Burnt Umber

Though less vehemently, I too am not fond of the new tip system. Previously, I could hold onto tips and discard the one I didn't like at my leisure. Now, the game discards tips based on whether I've actively committed to doing them. Further, I find I get the tip notification even when I have three active tips - the system now gives the notification whenever it would have been possible. It's quite irritating. Like the OP, I realize there are restrictions when things need to be put out, but also like the OP, I am disappointed that actual additions with need for testing were still being added to the release candidates just before it was pushed to the Homecoming servers from Beta. This feature should not have been tacked on at the last minute.

For a while on the Beta Servers, the power Water Spout in the Leviathan Mastery (Mako's) Patron Pool was changed to take Pet and Recharge Intensive Pet enhancement sets and not to take Ranged AoE enhancement sets. However, in Release Candidate 1 and following releases, the change was reverted for Controllers/Dominators but retained for Scrappers/Stalkers. I wish that the reversion were itself reverted. Now, there is an inconsistency where Controllers/Dominators and Scrappers/Stalkers do not follow the same rules when slotting the same power. I also feel that the initial change made sense and added consistency because Storm Summoning's Tornado - from which Water Spout was cloned - takes Pet and Recharge Intensive Pet enhancement sets and doesn't take Ranged AoE enhancement sets. Additionally, Controllers/Dominators are both classes that are more likely to have pets, so they were more likely to have benefited from that initial change than Scrappers/Stalkers do.

I'll try to bring Alichino - Demons/Pain MM.

Hmm, I think it will work if you copy that whole block - including the == at the end - and open it in Mids under "Build Sharing>Import Datalink" in the menu bar. I'm using 3.6.6 if that makes a difference. Here's a screenshot of the build: Based on your screenshot here are a few suggestions: You may want to keep the Huntsman/Wolf Spider version of Venom and Frag Grenades to go with the Wide Area Web Grenade (WAWG) for consistency/speed of animations. Having a chain of WAWG>Venom>Frag is a potent opener for any group. With the upcoming update, you may want to invest more slots into WAWG once it gains the damage aspect. Similarly, you may want to grab Heavy Burst (or Suppression if you choose to use Crab versions of the grenades) to round out your ranged Area of Effect (AoE) damage. My understanding is that Heavy Burst is a surprisingly effective damage power, so you don't want to forego it. Relatedly, you may wish to drop arm lash as a power; you'll likely play mostly at range and benefit little from the melee cone. You may wish to move the slot placed in Combat Training: Defensive to Stamina; putting two slots for Endurance Modification into Stamina will help you greatly to reduce the down time between fights As for slotting, I personally go for the attuned invention sets at your level rather than the basic inventions/single origin enhancements. That said, there are a fair number of people who wait until 50 to fully slot invention sets. If you are such a person, slot at least the level 30 common inventions into your powers because that would be cheaper in the long run compared to slotting/upgrading the single origin enhancements you have now.

After getting to test the two revamped groups here and there, I feel mostly mixed about the CoT's. I really like the addition of new minions at this level, especially because it's a little boring to be otherwise facing the same cultists (e.g., thorn weilders) that I've been facing since level 1. However, I wish that the "Blizzard" casters were renamed to something like Typhoon, Tempest, or Storm Casters to reflect their powers and inform players better. I generally dislike these additions. I don't find that the Spectres add challenge as much as annoyance. They can spawn in large groups and floor to-hit, which does make fighting harder but not it a way that requires greater strategizing (I mostly just stack yellows to bulldoze my way through). Similarly, Succubi becoming lieutenants adds difficulty in that their confuse and placate powers prolong fights and, effectively, prevent me from attacking (and, in the case of confusion, buffing as well). I do need to strategize more with them, but I wish they remained bosses only. Furthermore, although I didn't exactly have trouble with Hellfrost Lords, I'm a little concerned about the design and addition of a more "anti-meta" enemy; they deal strictly cold damage with toxic DoTs, thereby countering the more common smashing/lethal defense builds and requiring either harder-to-get cold defense or reliance on positional defense. It feels a bit as though they were balanced around players having inventions rather than single origin enhancements. I found these really fun. They added great variety and, barring the times I got a horde of Death Mages on top of me, interesting challenge. I definitely had to plan as I scanned groups for these enemies and strategize how to approach them versus the group on the whole. Also, to me, it's great to see something that builds up to the various "Archmage of" enemies found in the portal missions, so it makes sense for these sorts of bosses to exist. Overall, the changes to the Circle of Thorns don't make them terrible. Sometimes, they're a neat challenge; other times, they're erring toward the other avoided groups like Malta. I also found that my characters who were already juggernauts were slowed down less than my squishier ones, so there's a bit of compounded difficulty with the revamp. Nevertheless, I do like that older groups are getting revamped and that there is some attempt to make these groups not totally "mindless face-rolls" when encountered.

