Ultimo

So, I have a character, he's based on the Chinese God of Storms. When I made him years ago, he was a Defender, Storm/Electric. I recreated him here, but I'm having a heck of a time with him, he's out of endurance so fast I spend much of every fight just using the Apprentice Charm, and when he does hit enemies with his attacks, it's as if he were using a rolled up newspaper. So, I've restarted him as a Corruptor, but I've never played the class before. What do you all think? How does an Electric/Storm Corruptor compare to the Defender?

I love my Force Bolt (though I wish it would do some actual damage). Dire does not engage in petty fisticuffs.

So, I've been tinkering with my mastermind, Lord Dire (based on Doom), and I'm at a point where I'm trying to decide which of two powers to take. On one hand, I can take Repulsion Field, which knocks foes back. Taking this acts as a sort of soft control, as they have to get up again, and it can be taken earlier, meaning I can take all the powers in the Field Mastery Ancillary. On the other hand is Force Bubble, which pushes the enemies back more reliably, but doesn't knock them down, so it really only offers the defense of range. Plus, it's at L38, which means leaving out one of the Ancillary powers. Any thoughts? Which is preferable? Here's the current plan... Villain Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.1 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Lord Dire: Level 50 Technology Mastermind Primary Power Set: Robotics Secondary Power Set: Force Field Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Medicine Power Pool: Leadership Ancillary Pool: Field Mastery Villain Profile: Level 1: Battle Drones -- Acc(A), Dmg(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5) Level 1: Force Bolt -- EndRdx(A), Acc(5) Level 2: Pulse Rifle Burst -- EndRdx(A), Acc(7), Dmg(7), Dmg(9), Dmg(9) Level 4: Fly -- EndRdx(A), EndRdx(11), EndRdx(11) Level 6: Equip Robot -- RechRdx(A) Level 8: Photon Grenade -- EndRdx(A), Acc(13), Dmg(13), Dmg(15), Dmg(15) Level 10: Air Superiority -- EndRdx(A), Acc(43), Dmg(43), Dmg(46), Dmg(46) Level 12: Protector Bots -- Acc(A), Heal(17), Heal(17), DefBuff(19), DefBuff(19), DefBuff(21) Level 14: Aid Other -- EndRdx(A), Heal(21), Heal(23), Heal(23) Level 16: Personal Force Field -- DefBuff(A), DefBuff(25), DefBuff(25) Level 18: Aid Self -- EndRdx(A), Heal(27), Heal(27), Heal(29) Level 20: Dispersion Bubble -- EndRdx(A), DefBuff(29), DefBuff(31), DefBuff(31) Level 22: Maneuvers -- EndRdx(A), DefBuff(31), DefBuff(33), DefBuff(33) Level 24: Field Medic -- RechRdx(A) Level 26: Assault Bot -- Acc(A), Dmg(33), Dmg(34), Dmg(34) Level 28: Repulsion Field -- EndRdx(A) Level 30: Group Fly -- EndRdx(A), EndRdx(40), EndRdx(43) Level 32: Upgrade Robot -- RechRdx(A) Level 35: Repulsion Bomb -- EndRdx(A), Acc(37), Dmg(37), Dmg(37), Dmg(39) Level 38: Power Blast -- EndRdx(A), Acc(39), Dmg(39), Dmg(40), Dmg(40) Level 41: Temp Invulnerability -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(42), ResDam(42), ResDam(42) Level 44: Energy Torrent -- EndRdx(A), Acc(45), Dmg(45), Dmg(45), Dmg(46) Level 47: Explosive Blast -- EndRdx(A), Acc(48), Dmg(48), Dmg(48), Dmg(50) Level 49: Force of Nature -- ResDam(A), ResDam(50), ResDam(50) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A) Level 1: Supremacy Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A) Level 2: Health -- Heal(A), Heal(36), Heal(36) Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(34), EndMod(36) ------------

It could be a level thing. My highest character is now 21, and only recently so... As for having dps high enough... there are whole classes who can NEVER get dps high enough... my Tanker, for example, will likely never be able to damage a bomb. Controller damage is similarly very low. My preference would be to make ALL aspects of the invasions "soloable." That is, they should be difficult, but REASONABLY POSSIBLE. I mean, the bombs. I mean the SHIPS! I know, there were times the ships did get brought down, but it took the entire population of a server to do it, and that's not any fun. Reduce their speed. Reduce their damage. Make them less durable, and easier to HIT. There's enough bombs, let them be soloed. Let us have fun with it.

