My personal thoughts as a NoOb on some classes/powersets

[Rinwen]

Hello, folks.

 

DISCLAIMER: A rather long post meant to be a conversation piece. 

 

Just wanted to share some thoughts on this nOoB's opinion on classes and powersets at sub level 20.

 

I know, I know... as in many, (all?), MMOs, you can't fairly judge these things at such a low level.  Clases, powers, skills... a rose by any other name... do not really come into their own, or shine/bloom, so early... but I'm going to opine anyway, cause I'm a rebel, lol.

 

To in part understand my opinions, you need a bit of background into the type of player I am. 

 

I'm not a min/maxer, I research builds, classes, powers/skills, gear etc, so as to not gimp myself, not to be the best that I can be.  I'm strictly a PvE player.  I'm mostly solo due to time constraints, and frankly, don't always want the time commitment of a group.  Also, unless the game allows multi specs, my class/power/gear selections tend to be selfish, based largely around how they look, or fit my concepts/themes... and often that's not conducive to being a good teammate.  If I can multi spec in a game, I always have a group friendly spec a button press away... sadly, as far as I know, CoX doesn't offer that.  Respec, yes, but that's not the same thing. 

 

I don't play to challenge myself, I play to relieve stress, suspend reality, and giggle maniacally as I send a mob flying off a building/bridge/cliff, lol.  My game/mission settings are at the lowest setting, (I think), -1, no Boss level mobs.  They have a Boss name, and powers, but are ranked as Lieutenants. 

 

I'm not really into the whole math centric portion of this game; DPE this, DPA that, and build/theory crafting.  I'm glad that this can be done for those who enjoy it though... plus I benefit from their knowledge and work in those areas.  When I ask questions, or research, it's more to avoid pitfalls than to squeeze out maximum efficiency.  Of course, if min/max and concept/theme are the same thing, which does sometimes occur... BONUS !!

 

I like to use my powers, I hate downtime between power usage... getting slapped around while all my buttons are refreshing.  Admittedly, this is I'm sure less if an issue later on as more powers become available, but at sub 20, it can be issue... thankfully we have P2W attacks to help with this issue early on.

 

Now, onto my point... my opinions.  I've dabbled with many combos, (not all will be mentioned below), and Blue side missions only.

Also, I really don't have much of anything slotted, maybe a few ACC drops... but I vendor most everything at these low levels. 

Also, probably my biggest desire... I want to feel like I have super powers.

 

I've played Defenders, Controllers, Masterminds, Corruptors, Brutes, and Stalkers, and from a solo, or simply game play aspect, (I've never liked pet classes, so MM just doesn't do it for me, and I've never been a stealth, attack from the shadows guy, so buh bye Stalkers), they just don't cut the mustard enough to warrant a specific mention as do the others below. 

 

Scrappers -- I have several.  One of my biggest gripes?  The waiting on button refreshing mentioned above.  Even my Claws guy, with 4 attacks, 5 counting the AoE, (Spin?), but that's not part of the regular 1:1 rotation, I have a bit, not much, of attack downtime... to be fair, with him it's probably not enough to even mention, but it is there.  Energy, with 4x attacks?  Fuhgedabodit... once I've used all 4, I can go eat dinner waiting even for that first T1 power to refresh.  Ok, obviously I'm exaggerating, but it FEELS that way while I'm getting pummeled.  Martial Arts... OMG what an endurance PIG !!!!  Nuff said there.  Also, they don't really feel like, to me, that they have real super powers.  It's just swinging your fists.  I can put on colored boxing gloves to pretend that I have energy or radiation punches... I can rig knives to my hand to pretend that I have claws.  

 

Tankers -- GAH !!  I have several actually. Conceptually I want to love my quintessential SS/INV Tanker.  In a fight with the standard 3x mobs, ranging from blue to orange, it takes him FAR longer to kill the group than my other classes.  He has 3x SS attacks, Black Wand, and Mutagen... and when going against yellow or orange, the TANKER finishes with LESS HP than EVERY. SINGLE. OTHER. CHARACTER that I have.  This just completely deflates my enthusiasm for what is, again, one of my top 3 favorite character concepts; SS/INV... sadly, he's just an exhausting chore to play.  Tankers also suffer from the same, "don't feel like super powers" issue I mentioned above with Scrappers... ain't nothin' SS feeling about SS. 

