Timeshadow

The animation time on shapeshifting (Regardless of whether it involves human form or not) was put in place to prevent exactly what you're suggesting. The ability to shift rapidly back and forth between forms is viewed by the Devs as unbalanced. Granted, I don't like the 3s animation time either but it makes sense.

On Inherents: The Kheldian inherents have seen a major improvement ever since the i13 revamp. I assure you, not being able to find teams has nothing to do with the AT you're playing.

Indeed I do remember. I joined CoX back during Issue 11. I'm hardly a grizzled old veteran but boy were things different back then. And I'm not just talking about the Mission Architect.

As I'm sure many of you remember there was no Patrol XP so laughing when you died was a much rarer occurence unless you were at 50 (I still hate it to this day, regardless of my toon's level). Leaving any one toon logged off for a few hours wouldn't do anything for you. You'd still have to wipe out that debt when you got back. That lasting death penalty encouraged everyone to learn how to make the most of all the tools at their disposal.

Of course the Mission Architect's implementation is the most recent and most dramatic change. I say implementation because the Architect in itself isn't the problem. Giving players a custom story telling tool is a great idea. Not accounting for a risk/reward ratio that's grossly disproportionate to the Dev created content isn't. Granted, the players clamored for XP and the Devs obliged them. Still, not the best way to keep people from exploiting the new shiny.

I've got 6 toons on my account; all of them are at 50. The most recent one dinged the cap just two days ago, admittedly with the help of AE farming. I haven't been here as long as many of my fellow forumites but I have seen some crucial game changes. Looking back over the last two years I've seen a trend in design philosophy that's heavily geared toward casual players. Patrol XP to erase debt when logged off so those with limited time don't have to struggle after dying, Auto SKing in Architect missions so players who don't have the time to grind up the levels can still play with their friends regardless of whether there's a mentor available, and now the upcoming Advanced Difficulty Settings so those who play at odd hours or don't know people in game can recieve the same amount of rewards as full teams.

While all these features are impressive and very ground breaking they can't disguise the fact that getting to the level cap, one of the biggest achievements in any MMORPG, has been sacrificed on the alter of casual player convienence to keep NCSoft and our favorite game around. Double edged sword indeed...

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I can see the value in that. I wouldn't have a problem with it if getting mezzed during the animation didn't keep you from changing forms.

[/ QUOTE ]
I definitely agree, although all I do is just tap my Dwarf-up key again... or take a BF and switch to whichever form I want to use next... it's definitely annoying, but I don't think it's AT-breaking.

[/ QUOTE ]

It can cause serious problems depending on what you're up against. Rikti Mentalists have a tendency to use their hold and then hit you with sleep as you try to go Dwarf. Combine that with a Chief Soldier or two in melee range and...well, I'm glad I took Restore Essence and Stygian Return

Any mob with multiple mezzes, or a group with multiple mezzers, can cause you problems in that scenario. Unfortunately I can't think of a fix for the bug without giving the forms instant activation.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
...the animations are quite long and that can make shapeshifting cumbersome in combat.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think that's the whole idea of providing some challenge for Tri-Formers.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can see the value in that. I wouldn't have a problem with it if getting mezzed during the animation didn't keep you from changing forms.

[ QUOTE ]
QOL suggestion: The shapeshift animations are a bit slow and clunky. Speed them up a bit and get rid of the screen shaking.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got no problem with the screen shaking but the animations are quite long and that can make shapeshifting cumbersome in combat.

Also, the bug that cancels the activation of a shapeshifting toggle if you're mezzed during the animation persists.

Thanks for compiling all this information Bill. Epics in CoX are very unlike epics in other MMOs. Hopefully knowing their history and intended purpose will help everyone understand this.

Now I’ll move on to a specific discussion of the ATs with assassin potential.

SCRAPPER – Scrappers are one of only two heroside ATs with the ability to become assassins. Their high damage output makes them very capable of delivering the pain needed for the role. However, because they lack Hide they are incapable of putting out the tremendous burst damage of their counterparts. Still, they do have access to stealth via pool powers or one of the +Stealth IOs from the Celerity, Freebird, Unbounded Leap, and Time & Space Manipulation invention sets. Scrappers also lack Placate. Fortunately they tend to be tough enough to withstand the majority of onslaughts so it’s not really necessary.

