Messages

76

General Suggestions and Feedback / [Issue 5] /altinvite

« on: January 21, 2023, 12:51:37 am »

Request more info on the forthcoming /altinvite functionality.
Will this enable promoting/demoting of SG members who are on a SG's roster but not currently logged in at the time?

77

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: Faces. Hair. Costumes are AMAZING, but hair and face are key!

« on: January 21, 2023, 12:13:45 am »

Ranko IN ACTION (warning: gratuitous bloodshed).

This video is no longer available.

Replacement video link (warning: gratuitous bloodsheed, still in effect!)

78

Developers Diary / Re: Rebirth Issue 5 Dev Diary - Force Field Revamp and Force Composition

« on: January 17, 2023, 04:08:53 pm »

Personal Force Field

• No longer has OnlyAffectsSelf, allowing the user to buff and attack normally while active
• Activation time reduced from 2.03 to 1.03 seconds
• Now has a maximum uptime of 30 seconds, and cannot be activated more often than once every 90 seconds
• Recharge increased to 90 seconds (Masterminds: Recharge reduced from 120 to 90 seconds)

Personal Force Field is a strong self-protection power, but fundamentally a selfish one - to take advantage of it the user must withdraw their support from the rest of the team, which is a tradeoff a support set should not have to make. This change reverses that - by allowing the user to 'bubble up' while still affecting enemies, it lets them temporarily gain strong survivability in a dangerous situation so they can focus on helping salvage that situation for their team. The activation time has also been reduced to make it a more responsive panic button.

This does come at the cost of not being able to be maintained indefinitely - obviously near-invincibility in unlimited toggle form without OnlyAffectsSelf would be a bit much! As such, given that this is the only part of the revamp that partially changes a core use of a power, this change is considered experimental - we are seeking feedback on it! Does this feel preferable to the existing version of the power?

Why not borrow from the coding used for the Incarnate Hybrid slots?
It's a toggle (not a click) with a built in lockout for switching itself off after 30 seconds.
That way, you don't have to worry about perma uptime. Recharge does not begin until the power is toggled off ... so you can allow the recharge to be boosted by recharge buffing and never have to worry about a 100% uptime result. 50% might be possible with sufficient recharge buffing, but 100% would basically be impossible.

The most egregious part of the Only Affects Self property for Masterminds was that it cut Pets off from Supremacy (among other weirdness). Removing THAT side effect will make Force Fields MUCH more attractive to Masterminds!

Force Bolt

• Now does splash knockdown on up to 3 secondary targets within 15 feet of the main target
• Now inflicts a stacking magnitude 1.5 stun (main target only)
• Damage increased to scale 1.0 (main target only)

Force bolt is an effective power at what it does - single target soft control - so this update rewards and expands on this support capability while also broadening the power's overall usefulness. Since it is often used repeatedly to juggle targets, the stacking stun effect (which disorients minions in one hit, LTs in two, and bosses in three) rewards this while allowing you to perhaps cut back on how many times you have to hit things to keep them under control! Increasing the damage of the power to match a standard tier 1 blast also means that this repeated use doesn't represent as much of an interruption to your attack chain. Finally, the splash knockdown gives the power additional usefulness against groups as well as single hard targets, or you can slot a knockback-to-knockdown enhancement in the power to convert it to a small-area group knockdown attack.

Counter-proposal.

Change Force Bolt to be a narrow 5º cone attack so as to port over the useful functionality of Piercing Rounds (Dual Pistols).
This would turn Force Bolt into a "piercing line" style of attack (and with Range enhancement slotted could become something of a "poor man's snipe" for distance).
As a narrow 5º cone, you could even increase the Max Targets to something above 3 ... like maybe 10 (for example) to make Force Bolt especially unique in application and modes of play (I'm looking at you, formation lines of Cimerorans in the last Mission of the ITF!). Since the arrangement of Foes available will rarely be "conveniently plentiful enough" to make use of that high Max Targets limit, actually being able to make use of it most effectively would essentially be "novelty play" rather than some kind of standard operating procedure. However, it would make for a rather unique signature calling card for Force Fields.

Extra Bonus points for adding in a Bowling Pin Strike sound FX that gets louder when more Foes get hit simultaneously (so you only hear it with 3-10 Foes hit by the one attack).

Containment Shell

• New power, takes Repulsion Field's old slot in the set - if you previously had Repulsion Field, you will now have Containment Shell
• Location targeted persistent patch that immobilizes targets and Attracts them inwards
• Prevents repel and converts KB to KD on affected targets

Containment Shell gives the set a new type of support ability that uses the new Attract mechanic to contribute to Force Field's theme of controlling mob positioning. The repel protection and KB-to-KD conversion also allows it to act as a 'sticky trap', where the player can use the set's other positioning tools to knockback or repel targets into it and it will keep them there.

Every Peacebringer in the game now wants to have your babies.
Note that having this power suddenly makes it not only reasonable but also sensible to slot Kinetic Crash and Force Feedback sets (all 6 slots!) into KB powers so as to "throw them into the briar patch" of Containment Shell (where they get ... stuck).

Repulsion Bomb

• Chance to stun minions increased to 75%
• Now has a 50% chance to stun LTs

Repulsion Bomb was already an effective attack, so this is simply a touchup to increase the power's support value by making its stun more reliable.

If you wanted to get REALLY cute with this, you would borrow the encoding for Incarnate Interface DoTs as the conceptual model for the way to work the Stun (the whole repeating checks at 75%, cancel on miss routine). Set the base chance at 70% and let 'er rip!
MAG 1 = 0.70 = 70% MAG 1
MAG 1+1 = 0.7*0.7 = 49% MAG 2
MAG 1+1+1 = 0.7*0.7*0.7 = 34.3% MAG 3
MAG 1+1+1+1 = 0.7*0.7*0.7*0.7 = 24.01% MAG 4

Force Bubble

• Now automatically grants Repulsion Field on purchase - if you previously had Force Bubble, you will now have both Force Bubble and Repulsion Field
• Now inflicts significant -damage debuff and movement slow
• Repel is no longer permanently active - toggle on Repulsion Field to enable repel, or leave it off to inflict only the debuffs with no repel
• Endurance cost decreased from 0.69 to 0.52 end/sec (0.86 to 0.65 for Masterminds)

Similar to Detention Field, Force Bubble's effects were strong in specific cases but overall had a relatively niche use. Adding additional debuff effects makes it a more broadly useful general support power, the slow makes the repel more reliable and controllable, and the repel effect being optional allows for the power's original use to still exist without forcing an effect which can be disruptive in other situations.

The ONE modification you need to change this power from "meh..." to "ZOMGLOLZ!" would be to add a -75% Range debuff (does not stack from same caster) to it that gets applied to affected Foes ('m thinking, 4-8s duration?), similar to what Tankers get on their Taunt powers (to encourage bumrushing towards the Tanker). That Range debuff would mean that the ... shell ... of the bubble is a far more effective "barrier" against ranged attacks from outside (the Force Bubble is, in effect, "repelling attacks" from outside). Would make almost no difference to Melee Monsters working along the "boundary layer" of the Force Bubble, but it could put ranged attacking allies "beyond reach" of Foes due to the Range debuff (if they come into contact with the Force Bubble and get debuffed by it). Now you have a "ranged bastion" type of battlefield support power!

79

Developers Diary / Re: Rebirth Issue 5 Dev Diary - Travel Pool Revamp

« on: January 17, 2023, 03:14:37 pm »

Spring Attack
PBAoE High DMG(Smashing), Foe Knockdown; Self Teleport, +Jump
You leap into the air and smash down among ranks of foes in the blink of an eye.  Using this power allows you to jump to a selected area to deal significant smashing damage to all foes near the location you teleport to, most foes that are struck by your Spring Attack will be knocked down.  The impact of this power launches you for a short time which significantly increases your Jumping Speed and Jump Height.  You must be at least level 14 and have two other Leaping Powers before selecting Spring Attack and not have trained Blink Blitz, Dive Attack, or Whirlwind. Damage: High, Recharge: Slow.

• Using this power significantly increases Jumping Speed and Jumping Height for 30s.
• Reduced recharge time from 120s to 34s
• Increased endurance cost from 13.52 to 14.352
• You may not train this power if you have already trained Blink Blitz, Dive Attack, or Whirlwind

Dive Attack (formerly Afterburner)
PBAoE Superior DMG(Smashing), Foe Knockdown; Self Teleport
You dive in the air and smash down among ranks of foes in the blink of an eye. Using this power allows you to dive to a selected area to deal significant smashing damage to all foes near the location you teleport to, most foes that are struck by your Dive Attack will be knocked down. If you have also trained Fly, this power unlocks Afterburner, a power that greatly increases your maximum fly speed. You must be at least level 14 and have two other Flight Powers before selecting Dive Attack and not have trained Blink Blitz, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind. Damage: High, Recharge: Slow.

• Dive Attack now occupies the former Afterburner power in the Flight pool.
• You may not train this power if you have already trained Blink Blitz, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.
• Afterburner
• Obtaining Dive Attack now unlocks Afterburner for Fly
• Transferred defense to Aerobatics and while not quite as high it can now be used in combat
• Removed Only Affect Self
• Afterburner toggle now has a 30s duration and 120s cooldown
• If you previously had Afterburner you will now have both Dive Attack and Afterburner powers.

Blink Blitz (formerly Team Teleport)
PBAoE High DMG(Smashing); Self Teleport, +DEF(All)
You Teleport yourself to a targeted foe and launch a barrage of attacks on any foes near the target's location.  You teleport around the area so quickly that your enemies will find you harder to hit, thus boosting your defense briefly.  If you have also trained Teleport, this power unlocks Team Teleport, a toggle power that expands the capabilities of your Teleport power allowing you to Teleport yourself and your nearby teammates when active.  You must be at least level 14 and have two other Teleportation Powers before selecting Blink Blitz and not have trained Dive Attack, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.  Damage: High, Recharge: Slow

• Blink Blitz now occupies the former Team Teleport power in the Teleportation pool.
• You may not train this power if you have already trained Dive Attack, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.
• Team Teleport
• Obtaining Blink Blitz now unlocks Team Teleport mode for Teleport.
• This power has become a toggle. While toggled on it that turns Teleport into Team Teleport.  Enhancing Teleport also enhances Team Teleport power.
• Team Teleport also provides a passive Endurance Discount to the solo Teleport power mode.
• If you previously had Team Teleport you will now have both Blink Blitz and Team Teleport powers.

