EvilGeko

[u]REGENERATION (Downtime is for sissies!)[u]

Regeneration is a fun powerful set. Regen gives you no downtime, type neutrality, and near complete status protection (in PvE). The Regeneration set has to be carefully managed as it’s now a click heavy, toggle light set.

On to the powers:

FAST HEALING –Fast healing is a .75 (75%) buff to your base regen rate. You regenerate 25% of your hit points each minute. Fast healing adds 75% to your base regen rate; it does not let you regenerate an additional 75% HP per minute. Unslotted Fast Healing takes your HP regen from 25% of your HP per minute to 43.75% of your HP per minute.

The formula for the buff is: .25 x (1+(.75x[1+sum of enhancers]))

The sum of enhancers can be checked on the enhancement screen making this formula easy to manipulate.

Unlike earlier guides, I think Fast Healing should be six slotted. Fast Healing is a passive healing power. That makes it a prime candidate for Invention enhancers. Especially, the added power enhancers that give you a whole new power in the form of an enhancer.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

1-47: 3 common IO heal enhancers

IO recommendations:

47+: Numina’s Convalescence Heal/End, Numina’s Convalescence Heal/Recharge, Numina’s Convalescence Heal, Numina’s +recovery, +regen, Miracle +recovery, Regenerative Tissue +regen

Why this slotting? Well, first, I put all three of the unique healing IOs that provide new power effects here. Reason being is that as a passive, Fast Healing cannot be turned off, and so these effects will be permanent. After that, you’ll notice that I slot multi-attribute enhancers in Fast Healing although it only takes Healing. Well the reason is to get the set bonuses. Numina’s Convalescence has a number of really good set bonuses and most of them come early.

RECONSTRUCTION – Your primary heal. It heals 25% of your base HP total (before buffs) every minute. This is a great low level power that is needed from level 1-50.

The optimal slotting for reconstruction equally melds recharge and heals. Every other combination leads to less HP per minute. This is why I recommend the uncommon IO set, Doctored Wounds for this power instead of Numina’s Convalescence (which does not enhance recharge as much.)

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

2-11: Any TOs you can find between heals or recharges

12-47: three recharge IOs; three heals IOs 15+ level. If you pick them up at 15, replace them when you get to 22 with level 25 IOs.

Alternative for Faultline – If you’re a science origin please replace the recharge recommendation with SOs from Yin’s market until you’re able to get 25+ IO.

47+: Use the entire Doctored Wounds Set. I like this set as opposed to Numina’s because it maintains the recharge which, in my opinion, is extremely important for this power.

QUICK RECOVERY – This is the reason many people take this set. Quick Recovery is a 33% boost to endurance recovery. I could go through the math with you, but just take, 3-slot it, enjoy it.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

4+: Three common endurance modification IOs.

DULL PAIN – This is a 40% HP buff which also heals you by an amount equal to 40% of your base HP. The heal portion can be slotted and each heal enhancer also increases the HP buff. I recommend six-slotting this power for recharge and healing.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

10-47: three recharge IOs; three heals IOs 15+ level. If you pick them up at 15, replace them when you get to 22 with level 25 IOs.

Alternative for Faultline – If you’re a science origin please replace the recharge recommendation with SOs from Yin’s market until you’re able to get 25+ IO.

47+: Use the entire Doctored Wounds Set. I like this set as opposed to Numina’s because it maintains the recharge which, in my opinion, is extremely important for this power.

INTEGRATION – This is the most important power in the set. It is the linchpin of your set my student. Take it at 16. No later. There is no power available to you at 16 that is more important or useful to you. Integration is a 150% regen buff that also provides incredible resistance and protection to holds, disorient, sleep, immobilize and knock effects.

In Issue 9 the regen buff is only two-thirds enhanceable (100%).