The Rikti thing... I've been back a couple of months now, and every time there's a Rikti or zombie raid, the sky changes colour (and Rikti ships appear), but there's no ground forces. No Rikti, no zombies. Nothing happens. SOMETIMES there's Rikti bombs, but they can't be damaged, they regenerate faster than they can be damaged.... so there's not really anything to DO. I expect it's a bug of some sort.

This is something I've thought since back in the old days. Burning buildings, as we seen in Steel Canyon, are a missed opportunity, I think. Read the comics, watch the films. When did you ever see Spiderman or Batman go running for a fire extinguisher? No, they went IN the building, risking being burned, in order to save trapped people. I always wondered why WE couldn't do the same? I'm not saying the fire extinguisher part of the event should be discarded, or that the villains who turn up to make things worse should be removed... just that a mission INSIDE the building should be added. You go in, and you're on a timer. Find and rescue the trapped civilians. Perhaps fight off a Hellion or two, knock down a few walls to let people get out safely (perhaps losing time by knocking down walls... you would reduce the structural integrity of the building... ask Mr. Incredible about that). Events in the mission might even affect the events outside, and vice versa. I'm not sure how it would be done, exactly, but I'd love to see it. More, I'd love to see it in other zones. Indeed, random events like this are something I'd REALLY like to see in any zone... not always burning buildings, but perhaps a random Super Villain goes on a rampage, or the Rikti actually BEAM DOWN during their "invasions," or what have you. It would just add some life to the world.

I actually use Teleport Foe on a few of my characters. It can be a handy way of pulling an individual foe without aggroing whole groups... and it's really handy for those pesky cowardly Tsoo who are always running or teleporting away.

I'm tinkering with the build. The three travel pools... I use Superleap for actual travel, and I took Hover more for cosmetic reasons. I like the idea of him hanging in front of a giant monster bashing it in the face rather than the ankles. It is useful at other times, though. Teleport I took for combat, mainly. On my Storm Defender, one of my favourite tactics is to teleport right into the middle of a group of foes, debuffing them all with Hurricane. This character would do that with Lightning Field. Likewise, Teleport Foe is kind of a handy power, so I took that too. I'd considered taking the Fighting pool, but saw it as kind of extraneous. As I say, though... still tinkering.

BOY I'm have a hard time enjoying this character. He just doesn't seem capable of doing much of anything... but then, the game keeps sending me on missions against Vazhilok and ghosts (none of whom I have any kind of protection from, as it's all toxic and negative). The result is, even in radio missions, I'm getting slaughtered, 10-20 times trying to defeat A minon or two before I get killed. None of my other characters have had quite so much trouble. I mean, I get it, I've gotten used to ESO, where enemies die if you give them a stern look, and they hit like they're armed with wet noodles... but it's really hard to enjoy a character that can't take on what are supposed to be WEAKER foes (especially when he's supposed to be a SUPER hero). I'll say this for Champions Online... I rarely ever found that I didn't feel powerful, even if I was getting defeated. CoH is better in so many ways, but Champions did have that going for it.

