Worst builds?

[Uun]

A month or two ago I was teamed with Pool Boy. He was a defender, but only took the required powers and all his attacks were from the pools. He had it IOed out the wazoo. 

 

On live I took a Ninja/Poison MM to 50. Not the worst, but not easy mode either. I also had an Ice/TA controller. Couldn't solo worth a damn but could lock down everything in sight.

[Lusiphur Malache]

On 6/5/2019 at 1:19 PM, Sothoth said:

I ran into a tank last night that didn't have taunt...

A week doesn't go by that I don't run into either a tank without taunt, a blaster without snipe, or a ws/pb without a second form.  

[Obitus]

2 hours ago, Darkesyde said:

A week doesn't go by that I don't run into either a tank without taunt, a blaster without snipe, or a ws/pb without a second form.  

Of course, none of those things is even remotely a deal breaker.

[jubakumbi]

2 hours ago, Darkesyde said:

A week doesn't go by that I don't run into either a tank without taunt, a blaster without snipe, or a ws/pb without a second form.  

I never notice these things, like, ever...

Do you guys look at peoples builds or something?

I never think twice about what my teammates have for powers...

[Alty]

5 hours ago, jubakumbi said:

I never notice these things, like, ever...

Do you guys look at peoples builds or something?

I never think twice about what my teammates have for powers...

I look for specific powers mostly. Everyone builds differently so if I'm on a pug and expect the Kin to have Increase Density (ID), I'm going to check in case they don't, so I can adjust my playstyle accordingly. 

 

I actually mostly check for team buffs/debuffs. The tanks/brute/scrappers/stalkers/blasters powerset choices aren't ones which can dramatically affect the whole team.  Any AT can be buffed to tank levels, the 'god mode' makers in this game are the buffs/debuffers. 

 

Tanker doesn't have taunt? No biggie. Have a sonic add the hula hoop of doom. Brute forgot a defense shield, slap some force field, sonic, fire or ice shields, get fortitude on them asap. 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Alty

[Lusiphur Malache]

Most of the time the player will volunteer the information themselves.  If not it might take a few fights to figure it out. It isn't a dealbreaker for me as I just adjust my playstyle, but I know team leads boot people because they count on an AT to do one job and if you can't do it, see ya bye.

[Zepp]

CoH is not like Final Fantasy, there is sufficient versatility in the archetypes/powersets that you can play off-role or inter-role well. I wouldn't want to play with a team lead that does not understand that.

[jubakumbi]

1 hour ago, Darkesyde said:

... I know team leads boot people because they count on an AT to do one job and if you can't do it, see ya bye.

So glad I don't play with people like that - ugh - and people wonder why I don't team much past DFB...

Pick a few players, jump in the mission...anything else for me is silly, TBH.

[Gregg247]

Back in 2004, my first character was a Stone/Stone Tanker.  This was when Stamina came at level 20 and a travel power was at level 14.  There were much fewer missions back then, and I was too new and intimidated to play on a team, so I spent my first 2 weeks in the game running around on the road that wraps around Perez Park, street-sweeping.  Ugh!

 

My next 2 alts were an Ice/Ice Tanker and an AR/Devices Blaster.  its no wonder I quit playing for a year after that!

[Ironblade]

On 8/3/2019 at 9:15 PM, jubakumbi said:

I never notice these things, like, ever...

Do you guys look at peoples builds or something?

Yes, but.  I sometimes check powersets.  I don't ask for specific ATs, let alone builds, but if I have two defenders on the team, I'll check to see what kind.

A blaster is a blaster, but defender sets are wildly different.

 

I recall a quote from back in the day.

"Playing two different blaster sets is like the difference between playing racquetball and squash.  Playing two different defender sets is like the difference between playing hockey and playing piano."

[Lusiphur Malache]

On 8/4/2019 at 10:35 AM, Gregg247 said:

Back in 2004, my first character was a Stone/Stone Tanker.  This was when Stamina came at level 20 and a travel power was at level 14.  There were much fewer missions back then, and I was too new and intimidated to play on a team, so I spent my first 2 weeks in the game running around on the road that wraps around Perez Park, street-sweeping.  Ugh!

 

My next 2 alts were an Ice/Ice Tanker and an AR/Devices Blaster.  its no wonder I quit playing for a year after that!

You missed the golden age for tanks, before ED you could taunt an entire instance to one spot and let the team handle it. Every body served the tank back then

[DSorrow]

On 8/4/2019 at 4:15 AM, jubakumbi said:

I never notice these things, like, ever...

Do you guys look at peoples builds or something?

I never think twice about what my teammates have for powers...

