IronJelly

I suppose it can be done either way. I always wanted to take a squishy AT, and put all the powers from 4 pools into him and see if I could become competent with scrappers in melee. just for fun of course. Maybe on my Ice/Energy blaster, I could take:
Fitness:
Hurdle, health, stam
Leaping:
CJ, Acrobatics, Jump Kick
Fighting:
boxing, kick, tough, weave
Speed:
Hasten, Flurry, SS.

That, a hold from ice, aim, build up, and the last energy power (a nice melee attack), should make an interesting build.

...i think.

yes! tacos for ninjas! I think I have my new SG name.

I have much love for my super strength/super reflexes brute. I'm going to agree that the choice depends on your playstyle. Stalkers are kinda cool, and The feeling of sneaking around then getting a super high damage crit is nice. I still haven't had the patience to get one up to or past 20. They do seem to level slower than brutes for me.

That said, I wouldn't turn down stalkers for teams. Those who know what they are doing are awesome to see at work. They sneak up, drop the largest mob in a group, and aren't too tired to fight some more after that.

As for your initial question, one more point to make. Both ATs do fine solo or on teams. Villains just seem to be a bit more made for soloing.

I have never really thought about development of games or anything of the like, but I know my way around Web development languages, not the least of which include VB.net, PHP, a few databasing languages, PERL, Java, and a few miscellaneous others.

I also have some 3d modeling experience. It is limited, but at least I have it. I also have a few close friends who majored in Game-Art, who are much better than me.

I work full time, but if you wanted another coder, I could get involved. Sounds like fun.

Villain Plan by Mids' Villain Designer 1.401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

[u]Click this DataLink to open the build![u]

Evil Teacher: Level 46 Natural Brute
Primary Power Set: Super Strength
Secondary Power Set: Super Reflexes
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Fitness
Ancillary Pool: Soul Mastery

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Jab -- Empty(A), Empty(5), Empty(5), Empty(13), Empty(13), Empty(23)
Level 1: Focused Fighting -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(34), Empty(43)
Level 2: Focused Senses -- Empty(A), Empty(3), Empty(34), Empty(43)
Level 4: Agile -- Empty(A), Empty(7), Empty(7), Empty(31), Empty(40)
Level 6: Combat Jumping -- Empty(A), Empty(11)
Level 8: Knockout Blow -- Empty(A), Empty(9), Empty(9), Empty(33), Empty(37)
Level 10: Hurdle -- Empty(A), Empty(11)
Level 12: Practiced Brawler -- Empty(A), Empty(15), Empty(25), Empty(37)
Level 14: Health -- Empty(A), Empty(15), Empty(17)
Level 16: Dodge -- Empty(A), Empty(17), Empty(29), Empty(36), Empty(40)
Level 18: Rage -- Empty(A), Empty(19), Empty(19)
Level 20: Stamina -- Empty(A), Empty(21), Empty(21)
Level 22: Evasion -- Empty(A), Empty(23)
Level 24: Super Jump -- Empty(A), Empty(25)
Level 26: Hand Clap -- Empty(A), Empty(27), Empty(27), Empty(34)
Level 28: Lucky -- Empty(A), Empty(29), Empty(31), Empty(36), Empty(40)
Level 30: Hurl -- Empty(A), Empty(31)
Level 32: Foot Stomp -- Empty(A), Empty(33), Empty(33), Empty(37)
Level 35: Quickness -- Empty(A), Empty(36)
Level 38: Elude -- Empty(A), Empty(39), Empty(39), Empty(39)
Level 41: Gloom -- Empty(A), Empty(42), Empty(42), Empty(42), Empty(43)
Level 44: Darkest Night -- Empty(A), Empty(45), Empty(45), Empty(45), Empty(46), Empty(46)
Level 47: Summon Widow -- Empty(A), Empty(48), Empty(48), Empty(48)
Level 49: Dark Obliteration -- Empty(A), Empty(50), Empty(50), Empty(50)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Fury

Just the order of powers and the ones I plan to six-slot are on there. I figure, since I use Jab as my main power for a lot of stuff, I'll be sixing it, and I also six-slotted Darkest Night, just because it looks useful, and I read another guide once suggesting it.

I'm definitely open to suggestions on this, reasons why I should take a different order, or a different Patron Pool, or whatnot.

I don't know enough about IOs or sets to fill those in yet.

If the AV isn't smashing resistant, a stone/shield brute will probably provide the highest single target damage.

That is, for 10 seconds, during build-up if you have full fury.

(that is also just an assumption. don't have a 50 stone/shield yet, but the damage at the lower levels is just insane, so I imagine that more moves + Stamina + AAO will just help it.)

I don't know if anyone really cares too much about my I15 SS/SR progress, but I will probably post a potential build this evening if anyone is willing to work with me to critique it. I've never planned a toon out with mids before, but I have played with the program, so I'm not really sure what to expect.

I also made it to level 10. I took knockout blow (awesome), and CJ. This is already probably my favorite character to play, so I'll be sticking to it a while.

Does SR perform well doing TFs at 50? +4 mobs tend to hit a lot.

my advice is to keep your pets on defensive when moving. Should make you take less damage, and I am pretty sure that the distance is irrelevant.

Would be a cool feature if the MA arcs could scale a bit differently depending on the team makeup and enhancement levels present.

Of course, this would be a lot of work, people with IOed 50s would probably not notice a change, and people would complain about the balance for exactly 134678614 minutes before moving on to something else.

