Netphenix5

I'd like to ask Cuppa and Je_Saist how we can help, since there doesn't seem to be much we can do on the NCsoft front. For example, how does one get into a closed Beta? I wasn't even aware it was going on until it was WELL underway. I'd like to help, I'd just need some pointers on how, as a pretty casual gamer who still doesn't want his toy taken away because he did nothing.

Sounds like a pretty solid build to me overall. I only have a couple comment, if I may:

- If I were you, I'd scrape the slotting on Twilight Grasp. Use the Accurate Healing sets, Theft or Essence and (even better) Touch of the Nictus. They'll get you FAR better bonuses and set bonuses that Doctored Wounds, and you could slot 5 and save a slot for somewhere else.

- As said, Fluffy is underslotted. It's a FANTASTIC power, but most of all, it's your most potent source of -ToHit. While some advocate Frankenslotting, I prefer focusing on his main strength.

Sure, you could slot some healing, some hold, some Immo, but each would only help one of its powers a bit. Its heal is already beefy (and yours even more so) its hold and immo will never rival a controller's, and its damage it too unpredictable to warrant slotting. However, EVERY SINGLE ONE of its powers apply -ToHit, so by maxing it on him, you max it on several powers at once (I wish I could do that on my own powers !)

My favorite way to slot him is a full set of Clouded Senses. Sure, it tops at 30, but the values are very respectable, the set bonuses are GREAT and its proc hs a chance to fire off on pretty much everything Fluffy does - it's pure gravy. I've gone that way with mine, and he's kept the whole team alive even when I couldn't. Otherwise, go with 5 Siphon Insight and the Clouded Senses proc. Don't worry about him grabbing too much aggro either - mine stays in my Shroud unless I'm REALLY close to the enemy, and by the time he focuses on them I got them either feared, slept or Shockwaved flat on their back.

Those are my 2¢, of course. YMMV.

I haven't tested it myself but logically yes, it should. Anything tagged as an attack or dealing damage gives the target an opportunity to act once before fear reasserts itself. I think such things have a "notify mob" tag set to "yes", you can check that in City of Data. On my Dark/Sonic defender, for exemple, Twilight Grasp breaks Fear even though it deals no damage, but Darkest Night doesn't. And since Interface goes off mostly on attack powers, Reactive should break fear.

Now on the other hand, the window it opens is not ten seconds - it's one action. If your target uses it to Full Auto you, then yes, it seems to last that long, but I've seen feared mobs with their back turned to me use it to turn around and then start cringing again while facing me.

Also, I could be wrong on that, but as far as I've experienced on a Dark/Dark corruptor and a Dark/Sonic Defender (both with DoT attacks) it seems that once they launch that one action, the damage they suffer while said action animates will not extend the duration of their "window". So if your Interface starts a DoT on a feared target and the mob uses, say, Fire breath on you, the DoT it suffers while Fire Breathing will not let it act again immediately after that attack - it'll go back to cringing, if only for a second, until it suffers damage again (providing the fear still affects it, of course.) At least, that's how it looked to me.

So ultimately, it should go like this : your attack power triggers Reactive and breaks the fear by itself - mob acts - if they are still feared and Reactive still adds DoT, they'll go back to cringing for a second or so, then act once, and that cycle will repeat until either Reactive or the Fear power wear off. Hope that wasn't more confusing?

Since thursday's patch I'm having sound issues with CoH. Sounds start fine then five minutes in, get chompy and finally disappear altogether. Other apps produce sound just fine, just CoH.

Slot for fear. If you need -ToHit, you got Darkest Night, which also lowers their damage output for when the fear breaks. Both powers have a base -18,75% to hit, so slot Darkest for -ToHit and you'll floor them just as effectively. Better by far to keep them feared with Stare. I put 4 Dark Watcher's Despair in Darkest Night, 5 Glimpse in Stare. Good hting is, when they are feared, Darkest won't break the effect, so you can debuff them BEFORE you break teh fear with attacks.

/ice can be good too since the slow secondary effect would keep mobs within range of your carefully set-up traps longer. Nothing will p**s you off like getting a nice corridor of death ready and have the mobs blithely not stay within it.