Mass Translocate (formerly Long Range Teleport)
Ranged (Targeted AoE), Foe Teleport
Mass Translocate allows you to teleport a group of foes in close proximity to each other to your location.  If you have also trained Teleport, this power unlocks Long Range Teleport, a toggle power that expands the capabilities of your Teleport power when active.  You must be at least level 14 and have two other Teleportation Powers before selecting Long Range Teleport.  Recharge: Long

• Mass Translocate now occupies the former Long Range Teleport power in the Teleportation pool.
• Long Range Teleport
• Obtaining Mass Translocate now unlocks Long Range Teleport.
• Long Range Teleport also provides a passive Range buff to the normal teleportation range of Teleport.
• If you previously had Long Range Teleport you will now have both Mass Translocate and Long Range Teleport powers.

Starfall (formerly Quantum Acceleration)
PBAoE Superior DMG(Smashing), Foe Knockdown; Self Teleport
You dive in the air and smash down among ranks of foes in the blink of an eye.  Using this power allows you to dive to a selected area to deal significant smashing damage to all foes near the location you teleport to, most foes that are struck by your Starfall will be knocked down.  This power also unlocks Quantum Acceleration, a power that greatly increases your maximum fly speed.  You may not take this power if have trained Blink Blitz, Dive Attack, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.  Damage: High, Recharge: Slow.

• Starfall now occupies the former Quantum Acceleration power.
• You may not train this power if you have already trained Blink Blitz, Dive Attack, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.
• Quantum Acceleration
• Obtaining Starfall now unlocks Quantum Acceleration
• Transferred Defense to Solar Glide
• Removed Only Affect Self
• Afterburner toggle now has a 30s duration and 120s cooldown
• If you previously had Quantum Acceleration you will now have both Starfall and Quantum Acceleration powers.

Extinguish Light (formerly Shadow Slip)
PBAoE High DMG(Negative); Self Teleport, +DEF(All)
You can Teleport to a targeted foe through a dark matter wormhole and launch a barrage of attacks on any foes near the target's location.  This teleports you around the area so quickly that your enemies will find you harder to hit, thus boosting your defense briefly. Training this power unlocks Shadow Slip, allowing you to Teleport yourself long distances. You may not take this power if have trained Blink Blitz, Dive Attack, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.  Damage: High, Recharge: Slow

• Extinguish Light now occupies the former Shadow Slip power.
• You may not train this power if you have already trained Blink Blitz, Dive Attack, Spring Attack, or Whirlwind.
• Shadow Slip
• Obtaining Extinguish Light now unlocks Shadow Slip.
• Shadow Slip also provides a passive Range buff to the normal teleportation range of Teleport.
• If you previously had Shadow Slip you will now have both Extinguish Light and Shadow Slip powers.

QUESTION.

Which of these powers require a $Target to be selected?
Which of these powers are keyed as Target Location?
Is it even possible for these powers to be keyed as "both" depending on currently selected target (no $Target = Target Location / yes $Target = Target AoE around $Target)?

There are times where, as a Player, I want to have a finer control over "where is the AoE center" than being at the mercy of the current arrangement of $Targets available.
If they're all standing on the perimeter of a circle (for example), if I can specify the Target Location as being the center of the circle I'll get them all ... but if I have to select one as a $Target, I may get only 1/2 or less because of the "formation" that the collection of $Targets are in at casting time.

Ideally speaking, as a Player, I want to have the flexibility of the "both" option ... since that encourages (and rewards) Clever Gameplay™ by the Player, creating a more interactive and immersive gaming experience.

80

Player Help/Guides / Re: Praetorian DISloyalty!

« on: January 15, 2023, 09:54:39 am »

This is an excellent guide, one I've used before.  However, after extensive testing, I'd just like to point out that the level ranges are a little off.  If you ding level 8, some of the Nova Praetoria contacts will refuse to talk with you.  If you ding level 19, Provost Marchand will refuse to talk with you.  So if you haven't started opened up both IVy and Dr. Hetzfeld by level 19, you won't get the bread crumb missions.

So to be on the safe side, your best bet is to turn off XP at level 7 while in Nova Praetoria, and level 18 in Neutropolis.  You can always do the repeatable missions to finish leveling.

I've encountered this myself while playing my (now two) Praetorians ... Redlynne and Ku no Ichi ... here on Rebirth.

The BREADCRUMB missions from Calvin Scott and Provost Marchand "key in" at levels 8 (Imperial) and 15 (Neutropolis).
So if you're levels 7 or 14, neither Contact will give you the breadcrumb missions for the next zone yet.

So what you have is a situation where the Calvin Scott/Provost Marchand "breadcrumb referrals" to zone Contacts are limited to 1-7, 8-14 and 15-18.
However, those breadcrumb referrals are COMPLETELY OPTIONAL and have no lingering effects. You get a token +XP for doing them, but nothing you'll ever REALLY notice in the long run (think defeat 2 minions equivalence), especially if you're disabling XP gain in order to "Do All The Things" in each zone along the way.

The actual Story Arc Contacts in each zone are 1-9, 8-14 and 15-19 ... because once you hit Level 20, the Contacts stop talking to you and push you either Hero/Villain choice and The Doorman for access to First Ward.
This is why I've notated the Level ranges for each zone the way I did, because it's when the Contacts giving missions for the Story Arcs stop giving you missions, which is divorced from when Calvin Scott/Provost Marchand want to give you breadcrumb missions for Contacts in the next zone.

So the situation is slightly more nuanced than you're making it out to be.
You can still walk up to any of the (aligned!) Contacts in your Level range, click on them and get them without a breadcrumb mission introduction from Calvin Scott/Provost Marchand.

Resistance (Warden) Contacts are all found "topside" and will talk to both Resistance and Loyalists.
Loyalist (Responsibility) Contacts are all found "topside" and will talk to both Resistance and Loyalists.
Loyalist (Power) Contacts are "mostly found topside" (the Deputy Assistant of Information in Nova Praetoria is an exception, since you have to be a Loyalist to enter the Loyalist Lounge club to access him) and will talk to Loyalists ONLY.
Resistance (Crusader) Contacts are all found "below" in the Resistance Bases, which can only be entered by the Resistance, effectively locking them into talking to Resistance ONLY.

81

Screenshots and Vids / LOL for Initiative ...

« on: January 13, 2023, 09:53:15 pm »

OGL 1.1: Hasbro vs the World (youtube link)

82

Tech Issues / Re: Mids Reborn with dot net 6 fails on windows 7

« on: January 09, 2023, 09:28:26 am »

Speaking just for myself (of course), I seriously wish that there was a mobile app version of Mids Reborn that I could load up on my iPad (or for others, an Android device) so as to "unchain" Mids Reborn from Windoze entirely.

83

Base Building / 8x8 Plot SG accounting

« on: January 05, 2023, 05:30:28 pm »

I've occasionally gotten questions about what I plan to do with my 8x8 base plot (and how far I'll be able to push things in it) ... and the greatest concern has always been budgeting for Control (in my opinion, the REAL limiting factor for small bases!), especially if angling to host Cathedral of Pain Trials(!).

With an 8x8 plot, the best that can be achieved for room count is ... 9 rooms of 2x2.
2x2 rooms puts a really severe constraint upon how much Control a base can generate, because a 2x2 Control Room has a limit of 4 Aux attachments.
And if one of those 4 Aux Items is an Oracle/Mission Computer ... the maximum possible Control the base can generate is:

• Magic Axis/Mainframe (-50E / +50C)
• Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
• Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
• Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
• Oracle/Mission Computer (-20E / -10C)

So just with the Control Room specified, I've only got +300 Control budget to spread around (of which -10C is already allocated).

Also, just for accounting purposes, a 2x2 Energy Room with a Power Crystal/Basic Generator can have up to 2 Aux attachments ... so the maximum possible Energy the base can generate is:

• Power Crystal/Basic Generator (+1000E / -0C)
• Crystal Focus/Circuit Breaker (+150E / -0C)
• Crystal Focus/Circuit Breaker (+150E / -0C)

So with just the Energy Room specified, there can be up to +1300 Energy budget to spread around.

An Entrance room is required (and automatically 2x2), but no items that consume Energy or Power can be placed in it.

A 2x2 Infirmary can be specified, which permits the placement of a Storage item in the room (I personally like putting the Inspiration Storage/Inspiration Collector into my Medical room, hence the choice for an Infirmary rather than the cheaper Medbay room).
I personally consider a single Resurrection Circle/Basic Reclaimator and a Tree of Wonders/Auto-Doc to be highly desirable, mainly to enable the placement of the Tree of Wonders/Auto-Doc (requires 1 millionhealed in SG mode to unlock) into which you can empty (most of) your Inspiration tray in exchange for INF (giving you a good excuse to visit your SG Base after almost every mission). The Resurrection Circle/Basic Reclaimator falls into the category of "nice to have" if faceplanted and needing to Hospital in Hazard Zones that lack a Hospital.

• Resurrection Circle/Basic Reclaimator (-50E / -25C)
• Tree of Wonders/Auto-Doc (-50E / -15C)
• Inspiration Storage/Inspiration Collector (-0E / -0C)

So the Infirmary costs -100 Energy and -40 Control to my base buget.

I like having two (mirrored) Workshops to "store all my stuff" in my SG Base, but I separate them out into Arcane and Tech themes.
The 2x2 Workshop room permits 9 storage items, 2 workshop items and 1 empowerment station. This works out quite nicely since SG Bases have a hard limit of up to 18 storage items for the entire base plot, so having 2 Workshops fits this need just fine. Crafting Tables (that use Energy and Control) are only needed "temporarily" in order to craft some items such as Oracle/Mission Computer (requires a Basic Crafing Table) along with the Basic Telepad (both types require a Basic Crafting Table) and the Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad (also requires a Basic Crafting Table) in order to make each item. Once the requisite number of crafted items have been crafted, the Crafting Table(s) can be deleted to reduce the drain on the Energy and Control budgets.
Empowerment Stations consume no Energy or Control.
Nor do any Invention Tables, although they do count against the limit of 2 workshop items.
In fact, the only Workshop item that consumes Energy and Control is the Personal Storage Vault, which costs -5 Energy and -5 Control ... and realistically, you only "want" 1 of these in your base (rather than 2) since they count against your limit of 9 storage items per Workshop room and against the limit of 18 storage items per SG Base Plot. However, once your account has unlocked the /Vault remote access command, the Personal Storage Vault item becomes relatively superfluous (and decorative).
This then leaves (effectively) 8 storage rack "slots" per Workshop room free, after accounting for the Inspiration rack in the Infirmary and the Personal Storage Vault.
I personally prefer to split this up into 6 Salvage Racks and 2 Enhancement Tables per Workshop (Arcane and Tech) so as to always have a sufficient reserve of salvage capacity to feed to alts on their rise towards Level 50.

