CBeet

Purely going by AT/sets? A well played Kinetic Corruptor, shortly followed by a well played Brute with some kind of damage aura so they hold all the aggro. As a Blaster player, I tend to enjoy those who I can blast with but will also support or can keep the aggro AND keep up with me for damage, I've just found I mesh best with Kinetic Corruptors or a Brute I can hide behind.

In terms of players? Someone that'll actually talk, to have a good natter with. I don't care if we've faceplanted 5 times in a row against an angry Rikti Monkey (Note: never happened, honest), we've got a good conversation going and that's entertaining enough.

18 levels Stone/Shield Brute (Hammers, Seismic Smash, Against All Odds and mez protection)
32 levels Kin/Son Defender (Most of Kin, enough of Son for all the -res)

Brute HP/Damage cap, Kinetics powered with AoE and ST -res and spike damage ST attacks..
RUN COWARDS!

Alternatively..

41 levels Plant/Psi Dominator, Fire Mastery at 41 (All but Spore Burst and Spirit Tree from Plants, anything but especially Drain Psyche, Psychic Scream and Psychic Shockwave from Psi, Fire Ball from epic)
2 levels Fire/En Blaster (Fire Blast, another Fire Ball, Power Thrust)
2 level Fire/Dark Corruptor (Fire Blaster, yet another Fire Ball, Twilight Grasp)
5 levels of Stone/Fire Brute (Stone and Heavy Mallet, Healing Flames)

Domination and AoE control/chaos, plus an attack chain consisting of Fire Ball (epic), Psychic Scream, Fire Ball (Blaster), Fire Ball (Corruptor, if Scourge is still in effect for it), run in and Psychic Shockwave, repeat.

Right, another Devices thread.. Here we go, okay, ready for this one.

Ideas I agree with:

Faster animation for Web 'Nade
+Range in TD
Lower endurance cost for TD
Placate in Smoke Bomb
Faster animation/quicker/easier to use Gun Drone and Time Bomb

Ideas I'll add:

If some kind of Stealth Strike isn't possible with Cloaking Device, then instead of additional defense while cloaked how about a 50%+ damage buff to make up for the lack of Build Up? ONLY while hidden though, and add the Hidden text in the corner too. It's to my understanding that a stealth strike is a mini Critical Hit, so a simpler damage buff shouldn't be as much a problem?

Time Bomb attaches to enemies rather than put on the ground, a whole new meaning to toe bombing. I would take it if this change was added, even without an animation/interruption time shortening.

Gun Drone's Burst changed to Heavy Burst from the Arachnos VEATs. Keep the duration/recharge, just change it's attack to a cone so it's better at it's job whatever it may be, I've not quite worked out if it's for a distraction or extra damage yet, so this will buff both.

OR

Upon death, Gun Drone's explosion deals damage. Somewhere between Fire Ball and Trip Mine. Not only will this make it's short duration useful (to some degree) but, if this is easier to add than a fix to the AI, then it doesn't matter if it charges into melee despite only having ranged attacks.


- Thoughts from a 4+ year Energy/Devices player

I agree! Some plain Arachnos armour without the symbol on the back (Banes get it too) would be awesome, as would one with the logo scratched out (partially visible, but mostly gone with heavy damage to the pack/back plate).

And, as for the Crab Pack, how about some Freakshow/Nemesis/PPD options to unlock?

Crab Pack rigged up with cogs and a jacob's ladder, pieces of sheet metal welded on and circular saws for the melee.

Big steampunk pack with the Blunderbuss model + bayonettes, smoke/steam rising from vents.

PPD Shell suit inspired armoured joints, sleeker edges/clean metallic surfaces, a proper Crab Pack that's been modified with Shell tech (maybe like the big gun the bosses have on their backs).

Only buff I'd give AR is turning it into an ST attack, firing a napalm slug or something and dropping a burn patch where they stand. Split the damage so that 2/3rds is rapid Fire DoT against the target and 1/3rd is in the burn patch (which works like it does now, fear and all.