I haven't gotten to try it on test; just saw it in the patch notes. I've only puttered around the island on a villain getting the exploration badges and trying a few of the new arcs. My understanding is that villains ought to be able to complete them but I'm not sure if Hess still needs a hero/vig./rogue to have unlocked it or if either tf bugs out for some reason if none of the team has blueside access.

Oh, since villains are going to be allowed on Striga soon, I'd love to do an all villain version of Moonfire and Hess at some point. I think we can do that?

Pardon, how am I supposed to parse this? The power already has a 140% chance to knockback/knockdown, so I'm not really sure what the increased chance is for or how it can be tested? Similarly, the addition of a to-hit check seems like overkill if the damage is already being reduced when slotted with a kb2kd invention.

Oh, I have a question about a few of the upcoming themes: Is this for the enemy group in game, the ninja costume set, or what? Does this include non-Star Fleet costumes too? Is this Firefighter costumes?

I'll try to bring Kataigis - Electric/Storm Controller.

I don't think of Null as a "tool" as much as a lingering work-around from when the servers were secret. Null never had that functionality back on Live. It was added, as far as I can tell, so the very limited population in the secret server days could in fact team. All my villains eventually find themselves in Pocket D, so it annoys me to have yet another badges with credit but being impossible to complete unless I do a hack work-around to change alignments only briefly. It's the same annoyance I have when, during the Spring Fling, I get told that I shouldn't bother asking an opposing alignment to join me for the last mission but instead just talk to Nul to do it all solo. I don't think staying to a particular alignment is a "problem"; rather, I think adding s badge that seems to me to be primarily for the name/title but exclusive to Blueside is a "problem." The underlying issue for me is that I feel as though development in this game assumes I'm Blueside or Rogue/Vigilante, and all my villains need is a pathetic nod as to why I'm once again doing heroics despite my alignment. It feels like a penalty for making a Redside character. I've disliked it ever since back in Issue 10 when the RWZ got added/revamped. Sure, that's why I'm mentioning this. People clearly have characters that stay a particular alignment, so I think it makes sense to note issues when that gets inadvertently transgressed.

As mentioned by a poster above, I don't want to have to change my alignment just to get a badge. I don't exactly think of badges as an out-of-character thing; I see them as mementos of sorts of my characters progression and activities. So, while I am okay with some badges being exclusive to either side as setting or story would necessitate, I dislike when there are badges that are exclusive to Blueside or Redside that don't have to be. Here, for example, PDP is a relic/anachronism previously removed from the game, so it irritates me a little for that to be a barrier to all my villains for a badge that I can just barely not complete.

Respectfully, I think this is bit annoying with respect to a badge; it requires a character to have access to Paragon City to enter the Paragon Dance Party, which excludes anyone who stays villain/Redside. It feels a bit exclusionary to make an exploration badge for Blueside that doesn't feel linked to actually being Blueside. It's also a little annoying for such a badge when Bluesiders are already getting the Bicentennial badge this update. I appreciate that the badge/its title might be wanted by some, so just removing the the Paragon Dance Party requirement would satisfy me.

Hmm, this was a little bit tough for me since my favorite AT and characters are all Redsiders - many brutes and corruptors. But, I think I can say (by the numbers, at least) that my favorite Blueside AT is probably controllers, so I'll try to bring Atomi - Grav/Rad Controller.

