Golden Azrael

Thunderspy have made it like in WoW where you can go to early or 'late' contacts in the game and still access the contact? That's cool if so. https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Stature_Levels I've just been reading up on missions, arcs, contacts etc. And I particularly like the table of origins above. If the Oro could organise the content according to Origin type...(and for the love of god...at least including the contact name next to the picture... 😛 ) That would be a massive help for those that just want to follow a 'non-broken origin contact because you outlevelled it.' I have to say. I love the game. But it's been frustrating trying to follow Origin contacts through the game when they refuse to speak because you out levelled them...at least offer the next Origin contact who may be higher! 😉 Azrael.

Good thread so far, Tath99. SOs at L22 added extra bite and finishing power to our well rehearsed '3 arrow' attack chain. Whilst also almost removing stamina as a problem. (Most toggles, debuffs and the heavy end using Blazing Arrow are all nailed down with - 2 End Red'. This enables us to last the fight...and stack Debuffs with ease.) By having good acc and sound end red' as well as good defence. Our inspire tray can be filled with lucks, breakers and a couple of heals to really step up if we need to vs Bosses or EB. Don't have to use them most of the time. We've tried to 'build from the back' (or the Primary...) to have a solid tactical foundation in any battle field conflict. In English. We have more debuffs than attacks. Drawing from Leadership has allowed us to boost our damage and our defence, with flash arrow..., be barely 'scratched' in conflict. We may take the odd hit or so over a mission. Nothing that gets us below 3/4s health. Adding the fourth attack power, Exploding Arrow, has added an 'extra' gear and excitement to our combat. Tath99 has made a civilised start to building the SG base. Some thoughtful discussion about which power to take at L24 (Tactics..?). Forward thinking views on perception awareness against higher level foes...and stacking the best part of 20+ to hit to our attacking play. And the 'game changing' Oil Slick available at L26 on the horizon. Mob Marshmallows. Tath99 also had a very useful suggestion re: the Defender AT unique 'Heal' Proc' (fires x2 per min'...) and over both of us...that's four times per min...and it affects...BOTH of us. Good call on that one. Yes. Costume fix kindly provided by Tath99. Azrael.

Grouchy, I hear what you're saying. Just needs repurposing...repackaging. It would add a great deal of polish and replayability if we could play the game in this regard. So the the story journey through the game is more 'customisable' to a theme. It would make the journey more unique. Thematic groups as you say. Origin, zone...AT, Alignment, Storyline, Enemy Group...and as you say... Players could use the TP to new contact feature to start a new storyline. I think you've concisely hit the nail on the head. And yes. Byepassing the need to unlock older contacts so that the whole team can be on the 'same' page. Playing as a DUO, my DUO partner and myself get out of lock step...and it can be somewhat irksome to stay in sync/unlock the contacts. Suddenly I can't access them...but they can. etc. Any chance Captain Powerhouse or one of the HC devs could chime in on this idea? Would this kind of idea be 'a lot of work?' Or? Can it be done? Azrael.

Or use variation of the AE for the player to create their own path through the game. As another idea. Azrael.

100% agree. There is loads of context bypassed because of the way it's currently set up. It could be packaged in ways to aid replayability if you're a scrapper, a tank, a defender...or Magic Origin...Or Natural or Science etc.. The mobs are there. The missions are there. There are loads of conacts I never get to play because I out level them too quick. In WoW. They have a system whereby you can play any contact now...and it's still a 'challenge' to do the missions. That's one potential solution. But Be nice if you could do to eg. A SunStorm contact. And he stays with your for 1-50. Just giving you the content you need for say, a PB or a WS from L1-50. That's the kind of thing. Flavouring the content to themes. We have the find contacts utility. https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/ELITE And to follow this path for Natural, Science, Magic etc from 1-50 would be great. It makes the 'Origin' far more impactful and meaningful in terms of your selection of it on the character creator. Once you've done the 1st contact...they send you to the 2nd...etc. Right through to L50. That makes more sense to me. In terms of Origin type. It would be nice to follow this from 1-50 without being blown off course. That's my personal plea to the devs. CoH. Great game to play. Great content. But the content is somewhat 'random' in my eyes when it could be more apparently customised along arc paths. eg. Like the Sunstorm PB/WS contact. Azrael.

