Enhancements are overwhelming

[TheGrizzledGamer]

Greetings! 

Trying to understand all the types of enhancements is is overwhelming for me. Is there a simple way to explain it to me? Like in dummy terms? LOL I don't know the terminology for it all, like what is an IO? What is full stacked? I have had several gamers say do this and do that but none of makes sense. 

 

Thanks in advance!! 

[The_Warpact]

That is a rather lengthy discussion.  

 

https://cityofheroes.fandom.com/wiki/Invention_System

 

Start here,  I suggest playing the tutorial in game, I did back on live and thought it was a good starter. 

I'm sure others will help you along better than I can.

GL!

[Triumphant]

It was one of the biggest hurdles for me, back when I first started playing.  Even after approximately 2 years of regular play, I still don't grasp 100% how it all fits together and functions, but I have enough understanding that I can build a pretty good character now.

 

For the most part, until level 50, I just outfit my characters with plain old lvl 25 invention enhancements and then pad them out with procs from the healing and endurance sets, as I get the money to acquire them.  The little bumps of health and endurance you get from these will help in the survivability of almost any AT and powerset combo.  Then I may focus on getting the signature enhancements from ATO sets (ATO are the enhancement sets particular to specific archetypes:  Blaster sets, Tank sets, Scrapper sets, etc.  One enhancement in the set typically has a very good bonus, such as giving a scrappers crit a 50% chance to go of, and so on.  I buy these as soon as I'm able to afford them, much like the health/endurance procs).

 

After you hit lvl 50, that's where it gets more complex, as I start thinking about what I want my goals to be for defense/resist caps, endurance, mez protection, damage and recharge, etc.

 

Start with the link that The_Warpact provided and then go from there and keep asking questions if there's something you don't quite grok.  You'll start to figure it out eventually, I promise.

[Snarky]

The complication of the invention system is arguably one of the biggest factors in why a dedicated crew still play this game.  The ability to design a character from head to toe in the costume generator and then design a character intricately in a build gives a true feeling of making something special

 

The invention system is one part game design, one part mathematical, one part I/O science, and overwhelmingly artistic.  
 

I have seen (and played) builds that I would never have created that changed my opinion of how to play the game.  These are frequently published by great builders on the boards. Sometimes a kind soul with great talent will build one specifically for your goals if asked nicely.   I have built (many sub perfect) builds that I enjoyed madly for months at a time. I main a Dark/Dark Blaster that is built lopsided to most Blaster theory. I enjoy it greatly. My Blaster, my style.  
 

Learn the basics.  Keep in mind I/Os in general (except for a handful of uniques) will be LESS powerful as you level until about 30. This is due to lack of set bonuses and lack of general enhancement slots.  When exemplaring down this is not an issue

 

the rule of 5s. Enhancement Diversification. Why a I/O that enhances 4 attributes is more powerful than one that enhances two. Sets that get you to X build goal.  A few dozen other “basics”. Once you learn all that you will be as poor a builder as I am lol. Then you can start to study the  theory behind overclocking each of the various ATs and builds. Each AT tends to have different build needs. Many powersets within each AT will have very specific sweet build possibilities.  Going from “I can build” to “ I made a great build” is like going from “ I made food” to “I made Thanksgiving dinner for 12 from scratch”

 

Good luck. Most importantly have fun. Remember my main. My build, not the most perfect build, built for me to have fun.  Have fun

Edited August 28, 2021 by Snarky

[Doomguide2005]

IO --> Invention Origin

     and this subdivides into set IOs and generic IOs.

ATO --> Archetype Origin

SO --> SIngle Origin

     DO --> Dual Origin

     TO --> Training Origin

HO --> Hamidon Origin

SHO --> Synthetic Hamidon Origin 

 

     Just some of the alphabet soup used when talking about various sorts of enhancements.  TO, DO, and SO enhancements are what the game used initially back in the day.  You can now have SOs slotted into your powers from the beginning whereas it used to be you couldn't start slotting SOs until you reached level 22 in general.  The only exception back in i3 when I started was if you defeated an AV (or GM?) they would drop one that you could potentially slot pre 22 as a reward and generally this only occurred at the of a TF (again a few exceptions existed, Dr. Vahzilok comes to mind).

