How do you play?

[Lusiphur Malache]

I'm mostly a form over function player. I know dual blades 1k cuts isn't a fight ender, but damn it looks so cool when it hits that I always pick it. 

 

I solo up to level 10 then I look to team for Frostfire and beyond. I'm strictly a team player because I can't solo taskforces nor do I want to. 

 

Not a hitter or sitter for farms, but I do have a handful of missions, trails, and taskforces that all my characters do. 

 

How about you? 

[twozerofoxtrot]

Usually sitting down while at my computer.

 

But, not always.

[TheOtherTed]

I'm usually a "concept first" player - a neato-keen idea for a character pops into my head and dictates AT and powerset choices, and then I give it a fair shake to see if it's as neato or as keen as I'd originally thought.  Most of the time, it works.  Sometimes it doesn't, but the combination of name and powers is just too good to give up, so the character remains in limbo.  Once in a great while, the result is just "meh" - it's either too close to something else I'm actively playing, or the glitter just isn't backed up by any Zing! Zork! Kapowza!

 

Other than that, I'm mainly a solo player with an eye out for badges that would go well with my characters' names or theme (e.g., "The Thief of Midnight" for one of my insane space genies (Dark/Dark corruptor), or "Unwelcome Guest" for my hyperactive rogue MA/Ninjutsu scrapper.

 

Besides that, I also play on a computer.

[Parabola]

I start with function but unless I can also make the form work the character is ultimately doomed. Luckily I also enjoy the challenge of taking disparate elements and forging a theme out of them. Very few of my characters have matching powersets, in many cases the most thematic pairings have surprisingly little mechanical synergy.

[0th Power]

I try and do everything to keep from being bored.  I'm on a badge kick now, but before that I was creating a lot of new alts.  I will also lead theme TFs, play the /ah mini game, farm, door sit, play on mids, high level teams, mid level teams or go to hami raids.  Usually I stick with one or two of those until I get tired of it, then move on to something else.  If I cant find something interesting, I /quit and go outside.

[cranebump]

Often times a concept, but no set pattern. I play solo a lot on Torch. I play teams and TF's on Excel. I made one Fire Farming tank, that I actually farmed with for a short (very boring) while. I usually run a test toon when a new set comes out, but haven't bothered at all with any after the running seismic and hating the huge, screen-covering rock. I run almost exclusively blue side, but I have a current MM that I'm soloing as a challenge put on my by my wife ("Hey--why don't you play something that is completely the opposite of your usual play style. On the side you never play, villain. Oh, and go all the way to 50. [kisses!]). 

 

I don't play much high level content, and tend to abandon toons around 30-35, so there's little necessity to bother with mids, min-maxing, or purchasing the same, popular enhancements for every toon. I AM a sucker for movement, though, so I'll slot IO sets with MV bonuses, regardless .=of concept, just to trot slightly faster. I stay away from buffers, since I suck at tracking everyone else (I have trouble enough keeping track of just me). 

 

So, long story short: fast-moving, clicky, ranged or melee toons. I'm simple.

[InvaderStych]

3 hours ago, Lusiphur Malache said:

How about you? 

 

I start from a couple different places depending.  I don't roll nearly as many toons as some folks in game, but I do spend a great deal of time on the Keepers. I am more of a "Rotating Main" kind of player.

 

Most often I've a decently formed character concept in mind, then go looking for interesting ways to roll it up.  Occasionally I'll get interested in trying out either some combination of sets or exploring some off-beat idea trying to leverage secondary effects that a primary/secondary have in common. Then I'll mold a character concept around that.  Mostly I am "direct action/DPS" player. Occasionally I'll try my hand at support/control toons, but no one on a team wants me ham-fisting my way though that. 🤣

 

In all cases, The Rule of Cool reigns over all considerations. If I'm not into it, I'm gonna get bored no matter how good it is mechanically. If I think something numerically/mechanically sub-optimal is super fun, I'll keep using it anyway.  Looking at you Laser Beam Eyes.

 

... can has LBE buffs nao, plzkthx? ...

 

Once I've satisfied the above I'll run the toon starting from zero for the first 10-15 or so levels.  If I am feeling it I'll ship over some resources from my supplies and start adding the usual unique IO pieces and probably start fiddling with ATOs. Run the toon the rest of the way to either the point of "Nah, not into it" or level 50, whichever comes first.

 

If it is a "Keeper" then it gets min/maxed within the limitations of its power set choices.  I'll start slotting a build choices in the 20s-30s with attuned IOs so I can see if the ideas are working and make changes to the final build as I go along.

