Llewellyn Blackwell

Ok lets start from the top. You are the one using Blapper a term long established to in genral be used as a derogatory term for blasters who like to make full use of their power sets and get in close. The term those kind of blasters like myself have always preferred is Blanker as in Point Blank. This is truer then ever with the revamp of blaster 2ndaries increasing the general survival factor of most blaster builds by a large margin if the player understands how to build for it. So you in your first post started the insulting towards blaster vets like myself. Like with other ATs and their power sets, blaster sets allow for great diversity in play style, and no matter how you spin it if your going to put pbaoe nukes into the 2ndary something will have to be lost. My Psi/Ment build is a thing of sacred divine beauty and anyone advocating any change to power sets that would frell with it has drawna line in the sand and made themselves my dire nemesis. Blaster has been well known and notorious for being popular for new players but rarely being played into the upper level range because the vst majority of players are yes bad at building and playing blasters. I know because as a blaster that routinely out performs most other blaster builds, tanker builds, scrapper builds, and brute builds when it comes to taking point and laying waste I can assure you very few players can run a blaster optimally. The fact you speak of newb wowtard tactics like corner pulling, tank herding, and needing to fall back on a blaster tells me you havent yet adapted to how most 2ndaries give enough self sustaining to stay in the middle of the fight without fear if build well. And nope, since they were added to the game dark primary/ment 2ndary was the go to solo blaster king. Between the to hit debuffing and self sustaining that is Drain Psyche basically since I want to say year 3? was the go to king of solo blasting. My blaster or blanker as is most appropriate is always the 1st into the frey, depending on the team Ill leave the barely living bosses behind for the team to clean up while moving on to wipe out the next group. And I can do this at all sorts of level ranges while flash backing. So no DPS loss because uhm surprise we move so fast in this game closing for pbaoe is not some big factor. You also seem to forget incarnate and IO abilities are non factors when talking about power changes and balance changes neither is ever relevant to the discussion because the game in general is balanced around SOs, and pre incarnate content is balanced around non incarnates. So what a super IOd out incarnate group can do in general content is just meaningless to mention. Frankly you come off as QQing about not getting to use your biggest DPS often enough, are unhappy with the non wowtard approach the general population plays with, acting more heroic and jumping into the fray rather then slow methodical letting the slowest get their chance to shine style WoW and the like tend to favor. There are clearly blaster power sets that do what you want blaster sets to do, use those, and leave the sets that dont to those that like them as they are. I am Bentley Berkeley I was the blaster beast of Virtue. I do not have rivals and few peers among Blasters. Those that are among them tend to be damn good builders and damn good players who build out of the box and do not think of themselves as glass cannons so much as orbital death rays that can choose to crash into planets destroying them while remaining unscathed.

I got you beat I made a guy named Llewellyn Blackwell. I could basically rename my whole stable that. And if/when HC admin decides if using NC soft owned lore based names like Bentley Berkeley is not ok Ill be ready to alter my whole roster into LBs

Try hard much?;) But seriously an inherent that works well over all isnt in some dire need of alterations. As my earlier example of blasters and their ability, if you dont invest in their first 3 powers, then their biggest advantage of the inherent is lost. A great many blasters Ive known at best invest in 1 of those 3 powers with slots and good sets. But I would argue in endless defiance of them changing how defiance works in any way because I use it the way it is all the time. Considering an Empath basically is on its own an OP factor for anything but a team of casual clueless barmy bashers pugging content higher then they likely should be running, your demanding empaths need something, or just deserve it cus, comes off far more as QQ entitlement then anything else. In fact your only in game examples seem to be well empaths are so good they end up not having enough to do etc, not any instance of oh man this keeps happening to my teams every time and this change would greatly improve the play experience for an under performing AT/Power set etc. Yes thier inherent wont be useful to EVERY build, thats nothing new for any of the ATs. From tankers who just want to fight and not care about the team, to petless masterminds, the wide range of build options taking ATs outside of their box mean trying to make a perfect universally useful inherent for every possibility is beyond ludicrous, it might even be dangerously close to going plaid.

Since a brute almost never runs at a full 200% yeah taht would be game breakingly bad. Some inherents like a scrappers are so random one simply cant count on them. A blasters really only lets them use 3 powers, many players ignore slotting up, that let them fight on while CCd(which I love and always optimize those 3 powers on blasters personally) I love the end reduction on defenders. i build with it in mind. I dont try to ever go 100% support mode, and dont fret a bit if someone goes down as it just lets me and the team go super man veng mode. It only sucks for the handful of meta players only running on optimal teams, that the game does not need to take into account when factoring changes and balance. Its also nice when sucker punched by a sapper or pushing hard through hordes of carny folk.

