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, 2023 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.

[Nostromo21]

Late to the party...(looking for an Aussie SG)...I mostly come at night...mostly. 

 

I'm predominantly a solo carebear, I spend more time making alts with certain themes/looks. Which is why I have only the 1st page at lvl 20-40, no 50s and the rest all drop off sharply (yes, I'm campin some of he best names - fight me! ;-p). Ok, so I'm really into my plant/thorns dom right now, loved grouping with her, she's a a bit slow solo, but very safe, eh.

 

Would love to join an Oceanic/Aussie SG with her, if only to dominate better!  However, I'm very time limited and would need a very casual group, mostly so I don't have to wait 5-10mins in queues every time, or beg in LFG chat to get invited, not my jam, so I mostly end up solo grinding some more he he.

[Ukase]

Once a week, I team with a few folks. During this time, I subject them to the worst jokes I've heard that week. and maybe one good one. I do this to hear the pained expressions over discord. One person tells me they really like them, but will never admit so publicly. Every now and then, one of these puns/jokes becomes the name for my next alt. 

I don't recall the exact wording, but it had to do with ketchup in the eyes resulting in Heinzsight. So, I made an ill/cold controller out of the punchline the next day. A miserable character; only been defeated twice in combat due more to my conservative combat strategy than anything else. But, it's just a bore. In hindsight, I'd have made Heinzsight something a little more fun to play, like an SS/Fire brute. But, I already have a few of those. Maybe a fire/SS tank. Or a blaster. Nothing wrong will ill/cold, but you have to wait so long to get perma-PA, it's a bit dull to play. 

But that's usually what starts my character creation - a silly name. Sometimes the character will fit the name, and sometimes not. 

I currently have a name reserved, "Subliminal Man". But, the idea of making a mind dom is repulsive to me, so I'll likely wait until I figure something else out. 

Once I have the name, I click on Random Costume about 20 times and see if anything interesting pops up. If not, I'll use an SG costume file that someone else made, and then edit it to have better colors and a better hair cut. And certainly a better belt, gloves and boots. Dunno what the original costume maker had in mind, but I'm not playing Little Lord Fontleroy. 
The cape is okay, as is the rest of it. 

Usually, I try to avoid DFB. DFB is fine for XP, but you get no merits out of it. The economy is riding on reward merits, and ergo, converters. This is why I typically avoid radio missions, too. They're a waste of earned XP. You get some inf, maybe a few drops, maybe a temp power here or there - and maybe a badge - but you could have gotten reward merits to fund your alts. Maybe if I've been productive and completed all the arcs I could in that level range, and have no desire to suffer through a Synapse...but that's a rare time. 

So, I'll try to get Aaron Theiry's arc, and the two arcs in Kings Row. Then off to Steel until I hit level 15, and then I'm in Faultline until 20, then I'm off to Striga until 25, where I head to Croatoa. I'm in Croatoa until the 30's, then it's off to Bricks for Marchand. Marchand has a first mission that's awesome. Some allies/pets that are amazing. I never complete this mission until level 45 or 50. I milk this for a few bars of XP on certain builds to get those next three slots. Set it to +4/8, and let the allies work. After, I'll run Kendrick or Anton Sampson, depending on how the game makes introductions. 

At 40, I have done Tina MacIntyre's arc at least 100 times. Possibly 200. It's not a bad arc, but I'm bored with it. I have the AM mission finale saved, and will bring the alt on, get the AM kill credit and head to RWZ and do those arcs until 45. Then, no way around it, have to do Maria Jenkins' arc if I want the PJ accolade, so I do the arc. I have Siege saved on a few alts, so I get credit for that one, too. 

Had an in-game friend who used to wait until 50 to do all 4 accolades in about 90 minutes. But, for whatever reason, despite the marginal gain of the accolades, I like to get them done sooner than later. Like Invader somewhere between level 4 and level 20. 

After MJ's arc is done, if I'm on during an MSR, I'll try to fit those in as I can. 

When I ding 50, what happens next is largely up to how much interest I have developed in the character. Generally, I burn a transcendent merit getting the t-3 alpha. Then it's iTrials OR Dark Astoria arcs, very rarely would I do both, but that's up to the RNG. I might do some hami raids, but I really feel badly about doing those. I've marketed and farmed, and a cyto Hami O is something that would make most players delighted. For me, it's a ho-hum thing, because I can already buy all of them now if I wanted. So, unless I just want the emp merits for something, I'll try to stay out of those for players that need the loot more than me. I do like getting the shards from the mitos, though. 

A lot of players loudly proclaim about how threads drop so much more than shards, but I think they're just doing different content. I get being in a hurry for the level shift. But once you get it - you can do an ITF, LGTF, MsLibTF, CoP, Kahn and you can grab a lot of those components worth 4 shards. 
While merits drive the economy and are the major motivator, with thousands of merits in my email from winter packs, it doesn't matter to me, I'd rather have the components. I like being able to burn transcendent merits to t-3 my alpha once it's unlocked. 

