New efforts!

[Joshex]

It was not. The very first implementation of interface IIRC used granted powers, but that was quickly abandoned due to the problem of granted powers ignoring the purple patch. The version that was live for most of the time people had Interface used collective ignore stacking of an effect directly placed by a global boost proc instead.

The DoT was marked to ignore enhancements, however, so Musculature would not buff it. The DoT also stacked to 8 while the -Res stacked to 4.

Pets did indeed inherit Interface. Due to the way the stacking works, you'd either need pets or a fast attack chain to apply more than ~2 before the 8.3 second duration expired (remember it's not a 100% chance). I usually went Reactive Radial because the fire damage was the better part of the deal, and the -Res was just the icing.

did damage insps effect DoT? I know damage multiplier bonuses and build-up increased it.

very interested in this stuff as I will no doubt tackle programming insps (or their equivalent) after battle stuff.

[Arcana]

did damage insps effect DoT? I know damage multiplier bonuses and build-up increased it.

very interested in this stuff as I will no doubt tackle programming insps (or their equivalent) after battle stuff.

Everything buffed DoT in general: damage over time was nothing special in CoH, just a damage effect that repeated over time instead of happening just once.  But we're talking about Incarnate powers which had special rules governing how they were intended to work, and Incarnate powers tended to obey the design rule that Incarnate damage isn't generally affected by damage buffs.  This was to make sure Brutes wouldn't be one-shotting all of Crey's Folly with a Judgment blast.

[Arcana]

Reuters' interpretation of what they have been told is incorrect, as are the quotes

It would not be unusual for a newspaper to get the fine technical details wrong on an accident investigation, but unless you're the actual source for the quotes I don't see how you could make that specific claim.  In any event, whether those quotes were actually stated by reliable sources or not isn't really the point, as they were mostly color commentary anyway: they reflect a general attitude that is common knowledge.

The technical knowledge I've been given by people with more direct knowledge of such matters is that outside the direct investigation team no conclusion about the cause of the crash is officially known, but there does appear to be sufficient evidence to conclude that the problem stems from several of the engines becoming colloquially "stuck" at low power and that Airbus itself has already confirmed publicly that their own internal investigations have discovered a software problem that can in some circumstances replicate that particular failure mode, sufficient for them to issue an AOT recommending A400M operators to conduct specific powered engine tests on the ground at least once and after any servicing involving the ECBs occurs.  Such a problem, if confirmed as being the primary cause of the crash, would not substantively alter my opinion as to the nature of the problem or its remedy, even if complicating factors exist.

[Antovaras]

It would not be unusual for a newspaper to get the fine technical details wrong on an accident investigation, but unless you're the actual source for the quotes I don't see how you could make that specific claim.  In any event, whether those quotes were actually stated by reliable sources or not isn't really the point, as they were mostly color commentary anyway: they reflect a general attitude that is common knowledge.

The technical knowledge I've been given by people with more direct knowledge of such matters is that outside the direct investigation team no conclusion about the cause of the crash is officially known, but there does appear to be sufficient evidence to conclude that the problem stems from several of the engines becoming colloquially "stuck" at low power and that Airbus itself has already confirmed publicly that their own internal investigations have discovered a software problem that can in some circumstances replicate that particular failure mode, sufficient for them to issue an AOT recommending A400M operators to conduct specific powered engine tests on the ground at least once and after any servicing involving the ECBs occurs.  Such a problem, if confirmed as being the primary cause of the crash, would not substantively alter my opinion as to the nature of the problem or its remedy, even if complicating factors exist.

Unfortunately a lot of people are speculating on incomplete information to try and extrapolate the root cause(s) of the failure. Some of that speculation may be accurate, and Airbus can be given some credit for their swift action, and some of it is likely to be wildly wrong. Until the investigation concludes, it's best not to make too many leaps of logic and the information in the wild.

[Azrael]

Viable?  Them's fightin' words.  My main was Energy/Energy, and I played as a balanced blaster, a blapper, a short-ranged blaster, a sniper (boost range), and in I23 I was running what I called a "Freem" build after the Freem mission where I discovered if you built for enough recharge and recovery Energy could pump out so much knock behind that stream of damage that things had a really hard time shooting back, like sometimes ever.

