Sanguinesun

That sounds a bit elitist there, unless you want development and feedback to turn into more of an epistemic bubble. Or is that the goal?

90% of this game, as it is with HC, is truly casual so of course letting concept or themes be your guide is perfectly normal. Challenges start to arise when someone wants to put that frame of thinking into specific goal oriented needs from which conflicts arise that can lead to either a necessity to compromise or completely scrap in favor of building around specific play goals instead. However, also creativity can play a large part in things. One doesnt have to make a rad based powers toon and feel boxed in with it being "radiation" for example, especially when color customization can make things look different for the most part (green to black for example). Turning off characters at specific exp levels in the manner you described from a narrative standpoint sounds like roleplaying considerations so again, that's going to be something that then narrows to varying degrees the characters but since one can play content once 50 at the lower levels and your powers are restricted accordingly, there's less reasons to just simply stop a toon in its leveling in its tracks at those levels. Remember, levels really are not part of the narrative really, they're the practicality aspects of the meta of the game that were implemented as a progression (and originally to keep you subbed). As for avoiding beta server, its function is to allow players to test either their ideas/build plans, content etc as they wish or any upcoming beta testing needs with changes/content of the game. It is then simply a tool one chooses to use and toons made there are not allowed to be transfered to the other servers in the game. Insta pvp toons aren't the same as the beta server ones as they are restricted to pvp primarily and other imposed restrictions. They were/are simply there as an attempt to get people to pvp, as it is for the most part a very very niche thing on HC. Its not set up to be a tool to test things with the same capabilities as the beta server nor should it be. Again you're mainly a theme focused player and that is ok. Many people play as they wish and that's one of the strengths of the game.

1. Build with specific goals in mind. If your answer is "do everything" then understand that there's no such thing(intentionally in this game). You may be seeing lots of builds but maybe needing to more succinctly understand what those build goals are for. Someone with general post 50 game play (causal hami, MSR, itrials, any task force that suits your fancy etc) can use most any suggested builds but if you're going to focus on more challenging content where each member of the team requires min/maxing and meeting the role needs based on the dynamics the team brings, then you're going to need a completely different consideration(keep in mind that arguably less thant 10%(if that) of the player base engage in those either. If you're attempting to build an influence farming toon, that's also another specific min/max variation for some ATs. There is a spectrum of considerations. 2. Most players settle on specific single target and AoE attack chains(though again see point 1 how that can be different) and not taking every single power that is available in the prim/sec. This is because depending on how you build, you're going to likely be doing ore damage in those chains, more effectively vs spreading your build out too thin. It does seem counter intuitive to not take all powers within your sets but the game intentionally wants you making choices due to you having more options than you can choose from. Remember, this game was originally a paid subscription game and designing things in this manner was one small ingredient to keeping people engaged/sub'd. You can have the same AT, same prim/sec but build completely different ways per goals of playing or just one's curiosity/enjoyment. 3. In relation to point 1 and 2, how you slot and how you choose your Invention Origin Enhancement sets is important. Not just for damage but endurance management, heals, def/res, and more. 4. Again there is no cookie cutter you can be given. This is actually intentional by the game/devs originally live and now HC as well. This is why there is such a variety to builds and somewhat even within the min/max options for specific game play. 5. As you know, there is a large guides section and each AT has their own individual subforums where builds and advice are most commonly given. Use the mids hero planner, learn it well, and create builds then (specifying your goals) and post them in their respective AT's subforum for suggestions and discussions. 6. Play the game. The more you play a variety of content and understand how different compositions of teams and their dynamics affect play, this can also better help shape your build considerations(again depending on point 1). Often players who come here and make very generalized wants regarding a build are still relatively new/inexperienced with the game and even giving them a gen pop build for casual play(there are lots), they still can find themselves having a steep learning curve to actually use it in the game due to still needing to learn with work with teams and or content or just simply the person who made the build has a specific playstyle that wasnt informed well with the build they gave to someone else to use saying "this is a good build". 7. In relation to point 6, people will give builds but their considerations for it also may have confirmation bias vs true effectivity in mind either. I've seen people push specific builds saying xyz is the best but then failing to point out that such a build while leveling may be so so, post 50, it will have challenges... or vice versa(more often). Cross reference builds of similar goals/designs, ask questions, keep skepticism in mind, and trying things out. 8. Unlike when this game was live, leveling and building characters is extremely easy/fast. The true villain then for most players is the funds to do it... of which there are guides and methods on procuring influence and making that point a non issue. Some people use methods to fund their leveling easily to 50 (with general IO enhancements) while they level and then post 50 either decide to focus and fulling IO set kit out the character or park it and move on to playing something else. Leveling is in itself a casual affair so there's really little need to spend on sets as you level and just wait until post 50. That can be a big load off some people's minds because they've been lead to believe they -have to- IO set while they level which is silly.

