Golden Azrael

Probably a lot of people out there don't know it's back. And gave up hope of it ever coming bk. Azrael.

Amen. Give me JACK KIRBY JAZZ & KOSMIC BLACK DOTS! *goes back to reading Kirby's 'The Eternals.' Azrael.

I think it will be a while before CoH HC goes full on Alex Ross... As an aside. I've recently turned on the Cel Shader and I love it. Given the visual look (to me) a new lease of life. Azrael.

As a general point. The 'MK ULtra' pulsing outward circles on many of the eg. Rad/Fire/self buff powers dry me cookoo. (Headache inducing. I'd have them 'still' or strip that pulsing outward part of the graphic OUT. As for improvements to CoH graphics. If they air dropped the whole engine into eg. Unreal 4, might that see a large uplift? Just as 'Ultra Mode' by devs gave the graphics a boost. Keep the mitten hands. Azrael.

I like Super Jump. It's even better! Turbo flight included free? As standard? GREAT! If you want it have it with more 'finess?' turn on hover at the same time? UBER FISH! Those are the two powers I use for travel over than...Athletic Run which was a kick az freebie. Super Speed Or Super Stick (get trapped in bus shelters...not so much. Azrael.

Any chance we can the 'starter kit' costumes at the top...INCLUDE all the NPCs in the game. Ie. If you wanted to appear like a Troll, for example. Or Miss. Thistle's (I did try to recreate her in the Costume Creator...and made it identical...) kid sister? Or a Sapper? Imagine going into a PVP zone looking like that. 'GET HIM!' Even if you wanted to be 'Super Cop' Wincott? Be great to be them or customise them? Any chance of this be on the cards? Azrael.

They could do with speeding up the anchors from Radiation Emission. They take ages to cast. The rest of the team has destroyed 'x' mob and moved on super quick. I have an Illusion/Radiation Emission Troller. I've been impressed by it. Radiation Choke pulse (something I tried on live but didn't quite get...) PArmy. The anchors help on boss targets or EB/AVs. But are somewhat clumsy/slow to put down. Due a speed up (to me) as impressive as they seem to be. I didn't play such sets on live to any significant (L50 degree...) so I'm not really aware of where the set has come from 'tech' spec wise. But when something takes 'a hit' from the devs it can be annoying. I felt that way with Perma Hasten being taken away in patch 4. I think a part of me will never leave patch 3. Similar to Moment of Glory. I didn't get to play it to its full extent (I was circa L15 on my Regen/Scrapper) before it's baubles were cut though I was around since patch 1. Even Energy Transfer, I didn't get chance to experience before it was nerfed though I did see my friend putting the 'lights out' with it on a mob. I joined CoH not so long after my friend emerged from Beta. Azrael.

Once change I would make would be to consolidate the 3 'bubble' shields into 'just one' shield. It would cut down on the power choice excess. It always felt irritating to take all three. *Back to human form? *Turn on that shield...and that shield...and THAT shield...oh...I@m mezzed....AREGHGHGHHGHGHGHHGHHHH! (Maybe have them as auto powers? Rather than Toggles?) And you can survive on the surface of the sun? But you can have 2 of your 3 forms so easily mezzed? I would have thought the psi power of an alien species that can make it to Earth would be far superior to mob grunts on Earth to all but gifted Psi users? I'd rather than have superior Psi res/def out of the box. I don't see why not. Azrael.

Praise indeed. Azrael.

*Drools. Double Stomp. *reaches hand out weakly...water...water... Azrael.

These changes look immense for the Kheldians. Using the forms was always very limited. 'Just' four attacks forcing you hop the forms somewhat...and not (for me) offering enough to stay in those forms. Whether it was limitations at the time...these changes are a long time coming and allows the forms to be more involved and less situational. It makes sense that the forms would have shared access to most of the power abilities. I have a L50 WS (and a PB to about L22) and I do find them clumsy in operation (shifting forms back to human in combat is a nightmare) and there is a lot of waste of slots and duplication. Pity. I run Human form as it's too much hassle to shift forms. I gave up my dream of a tri-form war machine. It's too much like hard work. The human form is pretty devastating though. It was a painful journey to get to L50 and built... It's an AoE trash hoover. This design 'consolidation' has made the design of both far more efficient. And points the way forward. Credit where it's due. Almost worth creating a Rebirth a/c for. I'm sure when HC devs get around to it, it will be interesting to see what they do. But have to give the Rebirth devs some props here. A pity the dev' community can't share their best ideas and Rebirth have a hit a home run with some innovation here for Kheldians. But I guess that competition will bring the best out of Rebirth and HC That and the 'Stone Sand' skin texture in the costume creator... Azrael.