 

Blasters -- Just not really my jam.  I don't want a glass canon, and if I'm playing a ranged character I want to use/rely on, ranged powers only.  I know folks, Blaster experts mostly, think of Blasters as damage dealers period; dealing damage both at range and melee.  However, the game, during creation, counts them as ranged DPS.  I also want defense, especially against status effects, (some can get that in their secondary around lv 20, but not all secondaries)

 

Sentinels -- Now we're talkin' !!  Ranged only attacks, (I'm aware of their limitations/weaknesses vs their Blaster set counterparts), and defenses... especially againgst status effects, (/Bio at lv 4)?  Sign me up.  I have more Sents than any other class and LOVE 'EM.  My favorite primary?  Archery.  No attack downtime even when I just had 3x attacks, and even more importantly... inherent accuracy.  I one billion majillion quintillion percent hate, Hate, HAte, HATe, HATE, miss, miss, miss, hit, miss miss miss, hit, ad naseum of the low level life style.  I've died on characters so many times due to that BS mechanic alone, it pisses me off to no end.  Archery isn't nearly as bad.  Another concept favorite?  Sonic.  I chose the casting from the hands, white color powers, black costume, and I have one of my favorite Marvel characters; Havoc.

 

Dominators -- My absolute favorites.  First of all, plenty... dare I say too many?... attacks.  Even at level 4 or 6 or so... ZERO attack downtime. They also really feel like they have super powers.  My two favorites are Mind/Psi, (#1 to me), and Grav/Energy, (#2 to me).  Resistance to Psi attacks, animation to dmg lag, any perceived, or real, weakness of Mind/Psi, I don't care.  Psionic characters are my THANG !!  Love 'em in comics, back in my PnP gaming days, I played a psionic character in a game called Traveller, and in 4E DnD as well.  Plus, IMHO, the ability to remove two foes from a fight entirely, or a group, with sleeps and holds is amazing.  All the other Dom, (or Controller for that matter), primaries have a hold and immobilize/root... well they can, an do, still attack you when immobilized/rooted... slept foes cannot.  Grav/En fits a fun theme for me as I actually love Marvel's villain Graviton.  Also, simply locking mobs down and giving them the finger delights me.

So, IMO, for ME, Doms & Sents offer the smoothest, easiest low level solo experience, and frankly just tick all my personal boxes.

I'm not saying they're the meta, min/maxing best, and probably my specific choices are even less so... but they've proven to be the most fun for ME. 

 

Just wanted to share.

 

Thanks for all the help this community has offered. 

 

Take care. 

[Sakai]

First off welcome to the game.  A couple of observations to clarify things. 

 

You are allowed multiple builds on the same character maxing out at 3. I don't recall when you can have the 2nd, I want to say level 10 but that may be wrong, but the 3rd comes into play when you have 50. 

 

I love my claws scrapper but it has been a long time since I played her at a level below 30 honestly.  The attacks always seemed pretty fast to me but that could just be the way I slotted enhancements. Makes me want to pull her out and fight some Hellions for giggles. 

 

Same goes for my other scrappers as well. Maybe I am just used to it or throw in lots of recharge early on. 

 

I have one dominator in the mid 30s and I fully agree with your sentiment of seemingly too many attacks. I'm sure this isn't actually the case but I do feel overwhelmed at times. 

 

I have a love/hate relationship with blasters. I've never been one to stand back and shoot stuff so I approached from the blapper mind set, in melee range all the time from level 1. Chaotic fun. She made it to 50 and have spent the last year tweaking the build with way too many respects to count. 

 

My one sentinel made it to lvl 6 before he became a dark/dark troller. Not that I thought the combo I chose wouldn't be fun but I wanted something different from Dark Armour which I have developed a FONDNESS for. I am sure I will try again...maybe after I actually get a kheld out of the mid teens. 

 

I'm of the same mindset regarding Stalkers but I do recall having fun on a thugs/something MasterMind on Live. 

 

Most of my characters are based around concept so that "the best" powers in the set don't make it into the mix. From there, with the exception of one hero, I don't min/max as I don't find it much fun. 

 

Setting wise it varies depending upon the character. Some start with No Bosses/Avs, some start with the turned on. I like to play at 3 or 7 players when solo as I find those provide an ideal lvl of minions/Lts for my comfort/fun balance. 

 

Think that's about it.  Hope you enjoy your self. Happy hunting and stay safe. 

