The Trouble

I remember when Fitness was considered a must-pick for your pools (thankfully this is now inherent). Hasten was also once considered a must. I think the phase we're currently in is "Soft-cap Defenses". I'm guilty of this one... but it's so much fun! It's a premium proc because it enhances almost every power you can activate. Its presence makes perfect sense for most builds. The problems start when a powerset's utility is compromised just to plop in one more LotG. It sounds like you can spot the difference, so try not to let it bother you. Flavors of the month don't automatically make a recipe worse in the same way they don't automatically make a dish better.

The greatest irony is that I didn't ask for the build advice they gave, and I thought I was returning a favor. Although, they did say that Dark Armor would have Endurance issues that couldn't be solved until Incarnates, and that hasn't been my experience at all. Maybe that's due to being an Ebil Marketeer (thanks @UltraAlt), and being able to afford all those End Discount bonuses. 🤷‍♂️

I prioritize Accuracy and Endurance Reduction first. If you miss, you need to try and hit again... thus wasting End. It's tempting to go for Damage first because the monkey brain says, "Hurt more=defeat more!". The truth is your strikes need to connect, and they need to cost less stamina for you to be able to continue attacking. And yes two slot Stamina. Earth sheep are silly, but apparently @MoonSheep are wise.

I discovered Homecoming in 2023. So unlike the early adopters, I didn't have coffers overflowing with money. The anticipation of having a "perfect" build became too much, and because I play mostly solo, I realized that in order to have the influence to fund my "perfect build" quickly was through Wentworth's. I did some reading. Long story short: I had my enhancements already in my inventory as the slots became available. It was amazing. Anyhow, I was teamed on a farm to get some quick early levels on one of my Tankers. The lead was generously giving me advice on my powerset because their main shared the same primary. Then they casually complained how hard it was to keep funding their growing stable of alts. They said that farming got them about 20m per hour. So I shared some marketing wisdom... sort of a "thank you" for their build advice. I let them know they could get about ten times what they were making in the same amount of time. Their response was filled with the most profanity filters I've seen in the two-ish years I've been back in Paragon City! "Greedy" this, "price-gouging", that, "manipulation" this, "leeching" that... The entire mood soured instantly. I had no idea of the stigma until I opened my mouth, and it honestly shocked me. Has anyone else made the mistake of admitting they're an evil Wentworth's leech in-game?

The Kheldian culture on the forums is primarily: "You need enhancement sets to be competitive." Here's the bitter pill that I'm having a hard time with lately... that sentiment is mostly true. I can build a very solid Tanker with just Single Origin Enhancements. There are power sets that can soft-cap their protective powers with the regular stuff you can buy from stores. I know Kheldians were designed to require thoughtful play, but other archetypes - Including VEATs - can dip their toe into the min-max metagame without spending the hundreds of millions that we do. Then, even after a "perfect" build, I can still be seen as sub-par in hardcore communities. This is not the only measure of an archetype... but it does illustrate that something is amiss. I want more people to enjoy Khelds the way I do, but the generosity of the archetypes' limitations make them a hard sell.

Just yesterday I noticed that Brimstone Armor adds Fire to your attacks. Stone's rework has made it a beast. I paired with with Spines on a Brute, and holy moly...

I still run the tutorial when making new heroes. I like the freebie large inspirations and seeing Outbreak is still a cool nostalgia trip, even after all these years. The thing I don't do is that final indoor mission. Coyote is probably pretty disappointed in me, and I haven't seen Flower Knight in decades... but I have a limit on tedium.

I also agree with @ZemX, but here is where you touched on why these discussions become heated. I don't mind "carrying" a player with a sub-optimal build. I do, however, get frustrated having to instruct another player about every single action when I invited them onto a team so I could count on them to increase my fun. That's basically where the power level stigma comes from: you trying to play the game, while also being forced to play text-based adventure game for a completely different character. Remember those days?! Holster gun. -I don't know how to do that. Use holster. -I don't know how to do that. Use gun on holster. -I put away my gun.

After level 50, you can earn salvage that you can convert into "Incarnate" powers every 3 levels up to Vet Level 99. After that, there is no mechanical benefit. It's simply a number that can reflect the player's dedication to that character. Some folks shut of XP gain, and even though they have played for years their Vet Level is relatively low... so it's not even 100% accurate to a person's playtime. Basically, it's a really good sign that the game we're all playing remains fun long after literally everything is unlocked.

Whatever streaming service won the bid to televise the event, because they'll make the most money off of nearly nothing happening 🤷‍♂️

I'm going to go ahead and nominate myself for no other reason than my unprecedented humility. You're welcome.

Sometimes I drop large amounts of Inf on folks that don't even ask for it! 😈

I can't believe this is how I found out that I'm an idiot. Here I was, going about my own business, having fun, and also happily letting people have fun with features and systems that I personally find tedious... and all this time I've just been a "twee" moron. I thought people just had different tastes and interests in things! I thought the world was big enough for all those different types of fun! What a way to find out I was wrong. I'm shocked, everyone. Are there any other idiots out there like me that are just now finding out?

For various reasons (some unexplainable) neither Bane nor Crab appealed to me. Trying out a Bane just gave me a feeling of "Why not just make a Stalker?" I admit that this is a vast oversimplification of a Bane - especially due to their melee/ranged versatility and strong buff/debuffing - the gameplay result for me gave me that sensation. Focusing on the ranged rifle attacks just clicked for me, and Huntsman ended up feeling really satisfying. I've uploaded a build in this forum if you're curious to try it out. So in short, Huntsman builds are a specific flavor of the Bane branch. Much like your CrabberMind.

I think the attitude is less "I think Diantane should leave" as much as it's, "I wish DIantane could adopt a more accepting and positive perspective". You're experiencing burnout partially because of negativity. I still play my 50's. Even the ones fully Incarnated/Purpled/Cat-ed/Boosted because they're still fun. If your goals come from a strict definition of "progress", then burnout is inevitable. I don't think you should quit. I think you should understand that when parts (or the whole) of a game feels like a literal chore, it's time to pivot. Either your thinking needs to shift, or the way you play should. I suggest ditching the poo-tinted goggles in whatever healthy method you can find. Life's too short for your games to upset you. And if you've tried everything, and still can't derive any pleasure from the game, then it's time to go. I believe you'll know what's right for you. Good luck.