Looking for Tips for Easy First Character

[ocman6220]

I dabbled in this a bit in live, but want to create my first character here.  Can I have some recommendations as to easy first character runs to help learn the ropes?  I would be starting from zero, but I am an experienced enough gamer to get the hang of it quickly.

[FFFF]

There's a lot of easy combinations. I think most folks would recommend a melee character - either a scrapper or a brute. Play hero side (avoid Going Rogue) since most people will be on as heroes and can team/assist you.

 

Just about any scrapper or brute will be easy, though I recommend a resistance or a resistance/defense based secondary just because a defensive build (super reflexes, energy aura) tends to take a bit of investment and slots to really see it shine.

[Skyhawke]

Super Strength/Willpower Brute if you want to take a very simple yet effective build. It's very straight forward with Willpower pretty much being a "toggle and forget" set.

[catsi563]

SS invulnerable for me its about as bread and butter a build as they come only  two buttons to push the rest are toggles  and passives

[Herotu]

*

Masterminds are the easiest and the easiest mastermind is Bots/  

If you want to stand around and look pretty while the bots do all the work you can go Bots/FF.

 

*This post contains opinion. If you don't like that, you can offer your own opinion in your own post.

[Skyhawke]

30 minutes ago, Herotu said:

*

Masterminds are the easiest and the easiest mastermind is Bots/  

If you want to stand around and look pretty while the bots do all the work you can go Bots/FF.

 

*This post contains opinion. If you don't like that, you can offer your own opinion in your own post.

Bots/FF are definitely easy mode, but™ it really is a "sit back and watch" build. I think OP wants to play and learn, but with some level of training wheels left on. I'd leave a Mastermind for a 2nd or 3rd character after learning the ropes. YMMV

[MoonSheep]

yeah i agree with @FFFF, make a regen brute

 

right?

[Burnt Umber]

I feel like a Brute is a pretty good choice for an entry level character.  War Mace might be an interesting option since it's really crunchy and has a fair number of AoE attacks.  I've had good luck pairing it with Shield Defense, but Willpower or Electric Armor might be better entry level secondaries.

 

A slightly more advanced but still good entry level option would be a Corruptor.  It deals damage, but relies on a support (i.e., Buff/Debuff) secondary, so it will be more fragile than the melee archetypes.  Fire Blast is a solid primary and doesn't have any gimmicks to learn.  Radiation Emission or Time might be good secondaries to dip into the support side of the game.

[Skyhawke]

6 minutes ago, MoonSheep said:

yeah i agree with @FFFF, make a regen brute

 

right?

 

Some people just like to watch the world burn. 😅

[Cyrickain13]

Staff Willpower was pretty fun....although has a little more learning to it then SS/Invul tanker. 

 

Masterminds are super easy.... get the minions powerup the minions and watch the world burn....

 

 

[Coyotedancer]

Scraps are a pretty forgiving choice when you're just learning how to play. (Brutes, too, though Fury management adds a wrinkle that Scrap players don't have to worry about-) I'd say avoid Masterminds for now, along with Peacebringers and Warshades, and the Arachnos VEATs. (They're complicated.)

 

If you're not into melee and plan on teaming extensively, something like a Force Field Defender might be an option. Their bubbles are easy to use and being a little back from the action gives you a chance to learn by watching what your team-mates do. Their personal force field is also a pretty good "panic button" if you get in over your head. They're slow soloists, though, so you would be more team-focused than someone playing a Scrapper or a Brute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12 by Coyotedancer

[Etched]

I would suggest a different approach to the game then most above. Scrappers and brutes are great team and  solo artist but if you are lookin for a more team friendly selection try a corruptor over a defender, better damage with less emphasis on the buffs, Force field or Ice are two of the best buffers for teams. 

 

Sentinels are a great starter toons, damage is less then scrappers, brutes, and blaster but they can last in a fight. Maybe a Psy/Invuln Sentinel or a water/ice is the way to go. Both are great all around toons. Ranged plus mez control keeps you in the action also works well as a solo or team play.

 

@Etched

[Rishidian]

I don't mean to get on anyone's case, but for the new folks asking questions, please keep the abbreviations to a minimum.  For people not up on the jargon, it can get confusing (Is SS meaning Super Speed?  Super Strength? Stainless Steel?).  While I've been here a while, and know that FF means Forced Flatulence, others may not.

 

We don't want to scare them off TOO early...

[Parabola]

If you are interested in teaming to learn the ropes I'd go for a ranged damage dealer so you can watch how other players perform their roles from relative safety and with little expectation. Blaster if you want to live by the seat of your pants, sentinel if not, or maybe corruptor if you want a more involved team role.

 

If you want to solo then I'd recommend pretty much any of the melee archetypes. Tanks sound like they are a teaming only option but they are very strong in just about every area of the game and are forgiving while learning. Be aware that taking them into teams can come with an expectation of role fulfilment though.

