MistressOhm

Imagine of all four of those combined into one when they got knocked down in health. "Constructicons form Devastator, most powerful robot! We should rule!" (Sonic Ascendant EB's show up.) "Soundwave superior, Constructicons inferior."

I suck at base building. As such, my vanity base (for me, my alts, and a couple of friends) is mostly the old Live design... and quite empty. I did manage to set up an inter-base teleport system though. So there's that. (I have found that, even when using the appropriate keys to move things where they shouldn't go, the whole process is very fiddly, and my character's position AND my camera angle/distance are large factors in whether I can place items at all. I'm used to building in Second Life, which while it has its own steep learning curve, largely does NOT have issues with camera placement or avatar placement. Going from that to CoH is like going from a performance sports bike to a steam-powered bicycle.)

"I was lucky that thing had knees." "That was not his knee." (agonized groan in background)

There is a bug related to these, because instead of stacking their effects, the most effective concealment power is what you get for Stealth distance. Stalker HIDE effectively makes concealment absolute - not even multiple Forts running Tactics can see you standing right beween them getting ready for shank action. That hasn't changed. What HAS changed is that you can't stack Stealth powers to get up to that level, so there will be a certain distance where you 'emerge' from the fog and enemies can react. The BUG is that a couple of the concealment powers have nearly the same operative range, so when the math is run to figure out which is the most effective, instead the game occasionally reduces your concealment to nil (some sort of floating point vs integer conflict, I think it was). Which means that EVERY MOB AROUND sees you. It's like The Invisible Kid on Mystery Men... as long as everyone had their eyes closed and he was naked, he was invisible. He forgets to take his shorts off? Nope! Obvious as hell. That is in the pipe to be corrected... but in the meantime, if you're running two 'fog of war' powers together, you might call attention to yourself rather than stealth yourself. My method of cheap on-demand stealth is to put the Celerity Stealth proc into Sprint. Works decently well, doesn't require a power pick from a Power Pool, and if I don't need it, I can turn it off. Night Widows: You're NOT a stalker. Use the Smoke. You can sneak up close enough to lob a smoke 'nade, and now your entire team is cloaked cos you just debuffed Perception distance for the entire spawn. That's it, that's the trick. (Caveat: don't put any damage or -dam debuff procs into your Smoke Grenade slotting, as that can aggro things. IOW, blinding smoke good, Sneezing powder bad.)

Daedalus's arcs aren't hard to solo, altho the one with Malta in it might throw a few wrenches for anyone not used to them. They're not as much of a challenge as they were on Live, at least that I can recall (HATED Gunslingers with a passion, Sappers too. ) Sister Valeria? Yeah bring friends for that, preferably someone who can grab aggro and shrug off damage, and someone who can dish a LOT of damage out. It's stated in the mission 'offer' text that they take place AFTER the ITF, so that should clue you in that there's more going on than just your 'normal' rogue legions wandering around. Technically this is Incarnate territory, altho a solid team of non-Incarnates might be able to handle it. I was able to tankfender the EB's in the second mission for a while on a Storm Summoner/Elec build, but even with a controller along we couldn't pump out damage enough to whittle them down... and then lucky shots thru the debuffs laid us both out, one-hit faceplants.

If this happens you never took the actual "arc" they offer. Once you've accepted the first mission in an arc (book icon), you won't outlevel the arc (altho you might not get anything else from them. ))