 

At some point I'll decide if the toon works as a viable "exemp friendly build" or wants a fully boosted post-50 build and slot accordingly post-50.

 

.... and I put Combat Teleport on probably 95% of everything. 🤣

[Ironblade]

psh, you name it.  I made a joke character named Toggle Man based on a piece someone wrote on the old forums.  He runs 17 toggles in combat, four of which inflict damage.  His only other attacks are Lunge, Boxing and Jump Kick.  He's fully tier 4 incarnate at this point.

 

On the other hand, I asked around to find out the best AT and powersets for advanced difficulty runs of ITF and Aeon and went with ice/cold corr.  He's also fully tier 4.

 

Bargain basement build?  An invuln tank for under 30 million inf who has over 350% regen.

 

A build based on just a name?  Sure.

Lord Footloose - soldier of Arachnos wearing a white suit and always dancing.

Fidgety Girl - barista caught in explosion of an experimental espresso machine.

Taiga Tigress - were-smilodon with ice attacks.

 

Every one of them has Task Force Commander from doing the signature task forces.  I run the weeklies anywhere from 1 to 12 or more times per week (depending on which it is).

[roleki]

I *used* to think of a combo I would like to try, then think of a name, then do the build in mids, then test the build on test, then farm the build 0-50, then farm/msr it to 53, use the vanguard merits from the MSR to create Reward Merits, use the reward merits to buy Enhancement Converters, use the ECs to convert all the recipes I got while farming, keeping what goes in the build, flipping what doesn't onto the market and using the inf to buy Super Packs, build out the character and do 50+ content.

Then they kept horsefucking farming every time they looked at the source code, so now the only time I log into the game is when I am in no shape to actually play anything else.

[biostem]

For me, it's about 75% appearance/concept.  Once I find a look I like, I try to match it to an At and powersets that fit the theme or concept.  Once that's out of the way, I usually run grab some P2W stuff, then run around AP streetsweeping until about level 6.  If I get lucky with drops or the inner inspiration temp power, I'll sell them on the AH for some startup cash, then grab some of the boosters before training up.  By the time I reached level 6, I should have a good idea about the general feel of the character.  From there, I'll usually run some of my own tunnel missions in the AE, as I prefer to solo until about level 22, when I can slot 25 generic IOs, and feel like I actually have something to offer to a team, instead of needing to be carried by them.  From that point forward, it's pretty much up in the air as to what others are doing, and I'll run PUGs/TFs/whatever else is being run...

[Mjolnerd]

I usually start with a name. That likely suggests a look and/or powers and I go from there. So concept first.

 

Sometimes I'll get it into my head that I want to try out a specific powerset instead, and I'll try to find an available name from there, but more often than not that's an exercise in frustration -- especially with sets that sort of demand a name that refers to them instead of basic/generic ones. (If I'm trying to make a character with fire powers, I want a "fire name." If I'm trying to make one that fights with a stick, there are a million different directions I can go so it's easier.)  So that usually ends up tabled. It's the reason I still don't have a high-level Plant controller or dominator despite having desperately wanted one since the set debuted with CoV.

 

Once I've got a name and a concept and a costume, I'll start actually playing. Run through the tutorial for the badge, followed by soloing the Matthew Habashy (or equivalent redside) arcs to get a feel for the powersets without the pressure of pulling my weight on a team. Maybe refine the idea a bit. Oh, I like these powersets but I think I'd prefer them on a brute instead of a tank, or vice-versa. That kind of thing. If feel like I need to, I'll delete and remake the character; by then I've probably only invested about an hour into it so no big deal.

 

After that I'll grab a team if I can. DFB, level-appropriate contact missions, 50+ PI radios, whatever's happening at the time and will have me. My work schedule means I'm sometimes on at relatively quiet times so maybe instead I'll end up soloing the King's Row missions up through Veles too. I try to pick up TFs when I'm able, but if the next one on the list isn't forming up right now, oh well. I'll go back and do it eventually.

 

At this point, whenever I level I'm probably just picking whatever powers seem fun or useful or concept-appropriate at the time. Once I hit 20-25 or so that's when I know this is a "serious" character, so I'll scour the forums here for a build, modify it to suit my tastes (usually just trading out travel powers or replacing epic powersets that don't fit my theme -- enough with the ice armor already, people), and respec into that. I fill slots with attuned IOs when I'm able, but mostly I use SOs as placeholders until I hit 50 and then slowly replace them one at a time.