 

You can do just fine using just SOs on the ride to 50 learning and experiencing your character and their 'build' and using other enhancement types as you go.

 

Snarky and others have mentioned some of the complications ... but it's a game so enjoy and learn as you go.  We've all been there.   It's really,  really hard to mess up bad and very easy through respecs and unslotters to fix any errors you make.  My main has been rebuilt and tweaked so often she probably looks like a mass of scars 😜  

[The_Warpact]

Took me awhile to find it.

 

This has explanations also, with some advice on builds.

[Techwright]

28 minutes ago, Doomguide2005 said:

IO --> Invention Origin

     and this subdivides into set IOs and generic IOs.

ATO --> Archetype Origin

SO --> SIngle Origin

     DO --> Dual Origin

     TO --> Training Origin

HO --> Hamidon Origin

SHO --> Synthetic Hamidon Origin 

 

     Just some of the alphabet soup used when talking about various sorts of enhancements.  TO, DO, and SO enhancements are what the game used initially back in the day.  You can now have SOs slotted into your powers from the beginning whereas it used to be you couldn't start slotting SOs until you reached level 22 in general.  The only exception back in i3 when I started was if you defeated an AV (or GM?) they would drop one that you could potentially slot pre 22 as a reward and generally this only occurred at the of a TF (again a few exceptions existed, Dr. Vahzilok comes to mind).

 

You can do just fine using just SOs on the ride to 50 learning and experiencing your character and their 'build' and using other enhancement types as you go.

 

Snarky and others have mentioned some of the complications ... but it's a game so enjoy and learn as you go.  We've all been there.   It's really,  really hard to mess up bad and very easy through respecs and unslotters to fix any errors you make.  My main has been rebuilt and tweaked so often she probably looks like a mass of scars 😜  

A good listing.  I'd just add a few points.

 

1. SO & DO are based on your origin (science, tech, natural, mutation, magic), so what you get in a fight drop might not be usable if it doesn't match your character's origin.  You could, however, email it to your global self and use it on a character that that does match the origin.   Likewise, not all vendors sell your origin.  In the mid levels (Talos Island, Independence Point, Brickstown, Founders Falls) there are vendors that are origin specific.  Don't worry, though as there are also generic vendors, which are tuned to sell to whatever the character needs.

 

2.  Lef to right from least powerful up:   TO < DO < SO < IO      It's been a while since I worked with HO and SHO, but I think those are on par with set IO, but are used in spots where a set IO enhancement might not be a great fit.  (Someone else might be better able to comment on that.)

 

3. TO's are not really needed in Homecoming anymore.  However, should you experiment with one of the other CoH emulations out there, they'll probably still be in effect.

Edited August 28, 2021 by Techwright

[Zhym]

Here's a good post explaining enhancements for beginners:

 

 

And here's one that gets more into IO Enhancements:

 

 

[John Wonder]

Building on what has been said above: (and you may know some of this, but some people are coming in totally cold, so...)
 

SO's (Single Origin Enhancements are locked into one specific origin type, (Mutant, Magic etc.) DO's have 2 useable types but are weaker than SO's. (TO's: Training Origin-even weaker) Enhancements of these types 'drop' into your inventory while you are  playing missions in the game (They can also be purchased from vendors such as the 2 Longbow agents that sit to either side of Ms. Liberty in Atlas Park). 

Invention Origin (IO's), as stated above, come in two broad types: Generic and Set. ATO's are a special type of Set IO's that can only be used by a particular Archetype (such as Blaster, Scrapper etc) 

You get IO's either through building them from recipes you have earned through running missions (that you will find in your 'recipe' tab on your Powers Window) or through purchasing them with influence in the Auction House. (Type [/ah] in your chat field to bring up that window). To build recipes you will need to acquire the salvage items listed on the recipe by buying them on the auction house (unless you already have them in your salvage that you have accumulated through adventuring see 'salvage' tab on your Powers Window) You can also purchase recipes outright through the auction house.
 

