio. […] Jackalope Games is NetEase Games’ first first-party studio in the U.S., but it will operate independently and maintain creative autonomy in its game development and publishing. The first project produced by Jackalope Games is being fully funded by NetEase Games.”

 

 

His next game will probably be a MMOG, considering that's his forte.  But at least he won't be involved with the upcoming Marvel MMOG any longer, assuming that it's still being made.

[Brutes and Defense Secondaries]

Why play Stone Armor on a Brute?  Because you won't experience the joy of chasing all of the mobs running away from you.  @Bill Z Bubba 

 

That's why I'd play any secondary other than Bio, Invulnerability, and Shield on a Brute instead of a Scrapper. 

[Worthwhile arcs/missions on Blueside]

As someone who also much prefers red side to blue side, I recommend the Faultline story arc.  It has a lot of Arachnos in it to make yourself feel at home, but also not.  It also ties in heavily into the Rikti War Zone story arc later.  I also strongly recommend Laura Lockhart, level 15+ in Steel Canyon.  Once you're level 30 or so, go to Ouroboros and re-do it via Flashback.  Trust me.

[Multiple TF bugs]

It's not new.  It's been an issue since at least the start of Homecoming.  Probably since when TFs and SFs were added to the LFG queue back on live.  It's just usually rare.  I've encountered it a few times over 2019 through 2021, until I learned about the /teamquitinternal command and began using it every time I use the LFG queue.

 

There's no fix planned, per se.  Technically, using the LFG queue while solo is considered an exploit by the developers as using it solo to move around is not its intended purpose.  It's just a low priority exploit ATM.  So for now the fix is, as as I said, to use /teamquitinternal every time you use the LFG queue while solo.

 

 

[Multiple TF bugs]

Yep, you got hit by a bug from using the LFG queue to transport around.  Every time you use the LFG queue to transport, you should type: /teamquitinternal immediately after arriving at your destination.

[What Can Be Done to Recruit Players?]

I've said all of this (although I don't think together in one post), over the past couple of years, but it still remains true (although people will vehemently disagree):

 

1. AE XP should have been cut to 25%.

 

2. XP from radio and newspaper missions should have been cut to 50%.

 

3. The only thing veteran levels should have given you is badges.

 

4. The double XP booster should have cost 5 - 10 million INF per, and the 50% XP booster should have cost 2.5 - 5 million INF per.

[What Can Be Done to Recruit Players?]

16 minutes ago, nihilii said:

I haven't logged in in 2022.

I agree with the posters pointing the finger at farming on steroids (causing a retention problem).

When you overoptimize, there is a point where atmosphere goes away, where rituals disappear. Gone is the sentiment of playing a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game rather than an arbitrary mesh of numbers and functions.

 

 

Yep.  When Homecoming first went online, so many people insisted that they want all of their characters back NOW NOW NOW that they farmed and PLed dozens of characters to level 50, set them out, Incarnated them between veteran levels and iTrials... and then what?  After all that grind, there was nothing left to do.  So they left.  It happened with literally dozens of people that I personally know.

[Staff fighting and secondary]

Staff Fighting doesn't use much endurance, but it is one of the least damaging primaries.  I agree that your best bets would be to pair it with either Stone Armor (sans Granite), or Electric Armor.  Bio would be good as well, but it's OP and I generally don't recommend OP power sets. :P

[Props to MMs]

45 minutes ago, TygerDarkstorm said:

It's one of those different strokes for different folks kind of things. I personally find melee toons a bit difficult to get into. I prefer support and pet classes, and something about the MM playstyle draws me in and I find them enjoyable to play, though exemping and sidekicking on them is a bit annoying since the pets have to constantly die and be resummoned.

 

 

Same.  I like playing melee solo, but only solo.  I can't stand playing melee on teams.  Partly because at least on PUG teams I find that usually half or more of the team is melee and, relatedly, I also find that there's usually a substantial lack of debuffs on PUG teams.  Let me tell you, doing TFs/SFs/trials on a melee heavy team is a real slog and can easily take two or three times as long as a team with only one or two melee characters on it.  On teams, I prefer playing Blasters, Corruptors, and Masterminds.  I feel like I'm contributing much more to the team overall than playing a melee character.  YMMV.

[Screaming doom in an empty room or I need a hero]

We just need to lure Diantane back and get him to start posting on the forums again.  Then the forums will become hopping again.