So I discovered something, whilst meddling with the Badger "settitle.txt" bind file that's used to dump all your badges into chat so they can get logged. You can get commands in a bind file to EXECUTE when a bind file is loaded, by prefacing the command line with $$. This is kind of a 'cheat', because when CoH loads a bind file, it assumes every line begins with the word "Bind" followed by the contents of the line. By putting $$ at the beginning of a line, CoH interprets this as "Bind (nothing) $$ execute this command". This means instead of creating a macro to do three things (toggling off powers/changing forms, rolling power trays, and loading a new file), you can have it load a file that switches your form and rolls your tray, and then in turn loads your keybinds for that form. Here's how I manage form switching on Warshades: Set up a macro (or a keybind) for each of your forms: /macro Human "bind_load_file wshuman.txt" /macro Dwarf "bind_load_file blackdwarf.txt" /macro Nova "bind_load_file wsnova.txt" What this does, is when you switch forms, the first bind file rotates your power tray and formshifts, as a command, and then loads all your keybinds in the second file. (You could probably put the binds in the first file on subsequent lines, rather than invoking a second loadbindfile, come to think of it.) By rotating trays, you don't have to change muscle memory for firing off attacks, they're right where you expect them to be if you're a mouse-clicker, and work with the standard number keys if you're a numpad jockey or a number row maven. This does mean that as you gain powers, you need to park them in the correct trays, preferably in the same slots so that analogous powers match. WS Human : uses Tray 1 -- wshuman.txt ==> wshbind.txt WS Dwarf: uses Tray 8 -- blackdwarf.txt==> wsdbind.txt WS Nova: uses Tray 9 -- wsnova.txt ==> wsnbind.txt The above files should be in your <COH>\Settings\Live folder, mine is C:\Games\Homecoming\Settings\Live As for movement, I have a standard teleport mapping scheme that leverages SHIFT and CTRL for normal and combat teleports, respectively (except for WASD, which I use Combat Teleport if available because it's instant and the distance is very short). For Warshades, you have two teleports and a 'teleport target' on Human form, and a Teleport on Dwarf form (there are no teleport powers on Nova form - it has an inherent Fly and that's it.) Shadow Step = Black Dwarf Step = normal Teleport Starless Step = Combat Teleport Shadow Recall = Teleport Target HUMAN: ` "powexec_location camera:max Shadow Step" SHIFT+` "powexec_location target Shadow Step" CTRL+` "powexec_location target Starless Step" The ` (backtick) is in the top left corner of most QWERTY keyboards. Shifted it produces a tilde (~). Unshifted, it teleports along the camera view's centerpoint, forward, to the limit of the power's range OR when it hits an intervening object such as a building. Shifted, it teleports to a selected target (ally, enemy, or npc) IF that target is in range. Out of range, it is queued until you are in range (keep this in mind if you're running along the ground!) Ctrl'd, it uses Starless Step (Combat Teleport) to do the same thing. This is a much shorter range, but there is next to no animation time AND you get a small ToHit buff when you do so. SS will go on cooldown after three 'ports. SHIFT+LBUTTON "powexecname Shadow Step" CTRL+LBUTTON "powexecname Starless Step" This binds a "teleport to mouse click" when shifted or ctrl'd. Same rules as above, only if the point clicked is out of range, the port will still happen, only to the limit of the power's range. Keep in mind that Starless Step does NOT include a phase shift or hang time, you WILL fall immediately upon 'porting if you don't select a surface to land on. CTRL+TAB "powexeclocation forward:4 Shadow Recall" This binds the TAB key to pull the target TO a point 4 units in front of the Warshade. This target can be an ally, from pretty much anywhere in the zone, OR an enemy, limited to a relatively moderate distance. NOTE: Porting allies to points in midair, off of the sides of tall buildings, is considered very rude, so don't do that, make sure that there's a safe spot to stand 4 feet in front of you. SHIFT+W "powexeclocation forward:20 Starless Step" SHIFT+A "powexeclocation left:15 Starless Step" SHIFT+S "powexeclocation back:20 Starless Step" SHIFT+D "powexeclocation right:15 Starless Step" Note that SHIFT is used here instead of CTRL. This is just an ergonomic decision I made. One can use CTRL, or if you prefer to use your thumb to shift things while keeping fingers on WASD, ALT might be a good choice. It uses SS to hop short distances forward, back or to the sides, using the WASD keys. This is useful for getting out of burn patches, caltrops, freezing rain, or other AoE effects that hamper your movement. Adjusting the distances is as simple as changing the numbers and reloading the bind with your form macros. SHIFT+SPACE "powexeclocation up:max Shadow Step" SHIFT+X "powexeclocation down:max Shadow Step" CTRL+SPACE "powexeclocation up:max Starless Step$$bindloadfile wsnova.txt" CTRL+X "powexeclocation down:max Starless Step$$bindloadfile blackdwarf.txt" As above, these use the standard Up and Down movement keys to effect a 'port to the limit of range OR scenery. Helpful if you're in the middle of Steel and can't get decent LOS to port anywhere, or you need to pop up out of a battle and reorient. CTRL versions use Starless Step for battlefield repositioning, for example, you want to get a little height before shifting to Nova, or want to land as you shift to Dwarf. Since Starless doesn't include a hover, binding the Nova shift into the same key as the up teleport keeps you from falling (and since shifting from Human to Dwarf breaks the hover from Shadow Step, a quick pop down as you shift also keeps you from falling too far). DWARF: ` "powexec_location camera:max Black Dwarf Step" SHIFT+` "powexec_location target Black Dwarf Step" SHIFT+LBUTTON "powexecname Black Dwarf Step" CTRL+LBUTTON nop CTRL+` nop CTRL+TAB nop SHIFT+W nop SHIFT+A nop SHIFT+S nop SHIFT+D nop SHIFT+SPACE "powexec_location up:max Black Dwarf Step" SHIFT+X "powexec_location down:max Black Dwarf Step" CTRL+SPACE nop CTRL+X nop As above, the same binding scheme is used, except Black Dwarf doesn't have a Shadow Recall OR a Starless Step, so those binds are turned off. NOVA: ` nop SHIFT+` nop SHIFT+LBUTTON nop CTRL+` nop CTRL+LBUTTON nop CTRL+TAB nop SHIFT+W nop SHIFT+S nop SHIFT+A nop SHIFT+D nop SHIFT+SPACE nop SHIFT+X nop Nova forms have no teleporting ability at all, so all port binds are turned off. If you're a costume maven, and want to use your Warshade formshift effect to swap costumes, use: cce # ccwarshade Slots are numbered 0-9, 0 being the first slot. You can bind these to keys, or make macros and put them all in a spare tray. If you don't have a slot unlocked, invoking it does nothing; the same happens if you invoke your current slot #. If you're tired of having a battlecry that's too short to fit into the ID character limit, or you want a different one for each form, you can always rebind F10 to say whatever you want. Use $target as a placeholder in your text for the name of whatever you have targeted (will be blank if you don't have anything targeted). Binds ARE limited to 255 characters... so don't go too crazy. F10 "/l Beware, $target... I will feed on your soul. l I will consume your life essence! l I will strike terror into the hearts of your next of kin!!" Which should come out to: Beware, Damned... I will feed on your soul. I will consume your life essence! I will strike terror into the hearts of your next of kin!!

