Riverdusk

From my understanding it works exactly the same as Touch of Fear in dark melee, which does take melee aoe sets. I think it taking ranged aoe is a mistake, or as someone said they were afraid it'd mess up too many builds. Touch of Fear's change was more recent so they classified it the way "it should be".

From what I can tell, it seems to do pretty good damage. Think of it as an attack/damage power with a confuse side effect rather than looking at it as a primary control power. If that makes it skippable to some that is personal preference, not that it is a bad power. I really like having extra damage options on a controller myself. Probably more skippable on a dom. In that way I kind of compare it more to Lift or Levitate, but that the control part is confuse instead of a knockup. I could see making an argument that its cast/animation time is a bit long compared to those, or maybe it's damage should tic faster, but its actual function seems fine to me. It does make for an interesting trade off as it is very proccable, and yet the full purple confuse set has such really nice set bonuses.

My memory as well. It was all the rage after it first released of course. I remember playing it a ton right after it released. But the newness wore off pretty quick and population fell off a cliff before side switching was even a thing. I could be misremembering the timing though of course. Honestly the only AT I'd miss from redside is MM as it is so unique (illusion controller probably the closest blue side analogy but that is pretty specific and even that is a bit of a stretch). The rest of the red AT's, eh....don't think I'd miss much. Better question, which side would get stuck with the sentinel? 😉

Without side switching my guess would be red side would be even more dead than it is already. As it stands now I make most of my characters vigilante so I can join either side. Not sure how often I'd bother if I had to switch characters as well to do it.

Basically stealth is your in combat stealth (as it keeps some of its defense in combat), and infiltration is a stand in for a travel power (with slotting/bonuses I can get my running/jumping speed to around 80mph with infiltration, so it can keep up with other travel powers pretty well). The bonus to infiltration being it is the only decently fast travel power you can get that can also slot a LoTG as a free bonus. Stealth by itself gives 55ft of stealth in pve which is enough all on its own (against most mobs) for you to be able to walk right up to them and not be seen. Infiltration gives 36 feet of stealth which means you'll need another stacking source of stealth to achieve "invisibility" to most mobs. A celerity +stealth IO or one of the similar ones will do the trick. Note: Stealth and infiltration can NOT be run at the same time.

One of the nice pairings on some of my characters is Alpha Vigor Core with Destiny Radial Rebirth. Vigor definitely helps radial rebirth. Gives you a minimum of 290% extra regen at all times. Half the time you are at a minimum of 580% extra regen. Vigor also of course helps with accuracy and endurance reduction, so not a bad way to go. I agree though with what was mentioned here already, I tend to usually end up with Intuition. Especially since I make a lot of controllers and it definitely tends to be my go to for controllers.

Interesting thread and some random (and very much IMHO) thoughts of mine: Personally I don't play this game for super hard content, so I pretty much just ignore it. To me I think it'd give me a headache trying to play it and having to "perfectly" time everything. I'm more here to relax, not stress. Maybe I'll try a "1 star" eventually. At the same time I also want to be at least semi-engaged, and like to see my character slowly improve and "get to know them" as they level, so I never farm or PL. I don't think I've ever gotten a single character to level 50 in less than 30 hours of play, most average around 40 hours (I try to remember to check an NPC for my playtime whenever I hit 50). But for those that like super hard content I'm glad the devs have added it (in an optional way). For those that like to farm and PL, I have no issue with it (as long as those same people don't then complain the game is "too easy" or IO's are too easy to get now). Anyway, the parts of the game I like to play are all still here (all the "regular" stuff). I also always enjoy seeing new powersets added or tweaks made to obvious underperforming sets (both happened this page). Not to be a total cheerleader, are there things I'd change? Sure. I don't think the super fast steamroll nuke teams are the most fun thing compared to how high level teams used to be in the more recent of the "old days". If it were up to me I'd somewhat nerf back down the quick recharging crashless nukes and especially the Judgement powers to slow that down a bit. That's probably about as far as "make the game more difficult" I'd go though myself in an overall game sense.

That's the thing. I find my MM's really fun doing "regular" content. Just running my thugs/time recently on +3 or +4/x8 radio or various contact missions in a team and I'm seeing a lot of kills from me showing up on the combat log and my pets don't die that often. So, I feel like I'm pulling my weight offensively. Then at the same time I also get to support my team with my secondary. I find my MM's also tend to solo faster/easier than most other "support" AT's, once again running the "normal" stuff even on higher difficulties (although that somewhat depends on powerset and build). Tend to be easier than trying to solo defenders or corruptors generally anyway. But you get to the "challenge" stuff and they kind of hit that breaking point and fall apart. As I said before, high floor, low ceiling.

Yep, figured hard mode stuff was basically a no go. Pretty much the only incarnate trial I'll do and actually feel useful with them is BAF, which is probably consensus the easiest one.

The knockdown also wakes things up, so that hasn't really changed with damage being added.

Yep, doesn't really bother me, but it would be a nice option. I know I've heard people say they won't even slot panacea, as good as it is, just because the constant heal number popping over their head annoys them too much.

I'm for opening up Ouro missions, but have no idea if it is technically possible. In the meantime the best bet for something similar is to run tip missions instead of radios. They tend to be more interesting and they do lead to merit rewards after you do enough of them, without locking you in.

