Power Level Availability Changes - 2 Years On

[MoonSheep]

It's been around 2 years since one of the more significant changes to CoH was introduced: The level at which key powers are made available.

 

This has led to a fundemental re-think on which powersets are worth taking and really shook up the pile of which sets were the most desirable

 

Compounding the impact of the change, being able to use a power up to -5 levels below its availability level (e.g. you can use a lvl 30 power at lvl 25) has meant certain popular activities like the Yin TF now allow people use of their level 32 and lvl 38 powers

 

I'm reasonably consistent on not wanting the game to experience power creep, however this is a change which has increased the fun factor of the game and made previously less-desirable power sets much more appealing, especially for those who enjoy the pre-lvl 50 portion of the game

 

How have others found the change?

 

I've pasted the patch notes below for reference

 

Level Availability Changes

Primary Sets (non-Epic ATs)

• Tier 8 powers moved from level 26 to level 22
• Tier 9 powers moved from level 32 to level 26

Secondary Sets (non-Epic ATs)

• Tier 2 powers moved from level 2 to level 1 (character creation)
• Tier 7 powers moved from level 28 to level 24
• Tier 8 powers moved from level 35 to level 28
• Tier 9 powers moved from level 38 to level 30

Epic Pools

• Tier 3 powers moved from level 41 to level 38

 

edit: and being able to take the second power in a secondary powerset as a starting power has also been great and has avoided some sets having to waste a power to get going. looking at you, flares..

Edited March 21 by MoonSheep

[Snarky]

This is helping a LOT on my Corr solo all game already Level 14!   And as i look into the 20s it looks like a great help.  When you soend a LOT of time in the early levels these things make a huge difference 

 

 

I would suggest it also helps new players and players checking out different AT/powers get a better feel in early gaming for their specific powerset combos.  

[golstat2003]

The change is great and has made playing certain sets more fun. It’s one of the best changes they did.

[tidge]

The biggest impact I noticed immediately was that MMs could now exemplar down to (max) level 20 content and have access to their T3 henchman (minus the second upgrade). This made a HUGE difference in completion times for this AT compared to other ATs. There is some content I run regularly for which the time-to-complete dropped by almost 50%.

 

The change also had a fundamental change in my approach to builds (which should be obvious): Since it is now possible to "complete" a build with primary/secondary choices by level 30, I now typically have far fewer power pool choices before level 30. I'm comfortable delaying primary/secondary picks  (likely because of familiarity with the 'old' power level schema), so sometimes I build characters with four power pool picks before level 30 (and a few with four by level 20!) The additional change allowing the initial secondary pick to be either T1 or T2 has helped (my choices).

[JMacClear]

4 hours ago, MoonSheep said:

It's been around 2 years since one of the more significant changes to CoH was introduced: The level at which key powers are made available.

 

This has led to a fundemental re-think on which powersets are worth taking and really shook up the pile of which sets were the most desirable

 

Compounding the impact of the change, being able to use a power up to -5 levels below its availability level (e.g. you can use a lvl 30 power at lvl 25) has meant certain popular activities like the Yin TF now allow people use of their level 32 and lvl 38 powers

 

I'm reasonably consistent on not wanting the game to experience power creep, however this is a change which has increased the fun factor of the game and made previously less-desirable power sets much more appealing, especially for those who enjoy the pre-lvl 50 portion of the game

 

How have others found the change?

 

I've pasted the patch notes below for reference

 

Level Availability Changes

Primary Sets (non-Epic ATs)

• Tier 8 powers moved from level 26 to level 22
• Tier 9 powers moved from level 32 to level 26

Secondary Sets (non-Epic ATs)

• Tier 2 powers moved from level 2 to level 1 (character creation)
• Tier 7 powers moved from level 28 to level 24
• Tier 8 powers moved from level 35 to level 28
• Tier 9 powers moved from level 38 to level 30

Epic Pools

• Tier 3 powers moved from level 41 to level 38

 

edit: and being able to take the second power in a secondary powerset as a starting power has also been great and has avoided some sets having to waste a power to get going. looking at you, flares..

 

Thank you 

 

I am too new to understand the changes over the year(s) however its a nice summary briefing even for new players.

 

 

[JMacClear]

15 minutes ago, tidge said:

The biggest impact I noticed immediately was that MMs could now exemplar down to (max) level 20 content and have access to their T3 henchman (minus the second upgrade). This made a HUGE difference in completion times for this AT compared to other ATs. There is some content I run regularly for which the time-to-complete dropped by almost 50%.

 

The change also had a fundamental change in my approach to builds (which should be obvious): Since it is now possible to "complete" a build with primary/secondary choices by level 30, I now typically have far fewer power pool choices before level 30. I'm comfortable delaying primary/secondary picks  (likely because of familiarity with the 'old' power level schema), so sometimes I build characters with four power pool picks before level 30 (and a few with four by level 20!) The additional change allowing the initial secondary pick to be either T1 or T2 has helped (my choices).

