Building a new character with SO's and other tips

[ZemX]

21 hours ago, Uun said:

Your attacks use a lot more endurance than your toggles. Rather than slotting a 2nd end reduction in each toggle, slot 1 end reduction in each attack.

 

For those who might be reading this thread looking for actual advice... this is it.

 

That said, I still prioritize two or three damage before putting one acc in an attack.  And oddly enough I prioritize only resist or defense in an armor toggle similar to what Diantane suggested... just that I don't prioritize three slotting armor toggles before anything else.  I'd be more balanced than that, especially on any non-tanker toon.  Two or Three slotting damage early on means relying on beginner's luck's accuracy boost and/or accuracy amplifiers (which are cheap at level 1 so load up on them).    As that stuff wanes while leveling, add that 1 acc in there.   

 

Damage means defeating them before they defeat you.  If endurance is a problem, you can slow your attacks.  You can burst damage when you have end and conserve it when you don't just by deciding how often to punch the buttons.  Slotting endurance reduction doesn't give you that flexibility.  You have the same amount of damage to chew through to win a fight, but you've limited your damage output by ignoring damage enhancement.

[dtjunkie]

The first thing I do, on every single character, is slot three DMGs and 1 ACC into whatever is filling my early level attack chains. Why? Well:

 

[cranebump]

On 12/9/2024 at 6:45 PM, Diantane said:

Many friends on AC wanted to quit the game as it was too hard. So I taught them about melee defense, shields, artificial intelligence and how to fight and stay alive to continue fighting.

 

Many people say I taught them how to survive. They also say other people are incredibly dumb about slotting, and I'm very, very smart about it. They even say I invented it. I dunno, maybe it's true. I think it's true because, well...

 

(thunder; lightning; a transformative flash)

 

I AM THAT I AM!  THOU SHALT BRING NO OTHER SLOTS BEFORE ME! ALSO (insert other stuff you're doing wrong)! THANK YOU! NOW GO FORTH IN ORTHODOXY!

 

 

Edited December 11, 2024 by cranebump

[Gerswin]

I usually slot enhancements in my toon when they hit level 50.  Levels 1-49 I rely on my teammates. Saves a lot of inf.

[roleki]

Wait wait wait, hold the phone.  

What do you mean by "slotting" enhancements? 

[Frunobulax]

For low level, one stun grenade > any amount of theorycrafting about your 9 slots or whatever. As I've demonstrated in front of you over and over.

[MoonSheep]

51 minutes ago, roleki said:

Wait wait wait, hold the phone.  

What do you mean by "slotting" enhancements? 

 

i think he means enhancing your abilities by putting additional slots on them

 

empty slots are like windows which let the power out. more slots = more power can leak out

 

putting IOs in them blocks the power leakage so it’s best to avoid clogging up your slots with things that get in the way of the goo inside

Edited December 11, 2024 by MoonSheep

[ZemX]

1 hour ago, roleki said:

What do you mean by "slotting" enhancements? 

 

If you slot the enhancements then you can put enhancements in your enhancements.   It's like a turducken... but enhancements.

[roleki]

7 hours ago, MoonSheep said:

 

i think he means enhancing your abilities by putting additional slots on them

 

empty slots are like windows which let the power out. more slots = more power can leak out

 

putting IOs in them blocks the power leakage so it’s best to avoid clogging up your slots with things that get in the way of the goo inside

 

6 hours ago, ZemX said:

 

If you slot the enhancements then you can put enhancements in your enhancements.   It's like a turducken... but enhancements.

 

Listen, I'm just a simple caveman. I fell in some ice, and later got thawed out by your scientists. Your 'enhancements' frighten and confuse me.  Sometimes the recommended slotting makes me want to get out of my BMW and run off into the hills or.. whatever. 

[Apogee]

8 hours ago, roleki said:

 

 

Listen, I'm just a simple caveman. I fell in some ice, and later got thawed out by your scientists. Your 'enhancements' frighten and confuse me.  Sometimes the recommended slotting makes me want to get out of my BMW and run off into the hills or.. whatever. 