A pity about the loss. You got an artist to a drawing? (I wonder if he had a back up copy of the drawing of her?) Interesting. I know this is something CoH community does for their most favourite alts. Some very good work around. Have you got a Rad/Elec? Could be an excuse to 're-roll' her from Live. I'd like to see the results of this if you do so. (Give me a nudge if you succumb to the re-roll temptation for her.) One of the things I did on HC (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who did this...) was to re-roll old favourites from Live with the intent of making their builds even better! Broadly, I've succeeded. And I've learned alot more this time by engaging more in the CoH community than I did on Live. Azrael.

MOAR farming. I'm re-forging my Spines/Fire Brute for defence/resistance capped AFK farming. (From a 50 pence build I did when 1st Homecoming to a 500 million plus build.) I might hunt around some of my alts and see if I can strip one I don't play for parts. Azrael.

That seems to be what I am seeing. Prices are up. Less players dumping supply. What supply their is? Coveted. Though, there are zillions of yellow salvage on the market (more than demand?) and the price of those is creeping up. I can't explain that one. 1k-2400k per unit has gone up to 10k+ per unit. And there's plenty of supply. Less players. It seems that way. Until the next content patch from HC, perhaps? Those players 'taking a break' playing 'City of Tanks'... Azrael.

Well, yes. That 'relying' can't mask a poor build or choices. Just as Incarnates (I recall the Live Devs saying) could address an fundamental Alt's weakness. eg. Clarion for Blaster. However, good to squeeze as much out of your build/alt/power choices before you lean on eg. Ageless. If I can't get a good build with SOs that eg. conquers stamina problems BEFORE I hit L50 (Dark Armour etc) I consider it total defeat. Azrael.

Was it a Dark Defender? Rad? Any chance you could re-do the costume from memory? Show it off in the Cel-Shader thread? 😮 I did like duoing with FF's over lapping. Pretty much impervious to most content. I do have a Dark Dark Defender which is pretty good. But not built out. (Have a Dark/Demons MMind which is most impressive. Even after her pets got destroyed by the Malta, she could take the punishment they gave out.) I remember a player on Live trying to explain to me with his Dark how 'those floating numbers' meant we weren't getting hit. (I remember thinking...er...what's the point of that?) A bit more enlightened now, though. Azrael.

I hope they keep procs as they are. It's just the cherry on the top of building. It rewards good building and it allows a builder to balance defence vs attack to their own choosing. Building allows builders and lovers of certain ATs to custom build to blur the lines between the ATs (and create contentious forum debates on CoH forums no doubt...) One of the things I really like doing is pushing on the glass ceiling of each AT. Can you break it? That's the question. It's fun trying to find out. I never thought I'd be able to roll a Defender FF/En that could go toe to toe with +4x8 Council. But it was the 1st I forged upon the return of CoH HC. I never thought i'd be able to farm with a fire/fire blaster. Or range/S*L cap a blaster (junior tank.) I do take your point about Procs working during the 'Crash.' There are things you can do in that '10 seconds.' Taunt (proc), Handclap (proc), and sundry over procs. You can move to the next mob with your taunt aura. Use your incarnate powers etc. Azrael.

Decent build, that. Unleash Potential seems to compliment the Elec armour set. Good choice. If you wanted more recharge? Force feedback in Thunder Strike. Likewise, if you wanted to amp that further? Lightning Clap. FFback. And a knockdown in it too. Would add strategic damage mitigation. Bring around U Potential faster, too? Azrael.