So basically(as we well knew) you are admitting to intentionally seeking attention through pot stirring shenanigans. Expeditiousness seems favorable at this point....

Unless you elaborate and give specific examples and define this, it becomes a challenge to speak to any veracity of that. From my anecdotal experiences, the only cases I've seen --specifically-- new players find themselves receiving the ire of others has been in the cases of ignoring or not speaking up on understanding DFB badge runs or the last 2 mission challenges in Positron 1's task force. But again that's because of either not following instructions or not saying they werent familiar with how to do em. So again, unless you speak specifically to exactly what that all entailed, its not much to go on.

Yeah, not a small number of people have diantane's main account's global(at least) on ignore due to their shenanigans over the years. It is also likely why they're getting less invites/responses that they were ranting about too 😛

1. Different tanks have different performances with different contexts. This can have a bearing on answers that some have touched upon. There is categorically no tank combination that is a do-all. This is why answers and justifications will vary. So think more readily on and in context to your goals and then make a tank built for those specific goals. League, 4stars, farming etc all can have different variations that are more optimal with specific Prim/Sec, IO sets, incarn choices and more. 2. There's a soft cap for defense but it can go super high beyond the soft cap and I think you know that already. To this end, I've seen discussion by the 4 star ITF croud who run toons on their team where the caps on resistances are hit and then the team as a whole is designed with helping to ensure every member on the team has adequate defenses as they do their dances with mobs. One of their tanks in the past they used was a Rad/Ice for example due again to the make up of their group (rad is one of the easier to actually 90% cap in everything except cold). So again point 1's context with goals applies. ------------- As for farming, people have already mentioned as well and discussed in various threads including the guide's section one for building farmers/maps, but overall in a min/max consideration for farming infl per hour, Tank builds have the higher propensity for that since the changes (going 3 years ago now?... cant remember). Many of the tank AoE's now hit 16 targets vs that of 10 max for brutes. So while Tanks(after the damage buff) are still slightly under that of brutes in their optimal fury conditions, hitting 6 more mobs has the math favor them. But it sounds like you're trying as I mentioned to make a do-it-all tank which really is a pit people tend to fall into when trying to make tanks sadly. Though you can farm of course with a tank focusing on most all caps, decent defense etc, (non tanks/brutes farm too, just with much less optimal clear times of course) shooting for a do-it-all is less optimal, jack of all trades master of none if you will because you're going to sacrifice damage and other things in the process.

I see Diatane is being their typical inane self as usual. There's no need for folks to debate you on yet another one of your nonsense threads. Besides, didn't you make a hallmark drama thread of your intentions to quit CoH?

Attempting to translate through the roleplay, I assume when you say tired that you're experiencing endurance issues as you level or even post 50. That's normal and most all sets will have various issues of endurance management with some getting better/worse as you flesh it out. However all issues in these regards can be mitigated once you've made a proper build of IO sets post 50 and have your incarnates done. But... you also need to have learned through your experiences while playing the toon to not just simply button mash and full toggle everything with the expectation that endurance will be fine. Part of learning your toon is on how to manage expectations. That said, of the melee sets, savage has an inherent ability to reduce endurance costs, and increases recharge rate for the toon. While its not the top in terms of damage(see ston's thread on the forums on melee sets on AT's and their damage capabilities) it can be one that makes one feel less endurance strained. Given your thematic interest in moles and their digging prowess, perhaps this may be a thematic match as well. As for Armor sets, again some do better with endurance management that others and you'll have to decide what best matches you. If you're looking for good resistance cap coverate once 50 and you've properly IO set kitted your build, Rad can hit 90% on all types but cold. It additionally has of course 2 aoe powers that double for other utility needs of heal and endurance recovery as well. But ultimately if you're just causally playing(as 95% of the player base are) then anything chosen is going to just be fine as long as it fits your themes and you're managing expectations accordingly keeping in mind each AT and power set combinations have different peaks and valley's of challenges as they level and post 50 . If you're not using the hero planner application known as Mids Reborn, I suggest downloading it and using it to help you. Or alternatively(or additionally) remember you can get on the beta server and it lets you auto level to 50 toons, gives you any enhancements and money for free as well so you can test how a toon runs per any build you may design.

