Yomo Kimyata

This is really some great stuff here, keep it up my froods! A specific point: Yes. It's in the name! However, I just reserved Pocket Mastermind as well. I figure I need both these special powers to succeed, so in theory either defender or mastermind will do. And so I will probably start another thread on the MM page later on, but I'll need to think on that! I'm not as well versed in MMs although I have a few of them, and I recall I really enjoyed my Beasts/Traps which I think is my only 50.

Good to know, thank you for shedding light on the process!

My autopilot varies on whether or not I made a Mids plan in advance. If not, I start with Panacea proc in Health and Perfshifter proc in Stamina as soon as possible (lvl 7 and 17 respectively, both attuned). Then add slots as I need them (Miracle proc in health, perfshifter end mod in Stamina). If I'm planning ahead, or respeccing, it depends on how endurance intensive I think/know the build will be. I try to avoid adding epic pool, like Body Mastery for scraps, unless that's really the only legit outcome. I also try to avoid depending on Ageless in the hybrid slot (although that is almost always my choice) since I don't want to have to depend on that crutch if I'm playing below 50. I'm working on the respec of a War Mace/Ninjitsu scrapper right now, and I know that to be a very endurance needy build. So I'm going to legit 6-slot health (Panacea proc, Miracle proc, Numina proc, Regen Tissue proc, 2x lvl 50+5 Heal IOs) and 3-slot Stamina (Perfshifter proc, Perfshifter end mod, Power Transfer proc.) Zeke makes a good point about Preventive Medicine proc, and the set also has nice set bonuses from the get go, but on this build I have it placed in a pre-req junk power.) When I get around to it I'll note how well it works!

well, I guess YOU are gobsmacked now!

I'm looking to build a support defender, but a specific type of support defender. I've done some work here on the forums and just read the Ultimate Support thread. I'm familiar with all the defender primaries and secondaries with few exceptions but not expert. Having just picked up the handle Pocket Defender on Excelsior, I'd like to build one, and I'd like your thoughts and advice. This is not a contest. I just don't have time for that anymore. I'm happy to give anyone inf if they send me an in game email at @Yomo (anyone gets 100mm per global account. If you want more than that either make a really cogent argument or ask me how to make the amount you are looking for.) But please make that request via ingame email. Here are my objectives: - I want an alt that I will log on with on my second account and autofollow one of my scrappers. The scrapper will be built to solo just about anything soloable, so I'm not looking for +30% defense shields or +50% resistance shields. Assume the scrapper will benefit from any buffs but I'm not going to rebuild it to only work well in partner with this defender. - Must be a defender. - Only one power on auto, so no macro stuff. - All incarnate stuff would be used passively. - I will be spending almost all my effort on the main account, but before a big AV(s) battle I would probably switch to the defender to buff/summon/whatever. I do not anticipate switching accounts during a fight, even to rebuff/debuff. But it would have to be really worth my time since my attention span is short and I'd rather play the scrapper. - I'd like it to survive in follow mode as we move towards end battle, so good survival stats would be nice. Basically, I'd like to be able to self-duo the Barracuda SF, and beating Reichman with only one active character. Scrapper/Defender team seems to make the most sense based on what I read. I've got an open mind on this. I'm thinking initially Rad/Elec/Mu. Lots of toggles, and tailor-made for Musculature Alpha. What are your thoughts, oh wise ones?

So wait, all we need to do to reverse an arbitrary generic-ed decision is to publicly post here on the forums?

I just picked up Pocket Defender on Excelsior and frankly I'm gobsmacked.

I hate to ask this 77 pages in, but there is no way I'm going through 77 pages so I am relying on your kindness: Has anyone aggregated a rough series of incremental values for various settings/powers, like Core Musculature on Scrapper adds +x DPS or is y% better than without. Or Death Shroud, or Assault Hybrid, etc. I know it would depend on the remaining powers, etc. etc. but I am wondering if certain aspects of a build are much more significant than others.

I could see a case where someone thought that the three-piece bonus from Synapse's Shock was worth it for an additional 10% slow resist, but that's a stretch.

Rest

One other niggle: I kind of wish you could convert merits INTO vanguard merits. I know that they drop like water when you are doing MSR, but I rarely do those, and when I'm doing Mender Ramiel's arc I rarely have 50 Vmerits and so get stymied by $%#%$ Vanguard Colonels and can't afford a Curse Breaker.

