Is Level 50 your start, your end, or a foreign land?

[Gentoo]

I am curious what the numbers are on this for this community.

 

I know a lot of you like to power level to 50 and play the game from there, deeply into incarnate stuff etc.

 

I myself retire my characters when they hit 50. I have had hundreds of them over the years and none of them go into incarnate. I lose interest in them at that point with so few new toys for me to play with every few levels.

 

I have a friend who retires her characters in the mid 30s, never going to 50 or even into the 40s. She likes the new toys and loves how at the lower levels they come at such a fast pace.

 

I play at low and at high levels (but not incarnate) and I tend to enjoy the team play more at the lower levels, before people become self sufficient, and actually need each other. Defenders and controllers buff and control and tanks tank and its a huge boost for a team. People work together or they die. I like this team play. Plus as my friend says, the toys just come so much faster.

 

At higher level play I pretty much always solo. Even my higher level controllers and defenders are able to get through missions pretty quick by then. I enjoy this, but its a completely different feeling. I'll pay more attention to story text etc since I can go at a snails pace if I feel like it, keeping the window open, watching youtube or TV and coming back mid-mission, etc.

 

And I know some of you love the incarnate level TF style play, going after the TF of the week, chasing badges and accolades etc. That's not for me, but there's no "right" or "wrong" way to play; so long as its fun for you.

 

I'm curious where most of you fall on this spectrum.

[Vulpoid]

I am with your friend.
I tend to abandon characters before 40, simply because I have a new idea I want to try out...

[Rathulfr]

Eh, it depends on the character, but 50 is usually "the end" for my characters.  At 50, I decide whether or not that character "deserves" the full IO set build out and the expenditure of hundreds of millions of Inf.  If they do, I build them out.  If not, they keep their generic IOs.  Either way, I usually don't play my 50s much, because I prefer to move on to the next alt.

 

[Apparition]

Prior to sunset, and for the first fifteen months of Homecoming, I soloed every character from level one to level 50, with XP disabled the vast majority of the time as I had a list of specific story arcs that I wanted to complete.  Prior to sunset, it would take me about three months to get a character to level 50.  On Homecoming, three weeks.

 

Back in July of last year, I wanted a new Force Field character.  But after soloing several of them from level one to level 50 on live, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it on Homecoming.  So I power leveled one from level one to 50.

 

Now I power level every new character from level one to level 50.  It lets me try out new characters more quickly, I can always join any TF/SF/Trial, and I can always play through any story arc via Ouroboros Flashback as I never teamed for story arcs anyway.  Between that and the faster accumulation of badges and INF at level 50, I no longer see any reason for me not to PL a character to level 50.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Apparition

[DougGraves]

I do not have characters above level 34.  I find the game higher than that to be boring.  It is too easy.  The character power replaces player skill.  I only join a Bricks team if there is nothing else going on - it's just too easy to really be fun.

 

I have characters parked at levels 13, 19, 23, 29, and 34.  Most at 13-23.  When a low level team appears I choose an appropriately level character and join them.

 

I join a Frostfire team about once a week.  Run the KR story arcs with teams several times a week.

 

Every couple of months I'll join a PI team.  We get to the first spawn and it melts in a second.  The second does as well.  I realize there is no challenge or fun to be had at those levels and I quit the team and go back to the low levels.

[Cutter]

I have a fair number of 50s, most of which I enjoyed playing all the way up (a couple I got close & then stubbornly pushed to the end!). Various stages of incarnates, I think only one has reached a single T4 alpha, with most just having the T1 alpha slotted. I dust them off on occasion, but haven't jumped into much endgame content with them.

 

Tons of characters in the 30s and 40s, as I either lose interest or find a new shiny. Got a couple keeping me invested who will eventually reach 50.

 

As far as play levels go, I find the most enjoyment in pre-40 content, especially TFs. As has been mentioned, tactics and AT roles play a larger part, so it feels more like a team and less like 8 solo artists.