[Returning Player Help finding Granted Abilities]

3 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

While it's true that there is no portal to Cimerora, if you went inside the mansion in Night Ward and received the badge, you can then use the LFG tab in Chat, choose the Imperious taskforce, lock it to yourself, hit ok, and you will teleport to Cimerora. This method can be used to teleport to any zone with a contact that starts a TF/SF as long as you have them unlocked which most are by default.

 

 

Note that if you do do that, you should immediately type /teamquitinternal after arriving at your destination as it can be bugged and prevent you from being able to join a team unless you use that command.

 

See 

 

[Returning Player Help finding Granted Abilities]

First of all, welcome back to Paragon City and the Rogue Isles!

 

1. For the Ouroboros portal, take the TUNNEL in Atlas Park or Mercy Island to Night Ward.  Once in Night Ward, go to the mansion and enter it.  You'll receive a badge that unlocks the Midnighter's Club in Steel Canyon or Cap au Diable.  Enter the Midnighter's Club, and go to Cimerora.  Congratulations, you now have the Ouroboros portal.

 

As for Team Transporter and Mission Transporter, they are available from the P2W vendor in Atlas Park, Mercy Island, and Pocket D, as well as the T4V vendor in Nova Praetoria.

 

2. There is currently no portal to Cimerora.  You have to access it from the Midnighter's Club in Steel Canyon or Cap au Diable.

[Lord Recluse SF at +4]

4 minutes ago, Bill Z Bubba said:

Seeing some mixed conversations here. Thread's about LRSF but comments are talking MLTF.

 

Not honestly seeing how 8 T4ed tanks would even break a sweat stomping either without needing to lean on daggers.

 

 

I've noticed that quite a few people that primarily play blue side get tripped up between the MLTF and LRSF, essentially thinking that they're one in the same because they both involve Lord Recluse.

[Lord Recluse SF at +4]

Eight Tankers could do LRSF at +4, but you'll need temporary powers.  Envenomed daggers, and the blue side Signature Summon (Ranged Damage), which gives you Positron.  It's expensive, but it'll be worth it, trust me.  The Positron Signature Summon is arguably overpowered, to be blunt.  He does -100% regen, -20% damage, and -30% res.  It's ridiculous.  Best 10 million INF spent, ever.

[Gold side and VEATs]

Snarky is mostly correct.

 

As a VEAT, you can go to gold side at level one via Pocket D or a SG base and street sweep Praetorian mobs.  However, the contacts will completely ignore you.  The only way to do the story arcs in Nova Praetoria, Imperial City, and Neutropolis as a VEAT is via an Ouroboros crystal, which you can use at level ten, not level 25.  First Ward and Night Ward however, you can do naturally if you wish.  If your VEAT is a hero for some God forsaken reason, go see Mistress Eva in Talos Island.  If your VEAT is a villain like God intended, go see Carter Mordesen in Cap au Diable.  They will both start you on the path to First Ward.

[Praetor Tilman's "Down in the Slums" Mission]

This isn't really a bug per se, but it is an unintended consequence.  Page Three made some Arachnos Wolf Spiders female, and some Arachnos Fortunatas male.

 

In the mission "Down in the Slums" by Praetor Tilman, you are tasked with capturing an Arachnos Fortunata.  The one I got in that particular mission was most definitely male.  Yet, when I turned in the mission, Praetor Tilman/Mother Mayhem says: "This little girl you brought me is very interesting, as is the news that she has.  It seems she met with our little Vanessa DeVore herself."  The dialogue continues with many more references of the Fortunata being female.

 

So you may want to re-write the dialogue to be more gender agnostic, or lock down the Fortunata appearing in that mission to be female if possible.

["Pursuer / Elusive" Anniversary badge, how do you obtain this?]

It's not an anniversary badge like that.  The Elusive badge is an anniversary of the City of Villains launch badge.  The only way to obtain the Elusive badge is to log on during the month of November.  See the wiki entry here.

[You're the DMG, what do you bring?]

You're thinking in the "Blasters = ranged" misconception that too many people have.

 

Single Target Melee - Energy Melee/Stone Armor Stalker.

 

AoE Target - Dual Pistols/Atomic Manipulation Blaster, Fire Blast/Fire Manipulation Blaster if you want to be boring.

 

Single Target Ranged - Beam Rifle/Devices Blaster, Ice Blast/Tactical Arrow Blaster