Buffs for Devices.. I'll repeat what Alpha raised and say end reduction for Targetting Drone plus changes for Gun Drone and Time Bomb. Make Gun Drone's attack like Arachnos Soldier's Heavy Burst and either increase the duration + recharge (so it's perma with three slots and still needs external +rech for multiple drones) or lower the endurance cost + animation (quicker to get into the fight). For Time Bomb, make it a longer recharge, increase it's endurance, lower it's damage.. ANYTHING! Just make it as fast as Trip Mine and shorten the fuse.. Maybe make it so you can attach it to an enemy rather than the floor too, that'd be fun.

Issue 19, which includes inherant Fitness, should be out before the end of the month (unless there're unforseen problems with it). With the change, it's quite easy to fit the rest of the powers in, it's just the slots which can be a problem. Thankfully, due to Drain Psyche's endurance management, it isn't that much of an issue for those sets.

If you go staminaless before the update, then you should be okay if you slot a little endred in the more endurance heavy powers and use the magic which is Drain Psyche whenever it's up/is needed.

As for slotting, if you have the inf/time for it then going for a high damage/recharge build definately the way to go. Turn your attention to getting as much recharge as possible so you have no reason to stop fighting, no reason to stop taking down enemies and have nothing stopping you as you march forward in your ocean of damage

Just to get it out of the way, AE baby Blaster! *points* Assault Rifle Blasters, GO



Okay, now to the questions at hand. (I'm gonna regret that later, I just know it)

Fire/Mental is awesome.

Get AoE attacks, slot them for roughly 3 damage, 2 accuracy, 1 Recharge (1 acc if you get Leadership and thus Tactics, I highly recommend that - Proceed to slot an extra recharge too). Drain Psyche will be good enough to sort out any endurance problems aswell as offering some protection through superior regeneration. Inferno can just stick to 3 dam 3 rech as (I hope) you'll be using Aim and Build Up beforehand.

I can recommend Mako of the villainside patrons if only for Knockout Blow which is great melee damage and mez for a Blaster, but for using with Fire/Mental then Ice Mastery is always a nice pic with Hoarfrost (+hp and heal clickie) and Hibernate (basically combat Rest, makes you uneffected by everything while regenerating HP/End crazy fast, great panic button).

Additional notes: I highly recommend getting Leadership and Medicine. Assault, Tactics, Aid Other, Aid Self, Resuscitate. It will make you far more desirable in a team on top of your considerable AoE damage which comes with that pairing.

I dunno.. He looks more like a Bane to me.

I'd like to be under the sea in an Octopus's garden in the shade.

(Proper version)

My main character, Commander Beet, is an Energy/Devices Blaster so I've got both Fly and Super Speed on him for hover-Blasting and toe-bombing due to SS + Cloaking Device being combat invisibility.

Other than that, I usually keep to one travel power per character, though it's very tempting to get Super Jump on a couple of Super Speeders because I know how effective that is.. But as a rule of thumb, if I have the room spare in the build then I'll go for Super Speed and Fly because they're both so useful.

And DP, but yeah point still taken.

It'd still be nice though!

OneWhoBinds, I can see your reasoning on the first point so how about.. Ah, I know, Bolas, like Batman uses. Ranged immob + knockdown, no damage or debuff though.

IMO, giving a Blaster Quickness is about as silly as them getting Boost Range (Energy Manipulation) and especially Drain Psyche (Mental Manipulation. Which, might I add, comes 8 levels earlier than Quickness from that suggestion).

For your last point, might I refer you back to Techbot and also add Ice Manipulation (Ice Patch primarily, but also melee attacks/mez), Mental Manipulation (Drain Psyche, Psychic Shockwave), Elec. Manipulation (Power Sink primarily, but of course all the melee attacks too).

With a Martial Manipulation set, yes it would be melee heavy but with the added bonus of additional control in the attacks. Add in Smoke Flash for the PBAoE placate or Blinding Powder for a pre-emptive strike, I'd imagine it would fit the bill for a natural powerset to pair with the weapon sets (most certainly if it was made to not cause redraw with the attacks too).

Cobra Strike (old version, just a stun with tiny damage)
Storm Kick
Focus Chi
Crane Kick
Conserve Power
Caltrops
Quickness
Blinding Powder OR Smoke Flash
Eagle's Claw

Okay, so then.

