Riverdusk

Diagmagnetic's -regen unfortunately is so low it is virtually worthless (-15% up to 4 times, so -60% max). That is then 85% resisted by a level 50 AV so you are down to, at best, -9% regen. Degen does -1,000 hp vs. an AV, again up to x 4 is -4,000 hp. The wiki doesn't list -hp as one of the resistances that AV's have, so I'm thinking they don't resist it? I don't have it handy, but some have posted the actual calculations and not surprisingly given the above numbers, degen is much more useful. I know people have done tests as well and degen gives much faster AV kill times. Part of that is the damage dot, but I think that should be considered as Diag doesn't have extra damage. Only reason I ever take Diagmagnetic myself is if I can find use from its tohit debuff (-5% and up to 4 times is -20%). That is a decent tohit debuff. The regen debuff isn't even a consideration to me, it is so pitifully weak. For -regen, just buy envenomed daggers from START to easily get -250% to -500% of a regen debuff instead, an actual useful amount. Can see the info on them here: https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Interface_Slot_Abilities

Don't forget you can also use a SG buff table to get +20% recharge for 90 mins at a time for 3 cheap pieces of salvage. I find it makes building for perma hasten a lot easier to say the least (or perma dom). Popping into a SG base once every 90 mins or so I find pretty easy (don't think it even has to be a SG base you have any special permissions for as long as they have a buff table).

Yep, only heard second hand about having to roll for drops in other MMO's and the arguments people would get into about "need vs. greed", etc. and was so happy none of that was ever a part of CoH.

My current character being a dark melee scrapper I know if someone on the team has fold space I'm going to be trying to soul drain a group that is no longer there at least occasionally. It is annoying as it directly affects my killing ability, but I think I'm past the point of getting too upset about anything like that. It's just a game and I know they aren't doing it intentionally. I just go with the flow.

Finally agree (sorta) with D on a topic. At least until they got to the point of saying no to one joining a team. I think petless MM are crazy, but I'd usually have no problem having them on a team with me. Same with no travel powers, and who uses just sprint now? Everyone gets athletic run. Combined with the ton of free teleport powers and base teleports, even just sprint+athletic run and as long as you know where you are going no one is going to be waiting long for anyone to get to the next mission. Usually the holdup is people wanting to train up or shop between missions, and I don't begrudge anyone doing that either.

I consider Necro a "mixed" set myself just because of how much tohit debuffing they throw around. It doesn't take long for them to softcap themselves against most things (AV's excluded but even against them it can add up). Throw some defense on them and they are safe that much faster. My necro/cold end up not getting hit much at all even though I still end up a bit short of softcapping them even with the ice shields, arctic fog, maneauvers, and IO's. It is close enough that one aoe debuff from the lich and they are usually there and quickly. The arctic fog also helps shore up two of their resistance weaknesses (fire and energy). Also, that tohit debuffing helps protect you as well (sort of like bots and demons shielding their owners). Add in the sheer number of pets necro can throw at a problem and that they are the only MM that has a pet that actually taunts (specters), and I'm a big fan of necro now. I also have a merc/dark that I find very good and I can imagine merc/marine would also work well. I also had good luck with both bot/cold and bot/time and even beast/cold. I tried thug/marine and was underwhelmed. I agree with you and finally discovered for myself by closely monitoring their defense stats while in action as I wondered why they often didn't seem as tough as I thought they should be. It was exactly the reason you said, all too often some of them would get out of range (or be blocked from line of sight) of the enforcers and that critical defense would disappear. I found I had to keep a VERY tight leash on thugs to keep them alive in the tougher stuff. For those that are really good at keeping them tight I'm sure they are great, but I found them more hassle than it was worth due to that issue. I do think demon/marine should be a good pick and one I'm thinking of trying at some point. And demon's shield has a 60 foot radius compared to thug enforcers 30 foot, so a lot more forgiving. Will also have to try ninja at some point, it is the only MM primary I haven't yet to a decent level.

We have another free option as well now. If you do get bothered and really want to do PvP zone stuff right then without being bothered, temp transfer to another server (Reunion is probably a good choice).

The only time I even consider broadsword is if I want to play a sword set with shield. It is the one advantage BS has over katana since for some reason in this universe you can hold a much bigger broadsword with only your right hand, but a katana takes both hands. I know it is an animation issue, but I find it amusing. Edit: I do think it works best on a stalker. Considering stalkers are at least partly more about the front loaded damage vs. dps over time, the extra bit of extra base damage that broadsword gives is sometimes more useful. And stalkers can't get battle axe or mace.

Only thing I'd say should be looked at is the balance between orange resistance and purple defense inspirations. It has always seemed off. I'd buff orange ones a bit and nerf purple ones a bit. Doubt it'd ever happen though. Oh, and being able to store inspirations in email and grab them during missions is a bit cheesy, but not sure if anything can be done about that. Otherwise, they are fine imo.

