Seeking Praetorian Advice

[Chrono-Bot]

I never succeeded in this goal on live and I think part if it was that I just couldn't plan for what I'd be facing.

 

I'd like to do a complete run of the Praetorian arcs from level 1 and would appreciate advice on what powersets would fare the best against the enemies I'd be facing/their types of damage. I remember being very frustrated by the mincemeat that I was made into years ago. Since there's at least four paths to go, as far as I know, multiple ideas are appreciated for the spice of life.

[InvaderStych]

Well, first off, start here:

 

 

Best Way to Goldside, imo, and a decent quantity of Merits to be had along the way as you end up with the "Every Arc In _____" bonuses by following the side-switching. When I found this guide I ran through on a Stalker.  It can be done, but I don't recommend it.  I had forgotten about the way Goldside ambushes ignore Hidden.  Though if you're inclined towards the AT and have a budget, it's a fun way to go despite the tougher fights.

 

Even if you don't do the "Level Lock & Side Switch" method, definitely start from the tutorial so you get all of the Undercover options for the side chosen during the tutorial.

 

It's not so much that there are exotic damage types to worry about, more that the mission designs and some of the zone events can be tough to solo, like the ambush mechanics previously mentioned.  Some form of Mez protection is also valuable.

 

Groups on that side do pack debuffs; Resistance is heavy on Energy and iirc general debuffs, Seers are Psi and pack -rech, Ghouls are mostly Smashing, but they swarm like crazy and heal others when they drop - stuff like that.  First Ward and Night Ward are where things get more .... exotic, lol.

 

If I were going to do another Goldside run and wanted to simplify I'd probably stick to melee: /Elec /Dark /Rad for armor choices; AT and Primary to taste.  Kat, DM, RM, SVG, many good choices at that point.  Doubtless there are good Dom/Troller or Corr/Def combos that would absolutely own Goldside, but I am not familiar enough to suggest which ones. 

 

If I was going to do another of these runs, for the fun of it I'd probably roll another /Martial Blaster. 😉 Not particularly suited to the task, but it would be a fun challenge.  Hmm, now that I mention it, Praetoria would be a great place to roll DP/Martial - the zone and storyline gel nicely with the Equilibrium Vibe of that combo. 😄

 

EDIT: Note that the above was written over coffee, while forgetting that one has to take the level limitations into account.  That last bit about the fun blaster might have to be scratched depending on what's available before 20.  So, I'mma go finish my coffee now. 😛

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by InvaderStych

[huang3721]

Strengthen your resolve. Praetorian contents are quite large, since there are 39 story arcs prior to Rift Enclosure. Each arc may take almost an hour, some are longer. Playing with friends, whenever possible, helps. 

 

[Chrono-Bot]

11 hours ago, InvaderStych said:

Well, first off, start here:

 

 

Best Way to Goldside, imo, and a decent quantity of Merits to be had along the way as you end up with the "Every Arc In _____" bonuses by following the side-switching. When I found this guide I ran through on a Stalker.  It can be done, but I don't recommend it.  I had forgotten about the way Goldside ambushes ignore Hidden.  Though if you're inclined towards the AT and have a budget, it's a fun way to go despite the tougher fights.

 

Even if you don't do the "Level Lock & Side Switch" method, definitely start from the tutorial so you get all of the Undercover options for the side chosen during the tutorial.

 

 

Thank you so much! This is a great start and I'm feeling a lot more confident now! I appreciate the time you took to answer my question.

[ZemX]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:23 AM, InvaderStych said:

Best Way to Goldside, imo, and a decent quantity of Merits to be had along the way as you end up with the "Every Arc In _____" bonuses by following the side-switching. When I found this guide I ran through on a Stalker.  It can be done, but I don't recommend it.  I had forgotten about the way Goldside ambushes ignore Hidden.  Though if you're inclined towards the AT and have a budget, it's a fun way to go despite the tougher fights.

 

There certainly are a lot of ambushes in Praetorian missions, but they are not unique in the whole "ignoring Hide" aspect.  I find most ambushes anywhere work this way and the ones that are location-based instead seem to be more rare.   It's certainly true of redside, since I've just been doing an all-redsider arcs character.  

