Rathulfr

I hear this a lot, and it's true about the melee sets, but not the ranged sets. The ranged sets usually have defense as their 6th-slot bonus, and many ranged builds are trying to maximize defense (usually ranged or typed). This is also true of the Blaster and Sentinel ATO sets. So the 6th-slot bonus in the ranged sets are not "meh" -- they're usually pretty significant, which means my ranged builds don't get the luxury of sacrificing the 6th slot for procs. For example, I can't give up on the ranged defense bonuses in the 6th-slot of Thunderstrike, so my single-target attacks with Thunderstrike slotted keep KB, because it would cost too much ranged defense (2.5%, which is more than CJ, Hover, or Stealth alone) to give up that 6th slot. But in Nova I've got Superior Avalanche 5-slotted and the 6th slot holds the Sudden Acceleration KB-to-KD proc. Doing this costs me a little bit of typed damage defense (fire/cold), but that's worth it to spare me the b*tching I get from team mates whenever I use Nova.

This. Whenever I get an oddball character concept in my head that I suspect will be a slog from levels 1 to 22-27, I logon to my second account's spines/fire brute and drag him through Comic Con once or twice to get over that hump and slot level 25 or 30 common IOs. That usually takes about 15-30 minutes. (Hell, I spend more time than that in the character creator, so a max of 30 minutes farming is no sweat.) Then, I play the oddball character from 22+ until it's no longer fun or 50, whichever comes first. I usually figure it out by playing the char up to levels 32-38. I've never PL'ed an alt all the way up to 50, because then I'd have no idea how to play it properly at 50. This is also one of the reasons I don't usually play much on Pineapple, except to try out new builds on already established characters. (BTW: thanks so much for setting up the account sync so I can clone existing chars to beta now!)

As a fellow Energy² Blaster (since I2), I can confirm that the sound effect of Sniper Blast no longer syncs with its animation when triggered by fast snipe. Sure, it's annoying, but not so much that I'd call it "NOT FUN".

I usually run PUG mission teams at +4x8 for XP, but I run PUG TFs at +0x1 for quickest completion. Most people running the classic TFs just want to knock them out for the TF Commander badge/accolade. Post-Numina TFs don't count for TF Commander, so those TFs runs vary, depending on what the group wants to do (anywhere between +0x1 to +4x8). iTrials also fall into this category: some people just want to knock 'em out quick, and a few want the challenge of tougher fights.

Mine is too, so I will sulk with you. 😋

My current Ill/FF controller is this. So I appreciate the pending change.

I think the poster meant that increasing the AoE range on all AoE attacks in general, so that targets can't be knocked back out of AoE range. For example, if someone lays down an anchored debuff AoE with increased range, then setting off a Nova next to the anchor wouldn't blow everyone out of range of the debuff.

Yes, but it's still a cone. 😒

Eh, whatever. I think your definition of "slippery slope" is a bit more pedantic and technical than mine. I may have been less than optimally precise about it, but that might be because I don't think it's been that big a deal. But then again, I play Energy Blast on only 3 of my top 5 toons, so I'm rarely exposed to much anti-KB prejudice. Perhaps if I played a Peacebringer I'd be more upset about it. First they came for the Kheldians, and I said nothing, for I was not a Kheldian. Then they came for the Storms, and I said nothing, for I was not Storm. Then they came for the Energy Blasts ...

Please note that Captain Marvel is playing solo, and using a single-target KB. 😉

My first character back in Issue 2 was an Energy² Blaster, and knockback was one of the reasons I loved it enough to play it for 8 years as my main. It's also the first character I re-created on Homecoming. So I'm definitely in the "Pro-KB" camp. However, I have seen the wisdom of using the OF/SA IO procs in my AoE KB powers, Explosive Blast and Nova (I don't take Energy Torrent, because I hate cones in general). But I still like to keep KB in my single-target attacks. I support the idea of giving players some kind of global KB-to-KD option, as long as it doesn't take away my options to keep KB in my ST attacks and KD in my AoEs, without compromising set bonuses. I also agree with @Steampunkette's slippery-slope argument: when we give players the option to globally convert KB to KD, then that "option" will soon become "required" to join teams, which is effectively "mandatory". There have already been discussions about it in this thread. The fact of the matter is this: knockback is part of the fundamental design of the game, and a key feature of many ATs and power sets. This is why the original devs so vehemently resisted adding an SA-like proc IO in the first place, and only in the later life of the game did they limit it to OF, which is a unique set (only one per build). The bottom line is simple: knockback is a feature, not a bug (even if you don't happen to like it). It's something that all players -- solo or teamed -- need to learn to live with if they plan to play the game as designed. Sometimes I feel like these supposedly innocuous proposals to make it "optional" are just a backdoor means of breaking the cottage rule (don't alter the fundamental design characteristics of an existing power, set, or AT).