• Personal Storage Vault (-5E / -5C)

The only other rooms (on an 8x8 Plot with only 9 rooms) that would consume Energy and Control are going to be 2x2 Transport rooms.

• Entry
• Control
• Energy
• Medical
• Workshop
• Workshop
• Transport
• Transport
• Transport

A Raid Teleportal/Raid Telepad will be so large as to essentially DOMINATE the 2x2 room space it is put into (they're just that big). Resign yourself to the notion that this will be the only non-decorative item in the room (since they accept no Aux connections) and just leave it at that. At least they skew more towards Energy consumption than Control consumption.

• Raid Teleportal/Raid Telepad (-80E / -15C)

Whatever is left over from the Energy and Control budgets can be spent on Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad items (up to 2 per room for the other Transport rooms) and Teleport Beacons.

• Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad (-50E / -25C per pad)
• Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C per beacon)

So an 8x8 Base Plot with nine 2x2 rooms in it that is Cathedral of Pain Trial capable has the following Energy and Control budget constraints put on it before installing zone teleporters in the final Transport rooms:

• Entry
• (-0E / -0C)
• Control
• Magic Axis/Mainframe (-50E / +50C)
• Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
• Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
• Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
• Oracle/Mission Computer (-20E / -10C)
• Energy
• Power Crystal/Basic Generator (+1000E / -0C)
• Crystal Focus/Circuit Breaker (+150E / -0C)
• Crystal Focus/Circuit Breaker (+150E / -0C)
• Medical
• Resurrection Circle/Basic Reclaimator (-50E / -25C)
• Tree of Wonders/Auto-Doc (-50E / -15C)
• Inspiration Storage/Inspiration Collector (-0E / -0C)
• Workshop
• Personal Storage Vault (-5E / -5C)
• Workshop
• (-0E / -0C)
• Transport
• Raid Teleportal/Raid Telepad (-80E / -15C)
• Transport
• Transport

This yields an Energy budget of +1300 generated and -555 consumed ... a net balance of +745 Energy ... so the Crystal Focus/Circuit Breaker Aux items are completely superfluous for this SG Base, making them essentially Decorative items.
This also yields a Control budget of +200 generated and -70 consumed ... a net balance of +130 Control ... which is going to be REALLY TIGHT for a base with multiple Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad connecting to up to 6 Teleport Beacons each (combined -50E / -55C per pad). Two such Telepads + 6 Beacons each would require -110 Control from the remaining +130 Control surplu, leaving only +20 Control remaining (sufficient to control 2 Basic Forges if you want to keep yours, but nothing more). Of course, if you really want you can exchange the Resurrection Circle/Basic Reclaimator for a third Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad (no net change in Energy or Control budgets), but would only have sufficient Control remaining to support a total of 4 more Teleport Beacons (combined -20C) ... or 5 Beacons if also deleting the Personal Storage Vault (which in turn frees up another storage slot for another Enhancement Table if needed).

Other options to spend the remaining +20 Control budget on would be 1-2x Spirit Signal/Robo-Surgery Aux item (-20E / -10C each) and/or 1-2x Contemplation Charts/Combat Logs (-15E / -5C each) after having unlocked the requisite SG healing badges (requires 5 million and 25 million healed in SG mode, respectively).






So ultimately, I'm probably going to wind up with something like this for my 8x8 Base Plot (and yes, I've been working this out while writing this post ... why do you ask?):

• Entry
  
  • (-0E / -0C)
• Control
  
  • Magic Axis/Mainframe (-50E / +50C)
  • Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
  • Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
  • Bookshelf/Database (-100E / +50C)
  • Oracle/Mission Computer (-20E / -10C)
• Energy
  
  • Power Crystal/Basic Generator (+1000E / -0C)
  • Crystal Focus/Circuit Breaker (+150E / -0C)
• Medical
  
  • Resurrection Circle/Basic Reclaimator (-50E / -25C)
  • Tree of Wonders/Auto-Doc (-50E / -15C)
  • Inspiration Storage/Inspiration Collector (-0E / -0C)
• Workshop
  
  • Personal Storage Vault (-5E / -5C)
• Workshop
  
  • (-0E / -0C)
• Transport
  
  • Raid Teleportal/Raid Telepad (-80E / -15C)
• Transport
  
  • Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad (-50E / -25C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad (-50E / -25C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
  • Teleport Beacon (-0E / -5C)
• Vault (really just a glorified 2x2 Decorative room analog)
  
  • (-0E / -0C)

Energy: +1150 - 655 = +495 surplus
Control: +200 - 180 = +20 surplus

Obviously a Blue Base will only have 12 of 24 possible Beacons to assign, but with the Trams, TUNNEL and Ouroboros Portal for supplemental alternatives for zoning, I honestly have a hard time seeing this as being much of a problem. In a lot of cases, the only times when teleporting to a zone will be a faster connection is when you need to transit 3 zones, rather than just 2, in order to get from where you are to where you want to be. This will then put a priority on having Teleport Beacons assigned to Hazard Zones, rather than the main transport hubs (although Dark Astoria and RWZ make compelling cases as possible destinations). Including Echo: Galaxy City and Echo: Dark Astoria in those Beacons will also make it easy for low level alts to acquire their own Ouroboros Portal at Level 14, without needing someone else to drop it for them.

However, a Blue Base will have the option of dropping the T1 Control Main items for a T2 Supercomputer instead (which will fit into a 1x2 base plot area, unlike the arcane counterpart that requires a 1x3 base plot area), provided you don't mind using a Tech Control theme (required) rather than an Arcane Control theme (T2 can't fit in a 2x2 room) in your base's control room. This change from the above costs another -150 Energy (net) while adding +300 Control (net), before connecting any of the Tech Aux items available. Needless to say, such an "upgrade" can EASILY make it possible to support another 2x Magicked Telepad/Hacked Telepad plus 12x Teleport Beacons in a third Transport room (just delete the Vault and replace it). That arrangement then gives your Blue Base access to all 24 Teleport Beacons with enough Energy and Control to spare for kitting out your Medical and Workshop rooms, assuming you aren't adding in all that many Defensive items just for shizzle (why bother other than for decoration on an 8x8 Hidden Base?).

A Red Base will only need 10 Beacons to access all the Red zones, adding +10 Control surplus (yielding +30 total) back into the budget which can then be spent on other priorities (such as the aforementioned 2x Spirit Signal/Robo-Surgery and 2x Contemplation Charts/Combat Logs, just for symmetrical placement shizzle).

84

Tanker / Re: Zinnias of Amber, the Mightiest Melitt! (Inv/WM)

« on: January 05, 2023, 02:35:11 pm »

trying to get to that 59 percent cap and found it wasn't possible without major sacrifices

GRANTED.
I wasn't expecting it to be possible on a "perma" basis, even with Super Reflexes (which has the best shot at achieving the goal) ... so being able to do it with other powersets is pretty much an absurd level of ask.

I just wanted to point out that there are more strategies for survival than "just" reaching for the soft cap (or hard cap, as the case may be).

+HP
+Regeneration
+Resistance
+Defense

These are the "four basic food groups" of protection schemes that can keep you alive.
In a lot of cases you can only afford to optimize a build for ONE of those items ... and then do everything you can to pile on as much as you can get in the other areas. Depending on the mix and the context, sometimes "2 out of 4" will be sufficient to pull you through what would otherwise faceplant other builds in the same circumstances. The trick lies in knowing your strengths and weaknesses so that you can play to the former while mitigating the latter.

That and some bosses just straight out cheat and have attacks that will hit you regardless of what your defense is.

Trust me.
I KNOW.

Having relied on Defense as my primary protection scheme (both as a Scrapper and a Tanker) from all the way back in Issue 2 ... I am supremely aware of opposition that "cheat codes" their way past all my defenses as if they weren't even there.
Spoiler alert ... there is a LOT more auto-hit stuff in the game than there is un-resistable stuff.

It's the reason why my own SR/MA Tanker build relies on Defense first and Regeneration second ... so that when the auto-hits happen, I'm regenerating out from under that damage taken as quickly as possible.

• Anti-Matter Disintegration
• Infected War Walker Lethal Mode on Target(s)
• Hamidon Mitochondria
• Battle Maiden falling halberds
• World of Anguish
• Devouring Earth with a Quartz emanator dropped nearby BUFFING THEM ALL (this is among the worst!)

... the list goes on and on and on ...

I could use Barrier but I prefer to keep Rebirth for further league benefits.

Same here. I would like to think that keeping my T4 Rebirth Radial (for massive regeneration) has saved quite a few leaguemates from faceplanting and taken the pressure off healers in groups that I'm a part of (such as Mothership Raids). It's one of the factors that helps Redlynne be as "sturdy" and worthy of her Extraordinary Death-defying title as she is ... even though "by the numbers" typically used for Facetanking standards, she shouldn't even be up to the task (no Dull Pain equivalent, meager Resistances, HP below 2800, etc. etc.). But then again, I've never particularly enjoyed marching down the already well beaten path when it comes to strategizing how to "win" at games. ^_-

85

Tanker / Re: Zinnias of Amber, the Mightiest Melitt! (Inv/WM)

« on: January 04, 2023, 06:59:21 pm »

48.79% S/L Defense
45.66% Fire/Cold Def
47.85% Energy/NE Def
21.05% Psi Def

85.14% S/L Res
66.67% Fire/Cold Res
58.61% Energy/NE Res
35.7% Psi Res

Although those 45-48% Defense values are "just fine" for non-incarnate content ... there's going to be a problem dealing with incarnate content.
That's because the soft cap MOVES for incarnate content.

• Defense. +45% is the soft cap on Defense versus an attack. Due to the way the game's Attack Mechanics work, any more Defense past that will not make the character any harder to hit, except in cases where the attackers have ToHit buffs, are six or more levels above him, or can give him -Defense debuffs.
• Note that in the Incarnate Trials, enemies have an equivalent to +14% ToHit, so the Incarnate soft cap is 59% instead of 45%.

This is why with my SR/MA NO GET HITSU!! Tanker build for Redlynne, when it came time to pick an Alpha slot I reached for the Agility Radial Paragon ... partly because it's so thematic to the overall build, but also because with the T4 Agility Radial my "just standing around without external buffing" Defenses all top 59% (the incarnate defense soft cap) ... and Storm Kick in Martial Arts adds +10% more Defense on top of that (when it hits).