Here's the plan for him so far... Note the levels on the slots aren't accurate, but the levels the powers are chosen are. Villain Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.1 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Thor Odinsson: Level 50 Natural Brute Primary Power Set: War Mace Secondary Power Set: Electric Armor Power Pool: Leaping Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Teleportation Ancillary Pool: Mu Mastery Villain Profile: Level 1: Pulverize -- EndRdx(A), Acc(3), Dmg(3), Dmg(5), Dmg(5) Level 1: Charged Armor -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(7), ResDam(7), ResDam(9) Level 2: Jawbreaker -- EndRdx(A), Acc(9), Dmg(11), Dmg(11), Dmg(13) Level 4: Super Jump -- Jump(A) Level 6: Lightning Field -- EndRdx(A), Dmg(13), Dmg(15), Dmg(15) Level 8: Conductive Shield -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(17), ResDam(17), ResDam(19) Level 10: Static Shield -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(19), ResDam(21), ResDam(21) Level 12: Clobber -- EndRdx(A), Acc(23), Dmg(23), Dmg(25), Dmg(25) Level 14: Hover -- Flight(A), Flight(40), Flight(40) Level 16: Grounded -- ResDam(A), ResDam(27), ResDam(27) Level 18: Whirling Mace -- EndRdx(A), Acc(29), Dmg(29), Dmg(31), Dmg(31) Level 20: Lightning Reflexes -- Flight(A) Level 22: Air Superiority -- EndRdx(A), Acc(40), Dmg(43), Dmg(43), Dmg(46) Level 24: Teleport -- EndRdx(A) Level 26: Shatter -- EndRdx(A), Acc(31), Dmg(33), Dmg(33), Dmg(33) Level 28: Energize -- Heal(A), Heal(34), Heal(34) Level 30: Teleport Foe -- EndRdx(A), Acc(46) Level 32: Crowd Control -- EndRdx(A), Acc(37), Dmg(37), Dmg(37), Dmg(39) Level 35: Power Sink -- EndMod(A), EndMod(39), EndMod(39) Level 38: Power Surge -- ResDam(A), ResDam(50), ResDam(50) Level 41: Mu Lightning -- EndRdx(A), Acc(42), Dmg(42), Dmg(42), Dmg(43) Level 44: Ball Lightning -- EndRdx(A), Acc(45), Dmg(45), Dmg(45), Dmg(46) Level 47: Static Discharge -- EndRdx(A), Acc(48), Dmg(48), Dmg(48), Dmg(50) Level 49: Long Range Teleport -- RechRdx(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Acc(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Fury Level 1: Sprint -- Jump(A) Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Flight(A) Level 2: Health -- Heal(A), Heal(36), Heal(36) Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump(A) Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(34), EndMod(36) ------------

So, I created a version of Thor (NOT Marvel's Thor, mine is based on the myths). He's set up to use Mace and Electric Armour... and he's impossibly useless at everything. I'm quite baffled. Granted, he's L12, but NONE of my other characters have had so much trouble... even RADIO missions are too much for poor Thor. His endurance costs are so VAST he can't use most of his attacks in most fights. I'm left fighting with Brawl. His defenses are pretty well nonexistent, since the game insists on pitting me against Vazhilok and Skulls, against whom there ARE no defenses at lower level... and his health evaporates in the blink of an eye. His damage is pretty anemic too, especially when you consider it takes an eternity for his attacks to recharge... not that I want them to, I wouldn't have the endurance to USE them. So, I'm baffled. I've not played a Brute before Homecoming. The other one I created was an alternative version of my Tanker, the Canadian Shield (SS/Inv). I was astonished how squishy HE was too, but at least he wasn't gasping for breath when taking on a street thug or two. Is this USUAL? Does this improve? What do you all suggest I do with this character?

Is there a way to stop leveling?

I have a street level hero (based on Batman), who makes King's Row his home. It's grittier than any of the other zones, and suits his character. But, after a certain level, there's NOTHING to do there. I can't even do radio missions. I'm told events in my chosen HOME ZONE are "beneath my notice." Personally, I think I should be deciding what's beneath my notice. Can we remove the restriction on radio missions, so we we can continue to get them even after outleveling the zone?

As I say, as long as I get that pairing of ranged attacks and defenses, I don't care much what else they do with the class. I'd like to see either a bit more damage or a bit more defense, but beyond that... I'm not concerned overmuch.

I know, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I've been tinkering with my Sentinel, and was trying to find a defensive set I liked for him. I settled on Electric Armour, but found that there's no minimal fx setting in the visuals. I don't know how difficult it would be to do it, but my suggestion is to provide us with a minimal fx setting for ALL the defensive sets.

Actually, I like your latter two suggestions. Call it "Focus" or something similar, and let it build up like Fury does.

So, I was going to try out some of the other sets, and some just won't work because of how they look. I was going to try Electric. I thought that power where he turns into energy was totally in character, and his resistances look good, even at lower level. It's not perfectly in character, but it's not too bad. However, there's no minimal FX setting, so there would be constant lightning shooting all over him, and that's not how it should be. The same problem exists with all the other sets, with the exception of Regen and Willpower, neither of which strike me as being in character. So, it seems I'll be stuck with Invulnerability going forward. A difficult slog, but what else can I do. I appreciate the input, and I hope it might be of use to others as well!

