Psychoti

My old Dark/Dark would say, "If you have to die, die in a pile!"

And it really was funny to see our blaster run away from the mobs with a couple chasing him, only to get hit and run frantically back to get amongst the rest of us in the thick of things.

I'm not really planning on making this character soon, but I was curious what people thought of it. It's obviously not 'awesome' or anything, but I thought it might be fun to play for a solo toon.

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Two of the most potent powers I've ever used in the game are from 'Cold Domination'. I'm talking about Infrigidate (available at level 1! So freaking nice) and Benumb (All your regen are belong to me, and don't even think about healing or buffing anyone).

Infrigidate because it makes pretty much any enemy up to Elite Bosses into snail-slow little pussycats while making it much easier to hit them.

Benumb just weakens the enemy in so many different ways it's hard not to love. Reduces their damage drastically, weakens any buffs or heals they think they are gonna throw out there, and just takes their Regen down massively. It's even good on AVs, though mostly just for the regen.

I can't find the guide that said how to do it, but I remember mostly how to do so. However, I'm having trouble finding the file names for the Pain Domination powers.

I went to NerdHerd to see if they were listed but didn't see those.

Anyone know the names? I wanted to change most of the sounds there while I'm editing my Sonic blast sounds again too.

Just a little update, based on some feedback I've remade my "Why Can't We All Just Get Along?" arc into a new "Gang War" arc. I did this because the first was literally my first and I didn't get the flow anywhere near what I wanted, this caused the story progression to feel forced and disjointed. I also eliminated the 'surprise' Elite Boss that caused people many headaches & respawns.

So, if you would rather play through 'Gang War' that's fine, you might enjoy it more and it is definitely more friendly to lowbie players.

Disclaimer: Defenders are not Corruptors, I know this, but I can only speak with experience as a Defender.

I will never take Rad Blast on another Defender ever again. It definitely has utility and is a fast blast set, but on the enemies I typically fight at level 50 (lvl 52-53 Rikti mostly) the energy damage is extremely lacking because of the difference in levels and their inherent energy resistance.

As a Corruptor I imagine that Scourge will make up for a good bit of the damage lost to resists, so I'd say your mileage may vary on that front. For mobs that don't have resistance on top of +level res, I imagine you'd be doing fine.

I had my Neutrino Bolt slotted with 4 Thunderstrikes, a Lady Grey Proc, and the Apoc proc. On mobs that were my level I would mow through single targets very quickly.

But for me, at level 50 on a Cold/Rad, it was not worth it and that's why I rolled a Cold/Sonic. I still have my Cold/Rad but I don't think I've played him at all since I resubscribed a couple weeks back.

1 star: Pointless, not entertaining, many, many typographical errors or missing text. Frustrating waste of time.

2 stars: If it was poorly-written but still a little entertaining and with many errors (mission-wise, not typographical-wise) then it gets 2 stars and a promise to replay when changes are made.

3 stars: If it's obvious that an effort was made and that the author has something invested in the story then it gets at least 3 stars regardless of any errors or entertainment value.

4 stars: If it's fun & entertaining and well-written it gets 4 stars and I write down the arc name and ID# so I can go back and find it to play again later.

5 stars: If it's fun, entertaining, well-written, and challenging then it gets 5 stars and I write down the arc name and ID# so I can go back to play it again later. When I say 'challenging' I mean 'of appropriate challenge for the levels indicated'. If I go to play a lowbie level 1-15 arc I don't expect Extreme Archvillains unless it's specifically indicated (like my arc). If an arc leaves me with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction at a job well done, it is definitely worth 5 stars.

In Disrespectful Response to Anonymous:

Whatsa matta you? Why I oughtta...! *fist shaking*

Thoughts as I play it, beginning as I'm level 2 (Fire/Kin Corr):

Mission 1: Perfect length for a starter mission at this level. Spotted one typo/omission, very minor. In the Computer Security Logs clue, missing an 'a' or 'the' in front of 'remote server'. One thing that kind of bugged me about the beginning dialog was the contact was superior and made it a point to say that it was an order to forgive him his surliness or what-not, and you WILL do it... then the mission accept text is "Accept", which doesn't seem to flow well with the dialog.
Mission 2: The escort part of the mission was just a little tedious since there was nothing to kill on the way out. Maybe a patrol spawn or two to keep things interesting? The 'return successful' dialog seems a little stilted, but that could just be my perception.
Mission 3: Opening dialog 'implant a virus' seems a little wrong. Again, could just be my perception. Maybe just 'plant'? Ally rescue dialog needs a 'me' or something in there, "Glad you came along to get away from these bozos" doesn't quite work.

I'm being really picky, aren't I? I'm sorry. Before I go any further I want to tell you that I am enjoying your arc, it is a good story.

Still on Mission 3, the virus upload seems to take a little longer than necessary, but I completely understand the reason for this, since there's a nice little bit of Longbow around.
I hit level 4 right before the end of mission 3.