I often check other players' profiles mostly out of curiosity. A quick glance at their powers / set bonuses typically gives me a good idea of what to expect from them in terms of experience and knowledge, but I can't really think of a build that would be a deal breaker because a good core of 1-3 players is all you really need in a team. There are a couple of builds I remember that had me raise my eyebrows: a /Rad controller somewhere in the 40s who only had the PBAoE heal, AM, resurrect and EM Pulse but skipped all the debuffs, an Empath who only had the heals, resurrect and AB and a /Traps Corruptor who only had Web Nade, FFG and the two bombs. Maybe it's the influence of other games that has these players thinking buffs/debuffs aren't impactful, maybe melee classes just are more straightforward or then it's just coincidence that I only remember these odd support builds.

[Brutal Justice]

The first generation of my namesake and main from live, Brutal Justice, was an inv/stone tank that didn’t have temp invuln, unyielding, or invincibility.  Just the passives, dull pain, and unstoppable.  I didn’t want the glow from the toggles.  This was post ED and before nofx and IO’s.  I managed to tank for teams all the time because stone melee is just that good at controlling mobs with kd, stun, and a mag 4 hold.  

 

This is when I realized a tanks main role is to just absorb the alpha. After that, even if you’re mezzed, the team will handle the group no problem.  Sure I died every once in a while when a normal build would not have, but I proudly sported my MoSTF badge.  

 

I learned I am not tanker god.  I am tanker team expeditor.  I am less than the whole.  It made me a better player and better tanker

[justicebeliever]

4 minutes ago, Mr.Sinister said:

 

I learned I am not tanker god.  I am tanker team expeditor.  I am less than the whole.  It made me a better player and better tanker

QFT

[Obsidius]

On 6/5/2019 at 9:56 AM, Man_From_AUNTIE said:

AR/Dev...That Frankenstein gun*shivers*.  Lethal damage, most resisted type of damage in the game.  Don't get Flamethrower until late teens so you get something other than Lethal and of course it is a narrow cone and has craptastic accuracy.  Then caltrops is required for the tripmine to fire off since it keeps the mob close enough to trigger the mine.  Only benefit is beanbag and taser, with those two you can mez a boss as long as you don't miss with one.  I believe TD was nerfed like i23 or i24 so it didn't provide the accuracy it use to, making slotting accuracy in the powers now.  At least until you have IO sets installed in the powers.

I dunno, I love my AR/Dev so far, although she's still sub 20 as one of my alts. The Prestige Enhancements are helping early on at least, and I'm still getting along with TD. I rolled her as a femme fatale as I try to find themes for all of my toons, and she's also a hover blaster to help reduce melee based damage. Plus, with Power Customization, I ditched the frankengun from the word go.

 

My primary is a TW/Stone Brute, and he's... trickier, just because he's an End hog. I hesitate to say it's a bad build though, as long as you keep hitting enemies... I'll have to see how he stacks up when I finally get GA for him though.

[Moonshades]

On ‎8‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 8:05 PM, Ironblade said:

Yes, but.  I sometimes check powersets.  I don't ask for specific ATs, let alone builds, but if I have two defenders on the team, I'll check to see what kind.

A blaster is a blaster, but defender sets are wildly different.

 

I recall a quote from back in the day.

"Playing two different blaster sets is like the difference between playing racquetball and squash.  Playing two different defender sets is like the difference between playing hockey and playing piano."

If some defender are hockey players, then I'm leading the league in penalty minutes. My D3 is pure offender style, often in melee, letting blackstar fly, secure in the knowledge that between darkest night, tanker/brute aggro management and my own middling defenses, that I'm pretty safe.

 

Regardless of playstyle, or power selection though, defenders job is always the same; through buff, debuff or heal, keep the team on it's feet.

 

[Alty]

On 8/6/2019 at 5:38 PM, Moonshades said:

Regardless of playstyle, or power selection though, defenders job is always the same; through buff, debuff or heal, keep the team on it's feet.

Actually *pushes up glasses* the Defenders' job is exactly the same as every other AT....eliminate the threat by any means necessary. 

 

That's it. 

 

Teamed or solo, hero, villain, rogue or vigilante, threat elimination is the job of all. 

 

😊

Edited August 9, 2019 by Alty

[JackWolfe]

On 8/4/2019 at 7:35 AM, Gregg247 said:

Back in 2004, my first character was a Stone/Stone Tanker.  This was when Stamina came at level 20 and a travel power was at level 14.  There were much fewer missions back then, and I was too new and intimidated to play on a team, so I spent my first 2 weeks in the game running around on the road that wraps around Perez Park, street-sweeping.  Ugh!

 

My next 2 alts were an Ice/Ice Tanker and an AR/Devices Blaster.  its no wonder I quit playing for a year after that!