[wjrasmussen]

You get the second at level 10.

[Riverdusk]

2 hours ago, Rinwen said:

If I can multi spec in a game, I always have a group friendly spec a button press away... sadly, as far as I know, CoX doesn't offer that.  Respec, yes, but that's not the same thing. 

 

 

As @Sakai mentioned there is an option for multi builds in the game.  Visit any trainer (post level 10) and select to train (even if you don't need to), then "Select or rename your active build".  The one downside is you have to buy all new enhancements.

 

Edit: Also wanted to clarify that once you switch builds you can then immediately train it up to your current level, you don't have to start at level 1 all over again (I've see some people get confused on that).

 

Rest of your thoughts are fair enough, glad you found some AT's you enjoy!

Edited December 26, 2020 by Riverdusk

[Gwyrddu]

You should try playing a dark/devices blaster. They have no melee attacks and their debuffs and controls makes them as solid as a sentinel and realistically I get mezzed less often with my blaster than with my dominator (and in the rare case that I do I can still spam my first two powers). Having a claws/ninjutsu scrapper I don't believe I ever have to wait for an attack, although I agree there are other primaries where this is an issue. That's probably when you want to start looking at increasing your recharge speed. Hell, a couple of defense sets have a recharge boost baked into them.

[Erratic1]

3 hours ago, Rinwen said:

Scrappers -- I have several.  One of my biggest gripes?  The waiting on button refreshing mentioned above.  Even my Claws guy, with 4 attacks, 5 counting the AoE, (Spin?), but that's not part of the regular 1:1 rotation, I have a bit, not much, of attack downtime... to be fair, with him it's probably not enough to even mention, but it is there.  Energy, with 4x attacks?  Fuhgedabodit... once I've used all 4, I can go eat dinner waiting even for that first T1 power to refresh.  Ok, obviously I'm exaggerating, but it FEELS that way while I'm getting pummeled.  Martial Arts... OMG what an endurance PIG !!!!  Nuff said there.  Also, they don't really feel like, to me, that they have real super powers.  It's just swinging your fists.  I can put on colored boxing gloves to pretend that I have energy or radiation punches... I can rig knives to my hand to pretend that I have claws.  

 

<_<

       *glances both ways to make sure nobody is listening*

                                                                                               >_>

Savage Melee/Energy  Aura

 

 

 

For those who don't grasp why, a brief mention of mechanics is included.

Spoiler

Savage Melee builds Blood Frenzy by attacking, up to 5 stacks. The stacks lower your endurance cost but more importantly for not waiting they increase your power's recharge rate. Energy Aura has Entropic Aura, which increases your recharge rate based on the number of nearby enemies upto 10. 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Erratic1

[Doomguide2005]

8 hours ago, wjrasmussen said:

You get the second at level 10.

And the 3rd when you unlock your Alpha at 50 iirc.

[Snarky]

11 hours ago, Rinwen said:

 

 

Tankers -- GAH !!  I have several actually. Conceptually I want to love my quintessential SS/INV Tanker.  In a fight with the standard 3x mobs, ranging from blue to orange, it takes him FAR longer to kill the group than my other classes.  He has 3x SS attacks, Black Wand, and Mutagen... and when going against yellow or orange, the TANKER finishes with LESS HP than EVERY. SINGLE. OTHER. CHARACTER that I have.  This just completely deflates my enthusiasm for what is, again, one of my top 3 favorite character concepts; SS/INV... sadly, he's just an exhausting chore to play.  Tankers also suffer from the same, "don't feel like super powers" issue I mentioned above with Scrappers... ain't nothin' SS feeling about SS. 

 

 

You need Hyperstrikes guide on how to build an Invul tank.  Let me see if I have something saved

[Snarky]

Hyperstrike made an Invul template for each Archetype.  Here is the Tank one  The idea is to fill in any primary you want

 