I had a perma-hasten en/en main pre-Ed.  I loved it to bits.  I played a balanced blaster. Discovered blapping (really liked energy punch, bone smasher and energy thrust with build up after hitting that hasten button...), a short-ranged blaster, a sniper (yep.  Boost range...).  Power boost to knock mobs a city block over there before they nerfed the knbk on it...power push was great to use with snipe (imagine instant snipe from issue 24 in conjunction with power push - drool.)

What I found was that hasten drove the build but conserve fueled it.  The problem was that conserve never came around quite quick enough even with 6 recharge slots and permanent hasten...which was also six slotted.  With these twin pillars you could stack knock back for any attacks that missed chance to knock because you'd be firing so quickly!

However, when they neutered permanent-hasten. The party was over.  But my first L50!  I had a blast and fond times with good community.

That was 10-11 years ago? 

In recent times I re-rolled it and tried again to get an en/en to L50.  I found it a very frustrating experience.  The knock back, your form of damage mitigation was very erratic...even if it hit...the mob would get up very quickly.  It seemed that after a handful of attacks I'd be out of juice and limping around on empty aka a sitting duck with few hit points.  Sure, I had doubled end reds in the obvious attacks but it seemed like I was missing permanent hasten and a conserve power that would come around much quicker.  In short, not how I remember it.  Even temp invul gave little overall protection.  Just smash and lethal.  When a self buffing deflection and insulation shield would have made for far more potent 'epic' powers...as opposed to a force field where you could stand like a lemon.



"In Issue 24 Conserve Power was going to become an Energize clone, meaning it would drop to 60 second recharge (down from ten minutes) and gain regeneration and heal (it still reduced endurance costs, and now that effectively meant you could get perma-conserve power).  It was pretty sweet.  My I23 build was an extremely high recharge build designed to allow me to just shoot practically continuously (I called it a Freem build, after discovering I really liked the way energy played during the Freem mission with non-stop firing).  Needless to say, a high recharge build was going to really like Energise."


i concur with your findings.  If only I had found an IO build out to promote permanent hasten, recovery and had access to issue 24.  Energise sounds like the holy grail I was missing. ( I found it a great power on my electric mace tank....). It would have reduced end costs across the board especially on energy torrent (my favourite ever power!) and exploding blast which I used to eviscerate even con mobs...  One thing I did was to slot en torrent for range until I got boost range...  It would have given a 'just in time' heal and with permanent fueled a perma hasten build to allow you to fight your way out of a situation.  (I did try a sonic/en blapper variation using sleep and minus res...but it just wasn't as much fun.).  If you could have had a build with defence numbers in the 25/30s...and got barrier from the incarnate...

High recharge was the way to go.  I wonder if Barrier incarnate power could be added to that heady mix.

Bah.  Just remembered that NC Soft closed the game down.  Fantasy over for now.

Azrael. :/

Ps.  Energy was pure ballet to play with non-stop firing.  It was made to be played that way.  I just didn't have enough knowledge of IOs to kit it out that way post ed.  so I was always rather critical of post ed in this regard.  Ie.  The original coh didn't need a calculator to play.  You wanted loads of recharge?  Just slot for permanent hasten.  I don't rembeed things being broken.  I liked tanks herding the hollows and my permanent hasten en/en. :)

Pps. One crazy idea I just had was energy transfer for en blasters.  Every time you score a direct hit you heal a bit.  Another idea would be to put both hands in the ground to erupt a mob like an energy volcano instead of running into a mob.  Eg.  A bit like the water nova...

[Aggelakis]

Eh, I dunno I can sort of see it, at least with a Mastermind. Throw up personal force field and have your minions focus fire whilst you tank perhaps? I dunno.

You couldn't control your minions with PFF on. Additionally, you lost Bodyguard and your minions lost Supremacy.

[Arcana]

If only I had found an IO build out to promote permanent hasten, recovery and had access to issue 24.

This was I think pretty much my I23 build.  It was pretty zippy. +162.5% global recharge.  Power Bolt is recharging in about a second, and Blast in about two and a half.  Torrent recharges so fast I use it as a single target weapon.  And it had enough recovery to sustain the offense at a high level, and conserve power was on a 90 seconds up, 60 seconds down cycle, without dipping into incarnate powers.  And it still had high-teens defense.

This build was plenty fun to play everywhere, but I discovered it was practically made for one specific scenario.  When the ambushes come in Reichsman, you stand right by the doorway and say "I got this."  And then you start shooting at everything that sticks its head through.  If anything gets past you, you're doing it wrong.

