Gatling

I literally have no idea how this affects what I've said, or what it has to do with a single Server and Shard system.

Only thing that is bad about brutes is the mentality people have while playing them. This mentality is also prone to affect behaviour on other AT's if they spent a lot of time as a Brute. It isn't necessary to OVER-PULL. STOP AGGRO DUMPING ON ME I'M TRYING TO EAT.

And that's why it's a fundamental assumption of CoH I think should be reconsidered. Why not 1 big server? Why not a revamp of How names work and @Handles work? it's only complicated now because it wasn't considered initially.

"Everlasting" would be a shard on a single super server. This would actually benefit people who want to go and ROle play and those who would like to take a break, by swapping to a different shard.

This is a complicated topic, as some fundamental aspects of the game are inherent to technological limitations of the engine/code. But, I think there are a few barriers that are "FUndamental" that can be broken down perhaps. I hope I don't somehow create controversy with this: Servers. They need to go. This is an MMO fundamental more so than a COH fundamental, but the servers should be unified in a configuration that allows players to server hop. I was rather disappointed when more servers got added causing the player base to be split as new servers were added. Yes HC is the Largest Private server, but as servers were added it has begun to feel a little lonely. Team play - Nothing wrong with the inherent team play, but I'd love to see some unlockables that allow you to recruit your own characters as an NPC/PET. It could have restrictions from making missions too easy mode but I think an option like that would make some big waves in the COH scene. Especially if customisation/Dialogue can be added. Fully shared worlds and PVP shards. Similar to the first suggestion, but also mixed in with fully traversable worlds. Rogue Isle's should be able to be travelled to Physically and via helicopters/planes. But depending on your allignment NPC's will react different to you and be Non-level (Scaled to you no matter where you go) This should also only be available on specific shards to not interfere with Traditional players. Housing - Had to dig deep for this one. Especially because we already have Super group Bases. But I legitimately mean it. IN-world (Shard based perhaps) Housing. You pick a building. you find a building number, you pay upkeep, you get special bonuses, and decoration options based on the building and room type. That's pretty out there for COH and if it could be done I think that would be an interesting change of pace. A new City.

I would love to help, but I've been High-end Elec so long I'm not sure what's going wrong. Some builds have certain level windows where their effectiveness is pretty lacklustre, and when you're maxed out it's difficult to remember when that is, as for most builds, maxing out makes you nigh unstoppable in PVE content(case in point vs an AV where End Drain WILL rarely be an option: ). Are these level 40 end mods SO's or IO's? I'm sure you're 50 now as I don't frequent these boards enough. But if you ever need help, I can do what I can. Although I'm on Torchbearer. However, in Very High level content you may find you wont be draining 100% end, however A Ball-lightning is usually enouigh to finish off the drain. If you're timing is correct you can also actually throw a ball lightning, fly in, and Shortcircuit and hit both around the same time before they Alpha you (Some will succeed but the AI tends to have a slightly slow enough reaction time to stop the death) Fly. The proceeding video isn't a "green Lieutenant". It's a Red Boss (And once the HD version is uploaded, yes I can 100% end drain it with 1 Short circuit*). I cannot get Purple unless I go into a mission, and By then asking for a 100% end drain on a Purple +4 is unreasonable (can I even get +4 anymore?), and not the point of this post. I'm just trying to show people that Elec/Energy is nowhere near as bad as people think it is, and I think this video shows that well enough. And yes you can expand this video to bigger group numbers. COH always shines in player positioning, speed of power use and context of power use. So there are always going to be variables that render certain tactics/choices wrong or ineffective. ALso, some enemy groups/types do Resist End-drain, and cannot be 1 shot end drained. But what Respectable hero sits around to 100% end drain and that's it? Sometimes it takes 2 attacks. But there is a massive difference between eating 1 attack vs 4-5 successive attacks from every Enemy on screen. The below video should be enough proof to show how End-drain in a combat scenario works. Also note the frequency of attacks I do receive after the enemy gets their end back. (Also my nvidia shadowplay doesn't work anymore so... I had to calibrate OBS for this, hope the quality is okay in the end) * Some enemies can acquire a buff to prevent/reduce -recovery so even if you do 100% end drain them they can get 1 tick back. Once they get 2 ticks back they will attack again. So you will need to successively attack the higher priority target E.G. A boss or a CC character.