BLASTER – Blasters make the list of assassin capable ATs for the same reason as Scrappers. They do a lot of damage really fast. They even get access to sniper powers that can drop an enemy in one shot when combined with some of their other tools. Like Scrappers they can pick up stealth from the Concealment pool or via IOs (The exception to this is a Blaster with the Devices secondary. Devices contains the Cloaking Device power which provides Stealth). Also like Scrappers, Blasters lack Placate. This is much more of a problem for Blasters because they lack mezz protection and the plain toughness of Scrappers. A Blaster assassin will need to employ the hit and run style of play much more often than any other assassin capable AT.

STALKER – Stalkers are the original assassins. They were designed with the playstyle in mind. They have access to Hide and Placate, making approach and retreat easy. But they get something else too. Assassin’s Strike. This signature Stalker attack will deal huge, and I do mean huge, bonus damage when executed from Hide. However, because they were designed as hit and run killers, Stalkers aren’t as tough as other melee focused ATs. Also, most of their secondary sets rely on Defense to keep you from getting hit. That’s great…when it works. But when it doesn’t you can end up tasting the floor in a hurry.

BRUTE – The best way to describe Brutes is exceptionally tough Scrappers on steroids. They’re built to dish out a lot of damage and take it at the same time. Just like the other ATs (With the exception of Stalkers) they have to turn to pools or IOs to get Stealth (Except in the case of Brutes who pick Energy Aura as their secondary. It contains a power called Energy Cloak which grants Stealth). Also, no Placate for Brutes but they’re tough enough to not need it.

NIGHT WIDOW – Night Widows are one flavor of Arachnos Widow. Arachnos Widows are one of two VEATs (Villain Epic Archetypes) that have to be unlocked by getting a villain to level 50. I like to think of them as super Stalkers. Not only do they get Hide in the form of Mask Presence, they have Placate, great Defense and access to Smoke Grenades. The downside comes in the form of a lot of powers to choose from without any more slots for enhancements than regular ATs. The curse afflicts all the Epic ATs regardless of which side you happen to be on. The biggest challenge is determining just how assassin oriented you want to be.

FORTUNATA – Fortunatas are the other branch of Arachnos Widows. Though they have Mask Presence and the same great Defense as their Night Widow sisters, Fortunatas get access to many more ranged attacks as well as controls. This leads some people to build them as purely ranged damage dealers with a few controls thrown in. While this is perfectly viable, it’s also possible to build a melee-hybrid Fortunata that can function as an assassin. Playing one of these variants is a bit like playing a blend of several ATs. The experience can’t be described in words.

BANE SPIDER – Bane Spiders are one flavor of Arachnos Soldier, the other type of VEAT. Bane Spiders are more melee focused and gain access to the Cloaking Device power. This is not to be confused with the Blaster version. Blaster Cloaking Device grants Stealth. Bane Spider Cloaking Device grants Hide. This means the Bane Spider can deliver an “Executioner’s Strike”. The Executioner’s Strike is similar to an Assassin’s Strike. The difference is an Executioner’s Strike is not a power in and of itself. It is simply a damage bonus granted to Bane Spiders when they attack from a hidden status. While not quite as powerful, the major upside of this is that an Executioner’s Strike cannot be interrupted.


Well that’s it. I’m sure I’ll end up updating this once I get some feedback so please feel free to leave any comments.

Playing an assassin requires two different mindsets. The first is for soloing; the second is for teams. They’re similar but different enough to warrant separate explanations.

THE LONE ASSASSIN
Solo, playing an assassin is pretty free wheeling. You have the luxury of selecting any target you like and taking it down. However, there is a particular way of doing things that’ll keep your XP bar full of pink as opposed to the dreaded black of debt. This strategy entails targeting the boss or highest ranked enemy in a spawn and using a simple chain to deliver maximum damage in the minimum amount of time. The chain goes like this: Build Up -> Highest Damage Attack -> Placate -> Second Highest Damage Attack.

By this time your target should be neutralized. If it isn’t, you’ll have to make a choice. Do I wail away with my other attacks or fall back and set up for another ambush? This decision is critical. Make the right choice and you’ll keep rolling along without a problem. Make the wrong one and you die. So how exactly do you go about deciding? You’ll have to analyze the situation and consider the following factors:

1) Size of the spawn: A large spawn generally means you should fall back. The exception to this rule is if you’re playing with a secondary that uses Defense as its main means of survival. Because Defense makes you more difficult to hit, you can roll the dice and count on your luck against a large spawn. Even so, this is not advised unless you have a good understanding of how the hit mechanics work together to determine whether you take damage or not.