 

Yeah, that's the ticket!

[Bionic_Flea]

As this graphic clearly shows, to properly kill skuls while being strong and pretty, you MUST properly slot . . . and eat nachos.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2024 by Bionic_Flea

[InvaderStych]

3 hours ago, Bionic_Flea said:

As this graphic clearly shows, to properly kill skuls while being strong and pretty, you MUST properly slot . . . and eat nachos.

 

War Mace/Energy Aura ... the combo so strong (and pretty) it spawned its own badge.

Edited December 12, 2024 by InvaderStych

[Grizlee]

I slot, and maintain So's from level 2 on in every power - without giving myself funds. All my atls are self sufficient. 

[Diantane]

On 12/13/2024 at 4:56 PM, Grizlee said:

I slot, and maintain So's from level 2 on in every power - without giving myself funds. All my atls are self sufficient. 

 

I tried that when I first came to the emulator and was unsuccessful. Could barely afford training enhancements the the influence I was earning.

 

Then I started to host teams doing arcs and received a lot of merits which were used to buy enhancement boosters and sold for a million each. Its been over 5 years and have saved up 1.2 billion. I get SO's at level 7 and upgrade them in seconds every 5 levels.

[biostem]

On 12/11/2024 at 11:24 AM, roleki said:

What do you mean by "slotting" enhancements? 

If the effects of your "slotted enhancement" lasts more than 4 hours, contact your doctor...

[Sanguinesun]

On 12/17/2024 at 7:13 AM, Diantane said:

 

I tried that when I first came to the emulator and was unsuccessful. Could barely afford training enhancements the the influence I was earning.

 

Then I started to host teams doing arcs and received a lot of merits which were used to buy enhancement boosters and sold for a million each. Its been over 5 years and have saved up 1.2 billion. I get SO's at level 7 and upgrade them in seconds every 5 levels.

 

1. This isnt an emulator and this isnt the first time you've pushed that claim. Its an licensed iteration of the game.

 

2. Its taken you over 5 years, given your propensity for playing the game, to hit 1.2 billion? Ouch.

 

3. Given point 2 and your choice to upgrade so's from level 7 on to 50, that'd explain some aspects of that.

 

4. Merit selling is a poor man's bank account, but you know that and that's of course your choice but it certainly isnt something to vaunt.

[merrypessimist]

On 12/11/2024 at 8:21 AM, Gerswin said:

I usually slot enhancements in my toon when they hit level 50.  Levels 1-49 I rely on my teammates. Saves a lot of inf.

So you're a parasite?

[Maelwys]

1 hour ago, merrypessimist said:

So you're a parasite?

Super Sponger? Dynamic Deadbeat? Mega Moocher?
 

 

[jprewitt73]

On 12/12/2024 at 5:34 AM, Bionic_Flea said:

As this graphic clearly shows, to properly kill skuls while being strong and pretty, you MUST properly slot . . . and eat nachos.

 

 

 

This was a fun blast to the past. I spent waaaaaaaay too much time on the old forums. 

 

[Skyhawke]

[Raikao]

On 12/10/2024 at 12:45 AM, Diantane said:

Whenever I start a new character such as a Sentinel, Scrapper, Brute or other alt with both offensive and defensive slotting, I choose to put three defense or resistance SO's long before I think about adding damage SO's to the offensive powers (I also add two end-redux SO's to each toggle (yes, right way). What good is offensive damage SO's if you're dead or out of endurance? I generally slot up the first defense and add up to three attacks before adding another defense, but I only have an accuracy enhancement in the attacks. I continually add four extra slots (5 total) to defense toggles as a young alt.

 

When leading a young team in mission such as the Hollows, I can easily tell that other characters like myself did the opposite when slotting. As they are have low health or die quickly. While I am still fighting without much of an issue.