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

16-47: Three Common Heal IOs

47+: Numina’s Convalescence Heal, Numina’s Convalescence Heal/Endurance, Numina’s Convalescence Heal/Recharge, Numina’s Convalescence Heal/Endurance/Recharge

I skip the last two slots because you have already used the unique in Fast Healing and the 5th Numina’s boost and resistance to holds, isn’t needed. By the way, if you really want that ranged defense boost from Numina’s, then feel free to take the Unique IO from Fast Healing and use it here so you can finish out the set.

RESILIENCE – Resilience provides a 7.7 MAG of protection to disorient as well as resistance to disorient effects and a 5.625% resist to Smashing and Lethal damage and a 7.5% resistance Toxic damage. This is definitely worth taking for the passive stun resists, although unless you’re going for extreme defense it need not be slotted. Like all four of the top Regen powers it is optional.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

20+: 1 Steadfast protection Resist/+Defense enhancer

INSTANT HEALING – Instant Healing has been changed to a click with a ninety second duration. The healing stats were not changed. Instant Healing in this form is an optional power, but a very, very nice optional power. Instant Healing should be considered Regen’s 38 power.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

28-47: three common recharge IOs.

47+: Use the Doctored Wounds set. Focus on Recharge first. If you six-slot this power (not necessary) then use the whole set.

REVIVE – Revive resurrects you every five minutes. However, your toggles are not turned on automatically and this power has a lengthy animation time. Thus if any enemies are around and you don’t have a team to back you up, you are likely to die again. Revive also protects you from additional exp debt for 30 seconds after use. Which is good, since you’ll probably die again unless there are no mobs around. Use inspirations instead, never take this power.

Now, the only caveat I would put on this, is that if you team a lot, then Revive can be useful to you if you have someone to guard your body. And for some people, Revive is just so thematic for a Regen that they want to take it. If that’s you, please enjoy.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting: 1 common recharge IO.

MoG – The “Moment of Glory” is nothing of the sort. It is a three minute buff which first heals you to full then damages you by 75% of your current HP. Then for the next three minutes you cannot heal or regenerate any damage. In response you are provided a 71.25% resist buff to all but psionic damage and a 71.25% defense buff to all but psionic AND toxic damage; a 100% endurance recover buff and 17 MAG protection from hold; sleep; disorient; and immobilize effects.

At the termination of the three minutes you are left unable to regenerate for 15 seconds.

MoG is a HIGHLY situational power. Just know that going in. I’ve kept it in my build for years at level 49 simply to verify what I’ve just told you. MoG can be useful to hold on a few more seconds, but trying to last the full three minutes in the power fighting rarely works out.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

38-47: 1 to 3 recharges; 1-3 defense buffs
47+: 3 Membrane Exposure

IO Recommendations: I don’t recommend using your slots here. One advantage of MoG is that it’s really almost as good as it’s going to be with its base slot.

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[u]BROADSWORD (Or I like seeing large orange numbers!) [u]

The broadsword set is amazing once it has been given time to grow into its own. This set is primarily a single target killer with acceptable cone and AoE potential. Broadsword has an inherent 5% accuracy buff on all attacks and an inherent defense debuff of 7.5% on all attacks except Parry (see below). Thus right out of the box it’s a very accurate set. This makes the earlier levels easier since you’re more likely to hit your foes.

On to the power analysis:

HACK – The bread and butter of the set. Hack is the power you take at level 1, no questions asked. Hack is classified as Heavy damage and what that translates into is that it’s the third most powerful attack in the set. The first and second most powerful attacks aren’t available until 32 and 26 respectively.

I hope that impresses you with the strength of this power. Get it, 6 slot it. It’s the old friend that will never let you down.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

1-11 level: 1-4 accuracy Training Origin (“TO”) enhancers
IO recommendation: None (not worth it at this level)

12-21 level: two accuracy Dual Origin (“DO”) enhancers, four damage DOs

Alternative for Faultline players – If you’re a mutant, natural or magic origin, please replace this recommendation with SOs from Yin’s market. Magic users should only use one accuracy SO instead of two. Mutants and naturals should use three damage SOs.

IO recommendation: If your character has the money through sales or transfers, replace the DOs with IOs level 15 or 20. DO NOT USE IOs IN PLACE OF FAULTLINE SOs. At this level, the Faultline SOs are more powerful than common IOs.