One time, I got an Invuln tanker to say "I gotta roll one of those."  Energy Blasters live for that moment.

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.96
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

LA: Level 50 Magic Blaster
Primary Power Set: Energy Blast
Secondary Power Set: Energy Manipulation
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leaping
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Fighting
Ancillary Pool: Force Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Power Bolt -- Apoc-Dmg/Rchg(A), Apoc-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(3), Apoc-Acc/Rchg(3), Apoc-Dmg/EndRdx(5), Apoc-Dam%(5), FrcFbk-Rechg%(7)
Level 1: Power Thrust -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 2: Power Blast -- Decim-Acc/Dmg(A), Decim-Dmg/EndRdx(7), Decim-Dmg/Rchg(9), Decim-Acc/EndRdx/Rchg(9), Decim-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(11), FrcFbk-Rechg%(11)
Level 4: Build Up -- GSFC-ToHit(A), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg(37), GSFC-ToHit/Rchg/EndRdx(39), GSFC-Rchg/EndRdx(39), GSFC-ToHit/EndRdx(39), GSFC-Build%(40)
Level 6: Hasten -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(13), RechRdx-I(13)
Level 8: Combat Jumping -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(31)
Level 10: Hover -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(43), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(46), HO:Enzym(46)
Level 12: Energy Torrent -- Ragnrk-Dmg(A), Ragnrk-Dmg/Rchg(19), Ragnrk-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(21), Ragnrk-Acc/Rchg(21), Ragnrk-Dmg/EndRdx(23), FrcFbk-Rechg%(23)
Level 14: Aim -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 16: Bone Smasher -- Mako-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(A), Hectmb-Dmg/Rchg(19), Hectmb-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(25), Hectmb-Acc/Rchg(27), Hectmb-Dmg/EndRdx(27), Hectmb-Dam%(29)
Level 18: Conserve Power -- RechRdx-I(A), RechRdx-I(34), RechRdx-I(34)
Level 20: Fly -- HO:Micro(A)
Level 22: Boxing -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 24: Tough -- GA-3defTpProc(A), S'fstPrt-ResDam/Def+(25), S'fstPrt-ResKB(33), GA-End/Res(33), GA-ResDam(33), HO:Ribo(34)
Level 26: Weave -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx(46), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(48), HO:Enzym(48)
Level 28: Explosive Blast -- Posi-Acc/Dmg(A), Posi-Dmg/EndRdx(36), Posi-Dmg/Rchg(36), Posi-Dmg/Rng(36), Posi-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(37), FrcFbk-Rechg%(37)
Level 30: Power Boost -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 32: Nova -- Armgdn-Dmg(A), Armgdn-Dmg/Rchg(45), Armgdn-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(48), Armgdn-Acc/Rchg(50), Armgdn-Dmg/EndRdx(50), Armgdn-Dam%(50)
Level 35: Boost Range -- EndRdx-I(A)
Level 38: Total Focus -- SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg(A), SBlastersW-Dmg/Rchg(40), SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg/Rchg(40), SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx(42), SBlastersW-Acc/Dmg/EndRdx/Rchg(42), SBlastersW-Rchg/Dmg%(42)
Level 41: Personal Force Field -- LkGmblr-Rchg+(A), LkGmblr-EndRdx/Rchg(43), LkGmblr-Def/EndRdx/Rchg(43)
Level 44: Temp Invulnerability -- Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx(A), Aegis-ResDam/EndRdx/Rchg(45), Aegis-Psi/Status(45)
Level 47: Force of Nature -- ResDam-I(A)
Level 49: Super Speed -- Winter-ResSlow(A)
Level 1: Brawl -- HO:Nucle(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Clrty-Stlth(A)
Level 2: Rest -- RechRdx-I(A)
Level 1: Defiance
Level 0: Freedom Phalanx Reserve
Level 0: Portal Jockey
Level 0: Task Force Commander
Level 0: The Atlas Medallion
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 2: Swift -- Run-I(A)
Level 2: Hurdle -- Jump-I(A)
Level 2: Health -- Numna-Regen/Rcvry+(A), Mrcl-Rcvry+(15), Numna-Heal(17), Numna-Heal/EndRdx(31), RgnTis-Regen+(31)
Level 2: Stamina -- P'Shift-EndMod/Acc(A), P'Shift-EndMod/Rchg(15), P'Shift-EndMod(17), P'Shift-End%(29)
Level 1: Prestige Power Slide -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Dash -- Run-I(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Quick -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Prestige Power Rush -- Run-I(A)
Level 50: Spiritual Core Paragon
Level 50: Ion Total Core Judgement
Level 50: Reactive Radial Flawless Interface
Level 50: Rebirth Radial Epiphany
Level 50: Assault Core Embodiment
------------

[LaughingAlex]

I played my kin/energy defender exactly the way some of you guys are talking about energy blasters......:).