 

Now one thing that I will tell the others in my team is if you are a ranged fighter, distance is your friend. If the enemy comes after you, back away from them as far as it takes. I see melee fighters keep attacking with low health. This is a very bad idea. They should back away (don't turn and run) when they are greater than 50% of their health. Then rest in a safe spot before continuing. If you wait too long, you'll be talking with the nurse before you know it.

 

So how do I know all this:

Started playing PC games in 1977 with the Apple II. My first MMO was Asherons Call (AC) in 1999. My only AC character that ever reached the max level after the new expansion of 275 did so with quests only (no grinding). Took me almost 5 years of playing nearly every day to get the over 33 million XP.

 

Many friends on AC wanted to quit the game as it was too hard. So I taught them about melee defense, shields, artificial intelligence and how to fight and stay alive to continue fighting.

 

 

Where to even start with this. Well for one thing, others might be low health because they're not Sentinels, Scrappers or Brutes. The fact you over-slot defensive powers and toggles on defensive archetypes, might explain why you're lasting so much longer. It also means you do almost no damage, if your early slots all go into defenses.

 

Some issues with your approach are:

 

- 3 resist/defense SOs, which hits diminishing returns already and makes no sense. 2 would be enough and even that does not make sense for every power. Slotting 2 Defense SOs in a power that gives 2% defense isn't going to make you invincible somehow.

- slotting 2 endurance SOs in toggles is also wasted, when you have no endurance reductions in attacks you spam constantly.

 

It depends on archetype and the power. But if you take a new attack, the first thing you should slot is some Damage or Endurance Reduction or Accuracy (I think you get a buff at early levels to accuracy though, but once you start missing attacks you really should put in 1 accuracy SO and maybe a Kismet:6%Accuracy in a defensive power.

What I'm saying here is that you need to add 1-2 slots to it to make it work well. If you dumpster all your slots into Combat-Jumping or another defensive toggle instead (3 resists and 2 endurance reductions means 5 slots total), then your damage will suffer.

 

Do we need min-maxed builds for this old-ass almost dead MMO? No, but this is still just wrong advice to give new players. This isn't in the Guides section so maybe you where just giving a personal anecdote, which is fine. As I said I don't think we need to gatekeep a rather casual super hero/villain power fantasy game. But at least give "decent advice" to new players. Do they have to make money through the auction house and put in set-IOs everywhere at level 15? Nah, but at least the few decent SOs they put it should not be wasted to hit diminishing returns on defensive gains and reducing the endurance costs of a 0.15 endurance per second toggle, at the expense of doing more meaningful things with those precious slots.

 

So how do I know all this:

I play this game. I often level solo. I don't struggle when I do. I don't need TF groups to carry me because my own damage is so bad it takes 5 minutes to kill a Boss Skull.

 

One thing I will point out in a positive way: Your advice on engaging long range on ranged archetypes is correct, by the time the mob reaches you he'll be almost dead and most mobs are more scary in melee. 

[Maelwys]

1 hour ago, Raikao said:

Where to even start with this.

My suggestion is is here.
And then here.
And finally here.
 

[Raikao]

2 hours ago, Maelwys said:

My suggestion is is here.
And then here.
And finally here.
 

 

Ok as a mostly MM main, him saying Bots/Traps isn't good based on playing a Traps defender because levelling a /bots MM takes too long? When beta server exists and even then.

 

I did not know his sheer power level. Thanks for the context.

[Without_Pause]

Also note they don't really get characters to even level 50. IIRC, they tap out around the 30s at best. 

[Luminara]

55 minutes ago, Without_Pause said:

Also note they don't really get characters to even level 50. IIRC, they tap out around the 30s at best. 

 

He has at least a few level 50 characters.  If he didn't, he wouldn't have logged into a level 50 character which hadn't been Incarnated yet and complained about his Incarnate progress being reset.

 

More than once.

 

Pretty sure he's using his unique and special math when he states that he stops at a certain level.