I joke that Redlynne's resistances are "pathetic" for a Tanker, but that's because rather than chase after resistance bonuses I instead reached for as much +Regeneration as I could muster (and Melee Hybrid offers +30% more Regeneration on top of set bonuses), including putting the Destiny Rebirth Radial Epiphany on autofire for as much +Regeneration as I can get. The combination of max Defense (59+% baseline), lackluster Resistances but a 500+% Regeneration (with Rebirth it's like 700+%) has stood me in good stead as a main tank during incarnate trials (including two successful attempts at face tanking the Avatar of Hamidon!). Stuff rarely hits me ... unless if it's auto-hit or lacks position parameters like some psionic attacks do ... and even if it does, fast Regeneration counters any damage that leaks past my defenses, but even then I've got Aid Self (and Field Medic, which I almost never use) to help cover any edge cases (and as a combo allows me to "heal END" by using Aid Self for even better selfish sufficiency!).

So if you're over 45% Defense but you're still taking 4x more hits than you would otherwise be expecting in incarnate content relative to non-incarnate content (and thus need more resistances and HP to compensate) ... that's why.
The incarnate soft cap for Defense is 59% ... not 45%.

86

Mastermind / [v2.1] Ninja/Time Tankermind Supremacy

« on: January 02, 2023, 05:10:00 pm »

From this foundation, I then load in my bindloadfile(s) for each alt.

For my Mastermind ... that means loading a "master" Ninja control file that uses "reserved" keys that don't get overwritten by sub-options in the various sub-files.  In my case, that is the Ninja.txt file which then controls which groups of Pets and/or individual Pets I'm wanting to address at any given time.

Ninja.txt

Code: [Select]

t bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaGenin.txt"
shift+t bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaRoku.txt"
ctrl+t "petselectname Roku"
y bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaGenin.txt"
shift+y bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaNana.txt"
ctrl+y "petselectname Nana"
u bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaGenin.txt"
shift+u bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaHachi.txt"
ctrl+u "petselectname Hachi"
g bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaJounin.txt"
shift+g bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaShi.txt"
ctrl+g "petselectname Shi"
h bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaJounin.txt"
shift+h bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaItsutsu.txt"
ctrl+h "petselectname Itsutsu"
b bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaAll.txt"
shift+b bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaOni.txt"
ctrl+b "petselectname San"
ctrl+4 "petselect 0$$powexecname Train Ninjas$$unselect"
ctrl+5 "petselect 0$$powexecname Kuji In Zen$$unselect"
lshift+lctrl+lbutton "powexecname Turbo Boost"
For whatever reason, my game client simply WILL NOT accept any additional commands being appended onto a bindloadfile command.  This means I can't do something like load a bind file AND execute a power function (toggle on, toggle off, execute, etc.) within the same keybind.  It just doesn't work for me.  For this reason, I have needed to get as bare bones basic as possible with my keybinds so as to ensure that my keybinds actually WORK on my game client ... rather than FAIL spectacularly and utterly refuse to work (or even load properly, as it turns out).



Using my common core keybinds (as shown in the previous post), I've settled upon putting my summoning/training powers into Tray 5 (so Control + 1-0) and my "leave the on toggles" (such as Time's Juncture and Leadership toggles) in Tray 6 (so Control + F1-F10). As you'll see down below, I use Control+X to dismiss pets (depending on the "command bindset" I have loaded at the time) so using Control+ to (re)summon and (re)train dismissed/new summons makes for the most ergonomic and easiest arrangement to coordinate one-handed.

In this particular instance, I've assigned the Control+4-5 keys for training, but with the added twist of automatically selecting the "topmost" pet in the pets window, casting the training power and then automatically deselecting the pet as a target. This automation helps with speeding up the process of training pets and returning to combat as quickly as possible (when necessary).


When it comes to naming of my Ninjas, I simply named them as ... numbers (in Japanese) ... even my Mastermind.

• Ku no Ichi (九の一) means literally "1 of 9" for my Mastermind ... but written as KunoIchi (くノ一), which sounds EXACTLY THE SAME to the ear, it literally means "Female Ninja" while also being the stroke order for the kanji used to write woman (女).  So yeah, multi-level linguistic pun in this context.
  
  
• San (三) is the number 3 ... is my Oni ... uses the B key.  The pun here being this makes him Oni-San ... for those who like their onii-san jokes.
• Shi (四) is the number 4 ... is my Jounin 1 ... uses the G key.
• Itsutsu (五) is the number 5 ... is my Jounin 2 ... uses the H key.
• Roku (六) is the number 6 ... is my Genin 1 ... uses the T key.
• Nana (七) is the number 7 ... is my Genin 2 ... uses the Y key.
• Hachi (八) is the number 8 ... is my Genin 3 ... uses the U key.

As for what happened to number 2 ... Ni (二) ... I deliberately leave that number (and pun potential) "unused" so it can mean anything anyone wants it to.  Ninjas are just mysterious that way, you know?

So that's how I named my Ninjas.  I've explained it this way so that anyone who is (still) reading at this point will be able to easily identify what they need to do a Find/Replace on when converting my bindloadfiles for their own use, either as other Ninja Masterminds (easy) or as other primary type Masterminds (a little bit more involved, but doable with some extra effort).

Also, just as an extra aside, I incorporated emotes that my Mastermind will "perform" whenever issuing any commands to my Ninjas.

• Attack emotes a Throat Slash.
  
• Goto emotes a Point.
  
• Follow emotes a Thow Confetti (to signal them with sparkles where to fall back to).
  
• Aggressive emotes a Bring It (as my Ninjas race to engage any hostiles nearby).
  
• Passive emotes a Stop.
  
• Defensive emotes a Get Some.
  
• Dismissal of Ninjas emotes a Buzz Off (and the Ninjas disappearing in their own puff(s) of smoke).

If you're adapting my bindloadfiles to other Mastermind primary powersets, you may want to edit which commands incorporate which emotes, and to do so you'll want to do a simple Find/Replace All with the desired replacement emote in all of the bindloadfiles you're using for your own command set.  I picked these emotes because they're thematic to a Ninja Mastermind, but feel free to get creative on your own if you want something else.

So these are the requisite bindloadfiles called for by the "master" bindloadfile of Ninja.txt above (there are 9 of them).

NinjaAll.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcomall attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcomall aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcomall goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcomall passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcomall dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcomall follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcomall defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Hachi$$petselectname Nana$$petselectname Roku$$petselectname Itsusu$$petselectname Shi$$petselectname San$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "nop"
alt+t "nop"
alt+y "nop"
alt+u "nop"
alt+g "nop"
alt+h "nop"
alt+v "nop"
alt+b "nop"
NinjaGenin.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Genin attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Genin aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Genin goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Genin passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Genin dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Genin follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Genin defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Hachi$$petselectname Nana$$petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Hachi$$petselectname Nana$$petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "nop"
alt+y "nop"
alt+u "nop"
alt+g "nop"
alt+h "nop"
alt+v "nop"
alt+b "nop"
NinjaJounin.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Jounin attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Jounin aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Jounin goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Jounin passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Jounin dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Jounin follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Jounin defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Itsusu$$petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Itsusu$$petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "nop"
alt+y "nop"
alt+u "nop"
alt+g "nop"
alt+h "nop"
alt+v "nop"
alt+b "nop"
NinjaOni.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Oni attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Oni aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Oni goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Oni passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Oni dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Oni follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Oni defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname San$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname San$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaShi.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Shi attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Shi aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Shi goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Shi passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Shi dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Shi follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Shi defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaItsutsu.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Itsutsu attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Itsutsu aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Itsutsu goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Itsutsu passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Itsutsu dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Itsutsu follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Itsutsu defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Itsusu$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Itsusu$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaRoku.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Roku attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Roku aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Roku goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Roku passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Roku dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Roku follow$$em fireworksparkle"
shift+c "petcompow Roku defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Figh$$em alakazamt"
alt+g "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaNana.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Nana attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Nana aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Nana goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Nana passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Nana dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Nana follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Nana defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Nana$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Nana$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaHachi.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Hachi attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Hachi aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Hachi goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Hachi passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Hachi dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Hachi follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Hachi defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Hachi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Hachi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
Now ... if you're still reading this, there's a few things I wanted to point out as little bits of clever conveniences built into these bindloadfiles, and how they inter(re)act with the ergonomics of the keyboard setup I'm using.



So the first thing I've got is that if I've got the All, Genin or Jounin files loaded/active, because those files all address multiple Pets simultaneously, it's simply not possible to use a keybind to issue an inspiration to a specific Pet, because you need to have a $Target chosen to send the inspiration to THAT specific Pet.  This is why I've got the Alt+(T/Y/U, G-H and V/B) keys doing this work of selecting the Pet and issuing the "largest" inspiration of that type available to that individual Pet automatically for me.  All I need to do is use the Shift+(T/Y/U, G/H or B) key combination FIRST to pick the Pet I want to send the inspiration to ... and then use the Alt+(T/Y/U, G/H and V/B) to send the right inspiration TYPE to that Pet.

Alt+T = Break Free
Alt+Y = Accuracy
Alt+U = Damage
Alt+G = Endurance
Alt+H = Heal
Alt+V = Defense
Alt+B = Resistance

I set things up this way so that it's at least easier to remember "what goes where" by grouping categories together as a mnemonic aid.

Break Free / Accuracy / Damage
Endurance / Heal
Defense / Resistance


Another thing that some people may notice about my bindloadfiles is ... what's going on with that +v key in there?

Well, that's a trick stolen from the Kheldian keybinds.

By setting up +v the way I did here, it's going to try to activate Smoke Flash on the down press of the V key, and then when you release the V key (if you don't let go of it "too fast") it will queue up Temporal Selection to activate next ... all with a single keystroke.

The idea here is that in a lot of situations (not all, granted, but a lot of them) I'd want to be using Smoke Flash as either an opener for a Pet about to take an alpha strike for me ... or because that Pet is in trouble and their green bar is dropping fast and something needs to be done to save them.  The Smoke Flash will Placate nearby $Targets and enable a critical hit on their next few attacks (for 10s) by a Ninja Pet, but I'm thinking that if I need to "rescue" them from too much aggro like that, they're almost certainly going to need more healing if I'm using Smoke Flash as an "Oh S***!" button.  What the +v keybinding does for me then is allow me to cause Smoke Flash AND Temporal Selection to be used on the same Pet with "one" keystroke ... assuming I've got that specific Pet's bindloadfile active so as to issue the keybind combo to THAT specific Pet.