See, I liked the travel power @ 14 and am playing that way now, specially since there is no pre-requsite to travel.  Why you say?  Cause it made you build strong characters before flying off anywhere the heck I felt like it.  Plus who can forget the joy of running Steel Canyon @ level 5 to try to get to the costume shop?  With travel at 4 I feel like you see a lot of under-powered folks running around in the sub 10s to 20.  Not a huge crime, but a tank who can get anywhere, but not resist damage is bad even early on.  (They were never great early on anyway, but really armor up a bit before you try to lead a team  and fly  to the costume shop) 

 

For the tanks with out taunt.  Yeah, cept Gauntlet does a good job and you can slot taunt into your attacks.  Target taunt is nice to pull someone off your healer, but a good tank can agro a city block with out it. 

 

Edited August 9, 2019 by JackWolfe

[JackWolfe]

On 8/5/2019 at 11:59 PM, Darkesyde said:

You missed the golden age for tanks, before ED you could taunt an entire instance to one spot and let the team handle it. Every body served the tank back then

Amen.  I remember saying wait here and gathering up entire rooms late game. I could tank Recluse forever (Not beat him mind you, not enough offense)  At one point, without unstoppable, I could 90/75/75 damage resists and unstoppable coudl be perma -on.   Exhaustion crash, what exhausting crash? 

[Moonshades]

51 minutes ago, Alty said:

Actually *pushes up glasses* the Defenders' job is exactly the same as every other AT....eliminate the threat by any means necessary. 

 

That's it. 

 

Teamed or solo, hero, villain, rogue or vigilante, threat elimination is the job of all. 

 

😊

And some of us are capable of doing both at once. 😎 

[Alty]

6 hours ago, Moonshades said:

And some of us are capable of doing both at once. 😎 

Threat elimination is the only job...all powersets are focused on that task either directly or indirectly.

 

There is no 'both at once' beause 'keeping the team on their feet' and threat elimination are one and the same. 😉

Edited August 10, 2019 by Alty

[Remidi]

On 7/26/2019 at 8:22 PM, Oubliette_Red said:

Healer - Emp/minimal secondary attacks. This game does not need or require healbotz to play.

Even worse, the True Healer build - all empathy powers, only the required secondary starter power, the Medicine pool, any pool with team support powers, and never, ever any power that did damage.

[plainguy]

On 6/4/2019 at 6:13 PM, doc_miller said:

Petless MM.

 

On 6/4/2019 at 6:24 PM, Vanden said:

It’s always going to be petless MM. Thats why this topic doesn’t come up much, because this is a solved game.

 

 

On 6/5/2019 at 3:06 PM, Zolgar said:

 

OR...

 

A power pool only, petless MM!

 

I think you guys are off base here.

 

No one knows what anyone's build is when they are running some incarnate content EG ITF, Tin Mage

Or League content EG BAF for example

No one is looking at each or any toons for the most part and inspection the verbiage of their set bonus and determining how many times the word huge appears in set bonuses this context. 

 

The mere fact that my Petless mastermind offers much MORE then the same SO build mastermind numerically ( via mids or whatever hero builder ) negates your statement.

 

The mere fact that I ran these TF and Leagues with an SO Build Mastermind and we completed them all and no one complained. Proves NO ONE looked at my build.

Because again no one cares ( except maybe you guys ) if the content is being cleared. The only time someone will complain is if your failing.  

 

Further if you need full team or League to do something in this game, then your doing some really wrong.  I have done ITF with 4 people.  

I have taken down Pylons with my Petless pain traps mastermind.  

I have a DP Kin that can't take down a Plyon and fully capped.  He can't die, but he can't kill it either.

There are MANY players who are NOT scrappers, tanks or brutes that cannot take down plyons.

It doesn't mean they are lacking or bad builds.

 

If I were being completely clinical, I would rather have a defense capped petless mastermind then a SO mastermind.  Because I know from the math the defense cap build is offering me much more to me and the team.

 

But since I know this game doesn't take a full team I would take them both.

 

 

 

[EmmySky]

From 2005 to 2010 I ran a storm/energy defender.  Had to solo to catch up to my (ex) hubby who was maybe 20 when I was 1.  Nobody wanted me on a team cuz 'not a healer' and melees hated me for knock back.  It was miserable.  Then I figured out how to play her well and people figured out I could play her well but...still miserable to 50 amd beyond.  Will never take storm or energy again on any char ever!

[Call Me Awesome]

The worst I ever played personally was a Stone/EM tanker post nerf.  I leveled the character in issue 7 maybe, pre-ET nerf anyway, and it was only marginal then.  Once the nerfs hit her I shelved the character... the only level 50 I ever stripped and abandoned.

 

There's lots of combinations with no synergy, kinetic/energy blast or vice versa for example, but that Stone/EM was the worst I played.

 

Some of the best combinations I've run?  Broadsword/Shield scrapper, Fire/Energy Manipulation blaster, Dark/Dark Defender, Illusion/Radiation controller, Fire/Radiation controller and several others.