I always slot air superiority, it nearly won me my only PvP match ever, all on its own. I was playing my Mastermind, Lord Dire. He's Force Fields and Bots. I was standing around in Bloody Bay (I think) watching a duel. I had PFF active, as I always did in such circumstances, because there's usually a Stalker lurking somewhere waiting to ruin your day. However, in this case it was a Scrapper. I was actually a bit annoyed, it was a known "rule" that the platform I was on was a "no attack zone," so people could watch duels... and this guy attacked. Of course, my bots attacked him back, and he tried to kill them, and kept coming after me. When he realized he couldn't hurt me, he tried to take off, flying up into the air. I suspect he was trying to lure me away from my bots to take me on without them, but I had Group Fly. No joy for him. However, he took off faster than the bots could keep up, and down they went. At that point he came after ME again, so I dropped my PFF and hit him with Air Superiority. Of course, he plummeted to the ground where he was left at 1HP. I swooped in to finish him off, but was blindsided by some other guy that held me and I was stuck like that while the two of them took their time finishing me off. I don't like PvP in general, but that was actually kind of fun, even though I lost. I call it a win, because he was TOAST if not for the sudden arrival of someone else. I liked how strategic it had been. In any case, it taught me to love Air Superiority.

So... I'm still having a heck of a time with Ultimo. He's currently Energy and Invulnerability, only L14 now. He dies almost immediately whenever anyone looks at him sideways. I attacked a pair of Outcast lieutenants (a shocker and a brick, I believe they're called) in the streets of Steel Canyon by Firing Power Burst and queueing up Power Blast. Before the attacks had finished animating, I was dead. They couldn't have hit me more than 2-3 times. At L14, Invulnerability seems to offer NO protection from anything but Smashing and Lethal damage... which means I have all the defense of a Blaster... ie. none, but nowhere near the damage output. It's very frustrating. So, I'm reconsidering which set to take. There are a few options that still fit the concept. I thought about Electric Armour. According to Mids, it provides fantastic resistance, but no defense. It's not QUITE in concept, but can be rationalized. Energy Aura offers Defense in the 25-30% range, as well as Resistance in the 20-25% range... though it's weaker against fire and ice. Invulnerability has about 50% Resistance against smashing and lethal, but only about 20% against everything else. It offers around 16% Defense. Radiation Armour is all Resistance, around 50% to Energy, and around 30% to all else. Willpower and Regeneration are hard to quantify, because they rely more on healing than actual protection... but I hear they're good. Willpower offers around 30% Resistance to smashing and lethal, only 8% to all else. Defense to smashing & lethal is only 3%, but everything else is only 14% Seems weak, but for the healing. So, I'm uncertain which way to go. I'm inclined to stay with Energy Blast as his attacks, because that's what he's always been... but I tried Radiation Blasts for a bit... and it's... ok. Doesn't quite feel right, but it's not bad. That leaves me wondering about the defense. The numbers above are at max level, all slotted with basic enhancements (just to keep things simple and comparable). I didn't do this for the character at L14. Perhaps I'll do that too. Anyway, I still appreciate any further thoughts.

