PennyPA

Just my 2 inf.

Overall IMO, getting more people interested in PvP is a good suggestion.
I have commented (can't find the posts atm) before that I would take a more global reward approach first rather than specific players, which can come later once more people PvP.

This stems from a previous game I played that had raids, and if successful, would add bonuses to that one side or open or a specific area.
For example, if they set something up like in SC with control of a zone for each PvP zone, then you could have benefits for controlling 2, 3, or 4 zones at one time. (note: more than one zone since that would be harder for a small group/multiboxer to control at one time).
Just off the top of my head, rewards with:
- 2 zones: the controlling one sides gets 25% inf and/or XP bonus. This would allow the other side to get the other 2.
- 3 zones: Increase drop rate for rec/salvage or access to a special crafting station in the PvP zone that is 1/10th the normal cost to craft (not buy recipes)
- 4 zones: opens a special contact/zone for S/TF.
The zones would auto-reset after some timer or lack of PvP measure (and those in the new zone would be kicked out if not on the S/TF mode - just thinking out loud here).
So, a player can do the normal content and never PvP - it's still all there. But to get these extras, players can go out, PvP, and try some new stuff.

Now back to the OP, if more and more are PvPing, now the new shineys for individual rewards like the PvP merit suggestion can be rolled in since you would have more of a population PvPing and harder for one player to since and dual box for merits all day alone in a PvP zone.

Thanks GP for the link. Finally saw the video and looks very nice to me. Already got a dual pistol toon thought up. And even some toons I want to drag through the whole switching sides circle.

Can't recall specific number, but in the 80's.

Dr. Aeon,

Thank you very much for playing my arc.

Most appreciative for your time and comments, and learned a lot!

I will get to work on the arc again.

PennyPA

I have never found them a grind, but that is just my experience and will admit that other players do consider it so. Also, I see more suggestions on what to do with the excess merits (let's go Rikti O's! ).

Anyhow, but this part about a making them together would be great. So many sets are, well, sets, and I never understood the piece meal fashion on obtaining the set.

^This^

Plus I will toss in that from a previous thread about buffing defenders, the devs haven't shown historically to give out free buffs without balancing it with something else. If they do buff without and other changes, that is usually because the AT is not performing up to their expectations.
Look back how blaster, stalker, dominator, and Khelds were changed.
IMO only, if the devs increased damage (our secondary), they would either balance with a change to our primary (the thing that makes us shine) or do something like they did with doms and affect rech/end/etc. Maybe with the inherent the way it is, upping end cost would be a fair trade, but at the cost of soloing more easily.
In the end, I would like some one to PM the devs for a response on this since it does come up often. I don't want to since I feel defenders are already awesome as is and don't want to see changes.

Yeah, end use can get up there. I am not sure of you IO plans, but I was able to slot between sets and high end generics to manage end. Also, the dark EPP has a power that can restore end (drawing a blank atm).

And yes, very controller like feeling I get, but when soloing, that really comes in handy.

I haven't tried to recolor her yet, but surprised to hear some dark is still left in the powers.

I have to ask for more on this testing too.

First, the devs have vastly more data you will ever have. The proof is their changes to ATs like blasters, stalker, doms, and khelds. They mentioned before about those ATs not performing as expected. What are you adding that the devs don't know already?

Second, this game is too diverse with secondary effects and combinations. These combinations and secondary effects change how a players mitigates danger in its various forms like mezzers. For examples:
-An energy blaster can KB mobs where an ice blaster can hold them (and enhance that hold for even longer where the +KB just moves them further way, which is meaningless if there is a wall behind the mob).
-I consider my ice/cold corr my most powerful corr (fire/rad, son/kin, dark/therm) because she has 3 holds and locks mezzers down. IMO, my other corr's just don't have as high a mitigation levels as my ice/cold but they can mitigate danger (KB, sleep, debuffing, immobilize). How does that work in the equation?
-Lastly, my MM's even are vastly different. My bots/storm MM knocks around mobs with ease and clears maps at +4/+8 whereas my thugs/PD has to be a little more careful since she has to *actively* use her powers like the heals, buff, and debuff. Where would a Necro/dark MM (like my friend's) fit in?

All I see on this testing is you are going to find a tiny subset of examples that don't apply to the rest of the game because you can say AT of A/B powerset can't do this but AT of powerset C/D can, but they are the same AT. Further, across ATs don't even work. I am leveling up a cold/ice defender and she is playing vastly different from my ice/cold corr. Same powers right?

Edit:

Getting a chance to read some more, I had a couple of comments with this testing. First, awesome next post Blue Morning, especially regarding solo vs. teaming. The only point I wanted to add was synergy in sets.
For example, I have a 50 kin/arch def and 50 dark/therm corr. Solo, they had issues. In my experience, arch just doesn't synergized with kin. Add on the redraw effects, and it was a "clunky" AT to play. For my corruptor, dark does not have the damage output to make up for the powers in therm. On teams however, they were wanted and exceled with what they do. The team made up for the problems I had solo. Now, let's look at 2 other 50's I have - D3 def and son/kin corr. I think those powerset combo's are well known for what they can do, solo or teamed. But they share kin with my def and dark with my corruptor. The difference was their synergy. Dark with dark works really great. Son with its debuff and kin with its buff let me do so much. Even a direct comparison for the 2 corruptors is the GW patron arc which they did. My dark/therm required teaming (or Shivans) to help take down the EB's (down from AVs) whereas my son/kin corr solo'd her arc, defeating the same EB's (I can't solo AV's with her yet.).