As stated above, set IO's don't offer their greatest benefit initially, because you do not have enough enhancement slots in you powers to take advantage of the bonuses that come from having multiple enhancements of the same set in a power. Therefore initially SO's or Generic IO are probably a better bet. 

 

Some individual Set Enhancements have PROCS, which are special/bonus abilities added to your powers that fire at differing rates. With certain PROCS, you can, for instance, add damage to a power that does not normally damage enemies such as a hold. 

Set IP's can be ATTUNED or LEVELED but that should probably be covered in another post. 

Finally, when you stack Enhancements in a power,  looking to add up multiple Damage or Accuracy enhancements etc, you have to deal with  Enhancement Diversification, which  is a system of diminishing returns on enhancements slotted to raise bonuses to a very high level.
You can read about that here: https://hcwiki.cityofheroes.dev/wiki/Enhancement_Diversification, but basically more than 3 enhancements of a specific stackable effect are not worth your trouble. 

Edited August 28, 2021 by D0C_MID4S

[Blackbird71]

3 hours ago, TheGrizzledGamer said:

Greetings! 

Trying to understand all the types of enhancements is is overwhelming for me. Is there a simple way to explain it to me? Like in dummy terms? LOL I don't know the terminology for it all, like what is an IO? What is full stacked? I have had several gamers say do this and do that but none of makes sense. 

 

Thanks in advance!! 

 

I feel your pain.  The enhancement system, particularly Invention Origin (IO) Sets (not to be confused with just plain IO (non-set) enhancements - yeah, they really screwed up that naming convention :P ), are a needless complication tacked on to what was a simple and straightforward game that lacked the "fiddly bits" of other MMOs, which had been one of its greatest draws.

The best I can recommend is to go through the Archetype forums here and find a build that suits your character, then download that build into Mid's Hero Designer:  https://forums.homecomingservers.com/forum/74-forum/  Once you've done that, you can use the build as-is, with the recommended enhancements.  Then as you go on, you can play around with the build in Mid's, downloading other builds and comparing, seeing what the enhancements do to different stats, etc., and you will start to get a feel for the sets and what they do.  The fact that Mid's shows what types of enhancements can go in what powers helps, as you can start to see the patterns of which sets are preferable, or which ones are potential options depending on the intent of your build.  Everyone learns differently, but I found this hands-on approach to be some of the best learning I could get on enhancements.

 

1 hour ago, Snarky said:

The complication of the invention system is arguably one of the biggest factors in why a dedicated crew still play this game.  The ability to design a character from head to toe in the costume generator and then design a character intricately in a build gives a true feeling of making something special

 

And for some of us, it's the biggest downside of the game and the biggest obstacle to playing.  I make builds because I have to in order to play the game, not because I enjoy them.  Each one is a chore of research and work that I'd rather not have to do, and there are some characters I've abandoned completely once I've gotten them to a level where I feel I need to pin down a build as the effort is just not worth it to me.  Every other aspect of CoH is simple to understand and easy to get into with little investment, and that's a breath of fresh air in MMOs.  But then you hit the IO sets and the enhancement system, and it drastically changes the experience, turning off many who were attracted by the simplicity of everything else.  It wouldn't be such an issue if the entire game was designed this way, and people expected that level of complexity from the beginning, but the dichotomy and poorly managed expectations make for a bad experience for many players.

 

1 hour ago, Techwright said:

1. SO & DO are based on your origin (science, tech, natural, mutation, magic), so what you get in a fight drop might not be usable if it doesn't match your character's origin.  You could, however, email it to your global self and use it on a character that that does match the origin.   Likewise, not all vendors sell your origin.  In the mid levels (Talos Island, Independence Point, Brickstown, Founders Falls) there are vendors that are origin specific.  Don't worry, though as there are also generic vendors, which are tuned to sell to whatever the character needs.

