UnicyclePeon

It used to be under Options, Advanced, Database Editor. Then, you'd select the "Main Database Editor" button on the UI that pops up. All of that still works.

However, from there, you'll see a Grouping Pane on the left, a Powerset Pane in the middle, and a Powers Pane on the right. I see "Clone" buttons on the Group Pane and the Powers Pane, but I dont see one on middle (Powerset) pane. I SWORE you used to be able to just clone a powerset, and then edit for which AT it should appear, but there is no longer a Clone option on in the powerset pane.

So, I'm not sure how to do it now other than to tediously build it from the ground up. Even doing that, the stupid thing complains (in the "Add" UI under the central powerset pane) that the name I have assigned is invalid.

Either it doesnt work like it used to or it got busted or something.

Lewis

Of the ideas I've seen proposed, I would prefer Chain Control, Air Control, and Electric Control, in that order.

Air Control should have a power called "Whirlwind" that has a visual effect similar to Tornado, but a much wider base, equal to Ice Slick. It should function just like ice slick, except it is a knock-up field, not a knock-down field. It should be just as reliable, but maybe without the slow component (since knockup takes longer to recover from than knockdown I think).

You could also have a "Suffocate" power that removes oxygen (AoE Hold). Choke could be the single target hold. I'd like to see a Lift equivalent with a very small mini-tornado effect under the victim. Call it "Gust" perhaps.

I would want the pet to look just like Tornado, but with maybe some electric eyes deep in the center. It wouldnt explicitly chase any anyone down, but anything running up to it would be flung/stunned as per Tornado. It could use Choke and Gust (my Hold and Lift equivalent). I would call it either "Twister" or "Dust Devil".

Combine this with Storm, and thats a nice graphics-card crushing combo.

OH! Also, I dont see why people get super excited for Time Control, when they can just roll a Grav/Kin. It is basically the same thing. I know I already said it earlier in thread. It might be more of a "Time and Space" controller, but the combo has slows, speed buffs, weakening effects (age), it can move people out of time (Dim Shift), it can slow them in time so they are helpless (holds), its got the wormhole time and space thing, and can use its wormhole powers for the Propel to pull objects from other times. The singularity is the you from another time. Even the heal and the end refill could be viewed as accelerating the passage of time on yourself to simulate a nice period of rest that takes no time. The subtle ripples and swirls of grav and kin even look all "Timey Wimey".

Lewis

I still think the comparison to a Controller/Blaster is apt, since Blasters also do more damage if they add in the melee attacks. They just dont survive as well.

Anyway, I'm in the minority, but I usually de-emphasize the melee range playstyle. Oh, I still take and use most of my melee powers, but I have always (on both controllers and dominators) preferred playing mid-range, at about 15 feet away. That leaves me set up well for moving in or out as I prefer. I use melee when I happen to be adjacent to a foe, or when I decide to move up a bit.

So, yeah, you do more damage in melee range since you have all your attacks available there, but you CAN play at range. Contrary to what most people prefer, I usually dont even take my Electric Melee punches until the 30s. I'm fine relying on CB, LB, and Static Discharge. Then again, I was a controller first, so I'm tolerant of a slower approach. The damage definitely is lower at range, not only because the ranged attacks do less damage generally, but because half your attack chain is unavailable.

Lewis

I personally skipped the shield, and took Water Spout. But that is because I usually dont allow bad guys to hit me in the first place, or I minimize it.

Anyway, Water Spout is pretty awesome to behold, and it does good damage if it get to leverage it (say, due to you whipping it out on an immobilized group, or using it on a Boss or Elite type when his allies are defeated, so it can focus on the one tough guy). It also does knock-up, which is fun to watch.

But, it isnt essential. I use it every time it is up, but I can't say it has been necessary.

Lewis

I use /Fire on my Fire/Kin just because of the theme. Also, I personally cannot stand to be on the ground if I dont have to. I just really love the free-movement feeling of Hover + Siphon Speed. Therefore, I cant use /Stone since fissure requires that I be ground-bound.

There is no doubt that /Stone is better, though.

My personal favorite epic,when theme doesnt conflict, is /Ice, for the fact that I get 2 AoEs.

BTW, to the person that commented on it, Ice Storm doesnt take Acc because it doesnt need it. It has some mega-huge accuracy (I dont think its auto). Huge to the point that accuracy wouldnt really help. That's good, though, because you can skimp on a slot, or go for a higher percentage of slow effect, in addition to max damage and max recharge.