Now ... granted ... in this current v2.0 build I skipped Smoke Flash completely in favor of other powers available ... but that might not always be the case for every build that wants to use these keybinds. So I've left the Smoke Flash "factor" in the binds just in case it could become relevant in an alternate build ... of if someone else wants to use these bind files as the basis for their own Mastermind and they simply want to Find/Replace the Smoke Flash power with something else.



Another thing that I'm sure anyone else playing with these keybinds will notice is ... I've built in emotes for my Mastermind to "do" while directing traffic around the battlefield.  I've even got a Throw Confetti emote (that actually throws sparkly bits up into the air) for telling my Ninjas to "heel" and follow me, so as to "signal" them from afar, if need be, on where the rally point is supposed to be.

Telling my Ninjas to attack involves a throat slashing emote from my Mastermind.

It took me a while to figure out what emotes I wanted to associate with what commands, but I eventually got it all worked out and tested (that took a long time!).


At any rate, I hope that this (updated) Mastermind Control Scheme of mine winds up being useful to other people besides myself, particularly since I've gotten a few PMs from people asking me for an update on the current state of play of my bindloadfiles for my Mastermind.  Well ... here they are.

Enjoy.  8)

87

Mastermind / [v2.1] Ninja/Time Tankermind Supremacy

« on: January 02, 2023, 05:09:47 pm »

Bindloadfiles for controlling (my, specifically) Ninja Mastermind Pets, in case anyone wants to use my scheme as a starting point for their own Mastermind build(s).
But first ... I need to explain a few more things.

I know ... this is my shocked face.


So, first of all, I need to explain what my keyboard and mouse setup is, simply so as to make the ergonomics of my user interface is like.

I use a (wired) full keyboard Apple Keyboard (I'm a Mac user) ... and I use a dirt cheap/bare bones wired Logitech M100 mouse (two buttons plus scroll wheel). My keyboard looks like this:



This is my "common for every alt I play" default keybind file (keybind.txt) that I use as a kind of "common core" for building all of my control schemes around. I then have subsidiary keybind files that I use to "personalize" any modifications that are needed for specific characters and then load those files after starting with this basic core of keybinds.

My standard layout of trays in the UI is to have all 9 trays visible at all times in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, so I can "see everything all the time" that is in those trays. Makes it easier to put the same powers in the same places on multiple characters for increased commonality (and muscle memory of locations).

keybinds.txt

Code: [Select]

w "+left"
e "+forward"
r "+right"
s "+turnleft"
d "+backward"
f "+turnright"
space "+up"
shift+space "+down"
ctrl+space "nop"
q "powexectray 5 9"
shift+q "++autorun"
ctrl+q "powexectray 10 1"
alt+q "powexectray 10 9"
a "powexectray 6 9"
shift+a "powexectray 7 9"
ctrl+a "powexectray 8 9"
alt+a "powexectray 9 9"
1 "powexectray 1 1"
2 "powexectray 2 1"
3 "powexectray 3 1"
4 "powexectray 4 1"
5 "powexectray 5 1"
6 "powexectray 6 1"
7 "powexectray 7 1"
8 "powexectray 8 1"
9 "powexectray 9 1"
0 "powexectray 10 1"
F1 "powexectray 1 2"
F2 "powexectray 2 2"
F3 "powexectray 3 2"
F4 "powexectray 4 2"
F5 "powexectray 5 2"
F6 "powexectray 6 2"
F7 "powexectray 7 2"
F8 "powexectray 8 2"
F9 "powexectray 9 2"
F10 "powexectray 10 2"
shift+1 "powexectray 1 3"
shift+2 "powexectray 2 3"
shift+3 "powexectray 3 3"
shift+4 "powexectray 4 3"
shift+5 "powexectray 5 3"
shift+6 "powexectray 6 3"
shift+7 "powexectray 7 3"
shift+8 "powexectray 8 3"
shift+9 "powexectray 9 3"
shift+0 "powexectray 10 3"
shift+F1 "powexectray 1 4"
shift+F2 "powexectray 2 4"
shift+F3 "powexectray 3 4"
shift+F4 "powexectray 4 4"
shift+F5 "powexectray 5 4"
shift+F6 "powexectray 6 4"
shift+F7 "powexectray 7 4"
shift+F8 "powexectray 8 4"
shift+F9 "powexectray 9 4"
shift+F10 "powexectray 10 4"
ctrl+1 "powexectray 1 5"
ctrl+2 "powexectray 2 5"
ctrl+3 "powexectray 3 5"
ctrl+4 "powexectray 4 5"
ctrl+5 "powexectray 5 5"
ctrl+6 "powexectray 6 5"
ctrl+7 "powexectray 7 5"
ctrl+8 "powexectray 8 5"
ctrl+9 "powexectray 9 5"
ctrl+0 "powexectray 10 5"
ctrl+F1 "powexectray 1 6"
ctrl+F2 "powexectray 2 6"
ctrl+F3 "powexectray 3 6"
ctrl+F4 "powexectray 4 6"
ctrl+F5 "powexectray 5 6"
ctrl+F6 "powexectray 6 6"
ctrl+F7 "powexectray 7 6"
ctrl+F8 "powexectray 8 6"
ctrl+F9 "powexectray 9 6"
ctrl+F10 "powexectray 10 6"
alt+1 "powexectray 1 7"
alt+2 "powexectray 2 7"
alt+3 "powexectray 3 7"
alt+4 "powexectray 4 7"
alt+5 "powexectray 5 7"
alt+6 "powexectray 6 7"
alt+7 "powexectray 7 7"
alt+8 "powexectray 8 7"
alt+9 "powexectray 9 7"
alt+0 "powexectray 10 7"
alt+F1 "powexectray 1 8"
alt+F2 "powexectray 2 8"
alt+F3 "powexectray 3 8"
alt+F4 "powexectray 4 8"
alt+F5 "powexectray 5 8"
alt+F6 "powexectray 6 8"
alt+F7 "powexectray 7 8"
alt+F8 "powexectray 8 8"
alt+F9 "powexectray 9 8"
alt+F10 "powexectray 10 8"
shift+ctrl+1 "inspexec_slot 1"
shift+ctrl+2 "inspexec_slot 2"
shift+ctrl+3 "inspexec_slot 3"
shift+ctrl+4 "inspexec_slot 4"
shift+ctrl+5 "inspexec_slot 5"
shift+ctrl "nop"
tilde "targetcustomnear enemy alive$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Quantum$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Void$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Sapper"
shift+tilde "targetcustomnext enemy defeated"
ctrl+tilde "follow"
tab "target_enemy_next"
shift+tab "target_enemy_prev"
ctrl+tab "nop"
numpad1 "teamselect 1"
numpad2 "teamselect 2"
numpad3 "teamselect 3"
numpad4 "teamselect 4"
numpad5 "teamselect 5"
numpad6 "teamselect 6"
numpad7 "teamselect 7"
numpad8 "teamselect 8"
shift+numpad1 "petselect 0"
shift+numpad2 "petselect 1"
shift+numpad3 "petselect 2"
shift+numpad4 "petselect 3"
shift+numpad5 "petselect 4"
shift+numpad6 "petselect 5"
shift+numpad7 "petselect 6"
shift+numpad8 "petselect 7"
F11 say "Ready!$$emote thumbsup"
F12 say "$battlecry$$emote attack"
shift+F11 say "HELP!$$emote whistle"
shift+F12 say "RUN!"
enter "nop"
shift+enter "nop"
ctrl+enter "em point$$say $target sighted."
backspace "afk Sending tell…$$autoreply"
shift+backspace "afk Sending tell…$$beginchat /tell $target, "
' "afk Typing…$$startchat"
esc "unselect"
shift+[ "screenshotui 0$$screenshot$$screenshotui 1$$screenshot$$em {click}"
\ "menu"
delete "++first"
home "+zoomin"
end "+zoomout"
pageup "nop"
pagedown "sync$$reloadgfx$$camreset$$camdist 24"
; "em cellphone$$ah"
shift+; "em screen$$vault"
n "em cellphone$$windowtoggle contacts"
m "em drinkenriche$$map"
comma "em inspiration$$windowtoggle mission"
mousechord "+camrotate$$camreset$$camdist 24"
shift+mousechord "+camrotate"
rbutton "+mouselook"
mousewheel "powexecunqueue"
lalt "nop"
up "nop"
down "nop"
left "nop"
right "nop"
- "nop"
alt+- "nop"
/ "nop"
b "nop"
c "nop"
equals "nop"
alt+equals "nop"
h "nop"
lctrl "nop"
mbutton "nop"
p "nop"
ralt "nop"
sysrq "nop"
t "nop"
v "nop"
ctrl+v "nop"
x "nop"
z "nop"

The organization of these keybinds plays out like this.


First, there are the movement controling keybinds.



Rather than using a typical WASD setup for movement control by left hand on keyboard (yes, I'm right handed), I instead invert that into a WERD setup for movement control because of how much easier it makes the ergonomics of my (left) hand position on the keyboard.

• Left Ring Finger: naturally rests on the W key
• Left Middle Finger: naturally rests on the E key
• Left Index Finger: naturally rests on the F key

The advantage of this arrangement is that the F key on most keyboards (including mine) has a small raised bump on it for tactile feedback recognition of correct hand position (which is helpful in touch typing). That simple bit of tactile feedback helps keep my left hand in the right placement even when I'm looking up at the screen rather than down at my hands on the keyboard.

E/D are forward/back.
W is strafe left.
R is strafe right.
S and E are spin turns, but I almost never use them since I do most of my turn control using the mouse (better fine grained control using the mouse).
Spacebar is jump/fly up (and Shift+Spacebar is fly down)

Q and A get used as "throttle up/throttle down" in other games (that use a throttle), but here in City of Heroes I use Q/A to select movement modes (and autorun) with the shift, control and alt keys as additional modifiers.

In my tray 9 I put:

• Ninja Run (slot 5)
• Prestige Power Surge (slot 6)
• Sprint (slot 7)
• Prestige Power Slide (slot 8)
• Walk (slot 9)
• Jump Pack (slot 10)

If I've picked a Travel Power (such as Gadgetry: Jetpack) I'll put that power into tray 1, slot 10 (all the way over on the right in the bottom corner).

