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I have taken a bit of a break from badging. Just moving about 6 of them around for day jobs. I'm having more enjoyment just trying new combinations. The badges were getting a bit sloggy.

While I'm not expecting this character to be a badger...I had to chuckle at this one.

Let me preface this by saying I am not a role player - at least, not in game for more than a corny comment or two. And I give this answer in the context of my experience as a bartender in a club. In my early days of youth, I learned many things at the clubs. Most of which is beyond the scope of your question. But one takeaway is that people "club", to use that as a verb if I may in this instance, for different reasons. The ladies/girls I knew went specifically because they liked to dance, and bouncers and bartenders were likely encouraged by club owners/managers to treat ladies with favor, as the more women you have, the more men that will show up. So, they are treated with essentially free drink, music they enjoyed and the company of their friends to help them feel safer than they otherwise might be if they were alone. Very few men ever attend a club for the music or the drinks. They go for the women. Even the fellows who lack "game", as it were. I'm sure there are some men who like to dance, but I can candidly state none of my friends has ever expressed this to me. Some of my friends might suggest that women dance, so men might do well to also embrace this as a skill or even a tactic. I've always said it would be disingenuous on my part, as I take no joy in dancing. This is why I don't trust men who would dance. Because I'm certain they don't genuinely like to do so. Of course, I could be wrong. But I don't think so. But I digress..the whole point of this reply is to perhaps provide a character that may be difficult to embrace: The Competent Womanizer - or perhaps more likely, the Incompetent Womanizer. Obviously, neither of these characters are admirable on the surface. They may be painful to portray. Another option might be an employee of the club - someone who's there for a purpose, as opposed to being there to take advantage of some opportunity to socialize. Someone who sees what the place looks like in the stark daylight hours, as opposed to the dim lights in the evening. I could see where some might have fun with it - using very corny lines that would never be used in real life. But you'd have to use your common sense and not cross lines and offend fellow players. (one could make the case the character in itself is a bit offensive - but if we can't risk being offensive, we'll never know what's funny and what's not.

Personally, I'd love this. But, I don't think it will ever happen, and that's because as solo friendly as this game is, with all the farmers we have and emp merits being tradeable among alts, those with farmers would never have to run an iTrial for salvage again. The only way I see it happening were if it had some sort of influence sink to accompany it.

I'm not sure if we're supposed to be impressed...or concerned, lol. Grats! That's a lot of slogging, for sure. What's next? Another badger?

Inc threads stop at 10k, confirmed. I usually keep my levels around 5k as I'm always stocking my base with the supers.

To me, if all you seek is a lowly 1M per week, I think it is quite easily done in a number of different ways. If it were me, the most mindless thing I can come up with that actually involves playing the game would be a toss up between the Cavern of Transcendence trial for 8 merits - very easily solo'd if you have stealth and can handle two igneous by yourself. 8 reward merits =24 converters - list them at 1 inf each and I'd bet they sell for 70k each, clearing your goal easily. If you have mission tp, even taking your time a bit, shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes. 3 minutes if you rush it. (consider it takes 40 seconds just to click the 8 glowing Obelisks.) Fast & super easy with stealth. Or the first Signature Story Arc out of Skyway - Theoden is the contact. That's 20 reward merits the first time you've done it, another 20 the second time, and from there after you have to wait a week. This one takes about 10 minutes, maybe 15 if you've never done it before. The Reveal temp from p2w for 10K inf is a bargain at 1000x the price. Those are my playing strategies for quick merits while solo, aside from explorations which are repeatable if you feel like making an alt. Yomo has already discussed a very viable simple marketing method.

I could certainly be wrong, but sometimes, a player will try to solo this, and if they have a rough time of it, and get defeated - some inmates will wander away while the player chooses to go to the hospital. If they rezzed in place, it would probably never happen. In a mission, when you engage in battle with an npc, and then run away, they will chase you - up to a point. For some NPCs that point may actually be through the elevators. Hard to know until you do such things. Within a minute, the npc not finding you will return to the spawn point. Seems like that's what's missing here. But does it really make sense for an escaping inmate to wait around for us to prevent his escape? Nope. I think it would be better to have a timer. If they're not defeated within 2-3 minutes or some other reasonable time for most players, the event just resets.

When looking at detailed info for Offensive Adaptation on my Bio Armor brute, I read this: While Offensive Adaptation is active your Defense and Damage Resistance is reduced slightly. Pictured above is without using adaptation. This is using offensive adaptation, as shown. While 6% is fairly nominal if you're looking at the 90% resist cap, for a level 10, this is over 20%. I'm sure it's working as intended, but I wouldn't consider 20% a "slight" reduction.

