Filth_EU

On a more constructive note, there are other blaster builds that are effective in PvP, curiously now, I've seen a very entertaining */Dev (OverTkill) in Siren's who is pretty funny and a Stalker hunter (and part-time Dom hunter as well ). It's great to see someone like that who isn't massively overpowering and yet still effective.

I think the powers you've chosen look fine. You have listed Impale twice - did you mean Skewer there at level 10? Fling Thorns is a good cone attack. I would consider switching Entangle for Roots since it works well with Seeds - it keeps a group bunched up, and since you also have Fling Thorns it will allow you to really rack up the damage. Stealth might be a good power if you're not going down the Leaping pool path.

I went down a slightly peculiar path in that I took only single target damage powers, this was partly to save endurance and partly because I went for a balanced PvE/PvP build.

Ripper and Thorn Barrage are must-haves, your damage after taking these powers becomes much greater than before, a shame they aren't available earlier.

I recommend using Character Builder to plan your toon.

Hobo's actually arguing that it takes only a little bit of skill, some practice, and everyone's then the same. You're arguing the opposite.

Toggle droppers for Thorns are Skewer and Ripper.

Just get it out there ASAP we desperately need more Ice/En.

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and when exactly did blasters get mes protection? why do so many tanks think they're so underpowered if their mes protection goes down, a blaster is completely reliant on bfs, how is poppin a bf and figthing back so brain numbingly hard for tanks? i love fighting a blaster with my tank

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You don't think that the fact that toggle-dropping is so easy, (making the primary powers of tanks almost redudant whilst not affecting blasters at all) does not take away the effectiveness of tanks in any way? I don't think that playing a tank isn't possible, or isn't fun, but you become something other than a tank. The blaster AT isn't affected by this at all, whereas the tank/scrapper is.

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I prefer the Arena too, actually. I rarely step into PvP zones myself but they deserve more credit than 'kill X of Y in base' which is so routine for some people they can do them blind-folded.

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It's funny I find the arena deathly dull. I wouldn't bother with PvP at all if it wasn't for the zones. For people that want to match toon with toon team with team I've no objection to them moving wholesale to the arena, for an actual game I'm hoping I7 gives us more than we have now.

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I like the idea of being stronger in PVP but think it should be tied into the missions a little more, at the moment I think the buff debuff missions are not really used effectively and the values behind these should be more transparent, sometimes I see missions completed granting a 6% buff other times its only a 1% buff, what is the cap how do we know when it has been reached etc. etc.

If there is more info on this and I haven't spotted it would someone be kind enough to enlighten me? Also is there a reason why the contacts in these zones can be outlevelled considering you always get malefactored/lackeyed to the same level anyway.

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Each mission you do adds a certain percentage (I think 1%) up to a max of 15% (I think). So when you see the message that so-and-so has debuffed Villains' damage by 13% that is the total, not that one mission.

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A team of all controllers would loose to a balanced team.

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LOL

Show me a balanced villain team that could deal with 8 controllers. You're having a giraffe.

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1 */kin corr, 1 */sonics corr, 1 */therm rad corr, 1 */cold corr, 2 nrg/* stalkers, 1 /bubble MM, 1 dominator.

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That Kin and Thermal have both respecced out of Thaw and ID because "it's useless". Team wipe.

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None of the trollers have taken any holds or epic damage. Team wipe.

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You think I'm making this up? I've met them in Siren's.

Not only did they not have Thaw or ID, they had taken them and respecced out of those powers.

"Grim times ahead for Villain teams" - Rogue Isles Inquirer

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A team of all controllers would loose to a balanced team.

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LOL

Show me a balanced villain team that could deal with 8 controllers. You're having a giraffe.

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1 */kin corr, 1 */sonics corr, 1 */therm rad corr, 1 */cold corr, 2 nrg/* stalkers, 1 /bubble MM, 1 dominator.

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That Kin and Thermal have both respecced out of Thaw and ID because "it's useless". Team wipe.

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Besides, If my blaster for example would be on the other side,I think Id just 5-shot my tank and proceed to beat the defender to bloody pulp.

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Wait, so you reckon you could 5-shot a Tank with an Empathy Defender sitting behind him? Nah, don't think so.

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I cant even kill a squishie with a good empath backing him.

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You couldn't....ponders for a moment....one shot the Empath?....you're right! that's just what they would expect! and therefore! do the opposite! attack the tank!

ha ha ha ha aha ha ha ::cough::cough::
Getting most players (at least villains) to even be aware of the team window is a hurdle of massive proportions.
"binds" ::chortle::...chest pains...collapses.