First of all team mates being beaten up and even put down isnt bad play, nor a sign of a bad defender or of the player themselves. There is a very wide spectrum of build power and player ability, but just because a casual who doesnt build for the meta face plants more often doesnt imply any negative to them. 2nd every defender worth their salt has leadership. leadership and the defender inherent go hand and glove by design. at the same time they can invoke vengeance they are basically also free to spam their best powers at will, and not everyone builds for meta end recovery or meta soft def set builds. In fact if this games pop is at all like lives pop only a small percentage of players are using sets and build guides to optimize it. Also soft def is shit, maybe the majority of set users build for it, but that doesnt make it the best it just shows those who lack understanding how unlike a set like super reflex that is basically immune to the cascade def failure caused by debuffs, those who depend on set bonuses and pool powers for def tend to also be the players taht shy away from any mob types that can cut into them. I frankly think you dont understand what a defender and more importantly an offender is capable of. Offender builds are the original solo GM slayers. That means theya re the king of the hill, the true kryptonian son, the dark pheonix, the power cosmic incarnate of cohverse. Killing an av or twelve at a time solo is always a good benchmark especially for scrappers. But its still no offender. Teams that are good at surviving already dont need a defender,a defender shouldnt want to be on such a team. They should be the AT favored by mentors and guides trying to help newer and more casual players get through content that would otherwise be a pita. Sure Ol berk here as a blaster loves him a kin def on the team it basically means I dont have to think and can play on auto pilot which is nice on TF runs etc. but on my scrappers, brutes, etc I dont really want a defender on my team they could be helping others far more in need then I of their powers. Like any AT there are teams that simply dont need support AT, those who seek to support should find those who need to be supported. I expect in such teams face planting will happen no matter how hard you try and instead of avoiding a face plant use it to your teams advantage.

what about instead of combat buffs, it simply works as a form of disguise? a stealth power specific to a faction seems very mild and un game breaking, but would be logical that a faction costume might make mobs at first glance think hm are they one of ours? maybe it could when discovered act instead as a taunt effect thus making it useful both as away to avoid trouble then for those who choose to keep it on once a fight begins it helps keep their anger directed at the guy who clearly has been killing their buds.

We actually already have those more or less, they are called day job accolade powers and I myself have suggested on this forum taht once unlocked we also get the option to charge them up via inf at P2W to add additional needed inf sinks to the game to help keep things sane in the economy. So I myself see nothing wrong with this suggestion. We could even then add tier badges for factions that could come with modest boosts, like for each tier of the badge the jetpack for example could get a upgrade to its base speed so eventually with effort it could be as fast as a slotted fly, and maybe the final tier could unlock a burst of speed temp power on top of it( that would only work with the jetpack power it was associated with) so that it could compete with things like the hover board to some extent. Id frankly love a perm version of the croatoa arc temp powers that could be upgraded and even altered cosmetically. Or a wedding ring that could be recharged by logging out in a magical area like a day job rather then have to rerun the arc endlessly for the echo version. Some might call this power creep but Id just say its a logical thing to be able to gain these tools and add them to our characters for good. Now for such things what would be enough of a grind though, just running the arcs once seems obviously too easy, perhaps kill badges associated with enemy factions connected with the contact that gives the arc? I know kill badges are not fun to earn for a lot of players but its really one of the few ways we can judge long term character commitment to making war on specific factions.