Hero Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.1.25
https://github.com/Crytilis/mids-reborn-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Invuln Framework: Level 49 Magic Tanker
Primary Power Set: Invulnerability
Secondary Power Set: Super Strength
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Resist Physical Damage -- RctArm-ResDam(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(5), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(7), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(7), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(9), GldArm-3defTpProc(9)
Level 1: [Empty] 
Level 2: Temp Invulnerability -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(11), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(11), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(13)
Level 4: [Empty] 
Level 6: Dull Pain -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Resist Elements -- RctArm-ResDam(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(13), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(15), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 10: [Empty] 
Level 12: Unyielding -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(17), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(17), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(19)
Level 14: Resist Energies -- RctArm-ResDam(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(21), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(21), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(23)
Level 16: Kick -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Invincibility -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(19), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(29), Rct-ResDam%(29)
Level 20: [Empty] 
Level 22: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(23), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(25), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(25)
Level 24: Weave -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(27)
Level 26: Tough Hide -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(27)
Level 28: [Empty] 
Level 30: Combat Jumping -- LucoftheG-Def/Rchg+(A), LucoftheG-Def(31)
Level 32: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(33)
Level 35: [Empty] 
Level 38: [Empty] 
Level 41: [Empty] 
Level 44: [Empty] 
Level 47: [Empty] 
Level 49: [Empty] 
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Gauntlet 
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run 
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(3), Mrc-Rcvry+(3)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(5)
------------

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Edited December 27, 2020 by Snarky

[Snarky]

Here is the Brute Hyperstrike wrote up for me.  I ran this for 7 months when I found Homecoming again.  Just rowdy fun.  I still have the build and will never crack it for parts.  It is perfect.

 

Villain Plan by Mids' Reborn : Hero Designer 2.6.1.25
https://github.com/Crytilis/mids-reborn-hero-designer

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Snarky: Level 50 Magic Brute
Primary Power Set: Super Strength
Secondary Power Set: Invulnerability
Power Pool: Fighting
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Energy Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Punch -- OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg(A), OvrFrc-End/Rech(3), OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg/End(3), OvrFrc-Dmg/End/Rech(5), OvrFrc-Acc/Dmg/End/Rech(5), SprBrtFur-Rech/Fury(7)
Level 1: Resist Physical Damage -- RctArm-ResDam(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(7), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(9), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(9), StdPrt-ResDam/Def+(11), GldArm-3defTpProc(11)
Level 2: Temp Invulnerability -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(13), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(13), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(15)
Level 4: Haymaker -- SprUnrFur-Acc/Dmg(A), SprUnrFur-Dmg/Rchg(19), SprUnrFur-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(19), SprUnrFur-Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), SprUnrFur-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(21), SprUnrFur-Rchg/+Regen/+End(23)
Level 6: Dull Pain -- DctWnd-Heal/Rchg(A), NmnCnv-Heal/Rchg(23)
Level 8: Knockout Blow -- SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg(A), SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx(25), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(25), SprBlsCol-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(27), SprBlsCol-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(27), SprBlsCol-Rchg/HoldProc(29)
Level 10: Resist Elements -- RctArm-ResDam(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(29), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(31), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(31)
Level 12: Kick -- FrcFdb-Rechg%(A)
Level 14: Tough -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(31), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(33), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(33)
Level 16: Unyielding -- UnbGrd-ResDam(A), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx(33), UnbGrd-Rchg/ResDam(34), UnbGrd-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(34)
Level 18: Rage -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 20: Resist Energies -- RctArm-ResDam(A), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx(36), RctArm-ResDam/Rchg(36), RctArm-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(36)
Level 22: Weave -- ShlWal-Def(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(37), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(37), ShlWal-ResDam/Re TP(37), Rct-ResDam%(39)
Level 24: Combat Jumping -- ShlWal-Def(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(39), ShlWal-Def/Rchg(39), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(40)
Level 26: Hurl -- SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg(A), SprWntBit-Dmg/Rchg(40), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(40), SprWntBit-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(42), SprWntBit-Dmg/EndRdx/Acc/Rchg(42), SprWntBit-Rchg/SlowProc(42)
Level 28: Invincibility -- ShlWal-Def(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(43), ShlWal-Def/Rchg(43), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 30: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(45)
Level 32: Foot Stomp -- SprAvl-Acc/Dmg(A), SprAvl-Dmg/EndRdx(45), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(45), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(46), SprAvl-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(46), SprAvl-Rchg/KDProc(46)
Level 35: Tough Hide -- ShlWal-Def(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(48), ShlWal-Def/Rchg(48), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48)
Level 38: Maneuvers -- ShlWal-Def(A), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx(50), ShlWal-Def/Rchg(50), ShlWal-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(50)
Level 41: Superior Conditioning -- PrfShf-End%(A)
Level 44: Assault -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 47: Physical Perfection -- RgnTss-Regen+(A)
Level 49: Super Jump -- WntGif-ResSlow(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury 
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Ninja Run 
Level 2: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Health -- Pnc-Heal/+End(A), NmnCnv-Regen/Rcvry+(15), Mrc-Rcvry+(17)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Stamina -- PrfShf-End%(A), PrfShf-EndMod(17)
Level 50: Agility Core Paragon 
------------