 

55 minutes ago, D0C_MID4S said:

SO's (Single Origin Enhancements are locked into one specific origin type, (Mutant, Magic etc.) DO's have 2 useable types but are weaker than SO's. (TO's: Triple Origin-even weaker) Enhancements of these types 'drop' into your inventory while you are  playing missions in the game (They can also be purchased from vendors such as the 2 Longbow agents that sit to either side of Ms. Liberty in Atlas Park). 

 

I will add that for Origin-specific enhancements that drop in-game, if you want to get enhancement drops that work for your origin, then you should do missions against enemies of the same origin.  Looking at the "about" info on a contact will show you the origins of enemies that contact will give you missions against.

[Yomo Kimyata]

Step 1:  Each enhancement enhances one or more characteristics of a power.  Get familiar with those characteristics.  For your "standard" damage power, those will be damage, accuracy, endurance reduction, recharge, and maybe a lot more based on the power.

Step 2:  Each enhancement has an "origin", which is why everyone uses abbreviations like SO and DO.  The basic enhancements are training origin/dual origin/single origin ("TO/DO/SO") that will enhance a single characteristic.  I listed those in increasing order of enhancement power.  You can buy these from vendors or get them as drops from defeating enemies.  (NOTE:  TOs may be obsolete at this point.  To make things confusing, you can only use DOs or SOs if they match your character's origin type (natural, magic, science, etc.)

Step 3:  Most enhancements have a level attached (exception:  attuned, which will come later).  How powerful they are depends on your level in comparison to the enhancement.  You can slot an enhancement that is up to +3 to your level (or down to -3).  As you level, the enhancements will stay the same level, and thus become relatively weaker.  Once they are -4 to your level, they stop providing any benefit in terms of power enhancement.

Step 4:  There is now an invention system.  Recipes drop from defeating enemies (or you can get them elsewhere).  You change them from recipes to enhancements with salvage, a crafting station, and a fee.  There are two types of recipes:  common inventions and invention sets.  Common are like DO/SOs, insofar as they enhance a single characteristic.  The amount of that enhancement depends on the level of the recipe.  Here, you can slot something that is more than three levels beneath you, but the enhancement level you get will not change as you level.  A level 15 damage common IO will provide the same (low) enhancement levels to your power as long as you slot it.

Step 5:  Invention sets are the bread and butter of most builds.  Not only do most set IOs enhance more than one characteristic, but you get various bonuses if you slot two or more of the same set in the same power.  In general, you can get up to 5 of the exact same bonus, but no more.  These bonuses are really what makes the game so powerful at this stage.  Also, many sets have "procs" or otherwise special effects that can really assist a power.  There are lots of resources on this when you are ready for it.

Step 6:  You can attune most set IOs if they have a specific level.  Attuning changes the shape from a hexagon to a circle, gets rid of the associated level, and now the relative power of the set IO will rise as your level rises (up to the limit of the set's max level.)  Some enhancements *only* come in attuned form.

 

There are plenty of exceptions to this, but I hope that gets you started.

[Sovera]

The game was made so it could be played with bare bones builds, so in a way you don't -have- to delve into the complicated stuff. As with most complicated stuff I find it better to copy what someone more experienced made. Then, as time passes and we become more experienced with it all, we can develop our own builds.

 

Some people never get to that point because they don't care about it (this is me on all games that have crafting) and so you can either keep on copying builds (absolutely no shame in it) or if someone could you build you something.

 

Because there are a finite number of combos simply using the search function might show the build you were interested in.

[Miss Magical]

Buy the thing. Buy the highest level thing you can use (your level +3).

 

Put things in powers. No more than 3 of a kind. Some exceptions apply.

 

Things from the auction house (/ah) never wear out (Enhancements > Crafted Enhancements > Other). Things from NPC vendors usually do and must be replaced. Warning: replacement fees can get expensive. 

 

Some things are part of a set (Enhancements > Attuned Enhancements). Putting multiple things from the same set gives a set bonus, more things = more and bigger bonuses. The most commonly desired bonuses are recharge, defense and resistance. You can't put the exact same set piece in the same power more than once.

