Correcting Past Mistakes?

[Lusiphur Malache]

You've created your character and played, experimented, respeced and finally gotten it t4'd.  Put it on the shelf to start the next one.  Several weeks or months later you play again just to scrape the rust off and find that you must have been high or drunk when you slotted it, because you've learned so much or the game has just changed so much.

 

What do you do?  Leave well enough alone, sink time and influence to fix your mistakes only to put it back on the shelf, or start a new toon in the same archetype and fix them there.  I've got like 6 toons that I would drastically change, but I'm fighting the urge.

[Ghost]

I respec and fix.

Then I look through my other toons to see if I made the same mistake, and respec them.

 

Ive found myself spending hours fixing some crazy decision I made months ago.  Just one more thing to add to the enjoyment of this wonderful game

[Jiro Ito]

If it's a character I plan to spend any time, I respec and fix it.  We have respecs for a reason!  If it's an alt I don't plan to circle back to, I just leave it on the shelf.  I don't see myself ever creating a duplicate character and leveling and slotting the same one, although friends of mine do that.  

 

You could also use a characters second and third builds, as an option to a respec or starting over.

[Shenanigunner]

Since a respec can fix everything except original powerset choices, and even a high-level respec takes no more than an hour even if you dawdle and then need to reconstruct all the trays... I guess I fail to grasp the question.

 

I mean, does anyone "play to the death" on builds and respecs, grimly refusing to fix things when mistakes are made? Even with good builds, there's almost always one or two points where a respec allows you to jump an alt's capabilities by choosing all later powers and moving slots around.

 

And how long does a 40s respec take you? Especially when working from a Mids profile?

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Shenanigunner

[lemming]

Depends on the amount of the benefit a respec will get me.

 

I have a few characters that would benefit from a couple different power picks, maybe some moved slots since I've learned a bit since, but the gain isn't really worth it yet.   I have gone and done the full respec and tweaked the builds on characters that were in more need though.   Since I recently (in June? maybe not that recent) moved to Everlasting from Excelsior, those characters tend to be built better and I occasionally move another char over, then remodel them.

 

The only time I would reroll the character completely is if I wanted to change origin, or early level mission choices which I've done maybe on two characters.

[Yomo Kimyata]

3 hours ago, Lusiphur Malache said:

 

What do you do?  Leave well enough alone, sink time and influence to fix your mistakes only to put it back on the shelf, or start a new toon in the same archetype and fix them there.  I've got like 6 toons that I would drastically change, but I'm fighting the urge.

 

Honestly, I love doing this.

[Nyghtmaire]

Every character is always a work in progress, especially as I learn more and more about the game. Plus, any character that makes it to the 30s usually means it’s one I *like* … for whatever reason. Teens and 20s are the levels of imminent deletion. 🔪🔪🔪
 

 

[Bionic_Flea]

I'm with Lemming.

 

I hate respec-ing and will avoid it if I can.  If the character plays well enough as is I will probably leave it alone.  It also depends how much I play it.  Like most of us, I am an altoholic and tend to make something new, play it to 50 +3 or more, then shelve it for the next project.  I then may bring it out periodically to check sales and move day-jobs or if needed for a themed TF or to fill a certain role.  But there are a few characters that end up getting more playtime for one reason or another.

 

However, if I can use a few unslotters to replace one set of IOs for others, I will happily do that and store the leftovers for a future project.

 

I never re-roll a character.

[tidge]

Who has time to respec? Crack open that second build and buy all new enhancements!

[Mjolnerd]

Usually I'll respec.

 

Once I remade the character from the ground up (I decided it would work better as a corruptor instead of a defender with the same sets), leveled to 50, moved what enhancements I could over to the new version, sold the others and used the money to replace what changed. Then delete the old one.

 

I actually do that fairly often, but only once on a level 50. Usually if I need to do a full "delete and restart" I catch it somewhere around level 25 or so.

[Hedgefund2]

The only reason I would ever respec a retired character is if some major power change was introduced, see Ninja, Robot, Merc and Necro MMs and I was curious what it plays like but not so curious to start from scratch.

[Scarlet Shocker]

The lesson I take from this thread is NEVER SIX SLOT BRAWL!

