Ukase

Gotta go with ice/ice. There's nothing better. And, the character already has all the badges.

Just in case I'm missing something - why would you stash 100 converters in a storage bin? That's...33.3 reward merits. Surely every character has that many reward merits by level 15 or so...seems crazy to stash them in a base if you're in the practice of hoarding salvage/enhancements. Are you folks that do this only working a single account?

Here's your airport! At least, a runway and some planes.

As was referenced, I think a corr or a def. (if soloing) is the better use of rad blast than with a blaster. Try as I might with a blaster, I couldn't get it's debuffs or damage to be even close to the Echo:Positron summons pet. That may have been too high a bar to chase, but I tried. Obviously, someone smarter than I am might fare better, and my guy certainly lasted longer than the 4 minutes the summons pet did. The strength of rad blast is the inherent -def. May as well play a corruptor or defender and take full advantage. I think a blaster pretty much should be ice, fire or water primary - but those are just my own inherent biases coming out - obviously some folks really like dark blast, beam, etc. Just not me, lol. They're fine, but ice, fire and water will always be my go to choices for blast primaries, unless I'm just trying some gimmick out.

I love puns. The highest form of comedy.

You know, I tried, but it wouldn't let me send it to you. I think the 2billion cap is a myth, and it's actually 1,999,999,999. I thought about verifying, but it would cost me 1 inf to do so, and I'm too cheap. The time limit has expired for this poor soul, so I will share the screenshot. As you can see, they meant to overpay by 1-2M, which is why I was gracious enough to offer a refund.

This is my usual set up; I have the incarnate stuff in tray 4 set to keybinds - the same keys activate the same incarnate powers on each character.

And so - have we resolved anything in this 7 pages of nonsense? I see a few thumbs down to posts that I see as being helpful. And some thumbs up, as well. To me - the only "wrong" I see is when folks don't adhere to a leader's clear instructions. If the leader doesn't give those instructions, I don't see any harm in folks doing whatever they see fit to complete the mission. After all, each is there to play the game and enjoy themselves, not just the leader. But some seem to think the leader shouldn't have to state anything, and that their methodology and preferred way of mission completion is "normal" and only deviations from that norm need to be clarified. Can we not reach an agreement here?

So..here's where the disconnect is: "so we could do the mission normally." So. the thing is - that's YOUR normal. It's not my normal. I tend to avoid ITF because I dislike all the screaming npcs. And the surgeons. Most annoying thing in this game is those damned surgeons. But, I've done that tf countless times. I can count on one hand the number of times we literally beat a path from the door to the AV. My god, it was sloooooow. But, hey, some of you like all that xp and such - that's great. But it's not "doing the mission normally" for all of the player base. It's killing through/kill most. That's a perfectly fine way to do this or any tf or mission. But it's not everyone's "normal". At level 50, most folks have already made their influence, so there's no need for xp, no need for drops, just the merits. May as well get it over with sooner so they can go on to do LRSF or MsLib, or Kahn or whatever floats their boat. Again - killing through is perfectly fine, but to suggest that's normal - it isn't. While I get that you didn't advertise as a speed run, a speed run is not what a lot of folks think it is. A speed run is when your team actually practices the tf, analyzes the type of damage that the npcs are most susceptible to and PLs the optimal AT/powersets for that specific task. As an example, on Ms. LibTF when you beat up the "security chief?" - if you don't reset when you don't get the key from the first "security chief?", you're not speeding it. Now, that's a lot different from just using ATT or incan to the AV on the map. What you're describing is fairly routine. The only way it's a kickable offense is if you've made it clear from the beginning that it's a kill most/through kind of task, and they broke your rules. And heck, even then, kicking is harsh. You could easily lay waste to the av and then clear the entire map, and allow that one fellow who was in a rush to leave, merits in hand. No harm, no foul. As I've said before - if it's your team, you're the leader, simply express your expectations at the beginning, prior to starting the tf. Then, if there are issues, you know you were clear and it's the other folks being the jerks. If you're not clear - then that's your shoe to wear.

