How long before you have a clue?

[Sovera]

Before I start. I have the build complete to the last decimal and then ponder if it's worth making it or not. I have a bunch of builds I never got around to playing.

[tidge]

On 3/3/2024 at 5:19 AM, Lusiphur Malache said:

tl,dr;  When do you normally know where you are going with a toon?  Right from the start (aren't you special)? 20s, 30s, 40s? or wherever you are at 50 is it?  Let me and others know, so I can feel great shame or joy.

 

I start with a concept, and then try to find an AT that will allow me to leverage the concept. Depending on the AT, I expect to get a feel for the character between levels 12 and 22. Prior to level 14, my experience has been that most AT play very similar... by level 14 I have good feel for the strengths and weaknesses. By level 22 I can do some creative slotting.

 

I like to experiment with different powers, especially how they can affect play style (mostly solo)... by level 30 I can see how most of those powers play with teams.

 

^ The above are reasons why I try not to "rush to 50" ^ - I miss the opportunity to see how my choices play, and I miss the opportunity to respec at low/mid levels to try new things.

 

I like to have my characters "solved" by level 32; occasionally I will need (or want) some Epic/Patron/Pool powers at the higher levels, but rarely do those radically change my perception of my concept. If the character doesn't "play right" before level 50, incarnates are not going to make a difference for me.

[Jacke]

I listen for and scout out ATs and Powerset Combos that could be interesting.  For a Toon I'm going to create, I always have:

• A name (but it always has "Jacke" or "Jacques" in the name) recorded in my Toon spreadsheet.
• A costume (usually very simple) written out (which I've done since the start) and saved as a costume file; also any customized powers are saved.
• A build with MRB.

That build gets tweaked a lot as I level and learn the Toon.  I've got a lot of Toons idling at low levels.  Got a complete scheme to cycle them through the Day Job Badges until I really get to playing them.  Many get all but the Vanguard Day Job Badge (unlocks at L35) before they're L5 or certainly L10.

 

I started this including recording on my Toon spreadsheet where each Toon was parked on logout back pre-Shutdown when earning a Day Job Badge took 21 days and I needed to be careful to minimize the time.  Now it takes 100 hours (4 days 4 hours) to earn them and it goes faster.

• Hospital; University; Midnighter Club; charge powers in Hospital; Vault; Auction House.
  • Get those 5 to ensure I get Accolades that include them when I get Redside and Blueside exclusive Day Job Badges.
• At the same time as that, via Null the Gull, I'm rotating through being each alignment for 10 days to get those Badges: Hero, Vigilante, Villain, Rogue.
• About the time the Toon goes Villain, maybe Rogue, progress to Redside exclusive Day Job Badges:
  • Pilot in Port Oakes; Nerva Crey Bldg; Grandville Arachnos Tower; Sharkhead Arachnos Base or Mercy Arachnos Bldg; Port Oakes East Docks; Port Oakes Arachnos Bldg.
  • As I get those Badges, I get an Exploration Badge in each Rogue Isles Zone for the LRTP.
• Switch back to Vigilante and get the Blueside exclusive Day Job Badges.
  • Atlas Park City Hall; Atlas Park PPD Station; charge powers in PPD Station; Atlas Park PTA Station; Steel Canyon Tech Store; charge to get 10 Invention Discount Coupons; Firebase Zulu; Peregrine Portal Corp;
• Remaining Day Job Badges can get with any alignment.  Stay as Vigilante or swap to Rogue for some Toons and work through them.
• Always using the Badge Report Popmenu as my guide through this (see the link in my signature below).

Right now, because of so many toons, I'm in the midst of a major re-build series, doing Toon after Toon.  Many haven't had a good build for years.

 

And HC is putting out new Powersets faster than I get Toons to L50.  😺

Edited April 3 by Jacke

[JasperStone]

Skip Mids.

Dive right in.

I use Dble exp and do a lot of lower-level content first.

 

If it is a new powerset set or new AT. I take everything to see what I actually use.

 

I think starting in MIDS diminishes your experience.

Why?

In my day, we didn't have it ...yeah there were pines and something else.

but ...never used them then, either

 

I use it at the end to finalize the build.

 

 

 

Edited April 3 by JasperStone

[Triumphant]

How I do it:

 

1) Create costume

2) What kind of hero/villain do I think of when I look at my cool, new costume?  

3) Pick power sets that best reflect what I imagined in step 2.

4) Pick powers that seem cool/fun (I look them over in City of Data) as I level to 50.

5) At level 50, take a hard look at what I've got.  Reevaluate slotting, in light of being level 50 and (by now) having a lot more influence to buy IO sets with).

6) Realize that I will probably need to respec and reslot to get the character to perform they way I want it to perform mechanically.  Sometimes (rarely), I goof this step up and have to do it twice (once I had to respec 4 times to get a character tweaked to my satisfaction.  But, usually, if it takes me more than 2 respecs, that means that the powerset is just not my cup of tea.  I typically cannibalize such characters, emailing myself any IO's, then delete it).

7) Know that I'm finally satisfied with my build when I can solo most content at +4/8 difficulty.

😎 Consider fine-tuning the build in an attempt to get a character that can solo Arch-Villains and level pylons in 2-minutes flat, during pylon tests.  Realize that I don't have the patience for that level of build-tinkering, and just enjoy the nice, strong (but not top-tier) character that I already have.