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Edited December 27, 2020 by Snarky

[Erratic1]

In the following clip demonstrating SM/EA, Blood Thirst (the Build Up for the set) has just been popped to give 5 stacks of Blood Frenzy. It should be possible despite the poor resolution (only way to get the file to fit) to make out Recharge Time Bonus being at 20%. That value leaps to 42.5% after Savage Leap lands the character in the middle of the Freakshow he is facing.  That is more than an Recharge SO would give but the character does not have any Recharge SOs in his attack powers. After leaping in with Savage Leap Shred gets used. Roughly 5.25s later Shred is up again. The clip ends with  using Rending Flurry, which  consumes the Blood Frenzy stacks dropping the Recharge to a mere 19%.

 

If you don't like waiting for attacks to cycle, SM/EA won't keep you waiting.

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Erratic1

[VashNKnives]

Low levels represent just the start of a super journey and your character is supposed to be little more than a step above a normal being. So you should use Brawl and your origin attack both with quick natural recharges to fill the gaps in attack chains.

 

Other than that, enhancements, even basic training ones, are a main part of the game. Defense, tohit, debuffs, accurancy, etc... are what make the experience unique and fun to me. Unless trying to make a comic hero/villain with a no-miss ability, it really is normal for even the best supers to miss sometimes. Slot for acc, and watch for to-hit debuffs. Keep an eye on your endurance. You may want an end redux or two.

 

Once you get enough inf, try to get some cheap multi-attribute IOs to make the most of your slots at low levels. After that, work in sets for bonuses to match your build goals.You will make a ton of inf as you get closer to and at 50. You can ship inf to other lower characters.

 

Characters with IOs and at 50+ feel awesome because you saw the progression from start to finish.

[krj12]

I think most of the low level complaints you have are common to most MMOs.   The intent, at least in this game, is to feel more powerful as you advance in levels - I personally don't want to feel super heroic at the very start.

 

So to address a few:

1.  Too few attacks - get Hasten as early as possible and place a recharge in it.   There are also a couple of filler attacks, Nemesis staff and Blackwand you can pick up at the p2w vendor.

Once I get past the very lowest levels, I rarely feel like I'm waiting on something to recharge on any AT.

 

2.  Tankers - yeah, they suck solo, I agree.  They're intended to be group friendly.

Not sure why you're taking so much damage unless you're not bothering to pick up any primary powers.

 

3.  Blasters - that's your preference, but built properly your glass cannon turns into just a cannon.  Just saying.

 

4.  Dominators/Trollers - I love them, though I prefer trollers due to the pets.  Again, personal preference.

 

5.  Sentinel - my opinion, meh.   Feels like a slightly more survivable blaster, with very low to average dps.  Playable, yes.  Fun? Not really.

 

 

[Grindingsucks]

Some of what you are experiencing is D&D legacy mechanics.  Online games (including, alas, City of Heroes) use the zero-to-hero model of starting out with very little power and then growing slowly in power, over time, as you gain experience.  Folks coming to the game with genre expectations for their character to debut with powers the way heroes do in the comics, will probably find themselves disappointed.  I know I certainly did.

 

I've played this excellent game (yes, despite it's various flaws, it IS still an excellent game) for about a year now.  What I've discovered is that I don't find any class interesting to play until I hit about 15th level.  By then, I have enough powers that I can mostly enjoy the character I imagined, conceptually, as an actual play experience.  To get there as quickly as possible, I take double xp power from P2W, then head to AE and run Not Exactly Bads in Space farm, until I hit 15 or 16 (it's a five chain AE mission, which is relatively quick and easy, depending on which AT you're playing).  Then I team and run regular missions normally, after that.

 

The weird thing is, after you get a certain amount of experience at playing and building characters, you may find that team play becomes rather boring in in game content, because the foes and missions provide insufficient challenge to the team.  For this reason, I've stopped pursuing incarnate abilities on my characters and try team with like-minded players, whenever possible.  This keeps team play more interesting (IMO, anyway.  Many- perhaps most- people feel differently about this) and challenging.