To illustrate this - verbally - consider the level 41 Titanium Coating IO recipe. It's an uncommon recipe, found in the Resist Damage category. At level 41 (and up) there are only three specific enhancements in the Resist Damage Category discounting the PvP Gladiator's Armor. We don't include that one, because no amount of converters will get you a PvP IO from an uncommon or a rare. Can't be done. One is the Titanium Coating, as mentioned, uncommon. The other two are Aegis (rare) and Unbreakable Guard (rare) So, it would be quite fast to convert from the uncommon category to the rare category with 2 converters being used in one conversion. Below level 41, there's a few more resist sets - Reactive Armor, Steadfast Protection, Impervium Armor and Impervious Skin. The Steadfast Protection set begins at 10 and stops at 30, and is a nice set for the two procs - kb protection and the res/3% def(all) For reasons that escape my logic, this one sells for less than the glad armor, despite it giving resistance buff (albeit one that caps at 30) and the 3% defense to all. Like, really, who cares about tp protection? Doesn't work against Chimera, so big whoop. But I digress. Supply and demand, I suppose. Impervious Skin is also level 10-30. Reactive Armor level 15-40 Impervium Armor is also 15-40 So, if you convert a Titanium Coating that's level ...27, say, you could potentially get two other sets that don't sell as well.

For kicks and grins, I used AE tickets at the cost of 15 tickets per TO. Apparently, all your level 1s have been filled already. That was as much tedium as I could stand. I looked at the opportunity cost and figured 60 tickets to get a random recipe was a better deal. But if someone wanted an exercise in tedium, they could certainly get one of each TO at levels 2-20 and sift through everything else that may be left. I should be thankful, as it never occurred to me to bid 10 inf or less on these useless turds to vendor for at least 54 inf for a very tiny profit. (for my new characters that start with zip)

It's been said in here already. You can't get where you want to go (now) with SOs. Two SOs in Fire & Plasma Shield get you to exactly 63% fire resistance. Anecdotally, I started with my first farmer on SOs only. But, I knew about ATOs & Winter-Os, I was just waiting to afford them - and the other sets I wanted. In the meantime, the insp-combine macros were the only way I could get through 0/8 maps at level 38. I just ran regular content, getting the accolades & explorations for the merits. I felt like the only farmer that was using insp-combining macros to make purples instead of reds, lol. It's quite tedious being on the road to get the ATOs, IOs, etc. But, you can get there. The good news is, with the right build, you're not reduced to just farming, you can other content successfully at high settings. The only real weakness is the lack of Defense Debuff Resistance.

So...I find this a bit interesting. I was looking for a pattern, and wasn't really seeing one. That is, until I ran a character without 2xp. You will note that there are 2 Wincott's in the list. The first is ran without 2xp, the second is with 2xp. It's a bit apples vs. oranges (famous statistical example) The big difference seems to be in the second example, I got a bit more XP, but I'm thinking it is an aberration, or perhaps a keystroke error. Or a math error. Habashy and Fields, and even Wincott offer precisely 5 bars of xp upon completion - whether the setting was at +4 or not in Wincott's example. I'm looking forward to seeing how Flux will pan out. I got 800 with 2xp, set to ....I can't recall the previous time around. It certainly wasn't +4. But, given the example with Wincott, which was set to +4 this most recent time, I didn't see any higher rate of xp compared to not running at +4 with the earlier character. Back to the drawing board! Contact Start level Finish Level 2XP? Ouro? XP Gained XP needed Merits Matthew Habashy 1 3 No No 291 3 to 4 582 3 5 Bars Officer Fields 3 4 No No 400 4 to 5 800 3 5 bars Wincott 6 7 No No 787 +4 6 to 7 1575 7 5 bars Wincott 6 8 Yes No 1440 Level 8 to 9 2680 7 5.3 Bars

You can pursue that, if you like, but you should reach the hard cap resist on s/l easily enough. (as opposed to soft-cap def s/l. It can likely be done, but it would come at a cost of other set bonuses.

Glad you stated this - because I was going to say Jimmy was wrong - but I suppose in this context, he's not wrong. While marketing may not technically create influence, it certainly does seem to accumulate far faster with intelligent marketing than farming or teaming for a weekly. Interesting to know that I've taken over 200M out of the economy in the past couple of days. 😛

Anecdotally, the IOs I used to make 4m on, I now only make 3. This could be due to me asking for less - but I started asking for less out of competition. Others were undercutting my price by 25%. And not just one type of IO, but almost all of them. Unbreakable Guards, I could list for 3.7 and get 4. Now, I list for 2.7 and get 3. Now - sometimes, I get 5 or 6M, but on average, it's 3m. The price of these and Aegis have dropped 25% in the past year. (since the nerf to no/xp 2xinf) Numina and Preventative Medicine Procs - same story. They've dropped 25% in the past year. Sudden Acceleration Kb-kd - also dropped 25% Blessing of the Zephyr KB protection has dropped 50%. LotG 7.5% - this has dropped from 7-8M on average to 6-7M on average. Obliteration quads and proc have also dropped 25% in the past year since the 2xinf nerf. PvPIO procs have dropped from 10-12M on average to 7-9M on average. Do I need to go on? There is no inflation from where I sit. Things have gotten cheaper, not more expensive. But that's just the view from my perspective. If yours is different, share specifics, please.

