tidge

I find that MMs are the AT that require me to change my play style and attitude the most depending on if I am on a mission team or running solo. No surprise, it's not because the henchmen don't "keep up" with a fast moving team. "Fast moving teams" have been blamed for a wide variety of player grief from all sorts of ATs.

This may be an experience problem, as experience demonstrates this is not the case.

Those who want it have won the Internet today, as we already have this in the game: Temporary powers, START powers, Teleport Pool powers, and Incarnate powers.

I always (in the level 50 respec) use the Soulbound Allegiance %Buildup piece in the T1 Henchmen (for Masterminds). I will often use it in non-Mastermind pets, especially if there are more than one of them summoned. It triggers very frequently. Specific to MM henchmen, I use almost always use the T1 for these reasons: There are three of them, each one can have the proc fire. I often see it on more than one; occasionally I see it multiple times on the same hench. The T1 are level shifted (for most content), so the boost to ToHit and Damage is "most needed" (modulo whatever else is going on in the build) Because of the nature of the Global pieces that affect henchmen/pets (the Defense/Resistance/Etc. Auras), my slotting choices for the T1 generally don't have as much Accuracy/Damage as I would like Here is a typical slotting for my T1s (T2, T3 not shown) (A) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Damage: Level 50 (*) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50 (*) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up: Level 50 (*) Expedient Reinforcement - Resist Bonus Aura for Pets (*) Sovereign Right – Accuracy/Damage (*) Sovereign Right - Resistance Bonus I quite like putting the Overwhelming Force %Knockdown piece in the T1 as well, but sometimes that doesn't 'fit' in them. One final comment, because sometimes I put it in pet (not henchmen) powers. The pet that gets this piece has to have enough damaging attacks, and make them frequently enough, to make a 10 second BuildUp worth it. If a pet only has two attacks, and doesn't have a decent attack chain... it isn't usually worth giving them a BuildUp. Similarly, if the pet damage is inherently small, the fractional boost from BuildUp won't add much to it.

You guys can infer all you want. I didn't call anyone a newb, but I (who have been playing Homecoming MM since day one, and MM on Live for significantly longer, don't see this "ask" as necessary. I'm sure the bloke who thought the 20 seconds between Lusca submerging and resurfacing actually believed thought that was terribly inconvenient, but I didn't see that as a being a big deal. What are the actual circumstances that this thread's suggestion are a necessary change for every MM? Everybody can get summon teammates (and if they work the safeguard mission, they can use it even more frequently), and every MM player can leverage the Teleport pool if they truly find this (waves hands, hoping to summon an actual problem in need of the proposed solution) to bother them individually.

There are folks in this very thread asking if commenters play MMs. So sorry for you that I chose to baseline my reasoning with a comment about my own experience that you find objectionable. I made no implications, unless of course there is a version of me living in your head.

MM Henchmen will benefit from Supremacy. I tend to value hitting, so I don't try to cut Accuracy and ToHit to finely. That is, if I end up with "more than necessary" for the first tier of henchmen because of Tactics, I don't sweat it. As I wrote above, the extra perception is a bigger deal for me.

I play Masterminds. I'm not in favor of the suggestion. I can see why players would want this, but it isn't necessary... even though we already have this if the map is large enough. Why do I feel this way? 0) My disapproval of the suggestion is not theoretical. I've played enough content with MMs that this is unnecessary and doesn't feel far from asking for "easy mode for me" request. 1) Re-summoning the henchmen is PDQ. This was a HUGE MM quality-of-life improvement that I am not 100% certain everyone appreciates.An MM can always dismiss them and resummon them if you literally cannot wait for them to travel to you. I'll do exactly this if any of the henchmen AI decides they don't want to join the rest of us. 2) As buggy as the henchmen (not pets, because now Controllers and Crabs want it too) AI can be about pathing, and just stopping... having the henchmen travel between where they are and where the MM is can be used as a strategic option. 3) We already have open world multi-box MMs, we don't need to encourage those players any more. Right now those players have to choose which of their level 50 MMs will use Incandescence and which ones will use other buffs. Sometimes seeing the henchmen run across the zone is the only indication that the multi-boxer is about to wipe a Giant Monster in the next 60 seconds. 4) Waiting for henchmen is literally one of the last things I'd worry about for Masterminds. There have certainly been times when my MM did not wait and ended up getting one-shot by something... but such an outcome is on me not playing the AT smartly in the moment.