Fair point. But anecdotally, if not mathematically, in the early, more painful levels of 1-28, brutes seem to me to far more resilient, and do more damage. No math to support it - just anecdotally. If I were to PL to 50, there's a case to be made for rolling the scrapper, but after having done that, and not ever getting invested in the character, I stopped doing it, as there was never any satisfaction behind it, just boredom, tabbing in/out to see where the progress was while I actually played on another account. But, that's just me. I just inherently know/feel/think/believe that a brute fares better earlier, allowing me to be more invested in it's future development. Add to that, the lack of taunting (aside from the goofy provoke power), to me, and for me, the brute's a better AT. Just an opinion, no science at all behind it.

Ha! I see what you did there. I personally don't sweat such things. If I'm on a team, I follow the directions of the team lead. If not, I should be kicked, and that's fair enough. The OP (and I suppose you and some others) seem to think that someone joining these teams implicitly understand what the lead wants. I don't know how I can be more clear: if the team lead makes their wishes known, those wishes should be respected. If it's a tf, those wishes should be expressed prior to starting. When I join a pug - which other than an MSR I have not done in over a year, aside from Patron missions, I do ask if no directions are given - "We speeding or killing through or what?". If I don't like the answer, I excuse myself and leave. I'm just trying to be helpful and share why people might do things that are in opposition to the OP, and to inform the OP that not everyone will play the way they do. And yes - not everyone will play the way I do, either. That's why we have a team chat - to express these expectations prior to beginning. Makes for a better experience for everyone.

Simply put: Fury is more consistent than a critical hit. Scrappers do NOT blow brutes out of the water. That is a fallacy. They may at times out dps a brute, but that's not consistent. You never know when you're gonna get a crit. But, a brute knows they're going to get fury. There is more to my stating that it's a fallacy than you might think. Some may say that a scrapper out-performs a brute on a pylon test. I would counter with - "Oh? That pylon that doesn't run away?" Play a fiery aura scrapper and you'll see what I mean. It's annoying. Pylon tests are only indicative of a scrapper's superior performance against a pylon. No more, no less. Additionally, some folks may be able to make the most out of a scrapper's build. I may not be one of those people. But I can make the most out of my brute's build. Ergo - for me, the brute is a superior choice. I mean, it's not even close. I'd pick a blaster over a scrapper, too. I'd pick a tank over a scrapper, too. They're that bad. (For me) Brutes have higher HP than scrappers. Thus, they have higher regen. Brutes have an inherent taunt aura. Scrappers do not. Brutes do not need to chase foes. Scrappers do. These are the reasons why I play a brute over a scrapper. As for the best primary/secondary combo - for me, I really like the Spines/Rad brute. I love my spines/fire, but there's no defense debuff resistance, unless you consider Ageless. The spines is good primarily because of impale being a ranged attack, you can slot a set of winter-Os in there, as well as in ripper and throw spines, and lung or barb. That's all the winter-Os which help a lot with recovery & s/l defense. (some winter sets do great with fire defense - which is great for a fire farmer, but not really needed. But, either way, the spines primary allows for a purple set in each category except for holds - but you can cover that in your epic if you choose. This increases the ability to get high recharge which never hurts. Rad armor is a great set, imo, to chase recharge. The faster your recharge, the higher your damage and regen.

We are all at least a little bit different with different motivations. Only two things will lead you to disappointment in life. ONLY TWO! Unrealistic expectations Unrealized expectations In this case, your expectations were realistic. They just weren't realized. If you state what you expect and are then disappointed, shame on them. If you do not state your expectations and are disappointed, shame on you.

I am someone that knows how to make their own build. At least, for most powersets. There are some that I'm still a bit out of touch with - like Master Minds & Veats. For the most part, I'll slot for defense, HP and recharge. What order depends on AT and powersets. But, occasionally, there's a powerset I've never played before. Anecdotally, I had a water/time corruptor. It was my first corruptor, and I'd never played water or time before. I'd see a power in mids, read the description, but I still had a rough time determining if it was worth taking. Some things, you need to experience for yourself. Sometimes, tho, the community can give some decent insights and perspectives to consider. It might hurt someone, but it doesn't hurt me one bit to ask for some insights or suggestions. I learn a lot from just looking at various builds. One thing I do know - half the builders in this forum either know something I don't about procs or, there's something amiss about @bopper's proc spreadsheet. I plug the values for the procs in and see 44% odds of firing, and I ask myself why they'd slot that. I'm not gonna forgo a set bonus for something that's gonna work less than half the time. That's insane to me. But, to each their own. And that's another thread anyway.

