Fleeting Whisper

[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and looking at your Location BadStorm.... um... are you having a baby, or does that mean something else....

[/ QUOTE ][pure innocence]
But, legs akimbo just means cross-legged.
[/pure innocence]

[comedy]
Or dual-wielding legs...
[/comedy]

I didn't see it, but I think it's worth mentioning that you won't get the challenge badges if you fail the mission (I'm not sure if it's only the last mission that matters, or any mission...) - When getting the Gold Medalist badge, I tried it with "The Strange Case of Benjamin A. Decker", the last mission being the one where you need to click 4 glowies and *not* defeat the patrols. Trying to hasten my time I intentionally failed the mission by attacking the patrol, and got none of the badges I would have gotten (Temerarious, Intrepid, Unenhanced, and Marginalized in addition to the Gold Medal).

So: Either avoid failable missions when attempting your challenge badges, or don't fail them
(And even without intentionally failing, "The Strange Case of Benjamin A. Decker" is a very, very quick arc, is available to heroes and villains, and the only powers you'll lose are any you take from yourself with a challenge. I managed to get Temerarious, Intrepid, Unenhanced, Marginalized, and Gold Medal in a single run of the arc with 14 minutes left to spare with my Mastermind)

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Is there any attack which only has a positional type without an elemental type?

[/ QUOTE ]Taking about 15 seconds to look up a single example I can provide you with "Siphon Speed"

Thanks for the input

Thanks for the criticism. However,[ QUOTE ]
-I did not know toxic was not resisted (however I think that defense must decrease the chances of it actually landing.)

[/ QUOTE ]From this I'm hoping you mistyped, as this is incorrect and if you learned that from my guide, I need to fix it. You *can* resist Toxic damage (Deflection Shield which I mentioned several times grants 40% Toxic resistance, for example), but there is no such thing as Toxic Defense, because there is no such thing as Toxic_Attack (if there were a power that gave you +Defense(Toxic), it would literally do absolutely nothing).

Many attacks that deal toxic damage are typed with Ranged_Attack and either Smashing_Attack or Lethal_Attack, however, so while there is no such thing as Toxic defense, there are ways to dodge attacks that deal toxic damage.

Yes, basically Arcana's guide will cover everything about every aspect of accuracy, tohit, and defense. If this guide isn't in-depth enough, go to Arcanaville

Attack Type vs Attack Damage

[u]Attack Type vs Attack Damage[u]
Contents
1) Introduction / Purpose Statement
2) Attack Types / Attack Vectors
3) Damage Types
4) Combining Them


Introduction / Purpose Statement
This short guide covers a topic I've often seen people get confused on - the difference between attack types and the damage the attack deals. The subject is covered in more depth in Arcana's Guide to Defense under the "Defense Mechanics" heading. However, it's a rather long guide which I'm sure can be intimidating for many. The goal of this guide is to concentrate and (hopefully) simplify this game mechanic.


Attack Types / Attack Vectors
Any attack in City of can be flagged as using any combination of attack types (or "attack vectors"). The possible types are:
- Smashing_Attack
- Lethal_Attack
- Energy_Attack
- Negative_Attack
- Psionic_Attack
- Fire_Attack
- Cold_Attack
- Melee_Attack
- Ranged_Attack
- AoE_Attack

Any power in City of can be flagged with any number of these attack types, or none at all. The vast majority of attack powers have a single "positional" type (Melee, Ranged, or AoE), and zero or more of the other seven types. Notable exceptions include the Hamidon, which has no attack typing, and Mind Control, which are all typed with Psionic_Attack only.

Defensive powers give defense to specific attack types. The Super Reflexes powerset, for example, gives a lot of defense to Melee_Attack, Ranged_Attack, and AoE_Attack. However, when a Super Reflexes Scrapper runs into an opponent wielding Mind Control powers, it's as if the Scrapper had no defense at all. Similarly, Deflection Shield from the Force Field powerset offers defense to Smashing_Attack, Lethal_Attack, and Melee_Attack, but is completely useless if you're hit by a power that's typed as "Ranged_Attack, Fire_Attack".

