Golden Azrael

Teams will get you killed. 🙂 Try solo-ing. Or better yet, a like minded 'duo-partner.' Earth has excellent controls. What difficult setting are you playing on at L43? Tough, Weave and Cj? They're not essential. Again. Relative to what level and challenge and mob type you're up against. Part time mez is ok if you set the challenge correspondingly. (It's nothing Defenders, Controllers and Blasters don't have to put up with and they don't have part time mez protection...) There's plenty of Stone controls to wrap up mobs. It's right up there with elec in terms of its control. You can choke them, fall them over and have your pet give them grief. That's alot of 'soft armour.' As for Dark. I'd rather have gone for the more emphatic stone melee. With it's power boost to boost your controls for longer. Azrael.

I think you are on point here. I like the 'earn it' nature of Dominators. And bringing a reward (I view it so...) mechanism to other ATs would be a way of adding more nuance. Just having a click is boring to me. If Domi drops. It's because I wasn't paying attention. Having to fight mobs to get your domination up outside of a 'IO pay wall' is just earning your stripes as a hero. Using IOs to make it perma is a hero using experience or their expertise to improve themselves/powers. Again. Something you have to earn by spending time, experience and influence to do so. As for IOs vs the games original pick up and play style is a broader debate. I would happily keep teh domi mechnism as is...but one way to perma-dom outside of IOs would be to gradually decrease the amount of hits it takes to activate it as you level. To the point where in your L40s it may just take a couple. And by L50...you're so self attuned with your inner frenzy, you can just press frenzy to get the Domination ball rolling. In much the way that insta-snipe activates the potential for snipe...by your L40s-50s, being near a mob fills the bar...ready for the Domination click. (Having it still able to drop is important. Without penalties, ATs are boring. There has to be a price for failure for absent minded combat.) There is a danger with IO builds and Incarnates that every AT becomes the holy trinity unto itself. Rather than specialise in what it's good at and having a penalty for not excercising that expertise. Dominator's are mezz specialists. But that shouldn't mean that they don't earn it. Other ATs like Controllers and Defenders have to think about builds and ways around this mezz vulnerability. And that is part of their challenge to play that AT. I think the areas of improvement? Frenzy (with Damage bonus...) hero side. Is the chief culprit. And...when Domination drops...(PANIC!!!! Before 1 punch and hospital...) the length of time to get 'back' in the game is somethign that could be looked at. Keep the penalty...but as you level 1-50 the slidescale of penalty should vary so that it takes less hits to activate as you grown in proficiency of mental domination. You start off as Marvel Girl...and then end like the Phoenix. (Maybe not that powerful...but you get the idea.) Azrael.

Yes. I seem to recall that. Pity. Azrael.

I was quite happy being on SOs from 1-50 with no perma domi or hasten. Once L32 was achieved I remembered why I liked it so much on live. It just became more intoxicating from there on in. No reason why perma domi couldn't be democratised in the same way the snipe has been for blasters. That as you reach L50 it takes less and less hits to reach proficiency in mind torture...to the point that even being near a mob at L50 is sufficient to trigger Domination mode. (ie you have mastered melee/mob aggression to such attunement to empower your domination and channel your powers with extra damage.) Azrael.

Nah. I like the builder mechanism. But it would be nice to have it reduce (ie the hits to get it up and running...) as you level up to 50. As you grow in proficiency. Clicks can be irritating. It may be least played. But the Brute is most played. One is hard. You have to switch on. One is easy. Armchair gaming. It's nice to have one AT class that is challenging to play. Pure AT artform. I think the control and assaults are reasonably balanced. On elec the damage is a bit tippy tappy but I think that's more a wholesale approach. The damage is on Ice tanker is also wholesale. A damage buff whilst in Domi mode would be nice. ie. 'Frenzy.' A part of that. The beauty of a domi is that you can play it like a controller, a blaster, a scrapper. Or you can be a Mezz Tank. However? ...there's genuine risk that you'll get your clock cleaned if you make a mistake. You can't just wander into a mob and stand there blasting or meleeing. You actually have to 'think' about what you're doing. Not so much with a brute. Doms can team. I prefer soloing. So people in a rush (fire hashtag...) can 'rush.' As it can be other players that upset the apple cart and get you killed. (Unless you have perma domi and def' capped.) Works great in duos. Where you can cruelly agitate the mobs. Some people don't get them. And if you've been exposed to Tanks, Blasters and Controllers I can see why. But that balance of thought and risk as you move from Control to Close to Melee? Delicious. Azrael.

I'd like a 10% 'assault' like buff with Domination on. I'm keeping my pets. Azrael.

As for the mezz toggle. Isn't there Clarion? A mezz toggle...hmm... Azrael.