Tactics raises the perception radius for the henchmen. Mileage may vary, but I rather like the henchmen noticing enemies slightly further out. As the robots are ranged attacker, I feel like this makes a big difference. As for the +ToHit features ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . I try to make sure that the henchmen have decent enough ToHit chances via their own slotting of course.

Annihilation is AoE of course. I never slot Artillery, just because I like the Annihilation set bonuses 🙂

I don't have this type of Tanker, so rather than make focused recommendations I'll make comments about what would inform my personal build thinking for this type of Tanker. I also would not go heavy into S/L resistances, for a couple of reasons. Let me just say that advice from long ago about how extreme S/L resistances used to improve performance in a certain way don't quite hold true against all enemies. It is better, IMO to try to balance resistances. I might take Hardened Carapace down to only 5 slots of Unbreakable Guard, but that slotting is otherwise what I would do. Inexhaustible is probably where I would slot Panacea. I might gamble on only 5-slots of it, but I understand the thinking for 6. I definitely like having 6 slots for Preventive Medicine somewhere. I'd start with that set in Ablative Carapace. DNA Siphon requires Accuracy, and is an excellent %damage power. My initial thoughts are: (A) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge (*) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing (*) Touch of the Nictus - Chance for Negative Energy Damage (*) Eradication - Chance for Energy Damage (*) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage (*) Scirocco's Dervish - Chance of Lethal Damage I didn't see the Power Transfer %Heal piece in the build. This is pretty important for Tankers (it should be better than more +Regeneration, because of HP), and should be in an Auto power. It is entirely possible that you don't need the Health slotting with all those particular Globals, especially if they aren't giving set bonuses. M starting point for Health slotting for Tankers is (because Panacea is multi-slotted somewhere else): (A) Miracle - +Recovery (*) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery (*) Numina's Convalesence - Heal I find that this is usually "enough". I understand the appeal of more slots for Numina's Convalesense, but I never use more than two myself. Another important piece to fit into (most, but especially) Tanker builds is the Scaling Damage Resistance piece from the Reactive Defenses set. It is worth IMO 6-slotting that set before multi-slotting Luck of the Gambler. I'd even give up Hasten, although I recommend players experiment without using Hasten before taking it out of a build. The fact that it is so early in the build (level 10) makes me think that maybe including Hasten was a gut instinct more than "this is when it fits, this is when I need it". I definitely WOULD NOT delay taking Taunt. I understand why players devalue Taunt, but it is a key piece of Tanker Life. Almost all of my Takers have Taunt 6-slotted with Mocking Beratement. If you are going to only put one slot in Taunt, the piece should probably be a boosted 50+5 Threat/Recharge, and not the %damage piece.