[Eskreema]

*sigh* A build... I miss conceptualizing, building and playing.

[Ironwolf]

This was I think pretty much my I23 build.  It was pretty zippy. +162.5% global recharge.  Power Bolt is recharging in about a second, and Blast in about two and a half.  Torrent recharges so fast I use it as a single target weapon.  And it had enough recovery to sustain the offense at a high level, and conserve power was on a 90 seconds up, 60 seconds down cycle, without dipping into incarnate powers.  And it still had high-teens defense.

This build was plenty fun to play everywhere, but I discovered it was practically made for one specific scenario.  When the ambushes come in Reichsman, you stand right by the doorway and say "I got this."  And then you start shooting at everything that sticks its head through.  If anything gets past you, you're doing it wrong.

One time, I got an Invuln tanker to say "I gotta roll one of those."  Energy Blasters live for that moment.

Ice/Storm controller on that mission was fun too.

[Von Krieger]

Just extend the level cap to L60.

That was never a viable option. It would result in a far, FAR greater workload than adding the Incarnate system did.

You have to make new zones and story arcs for the level 50-60 content, thus further spreading out the player base.

You immediately obsolete the entire end game IO system. The moment you ding 54 Hami-O's cease functioning.

You have to make IO sets for the 50-60 range as well as making new "end game" purple IO's for level 60.

You also have to make new slots available to put in to your new, normal leveling powers as well as your existing powers. To my recollection the devs were actually trying to add a few more slots for players to use. The game code did not particularly appreciate the effort and things broke in weird ways when additional slots were tested.

And once you start upping the level cap, you can never really stop, which keeps stretching out the level range. Meaning that the dev team has to spread out content even thinner so as to provide fresh, new storyarcs along the entire range of levels.

And for each new set of levels you have to deal with these issues each and every time.

[Vee]

Them not going down the level cap road was one of the things that made coh so great. There are plenty of other MMOs for people who're into the endless gear grind and obsoleted content that path leads to.

[blacksly]

Them not going down the level cap road was one of the things that made coh so great. There are plenty of other MMOs for people who're into the endless gear grind and obsoleted content that path leads to.

Agreed. When you design a MMORPG, you have to decide whether you're going to have some level caps, or whether you're always going to expand the level caps. And that design will influence several features of the game.

For example, you really have a limited number of accessible powers. That is for several reasons: you only have so much room in a clickable tray, a player can only keep track of so many available powers, and you only need so many as to fill an attack chain plus miscellaneous attack powers with debuff or control effects. If you allow characters to get a full attack chain by 40, what are they going to do with all those powers when they can reach 60 or 80? The answer is that an expanding game does not ADD too many powers, but often will replace powers, with your basic starting attacks replaced at 21-30. So you get new powers, but not more powers, which keeps the UI and complexity manageable.

But, of course, CoH did not do that. The powers are not replaced, and even the Tier 1 attacks are meant to be useful from 1st level to max level. Which means that adding more levels will always ADD powers, which will make the UI more and more crowded, and the character more and more complex to the point where you discard powers just because you don't have room to keep track of them, and no need of them. So, the basic design of CoH's powers as you advance does not fit an always-expanding model.

There's nothing wrong with an always-expanding game. It does require more work on the Developer part, but OTOH it adds more new content for players, which is good. But it really needs to be on a framework that was designed from the beginning for that, or else heavily converted during the game's lifetime in order to allow smooth future expanding. CoH was not designed for that, and it was never changed.

[LaughingAlex]

I agree with not going down the road of upping the level cap to.  I honestly am especially unhappy with DCUO at times that, on a technicality, that games level cap endlessly increases to.  As it stands in that game currently my main character can now stomp all the original "raid" bosses by herself in seconds.  But all the while the raids are still more of the same and beaten often with the same "strategy"(looking at you, holy trinity), only the solo content is getting worst and worst(in the form of "Here, play one of OUR already made DC characters rather than your own").