22-47: one common accuracy IO level 25+; two common recharge IOs 25+; three common damage IO level 25+

IO Recommendation: Use the best set bonuses you can find to replicate the bonuses above. Do not worry about finishing sets at this point. Use what you find. I do not recommend spending too much on set IOs pre-high levels. However, as you get into the 30s-40s, start collecting the Mako’s Bite set in preparation for the below recommendation.

47+: Two Nucleolus exposure Hamidon Origins (“HO”); Mako’s Bite Dmg/End, Mako’s Bite Dmg/Rech, Mako’s Bite Acc/End/Rech, Mako’s Bite Lethal Proc

SLASH – Slash is a nice little power, reasonable recast, decent damage, single target. The problem is that it’s overshadowed by nearly every other power in the set. Every power has either more damage, hits more enemies, has status effects, etc. Slash is plain vanilla damage.

I do not recommend that this power be selected. There is a theory that selecting this power and respeccing out of it later lowers downtime. That is undeniable. However, I do not recommend planning for an eventual respec. After all the reason you’re reading a guide is to get it right the first time right?

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

1-11 level: 1-4 accuracy Training Origin (“TO”) enhancers
IO recommendation: None (not worth it at this level)

12-21 level: two accuracy Dual Origin (“DO”) enhancers, four damage DOs

Alternative for Faultline players – If you’re a mutant, natural or magic origin please replace this recommendation with SOs from Yin’s market. Magic users should only use one accuracy SO instead of two. Mutants and naturals should use three damage SOs.

IO recommendation: If your character has the money through sales or transfers, replace the DOs with IOs level 15 or 20. DO NOT USE IOs IN PLACE OF FAULTLINE SOs. At this level, the Faultline SOs are more powerful than common IOs.

22-47: one common accuracy IO level 25+; two common recharge IOs 25+; three common damage IO level 25+

IO Recommendation: Use the best set bonuses you can find to replicate the bonuses above. Do not worry about finishing sets at this point. Use what you find. I do not recommend spending too much on set IOs pre-high levels. However, as you get into the 30s-40s, start collecting the Mako’s Bite set in preparation for the below recommendation.

47+: Two Nucleolus exposure; Mako’s Bite Dmg/End, Mako’s Bite Dmg/Rech, Mako’s Bite Acc/End/Rech, Mako’s Bite Lethal Proc

SLICE – The first multi enemy hit, Slice is a moderate damage (slightly better than Slash) Cone attack. It does great damage and I recommend that it be your level 2 power selection.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

1-11 level: 1-4 accuracy Training Origin (“TO”) enhancers
IO recommendation: None (not worth it at this level)

12-21 level: two accuracy Dual Origin (“DO”) enhancers, four damage DOs

Alternative for Faultline – If you’re a mutant, natural or magic origin please replace this recommendation with SOs from Yin’s market. Magic users should only use one accuracy SO instead of two. Mutants and naturals should use three damage SOs.

IO recommendation: If your character has the money through sales or transfers, replace the DOs with IOs level 15 or 20. DO NOT USE IOs IN PLACE OF FAULTLINE SOs. At this level, the Faultline SOs are more powerful than common IOs.

22-47: one common accuracy IO level 25+; two common recharge IOs 25+; three common damage IO level 25+

IO Recommendation: Use the best set bonuses you can find to replicate the bonuses above. Do not worry about finishing sets at this point. Use what you find. I do not recommend spending too much on set IOs pre-high levels. However, as you get into the 30s-40s, start collecting the Scirocco’s Dervish set in preparation for the below recommendation.

47+: Two Nucleolus exposure; Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/Rech, Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/End, Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/Acc; Scirocco’s Dervish Chance for Lethal proc

BUILD UP – Your damage buff/to-hit buff, build up gives you 20% to-hit and 100% damage (off the base) to all your attacks for 10 seconds. I recommend Build Up without reservation, but you don’t have to have it at level 6. Pick it up when you get a chance.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

12-47: 3 common recharge IOs (level 15+) (for PvP consider adding 1-3 to-hit buffs to the recharges)

Faultline recommendation: For science origin characters, replace the above recommendations with three recharge SOs from Yin’s Market.

