Bionic_Flea

So, I've made it to 50 and still on SOs only. I discovered that the "UPGRADE" button only works up to 50 so I have to buy any extra ones or get them as drops. A few ITFs and BAFs netted me quite a few 52s and 53s. I made it to 50 running a few +4 Kill most ITFs with others. Even as a tank Cims were punishing and I died numerous times. On the BAF, however, with the larger teams and so many sources of buffs I felt sufficiently tanky and only died once when I got distracted and didn't heal in time. I have opened up and slotted all but Hybrid and am currently +2 in incarnate stuff and +1 in 45+ content. I went with Cardiac Radial, Degenerative Radial, Banished Pantheon Core, Ageless Radial, and Ionic Core. I'll take Assault radial when available. I've been soloing Maria Jenkins arc at +1/x8 and doing OK. I'm not unkillable, but if I'm careful, use powers and inspirations wisely, and occasionally run away I can do it. That said, it's still embarrassing to die, even alone, and especially on a tank. I thought about upgrading to level 50 IOs, but I went in to Mids and changed all the 53 SOs to level 50 IOs and the difference in defense, damage, and resistance was pretty negligible. ED eats most of the additional enhancement values. However, if I +5d everything I could get away with 2 slotting instead of 3 and that would open up a lot of changes, but would also require a respec and I don't want to buy all the boosters necessary. Not that I couldn't afford it, but I just don't think it's worth the hassle. I'd rather have a full set IO build on the second allowable build and keep the SO one for testing and comparison. If there would have been a bigger difference between 53 SOs and 50 generic IOs I might have made that a third build. I did breakdown and bought some P2W stuff. I've grown too accustomed to the bonus vet attacks and the convenient transportation options. But I did it all by self financing. It's amazing how much you can make just crafting and selling your drops and supplemented with buying, crafting, converting and selling low level set recipes. Last I looked, I had about 204 million. I'm happy to join lower level SO players, or invite folks to join me. I'm on most days but the time can vary day to day anywhere from 7am to 11pm eastern time depending on what's going on at work and home. It's very rare that I would be on before or after those times.

Just stopping in for a friendly reminder that there are PvP missions and zone events that can grant temp powers, the temps you can get from Vanguard merits, and, as ZemX noted, so do Safeguards/Mayhems. Of particular note is an Endurance Increase temp power from the Talos Island bank mission (either side). https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Endurance_Increase PS - Staff/Bio or Bio/Staff is a great build for leveling. All the stances really let you adapt to the situation.

Hey Ukase: are AE tickets and/or brainstorms that drop allowable? You could use those for random salvage rolls.

Psst . . . Vahz and Crey drop Science! Also: ZemX and I are all SO and on Excelsior if you want gimp buddies. 😛

What could go wrong?

Endurance modification drops are rarer than purples! They do drop, but very, very rarely. The only thing I can think of is doing one of those missions that give an SO table on mission or arc completion. Do those still exist? Even if they do, I don't remember if they had end. mod. But they probably didn't. Sorry, I wasn't very helpful. U-to-the-Max-kase! Ah ha! This is at least helpful information. https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Enhancements#Drop_Rates

I've been running on Excelsior. Just got to level 34 and got 50 million banked from selling low level crafted IOs. So far I've only played with ZemX, who has an Ice/Rad stalker. We've been running at +0/x6 and were doing quite well until we ran into a crazy ambush of Talons in First Ward that just kept coming with no break. Not bad for no IOs. Marine X made an SG, but Excelsior is my home server and I already have an SG, but I'm happy to coalition with "SO" SG. Comedic Flea is on my alt account, @Draconic Flea. Hit me up if you're in game!

WHO DARES TO SUMMON BIONIC FLEA? Oh, hi guys . . . yeah. "But Jimmy" is my thing. Look at my title!

I'm your private dancer, a dancer for monkey, do what he wants me to do . . .

Try again with 2 level 53 Acc/Dam HOs and 4 procs per attack. Oh, and musculature if you aren't using it already. I haven't done the math, but I think you are giving up too much scrapper attack damage for the procs.

Well, then I demand Netherite Armor and golden apples!

*Puts Luminara in timeout for language.*

It would be OK if limited. Like Tsoo Sorcerers - hurricane, a heal, TP, a few attacks, and they can cause havoc. It doesn't take all 9 buff/debuff powers, just one or two. Think about Flash Arrow for Warriors . . . Heat Shields and Heat Exhaustion from CoT Demons . . . Gang War and Wormhole from Family . . . etc. But yeah, hellions and skulls probably don't need more help, unless they were upgraded to higher levels!

You want to make enemy encounters more interesting and diverse? Give each NPC faction a Defender/Corrupter/Mastermind/Controller character with appropriate buffs/debuffs for their level.

If it reduces effectiveness at all, it seems to me that it will be regarded as painful. Why should I nerf myself? Nostalgia, challenge, or reward are the only three reasons I can think of. And of those, reward seems to me to be the most universal and repeatable reason.

I like this Olerus guy. He makes good points.

Quick! Undercut the vendors to corner the market!

Original Hammy didn't rely on EoEs and the zone allowed 200ish players.

I read the first page and then skipped to the end, sorry for bypassing anyone. I'm all for additional options. The problem is getting people to use these options. Similar options exist right now in TFs and Ouro arcs and from my personal experience most people use the settings once to get the badge and then never again (Exception for EV on Excelsior who constantly runs hardcore Master of ITFs). People play them them first time for the badges. So unless you add some sort of reward to this "no set bonuses" setting I don't think that it will be used very much. The rewards can be badges, extra inf/XP, or any of the other goodies that drop in game (other than an SO, that's just mean).

*Breaks out all the auto-hit powers to use on BillZ* That's just crazy talk! Let's not get carried away.

Everyone knows that sugar gliders are rude, selfish, and just out right mean.

Play wherever you want. I went blue side.

It's all on the honor system, so follow your conscience. I agree that lower level generic IOs are close enough to SOs. 35s might be a tad too strong as part of the SO life is them degrading somewhat. But a mix of 35s and lowers evens that out. It's rare to be +3 all the time . . . and expensive! But anything over 35 is definitely much better than SOs.

Made it to level 6 and finished Prince Kiros Nandelu's set of missions and got the next one, Juan Jimenez from King's Row. I now remember why don't do these original contacts or challenge leveling often -- it's tedious as hell! Run all over Atlas Park and then back again to talk to contact. Doing DFB I'd be in the teens. Even soloing Matthew Habashy without XP boosters would have had me at level 11-12 by now. So, I'm breaking down and picking up the freebies at P2W. Still self-financing, for now.