[SwitchFade]

45 minutes ago, tidge said:

Who has time to respec? Crack open that second build and buy all new enhancements!

Ain't nobody got time for that?

[Luminara]

Respecs are what keep me playing my level 50 characters.  Nothing is perfect, there's always something I've missed, something I can do to squeeze out a little more.  That's half of the enjoyment I get out of the game.

[Captain Fabulous]

For me it depends upon how complex the build is. If it's just common IOs, yeah, I'll respec even at 50 (I have many many times logged in a dormant character and exclaimed "WTH was a thinking???") But if it's a full set-IO build that would require a significant amount of effort to respec I'm highly unlikely to do it unless they're somehow seriously broken and unplayable.

[Snarky]

5 hours ago, Lusiphur Malache said:

You've created your character and played, experimented, respeced and finally gotten it t4'd.  Put it on the shelf to start the next one.  Several weeks or months later you play again just to scrape the rust off and find that you must have been high or drunk when you slotted it, because you've learned so much or the game has just changed so much.

 

What do you do?  Leave well enough alone, sink time and influence to fix your mistakes only to put it back on the shelf, or start a new toon in the same archetype and fix them there.  I've got like 6 toons that I would drastically change, but I'm fighting the urge.

That is actually part of the story for my "main" this year.  a Dark/Dark Corr I started 12 27 02 (for Holiday badges)  

 

Of course I had 50d a Dark Dark Corr and incarnated it and ran it.  Truth was I sucked on it.  I did not understand how the powers worked and I built (and played) it like a Blaster.  Then was unhappy with the damage... I would come back to it every couple months and play it for a day or a week.  Nope, still a crap Blaster.  Parked again.

 

I looked at a lot before I decided the 2023 toon.  I realized I needed to learn how those powers worked.  From the timing to the exact effects, and how long those effects lasted.  I started a new Dark Dark and soloed every Redside contact to 50.  (standard practice for me of avoiding any contact that can be run at 50, ie 35-50, 40-50, 45-50)  So all pre 50 Redside contacts.  I was casual, running at -1/x0.  The goal was to learn the powers not anything else.  It took me about a month.  Would have been faster except the winter badges ate a large chunk of my first week.  I learned how powerful Dark Corr are because I was alone and needed every power to DO something.  I even had Black Hole for a while.  It was only useful grabbing glowies solo, and eating purps works there.  I respec'd out of that a couple weeks ago and have the TP pool.  Still learning that.  

 

Now that I understand the powers my build is not like a Blaster at all.  I build to Mez/Debuff, then support an attack phase that continues the debuffs while scourging.  It's a beast in +4/x8 ITF, and BAF Lambdas. It is slightly squishier in speed Aeons.  Getting better with that, but you really gotta know where to be in the dance.  

 

 

[BazookaTwo]

3 hours ago, lemming said:

 

 

 

3 hours ago, lemming said:

The only time I would reroll the character completely is if I wanted to change origin, or early level mission choices which I've done maybe on two characters.

 

What does changing origin get you, game wise? I thought origin was a largely flavor thing and had no advantages in game.

[Mjolnerd]

5 minutes ago, BazookaTwo said:

What does changing origin get you, game wise? I thought origin was a largely flavor thing and had no advantages in game.

Nothing, but for some players the in-game advantages aren't as important as the details of the character being right.

 

Imagine if you couldn't change your costume or adjust your biography after character creation. Neither of those things provides any advantages in pure gameplay terms either.

[BazookaTwo]

My building and respeccing characters is like half the game. I have all my alts in one personal sg, and the sg ranks denote whether I'm working them up, if the build is finished and earning loot for other alts, if I've parked it, or parked and stripped it down like a luxury car left in a bad neighborhood. 

 

Often when I discover a new "main" from any AT that I want to build, the other alts in the same AT get looked over and stripped. We ain't rich out here.

[Snarky]

1 minute ago, BazookaTwo said:

My building and respeccing characters is like half the game. I have all my alts in one personal sg, and the sg ranks denote whether I'm working them up, if the build is finished and earning loot for other alts, if I've parked it, or parked and stripped it down like a luxury car left in a bad neighborhood. 