47+: 3 Membrane Exposure

IO recommendations: No inventions sets are available for use by Build Up, use common IOs as noted above until you get HOs..

PARRY – Parry is a very low damage attack (less than Slash) that comes with a 15% melee, lethal defense buff. Parry is a remarkably powerful ability. As an attack it’s not so great, but it’s a great defense buff that just so happens to give you damage. I recommend this power without reservation.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

8-11 level: 1-4 Training Origin accuracy enhancers.
IO recommendation: None.

12-21 level: two accuracy IO, 1-3 defense IO (15+ level)

Faultline recommendation: Magic: 1 Yin’s Acc SO; 1-4 defense IO. (If you’re wondering why no two acc. Well at this level, I can’t recommend that anyone fight +2-+3 enemies unless you’re very skilled. And if you’re that skilled, then you know darn well that you need two acc SO! )

22-47: two accuracy IO; two damage IO; two defense buff IO

47+: Two Nucleolus Exposure; One Membrane Exposure; Luck of the Gambler defense buff; Luck of the Gambler Def/Recharge; Luck of the Gambler +Recharge

CONFRONT – Confront is a single target, auto-hit taunt ability. If you’re interested in off-tanking this is a great ability. It can also catch runners, but running can catch runners so I can’t recommend this ability unless you’re interested in tanking for a squishy (Blaster, Controller, Defender) buddy.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting: Base slot – Taunt

WHIRLING SWORD – The second of your AoE attacks, Whirling Sword is a point blank AoE attack that hits for moderate damage with a small damage over time component afterwards.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

18-21 level: two accuracy Dual Origin (“DO”) enhancers, four damage DOs

Alternative for Faultline – If you’re a mutant, natural or magic origin please replace this recommendation with SOs from Yin’s market. Magic users should only use one accuracy SO instead of two. Mutants and naturals should use three damage SOs.

IO recommendation: If your character has the money through sales or transfers, replace the DOs with IOs level 15 or 20. DO NOT USE IOs IN PLACE OF FAULTLINE SOs. At this level, the Faultline SOs are more powerful than common IOs.

22-47: one common accuracy IO level 25+; two common recharge IOs 25+; three common damage IO level 25+

IO Recommendation: Use the best set bonuses you can find to replicate the bonuses above. Do not worry about finishing sets at this point. Use what you find. I do not recommend spending too much on set IOs pre-high levels. However, as you get into the 30s-40s, start collecting the Scirocco’s Dervish set in preparation for the below recommendation.

47+: Two Nucleolus exposure; Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/Rech, Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/End, Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/Acc; Scirocco’s Dervish Chance for Lethal proc

DISEMBOWEL – The first of the two big hitters. Disembowel does great damage and has an EXTREMELY high chance of doing knock-up (75% chance). This power is great. Take it 6-slot it. It’s a charmer.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

26-47: one common accuracy IO level 25+; two common recharge IOs 25+; three common damage IO level 25+

IO Recommendation: Use the best set bonuses you can find to replicate the bonuses above. Do not worry about finishing sets at this point. Use what you find. I do not recommend spending too much on set IOs pre-high levels. However, as you get into the 30s-40s, start collecting the Mako’s Bite set in preparation for the below recommendation.

47+: Two Nucleolus exposure Hamidon Origins (“HO”); Mako’s Bite Dmg/End, Mako’s Bite Dmg/Rech, Mako’s Bite Acc/End/Rech, Mako’s Bite Lethal Proc

HEADSPLITTER – Here’s our baby, Headsplitter is one of the most powerful single target ability in the game. Energy Transfer in the Brute and Tanker sets does more damage per hit, but those attacks have no AoE potential and have much higher recharges (20 sec. v. 14 sec.) and higher endurance costs. In addition, Headsplitter criticals more than your other Broadsword attacks (15% as opposed to 5%/10% with your other attacks). On a critical at the damage cap, Headsplitter just barely outshines those naughty Energy Brutes. In addition Headsplitter comes with a 60% chance of doing a Knockdown. You can make that a Knockback if you slot a KB enhancer (don’t unless you’re doing it for fun).