Not nearly as Much as I love swords I suspect. my wall racks of real ones that I am handy with strongly supports this suspicion of mine. As for the ES series, I favor oblivion myself, with around 300 mods. Many of them for swords I can go pick up with little to no effort, and I love every single work of the modders art. Some do come with quest lines to get which I dont mind, but that doesnt make me favor them more or less then others, That is entirely about the aesthetics and my own mood. Do I want to wield a dozen stylish katana and throw them likea fricking final fantasy ninja and then have to go pull them out of the corpses of my foes. Do I want to wield a rapier or backsword, or maybe Im feeling like a jedi and want a lightsaber for the moment. All possible thanks to the modders, and many of which are just added to some chest or location waiting for me to get them. Seriously you keep using we and many, but very few on this forum have taken your side, and using the phantom army of in game friends doesnt make your point, it makes the point that if these friends of yours do agree with you, they dont seem to care enough to partake of the forums and debate it. Your singular passion that only a couple others agree with to any extent possess so far rightly signals to me that you should seek one of the other CoHs out there using the old unlock mechanics. One of the few points your side has made, the villain ancillary pools, is not actually a good point in your favor, as since CoV launched people have complained vehemently about the need to unlock the patron pools, and it has oft been cited as a reason to play blue side and ignore red side. Red Side itself was deemed a major failure by Paragon and NC Soft due to its low usage and that those accounts that started on CoV rather then CoH had a very low retention rate. CoH was highly praised by MMO reviews for having the highest percentage retention of active subscribers keeping a whopping 20% of those who tried it, compared to most even wow only keeping about 5-10% of those that tried it. CoV had less then 5% retention rate. So while I myself do enjoy going to the isles as a vigilante, nothing connected with CoV should be used as a guideline of how to do things to increase player interest. In a game about creativity when it comes to character creation, people in general pretty clearly dont give a damn about having rare and exclusive costume bits locked behind content that some may very well not have an interest in doing even for the sake of the costume bit. The many witches Ive met in game all have voiced being very glad the need to run a TF many avoid, even I an active TF runner avoid that TF because its really not all that fun or interesting, just to get their hat. So you say you have plenty in game on your side. Ive no few in game on mine. So far of those offering their opinions in this thread your side doesnt seem to really have enough of a clear majority to make it something the devs need to considering going forward.

Let me give an example that basically shows why your frankly just not understanding our side. Maybe I want to make a character who from level one is a Vanguard operative, maybe he was captured and mind wiped, or suffered a traumatic injury and has amnesia. He is still a member of vanguard, still holds rank and wears the uniform, but must develop skills once more. A PB or WS character who was previously a mere human vanguard operative is another good example of level 1 character that should be able to begin with vanguard gear. And because the game is an RPG I do put all RP aspects as a priority over non RP wants such as yours. and without trying to make this heavy and serious, If you've read up on any of the papers written by mental health professionals concerning gaming addiction, and game related depression and suicide you'd be aware its not considered a positive mental health trait to tie a sense of accomplishment or success to playing a game. This is different of course for someone who makes a living supporting themselves via playing a game like a twitch streamer or E sport gamer. As their actual sense of accomplishment is coming from earning a living doing what they love. What your pushing for and endorsing here is not something seen as a positive, but instead something that reinforces something that can turn into a full blown mental disorder.

Actually you seem to have that backwards as I am very much one on the side of the rules of conduct as written, while some others keep mentioning some unwritten set of rules that grants the leader a divine right to mistreat others and act like a dictator. Any attempt to force or pressure another player into playing in a way they dont wish to that is not considered exploiting or cheating at the game is very much against those rules of conduct. If you want to boot someone fine, do it quickly and quietly without saying a word, and put said player on ignore before you end up in a chat that qualifies as harassment or belittlement for how they play. Thats still very rude and uncivil but really the best option. However if you do that a few missions into a TF, you then could be reported for griefing because you wasted taht players time and denied them a shot at the reward they have already put a fair share of time into. Ultimately the only real way for someone who just can not tolerate and get along with other players based on their play style is to stick to a tight social circle and never pug. Because when you pug part of that is accepting you wont always get like minded play styles. For myself that can be as simple as people not being into RP that respects the lore of the game world. However if it really grates on me I wont ask the non RPers to be quiet, nor leave the team I built. I will because that is the only actual civil recourse to remove yourself not try to bully, pressure others into siding with you out of fear of being kciked as well etc. Part of the issue in this thread stems from thinking starting the team makes it your team. Your just one person still. And acting a startator can indeed intimidate some into siding with you because they lack the confidence to stand up for themselves and fear the threat of blacklisting etc. One very vocal person on this thread has admitted to that very behavior by actively creating a list of players rather then just putting them on ignore.