[chi1701]

One thing I like about this game is ability to play at any level, my main is 50, fully slotted and t4 incarnates, because I have completed endgame per say, I can just sit back, relax and just enjoy the game without thinking about where im going to get the next enhancement or incarnate mat from.

Edited February 5, 2021 by chi1701

[Soyuz]

I last played on live before the Incarnate system came out, so my 50's (and there weren't many) tended to get parked or re-rolled. I didn't like playing a character that was "finished", apart from completing any open arcs sometimes. I had a Defender and a couple of Scrappers who got the re-roll treatment, because I wanted to try a slightly different powerset combo that worked with the theme.

 

On Homecoming? Ask me when I get there. I don't have a 50 yet, so I'm likely to give the Incarnate system a try just to see what all the fuss is about, I think. After that I'll take a view.

[arcane]

What’s this 50 you speak of? I don’t play the alt at all prior to 50+1.

[lemming]

What I have done for a long time was playing a few different characters to 50, then parking them for a bit until I respec and outfit them with generic IOs.

Recently slowed down on making alts and only have two not at 50.  (One is a placeholder that is only at level 3 currently from exploration badges, and the other is a Praetorian that is slowly working to 50)

50s tend to get parked until I respec and replace all the lower level IOs with 50s.  29 have gotten that, 20 are waiting for a Respec, and 15 are waiting to get their enhancements.  Most of the 29 have been played enough to get their incarnate slots and to have a three level shift.

I tend to play my main, who is my badger, in Flashback mode to finish up all the arcs.  (~30 to go, a couple arcs per week)

The others, it depends on what I want to play at the time.

[macskull]

1 hour ago, Apparition said:

Now I power level every new character from level one to level 50.  It lets me try out new characters more quickly, I can always join any TF/SF/Trial, and I can always play through any story arc via Ouroboros Flashback as I never teamed for story arcs anyway.  Between that and the faster accumulation of badges and INF at level 50, I no longer see any reason for me not to PL a character to level 50.

I feel the same way. PLing is so quick that if I decide I don't like the character after leveling and IOing it, it isn't a big deal and I haven't sunk that much time into playing it. There seems to be a mindset that you are somehow less able to play a character if you've PLd it instead of leveling it the "normal" way but if you're even somewhat competent at the game it's pretty easy to briefly read over power info and figure out how to play something. I'd argue I could jump onto a random character on a random player's account and the hardest part would be figuring out why they put powers in their tray the way they did and wondering why their keybinds are all weird.

[Apparition]

5 minutes ago, macskull said:

I feel the same way. PLing is so quick that if I decide I don't like the character after leveling and IOing it, it isn't a big deal and I haven't sunk that much time into playing it. There seems to be a mindset that you are somehow less able to play a character if you've PLd it instead of leveling it the "normal" way but if you're even somewhat competent at the game it's pretty easy to briefly read over power info and figure out how to play something. I'd argue I could jump onto a random character on a random player's account and the hardest part would be figuring out why they put powers in their tray the way they did and wondering why their keybinds are all weird.

Yep.  And there is nothing stopping you from PLing to level 50 and then do lower level TFs/SFs/Trials if you feel that that is necessary to get a proper handle on a character.  Even then, as you said that is not necessary for the vast majority of ATs.  The only exception really may be Masterminds as they play quite differently from everything else.

[tidge]

I don't power-level my characters, although I will make use of double-XP for ATs with similar power-sets that I have played before... such 'near duplicates' have been slight tweaks on other characters, so I don't feel the need to take leveling particularly slow.

 

On all my characters I try to get as close to completing the respective accolades before level 50. In certain cases, I'll take things slow to avoid out-leveling certain content. I'll use Ouroborous and join PUGs as necessary for certain tasks. I enjoy playing with PUGs, but watching my XP can become a chore!

 

At level 50, I typically embrace PUGs. I prefer content below level 45... my character is almost always slotted the way I want and Incarnates aren't a thing.  I have the set bonuses I want and I'll have the powers I want for all lower-level content.