I was going to say 'nothing.' But you've got some interesting ideas there. Front loaded the DoT or have it count down much faster eg. with Domination ticking... I'm not sure that the gap between Domi and Perma Domi is too wide. It's just earning your stripes over 50 years and learning how to use the IO system. Though, we can point to the democratisation of the Insta-snipe as food for thought. Eg. How about as you level...it takes less and less hits to activate Domination. So? By the time you're L50...you are perma domination? Not having perma domination behind an IO pay wall....something to discuss. Why should it take the same time to activate domination in amount of hits as a L1-2 vs L50? Surely, by then you'd have mastered this inherent power? To something like Perma? Or having the frenzy button... I'm right with you on CoV to get Frenzy. I don't like CoV. I don't like the maps. The red. Give me Frenzy. But I do 'hate' red side. Dull. It was a wasted opportunity to expand actual CoHs... The ATs are cool though. !!! The nature of arbitrary nature of Domination on powers. Interesting. But some may argue (like on Perma Domination) that you're taking away some of the 'holes' or flaws in things which all ATs have to play around. Ofc. I'd like to have Perma domination without a pay wall. And my Frenzy. And sure, if I could cripple those Carnies with domi everything... *(God like gleam in eye...) Azrael. Tier 1 assault. Charged Bolt? Elec?

Cheers, oedipus_tex. That makes sense. The arachnos are debuff everything. So that may explain why my Perma Domi runs aground at times. It will be the pet encounter and occ' queued power in that fight. I can see that now. *nods. When I get my new rig. I'll be able to test this. Azrael.

The point. Absolutes are difficult to find in life. There will always be bit of something else in your something. A little occasional end for the mob to do the occasional attack which won't hurt much? They're basically on the canvas with their arms heavy to bother attacking anymore. It doesn't necessarily mean they will never ever ever attack ever ever again. But they're basically out the fight. Is a personal preference of play style. Damage throughput. eg. Flame. Dead. Super quick. Or Elegant play which is more thoughtful and intricate. With more subtle qualities. What's teh point of anything, eh? It takes a few powers to dent the mobs capacity to hit you hard. When their end hits the bottom? They are reduced to the occasional attack. And you have to factor in confuse or sleeps. Or making them flop over like fishes out of water. A defender with debuffing is it's own thing. That can also be 'fun.' But so can an elec/elec/Mu Dominator dominating the fight excruciatingly on the mob. Short form vs long form. Some players are in a rush. Some players take their time. Some like 8 man teams incinerating mobs before they drop dead to the floor others like duo combos where teh art of combat...is more balladic. More chess than a-bombing. It's a choice. Squash the spider or pull the legs off the spider. Damage throughput vs the ultimate control. There's nothing 'weak' about sleeping, confusing, kndn, fencing, petting...and draining the life out the mobs. It's wholesale damage vs instant coffee. Azrael.

Another thing about Domi. I have a more 'melee' style of combat. I like the hard edged nature of Gravity and the blappable melee nature of energy. You get the cerebral controls of a controller with the blaster/blapper insanity of a blaster. So you're a 'controller' who can 'mix it' up close and personal in combat. 😄 ...However, I note a Controller has access to the Stone Epic...that has melee options.... 😉 Azrael.

I did 'wonder' about power queueing myself. If the power queue was waiting to execute other powers in the frenzy of battle...and that 'moment of time' Domi button window passes...you get the 'duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu....' and it drops. (Then my swaggering God like swagger turns to sheer panic... 😮 ) But now I 'know' more about 'Frenzy' that need not be an issue any longer. I'll have to check I haven't Null the Gulled it. The one thing about having hasten on auto. It will(!) execute. ie. It's not going to 'drop.' Leaving you to only keep an eye on the Domi button. By having Domi' button on manual...it comes around that fast on hasten...that it's almost part of the attack chain. (Maybe...it should be considered so on a Domin....) ...and doing it that way...it forces me to prioritise that in battle. And it never gets old clicking that Domi-God button. It is satisfying... I sometimes leave 'auto hasten' off so that the Domi button doesn't come around that fast...as I often forget in the frenzy of battle. Maybe I should bring it down from Tier 3 tray into the powers tray... Azrael.

Aha. Intelligent answer. No one has said that before. *Gives GOLD star to oedipus_tex. So getting hammered by -rech' would do it. *nods. So if I was fighting vs Carnie Misteress and Pets and getting spam' hammered. Psi. I'd have to really watch the Domi button more carefully. And Ice... I like your posts and builds, oedipus_tex. I always learn something new. Hmm. That makes sense. Approves. Azrael.

Yes. I've tried both ways. I prefer Domination on Auto. But sometimes...it does drop. I don't know why. I think I have plenty global recharge on it. And I manually assign Hasten. I can decided whether I want quick or balladic combat. Azrael.

Gravity has a lot going for it. A very hard edge to its controls. Forklift trucking someone always goes down well. Crushing. Lifting. Singularity Pet. Dimension shifting. Wormholing a mob on top of your pet or into a corner. What's not to like? Add to it the eternally 'hard edges' fun and smooth as butter energy blast/melee? Great sets to be reckless with. Golden. Azrael.

