Ukase

I wasn't sure where to post this. I thought about the controller section and the dom section. Thought about posting it in each. Finally, I figured I'd just post it here. The short version: is there some distinction between domination and containment in a nutshell? I know containment does double damage. I know I liked that a lot. Domination, candidly, is underwhelming so far. I remember it being more useful on my earth dominator (which I haven't played in quite some time). I know it gives a full bar of end and status protection, and increases mags on mez for 90 seconds. Where's the beef on this figurative burger? Under the pickle? The long version:

Fair enough, guys. It was just an idea in my head. I see the points you make.

So, if I lose the 6th slot in the Cupid set for this particular IO - it does address the deficiency of the buffs the set gives - but it loses the 6th set bonus. I just don't like to forced into trade-offs like that. Maybe that's just me, and if I didn't have to choose, the game would even be easier than it is now. (to hear some of these newer players, wow. It's so hard! I have to remind myself it was tough for me when I first started and had no idea what I didn't know.) I tend to consider IO sets for their set bonuses before the attributes are considered. If they don't add value for the character with the set bonus, seems like it makes more sense to just slot an HO. Granted, I suppose it's better to have some kind of movement buff (I never chase that, I have SS...why would I need more?) than nothing. It just depends on your goals. I just want the invention sets to buff each attribute to the diminishing return edge. Or at least be balanced across all attributes, rather than 90% in damage and 60% in accuracy. Why not 75 and 75? I suppose it does make builds more interesting in trying to navigate how to boost various attributes with set bonuses from other sets, to offset the weaknesses from a different set.

For me, Frankenslotting is in pursuit of specific set bonuses. Take recovery, for example. My poor scrapper, being controlled by an idiot was constantly running out of endurance despite having the Perf shifter +end, panacea and miracle uniques. So, I looked for sets that would boost the attributes I needed, as well as provide a set bonus that would boost recover, or give an end discount, or increase max end. Anything to help. So, with armor, I generally don't need more than 4 slots to get those diminishing returns start to creep in, depending on what level my character is. So, I might look at my attacks, and in lieu of slapping an end reduction in there, I might slot 2 bruising blows, and 2 glad strikes. And that's all fine and good. There are some sets where the slotting of the 6 is not that bitter of a pill, because all the sets bonuses are desirable. I like this new set for it's bonuses. But the accuracy and endurance are not as good as they should be or could be. What if there were a 7th or 8th piece we could use instead of the damage/recharge? Like an Acc/end/recharge? Then the damage numbers go down from 99 to 95.5 if we take out the dam/recharge. Recharge goes down, too. But by using this fantasized 7th piece, the numbers would be closer to the diminishing return values and be a more effective set. And you'd still get all the set bonuses you desired. (And by no means would I suggest slotting this particular set in that particular power, it's just something I slapped together for demonstration) While I agree in general varied builds are a good thing, I also think it would be good to have a few sets that are just no brainers. Either design them so they come to the edge of Diminishing Returns, or don't design them at all. The fact that a purple set doesn't do this strikes me as odd. I get that they have recovery and accuracy in the bonuses (at least most of them do...the pet and confuse very rares are a little different, I think) so, the designers of those sets may have had that in mind. But it still strikes me as odd that sets aren't designed to be slotted in their entirety; that is why they're a set. At least, that's the way my brain thinks. Anyway, just a thought exercise. Not a suggestion, yet.

First, Congrats. You don't specifically come out and say it, but now that you're 50, I think you'll find once you get your dom the enhancements you want for it - you'll do content, and you'll get this influence...and where will it go? For most of us, it goes towards the next alt. But still, you'll realize that 10M is trivial. It is only a lot when you're new and just starting out. For everyone else, they can earn this 10M easily, once they vendor the common recipes they've no use for. If you can stomach marketing, 1 Billion becomes trivial, once you devote enough time to it. If you can't, then you just play your 50 a bit longer, maybe long enough to craft a different lore pet or destiny power, and you can generate quite a lot of influence for your next alt, to include those summons.