 

I will almost always slot the Alpha (eventually to +1) but on about half my characters with many dozens of veteran levels I don't bother with other Incarnates unless the mood strikes me. If I feel like doing Incarnate content I'll pick up the other two level shifts, but usually I am in no hurry.

[StriderIV]

2 hours ago, Apparition said:

Prior to sunset, and for the first fifteen months of Homecoming, I soloed every character from level one to level 50, with XP disabled the vast majority of the time as I had a list of specific story arcs that I wanted to complete.  Prior to sunset, it would take me about three months to get a character to level 50.  On Homecoming, three weeks.

 

Back in July of last year, I wanted a new Force Field character.  But after soloing several of them from level one to level 50 on live, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it on Homecoming.  So I power leveled one from level one to 50.

 

Now I power level every new character from level one to level 50.  It lets me try out new characters more quickly, I can always join any TF/SF/Trial, and I can always play through any story arc via Ouroboros Flashback as I never teamed for story arcs anyway.  Between that and the faster accumulation of badges and INF at level 50, I no longer see any reason for me not to PL a character to level 50.

This is very similar to myself. It's nice being able to have a hero for every situation, based on what that mean may need for that particular TF/SF/Trial. Also, as a father of 3 now, I don't have as much time to grind every single hero to 50. I've PL'd a handful, and I have 2-3 heroes that I consider my "slow level" ones that I keep around for running story arcs with some buddies. I feel it's the best of both worlds!

[xl8]

2 hours ago, Apparition said:

Now I power level every new character from level one to level 50.  It lets me try out new characters more quickly

Why not just roll one on the test server?

[Apparition]

1 minute ago, xl8 said:

Why not just roll one on the test server?

I do.  That still does not show how they will perform in a team environment though.

[KC4800]

If I play a character past 50, its because I like the concept, the costume, his reliability. etc. IF a character falls into a one hit wonder sort of thing, it gets stale. I'll make every effort to try new tactics, but if it doesn't work out, I'll stop playing with the character. I put a premium on characters that are versatile.

[Parabola]

I play lower levels mostly. I have some incarnate monsters but they don't get played much. I forced myself to make a 'main' at one point and got a load of badges on him but I realised I was playing him because I felt I should rather than wanting to. He's been sat idle apart from the odd bout of marketeering ever since.

 

If the lv50 game played a bit more like lower levels then I'd play more at that level. As it stands it feels like a different game that is less fun. It's not just the balance problems, I prefer the lower level themes and storylines too. Drug dealing gangs and mad doctors I can buy into, interdimensional alternate reality woo woo less so.

 

I power levelled a couple of characters for the novelty as much as anything. I then promptly deleted them and levelled the normal way. It just didn't feel right, the journey is the game for me and an instant 50 feels hollow and soulless. What I particularly can't understand is powerlevelling in other people's farms. At least make your own farmer on a second account and do it yourself. It's boring enough even then but at least it's you pressing the buttons.

[Heraclea]

My characters form a collective.  There are level 50s I still enjoy playing.  I also have many up and coming levelling characters.  The level 50s play mostly in order to support the rising characters.  I have a large enough roster that I can probably supply what the team or raid leader wants for any given team or league.  I can fill just about any role except 'healer', and maybe even that if I bring a mastermind. 

[Grindingsucks]

What I've come to realize:

 

1) I find playing characters below level 16 to be boring.  Characters of that level don't have enough powers to interest me and the play consists mainly of hammering the same buttons, over and over.  I like to be able to mix and match different powers and tactics in combat.  By lvl 15-16, I typically have enough powers that play is fun for me.

 

2) I always use double xp.  I always have a character concept and an imagined power level that goes best with that concept.  I don't wont to grind for a long time in order to play the character I'm interested in RPing.