 

I know you mentioned that playing ranged characters in melee feels counter-intuitive to you.  I can sympathize with this.  Until recently, I didn't play blasters much for this exact reason.  But during the past few weeks, I've given them a second chance and experimented with what the old guard here calls "Blapping" (meleeing with your blaster like a scrapper) and it's quickly becoming my favorite style of play.  When you get more comfortable with the game, I highly recommend giving it a chance.  Particularly after  you've learned how to make keybinds and macros.  Learning how to make macro buttons and keybinds really helped me enjoy the game much more than I might have, without them.  If you haven't used any yet, I recommend reading the wiki article and trying one or two out.

 

Anyway, welcome to the game!  I hope you grow to love it as much as I have.  😁👍

[Rinwen]

Thank you all for the very helpful replies.

 

Love hearing that I can indeed have both a solo/theme build, and a group friendly one... apparently both are separately slotted, but at least there's the option.

 

I rolled a Savage Melee/Energy Armor Scrapper.  He's only Lv 8, so no recharge bonus from Entropic Aura yet, but due to animation times, with 4 attacks, there's no waiting on refreshing... so he's fun so far.  Just great... like I needed another alt, lol.

 

Having benefitted from Yomo's 20mil inf give away, and really wanting my Superman/Hyperion/Sentry Tanker, I invested in Lv 15 SOs into my INV/SS Tanker, and he is performing CONSIDERABLY better. 

 

Still takes 18 yrs, 4 months, 27 days, 13 hrs, and 36 minutes to kill a group of 3x Yellows though... but with 2x SO ACC in each attack and 1x DMG, he doesn't miss nearly as often, lol.  I've also put 3x dmg res in each of the INV powers I have, so even though my son, currently a Freshman in college, will be through graduate school before a pack dies... my Tanker is still at 90%+ HP.

 

So, onwards and upwards... EXCELSIOR !!

[Rinwen]

Oh, also, I get the zero to hero thing.

 

Like many of you, I've played a metric bleep ton of MMOs, so I'm ok with only being a step above normal humans.  My point was more, effectiveness aside, just punching/kicking things doesn't feel like super powers to me, that's all I meant, and why the more melee oriented classes just don't really feel super hero'y to me.

 

I still play them, (Scrappers, Tankers, & Blasters), I like them enough that they got an individual paragraph... I just like Sents & Doms most.

[Erratic1]

There ain't no shame in liking what you like.

 

When I first started it was all about the Defenders. Then after a few disappointments attempting scrappers I came up with my DM/Inv scrapper. Tankers were something I had no interest in and avoided for seven years. Now I've got several. And it was only with Homecoming that I finally found a Blaster I enjoyed enough to run all the way to 50 (and I tried dozens).

 

Play what is fun. You may never get around to some ATs but who knows. . . .you might.

[Six-Six]

As one newb to another, best semi-solicited advice I can give is give it time. Hell, it took me practically a month or so to realise there was a game AFTER the character creation.

 

I'm not from the min-maxer camp either. To me concept is king. The big difference, I suppose, is I don't mind gimping myself. I have toons with concepts that prevents them from taking certain powers in a set. (I currently have 4 toons that are part of a certain challenge that severely limits or even forbids them to take powers--have a look here: https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/20888-six-sixs-101-toons/ ) At this point of my game play, I have created 101 toons, and my 35th Level 50 just dinged yesterday. Each one has been played extensively solo as well as in teams. I still have a tonne of ATs and power set combinations that I want to try, and some that I know that I don't want to try any more. 

Which segues into a huge talking point: Builds. I believe each build is a very intimate one, and one specific to you, your concept, and your play style. Even two toons with similar powers can be built and played very differently. And because of the option for 2 more builds in the same toon, you can really explore your character's power potential. Other people will readily share their builds, but keep in mind that it is THEIR build tailored to their own specific needs, wants, and nuances. That doesn't mean I don't look at other people's builds. I like glancing at them, as long as there's context as to why the picked this and why they slotted that and how they use it in their chain.

 

I don't play to challenge myself, I play to relieve stress, suspend reality, and giggle maniacally as I send a mob flying off a building/bridge/cliff...