Plus the Scrapper’s melee modifier of 1.125 (Basically 112.5% of base damage compared to 75% for Brutes and 80% for Tankers) means that you’ll be one-shotting a large number of mobs ON A CRITICAL. This attack has a small cone, but it will take you time to learn to use it as an AoE. It’s easier to think of it as a single target, but if you get the mobs close together, let her rip. Another wonderful thing about Headsplitter is that it is a RANGED ability having a small range of 10. This is the reason to be a BS scrapper. It is wonderful. Is it possible to love some computer code? I think it might be.

EvilGeko’s Happy Fun index:

Recommended slotting:

32-47: one common accuracy IO level 25+; two common recharge IOs 25+; three common damage IO level 25+

IO Recommendation: Use the best set bonuses you can find to replicate the bonuses above. Do not worry about finishing sets at this point. Use what you find. I do not recommend spending too much on set IOs pre-high levels. Start collecting the Scirocco’s Dervish set in preparation for the below recommendation.

47+: Two Nucleolus exposure; Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/Rech, Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/End, Scirocco’s Dervish Dmg/Acc; Scirocco’s Dervish Chance for Lethal proc

[u]BROADSWORD/REGEN GUIDE – ISSUE NINE – NEW AND BETTER WAYS TO KILL [u]

Issue Nine and LOOT!! WOOT!! Ahem.

A new feature of the guide is the EvilGeko’s Invention Origin ("IO") recommendations. IO recommendations are a bit different from the HO recommendations as they are available at all levels. So after the standard slotting recommendation, I give my IO recommendations where appropriate. IO recommendations are aspirational. What that means is that I don’t expect and you shouldn’t that it will be easy to obtain this stuff. This is just my “If I had all the enhancer I could ever want” kind of thing. Also, please note, these are the ‘best’ slotting you can make. I’m just not sure there is a ‘best’. These recommendations typically just show a good melding of HO/IOs for good effects.

Last thing: the slotting here presumes you’re going to mix and match my recommendations. In other words, you wouldn’t have enough slots to slot every power completely. Sorry, I don’t have a better way of presenting this information that I can do quickly and not get fired from my job.

This is a big update, so let’s get to it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

BROADSWORD
REGENERATION
RECOMMENDED POOLS FOR A BS/REGEN SCRAPPER

Kick butt guide Ex Libris.

The EvilGeko's I9 BS/Regen Guide: New and better ways to kill

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1) You have the default To Hit value (ie no buffs), your target has no Defense value. How often do you WANT to hit him? Conversely, as the defender, how often do you expect to be missed?

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Around 90% of hits should connect.

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2) You have the maximum possible To Hit value, and your target has no defense value. How often do you WANT to hit him? Conversely, as the defender, how often do you expect to be missed?

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99% at attacker; As defender I would expect to always be hit.

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3) You have the default To Hit value, and your target has the maximum possible defense value. How often do you WANT to hit him? Conversely, as the defender, how often do you expect to be missed?

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20%; 20% I don't think defense should shut down offense.

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4) You have the maximum possible To Hit value, and your target has the maximum possible defense value. How often do you WANT to hit him? Conversely, as the defender, how often do you expect to be missed?

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75%; 75% Conversely, if I were to have my perfect system, defense would be always be able to hold back some attacks.

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what i don't get is why this wasn't purged in any of the forum cleanings we've had in the past 6 months or so.

what the heck is this even doing here?

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I don't think threads with redname posts in them get purged. At least, if they do that's something new. And, uhm, it doesn't look like they do

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It's done on a case by case basis. "Important" posts by rednames are flagged to be maintained. But some of their more "social" comments have been purged.