 

This is also very informative though I fully admit its also a learning curve. 

 

Thank goodness for respec / You Tube ( ** Wendy you are awesome) / and really good advice from experienced players.

 

 

[El D]

The Level Availability changes are some of the best things HC has done. It expands build options across every AT, allows players to finish their primary and secondary out by level 30 (which is useful for new and vet players alike), and meshes perfectly with the Super-Sidekick system to make replaying lower level content much more fun. Allowing players a more direct route to experience all the powerset combos the game offers and find ones they enjoy most, then making just about every level of content in the game more fun to play with said powersets in one fell swoop is pretty nice. Heck, just for making lower levels not a power slog and negating a lot of the 'Well okay, I'll exemplar down for the badge but I'll hate it the whole time' it was worth it.

[Glacier Peak]

@MoonSheep you should also mention being able to select either of the first two powers in a secondary powerset during character creation. That's been a huge boon for creativity in my opinion also.

[MoonSheep]

27 minutes ago, Glacier Peak said:

@MoonSheep you should also mention being able to select either of the first two powers in a secondary powerset during character creation. That's been a huge boon for creativity in my opinion also.

 

absolutely - check the edit i made when i first did the post. another great change that avoids wasted powers like ye olden days

 

[Octogoat]

On 3/21/2025 at 5:40 AM, Snarky said:

This is helping a LOT on my Corr solo all game already Level 14!   And as i look into the 20s it looks like a great help.  When you soend a LOT of time in the early levels these things make a huge difference 

 

 

I would suggest it also helps new players and players checking out different AT/powers get a better feel in early gaming for their specific powerset combos.  

I'm still doing that ar/dev completionist run and am at level 14 sniper rifle is a game changer!

[Snarky]

12 minutes ago, Octogoat said:

I'm still doing that ar/dev completionist run and am at level 14 sniper rifle is a game changer!

Smoke bomb to grab glowies feels like cheating lol

[Icono04]

Yup, being able to use our t9 primary on lvl 20ish content was a huge positive change. Many of my favorite TF/SF/arcs are in the 20s range, so being able to use the chars which pretty much need their t9 to be worthwhile, opened up a lot of content for those chars. Great thinking by whichever dev came up with that idea.

[macskull]

I play mostly at level 50 so the actual level availability changes didn’t matter to me and I haven’t respec’d any existing characters solely because of it. The biggest actual impact of that change is allowing me to pick which secondary power I want first, which has resulted in fewer dead power picks in my builds.

[Championess]

The power availability change has been great.  Its always a nice surprise if I ever exemp down and have access to my good attacks and chains may still be intact.  Also, yeah the selection of the t2 power in secondaries has been fantastic, typically you're getting a useful power there.  Sure armors were all being taken anyways so they aren't affected much either way here but everyone else benefits. 

 

All win.  Good change I say.  It's real hard to point to any QoL change that has been done by the HC crew I don't like.

Edited Monday at 06:27 PM by Championess

[Healix]

AMEN. A huge thank you to all the wonderful folks who work hard here/help improve our gameplay QoL.

 

[MrPengy]

When this change first came out, I wasn't a fan of it. For me it makes the later, "grander" powers feel less special, getting them so early in a character's journey. I fondly remember the days of waiting for that amazing new attack, or buff, or summon. The time spent anticipating the power, inching closer to obtaining it, made clicking it at the trainer that much more rewarding. And, sometimes, having the "best" powers so soon gives me less to look forward to. Sure, there are plenty of power picks left, some crucial to the final build. But when I've already experienced the best power my sets have to offer, and I'm a mere level 30? I don't always care to continue playing the character. That trudge from 30 to 40ish feels a lot longer when I'm not eagerly awaiting those level 35 and 38 glow-ups.

 

Taking all of that into consideration, I love this change. One thing I loathe is picking a power just because I have to pick one to proceed with the level up. This happened with some regularity on Live, especially once I no longer had Swift/Health/Stamina to take up 3 power choices. Having more available at any given level means this is far less likely. I want to be excited by my power choices, not think "Well, I have to grab SOMETHING..." and nab a power I'll never use.

 

Also, I'll repeat what everyone else has said, because it is huge: Being able to skip the tier 1 power in your secondary is game changing. Even just being able to grab it later, when you can enhance it better or work it into your power flow better, is incredible.

[FFTMime]

The ability to skip so many 'filler' powers on Live was like a madman's dream back when I played. How utterly insane. And turns out the objections then were right. All people have done with the right is make insane patchwork builds of exotic and schizophrenic calibers. Which I say more to note that this is funny to me how things worked out as predicted. Not an objection as such.  If you wanted to be immortal, that was already achievable without issue. 

[Apogee]

I still take Combat Jumping at 6, travel power at 14, and Hasten (if used) at 22. It is pretty much my build template for almost all builds.  I do find the added attacks at lower levels a plus when playing a tank.