2) What you’re up against: Different enemy groups produce different types of enemies. Some of which can cause you serious problems. The biggest danger to any assassin is being disabled. Either locked in place or otherwise unable to fight or escape. Enemies that have mezzing capabilities (e.g. Stuns, Holds, Sleeps, Immobilizes) can pose serious threats under the right conditions. Most ATs that can be assassins are provided with some form of mezz protection through their primary or secondary power pools. Still, this protection may not be enough against multiple mezzers or certain enemy groups (e.g. Circle of Thorns and Malta).

3) Location: Before you move in to strike, take a look at your target. Is the spawn they’re located with standing close to another spawn? Is there a possibility that attacking that Boss in the center could draw the others into the fight? If the answer is yes, DO NOT ATTACK THAT TARGET!!! Instead, pick off enemies near the edge of the spawn until the odds are more in your favor. This goes back to spawn size. Since the primary goal of an assassin is to accomplish one’s goal while remaining undetected, the last thing you wanna do is create a bigger fight than necessary.

In closing, the most important thing a solo assassin needs to know is that falling back (otherwise known as running) is not shameful. You’re a specialist, not a grunt, so there’s no need to fight and die for any reason. If the tide seems to be turning against you make no qualms about turning tail and getting the hell outta Dodge.


THE ASSASSIN WITH A TEAM
Generally being an assassin is a lonely occupation. But most everyone learns very quickly that in CoX, having a team greatly increases the rate at which you earn XP. As a result, even the lone wolves who tend to play assassins can sometimes be found in the company of others. When on a team an assassin suddenly has to adopt a different mindset and a different set of tactics. I’ll layout the key points below.

1) Strike the priority targets first: Because of their ability to approach spawns without being detected, an assassin has the unique ability to remove specific threats to a team before they become problematic. While this is similar to the solo practice, the definition of a “priority target” changes when on a team. As stated earlier, while solo an assassin should generally target whichever enemy can deal the most damage. However, when on a team an assassin’s role changes from that of the power player to that of the active defender (Note the small D). For those who may not know, “active defense” in CoX is defined as defeating a dangerous target before it has the opportunity to defeat you. How does all this relate to the assassin? Well, when on a team he or she should move to take out mezzers and targets that can buff their allies or debuff the team first. This is critical when teamed with ATs that are not afforded mezz protection by their primary or secondary powersets.

2) Manage your own aggro: Assassin’s tend to have a less than stellar reputation on teams. Most of this is due to the fact that inexperienced players bring enemies’ wrath down on their teammates. Sadly, this isn’t hard to do. Now you may be asking “Why’s that?” Because, the hit and run style of play means you’ll be getting chased a lot. And where’s the most logical place to run? To the teammates who can, in theory, provide you with support and by extension safety. Believe me when I tell you it doesn’t take very many team wipes caused by this sort of thing to produce some very bad feelings.

By the same token, a poorly timed Placate can result in aggro being transferred from the assassin to a squishier teammate. While this may not seem as devastating, if the wrong team member goes down it can result in a team wipe under the right circumstances. Let’s say for instance you and your team are up against a large number of enemies. Fortunately, you’ve got a very good Controller (Or Dominator if you’re a villain) who’s keeping the mobs mostly locked down. Now what do you suppose would happen if you were to Placate a boss that proceeded to turn on said controlling AT? That’s right. Enemies go free, overwhelm your team, and everybody dies.

So how does an assassin avoid such tragedy? It requires an adjustment in tactics. In the case of hitting and running you have a few options. One of which is to have your team stay very far away. The second, and much more practical, one is to simply stand and fight following the initial strike. On a good team you should have an AT that’s much more capable of holding aggro and taking damage than you. Either wait for them to grab the enemy’s attention or have them come in right after you land the killing blow. In the case of Placate, simply observe your surroundings before using it. If you happen to be standing right next to a squishy, either use it only when you have a big damage attack ready to grab aggro back or just plain don’t use it at all.

3) Play safety when required: Because assassins have the ability to deliver massive damage in a short time, they can be very effective protectors for their squishier counterparts. If the mob you’re about to face looks relatively safe (No mezzers. Only a few high damage threats) and you have a heftier AT with you, hang back a bit and see how the enemies react after the initial exchange of attacks. If it looks like there’s going to be an aggro rush toward the rear, set up to intercept the most dangerous member of the charge. I’ve saved my fair share of squishies by knocking out an enemy as they ran past me in an attempt to hit the people in the back line.