Because this game is no longer fueled by the need to play content to open up personal creativity via time sinks. Because ultimately that is what gating mechanics are first and foremost. Time Sinks. Some content just isnt fun to some folks. Forcing people to have to suffer through content they dont care for to get something to customize their character visually in a game where visual appearance is not tied to gear drops isnt really seen as a good thing especially by RPers. Not every RP concept includes the heroes journey. especially with free name changes Ive been meeting many RPers who use a throw away name while leveling and do not use the character to RP until they have completed the build. Hence why even RPers do make sue of AE power leveling. because the climb to 50 isnt something they view as an accomplishment but rather as something annoying to get out of the way. Here isa fun analogue. Some people want their first time being intimate with somebody to be filled with romance, and be memorable. Some just want to get it over with so that the whole awkwardness of the first time is done and put behind them, Neither is really wrong, and trying to say their way is the better isnt really going to win you any converts. Badges should be enough for those who feel the need to have something visual to lord over others. Honestly to me all taht is silly, the only thing you should need to show off your success in game is a character, and the skill to play them that sets you apart from the average player/build. A good bio as well. To me a person lacking a good build and bio can literally do nothing to actually impress me or be treated as accomplished in game in a meaningful way.

Ah I understand now, you wrongly see it as YOUR team. Just because someone including myself starts a team, if something about a team mate is bothering me, but theya re not actually doing something actually deserving of being booted like acting an anti social ass hat, or cyber pervert. For example their is one or more non RPers chatting it up ruining my RP immersion then I will indeed drop from the group I started. You keep acting like starting a team is some great chore deserving of praise and respect. Its not. This game at its hardest isnt hard. the idea evena terribad player with no talent can somehow ruin game play enough to make things hard on 7 others is silly. A good team just doesnt need to worry over anything because they are all good at what they do and each worth at least 3 common characters in SOs. And that is likely undervaluing what a avg IOd character can do. I mean my leveling stalkers can solo X5 mobs easily and rapidly as an example and at a speed evena fully furied brute cant compete with. There is no real game scenerio where 1,2,3 or even 4 terribad players can have any meaningful impact on such a characters clear speed and kill rate. To suggest that even one player can ruin a groups fun is hyperbole at its plainest. All your espousing is intolerance and acting like being a control freak is some kind of good thing. A good leader doesnt need to use a stick, and he doesnt need to fret over a person doing their own thing in like 99% of the CoH content.

I personally think the fix is simple and doesnt take a drastic rework. Have it remain the pbaoe toggle, but have the fly buff last say 2 minutes so when allies do get far away they have time to get back near the team mate giving the buff if they want it. I dont see this breaking the game or becoming some new meta. Just would be a QoL feature for those willing to take a power that mainly is for allies who lack fly and havent bothered to get a jet pack.

Uhm yeah nothing in HC rules about discussing GM actions from live. Different game and different team. I certainly wouldnt talk about such things from HC on the forums that would be most unacceptable. Even in my story I didnt name names, even though I do recall the name of both the player and his SG as he had a fairly unimaginative name that was a hybrid name of two comic characters. And the SG was one of the largest on Virtue. My point of the story was to highlight how what you would call chaotic and disruptive play is allowed, while dictating to others and trying to intimidate them into submission is not. So let me be very clear, anyone who cant get along with others and tolerate diverse play styles, when no one is being rude, uncivil, or acting in a disgusting or rude manner warrants mistreatment or being belittled in anyway, and those who cant tolerate others in a game that is in general pretty easy to do well in, and where one really well made toon can carry 7 truly badly made ones that are also badly played, are the ones taht really dont need to team, let alone lead. Because and this has been true of CoH and pretty much all MMO Ive played, the leader should not lead in content they cant solo on their own at the same difficulty the team is running it on. True group activities like raids being the exception obviously, Though in plenty of MMO a well made character actually can solo the raids. The Era of EQ and its 80 man 3 day raids are well and truly in the past when it comes to game design.

No you wiped because you lacked power. a hero rises to every challenge and does not fail.

