Stormwalker

Here's another one I forgot to include in my earlier post. Non-spiked collars/chokers, please!!!! We desperately need something to add a splash of secondary color to the neckline of a costume that doesn't have spikes on it. Even a plain unadorned choker or collar would be an incredibly easy add, I would think, and would be very welcome.

The reference to roleplaying was not targeted at your comment, but rather at the comment that I was actually replying to. You know, the one I actually quoted? That said, I also don't think they make a very good guideline for that, because a lot of the enhancement names are irrelevant to many character concepts that fall firmly within their associated origin.

Most roleplayers I've played with cheerfully ignore the enhancement system entirely from an in-character perspective. Myself included. Honestly, the idea of "enhancing" individual powers is one that is incompatible with a lot of character concepts anyway, because their "powers" in-game are not separate things at all. They're different techniques to employ a single power. My Energy blaster, for example, doesn't think about "Power Bolt" and "Power Blast" being things at all. To her, it's really just a question of how much power she focuses into the blast, how tightly she focuses it, and for how long. For that matter, the whole concept of "enhancing" her powers is kind of foreign to her, too. All of her efforts into improving her use of her powers have been in the area of learning to moderate and control them more effectively. Which is to say, she's continually working to get better at hitting things with precisely the right amount of force (which is usually less, not more!) And that is largely a matter of practice. Generally, to me on an in-character basis, Enhancements don't exist.

Honestly, the enhancement system is not something that should be examined too closely. It isn't meant to be examined that closely. They just threw some things out there that are examples of theme. I've never once met a single City of Heroes roleplayer - and on Live I played on Virtue and was an active roleplayer myself - who actually took the enhancements they slot as being meaningful to their character in any way. shape or form. My technology origin Street Justice/Willpower scrapper gets her power from a nanite swarm that circulates in her bloodstream. That is about as Techology origin as you can possibly get. She does not have ANY cyberware. She just has nanites. To put this in another sense... one of my Natural origin characters, the aforementioned Liberty Star, currently has several "Military Speed" enhancements slotted. She's a 17-year-old girl. She's not in the military. She's never had any military training. She's a high-school student. That enhancement name is completely irrelevant to her. It's just named according to a "Natural" theme. And I promise you NONE of my science origin characters are willfully irradiating themselves. Even the ones who actually did get their powers by accidentally irradiating themselves in some way or another!

The way I see it is this. What is it that makes you "super"? My Dual Pistols/Martial blaster villainess Gun Bunny uses guns. But she could pick up any guns and use them and be super. Or, for that matter, she could pick up throwing knives and use those and she would still be super. The guns are not what makes her super. What makes her super are her mutant powers which enable her to use those guns (and her body, see her secondary) with superhuman grace, speed, and precision. Thus, she is a Mutation origin, not Technology. My Super Strength/Invulnerability Tanker heroine Sylvie Stardrive designed and built her own power armor. It grants her superhuman strength and durability, as well as some onboard weapons. While her own intelligence certainly IS super, the way she applies that intelligence to combat is largely through the Technology that she designs and builds. If you take away her powersuit, she is only slightly more capable in combat than an average citizen (she does have a little bit of unarmed combat skill that she has learned in order to USE the powersuit... but she's definitely not a hero-level martial artist). Thus, she is a Technology origin, not a Natural. My Martial Arts/Super Reflexes Scrapper heroine Liberty Star is a very talented martial artist. She makes use of a few gadgets in her hero work (my justification for her travel power is that she has a motorcycle, and she has a utility belt which is not as well stocked as Batman's but gives her a few tricks up her sleeve. Yes, she uses some technology in her work, but what makes her "super" is her intense training in martial arts. She's a Natural, not Tech. As I noted in my previous post, Batman is a Natural. He's a Natural because, for all that he uses Technology, he would still be Batman without that technology. What makes him "super" is his martial arts prowess and his detective skills. The Batcomputer does not make him the World's Greatest Detective. It just helps him apply his skills more efficiently. Batarangs don't make him an exceptional crimefighter. They're just give him additional options to deal with changing situations. Batman wouldn't be as effective without his technology as he is with it, but he would still be Batman. Azbats, on the other hand, viewed "more technology" as the answer to each problem he ran into during his time as Batman. When he struggled in a fight, what was his answer? Upgrade the suit. Time and time again, until he was walking around in something just short of powered armor. Azbats: "My suit is both armor and weapon!" Batman: "And you rely on it far too much." Thus, Azbats was Technology origin.