I'll admit I don't pay attention. I'm a bit of a "Can I make this work?" sort of guy, and story comes 2nd.... or even 3rd. However, I've been trying to really pay more attention to everything in order to garner new enjoyment. But if I was to say what I Notice the most, is in-mission dialogue. It is usually in my face enough for me to notice/see it. The dialogue boxes / menu of COH are a bit wall-o-texty for my attention span. This is a personal fault, but still.

Has it really been 17 years? Damn... I can feel the wrinkles.

You're right, I meant I have mine boosted over 100% (Which is 75.25%) pair that with a Ball lightning and it gets the job done. But I generally don't use it without power boost. Which highlights the issue you said. The primary relies on Power boost. I guess in a lot of ways I've played Elec/Energy so Long I disregard the third blast. Because I always end drain in an instant and nothing recovers from it. In a lot of ways it's a Bit over powered in most situations. PB-SC and all you took was a tiny amount of damage. But without PB you're looking at a ton of incoming damage regardless. However, that is also why I wanted to make this post. Elec is so underrated, I do my job extremely well, but often get ignored or disregarded in coordinated attacks in high level difficult content. Sometimes groups do not realise they are surviving because I've been 100% end draining those mega pulls. And will attack groups without me only to end up face down. But in the end, I do agree. /Energy is definitely pulling my weight. and My Blapper status kinda seals that deal.

I think they are in the pillar's. Pretty sure I saw them in there.

I will say, this is definitely why I made sure to point out /energy. I have absolutely no issues with end draining. SC is over 100% by default WITHOUT Power boost, and enemies who have end drain resistance cannot stand up to the power boosted version. I do not use Voltaic sentinel or Tesla Cage. This is where I strongly feel COH Cannot be judged appropriately on a primary set alone. Secondary's especially secondaries like Energy Completely replace these Powers from needing to be used. They're single target and low reliability. Also if you're talking Number crunching, This is where stuff gets even more convoluted. Because COH isn't just theory crafting, it's practice. Lets remove Complications for now as I am writing this during works lunch break and i'm running out of time. Elec damage has a huge bonus (And also technically a huge negative) to its damage, as it is ALL energy damage. (excluding TB) If you take a Base Ice blast vs a Base elec blast they do the same damage on Paper (same recharge time, same damage, same activation time etc). But in practice Ice does Less damage to most enemy types. Because Ice has smashing damage mixed in. Most enemies have higher smashing resistance than energy/elemental resistances. This gets even more pronounced with the tier 2 powers. Ice blast vs Lightning Bolt. Factor in that Ice blast has travel time vs Lightning Bolt does not, and you're looking at a completely different scenario for both blasters. Positioning Time to kill at certain distances Damage received DPS solo DPS in groups Keep in mind I'm not saying these things as if you do not know this. We all know this, but this is where things get so Murky the number crunching begins to go out the window. Power interactions and synergy is one of the main driving forces behind Hero effectiveness. Take Ice storm vs Ball Lightning AOE set up. (lvl 50 enhanced primary only) Elec (+Aim): Rush into group before AI alpha's Short circuit + Ball Lightning (You can also reverse this while hovering and Shortcircuit before they aggro and shortcircuit again after SC. Only really works with hovering or flight) This will not only kill all the minions but end drain absolutely everything to 0. There is no massive alpha damage (This does depend on some Enemy groups. as some alpha very quickly and some like to stare at you). you are free to DPS. Ice Blaster Cannot do this with their primary. Ice (+Aim) If you open with Ice storm. You WILL get alpha'd, and hit with a second volley. In a big enough group. You die. If you open with Frost breath. You WILL get alpha'd and hit with a second volley. In a big enough group. You die. ice Storm aggro's enemy on cast. Ice storm into Frost breath has to be at a range where you can actually cone Frost breath. This puts you at massive risk. Blizzard also does this (but is strong enough to kill minions very quickly so its less of a risk, but bosses can still cut a Blaster down) In a group however, this is absolutely not an issue. I've failed pretty bad at quoting your posts but the above argument is: On paper things seem good, in practice it never really turns out that way. And in practice other blaster sets just have not delivered to the heights people have been touting. P.S. Thank you for your concise and detailed explanations. While I do not agree with the conclusion, on paper the numbers are very well represented thank you. Maybe run with me some time on Torchbearer? If you actually look at the base numbers. Power-for-power (For same type of powers) The base damage is the same. then factor in resistances and then quirks. and you're looking at very similar numbers. Especially with how secondaries flatten that damage difference curve. Again, only fire truly has crazy DPS because of the fire tick chance and that is still included in the Over-all DPS so it isn't actually THAT crazy. And that is only in small groups or solo, because in large groups Killing a group in .3 seconds with one team configuration vs killing a group in .3 seconds in another is not a good way to justify build snobbery. Same goes for NOVA's. Killing 15 minions and Lieutenants and having 1 boss survive your Thunderous vs Killing 15 minions and lieutenants and having 1 boss survive your inferno. Is the same thing. Only Thunderous will also have the Boss standing around doing nothing. But in a group. that boss is already dead. Edit edit edit: A lot of people have pointed out how crappy Voltaic and Tesla cage is, and they really are. I do not use these moves at all already. Perhaps they can be moved and replaced with something more suitable and reliable in a rework of sorts (Emphasis on Of sorts, I do not think Elec needs that much tweaking)?