By the same token, assassin’s can use their surgical strike capabilities to break up an attack before it takes out a team member. Keep an eye on your surroundings (Including your chat window and team status window) to see if anyone’s in trouble. If they are, break off the fight you’re in and go take out whatever is accosting your teammate. One good strategy in this scenario is to use Placate to drop aggro and regain your Hidden status. Then hop over and decimate the troublesome party with a critical strike.

First I’ll discuss some of the tools of the trade. After all, having the best equipment doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know how to use it.

HIDE
Hide is an interesting thing. Stalkers get it as their first secondary power regardless of which set they choose. Arachnos Widows (Night Widows and Fortunatas) get access to it at level 24 in the form of a power called Mask Presence. The first thing to know is that Hide is not the same as Stealth. While both allow you to remain unseen, Hide has a larger stealth radius (40ft. as opposed to 35ft.). More importantly, when striking from a hidden status a character is guaranteed to deliver a critical hit that will deal much more damage. In the case of Stalkers Hide can be combined with another signature power, Assassin’s Strike, to deliver a devastating amount of damage in a single blow. However, attacking or taking damage (Except for fall damage) will drop you out of Hide. Some attacks are exempt from this rule and you will automatically renter Hide after a short period as long as you don’t initiate another attack or take any more damage. You’ll know if you’re hidden because your character will become translucent and the words “Hidden” will appear in large green text underneath your Health and Endurance bars.

PLACATE
Placate is a bit misunderstood. When used it will immediately cause an enemy to stop attacking you by removing any aggro you may have generated. Also, it will return you to a hidden status for 10 seconds. However, there is a catch. Any attacks queued up before Placate takes affect WILL STILL EXECUTE. Meaning you can placate an enemy and still be hit before you pull off your next attack. Not only will this drop you out of Hide but, in the case of an Assassin’s Strike, it will also interrupt your attack and prevent you from damaging the placated foe.

Some placates affect all foes within a particular area. These are different from normal placates in that, while they will cause enemies to stop attacking and ignore you, they WILL NOT return you to a hidden status. As a result, it is best to use these as a means of escape when surrounded by foes.


I need to say a few quick things about Perception before I move on to strategy.

PERCEPTION AND YOU
While Hide and Stealth can keep you from being spotted, they’re not foolproof. Some enemies have what is known as increased Perception. Perception is the ability to see stealthy or hidden foes. Recognizing these types of enemies immediately is the key to surviving against them. Now you may be asking “But why? What does it matter if one enemy in a spawn knows I’m there?” The answer is simple. That one enemy will alert all the others to your presence with its first attack. So how do you counter them? Well, some powersets contain powers that carry Perception debuffs. Also, with the new Day Jobs system any player can gain access to Smoke Grenades, a temporary power that carries a very potent Perception debuff.

Lone Wolf: The Art of an Assassin

With the game down for a bit today I decided to work on a guide that I’ve been meaning to do for a while. This one’s intended to teach the sometimes difficult playstyle of a Stalkerish archetype. If you have any comments please post ‘em. Also, I’ll be adding an extension which covers enemies that cause problems for this type of toon.

Part 1:Hide/Placate/Perception
Part 2:Solo & Team Strategy
Part 3:Brief AT Overview

Now what do I mean when I say Stalkerish? I’m talking about any AT that has the ability to stealthily deliver a one hit KO to a potentially troublesome foe. What’s that you say? You wanna know exactly which ATs I’m talking about? Fine…just look below.

“Stalkerish” ATs
Heroes
Scrapper
Blaster (Depending on build)

Villains
Stalker (Duh)
Brute (Depending on build)
Night Widow
Fortunata
Bane Spider


WHAT MAKES AN ASSASIN?
Any good assassin is characterized by three things. They can:

1) Approach their enemies unseen
2) Instantly decimate a target
3) Vanish before their enemies can retaliate.

All of these things are integral to an assassin’s job. The Stalker, Night Widow, Fortunata, and Bane Spider ATs come pre-equipped with an assassin’s tools. But I’ll go more in depth with the specific ATs in a bit.

I've had this same problem with Cimeroran Praefectus lately. A friend and I were doing the timed missions and every boss would take off after a few shots. Strangely though, the minions and lieutenants would stand and fight until they're HP hit 0.

While it's true that Controllers and Dominators can hold the enemies in place, that somewhat unbalances the game in favor of control based ATs. I'd like to see the specs on the AI behavior before suggesting a solution.