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Only if they let one person Exemplar/Malefactor multiple people.

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I think that would be peachy.

Think Yoda and the younglings.

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1b) Sidekick / Exemplar / Lackey / Malefactor System: Mien Gott! How should I forget this when I assembled my original list. I first noticed this feature when it wasn't in a ridiculously popular fantasy MMO. When two of your friends have lv 40 whatevers on a server and you want to join them, not having a sk system makes for some very awkward grouping.


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I love the Exemplar/Malefactor, but honestly to me, SK/Lackey feels like cheating. I like to earn my way into the game. It annoys me a bit to play on a team with a level 20 going to fight Tyrant. That mission was once the pinnacle of the game. IMO it cheapens it to have that experience at low levels.

The social aspect would be covered by Exemplar/Malefactor.

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2b) Travel Powers: In CoH, after lv 14, I can get to any part to any other part in 5 minutes max. My average travel time from mission to mission is about a minute. I spend more time in game doing my missions than walking between them which is why it the slow plodding pace of the new unnamed MMO came as a horrific shock where suddenly I'm walking for 10 minutes to do a 2 minute quest. Not a real efficient use of my time.


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I'm of two minds about this. It's great in CoH/V because there really isn't much to explore in this game. But in other games, I certainly don't mind exploring. I hate pure timesink travel, but I don't consider most travel to be so.

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I love CoH very much, but I like other games too. I don't think this game is appreciably better than some of the major games that came out the same year as it did, some of which I play as well.

I think at times over the years that 'fun' has been sacrificed on the altar of Statesman's vision of 'fun'.

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The new wings do look great, but I think the invention system was the WRONG way to bring them in. Especially with the current drop rates, it makes it a pain in the butt to get them, and renders them similar to the "1334" camp/raid/massive time sink items of certain other, not-to-be-named, mmos.

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The Inventions system is exactly the RIGHT way to bring these into the game. I'm glad we won't be seeing dozens of fairies, insect men or women, and rocket boot guys the day after I9 goes live.

I'll give you an example of a place where you wouldn't heal as a last resort but a first.

In the kinetics set, ID is a very nice resistance buff. But it's a very short term buff and not the best idea to try and keep a group buffed unless that's all you want to do. However, between Transfusion and your early debuff Siphon Power, a Kinetics defender can be a very strong defender despite this set being know more for damage and end.

Here, Siphon Power isn't enough by itself. But a liberal use of *SHOCK* a heal, is in MANY ways the best way to mitigate.

Is healing always the best idea? No. Will it decrease in necessity as levels increase? Yes.

But it's not a last resort for everyone.

Healing should not be used as a last resort, but as a part of a basket of mitigation tools. Healing is extremely powerful at low levels when buffs are much weaker and teams haven't built up their personal defenses.

The best teams have a combination of healing, defense, resistance, and debuffs. Singling healing out as somehow lesser is based on a silly defender prejudice built up based on people using the word healer.

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OK so I have a n00b question.

Many of the IO's used in the examples say that these bonuses last for 120 seconds. I am assuming that is not the case if they are slotted in a passive power like Health but that the effect is then always on? Is that correct?

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Correct, in a passive it's always on.

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Do tell? Brawl seems to only take Melee Damage sets...

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Hint: for most scrappers, brawl is the fastest activating attack they can possibly include in their builds.

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Devious! I like it!

The only question then becomes: How many slots can you afford to put into brawl that won't be better spent elsewhere?

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Two procs and a common acc IO isn't so expensive for what would be a very nice attack, that doesn't have redraw.

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Well alright.

To bad this is a pointless discussion. It will never happen.

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Not exactly pointless. While this is a lot of work and most likely won't happen, the same thing could be said about loot and wings and a whole lot of other things that just managed to happen.

The devs would have a LOT easier time balancing if they did a major revamp of the powers system.

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Thank you Hertz! Your simple and colorful example made things very clear. I love Arcanaville, but my eyes tend to blur when reading her posts ... no offense, Arcanaville. If it's any consolation, the eye blurring is quickly followed up with, "I love Arcanaville because her numbers are always right, so I trust whatever premise she concludes with ..."