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i have no problem with my tanks toggles being dropped, just dont stand toe to toe with them, find a way to fight it and do it, even with no toggles u still have a self heal and far more HP than a blaster...

too many tanks think they can just stand there and shud not be able to die which is why they winge about toggle dropping, i think its good and wouldnt change it

edit: i think what needs to be changed is the reduction of animation times of toggle activations like energy toggles instead of standing in a stupid pose for ages

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I don't entirely disagree with you, however, tanks have to rely on BFs for one thing and mobility for another. A decent blapper will destroy you in seconds through stuns and damage. You can't re-toggle if you're stunned and the damage output of a blapper far exceeds stun time. It's possible to play like this but hardly very effectively against someone who knows what they are doing. Tanks are currently absurdly under-powered in PvP.

I think what I'm saying is toggle-dropping itself should be reduced a little globally and some toggles should provide some resistance to toggle-dropping, a bit like Crystal Armour in Stone does for Def-Debuffs. I think both can be done without removing toggle dropping altogether.

There's another issue about the overwhelming discrepancy between the PvE experience (especially for tanks/scrappers) and the first PvP, it can be extremely discouraging for those new players and it's far worse at the low end. This is killing the PvP game for new players.

OK, I think I understand what you're saying about a PvP slot (I don't have experience outside CoX), but wouldn't this create more of very similar builds? I can't blame people for going down a route of making a specialised PvP toon but it does make the experience a bit monotonous.

On the other hand, a co-ordinated balanced team will always beat a group of cookie-cutter pvp toons if they aren't organised. It's just a shame more (especially villains) casual players don't come into the zone. A couple of days ago a */Thermal Corruptor came into Siren's and was just a superb player, but only stayed about 15 minutes, I suspect because he wasn't looked after.

The problem with a ranking system as I see it is support toons will be under-represented, unless it's linked to objectives rather than Knock-Outs, but perhaps there is a way to make this work. I'm hoping RV will have a range of things to do for different players to have fun.

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So, because some sets can't handle certain abilities those abilities should be nerfed? I don't know about you, but I actually prefer boosting innefective powers instead of powers that work properly. Give Dark Armour some inherent resistance to toggle knocking instead for example.

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...which is the same thing as making toggle dropping less effective.


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Uh, no it's not. It would just make it less effective against Dark Armour scrappers in this example. Not against every AT.

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You think Defenders are desperately bothered about Combat Jumping being knocked off? The fuss about toggle dropping is being made because blasters can knock toggles off, stun and then kill any tank or scrapper that relies on them, in seconds. So yes, I'm talking about all tanks pre-32 the fact that a blaster can do that to a tank makes a nonsense of the AT.

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So, because some sets can't handle certain abilities those abilities should be nerfed? I don't know about you, but I actually prefer boosting innefective powers instead of powers that work properly. Give Dark Armour some inherent resistance to toggle knocking instead for example.

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...which is the same thing as making toggle dropping less effective.

Making certain toggles drop-resistant is exactly what tanks and scrappers have been asking for.

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I said it before.To bring masses in PvP zones the solutions are simple and i am curious why the Devs not implement them.

Ranking System

Remove PvP rep cap

PvP character Slots that will remove the need for PvP builds
and will allow to create a PvP character on the go and simply enter straight away the PvP zone. Without the option to exit from it.

Special PvP rewards that do not interfere with PvE (ranked emotes,Ranked auras,Ranked animations,Ranked temp powers_

PvP in game Hall of Fame

Remove debt from pvp zones

Link the EU PvP zones to each other

Create an international PvP server where Korea,USA,Europe players battle it out giving the opportunity for worldwide CoH events

Solve asap major PvP issues such as toggle dropping

Allow Villains and Heroes teaming in warburg

Lower base item prices so that smaller SG's can participate in Base Raiding.

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Unlike most other people I think these things would make PvP far worse not better. A ranking system is a dreadful idea, Rep is already a bad mechanism, encouraging PvP specific builds and gearing the system to a few archetypes is a way to reduce PvP involvement with the playerbase not increase it.

What is needed is a way to encourage more casual players (and player teams) to get involved, I would like to see more RP SG teams come into the zones since a decent team of people who know each other is going to be effective regardless of build. Teams with a bit of character might make the experience much more entertaining, for whatever reason you don't see groups like this in zones, certainly not in Siren's which is a great place for villain vs hero conflict.

I'm tired of being one Dominator in a team of seven Stalkers Vs a bunch of ice/en blappers and a few scrappers. The whole 'pvp build' / character slot notion is bogus, most people don't have time to do something like that and wouldn't want to.