 

The only archetypes that come with something of a warning label for newcomers are masterminds, controllers and dominators. Pets can result in unwanted aggro (attracting more foes than the group can handle) and certain control powers can upset teammates if used indiscriminately. All the archetypes are great though so the best advice is to play the thing that you most like the look of.

[lemming]

I would suggest a Sentinal for a starter character.

 

Fire/Willpower would get you decent protection while you run around, and WP doesn't require clicking.  And you'll have good end recovery as well.

 

Fire has a weird Blaze power that has a repel, which can be useful for getting something away from you.  And does a fair amount of damage.

Edited January 12 by lemming

[cranebump]

40 minutes ago, lemming said:

I would suggest a Sentinal for a starter character.

 

Fire/Willpower would get you decent protection while you run around, and WP doesn't require clicking.  And you'll have good end recovery as well.

 

Fire has a weird Blaze power that has a repel, which can be useful for getting something away from you.  And does a fair amount of damage.

Seconded. I was going to suggest a fire blaster of some kind, but this would be a nice combo, with good defense. Burn, baby, burn!

[FupDup]

I'm not so sure that Willpower would be a good starter armor. Mechanically speaking it's very simple, but it doesn't have much in the way of crisis-management tools or oh-shit buttons. It can be sort of like Blasters or Doms where you'd have to rely on killing/mezzing enemies faster than they can kill you (proactive approach), rather than being legit "armor" that can take it on the chin without thinking too much (passive approach). 

 

I'd recommend something like Energy Aura as probably the best "noob armor" because it's very mechanically simple and it covers just about everything you could want (regen, click heal, endurance management, global recharge boost, good defenses, decent resists, modest defense debuff protection). Depending on the AT you also get stealth (melee) or passively capped HP (Sentinel). 

 

For melee characters, I'm not sure Super Strength is the best choice here because a newer player might not know how to deal with the massive crash from Rage. 

Edited January 12 by FupDup

[Snarky]

Brute. SS inv or will. Invul is better for endgame, costs more.  
 

Really any Brute but Dark or Fire (armors) will be cake.  Fire is squishy and Dark takes …a certain playstyle 

 

Dark melee Invul Brute is toughest IMO but not as impressive on attacks as SS

[Yomo Kimyata]

No matter what, your first character isn't going to be particularly self-funding until you get into your upper 30s.  I'd suggest something that can use SO (single origin enhancements, available from most vendors) and be effective, like a broadsword/willpower brute.  As you learn more, you can dip into IOs (invention origin enhancements, which provide set bonuses and other yummy stuff) and try more exotic characters.  Also consider if you want to solo or team.

 

I'm happy to give you, or anyone, start-up capital.  Look for my "Salmagundi" thread in this forum.

[Jacktar]

Hi, Claws/SR Scrapper, that will get you most places for a starter alt.

(SR - Super Reflexes)

Enjoy, welcome to the game 😀

[HelenCarnate]

Brutes are easiest to start.  Their fury damage bonus makes slotting your powers a bit more forgiving than other sets when you start.  

[catsi563]

23 hours ago, Skyhawke said:

Bots/FF are definitely easy mode, but™ it really is a "sit back and watch" build. I think OP wants to play and learn, but with some level of training wheels left on. I'd leave a Mastermind for a 2nd or 3rd character after learning the ropes. YMMV

Agreed and I cant really say MMs are the class for a new player even with Bots FF theres a still a lot of moving parts in how you control the bots and attack and so on

 

every MM has that issue in that if you dont set up the right macros which can mitigate the control issues you have to do everything manually which for a new player can be overwhelming especially as you get more pets. Heck even getting all the macros in place can be a pain if youre not familiar with the system

[Zewks]

Im going to go against some of the suggestions and say DONT PLAY MASTERMIND. They have a really high learning curve, despite being able to do well solo. Especially to someone new to CoH, even more so to someone without much mmorpg experience. 

 

Im going to list out this quick and dirty which will probably be somewhat controversial to many vets:

 

Blaster - Lots of damage, very squishy. Early on it will feel fine, mid game you may struggle with survivability as a new player. Hit and run gameplay. End game you can deck yourself out to face tank things as a vet player

 

Defender - Weak blaster, lots of buffs and support powers, some of which dont help you solo because they are designed to help team members instead. Still, will be a bit easier to prevent getting killed, but it will also take longer to defeat enemies. Not recommended for early/mid game soloing (play in a group). As always, at end game, with enough resources, you can deck yourself out to solo/face tank most content.

 

Corruptor - See "Defender" but boost the damage of your attack powers, and lower the buff/debuff/heal of your support powers some. Probably a bit easier to solo early game with than blasters or defenders due to having good damage and decent support powers.