Mission 4, still nitpicky apparently : Every mission accept has just been "Accept". It's not jarring and it doesn't take me out of the story, I just wanted a little more 'flavor' to an already-tasty story.

It's thundering over here so I may lose power, posting this now so I don't lose it and have to start over. I *will* finish this arc later if I lose power - you've got me hooked thus far.

Mission 4: Wow that was short! Killed 2 lieuts and found the safe. I liked the atmosphere of the building, there weren't too many foes scattered about, it felt as though they were stretched thin trying to cover all the areas, and only really came after me once I sprung their trap.

Mission 5: Loving the NPC dialog as I'm zoning in and moving around, adds a lot of flavor to the mission objectives and story. I was expecting more of a fight from Fyre Rain, but she went down fairly quickly once I cleared her guards and the patrols around her.

All in all, a very enjoyable story that I'll enjoy playing again pretty much every time I make a new villain.

Rating: ****

Just a little head's-up, my published arcs are subject to a bug that occasionally spawns WAY more mobs than intended. For example, I was testing Operation : Clean Streets this morning and got to the 4th mission... thankfully, the bosses have stopped spawning as Elite Bosses, but now there's 48 of them instead of the 10 or so I intended there to be.

Well AC, if for nothing else, I'm glad I resubscribed so that I could say 'Goodbye' to you while you were still here - even though I nearly missed the time window there.

Not many people know this (for good reason) but I have a young disabled friend that plays this game. He's played for about 3 1/2 years now and it's one of the few joys left in his life. He has a disease that eats away at his nervous system, and he's already lost the use of his legs and partial use of one arm. His eyesight comes and goes, kind of blurring and fading in and out. He has always had a rather hefty speech impediment, as well.

What does that have to do with you, AC? You made him feel welcome when other players didn't. He told me a while back that he was on a team that was making fun of him for 'spacing out' several times when in reality he simply could not see. You were on the team, and told the other people to lay off, he was doing just fine. You then sent him a private message telling him that he was doing okay, and asking if he was okay. It meant the world to him, and I seriously doubt he'd still be playing online games now if it hadn't been for the kindness shown to him by yourself and a handful of other players.

So I wish you the best in everything, Angry Citizen. As for advice on college life, I can give you the advice of a younger brother who had to carry TVs, minifridges, microwaves, futons, desks, and other miscellanea up 6 flights of stairs several times a year for two older sisters: Pack what you need, pack some of what you want, but don't pack distractions. And for heaven's sake, don't make your little bro carry all that junk.

Do you have any patrol spawns set to the Front? That could be it.

(((QR)))

I have yet to receive a single piece of feedback on any of my arcs, but I always leave feedback on arcs that I play.

While it's not incredibly detailed, I will say what I feel. If I feel there are too many objectives in a mission, I let them know, if I notice a lot of typos I will say when & where they are if possible, so on and so forth.

I would really like feedback on my "Operation : Clean Streets" arc, but the people I grouped with to complete it didn't even rate it, much less give feedback aside from a quick, "That was fun, thanks" in group chat before quitting and logging.

Edit: Actually, I would love feedback on my "Black Sheep in the Family" arc as well, that one was a blast to write and I really enjoyed playing it. The final EB/AV is a pain in the tuckus, not impossible but very strong for the level range when you're solo. It took me a good 15 minutes to beat him solo on my Cold/Sonic defender, but I do think that was largely because I didn't kill everything on the way to him so kiting was a real beast.

I have a couple, though neither are 'finished' - I'm still tweaking.

Arc ID 299242
"Why Can't We All Just Get Along?"
Heroic arc for levels 1-15. Missions do get harder around mission 3, and I recommend that you at least duo the arc because the last mission has difficult EBs. I have managed to solo it (Cold/Sonic Defender, Kat/SR scrapper, AR/NRG blaster) but it is still hard.

There are known issues within this arc, some are very noticeable (Bosses in the second mission have spawned... erm, oddly on occasion), some are minor (still some typos around in there), and some affect the story's flow (Mission 4 return text, I'm looking right at you. Still tinkering with it, but it's there for a reason.)


Arc ID: 301688

Operation: Clean Streets
Arc for Heroes or Villains levels 1-15. Soloable, and duoable, but fourth mission is currently bugged to spawn EBs in place of bosses - working on that right now. This can be done in an hour, but I doubt it can be done in an hour solo or duo. There are some clear-alls.

Lord Recluse has been defeated and arrested, but he's made a plea bargain: In exchange for his freedom and a promise not to kill everybody, everywhere, he'll eliminate street crime in Paragon City. Since the heroes would not stand for Arachnos soldiers walking the streets of Paragon with impunity, he's hired independent security contractors, no matter their previous affiliations, to do his bidding in this matter.

This *can* be done solo (there are NPC allies in several missions) but I recommend a team for it until I fix the fourth mission. The story flows better in this arc and I rather enjoy it. I have played it solo and in a duo - strangely, I failed as a duo but completed it as a solo. Give it a shot if you have the time, hopefully I'll have fixed the EB issue.