I'll repeat a comment that I have made elsewhere: The next "Universal" set (similar to Overwhelming Force) should be a Universal Control set or a Universal Debuff/Threat set. For Universal Control: The primary reasoning is that many powers offer different types of "control", e.g. both a Hold and a Immobilize, or there are pet powers which have multiple different attacks that use different enhancements. I will grant that some of the Hami-O/D-Syncs which exist to work on all controls are among the least sought after: Endoplasm, Binding is Accuracy/Mezz, Peroxisome, Containment is Damage/Mezz... yet I still feel like there is an opportunity to go other than franken-slotting. Maybe pieces like: Accuracy/Mezz/Endurance Reduction Accuracy/Mezz/Recharge Endurance/Recharge <- Few "attack" sets offer this type of piece, but Overwheling Force does! Mezz/Endurance Reduction Mezz/Recharge Accuracy/Damage <- I'm flexible here, but many controls do some damage. My personal bias is to have Accuracy, Mezz, Endurance and Recharge, roughly in that order... I don't quite have teh balance right, but I didn't want to precisely duplicate other sets available at 50. For Universal Debuff/Threat: My primary reasoning is that Threat sets are missing some key types of enhancements. Also, Accuracy is needed for some powers that don't have (m)any options to add accuracy. I am imagining Threat/-Defense/-ToHit, but I would be open to having this set work on other enhanceable powers. Accuracy/Threat/Debuff <- This is a key missing choice for non-auto-hit Threat powers Endurance/Threat/Debuff <- This is a missing piece for "aggro toggles" Recharge/Threat/Debuff <- this sort of option is missing at higher levels Accuracy/Endurance Endurance/Recharge Accuracy/Endurance/Threat/Debuff

I wish I could offer a more specific set of recommendations for improving defenses on a Seismic/Plant blaster. I don't have that specific build, but I want to note that my Seismic/ and /Plant Blasters also have pretty bad positional defenses (solo). Here are some of the tricks I use: The 2x Globals that give +3% Defense 6x Reactive Defenses in Maneuvers (especially for the Scaling Damage Resistance) Builds don't need all 6, but I like the balance of Defense and Endurance Reduction with set bonus 3 slots of Blessing of the Zephyr in a travel power. Zone Travel is a quality-of-life issue, An Epic power that allows me to slot 4x Unbreakable Guard (including the +MaxHP piece) I almost always 6-slot one of the ATO (typically Defiant Barrage) and then two 3-slot the other ATO. 6-Slotting both is better for positional defenses; I typically split Blaster's Wrath for global Accuracy and Range bonuses. I tune up (i.e. power selection, slot allocation, enhancement choices) different blasters differently, but I keep an eye on weighing the trade-offs between the potential 5- and 6-slot bonuses between Winter, ATO, PVP and Verr Rare enhancements. It is often the 6th piece in one of these "top tier" enhancement sets that brings a noticeable improvement in Defense values. Two of the more budget-friendly sets that fit with most Blaster builds are Annihilation (Ranged AoE) and Thunderstrike (Single-target Range), I find each of them offers a useful suite of good global bonuses for most characters.

I admit: I found the range of the Sentinel attacks to be annoying, up until I got the secondary set to the point at which I felt I could stand toe-to-toe with most critters. Similarly, the target cap is really annoying until I can turn up the spawn sizes. I find it a somewhat jarring play experience to start with a tougher, but inferior ranged attacker and then end up with (via powers and slotting) a very tough, but still inferior ranged attacker... especially considering the melee damage that a well-built Blaster can do. I find the trade off to be that Sentinels are less likely to have things go pear-shaped than Blasters. In addition to the Sentinel secondary, I find it to be almost impossible to get/hold aggro in team play. I can easily see how Sentinels can be a frustrating play experience, since it is generally enemy defeats that trigger the endorphins. I generally find Sentinels are in a pretty good place vis-a-vis Blasters; they certainly offer more of a difference (in play) than what might be seen between the assorted melee classes (Scrapper, Stalker, Brute, tanker).

I agree that a Gaussian's %BuildUp isn't doing that much for a MM. As I wrote, my attitude is that the MM should act more as a force multiplier (so, debuffs) and less as a damage dealer. I ended up with this slotting for Tactics, to help with target finding, but if +Perception is less important one slot could go elsewhere. Similarly, The Kismet +ToHit piece isn't necessary if the MM is slotting powers for Accuracy (while getting set bonuses). Level 30: Tactics (A) HamiO:Cytoskeleton (Endurance / ToHit / Defense Buff): Level 53 (*) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception Re: AoE, Range is IMO less important than trying to pile on %-Resistance for the Robotic Henchmen. My Robotics slotting is, I believe:

Let's add some commensurate dislike for casual accusations of stubbornness and/or irrationality when folks don't change their opinions or attitudes after they've been presented with (self-assessed) completely rational arguments.