 

3) Sometimes the character I imagine is a street level hero (which I imagine as around 16-20 lvls tops.  For medium to strong characters, I'll stop levelling at anywhere between lvl 35 and 45, depending on the AT and concept.  For very powerful (but not god-like) hero/villains, I may go to 50, but will either not take any incarnates, or only take the 1st tier Alpha slot.  For characters that are cosmic level heroes or deities, I'll take multiple incarnate powers and hit out with as many enhancement sets as I have patience to buy and slot.  My characters also always have some procs and globals slotted.  Maybe just two or three for street level characters, up to one or two dozen for very powerful characters.  I often prefer cherry-picking and slotting procs and globals to chasing enhancement sets, as it's less expensive and time consuming.

 

4) I've often spurned incarnate level group play, because I find it too boring.  I was recently introduced to AE 801 though, and am starting to feel differently about that, and thinking about chasing down more tough AE missions.

[Erratic1]

I dislike grinding and have generally felt the economy made IOs prohibitive, so 50 has traditionally been the end for my characters, though perhaps with a bit of a foray into Incarnation here and there. However....

 

Having come back to Homecoming after  a year away, I worked a character I had left hanging in his low 30s to 50, laid out what I thought would be a relatively cheap IO build geared  less towards dominating +4/8 play and more towards reaching defense caps with good resists, and quite literally put most of the pieces (44 of 67 slots) together last night after two weeks of buying IOs on the cheap. It wasn't horrible, though when I look at what I might want to accomplish on other characters it looks like a more expensive endeavor--at least double the cost. 

 

So things may have shifted from 50 being an end to 50 being the gateway to the strange, new, wonderful and terrible land. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Erratic1

[TheOtherTed]

Highest level character I ever had hit 46 on live, when suddenly the myth of "Bridge?" /tells became reality and I lost all interest in the character.

 

Here on Homecoming, I have a few mid-20 characters that are just waiting for me to get a better network adapter so I can actually join teams.  They might have to wait a bit longer.

[Gulbasaur]

It's a "when I get there" thing. I don't see the point in builds that only work at level 50 (a problem with planned builds IMO) or rely on incarnates to function... level scaling is a big part of the game and some of the earlier content is really good.

[Spaghetti Betty]

I have toons all over the level range. Not for any particular reason. I make a character because that's what I feel like playing. I probably spend about 60% of my time soloing these days, so levelling is more of a side effect than a goal. As far as my T4'd and IO'd 50s, I still find them really fun to play, but I was already having fun playing them, and if anything, the incarnate stuff is more of a bonus not really something I factor into a build. When I get there, I'll see what holes that particular character has, and I'll incarnate accordingly, but no planning ahead on that.

 

Never have I once felt that getting to 50 was where the game started. If anything, there's so, so much content that starts at about 22 (also when SOs were available) that I would consider that to be the real start of the game.

[Coyotedancer]

I really depends a lot on the individual character for me...

 

Some of the gang really needed to be "finished", with their full set-builds and all of their iToys and their accolades and all that, before I felt completely satisfied and comfortable with the way they played. My favorite non-farming Brute was like that. Semnai is certainly playable, and handles just fine at lower levels, but she really came into her own post-50. That's where I'm happiest running her, and at this point she's earned more vet levels than any of the others by a pretty wide margin, almost all from high-level play.

 

Others? They were fine by the mid-30's and getting to 50+ was just icing. Most of my support characters are in that camp, and even though they are all finished, incarnated and equipped characters now, they still live their in-game lives mostly running exemplar-ed with mid-level teams. That's where they're needed and that's what I built them to do. If I was a little less picky about how my character list looked (And had a less compulsive drive to complete the things I start-), I could probably have level-locked them all at 37 and left them there with their attuned set-builds and been perfectly content with them.

 

The only part of the game I actively DISlike at this point is the low-level, under-32 slog. I'll short-cut past that with zero regrets. It just flat-out isn't fun for me at this point, blues-side, red-side or gold-.

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Coyotedancer