Play what you think is fun. No one's stopping you, and no one should get in your way. I play solo most of the time, too. But over the course of the year, I've found a few in-game friends that share my particular flavour of fun, and we occasionally team up. I do join pick up teams, but mostly for a personal hidden agenda, like getting XP, getting certain drops, badges, rewards, etc. I sometimes chuckle at the things I do as well, maybe not as maniacal as to incur wife aggro. CoH is your world where YOU are the actual Hero (or main villain), do as YOU please.

 

I'm not really into the whole math centric portion of this game...

Neither am I. I don't keep spreadsheets and Excel files of statistics. And I do believe that the game is more than just numbers and that there is a discrepancy between the values and actual in-game play. But I still use them as a starting point to guide decisions that I make. (i.e. power X has 40 damage and power Y has 10 + buff/debuff, depending on the build concept, I will choose one over the other).

 

I hate downtime between power usage... 

This is where the game kicks in. You have to create an Attack Chain which usually consists of 4 or 5 or more powers. You need to work on streamlining this chain so that you have an attack option at any given time. There are many tips and tricks to do that, which I won't get into, suffice it to say that I have one toon that only has 5 attacks which she repeats in a given cycle order, and I have a toon that has 12 which changes depending on what and who I'm fighting. I've also found that my brain can only handle X number of powers on a given toon. over that limit, I get confused which button I have to push.

 

Now, onto my point... 

I'll try to keep mine as short and sweet as I can. I'm currently learning Masterminds. The only AT's I haven't played extensively are Tankers, Controllers, Stalkers and Warshades. I have tried Peacebringers, but only once and in human-form only, so I don't think that counts.

 

Melee Classes. All the 4 classes have varying degrees of armours and attacks. This is where the math comes in (i.e. Scrappers go after the toughest goon to get the biggest crit hit, Brutes stay in the fight even with a sliver of HP to make the most of Fury, and stalkers set up an Assassin strike strong enough to one-shot a boss.) What you've noticed is you only have an average of 4 or 5 attacks and a butt-load of toggles. Toggles mean protection that comes at the cost of endurance. You'll need to address the end consumption so that your blue bar allows you to "enjoy" the fight. As for attacks, you can supplement them with the tertiary power pool. Force of Will has a nice foot stomp, Sorcery has some nifty spells, Fighting has... well... fighting, and others. 

 

Blasters and Sentinels. I learned the game with Sentinels since I liked range and it was a forgiving AT that let me enjoy the game as one that I fought mobs not one that I kept going from Hospital to Mission Door. I still play some of my Sentinels, and play them like Tankers. While they are ranged I like getting into the thick of things and having the option to kill things without chasing after them. Blasters can also be built to be tough. Don't let the absence of armour fool you. If you look at most of the blaster secondaries, there are quite a few melee attacks in the mix. I also tend to play my Blasters up close and personal. and in some teams, I even do the role of the Tank or lead meat shield.

 

Corruptors and Defenders. This is your ranged support class. By support, I primarily mean they can do stuff for allies as well as enemies. They can be built to be tough and tanky as well as pack a decent amount of pain. They can also hold their own solo, and you are by no means forced to team if you don't want to. Some of their powers can only benefit allies, but some can be "hacked" to be cast on your pet and have the benefit applied to you as well.

 

Dominators and Controllers. I think MY problem with dominators is that they HAVE TOO MANY powers. I want to take them all, but I can't... not without giving something up. I've mitigated this by limiting my power choices based on concept. I have a dark/martial who only took 3 primary powers so that she can take all the kicks and shuriken throws. Is she the strongest, of course not. But she can hold her own on +2 x4 solo, which is my sweet spot for most toons. I also have another dom that took most of the primaries and secondaries at the cost of def/res. both toons play differently, each have their own strengths and weaknesses and particular allure for me to keep playing them. If you like Dominators you should give Arachnos Widows a try. They're like Dominators on steriods... with claws.)

 

More semi-solicited advice on Slotting:
As you level up, you're given power choices and slotting allotments. Both are entirely up to you. I have powers only have a single thing slotted in them either because they don't deserve it or I've prioritised other powers. At low levels, your powers are quite weak (and does not make you feel super), so the temptation to slot something to increase damage is great. But be patient, that time will come. What I've found is you want to focus on efficacy and efficiency first. Efficacy is making sure your attacks are effective--that they connect. So an accuracy enhancement does a world of wonder. Next is Efficiency. Using those powers consume endurance, some more than others. Get that under control as early as you can. Next is up to you: you can slot for recharge (powers are up for use sooner), damage, or secondary effects like -to hit, slows, debuffs, etc. More on slotting: You have 3 basic types of slotting: Single Origin (SOs), Invention Origins (IOs) that come in two kinds--the sets and the single attribute enhancement. Take time to learn these and see which ones work best for you. Don't bother with DOs. And I personally don't bother with enhancements until my toon's 30. Also, while IO sets are NOT required for you to have a strong survivable toon, they do help to make you an unstoppable god.

