Six-Six

I'm not part of the min-max camp, so here's my two inf: I've seen many builds in which the character is built to every detail including every mod. I tend to build my toons so that they have enough def/res to survive a hit or two. I play mostly blappers and brutinators so they like to get into the thick of things even with very little inherent def/res. That said, I spend a lot of time and effort chasing down set bonuses to get enough def (around 20-25%) and/or res (45% or so). I'll also make sure I'm not winded after every tangle, so taking care of recovery at around level 20-30 takes next priority. last I build is damage (sometimes I make do with just an accuracy SO slotted until 30-40. starting at level 30, enemies will keep getting stronger (as well as my personal mandatory notoriety settings escalation), so I keep on piling damage towards the higher levels. I also tend to prefer single attacks over AoEs and PBAoEs. I prefer to build or convert IOs as I receive each recipe. I'm worse. I prefer to have the proc of an IO in multiples of 5 (level 10, 15, 20, 25...). Also I take the IO's name into consideration. I will slot Thunderstrike in an elec toon, and slot Detonation and Artillery in an AR toon. Most IO recipes I craft, convert and sell so I can buy the attuned ones that I want or need. some of the pricier ones, like def and res IOs I craft regardless of level and buy a catalyst. the free recipe drops + free (or very cheap) salvage + catalyst is usually cheaper than a 4-6million one from the AH. Would this make my character so weak that it would be worthless in an endgame group? The game is more than just numbers and meta. strategy and play style also factors in. I rarely use purples or PVP sets other than the popular globals and procs or even ATOs. I just stick to yellows (uncommon) and oranges (rare) sets and I can still hold my own as long as I'm not ganked... and this is on +1 at 20 and +4 at 50. Some uncommon sets are just as good as rares, and some have set bonuses that are better for my build. If by "endgame group" you're referring to iTrials and league-sized undertakings, then a build that lets you survive enough to see the next mob is good enough. If it lets you do what you like to do (buff or heal a teammate, debuff or cc a mob, obliterate anything that moves) you're good to go. If you meant "level 53 radio missions in PI" then SOs would suffice in the steamroll-a-fest. "Worthless" is a slippery slope of self depreciation. No, the team doesn't NEED you there and won't miss you if you're not there; but being there and doing whatever small part adds to everyone's fun, especially if you yourself are having fun... unless you're an ass-hat, then go have fun by yourself. 😉

If you're sticking strictly to SOs here's a "loose" guide that I follow (not a rule): slot attack powers with at least 1 accuracy-- a high damage, high recharge attack is no damage if it doesn't hit. I usually prioritise slotting attacks in this order: accuracy, then end reduction, then recharge, then damage slot toggles with at least 1 end reduction. check the power stats with the Show Detail button on top to see which ones will leave you gasping. (don't overlook Sprint) 2 end mod in stamina is usually enough to get by you'll find an Interrupt SO that's supposed to lessen interrupt time. I've found this effect to be negligible. lastly, keep in mind the law of diminishing returns which practically limits you to 3 of a kind of any SO. (I will sometimes stick 3 end redux in an end guzzler power)

Here's little more detail on what Errants said. You can: Pick all the Huntsman (rifle) primaries and leave the two others untouched. Pick all the Bane (mace) primaries and leave the two others untouched. Pick all the crab (crab back pack) primaries and leave the two others untouched. You can also do the same with the secondaries, although I think given the power choices, I think you'll run out of options and will have to mix and match anyway. Once you pick a power from crab primary OR secondary, you'll be locked out of bane primary and secondary choices and vice versa. Huntsman will always be available. Because of that, you can mix Huntsman + bane OR huntsman + crab as long as you don't overlap certain powers (i.e. Venom Nade as Errants pointed out) One thing to note that since you'll have 2 builds (3 at 50), if you choose a crab in any of the builds all of your builds will show the crab backpack even if say build 2 is pure bane, huntsman or bane-huntsman mix. P.S. the same goes for Night widows, Blood widows and Fortunatas.