 

Controller - Do you like really REALLY long fights? As a controller, your damage is pitiful starting out and mid game as a new player. However, its very easy to stay alive because you can CC/lockdown numerous enemies at once, preventing them from attacking, moving, healing, etc etc. Another one of those "great for groups" characters. And, again (notice a trend here? Ill stop listing this because its the same for all classes), at end game, with enough resources, you can pretty much do good damage, and solo a lot of end game content.

 

Dominator - Decent starting class. You can deal mid ranged damage, and have a good set of CC//control abilities like a controller, but thanks to the extra damage, fights arent putting you to sleep.

 

Tanker - This is a good pick for a new player because it kinda puts the game on easy mode. You wont die much, and its a much more relaxed gameplay experience when soloing things at your own level. In the original game, your damage was pitiful, but on Homecoming, damage is respectable, allowing you to not only stand in a group of 10 enemies, but also kill them in a decent amount of time. You arent going to one shot things like a blaster, or melt bosses like a scrapper, but it should be a smooth leveling experience, especially if you remember to focus on your defense powers along with your attacks. 

 

Brute - See "Tanker" but lower the initial defenses a tiny bit, but buff damage a tiny bit.  Also a great pick for starting characters

 

Scrapper - See "Brute" but lower defenses more, and increase damage more. Not a bad choice for starting character, but you will need to be a bit more careful than tankers/brutes

 

Stalker - See "Scrapper" but lower defense a tiny bit more, add in stealth, and increase damage from stealth attacks. Somewhat lacking in Area of Effect attacks due to stealth powers taking up power slots.

 

Sentinel - Not a bad starting character. Its basically a weaker blaster as far as damage goes, but adds in defense powers allowing you to not be as squishy.

 

MasterMind - As stated, high survivability, huge learning curve. To play optimally you will need to learn the games special keybind system to control your pets. Lots of resummoning them as they die frequently. Not recommended for people new to the game. Learn the basics, the UI, the game systems, etc, and then give MM a try.

 

For the specialty classes like the widow and peacebringer, id say dont play these as a new player. They are very unique. My recommendation is to try them out after you know the game better and have experience on other classes.

 

For a Brand new player, given the above info, my advice for which class to play starting out, mostly solo would be in this order:

 

1. Tanker/Brute

2. Scrapper/Sentinel

3. Dominator

 

IMO, that will provide the least amount of struggle and frustration.

 

Now... once you get some money, some experience about the game, some good enhancements/IO's, much of what I posted above can completely change. Also, playing in groups can change things as well, as you can lean on your team to make up for weaknesses you have when solo. And, as stated, at end game, with enough resources, most to all classes can be built and decked out to do most game content solo. But thats a LONG way from starting out as a new player. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[UltraAlt]

On 1/12/2024 at 12:59 PM, ocman6220 said:

I dabbled in this a bit in live, but want to create my first character here.  Can I have some recommendations as to easy first character runs to help learn the ropes?  I would be starting from zero, but I am an experienced enough gamer to get the hang of it quickly.

 

Are you planning on running solo or with a team?

 

I would make characters that you have a character conception for because you are more likely to get attached to characters that way.

 

If you are going to team, then any archetype is fine.

 

if you are going to solo through leveling content, if you play the a sets powers, any of them will work, but some solo easier than others.

 

There are obviously support archetypes, damage archetypes, and self-protection archetypes. It is going to be harder to solo with a support character.

 

So I like alt jumping, so I would suggest making a couple characters with different archetypes and power sets and see which one(s) you enjoy playing.

 

[Nemu]

I don't recommend any melee AT to start. Those require you to engage in melee and melee can be pretty dangerous early game when you don't have your defenses/mitigation fleshed out (think being put on the spot to tank/take the alpha running troll missions, ruin mages, etc...) The survival for most melee ATs also very much depend on IOs. Most melee ATs also suffer from poor endurance management at early levels due to the need to balance offense and survival toggles. For a beginner with no cash flow it'll be a long road for you to get from where you are to those builds and performance levels that people post on the forums.

 

Criteria for an easy beginner build:

 

Good endurance management - no endurance = no fun

Decent survival - dying all the time = no fun

Playstyle that doesn't feel too restrictive - melee ATs force you to be in melee even if you are put into a situation where it's not advantageous to be in melee (ruin mages). Ranged attacks are more versatile, nothing preventing you from shooting stuff in the face as well as from afar.

 

Even though I'd encourage everyone to start with a blaster to learn all the nuances of the game, it's definitely not the easy path. But if you are genuine about learning, go blaster, experience all the shortcomings/holes that you need to be mindful of. No other AT will give you as much insight into fundamental game mechanics such as proper threat assessment, positioning, aggro management, line of sight, movement, inspiration usage, mez awareness, etc.. as blasters.

 

If you want a more relaxed, easier experience, I recommend sentinel. Good AT to pick up and just have some fun with a lot more room for error.