Having both a Claws and an EM scrapper at high-end builds, I can say that in my experience Claws (using FU -> Focus -> Slash) is slightly better at sustained DPS than EM (using ET -> TF -> ET -> BS -> EP) is. That said, it's only slightly better, and EM has better burst damage. On the flip side, Claws also has spectacular AoE damage output. Obviously, I'm not using a snipe in either build (concept reasons), and that would alter the equation somewhat. EM probably benefits from adding a Snipe more than Claws, since adding another attack to Claws' chain reduces your Follow-Up stacking, whereas for EM you just replace EP with the snipe straight-up and get a significant DPS boost in single-target situations. In AoE situations, for Claws I go FU -> Spin -> Shockwave. A little jousting is required to make optimum use of both AoE's since one is a PBAoE and the other is a (very large) cone. Slotting KB -> KD in Shockwave is necessary for proper synergy. For EM I go ET -> TF -> ET -> WH -> BS in AoE situations. BS frequently gets skipped in this rotation due to Build Up, Hasten, or other clicks (Energize/Energy Drain/ Conserve Power/Incarnate powers). In practical experience the EM rotations frequently get modified with extra BS or EP being inserted to cherry-tap an enemy that is at too low health to be worth wasting an ET or TF on. That's of those ways in which real gameplay differs from stuff like Pylon tests. A quick attack that does less DPA but still defeats the enemy is better than a long wind-up that wastes most of its damage on massive overkill. Of course, if you're going to WH again before the fight ends (and if you're not over the target cap for WH), you can just tab to a new target and let WH finish off the weakling when it comes up. Similarly, in practical experience with Claws I often use modified attack chains like FU -> Focus -> Shockwave, which allows me to dribble the boss like a basketball while also KD'ing the spawn, which yields massive damage mitigation and reduces their ability to do annoying things (like summoning or debuffing or, running away). Both sets are better than anything else I've tried on a Scrapper (which includes MA (x2), Katana (x2), BS (x2), DB (x3), KM, PM, StJ, DM (x2), Staff, and ElM. I also have an Ice scrapper but she's only level 7, so it's far too soon to evaluate her performance yet), and they've well established themselves as my two favorite Scrapper primaries (DB is probably my third, but I love them all). This is all anecdotal, of course, but hard testing is only so useful in this case since the available tests favor certain kinds of builds in ways that regular play may not (as the previous poster noted). Regarding Secondaries, my order of strength is Shield (damage buff, plus team def buff) > Energy Aura (best overall defensive set, recharge bonus) > SR (adds recharge and stays out of your way so you can focus purely on offense) >> everything else, with the caveat that I have not played Bio (It's U-G-L-Y and it ain't got no alibi) or Rad (just can't come up with a concept for it). My favorite is Energy Aura, followed closely by SR.

Yeah, I have to disagree with this suggestion. Ice Blast does not need any kind of buffs at this point. Of my blasters, my Ice/Ice is unquestionably the strongest (at level 36, she's much stronger than my Energy/Energy was at the same level, and while she doesn't have the raw damage of my Fire/Fire blaster she's far more survivable), and Bitter Freeze Ray is a significant part of the reason why. I don't even slot it for damage, I slot it for Hold, so making it a snipe and giving it a fast animation while keeping its Hold would make it hilariously OP in my build. The long animation time is pretty much the only drawback the power has, so taking that away would remove the only tactical consideration involved in using it. And reducing the magnitude of its Hold is a non-starter in the other direction. That would be an enormous nerf. Being able to use your two holds together to hold bosses is essential to Ice's design. Ice is arguably overpowered already. I'm not saying it should be nerfed, but it doesn't need to get stronger. Unless a number of other Blaster primaries get upgrades first.

