Heya guys,
For the record, I had a pisser time last night. I did find myself reflecting on the ride into work this morning that now all our Primes are over L47, I'm REALLY looking forward to the missions and high-level content that's opening up. It's a thrill to square off with AVs and the alternate dimensions in the Portal Corps missions are really cool. Post level 47 we have access to L50 IOs, have essentially all our powers, and are extremely well-rounded (since we've been through several respecs each by now). It's shifting out of a "let's level up" mode and into a "let's go play and do fun stuff" mode. Which I suppose we have been doing all along, but now (at least for me) it's taking on added focus.
I really liked that all last night nobody even came close to face-planting. After some of the thrown-together pick-up groups I've been in with Flambeau, our little Trio are like a SWAT team moving through the maps. Everyone knows their role, but is proficient enough to be flexible. Like Orleans playing Blapper on a couple maps and giving Mantlet a heart-attack trying to keep people off him.. :)
It's too bad I haven't really gotten excited about CoV. The gameplay, motives, and powersets are so similar to CoH, that I have a hard time getting into just the "villainy" aspect of it. Given my somewhat Paladin-esque playstyle preferences, I guess that's not much of a revalation. Looking forward, I don't see CoH becoming boring enough to want to indulge heavily in CoV. The only viable way I could see that happening is if we all decided to do it for a change of pace. I'd play online backgammon with you guys on Thursdays if that was the consensus, so CoV wouldn't be bad at all. Still, I do prefer the "hero" vibe you get in CoH. CoV is just lacking that little "kick" I get out of the missions and story arcs. I like to be the guy in the white hat (or helmet, in Mantlet's case).
Anyway, that's it for now. I still have to completely revamp my enhancements for both Flambeau Noir *and* Mantlet now, so something tells me I need to get that squared away before next Thursday. After the level-up, Mantlet's attacks didn't have the "Ooomph" they used to. I'm thinking some selective IOs and recipies will change that.... :)
Cheers,
Garthamatic
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Triumphant Triumvirate
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5 comments:
"Like Orleans playing Blapper on a couple maps and giving Mantlet a heart-attack trying to keep people off him.. :)"
Now that we're higher, I find I can take on more foes at one time. With all the knockback, I can usually keep them under control. The two disorient punches help out immensely. And if I get into too much trouble I can always nova, pop a blue, and fly away.
I know it drives you nuts, but you really don't have to worry too much. Last night, I was experimenting with hitting from different angles and actually TRYING to pull agro just so you could Taunt and pull them right back around. I don't know if you noticed, but occasionally I got them to run in circles.
At the higher levels, I've been noticing that we're not nearly as fragile. Caca and I hit a mission of 50s with a boss and no real trouble. I ate it once or twice because I wasn't paying attention to my endurance and sappers. With Caca's bubbles and Temporary Invulnerability I find I can survive a LOT. I don't know if either of those has anything to with it, but I'm not just taking less damage - the mobs are actually missing me a lot more. In addition, I'm learning how to manipulate Defiance and once I figure out Force of Nature it should just strenghten me even more.
Just saying don't wear yourself out. :)
Having said all of that, I did find myself using a LOT of inspirations in some missions. It was feast or famine. I was either full of greens and blues or had NONE. But learning how to use those is another part of getting better and stronger.
As for COV:
I don't know if it's the fact that he's a Mastermind, but I am digging the HELL out of Danziger. It's easy to get into the villainous mindset when you're surrounded by a band of thugs doing your bidding.
It's difficult to push through the boring missions, though. And everything is a variation of either "fortress" or "blight." I'm hoping higher levels get more interesting.
But I don't think I'll EVER get bored with COH. They just keep adding new stuff. I'm just getting around to the stuff they added in ISSUE TWO, for crying out loud. And Issue 10 looks like a blast.
I did notice Orleans' different angles in the Chaos last night. Pre-lvl 50 IO range enhancements, I was always getting in Orleans' line of sight to the dog pile on Mantlet. There was just this unwritten "best choice of angle" vs. "best use of time" that frequently dictated Orleans' and I were on the same page. That said, more often than not, with lesser range, I usually wound up feeling a little guilty because I could see I was running right in front of him so often.
While I never cut that down 100%, I had managed during several of the last levels to curtail it a bit. I'd gotten to the point where the number of foes I was trying to "scrape" off of Mantlet using knockbacks without hitting his personal target had become a function of standing next to Orleans, not as frequently in front of him.
Well, last night, the running and turning patterns I'd been employing to do that without thinking were again putting me in front of poor Or'. I thought it was because I hadn't played in a couple of weeks. Then I realized, he was all over the map. I can't say it didn't encourage Caca' to run headlong into the danger zone with Kenny Loggins as the atmosphere got increasingly experimental. Sorry to make you work so hard, Mant'.
As for our level 50 adventure sans tank, let's just keep in perspective, Orleans, that I'm currently 2 levels higher than you. I'm still proud that we were able to work it out, especially when I'm the chicken who screamed "OUT" in the chat window during the first ten seconds. I am too amazed that defender and blaster could handle it. All in all, though, it repeatedly took every insp' I had.
Therefore, I don't exclusively find it a matter of us being less fragile, but a very precise player knowledge of exactly how many foes of what types we can handle at what levels when our tank isn't part of the equation.
Though true, Mantlet, I also don't want you to "wear yourself out." I am still, however, quite happy when you do. Remember that NPCs on the "older missions" last night were grey, green, and blue to me. When we are back in the swing of purples across the board, I've a feeling we'll seem just as fragile as we always have.
I like COV just as much, but only when I'm in the evil mindset that makes for great villain chat and practice. I've a few overt repeaters with regard to comments that I frequent with Azimuth and Slash Command. Yet, my attraction to playing them over COH comes from the numerous, random digs I can shout out to other anonymous players without the RL cops beating down my door. My COV enjoyment need not be gleened from difference in play style from COH. Essentially, it is taken mostly from chat.
I think that's something that develops as we play more. Given time in COV, you guys might find the same. Without extra time in COV, I can wholly see from whence your COV doldrums might eminate.
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