07-08-2004, 10:27 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-08-2004, 10:29 PM by LiquidDamage.)
Here are some suggestions:
1) Make a purposefully underpowered blaster.
Methods of doing might include not taking any AoE attacks, and/or slotting 1 accuracy, 2 endurance reducers, and 3 damage enhancers instead of the standard 1 acc/5 damage or 6 damage. You could also spread your enhancement slots thin, going for 4 slots in just about everything you have instead of loading 6 into each thing you use. Maybe don't take hasten, or at least, don't fully slot it with recharge enhancers if you take it as a pre-req for Superspeed. You could take two travel powers, like Superspeed and Super Jump (I hear that combo is really fun now).
2) I recommend Defenders over Controllers.
Controllers have the same problem you claim tankers have (I personally play a tanker that can kill stuff, but that may merely be a matter of opinion), at least until level 32 when they get pets. "Fun" builds depend on what you like, I have an FF/Energy Blast defender without any single target bubbles, and I enjoy being a walking passive shield that can blast all day long (stamina + 2 endurance reducers in two blasts allows this).
I hear Dark Miasma is the most versatile primary, with Dark Blast and Electrical Blast being the most versatile secondaries. Radiation Emission is also very versitile, but we have a rad defender and two rad controllers in my SG, so you might feel redundant if you play one with us. I wouldn't mind another, however. ;) Storm Defenders are on the underpowered side unless you play with just the right group (Hurricane is AMAZING with a group of blasters, but really annoying with a group of melee characters). Force Field is the best form of defense, while Kinetics has the best options for increasing a group's damage output. The final power, Fulcrum Shift, is apparently quite amazing. Kinetics also has some built in travel powers in Siphon Speed and Inertial Reduction, freeing up a powerpool and a pre-req slot, if you don't mind having to recast them when they wear off. Note that Siphon Speed requires you to hit something to gain the speed boost, I hear it is not useful as a travel power unless combined with Inertial Reduction now that speed boosts increase jumping speed as well.
Empathy is the most desired primary power set by narrow minded former-EQ players. At low levels they are VERY helpful, but our Empathy Defender retired his character at level 24 when he realized he only used all those fully slotted healing powers once every 3 days. Buffs and Debuffs will always be helpful, healing is only useful when people get hurt. People don't get hurt much with a good tanker or controller around, let alone one of each.
The Leadership power pool is especially effective for the Defender AT, as they get a 12.5% bonus from them, while scrappers, tankers, and blasters only get 7%. Assault is currently near worthless above 12th level, while Maneuvers and Tactics are always nice to have around.
Be sure to fully slot a few attacks, or you will not enjoy playing the character. Not being able to kill anything (like you say about tankers) is no fun. My FF/Energy Blaster has 1 accuracy, 2 endurance reducers, and 3 damage enhancers in her two main blasts, and while she doesn't kill FAST, she can contribute, and contribute often.
3) Come up with a superhero concept and design from there.
The character I am most attached to is actually the most generic power combination of all my characters, simply because I like the character. Half-Cocked is an Invulnerability/Super Strength Tanker, which is about as generic as a superhero can get, but once you give such a character a background, a personality, and some motivation, you might find that you have The Hulk instead of Generic Strong Invulnerable Man. I'm not saying you have to roleplay, but if you view the character as a superhero you are controlling instead of a "toon" that you are playing in a game, you might enjoy playing more. This game may play more like Diablo 2 than like Everquest, but it doesn't present you with 7 pre-set characters that have their background and style laid out for you, so I recommend taking advantage of that.
4) Use the Hero Planner. Fully.
You can seriously screw yourself up if you don't plan your character, as some powers become available at some levels, and post 20 levels come pretty slowly. If someone says to me "Which power should I take this level?" or "where should I put these two slots?" my answer is always "Don't you use the Hero Planner?". I know some people like to "organically grow" their characters, but please trust me when I say that you will be really pissed when you find you need Stamina at level 25, and can't get it till level 30 because you haven't taken a single pre-req for it.
Think of it this way: you are (most likely) not playing a D&D style character that learns new skills as you go. You are going from Clark Kent to Superman, and he didn't figure out that he ALREADY HAD the ability to fly until he was over 18 years old. You are going from The Hulk that just randomly smashed stuff to The Hulk that knew he could knock everyone on their ass if he slammed his foot into the ground with full force. All that the Hero Planner does is help you decide WHEN the character figured out he had that ability. It is like writing the skeleton for the story of the hero's life, before actually writing the story.
As for power selection, I cannot stress enough how important it is to get your travel power at level 14. When you take 5 times as long to get places as everyone else, you won't enjoy it, and if you don't have a teammate with Recall Friend, they won't enjoy it either. Also, do your best to get Stamina at 20 or 22. It makes a world of difference. It is no fun standing around before battles waiting for your endurance to come back, especially if you are the only one that needs to wait.
5) If you want to know what I'd like in my team, I'd honestly prefer a Defender (with slotted blasts) or a Blaster (even an underpowered one).
Out of the people I play with, most are tankers, scrappers and controllers. More than one tanker or controller on a team isn't helpful unless you have a couple blasters or scrappers as well.