Lewis

We could also maybe promote the old Global Channel for controllers, "Control" .... it used to be active but the Great Controller Nerf and ED kinda killed it and its been about 10 stragglers or less ever since. But it seems that it would be good to get an in-game controller global channel going too, if you want to be able to organize (or simply chat with) control teams or controllers on the fly in the game.

So, either we could use the existing channel "Control" or else possibly, if "Control Freaks" isnt taken, someone (Local_Man?) could snag that global channel and I could try to budge the other die-hards off of Control to Control Freaks (if it isnt taken already).

Lewis

Some of my fave/coolest/Most Surprising names:

Invasion, Slugger, Neurotica, Brambles, Warband, Powersink, Flame Fatale, Technique, Star Hero, Wild Magic, Enchanted, Gaslight, Stormhawk, Double Trouble, Vivid, Powerhawk, Magenta, Slipstream, Scream Machine, Dawnfire.


Lewis

All,

I have 2 questions about the new forums.

(1) First, did the General and Archetype forums get merged? I found the Archetype Forum, but now it is called "Archetypes & Powers General Discussion". However, I can't find the old General General forum, whatever it was called. The one that used to be linked by:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/forumdisplay.php?f=616

Where has it moved, or did they merge?

(2) Second, whats up with the Dev Digest? Is there not a new one currently? It really cuts down on the ability to track tidbits the devs release. I see the Developers Corner forum, and I think I see what is the old dev digest (both european and north american) but they seem to be filled (on my browser) with a bunch of raw html codes on the page, and they are alphebetical by Dev, not sorted by date. I use Firefox, as I always have.

So, what's the deal on the Dev Digest these days?

Thanks,

Lewis

I know this wasnt on your list, but I really love Merc/Storm. Controls, debuffs, mercs. Yum! It can be as controlled or as wild a ride as you want to make it!

Lewis

I prefer Power Boost. I want the extra stun time on Stalagmites. But since the set is new, and therefore I dont have any time invested into it, I wouldnt be unhappy with something else. PB is just a preference.

Lewis

Mind Storm, to me, is an awesome combo simply because of all the great tools in your toolbox that do totally different things. You have Sleep, Holds, Fear, Confuse, Knockup, Pushback, Knockback, Repel, Stealth, Elemental Resistance, -Recharge, -Slow, -Defense Debuff, -Resist Debuff, Stun, and of course Damage. There is a LOT to do.

Also, Mind Control is one of the better "solo if you can't get a team" primaries, in that you have a single target damage chain. That way, whether you like to solo or team, you'll be sure to get up to all the juicy storm powers.

Another great thing about the combo is that you can totally go bat-****-insane and whip up all kinds of chaos if you want to. And yet, you dont have to. You can reign yourself in, leverage a little containment (total dom and thunderclap and to a lesser degree mass hypnosis) and be all teamy and focused and use powers sparingly, or you can GO NUTS and not even worry about whether your hurricane is scattering things or your mass hypnosis or fear are being disturbed. You can generate so much chaos that it simply doesnt matter.

I've played Mind/Storm to 50, and it is a LOT of fun. The higher you go, the more fun it gets.

Lewis

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Controls plus powerboost feel very meh for aforestated reasons.

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I meh your meh.

Since I dont have any global recharge on any of my dominators, I love it. Even if I did, I'd personally love it, even if it was over-control.

PB is my favorite Dominator power, in fact, well not counting Carrior Creepers. So, I'm pretty happy it is in Earth Assault. If they change it, that's cool.

My /Ice and /Energy Doms would never want to give it up though, since they already have it and they love it.

Lewis

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if you were a superhero/villain, and could shoot fire or dark energy out of your hands, would the first thing that springs to mind be "NOW i need some trick arrows and i'll be superduper"? no, it wouldn't, cause it effin dumb!! you would just shoot fire, and be happy. i can't fathom playing a character with two powersets that don't fit SOMEHOW, sure stretch it as much as you can, but make some kind of connection.

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WOW. Troll?

If not, these connections are easy. As a mutant who throws fire, you could have saved the life of a high tech inventor who, in gratitude, provided you with a high tech bow with trick arrows. That makes it linked in terms of your background.

Alternately, you could be a gadgeteer, with trick arrows, who also has a suit that gives you a bunch of fire attacks also. In fact, thats how my Fire/TA controller's background works. She is from an alternate "gaslight era" london with era-appropriate retro-tech that gives her trick arrows and fire powers.

As for a Dark/TA corruptor, you have a magic bow from the underworld that, in addition to corrupting your soul thereby allowing you to project dark blasts, also has a variety of "tricks" built in via enchantment.

There are some link ideas for you. Any power sets can be linked.