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It'll still be largely ponitless for tanks, no matter how many bells and whistles they add.

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It wont be in I7. You get punchwoke in PvP! I think this would bring the tanker AT back to the game.

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Ah, so now the blasters will be forced to toggle-drop me, the controllers & dominators forced to snap through my megre mez protection, the stalkers forced to AS me with unresistable damage (Not that I have any resistance to speak of) and anyone else generally forced to kite me until I'm dead.

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Actually Dominators can toggle drop you as well, sorry.

As far as RV goes it will be Heroes Vs Villains, so tanks don't have to worry about blasters toggle dropping them (at least not yet), as far as I know only Stalkers and Dominators can toggle drop from the Villain side.

Having said that toggle dropping is in a very silly state and needs to be tweaked, there are several things I can think of that would both make it still possible and yet not overpowered; I suspect the reason nothing has been done yet is Cryptic want to get it right this time instead of screwing it up (again).

It sounds great, the biggest problem with the PvP zones at the moment is a lack of an actual game mechanic in the zone, but it seems now like there is a reasonably well developed one in RV. Siren's is the most successful because there are rewards to be won and it is heroes vs villains, I hope RV will build on this. A continuous reward system will keep people going back.

Biggest issue in PvP is toggle dropping - is this going to be looked at?

As soon as I've built up Domination Statesman will be toast. Why are we fighting over post boxes anyway? Don't they use email in "Teh Future"? What do the giant robots do? deliver mail? anyway, it looks great.

This is what I came up with, the slotting might be a bit funky.

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Exported from Ver: 1.7.6.0 of the CoH_CoV Character Builder - (http://sherksilver.coldfront.net/index.php)
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Name:
Level: 41
Archetype: Dominator
Primary: Mind Control
Secondary: Energy Assault
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01) --> Levitate==> Acc(1)
01) --> Power Bolt==> Acc(1)
02) --> Bone Smasher==> Acc(2) Acc(3) Dmg(3) Dmg(7) Dmg(7)
04) --> Dominate==> Acc(4) Acc(5) Hold(5) Hold(11) Hold(11) Rechg(15)
06) --> Confuse==> Acc(6)
08) --> Hasten==> Rechg(8) Rechg(9) Rechg(9)
10) --> Power Blast==> Acc(10) Acc(15)
12) --> Telekinesis==> EndRdx(12) EndRdx(13) EndRdx(13) Rechg(40)
14) --> Hover==> DefBuf(14)
16) --> Fly==> Fly(16) Fly(17) Fly(17)
18) --> Total Domination==> Acc(18) Acc(19) Hold(19) Hold(21) Hold(23) Rechg(23)
20) --> Swift==> Run(20) Run(21)
22) --> Health==> Heal(22)
24) --> Stamina==> EndMod(24) EndMod(25) EndMod(25)
26) --> Terrify==> Acc(26) Acc(27) Fear(27) Fear(37) Fear(37)
28) --> Total Focus==> Acc(28) Acc(29) Dmg(29) Dmg(31) Dmg(34) EndRdx(40)
30) --> Power Boost==> Rechg(30) Rechg(31) Rechg(31)
32) --> Mass Confusion==> Acc(32) Acc(33) ConfDur(33) ConfDur(33) ConfDur(34) Rechg(34)
35) --> Sniper Blast==> Acc(35) Acc(36) Dmg(36) Dmg(36) Dmg(37)
38) --> Power Burst==> Acc(38) Acc(39) Dmg(39) Dmg(39) Dmg(40)
---------------------------------------------
01) --> Sprint==> Empty(1)
01) --> Brawl==> Empty(1)
01) --> Domination==> Empty(1)
02) --> Rest==> Empty(2)
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It's a tricky one, I don't think there's any way around the fast paced nature of the game - it is what it is and I don't think it would make sense to monkey around with the mechanics in the way you're suggesting.

There already is a way of making fights last longer - use inspirations. Using them seems to be against some unwritten law of some players but the reality is for certain ATs it is impossible to do anything without them especially when you are mis-matched with the other side which most of the time you are. Inspirations don't break the mechanics they create longer and tougher fights, use them!

The UK guides pretty much say all there is to say about Stone/*. I know Axe is good for high damage but not great mezz ability, MaxPowerz has the only Axe tank I know, and I think Zak was Stone/Axe.

If you miss, you will take aggro. It's the usual unforgiving Plant.

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Nothing in the game is quite as evil looking

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I hope you've got the toon to back that up.

According to Character Builder the two passives plus Unyielding get you 27.5% resistance to all non-L/S damage except Psi. Weave will give you 4.33% defence base.