A long story time, pretty sure Ive told it once before on the HC forums months back but Ill go over it again as its very relevant to this thread. One day I was running one of the RWZ arcs via flashback solo. While between missions I notice an MSR has just brought down the shields. Im not about to quit my solo run, but figure its a good time to grab some easy V merits. I know I can sustain myself and get plenty of kills. So I fly up to take part in the rikti slaughter. After a few I notice in zone chat the guy directing the MSR is demanding I join one of the teams and stop doing my own thing. I state I am not required to follow his directions and its an open world event anyone can take part in even solo if they so wish. His issue I imagine being rather then getting into the center I am circling the thing wiping mobs before they can get drawn into the mosh pit. This individual proceeds to rant at me, threaten to report me for griefing and interfering with other players. I say I am simply playing the game, and in no way casuing other players grief. After all killing rikti during a MSR is something of a kill competition, plenty of MSR teams routinely get far less merits then other teams based on aoe and dps. I then send in a report of being harassed and threatened. Meanwhile the guy continues to rant at me. About the time the shields come up a GM appears because there have been multiple reports filed. After reviewing the chat logs The GM says they have looked things over and action will be taken. They dont say what ofcourse. However no punishment is sent my way, meanwhile the guy who was prepping for another MSR suddenly vanishes. 3 days later I get an in game email from the guy ranting at me again, now saying he will get me blacklisted from all future MSR runs lead by him , his SG and his SG alliances. I send in another report on this player for threats and intimidation. over the next few days I get emails from people claiming to be this ones friend and SG harassing me over getting their friend banned and they to make threats of having me blacklisted etc. I send another report stating now said player has organized a group to harass me. This player who regularly lead MSR I never again see in game. and later learn was perma banned for his multiple violations as I had a few friends in that guys SG. Understand, just because you have the star, just because you may organize a team or raid, does not grant you any authority. The kick feature for a team leader is meant to be used for actual problem players, you know trash talkers, sexual harassers, etc. You are not in any position of entitlement just because you have the star or took some time to build a team. We who lead teams are not special because we enjoy groups and put them together. If you when leading take exception to a player for their playstyle, it is you who has the issue, and you who should likely stick to solo because you are the one with antisocial and uncivil behavior. Part of getting along with others is tolerating their various play styles and quirks. As long as they are just playing the game, having fun, no matter the power use or play style they have done nothing to warrant mistreatment be it being called a bad player or kicked mid TF and denied their fair reward.

actually its also against the rules of the forum to suggest someone isnt being honest. Unless you have some way to disprove my statement casting aspersions on my honesty is very much a sign of someone who thinks their idea of what is right matters more then the actual rules that we are to conduct ourselves by. If you dont wish to take my statement and word as truth tahts up to you, making ita public statement you think I am not being honest however shows yourself to be an actual bad player in the sense you dont care about the actual rules.

You really seem to not be willing to understand that at least on live and I assume here on HC the rules of conduct very much put anyone trying to tell another how to play their character very much in the wrong. Causing chaos as you and a few others put it is not in any way against the rules. We are completely allowed to use our characters abilities how we choose and it doesnt ever qualify as a rule violation. If you so much as say stick with the group you however have violated the rules of conduct as telling others how to play does equal harassment. If you boot someone on a tf because they wont follow your orders, they can very much report you for griefing, as you have denied them the end reward out of spite pure and simple You seem to havea very narrow idea of what a team player is. An actual team player does what they can to help the team, that is often in CoH due to the power some ATs can bring, be doing sections of the map solo at a speed a team of 8 needing to tank and spank simply cant. and Have you seen what a team all packing judgment can do? Even at +4X8 rooms get melted so fast overkill isa very real thing and a wasteful use of DPS. Understand I never join anothers team I havent done other then lead since around year 3 of Live when I took on the mantle of Ol Berk to embrace a full time role of in game mentor and teacher to young heroes aka newbs. Considering just on the HC forums I am frequently getting msgs to ask about build and play advice from new blasters its pretty clear to me I havent lost the knack. Looka t your word usage the stamping feet comment rather shows your own dismissive attitude for those who dont agree with your position, based not on logic, not on meta data, but on emotion. Unless a group is all leveling pure SO builds, then the best way to utilize a team is to spread it out. Which is also far more in line with how heroes in the comics work. from the JLA to the Xmen its very rare that they are all together during an adventure. They spread out, they dont waste time by acting like cowards needing to hold each others hands. There isa very big difference between saying hey if you feel squishy stay close to me, and saying stay with me or Ill kick you, one is friendly advice, the other bullying and intimidation, both which are very much in violation of the rules of conduct.

except sowing chaos isnt against the rules of conduct. But telling that player not to use their abilities, or threatening to boot them over using their powers is bannable. So its pretty clear what is right and what is wrong within the rules. If a player cant be bothered to chase after mobs, or thinks a few mobs scattering is a huge deal, they are the ones lacking social ability and need to stay solo.

