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An Overwhelming Force KB -> KD piece slotted in the T1 henchmen is crazy fun. TBH, I usually slot that piece on all the T1 henchmen while leveling, but for some reason the Ninjas doing the knockdown always seemed like the knockdown was doing its part to help the AI make better choices.

We should all ruminate on this.

I remember having a bear of a time getting the numpad to do the upgrades... one of the issues was the delay in the bots showing up. If the powers are recharging that can also be an issue. I lost my bind folder, but what i had was a single key to cast the first upgrade, then load a file that would change the same key to cast the other (and restart the process): /bind alt+numpad0 "sg Equipping Bots$$+down$$-down$$powexec_name Equip Robot$$bind_load_file j:\\COH_binds\bot_upgrade_2.txt" (You can guess what the second file looked like)... I used the SGtell as a sort of 'debug' statement. In the Homecoming era there is no real price to pay for cycling 'too fast' through the upgrades, so I could hit the key more than twice and the worst thing would happen is to not lead with the power I want. You could put your own local tell to figure out which upgrade you just cast.

Here is a personal CoH-life-hack: Dark Astoria is good for collecting debt, once a character is "high enough". If I am going for the High Pain Threshold Accolade power (redside), I often put off doing a Patron unlock until close to level 40; IIRC the debt cap at that level is around 120K. I'll pop into Dark Astoria, try to defeat anything and make trips to the hospital until I hit the debt cap. Then run a Patron arc to work off the debt. Repeat once and the Unbroken Spirit bade will be collected. Doc Buzzsaw is also another fun redside arc to run at level 30-39 that can burn a lot of debt for a solo player.

For this day-zero player (points to self), the main advantage of the raised cap was more power choices. Keep in mind the Fitness pool was not inherent. More slots was nice, but introduced balance issues that weren't quite as obvious in the max-level-40 era.

At low-ish levels, playing with non-exemplars, Life-Giving Spores did seem like it was helping the PUGs... but as I collected more powers in the build (and more slots) I found myself doing some strange things in play to have it be as valuable. I've done a level 37 Respec out of it, mainly because there are other powers I feel that I need more, and with more urgency at lower levels. As near as I can tell: it's greatest utility was to quickly put down a visual patch where I want my allies to stand! I was using this macro to drop it just in front of me: /macro_image "BanishedPantheon_Storms_GustOfWind" "LiSp" "powexec_location Front:5 Lifegiving Spores"

Whoa somebody skipped out on their daily dose of soma! On every build, a player has the option to apply as many, or as few, slots on any given power. My comment about 'slot constraints' and my complete lack of discussion of a Primary (and any slotting in it) was meant to imply that I consider myself free (in the context of this character's secondary) to put as many slots as possible in secondary powers because I am willing to NOT consume the entire slot budget in the primary, inherent, or power pools. I don't have any character that has 6 slots in every power, and neither does anyone else. To help anyone else read between the lines: If there was a particularly useful combination of enhancements for a given power but required 6 slots... I'm willing to entertain it. There are plenty of powers across ATs and Primary/Secondary that offer no advantage to multiple sets (beyond whatever Enhancement bonuses can bring, which is often marginal) and then there are some powers that can allow maximal benefits by 'franken-slotting' such that extra slots can contribute a lot more to play. "%Proc"-ing attacks is probably the most common example where an extra slot can be leveraged to improve the performance of a power. Many players add a KB->KD piece, or a %+Recharge piece (without pursuing set bonuses) to attacks specifically because those pieces improve performance. In point of fact... it is so common in publicly shared builds to add slots to attacks, that non-attack secondaries are often short on slots... and to repeat: For the consideration of this Corruptor secondary... I'm willing to entertain dedicating any number of slots to the non-attack secondary.

If we are talking Specialized/Origin pools, I humbly submit this suggestion for the "techy" one: I'd like it if the level 20 power (i.e. the one that requires 2 earlier power picks) to be some sort of recharge-intensive pet. I'd simply like to be able to have a power pool where my MMs can dump the various global enhancements to boost henchmen performance so that I can dedicate henchmen slots to actually enhancing the active attributes of the henchmen.