But what about a situation in which you have defense to one of the attack types, but not the other? In City of, if you have defense to any of the attack types you can use that defense to dodge the entire attack. A person being shielded with Deflection Shield would be able to dodge an attack typed as "Ranged_Attack, Smashing_Attack", or one with "Melee_Attack, Cold_Attack".

Similarly, what happens if you have multiple defenses that apply? What happens when a Super Reflexes Scrapper running Focused Fighting (which offers defense to Melee_Attack) has Deflection Shield on him is hit by an attack typed as "Melee_Attack, Smashing_Attack"? The game will check all of your applicable defenses (in this case, Melee and Smashing), and select the highest of your applicable defenses to use against the attack. In this situation, the game would use Melee defense, as the Scrapper would have ~15-23% defense to Smashing and Lethal and ~30-44% defense to Melee, depending on the slotting of the powers in question.

Again, note that there are attacks that don't follow the basic rule of thumb of "<position>_Attack, <damage>_Attack". Every single power in Mind Control is typed as only Psionic_Attack (as are two of the powers in Illusion Control), and the Hamidon has no typing on his attacks (which means all of our +Defense powers are a waste when facing him). There may be other examples, but these are the most notable, and it is worth knowing that it's always a possibility when a new power or a new enemy is introduced to the game.


Damage Types
There are eight different damage types, as opposed to the ten attack types:
- Smashing
- Lethal
- Energy
- Negative
- Fire
- Cold
- Psionic
- Toxic

Note the loss of Melee, Ranged, and AoE distinctions, and the addition of Toxic. The important thing to draw from this is the complete lack of toxic defense in the game.

Like the attack types, any power can have zero or multiple damage types. With damage, however, the different types can be present in different amounts, whereas the attack types are always represented equally when present. Each attack is given a specific amount of damage of a specific type that it does. The damage may be specified as a Damage over Time (DoT) for a specific time period. It is even possible to have the damage appear multiple times (giving the power several ticks of damage), make the damage unresistable, unenhanceable, have only a chance of happening, or only happen under certain circumstances. For an example, let's look at a power from City of Data, Fire Ball:
* 11.12 Smashing Damage
* 38.93 Fire Damage if (target = critter)
* 3 * 5.56 Fire Damage over 2.10 seconds (after 0.5 second delay) (80% chance)
* 16.68 Fire Damage if (target = player) [Non-resistable]
* 22.24 Fire Damage if (target = player)
(You may notice on the same page that the power is listed as "AoE_Attack, Fire_Attack"... I'll come back to this later)

Let's separate these effects.
[11.12 Smashing Damage] -> No matter the situation, Fire Ball will deal 11.12 Smashing damage to it's target, before damage resistance is applied
[38.93 Fire Damage if (target = critter)] -> If you hit an NPC, Fire Ball will deal 38.93 Fire Damage before damage resistance is applied
[3 * 5.56 Fire Damage over 2.10 seconds (after 0.5 second delay) (80% chance)] -> 80% of the time you use Fire Ball, half a second after it hits, you will get 3 ticks of 5.56 Fire Damage (before resistance is applied) to your target, which takes 2.1 seconds to damage that target
[16.68 Fire Damage if (target = player) [Non-resistable]] -> If you hit a player with your Fire Ball (read: PvP), you will do 16.68 Fire Damage, no matter what their Fire resistance is
[22.24 Fire Damage if (target = player)] -> If you hit a player with your Fire Ball, you will do 22.24 Fire Damage before resistance is applied

As you can see, you have have the same damage type multiple times, you can have multiple damage types, and you can have a plethora of conditions attached to them.