Lewis

Local Man,

You should also try a duo with another grav/storm, esp once you have Singularity, and ESP once you also have lightning storm. 2 thunder claps stacked, 2 lightning storms, 2 freezing rains, and 2 singularities along with all the other goodies is extremely fun. I played mine with a friend on occasion, who had a similar build, and its a neat little duo.

Lewis

PK,

I think you are too well versed at FF for that to be weak for you. Why not try a Sonic/Elec? You'd have no knockback control so it would be more challenging.

Lewis

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Earth Trick Arrow Controller

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Excellent damage mitigation and better damage output (due to Acid and Disruption) than most other combinations which aren't Fire/* or Ill/*.

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Exactly! That is why I didnt put slow or tedious-to-solo items on my list. Earth/Trick arrow is awesome at being a mitigation machine, right from the start. I put ones that didnt pair as well together as other sets without issues. Well, issues for me at least.

Lewis

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So then you're all basically saying the IS no weak combo, just slow ones? That's not what I wanted to hear. I wanted WEAK.

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My list wasnt about slow, mine was about weak, or at least awkward.

Lewis

I'm not sure weakest applies, but how about most awkward?

I would think a Trick Arrow/Electric Defender would be pretty awkward, with all the redraw, and with the love-it-or-be-bored-by-it nature of Electric Blast.

I bet a Gravity/Empathy Controller would be a small slice of hell. Maybe just my own personal hell. I love both sets but they seem like they'd be tedious together.

Probably the last Scrapper I'd ever play would be Martial Arts / Fire. Ugh.

The wacky crap you "have" to do to make a Stone Armor Tanker tolerable (Teleport) combined with how awful (IMO) and slow and underperforming Energy Melee is (IMO) would make me avoid a Stone Armor / Energy Melee tanker like the plague.

I think the most irritating Brute to me would be Dual Blades / Energy Aura. I mean, ugh, having to worry about combos, having a secondary that requires a lot more caution than other sets, and then being invisible all the time so you cant see your blades? Nasty.

For Corruptors, I think Electric/Sonic would be kinda nasty, in part because I hate Electric Blast and in part because it seems like /Sonic would add to it the least. Not sure tho.

For Dominators, I'd pick Gravity/Psi as the worst, just because the control in Gravity comes so late, and because Psi as a secondary isnt quite worth the effort any more. There are individual sets that are better at BOTH single target and area damage. Plus, Drain Psyche is probably less useful to Grav/Psi than Power Boost or Build Up would be. It just seems awkward.

For Masterminds, I dont think there are any bad combos, but Ninja/Poison would be my least favorite, just because the Ninjas dont hold up to damage well, and Poison only has the single target heal, with little else to protect them.

I dont like Blasters, Stalkers, or the VEATs enough to even play them, really, much less recommend a worst.

Lewis

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Wow, no need to be so rude.

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I was adamant, and horrified, but not rude. I didn't call you any names.

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I took Icy Assault for concept.

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Well then, tweaky mechanics changes shouldn't matter to you, unless you now care about something other than concept.

Lewis

It is probably the case that, since the OP has all the defense from the Enforcer boosting the thugs, and since the FF powers are giving defense all over, he or she may have already taken Maneuvers to stack with those other defense powers. If not, take Maneuvers first.

If Maneuvers has been taken already, the OP can take Assault or Tactics. I myself prefer Tactics, unless I am ABSOLUTELY strapped for slots. Then, I'll consider Assault if I can only spare 1 extra slot on whichever power I take.

Lewis

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I should mention though, I personally feel that with the recent changes, Power Boost for Doms should be changed to Power Build Up. Leave it at the 120s recharge it's at currently, give it a Damage/To Hit boost, and maybe lower the amount of +Duration it has. Icy and Energy won't be able to do as many "bursts" of damage that Elec can, but at least it will have an option for those that feel the +Duration is superfluous.

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ABSOLUTELY NO.

If you wanted a secondary with +Damage, you should have rolled one. No need to totally change the behavior of every one else's character just for you.

Earth Assault, I can understand arguing for changes, because it doesnt exist on live yet. In that case, arguing about preference is ok.

Lewis

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I must admit I have never seen Frankenslotting defined. But from your description, I am believe it means, slotting mulitple IO sets in a single power at perhaps 2 slots per set rather than getting to 5 or 6 slots of a single set.

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It just means mixing different sets to get the best overall numbers on a power that you can. Most people dont bother unless they are trying to keep costs down, because most people go for perma this or that or huge massive recharge so they do full sets. Being on a budget, I frankenslot, simply to get the best overall numbers I can on each individual power.

Lewis