The big problem I have though, is depth doesn't come from increasing the level cap to.  A good way of comparison would be to look at the difference between a strategy game with a lot of depth and one that just one-ups all the time.

In the good strategy game, you see a lot of different units, from lets say, pistol armed cavalry, linemen, riflemen, and artillery personel firing cannons.  Ok, cool, we got 4 different types of units here.  For sea battles in our theoretical colonial day RTS we got transports to move men from place to place and various early battleships.  You even get to see early submarines to give everyone a small scare, maybe even add some early flying machine to spot them, strangely, somehow(looking at you warcraft 2).

Now lets gut it down to a game of one-upping all the time.

Lets make the whole game sea-battle only, and then just up the scale for all the battleships.  We'll add higher "tech" but forget carriers that actually existed, forget destroyers and forget submarines.  Only bigger and bigger ships with ever bigger guns will be allowed and THATS IT!  Oh yes, bigger ships will always crush the smaller ships no problem.  No submarines or carriers to counter said battleships, no need for destroyers either.

Some people will think that increasing the numbers adds depth, but it really doesn't.  The above game I just mentioned has none.  The one above it had far more depth, and would be a lot funner to any RTS enthusiast.

Increasing the level cap only increases the grind, but it doesn't increase strategy.  What I liked about the CoX incarnate system was that at least for incarnate content it did force you to make decisions.  "What do I want on my character?  More endurance or more reliable mez protection?  Am I willing to still keep using breakfrees or should I go for clarion instead of Ageless?" on say, a blaster is a decision everyone had to face.  Or in my case a time manipulator it'd be a hard call between Clarion Radial Epiphany, Clarion Core Epiphany, or something else, such as Barrier or Ageless.

All the while enemies were adjusted cleverly in incarnate content and harder AE missions were being made.

[Minotaur]

Back when the market first arrived, people were selling off dmg/rng HOs for next to nothing. So I slotted 3 in each ranged power of my nrg/nrg and then used boost range to be utterly stupid. In practice my snipe/T2 combo went off before a nemesis sniper could shoot me. Was about the only build I never IOd.

Boost range/full auto was even funnier though, how many groups in that corridor do you want to shoot at once ?

[KennonGL]

Back when the market first arrived, people were selling off dmg/rng HOs for next to nothing. So I slotted 3 in each ranged power of my nrg/nrg and then used boost range to be utterly stupid. In practice my snipe/T2 combo went off before a nemesis sniper could shoot me. Was about the only build I never IOd.

Boost range/full auto was even funnier though, how many groups in that corridor do you want to shoot at once ?

I had an AR/Eng Blaster slotted up like that too.  Lots o fun.

When boost range was active, Sniper Shot had a range that was so long, the target would just be a little dot in the distance.

.....And boom Headshot :)

Range Boosted Full Auto was just way too enjoyable, I'd giggle like a little kid every time.

[umber]

Back when the market first arrived, people were selling off dmg/rng HOs for next to nothing. So I slotted 3 in each ranged power of my nrg/nrg and then used boost range to be utterly stupid. In practice my snipe/T2 combo went off before a nemesis sniper could shoot me. Was about the only build I never IOd.

The range was so great with Boost Range and HOs that you could reach targets that you couldn't even see.

I remember serving as a spotter, would target a critter just at the edge of my visible range while a SGer would then target through me from an equivalent distance further on back.  You could snipe a target from a state away.

Em, Kyle, I miss our en/en triumvirate!

[Winter Fable]

I did not like playing with lvl 50+4's incarnate people on any regular lvl 50 missions because they made the mission to easy.The first powers helped any end problems but after that they became to powerful on anywhere  but trials.Even the ITF with defense debuff's that would make it difficult for most of players became easy for 50+4's.Many times I would see them fight in different parts of the map because they didn't need the rest of the team.

[Vee]

I didn't much like how easy incarnate powers made the level 50 stuff either, but to be fair my crew was splitting up and soloing itf objectives long before inc powers were dreamed of.

[LaughingAlex]

I more concluded that IO's tended to be equally or more useful than incarnate powers for maxing a character out.  There was only so many different things you could do with incarnate powers, but IO's let you boost defenses or recharge of everything you had already.  The only power slot I can think of from incarnate powers that made content significantly easier were the lore pets.  Most of killing an AV was simply having enough damage and an enhancement configuration to ensure your endurance bar could out-last the AV's health bar, which you had to out-damage his health regen.

Then course you needed to have enough survivability for the entire fight.