Sailboat
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Posts
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Quote:70%, iirc.Originally Posted by Grey Pilgrim
You can get in the 60% range to Smash/Lethal for an Invuln without Tough, which is quite high with defense added in to the equation. -
Quote:Yeah, I've been playing a similar pairing, Shield/Battleaxe. Axe's three AoEs, beefed up by Shield's damage bonus, are pretty fearsome following a big Shield Charge. Whirling Axe isn't a particularly good PBAoE, but the AAO bonus makes it respectable. The ability to rapidly cycle Cleave, Pendulum, and Whirling (and if I had an epic pool I could throw in Fireball) works pretty well, and the knockdown is terrific mitigation -- I frankly haven't bothered to soft-cap yet, since I get so much help from the knockdown. I take some damage clumping the enemy up, then start the knockdown chain, and my health heals back up while I'm mowing down foes.Originally Posted by Star_Seer
I didn't make him for farming but my sheild/warmace is no slouch.
War Mace has even better AoE capability (somewhat), at the cost of maybe a little damage and more inconsistent secondary effects.
The damage types, smashing or lethal, are no disadvantage at all when farming, because farmers pick their enemy groups carefully. So unless you're a bad farmer, you're not farming resistant stuff, and lethal is as good as any other type of damage.
I have a Super Strength tanker and a Fire/Fire, and I have to say I have been impressed with the performance of Shield/Axe. Shield/Fire might be even better for damage for all I know (although it has fewer and slower AoEs, interestingly) but the knockdown mitigation would be missing. -
Quote:Uh...maybe...although I don't recall it happening to me. But the point is, OTHER Tankers are ALSO getting pasted by those same AVs in a few hits (unless they have team support, and always excepting a Granite-form Stoner). Why should Invuln be fixed to become massively better than them?Originally Posted by Lohenien
I can assure you 17% defense and 31% resistance doesn't help very much against the targets I'm trying to argue a buff for : Arch Villains. They WILL hit you and that 31% resistance doesn't take enough of an edge off to matter in the more non s/l fights.
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Quote:Although it comes pretty late in the game, and often gets little respect, Scrapper Evasion does provide some mitigation.Originally Posted by StratoNexus
I believe the Taunt effect that gets translated to scrappers is only in powers that provide a direct mitigation benefit to the scrapper. That seems to be the design principle that guides the devs, based on what we have seen.
I believe this is why the damage auras (and Evasion) for scrappers do not Taunt.
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Quote:Nope. Freezing Rain, like Blizzard, Sleet, and Ice Storm (all the powers mentioned specifically in the OP, in fact) is a "rain" type power. Although they are not toggles, they obey the same 10-second rule, checking when cast and then ten seconds later.Originally Posted by KingSnake
SO, a -res prog in FR would try 4 different times during the span of the cast? Once at the start, then 10, then 20, then at the end? Is that how it works? Is that conformend? Cause, that could possible change how i slot some stuff if that's the case...
Note that FR only lasts 15 seconds, and thus would check twice. (Cast, 10 seconds, ends before 20 seconds).
Generally there are big differences in how "rains" work vs regular click-type targeted AoEs (like Fireball). Click AoE powers would get a single check on each opponent in the area (capped at the max target limit, which is typically either 16 or 10) each time you use the power. Fast-recharging ones might get more chances than once every 10 seconds, and thus proc more often than the rains.
Note that foes generally try to move out of the rains, too -- you may often see all enemies run out of rains without slows or knockdown (like Rain of Fire) before ten seconds elapse and it checks again. -
I dunno. My Fire/Fire/Pyre felt like she was holding up acceptably in melee while running on yellow SOs, but I have not tried her against Cimeroran or difficult AE content. Damage is fine. I can still do damage with Burn that increases my effectiveness.
I haven't analyzed your build, but my offhand guess as to why it feels mediocre on Damage would be: you didn't take Fire Sword Circle. I know you said single-target, but geez.
Seriously, that's the best part of Fire/Fire -- hitting Fiery Embrace/Build Up/Fire Sword Circle.
I am planning (but have not tested) a build that emphasizes damage output, recharge, and endurance; it'll have Tough but no Weave or defense slotting. In action, the plan is to take a pounding until Healing Flames recharges, meanwhile the enemy is losing hitpoints faster and has no Healing Flames.
I have a couple of other projects to wade through first, though. -
Quote:You know Castle did increase all the passives,which boosted the non-s/l resistance somewhat (and sort of boosted the defense, through the removal of the def penalty from Unyielding)? I mean, it has been increased since Issue 5.Originally Posted by Lohenien
The only problem left with invulnerability is that the non s/l resistance values are 10% too low and they have been since issue 5. I moaned and complained about it to Statesman when issue 5 was in beta and got no response.I'd think Castle is much more reasonable than Jack ever was.