Very interesting. The one time I tried beam sent it felt kind of slow and clunky. The difference between feel and actual numbers I guess. Might have to give it another try. Thanks for the work on this.

Easiest time I ever have with this is with a plant dom. Save dom for that fight and hit them all with seeds. Fight is over baring a situation like above where they have a chance to buff up with crazy defense or something. Also actually often easier and faster to solo this one than doing it in a group. But of course, where is the fun in that?

Necro is especially adept at it now with the addition of the specters, considering they have a taunt. Just like illusion controllers, having a taunting pet really helps take the heat off of you (and your more valuable pets in necro's case), to safely take out the big targets. Necro doesn't even need crazy recharge to pull it off like illusion does, as the specters just spawn and quickly respawn if defeated. All you need to do is keep blasting.

2 months? I think I remember back in the day on live it took me like 9 months before I finally made it to 50 for the first time. Yes, after many characters. Sounds like you are doing fine.

Running tactics should increase that a bit, but point taken.

You'd be surprised. This is far from the first time triage/spirit tree have been suggested for an update. Usually been a couple of vocal critics of the idea of it being changed in any way that show up. Surprised we haven't seen them yet (hides).

Supremacy is a 60 foot radius. That is pretty big. I've never really noticed getting out of range of it a lot. It is the same as the leadership powers (which most MM's tend to take). So, that would be another way to monitor it, if you are within range of maneuvers/assault/tactics, then you are within range of supremacy. Nothing against the suggestion though if it is an easy thing to do.

And Invuln - 50% Willpower - 17.3%

I absolutely love choking cloud myself. If nothing else it acts as a sort of "melee defense". Things that get close tend to get held pretty quick before they can do much to you. I also find it much more useful than the once every couple of minutes, at best, EM Pulse, so why not. A choking cloud tic is actually quicker (2 seconds) than trying to cast EM Pulse (2.93 seconds), and of course, choking cloud keeps going. Have to admit where it really shines more than anywhere is on my illusion/rad controller though, fantastic for setting up containment. 😀 I use to be so-so on choking cloud myself as I swore I remember it didn't use to be nearly as good. I checked the old Tomax website and saw there that the tics use to be once every 5 seconds instead of 2, so that would explain it. Not sure exactly when they buffed it, but it is SO much better now. Another advantage of rad is personally I think you can take everything worthwhile in 6 power picks. I always skip the rez and fallout, and almost always skip EM Pulse. In my experience 90% of the time before you can even get the rez off the person has already hit a wakie or a temp self rez, or someone else has rezzed them. That goes double for fallout as then it is also likely by the time you use tp other and try to hit fallout, the mob is already dead anyway. Maybe if you are in a really coordinated team (that is also not steamrolling), but I found that exceedingly rare. Does leave you more room for other things than most powersets and without really skimping on the power of what the set can do.

I've had 2 characters now where I get the power from the START vendor right at level 1 and the very first time I ever use it I turn monkey. Only 2 times in probably a couple hundred characters, but I always figure it is an ominous sign for those characters.

Yes, and I do the opposite leveling on the way up. I turn off common recipes until I get near 50. Until you get to the higher level ones they don't sell for much at all and I figure I might as well get badge credit for rejecting recipes.

@MegaloRob I suggest doing all the story arcs in the Hollows (levels 5-15). You get an extra bonus merit drop and badge for doing all of them. Pretty sure you end up with something like 85 merits just from doing them all including the bonus. Not to mention they are some of the more fun arcs in the game.

I wouldn't mind a "defeated" counter added to those info terminals though. I'd find it interesting. And no one sees that info but you, unless you decide to share it.

He is the brute squad.

I do know I always cringe when I'm doing the Stephanie Peebles Striga arc with a psi user and the mission pops up where the entire map is nothing but robots and it is a kill all. I must have my wedding band temp power though, so I always slog through it. Most of the time I don't think it is too bad, especially as a blaster who a lot of times is overkilling things anyway.

Plasmatic Taser from START is probably my most used true "temp" power (and not prestige which are perm and free). It is fun, quick to cast, and does decent AoE damage, and is actually amazingly cheap in inf for what it does. Especially at lower levels when most character's have limited aoe it really helps clear the early mobs. I play a lot of controllers and the buyable temp attacks tend to be great for them especially because of their limited attack options, no matter the level. Envenomed dagger of course for AV's and recovery serum for easy big recovery boost when you need it are also high on the list. Kinetic Dampener also sometimes (the perfect temp power if I ever saw for dark armor characters especially). For non buyable temp powers though I tend to do the same as probably most and hoard and almost never use them. I have gotten over my hoarding of inspirations though and I am almost always clicking those. From my observations on a typical team, most people hardly ever even use inspirations, not to mention temp powers.