In fact, I've gotten weary of both iTrials and the DA arcs and have sometimes parked less interesting characters, moved them to the last page of slots on the character list and will respec and delete them once I've got space in my base for the enhancements. 
It all depends. 

Now - one character- will do nothing but team, without much aid from p2w/start vendor and team exclusively with the SG I run with, going from 1 to 50. But that's more of an outlier. The rest of them will solo or team as described above. 


 

[sbloyd]

I lean into my alt-itis.

 

First, I generate the character - which could have any number of seeds to it from an offhand joke spoken earlier to book characters to OCs dreamed up on my commute.

 

Upon appearing in Atlas I hit the START vendor and pick up Mu and Nemesis Beatstick, the five Enhancers, and the x2 XP buff.  Then it's straight to where the Hellions are raising hell (ha) in the west side (Once you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way!).  Group up spawns and Mu them down.  Gain a level and keep going, using the Insp buffs from levelling to push harder and faster.  Keep this up til I ding 4, then go see Back Alley Brawler and level up, followed by street sweeping in Argosy til 6, maybe more if I'm having a good time.  Then one of two things: if there's a DFB starting, I'll join that; if not, the character goes on the shelf to accumulate Patrol XP.

 

I cycle characters in and out of play as their Patrol XP waxes and wanes, doing whatever strikes my fancy at the time.  I haven't joined in any PI Council shenanigans since the Council Patch, but if it's a character I've really taken a shine to I might park them in a dual-boxed fire farm. 

 

I recently did this with a villain I've taken a liking to and now plan to use Ouro to go do all the redside content.

[Nostromo21]

8 hours ago, sbloyd said:

I lean into my alt-itis.

 

First, I generate the character - which could have any number of seeds to it from an offhand joke spoken earlier to book characters to OCs dreamed up on my commute.

 

Upon appearing in Atlas I hit the START vendor and pick up Mu and Nemesis Beatstick, the five Enhancers, and the x2 XP buff.  Then it's straight to where the Hellions are raising hell (ha) in the west side (Once you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way!).  Group up spawns and Mu them down.  Gain a level and keep going, using the Insp buffs from levelling to push harder and faster.  Keep this up til I ding 4, then go see Back Alley Brawler and level up, followed by street sweeping in Argosy til 6, maybe more if I'm having a good time.  Then one of two things: if there's a DFB starting, I'll join that; if not, the character goes on the shelf to accumulate Patrol XP.

 

I cycle characters in and out of play as their Patrol XP waxes and wanes, doing whatever strikes my fancy at the time.  I haven't joined in any PI Council shenanigans since the Council Patch, but if it's a character I've really taken a shine to I might park them in a dual-boxed fire farm. 

 

I recently did this with a villain I've taken a liking to and now plan to use Ouro to go do all the redside content.

 

First thing I do is get a few inf from my other mains/alts, and get the rocket pack from P2W vendor (among all the other free things). You can use the jump pack too in a pinch.

I then used to go to the 8 exploration plaques and get my first 5 merits that way, which = 15 enhanc converters. Cool million right there on AH to kick off with. However, they recently changed the badge to require 10 exploration sites, so the Atlas Tour Guide achievement doesn't give you the merits on its own any more, I had to go and get 3 more in Kings Row for some reason, eh.

Of course, if you already have 100s of millions/billions on alts you can just email yourself any amount! A true SSF hero would need to earn 2-3K the old fashioned way before you can even put your 1st converter on the AH to sell for ~60K usually.

Edited March 27 by Nostromo21

[Random Axis]

My characters all self-fund until level 40 just for the challenge. The one exception is that stealth characters can dip into the inf fund to get ATT. 

 

Once they're in AP, it's straight to Pocket D to visit Null the Gull. Then the P2W vendor (or whatever she's called now) to get double XP and the other goodies. From there, my preference is to hop on a "taking any level" mission team, or the backup plan is go

1. Punch a handful of Hellions in AP until level 2. Not strictly necessary but gives you an extra power right away for step 2.
2. Do DFB. Since you leveled up to 2 already, you're not one of the people that has to immediately run back to the trainer after the first group.
3. Do DFB again. The second one is just to hit level 8. Two DFB runs should also give me enough enhancements to sell and buy Reveal. (huge quality of life improvement). The rest of the inf is seed money to start selling converters later.
4. Lead a Posi 1. Nice and easy at level 8 since there won't be any ruin mages. On melee toons, I'll turn the merits to converters and sell them if I can grab a cheap KB protection for those stupid ruin mages. 
5. Posi 2. 
6. Yin. 

By the end of Yin, I'll be leveled enough to start slotting the level 25 white IOs if I feel lacking in anything. Otherwise, I'll suck it up until 27 when I definitely stop, sell merits, and grab level 30 whites to fill everything up. 

[Latex]

Always in big teams, in-fact I wish that you could play x4x16 (instead of x4x8), the times when there is a ton of mobs on screen and it's just total chaos is when this game hits right, exactly like an ARPG.