 

I don't join other people's farms, but I do have a solo farmer that funds all of my alts. So any time one of them is too broke to use the "upgrade all" button on the enhancement screen I switch over, run the Comic-Con fire farm once, sell the drops, and email the resulting 4-5 million inf to myself to be claimed by that lowbie and keep their SOs green for another couple of levels. Takes about ten minutes.

 

Then I leave that alt parked at level 30 or so, create a dozen new ones, and never go back to that one again.

[Go0gleplex]

I tend to be strictly solo since most teams I've joined in the past have almost zero concept of the term tactics and strategy beyond CHARGE! and BLAST EVERYTHING THAT MOVES! which irritates me. I rarely every face plant on missions with myself...with teams...it's like every ten minutes. 😉 lol  Mostly I play to kill time or simply explore around new zones or with different power combos...some work for me...others I end up bored or just lose interest in and delete the toon. Since I absolutely hate CoT and BP, I tend to avoid those missions as much as possible.  Definitely more laid back and not worried about optimizing etc.  

[MonteCarla]

I make characters based around concepts, and powersets that I havent tried yet. I have a big supergroup and a few other groups of characters with common backstories.
I have 58 level 50 on Everlasting to date, about 10 of whom got incarnated. (I made a big spreadsheet recently) The rest get dropped when they graduate in favor of a new idea, after I've turned all their merits into converters and crafted through them to make 500 mill plus from each character. I usually have between 3 and 6 characters active at any given time.
I favour team supporters who can look after themselves. Australian evenings are quiet, so I usually plan on some soloing.
I'm fantastically rich in game due to crafting and selling rare IO's, so nearly everyone gets all three P2W boosters all the time, even at level 50. I buy attuned IO sets starting in the low 20s, be default focussing on Recharge and Def. My squishies (90%+ of my characters) often have capped defences by level 40. Sometimes I have build plans in notebooks on my desk, with details of my def/rech values at each level. 
I usually solo up to 20 or so via street-sweeping Atlas (with Sands of Mu, Plasmatic Taser etc to help), KR radios, street sweeping Outcast bosses in Steel and more radios. I do my Hero Tips at 20 to get Call to Justice, and start running or joining Weekly Task Forces with randos from there, mainly on weekend mornings when the US is awake. I love PUG TF's - sometimes you get 5 or more support powersets and blaze through, sometimes you get a less than perfect team and figure out how to make it work.
I'll join PI power-levelling teams early if I think I can contribute at low levels eg buffing Defenders.
I nearly always solo Dr Q a couple of times when it's the weekly, and maybe Justin Augustine too.
I'm almost always in character. I have some long term RP friends.
It usually takes me about 24 hours to get a character to 50.

I can't believe I'm still playing almost every day 😄

[Snarky]

Concept is everything to me.  This creates joys and sorrows. 
 

Today I came across a beautiful pairing I never considered before. Ice/Dark/Soul Corruptor. This will be a Wraith. The only buffing or healing I do is one heal that heals me and is centered around me. EVERYTHING is ranged. I made a build with huge defense numbers and some resistance.  The powers work well together, the tar patch and the rains for instance.  It has FOUR single target holds. One of which hits like a truck. 
 

But beyond that it looks like the character i am describing.  Everything lines up.  
 

i ran two DFBs.  I was not going to farm until later but someone offered a free run.  Took me to 20. Then i did a Posi 1.  I was impressed already.  I will do a posi 2 tomorrow then farm myself for 10 min.  Probably end up late 20s. Then rebuild for Synapse and Tarikoff. 
 

You see I like to run all the TF SF and Trials in level order. In this way I learn how to actually run the character. I like to be at the top end of the level range or s little over.  You can use powers up to top level of TF +5.  

Edited May 28 by Snarky

[Lusiphur Malache]

7 hours ago, Ironblade said:

psh, you name it.  I made a joke character named Toggle Man based on a piece someone wrote on the old forums.  He runs 17 toggles in combat, four of which inflict damage.  His only other attacks are Lunge, Boxing and Jump Kick.  He's fully tier 4 incarnate at this point.

Man, I get uncomfortable at 7 toggles, my staff/bio scrapper run 8 or 9.

 

5 hours ago, Go0gleplex said:

the past have almost zero concept of the term tactics and strategy beyond CHARGE! and BLAST EVERYTHING THAT MOVES! which irritates me.

Been both the one who yells Charge and the one who thinks we need a better plan.