Seldom

I think the difference between a level cap increase and a bonus for 50's is where the rubber would meet the road to an incarnate: A level 49 when they turn 50 gains a boost in damage and hitpoints, and a greater advantage vs. all foes in game. (They essentially gain defense/resistance/damage vs. lower-con targets, and at 50, it's the final step to lower-con stuff.) A boost for 50's would not necessitate all of these, especially if they take the 'bonus-ish' route, where you are choosing between new strengths. (Sacrificing the opportunity for a different strength.) We see something like this in-game: with IO sets, you can boost your damage further, but focusing solely on damage bonuses means you aren't gaining hp/defense/recharge/etc.

The new powers thing is intriguing. If 'incarnate' stuff was more closely bound to characters than, say, power pools or patron pools, would they exemplar down? Having a pool of always accessible extra powers in a game that encourages revisiting older content would be a bonus not to be overlooked.

The notion of incarnate powers being custom/signature powers would be awesome, but could give the devs a headache, so I dare not hope for that.

After two hours, he still couldn't spot Waldo.

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Now the OP just has to go fight Battle Maiden's minions and Warriors on his Brute.

Good luck to you, sir.

What is the saying? "Variety is the spice of life?"

It's funny that the idea of 'more options' was put for to justify a hypothetical archetpe with less options. It can support. That is all it can do. Certainly the powersets are varied enough that you can support in different ways, but in the end? It's all suport.

You helping others do stuff really well, but you're not doing it yourself.

The devs have made sure that the character have something they themselves do well as well as supporting. Controllers are best at controlling. (Blueside)Defenders are best at weakening/debuffing attacks. Corruptors are best at finishing weak targets off. Masterminds are best at creating havoc via their little armies.

'Buff/buff? can't do anything else well. This goes back to the original early 'open archetype' system. You can make a control/armor that can survive most anything, but that doesn't make it a good thing from game design. Pure support characters? Sure, you can invite them to the team. But you know they can't do everything for you. If their set lacks healing? They can use medicine, but it's not great. They lacks shields? Manuevers is weak. They can patch their support holes, but it's done by sacrificing the other things they could do. Buff/buff makes no balance in its team role, especially for min/maxers.

To be honest...if 50's had something other than infamy/influence they generated (similar to xp 1-49) I'd venture to say the supply of infamy/influence would go down a good bit. When one character can make so much more, and really can't stop doing so in a game where all character end up 50's, and the leveling speed has gone up...well, inflation just by that means is a no-brainer.

I wonder what would happen if after level 50, the xp portion would become merits points, which could be converted to merits. So a couple hour's play time would end up giving most people a couple merits, no matter what they did. Hmmmm.....supply up, inf. down.

I babble on at times.

I've tried the post-tweak /energy, having had trouble with its previous incarnation. On a Mind/psi, it's pretty solid.

Plant/Earth is fun, too. Smashy, and the smashy amongst trashing vines should be fun. (Not that far yet.) Seeds is great for mitigating any melee punishment that /earth might elsewise feel.

Fire/fire is devastating. The higher damage mod gives fiery embrace a lot of 'oomph.' I can't wait to pair that with soul drain. >:-)

Otherwise? playing my Mind/Psi...only 9 arcs to go to complete all in-game stories.

Again, not available for scaps...but my main brute is a Energy Melee/Darm armor brute, my 'SMASHtroller.' Every single attack can stun, two always wil, one will most of the time, and little damage is sacrificed, as your big-hitters are stuns.

So yeah...eight stuns in the primary, add in a toggle fear and a toggle stun, with a mag 50 stun rez. It's fun to smash dizzy, cowering things. I have no trouble keeping 3 bosses stunned indefinitely.

It does make me wonder if the rebalanced energy melee will make it to scraps.

The trick with buff/buff is that with nobody around, it is subpar. But on a full team? It threatens to render others obsolete. Each buff/debuff set has a weakness. Kinetics supplies strong offense to a team, but has little way to protect them. Radiation weakens enemies, but has limited healing and buffing. Forcefields makes a team far more durable and can bounce enemies, but has no way to heal or weaken foes. The team is choosing a strength and weakness when they choose a support character, and needs more people to get more support. The more support they choose, the safer they become, but they do so by sacrificing more 'direct damage' type characters.