The problem really shows itself when facing boss/eb/av foes that deal primarily non s/l damage. Every tank can reasonably handle s/l damage, invul is better at it than most however the e/n/f/c/t resistances aren't always enough to slow the incoming damage to a survivable level ( IE the teammate with heals being able to cover you). Granted I've since patched that hole in survivability with IO bonuses, but without IOs, the set "feels" extremely weak against anything that is not s/l damage. Getting up to 40/45% resistance would help that feel without making Invulnerability overly immune to the damage either.
I don't know that 40-45% is right -- some of the pure resistance sets like Fire and Dark have resistances right in that ballpark, and they get no defense (although usually they do get a good heal, I admit).
Right now my Inv Tanker gets 30-32% resistance to the unusual damage types, good defense, and an occasional self heal/hp boost in Dull Pain. Frankly I find that already makes me tougher than anything but a Stone Tanker running Granite (and maybe tied with Willpower).
Sure, Inv goes down fighting in certain extreme situations -- other Tankers do too, however. Inv is usually the last one standing in my experience. I'm not sure a fix is required. Shouldn't extreme situations be hazardous? -
Will the guide address non-standard build decisions, like trying to go without Stamina on a Fire/Dark Tanker (using end reduction, Consume, and Dark Consumption)?
IMHO one of the limitations of many guides is when the author says "I don't like building x way" or "I never tried this power but I hear...".
It's a trap I fall into myself; making a new character just like I'm used to making the old ones; so I try to step outside my comfort zone occasionally and try new things.
You of course should write the guide your own way, but after going to so much effort to be comprehensive, it would be nice if the guides addressed more than just one standard approach. -
Quote:My Shield/Axe Tanker hasn't turned off exp. He kills in bulk with his AoE capability and the bonus damage from Shield's AAO toggle. I've also run some AE content with him (notable because it gives me exp without any merits) on x4, x6, and x8 settings.Originally Posted by brophog02
You level so fast now that it is very difficult to get 200+ merits early without turning XP off. This is, of course, the reason why such IOs are completely non-existent on the market, whereas their high level versions are quite common.
He is now level 43 and has 650+ merits. He's also got the Task Force Commander accolade.
This is just anecdotal, but it's not extraordinarily difficult to get lots of merits before hitting 50 even without turning off exp. -
I dunno. A corner pull is a great way to ensure clumping. Tight clumping is good for lots of reasons.
If you rush into a spawn, the enemies will fire one or more ranged attacks and only close in tight after a few seconds. By that time, the Blasters have fired all their AoEs, killing the heck out of the middle of the spawn but not touching the outer guys, and some Controller idiot has immobilized them there, creating a ring of spread-out foes you have to run around and chew up.
The corner pull sometimes works better not because of game mechanics, but because it allows people with itchy trigger fingers to have a more clearly defined time to go nuts. They could achieve the same results by counting to four after the Tanker wades in, allowing the foes to shoot their ranged alpha and then tighten up, but that's asking a lot of the instinct-driven reptile portion of their brains.
You know who else likes clumping? Someone with Shield Charge. -
Quote:Bear in mind that a solid chunk of Dark Melee damage is smashing. It's only in the first three attacks, but it's significant.Originally Posted by Ozmeth
DM/Elec has strong single target damage and a damage type that is rarely resisted damage type,
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Quote:You should probably follow forum conventions and call Electric Armor "ElA," because it's likely that eventually Energy Armor will be proliferated hero side and you will just be confusing yourself and others if you've gotten into the habit of using EA for Electric.Originally Posted by Oracle_NA
Claws/EA is Cheaper for sure for the enhancements I already have.
Claws/SR is nice, but expensive as hell due to all the LOTG sets.
We all know what /SR can do. I can get about 50/48/42 with the build I have in mids in terms of positional defenses.
On the Electric Armor build,,, -
I recently leveled an Axe Tanker (SD/Axe) with the specific intent to do a lot of knockdown. I am, frankly, surprised at how much it does. Several of the powers have 50% chance to knockdown, but in actual practice, I get lots and lots of knockdown. Maybe the KD keeps checking on foes in the radius until it's knocked down its limit (like 10 targets in the case of Whirling Axe)? I don't know. What I do know is my character makes grand sweeping gestures and big clumps of guys are laid out on their butts.
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An important thing to keep in mind is that lower-level IOs can enhance one or two values to the ED cap if you concentrate on that; higher level IOs might let you do that AND get much better enhancement in other areas.
For example, let's look at some actual enhancement values I have slotted.
I have frankenslotted attacks with level 25 set IOs; if you use the right mix, you can get:
95% damage
95% recharge
45% accuracy (still better than one SO!)
