SerialBeggar

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Usual Layout.

Minor Kheldian Variant.

Master Mind Variant (Ah. Haven't given him Tray 5 yet, the Temp Powers/Day Job Accolades tray).

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Interesting Inspirations layout in your Insp Tray, but it gives me bad vibes.

Other than a few hunt missions, all the missions are instanced. Along with some perks that missions give (half Debt, mission bonus), street sweeping isn't as popular an activity as it was years ago. So the zones may seem a bit empty and silent.

A lot of the chat is done on the global chat channels which aren't restricted to a zone or server.

Open a chat window, right click the center of it, in the menu, choose "Channel Search". Type in a search pattern related to your server of interest, sort by the "Members" column. Also note the "Online" column as some chat channels are full of in-active accounts that can't be kicked off. Join 2-3 of the high pop chat channels and monitor them over a couple of weeks to see which you like. You may also want to consider setting up separate chat windows or chat tabs for different servers.

Did you talk to a Hero Corps Analyst at some point and changed your "Reputation"? In case you weren't aware, Reputation = Mission Difficulty setting.

To check what Difficulty setting you're at right now, open your Missions window, at its upper right, you should see something like "Heroic: Challenge Level 1" (Heroic is the lowest difficulty setting). Do you have something else?

If you've already started a mission, then just pick a different one. Exit first if you're inside it. You'll get a pop up asking to confirm that you want to abandon the current, active mission.

And, who knows? Maybe there'll be another Prestige Grant someday. Should I hope that they'll screw us over when they (finally) revamp Base construction and then have to bribe us to calm down?

Screenshot or it's bogus.

Here's mine.

Two observations from checking out the other layouts so far:

1) Some of you have very crowded or even blocked up lower portions of your screen. Do you play zoomed out or something? I try to keep gaps there, especially, if I have side-by-side Team and large (Mastermind or Illusion) Pet windows. This is so I can drop patch type powers (Caltrops, Freezing Rain, Tar Patch, etc) on the ground at my feet while in a rush without having to fumble around with my view.

2) Not many of you have 'Show Player Health Bars = Always'. I feel so handicapped without it.

Well, if you're too high level for him, you don't need anything he sells.

The only damage types I see still working when he goes unstoppable is negative energy and psionics. They're still heavily resisted, though. And yeah, having -recharge and -regen helps too.

If you haven't already done so, you may want to consider adding a Player Note about them with a 1-star, along with enabling the display of the star rating in Options, so you can have the opportunity to spot him before he spots you if you're passing through a populated area, like the Tram or the Market.

Example, since you like the ITF so much:

/macro surg "targetcustomnext surgeon"

This will make a grey macro button with "surg" on it whose function is to target anything with the name pattern of "surgeon" (note: the pattern just needs to be unique enough, so you don't really have to spell the whole thing out.)

I'd suggest something that is multi-faceted, such that you can fill in for any archetype that the team may feel is "missing". Try an Illusion/Rad or an Illusion/Storm Controller.

First off, Illusion/* has 2 sets of pets, so right there, you are your own team. One set can tank and the second can blast. You can solo practically anything in the game. Well, you might need to pick up some tactics and skills before you try taking on some of the giant monsters and AVs, but otherwise, you're good. Thus anyone else on your team, you can just consider them to be your support.

Both secondaries have an ally heal. That can be your concession as a team oriented player. Note: */storm doesn't have a self-heal, but if you play your character properly, you shouldn't be getting hurt much at all. */Rad has an ally rez too if you feel the need to pick it up.

*/Storm has several additional non-mobile pet -ike summons that can disable whole groups of foes and then rough 'em up. */Rad has several significant debuffs, including two that I think of as a defense based shield and a resistance based shield for yourself and the team whose gimmick is that you have to anchor them on a foe. Stand next to your anchored foe for best effect. Combine these with the pets from Illusion/* and you can tank for your team. In fact, if you're not showing up the team's tank, you're not playing your character properly.

Just use the TFs as a guide. If you do Positron, what do you want to still have available? A travel power maybe? If you do Synapse, Stamina at 20? Sister Psyche, an AOE or control? Etc.