 

Often when I discover a new "main" from any AT that I want to build, the other alts in the same AT get looked over and stripped. We ain't rich out here.

Damn.  And I have been meticulously moving them around the pages on the startup screen.  Danged.  So simple.  So brilliant  Thank you!

[Captain Fabulous]

25 minutes ago, Snarky said:

Of course I had 50d a Dark Dark Corr and incarnated it and ran it.  Truth was I sucked on it.  I did not understand how the powers worked and I built (and played) it like a Blaster.  Then was unhappy with the damage... I would come back to it every couple months and play it for a day or a week.  Nope, still a crap Blaster.  Parked again.

This is where I'm at with my BR/Traps Corr. I'm finding Traps to be so utterly useless in 95% of normal content that all I'm doing is blasting and doing sub-par damage cause I'm not a Blaster. Seriously considering remaking her as a BR/Devices Blaster. I don't often run into a character I find so utterly frustrating to play (Claws/Regen Scrapper is another).

Edited March 17, 2023 by Captain Fabulous

[Snarky]

2 minutes ago, Captain Fabulous said:

This is where I'm at with my BR/Traps Corr. I'm finding Traps to be so utterly useless in 95% of normal content that all I'm doing is blasting and doing sub-par damage cause I'm not a Blaster. Seriously considering remaking her as a BR/Devices Blaster. I don't often run into a character I find so utterly frustrating to play (Claws/Regen Scrapper is another).

I suspect you will have very similar issues with /Devices Blaster.  THose sets (Traps and Devices) were made for a game that does not exist anymore.  In my opinion, they are great for concept, RP, soloing and fun.  Damn things suck on ROFLSTOMP teams.  

 

I have a Beam Rifle/Temporal Blaster built up as ranged only with softcap ranged defense.  It was my weekly Really Hard Way Magisterium and Master Incarnate Trials go-to toon.  It did one thing really well.  League Fire Support, especially on ST Hard Targets.  Trying to get close enough to use Devices on it makes me think 1) too much effort 2) not enough reward to switch from very nice Temporal, the Blaster answer to Willpower.

[BazookaTwo]

6 minutes ago, Captain Fabulous said:

This is where I'm at with my BR/Traps Corr. I'm finding Traps to be so utterly useless in 95% of normal content that all I'm doing is blasting and doing sub-par damage cause I'm not a Blaster. Seriously considering remaking her as a BR/Devices Blaster. I don't often run into a character I find so utterly frustrating to play (Claws/Regen Scrapper is another).

 

It might be synergy, because I find my DP/Traps/Dark Corr to be stun...errr fun, yeah that's it. 

[Captain Fabulous]

11 minutes ago, Snarky said:

I suspect you will have very similar issues with /Devices Blaster.  THose sets (Traps and Devices) were made for a game that does not exist anymore.  In my opinion, they are great for concept, RP, soloing and fun.  Damn things suck on ROFLSTOMP teams.  

 

I have a Beam Rifle/Temporal Blaster built up as ranged only with softcap ranged defense.  It was my weekly Really Hard Way Magisterium and Master Incarnate Trials go-to toon.  It did one thing really well.  League Fire Support, especially on ST Hard Targets.  Trying to get close enough to use Devices on it makes me think 1) too much effort 2) not enough reward to switch from very nice Temporal, the Blaster answer to Willpower.

I recently did a rebuild with Stealth. Will have to see if that helps being able to run in and drop stuff undetected. I think I have ~33-38% defense to all without any sets, which ain't bad.

I have a BR/Temporal Blaster who is far more enjoyable to play. All the Traps powers should be ranged/targeted like Seeker Drones. But you're right, they're designed for a time when more strategy was needed to deal with tougher mobs. It's just not necessary now.

[Greycat]

Depends on the character and the "mistake" (which, honestly, I hesitate to use as a term.)

 

I pick powers as I level because they may fit, or what I'm fighting at that point might call for whatever it is, or because it fits a theme. So, most of the time I'll let it go. Sometimes I'll use a second build or respec if it *just* doesn't work. If it's due to something like a powers update/change... eh, see how it does.

 

Honestly, I rarely respec, mostly out of laziness. I'm not going for "must be uber" builds. I'm going for "fits the character."