Hello CoH brethren... My Duo partner and I have set ourselves the task of following the Elite 1-50 contacts. Just follow the 'contacts' and go, right? But it seems really easy to 'break' as you outlevel 'a' contact and the progression gets broken for one or the other of you. I've long had the idea that CoH has all the content...but it's very 'random' seeming. I'd suggest creating: 1. Origin Paths. 2. AT Paths. 3. Mob Paths. 4. A zone path. Where you can choose your 'path' through the game. Ie. If you want to be a 'Batman' style character you could follow a natural path of contacts and stay based in Kings Row if you so wished. If you were a Tank you may choose more melee orientated mobs. It's just a mechanism that can package up the content in the game. If need be...at the character creation window. You can choose your chosen path throughout the game...or when you enter Atlas for the 1st time you have a choice of path with a range of options from Origin, AT, Mob or Zone. Another bug bear. If you try to choose the contacts (when its borked in game...) in Oro...you get the name of the arc...but not the 'contact' next to it. A picture but not their name. Which is a bit of a mismatch to the wiki. And with Oro it's limited to your level progression. I always thought it would aid replayability of the game IF you could as a Scrapper choose a certain path. Or if you were a magic origin...you would choose certain foes. But the game contact system seems to break and offer up 'other' contacts that blow you off course if say, your specialism is 'natural.' Discuss? One for the devs. Azrael.

Well. That's good news that Mac users will get the launcher. However, some of the finer advanced graphical fx don't seem to show up in Mac CoH due to an older (4.1?) version of Open GL. So it looks very 'flat' compared to the Windows versions. (Unless I'm missing something. No advanced lighting/shadows/occlusion etc. No 'Ultra' mode... It's not a deal breaker as I can run my new iMac in Bootcamp for Windows version of CoH. But a properly graphically nuanced version would be nice for Mac users. There is an installed base of around 100 million Intel Mac users now. And? Note that, soon, Apple will be moving to it's own Apple Silicon with the Metal api.) Any chance the Home Coming team are going to support Apple's Metal API at some point so both Intel and Apple Silicon Mac users can get a version of CoH that looks as least as 'modern' as the PC version of CoH? Regards, Azrael.

Dominators. Control at range. Close the gap to melee. Controls again. To lock them down. Then? Let them have it with your blasts and blaps! Hit the Dominator button when it comes up for Godness. Azrael.

Stone/Stone is good. Control? Choke them and knock them over continously. Then Mash them with a selection of stone hammers in melee. Azrael.

Elec/Elec has good control. You have a confuse in Elec. Sapping over time so less attacks on yourself. A sleep (killer control....) which buy you time to think out your controls. A knock down attack. 3 pets if you wish to distract your foes. The damage is wholesale. Ie. You'll beat them over time. Though Elec Assault is fun to play. Azrael.

No SS for Scrappers. G'damn cheeky scrappers... Tank and Brute only. Azrael.

Mud Pots. A nice slow to impede the incoming mobs? And then when they do? A boulder to the face. Satisfying. Azrael.

Earth has great control. Choke mobs and make them fall over? Put that on faster recharge you what's left runs straight into Earth Assault. Earth Assault has a brutal sense of satisfaction. Not one but two Stone Hammers! You get a seismic smash... Power Boost. Mud Pots to slow the mobs down as they choke and fall over from your Earth Control. Are you a range Dominator? Or a Range (close the gap to) melee Dominator? If you're the latter, you'll love Earth/Earth. Try it in the Hollows up to L8. Stone Hammer never fails to satisfy. And that stone pet...bit of an 'ard case at L32. The subs and slots are free. Try it. Use SOs all the way to L50. Take all the powers. Make your (!) mind up about which work and don't according to your taste. There will be some frustration inherent to the Domi AT up to L32...but after that it gets alot easier. And the journey is definitely fun. I got one to L50 on live. It just kept on giving. Then start looking at builds to Set Built your IOs to create a perma Domi perma hasten God. Azrael.