The reason I ask? I remember having it after doing the Mu Patron arc. Back on live. I recall having it after doing the Mu arc on HComing. I just wasn't entirely clear what it was doing. So. I see. You have the recharge...but *not* the enemies...it gives you the 'enough enemies click.' 6 mins rech'. That's decent since it would be an emergency or mostly '1' time or here and there use case for the veteran Dominator. And again...if you 'lose concentration' in battle and domi drops? You can work yourself up into the frenzy without panic hitting mobs. I see. I had it before...but I wasn't sure what it did. Entirely. I thought it would just do extra damage. Heh. 😮 But if you're hero side...go do the Mu Patron (get frenzy...) villain side then come back to hero side? It doesn't survive the journey? 😕 That helps. Regards, Azrael.

Your selling it to me... 🙂 Azrael.

Is the 'Frenzy' power temporary or permanent? So it helps you get Domination back if it drops by accident? Azrael.

You can have alot of fun with Grav/Energy. Hard control and a hard blast/blap set. Soul Mastery. That's an interesting 'Epic' to go with it. Wormholing mobs to a corner or dropping them on the Singularity Pet is fun. Azrael.

For me, the key thing to Elec/Elec Dominator is working with it's inherent 'sapping' nature. As for what people pick. Both control and assault sets kind of pick themselves. The more control you select the more control you have. The more melee powers you pick the more combat options you have. With Mu Patron you can compound your advantage. Do you want to be a Sapper, a Pet King, a sleeper or a confuser? or a mix of all of them. You can play at range or in the mobs (where the sapping keystone of Static Aura...will come into its own...) It creates another layer of soft armour. Out of energy..? Mobs can't attack. And that's where the 'Mu' Patron can help. It has an extra Pet in there too. Having more pets buys more time to drain mobs as they're occupied by pets instead of you. Jolting Chain. A good source of Proc experimentation. Damage. etc. Elec/Elec/Elec is a bit like an Ice/Ice/Ice tanker. It's damage wholesale. There's no 'fire burn it in seconds' mob melting. But Domination is about the cruel saturation of control. More foreplay. Less bang. Though there are 'heavy' hitters such has Havoc Punch, ThunderStrike (great for crunching mobs held in Elec Fences...), Snipe...and the Elec AoE stacks with the damage from Elec Fence melting their resolved by sapping their end...and slowly frying their health bar ready for the knock out punch. Azrael.

I saw one fire/stone dominator at work. It certainly has damage throughput. Mobs melting in situ whist the stone attacks brutalise them with punishing rock melee. But that's fire for you. On anything. Azrael.

I didn't know the %s for Energy Focus Mode. Useful to know on my Gravity Energy Dominator. 20% for 'most' attacks and always on Total Focus ala Mode. Great mechanic for Energy on Dominators. It would be interesting for developers to look at other sets and see if unique modes can be applied. This 'Energy Mode' would be interesting on the Energy Melee Tankers (I know some are still bummed about the Energy Melee 'cull' from way back.) Building up energy to spend as extra damage mode is an interesting mechanic. And it certainly ties in with the Dominator's 'focus' of buildling up domination. It's a very 'focused' AT. And to see that focus extended to other aspects of its combat eg. Energy Mode makes sense to me. Azrael.

I do like static field with chain fences...with conductive aura acting as soft armour... Whilst an army of pets peck them to death as they sleep...or run around confused... 'Hit him...' 'No...not me you fool...' Runs into a Havoc Punch... Azrael.

Hello oedipus, If it was me? I'd play to L50. Take all the powers. Decide what I like and don't. So I can build around that. My L50 Grav/Energy? You have the new 'Energy' dam bonus mechanic. Energy is super smooth and fun to play. And kind of goes with the hard hitting control of Gravity. Grav and Energy induces that range and close to melee blap style I favour. I do have a Mind/Psi domi scratching around somewhere... But I'm Grav' Energy. For this topic. A bit end heavy. But you have the incarnates and build to tackle that. (*I have the Special Uniques to help with my stamina...) I find it very fun. I took everything and am loathe to exclude anything from my build. So I may have to build around that. Not sure if I took hasten. My computer is currently 'off line' so I can't check. But I'll create a build for this one day. The Singularity pet is a killer power. Ofc. Gravity Wormhole an excellent 'tank pull' to put the mobs in the corner...or fall them onto your Sing' pet. 😄 The Dimension shift power is unusual. I like that. And who doesn't like Forking Lift Trucking someone? Wit' teh' Bonesmasher on follow up...along with...energy transfer....for the cup of grass? Azrael.

Well, yes. Plants and Fire. That's the most damaging root (heh, heh...) to go... As will be substantially held, slept or confused (a pretty powerful confuse there...) If damage throughput is your thing... I do have a plant/plant domi parked at L37 or 38. It's very interesting. Seeds and Carrion Creepers et al. Not as 'damaging' as the Plant Fire. But it can mix it with the mobs just fine. No body likes being spiked and tentacled...more than the Council... Fire anything is easy. Especially on melee alts. If you want things to just die fast. Azrael.