With the common core keybinds I've set up, this gives me the following combinations without needing to write new binds for every character:

• Q = Ninja Run
• Shift+Q = Autorun toggle on/off
• Control+Q = Travel Power
• Shift:Control = Turbo Boost
• Alt+Q = Jump Pack
• A = Prestige Power Surge
• Shift+A = Sprint
• Control+A = Prestige Power Slide
• Alt+A = Walk

Since the combination of Ninja Run+Prestige Power Surge (in my opinion, the most attractive looking prestige sprint power) often times winds up being my fastest mode of travel, I tend to default towards using it as a matter of routine, even when other options are available. I like using (actual) Sprint as my "stealth on demand" power once I've gotten a Celerity: +Stealth proc slotted into it because (actual) Stealth doesn't produce any light bloom or aura FX while the power is toggled on.


Next I've got my layout for (Foe) $Target selection and the binds for powers in trays, using these keys:



The combinations for the trays works out like this:

• 1-0
• F1-F10
• Shift + 1-0
• Shift + F1-F10
• Control + 1-0
• Control + F1-F10
• Alt + 1-0
• Alt + F1-F10

The tilde and tab keys get used for targeting of Foes, with different functions in combination with the Shift, Control and Alt keys again.

Tilde will target the nearest undefeated Foe.
Shift+Tilde will target nearest defeated Foe (useful for powers that require corpses).
Control+Tilde will toggle Follow of the selected $Target.
Tab is target next.
Shift+Tab is target previous.

Rapid targeting of Teammates is done via 1-8 on the numpad.
Rapid targeting of Pets is done via Shift + 1-8 on the numpad.
These functions can become quite relevant for rapid targeting of buffs and heals to teams.


Chat functions are largely sequestered over on the right hand side of the keyboard, as you can see here:

• F11 = Ready!
• F12 = $Battlecry
• Shift+F11 = Help!
• Shift+F12 = RUN

Tells chat is handled through the backspace/delete key (for getting "back" to people on private chat).

I use the apostrophe key instead of the Enter key to start chats, simply to avoid any "mode confusion" that can arise from using Enter to start a chat and to send text to a chat channel once I've finished typing.

Control+Enter is used to declare $Targets to whatever chat channel I've currently got set. I use this to announce Quantums/Voids for Kheldian allies to be aware of, along with other potential Foe hazards (so others I'm with know that I've got them).


Keyboard commands of menus and functions are broken out into binds in these locations:

• Page Down does multiple things ... including unloading graphics (to force garbage collection and a reload of the graphics buffer). It also resets the camera position to behind my character, 24 feet away, which makes for a decent "all around view" needed for PBAoE targeting and awareness.
• Home/End are the camera zoom in/zoom out keys
• Delete is the first person view toggle
• ESC is the unselect/cancel key (as usual)
• Backslash brings up the menu (as usual)
• Shift+[ is used for screenshots (automatically takes two screenshots per click, one with the UI off and one with the UI on)
• Semcolon brings up the Auction House (with an emote)
• Shift+Semcolon brings up the Vault (with an emote)
• N toggles the Contacts window (with an emote)
• M toggles the Map window (with an emote)
• Comma toggles the Missions window (with an emote)

As far as keybinds to the mouse go, they're fairly standard ... albeit with some nice refinements that I've only just recently perfected.

• Right Mouse Button = turn character and camera together while held down
• Left+Right Mouse Buttons together = turn camera independently of character and snap back to default position when released(!)
• Shift+Left+Right Mouse Buttons together = turn camera independently of character but do not adjust camera after release (good for glamour screenshots)
• Mousewheel rotation (any direction) = unqueue Power, useful for canceling a queued up Power that you've changed your mind about using

At the end of the keybinds.txt file there are a lot of "nop" assignments (meaning "no operation") that essentially unbind those keys to prevent them from calling their original default assignment functions. I want to be sure those keys are "unbound" in order for them to be made available when personalizing and tailoring the keybind setups of heavily UI dependent setups such as needed by Masterminds and Kheldians (and even to a more limited extent, some Soldiers of Arachnos as well).

88

Mastermind / [v2.1] Ninja/Time Tankermind Supremacy

« on: January 02, 2023, 05:09:09 pm »

Since there were complaints last time, I'm going to do a good bit more editing and reorganization this time around.

• Build First
• Explanations for Details, Decisions, Thinking and Strategies ... after ...

Needless to say, there have been ... some changes (informed by actual gameplay here on Rebirth) ... that have prompted me to make this revision relative to the previous build which you can find HERE.

You can have three guesses as to who's going to win.
The first two don't count.

Code: [Select]

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This Villain build was built using Mids Reborn 3.4.7 (Rebirth Issue 29, Volume 1 - DBVersion: 2023.2.302)
https://github.com/LoadedCamel/MidsReborn

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Level 50 Technology Mastermind
Primary Power Set: Ninjas
Secondary Power Set: Time Manipulation
Power Pool: Gadgetry
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Concealment

Villain Profile:
Level 1: Call Genin

• (A) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
• (3) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 50
• (3) Overwhelming Force - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 27
• (5) Overwhelming Force - Damage/Chance for Knockdown/Knockback to Knockdown: Level 27
• (7) Call to Arms - Defense Bonus Aura for Pets: Level 10
• (50) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up: Level 50

Level 1: Time Crawl

• (A) Impeded Swiftness - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 27+5
  
• (7) Impeded Swiftness - Chance of Damage(Smashing): Level 10
• (17) Pacing of the Turtle - Chance of -Recharge: Level 20

Level 2: Snap Shot

• (A) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage: Level 27
• (5) Decimation - Damage/Endurance: Level 27
• (9) Decimation - Damage/Recharge: Level 27
• (21) Decimation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 27
• (21) Decimation - Chance of Build Up: Level 25

Level 4: Temporal Mending

• (A) Regenerative Tissue - +Regeneration: Level 10
• (42) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Endurance: Level 27
• (43) Regenerative Tissue - Endurance/Recharge: Level 27
• (43) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Recharge: Level 27
• (43) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27

Level 6: Train Ninjas

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 8: Aimed Shot

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge: Level 50
• (9) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge: Level 50
• (11) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge: Level 50
• (19) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
• (19) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative): Level 50

Level 10: Fistful of Arrows

• (A) Annihilation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27+5
  
• (11) Annihilation - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 20
• (11) Detonation - Damage/Endurance/Range: Level 50+5
  
• (34) Hamidon Origin: Centriole Exposure (Accuracy/Range)
• (34) Hamidon Origin: Centriole Exposure (Accuracy/Range)

Level 12: Call Jounin

• (A) Superior Witchcraft - Universal Debuff: Level 50
• (13) Superior Witchcraft - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 50
• (13) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage: Level 50
• (15) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
• (15) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge: Level 50
• (17) Superior Command of the Mastermind - Recharge/Pet +AoE Defense Aura: Level 50

Level 14: Time's Juncture

• (A) Dark Watcher's Despair - Chance for Recharge Slow: Level 21
• (40) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff: Level 27
• (40) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Recharge/Endurance: Level 27
• (40) Dark Watcher's Despair - To Hit Debuff/Endurance: Level 27

Level 16: Jetpack

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points): Level 10

Level 18: Maneuvers

• (A) Reactive Defenses - Scaling Resist Damage: Level 20
• (46) Reactive Defenses - Defense: Level 27
• (48) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance: Level 27
• (48) Reactive Defenses - Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 27
• (48) Reactive Defenses - Defense/RechargeTime: Level 27
• (50) Reactive Defenses - Defense/Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 27

Level 20: Distortion Field

• (A) Superior Winter Storm - Recharge/Chance for Cold Damage: Level 50
• (34) Superior Winter Storm - Accuracy/Slow: Level 50
• (37) Superior Winter Storm - Damage/Slow: Level 50
• (42) Superior Winter Storm - Accuracy/Damage/Slow: Level 50
• (42) Superior Winter Storm - Damage/Endurance/Slow: Level 50

Level 22: Time Stop

• (A) Lockdown - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge/Hold: Level 31
• (23) Lockdown - Chance for +2 Mag Hold: Level 30
• (23) Ghost Widow's Embrace - Chance of Damage(Psionic): Level 20
• (25) Neuronic Shutdown - Chance of Damage(Psionic): Level 10
• (25) Gladiator's Net - Chance of Damage(Lethal): Level 10
• (50) Unbreakable Constraint - Chance for Smashing Damage: Level 50

Level 24: Tactics

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5
  

Level 26: Oni

• (A) Edict of the Master - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance: Level 27
• (27) Edict of the Master - Defense Bonus: Level 15
• (27) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Accuracy/Endurance: Level 50
• (29) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Damage: Level 50
• (29) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Damage/Endurance: Level 50
• (31) Superior Mark of Supremacy - Endurance/Pet +Resist +Regen: Level 50

Level 28: Farsight

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25
• (31) Luck of the Gambler - Defense: Level 27
• (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance: Level 27
• (33) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27

Level 30: Hasten

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50
• (31) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 32: Kuji In Zen

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 35: Slowed Response

• (A) Analyze Weakness - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 31+5
  
• (36) Analyze Weakness - Chance for +ToHit: Level 30
• (36) Shield Breaker - Accuracy/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27+5
  
• (36) Shield Breaker - Chance for Lethal Damage: Level 10
• (37) Achilles' Heel - Chance for Res Debuff: Level 10
• (37) Touch of Lady Grey - Chance for Negative Damage: Level 21

Level 38: Chrono Shift

• (A) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Recharge: Level 27+5
  
• (39) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy/Recharge: Level 27+5
  
• (39) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Recharge: Level 27+5
  
• (39) Regenerative Tissue - Heal/Endurance/Recharge: Level 27+5
  

Level 41: Temporal Selection

• (A) Preventive Medicine - Chance for +Absorb: Level 20
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal: Level 27
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Heal/Endurance: Level 27
• (45) Preventive Medicine - Endurance/RechargeTime: Level 27
• (46) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime: Level 27
• (46) Preventive Medicine - Heal/RechargeTime/Endurance: Level 27

Level 44: Assault

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO: Level 50+5
  

Level 47: Stealth

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25

Level 49: Grant Invisibility

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Increased Global Recharge Speed: Level 25

Level 1: Supremacy
Level 1: Brawl

• (A) Hamidon Origin: Nucleolus Exposure (Accuracy/Damage)

Level 1: Sprint

• (A) Celerity - +Stealth: Level 15

Level 2: Rest

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO: Level 50

Level 2: Swift

• (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5
  

Level 2: Hurdle

• (A) Jumping IO: Level 50+5
  

Level 2: Health

• (A) Panacea - +Hit Points/Endurance: Level 10
• (9) Miracle - +Recovery: Level 20
• (17) Numina's Convalesence - +Regeneration/+Recovery: Level 30

Level 2: Stamina

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End: Level 21
• (13) Performance Shifter - EndMod: Level 27
• (23) Performance Shifter - EndMod/Accuracy: Level 27

Level 1: Disintegrating
Level 4: Ninja Run
Level 1: Prestige Power Surge

• (A) Run Speed IO: Level 50+5
  

Level 50: Born In Battle
Level 50: High Pain Threshold
Level 50: Invader
Level 50: Marshal

Level 1: Genin
Level 12: Jounin
Level 26: Oni

Level 50: Intuition Radial Paragon
Level 50: Ion Radial Final Judgement
Level 50: Cognitive Core Flawless Interface
Level 50: Robotic Drones Core Superior Ally
Level 50: Clarion Radial Epiphany
Level 50: Control Radial Embodiment


Note:
Prior to Level 50, Aimed Shot is slotted with the 5-slot Entropic Chaos set before reslotting with a 5-slot Apocalypse set (as shown above) once Level 50 has been reached.