Salvage management, for me, has been a bit of this and that. Different characters do different things. I used to just have each character lump all of it in any storage rack that had room. But finding it later became annoying. And pulling it out quickly, invariably, the order of salvage within the bin would change and I'd have to put some stuff back. Annoying. Now, I have learned that common salvage is dirt cheap. It's much easier to type /AH and buy the common and uncommon salvage, rather than store it. As for the rare salvage, I keep it all in the vault. And when it gets about half full, before I forget, I unload it to the crafting characters within the specific tiers. I have one character that does all the crafting for level 10-24; so that character will get all the rares in that level range. Same with 41-50. I rarely deal with 25-40, so I just sell it. Thing is - I hardly ever need to make a deposit into a salvage bin. I craft every uncommon and rare I get, so the salvage never really accumulates that much, except for the common, which I'll vendor or sell on the AH, depending on the going price. If it's less than 300, I vendor, More, I sell on the AH.

Better is subjective. In the context of this quote - the counterpoint I would make is that if it weren't better (faster) then those that broke off from the team would still be in the final room clearing mobs when the rest of the team reached them. Instead, they completed the mission. Quickly. In that context, you could be right; it's not better. Maybe faster, but maybe not better. Back in the old days of AOL dial-up, we'd leave glowies for the mission holder. We had a tank - because brutes didn't exist yet, nor did IOs allowing any scrapper other than regen be tanky, that would enter the fray, taunt, possibly gather the mobs, a controller would lock them down, and perhaps a blaster would use a nuke while a defender was busy casting whatever buffs/debuffs they had at their disposal. But, with the development of mids, and other various add-ons, the game and it's players (some) have evolved. Blasters are sheer dps with soft-capped defense. A lot harder to kill. My blasters don't need clear mind. Don't need fort. Don't need the debuffs. And your speed boost while now welcome (used to hate it), it's not a big deal either. Sure, I love a good fulcrum shift, but most mobs don't last long enough to make it really useful. Brutes and tanks don't even need to mash buttons. They just put an attack on auto and watch Netflix and chill. No idea what defenders do, other than look for a team. I've solo'd a few - and while interesting, they sure don't dish out much damage solo, (discounting the various proc-monsters) and certainly less on a team. Same with controllers. This is why they team. They can tell me it's for the company, the chatter, but 90% of the pugs I join, nobody says anything. So, while I think speeding ahead, or a player going off on their own is perfectly fine and makes things faster, the real question is a fair one. Why team when you are going to solo within the team mission map? If I were to do such a thing (I usually solo) it would likely be due to boredom and lack of direction from the team lead. But my best guess is because you advertised in a broad fashion and the player interpreted it as a play how you'd like to scenario. As much as I'd love to speak for everyone, I can't. So, the question may be answered differently by others.

Somebody overpaid for some Stamina. If you DM me the amount you accidentally paid, and which IO set, and the specific IO and level of the enhancement, I'll refund you the difference of what you expected to pay. (And don't try to tell me you typed two extra zeroes, lol)

I confess, I've been in your shoes before - on a lowbie, doing an SG event, where the activity was specifically titled "Crawl team", and a member zipped on in and kayoed the Sea Witch before I ever got a look at her. I was a bit miffed, so I can see your point here. But - if you're speaking of Dark Astoria missions, you may not be aware, but these are technically farm missions for most players. They get them specifically because you CAN run to the back, kill the boss and be done with it. I know of one chap who did the same arc dozens of times until he finally finished t-4s in all the slots, including multiple destinies and lores. Almost everyone I know has done these literally dozens of times at least. Now, I get that it is quite presumptuous of anyone to assume everyone else has, too. So, I would apologize for this other speedy player if it meant anything. I just think that communication goes both ways. As leader, it's your job to relay your expectations to the team. And, yeah, zipping ahead in the context you describe, I can see that being irritating. But right after that, you should say in team chat, "Well, in the future, let's wait until we all get to the back room before we complete the mission." Then, if someone has an issue, they can be an a$$hat and do it anyway, or they can leave the team, or they can comply with your request.