I said your elitist slip is showing, meaning you conduct yourself with elitism in mind regarding your opinions for players in these things. Splitting hairs perhaps but there's no right way for you to defend the wrong thing.

As for AE, you Im sure already you know about the guide in the guides section that has extensively discussed tanks for optimal infl per hour ratios for AE farming clearing. Rad as an armor set for S/L is easy to build for and has its 2 aoes too and considered the current top meta for -active- S/L farming. But for those that may not be familiar with it, here's a link to it in the guides section: But ice isnt optimal. Can it farm? Absolutely, 100%. Is it the most optimal in terms of inf per hour? Absolutely not. Is it so low that its a discouragement for use for farming? No of course not. Again its just not at the top of the list. Rad/MA sits currently based on testing as the better inf/hour farmer for -active- farming. Of course there are plenty of other combo's of tanks that people use for farming. Many combos of rad/ for SL. Axe, staff, fire(since its more aoe as a tank than a brute), thorns(classic) and more. Then there's the fire/ famers too with different combos. There's also plenty of brutes that still farm too be it s/l or fire(more typically). One doesnt have to have min/max'd and gotten all their sets and accolades in place to start farming. It just at its base requires hitting the damage type cap for the mobs the farm uses and choosing a map right for the toon. You just simply dont set +4/8 to start and ramp it up as you get better sets, accolades and other things. Or you spend some influ to get the start boosts to help too. At any rate, such toons will farm but again not with the highest inf/hour. And this is before you even talk about people who buck the norms and farm with non tank/brute combos as well. But as you go down the list of sets and AT's, the infl/hour starts to drop and in some cases dramatically. THis is just simply because clearing can still happen, but it just goes slower is all so the inf/hour ratio becomes less. Point all being, this is nothing new in terms of capabilities to farm. Its about ones desires for inf/hour. For some its a mini game of math unto itself really. ------------------------------- As for rad/ice as a whole: Rad/Ice has been a strong combo as a tank for a long time and if memory serves those guys that used to do videos on the forums back when ITF 4 star started used to speak about using Rad/Ice tanks then in some of their min/max teams. The combination has alot of utility to it. But again all this is nothing new but glad you've come to find it makes you happy.

Its not an issue as you make it out to be though, really. Careful, your elitist slip is showing..... Farmers be they afk or active are an important(yes I said it: important) part of the game as it currently stands. And Im not talking in terms of leveling either. Without them,as the current game stands, you'd see it tank(pun not intended) really badly.

You cant hard code social dynamics. That's the rookie dev mistake many games learned the hardway years ago.... Life finds a way 😛

No. Its just Freedom in costume. 😛

Never stated it they would be shuttered out of financial concerns....

It was an amateur decision to implement it really because this sort of thinking with other games tended to never work out either. People who want to play a game that has a stronger incentive to play group content are going to gravitate towards the server(s) with the most players. What it ended up being is a method to return to the pleveling methods that were diminished years ago with changes to xp gains with then people transfering those toons back to the populated servers. I'd say more than anything else, that's the primary reason for their stopping it. I suspect there may be server closures in the coming months too since outside of forced pushing of players from Excelsior out of congestion concerns, I dont ever see those low pop servers ever becoming decently populated ones. Right now the combined numbers of people concurrently playing on torch reunion and indom are just a sliver below the concurrent players on Everlasting. And everlasting is around a third of the players numbers currently on Excelsior. As for the lack of transparent communication on the forums here regarding the change coming, well, that's just par for the course.