Sarcasm aside, I agree with your initial point, making things more of a challenge for 50s makes the MA missions way hard while still leveling, and might need a tweak somewhere.

To be honest, having a team wipe, then all breaking out of prison was kinda fun.

ever consider the possibility that the hook is magic?

just saying.

After not completing one with a group last night, I thought I might ask for some advice over here.

So far, I have never succeeded in a mayhem mission with more than two people, and while last nights was at the highest difficulty, I've failed them with 4 people at difficulty 3 before, and this time, like the other times, the teams had been doing well and syncing nicely up until that point.

I was just kind of wondering what kind of advice there is out there for how to handle them. Is there a trick, or a certain order things should be done?

Is this going to be multi-boxed, or is this three people playing at one time?

for multi-box, I would make one of the FF into pain-dom, since heals can be done fairly easily with macros/binds.

If three people, I too throw my vote to /storm x3.

and for the primary, I vote for thugs. multi-gang war is nice, but also, having an army shooting guns at the target all at once is just an awesome feeling.

man i read the title wrong. I was wondering which kind of brute would be unable to hear anything.

Yeah, if you are going for pure defensive, Stone is probably king. Shields are good, but made more for Offense than Defense. Electric Armor has very good defense, but is more toggle-heavy than SR. Thankfully, late in the game it gets a power that regains end, which keeps it defensive for even longer.

They are all good, but you ought to pick the one that fits with your character concept. trust me, if it works thematically, you won't regret any of these choices.

This would be a really neat trick for DOs and would make them more interesting and more useful for longer. slightly better at one thing for a slight reduction in another.

Some would be really nice like + dam/- KB for some moves. others would make you think, like a +rech/-range or +hold/+end or something like that.

don't expect it to happen though.

The ones from the top view look to me like you're at the surface, but at a weird angle. I imagine your physics never changed, and a jump would bring you straight out like normal.

Just a guess though.

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I want to be clear - this would not be a way to whine to the devs; they should only read worthwhile feedback - not 'arc sux' type of stuff.

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it would get used for that anyways. Actually, a small survey would be cool. Maybe a star system and a few short answer, and very specific questions would be better.

Its a good idea though. Feedback to the game's content that can be sent while in game (at the end of the content, but while it is still fresh in your mind), could be really good.

Psionics for a demon summoner would be cool.

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You should never wait for people unless you don't have enough people to handle the start of the mission. They don't gain anything from you waiting while you lose something having to wait.

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If you wait, they gain mission XP they would miss out on if you start without them. Sometimes this is a fair amount. Its divided by the number of people present in the mission, and is the reason why its a common courtesy to wait for people who have longer loading times.

of course, I still agree that it is up to each person to ensure they can get to mission doors in a timely fashion, and other than the wait for fliers (flap your arms faster, dangit!), I can see not hanging around for those who rely too much on someone else TPing them.

Well, what if you could sort the emails in some way, then shift+click to select a bunch of them, rather than one at a time, and click delete only once. that would make the process faster.

Though I don't specifically see a problem with a hide option to hide you from receiving emails.

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I vote for that kin power that flings dumpsters at enemies, thereby altering line of sight and blocking smaller hallways occasionally.

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Neither of these things actually happens. Physics objects have no effect on line of sight and can't block anything.

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i hate to argue, but it does happen. maybe the line of site thing doesn't, but you definitely have to push those large objects, and they can and do get wedged sometimes in the hallways.

also, good point whoever pointed out that its gravity, not kin that does that.

I started one of these a few days ago (not even seeing this guide), and I have to say that it plays very nicely. now I know this guide was written for I7, but expect an I14 (or I15 if it comes out by then) guide to this combo by me when I get to 50. Seriously, this combo is fun to play right out of the box.

On the guide: I found Jab to be more useful than you say. I've read somewhere that you want quick recharge attacks late game for proccable IOs, and jab recharges the same speed as brawl. I can use the two of them as a complete attack chain. This let me grab the first three SR powers. Agile is amazing. It doesn't seem like much, but I already noticed that I get hit a lot less as my health goes down, which is a godsend. As for the other two, the quick recharge on them means I can just switch to whichever is needed, and even run both for a short time when I have to.

I'm about to hit 6, and I'll either take a second SS power or start down a pool. I'm debating the need for tough/weave. I'll probably grab CJ/SJ at some point, and of course, fitness. If I don't take boxing for tough/weave, I'll grab AS and a few more SS moves.

i want super-hearing (control of it, not just better hearing):

power1) Beta Waves. This grants pretty good resistance to disorient effects.
power2) Delta Waves. This grants moderate sleep resistance.
power3) Human noise awareness. This allows you while running a very cheap toggle (no more than the cost of CJ), to hear broadcasts in your current zone while in a mission, as well as local chat if spoken within broadcast range. It also provides you with resistance to placate effects, and a better than normal chance to detect the invisible.
power4) Miniscule Details) This expensive toggle (costs enough to drain end over a moderate time) allows you to see enemies on your minimap. You can see the approximate size of a group, and where they are, but not the layout of the map, or the levels or enemies you are looking at.

Just seems useful, but not so much that you would find everyone taking it. Also something a vigilante or a rogue might find quite useful.

This has my attention.

Go make a DB/Stone Armor tank. thats something I don't think I've ever seen.

But since this is blaster forum, I'm gonna say Energy/traps.