Sorry for such a long reply, just want to help as much as I can. :)
1) Make a purposefully underpowered blaster.
Methods of doing might include not taking any AoE attacks, and/or slotting 1 accuracy, 2 endurance reducers, and 3 damage enhancers instead of the standard 1 acc/5 damage or 6 damage. You could also spread your enhancement slots thin, going for 4 slots in just about everything you have instead of loading 6 into each thing you use. Maybe don't take hasten, or at least, don't fully slot it with recharge enhancers if you take it as a pre-req for Superspeed. You could take two travel powers, like Superspeed and Super Jump (I hear that combo is really fun now).
2) I recommend Defenders over Controllers.
Controllers have the same problem you claim tankers have (I personally play a tanker that can kill stuff, but that may merely be a matter of opinion), at least until level 32 when they get pets. "Fun" builds depend on what you like, I have an FF/Energy Blast defender without any single target bubbles, and I enjoy being a walking passive shield that can blast all day long (stamina + 2 endurance reducers in two blasts allows this).
I hear Dark Miasma is the most versatile primary, with Dark Blast and Electrical Blast being the most versatile secondaries. Radiation Emission is also very versitile, but we have a rad defender and two rad controllers in my SG, so you might feel redundant if you play one with us. I wouldn't mind another, however. ;) Storm Defenders are on the underpowered side unless you play with just the right group (Hurricane is AMAZING with a group of blasters, but really annoying with a group of melee characters). Force Field is the best form of defense, while Kinetics has the best options for increasing a group's damage output. The final power, Fulcrum Shift, is apparently quite amazing. Kinetics also has some built in travel powers in Siphon Speed and Inertial Reduction, freeing up a powerpool and a pre-req slot, if you don't mind having to recast them when they wear off. Note that Siphon Speed requires you to hit something to gain the speed boost, I hear it is not useful as a travel power unless combined with Inertial Reduction now that speed boosts increase jumping speed as well.
Empathy is the most desired primary power set by narrow minded former-EQ players. At low levels they are VERY helpful, but our Empathy Defender retired his character at level 24 when he realized he only used all those fully slotted healing powers once every 3 days. Buffs and Debuffs will always be helpful, healing is only useful when people get hurt. People don't get hurt much with a good tanker or controller around, let alone one of each.
The Leadership power pool is especially effective for the Defender AT, as they get a 12.5% bonus from them, while scrappers, tankers, and blasters only get 7%. Assault is currently near worthless above 12th level, while Maneuvers and Tactics are always nice to have around.
Be sure to fully slot a few attacks, or you will not enjoy playing the character. Not being able to kill anything (like you say about tankers) is no fun. My FF/Energy Blaster has 1 accuracy, 2 endurance reducers, and 3 damage enhancers in her two main blasts, and while she doesn't kill FAST, she can contribute, and contribute often.
3) Come up with a superhero concept and design from there.
The character I am most attached to is actually the most generic power combination of all my characters, simply because I like the character. Half-Cocked is an Invulnerability/Super Strength Tanker, which is about as generic as a superhero can get, but once you give such a character a background, a personality, and some motivation, you might find that you have The Hulk instead of Generic Strong Invulnerable Man. I'm not saying you have to roleplay, but if you view the character as a superhero you are controlling instead of a "toon" that you are playing in a game, you might enjoy playing more. This game may play more like Diablo 2 than like Everquest, but it doesn't present you with 7 pre-set characters that have their background and style laid out for you, so I recommend taking advantage of that.
4) Use the Hero Planner. Fully.
You can seriously screw yourself up if you don't plan your character, as some powers become available at some levels, and post 20 levels come pretty slowly. If someone says to me "Which power should I take this level?" or "where should I put these two slots?" my answer is always "Don't you use the Hero Planner?". I know some people like to "organically grow" their characters, but please trust me when I say that you will be really pissed when you find you need Stamina at level 25, and can't get it till level 30 because you haven't taken a single pre-req for it.
Think of it this way: you are (most likely) not playing a D&D style character that learns new skills as you go. You are going from Clark Kent to Superman, and he didn't figure out that he ALREADY HAD the ability to fly until he was over 18 years old. You are going from The Hulk that just randomly smashed stuff to The Hulk that knew he could knock everyone on their ass if he slammed his foot into the ground with full force. All that the Hero Planner does is help you decide WHEN the character figured out he had that ability. It is like writing the skeleton for the story of the hero's life, before actually writing the story.
As for power selection, I cannot stress enough how important it is to get your travel power at level 14. When you take 5 times as long to get places as everyone else, you won't enjoy it, and if you don't have a teammate with Recall Friend, they won't enjoy it either. Also, do your best to get Stamina at 20 or 22. It makes a world of difference. It is no fun standing around before battles waiting for your endurance to come back, especially if you are the only one that needs to wait.
5) If you want to know what I'd like in my team, I'd honestly prefer a Defender (with slotted blasts) or a Blaster (even an underpowered one).
Out of the people I play with, most are tankers, scrappers and controllers. More than one tanker or controller on a team isn't helpful unless you have a couple blasters or scrappers as well.
Sorry for such a long reply, just want to help as much as I can. :)