tidge

Please tell the RL Devs I didn't ask for RL hard-mode.

It appears to me that the true value of AFK farming is the allowance it makes for simultaneous full-time forum PVP.

Brute ATO rework can get in line behind other ATOs.

FWIW, prior to this patch it was possible to purchase (temporary) costume powers via Halloween salvage drops. Don't let me get in the way of a good rant, of course.

These sorts of Lore/Continuity are always what bother me most... I don't enjoy the game for the NPC narrative, no matter how much effort devs put into it. I realize that it is easier to tell a story with a beginning/middle/end, but a new level 1 that finds themselves dealing with the "end" of some arc they haven't played... just feels wrong to me. This is essentially what always turned me off from Incarnate/end-game Praetoria/Dark Astoria content. I will single out the cycle of First Ward for telling a developing story that basically resets things for your next character. There are a also significant number of red-side contact arcs that let players learn a LOT about the world (and despite what many players say, offer the feeling of some agency to the players) but essentially leave it unchanged for the next batch of PCs.

Toggles are so that Stalkers can complete "Kidnap" missions, of course.

I use multiple builds, after level 50. Each and every one of my VEATs has three builds. (Curse you Crab pack!) My MMs will have 2 builds: One has all three Henchmen, the other will have only one. If I ever considered going petless, that would be a third. My Tankers will sometimes have a slightly "tankier" second build, usually tuned for 50+ content. The "default" build is usually more for solo play and will scale to level. I have at least two characters (Defender, Corruptor) where I wanted to try some subtle differences; I simply splurged on a second build for them.

A Level 50 character, in Cimerora (via LFG queue) calls Montague Castanella, and got a "Hello there, PlayerName". This was to launch the introduction to Imperious.

Positron 2 TF, ya slowpoke!

I don't have any Trick Arrow characters, but for my single-target holds (on non-DPS AT) I definitely try for 5x %damage, plus something. For a power like Ice Arrow, which is available for low level content I typically look for something to boost Accuracy and the secondary effect (here: Hold).... and sometimes even Endurance! Entomb, Endoplasm, Unbreakable Constraint and Gladiator's Net all offer something. YMMV, but here is something I keep an eye on. Psi damage is widely resisted by a large number of enemies, it's %proc I can pass on...so if one of the other %damage pieces is PVP Gladiator's Net %Lethal I will usually consider dedicating two other slots in the single-target hold to Gladiator's Net (level 50+5) Accuracy/Hold and Accuracy/Hold/Endurance/Recharge. I'll run the spreadsheet to see how badly a boosted recharge in the 4-banger is affecting proc rates, but usually I appreciate the extra other boosts more considering the inherent cycle time of single-target powers). My reasoning is that the 3-piece PvE set bonus for Gladiator's Net is a global 2.25% increase in Total Endurance. This means final slotting will be something like 2xGladiator's Net (including %Lethal) with three other %damage procs.

This thread will eventually be locked, because this is a topic to take up with the powers that be, not the forum. Also not a conspiracy theory or personal targeting of players.

Just as a reminder for franken-slotting Mind Link... the power also takes the Adjusted Targeting (pure) Recharge piece. If you include the Shield Wall Defense/Recharge you can boost that to 50+5. I think 3 slots is all you need before diminishing returns kills you, the third is usually a LotG Def/Global Recharge, I used to worry more about trying to franken-slot Mind Link for max recharge (via sets... not Hami-O!), but many of my builds were including all 6-piece Reactive Defenses, so I found myself just moving those six slots to Mind Link on several builds. This also hits diminishing returns, and isn't boosting ToHit but that is mostly for teammates not ready for high level shifts anyway.

Was this reply posted extemporaneously?

I just paused to write that while skimming this thread, I had to reread this post because my tired eyes told me I was reading about using Kora Fruit to invade the Auction House to challenge the Tailor.

"It's always September somewhere."

For me: It's NOT the dissonance that a player is upset about loosing a reward, it's the dissonance about what is that reward actually being used for? There already exist rewards that only come from PVP, and I have not observed any outcry from players that this is unfair.