You absolutely can run a Crab without really needing to dip into all of the pets. You feel like a Huntsman+ or a Sentinel in a way. I think the key powers to pick end up being Wide Area Web, Vernon, and Frag Grenade, with Heavy Burst and Suppression as clean up after that initial salvo. Even with the proposed changes on the Beta, Omega is probably still a trap choice. And, I don't think Channelgun or Longfang are quite enough on their own, so I grab Mu Lightning to fill out my single target chain; although any of the Patron single targets might work, I feel Mace Blast is a little janky with the drawing of the mace and Gloom feels slow despite its great damage. Here's my build per Mids (I think?) for reference: GzJpAKwK7Ib1TzogFceXMy7UXzy6JqpSpGvv4VTlq7rjvoWf9kOW6FFMjrT5AT15QnE6nco3uVseaAsDpa/kC+TLVK2s2oXu8nza3n3q/DVBS2ObCE0KlLT337vsJzXCYesudKd3k0wofY9W+uzl5+hF9aKKwzeF83SPw0lmaElou/tQyC/P3ZcII/8y1poVfS9258YzwMbELHsQLEqFil489YPWUlil9g8TWD0sAc6rpPB4eztfADmkySmQIh0B90N/l2ri3HLfjsKDFFJiljwXELhrqecbEQSXw9yo33ZEDZQqTUshyiTWQg5N1E1KDl02UWUxEQ+XheEOLiItRDB5xD8YPfUZxko9U/B6urpJRQwYZKnuh4zrjvFWeEMtGcaqrnkBN1vYI1Es6A4pFuhgJwS6nphAmpTcvkO9TlLLtPgpLYiACSV306KJUarFksPwLRXl9sSpb+FgwT4tecW6eeTgofcqS+ndm3+EF2vVojeQhBOR+jGpOIodiNOWf9RH/3eotzPlXPGdHLwNE4AxGF/6v9JDUwrCpEfu4bdaDzHFlimED7/+kiYyEONLw8pYt25c8cHM1x6ifhD8UlG5ZAeydmrgr/gGqtIa6lBThjjhDdqxSGI77So2a4zelFOcVQtwRSqrg3tDBzg2PRIOsgwp9x+6K8xYDJxQW874W+2RCjcDs2nWEKcHf1mcA1zLAGguplYzm5f/2WXUp60+4gSh4Ww+Ffg9a2Pbt/4Sflkl5PKvm2Xyc+VBNRh2Ex7iryFi62orIxZBATW3L23dxWd7JxbMWZzRvtsGAmmc4msIKxYuSzMtnJKzlZZPEbeDvwMRz/sOzOQQ5SFe7nHJcFAX/Xr52X/nXzlJ0K5PmJYiUUbnV+hcnbzQIM8hW2jaoXIZUlhHJr3scmXDvCF6+cnjMAc4zORAbbDO9GlIfimFMiAg/tRBis8jODq9SxFM1ydMSfwicyxERdChmFdGX1+qdkEdLzwmPww2IdSCX6sEhhJuXdsPlvufXSoIAkwdK1nAuPJMjw0Re0exDVgVtalaKK9Pj/84UITgPFlWTkGPypXnm2HUK5lzkSTAHkIuhDmlaGJ/pMq4btRgfnIrjxsC3ePlKjqvARr4P4VfUP0y5IvyEQdU+pSfKTzsww3KwIKM4dfKAM2n+qMUjnshDd43Hg+EeiDkC78gLDScQQnFjnchnNHHprwMqGgGVDgTCsGEL9kf0daXxn9gzgHWcbAijwmhpsiTfcWJLbN6DNmkRF/s+B4bDrS7q7BLX1rzSlCi4mAX9sD++Tsy+jG32dEZvZrJ4OwKOG91dHGTclV2i0jgiEdCD2OVivKyTXWzDY4CThQxOFK3mhtjuzyec8S9mSlX4eEjt0QIO3tRf5K1+HJ7PENNUxpB9VM8uToR84wbvTBg/SkeI57siAV0BZMFaDELB+tIX1cSd3rZn6htpoL42GpXyj9oEuJkgw5h/JIkmwAiNDq08hus3WMVs1PtkemqtAo+eqIVydmqPHsXts20fLLGJ05+Rm1B+Yhvi2p2TdUvLqNUzBV/bTxNOpp8lhBHMe47OWR+jpCGfe9z4oa5t1DWWvJfM4sbbMcKXzxmbcJQa9SlWQXLkPxSTB1rd6sOW16VqVpVhfrQtqlYtfkrplaasj6xKgUaeCo9NJcXJyynE7WEuvTWt7JVHjBAQJxrYDyMnsD5eb9Q9YpiOIBRzKW7U8zjioWbsYNzH7CEMo8zbzvonJAT0DN0Ai7MSrX0s1fY2GJfoKwB5iD6mE2baxaO3B707iBlAHrKxNgbPL4Q3wV+yOOxHwyPF0K9JWxAfVR+oT7Q09OozvMc73Jji/hVGPygqFJOm2w24CM71a/a6xAbCh3FpPJnb6JsB/PRhKOBbNThbj8OPuTm8IAANOEg5SpB/Tis2+d8kG1LP2dhdtoOv8+oCgNa5cifQTKY5e4jbPMU4w835HZjRYcVLG4B1fHjr7eWM5AR/Ix4V1kluCgJ1kjHLXue1sEffIrxDsvA5GZdjE7QIEADrQyvbJcpfd2fJoy3KBzGA3nZ+WSwV4x4NQquwkoHB+9i+v2ooIu6aHtHunpuLm5EHiAVY6WeXBGgl/jPKGbM42/wgB1V+UHRO72VK3IWLB6o6if9AqpSNysC1afzZEZv5XYWmD4LeMG9pUk72LBnJeKu409rSP3+m/9nyGB+gr5o62a+DKM+nQl6hlJcuaLnYjeuiEBiv+qM6bIfdLAY1SPQD9dKwg7oYVSMZkWCTeyhdTvE8R67Dw==

