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Recurring player's question about the game's state: Viability vs. Concept
aironfaar
Posts: 8 Arc User
Hey guys, I've been playing Champions Online on and off for a few years now and am always baffled by the many additions and changes when I come back. This time coming back, I started to feel a bit of concern while clicking a little through the forums.
In the past, I've perceived an air of "build your characters as you enjoy it; as long as you don't completely lose sight of viability, concept characters are good enough for most to all content" within the community. Now, I'm seeing lots of things along the lines of "the META is the only thing you can use in endgame content, really".
Did I merely look at the wrong places or did CO really go down that route? From my experience, the game used to allow concept builds to be viable with a bit of work and sometimes compromise, but what I've read so far makes it sound like that changed.
In the past, I've perceived an air of "build your characters as you enjoy it; as long as you don't completely lose sight of viability, concept characters are good enough for most to all content" within the community. Now, I'm seeing lots of things along the lines of "the META is the only thing you can use in endgame content, really".
Did I merely look at the wrong places or did CO really go down that route? From my experience, the game used to allow concept builds to be viable with a bit of work and sometimes compromise, but what I've read so far makes it sound like that changed.
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The main thing that the few endgame fights require is a bit more role specialization than was needed in the past. So as a dps you are expected to do some significant damage, as a tank you are expected to be able to survive some pretty high damage hits and hold agro, etc.
Still, I made some dual-passive toons to have AoPM when solo, and another passive, focused on tanking or DPS, for endgame team content (Cosmics).
Whoever you are, be that person one hundred percent. Don't compromise on your identity.
However, the DPS checks are not that severe; most builds, if you play aggressively and actually attack the right targets at the right time, are sufficiently capable.
Epic Stronghold
Block timing explained
Aside from standard PvE, they are terrible in Rampages, Cosmics, and even in most event-boss fights. Bad AI, constant resummoning.
Whoever you are, be that person one hundred percent. Don't compromise on your identity.
"need Healer"
"need Tanks"
"need more DPS"
"need CCer"
....and particular auras as well such as AoPM, AoAC, and AoED. So in terms of what's *needed* the roles tend to be specialized when talking about the endgame. But there are lots of concepts that can fit within these roles and you don't have to fill a specialized role to show up.
As a Tank, you can pull your weight by helping the other tanks soak damage....all you need is rank 3 block and a defensive passive.
As a DPS, if you learn the fights, you can contribute by attacking the right things at the right times...saving AOs and/or Ultimates for DPS checks. You just need to find a way to do more than 10K dmg at the right target and time.
As a Healer, you can contribute by ensuring the tanks stay alive, providing timely rezzes during Eido fights, and bringing a nice aura or two to buff up the DPS.
CCer is a bit specialized but there is a variety of options to choose from with regards to the build...see the link in my sig.
All of the above can do their part with concept builds + Merc gear. It's being done on a regular basis. The only hard NO is pets...they mess up some of the more fragile fights and repeatedly die to all the AoEs thrown around by the cosmics.
PARSER USAGE GUIDE: click here for an easy how-to ٩(๑･ิᴗ･ิ)۶٩(･ิᴗ･ิ๑)۶
Spectre beats Eido in an SG run: VIDEO HERE
Epic Stronghold
Block timing explained
@aironfarr, as someone who has been doing Cosmics since they day they dropped (OG), let me tell you that your performance and acceptance at endgame has almost nothing to do with your build or your gear. It has everything to do with learning the fights. As long as you don't screw up and shoot a sleeping heart (or something equally egregious), pretty much nobody is going to take notice of your build.
Fortunately, there are plenty of great guides around and if you study them a bit, you can become a tactical expert in very little time. The big problem comes with the lazy asses who do not bother to read the guides and end up breaking stuff.
Think about it this way, if you are a damage character, the difference that you are going to make in the over all fight with a DPS of 2200 vs 2400 just really isn't that much one a 12 MILLION HP cosmic. But, if you screw up and shoot a sleeping heart and he heals for 500,000, okay NOW you have made a big difference and NOT a good one.
So, don't destroy your concept just to eek out a few more points. But do remember that you are a hero and have a job to do. If you are damage, you should focus on putting out damage, tank should focus on taking damage and keeping aggro, healer heals, wind blows, fire burns... etc etc.
So, ignore the newbie jerks who tell you to min-max your build and instead learn the fights (which many of them have never bothered to do). Of course, if you want to go ahead and min-max a build, that's fine, too, but it is still much more important to learn the fights. If you do that, you'll always place above cut to get your goodies and nobody will **** at you.
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Used to be coach on the forums. Still @coach in game.