Riverdusk

Yep, doms are already one of the least played AT's and I don't see people exactly screaming for doms to be on their team. My doms are also typically among my most "expensive" characters to build to reach even that mid level of performance end game. Put that same level of inf and build effort into a lot of other AT's often pays off a lot better honestly. I don't think doms need any huge buffs, but I think some minor improvements are warranted.

I think my main idea was to get rid of the domination bar entirely, just have dom be on a timer and that is it. Having to "build dom" seems a superfluous extra step. That would also be a way of cutting down the gap between perma dom and non perma dom as then you wouldn't have to worry any more about being just a couple of seconds short. When it dropped you could just click it a couple of seconds later when it did recharge without having to "build the dom bar" back up. I think the dom bar itself is what creates this perma dom or go home kind of playstyle. Without it I wouldn't care if I was even 10 seconds short or whatever.

In a way yes. If you can get to (I say more like min 125%+, as a buffer to server lags and other slight hiccups) you could actually skip hasten entirely. I did exactly that with one of my doms on live and it is in a way the lazier way to go as then you don't have to worry about having two clicks to try and keep up. Also good if you are someone who occasionally/regularly has to go afk a bit and not have to worry about dom dropping. However, it can start to get harder and harder to find those last bits of recharge so you do have to make sacrifices in your build (less defense, less hps, fewer procs, etc. that you could otherwise slot). If you skip hasten/don't use it often you are also giving up that +70% to help get all your other powers out faster of course. If you have 125, then 195 may not help dom anymore, but 195 helps other powers. Can also act as a form of slow debuff resistance. As I mentioned though, if you can afford to keep up the temp powers it is much easier to hit that +125% number now a days as you can actually hit it with only +90% + temps. In response to your other post, for the cheap way to make it work, you only need about 60% + hasten + the 20% base buff (which is not expensive at all). You shouldn't need a single purple set to get a base +60%. Almost every character I build regardless of AT ends up with at least in the +60% recharge range anyway. If this isn't a main/important character for you I'd probably aim for that and see how you like it.

Here are some numbers for what is needed to "perma" things. Hasten and dom happen to be given perfectly as examples: https://archive.paragonwiki.com/wiki/Perma You need about 110% global recharge in addition to slotting hasten for +95% for perma hasten. That is the ideal as with 110% + 95% slotted hasten then it is perma and you are actually then at 180% total (110 global +70 hasten). More than enough for perma dom. You can get away with a bit less global, but then you have gaps in hasten. As long as the gap isn't big enough to fall below 123% recharge "average over time" you are still okay. That is probably where you are getting the needing only 95% global recharge from, although I've heard people it is more like in the 85% or so range. Haven't run the exact number myself as I just try to get to 110% global or as close as possible to it. Edit: Going to the perma dom guide link from the wiki page they actually say you only need +70% global if you have +95% slotted hasten. People probably go for 80%+ to have a bit of a buffer. Don't forget you can cheat a little by using a SG base buff that can give you +20% recharge for 1.5 hours at a time for 3 cheap pieces of salvage (I don't believe you even have to belong to a SG to use their base buff machine). There is also the P2W vendor buff for up to 8 hours of +15% recharge (but much more expensive). But if you got the inf, that is a pretty easy "free" +35% recharge. If you can keep those up you actually only need +75% global recharge to have both perma hasten and perma dom. Or if you can get to about +90%, then with the extra buffs you are at 125% global and then you don't have to even worry about forgetting to click hasten....you are perma dom even without it.

Wow, never thought I'd have to defend time as a support set. To me it is one of the most powerful in the game and gives a huge variety of buffs/debuffs. Time is definitely more than just defense. It has a ton of control, not even counting the extra holds the set has in time stop and distortion field it is chock full of huge slows and huge -recharge. I pair it with illusion control and it is amazing how much it makes me feel more like a "real" controller. To be fair /storm does as well, but /time is right up there. What storm doesn't have that time does is...big +recharge and some endurance/recovery help and an actual aoe heal (two of them actually) so you can heal yourself the attacks that get through all the defense. The recharge of course is a huge boon to illusion (but also helps any defender/corrupter wanting to use their nuke or heavy hitters that much more often which in a way is big damage boost). Then there is farsight's tohit buff which makes tactics completely unnecessary (so I can afford to grab and use assault instead, more +dmg). Also a -resistance and a -defense power and some -regen (although the -regen is pretty small, it is there). Take powerboost and a lot of that goes into overdrive. There are so many ways to get mez protection now (as well as the high defense /time eventually gives that makes mez much less likely), I don't really consider it that big of a deal anymore. First thing I do when creating a new character is grab 8 hours of all the P2W vendor buffs that at level 1 costs a total of a whopping 24,000 inf. That gets me easily into the level 20's even at the slow pace I level. If you do the DFB route that most do and/or team a lot that'll probably more likely get you into the 30's or even higher easily. After that grab rune of protection, or spend a bit more inf to continue the P2W buff, or use break frees until you can eventually get farsight and power boost and/or some other defenses that cut way down on getting mezzed and/or eventually clarion if you still feel it is an issue.

Heck, if they don't want to put the one back in Talos it'd be nice if they'd just change it so you could enter the Echo galaxy one?

You can read the actual numbers in-game. One easy way is go to character creation, go to that power set and click on the upside down ! in the upper right (show detailed power info), then hover over the power you want stats on. Base it gives 20 endurance, +50% rec for 90 seconds. That is listed twice so most likely that is the one you get near you and the other is per target friendlies are near when cast. Also does -33% end to target, slows 24% movement and -240% to recharge! (that is enough to even put a serious dent into an AV's recharge rate) and -24% res all for 30 seconds. It isn't fantastic, but it is a decent power. There are definitely worse tier 9's out there (sonic, traps, force field all much inferior imo for instance).