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I have to agree. Hertz's example was top-notch.

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Indeed it was. Bravo.

Sadly it just makes me even MORE conflicted. The idea sounds wonderful.. but I keep wondering if it is worth taking the blow to easy teaming. Right now.. options options options. Slap any team together and you do well(if nobody on the team is brain dead).

I'm afraid it would cause a domino effect. "Sorry.. we have enough of your kind of buff. If you join the mission becomes harder and the system makes it so you can't pull your own weight". It becomes harder to form a team. You have to look for more specific people when you could have just grabbed a handful of people and gone on your way. People get left out. These combined make more people solo out of frustration. Now that more people solo the teaming pool is even smaller. Teaming is even harder. More people solo out of frustration.

I guess it depends on how much additional help a buff of the same type helps. I'm willing to bet a lot that the developer idea of reasonable isn't nearly the same as that of the average Co* player. The kind that knows NOTHING of the system other than that second defender isn't adding a whole lot to the team. It isn't that this is a bad idea. It is that.. well.. people will muck up paradise. Edit: In a perfect world everybody automatically finds the one team that needs them and matching up is easy. Sadly this isn't a perfect world.

Who was it that first said "this is why we can't have nice things"?

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But see, that's the beauty, the next defender if they're the same kind of defender is adding exactly the same amount of mitigation as the last defender. If they are another type of defender, then they're adding some different kind of value which diversity will help.

I can't really see this as a problem because it is already worse than that. Only a few kinds of defenders stack well. Many get you to the cap with one or two. With multiplicative stacking, EVERYBODY you add to the team is helpful. Getting a diverse group is MORE helpful, but then, that's what we should want.

A super team should be a blend of ATs including at least one member each of the pentad. A super team shouldn't be 8 defenders or controllers.

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Not at all. I'm out to see just what Castle said would happen. Weave wouldn't have to be 5% defense, SR could finally get a fair amount of mitigation and defenders could use their buffs on themselves.

But hey, easier to question my motives than put forth an argument.

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On the other hand.. buffers and debuffers get turned away from teams because they already have enough of that kind of buff. Healing suddenly becomes the sane option if you want to be a team buffer(good luck trying to give diminishing returns for healing!). More people are encouraged to solo than ever before because their powers don't help the team if some OTHER buffer is their first. Then other people solo because they can't find a team because the defenders/controllers feel they are forced to solo. Then we get even MORE people complaining that they can't ever find a team and more posts on the boards saying the game is dead and we need to consolidate all the servers so we can find teams.


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That's the interesting thing. This shouldn't happen at all. See in this mythical future state, people will pick teammates because all buffs will help. Trick Arrow won't be a joke, because its stats on its debuffs won't be pitifully low. Right now, having more than one FF defender is a waste for the most part. More than two is an actual waste. Under this system, sure the first FF defender isn't as useful as they are now, but each new one you add provides buffs that are useful to the group. Now, of course, it may be that the group decides they would want to have a Sonic and a FF, which will be better than two FFs. But that's GOOD. That's diversity, real diversity.

Stacking buffs will ALWAYS be helpful, but having a diversity of buffing options is better. Empaths won't be any more or less in demand than they are now. But demand should be spread more evenly.

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I'll definitely cut down to 1 or 2 slots in Stamina on my Katana/Regen, but yeah. Best I have so far is 4 in FH and 4 in Health.

Man, and right when I thought slots were no longer premium on him. XD

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I don't even have Stamina in my current mock-up I9 build. No point. So much endurance reduction out there, plus my #1 priority will be getting the +recovery uniques. After those, I don't suspect endurance problems to be anywhere near an issue for my Regen.

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Good job. I came to a similar conclusion for Fast Healing the Regen starter power.