((QR))

I've made a couple for levels 1-15, I think the last few missions in the second are to 20. The first is a hero-themed one called "Why Can't We All Just Get Along?", wherein something has instigated a gangwar in Paragon City and you must find a way to end it.

The second is a neutral-oriented one called "Operation: Clean Streets". In this arc Lord Recluse has been arrested and has struck a plea bargain where he uses his influence and resources to eliminate the street crime in Paragon City. Rather than have Arachnos soldiers patrolling the streets (which the heroes would never stand for) he hires independent contractors regardless of their previous affiliation.

The first is definitely for teams only, but the second *can* be solo'd, though one of the missions can be very hard since the bosses seem to want to spawn as elite bosses instead.

I'm curious, how many servers do you play on regularly? I don't mean the ones you have an alt on you might touch once per month. Say, once a week on the outside. How many servers, eh?

I play on Freedom for the most part, but I'm going to start playing on Pinnacle again soon, maybe a different server if I can find a group of people that like to play around noon EST.

Don't know if you noticed, but it's an *old* guide, possibly pre-i5. Heck, might have even been before the difficulty sliders were around, I don't think so though.

y u kill me?!

[ QUOTE ]
I really don't get the no rewards so it is an impediment to PvPing. If you like to PvP then the reward is PvPing.
..........

So now the new excuse is there are no rewards for PvPing so when and if they put in some real rewards for PvPing there will be a new excuse as to why people don't PvP.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do not think it is so strange to want there to be rewards for PvP accomplishments. And for the record, that's been one of the reasons I've not participated more in PvP, lack of definable rewards.

Let me be clear: I do not want everything handed down on a golden platter. I want challenge, I want the better rewards to not only be difficult to achieve but also to be achievable solely with more participation than 2 people. If you want an example, look at the (admittedly broken) system of Relics in DAoC. There you have lots of people working together for a specific goal, a goal that grants the winners definite bonuses. That system would not work in City of Heroes for balance purposes - I'm only using it as an example to show that teamwork on a massive scale should be rewarded as such.

I don't want the world, I just want realistic rewards through PvP, the great thing about CoH is that the rewards could be extremely varied. Temp powers, costume options, merit rewards, recipes, enhancements, so on and so forth. And by 'realistic', I mean that the best options would cost more than one could likely make in a week of PvPing, assuming those options are balanced for such.

I don't think it's unrealistic to want rewards for PvPing, not when the current and past systems were not reward enough on their own for many.

I am a casual PvPer. I PvP maybe twice a week. To me, the biggest impediment to enjoying PvP is the lack of immersion that is brought about by a) No real reason to attack 'villains' other than they play red-side b) Most conversations in PvP zones c) Lack of real rewards d) Many of the recent changes have led to different powersets feeling less diverse, it makes many characters lose their unique flavor.

Of those reasons, if you're like me, you do what you can to minimalize (b) if those conversations also take away from your gaming experience. Whether you dislike trash-talking in general, whether it hurts your feelings, or maybe you just don't like 'villains' and 'heroes' conversing like friends.... you have the tools to change this.

Turn off /broadcast. Turn off enemy messages in local and /tells. Hide from all /tells and/or remove them from your chat window if it's that important to you.

Just because I don't communicate with the 'enemy' doesn't mean I'm going to take away from someone else's gaming experience to suit my selfish needs. You pay your $15, play your way, I'll play mine.

I wasn't here for 11.5, but I think I was here for the launch of 12. Anyhoo, my favorites:

-Combat Attribute Window. I love being able to see the numbers on the fly, especially handy on my blaster and defenders.

-XP Curve Adjustment. It has reduced the 'leveling doldrums' quite efficiently for me.

-Mission Drop timer reduced to 3 days. Seeing as I *never* do blue cave missions while solo - I'm colorblind and they're impossible for me to navigate - I can shelve the character for 3 days and then auto-complete it.

-Super Strength/Rage crash change.

-Force Field/Repulsion Bomb changed to knockdown.

-Spammer combat initiative.

-Powerset proliferation! (Need more, please! Thermal for Defenders and Poison for Corruptors, please )

-More Character Slots! Hurray!

-Leveling up Bonus

-The ability to gain influence while in SG mode

-Unlockable Weapons

-Additional powers in Epic Power Pools

-Merit Rewards (most of the time, at least)

There's more, but my cookies are done and I have to go.

[u]Objective[u]
- With the Merit system as it stands, it is no longer possible to get SO enhancements at an early level from doing the Positron Task Force.

- Many low-level recipes have outrageous costs in Merits. These recipes are not the ones that high-level players would be buying for use at high levels - so why are there recipes that cost 150+ merits for a low-level recipe?

- No Trials give enough merits for a Trial recipe roll. That is odd.

[u]Subjective[u]

- It is much easier to obtain some rare recipes such as the Miracle: +Recovery and Luck of the Gambler: 7.5% recharge.