 

Things from sets, and the bonuses they give, stop working if you are synced to a level that is 3 less than the set's minimum level. Hover over the thing to see its minimum level. You can't have more than 5 of the same kind of bonus.

 

Some things in sets have a chance to give a bonus when the power they are in is used (proc). Some things give a bonus just for being slotted, even if you don't use or can't use the power (global). Some things are unique - you can't have more than one on your whole character.

 

Some powerful set things and the bonuses they give never stop working (select levels = 50 to 50 and rarity: Very rare under the search bar, before clicking on the Enhancements category). They are stronger than most things, but you must be level 50 to slot them and they are all unique.

 

Go. Buy. Slot things.

Edited August 28, 2021 by Miss Magical

[SuperPlyx]

Well I think you did the best first step, you joined the forum and you asked for help. I think you got some great replies , and I think you see it is a learning process. Like anything will take a little time and some effort to figure it all out. Homework for a game!

 

Also this quote because I really like it:

7 hours ago, Snarky said:

The invention system is one part game design, one part mathematical, one part I/O science, and overwhelmingly artistic.  

 

[misat]

Does anyone have a video of this topic? If so please post a link 🙂 I looked on YouTube couldn't find a detail video on it 

[Shenanigunner]

Put me in the category with those who think all of the crafted, set-based enhancements are lovely but completely unnecessary to play the game, even to high levels, hefty builds and well.

 

To the OP: Just slot up with SO's, which you can now buy at every level instead of having to limp along until 20-something, as before. Learn how slotting works in general, with ED — basically translates as "no more than three of any one kind of enhancement in any one power" — and the tradeoffs of Accuracy vs Damage, shield buffs etc. vs endurance reduction, recharge vs everything. You really, truly, honestly won't lose a damn thing by ignoring IOs, sets and all that complicated riggyroll.

 

I'm thrilled that these option are there for players who want them, just as I am thrilled there are ATs and powersets I don't particularly care to play and costume pieces I'll never choose. But I call down on the mindset that the game isn't worth playing unless you super-min-max every aspect, starting with endless dicking around with IOs and sets and ATOs and procs at the lowest possible levels. It is; they aren't.

 

Just Play The Damn Game™ And don't feel you "have to" do what some other faction is howling about. Try it somewhere down the road, when you understand the tradeoffs of playing simple and playing in the most complicated, involved way possible.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by Shenanigunner

[Shenanigunner]

21 hours ago, misat said:

Does anyone have a video of this topic? If so please post a link 🙂 I looked on YouTube couldn't find a detail video on it 

 

I guess you could look it all up in the wiki, 😈

[Techwright]

On 8/28/2021 at 10:17 AM, Snarky said:

Learn the basics.  Keep in mind I/Os in general (except for a handful of uniques) will be LESS powerful as you level until about 30. This is due to lack of set bonuses and lack of general enhancement slots.  When exemplaring down this is not an issue

 

Is it 30 for the set IOs?  Because with our fairly recent addition of the upgrade button,  I find I prefer to just pay the upgrade fee, as  non-set IOs don't perform better than maxed out SOs until security level 37 (enhancement level 40).

The pic below is of a 40 SO held up next to a slotted 40 IO at level 37.  I just achieved that level tonight on my archer.  At SL-36 (Enhancement level 39), the SO was still slightly more powerful.

[tidge]

To find those IO Enhancements you need, be sure to visit the auction house: Wentworths, Black Market or /AH in any non-PVP zone.

 

[Snarky]

2 hours ago, Techwright said:

Is it 30 for the set IOs?  Because with our fairly recent addition of the upgrade button,  I find I prefer to just pay the upgrade fee, as  non-set IOs don't perform better than maxed out SOs until security level 37 (enhancement level 40).

The pic below is of a 40 SO held up next to a slotted 40 IO at level 37.  I just achieved that level tonight on my archer.  At SL-36 (Enhancement level 39), the SO was still slightly more powerful.

But at around 30 you start having enough set bonuses on a few sets to start swinging into a late game build.  It is definitely the awkward tween time of the leveling experience though