I think like you say...it comes down to matching AT to task. I've had it 'tough' playing blasters, defs and doms. They're squishy. It took me along time to stop expecting them to be like scrappers and go mano-mano' with the mobs. And just leave teh diff' button alone until I got the build and the permas sorted. What I find does help is to get a like minded duo-partner to compliment or stack your talents with you. And this is my no.1 suggestion to anyone having frustrations with their AT of choice. I like even con. I just like the journey. From having me pulled around by my cape in the Hollows...to being shot through by Warriors or being beaten up in Bricks. But as the L32 (with PET! YES!), L41 and L50 milestones pass? I grow in power. And my mindset and ability changes. And i get the uber perma domi in the end. Then I can re-explore the content with a build that allows me to perform well and go into Oro and do arcs etc with attuned IOs. So I get to enjoy the game on the up and down swing. 'Remember me, Council? The hero you pancaked back on Striga? Let's try that again...' The rise to power on the domi is somewhat frustration. But once you reach the God Head? It feels well rewarded... Azrael.

Cheers, nihilii. 🙂 Energy (tank!) melee is close to a lot of tank's hearts that felt burned by the Melee Energy revamp/changes. So if it even reverts some of those changes back...and buffs up the damage and speed of certain attacks... 2.5s on a Gravity / Energy Domi vs 3.3s on the Tanker should be enough of a difference. Actually, re: the tanks. I always felt that tankers should be slower to execute..with the caveat...that they hit harder. 🙂 So if the Tanker's TF does more damage. I'm fine with it being 3.3 sec. I always felt that the temporal aspect of time should be exercised with some hero ATs being quicker and others more plodding. The caveat being a lighter fighter wouldn't hit as hard as the hulk...whilst the hulk may be slower but he'll hurt you badly. If they can trim .5 sec here and there (there is room here and there...call it...'tuning'...to tune the controls...or attacks...) and retain the feel then I wouldn't be opposed as long as they (and they have so far...) exercise great care on it. Their intentions seem patience and noble based upon what they have done so far. CoH's killer app? Is down to 'feel.' There is room for this 'standing there pause' pass. There are outlier powers where you think..., 'Did the devs actually play that bit? I'm rooted for another .7 sec and I can't execute my next power and now I'm dead...' Azrael.

What difficult setting was that on? I've come to (on a personal level...) stop expecting squishies of any type to roll in like scrappers or any melee type and steam roll the Long bow. (I have melee types for that...) So I now game on +0 x1. I do that from L1-50. I enjoy taking on the different mobs with a fair chance of winning the fight. As soon as I x2 or more that? I'm dead. or my skill level to deal with that flat lines. And I just enjoy the dance and the flaws of each AT as they are. If I want to circumvent those flaws...eg. Defender? I duo-team. And all of a sudden I'm an order of magnitude stronger to deal with eg. Longbow mobs as we can buff one another. So there are gameplay and team options to deal with the flaws of squishies. 😉 Difficulty. Teaming. Build. etc. Plenty of options right down to choice of power sets which may suit you more. Azrael.

I can't speak for the Dominator or Control assault damage. But my duo partner had a Defender with Bubbles and Dark Assault. They were doing decent damage and didn't get hit as much as I did with bubbles and energy. I have a Storm/Dark controller. I like it. Damage isn't all you can eat scrapper buffet. But it's imperious. (I think I read one of your guides on this. 😉 Which convinced me to roll one. Azrael.

Well, 'fire anything.' Fire/Stone Domi I saw took care of 'business' mighty fine. Energy has been revamped? It has for the Dominator re: the energy mechanism. But do you mean for the energy melee tank as well? (If it has, it got by me...) My rig is down and I haven't played since March. So, has Total Focus's animation been shortened? (or Energy Transfer for that matter...) Yes. Great care must be taken with the CoH animations. As that's the one of the key things about the 'feel' of combat. And even slight changes can offset and upset that. I don't mind the rooting and grandiose animations. However, I do feel the devs did a decent job with the 'insta-snipe' animation and combat. (But I did prefer the 'half arm' insta-shoot animation with 'dead wait' after...pre: their final release. It's now just a 'fast arm wobble.' But it plays 'ok.') Most dominators play 'just fine.' The single biggest risk is having to built up domination and losing it after you've built it up. Frenzy could combat that just fine. And the mediocre damage could be compensated by by bringing back the dam' buff into Frenzy. One thing I like about the HC developers. They take their time, they fine tune and tweak based upon feedback, they don't just tear things up...they largely honour the spirit of the game. And that's certainly the case with Dominators and the game in general. They did a decent job with the Tank AT pass. For the Dominator, bringing frenzy to the hero Domi AT and a damage buff would go a long way. Azrael.