Now throw in a support/support character. They pick up a forcefield/kinetics that supplies nigh-invulnerability alongside a damage cap, endless endurance, debuffs, and a bit heal. Not strong enough? Throw in a Radiation/sonic supporter, with shield to protect for the rare times the forcefielded get hit, more mez protection, a damage buff, a recharge buff, a rez buff, damage resistance debuffs x2, debuffs for all else, and another heal. They fill the rest of the team with blasters (and a scrapper if a tank is needed) and go forth destroying everything in the game.

Can an entire support team rule this game anywise? Sure. An all radiation emission team is devastating. But at the center of that are some weaker characters with a lower starting offense, lower damage caps, and lower hitpoints. Concentrating all the support into minimal numbers of team members makes this sacrifice unnecessary, and makes stuff out of whack even more. (Never mind that the support/support dudes make the control/support or support/damage, or damage/support people unneeded.)

Aye, Matey...now THAT's what I call some good grog. *Hick*....be that the flyin' dutchman? I be so sloshed I could kiss a Kraken...

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/fire is all about damage, and has some decent AoE to it. It has a good long damage boost in fiery embrace.

/Psy has has okay ranged, okay AoE, and some okay melee. It's a jack of all trades. The AoE's can hit more stuf than others, so there is that. You can skip stamina and heal yourself with drain psyche.

/Elec gets buildup for more damage, but its AoE damage is very concentrated. (You need enemies packed in for full effect)

/Ice is okay for slowing stuff. Extra mez oomph with power boost. Lacks real damage 'oomph' but slows stuff down.

/Thorns also has AoE, with aim to help you hit stuff. It's a bit more meleeish at times.

/energy is more single target, with some stuns for more control and extra mez oomph with power boost.

Me? I like psy for its flexibility and health/energy management. /Fire is more damaging, but it lacks mitigation. Take that as you will.

Hello.

Going through the city, and collecting day job badges, one is bound to find large, round buildings. These are called..."Arenas." (Or so I've been told.)

A few of you might know them as a place to do something called "PvP," but judging by the layers of dust, and size of the cobwebs in these 'arenas,' I'm thinking that something might be done to make these places more popular. So let's get back to what arenas are used for: Usually places for competitive combat, okay, but such establishments are also commonly used for games. What better way for a hero or villain to unwind, but through some fun and games?
Some may enjoy punching friends, acquaintances, and strangers in the face, but for those weary from long play sessions of punching various enemies in the face for hours, I would suggest a variety of recreational alternatives that give said character's knuckles a much needed reprieve. Games!

Here are a few that came to mind:

Super soccer
This game involves two teams, and two goals. A big red ball spawns in the center of a playing field, and needs to be bounced into the player's goal to score.
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Player setup:
All player lose access to all powers, set bonuses, temp powers, and inspirations. They are granted three 'permanent' temporary powers when the game begins:

Super Slide: This power is colored by team, and allows the player to move at fast speeds, and pulses a continuous knockback aura. It also protects the player from other super slide knockback.

Super Surge:This boosts the player's speed to the max for a few seconds, and pulses some incredibly high knockback/repel to knock other players and the ball around. Recharge: slow

Super block: Super boosts knockback/repel resistance for a few seconds, for the player, nearby team, and the ball (If it is close enough to be hit by the effect.) Recharge: slow
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Game setup:
Entity: Big Red Ball: This is powerless, minion class enemy that is immune to all but special damage and is vulnerable to knockback. it cannot move. On its own. It spawns at the center of the playing field when the game begins, or as soon as the ball on the field is defeated.

Goals: these are large open areas on either end of the field. Inside are patch damage fields for each team; the damage does not harm players, but destroys the ball if the ball enters these fields. (The field's 'kill' counts as a team goal.)

Playing fields: playing fields could come in various sizes, with a few different variations including: knock back sides, so the ball bounces off the sides of the field, ice surfacing, for a slippery surface, and existing/moving obstacle objects that block/bounce the ball.
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Ray Tag
Players use ray guns to 'tag' each other. Also includes team variations.
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Player setup:
All player lose access to all powers, set bonuses, temp powers, and inspirations. They are granted three temporary powers when the game begins:

Tag ray: puts a field of the player's color (determined randomly in free-for-all matches) on another players, earning a score. Tag rays also suppress the tag ray of the target, preventing 'tag backs.' There is also a short time after being tagged that a player cannot be tagged again. (Mechanically, the tag ray simply acts as a detention field that allow movement and counts for points with each hit.) Comes in 10 pack charges.