Luckily the MS Server event allowed so many of those camped names to become level 50!

I can't see the build (no MIDS), but I recommend against trying to do damage with MM attacks, especially with %damage. My reasoning: MMs have a very hefty endurance cost associated with attacks Slotting attacks for %damage generally means sacrificing set bonuses that will be useful for a MM (such as Endurance management) I'll guess that the build includes Hasten to get Benumb and Heat Loss up as much as possible (as well as benefiting %damage)... I consider Hasten to be a trap for many AT, but especially IMO for MMs... YMMV. The trap is that it includes an Endurance drop itself, and that it also leads to spamming powers, which cost more Endurance. If I was building a Robotics/Cold, I would plan on these secondary powers: T1 Ice Shield (few slots, possibly just globals) T3 Snow Storm (to grab aggro and slow, similar to how I use Caltrops) T4 Glacial Shield (few slots, possibly just Globals) T6 Arctic Fog (team will need DEF, so either a set bonus or a mix of Shield Wall pieces) T7 Benumb (probably just Recharge, maybe accuracy if Tactics isn't improving ToHit enough) T8 Sleet T9 Heat Loss I would not skip MM Robotic attacks on principle. I'd take Pulse Rifle Burst at level 2, and squeeze in Photon Grenade. The Sudden Acceleration and Annihilation sets offer decent Endurance management bonuses, with a side of %-Res and soft control (knockdown). I want the -Regen on certain enemies.

I want to Echo the post I quoted: It is relatively straightforward to make a Tanker with any primary perform exceptionally well in 98% of the games' content. I think Bio is probably the top primary for a completely engaged Tanker. I don't want to take anything away from Shield or SR, as noted it requires things going pear-shaped to plant them... but when that happens it cane come as enough of a surprise that players with those primaries that (writing for myself) I find it can be more of a scramble to deal with. Invulnerability is what I'd consider the baseline for Tankers. It is a straightforward set to build and boost with a set of "classic" gameplay elements that have to be addressed, with core powers of Invincibility and Dull Pain that when I play my Invuln Tanker I have to pay attention to... the former is for almost all content a mindlessly applied toggle, and the latter is a click that is almost never used, yet for extreme content I find it important to pay attention to both.

The associates in Croatoa and Kings Row do not despawn. Another player is clearing them, or the entire zone is reset.

How about taking AoE immobilization powers? This may not be an option for Kheldians, of course. I think I see what you are trying to do here, but if it is Knockback that is really the issue, the Sudden Acceleration piece is not unique and can be slotted into all powers that do Knockback/Knockdown.

My take: The damage sets are (mostly) missing an Accuracy/Endurance reduction piece at level 50+, and this is where the imagination falls short. IIRC, Multi-Strike (Melee AoE) and Calibrated Accuracy (a Snipe) are the only sets with an Acc/End piece.

Often this is because players don't know any better than to drag the spawns across the map as they hightail it to the team base portal, train station, whatever. It can be especially frustrating to find the flying ones.

One thing I want to caution "GM Hunters" who want to use targeting macros... if you use such a thing, please be sure to NOT ignore the level-less strays that will accopmany the spawn of certain GMs, specifically in Croatoa (the "wandering" spawns also need to be cleared, and they are often not level-less) and King's Row. I use /optionset showvillainname 1 which helps to find the level-less. For the others you have to have some experience to find them.

It is clear you believe that, despite me actually making completely different arguments that folks with reading comprehension can assess for themselves. It appears you have jumped to some specific conclusion for some particular corner of the game and are ignoring what I have written. I've repeatedly written that %procs allow for more variety in both build choices and play styles, and this is what I find appealing about the current Homecoming CoX. It is a defect in your reasoning that you equate this to me wanting all AT to have the same damage scalars.