Currently on Beta, Shatter and Crowd Control have limited color customization. Although you can select "color tintable" for the customization option, the color tinting applies only to the attack effects fx rather than the attack animation fx and attack effects fx. For those two powers, they play the "original" attack animation and their baked-in colors, and then apply the color tinting to the attacks' effects (the toxic DoT cloud). Bash and pummel (and Shatter Armor from Mace Mastery) apply the color customization to the attack animation fx and attack effects fx. In fact, both Shatter and Shatter Armor use the same underlying animation, but they have differing degrees of color customization.

I'll try to bring Saxum - Stone/Fire Tank. It was really fun as we totally breezed through. It really felt like we brought an entire league along for a simple team exercise. We even didn't have any face plants. between the Force Fields and Cold Dom. we were solidly defended and we had some wonderful buffs from Kinetics.

Mine are mirrored too. It should be neat seeing the armies of decoys out.

I'll try to be there next week with Commenticia - Illusion/FF Controller.

Thanks! I really like her too. Here's a fun story about her: Back on live, I only played the character ocasionally (sonic blast and cold domination are slow to develop sets) so she languished in my lineup for a long time. In fact, I had considered deleting her but she got made at CoV launch and had a 10/31 creation date so I was loathe to give that up. Eventually, sometime between levels 38 and 40, I took her on an ITF during a WTF to get her over the hump into the 40s. Through the TF, with only a few others (4 others I think? maybe 3?), I felt kinda useless since I wasn't really clearing mobs and we had a bane spider on the team spec'ed out for toxic damage who threw out sleet (from Mako's PPP), which just made me feel redundant. Finally we got to Romi at the end and I had an interruption so would have needed to log for a bit but everyone was nice enough to let me stay logged for a bit to catch the reward. Like 30 minutes later, I came back, and the team was still trying to kill Romi. I was shocked and jumped back in, throwing out all my debuffs; the team burned through Romi (and his rezzes) lightning quick. I have loved her ever since.

I'm bringing a nixie/näcken: Horrere - Sonic/Cold Corruptor.

I feel like a Brute is a pretty good choice for an entry level character. War Mace might be an interesting option since it's really crunchy and has a fair number of AoE attacks. I've had good luck pairing it with Shield Defense, but Willpower or Electric Armor might be better entry level secondaries. A slightly more advanced but still good entry level option would be a Corruptor. It deals damage, but relies on a support (i.e., Buff/Debuff) secondary, so it will be more fragile than the melee archetypes. Fire Blast is a solid primary and doesn't have any gimmicks to learn. Radiation Emission or Time might be good secondaries to dip into the support side of the game.

That's the "Malaise" pattern on tights smooth, with the colors being dark blue and chartreuse.

If it helps, I found that the refined versions had a more vibrant color selection. Neodymium ends up purple/lavender once refined, for example. I think on of them ended up a light blue color if that'd help?

I'll bring Neodymium - Fire/Earth Dom.