So... here's my plan, more or less. I didn't bother working out special sets, I'm more interested in the powers at this point. However, I'm open to suggestions. Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.0.1 https://github.com/ImaginaryDevelopment/imaginary-hero-designer Click this DataLink to open the build! Ultimo: Level 50 Mutation Sentinel Primary Power Set: Energy Blast Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability Power Pool: Flight Power Pool: Fighting Power Pool: Leadership Hero Profile: Level 1: Power Bolt -- EndRdx(A), Acc(5), Dmg(7), Dmg(7), Dmg(9) Level 1: Temp Invulnerability -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(3), ResDam(3), ResDam(5) Level 2: Power Blast -- EndRdx(A), Acc(9), Dmg(15), Dmg(15), Dmg(19) Level 4: Fly -- EndRdx(A), EndRdx(33) Level 6: Air Superiority -- Acc(A) Level 8: Energy Torrent -- EndRdx(A), Acc(23), Dmg(23), Dmg(33), Dmg(34) Level 10: Dull Pain -- Heal(A), Heal(11), Heal(11) Level 12: Resist Physical Damage -- ResDam(A), ResDam(13), ResDam(13) Level 14: Power Burst -- EndRdx(A), Acc(34), Dmg(34), Dmg(36), Dmg(37) Level 16: Unyeilding -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(17), ResDam(17), ResDam(19) Level 18: Durability -- Heal(A), Heal(37), Heal(37), EndMod(39), EndMod(39), EndMod(39) Level 20: Environmental Resistance -- ResDam(A), ResDam(21), ResDam(21) Level 22: Boxing -- Acc(A) Level 24: Tough -- EndRdx(A), ResDam(25), ResDam(25), ResDam(27) Level 26: Weave -- EndRdx(A), DefBuff(27), DefBuff(29), DefBuff(29) Level 28: Invincible -- EndRdx(A), DefBuff(31), DefBuff(31), DefBuff(31) Level 30: Focused Power Bolt -- EndRdx(A), Acc(40), Dmg(40), Dmg(40), Dmg(42) Level 32: Nova -- EndRdx(A), Acc(43), Dmg(46), Dmg(46), Dmg(46) Level 35: Tough Hide -- DefBuff(A), DefBuff(36), DefBuff(36) Level 38: Explosive Blast -- EndRdx(A), Acc(42), Dmg(42), Dmg(43), Dmg(43) Level 41: Cross Punch -- Acc(A) Level 44: Maneuvers -- EndRdx(A), DefBuff(45), DefBuff(45), DefBuff(45) Level 47: Tactics -- EndRdx(A), ToHit(48), ToHit(48), ToHit(48) Level 49: Assault -- EndRdx(A) Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A) Level 1: Opportunity Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A) Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A) Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A) Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A) Level 4: Ninja Run Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A) Level 2: Health -- Heal(A), Heal(33), Heal(50) Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A) Level 2: Stamina -- EndMod(A), EndMod(50), EndMod(50) ------------

So I've been trying to decide what to do with my Sentinel, and I'm having some trouble with it. I wondered if the community might offer some thoughts. The character "Ultimo" is kind of my main. He's an OLD character, I created decades ago when I was making my own comics. The basis of the character is that he's a mutant, his body turning into energy. This would have killed him, but he was able to make a suit of armour that would contain the energy, and allow him to release it in small amounts. In the comics, he was kind of our Superman, the flagship character. He was extremely tough, partly because of the armour, partly because his body was made of energy, and not entirely solid. His blasts were very powerful, and if left unchecked, he could level whole cities. Because his body was energy, he wasn't limited by muscles, so he was immensely strong. When I first created him for CoH, way back in the old days, I would have made him a Tanker, but there were no Tankers with blasts. That left either Blaster or Defender. Both would be squishy, but the Blaster had both blasts and powerful punches... so I made him a Blaster. However, it always bothered me how squishy he was, and my Tanker, the Canadian Shield, became my main. So, I signed up here and saw a class, the Sentinel, with blasts and defenses. My first thought was to make him an Energy/Invulnerability Sentinel. However, I'm finding myself rather underwhelmed. His damage is a bit anemic, but I can tolerate that. I'm used to Tankers, so low damage isn't a big deal (though I simply cannot fathom why enemies are ALWAYS left with 1-2 health after I finish all my attacks), but he's intolerably squishy. Now, I get it, Invulnerability is a late blooming set, and I'm only L13 or so. I could stick it out, but I've been wondering if there might be a more satisfying set. I thought about doing Energy/Energy, but I don't know how the Energy Armour set works. I thought about using Willpower or Regeneration, too, but again, I don't really know those sets. I also thought about switching to Radiation Blasts, because in the comic, Ultimo could emit blasts from his eyes AND his hands, and Radiation does this, while Energy does not. So, anyhow, the main issue is the defense. Can you guys offer any advice? What defensive set is best overall? What works best with Energy? What works best with Radiation? My playstyle is to blast and then melee, so I expect to take some melee powers and mix it up in close. I appreciate any thoughts.

For me, it's less the characters than the environment. Paragon City just seems more "real" than Millenium, though I can't say why.

Maybe he's non-binary.

The problem I found most in CO was that there was simply nothing to do, even in groups. 90% of the time, you would enter a mission and some guy with super speed would outrun everyone and attack the nearest group of bad guys with one of a few types of attacks (usually a toxic cloud or spinning dual pistols), instantly killing everything. He would then do the same at the next group and the next, then finally kill the boss off before anyone else could even GET to him. I did like being able to test builds and powers before locking them in. THAT was very valuable, and I'd love to see something like that here.