Yep. The ones with Unstoppable are easier to hit (they just don't take very much damage). It's the ones with old pre-Regen-nerfs MoG with waaaaay too much duration that are really obnoxious. Focused Accuracy helps, but unless you're exemp'ing down for that story arc, you're unlikely to have that power since the earliest you can possibly get it is 35 (and I usually don't take it until one of my last two power slots, so it's right out for me) I have been at times tempted to put a "Nerf Regen (for Paragon Protectors, that is)" thread in the suggestions forum. If we as players only get 15-second MoG, then Paragon Protectors should only get 15-second MoG!

The lessons we should learn are "Don't listen to Azuria" and "Don't assemble dangerous magical artifacts that were presumably broken up and scattered for reasons."

Yeah, and I wasn't giving my caveats as a criticism. Just adding my own opinion on the situation in that case as it specifically relates to Scrappers. I generally find your takes highly reasonable and rarely disagree with them. Even when I do disagree with you, it's usually in the nuances and not in the core of the argument.

They actually tried this originally, where you could just select any two powersets you wanted. The reason they went away from it and created AT's was it was way too easy to make completely unplayable builds, to the point that it was basically a trap for players.

Yes, exactly. Master Illusionists might be even more egregious time-wasters than Paragon Protectors. And that's saying something, because Paragon Protectors are terrible (speaking as someone who recently did the Revenant Hero Project story-arc again and, yes, that's why my list included Paragon Protectors three times).

To be fair, in the early days of the game, a lot of street sweeping happened. You leveled up a lot slower then, and typically your story arcs were not enough to get you through to the next set of contacts, so you either joined other people's teams and did their arcs, or you street swept. Being someone who likes to play at my own pace and therefore mainly only teams for TF's and iTrials, I did a LOT of street sweeping back in the day. Things like reductions in how much debt you get, and Patrol XP, plus adding more story arcs to the game, changed that. As for Grandville, that zone is unforgivably obnoxious on any character using Super Speed or Infiltration. My redside 50 street samurai with Infiltration keeps a set of temp power rocket packs around because otherwise she can't get anywhere in Grandville.

First off, I totally agree with what you said in the first three paragraphs. Completely and without hesitation. On the fourth paragraph... I agree that a character can be super strong without using the Super Strength set, but... with the caveat that I also don't feel like any of the unarmed combat sets we have for Scrappers currently captures the feel of superhuman strength. The unarmed combat sets we have for Scrappers: Martial Arts. It's fast, it's full of very fancy, showy kicks and a pinpoint strike (Cobra Strike) which draws its power from technique rather than strength. It's the closest thing we have to a Dick Grayson powerset becuase of the acrobatics (though it doesn't really capture his style, either, it just has the right kind of grandstanding for it). I love the set, but it very much does not feel like someone with superhuman strength. I have two Martial Arts characters. One of them is a Natural who has no strength enhancement at all. The second is a Mutant who has variable strength enhancement (her strength is directly proportionate to how strongly she believes in what she is fighting for), so she can't count on being super strong all the time, so her fighting style explicitly doesn't depend on it. Street Justice. People point at Street Justice a lot in these , but... Street Justice feels to me like someone is taking huge windups to deal those big hits, which is something a character with super strength explicitly doesn't need to do. They generate that power without the huge wind-up because they're just that strong. Yes, KO Blow in the Super Strength set also involves a huge windup, but that comically overdone windup really looks more to me like making a show of winding up than actually winding up, so it doesn't feel out of place. I have a character who uses Street Justice, but she doesn't have superhuman strength. She fights with techniques borrowed from a wide variety of combat arts, and she does need to wind up to hit someone really hard, so the set feels just right for her. Dark Melee. Back before Street Justice existed, this was the go-to set for someone who wanted to feel like Batman. Personally, I can't overlook the smoke clouds, and it feels much more super-fast than super-strong to me anyhow. None of these sets really suit a super-strong character. So, if I want a super-strong unarmed character now, I have to go to Tanker or Brute, whose mechanics really don't suit the characters' personalities in my head. I made Sylvie Stardrive (my Bubblegum Crisis inspired powersuit character) a Tanker, but she really, really ought to be a Scrapper, because narratively she fits the Scrapper mold much better. She's aggressive, almost reckless, she *enjoys* the fight and testing her skills, she's a bit hot-blooded, and she's definitely inclined toward pre-eemptive strike as a tactic.