30-40% end reduction
That's not slotting for set bonuses, because whole sets at 25 won't give you anything like that good a level of enhancement; the only rationale for sticking to the lower-level IOs for frankenslotting is early availability while leveling, and cost.
Level 45 I can use, say, four pieces of a major set (like Makos, Decimation, Obliteration) and fill in with some lesser triples, and pick up the 4-piece set bonuses, and get, say,
95%+ damage
95%+ recharge
57% accuracy
75-80% end reduction
That's much better -- and I get some of the better set bonuses -- BUT I don't have it for leveling and I don't have the set bonuses when I exemplar below 42. Also, notice that the damage and recharge aren't measurably better than the level 25 frankenslotting. If you like one or two enhancement values to be capped and can live with the rest, mid-level frankenslotting is VERY effective and relatively cheap.
I have been trying a range of different level slotting decisions. I have one character based mostly on 50s and Hami-Os; one based on 45s for set bonuses with selected lower level IOs thrown in; one based mostly on 25s (with higher-level IOs for the higher-level powers, since I frankenslotted him and there are no set bonuses to speak of); and I am making a character based on level 35 set bonuses.
It doesn't make that much of a difference, honestly, and there's an opportunity cost involved in trying for a specific level of sets for set bonuses -- if I'm slotting 35s and a 37 shows up for sale, I can't buy it without breaking my pattern.
My current thinking is to go for a mix -- lower-level sets or partial sets in the less important powers (so I get the set bonuses when exemplared) and mid level stuff (30-40 or so) in the key powers, 3-5 slots (until I get the set bonus I am aiming for) and then finish off by frankenslotting high level Ios like 50s in the remaining 1-3 slots (they won't give a set bonus, so go high).
End result looks like this, for example:
Ranged power = 5 level 33 Decimations, a level 50 Thunderstrike triple
Hold = 4 level 30 Basilisk's Gaze, 2 random level 50 triples -
Yeah, I'm planning the ancillary to be Conserve Power/Physical Perfection/Energy Torrent, and six-slotting E-torrent.
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Admittedly this is a minor point to ponder, but I am wondering if my conclusion for what to put in the single default slot of Combat Jumping is sound.
CJ can take quite a few useful IOs. I don't have Mids and the rest of the build is too much detail for this discussion, I think, but here are the relevant points:
Spines/Dark Scrapper
Eventually he will have +60% global accuracy (assuming my lone purple set gets filled in), and generally he will have from 38% to 58% base accuracy in his attacks. I could add the Kismet +to-hit unique to CJ, but it seems likely to be overkill. As a Spines/Dark, I do not anticipate taking on +4 boss challenges very often.
I am not going for +defense set bonuses (lots of my other characters did, so I am trying to avoid just doing that with every character). So I don't need to slot up CJ for defense. A possibility is to shift one -knb from a Steadfast in the resistance toggles to a Karma in CJ, and drop the +3% global defense Steadfast into the resistance toggle its place. That gets me 3% global defense (plus CJ) only, not very much.
I already have 2 knockback resistance IOs slotted. I could put a third one into CJ, but the prospect of occasionally getting thrown back doesn't terrify me.
My global recharge on this build will be 22.5 (not counting Hasten, which will itself only be 2-slotted with level 50 IOs for 84.4% rchg). If I slot a LOTG +rchg into CJ, it will be 30%. Since I am relying on Dark Regeneration heavily in this more traditional no-defense build, I think this is the way I should go. Yes, I know we are talking a small increment in recharge at this point. Also, 30% recharge is a nice round number. :P
Is my thinking generally sound on this? Thoughts and opinions? Suggestions I haven't thought of? -
Yeah, several players on a team running OG can be pretty funny.
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Please include THE NAME of the weapon when posting a picture; don't make BABs have to look them up (and don't make us have to use mis-named or generically-named weapons!)
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No love for Spines/Dark (once IOed a bit for endurance)?
/Dark adds a second constant damage aura and a heal that is vastly superior to /Fiery Aura's. As long as you can time the heal decently you're all-but-unkillable.
And Oppressive Gloom should neutralize all minions, very handy for farming. -
Quote:Meet Zulu Time, on Justice. (And here's a back shot showing shoulder cape.) He's an Iron Eagle, too, meaning he's played "hardcore," a single defeat means death. So far he's reached 22.Originally Posted by Catwhoorg
Im reminded of the scene from Zulu.
(paraphrasing as it has been a while)
Boer: How far can you redcoats march in a day?
Solider: 20 maybe 30 miles innit.
Boer: A Zulu regiment can run, RUN 60 miles and fight a battle at the end of it.
Solider: Well thats daft innit. I can't see any sense in running to fight a battle.
A Zulu scrapper, that could work out nicely.
Altitis has been enabled once again.