'Are you saying.' Definitely not. What I'm saying is that Scrappers are teh chosen ones and best not to use them in any discussion about anything. As for Dominators. When you're domi bar drops. You have to use your controls, assault and skill to get it back up. The one caveat of that would be? By the time you're level 50...you'd think that the Dominator would have gotten better at channeling their mental mez mode where by it is either instaneous or nearly so. ie. A slide scale of proficiency that grows from 1-50. So, perma domi is 'at the end' taken from its IO pay wall. or quite simply? Give the Hero Domi frenzy. (recharge 5 mins...) so this mitigates the down time when in a tight spot. Bring back the damage buff into it. 10% for assault. Another 10% for the controls. Add that to eg. Leadership's Assault...and it's better than a kick up the backside. All ATs lean on recharge. The more we get, the more we want. Playing a L1, L22, L32, L41, L50 domins are very different in frustration and proficiency. We don't have to rip the domi bar out in frustration and replace with a 'click' (meh) but build on what makes it great. Frenzy. (...and bring back the Damage buff.) Simple. Azrael.

The animation in CoH is one of its best features. Some are more theatrical than others. With hasten things seem to happen faster. But some do have the opinion that some powers 'take too long' to do their thing. When I see 8 man this is how we roll teams...it doesn't seem to be a problem in general. Things are usually dead before they hit the floor. Ask any tanker who tries total focus on a single mob, by the time it does it's thing...somebody has already killed his 'mob.' Dominators aren't going to shine in an all you can eat buffet...in much the way Trick Arrows work goes unseen but the effect is there that helps the team move so quick. Azrael.

I wouldn't say pitiful. But the damage can seem somewhat blunted on assault and 'tippy tappy' on the controls. The damage is def' wholesale. You're not squashing the mobs with absolute brute force...but cruelly torturing them mainly with power of your mind and then delivering the 'grace' in melee. To add a bit more 'bite' to Domi's we just need to build upon what makes them unique. 1. Frenzy. Bring it to the hero version. And bring back the damage buff at 10-20%? (10% more assault dam? 10% more control damage? Adding this to 'Assault' from teh Leadership pool would be add up...) So that whilst in Domi' mode, you're mentally enraged enough to deliver the 'gift.' Allows a recharge of Domi when it drops. (Every 5 mins?) And gives all controls and assault more bite. Two birds. One stone. Azrael.

There are epic armours. And pets. (If you get enough of them...they are 'soft armour' to stop you absorbing as many hits.) With the Domination bar refill there is a part time solution to end problems. There is also Victory Rush (which I recommend for Defenders...) Then there is the Fighting Pool (Which many builds add...) And there are IOs to build up your defence. There are standard pick up and play choices and 'behind the IO pay wall choices.' And how one plays....choices. And the difficulty setting. Azrael.

Yeah. But scrappers were the 'chosen ones' on live. Frustrating though that was. Then Brutes happened. But out of all squishies. Dom's have part time mez. And if one builds perma you get perma mez. Dom's do have mediocre damage (certainly feels that way...) outside 'teh fire build'. That's where you have to use your mind rather than brute force to win the fight. It's far more elegant that a scrapper. Azrael.

She's the brains, sweetheart. Azrael.

The end game is mez heavy. In that area melee ATs like Tanks, Scrappers and Brutes lead a charmed life. But that's how the game is set up. I don't like carnies. My blasters get mezzed and die. Even L50 ones with a decent build...and incarnate powers. And it's fire based. But if you want to take them down, it's change the diff' settings from uber team challenges...or build a perma win / I win all the time def capped, perma hasten and perma domi build. Not cheap at a cool £1 billion influence. But Controllers, Defs and Dominators can still shine on teams and control their own destiny on solo. Play to your strengths on a team, at range. With gas and falling over powers very little should get through to you. But if the settings are high and wide...one stray straggler will drop you like a sack of bricks. Azrael.