I think what we have is two sets of folks seeing things in a different way. As to the "why" someone who can solo so easily would team up and run off on their own...well, let me share some perspective. Often, I see something in LFG for a given TF or even just routine missions where there is no "Kill Most" or any other direction specified. You join in - and the mission is set...and still, no direction is given as to how things will be done. So, it seems reasonable to me to be helpful and go left the first chance you get, even if the team goes right. It's not like the team needs you there, right? If they needed you, seems like they would have stated such, or have simply followed you. But they didn't - so, stands to reason they're fine on their own. Further why would it matter whose mission it is? I mean, if you wanted to clobber each and every npc as a team, where each player does their part, I don't see how one player or two going off to do that same part is any different than if they stuck with the team and let their AOEs be over-kill on a team filled with incarnate judgement capable players. They are in fact, helping the team finish the same content faster, allowing you to do more in less time. I'd call that a win. I understand that some folks like a slower pace type of teaming, where some tank-ish character enters the fray, while buffers buff, debuffers debuff, and dps folks dish out damage. The thing is - that's fine, but that's YOUR way of playing, and it's not the only tool in our tool box. Almost all of us can do that - and have done that since issue 1. But since Issue 9 came about, and certainly when fine sets with bonuses like Superior Avalanche came to the game, a lot of players invested a lot of time and learning to become very "super". How often do you see Thor, or Captain America slugging it out when there's an array of bad guys to dispatch? Sure, they're on the same battlefield, often! But - that doesn't mean they're all fighting the same bad guy. Even in game, a tank & scrapper may be hammering down on a boss, while a blaster is chasing down a lieutenant that's trying to clobber a corruptor or controller, or another squishy type. Same battlefield, but different battle. So, a wall or a floor is separating you from a teammate? Why is this a big deal? You still get your souvenirs and clues. (as if anyone ever has looked for those during the mission to see if they got them - I've gotten packrat - a souvenir badge for 100 souvenirs several times. The first time I got it - I had no idea there were even souvenirs in the game, let alone a badge for them!) Now - if you made your wishes clear at the beginning that it was to be a team-effort and that every one should stick together - I suspect your recruiting would take maybe a couple minutes longer, but you'd be happier. I'm not saying the other guy was right - I'm just saying they're not wrong if they weren't told in the beginning what it is you had planned.

Ah...this reminds me of one of the true heroes of CoH, @Nemu. This player taught me....gosh, I don't even know when..maybe issue 12? Or even issue 6 or something...I forget, but I learned to "joust" on my fire blaster in perez park. (That's where I learned to practice, anyway) I would target the npc. I would literally hop in the midst of the mob, mash a nuke, hop out - but I'd do it so fast, the nuke didn't actually fire until I was already 50 yards away. Listen, young children! These are the skills you do not typically learn in AE. Go! Hunt! Joust! Kil Skulls!

Ah, you will learn which npcs mez and which do not. I kind of envy your lack of experience right now. There's SOOO much more behind the figurative curtain, you'll be entertained for hundreds if not thousands of hours.

Having played all manner of blaster powersets, there should be absolutely no issue with you getting held, or mezzed, or stunned! Did you not know you can use your t-2 and t-1 while mezzed? Did you not know you can carry a break free before you enter a mission by typing /ah and buying one of the many for 10-100 influence? Did you not know that if that is too tedious, you can buy a defensive amplifier at level 1? 8 hours worth will only cost you 8000 influence. Simply get Inner Inspiration from the p2w for free, use it and sell the inspirations you get after you get some start up cash by defeating one minion. What could be easier? 8 hours later, when it expires, you can use the reward merits you earned to exchange for converters, sell for inf and then repurchase. And that's the easy way, really. As a blaster, in the higher levels, you are essentially in God mode. Nothing can seriously hurt you because you can kill them all before they can kill you. All you need to be prepared. Slot your powers intelligently. Observe what your shortcomings are as you fight. Need more endurance? Learn ways to mitigate the end usage. Need more recharge - learn ways to increase it. If you didn't have these obstacles to overcome, there'd be no real reason to play the game. It's already too easy for most of us. We have to find more ways to challenge ourselves. SO only builds, get defeated, get deleted challenges. Drop challenges. A fair sized list of challenges to make things harder because many of us simply have more experience than you do at this time. Stick with it - learn. Ask how you can overcome the problem. There have already been several tips on how to do so.