-Needs worthwhile rewards
-Needs at least basic customisation
-Needs basic control over where/when/why/who
-Possible options of the Arch-Nemesis being NPC or player controlled

The way I can see this working is you talk to a contact either at level 50 or maybe after doing your first Alignment mission so it's set in stone, you do a few tutorial missions.. I can picture that you go to check some security footage of someone who stole information on your from Freedom Corps/Arachnos (glowie, no enemies), then you have to recreate what you saw (Arch-Nemesis creation) so you can get a positive ID on them, then you track them down and have you first fight with the new enemy, ending wth them teleporting out at the last second, 1 or 2 reward merits on completion.

Thereafter, each mission you do has a small chance of spawning the A-N with an ambush of whichever villain group you tied to them upon mission completion, with additional options on creation or edited thereafter with a bodyguard service (you pay them inf to protect you during X or Y activities, or pay inf for them to leave you alone and keep quiet about the whole ordeal, controlling where you'll meet your A-N), with options such as Teams, Solo, Missions, TFs, PvP zone ambush ect.

Rewards for defeating your A-N could range from a single reward merit per defeat or a garunteed random rare recipe to drop, possibly a badge at 5, 10, 25 and 50 A-N defeats and, as with titles, the option to also change the foe every 5-10 levels then at a whim at level 50.

As for putting PvP into the equasion, what about making it a new Arena match? One player has to go through a mission and complete the objectives while the other's task is to down them. You choose mission type, map and enemy group (Defeat boss in a Crey lab while fighting Banished Pantheon, for example ) then have at ye!

Of course, it can also be put down to a match-making system in Arena, perhaps a bounty board? You can sign up to the board and then you're available for someone to take a hit on you. When they do, you get character name/AT/global and the option to accept or decline. If you accept, either of you can use the board while the other is in a mission to spawn there as PvP flagged, of course it'd be shut off if they're in a team. By the end of a set time (1, 2, 5, 24, 48 hours?) the kills/deaths will be tallied up the winner given a PvP IO and XP/Inf reward too depending on how it was (over a longer amount of time, more kills but less deaths, both getting a high K/D and it being very close ect could all contribute to a higher reward for either or both players).

So piercing the eye has deflated the sea monster like a balloon? Awesome.

It'd be pretty cool to have a Godzilla-like attack on Sharkhead, a Kronos Titan size Godzilla-crossed-with-coralax thing rising up and stomping to the other side of the island. Maybe also have The Chimera rise up from beneath Talos now and again too? Walking from one side to the other, if left alone it gets to maybe Spanky's Boardwalk and becomes untargettable before having Talos rise from the water, grab it and pull the thing back down to the watery dephs.

Wolverine 3 will start with an epic fight between Wolverine and Magneto, featuring the unforgettable scene where the metal is ripped from Wolvie's bones.

It'll be called Wolverine 3: Bub, Where's My Adamantium?

You can go with the classic Super Strength, which generally does well with Elec or Fire (it's popular, anyhow).

I like putting Stone Melee with Fire or Elec though, that way you don't have to worry about redraw plus the additional endurance management is a godsend. Of the two, it's a case of which you'd be more comfortable with - If you try a Stone/Elec then your endurance will be fine, which synergises with Stone, plus there's the auto +recharge, which synergises with Stone; Stone/Fire on the other hand, while having the extra endurance management also pumps up your AoE damage which Stone Melee's lacking so that'll fill in that gap.

Stone's also incredibly satifying, such a SMASHING set to play, really takes away the GRIND of leveling later on, but without ability to handle the endurance costs you'll have some ROCKY levels before you can get Energy Mastery.

Permanately grounded battery or magma manipulator, choices choices..

Darth Paracetemol finds your lack of pain tolerance disturbing.

I too can suggest Stone Melee if you're looking for a set which gives a feel of pure brutality. It comes close to surpassing Broadsword when a Brute really gets rolling. I can suggest Willpower or Electric to pair with it, as you'll want the endurance management. Willpower's easier to deal with of course, while Elec offers the bonus of +recharge.. Fiery Aura or Shield Defense for when you're looking for pure damage dealing though, with Fire having the bonus of end management.

I could totally see a Stone/Fire with custom lava Stone Melee

My Fire/Fire Scrapper just grabbed the 45% Recharge 33% Heal Alpha Slot and has now ran off giggling.

Eventually, I want to give my Bane the Nerve Core Paragon (45% acc, 33% hold, 20% defense buff, level shift), more accuracy's good and the defense buff/level bump is very shiny too.

He kicks *** for the lord.