Im gonna assume this is mainly about Excelsor so A few things: 1. Griefers happened. One specific individual who also likes to do similar in PI started causing trouble for the leagues in the form we see every year and of which HC's Dev team says is otherwise ok. Leagues started even incanning to other parts of the map with same/similar buildings(some even better actually) and this individual would simply fly around until they were found and the stalking continued. Over the weekend for example one league moved 6 times in the span of an hour. 2. Lots of newer folks this year or returnees from live started favoring the traditional spots on PI thinking they're better(the motel nor PI itself actually isnt ideal but that's whole other discussion). People go where the crowds are reguardless. 3. Some groups still run in KW, moving around but usually only at peak times or weekends peak times this month partly because. 4. People by this point have grown weary of the whole thing, especially when the PI groups aren't toting much and instead GM hunting most of the time. There's actually started to be less folks as well. Also because of all the different factors only a limited number of people are leading leagues(and its the same ones each day due to the burn out both in terms of above and just the length of the event of course. 5. With points 1 and 4, its become a streisand effect. People complaining are actually motivating the worst folks to keep at it.

While one can be their own best resource, one can also be their own worst enemy.

Your guide and multiple writings on this issue aside, sometimes there are reasons you cannot micro manage for. Also, sometimes when a group leader doesnt always get that the rest of the team may not be in agreement with what you want them to do. And lastly, people are creatures of habit. If most of the time on teams once mish was completed, they move on for expediency and so out of a force of habit, they'll click to exit. Lots of variables that you cannot always account for. I think years of this happening and your getting upset can account for that and you're likely just going to have to approach things from a different angle perhaps.

With AE farming, it is (like with various other aspects of the game) tied to the variables around you. 1. Your toon build being optimized for damage output in an aoe fashion to as many mobs as possible (to of course try to clear as fast as possible) while also have a decent single target chain (for boss/Elite boss needs). This does not include skittle chewing or S.T.A.R.T boosters either of course. The often debated tank vs brute argument for example due to the brutes higher damage output but (very much depending on the attack powers mind you) the tanks ability to hit 16 targets with some aoe's vs a brutes 10(causing in some cases the math to favor a tank's clearing) or the tanks capability to build for resistances easier to devote more in damage or other IO set bonus needs for the build and thus thinning the gap damage wise between the two even more(yes this is with the knowledge of tanks/brute changes that occurred a few years ago to already narrow that gap). I've seen people claim their toon is optimal for ae farming BUT then when looking at their builds, seeing that they've taken travel powers(vs other powers more optimal for farming... you can just take an s.t.a.r.t travel instead as if you're a true farming toon, you're never really leaving pocket d or similar ae area really), dont have much in terms of IO sets, no incarnates or incarnates not well done, no accolades or only some related to bettering their builds for farming etc. 2. Their capability (or not) of the toon to clear effectively up to EB's(or not.... some make builds more at ease with up to bosses instead per point 1). 3. The map. Not in terms of whether it has boss or up to EB's but in terms of easy it is to move across(all flat vs extremely varied terrain which can eat movement time), how the mobs spawn in that space on the map(spread out so more time moving between), and how much mobs spawn(or not). It also is a factor in long vs short maps. If you're using shorter maps your time -between- transitioning resets of the maps diminishes your exp for some people vs if their variables with these points factored would better favor bigger maps where they stay longer constantly killing. 4. How the mobs are designed in relation to the AT's damage resistances(or not) as well as trying to (due to the AE limitations) the needs to take various abilities in order to fully get 100% value for minions, LT's, boss, and EB's. Some people design min lt to be 100% for example but fail to make the boss/EB's 100%. You'd only know this from analising the exp/influence rewarded on kill and cross comparing with other maps. One would be surprised how many "oh use xyz map" suggestions have less than optimal xp/inf for mobs OR have dipped into power sets making mobs harder to take down because of what they dipped into. Additionally, some have designed mobs to cater to their play pace/AT style specifically (part of point 5) and thus killing the mobs for them is (as they perceive it) easy but for others that do not do the same as them be much harder or even ineffective. I for example know people who still play some of the older AE FF maps that mobs still have the -def abilities because they chew skittles and other things like there's no tomorrow. 5. Boosts as mentioned above. People, even in guides, speak to -needing- to use those boosts to be capable of clearing as they suggest, but yet they also, especially in influence terms, gloss over how that is an expenditure that (were this like a business) eats into your profits. Some people claim their xyz build, map choice, and those expenditures for boosts still have them have better exp/inf per hour that has them being more profitable in the long run, I dont find the evidence to their claims to be as compelling as they make them out to be. 6. Misc. Experienced boosters people have already addressed, whether they log their toon out(easy enough at AE) at a day job for boosts (rare but some have so many farmers they rotate between them per their day job exp boosted meters). Indom or similar for the higher rates. Etc etc etc. 7. The player. This is one of the main variables that cannot be accounted for and also has a lot to do with how and why there are so many differences in exp/inf per hour that have been seen every time these sorts of threads or discussions on the guides related to them occur. People's choices of clearing routes, their choices in how they chain their attacks, their choices related to other things in above points, their reaction time, their mistakes that may cause them to die or have to take a longer pause in time to get their killing pace back in full swing, etc. -------- So when someone says they use xyz map clearing xyz influence per hour, I think on the above and more variables. Rare occasions I'll test their claims(finding in almost ---every--- case there is a discrepancy in those claims even when following said claim to the letter. When I say discrepancy too I dont mean small ones like a variation of a 10's of thousands or less xp/inf, but in the millions or in much much longer clear times. Human factor mentioned in point 6 can account for some marginal variation or discrepancies but when it much larger, it then starts to make one consider that claims were potentially either inflated or that other variables were not transparent with their claims. With all that said then as a whole, people are going to farm as they wish invariably. There are people for example who pride themselves on farming with blasters or other AT's and even dragging their other toons in multiboxing tow with them on one map, or any other combination of factors. It's then what ever floats their boat really. But always when individuals start claiming they've the most optimal way and throwing out their xp/inf numbers per hour, my spidey skepticism senses start tingling. 😛