Interesting point of view re: where we can sometimes want a certain AT to be 'like' another AT. I've had my years of lamenting Defender damage. (But it was ridiculous at one point on live. Pure support, couldn't solo. Tippy Tappy damage. End hog.) There are Defenders who play like Offenders. (Then you can roll a Corruptor if you must...) Then roll a blaster and see how damage really works etc. My biggest beef with my FF/Defender was that I could bubble everyone else with the cool def/insul bubbles but not myself. Which would have turned me into a Junior Tank with mediocre Range attacks. As for Tanks vs Brutes. The recent patch clawed damage back and I do like the radiating nature of the attacks (a revelation on a Dark/Dark Tank.) Personally, I don't think we're done with Tank damage. (Here we go, here we go...) *I'd like to see Taunt differentiate itself on Tanks as the master taunter turns into pure intimidation. Could be procs for fear. Could be procs for double hit damage for SINGLE attacks. (Which would allow Brutes to keep their all conquering AOE dps stuff.) ie. This plays into Tanks have some combat focus to 'tune into and take out' strategic targets. I already have a proc in taunt for 'random' here and there damage. I think this idea could be taken further by HC devs. I enjoyed your chess analogy. Azrael.

Yep. Pushed for the global recharge. Mobs don't stand on their feet for long. I've thrown out Rage from my power tray. (Fed up of the crash. And the double crash when it overlaps with recharge.) How to claw damage back? Procs. Pushed the global recharge and tried to include a proc in 'most' attacks. That doubles up if you have 'Change for Negative' from a purple set and A.N Other proc for the 6th slot. I did go crazy in K.O Punch. Loads of them. Certainly hurts Warwolves. I even pushed to include some strategic procs in Hand Clap for knockback (down), FFeedback...and even managed to get a damage proc in HClap! Like wise. FF in Foot Stomp and a knockdown. I like it. And I'm still capped for Melee and S*L. Azrael.

I'll be re-reading this a few times. (My Invul'/EM Tank is flea infested with Procs. So much so, I gave up alot of defence.) My recent Invul/SS build re-addressed the balance in terms of my improving Invul's defensive build whilst being less liberal with procs in SS. So, I'm a bit further ahead in my understanding of balancing a build in this context. (Procs are a relatively new thing I've started to include in the last year. Some times it works great...but if you're not careful with 50+ procs in my Sentinel build...you can end up with unfocused consequences eg. no accuracy...) As for the slow Energy Transfer. HIts like a MoThUR TruCkA. And I love it for pure 'show boating' purposes. It's the 'winding wheel' boxing punch. Around and around we go...BOMP! Anticipation...then climax. But if you want a quickie (ET)? That also hurts. Azrael.

I'm currently Rad/Rad Tanker L28. In anticipation of a juicy build out that allow 'farming and general purpose.' Azrael.

I don't have it on my build or Taunt. Though I wish I could have fitted both into the build. Though I'd recommend Shield Tankers DO take it. My aim was to include as many AoE attacks as possible so elected to include Spring Attack and Cross Slap from Fighting Pool into my Shield/MA build. Azrael.

That's a good call. Azrael.

Update. RE: the 801 'Tanking Challenge' for 'advanced' Tankers. I've rolled a Rad/Rad Tank (currently Level 12 in the Hollows) which 'begins' its journey. I prioritised Smashing * L resistance and x3 slotted the Alpha shield straight away. I always took the AoE attack and prioritised the damage slots for it. Ofc, I'm emphasising the armour powers (only 3 attacks vs 5 armour powers) at the moment so I can Keep Myself Alive. (Using Sands of Mu and Nemesis Staff to supplement the attack chain.) Starting off with SOs. -1x8 on the Wilcott mission arc. (Tip. Use the Luck inspires you can buy from him to limit incoming hits.) Once I get a bit higher (or higher level enough) I'll fit strategic uniques as per the advice above from other posters. I do have a Rad/BS Tank (very impressive.) Don't have a Rad/Rad. The 'build' from the 801 thread really impressed me. Something to aim for. Impressed with the breadth of resistance Radiation has so far. Just got the Heal for me and some -Regen on Mobs and a sprinkle of DoT which stacks with the melee rad cone. Update: L27 and counting. 0x8 Council Mobs in Talos. IO (SOs that don't fade) fitted. 'Only' two uniques fitted into Tough. Global Defences x2. Gladiator and Steadfast. Azrael.