Set Bonus Totals:

• 15% DamageBuff(Smashing)
• 15% DamageBuff(Lethal)
• 15% DamageBuff(Fire)
• 15% DamageBuff(Cold)
• 15% DamageBuff(Energy)
• 15% DamageBuff(Negative)
• 15% DamageBuff(Toxic)
• 15% DamageBuff(Psionic)
• 10% Defense
• 2.5% Defense(Smashing)
• 2.5% Defense(Lethal)
• 5% Defense(Melee)
• 15% Defense(AoE)
• 3.6% Max End
• +4% Enhancement(SpeedJumping)
• +4% Enhancement(JumpHeight)
• +4% Enhancement(SpeedFlying)
• +4% Enhancement(SpeedRunning)
• +39% Enhancement(Accuracy)
• 7.5% Enhancement(Max EnduranceDiscount)
• +106.3% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
• +4% Enhancement(Heal)
• 33% SpeedFlying
• GrantPower Preventive Medicine (10% chance when PreventiveMedicine, if Scourge)
• 135.5 HP (16.88%) HitPoints
• 33% JumpHeight
• 33% SpeedJumping
• Knockback (Mag -4)
• Knockup (Mag -4)
• 21.25% MezResist(Confused)
• 21.25% MezResist(Held)
• 21.25% MezResist(Immobilized)
• 21.25% MezResist(Sleep)
• 21.25% MezResist(Stunned)
• 21.25% MezResist(Terrorized)
• 9% (0.15 End/sec) Recovery
• 198% (6.62 HP/sec) Regeneration
• 23.25% Resistance(Smashing)
• 23.25% Resistance(Lethal)
• 24% Resistance(Fire)
• 24% Resistance(Cold)
• 19.5% Resistance(Energy)
• 19.5% Resistance(Negative)
• 18% Resistance(Toxic)
• 18% Resistance(Psionic)
• 33% SpeedRunning

Set Bonuses:
Superior Mark of Supremacy
(Call Genin)

•   +10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Overwhelming Force
(Call Genin)

•   12% (0.4 HP/sec) Regeneration

Call to Arms
(Call Genin)

•   5% Defense

Impeded Swiftness
(Time Crawl)

•   1.5% Resistance(Smashing,Lethal), 2.5% Status Resistance

Decimation
(Snap Shot)

•   1.5% Resistance(Energy,Negative), 2.5% Status Resistance
•   9.04 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
•   2.25% Max End
•   +6.25% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Regenerative Tissue
(Temporal Mending)

•   6% Movement Speed
•   12.05 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
•   +4% Enhancement(Heal)
•   +5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Apocalypse
(Aimed Shot)

•   16% (0.54 HP/sec) Regeneration
•   24.1 HP (3%) HitPoints
•   4% DamageBuff(All)
•   +10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Annihilation
(Fistful of Arrows)

•   1.35% Max End

Superior Witchcraft
(Call Jounin)

•   4% DamageBuff(All)

Superior Command of the Mastermind
(Call Jounin)

•   4% DamageBuff(All)
•   24.1 HP (3%) HitPoints
•   +10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
•   15% Defense(AoE)

Dark Watcher's Despair
(Time's Juncture)

•   12.05 HP (1.5%) HitPoints
•   2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery
•   +5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Blessing of the Zephyr
(Jetpack)

•   Knockback Protection (Mag 4)

Reactive Defenses
(Maneuvers)

•   1.5% Resistance(Smashing,Lethal), 2.5% Status Resistance
•   15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
•   3% Resistance(Fire,Cold), 5% Status Resistance
•   3.75% Enhancement(EnduranceDiscount)
•   +8.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
•   3% Resistance(All)

Superior Winter Storm
(Distortion Field)

•   4% (0.07 End/sec) Recovery
•   +4% Enhancement(Slow)
•   +15% Enhancement(Accuracy)
•   +10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Lockdown
(Time Stop)

•   3% DamageBuff(All)

Edict of the Master
(Oni)

•   6% Movement Speed
•   5% Defense

Superior Mark of Supremacy
(Oni)

•   +10% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
•   +15% Enhancement(Accuracy)
•   5% Defense(Melee), 2.5% Defense(Lethal), 2.5% Defense(Smashing)
•   15% Resistance(All), 150% (5.02 HP/sec) Regeneration

Luck of the Gambler
(Farsight)

•   10% (0.33 HP/sec) Regeneration
•   9.04 HP (1.13%) HitPoints
•   +9% Enhancement(Accuracy)
•   +7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Analyze Weakness
(Slowed Response)

•   10% (0.33 HP/sec) Regeneration

Shield Breaker
(Slowed Response)

•   2.5% (0.04 End/sec) Recovery

Performance Shifter
(Chrono Shift)

•   7.5% Movement Speed

Regenerative Tissue
(Chrono Shift)

•   6% Movement Speed

Preventive Medicine
(Temporal Selection)

•   2.25% Resistance(Smashing,Lethal), 3.75% Status Resistance
•   15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints
•   3% Resistance(Fire,Cold), 5% Status Resistance
•   3.75% Enhancement(EnduranceDiscount)
•   +8.75% Enhancement(RechargeTime)
•   GrantPower Preventive Medicine (10% chance when PreventiveMedicine), GrantPower Preventive Medicine

Luck of the Gambler
(Stealth)

•   +7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Luck of the Gambler
(Grant Invisibility)

•   +7.5% Enhancement(RechargeTime)

Performance Shifter
(Stamina)

•   7.5% Movement Speed
•   15.06 HP (1.88%) HitPoints

Proc chances:
Time Crawl: Impeded Swiftness (3.5 PPM), Pacing of the Turtle (3.5 PPM)

• 3.5 * ((15 / ( 1 + 0 / 100 )) + 1.6) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 96.83%)

Snap Shot: Decimation (1.0 PPM)

• 1.0 * ((2 / ( 1 + 37.91 / 100 )) + 1) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 6.5% (Pre-clamp: 4.08%)

Aimed Shot: Entropic Chaos (3.0 PPM) or Apocalypse (4.5 PPM)

• 3.0 * ((4 / ( 1 + 37.91 / 100 )) + 1) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 19.50%
  
• 4.5 * ((4 / ( 1 + 89.92 / 100 )) + 1) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 23.30%

Fistful of Arrows: Annihilation (3.0 PPM)

• 3.0 * ((8 / ( 1 + 18.43 / 100 )) + 1.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 40 * (11 * 30 + 540) / 30,000))) = 21.19% per $Target

Call Jounin: Witchcraft (3.5 PPM)

• Basic: Gambler's Cut (-DEF, 3s recharge)
  
• Basic: Sting of the Wasp (-DEF, 5s recharge)
  
• Basic: Caltrops (Slow, 30s recharge)
  
• Train: Soaring Dragon (-DEF, Knockback, 9s recharge)
  
• Zen: Golden Dragonfly (-DEF, Knockup, 12s recharge)
  
• Zen: Blinding Powder (-To-hit, 120s recharge)

Time's Juncture: Dark Watcher's Despair (3.5 PPM)

• 3.5 x 10 / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 25 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 15.30% per $Target

Distortion Field: Superior Winter Storm (4.5 PPM)

• 4.5 x 10 / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 20 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 23.08% per $Target

Time Stop: Lockdown (2.5 PPM), Neuronic Shutdown (3.5 PPM), Gladiator's Net (3.5 PPM), Ghost Widow's Embrace (3.5 PPM), Unbreakable Contstraint (4.5 PPM)

• 2.5 * ((16 / ( 1 + 19.25 / 100 )) + 2.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 64.95%
  
• 3.5 * ((16 / ( 1 + 19.25 / 100 )) + 2.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 90.93%)
  
• 4.5 * ((16 / ( 1 + 19.25 / 100 )) + 2.17) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 0 * (11 * 0 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 116.91%)

Slowed Response: Analyze Weakness (2.0 PPM), Shield Breaker (3.5 PPM), Achilles' Heel (3.5 PPM), Touch of Lady Grey (3.5 PPM)

• 2.0 * ((90 / ( 1 + 43.06 / 100 )) + 2.27) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 25 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 56.99% per $Target
  
• 3.5 * ((90 / ( 1 + 43.06 / 100 )) + 2.27) / (60 * (0.25 + 0.75 * (1 + 25 * (11 * 360 + 540) / 30,000))) = 90% (Pre-clamp: 99.73%)

per $Target

89

Mastermind / Re: It's a BOW Time! (Ninja/Time/Mace)

« on: January 01, 2023, 10:46:43 am »

Well ...

Now that Redlynne is Level 50 (and tanking in Incarnate Trials) so she can earn Astral Merits and Empyrean Merits in order to "finance" development of alts ... I've been working on playing Ku no Ichi (my Ninja/Time Mastermind) and keeping her Goldside as a Praetorian, rather than moving over to Redside or Blueside, and I'm contemplating the notion of keeping her Gold (Resistance) forever and participate in Incarnate Trials (as a Mastermind) through Pocket D.

So yesterday, I was able to get Ku no Ichi up to Level 27 (which is the first opportunity to put slots into the T3 pet, Oni) ... and as I've been playing using the v1 build posted above ... I've started to notice that some of the choices I made were not as "optimal" as I had been hoping for here on Rebirth.