First off, I completely agrree with you about Rad Armor - the very concept makes no sense to me,. But, I also agree with and salute your statement about the limits of our imaginations. Thus, I don't begrudge people who play Rad Armor - they have ideas that work with it, and they're having fun, and that's great! I won't make a Rad Armor character myself, but I have no objection to the set being available for those who want it. I do kinda get Fire, and I have a Brute that uses it, but she's a very unconventional character, so I can definitely understand how applications for it would not be immediately apparent. I do think SS can be employed by a scrapper, but then it should be noted I define the differences between Scrappers, Brutes, and Tankers a little differently than some players do. To me, the difference between the melee AT's is mostly one's approach to combat than physical abilities. In other words, I define the difference between AT's by narrative and personality more than by capability. 1. The Tanker is the Superman type. It's not defined so much by being incredibly tough as by having a defensive combat mindset. The Tanker is a protector, seeking to use their superhuman abilities to put themselves in harm's way to shield others. They tend to be more defensive in focus because this is what they do. Defend. The defining feature of the Tanker is that they seek to draw the enemy's aggression to themselves. 2. The Brute is the brute force melee type, like Juggernaut. They tend to enjoy violence and want to inflict as much of it as they possibly can. They don't tend to be terribly technical about combat, preferring to instead overwhelm their opponent with raw power. They're nearly always fueled by anger. The defining characteristic of the Brute is being an offensive fighter who favors raw power over skill. 3. The Scrapper is exactly that... one who scraps. One who savors the fight. They are skilled combatants (not that Tankers and Brutes cannot be skilled, but it is not their primary focus, and it is the scrapper's primary focus. Wolverine is the best there is at what he does - and he boasts of that because he's proud of it. They are not above enjoying the feral rush of combat, but they also relish the test of their skills against another, and this is frequently (though not always) what drives them. They frequently win battles by technique, cleverness, and guile. The defining characteristic of the Scrapper that of being an offensive fighter who favors skill over raw power. If you grandstand in fights? You are probably a Scrapper, because that joy of proving your superior skill is characteristic of the Scrapper. For example: Why do I consider the Metropolis Kid (Superboy, pre half-Kryptonian retcons) a Super Strength Scrapper? 1. He's a lot more aggressive fighter than Superman. He tended to try to take the fight to his opponents, rather than bringing them to himself. Now, LIke any hero, sometimes he threw himself into harm's way to protect others, but it wasn't his usual approach. Usually he tried to take the opponent down before they could threaten others. Thus, he's not a Tanker. Pre-emptive strike is absolutely not the preferred tactic of Tankers (though they may resort to it when they have to. Every AT has to step out of its comfort zone sometimes). 2. He's rash, impulsive, hot-blooded, sure, but he's not particularly angry. He clearly enjoys the fight. He grandstands. He makes witty comments, He's *having the time of his life* being a superhero. This is characteristic of a Scrapper, and the lack of anger is not characteristic of a Brute. 3. He frequently won fights by outthinking his opponents, using the enviornment to his advantage, and finding creative ways to use his powers (notably the tactile telekinesis) to defeat opponents rather than overpowering them with raw strength. This is to say, he did not fight like a Brute, he fought like a Scrapper. Sure, he was super strong, but he almost never won a fight with superior strength. He almost always won it through guile or skill. And he's my definitive example of a Super Strength Scrapper, for that reason. And one of the biggest reasons I think Scrappers should get access to the set.