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Yes, and this reminds me that I was going to wrap up with a comment about Fast Healing and Health, mainly to the effect that you can't duplicate the best case slotting in both because the three uniques I used are... well, unique. So nine slots between Fast Healing and Health are the most you can efficiently use, unless you're willing to go for pure set bonus stacking in one of them. But if you go for nine slots between them, I strongly recommend putting 4 in one and 5 in the other so that you can get, theoretically, +24% regen buff and +5% recovery buff just from set bonuses (2 Numina's in each power, and 2 Miracle in each power). But putting the two together is a slightly more complicated analysis that I haven't done yet

Scrap

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It's even harder than that for a Regen. My I9 guide is giving me a headache. All this min-maxing for IOs that's going to take another three years to actually obtain!

(The problem I'm having is that while I would love to slot Health and FH the way you say, you start to run out of slots QUICKLY). Health only gets two slots in my current build. Can't find another.)

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Yep. And why didn't people believe the Devs when they said that ED would diversify things?

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Because Inventions did that?

Good job. I came to a similar conclusion for Fast Healing the Regen starter power.

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For what it's worth I'm personally not opposed to this idea in principle and I do think it probably should have been this way from the start.

However I'm not in favour of it being changed to this now as I don't think the increase in fun it would bring - whether directly or in the form of superior future content design - are proportionate with the resources required to make the change at this stage. (Course, as a humble player I realise I actually have no idea what the resources required are, but as a forum dweller I'm still gonna have that opinion )

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I think three years in, there's no chance they'll do this. It rips out the powers systems and puts a new one in, in a lot of ways.

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Stranger things have happened with larger MMOs based on "can't miss" IP, so I wouldn't be suprised if we saw a "New Game Experience"-like revamp when CoX is in its death throes.

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Good point. Perhaps after MUO is up and running and people can't figure out why they're sticking around.

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For what it's worth I'm personally not opposed to this idea in principle and I do think it probably should have been this way from the start.

However I'm not in favour of it being changed to this now as I don't think the increase in fun it would bring - whether directly or in the form of superior future content design - are proportionate with the resources required to make the change at this stage. (Course, as a humble player I realise I actually have no idea what the resources required are, but as a forum dweller I'm still gonna have that opinion )

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I think three years in, there's no chance they'll do this. It rips out the powers systems and puts a new one in, in a lot of ways.

I agree Biowrath. PUG teams aren't even on my top ten list of why this is a good idea. Primariliy, this is a good idea for two BIG reasons:

1) It's more generally fair; meaning that many very weaker powers could be improved because you won't have to worry about overpowered buffs/debuffs.

2) Content can be designed more reasonably since you'll have less variance in team power levels.

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Thank you Hertz! Your simple and colorful example made things very clear. I love Arcanaville, but my eyes tend to blur when reading her posts ... no offense, Arcanaville. If it's any consolation, the eye blurring is quickly followed up with, "I love Arcanaville because her numbers are always right, so I trust whatever premise she concludes with ..."

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I have to agree. Hertz's example was top-notch.

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It's interesting, but this all started when they put I5/GDN on test. All these arguments have been putting around for two years. They were right then and the devs still did it and ED. Sigh...

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I must've missed those threads since I was spending most of my time screeching that the GDR made FF defenders more desirable to have in a team, but much less desirable to actually play because of the disproportionately large nerf to DB. The overall lack of self-defense in FF made Statesman's suggestion that we use, as _Castle_ later described them, FF's situational aggro pigs to make up the difference laughable.

Especially since the effectiveness of of ToHit debuffs was left unchanged in I5.* Even ED didn't touch ToHit debuffs all that hard since most people were slotting one or two end redux in the big debuffs, anyway.

* The only big exception is whether or not you consider Dark Servant a debuff. At the time, few people did.

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When GDN hit, I was so ticked off for my Ill/FF. The first time I decide to put min-maxing on the wayside and build a character for fun, it gets nerfed to the point that much of her offense (armies of Phantasm) was gone and her defense (Dispersion Bubble) was made nearly meaningless.

Sure, with that many distraction controls she's still fine, but it was cold comfort at best to only have this to console me:

"Well at least I'm not a FF DEFENDER!" "