[Shred Monkey]

I do min/max builds.  But these days, it's with some self imposed restrictions.  For example, my latest was "I'm going to make a resistance based toon with a solid heal and good AoE damage."   I fit a theme/costume to the build I end up with, which turned out to be a Staff/Dark Brute named Shadow Dragon Monkey.

[Frozen Burn]

• Character Concept comes first - if I don't like the character, I'll never play it.  
  • I will take powers that some will deem meh, or not very good, if it fits the toon's concept
  • I will maximize the build AFTER conceptual considerations are met first, and eke out every ounce of awesomeness it can give with whatever inherent flaws comes from the concept.
• NO 2x XP buffs - I avoid these as XP already comes really fast and I like the journey and progression a character goes through - but I do get all my P2W/START freebie temp powers + the self rez.
• I avoid DFBs 99.5% of the time
• Whether Hero, Villain, or Praetorian, I will solo story arcs or team with SG-mates if they are online.
• Will team for TFs/SFs/Trials and try to do them when level appropriate, if possible.
• Will vary the story arcs from character to character depending on the toon's concept, background, and what fits with their own personal story/journey.
• Again, it's all about the character's journey, for me.  

[Pekiti]

I used to play, been gone forever it feels like (so many changes, and I've forgotten so much too). Nearly all of my old toon names are gone/grabbed by other people. I do different things looking for that old feeling I used to get with PSAR. Occasionally something clicks, and I play a new character for a while before the feeling fades or something triggers the urge to try something different. I have a handful of 50s left over from before, and I shipped them off to Excelsior to park. I play on Torch now, because its slightly less psycho-busy as Excelsior, and I haven't seen any of (my) old toons running around here with someone else playing them. I kept my LBFF toon to pay for endless startup funds for alts (and to help the community that helps me as a lowbie). I kept my 'best' 50 on Torch in case I find a cool SG to run with again. All the rest of my toons range from 1st level to 28th or so. I enjoy the idea of a good name, costume and thematic powers - building the basic toon in Mids is enjoyable to me, and then I try to see how it plays. I have no problem playing a toon to mid 20s and then deciding its not for me - I played Eve Online for almost 20 years so biomassing an alt is no big deal (Eve provides a better sound effect for this...).

I start every toon with 5 mil inf from my farmer, and they buy the Mission Transporter, Assemble The Team, Return To Battle (a million each). I take the free powers including Jump Pack, and I almost always buy one of the three travel powers (carpet/void skiff are great themes) or the Small Longbow Jetpack (relatively unobtrusive and has a centerline flame exhaust that fits robots/backpacks really well). One of the free buff pets, Reveal, and Shadowy Presence (aka Doorsitters Best Friend). If its a variation on a toon I already know well, I buy the double XP booster and do the first few arcs in Atlas for merits and to get to Level 6-8. I always do the AP badges, then off to Pocket D for two more to get the free Long Range TP power. I also watch for an Ouro portal and grab that if I can (I drop them all the time for other people, out of habit). If the toon has good stealth I do all of the exploration badges in the Echo areas of Ouroboros.

 

After that I try to park every toon in the Hospital/University/Midnight Club (via the TUNNEL in AP) so I can pick up the day job ally heal and ally rez powers. Somewhere in all of that routine stuff, someone will invite me to a DFB, or to fight a giant monster, or ask for help with a mission/arc/TF and I will give it a go. I don't slot anything until I hit 22 when I can buy L25 IOs *and* the character feels OK. Sometimes I'll sit in on a farm for a bit, or switch to my LBFF to help someone else level up. Its a nice way to meet new people and chat. My wife got interested in trying CoH for a while but she's kind of lost interest, so I'm solo mostly or random teams.

[Triumphant]

I typically start by creating the visual  look of a character.  After finishing the costume to my satisfaction, then I decide what powersets best represent the visual look of the character, and create a name that complements these and is reflective of the concept of the hero (or villain).  I also love building a personal base for my character that is in theme for their concept.  There's an "artsy/creative" aspect to this game that provides much enjoyment and has very little to do with the actual "game playing", itself.  In that respect, it's almost like a creative art project for me, at times.

 

I've been playing since about 2019, many hours on a daily basis, almost every day of the week, so I'm quite familiar with the game and most of its missions by now.  I've discovered that what I really most enjoy about this game, is designing a fully-kitted out lvl 50 character, tweaking it to my personal perfection (which doesn't necessarily mean efficacy- just what I feel is most enjoyable to play), and then being able to access all of the content of the game with that maxed-out character.

The first several months to a year that I started playing CoH, I felt that the mid-forties was the level range that I found most fun.  But once I got a certain amount of experience with the game, I realized I just want to skip level grinding and swiftly access all the content with a fully powered character.  So now I pick up my double-xp buffs from the vendor, and power-level myself (via farming or pug/TF stuff) or door-sit to quick level.

Plenty of people that play CoH want to "enjoy the ride" as their character gradually grows over time.  And that's totally legit, of course.  I don't really care for that kind of play, myself, as I find it grindy and boring, but that's the beauty of CoH.  If you want to level slowly, you can choose to do that.  And if you don't, you can largely skip it, if you so desire.