Blocking shield: Makes a player immune to tag rays, but immobilizes the player using it. This power requires no refills. Recharge: slow

Speed burst: makes the players move faster, and gives defense to tag ray blasts (Also lowers the player's own tag ray tohit) Recharge: slow.
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Game setup:
Maps: There could include many different game match maps, but most would feature many object to hind behind, as well as gangways/suspended walkways/lookouts, and a few open fields to rush about in.

Recharge stations: once a player uses a tag ray 10 times, they must hurry back to a recharge station for a tag ray refill. These are located around the field.

Immunity fields: some maps could use immunity fields, areas where the players could go to be protected from tagging. The fields would not be constant or predictable, so a player could not retreat to them for long.
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Variations:
Team tag-doctor
All tag are team-based, and permanent. If all of one side are tagged to the enemy team color, they lose the match. One players from each team can grab a clearing ray, which clears their team of an enemy team tag field. This also grants the user immunity from enemy tags, but they can't tag enemies either, and they are not counted in the total team count. Instead, tagging them temporarily phases them, and they can temporarily phase other players.

Elimination/Team elimination
Players can only be tagged so many times before they are 'out.' Out players can no longer use a tag ray-instead their ray become immobilizing rays, holding other players in one spot. The last player left standing (and not 'out') Wins. In team elimination, the same holds true, but in a team setting. Team members are eliminated until all members are 'out,' leaving the other team victorious.
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Super Mech Mayhem
Okay, I'll regress on the 'punching friends/acquantances in the face partially on this one. This is for the players that want to punch other in the face, but also want to blow stuff up with GIANT FREAKING MECH SUITS!
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Player setup:
All players start with standard PvP settings. (unless other choices are selected.) They can, however, choose to allow emp charges, special weapons that debilitate mechs for a short time. (With only limited charges, so they can be used up.)
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Game setup:
The match begins, but there are several mech bays across the map. Maps would all be large/outdoor style maps to accommodate the large mechs.) To activate them, players must download codes from various terminals. (Which is interruptable, and takes time! ) Once they do so, they can enter a control pod, and then switch to playing as a giant mech. These are extremely tough, and resistant to buffs/debuff/controls/taunts/damage/etc. And are slow. They also do incredible damage with dual Decimation Assault Death Ray Cannons™, Incendiary missiles, and nuclear warheads. Their achilles heal (Besides lower speed) is their control pod: if the control pod too badly damaged, the mech blows up, as does the pod, defeating the controlling character. Mechs also have a limited duration, so after a while the mech shuts down, and the players is ejected from their control pod. Note: while mechs are gigantic sacks of hitpoints with great resistance, they cannot heal or be healed.

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Variation:
Mech base assault.
This is a team battle. Each team has a core to protect in their team base, but the core is extremely tough. Luckily, the teams also can access high damage assault mechs, with enough codes. But to destroy the enemy base core, they must leave their own core and control pods vulnerable. Get the picture?
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Robot capture
Alright, alright. Reneging again again on the 'punching people' thing. This is for those who don't mind punching some people, but also heartily enjoy giving directions to lost robots.
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Player setup:
All players keep standard PvP setups, but each team has a base, and the map has a bunch of robots to lead back to said base.
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Game setup:
Controlling all robots wins the game. If someone leading a robot is attacked, the robot will stop moving for a few moments. Bases have multiple droid interfaces, each of which is a distance apart, and can hook up to only one robot. If a droid that has been led back to a base and has been hooked into the base is disconnected, it will follow the person who disconnected it. As such, captured robots can be retrieved by an enemy team.

Maps: maps feature enemy bases spaced far apart, and robot spawn points between. While there would be open areas to traverse quickly, safer means would be available as well, such as hidden tunnels, bunkers, and branching pathways with hiding spots.
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Anywise, those are just some ideas that popped into my head. What do you think? Perhaps a few crazier/less serious things to do in arenas like those listed above could get people interested in visiting an arena here and there?

-Seldom.