I had a thought, and it keeps coming back to me every time I use mids and slot a purple set. We see the damage number go red, and often times the endurance or accuracy remain white, which tells us there's room for more buff in those categories before the diminishing returns gets involved. (or maybe it means something else? That's what I've always taken it to mean) So, what about this idea? Figured I'd ask here before I suggest it properly. What if we got some new enhancement set with 7 or 8 enhancements in it, but since we can't slot more than 6, that would leave players with a little more choice in what to slot in the power? The impact on marketing, in particular the converting of IOs within the set, if you were looking for that proc, you'd certainly, over time, burn more converters to get that proc you wanted, assuming the set had a proc in it. Burning more converters is a good idea, because converters are super cheap now. Most of the converters on the AH now are what I would call old converters. I think there's about 60K worth that are listed for something crazy for the price now, like at 75 or 80k each. Maybe more. So, even though the supply is healthy with a total of around 100K, it's really (at least, that's my thinking) only 40k that are priced at or below 70K.) When converters are burned, that leaves marketers and players with a choice - earn more, or burn through the stashes of hero merits/reward merits they have. Either way - it means more opportunities for teammates when you might not find them otherwise. I was just converting a few IOs a character had after crafting this morning, and I was thinking, this oblit proc refuses to come up. Guess I should be glad there's only 5 that aren't the proc instead of 8 or more. It's probably a stupid idea for reasons I haven't considered, but the most obvious ones are Dev time and art time. Someone has to come up with what bonuses the set would have, and find a design for it. And then install it into the game without breaking anything else. And add it to the merit vendor in whatever category it belongs, as well as the AH. I suppose if it were a standard invention set, as opposed to universal damage, it would also need to be added to the various drop pools for mission/tf completion. At least, I would think so. Alternatively - consider a set like Steadfast Protection. There's only 3 in it. It kind of makes sense, because it tops at level 30, and in the lower levels, you usually don't have slots to burn. (at any level, really) But what if it had 6 enhancement in it, but the set bonuses remained at 3? Odds are you'd still just use the unique and maybe the kb with it, or the other one. But maybe, if the 4th were a resist/recharge, or a straight endurance, you might use another piece. Which means that slot for that piece has to come from somewhere else. It means more variety in builds, so that's a good thing too. Anyways, just a thought.

Anecdotally, the only time I've ever been on a team in Praetoria (discounting First and Night Wards) has been through an SG organized event. The stinker of the zone is this: You have to set firm parameters about what players can and can't do with their characters - which seems to be a bit of a buzz killer for some players. Example: Just like when making a character for CoH - you have to choose hero or villain, in Praetoria, you have to choose Loyalist or Resistance. When half the group chooses something different, that limits what the whole group can do. When one player doesn't use 2xp, and the others do, that limits what the group can do. Some will get a contact that opens up at a given level, the other player won't. Some will be ready to leave praetoria, the others won't. And, if you're doing the arcs, there are 4 main "lines" or "paths" of arcs to choose. And there's a fair amount of solo only missions, because they involve confirming or changing your stance of loyalist or resistance. In short - teaming there is annoying and a bit of a cluster, unless your group leaders are fairly chill and know the content and what to expect.

Each server has it's people that are passionate about the game and have mastered the game's mechanics to a science. Some servers have more people, so have more good and bad things about it. That's pretty much it.

The easiest reason to think poorly of AFK farming is, if it's influence you're after, AFK farming isn't the way. But, if you want emp merits/vet levels on your alts, and you're weary of iTrials...seems like the path of least resistance to me.