You could make it act like a global enhancement the same way as the incarnate alpha slot (so a global reduction in knock). That would affect pets just like it currently affects MM pets already (alpha musculature definitely improves their damage for example). My knowledge is limited of course, but sure looks like to me the tech is already there. Not that I'm advocating for the idea one way or another. I have mixed feelings about it. Probably the best idea I've seen so far is just improving the knockback IO sets or adding a new one that also has a knockback to knockdown piece but has more normal enhancement values that don't include knockback enhancements. Why does a set that has a piece that negates knockback also have a bunch of enhancements that increase it at the same time anyway? By 6 slotting it you negate the majority of your own set's enhancements. It seems counter-intuitive. With a new set you'd still have a "tax" of sorts, in that the 6th piece is still the conversion piece instead of being able to put a damage proc there. But it'd feel more natural and maybe you'd get a decent 6th slot set bonus out of it at least, as well as decent enhancement values to accuracy, damage, etc. instead of nerfed ones.

Reminds me I still need to undo the silent mod file I put in for dark melee soul drain and the zone loading necro zombie upgrade sounds. Both absolutely blasted me out of the room every time in the past. I very much did NOT enjoy them. So yeah, I'm all for the sound adjustments anyway. Howling twilight never bothered me though and that one seemed fine to me. Maybe because it was usually at range so I didn't get the full brunt of the volume? That one is a shame if it is too quiet now, it was a lovely sound effect.

Not the first time this has happened, just had Tristan Caine send me to Faultline to "Save surgeons from Vahzilok" as a mission at level 11. Seems a bit harsh considering it is a level 15-25 zone.... Seems like the level 9-14 contacts shouldn't have Faultline as a possible mission location? I mean Posi 2 sends you there, but that is 11-16 and you're assumed to be on a team and usually it is run at max level, so I consider that a bit different.

I may be in the minority, but I don't care that much about pet customization. Would it be nice to have? Sure. But if the same dev time gave me whole new powersets to play with, I'd take that instead. Or even just making some needed adjustments to the class and/or powersets that we have. Heck, knowing how hard it is to code/animate a brand new pet set, probably biggest bang for the buck would be to get more new support powersets. Maybe ones with a slight pet bias to them somehow, or at least ones designed with MM's in mind. Things like not using up power slots on "ally only" +recharge buff powers, which of course don't help pets at all. My most desired is actually a full spectrum resistance buffing set that also has extra slows/controls to it. Basically the resistance buffing version of /time or /cold domination. Personally I love slows and extra control, especially when playing something like robots or thugs that tend to send mobs running. Nature is close thanks to entangling aura, but not quite there imo.

Pretty sure that is working as intended (always been that way at least). From what I remember though, the enforcer toggles will work on other player's thug pets. So, if you get more than 1 thug MM on a team, they stack to a pretty crazy amount. City of data confirms it seems to only target thug pets (but not necessarily only yours): +8.466% Defense (All) (all affected targets) for 10.25s if target.VillainName>MastermindPets_Thug || target.VillainName>MastermindPets_Thug_Arsonist || target.VillainName>MastermindPets_Thug_Boss || target.VillainName>MastermindPets_Thug_Lt

Think I'd prefer the 45/60 version if I had to choose. That way at least it is useful as an opening power on a mob, and then your other powers take over as you enter melee. At 30 feet range it tends to lose even that one use to it.

I'm seeing illusion control for doms in City of Data now. Would swear it didn't use to be there and no idea when it showed up. Assuming it is what HC actually has planned and not another server or something. Have to say it looks pretty good. A damage immobilize replacing spectral wounds and an aoe stun replacing group invis. Phantom army looks like it lost its taunt (which is what they hinted they'd do), but looks like they get some extra effects on their attacks instead. I'd jump on it in a second. Wish they would have added it for this latest update. https://cod.uberguy.net/html/powerset.html?pset=dominator_control.illusion_control&at=dominator&data=cryptic

Yep, which is why I always build for a bit more than 123% even if that is what is technically all that is needed. The dom I remember from back in the day had exactly 125% and even then it wouldn't always quite fire off in time and would occasionally reset. I think just a hiccup of server lag can also mess it up. 127.5% is what I remember having as the true safe number being to where I never had an issue. That was back on live servers, so maybe it runs smoother on HC though, haven't gotten that much in the weeds over here on testing it.

I tried one long ago and it worked pretty well, think it was a plant/psi. Now a days you could even get by with as little as 90% global recharge or so thanks to P2W (+15% for up to 8 hours if you don't mind spending the inf) and the base empowerment buff (+20% for 90 minutes, and cheap). That'd get you to 125% recharge even without hasten. What I hate is having to restart my dom meter every time I go afk for more than 2 lousy minutes. Makes doms probably the least "casual" or "real life interrupts" friendly AT there is unless you can hit that 125% without hasten. But, only having to worry about redoing it once every 90 minutes with the base buff I don't find too bad and the base buff is pretty cheap. So I pretty much count on at least that extra "free" 20% and shoot for 110-115%, which you can do without quite as much sacrifice of other things. Oh, and I still typically grab hasten though, as if you are going to get to 110% global recharge, that also gives you perma hasten anyway, for when you do want to click that button.

In the same vein, please please also add a NoFX version for "Darkness Affinity Fade". The only thing worse than having a self power that makes you transparent is having a power that makes your WHOLE TEAM transparent, potentially against their will. I honestly hate using the power despite how powerful it is because I'm afraid I'm pissing some people off by using it. The real irony of that power is that it makes everyone transparent and yet doesn't even grant stealth. So, I think it often also confuses people.

One easy change would be to give the impervium armor 6% psi resist and/or Aegis 5% psi resist IO's toxic resist as well in an equal amount.

Yep, also tougher on MM's who's pets die and need to be resummoned. They also end up going without buffs for longer. I have that issue a bit with nature as well, lot of long recharge buffs in that set.

Well, there were two points of agreement. How the pets respond to damage patches is an issue and that grave knights could use some s/l resistance. I agree with both of those as well, give those poor grave knights some s/l resistance. Been thinking that for a while, they tend heavily toward melee and I see them as the bruisers of the set.