Actually AE methods are going to be faster than tot per hour because of: 1. ToT teams having exp diluted from non leagued leeches. 2. Dynamics of numbers of members per team changing often through out the hour(as exp goes up and down). 3. ToT teams that spend (sometimes more than tot'ing) time hunting GMs, which reduces the consistency of the tot exp. 4. Banners, zombie etc events that spawn and have much less exp. etc etc. Even the first week of April's mapserve event is actually faster exp overall(yes even with the zone/side transitions) than the halloween event. For me, if exp optimizing is the core basis, then the compelling evidence still suggests AE is more by a considerable margin.

People have been reporting them every day, multiple times a day since the CoC changed. People have been also complaining about it for as long on discord. Its gotten to the point that this happening even this year since the update to the CoC that its less a reflection of their actions and more a reflection of the intentional inactions of the ones who had made it seem this individual would be held accountable this year but that's categorically not been the case.

Except the issue people are getting upset with in the ToT leagues in PI and Kalista Warf is that its 1 person who -NEVER- joins the leagues there and multiboxes their MM's -every year- all day and every day of the event for years now who then teleports away the EB's into the middle of their parked multiboxing mms to kill/tag.

GMs may request that you cease multiboxing during events such as the Winter and Halloween events. If only that was actually enforced. Same person every year multiboxes in PI for 8-10+ hours a day. This year though they've been also dropping on Kalista Warf as well one of their mms. They also teleport away mobs from groups fighting around the motel/spot in KW most usually league at and drop them in the middle of his multi boxing too. But reporting them for it does nothing, like every year.

1. Use mids or the ptr server to test out(as you can spawn any IO and build to 50 for free) to find potential improved builds for your play style. Lots of bonuses from sets for helping endurance management either in recovery boosting or endurance discounting. Just only doing general IO's for end redux isn't as effective as what can be garnered through set use. 2. Incarnates fully done(part of the build stuff in point 1 though really. 3. Improve potential management of your toggles. You dont need to necessarily run all toggles all the time depending on what you've got going. Also be mindful to manage your power use otherwise. 4. Beyond such general things as a whole, we cannot give you specific advice due to your not providing specific build information from which to give you feedback. Every character is different and with different play goals so its really impossible to give much more specific help.