I believe those things have built in +100tohit so yeah, you'd need like 145% defense to cap against them? I think they were specifically built to wreck defense builds. They also have a lot of psi users, so they like to exploit that hole too. Dark armor or electric armor probably best for them.

I don't think the end of Numina fight is a "real" GM. I remember beating it pretty easily with my DM/SR stalker solo anyway. I think I used daggers, but nothing else special. I think the only real GM you run into on the "standard" TF's is Babbage, and of course he's optional.

Not even close to everyone does. I agree with not worrying about money regardless, I think most realize forum builds are mostly min/maxed goal builds.

Yes. AAO suppresses while hidden. It also has a damage debuff so if it didn't you'd be constantly alerting nearby mobs, potentially knocking you out of hide. I believe chilling embrace works the same. I do know there was a thread a while back debating whether or not it was worth opening with something else (maybe thunder strike?) to unhide yourself with, then nuking at point blank range with the AAO buff. I think most agreed it wasn't worth it for their playstyle, but there was at least one that felt otherwise. Can always try it and see what works best for you.

Yep, I always do all the Hollows arcs on new characters now, it is a pretty easy 85 merits. By the time I get through that I also usually have a good feel for the character and if I'm going to want to continue with it. If I don't, at least I earned the equivalent of about 20 million from them during their "trial run".

Nice, was wondering if anyone else a fan of dark melee for stalker, which doesn't seem to get much love. Definitely my favorite. Just love the feel of it, the exotic damage type, the generally quick attacks, the heal, the debuffs. With the buff to shadow maul it isn't so badly low on the aoe scale now (relative to the average stalker set anyway). I also actually prefer the quick casting, quick recharging, and powerful build up (with the ATO proc+Gausian proc in the build) more than soul drain, so what may be a negative to a lot is a positive to me. Edit: Also forgot the built in immobilize in midnight grasp is another boon. Helps keep those AV's from running.

You can also grab the SG invisibility base buff that gives you +stealth to help you get places safely at level 1.

Not sure what age has to do with it, the power hasn't changed. The last one is about any powers that turn people's characters transparent or otherwise hide people's characters/costumes. Other posters in the thread state exactly that. I'd have no problem having min fx options for the powers that bother you as well and you are free to post suggestions stating just that or other alternatives. But you seem to have an issue with a min fx option for the ones that bother me (and others)? Guess that is the difference. Unless I'm making an unfair assumption from your posts, if so then we don't disagree after all.

Just a couple of other threads on it I found from a quick search. I also get the flickering despite lowering my shadow settings. And the thread that shows there are definitely those out there that don't like their characters made translucent against their will (of which fade is the most extreme):

Go with another damage proc. Bombardment: chance for fire is a very good one for them.

One thing to keep in mind with controller's dark affinity secondary, it has a power called Fade that personally I dislike a lot just because of its graphical effect. It is hard to avoid taking it because stat wise it is a fantastic power and one of the best powers of the set. But graphically, I find it horrible. It turns your whole team almost completely translucent (much more so than steamy mist) and gives them glowing eyes for the duration. Often it also has an annoying flickering effect to it that is almost headache inducing. It is bad enough when a power has graphics to it that I don't care for, but I really dislike forcing such extreme graphics on my team mates. Some people can get really annoyed by having their character avatar basically be made to disappear (and all their costume work with it). As it stands now I just can't play the set (just like I use to avoid cold until they finally made a minimal fx version of the shields), If I'm going to avoid taking fade I'd rather just play another set. Hopefully they eventually do something about fade's graphics.

True enough, the extra recharge of ageless is really nice and the way to go if you want to maximize damage. Rebirth though isn't just about its heal, but its regen. Interestingly enough Alpha Vigor also buffs rebirth's regen so combined with the normal regen bonuses most builds end up with you are easily rocking 400% or more regen min and half the time it is 700%+. Enough to take care of the few pot shots that might get you without having to worry about medicine pool. You get extra endurance reduction (very useful for storm) and accuracy on top of it. I'll probably grab both myself. When I feel safe enough that I can just go all out damage Ageless and musculature, when I'm doing tougher stuff, rebirth and vigor. Nice that both ways also help solve endurance issues either way.

Hah, I didn't even see you wrote sleet or else I'd have known what you meant so I missed that. No big deal.

If you plan to play a lot of post 50 you can also just take destiny rebirth. Clarion can be useful as well, but funnily enough I find mez protection is easier to come by now (P2W most easily if you got the cash) than the powerful heal/regen that you get in rebirth.

I'd add freezing rain to that. A stackable -30% resistance? Yes please. Not to even mention the -def, slow, and knockdown.

Dark Affinity-Fade is still the worst. Actually turns your whole team fully invisible with glowing eyes and on top of that gives everyone a headache inducing flicker effect. Bizarrely it does this even though it doesn't even have any +stealth buff to it. It is just less seen (thankfully) since it exists in a controller secondary only.

I found it that way myself, felt really low damage. But then again I was hoping haunts would do damage more similar to phantom army and so was disappointed they didn't seem anywhere even close. Maybe an unfair comparison that biased me against it though. Adding /storm would definitely help (although storm damage is late blooming so you have to stick with it). Personally if you want dark/dark I much prefer going dominator where the damage is better and all that tohit debuffing is really useful in an AT that normally is lighter on defense and debuffing.

Not sure why you think this? They do have -jump, a LOT of it (-50,000% as a matter of fact). Caltrops would probably be pretty worthless otherwise as mobs would also just jump right out of them. Web grenade has the same. I don't believe break frees effect movement so no they wouldn't help. Need to avoid them or get slow resistance.