 

Regardless, if the ambushes hit you while you're already fighting it's no worse on a Stalker than anybody else.  If they hit you while you're between fights, you usually have time to choose where you will meet them.  Pick a corner.  Re-Hide.  Pop the first one around that corner with a quick Hide crit.  You won't likely have time for a Hidden AS, but that's not a huge deal either in this day and age of Quick in-combat AS.  Yes, escorting hostages is a pain on a Stalker, usually, but that's also true anywhere, not just in Praetoria.

 

The benefits of running a Stalker through story arcs more than outweighs that, IMO.  You will often be able to skip a lot of pointless fighting.  Especially pointless if you are stopping XP so that you can do all story arcs.  Then again, you can do the same with Tanker/Brute "Stealth" (which involves a broad grin, a middle finger, and a general disregard for anybody trying to hurt you as you run past them with your hair on fire).

[InvaderStych]

On 8/30/2021 at 1:45 PM, ZemX said:

There certainly are a lot of ambushes in Praetorian missions, but they are not unique in the whole "ignoring Hide" aspect.  I find most ambushes anywhere work this way and the ones that are location-based instead seem to be more rare.   It's certainly true of redside, since I've just been doing an all-redsider arcs character.  

 

Regardless, if the ambushes hit you while you're already fighting it's no worse on a Stalker than anybody else.  If they hit you while you're between fights, you usually have time to choose where you will meet them.  Pick a corner.  Re-Hide.  Pop the first one around that corner with a quick Hide crit.  You won't likely have time for a Hidden AS, but that's not a huge deal either in this day and age of Quick in-combat AS.  Yes, escorting hostages is a pain on a Stalker, usually, but that's also true anywhere, not just in Praetoria.

 

All also very correct. 😉 There are also a handful of other types of triggers (mostly cut-scenes) that ignore Stealth/Hidden as well throughout the Cities.  That said, there were many Praetorian missions where breaking LoS to regain Hidden simply didn't work for me .  It might have been Ghoul swarms, or it might have been ambush triggers, it might have just been a series of flukes but I do remember the frustration of some of them outweighed (for me personally, and I understand this to be subjective) the advantages of being able to stealth through the occasional mission or while gathering badges/plaques/posters.  Thus, not my first recommendation for an "Easier Mode" Goldside Run.  Not that it wasn't fun, it just wasn't the easiest way to do it. 🙂

 

Rescue/Kidnap Escorting is a Pain Always.  Some of the Praetorian ones seemed to be particularly stubborn, even with all stealth turned off.  But there's a quirk with Combat Teleport that makes Escorting a lot easier.  If they're next you when you port, the distance is usually short enough that they'll sprint to your new location instead of following you at walking pace.  Not fool-proof to be sure, but with a macro to port forward (or backwards if you want to keep an eye on them) it, anecdotally as I've not convinced anyone to try to replicate it, seems much quicker and more reliable than trying to just walk them out. This can also be used to get them to move vertically to a mezzanine or up the layers of one of the Cave Cake rooms. Stealth/Hidden still need to be off for this to work though, as far as I have been able to tell.

 

In fairness, I haven't tried this in Praetorian missions, but I don't see why they would be any different than the Red/Blue with respect to CT. 🤷‍♂️

Edited September 1, 2021 by InvaderStych

[ZemX]

5 minutes ago, InvaderStych said:

Thus, not my first recommendation for an "Easier Mode" Goldside Run.  Not that it wasn't fun, it just wasn't the easiest way to do it. 🙂

 

No, if it's absolute easiest I would go with an SR Brute or Tanker probably.  Just as able to stealth missions as a Stalker, it's just that their "stealth" involves not having to care about who sees them. 🤪 And they don't have to worry about Hide when dragging a hostage.

 

9 minutes ago, InvaderStych said:

Some of the Praetorian ones seemed to be particularly stubborn, even with all stealth turned off.

 

They cannot climb stairs.  Makes me want to claw my own eyes out sometimes watching them try to go up or down a flight of stairs.  End up spinning in place or getting stuck on one of those railings... agggghhhh!  I had one of them do that while a timer ticked down towards a police ambush if I didn't get the hostage out.  Nope... spinning on the stairs.  *checks watch* 

 

Okay... I'm leaving without you.

 

Interesting about CT.  But I rarely take that power.  

[Darmian]

I've taken my main to 50 while staying Praetorian, and she's a Mind Control/Empathy Controller. You can survive anything Praetoria throws at you as long as you abandon any notion of invincibility or facerolling.

[Chrono-Bot]

Still chewing on this. I think I'll do the main melees - brute, scrapper, tank, and stalker and go through that way.