I'm working on a /Nature Affinity Corruptor, and I will be using it on teams some fraction of the time, but mostly I play solo... so I am looking for thoughts on some of the powers in the secondary, including slotting suggestions. A couple of things to get out of the way: Inf is not a constraint Number of slots should not be considered a constraint I don't object to getting a set bonus from Enhancement Sets, but I will not chase one 'just because', especially if the extra pieces are only offering marginal returns on the enhancement of the slotted power. I want a 6-piece set of Preventive Maintenance for Endurance discount and Global Recharge. I like the 5 and 6 piece set bonuses from Panacea (more Global recharge at 5, more Heal at 6) but I see the real value of this set as being able to boost the pieces to 50+5... so I am not necessarily wedded to it. Here are the powers that have me wool-gathering: Regrowth (available at level 1) - Takes Healing sets In the era where many builds can be made self-sustaining, I will delay this choice. I don't mind having a heal to toss at allies, but this power feels like one I wouldn't otherwise want to invest (m)any slots in (as a Corruptor). Wild Growth (available at level 4) - Takes Resist Damage and Healing sets This one offers the most confusion for me. It is a long recharge power that offers resistances, so it seems like Recharge + Resistance is a no-brainer. It can also act as a decent mule, but I can take other powers for this reason. My default thinking here is at least 2 pieces of Unbreakable Guard (or 4 pieces of that same set) I certainly wouldn't mind trying to boost the Regeneration so a little franken-slotting with something like Healing (50+5) Heal/Recharge piece isn't out of the question... I simply doubt I'd put more than 1 healing piece in the power unless I wanted the PVE bonus from Panacea (and I'd boost those pieces) Life-Giving Spores (available at level 16) - Takes Healing and EndMod sets Because this is such a fast-recharging power AND an ally AoE, I am wondering: Is this a good place to put pieces like Panacea %+HP/+End and Performance Shifter %+End? Obviously I can toggle the power well within the 120 sec time period to activate any effect on myself... but will %procs in the AoE patch help any allies? I am assuming that the Performance Shifter %Self Heal is caster-only in all circumstances. Early team experimentation has been inconclusive... but solo I like this power just fine (especially with some Scaling Damage Resistance). If I can benefit teammates, I'll slot it that way after controlling the Endurance cost of the power. The only other cornball idea I have for slotting Life-Giving Spores is to drop a %Stun piece in from Energy Manipulator. The power itself can't be slotted for Accuracy, so I expect D-Syncs and more mundane Acc/EndMod pieces wouldn't help.. and the low magnitude Stun hardly seems worth it. Wild Bastion (available at level 20) - takes Healing sets Another long recharge power, this feels like the place to put 6x Preventive Maintenance... unless I can really improve both Recharge times and Absorb/Heal values via franken-slotting. Rebirth (available at level 24) - takes Healing and EndMod sets I plan on skipping, otherwise it would be a mule for something like Performance Shifter. Overgrowth (available at level 30) - takes ToHit Buff (!) sets This feels like 2-slots only of Recharge 50+ IO pieces. I don't mind buffing +ToHit, but with such long recharge times I can't imagine dedicating more slots to this power just for set bonuses. My primary has a Build Up power. I am taking Corrossive Enzymes (slotting for Accuracy and Endurance Reduction) but skipping Entangling Aura (I don't forsee having the slots to make it do very much for me, especially balanced against when I could fit it into my build)

I forgot to answer this specifically: I went Corruptor with the thinking that Water Blast tends to have some damage-over-time components, which I thought might play better with Scourge. I'm not sure I'm seeing this, but I am also not paying a lot of attention.

I have tons of fun with my Water Blast/Atomic Manipulation Blaster. This combo allows for Blapping, but it doesn't penalize for playing at range. I absolutely lurv that I could build this character without a %proc focus and just lean in hard to 'classic' slotting (albeit with Enhancement sets). With only slotting and set bonuses, I think the lowest Accuracy attack is at just under 180%... this character doesn't care how many Nemesis Vengeance get popped, or Moments of Glory are triggered, etc. Plus it's got two Build Up powers as well. As an aside, while leveling I had the Kismet +6% ToHit slotted in the always-on Infiltration, but since Water Blast doesn't have a Snipe and 'true' slotting leaves tremendous Accuracy it didn't stay in the level 50-build. The only thing it doesn't really excel at is debuffing without using attacks.... which is just fine by me. I should disclose: the above build, as driven by *this* maniac (points at self), can/will be defeated when I'm being sloppy (at least 95% of the defeats) or when RNGesus demands sacrifice. It's why the build includes Epic Fire Mastery's Rise of the Phoenix. I didn't dedicate any additional slots to it however! I am currently leveling up a Water Blast/Nature Affinity Corruptor... partially because I wanted to see how 'just' the primary plays. This build will be experimenting pretty hard with %damage in the attacks. At level 30, it can hold its own against even-level large spawns... it has done some PUGging against higher-level spawns, and as long as there is a single other teammate who is playing somewhat intelligently we've been able to hold off some very threatening spawns. Neither build will use Water Jet, FWIW.