So I'll finish up by saying, give it time. At level 20 the "beginner's luck" wears off and you're thrust into the real game where RNG is god. 20-40 is the painful stage when you want to slot things to improve, but you can't. you simply don't have enough slots to go around yet. learn how to work with what you have, and make use of the respecs given every tenth level. Some powers you get at 10-20 out of need may not be the case at 40. look into IO set bonuses. those can really add up and either supplement certain aspects or plug holes in your defence. check out the tertiary pools and how they can be used to your advantage. When you hit mid-30s, the Epic/Patron pools open up to give you more choices.

 

And most of all, make sure you're having fun.

 

 

Edited December 28, 2020 by Six-Six

[Erratic1]

50 minutes ago, Six-Six said:

I'm not from the min-maxer camp either. To me concept is king.

Quibble: I know terms evolve and their usage and meaning shifts, but min-maxing has nothing to do with following a concept or not. The term which used to be opposed to concept/role-play was power gamer (at least 35-40ish years ago after I'd been involved with RPing for a few years). Min-maxing is a tool to achieve an end. It can further concept building just like it can further power gaming. 

 

For example, point based systems often did not  give one enough points to fully represent a character. You might min-max to further your points so that you could pick up some extra skill/power to match the concept. Of course you could also do the same to try to end up with a more powerful character too.

 

Don't even get me started on "Pay to Win"  and how that term has shifted. Then I will become a true, crotchety, "Get off my lawn!" codger. 😊

[Six-Six]

I agree, and don't want to split hairs. My two statements are hardly related to each other, much less a cause-effect. 

[Nitrogen Star]

I think what was hurting you was not only the low level, but the lack of enhancements slotted. No character can function properly without slotting accuracy and damage into attacks, defense and resist into toggles, control duration in mezz powers etc. You can play at first, but as the level rises and enemies gain more powers, bosses become increasingly dangerous and can quickly destroy you.

Just to make an example, base to hit chance vs. an equal level enemy is 75%. But that chance goes down a lot against higher level enemies. Without any to hit buff, or slotting accuracy, it's no wonder you missed so much. And probably, if you met Skull bosses or Circle of Thorns mages, they even debuffed your to hit further with dark powers.

The degree at wich characters performance is affected varies by level and AT, but if you stick to the game and start slotting your characters with even common enhancements, you will see them turning into something else entirely.

This is especially true for tankers. A low level unslotted tanker is just a guy with a few more hp than the rest that tries to survive the aggro but really can't. At level 22, with single origin enhancements or basic IOs, he becomes someone that can take the heat for the team. Later, with the right build, he's an unkillable undestuctible immovable object of total immortality.

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Nitrogen Star

[Blackmoor]

6 hours ago, krj12 said:

4.  Dominators/Trollers - I love them, though I prefer trollers due to the pets.  Again, personal preference.

 

Dominators have pets(except for Mind). Or is there something about Controller pets that you like better?

[krj12]

Pardon my ignorance,  only have made a couple doms and never leveled them very high.    But I do have quite a few trollers, by far the most entertaining of my characters.

[DougGraves]

On 12/26/2020 at 10:26 AM, Rinwen said:

One of my biggest gripes?  The waiting on button refreshing mentioned above. 

This is especially a problem at low levels so there is a "fix" for it.  If you go to the P2W vendor they have special enhancements you can get for free.  Each enhancement is a dmg/recharge enhancement.  You  can slot them starting at level 1 and they keep their effect as you level.  So you can put those into your attacks as you get them.  They don't make them a ton faster, but they help a lot. 

[Snarky]

32 minutes ago, DougGraves said:

This is especially a problem at low levels so there is a "fix" for it.  If you go to the P2W vendor they have special enhancements you can get for free.  Each enhancement is a dmg/recharge enhancement.  You  can slot them starting at level 1 and they keep their effect as you level.  So you can put those into your attacks as you get them.  They don't make them a ton faster, but they help a lot. 

also each one procs for damage, and that is a cheat help