Fair enough on the base building part -- I just want prestige as a pure inf burning mechanism (and maybe one to keep score by...). Leave all the base stuff free. Short of deleting items or characters, there aren't a lot of real inf destroying activities. Even the /AH (which I use even instead of emailing myself stuff) only takes 10%! As to your second part, that's the developer conundrum. Even a small number of minmaxxers (and I am specifically not using the term exploit here) who know what they are doing and more importantly care about it or enjoy it have a outsized impact on the economy. And there are lots and lots of people who don't *want* to do this extraneous stuff to be able to afford the items that they do want. It's a sticky wicket to be sure. That's why I do my giveaway -- it's a lot of inf for someone who just wants to get through the game, but it's not enough inf to bring out the minmaxxers to try to bankrupt me!

It’s interesting to me, watching how new currencies have been developed and adjusted over the years in this game. To me it seems like a cycle of developing a reward; people learn to minmax the reward; powers that be wring their hands at how they didn’t foresee this; some governance is put in place which upsets both the minmaxxers and the main population; new reward is developed as appeasement. At this point, it’s an interesting mishmosh of currencies, and it’s always an interesting thought experiment about the “best” way to get something I want. I’d be fine if every currency were to be made exchangeable into any other, but at usurious rates of course. If you don’t use something like shards, that’s up to you! But I’m not going to support a better exchange rate for mana than just falls from the sky. Personally, I’d love to have prestige back as an inf burner, but maybe that’s just me. I’d love to have more things character locked, but I also realize that some people get their joy from making instacharacters and if they can afford to equip them, have at it!

That's where my head went. Symphony/Psychic dominator.

And fat. Bald and fat and wearing a hat.

When I was taught economics a long time ago, it was phrased as "the allocation of scarce resources." Listen "bro", I understand that you are the main player in your experience in this game and that everyone else is an NPC. We aren't, actually, but I've met tons of people like you in real life who are so solipsistic that nothing matters except what they want, right now. I really hope that you are powerful enough in real life to be able to command folks around like you want to do here, because that's gotta suck facing that other people have wants and needs. Best of luck, "bro".

Hey bro. Every one of your suggestions is "Make something do more damage". AND you want all the secondary benefits to stay in place, because all you see is I WANT MORE DAMAGE, so the tradeoff between better survival and more damage doesn't mean anything. I understand that, and I get why you want more, just like a child wants more lollies. More is better to you and you cannot even grasp why there is a tradeoff between damage and survivability. I have no hope that you will say, huh, maybe there should be tradeoffs. I know you feel like you are the first person to discover ice melee or staff fighting or mind control and you rage at the unfairness that they don't do pure damage. But you aren't the first person. I have no idea if you are running Homecoming, but I hope that when you post really mindless self serving posts in Suggestions that are "MORE FOR ME!" that my simple "no" will help serve as a stop for the devs to hear that maybe someone doesn't want MORE FOR YOU. My suggestion to you is to make suggestions that you think will be good for everyone, not just you. Cheers.

The yellows are simple. For the blues I used an alt build with Ring of Fire and Char from epic pool loaded up for bear. Which also worked well for the greens once I switched my Hybrid to Control. It’s the only time I’ve ever slotted the Devastation proc.

Who hasn't?!?

This took me forever to get around to, but I finally gave it a shot, and eventually pulled it off. Ice Melee/Radiation Armor. The two real stumbling blocks are getting rid of all the mitos from Weakened Hamidon and knocking off the Honoree. I didn't think the latter was going to be the worst thing in the world until I discovered: Once he triggers Unstoppable, he's got pretty much 95% resist all for 200 seconds and you only get 45 seconds downtime before he hits it again. I needed Lore pets for that battle. Fun stuff!

One of the things I like best about Frostfire is that he was once just like me.

I will take Focused Accuracy, and two slot it with endurance reduction. For the most part, the reason one goes for Body Mastery is to help with endurance woes. But unlike other melee ATs, scrappers only get one spot to slot a Perf Shifter and that is in Physical Perfection. Conserve Power has such a long recharge that I've never found it particularly worthwhile. Focused Accuracy has one very important thing going for it -- to hit debuff resistance. I generally don't need much if any additional accuracy, but it's rather nice to not have my accuracy floored by an unexpected coven of Death Mages.

This is entirely you. It is completely irrelevant what AT or powers you have when you are on a team.

I am not going to cave to your "I WANT MORE DPS" request. Ice Patch provides an unlimited amount of survivability. Go find another set to cry for more damage.

Listen, I hate elemental swords, so all my ice melee characters use Frozen Fists. Is it better than Ice Dancer Sword? No. But it is worth clicking. I will go on record and say if you can't run Ice Melee from 1-10 with anything more than Frozen Fists, Brawl, and Kick, you are playing a much more difficult game than I am playing.