I think this proc would see some use (not much, but some) in Siren's Song or Flash Freeze, since those sleep powers generate agro with their damage component (as opposed to Mass Hypnosis or Spore Burst). In those, assuming it proc'd, even once the sleep wears off, some of the mob would not be aggroed. Af course, they could just blindly follow those that are, see you, and decide to join the poundfest, but they wouldn't do it out of anger, just lemming mentality.

Actually to a point it is, since you can't get shards from enemies that don't con at least white to you when exemplared. If you go down to level 20, AFAIK, a level 19 minion can't drop shards. A level 19 lieutenant or a level 20 minion can though. Not too sure about things like cogs or Rikti monkeys that con under minion however.

On the other hand, level shifts are supposed to affect only your stats, not drops, so even though a level 50 minion cons blue to you once you get a T3 Alpha, it should still drop shards.

There is one teensy missing part in the "building your character" sections though. Allow me to contribute, if I may :

"The need (nay, NECESSITY) to come up with a loud, clashing costume that will give headaches to other players. It'll ensure both that they'll see you (and thus pay attention to you) the whole time and distract them from their targets - if not block view of said targets altogether - thus ensuring no one steals your kills. Because, you know, drops and XP obviously aren't shared across the team, so you need to do all of it to be sure to get all of it.

Plus, if you're male and tasteful, you're definitely gay, or French, and you don't want people to think you're gay (or French), RIGHT? And if you're female and tasteful, either you're a girl looking for sex or a gay guy playing a girl, and you wouldn't want to be those either - you're here to WIN ! (See section on SGs for more on the subject)"

And I dare anyone to tell me they never met a character who fit THAT bill. *shudders*

Not to rain on the pity parade (hey, I had asked for my Friday off at work too, so there) but I'd like to remind all those who whine about getting chaffed that the game will still be there and playable.

You announced to The World At Large® that you'd be glued to your screen for 72+ hours this week-end? Knock yourself out, I know I will. So what if we'll level at the usual rate instead of double, I know I can still squeeze 25+ levels easy in about three days of intense play. Not like we'd get anything else to drop twice as fast either (oh I-Shards, why have thou forsaken me? )

It's a pain that they cancelled so close to the event, YES. But Sh** does happen, and I for one prefer to know they are fixing the issue now instead of getting mired in whatever it was this week-end. What do you prefer, a rescheduled 2XPWE and a normal playable one now, or finding on the morning of your Friday off that due to a problem that they can't magic away, they'll have to turn off the servers for half the day you got off at work?

Now for those who could be there this WE and can't make the next one, I feel you. Sincerely too, as I'm not yet sure I'll be there either. But there will be other ones down the road... At least as long as our whine doesn't cheese off the devs too bad.

That's what I figured, although Cardiac makes a nice case for itself too (range, resist, fear and sleep buffs can be quite tasty...) I may have to craft both.

One thing Paragonwiki got me confused on : it lists Shockwave as having a -Res debuff, but City of Data doesn't... Which one is correct?

I'd say basic would be : plot sizes, room sizes, what goes in which room and the headaches of moving rooms and corridors. Probably some basics on base styles too.

Intermediate would be basic item crafting, moving, and placing. Elementary stacking (no sinking, just the magic desk and such) and interior partitioning (like inner floors) would go there.

Advanced would be high-end stacking, merging, sinking items, combinations of items to create looks and furnitures, and how to play on lighting to hide/enhance base details.

Just how I'd see the course.

Well glad I found this thread, since I was hesitating between a sonic/dark corruptor or a dark/sonic defender. Looks like my defendery choice was sound. :-p

That seems to mesh with my play experience so far (got it to level 12 today - yay Fearsome stare!) I gotta admit that stacking Tar Patch, shriek, scream, howl and the new Vigilance let me drop +4 mobs like I never did before even with my blasters,a nd Darkest night and Twilight Grasp keep me marvelously safe so far. Gotta say I think I'm gonna love that one.

I know it's still a way off, but I'm kinda torn between Cardiac and Spiritual for this toon. Any suggestions?

Hey folks,

As the double XP WE approaches, I've taken my Dark/dark corruptor out of retirement, but I still find myself disapointed in him. I was thinking of doing a revamp of that toon as a Dark/Sonic/Power Defender. Would anyone have tips/info/opinions to share about such a build?

Much appreciated,

Netphenix

Well I'll need to switch from Rogue to Hero (which should only take a couple days) before I get that toon in my SG... Might actually switch both my remaining villains as well, no one plays redside on Vigilance anymore. :-p