Certainly emp and FF could use some love - but with Sonic Dispersion, capping resistance is fairly simple. Gotta wait a few levels to get it - but for me, it's quite nice. I wouldn't say no to more love for it though.

Every tank can take an alpha. There is no "one-shot" defeats in coh. It's the second and third shot that can get you - but any tank can handle an alpha - except perhaps the tank that forgot or simply chose not to select an armor power or didn't slot it properly. That's not the tank's fault if it can't. It's the player's fault. It's fine if you wish to play this way - it may suit your playstyle, and how you see your role in that AT. But I promise you, you're painting yourself in a corner when you can easily paint the room entirely and leave through a door. Or, another way - don't build your characters into a box, unless you just like the box and are comfortable in that box. I am too big for the box. I need more room. And even a bigger box is too cramped. I want no ceiling beyond that imposed by game. No walls.

Emphasis added by me. This is the way YOU see your defender. I do not see my defender in this light. Not at all. My defender dishes out a nice damage bonus when solo. It's the primary reason I would make a defender rather than a corruptor. My job is not to support the team. My job is to take out the enemy as fast as I can. Now, to be fair, depending on which defender I'm on, the strategy and tactics used will vary. On my dark/dark, I will just snipe them from a distance, toss in some tentacles and dark blast, and snipe again. Maybe toss in a tar patch if it's a +2 foe or a boss. My rad/fire will have a different approach altogether. I do not worry about my team. They are all presumably grown up, capable of thought and have the same tools at their disposal as I do. They may not have the time to invest in learning mids, but they should still be able to absorb various build strategies through osmosis, if by no other means. To only build a primary in the earlier levels is ....viable, but it's by no means the only way one should play. I would also submit that it's not optimal. The forums are filled with folks who love teaming. They may see it as "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts". But, if each individual number is higher, that sum will result in an even greater whole value. In a nutshell, if you build your character where it's great solo - capable of using both primary, secondary and power pool powers - then the entire team will likely do better - if your ability to play that playstyle is any good. Playstyle is relevant to a discussion like this. This may be a poor example, but consider a video game like Centipede or Pac-Man. There is only one control - a track ball, or a a joy stick, respectively. It's much easier for a player to do well in these two games than a game like Defender or Star Gate that has 7 controls/buttons to manipulate in a timely fashion. Those with primary focus only, like a taunt-bot or a buff-focused defender - they just have to do one thing. The tank doesn't worry about attacking, only finding teammates with decreasing hp, and taunting the offending npcs to the best of their character's ability. Fine for the tank. Makes it easy. Until it doesn't because a teammate accidentally auto-fires an extra group, surpassing the tank's aggro cap. The buff-focused defender is then over-run, dies almost instantly because the player never bothered with slotting any defenses or resists. Contrast that with the competent defender who's balanced his build, has the fighting pool, combat jumping, super speed - a nice kb proc to avoid most knockback, the combat jumping to avoid most immobilizations, and the fight pool with tough and weave to avoid a number of those hits and to resist those hits that do come in. And, can still use debuffs or buffs to mitigate the incoming damage when the tanks aggro cap is exceded. So, please, do not give such poor advice to newer players when you're still a newer player yourself. You have much to learn grasshopper, as you are no doubt reading in the replies to your post. And don't take these words personally. We were all newer players once, and thought certain things were a great way to play - but learned that we don't know everything. We make mistakes, we learn, we grow. Your words were not wrong, per se - but they were not right for everyone, thus, they are not right.