Burnt Umber

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.

The various "robotic arm(s)" are a neat option in costume creation: they allow you to have a different arm look from whatever you choose for a "chest" option. To that end, I have two additions I'd love to see. "Robotic Arm 3" replaces the entire right arm. I think it'd be nice to have an "Organic Armor" and "Organic Armor Thorny" option here. Those "organic armor" skins would be fun additions here for a sort of mutated or deformed arm look that is otherwise missing, They aren't "robotic" but neither are the various "fire and ice" arms under this category. "Robotic Arm 2" replaces the upper arms on both sides but leaves the lower arm/gloves options. I think it'd be nice to have this idea be expanded into a "Robotic Arms 4," where both arms are replaced as if the "Robotic Arm 3" option were being applied to both arms rather than just the right. I'd love to be able to have the "Cyber-tech Arm" skins on both arms. This might be more technically difficult to do so I understand it's a bit of a pipe-dream.

I think I'm sure? This time, I'll at least have a secondary to lean-on and pets that can be ranged so I hope I'll be okay? Ah, sorry, I think I was unclear: I meant swap themes, rather than the TF/SF.

I'll bring Alichino - Demons/Pain MM. Hmm, is it possible to swap this and the Penny Yin one later in the month? I'd love to bring my Bluesider to this, but otherwise, I can roll a new alt. for it.

I'll try bringing Philodendra - Plant/Psi Dom.

RE: Sentinels, at the risk of going a bit against the grain, I kinda like when my secondary doesn't require much management and I can keep on blasting. I also recomend secondaries that have multiple areas of protectiuon, i.e., more than just defense or resistance or healing. Of my two sentinels - a Dual Pistols/Super REflexes and a Beam Rifle/Invulnerability - the Beam Rifle/Invulnerability is surprisingly powerful and fun after the Sentinel revamp; in fact, I think Beam Rifle gets a sort of better version in Sentinels because it loses its snipe for a chain AoE and benefits from not needing to pause blasting (thereby giving more instances of disintegrating). I have been toying with the idea of a Radiation/Regen. one day but that's been mostly on a back-burner. I think I'll be around so I can definitely help with leading it like back when we did the Halloween event in Oct.