Playing a blaster - what dictates my attack chain is which power that hits the hardest is recharged. That's the one I use. This odd place of doing the math to determine which attack is most likely to crit - man, that just sucks the fun out of being good for me. Granted, I only have to do the math one time. I'll have to just do it. And that's where leveling up can kind of suck, because in some cases, the powers not recharged fast enough to use in the proper order, because Hasten isn't permanent. And I am just now (Have I mentioned that I'm obtuse?) see your emphasis on queuing the attack before the previous one finishes animating. That I can get behind, because it's kind of like jousting in melee. I guess that's on really hard targets that you know won't die with that attack. I thank you for your detailed explanations. Even if math is part of the answer. It'll be good exercise for my brain, but I'd rather row a 2k for time on the C2 erg than do more math.

My personal conclusion - I'm not cut out to be a spreadsheet scrapper! I think you've got to be playing on the edge of your seat with your fingers at the ready to quickly fire off the right attack within these windows of time. When they're stunned, it often takes me a half second just get myself in position to hit them again. Small wonder I don't see a lot of critical hits. That and I'm currently just a button masher, not a spreadsheet scrapper. Clever to use the decimation proc for the test. It would seem that's about the only thing it's good for - if I can trust the math. And it's hard to trust math, particularly math I haven't done. Hopefully, I can revisit this thread, and perhaps my steel trap of a mind can be forced open to allow something in. Eventually.

So, I'm playing an EM/EA scrapper currently. Not using 2xp for reasons that escape me. I probably think I need more time to learn the nuances of playing in melee and the specifics of playing a scrapper, as opposed to what I imagine are countless hours of playing a blaster or a corruptor or defender, or even a controller. But usually a blaster or corruptor. Story Archer, did you try using Cross Punch as slotted against a pylon? I'm curious as to how the procs are working. It's only lately I'm realizing that just because a proc says it's 3.5PPM doesn't mean it works that way in game. The math says it's highly unlikely those procs are going to fire, but who knows except you in this specific case? I don't know that I'd use the Numina unique in this build, or the Power Transfer in Stamina. I'd have to see how the character is handling what paces I put it through. Given what looks like a desire for more energy/negative energy resistance, I might forgo the Numina (which anecdotally doesn't seem to do much - I can talk more about that, but it might derail the topic) and give dodge the 4th of the Shield Wall set. Lately, I've come to realize, that at least in the end game, there's so many buffs happening, that slots spent on pursuing resistance and defense can be overdoing it. But you have to be your own judge of that. Totally unrelated - but your power selections - are they in this order in game? I would think you'd want to get those LotG recharges in the build sooner; but that could just be my own preferences.

Recipes do not have a method of storage in base. The only methods are: 1. Place in AH. 2. Keep on your character - it's really hard to get more than 20 or so recipes IF you craft, and store, or sell in the first few, or last few minutes of each gaming session. 3. Your character's email. 4th, and lastly. Likely used by more people that stubbornly refuse to craft as they can - a 2nd account with a character (or more) that acts as a mule of sorts to carry all those recipes.

So...my take on this is simply for a league leader to limit the participants where lag is no longer an issue. Example: In the labyrinth, instead of having 6 teams, a choice was made to go with 4. Seemed to work out fine. I hear about this lag during MSRs..and well, I don't experience it. I just assume many are playing with cable for their ISP, which is down-throttling their speed. But obviously, I have no way of knowing this. I'm not an expert on internet speeds and such, so I've no idea why 20-30 players are having an issue with lag and I'm not. That said, these are my settings: No idea if that's helpful, but until this lag is resolved for many of you, perhaps just limiting zones to 50 would be a simpler thing to do. (and league leaders limiting their league size)

Can confirm. Moonbeam crits, well, I've only used it three times since I got it a few minutes ago, and it's critted each time.

No; the labyrinth is a superior place to do that. Or Mapserver event.

Short version: As a level 35 character: Can we adjust the Find Contacts option to list (for example, for a level 35 hero/vig): (In addition to the undesired by this character First Ward stuff) As of now, it only gave me Ginger Yates. I don't want Yates. I want Anton Sampson. Longer version for context:

Goddess Laucianne and her wonderful people make the Labyrinth fairly stress free for me. I've gotten more vet levels in there than just about anywhere else.