As an in game example My ol Berk here depends on keeping drain psyche up and fueled by large groups of mobs. I never ask others to hold back etc. I rush headlong into the fray always trying to be first, because if the mobs get melted by a nuke before I feed off them that puts me at risk. My needing drain psyche to optimize my survival is a me problem. I dont make it the teams problem. If I cant keep ahead of them enough ill just take a different path in the map and solo it. I usually do anyways just because its the best use of my powers. I can clear groups as fast as a full team can typically. so yes to be the best use to my team usually that means being on my own in the map so we dont over kill groups and waste DPS. Understand this. if your playing content at a dif range where locking down, tanking and spanking, and herding are a must to keep the team alive, your playing content above the teams actual capability. Your not increasing xp per min, as number crunchers years ago on live proved that running content at a dif setting where mobs can be one shot by the dps ATs will always yield more xp a min then running much slower at a higher dif then the team can smoothly complete. this is especially true due to the ability of a team to then spread out and kill entire maps at a rate no team rat packing and gang banging can hope to achieve. So if you want to talk about team work and doing whats best for a team, that in reality means everyone is spread out doing their own thing the vast majority of the time in the vast majority of content. If what you really mean is people staying together and buffing each other etc, what your talking about is supporting and carrying those who really shouldnt be in the dif setting being played in. Which mind you I do all the time. I run TFs and pug taking whoever asks to join. I never build a team filling roles etc. Yet always can pretty much specify exactly how long the TF will take based on my carrying a team of less well built characters. I dont begrudge them, I dont berate them, and always make them feel appreciated and vital to the team. My SG mates in fact keep telling me I am far too humble and self depreciating when I lead them in fast, frenetic, fun runs be it TFs or story arcs. The only thing I ever ask of any team mate be ita pug or not is, do what you do best, and that is all I ask. As Ive said above, I only boot for 2 reasons, bitching about how others play, or trying to back seat lead and countermanding any strategy I may put forward as the plan of action. Unlike some so called team players on this thread that say they abandon allies who KB or leave them to deal with their own mess, I always come to the aid of any team mate in trouble no matter what. Granted I have vengeance so frankly love coming to the aid of a fallen ally getting a veng off and then really going crazy god mode for a bit. Once things are clear I always rez them as I always keep charges of rez ally on hand. And here is the simple difference. If a player is KBing etc theya re doing nothing that warrants a ban. A person telling that player how to use their powers is guilty of harasment and bullying and can be banned for such behavior.

So story time. On live I frequently reported people who attempted to dictate to others how to play their characters and got them banned for days at a time. It very much was against the rules to so much as say you should do this or dont do that, it qualified as harassment. Likewise threatening to boot unless one capitulated was also bullying and would come with longer bans. I know because those I got banned frequently would then send me in game emails once they got back from their vacation threatening to get me blacklisted from SGs and alliances. Which I would then report as well for harassment and bullying and they would get banned again. One a leader ofa major SG and regular leader of MSR on virtue ended up perma banned because they just could not understand what they were doing wrong when they would contact me in game to berate and attempt to intimidate me. If you want to boot someone, do so but do not insult them, tell them how to play, or attempt to command their play. All qualify as harassment. Do not threaten to boot them because of X, that is bullying. If you cant communicate without trying to use a Stick to get your way you need to play solo. People using their powers as intended does not qualify as anything actionable by admin at least not on live. I assume the HC team admins follow a similar set of guidelines. Having a conversation or debate is fine. Trying to order other players around, or make demands upon how they should play are not. Ive gotten many a startator banned for harassment because they kept telling people on the team what to do. Not suggestinga strategy mind you, but telling them you must do this, dont do that or Ill boot you etc. That behavior is not acceptable and is certainly uncivil and antisocial.

But he isnt telling people how to play, he is saying that complaining about others when the problem is a personal one and easily fixed witha visit to null which the defense of ignorance is no excuse for trying to dictate anothers build/playstyle. The simple fact is no player ever even as the team leader has the right to say use or dont use a power/mechanic that is in game by design. They dont even have any business saying one word about it. If you dont like something about another player for any reason the only proper choice is to silently move on rather then try to create a scene. It doesnt matter if its a power choice, the content being run, or how its being run. go play by yourself if something about other people just playing the game as intended is bothering you. When I see a brute die over and over trying to keep up with my blaster I dont chide them, mock them, nor berate them. I may suggest they stick closer to me to be safer but if they dont that is their choice to make and I wont fret one bit over it. If they ask me how I am staying alive and how they can improve their own ability to live Ill take time out of my own playing to help them. Even when on a group we each are here first and foremost for our personal enjoyment. Attacking others for playing in a non exploitative way is always wrong. I consider tanking and spanking and herding closer to exploits then not in a game with this dated of an AI and tend to put players who play like that on ignore so as to avoid ever crossing their path again. But I dont feel the need to say a word to them about their clear lack of ability or build power. The OP was playing as intended. He was using powers in a smart manner that optimized his builds impact and reduced his need to re-summon even the weakest of his minions. He wasnt dictating how others should play, he simply pointed out that those who had a problem with him had a very easy in game way to remove the issue they complained about. But instead wanted to make it his problem and make him play in a less fun manner because they couldnt be handle being able to fly if close to him. Flying doesnt hinder you in a meaningful manner, and those who cant adapt to it are bad players pure and simple.