I used the gladius as the closest match for an iklwa, the long-bladed, short-handled stabbing spear, but I will use the leaf-bladed "Roman Gladius" when i can unlock it, since it's a better shape. -
Quote:Have you read the copypasta? Because it's pretty clear it would not be nice, AND it won't get teams for people who currently can't get teams.Originally Posted by Odin_Grey
Off the whole joke thing, I say consolidating a few servers would be nice.
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It can be difficult to come up with an original name that you like that's not taken. On the other hand, I am often stunned at what I find available. And thirdly, the joy of getting a good name that I know is unique (on that server) is quite real -- I get distinct pleasure out of a securing good name...pleasure that would be gone if it was easy and everyone else could copy it. It's sort of a mini-game within the game itself, in a way.
Sometimes I get a good name on a server that I don't normally play on, and it makes me want to spread out and play on the new server, which I think is probably healthy for the game.
Here are some names I have been able to get after the game was years old and thousands of threads saying "no good names are available" had already been posted:
Constitution
Kursk
Damned Yankee
Thermocouple
Transuranic
Janissary
Chilipepper
Petroglyph
Skyrocket
Dai-sho
Dreamtime
King of Spades
What these names have in common is they are well-known public concepts, simple, not silly, mostly one-word names. None of them are "color-names" like Red Chilipepper or Golden Janissary. Also, they're not my best ones -- those I'm not even posting.
Here are names I've been able to get in the last two months, on my primary two servers of choice, no less:
Financier
Moonspell
Hexecutioner
Commandment
Ten-Dollar Bill
Warhorse
Bow Derek
Stratovolcano
Sometimes the search for a name results in a gem. I wanted to make a Fire/Fire Dominator on a specific server (limiting my name choices, since I couldn't server-shop). I wanted a name that sounded like a Victorian or gaslight-era urban legend -- a villain that people told stories about, like Jack the Ripper or Spring-Heeled Jack. I decided she would be a woman who had burned to death and was angry at the world.
Penny Dreadful was taken, on every server. (Nice catch, people!) I would have to look further.
But Blackened Kate, Black Meg, Burned Meg, and the like were all available on my server of choice. Although they sounded like villainesses in scary campfire stories, I wasn't satisfied, I was still searching.
After more thought, I got to thinking about the powers the character would have. Why is it three Fire Imps, anyway? What if she had...lost three young children in a fire! And..she'd gone in to save them, burned up, and gotten her powers...and a thirst for revenge on all who had done nothing to help, in those days before effective fire codes?
And thus I made my new character -- a very dark one indeed: The Thrice-Damned Mother, a tragic figure, whose very name is whispered around the campfire by children afraid to look away into the lurking darkness, and too horrified to gaze into the flames themselves, imagining those three children, and the terrible things they would become!
So I can't really get behind the drive to free up names, if things like Constitution or Commandment are still available...I mean, come on! And I'm definitely opposed to "server tags" so more people can have the same name. -
Quote:They rolled back the build because of a bug or bugs that caused crashing. Walking will become available when they get it working again and post the new patch.Originally Posted by Shadowblaze
I feel stupid, but the new walk power isn't showing up anywhere in my power list. I even tried making a new toon and getting him to 2 in case you have to train for it to show up in your tray, and still nothing. Am I missing something?
edit: scooped by a lemur! I shall have my revenge!!! -
I can hardly ever not find anyone.
Let's face it, it's time for the Devs to bite the bullet and finally split the serves up even further. Every damn time I log on, someone more-or-less immediately sends me a tell while I'm still trying to figure out what this character should be doing tonight. I might be looking at market slots, or eyeballing my build, staring at my base bins, or just trying to pick a contact to start...it never fails.
"Want to run X Task Force?"
"Radio missions?"
"Hey, I decided to re-up! What's cooking?"
"Can you help me against this EB?"
"Zone event!!!!"
Heck, once it was even "We need a fifth for Arena Pentad," I kid you not.
I've seriously thought about hiding more often. But I'm afraid my suddenly dropping off my global list would lead my friends to conclude I was being weird. Instead, I usually man up, grab an appropriate character, and go join some random PUG, Task Force, or group of friends. Who knows when I'll get back to whatever I was trying to do.
When I DO decide to form my own teams, I'm usually too successful. I've tried a few times to run Task Forces with the minimum number of players, to keep the number of foes low and speed through...but oh no, people keep calling their buddies and soon enough we've got eight players ready to go and several more disappointed folks we've turned down. (No joke, I've had this problem.)
This can get tiresome. How am I ever going to cobble together some of my end-game builds if I can't spend a few consecutive minutes marketing?
If the Devs would finally split up a few servers to further dilute the player pool a bit, it might help. -
It's my fault -- I have the evening to myself and the day off tomorrow, lots of time to play; thus, there's an emergency server shutdown.