There is one thing that occurred to me this morning about a legit difference (as far as I can tell) between AE farm rewards and other content. Back on live, I had two farms: the famed Dreck map, through Unai Kemen, and Harvey Meylor's Demon map. And why? Because the freaks dropped tech salvage, and the demons dropped arcane. I would often run dreck, then run the demon map a couple of times because it was smaller, hoping to get the required salvage so I wouldn't have to travel to W...I can't believe I've been using AH so much, I've forgotten that W stands for Wentworth's! But, oddly, in AE maps - at least Briggs' - the mobs drop both types. I realize in game, there's some mobs that will drop both, but by and large, freaks drop tech, CoT drop arcane, etc. To me - that's a HUGE difference, just in the time it saves me not having to buy salvage.

I don't think anyone would debate your point on the game needing influence sinks. Candidly - I think we have a "good problem". Too much inf? That's a pretty good problem to have.

You are not alone. The SG I belong to, on Excelsior, called Cosmic Council has "education" nights for various tfs/events. The lore is explained. The strategy is explained. The only real downside (from my perspective) is we use discord to do the explaining. This means, if I want to interact, I have to wear my headphones with the microphone attached, and those headphones completely suppress all noise outside the game and discord. I see that as a negative. If my phone rings, I want to know. If someone in the house is calling my name from the other room, I want to know. Wish I'd realized the headphones in question were noise-suppressing when I got them. So uncomfortable, too. Makes my ears hurt. But I digress. There are folks that are patient and will explain more than you'd really ever want to know about a given story arc/tf/trial.

Nice of you to share.

Favorite arc on blue side...I'm gonna be in the minority, but it's Skipper LeGrange's out of Croatoa. And why? Because of "Stop 30 Fir Bolg from entering the portal". A lot of folks just auto-complete this one, but this is probably my favorite mission in the entire game. Why? Because I find it amusing to run to the portal, clear the area...then look for the closest mob - try to kill them, and quick, or I have to worry about their aggro, and then tackle the 2-3 minions (or more, depending on my diff level) that suddenly make their way towards the portal. And those little buggers are fast when they want to be! I get to run back and forth, making sure nobody escapes. It's a hoot. My second favorite is Tina Mac's arc - but that's only because of the search for Dr. Calvin. You never know where that rascal is hiding. I'm one of those weirdos that likes to hunt for the kidnapped victim or boss that needs to be taken down. I'm familiar with most of the nooks and crannies that Doc Calvin may be hiding in, but every now and then, I have to look more carefully, or use a macro to find him.

I agree with the second line. I dunno about the first.

Um..Sorry. I've only ever played CoH, so I'm not certain I understand what this means. If you're suggesting that pug groups should get better rewards vs solo players - they do already. A team of 8 gets an XP bonus that a smaller team or a solo player doesn't get. At least - that's what one of the "tips" in a loading screenshot stated. On the one hand, I think I understand why you think a team should get better rewards than a solo farmer - but can the game make the distinction between solo farmer and solo player? I work remotely. There are times, where if I were in an office, I would simply be off-line. Or have a character/farmer in a map with burn on auto. But, I'm home, and tabbing out is rather simple. It would be rude of me to team during the week, most of the time, so I don't. Well, only rarely. If I understand you - you're suggesting that because my character can handle a solo map, due to my experience playing my character, my reflexes, my ability to understand the NPCs and what they can and can't do - my rewards should be less than that of a full team? Is that what you're saying? I should get more rewards on an MSR when I just have an attack on auto while I scarf down lunch, intermittently casting a heal than if I'm in my own map, laying waste to the Positron Automaton Elite Boss? Personally - if that's what you're saying, you'd need to defend that statement with a reason why I should be denied the same opportunities as everyone else who may not be as capable. The very fact that folks team suggests that they either like the chatter, or they aren't very good at doing it alone. I only occasionally like to chat, and find a group slows the game down to a crawl. If I'm the mood, fine. But if not, I'm going to solo. To not get the same merits, the same drop pool because of that doesn't seem right to me. I get that at least half, if not more of the player base views this game as revolving around a teaming experience. I don't. More often than not, it's for a badge. It really is that simple for me. If I can do it alone, I generally do. Sometimes just for the challenge. Other reasons are because I'm not terribly pleasant when faced with roleplayers, folks who would zone in, but take more than 30 seconds to get to the mission door, or take 2 minutes to zone in because they're playing on a flip phone or a toaster oven powered by a starved ferret. Or anyone else that wastes my time. Hey you! The guy who shows up to a task force without enhancements at level 35, because they got PL'd there with 2xp/no inf, and can't afford any - you're the primary turd I'm trying to avoid! Or the one with a bodily waste function referenced in your name - I don't wanna think about that when I look at the team roster. FFS, do better than that in the character creation stage! So, yeah - that probably says more about me than anything else, and I'm okay with that. But I'd vote no - if I understood you correctly.

