Seed22

Em/EnA stalker or scrapper with Overload, Shadow meld, and maybe burnout to double stack em would be my go-to

You gotta have some INF sidelined, and if you're a fresh player I could see it taking about a week at most really 😛 I mean, when CoH first came back, from jack squat to 50 and IO'ed, it took me about a week even with RL stuff going on.

Yeah, that should be no longer than what? A weekend? And that's not no-lifeing, that seems a bit well...long imo. Oh and the fact that you're making it sound as if that's the right way to play the game. Or at least that's how I read the initial post. EDIT: I do want to once again reiterate that I don't think these changes are catastrophic. I just can understand from both sides: Side #1: Believes their way of playing is being portrayed as objectively wrong. Which, I mean, it isn't. It's just their choice of how they play the game. Side #2: Sees the changes as beneficial to overall longevity of the game, and see the reduction in AE firefarm XP as a good thing. Not entirely wrong either.

Not a great argument here, you're conflating your way with the right way. It's not. Well, let me be more clear; it's not for everyone.

I understand the newer farmers frustrations. However, some solutions I think I can offer are(due to this change more than likely not being rolled back at this point): Use Transcendent Merits: Try to get another toon that's more suitable to general PvE content to get up to 50 emps( which can still be gotten from vet levels, esp if you're in the single-digit vet level range as every 3 lvls you get 20 emps) then send them to your farmer to fill out incarnates. Definitely not the most time-efficient method but it's a method nonetheless if you want to stay in AE. Adjust your farmer build to be more generalist so that you can get the incarnate crafting components needed faster; However, this kind of loops back into earlier arguments of effectively being forced to play incarnate trials and/or farm Heather Townsend(or whatever her last name is) to accomplish this option. Again, not the most favorable for some folks, but hey, them's the breaks. Switch to Unai farming maps. I tested the changes on Beta on my own fire farmer, and other than wishing the map I used that gave max XP was a bit safer for squishies, the changes were catastrophic for AE farming, at least in terms of leveling an alt. And I too initially had a kneejerk reaction to these changes on first glance. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT cheerleading for these changes, just stating they could be a lot worse overall.

-I- play redside, because redside best side! And actually good content that requires thought and more skill than blueside But that little excerpt is hilarious 😛

I tried out the changes, and I'm not sure they're all that terrible. Granted, I'd need leveling testers to really see the true impact on AE. I don't think AE farming will die, but I think there will also be a large spike in Unai farm mishs.

Symphony is the love child of Fire(lots of DoT between Aria and the stun if it's stacked) and Mind (Cones a plenty). Should get great mileage in things like the Aeon SF, where adds can be a bit problematic, and possibly even the new ITF. I feel this set will allow me to play some more of the hardcore support sets on troller, like thermal (makin me a Symph/Therm once this goes live) without being bored to all hell/suffering due to a low-damage primary. EDIT: You may not want a Symph to be your dedicated CC on these TFs alone though. The CCs are good, but kind of soft-CC, with the only hard CC coming in the form of the AoE hold and maybe the reverb stacking, which can be somewhat unreliable at times. And yes, I know trollers aren't meant to do mad damage 😛

Here's content that ALSO will force 50's to work together that no one seems bold enough to do: *Ahem* Aeon Relentless SF Oh, and DO give the star to a 50 on Phalanx related TFs, or someone above the TF max level; here's why, they are SIGNATURE TF's, meaning enemies will be at that TF's max level regardless. You're a level 30 trying to lead a Manti? Congrats, you and your team are now fighting +5's. Guess you got your challenge at least :shrug: Also, remember redside( best side) exist, so SF's can offer a good challenge for folks not familiar with the territory, and as far as I'm aware, none(?) of them are signature, and thusly level-locked. One even gives a Notice of the Well for first-timers! But I'm dead serious; if endgame is boring, there is LITERALLY a hard-mode SF that WILL put you on your ass and keep you on your toes. May spice things up for ya! EDIT: Oh, and stop blaming farmers for all your problems. PL'ed 50's aren't the only ones who want merits. I've wanted to clear on my PL'ed 50s and a leveling toon wanted to speed. Comes across as just...blaming a group of people for self-indulged issues.

Okay this time I'm serious: They ARE nerfing witch hats. I'm sorry, but...I had to speak up. Oh and I guess we're getting frying pan melee but whatever, they're nerfing the hats!!

Is it? Neato

I've had 25+ 50's preshutdown and another 20+ post relaunch on my main account and another 30+ on my alt. Half of them don't even have bios and about 5 get playtime now lol. Oh, and of course all have completed builds from a funding 50 or two Creating backstories can be fun, and I highly recommend it to any! Doesn't even have to be for RP purposes. 😄 But AE still is useful for me. It took me several years to get all these 50s, and it'd of taken me possibly a lot more. And seeing as I don't have oodles of time like when I was a child (I assume a lot of folks), AE allows me and other vets to get 50's and still have fun with the game doing various levels of content

EDIT: A thought occurred to me. Folks will take up arms against AE fervently. What if the same had been done to those who didn't use IO's? Something along the lines of saying, "If X person doesn't have IO's/completed build with so and so, then they shouldn't be allowed to play the content they enjoy, or be forced to use IO's to join Y TF."

Pretty much this

Well, that's your fun. I've had KB'ers ruin my AoE's, which I then turn into a challenge of how many mobs can I get to em before they fold? And that, that's my fun. But only if they do it purposefully or consistenly

That's not as easy though to do. Lots of fun sets have a decent amount of KB. Energy Blast, PB's (kinda? But I find them less fun 😛 ), and WS kinda. So, to not utilize KB is to eliminate a lot of sets out of the game. I just wish there was a way to teach people how KB can be used effectively( and yes, KB is something you NEED to learn effectively. There is an objective right and wrong way to use it, no subjectivity anywhere in how it's used.)

Depending on the 50, I'll either give a novel-lite excerpt, or a spell-caster class breakdown (as in the case for Doomsinger Warlock)

I probably never noticed tbh. Then again I was considerably younger then and didn't particularly care for anything past "Get new 50 :P"

It'll be a minute, so some lucky soul may answer it before me 😛 But I will be running one. I really wanna do that secret fight successfully, at least on ONE 50.

I want to run this, but every group I’ve been in who tried fell apart unfortunately. If I could run it on some of my alts who are in SG’s with folks who would definitely make it run faster as to prevent things falling apart, I probably would run it more. EDIT: Screw it. I’ll be putting together a Relentless run sometime Soon™️

Bio or WP technically count.

I can agree with this. Tbh have no idea where that comparison to a stalker came from haha

Whats comical is using the word balance when it comes to an AT that is NOTORIOUSLy Undertuned.

You’re doing it right in my book Iron. Play whats fun! I have a lot of optimal toons and a few that just interested me. As long as it’s not dictating how others should play, or griefing, I fail to see the issue!