As long as it awards retroactively.

The quality of the writing...really? Let them who volunteer to do the writing make the first red marks on the previous content. I don't pretend to have a doctorate in English or Journalism. But I did make an A in Creative Writing when I was in college. Now, let's be clear about something. There is nothing in the content in this entire game that is great writing. Becky, in the Aeon SF is the closest we've come to great writing. But that's just my subjective opinion, fairly worthless. If you folks are expecting to follow a plot line the way you might have followed the Secret Wars parts 1 and 2 like I did...well, you're asking a lot. Too much. If you can do better - Do so. Sign up, volunteer, and do better. I'm sure they'd love to have you. As for the political stuff, that's not the least bit abusive to me. That's what I would expect a fascist to sound like.

TFs are already too casual. It's not like I wear a suit and tie for Ms Liberty. I'm not even wearing pants! But on a serious note, you're trying to take something that isn't broken and then fix it. It's bad enough some leaders thing you have to have 8 to start. One guy leaves because he gets hungry or something, and then the rest of us have to wait for the leader to recruit for even more time so they can get their precious 8th member. Now, for ouro...I'm not sure why Ouro can't work the same way as AE, but I guess it's because there's too many badges associated with so many of those missions. Particularly with newer players not realizing there's an AV or EB at the end they can't handle, and then can only quit, because they can't progress. But for standard TFs? I don't think that's a good idea at all.

The folks that win those, my hat's off to them. I think the same way I look at the tiny game within the game that is marketing, there's a whole different level to costume creation than an ignoramus like me is aware of. I kind of wish I could look at a costume and recognize what kind of effort goes into creating it. But that's outside my skill set and experience. I'll leave that to the experts..and begrudgingly visit the tailor to minimize fx.

Well, for me - I've simply never paid much attention to it. Sometimes, I afk-farm the unlock. In AE, any mob defeat gives hybrid incarnate XP. Not sure why a GM wouldn't. And, also, when doing hami raids, even though I know what to do, I still leave the request tab open and monitor it, so the global stuff, like how much XP and all that is unseen. So, it was just the first time I've noticed it. Still, if the mob gives XP and Inf, why wouldn't it give incarnate xp? I'm sure it's just one of those odd things about GMs. It's unlocked now, I just found it odd. Still don't know why they don't give iXP. I'm just wondering if we know a reason.

I'm a bit sad that I don't know this. I'm all over the place these days, trying to do things differently, and frankly, to pay more attention. So, a character of mine reached level 50. I wanted to have a destiny buff and a lore pet for an MSR, so I burned some threads to unlock Lore and Destiny. Can't burn threads to unlock hybrid for whatever reason. Typically, an MSR will do that. But, whether it was lag, or my team was mostly afk'ers, I don't know. I got to 90%. I go to the Abyss and while I'm helping to spawn Hami by killing GMs, I tab back into my Global tab to see how much iXP I'm getting for assisting with the GM kills. None. I scroll up, and I notice that the buds I helped kill did provide incarnate XP. Weird. Why the buds, and not the gms? The buds don't even fight back. This is likely some kind of overlooked detail, but these days, who knows? Not this guy. But out there reading - one of you is in the circle of knowledge that knows these things. Why no iXP for GMs?

I'll give you a billion reasons to not mention you're a marketer. A player I never heard of the other day, while I'm minding my own business waiting for the Hami raid to start in the abyss sends me a tell, "You don't know me, but I'm level 47 and I could really use some inf for my build." I think to myself, "I have the resources. Sure, I can help. But if I don't know you, how do you know me?" And really, these days, I have players who have level 50 characters who pretend to be broke, trying to take advantage of kindness. I keep saying, I like to give it away. But it has to be my idea. Not yours. Otherwise, a line forms up, and then I'm the broke one. It's more fun to do a hami raid because you want to, not because you feel like you need to. Read the guides and do the tedious crafting. And if you can't be bothered with doing that, then don't bother me!