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. If NCSoft has rock-solid control over the "brand" of City Of Heroes, then they also have control over how that brand might be licensed to approved vendors, which might include Homecoming. It would be awful if NCSoft and Homecoming spent all that effort on hammering out a licensing agreement, only for some other media conglomerate to come along with their own trademark claim to a "City of Heroes" brand. For example, hypothetically speaking, Disney could open a Marvel theme park and call it "City of Heroes", with their own trademark. That would put both NCSoft and Homecoming in a very difficult legal position. I doubt NCSoft is powerful enough to challenge Disney to a trademark battle after the fact, so it makes sense for them to secure that trademark a.s.a.p., before Disney (or anyone else) can snap it up. Like everyone else, I was honestly surprised they didn't already have it.

BTW: it should be noted that they filed an application for trademark -- which can be contested. NCSoft isn't guaranteed that their application will be approved, especially not if there's a contender willing to dispute it. Whether or not someone has the time, money, and energy to fight over the trademark is unknown at this point.

Two possible scenarios spring to mind: NCSoft needs to secure the trademark in order to insure they can license it to others with as few legal loopholes as possible. NCSoft wants to secure the trademark in order to strengthen their position against claims by others that they've abandoned it. The first one might be good news for Homecoming, because it means they're moving towards a legal agreement that benefits both parties. The second one might be bad news for Homecoming (and everyone else), because it means they're moving towards legal action against anyone infringing on their trademark (assuming they get one). (edit) Their lack of trademark might explain why they haven't yet taken any action on the rogue servers (including Homecoming).

I'm terrible at playing the market, and farming bores me to tears, so I just never seem to have enough. I've never had more than 250M on any one char at a time, usually spread across my "mains". I have only 3 level 50s that are fully-kitted out with complete IO sets (see sig below). I rarely have an alt that I love so much I believe it "deserves" a full IO set build-out. So I've ended up with another half-dozen 50s that are still running with common IOs plus a few (but not necessarily all) of the "essential" global/universal procs (Miracle +Rec, Numina's +Rec/Regen, Panacea +HP, Glad Armor +3% Def, Steadfast +3% Def, Unbreakable +HP, etc.). Ironically, this also includes my Spines/Fire Brute farmer, which I play rarely, and usually only to generate a few dozen million at a time to buy things for another alt that has my attention at the moment. I'm usually more interested in the alt than the farmer itself, so that particular cobbler's child goes with lousy shoes so the alt can get the shiny new ones, instead.

I'm afraid I have to agree with most of the replies here that indicate that your test was poorly designed, poorly executed, and produces invalid results. Sorry dude, you need to try harder to account for RNG, leverage more/different variables, and to include a larger sample size. You might want to try with higher-level characters on the test server, and use AE to create a mission with a standard enemy group and a map large enough to accommodate more than 100 targets for a larger sample. Be sure you enable combat logging and follow the exact same attacks/rotation with both ATs.

There are YouTubers whose monetization and entire business model are based entirely on this approach. 😜

I'd rather have bug fixes for powers before AH display glitches that are easily worked-around by simply re-clicking or clicking on the Find button.

Or you could just follow the links at Paragon Wiki? That's always worked for me. The Wiki tells you where everything is, and even gives you coordinates. That combined with VidiotMaps is all I ever need. https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Accolades

Dude, why so hostile?

There's a Mission Simulator? Where? How?

Priorities, man, priorities. Which would you rather have the devs spend time on: improving ATs and power sets, or fixing display glitches in the AH? Obviously, doing both would be nice, but with limited time and resources, which is really more important (especially since you can simply click the "Find" button a couple of times as a workaround)?

AC had the same mechanic. Some of the fondest memories I have of AC are the insanity of running around naked to recover gear from corpses. The value of gear determined what you lost with each death, so after awhile, everyone started buying and carrying expensive "death items", as insurance policies against losing equipped gear that wasn't easily replaced with just money. It was far better to lose a useless robe that cost 5X-10X more than your helmet, hauberk, or leggings, which you spent hours getting by grinding mobs for drops.

My first character was a Blademaster (which I quickly abandoned), and my second was an archer (I forget what they called those). That was the original "Rathulfr", which became my consistent handle for all other MMORPGs after that. I eventually ended up taking both Item and Creature Magic in order to play without pulling my hair out (precious little left back then, even less now).