The "lying trolls" may be too harsh, but the cognitive dissonance comment resonates with me. I have answers to the title question of the thread... thanks to @astral for a nice title question, and a genuinely sincere-reading OP.... and I've read other player's sincere answers to that question in many threads, but I don't always grok if many responders (again, NOT the OP here) are reacting to either: A genuine question about "What am I going to do with Empyrian Merits past a certain point?" An alternate question about "What am I going to do when I can no longer get what I was getting from the conversion of Empyrian Mertis to Reward Merits?" The answer to the 2nd question is pretty easy: If the player isn't going to do anything differently, than they won't get what they were getting. To my eyes, the cognitive dissonance manifests itself when the many alternate methods of getting Reward Merits (and/or Inf) are brought up, and the response is predicated on some variant of "but I don't want to play any other content" is stated explicitly, yet the "even though the rewards (Incarnate powers, Inf-purchased enhancements) derived from my preferred playstyle/content would be most manifest in that alternate content" is rather clearly assumed but unstated. Now, to try to sincerely answer the OP question (#1) here is some of what I do with my extra Empyrian Merits: I craft alternate Destiny slot powers. One example: I find it pretty embarrassing (for us as a player base) when there is a Hamidon Raid (or Hallowe'en event) and only one player in the league has Incandescence. Incandescence is not my favorite Destiny power, but it is a no-brainer of a second choice if you ever intend to play with a team. Another example is during Incarnate Content (not a favorite type of mission), but there are certain enemies that can be best mitigated by alternate Destiny powers that a SOLOGAWD my not have as a first pick. Try them out. I craft alternate Lore pets. If I am being honest, I kinda hate the Lore summons. Many of my Incarnate Path characters stay at a +2 level shift for a long time because I dislike the Lore summons so much, and would rather play around with alternate Incarnate powers. I won't deny that they are useful in soloing GMs and AVs, but I have to go out of my way to face such things. Go ahead and craft the Cryonic Judgement for fire-fighting in Steel Canyon. OK, this is just dumb, but I've done it and so can you.

"I hop these email find you well. I am Cimeroran prince with access to great funds that requires only particular amount of Inf to get Nictus to release funds. PLease leav Inf at front desk of MIDNIGHTER CLUB and your generosity will be REWARDED."

This advice (similarly made by @Yomo Kimyata) is IMO worth paying attention to, if you find yourself with few slots and a desire to maximize certain attributes. The only twist I will add to the advice is that occasionally I find myself looking at not just PVP and HOs, but also (Superior) Winter and ATO when I want to enhance some sort of peculiar combination of attributes. Nothing is immediately coming to mind, but I recall times when I had only a single slot in a power and I know I ended up going in a direction other than PVP or HO/DO.

My account's self-emails usually have one of two subject lines: Live Again! (for resurrection inspirations) Start Spending, Start Earning (for influence bootstrapping)

I believe that @Luminara that hit on the most likely explanation for what is being observed in terms of Endurance expenses while leveling. Missing enemies (and making now necessary followup attacks) is in my experience the largest cost of Endurance at low levels (after keeping Sprint on during door missions). As for myself: I almost never slot more than 1 "Endurance Modification" (dark blue) enhancement in Stamina (even if the first is the second piece of Performance Shifter), and especially not at low levels... the net enhancement in Recovery just never seems to pay off as much as working Endurance Reduction (light blue) into the powers I will actually be using. The SG Base can provide a temporary (but long-lasting) boost to Recovery, if that is what is needed. At low levels, I usually buy the P2W boosts as well (cost scales with level)... I forget if the Survival one helps with Recovery, but I would be surprised if it does not.

I truly dislike the retcon aspect of the Incarnate Lore. The only "incarnate" arc that I really enjoy from a story PoV is the one offered by Mortimer Kal... there is something vaguely satisfying about pwning Positron when I know he's destined to jabber at me in the Mender Remiel arc.

Beyond Exemplaring (and the effect of enhancements within the power itself; e.g. there is no reason to eschew recharge on a single-target confuse slotted with a complete Coercive Persuasion set) there is a subtle secondary benefit from slotting %damage in the slow AoE confuse powers. Any amount of damage you do to an enemy offers you the chance to get a reward drop when that enemy is defeated; the trade off is that those enemies now have aggro. I am well aware that there are some players who prefer to have a non-aggro spawn subject to confusion, but I prefer to have my mission clear times improved AND keep my chances at Purple/PVP drops as high as possible(*1). When I can, and I am not particular about getting a set bonus, I slot the slow AoE confuse with the two %damage procs, Recharge, and if necessary Accuracy... because %procs still require a ToHit check. The main argument against my proposal (that is, slot Contagious Confusion in the slow AoE) is the hope to increase magnitude on bosses in the spawn... but Dominators with PermaDom need not worry about that. (*1) Purple drops not guaranteed.