Combining Them
So what does all of this mean for an attack? How does it all go together? Well, the truth is there isn't really any hard-and-fast rule for how the attack types and damage types mesh together, in the same way that there's no rule for what attack types a power may have. Looking back at Fire Ball, you can have an "AoE_Attack, Fire_Attack" that deals Smashing Damage and Fire Damage. If you have 800% smashing defense and someone tosses a Fire Ball your way, you can still get hit with Smashing Damage. There is no defense against toxic, so any damage with Toxic Damage would have to have an unrelated attack type. Having 100% resistance to Negative Damage means nothing when you get hit with Fearsome Stare (typed as "Negative_Attack"). Levitate is Psionic_Attack and it deals Smashing Damage.

Often, an attack's attack type matches at least part of it's damage. But this is neither required nor the only way you see things.

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So, you're hiring more programmers you say? *brushes up his resume*

[/ QUOTE ]I'd totally do the same... if I weren't still in college... in another state... and the jobs weren't in Cali...

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I have all the Trick Arrow powers, except "net". I find Ice arrow much more effective. (Sure, net can stop someone from running away or towards you, but they can still fire!). Maybe it’s good at a low level, but I personally used it once I had ice arrow, I like ice arrow much more). Net Does Work on bosses if I remember correctly so I may get it at level 50.

[/ QUOTE ]Entangling Arrow also has -Fly, which will drop a flying enemy onto your Glue or Oil, and additional recharge debuff to stack with Glue and Ice arrows.

[ QUOTE ]
Flash - (slotted 3 accuracy debuffs). This is a great arrow. Recharges fast. The effect actually lasts for a long time.

[/ QUOTE ]To be specifc, it recharges in 15 seconds without slotting, and lasts for a minute. It does not stack, however, so using it several times on the same group doesn't give any additional benefit.

[ QUOTE ]
Glue - (slotted 3 slow)

[/ QUOTE ]I think slotting Glue Arrow for recharge is more important than slow. With 3 recharge, it goes from a minute recharging to 30 seconds. The slow will just keep enemies on the glue longer, and won't do anything to the recharge debuff, which IMO is the most important aspect of this power.

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For some reason, Werewolves don’t seem to be effected by it.

[/ QUOTE ]Werewolves and a few other enemies have strong slow resistance

[ QUOTE ]
Poison Gas - (slotted 3 sleeps. yes, it takes sleep enchantments) GREAT arrow. The enemies do LESS damage to you when affected by it. Instead of hitting you for 20, they may hit for only 16. That can help a lot in a big fight. Also, more and more of them "choke" on the gas at higher levels. So it’s kind of like a controller hold in some ways. Nice recharge, less damage, some holding. Great arrow.

[/ QUOTE ]Slotting for recharge is much more useful than slotting for sleep - slotting sleep makes them choke longer, but they stop choking as soon as they are hit no matter what, whereas slotting recharge lets you toss it out every single fight.

And it doesn't actually sleep more enemies as you level up - it always have a 66% chance to put a magnitude 2 sleep on each enemy, enough to sleep a minion.

[ QUOTE ]
Ice - (slotted 3 hold duration, may add an acc later). Good for keeping minions "on ice" as you concentrate on another minion. Also, good for keeping Lts. held while you attack them. (don’t wait until the hold wears off to fire another, fire it when it is still in effect.. try to keep the bad guy "perma held" as you attack). I find it best to use a "yellow" to make sure the hold works.

[/ QUOTE ]Slot accuracy and you won't need to eat yellows each time you use the power.

[ QUOTE ]
Acid - if you miss the MAIN target NO targets get hit, so again it’s best to pop a yellow or use "aim" before firing.

[/ QUOTE ]Slotting accuracy also helps with this; a lot.

[ QUOTE ]
Disruption - (1 end reduction, other enchantments just aren’t need). I fire it often as possible when on a team and sometimes solo. Works like acid arrow.

[/ QUOTE ]Needs recharge a lot more than it needs endurance reduction.

[ QUOTE ]
Aim - (2 acc buffs) - I had this up until most early 40s, then I dropped it. (it does have it uses though). The problem is the recharge is not all that fast, and it uses END! Popping a yellow could give the same benefit. I may get it again when I get a power at 50th.