I think what you're doing is awesome 😃

are you referring to Pillar missions? if so, just go back to the pillar and restart it. if not, then you're probably talking about a regular contact who's got a story arc. Normally, once you've started a story arc 1) a book icon appears next to the contact, 2) you can take as long as you need/want to finish the entire arc without out levelling it. But if you've out levelled the contact (check the level ranges in the wiki) without starting an arc, then the only place you can go back to it is the Pillar of Ice and Flame. Of course, you can join another player doing the same arc, but you won't get the reward merits for it.

That makes it 4AM Sunday in my corner of the flat earth. Sounds doable. I'll prepare a sugar-rich offering to the internet deities.

It's really up to your play style. I toyed around with something similar (only training to level 10) and found that there are quite a lot of power combos in several ATs that are decent enough to be viable. I play mostly ranged or blapper-style + a small bit of def/res and at one time I had more than 10 of these projects. I had to delete them because they were just gathering dust. But suffice it to say that there were enough combinations to even accommodate thematic pairings and not go pure meta.

I have a handful of toons that gain XP but don't train, hence they remain at level 1; I also have a few that only train until 10. I suppose you can say they're for RP, but RP solely for inside my head. the level 10s are my gimped toons whose powers didn't fully manifest. They're limited powers ranks them just above regular humans. The level 1's are my ubergimped: only T1/T2 primary, T1 secondary, brawl, sprint, stamina and health with one slot each (no P2W powers and no rest). nonetheless, they're trying to get through (select) missions with their limited powers.

Oi Kemosabe, AbovetheChemist. Been a while. Haven't been blessed by the internet gods with a decent connection lately so I've been trying out different times to log in to see which works best. I've also been quite invested in my Redside permadeath PB, just dinged 40 earlier. This is after (finally) completing a Hardcore Beam/Dev Blaster (twice... thank you very much, didn't get proof before he died after t4 alpha, so I did him over). MGD is still parked at thirty something. Gave him a new costume that's more Riders-appropriate... and renamed to Gallows. 😃 Another SG mate, Black Talon, and I bump into each other quite a lot.

I just wish they'd give more epic/patron powers that reflect the primaries (secondaries for tanks/fenders).

It's not a bug, it was just ignorance. I suggest you consult the wiki regarding contacts' level ranges. Once you start an arc, you can finish it beyond the level cap. Sometimes the mission difficulty will cap as well though.

Again, you are correct. 😃 Sorry for the OP for our brief digression.

Ya, you're absolutely right, it is a waste. Especially if you stop to think how much inf you're throwing down the drain every level or so. However, what you call a levelling build is a big part of the fun for me. I rarely play end game and the challenge is making the most of what I got. Surprisingly, I've never found myself to be low on inf. The market gods have probably blessed me =)... if only that would translate IRL haha. But yeah, an end redux in base slots usually work for my armoured toons. Doms and blasters, however have almost no armour to speak of, so I tend to chase set bonuses. We do agree on the priority of slotting (acc, end, dmg). though I tend to build damage after I've sorted out recovery and feel that I have enough def/res to handle a tangle.

I hope this helps, though the closest I play to melee are blappers, doms and PBs. On almost all of my toons: I would pick up 3-4 attacks as early as I can. This includes Box/Kick to open up Tough and Weave later. I'll just slot an accuracy SO in each and make do with those until the 20s. Remember, you have beginners luck until 20, and accuracy & to hit reality sets in after that. Sometimes, end reduction is needed, but usually acc is enough. After the attacks, I'd work on building some defense, and this depends on the AT and power combos. This usually takes until mid-20s. tertiary pool def and res tend to leave me gasping, so I put an end reductiion SO in them just to keep them in check. Then later I slot 2 end mod SOs in stamina. In general, I tend to postpone end-hungry powers until I get my recovery sorted out. That strong attack or awesome toggle isn't much use if it sucks the life out of me in the middle of a battle. I would stick to SOs until 35-40 when SO benefits start to equal IOs. Also most of the IOs I often use open up at 27 and I barely have any slots to make things run smoothly anyway. I find level 20-40 the most fun since it's a balancing act between slots, end, the right power choices and the enemies you'll face. I also tend to go +1 at 20 and +2 at 30. This seems to be the best difficulty to XP gain/time ratio for me. So at 20+ and 30+ my attack pattern and strategy usually changes to reflect the powers I have available to me.