My preference? One generic invention accuracy, 5 doctored wounds. Use the doctored wounds with +recharge first, then +heal. Endurance reduction is kinda pointless on a power that immediately gives you +recovery. I go this way as I find the recovery more than sufficient, but extra regeneration is wonderful. And I slot towards +recharge set bonuses, so doctored wounds is a very easy way to get +5% recharge for a cheap price.

I'm biased, as my main character is a mind/psy, but it's a darned fine combo. It's a jack of all trades that can also claim mastery in hard target AND mass control, whilst being capable of decent AoE/ranged tactics. Oh, and if you need a dom for AV's, this is the one to bring. Mesmerize works wonders against the worst of foes, and drain psyche does a good -regen as well.

Fun facts:

A full third of your primary cause no aggro,so stealthing becomes very easy. (Both confuses and your AoE sleep) Note, these do not suppress stealth/invisibility,

Drain psyche, slotted for healing and hitting its cap of targets grants you 1999% regeneration. (Yes, that's with 1000% recovery besides)
For comparision, RA gives 400% recovery, and instant healing 600% regen.
-Also, while the -940% regen it gives to its victims may be handy,the -500% recovery helps if you have somebody with -end abilities.

Most robots are highly resistant to psychic damage. They are also weaker vs. Smashing damage. Levitate is smashing damage. Capiche?

Mesmerize is 3.5 magnitude. You need more than three to put a boss to sleep in one hit. 3.5 happens to be more than 3. Also, under domination this effect on a slotted power can last almost 140 seconds. (This with a mag 7 sleep)

The contagious confusion proc can make simple 'confuse' confuse a whole group. It also functions even at lower levels.

Minds/Psy is the only combo that has every mez effect in the game. Sleep/fear/hold/immobilize (chance based)/stun (chance based)/confuse, with the soft controls besides. (Knockback/repel)

Domination. Double mag to all controls, kb resist, full endurance, mez resist to all...gifted to an archetype with blasterish damage and mez galore.

Drain psyche. Sap them, and you have more than enough energy. Wait, it can heal you back incredibly fast too? Yummy.

Fulcrum shift...few powers are so set-defining as this.

Venom grenade. -resistance on a good AoE? Nice. -resistance on a good AoE given to an archetype that can throw out four more AoE's in quick succession , even as an attack chain? ...While buffing the team and sporting heavy defenses, and near mez immunity? Yummmy nummy.

Phantom Army- another truly set defining power. +Recharge bonuses and powers make this good power all the better.

Adrenelin Boost. So simple, but so very,very powerful. Few actually notice how good this thing is.

Ninja Run. Silly as it sounds, this put the final touch on the viability of travel power-less characters. And fits darned well for characters that can't fly like a bird or plane, or leap building in a single bound, or run in the blink of an eye, or so on. Also good for tight builds.

Vigilance.

Thorns has aim for a bit of damage bonus, but I'd say drain psyche trumps it for survival and energy. Thorns is in a well resisted damage type, while psy is a dichotically resisted type: many have no resistance, but those that do resist it by higher margins.

By and by, most dominators' AoE's have a 10 target cap. /Psy's AoE's have a 16 target cap.

Eh. The trick is that the devs need to be rather generic with pets, but specific enough to work. What if there were female minions in the thugs pool? Well, your minion named 'Bill' could be a chick or dude. Not game-breaking, but weird. (And yes, I'm well aware that thugs can change in ethnicity)

If they did all female thugs, it might seem oddly specific to something that broadly in the source material leans toward male stooges.

Zombies? What's saying your lich isn't female? The rest could have female variations, but again with the gender switching thing.

Ninjas? Typically and historically much more male. Same with mercs.

This leaves bots and possibly demons, which seem to be both 'its' rather than bearing any specific gender.

IF they let us customize minions, even if only by choosing from a pool and possibly painting them, I could see some ladies. Until then, the present structure most broadly fits most concepts/mechanics.

Silly people. Dark isn't a resist/heal set, it's a resist/mez/heal set. Turning everybody near you into drunk cowards that don't hit anybody is a mitigation not to be overlooked.

Heck, a third of dark armor's powers are mez.

Hmmm...

Toxic blast/poison corruptor

Psychic/psychic defender or Mind/Psychic controller

Battle strategy/AR defender or Merc/Battle Strategy mastermind

Shield/Broadsword tank

Spines/regen Brute

Dark/dark dominator