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Also take into consideration the enhancement boost scale down from exemplaring. Your single level 50 Accuracy IO might only be giving you a dinky DO's worth of boost. You may want to overslot to compensate if you'll be spending a lot of time exemplared.

Note: the first time you create your second build, all the slots will be empty. The second build is complete independent of the first build, thus the enhancements you have slotted in your first build do not carry over to the second build. Make sure you can afford to buy the enhancements to slot out the second build.

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In reguards to enhancement types, the original manual, if you still have it, lays out that SO are always better than DOs and DOs are always better than TOs. Always use the best that you can afford as you qualify for them.

Nowadays with IOs (invention "origin") enhancements, level 30+ Common IOs are always better than SOs. Depending on how you use Set IOs (the named ones), they are usually better than Common IOs more because of getting an extra attribute boost or two with the same or fewer slots used.

You may want to put into to storage so you'll have something fairly rare and unique to use if you decide to use the Market to do Inf transfers.

What server are you on? Do you need a veteran of the game to pair up with your for a bit to answer questions?

Lowest level are in Crey's Folley, up on the catwalks to your left as you enter the zone.

But if you're doing it for the level 40 costume slot, Eden is closer. Once you enter, hang a right and down a couple of blocks.

I had an ignominious defeat by Swarms in Crey's Folly once. This was way back in the day before the aggro cap. I was running around harassing several swarms with AOE. My mistake was standing still to take pot shots at them, thus allowing them to catch up. I was laughing at their piddly DOT, until I noticed my health was dropping faster than I expected due to the stacked DOT. Then I discovered that I couldn't move from all the stacked slows. The defeat that approached me was slow, steady and unstoppable. All I could do was watch it happen while naming myself a fool.

You could compile the lists at the Ouro Portal.

Rent is not based on a specific monthly date. Everytime you pay Rent, the counter is reset.

- day 1 (0 weeks), you just paid Rent
- at 14 days (2 weeks), you get a reminder that Rent is due in 2 weeks.
- at 28 days (4 weeks), you are told that Rent is due <--(ignore it)
- at 44 days (6 weeks), Base Power is shut off (now go pay Rent)
- at 58 days (8 weeks), you're locked out of the Base (pay Rent)

If you pay early, all you do is reset the counter and eventually end up paying more than you need to. There is no Rent penalty if you are late, just the Power and lock out annoyances. Therefore, wait until the Power is off before paying Rent.

I usually wait the recommended 6 weeks until the power in my Base is shut off to pay Rent. On a few occasions, I still had no power after the Rent is paid. The work around I discovered was to sell the Power generator (I forget the name), then buy and place it again. This clears the problem up for me.

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If you build-tweak, your character never stops progressing even if you get to 50. You are always improving a favored character.

Even if you "complete" a particular build, combat experience or simply just time will show you new adjustments you can make.

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This is pretty much it for me. Prior to IOs, the biggest decision I had to make was whether to use an endurance reduction or a rechage for that 6th slot. Now, slotting involves several dimensions and the decisions are tougher. For example, how willing am I to accept lower basic attribute boosts to get that Set bonus? Mental debates like this keeps the game interesting. As I earn more Inf and/or get lucky with the drops, I can put some of these questions to the test.

FYI:

Community Digest - list of forum and community "red names" posts.

Dev Digest - list of COH/V game developers "red names" posts

Book mark these links. You'll probably want to check them daily to keep up with what's happening, so you can retain your membership as one of the elite know-it-alls.

If your currently personal SG's Base is fully functional, why do you feel the need to add members? Just social? You could join some coalitions or just hang out at the global chat channels instead. Bringing in people invites drama.

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Some other games, like Diablo, call them "naked-AT" like "Naked Mage" for mages etc.

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I tried the "Beyond Naked Mage" variant once. While a "Naked Mage" just didn't equip any items, "Beyond Naked Mages" were required to equip the worst of the cursed items you found. I think I got up to the mid-teens.

One fun aspect of the BNM rules was that at every 10th level up (or was it 5?), starting at the Church, you had to run into the dungeon and try to get down as deep as you can before dying. After rezzing outside, you now had to sneak or fight your way back to your body and gear. Note: you're actually "buffed" now since you're not wearing your cursed gear.