Herding is not good play, tanking and spanking are not good play. If your on a team that needs to do such to not be overwhelmed your playing above your ability and basically exploiting old obsolete AI to compensate. Good team play is when everyone is basically a walking 8 man mob killer, can spread out to optimize time vs completion, and do what they do best. Because lets be honest that is waht a good vs bad CoH player is, someone who knows how to build and optimize, even within a RP concept and is capable of pushing hard at a dif setting the common player cant. A good team player is a bad hero, because a hero doesnt hold back, they do not hesitate, and they do not fear defeat. You ever wonder why the Heroic EATs get turned into supermen by their teams, while the VEATs buff their team up? Because its the act of the cowardly villain in comicdom that depends on numbers. When Batman finds himself facing a group of META he will call in the JLA... maybe. But he sure as shit wont hesitate to put himself in their way to keep them busy, and from threatening people no matter how over matched he may be in raw power. I fully support the OP on this, if getting lifted up by group fly bothers you thats a you problem and no one elses. If it bothers you so much you think they or you should leave the group you area terrible group player and should stick to solo. If you need herding, tanking and spanking etc for anything short of fights with big bad AVs and GMs your build needs to be improved or you need to stick to a lower dif. There is most certainly an I in the Midnight Club, 2 actually, Yet we are always great together no matter our builds and power choices. I lead TFs more actively then most, and the only people I ever kick are those who think bitching at others about how they play or try to back seat lead. My prime directive when I lead is you do your thing as good as you can and do not fear failing because I wont let us fail. IMO a leader should always be able to carry any team he leads if they end up lacking in some way. The person who builds so caleld perfect teams isnt a leader he is looking for minions to carry his own weakness. When on I trials I will stick with my group unless I see a need to be other places. Ive been assigned to one AV only to see that DPS was sorely lacking on the other and do my own thing from then on adapting to the need rather then waiting for orders. When teams are clearing the street I solo the turrets to speed things up abit. The fact is the best teams are comprised of those who dont need a team to do what an avg 8 man team can barely do. We who can and choose to lead are doing so as a public service, when we lend our power to other teams we are doing that team a service. The OP clearly understands his chosen AT and power sets well and the choice to use group fly on an MM especially on bots is always the right choice and the sign of a better builder. He has every right to feel annoyance and even contempt for those too ignorant of the game to know about Null the Gull yet think they know how to play his character more optimally then he does. You want to be of use to the team and community, rather then bitch at others and tell them how to play their toons, focus on playing yours and being good enough to adapt rather then QQing and demanding they leave or quitting yourself. If you cant, dont bother teaming at all. As leaving groups in a huff will get you on ignore. So if you want to be seen as heroic, roll with the punches, adapt to every situation, and focus on what you do, not what your team mates do.

Ah armchair shrinking, how very civil of you. You know so much as suggesting someone has a mental disorder is very much against these forums rules right? You basically undermine yourself as some kind of good sort by making such statements.

what IO sets and specials do is not relevant, as the game is never meant to be balanced around IOs, nor are any design decisions made about powers, their effects or what someone might choose to slot into the power. Also many AT have access to a dmg resist power in an ancillary pool. If not 2. You seem to be pushing the tough is a unique option that every build will take for a IO mule. Even if that is why people take a power, that reason is not to be a reason to alter the power, remove the power, or not add more power options. I know its hard, but you very much do need to learn to ignore IOs and what they do when talking about powers, as theya re not relevant to any discussion about adding or altering powers. When we discuss power suggestions like this, you have to treat it like the pure SO pre IO era as that is what the game balances around for the sake of those who choose to only use vendor SOs and ignore IOs and crafting which a great many do.