I think for the basis of discussion, you'd compare farming to any and all other methods of game play. While it is true "anyone can do it", the starting costs of making a farmer can seem overwhelming. I recall one player telling me, "If I could get those sets, I wouldn't need a farmer!" There may be a player or two, whose system is so poorly designed or old, that they can't handle two accounts being on at the same time. I can't fathom such a system belonging to someone who'd play this game, but anything is possible. The default setting for both Tequila and the HC launcher require adjustment before being able to multi-box, and if the player is unaware, they likely assume all of us multi-boxers are hacking the system in some way, and wondering why HC never does anything about us, or assuming that the volunteer staff doesn't have the time. For those with genuine alt-itis, a farmer is rather bitter-sweet. They likely only do what's necessary to get the inf necessary to fund the next alt. I could be wrong, but I think it's fair to suggest 80-90% of all farmers fall in this category. In fact, they likely don't even consider themselves farmers, just a regular player that has a farmer or two on an alt account and their primary account. As to the question, "Is farming an imbalanced method"....to put it delicately, and please read all I state here, yes, it is imbalanced - but only because to be balanced would be to suggest the same time, effort put in doesn't give the same rewards as other methods. The case could be made for most designated farm characters require 4 full superior winter sets, two superior ATO sets, a few pvp IOs and a number of other procs. The cost of the builds, depending on how resourceful the player is can be anywhere from 200M to more than 900M. 24 winter-Os, if the player is getting them "now" from AH will cost them 720M alone. (current AH pricing shows most of the superior winters selling for 30M, give or take 1M) Compare that to most other builds that might have 2-3 winter sets - if that, they'll be far more affordable. That's not to say that a player can't "farm" their way from SOs to a fully kitted out build eventually, (I certainly did with my first farm brute) but there is large barrier to entry in this space. These players that complain about farmers seem to have differing objections. 1. Reduced teaming pool - if they're farming, they're not teaming. This comment won't earn me any points, but if you have another player on your map helping you clear, you're not farming, you're teaming. I am referring to folks who solo the maps repeatedly. These are the players that this segment of anti-farmers want out of the farms and into the pool of available teammates. 2. The ability of the farmer to tackle +4/8, seemingly without risk, doesn't seem fair to your average defender, who has to wait 30-45 seconds for their nuke to recharge to tackle 0/8 to +2/8 mobs, depending on the build. But they'd never be able to do this afk-style with any level of proficiency. A blaster can fare better, given the vast improvements to HP and the sustain toggle (if you choose the right secondary, lol), but they're not going to be able to afk either. Over time, given the contrast in ability for the farmer to solo these settings, they will eventually earn all the investment back. But - even this takes time, depending on what the player does with drops. Just selling stuff - it will take much longer. Crafting, converting, selling drops - it will require more tedium, but the recoup of investment will be sooner. It's all a function of how much time they want to put into it. 3. A perception that the drops earned - more influence, what's done with the salvage and recipes, catalysts that drop on the farmer - impact the prices of IOs. More specifically, the perception that a farmer's activities impact their ability to afford what they wish to buy from the market. They seem to think the farmer, by listing an item for X inf is responsible for the sale price of that item. Rather, it's the player that saw fit to pay that price that sets the value. And the farmers get blamed for this. For some reason, it's always the farmer that is accused of paying these higher prices - but the farmer doesn't need these pieces. If they did, they wouldn't be selling them! The market is blind. We have no idea who's doing the buying. We can guess in some cases (thinking of you, Yomo) but we never really know for sure. But the ones that vocally complain about this, somehow, they know! They assume only the farmer can afford such things, and yet - marketers that market daily have far more influence than farmers who farm daily. In summary, no, it's not balanced. But, there's a ton of time that goes into earning the inf/merits to make a farmer. It takes time to recoup that investment. Let's not forget also, that while some find farming relaxing or fun, most folks find it boring. We put up with the boredom to fund our alts. I see no reason why others can't put up with the same boredom. If they don't want to, nothing wrong with that, but it's not my problem.

I think it's kind of you to consider being able to port your teammates around - but - that's what Assemble the Team is for. And it doesn't cost a power pool. The changes to the teleport and the pool itself has encouraged a lot of folks to respec in favor of it. It certainly has some utility. Worst case - you get it and find you miss SS. Or whatever it is you drop for it. Then you can respec back. Or make two builds.