The big one is slotting the Gaussian's Build Up proc into Tactics.
I've done it.
I've tested it ... and it's a waste of a slot.

Even with 6 pets summoned, the Gaussian's will barely proc at all (here on Rebirth).
I have seen it proc ... so it does "work" ... just not as well as I was wanting it to.
Here on Rebirth, it's making a SINGLE proc chance check every 10 seconds (because Tactics is a toggle) ... and it has only a SINGLE 6.5% chance to proc for basically 5 seconds worth of Build Up duration.
So ... nice to have ... but hardly something that is going to make much of a difference (when you need it to), since the uptime on the proc is functionally about 3% of the time (which isn't good enough) at times that are NOT of your choosing.

Since that has turned out to be such a disappointment, I decided to swap out the Gaussian's proc for a Rectified Reticle +Perception instead.
I checked the possibilities of using some kind of To-hit Buff enhancement, but in a One Slot Wonder configuration, the yields were all pretty much laughable (especially with as much Defense Debuffing as the Ninja/Time combination makes available).


The next major change I made to the v1 build was swapping around enhancement sets between Jounin, Oni and Time's Juncture.
Specifically, I moved the 2 enhancements of Edict of the Master from Jounin to Oni (which is why I needed to wait until Level 27 to respec properly).
That then freed up those 2 slots in Jounin ... and I had noticed (while perusing around in Mids Reborn) that basically ALL of the attack powers of the Jounin feature a Defense Debuff, Slow or To-hit Debuff component to them.
And what combines ALL of those components into a single enhancement?

Why ... the Witchcraft set (which can be catalyzed to become a Superior version at 50) of course!
The Universal Debuff set enhances:

• Defense Debuffs
• Slows
• To-hit Debuffs

So rather than putting the Witchcraft (-20%) Resistance Debuff proc into Time's Juncture (which as a toggle only gets a proc chance every 10 seconds) ... if the Resistance Debuff proc is slotted into Jounin ... they have LOTS of click attacks (up to 4 katana attacks, caltrops and a ranged poison dart!) and each and every single one of those clicks has a chance to proc the Resistance Debuff!
And at levels 24+ ... you summon TWO Jounin ... doubling the number of "click attacks" and proc chances!

This yields a MUCH more reliable "throughput" of vastly more proc chances being applied to whatever the Jounin are attacking, so the procs come out "faster" and more reliably often.
Those Resistance Debuff procs then "magnify" whatever damage is being done to that debuffed $Target ... from all sources.

I've even been able to see that since the Witchcraft proc is NOT a "Grant Power" setup (like Achilles Heel) the affected $Target(s) do not "cast the debuff onto themselves" (an arrangement that bypasses their own native resistances). Instead, with Witchcraft, it is the Caster applying the debuff to the $Target.

In both cases (Witchcraft and Achilles), the proc has a Does not stack from same caster factor baked in ... so multiple procs are not additive (they do not stack), but rather they overwrite the previous proc (functionally resetting the duration and extending it).
However ... because Achilles (and other Grant Power implementations) cause the $Target to cast the debuff onto themselves, the Does not stack from same caster is keyed to the $Target forced to cast the debuff onto themself.
With Witchcraft though ... it's different.
The Caster is affecting the $Target DIRECTLY ... meaning that different Casters can proc the Witchcraft Resistance Debuff onto the same $Target ... and the debuff will stack because it is coming from different Casters!

I've actually seen this happen already with my respecced and reslotted Jounin, with the Witchcraft Resistance Debuff proc slotted into the Summon Jounin power.
Both Jounin attacked the same $Target and after it had been defeated (and the corpse disappeared) I noticed that there were TWO OVERLAPPING PENTAGRAMS on the floor where the corpse had fallen. I could tell that it was a pair of pentagrams because they were slightly rotated relative to each other (and not perfectly symmetrical evenly spaced between the star points of the pentagrams). It was very clear that the $Target had been debuffed TWICE by Wtichcraft ... not just once!

The downside to Witchcraft computing as a direct debuff from the caster, rather than as a grant power the $Target casts onto themself, is that because of how Resistances and Damage are coded "under the hood" inside the programming ... Resistances natively resist Debuffing. Arcanaville discovered this (back in the day), and it's why Defense Debuff Resistance had to be created so as to prevent a runaway COLLAPSE of Defense protection schemes when debuffed.

So if a $Target with a 50% Resistance gets debuffed by -20% ... it depends a LOT on where that debuff is coming from (game mechanically).

If the debuff is coming from a Foe ... the 50% Resistance modifies the Debuff before it gets applied to the Resistance value.
50 - (20 * 0.5) = 40% Resistance after being debuffed

If the debuff is coming from the affected $Target (via a Grant Power mechanic) ... then no native Resistance modifies the Debuff before it gets applied to the Resistance value.
50 - 20 = 30% Resistance after being debuffed

So I think that the Witchcraft proc works differently from the Achilles Heel proc ... and because of that difference, the Witchcraft proc can be stacked from different casters ... and the two T2 Jounin ninja pets "count" as different casters for this proc (much like how the two T2 Protector Bots robotics pets can cast buffs that stack, or the two T2 Enforcers thugs pets can stack their leadership powers, because they're "different casters").



Without the Witchcraft proc available to Time's Juncture, I just reverted the preferred slotting there back to a 4-slot of Dark Watcher's Despair (including the -Recharge proc) for the To-hit Debuffing and the 4-slot set bonus of +5% global recharge enhancement.


The next change I made was that after trying out the Entomb proc in Distortion Field ... I found it to be really lackluster.
For one thing, I wasn't using Distortion Field (yet) all that often (because prior to Level 27 I didn't have any sets that could generate global recharge bonuses), so I didn't have it available "every spawn group" or even "every other spawn group" while leveling through First Ward story arcs. This lack of use of Distortion Field also meant that I basically wasn't getting much use of the the Entomb proc (don't use the power, don't get the proc benefits).

However, I had put only 5 slots into Time Stop in the v1 of the build posted above ... meaning that I could pull the Entomb proc slot from Distortion Field so as to put it into Time Stop ... and then go for an Entomb: Acc/Hold/End 2-slot bonus to get the necessary accuracy and endurance slotted into Time Stop without exacerbating any proc chance reduction issues that come from slotting recharge into powers like Time Stop. The real beauty of this arrangement is that Entomb can be catalyzed to become Superior (increasing the +Absorb proc chance from 2PPM to 3PPM) at the "cost" of the proc adding +23.2% recharge at all Exemplar levels. However, for a 3.5PPM such as the damage procs use (Ghost Widow's Embrace, Neuronic Shutdown, Gladiator's Net), the chance to proc falls only slightly below the 90% cap ... at around 88.4% ... an entirely reasonable tradeoff (a 10/86th chance to not proc instead of a 10/100th chance to not proc). Given that the chance to proc Superior Entomb rises to ~75% from the chance to proc for Entomb of only about ~50% when using Time Stop (as a damaging proc monster power!), this feels like an entirely reasonable and respectable tradeoff to me.


Another change that I made for the v2 rebuild, informed by my actual gameplay experience here on Rebirth (rather than just theorycrafting into the VOID) is that ... if I'm going to be keeping Ku no Ichi as a Praetorian Goldsider "forever" ... then she is never going to get the opportunity to do any Villain Patron unlocks and therefore will never have the opportunity to pick up Mace Mastery (or the four Red/Blue Accolates for +HP and +END, but that's a separate issue). Which then means that orienting towards for a Ninja/Time/Mace build plan no longer made sense ... so Mace Mastery (and Power Boost with it!) was just going to Have To Go™.



However, if I dropped Power Boost (and Scorpion Shield in Mace Mastery) from the build plan ... that gave me two open One Slot Wonder™ power picks to choose from to replace them.
I also had Nano Net from Gadgetry in the v1 build (at Level 49) for lack of any better ideas, but that power pick could easily be cannibalized too.

What to do? What to do?


All of the power picks from Levels 1-38 are pretty solidly "locked in" where they are so as to be able to get them all both as early as possible and as late as possible if they're needed for combinations with other powers (Tactics @ 24 just when the T1 pets are summoned as 3 and get -2 Level shifts, Hasten @ 30 in the last possible "open" power pick before Chrono Shift arrives @ 38) ... but there was one exception.

Temporal Selection

Temporal Selection isn't "needed" early on in quite the same way as a lot of other powers are (in either the Ninjas primary or the Time Manipulation secondary). It's a "nice to have" power (especially when slotted up with Preventative Medicine!) ... but that slotting has to be delayed until MUCH MUCH LATER (because it's lower on the priorities list for slots) and because it isn't a critical lynchpin of new capabilities added when the power gets used. Don't get me wrong, Temporal Selection is wonderful (when slotted up!) ... but until it gets slotted ... I just wasn't using it that often, even though it applies +Damage to pets(!).

So if I pulled Temporal Selection from the Level 16 power pick ... I could drop in Jetpack from Gadgetry @ 16 ... move Temporal Selection to Level 41 (keeping Leadership: Assault @ 44) ... and then have Levels 47 and 49 left open, which would be perfect for "completing my ninjistu training" by ending off with Stealth and Grant Invisibility from the Concealment pool instead (both of which can slot Luck of the Gambler +Recharge procs).

Jetpack can be slotted with the Blessing of the Zephyr Knockback Protection proc ... meaning I no longer needed the Karma Knockback Protection proc slotted into Farsight to do that job for me ... and could convert the slotting in Farsight over into 3x Hami-O: Cytoskeleton Exposures (End/Def/ToHit Buffs) and free up a slot for something else, or just go with a 4-slot Luck of the Gambler in Farsight. Still trying to decide on where to go with that one.


So yeah ... LOTS of changes pending for a v2.0 of this build, and I haven't finished deciding where all the bits and pieces are going to land (after tossing them up in the air like this!).
But however it all shakes out, I'm going to need to make a new post thread for it ... because the build I posted up above ... is already obsolete, based on my experiences of playing up to Level 27 (so far).
Plus, I've had to modify some of my keybind patterns (grr, no /em fireworkbloom available to signal my pets to return to me!) ... so ... there's that to update too.

90

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: Faces. Hair. Costumes are AMAZING, but hair and face are key!

« on: December 24, 2022, 11:15:59 pm »

If you have any specific ideas for face or hair options that you'd like to see implemented, feel free to post some pictures of what you have in mind.

Well ... since you asked ...

Ranko Mannen's asymmetrical hairstyle.

Imgur gallery LINK.

Ranko IN ACTION (warning: gratuitous bloodshed).