AFAIK, you need to save them to a file, and then open the file, there is no way to dump them all into chat. SHIFT+LBUTTON "powexecname Teleport" is how I do it, but if you wanted a key to send you to wherever the mouse is pointing (within range anyway) the above would work. Keep in mind that if there's an object in the way (a tree, or your own body if you're in 3rd person camera), you'll not port very far. I've the same issue with the shift-click method, which is why I have a "camera center", a "to target", a "straight up" and a "straight down" bind also. ` "powexec_location camera:max Teleport" SHIFT+` "powexec_location target Teleport" SHIFT+SPACE "powexeclocation up:max Teleport" SHIFT+X "powexeclocation down:max Teleport" I used SHIFTed Space and X because unshifted Space is up (jump or fly) and X is down (fly). You should be able to "double up" the port bindings so that Shadow Step fires in human form and Black Dwarf Step fires in dwarf form. For example: SHIFT+LBUTTON "powexecname Shadow Step$$powexecname Black Dwarf Step" But others have noted issues that sometimes the chain doesn't work. So you're probably going to need to rebind everything as part of the form shift.

CoV introduced the Newspaper as the means to gain new contacts, but it's now ridiculously easy to outlevel a zone contact before you even score the introductions... simply because doing three to five 'jobs' for the Broker and then a Mayhem (which was the progression for getting your first contacts in a given zone) now can level you thru the zone range with XP Boosts turned on. This may have been mitigated with some contacts talking to you w/o needing the 'rep' that the Broker provides... but it's still an issue. You could turn XP gain off at certain points in order to keep from doing that, of course. Another thing I've done to maintain "continuity" is to start Mission Arcs (Dr Graves, Burke, etc) with BOTH contacts, as once you're in an arc, you won't 'outlevel' the contact. Then alternate the missions in each arc. This also eliminates the "come back when you're L10/15" issue, as you'll likely finish the first arc at the level you need for starting the second, and so on. And yes, hitting certain level milestones gets you those introductions that send you off to First Ward, and if you're a Rogue you'll get intros to other contacts for rogue-specific arcs.