I used to slot Caltrops for %damage, but unless a %damage piece is in part of an enhancement set, there is almost always a better choice for the slot that will improve Quality-of-Life for the character. Something like a travel speed increase additional Recovery. Often there is just a better power for a %damage (or an additional set bonus. My general sense after a LOT of play is this: Caltrops is almost always more useful when slotted for Recharge and Slow.

Who are you and what have you done with Snarky?

I also answered in private... and one thing I had forgotten was that I have played a fair bit with a Plant/Electricity Assault Dominator. Based on that character, I came to completely HATE Thunderstrike. According to City of Data, it looks like the Stalker version is a 'true' AoE and not requiring a target. My Dominator experience led me to respec out of it, as it was not at all practical for damage or control of more than one opposing figure... partially because of enemy placement, partially because of the long wind-up. In other threads I have been quick to point out that Hasten only offers marginal improvements to most of my builds. All of my Stalkers have Hasten, and I believe each of them has it 'perma'. It is a combination of completely smoothing out attack chains and making some long-recharge powers viable for each spawn.

Writing for myself: It's a little bit of "column A" and a little bit of "column B". Column A is that there is a lot in the game (besides inspirations) that an individual player can leverage so that most mezzes aren't as problematic for as much content. Column B is one that I am also guilty of: players may not have the powers to help teammates who are mezzed. The ability to take higher tier powers earlier in the game has (generally) reduced the number of opportunities to pick the sorts of powers we used to have to take. The anti-mezz powers were generally early-ish choices, which was mostly when they were needed. With 20 inspiration slots, I figure most players can decide what they need.

There is at least one GM-hunting Mastermind I'll never convince to clean up spawns in King's Row (or elsewhere) but for everyone else, here is the advantage of using /optionset showvillainname 1

I swear it isn't me, but in 2019 I did verify I could launch the game (using Tequila) with a repurposed prototype device that had Windows XP as its core. This was a quasi-embedded system without a dedicated graphics card... so yeah, this was ugly.

I thought I noticed an anomaly, so I zoomed in

/bind n target_custom_near enemy alive /optionset showvillainname 1

Just because a power accepts a Hami-O, it does not mean that all aspects of a Hami-O are actually doing anything in a power. The simplest test to tell if part of a Hami-o/D-Sync Enhancement is actually going to contribute to a power is: If the power won't accept IOs of a certain category, any a HO/DS won't contribute an enhancement to those types of categories. This is different than named Enhancement Sets which may contain pieces that enhance an attribute of a power even if the power will not take an IO of the type. One power where this is commonly encountered is Mind Link. The power can have its recharge time reduced by slotting Defense and ToHit Buff named set pieces which include Recharge, but a HO Membrane Exposure will not affect recharge times of the power. The HO will only affect the ToHit and Defense buffs. Character design tools don't always account for this.

I have at least two characters that can squash a MoG-infused Paragon Protector without using any inspirations (*1). Those characters stick around to finish off the enemy. On all my other characters, I'm monitoring last hit chance and doing the math on Streakbreaker... it usually doesn't take long to realize that I can come back for that one. (*1) It doesn't take much more than slotting for Accuracy, rocking a +ToHit bonus, and something like an enhanced Build Up / Aim. Aura-dudes and proc-monsters aren't typically going to cut it. I with @Techwright, with one exception: If the TF lead wants to stay and destroy all the police station doors in the first Penny Yin TF mission, I'm not sticking around for that nonsense. Go and run Aaron Thiery's arc if you are that desperate for Doorbuster. Otherwise, I stick around and defeat... my chances of getting the good recipe drop go up as more players exit! One arc that I wish players would be thorough about "defeat all" is the concluding arc of Positron 2 TF, at least to take out as many of the named Vahzilok leaders as possible. I am aware of the other ways to get those leaders... I'm just not sure how many players are aware of how many are in that mission.

A note of thanks to the team (especially @Cobalt Arachne) for the level-less adjustments to spawns in Croato. Not only is it nice to get reward drops from the flunkies that accompany the Giant Monsters, it makes it MUCH easier to reset the table for the Monsters to respawn. Of course, we still have some VERY sloppy Giant Monster Hunters who can't be bothered to do a minimal amount of cleanup, see this shot from Crey's Folly of Rubble Underlings that some all-powerful monster hunter couldn't be bothered to defeat (target reticle snapshot included from the image):

Salvage was seeded by the devs. I don't recall if anything else like converters or boosters were seeded. In the past, the prices of the Winter packs was lowered for a short time, but that is no more. What you see in the market today is pretty much the result of actions and choices by player base.