It is quite strange how elec/energy is the best end drainer, and a bit counter intuitive (Which explains why there aren't that many elec/energy). While I usually don't need to use short-circuit in normal groups. I do use it a lot in high level high volume content. It depends a lot on the group. If it's a super high DPS group I probably only need to throw a Ball lightning and then A couple zaps to the boss or an energy melee combo. But sometimes groups get over-zealous and underestimate the contribution you make to damage mitigation (And or entirely ignore it). I forgot what Rikti storyline it was, but there was an area of Extremely high density high level enemies and they ran ahead of me while I sorted some stuff out in real life. Everybody died except 1 Brute (or was it a scrapper? I think my friend was with me and it was him, I forget. I went into the room, 1 TB and I cleared what was left of the room. If I had been there initially nobody would have died. While it was my fault for being partially AFK I do find people just don't care that I'm doing anything. But sometimes you do catch people who notice, and it feels good to be appreciated.

I'm also on Torchbearer! Go go Electric!

Good day fellow City of compatriots. I'm here to spread the electrifying good word. Jokes aside, I've come across some pretty hard-line negative opinions on the viability and use of Electric primary in COH. And also running into Galaxy Brains standardised test for Blaster Primaries this has probably compounded that sentiment. I'm here to present a case for Electric Primary, as I've not only been playing electric primary for quite a few years I've noticed a trend within the game and outside of it. Nobody seems to use electric for its purpose. (edit I accidentally submitted this topic before I even finished it) This is entirely a PVE oriented write-up and does not consider pvp benefits or drawbacks. City of heroes, as we all know, is an incredibly dynamic game that allows players to enjoy the game how they see fit. You can create a mix of powers to play how you want. You CAN be a low-powered hero who only helps out in C-list level threats. You can practically be an immortal demi-god that can take on pretty much any challenge. But in this pursuit there are definitely sets and powers that people disregard, and electric is one of them. Electric Primary is a generally ranged power set (as most primary's) that appears at first glance to be all about endurance draining, but most would-be electric blasters will find it doesn't actually effectively accomplish this. The most effective endurance drainers leaves enemies with endurance left over in many cases that still allows them to BLOW. YOU. UP. And this is of course NOT IDEAL. Like many may have already surmised Electric primary isn't meant to be paired with Electric alone. This is where the secondary power comes in and where City of Heroes allows powers that are considered "Under performers" to excel. Meet: /Energy. The Secondary that actually allows Elec Primary to do what it was meant to do. Drain endurance. Power boost is the electric blasters friend. Power boost takes that Short-circuit and turns it into a "No more attacks for you" button. This single power takes Electric from Mediocre to Overbearing in PVE. You can shut down entire groups in Solo play or Group play for LONG periods of time. A well enhanced blaster can also Chain it to perma drain tougher enemies like Elite bosses making their time actively doing damage near 0. Time for -recov - YouTube In custom mission or large open missions with Huge Enemy caps Short-circuit may come up a