Since it's more a "seasonal" track than specifically Christmas, it fits for the whole month. 🙂

Just thinking of Tornado being tweaked for this. Mob < 5m away = knock(up), mob between 5 and 7m away = knock(to), mob > 7m away = fear. Also, Hurricane needs vectored repel and knock, so instead of being pitched away, they get spun and tumbled in a circle. *wicked grin*

The "Christmas Lights" season is when all of the local lawn-care/handyman businesses put away the lawnmowers, and bring out the ladders. You have to get your name on the list early to get your lights hung by Christmas in this area. (I hang my own... but I don't do the roofline, I don't particularly feel like offing myself to outdo the Griswolds.)

Since I look at powersets as "variations on a theme" rather than specific to an archetype, I don't see a problem with it. Seismic Blast is a -little- weird, in that it's less thrown rocks and more geologic telekinesis than anything, feels very controller-y even as a blast set. But that's more on how the powerset was visualized, the fact that someone can use it at a distance to do "Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies" is perfectly within the milieu. Regen for Tanks - why not? It works as a concept, so I think it's just a matter of balancing at this point. New sets would be fun, too. I've been thinking about those Circle of Thorns pets with the tongue whips... why not an Elongated Man or Dhalsim "beat people up at a distance" set? It could be a control set (coiling around to immobilize, hold, or just trip people up) as well as a melee set a la Ms Marvel's Embiggened fists.

The idea of 'purchasing' a tip for an entire Merit is just highway robbery. If they're being offered by a mission computer or an oracle cauldron, they should be considered 'found information' that just had to be correlated. (You never saw Batman shoveling money into the Bat-Computer to power the damned thing.)

My blind staff fighter just looks like she's, well, swinging around blindly. And yet, hitting people effectively.

So I tried running this as a duo, storm summoning/electricity/power mastery defender and a plant/poison controller, and while we could stay alive (mostly!) we could not do enough dps to bring the EB's down in the second mission. I've only got first and some second level Incarnate abilities slotted, so haven't gotten to where I can Incarnate-shift up yet. It's on the back burner until I can upgrade most of my slots.

You might be able to create a villain group with multiple costumes, and populate the map with that group. But I doubt it would put a copy of each one in the map. There's also a practical limit of how many different mobs you can put into an AE instance, and having a lot of custom characters drives up the server 'cost' of spawning the map in the first place.

... pretty sure she's real cuddly if you'd just give her a chance. Maybe she's going to start making little Lusca plushies in the prison seamstress shop, they can be sold from kiosks all up and down the Port... 🙂

Blasting is Damage First and Crowd Control second. Also known as "Own The Battlefield" such that the best Defense is always Insurmountable Offense. (These silly Sentinels, thinking they can just blast-scrap their way through, no finesse. Hmph.) ------------- In all seriousness, being a Blaster means knowing what you're up against, taking on the biggest threat to your own survival and dropping it quickly, while keeping everything else from mobbing your glass-cannon ass... whups! no, you don't get to hit me, I'm not done with your boss yet, STAY THERE until I'm ready for you! And so on and so forth.

Please let it not be a complete cluster**** like the second movie, that basically got retconned/ignored/written out of the lore by the series AND the third movie.

The naming "expire" policy (currently only as a little 'warning' tickmark next to the character in the list) leverages idle time since last login AND character level. If it's a low-level character, then the policy kicks in sooner, than it would on a high-level character. I don't know if there is a character level that is completely immune (as in, "50's will always keep the name in perpetuity with no login / play required"). Currently the HC team is still working on the "balancing" and has yet to actually turn on any mandatory renaming or name availability/expire times. All you'll see is the warning tickmark, stating that IF the policy were fully in effect, you COULD lose a name if you don't play the character Soon(tm).