[/ QUOTE ]You will get a lot more mileage out of Aim if you slot 3 recharge rather than 2 tohit buff. Take it sooner rather than later.

[ QUOTE ]
Rain of Arrow - (3 damage, 1 acc, 1 end, 1 recharge)

[/ QUOTE ]Rain of Arrows does not need accuracy enhancement, but it does need recharge.

[ QUOTE ]
you can flash again and again and it does not draw aggro. It really does help, even if you dont think so. It is ALWAYS my first arrow (if I am the one attacking first). Flashs DO stack.

[/ QUOTE ]Flash Arrows stacks... if more than one person is using it. If you're the only person using it, 20 flash arrows is identical to 1.

[ QUOTE ]
Use Gas or Glue to keep guys from running out of your burning oil slick.

[/ QUOTE ]Poison Gas Arrow will not keep minions on a burning oil slick - their sleep will be broken immediately.

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry if this has already been asked but ive always been confused as to how the unique IOs that say they last for 120 seconds work if they are slotted in health? If they are slotted in health are they permanent? If they are slotted in another power such as a heal do they only last for 120 seconds after that power has been used? Thanks in advance

[/ QUOTE ]Any IO that says it lasts 120 seconds:
1) Is permanent when in an auto power (well, you lose the buff if you exemplar below the level you took the power, but is perma other than that)
2) If slotted in a toggle power, lasts as long as the toggle is on, and approx. 120 seconds afterwards
3) Lasts 120 seconds after a click power it is slotted in is used.


As for why, auto and toggle powers actually give a very short-duration benefit, that is reactivated at intervals shorter than the duration. Health, for example, gives you a +Regen buff for 10.25 seconds, every 10 seconds. Since Health reactivates itself every 10 seconds, the 120 timer is restarted, effectively making it permanent.

I'll stop caring about my counter if we manage to reach 31

21

Fleeting Whisper's Video Guide to 13W7 (That's "Loot" to all of you out there not cool enough to know what "13W7" is)

The video above has pretty animations, a couple of special effects, and shows, by example, the best way to increasing the amount of 13W7 you get in this post-I9 world. Yes, we have 13W7 now. It's not going to go away, so you might as well embrace it. The steps found in the video pertain to City of Villains, but by starting in Talos Island (rather than Cap Au Diable) and going to Peregrine Island (rather than Grandville), you can use the same technique for City of Heroes.

For those that don't and/or won't read the comments I made on the video,
[u]Note[u]:
I created this with a demo record (/demo_record dooom)
I used a combination Zloth's Demo Editor and Notepad to remove all of the other players from the video (there's actually one guy still there, but by the time I saw him I was too far into it to care, and his name wasn't showing anyway. Cookie to the first person that posts the timestamp of his appearance!)
I created the video portion of this (rather than just the demo) by launching the demo with Zloth's Demo Launcher (yay, Zloth! You're in the credits, by the way) at 32 frames/second, and importing the JPGs into Windows Movie Maker
I deleted 3/4 of the JPGs because Windows Movie Maker's best framerate is 8fps (There were well over 15,000 images before deletion; I wrote a program to do it so my hands wouldn't get tired ^^
I was running around with Super Speed for the majority of the demo, but the fiery feet didn't show up
I "flew" by using the Good vs. Evil Jump Pack power, but the pack didn't show up
This was on a Thugs/Dark Mastermind, and the pistols wouldn't show up whenever I used them
Near the end I come to a complete stop; this was a section where I activated Hyper Stealth, but it didn't show up so I cut that section out
This was recorded at 1280x820 resolution, on recommended graphics settings; uploading to YouTube drastically lowered the image quality
The music is very recycled, but I was using the resources I had (Windows Vista; those clips were in my music folder when I bought the computer)
The last word in the video is supposed to be "there!", but YouTube cut it short and now it's "the"
On the movie I have on my computer, "Don't You?" shows up near the end. On YouTube, it shows up as "Don't You"
Nearly all of the text is in the City of Heroes Red Circle font!
I have no idea how I managed to run so far without using the run animation


A word of caution: I performed this feat of greatness at level 18. Doing it earlier will be more beneficial, but doing it too much later (late 20s) will (slightly) harm you, because you'll want to get lots of first-tier/low-level salvage, too!