little ...short. And this is where attacks like Thunderous Blast comes in. Combined with Power boost it's your second biggest end drain (second only because of TB's recharge time. It's stronger end-drain than Short Circuit) and your biggest AOE. This generally shuts entire groups down immediately, and because TB does not Knock-back or launch enemies, follow up attacks are pretty much guaranteed. Power-boost. Thunderous. Ball Lightning. and you're looking at a Boss with 0 endurance and a slither of health left. If they're alive. "But Gatling Enemies only need a slither of Endurance to attack" Again this is a dire miscommunication of the effectiveness of Short-circuit and TB. Other moves in the Electric arsenal do not really prevent enemies from recovering their endurance. But Short-circuit/TB DOES and not for a short time either. For 15 seconds. That's not only plenty of time to kill an entire group, that's enough time to use short circuit again. Shutting down endurance recovery again. This combination takes Electric primary from middle of the pack, to a buttery smooth experience with little threat to the group. Additionally it's not mixed-in with Smashing damage so you will find fewer enemies resisting your DPS. And if you Do find you're lacking a little bit of Oomph, Energy melee attacks + Power boost also make you a stun DPS machine. You can stun EB's and SOME Av's too. P.S.: Some additional benefits! Enemies with No endurance means Archetypes that don't get to enjoy being in the middle of the pack can roam more freely. So you will find that Defenders and controllers will have an easier time actively attacking and debuffing freely with less stress. All in all, despite this wordy rant, please remember City of Heroes is a game that allows you to mix and match. Try not to judge a Cape by their Primary.

I main a blaster. Now I'm not gonna say I'm some PVP champ, far from it. But when it comes to PVE, I am pretty much uncontested in DPS by most power combinations. I'm not fully minmaxed or anything, but I have no complaints (except for early game hurdles). Also I have an extremely useful utility that pretty much nullifies anything below an EB from doing anything. With the Buff to some powers in the last patch my qualms with some of my slower attacks have also been alleviated. So, I would love to know how Blasters are 5th on Damage. Not to mention my options are incredibly wide for how to deal that DPS in groups. Range options many, close range options, many, Utility (not a universal trait but in my case. 2 strong choices) decent. Now I personally feel some Dominators and corruptors need better defenses for what they do but I'm also the least experienced with that class so I don't want to put my foot in it. Edit: Also: Because 1 class has a hit that can crit or Rage hit higher than a blasters, doesn't make their DPS better. Because DPS believe it or not stands for damage per second. And the time a brute spends at low dps evens out their time at high dps. Also they have half the attacks a blaster does... Blasters have 2 trees of mostly offensive skills, which Widens their range for options and DPS.

OMG i just spent a bunch of time writing up feed back and it logged me out while I was writing it and its all gone. GRRR Long story short. Beta snipe changes are NOT GOOD AND UNNECESSARY. make the changes into an IO set so people aren't blind sided by aggro or a love tap and suddenly lose their damage bonuses. and make better and more diverse IO sets, like an always slow casting IO instead of an always fast. Oh man this reply is completely sub-par to the one I wrote before=/