Yes, I suppose. But I'm struggling to find how your comment relates to the original post. Besides, how do you miss intentionally?

I think this happens already. From what I've noticed, I'm able to pull a single enemy from a mob without aggro-ing the others. Of course, I can only pull the ones on the outskirts as opposed to the ones in the middle. I'm able to do this with a weak ST attack even when I'm not stealthed or hidden. the bloke runs to me (even when he's standing right next to another bloke). when he gets a certain distance away from the mob, I kill him with stronger attacks. The second he dies, the ones closest to him notice me.

Other than starting your own TF or running it with known accomplices as I've mentioned, I have another suggestion for you. Do hardcore permadeath. when dying even once is prohibited, you'll see +0 mobs in a very different light.

Trying to read between the lines here, it seems like you're not complaining about how easy or unchallenging PUG TFs are, but instead are unhappy about being sheep forced to follow someone else's idea of fun. The obvious solution is to step up and start your own. Set your own difficulty. Most of them are doable solo regardless of your AT. It boils down to how good your build is and how well you strategise. Or, what I've found to be the most enjoyable is to form a team WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW, more specifically people whose play style you know. a 3- or 4-man team brings out the best in team dynamics. Bottom line is, the game itself is easy anyway you look at it. It's up to you to make it challenging. Don't rely on others for your fun.

@Clave Dark 5 I was referring to @Spaghetti Betty's reply and how she rationalises it. Oh, and I forgot to mention. I usually proc out my MM henchmen instead of slotting for damage.

The general rule I use for my toons is 1) if it's a major power, I slot it straight forward often 6-slotting an entire set (most of which come with a proc anyway). 2) if It's a power that accepts different IOs, then I go with Betty's logic. So it's funner for me to find a power I can Frankenslotting to squeeze every bit out of it. 3) if it's a meh power, but part of my rotation (like T1 and T2 primaries of blasters which I always take) then a proc makes a big difference... sometimes doubling the damage. and finally, if there's a power that has a goldilocks recharge as GM Kal pointed out (though I rarely do the math) then I try to stick a proc in it if I can. Often, I would slot to address a power's acc, end, recharge, damage... in that order of priority. Once the power has been fine-tuned to my rotation, and I have slots to spare then I stick a proc in. Also, I tend to use procs thematically. For example, my Kheldian would rather slot Touch of Death +chance of negative energy damage instead of Mako's lethal... because Kheldians are energy creatures. Similarly, my DP/Ninja would lean towards lethal. Some of my favourite procs are the utility ones like -recharge, -res, +hold, +disorient that give my damage powers something extra or +psionic damage for the otherwise damageless hold/cc powers

one of my early fave blappers, so much so that I have 2 of them. I didn't take much of the primaries since I found them slow to animate, so I rely mostly on the t1, t2, snipe + melees of the secondary. quite enjoyable indeed. clicky, yes, but still enjoyable and stronk. Unfortunately, I don't use MIDs and I'm too lazy to type out the build. on most of the slotting, I tried to build for range def to offset the immobs and stuns. I'll need to revisit the build since I haven't played them after the new IOs (which I utilise a lot one recent builds) were released. Let me see if I can be motivated enough to post the build on a later date.

Incidentally, I've heard (from someone who knows someone) that a certain faction within the CoT are merging with some Carnival folk. They will hence be known as the Circle of Thongs.

a few of my favourite doms are mind/savage, elec/elec and dark/martial. each one has a slightly different play style, but I don't know if that's due to the powers or my utter noobness. all are fun in their own way. I tried Ice/Ice, but it doesn't really do it for me. haven't tried plant or thorns yet.

This has happened to one of my toons as well. It was definitely the first arc, the Badge mission. I had GW as my patron contact. But before I could get to the end, I helped a friend complete their patron (BS) arc. Doing so should've awarded me with the Stinger badge and opened up the 4 patron pools. Nay to both. I don't know if it was because I had an active patron arc or if it was because my toon was a Praetorian refugee. Had to settle for a blue epic pool. =(

Yes, putting boosted IOs in the AH is one way to remove the boosts.