That said, the method shown will get you more 13W7 throughout your character's trip to level 50 than any other. (Combining this method will others will multiply your earnings.)

I don't want to spoil the pretty video too much, so I'll just post the steps to greatness here, so you can read them while you wait for it to load (or if you fell asleep during one of the text scenes):
Step 1: Find the Rogue Isles Ferry
Step 2: Enter Grandville
Step 3: Find an Opponent
<insert fancy whizbang awesomeness>
Step 4: Wash, Rinse, Repeat!
<insert extra suggestions to make things interesting>

That's really the gist of it all. No worries, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.


Caution! Due to certain caps in the game related to earning Exp, you can only do this 5 times in a row before it gives you no bonus. Do it 5 times, leave for a while (Keep playing! You need moar 13W7!), and then come back and do it 5 more times. Trust me

Question on the demodump:
I recorded a demo of my toon faceplanting in Grandville 5 times in a row (arrive in Grandville, faceplant, rez, faceplant, etc, leave), and played it back with your demolauncher at 32 fps, demodumping to .jpg files. The period of time between the first rez in the hospital to the second faceplant was, however, a series of blank images (matte gray), amounting to a little over 3000 useless images that I've since deleted (because the timing for the error worked out so well [stopped working in the leftmost rez spot and started working again in the same spot] I'm not scrapping the project). Any idea as to what could have caused it?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Inventions. Also, since I've heard the invention system is supposed to allow you to craft many things as a temp power or inspiration, I am wondering if there is a way to build Teleport powers that could be useful in raids for players who don't have the Teleport pool.

[/ QUOTE ]
So far, I've seen 4 temp powers craftable at this time: Pistol, Baseball bat, Sledgehammer, and phase shift. I really hope there are more; I need stuff for my utility belt. (Though, Rachael needs a sledgehammer!)

[/ QUOTE ]Yes, these are currently the only temp powers available for inventing. And the Phase shift power only has one charge, which lasts 30s.

[ QUOTE ]
Or, you could just get to 50, playing and having fun, and get millions per hour just killing stuff. Just a thought. I made millions per hour doing this sort of thing with common IOs for the first day or two I9 was out, but with these smaller amounts, I don't think this arbitrage is worth it.

[/ QUOTE ]This system is really only for making enought money to finance pre-SO toons with no 50 to bankroll them. Yes, a level 50 can make many times this in minutes. But the point is that it's a system for people who don't have 50s to be able to afford the SOs/25+ IOs that will take them there.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

8 guys per firebreath/fireball = 2 hours.

[/ QUOTE ]

And that’s assuming you can find a situation in which the ideal lvl baddies just keep funneling into your aoe zone o' death. Generally I’ve found that I spend equally or slightly more time locating the mobs as I decimating them (with a lvl 12 pb, hunting lvl 10-12 mobs to maximize the kill rate). Granted the rate will go up as I get up in lvls, but you still cannot discount travel and hunting time. And that’s just to receive A costume drop, not necessarily the one you want. Hopefully whichever one you get will pay for the you want. If you plan to hunt for one specific piece the time required to guarantee a drop will go up exponentially.

[/ QUOTE ]Don't forget going back to the store or the CH to empty out your inventory so you can get the drop when it does come.

[ QUOTE ]
Well, there's a nifty way of bypassing this! You simply activate the power within 1.5ish seconds of another Vengeance user! This leads to TWO Heals going off at once which is easily noticable, as well as BOTH of the casters' Vengeances stacking.

[/ QUOTE ]I thought the better way of stacking Vengance was click it when the body was out of range, and then teleport the body into the middle of the group, so all vengances go off at once?