And that is a great way to sum it up Blue Morning, especially the last sentence.

In my experience for the last 63 months with evey AT (inculding many of them with no mezz protection), the ones without the protection are capable of so much more, but something like being mezz holds them back. I have noted a few times like my fire/rad corruptor not worrying about toggles dropping and using damage to defeat mobs. This could be balance put in by design.

The one with protection fall *generally short* like scrapper, stalkers, tanks, brutes. Of course, there are exceptions like spine scrappers (or even a widow like mine which I run at +2lvl/8man).

I also have experience on all MM, all corr, all def, all dom, all controller, and all blaster teams/S/TFs. Finished them all even one STF with no mezz protection (only dark and storm defs) except those given by those 2 sets (fear, confuse, disorient/sleep via O2 boost).

Just tossing in my 2 inf, but this is more along my experience with my WS. I have the compounded problem that I leveled a VEAT before a HEAT, and blinded somewhat with certain expectations.

However, once I got into later levels and in teams, I felt more comfortable with my WS. But that is still a problem because solo or teamed, my VEAT is just plain awesome to me, but my WS only feels that way teamed even though I can solo very well. No hard data, just a perception problem I guess.

Agreed. I have a blaster and stalker at 50. And early on, I felt that stalkers were melee blasters, even with status protection. It was too easy to get in trouble and since you are in melee range, aggro was on top of you before you could get away.

But adding on to what Leo_G indicated, my stalker is DB/nin. And as I got up in the higher levels and access to all of the combinations, I felt like a scrapper. I did invest in my stalker too at the time after hitting 50 since she actually became replaced my ice/cold corruptor as my farming toon for inf (I played my stalker like my blue side farmer, a DM/regen scrapper).
However, she got replaced with my Widow because I find my widows way more fun.

Try putting the WHOLE quote instead of cherry picking. In keeping this simple, I was referring him being upset at having words put in his mouth then he turns around and does it - understand now or will just be selective and miss the whole picture?

Now the part that YOU put in was about me referring to my fire/rad corruptor. Here is a link for you to read on Radiation Emission for corruptors. Notice RI and EN. They are toggles that hit. I will NOT miss with them. The animations can keep me in one place and therefore get mezzed and the toggles drop because they are OFFENSIVE. Fire is a great power for damage. Combine it with rad toggles and scourge, I waste mobs like crazy. Hence, if I can't be mezzed, what will stop me? aka I win button. I said this already in this thread already if you even read any of it.

There is no contradictions there and you are failing to read the context of the post and cherry picking again. In keeping this simple again, I originally was referring to a player using an immobilize on a mezzer, something that will not prevent the mezzer from attacking. The next poster said:
You are NOT a statue in a way shape or form. You can still attack. Anyone who has played a blaster would know this. Hence, saying you are a statue then implying you are dead next indicates a lack on knowing how to play a blaster - understand now? Additionally, any player would know that an immobilize is not a high damage attack and not something for the alpha (referring to the other poster) - see how they are linked - no contradictions like you making up.

Ah, but that is not what you said:
You were telling me what is unpleasant, not what is unpleasant for you.

Why don't you look back and read before posting. I was replying to the fact that someone used an immobilize on a mezzer rather than their big attacks. And that some people are so concerned on "missing".
So yes, those players aren't showing an understanding on how to play a blaster when they know immobilize will NOT take out mezzer and the mezzer is still free to attack and that they themselves are free to attack the lowly mins via DEFv2.0 since the mezzer is immobilized. Understand now?

Oh it is okay for them to say what is unpleasant instead? I see, so you are on the high horse now. It isn't. I "asked around" like you said, so I got the experience.

I will be simple for you then. Look at my fire/rad corr with OFFENSIVE toggles. When they are up, I clean the floor with mobs around me. A single mezz to drop those toggles, and I am in trouble. Now with status protection, I never have to worry about my toggle dropping while I am in mid-animation. I am completely safe. Or my thugs/PD MM. If my pets get in trouble and I can't heal them because I am mezzed, then my pets die and then me shortly afterwards. Now with status protection, I can keep on healing away in complete safety in BG mode. All in all, an I win button.

So status protection on top of the tools these so-called squishies without mezz protection have (debuffs, heals, buffs, and so forth) would be an I win button because almost nothing would hurt them once they get the powers in place (like the rad example above) - understand now?

As are your replies being just as rude, hence my replies. You jumped on for no reason. It is not obvious I don't need play a blaster, have mine from July 2004 TYVM, plus a large number of so-called squishies w/o mezz protection. So yes, learn to play is very appropriate.

But the role of tankers, etc. is the ACTIVELY draw that aggro. My emp standing in back may get mezzed, but I am not drawing it to me. Understand now?

Odd, all the blasters I have seen and even the all blaster TFs that I have been on with my blaster are more closer to reality (like the all blaster LGTF we have completed - any mezzers in that TF by any chance?)
So I am ahead of you there and "asked around" before I posted.
And again, it isn't unpleasent to die from mezzing like you are making it sound. Maybe if you played a blaster, you would know about DEFv2.0 - you can still attack and defeat mobs. That is reality.